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

Chapter 584: In all world affairs, interests always come first (Part )
Outside the window, there is the sound of wheels, and a slight frost on the Wei River.

The aroma of tea lingers in the window, and the small stove is warm.

Zhangsun Wuji knelt on the side of the couch, looked up at Li Chengqian and said, "The Lu Wencao case broke out five days ago. Although it involved many people, fortunately, Your Majesty was well prepared.

With just one word from the Queen, the concubines immediately sent letters home, and their families immediately settled down without complaint.

Li Chengqian mentioned Lu Wencao's case in his letter to Zhangsun Wuji.

With his assistance, the Queen was able to quickly settle everything.

"Until the incident with Li Hongtai the day before yesterday." Changsun Wuji looked worried.

"He just said his name was Li Hongtai. No one knows his real name." Li Chengqian shook his head calmly and said, "Maybe he's just a dog kept in the mountains by someone, and he came out to bite people at the critical moment."

Changsun Wuji nodded in agreement.

The world is too big.

Imperial power does not extend to the countryside, let alone the deep mountains and forests where there is no sunlight.

The Hongnong Yang family has occupied Hongnong for hundreds of years.

Who knows how many invisible hands they have in the deep mountains and forests of Mount Qiao.

Li Hongtai is one of them.

"Actually, what I've been thinking about the most is the impeachment of Prime Minister Fang. Out of nowhere, someone came out and impeached Prime Minister Fang for treason." Li Chengqian chuckled softly and said, "It seemed baffling at the time, but now that I think about it, I'm afraid there were already people who were anxious for chaos back then."

"Let's follow the example of Yang Xuangan." Changsun Wuji narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Yes, back then I thought it was Zhinu's trick, but I didn't expect it was them." Li Chengqian sneered softly and said, "Lu Wencao's incident was no different."

It is not difficult to see that the Hongnong Yang family was behind Lu Wencao's affair.

It was just that Li Chengqian didn't want to break up with Yang yet, so he didn't investigate the matter any further.

Otherwise, why did he insist on killing people in the Zhenguan Hall that day?

"The Luozhou warehouse is crucial to the Eastern Expedition." Changsun Wuji looked at Li Chengqian and said worriedly, "Your Majesty, be careful when you invade Goguryeo again this time."

"I know." Li Chengqian nodded, his face solemn, and said, "If they wanted to take action, it would have been best to do so during the Eastern Expedition to Goguryeo. That's why they followed Yang Xuangan's example and tampered with the Luozhou warehouse. They just didn't expect me to find out."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and said with a sigh: "Fortunately, we found out. Otherwise, if these things were exposed in the middle or late stages of the war, it would be really out of control."

……

"I have carefully considered the idea of ​​an eastern expedition to Goguryeo." Li Chengqian, holding his teacup, looked at Zhangsun Wuji and said, "Uncle, at that time, you will stay in Chang'an to supervise the country, and I will be in charge in Luoyang. The Duke of Ying will command the army at the front. We can then send someone to be in charge of Hebei. That way, we will have no worries."

"Who can your Majesty trust in Hebei?" Changsun Wuji frowned and said, "They falsely accused me of treason this time, and they could also falsely accuse others... But speaking of this matter, it's because I don't pay much attention to it on a daily basis, otherwise why would they have the opportunity to exploit it?"

"Uncle, there's no need to say that." Li Chengqian waved his hand and said with a smile, "Don't I know what kind of person my uncle is? Besides, my uncle has watched me grow up, so doesn't he know what kind of person I am?"

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji smiled with relief.

Ever since the late emperor gave up the position of Supreme Emperor, Li Chengqian has actually been exercising limited control over Zhangsun Wuji's power.

But this constraint did not harm his prestige. In some aspects, Changsun Wuji even had more power than before.

From this we can see that Li Chengqian was actually protecting him.

This is enough to reassure Changsun Wuji.

"Having said that, although there are countless wise ministers and kings in the court now, in fact, there is probably only one person in the entire court who I can truly trust as much as I trust my uncle." Li Chengqian couldn't help but sigh.

"Who?" Changsun Wuji looked up curiously.

Changsun Wuji really couldn't think of anyone in the court who the emperor trusted as much as he trusted him.

Li Jing and Li Ji were both in the border areas, and Wei Zheng was in poor health.

Is it Yu Zhining who can be trusted by the emperor as much as he trusts him?
"It's Mr. Zhang." Li Chengqian glanced at Zhangsun Wuji and then laughed.

"Zhang Xuansu!" Zhangsun Wuji suddenly understood and nodded, "If it is Zhang Xuansu, I can trust him as much as I trust myself."

Zhang Xuansu always took Wei Zheng as his role model and worked hard.

At the same time, he was a minister of remonstration, a loyal minister, and a lone minister, but he had sufficient understanding of local affairs.

Changsun Wuji could also trust such a person.

"But this was what I thought before." Li Chengqian shook his head and his expression became serious.

"Your Majesty, have you discovered anything?" Changsun Wuji recognized Li Chengqian's words.

"From Chang'an to Luoyang, to Hebei, and then to Liaodong, it's a straight line." Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "If any point along the way is broken, the entire logistics system could collapse."

"Your Majesty, are you worried that they will cause chaos?" Changsun Wuji straightened up instantly with a cold expression.

"The Hongnong Yang clan is a prominent clan." Li Chengqian looked at Zhangsun Wuji and said, "Uncle, the reason we're acting so cautiously right now is because they're a prominent clan with so many connections and connections, so there are so many things to consider and so many rules to abide by, which is why we're so restricted."

"What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

"Sometimes, I really want to dispatch the Hundred Cavalry Division to execute the three Yang Sine brothers directly." Li Chengqian raised his head and said through gritted teeth, "Once a war breaks out and a crisis occurs, uncle, I might really do this. Otherwise, if there is chaos, the harm will be too great."

……

kill.

Killing is the most direct way to solve the problem.

The actions of Yang of Hongnong had already deeply aroused the murderous intent in the emperor's heart.

However, once the emperor opens this Pandora's box, other aristocratic families will become worried, and everything may repeat Yang Guang's mistakes.

Zhang Sun Wuji took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty said in the past that he was willing to loosen up on the Hongnong Yang family. So in the past two years, I have quietly transferred nearly ten core members of the Hongnong Yang family to the south.

Although there are still many left, the key lies with the three brothers Yang Siyi, Yang Sixun, and Yang Sinner."

Li Chengqian calmed down, took a deep breath, and said, "I was overreacting. I don't think their actions will be too big."

"Next year, I intend to transfer Yang Sixun to the position of Governor of Hongzhou." Changsun Wuji looked at Li Chengqian and said, "The navy is not Yang's forte, so it will be difficult for them to tamper with it. Besides, by next year, most of the navy's warships will have been repaired, so the remaining ones will not be a big deal."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly.

"Next April, I will transfer Yang Siyi to the post of Governor of Guizhou." Changsun Wuji lowered his head and said calmly, "Mobilize the army in August and force him south in April. This will be enough to disrupt all the plans of the Hongnong Yang family. By the end of next year, Your Majesty can send someone to secretly dismiss him and directly resolve all hidden dangers."

Secretly execute Yang Siyi.

Yang Siyi is the eldest grandson of Prince Guan Yang Xiong, the eldest son of Duke Guan and former Prime Minister Yang Gongren, and the current head of the Hongnong Yang family.

If Changsun Wuji reveals the truth, Yang Siyi can be secretly executed.

Li Chengqian looked at Zhangsun Wuji in surprise and whispered, "I originally thought that my uncle would at most let Yang Sixun go."

"Since we've decided to kill someone, we must eliminate the root of the problem." Changsun Wuji took a deep breath and said, "Yang Siyi is the head of the Hongnong Yang family. If he dies, the Hongnong Yang family will be in chaos. Your Majesty will then have enough time to calmly deal with Goguryeo and then return to deal with the Hongnong Yang family."

Li Chengqian looked straight at Changsun Wuji and nodded slightly.

Zhang Sun Wuji smiled and said, "As for the other families, if only Yang Siyi died, they probably wouldn't overreact. Besides, it was the Yang family who first plotted, so even if they knew, they wouldn't say much. And if they did it more subtly, Yang Siyi could have died from the miasma in the south."

Li Chengqian closed his eyes slightly and began to think about the pros and cons of this.

"Of course, there will inevitably be some trouble, but your majesty's prestige from destroying Goguryeo is enough to suppress it. The rest is nothing more than appeasement, warnings, and the division of benefits. In the end, time will eliminate everything." Zhangsun Wuji's words completely put Li Chengqian's worries to rest. "Uncle is right, but some things still need to be done more thoroughly." Li Chengqian paused briefly and said, "This time, Xue Gu and Wu Ren stayed in Luoyang, and I have made some plans. With the angry Xiao Jun, my uncle will also take over the revenge and completely cut off the Yang family's influence in Luoyang.

At the same time, support Yang Sizhi in Chang'an to replace Yang Sina, and control their route out of the Western Regions."

In Changsun Wuji's mind, he quickly thought about Li Chengqian's plan.

Li Chengqian said directly, "Uncle, the Yang clan is located in Shanzhou, between Luoyang and Chang'an, a major transportation route. This is a good thing, but it is also a fatal weakness. Once the roads to Chang'an and Luoyang are blocked, then whether they cross the Xiao Mountains to enter the Heluo Plain or cross the Yellow River to enter Bingzhou, they will need to spend more effort."

"Bingzhou needs to contact the Wang family." Changsun Wuji blinked and said, "The Xiao family can block the Heluo Plain from Luoyang."

"What remains is to send people to find Yang's assassins in the mountains step by step." Li Chengqian's eyes turned cold.

This time, Yang sent someone to falsely accuse Zhangsun Wuji, which was actually a revenge for Li Chengqian's handling of the Lu Wencao case.

This couldn't be more obvious.

"What is your Majesty's plan?" Changsun Wuji looked at Li Chengqian.

"Tang law stipulates that anyone who possesses prohibited weapons will be sentenced to one and a half years in prison. One crossbow will be punished by two years' penalty. One set of armor and three crossbows will be exiled for two thousand miles. Three sets of armor and five crossbows will be strangled." Li Chengqian looked at Zhangsun Wuji and said, "Uncle, how many sets of armor and crossbows do you think are there in the Yang family's private land?"

"This is the final solution." Changsun Wuji waved his hand and said, "We can first investigate and then lock them down. If they make any moves, we will kill them on the road. That way, no one can say anything."

"Yes." Li Chengqian breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Once they leave their original base, it means they intend to rebel."

"We should do it cleverly. After Yang Siyi's death, Yang Sixun will be transferred to Fuzhou, Yang Sina to Qianzhou, and then Yang Sizhi will be appointed as the patriarch of the Hongnong Yang family. Everything will be stable." Changsun Wuji looked up and said, "Perhaps in the end, the one who least wants the three Yang Siyi brothers to survive is Yang Sizhi. That way, the others won't say anything about the internal strife in the Yang family."

"That's right." Li Chengqian leaned back and said softly, "If everything can really be resolved this way, that would be great."

Can things really be solved so easily? Don't forget that people like Fang Yiai are involved.

There will definitely be more blood shed than Li Chengqian imagined.

……

Changsun Wuji glanced out the window and saw Chang'an City not far ahead.

He turned around, looked at Li Chengqian and said, "Your Majesty, I heard that Quan Gaisuwen's daughter was sent to Luoyang by the Baekje people. Your Majesty..."

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "I know what you are going to say, uncle, but you are wrong about one thing. There has never been a daughter of Quan Gaisuwen. There is only a Baekje woman named Quan Zhixiu."

"A Baekje woman?" Changsun Wuji was stunned.

"The Baekje envoys presented me with eleven beautiful women, three chests of jewels, and one chest of gold to congratulate me on my accession to the throne." Li Chengqian pointed this out again, adding, "Quan Zhixiu was merely the leader of these eleven women, and had no connection to Quan Gaisumun...at least that's what the diary records say."

Changsun Wuji was speechless. He knew that Xu Jingzong would not disobey the emperor in this regard. After all, this was not a big deal.

"Besides, who can prove that Quan Zhixiu is really Quan Gaisuwen's daughter?" Li Chengqian shook his head slightly and said, "Even if I call Quan Gaisuwen before me, will he dare to admit that she is his daughter?

But to be honest, although she was a concubine who was completely ignored, she was still his daughter after all. If the news of her being abducted by Baekje and sent to Chang'an spread, Goguryeo and Baekje would have gone to war."

"But isn't this our original purpose?" Changsun Wuji became confused for a moment.

"Uncle, even if I send Quan Zhixiu to the north of the Taedong River, will Quan Gaesomun acknowledge that she is his daughter? Will he turn against Baekje because of this?" Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "And Baekje, will they completely believe that I will not destroy Goguryeo just because they sent Quan Zhixiu to my hands?"

Goguryeo and Baekje had a relationship of mutual dependence, and perhaps under Li Chengqian's various tactics, they would have different thoughts, but in many matters, before the outcome was decided, no one would completely turn against his greatest ally because of a woman.

"So, they are coming this time?" Changsun Wuji blinked and looked at Li Chengqian.

"Uncle!" Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "Uncle, conquering Goguryeo is a very difficult task. We cannot leave any room for luck."

Li Chengqian knew best how difficult it was to destroy Goguryeo.

In his previous life, Li Zhi took fifteen years to succeed after he ascended the throne, taking advantage of the death of Quan Gaisu Wen.

"The reason we're trying to win over Baekje and reassure them is actually to weaken Goguryeo's potential power and divide their hearts." Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "While Quan Gaisuwen won't completely turn against Baekje, he's bound to be wary of them. He also understands one thing: as long as he can defeat the Tang Dynasty, Baekje will be his most loyal ally."

Changsun Wuji closed his eyes, thought, and nodded slowly.

"Similarly, as long as the Tang Dynasty can defeat Quan Gaisuwen on the battlefield and enter Pingrang City, Baekje will immediately stab Goguryeo in the back, and then divide up part of his land after the war." Li Chengqian sneered. He saw through these tricks very clearly.

"Then Baekje sent Quan Gaisuwen's daughter to tell Your Majesty that they will remain neutral in the future." Changsun Wuji understood it completely.

"That's enough, isn't it?" Li Chengqian took a deep breath, then sneered softly, "Quan Zhixiu's role in my hands has never been to kill Quan Gaisuwen, but to kill him and let the Tang Dynasty withdraw from Ping Rang."

Zhang Sun Wuji suddenly raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, are you talking about the forces left behind by Quan Gaisu Wen?"

Li Chengqian smiled and nodded, saying, "After Quan Gaisuwen's death, his power will be very difficult to completely eliminate. With Quan Zhixiu around, the Tang Dynasty will be able to win them over.

Gao Baozang will inevitably be hostile to the Tang Dynasty in the future. Now is the perfect time to use them to overthrow Gao Baozang, causing endless internal strife in Goguryeo, and then lure Baekje and Silla into action, completely destroying Goguryeo."

"Your Majesty is wise." Changsun Wuji was completely convinced.

Li Chengqian smiled softly, looked at the Chang'an city gate in front of him, and said softly: "Chang'an, I am finally back."

……

The imperial carriage entered Chang'an City from Chunming Gate.

Follow Chang'an Avenue straight to the Suzaku Gate.

Finally enter Chengtian Gate.

The imperial carriage finally stopped in front of the Lizheng Palace.

Su Shu brought Li Xiang, Li Jue, Li Yu and Princess Yongkang to welcome Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian got off the carriage, walked over, pulled Su Shu up, and said softly, "Queen, I'm back."

"Your Majesty!" Su Shu looked Li Chengqian up and down and felt completely relieved.

During this month, Li Chengqian toured Luoyang in the east.

Although Li Xiang was the regent and Zhangsun Wuji was assisting in the administration, Su Shu was actually still keeping an eye on everything in Chang'an City at all times.

I'm afraid something might happen if I'm not careful.

"The Queen has lost weight." Li Chengqian sighed softly, then took Su Shu's hand and said, "Come on, into the palace, I will talk to the Queen about everything going on in Luoyang."

"Yes!" Su Shu nodded with a smile.

Everyone made way and watched the emperor and empress enter the Lizheng Hall together.

Wu Meiniang stood at the back, watching the maid in blue quietly following the emperor down from the imperial carriage...

No, that's not a maid.

Wu Meiniang recognized all the maids around the emperor.

And the most important thing is that the person was not wearing a maid's dress.

Wu Meiniang looked at the man and inexplicably felt that his face was somewhat familiar, but she couldn't figure out who he looked like for a moment.

At this moment, the maid in green looked at Wu Meiniang and smiled gently.

Just with this smile, an extremely familiar figure inexplicably jumped out from Wu Meiniang's heart.

Xu Hui.

In an instant, Wu Meiniang's face turned as pale as if she had seen a ghost.

(End of this chapter)