Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 82 The First Black-Faced God in the Tang Dynasty

Li Zhi was stunned for a moment, and a memory quickly emerged in his mind.

In the first year of Yonghui, he returned to Chang'an from Cuiwei Palace and ascended the throne under the escort of Cheng Zhijie.

At that time, officials from the aristocratic factions believed that the court structure would be redistributed after the new emperor ascended the throne, so they fought openly and secretly against each other, all wanting to take advantage of the power vacuum to seize some benefits.

In the face of interests, people will go crazy, and with the death of Emperor Taizong, everyone felt like a shackle had been removed.

Chang'an was in chaos, and even Changsun Wuji couldn't control it.

Helu saw the chaos in Chang'an and thought that the Tang Dynasty was doomed, so he rebelled against the Tang Dynasty and attacked Tingzhou.

At the critical moment, it was Cheng Zhijie who stood up.

He led the garrisoned cavalry and patrolled the city for security during the day. He was impartial and fair in enforcing the law in any case, and even killed many people, thus offending many people.

However, because of his bad reputation, no one dared to retaliate against him.

At night, Cheng Zhijie led the Flying Cavalry Army to guard the Zuo Yanming Gate to protect the safety of the new emperor.

This went on for three months, and Chang'an City finally slowly returned to stability.

In order to commend Cheng Zhijie, Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty appointed him as the General of the Left Guard, the first of the Twelve Guards, and ordered him to inspect the garrison troops.

The Tunying was the later Yulin Guard, which was an imperial guard along with the Qianniu Guard and the Jinwu Guard. It was stationed outside the North Gate and was also known as the North Gate Imperial Guard.

Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty was equivalent to handing over the troops of the two guards to Cheng Zhijie, which shows his trust in him.

Later, when Emperor Gaozong of Tang deposed Wang Liwu, the first person he looked for was Cheng Zhijie, thinking that he would definitely support him.

Cheng Zhijie chose to remain neutral, which led to his loss of the emperor's trust.

It was precisely because most of the North Gate Forbidden Army were Cheng Zhijie's former subordinates that Emperor Gaozong of Tang was so wary of him and transferred him out of Chang'an.

After Li Zhi sorted out these memories, he also understood what Liu Rengui meant.

He was not pleading for Cheng Zhijie, but really wanted to solve the current problems in Chang'an City.

However, the question remains, what exactly is Cheng Zhijie thinking? Can he be trusted?
Although Li Zhi had some good feelings towards Cheng Zhijie, a gentleman does not build a dangerous wall. The situation has not deteriorated to such an extent, so there is no need to take risks.

After much thought, the best way is to activate Cheng Zhijie, but at the same time make sure that he does not pose a threat to himself. Is there any way to do that?
A name suddenly flashed through Li Zhi's mind. He said to Liu Rengui and the other two, "My dear ministers, please step aside first. Let me consider this."

……

The piano music is melodious and graceful, but the flute sound is a bit rough, sometimes high and sometimes low.

Li Zhi listened very attentively with a serious expression, as if he was feeling the charm of the music.

Princess Gao An was greatly encouraged. This was the first time she had played the flute with Concubine Zheng since she started learning to play the flute, and she wanted to give Li Zhi a surprise.

She puffed out her lips and blew hard, and the sound became more and more shrill.

Concubine Zheng, who was standing by, frowned and could hardly play the piano anymore. She kept winking at Princess Gao An, asking her to lower her voice.

Princess Gao An was already excited. Seeing that her father was listening to her flute music with a serious expression, she also played it with all her might.

After a long while, she finally finished playing the song. She panted and smiled at Li Zhi, "Ah, yeah, did I play it well?"

Li Zhi still maintained his original expression, as if he didn't hear what she said.

Princess Gao An threw herself into his arms and said coquettishly, "Father, I'm talking to you."

Li Zhi came back to his senses and asked, "What did you say?"

Princess Gao An then realized that Li Zhi had been thinking about her and had not listened to her playing the music at all.

"I worked so hard to play a song, but you didn't listen carefully. I'm angry!" She pouted and crossed her arms.

Li Zhi smiled and said, "Okay, I'll apologize to you, don't be angry."

Princess Gao An was pretending to be so engrossed in the process. She immediately smiled and said, "What are you thinking about, Ye Ye? Why are you so engrossed in it?"

Concubine Zheng also looked over curiously. She had long noticed that Li Zhi was worried today, but she just didn't dare to ask.

Li Zhi said: "Nothing, just some things from the previous dynasty."

Princess Gao An said, "Tell me, my aunt and I can help you with some advice!"

Li Zhi smiled and said, "Well, let me ask you, do you know Yuchi Gong?"

Princess Gao An blinked and turned to Concubine Zheng for help.

Concubine Zheng laughed and scolded, "You don't even know about the Duke of E, one of the twenty-four heroes in the Lingyan Pavilion, and you still want to share your worries?"

Princess Gao An chuckled and said, "He must be an extraordinary person. Is Ye Ye worried about him?"

Li Zhi held her in his arms, staring into space, and said, "To be precise, I am troubled by Cheng Zhijie's matter. However, to resolve Cheng Zhijie's matter, I must first resolve Yuchi Gong's matter."

Princess Gao An was stunned for a moment. She felt that she understood every word her own Ye Ye said, but when they were put together, she couldn't understand.

She turned to Concubine Zheng for help, but this time Concubine Zheng didn't understand either. She shook her head and made a gesture to keep quiet.

Suddenly, there was silence in the bedroom. Li Zhi thought quietly for a long time, and suddenly asked, "Is there anyone in the palace who is familiar with Yuchi Gong?" When these words came out, Concubine Zheng and Princess Gao An were stunned. How could they know such a thing?

Fortunately, Wang Fusheng was also in the hall. He said softly, "Your Majesty, Wang Jishan seems to be an old subordinate of Yuchi Gong."

Li Zhi said, "Then summon Wang Jishan to an audience."

After all, Xunfeng Hall was not a convenient place to meet with generals, nor was it a place to discuss matters, so Li Zhi returned to Ganlu Hall. Not long after, Wang Jishan came into the hall.

Although Wang Jishan was only the General of the Central Army of the Jinwu Guard, his title was actually very high. He inherited his father's title of Duke of Xing and was a typical second-generation founding duke.

Having said that, Li Zhi had a good impression of him. He felt that he was very similar to Xue Rengui, both having a calm and introverted temperament.

Wang Jishan is a few years younger than Xue Rengui. He is not tall but has a long face, the kind that is not easy to remember.

Li Zhi asked him, "Was Lord Wang a former subordinate of the Duke of E?"

Wang Jishan said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, when Duke E was the General of the Right Jinwu Guard, I served under him as a Lang Jiang."

Li Zhi asked, "Do you know why Duke E has been hiding at home and refusing to take up an official position?"

Wang Jishan said, "I know."

Li Zhi's eyes lit up and he asked, "Why?"

Wang Jishan lowered his head slightly and whispered, "Duke E is too straightforward and has offended too many people. Even the late emperor lost patience with him, so he used the excuse of refining elixirs to avoid disputes in the court."

Yuchi Gong is not only upright, but also has zero emotional intelligence. He scolds everyone he sees, loves to expose people's shortcomings, and often fights with officials.

At a banquet once, a person whom he looked down upon sat in front of him. He immediately started cursing. When Prince of Rencheng Li Daozon tried to persuade him, Li Daozon punched him in the face instead.

Li Shimin was also present at the time, but Yuchi Gong did not give him any face at all. It is conceivable how angry Li Shimin was.

Yuchi Gong offended too many people, and almost no one liked him except the generals in the army.

Because of his black face, others gave him the nickname "Black-faced Ghost", but the soldiers in the army admired him very much and called him the Black-faced God.

Li Zhi nodded. This was similar to what he remembered.

"If I invite him, do you think he will take up the government?"

Wang Jishan was taken aback and said, "Your Majesty, the Duke of E is already over 70 years old. I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to go to the battlefield again."

Li Zhi said slowly: "I don't need him to go to the battlefield, I just hope he will return to the government."

Wang Jishan's face was full of confusion.

Li Zhi said: "There is no need to hide this from you. I let him out because I want to use Cheng Zhijie."

These two sentences seemed to have nothing to do with each other, but Wang Jishan only needed a flash of his eyes to understand their meaning.

The emperor wanted to use Cheng Zhijie, but was worried that Li Ji alone could not check and balance him.

Among all the military generals in the court, only Yuchi Gong's qualifications and prestige could be compared with Cheng Zhijie.

Moreover, Yuchi Gong had offended Zhangsun Wuji, and because of his overly straightforward character, he had very bad relations with the aristocratic families.

This kind of person is the most reliable person for the king to use.

Wang Jishan pondered for a moment, then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Duke E is extremely stubborn. I'm afraid I can't persuade him."

After a pause, he continued, "However, I do have a way to get him into the government and serve Your Majesty."

Li Zhi looked up at him and asked, "What method?"

Wang Jishan said, "The Duke of E is already half buried in the ground, and he has been secluded in his mansion for over a decade. There are only a handful of people who can still influence him."

Li Zhi's heart moved, and he said, "Do you mean to let the Duke of Ying go and persuade him?"

Wang Jishan shook his head and said, "I'm afraid no one can persuade him just by persuasion. Only by asking Cheng Zhijie to seek help from him, maybe we can move him."

Li Zhi frowned and said, "As far as I know, Cheng Zhijie and Yuchi Gong don't have a good relationship, right?"

Wang Jishan smiled and said, "They are like water and fire, yet they also cherish each other. Their relationship is even better than just friendship."

Li Zhi pondered for a moment and said, "You want me to punish Cheng Zhijie, and then have Cheng Zhijie go to Yuchi Gong for help, so as to induce Yuchi Gong to come out and plead for him?"

Wang Jishan said, "That's right."

Li Zhi said: "Do you have a specific plan?"

Wang Jishan thought for a moment and said, "I think we can first send someone to convey a secret order to Pei Xingjian, and then..."

Describe the plan in detail.

After listening to this, Li Zhi stared at Wang Jishan and said with a smile, "I didn't expect that Lord Wang is such a resourceful person. This plan is good. I will consider it again. If there are no loopholes, I will send someone to convey the order to Pei Xingjian."

After a pause, he continued, "Lord Wang, after Lord Xue left, the Inner Guards were left without a leader. I will hand them over to you from now on."

Wang Jishan's eyes lit up, and he bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

(End of this chapter)