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

Chapter 1401: Shang Fang Emperor Sword, only summoned the prince, but not the prime minister

In the Mingde Hall of the East Palace, Li Xian sat behind the desk with a long scroll in front of him.

Above is a map of the countries in the Western Regions.

But now, Li Xian's mind is not on the picture at all.

Li Dan was sitting next to him, and he was also sitting and thinking wildly.

Although all the ministers in the palace were doing things, their minds were not on the matter. Everyone had heavy thoughts and the atmosphere was depressing.

Only Fan Lubing was sitting slightly closer to the door, looking calm.

He was the only one among the North Gate bachelors who came to the East Palace, and most of the others helped Empress Wu handle political affairs.

Moreover, among all the North Gate bachelors, he is the only one who holds a position in the East Gate.

Suddenly, a burst of rapid footsteps sounded outside Mingde Hall.

Before everyone could stand up, a chamberlain in green clothes had already walked into the palace quickly, shouting with rapid breathing: "Your Majesty is speaking!"

Li Xian immediately stood up, walked to the hall and knelt down.

Everyone else in the hall also knelt down at the same time. Li Dan knelt down with Li Xian's expression on his face, breathing rapidly.

The chamberlain stood in the hall, looked at the kneeling people, and said solemnly: "Your Majesty's oral message, the prince will see you immediately."

"I accept the order!" Li Xian bowed solemnly, then raised his head and asked with concern: "Servant, my father is awake already?"

"Yes." The chamberlain couldn't help but smile and nod, and said, "God has mercy on you, Your Majesty is fine."

"Ha!" Li Xian couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, then looked at Li Dan beside him and said, "Silang, go with Gu to see your father."

Li Dan, who was a little dazed, quickly reacted and nodded quickly: "Okay!"

Seeing that Li Xian and Li Dan were about to stand up, the chamberlain quickly stepped forward and said in a low voice: "Your Highness, this slave is here. Your Majesty only summons the prince. Your Highness, the Prime Minister, will you wait any longer?"

Li Xian was slightly stunned, glanced at the chamberlain, and then looked at Li Dan with a surprised look on his face.

The corner of Li Dan's mouth twitched slightly, and then he shook his head bitterly and said, "Brother, you go first, and you should pay more attention to my father."

"Yes!" Li Xian nodded, then stood up and walked quickly outside the East Palace.

The ministers in the palace wanted to follow him out, but Yao Lingzhang coughed twice and everyone stopped.

Li Dan sighed softly, turned around and walked behind the desk, looking ahead in a daze.

Fan Lubing glanced at Li Dan and couldn't help but shake his head slightly. Your Highness, Prince Xiang, is still too immature.

……

As soon as Li Xian walked out of the East Palace, he saw Liu Rengui riding a horse from behind. A green-clothed chamberlain led the way, followed by a dozen Qianniu guards.

"Taifu." Li Xian quickly stopped and looked at Liu Rengui: "Taifu, has Father summoned you too?"

"Yes!" Liu Rengui nodded and said, "The palace has sent a decree to summon the old ministers to have an audience. I didn't want His Highness to come with me."

There was a trace of surprise in Liu Rengui's eyes. The Minister of Secretariat was further east, so how could the imperial edict be delivered faster or slower?

Li Xian got on his horse and urged the horse forward while saying to Liu Rengui: "I just received the instructions from my father. I didn't expect to meet the Taifu as soon as I went out."

Liu Rengui glanced ahead, and then said: "Your Majesty is awake and in good health. The prince can just concentrate on his affairs."

Li Xian raised his eyebrows, nodded, and said, "I just hope that my father is safe and sound."

"Your Highness Renxiao." Liu Rengui nodded with satisfaction. Although Li Xian had many shortcomings, this was the best.

Although officials in the DPRK will not clearly support Li Xian, if he really takes that position, the hearts of the people in the DPRK will naturally follow him, and it will be more stable than most people think.

This move is a conspiracy, but many people don't care.

The only one who can really make use of this skill is the emperor.

Only when you truly sit in that position can your subtle power burst out.

……

After leaving Yanximen, heading north you can already see the Daming Palace.

Outside Danfeng Gate, dozens of internal and external officials were waiting to be summoned by the Queen of Heaven, but they who were supposed to be waiting quietly were instead whispering to each other.

The emperor suddenly fainted in the court yesterday. Although the imperial doctor said that everything was fine, the affairs of the court were being handled in an orderly manner. The queen even approached several foreign ministers yesterday.

But even so, the officials in the DPRK were still uneasy. After all, the emperor's condition was serious, and no one knew whether it would suddenly take a turn for the worse.

With a "squeak" sound, the Danfeng Gate suddenly opened.

The next moment, General Zuo Qianniuwei, dressed in red and gold armor, and Prince Li Jingjia of Peiping County had already led a whole team of Qianniuwei out of the palace gate, and then ran towards Chang'an City.

Seeing Li Xian and Liu Rengui, Li Jingjia immediately slowed down his horse, stopped his horse, and said, "I have met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and I have met the Prime Minister. I have sacred orders, and I have been rude."

"It doesn't matter." Li Xian shook his head and asked, "Uncle Wang, what is this?"

Li Jingjia didn't hesitate much and said: "In the past two days, there have been some ambitious people in the east and west cities of Chang'an City who spread rumors wantonly. Your Majesty has issued an order to arrest them and at the same time investigate the mastermind behind them."

"It's so troublesome to Uncle Wang." Li Xian nodded seriously. Such an ambitious person should be cut into pieces.

Li Jingjia smiled, cupped his hands and said, "I'll take my leave now, general."

"Uncle Wang, be careful." Li Xian nodded slightly.

Li Jingjia immediately turned his horse around and led his men to kill Nanshi quickly.

"Another group of people are going to die." Liu Rengui sighed, as if in his words, Li Jingjia is likely to cause a bloody storm.

Li Xian rode towards Danfeng Gate and said softly: "It's better to have fewer such caring people. I don't want them to spread rumors to me one day."

"Yes!" Liu Rengui nodded in agreement. While talking, the two of them arrived at the Danfeng Sect, and the officials around them had already become completely solemn.

The prince and the left prime minister arrived at Tai Chi Palace at the same time, which made people think a lot.

But it was just imagining, and soon they looked behind Li Xian and Liu Rengui.

There was no one else further away, only the two of them here.

Some people couldn't help but have a flash of disappointment in their eyes.

Because if there were only Li Xian and Liu Rengui, then it would not be what they thought.

What kind of thing? The emperor dies!

If the emperor dies and there is no mourning, or if the emperor is in critical condition and the prince and prime minister are summoned, at least the prince, left prime minister, Zhongshu Ling and Shizhong should also be summoned.

Especially the position of servant is indispensable.

Under the Tang Dynasty system, the emperor's imperial edict could only be sealed and published after it was reviewed and approved by the Menxia Province.

Now it was Li Xian and Liu Rengui. They were the only two people present, and Tiancai had just called people in to talk about the postponement of the Eastern Tour.

It shows that although the emperor's condition is serious, it is only serious.

Some people couldn't help but have a flash of disappointment in their eyes, but there were also some people who never gave up the curiosity in their eyes. Is the emperor's condition really just serious?

……

Li Xian came to Danfeng Gate and was about to dismount. At this moment, a movement above his head caught his attention.

A general in his early thirties, dressed in black clothes and armor, replaced Cheng Chubi and stood at the city gate.

Cheng Chubi came down from the city gate, dressed in red clothes and gold armor, came to the city gate, and then prepared to leave.

When he saw Li Xian and Liu Rengui, Cheng Chubi immediately stood by the city gate and saluted with his hands raised: "The last general has met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Left Prime Minister."

Li Xian turned over and dismounted, and asked at the same time: "Guangping County Duke, what are you doing?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, the last general is on duty." Cheng Chubi smiled easily and said: "Your Majesty has ordered the last general to go home to rest, and come back to change duty in the evening. At present, the palace gate is controlled by the imperial guard Zhonglang General Li Yi is responsible for guarding."

"Li Yi." Li Xian looked up in surprise. This was the first time he saw Li Yi.

It has been quite a while since Li Yi was transferred back to Chang'an from Fanzhou, but he is a low-key person and Li Xian is not close to him, so he doesn't know much about his situation.

"Why doesn't he wear the Forbidden Army armor?" Li Xian asked somewhat confused.

The Forbidden Army, Qianniu Guard, and Jinwu Guard are actually all in red and golden armor, but there are slight differences in the pattern and format of the armor, which can be distinguished at a glance.

But no matter what, it shouldn't be all black clothes and black armor.

Cheng Chubi said with a wry smile: "It is said that it was specially allowed by His Majesty. The right guard cavalry under King Peng are all black-clad and black-armored, which is also the standard of the Xuanjia Army. There were also a group of Xuanjia Army among the Imperial Guards back then. , to put it into detail, it is also in compliance with regulations.”

Li Xian understood immediately. Li Yi stood here to tell the court officials that Li Xuan was standing behind Li Yi.

With Li Xuan here, people's hearts inside and outside will always be more stable.

It's just that Li Xian doesn't understand. Is it really necessary to make such careful calculations now?

……

Outside Penglai Hall, Li Xian had just walked to the front of the hall when he saw Empress Wu in a black phoenix robe standing outside the hall waiting.

"Empress Mother, what's going on?" Li Xian was inexplicably frightened. He quickly walked to Empress Wu's side, held her arm, and looked in the direction of Penglai Hall, with a trace of fear in his eyes.

"It's okay, it's okay. Your father just took the medicine prescribed by Doctor Qin and fell asleep. Before going to bed, he issued an order not to allow anyone to come in and disturb you, so the queen mother is waiting outside."

Empress Wu smiled and patted Li Xian's arm. Seeing Li Xian's reaction, Empress Wu felt completely relieved.

Li Xian has always been the same Li Xian, and has not changed for any other reason.

Liu Rengui stood on one side, his eyebrows lowered and his eyes lowered, as if he hadn't seen anything.

At this time, with a "squeak", the door of Penglai Palace opened, and the emperor's calm voice sounded inside: "Come in, everyone."

"Here!" Everyone outside the hall slightly arched their hands.

Empress Wu stepped into the Penglai Hall, followed by Li Xian and Liu Rengui at the end.

In the Penglai Hall, the curtain on the imperial couch has been lifted up, and the emperor is sitting on the soft backrest, holding a memorial in his hand.

His eyes fell on Li Xian who walked in, and he said with a smile: "How's it going, Sanlang, you're not scared, are you?"

Li Xian knelt down with a "pop" sound, then bowed his head seriously and said: "Father, please take care of your health for the sake of national affairs."

Faintly, a hint of crying could be heard in Li Xian's voice.

Li Zhi couldn't help but sigh. What Li Xian said just now felt very familiar to Li Zhi.

Because before Emperor Taizong died of illness, Li Zhi also had such filial piety.

"Okay, get up." Li Zhi waved to Li Xian and said, "Come to the father."

"Here!" Li Xian quickly walked to the imperial couch and knelt down directly.

Li Zhi looked at Li Xian, who looked sincere and filial, and sighed and said: "My father's sudden illness will inevitably stir up people's hearts in the court. After my father's eastward tour, you will sit in the court and try your best to appease people's hearts. Avoid being taken advantage of by some people to cause chaos... But this is also the best time for you to see people's hearts clearly. "

"Yes!" Li Xian nodded solemnly. He couldn't quite understand what the emperor said. Now that he is here, who else would cause trouble.

Li Zhi looked up at Liu Rengui and said softly: "Prime Minister Zuo, if you manage the floods, I will give you the Emperor Shangfang Sword. The governors of all states. If any officials below the governor are disobedient, procrastinating, unruly or acting recklessly, they will be punished first and after the war." Acting cheaply is the emperor’s permission.”

"I accept the order." Liu Rengui bowed, and out of the corner of his eye he saw a chamberlain standing beside him holding Shang Fang's Emperor's Sword.

Li Zhi looked sideways at Empress Wu and said, "Mei Niang, in this way, you and I can concentrate on Songshan."

(End of this chapter)