Chapter 369: Leader of the Interior Guard, General Zhongwu Li Yuanfang
Inside the Daming Palace.
In the past, the chamberlain would lead the way, but this time Li Yan led the chamberlain in turn, walking quickly towards the Zhonghe Hall at a speed he could barely keep up with.
Just now, with the cooperation of Yang Zaiwei, he summoned Jin Zhizhao to take action and made a lot of gains, while he was recharging his energy.
When I heard that Li Zhi was really not dead, I immediately seized this best opportunity and arrived as quickly as possible.
Before reaching the front of the palace, I saw officials finally entering one after another, including my uncle Li Yiyan and his father Li Dejian.
The two people turned their heads and were shocked: "Why is Yuan Fang back?"
His clothes were stained with blood and he looked so murderous. He was not here to kill the queen, was he?
Now was not the time to talk, so Li Yan walked straight to the steps without squinting or joining the crowd of officials.
A sharp voice sounded: "Li Yuanfang, you return to the capital again and again despite the imperial edict. Do you still have the imperial power and the holy will in your heart?"
Facing the stern and fierce queen, all the ministers were frightened.
Even though her prestige has been falling in recent years, she is still a queen who has held great power for a long time, and will soon be the queen mother. Who can not be afraid of such a scolding?
Li Yiyan and Li Derjian were also panicked. They were afraid that Li Yan would scold the queen, and this man could definitely do it.
However, this time, Li Yan did not refute. He did not even look at Empress Wu. He went directly to the steps and said with sadness in his voice: "Your Majesty, the traitors entrenched in Taiji Palace have been eliminated!"
Li Zhi's breath became weaker and weaker. He took a strong breath and said as thin as a mosquito: "Yuanfang... there are some thieves in Tai Chi Palace..."
Li Yanyan was concise and concise: "The thieves are a group of palace maids who have been trained for a long time. The leader is the deputy chief of the Meihua Internal Guard. The thieves have the same appearance as the person I caught in Luoyang, and they seem to be twin sisters."
Li Zhi showed surprise: "Shang Gong... sisters... no wonder... betrayed... my body... is this the thief..."
Li Yan lowered his head: "Your Majesty, I'm late!"
Li Zhi fell silent, and there was no other sound except the uncontrollable sobbing of Li Dan and the little princess in front of the bed.
Just when the ministers thought that this man had slept forever, the saint's voice sounded: "Go and get... the Five Cloud Pills..."
Ever since he learned about the horror of Yun Dan, Li Zhi consciously took less pills. He originally only took the pills once a month. In addition, the addictive potential of Wu Yun Dan was much weaker than that of Yun Dan. Sun Simiao also took the medicine, so he stayed away.
The process was very smooth.
But at this moment, Li Zhi took the initiative to take the pill.
Under the watchful eye of Empress Wu, Wuyundan was presented to the Imperial Medical Office and slowly passed into the mouth of the saint.
Another excruciating wait.
A full quarter of an hour later, just after the officials thought that this person had fallen asleep forever, the saint's voice sounded again: "Help me up."
The ministers were in high spirits, but Li Yan knew very well that this was still a reflection of the past, but the time could be slightly longer.
It was extended until the Emperor of Tang Dynasty could handle the final matters.
Supported by several palace maids, Li Zhi leaned on his upper body and could finally see the courtiers below.
Those who stayed behind in Chang'an were basically a group of old and weak people. It was a thunderstorm outside, and they were waiting outside the palace just now. Many of them were trembling, as if they were about to follow him.
The most eye-catching one is undoubtedly Li Yan, who has a tall and straight figure and has always been vigorous and vigorous.
However, Li Zhi looked at Li Yan's face: "Yuanfang, you don't look very good... This is the first time I see a tired look on your face... The body is fundamental, you must take good care of your body and continue to work for
You share your worries..."
These words made Li Yan slightly startled, thinking of the first time they met, when Qiu Ying was still seriously injured and Li Zhi was sitting in the royal awning, aloof, but his words were very homely, with a caring and gentle feeling.
But the facts have proved that being aloof is being aloof, and Li Zhi's concern is all false, just a means to make his ministers serve loyally, and his mean and unkind temperament is fully exposed at the critical moment.
But at this moment, the saint was really concerned. Li Yan couldn't help but sigh: "The Holy Heart shows love, but I only suffered a minor injury, which is nothing to mention!"
Li Zhi nodded his chin slightly: "It seems that the thieves are vicious... They were not this bad even when you went to Tibet... Do you know... do you know... the person behind Shang Gong?"
At the end of the question, even Li Zhi couldn't help but tremble in his voice.
The palace became quiet.
Deathly silence.
The ministers watched with eyes, nose and heart, but also pricked up their ears, expecting to hear that name from Li Yan's mouth, but fearful of actually hearing that name.
Wu Hou was expressionless, and even the rhythm of her breathing did not change. However, her hands folded in the palace robe were clenched tightly, so hard that her nails almost pierced her palms.
Li Yan said without hesitation: "I don't know at the moment. If I hand it over to the inner prison for interrogation, I should be able to make him answer."
Li Zhi was silent for dozens of breaths, with deep sadness on his deeply wrinkled face: "No need to interrogate, behead him on the spot."
The officials' downcast faces showed disappointment, but Empress Wu did not let go of her hand.
After being married for more than 20 years, she knew Li Zhi very well.
The moment the saint gave up the pursuit, he actually determined that the instigator behind it was inseparable from him.
There is no more love between husband and wife, there is only the pure identity of emperor and empress.
For the sake of the overall situation, it is impossible to abolish the queen at this time, let alone convict.
Empress Wu is not Mrs. Gou Ge. She can imitate Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and kill his mother to establish a son. She is the orthodox queen whose mother has been worshiping the world for twenty years. In a sense, the identity of the prince's eldest son is based on her identity. Once Empress Wu is convicted
, it is undoubtedly a huge blow to the prince who has the blood of Empress Wu in his body.
Even if the new emperor ascends the throne, countless disasters will still be laid.
So Li Zhi chose not to pursue the case, but that didn't mean he would tolerate it and called out: "Mr. Li."
There are many people in the court who can be called Li Gong, but the one with the highest prestige is undoubtedly Li Yiyan, who has been a minister since the Wude Dynasty. This old and strong minister came out and said: "Your Majesty!"
Li Yandao: "In the plan, Li Yiyan will go to the Interior Guard Pavilion to take up a position, and he will be promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Punishment. He will be the third rank under the Tongzhongshu family and become the Assistant Minister."
There was no need to dance on this occasion. Li Yiyan bowed directly: "Thank you for your grace."
The ministers were not surprised by this.
Li Zhi originally respected this upright old minister who never showed any favoritism, so he arranged for him to serve as the leader of the inner guard cabinet and make some merits, and then he was naturally admitted to the cabinet as the prime minister. Later, Li Yiyan went to Tubo and made meritorious service, and he was actually able to join the cabinet.
It was the great disaster in the pass and Li Zhi's unconsciousness that delayed it, and now it is being made up for.
This was just the beginning. Li Zhi went on to say: "Hao Chujun, the official is Fu Men's servant, and also the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and is the assistant minister."
Hao Chujun is not here, but the edict will undoubtedly be delivered soon.
Listening to these two being appointed as auxiliary ministers, Empress Wu's breathing finally became slightly quickened.
She is not afraid of Li Yiyan being promoted to the cabinet, and she has plenty of means to deal with it, but Hao Chujun is a veteran prime minister. She had managed to suppress him before, but now he has been reinstated.
The key is that both of them have always been against her, and the symbolic meaning of this move is too great.
Before it was over, Li Zhi continued: "Pei Sijian, the Minister of the Ministry of War, moved to the central government to write the order and became the auxiliary minister."
"Zheng Rentong, the governor of Luozhou, was promoted to the right servant of Shangshu and became the auxiliary minister."
"The minister of Zhongshu came to Heng and moved to Zuopushe, the minister of ministers, as the assistant minister."
The ministers shouted: "Your Majesty is wise!"
The auxiliary ministers arranged by Li Shimin for Li Zhi were Wen and Wu. Wen was Changsun Wuji, who was the Taiwei and the school inspector, and Wu was Li Ji, who was responsible for the third division of Kaifu Yitong.
Now Li Zhi has appointed five auxiliary ministers and five prime ministers in one go. It seems that he has more trust, but in fact he has divided the powers of each minister, making it easier for the prince to control the affairs of the court after he takes office.
Li Zhi was very familiar with the behavior of suppressing the power of his ministers, and the ministers were already used to it. After all, they had been secretly fighting with this saint for more than twenty years. The key is that this kind of behavior paving the way for the prince relaxed the ministers who wanted the stability of the court.
tone.
There won't be any mess.
After Li Zhi finished arranging the prince's auxiliary ministers, his whole spirit weakened again, and then he looked at the figure with a high bun next to him.
In Empress Wu's eyes at this time, there was no unnecessary tenderness, no confidence in her determination to win, but only a touch of serious sincerity.
This was her daily state when dealing with government affairs. For eight hours, every day, the complicated situation in the court could always be resolved in her hands, and Li Zhi knew it all too well.
In comparison, the prince is kind but in poor health. He is unable to face the complicated situation in the court, and he cannot bear the workload that a saint should have. Maybe no matter how well Li Zhi arranges it now, he may still have power before long.
Will be stolen by the ministers.
Therefore, in the past few months, Empress Wu has been repeating something in Li Zhi's ears, which is, "If military and national affairs are to be continued, it must be done with the help of the Queen."
This does not mean that she can decide military and state affairs. It means that if she cannot decide on military and state affairs, the new emperor can refer to her opinions.
This degree of control is very good. If it were another woman, such vague power would be almost non-existent, but it was enough for Empress Wu.
She believes that as long as she has a suitable entry point, no one can stop her in the field she is best at.
Li Zhi was really thinking, without any personal feelings involved, purely from the perspective of Li Tang's rule of the world, and in the most rational way, considering all the variables that might happen in the future.
The prince's body, the prince's pregnant but unborn heir...
Without her own control, the Queen's actions in power...
And the young man who dared to scold the queen head-on
Although there are still consequences, everything cannot be perfect after all, so this may be the best way.
Finally, he said: "If there are any undecided military and state affairs... choose the queen..."
Hearing this, Empress Wu's heart dropped.
What she and "Zuo Ming" said at that time was indeed correct, she made the right bet!
But then, an incredible-sounding sentence came into my ears: "Take the queen and the internal guards to send Li Yan forward and stop."
Empress Wu froze and couldn't believe her ears.
Not to mention that Empress Wu was dumbfounded, even the officials were in a commotion.
what is this?
Li Yan was startled.
In the past, he could assist the prince in supervising the country, but it was impossible for him to become an assistant minister. His official position, qualifications and prestige were not enough.
But at this time, Li Zhi glanced at Empress Wu indifferently, then completely moved his eyes away and fell on Li Yan: "Yuanfang...you...come here!"
Li Yan walked up the steps and came to the couch. He looked at the dim-eyed, extremely old saint and said in the loudest voice possible: "The plan is to move... The inner guard should send Li Yan... with high skill... inside
Leader of the Wei Pavilion... enter General Zhongwu... and serve as Captain of Qingchao..."
The officials were moved.
The leader of the inner guard pavilion!
On the fourth rank, General Zhongwu!
Also be awarded a title?
Li Zhi stretched out his palm: "Yuanfang... Yuanfang..."
Li Yan stretched out his hand and held it.
For the sake of power, His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, who single-handedly cultivated the political monster Empress Wu, and then was betrayed by her, used up his last strength to say: "I...believe in you...you can serve the people...assist the new emperor...you are young and in a high position...
…It’s not a good thing… I’ve… sorry to so many people in my life… In the end… I’ll still feel sorry for you…”
Li Yan had mixed feelings in his heart. This man had been playing tricks of power since the first meeting. At first, he deliberately ignored him and pushed him to the prince's side to keep him in check. Later, he discovered the value and then entrusted him with important tasks. He gradually trusted the saint. In his life,
At the very end, he actually said such a sentence.
In any case, Li Yan nodded solemnly: "Your Majesty, please rest assured that I will live up to your Majesty's trust and work with other ministers to assist the new emperor and create a prosperous age of the Tang Dynasty!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a lightness in his hand.
The skinny palm hung down feebly.
…
Li Zhi, whose courtesy name was Shan, died in the Harmony Hall of the Daming Palace in Chang'an in AD 674, the fifth year of Xianheng.
He died at the age of forty-seven. His temple name was Gaozong and his posthumous title was Emperor.
Tang, the world's most powerful empire, has opened a new chapter.