Chapter 46 Renshou
Of course not. Some people from aristocratic families have wealth and troops, and they can make great achievements in any dynasty. They can be given titles and honors. This is the minimum. Otherwise, why should they bow their heads and pledge allegiance?

But Li Jiancheng could also understand his father. He lost his father at a young age, and this title was not without his half-brother and the branches of the Li family eyeing it. Although it should have been his, there were not so many things that were taken for granted in this world.

As long as the Li family inherits the title, the rest of the Wuchuan family can't say anything. No matter what the emperor's considerations are or for whose face he is giving it, the title can still be smoothly given to a child of only seven years old. This can be called the emperor's great favor.

Later, Li Yuan was appointed as a Qianniu Beishen so that he could grow up safely in the palace.

Li Jiancheng sighed and said, "Yang Su cannot be overthrown. Not only does the Crown Prince rely on him, but His Majesty cannot do without him now. No one else in the court can take the position of Zuo Pushe."

Yang Su may have many shortcomings, but his strengths are also undeniable. He has been invincible in battles and has never been defeated. Although he is obviously slightly inferior to Gao Zuo in governing the country, he is still unmatched by others.

Li Yuan thought for a moment, but he really couldn't think of anyone who could replace Yang Su. The reason why Yang Su could replace Gao Zuo was because he had been the Right Prime Minister since the 12th year of Kaihuang, and had always been a check and balance on Gao Zuo, and his students and former officials were all over the court.

It does not mean that if the emperor appoints someone as Zuo Pushe, that person will automatically have the authority of Zuo Pushe and the officials below will cooperate wholeheartedly. This is impossible.

No matter how well Gao Zuo did, there was also Yang Su who sabotaged him. Yang Su had only been in power for less than two years when someone made an agreement to attack him. These two were both outstanding people. Ordinary mediocre people would not even know how they died.

"Okay, I will decline Liu Shu's offer."

"You should go and see the prince now."

Being able to know the big picture is always a good quality in the eyes of those in higher positions. Li Jiancheng also hoped that his father could move up a level. The term "city gate captain" really doesn't sound very nice.

.........

Everything withered after winter came. Queen Dugu Qieluo sat all day long, gazing at the falling snow outside the window, reminiscing about the past and also about her recently deceased son Yang Jun.

Yang Jun, who was already seriously injured, was ruthlessly reprimanded by Yang Jian during the fight for the throne. His condition became worse due to shame and fear. Yang Jian finally felt a little sympathy for his son and restored his title of Shangzhuguo.

Unfortunately, it was of no avail, Yang Jun still died. The emperor stopped court out of grief, and Empress Dugu stopped eating out of grief, but this was all the love she could give her son.

Emperor Wen of Sui ordered that all of Yang Jun's belongings be burned because they were rather extravagant. He also ordered that funeral utensils must be used sparingly so that future generations would follow suit.

That would be fine, but the dignified King of Qin did not even have an inscription after his death. The emperor only left a sentence: "If you want to be famous, a volume of history is enough, why do you need a monument? If your descendants cannot protect the family, it will only serve as a stone to deter others."

What he said sounded very nice and was very benevolent and wise. It would have been even better if he had not ordered the conscription of civilians to expand the Renshou Palace.

In Yang Jun's life, he was first poisoned by his wife and then abandoned by his father. After his death, he had neither a tombstone nor children and grandchildren to mourn for him. Although he was the son of an emperor, he was not as good as an ordinary commoner.

As the saying goes, a father hides his secrets for his son and a son hides his secrets for his father. The emperor's attitude made many people feel chilled. If he treated his own sons like this, how would he treat outsiders?
The spirit of hard work and unity among the emperor and his subjects in the early years of Kaihuang was swept away, leaving only a situation of disunity between the superiors and the subordinates, each pursuing his own interests. The prince naturally became the biggest winner, and almost every day officials and officers sent people to send him letters to say hello.

The emperor may have noticed it, but at this time he just wanted to enjoy his limited time. He believed in immortals and Buddhas even more, and issued an edict that "anyone who destroys Buddha and the statues of the gods of heaven, mountains, towns, seas, and blasphemous gods will be considered unrighteous; monks who destroy Buddha statues and Taoists who destroy statues of the gods of heaven will be considered evil and rebellious. He also issued an edict to abolish the Kaihuang era name and establish the Renshou era name, which means longevity and happiness.

In the first year of Renshou, the position of You Pushe, which had been vacant for a long time, fell into the hands of Su Wei, Duke of Pi. However, this old minister, who had experienced many ups and downs, also turned to the prince and was able to be promoted smoothly.

Not long after the beginning of the year, the new reign title apparently did not bring more blessings to the emperor. Empress Dugu Qieluo passed away due to illness. This famous empress died quietly, and no one in the entire capital expected it to be so sudden.

Clearly, a few days ago, when the Queen and His Majesty hosted a banquet for all the ministers to celebrate the New Year, they looked in good spirits.

Li Jiancheng also wiped his tears as he went to bid farewell. It cannot be said that the queen was very good to him, but it was understandable.

Crown Prince Yang Guang was also crying so hard that he could not stand. However, Li Jiancheng, who was quite familiar with Yang Guang's character, could see that the crown prince was sad and heartbroken, but he was probably more sad that he had lost a major pillar of support.

The grief expressed by the emperor is also puzzling. Wasn't it your decision that made the queen heartbroken?

He ordered Shangshu Zuo Pushe Yang Su to be personally responsible for funeral arrangements. The royal Feng Shui master Xiao Ji Yang Su also seized the opportunity to show his ability and, despite being still ill, personally led people to look for a blessed land.

Accompanying them were Xiao Ji, Shaoqing of Taichang, and Li Jiancheng. The three of them traveled day and night and finally found a blessed land in Sanchouyuan, not far from Wugong County.

Xiao Ji, who was proficient in Yin-Yang arithmetic and was the most trusted by the emperor, walked carefully dozens of times before stopping to set up the altar and start calculating and divination.

The result was not obtained until late at night when the moon was at its zenith. It was an extremely auspicious land, with a predicted period of 2,000 years and 200 generations!
This means that if buried here, the Sui Dynasty could last for two thousand years and be passed down to two hundred generations.

This is just bullshit, everyone knows it's a bluff, but it was just a good omen. Xiao Ji, that bastard, is just pretending. He finally found a place with beautiful mountains and rivers, but now he says it's unlucky.

Li Jiancheng even suspected that this man wanted to drag Yang Su to death. That was because Yang Su was a military general, and he could still persist even though he was so sick.

The three men hurried back to the capital to report, and it was time for the empress's coffin to be laid to rest. The emperor looked at the feng shui map and nodded, then thanked the three men for their hard work.

Yang Jian suddenly whispered, "I will personally attend the Queen's funeral. I will personally send Jia Luo to the blessed land."

Li Jiancheng and Yang Su breathed a sigh of relief. It was none of their business what the emperor wanted to do. But Xiao Ji suddenly said, "The emperor's zodiac sign is Xinyou. This year, the star Dou Kui has reached Tiangang, which is close to Maoyou. I have carefully examined the Yin-Yang Book. The emperor cannot attend the funeral in person."

"Your Majesty, this is not only about your health, but also about the fate of the country. Please order the Crown Prince and all officials to attend the funeral of the Queen."

But how could the emperor, immersed in grief and guilt, listen to him? The emperor, who was in his sixties, with gray hair, braved the spring cold and walked hundreds of miles to see his wife off for the last time.

...............

(End of this chapter)