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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 251: Prestige
In the Council Hall, the courtiers congratulated the Emperor. The Turkic forces not only retreated but also suffered significant losses, which greatly diminished their prestige. With this alone, it could ensure several years of peace.
Moreover, they were aware of the news that Qin Wang had entered Turkic territory from Youzhou with over a hundred thousand troops, clearly not just to enjoy the scenery of the grasslands.
All dissenting voices in Chang'an had vanished, leaving only praises for the Emperor.
Especially after the court received good news from Liaodong today, the Emperor's prestige was further elevated.
Goguryeo, which had cast a shadow over the entire Central Plains, was quietly defeated without the court mobilizing a million-strong army or even while still engaged in battle with Turkic forces.
The sovereign of Goguryeo was beheaded, and the royal family in Pyongyang City was completely slaughtered. More than ten cities including Xuantu, Horizontal Mountain, Gaimu, Momi, Liaodong, Baiyan, Beisha, Maigu, Silver Mountain, and Later Huang fell under Tang control.
They captured fifty thousand horses, fifty thousand cattle, ten thousand sets of armor, and countless treasures of gold and silver.
Under Chancellor Eulji Mundeok's leadership, Goguryeo submitted a petition for surrender.
What are martial achievements? Who could possibly speak against such an Emperor?
In response to the courtiers' flattery, the Emperor simply issued a decree: "Relocate seventy thousand households from Liaodong, Gai, and Yan provinces to Beiping County in Liaodong Commandery; relocate fifty thousand households from Pyongyang to enrich Xiping County in Western Sea County..."
Then he conferred rewards upon Zhang Hutan and Luo Yi, promoting them to Dukes and appointing them as Grand Ministers. He also granted their legitimate eldest sons the title of Chancellor at the fifth rank and awarded them a thousand bolts of silk...
On this day, all of Chang'an was engulfed in joy; however, starting the next day, it returned to a state of trepidation.
This was because the Emperor began a new round of purges. Ignoring the advice of Wei Zheng and Wang Gui among others, he established an official office called Jinyiwei and set up a Northern Pacification Commission, appointing Wu Xinghou Shen Guang as its head.
This office specialized in handling imperial edicts and possessed powers to arrest, interrogate, execute, and carry out capital punishment independently.
Before its powers were clearly defined and while there were still objections among officials, this newly established office directly targeted Zhai Rang, once a confidant of His Majesty. It arrested all his brothers and descendants and stripped Zhai Rang of his official position and titles.
This is already quite frightening, and the subsequent actions left everyone in shock. The Jinyiwei actually turned their attention to the relatives of Xu Shijie and Li Mi, who had just achieved great merit for the country.
All the officials were filled with fear, and petitions for impeachment piled up like snow, but the emperor turned a blind eye, while Xu Shijie and Li Mi merely submitted petitions for forgiveness.
The courtiers were left with only one thought: Emperor Yang had returned, and it was they who had forced him back.
Just as Duke of Wei Li Jing was a few dozen miles away from Chang'an, he was stopped by many familiar faces. Li Jing did not want to see them.
However, they knelt in the middle of the road and refused to move. Li Jing had no choice but to show himself, and everyone sat down in a nearby pavilion.
"Duke of Wei, the state and dynasty are in peril!"
"Only you might still be able to persuade His Majesty."
Li Jing coldly shook his head, "If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn't have acted as I did."
"Regarding matters involving the Retired Emperor, His Majesty has already punished severely. Now that the courtiers are bowing their heads, His Majesty still refuses to relent. The Jinyiwei has replaced the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple, rendering the laws of our dynasty meaningless. This is a sign of national ruin."
No one wished to see the Jinyiwei's emergence except for the emperor, and Li Jing was no exception. However, he was a person who valued stability and had never intended to argue with the emperor.
"I am but an ordinary man; matters of the court are not my forte."
No matter how much they spoke, Li Jing remained unmoved.
An elder from the He Dong Xue Clan suddenly said, "His Majesty once told Gao Shan that he only lacked death. Duke of Wei has achieved countless merits and is invincible; perhaps his end is not far off!"
Li Jing replied, "Then let it be death. I am already over fifty years old; I am old indeed.
Moreover, if I do not mix with you all, perhaps I could live to my sixties. Being with you is truly courting death!"
"Duke of Wei does not consider himself; he should also think of his descendants."
Li Jing shook his head as he stood up. "If this continues, the Jinyiwei will soon be on your tails."
After saying this, Li Jing turned to leave, but suddenly sensed something was off. Instinctively, he dodged to the side, yet still felt a sharp pain in his waist.
The personal guards had already rushed over. Li Jing barely managed to evade the subsequent thrusts, while the assailant was pinned to the ground.
It wasn't his guards but rather the few people standing with him. "Have you lost your mind? Are you trying to get us killed?"
"Duke of Wei, this has nothing to do with us!"
With bloodshot eyes, the guards protected Li Jing and then subdued that group of people.
The man cried out, "As long as Li Jing is alive, that foolish ruler will have no flaws. You are all fools for stopping me!"
...
Xieli and Tongye Hu had been overly optimistic. Their troops scattered when they saw the mighty Tang army blocking their way home.
Among the panicking soldiers, the figures protected by elite personal guards stood out prominently, surrounded by the pursuing Tang cavalry on all sides.
Before Xieli and Tongye Hu could make a choice, their guards captured them.
The Turkic Khagan of the East and West had become prisoners in such a ridiculous manner.
Yuchi Jingde lamented, "These spineless Turks don't give anyone a chance to achieve great merit!"
Seeing that he had caught the biggest prize, Li Shimin no longer needed to be cautious. He immediately ordered his troops to attack; with seventy or eighty thousand Turks at hand, they should kill where they could and capture where possible, but not harm the horses!
Not far away, Li Mi and Xu Shijie were also returning with captured Turkic soldiers.
Wang Bo felt somewhat unwilling. "Even if we can't compete with Qin Wang for glory, we should at least get a share of the spoils. We've come all this way at great cost."
"Indeed, if it weren't for our pressure from behind, it wouldn't be easy for Qin Wang to capture the Turkic Khagan so easily."
Li Mi said, "Do you really think the Duke of Wei can't capture them?"
"The Duke of Wei is already immensely wealthy; we are still lacking a bit, which is why we are somewhat reluctant."
"The Duke of Wei is like a celestial being in the realm of military affairs. How can you compare yourselves to him? There are no more titles to bestow upon him; that can only be a good thing."
Meanwhile, beside Qin Wang, Changsun Wuji remarked, "I wonder whether this is a blessing or a curse."
Li Shimin laughed and said, "Only I can claim to have captured both the Eastern and Western Turkic Khagans in battle. With this, I can leave my mark in history; how many have sought this and failed?"
"Your Highness knows that I am not referring to that. After the matter of the Retired Emperor, His Majesty has changed from before. You are, after all, the legitimate second son of the Retired Emperor. Prince Jin is in poor health, and King Qi has already been deposed. Countless eyes in the realm are watching you."
Upon hearing this, the joy on Li Shimin's face diminished considerably. "How could I not know? But if I do nothing at all, falling into my elder brother's eyes would be no different than hiding my talents and waiting for an opportunity to strike."
…………
(End of Chapter)
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