Seeing that Li Xiang had done all this in an orderly manner, the people of the Nanzhao Wang family breathed a sigh of relief. If Li Xiang had just bowed slightly and simplified all the etiquette, they would not have been able to say anything. After all, he was the noble grandson of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and we were just a member of a declining royal family.
Your princess did marry the grandson of the Emperor of Tang, but he has many wives in his family. Even if you look at your princess' rank, she is at the second lowest level and does not have much status in the General Tiance's Mansion. Li Xiang was able to do what he did today, which is actually quite a face-giving to you.
The officials around also saw this scene. Although they had begun to reduce the influence of the Nanzhao royal family in accordance with regulations, but seeing the situation today, they had to give some face. Otherwise, if His Highness blamed them, we would be in trouble.
"You are the new Protector General of Nanzhao, Lü Yuansheng, right?"
Just when an official in charge was thinking about something, Li Xiang suddenly called his name. The guy quickly stepped out of the line. He really didn't expect that the prince could remember his name. He had only been in this position for three months.
"In reply to Your Highness, it is I who am here."
Lu Yuansheng was transferred from the eastern capital Luoyang. He was originally a local official. Because he managed an extremely backward county well, Li Xiang promoted him as an exception after he knew about it. From a seventh-rank county magistrate to a third-rank protector, this can be said to be the lifetime path of many people, but this guy completed it in just a few days.
When he passed by Chang'an City on his way to take office, he handed a sign to the General Tiance's Mansion, hoping to go in and listen to Li Xiang's teachings in person, but unfortunately Li Xiang did not summon this guy, which made him feel uneasy. It was obviously the prince who promoted him, and he was considered to be on the side of the prince, but why didn't he even see him?
I didn't understand what was going on at the time, but I understood it after I took office. His Highness transferred me here not to let me join his camp, but to govern this place into the territory of the Tang Dynasty.
Everyone knows that the people of Nanzhao are pretty good among the newly occupied territories, but there is still a gap with the territory of our Tang Dynasty. Transferring people like you here can not only prevent the economy of Nanzhao from declining, but also make the people here turn to the Tang Dynasty. The difficulty can be said to be not small. Otherwise, how could you be promoted three levels in a row?
"You've done a good job. Although we didn't meet last time in Chang'an City, I have a clear view of everything going on here. Just continue to implement your strategy. If you have any questions, you can write to me. But spend more time solving problems yourself and don't push them all onto higher-ups."
After understanding Li Xiang's words, Lu Yuansheng understood what was going on. Saying this in front of the Nanzhao royal family meant that what we did before was not wrong, and we will continue to reduce your influence. This made the Nanzhao royal family look bitter.
When they saw that Li Xiang had already paid homage to the Queen Mother, they felt that they had stood up. Even if the local officials of the Tang Dynasty had to do something, they could not be forced too hard. But when Li Xiang praised the local officials, these people fell from the sky in an instant.
When Li Xiang saw the local officials just now, he immediately understood the King of Nanzhao's idea. Promoting a unified system is absolutely the basic national policy of the court. No matter who it is or what the matter is, it cannot affect the implementation of the basic national policy. Paying homage to your Queen Mother is a respect for you, but it does not allow you to control the local officials.
So when Li Xiang turned around, everyone praised the local officials of the Tang Dynasty. Their backs straightened instantly, and the King of Nanzhao's eyes were a little evasive. It seemed that he had miscalculated today. Think about it, this son-in-law is a dragon among men. How could he not see clearly? It's better to avoid such tricks in the future. If others find out on the spot, it will be embarrassing.
Li Xiang did not study these little tricks of the King of Nanzhao in detail. After all, he was the king here before, and now he has become a prince. Although his power is not much less, his status is completely different. Moreover, after he passes away, some things may be different in the future. His descendants may be subject to greater restrictions. But this cannot be changed. Who made you lose the war in the first place?
Thinking about some things that happened in the past, the King of Nanzhao really regretted it. If he could have listened to his mother earlier and ended the fight with his second brother, or even given the throne to his second brother, then the power would still be in our hands. It is not like now, where a mere local official of the Tang Dynasty can give him a hard time. What's the point of living like this?
"Father-in-law, there's no need to ask them to make any arrangements. I won't be staying here today and will be leaving soon. I have something I want to discuss with you. Is there a quiet place nearby?"
Everything was already prepared at the Nanzhao Palace. Hearing that Li Xiang would not stay here, the King of Nanzhao did not force it. Based on what Li Xiang had just done, he was not going to invite Li Xiang to dinner. He originally wanted Li Xiang to bolster his reputation, but Li Xiang saw through his little thoughts and crushed them ruthlessly.
"There's a private courtyard not far away. How about we go there?"
The King of Nanzhao didn't know what Li Xiang wanted to say, and his heart was pounding. He was thinking, "I'm going to tell my superiors that we have something to talk about. In addition, the company has been unstable recently, so the people below may be uneasy all afternoon." This is the current state of the King of Nanzhao.
After arriving at the villa, Li Xiang asked everyone else to leave. The King of Nanzhao was very nervous and didn't understand what Li Xiang was going to say. Just now when they were outside, he was very courteous, but when there were only two of them, the King of Nanzhao was in a straight superior-subordinate relationship.
"The Nanzhao army performed well on the battlefield. I have already written to you before, but the new Nanzhao army has not been formed. What is the reason?"
Li Xiang came up and asked for accountability. Face matters are face matters, and practical matters are practical matters. We have to distinguish them clearly.
