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

Chapter 558: The Eternal Conspiracy, Dismembering the Family (Part )
In Ganlu Palace, Li Chengqian sat on a short couch.

Changsun Wuji knelt down below.

"Of course, Yuan Tiangang's followers couldn't have been too numerous. Although the assassination attempt that day involved assassins, they couldn't have been Yuan Tiangang's actual men. Therefore, there must have been other people involved in Yuan Tiangang's scheme." After a brief pause, Changsun Wuji continued, "For example, the descendants of Wang Shichong, Li Mi, Dou Jiande, and Fu Gongju."

Li Chengqian looked up in surprise: "Do these people still have descendants?"

"Yes, especially in the Jiangnan area. The Hundred Cavalry Division has been hunting down these people there for years." Changsun Wuji sneered softly and said, "There are also some who are secretly supported by the local aristocratic families left over from the Liang and Chen dynasties, but these people are mostly looking for benefits."

"The bandits in Taihang Mountain and the water bandits in the lakes of Jiangnan, these are the people." Li Chengqian understood a little.

The Taihang Mountains are deep and vast, and some people can survive by hiding in the mountains and never coming out.

There are lakes and mists everywhere in the south of the Yangtze River. It is not easy to strangle them completely.

"There are also many bandits deep in the Tianmu Mountains between Wuzhou and Shezhou." Changsun Wuji smiled and said, "Just as Your Majesty said, if we block the roads out of the mountains, these people will rot in the mountains. After three or two generations, they will no longer harbor hatred towards the Tang Dynasty and will simply become genuine mountain dwellers."

"That's right." Li Chengqian relaxed, then casually asked, "But uncle, it's strange that these people and Yuan Tiangang's group can actually get together. To me, they always have the vibe of a makeshift group. And judging by their behavior, even if they succeed in the future, they will kill each other."

"Your Majesty is right." Changsun Wuji nodded with amusement and said, "They are probably just a loose alliance. When there is a need, they join forces to do something, and when there is nothing else, they just disperse on their own."

"So, there's no threat posed by any single aristocratic family." Li Chengqian couldn't help but ponder. He looked at Changsun Wuji and said, "Uncle, if I were to describe their situation, perhaps it would be more accurate to call them a sect."

Li Chengqian silently uttered two words in his heart: Demonic Cult.

"One is divided into pieces, but for some reason they are united." Li Chengqian smiled and said, "They are united because they have a common enemy."

Zhang Sun Wuji thought about it for a moment, then nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right, but how do we deal with them?"

"The Yang family." Li Chengqian raised his hand, took the tea handed to him by Zhang Ananda, took a sip, and then continued, "A sect like this needs to operate within the territory of the Tang Dynasty. Money, travel permits, and all other matters require people to cover up, and this is what the Yang family does."

"Your Majesty means to investigate the flow of personnel and money in the Yang family." Changsun Wuji nodded slowly.

"As long as we can find the exact location, we'll dispatch someone from the Yang family to oversee the execution." Li Chengqian looked at Zhangsun Wuji and said, "Just assign someone to keep an eye on it."

The Yang family's connection with such people is ultimately a hidden danger, so this connection must be severed sooner or later.

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji nodded. This was inevitable. Then, he looked at Li Chengqian and asked, "Your Majesty, what about Yang?"

"The Hongnong Yang Clan!" Li Chengqian sighed softly, then smiled and said, "Before, I might have tried to let the Yang Clan and those people kill each other, occasionally giving them a chance to kill one or two of the Yang Clan's direct descendants when the Yang Clan was chasing them. But now, I have changed my mind."

"I am willing to listen to your majesty's teachings." Changsun Wuji raised his head and stared straight at Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian calmed down and said, "Among the Yang family, the only ones truly connected to the traitors are the lineage of Duke Yang Gongren. The others have nothing to do with them. They are unaware of their existence and have even completely submitted to the Tang Dynasty without the slightest suspicion. Therefore..."

Changsun Wuji looked solemn.

"I want to slowly transfer those people from the lineage of Duke Guanguo Yang Gongren to the south, one by one, to Fuzhou, Ganzhou, Tanzhou, Qianzhou, or even give them a governor of Guangzhou. It will be fine as long as these people are dispersed and stationed in various corners of the south." Li Chengqian looked calm.

"Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that they will join hands to rebel in the south, especially in Guangzhou?" Changsun Wuji's face became serious.

"Don't be afraid!" Li Chengqian smiled confidently and said, "Uncle, not to mention that the Hongnong Yang family's main family is in Shanzhou, the south is crisscrossed with rivers and mountains, making communication difficult. Even if it's you and I, we will place more trusted people around them to keep an eye on them."

Li Chengqian suddenly calmed down and said, "I have no intention of purging the entire Hongnong Yang Clan. At most, I am merely driving those who pose a threat out of the north. This is my intention. If they do not appreciate my good intentions, then I will have no choice but to have the Hongnong Yang Clan Ancestral Hall expel them."

It's not about killing people, but about using the power of the clan to solve the hidden dangers of Yang Gongren's lineage.

This is an overt conspiracy.

"Your Majesty's idea is to let Yang Gongren's lineage move out of the Hongnong Yang family. It would be best if they could set up a branch in Huguang." Changsun Wuji understood a little.

The Yangzhou Li family is actually a branch of the Longxi Li family, but they migrated to the south a long time ago and eventually became an independent clan.

What Li Chengqian has to do now is to separate Yang Gongren's lineage from promoting the Yang family.

Or to be more precise, Li Chengqian wanted to gradually move most of the clan members of the Hongnong Yang family out of Hongnong.

Finally, the Hongnong Yang family, a prominent family in the world, was completely dismembered from the root and bottom.

Not only the Hongnong Yang family, but many aristocratic families in the world can use this method.

Dismember them step by step and completely eliminate their threat to the royal family.

Of course, this is not something that can be accomplished in a short period of time.

This will take two to three generations, or even more, to complete.

Li Chengqian was already prepared to pass on this national policy to his descendants in the Taimiao.

Only in this way could the Tang Dynasty step by step move towards an era of eternal prosperity.

This is the grand and upright means of conspiracy. There is no need to tell Zhangsun Wuji about these things.

……

"Your Majesty is benevolent." Changsun Wuji looked at Li Chengqian, smiled with satisfaction, and said, "This way, the noble families of the world will not have any complaints about Your Majesty's harsh treatment of the Hongnong Yang family."

"I am the emperor, and I must always consider the overall situation." Li Chengqian restrained his expression and said, "Uncle, the major policy has been decided. Let's also decide on the Minister of Personnel today."

"Zhang Xingcheng?" Changsun Wuji looked up.

"Zhang Xingcheng." Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Mr. Zhang has served as the Chief Clerk of Yongzhou for several years, so his qualifications are sufficient.

I once thought of transferring him to the Eastern Palace to be the Prince's Secretary, but something happened later, so I let him take charge of all affairs as the fourth-rank Yongzhou Chief Clerk.

Now that he's been appointed as the Minister of Personnel, it's been considered as filling the gap in his resume. Now that he's been promoted to the Minister of Personnel, I think no one in the court would be dissatisfied."

"Your Majesty is wise." Changsun Wuji bowed seriously, his eyes full of relief.

Although Zhang Xingcheng was born in Hebei, he was related by marriage to the Gao family of Bohai and was also close to Zhangsun Wuji.

This is also the reason why Zhangsun Wuji did not reject him from being the Minister of Personnel.

"The position of Minister of Personnel has been decided, and the position of Vice Minister of Personnel is now vacant." Li Chengqian looked at Zhangsun Wuji and said, "Uncle, the Yang family allowed Yang Sina to come to the capital this time, intending to have him replace Duke Ande and establish himself in Chang'an, but I do not want to give him the position of Vice Minister of Personnel."

"He is not qualified." Changsun Wuji shook his head directly.

Changsun Wuji himself was unwilling to give the position of Minister of Personnel to Yang Sina.

"Han Yuan from the Ministry of War, let him stay in the position of Vice Minister of War. After a few years, let him directly become the Minister of War." Li Chengqian raised his hand slightly.

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji felt grateful. Han Yuan was his person. Letting Han Yuan be the Minister of War was the greatest trust in him.

"The Ministry of Revenue is not open to anyone from the Yang family." After a brief pause, Li Chengqian said, "I don't want to give him the Ministry of Works either. After all, the Ministry of Works involves too many confidential information. If he were to sneak it out and bring it to the Yang family, it would be dangerous."

Changsun Wuji nodded in agreement. The emperor had made great improvements to various crossbows in the past two years, and many of them had even become important national weapons.

If the Yang family steals these things, the consequences will be too serious.

Moreover, Changsun Wuji believed that Yang Sina would definitely do so given his character.

"I don't want him to get involved in the Ministry of Rites either. I find it disgusting to let someone who is plotting rebellion get involved in the Ministry of Rites." Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "In the end, the only position I can give him is the Ministry of Justice. So, I will appoint Li Qianyou, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."

Li Qianyu?
Changsun Wuji couldn't help but look up.

Li Qianyou was born in the Danyang branch of the Li family in Longxi.

"Mr. Li has served as Imperial Censor, Chang'an Magistrate, and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. It's feasible for him to be transferred to the Ministry of Personnel." Li Chengqian smiled slightly and said, "Let Yang Sina be the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. He will be transferred away in a year or two anyway, so he can serve as a temporary transition."

Changsun Wuji raised his eyes, then relaxed and nodded, saying, "Your Majesty is right!"

"So, there's a vacant Fengzhou governor position." Li Chengqian looked at Zhangsun Wuji, raised his head and said, "Uncle, go and arrange someone. I won't be involved."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Changsun Wuji immediately bowed deeply, feeling completely relieved.

"Uncle, please keep a close eye on the affairs of Yongzhou Prefecture. Within three days, there will be no trace of Yuan Tiangang in Chang'an City. Only then can we say that he is truly dead." Li Chengqian looked at Changsun Wuji seriously.

Zhang Sun Wuji immediately stood up and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will not let Yuan Tiangang live."

Li Chengqian nodded seriously.

Changsun Wuji bowed and said, "In that case, I will take my leave."

"Uncle, please be careful these days." Li Chengqian looked worried.

"I saved it." Changsun Wuji bowed again, then turned and walked out of the hall.

……

The night gradually enveloped the entire Chang'an City.

Xu An quickly walked into Ganlu Palace and bowed earnestly to Li Chengqian, saying, "Your Majesty, Yuan Tiangang's body has been brought into the palace."

Li Chengqian put down the thin bamboo gold pen in his hand, let out a long sigh, and then looked up and said, "Secret order, transfer the imperial physician Li Qin to conduct a thorough examination to determine if that person is Yuan Tiangang?"

"Here!"

(End of this chapter)