Detective Di Renjie: The Mysterious Dynasty

Chapter 338 Epilogue
A few days later, Di Renjie and Li Yuanfang submitted a petition together, saying that they had recently fallen seriously ill and begged the emperor to allow them to remain in their graves and return home.

Wu Zetian refused three times in a row, but Di Renjie requested again and again, and the emperor had no choice but to allow him to retire.

He just followed the example of Emperor Taizong of Tang and Li Jing and ordered Di Renjie to retire from his original post in order to be available for consultation. He also personally selected a good place for Di Renjie to cultivate himself - Jiangzhou.

The Qianniu guards under Di Renjie's command still followed the emperor's order to protect him and moved with him to Jiangzhou. In Jiangzhou, all of Di Renjie's living needs were covered by the national treasury, which shows how honored he was.

Li Yuanfang also benefited from this and was promoted to the position of Inspector General of the Thousand Oxen Guards, which was at least the highest official position.

As a veteran of several dynasties and a loyal minister of the Li Tang Dynasty, Di Renjie's retreat affected the unusual atmosphere in recent days and naturally caused a shock in the court.

Although it was impossible for all the ministers in the court to see him off together, before leaving, either because of personal friendship or the current situation, the ministers who supported Li Tang went to Di's mansion in cars to gather and conspire.

Even Crown Prince Li Xian had the courage to pay a visit to Di's house. Zhao Ji was even more unscrupulous. He frequently went in and out of Di's house, made many connections, and shared Di Renjie's political "legacy".

Di Renjie saw this but didn't say much.

Wu Zetian acted quickly and made major personnel adjustments to Fengge, Luantai, and especially the Sixteen Guards of the Imperial Guard. Anyone who had any connection with Li Dan was purged.

The name is ready-made, he is a Snake Spirit spy!

Coupled with Di Renjie's temporary retirement, the Li Tang faction's influence in the court was greatly reduced.

In contrast, the power of Wu Sansi and other Wu clan members continued to increase. Wu Sansi finally got his wish and surpassed Di Renjie to become the number one in the Political Affairs Hall.

Wu Youning, Wu Yougui, Wu Youwang and others were given the title of generals of the imperial guards. At this juncture, the people Wu Zetian was willing to trust were still members of the Wu family.

What is less noteworthy is that Wu Youde, Prince of Nanping, also got a job as the supervisor of military equipment and the one in charge of the Luoyang armory.

Of course, most of the Wu kings only had a title, and the real commanders of important troops such as Yulin Guard, Qianqi, and Qianniu Guard did not actually move much.

To Zhao Ji's surprise, his colleague on the Khitan battlefield, General Yang Xuanji, went a step further this time and was appointed General of the Left Yingyang Guard to inspect the Left Yulin Guard.

Wu Zetian liked to employ old people. On the one hand, she wanted to take advantage of the prestige of the old ministers, and on the other hand, it was convenient to replace them at any time. This could be considered her unique art of employing people.

However, Wu Zetian did not go too far. In order to appease the court officials, the position of the legitimate Crown Prince Li Xian remained stable.

Therefore, Prince Yong Li Xian was pardoned, and according to the emperor's wishes, he was given the posthumous title of "Zhanghuai", which was also a very obvious political signal.

As for Zhao Ji, it is certainly impossible to say that he came back to his ancestral home. Rather, it was said that the prince was young before and had not been given a title, so he took this opportunity to be given a title together.

As for Zhao Ji in the court, what Zhao Ji? There is only Li Ji, and the one who has been training in the court has always been Li Ji!
Moreover, Zhao Ji liked this title very much. He did not inherit his original dead father's title, but chose another title that was very consistent with his experience of making contributions in the north: King of Yan!
This was naturally a case of giving a sweet reward after a heavy blow. It not only struck a blow to a certain radical group that wanted to restore the Tang Dynasty, but also showed that Wu Zetian's major policy of returning power to the Tang Dynasty had not changed, and it brought the art of checks and balances between factions to the fullest.

Wu Zetian did not even let Zhao Ji become a completely idle prince. Instead, she gave him a real job: "General of Construction", responsible for repairing the parts of the palace that were destroyed by water. (Actually, he should be called General of Construction, but this position has appeared in Shen Di, so he made a mistake.)
Zhao Ji did not care much about the idle job which was better than nothing. What concerned him was that there was a Shanjin Bureau under the General Works Bureau. A barbarian from the Western Regions named Shaluhan was in charge of the affairs there as the junior supervisor.

It was heard that this person had just risen to prominence and was deeply favored by Wu Zetian, so Zhao Ji paid much attention to him.

In addition, although Wang Xiaojie had made great contributions in suppressing bandits and was still deeply trusted, some of his actions were still suspected even though they were endorsed by the emperor.

The emperor was going to transfer General Wang to the western border to guard against the Turks and Tubo, and he would take office soon. This could not be considered suppression, at least Wang Xiaojie himself was happy with it, and a true general always liked the battlefield.

As for the promotion of Zhao Ji's old subordinates in the Qianniu Guard, such as Shen Tao and Xiao Bao, it is not worth mentioning.

In short, the turmoil in the political situation was only temporary, and as the dust settled, everything calmed down.
-
Against this background, Di Renjie and Li Yuanfang are about to embark on a journey to Jiangzhou.

The morning light was dim, the dew was heavy, and Luoyang City was shrouded in a thick layer of fog. The whole city had not yet awakened.

Several horses pulled a large cart and drove out of the south gate of Luoyang silently.

The group included Di Renjie, Li Yuanfang, Ruyan, Di Chun and others, while Zhao Ji and Xiaomei sisters led the horses and accompanied them all the way.

Ahead is Duting Posthouse beside the Luo River, the first stop on the way south from the capital.

There are willow trees like smoke on both sides of the river and towers in the mist. The Luo River is calm at this time, without the turbulent waves and sparkling water of the previous day. It is indeed a beautiful scene.

Di Renjie looked back affectionately, as if he wanted to engrave the scenery of the divine capital Luoyang in his heart forever. "I have lived in Luoyang for a long time, and I really feel reluctant to leave!" His eyes were sparkling.

Li Yuanfang was very angry and said with a little sadness: "Sir, I finally understand what 'the rabbit is dead and the dog is cooked, the bird is dead and the bow is put away' means."

Zhao Ji couldn't help but sigh: "The new governor of Jiangzhou is Wen Kai. Your Majesty has done a really…"

He hesitated to speak and just shook his head helplessly.

Di Renjie smiled indifferently and said meaningfully: "Chengyuan, as an official, you only need to be worthy of the heavens and the people. That's enough. As for some personal grievances, don't take them to heart!"

"Now that Luohe is stable, the people on both sides of the river can live and work in peace, and the Snake Spirit rebels can no longer commit crimes. We, the heroes, have accomplished our mission and retired. What else do we want?"

Li Yuanfang nodded with deep emotion: "Sir, I really admire you. Your state of mind is always so peaceful. You are really indifferent to sadness and joy. You are so wise and brave!"

Zhao Ji also sighed repeatedly, saying that Di Renjie's character was indeed so admirable that it made him feel ashamed of himself.

Because Di Renjie specifically asked his friends not to see him off when he said goodbye to them at home, and the situation was tense, there was no "coup" of hundreds of people in Changting at this time.

However, there are always some people who cannot be stopped even if you want to. Some of them are fearless, while others simply disdain to avoid these rules.

For example, Wang Xiaojie and Zhang Jianzhi, and there were more than just these two people traveling with them.

Unexpectedly, Wu Zetian came with a small entourage and personally left the palace to see Di Renjie off, which was truly a great honor.

Although the emperor's carriage was as simple as possible, it was still quite impressive. Di Renjie noticed the movement from afar and hurried to greet it.

Wu Zetian did give Di Renjie enough face. She personally helped Di Renjie up and walked side by side with him.

Di Renjie was deeply moved by the emperor's condescending to see him off. He wanted to say something, but Wu Zetian interrupted him.

"Huaiying, you and I have been king and subject for many years, why do you need to say so much?"

A warm current surged in Di Renjie's heart: "Your Majesty, I am truly unworthy of your grace!"

Wu Zetian waved her hands repeatedly, with a guilty look on her face: "The affairs of the court are complicated, and I have no choice but to deal with it this way! Jiangzhou is rich in resources and people, and it is a good place to rest! You have worked hard for state affairs for many years, so you can take this opportunity to rest for a while."

Di Renjie's eyes became moist and he nodded heavily.

At this time, Shangguan Wan'er brought out a tray with two cups of water wine on it. Wu Zetian picked up one of the cups and handed it to Di Renjie.

Di Renjie took the wine glass with both hands, his eyes full of gratitude and reluctance.

He raised his hand lightly and said to Wu Zetian: "Your Majesty, this wine is both a farewell gift from me and a blessing from me. May our Great Zhou be peaceful and prosperous, and may Your Majesty be healthy."

Wu Zetian was also moved when she heard this. She raised her wine glass and gently clinked it with Di Renjie's, making a crisp sound, as if it was a witness of the connection between their two hearts.

"Huaiying, your sincerity is evident to all, and your wisdom is a treasure for the country. Although we are separated temporarily, we will meet again. Come, for the great Zhou Dynasty and for our friendship, let's drink this cup!"

The two drank it all in one gulp. The wine seemed to contain endless meaning, both nostalgia for the past and expectations for the future.

Then, Di Renjie turned around and looked at the equally affectionate faces behind him - Wang Xiaojie, Zhang Jianzhi, Zhao Ji, Li Yuanfang and many old officials and friends who followed him silently.

Di Renjie bowed to everyone, bowed deeply, and said nothing more, as if he was saying goodbye.

Everyone was moved and returned the greetings, with some even prostrating themselves on the ground.

Zhao Ji bid farewell to the elder with sincerity. When he raised his head, the figures of Di Renjie and his companions had gradually disappeared, and the outline of Luoyang City gradually blurred in the morning light.

The water of Luo River came from the sky and flowed eastward. Zhao Ji couldn't help but think that Di Renjie's love for the country and the people might be just like the water of Luo River, long-lasting and never drying up.

Snake Spirit Scroll (End)
　I am a little confused. Should Zhao Ji be changed in the writing style in the future? Should he be called Li Ji?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)