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

Chapter 1493: New Year’s Eve Banquet, what does the emperor want to do?
The 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhenguan Hall.

Li Zhi put the celadon medicine bowl aside, looked up at Li Xian standing on the side, and asked calmly: "I heard that King Peng and Xue Yao had a few words yesterday?"

Li Xian was stunned for a moment, and looked at Li Zhi in surprise, but then he cupped his hands and said, "It is true."

"What's going on?" Li Zhi's eyes were cold.

Li Xian bowed earnestly and said, "My uncle and I have told you about this. Many of the people in my brother's palace were talented people selected by my father. They have many connections. Next year, the Tang Dynasty will begin preparations for the war in the Western Regions. If these people are willing to go to Persia and help Persia restore its country..."

"Few of them are willing to wait." Li Zhi's expression softened, and he sneered softly, "In recent years, the Tang Dynasty has been at war, but none of these people are willing to go to the battlefield. They would rather wait than accumulate military merits to plan for their own future."

It is not an empty statement that the Tang Dynasty was founded on its military achievements.

After the defeat at Dafeichuan, Xue Rengui was demoted to a commoner. He was reinstated because of his extremely bravery in the battles against Silla in Liaodong Road.

There is also Xiao Siye. After the defeat on the Turkic battlefield, Xiao Siye was exiled to Fanzhou. However, under Li Xuan's command, he helped him to properly handle the internal affairs of the army. He really helped Li Xuan a lot, and he also had a share of the final military achievement.

Now, Xiao Siye has regained his position as governor.

However, those who are willing to drop everything and fight on the battlefield are ultimately a minority.

At least he was not among those people in the Eastern Palace back then.

Li Xian sighed, then bowed earnestly to the emperor and said, "It is I who am wrong."

Li Zhi waved his hand and said, "You are also calculating for the country, so you have a little bit of luck.

Sanlang, you have to promise me that this time, if anyone accepts King Peng's olive branch and is willing to fight in the Western Regions, he can be used as prime minister in the future, but those who are unwilling to serve the country will never be used in this life."

"Your son obeys your command!" Li Xian bowed solemnly.

"Okay, go and help." Li Zhi waved his hand.

"Yes!" Li Xian immediately bowed, then stepped back and left.

Li Zhi sat on the imperial couch, looking at Li Xian's departing back, his brows slightly frowned.

What does Prince Peng want to do by contacting Li Xian’s old ministers of the Eastern Palace at this time?
Does he have some other plan to bring these people into the Eastern Palace, or does he simply want to bring them to the Western Regions?

Li Zhi pondered for a moment, then suddenly, his eyebrows raised, his expression relaxed, and he chuckled.

King Peng was such a smart man that he must have known the suspicion that this action might cause, so this was most likely not his original intention.

After all, his meeting with Xue Yao was not planned in advance.

So, his target is Xue Xiang?

Li Zhi was a little confused for a moment, what was Li Xuan staring at Xue Yuanchao for?

After all, Xue Yuanchao was the Prince's Left Secretary and also the Prime Minister, so Li Xuan and Xue Yuanchao were on the same side.

However, it was impossible for Li Xuan to do anything to Xue Yuanchao because Xue Yuanchao was Li Zhi's childhood friend.

Turning around, Li Zhi said, "Go check on Prime Minister Xue and see how he is doing recently."

"Yes!" Wang Fulai bowed slightly and looked to the side. A eunuch had already bowed and turned away.

Li Zhi raised his head, suppressed the slight uneasiness in his heart, and then continued: "Call the Minister of Rites!"

"Here!"

……

"What!" Li Xuan couldn't help but stood up and looked at Li Zhu who was standing at the door and said, "Your Majesty summoned Prime Minister Xue to see you?"

"Yes!" Li Zhu nodded immediately, not understanding why Li Xuan reacted so strongly.

Li Xuan waved his hand and Li Zhu immediately turned and left.

Li Xuan frowned and sat down, his expression becoming serious.

He had just met Xue Yao yesterday. Today, he rarely saw foreign ministers, so the emperor directly summoned Xue Yuanchao. This made him think a lot.

Xue Yao was an old official of the Eastern Palace. Li Xuan wanted to transfer them to the Western Regions for the sake of the war there, but it would be wrong to say that he had no selfish motives at all.

Because of Li Xian, these people basically had no hope of a career in politics. Li Xuan pointed out to them that going to the Western Regions to fight was indeed the last option they had.

However, these people were chosen by Li Zhi as the Eastern Palace staff to assist Crown Prince Li Xian at that time, so their abilities are unquestionable.

Especially since they were the direct descendants of various families, and some were even disciples of famous Confucian scholars. If Li Xian had not rebelled, their future would have been limitless.

However, because of Li Xian's rebellion, their future became completely bleak.

If Li Xuan could recruit these people for his own use, he would be able to use them to build an outstanding team in the future.

Of course, the emperor couldn't see this.

Just as he could not have foreseen that Empress Wu would depose his two sons and claim the throne after his death.

So the emperor thought of Xue Yuanchao.

Li Xuan suddenly understood.

Xue Yuanchao's case was not a big deal. His health was not good, and it was all due to his official duties. If he wanted to be less tired, there was only one way, which was to remove him from his position as Shangshu You Pushe.

But how could Xue Yuanchao agree to such a thing?

Li Xuan couldn't help but look towards the direction of the palace.

……

In the Zhenguan Hall, the emperor sat back on the imperial couch, looking at Xue Yuanchao who looked vigorous, and said with emotion: "I still remember when we were in the East Palace, you and I were both young. Time flies, and it has been thirty years. The wise ministers and good generals of the past are all gone.

I have seen you when we were old. You have read the books and biographies. How many rulers and ministers have lived together until old age? I see that you pity me greatly, and I remember you deeply. "

Xue Yuanchao bowed slightly, his eyes slightly red, and he choked up as he said, "In the past, I served in the imperial court, and the late emperor entrusted me with his heart and soul. I was also very lucky to be trusted by your majesty. Now I am serving the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince treats me with great respect. I am not worthy of such an honor. I humbly hope that your majesty will follow the teachings of Huang Lao, maintain good health and live a long life, and the world will be very lucky."

The emperor raised his head slightly, looked outside and said, "I also want to live a long life, but I am only a mortal after all. If I can have another three to five years to take care of the crown prince and gather my old ministers, then my wish will be fulfilled and I will return without regrets."

"As long as Your Majesty is here, I will live and die with Your Majesty and will never let you down." Xue Yuanchao gritted his teeth and bowed.

"Alas!" Li Zhi sighed and waved his hand, saying, "Everything is predestined by fate. It's just a matter of fate. King Peng's words are too much. Don't take them seriously."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generosity." Xue Yuanchao breathed a sigh of relief, then cupped his hands and said, "It's not that I don't want to, it's just that my grandson is young and can't leave his father, so I politely declined. In a year or two, when the young grandson grows up, I will let him go to the Western Regions to serve Your Majesty."

Li Zhi waved his hand and said with a smile: "These are all matters of King Peng, you are not unaware of this, but the Shangshu Province still needs to do its best to maintain the Anxi War."

"I obey your order." Xue Yuanchao immediately stood up and bowed solemnly.

"Yes." Li Zhi nodded and said, "You should go back home. I also need to rest."

"Yes!" Xue Yuanchao bowed solemnly again, then slowly stepped back.

When Xue Yuanchao completely disappeared from his sight, Li Zhi's face darkened completely, and he gritted his teeth and said, "This old bastard."

Li Zhi's eyes fell on Wang Fulai and he said, "What do you think if we replace this old man?"

Wang Fulai bowed slightly and did not dare to speak.

Li Zhi took a deep breath and restrained his expression, but his eyes were filled with deep thought.

Xue Yuanchao was the important minister he had prepared for Li Xian to assist in the administration, but now, Xue Yuanchao was ill, and seriously ill. The key point was that he had completely concealed these things from the emperor. How could Li Zhi tolerate this?

But Xue Yuanchao was unwilling to reveal this, and Li Zhi himself did not have much to do.

However, Xue Yuanchao's health had already deteriorated, which meant that Li Zhi's future arrangements were fraught with danger.

If this continues, at least he will not be able to do any more as the Shangshu You Pushe.

In order to find a way to remedy this problem, Li Zhi pondered for a moment and whispered to himself: "Left Prime Minister..."

A burst of hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, interrupting Li Zhi's thoughts, and he immediately looked over with cold eyes.

Fan Yunxian felt bitter in her heart, but her face was filled with joy as she entered the palace. She knelt down at the door, then slid all the way to Li Zhi, suppressing her excitement and saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty. Congratulations, Your Majesty, the Crown Princess is pregnant. The royal bloodline continues. Congratulations, Your Majesty, on your longevity."

"Congratulations to Your Majesty, you will live a long life." The palace maids and servants in the hall knelt down at the same time.

Li Zhi was slightly stunned, and then asked in disbelief: "What did you say?"

Fan Yunxian knelt on the ground, took a few steps forward, and then said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess is feeling unwell today, so I asked the imperial physician to check her pulse. The imperial physician found that it is a happy pulse. The Crown Princess is pregnant. Congratulations, Your Majesty."

Li Zhi smiled in disbelief.

At this moment, a familiar sound of footsteps sounded outside the palace, and then Empress Wu walked in with the same joy: "Your Majesty."

"Mei Niang." Li Zhi waved at Empress Wu and said with a smile, "Mei Niang, you know about the Crown Princess's affairs, right? Taiping just gave birth to a grandson for you and me, and now the Crown Princess is pregnant again. All kinds of happy events have come one after another, which makes me very happy."

"I am the same." Empress Wu took a deep breath and sat down next to the emperor. She still said in disbelief, "I don't know what's going on. Good things keep happening one after another. I can't believe it."

"It's all true." Li Zhi raised his head, looked at Wang Fulai and said, "Go prepare various rewards, and also go to the Imperial Pharmacy to prepare pregnancy-preserving drugs to be sent to the Eastern Palace. Be sure to take care of it properly."

"Here!" Wang Fulai immediately bowed.

"No need, I'll do it myself." Empress Wu couldn't help but stand up and immediately went to the inner treasury to clean up herself.

Li Zhi waved his hand and said, "Let them go. This is not the first time the Crown Princess has come here when she is pregnant. They know how to arrange it. I still have some things to discuss with Mei Niang."

"Yes!" Empress Wu was a little surprised, but still sat next to the emperor.

Li Zhi raised his head, looked outside the palace, and said softly, "Today is the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, and tomorrow is the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, which is the Little New Year."

Empress Wu nodded subconsciously; she already understood what the emperor was going to say.

The emperor smiled and said softly, "At the beginning of next year, we have to prepare for the Fengshan ceremony. The New Year will not be easy to celebrate. So, why not celebrate it in advance? Tomorrow is the Little New Year. Summon Sanlang, Silang, Taiping, the princes of the royal family, the prime minister, the ministers, and all the officials above the fourth rank in Beijing to the palace to celebrate the Little New Year together. How do you think?"

"Your Majesty, this is a very good thing to say." Empress Wu nodded gently and said, "Since the first year of Qianfeng, the New Year has not come yet. We cannot let regrets come again."

"Hahaha..." Li Zhi couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Empress Wu lowered her head slightly, her eyes deep.

What does the emperor want to do?

(End of this chapter)