I have 800,000 private soldiers. The emperor forces me to hand over military power?

It was early June in the tenth year of Zhaowu in the Tang Dynasty.

Chen Chuqing, the Western King of the Tang Dynasty when he was still in childhood, followed the orders of Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian and headed west from Chang'an Mansion to Harabalegas, the capital of the Uighur Khanate, to "join the vassal state". Wei Guogong Chang Yuchun was ordered to accompany him, and thus He stayed in the Western Regions to assist the Western King Chen Chuqing until the Western King came of age and was crowned.

This time, the Western King Chen Chuqing resigned from the vassal and moved the capital to Chang'an Prefecture with the Tang Dynasty. This was regarded by the outside world as a direct manifestation of the Tang Dynasty's "westward migration of power", and it also revealed Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian's determination to conquer the west.

On this day, outside the gate of the imperial city of Chang'an Prefecture, Zhaowu Emperor Chen Huaian, wearing a bright yellow five-claw golden dragon robe, together with the imperial concubine Yue Qiluo, and all the civil and military officials from the court gathered at Xuanwu Gate to prepare for the trip to the Uighur Khanate in the Western Regions. Chen Chuqing, the Western King of the Tang Dynasty, and his accompanying assistant Wei Guogong Chang Yuchun saw them off.

"Father, mother, concubine, please take care of yourself!"

The young Western King Chen Chuqing acted like a mature child, kowtowed to his father Chen Huaian and his mother Yue Qiluo, and said with a free and easy expression: "My son, go!"

After saying that, Chen Chuqing turned around and got on the horse, then gave the horse a sudden kick on the belly, and rushed out of the Xuanwu Gate without looking back.

Only Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian, who was still stunned in the wind, was left, and the imperial concubine Yue Qiluo, standing beside him with tears in her eyes and crying so hard.

"This brat, eh——"

Chen Huaian looked at the back of his second son, Chen Chuqing, riding away, and shook his head helplessly.

Finally, his eyes fell on Wei Guogong Chang Yuchun, and he said with a smile: "Wei Guogong, from today on, I will entrust the child Chu Qing to you;"

"I hope that under the guidance of Wei Guogong, Chu Qing can become a qualified vassal king as soon as possible, and can become a state-governing talent guarding our side of the Tang Dynasty;"

"Wei Guogong, please!"

Hearing this, Chang Yuchun subconsciously took a step back, then bowed slightly, bowed his hands to Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian and said: "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will do my best to assist His Highness the King of the West to ensure the safety of the Western Region! "

Um!

Chen Huaian nodded with satisfaction, personally led the horse for Wei Guogong Chang Yuchun, and said: "Wei Guogong, mount the horse!"

"My lord, I obey the order!"

Chang Yuchun didn't show any pretense. After taking the horse's reins from Chen Huaian's hand, he quickly got on the horse.

On the occasion of parting, he did not forget to express his respect to the emperor and the concubine on horseback: "Your Majesty, concubine, take care -"

"Take care of yourself!"

"Wei Guogong, take care!"

Chen Huaian and Yue Qiluo also expressed their respect to Chang Yuchun.

drive--

Soon, Chang Yuchun and his party also rode away.

The civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty who came to see him off also dispersed under the orders of Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian. Only Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian and the imperial concubine Yue Qiluo were left in the huge Xuanwu Gate of the imperial city, as well as those who were stuck at the city gate like javelins. Imperial City Guards and Jinwu Guards.

Chen Huaian looked at the imperial concubine Yue Qiluo who had been with him for ten years, and asked with a smile: "Qiluo, are you complaining about me in your heart?"

"Chu Qing is still so young, so I am determined to throw him to the Western Regions to take charge of his own business?"

"Your Majesty, I don't dare!"

Yue Qiluo shook her head, and on her still beautiful and charming face, she squeezed out a smile that was uglier than crying, and said: "Chu Qing was born in the emperor's home. This is his fate;"

"Whether I am willing or not, Chu Qing will have to embark on this path sooner or later to shoulder his responsibilities and obligations as the second prince and the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty."

After a pause, Yue Qiluo continued: "Besides, Chu Qing is going to the Western Regions to become a vassal and inherit the title left by his grandfather. This is something that all members of the Yaomoluo family should be happy about;"

"I think that if my father Khan knew someone under the spring, he would also be happy for Chu Qing."

Um!

Chen Huaian nodded and looked at Yue Qiluo, whose eyes were still red. He finally swallowed his words when he reached his mouth. He just gently grabbed Yue Qiluo's boneless hand and turned it away. He led her step by step towards the imperial city.

Compared with the pain of separation between mother and son, the imperial concubine Yue Qiluo is suffering, the life of Queen Liu Shujun seems to be much happier.

Although, since his son Chen Chuyan was canonized as the crown prince, his daily study tasks have become more arduous. From time to time, after dinner, he is summoned by his father Chen Huaian to the imperial study room to learn to review memorials, handle government affairs, and come and go. The time in Kunning Palace is obviously reduced;

However, Liu Shujun did not have to bear the pain of separation between mother and son. The distance between the main hall of the East Palace and Kunning Palace was not very far. At least she could see her son at any time when she missed him.

Such a comparison makes the kind-hearted queen Liu Shujun feel that she "owes" her sister Yue Qiluo too much.

Therefore, many times when the emperor went to Kunning Palace to spend the night, she would take the initiative to persuade Chen Huai'an to go to Fengyi Palace to accompany the imperial concubine Yue Qiluo.

The love between sisters is as deep as brothers.

Sometimes, even Chen Huaian couldn't help but wonder in his mind, if they had really set a precedent in history and appointed the two as queens of the East and West Palaces, would the two of them still be as close as sisters now?

Of course, this is just Chen Huaian's imagination when he is bored in his spare time.

Ever since he experienced his brother Chen Longxiang's rebellion, it was absolutely impossible for him to think about setting a precedent in history and establishing the Queen of the East and West Palaces;

He would never allow the tragedy of brothers killing each other and fighting against each other to happen again in the court of the Tang Dynasty.

By the way, an important thing happened recently.

It was the loyal and brave Marquis Lu Jiang who took over as the deputy commander of the Longcheng Inner Guard. When sorting out the Longcheng Inner Guard archives ten years ago, he found some clues about the contents of the correspondence between Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian and Empress Dowager Xu Ruoyun, which were leaked by someone in the archives of the collusion between Wuyi Marquis Liu Ziyu and the remnants of the Turks and the rebellion in Youyun area.

At that time, when Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian was entangled and hesitant about the matter of establishing a queen, the correspondence with Empress Dowager Xu Ruoyun mentioned the historical precedent of establishing the queen of the East and West Palaces;

As a result, the news was learned by the civil servants in the court on the second day, and they used it to persuade Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian at the court meeting, making him embarrassed;

Afterwards, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian ordered Luo Yucheng, the deputy commander of the Longcheng Inner Guard and Marquis Wuping, to thoroughly investigate the matter.

However, Luo Yucheng was unable to find any clues about the matter.

However, when Lu Jiang saw the contents recorded in the archives, he suddenly recalled the sensational "Tea and Horse Smuggling Case" involving four provinces and eight prefectures of the Tang Dynasty.

At that time, Lu Jiang was carrying the imperial sword to inspect the country in accordance with the order of Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian, intending to supervise the fairness and justice of the first imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty.

Among them, one point caught Lu Jiang's attention;

That is, the corrupt group headed by Wuyi Bo Liu Ziyu, the head of Youyun military generals, and Su Chen, the governor of Liangjiang and Lianghu, was a coerced follower. When smuggling valuables back and forth between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, they used the official road and post stations along the way of the 800-li-jiaji of the imperial court in the area of ​​​​Youyun Sixteen Prefectures;

Could it be that the person who secretly intercepted and peeped and leaked the contents of the correspondence between the emperor and the empress dowager was Wuyi Bo Liu Ziyu, who had been executed with three clans?

Next, Lu Jiang followed this line and found what he wanted.

Although many Youyun military officers and messengers of the official post station involved in the case were beheaded for their involvement in Liu Ziyu's rebellion;

However, Lu Jiang still went through a lot of visits to collect evidence, and finally verified the matter from a sworn brother of the palace housekeeper. The person who intercepted the correspondence between the emperor and the empress dowager, peeped at the contents and spread them widely was Wuyi Bo Liu Ziyu.

And the purpose of doing so was to force Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian to give up the idea of ​​establishing the empress of the East and West Palaces, so that his sister Liu Shujun could sit on the throne of the empress, so as to create favorable conditions for himself to be conferred the title of Duke in the future ceremony.

When Lu Jiang reported the matter to Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian, the latter just threw the memorial into the brazier in the imperial study and turned it into ashes.

For Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huaian, the current situation is the best outcome.

Why bother to turn over the old accounts ten years ago?

Let the past go with the wind!