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

Chapter 25: East Palace Stables, One Hundred Sets of Armor

At Chengtian Gate, all the ministers looked surprised. Li Chengqian pretended not to notice and looked at Wei Zheng seriously. "The Crown Prince's Servant is a fourth-rank official and needs to be appointed by Your Majesty. Then what about the Crown Prince's Servant Assistant? Prime Minister Wei is a virtuous and capable person in the world. Does anyone have any recommendations?"

The ministers stood in their respective rows, their eyes slightly lowered.

They were all people who had experienced ups and downs in life, so they could naturally hear the different meanings in the prince's words.

Loyal, brave, honest and incorruptible.

The Prince's Servant and the Prince's Servant Secretary of the Eastern Palace should be loyal, brave, honest and upright officials.

What does it mean?
Are you saying that the previous Prince's servants and Prince's servant secretaries were not loyal, brave, honest and upright enough?
The eyes of the ministers couldn't help but fall on Changsun Xiang.

At this time, Changsun Xiang, Li Anyan, Helan Chushi and others had already returned to their respective trains.

Facing the gazes of the ministers, they looked calm, holding ivory tablets, with dignified demeanor and a composed demeanor.

If it's not them, then who is it talking about?

Is that Lu Hu, the Prince's servant?
……

"The officials in the court are all virtuous and capable." Fang Xuanling held his hu tablet and bowed to Li Chengqian, then said, "The Ministry of Personnel is extremely cautious in selecting officials. Your Highness, rest assured that if there are any vacancies in the Eastern Palace, the Ministry of Personnel will quickly select suitable candidates and send them to the Eastern Palace."

"That's very good." Li Chengqian smiled and nodded to Fang Xuanling, with extreme calmness in the depths of his eyes.

"Come to think of it, I do have a candidate to recommend." A clear Hebei accent sounded, which the ministers had been accustomed to hearing for more than ten years. This person was naturally Wei Zheng.

Wei Zheng bowed slightly, glanced at Fang Xuanling, then bowed to Li Chengqian and said, "Your Highness, I recommend Yao Chuping from Suiyang County."

Li Chengqian was slightly stunned, then nodded seriously. "The person recommended by Prime Minister Wei must be upright, honest, hardworking and diligent. How about adding my recommendation to the list of candidates for consideration by the Ministry of Personnel? What do you think, Prime Minister Fang?"

Fang Xuanling nodded and said sincerely, "As the son of the then Imperial Chamberlain Yao Silian, he naturally has his father's style. The Ministry of Personnel will carefully consider this matter and there will be a result."

Li Chengqian immediately understood.

It turned out that he was the son of Yao Silian, one of the eighteen scholars in the Qin Palace who compiled the Book of Liang.

Wei Zheng once participated in the compilation of "Book of Liang". Now it seems that in addition to the fact that Yao Chuping does have some ability, he is more representative as the son of Yao Silian. After all, he is one of the eighteen scholars in the Qin Palace and has some relationship with many people in the court.

……

Yu Zhining stood among the ministers, his eyes gently swept over the enthroned prime minister, and then he lowered his head slightly.

A look of doubt flashed in his eyes.

Yu Zhining saw clearly what the prince did today.

He was testing who was standing behind Lu Hu?

Yu Zhining was the first to investigate the matter of Lu Hu's broken leg. It had nothing to do with the crown prince. The real reason was that the craftsmen piled the wood too high to save trouble.

What is really puzzling is Lu Hu’s subsequent reaction.

His reaction was too abnormal. While screaming, he kept looking around in surprise and suspicion, as if someone was trying to harm him. This made people suspicious.

Prince's servant.

Because of the prince's broken leg, Yu Zhining secretly investigated everyone in the Eastern Palace, but in the end there was no result.

No one has any evidence to show that it is related to the prince's broken leg.

Of course, Yu Zhining was not the only one investigating this matter. The emperor, Duke Zhao, Duke Liang, Duke Shen, and Duke Zheng were all investigating as well.

But there was no result.

But as soon as Lu Hu broke his leg, his eyes told everyone that he was suspicious. If Yu Zhining could see it, how could the prince not see it? That was why he tested him today.

The behavior of several prime ministers was normal, but Yu Zhining still guessed that the person who caused Li Chengqian to break his leg must be among them.

Because only these few prime ministers have the ability to completely bury the truth under investigation from all sides.

But unfortunately, each of these prime ministers is an old fox.

It’s very difficult to check!

……

Li Chengqian glanced at Li Tai, who was standing beside him with a serious expression. Li Tai couldn't get a word in to what he had just said.

He didn't dare either.

Li Chengqian came back to his senses, looked at Zhangsun Wuji, and said seriously: "There is one more thing I need to trouble you with, Sikong."

Sikong?

Changsun Wuji raised his gaze slightly and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, please speak."

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "The Eastern Palace is currently compiling the 'Kaogong Zhi' (Records of Craftsmen's Explorations), and there are quite a few swords, spears, crossbows, bows, shields, arrows, and armor on it. Please inform the Minister of Works and the Ministry of War to send someone to monitor them. If any of the items exceed the stipulated number, please have them removed immediately."

Zhangsun Wuji looked at Li Chengqian in surprise and said, "If my memory is correct, the Chief of Works and the Minister of the Imperial Household are involved in all matters concerning the Eastern Palace. With them around, isn't everything sufficient?"

Li Chengqian pondered for a moment and said, "The Eastern Palace is currently trying to speed up the production of weapons. Even the Chief of Works and the Minister of the Imperial Household may find it difficult to control. Moreover, if there are malicious individuals hiding, who knows when I'll wake up and find a hundred suits of armor hidden in the Eastern Palace stables. I won't be able to explain myself then. It's best for the Ministry of War to send someone to keep an eye on it."

"One hundred sets of armor." Changsun Wuji's face darkened slightly. If it was one hundred sets, it would really violate the Tang law.

But how could the Eastern Palace easily hide a hundred sets of armor? It is certainly impossible for them to make them by themselves, so could it be the Chief of Works and the Minister of the Imperial Household?
The Crown Prince did not trust the Chief of Works and the Minister of the Treasury.

Changsun Wuji's eyes swept over Yan Liben, whose face had darkened, while the other Shaofu Supervisor Dou Desu had a look of bewilderment on his face.

Yan Liben was the uncle of Princess Yan of Wei, and served as the Chief Craftsman of the Imperial Household.

The prince's words just now were a subtle accusation that the King of Wei might frame someone in order to fight for power, and even secretly hide a hundred sets of armor in the East Palace.

King Wei had the motive and Yan Liben had the ability.

Changsun Wuji glanced at Li Tai, who looked confused. He knew in his heart that with the prince's words, this method would definitely be remembered by those with ulterior motives. Then, no matter what, he had to take precautions.

"Okay, the Ministry of War will send someone to take care of this matter." Changsun Wuji nodded directly, bypassing Fang Xuanling.

Ever since the Minister of War Hou Junji was promoted to the Minister of Personnel, the position of Minister of War has been vacant, and all affairs of the Ministry of War are actually managed by the Vice Minister of War Cui Dunli.

Of course, as Sikong, Changsun Wuji could actually be in charge of some of the military affairs, after all, he was once the General of the Left Wuhou.

"That's good." Li Chengqian breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at Fang Xuanling and said with a smile, "If the Ministry of War doesn't send anyone, then I might have to go to the Dali Temple."

Dali Temple Minister Sun Fujia suddenly looked up, wondering how this matter involved him.

Before everyone could react, the Chengtian Gate behind Li Chengqian suddenly opened.

The eunuch Zhang Ananda stepped out solemnly, gently waving his whisk, and then he said loudly: "In the fourteenth year of the Zhenguan reign, on the first day of the eleventh month, the emperor held a grand court and all the ministers came to the audience."

"Yes!" All the ministers bowed.

Li Chengqian looked solemnly towards the Chengtian Gate, where long spears stood like a forest and swords and spears were cold and sharp.

A straight passage leads directly to the Tai Chi Hall.

(End of this chapter)