Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 4: Loyalty without absoluteness is equal to absolute disloyalty

At the beginning of the Chen hour, the sun and the moon have not yet met, and the sky and the earth are dark.

In the East Palace, the road was paved with light snow.

There was only a cleared path leading directly out of the palace.

In front of Guangde Gate, Li Anyan stood with a knife in his hand, his expression solemn.

Behind him, a bright yellow sedan chair was placed flat on the ground, with eight guards standing on both sides holding swords.

Further back, at the Chongjiao Gate, dozens of gate guards held torches and long swords at their waists, standing on guard.

……

With a creak, the palace gate opened.

Li Chengqian, dressed in a bright yellow round-necked robe with nine pythons and nine emblems, a nine-beam crown on his head, and jade ornaments and gold talismans on his waist, walked out of Guangde Gate carefully and slowly with the help of eunuchs.

Li Anyan stepped forward to support him with a worried look on his face, and only breathed a sigh of relief when Li Chengqian sat down on the sedan chair.

After carefully placing his left leg, Li Chengqian raised his head and looked towards the inner courtyard of the East Palace. He narrowed his eyes and asked, "Have you changed everything?"

"Don't worry, Your Highness. Everyone in the inner court is trustworthy." Li Anyan bowed solemnly with a serious expression.

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, but the vigilance in his eyes remained.

He spent more than half a year recuperating and digesting Li Qian's memories. At the same time, he was also thinking about where those people who had been under his command went after he was deposed.
Some people escaped and even received promotions; some were exiled but were later re-employed.

Some were directly sentenced to death; others disappeared completely without a trace.

Those who have been promoted can be used; those who have been exiled should be used with caution; those who have disappeared without a trace should never be used; those who have been sentenced to death can mostly be trusted.

Yes, only the majority.

Because even those who were sentenced to death were not necessarily completely loyal to him, because many of them were abandoned by their masters.

Or it was too late to save him.

After all, when he was deposed, Li Tai did not end up well.

The truth that exists in the fog is difficult for even him, a witness of that time, to fully understand.

He can only choose people he can trust as much as possible.

"Let's use it for now." Li Chengqian took a deep breath, looked up at the sky, and said, "The news has been released in the past few days, right?"

"In compliance with His Highness's order, they have all been released. The King of Wei should have received the news." Li Anyan bowed slightly, a hint of resentful sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"The East Palace's ceremonial procession hasn't moved today, right?" Li Chengqian turned sideways and looked at Li Anyan.

Li Anyan bowed solemnly and said, "I am only bringing eight trusted left and right guards. No outsiders are allowed to move."

"Very good, then let's set off, it's almost time." There was a hint of coldness on Li Chengqian's lips.

He raised his hand slightly, and the left and right guards on both sides immediately bowed, then bent down and lifted the sedan chair.

Li Anyan walked to the front, picked up a lantern, and whispered, "Let's go!"

The next moment, the sedan chair moved forward and headed towards Chongjiao Gate.

Li Chengqian sat on the sedan chair and couldn't help but look back.

Inside Guangde Gate, Crown Princess Su was looking at him.

Li Chengqian's tense heart finally relaxed a little. Behind him, there were always people who depended on him for life and death.

Li Chengqian placed his left hand lightly on his left leg, looking towards the Chongjiao Gate in front of him, his expression becoming serious again.

The Eastern Palace is divided into three courtyards: the outer courtyard, the inner courtyard and the back courtyard.

The Outer Courtyard was where Li Chengqian met with foreign officials and handled government affairs.

The Inner Courtyard was where Li Chengqian studied and discussed state affairs, and all the eunuchs in the Eastern Palace were allowed to enter.

The backyard is where Li Chengqian and Crown Princess Su live. No one is allowed to enter without permission.

In the backyard, everyone's life and death is in the hands of Li Chengqian. No one is allowed to enter the backyard without his permission.

He has been the crown prince since he was eight years old. Now he is twenty-one years old. Naturally, he has trustworthy people in his backyard.

These people are one with him in life and death.

But in the inner courtyard, especially after he broke his leg, people's hearts were in turmoil. Even if many people did not betray him, their loyalty to him had been shaken.

All we are waiting for is for him to be deposed.

Loyalty that is not absolute is equal to absolute disloyalty.

In the inner courtyard, Li Chengqian can only control the guards at present, and he can slowly figure out the others.

But this was enough. As for the outer courtyard, Li Chengqian, who had lived his life again, no longer had any extravagant hopes of being able to control the outer courtyard.

The Prince's Left and Right Guards are both the emperor's men, and only the Sima and the military officers of the Left and Right Guards will invest in him.

Especially those whose elders have passed away.

……

The Chongjiao Gate opened with a bang, and the sedan chair walked out steadily.

Li Chengqian, who was sitting on the sedan chair, saw Helan Chushi who had been waiting at the door for a long time.

He was dressed in red and golden armor, had an upright figure, a long sword hanging from his waist, and a resolute face. No wonder Hou Junji wanted to marry his daughter to him.

"Your Highness!" Helan Chushi saw Li Chengqian and immediately stepped forward, bowing and saying, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Although the palace gates were closed and the news could not be transmitted out, the actions inside could not be hidden from Helan Chushi, the commander of the Eastern Palace's Thousand Bull Guards.

"Helan!" Li Chengqian nodded gently, a rare gesture, and asked, "How is the situation at Chengtian Gate?"

"Your Highness, the King of Wei has arrived. The Duke of Zhao, the Duke of Liang, the Duke of Shen, the Duke of Ande, the Duke of Zheng, and the Duke of Wei have all arrived. The other ministers, ministers, assistant ministers, junior ministers, and generals have also arrived."

Helan Chushi said carefully: "If Your Highness wants to go over, now is almost the time."

Li Chengqian's expression darkened, he nodded, and said, "Then let's go."

"If Your Highness really wants to go, then go like this." Helan Chushi looked around and hesitated again.

"Let's go!" Li Chengqian turned sideways and ignored Helan Chushi.

Helan Chushi's face turned bitter, and he turned forward and said, "Your Highness, please attend the court. Open!"

A team of Qianniu Guards on both sides immediately walked quickly to the front of the sedan chair and cleared the way towards Jiade Gate.

Suddenly, Li Chengqian's eyes fell on the snow-covered figure in the snow on the left, and his right hand was raised slightly.

"Stop!" Li Anyan's voice suddenly rang out. As the sedan chair stopped, the Qianniu Guards in front and behind also stopped.

Helan Chushi walked up from the side and bowed doubtfully: "Your Highness."

Li Chengqian's cold eyes fell on Hegan Chengji: "Is he still alive?"

Helan Chushi lowered his head slightly. Li Anyan walked over quickly, gently felt his pulse under his nose, and then shook his head slightly at Li Chengqian.

When Helan Chushi saw this scene, his face became solemn. He had been frozen for three days and would have frozen to death long ago.

At this moment, Li Chengqian's voice rang out: "The person is still alive and well. Send him to the inner courtyard for treatment.

Helan, pass on the order: Guard Hegan Chengji worked hard on night duty and was nearly frostbitten; reward him with thirty strings of cash."

Helan Chushi looked up in surprise, and then saw Li Chengqian's sinister gaze falling on him. Helan Chushi subconsciously bowed and said, "Yes!"

"Very good, let's go." Li Chengqian raised his head again and looked ahead.

Helan Chushi waved his hand with complicated thoughts, and a group of Qianniu Guards immediately escorted him away.

……

Jiade Gate, Chongming Gate, and Jiafu Gate.

At the third outer gate of the Eastern Palace, at the Jiafu Gate, the Crown Prince's lieutenant Changsun Xiang was surprised to see Li Chengqian leaving in a sedan chair without any ceremonial guards.

At this moment, Li Chengqian's voice fell: "Cousin, stay and guard the palace gate."

"Yes!" Changsun Xiang immediately bowed, then watched Li Anyan and Helan Chushi escort Li Chengqian towards Chengtian Gate.

When the figures gradually disappeared, Chang Sun Xiang looked towards the depths of the East Palace in disbelief.

Isn’t it said that the prince’s leg is completely broken and he dares not attend court?
……

Chengtian Gate is not far from Jiafu Gate, only three miles away.

Just as Chengtian Gate was about to open and the morning court session was about to begin, the sound of rapid footsteps was heard from the direction of the East Palace.

Li Tai, Prince of Wei, and Li Yuanying, Prince of Teng.

Prime ministers including Duke of Zhao Zhangsun Wuji, Duke of Liang Fang Xuanling, Duke of Shen Gao Shilian, Duke of Zheng Wei Zheng, Duke of Wei Li Jing, and Duke of Ande Yang Shidao.

There were also the Imperial Court Assistant Minister Liu Li, the Secretariat Assistant Minister Cen Wenben, the Minister of Rites Li Xiaogong, the Minister of Civil Affairs Tang Jian, the Minister of Punishments Liu Dewei, the Minister of Works Zhang Liang, the Supreme Court Minister Sun Fujia and other ministers and assistant ministers who all looked at the slowly approaching sedan chair in surprise.

King Li Tai of Wei was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth.

Duke of Liang Fang Xuanling's eyes were filled with surprise and deep coldness.

In the night firelight, a pair of cold eyes looked over.

(End of this chapter)