Chapter 10: A Great Purge of the Imperial Court Through a Balance of Favor and Fear!
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“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince’s troops have now taken complete control of Chang’an. Our military command tokens are probably no more than scraps of paper within the city.”
Yuchi Jingde’s brows were knitted tightly together. He had deliberately lowered his voice, yet the tension in it remained unmistakable.
Li Shimin gave a slight nod, his expression as calm and unfathomable as an ancient well.
“It is of no consequence. Chang’an is merely beyond our control for the moment. Outside the city, I am still the emperor. Let us see what exactly that child Chengqian intends to do.”
His gaze turned toward the distance, as though he wished to pierce through the layers of palace walls.
Thoughts churned within his deep eyes as he murmured pensively, “To think that this boy has quietly built up such a formidable army over the years.”
“And who knows where he acquired so much refined iron. He certainly kept his secrets well.”
There was surprise in his words at Li Chengqian’s abilities, but also a trace of gratification.
“To think my son possesses such talent. If only Guanyin Maid could witness this day.”
He spoke to himself, his eyes revealing tenderness and longing.
…
In less than half a day, Li Chengqian had taken practical control of the entire city of Chang’an.
Surrounded by ranks of soldiers as dense as a forest, he entered the Taiji Palace in splendid robes, his bearing noble and imposing.
When he stepped into the great hall, his expression was composed. He slowly seated himself upon the Dragon Throne, symbol of supreme authority, radiating an awe-inspiring majesty.
“Long live Your Majesty!”
The assembled officials bowed in homage, their voices rolling through the hall like thunder and echoing for a long while.
Officials of every rank had hurried in from all directions, filling the entire hall until it was crowded yet solemn. An atmosphere of tension and gravity hung thick in the air.
Changsun Wuji’s hands and feet had been bound tightly with hemp rope. The coarse fibers had cut deeply into his flesh, leaving red marks across his skin.
He knelt in the center of the hall, his body trembling faintly, utterly disheveled.
A group of aristocratic officials knelt fearfully behind him. Their heads hung low, and their bodies quivered despite their efforts to remain still. Yet the delight in their eyes was difficult to conceal.
This would surely be counted as a great achievement!
Fang Xuanling stood at the head of the civil officials, his gaze gentle as still water.
He looked at the child seated upon the Dragon Throne with a hint of satisfaction, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he thought, He truly has grown up.
Seated upon the Dragon Throne, Li Chengqian looked down from above. His eyes blazed as he slowly surveyed the civil and military officials standing on either side of the hall, his heart filled with countless emotions.
Every one of these people standing below was a pillar of the Great Tang—the empire’s all-star assembly.
The God of War, Li Jing, stood at the head of the military officials, his figure straight as a mountain peak and his expression steady as bedrock.
This was the Li Jing whom later generations would describe with the saying, “The true master of war leaves no resounding legacy of victories.”
He merely stood there in silence, yet an invisible aura surrounded him, inspiring awe in all who saw him.
Three men stood closest to the Dragon Throne. Everyone knew that although they were obscure figures at present, they would one day become the most illustrious men in the Great Tang.
Master Qi, the military strategist, had a lean face like bamboo and eyes as deep as an abyss, gleaming with wisdom.
The general Qin Ruzhao was built like a bear, his heroic spirit sharp as a sword.
The guard Zhang Xianhuai possessed eyes as keen as lightning, watching the movements around him with constant vigilance.
Li Chengqian could never have accumulated such a formidable foundation without their assistance.
They were like his left and right arms, his strongest support.
“Someone, untie Lord Changsun.”
Li Chengqian’s command rang out, deep and majestic.
Two soldiers from the Three Great Camps quickly stepped forward and deftly removed the hemp ropes from Changsun Wuji’s hands and feet.
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Freed from his bonds, Changsun Wuji remained kneeling on the floor and slowly raised his head. His face was streaked with tears, and his cloudy old eyes were filled with remorse.
When he looked toward his nephew seated upon the Dragon Throne, he could finally hold himself back no longer.
Two streams of muddy tears rolled down his cheeks like a breached riverbank, and he choked out, “Your Majesty, this old servant was confused! I forged imperial edicts—I deserve ten thousand deaths. I shall have no face to appear before the late emperor in the afterlife!”
As he spoke, he slammed his head against the floor.
Again and again, each blow carrying boundless remorse, as if he wished to repay all his crimes through the force of his kowtows. Before long, blood began to seep from his forehead.
Li Tai clenched his teeth until blood marks appeared on his lips. He stepped out from the crowd.
With heavy footsteps, he walked to Changsun Wuji’s side and fell to his knees with a loud thud that rang through the silent hall.
“Imperial Brother, I colluded with Changsun Wuji to forge imperial edicts. Your younger brother deserves death!”
The two men lowered their heads deeply to the ground, awaiting Li Chengqian’s judgment.
Not one of their trusted followers spoke up to plead on their behalf.
The entire hall fell so silent that only the sound of everyone’s breathing could be heard. The breaths were hurried and heavy, and the atmosphere was so oppressive it seemed on the verge of solidifying.
Li Chengqian sat upon the Dragon Throne with his eyes closed, his brows faintly furrowed. No one knew what he was waiting for.
Fang Xuanling sighed, the sound filled with helplessness. Holding a jade tablet, he stepped forward with solemn bearing, each footfall slow and heavy.
“Your Majesty, though the Prince of Wei and Lord Changsun have committed grave errors, I beseech Your Majesty to spare their lives for the sake of the Prince of Wei’s contributions to our Great Tang through his writings, and Lord Changsun’s lifelong service to the empire. Allow them to atone through meritorious deeds!”
His voice echoed through the hall, carrying a trace of pleading.
The moment Fang Xuanling finished speaking, Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde also stepped forward. Their figures were powerfully built and their bearing extraordinary as they spoke in unison:
“We beg Your Majesty to spare their lives!”
Wei Zheng, however, walked out with an expressionless face. His gaze was sharp as a blade as he looked toward the assembled officials, as though he intended to see through every thought in their hearts.
“The Prince of Wei colluded with Changsun Wuji to forge imperial edicts and distort the late emperor’s wishes. They even intended to mobilize troops against Your Majesty when Your Majesty entered the city, determined to place the Prince of Jin upon the throne.”
“After the late emperor’s death, they dared to seal away the news, keeping Your Majesty outside Chang’an. They even falsely proclaimed that Your Majesty was gravely ill and beyond the help of medicine.”
“The crimes of these two men are too numerous to record on bamboo slips. I humbly request that Your Majesty execute them both and uphold the law!”
“Otherwise, endless trouble will follow in the future. Rebellion is a grave offense and must never be forgiven!”
Wei Zheng’s words were firm and resonant, striking the ground with force. Everyone in the court drew a sharp breath.
Fang Xuanling’s expression became even more complicated. His brows drew tightly together as he inwardly groaned, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
Before Fang Xuanling had come, Li Shimin had specifically instructed him that, no matter what happened, he must preserve the lives of those two men.
If Li Chengqian insisted on his course, Li Shimin would have no choice but to reveal his identity.
He would have to cast aside what little dignity remained to him and save the two men. The consequences would be impossible to imagine.
Li Chengqian slowly opened his eyes, his majestic gaze sweeping over everyone below.
“Prince of Wei, Li Tai, is my younger brother. Though he has committed a grave offense, at root he was misled by others.”
“Effective today, all his stipends are suspended. He is to reside in Wude Palace and may not leave without my decree. Go there and reflect properly upon your actions!”
When Li Tai heard this, he abruptly raised his head, his eyes overflowing with gratitude.
Though he would be confined, he had at least retained his title as a prince and escaped with his life.
“Your younger brother thanks Imperial Brother for your mercy.”
His voice trembled faintly, filled with the relief of one who had survived a catastrophe.
“As for you, Changsun Wuji—you are my maternal uncle and the late emperor’s right-hand man. How could you have been so confused as to let others use you as a weapon?”
There was a trace of reproach in Li Chengqian’s tone, and a flicker of sorrow in his eyes.
“Effective today, Changsun Wuji is stripped of all official positions and reduced to commoner status. He is to surrender ninety percent of his family’s property and may not leave without my permission.”
At Li Chengqian’s words, Changsun Wuji suddenly raised his head.
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His eyes were filled with disbelief. He stared wide-eyed, as though he could not believe what he had heard.
“Your Majesty? This old servant was so foolish, yet you will not execute me and uphold the law?”
His voice was thick with tears, astonishment covering his face.
Li Chengqian glanced at Changsun Wuji, his expression softening somewhat. A trace of warmth showed in his eyes.
“You were the late emperor’s most trusted man, his right-hand and left-hand support. Even though you committed such a crime, I will still not kill you. Return home and reflect upon your actions.”
“Your servant thanks Your Majesty for your grace!”
Changsun Wuji wept bitterly, repeatedly striking his head against the floor of the Golden Hall. Every blow carried a tangled mixture of emotions—remorse, gratitude, and self-reproach.
Hearing Li Chengqian’s judgment, Wei Zheng could no longer contain himself.
“Your Majesty! This judgment is far too lenient. It will undermine the moral instruction of the people. If others imitate them in the future, the Great Tang will fall into endless internal turmoil! I implore Your Majesty to think carefully!”
His tone was urgent, his eyes filled with worry.
Li Chengqian glanced at Wei Zheng and said firmly, “Wei Zheng, you are my teacher.”
“But this is my decision. My mind is made up. I am not the late emperor. Withdraw.”
His eyes carried an unquestionable authority.
Wei Zheng’s expression shifted repeatedly. His lips trembled slightly, and a trace of struggle flashed through his eyes. In the end, he did not openly oppose Li Chengqian.
As he had said, Li Chengqian was not the late emperor—and he had not yet formally ascended the throne. He needed to establish his authority.
Whatever happened, Wei Zheng would not damage Li Chengqian’s reputation at this moment.
Li Chengqian’s decision caused many people to entertain thoughts of good fortune.
The kind were easily bullied; it seemed that the same was true of a benevolent emperor.
The Prince of Wei and Changsun Wuji had committed such enormous crimes, yet His Majesty had raised his hand high only to lower it lightly.
If their turn came in the future, perhaps His Majesty would likewise soften the matter out of compassion, turning a major offense into a minor one and a minor one into nothing at all.
For a moment, the court resounded with endless praise of His Majesty’s wisdom. The voices were noisy and obsequious.
Everyone felt that the matter had already passed, and the tense atmosphere seemed to dissipate at once.
But then Li Chengqian abruptly changed the direction of his words, and his gaze suddenly grew sharp, like an eagle fixing its eyes upon its prey.
“I just said that my younger brother and my maternal uncle were merely misled by others.”
“Now I shall eliminate the principal offenders.”
“Someone, seize all the aristocratic officials led by Minister Cui. Every remaining official from the Five Surnames and Seven Great Houses in this court, step forward and let me take a good look at you!”
His voice exploded through the hall like thunder.
The moment these words were spoken, everyone’s eyes widened in terror.
Apart from the three men standing below the Dragon Throne, even Wei Zheng, famed for his ironclad resolve, underwent a dramatic change of expression and hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, you absolutely must not!”
His voice had even become slightly distorted.
Cui Chan, Cui Sheng, Wang Yanfu, Lu Xiangjun, and the other aristocratic officials all thought for a moment that they had misheard.
They exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with shock.
The soldiers of the Three Great Camps, however, cared nothing for noble clans or humble families. They obeyed Li Chengqian’s commands alone.
The great and lesser aristocratic houses of Xianyang had long since been purged by His Majesty. To them, taking action against these clans now seemed entirely justified.
Without the slightest hesitation, they advanced toward the aristocratic officials, their eyes cold and resolute.
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