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

Chapter 582: Reporting Sikong Zhangsun Wuji to Rebellion (Part )

Under the night sky, the stars hang low.

Li Chengqian stood at the bow, his hand on the hilt of his sword, and said calmly, "It's just the Wei, Du, Yang, Liu, Wang, and Lu families. I made extensive preparations before coming to Luoyang. Believe it or not, right now in Chang'an, the Empress has already sent letters to the concubines in the palace, warning them to restrain their families and not to act recklessly."

Wei Dan, Du Ni, Yang Mi, Wang Youlan, Liu Di, these concubines in the palace would write back to warn their families not to mess around.

So as not to affect their favored status in the palace.

Even Lu Mingyue, Su Shu would ask her to tell the Lu family not to do anything reckless in the future.

A true aristocratic family would not make the wrong choice between a little profit from stealing and selling grain and the status of their own women in the palace by the emperor's side.

Therefore, nothing will happen to the six families.

"So, Your Majesty, this time I came to Luoyang is for this matter." After Xiao Jun finished speaking, he couldn't help but lowered his head.

"Luoyang is a crucial transportation hub for grain and fodder for the Andong front." Li Chengqian looked at Xiao Jun and said coldly, "Do you think I would let something happen here without doing anything?... Yang Xuangan's example is not far away. I'm not that foolish yet."

Xiao Jun suddenly looked up and looked at Li Chengqian in surprise: "Your Majesty, are you saying that this incident in Luoyang was deliberately orchestrated by someone?"

After saying this, Xiao Jun's face had become extremely ugly.

Li Chengqian continued to gaze calmly at the night sky of Luoyang, and said calmly, "It's not necessarily about someone. It's just that the Tang Dynasty is conquering Goguryeo, and the benefits involved are huge. It's inevitable that some people want to take advantage of it. When there are too many such people, problems will arise."

"Yes!" Xiao Jun bowed with a serious expression.

Li Chengqian turned around and glanced at him with an indifferent expression.

Li Chengqian had no intention of telling Xiao Jun about the Yang family's affairs.

He has been in Luoyang for such a long time, but he can't even understand Lu Wencao.

Telling him would be equivalent to telling Yang.

In addition, Li Chengqian did not tell him how he found out about the Luoyang incident.

Reviewing the household accounts of various places is the most important means for Li Chengqian to see through the strengths and weaknesses of various places in the world and control the world.

Xiao Jun, there is no need for him to know.

"The Luoyang situation won't be resolved so easily. You should keep an eye on the remaining matters." After a brief pause, Li Chengqian looked at Xiao Jun and said, "This time, I have fined you three years' salary. You must be feeling resentful."

Xiao Jun suddenly raised his head, clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I have no complaints!"

"I understand." Li Chengqian waved his hand slightly and said, "What I mean is that you should show your feelings of being wronged in front of others, and at the same time vent your resentment on those six grain merchants. Do you understand?"

"I understand!" Xiao Jun immediately bowed solemnly.

Li Chengqian glanced at him, shook his head, and sighed, "No, you don't understand. At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty's conquest of Goguryeo, we could still rely on the grain in the Dingzhou granary. But as the grain in the Dingzhou granary gradually ran out, the pressure would gradually shift to Luoyang. What would we do when the Luoyang granary ran out of grain?"

Xiao Jun looked up, bowed solemnly, and said, "We need to draw on the grain reserves of private grain merchants."

"So, you should be more harsh to them on weekdays. When the time comes and there is a real need, you can pretend to confiscate their property. This way, they will cooperate more." Li Chengqian nodded lightly.

Xiao Jun immediately bowed and said, "I understand."

"Also, from now on, there will be more grain merchants in Luoyang City," Li Chengqian said, leaning over. "Your Xiao family, as well as many other aristocratic families in Jiangnan, can open grain shops in Luoyang. Especially now that you've been punished, it's reasonable for you to bring in aristocratic families from Jiangnan to Luoyang in revenge. If someone reports this to me, I can turn a blind eye."

"Yes!" Xiao Jun nodded slowly and bowed seriously.

The emperor's goal was to make Luoyang more powerful, so that it would be difficult for one or several parties to dominate, making it easier for the emperor to control them.

"Okay, that's enough, you should go back." Li Chengqian waved his hand behind him.

The boat immediately headed towards the shore.

Seeing Xiao Jun standing steadily on the riverbank, Li Chengqian sighed softly, "One last thing, you have to pay attention to your own safety. Sometimes, when they are pushed to the limit, they will kill people."

"I obey your command." Xiao Jun bowed, his eyes full of gratitude.

Li Chengqian waved his hand, and the boat sailed back to the center of Luo River.

Watching Xiao Jun riding away on his horse, Li Chengqian shook his head slightly and said, "In his lifetime, I'm afraid that being the Chief Clerk of Luozhou is the highest position he can hold."

"Your Majesty!" Xu Jingzong stood behind Li Chengqian and bowed with a serious expression.

He knew that the actions of the emperor's former Prince's Secretary in Luoyang had greatly disappointed the emperor.

If it weren't for the fact that he was from the Lanling Xiao family and was very loyal to the emperor, the emperor would probably have been replaced long ago.

Li Chengqian turned to look at Xu Jingzong and said, "Please take good care of the merchants from the Jiangnan family who have come to Luoyang."

"I obey your order." Xu Jingzong bowed seriously.

Li Chengqian raised his head, looked at the night sky of Luoyang City, and said softly, "This Luoyang City needs someone else to look after it for me."

Xu Jingzong bowed in silence.

……

In the Zhenguan Hall, Li Chengqian sat on the imperial couch.

Tang Jian, Lai Ji, Liu Dewei, Cui Dunli, Changsun Xiang, Li Qianyou, Yang Sina, Li Wenliang, Li Anyan and other court officials stood in the hall in two groups.

"We'll be returning to Chang'an tomorrow." Li Chengqian looked at Tang Jian and asked, "Mr. Tang, how's everything going?"

"Your Majesty!" Tang Jian stepped forward and said with a bow, "Everything has been arranged. We can set off for Chang'an at noon tomorrow."

"Luoyang!" Li Chengqian sighed lightly, stood up from the imperial couch, then walked down the steps and came to the gate of Zhenguan Palace.

Looking at the bright Luoyang City in front of him, Li Chengqian turned sideways and said, "Uncle, tell the people of Luoyang that although I have gone back this time, I will come again next year. See you in Luoyang in March next year." "Yes!" Li Wenliang bowed seriously.

When the emperor came to Luoyang City, the people of Luoyang welcomed and were delighted.

Needless to say, the emperor's rewards were great. Just the moment the emperor arrived in Luoyang, the officials in Luoyang seemed to have changed, and the people's lives immediately became much better.

Of course, the most important thing is that when the emperor comes to Luoyang, Luoyang’s political status will be raised.

Citizens of the imperial capital.

Just these four words were enough to make the people of Luoyang and Chang'an argue with each other until they were red in the face.

"Also, I suggest transferring Cui Xinggong, the tutor to Prince Yong, to the post of Lieutenant General of the Luozhou Treasury. Let him take care of these matters." Li Chengqian turned to look at Tang Jian and asked, "Prime Minister Tang, what do you think?"

"Your Majesty is wise in everything. I will obey your orders." Tang Jian immediately bowed.

Li Chengqian smiled, then looked at Li Anyan on the other side and said, "Anyan, the Luoyang warehouse is related to the Eastern Expedition. Send more people from the Left Thousand Oxen Guard to keep an eye on it."

"Yes!" Li Anyan bowed seriously.

Yang Sina, who was standing at the back, lowered his head slightly with a serious expression.

"Also," Li Chengqian raised his head, looked outside the hall, and said, "Half of the grain collected this time will be stored in the granary, and the other half will be used to distribute porridge to the people during the winter. This summer has been rainy, and winter is expected to snow, so we need to make more preparations."

"I obey your command." Li Wenliang stood up and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is benevolent!"

Li Chengqian smiled. As an emperor, he naturally hoped that the people of the world could live a good life, but when many government affairs fell into the hands of local people, he didn't know how much they were discounted.

In the imperial capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang, such discounts are much less common.

Li Chengqian's gaze fell from Dingdingmen Street in the distance back to Duanmen, and suddenly a noise came from Duanmen.

Li Chengqian frowned and said sideways, "Send someone to check what's going on."

Li Anyan bowed and walked out of the hall. Immediately, two Qianniu Guards walked quickly towards the Duanmen Gate.

Soon, Xue Gu Wu Ren, dressed in red and golden armor, arrived outside the Zhenguan Hall with an anxious look on his face. He bowed to Li Chengqian and said, "Your Majesty, someone is kneeling on the other side of Tianjin Bridge, holding a memorial and requesting an audience. He says... says..."

"What?" Li Chengqian frowned.

"That person reported to the Minister of Works that he was plotting a rebellion." Xue Gu Wu Ren said this and bowed solemnly.

Everyone in the hall was shocked at once.

The emperor will leave Luoyang and return to Chang'an tomorrow, but someone came to report today that Zhangsun Wuji is plotting a rebellion.

Everyone understood that this was a serious matter.

Yang Sina stood at the end of the ministers, his face full of shock, and there was even a hint of fear in his eyes.

Li Chengqian turned around and glanced at Yang Sina, feeling surprised. However, he walked towards the Danbi calmly and said, "Send the order to enter the Zhenguan Palace."

……

In the Zhenguan Hall, Li Chengqian sat on the imperial couch, looking at the pass in front of him, then at Li Hongtai, who was kneeling in the hall in a gray robe. He said directly, "I want to ask you, is your name really Li Hongtai? Why do I think there is something wrong with your pass?"

"I am Li Hongtai from Zhengzhou. I am suing the Minister of Works, Zhangsun Wuji, for having great power in the court, bullying all officials, plotting evil, and intending to rebel." Li Hongtai raised his head, and an extremely ordinary face appeared in front of Li Chengqian.

"Powerful and influential." Li Chengqian suddenly smiled and looked at Li Hongtai and said, "I originally thought you could produce some solid evidence, but it turns out it was just a trick to incite people."

"Your Majesty!" Li Hongtai kowtowed to Li Chengqian and said, "Your Majesty, every word I say is true. If even one word is false, I am willing to be cut into pieces."

"Cut me into pieces with a thousand cuts? That's such an easy thing." Li Chengqian reached out and grabbed the Qianniu Knife beside him, then stood up and walked down the steps. He walked to the kneeling Li Hongtai, raised his head and looked outside the hall. He said calmly: "My lords, leave the Zhenguan Hall."

"Yes!" All the ministers bowed their hands, then bowed and left the Zhenguan Hall.

However, they did not go too far away, just standing on the steps outside the temple.

Li Chengqian stood in front of Li Hongtai, looked at him and asked, "Power over the government and the country, do you know what these four words 'power over the government and the country' mean?"

"All the important officials in the court listen to him." Li Hongtai kowtowed seriously.

Li Chengqian couldn't help but laugh. After a long moment, he slowly shook his head and said, "The entire central government, the three provinces, six ministries, nine temples, and five administrative offices. My uncle, Duke of Zhao, Zhangsun Wuji, is the current Minister of Works, the Minister of the Left, and the head of the Secretariat. Then, do you know who is the Minister of the Right?"

"Li Ji, the Duke of England."

"Yes, Duke Ying." Li Chengqian sighed and said, "Although Duke Ying is no longer in the court, he is now the commander-in-chief of the Andong Road Army, in charge of all matters related to the war against Goguryeo. He now has 50,000 elite Tang troops at his disposal at any time. Do you know what this means?"

Li Hongtai looked up with a confused look on his face.

Li Chengqian smiled softly and said calmly, "This means that once the Tang Dynasty and Goguryeo go to war, once the Duke of Ying mobilizes the troops in Hebei, the elite soldiers he controls will easily exceed 100,000."

Just the two words "one hundred thousand" made Li Hongtai's breathing become heavy.

"Let's not talk about the Duke of Ying. Do you know the Duke of Wei?" Li Chengqian snorted coldly and said, "The Duke of Wei is now the commander-in-chief of the Northwest Road Army. The entire Ganliang, Shasu, and Xichang Prefecture are all under his control. If anything happens, he can dispatch a hundred thousand troops at any time."

Another "one hundred thousand" and Li Hongtai shuddered inexplicably.

"And Chang'an City." Li Chengqian sighed and said, "Eguogong Yuchi Jingde, Luguogong Cheng Zhijie, Guoguogong Zhang Shigui, and Langya Commandery Duke Niu Jinda who is just outside the palace, as well as Chang He, Fan Xing, Qian Jiulong, Ashina She'er, Zhishishili, Qibi Heli, Ashina Zhong, these sixteen generals of the guards.

These people are not only the emperor's old ministers in the Qin Palace, but many of them either have their own children marry princesses, or simply married princesses themselves.

The Minister of War Cui Dunli outside the palace, his niece is my concubine. As long as she has children, she can be promoted to the fourth concubine.

Let me ask you, what do you think of the 100,000 troops of the Sixteen Guards outside the city of Chang'an?

Who do they listen to?”

(End of this chapter)