Chapter 142 Luo Dagang: My Crown Prince Grandson!
Li Yi stepped over the threshold and walked towards the crowd that was trying to persuade him to come in.
Immediately, a series of burning gazes focused on him.
Seeing Li Yi appear, the shouts of the crowd who were trying to persuade him to come in became louder and louder.
"I hope the Grand Commander will obey the will of the people, fulfill the will of heaven, claim the throne, establish a system, and spread his power throughout the world!"
"I hope the Grand Commander will obey the will of the people, fulfill the will of heaven, claim the throne, establish a system, and spread his power throughout the world!"
"..."
Li Yi looked around, took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, bowed deeply to everyone, and then spoke.
"Yi, do you dare not obey?"
After saying this, Li Yi straightened up and continued.
"Yi is a descendant of the Li Tang dynasty. Fortunately, he has the blessing of his ancestors, which has enabled him to build his current foundation."
"Today, Yi will establish the Tang Dynasty, call himself the King of Tang, change the era name to Zhaowu, and establish a new state."
"I am willing to lead you all to drive out the Tartars, restore China, rebuild the Han Dynasty, and recreate the prosperity of the Zhenguan and Kaiyuan eras!"
"I hope you will encourage each other!"
As soon as Li Yi finished speaking, the crowd outside the Grand Commander-in-Chief who were trying to persuade him to ascend the throne cheered.
"Wan Sheng!"
"Long live!"
"Long live the Tang Dynasty! Long live the king!"
"..."
The reason why Li Yi chose to be called King of Tang.
One reason is that his surname is Li, so it is legitimate for him to claim to be a descendant of the Li Tang Dynasty.
The second reason was that after he was defeated at Dahuangjiangkou and led his troops to flee into Zijing Mountain, he claimed to be a descendant of Laozi, and used this to pretend to be a god in order to rebuild the morale of the Restoration Army, which was almost collapsed.
In this way, it would not be wrong for Li Yi to call himself the King of Tang when he proclaimed himself king.
As for whether he is a descendant of Li Tang?
Let’s put it this way, it is like this!
As long as Li Yi doesn't do something as outrageous as recognizing foreigners as his ancestors, the people below him don't care who Li Yi's ancestors are.
All they want is for Li Yi to improve, and then they can improve too.
As for what kind of king Li Yi would be or what kind of country he would establish, they didn't care.
In fact, Li Yi once thought about restoring the Ming Dynasty.
It’s a pity that his surname is Li, not Zhu, so this option can only be passed.
The reason why Li Yi had this idea was very simple. Ever since the Manchus entered the Pass, people all over the world have been calling for an anti-Qing and restoration of the Ming Dynasty for so many years, and most people still have some feelings for the Ming Dynasty.
It would be easier to win the hearts of the people if we restore the Ming Dynasty.
As for the Tang Dynasty, it is a bit far away from now.
But it’s not a big problem!
The Han Dynasty was strong and the Tang Dynasty was prosperous. The Tang Dynasty was also quite awesome. I believe everyone will feel involved in it.
As for the year number, it is even simpler.
As the founding emperor, it is normal to have the word "Wu" in his name.
For example, the great wizard Guangwu, Erfeng's father Wude, Comrade Lao Zhu's Hongwu...
Li Yi's Zhaowu means to display his military prowess.
Cheers resounded throughout Guangzhou, and the Restoration Army began to change its flags and banners. Large flags with Tang characters written on them were distributed.
From now on, the Restoration Army will be renamed the Tang Army!
……
Afterwards, Li Yi held a grand banquet in the Grand Marshal's Mansion to celebrate the event and entertain the generals of the Restoration Army and representatives of the gentry in Guangzhou city.
At the banquet, Li Yi rarely changed into a set of imperial robes and a Tongtian crown on his head instead of a simple military uniform.
The whole person looks graceful, dignified, and majestic, making people dare not look directly at him.
Surrounded by a group of people, Li Yi came to the main seat and sat down, then raised his glass and said.
"Today is a great day, I will drink with you all!"
Everyone raised their glasses upon hearing this.
Li Yi continued.
"The first cup is to heaven."
"May God bless us, drive out the Tartars, restore China, and rebuild our country!"
After he finished speaking, Li Yi raised his cup and drank it all.
Everyone followed suit and drank up their glasses.
"The second cup is for the heroes!"
"Respect all the Restoration Army soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the fight against the Qing Dynasty. May their heroic spirits live forever!"
After saying this, Li Yi raised his glass again and drank it all, and everyone else did the same.
Li Yi continued.
"The third cup is for everyone present today."
"Without your help and dedication, I wouldn't be where I am today, and there wouldn't be a Tang Dynasty today!"
"Gentlemen, drink together!"
After saying this, he raised his cup again and drank it all.
After three glasses of wine, the atmosphere in the venue began to become heated. After warming up the atmosphere, Li Yi turned around and left the banquet, leaving the space for everyone.
During company team-building activities, if the boss is present, it will be difficult for everyone to relax.
The same is true for today's banquet.
So, Li Yi didn't stay any longer.
Li Yi returned to the back hall, and before he had time to rest, he saw his mother Zhao, supported by several maids, coming to him with a happy face.
Seeing this, Li Yi took the initiative to step forward and greet him.
"Why did mother come to my place? Is there any good news?"
When Zhao heard this, the joy on her face became more obvious.
"Of course there is a happy event, a great happy event!"
"Just now, I was chatting with Caiyu. Caiyu felt a little unwell, so I called a doctor to check her pulse."
"After the doctor examined her pulse, he said it was a happy pulse. Caiyu is pregnant and has been pregnant for one and a half months."
"Yier, do you think this is a happy event?"
When Li Yi heard this, he was stunned at first, then he was ecstatic and laughed out loud.
"Hahahaha!"
"Caiyu is pregnant, haha!"
"That's great, it's really great, I'm going to be a father..."
An emotion of ecstasy filled Li Yi's heart, making it impossible to conceal the joy on his face.
Apart from that, Li Yi was still marveling at his luck.
He had just accepted the advice and ascended the throne today, but Luo Caiyu diagnosed that he was pregnant.
This timing is perfect!
Combining these two things, who would dare to object to the fact that Li Yi has a destiny?
Surprised, Li Yi began to give instructions to his servants.
"Dushun, go to the banquet hall immediately and inform all the generals and ministers about this matter, so that they can also be happy."
"Then, inform the entire army and the entire city of this good news. I want everyone to know this good news!"
For Li Yi, Luo Caiyu's pregnancy is not as simple as him becoming a father.
It has more political implications.
Li Yi took this opportunity to prove to everyone that he was fertile, and told everyone that they could follow him with confidence, and that the wealth and prosperity of them and their descendants would be guaranteed.
Therefore, Li Yi needs to inform everyone of this good news as soon as possible!
Upon hearing this, Du Shun immediately clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, his face full of smiles.
Because his Du family is the illegitimate offspring of the Li family, and only if the Li family has descendants can the Du family's wealth and glory continue.
Soon, not long after Du Shun left, Li Yi heard cheers coming from the direction of the banquet hall.
Soon, a group of people rushed to the back hall and asked Li Yi whether this was true. Luo Dagang in particular smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum.
When Luo Caiyu became pregnant, the happiest person, apart from her father Li Yi, was undoubtedly her grandfather Luo Dagang.
Do you know about my prince grandson?
……
Forbidden City, Hall of Nourishing Heart.
Xianfeng's brows, which had been relaxed for a few days, furrowed again.
On the table in front of him were two urgent military reports with a total length of 800 miles.
One is from Henan and the other is from Jiangsu.
Among them, the 800-li urgent dispatch from Henan stated that Henan Governor Ying Gui led his troops to pursue the pseudo-Wing King of the long-haired bandits, but was ambushed at Bowangpo in Fangcheng County, Nanyang Prefecture, and was defeated and killed.
The long-haired pseudo-Wing King led his army to capture Nanyang!
The news from Jiangsu is even worse.
The long-haired bandits sent troops from Jiangning, led by their fake Northern King, to the north, successively conquering Gaoyou, Huai'an, Qingjiangpu along the way, and then heading straight for Xuzhou.
He encountered Shengbao, who was leading his troops southward, outside the city of Xuzhou. The two sides fought a fierce battle, and Shengbao was defeated miserably and retreated all the way to Jining.
Xuzhou fell into the hands of thieves...
Two consecutive pieces of bad news directly broke down Emperor Xianfeng's defenses.
Originally, after the Battle of Luoyang, Xianfeng thought that the war situation would improve and the Qing Dynasty would soon be able to recapture Jiangning and restore the world.
Unexpectedly, he was happy too early!
The two major defeats in Nanyang and Xuzhou gave Xianfeng two big slaps in the face, which made him wake up completely.
The Taiping rebels are powerful and it is not easy to suppress them.
Next, it’s going to be a tough fight!
After thinking deeply for a while, Xianfeng ordered people to summon a group of military ministers to discuss the matter.
"Look, my dear ministers. The imperial army has suffered defeats in Henan and Jiangsu."
"Let's discuss this together. How should the court suppress the bandits next?"
It was Sushun who spoke first.
"Your Majesty, I think the Longhaired Bandits' Northern Expedition Army may be heading for the capital."
"The imperial court should quickly transfer the monk king back from the front lines to protect the capital."
It is no secret that the Taiping Army's Northern Expedition raised the banner of attacking the demon's lair.
Sushun naturally knew that they were heading for the capital!
To be on the safe side, he wanted to recall Senggelinqin, the Double-Flowered Red Stick, to protect the gang and the boss.
Upon hearing this, Xianfeng frowned and said.
"If Senggelinqin is transferred back, what will happen to Jiangnan?"
"If there were no Senggelinqin's army, it would be difficult for Qishan and Xiang Rong to recapture Jiangning, right?"
Sushun heard this and spoke again.
"Your Majesty, I think the safety of the capital should be the most important thing."
"The battle in Jiangning can be delayed for a while, but there must be no mistakes in the capital."
"Even if Jiangning is lost, the Qing Dynasty will still be the Qing Dynasty. But if the capital is lost, the Qing Dynasty will have no choice but to withdraw from the border areas."
When Xianfeng heard this, the expression on his face kept changing, and he was obviously convinced.
"What about Jiang Ning?"
Qi Junzao spoke up.
"Your Majesty, I have an idea."
Upon hearing this, Xianfeng hurriedly spoke.
"Qi Qing, tell me quickly!"
Upon hearing this, Qi Junzao did not keep the question in suspense but continued speaking.
"Hasn't the imperial court allowed the localities to organize militias to protect the country and the people?"
"My idea is to let the Jiangnan and Jiangbei camps work together to contain the Taiping rebels in Jiangning City, and then take this opportunity to dispatch militias from all over the country to fight in Jiangnan and assist the government troops in encircling and suppressing the Taiping rebels."
"In this way, the court can protect the capital while taking into account the war situation in Jiangnan."
Upon hearing this, Xianfeng couldn't help but frown.
He knew in his heart that the old fox Qi Junzao was taking advantage of the power of the long-haired thieves to force the court to relax restrictions on militia training again.
To be honest, Xianfeng was unwilling to do this.
If the militia can leave their hometowns and go out of the province to fight, then what is the difference between the militia and the army?
If all provinces in the south had such militias, then was the Qing Dynasty the Qing Dynasty of the Manchu and Mongolian Eight Banners or the Qing Dynasty of the Han people?
Rui Lin on the side asked.
"Master Qi, what you said is simple, but what if the militia gets out of control and threatens the court?"
As a Manchu, Ruilin certainly did not want to see the militia become so powerful that the Han people, with the support of the militia, would come to the court to compete for the right to speak for their Manchu and Mongolian ministers.
Before Qi Junzao could say anything, He Ruolin on the side spoke up.
"The court can send loyal and virtuous people to serve as ministers of militia training to control the militia so that it does not get out of control."
He Ruolin and Qi Junzao of course stood together.
Also, they never actually thought of using militia to rebel.
He just wanted to create an armed force controlled by the Han people through militia training, and then compete for power with the Manchu and Mongolian ministers.
The struggle for power did not prevent them from being loyal to the Qing Dynasty.
Therefore, Qi Junzao and He Ruolin appeared to be very frank when they made such suggestions.
Because they are truly loyal ministers of the Qing Dynasty, the kind of loyalty that cannot be expressed in words!
When Xianfeng heard this, his expression kept changing.
But in the end he nodded and said.
"Just follow what Qi Qing and He Qing said."
However, Xianfeng couldn't help but ask.
"Who do you two think can take on this important task? To be the Minister of Training?"
Qi Junzao and He Ruolin looked at each other and then spoke together.
"Zeng Guofan!"
There was a reason why the two of them recommended Zeng Guofan.
In addition to the fact that Zeng Guofan was He Ruolin's student, it was more because Emperor Xianfeng was very optimistic about Zeng Guofan.
At the beginning of the first year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign, when the Taiping Army had just launched an uprising, Emperor Xianfeng summoned his ministers to discuss state affairs.
Zeng Guofan publicly advised that "the most urgent task today is to employ people", and recommended five people, Li Tangjie, Wu Tingdong, Wang Qingyun, Yan Zhengji and Jiang Zhongyuan. He then wrote a letter entitled "Three Ways to Prevent Malpractices from the Emperor's Virtue" to directly point out the mistakes of Emperor Xianfeng.
Emperor Xianfeng was so angry that he threw the letter to the ground. After reading it again a few days later, he was convinced and accepted the advice, and praised the emperor in return.
In May, Emperor Xianfeng appointed Zeng Guofan as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.
In October, he was appointed as the chief examiner of the Shuntian Prefecture's provincial examination.
And just a few days ago, just after the New Year, Emperor Xianfeng appointed Zeng Guofan as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
Although he is only a vice minister and not a chancellor, you have to know that this is the Ministry of Personnel!
Oh, Heavenly Official!
A truly powerful position.
A vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel would not be replaced even if he were offered a chancellor from other ministries.
The fact that he jumped several levels within one year shows how much Emperor Xianfeng valued Zeng Guofan.
When recommending talents, it’s definitely a good idea to recommend the ones that suit your boss’s tastes.
Upon hearing this, Xianfeng fell into deep thought.
He was very optimistic about Zeng Guofan, a man of good character, uprightness, courage in making suggestions, and loyalty to the court. He was indeed a useful talent.
After a moment, Xianfeng nodded and said.
"Okay, let Zeng Guofan go!"
"Isn't he from Hunan? Let him be promoted to the title of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, let him return home, serve as the Minister of Hunan Militia, organize the Hunan Braves, and fight against the bandits for the court."
If Zeng Guofan had not been promoted to the position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel a few days ago and it would have been difficult for him to be promoted again in such a short period of time, Emperor Xianfeng would have planned to directly promote him to the title of Minister of War.
Although Zeng Guofan was later called a traitor and had a very bad reputation.
But that is an evaluation from the perspective of the Han people.
If viewed from the perspective of the Qing court, Zeng the Barber was indeed a "saint" who was perfect in every aspect.
No wonder Xianfeng favored him!
(End of this chapter)