Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 534: The streets of heaven trampled the bones of nobles (Part )
The Xingqing Palace was desolate and dilapidated.

The plants in the palace had grown out of order and were beyond recognition because no one had pruned them for a long time.

Not only does it look unsightly, it also looks like a monster, tangled and hideous.

Except for the paved road, the weeds in other places were at least half a person's height! Most people could only see above the shoulders when they walked in, and short people couldn't even see at all.

However, the huge lotus pond is covered with water lilies, looking full of vitality.

The entire Xingqing Palace seemed to have been visited by thieves. The jade stones originally hanging under the eaves were taken away. Although the doors of the Qinzhengwuben Building and the Hua'exianghui Building were sealed, the windows upstairs were all open.

It was obvious that no one had lived here for a long time.

All the eunuchs, palace maids, and guards who had served Ji Ge were transferred away, and not a single one was left.

Seeing his old nest turned into this state, Brother Ji stood in front of Hua'e Xianghui Tower for a long time without saying anything. Gao Lishi was more alert and suggested to Brother Ji: "Why don't you move to Zichen Palace first, and come here to rest after cleaning Xingqing Palace."

As expected of being Ji Ge's personal eunuch who had been by his side for decades, Gao Lishi knew exactly what Ji Ge was thinking at the moment.

If Ji Ge is not convenient to say something, he has to say it.

Sure enough, Brother Ji nodded and said, "In that case, let's go to the Purple Palace of Daming Palace."

He sighed deeply, feeling extremely melancholy, but he didn't know how to express it.

Because of his grandmother Wu Zetian, Ji Ge has always hated the Daming Palace and has always refused to have his bedroom there. He would never come there on weekdays if possible.

Although the living environment in the Daming Palace is very good, due to the trauma of his childhood, anything related to Wu Zetian would make Ji Ge feel cold on his back.

So he placed the Hanlin Academy and the Academy of Bachelors in the Daming Palace, and his own residence in the Xingqing Palace.

It is typical to use the Daming Palace as a place to "punch in at work".

How can a rich second-generation who is lazy and likes to eat and work be willing to live in the company?

But now Xingqing Palace is abandoned and needs to be renovated. Someone needs to clean it again and restore the previous organization of eunuchs, palace maids and guards to make the personnel work rationally so that people will feel comfortable when living in it.

Brother Ji didn't want to suffer, and he didn't want to spend the night in the Xingqing Palace, which now looked like a haunted house. He could only follow Gao Lishi's advice and live in the Zichen Hall of the Daming Palace.

Just as he was about to leave Xingqing Palace, Gao Xianzhi came running over with sweat all over his forehead, clasped his fists and bowed to Ji Ge, saying, "Your Majesty, there are so many people kneeling outside the Danfeng Gate of Daming Palace! They are so densely packed that you can't see the end! I don't know how to deal with them. Please make the decision, Your Majesty."

A lot of people kneeling?

Brother Ji asked in confusion: "Who is it?"

Gao Xianzhi replied: "Judging from their clothes, they are all high-ranking officials and dignitaries."

Haha, it turns out to be this group of bird people!
Ji Ge couldn't help but sneer on his face.

These powerful people in Guanzhong who are trying to curry favor with the powerful really go wherever the wind blows!
When Ji Ge left Chang'an for Hedong, it was they who conspired behind the scenes and facilitated Li Heng's ascension to the throne in Chang'an.

Now that Brother Ji has come back, these people are kneeling outside the Danfeng Gate (the main gate of the Daming Palace) begging for mercy.

This attitude can be described as being rude at first and respectful later, with an undisguised arrogance!
If you want to kneel, you should kneel outside the Chunming Gate in Chang'an before the army enters the city!
The army kneels down after entering the city, and the meaning is very special!

"One hundred and fifty years after the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the backbones of the nobles in Guanzhong are still so strong!"

Brother Ji sighed with a hint of sarcasm.

The two personal soldiers beside Gao Xianzhi almost laughed out loud!
If kneeling in front of Danfeng Gate can be considered as having a strong backbone, then these soldiers can be said to be as hard as iron!

I didn’t expect this dog emperor to be so humorous.

After Ji Ge complained, his expression quickly darkened. He was extremely sensitive to political details.

What are these bastards trying to say? Brother Ji can smell it from miles away!

The representatives sent by the big families in Guanzhong knelt on the ground and apologized, but they were actually just expressing one thing to Brother Ji:
You can stop when you see the good, don't push it any further. Without us, the country of Tang would not exist! The Li family would not be able to maintain their rule!
We are giving in now, and you just need to come down the stairs. We will still treat you as the emperor! Otherwise, we can't beat you openly, but we have countless tricks to use secretly!
"I will not go to Daming Palace. I will stay in Xingqing Palace today!

Li Shi, you are responsible for tidying up the study room in the Qinzhengwu Building.

The renovation of Xingqing Palace cannot be completed today, but a study room can still be cleaned up."

Brother Ji said something that shocked Gao Lishi.

"Saint, this..."

Gao Lishi looked around and felt that this was not the place to talk, so he immediately swallowed what he wanted to say.

What is this for?
Is this a showdown?

Gao Lishi was very worried because Brother Ji was getting angry!

If we confront them now, the aristocratic families in Guanzhong will definitely be able to fight back.

Who would it be to show that everyone is dead?
Gao Lishi put away his worries, pretending nothing happened, looked at Gao Xianzhi calmly and said, "General Gao, please find some quick soldiers to clean up the Qinzhengwuben Building and the weeds in Xingqing Palace. Otherwise, the saint will live in a shabby house and be laughed at by outsiders."

Otherwise, why do people say that Gao Lishi is capable and only he can serve Brother Ji well?

As long as it was Ji Ge's order, even if the order was unreasonable or impulsive, Gao Lishi would find ways to complete it.

When Ji Ge got angry and refused to go to Daming Palace, Gao Lishi immediately ordered to clean up Xingqing Palace. It was not unreasonable for the emperors of the Tang Dynasty to trust the eunuchs around them.

Gao Xianzhi quickly clasped his fists and bowed, saying, "Okay, okay, I will arrange it right away."

After saying that, he left Xingqing Palace with a group of personal soldiers, leaving only a team of several hundred people in Xingqing Palace to protect Ji Ge.

By the time the imperial study was cleaned, it was already past noon.

Brother Ji sat down on the soft couch in the study, then lay down sideways because he was so tired that he didn't want to move at all.

In fact, he did nothing but wait there.

He didn't have to clean the dust or tidy up the clutter, but Brother Ji still felt very tired.

An indescribable physical and mental exhaustion, and an lingering sense of loss.

This Xingqing Palace, this Qinzhengwu Building, is in the same condition as he is now.

It has lost its vitality and is covered with dust.

It's like it was dug out from a pile of earth.

Where is the majestic and beautiful atmosphere of a few years ago?

"Saint, do you really not care about those people kneeling? They are not ordinary people. If they kneel outside the palace gate for a long time and don't get up, outsiders will think that the saint is mean and ungrateful."

Gao Lishi asked cautiously, the implication in his words was obvious.

He knew that Brother Ji was very tired and annoyed. But there were many things that he really had to say. The political situation in Chang'an was very sensitive and fragile. If he was not careful, there would be a risk of overturning.

"Are they all still kneeling there?"

Brother Ji opened his eyes, glanced at Gao Lishi, and asked in a very calm tone.

"Gao Xianzhi said that they were indeed still kneeling there. Without the order of the saint, those people dared not stand up."

Gao Lishi answered truthfully.

Brother Ji nodded slightly, waved his hand and said: "Issue an order to let them go back to their homes. They are grown-ups, it is not proper for them to kneel outside the Danfeng Gate!" Hearing this, Gao Lishi breathed a sigh of relief.

He was actually very worried that Brother Ji would act recklessly. The Tang Dynasty was in a turbulent time right now and they really couldn't afford to make any more trouble.

Gao Lishi just turned around when he heard Brother Ji's instructions: "Oh, ask Gao Xianzhi to come to the imperial study. I have something to tell him. Oh, ask Miao Jinqing to come as well."

"I will go now. Please wait for a moment, Saint."

Gao Lishi did not suspect anything and quietly left the imperial study.

After he left, Brother Ji slowly closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and anger surged in his heart.

What does "going too far" mean? This is going too far.

We are kneeling down and begging for mercy, so you must forgive us. If you don’t forgive us, we will never get up from our knees.

Then push out a few scapegoats and chop them off.

This matter is over now.

As for the rest of us, we will continue to drink, sing, and play with women!
We are the foundation of the Tang Dynasty, and you are just a passing emperor, not to mention that you are an old, damned dog emperor!
The abacus beads of those wealthy families in Guanzhong almost all hit Brother Ji in the face.

He was very angry, but he had to pretend to be conciliatory.

"You all say that I ruined the Tang Dynasty, but in fact, weren't you the ones who ruined the Tang Dynasty?"

Ji Ge muttered to himself with his eyes closed.

He had made up his mind.

"Although I was born earlier than you, I can also die later than you."

Brother Ji suddenly opened his eyes, and a chilling hideous look appeared on his face!
……

Gao Lishi called Gao Xianzhi and Miao Jinqing, while Li Guangbi came to report.

The three of them arrived at the study in the Qinzhengwu Building.

Ji Ge lay on the couch and took a nap for a while. When he was woken up by Gao Lishi, he saw Li Guangbi was there too and did not let him leave.

He sat up straight and looked at the sky outside the window. It should be around 5pm.

So Brother Ji looked at Miao Jinqing and asked, "My dear Miao, I want to know who supported the crown prince to ascend the throne last time, regardless of etiquette and laws. Let's not talk about Yan Zhenqing, Fang Youde and others, let's talk about others."

His cloudy eyes stared at Miao Jinqing, and his tone was very stern.

There is absolutely no room for bargaining.

This made Miao Jinqing, who was trying to play Tai Chi and pretend to be confused, suddenly jump out of his wits.

"Mr. Miao, the Saint is very concerned about this matter. I hope you can give a good answer."

Gao Lishi gave Miao Jinqing the title of "husband", which was no longer a hint but a blatant statement!
If you say it right, you will be rewarded. If you say it wrong or don’t say it at all, you will be beaten to death.

"Your Excellency, I know something. Please wait a moment, I will write down the names of those people now."

Miao Jinqing tried his best not to look timid and answered in a calm tone.

"Miao Aiqing is loyal to the country and is a role model for all officials."

Brother Ji replied indifferently, and it was unclear whether he was commenting on the matter or mocking Miao Jinqing for being a "good human being".

After a while, Miao Jinqing finished writing, writing down the names of dozens of officials in one breath, and then handed the paper to Gao Lishi.

Gao Lishi handed the paper to Brother Ji, who sneered after reading it, "Miao Aiqing, this is really interesting. You said that if these dozens of people support the crown prince to ascend the throne, the crown prince can ascend the throne and become emperor. Isn't it too easy for the Tang Dynasty's artifact to change hands like this?"

There is no need to worry about what Brother Ji said. Just listening to his tone, you can tell that he is extremely sinister and on the verge of bursting with anger.

Miao Jinqing quickly explained: "Saint, these people are officials who have close ties with the former crown prince. As for who is supporting them, this humble official is not sure, it's just hearsay."

He didn't tell a lie, but he didn't dare tell the truth either.

The powerful people in Guanzhong have many tentacles. They have white gloves doing official business in the court and black gloves doing private work among the people.

Many officials, especially minor ones, have intricate connections with these families. Most of the money earned by many merchants in Chang'an is not their own, but they have to give it to the powerful people in Guanzhong for protection.

Even petty thieves and robbers need to bribe these powerful people, otherwise they won't be able to sell the stolen goods.

Do you really think that if a few officials support Li Heng, they can help Li Heng succeed in taking the throne?

How is that possible? We are not three-year-old children!
Obviously, Brother Ji wouldn’t think so!
"I don't need such a detailed list. Just write down the people or families you think are suspicious."

Brother Ji couldn't help but sneered twice and gave Miao Jinqing a reminder.

There is nothing new under the sun. Who supports Li Heng, who protects themselves, and who tipped off Brother Ji, these things cannot be hidden from those who are interested.

It’s not that Miao Jinqing didn’t know, he just “dared not say”.

But Brother Ji doesn’t care whether he dares to say it or not. If he is brave enough, he has to say it. If he is timid, he has to say it even more!

"Then I will write it down from memory. If it is inaccurate, please do not blame me, Your Majesty."

Miao Jinqing said this while spinelessly writing down many people's names on the paper. Now he didn't care about the consequences. It would be a matter of the future if he didn't write it down, and he would die now!
A dead Taoist friend is not a poor Taoist!
The atmosphere in the study at this moment was very solemn, with only the faint sound of the brush rubbing against the paper.

Gao Lishi looked at Ji Ge, then at Miao Jinqing, lowered his eyelids, and seemed to want to say something, but said nothing.

Li Guangbi and Gao Xianzhi looked at each other at the same time, then looked away, waiting for Ji Ge's order.

They vaguely guessed that the feast they had been waiting for almost a year was about to be served.

The five people in the room had different thoughts, some were happy and some were sad.

After a while, Miao Jinqing had written his name densely on the paper. One sheet was not enough, so he even wrote most of the second sheet before he finished.

Brother Ji didn't even look at it, and directly said to Li Guangbi and Gao Xianzhi: "Each of you take one, find a local from Chang'an to lead the way, and follow the people on the list to search for them and confiscate their homes!"

"According to the order!"

Li Guangbi and Gao Xianzhi walked forward and looked at the two pieces of paper in front of Miao Jinqing. They felt that they were not paper, but two piles of gold!

Finally waited until today!
Just when Gao Xianzhi was about to grab the piece of paper with all the names written on it, he suddenly remembered the time when he was beaten by Fang Chongyong. He quickly made a gesture to Li Guangbi and said, "General Li has more soldiers under his command, so he should take more responsibility. This piece of paper has more names on it, so General Li should take this one."

Li Guangbi looked at Gao Xianzhi with some surprise, then nodded without saying anything more. He casually folded the piece of paper with the name written on it and put it close to his chest.

At this moment, he even felt that the paper was getting hot, and his chest was so hot!

"Generals, go and search the house. The wealth you get will be my reward to the soldiers of the three armies for their bravery in killing the enemy."

Brother Ji waved his hand tiredly, signaling the two to leave.

After Li Guangbi and Gao Xianzhi bowed and took their leave, Miao Jinqing also bowed and took his leave, but was stopped by Ji Ge.

"My dear Miao, don't leave yet. I still have some questions to ask you."

Brother Ji pointed at the cushion where Miao Jinqing had just sat and motioned for him to sit down before talking.

(End of this chapter)