People in the early Tang Dynasty: I compete with Wu Zhao for the throne

Chapter 1103 The chiefs of the twenty-four Turkic tribes all arrived in Beijing

It snowed heavily for two consecutive days, and it took a lot of effort to clear the ground in Jinwuwei and Wannian counties in Chang'an.

Li Xuan rode calmly on the street, frowning slightly, seeming to be thinking about something.

At this moment, a burst of rapid horse hoofbeats sounded behind him. Li Xuan turned around and saw Zhao Gong chasing after him.

"Uncle!" Li Xuan quickly stopped the horse.

"Dalang!" Zhao Gong stopped his horse, raised his eyebrows and looked at Li Xuan and asked, "Why, are you also the Chunming clan to pick up the prince?"

"Pick up the prince?" Li Xuan asked in astonishment, "Will the prince return to Beijing today?"

"Why, you don't know?" Zhao Gong was a little surprised.

Li Xuan then smiled bitterly and said: "The team entering Changzhou's memorial hall was stuck on the road due to heavy snow. My nephew is still trying to figure out a way to solve the problem, otherwise the congratulatory gift from the emperor at the end of the year will be delayed."

"I see." Zhao Gong nodded lightly, and then said with deep meaning: "Then the other thing has nothing to do with you."

"That thing, what is it?" Li Xuan asked subconsciously.

"It's a matter about Duke Zhou. The Imperial College is about to go on annual leave, but now it is suddenly reported that Duke Zhou is going to be the Minister of Etiquette, the Minister of Huangmen, and the Prime Minister." Zhao Gong stared at Li Xuan.

"Ah!" Li Xuan's thoughts suddenly changed, and he couldn't help but look stunned. He blinked, and it seemed that three days had passed now.

Li Xuan quickly raised his head to look at Zhao Gong, waved his hand, and said: "This matter...are you sure that your Majesty will allow the Duke of Longxi to take up the official position this time? There are also prime ministers and Huangmen Shilang, so it is not his turn to be Duke Zhou, right?"

Li Xuan frowned tightly, her face full of disbelief.

Wu Chengsi's personal ability was average. He could manage a secretary and supervisor and let others handle the imperial edict of Emperor Gaozu.

He was appointed as the governor of Fenzhou, and his political achievements last year were only ordinary.

He was asked to be the Minister of Rites just because his position as the Minister of Rites was idle. He was really crazy to expect to be the prime minister.

Li Xuan was stunned for a moment, then looked at Zhao Gong and asked in confusion: "Uncle, Dalang has had a lot of contact with Zhou Guogong. He shouldn't have such big ambitions, right?"

"As you know, Huangmen Shilang, Tongzhongshu Men's third rank is an official position from the third rank, Fenzhou Governor is also from the third rank." Zhao Gong looked calm.

Li Xuan's eyes widened in an instant, and she looked at Zhao Gong in disbelief: "No way, is Zhou Guogong so ignorant of the rules?"

Indeed, Wu Chengsi could indeed be promoted from the governor of Fenzhou to the minister of Huangmen, or even the third rank of Tongzhongshu.

But this is against the rules and difficult to convince the public.

Apart from being a relative, Wu Chengsi had no other military or political achievements or personal prestige. He didn't even have many cronies around him.

After all, at this time, Beimen Bachelor and Pei Yan are more around Empress Wu and doing things around Li Dan, rather than around Wu Chengsi.

If Wu Chengsi really forced himself to become Huangmen's Minister and Prime Minister, it would damage the prestige of the Emperor and Empress Wu.

The emperor would not do such a thing, nor would Empress Wu do it.

Not to mention, the emperor and Empress Wu had other plans for the position of prime minister, so they would not allow Wu Chengsi to do whatever he wanted.

But Li Xuan didn't expect that Wu Chengsi would actually be tempted.

Thinking that in the original history, Wu Chengsi committed suicide because he could not get the position of prince, Li Xuan somewhat understood his mentality.

Li Xuan calmed down, nodded to Zhao Gong, and said, "Uncle, His Majesty and the Queen have always made the decision on this kind of matter. My nephew doesn't think about it anymore. By the way, why is the Prince back today?"

The doubts in Zhao Gong's eyes disappeared, and he finally walked side by side with Li Xuan, and said at the same time: "The prime minister has been re-elected. Naturally, the prince cannot stay in Luoyang for a long time, not to mention, there are many opportunities in the East Palace."

Li Xuan sighed softly: "He shouldn't be in such a hurry to come back. If my nephew's guess is correct, the prince's affairs in Luoyang have not really concluded."

Zhao Gong nodded gently. Li Xian never came back in Luoyang because the emperor asked him to check the fields in Luoyang. There were no excuses.

But now, he has already rushed back to the position of prime minister, so why be in such a hurry.

"By the way, Dalang, do you want to go to the city gate to greet him?" Zhao Gong asked.

Li Xuan shook his head directly and said: "My nephew has to go to the memorial hall, and he needs to communicate with the prefectures and counties in Tianshui area to ask them to clear the roads. After all, at this time, there are still many northwest marching teams that have not entered Beijing. "

"There's no need to be in a hurry, just deliver it before the official holiday." Zhao Gong waved his hand and looked in the direction of Chunming Gate.

Li Xuan doesn't need to go to the city gate to greet the prince, but Zhao Gong has to go and see it.

Let's see who will pick up the prince at this time?

……

"Uncle, my nephew is leaving first." Li Xuan earnestly handed over his hand, Zhao Gong nodded slightly, and Li Xuan turned to Pingkangfang.

Looking at Li Xuan's leaving figure, Zhao Gong couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief: at least that matter had nothing to do with him.

Zhao Gong couldn't help but feel a little funny.

The emperor had just thrown out a chess piece from Tong Zhongshu's sect, and so many people jumped out, and the first ones to jump into the trap were Pei Yan and Wu Chengsi.

Zhao Gong was also a little dissatisfied, Wu Chengsi also danced a little too happily this time.

Aren't they just some rumors? They started shouting loudly immediately.

This time, people could see his guilty conscience.

And Pei Yan. This matter was finally traced to Pei Yan. Although he fled to Luoyang, he later fled to Hedong. It was really...

Although things were like this, Zhao Gong still felt that something was wrong, so he happened to meet Li Xuan and asked him.

Fortunately, Li Xuan didn't know.

Turning his horse around, Zhao Gong headed towards the Chunming Gate.

Li Xuan glanced at it from the corner of his eye, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He did not tell Zhao Gong about this matter, not because he did not trust him, but because he was worried that he would reveal his flaws in front of Empress Wu.

Empress Wu was too shrewd. As long as Zhao Gong showed the slightest hint of something wrong, Empress Wu would immediately notice it.

So it's better to be careful.

After withdrawing her thoughts, Li Xuan thought of Li Xian and couldn't help but sigh.

This is the number of hooks the emperor has put on Li Xian, but Li Xian's movements always disappoint people...

The sound of rapid horse hooves sounded crazily behind him, and Li Xuan turned around subconsciously.

A Jinwu guard rushed towards Li Xuan, and the people around him gave way in a panic.

Li Xuan immediately pulled the horse and looked at Jin Wuwei with a solemn expression.

"Your Majesty, the Turkic chiefs from the twenty-four prefectures of the Shanyu Protectorate, such as Sheli Prefecture, Ashina Prefecture, Baideng Prefecture, and Sunong Prefecture, have arrived in Beijing at the same time. Liu Gong, the Minister of Honglu Temple, has already gone to receive them in person." Jin Wuwei quickly finished the story. , then cupped his hands and said: "Qin Lang will ask the general to summon you. Your Majesty, please go and have a look when you have time."

"Okay!" Li Xuan nodded, and Jin Wuwei immediately turned around and rode away.

Li Xuan raised her head and saw Zhao Gong, who had also not gone far, riding back.

……

On the street south of Guangde Square, Li Xuan watched calmly as a large number of Turkic nobles entered Huaiyuan Square, followed by hundreds of horses, with heavy black boxes hung on both sides of the horses.

"Uncle, this time the Turkic chiefs from the twenty-four states came to Beijing, they probably didn't notify the central government, right?" Li Xuan turned to look at Zhao Gong.

Zhao Gong shook his head solemnly, his eyes fell on the box on the horse, and asked softly: "Dalang, what do you think is in those boxes?"

"Although I haven't seen it, I think it should be gold and silver treasures." Li Xuan looked at the Turks celebrating happily in Huaiyuan Square, and said softly: "Use these gold and silver in exchange for the return of the Turks from Chang'an. These Turks Chief, when did you have such courage?"

Zhao Gong nodded lightly.

The Turks live scattered in the twenty-four states of Monan, and people are already divided. But now, not only have the Turkic chiefs from the twenty-four states arrived in Beijing together, but they have also all taken measures to bribe these Chang'an Road Turks. This is also So un-Turkic.

But the more this happens, the more it shows that their plans are huge.

Not only that, it was naturally impossible for them not to report their trip to Chang'an in advance, but there was no relevant news from the court, indicating that they at least used some means.

"This snow not only blocked the footsteps of people and horses, but also blocked the footsteps of the postmen, but someone with a heart just walked right in." Li Xuan couldn't help but shook her head and said: "If a war starts in this situation, , I’m afraid there will be big trouble in the DPRK.”

"Twenty-four states, Dalang, who do you think might be circling among them?" Zhao Gong pondered briefly before asking the core question.

"Uncle, Ashina Prefecture is called Ashina Prefecture because there are many Ashina people there. Although they are not descendants of Tuli and Jieli, they are also descendants of other Turkic Khans. If They can connect things."

After a slight pause, Li Xuan said seriously: "If they were Turkic chiefs from other states and they did these things, I'm afraid the Ashina clan would not agree."

"So it must be Asde Wenfu, the chief of Ashina Prefecture." A figure of a Turkic nobleman with elegant appearance and wearing a dog-yellow felt hat appeared in Zhao Gong's mind.

"Keep an eye on him. Regardless of whether it is him or not, this person must be taken seriously." Li Xuan turned to look at Huaiyuanfang and said softly: "This time they made such a big noise just after they arrived in Beijing, and their subsequent actions will also It’s absolutely nothing, I just don’t know what they are planning.”

"Well!" Zhao Gong took a deep breath, pulled the horse rope and turned around, and said at the same time: "Da Lang, I'm afraid you have to think about it. The Turks in Chang'an must not be allowed to leave like this. There are so many Turks who know the inside story of Chang'an. If people leave, there will probably be big trouble.”

"My nephew knows." Li Xuan nodded lightly, his eyes solemn.

The Turks live in Chang'an City. Over the years, they have become very familiar with Chang'an City's defense and the layout of the Sixteen Guards.

Once the Turkic soldiers besiege Chang'an, they will definitely not withdraw their troops as easily as Jieli did.

……

After watching Zhao Gong turn around and leave, Li Xuan looked at Huaiyuanfang again.

Countless Turks were celebrating and cheering. This time, the Turks brought so much wealth with them, hoping to use their wealth to "redeem" all the Turks in Chang'an.

In recent years, the Turkic nobles have also made a lot of money from their business dealings with the Tang Dynasty.

Now the money earned from the Tang Dynasty is used to exchange for the main force of Turkic warriors who will resist the Tang Dynasty in the future. This transaction will definitely not be a loss.

However, there are as many as 100,000 Turks in Chang'an and Luoyang. It would be very difficult for them all to spend this money.

They definitely can't take it out, so they still have to make trouble.

Li Xuan's eyes flashed slightly, yes.

There are too many Turks here.

(End of this chapter)