Chapter 5107: Remedies

Chapter 5107: Remedies
After the meeting in the Political Affairs Hall was over, Liu Li returned to the official residence of the Secretariat and sat for a while, reviewing the progress of the meeting and discovered that he had made a huge mistake.

Your Majesty is indeed very wary of Fang Jun, but at the same time, he also trusts him immensely. He not only trusts Fang Jun's loyalty to the emperor and the country, but also trusts his ability. The situation in Hexi is unstable and the war in the Western Regions is imminent. Looking at the court and the country at this time, only Fang Jun can go to the Western Regions to preside over the overall situation.

Even Li Ji is no match for him. He is certainly capable enough, but how can Your Majesty sleep in peace if you let nearly 100,000 troops in Hexi and the Western Regions fall into his hands?

Your Majesty is weak and indecisive, but he has a good memory. He will not forget that when the Chang'an mutiny took place, Li Ji held his own troops and stood by, watching from the sidelines, allowing the emperor to fend for himself...

Therefore, no matter how he slanders Fang Jun or how solid the evidence is, Your Majesty will not pay any attention to it.

But His Majesty ignored it, and the fault fell on him, the Minister of the Secretariat, which directly led to the other ministers rising up to attack him, trying to overthrow him and then take over the Secretariat and occupy the magpie's nest...

Confused!
Liu Li wiped his face and did not dare to wait and see any longer, for fear of losing the opportunity. He quickly packed up and left the official residence, going to the imperial study to see the emperor.

……

"Erlang is not a treacherous villain, and I am not a tyrant. The Secretary-General's casual words and inappropriate thinking are giving others an advantage. This kind of thing should be stopped in the future. I don't want to see the court and the public rise up to impeach the Secretary-General."

Li Chengqian summoned Liu Li and gave him a lecture as soon as they met.

Liu Li felt wronged, so he explained: "I did not slander your majesty's reputation. It is really that Duke Yue has gone too far and always attacks me personally. If I do not fight back, how can my prestige last in the long run? However, I was indeed careless in my words, and I am willing to take the blame."

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "Don't worry about it. Fang Jun rushed to Hexi and traveled to the Western Regions to serve as the general manager of the Gongyue Road. You have a heavy responsibility on your shoulders and cannot afford to make mistakes. You are in charge of the center, so you must not let personal grudges ruin military and national affairs. Whether it is the dispatch of troops, the transportation of food and fodder, or the supply of military equipment, you must ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Liu Li's heart trembled, and he hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, rest assured. Although there have always been rifts between me and the Duke of Yue, it is just a difference in ideas, and there is no personal grudge. Moreover, the situation is critical at the moment, how can we sacrifice the public for personal reasons? I will definitely coordinate and ensure that there is no worry about logistics."

As for sitting back and watching Fang Jun lose the battle and letting him be held accountable after the war, he never even thought about it.

Firstly, Fang Jun’s ability had long been recognized. He was known as the number one “meritorious minister of the Zhenguan period”. He was proficient in firearms strategy and had won every battle. How could one think that the Tibetans or the Arabs could defeat him?
Furthermore, both Hexi and the Western Regions are the most important strategic areas of the empire. Once a mistake occurs, the foundation of the entire empire will be shaken. At that time, it will not only be Fang Jun's fault, but also his dereliction of duty as the Minister of the Central Secretariat.

Even a fool wouldn't do anything that would harm others without benefiting oneself.

Li Chengqian nodded and ordered: "Hurry up and issue an imperial decree to transfer Duke Lu back from Hexi to guard the capital."

Liu Li's heart moved, and he understood that His Majesty was planning to take advantage of Fang Jun's absence in Chang'an to transfer Cheng Yaojin back to replace him, and at the same time suppress the left and right Jinwu Guards...

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will get it done when I get back."

"Well, if you have nothing else to do, go and do it right away, my dear."

"Here."

After Liu Li left, Li Chengqian sighed and shook his head slightly.

He picked up the memorial on the table, unfolded it and read it again.

"I have never served in a prefecture or county, nor have I been appointed as a provincial governor"...

After today's confrontation in the Political Affairs Hall, the value of this sentence has risen again.

There is no doubt about Liu Li's ability, otherwise why would Emperor Taizong keep him by his side as a royal censor and take care of his daily life during his eastern expedition to Goguryeo?

But there are some things that cannot be done better just by having outstanding talents. Without personal experience, it is difficult to understand the true meaning of them.

If he had never gone down to the local level to govern the prefectures and counties and accumulate experience, why did he make mistakes again and again in the government hall, not only suffering a blow to his prestige by the military but also being backstabbed by his civil servant colleagues?
After all, it is difficult to convince the people without outstanding political achievements.

But now he needed a highly obedient Minister of the Secretariat like Liu Li, so that he could control the civil service system through Liu Li. Therefore, this memorial could only be put on the shelf for the time being, and would be brought out and implemented in the future when his prestige was enhanced and the situation eased.

No matter how good a policy is, it must be adapted to local conditions and in line with the situation. Otherwise, if it is blindly implemented, it may easily lead to bad consequences.

*****
October, the third year of Renhe.

It was already autumn in Hexi at this time, but the sun was scorching and the heat was unbearable during the day, while the temperature dropped sharply at night, like early winter. The temperature difference between day and night was so great, and there was little rain in autumn, that the cotton that was almost planted in Hexi had a bumper harvest.

Cheng Yaojin walked on the river bank with his hands behind his back, swinging the whip in his hand from time to time. Cheng Chumo followed closely behind him, leading the warhorse.

In the wasteland reclaimed this spring, the endless cotton fields are being harvested. Countless people are busy working in the fields. Cart after cart of cotton is transported out of the fields. At the edge of the fields, the workers of the "Dong Da Tang Company" weigh and pay for it...

Although the copper coins had not yet been put into his pocket and he had to return to Chang'an and go to the "Royal Bank" to exchange them, Cheng Yaojin was in a very good mood because the depression of not receiving the transfer order from Chang'an was swept away.

In this great Tang Dynasty, is there anyone who dares to refuse to pay his debt?

Just by roughly calculating the income, Cheng Yaojin couldn't help but grin, and his pair of copper bell-like eyes narrowed...

Cheng Chumo followed behind his father and could clearly feel his father's happiness about the money coming into his pocket. He couldn't help but complain in his heart, how could a Duke and a meritorious official of the Zhenguan period be so greedy for money?

"Today, there was a message from the post station, saying that the Duke of Yue will arrive in Guzang City in a few days. I wonder if there will be an order for my father to return to the capital with him."

Although he was one of the few "second generation" who was willing to endure hardships and had never complained about being stationed in Hexi, who would be willing to stay in Hexi if he could go back to Chang'an to live a life of luxury and debauchery?
No matter how prosperous and flourishing it is, how can it be compared with Chang'an...

Cheng Yaojin's smile faded, he snorted, and said unhappily: "A villain is successful and does not know his limits. Whether it is Tubo or Daqin, they are all huge crises. How can a child like him handle them? Your Majesty is also confused. He only knows how to favor him and does not care about the danger of the situation. It's simply nonsense!"

Naturally, I feel dissatisfied.

Cheng Yaojin was a meritorious official during the Zhenguan period and had made great military achievements. He was guarding an area in Hexi. But when the situation was critical, Your Majesty would rather send Fang Jun instead of letting him take over as the commander-in-chief of the Gongyue Road army. How could he save face?
These little kids are going too far by stealing the treasure!

Cheng Chumo naturally would not get involved in such talk, and asked while leading the warhorse, "Will father return to Chang'an?"

"Get back to me!"

Cheng Yaojin cursed and pointed his whip at the endless cotton fields. Under the blue sky, cotton bolls were like clouds. "Instead of going back to Chang'an to endure those wrath, why not work hard here to harvest? Each cotton boll is like a copper coin. Just looking at it makes me feel relaxed and happy, like drinking sweet rain!"

A war horse came galloping from a distance, and its roaring neigh startled the farmers who were picking cotton bolls in the fields, and they all looked up.

The war horses came from afar and arrived in front of Cheng Yaojin and his son. The cavalrymen on horseback pulled the reins and dismounted.

"General, the new general commander of Gongyuedao, Grand Commander, and Duke of Yue, Fang Jun, has arrived outside Guzang City. Please return to the city to welcome him."

Cheng Yaojin frowned and said, "Why did that bastard come to find me instead of Liangzhou Governor Guo Guangjing?"

The cavalryman didn't answer, so Cheng Chumo quickly asked, "Does anyone in your group have an angel to summon you?"

The cavalryman hurriedly said, "Yes! It is said that the imperial edict from His Majesty to recall the Marshal is in it!"

Cheng Chumo said: "Father, look..."

Cheng Yaojin had already grabbed the reins and jumped on the horse: "Don't worry about Fang Jun. If he wants to see me, I have to see him. But I can't keep the angel waiting for too long. Come with me back to the city! Go!"

As soon as he squeezed the horse's belly and pulled the reins, the warhorse let go of all four hooves and galloped away.

Cheng Chumo: "..."

I was talking about staying in Hexi to grow cotton, but when the angel arrived, I couldn't wait...

He says one thing and means another!
Bah! What are you pretending for...

He was frightened in his heart but dared not utter a word. He quickly jumped on his horse and chased after him back to the city.

……

Outside Guzang City, a team of cavalrymen in distinctive armor were waiting at a pavilion. Fang Jun and Cui Shenji sat inside the pavilion to rest. They had been traveling day and night and riding at full speed. Even Fang Jun, who had a good physique, felt trembling and sore all over. What about Cui Shenji, who had always lived a life of luxury?
Cui Shenji rubbed his legs and said with emotion: "When I was young, I also joined the army and fought with the army. Although I was not as brave and invincible as you, the Grand Marshal, I also charged into the battle without fear. However, after only a few years in the central government, I threw away all my previous archery and horsemanship skills. Even riding a horse is very difficult. 'Born in adversity and die in comfort', this saying is true. I am not deceived."

Fang Jun drank the tea brought by the postman and said with a smile: "Brother Cui's self-reflection is rare, but most people in the world are like this. In the past, we fought all over the world to build our careers, but now that our weapons are stored in the warehouse and our horses are released to the mountains, it is inevitable that we will indulge in pleasure... After fighting for a lifetime, can't we enjoy ourselves?"

Cui Shenji: “…”

This is indeed the truth, but it doesn't sound like a good thing...

"I have been selected by Your Majesty to serve as the chief clerk of the Liangzhou Governor's Office. I feel that the responsibility is heavy and I am extremely nervous. I wonder if the Grand Commandant can give me any advice?"

Although Cui Shenji was older, he kept a low profile. Even though his previous position as "Yellow Gate Minister" already made him popular with the emperor, he did not dare to show any arrogance in front of Fang Jun.

The more I am around Your Majesty, the more I understand how much Your Majesty values ​​and relies on Fang Jun. There are naturally conflicts between the monarch and his subjects, but to date, Fang Jun is still the person Your Majesty trusts the most.