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

Chapter 674: Heavenly Khan (Part )
In late September, the grass and leaves withered and turned yellow.

Although it is not yet the end of the year, kings and envoys from all over the world have already arrived in Chang'an in droves.

King Goguryeo, Go Bojang, even traveled thousands of miles to reach Chang'an.

Even envoys from Japan, having somehow heard the news, arrived in Chang'an at this time.

But the emperor did not see any of them.

Because Li Jing returned to the capital.

……

Golden Gate.

Li Chengqian reached out and helped the white-haired Li Jing onto the imperial carriage, before slightly raising his hand.

The imperial carriage was immediately lifted up.

Crown Prince Li Xiang and Li Jing's second son, Li Dejiang, rode on either side of him on horseback, followed by Changsun Wuji, Li Jing, and many other civil and military officials.

Countless Imperial Guards lined both sides of the long street, their expressions solemn, and then they looked at Li Jing with eyes full of reverence.

Many more Chang'an residents stood on both sides of the long street, gazing at Li Jing sitting with the emperor from a distance.

"The Duke's prestige has surpassed that of Wei Qing, the Marquis of Changping of the Former Han Dynasty." Li Chengqian looked around, his expression filled with emotion.

Li Jing bowed slightly and said with a smile, "Actually, this old minister envies the Duke of Yanmen more. He was granted a fiefdom to offer sacrifices to the sea and erected a stone tablet to commemorate his achievements. His deeds far surpass those of the Marquis of Champion!"

“That may be true, but the Duke of Yanmen is far inferior to the Duke of the State. I hope that he can one day be like the Duke of the State and govern the Western Tuyuhun. That’s why I came up with this plan.” Li Chengqian looked up and said, “If the Duke of Yanmen wants to be comparable to the Duke of the State, I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until he destroys Tubo.”

Upon hearing the name Tibet, Li Jing's expression immediately turned solemn, and he said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Tibet has been managing its affairs diligently in recent years and is already showing signs of prosperity."

“It’s alright.” Li Chengqian shook his head slightly and said, “Only when he shows signs of prosperity will he come down from the plateau and take the initiative to get involved in the affairs of the Western Turks. Only then will we be able to destroy him.”

"Then Du Fengju?" Li Jing immediately understood the meaning behind Li Chengqian's words.

"That's Su Dingfang's business." Li Chengqian raised his head slightly.

Du Fengju was already at his limit as the Grand Protector of Anxi; to ask him to lead an army to quell a rebellion was a joke.

The real threats to the Western Turks and Tibet were Su Dingfang, Pei Xingjian, and Wang Fangyi.

Li Chengqian was well aware of what was going on here.

Before they knew it, the imperial carriage had arrived at the palace. Li Chengqian had the carriage carry him and Li Jing directly to the Zhenguan Hall.

This is the first senior official of the court to enter the Zhenguan Hall since Li Chengqian ascended the throne.

Li Chengqian sat on the imperial couch, looking at Li Jing who was taking a sip of milk, and said: "This time, when the Duke returns to Chang'an, he will not need to attend any regular court sessions except for the morning and evening court assemblies. He should sleep more and take care of his health. When he feels like it, he can go to the Eastern Palace and teach the Crown Prince some military matters."

"Your Majesty!" Li Jing looked up in surprise.

The emperor's decision to exempt him from regular court sessions was within Li Jing's expectations, given the emperor's lavish treatment of veteran officials over the years, a fact that was evident to all.

Liu Dewei, a veteran official, served as the Grand Secretary for two years before his death.

Tang Jian, like Tang Jian, did not participate in other regular court sessions, only the New Year and Full Moon court sessions.

The emperor sought longevity.

If every veteran minister lives two more years, even if he does nothing but sit there, that is the greatest help he can give to the emperor.

What Li Jing truly cared about was that the emperor had asked him to teach the crown prince military strategy, and this wasn't just a casual remark; it was a genuine instruction.

Li Chengqian raised his head slightly and said, "The Crown Prince has been married for several years now, and my princes are gradually growing up. Sooner or later, I will send them all out of Chang'an to take up their posts in the provinces. Perhaps at first they will be closer to the capital, but in the future they will all be sent to the border states, such as the Prince of Liao."

The Prince of Liao's fiefdom is in Liaozhou. Li Chengqian will inevitably make him the governor of Liaozhou in the future, and a few years later, he will be transferred to Tuzhou, or even further south.

"And then there's Prince Yong. Before the Crown Prince ascends the throne, I will send him to Tibet to keep an eye on Tibet for me, and also to take a look at India." Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Prince Yong wants to spy on India, and may even fight against India in the future. As the Crown Prince, it is necessary for him to learn some exquisite military strategies, and at least to have a sufficient understanding of military affairs."

"Yes!" Li Jing bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

The emperor was willing to send his sons to distant places not only to stabilize the country but also to reduce unnecessary competition in the court.

"The matter of the Western Turks." Li Chengqian's expression turned serious.

Li Jing smiled and said, "Your Majesty is right. Even after so many years, there are still people in the Eastern Turkic Khaganate who are dissatisfied, let alone the Western Turkic Khaganate. Moreover, the most important thing is that the area north of Tingzhou is indeed not suitable for the relocation of the entire Western Turkic Khaganate. If we force a relocation, the Uyghurs will then set their sights on Suyab.

“The Uyghurs!” Li Chengqian nodded slightly. The Eastern Turks were gone, and the Western Turks and Xueyantuo replaced him. The Xueyantuo were gone, and the Uyghurs replaced him.

Now that the Western Turks are gone, the Uyghurs' ambitions have been rekindled, and it seems that the borders of the Tang Dynasty will never be peaceful and stable.

"Let's take it slow," Li Chengqian said with a smile. "With so many civil and military officials in the court, we are more than capable of solving any problems that may arise in the future. Even if we are truly feeling our way across the river, I have enough confidence." "Your Majesty is absolutely right!" Li Jing bowed respectfully.

"Alright, I will not keep the Duke in the palace for lunch today. Duke, go home. I think your family has been waiting for you for a long time." Li Chengqian looked at Zhang Anan beside him and said, "Go and fetch a portion of my lunch from the Imperial Kitchen and deliver it to the Duke of Wei's residence. The whole household can enjoy it together."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Li Jing was somewhat flattered and quickly stood up and bowed.

Li Chengqian smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Dining with the Emperor is not a reward, but a punishment. I understand that. Sending him to the Duke's residence would be more reassuring... Alright, that's enough. Duke, go back to your residence. Remember to take good care of yourself."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Li Jing bowed again and said, "Your subject takes his leave."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian nodded, then watched Li Jing leave.

At this moment, Li Chengqian calmly looked to one side and said, "Come out."

From behind a huge map of the Tang Dynasty's territory on the right side of the hall, Li Xiang stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to Li Chengqian, and said, "Father!"

"You heard what I and the Duke of Wei said." Li Chengqian looked at Li Xiang and said, "Treat your younger brothers well in the future, and don't let the same thing happen between me and your two uncles."

"Your subject obeys," Li Xiang said earnestly, bowing with his hands clasped.

“While learning military matters from the Duke of Wei, local administration cannot be neglected.” Li Chengqian sighed and said, “In the past few years, I have sent Gao Zhenxing to various places for training, from county magistrate to prefect. All the administration matters of a county and a prefecture, no matter how small, have been sent to the Eastern Palace. Then the Eastern Palace will send many strategies to the local areas.”

Li Xiang nodded slightly; that was what he had mainly been doing for the past few years.

“It seems that Gao Zhenxing is in charge of the local affairs, but in reality, it is you, the Crown Prince, who is in charge.” Li Chengqian pointed at Li Xiang and then said, “When Gao Zhenxing has governed the three prefectures well, I will try to appoint him as the Chief Administrator of the Grand General’s Office. At that time, you can try to look at the world from the perspective of the Dao.”

"Here you go!" Li Xiang immediately felt a heavy weight on his hands.

Local governance is not easy, as can be seen from the numerous local affairs that Gao Zhenxing dealt with when he served as a county magistrate.

Governing a state is even more difficult. Although Gao Zhenxing has gradually gotten the hang of it over the years, there is still a long way to go before he can govern it properly.

“Once all this is done, I will let you begin to serve as a true regent crown prince.” Li Chengqian sighed and said, “Once you have served as regent crown prince well and have managed things properly inside and outside the country, I can retire to the position of Regent and enjoy my old age with your mother.”

“Father!” Li Xiang couldn’t help but interrupt Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "When I get old, if I cling to power and refuse to step down, I will probably make mistakes often. This is not what a wise and virtuous ruler should do. Therefore, withdrawing at the most appropriate time is the best way to answer to Heaven and the world."

"Yes!" Li Xiang bowed solemnly.

“Study hard, and if you ever reach that point in the future, you must follow this example. This is an ancestral precept!” Li Chengqian raised his head solemnly.

"Your subject obeys." Li Xiang bowed again.

Li Chengqian waved his hand gently, and Li Xiang immediately bowed and said, "Your subject takes his leave."

"Ok!"

As soon as Li Xiang left, Su Shu came out of the inner palace and looked at Li Chengqian with displeasure, saying, "How can Your Majesty teach your son like this?"

Li Chengqian looked out of the hall and said softly, "Empress, if we are both here, there will be no problem. But if one of us is missing, the world will be in trouble. Father and grandfather were no different."

Su Shu fell silent for a moment, then looked up and asked, "If that day really comes, will Your Majesty really be willing to give it up?"

"Yes!" Li Chengqian nodded and said with certainty, "I value my reputation in history above all else."

Su Shu nodded slowly; she could tell that the emperor truly thought so.

At least for now.

……

On October 15th, the army returned to the capital.

The Crown Prince, acting on behalf of the Emperor, welcomed Duke Cheng Zhijie of Lu State outside the city, while Duke Liang Jianfang of Yanmen County returned to the capital as a capable man.

Then they offered sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Inside the Zhenguan Hall, Li Chengqian and Su Shu boarded the imperial carriage at the same time and then slowly headed towards Chengtian Gate.

“Back then, when the Duke of Wei destroyed the Eastern Turks, it was I who led him to perform the sacrificial ceremony at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Then, Father Emperor received Jieli, as well as the rulers and envoys of various foreign states at Chengtian Gate. They collectively submitted a memorial, honoring Father Emperor as the Heavenly Khan. This year, all the ceremonies will be modeled after those of Father Emperor on that day.” Li Chengqian turned to look at Su Shu.

As the Empress, Su Shu will be by her side today.

After hearing what Li Chengqian said, she couldn't help but sigh softly: "Heavenly Khan, Your Majesty has become the true ruler of all the lands and countless kingdoms."

"Yes, this is the Heavenly Khan." Li Chengqian raised his eyes and looked towards Chengtian Gate, where countless officials were already bowing in anticipation.

That moment is about to arrive.

(End of this chapter)