When Gao Lishi read the imperial edict, all the civil and military officials dared not even breathe.

In the wide square in front of the palace, everyone was listening attentively to Gao Lishi's reading.

Only Li Xuan stood beside Li Longji like a pine tree, calm and composed.

"I hope all the ministers will follow the King of Qin, work together, and share weal and woe... After the decree is completed, I will ask about etiquette..."

Finally, Gao Lishi ended the reading of the edict with a louder voice.

Follow the will of Heaven and accept the mandate of Heaven.

There is no doubt that Li Longji is the orthodox.

There are rules for everything.

For example, Huo Guang deposed King Changyi and supported Liu Bingji, which was within the etiquette and laws of the Han Dynasty.

Even if Dong Zhuo deposed Liu Bian and enthroned Liu Xie, the literati and scholars had to grit their teeth and accept it.

All the civil and military officials understood that this ceremony was the one for crowning a king.

When Gao Lishi finished reading the imperial edict, there was a moment of silence, and the expressions of the civil and military officials suddenly changed, and their shock was beyond words.

Some people opened their eyes wide, their faces full of disbelief.

Some people trembled slightly, as if they were hit hard by this sudden imperial edict.

Panic quickly enveloped everyone's hearts like a dark cloud, and they looked at each other in bewilderment. Any normal person could guess the changes hidden behind the edict.

Of course, some people were also surprised by the edict.

Li Xuan was promoted to General Tiance and established a government to handle affairs. The change in official title provided huge room for maneuver for Li Xuan's confidants.

Although many official positions in the Tang Dynasty have been permanently shelved, Li Xuan currently holds important positions.

Li Xuan was not greedy for holding such nominal positions as Si Tu, Tai Wei, and General of the Twelve Guards.

One General of Tiance can summarize everything.

The positions of governor, governor-general, and minister of the various provincial governors have many historical background factors. Even now, Li Longji still lets his son serve as "governor", but they are all empty positions, and there is no meaning for Li Xuan to serve as such.

The power of the Shangshu Ling was continuously strengthened, the "drafting of imperial edicts" of the Zhongshu Sheng was weakened, and the "review of imperial edicts" of the Menxia Sheng was weakened.

If the current Zhongshu Ling and Shizhong do not concurrently serve as "Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi", their power will be greatly reduced.

In addition, Li Xuan changed the "Zhongshu Menxiatang" into the Zhengshitang and abolished the five departments of Zhengshitang, namely, the Li, Cardinal, Military, Household, and Criminal Law.

Completely return power to the six ministers, bringing their power to its peak.

Even if trusted ministers were appointed as prime ministers in the future, it would not be possible to shake the power of the Shangshu Ling.

This made the Shangshu Ling the de facto head of all officials and a well-deserved chief prime minister, no different from the "Grand Prime Minister" held by Yang Jian.

After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Shimin was far from having such power.

The Tian Ce Palace is also much more powerful than the Tian Ce Palace controlled by Li Shimin in history.

The position of General Tiance was above the Three Dukes. Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, only Emperor Taizong Li Shimin had held this position.

The Tian Ce Mansion was responsible for the conquests and wars within and outside the Tang Dynasty. Together with the Grand Marshal of the Army of the World, it directly exercised nominal control over the Tang Dynasty's military.

What's more, the Tian Ce Mansion commanded by Li Xuan will have 20,000 Tian Ce Guard cavalry.

This is just the beginning. In the future, there will be other types of troops guarding the Tian Ce Palace.

Finally, there is the title of King of Qin, which has great significance.

The King of Qin is a "Prince" of the first rank, one level higher than the Prince of a County.

In the Tang Dynasty, only the emperor's sons were given the title of prince, and there was no exception.

As we all know, Qin, Jin, Chu, Zhao, Qi, Wei and other countries were great powers in the pre-Qin period, and the bestowal of similar titles was of great significance.

Li Longji also knew this, so his sons were all given titles of small countries in ancient and medieval times, such as Prince of Tan, Prince of Yong, Prince of Ying, Prince of Di, Prince of Guang, Prince of Yi, and Prince of Ying. Even Li Heng was only Prince of Shan before he became the crown prince.

In addition to being a great power in the pre-Qin period, Qin was also a title given to Li Shimin.

His descendants tacitly agreed not to confer the title in order to highlight Li Shimin's status.

Therefore, all civil and military officials believed that it was Sima Zhao's intention to confer the title of King of Qin on Li Xuan, and everyone knew it.

This also made some old officials very angry.

They felt that this was much more excessive than what Yang Guozhong and his ilk did.

"Your Majesty, I, Li Xuan, would like to thank you for your grace. As the General of Heavenly Strategy, I have an obligation to suppress the rebellion. As the Minister of Chancellery, I will be loyal to my duties and live up to your expectations. I will be promoted to the King of Qin and defend the Tang Dynasty with my death."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Xuan walked forward and took the imperial edict from Gao Lishi.

He held the imperial edict in both hands and bowed deeply to Li Longji.

At the same time, the Qin King Seal, the Fish Talisman of the Grand Marshal of the Army, the Tiance Palace Seal, the Shangshu Ling Seal, the golden armor and helmet, the official uniform, the imperial axe, the sword, etc., which had already been made by Li Xuan, were held by eunuchs and walked out of the Taiji Hall and walked behind Li Longji.

Regardless of the expressions of the civil and military officials, the eunuch Yu Chaoen lowered his head, holding another imperial edict and slowly placing it on the tray.

This is an imperial edict made of top-quality silk, with auspicious clouds and cranes embroidered on the edges. It is magnificent and the font is in regular script. It was written by Li Ju, Li Xuan's first calligraphy teacher.

This content is exactly the appointment of Li Xuan as King of Qin, General of Tiance, and Minister of the Chancellery.

The eunuch Feng Shenwei came to Li Longji holding the imperial seal.

The imperial edict must be stamped in full view of everyone.

Li Longji glanced at Li Xuan who was bowing, then looked at the civil and military officials with different expressions on the steps below, feeling ashamed.

Think you are Yao and Shun!
Is it Zhou Nan and Han Xian now?

Li Longji stretched out his trembling right hand and stroked the Heshi Bi, which was four inches in diameter and had five dragons on the top.

The smooth and shiny He Shi Bi seemed to weigh a thousand pounds when it was lifted.

His heart was filled with entanglement, complexity and despair. The former glory was like a passing cloud, and now the country has been overturned and collapsed.

In order to survive, he had no choice but to submit to Li Xuan's power.

He regretted employing Li Xuan, was obsessed with his own mistakes in employing people, and regretted not being able to see through the situation and turn the tide.

In front of the Tai Chi Temple, where is the destiny and the way of heaven?

Li Longji's emotions were mixed, including nostalgia for past glory, guilt for the suffering of the people, and fear for his future fate.

Despair followed him like a shadow, and he knew that he was powerless to change the situation and the road ahead was bleak.

With a heart full of sadness, he could only write the eight big words "Mandated by Heaven, may you live long and prosper" on the appointment letter.

At this moment, the imperial seal seemed as light as a feather.

The moment Li Longji dropped the imperial seal, the sacred artifact changed hands.

From now on, Li Xuan will hold the national seal and begin his career as a powerful official.

"Greetings to the King of Qin, Your Majesty is wise and wise!"

About one-tenth of the ministers bowed to Li Xuan and praised Li Longji's wisdom.

Li Xuan held up the imperial edict and looked at the ministers who were paying their respects below.

Most of them were of lower ranks, such as Li Xuan's current subordinates, Cui Guangyuan, Liu Dan, Wang Tao, Li Shu, Feng Changqing, etc., as well as previously promoted subordinates such as Lü Yin, Lu Sigong, Wang Bing, Chen Cangqi, Xiao Hua, etc. There were also people who were related to Li Xuan and Li Xuan's wife, and they saw an opportunity.

"Greetings to the King of Qin..."

The ministers looked at each other, and after a few breaths, Wang Wei, Pei Zunqing, Zhang Hao, Wei Jiansu and other ministers bowed to Li Xuan.

Even so, it only reached 50%.

Half of the officials did not pay homage to Li Xuan and called him King of Qin.

In contrast, Li Xuan kept it in mind and did not take any action at the ceremony.

"Your Majesty, please order us to go to Liangyi Palace and participate in the sacrificial ceremony."

Li Xuan turned and said to Li Longji.

In front of the Liangyi Hall, Li Xuan had already asked Cui Guangyuan to prepare the altar and all necessary items.

"Lu Shi, give the order!"

Li Longji continued to let Gao Lishi do it.

Li Longji was slightly relieved to see that many officials did not agree with Li Xuan's position as King of Qin.

But he also understood that these civil and military ministers could not change the situation.

After the ceremony is over, Li Xuan will definitely readjust the third and fourth rank ministers.

Hand over all power to those who believe in him.

"All officials, listen up! Go to Liangyi Palace to offer sacrifices and take the oath!"

Gao Lishi shouted to the officials below.

Taiji Hall is the main hall of Taiji Palace, also called the Front Hall, where court assemblies on the first and full moon days are held.

Liangyi Hall is the central hall of Taiji Palace, and Ganlu Hall is the rear hall of Taiji Palace.

General ceremonies are held in front of the Liangyi Hall.

Li Longji was the first to leave, supported by eunuchs such as Gao Lishi.

Li Xuan had to go to the side hall to change his clothes, put on the clothes and crown belonging to the King of Qin, and wear the fish token.

With heavy hearts, civil and military officials, led by the chief ceremonial officers, eunuchs and palace maids, climbed the steps and formed a huge procession across the Taiji Hall.

As they slowly climbed the steps, the ministers whispered their dissatisfaction.

Some old ministers thought that Li Xuan would wait for a while, but they didn't expect that he would be appointed King of Qin and General Tiance in such a hurry, and also changed the official system.

This touches the bottom line in many people's hearts.

The princes and nobles became jealous of Li Xuan when they thought that their path to officialdom through family connections might be blocked.

He was even more worried that Li Xuan's reforms would be as fierce as a flood or a beast.

"Even before Cao Cao was crowned the King of Wei, he had to wait 20 years after Emperor Xian of Han entered Xu. Even after Wang Mang was appointed Grand Tutor, he had to wait another 10 years before he dared to be crowned emperor. How many days does he want to wait?"

The old minister Miao Jinqing was muttering in the team.

This sentence shows the thoughts of the old ministers, who all said that An Lushan was eager to become emperor. But Li Xuan is not much different from An Lushan now!

During a rebellion, the so-called royal title was not enough to convince the people.

"No one can check and balance us, what can we do?"

Xiao Yinzhi next to him sighed.

He was the Minister of Justice, but he was not happy about the increasing power of the Ministry of Justice.

Because he was an opponent when Li Xuan was prime minister, and there was a rift between him and Li Xuan.

The other ministers remained silent.

"If he dares to go too far again, I will definitely scold him like Bigan and Weizi, and I will die with no regrets."

Another old minister said angrily.

It seems that this behavior is used to show one's integrity.

"When Li Linfu established the military governor and Yang Guozhong blocked the way for people to speak out, you didn't say a word. Ministers who dared to act like Bigan and Weizi would have been banished from Chang'an or killed by Yang Guozhong. The King of Qin treats his ministers with kindness and justice, and he doesn't punish them easily. Don't challenge his patience."

Lu Sigong, who was standing behind these purple-robed ministers, spoke slowly, not without a hint of sarcasm.

Lu Sigong's original name was Lu Jianke. He was brought to the court from Guzang by Li Xuan.

After Li Xuan was dismissed from his post as prime minister, he was transferred to the position of Guanglu Shaoqing and no longer held real power.

But Li Xuan has become the King of Qin, and Lu Sigong will definitely be reused.

Therefore, Lu Sigong couldn't stand these old ministers who were only good at talking.

These old ministers knew that Li Xuan would not resort to means to harm ministers like Yang Guozhong and Li Linfu, and would not bring harm to his family.

If they scolded Li Xuan, at most they would be dismissed from their official positions, but they would lose a good reputation.

"Lu Sigong, your name was given by a saint. You really are ashamed of Lu Gong."

Fang Guan was very stubborn and believed that Lu Sigong was aiding and abetting Zhou's evil deeds.

Seeing this, Lu Sigong no longer paid attention to these old ministers, and they would not turn back until they hit a wall.

When passing by the Taiji Hall, the ministers became heatedly discussing.

There were also some officials who were afraid of damaging their interests and official positions and watched the fire from the other side.

If Li Xuan dismissed a large number of officials and appointed people based on personal connections afterwards, it would definitely cause fierce resistance.

A quarter of an hour later, Li Xuan walked out of the side hall.

He wore a different ceremonial dress from that of the other civil and military officials. It was generally red-black with a hint of red, and had delicate patterns on it.

Officials above the third rank wore purple robes, but Li Xuan's clothes were specially tailored to show his uniqueness.

It is said that when Li Shimin was the General of Tiance, he wore a similar dress.

In addition, Li Xuan no longer wore a hat, but instead wore a black crown on his hair, symbolizing the throne of the King of Qin.

A fish symbol and a jade pendant with a flying bird holding a flower hung around his waist, and Zhuge Liang's sword was worn on the other side.

This suit seems to be tailor-made for Li Xuan. Combined with Li Xuan's short beard, it gives him a heroic, dignified and world-looking temperament.

From now on this will be his official uniform.

If he was in the army, Li Xuan would wear golden armor to represent his identity as the General of Tiance, the commander of all the troops in the world.

When all the officials were in their seats in Liangyi Palace and Li Xuan and Li Longji appeared again, all the officials stared at Qin Wang Li Xuan, and what they saw was indescribable value.

Although Li Xuan and Li Longji were standing together, they instinctively ignored Li Longji.

The old ministers all lowered their heads in grief, unable to express themselves.

Some officials believed that Li Xuan had the "aura of a king" and comforted themselves that this was the trend of the times.

If you want a future, you can only look to Li Xuan.

Once Li Xuan puts down An Lushan's rebellion and recovers Luoyang, Henan and Hebei, his prestige will reach its peak.

The people who don't understand politics will only remember Li Xuan, the King of Qin.

"The sacrifice begins!"

After hearing the bell, Gao Lishi announced the start of the sacrifice.

Li Xuan stepped forward and supported Li Longji, holding hands with him, and walked towards the altar covered with yellow earth under the gaze of civil and military officials.

"Qi Lang has great temperament. The Emperor Taizong must have looked like this when he paid respect to General Tian Ce. You must have spent ten years preparing this suit, right?"

When Li Longji and Li Xuan turned their backs to the officials, he spoke to Li Xuan indifferently.

It implies that Li Xuan had started planning a rebellion ten years ago.

"To be honest with you, sage, I have always prepared two sets of clothes. The clothes I wore when I assisted Emperor Yao and Shun are different from the clothes I wore when I assisted Emperor Ling of Han."

Li Xuan replied to Li Longji.

This black robe was indeed made when he was in the Western Regions.

However, Li Longji's statement was a bit conservative. If he had to say something, he had been weaving this dress twelve years ago.

"Look at your feet. These are the footprints you and I left behind. God is watching!"

Li Longji was not angry. He looked at the two people's footprints on the yellow earth and said meaningfully.

Only Li Xuan and Li Longji walked in front of the altar.

A long row of footprints, some deep and some shallow, were particularly clear.

A sense of historical destiny extends toward the altar.

"If the heaven has eyes, I will ask the heaven!"

Li Xuan remained unmoved. He took Li Longji's hand and began to climb up to the altar.

He knew that Li Longji was old, so he supported him when he climbed the first step of the altar.

Li Longji began to doubt himself when facing Li Xuan. He didn't know whether he was the one who helped Li Xuan, or whether Li Xuan made him successful and accomplished the great military feat of "commanding the eight wastelands and winning over the barbarians".

It is still the footprints of two people walking hand in hand.

"Boom...boom..."

At this moment, the sacrificial drums sounded.

Afterwards, as Li Xuan and Li Longji ascended the altar, the chime bells, chime stones, sheng, and flute played together.

A melodious and deep voice lingered in front of the Liangyi Palace, with a slow and steady rhythm.

The music used for offering sacrifices to heaven is grand and majestic, as well as solemn and dignified.

Even if some ministers were dissatisfied with Li Xuan, they had to watch silently.

At the highest point of the altar, gold, fine wine, silk, selected food, etc. have been placed.

Li Xuan and Li Longji bowed to the heavens and began to pray for blessings amidst the music. After the prayers were finished, the music stopped and there was only a breeze blowing the yellow flags, and everything was quiet.

"Haotian is above, Houtu is below. I was conferred the title by the emperor and promoted to the King of Qin. I should assist the emperor, follow the will of heaven, suppress rebellions, and protect the country. I hope that the heaven will bless me, stabilize the country, and provide good weather and good harvests..."

"Establish a mind for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, inherit the lost knowledge of the ancient sages, and bring peace to the world for all eternity... The heavens shall be the mirror, the earth shall be the witness. If you violate this, both humans and gods shall punish you!"

Li Xuan swore an oath at the altar as the King of Qin. He raised one hand to the sky and his voice was sonorous and powerful.

These are very clever words, which resonated with some literati and officials.

But many people did not believe what Li Xuan said. After all, Li Xuan had too many classic quotes, such as "Thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all grace from the emperor." But now he was committing treason and reducing the emperor to a foil.

After walking down the altar with Li Longji, the grand banquet began.

The banquet was held in Ganlu Hall behind Liangyi Hall. As the war was imminent, everything was kept simple.

Li Xuan did not let Cui Guangyuan spend any money, he just prepared a plate of barbecue, two servings of vegetables, and two kinds of fruits.

After the ceremony of enthroning the king, Li Xuan would issue a decree that from the central government to the counties, no official banquets should be held before the rebellion was quelled.

Some wine, meat, and silk were mainly used to reward the soldiers who bravely killed the enemy.

Li Xuan also set an example and advocated frugality.

Officials above the fifth rank sat in the Ganlu Hall.

Officials below the fifth rank can only stay outside the Ganlu Palace.

For Li Longji, this was a boring banquet.

Not only was there no singing or dancing, Li Xuan also sat with him throughout the entire process.

He felt that some ministers were looking at him, but he didn't dare to get close.

In the past, there were all kinds of delicacies from land and sea.

Excellent dancers such as Gongsun Da Niang and Xie Aman dance the splendor of the prosperous era.

His disciples of the opera garden were not allowed to attend, and the grand music of the colorful costumes was forgotten.

After drinking a few glasses of wine, I felt drunk and vaguely saw the gorgeous figure at the banquet.

"General, the King of Qin summons you!"

Chidai Zhudan, who was drinking and eating meat in an inconspicuous corner of Ganlu Palace, was startled when he heard the voice of the young eunuch.

He looked up at Li Xuan, who was sitting at the head seat, raising his glass to him and smiling at him.

The horrified Chidai Zhudan had no choice but to move forward.

Now Chidai Zhudan is nearly sixty years old, and his long beard has basically turned completely white.

Before I knew it, I had been held captive in Chang'an for eight or nine years.

In history, Chidai Zhudan was killed in a coup d'état by Mo Jiesangdongzebu last year.

Now Chidai Zhudan has escaped the disaster. I don’t know whether it is fortunate or unfortunate.

"Greetings...King Qin!"

Before arriving at the case, Chidai Zhudan bowed to Li Xuan. He used Han etiquette instead of Tibetan etiquette.

This once great leader has lost all his fighting spirit!
"Meet the Saint..."

Seeing that Li Xuan was sitting upright and did not respond, Chidai Zhudan remembered that she had not yet bowed to Li Longji, so she quickly turned around and bowed.

"No gifts!"

Li Longji had always been unhappy with his brother-in-law. When he hated him the most, he wanted to tear him into pieces. But now he felt a sense of sympathy.

"General, take a seat!"

Li Xuan pointed to the seat opposite the table.

"Thank you, King Qin, for the seat."

After Chidai Zhudan thanked him again, he sat down, feeling very uncomfortable.

He suddenly remembered that when he was captured by Li Xuan in Baihai, he had told Li Xuan the truth that "when the birds are dead, the bows are put away; when the rabbits are dead, the dogs are cooked." It is not necessarily a good thing for a young man to have great achievements and shock his master. He hoped that Li Xuan would let him go, and he would help Li Xuan rebel.

At that time, Li Xuan openly rejected him and even made ambiguous remarks.

Now Chidai Zhudan understood that Li Xuan had been planning for a long time, using them, the Tubo, as a stepping stone to achieve his current status as the King of Qin.

An extraordinary person doing extraordinary things, he cannot look at Li Xuan with ordinary eyes.

But he didn't understand why Li Xuan was hesitating. In his opinion, he could easily replace Li Longji as emperor.

Although the rumors about An Lushan in the east were very strange, Chidai Zhudan did not think that the Yan army could defeat the elite soldiers of Helong under the command of Li Xuan.

"General, you have been in Chang'an for many years. Do you miss your hometown?"

Li Xuan went straight to the point and spoke to Chidai Zhudan.

He asked Chidai Zhudan to come up, not to show off his current achievements.

"I am so happy here that I don't miss Shu!"

Recently, Chidai Zhudan was reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms and thought that Li Xuan wanted to kill him after the coup, so he quickly denied it.

In fact, he was locked up in the house all day long, without any fun, like a prisoner.

He loved Tibetan wine, Tibetan yaks, and horse racing.

His beloved concubine and son were the ones Chidai Zhudan worried about when he was lonely.

"The Tang Dynasty and Tubo have been at peace for nearly ten years. Over the years, the border has been peaceful, no conflicts have occurred, and the uncle and nephew are on good terms. It's time for the general to be free."

Li Xuan certainly had no intention of killing Chidai Zhudan.

He did not like Chidai Zhudan to slaughter the border residents of the Tang Dynasty, but Chidai Zhudan was very useful at this time.

The young king Trisong Detsen had already secured his position and had his own ideas. The nobles were dissatisfied with the fact that Mashang Zhongbajie would turn to support Trisong Detsen.

Judging from past events, Chidai Zhudan was a monarch with a strong desire for control. He changed the one-argument system to a three-argument system and did not allow anyone to shake his authority.

Although Dalun Wei Dazha Gonglu had made such great contributions in the past, he was killed by Chidai Zhudan on the pretext of "collaborating with the enemy". Even the powerful Wei family of Tubo was suppressed.

After Chidai Zhudan returns to Tubo, will he be content with loneliness and enjoy his retirement?

Even if he let go of everything and wanted to retire, could he tolerate Maxiang Zhongbajie taking control of the government?
Although Li Xuan asked Nan Jiyun to lead 40,000 infantry to resist Tubo.

But defeating the enemy without fighting is always the best strategy.

Li Xuan knew that although Chidai Zhudan was a great leader, his status in history was far inferior to that of his son Trisong Detsen.

Releasing Chidai Zhudan is not like letting the tiger go back to the mountains.

"I dare not, I love Chang'an."

Chidai Zhudan felt that Li Xuan was testing him and said this in fear and trepidation.

"I want you to go back because I want Tubo to proclaim and respect me. Do I need to explain this to you?"

Li Xuan spoke sternly to Chidai Zhudan.

Chidai Zhudan was slightly stunned. Did Li Xuan really want to let him go back to Tubo?

Does it mean that it is not glorious for him to seize power and let a big country like Tubo be loyal to him?
After thinking he had figured out the cause and effect, Chidai Zhudan was overjoyed. He ignored the fact that Li Longji was beside him and promised Li Xuan: "If I can return to my hometown, Tubo will always be loyal to the King of Qin and will send troops to help the Tang Dynasty quell the traitor An Lushan."

"Okay! I'll toast to the general!"

Li Xuan smiled slightly and raised his glass to toast Chidai Zhudan.

Chidai Zhudan was so excited that he raised his glass and drank the wine in one gulp.

"Long live the friendship between Tang and Tubo!"

Li Xuan responded with a call of "Chidai Zhudan".

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries, and Chidai Zhudan left. Tomorrow, Li Xuan would order the Tibetan envoys in Chang'an to return to Tibet with Chidai Zhudan.

At the same time, a postman was sent to deliver a letter to Nan Jiyun and Duan Xueshi.

"Chidai Zhudan has fallen into your trap. I think your smile has bad intentions."

Li Longji suddenly said to Li Xuan.

"Why is the saint so clear-headed at this time?"

Li Xuan turned to ask Li Longji.

"Those involved in the matter are often confused, while those who are not involved can see clearly." Li Longji was silent for a moment and used these eight words to prevaricate.

"That makes sense, but that's not how a saint would act!"

Li Xuan nodded and then shook his head.

Li Longji stopped talking.

Only when you lose something do you realize it and it’s too late to regret.

Compared with his current clarity of mind, he has no idea what he will be doing after the fourth year of Tianbao.

Li Xuan did not host a banquet for other ministers afterwards. He just sat with Li Longji and chatted with him intermittently.

Li Longji sometimes responded and sometimes kept silent.

After noon, the coronation banquet ended.

Li Xuan and Li Longji left Ganlu Palace together.

Liu Dan escorted Li Longji back to Xingqing Palace through Jiacheng.

After the banquet, all officials returned home temporarily to wait for orders, but Li Xuan did not stop.

He immediately sent his brother-in-law Pei Ying to Mount Zhongnan to invite Li Mi to come out of seclusion.

He was now the new lord of Chang'an and could not leave for even a day, so he wrote a letter asking Li Mi for his understanding.

Then, Li Xuan summoned Changsha prefect Li Xian, as well as dozens of officials including the demoted Zhao Fengzhang and Du Jin back to Chang'an.

No matter how they viewed Li Xuan, he would dispatch them.

Li Xuan planned to fill the vacancies in these resigned positions by interviewing some young Jinshi and Mingjing scholars and appointing them as county magistrates, county secretaries, and county lieutenants.

The county magistrate and the chief secretary were appointed by their subordinates.

Li Xuan also sent fast horses to the Western Regions and asked Yan Zhenqing to send troops to escort Pei Lingxi, Jiang Yueyao, Changli, Shuang'er and his children back to Chang'an.

Now Li Shizhi, Li Qian, Li Yi and others from Bailang Qiang are escorted back by Gao Kai, the military envoy of Momen.

In addition, the news that Li Xuan had named himself the King of Qin, appointed General Tiance, and concurrently the Minister of the Chancellery was sent to all counties and prefectures across the country.

Whether it was a military governor, a county governor or a county magistrate, they all had to obey Li Xuan's orders. Any violation would be considered treason.

Especially Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi.

Previously, Li Longji followed Yang Guozhong's instigation and recalled the two of them to serve the king.

Originally, they had defeated Shi Siming's tens of thousands of troops in Changshan County and had the upper hand.

But facing the precarious situation of Tongguan, they had to obey the imperial edict.

Li Xuan judged that the Shuofang Army and the Hedong Army had just left Jingxing.

He ordered Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi to turn around, leave Jingxing again, attack Hebei, and contain Shi Siming and Cai Xide in Hebei.

Give courage to the rebels in Hebei to resist.

It depends on the attitudes of Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi.

In addition, Li Xuan felt that the battles in Nanyang and Yingchuan were not optimistic.

Historically, it was Lu Jiong who led the Battle of Nanyang and suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Wu Lingxun.

Now Lu Jing is left in the river by Li Xuan, preparing to go to Persia.

Xue Yuan, the governor of Nanyang, He Liguang, the governor of Lingnan, Zhao Guozhen, the governor of Qianzhong, and Xu Hao, the governor of Xiangyang, gathered troops in Nanyang, preparing for a major battle against the rebels.

The situation was out of Li Xuan's control. Li Xuan had to, on the one hand, make these newly established Jiedushi obey his orders, and on the other hand, hold his ground in a defensive posture and not take the initiative to attack.

Historically, the Battle of Nanyang was a disastrous defeat, which ultimately put all the pressure on Zhang Xun.

Li Xuan also knew that those prefects and military governors would not necessarily obey him, especially those who had bribed Yang Guozhong and the Yang family.

During the An-Shi Rebellion, there were more than one or two selfish and beastly prefects.

Due to the fall of Tongguan, a lot of information had to be delivered via detours, and Li Xuan had difficulty getting information feedback for a while.

He could only wait for his main force to arrive and plan to recapture Tongguan first.

While all this was going on, Chang'an's official system needed to be stabilized quickly.

Li Xuan must establish the six ministers and vice ministers as soon as possible.

That afternoon, Li Xuan first summoned his former capable general Lu Sigong to the Council of State.

"Si Gong, although I have entered Chang'an, I have only reassured the people. The princes and nobles are ready to make a move, and I don't know how many people want to take my head."

Li Xuan pointed at his head and said to Lu Sigong, indicating that the situation was tense.

How many of the civil and military officials now are truly loyal?

Therefore, Li Xuan could only control power through the army for the time being.

We can only relax a little once the political power structure is clear.

"The ceremony of enthroning the king has been successfully held. It is a foregone conclusion that the King of Qin has obtained the permission of heaven. However, the King of Qin cannot be soft-hearted. Once an official who disobeys the order shows up, regardless of his qualifications or the size of his official position, he will be forced to retire and enjoy his old age. Although the world is in turmoil, there are many scholars in Chang'an who want to be officials."

Lu Sigong replied to Li Xuan.

In times of chaos, severe punishments must be used. He had witnessed the power of the old ministers at the ceremony of enthroning the king, and he must not let them cause trouble at this time.

The most urgent task is for the country to unite against foreign enemies, put down An Lushan’s rebellion, and save the people of Henan and Hebei from dire straits.

"I will do that."

Li Xuan nodded. Of course he would not let anyone ruin his plans at the critical moment.

He would not brutally kill veteran ministers, but those who lost their official positions would not be able to cause any trouble.

"Si Gong thought about how to deal with Yang Guozhong and Lady Guoguo, Lady Hanguo and other members of the Yang family."

Li Xuan stated the purpose of calling Lu Sigong.

"Kill him immediately! Not killing him will not appease the public anger! What the people of Chang'an want to see most now is the execution of Yang Guozhong and Yang. After tomorrow, the title of King of Qin will spread throughout Chang'an. Take advantage of the public opinion and kill Yang Guozhong and others to prove the reputation of King of Qin who has cleared the court."

Lu Sigong replied to Li Xuan.

There is no need to judge such a person who has committed such heinous crimes and is hated by both humans and gods, let alone wait until the autumn to execute him.

The longer it drags on, the more ideas people will have, which will be disadvantageous to Li Xuan.

"I will dismiss Xiao Yinzhi and appoint Si Gong as the Minister of Punishment. He will be in charge of supervising the execution of the Yang family at West Market at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow. All the evildoers of the Yang family, including Lady Guoguo's son Pei Hui and Yang Guozhong's two sons, will be put to death."

Li Xuan appointed Lu Sigong.

Even if they are the husbands of princesses or county ladies, this is the only way they can end up like this.

The princess and the county lady were pardoned, which was already a great leniency.

Killing the princess would have a huge impact on Li Xuan, and it would also make people think that Yang Yuhuan in Taizhen Temple should also be executed.

"I thank the King of Qin. I will do my utmost to support him and uphold the rules and regulations of the court."

Lu Sigong was so excited that he bowed deeply to Li Xuan.

The new official system had not yet been fully established, but the position of Shangshu was destined to have enormous power.

What’s more, he is the Minister of Justice.

"Time is running out. Si Gong, please prepare a plan for the execution as soon as possible. I will be there in person tomorrow."

Li Xuan is optimistic about Lu Sigong's ability to respond and his decisiveness.

He knew that Lu Sigong was a man of both civil and military talents, and was also capable of managing finances.

If he created an example in the position of Minister of Punishments, Li Xuan would add the title of "Vice Prime Minister" to him.

From then on, Shangshu Zuo Pushe and Shangshu You Pushe replaced Zhongshu Ling and Shizhong and became permanent prime ministers who participated in government affairs.

The right is still respected.

The Shangshu Ling was the chief prime minister, the Shangshu You Pushe was the second prime minister, and the Shangshu Zuo Pushe was the third prime minister.

At the same time, Li Xuan wanted to establish a real political affairs hall and gradually fix the number of prime ministers to five or even seven.

At present, Li Xuan is still in power. Once his power is consolidated, it will be taken turns to be in power.

The Tian Ce Mansion participated in government affairs and held important positions.

Li Xuan held the imperial seal and could appoint or dismiss prime ministers at will. No one could shake Li Xuan's power.

The multi-phase system is more conducive to the operation of the court.

(End of this chapter)