Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 291 Tang Dynasty All-Stars

Changan.

When the new emperor ascended the throne, royal family princes, civil and military officials in Beijing, and military and political leaders from all over the country gathered in the Taiji Palace and swore allegiance to the new emperor.

The beasts in human clothing packed the spacious Taiji Hall to the point that no one could get through, and the line stretched all the way to the courtyard outside the hall. Officials below the fifth rank were not qualified to see the majesty of the new emperor.

In the hall, Li Chengqian sat upright on the dragon couch, wearing a dragon robe and crown, looking graceful and elegant.

Well, it seems a bit inappropriate to use this word to describe the emperor of a country.

Fortunately, all the ministers present were well-trained veterans and would never laugh, even if they couldn't help laughing.

This is because they are not superficial people who judge people by their appearance. The highest standard for judging a ruler should be his ability to govern the country, not his appearance.

It was definitely not because behind Li Chengqian, on a higher platform, there was a dragon chariot.

The retired emperor Li Shimin was sitting on the specially made dragon chariot, with his eyes half opened, looking down upon the people below him.

"His Majesty."

The former Right Guard General Ashina She'er - now a general and a prime minister, promoted to the position of Zhongshu Ling, and given the title of Kaifu Yitong Sansi - made a suggestion:

"When Lingnan Province Governor Chen Xi came to Beijing to pay homage, he unfortunately fell ill and rested in his place to recuperate. He was unable to go to the palace to pay homage to Your Majesty."

Li Chengqian sighed slightly:
"The journey between Lingnan and Chang'an is long and arduous, and the climate and soil are very different. Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Chen.

"I have ordered the imperial physician to treat Mr. Chen and I have also given him a hundred pieces of silk as a token of my sympathy."

"I will obey the imperial decree." Prime Minister Ashina continued to ask for leave for his colleagues:
"Li Yuanxiang, the governor of Suzhou, claimed to be ill and sent a congratulatory letter from Suzhou..."

"Oh? I invited him here, but he doesn't even want to come out?"

Li Chengqian interrupted Ashina She'er, his tone flat.

A solemn and murderous atmosphere permeated the court, causing the ministers present to shiver even in the summer.

"If the Governor of Suzhou does not want to see me, then there is no need to see me."

Li Chengqian waved his hand lightly:

"I will grant his wish and let him switch places with Chen Xi. Chen Xi will be the governor of Suzhou, and he will be the governor of Lingnan Province. He will never have to go to Beijing in his life."

Although the administrative area at the "dao" level in the Tang Dynasty was larger than that of a "zhou", its functions were very limited and far less powerful than that of a provincial governor.

What’s more, the road to Lingnan is long and mountainous, which is tantamount to exile.

Someone immediately stood up to oppose it.

"His Majesty."

The one who fired the shot was Tang Jian, the Minister of Civil Affairs who was always outspoken.

"Li Yuanxiang is the son of the late emperor, the prince of Jiang."

"I know." Li Chengqian said calmly.

Tang Jian paused, then continued:
"Your Majesty has just ascended the throne and should swear to the world that he is benevolent. The royal family has not committed any crime, but even so, will Your Majesty still exile him to Lingnan?"

Facing Old Tang's great truth, Li Chengqian simply nodded:

"yes.

"Tang Qing, do you have anything else to report?"

"..." Tang Jian opened his mouth and subconsciously wanted to look up at the highest-ranking emperor, asking His Majesty the Emperor to make the decision.

But the new emperor's imperial majesty was heavy enough to make him unable to raise his neck.

"No, your majesty."

He left in disgrace.

The attitudes of the ministers present also underwent subtle changes.

Their backs all straightened a little more, their heads bowed even lower, their attitudes became even more humble, and they no longer dared to criticize His Majesty in their hearts.

By doing this, Li Chengqian established his authority over his ministers and demonstrated considerable political skills.

Those who obey him will prosper, and those who defy him will perish. This is what the new emperor wants to express.

After all, Li Chengqian followed his father to study in the northern frontier for more than half a year, and this life-threatening lesson was not taken in vain.

Compared with Regent Li Zhi, who had difficulty subduing the south, he was much more powerful.

"On January 1st of next year, I intend to name the new year Yongqing. Who is in favor and who is against?"

The ministers looked up quietly.

The retired emperor Li Shimin was still leaning on his seat, and did not express any opinion on his son changing the reign title in front of him.

Only then did everyone truly realize that the Zhenguan period had come to an end.

…………

"call……"

After the court meeting, Li Chengqian was exhausted. He got off the carriage with the help of the eunuchs and limped back to the Lizheng Hall.

"I haven't done anything serious yet... ahem!"

Li Chengqian started coughing violently, with blood oozing from the corners of his mouth.

Damn it, the harsh climate in the north not only hit Li Shimin hard, but also hit him hard.

His diabetes is getting worse and worse and has begun to affect his gastrointestinal tract.

"Your Majesty! Find the imperial physician, find the imperial physician!" the eunuch screamed.

A new emperor just came to power, and he looks like he's about to die. Who can stand this?

"Don't panic, it's just a small matter. I still have state affairs to deal with."

Li Chengqian wiped off the blood and insisted on returning to his study. He sat down and asked the imperial physician to feel his pulse.

The chief eunuch from the Ministry of Internal Affairs came to report:

"Your Majesty, the eunuch who went to Pingzhou to recruit rebels has returned."

"Oh? He came back a little late." Li Chengqian estimated the journey time and found that the stubborn envoy was delayed for about five days.

"Have you seen the leader of the rebel army? Who is the leader? What is Li Jing's position among them?"

The chief eunuch faithfully relayed what the envoy had seen:

"Your Majesty, according to what the envoy saw, the Northeastern rebels were led by a child, and several important generals and ministers of the court, including Li Weigong... Li Nijing, were also among the rebels."

Child... Li Chengqian's heart skipped a beat.

As he had guessed before, Li Ming was not dead.

The separatist force in the Northeast was manipulated by Li Ming behind the scenes.

No wonder Li Chengqian felt a familiar sense of disgust.

Who else but Li Ming could have built a great empire out of thin air and made those thousand-year-old foxes obey him obediently?

My brother, I didn't expect that we would fight to the end... Li Chengqian smiled bitterly and asked:

"What is their attitude towards the court and me?"

When this was mentioned, the eunuch's expression became subtle:

"Your Majesty, they said... they respect the internal affairs of the Tang Dynasty and congratulate the new emperor of the Tang Dynasty on his ascension to the throne."

Hiss...Hey?

It feels like an auspicious phrase, but why does it sound so unpleasant?

"They keep saying 'Great Tang'... Does that mean the Northeast is not the Great Tang? Are the people of the Northeast setting up a new court and planning to openly rebel?"

Li Chengqian's eyes narrowed.

"Um, Your Majesty... In addition, there are gifts sent to Your Majesty for your accession to the throne."

The eunuch stammered.

"What gift?" Li Chengqian raised his eyebrows.

"The gift is for two people, two living people." The eunuch looked as if he didn't know what expression to make.

Li Chengqian signaled with his eyes: Continue.

"Moheduo of the Shiwei tribe, and Ashina Simo, a descendant of the Eastern Turkic people."

The eunuch said:

"They are the culprits who betrayed the two emperors. Now, they have been captured in the northeast and sent here."

"What? Moheduo and Ashina Simo? As a gift?"

Li Chengqian scratched his head subconsciously.

This familiar headache...

He was even more certain that the person operating on the other side was Li Ming.

Because the little guy was so good at giving him a headache. On one hand, he started a rebellion, and on the other hand, he gave him a big gift. Between "war or peace", the guy chose "or".

What a good move of retreating to advance, which left Li Chengqian at a loss as to what to do.

Now the opponent has served the ball to me, how should I respond?

It is definitely not possible to just leave Li Ming alone. That guy is very strong now. If he is left alone to grow for a while, he will swallow Chang'an sooner or later.

However, if he launched an attack, Li Chengqian would not be confident of winning.

Now it is really a case of fighting a wolf with a stick and being afraid of both ends. The Northeast is wary of this side, but how can Chang'an not be afraid of the opposite side?

On one side were the three brilliant generals including Li Shimin, Li Chengqian and Li Zhi, father and son, Li Shiji, Cheng Zhijie, Yuchi Jingde and Ashina She'er.

On one side are Li Ming's subordinates, including Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji, Li Jing, and Hou Junqun, all shining stars.

On the one hand, he occupied Guanzhong and controlled the Three Jins, Heluo, Turks and the south of the Huai River.

On one hand, the dragon coiled around Liaodong and incorporated Goguryeo, Hebei, Qi, Lu and Shuobei grasslands.

The two teams are evenly matched and no one can say that they are sure to win.

"What is Li Ming thinking? He refuses to obey me, and sends my enemy to me...

"Are you using the 'big stick and sweet dates' tactic to control people, to deal with me, who is also a monarch?

"Or are you trying to trick me into losing my temper and sending out troops first, and then naturally put the blame for starting the civil war on me?"

Li Chengqian's head itches, as if he's about to grow a brain.

He hadn't experienced this long-lost feeling of racking his brains for a long time, but he didn't miss it at all. With the help of the eunuchs, he wandered aimlessly in the Lizheng Hall while thinking.

When he came to his senses, he had unknowingly walked to the door of a house.

The house had not been renovated for some time, and the old doors and windows exuded a faint fragrance.

This was the dressing room of his mother, Empress Zhangsun. It was briefly used as Li Ming's study when he stayed in Lizheng Hall.

The sweet memories between me and my mother were rudely tainted with a strange taste.

"Why did I come to this place..."

Li Chengqian muttered and opened the door and walked in.

There was already someone inside, sitting cross-legged with his back to the door.

"Father?"

Li Chengqian exclaimed softly.

Li Shimin did not react at all. It was unknown whether he was immersed in the memories of his beloved wife and son, or simply in a state of confusion.

Looking at his father's aging back, the darkness in Li Chengqian's heart began to stir again.

Yes, Mei Niang, you are right.

I followed him all the way back to Chang'an as you said, and just as you expected, I successfully became emperor.

Then he has no use to me.

Doesn't that mean I can kill him?
I am the emperor now. What's wrong with killing a dying patient in the palace?
No problem!
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty?"

The eunuch who was supporting him felt an inexplicable chill on his back and trembled as he spoke.

Li Chengqian woke up as if from a dream, shook his head, and said loudly:
"Father, please go back to your room and rest. It's too humid here, which is not good for your health."

Li Shimin turned his back to him and hummed inarticulately:
"Oh, Cheng Qian. Have you... forgotten your brother?"

I wish I could delete all my memories about a certain brother right now... Li Chengqian complained in his heart.

"Father, what are you talking about? I don't understand."

Li Shimin turned his head slowly.

“You look distressed.

"If you are unsure about something, why not ask your brother?"

Brothers? Oh, there are indeed quite a few members of the Li family in Chang'an.

But among those mediocre Anle princes, how many are worthy of being with and can share my worries?

Well, it’s not that there isn’t…

Li Chengqian quickly went over the list in his mind, bowed to his father, and left.

…………

In the study of Lizheng Hall, Li Chengqian received all the living princes.

This included the illegitimate children of the retired emperor Li Shimin and the late emperor Li Yuan.

The kings packed the study and the atmosphere was very tense.

"In the court, we are the emperor and his subjects. At home, we are relatives. You don't have to be so reserved."

Li Chengqian smiled kindly.

After the reprimand in the court just now, the kings certainly did not dare to take His Majesty's polite words seriously. They all hung their heads, like children who had done something wrong and were waiting to be punished.

"I... am guilty and have no face to face Your Majesty." Li Ke suddenly knelt down and shed tears of regret.

The others followed suit and knelt on the ground, crying.

They did get into trouble because they all participated in the PK battle between Li Zhi and Li Tai, and the troops under their command actually fought each other.

This is a clear case of "aiding and abetting a civil strife" and there is no way to wash it away.

"No one is perfect. I cannot punish my entire family for some past mistakes."

Li Chengqian is quite open-minded.

"Let bygones be bygones. I will not pursue the civil strife. Your fiefs and fiefs will remain unchanged."

The historical issues were simply glossed over.

Objectively speaking, the fact that this group of princes rebelled against each other was beneficial to Li Chengqian rather than harmful.

On the one hand, the mischief of the various philosophers made Li Shimin completely disheartened, and he restored his ancestors' system of primogeniture, allowing Li Chengqian to pick up the crown for nothing.

On the other hand, their civil war concentrated the troops in the Central Plains. When Li Zhi had no time to look east, it inadvertently strengthened the defense of the front line and slowed down the pace of the mysterious separatist regime in the northeast to move southward.

Li Chengqian had no reason to hold on to them emotionally or logically.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your extra grace. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your extra grace!"

The princes kowtowed profusely and the matter was let go.

"You've been busy all day, and you're tired. Go back and rest."

Li Chengqian waved away his brothers and dragged Li Zhi out alone.

"Jiulang, please stay for a moment."

The princes took a sympathetic look at the culprit who was kept behind to be scolded, just like schoolchildren looking at their naughty friends who were kept behind by their teacher, and then hurried away.

There were only two people left in the study. Li Chengqian sat on a stool with a limp on one leg, looking at Chou Lao Jiu who kept his head down and said nothing, and nodded his chin towards the seat in front of him.

"You sit."

Li Zhi sat down obediently, still without saying a word.

Li Chengqian couldn't help but sigh:
"Jiulang, why did you fabricate the news of Li Ming's death?"

Li Zhi paused, pretending to be confused:
"I don't know what your majesty is talking about. Wasn't Li Ming killed by the King of Wei?"

Li Chengqian pointed at the map.

To the northeast of the Tang Dynasty, there lurks a gigantic monster that is as big as the Tang Dynasty itself.

"It's all obvious now, what's the point of hiding it?
"In this world, apart from you, my father and my fourteenth brother, who else can create a huge country of this scale out of thin air?"

Li Zhi was silent for a while and whispered:

"I originally wanted to give him a chance to live. I thought he could only live if everyone thought he was dead.

"I didn't expect that guy to go astray and end up in this situation now..."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly——

Fortunately, this guy still has a conscience and compassion for his brothers.

There is also value in utilization and rescue.

"Do you know where you went wrong?" Li Chengqian asked.

"My mistake was that I violated etiquette, disobeyed filial piety, and used state property without permission, and resorted to violence against my own brother." Li Zhi said in a muffled voice.

He said it very appropriately and with a respectful attitude, but I always felt that there was a sense of unwillingness and dissatisfaction in it.

"No." Li Chengqian shook his head seriously:
"Your mistake is that you are too weak and only know how to compromise with the ministers. You don't know when to be soft or hard.

"If the bureaucrats in the south obey orders but not proclamations, you should dismiss them. If they still refuse to obey, you should kill them.

"If you only know how to reward but not how to punish, and always give in, the officials will only think you are weak and can be bullied, and in return they will only get more and more."

Li Zhi was stunned by this sermon. He widened his eyes and listened obediently to his brother, who was already the emperor.

"In the most turbulent six months, my father and I traveled across the entire north, conquered the Turks, and severely damaged Tibet.

"The Northeast has been working hard to become a powerful country, swallowing up several countries."

Li Chengqian admonished earnestly:

"And what about you? You have the power of Chang'an and the title of regent, but you have accomplished nothing and have been fighting back and forth with the local officials in the south.

"If you had been stronger, the situation might not have developed to the point it is now."

Li Chengqian spoke from the bottom of his heart.

There is no doubt that Li Zhi was smart and had the means, but he lacked the aura of an emperor.

As a result, under his leadership, not only were local officials far in the south disobedient, but even officials in the capital, who were based at the foot of the imperial city, became increasingly lax.

Fortunately, this trend of inaction did not last long.

Under Li Chengqian's governance, the south soon became obedient, and the ministers returned to their diligent working state as in the Zhenguan period.

To discuss Li Chengqian's political level, it depends on who he is compared with.

Compared with those two hexagonal warriors, Li Chengqian's abilities were indeed mediocre.

But compared with other emperors of all dynasties, his ability is quite good.

"what?"

Li Zhi was a little confused.

Because the emperor's sermon did not seem to be scolding him for why he wanted to launch a coup.

Instead, they were blaming him for why the coup was so bad.

This is indeed a true truth from the heart, but why is it necessary to tell it to the loser?
Should he sum up his experience and lessons, then make persistent efforts and create greater glories?
Is there going to be a second round of Fight for the Throne?
"Your Majesty's teachings, I am grateful for your kindness, but I dare not have any unreasonable wishes. I only wish to serve Your Majesty for the rest of my life."

Li Zhi answered in a very precise manner.

Because he felt that Li Chengqian was fishing for his fish.

Li Chengqian flashed a bitter smile on his face at his younger brother's attitude of being afraid of ropes after being bitten by a snake once.

"Think whatever you want.

"What do you think about where you will live in the future? The emperor, I, you, and Li Mingda all live in Lizheng Palace, which is a bit crowded."

Li Zhili replied:

"I will obey your majesty's orders."

It is indeed a bit excessive for a prince who failed in a coup to live under the same roof with Your Majesty.

According to common sense, he couldn't stay in Taiji Palace anymore. Li Zhi felt that he would probably be kicked out to his own fiefdom like other vassal kings, and raised like a pig for the rest of his life...

"Anyway, I am no longer the crown prince, and the East Palace is vacant. Why don't you move in and live there?"

(End of this chapter)