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

Chapter 516: All the Gentlemen of the Tang Dynasty and Their Future Generations Must Not Practice Human Sacrifice (Part )
August fifteen.

The weather is starting to get a little cold.

Li Ke opened his eyes from the bed and saw the morning light outside the window.

After closing his eyes and staying awake for a while, Li Ke got up and washed.

At this moment, Li Yin walked in from outside with an excited look on his face. He came to Li Ke and said excitedly, "Brother, there is news. His Majesty has had the imperial edict drafted. After the emperor's burial, my mother will go with us to the official document issuance hall, and the imperial edict will be read out at that time."

Li Ke was slightly startled, his body trembling slightly. He turned sideways to look at Li Yin and asked, "Who told you this? Are you sure?"

"It's Prince Ji." Li Yin calmed down and whispered, "Prince Ji and Prince Zhao have always had the best relationship with Your Majesty among all the princes. Prince Ji saw Your Majesty and asked someone to draft the imperial edict that day.

Although it has not yet been stamped, the imperial edict has been drafted."

"Without the seal, there will be uncertainties." Li Ke turned sideways to look at Li Yin and said through gritted teeth, "Keep a close eye on it these few days. It's only eight days until the emperor's burial. Don't let anyone interfere."

Li Yan suddenly felt a chill in his body, and then he bowed to Li Ke and said, "Liu Lang understands."

Li Ke wiped his hands, then turned and walked out of the hall, saying, "Let's go. After today's mourning ceremony for our father, there is still a grand court."

Since the late emperor's coffin was moved to Qianqiu Palace, the emperor resumed the court session.

On the first and fifteenth day of each month, after offering sacrifices to the late emperor, the formal new moon and full moon court session began.

But it didn't take much more time to deal with.

After all, everything now focuses on the funeral of the late emperor.

However, after the death of the previous emperor, the emperor began to become more and more majestic.

After breakfast, Li Ke just walked out of Baifu Gate and saw a group of Turkic courtiers heading towards Qianniu Hall.

One of them was the Khan of Western Turkic Khaganate, Ashina Helu.

Ashina Helu also noticed Li Ke's gaze, turned around, forced a smile and bowed to Li Ke.

……

With a "bang", the black paperweight flew past Helu and then fell heavily to the ground.

The paperweight suddenly broke into two pieces.

The broken fragments flew directly onto Helu's body, and he was so frightened that he dared not move.

An angry emperor is never easy to mess with.

Helu didn't want to be the target of the emperor's anger.

"You've all gone crazy! You all don't want to live anymore, you all want to be buried alive with me, right?" Li Chengqian slammed the table, looked fiercely at Qibi Heli and Ashina She'er who were kneeling on the ground, and roared, "Duke Liang, Duke Bi, tell me, what have I done to you that you're being told to abandon your wives, children, and clansmen to be buried alive with me?"

Qibi Heli, the General of the Right Guard, kowtowed with a bitter expression and said, "Your Majesty, the late emperor treated me like a father and like heaven. Now that my father has passed away, I am heartbroken and unable to survive. I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to be buried alive with him and to guard the mausoleum."

Ashina She'er, the Great General of the Left Guard, knelt at one side and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am nearly fifty years old, frail and weak. I can no longer bear the sword in your service. Please allow me to perform my final act of loyalty today and be buried with the late emperor."

"Buried alive?" Li Chengqian's expression gradually calmed down. He looked at Qibi Heli and said seriously, "The Lintao prince's sister was found to be pregnant in March. What's wrong? Don't you even care about your wife anymore?

I tell you, Duke of Liang, if you dare to mess around, I will have the Lintao prince's sister change the surname of her son to Li, so that you... don't blame me for being rude."

The Princess of Lintao County was the wife of Qibi Heli, and she happened to be four months pregnant.

If Qibi Heli dared to be buried alive, Li Chengqian would let her son change his surname to Li. Although Qibi Heli's family line would not be extinct, the sacrifice would definitely be affected.

Qibi Heli was stunned.

"And you, Duke Bi." Li Chengqian looked at Ashina She'er, slammed the table twice, and then said, "Although Aunt Hengyang unfortunately passed away due to illness, Daozhen is still alive. He is only ten years old now. Are you really willing to leave him behind and go alone? Are you really not afraid that I will change his surname as well?"

Ashina She'er was originally the Khan of Western Turkic Khaganate. Later, he was defeated by Xueyantuo and led his troops to defect to the Tang Dynasty. He was appointed General of the Left Guard, married Princess Hengyang, and was granted the title of Duke of the Imperial Concubine's Wing.

Over the years, he destroyed Gaochang, conquered Goguryeo and Xueyantuo, made many military achievements, defeated Qiuci, and forced the King of Khotan to surrender. He was an important vassal general of the Tang Dynasty.

The Grand Princess of Hengyang passed away several years ago, leaving behind her only son, Ashina Daozhen.

After hearing what Li Chengqian said, Ashina She'er gently raised his head, looked at the emperor on the imperial couch, and then, choking with tears, kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, you sympathize with me and cannot bear to see me die. I know this very well, but the late emperor has passed away, and I am heartbroken. It is difficult for me to live any longer. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to commit suicide and follow the late emperor. If Your Majesty does not allow, I will only die in the hall now..."

After saying that, Ashina She'er suddenly raised his head and then slammed hard into the left column.

Fang Yiai, the Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Household, who was standing there, saw Ashina She'er rushing towards him and subconsciously reached out to hug him.

With a "bang", Ashina She'er, who was rushing forward with all his strength, hit the corridor pillar hard, and blood immediately gushed out of his forehead.

Fang Yiai, who was holding Ashina She'er in the air with great effort, looked at the bloody pillars with an extremely ugly expression on his face.

Li Demao, the Shaofujian on the side, quickly stepped forward, took Ashina She'er and put him down.

All the ministers in the hall were stunned when they saw this scene.

On the imperial couch, Li Chengqian stood up in surprise and asked, "What happened?"

"Your Majesty, nothing's wrong." Fang Yiai looked up at Li Chengqian, then at Ashina She'er. Although his expression was controlled, his eyes were filled with extreme anger.

Although Ashina She'er's face was covered in blood, he wasn't seriously injured at all. He controlled his strength with extreme precision.

Don’t ask Fang Yiai how he knew.

He was originally a military general, and was famous for his immense strength. So when Ashina She'er rushed towards him, Fang Yiai realized that Ashina She'er was not using his full strength. However, the moment Fang Yiai subconsciously caught him, Ashina She'er suddenly burst out with strength.

Fang Yiai was forced to burst out with strength as well, and then he hugged Ashina She'er and left.

In the end, although Ashina She'er bumped into the pillar, his injuries were actually very minor.

This bastard is just acting.

Fang Yiai cursed Ashina She'er hatefully.

The corner of his eye swept across Ashina She'er's original position.

Sure enough, Ashina She'er, Langzhu, and Fang Yiai were not in a straight line. He was specifically looking for himself.

This bastard.

"Your Majesty!" Ashina She'er opened his eyes weakly, raised his head, and looked at the emperor on the imperial couch with a sad face.

Li Chengqian stood on the imperial couch, breathed a sigh of relief, and then cursed fiercely: "Duke Bi, are you really going to frame me?"

"I dare not!" Ashina She'er struggled to stand up and kowtowed.

Li Chengqian sighed painfully and waved his hands, saying, "I understand your feelings, but the practice of human sacrifice has been gradually banned since the Qin and Han dynasties. This was the practice during the Sui and Tang dynasties, by Emperor Gaozu, and by my father."

Although human sacrifice was practiced during the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, it was gradually reduced. In the Qin Dynasty, pottery figurines were used on a large scale to replace human sacrifice.

"When my father passed away, out of selfishness, I chose writing as the most important posthumous title in the world, implying the ability to govern the world and bring peace to the people. Therefore, I gave my father the posthumous title of Emperor Taizong Wen. However, my ministers actually prefer to call him Emperor Taizong Ren."

Li Chengqian raised his head, his gaze shifting from Ashina She'er to Qibi Heli. He slammed the table again and shouted, "But you, Duke Bi and Duke Liang, what will your behavior today mean in the history books? You are simply smearing the word 'benevolence' that our father has."

"I am guilty!" Ashina She'er and Qibi Heli were so frightened that they kowtowed together.

Li Chengqian took a deep breath, looked at the two men, and said seriously, "The emperor didn't mention the issue of human sacrifice before his death, which meant he didn't allow it. So, I, according to the emperor's will, forbid you two from being buried alive with him. Are you willing to obey?"

"We are willing to obey your order." Ashina She'er and Qibi Heli kowtowed vigorously.

Li Chengqian breathed a sigh of relief, his gaze softening as he looked at the two men and said, "Deliver an order. Biguogong Ashina She'er and Liangguogong Qibi Heli are both loyal, brave, and devoted. Ashina She'er is promoted to General of the Right Guard, and Qibi Heli is promoted to General of the Left Guard. They are also awarded 3,000 pieces of silk to honor their loyalty."

"Your Majesty, we bow our heads in gratitude for your great grace. May Your Majesty live forever." Ashina She'er and Qibi Heli bowed their heads at the same time to express their gratitude, their voices filled with endless sobs and emotion.

Fang Yiai stood aside, watching this scene, feeling absurd.

His eyes fell on a column on one side.

Looking at the bloodstains on it, I couldn't help but think about it.

Would he like him to come once too?
……

Li Chengqian sat on the imperial couch, his expression calm. He turned to look at Zhangsun Wuji who was standing beside him and said, "Uncle, the practice of human sacrifice has been gradually brought under control from the Qin and Han dynasties to the present day. It's time to sit down and make a final decision."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji stood up in disbelief and bowed seriously.

"Pass the order!" Li Chengqian looked up calmly.

Changsun Wuji couldn't help but kneel down.

Fang Xuanling, Li Ji, Tang Jian, Yu Zhining and all the civil officials in the hall all knelt down.

They already realized what was going to happen today.

Many generals also knelt down.

Until everyone knelt down.

Including Ashina Helu standing behind.

"From today on, the practice of burying people alive with the dead is prohibited throughout the Tang Dynasty. Anyone found guilty of burying people alive with the dead will be charged with murder. Officials who commit burying people alive with the dead will be severely punished according to the law, and their descendants for three generations will be barred from official positions." Li Chengqian looked at the ministers and said seriously, "The practice of burying people alive with the dead is extremely cruel. My father does not approve of it, and I do not approve of it. No ruler of the Tang Dynasty shall carry it out."

"Your Majesty, we obey your command. Your Majesty's benevolence will last forever. Long live Your Majesty." All the ministers kowtowed in unison with sincere expressions.

Since the Spring and Autumn Period, the practice of human sacrifice has gradually been despised by people all over the world.

Although there have been some setbacks in the past, today everything has finally come to a conclusion.

……

Fang Yiai knelt on the ground. He could feel the great turmoil that would be caused in the world after this imperial edict was issued.

But that's not what he's concerned about.

What he really cared about was the emperor's astonishingly fast reaction.

Ashina She'er and Qibi Heli were obviously putting on a show, but the emperor responded in the most correct way in a very short time, which was also extremely awe-inspiring.

But is this really the case?
(End of this chapter)