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

Chapter 475: Father is dying (Part )
"Everyone step back!" Li Chengqian raised his head slightly.

Under the eaves, the palace maids and eunuchs on both sides all bowed gently and then carefully retreated to the side.

At the palace gate, only Li Chengqian and Su Shu were left.

Li Chengqian leaned back and slowly raised his eyes.

The lights of Chang'an City in the distance illuminated half of the space, and in the night sky further away, the stars were shining brightly.

"A few days ago, Concubine Wu secretly sent a message saying that the emperor occasionally suffers from amnesia, and even his hands and feet often feel cold and numb. He is weak and powerless all the time." Li Chengqian turned to look at Su Shu and said with a worried look, "And these days, the emperor's condition has become more and more serious."

Su Shu couldn't help but grab Li Chengqian's arm and asked hurriedly, "Your Majesty, has your Majesty not asked anyone to look into this matter?"

"Why do I need to do anything? Father is such a man that he would have noticed something wrong with his health without anyone reminding him. I don't know the result, but just seeing that Master Sun suddenly left Chang'an, I know it's not optimistic at all." Li Chengqian sighed lightly.

"There must be some explanation for this." Su Shu looked at Li Chengqian and asked, "Your Majesty is also knowledgeable in medicine. You must have examined Father's symptoms."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian nodded, then said, "In medical terms, this is called the Vermillion Bird Flying Syndrome. It causes absent-mindedness, restlessness, lack of wisdom, dementia, confusion, and paralysis."

"Is there a cure?" Su Shu asked with trembling lips.

Li Chengqian shook his head silently, then said, "This disease can only be cured by rest and waiting for the right time."

"If we do nothing, when will the right time come?" Su Shu stared at Li Chengqian closely.

"If the symptoms are extremely mild, it's possible to survive for twenty to thirty years." Li Chengqian turned his head evasively.

"Your Majesty!" Su Shu couldn't help but call Li Chengqian with an anxious look.

How could the Emperor's condition be so mild? He also had other illnesses and years of old injuries. If they were to flare up at the same time, I'm afraid... I'm afraid...

"One year!" Li Chengqian closed his eyes and finally told Su Shu the truth.

"The emperor will only be here for one year?" Su Shu looked at Li Chengqian with a look of disbelief.

Li Chengqian closed his eyes slightly.

Year after year, we have been talking about having more affluence.

He quickly opened his eyes and said, "This is also the reason why Father started taking the pills. He hopes that his health will improve under the effects of the pills."

"But...but my father already has an illness. If I use the pill rashly, I'm afraid it will..." Su Shu didn't dare to continue.

If you use the pill rashly, it will cause a conflict of symptoms throughout your body, and then suddenly... die.

Su Shu raised her head and looked at Li Chengqian while biting her lip.

She now finally understood why Li Chengqian had been guarding outside Ganlu Gate all night last night.

"But this time the pill looks fine, there shouldn't be any problems." Li Chengqian looked at Su Shu and said with a smile, "After this day and night, if father is still well, then this medicine can be taken for a long time."

"That's good." Su Shu breathed a sigh of relief, then said, "This medicine should make Father feel better for a while, maybe a year or more, but at least half a year, right?"

"Yes!" Li Chengqian nodded with a smile, but he felt a little uneasy in his heart.

This kind of elixir can only be taken for three months, and its efficacy will probably decrease. What Li Chengqian is more worried about is that Li Shimin is also taking Buddhist elixirs at the same time.

Of course, after being tested by Yin Wencao and Zhang Baozang, it was confirmed that the medicine was indeed harmless and could be taken.

However, how effective can a pill be if it is harmless?

Li Chengqian was a little worried. The efficacy of these two medicines was not as good as Yin Wencao and Xuanzang said, nor as ideal as Li Chengqian expected.

In that case, they would have to improve the medicine.

Li Chengqian sighed lightly. Today, he had tried his best to stop it, but to little avail.

As for the future, I am afraid that only careful observation and strict examination can make Li Shimin take the elixir.

Of course, there is also Zhang Ananda. Li Chengqian believes that Zhang Ananda will be even more careful than him.

But, there's this thing called drug efficacy.

Good and evil are not something that humans can discern.

After a long silence, Su Shu finally asked, "Besides Your Majesty, who else knows about this matter?"

"My uncle should know something as well." Li Chengqian shook his head slightly and said, "That's why my uncle waited with me outside Ganlu Gate before he left. But even I can't do anything about this matter, let alone my uncle."

Su Shu nodded gently, then snuggled in Li Chengqian's arms.

After so many years, they have become accustomed to having the emperor around.

Once the emperor is gone, the couple will have to face the whole world alone.

Su Shu gently grabbed Li Chengqian's sleeve, but her eyes fell on the memorial in front of her.

Behind each of the names above are powerful families, meritorious ministers, and generals in the army.

……

The drizzle continued and three days passed in a flash.

In the Liangyi Hall, Li Chengqian, dressed in a scarlet and yellow dragon robe, walked in from the East Hall with a calm expression.

Zhangsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, the prime ministers, the six ministers, and the generals waiting in the hall all bowed solemnly and said, "Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live a long and healthy life."

Li Chengqian sat down on the imperial couch, then looked at everyone and said, "Everyone, please stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" All the ministers bowed.

Li Chengqian smiled and looked at everyone, saying, "I just went to visit my father. Last night, he took the second longevity pill given by the Louguan Dao. Today, he feels much better."

"God bless the Emperor." The ministers bowed again, their expressions suddenly becoming much more relaxed.

Although many people don’t know the inside story, there are too many examples in history books of people getting into trouble after taking elixirs.

They followed Li Shimin all their lives and didn't want anything to happen to him when he was old.

"As long as the emperor is in good health, the eastern tour this year should be put on the agenda." Li Chengqian looked at Fang Xuanling and said, "Prime Minister Fang, tell Luozhou Chief Clerk Xiao Jun that the emperor and I will arrive in Luoyang around the tenth day of May, and ask him to make more preparations." "Yes!" Fang Xuanling stood up and bowed.

"There's also the matter of the remnants of Prince Yin. Although they were thoroughly investigated last year, there's no guarantee they won't stir up trouble again. We need to send someone to investigate." Li Chengqian looked at the ministers, chancellors, and generals in the hall, and finally said, "Duke of Yanmen."

Liang Jianfang, General of the Right Jinwu Guard, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty!"

Li Chengqian said calmly, "Go to Luoyang and clean up the ground there. I don't want any irrelevant people or things to interfere with me and my father."

"I obey your order." Liang Jianfang bowed again and then returned to the train.

The ministers' eyes fell on Liang Jianfang, their expressions slightly solemn.

There are two generals in the court who have never been very popular.

One is Qiu Xinggong and the other is Liang Jianfang.

Although they have made many contributions, their status in the court is not very high.

It was because the two of them killed too many people on the battlefield.

Although he didn't do much to them when the retired emperor was alive, later on, these two people rarely appeared on the battlefield.

However, after Li Chengqian ascended the throne, he attached great importance to Qiu Xinggong.

Not only did Qiu Xinggong become the governor of Yongzhou, but even his son Qiu Shenji became the General of the Right Jinwu Guard.

Xue Gu, Wu Ren and Tian Renhui could have been asked to go to Luoyang to investigate, but the emperor chose Liang Jianfang instead.

This means that the emperor does not mind raising the butcher knife when necessary.

"Oh, right." Li Chengqian turned to look at Zhangsun Wuji and asked, "Uncle, how is the situation in Xichang Prefecture?"

Zhangsun Wuji stepped forward and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, the Duke of Wei has returned to Xichang Prefecture and begun planning the construction of Qugou, the prefectural capital, while also increasing the mining of the Xichang Prefecture salt lake. Furthermore, Eastern Tuyuhun will soon invade Western Tuyuhun."

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "The Ministry of Revenue should make good arrangements for the allocation of grain and fodder. The various workshops of the Ministry of Works and the Imperial Household Department should increase the production of military equipment... The more publicity Xichang Prefecture makes, the sooner the Tibetans will send that batch of gold to Chang'an."

"Yes!" As the ministers bowed, they couldn't help but smile.

"Duke of England." Li Chengqian looked at Li Ji.

Li Ji stood up holding a sceptre and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty!"

Li Chengqian raised his head, looked at the misty drizzle outside the hall, and said, "It's summer now, and many counties have entered the flood season. Don't wait for that batch of gold. The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works must advance the canal construction funds and plans. I don't want to hear about a dike bursting somewhere one day, causing floods, harming the people, and ruining this year's autumn harvest."

"I obey your order." Li Ji bowed solemnly.

Since the end of the Sui Dynasty, local agricultural and flood control has been neglected.

After the founding of the Tang Dynasty, after years of renovation, the fields became fertile, the ditches were crisscrossed, and the world gradually prospered.

But in this kind of situation, if you are not careful, everything may be destroyed.

There's still a lot he needs to do.

……

At noon, Li Chengqian returned to Lizheng Hall for lunch.

The palace door is wide open, and the weather is dry and pleasant.

After Li Chengqian finished his meal, Su Shu walked over to his side, knelt down, and placed a memorial in front of him.

Li Chengqian looked at Su Shu in surprise, then opened the memorial.

There are six names on it.

The names of six girls were followed by their dates of birth. All of them were unengaged girls aged twelve or thirteen.

Moreover, there is one for each of the six families: Wei, Pei, Xue, Liu, Yang and Du.

"What is the Queen doing?" Li Chengqian looked at Su Shu in surprise. Although Su Shu had said before that she wanted to fill his harem, six at a time was a bit too much.

"In today's Chang'an City and Guanzhong, although there are many aristocratic families such as the Changsun, Dou, Wang, Dugu, and Zhang families, in reality, the six families that can influence the vast majority of Chang'an City's people are still the Wei, Pei, Xue, Liu, Yang, and Du families." Su Shu looked at Li Chengqian and said, "I know that Your Majesty does not want to use too many children from aristocratic families, but now is the time to be on guard."

What are we guarding against? The death of the retired emperor and the chaos in the world.

It’s not that Li Chengqian can’t control it now, but with the assistance of these six families, he can save a lot of effort.

Even if some people cannot achieve success, as long as they can remain sufficiently neutral, Li Chengqian's world can remain stable to the greatest extent.

"The Queen is also worried..." Li Chengqian raised his eyes slightly.

Su Shu nodded silently.

Although she had not worried about anything before, now, after knowing that the emperor's condition was serious, she was worried about every time the emperor used the elixir.

"Okay." What else could Li Chengqian say? He sighed softly and whispered, "May is almost here, and the beginning of May is the Dragon Boat Festival.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, all the kings, dukes, princesses, princesses, princesses-in-law, princes-in-law, and sons of each family were summoned to the palace to celebrate the festival with their father.

By the way, the Queen also takes a look at the people."

"I understand. Those who are too arrogant and aggressive will never be accepted into the palace." Su Shu nodded slightly. Li Chengqian still preferred his harem to be more stable.

"Thank you for your hard work, Queen." Li Chengqian gently held Su Shu's soft hand.

Su Shu smiled sweetly, they were one as husband and wife.

His world is her world.

……

The first day of May, Wuwu.

Shuo Ri Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)