Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 22 This time he hit his leg, what if he hits his head next time?
In the Chongjiao Hall, Li Chengqian sat at the top of the table.

Yu Zhining, Zhang Xuansu, Kong Yingda, Li Baiyao, Hu Defen, Xiao Jun and others sat on both sides.

With the blue memorial in front of him, Li Chengqian looked up at the officials in the Eastern Palace and said, "I never imagined that I would be in such trouble after just a visit to the Lizheng Palace. Have you investigated what exactly happened?"

Gao Zhenxing stepped forward, bowed with a guilty look on his face, and said, "It was my carelessness that caused the accident."

The eyes of the officials in the Eastern Palace fell on Gao Zhenxing, and a hint of hesitation flashed in the eyes of many of them.

Li Chengqian looked at Gao Zhenxing, then smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It's good that he's not seriously injured. Let the imperial physician call for medical care at any time. He can stay in Chongren Hall for the time being. Bring Lu Qing's wife and children over to take care of them nearby. However, the Prince's servants..."

Yu Zhining immediately bowed and said, "Ever since Prince Changsun's servant was transferred to the position of Prince's chief officer, the position of Prince's servant has been vacant. Now that the Prince's servant secretary has been in trouble again, the time has come to fill the vacancy in the Prince's servant department. This matter needs to be reported to Your Majesty."

The Prince's Household Director, the Prince's Night Guard Director, and the Prince's Servant Director are the most important officials in charge of the internal affairs of the Eastern Palace.

Previously, the Prince's Household Manager was Li Anyan, the Prince's Chief Guardian was Ouyang Xun, and the Prince's Servant Manager was Changsun Xiang.

After Ouyang Xun was transferred to the position of scholar in the Hongwen Academy, the Prince's Chief Guard Officer resigned from his post, and was finally promoted to the Prince's Chief Guard Officer by Changsun Xiang.

At the same time, before the new Prince's Servant took office, Changsun Xiang was in charge of the Prince's Servant Temple.

It was during that period, when Changsun Xiang had just been transferred and was unable to take care of the management, that Li Chengqian got into trouble.

Now even the Chief Secretary of the Prince's Servant Temple has run into trouble, and with the vacant position of the Prince's Servant, there is no one in charge of the entire Prince's Servant Temple, and a replacement must be made.

……

"That's true." Li Chengqian nodded, then said, "However, the Crown Prince's Servant is, after all, a fourth-rank official. The decision should be made by the Ministry of Personnel, the Council of State, and His Majesty. However, I have countless talented people in the Eastern Palace, and I can find one or two to recommend them. Regardless of success or failure, we must do our part."

Zhang Xuansu frowned and asked, "Who does Your Highness have in mind?"

"The Chief Secretary and the Junior Secretary can make the decision on this matter. I will not interfere." Li Chengqian smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Lest I recommend a candidate and it not be successful in the end, that would not be a good thing."

If the person recommended by Li Chengqian succeeds, it will naturally greatly enhance his prestige, but if he fails, it will also be a damage to his own prestige.

The position of Prince's Servant is no longer so important to Li Chengqian now. The horses in the Eastern Palace are all under the emperor's surveillance, and it is impossible for him to use them.

Instead of doing this, it is better to throw this position away and let others fight and compete for it.

Anyway, the one who wins in the end is definitely not his confidant.

And he will never be able to ride a horse again in the future.

At least not until his leg heals.

"And the Crown Prince's Minister of the Imperial Household will also select recommended candidates from the Eastern Palace." Li Chengqian looked at Gao Zhenxing calmly and said, "After selecting the recommended candidates, Minister Gao will send the official document to the Ministry of Shangshu. As for who the Ministry of Personnel will choose next, it has nothing to do with us. Minister Feng will send the official document to the Ministry of Zhongshu, detailing the reasons, and then report to His Majesty."

"Yes!" Gao Zhenxing and Feng Yandao both bowed in agreement.

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Later, the housekeeper and I will go to see Lord Lu, and then we will go to the Chongwenguan. The Kaogongzhi is of great importance, so please be careful."

"Your Highness, we will follow your instructions." All the ministers bowed at the same time.

"Minister Dai will go to the Secretariat with Minister Gao later after discussing matters." Li Chengqian looked up at Dai Zhide.

Dai Zhide immediately stood up and bowed, saying, "Yes!"

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Let's get started."

……

At the entrance to the side hall of Chongren Hall, Helan Chushi was personally guarding it with two guards. When they saw Li Chengqian approaching, the three of them immediately bowed and said, "Your Highness."

Li Chengqian paused and asked calmly, "How is the person?"

"When he was first injured yesterday, he screamed for a while, and fell asleep after taking the medicine. However, he screamed a few more times in the middle of the night. After his wife and children arrived today, he has been much quieter." Helan Chushi looked at Li Chengqian cautiously. He had something to ask, but he kept it to himself.

"I'll go in and take a look." Li Chengqian nodded, then walked in.

Seeing Li Anyan following in, Helan Chushi hesitated slightly, but still walked in with the Qianniu Knife.

In the west wing of the side hall, Lu Hu was lying on the bed, his legs tightly wrapped in clean white linen, and the air was filled with the smell of herbs.

A young woman in a green skirt was busy packing with her daughter.

It was obvious that she wasn't someone who did rough labor, and it was unclear which family she came from. If they were at home, they would have someone to help them, but in the palace, there was no one to help them, so they had to clean up on their own.

The distinct sound of footsteps interrupted Lu Hu's groaning. He struggled to open his eyes and saw Li Chengqian standing at the door of the inner room. A flash of fear flashed in his eyes, but he quickly lowered his head and struggled to sit up. "Your Highness the Crown Prince."

When Lu Hu made a move, his wife, a very beautiful woman, quickly turned around and saw Li Chengqian. She quickly stepped forward with her daughter and saluted: "Your Highness, your Highness, is greeted by your Highness the Crown Prince."

"Your surname is Zheng, from the Xingyang Zheng family?" Li Chengqian turned around and looked at Li Huaiyan in surprise.

"Yes!" Zheng quickly bowed with her daughter and said, "I am from the southern ancestral branch of the Zheng family in Xingyang."

Li Chengqian immediately understood that it was the lineage of Zheng Rentai, the General of the Left Guard.

Although Zheng Guanyin, a daughter of the Zheng family of Xingyang, was the crown princess of the hidden crown prince Li Jiancheng, the one who truly supported Li Jiancheng was, to be more precise, the northern ancestral branch of the Zheng family of Xingyang.

Li Anyan's wife was also from the northern ancestral branch of the Zheng family in Xingyang.

At that time, Zheng Rentai, who came from the southern ancestral branch of the Zheng family in Xingyang, was taking orders in the Qin Palace. Therefore, after Xuanwu Gate, Zheng Rentai gradually accumulated merits and was promoted to the rank of General of the Left Guard.

Li Chengqian nodded calmly and said, "If you need anything in the Eastern Palace, please tell the Housekeeper immediately. His wife is your cousin."

Hearing Li Chengqian say this, Zheng's eyes lit up and she looked up at Li Anyan.

Li Anyan nodded calmly, and Zheng immediately felt delighted.

Li Chengqian walked to Lu Hu's bed. Lu Hu struggled to get up and said, "Your Highness."

"No need to be so polite." Li Chengqian gently held Lu Hu down, then said with concern: "The imperial physician said that you need to recuperate now. Try not to move if possible. After a while, when your leg bones have healed, you can go home."

"Yes!" Lu Hu breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that what Li Chengqian said was right. If the bone was broken, it would be better not to move it as much as possible. If you move, it will easily break.

Thinking of this, Lu Hu couldn't help but feel a chill all over his body. If he was really sent out of the East Palace and something happened on the way, then his legs...

"I've arranged for someone to take care of everything you do in the East Palace, so don't worry." Li Chengqian gently took Lu Hu's wrist and sighed, "Remember to be more careful next time. This time you hit your leg, but what if it hits your head next time?"

"Yes!" Lu Hu's eyes couldn't help but change slightly.

Li Chengqian stood up and said, "Rest well. I won't disturb you any more. When you're well again, you can quit the Imperial Household Department and transfer to the Chongwen Academy as a direct scholar."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Lu Hu's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Okay, I'm leaving." Li Chengqian stood up, turned around, nodded calmly at Zheng, and walked out of the hall.

"Congratulations, Your Highness!"

Only after Li Chengqian left and the other people in the hall came out did Lu Hu breathe a sigh of relief.

Zheng pulled her daughter to the bedside and whispered, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince truly cares for you, my husband. But, my husband, I heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince also... How come you couldn't see it?"

Lu Hu turned his head and looked at Zheng, his expression suddenly becoming ugly.

He looked towards the door, where were the two Qianniu Guards and even Helan Chushi.

Finally, Lu Hu gently shook his head and said, "You shouldn't have entered the palace."

Zheng's face was full of surprise.

……

In front of the Chongwen Hall, Li Chengqian looked at the pile of wood, turned to look at the ministers and said, "The compilation of the 'Kaogong Zhi' involves knives, stones, wood and fire. Please pay attention to all matters."

Xiao Jun, Yan Shigu, a scholar from the Chongwen Academy, and other officials all bowed and said, "Yes!"

Li Chengqian turned around, looked towards the Chongren Hall, and said, "If you have nothing to do, please go and see Lord Lu more often. He's lying there motionless, and he feels very lonely."

"Yes!" All the ministers bowed.

Further back, a chief official from the Prince's Servant Temple wrote down all of Li Chengqian's words with a serious look in his eyes.

……

Under the cover of night, the Prince's Servant, dressed in a blue official robe, appeared silently at the back door of Prince Wei's Mansion.

(End of this chapter)