The revitalization of the Tang Dynasty began with the Ganlu Incident.

Inside the Hall of State Affairs, the aroma of tea wafted through the air, and a wisp of cigarette smoke rose, creating a tranquil and serene atmosphere.

Li Deyu sat there, his brows furrowed, his right hand unconsciously fidgeting.

"Does Sikong intend to simply give up now?"

Wang Ya could also hear the dissatisfaction in Li Deyu's tone.

But when it comes to such important matters of the court, as the prime minister, he cannot simply give in so easily.

With a slightly serious expression, Wang Ya said, "Haste makes waste. It's good that young people want to make something of themselves, but they also need to consider the bigger picture."

"Since the beginning of this year, Wang Shoucheng and others were executed, followed by Qiu Shiliang, Yu Hongzhi, and the various prime ministers of the Central Secretariat. The court has been in turmoil all year long. There has never been a moment of peace in the court."

"Now, Xue Jiling has been dismissed again, and the court is going to establish a new Shence Military Governor's Office. These are all major events that will shake up the political situation."

"There are many deep-seated problems within the military; we can investigate them gradually. Why rush things?"

Li Deyu remained silent for a while.

Having been demoted and exiled for many years, he was indeed less familiar with the situation in the capital than Wang Ya, who had experienced it firsthand.

To be fair, what Wang Ya said wasn't entirely unreasonable.

In just one year, the Shence Lieutenant changed three times, and the Chancellor of the Secretariat-Chancellery also changed seven or eight times.

Such frequent changes in leadership have a huge impact on the normal operation of the government.

It is no exaggeration to say that the imperial court did not accomplish anything of substance throughout the entire year.

Therefore, Li Deyu could understand Wang Ya's idea of ​​recuperating and calming the situation.

But understanding is one thing, and agreeing with it is another.

"Since you know that the court has been in turmoil this year, you must know the root cause. The Shence Army guarding the capital is the foundation of the court's stability."

"To put it bluntly, whether it's the change of the Grand Chancellor or the recent events in the palace, it's all for the purpose of reorganizing the Divine Strategy. Now, with the right timing, location, and people, it's the perfect time to press on."

"If we retreat now, then all the previous turmoil in the court will have truly been a waste of national strength."

Li Deyu was well aware that, after so many upheavals, the imperial court had been severely affected.

But he understood even more clearly that it was precisely in times like these that he had to persevere and not let all his previous efforts go to waste.

Therefore, this alone reveals the difference in their governing philosophies.

Wang Ya was more conservative and hoped that the court could operate smoothly, while Li Deyu was relatively more radical and had more ambition to realize his aspirations.

Having said all that, both sides understood that neither could convince the other through political debate alone.

Wang Ya was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Do you know that Niu Sengru has returned to the capital? Besides him, Du Cong, Yang Sifu, Li Jue, and others have all submitted memorials, ostensibly to report on their duties, but actually intend to return to the capital. These people have been getting a lot of votes for prime minister lately..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Deyu's face darkened.

The reason is simple: the people Wang Ya mentioned are all key figures in the Niu Party.

Among them, Li Jue was once Niu Sengru's advisor, Du Cong was the consort of Princess Qiyang, and Yang Sifu was a distant cousin of Consort Yang in the palace.

The current emperor has not yet established an empress, and there are only two concubines in the harem, one of whom is Consort Yang.

Li Deyu narrowed his eyes slightly, and in a short moment, he already understood.

He had long anticipated that the Niu faction would seize the opportunity to rise again after Li Xun was dismissed, but he did not expect them to act so quickly.

In particular, the people they chose, apart from Li Jue, had very special identities and were difficult to deal with.

At this point, Wang Ya presented this news with a very simple meaning.

That is, while you, Li Deyu, were determined to launch a vigorous reform, the Niu Party was already quietly expanding its influence.

If Li Deyu continues to insist on his own ideas, he will inevitably offend a large number of people in the palace and the court, and it will also give the Niu faction time to accumulate strength.

At that point, being attacked from both sides would be the least of one's worries. The worst-case scenario would be complete failure, with all reforms going unfulfilled, and the individual being attacked, forced to step down, and never able to make a comeback.

Seeing that Li Deyu understood his meaning, Wang Ya sighed and continued to persuade him.

"Wenrao, you are a smart man, and I have always admired you. In the future, the court will need you to support it, so there is no need to rush some things. Take it slow, stop for a while, and there will be other opportunities in the future."

Li Deyu remained silent.

It's clear that Wang Ya's idea is to gradually consolidate power.

First, establish the Shence Military Governor's Office, then stabilize it for a period of time, and then slowly find opportunities to gradually erode the Shence Army's power.

The advantage of doing this is that it's safe, but the problem is...

"Minister, I understand your good intentions, but since I am paid by the emperor, I should share his burdens. As a prime minister, my actions should prioritize the well-being of the Tang Dynasty. How can I sacrifice my own life for the sake of the nation?"

Li Deyu did not hesitate for long before standing up, cupping his hands in greeting, and saying...

"The Shence Army is riddled with problems, and isn't our Great Tang in the same situation now? Time waits for no one. It's not that Deyu is unwilling to proceed slowly, but rather that the state is in such a state that Deyu cannot afford to delay."

Please forgive me, Mr. Sikong.

Having said that, he bowed deeply, said no more, and turned to leave.

Watching Li Deyu's departing figure, Wang Ya sat there, silent for a long time with a complex expression.

As the sun set, his expression gradually hardened, as if he had made a decision. He stood up, went to the shelf behind him, took out a document from a locked box, glanced at it deeply, then put it in his pocket and said.

"Guards! I wish to enter the palace to meet the Emperor!"

…………

Night was falling, and it was almost time to lock the palace gates.

The Zichen Palace was already lit, and Li Ang sat behind his desk, still reviewing the memorials that had piled up over the past period.

For the high-ranking officials in the imperial court, the downfall of Xue Jiling and the reorganization of the Shence Army were undoubtedly their biggest concerns.

However, for other mid- to low-level officials, these matters are too far removed from their lives. Although they may pay some attention to them, their main focus is on personnel changes.

Firstly, after Li Xun fell from power, everyone turned against him, and impeachments against Li Xun's faction continued to pour in from all levels of the court, resulting in a number of vacant important positions.

During this period, various forces have been relentlessly impeaching Li Ang while simultaneously recommending and placing their own people in positions of power. Li Ang's desk has been overflowing almost every day.

Another stack of new memorials arrived. Qi Baozhen handed over the top one first, saying, "Reporting to Your Excellency, this is a memorial from the Right Vice Minister Linghu Chu, impeaching the Chancellor of the Council of State, Jia Su..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ang frowned slightly.

It should be noted that there has indeed been considerable controversy surrounding personnel changes during this period, but these disputes have mainly involved mid-level officials, with the highest being only at the level of Vice Minister.

True high-ranking officials like the Chancellor and the Grand Chancellor knew that this was a crucial moment for the reorganization of the Shence Army, so they generally didn't get involved in these disputes.

Linghu Chu...

Li Ang picked up the memorial, read it carefully, and found that it was indeed an impeachment memorial, and the content was very simple.

It is said that a few months ago, Jia Su bumped into two imperial censors on the street. Because the censors did not dismount and pay their respects, he was so angry that he whipped them...

After reading it, Li Ang quickly remembered that such a thing did indeed happen.

At that time, the two censors even submitted a memorial to plead their case, but the original owner of this body was focused on how to get rid of Qiu Shiliang, so they were only reprimanded a couple of times before the matter was hastily concluded.

This happened so long ago, and now it's being brought up again...

Li Ang subconsciously felt that something was wrong.

However, before he could figure it out, the eunuch outside came to report.

"Your Excellency, Minister of Works Wang Ya requests an audience!"