Qin Mubai's memorial describes three things.
The first is to apologize, saying that the road outside the Guanshan Fortress is thousands of miles away, and what happened ahead was too late to report to the court in time, which caused all kinds of misunderstandings and disturbances. Qin Mubai is willing to bear the responsibility for it. In addition, there have been many unfavorable situations in the war ahead, resulting in the defeat of Feichuan and the loss of troops, the loss of generals and the humiliation of the country. Qin Mubai is also willing to shoulder the responsibility.
Hearing this, the entire court was filled with angry voices!
"Isn't he dead? Why is he alive again now, and why does he jump out to take responsibility?"
"The Dafeichuan River has been lost, the Tubo troops are approaching the city and Lanzhou is in danger, the land of Helong and the fertile fields of thousands of miles will be lost, and the Hexi business road will be lost to the enemy!"
“It’s such a shame!!”
It was so noisy that Chu Suiliang couldn't read anymore.
Li Shimin, on the other hand, sat firmly on the Diaoyutai, with an enigmatic smile on his face. He neither stopped nor revealed the answer, and allowed everyone to discuss it.
Because of his own mood, he had just experienced such a "big ups and downs".
"Comrades, please be patient. The memorial is very long, and this is just the beginning." Chu Suiliang couldn't stand it any longer, so he had to stop him.
Everyone had no choice but to suppress their anger for the time being and continue to listen.
The second part of the memorial presents a sudden reversal. Let’s start with the first battle between Qin Mubai and his army against the Garqin Mausoleum. After the war, the Garqin Mausoleum sent people to bring the ashes and other objects of the fallen soldiers. Then Qin Mubai discovered the enemy's hidden conspiracy, so he devised a clever plan and staged a conspiracy to deceive the world by confusing the real with the fake. "Fake death" drama. Most people in the court already knew what happened next - Qin Mubai's "death" left Dafeichuan without a leader. Li Daozong was ordered to abandon Dafeichuan and retreat to Shanzhou in order to preserve his strength. In fact, this was what Qin Mubai had done in advance. The purpose of the arrangement is to paralyze the enemy and lure him deeper.
Finally, this drama of "cheating death" that made people all over the world dance wildly, deceived the Garqin Mausoleum. As the severe winter approached, he led his army to occupy the Magpie Nest and stationed in Dafeichuan, and took advantage of the victory to pursue Shanzhou in an attempt to capture Helong in one go! Unexpectedly, the army he sent fell into ambush in Huanyue Valley. The 150,000-strong army was reduced to ashes, and almost all of them were wiped out!
Almost at the same time as the Battle of Huanyue Valley, Qin Mubai sent people to blow up the Buha River near the Dafeichuan Military Camp, flooding the main Tibetan force, and succeeded in one fell swoop!
Immediately, Qin Mubai ordered Hou Junji to lead a large army to counterattack Dafeichuan, capture prisoners and regain the lost territory. Gar Qinling led the remaining troops to flee in panic and defend Qingluo Plain!
In two great victories, nearly 100,000 enemies were wiped out, more than 50,000 were captured, and countless horses and equipment were captured.
At the beginning, before Qin Mubai faked his death, he had already sent a brigade of surprise troops, traveled thousands of miles across mountains and rivers, miraculously climbed over the Kunlun Snow Mountains that no bird could cross, and successfully attacked Golmud! This move destroyed the lair of Garqin Ling and cut off his lifeline of food!
Nowadays, the 300,000-strong army of Garqinling has lost more than half of its food and grass and is trapped in Qingluo Plain, and is already on the verge of survival!
…
Chu Suiliang's voice was loud and clear. When he read the memorial, he was deeply inspired and excited. Every word was sonorous, like a hammer striking and a thunderbolt piercing his heart!
The civil and military officials of the entire dynasty were all shocked. More than half of the people stared in shock with expressions of extreme disbelief on their eyes.
The whole place was eerily silent.
Many people present felt their faces were burning with embarrassment, as if someone had slapped their ears hard... Because just now, they were shouting passionately at Qin Mubai, "There is no greater crime than wilting!"
Li Shimin looked at the expressions of these people without showing any expression, but in his heart he felt relieved and happy, but he couldn't help laughing at the same time! At this time, he secretly scolded Qin Mubai in his heart: You bastard, you dare to be cunning when writing a memorial! First, he reduced himself to nothing and became a national sinner who was cut into pieces, and then he started to brag about his achievements everywhere! … It’s a big deal, suppress it first and then increase it, haha! His temperament is really very different from his strict and straightforward father! -But I like it! This memorial is clearly written for the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty. The purpose is to slap some people's mouths and make me feel proud! Because I have always advocated using force to resolve disputes between the two countries. If Qin Mubai wins, it proves that I am right, that is, I have won; those peace advocates in the court must shut up! ... In this way, it is of course important to be capable, but dealing with others does require some skills. In this regard, Qin Mubai is really better than his upright and fiery father! But there is one thing that father and son have in common, that is, they will put themselves in my shoes! …
The third part of the memorial was to request the imperial court to provide a plan for handling post-war matters and to provide timely support for food, medicine and various military supplies. They won two great victories in Huanyue Valley and Dafeichuan, wiping out nearly 100,000 enemies and taking another 40,000 to 50,000 prisoners. The courts of the Central Plains have always been very sensitive to the issue of prisoners of war, especially the Tang Dynasty, which "ruled the country with benevolence and filial piety, and commanded the world with kingship". Border generals do not dare to commit suicide easily, otherwise they will be put on a high hat similar to the modern "*", and it is common to be impeached and punished.
Therefore, before Hou Junji led the army out, Qin Mubai solemnly told him "not to kill innocent people indiscriminately." Firstly, it was to prevent him from killing prisoners and arousing the anger of the Tubo people and increasing resistance to pacifying the plateau; secondly, if these prisoners of war could be recruited to surrender, they would be first-class good cavalry; thirdly, Qin Mubai also did not want to cause trouble. ,court disaster.
In addition, the painful strategy of flooding the Dafeichuan River defeated the enemy, but it also destroyed the business that had been in business for many years. Nowadays, the army is seriously short of food and supplies, and it is imperative to rebuild the military garrison and fortress. Therefore, Qin Mubai made it very clear in the memorial, requesting the court to provide food and grass supplies as soon as possible to prepare for another battle and expand the results of the war.
…
After the memorial was finished, the whole hall was silent.
"My lords, why don't you say anything?" Li Shimin said.
All the officials then calmed down, and many of them laughed awkwardly, and then shouted "Long live the Tang Dynasty, long live the Emperor" to celebrate this great victory.
Li Shimin sat on the dragon chair as calm as a rock, his torch-like eyes quietly scanning the civil and military affairs of the dynasty, and all living beings were in full view.
The first minister below, his uncle, Situ, Prime Minister, Changsun Wuji, stood with his head lowered and his hands lowered, silent and silent.
"Auxiliary machine, what do you think?" Li Shimin asked by name.
Changsun Wuji seemed to have expected that the emperor would ask the question by name. At this time, the general stood up and replied: "Your Majesty, I think that Lanzhou's great victory is very gratifying! This is a rare victory in recent years, which is enough to inspire the people and show their prestige." World. The imperial court should reward the three armies according to their merits. In addition, the materials needed before the war should be prepared and transported as soon as possible to relieve the urgent needs of the soldiers on the front line! "
"Hmm..." Li Shimin responded, frowning slightly as if he was displeased. Some words came to his lips, but he finally endured them. At this time, he thought to himself: What he said means he didn’t say it! His face should be the most dull now, because he tried his best to prevent the war at the beginning... Now that things have happened, I will no longer ridicule him. I'll be merciful when I have to, after all, he is still my most powerful and loyal minister, and the Central Committee of the Tang Dynasty cannot do without him. Not to mention anything else, the new law he recently compiled is much more complete and appropriate than the "Wude Law" of the late emperor's dynasty, and it can be implemented and promulgated immediately. Even ten Qin Mubai couldn't do such a thing.
After thinking about this, Li Shimin felt an inexplicable thought in his heart: Strange, when did I start to compare Qin Mubai with Changsun Wuji? …
"Your Majesty, I have something to tell you!!" Suddenly a high-pitched voice sounded, attracting everyone's attention.
Li Shimin took a look and saw that it was Liu Jie, the imperial censor in the palace. He is exclusively responsible for supervising the affairs of the court, correcting the king's gains and losses, and recording major decisions. He also has the power to report and impeach officials in the government.
During the Zhenguan Dynasty, Li Shimin opened his mouth widely and was good at accepting advice, so he created many ministers who were brave and courageous to give advice.
And Liu Jie is one of them. He has always been known for his courage and uprightness. Whether he is the emperor, the prime minister, the general, or his personal friends, whenever he makes a mistake, he will refute or impeach him without mercy or mercy. Although his talents, achievements and fame are far less than those of Wei Zheng, in terms of "admonishment", he is very similar to Wei Zheng, or even worse.
In recent years, Wei Zheng has been suffering from aging and eye diseases, and most of the time he can only recuperate at home. Liu Jie, the imperial censor, gradually became the most dazzling remonstrator in the court.
When Liu Ji stood up, everyone, including Li Shimin, felt a blockage in their hearts. This person has always been good at finding fault with the situation, not the person. He dares to say anything and impeach anyone. A few years ago, he wrote a memorial to impeach two people, namely Li Daozong, king of Jiangxia, and Li Xiaogong, king of Hejian. These are the two closest and most respected clan members of the late Emperor and Li Shimin, and they are also the two founding fathers who are said to be of unparalleled inner strength. Although he failed in the end, Liu Ji became famous from then on. Anyone who sees him will feel a little scared.
"If Sidao (Liu Ji's name) has anything to say, tell him." Li Shimin said.
"Wei Chen, we want to impeach someone!" Liu Jie shouted in a loud voice.
Many people began to secretly wipe sweat from their foreheads... Here it comes again!
"Who?" Li Shimin asked calmly.
"The person who submitted this military report is Qin Mubai, the commander-in-chief of the Guanxi Road march!" Liu Jie said in surprise.
At this time, company commander Sun Wuji felt his head grow bigger, but he could only smile bitterly from the side.
Li Shimin smiled calmly, "What's the reason?"
"We waste the people and money, go to war! Bully the emperor, ignore the superiors, and confuse the world!" Liu Jie said sixteen words one by one, as fierce and unreasonable as ever.
Many people couldn't laugh or cry. They secretly scolded Liu Jie for not understanding current affairs, but they also decided to watch the excitement and wait and see what would happen.
In fact, most people had one thing in mind: the emperor was already preparing to go on a personal expedition with great fanfare. It has always been a rule that a king never talks nonsense, but sticks to his word. No matter what the reason is, a king breaking his promise is always an act of breach of trust and undermines the authority of the king. This is one of the reasons. In addition, by the Weishui River outside Chang'an City, an army of 300,000 troops was ready to go. All the materials brought by the treasury were piled up like mountains. Even the grain stored in the Heluo granary was taken out. In addition, countless civilians, mules and horses were recruited. In fact, it is "wasting money and wasting people". And earlier, Li Shimin had already issued an imperial edict to the world, and all the people in the country responded. Now they are all eagerly watching Li Shimin, who is going to conquer the country himself!
Now, as soon as Qin Mubai delivered a military report, the emperor changed his mind and ordered the enthusiastic 300,000-strong army to disarm. Li Shimin's previous determination and decisiveness became even more of a farce and a satire!
For the emperor, this was indeed a very shameless thing. And the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, who had been busy for more than ten days, felt even more like they were being teased. The courtiers all paid attention to the authority and integrity of the emperor. At this time, someone like Liu Jie jumped out to impeach him, which was what Li Shimin expected.
Therefore, Li Shimin was already prepared. At this time, facing the various thoughts of the civil and military officials of the court, he waved his hand calmly, "I understand, please step back."
Liu Ji was stunned for a moment, thinking, "Why are you asking me to leave? I haven't finished speaking yet." But he had no choice but to temporarily retreat to the train.
"I know that Liu Jie has spoken out the thoughts and feelings of many people." Li Shimin said clearly, "As everyone knows, I have planned to lead the expedition myself and have made all preparations. Within ten days, the Weishui camp has gathered an army of 300,000 people. Now I I suddenly destroyed my preface and stopped fighting in person, wasting countless money and food. It seems that I, you, and the people of the world have all been fooled. All this seems to have happened because of Qin Mubai's false death. List his four major crimes - wasting money and wasting money, deceiving the emperor and causing chaos in the world!"
Everyone was speechless and listened quietly. Because they heard it, the emperor must have something more to say. Liu Jie still wanted to argue a few words, but Chang Sun Wuji next to him gave him a few fierce glances, so he had to suppress it.
"Actually, Liu Jie, you are mistaken. The person who least deserves to be impeached is Qin Mubai. Even if you want to impeach, it should be to impeach the King of Jiangxia and me!" Li Shimin also said something shocking.
Liu Jie was shocked. Although he was bold, he was not bold enough to impeach the emperor. Immediately he knelt down and said in panic: "I don't dare!"
"Get up, I'm not blaming you. You are just fulfilling your duties as the imperial censor, and you have done nothing wrong. However, I want to remind you that it is not too late to understand the twists and turns before impeaching you." Li Shimin said , "You must have the same thoughts as Liu Jie in your hearts, so let me help you untie your knots!"
"I would like to hear from Your Majesty!" All the civil and military officials promised together. Liu Jie also stood up and stood aside to listen.
"Soldiers are crafty, and soldiers never tire of deceit. Soldiers are unpredictable, power and water are unpredictable. Therefore, the art of war says that if the general is outside, the king's orders will not be accepted. This does not mean that the general despises the king when he is outside, but that the two armies are facing the changing situation. It's too late to ask the king for permission. "Li Shimin said, "I am an emperor on horseback, and I fully agree with this. How could Qin Mubai, who was far away in Dafeichuan, ask for permission before using tactics to defeat the enemy. Me? If this memorial comes and the imperial edict goes, the opportunity to fight will definitely be wasted. Therefore, Qin Mubai faked his death just to deceive the Tubo people into falling into the trap, and he was unable to inform me in time. This is understandable, and such a secret plan. The fewer people who know, the greater the chance of success. "Qin Mubai did nothing wrong."
After hearing this, all the civil and military officials thought to themselves that the emperor's words were indeed reasonable.
Li Shimin continued: "And you and I have been deceived and teased because of this. First of all, it is the king of Jiangxia, Li Daozong, who misreported the frontline military situation in advance. He, a man of several decades, can't keep his composure, I will definitely meet him and reprimand him." For him, it was unlikely that he would be impeached, because at that time, he was also deceived into thinking that Qin Mubai was dead and that the Guanxi Army was in danger of being defeated in Lanzhou and Helong. Responsibility. In the final analysis, whether I, the King of Jiangxia, all the beloved ministers, or the people of the world were deceived, this was not Qin Mubai’s original intention. However, this just proves it. His skills are so sophisticated that even I can be deceived, how can the Tubo people not fall into the trap? So, there were two great victories at Huanyue Valley and Dafeichuan!"
"As a king, the current Holy Emperor does have a mind that is different from ordinary people!" Many people began to lament and sigh. After being teased like this, no matter how good-tempered a person is, they would be angry and depressed, but the emperor is trying his best to do this. Qin Mubai excused himself and brushed off even the fact that he was being teased.
"In this way, Liu Jie's list of Qin Mubai's crimes of 'deceiving the emperor and deceiving his superiors and confusing the world' seems a bit far-fetched. As for going militarily, it is not Qin Mubai's fault." Li Shimin said, "Yes. The Tubo people provoked the Tang Dynasty first, and then I ordered them to fight back on the spot to protect the territory. Is this considered militarism? If so, then the first part of the crime should be attributed to me, which is a waste of people and money. This is even more impossible. Speaking of which, when did Qin Mubai ever say that I would send an army of 300,000 troops and bring countless money and food to help? This was all my idea, and Qin Mubai still didn't know about it. What's the crime?"
Having said this, Li Shimin smiled and said in a relaxed and humorous tone: "Liu Jie, let me give you an analogy. It's like you planted a tree somewhere ten years ago, and ten years later someone planted it here. If you hang yourself from a tree, should you be punished by law or morally condemned?”
"Hahaha!" The civil and military officials in the court burst into laughter, and Liu Ji's face turned blue.
"Chu Suiliang!"
"Wei Chen is here!"
"You must have recorded today's court meeting. You must mark what I say next. I will write it into the "Emperor's Code" in the future to warn my descendants." Li Shimin said. , "The most important thing for a king is not his civil and military talents, nor his scheming, but his heart and mind!"
"Weichen has taken note of it!"
Li Shimin nodded with a smile on his face and said: "Let me use the analogy of a tree again, so I can chat with you all. If a tree grows in the crevices of thorns or rocks, or is planted in a small courtyard, It will definitely not grow tall; on the contrary, if it grows in the vast wilderness and fertile soil, it may grow into a towering tree. If ministers are like trees, then the king's mind is the environment in which they grow. Towering and huge, because my mind is as high as the sky! The towering trees will never reach the sky! - Why bother me!"
With his words, the civil and military officials of the whole court were deeply moved and excited. Who could not like such a king
Throughout the ages, how many emperors have been like Li Shimin who did not shy away from those who had great achievements, did not kill the founding heroes, and treated them kindly? How many emperors can be like Li Shimin who stick to their own integrity and are good at accepting advice, and encourage their ministers to just give advice without worrying about his appearance? Which dynasty before this one had a remonstrating official like Wei Zheng who dared to spit on the emperor? How many kings are there who are as close to their ministers as family members and remain so for decades
What other king can have the confidence and heroism of "a giant tree that never reaches the sky"? !
"Long live, long live, long live my emperor!"
"I will be lucky to meet Your Majesty for the rest of my life!"
Li Shimin laughed loudly: "I am lucky to meet such good ministers as you!"