After Lu Sigong left, Li Xuan summoned Pei Zunqing to the government hall.

In the past, the prime minister would handle practical affairs in the Zhongshu Gate of Xingqing Palace.

Now Li Xuan has reopened the Political Affairs Hall in the Secretariat of Taiji Palace.

"I've met King Qin!"

Pei Zunqing entered the hall and bowed to Li Xuanli, who was sitting in the main seat in the inner hall.

Behind Li Xuan hung a calligraphy piece written in regular script by Prime Minister Zhang Shuo: The sea sun rises in the last night, and the river spring enters the old year.

The night has not yet ended, but the red sun has risen from the river. Spring has come early on the river, and the old year has not yet passed, but the new year has arrived.

This kind of optimistic and positive inspiring force is exactly what Li Xuan deserves at that moment.

Li Xuan kneeling on the seat also gave Pei Zunqing a wonderful feeling.

"You are an old minister, you don't need to be so polite!"

Li Xuan stood up and asked Pei Zunqing to sit down opposite the low table.

Pei Zunqing is sixty-five years old this year.

He started serving as an official in the middle of the Kaiyuan period and worked diligently for more than thirty years.

Pei Zunqing mostly held unimportant official positions and was not considered a minister. He was unwilling to rely on Li Linfu and was not promoted until Li Xuan became prime minister.

Most people at this age are basically half buried in the ground, but Li Xuan knows that Pei Zunqing's official career has just begun.

In history, Pei Zunqing lived to be eighty-five years old, which was definitely a long life in that era.

Pei Zunqing is currently the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Works and has been excluded from the center of power by Yang Guozhong.

"Thank you, King Qin!"

After Pei Zunqing bowed again, he sat down opposite Li Xuan.

"The peace and prosperity of a country depends on the good governance of officials. Fang's strategy and Du's decisiveness led to the great prosperity of Zhenguan. Yao Song was well-governed and established the Kaiyuan Dynasty. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that when the counties are well-governed, the country is at peace. When I was the prime minister before, I was often constrained and could not implement good policies. Now that the saint has given me absolute power, I come to seek your opinion."

Li Xuan believed that Pei Zunqing was a good candidate for governing officials.

He had sufficient experience and was a man of great ability. When he was the Yuwenlang of the Ministry of Personnel in the early years of the Tianbao period, he was hailed as "the best person in the Ministry of Personnel."

Appointing Lu Sigong as the Minister of Punishments and killing Yang Guozhong and the Five Yangs were only the first step for Li Xuan to stabilize the world.

The Kaiyuan Period of Prosperity actually left behind many problems, and Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong placed their personal interests above national interests.

It is no exaggeration to say that more than half of the local governors and county magistrates are good-for-nothings.

Under such circumstances, it was crucial to restore the country's strength to the level of the Kaiyuan period and to rectify the administration of officials.

Only when the people can barely have enough food and clothing can the Chinese nation spiral upward.

"If the leader likes something, the people will like it even more. If the country wants to return to the early Kaiyuan period, the King of Qin and the nobles must set an example and put an end to all extravagance. It's best to let the world see your determination."

Pei Zunqing replied to Li Xuan.

At that time, Li Longji, because of the extravagant customs, issued a decree: the emperor's carriage, clothing, gold and silver utensils should be destroyed by the officials for military and national use; the pearls, jade, and brocades should be burned in front of the palace; the empress and concubines were not allowed to wear pearls, jade, and brocades.

Burning brocade and jewels was obviously a show.

But it also announced to the world that the country would eliminate extravagance and work hard to achieve success.

When people are well fed and well clothed, they will think about sex. As the Tang Dynasty developed to the early years of the Kaiyuan period, a trend of extravagance was bound to emerge.

When Princess Taiping arrived at Prime Minister Zong Chuke's residence, she saw the golden and jade decorations and the magnificent splendor. She actually sighed: We were born in vain!
Princess Taiping, who held great power, felt that her life was in vain, which shows the prevailing trend at that time.

More than forty years had passed since the Tang Dynasty burned pearls and jade in front of Li Longji's palace.

From the end of Kaiyuan period, the country deviated from its course and became even more arrogant and debauched. Coupled with Li Longji's connivance, the "Five Yangs" were born!
Yang Jian, the least famous of the Five Yangs, was far richer than Zong Chuke during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang.

Pei Zunqing hinted to Li Xuan that he should do something like Li Longji did, starting with eliminating extravagance and rectifying the administration of officials.

"Keep talking!"

Li Xuan nodded. All things are difficult at the beginning, and even the rectification of official administration must have a beginning.

He will not give up governing the country because of war.

It is precisely during wartime that unrest and injustice are most likely to occur.

After An Lushan's rebellion, Li Longji appointed a number of military governors in Henan, Jiangnan, Shannan and other places at one go, and allowed local county governors to recruit soldiers on their own to resist the rebellion.

This was also a precursor to the separatist rule of military governors.

Even though Li Xuan knew that suppressing some officials would force them to surrender to the rebels and force the powerful to join the rebels, he would definitely do it.

"The mansions of the Five Yangs are scattered throughout Chang'an, often covering hundreds of acres. These mansions can be demolished, and the wood and stones can be used to build ordinary houses to accommodate ordinary officials and civilians. This will not only warn the world, but also save a lot of management costs, and Chang'an can accommodate tens of thousands more people."

Pei Zunqing replied to Li Xuan.

Each of the Five Yangs' mansions is one-tenth the size of Xingqing Palace. This is totally disrespectful.

It would be an act of usurpation for a minister to do so, and each of the Five Yangs is more than just a mansion.

"You are right! Not only should the mansions of the Five Yangs be demolished, but also those of An Lushan, Yang Guozhong, Li Linfu, and some eunuchs, and their residences should all be demolished, and civilian houses and commercial workshops should be built instead."

Li Xuan agreed with Pei Zunqing's words.

The mansion of the Five Yangs is so big that it is indeed inappropriate to reward it to the ministers to live in.

Land is extremely valuable in Chang'an, so it would be best to limit the residences of the nobles to ten acres.

If you want to live in a mansion of a hundred acres, build it yourself in the suburbs outside the city.

The grain in Guanzhong is far from enough to satisfy Chang'an.

It was inevitable to transport grain from Luoyang to Chang'an.

The most important thing is that there are too many idle people in Chang'an who are "lazy and don't know how to eat", and there are too many extravagant and wasteful things.

This group of people must be eliminated and replaced by commerce and handicrafts.

Even if food still needed to be transported from other places, at least Chang'an had begun to develop in a healthy way.

"The Five Yangs and the eunuchs have lost their power. Demolishing their mansions will not have any impact. It can serve as a warning to the world. Nowadays, there are many people who are just sitting there doing nothing. This also needs to be dealt with."

Pei Zunqing believed that as long as Li Xuan opened the door to official administration and strengthened his policies and orders, he would be able to clear up the world.

An Lushan's rebellion and the fall of Luoyang in Henan brought humiliation to the country, but also gave Li Xuan a good opportunity to rectify the administration.

In the past, Li Xuan could not take direct action against officials who were extravagant and addicted to comfort, but now he can.

"Does Mr. Pei think that sending people to work is good or bad for the country?"

Li Xuan took this opportunity to ask Pei Zunqing.

"An envoy is an envoy of the emperor. He is the emperor's eyes and ears, which is a good thing for the emperor. However, An Lushan, as a military governor, rebelled in Fanyang and the court had no way to deal with it. The King of Qin should understand this."

This issue is very sensitive because Li Xuan is the highest governor.

But An Lushan's rebellion demonstrated the terrible drawbacks of official dispatch.

Not only the Jiedushi, but also the Caipanshi, Zhuanyunshi, Yantianshi, etc., would often do things that were ridiculous.

"The Ministry of War has no military tents, the Ministry of Revenue has no territory, the Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources does not manage mountains and rivers, the Ministry of Finance and Warehouses does not manage money and grain, the government offices are in name only, and salaries are requested in vain. The dispatch of envoys has destroyed the administrative structure of the court, resulting in nine out of ten sheep being shepherded. Pei Yuanwai should understand the purpose of my appointment of the Minister of the Chancellery. In governing the officials, I must reduce the number of officials and eliminate the envoys. Reduce the financial burden and allow the truly virtuous to govern the local areas."

Li Xuan nodded and said to Pei Zunqing.

The dispatch of diplomatic missions during the Tang and Song dynasties is an unavoidable event in Chinese history, and people have mixed opinions about it.

Li Xuan returned power to the six ministries, abolished the five offices of the Secretariat and the Menxia Department, and began to suppress the dispatched officials.

The advantages of the official dispatch system were obvious. It was originally just a stopgap measure of the emperor in order to improve administrative efficiency. At the same time, for the sake of confidentiality, he was unwilling to handle secret matters in the formal bureaucratic system.

If the officials of this department are not responsible for handling the affairs of this department, other officials must be sent to make the judgments; if the officials of this department want to handle the affairs of this department, a special imperial decree must be issued to give instructions.

This made the officials in charge very helpless, and also caused the court to use their salaries to support many officials who were just sitting in their positions and doing nothing.

Before Li Longji, envoys were mainly responsible for unimportant matters, such as officials specially appointed by the emperor to go to local areas for supervision, to visit important officials' homes to congratulate or express condolences, etc.

After Li Longji, the system of dispatching officials to serve the country began to become popular, which was also the most important change in the system of dispatching officials to serve the country in the Tang Dynasty.

Especially after the rebellion, local officials began to have more ideas. They began to seek power in private and wait for the opportunity.

The imperial court had to appoint special officials through the system of dispatching officials to investigate local conditions and control local power.

This makes outposting more common.

After the popularization of job dispatch, the number of dispatched officials in various places also increased accordingly.

Therefore, Li Xuan had to start regulating the envoy positions before they became universal.

From Pei Zunqing's attitude, Li Xuan saw that this old minister who was well versed in administration did not agree with the complication of official positions.

If official positions become complicated, it may not necessarily be beneficial to the country or the people, but may be the result of a fierce power struggle or a stopgap measure.

"If the King of Qin trusts me, I will work day and night to draft a plan headed by the Shangshu Ling to change the official system and suppress the envoys."

Pei Zunqing understood what Li Xuan meant. He stood up and bowed to Li Xuan.

The rectification of civil service can be done gradually, but the reform of the official system cannot be delayed.

Because Li Xuan had already come to the position of Shangshu Ling, but the court was still in an inoperative state.

Yang Guozhong held more than 40 diplomatic posts, all of which carried real power and were concurrently held by his trusted deputy envoys.

There were hundreds of similar missions in the imperial court, all of which needed to be returned to the Six Ministries, Nine Temples, Five Institutions, and the Censorate.

"The position of Minister of Personnel belongs to you!"

Li Xuan recognized Pei Zunqing and gave him the position of the third-rank Minister of Personnel.

It is the general trend to make officials serve in official positions.

Of course, Li Xuan has not made any moves in the military.

However, Li Xuan would not appoint another military governor to Anxi Beiting and Hexi Longyou.

During the war, Li Xuan will complete the military system reform.

When the battle is over, people may find that there are no more Jiedushi, Bingmashi, or Junshi in the army.

It is not impossible to have job assignments, but they cannot develop into a pathological state and get out of control.

"Your humble servant thanks the King of Qin!"

Pei Zunqing was excited and thanked him.

The head of the six departments, who wouldn’t be tempted?
Good ministers also have desires, and being remembered in history is their motivation.

Don't criticize famous officials for being aloof. Morality is also a kind of constraint on people.

During the Kaiyuan and Tianbao years, the Minister of Personnel was often concurrently the chief prime minister. Although the official system has been changed now, the Minister of Personnel has already stepped half a foot into the threshold of prime minister.

"You must also formulate specific administrative reforms as soon as possible."

Li Xuan told Pei Zunqing about other administrative matters before letting Pei Zunqing leave.

Next, Li Xuan called Cui Guangyuan and promoted him to the Minister of Works for his contribution to Chang'an, and asked him to be responsible for demolishing the residences of the eunuchs such as the Five Yangs, An Lushan, Yang Yuhuan, and Li Linfu, and to use the demolished stones and wood to build houses and workshops.

Li Xuan returned the power of imperial examinations to the Ministry of Rites, and he planned to promote Zhao Fengzhang, who had not returned to Beijing, to the position of Minister of Rites.

Zhao Fengzhang is fair and will not engage in favoritism or corruption.

Li Xuan recalled Liu Yan from Longyou and appointed him as the Minister of the Secretariat, and summoned Yang Wan and appointed him as the Minister of the Imperial Household.

The positions of Zhongshu Ling and Shizhong were temporarily suspended. The Zhongshu Shilang was temporarily in charge of the Zhongshu Province, and the Huangmen Shilang was temporarily in charge of the Menxia Province.

Ministers such as Yang Shenjin and Yang Yan, who were loyal to Li Xuan, had died of illness during the Tianbao period.

When his power was not stable, Li Xuan would only appoint those who obeyed him as ministers.

Li Xuan was going to hand over the position of Minister of Revenue to Wei Jiansu.

The Minister of War was Feng Changqing.

Li Xuan summoned Gao Shi and Cen Shen to serve as assistant ministers of the Ministry of War to assist Feng Changqing.

Du Jing and Xiao Hua were assistant ministers of the Ministry of Rites.

Liu Tiao was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Wang Changling was summoned to be the Minister of Works.

Wang Yu and Shangguan Qing were assistant ministers of the Ministry of Justice.

Zhang Hao was summoned to be the Minister of Personnel.

After completing the foundation of the six ministries, Li Xuan promoted some of his old subordinates who he believed to be capable and of good moral character to be Langzhong and Yuanwailang.

At the same time, Li Xuan appointed his father-in-law Pei Fan as the Minister of Dali Temple to judge criminal cases.

Li He was appointed Minister of Agriculture, in charge of grain storage, granary management, and the supply of rice salaries for officials in the capital.

He appointed Lü Jin as the Minister of the Imperial Household, in charge of the country's financial and material affairs.

His elder brother Li Qian was appointed as the Minister of Zongzheng, in charge of royal affairs and ancestral temples.

He let Yan Zhenqing take charge of the government affairs of Anxi and Beiting, and concurrently serve as the Minister of Rites.

He appointed his trusted confidant Liu Shan as the Minister of Imperial Guards concurrently.

Jiang Du was appointed as Minister of Rites.

He appointed his elder brother Li Jiqing as the Minister of the Imperial Household.

Among the nine temples, except for the Dali Temple, Taifu Temple, Weiwei Temple, Sinong Temple and Honglu Temple, the others mostly serve the royal family. In the absence of real power, they have little weight, so Li Xuan let his brother, who was not very capable, take charge.

The five academies were the Imperial College, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Water Resources, and the Ministry of Military Equipment. Li Xuan promoted Li Hua, Li Qiyun, Li Ju, Wei Shaoyou, Wang Wei and others, among whom Wang Wei was from the Imperial College.

If he was unwilling to take the position, Li Xuan would appoint Wang Wei as Secretary General and continue to be semi-secluded and semi-official.

As for the position of Grand Censor, Li Xuan did not set it up for the time being. He appointed Yan Gaoqing as Chief Censor, who was in charge of the affairs of the Censorate, promoted talented people, and supervised all officials.

Taking the six ministers and vice ministers as examples, they all concurrently held official positions in the Tian Ce Palace.

The Chief Secretary of Tiance Palace was a third-rank official, and Li Xuan planned to let Li Xian take on the position concurrently.

Another third-rank official position was Sima of Tiance Palace, which Li Xuan held concurrently with his favorite Li Mi.

The positions of Zhonglang, Junyoujiu, Zhubu, and military assistants in other ministries were also held concurrently by trusted officials.

A complete governance framework with Li Xuan as the core was formed, and some old ministers who disobeyed orders were transferred to idle and unimportant positions, such as Shaoqing of various temples, or directly dismissed from office to retire.

In order to resist foreign aggression, one must first stabilize the internal situation. If he wants to march westward, he must have stable political power.

He has not yet firmly established his position, and what he is most worried about is that when he goes to war, a group of old ministers will cause trouble behind his back and return power to Li Longji.

This kind of thing has happened in history.

In this situation, Li Xuan could only trust his confidants.

Even if he left Chang'an, he would let Luo Xing lead 10,000 Tiance Guards to stay behind to guard against villains.

However, Li Xuan's appointment of officials would not be announced to Chang'an until Zhao Fengzhang, Du Jing and Yan Gaoqing returned.

Of course, Li Xuan also left behind some high-ranking officials as assistant ministers to prepare for ministers who were conflicted within themselves and had not yet defected to him. Some of the ministers were talented, and Li Xuan admired them quite a bit.

It was not until late at night that Li Xuan left Taiji Palace and went to the Prince of Qin's Mansion.

The original Tianshui Palace has been changed to Qin Palace.

He did not choose a larger mansion. The Prince of Qin's Mansion, which could accommodate hundreds of people, was enough for Li Xuan.

The entire Daozhengfang is illuminated by the Qin Palace.

At the same time, security is even tighter.

Several mansions around the Prince of Qin's Palace were bought by Li Xuan and used as residences for the Tiance Guards to protect the Prince of Qin's Palace.

The next day.

Before daybreak, notices were posted in various markets in Chang'an and gongs and drums were beaten, making a huge noise.

Countless people gathered.

"My young master has been named the King of Qin, and he is also the Minister of the Chancellery, the General of Heavenly Strategy, and the Grand Marshal of the Army of the World."

In the West Market, a literate vendor spoke to those around him.

"I have only heard of Zhongshu Ling, but never Shangshu Ling. Is that the prime minister?"

A commoner nearby was puzzled. Commoners preferred Li Xuan to be the prime minister.

"The notice said that the Minister of the Central Secretariat has been changed back from Right Prime Minister and is no longer the Prime Minister. The Minister of the Shangshu is the First Prime Minister."

Another scholar replied: Only scholars who understand politics can understand the importance of these official positions.

Things are really going to change in Chang'an!
"Qilang is appointed Prime Minister again, the country is saved!"

But the people didn't care about that. They all danced with joy and quickly spread the news to their relatives and friends.

The princes and nobles had already received this news yesterday. They were indignant but had to accept it.

Everyone knew that Li Xuan, the new ruler of Chang'an, would kill a chicken to scare the monkeys. No smart person would be the first to jump out at this time.

On this day, the whole Chang'an was filled with joy and excitement.

The story about Qin Wang Li Shimin was heard from the old people. That was Emperor Taizong. It was said that he was wise and brave, and had great achievements in both civil and military affairs.

He was also the only one who had served as the General of Tiance.

Li Xuan succeeded as King of Qin and General Tiance, so that the people no longer had to worry about the rebels in the east coming out of Tongguan.

In a short period of time, they changed Li Xuan's name to King of Qin, believing that under the King of Qin's governance, their families would have surplus food, and even if disasters such as locusts and heavy rains occurred, they would still have hope.

At noon that day, another notice was posted in the Chang'an market.

Yang Guozhong, Lady Guoguo, Lady Hanguo, Yang Qi, Yang Jian and others were beheaded at three quarters after noon in Xishi.

This news caused a stir again, and countless people put down what they were doing and flocked to the West Market.

So much so that the road leading to Xishi was crowded.

The road from Taiji Palace to Xishi was guarded by the Tiance Guards. In addition to escorting prisoners to the execution ground in prison cars, they also had to ensure Li Xuan's passage.

Yang Yuhuan, who was in Taizhen Temple, was also shocked to hear the sad news from a female Taoist priest who was returning from buying vegetables.

Just two days after arriving in Chang'an, her sister was executed.

"I shouldn't have let you leave Shu and come to Chang'an..."

Even though she knew that Lady Guo and Lady Han deserved their punishment, Yang Yuhuan still felt heartbroken.

She thought it was also her responsibility. It was because she missed her sisters that Li Longji brought her three sisters from Shu to Chang'an, sending them on a path of no return.

And her brother, although he is her cousin, their father raised her and she feels guilty towards her deceased uncle.

She didn't understand why they had come to this point.

"My lady, you can ask the King of Qin for mercy. He may forgive Lady Guo and Lady Han because you have helped him before."

Seeing Yang Yuhuan slumped under the peach tree in Taizhen Temple crying in the rain, the personal maid who entered Taizhen Temple with her said to Yang Yuhuan.

She informed Yang Yuhuan of the news that Li Xuan was named King of Qin, General of Tiance, and Minister of the Chancellery.

Li Xuan, who holds power, can save the Yang family from death with just one word.

"The Yang family is causing chaos in the world. Ten years ago, they accused me of being a beauty who brings disaster. How dare I beg for mercy from the King of Qin!"

Yang Yuhuan couldn't stop sobbing.

She knew that her plea was meaningless. Although Li Xuan was not a heartless person, he was firm in his belief and would never waver in his determination because of her request.

As a woman, she is insignificant when it comes to seizing power.

She couldn't leave Taizhen Temple, and wondered if anyone would collect the bodies of her brothers and sisters.

Anyone who was once promoted by the Yang family must be avoided.

Finally, Yang Yuhuan took out her only jewelry, had her maid sell it in the East Market, and hired someone to collect the bodies of all the Yang family members. She bought a cemetery outside the city and erected a tombstone there.

Afterwards, Yang Yuhuan knelt on the cushion in the main hall to pray.

She used to be a non-believer, and at this moment she hoped that her sins could be redeemed through prayer.

What she didn't know was that after her maid sold her jewelry, she wanted to hire someone, but when the people heard that it was to collect the bodies of Yang Guozhong and Yang, no one was willing to do so.

If there is no one to collect the body, the officers and soldiers will have to transport it to the outskirts of the city and bury it without engraving a tombstone.

Around noon, Yang Guozhong and members of the Yang family were transported to the prison van.

Led by Lu Sigong himself, they went to Xishi.

Dozens of the main members of the Yang family were included in the prison van. Everyone was armed to the teeth and no one was allowed to get close to the van.

At this time, Yang Guozhong realized that he was going to be beheaded in public.

"Lu Sigong, do you want to kill me?"

Yang Guozhong's prison car was in the front, and he shouted to Lu Sigong who was riding on a horse.

"You are no longer the prime minister, so don't call yourself that."

Lu Sigong scolded Yang Guozhong.

"Why is there no trial? Only the emperor can decide whether I live or die."

Yang Guozhong knew he was going to die soon and had lost his mind.

"The facts prove that the King of Qin is capable of doing this! He did not try those who were wrongly convicted during the Ruxing Prison. This is what he deserves."

Lu Sigong retorted.

"Call Li Xuan over, I want to see him!"

Yang Guozhong shook the prison van, causing it to clank.

"The King of Qin will arrive at 3:30 pm!"

Lu Sigong answered truthfully and then ignored Yang Guozhong to avoid missing the time.

No matter how furious and crazy Yang Guozhong was, it was of no avail.

The sun, which was gradually setting in the middle of the sky, was like a death warrant.

It would be better for him to die in Mawei Posthouse than to let those untouchables watch him being killed.

The Yang family members suddenly fell from heaven to earth. When they learned that they would be executed, their faces turned pale.

In the past, he was very powerful and was followed by many people wherever he went. He could get whatever he wanted.

Little do people know that when some money is easily available, it will be paid from other places.

You have been greedy, extravagant and debauched, and now you will pay the price.

Being taken to the execution ground, their eyes were filled with fear and despair.

The former glory and wealth have become a bubble, and now only the cold sword is waiting for him.

Among all the members of the Yang family, Lady Guoguo was the calmest.

On the contrary, Yang Guozhong's wife Pei Rou was so frightened that she fainted in the prison car!
"Mother, you are the one who hurt me."

Behind Lady Guoguo's prison cart, Pei Hui was waiting for her mother, feeling unwilling and angry.

He believed that today's outcome was all caused by his mother.

"Don't you enjoy wealth and status? Without your mother, can you marry the princess? Be a man and don't let the untouchables laugh at you."

Lady Guoguo scolded Pei Hui.

Li Qilang was so cruel. She thought that this would be the result for her after Li Longji's death, but she didn't expect to fall into the hands of Li Xuan.

She admitted it!
But she cursed Li Xuan to die a bad death, and people like Li Xuan in history would not have a good ending.

Pei Hui fell into silence. He had been domineering and committed crimes before.

Her mother was extremely powerful and he was lawless. He once thought that no matter what mistakes he made, Lady Guo could handle it.

Facts have proved that Lady Guoguo could not bear some of the responsibilities.

Whenever they passed through the streets, they were inevitably pointed at by the people.

"God has eyes, and the Yang family finally got their retribution."

"This is the King of Qin punishing evildoers!"

"They should be cut into pieces. Beheading them is too easy for them."

"I want to see their heads fall off and see if their blood is black."

The people pointed and talked as they followed the prison van into the West Market Gate.

Today, the West Market is under strict ban and no business is allowed.

There were crowds of spectators surrounding the execution platform, with the dense crowd forming three layers inside and outside.

There were also countless people coming from all directions.

After Lu Sigong arrived, he dismounted and sat on the main seat on the execution platform.

Yang Guozhong and members of the Yang family were either dragged to the execution platform or carried to the execution platform.

The clerks confirmed their identities one by one, recorded them, and finally presented them to Lu Sigong, who signed them.

The decree to execute Yang Guozhong and Yang was signed by Li Xuan himself.

He also told Li Longji that although the old emperor did not react on the surface, he was worried in his heart that Madam Yuhuan would not be able to withstand the blow.

Yang Guozhong and Yang were kneeling on the execution platform, standing in a row.

A slight breeze made them shiver.

Some cried bitterly, some peed their pants out of fear, some collapsed to the ground, and some cursed Li Xuan like Yang Guozhong.

The people in the stands also cursed back at Yang Guozhong.

It was almost three quarters past noon, and the shirtless executioner was wiping his weapon.

The shining sword kept flashing with the light of the sun, and such a cold light made the Yang family members tremble.

"I want to see the Saint, I want to see the Imperial Concubine..."

Yang Guozhong was sweating profusely, but as the hour of noon approached, his voice became smaller and smaller, and finally his face turned ashen.

"The King of Qin has arrived..."

Less than half a quarter of an hour before noon, Li Xuan appeared in a carriage on the road guarded by the Tiance Guards.

He was followed by some officials.

Lu Sigong immediately stood up to greet Li Xuan.

After Li Xuan got off the car, the officials and common people present bowed to Li Xuan and said, "Greetings to the King of Qin..."

Amid the huge crowd and noisy voices, Li Xuan simply extended his hand to indicate that he was excused, and then, under the guidance of Lu Sigong, he went to the spectator seats.

Lu Sigong also returned to his seat, waiting for the upcoming three quarters after noon.

Yang Guozhong and Lady Guoguo turned around and glared at Li Xuan. They knew there was no room for redemption.

Only some members of the Yang family held out for hope and begged Li Xuan for mercy.

No matter what kind of looks he received, he ignored them.

He had a clear distinction between gratitude and resentment, and none of the Yang family members he beheaded were innocent.

As the third quarter of noon approached, the atmosphere became solemn. Countless people concentrated and held their breath, looking up at the sun in the sky and down at the execution ground.

"Report to the Minister, it is already three quarters past noon!"

A minor official confirmed the exact time and whispered to Lu Sigong.

Lu Sigong signed his name on the warrant and threw the token on the ground: "It is three quarters past noon. Behead!"

When Lu Sigong uttered the word "behead", the Yang family members were pinned to the execution platform by two soldiers, and the executioner raised his sword.

Yang Guozhong's eyes were empty and desperate, and his soul seemed to have been stripped away before the knife even fell.

Ten years ago, he came to Chang'an from Jiannan, pursuing the wealth and glory that belonged to him.

He was opportunistic and did everything he could, and even felt smug when he thought he had deceived Li Xuan.

He was truly rich for only a few years, which was much shorter than he expected.

In the end, it seemed like a pipe dream.

Or maybe Zhuang Zhou dreamed of being a butterfly.

I thought the butterfly in the dream was just a dreamer. The wealth and glory were just like a dream, illusory and short-lived.

"Haha... Li Xuan, I'll be waiting for you in the underworld!"

Lady Guo struggled at the moment the knife fell.

She was certain that Li Xuan would be defeated sooner or later.

She was laughing because after her death, Li Xuan would never be able to get Yang Yuhuan.

"Pfft..."

"Pfft..."

Heads fell to the ground one after another, and blood flowed out.

The blood flowed from the scaffold and onto the dirt below, turning it black.

Don't be happy if you give birth to a boy, and don't be sad if you give birth to a girl. You see the girl as the lintel of the door.

No matter how rich and powerful one is, after passing through the execution platform, he will turn into the same ghost.

The path chosen by the Yang family destined them to end up like this today.

Die amidst the scolding!

The people were not frightened by what they saw, instead they cheered and were glad that Yang had been eradicated.

"King Qin..."

After a pause, it was unknown who started the movement, but under the scorching sun, the people kept repeating the word "King of Qin" and looked in one direction with reverent eyes.

The greatest contributor to the purge of the imperial court!

The sound was so loud that it could be heard from several blocks away.

"Is there anyone who collects Yang's body?"

Li Xuan asked Lu Sigong.

"Reporting to the King of Qin, there is no record, probably no. I will order the Chang'an County Lieutenant to transport them out of the city and bury them together at random."

Lu Sigong replied to Li Xuan.

"Bury them as civilians and erect a tombstone. The Five Yangs should be remembered for ten thousand years, but be infamous for ten thousand years."

Li Xuan disagreed with burying Yang randomly, as she would be nowhere to be found in ten years or so.

The Yang family is the most extravagant group throughout history. They should be nailed to the pillar of shame in history as a warning to others.

In the future, when people pass by their tombstones and spit on them in anger, that will be their status.

"I understand. I will ask someone to take care of this matter."

Lu Sigong nodded.

Li Xuan did not give any further instructions. After taking another look at the execution ground, he walked towards the carriage.

It took less than a quarter of an hour in total.

When Li Xuan's carriage left the West Market, the voices shouting "King of Qin" gradually stopped...

……

On May 7, 5,000 cavalrymen from the Anxi Army, Beiting Army, and Tiance Guards, and 10,000 cavalrymen from the Western Regions led by Yuchi Sheng, a total of 85,000 cavalrymen, arrived and stationed outside the city of Chang'an.

Flags fluttered, armors stood like clouds, and war horses filled the fields.

One can clearly feel a different aura from that of the Imperial Guards.

Born in sorrow, die in comfort. Decades of comfort have made the imperial guards lose their fighting spirit and they can no longer be a match for the border troops.

This is also the reason why the Yanyun Cavalry was able to advance straight ahead.

On May 8, Li Xuan used military funds to purchase pork, sheep and other meats around Chang'an to reward the army and boost the morale of the soldiers before the battle.

On May 10, Li Xuan and Li Longji rode out of Chang'an City on a dragon chariot and reviewed the army at Longshouyuan...

(End of this chapter)