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

Chapter 426: Wu Mei Niang, the Female Warrior Replacing the Tang Dynasty (Part )
The imperial carriage slowly descended from Mount Zhongnan.

The retired emperor returned to the palace from Cuiwei Palace.

On the official road, the Jinwu guards and all the officials welcome them.

For some reason, when the ministers saw the retired emperor appear in the imperial carriage, they couldn't help but feel relieved.

During the period when the emperor was in power and the emperor was away, his ministers felt an increasing sense of oppression.

A heavy sense of oppression from the emperor.

One piece after another.

All the recent events, added together, have made the ministers more respectful of the emperor.

"You must have won over a lot of people's hearts during this period." Li Shimin raised his eyes from the memorial on his knees and looked at Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian knelt at Li Shimin's feet and nodded, saying, "Giving the slaves and servants of the world a breathing space, the common people of the world also felt relaxed, and the world in their eyes actually became brighter."

"What? Do you mean that the world was not clear enough when father was in power?" Li Shimin looked at Li Chengqian with a smile.

"That's not my intention." Li Chengqian shook his head and looked at Li Shimin seriously. "It's just that when Father abdicated, people didn't respect me enough, so they used Yang Yuzhi's case as an excuse."

"Apart from Yang Yuzhi, there are actually more second sons of each family. Although they all have an impact, your move is actually not that big." Li Shimin saw through Li Chengqian's cautious move at a glance.

Yes, although Li Chengqian used Yang Yuzhi's case to shock people's hearts, these were all within the range that others could bear. If he really crossed the line, I'm afraid someone would have gone to Cuiwei Palace to complain to the emperor.

Li Shimin encountered this kind of thing when he first ascended the throne, but as the emperor emeritus, he rarely had the power to do anything.

"I didn't intend to actually start a surgery." Li Chengqian looked at Zhangsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Chu Suiliang, Ma Zhou, Li Ji, Yu Zhining and others who were kneeling on either side. He sighed and said, "Initially, I just wanted to train the younger generation. After all, there haven't been many successful young people in recent years. I didn't expect..."

"I didn't expect them to be even more incompetent than you thought." Li Shimin glanced at the ministers on either side and said, "You are all quite old. Some will retire in five years, some in ten. It's natural for the emperor to look to the young to prepare for talent, but... you've been too relaxed these past few years."

Li Shimin's voice became heavier, and everyone immediately felt a familiar sense of heavy pressure coming over them. They all bowed and said, "Your Highness, we are wrong."

Li Shimin turned to look at Li Chengqian and asked, "Emperor, what are you going to do?"

"Let's get someone to clean it up." Li Chengqian spoke out the idea he had been thinking about for a long time, then looked at Changsun Wuji and said, "Uncle, what do you think about letting Zhao Jie, the deputy governor of Yongzhou, clean up Chang'an and deal with the somewhat absurd young people in the city?"

"Your Majesty, do you intend to let him hold this position of Yongzhou's deputy governor permanently?" Changsun Wuji frowned and raised his leg. He understood the meaning of Li Chengqian's words.

"Not often, after all, he's the governor of Yangzhou." Li Chengqian smiled and said, "But at the end of every year, let him come back a month early and leave a month late. During this time, he can clean up those scoundrels and let them study and practice martial arts in peace. That's all good."

Zhao Jie served as the Yongzhou Beijia for two to three months every year, so that the young people would be more well-behaved when he was around.

When he is gone, the resentment of those young people will fall on Zhao Jie.

This is not a bad thing.

Only through experience and endurance can we grow.

Changsun Wuji could feel that Li Chengqian had certain expectations for Zhao Jie. Even if he was not the prime minister in the future, he would definitely be the minister of one of the six ministries.

It seems that the two capable officials were an aspect that the emperor paid special attention to after he ascended the throne.

The Guanzhong clan has become too powerful in recent years, and all kinds of people are squeezed in, of varying quality.

Not to mention others, even Yang Yuzhi, at a young age, was already a Lingtai Lang of the Tai Shi Bureau, a seventh-rank official.

Others also have official positions.

Li Chengqian looked down upon people like this.

Originally he just wanted to clean up a little bit, but he didn't expect these people to be even more useless than he thought.

"If those brats are successful in the future, I will make good use of them. If not, I will transfer them to other places to avoid giving me a headache in front of them." Li Chengqian shook his head expressionlessly.

Don't hang around in front of me.

Li Chengqian almost shouted the words out.

"Zhao Jie is a good kid, and his achievements in local governance over the past few years have been quite good." Li Shimin sighed softly and said, "I still remember that year, when my father launched his rebellion, Duke Zhao Cijing of Kaihua County was in the capital with his mother. Unable to bear abandoning his mother, he fled alone and was arrested by Sui officials and imprisoned. He was only released after my father captured the capital, and later tragically died in the battle for Puzhou."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji nodded and said, "I remember the Duke of Kaihua, 'Ci Jing, a native of Longxi. The emperor admired her beauty and made her his wife.'"

Changsun Wuji supervised the national history and these things came to him at will.

"Yes." Li Shimin nodded and looked at everyone and said, "They are all our own children, so take good care of them!"

"Yes!" All the ministers bowed.

……

Before anyone knew it, the emperor's carriage had entered the Mingde Gate.

Li Shimin looked up at Li Chengqian, who nodded. Then he went over and lifted up the curtains on both sides of the carriage.

On both sides of Zhuque Street, countless people knelt down and kowtowed.

Those who were brave enough looked up slightly and could see both the emperor and the retired emperor at a glance.

Li Shimin smiled with satisfaction and glanced at Li Chengqian.

Zhao Jie and Li Chengqian alone have greatly strengthened their control over Chang'an.

But many people still haven't noticed it at all.

This is a game!
It was a game from the beginning.

Maybe it started suddenly, but Li Chengqian's methods were arranged quickly.

The crackdown on the powerful and wealthy has made the people of the world more loyal.

Especially the people of Chang'an, they saw it more clearly.

If the lower-class people are stable, there will be no basis for ambitious people to take advantage of, and no matter what they want to do, they will have to pay a higher price.

As for other things like rectifying young people, fines, and population, they are just processes and means.

The fundamental purpose of Li Chengqian's actions is to influence and control people's hearts.

Moreover, his methods may seem radical, but in fact, they do not touch the root of the problem at all.

Except for Yang Yuzhi who was severely punished, most of the others were second sons. How many of them would fight against the emperor for the second son?

As long as you give benefits afterwards, any resentment will be resolved.

A big stick in one hand and sweet dates in the other.

In Li Shimin's view, Li Chengqian's imperial skills have gradually taken shape.

The imperial carriage moved forward and slowly entered the Suzaku Gate. The imperial guards on both sides all knelt on one knee to welcome the emperor back to the capital.

As long as the emperor is still alive, he is the biggest ballast in the world.

……

In Ganlu Palace, Li Chengqian knelt beneath the bed and placed a memorial beside the emperor. He then whispered, "Father, please recuperate in the palace for a month, then go to Mount Li to spend the winter. In December, you will go to Mount Song to offer sacrifices to the gods."

"Has the specific time been decided?" Li Shimin looked at Li Chengqian.

"December 23rd, the day of the Little New Year." Li Chengqian paused briefly and said, "After the Fengshan ceremony is over, Father will have enough time to return to Chang'an to celebrate the New Year."

"How are the preparations in Luoyang going?" Li Shimin asked casually.

"We've been preparing since July, but that was during the autumn harvest, so many things couldn't be done quickly. Now that the harvest is finally over, it's a good time to mobilize the people." Li Chengqian said cautiously, "I will immediately transfer the King of Jiangxia over there to transport food, fodder, and military equipment from Liaodong, and also be responsible for the Fengshan ceremony."

The Fengshan ceremony at Mount Song is much easier than that at Mount Tai.

Not to mention, the entire level of etiquette will be lowered, and the court's expenses will also be reduced a lot.

"This time the Yang family was fined 10,000 kilograms of copper. The pressure on the court must have been reduced a lot." Li Shimin asked casually.

Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling and others also looked at Li Chengqian.

"Yes!" Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Yes, in fact, ten thousand catties of copper can only produce three thousand strings of Kaiyuan Tongbao coins at most. However, the court is not short of money. What it lacks is a reason to give away copper coins without causing the copper coins in the hands of the people to depreciate. Now with the copper from the Yang family, I can make thirty thousand strings of coins, or even a hundred thousand strings of coins."

The annual revenue of the Tang Dynasty was only seven or eight million strings of cash. After deducting various expenses, the remaining amount was only a few hundred thousand strings of cash.

It just so happened that this year, Li Shimin abdicated and Li Chengqian ascended the throne, and all the people in the world were exempted from land tax and rent tax at once, and the tax revenue was directly reduced by half.

Not to mention there is something to start a war and reward officials.

With these ten thousand pounds of copper, he can make a hundred thousand strings of cash as long as he operates it well.

Money is nothing more than confidence.

"Okay, I know it's not easy for you." Li Shimin smiled and said, "Go and get busy. I'll talk to your uncle and Prime Minister Fang for a while."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian stood up, then bowed and said, "Your son will take his leave."

After taking three steps back, Li Chengqian turned around and walked out of the inner hall.

Wu Meiniang was standing in the hall. When Li Chengqian came out, she immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, we respectfully send you off."

Li Chengqian didn't even look at Wu Meiniang and walked out of Ganlu Palace directly.

Wu Meiniang looked at Li Chengqian's receding back and couldn't help but bite her lower lip.

Was what happened that day really an accident?

……

In the Liangyi Hall.

Li Chengqian, with a calm expression, walked in from the side hall and finally reached the imperial couch.

On the imperial desk in front of him were densely packed memorials.

Li Chengqian picked up a book and thought for a moment. He looked at Dou Zhijie and asked, "How's the silk shipment going in Hangzhou?"

"Your Majesty!" Dou Zhijie stepped forward and whispered, "The Emperor's father-in-law has already sent silk mixed in with the gifts to Luoyang. Nine batches have arrived so far. The remaining batches will be three per month, and the final batch at the end of the year will be delivered personally by the Emperor's father-in-law."

Li Chengqian's father-in-law, Su Tan, the father of Empress Su Shu, is now the governor of Hangzhou.

"Settle all the silk before September this year, except for the silk produced by the imperial farm, with the rest to the silk merchants. Tell them that the remaining three months will not be settled until after February next year." Li Chengqian raised his eyes slightly.

"I understand." Dou Zhijie nodded and said, "I have spread the news of the Yang family being fined 10,000 kilograms of copper in Luoyang."

"And the secrets in the imperial farm..." Li Chengqian's eyes became subtle.

Dou Zhijie said nothing and bowed slightly.

A series of heavy and rapid footsteps sounded outside the hall. Zhang Da'an, the attendant, stood at the door and bowed to Li Chengqian, saying, "Your Majesty, the Censor Huangfu Decan requests an audience."

"Huangfu Decan?" Li Chengqian frowned and said, "Isn't today a day off?"

The Tang Dynasty had a day off every five days, six days off a month, and more days off during other holidays.

Because today is a day off, Li Chengqian went to Zhongnan Mountain to bring Li Shimin back.

There are only a few prime ministers in the palace now. After the emperor takes a rest, they will all go back.

The others weren't there at all.

Nor should it be there.

"Your Majesty, Huangfu Decan said he has something important to report, and he said it's urgent." Zhang Da'an bowed seriously.

"Announce!" Li Chengqian raised his head slightly, and Zhang Da'an immediately bowed and took his leave.

Soon, Zhang Da'an led a burly censor into the hall.

"Your Majesty, I, the Censor Huangfu Decan, come to see you. May Your Majesty be well and safe." Huangfu Decan stood still and bowed with a serious expression.

"Tell me what you have to say." Li Chengqian raised his head.

"Yes!" Huangfu Decan bowed and said, "I was relaxing at Qujiang Pond today when I occasionally heard children running around and singing a nursery rhyme, 'The Tang Dynasty lasted for three generations, the female warriors replaced the Tang Dynasty, the world was stable, the Fifth Lady...'"

"Alright." Li Chengqian stood up suddenly, staring at Huangfu Decan and asking, "Is this happening in Qujiang Lake, or somewhere else?"

"Qujiang Pond is southeast of Chang'an, but I've checked and found children singing in the northeast, northwest, southwest, and at all four city gates." Huangfu Decan bowed and said, "I too lived through this early period, so I'm naturally familiar with these prophecies. But now, everything else is fine, except for the addition of 'Fifth Lady'."

Huangfu Decan was previously the county lieutenant of Luoyang, and has only now been promoted step by step to the position of Censor.

"Fifth Lady?" Li Chengqian turned sideways to look at the curtains to one side and said calmly, "Qiu Shenji, go and find out who the Fifth Lady is."

"Yes!" Qiu Shenji stepped out from behind the curtain, walked to Huangfu Decan, and whispered, "Huangfu Yushi, let's go together."

"Yes!" Huangfu Decan looked up at the emperor, and Li Chengqian nodded slightly.

Li Chengqian calmed down only after the two people's footsteps disappeared.

He can't handle this matter.

To be dealt with by the emperor.

(End of this chapter)