In the Tai Chi Hall, hundreds of officials were standing in their respective positions, playing or listening to others playing. In the past six months, the time for Emperor Tang to go to court was getting later and later day by day. This month, for the first time, it was changed to once every two days. All the officials could not help but secretly guess whether there was something strange about the emperor's dragon body.
The sound of the memorial is endless, and all the officials have their own thoughts.
There are memorials in various ministries, yamen, and various places, ranging from natural and man-made disasters to small thefts and robberies. They may reach out to the court to ask for money for disaster relief, or to show that they have achieved meritorious service in governance, or to complain to the court about their grievances.
In the past, Emperor Tang would have listened with open ears, regardless of whether it was useful or not, but today he was in no mood to listen to the reports of the officials. There was only one thing in his mind at this time - the Twelve Guards of the Forbidden Army!
Although the Twelve Guards of the Forbidden Army have the word "Forbidden Army", they are not responsible for guarding the palace. The main responsibility of the Twelve Guards is to be responsible for the daily flow of people, carriages and horses entering and exiting the city gates. There are three city gates in the east, south and west of Chang'an. Together with the two guards in front of the Suzaku Gate and the daily patrols in Chang'an City, these ten guards are formed. "Two Guards", in other words, the entrance to Chang'an, the capital of the New Tang Dynasty, was guarded by the twelve guards of the Forbidden Army. Their important position is self-evident.
The position of commander-in-chief of the Twelve Guards of the Forbidden Army must naturally be filled by someone close to the emperor and trusted by the emperor - Gan Rong, the commander-in-chief of the Twelve Guards of the Forbidden Army in Chang'an, is himself a strong man in Daman and has already taken the position of commander-in-chief. Thirty years.
Why did Emperor Tang trust him so much? The reason is very simple, because when Emperor Tang was still in the prince's palace, Gan Rong was the guard commander of the palace. He was an old retainer of Emperor Tang, so he was naturally loyal to Emperor Tang. Gan Rong lived up to the trust of the Tang Emperor. The twelve guards he commanded were like a piece of iron, guarding the city of Chang'an tightly. Even during the "Rebellion of the Six Kings", there was no trouble in the entire Chang'an. But now Lord Ganrong is nearly 70 years old, and his health is deteriorating. Even if he is loyal until death, he still has to consider the future safety of the Holy Lord. Therefore, Lord Gan chose to enter the palace today to declare his intention to retire to the Holy One.
Emperor Tang was absent-minded on the dragon chair, and Wang Yanqing was also absent-minded. Perhaps due to some kind of tacit understanding, Emperor Tang's eyes drifted toward the uncle unconsciously, and coincidentally at this moment, Wang Yanqing's eyes also drifted toward Emperor Tang——
In fact, when Wang Yanqing entered the palace today, he received a letter from Chen Jinjue, saying that Gan Rong had entered the palace, and Yin Jingting also accepted the imperial decree from Qinzheng Palace and entered the palace early. Therefore, Wang Yanqing had been thinking about the relationship between the Suzaku Gate and the Taiji Hall. Although he had never dealt with Gan Rong, he was keen enough to smell something unusual.
Outside the palace gate, Lian Xing waited for Wang Yanqing as usual, and bent forward to say hello to him. Lian Xing was the Minister of Household Affairs and Wang Yanqing's most loyal and capable subordinate.
When Wang Yanqing saw him, a strange look suddenly flashed in his eyes, and then he pulled Lian Xing to cover his mouth and gave some instructions. After hearing Wang Yanqing's abrupt explanation, Lian Xing was shocked. Wang Yanqing, on the other hand, abandoned Lian Xing and continued walking towards the main hall with a serious face. He did not even return the greetings to the ministers who passed by him.
Their eyes met, like a bolt of lightning connecting the sea and the sky.
Emperor Tang broke free from his thoughts. At this time, an official was playing something in generous terms. Emperor Tang glanced at the officials under the Highness indifferently, and then coughed lightly. The official was stunned for a moment, then he wisely ended the performance and retreated obediently.
Emperor Tang looked at Wang Yanqing intentionally or unintentionally and said, "Bo Zhong, do you have any memorials that need to be submitted today?"
"Your Majesty, I have nothing to report."
"Oh? Bo Zhong seems to have something on his mind." Emperor Tang said with a half-smile.
Wang Yanqing suddenly knelt down and said loudly in a calm tone: "I am scared, and I am worried about you, Your Majesty. Your father is feeling cold today and is ill, so I am worried about you, so..."
"Get flat."
"Long live thanks."
"Mr. Wang is already old. As the eldest brother in the family, you should be more considerate."
"I will obey the teachings of the Holy One."
The officials below were all confused. Why did this fine going to court suddenly become a routine? However, as a result, the atmosphere in the court relaxed a lot.
The court fell into a brief silence, but the atmosphere was quite relaxed. But at this moment, Emperor Tang suddenly raised his tone, like a thunderclap——
"The Twelve Guards of the Forbidden Army!"
The officials who had been peaceful just now suddenly became highly nervous again. Seeing that all the officials cheered up and pricked up their ears in an instant, Emperor Tang continued to speak -
"Today, Commander Gan came to my imperial study. He told me that he was old and asked me to choose a trustworthy person to take his place... The Twelve Guards are the gatekeepers of Chang'an. My dear friends, do you have a suitable one? Can you choose?"
When the officials heard this, they were secretly surprised. The Twelve Guards were the emperor's personal soldiers! The importance of this position is that even the children in the city know it, otherwise there would not be nursery rhymes like "Without the Twelve Guards of the Forbidden Army, the emperor cannot sleep"... Why did the Holy One throw it out like this without warning today?
Chang Zhishan stood at the head of the military attache list. He didn't even raise his head, he just stood there firmly. He also smelled a breath - this breath did not come from the throne, but from among the people who served in the same court as him. Someone in such an important position must be making a big fuss, and the content of this post... ...Beware of others is essential.
The hall fell into silence for a while, and all the officials remained silent at this moment.
The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty looked down at the officials in the palace, gave an intriguing smile, and said, "There are so many talented people in our country, is there no suitable candidate?"
"Back to the emperor, I will recommend someone to you!"
As soon as these words came out, all the officials looked surprised.
Emperor Tang was no exception. He went out looking for prestige and saw only one official coming out. He bowed respectfully, not even daring to raise his head.
"Who does Lian Aiqing recommend?" Emperor Tang asked expressionlessly.
"General Chang Xiaotian, the captain of Zhaowu School."
"Oh? Why."
"General Xiao Chang comes from a family of military officers. He guards Tianmen Pass all the year round. He leads the troops well and kills the barbarians until they throw away their helmets and armor, making them frightened. He has won the hearts of the people and the army in the pass. In addition, three generations of General Chang's family have been loyal ministers of our court. Wei Chen thinks that it is most suitable for General Xiao Chang to hold this position."
"Well..." Emperor Tang nodded thoughtfully. Then, he asked again noncommittally: "Where are the others? What do you think of this candidate?"
Lian Xing bowed and retreated into the queue, and then the hall fell into silence again.
The heartbeats of the officials could not help but accelerate. Many officials' clothes were slightly damp, and some officials' legs were trembling slightly under their wide robes. I don't know if it was because of excitement or fear - the gods were going to fight? It's not right for the minister to come and act like this! He was a member of Wang Shangshu, so how could he recommend Zhaowu as Colonel? This...is this a sincere recommendation...or...forget it, silence is golden, speak less, be careful, and say nothing! Watch the fun... Watch the fun...
"Wei Chen seconded the proposal."
A familiar voice sounded from the quiet hall. When this voice sounded, Baiguan was even more surprised.
Emperor Tang felt a little surprised and looked at Wang Yanqing meaningfully with his eyes narrowed.
"Does Bozhong also think this proposal is good?"
"Wei Chen believes that the position of the Twelve Guards of the Forbidden Army is of great importance, related to the safety of the Holy One and the livelihood of the people of Chang'an. If the Holy One is safe, Chang'an will be stable, and if Chang'an is stable, the Tang Dynasty will be stable. Looking at the government and the public, I only feel that General Xiao Chang is the most important. It’s appropriate, so I second the proposal.”
"Wei Chen seconded the proposal..."
"I second the proposal..."
Seeing Wang Yanqing's stance, the hall that had been quiet just now was filled with voices of agreement, and the voices of agreement were endless.
"Zhongxian!"
"The general is here!" Chang Zhishan's majestic voice echoed in the hall, instantly cutting off the continuous noisy comments.
"What do you think of this matter?" Emperor Tang looked at Chang Zhishan with interest. Then he added: "When promoting a virtuous person, don't avoid relatives, but Zhongxian just says it doesn't matter."
"Yes!" Chang Zhishan cupped his fists and bowed, his attitude extremely pious. But then, he straightened up, without the panic look of Wang Yanqing, Lian Xing and others, and said loudly: "The emperor's kindness is so great that three generations of the Chang family have been favored by the imperial court. I am so grateful that I should repay the favor with death, but... …General Chang Xiaotian took up the post of commander of the Twelve Guards of the Forbidden Army, but the final general thought it was… inappropriate!”
Emperor Tang was leaning on the dragon chair, looking at Chang Zhishan with a half-smile, his expression thought-provoking.
"The general believes that the situation in Chang'an is very different from that in the pass. The defense in the pass relies on the natural dangers of Tianmen Pass and is not afraid of barbarian invasion. I, the sergeant of the Tang Dynasty, guards Tianmen Pass and often takes the initiative to attack the northern barbarians. The purpose is twofold. One is to To deter the barbarians, the second is to train the troops in battle to prevent the sergeants from being lazy. But the key point of Chang'an is where the Dragon Vein of the Tang Dynasty is located and the place where the Holy Dragon resides. It is even more important in the pass. It should be headed by the word "stability". He is guarding the pass, but with his nature... the Twelve Guards of the Forbidden Army may not be able to do the job, I hope the Holy One will see clearly!"
The hall fell into silence again. Wang Yanqing stood respectfully behind Yin Jingting without even moving his eyebrows.
Emperor Tang seemed to be deep in thought, Yin Jingting seemed to be deep in thought, Wang Yanqing and Chang Zhishan were also deep in thought. It could be said that 'a needle dropped' could be heard in the main hall.
Emperor Tang suddenly woke up from his deep thoughts. He sneered without any trace, then left a cold word and stood up to leave——
"Let's end this matter. We will discuss it another day and withdraw from the court."
"Retreat from the court——"
The little eunuch's sharp voice woke everyone up. When all the officials came to their senses, they saw that the dragon chair was empty.
After all the officials knelt down, they all retreated. Yin Jingting walked straight to Qinzheng Hall without saying hello to anyone.
Chang Zhishan strode out of the Tai Chi Hall and met Wang Yanqing at the palace gate. I wonder if it was a coincidence. Wang Yanqing turned around and looked into Chang Zhishan's eyes. Chang Zhishan, with thick eyebrows and tiger eyes, looked at Wang Yanqing with a sense of majesty. Wang Yanqing was not willing to be outdone and looked at each other calmly.
After a brief silence, Chang Zhishan spoke first——
"Just now, Mr. Wang was carrying his beloved dog in the court hall."
"What did General Chang say? Captain Chang is loyal to the country, patriotic, and capable of running the army. I sincerely recommend him, so how can I express my love for him?"
Chang Zhishan stared at the smiling Wang Yanqing without answering, then clenched his fists, left two words without saltiness, and turned around to leave——
"Farewell"
Wang Yanqing also raised his hands and responded lightly: "Farewell."
