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

Chapter 676 Anyone in the world who dares to defy the king's orders shall be executed (Second Update)
Zhang Anan descended the steps from Chengtianmen Tower.

He approached Ashina Misha and Ashina Buzhen, bowed slightly, and then solemnly accepted the petition from the two Western Turkic Khans.

Immediately, the others turned around and went up to the city gate tower.

Zhang Anan took a deep breath, then stepped forward to the emperor, bowed, and presented the two memorials, solemnly saying, "Your Majesty!"

Li Chengqian reached out and took the memorial, opened it and read it carefully. After a moment of contemplation, he turned to look down and said loudly, "First, the King of Baekje requested an imperial title, and later the Kings of Baekje and Silla submitted to me, but I refused both because they were not suitable for me."

Now, the various tribes of the Western Turks have jointly petitioned, and many other nations have also pledged their allegiance. Although I am of limited virtue and ability, I cannot bear to disappoint their earnest requests, and thus, with great difficulty, I have agreed to bestow this title.”

As soon as Li Chengqian finished speaking, all the officials, both inside and outside the court, knelt down and kowtowed, shouting: "Your subjects pay homage to His Majesty the Heavenly Khan, and wish Your Majesty a long and prosperous life!"

After a slight pause, more voices echoed throughout the palace: "Your subjects pay homage to His Majesty the Heavenly Khan, and wish His Majesty a long and prosperous life!"

"Congratulations to His Majesty the Heavenly Khan on His Long Life!" The resounding voice echoed throughout the entire city of Chang'an.

At this moment, the entire Tang Dynasty welcomed its second Heavenly Khan, whose power shook all directions and whose influence extended to all foreign tribes.

……

Su Shu stood on the city gate, watching Li Chengqian's back.

His expression was complicated for a moment.

After eight years on the throne, Li Chengqian finally began to resemble Emperor Taizong step by step.

Emperor Taizong ascended the throne in the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, and four years later, he proclaimed himself Heavenly Khan.

The emperor, as a son, took eight years.

Although he did not have the same prestige as the late emperor, he was still enough to make Su Shu and her dozen or so children proud.

Li Chengqian turned around, glanced at Su Shu gently, and then smiled and nodded.

Su Shu smiled and nodded in response, but there was a hint of tears in her eyes.

Li Chengqian sighed softly in his heart, then turned around calmly.

Under Chengtian Gate, everyone gradually quieted down.

Li Chengqian raised his hands slightly and said in a deep voice, "All of you, rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The ministers then bowed and stood up on both sides of the palace path.

Li Chengqian looked at everyone and said softly, "The Heavenly Khan is one who commands the submission of all barbarians and the reverence of all nations. Now that I have received the Mandate of Heaven and become the Heavenly Khan, I shall bring peace to the world and stability to the barbarians."

Everyone bowed in unison.

Li Chengqian waved his sleeves and said decisively, "Issue my decree: From this day forward, wherever the sun and moon shine and rivers flow, anyone who dares to disobey the king's orders shall be executed!"

"Slash!" "Slash!" "Slash!"

Inside the palace, all the imperial guards shouted angrily in unison.

The sound kept echoing in everyone's ears.

All the officials, both inside and outside the court, bowed their heads in unison: "Your Majesty, we respectfully accept your instructions."

……

After a long while, the emperor's voice finally came from Chengtian Gate: "Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The ministers breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to themselves, "The Emperor's power is truly immense."

Li Chengqian glanced at everyone, then looked at the assembled officials and solemnly said, "Duke Lu."

Cheng Zhijie immediately stepped forward, knelt down respectfully, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty!"

Li Chengqian nodded slightly and said, "This victory was made possible by Duke Lu's efforts in overseeing Anxi, managing internal and external affairs, and stabilizing the people's hearts. Therefore, I hereby relieve you of your post as Right Guard General, appoint you as Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, and increase your fief by three hundred households. Please teach the Crown Prince martial arts in the Eastern Palace for me."

Cheng Zhijie looked up in surprise, then kowtowed forcefully and said, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."

Li Chengqian slightly raised his hand, and Cheng Zhijie gratefully withdrew his hand.

Although he was the commander-in-chief this time, the one who truly shone was Liang Jianfang.
They offered sacrifices to the Western Sea and inscribed their achievements on a stone.

That was an honor that even Li Jing and Li Ji didn't have, but Cheng Zhijie was the commander-in-chief of the army, which made him somewhat uncomfortable.

However, he also understood that the emperor did not allow him to go not for any other reason than that he was already sixty-five years old, which was indeed not young.

What if something happens to him if he actually makes this trip?
Of course, before returning to the capital, Cheng Zhijie had already realized that he was very likely to be dismissed as Right Guard General. So when the matter came to a head, he was not surprised. He believed that the emperor would compensate him. However, the emperor directly compensated him as Crown Prince Grand Tutor, which was somewhat unexpected.

Imagine that Li Ji was the Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, and this person directly suppressed Li Ji's position.

Thinking of this, Cheng Zhijie couldn't help but grin.

After all these years, he still holds the upper hand over Li Ji.

Li Chengqian glanced at Cheng Zhijie, then continued, "Duke of Yanmen."

"Your Majesty, I am here!" Liang Jianfang stepped forward from the side and kowtowed deeply, saying, "Your Majesty!"

"In this battle, you will be stationed at the front lines, commanding all sides, and will have made a significant contribution to the pacification of the country." Li Chengqian looked at Liang Jianfang and solemnly said, "I hereby appoint you as the Right Guard General, promote you to Duke of Dai, grant you the title of Special Envoy, and appoint you as the Governor of Xichang Prefecture. Go and take charge of Xichang Prefecture in my place."

Governor of Xichang Prefecture, that was Li Jing's previous position.

Li Jing was appointed as a Special Advisor, Governor of Xichang Prefecture, and Grand Commander of the Luoxie Road Army, holding the rank of Third Grade Official in the Secretariat and Chancellery, thus becoming a prime minister.

Now, Liang Jianfang has replaced Li Jing in guarding Xichang Prefecture. Although he no longer holds the rank of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin or the position of Luoxie Dao Xingjun Da Zongguan, those who understand the situation know that if Tibet makes any moves, the Tang Dynasty will immediately prepare for war against Tibet.

At that time, Liang Jianfang was the commander-in-chief of the army that was conquering Tibet.

As for the prime minister, Liang Jianfang only needs to capture Luoxie to have that position.

"Your Majesty, I thank you! May Your Majesty live a long and prosperous life!" Liang Jianfang kowtowed forcefully, his expression filled with excitement.

The emperor is grooming him to be the next Li Jing.

"Stand up." Li Chengqian raised his hand slightly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Liang Jianfang stood up, then bowed and stepped aside.

Li Chengqian looked down at the city gate and continued, "The Magistrate of Longmen County!"

"Your subject is here!" Xue Rengui took a deep breath, stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and kowtowed.

"In this battle, you have repeatedly killed enemy chieftains, setting an example for the army." Li Chengqian looked at Xue Rengui and nodded, "Today, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Duke of Longmen County and promote you to General of the Left Guard."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Xue Rengui's voice trembled slightly as he bowed.

Many people were astonished when they heard the emperor bestow such a reward upon them.

The leap from baron to duke, skipping several ranks, is rare in the history of the Tang Dynasty. And many feel that Xue Rengui's path will not end there.

Li Chengqian continued to look at the crowd and said, "Marquis of Andong County!"

"Your subject is here!" Xue Wanbei stepped forward with a serious expression, then knelt on one knee.

Li Chengqian looked at Xue Wanbei and nodded with a smile, saying, "Your Excellency has made many meritorious contributions in this battle, so you are hereby promoted to Duke of Andong County and appointed as General of the Left Golden Guard."

"Your Majesty, I obey your decree and thank you!" Xue Wanbei couldn't help but kowtow heavily.

His elder brothers, Xue Wanjun, were the Duke of Lu, and Xue Wanche was the Duke of Wu'an. Now, with the addition of him, the Duke of Andong County, the family has three dukes, which is a great honor for the family.

This also means that his descendants will be able to establish a firm foothold in this world.

Li Chengqian calmly continued announcing the rewards.

Wang Fangyi was promoted to Duke of Taiyuan County. He was the grandson of the Grand Princess of Tong'an, so his title was higher. Of course, he was also the emperor's cousin.

Pei Xingjian was promoted to Duke of Wenxi County. Pei Xingjian's father was Duke of Jiang, so his title was always quite high.

Others, including Li Dejian, Qibi Heli, Porun, and Guo Daizhao, all received titles and rewards.

Even the soldiers in the army were rewarded and honored by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue for their merits.

……

After a long while, the area on both sides of the palace road finally quieted down.

Li Chengqian stood atop the city gate, calmly looking at the officials on both sides, and said, "In this great battle, all the officials in the court have also worked hard. I hereby issue an edict to bestow silk upon each of them according to their rank."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The ministers bowed respectfully.

"Furthermore, the people of the land will also benefit greatly." Li Chengqian smiled lightly and said, "Issue an imperial decree to grant a general amnesty!"

"Your Majesty is benevolent, long live the Emperor!" All the ministers on both sides knelt down and kowtowed earnestly.

Historically, the greatest reward an emperor could bestow upon the people was not tax exemption, but a general amnesty.

Li Chengqian glanced to the side, and Li Anyan immediately cupped his hands in greeting before quickly descending from Chengtian Gate.

In the blink of an eye, Li Anyan had already ridden his horse madly towards Anfu Gate and Fanglin Gate.

The courtiers were puzzled for a moment, but soon a name came to mind.

Ashina Helu.

The emperor granted a general amnesty, and Ashina Helu was among those granted amnesty.

Everything that happened today began with the offering of prisoners to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and it will now end with Ashina Helu as a prisoner.

"Rise, my lords." Li Chengqian nodded calmly and said, "Today is a joyous occasion. I have prepared fine wine and delicacies in the palace to thank you all. In addition, I hereby issue an edict that Chang'an City will celebrate for three days."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The ministers rose and bowed respectfully.

When Ashina Helu was brought back under escort, the officials, princes, and envoys from both inside and outside the capital were already enjoying fine wine and delicacies, along with music and dance, in the Liangyi Hall.

As soon as He Lu arrived, the Western Region dancers who had been twirling in the hall immediately withdrew.

Seeing He Lu being led to kneel in the hall, the image of Jieli couldn't help but appear in everyone's minds.

Back then, after being captured and presented to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Jieli was escorted before the emperor to dance and celebrate his receiving the title of Heavenly Khan.

today……

Li Chengqian sat on the steps, looking calmly at He Lu, and asked, "Have you been to Zhaoling?"

He Lu knelt on the ground, his head trembling slightly as he kowtowed and said, "Yes."

He Lu was taken to Zhaoling Mausoleum, where officials from the Ministry of Rites read out his crimes and announced them to the late emperor.

The executioner from the Ministry of Justice had already raised his blade, but at that moment, Li Anyan arrived with the emperor's decree of a general amnesty.

It could be said that He Lu was just a hair's breadth away from being beheaded.

"Then do you know you were wrong?" Li Chengqian asked, holding his wine glass with an indifferent expression.

"This guilty subject knows his mistake." He Lu nodded vigorously. He knew that although the emperor had issued an order to grant amnesty to the whole country, what would happen in the future was entirely up to the emperor.

"It's good that you admit your mistake." Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Although your crime is as deep as the sea, I have granted a general amnesty, so I will not pursue your wrongdoing any further. I will have someone prepare a house in Chang'an for you to recuperate properly. As for the rest, I will have someone send your family back. In addition, I will bestow upon you the title of Prince of Guiyi, with a salary."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" He Lu knelt on the ground, kowtowing deeply, and for a moment he couldn't help but cry.

Ashina Misha, Ashina Buzhen, and countless other Turkic nobles looked rather embarrassed upon seeing this scene.

It is truly heartbreaking that Helu, after all, was the last Khan of the Turkic Khaganate, and to meet such an end is truly distressing.

"Get up and sit down at the end of the hall." Li Chengqian raised his hand slightly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" He Lu then composed himself and stood up.

A eunuch led him to the end of the hall to sit down, but after he had only taken two steps, He Lu noticed strange looks on the faces of many people opposite him.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.

Prince of Guiyi, Duke of Guiyi—weren't those the titles bestowed upon Jieli after his death?
How did the emperor bestow this upon him?

It should be noted that He Jieli died only four years after being imprisoned in Chang'an.

Would the emperor also let him live for four more years?
……

Li Chengqian ignored He Lu and did not allow him to dance in the palace.

He doesn't deserve it yet.

He Lu was left in Chang'an, which was merely a matter of dividing the hearts of Ashina Misha and Ashina Buzhen among the Western Turks.

Those who truly want to oppose the Tang Dynasty will only be eyeing Helu, the last Khan of the Western Turkic Khaganate.

By keeping an eye on Helu, one can uncover many traces of the Western Turkic forces' anti-Tang restoration efforts.

Li Chengqian's gaze swept past the assembled officials in the main hall, as well as countless envoys from the four barbarian kingdoms, and then looked out of the main hall.

Heavenly Khan, Heavenly Khan.

This title brings not only nominal respect, but also boundless authority.

"To relieve the people and punish the guilty" is more than just a slogan.

That symbolizes infinite power.

(End of this chapter)