A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 661 Forcing the Emperor to Abdicate on the Dragon Boat at the Sea Pool

The sixth year of the Wude era, the year of Guiwei.

The fourth day of the sixth lunar month is not a good day. People say that the fourth day of the sixth lunar month is unlucky, as it is considered an inauspicious day.

The Imperial City, the Secretariat.

Under the eaves of the courtyard,

Li Yi, Wei Zheng, and Ma Zhou were just admiring the beautiful sunrise when suddenly a thunderclap rang out.

"On the fourth day of the sixth lunar month, the Thunder God unleashes his power!" As Wei Zheng uttered these words...
The color of heaven and earth changes,

Suddenly, sand and stones flew, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and then a torrential downpour began.

This day was truly unpredictable and capricious.

The Chamberlain Chen Shuda was soaked to the bone, but as soon as he ran into the corridor, he saw the Yellow Gate Attendant Wen Daya accompanying Li Yi.

Chen Shuda was a little surprised.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a row of armored soldiers holding spears standing under the corridor.

Li Yi smiled and handed a towel to Chen Shuda, saying, "Duke Jiang, you're a step too late."

Chen Shuda took the towel and wiped away the rain. "The weather in June is like a child's face, changing in an instant. Does the Prince of Dai remember that he is still the Minister of Works and Attendant-in-Ordinary and that he has come to the Secretariat?"

Li Yi chuckled. "Yes, I'm acting on orders."

Wen Daya stepped forward to help Chen Shuda wipe away the rain, while briefly explaining that Li Yi had been ordered to take over the various departments of the imperial city.

Chen Shuda frowned.
"Minister Sikong, may I take a look at the imperial edict?"

Li Yi said, "It is a secret edict and password."

Chen Shuda looked at Wen Daya, but Wen Daya only uttered a sound.

“This is against the rules.” Chen Shuda removed his soaked turban and looked directly at Li Yi. “What does the Prince of Dai intend to do?”

Looking at the towering waterfall, Li Yi said, "Duke Jiang, the world has changed."

After tidying his hair, Chen Shuda asked someone to bring him an umbrella, as he wanted to go to the palace to meet the emperor.

“Duke Jiang, the capital city is under lockdown. Only entry is permitted, no exit is allowed, and no one is permitted to leave for the time being,” Li Yi said.

"Are you trying to rebel?" Chen Shuda demanded.

Wen Daya quickly pulled Chen Shuda, "Da Diao, let's go into the public room and change into some dry clothes."

"You were with them too?" Chen Shuda questioned.

"The Duke of Dai was also acting under imperial orders."

"By imperial decree? Where is the imperial decree?" Chen Shuda was furious, his hands clenched into fists, his whole body tense.

Wen Daya was from Bingzhou in Hedong. The three brothers were once known as the Three Heroes of the Wen Clan of Hedong.

He once served as the county magistrate of Chang'an during the Sui Dynasty. Later, he returned to his hometown to observe mourning for his parents. When Li Yuan was stationed in Taiyuan, Wen Daya was invited by Li Yuan with great courtesy and became Li Yuan's secretary and military advisor.

He was in charge of important matters for Li Yuan, devised strategies, and formulated plans to raise troops to rebel against the Sui Dynasty, thus becoming Li Yuan's confidant.

After Li Yuan entered Chang'an, he became the Yellow Gate Attendant, in charge of important matters. Later, his brother Wen Dalin also entered the court as the Grand Secretary Attendant, and the two brothers were in the central government together.

He feared that sharing power with his brothers would draw criticism, so he took the initiative to resign.

He was first transferred to the position of Vice Minister of Works, and later became Minister of Works of the Shaanxi East Circuit. It was after being transferred to the Shaanxi East Circuit that Wen Daya gradually became close to the Prince of Qin, and finally firmly stood on the side of the Prince of Qin.

Now the emperor has dismissed the Grand Chancellor of Shaanxi East Circuit, and Wen Daya has entered the court and resumed his post as Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Chen Shuda was well aware that this was the emperor's expression of dissatisfaction with Wen Daya's close relationship with the Prince of Qin over the past two years.

Wen Daya smiled wryly and held onto him tightly, saying, "Duke Jiang, come inside and change your clothes. Don't catch a cold."

The old man insisted on leaving.
Li Yi stood there without moving.
Liu Shiche beckoned, and four armored soldiers came over and surrounded Chen Shuda.

"Li Yi, what are you doing?"

"Chen Da Diao, calm down!"

The rain poured down, accompanied by occasional thunder and lightning.

The world was shrouded in darkness.

Chen Shuda cursed loudly, but the officials of the Secretariat only dared to watch from afar, and no one dared to come forward.

Li Yi's reputation

And those armored soldiers wielding spears,

In addition, the authenticity of the imperial edict was questionable.
No one dares to act rashly.

Even if some people, like Chen Shuda, guessed a certain possibility, they did not stand up like Chen Shuda did.

Many of the officials under his patronage in the outer provinces were from the Sui Dynasty; they had experienced a great deal over the years.
Today is destined to be another momentous event that will go down in history.

In the wind and rain,
Several people ran out from the rain.

"The Prince of Dai".

Li Yi recognized the person as Xu Luoren, the captain of Li Shimin's personal bodyguards, a childhood friend of Wugong Villa, and one of the "Four Old Men of the Shogunate" along with Hou Junji, Qiao Gui, and Duan Zhixuan.

Although Xu Luoren's official rank was not high, at this time he was only a General of Chariots and Cavalry.

However, he also came from a military family in Guanzhong. His elder brother, Xu Shixu, was one of Li Yuan's seventeen meritorious officials in Taiyuan.

Xu Luoren was most skilled in music and horse judging. Several of Li Shimin's famous horses were made by him.

"Prince of Dai," Xu Luoren, soaked to the bone but unable to hide his excitement, said, "Prince of Dai, the King of Qin sent me to tell you that the situation in the palace has been settled."

Please invite the Prince and all the prime ministers to enter the palace together.

Although this was the result Li Yi had expected, he still couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing the good news.

He also risked his entire fortune and his life.

He gestured for Xu Luoren to come to the side so he could ask about the specifics.

Xu Luoren lowered his voice, but he still couldn't hide his excitement.

Upon hearing that the Crown Prince and Prince Qi had been apprehended and were not dead, Li Yi nodded. The Emperor was also alright, though he had likely suffered quite a shock.

The three most crucial targets of this Xuanwu Gate Incident were the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Prince of Qi. Taking down the Crown Prince was the easiest part.
Yuchi Gong captured him with one hand without drawing blood.

He only brought a team of Eastern Palace guards with him today, and they were left outside Xuanwu Gate. They were unaware of his capture by the Crown Prince.

Afterwards, Li Shimin sent someone to inform Generals Jing Junhong and Lü Shiheng outside Xuanwu Gate. They led their troops to surround the group of Eastern Palace guards and disarmed them.

A sword without bloodshed.

However, when Hou Junji and Zheng Rentai went to the palace to invite the emperor and the Prince of Qi, they both fought and bled, and the battle was very dangerous.

Fortunately, many of the emperor's palace guards had fought alongside the King of Qin, and many had been prepared to turn against him at the crucial moment, thus quickly controlling the situation and taking the emperor and the King of Qin away.

However, this bloodshed is insignificant compared to the casualties caused by the King of Qin's military campaigns abroad.

"Yes, I will immediately invite all the prime ministers over."

Li Yi turned around and came to Chen Shuda. "Prime Minister Chen, didn't you want to see His Majesty? Please."

Chen Shuda looked at Li Yi with a puzzled expression, then glanced at Xu Luoren.

"Are you from the Prince of Qin's mansion?"

"I am Xu Luoren, General of Chariots and Cavalry of the Prince of Qin's Mansion."

Chen Shuda rubbed his forehead, nearly fainting. He had a fairly good relationship with the King of Qin, but he didn't want to hear this news at this moment.

"Lord Wen, help Lord Chen change into dry clothes before entering the palace."

The overall situation has been decided.

Li Yi specifically instructed Xu Luoren to lead people to notify the various government offices, including the Three Provinces, Six Ministries, Nine Temples, Five Directorates, and Twelve Guards.

Several prime ministers from the three provinces
Please bring them all to the palace.
The rest must remain in the various government offices in the imperial city and are not allowed to leave without permission.

The wind stopped and the rain ceased. These summer thunderstorms really do come and go quickly.

The sky was clear and clean.

The sun was high in the sky again.

The ground was covered with puddles that had not yet been drained.

North Gate of the Imperial City

Left Vice Minister Pei Ji, Right Vice Minister Xiao Yu, Chancellor Feng Deyi, Chancellor Yang Gongren, Chancellor Chen Shuda,
In addition, Li Yi, who also served as a court attendant,
Apart from Li Shimin, who served as both Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and Chancellor, all the other prime ministers were present.

As for Li Yuanji, who was concurrently the Grand Minister of Works and the Attendant-in-Ordinary, he had been stripped of all his official positions by the emperor because of the poisoning of the Prince of Qin, and had been confined to the backyard of the Wude Hall to reflect on his actions.

Five prime ministers

They were all invited by Li Yi's soldiers.

Pei Ji's purple silk robe with a wild goose-shaped sash looked to be torn, and there was a large footprint on his buttocks.

The Minister of Works, Duke of Wei, and Left Minister of Works glared at Li Yi, his eyes filled with a look that seemed to want to tear him apart and devour him alive.

Li Yi simply responded with a smile.

Pei Ji probably still wanted to put on airs as the prime minister in front of those soldiers, but many of those soldiers were nomadic barbarians from the grasslands. They only recognized Li Yi and didn't care that Pei Ji was the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty.

If they refuse to cooperate, drag them along; if they still won't leave, kick them in the butt.

Pei Ji learned his lesson after being kicked.

"Gentlemen, please."

Feng Deyi moved closer to Li Yi, a friendly smile on his face, "Prince Dai, what has happened?"

He could roughly guess what was going on, but he still wanted to confirm it with Li Yi so he could make a decision about his next move.

"The Crown Prince and the King of Qi plotted a rebellion, attempting a palace coup to assassinate the Emperor and seize the throne. The King of Qin discovered the conspiracy and promptly led his troops to quell the rebellion."
Now that the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi have both been captured, most of their remaining followers in the palace have also been executed.

His Majesty is safe and is currently boating on the lake. We urgently need to summon all the ministers to discuss how to handle the aftermath!

Li Yi spoke these words very loudly.

Pei Ji and the others listened intently and heard everything clearly.

The expressions on their faces all changed drastically.

Although I was somewhat prepared, I was still quite shocked when I heard the result.

Pei Ji, in particular, was deathly pale, as if he had lost his parents.

What Prince Qi's rebellion, what loyalty to the emperor, it's all just a matter of the victor taking all.

The King of Qin won.

He had the final say in everything.

Pei Ji's legs were trembling so badly that he couldn't take a step.

Li Yi gave a signal with his eyes.
Finally, two Turkic soldiers, one on each side, practically carried him away.

After the rain, a dragon boat sailed to the shore of the Taiji Palace's lake.

Li Yi arrived with several prime ministers.

The dragon boat docked.

The prime ministers boarded the ship.

Li Yuan sat idly in the dragon boat, his clothes disheveled and hair loose. His dragon robe was placed beside him, but the emperor refused to wear it.

"His Majesty!"

Pei Ji boarded the ship and, upon seeing the emperor's appearance, burst into tears, immediately throwing himself before the emperor and weeping.

I don't know how much of it is genuine or just worry about my future.

Chen Shuda, Xiao Yu, and others angrily denounced the soldiers on the ship for their disrespect towards the emperor.

Li Yuan waved his hand.
"Please have a seat, my dear subjects." His voice betrayed his weariness and exhaustion.

Li Yuan glanced at Li Yi, then looked away.

He pulled Pei Ji to sit beside him and sighed, "I never expected it to come to this. What should we do now?"

Pei Ji simply lowered his head and sighed.

On the bow deck stood Yuchi Gong, a fierce and imposing general in full armor, wielding a spear stained with blood.

We are the fish on the chopping block, at their mercy.

What more can be said now that things have come to this?

Feng Deyi stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, when the army was first raised, Jiancheng and Yuanji were not in Taiyuan and were not involved in the righteous plan. Later, when the Tang Dynasty was founded after many battles, the two of them did not contribute to the world.”

However, they were jealous of the King of Qin's great achievements and prestige, and conspired with him to commit treacherous acts.

Now that he has plotted rebellion, the King of Qin has ordered his punitive expedition and capture.
The King of Qin's achievements are unparalleled, and the entire land reveres him. If Your Majesty were to appoint him as a capable minister and entrust him with state affairs, there would be no further worries.

Li Yuan looked up and glared angrily at Feng Deyi.

Feng Deyi was so eager to show his loyalty to Li Shimin that he actually spoke ill of the Crown Prince and Yuanji, and even went so far as to characterize the matter as Crown Prince Yuanji's rebellion and treason, and the Prince of Qin's suppression of the rebellion to serve the king.

hateful.

Li Yi stepped forward.
"His Majesty,"

"Sudden unrest has occurred, and the situation is unstable both domestically and internationally. I request that an imperial edict be issued, ordering all armies, both domestic and foreign, to be placed under the command of the King of Qin."

Li Yuan remained silent.

Feng Deyi earnestly advised,
Even Xiao Yu, seeing that things had come to this point, came to persuade the emperor.

Chen Shuda had previously advised the emperor not to enfeoff the Prince of Qin to Nanning Prefecture, arguing that the Prince of Qin had rendered great service to the world and should not be demoted. He also warned that the Prince of Qin was of a fierce nature and that if he were to be suppressed, he might suffer from grief and resentment, or even fall ill. By then, Your Majesty would regret it.

In fact, this was a clear message to the emperor: Li Shimin was highly accomplished and powerful, and if the emperor was pressured too much, the Prince of Qin might take a desperate gamble, which could put him in great danger.

Now it has truly come true.

With a long sigh, Chen Shuda also advised the emperor to issue an edict.

"Prime Minister Pei, please persuade His Majesty!" Li Yi said to Pei Ji.

Pei Ji glanced at Li Yi, already showing a hint of fear.

Yang Gongren also advised the emperor that since things had come to this, the Prince of Qin should be made crown prince.

In the end, Li Yuan said helplessly, "I have long intended to make the Prince of Qin the Crown Prince."

The emperor then immediately ordered Feng Deyi, the Grand Secretary, to draft an edict, ordering Prince Qin, Li Shimin, to take control of all military affairs, both inside and outside the capital, and for all armies to be subject to the Prince of Qin's command.

The imperial edict was drafted, and Yang Gongren, the Grand Secretary, co-signed it. Chen Shuda, the Attendant-in-Ordinary, and Li Yi, the concurrent Attendant-in-Ordinary, reviewed and signed it.

"Prime Minister Pei, Prime Minister Xiao, and all the other signatures!"

The Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel also signed and stamped the document.

Finally, it was handed over to the emperor, who then approved it.

A formal process, completed in the shortest possible time.

At Li Yi's suggestion, Li Yuan agreed to send Wen Daya, the Yellow Gate Attendant, to the Eastern Palace to announce the imperial edict to the officials of the Eastern Palace and dismiss the soldiers of the Eastern Palace, together with Pei Shiju, the Crown Prince's tutor.

Tang Jian, the Chief Secretary of the Tiance Mansion and Acting Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, was dispatched to deliver the imperial edict from the East Upper Pavilion Gate.

Several people went to announce the imperial edict.

Li Yuan seemed to have all his strength drained away. He leaned against the cabin wall and said weakly, "Now,"
"Summon Erlang to see me."

(End of this chapter)