Chapter 50: Rewards in the Grand Hall (Part 1)
The next day at dawn, before the sky even brightened, loud drumbeats suddenly rang out, awakening Chang’an from its slumber—it was time for the morning court session.
Since Li Longji conferred the title of Imperial Concubine on Yang Yuhuan in the fourth year of Tianbao, he had attended the morning court less and less often. From holding court every three days, it gradually became once a month on the fifth day of each month. Today was the fifth day of the twelfth month, the first such session of the month.
Though it was still dark, carriages could be seen everywhere on the streets. On the right pole of each carriage, orange lanterns displayed the owner’s official title and surname. For example, “Yang, Censor-in-Chief” indicated it was Yang Zhao’s carriage, while “Yang, Deputy Minister of Revenue” belonged to Yang Shenjin.
Carriage after carriage, along with officials on horseback, moved in a grand procession toward Danfeng Gate.
It was not yet the time for the court to begin, but the square in front of Danfeng Gate was already filled with officials, who were whispering among themselves in small groups.
An Lushan had stood in the snow all night and had caught a chill upon returning. Under normal circumstances, he might have taken time off, but today was the day when the Anxi Army was to be honored. If he asked for leave, it would seem… inappropriate.
Lushan sat drowsily on the steps, unwilling to interact with anyone. Then Yang Zhao, the Censor-in-Chief, approached from afar, bowed, and said with a smile, “General An, why are you sitting here?”
Yang Zhao was later to become Yang Guozhong. He was a cousin of Yang Yuhuan, tall and handsome. He had arrived in the capital just the previous year, and within a short year, he had risen from a minor official in Bashu to Censor-in-Chief, holding over a dozen other positions as well. His rapid promotion had placed him among the elite of the Tang Dynasty.
Lushan struggled to stand up and smiled, saying, “Please forgive me, Censor-in-Chief Yang. I caught a chill last night and am feeling weak, so I sat down to rest.”
“Oh! I see.” Yang Zhao stepped forward and whispered, “I wonder how things turned out with the matter involving the young general yesterday. Do you need my help?”
“Thank you for your kindness, Censor-in-Chief Yang. The matter has been resolved. There’s no choice—today is for honoring the Anxi Army. I must attend despite being ill.”
“Hmph! They make such a fuss over conquering a small border kingdom. The general has repelled the Khitans and achieved countless feats, yet he hasn’t received any grand rewards in the Hanyuan Hall. It seems rather unfair.”
Lushan inwardly despised Yang Zhao for not realizing the significance of conquering Little Bulei. Yet Yang Zhao’s tone clearly carried an attempt to flatter him. Lushan’s heart stirred—after all, Yang Zhao was a cousin of the Imperial Concubine. If he could win him over, it would mean gaining access to the Concubine’s influence. How had he not thought of this earlier?
It was not until today that An Lushan suddenly realized Yang Zhao’s importance. Filled with both annoyance and surprise, he quickly said with a smile, “Director Yang, when would you like to come to my residence for some wine? I’ll show you the stunning beauties of Youzhou.”
Yang Zhao was overjoyed. He had long wanted to establish a relationship with An Lushan, and now there were even beautiful women waiting for him. He replied eagerly, “I’m free the day after tomorrow. How about I come then?”
“Then it’s settled!”
The two laughed together. At that moment, a deep bell sound came from the Hanyuan Hall. An official in charge of the hall stepped forward and announced loudly, “It’s already the first moment of the Mao hour—time for the court meeting!”
Thousands of officials in the Danfeng Square immediately formed two lines. The Tang Dynasty’s court meetings were divided into small, medium, and large meetings. Small meetings were held only when urgent matters arose and involved officials of rank three or above, usually taking place in the Zichen Hall or Yanying Hall to discuss military and state affairs.
Medium meetings referred to the daily morning sessions, attended by officials of rank five or above. These were the most frequent meetings in the Tang Dynasty. Today’s meeting, being held on an odd-numbered day, also belonged to the medium category and was usually held in the Xuanzheng Hall. But since it was held in the Hanyuan Hall today, the required rank had dropped to seven or above, and officials of various positions were allowed to attend, which meant it was a large meeting.
Large meetings were held in the Hanyuan Hall on the first day of the fifth month each year when foreign envoys came to pay homage. All officials of rank nine or above in the capital, as well as foreign officials present in the capital, would line up, creating a highly solemn occasion.
“All officials, enter the hall!”
More than two thousand officials split into two columns. The left column was led by Chen Xilie, the Left Chancellor, while the right column was led by Li Linfu, the Right Chancellor. They lined up in order of rank and walked up the grand Dragon Tail Path toward the magnificent Hanyuan Hall.
The Hanyuan Hall was extremely spacious, over four hundred steps long from north to south and over five hundred steps wide from east to west, capable of accommodating ten thousand people. It stood majestically on the southern edge of Longshouyuan, offering a clear view of the Zhongnan Mountains and the streets of Chang’an.
Inside the hall, the light was bright at first, but it gradually dimmed as one moved further in. The emperor sat on his high dragon-throne, able to see his subjects clearly, while the subjects could not see him, emphasizing the mystery and authority of the Tang emperor.
When the officials entered the hall, those of rank three or above had seats to sit and attend the court proceedings, while those of rank four or above stood behind, arranged in order according to the Three Departments, Six Ministries, Nine Ministers, Five Temples, and other official positions.
Whispers filled the hall as officials discussed the agenda of today’s meeting. There was only one topic: praising the Tang forces for their victory in the Battle of Xiaobolü.
Li Linfu closed his eyes to rest, but from the corners of his eyes, he kept glancing at a man sitting on the jade steps. The man wore a three-beam crown, a crimson gauze robe, and a wide sash around his waist. His gaze was calm, with a faint smile on his lips. This man was Li Heng, the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty. Nearly ten years had passed since Li Ying, the previous crown prince, was deposed and Li Heng was appointed to the position. Ever since, Li Heng had lived in constant fear under the supreme authority of his father, Emperor Li Longji.
To promote Li Mao, the Prince of Shou, as crown prince, Li Linfu had spared no effort to oppose Li Heng. Thus, after Li Heng was appointed, he became a thorn in Li Linfu’s side. With Emperor Li Longji’s tacit approval, Li Linfu repeatedly attacked the crown prince. At the beginning of the fifth year of the Tianbao era, the Wei Jian case broke out. Wei Jian was the brother of the crown prince’s wife and the Minister of Punishments. On the fifteenth day of the first month, he met with the crown prince in secret and was accused by censors instigated by Li Linfu. Huangfu Weiming, the military governor of Longyou, was also implicated. Wei Jian and Huangfu Weiming were exiled and then executed, forcing Crown Prince Li Heng to divorce his wife.
In November of the same year, the Du Youlin case arose. Du Youlin was the father of the crown prince’s favorite concubine, Du Liangdi. He was beaten to death after being accused of plotting rebellion. To distance himself from the Du Youlin case, the crown prince was forced to divorce his favorite concubine as well.
Having divorced two wives within a year, Crown Prince Li Heng suffered an unprecedented blow. He became silent and rarely left the palace. Today was a court meeting on the fifth day of the month, and he attended as required by protocol.
At that moment, Li Heng’s mood was extremely calm, as if the Battle of Xiaobolü had nothing to do with him.
“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!”
A loud shout from the palace attendant made the officials stand up. The great hall fell silent. Li Heng also stood up, standing with his hands hanging at his sides, waiting for his father to arrive.
With a bell toll, forty eunuchs entered in two rows, followed by nearly a hundred armed guards who entered one after another, carrying silver ceremonial swords and holding jade hammers and golden spears, standing on both sides of the jade steps. Finally, sixteen palace maids, holding fans and silk canopies, escorted Emperor Li Longji into the hall.
Today was a formal court day, and Li Longji no longer wore casual clothes. He wore a dragon-embroidered robe and a imperial crown, with nine white pearls hanging in front. Gao Lishi held the imperial edict behind him.
Li Longji sat down and glanced around at his ministers. The ministers bowed together and said, “Long live our emperor! Long live, long live, long live!” Their voices were unified and loud. Li Longji nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand, saying, “All my ministers, rise!”
“By the emperor’s order, all officials may return to their posts!”
“Thank You, Your Majesty!” The officials returned to their respective ranks, and the high-ranking officials took their seats. Seizing this opportunity, Li Longji smiled and asked Crown Prince Li Hen, “Has your health been good lately, my son?”
Li Hen quickly bowed and replied, “Your Majesty, I am in good health.”
Li Longji nodded and said, “I’ve heard that you haven’t left the palace for two months. That’s not right. As the crown prince, you should visit the people and understand their hardships. Moreover, the polo tournament is about to begin, and I hope you’ll go and relax a bit.”
“I shall obey your orders!”
At that moment, Gao Lishi whispered, “Your Majesty, it has begun.”
Li Longji focused his mind and slowly said to the officials, “I believe all of you are already aware of today’s agenda. The Anxi Army captured Xiaobolue, bringing glory to the Western Regions and restoring the prestige of our Tang Dynasty as the Heavenly Khan. Their achievements are invaluable to the state, and they deserve rewards. I officially decide that General Gao Xianzhi shall replace Fu Menglingcha as the governor of the Four Garrison Commands in Anxi. He will also be appointed as Minister of Rites and Chief Censor. The Anxi Army will receive 300,000 strings of coins and 150,000 bolts of silk as rewards.”
At this point, Li Longji paused, and the palace attendant announced loudly, “Gao Xianzhi shall replace Fu Menglingcha as the governor of the Four Garrison Commands in Anxi. He will also be appointed as Minister of Rites and Chief Censor. The Anxi Army will receive 300,000 strings of coins and 150,000 bolts of silk as rewards.”
Li Longji nodded slightly and added, “The Anxi Army was able to overcome numerous difficulties and achieve victory in the battle against Xiaobolue thanks to the bravery of its soldiers. Today, I intend to award rewards to 24 meritorious soldiers from the Anxi Army. Summon them into the hall!”
“Summon the Anxi Army soldiers into the hall!”