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

Chapter 1731: The people and the officials are ready to take action

At the Chunming Gate in Luoyang, an inconspicuous but very valuable black horse-drawn carriage slowly passed through the city gate.

The gate guards on both sides bowed their heads in salute at the same time.

As soon as the black carriage passed, a dozen guards behind it entered Chunming Gate and entered Chang'an City.

Yuchi Xunyu stood at the Chunming Gate with the list of people who had just signed in in front of him.

Princess Heyu Li Yu is the youngest daughter of Prince Huo Li Yuangui. Her husband, Lu Yuan, is the son of Lu Chen, the former vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He is now transferred to the position of supervisor of Xishi, a sixth-rank official.

Yuchi Xunyu frowned slightly, wondering what King Peng was doing.

……

Chang'an was a prosperous city. In a black-armored carriage, a plump woman looked out at the outside world curiously, as if she was coming to Luoyang for the first time.

Chang'an County, Yanshoufang.

Lu Zangyong, dressed in blue, saw the black carriage escorted by a dozen guards arriving and hurried forward.

The carriage slowly stopped in front of Lu Zangyong.

Lu Yuan, who was wearing a dark green robe, opened the carriage curtain and saw Lu Zangyong at a glance. He was startled and quickly jumped off the carriage and bowed to Lu Zangyong, saying, "Why did you wait so long, brother? I am really guilty."

"Why do you say that?" Lu Zangyong rolled his eyes at Lu Yuan, then bowed towards the carriage and said, "Greetings, Princess."

"Greetings, brother." Princess Heyu lifted the carriage curtain, smiled virtuously, and said, "Please forgive me, brother. I am pregnant, so I cannot perform the formalities."

"I dare not, I dare not!" Lu Zangyong waved his hand quickly, then took a step back and said, "I have already arranged the house. Qilang will take up the post of West City Supervisor soon. He is just behind here, just a few steps away... The situation is delicate now, so it is better to keep a low profile."

Lu Yuan nodded slightly. He had heard a lot of rumors all the way from Chunming Gate.

Now that I have been transferred to Chang'an, it is a good opportunity for me and my cousin to get familiar with the Feng Shui of Chang'an.

……

The courtyard was very exquisite, with three entrances, and servants had already arranged everything.

Lu Yuan watched his wife rest before walking out of the yard.

The backyard is not very spacious.

Two jujube trees and a water tank, quiet and peaceful.

Maids and old servants lived in the side rooms.

The four rooms in the front yard housed sixteen guards, and there were also two stables.

When they arrived at the central hall, Lu Zangyong had already asked someone to warm up the wine.

Seeing Lu Yuan coming, Lu Zangyong stood up and said, "I'm sorry to have wronged you."

"It's okay, brother. Not only have I not been implicated, but I've even been promoted. I feel extremely fortunate." Lu Yuan couldn't help but sigh.

Lu Yuan's father, Lu Chen, was directly exiled to the Western Regions because he was the main culprit in the Cui Zhiwen case.

According to Tang law, Lu Chen's father, son, brother, uncle, and brother's son, three generations of his family, were all to be exiled, and all their property was to be confiscated.

Lu Chen's father, Lu Chengqing, had only one son, and Lu Chengqing died early, so he had no father, brothers, or brothers' sons.

However, Lu Chen's sons, that is, Lu Yuan's brothers, were all dismissed from office.

Only Lu Yuan escaped the disaster because he had married Prince Huo's youngest daughter, Princess Heyu, a few years earlier.

But even so, all the property in his family, except that of the princess, was confiscated.

Fortunately, just half a year later, he was promoted from the county magistrate to the supervisor of Chang'an West Market.

This is naturally the princess's credit.

But even so, there is still my uncle and my uncle's son.

"It caused my great uncle to have all his titles revoked by the court, and my uncle was dismissed from his post as governor of Weizhou." Lu Yuan stood up and bowed deeply to Lu Zangyong, his face full of apology.

Lu Chengqing had seven younger brothers in total, and Lu Zangyong's grandfather Lu Chengli was Lu Chengqing's seventh brother.

Lu Chengli retired from the position of Sima of Huzhou in his early years. Although he is 76 years old now, he was still implicated in treason and all his titles were revoked.

Only Lu Zangyong was better off. He was a fourth-generation relative of Lu Chen, so this matter had nothing to do with him.

"It's none of my uncle's business, and it's none of your business either." Lu Zangyong pulled Lu Yuan down, shook his head, and said, "Although my uncle didn't mention these things to my father and the others, I think they all have a tacit understanding. Now that they are implicated, there is nothing we can do about it."

"Yeah!" Lu Yuan nodded, and he felt better. He raised his head and bowed to Lu Zangyong, saying, "I haven't congratulated you yet, brother, on your promotion to the position of Dali Temple Chief."

"With my temper, King Peng transferred me to be the chief of Dali Temple. Isn't that making things difficult for me?" Lu Zangyong smiled bitterly and waved his hands.

"This at least shows that King Peng is still willing to employ my Lu family." Lu Yuan sighed, looked at Lu Zangyong, and said, "Although I was pardoned because of the princess, King Peng transferred me to Chang'an to serve as the West Market Supervisor. Together with my brother and several other uncles who are governors, my Lu family will be able to rise again in a few years."

Lu Zangyong wanted to say something, but swallowed it back in the end. He poured a glass of wine for Lu Yuan and said, "When are you going to visit Prince Huo's mansion?"

"Wait a few days. My father-in-law is still in Luoyang." Lu Yuan shook his head calmly and said, "There are only a few stewards in Prince Huo's mansion now."

After all, Princess He Yu has married into the Lu family. She is a member of the Lu family, so she can visit the family, but she cannot live there when the owner is not there.

"Moreover, the princess had been in Huozhou for many years. She went to Dingzhou only when she married my brother. Today is her first time to come to Chang'an." Lu Yuan pondered for a moment and said with emotion: "The princess has a gentle temperament and is considerate. I'm afraid there are not many people in the royal family who can match her."

"When Uncle Feng comes back, I will take you to his house. Now that you and I are in the court, we can rely on Uncle Feng." After a short pause, Lu Zangyong said, "Although we are trusted by King Peng, there are always hidden attacks in the court."

"Yes!" Lu Yuan nodded seriously.

The Feng family and the Lu family have been intermarried for generations. Lu Yuan and Lu Zangyong are even related by blood to Feng Yuanchang, and are the most trustworthy people among them.

In fact, Feng Yuanchang was Lu Chen's fourth-generation cousin and was not implicated.

“Also, there have been sudden storms in Chang’an recently. If you have nothing else to do, try not to interact with others.” Lu Zangyong gave his final warning.

Lu Yuan nodded and said, "I have heard some rumors outside, but the current situation is still a little unclear. I would like to ask my brother to help me understand. What is the current situation of King Peng?"

"He led his army to the Shanyu Protectorate to patrol the border." Lu Zangyong drank the wine in the glass, then squinted his eyes and said, "Princess Taiping rebelled. Perhaps she knew she would fail, so she contacted the Turks in advance. Three days after her defeat, the Turks invaded the border. Prince Peng led his army north. When Prince Peng arrived, the Turks immediately retreated and dispersed..." Lu Zangyong smiled complacently and said, "Patrolling the border? You know, it's nothing more than killing people. Prince Peng is very good at these things."

"Then it should be the matter of Central Turkestan." Lu Yuan nodded slightly.

Lu Zangyong asked in surprise: "What does the Central Turkic say?"

Lu Yuan picked up the wine pot and poured a cup for Lu Zangyong, saying, "The Eastern Turks surrendered early on, and the Western Turks were defeated. The Turks who were dissatisfied with the Tang Dynasty gradually gathered in the central part of the grassland and formed the Central Turks. The Central Turks directly threatened the Hetao area, and even had the support of the Huihe people behind them, which would pose a great threat in the future."

"The Uighurs have never been so peaceful. When Emperor Taizong destroyed the Eastern Turks and Emperor Gaozong destroyed the Western Turks, they were ready to make a move. Now that Princess Taiping is rebelling, it is inevitable that they will have some thoughts as well." Lu Zangyong's expression became serious.

Lu Yuan nodded slightly, his eyes thoughtful, as if he was thinking about something else.

“But then again, you almost married Princess Taiping back then…” Lu Zangyong suddenly looked at Lu Yuan with a half-smile.

Lu Yuan gave Lu Zangyong a displeased look, and Lu Zangyong could only smile and say nothing.

Lu Yuan did ask to marry Princess Taiping back then, but that was just the emperor choosing a son-in-law, and Lu Yuan himself did not have much choice or hope.

Later, Princess Taiping married her cousin Xue Shao.

However, it was also because of this that after returning to Fan Yang, Lu Yuan soon became engaged to Prince Huo's daughter, Princess Heyu, and thus escaped this disaster.

Lu Zangyong looked serious, and then said: "You know, since Emperor Gaozong died three years ago, Emperor Zhongzong, Emperor Suzong, Emperor Ruizong, Prince Zhanghuai, King Peng started a rebellion, and the Queen Mother changed Tang to Zhou... A lot of things have happened in the past few years, and many people have died. The people are worried day and night.

Later, King Peng recovered Luoyang and restored the country, but even so, there were rebellions by the Wei family, the Cui family, and the princess. Things kept happening and the people got fed up. "

"The emperor is too young." Lu Yuan's words directly hit the core point, and at the same time shook his head and said: "Prince Peng's methods are too soft."

"Let's not talk about King Peng." Lu Zangyong waved his hand and said, "The people are worried that similar things will continue to happen in the future, so they are all thinking about how to change all this..."

Lu Yuan suddenly raised his head and looked at Lu Zangyong in horror.

How to change it?

The emperor is young, how should we change it?

Change the emperor.

Who?
Lu Zang poured himself a glass of wine with a calm expression, but Lu Yuan's face had become extremely solemn. He was breathing rapidly and couldn't help looking towards the backyard.

Finally, Lu Yuan turned his head, looked at Lu Zangyong, and asked, "How is the emperor doing?"

"The emperor is ill." Lu Zangyong shook his head slightly and said, "The emperor was almost strangled to death by Princess Taiping, and he was afraid to see people afterwards. He should have set off to return to Chang'an these days, but because the emperor was ill and the Taiji Hall was burned down by Princess Taiping, he was delayed."

"The emperor is not coming back, and King Peng is not here either." Lu Yuan swallowed and whispered, "Then Chang'an City will be blown up, right?"

"These days, the people of Chang'an are talking about these things the most in private. Some people even dug up the affairs of Emperor Taizong and Crown Prince Yin, Emperor Gaozong and the deposed Crown Princes Li Chengqian, Li Tai and Li Ke, as well as the affairs of the royal family members who died in recent years, and even the affairs of Xiaojing, Zhongzong, Ruizong and Crown Prince Zhanghuai."

"Now there is Princess Taiping." Lu Yuan could already feel how serious the turmoil was beneath the surface.

"So, don't wander around during this period." Lu Zang looked at Lu Yuan solemnly and said, "Some people hope to change the world, while others don't. It's inevitable that people will die... The princess has a special identity. Although she doesn't know much, you have to be careful."

"Yes!" Lu Yuan's mouth twitched slightly. He didn't know these things before he married Princess He Yu!
Now he has no choice.

Lu Yuan raised his head and looked at Lu Zangyong with a worried look on his face. Now there was no choice, not only him, but also Lu Zangyong, and even the entire Lu family had no choice.

It's not just the Lu family, the Cui family, the Wei family, the Pei family, the Xue family, the Wang family, the Liu family, and the Yang family. Everyone has no choice.

"So what does Luoyang mean?" Lu Yuan asked carefully.

"The people of Luoyang and Chang'an have similar opinions, especially regarding the issue of converting the White Horse Temple to the Qingyang Palace." After a brief pause, Lu Zangyong whispered, "Among the hundreds of officials, the lower-level officials below the seventh rank are already tired of all the turmoil, and the middle-level officials of the fourth and fifth ranks rarely express their opinions. The ministers and prime ministers are even more unfathomable."

"Brother, aren't you from the fifth rank?" Lu Yuan asked subconsciously. Lu Zangyong remained silent in a mysterious manner.

Lu Yuan immediately understood that there must be something else. So where was it?

Shangshu or Prime Minister?

……

Luoyang, a disciple of Daye.

Yao Lingzhang looked at Lu Yuanfang walking out of the Zhenguan Hall, and pulled the Imperial Censor Wang Jishan forward to stop Lu Yuanfang, then bowed and said, "Left Prime Minister, what do you think of the Emperor?"

"The situation remains the same." Lu Yuanfang looked at Yao Lingzhang, shook his head slightly, and said, "I'm afraid the emperor will have to spend this winter in Luoyang."

"Then what about Chang'an?" Yao Lingzhang said with a gloomy face, "Chang'an is in a mess now. If we don't take care of it, the situation will change."

"Then tell me, what should we do?" Lu Yuanfang suddenly looked straight at Yao Lingzhang.

Yao Lingzhang was stunned and his face instantly turned ugly.

Lu Yuanfang didn't say it explicitly, but the meaning was extremely clear.

The emperor was in Luoyang and King Peng was in Chang'an.

Although public opinion is boiling now, as long as we separate the two sides and don't confront each other, everything will naturally calm down over time.

"Bingzhou, Youzhou, Longxi, Ganliang, Western Regions, Changfan, Jiannan, and even Jingzhou." Yao Lingzhang looked at Lu Yuanfang and said very calmly: "If we let it go, the control will no longer be in your hands."

Lu Yuanfang calmly retorted: "Then let King Peng return to Luoyang?"

Yao Lingzhang paused, and finally he spoke bitterly, "Someone must return to Chang'an to contain Prince Peng."

"Who's going?"

"I'll go." Yao Lingzhang looked at Lu Yuanfang and said coldly, "Back in the East Palace, Yao and King Peng had some friendship. Maybe when he sees Yao, he will remember the past and Emperor Zhongzong, and the current problems may be resolved."

"Alright!" Lu Yuanfang nodded and said, "Prince Peng's border patrol is coming to an end now. He will be back in Chang'an in a few days. Prime Minister Yao can go to see Prince Peng and see the people and soldiers in Chang'an under the pretext of reviewing the military achievements."

Yao Lingzhang's heart suddenly sank.

The Imperial Censor Wang Jishan stood aside and never spoke.

(End of this chapter)