The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 295 New people replace old ones

Li Ying was reviewing documents in his mansion. Yang Yuhuan came to the door and met Zhang Guangsheng who was coming in hurriedly.

Zhang Guangsheng bowed to Yang Yuhuan, handed over the document, and said, "Princess, this is the military report sent from Taozhou. Please present it to His Highness."

"Since it is a military report, it should be presented by General Zhang himself. Please come in, General Zhang." Yang Yuhuan said, pushing the door and inviting Zhang Guangsheng in.

"Yes." Zhang Guangsheng walked into the room, presented the military report to Li Ying, and retreated.

After Zhang Guangsheng left, Li Ying asked Yang Yuhuan, "Why, are you afraid that submitting the military report on your behalf might be considered as overstepping the boundaries?"

"Yes." Yang Yuhuan nodded, "If I submit this on your behalf, it means that I have the opportunity to detain you and make suggestions, which also means that I will interfere in military affairs."

Li Heng smiled upon hearing this and said, "The generals in the army all respect you very much and are willing to listen to you. I'm afraid you will have no choice but to intervene."

"I know my crime." Yang Yuhuan stood up quickly, looking terrified, "Your Highness, please punish me."

"Do you think I'm blaming you?" Li Heng pulled Yang Yuhuan into his arms. "When did we become so distant?"

"My dear..." Yang Yuhuan called softly with a sweet smile on her face.

Li Heng was not unaware of the consequences of the harem interfering in politics. With Yang Yuhuan's current power, if he did not interfere, no one except him would be able to suppress her in the future.

However, he had deep feelings for Yang Yuhuan and was willing to trust her emotionally. As for rationally, he was now in the start-up stage, and only a strong leader of the harem could ensure that there would be no fire in the backyard.

So no matter from which perspective, he had to indulge Yang Yuhuan.

Li Heng was still thinking, and then he saw Yang Yuhuan's beautiful smile. He couldn't help but feel moved, and thought to himself: "Have I started to calculate the interests of her? Have I been corrupted by power? Or have I always been this kind of person? Maybe I have always been this kind of person."

Li Heng labeled himself vaguely.

Over the years, the probability of Yang Yuhuan being snatched away by Li Longji has become smaller and smaller. Li Heng feels that if he is truly a selfless person who serves the country and the people, then he should lay the groundwork for quelling the Anshi Rebellion.

He could not kill An Lushan, nor could he kill Shi Siming, but he could kill the most capable generals of the rebels in advance, such as An Shouzhong, Cui Qianyou, Li Guiren, etc.

But he didn't do this.

Because he was afraid that if he killed these people, An Lushan would not be able to reach Luoyang, let alone Chang'an.

Seeing that Li Heng suddenly fell silent, Yang Yuhuan asked with a smile, "My dear, are you worried about the war with Tubo again?"

"Yeah." Li Heng echoed, feeling that it was too late to think about these things anymore, so he put aside his thoughts and opened the document sent by Zhang Guangsheng.

In the document, Ma Lin reported to him in detail the great victory at Wulu Mountain.

Yang Yuhuan followed with a glance and said, "Although Ma Lin grew up in Longyou, he is loyal to you. He did not report his victory directly to the court, but presented it to you. But it may be that he knows that you will not only not be greedy for his credit, but will also praise him when you report it to the court."

"You have thought it through very comprehensively." Li Heng closed the document. "Ma Lin and Li Sheng are both talented generals. I hope they can continue to work together."

"It's hard to say." Yang Yuhuan shook her head. "The world is bustling with people, all for profit. Only a few people can stick to their hearts. Wang Wei and Diwu Qi haven't arrived yet, but the documents complaining to you have already been sent. If you hadn't been able to suppress them, I don't know how chaotic it would have been."

Just as Li Ying was about to speak, a servant knocked on the door and said, "Your Highness, Judge Wang and his men have arrived and are waiting for you in the lobby."

...Council Hall.

Li Ying sat at the top, with Wang Wei, Liu Yan, Fang Guan, Diwu Qi, Wang Zhihuan, Meng Haoran, Zhang Xu and Du Youlin sitting on both sides.

After some polite exchanges, Zhang Xu stood up and said, "Your Highness, I am here today to resign."

"Huh?" Li Heng was slightly surprised.

Zhang Xu said, "Your Highness has been very kind to me. I should have died to repay you. However, I am old and my health has been getting worse. I am worried that I will miss my work. Therefore, I would like to resign and return home. I hope Your Highness will grant me permission."

Li Heng took a look at Zhang Xu's aging appearance, stood up, held Zhang Xu's hand, and said, "Since that's the case, I can't force you. Mr. Zhang, do you want to go to Suzhou or Luoyang? I'll send someone to escort you back."

Zhang Xu declined, "How dare I trouble Your Highness, your humble servant..."

Li Heng interrupted, "Mr. Zhang, you don't have to be polite. You have worked so hard for An Xibei Ting for so many years. This is what I should do. If I were not so busy, I would send you off in person."

"In that case, thank you very much, Your Highness." Zhang Xu bowed to Li Heng, took out a copybook from his bosom, presented it to Li Heng, and then said: "I know that Your Highness is honest and upright. This is the copybook I wrote myself. I will leave it as a souvenir for Your Highness. I hope Your Highness will not despise it."

"Mr. Zhang is very thoughtful." Li Ying took the calligraphy.

Zhang Xu took the lead, and Wang Zhihuan and Meng Haoran also requested to resign and presented their own poems written for Li Heng.

Li Heng looked at the two men and agreed to their request, allowing Cen Shen to accompany them on their journey.

Watching the three people leaving, Li Heng felt inexplicably sad and murmured, "It's been more than ten years."

It is now the autumn of 748 AD, 13 years since he came into this world, and many people have had to leave.

Of course, they left perhaps because of old age, or perhaps because they felt they could not be transferred back to Guanzhong if they stayed any longer, or perhaps because their ideas were different from those of Liu Yan and Diwu Qi, and Li Heng adopted more of the ideas of Liu Yan and Diwu Qi.

But no matter what, Li Heng didn't want to pursue it, because at least so far, they had parted ways amicably, and these three people also used their reputation to attract a lot of talents for him.

Li Heng accepted the souvenirs left by the three people and turned to Fang Guan and said, "Governor Fang, the court intends to transfer you to be the governor of Diezhou in Longyou. What do you think?"

It was actually Li Heng's idea to transfer Fang Guan and Diwu Qi to Longyou.

After all, Beiting was too far away from Chang'an. Li Heng felt that it was of little use to keep confidants so far away, so he wanted to transfer them to Longyou, which was closer.

Li Longji still wanted to use these two people to "keep an eye" on Li Heng, so he agreed to transfer them back to Longyou. However, the war with Tubo was now tense, and he did not want to openly guard against Li Heng, so he did not force the transfer, but hinted to Li Heng first, and Li Heng naturally did not refuse.

Fang Guan was fully aware of the situation behind this, and hurriedly said, "I am an official of the Tang Dynasty. No matter where I serve, I will follow the arrangements of the court."

Li Ying nodded, then turned to Diwu Qi and said, "The post of Chief of Lanzhou is vacant. Would Yu Gui be willing to take the position?"

Yugui is the courtesy name of Diwu Qi.

Diwu Qi and Fang Guan were both shocked when they heard this.

Fang Guan was transferred from the post of Governor to the post of Inspector General, which was just a lateral transfer, while Diwu Qi was previously only a county magistrate. It had only been more than two years, but Li Heng actually made him the chief secretary, and in Lanzhou, the richest city in Longyou.

(End of this chapter)