Before the funeral was completed, Fang Jun and Li Tai took the first step to say goodbye and rode back to Chang'an with their own soldiers. They arrived at Xuanwu Gate and showed a seal to open the city gate. After entering the palace, they went straight to Wude Palace.
The drizzle was falling, and the renovation project in full swing in the Tai Chi Palace was temporarily suspended. Bricks, cement, and wood were placed everywhere, and facilities similar to scaffolding were built on the outer walls of many palaces. A few servants came in and out to clean up various palaces.
, Nuoda’s Tai Chi Palace looks decadent and messy, like a large construction site...
When he arrived outside Wude Hall, a chamberlain had already come forward to greet him. He carefully prepared warm water and a handkerchief for him. Fang Jun took off his bag and handed it to the chamberlain. After washing and drying his face, he strode into the palace.
There were not many people in the hall, the prince was in the middle, on the left were Xiao Yu, Cen Wenwen, Li Jing, Liu Jie, on the right were Yuwen Shiji, Li Daozong and others.
When Fang Jun entered, he first came forward to greet the prince, and then saluted all the big men present. Everyone stood up one after another, with gentle smiles and sincere words, and returned the gifts one by one. No one dared to underestimate this man who had just passed his prime.
The young man became a young man, not because of Fang Jun's official title, but because of his hard-earned achievements.
Yu Wenshiji looked at the heroic and handsome face in front of him, felt the calm and strong confidence in his movements, and was filled with emotions in his heart.
Who would have thought that the number one dude in Chang'an, who ran rampant in Chang'an a few years ago and acted recklessly and was even ridiculed as "a disaster to Chang'an" by the good guys, would now be a man of great influence like a white jade pillar holding up the sky in the Tang Empire and a purple golden beam bridging the sea.
He has a heavy army, which is powerful to both the government and the public. Externally, he can resist the invaders and defend the territory. Internally, he can intimidate the four sides. He holds the sky to protect him, just like a prince...
…
When Fang Jun took his seat, Li Chengqian spoke in a gentle tone. He first ordered his chamberlain to serve Fang Jun some fragrant tea, and then asked, "Did the funeral go well?"
Fang Jun took the hot tea from Wang De and put it on the table in front of him, and replied respectfully: "With the officials from the Ministry of Rites, Taichang Temple, and Zongzheng Temple in charge, everything is going well, but the current situation is unstable and nothing can be done.
Sorry, the funeral is too simple."
The king and his ministers were silent, understanding what Fang Jun meant.
Since ancient times, chaste women have been highly praised by both the government and the public. Although it has not reached the level of perversion as in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it is still regarded as an extremely noble thing. Concubine Xu is young and beautiful, has a beautiful bell, and is a decent person.
She is as gorgeous as a flower at an age, but she can be so chaste and brave, commit suicide and follow His Majesty under the Nine Springs. She should be given the most solemn courtesy. Obviously, the simple funeral at the moment is too slow...
Li Chengqian nodded slightly and said in a deep voice: "I am free to make my own decision on this matter, and I will not treat Concubine Xu lightly."
For concubines, the highest courtesy is naturally to be "buried with the imperial mausoleum". At present, Concubine Xu is only temporarily buried near the imperial mausoleum on Jiuwei Mountain. When her father's coffin is transported back to Chang'an for burial, Concubine Xu will be moved to the imperial mausoleum.
He is also worthy of such courtesy...
…
This matter can only be dealt with later. Li Chengqian picked up the tea cup and took a sip of tea. Xiao Yu then said to Yu Wenshi: "I wonder if Guan Long has made a decision about His Highness the Crown Prince's previous conditions?"
Yu Wenshi sat upright, nodded and said: "That's right."
Looking at Li Chengqian, he said: "This military remonstrance was wrong in Guanlong, which caused Guanzhong to be devastated by the war and the people suffered serious damage. I really feel guilty and am willing to donate 80% of each family's property to rebuild Guanzhong and relieve the people."
, let’s express our feelings.”
Previously, Li Chengqian's intention was to "confiscate" 80% of Guanlongmen's property. Now Yu Wenshiji proposed a "donation" with a different nature, but the result is the same. Now that Guanzhong is dilapidated and the Great Wall is in ruins, a huge amount of money and food are urgently needed to support reconstruction. Guanlongmen
The industry is really too important...
Therefore, Li Chengqian only considered it briefly, and there was no need to compare penny and penny. He nodded and said: "Yes."
Yu Wenshi continued: "Guan Long is deeply aware of the damage this military remonstrance has brought to Guanzhong, so he is willing to respond to His Highness's call and completely abandon private soldiers. From now on, except for the corresponding personal guards that can be obtained by the title, he will never
Rather than raising a single soldier, I am willing to give up the centuries-old traditions of each family for the long-term stability of the empire."
Fang Jun shook his head, laughed, and took a sip of tea.
These are clearly mandatory requirements of the East Palace. Guan Long also knows that he has to agree, but he insists on giving a high-sounding reason. It is not forced in name, but voluntary... It seems to be able to eliminate some negative effects, but in fact
Too petty.
Li Chengqian didn't care about this: "Yes."
Yu Wenshiji breathed a sigh of relief. The prince could allow Guanlong to save some face. Obviously, he did not hate Guanlong's mutiny and wanted to put Guanlong to death. This must not be too harsh on the last point...
He said: "Finally, we discussed and sincerely requested His Highness to retain the title of Guanlong Honorable Lord, and Zhao Guogong to serve as an official and return to the countryside to live in seclusion."
The hall fell silent for a moment, and everyone looked solemn.
Retaining the title of Guanlong Lord means giving up the accountability for this mutiny. Even those Guanlong children who have been arrested must be released. Otherwise, it does not make sense from the legal point of view. It is impossible to convict those Guanzhong children and send them to the frontier.
, on the other side, a group of Guanlong bosses were acquitted, right?
Especially for Zhao Guogong Chang Sun Wuji, the initiator of the mutiny and the culprit, if he is not blamed, the impact will be too great...
Li Chengqian frowned, thought for a long time, looked at Xiao Yu, Fang Jun and others, and asked: "What do you all think?"
Xiao Yu was silent for a moment, and when he was about to speak, Fang Jun, who was sitting opposite, suddenly said, "Wei Chen thinks it's okay."
Xiao Yu: "..."
Being silent these past few days has made me suspicious. You really want to go against me, right? Mother, our daughter of the Xiao family has been fed into the mouth of a wolf, and she is still a white-eyed wolf that looks like a human and a dog...
He hurriedly said: "I think this is not allowed. In this mutiny, Guanlong and his subordinates have no superiors and trample on the law. How is it different from treason? If it cannot be punished severely and the public is corrected, I am afraid that the majesty of the empire will be lost, causing
The people in the world have less respect for the imperial power, which will have far-reaching consequences and cause endless disasters. Your Highness, please think twice."
Even though the Guanlong clan has suffered heavy losses now, after all, it has been entrenched in Guanzhong for more than a hundred years, and its influence has already penetrated deeply into the government and the public. In all aspects of the market, as long as Changsun Wuji and the Guanlong bosses are still there, they are a force that cannot be ignored.
If the Jiangnan gentry wanted to enter the court in large numbers to fill the positions and power vacated by Guanlong, they had to uproot Guanlong, otherwise they would be restricted everywhere and find it difficult to move forward.
Li Chengqian did not make a decision, but said in a deep voice: "This is a serious matter, I will give it some thought before I make a decision."
"Your Highness is wise."
Naturally, Yu Wenshi knew that the life and death of Changsun Wuji was at stake, and the opposition within the East Palace must be very loud. Even if the prince was inclined to agree to Guan Longmen, the opponents must be dealt with privately to avoid cracks within the East Palace.
As long as Guan Long can be delayed, it doesn't matter...
…
After the ministers dispersed, Li Chengqian washed his face and was about to ask the servants to prepare lunch when someone came to report that Xiao Yu and Liu Ji were meeting...
Li Chengqian did not rush to summon them, but changed into regular clothes under the service of the chamberlain, and then invited Xiao Yu and Liu Jie to the side hall to receive them.
After the ceremony, the two of them sat down and Li Chengqian said warmly: "What do you two dear ladies need to do?"
Xiao Yu and Liu Jie looked at each other, and the latter bowed slightly and said: "Your Highness clearly knows that although Guan Long's rebellion has been defeated, his actions are abominable and his intentions are to be punished. If he cannot be completely cut off, he will be raising tigers in vain.
For the sake of trouble, please think twice, Your Highness."
Li Chengqian looked at Xiao Yu: "What does Song Guogong mean?"
Xiao Yu said: "The veteran has the same opinion. The Guanlong rebels have been in Guanzhong for more than a hundred years. They are deeply rooted and powerful. Although they have suffered heavy losses and lost their power today, their hearts are already disloyal. Once they calm down, they will definitely become more ambitious."
, it is really a huge hidden danger, and I hope that for the sake of the country and the country of the Tang Dynasty, Your Highness will not pardon Changsun Wuji and other distinguished officials like Guan Long."
The prince obviously intended to agree to Guan Long's request to pardon the family heads, which made Xiao Yu deeply uneasy.
Although Guan Long lost his private soldiers and all returned home and left the court, his strong foundation is still there, and he still has unparalleled influence, enough to influence the court. Especially Changsun Wuji, who has far-reaching strategies and a deep city.
If he continues to dominate the Guanlong clan, it will surely become a stumbling block for the Jiangnan gentry to control the court.
When the East Palace was in danger, he still persisted. It was a huge gamble. But now that he won the gamble, he still had to fight with Guan Long. How could he bear it?
Originally, relying on the background of the Jiangnan gentry, they would gradually rise in the imperial examinations in the future, and more and more Jiangnan children entered the court. However, once they lost the bet, they completely broke with Guanlong. At least within half a century, all Jiangnan children would be
Stay away from the court...
Li Chengqian pondered for a moment and tried to persuade the two of them: "Changsun Wuji is guilty of treason and deserves death. However, the current situation seems to be stable, but in fact the undercurrent is turbulent. As the prince who is alone in supervising the country, he should focus on the overall situation.
It is not a bad idea to be expedient. The top priority is not to hold anyone accountable or to destroy whose family, but to rebuild Guanzhong and restore people's livelihood. This is a matter of great justice and cannot be compromised."
How could he be willing to bypass the Guanlong clan? Starting an army and plotting rebellion was an unforgivable crime in all dynasties, and the annihilation of the three clans was the right thing to do!
But as the prince who oversees the country, he had to put the overall situation first when his father had passed away. It was easy to destroy Guanlong, but then he had to face Jiangnan alone, and Shandong and other powerful families came to Beijing in large numbers to seize power.
, is really alone.
Letting go of Guan Long at this time, no matter what Guan Long thinks in his heart, he will definitely support him closely for a long time and help him control the government.
After all, as a king, you have to understand the importance of "balance". The powerful families in Jiangnan and Shandong are advancing and retreating together. The threat to him as the prince is really too great, especially when Li Ji has a heavy army, he must support him.
Guan Long resisted.
Moreover, although Guanlong's rebellion was tantamount to conspiracy, it was only to "abolish the prince and establish a new prince". It was not a conspiracy to usurp the throne. In essence, it could avoid the majesty of the law. As the prince in charge of the country, it was pardoned, which makes perfect sense...
…
As for whether raising tigers will cause trouble in the future, he is not worried. After this battle, Guan Long's foundation in the army has been uprooted. He will not be able to get involved in military power for decades. The private soldiers in the clan have been wiped out. How can he threaten everyone?
King of the country?
Without the army and military power, no matter how prosperous the clan is, it is nothing more than a paper tiger...
He only needs to rely on Fang Jun and Li Jing to tighten his military power, and then he can sit back and relax.
Xiao Yu's heart sank. He realized that the prince was not as wary of the Jiangnan nobles as Guan Long. This was a huge blow to the ambitions of the entire Jiangnan nobles.
The way of a king is all about balance. It is obvious that the prince wants to use Guanlong as a sword to curb the development of the Jiangnan gentry...