Jennifer Williams
Stories
12
Chapters
3,221
Words
2.4 M
Comments
0
Reading
8 d, 6 h
-
On the evening of the following day, a bustling scene unfolded outside the gates of the Eastern Palace. Prince Li Chengqian was hosting a grand feast for his guests. Despite his designation as the Crown Prince by Emperor Li Er since ascending to the throne, his involvement in state affairs had only recently begun. Before this, Li Chengqian had been under the tutelage of prominent teachers arranged by Li Er. Thus, despite residing in the Eastern Palace for a long time, he had few close companions besides…-
8 •
-
-
Within the imperial palace, Li Er paced restlessly in the sleeping chamber. His efforts to persuade Su Li to spare the noble families had yielded significant advantages lately, allowing him a few peaceful nights of sleep. However, as he had drifted into slumber tonight, a loud noise jolted him awake. A palace eunuch soon entered, reporting that a divine thunderbolt had struck the street where Princess Changle’s residence was located, reducing nearly half of it to ruins. This news left Li Er…
-
8 •
-
-
Late into the night, during the third watch, on Changan Street, squads of patrolling soldiers were marching along the main road and adjacent alleyways. Since the last attempt on Su Che’s life, General Weichi Gong had become stern and ordered a threefold increase in nightly patrols. Consequently, Changan City’s nights had grown unusually serene. The once occasional petty thieves who tried their acrobatics on house break-ins had vanished entirely. This was especially true on the street where the princess…
-
8 •
-
-
Unbeknownst to anyone, more than ten days had elapsed since Su Li resigned from his official position and returned to a life dedicated to the sword. He remained within his residence during this time, never venturing beyond the Princess’s Manor. As Su Li withdrew from the scene, the turbulence that had caused a significant commotion in the Great Tang’s official circles gradually subsided. Although a formidable emperor, Li Er lacked the immediate power to confront the entrenched aristocratic families…
-
8 •
-
-
Starting from Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, several chancellors were consistently hailing from the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families in the successive reigns of the Great Tang emperors. As for the other high-ranking officers, their numbers were even more significant. But which emperor didn’t dread the influence of these aristocratic clans? Li Er, also known as Emperor Taizong, rejuvenated the ancestral lineage system, and the emperors who followed him also prohibited intermarriage among the…
-
8 •
-
-
Didn’t be deceived by Li Er’s swift agreement, which he spoke effortlessly. However, once he bid farewell to those three elderly members of the Li clan, Li Er found himself in a dilemma. Convincing Su Li was easier said than done! Others assumed Su Li was a tool for Li Er to deal with the Five Clans and Seven Surnames. But in reality, Li Er knew it wasn’t the case. How could he influence Su Li? When Su Li wasn’t well-known, persuading him to join the military was a real challenge. Now that Su…
-
8 •
-
-
A few days later, inside the imperial palace, Li Er gazed upon the three elderly men lying on the ground, his expression extremely serious. “Your Majesty, while the aristocratic families have made errors, their actions don’t justify capital punishment!” “Prince Yongle has become consumed by bloodlust. Allowing him to continue unchecked could lead to the destruction of the entire Zhu Xia region. Your Majesty, can you truly bear to repeat the ancient history of the Five Barbarians disrupting the…
-
8 •
-
-
Cui Yi currently felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. He pondered how things had escalated to this point. The initial cause of this predicament was simply the collapse of a factory owned by the Lu clan, which appeared inconsequential in the eyes of their esteemed families. Even the influential court officers held significant power and didn’t view it as a major issue. To them, it was merely the unfortunate demise of some commoners, and if they perished in the factory, it was deemed their fate. Even…
-
8 •
-
-
Previously, when Su Li wielded his authority to oversee the realm and investigate corruption, his efforts lacked vigor. Most corrupt officers who were exposed had committed actions that angered both the people and the heavens, and their downfall was primarily due to their audacity. However, this time, Su Li was truly going all out to investigate thoroughly. Suddenly, the court officers were all on edge, fearing their positions. Those with strong connections to noble families were especially uneasy, living…
-
8 •
-
-
Time quickly passed. Just as Li Er had foreseen, this night in Changan, none of the high-ranking officers in the court had slept a wink. In any case, hundreds of cavalry had been galloping through the city all night. Even the slowest to react had already figured out what had happened. In the early morning, the court convened. In the grand hall, each individual’s eyes were fixed on a pair of dark circles beneath them. Everyone secretly stole glances at the figure at the forefront, regardless of who it…
-
8 •
-
- 1 2 … 323 Next