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

Chapter 303: Cen Wenben Dies, the Emperor Faints (Part )
Pingzhou, Lulong City.

In the backyard of the governor's mansion, Changsun Wuji stood beside the bed, looking at the emperor lying on the bed with concern.

Li Shimin lay on the bed, looking at the memorial in front of him, frowning and saying, "Gongsun Chang, was there such a person back then?"

Changsun Wuji nodded slightly and said, "Yes, he did appear a few times during the Yang Wengan incident, but he hasn't been seen since."

"Yang Wengan is plotting a rebellion!" Li Shimin sighed softly, then said, "If that's the case, then he must be my brother's man."

Zhangsun Wuji bowed and said, "However, Your Majesty, although this man's name is Gongsun Chang and he claims to be from the Youzhou Gongsun clan, his true identity remains to be investigated. We cannot act rashly against the Youzhou Gongsun clan. If we are not careful, we could easily fall into their trap."

Li Shimin nodded slightly and said, "You are right. Let's send Chang He to investigate this matter."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji bowed solemnly.

Li Shimin turned slightly and asked, "How is the situation in the army?"

"Twenty percent of the soldiers are ill, and thirty died yesterday." Changsun Wuji cupped his hands and sighed, "The imperial physician said they were actually ill when they were in Liaodong, but they managed to hold on the whole time. Now that they've returned to Hebei, their strength has worn off and they're suddenly collapsing."

"Hmm!" Li Shimin nodded, then smiled and said, "Just like the arrow wound on my back. It hasn't happened in years, but it was triggered this time."

"Your Majesty!" Changsun Wuji looked at Li Shimin with some concern.

The arrow wound on the emperor's back not only relapsed, but also became festered. The emperor was in so much pain that he couldn't sleep all night. However, the pain was relieved during the day and he was able to fall asleep, which delayed his journey.

Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "I know my health well. I still have strength, so I'm fine. How is Ashina Simo? During the attack on Pingrang, many people were wounded by arrows, but he hasn't recovered much yet."

"Although his injuries haven't improved, he's in a good mood." Changsun Wuji bowed and said, "The imperial physician said that everything will be settled once we return to Chang'an."

"Hmm!" Li Shimin nodded, sighed, and then asked, "Besides him, whose condition is the most serious?"

Zhangsun Wuji hesitated for a moment, but still bowed and said, "It's Cen Wenben. The imperial physician said that Cen Wenben is exhausted. Although Liu Li and Chu Suiliang are also not in good health, they are not as exhausted as Cen Wenben, the Minister of the Central Secretariat."

Li Shimin fell silent. After a moment, he looked at Zhangsun Wuji and said, "Tell the imperial physician to take good care of my prime minister, otherwise I will..."

"Your Majesty!" A cry of pain came from outside the room. Changsun Wuji, who was standing beside the bed, frowned tightly.

He had just turned around when the Imperial Court Minister Liu Li stumbled into the hall. He ignored Changsun Wuji and knelt beside Li Shimin's bed, crying bitterly, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Cen, Prime Minister Cen has passed away."

"What!" Li Shimin suddenly raised his body and stared at Liu Li.

Liu Li kowtowed to the ground and cried bitterly.

Li Shimin was stunned. Suddenly, he shouted loudly, "It hurts so much!"

With one word, Li Shimin suddenly fell on the bed and was silent.

"Your Majesty!" Changsun Wuji suddenly pushed Liu Li aside and stepped forward to Li Shimin. He then carefully turned over and looked at Li Shimin with horror. He carefully placed his hand under Li Shimin's nose. It was unknown whether he felt anything. Changsun Wuji suddenly turned around with joy and said, "Imperial Physician, Imperial Physician, come quickly!"

The imperial physician Zhang Baozang, who was waiting outside the door, immediately walked in from outside the hall and came towards the bed.

Seeing Liu Li kneeling on the ground, Changsun Wuji shouted angrily, "Why don't you get out of here right now? Are you really going to delay the imperial physician's treatment?"

Liu Li was also confused. The emperor suddenly fainted, even...

Liu Li walked out of the room in a daze. A moment later, a burst of cheers came from the room.

Liu Li finally relaxed a little and just waited in the yard.

……

In the room, Li Shimin was already leaning on the bed, his face slightly pale, his eyes looking straight ahead, unfocused and without strength.

"Your Majesty!" Zhangsun Wuji carefully fed the medicine soup into Li Shimin's mouth, and then called out again: "Your Majesty!"

After drinking the medicine, Li Shimin finally came back to his senses and looked at Changsun Wuji.

Inexplicably, Changsun Wuji felt as if the emperor had suddenly aged several years. He couldn't help but cry out sadly, "Your Majesty!"

"I'm fine!" Li Shimin's voice had become incredibly hoarse. He looked at Zhangsun Wuji and said, "Cen Jingren has been my secretary since the early years of the Zhenguan era. He has served me for nineteen years. He's endured so much hardship and hardship, and now he's passed away on his way back from the Liaodong expedition. I feel so sorry for him."

"His Majesty!"

"Wuji, you go and see for yourself and keep his body properly. When you return to the court, I will bury him personally." Li Shimin sighed deeply.

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji bowed, then stepped back and prepared to leave.

However, just as Zhangsun Wuji reached the door, the emperor's voice came over: "Wait, my illness is strictly confidential to the outside world. At the same time, the injuries in the army are also strictly confidential to Chang'an. No disclosure is allowed."

Listening to the emperor's deep voice, Zhangsun Wuji felt his scalp tingle for some unknown reason. He immediately bowed and said, "Yes!"

"Also, send an order to Chang'an, ordering the Crown Prince to come to Dingzhou immediately to receive the emperor." After a brief pause, Li Shimin added, "Allow the Prince of Jin to come as well."

"Prince Jin?"

"Yes!" Li Shimin nodded and said, "I'm back. Zhinu will stay with me for a while. Next year, it's time for him to be relocated. This time, we have to change the place. He can't go to Bingzhou." "Yes!" Zhangsun Wuji bowed and accepted the order. He frowned slightly, but he couldn't help but bow and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince..."

"Issue an order to have Fang Xuanling remain. At the same time, I order Lanzhou, Liangzhou, Suzhou, Shazhou, Ganzhou, Lingzhou, Xiazhou, Daizhou, and Dingzhou to immediately strengthen their military preparations." Li Shimin looked at Zhangsun Wuji and said calmly, "According to our original agreement, I will also take this opportunity to teach the Crown Prince how to command troops."

"Yes!" Zhang Sun Wuji relaxed instantly and said with a bow, "I will go right away."

Li Shimin nodded, and Changsun Wuji bowed and left.

Li Shimin looked up at the entire room. There were eunuchs, maids, and imperial doctors. He raised his hand slightly and said, "Except Zhang Ananda, everyone should leave."

"Yes!" Everyone in the room bowed.

"Li Wu!" Li Shimin looked to the side.

Li Wu, dressed in black, stepped out from behind the curtain and said, "Your Majesty!"

"Go back to Chang'an and find Yuchi Jingde." Li Shimin waved his hand gently.

"Yes!" Li Wu bowed, then retreated into the curtain. Suddenly, the curtain that was originally shaking stopped completely.

Li Shimin breathed a sigh of relief. Yuchi Jingde was the most powerful lock he had placed on Chang'an City.

Although Li Chengqian was the crown prince and Fang Xuanling was the governor of Chang'an, the person who actually controlled the city of Chang'an was Yuchi Jingde.

All the troops in the entire Chang'an City were in the hands of Yuchi Jingde.

The Imperial Guards, Qianniu Guards, Jinwu Guards, Left and Right Guards, Left and Right Xiao Guards, Left and Right Wu Guards, Left and Right Garrison Guards, Left and Right Gate Guards, and Left and Right Leading Army Guards were all under the control of Yuchi Jingde, the General of the Left Guards.

"Pass the order down. All memorials from all over the country should continue to be sent to me." Li Shimin took a deep breath and said, "Send people to watch outside to see if anyone can leak this information. Then investigate to whom they leaked it."

Zhang Ananda bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, do you want to intercept?"

"No need." Li Shimin waved his hand and said indifferently: "Just stare at it."

"Yes!" Zhang Ananda bowed and left the room.

Li Shimin sat alone on the bed, looking up, and sighed softly: "Alas!"

……

Early winter in September, south bank of Luo River.

A long team slowly headed towards Zhengzhou.

Just left Luoyang and headed towards Zhengzhou.

The emperor issued an imperial decree, summoning the Crown Prince and Prince Jin to Dingzhou.

General Li Anyan of the Right Guard and General Li Junxian of the Right Guard escorted the Crown Prince and the Prince of Jin to Dingzhou.

In the shaking carriage, Li Zhi looked at the note in his hand, trembling slightly in great surprise.

At this moment, a somewhat rough hand reached out from the opposite side, took the note directly, tore it into pieces, and finally swallowed it into his mouth.

"Father-in-law, is this true?" Li Zhitai looked at Zhao Zhongjian who had just finished eating the note.

Zhao Zhongjian shook his head and said, "I'm not sure, but it's true that there are a large number of sick soldiers in the army. This is known to everyone in Pingzhou. However, all the roads out of Pingzhou have been blocked. If it weren't for my connections in Hebei, this news would probably not have spread."

"Stop it." Li Zhi suddenly became uneasy. He knew that if they really started to intercept the news, it would mean that something big had happened in Hebei.

But Li Zhi was guessing what the details were, but he didn't dare to guess too deeply.

"Father-in-law, Zhinu needs to arrive in Dingzhou earlier. Is there any way?" Li Zhi suddenly looked up and stared at Zhao Zhongjian.

Zhao Zhongjian frowned, glanced outside the carriage, and whispered, "With Li Anyan and Li Junxian here, Your Highness will probably have a hard time escaping. Besides, there's also the Crown Prince."

"I'm afraid it won't work in Henan. It's best to do it in Hebei, the closer to Dingzhou the better." Li Zhi looked at Zhao Zhongjian and said, "That way, my brother and the others will be relieved. I won't need too much time, half a day will be enough."

"There are bandit problems in Taihang Mountains, and perhaps we can create some chaos." Zhao Zhongjian looked at Li Zhi cautiously.

Li Zhi frowned, then shook his head and said, "That way my brother will speed up his pace."

"Make something happen somewhere, and then use political matters to drag the prince out?"

"The emperor is in Dingzhou, so you can completely ignore it." Li Zhi shook his head slightly.

"Then we can only attack at the post station." Zhao Zhongjian looked up and said, "When the prince is resting at the post station, put some drowsiness medicine in his food. It would be best if we also stuff two women in his food so that he can't get up the next day..."

Li Zhi's eyes suddenly lit up.

(End of this chapter)