The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 239: Changes in the Government

Wang Wei thought for a moment and chanted: "The sun rises and shines on all directions, opens the palace gate and overlooks the Jade Hall, with a solemn crown and tassels hanging down from his clothes, the golden sky is clear and the three lights are beautiful, the red court dawns and extends to the vast land, the virtue is in harmony with the heaven and the gods are worshipped everywhere..."

Wang Wei recited a beautiful poem in a short moment, and his quick wit made everyone present applaud.

Li Longji was also very happy. He praised Wang Wei twice before ordering the show to begin.

The venue for the performances is the square under the Huaye Building.

Li Longji took the lead and stood on the 30-meter-high Hua'e Tower, surrounded by his ministers.

Downstairs, the people of Chang'an were lined up in rows, watching the show while looking up at Li Longji and his ministers on the Hua'e Tower.

Li Longji's face could not be seen clearly from the 30-meter-high attic, but Li Longji was tall and handsome, standing by the railing in a bright yellow robe, surrounded by high-ranking civil and military officials and royal relatives, giving people a sense of loftiness that was both close and distant.

The Qianqiu Festival featured various types of songs and dances, opera acrobatics, and many other famous figures, including Xu Hezi, Li Guinian, and Pei Min, who took turns to perform.

Finally, there are dancing horses.

After training, the dancing horses would dance to the music. After the dance, they would hold a wine glass in their mouths, walk to the bottom of the Hua'e Tower, and offer wine to Li Longji.

Li Longji enjoyed it very much and drank the wine in one gulp.

There were lights on in every house in Chang'an City, and everyone had a smile on their face.

Li Longji felt all this and was filled with emotion.

This is the Tang Dynasty, the prosperous Tang Dynasty that belongs to him!
His Tang Dynasty had countless capable ministers and famous generals, and brilliant culture and art. Everyone treated him with respect, and everything was under his control.

Everywhere he looked, he saw scenes of prosperity.

Li Heng, who was standing by, also felt the same way.

However, what Li Heng was lamenting about was outside the city of Chang'an.

At this time, Geluofeng of Nanzhao had built tombs for the 60,000 soldiers who died in the Tang Dynasty and a ancestral hall for Li Mi. Li Mi's wife brought the whole family to join Geluofeng.

After Tubo captured Shibao City and Songzhou, it prepared its troops and horses, ready to launch a looting campaign in Hexi, Longyou and Jiannan in another month.

In the northern towns of Hebei and Shandong, almost no big families came to participate in Li Longji's celebration. The people with land in these towns were burdened with high taxes, and the people without land were mourning their dead husbands and children...

……

The next day.

Since the whole country had a three-day holiday for the Qianqiu Festival, the whole Chang'an was still immersed in the joy of the festival.

Li Ying sat in the yard, the expression on his face was out of tune with the festive atmosphere in Chang'an at that moment.

Aqisi walked up to Li Ying and asked, "Your Highness, do you miss the princess?"

Li Ying looked at Aqisi, smiled, and said, "Not entirely."

"What else does Your Highness want?" asked Aqisi.

Li Heng said, "Wait two more days, and we should go back to Qixi."

"Yes." Aqisi nodded, looked up at the sky, and said, "Chang'an is so prosperous. How can such a holy place not make people linger."

Li Heng shook his head and smiled, saying, "What I mean is that our journey back home won't be too quiet."

Aqisi was startled and asked doubtfully, "Who dares to harm His Highness?"

Li Heng said: "During this trip to Chang'an, the conflicts between me and the crown prince, the right prime minister, and An Lushan became increasingly serious, and even became public. Under such conflicts, even if the superiors do not order, the subordinates will seize the opportunity to act on their own. In addition, after the Tibetans occupied Shibao and Songzhou, they became even more powerful, and they also want my life."

Aqisi asked worriedly, "Have you thought of a plan to deal with this, Your Highness?"

"I have some ideas." Li Ying replied.

Aqisi said: "In this case, what are you worried about, Your Highness?"

Li Ying said: "I'm worried that I've killed too many people."

"This..." Aqisi was startled and lowered her voice, saying, "Your Highness wants to take the initiative?" "That's not the case." Li Heng shook his head, "The Crown Prince and the Right Prime Minister are in Chang'an. Touching them is tantamount to treason. As for An Lushan, although he will leave Chang'an, he is quite strategic, and he has a hundred servants and thousands of adopted sons. These people are all experienced soldiers. If you want to ambush and kill him outside, you have to use a large army."

Aqisi asked, "So your Highness means to use stillness to control movement?"

"That's what I think." Li Ying nodded.

Aqisi pondered for a while, then smiled and said, "No matter what, I will protect Your Highness."

Li Ying looked at Aqisi's heroic appearance and said with a smile: "Then thank you very much."

……

On the other side, Li Linfu’s mansion.

At this time, Li Linfu was arranging matters for the people involved in the Du Youlin case. Generally speaking, Li Yong, Pei Dunfu, and Wang Zengren were all executed, and Luo Xishi was sent to carry out the execution.

Just as Li Linfu finished arranging this matter, a maid suddenly walked in and reported: "Right Prime Minister, Yang Zhao wants to see you."

"Oh?" Li Linfu hesitated for a moment and said, "Let him in."

"Yes." The maid went out, and after a while, she brought Yang Guozhong in.

Yang Guozhong bowed to Li Linfu, but before he could speak, Li Linfu said, "The saint already knows the whole story of Jiannan's defeat. You have been dismissed. Are you here to apply for a job now?"

Yang Guozhong did not expect Li Linfu to be so direct. He was stunned for a moment and said, "The Right Prime Minister is indeed as good as a god. I came to visit the Right Prime Minister to seek a job."

Li Linfu looked directly at Yang Guozhong and said, "I have thought of a place for you to go, but I don't know if you are willing to go there."

Yang Guozhong did not expect Li Linfu to be so easy to talk to, and said happily: "The Right Prime Minister has found a job for me, and I am very grateful. How could I not want to go?"

"What about following Prince Shou to Qixi?" Li Linfu asked.

Yang Guozhong's joyful expression suddenly cooled down, and he said, "I am not on good terms with Prince Shou, if I go to Qixi..."

"Do you think anyone can enter the Right Prime Minister's Mansion?" Li Linfu interrupted Yang Guozhong with a cold tone, "If you don't want to, don't come again."

Yang Guozhong was stunned and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Li Linfu continued, "You are a smart man. If you follow Prince Shou to Qixi, as long as you do what you are supposed to do, I will be able to transfer you back in less than two years."

"I will follow the Right Prime Minister's instructions." Yang Guozhong gritted his teeth and agreed. After thinking for a while, he asked curiously, "Will the Saint agree?"

Li Linfu said: "This is what the saint meant."

Yang Guozhong suddenly realized and bowed, saying, "Your Excellency, I will repay you with my life for your cultivation."

Li Linfu showed a meaningful smile and said, "Go back and prepare."

"Yes." Yang Guozhong stepped back.

……

Three days later, Li Heng first went to bid farewell to Concubine Wu Huifei, and finally went to bid farewell to Li Longji.

Li Heng arrived at the gate of Zichen Hall and met Li Shizhi who was just going out.

Li Heng and Li Shizhi exchanged greetings and said, "Meet the Left Prime Minister."

Li Shizhi smiled calmly and said, "Your Highness, I am no longer the Left Prime Minister. The Saint has approved my request and appointed me as the Prince's Guardian."

Li Heng was slightly stunned when he heard this.

After the Wei Jian case and Du Youlin incident, Li Shizhi was in a constant state of panic. Coupled with Li Longji's infinite favor to Li Linfu at the Qianqiu Festival, Li Shizhi knew that his political life was over.

Therefore, Li Shizhi asked for a sabbatical in order to save his biological life.

However, in the current turmoil in the Tang Dynasty, not everyone can withdraw with honor.

(End of this chapter)