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

Chapter 620: Li Ji: I am willing to issue a military order and will not return until I win this battle
Ziwei Palace, Zhenguan Hall.

On the steps outside the palace, guards were standing in an orderly manner.

The autumn light was bright and beautiful, Li Chengqian stood on the steps in front of the palace,
You can see the entire Luoyang city at a glance.

The Luo River is like a belt, and the long street is prosperous.

People are constantly coming and going in the city, with people and cars flowing back and forth non-stop.

Even if you haven't been to Luoyang for a long time, it is still as prosperous as before.

After a long time, Li Chengqian gradually withdrew his gaze.

He turned sideways to look at Li Ji standing behind him and asked, "The craftsmen who built the Qianyuan Hall have all been transferred away, my dear minister."

"Yes!" Li Ji bowed and glanced in front of the emperor.

The entire Luoyang city can be seen from here, naturally because there is no obstruction of the Qianyuan Hall, and naturally because the construction of the Qianyuan Hall has been stopped by him.

Moreover, after the pause, Li Ji had not sent any petition to Chang'an.

Li Ji bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, the military is short on resources, so I took the initiative to temporarily halt the construction of the Qianyuan Hall and transfer the craftsmen to military use. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

"Stop if you want. Everything should be focused on the military front." Li Chengqian waved his hand nonchalantly, then smiled and said, "Whether it's the Daming Palace or the Qianyuan Hall, their construction has always been intermittent. I'm used to it."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Your Majesty is wise and intelligent!" Li Ji was right next to Li Chengqian. Li Chengqian didn't care about this, but Li Ji felt it very clearly.

At this moment, he couldn't help but feel touched in his heart.

First he was the late Emperor Taizong Wen, and now he is the benevolent and wise current emperor. Li Ji's luck is really good.

"Duke of England." Li Chengqian nodded to Li Ji, then turned and walked into the hall.

Behind the columns on both sides of the hall, all the civil and military officials of Luoyang above the fifth rank were lined up.

Li Chengqian walked over to the imperial couch and sat down, then looked at Li Ji and said, "On the first day of August, the army will set out for the eastern expedition. From now on, you only have one month left. No matter what problems you have, I and the other ministers will do everything possible to resolve them.

You have to understand that once you leave Luoyang, everything will slow down even with my urging.

So try to resolve everything before you leave Luoyang."

"I understand, Your Majesty. Don't worry, I won't be polite." Li Jing bowed seriously.

After he finished speaking, a good-natured laugh broke out in the hall.

The laughter stopped, but the emperor on the imperial couch did not make a sound, and the ministers gradually quieted down, even to silence.

The expressions of the ministers had become solemn without them noticing.

Li Ji stood in the center of the hall and bowed.

Li Chengqian's expression was equally solemn. He looked at Li Ji and said, "Duke Ying, during the campaign, the court will do everything in its power to support you. After the victory, the court will need the wealth of Goguryeo to compensate for all the losses incurred over the past few years. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Li Ji bowed and said seriously, "I would like to issue a military order and will not return until we win this battle."

Li Chengqian looked at Li Ji deeply and said, "I don't like the words 'military order', but since you've already said it, I can't refute it. However, I can delay it until ten years later, so that you don't act hastily because of the military order and lose your composure. I only have one thing to say: be steady, and then use your power to suppress others."

"Your Majesty, I will faithfully follow your instructions." Li Ji bowed solemnly and said, "I will definitely bring Quan Gaisuwen's head back to Luoyang for Your Majesty."

"That's enough." Li Chengqian smiled with satisfaction.

With Quan Gaisuwen's death, Goguryeo was finished, and what remained was to use Gao Baozang's treasures.

"One last thing." Li Chengqian looked up at his ministers and said, "The 100,000-man army will march eastward to attack Goguryeo. Although half of them are already at the front, the remaining troops will still be the largest expedition since I ascended the throne. Therefore, before the army sets out in early August, I need a few offerings."

"Sacrifice?" The ministers looked up in surprise. They understood the deeper meaning in the emperor's words. What the emperor wanted was not an ordinary sacrifice.

"Duke of Pengcheng." Li Chengqian looked at Liu Dewei.

Liu Dewei stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty!"

"The Imperial Censor!"

"I'm here!" Sun Fujia stood up.

"Mr. Dai." Li Chengqian raised his head slightly.

"Your Majesty!" Dai Zhide stood up solemnly and bowed.

"When a large army goes on a campaign, it's customary to offer the heads of enemy chieftains as sacrifices to heaven and earth. However, I don't have any Goguryeo enemy chieftains, so I can only use something else as a substitute." Li Chengqian turned to Li Ji and asked, "Duke Ying, besides the enemy chieftains, who do the soldiers hate the most?"

Li Ji bowed solemnly and said, "Your Majesty, the soldiers in the army hate three types of people the most. The first type is the incompetent commander, the second type is the chief officer who sucks the blood of the soldiers, and the third type is the grain transport officer who embezzles military rations in the rear."

Li Chengqian turned sideways to look at Liu Dewei, Sun Fujia, and Dai Zhide, and said calmly, "My three beloved ministers, I have heard that I will not make any additional or harsh demands. Anyone who commits a capital crime will be beheaded on the first day of August to boost the morale of the army."

"Yes!" Liu Dewei, Sun Fujia and Dai Zhide all bowed.

The others in the hall wanted to say something, but before they could speak, the emperor's previous words rang in their ears.

The person who is to be killed has committed a capital crime, but is simply killed in advance.

Moreover, all the offenses were subject to military law, so there would be no problem in beheading him immediately.

Not to mention, their heads will be used to sacrifice to the army to boost morale, so even if there are some flaws, it is not a problem.

As for killing the wrong person, that is not the emperor's fault, but the fault of Liu Dewei, Sun Fujia and Dai Zhide.

"My Lords!" Li Chengqian took a deep breath, looked at the ministers solemnly, and said, "The Eastern Expedition will take at least several years. I think the court's style of conduct in recent years should be determined in advance."

"We listen attentively to the Holy Instructions!" All the ministers bowed their hands.

Li Chengqian looked up and said, "When the army marches eastward, we need to be lenient to the people. This way, the people can live in peace and stability. When the army fights in the front, there will be no chaos in the rear."

"Yes!" The ministers bowed.

"Be lenient to the people and strict with the officials. Investigate strictly all acts of hurting, cheating, harming and deceiving the people. Once verified, they will be severely punished." Li Chengqian waved his right hand lightly with a cold expression. At the critical moment, he didn't mind killing people.

"Your Majesty, we will follow your instructions!" The ministers bowed solemnly.

"Be lenient to the people and strict and honest with the officials. Only in this way can the prosperous Zhenguan era continue." Li Chengqian glanced at the ministers and his expression gradually became serious.

"Your Majesty is wise and benevolent, and the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty will surely last forever." All the ministers bowed solemnly. The phrase "the prosperous era of Zhenguan" really aroused the enthusiasm of many people.

"Well, today, all of you and I have just arrived in Luoyang. We all need to make arrangements for our official residences and our homes." Li Chengqian turned to look at Zhang Ananda and said, "Zhang Jian, please keep an eye on things. If there is anything that requires help from the Inner Court or the Ministry of Revenue, please intervene."

"I obey your command!" Zhang Ananda bowed solemnly.

"Alright, let's dismiss the court." Li Chengqian stood up and said, "Starting tomorrow, all provinces and departments must make full preparations for the army's deployment in a month."

"Yes!" The ministers bowed, then said in unison, "Farewell, Your Majesty."

Li Chengqian nodded and walked down the steps.

He paused for a moment and looked at Liang Jianfang on the side.

Liang Jianfang happened to look up at this moment, and then bowed solemnly with understanding.

He is the General of the Left Guard and is now ordered to take charge of the entire Luoyang Sixteen Guards Army to protect the safety of the emperor.

It's not just Luoyang. His tentacles must also be combined with the Ministry of War to infiltrate various checkpoints near Luoyang. These are what he, as the General of the Left Guard, needs to do.

This was what Li Chengqian hoped he could do. With Liang Jianfang controlling the Sixteen Guards outside the city, Qiu Shenji controlling the Jinwu Guards inside the city, and Zheng Rentai's Luozhou Governor's Office, Dali Temple, and Ministry of Justice, it was enough to control Luoyang City.

At the same time, Li Anyan's Hundred Cavalry Division was secretly spying on secrets.

He can feel more at ease now that he has been in Luoyang for the past few years.

……

Entering the Dongshang Pavilion, Li Chengqian immediately saw Lu Mingyue arranging vases on the side.

When Lu Mingyue heard Li Chengqian's footsteps, she immediately turned around, picked up the basin of water and silk towel beside her and walked to Li Chengqian's side.

Li Chengqian took it and wiped his face, then asked in a low voice: "How are the concubines in the harem being settled?"

Lu Mingyue bowed and replied in a clear voice, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine lives in Dayi Hall, right next to it; Xiuyi lives in Guanwen Hall, on the other side of the West Upper Pavilion; Concubine Zhang lives in Tongming Hall; Concubine Xiao lives in Tongming Hall; Concubine Cui lives in Feixiang Hall; Concubine Xu lives in Liuguang Hall; Concubine Pei lives in Hongwei Hall; Concubine Yang lives in Qiufang Courtyard; Concubine Xue lives in Anfu Hall; and Concubine Liu lives in Shanzhai Courtyard."

Li Chengqian walked over to the short couch and sat down. Lu Mingyue immediately brought him a cup of warm tea.

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Tell the imperial concubine that I will stay at her place tonight."

"Yes!" Lu Mingyue bowed, then turned and left.

Li Chengqian glanced at her, then turned to Zhang Ananda and asked, "How's things going in Hongnong?"

"Everything is proceeding smoothly." Zhang Ananda bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Wu Yuanqing is very obedient."

Hearing what Zhang Ananda said on purpose, Li Chengqian couldn't help laughing.

Wu Yuanqing is the person with the clearest cognition. Although Wu Meiniang and he are brother and sister, their relationship is not very good.

So when Li Chengqian wanted to deal with the Hongnong Yang family, Wu Yuanqing would be so ruthless as to target them, because he knew who he needed to listen to.

Li Chengqian calmed down and said, "Keep an eye on Liu Shi. If he shows any signs of favoritism, record it."

"Yes!" Zhang Ananda's expression became serious.

Li Chengqian mainly used four people this time, led by Chu Suiliang and Liu Shi, followed by Pei Shuang and Wu Yuanqing.

Chu Suiliang and Liu Shi were both demoted to local governors after making mistakes in the past. This time they were reinstated, so they naturally did their best.

However, compared to Chu Suiliang, whose family roots were in Hangzhou, the Hedong Liu family was just a stone's throw away in Jiangzhou, across the Yellow River.

Moreover, Liu Shi knew very well about the evil tricks of the aristocratic families.

Once Liu Shi had any selfish thoughts, his official career would be completely over.

He completely let down the opportunity given by Li Chengqian.

Eventually, he became a pawn to balance the interests of the aristocratic families.

"Okay, go and check the news outside. I'm going to write a letter to the Queen." Li Chengqian waved his hand slightly.

"Yes!" Zhang Ananda bowed, then turned and retreated from the East Pavilion.

Li Chengqian picked up paper and pen and began to write a letter to Su Shu.

It was just mixed with some court affairs, and the rest were mostly words of concern.

Li Chengqian is now in Luoyang, and Su Shucai, who stayed in Chang'an, is the person he truly and absolutely trusts.

……

Before I knew it, it was dark and the palace lanterns were lit.

Li Chengqian walked out of Dongshang Pavilion, which was his and the queen's bedroom. However, Su Shu was not in Luoyang, so Li Chengqian usually did not go there.

Li Chengqian turned around and walked towards the Dayi Hall next to the Zhenguan Hall.

Zheng Shuang'er was playing with eight-year-old Li Jiu.

Seeing Li Chengqian, Zheng Shuang'er immediately took Li Jiu forward and saluted, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Please stand up, my beloved concubine." Li Chengqian touched Li Jiu and said, "In a few days, I will build another inner study hall in Guangda Tower so that Sanlang and Liulang's studies will not be delayed."

"Your Majesty is considering this!" Zheng Shuang'er nodded, then asked in a low voice, "Who does Your Majesty intend to make your master?"

Li Chengqian's expression grew serious. He looked at Zheng Shuang'er and said, "The brothers He Ji and He Hua, doctors of the Imperial College, are the candidates. They are well-known for their erudition and talent. That's enough."

"The nephew of the late Crown Prince's groom He Deren?" Zheng Shuang'er blinked and looked at Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian was slightly surprised and asked, "How did my beloved concubine know this?"

"It happened during the time of Crown Prince Yin. I heard it mentioned by the elders in my family." Zheng Shuang'er handed Li Jiu to Zheng Chu, then followed Li Chengqian to the short couch before saying, "After Xuanwu Gate, although the lineage of Concubine Yin was quite fading, there are still a few elders left. I heard a few stories about it when I was a child."

"Hmm!" Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Actually, I'm thinking of Lu Dunxin, the Imperial College's chief academic officer. He was my teacher, and the former Crown Prince's assistant Lu Deming's teacher."

"Are the two He brothers and the Imperial College's chief academician relatives?" Zheng Shuang'er leaned lightly in Li Chengqian's arms.

"Yes!" Li Chengqian nodded and said, "The He and Lu families have always had a close marriage. Unfortunately, Mr. Lu cannot come from Chang'an, so I have no choice but to transfer the two brothers from the He family."

Zheng Shuang'er nodded slightly. She could guess that Li Chengqian must have his own intentions in having the two He brothers teach Li Jiu and Li Yu. She was smart enough not to ask any more questions.

Li Chengqian held Zheng Shuang'er in his arms, sniffing her fragrance as he whispered, "When Crown Princess Yin's lineage was confiscated, your family must have been in trouble for a long time, right?"

"Yes!" Zheng Shuang'er nodded, looking up at Li Chengqian and said, "At that time, my uncle held the title of Duke of Wushan County. Later, the title was revoked, and the clan became chaotic due to various actions. It was only after Your Majesty bestowed upon my father the title of Duke of Tongan County today that the clan was able to hold its head high and stand on equal footing with the Cui and Lu families."

Cui, Lu, Zheng, Wang and Li are the five families of Hedong.

Because of the incident involving Prince Yin, the Zheng family was greatly implicated, and it was far more than a matter involving one or two people.

Even if some people escaped the Xuanwu Gate Incident, they were implicated throughout the Zhenguan period, and many died in depression.

"Now that we're in Luoyang, my beloved concubine, please ask your family to visit the palace more often." Li Chengqian pinched Zheng Shuang'er's nose and said softly, "Luoyang is now yours."

"Your Majesty!" Zheng Shuang'er looked up at Li Chengqian, her eyes full of tears.

"Haha!" Li Chengqian lowered his head and kissed her directly.

……

Beautiful in the middle of the night.

The aroma is alluring.

Li Chengqian looked at Zheng Shuang'er who was sleeping soundly in his arms, and his expression calmed down.

Turning sideways, he looked outside the curtain on one side.

Beside the dark bed, a familiar figure stood at the end of the bed.

Li Chengqian reached out from behind the curtain. Zheng Chu, with a blushing face, hesitated slightly, but still skillfully got into the curtain.

At this moment, Li Chengqian saw Lu Mingyue standing outside the inner hall, with her head lowered, not daring to look in his direction.

He smiled softly.

(End of this chapter)