Chapter 149 Yang Yuhuan is crowned as a royal concubine
"In this case, I heard that the third daughter of Right Guard General Wei Zhaoxun is both virtuous and talented. I agree to marry her to Prince Shou as his concubine."

"Yuhuan, the daughter of Hongnong Yang family, is virtuous and kind, and is named Imperial Consort. The canonization ceremony will be held in Taiji Hall on April 15th. The Zhongshu Sheren will draft the canonization edict, which will be read out at the ceremony on the 15th!"

"The phoenix has flown over Jingzhao Prefecture, and the imperial concubine has been canonized. As a celebration for the world, I hereby declare that the people of Jingzhao will be exempted from taxes for one month, and we will celebrate together!"

Li Longji said to the ministers.

The ministers breathed a sigh of relief when she was not crowned as queen, but they were shocked when she was crowned as noble concubine.

Since the reform, the title of Imperial Concubine has been lost. It seems that the Saint wants to restore the title of Imperial Concubine.

No matter what, Yang Guifei was not the queen after all.

Those ministers who were dissatisfied with the etiquette endured it.

But there were also people who cursed Li Xuan in their hearts because of this, which was not the behavior of a famous and upright official.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

At this time, most of the civil and military officials pretended to be ignorant while knowing the truth and paid homage to the saint.

It was already expected that Yang Yuhuan's family would be blessed with great fortune because of this, and her deceased father would also be posthumously honored in the future.

When the court was dismissed, An Lushan came over and tried to get close to Li Xuan. He and Li Xuan acted like brothers and had a very good relationship.

He patted his chest and promised that if there was anything in the future, just ask and he would do it no matter what.

Li Xuan remained calm on the surface, and An Lushan's promise went in one ear and out the other.

An Lushan was just as treacherous as Li Linfu. Once there was any evidence against him, An Lushan would turn his back on him.

"Two generals!"

At this time, Li Linfu came to Li Xuan and An Lushan with a smile on his face.

"Meet the Right Prime Minister!"

An Lushan also bowed to Li Linfu with a friendly smile, very respectfully.

He knew that Li Linfu had been prime minister for more than ten years, and there had never been such a thing during the entire Kaiyuan period. His importance in the eyes of the saints was not comparable to his.

Li Xuan also bowed slightly, it was just a normal courtesy.

"No need to be polite! With two capable generals like you in the Tang Dynasty, there will be no more worries on the border."

Li Linfu was very satisfied with An Lushan's attitude, and felt uncomfortable with Li Xuan's behavior.

Because Li Xuan is a standard etiquette, no matter how much hatred they have, no matter how they quarrel with each other in private. But in public, Li Xuan has always been respectful to him and answered every question.

It is because of this that he felt that Li Xuan was scheming.

As for An Lushan, he was just a Hu boy who was chasing after wealth and fame. He was confident that he could easily control him and did not take him seriously.

Li Xuan, whom he had despised at the beginning, became a "hero of the world" with outstanding military achievements in just two years.

Whenever he thought about the fact that it was he who recommended Li Xuan to be the deputy envoy of Feng'an Army, he wanted to slap himself twice.

However, Li Linfu also knew that with Li Xuan's abilities, he would be appreciated sooner or later.

As long as Li Shizhi was in the position of prime minister, he would be recommended to Li Longji at any time. He would be sent out with a noble status and it would be impossible for him to be a low-level general.

"I am a rough man, with only some minor skills in border security. I am nothing like General Li, who is a true hero..."

In front of Li Linfu, An Lushan kept praising Li Xuan, and his tone was as respectful as possible.

This made Li Linfu frown, because he felt that An Lushan respected Li Xuan more than him, which was not a good sign.

It seems that we need to find an opportunity to give An Lushan a warning.

"General An is too modest. At most, I am brave and strong."

Li Xuan smiled and replied to An Lushan, then said to Li Linfu: "Right Prime Minister, I will go to your house for tea tonight. I hope it won't bother you!"

"Oh no! I have to take care of official business tonight, so I'm afraid I won't be able to see General Li."

Li Linfu's face changed slightly and he rejected Li Xuan.

He suspected that Li Xuan was deliberately squeezing him out. If a famous general with 150,000 troops met with him, the chief prime minister, what would happen if the saint heard about it?
"What a pity! I am where I am today thanks to the Right Prime Minister. You are my great benefactor. But the Right Prime Minister is busy with many things and cannot be disturbed. On the day when my wife was canonized as a noble concubine, we sat together and were intimate."

Li Xuan seemed to be clinging to Li Linfu.

"Row……"

Li Linfu knew that Li Xuan had bad intentions, but he agreed verbally.

Afterwards, the three of them left Xingqing Palace along the avenue, talking and laughing.

Although they were walking on the same road, their hearts were like strangers...

In front of the palace gate, Li Xuan met up with his brother Li Qian, and then invited Wang Wei to a banquet and went to the Duke of Song's mansion to drink.

Wang Wei readily agreed!

In the mansion of Duke Song, Li Xuan played the pipa himself, a rather passionate piece of music that Changli had taught him.

Li Yuying clapped her hands and cheered when she heard it!
Wang Wei did not ask Li Xuan why he recommended Yang Yuhuan as the imperial concubine.

Although he is now a fill-in-the-blank vacancies officer, he is actually half official and half hidden.

Li Longji would certainly not allow him to resign, because Li Longji needed Wang Wei's identity as the "literary master of the world" to embellish the prosperous times.

The daily court meetings with the presence of literary leaders would add a different flavor to the court.

Sit alone in the secluded Huangli, playing the piano and roaring.

People in the deep forest don't know, the bright moon comes to see each other.

This is a reflection of Wang Wei's state of mind, just as he said, "In my later years I only like peace and quiet and do not care about anything."

Li Xuan once asked Wang Wei to be his shogun in a letter, but Wang Wei rejected Li Xuan's offer in a reply.

This was within Li Xuan's expectations!

Li Shizhi was very happy and took out some good wine to drink with Wang Wei. He then asked Wang Wei to write a calligraphy of "Helong Qu" and hang it at home.

Wang Wei's calligraphy, painting, poetry and music all reached the pinnacle of perfection.

Even Li Longji would ask Wang Wei for calligraphy and paintings.

Wang Wei wrote in a moment.

He used cursive script. Li Xuan's "Helong Qu" looks more powerful in cursive script.

After Wang Wei left, Li Xuan informed Li Shizhi that he had submitted a memorial to the emperor requesting Yang Yuhuan to be conferred the title of imperial concubine.

Li Shizhi saw that Li Xuan chose the right time and realized that his vision was far behind his son's.

From now on, Yang Yuhuan will have the say, so there will be no need to worry about not having time for debate when conspiracies and intrigues arise.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, Li Xuan went to the palace three more times and also watched a Cuju match with Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan.

She was also harassed by Yang Yuyao, but it was all resolved by Li Xuan.

It is worth mentioning that the Tibetan ambassador, Mojie Sangdongzebu, came to pay a visit to Li Xuan.

But Li Xuan refused to meet him in order to avoid unnecessary trouble.

It is said that Mojie Sangdongzebu stayed in Chang'an on the pretext of delivering a message to the Tibetan king.

He hoped that the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty would not start a war during this period.

We are trying to negotiate through this method, postpone the process until this year, and complete the layout.

But Li Longji had decided to follow Li Xuan's request and take the initiative to launch a war against Tubo in early September, no matter how Mujie Sangdongzebu delayed.

At the end of the reign of Emperor Sangdongzebu, he encountered repeated setbacks in Chang'an. The prime minister and ministers did not dare to meet him in private, unless they were in the Secretariat or the Ministry of Personnel to discuss state affairs.

April th.

It was the grand ceremony in which Yang Yuhuan was canonized as a royal concubine.

The ceremony was not held in Xingqing Palace, but in Taiji Palace.

All civil and military officials above the ninth rank in the capital attended the ceremony.

After the ceremony, there will be a banquet!
Officials of the fifth rank and above are in the Taiji Hall.

Officials below the fifth rank stood in rows at the foot of the steps of the Taiji Hall.

Palace ladies and envoys from various countries also attended the ceremony.

"This is as grand as the ceremony of crowning the queen."

In the hall, some ministers were whispering.

They saw golden and jade banners along the way, and the streets of Chang'an were full of Jinwu guards holding brocade. Never before had the ceremony of conferring a royal concubine been so grand.

"She was given the title of Imperial Concubine, what can I say?"

Some ministers also shook their heads.

"General Li is still young, this incident will definitely have an impact on his future!"

"Shh! Don't talk nonsense..."

"It mainly depends on what General Li does after he comes back. He doesn't look like a famous general on the border."

"You're worrying too much. General Li is humble and has never abused his power. He is a smart man..."

In this atmosphere, the chief celebrant shouted: "Your Majesty has arrived!"

With a beaming smile, Li Longji, supported by the female officials, sat down in the deepest part of the hall.

"Greetings to Your Majesty!"

"Everyone is safe!"

After Li Longji signaled the ministers to sit down, the hall became quiet.

This is not a court meeting, but a grand ceremony.

They were waiting for Yang Yuhuan to enter.

"Announce Yang's jade ring to the emperor!"

Gao Lishi, wearing a purple ceremonial robe and holding an imperial edict, shouted clearly in front of the dragon bed.

"Announce Yang's jade ring to the emperor!"

From inside the palace to outside the palace, the eunuchs passed on their calls, one voice falling and one voice rising.

Outside the Taiji Palace, the phoenix chariot that Yang Yuhuan was riding came out of the Drum Tower and stopped at the Taiji Gate.

Yang Yuhuan, dressed in a gorgeous brocade gown, got off the carriage. She wore a heavy crown and gorgeous makeup, and more than a dozen palace maids were needed to hold up her brocade gown.

Surrounded by a group of female officials, she slowly walked into the Tai Chi Gate.

Then, he walked along the long path, step by step towards the Tai Chi Hall to the sound of drums and music.

Countless officials on both sides were able to admire Yang Yuhuan's unparalleled beauty, and they could also understand why Li Longji would take his former daughter-in-law as his concubine.

She has a stunning appearance, unparalleled grace, and a charming smile. All the beauties in the palace pale in comparison.

Everyone present turned their eyes to Yang Yuhuan.

Even though she walked past everyone, only her back could be seen. A moment later, Yang Yuhuan began to climb the steps to enter the Taiji Hall.

On the steps, Yu Lin Lang opened the palace door.

For a moment, important officials, foreign envoys, princes and princesses in the Taiji Hall all looked at him sideways.

In particular, Yang Yuhuan lowered her head slightly, and her shy look made everyone secretly admire her.

Foreign envoys also understood the meaning of "beauty that can overwhelm a nation."

Only the most powerful country and the most powerful monarch are worthy of having such a woman.

Li Xuan was in a position closer to the front and saw with her own eyes that Yang Yuhuan stopped in a position parallel to her.

The palace maids let down Yang Yuhuan's gorgeous skirt.

Li Xuan could only sigh in his heart.

The wheel of history is rolling forward.

He was determined to change!
At this time, the drums and music stopped.

The Taiji Hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you..."

Yang Yuhuan spoke softly and bowed gracefully.

"Be flat!"

Li Longji smiled and raised his hand.

At this time, Gao Lishi stood in front of the hall. He took out the edict written by the Secretary of the Central Secretariat at the suggestion of Li Longji.

"Yang Yuhuan is gentle and intelligent, elegant and dignified, with a gentle and kind character, and is prudent and prudent. She is respectful and cautious in her duties in the palace, and is careful and respectful to her superiors, and is generous and peaceful in her management of her subordinates. She is a model for the six palaces... She manages the concubines in the harem to promote the royal family; she assists me in clarifying the laws and regulations and attracting wise ministers. She makes the four seas follow the king's rule and the people look up to the Great Tang... She is now canonized as the first-rank imperial concubine, the head of all concubines, and is granted a golden book and a golden seal!"

Gao Lishi read the imperial edict word by word.

"I thank your majesty!"

Yang Yuhuan bowed to Li Longji again.

Li Longji stood up and left the hall, and Gao Lishi followed him carrying the golden seal and golden book.

Li Longji said nothing and helped Yang Yuhuan sit upright.

And handed the golden seal and golden book to Yang Yuhuan.

At this moment, Yang Yuhuan officially became a royal concubine.

"Greetings to your Majesty, and to the Imperial Concubine!"

All the ministers inside the hall and the officials outside the hall stood up and bowed to Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan.

Foreign envoys performed the greetings using their own etiquette.

It would not be an exaggeration to change this edict into an edict to confer the title of empress.

"No gift!"

Li Longji glanced at Yang Yuhuan, who opened her red lips slightly and asked the ministers to excuse themselves from the formalities.

The banquet was also held in Taiji Palace at the same time, with Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan sitting at the top.

As expected, Li Xuan held the cup and sat down in front of Li Linfu.

Wei Jian wanted to find Li Shizhi, but was rejected by Li Shizhi on the grounds that he had an agreement with Prince Ruyang.

This made Wei Jian very depressed!
He always felt that Li Xuan was also distancing himself from him. After so many days since he came back, he never took the initiative to talk to him in court.

Even when Huangfu Weiming asked, he was evaded.

Now he finally found an opportunity and wanted to ask Li Shizhi the reason, but was rejected by Li Shizhi.

"Why did Li Shizhi and his son distance themselves from me? Is it because of the marriage?"

Wei Jian guessed that this incident made Li Shizhi angry. At that time, Li Shizhi personally went to Xingqing Palace to prevent the matter from becoming a foregone conclusion.

"But we are facing a powerful enemy, so we should focus all our efforts on dealing with Li Linfu!"

Wei Jian couldn't understand what Li Shizhi and Li Xuan, father and son, were thinking.

Although he had no open contact with the prince, his identity meant that he was destined to be a member of the prince's gang.

Li Shizhi is retired and enjoying his retirement, but when the crown prince succeeds to the throne in the future, Li Xuan won’t be too old!

With Wei Jian's brain, it was impossible for him to guess what Li Xuan was thinking.

Li Xuan apparently sat with Li Linfu and toasted him from time to time.

But neither of them said a word.

Li Linfu thought Li Xuan would talk to him about something, but Li Xuan seemed to just drink with him.

This invisible oppression made Li Linfu feel very uncomfortable.

"Impossible! He definitely didn't just drink with me!"

Li Linfu was absent-minded, wondering about Li Xuan's purpose.

Many ministers saw this scene.

When did the Left Prime Minister and General Li become so close that they could sit together for an hour?
Could it be that General Li has defected to Li Linfu?
It doesn’t make sense!

As a frontier commander, it is impossible for General Li to take sides in the court.

But Wei Jian was startled, for he was afraid that Li Xuanzhen would join forces with Li Linfu.

The conflict between him and Li Linfu could not be resolved.

He thought that the conflict between Li Xuan and Li Linfu could be resolved.

So much so that throughout the entire banquet, Wei Jian was preoccupied and lacked energy.

Before the end of the banquet, Li Longji announced that after three days, court meetings would be suspended for seven days.

Ministers, princes and princesses participated in the annual hunting event in Xianyang.

The Kaiyuan Ceremony, the Emperor's hunting ceremony, has clear regulations on hunting.

Hunting, as the largest hunting activity, has a set of complex etiquette from prior preparation to the specific implementation process, from the acquisition of prey to the distribution and rewards after the end, just like a well-planned major military campaign.

Hunting not only focuses on the hunter's physical fitness and martial arts skills, but also emphasizes collective coordination and overall level of performance.

The hunting locations were relatively open and the terrain was complex, generally located in remote areas, such as Zhoushibi in Xianyang County, Huachi in Jingyang, Shayuan in Tongzhou, Fengquantang in Qizhou, etc.

Most hunting took place in the forests and gardens near Mount Li and Chang'an.

Since there were too many people around Chang'an and fewer ferocious beasts, the emperor usually just took his close ministers to play with it, and it was not very challenging.

Li Longji took the opportunity of Yang Yuhuan's appointment as imperial concubine to prepare a grand hunting event to complement the ceremony.

Princes, princesses, ministers of the third rank and above, and specific officials can all participate with a limited number of people.

The prerequisite is that the minister can ride a horse or catch a wild beast.

Ministers of the fifth rank and above may accompany them; if they do not participate, they may just go to Xianyang Plain for a stroll and watch the outcome of the hunting.

You can bring your family along on this hunt.

This kind of hunting during the suspension of court is an ancient system, usually held once a year. As long as the emperor has the energy and interest, the ministers have no reason to refuse.

If Li Longji did it three or four times a year, it would definitely lead to criticism.

However, since the end of the Kaiyuan period, Li Longji had only engaged in ordinary hunting and had never engaged in large-scale hunting.

"Qilang, you don't have to report the hunting team list. You can be on my team. I hope our team can come out on top."

Li Longji specifically gave instructions to Li Xuan.

The jungle is lush in early summer, making hunting difficult, so he wants to bring the brave Li Xuan with him.

"I will help the Saint to win!"

Li Xuan accepted the order. He was a third-rank official and was qualified to organize his own hunting team and participate in the competition.

In such large-scale events and ceremonies, the top few participants will be rewarded handsomely.

Li Xuan believed that even if he did not have a team, he would definitely be rewarded something if he helped the team led by Li Longji to win first place.

Archery is only one of the skills required to succeed in hunting.

A team consisting only of archers often does not get a good ranking.

Because hunting requires fire attacks, encirclement and suppression, netting, lassoing, etc., and also an element of luck.

This is a purely aristocratic game, and sometimes the people's crops will suffer as a result.

There is no benefit other than pleasure and political significance.

Generally, hunting would be held after October, but Li Longji chose April, which was a sudden decision made on a whim.

"Haha, with Qilang here, I will definitely get first place."

Li Longji was full of energy and he imagined himself returning to his youth, riding a horse, drawing his bow, hunting in Xianyang, and returning with a full load.

"Saint, what about me!"

An Lushan ran up happily with an expectant look on his face.

"Lushan, form your own team!"

Li Longji disliked An Lushan because he was too fat and unreliable when running.

He had seen Li Xuan shooting football on the court. As long as there was prey in his sight, he would definitely win.

An Lushan was very angry that Li Longji did not call him into his team.

The more jealous he was of Li Xuan, the more he tried to please Li Xuan. He even privately said that he would secretly give Li Xuan the prey he had hunted.

Li Xuan did not agree.

But he felt that it was possible that An Lushan would hand over his prey to Li Longji.

Li Linfu was old and had not fought in the war, so he asked Li Xiu, who was also a third-rank official, to select archers and hunters to go hunting.

All the adult princes and princesses, except Prince Shou Li Heng, responded to Li Longji.

Li Heng has been extremely depressed these past few days. He stays at home and doesn't want to see anyone.

He was even afraid of marrying Wei Zhaoxun's daughter.

According to etiquette, Li Longji had to be present at the wedding.

If things go wrong, you may have to perform the mother-son ceremony to your ex-wife.

In the days leading up to the hunting season, the princes and ministers were all preparing.

The Yulin Guard and the Longwu Guard had already set out for Xianyang in advance and cordoned off the hunting area.

No outsiders are allowed to approach.

The only benefit of hunting in this season is that ordinary ministers can use it as an outing for fun.

(End of this chapter)