Chapter 165 Generation Change
After the prime minister acknowledged the edict of succession, some ceremonial steps had to be completed before Li Xian, the new emperor, could be considered settled. The country cannot be without a king for a day, and every day of delay will increase the uncertainty, so all ceremonies will be kept simple. The coronation ceremony and the ceremony of conferring the empress will be held tomorrow. The Ministry of Rites is busy making the ceremonial utensils and costumes for the coronation, and Li Huazhang is also busy mobilizing troops and inspecting the venue to ensure that tomorrow's ceremony will be held smoothly.
Li Huazhang worked in the palace until dark, and finally finished the general arrangement. Seeing that it was getting late, the guards advised: "Prince Yong, you must take care of yourself. We will take care of the rest, you should go back to your house and rest."
Li Huazhang hadn't slept for almost two days since he started planning the coronation. He knew that tomorrow was the main event, and he had to rest tonight so that he could focus on the coronation ceremony tomorrow. He didn't force himself, and after arranging his confidants to strengthen the defense, he rode out of the palace.
But Li Huazhang did not return to Prince Yong's Mansion. As soon as he left the palace, he went straight to the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion.
In the mansion of the Duke of Zhenguo, everyone saw Li Huazhang coming and hurried to greet him. If it were in the past, Li Huazhang would definitely go directly to Ming Huashang's courtyard, but now he is a foreign man and must have the awareness of a guest, so he followed the etiquette of host and guest and went to the front yard to visit the elder Duke of Zhenguo first.
When the Duke of Zhenguo saw Li Huazhang walking towards him, he felt as if he was in another world, and couldn't tell for a moment whether it was Li Huazhang or Crown Prince Zhang Huai. It was not until he heard a cold and firm greeting that seemed to carry a murderous aura that the Duke of Zhenguo realized that this was Li Huazhang, not the Crown Prince.
Duke Zhenguo looked at the young man in front of him and was suddenly filled with emotion. Li Huazhang's temperament and talent were very similar to those of the former Crown Prince Zhang Huai, but this was more because Duke Zhenguo had used Crown Prince Zhang Huai to demand Li Huazhang since he was young. After years of imitation, Li Huazhang had carved himself into the gentleman image that the world expected. But after cracking this layer of appearance, Li Huazhang's true core was actually more like the empress.
He is just as resolute, firm, and able to endure what ordinary people cannot endure. Once he sets his mind on something, he will persist until it is realized.
This is completely different from the kind-hearted Prince Zhang Huai. The boldness and madness in his bones are obviously given to him by his grandmother's half blood.
The Duke of Zhenguo sighed for a moment and asked, "How is the emperor?"
Li Huazhang fell silent, paused for a few seconds, and said, "The emperor is seriously ill and will move out of the palace to recuperate soon."
The Empress and the Li family were enemies mortal, but by blood, she was their closest relative. Not to mention Li Xian, even Princess Taiping and Prince Xiang did not dare to do anything to their mother. They were willing to use gold, silver, and jewelry to support the Empress and let her enjoy her old age, as long as she stopped participating in politics.
But for someone like the Queen, depriving her of her power would be tantamount to killing her.
Duke Zhenguo nodded. He did not ask about the situation in the palace or how the credit would be distributed in the future. He just asked, "Have you had your meal?"
Li Huazhang sighed subconsciously: "It has been used in the palace."
The Duke of Zhenguo asked him what he had eaten. After hearing that he had only eaten some cakes in the palace, he said, "How can that be considered a meal? There is already hot food prepared for you on the stove. Come on, eat first, then take a bath and have a good sleep."
Li Huazhang agreed and followed the Duke of Zhenguo to the restaurant. The scenery around him was familiar, and the people serving him were all familiar to him since he was a child. Li Huazhang's spirit, which had been tense all day, gradually relaxed. It was even more relaxing than sleeping.
There is no need to worry about what to do tomorrow, no need to constantly check whether some inconspicuous person is a traitor. When you return home, the most important thing is to eat and sleep.
Li Huazhang looked around, wanting to speak but stopping himself. Duke Zhenguo seemed to see what he was thinking and took the initiative to ask, "Do you want to ask about the eldest and second wives?"
Li Huazhang was embarrassed for a moment after being seen through, but soon admitted frankly: "Yes. Why don't you invite them to dinner?"
"No need." The Duke of Zhenguo said, "They didn't get much sleep last night, and they are catching up today. It's a rare opportunity to get rid of them. Bring some wine, and we two will have a good drink."
Li Huazhang looked at the large amount of fish and meat that was served and laughed dumbly. He asked the servant to take the wine away and replace it with tea, saying, "I remember that the lady doesn't allow you to drink alcohol. If you break the rules, I will have a hard time explaining to Shang Shang next time. Today, we will use tea instead of wine."
The Duke of Zhenguo was very dissatisfied and said loudly that he was in good health and drinking so little wine was not even an appetite. Li Huazhang ignored him and calmly but firmly asked the servants to remove all the wine altars.
After dinner, the Duke of Zhenguo said that the room had been cleaned up, so Li Huazhang would not have to run back and forth, so he could stay at the Duke's mansion tonight. Li Huazhang was indeed hesitant for a moment, but reason quickly overwhelmed his feelings. He would rather be Ming Huashang's fiancé than the Duke of Zhenguo's adopted son. Since they were already engaged, he had to follow the rules of etiquette.
Li Huazhang insisted, "Don't bother. Prince Yong's Mansion is not far from here. I'll just go back. Go to bed early, Duke. I'll come to pay my respects to you another day."
The Duke of Zhenguo knew that this child had a strong opinion since he was young. Once he made a decision, it would be difficult for others to change it. The Duke of Zhenguo simply did not say anything to persuade him to stay. He sighed and said, "Then be careful on the road. Go back and rest early, don't be too tired."
Li Huazhang agreed, and did not let the Duke of Zhenguo go out to see him off, and walked out of the mansion by himself. He walked in the familiar corridors and seemed to be a little slower than usual. The housekeeper immediately saw what the former Second Young Master was thinking, and said sympathetically: "Second Lady has slept all day, and it's time for her to get up and eat something. Otherwise, I will go and remind Second Lady?"
She was still sleeping... Li Huazhang didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but Ming Huashang was able to eat and sleep. He sighed and said, "No need. I'll go see her."
Li Huazhang changed direction naturally and walked towards Ming Huashang's courtyard. He was so skilled that he didn't even need the housekeeper to be polite. Jinbao and his maids were sitting under the window doing needlework. Suddenly they saw Prince Yong coming and stood up quickly: "Your Highness Prince Yong."
Li Huazhang raised his hand to stop them from saluting. He stopped at the door and silently looked into the room through the screen.
Behind the screen embroidered with flowers and birds, a faint arc was raised on the brocade quilt. She lay quietly facing inward, her hair scattered on the couch, like flowing clouds flying over the mountains, or like a sleeping crabapple tree in spring.
It was very rude for Prince Yong to visit a woman's room at night, but he stopped at the door after he came, without approaching or speaking, and it seemed that he could find nothing wrong. Jinbao didn't know what to do, and asked anxiously: "Prince Yong, should we wake up the lady?"
Li Huazhang watched quietly for a while, shook his head gently, and said in a low voice: "Let her sleep peacefully, I will come back another day."
He turned to leave, but paused at the door, took out a camellia from his sleeve, and said, "Today, when I was searching the palace, I accidentally saw a camellia. The other flowers were tightly closed, but this one was brave and bloomed early. It is not convenient to prepare gum glutinous rice dumplings for her on New Year's Eve this year, so I will give her a camellia to wish Shangshang another happy and healthy new year."
Ming Huashang woke up and felt hungry first, then she noticed a flower behind the screen. She rubbed her eyes and got up, her hair like a lion that had just rolled in the sand, and asked, "When did camellias appear in the mansion?"
Jinbao whispered, "My lady, Prince Yong was here just now. This is what Prince Yong left behind."
Ming Huashang responded. Her first reaction was that it was planted in the palace. She said that they couldn't keep camellia alive at home. Then she suddenly reacted: "Second brother is here?"
"Yes." Jinbao knew that his wife was in a daze again and still used the old name. She did not remind him and replied, "Prince Yong came to see my wife and then left. He also said that he did not prepare any gum glutinous rice dumplings for my wife on New Year's Eve, so he had to prepare a branch of camellia to wish my wife another year older."
Jixiang came in from outside with a cup of hot tea and said, "Thank goodness we know what kind of person Prince Yong is. If it were someone else, and he only gave a flower during the New Year, he would definitely think that the aunt was stingy and was deliberately perfunctory."
Ming Huashang asked the maid to bring the camellia. She held it in her hands, looking back and forth at the bright red flowers that were out of place in the winter, and said softly, "No, I just think it's better to send flowers."
Even when he was the most nervous and busy, he still remembered to buy her a New Year gift. This thought was more precious than any pearls and jade.
·
After leaving the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, Li Huazhang did not return to Prince Yong's Mansion immediately, but walked around the city a few times and went to a secluded place.
There were still fragments of firecrackers on the street, but the alley was quiet and deserted, as if it had been forgotten by the festival. Li Huazhang stopped in front of an inconspicuous wooden door and knocked slowly.
After the specific rhythm was finished, the door opened slightly, and the person inside saw Li Huazhang's face clearly, then opened the door and saluted: "Chief."
Li Huazhang nodded calmly and walked in silently. The wooden door behind him closed immediately. Inside the simple, ordinary courtyard wall, there were actually bows and arrows, guards, and sentries.
Li Huazhang walked inside and asked, "How is the person?"
"According to your order, we immediately gave him the sleeping pills after we caught him yesterday. We replenished them every two hours. In another quarter of an hour, it will be time to replenish the pills again."
"No need to make up for it." Li Huazhang said, "Keep a close eye on him and don't let him go out. Other than that, there's no need to do anything else."
The guard agreed. As he was talking, he had already walked to the door. Li Huazhang placed his palm on the door and calmly pushed it open.
The room was dimly lit, and a figure was lying on the couch, seemingly in a coma.
Li Huazhang bowed his hands in a pretentious manner, not feeling at all that he was facing an unconscious person, and spoke calmly: "Commander-in-Chief Han, I apologize for any offense. I hope you will forgive me."
The other party remained motionless. Li Huazhang did not care, he chose a place to sit down, and said calmly: "The emperor has decided to abdicate and will move to Shangyang Palace soon."
The room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, as if one was talking to the air. But Li Huazhang knew Han Jie could hear it.
Han Jie taught him a lot, so Li Huazhang knew very well that leaving such a person outside would bring many variables to the coup. The first thing he did when he started the rebellion last night was to order his elite to ambush Han Jie and isolate him from the outside world. After confirming that Han Jie was unconscious, Li Huazhang dispatched troops to surround the palace.
Li Huazhang also knew that he was able to succeed in the sneak attack because he was unintentional. He could control Han Jie temporarily by catching him off guard, but he would not be able to control him for a long time. But this was enough. As long as he could make Han Jie lose consciousness for even one day, it would be enough.
Li Huazhang continued, "I know I have failed to live up to your kindness and have no intention of exonerating myself. But I feel that I should thank you in person. I have learned a lot from you over the years. I know that I cannot control you, and if you want, you can escape within three days, but I still want to advise you not to summon the Xuanxiao Guards again."
"Too many people have died from cruel officials, informants, and private jails. This revenge with no winners should stop. When will the revenge last? I am willing to take a step back and stop pursuing my father's hatred. Let the emperor enjoy his old age in the palace and no longer blame the people who handled the case. As long as you give up your power and retire to the people, I will never pursue it. But if you insist on helping the emperor to seize power, I can only tell you that I will kill you at all costs."
After Li Huazhang finished speaking, he waited for a while. Han Jie did not respond, so he did not force him. He turned around and walked out. When he reached the door, he heard a voice from behind: "Women's kindness."
If we release the Queen's trusted secret guards back into the civilian population, who knows when they will come back to attack us again. If this isn't being too soft-hearted, what is this?
Li Huazhang was not surprised and said calmly, "If everyone is unwilling to lay down their weapons, then the hatred will never stop. There will always be someone who has to take a step back first, so let me do it. Besides, is it a bad thing to be sensible, gentle and kind like a woman?"
Han Jie sneered and said, "I once said that among that group of people, you, Xie Jichuan, and Ren Yao each have their own outstanding points, but the most powerful spy is Ming Huashang. I never thought that I would fall into my own prophecy. She can actually do this for you."
When talking about Ming Huashang, Li Huazhang's eyes softened and he said, "I am lucky to have met her."
Han Jie sneered and said, "If you were to ascend the throne yourself, I would understand, but you spent so much effort, even dragging Ming Huashang into the water, and in the end you pushed your uncle to be the emperor. I can only say, stupid."
Li Huazhang knew that people's hearts were fickle, but Li Xian was the crown prince, so it was only right to raise an army in his name. If Li Huazhang was to be made emperor, why couldn't the Prince of Xiang be made emperor? In this way, the Li family's hearts would be scattered before the rebellion even started, and the coup would fail.
Moreover, emotionally, Li Huazhang had never thought about becoming an emperor. What he wanted was always to redress the injustice done to his father and brother, restore the Tang Dynasty, and bring peace to the world, not the throne. Li Huazhang had never paid attention to the private debate in the court about who was the legitimate heir, the Li Xian line or the Li Xian line.
"Whether you believe it or not, I have never thought about becoming an emperor." Li Huazhang said to Han Jie, "I don't ask for everything to go as planned, but I ask for a clear conscience. Someone here will take care of your three meals a day. You can stay if you want to, or leave if you want to, but don't go to Shangyang Palace to find the emperor. The court officials and the people have been worried for too long about whether the country will be named Li or Wu. Only by ending the endless infighting between the Li and Wu families can the court have the energy to govern the country and benefit the people. Let the Zhou Wu Dynasty and the rule of cruel officials be completely over. The moon of the Tang Dynasty should be bright and spotless."
Han Jie sneered disdainfully and asked mockingly, "What makes you say that the moon of the Li family is the brightest?"
"I will prove it to you." Li Huazhang did not stop. He opened the door and faced the pitch-black winter outside. "Ten years later, the Tang Dynasty will surely be a peaceful and prosperous era that will be even more prosperous than the Zhenguan years."
·
March 3, Shangsi. Spring is here, magnolia, crabapple, peach, pear, and apricot blossoms are all in bloom, and Chang'an is shrouded in a thick and thin flower mist. Today we have to go out of the city for purification, Ming Huashang and Ming Yuji go for an outing by the water, and even Ming Yu has returned from her husband's house.
Mingyu accompanied Ming Huashang and her sister in swimming, and her attitude was not insincere. Not only Mingyu, but other people near the water also came forward to talk to the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, especially Ming Huashang, and asked about the time of Ming Huashang and Prince Yong's wedding.
Ming Huashang saw these changes, and she couldn't help but think of the past years, when Li Huazhang had not yet recovered his status, she went out to banquets but few people paid attention to her. It was less than a year, and the attitudes of the noble ladies in Chang'an towards her were like heaven and earth, which made people sigh that life is like a drama.
Ming Huashang soon lost interest, and Ming Yuji didn't want to chat with a group of people she didn't know, so they chose a secluded place and sat down to rest.
However, others can avoid it, but relatives cannot. Ming Yu sat down with the sisters, observing Ming Huashang's expression quietly, and asked: "Second sister, your marriage with Prince Yong will be this year, right?"
On the 22nd day of the first lunar month, when everyone was immersed in the New Year celebrations and had not yet recovered from the sound of firecrackers, Prince Yong, Princess Taiping and others launched a coup without any warning, forcing the empress to abdicate and pass the throne to Crown Prince Li Xian.
Because it happened during the Shenlong year, this change was called the Shenlong coup. On the 23rd of the first lunar month, the empress abdicated, and on the 24th, the new emperor was crowned. On the second day of the second lunar month, the new emperor restored the country's name to Tang and changed the reign to Jinglong.
The Zhou Wu Dynasty officially became history. No matter how many ups and downs, how magnificent and magnificent it was, they all turned into a speck of dust on the pages of a book and passed by with a light flick of the brush.
The weather in Chang'an changed faster than the rain in June. The coronation ceremony was prepared in only one day and was held in a hurry, but at this time, no one was picky about the details. After the crown prince ascended the throne, he successively conferred the crown princess Wei as the empress, the third son Li Chongjun as the crown prince, and the youngest daughter Princess Anle as Princess Anle. At the same time, he also posthumously conferred the eldest son Li Chongrun, who died in the Danfeng Gate Incident, as Prince Yide, and Princess Yongtai Li Xianhui as Princess Yongtai.
In order to make up for the pain of being unable to do anything during the Danfeng Gate Incident and having to watch his son being beaten to death, Li Xian personally held a grand funeral for Prince Yide and Princess Yongtai.
However, no matter how grand the ceremony of posthumous honoring was, the dead sons and daughters would never come back. No one knew the grief in the hearts of the emperor and Empress Wei, and everyone in Chang'an was talking about how grand the funeral was and how much money it cost.
In addition, the ministers who made contributions to the Shenlong coup are also a hot topic among the people. Among them, Prince Yong, Princess Taiping, and Prince Xiang are undoubtedly the biggest contributors.
The Shenlong coup not only turned the world upside down in the palace, but also brought down the hearts of many people in the court. The old ministers of the Li Tang Dynasty, who had been cautious and always smiled, immediately became arrogant, while the popular figures of the previous day fell from the sky one after another and were smashed to pieces.
The two Zhang brothers died on the night of the Shenlong coup, and their family and in-laws could not escape either. The Zhang family was liquidated one after another, and all their property was confiscated into the national treasury. Not only that, all their past crimes were also dug up one by one, and many people were charged with murder and thrown into prison, dying.
The Zhang family, which was once prosperous and had two masters, was destroyed.
Those who flattered and depended on the King of Wei did not end up well either. On the day of the coup, after the King of Wei heard the news of the abdication of the Supreme Emperor, he was so angry that he vomited blood and died of anger.
After the death of the Prince of Wei, his palace fell into disarray. His sons were punished one after another and demoted to commoners. In the end, only Princess Yongtai's consort Wu Yanji was able to enjoy posthumous honors.
The Prince of Wei's palace collapsed, but the Prince of Liang's palace was not damaged at all, and the Prince of Liang and his son were even promoted. This was naturally the credit of Princess Anle, the daughter-in-law.
If one marries a good wife, all the men in the family will benefit from it. This shows the charm of power.
The falling of leaves heralds the coming of autumn. When some people are sad, others are happy. The Duke of Zhenguo is the "happy" one. The Ming family gained many old friends overnight. Everyone knows that Prince Yong played an indispensable role in the coup. After the emperor has paid tribute to Prince Yide, he will definitely reward Prince Yong. Prince Yong has been granted the title of a prince. His fiefdom occupies the vital part of Chang'an and he has the power to control the internal affairs of the capital. If he is granted a higher title, he will have power over the government and the people!
Ming Huashang, the future Princess Yong, suddenly became the most virtuous, filial, and perfect woman in the world, and everyone was eager to get close to her. Ming Huashang was really annoyed by the questions, and said with a fake smile: "I don't know, I'll listen to the arrangements of the palace."
Ming Yu observed Ming Huashang's expression and immediately realized that Ming Huashang was unhappy. But it didn't matter, her purpose in coming here today was not to make excuses. They both had the surname Ming, which was an inseparable relationship. As long as she maintained a sisterly friendship with Ming Huashang, she would be invincible for the rest of her life.
Mingyu smiled and changed the subject wisely, talking about the new fabrics from Chang'an: "Hu Shang from the West City has recently purchased a kind of fabric. I heard that it is made of peacock feathers twisted into threads. The skirts weaved are as bright as the Milky Way. The colors are different from every angle. I was lucky enough to get half a piece, Erniang Zhong Lingyuxiu, only you can wear the charm of this kind of fabric. Wait a moment and I will order someone to bring it to you."
"No need." Ming Huashang refused neatly. "We wear clothes only to protect ourselves from the cold. I love beauty. Wearing a skirt with four panels is a sin. How can I kill birds and other creatures just for my own pleasure? This skirt is too expensive. I can't afford it. You should keep it for yourself, big sister."
Ming Yu was scolded and came back with a somewhat embarrassed look on her face. She saw Ming Yu Ji sitting beside her and waving a round fan, and suddenly realized that she had been so focused on pleasing Ming Hua Shang that she had neglected Ming Yu Ji. Ming Yu quickly said, "Look at my mouth, I can never explain myself clearly. I meant to give it to you sisters, and as for what you want to do with the cloth, it depends on what you like."
Ming Yuji heard this and immediately said, "No. I don't like my skirt stained with murderous things. It's far better to give me money."
Ming Yu smiled apologetically, knowing in her heart that she would never give money to Ming Yuji. Was this a way to make friends or enemies? Ming Huashang couldn't give money here, so it seemed that she could only ask her mother-in-law to find a way to give it to the palace.
Mingyu hesitated for a moment between giving it to Princess Anle or the Eastern Palace, and finally decided to please the Eastern Palace. Princess Anle was just a daughter no matter how favored she was. She had already lived a life of great success. Could the Tang Dynasty have another female emperor?
It is better to please the future emperor, which is the long-term plan.
Mingyu was very sad when she thought of this. Some people are really born with good luck. Take the current crown prince Li Chongjun for example. He is just the third son of a concubine. He is neither the eldest nor the legitimate son. died one after another, and the crown prince position fell on his head.
It's really a blessing from heaven. God is really blind.
Of course, the two with the best fortunes were the two in front of us. One was sent to the countryside, but became the savior of Prince Yong at birth, and only had to endure seventeen years of hardship before she could enjoy the rest of her life in glory and wealth; the other was even more bizarre, relying directly on the brother-sister relationship to become the Princess of Prince Yong.
Mingyu was lying when she said she wasn't jealous. If she had known that Erlang was a member of the royal family, she would have taken the initiative to ask about his well-being when he was in the mansion. Maybe she would be the Princess of Yong now. However, there is no such thing as knowing in advance. Mingyu could only suppress the unnecessary assumption and continue to manage her relationship with Ming Huashang: "You are right. I was negligent. I will throw away the cloth when I return."
Ming Huashang said coldly: "The feathers of those peacocks have even lost their lives. If we throw them away, wouldn't their deaths become a joke? It's better to return them to the shop. The merchant won't make any money, so he will naturally stop killing peacocks to make cloth."
Ming Yu readily agreed and joked, "Prince Yong has done a great service this time.
"You care so much about me, and my second sister will have endless wealth and glory in the future, why would she still care about the money for a skirt?"
"It's not about money." Ming Huashang said calmly, "Besides, what is the connection between these two things?"
Ming Yu smiled and said nothing more. Ming Yuji looked at these ladies with cold eyes and suddenly felt that they were no different from those women in the market.
They were all the same, flattering the powerful and bullying the weak, and fearing the strong. She had once thought that the nobles, who were pure and elegant, were no more than this.
Ming Yuji was too lazy to listen to what Ming Yu said next. The outside world was flocking to the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, but Ming Yuji knew that Ming Huashang was not happy these days.
The outside world was waiting for the emperor to reward Prince Yong, Princess Taiping, Prince Xiang and the heroes of the Shenlong coup after he had handled the funeral of Prince Yide. But the delay was long enough to explain the problem.
When the birds are gone, the good bows are hidden; when the cunning rabbits are dead, the running dogs are cooked. The fate of meritorious officials is not always good.
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