gnovel Chapter 113 The Intricate Roots of the Holy Army
Chapter 113 The Intricate Roots of the Holy Army
The court officials had already anticipated Shi Jingtang's refusal to accept the transfer of his garrison, so they were not particularly surprised. However, what was somewhat unexpected was that his reason for raising an army was to directly accuse Li Congke of illegitimate accession to the throne and to urge him to abdicate in favor of his younger brother, the late emperor's biological son, Prince Xu, Li Congyi.
The official from Hedong submitted a memorial stating: "The Mingzong dynasty's state, which Your Majesty inherited, has not yet been in accordance with public opinion. It is appropriate to issue an edict. Prince Xu, carrying on the bloodline of the previous dynasty and nurturing virtue within the imperial palace, should be allowed to follow the advice of the emperor, thus avoiding internal strife."
Li Congyi was only six years old at the time. How could it be feasible for him to abdicate in favor of a young emperor? The idea of cultivating virtue was simply too absurd.
Li Congke was displeased upon reading the memorial, tore it apart with his hand and threw it to the ground. He then drafted an edict in response, saying: "When a father has a state, he passes it on to his son; when a ruler faces calamity, he relies on his relatives. Your relationship with the Prince of E is not distant. The events in Weizhou last year are known throughout the land; but who would believe the words of the Prince of Xu today! How could a wise and virtuous person act in such a way?"
Li Congke's counterattack was extremely sharp: He hadn't even offered support to the fallen Li Conghou, killing all his followers and placing him under house arrest in Weizhou. Now he claimed to be installing the Prince of Xu instead—who would believe that?
Shi Jingtang's staff were not necessarily united, and their attitudes toward disobeying imperial orders were also divided.
Duan Xiyao, who had previously suggested executing the thirty-six military commanders, vehemently refused. Zhao Ying, the judge of the military governor, advised him to go to Yunzhou as ordered. Xue Rong, the judge of the provincial administration, claimed to be a scholar and was unfamiliar with military affairs.
Another important figure, Yang Yanxun, the deputy garrison commander of Beijing, directly retorted: "I wonder how much military and food supplies Hedong has, and whether it can rival the imperial court?"
The guards urged him to kill him, but Shi Jingtang, fearing trouble, dared not rebuke them. He said, "I can only protect the deputy envoy; you must not speak of it."
"Recently, while taking a nap, I suddenly dreamed that two years ago in Luoyang, I was riding alongside the emperor on the road."
To appease the people, Shi Jingtang told Bin Zuo a story.
"Passing by the old residence in Qinghua Lane, the Emperor invited me to enter. I declined several times, but had no choice but to hasten my entry. Upon reaching the hall, I dismounted and ascended the eastern steps, sitting facing west. The Emperor had already driven away in his carriage. That was my dream."
His half-truthful, half-lie-in-the-dream ramblings clearly revealed his treacherous intentions, and none of his colleagues dared to respond.
The eastern part of the river belonged to the state, but only the chief clerk Liu Zhiyuan and the chief secretary Sang Weihan strongly advised against accepting the order.
Liu Zhiyuan's ancestors were from the Shatuo tribe and had long served under Shi Jingtang. He was the purple-faced, white-eyed follower that Gao Xingzhou had seen before, and the "white-eyed Liu" that Li Congke had mentioned.
Sang Weihan was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the third year of the Tongzhi and Guangxu reigns. He was short and stocky, but his face was a foot long. Whenever he looked in the bronze mirror, he would sigh and say to himself, "How can a seven-foot body compare to a one-foot face!"
Because of his ugly appearance and the fact that his surname sounds like "mourning," the officials disliked him and dismissed him, and he repeatedly failed the imperial examinations.
Sang Weihan refused to accept this and wrote "Ode to the Sun Rising from Fusang" to prove that the character "Sang" was not unlucky. When people advised him to give up, he showed them an iron inkstone and said, "If the iron inkstone wears out, I will change my profession."
Because his father, Sang Gong, was a guest general in Henan Prefecture, he had connections with Zhang Quanyi, the then Prefect of Henan and Prince of Qi. When he had a free moment, he said, "My son has some literary talent. Now, he has been led by his acquaintances to seek help. We await the King's decree."
Those who sought the best were selected scholars to take the imperial examinations. As for the advice from his classmates, Sang Gong presented the opposite perspective.
Zhang Quanyi readily agreed, "A man is taking the exam? Excellent! Have the scholar bring the scroll."
Sang Gong bowed twice. Upon returning home, he instructed Sang Weihan to deliver a letter and several scrolls of writings. Zhang Quanyi was immediately impressed and treated him with great courtesy. He strongly advocated for Sang Weihan among the Confucian scholars of the time, and Sang Weihan secured first place in the selection process. (Note 1)
In the Tang Dynasty, the selection of officials involved not only written examinations but also interviews by the Ministry of Personnel. The standards can be summarized in four words.
First, physical appearance; second, speech; third, calligraphy; and fourth, literary reasoning.
Officials are the face of the nation, and a dignified appearance is paramount. They don't need to be as handsome as Pan An, but at least they should have regular features and a well-proportioned figure. The result was that they chose such an ugly fellow as Sang Weihan, and when the list of successful candidates was announced, there was much discussion and debate.
Therefore, Li Cunxu ordered Hanlin Academician Lu Zhi to set a review question, changing Sang Weihan to second place. He also stipulated that from now on, all newly successful candidates in the imperial examinations must have their names carefully reviewed by the Secretariat and Chancellery on the day of their audience. (Note 2)
This is the kind of person who is now Shi Jingtang's chief secretary.
Liu Zhiyuan said to Shi Jingtang, "Your Excellency has long commanded troops and won the hearts of your soldiers. Now you occupy a strategically important location with well-trained and elite troops. If you were to raise an army and issue a proclamation, you could achieve imperial power. Why would you throw yourself into the tiger's den with a mere edict?"
Sang Weihan, on the other hand, attributed the legitimacy to the Mandate of Heaven.
"When the emperor first ascended the throne, you, my lord, came to court. Did the emperor not know that a dragon should not be allowed to roam freely in a deep abyss? Yet, in the end, Hedong was returned to you, which was Heaven's will to give you a powerful tool. Emperor Mingzong's legacy of favor still exists among the people, but the emperor replaced him with a son of a concubine, and the people's hearts were not with him."
If the above are reasons that can be presented openly, then Sanweihan's subsequent remarks already revealed the beginnings of a subservience to foreign powers.
"The Khitan ruler and Emperor Mingzong have sworn brotherhood, and their tribes are now near Yun and Ying. If you are truly willing to serve them with sincerity and humility, they will come to your aid in times of emergency. What is there to worry about in failing?"
Sanweihan's suggestion was not particularly brilliant; it was merely a matter of recounting something that is generally considered shameful.
Shi Jingtang then made up his mind.
Li Congke had considered colluding with the Khitans for external support, but ultimately he did not take that step that would have compromised his integrity.
Li Siyuan's adopted son and beloved son-in-law, two men with completely opposite personalities and temperaments, once again made drastically different choices this time.
……
No court assembly was held for the next three days.
However, the heavy, leaden atmosphere was palpable to everyone; all the civil and military officials were waiting for the emperor's reaction.
When the emperor is enraged, blood flows like rivers. Li Congke tore up a memorial in court, demonstrating the extreme of his anger. How would this rage be unleashed?
Gao Xingzhou's face was solemn. A thick stack of papers was piled on his desk, all of which were resumes of people who had close ties with Shi Jingtang. This was only because time was tight and only a general investigation could be conducted. There were quite a few people who were missed.
He picked up a sheet of paper to read.
Li Qiong, courtesy name Yingguang, was a native of Rao'an, Cangzhou.
In the second year of the Tongguang reign, Emperor Mingzong received an imperial edict to send his troops to deliver grain through Jizhou, with Shi Jingtang accompanying him. Upon reaching Zhuozhou, they encountered the enemy and were surrounded. Li Qiong, seeing that the other armies had already retreated, secretly grabbed Shi Jingtang's iron armor and fled eastward.
Upon reaching Liuli River, they were attacked by the enemy. Li Qiong swam to the south bank first. When Shi Jingtang reached the middle of the river, his horse fell and drifted downstream. Li Qiong rescued him with his spear and offered him his horse. He then escorted his followers on foot for more than ten miles before entering Zhuozhou.
During the Changxing era, he followed Shi Jingtang in the campaign against Dongchuan. During the Qingtai era, he was stationed in Yunzhou, where he repeatedly captured Khitan troops and was promoted to Right Commander of the Imperial Guard for his merits.
"Let these loyal protectors be transferred away, far from this vortex." (Note 3)
Gao Xingzhou marked it and put the resume aside.
Xue Huairang's ancestors were Rong people who migrated to Taiyuan. He was brave and fond of fighting from a young age.
During the reign of Emperor Mingzong, he was reassigned as the Right Wing Commander of Shenwu and appointed Prefect of Jiangzhou. Dong Zhang, the military governor of Dongchuan, sent Xue Huairang to lead his army to join Shi Jingtang in suppressing the rebels. After the rebellion was quelled, he was promoted to Prefect of Jiangzhou.
In the early years of the Qing Dynasty's Taiping Reign, the capital was moved to Shenzhou.
"Petition to resign from the prefecture and go to the Northern Army?"
Gao Xingzhou shook his head: "Whether it's true or false, we can't take any risks now. No way."
He picked up the next sheet of paper.
Bai Fengjin, courtesy name Desheng, was a soldier of the Qingsai Army in Yunzhou. His father was named Dazi, and his family had lived in the northern wilderness for generations, making a living by hunting.
He was skilled in riding and archery from a young age. When Zhuangzong broke through the enemy's encampment, Bai Fengjin bravely charged into the enemy's camp, which impressed Zhuangzong. Later, he fought in the battle on the Shandong River and was promoted to Commander of the Longwu Army for his merits.
Ying Shunzhong was promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Right Wing of the Imperial Guard and Acting Minister of Justice. He was granted the title of Loyal and Righteous Meritorious Official and was appointed Prefect of Fengzhou in a remote manner.
A line of small print on the side reads: Bai Fengjin had a daughter who married Shi Jingtang's second son, Shi Chongxin.
"His family background is not prominent, so we can handle this by transferring him to the south." (Note 4)
Gao Xingzhou made the same mark.
Upon seeing the next name, Gao Xingzhou frowned.
Shi Kuanghan was from Yanmen. His father, Shi Jiantang, served as the vanguard general under Emperor Zhuangzong. The enemy feared him and called him "Vanguard Shi." He accumulated many military achievements.
Shi Kuanghan rose to prominence by inheriting the title of Commander-in-Chief of Nine Prefectures. At the beginning of the Tongguang era, he served as the Military Commissioner of Lan, Xian, and Shuo Prefectures, and was later transferred to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Tianxiong Army Prison. He was then appointed as the Acting Minister of Revenue and concurrently served as the Prefect of Xun Prefecture.
During the Tiancheng era, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Tianxiong Army Infantry. A year later, he was promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard Zhangsheng Cavalry.
His wife was Shi Jingtang's younger sister.
"The youngest son of Shi Jiantang."
Gao Xingzhou sighed, "We must not act rashly. Let's stay in the capital."
As a descendant of a famous general, Shi Kuanghan had deep roots in the army. Unless he actively sided with Shi Jingtang, there was really no need for him to become an enemy.
Gao Xingzhou picked up another resume.
The person who recorded this was also Shi Jingtang's brother-in-law, just like Shi Kuanghan.
Du Chongwei's ancestors were from Shuozhou, but in recent times his family moved to Taiyuan. His grandfather, Du Xing, was a military officer. His father, Du Duijin, served as a vanguard commander under Emperor Wu of Tang.
Du Chongwei served Emperor Mingzong from a young age, serving as a military officer in the Imperial Guard and later as the Prefect of Fangzhou.
"He got a military academy position through his father's connections, but he's not even a commander. I've been in the army for so many years and I've never heard of him."
Gao Xingzhou was in a somber mood, but upon seeing this name, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Shi Jingtang made a mistake by marrying his sister to such a person. It's probably best to leave it alone."
He quickly suppressed his smile, and the names he had written down were truly shocking.
Once the great battle begins, it's impossible to know who will secretly pass on messages, who will become passive and uncooperative, who will lead their troops to defect, or even who will turn against their own side in the face of battle.
If I had a few more months, I could have carefully analyzed the situation and taken various measures to deal with it. But seeing that a military campaign was to be launched within days, I had no choice but to deal with it hastily.
Gao Xingzhou put down his pen and paper and stretched his muscles.
With all human resources exhausted, it's time to settle things with swords and spears.