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

Chapter 1694: Ministry of Revenue and Internal Treasury

As the sky was about to brighten, there was silence at Xuanwu Gate.

General Linghu Zhitong of the Left Gate Guard, leaning on a long spear, stood on the gate tower with a solemn expression, his eyes fixed on the Longguang Gate at the north gate.

All night long.

He ignored any unusual noises coming from the palace and stayed here firmly.

The cold wind blew in the early morning, and Linghu Zhitong's brows were already furrowed.

His gaze fell on the northwest of Longguang Gate. There was still a northwest wind this morning. The wind was not strong, but it was enough to send thick smoke into the entire palace. However, what was strange was that at this time of year, the thick smoke of the siege should have risen, but today, there was nothing.

"Da da da..." The sound of crisp horse hooves rang rhythmically on the palace road inside the Xuanwu Gate.

Linghu Zhitong suddenly turned around and looked into the palace.

Then, his face was filled with astonishment!

Li Lingwen, dressed in black and black armor, and Xue Shao, also dressed in black and black armor, rode side by side on horseback.

Behind them, followed a team of Qianniu Guards in red clothes and golden armor.

At the Xuanwu Gate, Xue Shao stopped his horse, looked up at Linghu Zhitong in the gatehouse, and said, "Brother Linghu, come down and have a chat."

Linghu Zhitong looked at Xue Shao with a complicated expression.

Son-in-law, Princess Taiping's son-in-law Xue Shao.

Even though Empress Wu changed the Tang Dynasty to Zhou Dynasty, Taiping was still a princess and Xue Shao was still his prince consort.

Linghu Zhitong's gaze passed over Xue Shao and fell on Li Lingwen who was beside him.

His eyes narrowed.

Li Ling asked why he was here?
He shouldn't be here.

Even during the reign of Empress Wu, Li Lingwen was appointed a general of the imperial guard, but he was soon left idle.

When Luoyang fell, Linghu Zhitong assured that Li Lingwen was definitely in Luoyang City and definitely not in the palace.

But now, not only did he appear in the palace, shoulder to shoulder with Xue Shao, but they were even coming from the direction of Huiyou Palace.

Even in the direction of Zhenguan Hall.

It's not even Qianyang Palace or Chengtian Gate.

This shows what?
Linghu Zhitong's face fell in an instant.

He gritted his teeth and waved to the side. Two teams of soldiers immediately stepped forward, holding bows and crossbows and aiming at everyone below.

……

Seeing Linghu Zhitong walking down from the city gate with a grim face, Xue Shao and Li Lingwen dismounted from their horses at the same time.

Li Lingwen stared at Linghu Zhitong indifferently, his right hand tightly pressing the long sword at his waist, as if he would draw the sword and drink blood in the next moment.

Linghu Zhitong had just stood at the foot of the city gate when hundreds of soldiers immediately rushed down the stairs on both sides, pointing their sharp spears at Li Lingwen and the Qianniu Guards behind Xue Shao.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Linghu Zhitong calmly stepped forward, saluted to Xue Shao and said, "Greetings, Prince Consort!"

Xue Shao looked at Linghu Zhitong, took out a jade pendant, and hung it in front of Linghu Zhitong's eyes. He sighed and said, "Brother Linghu, open the door."

Although Linghu Zhitong had known the possible outcome of the matter for a long time, he never thought that it would actually be like this.

Linghu Zhitong raised his head and looked towards the Qianyang Palace. He looked past Xue Shao and looked at Li Lingwen, asking, "What will happen to my men?"

"No matter what the crime is for ordinary soldiers, all officers above the rank of team commander will be demoted one rank and exiled to the Western Regions, where they will not be allowed to return for ten years." Li Lingwen stared straight at Linghu Zhitong, his hand already pressed tightly on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

"That's all?" Linghu Zhitong was slightly stunned.

"Brother Linghu is just lucky." Xue Shao smiled and said, "Brother Linghu's family is in Dunhuang, and the Western Regions are not far from home. His rank was demoted from General of the Left Guard to Lieutenant General of the Left Guard. Few people in the Western Regions can match him. In addition, his family is a business traveler, so he will not be bad in the future. But other generals and civil officials will not be treated like this."

"You have no blood debt on your hands." Li Lingwen added softly.

Linghu Zhitong looked up in astonishment, then smiled bitterly, stepped aside, looked at the city gate, and waved: "Open the gate!"

"Open the door!" The loud voice extended from Xuanwu Gate to Longguang Gate, and the gate opened immediately.

The next moment, countless black cavalrymen poured in from outside the city, rushed directly to the city gate, occupied the surroundings of the gate tower, and also controlled Linghu Zhitong and his men.

……

The crisp sound of horse hooves came from the direction of Longguang Gate.

Li Xuan, dressed in black clothes and black armor, walked in the front, followed by Wang Fangyi with a grim look and Qu Chongyu with an excited look.

More soldiers followed the three people and slowly entered the Ziwei Palace, passed Yuanbi City, Yaoyi City, and finally entered Xuanwu City, and came to the Xuanwu Gate.

The morning light spread across the earth like a long sword.

Li Xuan rode towards him on horseback, and every step he took was like stepping on a golden staircase.

When Li Xuan walked into the Xuanwu Gate and truly stepped into the Ziwei Palace, Linghu Zhitong instantly knelt on one knee and said, "I pay my respects to the king."

The guards at the left gate and the guards on the city wall knelt down at the same time and said in a deep voice, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Everyone, please stand up." Li Xuan raised his head slightly, looked at Linghu Zhitong, nodded seriously and said, "General Linghu was able to put order in time and avoid a fight. His contribution is invaluable."

"I am guilty." Linghu Zhitong did not stand up and continued to kowtow.

Li Xuan looked up at Li Lingwen, who nodded slightly. Li Xuan immediately smiled with satisfaction and said, "Brother Linghu, please stand up. I will promise everything that the Prince Consort and General Li promised Brother Linghu."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Linghu Zhitong finally breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and looked respectful.

In fact, Linghu Zhitong himself knew that the most important reason he was able to survive was because he did not ask about Empress Wu’s life or death.

Last night, the three brothers Wu Sansi, Wu Youji and Wu Youzhi transferred the backbone of Bingzhou youths from the Zuojianmen Guard. Linghu Zhitong could guess what they were going to do.

Empress Wu wanted to enthrone Wu Sansi as the crown prince and even pass the throne to him, which made Linghu Zhitong completely disheartened.

It is true that Linghu Zhitong was loyal to Empress Wu, but asking him to be loyal to a villain like Wu Sansi would be more painful than letting him die.

This was also the reason why, last night, after hearing that Empress Wu was going to appoint Wu Sansi as the crown prince, Linghu Zhitong did not stop Wu Sansi from coming to transfer people.

He knew what Wu Sansi was going to do, but he no longer had the will to stop him.

In addition, due to Li Xuan's psychological warfare tactics in recent days, many of the soldiers on the city wall no longer had the will to kill.

Linghu Zhitong had heard the news of arrows being fired into the air more than once or twice.

In this situation, Li Xuan only needs to attack by force, even without paying much cost, to capture Xuanwu Gate.

Not to mention, there is Li Lingwen.

Li Lingwen, no, the entire Sanyuan Li family also has deep roots in the imperial guards.

Under such circumstances, Linghu Zhitong was completely disheartened and he didn't even ask about Empress Wu's life or death.

He had completely given up on Empress Wu.

……

"The Imperial Guard General Li Lingwen will be in charge of the Xuanwu Gate and reorganize the Imperial Guards. The soldiers will take turns to rest and repair the weapons. He will return to Chang'an within a month." Li Xuan had just finished speaking when countless soldiers on and off the city bowed at the same time and accepted the order in a loud voice: "Yes!" Chang'an, Chang'an.

Everyone was tired of staying in Luoyang and wanted to abandon everything in Luoyang and return to Chang'an.

"Go!" Li Xuan urged the horse and sped forward.

Xue Shao quickly rode his horse to catch up.

Countless black-armored soldiers madly rushed into the palace at the same time. Only occasionally could faint sounds of fighting be heard from some places. Most of the time, it was a peaceful handover.

Li Dazhi, Qin Ming, Qin Shandao, Yuchi Xunyu, Cheng Chuzheng, Li Xiaoyi, and Li Rong all rushed to the palace gates at the same time.

Among all the generals, only Yang Xuanjian of Xuanren Gate put up a frantic resistance, but was killed by Li Duozuo and Qin Shandao. Other gates fell quickly.

In the end, only Yan Huaidan of Duanmen was left.

Yan Huaidan was from Taiyuan, and Yang Xuanjian was a relative of Empress Wu, and they were involved in many things.

For example, Shenduyuan killed the kings, captured Yangzhou City, and hunted down Li Chongzhao...

Therefore, they must die.

……

Passing through Tao Guang Garden and entering Huiyou Palace, countless black-armored soldiers had completely surrounded Huiyou Palace.

Li Xuan glanced at the Huiyou Palace, then urged his horse to head towards the Zhenguan Palace further ahead.

Zhenguan Hall, Zhenguan Hall.

Li Xuan was waiting outside the Zhenguan Hall for Li Zhi to take his last breath.

Now, he stood outside the Zhenguan Hall again, looking at the closed door with an expression of emotion.

But now, the ones guarding outside the Zhenguan Hall are his most loyal right guards.

Li Xuan jumped off his horse, and so did Wang Fangyi and Qu Chongyu.

The three men walked up the golden steps step by step. They wanted to see with their own eyes that Empress Wu was dead.

The empress of Emperor Gojong, the mother of Emperor Jungjong and Emperor Uejong, and the grandmother of Yi Chongjun, Yi Seonggi, and Yi Gwangin.

The Great Zhou Emperor who forcibly changed Tang to Zhou...

With a creaky sound, the palace door opened wide.

The light shone in, and densely packed thin crossbows were spread throughout every corner of the hall, with only a few places being forcibly flattened.

All that's left is the corpse.

In front of the imperial couch, Empress Wu was lying on the ground with a white silk wrapped around her neck. Her neck was broken and her eyes were wide open, staring straight at the ceiling of the Zhenguan Hall.

A black dagger pierced into her chest and even reached her heart. Blood flowed out of her body and directly flowed under the stairs.

It has turned black.

Li Xuan's eyes swept over Su Liangsi's body. The dense crossbow arrows made it impossible to even see his face clearly.

Su Liangsi was still thinking of using the copy of the will to hold himself hostage.

Li Xuan sighed, stopped, looked at Wang Fangyi, and said, "Let's do this. Pass the order down. Wu Ni is dead. Everyone should drop their weapons and kneel on the ground. Those who disobey will be beheaded and their three clans will be exterminated.

Ordinary soldiers can take turns to go home and rest.

Those above the rank of general who surrendered will be demoted and exiled to the Western Regions. Those who did not surrender will be punished by the three judicial departments.

Wang Fangyi looked at Empress Wu's body lying in front of the imperial couch, clenching his teeth tightly, and then he looked at Li Xuan and said, "So what about what happened before?"

"Investigate, rehabilitate, and restore the original position." Li Xuan gave a clear answer.

This is what Wang Fangyi wanted. With Li Xuan's words, his cousin, Queen Wang, would be able to clear her name...

Suddenly, inexplicable tears welled up in Wang Fangyi's eyes, and he nodded heavily: "Okay!"

Li Xuan turned sideways, looked at Li Lang, and said, "Send someone to seal the inner storehouse, check the account books, and make a copy of all the account books."

"Yes!" Li Lang bowed solemnly.

"And the Ministry of Revenue." After a slight hesitation, Li Xuan said solemnly, "Close the Ministry of Revenue, check the account books, make a copy of all the account books, and draw personnel from the army to complete it within one day."

"Yes!" Li Lang looked serious.

"The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works, the six ministries, nine temples and five academies are all sealed off. The contents must be properly kept and no one is allowed to touch them." Li Xuan's expression calmed down.

The Ministry of Revenue is in charge of all the wealth in the world, and the Neiku is in charge of the emperor’s private

Compared to the Ministry of Revenue that provided relief to the whole country, the Inner Treasury was used by the emperor alone. In many cases, the wealth in the Inner Treasury was more than the annual income of the Ministry of Revenue.

As for the other ministries, such as the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Works, if they control the financial power, they can control everything.

This is what Empress Wu did back then.

Li Xuan calmly walked down the steps, looked at Qu Chongyu, nodded slightly and said: "Father-in-law, close the palace door, and discuss other matters after the ministers arrive. Now, let's go to Renshou Palace and meet Concubine Zheng."

"Yes!" Qu Chongyu bowed slightly.

……

In front of Renshou Palace, Li Xuan looked up and nodded at Gong Siye who was standing at the palace gate, and asked softly, "Where is Di Huaiying?"

"Did he go to look for the whereabouts of the Queen and Prince Ping'en?" Gong Siye bowed and sighed.

Li Xuan's face became solemn, and he asked in a low voice: "Then where is the Queen and Prince Ping'en?"

"No one knows." Gong Siye shook his head slightly and said helplessly: "No one has seen the Queen and Prince Ping'en for a long time. I have looked for them, but I can't even find the person who last saw the Queen and Prince Ping'en."

Li Xuan immediately understood that Empress Wu was trying to silence the witness.

"Send more people to assist Di Huaiying in the search. Don't leave any corner of the palace unsearched. We must find the person alive or the body if dead." Li Xuan nodded slightly.

"Yes!" Gong Siye immediately turned around and led people to search personally.

In fact, many people know that Empress Wei and Li Chongfu are most likely dead.

After all, no one has seen them for a long time.

However, their bodies have never been seen, and no one knows where they are buried.

Or maybe they are still alive.

Li Xuan looked up at the plaque of Renshou Palace, took a deep breath, and walked in.

Shangguan Wan'er, Ye Wanwan, He Miao, Xu Lu, and countless palace maids and eunuchs all knelt on both sides.

Li Xuan's gaze swept over them and finally looked into the hall.

Zheng sat in the main seat holding Li Chongjun, feeling somewhat uneasily, while Princess Taiping stood beside her with a stubborn look on her face.

Zheng lowered her head timidly, while Princess Taiping stared at Li Xuan.

(End of this chapter)