Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty placed the letter written by Concubine Yang Shu in the desk drawer in the Ganlu Hall of Taiji Palace. There are many books in the Manlu Hall. Xuanzong sometimes went to study. Especially after Concubine Wu Hui became pregnant, he spent more time studying in the Manlu Hall.
On July 21st, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty came to Ganlu Hall after leaving the early court. His bodyguards increased by six people today, and together with Li Shoude and Chen Xiaoli, they stood guard outside the gate of Ganlu Hall. A young eunuch and a palace maid stood by the wall of the Manlu Palace, waiting for Xuanzong's orders at any time.
Xuanzong read "The Classic of Mountains and Seas" for a while, and then put it back to its original place. As an emperor, he actually didn't have much leisure time and only focused on reading books from sages. He was thinking, how can he achieve the political achievements of his great-grandfather, Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty?
Although Xuanzong believed that his grandmother Wu Zetian's political achievements were also good, he generally would not praise her publicly. After all, Wu Zetian changed the name of the country to the Wu Zhou period. Fortunately, after the Shenlong Coup, the rule of the Li Tang Dynasty was restored. Before Wu Zetian died, she made a will and asked Tang Zhongzong Li Xian and later generations to call her the "Great Sage Queen Zetian" and be buried in Qianling Mausoleum as the queen.
Tang Xuanzong hated Wu Zetian. When he was eight years old, his mother, Concubine Dou De, was falsely accused by the palace maid Wei Tuaner and used witchcraft to curse Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian ordered Concubine Dou De to be executed without verification. The young Li Longji suffered great psychological trauma. He knew that Wu Zetian or the Wu family had instigated the palace maid Wei Tuan'er to falsely accuse his mother, Concubine Dou De. From then on, Li Longji's father Li Dan and his brothers and sisters were placed under house arrest by Wu Zetian in the palace. They were not freed until Wu Zetian abdicated in the Shenlong Coup.
Xuanzong admired Tang Taizong's attitude towards ministers admonishing him. When Xuanzong was young, he knew the story of Wei Zheng's blunt advice to Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. After he ascended the throne, he determined to attach great importance to the advice of loyal ministers like Taizong. He determined to be an emperor like Taizong, who was talented and strategic and dedicated to governing the country.
Xuanzong thought, do I have ministers who dare to give direct advice like Wei Zheng? Are Zhang Shuo, Jiang Jiao, Cui Riyong, Wei Zhigu, Zhang Jiuling and other ministers like Wei Zheng? Although they were loyal to the court and sometimes dared to give advice, they could not compare with Wei Zheng's courage to give advice.
Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty thought of Song Jing, the prime minister in the Ruizong period. He dared to offend the powerful during the Empress Wu period and the Zhongzong period. During the Ruizong period, he served as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and was the third rank of Tong Zhongshu. At that time, he and Yao Chong, who was also the prime minister, They jointly requested Ruizong to invite Princess Taiping to live in Luoyang, the eastern capital. At that time, Yao Chong was appointed Minister of the Ministry of War, and was ranked third in the Tongzhongshu sect. The two of them dared to offend Princess Taiping at that time, paving the way for Li Longji to successfully ascend the throne. Princess Taiping was so powerful that the two prime ministers petitioned Ruizhong to ask Princess Taiping to live in the Eastern Capital, but they failed to do so. As a result, Song Jing was demoted to be the governor of Chuzhou, and Yao Chong was demoted to be the governor of Tongzhou.
Xuanzong wanted to re-appoint Song Jing and Yao Chong. He believed that Song Jing was the most like Wei Zheng who dared to give advice, while Yao Chong was very capable. In his second year as crown prince, Xuanzong began to supervise the country in order to counter Princess Taiping. At that time, Yao Chong's efficiency in handling government affairs left a deep impression on him.
Xuanzong thought of Liu Youqiu again. Liu Youqiu helped Xuanzong make plans during the Tang Long coup, actively participated in the operation to eliminate the Empress Wei group, and made great contributions.
After Xuanzong ascended the throne last year, Liu Youqiu thought that he had made great achievements and wanted Xuanzong to appoint him as Shangshu Zuopushe and concurrently as Zhongshu Ling. As a result, Xuanzong appointed him as the right servant of Shangshu, and he was the third rank of Zhongshu. With the intervention of Princess Taiping, Dou Huaizhen was appointed as Shangshu Zuopushe, and Cui Shi was appointed as Zhongshu Ling. Both of them were members of Princess Taiping's party. Dou Huaizhen was the backbone of the Princess Taiping Group. When the Princess Taiping Group was eradicated, Dou Huaizhen committed suicide and Cui Shi was dismissed from office and exiled.
Last year, Liu Youqiu asked Zhang Wei to give secret advice to Xuanzong. Dou Huaizhen, Zeng Xi, and Cui Shi all belonged to Princess Taiping's gang. They often conspired to harm Xuanzong and supported Princess Taiping to seize power. Unexpectedly, this secret advice was leaked, and Tang Rui was furious. He punished Liu Youqiu on the grounds of alienating the relationship between the royal family members. Ruizhong considered that during Tang Long's coup, Liu Youqiu had contributed greatly to his rise to the throne. Liu Youqiu was spared the death penalty and was exiled to Lingnan. Zhang Wei was dismissed from office and exiled to Lingnan.
Xuanzong decided to recall Liu Youqiu and let him and Song Jing return to serve in the court at the same time. He also thought of Zhang Wei, a young man from a wealthy family in his hometown of Xiangcheng, Ruzhou. When he concurrently served as Luzhou Biejia, Zhang Wei served as Tongtanling. The two came together because they liked hunting, making friends, and entertainment. When he was a guest at Zhang Wei's house, he met Zhao for the first time, the daughter of the musician Zhao Yuanli, who went to Zhang Wei's house to perform singing and dancing. Zhao is now Zhao Lifei.
Tang Xuanzong decided to recall Zhang Wei to serve in the court.
Xuanzong immediately asked the eunuchs in Ganlu Hall to inform the people of Zhongshushe to come over and ask the people of Zhongshushe to draft an edict calling Song Jing, Liu Youqiu, and Zhang Wei back to serve in the court. Xuanzong wanted to reuse Yao Chong and make him the "first prime minister", but he was also worried that he would be at odds with Zhang Shuo and Guo Yuanzhen. Therefore, Xuanzong wanted to wait until the time was right before recruiting Yao Chong back.
After the edict was issued, Song Jing reported to the court on July 25th. In the afternoon of that day, Xuanzong held a banquet in Linde Hall to welcome him. Zhang Shuo, Jiang Jiao, and Zhang Jiuling accompanied Xuanzong and exchanged cups with him, chatting until midnight.
Liu Youqiu returned to the court on July 28. Xuanzong asked Gao Lishi to notify the imperial dining room and fry eight dishes and send them to the Linde Hall. He wanted to treat Liu Youqiu to dinner at the Linde Hall.
After Liu Youqiu saw Xuanzong, he first bowed deeply to Xuanzong and said some words of longing for him. Next, the monarch and his ministers sat at the wine table, chatting and reminiscing about the past. Liu Youqiu asked about the process of eradicating Princess Taiping's rebel group, and Xuanzong told him the whole process.
Liu Youqiu sighed: "It's so dangerous. If His Majesty knew about Princess Taiping's conspiracy one day later, it might have been a different ending."
Xuanzong said: "Yes, fortunately, I am still blessed by God."
Liu Youqiu said: "Your Majesty is a lucky man who has his own destiny, and great blessings come to heaven."
Xuanzong asked Liu Youqiu about his one-year exile experience, and Liu Youqiu also talked in detail about what he had seen, heard, and experienced.
Zhang Wei was the last one to come back and went to Xingqing Palace to meet Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. Zhang Wei offended Princess Taiping and was exiled. His predecessor served as a censor, and Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty promised to make him the minister of Dali. Zhang Wei said many words of thanks to Xuanzong. A young man from a wealthy family suffered a lot of unbearable hardships during his year of exile in Lingnan. He became thin and haggard, with tears in his eyes. Xuanzong wanted to invite him to have dinner at Linde Hall, but he declined Xuanzong's invitation on the grounds that he would go home to reunite with his family and did not want to disturb Xuanzong. Xuanzong had no choice but to ask Yang Sixu to order four simple dishes in the imperial dining room, and let Xiao Yuzi take them to the Xingqing Hall of Xingqing Palace to entertain Zhang Wei.
On the first day of August, in the morning meeting, Xuanzong announced to the civil and military ministers: Song Jing, the former Shangshu of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, was appointed Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishments, third rank under Tongzhongshu; the former Shangshu's right servant shot Liu Youqiu to be appointed as the left prime minister of Shangshu, knowing the important affairs of the military and state, and was granted the title of Xu Guogong , and granted 700 households; Zhang Wei, the former Zuotai Censor, was promoted to Minister of Dali and granted the title of Deng Guogong, and granted 300 households.
