Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 458 The Emperor's Grace is Boundless, and Courtesy Extends to the Young and Handsome

Leaving aside the Zhang family's banquet, after returning to Xingqing Palace in the South, Gao Lishi went straight to the Hua'e Tower where the Emperor was.

"Father, Lord Huo went inside to speak with the Emperor for about fifteen minutes, and soon left the Flower Calyx Tower. He looked disappointed..."

He had just arrived outside the building when a waiting eunuch quickly came forward to greet him and quietly reported what he had just seen.

While the eunuchs might not be as physically strong as those at the North Gate, they had the advantage of keen eyesight and were constantly around the emperor. They could keep abreast of all personnel changes and relay the information quickly and effectively. This advantage was something the soldiers at the North Gate could not match.

Upon hearing this report, Gao Lishi couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief. The Emperor's sudden summons of Wang Maozhong in the middle of the night had truly taken him by surprise.

However, the meeting lasted only a little over fifteen minutes, so it's unlikely that anything important was discussed. Moreover, Wang Maozhong left with a lingering sense of unease, suggesting that this audience with the emperor had not yielded his desired outcome.

However, Gao Lishi did not completely relax. After learning that the emperor had not yet gone to bed, he lowered his head and hurried into the Hua'e Tower.

The Hua'e Tower was still brightly lit. Although it was dark, the Emperor showed no signs of fatigue and was still reviewing memorials at his desk. When he heard footsteps, he looked up and saw Gao Lishi hurrying in. He then said with a smile, "I heard from the servants that the General has returned to his residence. Why are you here in the palace again?"

"Upon hearing that Lord Huo had come to see me, I feared that he might have something else to say, so I hurriedly returned to the palace to await his questioning."

Gao Lishi did not conceal the fact that his eunuchs had tipped him off, and he truthfully reported his concerns to the emperor. He knew that the emperor was wise and powerful, and that it was better to be frank and honest than to try to conceal the truth. This way, he could avoid any pretense, and the emperor would not care about such trivial matters.

As expected, after hearing this, the emperor did not pursue the matter further. He simply gestured for Gao Lishi to come closer and pointed to a memorial on the table, saying, "Now that the general has returned to the palace, there is a matter here that you would like to discuss with me."

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi hurriedly went to the side of the imperial desk. Seeing that the emperor nodded slightly, he reached out and picked up the memorial on the desk and slowly unfolded it. When his gaze focused and he saw the contents of the memorial clearly, his expression suddenly changed. It turned out that this was Wang Maozhong's memorial requesting to resign.

"This... Mao Zhongta... Could it be that Lord Huo intends to resign in order to beg for leniency for his son?"

Gao Lishi's mind raced, and the only possibility that came to mind was this. He quickly said, "This matter is very inappropriate! The court established civil and military positions precisely to allow people of all kinds of talents to serve the country. Even the Eight Deliberations Regulations do not allow one to use their position to absolve themselves of their crimes! Moreover, Young Master Huo's crimes of forming cliques and secretly visiting the Eastern Palace are truly heinous!"

Gao Lishi knew that Wang Maozhong was power-hungry and would never resign his position for the sake of a mere son's life. It was more likely that he was feigning resignation to gain the emperor's understanding and leniency. Gao Lishi simply refused to believe that Wang Maozhong truly wanted to resign!
However, before he could denounce the man's hypocritical and deceitful behavior, the emperor spoke up again, saying, "He did not make such a request, so does the general think I should grant his request?"

"N-nothing? This..."

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi was momentarily stunned. He was secretly delighted, but also felt a sense of disappointment at having unleashed his full power only to miss.

He had already devised a complete strategy targeting Wang Maozhong and the Northern Army, but unexpectedly, Wang Maozhong resigned, leaving him unable to carry out his various schemes. While this saved him from a struggle, did it also mean that other schemes targeting the Northern Army would be difficult to gradually implement?

Because the Emperor was still gazing at him, Gao Lishi had no time to process his thoughts or ponder them carefully. After a brief hesitation, he shook his head repeatedly and said, "This is unacceptable, truly inappropriate! Although Lord Huo's son has broken the law, and Lord Huo certainly has a duty to discipline him, the North Gate concerns the Emperor's safety. If Lord Huo is dismissed, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to properly take over the matter in the short term. The Emperor's safety is the foundation of the nation, and I believe that Lord Huo should not be dismissed at this time!"

Upon hearing Gao Lishi's reply, the emperor raised an eyebrow slightly and then said, "Does the general truly think this? Does the safety of the imperial palace depend on this one person?"

"Although Lord Huo enjoys the utmost honor, upon closer examination, he is nothing more than a former servant of a manor, whose only advantage lies in his long tenure and shallow reputation. A sudden dismissal will inevitably cause doubt among the people, but if the matter is handled slowly, he can choose to stay or leave."

After thinking it over, Gao Lishi decided to use the method of instigating infighting within the North Gate. Moreover, since the Emperor had repeatedly asked him about this, he probably hadn't made up his mind to take this opportunity to capture Wang Maozhong.

If we insist on eliminating Wang Maozhong, and then any unrest occurs regarding the guards at the North Gate, who will be held responsible? It is clearly wrong to put the Emperor's safety at risk for the sake of our power struggles!

Upon hearing this, the sage smiled with satisfaction and exclaimed, "The general is truly admirable for his loyalty to the emperor and the country, and for his meticulous planning! It's just a pity that not everyone possesses such a mindset!"

He took Wang Maozhong's resignation letter from Gao Lishi, casually tossed it aside on the side of the imperial desk, and then said, "Maozhong requests to resign from his current post and requests the position of Minister of War. He says that with war raging on the borders, the Grand Secretary, who is responsible for many affairs, may not be able to handle military matters properly. The most important matters of the state are sacrifice and war. He lacks talent in ceremonies, but only has some military skills. He wishes to share my burdens and serve me loyally." Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi's eyes widened again. He had been pondering what kind of scheme Wang Maozhong was up to, but he never expected it to be such a far-fetched idea!

"This is absolutely unacceptable! This servant is merely using a feigned retreat as a pretext for advancement!"

Without hesitation, he bowed to the side of the imperial desk and said urgently, "The number of soldiers in the Northern Gate is increasing daily, and the methods for selecting and replacing them are becoming more and more complicated. Mao Zhong's confidants are all over the Northern Gate, and regardless of whether they have been dismissed or not, they all share a common bond. Now, if he is in charge of military selection, it means he wants to include both inside and outside the gate. His intentions are hard to fathom!"

The sage listened to Gao Lishi's urgent advice, his eyes flashing with cold light. After a while, he said in a deep voice, "As the general says, we should proceed slowly."

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi's heart skipped a beat. Did the sage mean that he had already decided to eliminate Wang Maozhong, but was just waiting for a more suitable opportunity?

He suppressed his excitement and continued to calmly analyze: "Times have changed and circumstances have shifted. Some may say that Mao Zhongdian is astute, but upon closer inspection, there are many problems with the North Gate that are difficult to eliminate! An old man with white hair is inside holding a spear, while young men are idle in the house. Is this a good state for guarding the city?"

He paused briefly, then subtly observed the emperor's expression. The emperor frowned slightly, tapped his finger on the imperial desk, and then said softly, "Continue."

Seeing that the emperor was not averse to this, Gao Lishi was secretly pleased and immediately put forward Zhang Dai's proposal to gradually rejuvenate the guards at the North Gate through the method of "extending grace and sharing hereditary privileges".

After listening to this idea, the sage pondered for a while, then relaxed his brow, clapped his hands and said with a smile, "This plan is in line with the original meaning, comforting the old ministers, rewarding the young and strong, and without wasting any time. It is truly ingenious! The general's idea is brilliant and can truly benefit the matter."

Seeing that his plan had won the Emperor's approval, Gao Lishi was secretly delighted. After thinking for a moment, he continued, "The reason I made this connection is because I recently heard about the dispute within the Secretariat and Chancellery regarding Zhang Dai's appointment. Lord Xiao argued that his qualifications were still insufficient and that he was unwilling to be promoted. Yuwen and Pei both strongly advocated that he was no ordinary talent and should be given special consideration. Sure enough, not long after taking office, he has already made a name for himself in the court. This has led me to reflect on the matter. Where can one find a talented young man who has failed to live up to expectations..."

"Excellent, excellent! If you weren't so devoted to the affairs of state, how could you be so quick to draw inferences from one instance to another! I am very pleased to have the General by my side to discuss matters tonight!"

The sage then smiled and said, “Zhang Dai is a man of great talent, but Xiao Song’s assessment is not entirely inaccurate. In this case, the General learned something from his deeds, but this man, though trapped, could not express his feelings. It is clear that he is still inexperienced and not yet capable of handling important matters.”

Upon hearing the sage's words, Gao Lishi felt a sudden panic.

He had originally intended to use Zhang Dai's plan for his own purposes, and incidentally mention his name to the Emperor, hoping to gain his favor. However, he hadn't expected it to cause such a misunderstanding. And this young man was no ordinary person who had disappeared from the Emperor's court. If this misunderstanding were to be exposed one day, the Emperor would be embarrassed, and someone would likely be filled with unease.

After a moment's thought, he quickly added, "It's not entirely the boy's fault for his short-sighted scheme. After offending Mao Zhongzi, he blamed Zhang Dai for this. The two sides already had a grudge, and Mao Zhongzi even went to the Censorate to make a scene and intimidate them. How could a lowly official like him be at peace being frightened by his superior like this!"

Upon hearing this, the sage frowned again. After pondering for a moment, he spoke again: "It seems that this man is deeply favored by the general, who also shows him great favor and is quite sympathetic to his illness. If you are worried that he might be difficult and discouraging, you might as well send three or five male and female palace servants to his residence to give him, so that he can have his own way of life."

"This emperor's kindness is boundless, and his courtesy extends to such a young and talented man; how dare I claim it as my own!"

Having secured some benefits for the young man, Gao Lishi felt less embarrassed. At least when the matter came to light later, the young man would have difficulty blaming him for it.

"It's alright. Although this young man is inexperienced, he often has ingenious ideas that can benefit people. He is not yet mature enough to advise the country. Let him be placed under the General for me to train him. It's not too late to bring him in when he is ready."

The sage then said with a smile that although he admired Zhang Dai, he still regarded him as a clever and perceptive young man. Although he valued kindness and righteousness, he was also impulsive and rash in his actions. He still needed to be tempered before he could be entrusted with important responsibilities.

"Then I must visit Lord Yan tomorrow to convey this imperial decree and ask him for some money for disciplining his young disciple!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi chuckled and said, while the Sage shook his head slightly and said, "The Yan family is wealthy; not just a little, but abundant!"

(End of this chapter)