Chapter 337: Steady Progress
Li Ying paused for a long time before continuing, "The seal is still there. I haven't read these things because I don't think it's necessary. You are all virtuous people. What indecent things could there be? Don't you agree?"

Zuo Xiang Wei Jiansu said quickly: "Your Highness is right. It is clear that Yang Guozhong committed crimes, spread lies to confuse the people, alienated the ministers, and facilitated his rebellion."

After Wei Jiansu said this, many officials reacted and attacked Yang Guozhong. Some of them were "filled with righteous indignation" and even cursed Li Heng and Li Lin.

Li Heng and the others cursed for a while, then said, "Since everyone thinks so, I don't think we need to keep these things. General Zhang, take them out and burn them."

"Yes." Zhang Guangsheng took the order and led his men to carry the two boxes out of the gate of Hanyuan Hall and set them on fire at the gate.

All the officials looked back, and in the raging fire, they saw that there were indeed letters and physical evidence inside, and they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

After the food was burned, Li Heng said, "Left Prime Minister, all ministers and vice ministers, stay and discuss matters with me. The rest of you, go back to your respective duties."

"Yes!" The officials took the order and left with peace of mind for the time being.

Government Hall.

Li Heng sat down with the civil and military officials who stayed behind and asked, "How is the court's finances?"

Wei Jiansu replied, "Since the rebels captured Luoyang, the court has lost the tax revenue from Luoyang in Hebei and Henan. This includes not only rent and labor service, but also commercial taxes, salt taxes, and rent and labor service from Jianghuai, which also need to be transported. The court's fiscal revenue has been reduced by almost half, and it is almost unable to pay the military pay."

Li Ying asked, "Is there any grain left in the granary in Chang'an?"

"There are some, but they are all for use in the palace." Wei Jiansu said.

Li Heng said, "The palace doesn't need so much. Father cares about the country. Even if he has to live frugally, he has to support the war in the front. We should open the warehouses and release the grain first to pay the soldiers."

"Yes." Wei Jiansu agreed and said, "But this can only last for a while, not a long-term solution."

Li Heng nodded. He certainly knew that this was not a long-term solution, but he could not just retake Luoyang at all costs due to the court's difficulties. He had to consider the overall situation of the world and make comprehensive considerations.

Li Heng turned to ask Feng Changqing, "How is the war going on on all fronts now?"

Feng Changqing worriedly said: "After the Shuofang army took Yunzhong, they did not attack Hebei, but went south to Hedong instead."

Li Heng knew that the reason why the Shuofang Army did not attack Hebei but went south to Hedong was that they must have received an order from Li Longji to guard against him.

Li Heng pondered for a long time and said, "Send a message to Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi, telling them not to go to Hedong, but to go to Hebei and take Changshan first."

Feng Changqing asked: "Should we send a military supervisor?"

"No need." Li Heng shook his head. "Promote them both. Promote Guo Ziyi to Imperial Censor and Li Guangbi to Weijun Governor and Hebei Province Interview Envoy. Transfer food to the Shuofang Army. If they were still ministers of the Tang Dynasty, they would know what to do."

"Yes." Feng Changqing accepted the order and continued, "In the Jianghuai area, the magistrate of Yongqiu County, Linghu Chao, led the county to surrender to the rebels. The rebels appointed him as a general. The prefect of Qiao County, Yang Wanshi, also surrendered to the rebels. The magistrate of Zhenyuan County, Zhang Xun, who was in charge of Qiao County, was unwilling to surrender and summoned troops to fight against the rebels. Zhang Xun took advantage of Linghu Chao's meeting with the rebel general Li Tingwang to occupy Yongqiu. Now he is confronting the rebels in Yongqiu."

Li Longji had not informed Li Heng of the news before, so Li Heng had only just learned about the situation in Jianghuai.

The reason why Feng Changqing knew all this was that he went to the Ministry of War last night and made sufficient preparations.

Li Heng said: "The Jianghuai area is now the most important source of food and wages for the court. We must not lose it."

Historically, Zhang Xun held out for seven kingdoms in Suiyang, slowing down the rebels' advance southward toward the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers, thus ensuring the financial revenue of the Tang Dynasty.

But behind this is the sadness of idealists.

Because three days after Suiyang fell, the government troops recaptured Suiyang.

The reason for this was that, apart from the greed for merit and inaction of Helan Jinming, Xu Shuji, Shang Heng and other generals, the fundamental reason was the internal strife within the court.

At that time, Li Longji was in Jiannan and Li Heng was in Shuofang. There were two courts in the Tang Dynasty, and the officials had to obey the orders of the two courts. They were suspicious of each other and hoped to kill their friends with the help of the rebels. When Zhang Xun started his rebellion, he fought under the banner of Wu Wang Li Zhi, and later obeyed the orders of Henan Jiedushi Guo Wang Li Ju. Helan Jinming was the Henan Jiedushi appointed by Li Heng.

Zhang Xun was just a grassroots official. He had no one in the court and no one to rely on in the factional struggles in the court. He could only be treated as a pawn.

This is also one of the reasons why Li Heng wanted to return to Chang'an and kill Li Longji, Li Heng and others in Chang'an.

Because there is only one imperial court, the people below know who to listen to.

Feng Changqing said: "The current military commander of Henan is Wu Wang Li Zhi. Whether he can defend Jianghuai depends on how he fights."

Li Heng said: "Appoint Wu Wang Li Ji as the governor of Henan and Zhang Xun as the vanguard of Henan. Deliver the other imperial edicts to them and tell them that the court will soon recapture Luoyang."

Feng Changqing said: "Yes."

Li Heng continued, "In Jiannan, send a message to Prince Rong, asking him to guard Jiannan well and not let Tubo and Nanzhao take advantage of the situation to invade. Also, appoint Yang Xuanlu as the transport envoy of Jiannan Road."

"Yes." Feng Changqing accepted the order.

Li Heng added: "Let Liu Yan and Diwu Qi come to the capital, and send someone to invite Li Mi."

Feng Changqing still obeyed the order.

Wei Jiansu and officials from various departments were increasingly surprised by Li Heng's arrangements.

Li Heng never carried out a purge from beginning to end, nor was he in a hurry to place his own people out. Instead, on the basis of the original layout, he provided relief to all parties and at the same time promoted some local prominent personnel. This not only reassured all parties, but also had a certain restraining effect.

That’s all, the key is that Li Heng can still think of inviting Li Mi.

Li Mi and Li Heng had an extraordinary relationship, but they had to leave due to the tyranny of Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong. Now Li Heng not only does not settle accounts with Li Mi, but instead wants to invite him to join the government. This action is very similar to what Li Shimin did to Wei Zheng.

Killing someone is not enough, it is even harder to calm down.

Wei Jiansu and the others did not dare to be disrespectful anymore. They all thought: "I only knew that Prince Shou was a master of military tactics, but I didn't expect that he was also so good at politics!"

Zhang Jun, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, knew that it was time to make a contribution, so he stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, my father has promoted Li Mi, and I have some friendship with Li Mi. I am willing to go and ask Li Mi to join the government."

"Oh?" Li Ying looked at Zhang Jun when he heard that.

Zhang Jun was the eldest son of Zhang Shuo and the cousin of Zhang Jiuling. In the 26th year of Kaiyuan, he became the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and later became the Minister of War. However, Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong successively monopolized power and demoted him to the Dali Temple.

Later, under depression, he wanted to instigate Li Heng to compete for the position of crown prince through Zhang Mujin, but Li Heng did not respond. He then turned to Li Heng, but Li Heng did not help him either. After many twists and turns, he only became the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

Historically, after An Lushan captured Chang'an, Zhang Jun surrendered and became An Lushan's Minister of the Central Secretariat.

In terms of integrity, Zhang Jun does not have it, but in terms of talent, Zhang Jun is not weak.

Li Heng knew very well that his current situation was worse than the one during Li Shimin's Xuanwu Gate Incident. First, during Li Shimin's Xuanwu Gate Incident, although the people were divided, there was no rebellion. Second, before Li Shimin's Xuanwu Gate Incident, he was the Shangshu Ling of the Tang Dynasty and had been in charge of the central government for a long time, while he had few people in the central government.

This requires Li Heng to be more unconventional in employing people, to be bold and careful, and to seek progress in a steady manner.

Therefore, after a moment of surprise, Li Heng said, "Since Minister Zhang has such a heart, I will hand over this important task to you."

Zhang Jun hurriedly said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

(End of this chapter)