Chapter Ten: The Golden Age (Ten)
The rooster crows to herald dawn, while the imperial attendants present emerald furs.
The palaces in the nine heavens open wide, as rulers from all nations bow before the imperial crown.
On July 15th, the eighth year of Tianbao, Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty held a court assembly in the Hanyuan Hall of Daming Palace to reward the soldiers who had triumphed in the Battle of Hehuang and to accept the surrender of Tibetan envoys.
As the rooster crowed and drums resonated, rows of silver candles burned high, illuminating the imperial pathways. Greenery lined both sides of the palace, with the occasional song of orioles filling the halls of Jianzhang Palace. (Note 1) Unlike usual meetings, this assembly held great symbolic significance—it marked the Tang Dynasty’s first decisive victory over Tibet and was the best testament to the emperor’s both civil and military prowess.
Thus, everyone in the court devoted great effort to this event. Whether it was Pei Yunyuan, the vice minister in charge of arranging the Xiangluan and Qifeng pavilions, or Chen Xuanli, the commander of the Imperial Guards responsible for securing the pathways, they were all busy, fearing any mistakes that might anger the emperor.
Gao Lishi, the General of the Cavalry and a high-ranking official, was even more diligent, ordering the eunuch servants to repeatedly inspect the ceremonial arrangements and practicing them tirelessly. Everyone held their breath, awaiting the grand occasion.
In the 23 alleys near Ande Fang by the lake, Li Kuo got up extremely early. Before even the hour of Yin, he got out of bed, washed up, and put on his new imperial robes. Despite his careful efforts, some noise was still made. He opened the wooden door, and Du Jingtian rushed in with a plate of food.
Needless to say, the plate contained perfectly matched dishes—a snow-white, tempting large cake and a golden, fragrant fried egg!
Poor Li Kuo hurriedly finished his breakfast, rinsed his mouth, and then, under the instructions of his kind mother, Li Lushi, and Miss Du, mounted his horse and headed north.
As usual, he dismounted in front of the imperial city, had his identity verified, and waited outside the palace gates with thousands of other courtiers. After several drumbeats and the permission from the palace guards, they entered one after another, heading toward the magnificent Daming Palace.
Vastness gives it the name “great,” while sharp vision gives it the name “bright.” With both, it is called “Daming.”
Daming Palace perfectly reflected the emperor’s magnanimous and inclusive spirit, showcasing the emperor’s extraordinary vision.
On this occasion, Li Kuo was not accompanied by his friends such as Zhang Yanji and Zhou Wuzui. Although the assembly hall in front of Hanyuan Hall was quite spacious, it still couldn’t accommodate too many officials. If even officers at the rank of colonel like Zhang and Zhou could attend one after another, even the high-ranking officials carrying their ritual tablets would have to line up from Hanyuan Hall all the way to Zhuque Street.
At this moment, Li Kuo had no time to ponder such things. He needed to secure as many benefits as possible for the Tongwu Camp during the court meeting. Yang Huahua’s words had fully awakened him—once he entered officialdom, there seemed to be no way back. Between him and Li Linfu, only one could survive in the end.
Officialdom was as deep as the sea; he could only fight—otherwise he would die, while those who fought could survive.
As he was lost in thought, the deep bell sounds from in front of Hanyuan Hall rang out. An official from the palace supervision department stepped forward and announced loudly, “It’s already the first moment of Mao hour—all officials, enter the hall for the court meeting!”
“It’s already the first moment of Mao hour—all officials, enter the hall for the court meeting!”
“It’s already the first moment of Mao hour…”
The sound spread wave after wave along the stone steps, echoing endlessly.
Thousands of officials and generals in front of Danfeng Gate quickly tidied up their attire and lined up in two long queues according to their ranks. Normally, the two at the front should have been the two prime ministers, Li Linfu and Yang Xilie. But since the left prime minister was ill and could not attend this court meeting, his place was taken by Geshu Han, the military governor of Longyou.
Thanks to his great victory in the Heyang Campaign, Geshu Han was in high spirits and had reached the peak of his official career. Turning to Li Linfu, he gave a slight nod as the most obvious gesture of goodwill. Although he had already reached the rank of military governor of two regions and enjoyed the emperor’s favor, without support from the court, he would be like a tree without roots—his wealth and status would not last long. But with Li Linfu, the powerful prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, as his backing, and relying on his own remarkable military achievements, who else in the empire could pose a threat to him except the emperor himself? Geshu Han wasn’t a saint; on the contrary, as a non-Han, he was very practical. Whoever could offer him benefits and protection would find him willing to ally with them.
How could Li Linfu fail to notice such an obvious hint from Geshu Han? A faint smile appeared on his lips as he nodded slightly in return. He had seen many military governors like Geshu Han before and naturally knew what they wanted and needed.
With Geshu Han currently at the height of his power, Li Linfu saw no reason to be too aloof. After all, since Geshu Han had taken the initiative to lower his stance, there was no need for him not to return the favor.
Walking along the corridors and side paths, the high-ranking officials of the Tang Dynasty ascended the platform atop Longshouyuan. Under the watchful eyes of the imperial eunuchs, they entered Hanyuan Hall holding their court tablets. Although officials of rank five and above were allowed to attend such assemblies, and sometimes even some frontier generals would be present, it was unknown whether the emperor possessed special eyes or whether golden light surrounded him.
In Hanyuan Hall, Crown Prince Li Hen stood tall, adorned in his formal robes, on the right side of the front hall.
Upon seeing Li Linfu enter the hall, Li Hen’s cheeks twitched slightly before his face broke into a smile. “Good morning, Prime Minister Li!”
Though Li Linfu and Crown Prince Li Hen were sworn enemies, it was not appropriate to openly offend the heir to the throne in such a public setting. He nodded and said, “Your Highness looks even more radiant these days—truly a blessing for our Tang Dynasty.”
After some formal pleasantries, they exchanged smiles and returned to their seats. Both knew full well that there were no secrets left between them, but neither would expose their true feelings until the final moment. This was a duel with no room for failure—loss would mean death and destruction for the loser.
Although Li Kuo was a key hero of the battle in Longyou, his low official rank meant he was allowed to attend the assembly only by standing far to the left, almost touching the red-painted wooden pillars of the hall. From this angle, with all the officials in front of him, he could hardly see what was at the front of the hall.
“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!”
The messenger’s high-pitched voice echoed through Hanyuan Hall, and all the officials immediately stood straight, composed their expressions, and awaited the arrival of Emperor Li Longji of Tang.
Surrounded by dozens of guards and eunuchs, Li Longji stepped into the hall with confident strides, climbed onto the imperial platform, and took his seat on the dragon throne. He seemed in high spirits today—his complexion was rosy, and he appeared full of energy. From a distance, it was hard to believe that the Tang emperor was an elderly man.
“Long live our emperor! Long live, long live, long live!”
“Long live our emperor! Long live, long live, long live!”
“Long live our emperor! Long live, long live, long live!”
After the officials chanted these phrases three times, Li Longji nodded in satisfaction. “You may sit down, my lords.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
After completing the proper rituals between emperor and subjects, the officials returned to their seats, while high-ranking officials like Li Linfu knelt down in front of their cushions. Li Longji nodded at Wang Baorong, his attendant, who promptly unrolled a yellow silk scroll and began to recite something.
“Today, the first item on the agenda is to honor and reward the heroes of the battle in Hehuang. Other matters will be discussed later.”
“The victory in Longyou is not merely a matter of capturing one city or fortress. With the capture of Shibao City, our Tang Dynasty can now seize all of the Hehuang Valley. Thus, the Tubo can no longer advance eastward at will to harass the people of Longyou. With Shibao City as a stronghold, restoring Dafeichuan and Jiuku will be only a matter of time. This is the best victory our Tang Dynasty has achieved against the Tubo since the 29th year of the Kaiyuan era. All of you soldiers, for your loyalty to the emperor and love for the country, I am deeply relieved.”
Although Li Longji’s tone was calm, it carried an undeniable authority that made people tremble in awe. “I know this battle is difficult and fierce, but it must be fought to ensure the eternal peace of our Tang Dynasty’s people.” “Your Majesty is wise!” Yang Zhao understood Li Longji’s thoughts and promptly stepped forward, bowed deeply, and proclaimed loudly, “Your Majesty is wise!” The sensible officials also knelt down and chanted in unison. “Mm.” Li Longji nodded in satisfaction and continued, “Of course, I will not forget those soldiers who have made outstanding contributions to our Tang Dynasty. I will reward them generously!” “Your Majesty is kind and righteous—this is a blessing for our Tang Dynasty and for the nation!” Yang Zhao spoke up again in praise. Li Linfu cast a disdainful glance at Yang Zhao but still echoed his words. After all, he was just a street ruffian, not worth considering for important matters. Li Longji felt extremely pleased. After a pause, he raised his head and declared loudly, “Call the meritorious generals from Longyou to the palace!” “Your Majesty calls the meritorious generals from Longyou to the palace!” “Your Majesty calls the meritorious generals from Longyou…” “Your Majesty calls…” The eunuchs’ sharp shouts spread wave after wave, out of the Hanyuan Hall, down the imperial pathway, and reached the ears of the generals from Longyou standing in front of the Danfeng Gate.
Note 1: Ji Ren: In ancient palaces, at dawn, guards wearing red headbands would shout loudly outside the Zhuque Gate to alert the officials; they were called “Ji Ren.” Jianzhang Palace was built by Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che. In the Tang Dynasty, it was common to use Han-era palaces to refer to the imperial palaces of that time.
Note 2: Before the Song Dynasty, ministers generally sat (kneeling) when attending court. It was only after the Song Dynasty that they stood. Don’t be misled by TV dramas from the Ming and Qing dynasties—those portrayals are truly unrealistic.