On the fifth day of the third month of the first year of the Zhaowu reign of the Tang Dynasty, the solar term Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects) occurred.
At this time, seven days had passed since the Tang Dynasty's army, which had captured Pyongyang, the capital of Goguryeo, and killed the rebel general Chen Longxiang with the help of a bolt of lightning.
On this day, a special fleet arrived at the Stone City Wharf outside Jinling City—a fleet led by Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han of the Tang Dynasty, returning to the capital to report on his mission.
Accompanying the ship were Chen Qing, the Duke of Han, and Luo Kun, the Vice Minister of War.
The body of the rebel commander Chen Longxiang was naturally not in the fleet; only a set of blood-stained golden armor accompanied the ship back to the country to report.
That was the golden armor of the late Emperor Chen Polu, which had accompanied the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Chen Huai'an, in his campaigns to unify the country. But in the end, it was worn by the rebel general Chen Longxiang.
This golden armor is Chen Longxiang's only relic, the only thing that can prove his identity.
As soon as the fleet returning from Goguryeo docked, Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, went to the deck at the bow of the ship and found Luo Kun, the Vice Minister of War who was accompanying him.
Chen Qingzhi calmly extended his hands and said, "Lord Luo, let's handle this officially."
"As I said, once we arrive in the capital, Lord Luo can do whatever he wants with us. Escorting me back to the capital to meet the Emperor will be the best way to give Lord Luo an explanation!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Kun, the Vice Minister of War, raised an eyebrow, shook his head helplessly, and said, "Duke of Han, tell me, why are you doing this?"
As he spoke, Luo Kun waved his hand, and immediately some of the accompanying soldiers took out ropes and tied up the first of the six founding dukes of the Tang Dynasty.
Luo Kun continued, "Duke of Han, I just don't understand. With your status and seniority, you could have long ago been living a life of merit and benefiting your descendants. Why did you have to get involved in the rebellion of Prince Chen Longxiang of Jin?"
"I'm afraid that all the achievements you've accumulated by risking your life in the first half of your life are not worth the trouble you've gotten yourself into this mess?"
hehe!
Hearing the words of Luo Kun, the Vice Minister of War, Chen Qingzhi laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "Lord Luo, in this life, some people live with high official positions and generous salaries, while others live with wealth and honor."
"but--"
Then, Chen Qingzhi changed the subject and said firmly, "Some people live with a conscience!"
"Unfortunately, my lord is the latter, hahaha!"
After saying this, Chen Qingzhi took the lead and walked off the ship, saying as he went, "Let's go, we're going back to the capital to report to the Emperor!"
At the same time.
Inside the Imperial Study in the Forbidden City of Nanjing.
Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, who had just finished the morning court session, went to the imperial study to continue handling state affairs as usual.
At this time, Chen Huai'an was unaware of what had happened on the Goguryeo Peninsula, nor was he aware that his younger brother Chen Longxiang had been struck by lightning and died. He was also unaware that the Duke of Han, Chen Qingzhi, had arbitrarily buried Chen Longxiang, along with the former emperor Su Wan'er, the deposed concubine, and Chen Lingwu, along with their family of four, on Wangjiang Island in Goguryeo.
During the morning court session today, he was still ordering Li Jingyu, the Minister of War, to find a way to restore contact with the pacification army on the Goguryeo front!
It turned out that after Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, disposed of the body of Chen Longxiang, the main general of the rebel army, without authorization, it caused quite a stir in the army that was suppressing the rebellion.
However, Chen Qingzhi, the Korean official, was a hero. He took the initiative to step forward and take all the responsibility upon himself.
Ultimately, Chang Yuchun, as the Grand Marshal of the army suppressing the rebellion, after careful consideration, agreed to the request of Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, to return to the capital in person to report to the Emperor.
Therefore, during this period, the central army of the pacification army in Goguryeo did not report the front-line military situation to the court and the Ministry of War. This made Li Jingyu, the Minister of War, think that something big might have happened to the pacification army at the front.
After all, the bravery and strength of the rebel leader, Prince Chen Longxiang, was common knowledge among all the officials in the court.
So much so that at today's court assembly, when Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an instructed the Ministry of War to make contact with the Goguryeo army as soon as possible, Minister of War Li Jingyu was already considering whether to first draft a list of reinforcements.
Inside the Imperial Study, Chen Huai'an continued to review and approve memorials from various regions.
During this period, apart from the rebellion in Goguryeo in the east, the Tang Dynasty enjoyed favorable weather and peace in all other regions.
Zhao Zilong, who was far away in the Western Regions leading the construction of the Great Wall beyond the borders, also wrote to report that the construction of the Great Wall beyond the borders was proceeding in an orderly manner.
After the war against the Uyghurs in the Western Regions, the Arab Empire, having lost 800,000 troops, was no longer able to launch an eastward expedition. In order to divert domestic conflicts, Abbasid Caliph Safah had no choice but to launch a westward expedition, turning the empire's spearhead towards the Charlemagne Empire in the west.
After the Lantern Festival, Duke Pang Xianchu of Jin had already returned to Chang'an Prefecture with his family to personally supervise the construction of the new capital of the Tang Dynasty.
The Grand Canal, which connects the north and south of the Tang Dynasty, has been expanded on the basis of the previous dynasty. One-third of the project has now been completed. The Ministry of Works expects that it should be fully connected in another five years.
The construction of Emperor Zhaowu's mausoleum is also proceeding in an orderly manner;
......
The memorials reviewed by Chen Huai'an were almost all about matters concerning the rise and fall of the entire Tang Dynasty. He personally reviewed the memorials every day and had a clear understanding of the progress of various projects.
"Report—"
"Your Majesty, the Duke of Han has returned to the capital from the front lines in Goguryeo and requests an audience with Your Majesty!"
Suddenly, the voice of Xiao Po, the commander of the Imperial Guard, came from outside the Imperial Study.
Um?
Inside the imperial study, Chen Huai'an raised an eyebrow and asked, "Xiao Po, where is the Duke of Han now?"
As he asked the question, he put down the brush in his hand and stood up.
Outside the palace, Xiao Po replied without hesitation, "Your Majesty, the Duke of Han is right outside the imperial city!"
Chen Huai'an immediately ordered, "Xiao Po, summon the Duke of Han to the palace for an audience!"
"My lord, I obey the order!"
Half an hour later, Chen Qingzhi, the Duke of Han, who was bound with ropes, appeared in the imperial study.
Before Chen Huai'an could even ask what was going on, the golden armor that Luo Kun, the Vice Minister of War, brought in on a tray instantly made Chen Huai'an feel like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat, unable to say a word!
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