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

Chapter 523: The Emperor, a Lonely Man (Part )
Jiuyi Mountain is majestic and Zhaoling Mausoleum is solemn.

A huge bronze tripod stands in the corner on the east side of the mountainside.

Countless paper money, sacrifices, jade, and silk were thrown onto the bronze tripod, turning into countless green smoke and rising straight into the sky.

There are four other such green smoke columns in the entire Jiuyi Mountain.

With ninety-five percent, it goes straight up to the sky.

Li Chengqian stood behind the green jade table, tears in his eyes and trembling lips.

On the jade table is placed the tablet of the late Emperor Taizong.

It was filled with various offerings including grains, animals, and fruits.

On both sides were countless soldiers wearing black clothes and black armor, holding long spears.

Behind him were nine people kneeling on the ground: the Queen, the Crown Prince, Prince Yong, Ankang, Prince Dai, Changle, Chengyang, Jinyang and Xincheng.

The other one is Zhangsun Wuji who also has to go behind.

The other princes, princes, dukes, princesses, princesses, princes-in-law, and more court ministers were all lined up down the mountainside.

It is densely packed and extends all the way to the foot of the mountain.

Everyone cried bitterly.

Some people even pulled out daggers from their waists, cut their hair, ears, and faces, cried and swore with blood on their faces, and vowed to serve the Tang Dynasty for the rest of their lives.

More people were slapping the ground and crying bitterly.

"The late emperor, the late emperor!"

Endless wailing reached Li Chengqian's ears, and he tried his best to keep the tears from sliding down his face.

In front of him, thirty-six mourners carried a black coffin into the underground palace of the mausoleum.

They will place the late emperor's coffin into the underground palace and then take it out.

These thirty-six people are all outstanding young people from major aristocratic families carefully selected by Changsun Wuji and Li Chengqian.

After the funeral, these people's resumes will be immediately transferred to the Ministry of Personnel, and then they will begin to be appointed as officials.

Wanlang has always been the best choice for outstanding young talents to enter officialdom.

This choice is so good that it is even better than the imperial examination.

In fact, the fathers of these people were high-ranking officials of the sixth rank or above in the court, and all of them were talented people of the time.

Even if he doesn't become a mourner, he can still get an official position by virtue of his own title.

The only thing that makes mourners different is that they have once entered the tomb of the previous emperor and have some kind of mysterious connection with the emperor.

This connection allowed the emperor to trust them to the greatest extent possible.

Most of the mourners selected by Li Chengqian for his father, Emperor Taizong, came from the Guanlong clan, and there were also many others from the Hedong nobles.

The youngest among them was only thirteen years old.

In the coming years, they will become Li Chengqian's biggest helpers in governing the local area, and their loyalty to Li Chengqian will exceed that of others.

Even Changsun Wuji.

Li Chengqian looked at the deep underground palace in front of him and closed his eyes slightly.

His father, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin, was sent step by step into the deep underground, to sleep forever and ever.

All the scenes from the past appeared in Li Chengqian's mind.

He pacified Xue Rengao, Liu Wuzhou, Dou Jiande, Wang Shichong, Liu Heita and others, and made great contributions to the establishment of the Tang Dynasty. He was appointed General Tiance and was granted the title of King of Qin.

A slight sigh of emotion appeared on Li Chengqian's sad face.

King of Qin, General Tiance.

It was because of these things that the Xuanwu Gate Incident happened later.

After his father ascended the throne, he listened to advice and accepted criticism.

Internally, he governed the country with culture, practiced strict economy, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, allowed the country to recuperate and the people to live in peace and prosperity, and created the prosperous Zhenguan era.

He expanded the territory, defeated the Eastern Turks and the Xueyantuo, conquered Gaochang, Kucha and Tuyuhun, and severely damaged Goguryeo, for which he was given the title of Heavenly Khan.

This is his father.

For myself, I arranged for the earnest teachings of Li Gang, Lu Deming, Kong Yingda, Yu Zhining, Du Zhenglun, Wei Zheng, Zhang Xuansu, Li Baiyao and others.

It’s a pity that he was too incompetent and too impatient in his previous life.

Li Chengqian lowered his head, feeling heavy and bitter.

His situation at the time was difficult, but no matter how difficult it was, it was not as difficult as his father's situation during the Wude period.

His father was forced into a rebellion only when he had no way out.

But Li Chengqian, in his previous life, had very poor ability to withstand pressure.

Times are bad, and life is full of misfortunes.

Fortunately, destiny favored him and he had a chance to succeed again. He defeated Li Tai and Li Zhi, and governed the country for several years, even forcing his father to abdicate.

Yes, I forced myself to do so.

Li Chengqian sighed deeply. Not many people knew how much he had done to get to where he is today.

However, he was forcing his father, but it was also his father who was forcing him.

His father used countless methods to hone and forge him into a true gem.

Shining brightly under the endless sky.

……

Li Chengqian gently opened his eyes.

His father's coffin had been completely and securely placed. In front, another, slightly smaller coffin was being lowered.

When Li Chengqian saw this scene, he felt as if he was electrocuted.

"Mother." Li Chengqian said softly. He couldn't help but reach out his hand, but the surging grief completely overwhelmed him at this moment.

"Mother, mother!" Li Chengqian opened his mouth and cried out in a low and intermittent voice, sobbing uncontrollably.

Even only those who were not far behind him could hear it, but almost everyone could feel the grief from the bottom of his heart.

The four people from Changle, Chengyang, Jinyang and Xincheng were the same, crying bitterly.

That is also their mother!
Changsun Wuji was standing a little later, and at this moment, he was also crying uncontrollably.

That's his biological sister!

Only after serving as Sikong for more than ten years did he realize that his sister was right in not letting him be Shangshu You Pushe.

Look at the many people who have collapsed due to health problems over the years, but Changsun Wuji, who is still in good health, is the one who made it to the end.

Today, Empress Wende and Emperor Taizong are buried together.

I don’t know how many people burst into tears because of this scene.

There were definitely quite a few people who received great favors from Empress Wende back then.

Li Chengqian was undoubtedly the most grief-stricken person, but as time passed, he gradually suppressed his grief in his heart.

Li Chengqian has no regrets towards his mother.

He has done his best. At least Li Zhi and Li Tai are still alive, and their sons will be able to rule the world in the future.

Li Chengqian has no regrets.

The sun's shadow is slanting westward.

One by one, mourners walked out of the underground palace.

The two brothers Yan Liben and Yan Lide, who stayed at the end, retreated step by step and at the same time completely activated all the mechanisms in the underground palace.

With the fall of the Dragon-Breaking Stone, the entire underground palace was completely sealed.

Countless piles of soil were scattered at the entrance of the underground palace, completely erasing the last trace.

At this moment, everyone in Zhaoling Mausoleum burst into tears.

……

Li Chengqian stood behind the jade table, tears streaming down his cheeks.

But he kept his eyes tightly closed.

From the moment the entrance to the underground palace was completely closed, he closed his eyes completely.

The underground palace is closed.

At that moment, Li Chengqian felt that his heart was completely closed.

His father went underground and was completely cut off from the world of the living.

Regardless of whether Li Chengqian admitted it or not, when Emperor Taizong was around, he would share the imperial power with him even if he did not move at all.

Even during the year that Li Chengqian ascended the throne, he actually relied mostly on Emperor Taizong to keep the world stable.

But today, Emperor Taizong is completely buried underground.

The person who shared the imperial power with him is gone.

In the entire world, he is the only one who controls the imperial power.

He was alone.

No one else, not even the queen, not even the prince, not even Zhangsun Wuji, his uncle, would or could share power with him.

For some unknown reason, Li Chengqian felt a wave of loneliness.

It was as if he was the only one in the whole world.

A word inexplicably rose in Li Chengqian's heart.

The emperor is a lonely man.

Li Chengqian silently let down his guard and completely embraced this sentence.

Lonely.

He, Li Chengqian, is a lonely man.

From today on, he is a lonely man.

A lonely man who holds the highest power in the world and decides the life and death of countless people.

The only thing he had to do was to lead the Tang Dynasty to a more magnificent and prosperous era.

No one can stop it.

He wanted to do better than his father, he wanted to do better than Li Zhi, he wanted to do better than anyone else in history.

He wants to make the Tang Dynasty even more powerful.

He could feel the countless people behind him watching him, either overtly or covertly.

Zhangsun Wuji, Li Ke, Li Yuanjing, Fang Yiai, Ashina Helu, the envoys from Tubo, the envoys from Goguryeo, and countless ambitious people from aristocratic families.

But these people will become the steps for him to lay the foundation for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

In this world, his greatest pursuit is the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

Tang Dynasty, Tang Dynasty!
Datang!

(End of this chapter)