Traveling through Du He, Li Chengqian's rebellion begins

Changsun Wuji, who was originally ranked first, was removed from the list, and Gao Shilian, who was ranked sixth, was also dropped to outside the top twentieth because his son Gao Lixing was involved in a rebellion.

Du He's gaze then moved downwards.

"Xiao Yu ranks eleventh, Cheng Yaojin ranks twelfth, Xi Junmai ranks thirteenth, Xue Rengui ranks fourteenth, Su Dingfang ranks fifteenth, Pei Xingjian ranks sixteenth, Liu Ji ranks seventeenth, Ma Zhou ranks eighteenth, Duan Zhixuan ranks nineteenth, and Liu Hongji ranks twentieth."

Good guy!

Li Chengqian placed all of the core advisors of the Eastern Palace in the top twenty.

However, it's understandable that the new dynasty prioritized its core advisors.

Moreover, Xi Junmai's ranking ahead of Xue Rengui, Su Dingfang, and Pei Xingjian was due to his killing of Hegan Chengji with a single punch in the seventeenth year of the Zhenguan era.

If it weren't for the punch Xi Jun bought, they would probably have been beheaded long ago.

There was a pause.

Du He then read in a low voice: "Gao Shilian is ranked twenty-first, Qu Tutong is ranked twenty-second, Yin Kaishan is ranked twenty-third, Chai Shao is ranked twenty-fourth, Changsun Shunde is ranked twenty-fifth, Zhang Gongjin is ranked twenty-sixth, Yu Shinan is ranked twenty-seventh, Liu Zhenghui is ranked twenty-eighth, Qin Shubao is ranked twenty-ninth, and Tang Jian is ranked thirtieth."

After reviewing the top thirty names in the former Lingyan Pavilion, Du He felt that Li Chengqian had shown some respect to Li Shimin and the veteran officials of the Zhenguan era by not relegating them to the bottom of the list.

On the imperial platform.

Li Chengqian asked with a smile, "Du He, take a look at the top thirty meritorious officials of Lingyan Pavilion. Are there any places where they need to be transferred?"

Du He cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, your arrangement is excellent."

He knew in his heart that the current list of forty-nine meritorious officials for the Lingyan Pavilion was only temporary.

After Li Shimin passes away, the people here will definitely undergo major changes.

Those who were meritorious officials during the Zhenguan era, with the exception of a few, would likely be eliminated as most of them did not contribute to Li Chengqian's ascension to the throne.

"it is good!"

Li Chengqian nodded, and then asked, "What about the next 19 people in Lingyan Pavilion? Do you have any ideas?"

"How about we each write a list and then see how big the differences are?"

Well...

Upon hearing that Li Chengqian was going to pull this stunt, Du He paused slightly.

He still has a playful streak.

Du He cupped his hands and said, "Since that's the case, then I will dare to write down my thoughts."

When he stepped down from the imperial platform, the eunuchs had already prepared writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

I pondered it carefully for a long time.

Du He began copying familiar names one by one onto the clean white Xuan paper.

After a short while, Du He and Li Chengqian both stopped writing.

Li Chengqian said with a smile, "Du He, bring up the list you have prepared. I want to see if there are any differences."

"it is good."

Du He smiled and nodded.

When the two lists were put together, Du He and Li Chengqian paused slightly, then threw their heads back and burst into laughter.

"Hahaha~"

Li Chengqian remarked with emotion, "I never imagined that the thoughts of you two, the emperor and your minister, would be so remarkably aligned!"

"Not bad!"

His father had previously told him that the ministers in charge of actual political affairs under his command must have ideas that align with those of the monarch.

Only when the ruler and his ministers are of one mind can the administration of government be carried out more efficiently.

Of course, the court also needs different voices, just like Wei Zheng, who was by the emperor's side, and could point out the monarch's shortcomings in a timely manner.

Li Chengqian looked at the list on the Xuan paper and then read it aloud softly.

“Sun Simiao ranks 31st, Niu Jinda ranks 32nd, Xue Wanche ranks 33rd, Qin Huaidao ranks 34th, Cui Shenji ranks 35th, Wang Jingzhi ranks 36th, Xiao Kai ranks 37th, Wang June ranks 38th, Luo Tong ranks 39th, and Zhao Jie ranks 40th.”

"Sun Simiao not only cured my injured leg, but also trained thousands of highly skilled imperial physicians. His contributions are truly remarkable!"

In fact, Li Chengqian wanted to rank Sun Simiao in the top twenty, but due to the merits of his father's civil and military officials, he deliberately placed him after the veteran officials of the Zhenguan era.

There was a pause.

Li Chengqian continued reading: "Lu Chengqing is ranked forty-first, Yu Chang forty-second, Cheng Wuting forty-third, Zhang Shigui forty-fourth, Chang He forty-fifth, Sun Fujia forty-sixth, Du Junchuo forty-seventh, Zheng Rentai forty-eighth, and Fang Yi'ai forty-ninth."

"Their rankings will need to be adjusted upwards!"

The reason Li Chengqian and Du He selected Sun Fujia as one of the forty-nine meritorious officials of Lingyan Pavilion was not because Sun Fujia had made great contributions to their ascension to the throne, but because they were grateful to Sun Fujia for sparing their lives back then.

In the seventeenth year of the Zhenguan era, their plot to rebel was exposed by the traitor Hegan Chengji, and they were on the verge of death.

If it weren't for Sun Fujia's leniency, Du He would never have been able to get Xi Jun into prison.

In addition, Sun Fujia has been on the side of the Crown Prince in recent years and has made great contributions in dealing with the Guanlong aristocratic families and a number of vassal kings.

Just as Li Chengqian and Du He were whispering to each other, Lai Ji suddenly bowed loudly and greeted them.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

What?

The retired emperor has arrived?

Upon hearing that Li Shimin was coming, Li Chengqian and Du He suddenly raised their heads and then quickly stepped down from the imperial platform to pay their respects.

"Meet my father."

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

When Li Shimin saw Du He descend from the imperial platform, his expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

He knew that Li Chengqian was sensible and that it wouldn't be good for him to say too much.

Li Shimin smiled and asked, "I heard your discussions outside the Ganlu Hall. What important matter are you discussing?"

"May I know?"

Upon hearing Li Shimin's words, Du He's lips twitched.

Judging from Li Shimin's expression, he clearly knew what he and Li Chengqian had discussed.

Li Chengqian cupped his hands and said, "Father, in order to commend the meritorious officials in the court, I am re-establishing the Lingyan Pavilion for forty-nine meritorious officials."

Would you like to take a look?

Forty-nine meritorious officials were honored with the Lingyan Pavilion.

Li Shimin smiled and said, "Chengqian, you are quite generous, doubling the number of the twenty-four meritorious officials in Lingyan Pavilion."

"I'd like to see which people you've added in."

When Li Shimin stepped onto the imperial platform and read the list of the forty-nine meritorious officials in the Lingyan Pavilion, his expression suddenly changed.

Two rascals!

This ranking of the forty-nine meritorious officials of Lingyan Pavilion is truly absurd!

Besides Du He and his son Du Ruhui, the other three pairs of fathers and sons—Fang Xuanling and Fang Yi'ai, Yu Shinan and Yu Chang, and Qin Shubao and Qin Huaidao—were all admitted to the Lingyan Pavilion.

If he were to arrange the order, Fang Yi'ai, Yu Chang, and Qin Huaidao would have to be replaced by Li Mengchang, Zhi Si Shili, and Yang Shidao.

"Hey~"

Li Shimin sighed inwardly, then said softly, "You two rascals, if you ever add more meritorious officials to the Lingyan Pavilion, you must include the generals from other ethnic groups and other founding heroes as well."

He's not in power now, so he can't interfere.

Moreover, he didn't want to get involved in these trivial matters, lest he add unnecessary trouble to himself.

However, Li Shimin still felt a pang of regret when he saw that Changsun Wuji and Zhang Liang had been removed from the list of meritorious officials in Lingyan Pavilion.

If only Changsun Wuji hadn't rebelled!

Li Chengqian cupped his hands and said, "Father, rest assured, after the Tang Dynasty unifies the world, I will establish the Lingyan Pavilion to honor eighty-one meritorious officials, or one hundred and eight meritorious officials."

"Anyone who has made great contributions has the opportunity to enter the Lingyan Pavilion."

Upon hearing Li Chengqian's words, Li Shimin nodded slightly.

A moment of silence.

Li Shimin said softly, "I have come to Ganlu Hall today to bid you farewell."