Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5073 Tit for tat
The first half of the court meeting was always boring. Foreign envoys and chieftains would come to Chang'an in person or send their trusted aides to meet the Tang emperor and present him with a memorial praising his merits. When the emperor was pleased, they would present him with some local specialties in exchange for generous rewards.

Minister of Rites Xu Jingzong stroked his beard and glanced back and forth at the foreigners who were dressed in strange clothes and had ugly faces, feeling a little disappointed.

In the past, whenever there was a court meeting, foreigners would come to the Central Plains to meet the emperor. According to the records in history books, they were accompanied by servants like clouds and followers like rain. There were dozens or as few as a dozen foreigners, who came to the palace to meet the emperor in various costumes and carried local specialties. The grand scene was enough to demonstrate the supreme majesty of the Celestial Empire.

However, now, there are only a few foreigners and foreign countries coming to this hall to pay homage to the emperor. Although countries such as Linyi, Zhenla, Siam, Johor, Srivijaya, Luzon and others will only pay homage to the emperor and present memorials at the New Year's Day court meeting, this number is too small and seems very shabby.

My eyes turned to Fang Jun...

The reason why so few foreign countries came to pay homage to the emperor was because of their navy.

Today, the sea routes are unobstructed, and Tang merchants and cargo ships travel all over the world along the routes opened up by the navy, reaching the East, South, and even the coastal areas of the West. It is no longer the case that they only heard of the name but never visited the place and did not know the details. The Maritime Customs, as the only port for foreigners to enter the country, strictly screens the identities of foreign envoys, resulting in many "tribute bearers" no longer being able to obtain the Tang Dynasty's "talismans" and "passes" as easily as before, and cross many counties to reach Chang'an directly.

Xu Jingzong disagreed with this. Could it be that the court really didn't know which of the tribute payers were real and which were fake?
Everybody just pretends not to see it!

It's just a reward of some gold and silver objects, but in return it is a grand scene with all nations coming to pay tribute and congratulations from all directions, which greatly boosts the morale of the country and demonstrates the magnanimity of the Celestial Empire. Why not do it?

……

The lengthy ceremonies finally came to an end, and only the emperor and his ministers of the Tang Dynasty were left in the Taiji Hall.

Normally, the court meeting should have ended at this point, as government affairs were rarely discussed in such occasions. Most discussions would go to the Liangyi Hall or Wude Hall later, where the monarch and his ministers would discuss policies, affairs, personnel, and other issues. After all, many affairs did not require the participation of officials below the fifth rank.

但今日显然不䐌。

Li Chengqian did not beat around the bush and spoke directly in front of all the ministers in the hall: "My dear ministers, I have few children. Now that Concubine Shen is pregnant, it is really the blessing of our ancestors and the mercy of God. Therefore, I want to confer the title of Zhaoyi on Concubine Shen to comply with the will of heaven and to show the virtue of our ancestors. What do you think?"

Xu Jingzong, the Minister of Rites, glanced at Fang Jun, and was the first to stand up. He bowed to the ground and said loudly, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely not allowed! The promotion of concubines in the palace has its own rules to follow. From Jieyu to Zhaoyi, it is suspected of skipping the level. If we make an exception today, and everyone in the harem follows suit in the future, it will inevitably lead to the relaxation of discipline and chaos. I hope Your Majesty will be very cautious."

Li Chengqian had a gloomy expression and remained silent.

There was silence in the hall for a moment, and many ministers seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Although Xu Jingzong stood up to oppose it at the first time, it did not form the expected overwhelming momentum of opposition from the whole court...

A little weird.

Obviously, most people have understood your majesty's strategy, so they are unwilling to bear the stigma of "bullying the imperial power."

The literati still paid more attention to their own face.

After a moment, Li Ji, who had always acted as a "clay prime minister", took the initiative to speak: "What Minister Xu said makes sense. The court should follow the procedures and have precedents for promotion, demotion, resignation, etc., so that people will be convinced and work diligently. Concubine Shen's pregnancy is a great joy. She has made great contributions to the country and should be promoted. However, it is indeed presumptuous to promote Concubine Shen to Zhaoyi. Maybe she can be promoted to Xiurong for the time being, and then promoted to Zhaoyi after she gives birth to a prince in the future to show her merits."

Jieyushi was of the third rank, and above her were the "Nine Concubines" of the second rank. Although the "Nine Concubines" were of the same rank, they were ranked in order of priority, with "Xiurong" ranking fifth. Strictly speaking, from "Jieyushi" to "Xiurong" was also a promotion by leaps and bounds, but it was not as conspicuous as the "Zhaoyi" who was directly promoted to the head of the "Nine Concubines". It was obviously a compromise.

Many people supported this.

Agreeing with Your Majesty would be seen as flattery, while opposing Your Majesty would appear to be bullying the monarch and damage your reputation. It is most appropriate for both sides to take a step back and compromise.

As expected of a Lord Ying, he usually keeps quiet and stands by to watch, but at the critical moment he takes action to calm the situation. He is indeed a shrewd man...

Fang Jun looked at Li Ji with a little surprise and frowned slightly.

The two have always had a tacit understanding, but this time Li Ji's reaction was completely different from his previous style, and there was no prior communication.

Then he looked at Li Chengqian who was sitting on the throne...

Imperial Censor Liu Xiangdao stood up with a stern face and walked into the hall. After bowing, he stood up and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Ying has always been upright and impartial. This time, he not only did not respect the law, but also gave in and ignored the rules? From 'Jieyu' to 'Zhaoyi' is skipping levels, but from 'Jieyu' to 'Xiurong' is not skipping levels? As long as it is skipping levels, it is not in accordance with etiquette and should be rejected outright. How can we compromise with each other and mess around in private? Mr. Ying is stupid!"

After saying that, Li Ji lowered his head and drank his tea, as if he had completed his mission. He remained indifferent despite Liu Xiangdao's fierce criticism and did not even raise his eyelids.

Seeing this, Liu Xiangdao didn't care and turned to point the gun at the Minister of the Central Secretariat Liu Li: "We, the ministers, not only have to assist Your Majesty in governing the country, building achievements, and benefiting the people, but also have the responsibility to advise Your Majesty and correct the gains and losses. The Minister of the Central Secretariat knew that Your Majesty was not doing things properly, but not only did he not advise you, but he flattered the emperor and drafted an imperial edict, trying to put Your Majesty in a state of stupidity. It can be said that he is just a figurehead and a prime minister!"

Without waiting for Liu Li to reply, he turned to Li Chengqian and said, "I beg Your Majesty to dismiss Liu Li from his position as the Minister of the Central Secretariat!"

There was silence in the hall.

Everyone thinks that Liu Xiangdao is your Majesty's "henchman", loyal and obedient, as was shown when the students went to Chengtian Gate to knock on the palace gate and cause trouble last time. So shouldn't he support your Majesty and be on the same side with Liu Li at this moment?
How could he be so cruel when swinging a knife at his own people?
He started by saying "fawning on the superiors and occupying a position without doing any work", and then closed his mouth with "requesting the dismissal of the Minister of the Secretariat". Such words spoken by a dignified Chief Censor in the court were extremely weighty, and at the very least Liu Li would be commented that he "could not convince the people".

As for the Zhongshu Ling, who is now the chief minister, this has shaken the foundation of his rule...

Liu Ji raised his eyebrows, stood up and stepped out of the line, and shouted in a deep voice: "Absurd! The appointment of a Zhaoyi is your Majesty's family affair, why should outsiders interfere in the harem? Your Majesty is the ruler of a country and the master of the world, but even the appointment of a Zhaoyi is hindered by outsiders and criticized by the world? Do you still have the imperial power, your Majesty, and even a trace of loyalty in your eyes?!"

There was complete silence in the hall.

It has risen to the level of loyalty and righteousness, who dares to interject?

Liu Xiangdao was not afraid at all. He glared at Liu Li and said in a loud voice, "The promotion from Jieyu to Zhaoyi may seem like a family affair for your majesty, but it is actually the source of chaos! If your majesty can promote concubines at will, it will surely lead to the harem to follow suit. By then, disputes will arise in the harem, and how can we talk about peace? If family affairs are not peaceful, the world will not be peaceful. The Minister of the Central Secretariat cannot distinguish right from wrong and has no integrity. It is a shame for the court officials. We are ashamed to be associated with you!"

Liu Li, who supported Your Majesty, and Liu Xiangdao, who opposed Your Majesty, confronted each other in the Taiji Hall, arguing fiercely and refusing to compromise.