Chapter 286: The Debate at the Court Meeting (Part 2)

The expansion of the council was within everyone’s expectations. Two years earlier, when the crown prince was deposed, the three prime ministers belonging to the Eastern Palace faction—Pei Kuan, Lu Huan, and Dugu Haoran—had been removed. Soon after, Li Qing’an counterattacked Yang Guozhong during his inspection in Henan Province, causing Cui Qiao to lose his position as prime minister. This reduced the number of prime ministers from nine to six. The Prime Minister’s faction, Yang’s faction, and Zhang’s faction each held two seats, creating a balanced power structure. However, last year, Chen Xilie showed signs of aligning with Yang Guozhong, and coupled with Li Linfu’s declining health, everyone realized it was time to reorganize the council. Thus, when Li Longji announced the expansion today, no one was surprised—what mattered was who would take up the prime ministerial positions.

Wang Gong was the obvious choice. With the Prime Minister’s faction now weak, having only Li Linfu left as its leader, Wang Gong would surely become a prime minister and take charge of the faction.

Li Longji glanced at the gathered officials and said slowly, “I have always believed that a council of nine prime ministers would be the most suitable. But due to various reasons, we now have only six, resulting in many of you holding two positions. This not only increases your workload but also leads to excessive concentration of power, which is inappropriate. After much thought, I take this opportunity today to make adjustments and expand the council to ten prime ministers, Prime Minister Li.”

Li Longji looked at Li Linfu, who quickly stood up and said, “Your servant is here!”

Li Longji had previously mentioned expanding the council to Li Linfu. At that time, it was Li Linfu who suggested Wang Gong as the vice minister of the Secretariat, but Li Longji rejected the idea, saying he had another candidate in mind. Li Linfu then guessed that Li Longji would expand the council today, but he didn’t expect it to be by four people. One was obviously Wang Gong—who would be the other three?

Li Longji waved his hand and said, “The prime minister is not in good health. Please sit down.”

After Li Linfu sat down, Li Longji continued, “I would like Prime Minister Li to step down from his position as Minister of War first.”

“Your servant obeys!”

Li Longji smiled and then said to Chen Xilie and Yang Guozhong, “The same goes for you. Minister Chen, step down as Minister of Justice, and Minister Yang, step down as Minister of Works. That brings three ministers plus the vice minister of the Secretariat—four positions in total.”

He glanced at Wei Jiansu and said, “Minister Wei, I intend to appoint you as Minister of War. Do you have any thoughts?”

Wei Jiansu was overjoyed. Although he held the important position of vice minister of the Revenue Department, he was actually restricted by Yang Guozhong and had no real power. Being appointed as Minister of War would free him from this powerless state, much to his delight.

“Your servant obeys!”

Wei Jiansu being appointed as Minister of War was also a minor victory for Yang Guozhong. Although Linghu Fei was made Deputy Minister of War, his position was far less powerful than that of the Minister of War. Yang Guozhong was somewhat worried about who would be appointed as Deputy Minister of Personnel.

Li Longji seemed to know his thoughts and continued, “Linghu Fei will be promoted to Deputy Minister of Personnel, Ji Wen will take over the right position, and Pei Min, the magistrate of Huayin County, will become Deputy Minister of War.”

Pei Min had previously been the deputy head of the Judicial Department but was demoted due to the Eastern Palace incident. His promotion could be understood in several ways: he was the son of the former prime minister Pei Yaoqing, came from a prominent family, and was a pillar of an influential lineage. His appointment as Deputy Minister of War filled the power vacuum left by Pei Kuan’s retirement from official duties. It was both unexpected and logical. However, since Pei Min had originally been part of the Eastern Palace faction and was also Li Qing’an’s brother-in-law, it slightly displeased Yang Guozhong. Fortunately, both the Deputy Minister of Personnel and the Minister of War were under his control. A single Deputy Minister of War didn’t have much influence, so he didn’t take it too seriously. Li Linfu, on the other hand, became slightly more aware—Li Longji’s appointment of Pei Min might be a signal, and he waited for what would happen next.

Seeing that no one objected, Li Longji said, “Very well! Now I will announce the candidates for new prime ministers. The first is Wang Gong, the Grand Censor. I intend to appoint him as Minister of Justice. What do you all think?”

This appointment was within everyone’s expectations. Following the hierarchy of Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, and Works, the three vacant ministerial positions were in War, Justice, and Works. With Wei Jiansu promoted to Minister of War, Minister of Justice was given to Wang Gong—this was exactly the reasoning behind it.

So no one spoke out against it. Everyone was waiting to see who the other three candidates would be. These three would affect the power balance in the government and the overall structure of the court, making the atmosphere in Qifeng Pavilion particularly tense.

“The second person I intend to appoint is Li Xian, the governor of Lingling, as Deputy Minister of the Secretariat. What do you all think?”

Li Xian was the former governor of Jingzhao and the grandson of King Wu Ke. He was demoted to governor of Lingling due to his involvement in the Eastern Palace incident. Now, Li Longji suddenly reinstated him, which took everyone by surprise. Zhang Yun and Yang Shenjin exchanged glances—they both believed that Li Longji wanted to appoint his own people as prime ministers outside the existing factions to strengthen the central power, and members of the imperial family were the most suitable candidates. Especially since Li Linfu was often ill and the Secretariat lacked capable ministers to support it, its operations would be hindered. With Li Xian’s outstanding abilities, it made sense to appoint him as Deputy Minister of the Secretariat.

Yang Guozhong, however, thought that although Li Xian had once been part of the Eastern Palace faction, his relationship with Prince Ying was good, so this might well be an attempt to create opportunities for Prince Ying.

Only Li Linfu vaguely guessed that Li Xian’s return was likely related to Huang Changsun taking charge of the Eastern Palace. Li Longji’s appointment of him was probably a preparatory step for Li Chu to take over the Eastern Palace, similar to Pei Min being appointed as Vice Minister of War. But that wasn’t enough; he remained calm, waiting for Li Longji’s next move. Sure enough, when Li Longji announced the third person, Li Linfu immediately confirmed his guess—the third person was Wei Huan, the governor of Guangzhou, one of the key members of the Eastern Palace faction who had been demoted due to the Eastern Palace incident. “Wei Huan as Minister of Works!” Wei Huan’s return shocked everyone present. It was a clear sign that the Eastern Palace faction, which had disappeared for two years, was resurfacing. If Du Gu Hao Ran’s return was due to some special circumstances, Wei Huan’s return was by no means so simple. In the minds of Zhang Yun, Chen Xilié, and Yang Guozhong, one thought arose simultaneously: Li Heng wanted to return to the Eastern Palace. Though it seemed unbelievable, the facts were there—both members of the Eastern Palace faction were returning as ministers. Wasn’t this a precursor to Li Heng’s return? Zhang Yun quickly glanced at Li Linfu. Seeing his calm expression, as if he had known it all along, he grew even more puzzled. Did Li Linfu already know that Li Heng would return? But if Li Heng was going to return, Li Linfu shouldn’t have remained so calm. Perhaps there was another reason? Zhang Yun was filled with doubts and didn’t dare say more. Yang Guozhong, however, couldn’t sit still. After all, it was he who had driven Wei Huan away from his position as governor of Yizhou and replaced him with Cui Yuan. If Wei Huan became a minister, he would surely clash with Yang Guozhong first. “Your Majesty, Wei Huan had no notable achievements as governor of Lingling, and his reputation was low. Moreover, he has never held any important positions in the capital. If appointed as Minister of Works, I fear the ministers will not accept him. My suggestion is to let him start as a vice minister and wait a few years before promoting him to minister.” Chen Xilié also said, “I agree with Minister Yang’s suggestion. After all, Wei Huan once had the flaw of favoritism. If Your Majesty appoints him as prime minister, I worry his virtue is insufficient, leading to dissent among the ministers.” Yang Guozhong and Chen Xilié’s opposition was within Li Longji’s expectations. Before Wei Jiansu could join in opposing, Li Longji decisively declared, “I have thought long and hard about appointing Wei Huan as prime minister. You two need not worry.”

At this point, there should have been a fourth prime minister announcing something, but Li Longji seemed to have forgotten. He glanced at the clock and said, “Time is almost up. I’ll mention another matter. Yesterday, Minister Yang suggested that I assign princes to govern local areas. After careful consideration, I found it feasible, so I’ve decided to adopt Minister Yang’s suggestion. I appoint Prince Yong Lin as the Inspector of Jiangnan East Circuit and the Grand Commander of Yangzhou, to oversee grain transportation in the Jianghuai region. Additionally, I’ve decided to appoint Prince Rong Wan as the Inspector of Hebei and Hedong Circuits, to be stationed in Xiangzhou and supervise officials in those regions. Prince Shou Mao will be the Inspector of Shannan Circuit and the Grand Commander of Jingzhou, to oversee finances and grain in Jingxiang. Finally, Prince Ying Liu will be the Inspector of Jiannan Circuit and the Grand Commander of Yizhou, to oversee salt and iron production in Bashu. Together with Prince Qing Cong, who will be stationed in Anxi, that’s five princes assigned to govern local areas.”

Yang Guozhong had intended to use this matter to test Li Longji. Unexpectedly, not only would Prince Yong be sent to a local area, but Prince Ying would also be transferred away. He was stunned. It seemed none of the popular princes could become the heir apparent. Then who would? Could it really be Li Hen returning to power?

Yang Guozhong might not have realized the seriousness of assigning princes to local areas, but Li Linfu and Zhang Yun were well aware that it was a form of indirect enfeoffment. The chaos at the beginning of the Han Dynasty and the fall of the Western Jin Dynasty both stemmed from the enfeoffment of princes. Although the Tang Dynasty briefly enfeoffed princes at its inception because the new dynasty needed them to strengthen its rule in local areas, it was now the mid-Tang period, and there was no need for such enfeoffment—it only led to chaos.

Although Li Linfu knew this was Li Longji’s decision to prepare his eldest grandson to become the heir apparent by sending his own sons to local areas, it would eventually lead to the enfeoffment of princes.

Li Linfu stood up and said, “Your Majesty, this old minister believes that assigning princes to local areas hinders the centralization of power in the court and is a path to chaos. History offers many lessons. Please reconsider.”

Li Longji, having already made up his mind, would not be influenced by others. He held this council meeting merely as a formality, to show that the decision had been discussed and approved. He would not listen to any objections.

He waved his hand and said, “The prime minister is overthinking it. These four princes will only have supervisory powers and will not interfere in local military or administrative affairs. There’s nothing wrong with it. My decision is final. Stop opposing it.”

Then, Li Longji slowly mentioned his third major decision: “The heir apparent position has been vacant for two years. If it remains vacant any longer, it may be detrimental to the state. Therefore, I’ve decided to establish a new heir apparent position. I’ve initially decided that my eldest grandson, Chu Yu, is of great stature and depth of character, generous yet decisive, kind, filial, gentle, and always acts in accordance with propriety. He is deeply beloved by me. I’ve decided to appoint him as the crown prince.”

Without anyone being prepared, Li Longji suddenly announced this decision, like a thunderclap out of nowhere, leaving everyone present except Li Linfu stunned.
“The time has come. Let’s return to Hanyuan Hall and continue the court meeting.”
After saying this, Li Longji strode toward the door. At that moment, loud bell sounds came from the square outside Danfeng Gate.
……
“Long live our emperor!”
The crowd chanted in celebration. Li Longji nodded and said, “My lords, rise.”
“By the emperor’s order, all officials shall return to their posts and continue the court meeting.”
The meeting resumed. After announcing three important matters in the council hall, Li Longji felt much relieved. In fact, whether to expand the council or assign princes to govern local areas were decisions he had pondered for a long time. He knew well that the imperial grandson was not the same as his own sons, and with so many uncles eyeing his throne, it would be extremely difficult to hold onto it. The only way to protect himself was to strengthen his own power, and restoring the original Eastern Palace faction was one of the key strategies.
Through a year of observation, he found that among the princes’ sons, six—Qing, Di, Rong, Yong, Ying, and Shou—had the greatest ambitions and the most influence. Therefore, he decided to send these six to govern local areas, reducing their influence in the central court. This was why he first assigned Prince Di to govern Anxi—both to supervise Li Qing’an and to remove the most prominent candidate from the Eastern Palace faction. As for Prince Di being imprisoned later and Prince Qing taking his place in Anxi, that was an accident.
Yang Guozhong’s suggestion was merely a coincidence, providing him with an excuse. But that wasn’t enough. The imperial grandson still needed a powerful local warlord to support him, and that person was Li Qing’an, the leader of the Eastern Palace faction.
Li Longji glanced at the imperial register before him, where Li Qing’an’s appointment was listed. As Gao Lishi had said, the matter of Du Gu Mingyue would not affect Li Qing’an’s career. Li Longji had already decided on Li Qing’an’s appointment during his time at Huaqing Palace, and it had been recorded in the imperial register. Although he was annoyed by not obtaining Du Gu Mingyue yesterday, Li Qing’an’s appointment was crucial for the continuation of his dynasty. Which was more important was obvious.
“Next is Li Qing’an.”
Cui Ping immediately shouted loudly, “Your Majesty summons Li Qing’an.”
A slight stir arose in the hall. Finally, it was Li Qing’an’s turn. He strode out of the ranks and stepped forward before the imperial steps, bowing deeply. “Your servant Li Qing’an pays his respects to Your Majesty!”
Li Longji smiled slightly and said, “I’m sorry for making Lord Li wait so long.”

He coughed softly and raised his voice, saying, “Li Qing’an recovered Suiye, put an end to the threat posed by the Turkic horsemen, defeated the Arabs in the Battle of Talas, and restored our Tang Dynasty’s status as the suzerain of the Nine States of Zhaowu. His contributions to the state are immense, so I decide to appoint him as the King of Anxi, confer upon him the title of General of the Cavalry, grant him 800 households under his command, and also appoint you as the Left Vice Minister of the Secretariat and Co-Chancellor of the Imperial Council.”

This final appointment caused a stir in the hall—no one had expected this. The position of Left Vice Minister of the Secretariat was actually a nominal role without real power. Similar to An Lushan’s position as Inspector of the Ministry of War and Gao Xianzhi’s position as Inspector of the Ministry of Works, it held no special significance other than a higher rank. But being Co-Chancellor of the Imperial Council gave this Left Vice Minister a far greater influence. Li Qing’an was now a chancellor! Shock, jealousy, envy, and delight flashed across the faces of the court officials; none could remain calm.

Even Li Linfu was surprised. Only then did he realize that the fourth chancellor Li Longji mentioned was actually Li Qing’an. What did this mean? After a brief thought, he understood.

Although Li Qing’an had become a chancellor, he was far away in Anxi and did not actually participate in decision-making on military and state affairs, so he had little impact on court politics. Yet the fact of his appointment carried profound significance. Not only did it elevate him above An Lushan and Gao Xianzhi, making him the most powerful military governor, but he was also the leader of the Eastern Palace faction. His appointment would have a crucial impact on the strength of the Crown Prince’s faction. Together with Li Xian, Wei Huan, and Pei Min, this ensured that the Eastern Palace faction would become the dominant force in the court. Moreover, with Li Qing’an’s alliance with Wang Gong, the Eastern Palace faction and the Chancellor’s faction were indirectly connected through him.

This was precisely why Li Longji had arranged for Li Qing’an to become a chancellor—a masterstroke of strategy. That’s why he sent the Prince of Qing to Anxi to keep a check on Li Qing’an’s growing power. Everything was intricately linked.

Li Qing’an’s appointment as chancellor not only surprised Li Linfu but also shocked Yang Guozhong and Zhang Yun. However, with Li Qing’an now a chancellor, it was difficult for the two of them to focus on anything else. The news of Li Longji’s declaration to make the Crown Prince the heir apparent still echoed in their minds, leaving them uneasy. They realized that major changes were about to take place in the court’s power structure—what would become of them?

But the ones who had the greatest influence were several military governors in the court—An Lushan, Geshu Han, and Gao Xianzhi. To some extent, they were in competition with each other to become the top military governor of the Tang Dynasty. As for Geshu Han, there was nothing to say about him; he hadn’t even been granted the title of prince, so no matter how dissatisfied he was, he had no choice. The key figures were Gao Xianzhi and An Lushan. Both of them were princes, and although Gao Xianzhi held a slightly higher rank among civilian officials than An Lushan, his position as Minister of Works was slightly lower than An Lushan’s as Minister of War. Thus, there was a delicate balance between them. Moreover, Jiannan was not as strategically important as the northeast; it couldn’t compare to Fanyang in terms of resources and military strength. So, to some extent, An Lushan was still considered the number one. But Li Qing’an’s sudden appointment as prime minister stunned both Gao Xianzhi and An Lushan. Gao Xianzhi felt a bit bitter. Li Qing’an had been his subordinate and a promising young officer whom he had promoted himself. He never expected Li Qing’an to surpass him in the end. Despite his bitterness, he was still happy for Li Qing’an—Anxi had reached such heights under his leadership, and the soldiers there had reaped benefits. This made Gao Xianzhi, who came from Anxi, feel both gratified and somewhat regretful, as it wasn’t he who had brought the Anxi army to glory. An Lushan, on the other hand, was completely different. All he felt was jealousy—endless jealousy. The position Li Qing’an had obtained was exactly what he had dreamed of: becoming prime minister without having to leave Anxi. His greatest fear was being transferred to the court, yet his deepest desire was also to become prime minister in the court. These two desires seemed contradictory and impossible to reconcile. But in Li Qing’an’s case, they were perfectly combined. An Lushan felt unbalanced, his jealous gaze fixed on Li Qing’an without concealment. Whispers filled the hall. Li Qing’an’s joy at being made a prince vanished instantly, replaced by doubts about becoming prime minister—uncertainties as if seeing flowers through fog. For him, becoming prime minister wasn’t something to rejoice about; it was likely another move by Li Longji to seize his military power. But he had no time to consider Li Longji’s intentions or to think of his own strategy. He immediately bowed and thanked the emperor, saying, “Your servant Li Qing’an thanks Your Majesty for this great grace!” Li Longji stared at Li Qing’an and said slowly, “Your eyes tell me you have something to say. Speak! I want to hear it.” Li Qing’an knew that Li Longji had noticed his brief confusion earlier. Being made a prince and prime minister was such an honor; his eyes should have shown excitement and joy. But instead, he showed confusion and doubt, which made Li Longji wary. How should he respond?

Li Qing’an’s thoughts raced swiftly. He immediately said, “Your Majesty, I have a request that I hope to obtain your approval. I’m only hesitant as to whether I should speak of it or not!”
“What is it? Speak.”
“I’ve heard that the special envoy from the Persian prince has arrived in Chang’an. I know this envoy is of great importance, and I am willing to serve as the one to receive him. I beg for your permission!”
“I thought it was some major matter. This is just a trivial matter. I grant your request!”
“I thank you, Your Majesty!”
Li Qing’an slowly stepped back. Li Longji watched him join the court officials before setting the matter of Li Qing’an aside and declared loudly to the ministers, “Next, I shall announce three major matters!”
……