People in the early Tang Dynasty: I compete with Wu Zhao for the throne

Chapter 1724: Princess Taiping clears the court, Buddhist gods intervene
May 15th, Dingling Mausoleum in Phoenix Mountain.

Li Xuan walked up the mountain step by step.

He was alone.

The entire Dingling Mausoleum was blocked by black-armored cavalry, and even the mountain was searched more than a dozen times.

Li Xuan calmly walked across the temple and came to Li Xian's tomb.

Looking at Li Xian's tombstone, Li Xuan sighed softly.

He turned over the jar of wine in his hand and poured the entire jar of wine directly in front of the tombstone.

Watching the wine flowing along the ground, Li Xuan turned around without any hesitation, walked past the temple, and walked back down the mountain.

Li Lang led Li Xuan's mount over, and without any hesitation, Li Xuan jumped onto the horse.

At this moment, he looked up.

The mountains are undulating and the forests are dense.

On the top of the mountain, the tomb of Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian is in the center, the tomb of Empress Shunguang Wei is on the left, and the tomb of Empress Hesi Zhao is on the right.

Li Xuan couldn't help but sigh. Li Xian only had four children in his life.

Empress Wei and he had two children, Li Chongzhao and Li Chongfu.

After Li Chongzhao went out to sea, he disappeared without a trace.

Li Chongfu died directly at the hands of Empress Wu.

Li Chongjun ascended the throne and became emperor. As long as Li Chongjun did not have any problems, Li Xian's imperial career could be passed on intact.

But, unfortunately, there was someone who didn't want Li Chongjun to live, and that person was Princess Taiping.

Li Xuan turned around, looked to the side and asked, "Where is Princess Taiping now?"

"Your Highness." Li Lang bowed and said, "Yesterday, Her Royal Highness the Princess checked into the White Horse Temple to pray for Emperor Zhongzong. She said she would pray for Emperor Zhongzong for three days and three nights, but in fact, she quietly went to Zhengzhou last night."

"Prince Yuzhang is also in Zhengzhou, right?" Li Xuan said lightly.

"Yes!" Li Lang bowed and said, "Yes, we can't infiltrate Prince Shu. We don't know what he is thinking."

"King Shu!" Li Xuan sighed softly.

Prince Shu is of the same generation as Prince Han, Prince Huo, and Prince Lu. If Li Xuan provokes Prince Shu, then the royal family will inevitably make a fuss.

Prince Shu was the son of Emperor Gaozu, not from the lineage of Li Shimin, so they did not pose such a great threat to Li Xuan.

"Pass the order down, keep a close eye on the chief secretary and Sima under Prince Yuzhang, and get a list of their subordinates. If they try to sneak into Luoyang, drive them all out. But if they try to enter Chang'an, then don't do anything." Li Xuan made arrangements in a flash.

"Yes!" Li Lang bowed seriously.

"And Prince Shu." Li Xuan looked up at the Dingling Mausoleum in front of him and said softly, "If he leaves Suzhou without the order of the court, then he should be killed completely."

"Yes!"

"Don't worry about Prince Yuzhang, let him live well." After Li Xuan said this, he turned his horse around and headed quickly towards Luoyang.

Countless horse hoof sounds rang out, and more black-armored cavalrymen joined in from all directions.

A black tide went straight across Chang'an City and headed towards Luoyang.

I wonder how many people saw this scene on the Chang'an city wall.

……

Under the night, on the banks of Xingyang.

The moonlight is hazy and the boat is floating on the Luo River.

On a very inconspicuous black-sailed boat, Princess Taiping filled the wine glass in front of her, then looked at the somewhat restrained Yuzhang Prince Li Dan opposite her and said, "Prince Peng left Xue Na, the general of the Right Jinwu Guard, in Chang'an. Uncle, I'm afraid this matter will have a significant impact."

"Your Highness." Li Tan bowed gently, then asked carefully, "Did Prince Peng notice anything?"

“It’s hard to say.” Princess Taiping shook her head slightly and said, “The Right and Left Jinwu Guards, General Xue Na of the Right Jinwu Guard and General Cui Ding of the Left Jinwu Guard stayed in Chang’an, but General Qin Shandao of the Left Jinwu Guard and General Qin Ming of the Right Jinwu Guard, the father and son, were on duty together in Luoyang.”

"The Qin father and son are in charge of the Left and Right Jinwu Guards. Doesn't that mean that as long as we convince this father and son, Luoyang City will be under our control?" Li Tan was a little worried at first, but when he heard what Princess Taiping said, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"It's useless!" Princess Taiping sighed helplessly and said, "Qin Ming grew up with Prince Peng. Later, when my mother seized the throne, Qin and his son were left idle until Prince Peng returned. Moreover, they represent not only themselves, but also the entire Qin family, Cheng family, Yuchi family and other old families behind them. They will not let others harm Prince Peng."

"Prince Peng is extremely ambitious. If he is not restricted, there may be a danger of Yang Jian. These families are all old ministers of Emperor Taizong and the previous emperor. Won't they help Your Highness in such matters?" Li Tan was a little confused for a moment.

"It's different now." Princess Taiping raised her head and drank the wine in the cup. Then she sighed and said, "When my father ascended the throne, he deliberately suppressed these old generals. That's why the Cheng family obeyed my mother, and the other families declined. Yuchi Xunyu, the eldest grandson of the Yuchi family, actually joined the government as a soldier..."

Li Dan fell silent. Originally, these veteran generals had not had much good feelings towards Li Zhi's lineage, and in the end you created the Wu family.

"Then what should we do?" Li Dan lowered his head slightly and looked at Princess Taiping with a solemn expression.

"Let's mobilize people. Transfer a thousand elite soldiers from Jiangnan and quietly enter Luoyang." Princess Taiping looked straight at Li Tan.

Li Tan was stunned for a moment, then said, "Your Highness, all the troops in the world are under the control of King Peng, so where can we get a thousand elite troops?"

"Jiangzhou." Princess Taiping lowered her head, looked forward, and said softly, "I know that in Jiangzhou, Prince Shu has hidden 3,000 private soldiers. Originally, there were only 1,000, but then the world was in chaos, and you took the opportunity to increase the number to 3,000. You want to raise an army, right?"

Li Tan fell silent for a long time before he shook his head at Princess Taiping and said, "Your Highness, it's useless. Prince Peng is very familiar with Yongluo. Our people can't enter Luoyang City."

"Yes." Princess Taiping turned to look at Li Tan and whispered, "White Horse Temple will find a way to help you bring the person in."

"White Horse Temple?" Li Tan was shocked. When did Princess Taiping become connected with the White Horse Temple?

"Because the White Horse Temple helped the Queen Mother, after Luoyang was captured, King Peng asked the monks of the White Horse Temple to return to secular life. The Buddhist sect sent people several times, and finally left more than a dozen old monks. In addition, all the fields of the White Horse Temple were taken over by King Peng and Luozhou Prefecture. Only an empty shell was left of the White Horse Temple. The Buddhist sect found Master Shenxiu to persuade King Peng to hold a Buddhist and Taoist ceremony to sacrifice the souls of the world. King Peng will definitely agree, and then..."

"Master Shenxiu?" Li Tan had never thought that Princess Taiping would use Master Shenxiu. The Fifth Patriarch Hongren and the Sixth Patriarch Huineng.

Shenxiu was a disciple of Hongren. Although he failed to become the Sixth Patriarch of Buddhism, he was still more respected by the world as a Buddhist monk.

Especially in the North.

"This is not my ability." Princess Taiping shook her head slightly and said, "The White Horse Temple is the ancestral home of Buddhism and governs the entire Heluo region. However, after emptying the White Horse Temple, King Peng intends to invite the Taoist master of the Taiqing Palace on Laojun Mountain to come out and build a Taoist temple opposite the White Horse Temple in Luoyang, so the Buddhist sect is anxious."

The corner of Li Dan's mouth twitched slightly. What about building a Taoist temple? It was obvious that he was planning to completely swallow up the White Horse Temple step by step over a few years.

Perhaps in a few years, White Horse Temple will be called White Horse Temple.

Especially since King Peng was born in the Qingyang Palace of the Taoist sect in Shu.

"I will send someone to Zhengzhou first. As for how to enter Luoyang, I will follow your Highness's arrangements." Li Tan bowed solemnly.

Princess Taiping breathed a sigh of relief, waved her hands, and said, "Don't worry, take your time. If it doesn't work this year, try next year. Be steady. If you don't do anything, it's fine. But once you do, you must completely eliminate the hidden dangers in the central government."

Clear out the evil officials, Princess Taiping still advocated the slogan of clearing out the evil officials.

"Yes!" Li Dan bowed and raised his head carefully and said, "Your Highness, what will happen next? It will be difficult to explain to King Han and King Huo!"

"Don't worry about it. I have my own ways." Princess Taiping raised her head, her eyes full of sneers.

……

"Your Highness, a while ago, the court sent people to bring back Prince Jianping, Prince Pu, and Prince Xin'an. However, except for Prince Jianping who is missing, Prince Pu and Prince Xin'an both died of illness before the arrival of the court envoys. I dare to ask, who are they..." Li Dan looked at Princess Taiping with a very deep gaze.

"I have checked this matter." Princess Taiping shook her head and said, "Prince Xin'an died early, and then Prince Pu, but even if Prince Pu died, it was before Luoyang was conquered. As for Prince Jianping, his affairs are unclear, but Li Xiang and Li Jue have returned to the court, so he can't be used for many things."

Li Tan immediately realized that Princess Taiping did not want to see these cousins ​​who were also descendants of Emperor Taizong return to the capital.

As for Li Xiang and Li Jue, they were the offspring of the deposed Crown Prince Li Chengqian, which meant they posed little threat to the emperor.

Especially this pair of brothers were fighting over the status of legitimate sons and illegitimate children.

Princess Taiping had no intention of letting them get involved in the court disputes, not to mention that even Li Xiang and Li Jue had gone to the local area.

"Your Highness, there is one more thing." Li Tan looked at Princess Taiping with a serious expression and said, "Prince Wuyang seems to be missing, is that true..."

"He's dead." Princess Taiping nodded directly, but then shook her head and said, "I am sure that he must have died near Chang'an, but the problem is that he was the deputy governor of Fuzhou. He should have been in Fuzhou, and he shouldn't have died inexplicably in Chang'an. We can't use this matter as an excuse."

Princess Taiping saw it very clearly. If the matter of Prince Wuyang was brought up, then Princess Taiping herself would be the one who plotted treason.

Waving her hands, Princess Taiping said, "Don't worry, there will be no problem with the status. There is still a fatal hidden danger with King Peng."

"Oh!" Li Dan nodded, suddenly realizing that Princess Taiping was still holding a deadly object in her hand, but she didn't say what it was.

"I obey your command." Li Tan bowed heavily.

……

The small black-sailed boat slowly sailed towards Luoyang, which was particularly poetic.

Princess Taiping stepped forward a little and sat on the front deck. She looked at Guo who was in front of her and asked, "Do you think he will do it?"

"Not at all, but at least there will be some attempts. If there is success, he will increase his investment." Guo Hui nodded affirmatively and said, "He has been tempted. If King Peng can control the government, why can't he? We are all cousins, grandsons of the same great-grandfather. One is the King of Yuzhang and the other is the King of Nanchang. There is no difference."

"That's good." Princess Taiping breathed a sigh of relief and looked towards Luoyang: "With Prince Yuzhang and Prince Shu helping us attract Prince Peng's attention, we can transfer our people to Songshan..."

"King Peng is not so easy to trap." Guo Huihui reminded carefully.

"Princess Peng will be tempted." A hint of sneer flashed across Princess Taiping's lips.

Prince Peng is a disciple of Taoism, but Prince Dowager Peng is a Buddhist believer. Even Princess Fuchang is a Buddhist spirit woman.

As long as Shenxiu arrived at King Peng's mansion, White Horse Temple, Buddhist ceremonies, and the disputes between Buddhism and Taoism, many things would attract King Peng's attention.

"As for the Ming family..." Guo Huiyue just opened his mouth, but Princess Taiping's cold eyes were already staring at him, so Guo Huiyue could only shut his mouth completely.

"Your men must arrive quickly." Princess Taiping stared at Guo Huiyue, and then said, "King Peng is good at fighting. Even if we are well prepared, if we cannot completely kill him in Songshan, then we will never have another chance."

"Don't worry, Your Highness. The people I transferred are all my old people in Luoshui..."

……

"Gee!" The black cavalry surged across Luoshen Island like a tide, and then headed towards Luoyang.

The imperial palace north of Luo River was silent and solemn.

Li Xuan did not enter the palace directly from the north, but first went to the outside of Dingding Gate. After leaving most of his cavalry behind, he led 300 cavalrymen into Luoyang City.

This period of time was enough for the city to react.

This is what a subject should do.

Li Xuan first entered the palace, paid his respects to the emperor and the empress dowager, and after chatting for half an hour, he left the palace and returned home.

Sitting in the middle hall, Liu Jinyu waved his hand to let everyone go, then looked at Li Xuan and said, "The princess went to Luoyang for one night and rushed back to the White Horse Temple at dawn. In order to avoid being discovered by Prince Yuzhang, we did not chase him... In addition, someone from the palace went to the Secretary's Office."

"They finally thought of looking for that thing." Li Xuan shook her head slightly and said with emotion: "The princess is more patient than I thought."

"Hmm!" Liu Jinyu sighed softly, feeling a little sorry for Princess Taiping...

A burst of hurried footsteps appeared at the door. Li Lang rushed to the hall regardless of everything, and said with a panicked look, "Your Majesty, Master Shenxiu is here."

"Shenxiu?" Li Xuan and Liu Jinyu looked at each other in shock!

(End of this chapter)