The Great Tang General

February 1st, early morning.

Li Longji, who had not slept all night, was overjoyed. He finally waited until dawn to welcome back Lady Yuhuan, whom he had not seen for a long time.

He believed that if he exchanged his throne for the beauty's return, she would definitely be deeply moved.

In order to show a new look, he changed his previous sloppy appearance and asked his daughter Li Chongniang to prepare a yellow round-necked robe for him that would best highlight his style.

Specialized in hair and beard trimming.

Looking in the bronze mirror, Li Longji saw his silver hair and gray beard, which were what worried him.

Looking back on those days, he was so full of vigor and vitality.

When he and Madam Yuhuan were leaning on the railing and gazing at the moon on the Moon Viewing Terrace at Taiye Lake, that was the moment when he would miss her every night.

He even deliberately hid his dragon-headed cane because he was still strong and didn't need a cane.

Li Longji forgot that Yang Guozhong and the Five Yangs had just died, and did not care about the impact at all.

Taizhen Temple is separated from Xingqing Palace by only a long corridor.

Although Li Longji had not walked on this road for many years, he was very familiar with it.

He once broke through ethics and walked this path every day.

During this period, Li Longji would often come to the Fudao and sigh.

The Tiance Guards are guarding the place and no one is allowed to pass.

His shouts could not penetrate the other end of the corridor.

As the steward of Xingqing Palace, Liu Shan was naturally present at such a major event as Li Longji welcoming Yang Yuhuan.

He led some Tiance Guards and followed Li Longji's carriage.

With Liu Shan around, after Li Longji's dragon chariot reached Fudao, the Tiance Guards, whom Li Longji hated, did not block the way again.

He ordered the Yu Lin Lang who was driving the dragon chariot to go faster, as he couldn't wait to see the Taizhen Temple with its pink walls and black tiles.

"The Saint has arrived..."

As the emperor approached, the ceremonial officer shouted loudly as usual to let the female Taoist priests of Taizhen Temple know that the emperor was coming.

There are more than a dozen female Taoist priests in Taizhen Temple, headed by the temple master Taizhen.

Moreover, these female Taoist priests were real female Taoist priests, not the "bold women of the Tang Dynasty" as advocated by Chang'an customs.

Like Li Linfu's daughter Li Tengkong, they believe in Taoism and do not pursue fame and fortune.

But when the dragon chariot arrived at Taizhen Temple, it was not as imagined.

Lady Yuhuan did not lead the female Taoist priests to the temple to greet them. The gate of Taizhen Temple was closed.

"Knock on the door!"

Li Longji was not angry. He imagined how Yang Yuhuan would look when she heard that he was coming to pick her up.

Madam Yuhuan must not have been prepared for the sudden good news and was still dressing herself up.

Hearing that the emperor of the Han family, the Jiuhua account was shocked.

Lunyi pushed the pillow up and hovered, the pearl foil silver screen opened.

Yun Temple was half asleep, and the corolla came out of the room.

The wind blows the fairy sleeves, which flutter like a colorful feathered dress dancing...

……

Li Longji is still representing Yang Yuhuan in the Nanxun Palace.

He has always used his own thoughts to control the Lady Yuhuan in his mind.

"Boom!"

Gao Lishi arrived at Taizhen Temple and knocked on the door.

"Squeak..."

The door opened, revealing an older female Taoist priest.

She bowed slightly when she saw Gao Lishi.

"The Saint will come to pick you up personally. After you dress up, you can board the Saint's dragon chariot and return to Xingqing Palace."

Gao Lishi said to the female Taoist priest.

Even if Liu Dan did not inform Taizhen Temple in advance, it is impossible for Yang Yuhuan to be unaware of such a big commotion.

"Taizhen entered the Taoist sect, and her seduction was gone; there is no Yang Guifei in the world anymore!"

The Taoist female's reply left Gao Lishi dumbfounded.

Gao Lishi, who had reacted, rebuked in a low voice: "In this Taizhen Temple, Madam Yuhuan is the abbot, how can you decide?"

"Sir, this is a very true decision."

The female Taoist priest told Gao Lishi the truth.

"I don't believe it. Please let Madam Yuhuan leave the temple."

Gao Lishi looked at Li Longji, who was fidgeting on the dragon chariot, and became extremely anxious.

It would be a huge blow to the saint if he failed to meet Yang Yuhuan.

If power and beauty are lost, what is left?
"Taizhen bids farewell to the secular world and is determined not to meet the saint again. Please don't make things difficult for me, benefactor."

The female Taoist priest spoke slowly, not saying anything.

"Do you know what the punishment for deceiving the emperor is?"

Seeing Li Longji preparing to get off the dragon chariot with the help of the eunuchs, Gao Lishi became even more anxious.

"If you don't believe me, you can go into the temple and see Taizhen."

According to Yang Yuhuan's instructions, the female Taoist only invited Gao Lishi to enter Taizhen Temple.

"Please wait for a while, Saint. I will go see Madam Yuhuan first."

Gao Lishi was furious. He wanted to go to Taizhen to see what was going on and tell Li Longji first.

"Lu Shi, why are you here?"

Li Longji couldn't help but ask Gao Lishi, and a bad premonition came to his mind.

"Your Majesty, she said that Lady Yuhuan is devoted to practicing Taoism and does not want to see you."

Gao Lishi replied with gritted teeth.

"what?"

Li Longji's eyes turned dark and he almost fainted from the shock.

He had planned everything, but he had never imagined that this would happen.

Why wouldn't Madam Yuhuan see him?
He doted on Yuhuan with all his heart.

Li Longji's beliefs also changed with age.

The reason why he was in power and admired Christianity was because he longed for the illusory immortality.

Knowing that it was impossible, he no longer had this idea.

He just wanted to be happy for the rest of his life.

"Don't panic, Saint. When I see Lady Yuhuan in Taizhen Temple, I will surely be able to persuade her to change her mind."

Gao Lishi comforted Li Longji.

"Lu Shi, I will go in with you."

Li Longji also wanted to enter Taizhen Temple to express his lovesickness.

Gao Lishi didn't know whether Li Longji could enter, and he also wanted to give it a try, so he supported Li Longji and walked towards Taizhen Temple step by step.

"A saint cannot enter the Taizhen Temple."

The female Taoist priest was very tough. As soon as she finished speaking, several more female Taoist priests appeared behind her, ready to stop Li Longji.

"Liu Dan, you dog slave, I am still a saint today!"

Li Longji cursed loudly in anger.

If anyone dared to block his way before, he would kill them all.

He is the emperor, with the power of life and death. Who dares to disobey him?
The situation has changed. Now the tiger is in a desperate situation and even a female Taoist priest dares to stop him.

What’s even more infuriating is that the Tiance Guards, Yulin Lang, eunuchs and palace maids who were accompanying them remained indifferent.

"Your Majesty, the holy land of Taoism is the dojo of the Supreme Emperor Xuanyuan. Even the Supreme Emperor cannot trespass without permission! Otherwise, it would be a great disrespect to the Supreme Emperor Xuanyuan."

Liu Dan quickly ran out and said that he brought up Laozi to prevaricate.

Who made Li Tang recognize Taishang Laojun as his ancestor for the sake of his identity?

Liu Dan had good reasons for saying that the Tang emperor had to perform grand ceremonies when offering sacrifices to Laozi.

"Tell your people to drive the female Taoist priests away. I want to see Madam Yuhuan."

Li Longji refused to listen and gave orders to Liu Shan.

"We, the subordinates, dare not blaspheme the Supreme Xuanyuan Emperor. Please forgive me for not obeying your command."

Liu Dan refused directly.

Without his order, the eunuchs dared not move. Yu Chaoen's death was also a warning to some eunuchs in Xingqing Palace.

"Go and ask Li Qilang to come over. Does he still want to inherit the throne?"

Li Longji refused to give in and his behavior was even more radical than Liu Dan had imagined.

"The Crown Prince is regent and is very busy, so I'm afraid he won't be able to come."

Liu Dan made up his mind and refused again.

Anyway, Li Longji was not allowed to enter.

He was afraid that Yang Yuhuan would change her mind after seeing Li Longji.

"You dog slave! How could I let you win the first place in the imperial examination? The candidates in that imperial examination must be all good-for-nothings."

Li Longji pointed at Liu Shan and cursed him.

Liu Dan had already gotten used to it. He lowered his head and responded with silence.

The atmosphere was tense for a moment.

"Clang!"

Li Longji was so angry that he even kept knocking on the door knocker, making noises.

Only Gao Lishi cooperated with Li Longji in his attack, while the others turned a deaf ear to it.

Liu Dan didn't know whether he should stop it or not.

At this moment, Yang Yuhuan, dressed in a Taoist robe and without any makeup, walked out of the Taizhen Temple and came to the gate of the Taoist temple.

Li Longji's voice was so loud that it startled her.

Knowing Li Longji's temper, she knew that she had to step forward, otherwise Li Longji would not give up.

I originally wanted to use Gao Lishi to convey my thoughts.

The moment he saw Yang Yuhuan, Liu Dan was shocked.

Did Yang Yuhuan go back on her word?
This was a bolt from the blue for him. If Yang Yuhuan returned to Xingqing Palace, the prestige of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would be hit, and he would be blamed for it.

But he couldn't stop it.

If he takes further action without the prince's authorization, the harm will be even greater.

The prince is about to ascend the throne and no mistakes can be made.

"Jade Ring..."

When Li Longji saw Yang Yuhuan, he felt as if she were a fairy from a dream.

He choked up with sobs. Madam Yuhuan really couldn't let him go.

"Taizhen pays homage to the Saint!"

Yang Yuhuan did not go out, but bowed to Li Longji from a distance of more than ten feet.

Li Longji wanted to go over and help as usual, but was stopped by the female Taoist priests.

"Saint, Taizhen has brought harm to the country, I have no face to see you again. Saint took Yuhuan back to the palace regardless of everything, which moved Yuhuan. However, Taizhen is a sinner in the world, and can only atone for her sins in Taizhen Temple. If Saint leaves Taizhen Temple, he will be criticized by the court and the public again."

Yang Yuhuan stood quietly and persuaded Li Longji to give up.

She didn't know what she had been doing since Li Xuan appeared during the Tianbao period?
The moment the seeds of admiration are planted in the heart, they continue to take root and sprout.

She seemed to be living a life of decadence and having one dream after another, thinking that the beautiful and soaring poems were woven for her.

Chang'e should regret stealing the elixir, the blue sky and the blue sky and the heart of every night.

This has been her state of mind since she entered Taizhen Temple.

She used to regret her vanity and violation of ethics and morals.

Now I think that if I hadn’t left Shu, there would be nothing like what happened next.

Time and space cannot be reversed, and she feels even more guilty towards Li Longji.

Everything she got since he appeared was something she didn't deserve.

"I don't care about the world's bad reputation, Yuhuan, please come out quickly, let me take a good look at you..."

Li Longji then discovered that Yang Yuhuan was much thinner than before, but her temperament concealed it. He felt distressed.

He waved his hand, wanting Yang Yuhuan to step over the threshold and into his arms.

He hated Taizhen Temple.

"Saint, all my relatives are dead..."

Yang Yuhuan said slowly.

Her mentality is different from Li Longji's.

She had many reasons not to leave Taizhen Temple. The fact that all her relatives died in Maweiyi and Chang'an West Market alone would become a nightmare for her for the rest of her life.

She wanted to pray for the country, for the people, and for atonement for her dead brothers and sisters.

Only then did Li Longji come to his senses.

He had always kept his mind on Yang Yuhuan, and finally remembered that Lady Guoguo, Lady Hanguo, Yang Guozhong and other members of the Yang family had died and became scapegoats in the troubled times.

They are by no means wronged.

It was just that they took the blame for the first person responsible for An Lushan's rebellion. Li Longji knew that Yuhuan was most concerned about her family, and he couldn't imagine how Yuhuan had spent the past few months.

"Yuhuan, don't feel burdened. Let's start over again."

Li Longji was unwilling to give up. He had nothing to lose and just wanted Lady Yuhuan to return to him.

Otherwise, the nights ahead will be endless and long.

But Yang Yuhuan stopped talking. She took out the half of the jade hairpin that was broken yesterday and handed the front half to a maid, indicating that she should give it to Li Longji.

Afterwards, she bowed to Li Longji again and turned back to Taizhen Temple.

"This……"

"Yuhuan!"

Looking at Yang Yuhuan's thin figure, and then at the half-broken jade hairpin in the maid's hand, Li Longji stretched out his hand and shouted.

But Yang Yuhuan just slowed down her pace and didn't turn around.

Finally, under the gaze of everyone, he disappeared from the sight in front of the door.

"Jade Ring..."

Li Longji was still repeating the name.

In order to preserve his reputation, Yuhuan actually became a female Taoist priest.

Li Longji thought so.

Why did he make Yang Yuhuan his Taizhen?
And there is the traitor Li Xuan!
It was he who started the rebellion, killed the entire Yang family, and forcibly separated him and Yuhuan.

Originally, they were supposed to be a fairy couple in the Changsheng Hall of Huaqing Palace.

Damn traitor!

He also wants to offer the throne with both hands.

In addition to regret, there is also unwillingness.

If he hadn't used Li Xuan...

If he hadn't used An Lushan...

If he hadn't used Li Linfu...

If he hadn't used Yang Guozhong...

In a short period of time, he thought of dozens of what-ifs and tried to shirk all responsibility.

He believed that these people were the biggest culprits for the country's decline and the turmoil in the Tang Dynasty.

He reached out his hand tremblingly, took the half of the jade hairpin, and held it tightly in his hand.

He leaned against the door, staring into the temple, unwilling to leave for a long time.

He was waiting for Yuhuan to change her mind.

"Deng Deng..."

After a while, the sound of pipa was heard from the temple.

Li Longji was excited. This was Madam Yuhuan's pipa.

But the music she played did not have the atmosphere of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. She stroked the strings with her hands, producing a sad and plaintive sound.

The meaning of the song was very sad, and after listening to it, Li Longji held his face with his hands and cried.

"Saint...go back!"

The sound of the pipa stopped and there was no sound for a long time.

Li Longji stood there in a daze for a long time. Gao Lishi couldn't bear it anymore and told him that things were irreversible and Lady Yuhuan had made up her mind.

He should have thought of this earlier!

Madam Yuhuan is a person with her own personality, how can she be controlled at will?

"Tell Yuhuan I'll come again!"

Li Longji informed the female Taoist priest, and he also heard the determination from the sound of the pipa.

But he won't give up so easily.

With the help of Gao Lishi and the eunuchs, Li Longji returned to the dragon chariot.

This made Liu Dan feel relieved.

Fortunately, the worst thing did not happen. After Yang Yuhuan became a nun, she understood the interests involved better than Li Longji.

In fact, if Yang Yuhuan returned to Xingqing Palace, it would have a greater impact on Li Xuan.

On the way back in the dragon chariot, Li Longji was completely exhausted, and even the BMW looked listless.

The jingling of horse bells sounds like natural musical notes...

When the convoy returned to Yuelong Palace, Liu Shan stepped forward and saluted Li Longji, saying, "I regret that the imperial concubine was unable to return to the palace. I wonder when the sage will issue the edict of abdication."

Upon hearing the news of abdication, Li Longji, who was already sad, immediately became gloomy.

He wanted to refuse on the grounds that Lady Yuhuan had not returned to Xingqing Palace, but Gao Lishi immediately shook Li Longji's hand and patted it.

This is to tell Li Longji that he can't provoke Li Qilang step by step, otherwise he will definitely lose control.

Since ancient times, emperors have used any means necessary to secure the throne.

This time, Li Qilang allowed Li Longji to meet Yang Yuhuan. If he refused to abdicate again because Yang Yuhuan was unwilling to come back, it would be a complete break between them.

Li Longji suppressed his anger, and he also realized this.

He did not get off the dragon chariot, but just leaned weakly on it. Above the blue sky, clouds rolled and unrolled.

He is the descendant of Li Zhi and Wu Zetian.

Their clan’s foundation came to an end here.

Taking another look at the surrounding magnificent buildings, Xingqing Palace was Xingqingfang, the site of his former residence before he became emperor.

Chang'an already had two palaces, the Taiji Palace and the Daming Palace, but it still wanted to build a new imperial palace.

Just like Li Zhi built Shangyang Palace on the high bank of Luo River on the northwest side of Luoyang City.

It seems that without building an imperial city, the greatness of the monarch cannot be demonstrated.

After a long period of melancholy, Li Longji got off the dragon chariot that symbolized his status as emperor.

I will never see the flowers blooming this year!

"After I abdicate, will my descendants still be rich and powerful?"

Li Longji thought of his descendants and hoped that Li Xuan would make a promise.

"Don't worry, Saint. The titles of the princes and princesses will remain unchanged and they will be rich and powerful enough!"

Liu Dan assured Li Longji that Li Xuan had already told him this.

Li Xuan only planned to reduce the land grants and clothing salaries of the royal family, and remove their actual seals. His titles would not be touched.

"Mrs. Chong is my daughter. Let Li Qilang give her the title of princess in the future."

Li Longji felt guilty and asked Liu Shan to pass a message to Li Xuan.

Among his many daughters, all were given the title of princess.

The only one who did not have it was the insect girl born to Cao Ye Na Ji, a Sogdian Hu Xuan woman.

Because Chong Niang was born prematurely and her mother, Hu Nv, was disliked by Li Longji, he let her take charge of the Taoist temple in the palace.

As expected, Li Chongniang was unable to get married.

Li Longji was deeply touched by the fact that Chong Niang took care of his daily life during this period.

He was afraid that he would not have the chance in the future, so he took the opportunity to ask Li Xuan for the title of princess.

"I will report this to Your Highness immediately."

He didn't dare to make a decision on his own on such an important matter.

Li Longji nodded and ignored Liu Shan.

Liu Dan watched Gao Lishi help Li Longji back to Yuelong Hall, and he immediately drove to the Political Affairs Hall of Taiji Palace.

Entering the government hall, Liu Dan first bowed to Li Xuan.

Then he told Li Xuan everything that happened after Li Longji arrived at Taizhen Temple, and how Li Longji asked for a title for Li Chongniang.

"Mrs. Chong is very good. I will make her the Princess of Nanyang, so that she doesn't have to be a womanizer anymore and can choose her own husband."

Li Xuan agreed to Li Longji's final request without hesitation.

Chongniang was Li Longji's youngest daughter.

His sister Li Yuying met Chongniang, probably because she was isolated and weak. Although her mother was a Hu person, she had developed good character.

In the Tang Dynasty, there were usually four titles for princesses.

One type is named after a country, such as Li Longji’s sisters, Princess Chu, Princess Liang, Princess Dai, etc.

One is based on the name of the county: such as Princess Pingyang, Princess Huaiyang, Princess Changshan, etc.

One type is named after the county, such as Princess Taihua, Princess Wan'an, etc. There are many princesses of this type.

It should be noted that no matter whether a princess is granted the title of a county or a county, she is still a princess, not a "county princess" or "county princess".

Being a county-level princess does not mean that her status is lower than being a county-level princess. For example, Li Longji's daughter, Princess Taihua, was a county princess, but her actual fiefdom was 1,000 households, the highest among his children.

The last type is to give a beautiful title, using various commendatory words as names, such as Princess Taiping, Princess Wencheng, Princess Yifang, etc.

Many times, princesses who were given beautiful titles were called princesses for marriage.

"How is the concubine?"

When Liu Shan was about to return to Xingqing Palace, Li Xuan asked Liu Shan this question again.

"The imperial concubine understands the righteousness, but the sound of her pipa has become sad."

Liu Dan thought about it and didn't know how to answer.

"I understand, go ahead!"

Li Xuan asked Liu Shan to leave.

In Xingqing Palace, after Li Longji learned that Li Xuan had named Chongniang Princess Nanyang, he stopped making trouble and personally drafted the abdication edict.

It took all his strength to write just a few lines.

Especially the last line, which he almost wrote in "cursive script", contains the old age of a great emperor and his endless unwillingness.

The imperial seal is in Li Xuan's hands, and it will take effect as long as Li Xuan stamps it.

On February 2, Li Xuan summoned all civil and military officials to the meeting hall of the Secretariat early in the morning for a "court meeting".

Not long after the court meeting began, Liu entered very rashly, holding the imperial edict in one hand.

"The Saint has issued an order, and the Crown Prince shall receive it!"

With the support of the eunuchs, Liu Shan came to the meeting room.

As the civil and military officials looked at each other in bewilderment, Li Xuan quickly stood up and asked, "What does the sage have to teach us?"

Other officials also stood up quickly.

Liu Shan straightened his body, unfolded the imperial edict and read:

I, with my virtuous character, have inherited the great treasure and have ruled the country for nearly fifty years. However, the divine power is extremely important and the way to govern is difficult. I have always been cautious in my position, wanting to be in line with the will of heaven and to bring peace to the people, but my strength is insufficient and my fortunes have changed. The current Crown Prince Li Xuan is a saint with outstanding virtues, good civil and military achievements, benevolent, filial, and kind, and he is worthy of people's expectations. His character is enough to manage major policies, and his talents are enough to govern the nations. He is truly the one chosen by heaven... I now abdicate the throne to Crown Prince Li Xuan. From now on, I hope that he will respect heaven and work hard for the people, promote benefits and eliminate malpractices, carry forward the past and open up the future, and bring glory to our country...

The ministers had already guessed it, but when Liu Dan read the edict, all officials were still shocked.

They witnessed the rise of the new emperor.

Once a member of the imperial court, he ascended the throne without bloodshed.

"The Saint is in good health and will live a long life. I do not have enough prestige to inherit the throne. Please ask Liu Qing to report to the Saint. I still need to learn from him for a few more years."

Of course Li Xuan could not accept the throne directly.

Declining and resigning three times is also a kind of etiquette. Emperors have always done this since ancient times. Even if it is a performance, you have to keep the gesture and make it sound better when it is spread out.

At this time, the ministers could not persuade Li Xuan to advance or retreat.

"I will go back and report to the Saint."

Upon seeing this, Liu Shan took the imperial edict and withdrew temporarily.

This made the civil and military officials absent-minded during the court meeting in the conference hall.

After the meeting, the news that Li Longji wanted to abdicate spread throughout Chang'an City.

While people praised Li Xuan's good character, they also felt it was a pity for him.

The crown prince should directly inherit the throne, and then the world will be stable.

"Bang! After three times of declining, you still want to torture me!"

Li Longji patted the jade table. As a person who had experienced it, he was very familiar with this routine.

But he had to cooperate with Li Xuan in acting.

Two days later, on February 5, Li Longji endured the discomfort and wrote another edict and handed it to Liu Shan.

As expected, Li Xuan still refused. The reason for his refusal this time was that the ancestral foundation was heavy and the people were vast, and they could not bear such a heavy burden.

On February 8, the third imperial edict was again rejected by Li Xuan.

The reason for rejection is lack of moral character and the need to cultivate oneself and improve one's moral character.

It was not until February 11 that the fourth imperial edict was delivered to the conference hall when civil and military officials were discussing the matter.

Only after listening to the imperial edict did Li Xuan agree with tears in his eyes to inherit the throne.

……

PS: Soliciting the year number. Dear readers, please leave a comment below if you like the one you like. The one with the most comments will be selected next time.

Huaxia: China has great etiquette, so it is called Xia; it has beautiful clothes, so it is called Hua. The protagonist will add the concept of the country to let the people understand this highest class form and continue to use it.

Yongle: It implies prosperity in the world and people living and working in peace and contentment. It is an era name that is determined to create a prosperous era.

Apocalypse: A revelation from heaven, hoping that the country will be renewed. It also implies that the country will start a new era.

Qian Yuan: Qian is one of the Eight Diagrams, representing heaven, symbolizing strength and masculinity, while Yuan means beginning and origin, and can also refer to vitality. It implies that the emperor is as strong and powerful as heaven, able to create a prosperous era with strong leadership and decisiveness, inject endless vitality into the country, and make the country full of hope and development momentum.

Some of the other era names have deep meanings, but when combined, they don't make people feel involved. There's no need to use an uncommon era name.

It is not appropriate to use mythical animals, stars, mountains, rivers and place names.

(End of this chapter)