Six hundred and seventieth chapters showdown between monarchs and ministers
Stepping on the afterglow of the sunset, Gu Qing climbed to Chengxiang Palace step by step.
Behind him were thousands of soldiers of the Anxi Army, densely occupied various parts of the palace. The eunuchs and palace maids in the palace had already fled without a trace. At this moment, the Tai Chi Palace was full of soldiers wearing armor and holding halberds.
Gu Qing walked to Chengxiang Palace alone. Even though the situation was in control at this moment, his behavior was still meticulous and without any usurpation.
Under the front porch of the hall, Gu Qing untied his sword and removed his shoes, and entered the hall with his feet.
Walking into the hall, Gu Qing raised his eyes and stared at Li Longji and Li Heng and his son in front of him, and bowed and bowed: "I, pay homage to Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty."
Li Heng stood in the hall with his hair disheveled, his expression seemed to be frightened and angry. He sneered: "You don't have to surrender, you can call me 'I'. The world is yours, why do you have to pretend to be a pretentious?"
"Mind is always a minister, and the emperor is always a emperor."
Li Heng looked at Li Longji. Li Longji's face was as deep as water, and he pursed his lips and said nothing.
Li Heng said coldly: "It's over here, Gu Qing, what do you want? If we kill our father and son and call ourselves emperor, or establish a new king, do you use the emperor to command the princes?"
Gu Qing said, "I have no other intentions. I just want to do something practical for the world. Whoever stops me will be my enemy, including the emperor."
Li Heng's body trembled and he couldn't help saying, "You did practical things for the world, why did you lead the troops to force the palace? Have I stopped you from doing things?"
"If you want to calm the world, you must first conquer the palace. To this day, why should your Majesty deceive yourself? You and I will have a battle in the end. I am not a sage and I cannot let you kill you. For the sake of saving yourself or changing the world, you will definitely decide the world. Only when the enemy is destroyed can you let go of what I want to do."
Li Heng said angrily: "You are talking very well, you are clearly planning to rebel and turmoil your country!"
Gu Qing showed a sarcastic smile on his lips: "What can this country be like? Your Majesty lives in the Forbidden Palace, why don't you open your eyes to see what kind of life the people in the world live?"
At this point, Gu Qing had no scruples. He gradually straightened up, showed his sharpness, staring at the noble father and son in front of him with cold eyes, and pointed at Li Longji without hesitation, saying: "Your Majesty the Supreme Emperor has been in power for more than 40 years. It is undeniable that he has indeed had a wise spirit in the first twenty years. If the Supreme Emperor can always maintain this, why should I do such a big rebellion? Isn't it easy to be a small official at the foot of the emperor? "
Li Longji's face suddenly turned pale, his nostrils widened, and he was breathing heavily. However, under Gu Qing's sharpness, the Emperor Taiping, who had been for more than 40 years, did not dare to refute and rebuke.
"The Kaiyuan prosperous era is a great situation that has never been seen in the ages. From the Three Emperors to the thousand years later, the Kaiyuan prosperous era is the only bright color in history. His Majesty the Supreme Emperor, the great prosperous era, why did it fall apart overnight? Is it just because of An Lushan's rebellion?"
"The disaster has actually laid the groundwork, because you have become complacent for the last twenty years of your reign and become arrogant. When you create a prosperous era, you will enjoy yourself. You have alienated the virtuous ministers, trusted villains, Li Linfu, and Yang Guozhong. These people who are in trouble with the country deceive you and hide you from the superiors and subordinates, making you so happy, but you exploit and abuse the people of the world. And you are immersed in the praises of civil and military officials in the court and cannot extricate yourself..."
"Not only that, you also think you are smart enough to plot people's hearts and balance the court. Today you suppress this and win over that tomorrow. The court is indeed balanced, but you have made the whole court messy. Everyone is in danger of court officials. Flattering the emperor and calling the court atmosphere, you are content with your self-satisfaction, and you think you have created a prosperous era and mastered the hearts of people, and you are full of foolish monarchs."
Ignoring Li Longji who was so angry that he was about to faint, Gu Qing looked at Li Heng again and sneered: "As for your Majesty, you are even worse than the Supreme Emperor. The Supreme Emperor was at least a wise ruler who worked hard to govern in the early days of his reign. Your Majesty, you were selfish at the beginning of your ascension. In order to successfully ascend the throne, you sent envoys to my camp and promised various benefits to ask me to support you ascend the throne."
"After becoming the emperor, you changed your face. All the royal troops are still fighting the rebellion for His Majesty. You plan to kill people with a knife. In the Battle of Tongguan, you ordered the Shuofang Army to escape in the battle and let the Anxi Army face the rebels alone."
"After returning to the capital, you did not think that the Anxi Army had quelled the rebellion for you, but were very hostile. In order to eliminate the Anxi Army, you did not hesitate to secretly plunder the city for three days as a reward, and use the troops of the foreign Uighurs to lead the wolf into the house, just to destroy me. Haha, when the emperor regarded the lives of the people under his rule as grass, he actually presented them to the foreign countries as cattle, sheep, livestock, and a few shameless faces, how can you be worthy of being the emperor? You are not even worthy of being a human being."
The words were very ugly. The father and son of the Li family were so angry that they trembled all over when they heard this, and their faces turned blue and white. Only the father and son were heard in the hall.
"Gu Qing, you... you are too bullying! Even if I am defeated, it is the emperor of the current dynasty. A soldier can be killed but not humiliated. How can you humiliate me like this?" Li Heng said tremblingly.
Gu Qing sneered: "You two are arrogant. I'm afraid you haven't heard such a bad truth for many years, right? Although the truth is unpleasant, every word is true. If I say something wrong, you can refute it."
The father and son did not refute, they had nothing to refute. Gu Qing was telling the truth, and every word was the truth, but it was very ugly, and the truth was often cruel and ugly.
Gu Qing rubbed his eyebrows tiredly and sighed: "I was originally a minor citizen, but I was born into a farmer in the mountain village of Shuzhou. When I was a teenager, I couldn't even eat enough. After an unexpected encounter, I came to Chang'an as an official. I just wanted to be a minor official in the prosperous era, and spend my whole life lazily every day..."
"But when I see the people who have been occupied by the land and have to become refugees, and see the farmers who have to sell themselves as slaves in order to survive, I have to think about whether to do something for these poor people for the rest of my life..."
Looking up at them, Gu Qing sighed: "The world has been ruined by your father and son, but you don't know that you are still immersed in the dream of a prosperous era. You never know how bad the world is. You are still hiding in the palace and playing with human power. Two, the people of the world may need an emperor, but you will never need an emperor like you."
Li Longji sneered with a blue face: "After saying so much, it is actually just a disguise. Your purpose is to overthrow us and be the emperor. Why should you pretend to be righteous in the name of righteousness? Now that things have come to this point, why not be more frank and simply say that you want to ascend the throne and become the ruler. My father and son are in your control, and I dare not refuse to obey."
Gu Qing looked directly into Li Longji's eyes and said slowly: "I have said many times that the emperor is still the emperor, and the emperor is still the emperor. But from now on, you will indulge in the harem to enjoy the affairs of the world. I am willing to share the worries of the two Your Majesties. Since you are not worthy of being the emperor, I will practice the affairs of the emperor with my courtesy."
"From today on the Tang Dynasty, Chang'an will close the palace, and all the affairs of the world will be decided by the Jinzuo Court. The memorials of various prefectures and counties will no longer be passed through the palace, nor will they be handled by the emperor. Since I have been the Minister of State, I should handle the affairs of the world for Your Majesty. The two of them will be at ease to favor their concubines in the harem, and have children and enjoy family life."
Li Longji laughed very angry: "Okay, it's considered telling the truth. Gu Qing, you will no longer hide the intention of using the emperor to order the princes today."
Gu Qing also smiled: "If you have to say that, then... OK, I will use the emperor to order the princes."
When Li Longji heard Gu Qing say so nakedly, he was stunned.
Gu Qing continued, "Your Majesty, I will ask for two more decrees. First, today's turmoil is not a mutiny, but a rebel in the palace, intending to assassinate the emperor. The Anxi army was ordered to thoroughly investigate the palace, and now the rebels have been captured. The rebels in the Shuofang army were deeply penetrated by the rebels. I asked the Shuofang army to withdraw from the palace garrison and ban, and the defenses of Taiji Palace and Xingqing Palace will be taken over by the Anxi army."
"Secondly, today's rebel attempt was attempted, but Your Majesty was deeply frightened and fell ill and could not manage the government. I asked Your Majesty to issue an order to order Gu Qing to be the regent, and all matters such as civil servants and households in the court, including military affairs, and punishments, will be taken over by me. After Your Majesty's dragon body is healthy, he will return the power."
Listening to Gu Qing so bluntly asking for power, Li Longji and Li Heng were so angry that they were dizzy.
Li Heng gritted his teeth and said, "Gu Qing, do you think I will agree?"
Gu Qing said lightly: "Your Majesty will definitely agree."
"Why?"
"Because if Your Majesty does not agree, then my words will be changed. If the thief sneaked into the palace to assassinate the emperor today, he has already succeeded. Your Majesty Long Yu returns to heaven. I have to choose another obedient successor from the many princes of the Supreme Emperor..."
Gu Qing stared at Li Heng's face, suddenly murderous intent in his eyes, and said coldly: "You and I know that these are all lies to fool outsiders, but there is one thing that is true, that is, Your Majesty has really returned to heaven."
Li Heng's face changed drastically. Facing Gu Qing's murderous eyes, he couldn't help but tremble all over, unable to speak, and his expression was extremely frightened.
He knew that Gu Qing's words were not a threat.
If the palace is forced to be successful, the power is in hand. It doesn’t matter who the emperor is. If someone obedient is, it will be more beneficial to Gu Qing.
After saying that, Gu Qing glanced at the two of them deeply, then turned around and prepared to leave.
After the showdown, Gu Qing felt exhausted and walked step by step from Shiqiao Village, Shuzhou to Tai Chi Palace. At this moment, as long as he was willing, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty had to crawl at his feet.
It seems...it's been successful?
But why are you still feeling so tired?
Gu Qing looked out of the hall.
The setting sun outside the hall has disappeared under the horizon, and there is still a ray of red afterglow in the sky.
It’s almost dark, but it will soon be dawn and it will continue again and again, just like the cycle of dynasties that have changed for thousands of years. Where does the world come from? It’s just one cycle of rise and fall and reincarnation after another.
Gu Qing is just one of them.
What made him feel tired might be that he knew that everything today was not the end, but rather it was just the beginning.
Next, we must govern this country on behalf of the emperor, calm down the criticism of the government and the opposition, start to change the world, use land to attack, and balance between compromise and striving for reason, gradually weaken the interests of the powerful and wealthy, and benefit the people of the world...
There are too many things to do, so many things that Gu Qing feels tired even when he thinks about it.
Perhaps I have done so much in my life, but in the end, the history books are only given the eternal infamy of "using the country and treacherous treacherous".
Does it make sense?
Gu Qing was confused and his steps gradually became hesitant and wandered.
Outside the hall gate were pairs of scorching and excited eyes. The soldiers of the Anxi Army were staring at him. The young coach, from the poor and careless Kucha City, led them step by step into Yumen Pass, into the capital, and into the palace.
They don’t know where the future will go, they don’t know where the stars and seas are, they only know that they obey this commander, and this commander will not treat them unfairly.
"Long live the prince!"
I don’t know which soldier suddenly shouted this very taboo sentence.
The word "Long Live" was originally not a taboo. Before the Song Dynasty, the blessings of the people could also be said "Long Live" in the blessings of the people, and the royal family did not be taboo.
But today's situation, the soldiers shouted "Long Live" but they were actually a little taboo.
Soon, all the soldiers shouted loudly.
"Long live the prince!"
"War the world, bring peace!"
Gu Qing stopped, the father and son behind him trembled all over, and Li Longji's feet became soft and he could no longer stand.
Looking at the cheering soldiers, Gu Qing finally felt a little warm in his eyes, and his expression no longer hesitated.
"There are so many things that are far away, ten thousand years are too long, I can't see it, but in my lifetime, at least the people will not be poor, hungry, and poor, and will not sell them for life. Everyone has land and everyone enjoys peace. That's enough." Gu Qing murmured.
His expression gradually became firmer, and a rare heroic aura suddenly appeared in his heart, and he laughed out loudly.
"So what if we usurp the country and treacherous? So what if we curse forever? I, Gu Qing, only live in this life, and don't care about the comments of future generations! As long as the people don't scold me, everything I do in this life will be meaningful!"
Just as I was about to walk out of the hall, a hurry came.
Li Siye's tall figure appeared outside the hall gate, clasping his fists excitedly and said, "Prince, great joy! Liangzhou and Longzhou report victory. Chang Zhong and Ma Lin and Sun Jiushi attacked the Shu army and Longyou army. They won both battles. Gao Xianzhi, the governor of Jiannandao, and Feng Changqing, were captured in the chaos army of the military commander of the military commander of the Longyou. Pugu Huaien, the governor of Longyou, was shot and killed in front of the formation. A total of more than 30,000 people were captured in the two battles, and the rest fled without a trace."
Looking at Gu Qing excitedly, Li Siye shouted: "Prince, the world is settled!"
Gu Qing's expression did not change at all, but he heard a plop behind him. Li Longji and Li Heng collapsed to the ground at the same time, with despair on his face.
Li Heng looked at Gu Qing with dementia, and after a long time, he suddenly burst into tears.
The military service of the vassal states was the last straw for the father and son to save their lives, so after Gu Qing forced the palace, they could still remain calm and try to hold back their anger and not anger Gu Qing, in order to swallow their anger to make a future.
However, with the destruction of the two king-supporting troops, the remaining Hexi army Quhuan was probably unable to turn the tables. The last straw could not save their lives. The father and son finally collapsed completely.
"Gu Qing! The traitor who usurped the country and stole my country. I will fight with you!"
Li Heng looked crazy and suddenly jumped up and rushed towards Gu Qing.
Surrounded by heavy troops and generals, Li Heng's hysterical madness was destined to not be able to touch Gu Qing's hair.
When Gu Qing was still a few feet away, Li Siye frowned and suddenly raised his foot and kicked Li Heng hard. Li Heng was kicked in the abdomen, and his body flew back several feet back, falling heavily to the ground, covering his stomach and screaming in pain.
A snow-white knife flashed, and a Mo knife weighing more than 40 pounds was placed on Li Heng's neck. Li Siye turned his head and looked at Gu Qing and said, "Prince, will you kill me?"
Until this moment, Li Heng finally woke up completely.
Not to mention the power of the emperor, his life is under Gu Qing's control at this moment. As long as Gu Qing has a thought, the knife on his neck will fall, and he will go to the underworld with hatred.
Where did you get the courage to fight Gu Qing desperately?
After waking up, Li Heng burst into cold sweats, his crazy eyes suddenly became lowered and looked at Gu Qing begging.
Gu Qing watched coldly, smiled without any emotion, and said, "Forget it, let him go. After all, he is the emperor and must be treated with courtesy. The soldiers guarding the palace must not be reckless and must not be disrespectful to the two Majesties, otherwise the military law will be ruthless."
"Yes." Li Siye put away his knife.
Gu Qing walked out of the hall and said as he walked: "I ordered the soldiers of Anxi Army to take over the palace defense. Please ask the two Majesties to stay in Chengxiang Hall for the time being. The emperor is noble, and outsiders should not pay tribute to each other easily. If there is no need, there is no need to see the foreign ministers. Stay in the deep palace and enjoy yourself."
Outside the hall, when the soldiers of Anxi Army saw Gu Qing walking out, they didn't know who took the lead, and everyone raised their weapons and cheered.
Chapter completed!