Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 317 The accompanying concubines and queen are here to decide!

Li Yifu, Xiao Siye and Hao Chujun came to Ganlu Palace together. After the announcement was made, the emperor was not in the palace.

The three of them had no choice but to wait in a side hall. After waiting for more than half an hour, a eunuch finally came over and said that the emperor summoned the three of them to an audience.

Arriving at the main hall, the three of them exchanged greetings and then reported the matter in person.

After hearing this, Li Zhi glanced at Hao Chujun and said, "Hao Qing is the adjutant of the Ministry of War. Let Zhang Sheren handle this kind of trivial matter."

As soon as these words were spoken, Hao Chujun's heart sank.

Although the emperor spoke in a tactful way, he actually believed more in Zhang Jianzhi's ability.

After the three of them took their leave, Li Yifu bowed to Xiao Siye and left with a triumphant look on his face.

Hao Chujun followed Xiao Siye back to the Ministry of War.

Seeing Hao Chujun's dejected look, Xiao Siye felt very upset. He poured him a cup of tea and sighed, "Brother Hao, I was not thoughtful enough and ended up hurting you."

Hao Chujun shook his head and said, "The Minister also has good intentions, but I don't understand why Your Majesty trusts Zhang Jianzhi so much."

Xiao Siye didn't understand either.

After the emperor summoned Zhang Jianzhi to the capital, he clearly did not give him any special treatment, but he had a strange sense of trust in him.

He really couldn't figure out where this trust came from, and a feeling of being a saint that was difficult to understand once again surged in his heart.

Hao Chujun said in a deep voice, "Minister Xiao, do you think Zhang Jianzhi can accomplish this?"

Xiao Siye was slightly startled and looked at Hao Chujun. It seemed that his adjutant was still unwilling to give up.

In fact, Hao Chujun was not so enthusiastic about this matter at first, because he was still a little wary of Xiao Siye and worried that he had other intentions.

However, the emperor chose Zhang Jianzhi in front of him, which was a big blow to him.

He didn't understand what was so special about Zhang Jianzhi that he earned the emperor's trust.

Hao Chujun looked up at Xiao Siye and said, "Minister Xiao, I want to see how Zhang Jianzhi will mediate this matter. If he succeeds, I have nothing to say. If he fails, there is still a chance. What do you think?"

Xiao Siye smiled and said, "I think he's too young to handle this!"

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. Two days later, news came from the Honglu Temple.

Zhang Jianzhi not only mediated the dispute between the two dynasties, but also made the two dynasties agree to pay tribute of salt, iron, woolen textiles and other items to the Tang Dynasty every year as taxes.

Before this, the Six Zhao States did not pay taxes to the Tang Dynasty.

Although Li Zhi reformed the policy of control and imposed taxes on some controlled prefectures and counties, that was only limited to the rebellious areas that were reclassified as part of the Tang Dynasty after the reform.
Places like Liuzhao, Tuyuhun, and Dongnu had submitted to the Tang Dynasty before the reform and actively responded to the Tang Dynasty's expedition against Tubo.

Li Zhi could not find a reason to suddenly impose taxes on them.

With his eloquence, Zhang Jianzhi not only mediated the dispute between the two Zhaos, but also persuaded the territories of the two Zhaos to pay taxes to the Tang Dynasty, which immediately caused a sensation in the court and the country.

The ministers also had new opinions about this Zhongshu Sheren who was directly transferred to the capital by the emperor.

After hearing about this, Li Zhi also became curious and summoned Zhang Jianzhi to Ganlu Palace to ask him about it.

Zhang Jianzhi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I was able to persuade them to pay taxes thanks to the bravery of my Tang soldiers and your majesty's benevolent rule. I dare not take any credit for it."

Li Zhi smiled and said, "Mr. Zhang, there's no need to be so modest. Tell me how you did it."

Zhang Jianzhi said, "The people of the borderlands cannot be treated with Chinese etiquette. It is futile for the officials of the Honglu Temple to try to reason with them politely."

"They will think that since the Tang Dynasty is so powerful and yet it is so polite to them, it must be asking for something from them, and they will just be greedy and ask for benefits."

Li Zhi's eyes flickered: "Then how do you think we should deal with them?"

Zhang Jianzhi said, "I believe we only need two things to make them obey. The first is our Great Tang warriors. If they disobey, we will use force to teach them a lesson. They don't know the way of the sages, but they know the iron cavalry of the Great Tang."

Li Zhi smiled secretly.

Zhang Jianzhi should be considered a hawk in the Tang Dynasty government, advocating a tough stance against foreigners.

Li Zhi said: "What is the other thing?"

Zhang Jianzhi said, "If we continue to attack them, we will only provoke them to resist and cause chaos on the border, which will not benefit us either. To keep them in check, we need to engage in trade!"

Li Zhi's heart moved: "Go on."

Zhang Jianzhi said: "The Six Kingdoms were constantly at war, forced by the need to make a living. They were a group born from Yeyu Lake (Erhai Lake), and they all wanted to occupy more fertile land to feed their people."

"They also want to develop and prosper, so they resort to war. If we provide them with another way to prosper, they will stop fighting."

Li Zhi said, "According to reports from Lingnan, the terrain of Liuzhao is rugged and filled with miasma. Merchants are reluctant to go there, and developing trade is difficult."

Zhang Jianzhi said, "I've heard that the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works have been using gunpowder to dig dangerous roads in various places. We can use the benefits of gunpowder to open up the southern route and strengthen trade with the Six Kingdoms. This will also be a good thing for the people of Lingnan."

A thought flashed through Li Zhi's mind.

Zhang Jianzhi's words gave him another idea.

During this period, due to limitations in shipbuilding technology, the Tang Dynasty could only engage in maritime trade with countries such as Wa, Ryukyu, and Waja, and it was difficult to reach the Western Regions.

If a land route could be opened between the Six Kingdoms, leading directly to the seaport, a sea trade route to the Western Regions could be developed.

With the trade routes together, Lingnan will be able to develop, which will also drive the development of Liuzhao and stop them from fighting.

Li Zhi asked, "How many years do you think it will take to open up the Six Zhao trade route?"

Zhang Jianzhi said, "During the Western Han Dynasty, Tang Meng, under the orders of Emperor Wu of Han, opened up a road to Yelang, Dian, and Zao in just a few years. Later, due to the chaos in the Central Plains, this road was abandoned. I believe that within five years, this trade route can be reopened."

Li Zhi sighed, "Five years?"

He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then asked, "Are you going to use this trade route to get the two Zhaos to pay taxes to the imperial court?"

Zhang Jianzhi said, "The two Zhao states don't understand the long-term benefits, so this alone won't do. I'm going to use another method to persuade them to submit."

"Oh, what is it?"

"I believe a minister in the court has proposed abolishing the prefectures and counties of the Six Zhaos to induce them to voluntarily pay taxes."

Li Zhi was surprised: "They don't want to lay off employees?"

Zhang Jianzhi smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you may not know that the surrounding small countries have become vassals of the Tang Dynasty for the sake of profit. Firstly, they do not have to worry about the Tang Dynasty attacking them, and secondly, they can also enjoy the Tang Dynasty's protection."

Li Zhi nodded.

If they were no longer a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, they would have to worry about being attacked by the Tang Dynasty at any time, and naturally they would be unable to sleep or eat.

Zhang Jianzhi said, "I will tell them that during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Ailao requested to be made a vassal state of the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty established Yongchang Commandery to govern it. Salt, cloth, felt blankets, and woolen textiles were collected in exchange for Han Dynasty protection."

"Previous dynasties established counties in the Six Zhaos because they saw an advantage. Now, the Six Zhaos are not providing salt and cloth, are not sending precious tributes to the court, are not replenishing our army with spears and halberds, and are not offering wealth to the Tang Dynasty. Yet, the Tang Dynasty is selflessly protecting you. How can this be justified?"

"After hearing this, they panicked and offered to pay tribute and taxes every year in exchange for the Tang Dynasty's protection."

After hearing this, Li Zhi couldn't help but broaden his thinking.

After hearing what Zhang Jianzhi said, the vassal states around the Tang Dynasty surrendered, each with their own thoughts.

They paid tribute every year, but in fact they were saving these tributes in exchange for the protection of the Tang Dynasty.

The Tang Dynasty strictly observed etiquette and gave return gifts every year, and sometimes the return gifts were even more valuable than the gifts given.

Not only will this behavior not make them grateful, but it will make them secretly guess that it is not they who are begging the Tang Dynasty, but the Tang Dynasty that is begging something of them.

The fact that the two emperors dared to cause trouble in the Honglu Temple proves this point.

Li Zhi was silent for a long time before he said, "Mr. Zhang, you will be appointed Junior Minister of the Honglu Temple. I will discuss the road construction in the south with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works."

Zhang Jianzhi was delighted to see that his remarks had actually earned him several ranks. He could not help but sigh that Li Yifu's remarks were indeed reasonable.

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty!" He kowtowed to express his gratitude and took his leave.

Li Zhi sat on the dragon throne and pondered for a while before returning to the bedroom.

When he returned to the bedroom, he saw Wu Meiniang sitting in the room waiting.

Generally speaking, Wu Meiniang would come to see him after the hour of You. If she came at other times, she must have come for something.

Li Zhi walked over to sit next to Wu Meiniang and asked, "Is there anything the Queen wants to talk to me about?"

Wu Meiniang leaned over and massaged Li Zhi's shoulders while saying, "Your Majesty, there have been some people in the harem feeling uneasy these past few days." Li Zhi asked, "Why?"

Wu Meiniang blinked and said, "It's because Your Majesty is going on tour. They all want to go with Your Majesty and try to find out the news and guess your thoughts."

Li Zhi immediately understood Wu Meiniang's intention.

She actually wanted to find out Li Zhi's intentions and how many concubines he planned to bring.

Regarding the affairs of the harem, Li Zhi tried his best to respect Wu Meiniang's authority and said, "The Queen will decide who to bring with her."

Wu Meiniang smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty is lazy. I will not do such a thankless task. If the person I bring is not to your liking, you will blame me in the future."

Li Zhi smiled and said, "As long as it's your choice, I like it."

Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "Then please give me a place, otherwise I will take them all."

Li Zhi thought for a while and said, "Then take four. You can decide the number of places."

Wu Meiniang stood up to say goodbye and said with a smile, "Then I will go and decide on the candidate right away." Then she took her leave.

Li Zhi now has six concubines, one concubine, two concubines and three talented women.

If we consider the status and the emperor's preferences, it is easy to select four people. We only need to leave Yang Cairen and Zheng Cairen behind and take the other four with us.

But this leaves another question.

Such a large harem cannot be managed by just two talented women.

If the harem became a mess when Li Zhi returned to Chang'an, it would also be her responsibility as the queen.

Moreover, she was also worried about Concubine Zheng and Concubine Yang. If the two women took the opportunity to develop their power in the harem, it would cause great harm in the future.

Therefore, one of the concubines and two imperial concubines must be left behind.

Liu Chong'e also had to be excluded. Although she was a second-rank concubine, she was too soft and had no prestige, so she could not control the harem at all.

Then the only remaining options are Concubine Zheng and Xu Chongrong.

Both of them are smart and experienced. With one of them in charge of the harem, Wu Meiniang can rest assured.

But which one should I choose?

After pondering for a while in the palace, she finally came up with an idea and told Zhang Duohai, "Please ask Concubine Zheng to come over."

In less than half an hour, Concubine Zheng arrived at Lizheng Hall and paid her respects to Empress Wu.

Wu Meiniang glanced at the tutor behind her and found that Concubine Zheng had brought the eighth prince Li Ren with her as well.

Wu Meiniang raised her hand and said, "No need to be so polite, sister. Please take a seat." She ordered someone to serve tea.

After tea, Wu Meiniang did not directly mention the emperor's tour, but asked Concubine Zheng about Xu Jin.

Concubine Zheng smiled and said, "She's been doing fine lately. Why did Your Highness suddenly ask about this?"

Wu Meiniang said, "I was wondering, since she was the one His Majesty favored the most last year, I wonder if her stomach is responding. Has she had the imperial physician check her pulse recently?"

Concubine Zheng sighed, "Since January, I've been seeing the doctor every three days. What a pity..."

Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "There's no need to rush. She's younger than you and me, so there will still be opportunities in the future."

Concubine Zheng nodded, but she was secretly wondering in her heart.

Why is the Queen suddenly concerned about Xu Jin's belly? This is inconsistent with her usual style.

Wu Mei Niang said, "Oh right, I just went to see His Majesty. According to His Majesty's wishes, he will only take four concubines with him on his tour, so I wanted to discuss the selection with my sister."

Concubine Zheng was shocked.

She came from a prominent family and was very intelligent, so she immediately understood Empress Wu's intention in mentioning Xu Jin.

The emperor only brought four people with him, which meant that two people would be left to take charge of the harem.

The three talented people lack prestige, and Liu Chong'er lacks ability, so only she and Xu Jin are left.

Xu Jin has not been pregnant yet. If she cannot accompany the emperor and stays alone in the palace, her hope of getting pregnant in the future will be even slimmer.

Empress Wu obviously hoped that she could stay, so she mentioned the matter of Xu Jin first.

She had the best relationship with Xu Jin in the palace, and the other party had no children. If she did not give in at this time, she would be criticized both emotionally and logically.

Empress Wu left her no way out with just a few words.

Concubine Zheng sighed and whispered, "The harem cannot be left without management. Why not take Xu Chongrong, Liu Chong'e, Zhu Cairen, and Yang Cairen with you? Zheng Cairen and I will stay in the palace to guard it."

Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "With my sister staying to take charge of the harem, I can rest assured. So, I will follow my sister's words."

Concubine Zheng stood up, bowed, and left.

The next day, Empress Wu sent someone to tell the women the list of people accompanying her, asking them to make preparations in advance.

After Xu Jin learned about this, he immediately went to Xunfeng Palace, found Concubine Zheng, and asked, "Sister Zheng, do you want to stay in Chang'an?"

Concubine Zheng smiled and said, "There has to be someone who can take charge to keep the harem in check, right?"

Xu Jin's face was solemn. He glanced at his personal maid Die'er and said, "Go out and guard the door."

When Concubine Zheng saw this, she knew that she had something secret to say, so she asked Chuchu to take the other palace maids out.

Xu Jin held Concubine Zheng's hand and said, "Sister, you stayed here because of me, right?"

Concubine Zheng knew she couldn't hide it from her, so she said with a smile, "You haven't given birth to a son for His Majesty yet, so you should be by His Majesty's side."

Xu Jin sighed and said, "I accept your kindness, sister. However, you cannot stay in Chang'an, otherwise you will be in danger."

Concubine Zheng's expression changed slightly, and she forced a smile, "What danger could there be for me in this harem?"

Xu Jin whispered, "Without Your Majesty in Chang'an to deter others, those with ambitions will become restless."

Concubine Zheng frowned and asked suspiciously, "What does this have to do with me? Sister, you are not worried about my family, are you? I have already asked my grandmother and mother to keep their distance from the North House."

Xu Jin stared at her with his lacquer-like eyes.

"Sister, don't you realize your situation? You're a noble concubine, and you're pregnant with a prince. To outsiders, you're the most likely threat to the Queen's position!"

Concubine Zheng opened her lips slightly and her face changed color.

Xu Jin continued, "Anyone who wants to deal with the Queen and the Crown Prince will likely come after you, or use tricks to drag you down with them!"

Concubine Zheng's face became paler and paler.

Xu Jin said, "If you stay in Chang'an, you might get caught up in their conspiracy against the Queen and the Crown Prince. If things get out of hand, how will you explain yourself?"

Concubine Zheng lowered her eyes and said in a low voice, "Sister, do you think the Queen is deliberately harming me by letting me stay in Chang'an?"

Xu Jin thought for a moment and said, "That shouldn't be the case. She might be wary of you and wants you to stay in Chang'an to test you."

Concubine Zheng breathed a sigh of relief and said, "But I've already promised the Queen to stay. How can I refuse?"

Xu Jin said, "I'll talk to the Queen about this. I've taken the initiative to ask to stay, and the Queen has no reason to object."

Concubine Zheng stared at her blankly and said, "But you..."

Xu Jin smiled and said, "I have no children and am alone. No matter what conspiracy they have, they will not come to me. Instead, I will be safe."

Concubine Zheng's eyes were red as she said, "Then it will be very difficult for you to get pregnant again!"

Xu Jin touched her belly and said with a wry smile, "She wasn't very good at it. She didn't get pregnant last year. Even if I stay with His Majesty, I might not get pregnant again. Sister, there's no need to say anything more. Let's just leave it at that."

Concubine Zheng knew that what she said made sense and that if she stayed, there would indeed be endless hidden dangers, so she bowed to her.

"Thank you, sister."

After Xu Jin left Concubine Zheng's palace, he went straight to Lizheng Hall and offered to stay in the palace.

Seeing that she was determined to do so, Empress Wu could not find any reason to refuse, so she had to agree.

Once the personnel were in place, peace and tranquility returned to the palaces in the harem.

(End of this chapter)