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

Chapter 515: Xu Hui goes to Ganye Temple, Li Chengqian's new plan (Part )

The water flows quietly, and in the blink of an eye it is already late July.

The air has cooled down in early autumn.

There are only a few days left before the late emperor is buried in Zhaoling Mausoleum.

In the Liangyi Hall, the entire Jiuyi Mountain has appeared on the sand table to the west of the hall.

Li Chengqian stood in front of the sand table, with dozens of important court officials on both sides, including Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Li Ji, Tang Jian, and Yu Zhining.

"Your Majesty, the Zhaoling Mausoleum on Jiuyi Mountain is complete." Chang Sunxiang pointed at the entire Jiuyi Mountain and said seriously, "Jiuyi Mountain is located on the west bank of the Jing River and the south bank of the Wei River. It faces the Taibai and Zhongnan Peaks from the south, across the Guanzhong Plain. Nine ridges surround the main peak, forming a nine-five-square formation, supporting the Zhaoling Mausoleum."

Li Chengqian nodded calmly.

He had been to Zhaoling more than once and was familiar with the place.

"The entire Zhaoling Mausoleum is modeled after the city of Chang'an. Chang'an consisted of the palace city, the imperial city, and the outer city. The Zhaoling Mausoleum is the same. The mausoleum of the late emperor is located in the northernmost part of the mausoleum, which is equivalent to the palace city of Chang'an.

Zhaoling is surrounded by a wall with a gate in the center of each of its four sides: the Vermillion Bird Gate in the south, the Black Tortoise Gate in the north, the Azure Dragon Gate in the east, and the White Tiger Gate in the west.

Chang Sunxiang pointed at the entire Zhaoling Mausoleum and continued, "The other accompanying tombs are fan-shaped, with the main peak of the mausoleum mountain as the axis, distributed on both sides and in front of the mausoleum mountain. Like the stars guarding the North Star, they guard Zhaoling Mausoleum and the late emperor, just as the late emperor lived in Chang'an City, the Imperial Palace, the imperial city, and the residences of his court officials and nobles."

Li Chengqian didn't say anything, but Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Tang Jian and others around him all nodded in satisfaction.

Because if nothing unexpected happens, all of them will be buried in Zhaoling Mausoleum after their death.

That is also where their tombs are located.

Minister of Rites Li Xizhi stepped forward and spoke seriously, "Your Majesty, on August 23rd, Your Majesty will carry the late emperor's spirit tablet from the Taiji Hall, passing through Zhuque Avenue to the Zhaoling Mausoleum. Marquees will be set up along the way for the common people to pay their respects. The hearse will be carried by sixty-four mourners, with the Imperial Guard leading the way. The spirit tablet will be placed in the Southern Offering Hall of the Zhaoling Mausoleum and the late emperor will be buried there. Finally, Empress Wende will be brought down from the stone grotto and buried alongside the late emperor."

"Queen Mother!" When Li Chengqian heard the title of Queen, an uncontrollable sadness suddenly surged in his heart, and tears silently filled his eyes.

That year, his mother passed away first.

At that time, Zhaoling Mausoleum had not yet been built, so his mother could only be temporarily buried in a newly carved cave in Jiuyi Mountain.

Now that Emperor Taizong has been buried, his mother must naturally be moved out of the grotto and buried with Emperor Taizong.

Although this is the etiquette, as a son, Li Chengqian inexplicably felt that he was somewhat unfilial.

He actually allowed his mother's coffin to be disturbed after her death.

……

"Your Majesty, accept my condolences!" Zhangsun Wuji gently grasped Li Chengqian's arm and whispered, "The late emperor and Empress Wende were buried together. This is a happy occasion."

"Yeah!" Li Chengqian nodded vigorously, but he couldn't say anything.

Changsun Wuji looked at Li Xizhi.

Li Xizhi said in a moment: "After the late emperor and Empress Wende were buried together, Your Majesty led the ancestral tablet to the Taimiao and enshrined the late emperor in the Taimiao. All the ceremonies were completed."

After saying that, Li Xizhi carefully took a step back.

Li Chengqian closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He then looked towards the Zhaoling Mausoleum on Jiuyi Mountain and said softly, "Uncle, do you think I can also be buried in the Zhaoling Mausoleum after a hundred years, to accompany my father and mother?"

As he spoke, Li Chengqian couldn't hold back his grief again and almost burst into tears, but fortunately he forced himself to hold it back in the end.

"Your Majesty, the matter of burying the late emperor and Empress Wende is a matter for me and everyone else. Your Majesty, a hundred years from now, should have your own mausoleum."

Zhangsun Wuji raised his head, looking at the curtains on either side, then smiled and shook his head, saying, "A new emperor chooses his own ministers. It's a great honor for us old men to be able to serve Your Majesty for ten years. After ten years, it will be Liu Rengui, Li Yifu, and others who will accompany Your Majesty. Ultimately, it will be them who will accompany Your Majesty even after His Majesty's death."

"I still need my uncle to accompany me for decades. Ten years is not enough." Li Chengqian looked at Changsun Wuji sincerely with tears in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, please let me go. I also want to retire and enjoy my old age." Changsun Wuji waved his hand with a smile, but his heart was filled with relief. Looking up, Changsun Wuji said, "As for Your Majesty's mausoleum, we will need to start choosing a site after the late emperor is buried."

"We can choose a site, but we have to start construction first." Li Chengqian couldn't help shaking his head. He was still alive, and his own mausoleum had to be built. What kind of thing was this?

"Your Majesty, this is the court system." Changsun Wuji advised in a low voice.

"Take your time." Li Chengqian still refused, saying, "If we want to start building my mausoleum, we need to wait until the tax revenue of the entire Tang Dynasty is sufficient to the point where it will not be affected by my mausoleum construction."

When mentioning his own mausoleum, Li Chengqian felt a tingling sensation in his body, which was not a good thing.

"Yes!" All the ministers bowed in unison. Although Li Chengqian did not care much, the enterprising spirit he unintentionally revealed still amazed them.

"All officials, get ready to go." Li Chengqian was about to adjourn the meeting when suddenly a burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall. All the officials frowned and turned around at the same time.

Xu An walked in from outside the palace with an anxious look on his face. He bowed to Li Chengqian and said, "Your Majesty, something has happened. Concubine Xu, who was deposed and sent to the palace, hanged herself, but fortunately she was discovered by the palace servants and was saved."

"Xu Hui?" Li Chengqian couldn't help but frown and asked, "What is she going to do?"

Xu An bowed carefully and said, "She said she wanted to be buried alive with the late emperor."

"Nonsense!" Li Chengqian waved his sleeves and said angrily, "The Tang Dynasty is now gradually entering a prosperous era. The bad custom of burying people alive with the dead should be completely abolished. What is Xu Hui doing? Is she trying to bring shame to my father?"

"Your Majesty!" Changsun Wuji stepped forward and whispered, "Could it be that because she was banished to the imperial palace, unable to offer sacrifices to the late emperor, she fell into despair and hanged herself to be buried alive with him?"

Li Chengqian frowned, took a deep breath, looked at Xu An and said, "Issue an imperial decree to reinstate Xu Huicai. Allow her to go to Qianqiu Palace to offer sacrifices for half an hour every day after the daily sacrifices for the concubines are over, and then leave."

"Your Majesty?" Changsun Wuji didn't quite understand what Li Chengqian was doing.

"Xu Hui's dethronement was my father's fault. I don't have the power to reinstate her as his concubine." Li Chengqian looked at Zhangsun Wuji and the other ministers and said, "What I can do is superficially restore her status as a talented woman, but in the official records, she will still be deposed. After my father's burial, I will allow her to leave the palace and become a nun to pray for him."

After the late emperor was buried, she was driven out of the palace and became a nun. The emperor didn't care whether she lived or died.

Let's deal with this first. The ministers understood Li Chengqian's meaning and first ensured stability during this period, but also appeased Xu Hui.

As long as Xu Hui doesn't die during this period, it won't be a big deal.

"Yes!" All the ministers bowed.

"Go and make arrangements. Let her bathe and change her clothes, prepare some food, and then let her wait until the other princes and concubines leave before going to offer sacrifices to the emperor alone." Li Chengqian waved his hand and watched Xu An bow and leave. He then looked at the others and said, "Let's talk about the Zhaoling Mausoleum."

"Here!"

"How about setting up the underground mechanism in the Xuan Palace? I don't want anyone to do something disrespectful in the future." Li Chengqian's expression became serious. "What happened to the imperial tombs of the Han Dynasty cannot happen to the Tang Dynasty."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. We have made all the necessary arrangements." Chang Sun Xiang bowed with a serious expression.

"Your Majesty, when the Zhaoling Mausoleum was being built, Yu Shinan advised that the imperial mausoleum should be built in accordance with the mountain's contours, kept simple, and that a monument be erected in front of the mausoleum to indicate that no gold or jade was contained within. This would prevent tomb robbery." Changsun Wuji bowed and said, "In fact, if the Tang Dynasty could last ten thousand years, all these problems could be avoided."

As long as the Tang Dynasty lasts for ten thousand years, naturally no one would dare to touch the imperial tombs of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Chengqian took a deep breath.

Long live the Tang Dynasty.

is it possible?
According to historical laws, land annexation is inevitable.

Once land annexation reaches its extreme, it is time for a change of dynasty.

The fundamental way to avoid land annexation is to change the way taxes are collected and liberate the people from the land.

"With a clear political system, a stable people, and the obedient barbarians, the Tang Dynasty will naturally prosper for eternity." Li Chengqian looked at his ministers and said, "My lords, return home and perform your duties diligently. In this way, you can ensure peace and prosperity for the people. This is the foundation of lasting stability."

"We, your Majesty, will follow your instructions." The ministers bowed solemnly.

Li Chengqian lowered his head calmly.

……

In Qianqiu Palace.

Li Chengqian walked in hurriedly from the side hall. Looking at Xu Hui who was controlled by several palace servants, his face was full of anger.

Xu Hui, dressed in white linen mourning clothes, had a cut on her forehead and was bleeding.

On the black coffin in front, a spot of blood had exploded at the corner of the coffin.

Xu Hui actually attempted to die in front of the late emperor's spirit while she was bowing to him.

Li Chengqian was most averse to someone causing such a mess of life and death before Li Shimin was buried, thus messing up a good funeral.

Li Chengqian walked in front of Xu Hui, who had already fainted completely.

"Bandage him and wake him up." Li Chengqian closed his eyes and waved his hand to the side.

Xu An immediately stepped forward carefully, brought the eunuch, helped wipe the blood off Xu Hui's forehead, and then woke her up little by little.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Before Xu Huiren fully woke up, she had already called the late emperor's name.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, why did you die before me?" Xu Huiren woke up and subconsciously crawled towards the coffin. As she crawled past Li Chengqian, she suddenly stopped, then turned slightly to the side and looked up. Then she grabbed the hem of Li Chengqian's dragon robe and burst into tears: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, why did you die before me?"

Li Chengqian was stunned.

How is this going.

Is this a loss of consciousness?

Does Xu Hui treat her as the late emperor?
Several eunuchs around wanted to step forward and pull Xu Hui away.

Li Chengqian waved his hands and said, "Let her cry her heart out."

"Yes!" Several eunuchs immediately stepped back.

Xu An stood aside and suddenly waved to several eunuchs.

Several eunuchs immediately left the hall.

Immediately afterwards, all the guards in the palace retreated.

Xu An glanced at Li Chengqian, bowed, and then retreated into the west wing hall.

Before they knew it, only Li Chengqian and Xu Hui were left in the hall.

"Empress Xu, I have something to ask you." Li Chengqian looked at Xu Hui indifferently.

"Your Majesty, I am not wrong, Your Majesty, I am not wrong!" Xu Hui hugged Li Chengqian's legs and cried loudly.

Li Chengqian stood there, looking down from above. Xu Hui happened to look up, and as if she still didn't recognize Li Chengqian, she murmured, "Your Majesty!"

Li Chengqian glanced at the coffin on one side, then looked at Xu Hui below, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Turning around, Li Chengqian looked towards the east side hall and whispered, "Xu Fei, please follow me. I have something to ask you."

Xu Hui slowly let go of Li Chengqian, then stood up timidly.

Following Li Chengqian into the East Side Hall...

(End of this chapter)