Chapter 389: Your Majesty wants to rebel?

The first month of the fourth year of Wude.

The New Year's Day had just passed, and Luoyang seemed to be immersed in a cheerful atmosphere. Although the ruling King of Qi had not returned from Chang'an, Li Baishi, the Chief of the Zhenjun Prefecture, the Acting Zhenjun Prefecture, the Governor of Henan, and the Right Servant of the Eastern Shaanxi Road, managed the political affairs of Luoyang and the entire Henan Prefecture in an orderly manner during his stay. Even the former Prime Minister Gao Shize, who had always been dissatisfied with the various measures of the current dynasty, praised Li Baishi for his talent as a prime minister. And Li Baishi did not know that the King of Qi had been conferred the title of General of Tiance, and nominally held the military power of the Tang Dynasty together with General of Tianzhu, King of Jin.

Although Gao Shi had always maintained his stance of not cooperating with the Tang Dynasty, he seemed determined to be a loyal subject of Dayan.

But in fact, his two grandsons, Gao Zongyan and Gao Zongzhou, had already entered the Zhenjun Mansion and the Shaanxi East Road Executive Office respectively.

The current representative of the Gao family is Gao Shize's nephew, Gao Huang, who was still the General of the Left Guard and Duke of Bohai in the Tang Dynasty, and was very close to the Qi Palace. When Li Yuanhui was in Luoyang, he often asked for advice from this uncle.

Both of them were prince consorts of the former Yan Dynasty. This commonality may be one of the reasons for their friendly relationship.

In addition, the Xianbei clans in Luoyang also began to plan to join the army to seek meritorious service. After all, Great Yan had already perished. Although Northern Yan had Hebei, the decision was made by Liu Xuanji, a border warrior. Even if these Xianbei clans went to Hebei, they might not be able to be reused.

On the contrary, some poor Xianbei people in Hebei were valued by Liu Xuanji because of their bravery in battle. Therefore, the main contradiction between the two forces of Tang Dynasty and Northern Yan is not the contradiction between Han and Hu people at all.

At present, the Northern Yan in Hebei has formed a new force composed of humble warriors and Hebei gentry, and it has no necessary connection with the previous Great Yan.

Emperor Murong Yang was like a puppet and could not even control the imperial palace in Ji City.

Even so, Murong Yang did not stop making trouble. During the Spring Festival, Murong Yang wanted to take advantage of Liu Xuanji's visit to the palace to launch an attack, kill the powerful officials, and "take back" power. But unfortunately, among the people around Murong Yang, there were people who were arranged by Liu Xuanji.

On the first day of the first lunar month, Liu Xuanji, fully armed, brought 500 soldiers into the palace to pay New Year's greetings. He captured dozens of Murong Yang's death warriors behind the screen in the palace.

Then Liu Xuanji looked at Murong Yang's panicked expression and asked a soul-searching question, "Does your majesty want to rebel?"

Because it was the first day of the first lunar month, Liu Xuanji did not kill anyone, but only ordered his men to arrest the assassins. Several of Murong Yang's cronies, including Liang Chongli, were all imprisoned, and the emperor himself was placed under house arrest.

Even this incident did not cause much stir, because the emperor currently in Northern Yan was just a symbol, without any real power or role.

Liu Xuanji was in charge of the political affairs of the Northern Yan regime, and Liu Daohe, Li Yuanzhong, Zhang Gao, Cui Xin and others were in charge. Liu Xuanji was in charge of the military affairs.

After the emperor wanted to "rebel", no matter how small the impact was, some news would still leak out. So many people in the Northern Yan court thought of persuading him to ascend the throne. Some advised Liu Xuanji to simply go through the process of abdication and let Murong Yang make use of his remaining energy.

But Liu Xuanji refused because he heard some very strange news.

The "previous emperor" Murong Chao was poisoned to death by "Empress Dowager Wei", and Murong Yang knew about it. Liang Chongli revealed this news after being imprisoned and tortured.

This piece of news immediately shocked the censor in charge of the interrogation. After confirming it again and again, the censor went to the Prince of Han's palace overnight to ask for an audience.

Report this news to King of Han Liu Xuanji.

Liu Xuanji was also shocked when he heard the news. "What did you say?"

After saying that, he walked straight up to the censor and picked up the interrogation record and started reading it. The more he read, the more frightened he became.

The Tang Dynasty's manifesto at that time was actually true? It was actually true?
Liu Xuanji was quite surprised. He had never expected this to be true. The late Emperor Murong Chao was really poisoned to death. Does this mean that Murong Yang's throne was not legitimate? Because he poisoned the late Emperor Murong Chao!

Liu Xuanji immediately summoned several confidants including Liu Daohe, Wang Sizheng, and Li Yuanzhong, and informed them of the news.

Princess Li also participated in the discussion and clearly persuaded Liu Xuanji that the reason of poisoning the previous emperor could not be used and could not even be made public, but Murong Yang could be deposed and another emperor could be established.

Liu Xuanji tactfully suggested whether he could use this name to let Murong Yang directly abdicate the throne?
Li Yuanzhong directly pointed out the problems with doing so.

"If Murong Yang killed his brother to seize the throne, wouldn't our Great Yan court be a joke? Li Yuan used Murong Yang's reason to kill his brother to establish Murong Chang as emperor and started a rebellion. Now if Murong Yang's killing of his brother is confirmed, it means that they, the Li Tang, started a rebellion to enforce justice! Aren't we helping the tyrant?"

Liu Daohe also said: "The emperor is not a good person. The King of Han can do what Huo Guang did and depose him, but he cannot establish himself as the emperor, nor can he make public his crime of killing his brother. Otherwise, he will lose morally."

After hearing the advice from Princess Li and several trusted advisers, Liu Xuanji finally gave up his plan to make the matter public and bring disgrace to Murong Yang.

After all, Murong Yang is now his signature. Although he can use his own name as a signature, it is undoubtedly too hasty to do so. And what Princess Li, Li Yuanzhong and Liu Daohe said does make sense.

Murong Yang can be deposed, but he cannot be used as a reason to kill his brother, because the Northern Yan court only had legitimacy because of Murong Yang's migration to the north.

If Murong Yang's legitimacy no longer exists, then the legitimacy of the Northern Yan court will also no longer exist.

However, people were divided over the choice of a new monarch.

Li Yuanzhong said that a young man from a remote clan in the Murong clan in Hebei should be selected to be adopted by the late emperor Murong Chao, or directly by Emperor Zhaowu Murong Ying.

Anyway, he should be easy to control. Don't be like Murong Yang, who is always thinking about making troubles. He has no power but is a hidden danger to the whole country.

Liu Daohe and Wang Sizheng both agreed with Li Yuanzhong's suggestion.

Because in the past, there were always traces of such things. Generally, they would find a young or innocent, and preferably a royal family member with an honest nature.

In particular, Liu Xuanji's Prime Minister's Office has actually become a hegemonic office, and all state affairs, big or small, are decided by the Prime Minister's Office.

In this situation, what is needed is a child with no reputation, no ability, and preferably no brains.

Children are easier to manipulate and control. But Princess Li made a different suggestion.

"What you all said makes sense, but why can we only choose young people? Or young people? Why can't we choose a mature and steady person?"

As soon as this was said, several people immediately said no? Mature and prudent? Is the princess serious?

But soon, they realized that the old and prudent princess wanted to find a yes-man who was old, unpopular, timid but of high seniority?

Now it was the turn of Li Yuanzhong and others to praise her, "The princess is truly a heroine, with broad knowledge, which is beyond the reach of us."

(End of this chapter)