In order to facilitate the emperor's handling of government affairs, the former area of the Daming Palace also had official offices such as Zhongshu Province, Menxia Province, Dianzhong Province, Hongwen Museum, History Museum, Jixian Yuan, and Prince's Yuan.
After Li Cong ascended the throne, he established Shaoyang Yuan in Menxia Province, north of Hongwen Hall, which was the residence of the prince.
This is quite different from Li Longji's practice of detaining the prince in the residence of the ten princes. The east palace was located near the official office to facilitate the ministers to teach the prince Li Qiu.
Now that the rebellion of King Yong has been put down, Li Qiu has returned to Shaoyang Courtyard to stay with him as a gift from the imperial guards.
After being away for more than two months, weeds have grown in the gaps between the stone steps, and there are traces of dried yellow mud mixed with rainwater on the windows and coffins.
"Am I still living here?"
Li Qiu stopped and asked timidly.
The imperial guard behind him replied: "His Royal Highness is the prince, where else can he live if he doesn't live in Shaoyang Courtyard?"
"How can I still be a prince?"
Li Qiu knew very well that the reserve position was no longer guaranteed, but there was still a process that had not been completed.
No one answered him. The Imperial Guards had closed the palace door and left, and they could faintly hear the sound of the door being locked outside.
In the corridor in front stood four old palace maids, with gray hair and wrinkled faces, but their clothes were neatly dressed without any wrinkles. Their faces were serious, and they did not look like servants serving people, but more like the household officials of the ten kings' houses.
They stood there like sculptures. When Li Qiu approached, someone said, "Your Highness, wash up and go to bed."
Li Qiu was startled and muttered: "I'll do it myself."
This was his residence, but when he came back this time, he seemed more reserved than the guests.
The cost of the East Palace was reduced a lot. Various gold basins with different uses were replaced with a small copper basin for washing. At night, there was only one candle.
Li Qiu blew out the candle and the room fell into darkness, but he felt much safer.
That night, he huddled in a corner and fell asleep.
He noticed that the bedding on the couch was new, and he did not dare to lie down on it until it was wrinkled by sleeping on it. Xue Bai must be going to the East Palace, otherwise he would get angry because of that wrinkle and kill him.
It wasn't that he had carefully analyzed the possibility of dying from a wrinkle, but fear forced him to subconsciously dare not touch anything that would belong to Xue Bai.
Several days passed like this, and Li Qiu felt as if several years had passed.
He didn't know what was going on outside Shaoyang Court, and was always worried that the imperial army would suddenly rush in at the next moment and execute him as a traitor.
Perhaps being executed is not terrible in itself, but what is more terrible is not knowing when it will happen.
Finally, early that morning, the door of the room was pushed open, and the sunlight shone on the face of Li Qiu, who was huddled in the corner. When he raised his head, what he saw was the serious face of the old palace maid.
"Your Highness, the saint has summoned you to the Xuanzheng Hall to discuss matters."
Xuanzheng Hall is very close to Shaoyangyuan, but the terrain is much higher and it is built on a five-meter-high stone platform.
This is the place where the Chang Dynasty listens to government affairs. Every time the ministers come, they have to climb the stone steps and look up to admire the grandeur of this hall.
Li Qiu looked at the outstretched cornices on the main hall, and also saw the thick owl kisses at both ends of the roof. He was inexplicably frightened by the ferocious image, and inexplicably felt that they would come alive and kill him.
When he climbed onto the platform, he came back to his senses. Suddenly, he was so frightened that he encountered a person in front of him. He trembled and his body became stiff.
"Your Highness."
Xue Bai stood there casually, waiting for court like an ordinary minister. When he saw Li Qiu, he greeted him naturally.
Li Qiu was so nervous that he was sweating like a waterfall. He wanted to say something but couldn't say anything. He was also afraid that if he didn't speak, Xue Bai would be angry. He said anxiously: "I haven't... met the third brother."
He actually saluted Xue Bai.
"Your Highness, you don't have to be like this."
The two of them were not familiar with each other and had nothing to say. After a few casual greetings, Xue Bai raised his hand slightly and asked Li Qiu to stand in front of him. The prince should naturally be ranked first among the kings.
Li Qiu was so frightened that he didn't dare to do anything, until Xue Bai asked, "Are you trying to make me feel rude?"
"No, no, no, then I will listen to the third brother."
Li Qiu Xiao took a step forward and finally tiptoed in front of Xue Bai and entered the palace.
All the ministers had arrived. As soon as Xue Bai arrived, the emperor Li Cong quickly entered the palace in a carriage. At the same time as the greetings of the ministers, Li Cong's cough sounded.
"Ahem, cough, cough, gentlemen, you don't have to be polite. I'm sorry. King Yong will preside over the discussion."
Li Qiu couldn't help but shrink his neck, fearing that he would steal Xue Bai's limelight.
In fact, no minister dared to set his sights on him. Although Xue Bai asked the prince to come to participate in state affairs today, it was because Xue Bai wanted the ministers to see it to show that he had no intention of usurpation. Simply put, he was doing
Make a show.
Today's discussion is about rewards and punishments.
Xue Bai first said that the traitor Dou Wenyang and his accomplices had been executed, and stated many of Dou Wenyang's criminal evidences.
Li Cong was pretending to be sick, but after hearing this, he was shocked and angry, and exclaimed: "How dare this traitor do this!"
He behaved very well, as if he had never known about Dou Wenyang's evil deeds, but now he realized that he had been deceived by him. He was furious and deeply ashamed.
What's rare is that his face, covered with scars, can express these complex expressions in a very layered manner.
Because he knows very well that the better he performs, the more satisfied Xue Bai will be, and the less likely he will kill him. Now it is too easy for Xue Bai to kill him. Of course, it is not obvious, but he can easily make him die of "severe illness"
.
"I misunderstood such evil deeds, and I am ashamed of my ancestors! Ahem, cough, cough..."
At the end of the performance, Li Cong burst into tears and did not forget to show his illness, which aroused the concern of the officials.
Li Qiu looked around and saw that his adoptive father, who had raised him for many years, was so pitiful. His nose felt sour and he was about to shed tears, but he stopped abruptly.
He knew that he could not be more filial than Xue Bai, so he took a step back and deliberately acted indifferent.
But what is very strange is that the originally strong relationship between father and son seemed to have become much more distant due to this pretended indifference. From the beginning to the end of this small court, Li Cong did not even glance in Li Qiu's direction.
They each save their own lives and don't care about anything else.
In the end, Li Cong said happily: "I believe in evil and neglected state affairs, which caused this chaos. Fortunately, King Yong and all the ministers are loyal and diligent in state affairs, and with King Yong supervising the country, I can rest assured and recover."
Li Qiu thought that he would depose the prince next.
He felt a sense of sadness, self-pity in his heart, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least what was supposed to come finally came.
However, Li Cong did not bring up the matter of deposing the crown prince, and couldn't wait to ask the waiters to send him back to the palace. He seemed to be deeply afraid that if he stayed in the Xuanzheng Hall for a while, he would make more mistakes and worry about his life.
Li Qiu then hoped that someone among the ministers would point out that "the prince is unfilial" and began to change his mind. After all, his behavior just now was already very unfilial, but the state affairs were busy recently, and the officials seemed not to care about it, or they still couldn't guess King Yong's intentions.
.
"My son, I have a story to tell!"
Finally, seeing Li Cong being helped onto the steps to leave, and the fear of continuing to be imprisoned in Shaoyang Yuan came over, Li Qiu suddenly had a flash of lightning in his mind, and he shouted out as if he had become enlightened.
Everyone stopped and rarely looked in his direction.
"My son knows he is stupid...cough cough cough..."
Li Qiu lowered his head in fear, coughed while organizing his words, and said in a panic: "My son is also ill, and I think it is time to abdicate and give up the position of crown prince to my third brother."
After saying the last four words, he was so relieved that his legs almost weakened and he almost fell to the ground.
Everyone in the hall was very calm, as if they had expected it. Many old ministers raised their hands to stroke their long beards and nodded repeatedly.
Chen Xilie sighed meaningfully: "Your Highness has the style of Prince Ning."
This sentence was like a reminder. Li Qiu, who was so nervous that he didn't know what to say, came to his senses and knew what to do.
With a "pop", Li Qiu knelt down in the main hall.
"The Crown Prince is the official weapon of the world. In times of peace, the eldest son should be given priority, and in times of national calamity he will be credited. If this is not done properly, the subjects will be disappointed, which is not a blessing to the country. Although I am your Majesty's adopted son, I am actually a compatriot with my three brothers.
Since he is the direct eldest son, he has also made great contributions to the country, he is the subject of gods and men, and he is looked upon by scholars and common people. Now that I dare to die, I ask my father, the emperor, to issue an edict to Yi Chu!"
Li Cong stood there with someone supporting him. After hearing these words, he became even more haggard and his back slumped.
He was extremely sad and lost his mind.
Yes, they were not his sons in the first place. They were both the sons of Erlang Li Ying. Only I thought that Li Qiu and Li Qian were different, but I was just deceiving myself.
At the time of crisis, Li Qiu would rather identify with his compatriot brother than his adoptive father who had endured so much hardship.
If a person does not have his own biological son, he will end up alone and helpless. Who should blame him? What the Emperor said makes sense. If he has no heirs, he is indeed not worthy of being an emperor.
After a long time, Li Cong came back to his senses, and what he heard in his ears was the sound of "I second my opinion."
"I second the proposal, and I sincerely ask the sage to fulfill the prince's desire for boxing."
A person like Chen Xilie is not good at practical work, but is very good at political speculation. He doesn't even care about etiquette and has led many people to agree with Yi Chu.
Li Cong's eyes fell on Xue Bai's face.
For a moment, he thought in his heart, it would be great if this was his biological son.
He forgot that Emperor Gaozu also had a son like Emperor Taizong, biological or not, what difference would there be between his fate and Gaozu's?
"King Yong."
"Your Majesty, I dare not take the throne even if I die."
Xue Bai simply refused, saying that Li Qiu was the son of a saint when he succeeded to the throne and inherited the ancestral lineage, and he was of Li Ying's lineage. He should go to the mausoleum to keep filial piety to comfort the souls of the dead, but the country was in trouble.
He had no choice but to join an official position. If the saint suspected that he had evil intentions, he would resign now.
Li Qiu quickly gave in and even knocked his head on the steps of the palace, threatening to die.
Xue Bai then claimed that he was frightened, so he directly resigned to guard the mausoleum and left the palace immediately.
All the ministers knew that it was normal to refuse, and there was no reason to agree readily from the beginning.
This round of events is also an opportunity for everyone to express their opinions and make meritorious deeds.
Li Qiu took a sneak peek and saw the contemplative expressions of various officials. He knew that no one was supporting him anymore, and he felt disappointed.
He was sent back to Shaoyangyuan again, but this time he was asked to bring paper and pen, and once again went to the table, pleading to give up the position of crown prince to King Yong, and then waited anxiously.
Sometimes huddled in a corner, half asleep and half awake, he could imagine Xue Bai hiding in the mansion and ignoring the government affairs. The officials were so anxious that they went to persuade him and asked him to agree to be the crown prince. He felt envious in his heart.
More often, he had nightmares, dreaming of someone strangling himself with white silk, so he buried his head even lower.
The next day, the old palace maid still called him "Your Highness."
"Am I still the prince?"
"King Yong rejected the position of crown prince."
"Then I'll give in again?"
Li Qiu then expressed his sincerity to give up the throne one after another, and staged a touching story of brothers giving in to each other. This time, Li Cong finally issued an edict to reward Li Qiu for his sincerity in giving up talents for the country.
"My adopted son Qiu, due to the great achievements of King Yong Qian, is a descendant of both humans and gods. Therefore, I sincerely agree to do what I say. I am the most righteous person in the world. I sincerely cannot take away the marriage talisman to establish the season. I can follow the wishes of others."
I pay homage to the King of Chu, Minister Zuopushe, Situ, Crown Prince and Grand Master, plus a thousand households, a grant of three thousand sections, the first district of A, and thirty hectares of fertile land."
Li Qiu had mixed feelings after hearing the imperial edict.
However, he did not feel as safe as he expected and was still worried about being persecuted.
Like a marionette, Li Qiu completed all the etiquette of Yi Chu and offered sacrifices to the Ancestral Temple. After that, Li Qiu looked at Xue Bai and saw that he was wearing Gong robes, with majestic weapons and extraordinary martial prowess.
"Third brother...your highness." Li Qiu said, "Can I say a few words to your highness?"
"Let's go together."
Xue Bai was not too wary of Li Qiu. He still had the same natural attitude, waved his hand, and walked out of the palace gate together.
They walked on a high platform and could overlook a corner of Chang'an. They had a feeling of great mountains and rivers in sight, but their mood was completely different.
"I sincerely support His Highness."
Li Qiu plucked up the courage and finally spoke. He continued in a flattering manner: "His Royal Highness is the direct brother of my compatriots. He is a man of extraordinary talent and martial arts. He is the most suitable candidate for the crown prince. I have given up my throne a long time ago."
In order to survive, it is not shameful to say flattering words. Li Qiu is young and thin-faced, so he does not seem to be flattering when he says these things. Instead, he really feels like brothers being in love with each other as he talks.
To be honest, he used to call Xue Bai "Xue Ni", but in fact he never tried to verify Xue Bai's identity. He just opposed the matter out of personal interests.
But once the interest position changed, he did not think that Xue Bai was a fake, after all, Li Longji admitted it.
Then this brotherly love becomes very valuable, even more valuable than the father-son relationship with Li Cong.
"Don't worry." Xue Bai said: "As long as you are honest and do not break the law, no one will dare to hurt you."
Li Qiu was stunned. He didn't expect Xue Bai to speak so bluntly, directly revealing his thoughts.
But also, just as the Supreme Emperor had always loved Emperor Rang very much, as long as he gave up his reserve position, even if it was to show the world, Xue Bai should treat him well.
"Have a good life."
Xue Bai said and patted Li Qiu's back gently.
Li Qiu felt a warmth on his back, and his heart, which had been anxious for a long time, seemed to be slapped back into his heart.
Xue Bai, who looked very scary in the past, also seemed amiable and amiable at this moment.
When he thought about it carefully, he realized that Xue Bai had never done anything to intentionally deal with him. It was the eunuchs who were sowing discord all along.
A person with a strong aura only needs to show a good attitude, but it will make people appreciate him even more. Li Qiu actually had some respect for Xue Bai at this moment. Of course, this respect is based on fear.
"Yes, brother!"
Li Qiu spoke again and changed his title.
In his opinion, he and Xue Bai were long-lost brothers.
~~
Shengpingfang, Duzhai.
Du Youlin was left in Dongdu at that time, but it can be expected that the day will not be far when he will be transferred back to the court and enter the ranks of prime minister.
In fact, with the current status of the Du family, it is already inappropriate to live here anymore. The house is too small and too far from the imperial city.
On this day, someone came to Du Wulang and told him that he could buy Li Linfu's old house in Pingkangfang for him.
"Wu Lang still remembers that you once gave some advice to the Right Prime Minister's Mansion in Pingkangfang and were beaten by Ji Dalang. Now if you leave Li's house, wouldn't you feel proud? How wonderful."
"Feeling proud?" Du Wulang raised his eyebrows, exhaled, and said, "What's the use of feeling proud? After all, living in a house is the right thing to do."
"The big house in Pingkangfang is spacious and luxurious, and it is convenient to go out. Wouldn't it be more comfortable to live here than here?"
Du Wulang thought about the situation when he went to Youxiang's Mansion, and his fear of the person who chose his son-in-law surfaced. He couldn't help but shook his head and said: "I don't feel comfortable at all. I finally escaped from the murderous hand."
"Does Wu Lang have any concerns? Considering your relationship with His Highness..."
Du Wulang said quickly, "Go, go, your highness and I are just friends, but I have never thought of using this to rise to the top. I can't hold myself up to the wall, so if you try to cling to me, you will be wasting your efforts."
"How can you belittle yourself, Wulang?"
"I insist, I'm just mud, what do you think?"
Du Wulang couldn't help but drive out all the lobbyists who came to disturb his peace.
At the gate of the house, the concierge was leading several horses.
A man wearing a robe and a bamboo hat happened to enter Du's house. When Du Wulang saw him, he opened his mouth and said, "No...Brother Wu is here."
The two then entered the courtyard.
"It's quite lively at home."
"After all, I am different today." Du Wulang said with a smile, "Should I call you Qian Wujiu, or should I call you His Highness? The Crown Prince of the Jian Kingdom is very majestic."
Having said that, I'm afraid that in his heart, he doesn't think the prince is that great. After all, when Li Heng was the prince, he had a lot of dealings with the East Palace.
Xue Bai was too lazy to pay attention to him, so he picked a green apricot from the tree and threw it over, then half-lyed down on the rocking chair in the yard.
"Why did you come here today?" Du Wulang said, "If you want to find your confidants, go find them yourself. My sister is not at home."
"Just came to stay for a while."
"oh."
The two of them lay leisurely on their respective rocking chairs, looking at the branches and leaves of the fruit trees above their heads in a daze. Xue Bai gradually closed his eyes, as if falling asleep.
"My two chairs are nicely arranged, aren't they?" Du Wulang said nonchalantly, "I know what you are thinking."
"oh?"
"You are in a bit of a dilemma now. You have finally become the Crown Prince of the Supervisory State. You have great power and you have to give people your title. This is a big problem."
Xue Bai did not open his eyes when he heard this, only the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, as if he was mocking Du Wulang for his superficiality.
He came here because he wanted to be quiet and re-examine himself.
After arriving in the Tang Dynasty for so many years, this is the only place where he can best find who he is without getting lost in one identity after another.
"I've done it for you." Du Wulang said, "There are a few women, and you really can't give them names. Li Qiniang is okay, but after being the traitor, she has the same clan and surname as you. After all, she has the same seniority.
It’s not even close. My second sister’s status is very inappropriate..."
"You can become a nun first." Xue Bai said casually.
"Have you really thought about it?" Du Wulang was quite surprised.
But in fact, this matter is far from that simple. With Xue Bai's identity, his relationship with Du Jin, and even his relationship with the Yang sisters, is definitely not tolerated by the world.
Xue Bai was silent again.
Du Wulang stopped talking about this topic and muttered: "I shouldn't meddle in your business."
He then talked about some insignificant things, either what happened to him, trivial things about his neighbors, or rumors about the wells of Chang'an City. Xue Bai listened indifferently and thought about it.
Yes, if you don’t want to, then you shouldn’t.
The sun gradually moved, and the shadows under the trees became shorter and shorter.
Du Wulang was exposed to the sun and was too lazy to get up and move his chair. He narrowed his eyes and turned over.
"When I was here, you asked me my name." Xue Bai suddenly said, "I said my name was Xue Bai."
"Then what?"
"I have always been called this name."
"As for the name, now that I have found my life experience and my real name, that's all." Du Wulang couldn't understand Xue Bai's confusion and responded casually.
Xue Bai smiled and thought, for his own ambition, just be Li Qian. Compared to the Tang Dynasty, the name is not important.
After all, this was the plan from the beginning. With this identity, many things will fall into place and go much more smoothly...
"Boom, boom, boom!"
Suddenly there was a rapid knock on the door, and then the courtyard door was pushed open.
Quan Rui ran in quickly and showed no surprise when he saw Xue Bai. He saluted and said, "Your Highness, Feng Changqing has returned to Beijing without permission. He is right outside the door!"
Du Wulang jumped up and said in surprise: "How could it be so fast?!"
Even he knew that Feng Changqing once forced Xue Bai to swear that he would never attempt to usurp, and he was considered a relatively stubborn person among the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty. At this time, he suddenly rushed back to Chang'an without obeying the imperial edict, and he was afraid that the person who came here was evil.
But considering the time, Feng Changqing probably didn't rush here after hearing that Xue Bai was established as the prince. It should have been earlier, maybe because he wanted to come to King Qin.
"Your Highness, do you want to go see me?" Quan Rui asked.
Du Wulang turned around to look, but Xue Bai was still lying there leisurely, as if he hadn't heard anything.
"Why are you so lazy today? You don't even look like you anymore."
"Yeah, I'm not me anymore."
Xue Bai murmured something in a low voice and finally stood up and walked out the door.
Quan Rui hurriedly stepped forward and opened the door.
With a "squeak" sound, I saw that there were people standing outside the gate. I don't know when they came, but there was never much movement.
The Diao brothers were originally soldiers of Prince Yong's palace and joined the army. Now they have been awarded the post of generals of the Forbidden Army. They are not too heavy-handed. They are wearing majestic armor and leading people to stand in front of the door, like door gods.
The one blocked by them was Feng Changqing, who was covered in dust.
Feng Changqing was a simple man, and his clothes were old and stained with mud. When people who didn't recognize him saw him, they thought he was a commoner asking for an audience.
And behind Feng Changqing, there were not only the soldiers he brought, but also many officials who came after hearing the news.
"Your Highness."
As soon as Xue Bai appeared, everyone saluted and called in unison.
Only Feng Changqing still stood there upright and said: "Your Highness? Do you still remember the oath you made in front of the last general and all the generals?"
Xue Bai did not answer immediately, but raised his head and looked at the eaves of the courtyard wall... He stood in this position when he first opened his eyes in Datang, watching the snow in Chang'an spit out his name.
And he indeed promised Feng Changqing that he would not conspire to usurp Li's country "in the name of the emperor's grandson".
There was something he had been thinking about recently, but he hadn't come up with a definite result yet. He didn't expect Feng Changqing to come to his door so soon.
Xue Bai finally turned around and was about to speak.
"Feng Changqing!" At the other end of the long street, Chen Xilie rushed over in a hurry. From a distance, with his hair and beard spread out, he pointed angrily at Feng Changqing and yelled: "Don't be rude!"
When the king is successful and the bandits are defeated, it is done. Naturally, someone will endorse Xue Bai. It does not seem that Xue Bai himself needs to explain what the oath is or is not.