ebookland Chapter 75 Cui Hang is really not as good as Wei Xiaobao
Chapter 75 Cui Hang is really not as good as Wei Xiaobao
Back in the Tang Dynasty, Xunzhou was a nightmare for more than a dozen ministers!
Most of them settled in the capital of Xunzhou.
Believe it or not, four prime ministers from the Tang Dynasty were actually banished there: Du Yuanying, Niu Sengru, Zhang Xi, and Cui Hang, one after another.
We've already mentioned the first two, Du Yuanying and Niu Sengru.
There was also Zheng Tian, who hadn't become prime minister at the time, but later rose to the position. In this way, Xunzhou became associated with five prime ministers.
Let's talk about the military generals. Li Daogu, the Left General of the Golden Guard, Hun Hao, the military governor of Yiwu Army, and Bai Qi, the envoy of Cangde and the remonstrating official, were all talented in both civil and military affairs and had worked in Xunzhou.
There were also many scholars, such as Li Ao, a great writer and thinker of the Tang Dynasty, Chen Jian, who had an exceptionally good memory, Lu Qiujun, a doctor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and of course, Li Shangyin, a famous poet who followed Zheng Ya to Lingnan. These cultural figures were also frequent visitors to Xunzhou.
Oh, right, there was also Brother Zi'an, the night watchman. He came over to join in the fun, so he chatted with Xiao Si quite enthusiastically.
When Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) wasn't looking for concubines, he loved to chat with Yonghui Si, relieving the pressure of government affairs while enjoying life.
The Emperor said, "Little Si, tell me more about Zhang Xi? He's the one Xiao Anzi mentioned, whose courtesy name is Fengxiao, and he's from Gucheng County, Hebei."
Xiao Si: "Oh, Zhang Xi? He was a big shot in the Wu Zhou Dynasty! His name sounds like he was acting under orders. But this 'Fengxiao' was really a rollercoaster in officialdom. He rose from the position of Fengge Shilang to the 'exile' Xunzhou."
Zi'an added: "That's right. In the first year of Jiushi (700 AD), he had just taken office as Fengge Shilang and Tongpingzhangshi, which was a very high official position. He was instantly in a high position. At that time, he watched the tall building rise and then watched it collapse."
"and then?"
Xiao Si said, "Brother Emperor, don't be angry. It will involve Sister-in-law Meiniang. If you don't want to hear it, I won't say it."
"You can speak, it's fine."
"In the first year of Chang'an, he suddenly had a whim to make Li Xian, the Prince of Luling, the crown prince. As a result, he offended the Wu clan and was kicked out of the race!"
Zi'an: "Oh dear, offending the Wu clan is truly something I've never seen before! Zhang Xi's actions are like digging his own grave. He appointed a crown prince, but ended up becoming a master of exile."
Xiao Si: "Haha, in the end he was accused of 'stolen goods' and exiled to Xunzhou. It's true what they say, 'what goes around comes around.' Who would have thought that this big shot would end up as a pitiful exile in a popular internet celebrity place?"
Zi An: "However, life is full of twists and turns. After Emperor Zhongzong of Tang was restored to the throne, Zhang Xi had a great opportunity to 'reinstate'! He transformed himself into the Minister of Works and concurrently served as the compiler of the national history, adding a bit of 'historical halo' to himself."
Xiao Si: "Don't even mention it. When he became the governor of the Eastern Capital, Empress Wei became the regent, and he benefited from it. He was also granted the title of a third-rank official in the Secretariat and was granted the title of Duke of Pingyuan."
Zi'an: "It's a pity. Luck always comes and goes quickly. As soon as the Tanglong Coup happened, Zhang Xi was immediately 'demoted' and became the prefect of Jiangzhou. In the end, he died of illness. The promised 'promotion' turned into a 'famous general in the cold palace'."
Xiao Si: "This person's life is truly dramatic; he climbed very high and fell very hard! But who dares to say he didn't live a 'wonderful' life?"
Li Zhi finally realized that even though the two men disguised as eunuchs had revealed the future to him, he still couldn't change the status quo. So he continued to observe from the sidelines, "Little Si, tell me more about Cui Hang."
Xiao Si: "Your Majesty, you have such a good memory! Then I'll tell you about the fourth person, Cui Hang! This man was a complete 'playboy' in his younger days! Your Majesty, do you know Cui Hang's true identity?"
Li Zhi laughed, "How would I know about people from the future?"
Brother Zi'an asked with curiosity, "Dissolute? How could someone who has received the title of Prime Minister be so dissolute?!"
Xiao Si: "Haha, Cui Hang's original name was Cui Wanquan. His family background was quite complicated. Although his father, Cui Yu, was the leader of the Wu Zhou regime, his mother was a prostitute named Rui Lianfang. Can you imagine?"
Zi An: "Wow, this family history could be made into a sensational drama!"
The emperor shook his head, wondering why they didn't care about social status or family background.
Xiao Si: "Hey, only the most dissolute people have gossip! He and his brother Cui Wanzong were both sent to a temple to become monks in their early years. They were supposed to be Zen masters, but what happened? They both became 'unproductive' monks, doing all sorts of things: hoarding food, lending money at exorbitant interest rates, oppressing the people, raping women. They were simply 'super invincible rogue monks'! They came up with all sorts of shameless tricks."
Brother Zi'an rubbed his forehead: "This is too outrageous! Monks should be pure and detached from worldly desires, but these two have tarnished the word 'monk'."
Xiao Si: "Yes, Cui Yu, as their father, watched his two sons cause chaos and bloodshed throughout the martial arts world. Then one day, the common people reported that the two brothers had gone too far, and even the officials dared not intervene. Cui Yu hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to call them back. However, the two of them cried and made a scene, which actually won back their father's heart. Cui Yu even blamed Park Hwon for framing them and ended up exiling Park Hwon!"
Zi An: "Wow, they really know how to play the 'family card'! You can't argue with that. It's all because Minister Park had no choice but to be persuaded by these two 'big shots'."
Xiao Si: "But the plot gets even more exciting from here on out. Jin Ruoxian was Cui Yu's son-in-law, but he fell out with Cui Yu's daughter and was killed by Cui Yu. Cui Yu then chose Cui Wanquan, also known as Cui Hang, as his successor! He was then given a very important position, and his promotions were incredibly fast!"
Zi'an: "Wow, this guy is a true example of a 'king's return'! From a rogue monk to a prime minister, no, to a big shot in a military regime, he's a real winner in life!"
Xiao Si: "That's right, but this is when Cui Hang started his 'star mode'! He not only wanted to be a big leader, but also personally assigned the vice minister to teach him etiquette and self-cultivation, all in an effort to get rid of his past 'rogue habits'."
Zi'an: "This is also an inspirational story. 'From a rogue monk to a prime minister,' how many people can do that?"
Xiao Si: "It's a pity that people's fate is always so unpredictable. After Cui Yu died, Cui Hang directly succeeded him and became the leader of the new military regime. The key thing is that, although he was very smart, he actually promoted a bunch of slaves to be his confidants. Slaves like Jin Renjun and Li Gongzhu all became his cronies!"
Zi An: "Haha, this move is a perfect 'reversal'! He not only gave them official positions, but also transformed himself into someone of 'noble blood,' perfect! All that's missing is to give them a 'noble certificate.'"
Xiao Si: "And then, less than a year after Choi Hang died, Kim In-joon actually became the 'cemetery caretaker,' personally burying the Choi family's regime! Who could have imagined such a dramatic reversal?"
Zi An: "I'm dying of laughter! This is truly a 'who buried whom' drama. Kim In-jun pushed Choi Hang to a high position, but in the end, he dug a huge pit for himself. 'Father and son inherit, slaves end up,' perfect!"
After hearing this, Li Zhi pondered deeply for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly. History is so dramatic, turning around so quickly that it's dazzling. Who could guess the ending?
Suddenly, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Ah, the drama of history is truly baffling! The plot twists and turns so fast it's dizzying. Who could have guessed the final outcome?"
He raised his head, looked at the other person, and a strange light flashed in his eyes: "Sigh, since that's the case, I might as well try the taste of rebellion and take a different path. Anyway, there's no guarantee. How about we have a 'battle with my uncle' tonight and add a highlight to history!"
Upon hearing this, Zi'an almost burst out laughing: "What? Your Majesty, are you going to go against Changsun Wuji?"
Li Zhi waved his hand, feigning composure: "This is no ordinary confrontation; it is a contest of wisdom and strategy."
"Who knows? I might make history, or like those 'legendary figures' in history, pull off a major comeback!"
After saying that, he casually grabbed his cloak and strode away. "Let's call it a day. I'm going to see my beloved concubine first; she's been waiting for me!"
Zi'an watched helplessly as Li Zhi ran off in a flash, thinking to herself, "It seems that this emperor brother's historical drama is really going to start a new chapter of 'saving the Tang Dynasty' today."
Li Zhi took a few quick steps, then suddenly stopped, turned back and smiled: "By the way, let's talk again tonight. Who can predict how history will turn around?"
Then, without looking back, he disappeared at the end of the corridor, leaving Zi'an and Sizi standing there.
Si Zi grinned and said, "I bet nothing will happen tonight."