Zhao Ji is a faint monarch who is greedy for pleasure and arrogant and absurd, but he is not an idiot who doesn't know how to figure out the thoughts of his courtiers.

Although he has lived in the inner courtyard of the deep palace for a long time, Zhao Ji, who has also been out of the palace from time to time, has heard of Gao Yu's nepotism and suppression of his subordinates in the palace marshal's mansion, especially the evil deeds of the people in Gao Ya who are bent on the law in the past. And the reason why Zhao Ji can still let Gao Yu mess around is also because he knows that his ambition as a courtier from a humble background is nothing more than that, and other favored ministers such as Cai Jing, Tong Guan, Liang Shicheng, Cai You and other favored ministers tend to flatter him, and Zhao Ji will also perceive their greater ambition for power.

What's more, in the final analysis, the reason why Xiao Tang and Gao Yu began to have a feud was originally Xiao Tang more reasonable. Zhao Ji originally wanted to reconcile a few words by himself, and Gao Yu, who has always been very close to him, must not insist on secretly confronting Xiao Tang anymore, but now seeing the change in Gao Yu's attitude under the urgency, how can Zhao Ji not see that Gao Yu is obedient on the surface, but in fact, he has not taken himself to heart at all?

The courtiers stabbed themselves twice, which was a taboo in Zhao Ji's heart.

At this time, Zhao Ji read again in his heart: My great Song Shi entered the official system to promote literature and suppress martial arts, that is, the judge, the secretary, the book, the captain and other ministries must be born in two terms and four examinations, it seems that your past background and no military merits, I have spent my time to make you a military officer in Bianjing, one person below one person, above ten thousand people, the three Ya Tai Lieutenant, in order to superimpose the army and now do the head of the court martial rank, I treat you in the old days, how can it be the emperor's grace? You shouldn't have enjoyed such fame and wealth, and I just valued Xiao Tang and was promoted, did you really think that the military and political power in Bianjing was what you deserved and you didn't dare to take me seriously?

After all, Gao Yu was familiar with Zhao Ji's temperament, and when he saw that the displeasure on his master's face was already overflowing, he immediately realized that he was reckless for a while, and he actually touched Zhao Ji's taboo. Thinking of this, Gao Yuden was dripping with cold sweat, straight like an arrow piercing the beak of a goose and hooking the cheeks of a fish, and he didn't dare to say anything more.

At present, among the officials who can come from a military position in Bianjing, Xiao Tang is the only one who can openly confront Gao Yu. No matter what the purpose of the other courtiers was, they were also happy to see that someone could finally come forward to check and balance the power of the soldiers and horses in Bianjing, and to control all the military positions of the palace commanders, and even the authority of life and death. The few other officials were also reluctant to join Gao Yu and wade into troubled waters again, so the opposition to Xiao Tang's exceptional promotion gradually disappeared.

In addition to revoking the title of Wu Jing, he was still awarded the second grade to sign the Privy Council, worship the Xin'an Army Festival, and the martial arts of Shangzhu State, and was named the founding marquis of Henghai County.

Xiao Tang, who had been thinking about it in his heart, immediately stood up when he heard this, and said to Zhao Ji respectfully: "The minister is grateful for His Majesty's holy grace, and he is really frightened in his heart. How can we receive this great favor with the work of the smallest?

The minister thought that my Great Song Dynasty and the Xia people were still in the wolf, and the lord of the Western Xia Dynasty intended to fight across the mountains and moats and invade the territory of my Great Song Dynasty. The minister has the desire to contribute to the country, and today there are soldiers who advise His Majesty to perform, and the minister must also seek to establish meritorious service in the future, so that he can be worthy of His Majesty's grace and increase the official reward. ”

Zhao Ji smiled when he heard this, and the civil and military officials in the vertical arch hall also stirred, and the people in the audience said that you Xiao Tang took advantage of this big advantage and even jumped to the next level, and after pushing it on the face, it was enough to thank the emperor for his grace and receive the reward, but now it seems that Xiao Tang is really not pretending to shirk, but to ask for rewards from the officials.

And what many ministers think is: Soldiers' advice? You, Xiao Tang, have been suppressed by Gao Yu in the palace marshal's mansion for a long time, and now you are also starting to get involved in the authority in the army?

Zhao Ji stared at Xiao Tang quietly, and then said to Xiao Tang: "Aiqing is my confidant, how can I not be rewarded like this?" Since Xiao Aiqing has a book to play in military affairs, it doesn't hurt to say it. ”

Xiao Tangxuan was about to announce to Zhao Ji one by one the plan of selecting people from other departments and recruiting sharp soldiers from the Heshuo region to form a new army. When Zhao Ji listened to this, he bowed his head from time to time, and the expression on his face gradually relaxed, when he unusually promoted Xiao Tang to be the pacification envoy of Jingnan Road, Xiao Tang had recommended himself to do a request, and asked him to put the real power of the pacification envoy to him to inspect the military division of Zhuzhou on Jingnan Road.

Subsequently, Xiao Tang Qing investigated Yang Tai, the commander of the soldiers and horses of the Jingnan Road, for embezzling military salaries, killing good people and taking meritorious deeds, framing colleagues, fornicating with bandits, assassinating officials and other heinous crimes, and waved the army to recover Fangzhou, and in one fell swoop Pingfang Shankou and other merits also taught Zhao Ji very satisfied. In Zhao Ji's view, Xiao Tang now feels as frightened by such a grace as he did then, so he is bent on sharing worries and solving problems for the country, and is unwilling to receive rich rewards from the imperial court in vain.

Although Zhao Ji himself is an extremely incompetent emperor in his own work, he is the son of heaven of a country after all, and Zhao Ji will naturally appreciate those courtiers who will not spoil his interest in pleasure and can do their best for the country in a down-to-earth manner. In addition to being able to kick a few kicks with him, Gao Yu was also at ease and arranged for his Gao family to do important positions such as the envoy of the festival, the general of Jin Wuwei, the envoy of Chengxuan, and the observer envoy. Compared with Xiao Tang's reaction, Zhao Ji thought to himself that this was also Xiao Aiqing's compassion and grace for him.

Although the involvement of military power is somewhat sensitive in the eyes of the courtiers, Zhao Ji thought about Tong Guan Aiqing, isn't he also repeatedly asking for his life, and he wants to solve problems for me? Moreover, whether it is Tong Guan, the eunuch of the dynasty, or Xiao Tang, a rising star in the court, under the constraints of the Song court's emphasis on literature and light on martial arts, the forbidden army is under the direct control of the Privy Council, and the Sanya leaders who control the heavy army in Bianjing are directly responsible to the emperor, even if Tong Guan, Xiao Tang and other courtiers who have been entrusted with important tasks can temporarily take charge of a single army and horses, the command can still be tightly held in the hands of the emperor.

Now Xiao Tang is just admonishing to build another strong army in Hedong for the war against Western Xia, and Zhao Ji will not suspect that Xiao Tang will have any bad intentions because of this.

It's just that Zhao Ji never cares about the military of the soldiers, and when it comes to teaching the courtiers to control the soldiers and horses all the way, he will not be so willful that the military generals can still not care about the actual military power, he thought about it for a while, and then nodded and said: "Qing is not tireless in his travels, and he has the intention to conquer the country and break the summer, so I am naturally very relieved in my heart...... It's just a soldier, the major affairs of the country, you have to take a closer look, and what do you think of Xiao Qing's family's advice? ”

Among the courtiers present, Zheng Juzhong, who regained control of the Privy Council and faintly became the leader of the confrontation against Minister Cai Jingzhong, had a gleam in his eyes, and subconsciously looked at his political rival Cai Jing.

In the political struggle between the parties, the factions with different political views are usually at the tip of the needle, and any policy measures represent their own positions and interests, so in the political struggle between Zheng Juzhong and Cai Jing, he will intend to criticize all the shortcomings of the other party's policies very obviously.

But at this time, Zheng Ju couldn't help muttering, because through his previous contact with Xiao Tang, Zheng Juzhong also knew that although Xiao Tang was born in the left-behind division under Cai Jing's son-in-law Liang Zhongshu, he didn't seem to be willing to submit to Cai Jing, the minister of power.

The suppression and factional disputes between the court and the court are definitely different from the fights between the people and the Han in the market, not that because I am unhappy with him, so the two of us can form a clear partnership and alliance, and openly fight with a third party to break the bloodshed. Therefore, Zheng Juzhong can also understand why Xiao Tang is closer to Cai Jing on the surface, Xiao Tang is just a military general, and his role in the confrontation between the two forces in the court is also very limited, and now for Zheng Juzhong, is he still willing to believe that Xiao Tang did not pretend to show favor to himself at the beginning, but is also a political ally who can win over.

Suddenly, Zheng Juzhong remembered that he was suspicious of the official family because of his publicity, not only did the prime minister not have to do it, but even the position of the Privy Council was removed. When he was most discouraged, Xiao Tang once said to him: "...... Lord Zheng was in the phase before he promised to get the phase, and this matter was known to the officials, how could he not have some ideas in his heart? And since Lord Zheng is still an official in the court. How do you know that you can no longer be reused by the official family, and sit in a phase? ”

Thinking of this, Zheng Juzhong gradually settled down and made up his mind.