Chang'an is good

Palace servants came to the Prince Rong's mansion in the capital city in the dark and brought the prince's crown and clothes.

The palace servant bowed slightly and said respectfully, "The prince has said that if the prince is ill, he can rest in the mansion tomorrow. The prince will not blame you."

Li Lu smiled slightly and said, "Please report to my father. I feel that I am still in good health. I will be there to celebrate for my father at the ceremony tomorrow."

The palace maid said nothing more, responded, came down, bowed and left.

Li Lu's pale and weak fingers gently stroked the prince's robes stacked on the vermilion lacquer tray, with a smile still in his eyes.

He also put a lot of effort into his father's coronation ceremony... How could he not go to witness it?

What an honor it is to appear at the ceremony as the son of the new emperor... My father has another son, Li Cong, who should have come to the capital with the Qianzhong Road army, but Li Cong does not even have the qualifications to enter the capital and can only continue to fight for their father outside the city gate.

In comparison, he seemed to be "lucky".

If he were Li Cong, he would definitely be jealous of his brother.

Is this what the father relies on? Even though he knows that his sons may be dissatisfied, he never worries about endangering him as a father, because the father firmly believes that the sons will at most kill each other and fight for the identity of the father's son until their heads are broken and bloody.

They are like the dogs kept by their father. No matter how restless they are, they will only bite each other.

The father never worried about the consequences of them fighting each other, because he would have many sons anyway.

But now, this sick dog doesn't want to fight anymore, and he doesn't have the life to fight anymore.

But it would be hard for him to be willing to die quietly like this.

One day a few months ago, he sent a letter to Li Cong, telling him the truth that he would not live long.

When a man is about to die, his words are good - as an elder brother, it is time for him to enlighten his younger brother who is trapped in his confusion.

Therefore, Li Lu told Li Cong that their father had never intended to recognize him, even if it was just for the sake of reputation... His father had denied his relationship with Duan Shiang to everyone. Once he recognized him as his son, it would be tantamount to admitting the rumor that he had instigated Duan Shiang to start the war.

It's not that Li Cong hadn't thought about this, but he couldn't help but still have some illusions about the father-son relationship. After all, his father had always been kind and tolerant, and he was willing to indulge in that...and Li Lu told him the truth about his frailty and illness in the letter, which was all thanks to their father.

Everything in the letter was true. Li Lu had never taken off all his disguises and shown his true self before. At that moment, he felt that he was a pretty good brother.

As a good brother who was about to die, he invited his younger brother to have a secret talk with him after he came to Beijing the next day.

He should sit down and have a good talk with Li Cong. He is willing to hand over everything he has managed to his younger brother and show his younger brother a "bright path" before he dies.

Yes, leaving a hidden danger for his father and handing over the unfinished business to Li Cong, this is not a earth-shattering revenge. Of course, he also wanted to shake the world, and he tried, imagined, and struggled for this, but in the end he had to face a reality - he could not shake anything by himself.

Their father never worried that they would develop other ideas, because to the father, everything the father allowed his sons to have was within the controllable range.

Kindness and magnanimity also come from absolute control.

What a wise and sober father.

Li Lu looked at the prince's robe in front of him that he had spent all his money to buy. The intricate patterns on it were so gorgeous that they gave off a sense of desolation.

He twitched the corners of his mouth slightly - under the control of such a wise and sober father, he had such a powerless life, and even death was destined to not arouse the slightest wave of revenge.

Li Lu had to admit that he was pitiful.

He dragged his weak body and slowly walked back to the inner room and came behind the equally pitiful person.

Ma Wan was sitting at the dressing table combing her loose hair.

The maid who had just served her medicine walked out with the medicine bowl.

Li Lu's gaze lingered for a moment on the broken and tattered old piano beside him.

It was one night when Ma Wan suddenly went mad and broke it.

The two met because of music, she played the piano and he played the flute, and there was a tacit understanding between their harmony.

That night, Li Lu watched quietly as Ma Wan destroyed the piano almost madly, then he sighed slowly and recalled the past with some emotion.

That was the last time Ma Wan did anything extreme. After that, she was forced to take a kind of medicine every day. The medicine could calm her down, and this quietness gradually turned into numbness.

Now she always repeats the stereotyped actions over and over again and says the same repetitive words in a dull manner.

Li Lu took the comb from her hand and gently combed her hair. He still called her Wan'er and said to her, "Wan'er, come with me tomorrow. I feel lonely going alone, but you have to be obedient."

Ma Wan nodded numbly.

Early the next morning, Li Lu combed her hair himself as usual. Then he took her hand, got on the carriage, and headed towards the Suzaku Gate of the imperial city.

Li Lu is weak and cannot accompany the entire ceremony. According to the procedure, he will wait in the Taimiao in advance.

The entire process of the ceremony was that the new emperor's procession entered from Chengtian Gate, passed Chengtian Gate Street, entered Zhuque Gate, went east, passed Taichang Temple, reached Anshang Gate, and then entered the Taimiao.

After offering sacrifices to the ancestors of heaven and earth in the Taimiao and completing the rituals, the new emperor will lead all officials back to the Hanyuan Hall, ascend the throne in the main hall, bestow the seal, and accept the worship of all officials. Only then can he ascend the throne and officially announce it to the world, becoming a legitimate emperor.

At this moment, Li Yin's procession was slowly moving through Chengtianmen Street, and his entourage was heading towards the Taimiao in a mighty procession.

Everything had been prepared since daybreak. Before that, Li Yin had stayed up all night. After making sure that the situation was under control, he handed over all matters to his trusted confidant Han Di, who commanded all the imperial guards.

The coronation ceremony was complicated and no interruptions were allowed. During this period, Li Yin could not take care of the affairs. If anything unexpected happened, Han Di would be needed to make the decision.

Han Di did not dare to be careless at all. He summoned the generals and commanders of all the guards in the capital, assigned tasks, and repeatedly confirmed matters in various places.

Others will be in charge of matters outside the city. His task today is to ensure that nothing goes wrong within the capital.

The commanders of each guard received the order and left one after another.

Han Di called a Zhonglang general forward and said, "Lu Chong!"

Lu Chong bowed his head and clasped his fists in salute.

Han Di looked at him and said, "Today you will accompany me to patrol the imperial city!"

Lu Chong served in the imperial guards. During the reign of Emperor Shengce, he served as the general of the Left Tunwei. Later, when the Bian army broke into the city, he barely managed to save his life.

Afterwards, Li Yin entered the capital and the imperial guards were re-employed. He also returned to Zuotunwei, but the position of Zuotunwei General had been replaced by Li Yin's confidant, and he temporarily returned to being just a small General of the Household.

No matter how much blood is replaced in the imperial guards, some experienced people need to be retained and replaced slowly. Han Di checked Lu Chong's background and found that his family was very poor and his interpersonal relationships were simple, so Han Di kept him to work under him. Lu Chong was steady and outstanding, so Han Di still valued him. Today's patrol of the imperial city was the top priority, and such a useful person was needed to keep an eye on it.

Lu Chong followed Han Di and led a group of imperial guards towards Anshang Gate.

The atmosphere was solemn and dignified, with everyone in their respective positions. The palace servants walked in an orderly manner along the palace roads with their heads bowed, accepting the scrutiny of the patrolling imperial guards.

The city was also under martial law, and imperial guards could be seen everywhere.

On such a critical day, there was said to be war outside the city. In the teahouses and taverns, the people did not dare to show too much enthusiasm. They only discussed in low voices and subconsciously cast their awe-inspiring gazes in the direction of the Taimiao.

At the same time, countless eyes were looking towards the Taimiao.

After returning from Luoyang, Qiao Yubai stayed in the Imperial College. He sat in the study, staring at the dripping water under the windowsill. His palms were already soaked with cold sweat, but there was no fear in his eyes.

The sky outside the window is clear, the wind is gentle and the clouds are light, and there is a peaceful atmosphere between heaven and earth.

The sacred Zen sound of the bell slowly spread in the Taimiao.

Li Yin, dressed in imperial robes, stepped into the gate of the Taimiao, followed by officials from the six ministries and the Taichang Temple. Luo Guanlin followed closely behind him with a solemn expression.

An altar was set up in the Taimiao, and Master Chu, who was in charge of the sacrifice, had been waiting there for a long time.

Master Chu stood beside the altar, and below him stood all the officials and clan members. As Li Yin approached, hearing the eunuchs' announcement, clan members and officials moved to the sides, stood in an orderly manner, bowed their heads and respectfully greeted him.

The accompanying official Zhan Mian also followed suit, but Yu Guangnei did not see the teacher beside him bowing as well.

His teacher was the chief priest, the head of all officials, and the person who would least make mistakes in etiquette.

Zhan Mian subconsciously turned his gaze slightly, and was surprised to see the old man next to him raised his hand upright, but not to salute, but to take off his official hat.

The Grand Tutor looked straight ahead and put his official hat aside.

Zhan Mian was so confused that he almost cried out in surprise, but he did not dare to make a sound to disturb the crowd because he adhered to the etiquette of the grand ceremony.

However, the next moment, the old man made an even more shocking move. He took out a piece of coarse linen mourning cloth from his wide sleeves and tied it around his forehead in the same neat manner.

"...Teacher?!" Zhan Mian couldn't help it any longer and finally cried out in surprise.

The people below continued to bow their heads in greeting, and no one looked around until Zhan Mian lost his voice, and then some officials turned around to look.

Li Yin was surrounded by a crowd of people and had just reached the altar. Before he could climb the stairs, he saw this scene and slowly stopped.

The surroundings suddenly became noisy.

Countless eyes were fixed on that old figure.

The thin old man was wearing a scarlet official uniform, but because he had taken off his official hat, his silver-white hair was exposed and he had a mourning cloth on his forehead, which was out of place with the grand atmosphere of the celebration around him.

The wind blew the mourning cloth hanging behind his head. He stood beside the altar with a straight body and proud demeanor. Even if no one knew the reason, he gave people a sense of loneliness, as if he was "standing alone in the world, with the wind scattering orchids and snow", just like an old knight.

Luo Guanlin shouted in a low voice to stop the noisy noise and immediately ordered people to maintain order.

Li Yin hid his thousands of thoughts and guesses in confusion. He first raised his hand to bow to Master Chu. Just as he was about to ask, he saw the old man bowing to the heaven and earth above and said loudly: "The God of Heaven and Earth is my witness. Chu Hui came here today to hold a funeral for Da Sheng!"

The old voice is resounding and seems more solemn than the sound of bells and chimes.

The word "funeral" caused silent shock and astonishment all around.

Li Yin narrowed his eyes slightly for a moment. He could clearly conclude that Chu Hui, who was under surveillance in the capital, had no way of knowing the news of Li Suining's return... So, what exactly was the other party trying to do?
Li Yin looked around with a calm expression, and asked respectfully, "I wonder why the Grand Master said that? Why is the funeral being held?"

Master Chu looked back at him without flinching, and said to everyone in a firm voice:

"Prince Rong Li Yin deceived the world and stole the name, harbored the heart of a jackal, and was guilty of hundreds of crimes that could not be forgiven - allowing such an evil villain to inherit the throne would be a disaster for the people and the country, and a great loss for the country!"

Li Yin's eyes changed slightly.

There was an uproar everywhere.

Luo Guanlin took a step forward, his eyes sharp as a knife: "...The prince treated the Grand Tutor with all courtesy and honor, regardless of past grudges, and entrusted him with an important task and trust! But the Grand Tutor made filthy remarks during this grand ceremony, disturbing the Li family's ancestor. I wonder who ordered him to do so!"

"Taifu is old and has been very busy recently..." Li Yin sighed and said leniently, "Come here, Taifu, please move to the hall to rest, and ask the doctor to see Taifu."

"Your Highness, no!" Luo Guanlin stopped him, saying, "Today is the ceremony of the new emperor's accession to the throne. The Li clan's gods are above us, and we officials are below us. How can we allow such unclear words to destroy your reputation?"

"Even though the Grand Tutor is highly respected, the law is unforgiving, and the majesty of heaven cannot be slandered!" Luo Guanlin raised his hand to salute, and solemnly asked: "Your Majesty, please punish him, otherwise it will be difficult to convince the public!"

He was the most loyal supporter of the imperial power, and naturally he was unwilling to give in, let alone in such a critical occasion.

This remark immediately made Zhan Mian and others feel like they were facing a formidable enemy. There were many students of the Taifu present. Zhan Mian had already stopped in front of the teacher and hurriedly spoke out to plead for the teacher.

The teacher is old, let alone being punished, even if he is just forcibly taken to jail, he might lose half his life!

In this short interval, Master Chu spoke again, his voice powerful and angry: "Li Yin's first crime was the murder of the late Crown Prince Xiao seventeen years ago!"

Zhan Mian, who was standing in front of the teacher, was shocked and immediately felt that the teacher might have a mental problem. Without mentioning anything else, just one thing, it seems that the late Crown Prince Xiao has passed away for twenty years, right?
Zhan Mian turned around with a pale face and raised his hand to help: "Teacher, you..."

But Master Chu suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Li Yin: "It was Li Yin who ordered the poisoning of the late crown prince!"

"This is ridiculous!" The senior official came to his senses and immediately refuted: "When the late Crown Prince Xiao passed away, a doctor examined him and confirmed that he died of illness! What the Grand Tutor said is that the late Crown Prince's mother, Empress Ming, and the officials in the court were all playing dumb!"

"The Li Xiao you mentioned who died of illness 20 years ago was not the real former crown prince!" The old man said in a high voice: "Seventeen years ago, the Chongyue Princess Li Shang who died in Beidi was the real former crown prince!"

What kind of nonsense is this?

Before anyone could refute, the old man shouted, "The former crown prince Li Xiao in the eyes of the world has always been Li Shang in disguise! Since she was eight years old, she has taken the identity of her twin brother, walked in front of people, made meritorious deeds, and was named the crown prince!"

"From the beginning to the end, the former crown prince of our dynasty was Li Shang!"

"My most outstanding student, the late Crown Prince Xiao as you all call him, has always been a girl!"

"..."

This statement caused a huge uproar, even more shocking than the news that "Li Yin poisoned the former crown prince".

The former crown prince was originally a girl?! How is this possible?
Luo Guanlin's head was also buzzing, and he couldn't believe his ears. (End of this chapter)