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

Chapter 684 Let His Majesty personally confront the entire Guanlong aristocratic clans (First Update)
Inside the Qianyuan Hall, the officials stood in solemn silence.

Li Chengqian sat on the imperial couch, looking at the memorial in his hand, occasionally reading aloud: "First, the time is not yet ripe, and the drought has not yet ended; second, there is war in the eastern islands, and the western regions are not yet pacified; third, the administration needs to be rectified, and the foundation must be strengthened... Therefore, I request that the Fengshan ceremony be postponed in order to rectify the administration."

The courtiers turned slightly to look at Sun Fujia, who was standing in the hall.

This guy really dares to say things like, "More than 10,000 refugees, starving corpses fill the fields," "In the east there are massacres and atrocities, in the west military losses increase by 30% annually," and "Concealing the disaster is a sign of impending doom."

"Please halt the imperial carriage, dispatch imperial censors to inspect the area, and postpone the tribute missions of the various barbarian tribes, lest we follow in the footsteps of Emperor Yang who destroyed the empire." Li Chengqian looked at Sun Fujia, who stood solemnly in the hall, and suddenly smiled, saying, "I have no words to respond to your request, my dear minister, so I will suspend the Fengshan ceremony."

“Your Majesty is benevolent and virtuous. The suspension of the Fengshan ceremony is a great blessing for the world and the nation!” Sun Fujia knelt down and kowtowed, saying, “Your Majesty is wise and virtuous. May the Tang Dynasty last ten thousand years.”

"Your Majesty is wise; may the Tang Dynasty last ten thousand years." The ministers bowed and clasped their hands in unison.

Li Chengqian picked up the memorial and handed it to Zhang Anan, who was standing beside him, saying, "Copy it down and post it throughout the city, and summon the whole country."

"Yes!" Zhang Anan cupped his hands in greeting, his face beaming with undisguised joy.

Although the emperor's actions often showed signs of deliberation, many things were done in accordance with the footsteps of the previous emperor, step by step, which pleased Zhang Anan.

"By imperial decree, Sun Fujia, the Chamberlain of the Palace, has offered sound advice and is hereby granted three hundred bolts of silk." Li Chengqian smiled slightly, gave Sun Fujia a deep look, and said, "I hope that Minister Sun will, in the future, offer advice to me as Wei Gong once advised my father."

"Your Majesty, I accept the decree and thank you for your great favor." Sun Fujia bowed deeply.

Changsun Wuji watched from the side, his expression turning serious.

Of course he knew that Sun Fujia was not Wei Zheng. Although he always took Wei Zheng as his role model and kept imitating him, he could never become Wei Zheng.

Because Wei Zheng's remonstrances were not only reasonable and well-founded, but also fearless, he was able to strongly remonstrate even with the late emperor, ultimately forcing the emperor to repent.

But Sun Fujia was different. Although he appeared to be like that, many things were actually just things that the emperor allowed him to offer advice on, which is why he was able to speak freely.

In reality, the emperor was merely setting an example for the people.

When Wei Zheng encountered a problem, if he said it was wrong, then it was wrong.

When officials submit their memorials, they must carefully consider their words.

Sun Fujia, as the Grand Secretary, oversaw the entire supervisory system, which included the Secretariat, the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Personnel, the local military commanders, the registrar, the legal officer, and the merit officer. This system forced all officials in the country to think twice before acting.

If their attitude towards Wei Zheng was one of respect, then their attitude towards Sun Fujia was one of fear.

Unfortunately, Sun Fujia himself was not quite aware of this.

Because all of this was deliberately orchestrated by the emperor.

Sun Fujia was a tool the emperor used to monitor the entire realm.

The system of imperial rule was gradually taking shape, and Changsun Wuji...

"Uncle!" The emperor's voice rang out from above, and Changsun Wuji immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty!"

Li Chengqian nodded to Changsun Wuji and asked, "That matter?"

"Your Majesty!" Chu Suiliang stepped forward from among the ministers, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, all emperors should be posthumously honored as their founding ancestor. The founding ancestor of the Great Tang Dynasty was none other than the Supreme Moral Celestial Venerable Li Er. Therefore, I request Your Majesty to posthumously grant him the title of Supreme Moral Celestial Venerable."

"Let the royal family, the ministers, and all the barbarians join me in posthumously honoring our ancestor." Li Chengqian nodded slightly and said, "This matter can mobilize all the Taoist sects in the world, and it can also shake the Buddhist sects. The entire Chang'an will be in an uproar. Even if the envoys from the barbarians are not well-versed in the culture, they will still feel the grandeur of this event."

"Yes!" Chu Suiliang couldn't help but bow in awe. The current emperor had a keen understanding of people's hearts and the ways of the world. As long as you made a move, he could see everything clearly.

"So be it." Li Chengqian nodded and said, "I will personally write a posthumous edict to confer the title of Emperor Taishang Xuanyuan of the Great Tang Dynasty."

"Congratulations to the Supreme Emperor Xuanyuan of the Great Tang Dynasty!" The officials in the hall all bowed in unison.

Li Chengqian took a deep breath and said, "Since we are going to confer the title of Supreme Emperor on Yuanzu, we can't do it on Mount Song. We have to go to Taiqing Palace in Bozhou."

In this matter, Minister Chu will still lead all the ministers, with the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Court of State Ceremonies, the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, and the Directorate of the Imperial Treasury assisting in the effort.

Zhao Yuankai, Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; Li Yibiao, Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies; Li Baiyao, Minister of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs; and Qiu Xingyan, Director of the Imperial Treasury.

The four of them stepped forward together, cupped their hands in greeting, and said, "Yes, sir!"

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "All the rituals must be complete. We should communicate with the Taoist sect as much as possible to ensure that the imperial rites and Taoist rituals are in accordance with the law. At the same time, we should instruct the Crown Prince to depart from Chang'an on the first day of the twelfth month. Before leaving Chang'an, he should go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices to the ancestors and inform them of this matter."

"Your Majesty, we obey the decree." The officials bowed respectfully.

"Court adjourned." Li Chengqian stood up abruptly, and the assembled officials solemnly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, we respectfully see you off."

……

In the Zhenguan Hall, Li Chengqian sat on the imperial couch, picked up a fine bamboo brush with gold ink, and wrote earnestly: "The Great Dao is chaotic and complete, establishing the ultimate principle before the two polarities; the perfect man empties himself, and speaks of the wonders of all things. As for Laozi, he is my origin..."

A soft footstep sounded from the side and then came to the side of the imperial couch, where a celadon teacup was placed on the imperial table.

Li Chengqian saw the slender hand holding the teacup and looked up in surprise: "Empress."

"Your Majesty!" Su Shu walked up behind Li Chengqian, gently massaging his shoulders, and said in a low voice, "I heard that the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Song has been completed, so I came to see Your Majesty!"

"Hehe!" Li Chengqian sighed softly and said, "The Empress understands me best!"

Putting down the fine bamboo pen in his hand, Li Chengqian pulled Su Shu in front of him, hugged her, rested his head on her shoulder, and said softly, "My first Fengshan ceremony ended so hastily. I started it with one hand and ended it with the other."

The Fengshan ceremony—these two words are far more complex than they appear.

Although the court skillfully diverted public attention by posthumously conferring the title of Supreme Emperor of Xuan Yuan, few people noticed the regret in Li Chengqian's heart.

Of course, this matter was initiated by the emperor himself, and the entire process was under his control.

The purpose of this was also to ensure the Tang Dynasty's presence in the Western Turkic Khaganate.

Once successful, the Tang Dynasty would be able to bring the entire Western Turkic Khaganate under its complete control.

Of course, the most important thing is the Silk Road.

"His Majesty performed the Fengshan ceremony and posthumously conferred the title of Emperor Xuanyuan. How have the various tribes reacted? Do they feel like they've been tricked?" Su Shu raised her head slightly.

The only thing to pay attention to in this matter is the thoughts of the envoys of the various foreign kings.

"The situation is better than expected." Li Chengqian couldn't help but smile and said, "Although the Yuanzu is a being above gods and the head of the Three Pure Ones, the common people can still tell the difference, but the foreign tribes can't tell so much. However, once they know that the royal family is a descendant of gods, they become even more awe-inspiring."

The Three Pure Ones are beings above the gods, but in the understanding of other races, they are also among the gods.

Of course, this is somewhat related to Tao Hongjing's "True Spirit Position Chart".

“Foreign tribes also recognize gods. The Tang imperial family is a descendant of gods, so they naturally hold them in even greater awe.” Li Chengqian suddenly smiled and said, “Of course, this does not include those ambitious individuals, but even they would probably want to see the influence of the Yuan Ancestor and the Daoist sect throughout the world before settling down quietly in Luoyang.” That was enough.

"That's good enough." Li Chengqian held Su Shu and said softly, "Your Majesty, you don't need to worry too much about the affairs of the court. Whether it's the three kingdoms of the Eastern Islands, the Western Turks, or Tibet, everything is progressing slowly and steadily. One day, I will truly perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Song."

“Yes!” Su Shu nodded, then said, “Even if it’s not the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Song, His Majesty can also perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai.”

"Haha, that's not easy."

……

The Ministry of Personnel, the official residence of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

"Make it more grand." Changsun Wuji watched as his subordinate handed a cup of tea to Chu Suiliang before continuing, "There are some things that His Majesty couldn't say clearly because of Sun Fujia's memorial, but posthumously conferring the title of Supreme Xuanyuan Emperor is, after all, His Majesty's ancestor. No amount of grandeur is excessive. Not to mention, there are countless foreign tribes as well. Mystery and solemnity are the most important."

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, these matters can be handled simply by transferring the Fengshan ceremony there. With the addition of the Taoist rituals, there will be no problems," Chu Suiliang said, bowing slightly.

Changsun Wuji nodded and glanced at the steward on the side.

The official immediately bowed and then backed away from the side.

Changsun Wuji then looked at Chu Suiliang and asked, "Dengshan, what have you thought about that matter we discussed last time?"

Chu Suiliang sighed inwardly, then looked at Changsun Wuji and said, "Duke, I have thought it over. Even if the Duke of Ju really retires, the position of Grand Secretary will not be available to me."

Changsun Wuji nodded and said, "Sun Fujia's chances are slim. His Majesty wants to use his position in the Secretariat to control the affairs of the empire. So in the end, it will probably be Minister of Personnel Yan Lide. After all, there is Liu Dewei as a precedent, and Yan Lide himself is the prime minister."

Chu Suiliang lowered his head slightly. He knew that Changsun Wuji had been keeping an eye on the Minister of Personnel.

The Ministry of Personnel—this is what the emperor and the Duke of Zhao have been fighting over for years.

From Tang Jian, to Yang Shidao, to Zhang Xingcheng, to the current Yan Lide, four Ministers of Personnel, and then to Xue Yuanjing, Cui Renshi, Liu Shi, and Li Qianyou, four Vice Ministers of Personnel.

Over the past few years, countless things have happened.

Overall, however, the emperor's direct influence over the Ministry of Personnel was still not as great as that of Changsun Wuji.

Even though the current Minister of Personnel is Yan Lide, he still doesn't have as much influence in the Ministry of Personnel as Changsun Wuji.

Chu Suiliang sighed softly and said sincerely, "Duke, even if Yan Lide becomes the Grand Secretary, His Majesty will still not appoint me to the Ministry of Personnel. My position is what it is. Even if His Majesty appoints Li Qianyou as the Minister of Personnel, he will not appoint me. Duke, you might as well start from below and focus on the position of Vice Minister of Personnel."

Changsun Wuji couldn't help but ponder for a moment.

"Duke!" Chu Suiliang cupped his hands and said, "His Majesty has devoted himself to the country in recent years, waging many battles. Now he is also working hard to govern the country and has begun to reform the bureaucracy. Various methods have been introduced one after another. For example, in the case of Sun Fujia, His Majesty investigated thirty or forty people in the end, and officials from Guanzhong accounted for more than half of them."

In today's court, the people who are truly becoming obstacles for the emperor are the Guanlong aristocratic families.

Chu Suiliang understood this very well.

There's no way around it; the world is so vast that it can't be filled by just one person from Guanzhong.

An emperor must have access to talented people from all over the country.

But before that, the Guanlong aristocratic families would do their best to place themselves in every official position, even if these people were unqualified.

It was precisely these unqualified people who aroused the emperor's disgust.

In the end, it was these same people who were investigated and punished.

Changsun Wuji couldn't help but sigh. He understood these principles, but being in his position, it was difficult to simply step down.

"Therefore, Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, you might as well step back and let His Majesty handle these matters himself." After a slight pause, Chu Suiliang said with a face full of admonition, "Your Majesty, it is now time for His Majesty to face the entire Guanlong aristocratic clans himself."

Changsun Wuji looked up slightly with some doubt, then looked at Chu Suiliang with a heavy expression.

Chu Suiliang was met with a very oppressive look from Changsun Wuji, and he quickly lowered his head.

Immediately, Chu Suiliang quickly added, "Duke, I know that you have received great favors from the late Emperor and Empress Wende, and are wholeheartedly committed to stabilizing the country. However, sometimes it is better to take a step back."

Only when His Majesty recognizes the power of the Guanlong aristocratic families and their importance to the realm will it be time for the Duke to regain true power.

Changsun Wuji leaned back and narrowed his eyes slightly.

He regained power.

Changsun Wuji lowered his head slightly, his eyes showing a hint of unfamiliarity as he looked at Chu Suiliang.

“If Your Majesty can stabilize Guanzhong without the Duke, then…” Chu Suiliang bowed heavily and said, “Then it will be time for the Duke to truly relinquish everything and entrust everything to Your Majesty.”

“Alright, I’ll think about it.” Changsun Wuji raised his head and said calmly, “Now is not the time. Tang Jian has just retired. If I leave now, things will go wrong.”

"Yes!" Chu Suiliang bowed and nodded.

"Let's leave it at that." Changsun Wuji waved his hand slightly, turned to the side, and began to think seriously.

"Yes!" Chu Suiliang bowed and said, "This humble official takes his leave."

……

Once Chu Suiliang had completely left, light footsteps could be heard.

Behind a pillar, Pei Xizai, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, stepped forward and bowed to Changsun Wuji, saying, "Duke."

“He has other ideas!” Changsun Wuji couldn’t help but sigh and said, “I know what he’s saying all along, but if I step down, someone has to take my place. I thought he could do it, but I didn’t expect him to have ulterior motives!”

Once Changsun Wuji steps down from his current position, someone from their faction will have to take his place.

Otherwise, sooner or later people's hearts will be scattered.

Under these circumstances, who could be more suitable than Chu Suiliang, the former Chancellor and now Minister of Rites?

Especially since such an opportunity had finally come along.

"Prime Minister Chu must have been frightened by what happened back then, so he's worried that if he shows any ambition to ascend the throne, His Majesty will severely punish him. That's why he's being so cautious." Pei Xizai bowed slightly. In the end, the emperor is no longer the emperor he once was. The six ministers and the prime minister can be demoted at will.

"Fine, since he's unwilling, then let the position of Minister of Rites remain vacant." Changsun Wuji shook his head indifferently and looked at Pei Xizai, saying, "You can start working on that matter you've been hiding over there."

"Yes!" Pei Xizai solemnly cupped his hands, then carefully withdrew from the side.

Changsun Wuji stared at the sky in front of him, gradually falling into deep thought.

(End of this chapter)