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

Chapter 497 Emperor, Please Renovate My Mausoleum (Part )

In the Wude Hall, Li Shimin leaned back on a soft cushion.

He turned sideways to look at Li Wu standing behind the pillars in the back, and said gently, "Li Wu is enlisted in the Hundred Cavalry Division. He is in charge of the Secret Guards, as you should know."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian nodded.

The Baiqi Division was a secret agency established by Li Shimin. It was used to spy on intelligence, kill people and exterminate families, and did countless things in secret.

However, even though the Hundred Cavalry Division was composed of the most loyal personnel to the emperor, it took too long to establish.

Too many people know about the existence of the Hundred Cavalry Division.

No matter how carefully you hide things, it is difficult to prevent someone from being vigilant.

So over the years, Li Shimin began to secretly form secret guards in the Hundred Cavalry Division.

Some of the information was hidden within the Hundred Cavalry Division.

The Secret Guard can be said to be a Hundred Cavalry Division established within the Hundred Cavalry Division.

This group of people is in the hands of Li Wu, who is the most trusted by Li Shimin and the most ignored in the court.

……

Li Shimin raised his head and said, "I know you are doing something now, Li Wu can help you to the greatest extent!"

Li Chengqian looked at Li Shimin intently. After a moment, he bowed earnestly and said, "Your son obeys my order."

Li Shimin sighed softly and said, "I want to go out for a walk."

Li Chengqian suddenly looked up and looked at Zhang Ananda on the side.

Zhang Ananda immediately pushed a wheelbarrow from the side and pushed it in front of Li Shimin.

Li Chengqian personally took action and carried Li Shimin onto the cart.

The wheelbarrow made a slight sound.

Li Chengqian personally pushed the cart and pushed Li Shimin out of the Wude Hall.

The sunlight at Chenshi is not very strong, and when it shines on people, they feel more warmth.

Sun Wukai, the General of the Imperial Guard, knelt on one knee on the ground. He didn't say a word, but his eyes were full of sadness.

Li Chengqian pushed Li Shimin past the Wude Gate and stopped behind the Zhaode Hall.

In Zhaode Hall, the sound of young and tender people reading could be clearly heard.

Li Chengqian's three sons, as well as other members of the royal family and children of powerful officials in the court, all studied here.

Li Shimin patted the armrest.

Li Chengqian turned the cart and pushed Li Shimin towards the Ministry of Personnel.

Li Shimin looked at everything that was familiar and said, "It's a good idea to appoint Zhang Xuansu as the Grand Secretary of the Hongwen Academy and the third rank official of the Zhongshu Menxia. As the prime minister, he will be in charge of the studies of the masters and the children of the powerful. This way, we don't have to worry about too many useless children in the future."

"Mr. Zhang is a serious and honest person. I was brought up by Mr. Zhang. As long as the royal family members are obedient, they will surely become talents. As for those who are disobedient, either throw them into the army or let them fend for themselves with the most basic salary." Li Chengqian looked forward calmly.

Officials of the Menxia Province had already received news of the appearance of the emperor and the retired emperor.

They quickly rushed out from the Ministry of Personnel, and then knelt down respectfully on the roadside.
Li Shimin had no intention of entering the Ministry of Personnel. He just took a look and let Li Chengqian push him forward.

"It doesn't matter if they fend for themselves, but you still have to give their descendants some chance." Li Shimin raised his head slightly.

"Your son understands that in the future, as long as you are a member of the royal family, you will have the opportunity to study in the inner library. Your son will try his best to balance the relationship between the close and distant branches." Li Chengqian nodded slightly.

"I am still at ease with your work." Li Shimin sighed softly, and before they knew it, they had arrived at Zuo Yanming Gate.

Exiting from the Zuo Yanming Gate, the Taiji Gate is on the south side, opposite is the You Yanming Gate and the Secretariat behind it, and to the north is the Taiji Hall.

Li Shimin looked up in the direction of the Secretariat, and Li Chengqian pushed him forward.

……

"I was too anxious about the Goguryeo issue, too eager to destroy it, which caused you to get anxious as well, causing problems with the overall strategy." Li Shimin sighed softly, glanced at the soldiers half-kneeling at the Taiji Gate, and said, "Fortunately, you re-employed Li Jing, and he pointed out the problem here."

Li Chengqian nodded gently and said, "Although what the Duke of Wei said is correct, it takes too long."

"It's just too long now." Li Shimin raised his eyes and said softly, "When the Sui Dynasty disrupted the Turks, its strategy was excellent.

They constantly support weak nations to attack and destroy strong ones, so that the grasslands will always be in chaos, so that I can have the opportunity to destroy them in one battle."

"Father, why don't you divide the grassland into dozens of small tribes?"

"Don't underestimate the grasslands." Li Shimin shook his head and said sideways, "The grasslands, like the Central Plains, have a characteristic: over time, a powerful tribe will inevitably unify the grasslands. This was the case with the Xiongnu in the past, the Xianbei and Rouran later, and the Turks today.

Sometimes, their rise will be much faster than you can imagine, and they will unify the grasslands at the fastest speed, so this method will not work."

"Just like our Tang Dynasty." Li Chengqian said subconsciously.

"That's right." Li Shimin smiled and nodded. "My Great Tang is also the overlord of the grasslands. The Turks, Xueyantuo, Uighurs, and Tiele have all submitted to the Tang. It's the same...it's just that we use different methods."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian pushed the cart through the Youyanming Gate and entered the Secretariat.

Dozens of officials had already knelt down on both sides of the road ahead.

Li Chengqian ignored them and simply pushed Li Shimin forward. Li Shimin came to his senses and continued, "Divide the Goguryeo into North and South, then leave some of the remaining people and let them fight with Baekje and Silla. Constantly weaken them, and at the same time, annex them bit by bit until they become a complete part of the Tang Dynasty."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian bowed. He understood that this was the most common and reliable way for the Tang Dynasty to destroy a country.

"The Eastern Turks don't need anything, at least not in the short term." Li Shimin looked up at Li Chengqian and asked, "Have you thought about the long term?"

"I've thought about sending the nobles of the Eastern Turks to study at the Imperial Academy, and then sending them to serve in the south." Li Chengqian sighed and said, "Without a leader, it will be difficult for the Turks to unite. Even if there is one, we can just bring back those who have been transferred away."

"They are used to the prosperity of Chang'an, Luoyang, and Jiangnan, and they won't want to stay in the Turkic region anymore." Li Shimin smiled and nodded, then said: "This method can be used step by step on the Uighurs, Western Turks, Tuyuhun, Tubo, and Tianzhu."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian lowered his head and said, "I intend to allow the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun to maintain their national prosperity, but completely strip them of their military power. All that remains is for them to gradually integrate into the Tang Dynasty."

"Be careful. If this goes on for too long, someone will see through your tactics." After a brief pause, Li Shimin said, "Remember to kill."

"Yes!"

"I know that west of the Western Turks, there are Persia, the Arabs, the Qin Dynasty, and countless other countries." Li Shimin shook his head and sighed softly, "What a pity, I will never be able to go there in this lifetime."

"I cannot go either, but there are always soldiers from the Tang Dynasty who can make it there." Li Chengqian nodded affirmatively.

"Too far."

"It's nothing more than food and fodder." Li Chengqian smiled and said, "As long as we can find the right person, the rest is just a matter of imitating Huo Qubing."

"Indeed!" Li Shimin followed suit with a smile, nodded to the Minister of the Central Secretariat Tang Jian, who was standing by the road with his hands clasped in front of him, and then said, "The rest is the affairs of the court."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian looked up. Unknowingly, they had already made a circle around the Secretariat.

Li Chengqian turned around, pushed Li Shimin out of the Secretariat, and then headed towards Taiji Gate.

Opposite the narrow and towering corridor is Chengtian Gate.

The one guarding Chengtian Gate today is General Li Keshi of the Right Guard.

Li Keshi is Li Jing's younger brother. However, unlike Li Jing, Li Keshi is quite trusted in the court.

Because his wife was Empress Changsun's cousin.

In other words, Li Keshi was Empress Changsun's cousin-in-law and Li Chengqian's uncle.

Li Shimin nodded to Li Keshi, and the moment Li Chengqian pushed him out of Chengtian Gate, he said, "You need to start training the next Shangshu Zuo Pushe."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian bowed solemnly.

……

After exiting Chengtian Gate, you will see the sprawling imperial city.

Most of the central government’s ministries and temples had their offices here, and many officials came and went.

When they saw Li Chengqian pushing Li Shimin out of Chengtian Gate, everyone was so scared that they quickly knelt down on the side of the road and kowtowed.

Walking in the middle of the road, Li Shimin said softly: "My fellow ministers, Fang Xuanling is old. It is you who should have him resign from the Secretariat as soon as possible. Otherwise, he would have collapsed long ago."

Li Chengqian nodded. The old ministers of the Zhenguan period in the court are now old.

"But even so, he can't hold on for a few more years. You should be prepared." Li Shimin looked calm.

"Yes!" Li Chengqian pushed Li Shimin towards the Suzaku Gate.

"As for your uncle, he seems healthy now, but he won't be able to support the Secretariat for more than five years." Li Shimin sighed and said, "After five years, his health will also fail. Remember to let him recuperate as soon as possible."

"I understand, son." Li Chengqian nodded. The reason why Zhangsun Wuji was still able to handle the affairs of the Secretariat with unimaginable energy after many old ministers of the Zhenguan period died of illness or retired was because in his early years, Li Shimin made him the Sikong, keeping him away from specific government affairs.

The heavy government affairs are actually a weapon for killing people.

"As for the others, Li Ji is too indecisive, Tang Jian is about to retire, Ma Zhou is in poor health, Yu Zhining is a counselor, and Lai Ji is too weak."

Li Shimin looked up at the three provinces and six ministries on either side and continued, "Yang Shidao is the most useless, Yan Lide is too straightforward, Li Xizhi is about to retire, Liu Dewei can't outlast your uncle, and Cui Dunli is not as good as Li Ji. So, you have to think about who you want to appoint as Shangshu Zuo Pushe before Liu Rengui and his group grow up."

Li Chengqian bowed his head slightly and said, "Grand Censor Sun Fujia."

"Him?" Li Shimin raised his head slightly and said, "His resume is not enough. If you want to use him, why don't you use Zhining?"

"Although Sun Qing and Yu Xiang are both ministers of remonstration, Sun Qing is more involved in practical matters. Moreover, he is the first number one scholar in the Tang Dynasty. I plan to appoint him as the Imperial Censor and Inspector General of Yongzhou in two years. He will serve in this position for a few years and will just succeed my uncle as the Right Prime Minister." Li Chengqian whispered his plan.

"What about Li Ji?" Li Shimin suddenly tapped his forehead and said, "How could I have forgotten that it was time to take action against Goguryeo."

"I will appoint Duke Yingguo as a special advancer, the commander-in-chief of the Andong Road Army, the pacification envoy of Andong Road, the protector of Andong, and a third-rank official of the Secretariat." Li Chengqian glanced in the direction of Xichang Prefecture and said, "Just like the Duke of Weiguo."

"Li Jing's son Li Dejian is your confidant, and Li Ji's son Li Zhen is the Imperial Charioteer, so they can also be used." Li Shimin nodded slightly.

Li Chengqian smiled bitterly. Li Zhen's health was not very good and he might not live long.

What Li Chengqian was a little worried about was Li Zhen's son Li Jingye.

He is not a reassuring master either.

……

"It's good that you have an idea in mind." Li Shimin, a member of the Suzaku Gate, looked at Zheng Rentai standing above and said, "I'm not worried about the generals in the army. I'm worried about the local aristocratic families. That's where Li Wu can be useful."

(End of this chapter)