Seeing the words Xuanwu Gate once again, Li Shimin told himself that his emotions were stable.
Very stable.
But the moment he inferred that the true hand behind the Shenlong affair was very likely Li Dan, and that Li Dan and the newly enthroned Li Xian were brothers, and then further recalled that Li Dan's son would later become Emperor Xuanzong…
Li Shimin discovered that his emotions were, in fact, no longer stable at all.
Empress Zhangsun could clearly feel it. A thin layer of sweat had formed in her husband's palm. His expression still appeared calm, but there was no doubt that his heart was far from tranquil.
This was not something she could comment on, so she could only gently pat the back of his hand, offering silent reassurance.
Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, meanwhile, continued to copy diligently. When they reached a pause, Du Ruhui stared at the still-damp ink and said,
"Rather than saying Di Renjie planned all this with godlike foresight, it would be more accurate to say that he stood on the side of the greater trend."
Fang Xuanling nodded in agreement as he wrote methodically.
"Allowing the Two Zhangs to wield imperial authority already showed clear signs of decline."
"And then came grave illness. To stabilize the court, one had to choose between the old Li-Tang ministers and the Wu clan nobility."
As for how things ultimately turned out, there was no need to elaborate. At the very least, it seemed that the old lady's resentment toward the Wu clan was even deeper than her hostility toward the Li family.
Thinking of it this way, even Du Ruhui felt a trace of sympathy.
"The Wu clan was toyed with by Wu Zhao for nearly twenty years, using the imperial succession as bait. Resentment was inevitable."
But as soon as he said this, Du Ruhui shook his own head. The Wu clan had eagerly catered to the empress's every whim, erecting the Heavenly Pivot, building the Paradise Hall and the Bright Hall, draining the treasury and shaking the realm. Such an end could only be called well deserved.
Fang Xuanling chose to look forward instead. After finishing a section of copying, he picked up the inkstone and said slowly,
"The Shenlong Coup ended the chaos of Wu Zhou."
"However, I fear the aftershocks are yet to come."
From fragmented words across the light screen, it was hard to see the full picture. Yet Fang Xuanling felt this instinctively.
The real turmoil still lay ahead.
[Lightscreen]
[Regarding the details of the Shenlong Coup, the Old Book of Tang likewise offers two completely different accounts.
In the Annals of Wu Zetian, it is recorded that Li Xian personally led the Feathered Forest Army into the palace and executed the state traitors, the Two Zhangs. In short, Li Xian was the principal actor.
In Li Xian's own annals, it is recorded that Zhang Jianzhi and other ministers devised the plan and persuaded the forbidden troops, and after executing the traitors, returned authority to Li Xian. In this version, Li Xian was merely an accessory.
The two accounts contradict each other outright. But if other historical materials are added, a rough picture can be pieced together.
After the coup, the five principal ministers were all ennobled as princes. The Shenlong Coup thus also became known as the Revolt of the Five Princes. Yet the downfall of these five men came swiftly. All were collectively demoted by Li Xian, and within a year of the coup, every one of them was dead.
Zhang Jianzhi, at eighty two years of age, was sentenced to exile in Longzhou, present day Luoding in Guangdong. He died in grief and anger.
Cui Xuanwei was exiled to Guzhou, present day Li County in Sichuan, and died of illness en route.
The remaining three, Yuan Shuji, Jing Hui, and Huan Yanfan, were exiled respectively to Huanzhou in present day Qingyang of Gansu, Qiongzhou in present day Hainan, and Guizhou. They were later pursued by the second cruel official Zhou Lichen, who executed them by poison, dragging, and lingchi.
For his achievements in slaughter, Zhou Lichen was promoted upon returning to the capital and appointed Vice Censor in Chief, becoming second in command of the Censorate.
Zhou Lichen is usually classified as a lackey of Wu Sansi, and the blame for the demotion and killing of the Five Princes is often laid at Wu Sansi's feet. But in reality, Wu Sansi was the one wearing the same pair of trousers as Li Xian.
After the success of the Shenlong Coup and the restoration of the Tang state name, the first major issue was how to deal with the Wu clan. At the time, all discussions at court agreed that the Wu clan must be demoted, and that Wu Sansi, who had nearly become crown prince of Wu Zhou, must be executed.
The one who stepped forward to preserve Wu Sansi's life was Zhang Jianzhi. His reasoning was simple.
Why not kill Wu Sansi? "We wish the sovereign to execute him personally, so as to display the authority of the Son of Heaven."
Why not fear Wu Sansi? "The Wu clan's momentum is already spent. What can they possibly do?"
From Zhang Jianzhi's reasoning, one can infer that if Li Xian had truly been the mastermind behind the Shenlong Coup, there would have been no need to kill anyone to establish authority.
Unfortunately, Li Xian's life could be summarized in one phrase. He never walked the ordinary road.
Zhang Jianzhi wanted Li Xian to summon Wu Sansi to the execution ground. Li Xian summoned Wu Sansi to the bridal chamber.
Zhang Jianzhi wanted Li Xian to kill Wu Sansi to establish authority. Wu Sansi established authority in Li Xian's harem.
Later, when Li Xian personally caught Wu Sansi behaving intimately with the empress, not only did he not grow angry, he even "accompanied them in dalliance."
Another figure with a particularly tragic end was Wang Tongjiao, Li Xian's son in law, the very man who had hoisted his elderly father in law onto a horse during the coup.
After the Shenlong Coup, this upright man was enraged by Wu Sansi's debauchery in the harem and conspired with his friend Zhang Shen to seek an opportunity to kill Wu Sansi.
Unfortunately, this plot was overheard by Song Zhiwen, who was lodging in Wang Tongjiao's home, and he secretly reported it.
Li Xian was quite clear headed about this. After all, Wang Tongjiao was merely a son in law, while Wu Sansi was his kindred spirit.
Wang Tongjiao sought to kill Wu Sansi, and was instead charged with treason by his own father in law and executed.
Song Zhiwen himself deserves mention. This petty informer had already risen through flattery of the Two Zhangs during the Wu Zhou period.
After the Shenlong Coup, he was exiled to Longzhou. Life there was too harsh, and within a year he secretly fled back. Before entering Luoyang, he even composed a famous line:
As I near my hometown, my feelings grow timid. I dare not ask the travelers.
After returning to Luoyang, Song Zhiwen relied on his friendship with Zhang Shen to be taken in by Wang Tongjiao. Upon learning of the assassination plan against Wu Sansi, he precisely seized another chance to soar.
Wang Tongjiao was executed for treason.
Song Zhiwen, for his meritorious report, was pardoned and appointed Registrar of the Court of Diplomatic Reception.]
"Ah?"
Zhang Fei frowned, mouth agape, feeling that the world had suddenly become utterly unfamiliar.
"What does accompanying in dalliance even mean?"
Zhang Fei did not understand, but he was profoundly shaken. In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind, yet what remained was only deep confusion.
No one could answer this question. Hearing that Cao Pi had once let his principal wife receive guests and even tolerated ministers ogling her had already been outrageous enough. And yet there were even greater monsters.
Zhuge Liang vaguely felt that later generations might study such things. Perhaps it was even an academic field. No, no. He quickly dismissed the thought, finding it both absurd and something he did not wish to understand.
In the end, he could only force himself to say,
"Perhaps it is related to experiences before securing the imperial succession."
Having said this, he immediately changed the subject, gazing at the later records and sighing.
"What a loyal martyr devoted to the state. What a poetic talent skilled in flattery."
Fa Zheng agreed most strongly. Among the group, only he had experienced the full arc of returning home in glory.
While in Hanzhong, he had imagined countless times how his triumphant return would look. Yet when he truly returned to Fufeng, it was not as stirring as his earlier fantasies.
"As I near my hometown, my feelings grow timid. It does fit well enough. But to beg for wealth and rank to such a degree…"
For a moment, Fa Zheng even regretted hearing the line at all.
After repeated cooperation in Yangping and Hanzhong, Pang Tong and Fa Zheng had grown quite close. Pang Tong chuckled and said,
"Why let it offend your ears, Xiaozhi? This only proves that virtue and talent do not necessarily come together."
Fa Zheng could only smile bitterly, waving his hand to show his exhaustion, and lowered his head to continue working.
There was no shortage of affairs to be handled in Chang'an. He knew himself no match for the likes of the Crouching Dragon or the Young Phoenix in holding every detail in mind, so he could only compensate through effort elsewhere.
For instance, at this moment, Fa Zheng copied down the words on the light screen while also studying the new draft map of Chang'an drawn up by Kongming, determined to understand it thoroughly.
Pang Tong smiled, then turned back to quietly tell Lu Su more stories of the Tang dynasty.
…
"What a line, as I near my hometown, my feelings grow timid."
Li Shimin savored it carefully and had to admit that this man did possess genuine talent. But still…
"Not daring to ask the travelers need not be timidity of feeling. It might simply be fear that his escape would be discovered and he would be punished and exiled again."
Faced with the emperor's ruthless exposure, Yuchi Jingde eagerly played along.
"Your Majesty is right. Where is the timidity of feeling? He was probably afraid of the forbidden troops."
Wei Zheng sighed along with them, yet could not let go of what came earlier. Shaking his head, he said,
"Why not execute Wu Sansi?"
He fully agreed with Zhang Jianzhi's reasoning. The Wu clan's momentum was already spent. As long as they were kept out of court, they would collapse on their own. The Son of Heaven could execute the chief culprit to establish authority. After all, the Wu clan had been personally suppressed by the empress herself, leaving them without allies at court. Executing them would have enjoyed universal support.
Yet unexpectedly, the emperor became the Wu clan's ally instead. And the things he did…
Wei Zheng felt he could not bear to look.
The others fell silent together. Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui exchanged glances.
Li Xian had only just ascended the throne, yet they already sensed three parts of Emperor Xuanzong's later years in him.
As later generations had said, the Li-Tang house still had plenty of chaos ahead.
And because of this, Du Ruhui once again reminded himself.
The examination system was good, but it was by no means an eternal method. Recommendation was old, but it was not entirely worthless either.
In the future, Tang's selection of talent should draw on the strengths of both. Examinations to test ability, and elements of recommendation to assess character.
No need for local sages, but at the very least, moral deficiency could not be tolerated.
Otherwise, even if someone like Song Zhiwen possessed astonishing talent, introducing him into officialdom would only create another parasite, doing immense harm.
[Lightscreen]
[Looking back again at the Old Book of Tang, the true driving force behind the Shenlong Coup is in fact already quite clear.
Before the coup, Li Dan and Princess Taiping had already formed a firm alliance.
Two of Li Dan's daughters married into the Xue Shao clan, while Princess Taiping's youngest daughter married into the Doulu clan, the same clan as Li Dan's Doulu Consort.
After the oath at the Bright Hall, under Wu Zetian's intervention, the Li and Wu clans began large scale intermarriage.
But amid this marriage frenzy, Li Dan watched coldly from the sidelines. From beginning to end, neither his sons, his daughters, nor he himself ever entered into a single marriage with the Wu clan.
Likewise, the Five Princes of Shenlong all had unobtrusive connections with Li Dan.
Yuan Shuji served as Marshal of the Prince of Xiang's household. Zhang Jianzhi's rise to chancellor during Wu Zetian's illness was due to the recommendation of Yao Chong, Chief Clerk of the Prince of Xiang's household.
After the affair was settled, Zhang Jianzhi even went out of his way to inform Yao Chong that "the matter has succeeded."
These matters can be traced back even further. A year before the coup, when the Tang minister Zhu Jingze was demoted, before leaving Chang'an he spoke frankly to the then chancellor Liu Youqiu:
"The Prince of Xiang will surely receive Heaven's mandate. You must devote yourself fully to serving him."
It was for this reason that during the Shenlong Coup, Li Xian, though extremely unwilling, still participated. Because his brother, the Prince of Xiang, had already taken the lead.]