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

Chapter 652 Father, I am not far from fulfilling your wish (Part )
The autumn air is clear and the Wei River flows quietly.

The huge imperial ship stopped at the Chang'an East Gate Pier.

At the dock, countless Jinwu guards in red and golden armor were guarding both sides firmly.

More soldiers headed towards the military camp in Chang'an City from both sides.

Long spears stood in rows and flags fluttered.

In the solemn atmosphere, Crown Prince Li Xiang, Zhangsun Wuji, Ma Zhou, Lai Ji, Zhang Xingcheng, Li Yuanchang, Li Shen, Li Fu, Zhang Shigui, Qibi Heli and all the civil and military officials of Chang'an all stood beside the imperial boat.

Li Chengqian, dressed in a black robe with gold threads, placed his hand on a long sword and calmly walked down from the imperial boat.

Everyone on the shore bowed at the same time and said, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects to you. May your Majesty live forever."

"Stand up." Li Chengqian raised his head slightly, then walked onto the imperial carriage and said calmly, "Return to the palace."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji, Ma Zhou and others bowed in unison, then each got on their horse.

Li Ji, Tang Jian, Yu Zhining, Yan Lide, Yuchi Jingde, Cheng Zhijie and others came up from the rear.

The others joined the queue according to their official ranks.

The prince rode his horse beside the imperial carriage.

Changsun Wuji and Li Ji followed behind the imperial carriage.

The huge team entered Chang'an City from Chunming Gate.

Although Li Ji was looking straight ahead, he would occasionally glance at Changsun Wuji out of the corner of his eye.

His heart sank slightly.

Up to now, Changsun Wuji has not taken the initiative to propose to resign as Shangshu Zuo Pushe.

This can be seen from what the emperor said in Dingzhou.

The emperor didn't seem to have much opinion, but some things couldn't be viewed that way.

The army returned victorious, and countless people needed rewards. I wonder how many people would be promoted because of their military merits.

However, the Shangshu and Zuo Pushe at the top remained motionless, which made the emperor and the entire court lose a lot of space in the process of maneuvering.

In the end, the conflict will inevitably affect Changsun Wuji.

Something is bound to happen in the future.

Li Ji's eyes fell carefully on the imperial carriage. He was somewhat doubtful whether the emperor had seen this scene.

The emperor is the most far-sighted. The plan he made three years ago has only been fully implemented now. His cunning and skills have already acquired 80% of the style of the previous emperor.

Li Ji nodded slightly. He instantly understood that the emperor was deliberately condoning him.

The power of Zhangsun Wuji's faction is too strong, and it is not easy to dismantle it.

Here, we need to use some special things.

As for what the final consequences of this incident would be, Li Ji did not dare to say.

The late emperor was very good at these things back then, and the death of Liu Li is clear proof of that.

Li Ji's expression grew slightly serious.

After every major battle, the commander-in-chief would inevitably be impeached for various charges, ranging from lax military discipline to intention to rebel.

……

On both sides of the street, countless people knelt down in dense crowds.

When the emperor returns to the court, the people naturally kneel to welcome him.

Li Chengqian still had the same prestige as the previous emperor, but his prestige was naturally self-evident after several major military campaigns and victories.

He has not been in Chang'an in the past few years. Although the lives of the people have become much easier, for the people of the imperial capital, the emperor's absence means that the capital is only in name.

Especially at the end of the year, when the emperor was not in Chang'an, the atmosphere of Chang'an in previous years was no longer there.

Now that the emperor has returned, the familiar feeling has returned.

Li Chengqian sat in the imperial carriage, his eyes gently sweeping across the two sides of the long street. For him, it was also a familiar feeling returning.

The imperial carriage passed through the long street and then entered the palace from the Suzaku Gate. However, at this time, the emperor did not go directly to the Chengtian Gate, but turned east and headed straight to the Taimiao.

Goguryeo fought for two years and finally captured Pingrang City in one fell swoop.

Countless soldiers fought on the battlefield, suffered countless casualties, and finally killed Quan Gaisuwen, finally completely deciding the outcome of the war.

Li Chengqian also wanted to report the subsequent war reparations and countless gains to the late emperor.

It is not convenient to go to Zhaoling, but Taimiao is very close.

Under the protection of countless imperial guards, Li Chengqian brought civil and military officials, meritorious soldiers in the army, Gao Baozang, who had not appeared since returning to the court, the kings of Jin Chunqiu and Buyeo Yici, elders from both inside and outside the court, and envoys from various countries, all to the front of the Taimiao.

Taimiao Order Li Fengci stood beside the tribute table.

The tribute table was filled with various tributes.

Xue Rengui came to the tribute table with a black box in his hand with a solemn expression, and then placed the box directly on the tribute table.

Inside the box was a set of armor that Quan Gaisuwen wore before his death.

Li Chengqian did not let Li Ji transport Quan Gaisuwen's body back to Chang'an.

In the future, he will still need the three brothers of the Quan family to work for him to destroy Goguryeo, so he still has to win their hearts.

Li Ji brought his personal guards, the three brothers Quan Nanjian, Quan Nanchan and Quan Nansheng, and countless Goguryeo dignitaries as captives, to the tribute table and knelt on the ground.

He and Xue Rengui stood on both sides, one on the left and one on the right.

Only then did Li Chengqian walk through the crowd of officials, kings, and captives and come to the tribute table.

Li Fengci handed three lit incense sticks to Li Chengqian. Li Chengqian then faced the entire Taimiao, bowed solemnly, and finally said: "In the past, Chonghua succeeded Wenzu, Gaomi ascended to the throne, and finally to Shenzong. This is to respect the origin of the Duan and to promote the way of filial piety.

"I, your servant, Li Chengqian, have succeeded the Emperor for six years and have been honored with my long-awaited appointment. I have reconciled the souls of the deceased and brought great joy to the ancestral community. Today, Li Ji, the Grand Commander-in-Chief of the Andong Province Army, led his generals in capturing Pyeongrang City, annihilating the traitor Quan Gaesomun, and returning power to King Go Baozang of Goguryeo. Today, I, along with King Go Baozang of Goguryeo, King Kim Chunchu of Silla, and King Buyeo Uija of Baekje, escorted the captives and offered sacrifices to the Taimiao, informing our ancestors."

In order to seek the protection of the ancestors, the army will be victorious in all its conquests, and the country will last for thousands of years and prosper endlessly.

Feast! "

After saying this, Li Chengqian bowed solemnly.

"Please bless us, the emperors. May our army conquer all and be victorious. May our country prosper forever." At this moment, all the ministers, both inside and outside the court, knelt down and shouted, "A grand feast!"

Li Chengqian stood up and inserted the tall incense stick in his hand into the incense burner.

Watching the aroma curl up, he bowed gently again and said, "Father, I am not far from fulfilling your wish."

Turning around, Li Chengqian looked at everyone and said loudly, "Everyone, please stand up. I have prepared fine wine and delicious food in Liangyi Hall for us to share and celebrate our great victory."

"Yes!" Everyone stood up at the same time.

……

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!" The ministers inside and outside the palace stood behind the tables on both sides of the Liangyi Hall, picked up their wine glasses, and bowed solemnly to Li Chengqian.

"Drink!" Li Chengqian raised his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. Su Shu, who was sitting next to him, did the same thing.

Li Xiang stood under the Danbi, and Li Jue stood on his left.

Putting down his wine glass, Li Chengqian raised his hand and said, "Please sit down."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The ministers then bowed and walked away.

Li Chengqian looked up at Zhangsun Wuji and said, "Uncle, are all the rewards for the ministers ready?"

"Everything is ready. We are waiting for His Majesty to confer the title on us during the grand court in September." Changsun Wuji stood up and bowed solemnly.

This time Goguryeo won a great victory. The 100,000-strong army fought for two years, and all the ministers inside and outside the country worked together. Everyone would be rewarded.

Li Chengqian nodded, then looked up and said, "Quan Nansheng."

"I am the guilty minister." Quan Nansheng, dressed in white, walked in from outside the hall, then knelt down and kowtowed deeply inside the hall.

When the army returned from the battle, the first people to be rewarded were not the soldiers, but the captured enemy chiefs.

Quan Gaisuwen is dead, and now it is Quan Nansheng who should be given the title.

This put an end to the entire battle of Goguryeo.

"Your father violated natural order, murdered the king, and imprisoned the new king for ten years. He then stubbornly resisted the heavenly troops, leading to his own death and the loss of his entire family." Li Chengqian looked at Quan Nansheng and asked, "Do you acknowledge your guilt?"

"I have committed serious crimes. Please punish me, Your Majesty." Quan Nansheng kowtowed heavily to the ground.

Li Chengqian raised his eyes, glanced at Gao Baozang who was standing beside him unwillingly, and then said calmly: "It's good that you admit your guilt. As the saying goes, knowing one's mistakes and being able to correct them is the greatest virtue. Today, I appoint you as the Duke of Xuantu County, and you will live in Chang'an with the Deputy Minister of the Imperial Household Department."

"I thank Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live forever and the Tang Dynasty last forever." Quan Nansheng knelt on the ground, with a myriad of thoughts flooding his mind.

He knew that he was now being treated almost like a king of a fallen country.

But he was not actually a king who lost his country.

However, from this detail, it can be seen that his father's judgment was correct.

The Tang Dynasty's main goal was never to destroy the Quan family. Their real goal was Goguryeo, and it was Goguryeo that they wanted to destroy.

And his Quan family will play a huge role in this.

By achieving this, his Quan family will be able to take root completely in the Tang Dynasty.

Thinking of the scene where Quan Gaisuwen rushed towards Xue Rengui desperately at the last moment, and then was killed by Xue Rengui's spear, Quan couldn't help but cry softly.

"Alright, stand up." Li Chengqian raised his hand and said, "Please take a seat at the end of the hall."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Quan Nansheng then stood up, wiped his tears, and sat down respectfully at the end of the hall.

Li Chengqian turned around and looked at Gao Baozang on the other side.

At this moment, Gao Baozang was looking at Quan Nansheng with gritted teeth. If it weren't for the rebellion of his Quan family, Goguryeo would not have lost half of its territory.

And it's justified.

The area north of the Taedong River no longer belonged to Goguryeo.

Since that day, Li Ji forced him to sign the draft, and then signed the formal treaty under the witness of Baekje and Silla.

North of the Taedong River, Goguryeo could never regain control.

Li Chengqian's eyes swept across the faces of Jin Chunqiu and Buyeo Yici.

For Buyeo Yici, although the Tang Dynasty still has troops stationed in Datong and north of the Yangtze River, it can be seen that the Tang Dynasty no longer has plans to attack southward.

This was enough for Baekje.

With Goguryeo blocking the way, Baekje did not have to worry about the threat from the Tang Dynasty.

However, this time, several cities were taken away from Goguryeo, which made Buyeo Yici feel a little uneasy, because this would make it difficult for Baekje and Goguryeo to reconcile.

Compared to Buyeo Yici, Jin Chunqiu looked much calmer, but there was still a hint of hatred in his eyes when he looked at Gao Baozang.

It can be seen that he was somewhat disappointed that the Tang Dynasty failed to completely destroy Goguryeo.

However, unlike the good relationship between Queen Seondeok and Queen Jindeok and the Tang Dynasty, the relationship between Jin Chunchu and the Tang Dynasty was somewhat distant.

He even noticed that there was some kind of connection between the Tang Dynasty and Baekje that he was unaware of.

Li Chengqian took this incident in stride, then turned to look at Changsun Wuji and asked, "Uncle, has the imperial edict been issued to summon the kings of all nations to Chang'an for a court meeting at the end of the year?"

Zhang Sun Wuji bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the letters have been sent out. They have all been delivered to Western Turkestan and Tibetan areas."

"Well, that's good." Li Chengqian looked up calmly.

Jin Chunqiu, who was standing aside, felt something inexplicably moving in his heart.

(End of this chapter)