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

Chapter 1132 The Emperor’s Imperial Decree: Surround the East Palace

"Zhang She, the supervisor of the palace, and Zhang Qian, the captain of the guard, want to see you." The servants outside the palace shouted.

"Pass." The emperor raised his eyes and put down the memorial in his hand.

Li Jingxuan and Liu Shenli stood aside.

They looked at each other with heavy hearts.

They were now completely sure that the emperor was going to take action against the prince.

The root of everything today actually stems from the memorial of the King of Nanchang. After Subi was captured and the front line was stable, the emperor naturally calmed down and dealt with the central affairs.

Regarding the prince's matter, no matter how much has been done and how much evidence there is, everything must be finalized, and the emperor no longer wants to delay it any longer.

The key thing is that the two of them are in front of the emperor today, and they are the new prime ministers appointed in recent years.

One is the secretary of the Central Committee, and the other is the servant of the Central Committee.

The emperor wanted their opinion.

……

Two brothers, Zhang She and Zhang Qia, walked into the palace with surprised eyes and solemnly raised their hands: "Zhang She, the eunuch of the palace, and Zhang Qia, the young guard and lieutenant, pay homage to your majesty. May your majesty live forever."

"Get back on your feet!" Li Zhi nodded, looked at Zhang She and Zhang Qia and asked, "What has Prime Minister Zhang been busy with recently? Are you still going to the East Palace?"

Zhang Wenguan was appointed the crown prince Zuo Shuzi, and Li Jingxuan and Liu Shenli couldn't help but feel their hearts sinking.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, my father is not in good health. He goes to the East Palace once every five days. The rest of the time he stays at home, sorting out old cases from previous years, and preparing to publish a book on punishment and reunification." Zhang Qia looked serious and said at the same time: "I originally wanted to help my father. , but my father directly refused and did not allow ministers and others to participate."

"Is there anything else going on at home recently?" Li Zhi asked casually.

"There is one thing." Zhang Qia cupped his hands in embarrassment and said, "My second daughter has been engaged to the third son of Lanling County Duke Xiao Min."

Li Zhi was stunned for a moment, then relaxed and said, "Is he the grandson of Xiao Jing, the Duke of Lanling County?"

"Yes!" Zhang Qia lowered his head, and Li Zhi couldn't help laughing and said, "This is a good thing."

Xiao Jing was the son of Emperor Ming of Southern Liang and the brother of Prime Minister Xiao Yu, Duke of Song.

During the reign of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, he served as an imperial minister.

After entering the Tang Dynasty, he served as the Minister of Huangmen, was transferred to Secretary Supervisor, and was granted the title of Duke of Lanling County. When he died in the twelfth year of Zhenguan, he was given the title of Minister of Rites.

"Xiao Min is now serving as the county magistrate of the Ji family. Although his position is lower, the Xiao family will surely make a fortune in the future." Li Zhi nodded gently, seeming to be completely relieved.

Zhao Gong stood aside and breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew that Zhang Qia's second daughter was originally going to marry Gao Wei, Gao Shenxing's son, but after Gao Wei's incident, the engagement between the two families was cancelled.

Now that the Zhang family has made a new engagement, it is equivalent to completely severing relations with the Gao family.

Cutting off the relationship with the Gao family is equivalent to cutting off the relationship with the East Palace.

Especially Gao Qi, it would be safer if they completely cut off the relationship.

"Let's do this. The daughter of Aiqing is gentle and virtuous, and I will give it to the lord of Jinhua County. The two Aiqings will accompany Prime Minister Zhang back to Chang'an to prepare for the marriage. I will leave all the public affairs to others." Li Zhi said, " So Zhang She and Zhang Qia, together with Zhang Wenguan, were rushed back to Chang'an.

Although Zhang She and Zhang Qia didn't know what happened, the emperor had an order, so they handed it over without any hesitation: "I accept the order."

……

Watching Zhang She and Zhang Qia leave, Li Zhi's face turned completely cold. He looked to the side and said, "Send Qianniu Guards to escort them secretly to prevent the Gao family from approaching them. The rumors in Nan City will also be completely killed."

"Here!" Zuo Qianniu Guards Lieutenant General He Kuan immediately stood up, accepted the order with his hands, and then turned around and walked out.

Li Zhi looked to the side again and asked: "On my birthday, I will conduct a comprehensive inspection of all the prisons and inspect the locations of all seals and seals inside and outside."

Qiu Huan, the chamberlain supervisor, stood up, accepted the order, then turned and left.

Li Zhi continued: "I ordered Cheng Wuting, the commander of the imperial army, to close the Xuanwu Gate from now on and no one is allowed to open it."

"Here!" Wang Fulai cupped his hands, then turned around to give the order.

Li Zhi looked forward and said in a deep voice: "Send General Cheng Chubi of Jin Wu Guard to see you."

Speaking of this, Li Zhi couldn't help but feel a flash of pain in his expression.

Zhao Gong lowered his head slightly, knowing that everything was about to be revealed.

The reason is that Li Xuan sent back the news of the great victory on the front line, and it is also due to the rumors spread by the prince in Nanshi.

……

In just half a stick of incense, Cheng Chubi had already appeared in the palace: "Your Majesty."

The emperor raised his head and asked directly: "Is there anything unusual under Duanmen lately?"

"Yes!" Cheng Chubi handed over his hand and said: "The East Palace has transported documents several times and secretly concealed a large amount of armor into the East Palace. As of three days ago, it completely stopped."

Li Zhi's breathing became heavy: "How many?"

"There are about three hundred pairs." Cheng Chubi lowered his head.

Li Jingxuan and Liu Shenli looked at each other, breathing heavily.

"Zhao Gong." Li Zhi looked at Zhao Gong and asked, "Does the secret guard know where this batch of armor comes from?"

Zhao Gong solemnly held up his hands and said: "Coming from Yizhou, Yizhou Governor Jiang Wang Li Wei is preparing."

"This is how Henan Road cleans up hidden fields." Li Zhi couldn't help but sneer.

Li Wei, the king of Jiang, was the son of Li Yun, the king of Jiang. In the early years of the Yuan Dynasty, Zhang Junche, the governor of Jizhou and a member of the army, falsely accused Li Yun of treason, and Li Yun committed suicide.

Who would have thought that Li Xian would actually hook up with Li Wei.

"Where are those armors now?" Li Zhi asked again.

"In the East Palace Stables." Zhao Gong took out a memorial from his sleeve and handed it forward.

Empress Wu took it with her own hands and placed it in front of the emperor.

The emperor didn't look at it and asked directly: "How do you think the secret guard knew?"

"Yes!" Zhao Gong cupped his hands and said: "Last month, someone reported to the prince that he wanted to marry the virtuous minister Yuan Xiaoren... The internal minister of the province, the uncle of the temple, followed the law to pick up the lawlessness in the palace, and found out that the prince and the ninth rank of the East Palace were found. I was sent to Zhao Daosheng to be a close friend, and the secret guards assisted in the investigation..."     "Go on." The emperor raised his eyes, his eyes full of anger.

"Zhao Daosheng said that after drinking, the prince said that Master Shiyin deserves to die. He also said that there is no need to worry for a long time. He raised the stables several times after drinking." Zhao Gong cupped his hands and said: "I sent someone to inspect the East Palace stables. There is indeed Hide the armor."

The emperor took a deep breath, looked at Li Jingxuan and said: "If I remember correctly, in a few days, on my birthday, the East Palace will transfer all the subordinate officials who are away from home, and the prince's six guards will also enter the palace? "

"Yes!" Li Jingxuan seriously handed over his hand.

Li Zhi nodded, lowered his eyebrows and said: "Ignore other matters, first take out all the armor in the East Palace.

According to the decree, Pei Yan, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, Duan Baoxuan of Dali Temple, and Cui Mi, the censor Zhongcheng, were summoned to the palace. "

"Here!" Behind the curtain on one side, a soldier stood up, accepted the order with his hands, and then walked out quickly.

"Zhao Gong." Li Zhi looked at Zhao Gong, and Zhao Gong handed over his hand again.

"The minister is here."

"I will give you a thousand right-guard cavalry. They will enter the city after the curfew today and kill all the dead Turks in the city. No one will be spared." The emperor's voice was extremely cold.

"Here!" Zhao Gong immediately handed over his hands, then turned and left.

"Pengcheng County Duke." Li Zhi looked at Liu Shenli.

"The minister is here."

"With the imperial edict, you go to Youjinwu Guard immediately and ask General Li Dazhi of Youjinwu Guard to enter the palace after the curfew."

After Li Zhi finished speaking, he looked at Cheng Chubi and said: "After the Right Jinwu Guards entered the palace, the Zuo Jinwu Guards sent people to keep an eye on them. The Right Jinwu Guards were not allowed to frame the East Palace until Pei Qing, Duan Qing, and Cui Qing entered the palace. Afterwards, General Zuo Qianniuwei Li Jingjia led the way, Duke Zhao stayed behind, and the Prince of Pengcheng County went to the East Palace with his ministers to inspect."

"Here!" Cheng Chubi, Liu Shenli, and Li Jingxuan handed over their hands at the same time.

……

Under the night, the imperial city is closed.

Liu Shenli stood under the Chengtian Gate, flanked by General Zuo Qianniuwei, Li Jingjia, Prince of Peiping County, Pei Yan, the Minister of Punishment, Duan Baoxuan of Dali Temple, and Cui Mi, the Censor Zhongcheng.

On the Chengtian Gate, Cheng Chubi, the general of the Zuo Jinwu Guard, and Ma Sizong, the general of the Zuo Jinwu Guard, stood on the left and right.

Deeper in front of the Qianyang Palace, General Xue Guwu of the Right Jinwu Guard stood guarding the palace.

The emperor and Empress Wu were sitting in the palace, neither of them speaking.

There was a trace of sadness on the emperor's livid face, and Empress Wu gently held the emperor's hand, silently comforting him.

Qiu Huan and Wang Fulai stood on both sides, and Li Jingxuan stood below, bowing his head and saying nothing.

At the north gate of the palace, on the Xuanwu Gate, General Cheng Wuting of the Forbidden Army stood indifferently, and the entire Guancheng City had been tightly closed.

At the south gate of the palace, three hundred Right Jinwu Guard soldiers, led by General Li Dazhi of the Right Jinwu Guard, entered the palace in an orderly manner.

Three hundred soldiers, not a lot of manpower.

Under curfew, it didn’t attract much attention.

All the people in Luoyang City have returned home.

On the long street, all the left and right Jinwu guards were patrolling.

Under the Dingding gate, a thousand right guard cavalry slowly entered the city.

The East Gate was quiet, and until now, no one in the East Palace had noticed anything strange.

All the staff in the East Palace were escorted home by Qianniu Guards after leaving the palace normally.

After returning home today, you will not be allowed to go out again.

All three hundred Jinwu Guards from the Right entered the palace. General Li Dazhi of the Jinwu Guard from the Right took a step forward, cupped his hands and said, "This is to Prime Minister Liu, the Jinwu Guards are here according to the order."

Liu Shenli took a deep breath and said: "The emperor's decree: immediately surround the East Palace and seize the military power of the Sixth Army of the East Palace. From now on, everyone in the East Palace, etc., are not allowed to move without permission. Anyone who moves without permission will be killed."

"General Li Dazhi of the Right Jinwu Guards accepts the order!" Li Dazhi cupped his hands, then looked at the soldiers of the Youjinwu Guards behind him, and waved: "Let's go!"

With a "swipe" sound, all the right Jinwu guards turned to the east at the same time, and then strode towards the East Palace.

On the palace wall, all the Zuo Jinwu Guards were watching every move of the Right Jinwu Guards.

All the soldiers of Youjinwu Guard carry crossbows, long spears, shields, long knives, and armor. Other than that, they do not have any extra boxes or the like.

The most important thing is that everyone only wears one collar.

Three hundred Jinwu guardsmen rushed to the East Palace, and everyone in the East Palace was already alerted.

Prince Liu Sui, who was guarding the East Palace, had already picked up his sword and bow at the first opportunity and closed the palace door immediately.

Li Dazhi took a step forward at this time, held the imperial edict high in his hand, and then shouted loudly: "The emperor's imperial edict: Li Dazhi, the general of Youjinwu Guard, will immediately take over the military power of Prince Liu and everyone in the East Palace. From now on, no one can move without permission. Those who move will be killed.”

"Military talisman." An angry voice rang out from the gate of the East Palace: "If you want Prince Liu to lead the army, get the military talisman."

"The crown prince's right guard is leading the Zhonglang general Lu Yi." Liu Shenli's voice came from the palace road.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Shenli, Li Jingjia, Pei Yan, Duan Baoxuan, Cui Mi, Li Dazhi and others appeared in front of the east palace gate at the same time.

Liu Shenli raised his right hand high and said in a cold voice: "Here is the military talisman, open the door."

The bearded prince's right guard led the middle man Lu Yi to poke his head out, took a careful look at the military symbols, and then waved his hand: "Send the order, open the door; send the order, everyone in the East Palace, wait, from now on, listen to the right Jinwu Guard General Li Ambition dictates.”

"Here!" The rising and falling voices came from the palace wall, and one could hear the confusion of these princes and guards.

The palace door opened wide, and three hundred Jinwu guards rushed into the East Palace in an instant, sealing all the palaces in the East Palace, and no one was allowed to come and go at will.

Entering the East Palace, Liu Shenli looked at everything he was familiar with, sighed softly, and said: "From now on, the six leaders of the East Palace will put down their weapons, enter the treasury, pick up the shovels, gather in the stables, and start digging."

Zhao Daosheng confessed that there was armor hidden under the stables of the East Palace, and Zuo Jinwu Guard General Cheng Chubi confirmed that the armor was smuggled into the East Palace.

If there is, you will know if you dig around.

But it can only be dug by people led by Dong Gong Liu.

(End of this chapter)