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

Chapter 34 The First Prey: Shangshu Zuocheng Lu Chengqing

A disciple of Jiafu.

Helan Chushi, with a tall and straight figure, was wearing golden armor, a tiger-head helmet on his head, and holding a Qianniu sword in his hand. He strode out.

As soon as he stood in the middle of the palace road, a team of fifty Eastern Palace Thousand Bull Guards immediately followed him out.

Everyone stood behind Helan Chushi with their swords drawn, all dressed in red and golden armor.

Majestic and awe-inspiring.

Inside and outside the East Palace, everyone subconsciously lowered their heads slightly.

Helan Chushi looked around with a cold gaze, and the eyes that were watching him intentionally or unintentionally in the palace alleys were immediately forced back.

Helan Chushi snorted coldly, turned around and walked back into the East Palace, while his Qianniu Guards still stood there solemnly.

……

Lizheng Hall.

Li Chengqian wore a black round-necked robe with nine pythons and nine emblems in gold thread, and a black jade hat on his head. He spread his hands and let the maid hang jade pendants, bamboo joints and other things around his waist.

Heavy footsteps were heard, and Li Chengqian looked up to see Helan Chushi striding into the hall.

"Your Highness, everything is ready and we can set off at any time." Helan Chushi bowed loudly.

Li Chengqian smiled slightly, nodded, and said, "There are a lot of curious people outside, right?"

"Yes!" Helan Chushi bowed and asked hesitantly, "Your Highness, do we have to go to the Lu Mansion today?"

"Of course, Lu Qing is an old member of the Eastern Palace, so I have to see him off." Li Chengqian raised his head calmly and said, "Besides, I also want to go and see how many people will be there, and how many familiar faces there will be... Lu Hu fought to the death for his country, and the Eastern Palace must meet his widow and relatives."

"Yes!" Helan Chushi bowed and stepped back with a solemn expression.

Although everyone in the Eastern Palace is now speculating that it was Lu Hu who caused the prince to fall off his horse and break his leg, the prince has never publicly admitted to this matter.

Because in that case, Lu Hu's broken leg would really be the prince's revenge.

Perhaps this is true, but what actually happened was that Lu Hu's leg was broken by a pile of wood, and it had nothing to do with the prince.

The same was true of the Eastern Palace’s reply to the Secretariat.

So the prince spoke cautiously, but they all knew that it was Lu Hu who wanted to ruin the prince's future and the future of all of them, and there was someone standing behind Lu Hu.

It was this person who secretly instructed Lu Hu to take action.

This person is likely to appear at the Lu Mansion today.

Similarly, this person might be outside now, lurking around the Eastern Palace.

……

Li Anyan appeared silently at the door and nodded slightly to Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian understood that he was saying that Fang Xuanling was still on duty at the Ministry of Shangshu today and did not go to Lu's Mansion.

Li Chengqian nodded calmly and said, "Let's go."

"Yes!" Yu Zhining, Zhang Xuansu, Linghu Defen, Xiao Jun and others stood on both sides of the door and bowed their heads in unison.

Li Chengqian walked past the crowd with a steady figure, but the ministers vaguely felt that Li Chengqian's steps seemed to be a little faster than usual.

Huh?
The ministers were surprised, but also felt a little surprised.

……

The yellow-covered carriage stopped in the center of the courtyard.

The mild winter sun shines on everyone's faces, and their hearts are calm.

Dai Zhide held the reins, Liu Renshi stood behind Dai Zhide, Qin Huaidao and four Qianniu guards stood on both sides,
Li Chengqian walked under the carriage, stepped on the wooden step, and got on.

The curtain was lowered, and Li Chengqian's voice was heard: "The Chief Secretary can go with you. The rest of you, the ministers, will stay in the palace to deal with the matters concerning the Kaogong Zhi. That is the foundation of our existence."

"Yes!" Yu Zhining, Zhang Xuansu, Linghu Defen, Xiao Jun and others bowed solemnly.

Li Anyan stepped forward and took the reins from Dai Zhide, while Dai Zhide and Liu Renshi stepped aside.

The carriage slowly turned around and headed towards the palace gate.

Dai Zhide, Liu Renshi, Helan Chushi, Qin Huaidao and others followed to guard the two sides. They were military generals and there is no mention of them in the "Kaogong Zhi".

When the carriage left the palace gate, each of the fifty Qianniu Guards outside the palace gate had an extra horse by their side, and there were nine tall horses waiting solemnly beside them.

Yu Zhining, Dai Zhide, Liu Renshi, Helan Chushi, Qin Huaidao and others all mounted their horses.

Half of the Qianniu Guards took the lead.

Half of the Qianniu Guards fell behind.

Li Anyan drove the car himself, and Yu Zhining followed in the carriage.

Dai Zhide, Liu Renshi, Helan Chushi, Qin Huaidao and others rode on horseback to guard both sides.

There are no more formalities. The Crown Prince is only going to the Lu Mansion to offer condolences today. He should leave quickly and return quickly so as not to cause too much trouble to the people. ...

The carriage moved slowly along the palace road.

Li Chengqian was sitting in the carriage, the curtains swaying gently. In the distant alley, a green-robed official happened to be looking around curiously. He accidentally made eye contact with Li Chengqian. The official was startled and bowed quickly.

Li Chengqian smiled gently, then looked forward.

This was the first time he left the palace since his resurrection.

It was also the first time he left the palace since he broke his leg.

This time, I don’t know how many people were watching with wide eyes.

They wanted to see what Li Chengqian would do at Lu Hu's funeral today.
Especially Fang Xuanling.

Fang Xuanling was known for his resourcefulness, and being resourceful and thoughtful meant being suspicious.

Li Chengqian's eyes now fell on Lu Hu and Cui Qian. He was only one step away from locking onto Fang Xuanling.

In this situation, how could Fang Xuanling dare to act rashly?

Moreover, with his ability, even if he was in charge of the Secretariat, he could know Li Chengqian's movements at any time.

Li Chengqian smiled lightly. His action made countless people nervous.

Even his father, the emperor.

He might also be watching to see what Li Chengqian could actually do and whether he could catch the mastermind behind everything.

……

Amid the creaking sound of wheels, the carriage quietly drove out of Suzaku Gate. In an instant, endless noise was already overwhelming.

Li Chengqian smiled lightly. He was once again in the magnificent Chang'an City with a population of nearly one million.

This feeling is really very cordial.

In the palace, it seemed as if he was living in endless intrigue every moment. Once he left the palace, he suddenly relaxed inexplicably.

All the pressure disappeared without a trace.

No, the pressure from the emperor is still there, but there are now countless people sharing the burden with him.

Those are the countless people of Chang'an.

Outside the swaying curtains, the carriage had already slowly passed the Suzaku Bridge. At this moment, dozens of Qianniu Guards in front, behind, left and right simultaneously placed their hands on the hilts of their swords, keeping a distance from each other, and their awe-inspiring majesty emanated invisibly.

The people around immediately hid far away.

Inside the carriage, Li Chengqian's expression suddenly became solemn.

Once he leaves this palace gate, he becomes the most honorable person in the world except for the emperor.

Anyone, even people like Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling, had to bow respectfully when meeting him.

Because he was in the palace and under the pressure of the emperor, Li Chengqian had to act very cautiously. Whenever he made a mistake, someone would immediately report it to the emperor.

But outside the palace, the emperor's pressure was far away, and others could no longer use the emperor's authority to suppress him as the prince, otherwise it would be disrespectful to the emperor.

Outside the palace, Li Chengqian was the one who best represented the emperor.

His eyes became stern in an instant.

……

When the prince travels, he is protected by a thousand guards.

However, in the open and in secret, from the Qianniu Guards, the Jinwu Guards, to the Yongzhou Prefecture, the Dali Temple, and then to the two counties of Chang'an and Wannian, everyone must be on high alert.

If someone tries to assassinate the prince, they will be in trouble regardless of whether they succeed or not.

The prince's carriage entered Changxingfang, and countless people outside the square finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Inside the square, mournful music was played, white banners were inserted above the gate, and white silk was wrapped around the pillars and trees inside and outside the corridors.

The yellow paper fell lightly to the ground, and the horses' hooves of the Qianniu Guards had already trampled over it.

Then, the prince's carriage stopped at Lu Hu's door.

Waiting outside the palace gate, more than twenty court officials, some wearing white linen mourning clothes, some simply wearing white hats and silk bands on their arms, saw the carriage curtains lifted and immediately bowed solemnly, saying, "Your Highness, we pay our respects to His Royal Highness. May His Royal Highness live forever."

Li Chengqian stood on the wooden step, sat down calmly, and glanced at the people in the Lu family.

There were censors, deputy secretaries of the six ministries, doctors, secretaries of the nine temples, doctors of the Imperial College, and county magistrates of Chang'an like Cui Qian. Almost all of Lu Hu's close relatives and friends were present.

The leader was Shangshu Zuo Cheng, Duke of Fanyang, Lu Chengqing.

He was the most distinguished person of the Fanyang Lu family in Chang'an. Similarly, he was also the cousin of Fang Xuanling's wife, Lu.

(End of this chapter)