It was the fifth watch.
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. The sky was slightly bright.
On the branches, birds were already looking for food.
The rooster raised by the farmers also began to crow.
Under the reflection of the starlight, the white dew emitted specks of light.
A breeze blew past, and dew fell from the leaves.
Baiguan went to court and used drums as orders.
When the drum that symbolized the arrival of the fifth watch sounded, all the important officials of the court began to enter Taiji Palace.
In ancient times, emperors and important officials had to attend court every day, so they were used to getting up early.
On the contrary, those sixth-grade officials could sleep very late.
This was because these officials would only go to court on the first and fifteenth day of the first lunar month, or when the emperor summoned them for something.
Li Yuan sat on the dragon throne. After the civil and military officials bowed, the morning court session officially began.
Among the civil officials, Li Shimin was ranked first as the Minister of State and the King of Qin, followed by Gao Shilian.
Among the ranks of military officers, Li Changqing stood guard. He was the Heavenly Strategy General, and his status was above the Prince and the Three Dukes.
Now that Crown Prince Li Jiancheng had been deposed, Li Changqing was the second most important figure in the Great Tang Empire.
Other than Li Yuan, the others were all below him in status.
Even if Li Shi Min saw him, he had to bow according to etiquette.
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites stood out from the ranks of civil officials and said,""Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's position is currently vacant, and it is a worry for the country. Please appoint a new Crown Prince as soon as possible.”
As soon as he finished speaking, all the officials in the court looked at Li Shiming.
There was no doubt that he was the only one qualified to be the Crown Prince.
Li Yuan pondered for a moment, then glanced at Li Shimin, who was standing straight and said,"Setting up a crown prince is the most important thing for the country.”
Although he was mentally prepared, when he heard that Li Yuan had delayed the appointment of the Crown Prince, Li Shimin was still disappointed. However, he still had a friendly smile on his face.
However, the civil and military officials were very puzzled by Li Yuan's actions. Li Shimin was very outstanding, so why didn't he make him the Crown Prince?
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites said,"I believe that a country cannot live without a monarch, nor can it live without a crown prince." The crown prince was related to the stability of the country and was a major event for the country. The first emperor did not appoint his eldest son Fusu as the prince, causing Zhao Gao and Hu Hai to usurp power. The death of Qin Dynasty II was a good example.”
Li Yuan's face darkened, and his eyes were filled with anger.
Seeing this, Gao Shilian quickly stepped forward and said,""Your Majesty, recently there have been reports from the border that the foreign races are becoming more and more rampant. The Turks are constantly harassing the borders of our Great Tang in the north, while the Tibetans are eyeing us in the west. I request Your Majesty to send troops to support the border and resist the foreign tribes.”
As Li Yuan's number one strategist, Gao Shilian was not only good at planning and making decisions, but he was also very good at reading people's expressions.
Gao Shilian changed the topic, and Li Yuan's expression softened.
"The Turkic jackals have repeatedly invaded the borders of our Great Tang. We will lead an army of a million to destroy their country. However, the civil war in China has just ended, and the people of the Great Tang are in dire straits.
Yesterday, General Tian Ce requested to guard Youzhou for three years, and I have agreed. He ordered General Tiance to lead 80,000 white-robed soldiers to Youzhou on the third day of next month to suppress the Turks.”
Li Changqing flashed out with a solemn expression and a lightning-like gaze. He said in a clear voice,"Your son accepts the order! If we leave Youzhou now, we will definitely be able to rid the Great Tang of the threat of the Turks forever!”
Li Yuan nodded with a smile." The Tibetans are two-faced and have always been hovering between the Great Tang and the Turks. They are a complete fence sitter." Where is Minister of War Li Ji?"
Immediately, a general who was not very muscular and looked a little refined walked out.
"Your subject is here!"
"I order you to lead 30,000 troops to defend the border. If the Tubo dared to make any strange movements, they would immediately attack them with thunderous means!”
"This subject will obey!"
Compared to the Turks, the Tibetans were far too weak.
The Great Tang Empire did not have the confidence to start a war with the Turks, but it did not fear the Tibetans.
The morning court was used for the emperor and his subjects to discuss and deal with state affairs.
If the emperor was a wise ruler, he would often argue with his ministers until his face turned red.
As the ministers reported their reports, Li Yuan issued his orders one by one.
When the morning court was coming to an end, Li Shimin stood out from the ranks of civil officials and said,"Imperial Father, your son has something to report."
"What is it?"
"Sixth brother is seventeen this year and hasn't married yet. This trip to Youzhou would last for three years. Your son requests Imperial Father to help Sixth Brother arrange a marriage before he goes to Youzhou.”
For the sake of the country, for the sake of inheriting the throne safely.
Li Shiming listened to Zhangsun Wuji's suggestion and couldn't wait to get Li Changqing married as soon as possible.
Only when there was no longer any possibility between Li Changqing and Li Xiu Ning would the " imperial grandson " hidden in Li Yuan's heart not appear.
For this reason, it was not impossible to give up the woman he loved!
After hearing Li Shiming's request, Li Yuan smiled and said,"Shimin's words are great. The ancients said that one should cultivate one's moral character, govern the country, and rule the world. Changqing's marriage should be arranged as soon as possible.”
As a woman, the white-robed Vice-Commander Li Xiu Ning's expression changed drastically when she heard this. Li Yuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, he could not say anything.
What could she say? Was persuading Li Yuan not to arrange a marriage for Li Changqing something an elder sister could do?
Standing in front of her, Li Changqing immediately cupped his hands and said,"The Turks haven't been pacified. Your son wants to learn from Huo Qubing of the Han Dynasty. Please grant his wish.”
Li Yuan knew what Li Changqing was thinking and didn't listen to his excuse. He directly made a decision and said,"I have my own ideas on this matter. After the court leaves, go to Taiji Palace and wait for my summons.”
……
Taiji Palace.
Li Changqing stood on the steps, waiting for Li Yuan's summons.
As for Li Yuan, he was inside to receive Zhangsun Wugou, who had been waiting for a long time.
In order to leave a good impression on Li Yuan, Zhangsun Wugou, who rarely put on makeup, spent several hours dressing up today.
She was wearing a moon-white dress that was simple and elegant.
A hairpin was inserted into her silky black hair, and the rest of her black hair hung down to her waist.
There was a faint smile on her snow-white oval face. With a light blush, her cheeks were slightly red like a viburne flower that had just bloomed.
Her eyes were like clear water, and when she looked around, she had an elegant and gentle temperament that made people feel ashamed and not dare to profane her.
"Snow white skin, beautiful face, heavenly beauty. What an elegant woman!"
The first time Li Yuan saw Zhangsun Wugou, he gave her an extremely high evaluation.
After some interaction, he felt that she was a good match for Li Changqing and was very happy.
He instructed Wang Chengren, who was serving him,""Quickly summon my son, Changqing, in."
Li Yuan was so excited that he didn't even realize that his self-proclaimed had changed.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。