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

Chapter 561: The fall of the Sui Dynasty was just a bigger aftermath (Part )

The sight in front of me suddenly brightened.

Yuan Tiangang, whose hood was taken off, finally opened his eyes.

The cold palace, although cleaned, did not completely smell of blood.

There's also a hint of alcohol.

His arms, which had been tied to the wooden frame for three days, had long lost all feeling.

After being hungry for three days, Yuan Tiangang had no strength left.

With a creak, the palace gate was opened.

Li Chengqian, dressed in a black robe with gold threads, walked into the hall.

All the brilliance of the entire hall was concentrated on Li Chengqian and his eyes.

Li Chengqian stood at the door, his eyes falling on Yuan Tiangang, who had disheveled hair and looked disheveled.

Since Yuan Tiangang came to the Ye Ting, he has not eaten a single bite of food or drunk a single sip of water, but even so, he is still alive even though he was already dying.

……

The afternoon sun streamed into the hall through the windows.

The light and shadows shine on the ground.

Li Chengqian sat calmly on the short couch, looking at Yuan Tiangang slightly sideways.

Yuan Tiangang, who had already drunk a bowl of rice soup, raised his head and said in a hoarse voice to Li Chengqian, "When the late emperor was alive, he also liked to sit like this."

Li Chengqian looked at Yuan Tiangang and said calmly, "My men were rude and caused Mr. Yuan to suffer."

Yuan Tiangang lowered his head slightly and said self-deprecatingly, "How dare I be addressed as such by Your Majesty?"

"As you should." Li Chengqian looked up and said, "After all, a single sentence can make my father and I remember it for more than ten years. Sir, you are quite capable."

In a word.

The Tang Dynasty lasted for three generations, and a female ruler, King Wu, succeeded the Tang Dynasty.

A hint of imperceptible pride flashed across Yuan Tiangang's lips. He looked at Li Chengqian and said, "Your Majesty, is there anything you would like to ask?"

"I already know everything about Ganye Temple and the Yang family." Li Chengqian looked at Yuan Tiangang calmly.

Yuan Tiangang was stunned, then looked at Li Chengqian in disbelief.

"Next year, I plan to begin construction on the Luoyang Ziwei Palace. I may spend half a year in Luoyang every year. The Hongnong Yang family, who have a huge influence in Luoyang, are naturally within my sight, so I've begun to consider them." Li Chengqian looked at Yuan Tiangang, smiled softly, and said, "I've begun to pay attention to the King of Wu, the King of Shu, the King of Zhao, and the King of Cao."

The maternal clans of these four sons of the previous emperor were all from the Hongnong Yang clan.

"I accidentally discovered that when the prophecy appeared, the King of Wu happened to be in Anzhou. King Wu of Anzhou." Li Chengqian sighed softly and said, "Prophecy is nothing more than the combination of Chinese characters. How could Father not see it at the time?"

"I don't know what your majesty is talking about. I came up with that prophecy when I woke up one night after accompanying the late emperor on his journey through Guanzhong. I then told the late emperor about it." Yuan Tiangang looked at Li Chengqian and said, "The King of Wu in Anzhou may be very similar to the female protagonist, the King of Wu, but your majesty is truly not afraid of even a single mistake."

"So, I set up the plan at Ganye Temple, and you went there." Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "Afterwards, you plotted against the Hongnong Yang Clan. I've seen through it, sir. There's no need to say anything more. Regardless of the destiny behind that prophecy, if I destroy the Hongnong Yang Clan, will that prophecy still exist?"

Yuan Tiangang's lips trembled involuntarily.

He didn't understand a lot of what Li Chengqian said.

He didn't know about the layout of Ganye Temple and why the emperor knew about his layout of Hongnong Yang family. But he understood that his prophecy was too dependent on Hongnong Yang family and also on the emperor's annual trip to Luoyang for food.

As long as the emperor spends half a year in Luoyang every year, the power of the Hongnong Yang family in the court will expand uncontrollably.

Power has never been about how many high-ranking officials there are at the top level, but rather how many positions the Hongnong Yang family and their in-laws can occupy in the middle and lower levels.

There are many aristocratic families in the world, including founding heroes and royal families, as well as poor families and countless aristocratic families.

If the Hongnong Yang family really wanted to compete at the top, it would be great if they could get a place, so their real focus was on the local areas.

The fight for key positions in some places is useful and the fighting is not so intense and noticeable.

This is the true development path of the Hongnong Yang family.

In addition, among the sons of the previous emperor, the mothers of four of them, namely Prince of Wu Li Ke, Prince of Shu Li Yin, Prince of Zhao Li Fu and Prince of Cao Li Ming, were from the Yang clan of Hongnong, and there was also Prince of Yue Li Zhen.

Li Zhen's mother was the mother of Concubine Yan De, and was also a daughter of the Hongnong Yang family.

Today, there are only ten sons of the late emperor who are still alive, including Li Chengqian, Li Tai and Li Zhi.

If Li Tai and Li Zhi are removed, there will only be eight people.

Only Li Chengqian, Li Yun and Li Shen had nothing to do with the Hongnong Yang family.

Five to three.

This number is enough to make people ambitious.

……

"Whatever the Hongnong Yang Clan wants to do, they must rely on the five kings: King Wu, King Shu, King Zhao, King Cao, and King Yue." Li Chengqian glanced at Yuan Tiangang and said calmly, "Similarly, if I destroy the Hongnong Yang Clan, then these five people will be unable to do anything."

With the Hongnong Yang clan as a link, Wu Wang Li Ke, Shu Wang Li Yin, Zhao Wang Li Fu, Cao Wang Li Ming, and Yue Wang Li Zhen were able to unite. Without the Hongnong Yang clan, the five would fight on their own and could only be controlled one by one.

Not to mention, Prince Zhao Li Fu and Li Chengqian have always had a good relationship, and Prince Cao was deeply favored by him. Finally, it was Prince Yue, whose mother's surname was Yan after all.

Seeing Yuan Tiangang about to say something, Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "Sir, you have handed over the affairs of Ganye Temple to the Hongnong Yang family. From now on, these are still matters. They are just a game between me and the Hongnong Yang family. They have nothing to do with you. Please don't pay attention to them."

From then on, no matter what happened in the world, it had nothing to do with Yuan Tiangang.

These words made Yuan Tiangang feel stuffy and blocked in his heart.

After a brief pause, Yuan Tiangang finally asked, "Your Majesty ordered me to be arrested. I suppose you have some questions for me?"

"Hmm!" Li Chengqian nodded and said, "It's not surprising that the Hongnong Yang family has ambitions. The Yang family is a former Sui royal family. Since entering the Tang Dynasty, although my father has given them a lot of trust, he has actually mainly suppressed them."

Yuan Tiangang nodded slightly. The late emperor only used Yang Gongren and Yang Shidao to build up the Hongnong Yang family. In fact, he did not trust them at all.

The same thing happened to Li Chengqian.

"But ultimately, it's the Tang Dynasty itself that's causing problems, which is giving others an opportunity to exploit." Li Chengqian took a deep breath and asked, "That's what I want to ask most. When you made that prophecy, what inevitable crisis did you foresee for the Tang Dynasty that made you so certain that the Yang family would have a chance to succeed the Tang?"

Yuan Tiangang fabricated the prophecy with the fundamental purpose of restoring the Hongnong Yang family's country. So whether it was Li Ke or anyone else, they were just their tools.

Looking at Li Chengqian's determined expression, Yuan Tiangang sighed softly, then slowly closed his eyes and said nothing.

Li Chengqian smiled.

If I keep silent in front of him, do I think he will lock him up for decades and then give him a chance to escape?
Li Chengqian's expression calmed down, and he spoke calmly, "Sir, I am the emperor, and you are a Taoist master. I have no intention of torturing you, nor do I intend to bring Master Yuan here."

Yuan Tiangang couldn't help wanting to open his eyes, but at the last moment, he still closed them tightly.

"But this is the Ye Ting, and they have their own methods for interrogating people." Li Chengqian looked to the side and waved his hand gently, saying, "Sir, you should have smelled the alcohol here. Yes, there is quite a lot of alcohol stored here."

Before Li Chengqian spoke, a wine jar full of wine had been brought in front of Yuan Tiangang.

Yuan Tiangang smelled the strong smell of alcohol and heard the sound of movement. He didn't need to open his eyes to know what was in front of him, but he didn't understand what Li Chengqian was going to do?
"Someone, come and help Mr. Yuan calm down." Li Chengqian waved his hand slightly.

Four eunuchs immediately stepped forward, holding a small knife in their hands, and carefully cut a deep cut on the ten fingers of Yuan Tiangang's left and right hands and the ten toes of his left and right feet.

Blood immediately flowed out.

"Someone, help Mr. Yuan take off his clothes and put them into the wine jar." Li Chengqian looked indifferent.

Yuan Tiangang finally couldn't help but open his eyes. He stared at Li Chengqian and said through gritted teeth, "What exactly are you going to do?"

"During the Han Dynasty, Concubine Qi deeply offended Empress Lü. After Emperor Gaozu of Han died, Empress Lü shaved her hair, cut off her hands and feet, gouged out her eyes, smoked her deafness, force-fed her a mute drug, and then abandoned her in a toilet, turning her into a human pig."

Li Chengqian looked at Yuan Tiangang and said through gritted teeth, "Sir, you fabricated a prophecy that nearly caused my father to kill a general. Even before his death, he was still obsessed with it. I must repay your kindness. Otherwise, why would I keep you alive?"

If it weren't for Yuan Tiangang's prophecy, something might have happened to the Tang Dynasty in the future, but it definitely wouldn't have happened so soon.

Looking at the angry Li Chengqian and feeling the cold blood flowing all over his body, Yuan Tiangang's breathing became heavier, but he just didn't say a word.

"So, I will follow Empress Lü's example and send you into the wine vat." Li Chengqian's gaze fell on Yuan Tiangang's bleeding wound, and he said with a cold look in his eyes, "You have lost too much blood, so you naturally need something to replenish it. The wine in the wine vat will flow into your body and replace the blood."

For some unknown reason, Yuan Tiangang's body couldn't help but tremble.

"Sir, you may not last a few days, but this kind of punishment..." Li Chengqian smiled, very proudly: "This punishment, which I call death by intoxication, is more than enough to satisfy me. Finally, I will burn your body and throw it into the palace toilet, where you will never be able to rise again."

What is the pit toilet in the palace? It is the place where so many eunuchs and palace maids gather their filthy things. If a Taoist priest is thrown into such a place after his death and his bones are crushed and his ashes are scattered, even the gods cannot save him.

"You're so cruel." Yuan Tiangang felt the ropes on his body being untied and he was about to be lifted into the wine vat. He couldn't help but say, "Okay, I'll tell you."

Li Chengqian looked at Yuan Tiangang and waved his hand gently.

"Promise yourself not to treat me like that." Yuan Tiangang looked up at Li Chengqian.

"You say and I do, the emperor's word is final." Li Chengqian looked at Yuan Tiangang indifferently.

Yuan Tiangang suddenly laughed. He looked at Li Chengqian and said, "It's nothing serious. It's just the inevitable conflict between the meritorious officials and the emperor."

"Oh!" Li Chengqian responded without any expression.

Yuan Tiangang calmed down and said, "During the founding of the country, the emperor and his meritorious officials shared life and death, so naturally there was not much suspicion. The second generation of emperors still had some old feelings for their meritorious officials and would not do anything too much. But the problem lies with the third generation of emperors."

Li Chengqian's expression became serious.

"The third emperor was young and didn't have many close relationships with his meritorious officials. However, over the years since the founding of the country, the meritorious officials had already formed a complex network of marriages and became a behemoth. They even began to influence the government. Han Xin, Yang Su, and Zhangsun Wuji were all like this." Yuan Tiangang looked up at Li Chengqian and said, "This was especially true when the second emperor was wise enough."

"You regard Empress Lü as the emperor, and I am also the second generation." Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes.

"And Yang Su? Why was Yang Su purged? It was because on July 22, the second year of the Daye reign, Prince Yuande, Yang Zhao, died of illness. So, on July 23, Yang Su died." Yuan Tiangang looked at Li Chengqian and asked, "Emperor, if you were to die, would you let Zhangsun Wuji live?"

"So, Empress Lü's chaotic rule and Yang Guang's expedition to Goguryeo were all caused by this?" Li Chengqian looked straight at Yuan Tiangang.

"Zhou Yafu, Dou Ying, the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion, everything was just the aftermath of that cause." Yuan Tiangang closed his eyes slightly and whispered, "The fall of the Sui Dynasty was just a bigger aftermath."

Li Chengqian nodded, then turned around and strode outside.

He slashed lightly downward with his right hand.

Footsteps were heard behind me.

(End of this chapter)