Which emperor didn't wish for peace and contentment in the four seas under his rule?
Wu Zetian was delighted to hear Yang Fan's words, but after Yang Fan finished, she pointed at Yang Fan with a smile and said, "Ah, you only know how to pick nice words to coax me. It's fine if it's anywhere else, but Yanzhou is a place with poor mountains and poor rivers. Every year, there's a drought. If the common people can have enough to eat and wear, I'll be content. Prosperity and prosperity can't be associated with there. "
Yang Fan's face turned red when he heard this, and he hurriedly explained, "In front of a saint, I speak my mind and dare not deceive you. The prosperity of Yanzhou is something my family has seen with their own eyes. That place has abundant rain and crisscrossing paths. My family's hometown is in Yanzhou, and they left when they were young. Today, they still have a few relatives in their hometown. Every year, there's a good harvest. This is what my relatives said. Looking at their family's circumstances, they're really doing well. How can this be false? "
Wu Zetian let out a soft "oh" and said, "Then … maybe I remembered wrongly."
Her expression was uncertain, and it was clear that she didn't mean what she said. The relief rations in Yanzhou were all distributed under her instructions, so how could she have remembered wrongly?
Yanzhou was actually Yan 'an. Don't think that it had always been desolate. In fact, the Sui Dynasty and the early Tang Dynasty were in the third warm period in China's history. There was plenty of rain, and the climate was warm. The vegetation in the north and northwest was also far less damaged than in later generations, so it was very suitable for farming.
After the Tang dynasty was founded, great efforts were made to build irrigation works, and the people invented all kinds of new farming tools and crop varieties. With the increase of exchanges between China and the West, the government's policies were also heavily tilted toward agriculture. As a result, the north and northwest regions became important grain producing areas.
It wasn't until the middle Tang Dynasty that the weather gradually became colder, and the living conditions of the northern nomads became increasingly harsh. The Central Plains Empire also experienced a period of vigorous development, and the national strength began to weaken. Under these circumstances, the nomads in the north and northwest began to change their previous policy of looting and running. They continued to steadily expand their living space in the Central Plains.
As a result, many areas that had become important grain producing areas during the Sui and Tang Dynasties degenerated because of war and the nomads' occupation. They once again became nomadic areas, and this situation continued for many years. Now, however, it wasn't the same. In the eyes of many future generations, the desolate and barren areas were now "Little Guanzhong".
However, Wu Zetian was not aware of this situation. The late Sui Dynasty was in chaos and the Turks invaded the east. The Yanzhou region became sparsely populated and impoverished. After the establishment of the Tang dynasty, many more years of hardships followed until the Turkic civil strife broke out and the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate split. Only then did the imperial court seize the opportunity to deal a heavy blow to the Turkic Khaganate and regain control of this region.
After that, after many years of population expansion and land reclamation, the Yanzhou region gradually recovered its vitality. A long time ago, Wu Zetian had entered the palace. At the time, she was only 14 years old and had lived in the palace for many years. By the time she had gained political power, Yanzhou had once again become an agricultural area.
But if the local officials deliberately concealed these things, how could Wu Zetian, who lived deep in the palace, know?
Originally, it was very relaxing to listen to Yang Fan talk about trivial matters, but the last sentence was like a thorn, deeply piercing into Wu Zetian's heart. Wu Zetian was no longer in the mood to take a stroll. She immediately returned to the palace and summoned Wan 'er. She told her to organize the files and read all the memorials to Yanzhou.
Wan 'er had already picked out the memorials related to Yanzhou, but she couldn't immediately send them to the Emperor. Wan' er went back and waited for more than two hours before returning to the Emperor's palace with a stack of memorials.
Wu Zetian flipped through the memorials one by one, and her expression became more and more gloomy. She would rather believe that what was said in the memorials was true and that Yang Fan's family was just talking nonsense, purposely trying to give credit to their hometown. But if this matter was true … just thinking about it made people tremble with fear.
The Son of Heaven was the ruler of the four seas, but it was impossible for the Son of Heaven to travel all over the mountains and rivers and look after every piece of her territory. The vast rivers and mountains had to be entrusted to her officials to look after. In this era, transportation was inconvenient, and information was not smooth. If the officials deliberately hid things from her, then wouldn't she become deaf, blind, and a puppet at the mercy of others?
She didn't dare to think about the consequences. She had always been suspicious, and the consequences of this matter were so serious. How could she be vague about it? After thinking for a long time, Wu Zetian slowly said, "Go, summon the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Censorate …"
Wu Zetian hadn't finished speaking when she suddenly thought of something. She turned to Wan 'er and said, "Tell me about this Yanzhou provincial governor's situation."
Regarding the civil and military officials of the Manchurian court and the important officials of the prefectures, their biographies, and their political relationships, Shanghai Wan 'er knew them all by heart. It was as if she was a moving archive.
Because she was able to memorize the complicated political relationships between these officials, her pulse was accurate, and she was able to handle memorials without waiting for the Son of Heaven to speak. She was able to propose the most appropriate solution. Shanghai Wan 'er's position as the Female Minister of the Interior had not been shaken by anyone for so many years. How could she be easy to deal with?
Wu Zetian slightly closed her eyes. Zhang Changzong gently massaged her head from behind as she listened to Shanghai Wan 'er's narration. Shanghai Wan' er had only spoken halfway when Wu Zetian suddenly opened her eyes. She said in surprise, "This person … was recommended by Cheng Si?"
Shanghai Wan 'er gently lowered her beautiful eyelids and said in a low voice, "Yes!"
Wu Zetian's eyes flashed. "This person has already been in Yanzhou for nine years. Why has Cheng Si never thought of making a move against him?"
Wu Zetian knew that the two nephews of Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi, in order to fight for power, had wantonly installed their trusted aides as officials. However, both of them liked to place their trusted aides in the imperial court or the army. They placed them in a remote prefecture and never paid attention to them. This kind of thing was unavoidably strange.
Shanghai Wan 'er wanted to say something but hesitated. Wu Zetian saw it and said indifferently, "There are no outsiders here. There is no harm in saying what you want."
Shanghai Wan 'er said softly, "Yes! This Xie Yubin was originally the County Magistrate of Ningyuan County in Zhenzhou. He once looked after the Prince of Wei very much … "
Wu Zetian suddenly understood. After she came to power, she had exiled several of her cousins to the desolate border. Among them, her cousin Wu Yuanshuang's family was exiled to Ningyuan County in Zhenzhou (now Sanya in Hainan). Wu Chengsi was Wu Yuanshuang's son. At that time, he was also in Ningyuan County. Presumably, this Xie Yubin, who was the County Magistrate of Ningyuan County at that time, had looked after the Wu father and son, so Wu Chengsi returned the favor.
Wu Zetian slowly leaned back in her chair. Zhang Changzong's snow-white and soft hands gently rested on her head, continuing to massage. Wu Zetian closed her eyes and said without batting an eyelid, "Continue!"
"Yes!"
Shanghai Wan 'er continued to introduce Provincial Governor Xie's situation. From his resume, it was indeed the same time as Wu Chengsi's rise to power. It was also about ten years ago. When she was preparing to kick away her puppet son and ascend the throne herself, she began to put the Wu clansmen in important positions.
At that time, Wu Chengsi had just grasped great power and became a new noble in the imperial court. County Magistrate Xie was immediately transferred from the distant Ningyuan County in Zhenzhou to the capital. After serving as the Luoyang County Magistrate for less than a year, he was transferred to the Supreme Court. After only a year in the Supreme Court, he was promoted to the rank of minister. Soon after, Wu Zetian ascended to the throne and was bestowed the title of a meritorious minister. Meanwhile, this Xie Yubin was listed as a meritorious minister by Wu Chengsi and appointed as the Provincial Governor of Yanzhou.
This person never moved from this place after arriving in Yanzhou. Wu Zetian could roughly guess the reason for this. Zhenzhou was a barren land with unruly mountains and unruly rivers. It was located in a rather desolate area. In an area with developed culture and education, scholars who were well-read might not necessarily be able to pass the imperial examinations. However, in a place like Zhenzhou, as long as one's handwriting didn't make any mistakes and his writing was somewhat organized, one could become an imperial scholar. How high could the quality of a county magistrate in this kind of place be?
It was very likely that Wu Chengsi only promoted him to an official to repay a debt of gratitude. He didn't have any hopes of nurturing him into a capable confidant. Or perhaps, when he first allowed him to enter the Luoyang prefecture and the Supreme Court, it was a process of inspection and nurturing. However, during this period of time, this person's performance was mediocre. Only then did he get rid of him and return this debt of gratitude.
After Shanghai Wan 'er finished her report, the main hall immediately quieted down. After a long while, Zhang Yizhi coughed softly. Wu Zetian didn't open her eyes. She calmly asked, "Does Wulang have something to say?"
Zhang Yizhi slowly said in a soft voice, "Sage, if this case is true, then it means that the entire Yanzhou is working together to deceive Your Majesty. Their arrogance is truly shocking. And this Yanzhou Provincial Governor is an old friend of the King of Wei. Are the two of them no longer in contact? I'm afraid not. Furthermore, this person was recommended by the King of Wei. If something happened to this person, the King of Wei's expression would inevitably turn ugly. If the King of Wei were to make a mistake and leak information to him … I believe that this case must be investigated. However, the fewer people who know about it, the better. If the Ministry of Justice or the Imperial Censorate were to send someone, I'm afraid that before the person even left the capital, the news would be leaked. "
Wu Zetian made a sound of agreement and said, "Does Wulang have a suitable candidate in mind?"
Zhang Changzong rushed to say, "Sage, Changzong is willing to share Your Majesty's worries!"
"You?"
Wu Zetian opened her eyes and looked at Zhang Changzong in astonishment. In her eyes, Zhang Changzong was her little lover and also vaguely had the feeling of an elder doting on a younger generation. The only thing she didn't see him as a minister who could take charge of his own affairs, even though he was now an official under the title of Minister Fengchen.
Zhang Changzong saw that Wu Zetian was a little funny and couldn't help but fly into a rage out of humiliation. His face and neck were red as he said, "Sage, Changzong will definitely complete this task well!"
Wu Zetian patted the back of his palm and said with a smile, "Of course I believe in your abilities, but … it's better if you stay in the palace to accompany me. It's not a good task to eat and sleep in the open. How can I bear to let you work so hard?"
Zhang Changzong angrily said, "Sage obviously doesn't believe in Changzong's abilities!"
Wu Zetian's face slightly darkened. Zhang Yizhi hurriedly said, "Wulang is young and insensible. Sage, please don't blame him. Speaking of which, Changzong has never been more than a hundred miles away from Luoyang. No wonder he wants to go out for a walk. In my opinion, it's better to choose an honest and prudent person to take charge of this case. As for Wulang, let him follow along and treat it as a way to relax. If he really learns some skills, won't he be able to share Your Majesty's worries in the future? "
Wu Zetian's face slightly relaxed. She slightly nodded and said, "Wulang's words are reasonable. Do you have a suitable candidate in mind? "
Zhang Yizhi smiled and said, "I think Sage has already thought of it. Since you want to test me, then I will say that this case was caused by a casual remark of Yang Fan. Yang Fan is your trusted minister and he doesn't get along well with the Prince of Wei. Therefore, there's no reason for him to be afraid of power and shelter a corrupt official. Sage has praised him for his bravery and strategy. If you ask this person to go, isn't he the best candidate? "
Wu Zetian happily nodded and said to Zhang Changzong, who was still fuming, "Alright, Wulang, don't be angry. I will appoint you as the main imperial envoy and Yang Fan as your deputy. You will go to Yanzhou to handle the case. Along the way, you must listen more and talk less. You can study hard. You can go sightseeing, but when investigating the case, you must not point fingers at Yang Fan! "
When Zhang Changzong heard that he was being appointed as the imperial envoy, he was wild with joy at first, but after listening to the latter part, he couldn't help but be angry and said, "In the end, aren't you still treating him like a child?"
…
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