Entering the main hall, the layout inside is exactly the same as the last royal banquet, divided into three floors.
Wu Chengsi's seat was changed from the right to the left on the second floor. The only people sitting above him were King Zheng and King Ji, and the King of England sat below him.
Next down are King Yin, Princess Taiping and several county princes. Princess Yiyang and Princess Gao'an sit at the last two.
Wu Chengsi came to his seat and said hello to King Zheng and King Ji.
Not long after sitting down, Princess Yiyang suddenly came over, knelt down next to Wu Chengsi, and asked in a low voice:
"Cousin Chengsi, why didn't Mr. Zixian come? He must be a descendant of the Wu family, right?"
Wu Chengsi was afraid that she would really fall in love with his wife, so he said: "She is my wife, she is disguised as a man, and she is with the Queen Mother."
Princess Yiyang was stunned for a moment, then her cheeks turned red and she trotted back to her seat.
At this moment, a eunuch was heard singing a promise loudly. Emperor Li Hong and Queen Pei entered the main hall from the side door and walked to the dragon chair.
Looking at Li Hong sitting on the dragon chair, Wu Chengsi thought of Li Zhi.
When Li Zhi became emperor, Wu Chengsi respected and supported him from the bottom of his heart. But when he saw Li Hong wearing a dragon robe, he could not see any majesty no matter how he looked at him, and he had no respect in his heart.
This may be why the new emperor cannot control his ministers.
If the person sitting above was a child, it would be easy for the minister to develop ambition.
"Have a banquet!"
Li Hong was very straightforward and gave the order directly, and the royal banquet began.
The last night banquet was messed up because of King Pei's conspiracy, so this time it was really a night banquet.
However, no matter how delicious the food, no matter how exquisite the dance, they no longer appeal to Wu Chengsi now.
Not long after the banquet, he ran to Su Dingfang and Li Ji, and the three of them talked about the upcoming maritime war.
Princess Taiping would listen nearby at first, but later she found it boring and ran to Princess Yiyang and Princess Gaoan.
The two of them have been in the cold palace since they were young. Although many people around them are relatives, they are not familiar with any of them. After a few polite words, there is no more to say.
Therefore, when they saw Princess Taiping coming, they were both very happy. Princess Yiyang asked: "Taiping, what are cousin Chengsi saying to those ministers?"
Princess Taiping curled her lips and said: "Of course it's about war. Ever since my second cousin became the marshal of the West, all he can think about is war!"
Princess Gao'an said: "I heard from the maids and eunuchs in the palace that cousin Chengsi was very powerful in the war, and all those barbarians were wiped out by him. Is it true?"
Princess Taiping sat down between the two of them and said with a smile: "Of course, if the second cousin did not fight well in the war, how could the late emperor let him be the marshal of the West?"
Princess Yiyang asked curiously: "What does the Marshal of the West do? Is he going to conquer any country in the west?"
Princess Taiping's eyes flashed with a cold light and she said: "Yes, there is a Tubo country to the west. Their prince is very hateful. My second cousin will go to attack them in the future!"
Princess Gao'an said excitedly: "That's right, cousin Chengsi is really amazing!"
Princess Yiyang nodded, hesitated, and said: "Taiping, will the Queen Mother... make things difficult for us because of our status?"
Princess Taiping smiled and said: "Don't worry, my second cousin and I will help you put in a good word. What happened back then is in the past."
Princess Yiyang bit her lip and nodded.
Then the two of them kept asking for various information. Princess Gaoan asked about things in the city, and Princess Yiyang asked about things in the court.
With Princess Taiping's explanation, Princess Yiyang became more and more clear about the situation in the court, and said to herself: "The situation in the court is so dangerous, my two sisters must be extremely careful, and we must not be sent back to the cold palace again!"
Then he thought: "The emperor doesn't pay much attention to my two sisters. I'm afraid I can only rely on cousin Chengsi and sister Taiping in the future. Cousin Chengsi's wife likes music, so I can make friends with her through music!"
Soon, the royal banquet finally ended.
The atmosphere of this banquet was better than before, and all the princes and ministers were very relaxed, unlike the previous banquet where they restrained themselves because of concerns about Li Zhi and Wu Mei.
Although Li Hong had many shortcomings, he was kind-hearted by nature. When he saw the ministers letting go and chatting in groups, he was not only not surprised, but also secretly happy.
At the end of the banquet, he stood up, smiled and blessed the ministers: "I wish you all a good year, and we will see you next year!"
After saying that, he and Queen Pei left the hall together.
The ministers left the palace and gathered outside the door to chat. Of course, they were not really chatting, but were waiting for their respective women to come out.
Not long after, the female family members of the Li family came over. Li Ji cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Brother Su, Chengsi, we will see you next year."
After another long while, the female family members of the Su family also came from Zichen Hall, and Su Dingfang also said goodbye and left.
Princess Taiping had already left with Princess Yiyang and Princess Gao'an.
Wu Chengsi tightened his collar, looked in the direction of Zichen Palace, and thought to himself: "Why haven't my ladies come back yet?"
At this moment, a middle-aged official with thick eyebrows and big eyes came over, cupped his hands and said: "The last general has the right to know his integrity, and pays homage to the commander-in-chief."
Wu Chengsi was slightly shocked. At this time, the Six Beiya Guards had not yet been formed, and only the Yu Lin Guards were responsible for guarding the safety of the northern city gate of Chang'an.
And this Quan Zhijie is the General of the Yulin Guards, commanding six thousand Yulin Guards.
Although the Habayashi Guards are much smaller in number than the Senniu Guards and the Jinwu Guards, they are all cavalry and are the elite among the elite.
If there is a change in the palace, they are a force that cannot be ignored.
"General Quan, there is no need to be polite." Wu Chengsi returned the gesture.
Quan Zhijie sighed and said: "It's a pity that the late emperor has an order that only the soldiers of the Sixteenth Guards are allowed to enter the Xidian camp. Otherwise, I really want to join the Xidian army and fight on the battlefield with the commander!"
His eyes kept rolling as he spoke. Wu Chengsi saw many people and knew that what he just said was untrue.
He said politely: "General Quan is responsible for guarding the capital. If you can't leave for a moment, there is nothing you can do."
Quan Zhijie sighed and said: "That's what I say, but it would be a pity that I can't kill the enemy on the battlefield."
Wu Chengsi said calmly: "General Quan, don't worry, there will always be opportunities in the future."
Quan Zhijie smiled and said: "Then we need more care from His Highness the King of Zhou."
Not long after General Yulinwei left, Li Zhiying and the others finally came over from Zichen Palace.
Li Zhiying said apologetically: "Husband, I have kept you waiting for a long time. After the Queen Mother left the banquet just now, she took the three of us to talk about the household affairs, so she came late."
Wu Chengsi smiled and said: "I won't wait for a while, let's go back."
On the way out of the palace, Xu Wenqing raised the jade plaque in his hand and said proudly: "Your Majesty, this is a reward from Her Royal Highness the Queen Mother."
Wu Chengsi took a closer look and found that there was a smiling Maitreya Buddha engraved on the jade plaque.
Wu Mei's intention in giving this jade plaque is obvious, hoping that Xu Wenqing will add a child to the Wu family!
Liu Lanshuang also had one, but she didn't take it out. She always looked at Wu Chengsi with strange eyes along the way.
Sensing the meaning in her eyes, Wu Chengsi felt hot in his heart and couldn't help but urge everyone to leave quickly and go home quickly.
After returning home, Wu Chengsi first sent Li Zhiying back to the main hall, and then went straight to Xinglan Courtyard.
When they arrived at the dormitory, Liu Lanshuang sent the maids away early.
The stove in the dormitory was warm. Liu Lanshuang took off her shirt and sat on the edge of the bed. Her exposed shoulders were all white under the candlelight.
After Wu Chengsi's eyes met her spring-like eyes, he quickly ran over, hugged her tightly, and kissed her face and neck.
For a long time, the two separated on the couch, each breathing heavily.
Wu Chengsi suddenly said: "Lan Shuang, do you know who the woman is competing with you today?"
Liu Lanshuang said: "I don't know."
Wu Chengsi smiled and said: "She is Princess Yiyang, and the other is Princess Gao'an. The two have just come out of the cold palace. When I first saw them, I felt like they were released from prison. I didn't expect that I guessed it right.
Already."
Liu Lanshuang turned her head and said, "Really?" Her tone showed no interest in this matter.
Wu Chengsi saw the lust flashing in her eyes, cheered up, and rushed towards her again.
When all the nations came to pay homage the next day, Wu Chengsi no longer had the same sense of vanity he had last year when he was receiving homage from all nations.
The court meeting was only halfway through before he resigned and left.
As soon as he left, most of the generals followed him. Li Hong felt a little unhappy, but he had nothing to do.
Wu Chengsi went straight back to his mansion. The three wives were responsible for paying New Year greetings. He locked himself in his study and concentrated on studying the strategy for attacking the Japanese country.
Others thought he just wanted to teach the Japanese a lesson, but they didn't know that he had the intention of annexation.
The Japanese country has a lot of minerals, especially gold and silver mines. Taking this island can be used as a large mine for the Tang Dynasty, and it can also promote the development of maritime trade in the Tang Dynasty through the connection between the two places.
However, after all, the Japanese country has a population of millions. It is easy to defeat them. However, occupying this small island cannot be achieved in a short time and requires a long-term plan.
For three days in a row, Wu Chengsi was in his study making plans to pacify the Japanese.
The three ladies also made arrangements for sleeping at night. They would sleep at Li Zhiying's place on the first day of each month, the next day at Xinglan Courtyard, and the third day at Qingzhu Courtyard.
The cycle begins again and again.
Three days later, the three-day holiday of the New Year ended, and on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Li Hong held a court meeting.
The venue of this court meeting was not Hanyuan Hall, but Xuanzheng Hall between Hanyuan Hall and Zichen Hall.
Li Hong was in high spirits. As soon as he went to court, he said loudly:
"Dear dear friends, yesterday I went to Liu Zhongshu's house to see Lao Zhongshu. He felt that he was seriously ill and could no longer serve as Zhongshu Ling, so he resigned from his post and asked me to retire."
"I couldn't bear to let Mr. Liu continue to suffer from his illness, so I agreed with him and asked Mr. Liu who could take his place. Mr. Liu said: Prince Zheng can take up this position!"
Dai Zhide came out and said loudly: "Your Majesty's generosity and kindness are rare among ancient and modern emperors. When Liu Gong was ill, he did not forget state affairs and recommended King Zheng to take over his post. This is admirable. This matter will surely become a good story in the future!"
Li Hong smiled and said: "Prince Zheng, don't let Liu Qing's hard work go down."
King Zheng came out and sighed: "I am ashamed to have been recommended by Duke Liu. How can I compare to Duke Liu in terms of ability? I would never dare to accept the position of official secretary."
Hao Chujun came out and said: "Your Highness Prince Zheng, since Mr. Liu recommended it and Your Majesty agreed, please don't refuse. Otherwise, some people will think that you only care about your own enjoyment and are unwilling to work on state affairs."
King Zheng sighed again and did not object anymore.
Li Chongyi said: "I second the proposal!"
Cen Changqian said: "I second the proposal!"
Immediately afterwards, all the officials came out to second the proposal. Pei Yan and Li Jingxuan looked at each other but made no move.
Wu Chengsi glanced at Lou Shide, who immediately stepped out of the queue and said loudly: "I think it's inappropriate!"
Li Chongyi said coldly: "Does Mr. Lou think that Mr. Liu recommended the wrong person, or does he think that His Majesty should not accept Mr. Liu's recommendation?"
Lou Shide said: "The old minister just thinks that there should be a process for appointing court officials. It is not just a random recommendation of someone before someone dies to take his place!"
Hao Chujun said: "Otherwise, it has been a common practice since ancient times for famous ministers to recommend talented people to take over their posts before their death, and it has even become a legend. This kind of thing was done by the ancients, but your Majesty and Mr. Liu cannot do it?"
Lou Shide hurriedly said: "This is not what I meant..."
"Okay! In that case, Mr. Lou has no objection. Your Majesty, please give the order." Li Chongyi said.
Guo Daifeng came out and said, "Wait a minute, I don't think it's appropriate either."
Li Chongyi said coldly: "General Guo, as a military general, you should not get involved in such topics."
Li Siwen smiled and said: "What Li Shangshu said is funny. According to what you said, military generals are incompetent when it comes to official appointments and removals. Does that mean civil servants can't be involved in border defense as well?"
Wu Yizong said loudly: "You are right. Above the court, if you have any opinions, just say it, what kind of civil servants and military generals should be divided! General Guo, you say it!"
Guo Daifeng said: "I would like to ask first, do you think Mr. Liu is qualified for the post of Zhongshu Ling?"
Dai Zhide said loudly: "There is no need to ask. Among the secretaries of this dynasty, Mr. Liu can be regarded as one of the best!"
Many officials frowned, feeling that Dai Zhide had gone too far. Although Liu Rengui was indeed very good, he might not be as good as several prime ministers during the Zhenguan period.
However, everyone saw that the emperor wanted to appoint Prince Zheng as the Secretary of the Central Committee, and to find fault at this time was to go against the emperor, so they all remained silent.
Guo Daifeng smiled and said: "That's easy to say, the general will recommend Li Situ as the Secretary of the Central Committee!"
Dai Zhide said angrily: "Li Situ is a military general and also serves as General Zuo Xiaowei. How can he serve as Zhongshu Ling?"
Guo Daifeng said: "Liu Gong was also a military general in the past. Didn't Dai Shilang say that Liu Gong was very qualified to be the Zhongshu Ling? In that case, why can't Li Situ be the Zhongshu Ling?"
"You..." Dai Zhide was choked.
When others heard what he said, they all thought it made sense.
In particular, Li Ji has always been good at handling relationships with ministers and rarely offends others. In addition, he has great prestige, so he can compete with King Zheng.
Li Chongyi said in a deep voice: "Gong Li is the backbone of our Tang Dynasty army and cannot be easily tampered with. It is better to let Gong Li stay in the army and let King Zheng serve as Zhongshu Ling."
Cheng Wuting came out and said: "Liu Shangshu's words are inappropriate. At the beginning, Liu Gong was also the pillar of the army, but the late emperor made him the chief secretary. Don't you think the late emperor's behavior was wrong?"
Li Chongyi's heart sank. It was obviously Wu Chengsi's order that so many military generals came out to oppose.
At this moment, Wu Chengsi came out and said: "General Guo recommends Mr. Li to be the Secretary of the Central Committee. Whoever agrees or disagrees, please express your opinion!"
Dai Zhide shouted: "I object!"
Cen Changqian said solemnly: "I object too!"
Li Chongyi was silent for a moment, thinking urgently about his words.
At this moment, Li Hong also said: "I am also opposed to it!"
Li Chongyi was startled, and just as he was about to speak, Wu Chengsi said before him: "Since Your Majesty and the ministers are in dispute, let Her Majesty the Queen Mother decide whether Li Situ can serve as Zhongshu Ling!"
Li Chongyi said anxiously: "No, the Queen Mother should be asked to decide whether Her Highness Prince Zheng serves as the Secretary of the Central Committee!"
Wu Chengsi said calmly: "That's okay. Let the Queen Mother decide on these two matters."
Li Chongyi was very worried: "Even if the matter turned into a ruling by the Queen Mother, at most it would be that King Zheng could not be the Secretary of the Central Committee. Who knew that Wu Chengsi would manipulate and drag Li Ji into it."
You don't need to think about it to know that the Queen Mother will definitely let Li Ji serve as Zhongshu Ling.
He hurriedly looked at Pei Yan, Li Jingxuan and Liu Qixian, but all three of them looked intently and had no intention of making a sound.
Before he could react, Lou Shide came out again and reported a small matter to Li Hong, which seemed to announce that the matter of Zhongshu Ling had been decided.
King Zheng frowned, feeling a little unhappy.
He actually didn't want to be Zhongshu Ling, but now that he was pushed out and opposed in person, it was like being dragged out and slapped in the face.
Things after the court meeting were all routine matters. Li Hong was very depressed because of the matter of Zhongshu Ling, and he was also listless about court affairs.
Although there were countless ministers around him who constantly encouraged him, he could never change his weak nature and could not help but shrink back when faced with a fight.
After the court meeting, Wu Chengsi came to Zichen Hall and informed Wu Mei of the results.
Wu Mei smiled and said: "That's good. Let Li Ji step forward as Zhongshu Ling first, and when the time is right, let him give up Zhongshu Ling and replace it with someone else."
Wu Chengsi frowned and said nothing.
"What's wrong, Chengsi, isn't this arrangement inappropriate?"
Wu Chengsi said: "Aunt, if we do this, aren't we taking advantage of Mr. Li? I'm afraid it will chill his heart."
Wu Mei was silent for a moment and said, "Then what do you think we should do?"
Wu Chengsi said: "Mr. Li is getting older, why not wait until he can no longer do it, and then let others do it?"
Wu Mei thought to herself: "After all, Chengsi is related to the Li family by marriage. If you ask him to do something detrimental to the Li family, he will definitely not agree."
Then he thought about Li Ji's original support for deposing Wang Liwu, so he said: "In that case, I will listen to you."
Wu Chengsi smiled and said, "Thank you very much, aunt."
Afterwards, Wu Chengsi briefly explained to Wu Mei some of the major and minor matters at the court meeting.
In fact, someone had already reported this to Wu Mei, but when Wu Chengsi told it, the aunt and nephew could talk about it.
Although Wu Chengsi wanted to go to the military camp early, Wu Mei kept dragging him to talk about various court affairs, and even explained many of her policies to Wu Chengsi in detail.
Although Wu Chengsi felt bored, he also knew that Wu Mei had good intentions and was cultivating him as his successor.
When the two of them talked about reforming the imperial examination to recruit talents, Wu Mei suddenly said: "Chengsi, the few people we trained in the Hanlin Academy can now be put to use."
Wu Chengsi smiled and said: "You can use Zhou Xing, Wang Bo, Lu Zhaolin, Du Shenyan and Yao Chong, but you can leave them to your nephew Meng Huailiang."
Wu Meiqi asked: "What do you want to use him for?"
Wu Chengsi said: "This son has considerable military talents, and my nephew wants to transfer him to the military camp."
Wu Mei snorted and said, "You have so many talented people in your army, do you still want to compete with me for Meng Huailiang?"
Wu Chengsi laughed and said: "In that case, my nephew will recommend another talent to you. You can leave Meng Huailiang to my nephew!"
"who?"
"Zhang Jianzhi!"
Wu Mei's eyes flashed, and she nodded: "I have heard a little bit about him, but I want to summon him to give him a face-to-face test first. If he is really talented, I won't want him anymore."
Wu Chengsi smiled and said, "You can take the test at will!"
Unknowingly, the two of them were talking about lunch, and Wu Mei stayed with Wu Chengsi to share lunch.
After a hearty meal, Wu Chengsi left the Daming Palace and went to the Sixteenth Guards Camp in the Imperial City to continue the work of setting up the Xidian Camp.
After another five days, on the ninth day of January, Wu Chengsi's 50,000-strong Western expeditionary force was finally formed.