The person who came out to impeach Niu Cyclamen was called Zhou Ziliang, who was born in Chang'an. When Zhang Jiuling was worshipped, he was introduced by the other party, and Li Longji gave this official who supervised the imperial history.

Zhou Ziliang's position is not high, but his authority is not low, and even the prime minister can be impeached! The officials of the Tang Dynasty were themselves tools used by the imperial power to restrain the power of the emperor in the design of the system.

Of course, a tool can only be a tool, and it cannot have its own independent ideas, and it must be consistent with the thinking of the "master".

Obviously, Zhou Ziliang did not clearly realize that Li Longji was his master, and Zhang Jiuling was not.

At this juncture, Zhou Ziliang's inaction to impeach his "top boss" Li Shizhi is actually a disguised scolding, and the officials who recommended Niu Xianke, and even Li Longji himself, are fooling around.

It can be said that this wave of big moves is to gamble with his own political life to fight for the character of a "lonely minister" and "direct minister", in order to make the Son of Heaven important.

Otherwise, even the top boss Li Shizhi was offended, wouldn't he be put in small shoes afterwards?

That's obviously impossible.

In other words, this wave of Zhou Ziliang has been released!

This is the officialdom of Chang'an, where there is countless fame and fortune, and there is supreme power that can be taken in for you.

But it also comes with endless risks.

Li Shizhi, who was the target of impeachment, looked stunned, he didn't understand what was wrong with Zhou Ziliang, and it was said that he didn't seem to offend him on weekdays.

As for the cow cyclamen, who was the core of the incident, his face was blue and red for a while, his head was lowered and he didn't speak, and he didn't know what to say.

This kind of impeachment does not mean that you have a bad character and are a traitor, nor does it mean that you do not have enough merit and qualifications.

It's just that the ability is not enough!

It's so subjective, snarky, and doesn't talk about any evidence.

Without the support of his friends and the fact that he had not participated in the imperial examination, Niu Xianke, who had worked honestly all the way to the center, was speechless.

No matter how much you say, it's pale and weak, and others slander you for stealing three bowls of cold noodles, do you have to open your stomach and show those people to prove yourself?

"It's all gone, this matter will be discussed in Zichen Hall tomorrow."

Li Longji flicked his sleeves, turned around and left, but he didn't have a direct attack.

The other courtiers looked at each other in the banquet hall, and finally left without saying a word, and even the cow cyclamen left sadly. Only Zhou Ziliang and Zhang Jiuling are left.

"You, you, alas!"

Zhang Jiuling let out a long sigh and walked out of the door of the banquet hall in disappointment.

He really didn't want to see Niu Xianke ascend to the throne, and felt that the other party's ability was definitely not qualified for the position of the six Shangshu, let alone the prime minister.

But why bring it up at this juncture?

It is true that Zhou Ziliang was promoted by Zhang Jiuling, but he did not arrange for this person to give Li Longji eye medicine!

……

Back in the study room of the diligent government affairs building, Li Longji was still angry!

Why did Zhou Ziliang dare to come out and impeach Niu cyclamen? Needless to say, of course it was instructed by Zhang Jiuling.

Otherwise, how dare a superintendent of the imperial history kick his nose in the face like this?

Of course, there is also a tradition of supervising the imperial history to slap the emperor in the face, and Wei Zheng in the Zhenguan era is a typical example. You can slap the emperor in the face in public, and you can also slap the emperor in the face in private, and there are many people behind you who take this as an example.

The slap in the face of the emperor is a symbol of not being afraid of power, and has always been praised by "public opinion". Zhou Ziliang's actions seem outrageous, but in fact they have their internal logic, and they are not messing around.

"Lux, do you think Niu Cyclamen can hold the official position of the Ministry of Works?"

After calming down, Li Longji couldn't help but ask.

Whether it is Zhang Jiuling's previous remarks or Zhou Ziliang's bold advice, the core is whether Niu Xianke can serve in the center!

"Niu Cyclamen is just a small official, how can he be the minister of the court?"

Colliers couldn't help but sigh.

Well?

Li Longji was stunned, he never expected Gao Lishi to say such a sentence.

"Why do you also have the same idea as Zhang Xianggong?"

Li Longji asked curiously.

Colliers' loyalty is no problem, and what Li Longji wants to know is what he thinks in his heart.

"Niu Xianke is not qualified to be the prime minister, because he has no friends in the DPRK and China, no Austrian aid, and the new policy formulated will definitely not be able to respond to all the calls.

But why should there be two assertive prime ministers in the imperial court? How long will you fight like that all day long?

Isn't it beautiful to have one main and one auxiliary, complementing each other? ”

Colliers talked about his thoughts.

Li Longji couldn't help but nodded, after Zhang Jiuling was removed as prime minister, he really needed a weak deputy minister to help Li Linfu push the executive order. In this way, the imperial court can run smoothly and there will be no vicious fights between the left and the right.

If you are always fighting viciously, you still need Li Longji to mediate in the end, in this case, all of Li Longji's energy will be involved in these ghost things, how can he throw off his arms and have fun?

Li Longji believes:

The emperor is rich all over the world, and he wants to use the manpower and material resources of the world to satisfy the pleasure of the emperor alone.

is not a one-man emperor, tired and tired of carrying the well-being of the people of the world.

After a lifetime of struggle, are you still not allowed to enjoy it? He is in his fifties, how many years do he have left to live?

Colliers really understands his own thoughts.

Li Longji couldn't help but think.

"Yes, as long as there is one prime minister in the court, what's the point of having so many people fighting around?"

Li Longji sighed with some emotion.

Zhang Jiuling can't stay, so it's better to take this opportunity to expel him from the court.

At this moment, a eunuch walked into the study to spread the word, and Li Linfu, the left minister, asked to see him.

"I knew my brother would come."

Hearing the news, Li Longji laughed and laughed.

It has long been no secret that Li Linfu wants to get rid of Zhang Jiuling, but he has been waiting for the opportunity to make a final decision. Now, with the help of Zhou Ziliang, a "reckless man", Li Linfu is about to strike the final blow to Zhang Jiuling.

Although this Tang Dynasty left minister, even if he does nothing, he can achieve his goal, if Zhang Jiuling has no accident, he will definitely be driven out of the court.

However, since you can directly kill your political enemies, why pin your hopes on Li Longji? Being beaten passively is not Li Linfu's style.

Li Longji knows a lot about this. Zhang Jiuling is very straight, he wants to use it; Li Linfu is very treacherous, he also wants to use it; The cow cyclamen is very weak, and he still has to use it.

These people are all Li Longji's tools.

Since it is a tool, there is only the difference between taking advantage of the hand and piercing the hand, and there is no difference between good and evil.

Thinking about some miscellaneous things in his heart, Li Longji asked people to prepare a pot of "spring drink" and waited for Li Linfu to come in.

After a while, Li Linfu walked in wearing a purple official robe, and he didn't change his clothes at all, he was still the one at the banquet.

"Brother Nu waited outside the palace for a while and then turned back."

Li Longji couldn't help but laugh.

"Returning to the saints, it is true. Wei Chen thought of one thing, which was not appropriate, and he came back to report it to the saint. ”

Li Linfu said very cautiously.

"Isn't it just attacking Zhang Xianggong?"

Li Longji teased disappreciatively. The courtiers speak ill of each other behind their backs, it's all the same old routine.

Zhang Jiuling was still speaking ill of Niu Xianke in front of him.

"No, Zhou Ziliang's impeachment of Li Shizhi at the banquet was actually aimed at Niu Xianke. But he dared to say this, not because Zhang Xianggong was instigated, but because there was a secret behind it. Tomorrow's saints can inquire in person, and it must be true. ”

Li Linfu said with a straight face.

Don't say anything bad about Zhang Jiuling?

Li Longji also became serious and put away the smile on his face.

"There is a book that says: The two-horned calf is crazy, and the dragon and snake fight each other into a river of blood. Two-horned calves, cows too! Dragons and snakes fight, chaos also! The sage will ask Zhou Ziliang tomorrow, and he will definitely take out this book. ”

Li Linfu took out a pamphlet from his cuff, which was written by an "anonymous person" and handed it to Li Longji.

This "forbidden book" has been circulating in Chang'an for a long time, and the scope is also very wide. With the popularization of block printing, there is no technical difficulty in printing books privately. This kind of "prophecy" is an illegal and banned book, and it is illegal to collect, disseminate, and borrow books for private collection!

The so-called prophecy is the kind of gibberish booklet that says something inexplicable and hints at something. In politics, it is often used to ferment public opinion.

Due to the difficulty of refuting rumors in the feudal era and the low level of education per capita, many people believe similar things, and some even spread them to the gods

The most famous is "Push Back Picture".

Of course, this pamphlet is much lower than "Push Back Picture".

On the surface, these are just nonsense, but they really step on Li Longji's scales.

"Good! Good! Tomorrow, I will personally ask Zhou Ziliang! ”

Li Longji's anger came up again.

The goal has been achieved, Li Linfu did not drag the mud and water, bowed and bowed and retreated.

With this knife, Zhang Jiuling and Zhou Ziliang were sent away.

Li Linfu waited for tomorrow's storm.

……

A court meeting in the spring of the twenty-fifth year of Kaiyuan.

Li Longji told Zhou Ziliang, the superintendent of the imperial history, that Niu Xianke had worked hard in Hexi, and his merits were enough to worship the prime minister, and if there was no other reason, Niu Xianke would definitely be appointed by the imperial court as the secretary of the Ministry of Industry.

Zhou Ziliang didn't know what the plan was, so he directly took out the book of prophecy that "the two-horned calf is crazy by itself, and the dragon and snake fight each other into a river of blood", and defended Li Longji and said: In line with the principle of "it is better to believe that there is something than not to believe it", Niu Xianke should not be arranged in the center as the six Shangshu, but should be placed in the local government as an official.

Li Longji was furious and ordered Zhou Ziliang to be killed on the Zichen Hall of Daming Palace! And because Zhou Ziliang was introduced by Zhang Jiuling, according to the relevant rules of the imperial court, the prime minister must bear joint and several responsibility if something happens, and Zhang Jiuling is also suspected of being instigated.

So Li Longji was concerned about Zhou Ziliang, and he also removed Zhang Jiuling from the post of prime minister and demoted him to the history of Jingzhou.

Li Linfu temporarily held the position of Zhongshu Ling, and at the same time, Niu Xianke was appointed as the secretary of the Ministry of Works, and he took office immediately.

As for who should take over the post of household servant that Zheng Shuqing is concerned about, no one mentions it.

On this day, Li Linfu had just left the court, and when he returned to Pingkangfang, where he was located, from Daming Palace, he saw Uncle Zheng waiting outside the door early in the morning, with a very humble attitude.

Li Linfu likes to deal with this kind of obedient dog, and hurriedly beckoned Zheng Shuqing to enter the house to talk in detail.

After the two sat down in the study, Zheng Shuqing took out a list from his cuffs, handed it to the other party and said, "The household servant is just for the military supplies of the Hexi front. The subordinates don't know much about the situation in Hexi, and some account books and other items need to be checked before they have a way to deal with it, so please Li Xiangcheng. ”

Hearing this, Li Linfu took the piece of paper handed over by Zheng Shuqing and looked at it again and again.

This list covers the distribution of household registration, garrisons, transportation arteries, water conservancy facilities, and special products in the four prefectures of Hexi (Liangzhou, Suzhou, Ganzhou, and Guazhou).

Of course, just make a request.

"You went to Kuizhou, and you have made a lot of progress. Originally, I didn't think it would be safe to hand over the position of Tobe Squire to you, but now it seems that you are competent enough, but ......"

Li Linfu smiled slightly, and fell into deep thought again.

"Do you think there's anything wrong with Li Xiang?"

Zheng Shuqing asked suspiciously.

"It's wrong, but it's not that you're doing something wrong."

Li Linfu sighed and continued:

"The imperial court case is heavily managed, and it would not hurt if the prime minister sent someone to bring a few copies back for you to check.

But you need too many things, not to mention whether you can read them or not, and even if you can read them, you can't take so many cases about Hexi things out of the picture.

Your idea is good, but your appearance does not meet your requirements. Of course, if you're already in the Sixth Ministry, there's no problem with going to the place where the case is kept. ”

Fang Chongyong didn't expect one thing, that is, the center of the Tang Dynasty, in fact, he divided the powers and responsibilities very carefully. Li Linfu is certainly powerful, but no matter how big he is, he can't be as big as Li Longji.

In the unspoken rules, it is okay for Li Linfu to use his authority to take a few copies from the place where the archives are stored and take them home to read, and the right minister of the Tang Dynasty does not have this power.

But if Li Linfu ordered someone to drag a cart of copywriting books home for Zheng Shuqing to check, what would it look like?

Thinking about this stubble, Zheng Shuqing scolded Fang Chongyong in his heart for not being able to do things well without hair, and he didn't even take into account such common sense.

Of course, he himself is a stupid person and has not thought about this stubble.

"Well, it's not that hard to solve."

Li Linfu said slowly, he was in a good mood today, and finally sent his political opponent Zhang Jiuling to Jingxiang to fish, so he naturally didn't mind saying a few more words to Zheng Shuqing.

"Please show me Lee!"

Uncle Zheng bowed and saluted.

"Today, the ox cyclamen was appointed by the sage as the secretary of the Ministry of Works. He was helpless in the DPRK, and it was time to look for allies. The present minister is now repairing a book, you can take it to Niu Xianke, and ask him about the people of Hexi.

Niu Cyclamen started as a small official in Hexi and has been in business for decades. He must know what is on the case, and he probably knows what is not on the case. With the guidance of the bull cyclamen, you can write another piece of music to the real picture, and this matter will be safe. ”

Li Linfu nodded slightly and said, touching the long beard on his chin.

Don't look at Li Linfu now serving as the left and right minister, but this is only temporary. It was only a matter of time before Li Longji reappointed Zuo Xiang. Niu Cyclamen, the Ministry of Works, is not long.

Li Linfu sent Zheng Shuqing to find Niu Xianke, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone!

First, it provides assistance to his cronies, and secondly, it narrows the relationship with Niu Cyclamen.

After the ox cyclamen entered the prime minister, this honest man would not hinder his decree, so that his comfortable days would come.

"Xie Li mentioned it, his subordinates are really unrequited!"

Zheng Shuqing was excited to give Li Linfu a big gift.

"You wait a moment, and the prime minister will write first."

Li Linfu said with a smile, that was very kind.