Datang: Rebirth of Li Chengqian, the beginning of the treason interrogation

Chapter 172 In the Name of Clearing the Court
Soon, Liu Rengui's expression became extremely solemn, and he carefully examined the imperial edict in his hand.

This is indeed a genuine imperial edict. The seal and handwriting are traceable.

The entire Liaodong region was under the control of Li Chengqian, and if the emperor issued an imperial decree, it would definitely have to go through layers of review.

This is a secret decree!
Thinking of this, Liu Rengui couldn't help but take a breath, and beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead.

"How is the assassin now?"

Liu Rengui took a deep breath, tried to keep himself calm, and then asked the soldiers.

"Reporting to the general, the assassin has been hacked to death by us." A soldier replied respectfully.

Hearing this news, Liu Rengui breathed a sigh of relief, but his worries did not diminish. After thinking for a moment, he waved his hand to signal the soldiers to withdraw and ordered them to summon General Heichi Changzhi to discuss matters.

After everyone left, Liu Rengui sat alone in the tent, feeling as heavy as if a huge rock was pressing on him.

He knew that the situation had changed qualitatively. He was grateful for Li Chengqian's appreciation and support, but at the same time he was also a minister of the Tang Dynasty.

Now the saint has issued an edict, asking him to rebel, and Li Chengqian has the grace to give him a new life.

Liu Rengui felt torn and didn't know what to do.

If he followed Li Chengqian, he would be charged with treason.

However, if he followed the imperial edict, he would be an ungrateful person. How could he face the world? His current status and identity were given by Li Chengqian.

"Everything I have now was given by the Crown Prince. Without the Crown Prince's support, I would not be able to lead an army and stab His Royal Highness in the back."

Liu Rengui spoke to himself. He had already noticed today's events.

Since arriving in Pyongyang, Li Chengqian had been revealing information to them both openly and secretly.

All along, Liu Rengui just found it difficult to make up his mind.

Because in his opinion, the chances of winning are too low.

This time, Li Shimin's order made him firm in his stance.

"General Liu, what do you want to call me for?"

While Liu Rengui was still in deep thought, Heichi Changzhi walked in.

"This is a secret order from Chang'an!"

Liu Rengui pushed the yellow cloth on the table.

Heichi Changshang took a few steps forward and opened the imperial edict.

"General Blacktooth, what do you think?"

Liu Rengui asked tentatively.

"I, Heichi Changzhi, only know the Crown Prince Li Chengqian, not any saint. I would like to ask, what does General Liu mean?"

Heichi Changzhi became a little wary and looked unfriendly.

Baekje is now thriving under the governance of Li Chengqian. Just as Heichi Changzhi said, the people of Baekje only know Crown Prince Li Chengqian, but not the Tang Emperor Li Shimin.

In this land, Li Chengqian is their recognized leader.

"General Black Tooth, don't worry. If I had that intention, I wouldn't have given this decree to you."

Liu Rengui spoke.

"If that's the case, then we should report this matter to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, so that he won't get suspicious."

Heichi Changzhi saluted respectfully, but he still remained on guard.

"If so, I will immediately take this decree to Pyongyang to meet the Crown Prince. All Baekje affairs will depend on General Black Tooth."

Liu Rengui stood up. Now that things had come to this, he had no choice but to go all the way.

Li Chengqian is deeply loved by the people in this land. It is impossible to disintegrate him from within.

"Your Highness, bad people have secretly entered the residences of Duke Ying and King Jiangxia. Should we take action?"

Yuan Tiangang's attack was omnipresent, which also reflected the terrifying penetration ability of the Bad People.

"No rush, just wait and see what happens!"

Li Chengqian waved his hands, his own investigation department was being counter-detected.

"Lin Zhi, you need to find a way to plant our people among the other bad guys, otherwise we will be too passive."

You have to play Infernal Affairs.

It seems that Li Er did not cooperate with me.

"Reporting to Your Highness, the Bad People are already carrying out the plan!" Lin Zhi replied.

"Go down and keep a close eye on the movements of Duke Ying and King Jiangxia. Capture all suspicious people."

What choice should Li Ji and Li Daozon make?
"Greetings, Duke Ying. We are here at the order of His Majesty to rescue Duke Ying and King Jiangxia."

In the dim room, several people in night clothes suddenly appeared.

Li Ji was calm and stood up from the bed.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. However, King Jiangxia and I do not need to be rescued. We are doing well here now. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has not made things difficult for us."

Li Ji spoke without knowing why.

He had no doubts about where this group of people came from.

But wanting to take him and Li Daozon away from Goguryeo was a bit unrealistic.

"Duke Ying, this is His Majesty's order. Duke Ying is to take over the military affairs of Goguryeo and bring the crown prince back to the court for trial."

The man in black took out a piece of yellow cloth and handed it to Li Ji.

Li Ji's expression became uncertain when he saw this. Li Shimin wanted to command the entire Goguryeo military affairs with his own will and Li Ji's prestige, and he did not want the situation to escalate to an uncontrollable level.

"How did you get in? Were you discovered?" Li Ji asked.

"You don't need to worry about this, Duke of England. We will find a way to get you out of danger. Moreover, you are not the only one who received the imperial edict. His Majesty hopes that you can come out and take charge of the situation. I hope you will live up to His Majesty's trust!"

The man in black said again.

Li Ji was still hesitant. What was going on? Didn't they say they were dealing with the clans? Why did the father and son start a fight?

"I'm sorry, Duke of England!"

Several people stepped forward, lifted Li Ji up, and tried to take him away by force.

Li Daozon in another room was treated the same way.

The group of people traveled through the city of Pyongyang and perfectly avoided the patrolling soldiers.

"Your Highness, we have been caught in a trap. Shall we close the net?"

However, what he thought was foolproof had already been exposed to Li Chengqian's eyes.

"Change your strategy. Don't arrest them anymore. Follow them in secret and follow the clues. I will pull them out completely."

The other party's ability to control Pyongyang's defenses so well must be the work of more than one person, and there must be a huge organization at work.

"In addition, monitor the important generals at all levels in the army. If there are rebellious intentions or bad people, you can deal with them at your own discretion."

This was another purge operation, and Li Chengqian had given them enough time to consider.

This time, the enemy's rebellion cannot be said to be without benefits, at least it can eliminate some of the parasites.

He has invested a lot of money in The Bad Guys, and now it's time to test the results.

"If it's a high-ranking military officer, should it be solved as well?" Lin Zhi asked. This issue was rather sensitive.

"Catch them first. Also, find a group of loyal and brave men among the bad guys. I will have other uses for them."

An executive department should be established. Otherwise, the bad guys will have too much power and will have the power of life and death, which, to a certain extent, will do harm.

"Your Highness, there has been movement in the direction of Chang'an. What should we do?"

Pei Xingjian stood aside and asked calmly, his eyes revealing a hint of doubt and worry.

Li Chengqian looked into the distance silently, with a faint smile on his lips.

He had already hinted at it, but had not expressed it clearly, which made the generals under him suspicious.

"Now that things have come to this, we are rebelling!"

Li Chengqian's voice was firm and decisive, without any hesitation or burden. His eyes were as sharp as a knife, as if he had made all preparations.

Pei Xingjian's face changed slightly, but soon returned to normal. As to whether he really wanted to rebel, he still had a trace of hesitation in his heart.

"The misunderstanding between Your Highness and His Majesty may not yet be to the point where a war is necessary."

Li Chengqian walked slowly to the top of the city wall, feeling the cool breeze. He stood there quietly, staring into the darkness in the distance.

"may be!"

Li Chengqian muttered to himself, his voice low and distant. He seemed to be thinking about something, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

"However, I don't want the Tang Dynasty. Shouyue, what do you think of the Goguryeo Dynasty?"

Li Chengqian suddenly raised his hand and pointed at the vast land in the darkness.

Pei Xingjian remained silent.

Li Chengqian turned around, looked at Pei Xingjian, and smiled: "Shouyue, are you willing to work with me to rebuild the Tang Dynasty?"

Pei Xingjian took a deep breath, then nodded solemnly: "I am willing to serve your Highness!"

Their eyes met, and a tacit understanding was revealed between them.

"Your Highness has great ambitions and serves the country and the people. If you can do this, why should I care about my life?"

Pei Xingjian took a few steps forward, half a step behind Li Chengqian, making his position clear.

Li Chengqian had already obtained the throne, so he could give it up just like that. Why would he be reluctant to give up Pei Xingjian's belongings?

Tonight, Li Chengqian made his rebellious intentions clear.

The Tang Dynasty needed to be destroyed and rebuilt.

What was broken was not the entire Tang Dynasty, but the monopoly of the aristocratic clans.

"Looking back at past dynasties, which one has a fate of not only a few hundred years? Some are even shorter. It is said that whoever wins the hearts of the people wins the world. But after winning the world, how many people will care about the lives of the people? When the empire is about to collapse, they will think of that group of untouchables. I just don't want the tragedy to happen again. I am not that great. I also have selfish motives."

Li Chengqian's words were full of ease.

He has always been a little worried that once he shows his rebellious intentions, he will immediately be abandoned by his friends and relatives.

"Your Highness's mind may be unknown to us, but the prosperity and stability of Goguryeo is now obvious to all and praised by the people. We can be sure that Your Highness's ruling direction is correct."

"However, the power of the aristocratic families in the country is deeply rooted. It is even more difficult to eliminate the aristocratic families like Goguryeo did. It is no less difficult than making an enemy of the entire Tang Dynasty. Your Highness, have you thought about it?"

As a member of a powerful family, Pei Xingjian knew even more about the influence of the powerful families, which controlled the empire's economy, culture, talents, and military power.

To go to war with the aristocratic clans of the Tang Dynasty is to go to war with the Tang Dynasty itself.

"It is precisely because the aristocratic clans have been rooted in this land since ancient times and are deeply rooted that they can still survive even when dynasties change. That is why major changes are necessary. Only by getting rid of them from the root can we solve the problem once and for all."

"But don't worry, I'm not going to kill them all. As long as the clans can give up their land and follow the policy, I won't kill them all."

There are also children of powerful families in Li Chengqian's camp, which is also something to take into consideration.

"Your Highness is benevolent and a blessing to all the people!"

As dynasties changed, meritorious officials came and went, but Pei Xingjian was not worried that his direct descendants would be purged.

It’s just a reintegration of resources.

"Your Highness, if you want to raise the flag, you must have a legitimate reason, otherwise it will be difficult to gain a foothold."

A king's army must have a clear banner to win the hearts of the people, gather strength, and use it for its own benefit. No matter what the reason, it must put itself at the commanding height of morality and justice.

"Perhaps it is possible. In the name of clearing the court, we can call on soldiers from all over the country to counterattack Chang'an." Pei Xingjian made a suggestion.

In the absence of a better slogan, going to Beijing to support the king and clear out the evil officials is the most convincing reason.

"Your Highness, General Pei is absolutely right. His Majesty is in poor health now, and the power of the country has fallen into the hands of Zhangsun Wuji. We can take this opportunity to start a rebellion." Cheng Chumo expressed his support.

"Changsun Wuji usurped the throne, deceived the emperor, and framed the Crown Prince. We are doing this for justice."

Li Zhen also agrees with this view. Whether it is treason or not depends on how to define it, and it all depends on their rhetoric and banner.

Many rebellions also package their actions as just acts.

As for the soldiers and civilians at the lower level, they had no idea what was going on.

The people are ignorant and it is those in power who are causing trouble. There is no right or wrong, only win or lose.

"The time has not yet come. Strictly order all troops to prevent rebellion."

Li Chengqian looked at the excited people and said that preparations were still needed to start the uprising. Now he was just communicating with a few people and starting the advance preparations.

"Your Highness is indeed worried. Now that Goguryeo has been pacified, the soldiers are homesick and have many complaints."

Cheng Chu silently said that this was an extremely serious issue and if not handled properly, it would cause a military mutiny.

It has been two years since the call-up.

I thought that after defeating Goguryeo, I would return to the capital, but the order I received was to still guard Goguryeo.

In a foreign country, the passion of these iron-blooded soldiers gradually turned cold.

The Tang Dynasty was destroyed by Huang Chao, but the root of the disaster originated in Guilin, which was a rebellion launched by eight hundred homesick old soldiers from Xuzhou.

The reason was that the Tang Dynasty had a military system for garrisoning the border, which was replaced every two years. However, the 800 soldiers who were sent to garrison the border from Xuzhou had been waiting for six years, and no one came to relieve them. So they gathered together to rebel, killed their superiors, supported Pang Xun as the commander-in-chief, and led their troops home.

The Tang court did not take this rebel army seriously and simply sent local troops to encircle and suppress them.

However, under the command and leadership of Pang Xun, the rebels broke out of the siege several times. In a short period of time, they grew and became an uprising army of 200,000 people.

The Tang Dynasty mobilized soldiers from all over the country to suppress Pang Xun. Although the rebellion was eventually put down, the Tang court also suffered heavy losses, resulting in more military power being delegated to other places - Jiedushi.

The more than 200,000 insurgents who were defeated had no choice but to seek another way out and join another insurgent army at the time - Huang Chao.

It also became Huang Chao's underlying strength.

As a result, the Tang Dynasty was destroyed by the Huang Chao Uprising, and the root of the disaster was caused by the Pang Xun Rebellion.

Therefore, Li Chengqian attached great importance to this issue.

Even the smallest matters in the military may affect the fate of the country.

(End of this chapter)