As soon as Wu Zetian said this, Yang Fan and Shangguan Wan 'er were both shocked.
There were only a thousand people under his command. Was such a military officer important? There were only a dozen people under the prime minister's command in the Political Affairs Hall, which was much less than the number of Assistant Officials and Petty Officials under the command of a third-class county magistrate. Was his official position small?
Cao Renshi fought against Khitan and led 160,000 troops, but his military position was far less than that of Wu Youyi, who only led 6,000 troops and was honored as the General of the Yulin Guard. Sometimes, the level of official position did not depend on how many troops you led, but what position you were in.
What was the 'Hundred Cavalry'? The 'Hundred Cavalry' was a relatively independent branch of the Yulin Guard. It was nominally under the management of the Yulin Guard, but in fact, it was directly dispatched by the emperor. What was the Yulin Guard? The Yulin Guard was the head of the imperial guards of the Northern Yamen. And the entire imperial guards of the Northern Yamen were actually the emperor's private troops.
As the head of the guards of the Northern Yamen, the Yulin Guard had a fixed number of 6,000 soldiers, which had been stationed in the north of the capital near the palace. It was the most powerful armed force to protect the emperor and the royal family. Among them, the most important gate of the Xuanwu Gate was guarded by the 'Hundred Cavalry', which was also the direct descendant of the direct descendant that Li Guo 'er pretended to say wittily.
Now that Wu Zetian had handed over the 'Hundred Cavalry' to Yang Fan, expanding it to a thousand men, the armed forces that Yang Fan grasped were not merely a matter of one-sixth of the Featherwood Guard in the simple sense of the word. Just like Wu Youyi, who held six thousand Featherwood Guards in his hands, but held a higher position and authority than a frontier general who commanded hundreds of thousands of troops. Due to the special nature of this army and the critical location of its garrison, the general of this troop could even stand up to the Featherwood Guard's Great General Wu Youyi as an equal.
Since the emperor had set up such a force in the Yulin Guard, it was obviously impossible for him to follow Wu Youyi's orders. So even though his official position could not be higher than Wu Youyi's, his power was not inferior. This armed force was directly under the command of the Emperor, and the Grand General of the Featherwood Guard, Wu Youyi, had no authority to deploy it.
Not only could Wu Youyi not dispatch it, but it was also impossible for others to be responsible for the appointment of officers in this army. The South Yamen Imperial Army couldn't manage it, the North Yamen Imperial Army couldn't manage it, the Political Affairs Hall couldn't manage it, and the Ministry of War couldn't manage it. It was impossible for Wu Zetian to personally intervene in the arrangement of the generals. Therefore, this solid imperial guard was equivalent to Yang Fan's.
In fact, the 'Hundred Cavalry' was originally the Emperor's Personal Guards. It was just that they were too few in number and had little use. But once they expanded to the 'Thousand Cavalry', what would happen then? When Hitler first became Chancellor, the number of private guards was 120. What happened after that? Once Yang Fan's "Thousand Cavalry" was successfully formed, it would become the armored division of the Fuehrer's Guard Flag.
Shanghai Wan 'er immediately reacted after being startled. She couldn't help but glance at Yang Fan with surprise and joy. The first thought that came to her mind was: "If this enemy becomes the' Thousand Cavalry General ', then people won't see him like they're treating Chinese Valentine's Day, right?
Yang Fan also quickly reacted. He was wondering if he should be modest. It seemed that when the emperor added a title, he should be modest and then thank the emperor and accept the decree. This was the tradition. Unexpectedly, before he could make a hypocritical and humble speech, Eunuch Gao hurriedly ran in and said while panting, "Saint, Saint, Elder Di's residence has sent a message. I'm afraid the Elder … is not going to make it!"
"What?"
Wu Zetian was shocked. Seeing that Yang Fan was still standing in front of her, she immediately ordered, "Quick! You go to the Di residence immediately and visit the Elder on my behalf. Go! "
If such an important official was about to pass away, the Emperor must know his last words. The situation was urgent, and Wu Zetian felt that Yang Fan was trustworthy, so she grabbed him. Yang Fan didn't have time to think. He quickly accepted the decree and turned to leave. Wu Zetian repeatedly said to Eunuch Gao, "Send everyone from the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Elder Di's life must be preserved!"
Wu Zetian really valued Di Renjie, especially now that she was arranging for a successor. Di Renjie was her chosen successor, Li Xian's best assistant. If he passed away now, it would definitely disrupt many of the arrangements that Wu Zetian had already planned.
Eunuch Gao received Wu Zetian's orders and hurriedly turned to leave. Wu Zetian slowly walked around the hall, wringing her hands. Seeing this, Shanghai Wan 'er hurriedly advised, "The Imperial Academy of Medicine has already been sent out. Let them do their best. Life and death are decreed by fate. Saints must not worry too much to avoid harming their bodies. "
Wu Zetian sighed heavily. She returned to the imperial desk and sat down lightly. Her expression was sorrowful as she said, "The Elder's body hasn't been well since the New Year. This time, I'm afraid he really won't be able to hold on."
Wan 'er pressed her lips together and didn't speak. She only walked behind Wu Zetian and gently massaged her shoulders. Wu Zetian leaned back against the cushion and stared in a daze at the colorful patterns on the ceiling of the hall. A moment later, she sighed softly and said, "Wan' er, do you know why I put Yang Fan in such an important position?"
Shanghai Wan 'er's heart jumped. She hurriedly shook her head and said, "Your Majesty's wisdom is as vast as the sea. It is difficult for Wan' er to guess."
Wu Zetian smiled faintly and ignored the compliment.
She sighed and said, "Wan 'er, an Emperor will never use someone from his own family to command troops. This has been the case since ancient times. Why? It's very simple. Because a member of the royal family has the right to be an Emperor. So the Emperor should be most wary of his own people. Only I am an exception. Because … I am tied to two dynasties. The civil and military officials are also tied to two dynasties. Their loyalty cannot be guaranteed. Without any other choice, I can only use someone from the Wu family to command the troops. "
Wu Zetian could be wary of anyone, but not Wan'er. This was because Wan'er's everything depended on her. No matter how much power Wan'er had, it was like a tree without roots, a duckweed floating on water. Only by relying on Wu Zetian would she have power. Thus, Wu Zetian never doubted Wan'er's loyalty. If she had anything on her mind, she could confide in Wan'er.
"I am already old and must consider the matters after my death. But looking at the hearts of the people, they are still with the Li family. Looking at the children of the Wu family, there is no one who can be molded. I don't want chaos after my death. So I can only consider choosing one of my sons to inherit the throne. The enmity between Dan 'er and the Wu family cannot be resolved. Xian' er is my only choice.
But there is another problem with passing the throne. I am worried that once he ascends the throne, he will immediately restore the old system of Li Tang. Then the Zhou Dynasty that I created will become a bubble. So … in the beginning, I had no choice but to use the Wu family to command the troops. Looking at it now, it is a good move. With the Wu family in charge of the troops and the Li family in charge of politics, my dynasty can only last for a long time. "
Wu Zetian let out a long sigh and said, "But there is another problem. If Xian 'er becomes the Emperor, the Wu family will not be satisfied. Most of the prefectural armies and border armies are loyal to the Li family, but they are too far away. The Forbidden Army is close at hand, but most of them are under the control of the Wu family. I am worried that they will take risks out of desperation. So … I need a new power to balance them."
Wan 'er let out a soft "ah" and said with surprise, "So, the Saint chose him?"
Wu Zetian said, "That's right! A thousand riders is just the beginning. Wait until he expands from a hundred to a thousand. After he has everything under control, I will let him expand from a thousand to ten thousand. I want to create the most elite force of the Forbidden Army. With these ten thousand riders, he will be qualified to be the key to balance the Wu family and the Li family. "
Wan 'er thought for a moment and asked tentatively, "Yang Fan has a good relationship with the Wu family. Aren't you afraid that he will turn to the Wu family?"
Wu Zetian smiled faintly and said, "Originally, maybe. But after escorting the Prince of Luling back to the capital, do you think the Wu family will be at ease to see him as one of their own?"
Wu Zetian sighed softly and said, "They don't have the breadth of mind, and they don't have the means. Otherwise … why would I give the country to a son with the surname Li?"
Wan 'er frowned and said, "Then … now that Yang Fan has the merit of helping the dragon, aren't you worried that he will completely turn to the Li family?"
Wu Zetian said, "That's why I have to think twice and not make trouble for him. I also have to invite Yang Fan to his family banquet to mediate the relationship between them."
Wan 'er let out a soft "ah" and finally understood Wu Zetian's plan.
Wu Zetian said, "If the person I need is from the Wu family, then there will be no point in cultivating him. If he is from the Li family, then he will inevitably turn to the Li family in the future. I want Yang Fan to be like this. He's related to both sides, but he's ambiguous. Both sides need him, but they don't dare to trust him completely, and even entrust him with the important matter of life and death! "
Wu Zetian said, "Why do you think I chose him to go to Luling to bring Xian 'er back? It's not without reason. Yang Fan is a smart person. This time, his performance in bringing Luling back to the capital was especially impressive. Smart people do things more complicated than ordinary people think. He won't make simple choices, and he won't easily believe that either side will still put him in an important position and trust him after holding all the power. That's why he has to strictly maintain neutrality and maintain this situation, not letting any side cross the line. The longer this situation is maintained, the more stable his power and position will be. "
Shanghai Wan 'er's thoughts were very complicated. She said softly, "The Saint is wise and farsighted, thinking far ahead. It's admirable."
Wu Zetian said sadly, "It's a pity that man proposes but God disposes! Yang Fan is only one link in this balance. Most of the Forbidden Army is in the hands of the Wu family. It's impossible to maintain this balance by relying on Yang Fan alone. The Di Kingdom's Elder is highly respected and is the pillar of the country. His heart is with Luling. With him, my plan is foolproof. It's a pity … "
Wu Zetian sighed faintly again and didn't say anything else.
Yang Fan left the palace and galloped to the south of the city. He didn't even have time to say a word to Ren Wei and the other bodyguards. Ren Wei and the others didn't know what happened and hurriedly urged their horses to follow.
Yang Fan hadn't been to the Di Residence in the south of the city for a few years, but there were no changes in the square. Every blade of grass, tree, brick, and tile was the same. Yang Fan didn't have time to look and didn't care about the rule that horses shouldn't be ridden in front of the Elder's Residence. He rushed to the gate of the Di Residence, dismounted, and walked in.
At this time, the gate of the Di Residence was wide open with people coming in and out. A servant saw that Yang Fan was dressed in martial attire and had an extraordinary bearing, so he hurried forward to inquire. Yang Fan didn't have time to explain his identity and only said, "I'm here to visit the Elder on His Majesty's orders. Quickly take me to see Master Di without delay!"
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