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

Chapter 512: The Heroine Wu Wang = Anzhou Governor Wu Wang Li Ke (Part )

Pass through Yiqiu Gate and enter Qianqiu Palace.

Seeing the black coffin placed steadily in the center of the hall, Li Chengqian finally couldn't help himself and knelt down, then cried out in grief: "Father!"

"The late emperor!" Everyone inside and outside the hall knelt down and cried softly.

After crying for fifteen times, everyone inside and outside gradually stopped crying and wiped away their tears.

Although Li Chengqian's expression was still trembling, he still stood up and lit three incense sticks in front of the ancestral tablet. Then he turned to look at the ministers and said, "From today on, all officials and wives will wake up early every day to offer a mournful sacrifice once."

"We obey your command." Everyone inside and outside kowtowed in unison.

"From today on, all the princesses, consorts, and princes-in-law no longer need to stay in the palace every night. You can worship during the day." Li Chengqian looked at the many female relatives and the princess.

"We obey your order." The princesses, consorts and princes-in-law all bowed.

"The rest will follow the same rules as before. Each of the princes will leave three people to keep vigil with me each day, and the others will rest at night." Li Chengqian paused, then continued, "Also, since my father has passed away, the people of Chang'an are so sincerely filial. I have decreed that the people of Chang'an will be exempted from taxes for one year."

"We obey your order. Your Majesty will be benevolent and filial forever." Everyone bowed.

Li Chengqian smiled bitterly. Just as he was about to speak, a voice came from the side: "Ugh... Ugh... Ugh..."

Li Chengqian turned around suddenly and his eyes fell on Su Yi who was standing beside him.

She was seen holding her chest and retching continuously.

Li Chengqian was a little stunned.

Su Shu was the first to react and said, "Imperial Physician, why don't you come over and help Concubine Su feel her pulse!"

"Yes!" Zhang Baozang walked out from behind, bowed, and walked quickly forward.

Coming to Su Yi, he carefully placed his right hand on her pulse. After listening for a while, Zhang Baozang turned around in surprise and bowed to Li Chengqian, saying, "Your Majesty, Concubine Su is pregnant and has been pregnant for more than a month."

"One month?" Li Chengqian asked subconsciously.

Su Shu stood to one side and whispered, "Your Majesty, it was before the late emperor became seriously ill."

"I got pregnant before my father became seriously ill." Li Chengqian turned sideways to look at Su Yi and smiled softly: "This is a happy event!"

Although the emperor's voice was low, all the ministers in the hall heard it clearly. They breathed a sigh of relief and kowtowed immediately, saying, "Your Majesty, we congratulate you on your great joy and wish you a long and healthy life."

"This is because my father's spirit in heaven is blessing me!" Li Chengqian stood there with his head raised, his eyes full of tears.

All the ministers kowtowed with emotion and said, "The late emperor has issued an order to protect Your Majesty and the Great Tang. May the late emperor live forever and the Great Tang Dynasty endure forever. We congratulate Your Majesty and the Great Tang."

This is a happy event.

This is auspicious.

In the Lizheng Hall, Li Chengqian and Su Shu placed Su Yi in the west wing hall.

The maid brought the pregnancy-preserving medicine.

Li Xiang, Li Jue, Li Yu, and Princess Ankang all stood outside the palace, looking in curiously.

Li Chengqian looked at the four children and scratched his head slightly.

Su Yi has been helping Su Shu take care of the children over the years. Now that she is pregnant, these four guys hope she doesn't get into trouble.

Li Chengqian whispered a few words of advice, then walked out of the west side hall and said to Su Shu, "Yier is fine for now, but she can't stay in Lizheng Hall for a long time."

"If we have to move, we have to wait until the harem is vacated. That will happen after our father is buried." Su Shu frowned slightly and asked, "Who of our father's concubines will leave the palace to accompany the princes to their fiefdoms, who will leave the palace to become monks, and who will be relocated elsewhere? Your Majesty has been busy recently. I have compiled a preliminary list. Your Majesty, please take a look and decide when to make the final decision."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian nodded, looked at the children, and said, "Yier is pregnant now. Everything is fine now with the emperor's funeral. After the emperor's burial, someone will be needed to help the queen take care of them, especially in case the queen has another child."

Su Shu rolled her eyes at Li Chengqian, then asked, "Who does Your Majesty want to instruct?"

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "I haven't decided yet... This kind of thing can't be decided too quickly, otherwise it will easily cause trouble. I will announce everything after my father is buried."

Su Shu immediately understood that it was too early to announce it now. Who knows what some people would do in order to stay.

Wait a minute and see first.

"Alright, Queen, please take care of Yi'er first. I'll go to Qianqiu Palace." Li Chengqian smiled with rare joy and said, "Father's body has been moved, and Yi'er is pregnant. This is Father blessing the Tang Dynasty and me. This is a happy event."

"Yes!" Su Shu nodded and bowed, saying, "Farewell, Your Majesty!"

"Yeah!" Li Chengqian smiled, then turned and left Lizheng Hall.

Walking out of Xianchun Gate and looking at the Liangyi Hall in front of him, Li Chengqian couldn't help laughing again.

Su Yi is pregnant today, and the timing is just right.

This added a touch of bright color to the already depressing and sad atmosphere in Chang'an due to the death of the previous emperor.

And all of this will gradually become clear with the burial of the late emperor.

……

Li Chengqian, a disciple of Ganlu Sect, walked calmly towards Ganlu Palace.

Zhang Ananda followed closely beside him, holding a lantern in his hand to light the way ahead.

Li Chengqian stepped into Ganlu Palace. Wu Meiniang, dressed in white linen mourning clothes and with her face bare, and the many maids in the palace all saluted Li Chengqian and said, "Your Majesty."

"Yeah!" Li Chengqian glanced at Wu Meiniang, then walked straight past her.

But inadvertently, Li Chengqian subconsciously touched his left sleeve, where there was a list.

List of people who left the palace to become monks.

Wu Meiniang is not among them because she is a third-rank concubine.

She can stay in the palace.

However, the choice of how to stay in the palace and how to place her was entirely in Li Chengqian's hands. He could choose to let Wu Meiniang stay temporarily under the pretext of taking care of the princes and princesses, or he could force her to become a nun in the Taiqing Palace in the harem.

Looking at Li Chengqian walking straight towards the back hall, the nervous Wu Meiniang breathed a sigh of relief.

However, there was some uneasiness in her eyes.

Although she is now a concubine, this does not guarantee that she will not be sent out of the palace and forced to become a nun.

……

There is a study on the east side of the rear hall of Ganlu Hall.

Li Chengqian walked into the study, subconsciously looked around, frowned and asked, "Has no one else been here?"

"No." Zhang Ananda bowed and said, "Even Concubine Wu would not be allowed to enter this study. If she offends, she will die. This old servant warned her long ago."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly. Wu Meiniang was now a concubine, so there was no need to take risks.

The most important thing is that Wu Meiniang now needs to please them, instead of doing something random and asking for her own death.

No one pushed her to death.

Li Chengqian walked into the study and looked at the densely packed books on the shelves on both sides. He asked, "What secrets are there?"

"Hidden here are secrets held solely by the late emperor." Zhang Ananda bowed, pointing to the bookshelf on the left, and said, "Above here are the memorials submitted to the late emperor by all retired officials after returning to their hometowns. They contain a lot of information about the local situation..."

"I understand." Li Chengqian nodded, then said with emotion: "Father is keeping an eye on the local governance situation through the eyes of retired officials."

"Yes!" Zhang Ananda cupped his hands and said, "But now that the late emperor has passed away, these things..."

"I will write a reply later. This clue must be grasped firmly." Li Chengqian's eyes were cold. He was not afraid of any enemy who opposed him face to face. What he was afraid of were those moles who secretly stole local money and grain and stole his power in disguise.

"These are some covert personnel outside of the Hundred Cavalry Division and the Secret Guard." After a brief pause, Zhang Ananda bowed and said, "Over the years, the Hundred Cavalry Division has been infiltrated by some, and no matter how hard we try, it's been difficult to completely eliminate. That's why the late emperor prepared the Secret Guard. In addition to the Secret Guard, there are also some other personnel."

"These people are unknown even to the secret guards." Li Chengqian nodded slowly. These people can play a role that almost turns the tide at the critical moment.

……

Li Chengqian walked to the desk and sat down. Looking at the letter in front of him, he looked up at Zhang Ananda.

Zhang Ananda bowed and said, "This was specially left for Your Majesty by the late Emperor. I don't know what's inside it."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, Zhang Ananda bowed, and then left the study.

Only then did Li Chengqian lower his head and open the envelope.

As soon as he opened the envelope and took a look, Li Chengqian's face changed drastically...

After a long time, Li Chengqian slowly put down the secret letter in his hand.

Many of these were instructed to him by Li Shimin.

But two things are most important.

One of them was a secret box under Li Chengqian's feet.

The dozens of secret books in the box recorded Li Shimin's opinions, evaluations and character analysis of all officials above the fourth rank in the court, including all the ministers, secretaries, ministers, provincial governors, and generals. Occasionally, it even recorded the mistakes some of them made in unknown places.

Of course, it was a big mistake and the ones that needed to be dealt with have already been dealt with.

Some minor mistakes, but all the flaws in character were also recorded.

Finally, there are some suspicions that the other party did it very secretly and did not leave any traces.

But this little doubt was enough for the emperor to completely change his future plans.

There are also a few people among them whom Li Chengqian trusts very much.

Some secret things that even Li Chengqian didn't know.

These things are enough for Li Chengqian to make as few mistakes as possible when appointing and dismissing officials in the future.

Don't take detours.

The second thing was Li Shimin's investigation into the prophecy that "the Tang Dynasty will last for three generations, and a female ruler, King Wu, will succeed the Tang Dynasty."

In addition to the Hundred Cavalry Division and the Secret Guards, there are also investigations by spies in various places.

All are summarized.

There are even some people who are still investigating at this moment.

Because until now, the person corresponding to this prophecy has not been found.

Li Chengqian bent down, opened the secret compartment according to the instructions in the secret letter, and then took out the secret box from it.

When you open it, you will see secret books inside.

Li Chengqian picked up a book and read it carefully page by page.

……

When Zhang Ananda heard the emperor's call, he immediately turned around and walked into the study.

The black box was placed to one side.

Zhang Ananda didn't even glance at him, but bowed to Li Chengqian and said, "Your Majesty!"

Li Chengqian put down the secret book in his hand, then looked at Zhang Ananda and said, "I really didn't expect that my father would even investigate the King of Wu about the fact that 'the Tang Dynasty lasted for three generations, and a female ruler, King Wu, succeeded the Tang Dynasty'?"

Zhang Ananda bowed and said, "The late emperor said that maybe that bastard Yuan Tiangang didn't explain clearly. He might be referring to the King of Wu... The Tang Dynasty lasted for three generations, and a female ruler, the King of Wu, succeeded the Tang Dynasty. And the female ruler wasn't necessarily a woman, she could have been a local prefecture or county with the word 'woman' in it."

"The governor of Anzhou ten years ago seemed to be Prince Wu Li Ke." Li Chengqian murmured softly.

(End of this chapter)