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

Chapter 498 Li Chengqian’s Attitude towards Xuanwu Gate (Part )
On the Vermillion Bird Gate, Li Shimin sat calmly on a wheelbarrow.

Before his eyes was the prosperous and flourishing city of Chang'an.

Looking back at Chang'an, the embroidery piles up.
Thousands of doors on the mountain top opened one after another.

"This is my Chang'an!" Li Shimin sighed softly, looked at the undulating Zhongnan Mountains at the end of his sight, closed his eyes slightly, and sniffed the wind intoxicatedly.

Li Chengqian stood silently behind Li Shimin and bowed slightly.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Shimin finally sighed deeply. Then, he calmed down, turned to look at Li Chengqian, and said, "I'm not worried about Guanzhong. The people of Guanzhong have been blessed by the emperor for generations. As long as the emperor is not too incompetent, the people of Guanzhong will always stand behind the royal family. However, it's different in other places."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly.

"Luoyang may be the eastern capital, but the Hongnong Yang family has a great influence there," Li Shimin said with a slight sneer. "Although the Former Sui Dynasty has been gone for over thirty years, there are still many people in Luoyang who miss it, and naturally they hold the Hongnong Yang family in high regard."

Just as the Tang Dynasty treated the people of Guanzhong preferentially, during the early Sui Dynasty, both Yang Jian and Yang Guang treated the people of Luoyang extremely preferentially.

Even the fact that Wang Shichong was able to sit firmly in Luoyang was actually related to the fact that Huangtai Zhu Yang Tong was the emperor.

Later, Wang Shichong deposed Yang Tong and established himself as the emperor. In an instant, the officials in Luoyang fell apart, giving the Tang Dynasty the opportunity to attack and destroy Luoyang.

"The Hongnong Yang family has been entrenched in Luoyang for too long, especially in the upper reaches of the Luo River. They control river transport and manipulate grain transport. Although their methods are subtle, they pose a formidable threat to Luoyang." Li Shimin turned to look at Li Chengqian and said, "Chengqian, you must either subdue them or destroy them."

"I understand, son." Li Chengqian bowed seriously, and two names flashed involuntarily in his mind.

Wu Meiniang and Yang Yuhuan.

Wu Meiniang's mother, Lady Yang of Yingshan, was the core of the Hongnong Yang family.

In the previous life, Li Zhi made Wu Meiniang the queen. Wu Meiniang's real in-law family was not the Wu family at the beginning, but the Yang family.

This was a kind of enticement, to the point where, in the end, Wu Meiniang used the Yang family as her foundation to ascend the throne and become emperor.

Yang Yuhuan was also from the Hongnong Yang family, but she later went to Bashu.

Li Longji later doted on her so much and bestowed heavy rewards on the children of the Yang family. Now it seems that there was definitely a lot of political manipulation involved.

Li Chengqian now has a concubine named Yang in his harem.

Wei, Pei, Xue, Liu, Yang and Du, the six families each presented a beauty to the emperor.

As for what will happen in the future, it depends on the attitude of the Yang family and Li Chengqian's methods.

"While I was still here, they didn't dare to make any big moves, but they had already begun using small tricks to test us secretly."

Li Shimin looked up and said, "They have already begun secretly manipulating the farmland and population of the local counties. However, because they don't know your background, their actions are limited. But if you don't notice, then in the future, Heluo will once again become the domain of the Yang family."

Today, the only city in the world that can compete with Chang'an is Luoyang.

The Hongnong Yang family has already started to make moves, so their ultimate goal can only be to completely take over Luoyang.

An Lushan seems to be Yang Yuhuan's godson.

Li Chengqian's mind inexplicably flashed with this thought, and then he said solemnly, "Father, I have always been worried about the lack of supervision in the local prefectures and counties. Chang'an and Luoyang are fine, but in other places, I often feel powerless."

If Chang'an and Luoyang are compared to the two brightest torches under the entire dark sky, then all other states in the world will be much smaller.

The torch was small and the flame was dim.

The state is fine, and a gentle light can be vaguely seen.

But the county, especially the border area, was shrouded in darkness.

"Supervision?" Li Shimin understood a little and looked up and said, "So, you want to use Sun Fujia in the future."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian nodded heavily and said, "Currently, in the entire Censorate, there are only four Assistant Censors, six Palace Assistant Censors, and only ten Supervisory Censors."

The Imperial Censors report on all central officials and participate in the decision-making of judicial matters. Although there are few of them, they are under the emperor's watch and there are other officials to check them, so it doesn't matter if there are fewer of them.

The Palace Censors were responsible for supervising court etiquette and inspecting order in the capital. Chang'an was not big, so six people were barely enough.

However, the Censor-in-Chief is responsible for inspecting the country and supervising the local areas. There are ten Censors in the country, and each Censor is in charge of one of the ten regions. There are three hundred regions in the country, and the average number of regions covered by each Censor is more than thirty. How can this be possible?

"You want to add more people." Li Shimin finally understood.

Li Chengqian wanted to increase the staff of the Censorate.

"Yes!" Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Strengthening the Censorate will also enhance Sun Qing's understanding of the world."

"No one wants more people monitoring them. If the Censorate increases its staff, Sun Fujia will offend even more people." Li Shimin looked up and said thoughtfully, "Wait until he completes the reform of the Censorate, performs a few tasks, and is impeached. Then, you can demote him to the position of Governor of Yongzhou to allow him to gain local experience."

"Then we'll appoint you as the Minister of the Court and the Right Minister of the Secretariat." Li Chengqian bowed and said, "Once your uncle retires, let Sun Qing be the Minister of the Left Minister of the Secretariat to rectify the administration and clean up the local government."

"Then prepare for the next person." Li Shimin raised his eyes and nodded. "The rest depends on when the young people of Liu Rengui, Dai Zhide and others can come out of this situation."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian bowed slightly.

Li Shimin smiled. He was actually very worried that Li Chengqian would use Li Yifu to become the Shangshu Zuo Pushe.

Li Shimin didn't like this person very much.

……

"By the way, I also want Sun Qing to push for the palace examination." Li Chengqian bowed slightly and said, "Rumors of the palace examination have been circulating for several years. I haven't spoken up myself, and the other ministers can't say anything. But if I had spoken up, someone would have come out to stop me."

"You want to take on the pressure yourself, and then let Sun Fujia, the first number one scholar in this dynasty, personally carry out the palace examination." Li Shimin saw through Li Chengqian's plan at a glance.

"It just so happens that the Censorate is expanding its staff, so let him do more things. I just hope he can stick with it." Li Chengqian looked cautious.

Although Sun Fujia was a tough person and had served as the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple for many years, he might not be able to handle such a thing as dividing interests and offending countless people.

Li Shimin's expression calmed down and he said, "Emperor, do you know what I have been thinking about the most recently?"

"Please give instructions, Father."

"It's the legal system." Li Shimin's eyes became serious, and he said seriously: "The Tang Dynasty inherited the orthodoxy of the former Sui Dynasty, and was connected with the Northern Wei Dynasty..." Li Chengqian nodded slightly. His queen Su Shu had the blood of the Northern Wei Dynasty's Yuwen family.

In addition, Li Tai's wife, Princess Yan Wan, and Li Zhi's wife, Princess Zhao, both have some Northern Wei Yuwen clan bloodline.

"But, after all, the Yang family is too deeply connected to the Former Sui Dynasty." Li Shimin looked up at Li Chengqian, closed his eyes slightly, and said, "I sometimes wonder, how Xu Shimo was able to fake his death for over a decade and then easily sneak into Luoyang, and how Luo Binwang, a man from a humble background, suddenly became so famous throughout the country. This is not something that ordinary people can achieve."

"Your Majesty is worried that they have other means besides these." Li Chengqian's eyes turned serious.

"More people faked their deaths, creating more sons of Prince Yin and the King of Qi." Li Chengqian gritted his teeth and sneered, saying, "No matter what, this is all related to the Yang family. Even if they didn't initiate it, someone would go after them."

"They are the greatest threat to the succession of the Tang Dynasty's legal system," Li Shimin said softly, "especially after I die."

"Father!" Li Chengqian was suddenly startled and quickly whispered, "Don't say such unlucky things."

Li Shimin shook his head and said, "Regarding Sun Fujia's matter, I will issue an edict. I will say in my will that Sun Fujia should be allowed to expand the Censorate, and then you can let him take the palace examination. When he is attacked and you can no longer handle it, you can transfer him to be the governor of Luozhou and the pacification envoy of Henan Province, specifically to investigate the affairs of the Hongnong Yang family. There will always be gains."

"Father!" Li Chengqian was stunned, and the next moment, he knelt down on the city gate.

All the soldiers on the city wall were holding long spears. Seeing this scene, they all knelt down on one knee in surprise.

Li Shimin turned sideways and shouted coldly, "Stand up! Do you want all the officials in the palace to kneel down?"

"Yes!" Li Chengqian lowered his head, then stood up helplessly.

Li Shimin raised his head, looked towards Chang'an City, and said, "The Tang Dynasty will always belong to my Li family. Anyone who attempts to steal or usurp our throne will be killed without a burial place."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian bowed solemnly.

"Let's go." Li Shimin took a last look at Chang'an City, then moved the cart and turned.

Li Chengqian stepped forward and pushed Li Shimin down from the Suzaku Gate, then headed towards the Chengtian Gate.

Both sides of Tianjie were already kneeling with officials from the court.

Even though many words were not spoken, they all understood what was happening.

Entering the towering and reassuring corridor below Chengtian Gate, Li Shimin spoke calmly, "Sun Fujia, once he's finished dealing with the Yang family's affairs, he'll have established enough prestige in the court, and the people of the world will be in awe of him. In the end, whatever you want to do, just let him do it."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian nodded slightly.

"Protect him." Li Shimin looked at the Taiji Gate in front of him and said calmly, "Killing is the most direct and effective way to solve the problem."

Once Sun Fujia becomes a problem to others, they will kill him.

"I understand." Li Chengqian nodded slightly, then thought carefully.

……

Taiji Hall, the main hall of the world.

Li Chengqian pushed Li Shimin into the magnificent Taiji Hall.

Double-eaved hipped roof, glazed black tiles.

The corridor columns are painted red, and the tortoise and crane bronze weights are placed.

Li Shimin looked up at the Danbi.

Screen incense burner, golden brick imperial bed.

All officials congratulate the good fortune and all nations come to pay tribute.

The emperor governs facing south.

Imperial power is granted by heaven.

Li Shimin's mind flashed through all the events of his life, and he said softly, "Cheng Qian, take good care of my brothers and your brothers."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian bowed seriously.

"If there are any unvirtuous or unfilial people among them, they will be dismissed and imprisoned and will never be allowed to leave the palace." Li Shimin sat down sideways and gave instructions.

Shangguan Yi sat in a secluded corner on the side and recorded everything Li Shimin said.

"Your son obeys your command." Li Chengqian bowed seriously.

Li Shimin waved his hand, and Li Chengqian stepped forward, pushing him from beneath the steps toward the East Side Hall. He said with emotion, "In this regard, you've done better than I have. Even so, the incident from that year still gnaws at my heart."

Li Chengqian knew that Li Shimin felt guilty towards Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng, but he was probably more worried that future generations would say that he came to power in an illegitimate way.

"Justice is in the hearts of the people." Li Chengqian paused briefly, then continued, "I have always believed that my father was not at fault for what happened back then, nor was my grandfather. Even Crown Prince Yin wasn't far behind. The one who truly caused everything to spiral out of control was you, the Chao Ci King."

"You don't like Yuanji." Li Shimin heard it.

"Yes." Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Prince Chao Ci is a sinister person and lacks ability. When offering advice and suggestions, he completely disregards the brotherhood and sows discord both internally and externally."

Li Shimin could clearly hear the gnashing of teeth on Li Chengqian's lips.

He couldn't help but nod slightly. After all, it was well known that Li Yuanji hated the gods and ghosts for what happened that year.

"Prince Yin was a good man at first, but he had too much contact with King Chao Ci, and he became more and more cruel and violent, and eventually became the second villain. He was scheming in diplomacy, suspicious and fond of war, arrogant and extravagant, and finally he was not tolerated by humans and gods, which led to the great disaster." Li Chengqian said one sentence at a time, and Shangguan Yi wrote it down word by word.

Li Shimin remained silent.

He understood that what Li Chengqian said would be his dynasty's final conclusion on the entire Xuanwu Gate incident.

No one deserves to die when you are pushed to the last resort.

It is human nature to launch an attack on a military force.

(End of this chapter)