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

Chapter 393: The Emperor Relinquishes Power, the Crown Prince Takes Power (Part )
"On March 17th, Prince Li Zhi of Jin was exiled to Qianzhou."

In the Liangyi Hall, Li Shimin sat on the imperial couch, looking at the ministers in the hall with an indifferent expression.

General Zuo Kuangzheng of the Left Jinwu Guard and General Tian Renhui of the Right Jinwu Guard stood out from among the generals.

Chief Censor Gao Zhizhou and many Assistant Censors and Supervisory Censors stepped forward from among the civil servants.

This was because of Li Zhi's connection with Tubo and the remnants of Prince Yin.

Although he said so, Li Shimin knew in his heart that Li Zhi was just being used.

"The son of the Duke of Xindu, who was murdered by the remnants of Crown Prince Yin, has been posthumously granted the title of Marquis of Xinyang. The son of the Duke of Dai, who was unjustly exiled to the Western Regions, has been immediately pardoned of all charges and returned to Chang'an to be appointed Deputy Secretary of the Dali Temple." The Emperor waved his hand, and Zuo Kuangzheng and Tian Renhui immediately bowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

Whether it is Zuo Kuangzheng or Tian Renhui, the two sons involved in this matter are not good people.

It can even be said that it is a waste that is kept at home.

Now, if someone is posthumously awarded the title of Marquis of Xinyang, his descendants can inherit it even if the title is reduced.

The other one was directly promoted to the sixth-rank Dali Temple Secretary, which is the end point of many people's lifelong struggle.

With the emperor making such amends, what else could they be dissatisfied with?

……

Seeing Zuo Kuangzheng and Tian Renhui retreating to their train, Li Shimin turned to Gao Zhizhou and said, "I have already said that Prince Jin Li Zhi will be exiled to Qianzhou. What? Do you really want to force me to issue an order to execute my own son today?"

The emperor's eyes narrowed, and many imperial censors fell silent.

Gao Zhizhou took a deep breath and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Your Highness dare not. Your Highness obeys your command."

After saying that, Gao Zhizhou retreated back to the train. At the same time, he secretly winked at the many imperial censors under his command. Everyone immediately bowed and then followed him back to the train.

Seeing everyone leave, Li Shimin breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Fang Xuanling, Zhangsun Wuji, Chu Suiliang, Ma Zhou, Li Ji, Yu Zhining and other prime ministers on both sides and said, "Since I fell ill the day before yesterday, my health has deteriorated. Therefore, from today on, the Crown Prince will take charge of government affairs in the Liangyi Palace. All matters concerning the various departments shall be decided by the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince has any questions, he shall report them to me."

"Father!" Li Chengqian bowed in astonishment. The emperor had never mentioned this!

"It's not unusual for the Crown Prince to take over when I'm unwell." Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "You should take care of government affairs first. I'll see what happens next."

"Then I ask my father about the affairs of the local governors every morning and evening?" Li Chengqian looked at the emperor pleadingly.

"Okay." Li Shimin smiled and said, "I'll see how long it takes before I can hand over all the affairs of the provinces and provincial governors to you."

"I hope it will be thirty years." Li Chengqian bowed seriously.

"Hahaha!" Li Shimin couldn't help but burst into laughter. After a moment, he restrained his smile and looked at the ministers and said, "Okay, let's adjourn the court."

"Yes, your Majesty, we respectfully bid you farewell." All the ministers then bowed and watched the emperor leave.

After the emperor left, the ministers could not help but look at Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian nodded seriously to the ministers and said, "My Lords, do what needs to be done according to the court system. I will gradually inquire about it bit by bit. Don't be impatient. Every policy of the court will have a huge impact on the world, so take your time and don't make too many changes."

"Your Highness is prudent!" The ministers couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Okay, go." Li Chengqian smiled and nodded to the ministers. Fang Xuanling, Zhangsun Wuji and others then bowed to Li Chengqian, and then left with the officials.

Zuo Kuangzheng, General of the Left Jinwu Guard, remained at the end of the group of ministers. He bowed earnestly to Li Chengqian and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for my son's matter!"

Li Chengqian smiled and waved his hands: "It's okay, it's just a small matter."

Zuo Kuangzheng's son committed murder and was exiled, and it was Li Chengqian who taught him how to take care of his son in the Western Regions.

Although his son's grievances have been cleared and he has been awarded the sixth rank of Dali Temple Secretary, they still have to remember Li Chengqian's kindness in helping him.

……

Gao Zhizhou, a disciple of Chengtian Sect, couldn't help but look back at Li Chengqian who was standing at the door of Liangyi Hall, and felt something was strange in his heart.

But soon, he shook his head and strode towards the Censorate.

In the Censorate, upon seeing Gao Zhizhou return, numerous Supervisory Censors and Assistant Censors gathered around him, all asking, "Zhongcheng, is this the end of the Prince of Jin's matter?"

"What else could we do?" Gao Zhizhou looked at everyone and shook his head. "Your Majesty has given up and will not sentence Prince Jin to death. Therefore, we can't do anything to Prince Jin in Chang'an City."

"Not in Chang'an City?" Censor Huangfu Decan raised his eyebrows.

"The Prince of Jin has been exiled to Qianzhou, a distance of three thousand miles." Gao Zhizhou looked at the crowd and sneered softly, "The Zhenguan Law has strict regulations regarding exile. We can't do anything to the Prince of Jin, but can we do anything to the officials escorting him and the prefectures and counties along the way? Send people to investigate. Anyone who dares to violate the law and help the Prince of Jin will be investigated to death."

Everyone immediately understood that if the Censorate investigated those local officials, those local officials would inevitably pass the pressure on to Prince Jin.

"Exiled three thousand miles, I want to see the Prince of Jin complete this journey step by step." Gao Zhizhou turned and looked south, saying softly, "The mountain roads between Bashu, Yunnan, and Guizhou are difficult, and there's miasma everywhere. How many years can he walk all the way?"

How long can the King of Jin stay in exile, and how long can he live?
Although Gao Zhizhou did not say the last sentence, everyone understood it immediately.

The King of Jin, who was well-fed and well-dressed, found it difficult to walk three hundred miles, let alone three thousand miles.

Three thousand miles, if one really wants to walk the entire distance, there are still countless mountain roads and countless miasma. It is his luck that he can survive for a year.

So, King Jin is dead.

He was not beheaded, nor was he sentenced to death by His Majesty. He died in exile.

Your Majesty had no part in his death. "With the Prince of Jin's life, the other princes should feel more at ease," Gao Zhizhou said, looking up at the imperial censors. "Your Majesty will offer sacrifices to heaven and earth and the Imperial Ancestral Temple in May to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Tang Dynasty. The other princes will return to Chang'an then. Everyone, keep a close eye on them to see if anyone has any ill intentions... Your Majesty's health is not good right now."

The imperial censors immediately became solemn and bowed, saying, "Yes!"

……

In the Liangyi Hall, Li Chengqian knelt under the steps.

There was no one on the imperial couch above the steps.

Li Chengqian looked to his left and right. The Minister of the Central Secretariat and Vice-Chancellor Ma Zhou, the Minister of the Imperial Household and Vice-Chancellor Yu Zhining, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat and Chief Counselor Lai Ji, the Imperial Censor Shangguan Yi, and the Recorder Xu Jingzong were all sitting respectfully behind the desks on both sides.

When the emperor was in power, these people would follow him to convey the imperial edicts, provide advice, and record his behavior.

Now, they serve Li Chengqian.

The Crown Prince makes decisions on government matters, but his words are not just a matter of words.

All the power in the world was concentrated in Li Chengqian's hands at this moment.

In fact, he only needed to ask the emperor when he felt he had some undecided issues.

If he felt that he had no doubts, then he did not need to consult the emperor on anything.

At this time, it seemed that the only difference between him and the emperor was that he ascended the throne.

Of course, this is an illusion.

Li Chengqian knew very well that he had no control over the North Gate Guards and the Eunuchs. In the entire imperial palace, he only controlled the East Palace.

Although he has power now, he is still very frivolous.

It’s just that it’s not so easy for the emperor to deprive him of his power.

He wants to do something.

Li Chengqian looked up and saw that Dou Zhijie, the Junior Eunuch, was already standing at the palace gate. He bowed and said, "Your Highness, the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple, Dai Zhide, the General of the Left Thousand Oxen Guard, Zhang Xuan, and the Imperial Censor, Li Qianyou, have been ordered to see you."

"Pass it on!" Li Chengqian raised his hand slightly.

Soon, Dai Zhide, Zhang Xuan, and Li Qianyou appeared in the hall and bowed to Li Chengqian, saying, "Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Long live His Royal Highness."

"No need to be so polite." Li Chengqian looked at the three of them and said directly, "I have called you three here today because there is something I want you to investigate."

"Please give your orders, Your Highness." Dai Zhide, Zhang Xuan and Li Qianyou all bowed.

"The matter of the Prince of Jin has been resolved, and we will no longer hold him responsible. However, it's impossible for the Prince of Jin to know about Gongsun Chang for no reason, so we must continue the investigation." Li Chengqian looked at the three people and said, "Especially the man named Wu Chang, who could very well be Gongsun Chang himself. Therefore, we must investigate every place the Prince of Jin has appeared.

Chang'an, Luoyang, Taiyuan, Jingzhou.

People were sent to investigate. Prince Jin and Wu Chang must have met before, so someone must have seen them meet. Find this person and make a portrait of Wu Chang.

Then the whole world will hunt him down and kill him."

The remnants of the Hidden Prince of Xuanwu Gate all deserve to die.

"Yes!" Dai Zhide, Zhang Xuan and Li Qianyou bowed again. Seeing Li Chengqian bow, they turned around and left.

Li Chengqian raised his head, looked at Ma Zhou, and said, "Ma Qing, please draft a letter for me to Wang Renyou, the governor of Songzhou.

He ordered Wang Fangyi, the military officer of Songzhou, to lead 3,000 soldiers to inspect the territories of the Dangxiang people and visit the banks of the Tongtian River.

Order Pei Xingfang, the Right Guard General, to lead 5,000 cavalrymen to follow behind me. If the Tibetans make any unusual moves, strike them hard."

"Here!" Ma Zhou immediately bowed and quickly started writing the letter.

No one objected to Li Chengqian's order.

The King of Jin was plotting a rebellion, and two parties were involved.

Tubo and the remnants of Prince Yin, they even seem to be connected with each other, they must be severely beaten.

Li Chengqian took a deep breath, looked at Dou Zhijie, and said, "Tell the Minister of War Cui Dunli and the Minister of Revenue Yan Lide to go over the battle in Kucha and the grain reserves of Goguryeo in detail."

"Here!"

……

In Ganlu Palace, Li Shimin was lying on his side on the bed.

Wu Meiniang sat aside and carefully fed the emperor a bowl of lotus seed soup.

Li Shimin finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Now, I can finally take a good rest."

Wu Meiniang smiled sweetly.

The emperor's expression calmed down. He raised his head and looked in the direction of Liangyi Palace. He said softly, "Mei Niang, have I been too harsh on the Crown Prince in the past few years?"

Wu Meiniang looked up in surprise.

(End of this chapter)