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

Chapter 681 The Emperor is a Man of Feelings (First Update)
May 23.

The emperor offered sacrifices at Zhaoling Mausoleum.

Mount Zong is majestic and lush.

The densely packed Imperial Guards, wielding long spears and clad in red robes and golden armor, stretched from the mountainside down to the foot of the mountain, then towards Chang'an City, exuding an awe-inspiring and solemn presence.

All officials of the ninth rank and above in Chang'an, along with countless retired elders and envoys from foreign countries, knelt on both sides of the mountain road, weeping bitterly.

Li Chengqian, dressed in a black robe with gold thread, stood before the offering hall and solemnly inserted the incense sticks in his hand into the incense burner.

His gaze lifted from the offerings and various sacrifices on the table in front of him and landed on the towering Zhaoling Mausoleum before him.

Several plumes of blue smoke rose straight into the sky from all around.

The late emperor occupied the central position.

A dozen or so senior officials were buried with him on both sides.

Fang Xuanling, Xiao Yu, Gao Shilian, Liu Dewei, Zhang Xingcheng, and others were all buried on both sides of Zhaoling Mausoleum.

Protecting the imperial tombs.

The official in charge of rites was loudly reciting the eulogy. Li Chengqian looked at the tomb in front of him and whispered, "Father, Mother, Qingque and Zhinu, I have taken good care of them. You don't need to worry. As for Gaoyang's sons, Fang Yi'ai will send them over after he settles down in Andong. They will have nothing to worry about in the future."

Changsun Wuji knelt behind him, and amidst the wailing, he could vaguely hear the emperor's voice. He couldn't help but shed long tears.

The emperor was still sentimental.

"As for the world, Goguryeo, Silla, Baekje, and the Western Turks will be pacified and stabilized within three to five years. Perhaps it will take longer for Tibet, but it is ordained by Heaven that it will surely belong to the Tang Dynasty. There is no need to worry." Li Chengqian took a deep breath and said, "As for the affairs of the world, with the assistance of the officials, stabilization is not difficult. What is difficult is when the world is in turmoil."

Although the weather was generally favorable this year, Li Chengqian still sensed a hint of tension in the reports from the Imperial Observatory.

Who knows, there might be a severe drought in the next few years, that would be the most troublesome thing.

"No matter what, I will do everything in my power to govern the country." Li Chengqian bowed slightly before continuing, "At the beginning of the year, Xiang'er requested that I perform the Fengshan ceremony, with all the officials following suit. I couldn't bear to refuse, so I agreed. But I know in my heart that the Fengshan ceremony is never easy. Nevertheless, I have embarked on this path."

Once you embark on the path of Fengshan (a Buddhist ceremony), you'll never stop going down it.

"When Father Emperor was alive, he attempted the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai three times but failed. Your son also wishes to see how many difficulties you will encounter when you attempt the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Song." Li Chengqian took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and said loudly, "May Father Emperor and Mother Emperor protect your son and the Great Tang Dynasty, so that the world may prosper for ten thousand years."

"May the late Emperor and Empress Wende protect us, may the world prosper, and may the Tang Dynasty last ten thousand years." Li Xiang, Changsun Wuji, Li Jing, Li Ji, Yu Zhining, Tang Jian, Cheng Zhijie, Yuchi Jingde and others bowed and kowtowed in unison.

The sound traveled down the mountainside, booming all the way to the horizon.

……

The imperial carriage slowly headed towards Chang'an.

Li Chengqian sat among them and looked at Li Yifu on one side, saying, "Issue an imperial decree that Guo Xiaoke shall come to the palace for an audience after he returns."

"Yes, sir!" Li Yifu cupped his hands in greeting, then quickly turned and left.

Li Chengqian looked up at the swaying carriage curtain outside.

In May, the rice seedlings in Yongzhou were growing vigorously, and a bumper harvest in July was already expected.

Li Chengqian's gaze fell on the officials, both inside and outside the carriage, who were following outside.

From foreign envoys to court officials, everyone seemed to possess an inexplicable outward force, but it was this emperor who united everyone's hearts.

Li Chengqian's expression calmed down.

The imperial carriage entered Chang'an City through the Golden Light Gate and then went into the palace.

A vegetarian feast was prepared in the palace, and Li Chengqian instructed Li Xiang to entertain the guests.

In the Zhenguan Hall, Guo Xiaoke entered the hall with some doubt. When he saw Li Chengqian standing in front of the map of the Tang Dynasty on the right, he immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, "Your subject, Guo Xiaoke, Duke of Yangdi, pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years."

Li Chengqian waved his hand slightly, his gaze still fixed on the map of the Tang Dynasty before him, and asked, "Have you met the Uyghur Khan?"

"Yes!" Guo Xiaoke's expression turned serious.

"Tell me, what are your impressions of him?" Li Chengqian asked directly.

Guo Xiaoke licked his lips, pondered for a moment, and finally cupped his hands and said, "The Uyghur Khan and the Governor of the Han Sea, Porun, may seem respectful, but they harbor ambitions. Even if they submit to the Tang Dynasty now, they will surely turn against the Tang Dynasty in the future."

Li Chengqian turned to the side and looked at Guo Xiaoke: "What, have you guessed what I want you to do?"

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation." Guo Xiaoke quickly lowered his head.

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "I have no intention of forgiving you for what you did. If Xue Wanbei and the others hadn't arrived in time, you would have been dead."

Guo Daizhao said he couldn't be buried with the deceased, only Guo Daifeng would continue the family line. If anything were to happen to him later, the Guo family would be finished.

Li Chengqian's scolding was harsh, but at this moment Guo Xiaoke clearly understood that the emperor was more disappointed in him than anything else, just like the late emperor.

"I am guilty!" Guo Xiaoke bowed deeply, earnestly repenting.

Li Chengqian turned around, walked to the imperial couch and sat down, then looked at Guo Xiaoke and said, "The reason I am willing to give you this opportunity is because you did your best in the battle against the Western Turks, without overstepping any boundaries, and you were very conscientious in your duties. This is very rare, especially for you!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Guo Xiaoke couldn't help but bow his head. Ten years had passed since that incident, and today it was finally over.

"Let's return to the matter of the Uyghurs." Li Chengqian waved his long sleeves and said seriously, "The Uyghur Khan is now submissive only because the Tang Dynasty is powerful. Given the nature of the steppe people, mutual annexation is almost instinctive. This time he revealed his ambition to the Western Turks, so in the future he will inevitably do the same to the Eastern Turks and the Khitans, and in the end he will definitely threaten the Tang Dynasty."

"Yes!" Guo Xiaoke bowed solemnly. Li Chengqian tapped the table lightly and said forcefully, "If he dares to covet the Western Turks today, he will dare to attack them tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, he will instigate the Eastern Turks to rebel against the Tang Dynasty. In the chaos, he will take advantage of the situation to grow stronger and then threaten the world. Therefore, I need to prepare in advance to deal with this."

"Your subject understands!" Guo Xiaoke now had a good understanding of the emperor's style of doing things.

It's like playing chess.

While others have only just figured out three moves ahead, the emperor is already making his move ten moves ahead.

“From this day forward, you will be granted the title of Military General, and will no longer appear in the sight of the officials. However, you will secretly lead a unit of the Hundred Cavalry, specifically to deal with the Uyghurs.” Li Chengqian raised his head and looked at Guo Xiaoke, saying, “The Uyghurs will inevitably try to secretly annex the Western Turkic tribes little by little, while at the same time instigating the Eastern Turkic rebellion. Find out their tricks and cut them off.”

"Your subject obeys the decree." Guo Xiaoke took a deep breath and bowed deeply.

"Then find out for me the locations of all the tribes within the Uyghur Khaganate, their conflicts, and the changes in water and grass during winter. If anything happens, we can immediately strike directly at the Uyghur court." Li Chengqian looked at Guo Xiaoke with a deep and unfathomable gaze.

"Your subject obeys." Guo Xiaoke bowed respectfully.

Li Chengqian breathed a slight sigh of relief, then looked at Guo Xiaoke and said, "There are some things I need to make clear to you. The Uyghur rebellion may not happen today, and you may not even live to see it in your lifetime or in my reign. Therefore, these matters must be kept strictly confidential. Even when you go out, you can only face the world as the Duke of Yangdi and the Grand General of the State, or even disappear completely from the sight of the officials."

"Your Majesty, I understand. I have no regrets in this life if I can serve Your Majesty again." Guo Xiaoke bowed deeply.

"I will not treat you unfairly." Li Chengqian looked at Guo Xiaoke, sighed, and said, "Guo Daizhao will replace you in the future, fighting for me and the Tang Dynasty. As for Guo Daifeng, I have heard that he has good writing skills. Tell him to prepare well for the imperial examination. Next year is the palace examination. If he is well prepared, I will try my best to promote him to the top, or even make him the top scholar."

Guo Xiaoke's body trembled slightly. He then knelt down and kowtowed to Li Chengqian, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace. My family will surely serve Your Majesty to the death."

"Alright, go ahead." Li Chengqian turned slightly to the side and waved his hand, saying, "Someone from the Hundred Cavalry Division and the Bureau of Military Affairs will contact you."

"Your Majesty, I obey your command. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years, and may the Tang Dynasty last forever!" Guo Xiaoke kowtowed deeply once more before rising to take his leave.

Watching Guo Xiaoke's departing figure, Li Chengqian couldn't help but sigh.

Light footsteps sounded, and Li Chengqian looked up slightly, only to see Wu Meiniang carrying a tray as she walked out from the side hall.

After placing the warm tea on the imperial table in front of Li Chengqian, Wu Meiniang carefully said, "Your Majesty is benevolent, and Lady Guo has received too much favor from Your Majesty."

Li Chengqian chuckled softly, glanced at Wu Meiniang, and asked with a half-smile, "Meiniang, are you asking why I was so lenient with Guo Xiaoke back then, when he committed such a grave mistake?"

Wu Meiniang hesitated slightly, but still nodded and said, "Yes!"

Li Chengqian turned around, looked outside the hall, and said softly, "Everything back then was indeed caused by his greed. However, after Kucha was attacked, he rushed back without hesitation. He didn't have many soldiers with him, but he fought bravely without fear and held out until Xue Wanbei returned and recaptured Kucha. His losses were not great."

Of course, the reason for this was that Li Chengqian had made arrangements in advance.

In his previous life, Guo Xiaoke led a thousand men into Kucha City, only to be killed by a hail of arrows. It was also because of his persistence that the generals on all sides launched a counterattack and eventually recaptured Kucha City.

But he eventually died.

"Although he was wrong, his reckless counterattack after the consequences is a form of loyalty—loyalty to me and loyalty to the Tang Dynasty." Li Chengqian looked at Wu Meiniang and said earnestly, "This kind of loyalty is very precious, which is why I am willing to give him this chance after punishing him for ten years."

Loyalty is paramount, followed by competence.

Although Li Ji was highly capable, his attitude towards many things was unclear, which made people always more wary when using him.

Of course, it's only a few, because it's precisely because of his attitude towards everyone that people feel more at ease.

It can be used, but not too much.

Therefore, having loyal officials reside in the center while capable individuals expand in all directions is the true way for an emperor to rule the world.

Of course, a loyal person should not overshadow a capable person, nor should they compete with a capable person.

A system of checks and balances is sufficient.

That depends on the emperor's use of political tactics.

Wu Meiniang nodded gently: "Your Majesty is benevolent."

Li Chengqian waved his hand slightly and said, "Although Minister Guo is from the Guo family of Xuzhou, he is actually from a branch of the Guo family of Taiyuan. I remember that Meiniang's third sister also married into the Guo family of Taiyuan, right?"

"Yes!" Wu Meiniang nodded and said, "However, he chose the wrong person and got involved in the Prince of Jin's treason case. He has been exiled and died. It's a pity that my third sister is already a widow at such a young age."

"Didn't she have any descendants?" Li Chengqian looked up in surprise.

"No!" Wu Meiniang shook her head with a bitter expression, then said, "Third Sister has always been with Mother."

"I see." Li Chengqian sighed softly and said, "Now that Minyue has entered the palace, I will find an opportunity in the future to bestow titles upon your elder sister and mother, which can be considered a small favor."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Wu Meiniang curtsied gratefully. Although she ultimately stayed in the palace, she did not actually bring much overt favor to her mother.

“However, Minyue is currently being trained by the Empress. If she can pass the Empress’s test, then everything will be fine. But if she cannot pass the Empress’s test, then I will have no choice but to let her leave the palace.” Li Chengqian’s words were very serious.

In the harem today, everything revolves around the Empress.

If the empress does not approve of someone entering the palace, the emperor will absolutely not object.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, Minyue understands what's important." Wu Meiniang stood up and sighed, "Especially in recent years, they haven't actually had a very good life."

"Yeah!" Li Chengqian nodded calmly.

He knew in his heart that although Wu Meiniang cared for her family, it was only for her mother.

She didn't pay much attention to her other relatives either.

So, what kind of person is Helan Minyue?
(End of this chapter)