Tiantang Splendid

In the study, the aroma of tea filled the air and the atmosphere was quiet. Liu Li and Zhang Liang sat opposite each other across the coffee table, looking at each other in silence.

The former was speechless with shock, and could not believe that there would be such a situation of resisting the head coach's appointment, and the other party actually had a reason, while the latter was simply ashamed and angry, and he really didn't know what to say...

After a long while, Liu Li slowly exhaled and said helplessly: "If that's the case, why did Duke Yun come to my house? The military and the government are different, and I don't have any influence in the army. I really can't help you."

He was truly helpless.

The reason why he was at a disadvantage and restricted in every way in his repeated struggles with Fang Jun was not because Liu Li was incompetent, but because the partners around him were too useless.

The dignified Duke of Yunguo, the meritorious official of Zhenguan, the general of the Right Jinwu Guard appointed by the court, was resisted before he could even take up his post, and he fled back to the city in disgrace before he could even enter the military camp...

With his face and prestige gone, how can he expect to keep the Right Jinwu Guard under control in the future?

I finally understand why Zhang Liang followed Li Ji to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. Despite his seniority as a "military general of Tian Ce Mansion", he was repeatedly not reused for many years. Emperor Taizong was very good at judging people...

Zhang Liang naturally came for help, but when he heard Liu Li's words, he suddenly came to his senses. He came here to seek help from Liu Li, and if he wanted Liu Li to pay attention to him, he had to show his worth. Now after suffering a setback, he came to ask for help from Liu Li who was powerless to do anything about it. How could he be of any use other than making the other party hate him?

He was filled with remorse and said quickly, "I am not here to ask for help, but to tell you the truth about Fang Jun's arrogance in the army. Although I have lost face and prestige, Fang Jun's behavior is a taboo. The Minister of the Central Secretariat may contact the Censor to impeach him."

Liu Li nodded slightly and agreed, "Duke Yun is right. The army is the cornerstone of the empire, and power can only be controlled by Your Majesty. Fang Jun is now in the left and right Jinwu Guards, and he is arrogant and greedy for power. To put it bluntly, he has evil intentions and is trying to steal the artifact! We, the civil officials, should investigate illegality and impeach injustice. We must not let him run rampant, so that military discipline is relaxed and the government is corrupted."

Zhang Liang blinked his eyes. As expected, the civil officials were cruel and ruthless. He just wanted to use impeachment to make Fang Jun cautious and hesitant, so as to actively reduce his control over the Right Jinwu Guard. However, Liu Li wielded a steel knife and went straight for Fang Jun's vital point.

Having evil intentions, stealing sacred artifacts... Which minister deserves such a charge?
But at the same time, there is a hidden worry that Fang Jun will definitely not sit idly by. The more serious the charges against him by the civil servants and the greater the uproar they stir up, the more fierce Fang Jun's counterattack will be.

He might not necessarily take action against the censors who impeached him, but he would definitely be the first to bear the brunt of the consequences.

Zhang Liang looked worried, the situation was very passive...

*****
"Huh?! How can this be possible? Duke Yun is holding the imperial appointment document, but can he be blocked outside the camp gate?"

In the imperial study of Wude Hall, Li Chengqian was surprised and a little bit unbelievable when he heard Li Junxian's report.

Words like "the emperor's words are golden" and "the emperor's orders are supreme" are indeed used to scare people. The emperor is the ruler of the world in name only, but only in name. In private, there are many times when he does not take the emperor's orders seriously.

However, in a peaceful and prosperous era when imperial power was stable, it was shocking and unexpected to openly reject the court's appointment and disdain the officials appointed by the emperor.

Li Junxian shook his head and said, "Although this matter seems a bit excessive, Wang Xuance, the Chief Clerk of the Right Jinwu Guard, does have a reason and evidence, and he is not resisting the imperial decree or the appointment of the court."

Li Chengqian frowned and said, "Are the Right Jinwu Guards really training? Are the officers in the army really too busy to even welcome the commander-in-chief?"

"At the beginning, Duke Yue was ordered to reorganize the Left and Right Tunwei and form the Left and Right Jinwu Guards. He realized that these two armies could not afford to fail in maintaining the safety of the capital, so he formulated a series of extremely strict military training plans. Regular military training was one of them. It was also stipulated that during the training, no one could leave their post without permission unless a close relative passed away or the emperor summoned them. The court has appointed Duke Yun for some time, but Duke Yun only recently resigned as the Minister of Justice. He did not notify the emperor in advance when he took up his post in the Right Jinwu Guard. This led to some twists and turns in his appointment, which is understandable."

In his opinion, the officers of the Right Jinwu Guard could not be blamed for this matter. Zhang Liang should have gone to take up the post a long time ago but had been delayed until now for various reasons. He suddenly went to take up the post on a whim. He couldn't let the tens of thousands of Right Jinwu Guards do nothing all day and just wait to welcome him, right?

The humiliation he suffered was entirely his own fault.

Of course, Wang Xuance, who was previously the general manager of the "Eastern Tang Business", has become famous overnight. As the chief secretary, he treated the commander-in-chief of the army so harshly and made him look humiliated. It can be said that the court and the public were shocked...

Li Chengqian frowned and said nothing, feeling depressed.

Fang Jun has retired from his military post for a long time, but the army he led still implements the military regulations and discipline he formulated. This prestige would probably make every emperor feel uneasy.

After all, it is Zhang Liang who is incompetent.

When Liu Li recommended Zhang Liang, Li Chengqian thought that Zhang Liang was an old minister of the Qin Palace and a meritorious official of the Zhenguan period. He had led troops several times in his early years. Although he did not have many achievements, he did not make any mistakes. So Li Chengqian went with the flow and approved his recommendation, hoping that Zhang Liang could firmly control the Right Jinwu Guard and compete with Fang Jun's confidant, General Cheng Wuting of the Left Jinwu Guard, to achieve a balance and jointly protect the capital.

Now it seems that Zhang Liang may not be able to do the job...

After thinking for a while, Li Chengqian ordered: "Keep an eye on Wang Xuance to see if he has any contact with Duke Yue in private. Also, find out whether the action against Zhang Liang today was instructed by Duke Yue."

"Here."

Li Junxian accepted the order, and seeing that Li Chengqian had no other instructions, he took his leave.

Li Chengqian let out a breath, feeling upset. He stood up, opened the window and looked out at the lush flowers and trees and the classical and elegant pavilions in the courtyard, but his mood did not improve.

In such a huge empire, there were thousands of things happening every day, and they would all eventually be reported to the emperor, who would make the final decision.

This is unparalleled power, but also unparalleled pressure.

A correct decision can make a country more prosperous, but a wrong decision can also make the country's problems worse...

The responsibility is like a mountain pressing on my shoulders.

It would be fine if he was an emperor with no ambition and just lived a carefree life, but Li Chengqian was determined to prove himself, and the pressure on him doubled immediately...

The dispute with the Queen caused panic in the entire palace and rumors were spreading. In addition, Zhang Liang not only failed to successfully seize Fang Jun's prestige in the army, but also lost face, which further boosted Fang Jun's power... One thing after another, nothing went well.

Looking back on the past now, he could not believe how Emperor Taizong managed to survive at Xuanwu Gate under desperate circumstances, and how he managed to survive in the face of adversity when the whole world was accusing him of "killing his brothers" and created the "Prosperous Zhenguan Era".

If he were in their shoes, he would have collapsed long ago.

Today, he finally understands that those who have been able to achieve great things throughout history not only need extraordinary talent and perseverance, but also need abundant and endless energy.

He was now exhausted by the government affairs. It was not that he didn't want to recruit beauties in the palace, but he really had no power...

People only see the emperor's supreme power and majesty, but fail to see the overwhelming pressure he has to bear.

It's not easy to be an emperor.

……

Li Jing's residence.

Li Jing, who has retired, now lives a carefree life. Apart from teaching at the "Zhenguan Academy" which will reopen in the autumn, he occasionally goes to the palace to advise the emperor on military affairs. The rest of the time he spends doing what he likes, compiling military books, enjoying the mountains and rivers, and playing with his grandchildren. He doesn't have to pay attention to the unpredictable circumstances and factional struggles in the court. He is really free and easy.

Today, Li Jing put down his writing brush and hosted a banquet to entertain Li Ji who came to visit him. After the banquet, they drank tea and chatted in the flower hall. During the conversation, they naturally mentioned Zhang Liang, who went to the Right Jinwu Guard to take up his post but ended up losing face and looking humiliated.

Accompanying him was Li Ji's younger brother, Li Keshi, the General of the Left Guard. He drank a sip of tea and said with emotion, "The Right Golden Guard was reorganized from the Right Tun Guard. All of them are Fang Jun's trusted confidants. Zhang Liang's attempt to control the Right Golden Guard to establish his own career is a foolish move. Not to mention whether he can completely control the Right Golden Guard, if he can escape unscathed one day, I will think highly of him."

As a meritorious official during the Zhenguan period, how could he not know who Zhang Liang was?
It is no exaggeration to say that he is "strong on the outside but weak on the inside" and "ambitious but incompetent". He followed Li Ji to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. Later, Li Ji rose to prominence and made great achievements, but Zhang Liang had a bumpy career and few military achievements. It can be seen that his talent is really mediocre...

Your Majesty can hardly be called wise for trying to use such a person to seize Fang Jun's power.

When they were in Jiangnan, Zhang Liang was suppressed by Fang Jun. Later, he took the initiative to humble himself and became Fang Jun's lackey as a senior. When a rift arose between Fang Jun and Your Majesty, he immediately betrayed Fang Jun and joined Your Majesty. He is two-faced and has no integrity. He is a complete villain, but he can also become a bargaining chip that Your Majesty relies on. It can be seen that Your Majesty cannot judge people or use them...

Li Jing put down his teacup, looking unhappy: "If you really have nothing to say, then go back for now. Why do you have to pollute my ears with all those petty intrigues in the court? You know I am not good at or like these things. In the past, I was in the officialdom and had no choice but to endure them. Now that you have retired, can't you let me have some peace and quiet?"

Although Li Keshi was also the commander of an army, he was very respectful and polite in front of his elder brother. Hearing this, he quickly apologized: "It's my fault. Don't be angry, elder brother. I won't say anything more."

He knew that his brother spoke like this not only because he didn't like talking about these things, but also to shut Li Ji up.

The Duke of England suddenly came to visit. Could it be that he just wanted to reminisce and have a drink?

Something must be wrong.

Li Ji pretended not to hear what his two brothers said. He looked at Li Jing and said, "Mr. Wei is now enjoying his retirement in the mountains and rivers. I yearn for it and cannot bear to disturb your peace. But now the military system reform is imminent, and we urgently need people who are familiar with military affairs to participate in it and grasp the direction. I came here today in the hope that Mr. Wei can come out and give us some advice. This military system reform has far-reaching implications. If Mr. Wei can participate in it, it should be a great success for the present and future generations, and it will be a good use of what you have learned in your life."