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

Chapter 1833: Entering the palace as a concubine, are you worthy?

The candlelight shone through the screen window, illuminating the entire top floor.

Guo Huihui gently raised the wine glass, looked at Xu Jianchu opposite him, and said calmly: "Xu Silang, the emperor will arrive in Jingzhou in five days. What do you think of the Xu family?"

"What else can we do? We should surrender to the emperor." Xu Jianchu looked at Guo Hui calmly and said, "He is the emperor and we are his subjects. It is natural for us to submit to him."

“Hehehe…” Guo regretted laughing and shook his head, “If that’s the case, why did you come to Anlu Xu’s today?”

"What else can we do? Father, we have several uncles and aunts, none of whom hold official positions now. Only Silang has the status of a scholar. He can get in touch with Yao Changshi through his connections and ask for an audience with the emperor. As long as the emperor relaxes his grip, our Xu family will have a way out and will not end up like you." Xu Jianchu looked at Guo Huiyue with a cold gaze.

"Dead end." Guo Huiyue's face turned cold, and then he said: "This is a dead end for me, how good are you? Since the emperor ascended the throne, all the direct descendants of the Anlu Xu family above the seventh rank have been dismissed, and several have even been exiled. Even the few remaining county magistrates have been rated low by the Ministry of Personnel every year..."

If one received a poor evaluation from the Ministry of Personnel, it meant that after five years in office, one would either be assigned to a post in a more remote county or be dismissed from office.

Anlu Xu's official career has been completely blocked.

"So, we must see the emperor this year." Xu Jianchu naturally poured a glass of wine, then took a sip, sneered at Guo Hui and said, "Otherwise, I'm afraid we can only run around like you, following Princess Taiping who doesn't even dare to show her head until now."

"Xu Silang, watch your words." Guo Huiyue's face turned completely cold.

Xu Jianchu shook his head slightly and said, "No matter what, even if Her Royal Highness is the biological daughter of Emperor Gaozong, our Xu family will never support her with you. The example of the Empress is there, and people in the world will not agree to a woman being the emperor."

"So you went to find King Shu." Guo Huiyi flashed a hint of sarcasm at the corner of his mouth, and then asked: "So, did King Shu pay attention to you?"

Xu Jianchu's face finally darkened completely and he stopped talking.

Guo regretted lowering his head and looking at the wine glass in his hand. After a long time, he spoke: "The emperor brought Emperor Jing to Jingzhou this time..."

"That's a trap, the Xu family sees it clearly." Xu Jianchu shook his head.

Many people were surprised by Li Xuan and Li Chongjun's visit to Jingzhou, but many people also understood that it was a trap.

Guo regretted and shook his head gently, saying, "The emperor brought Emperor Jing to Jingzhou this time to appease the people of Zhongzong's confidants headed by Yao Shijun, as well as the people of Shu Wang's lineage. He is showing the world that he has not treated the descendants of Emperor Zhongzong badly... Of course, this is an opportunity for those who are interested, and it is also a trap set by the emperor, but perhaps he has not noticed you at all."

"I don't believe it." Xu Jianchu shook his head directly, and then said: "Annan's matter is not small, he must be able to see the role of the Xu family in it..."

"So, you've been forcing the emperor to negotiate with you since the beginning?" Guo regretted leaning back and shook his head in amusement, "But I can guarantee that you don't stand a chance."

"Who will know if we don't try?" Xu Jianchu's expression calmed down and he looked down at the wine glass in his hand.

The Xu family still has some weight in this world, and they want people with connections inside and outside the family, and the Annan Feng family is just one of them.

Of course, the most important chess piece is the guy opposite.

At the critical moment, the Xu family definitely wouldn't mind using him to gain the emperor's trust.

……

Jingzhou, the sky is bright and the water is vast.

Li Xuan stood in front of the window, looking at the world outside, his thoughts drifting away.

"Your Majesty!" Liu Jinyu's voice came from behind.

Li Xuan stepped aside slightly, and Liu Jinyu stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Li Xuan, and then asked curiously: "What is your majesty thinking about?"

Li Xuan's eyes fell on the Jingzhou city wall in the distance. He sighed and said, "The last time I came to Jingzhou was during the Shangyuan period."

"In the second year of Shangyuan, Emperor Xiaojing died of illness." Liu Jinyu's words brought Li Xuan back to the long-ago rainy night, which was also their first meeting.

He smiled lightly, then shook his head and said, "That time, I set out from Nanchang, went up the Yangtze River to Anlu, went north from Anlu, passed Suizhou, entered Xinyang, and finally entered Xuzhou, passed Dengfeng, and finally entered Luoyang City. But before that, I set out from Pengzhou in February, entered Hongzhou, and then went to Longhu Mountain."

"I heard from Your Majesty that you have a few old friends in Longhu Mountain?" Liu Jinyu looked at Li Xuan curiously.

"This generation's young master." Li Xuan said with some nostalgia: "Longhu Mountain is my husband's blessed land, but I don't know if I will have the chance to enter Longhu Mountain again in this lifetime."

"There must be." Liu Jinyu's gaze fell on the Jingzhou wharf in the distance, where countless soldiers in red and golden armor stood with flags waving.

Standing in front of the crowd at the dock was Yao Lingzhang, the chief officer of the Jingzhou Grand Marshal's Office.

Standing behind Yao Lingzhang was Li Huaiyan, the governor of Yingzhou and former vice minister of rites.

A little further back in the crowd was Liu Zhu, the magistrate of Jiangling County and the cousin of Liu Jinyu and Liu Shubi.

……

The emperor's carriage entered the Jingzhou Palace, and the local governors of Jingzhou came in to pay their respects.

It was not until nightfall, after the emperor had given a banquet, that the ministers left.

In the backyard of the palace, Li Xuan walked casually, and Yao Lingzhang followed him. "This year, there is drought in Shannan, but the areas in Jingzhou can cope with it. The Chief Secretary has done his best." Li Xuan stood in front of the side hall door of the palace and looked sideways at Yao Lingzhang.

Yao Lingzhang immediately bowed and said, "This is my duty."

After a short pause, Yao Lingzhang bowed and said, "But the matter of Anlu is a little strange. The Xu family of Anlu has been sending people to ask to see me. I was annoyed. Finally, I met him and learned that the young disciple of the Xu family of Anlu, Xu Jianchu, the county magistrate of Anlu, requested to see His Majesty. They gave me a generous gift and said that they hoped that I could mediate so that Your Majesty could take the daughter of the Xu family as a concubine. I dare not act on my own, so I report to Your Majesty."

With just one sentence, Yao Lingzhang sold out Xu Jianchu completely.

The Anlu Xu family had the same idea as the Dou and Yang families, which was to become foreign relatives.

In this way, they will be deeply bound to Li Xuan, so that Li Xuan will not deal with them anymore, and their future will be opened up.

"It's really the tricks of aristocratic families." Li Xuan shook his head with a smile, pondered for a moment, and then said: "Since they want to see me so much, I will meet them. Changshi, you go and arrange it."

"I obey your order!" Yao Lingzhang immediately bowed.

Li Xuan raised his head and looked into the hall ahead, and said softly, "Prince Wei was in a good mood when he came to Jingzhou this time. Princess Anle was weak, so I didn't let her come."

"Your Majesty is kind and benevolent." Yao Lingzhang immediately bowed.

Li Xuan said, "Prince Wei will be six next year. I want him to go to the inner school next year, but I am afraid that he will not be able to keep up. So I plan to find a smarter child in the Zheng family to accompany him in school. If you have any suitable candidates, you can recommend them to me."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Yao Lingzhang breathed a sigh of relief, but then he asked carefully, "Is the Crown Prince also studying in the inner school?"

"Of course." Li Xuan nodded and said, "But don't worry, the prince has to behave himself in the inner study hall because Princess Fuchang is here too."

Yao Lingzhang felt relieved instantly, as he knew Princess Fuchang's personality very well.

With Princess Fuchang in the inner study, no one can cause trouble.

"Let's go!"

"Here!"

……

The central hall of the palace is magnificent and golden.

Li Xuan sat on the imperial couch, looking at Xu Jianchu, who was in his early twenties, standing in the center of the hall. He frowned slightly and said, "The Xu family should have an adult."

"I heard that Your Majesty was already the deputy governor of Wuzhou when he was seventeen. I am already twenty years old and I feel that I can take on the heavy responsibility." Xu Jianchu bowed solemnly.

"Shut up." Yao Lingzhang glared at Xu Jianchu.

"No problem. I like confident young people." Li Xuan looked serious, and sternly looked at Xu Jianchu, saying, "Since you want to take responsibility, I will tell you the truth. The woman of your Anlu Xu family wants to enter the palace as a concubine. I am not talking nonsense. Your Anlu Xu family is not of high enough status."

“Your Majesty… Your Majesty!” Xu Jianchu’s face suddenly turned ugly, but he still bowed and said, “My Anlu Xu family has been named Duke of Anlu County since our ancestor Shao Gong entered the Tang Dynasty. Later, he was promoted to Duke of Qiao State for his meritorious service. He has served as a governor for many times and even as a prime minister. Although such a family background cannot compare with the Five Surnames and Seven Families and the Guanzhong clans, my Anlu Xu family is still a prominent family in Jingxiang and is well-known throughout the world…”

"Bullying the people, cruelly harming the people, and abusing the people." Li Xuan raised his head calmly, looked at Xu Jianchu and said, "This is your Anlu Xu family. I know better than you what kind of family your Anlu Xu family is, especially your second uncle Xu Ziran. When your grandfather was the prime minister, you were implicated by Xu Ziran. After that, you should change your family."

Li Xuan's face was full of disgust.

Xu Yushi first served as prime minister in the second year of Xianqing, and was eventually promoted directly to Shangshu Zuo Pushe. However, because he was Li Zhi's man, he was plotted against by his fellow clan member Xu Jingzong, and was later demoted to the governor of Xiangzhou.

But during this period of time, Xu Yushi actually tried to change his allegiance and join Empress Wu's army.

But unfortunately, he did not succeed.

Later, during the Shangyuan period, because of Hao Chujun, Xu Yushi was transferred back to the court to serve as the Minister of Revenue, but unfortunately, he died of illness within a few years.

Later, when Empress Wu came to power, she wanted to make important use of the Xu family, but unfortunately, none of the Xu family's children became talented.

Now that the Xu family is about to join his team again, Li Xuan just feels sick.

"In this world, the winner is the king. Your Majesty, I say that the Xu family has changed their allegiance many times. My Xu family admits it, but we have bullied, oppressed, harmed and abused the people. Please don't frame us, Your Majesty." Xu Jianchu bowed heavily.

With a "pop", a memorial was thrown directly at Xu Jianchu's feet. Li Xuan said coldly, "Do you want others to frame your Xu family? Have you forgotten what your Xu family has done in Jingzhou over the years? How much land of the people has been seized by you? How many families have been destroyed by you? Don't you know it yourself?"

Xu Jianchu opened and closed his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.

"Don't mention Pei Shang's investigation of hidden farmland in Shannan. Even I, when I passed through Anlu on my way from Pengzhou to Hongzhou, saw your Xu family's children exploiting passing merchants at the dock. How can you still regard the land under your feet as the land of the Tang Dynasty? In your eyes, the whole Anlu and most of Jingzhou belong to you."

Li Xuan suddenly turned around, looked at Yao Lingzhang, and said in a cold voice: "Chief Secretary, you come to draft an imperial decree and send it to all the states in Shannan Road to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the illegal activities of the Anlu Xu family. We really need to seek justice for the people of Anlu who have been oppressed by you all these years."

"I obey your command." Yao Lingzhang bowed seriously, turned around and looked at Xu Jianchu with a cold look in his eyes.

Not to mention the emperor, even Yao Lingzhang hated the Anlu Xu family immensely, just as he hated Empress Wu back then.

(End of this chapter)