In front of the dressing table, a maid stood behind Princess Taiping, combing her long hair.
Taiping had not lived in this mansion much in the past. Ever since she was very young, her father and mother often moved to Luoyang. Although she had spent her childhood in Chang 'an, she was still young at that time and still lived in the palace. When she grew up, married, and received this mansion, she had lived in Luoyang for a long time.
However, this mansion was well maintained. Even if she did not come to Chang 'an, she would pay attention to the repair and maintenance of this mansion every year. After returning to Chang' an this time, the mansion only added some daily necessities, and the whole mansion regained its liveliness.
In the bedroom, the curtains and bed were dazzling, and the dowry and pillows were also luxurious. Behind the six jade screens, which were inlaid with gold and inlaid with tortoiseshell shells, was a huge bed with tassels hanging down and curtains hanging high. The bedding on the bed was soft and fragrant, and the silk was glistening.
On top of a red sandalwood five-screen dressing table with cloud patterns, there was a bronze mirror with water chestnut flowers and jade beads. The mirror reflected Princess Taiping's charming and moving face. The reflection of the mirror was like a small mountain, with clouds on her temples and her cheeks as white as snow.
Princess Taiping looked at the mirror. From her angle, she could see a figure reflected in the mirror from the side of the screen.
The man was wearing a folded headscarf on his head and a long robe with the collar crossed. He was standing with his back bent; he was a man. The man was reporting to Princess Taiping, "As soon as the people from the Imperial Censorate left the capital, they became arrogant. In Jiannan, Qianzhong and Lingnan, they forced Wu Man, Bai Man, Xie Man and Li Liao to rebel. Now, these local barbarian leaders have come to the capital to file a complaint against the Emperor. Not only did they file a complaint against the Censorate, they even filed a complaint against the officials stationed in these areas, accusing them of being greedy by nature, accusing them of holding their positions without doing anything. The Emperor is enraged, and has ordered the Government Affairs Bureau to investigate this matter … "
Princess Taiping sat quietly, listening to his report while opening the mirror. The door on the left of the dressing table opened silently, and a wooden maid slid out. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and her arms were placed in front of her. She was holding a face cloth, makeup powder, and eyebrow ornaments in her hands.
Princess Taiping took a box of makeup powder from the wooden figurine. When she heard his words, her hand suddenly stopped. She frowned and pondered for a moment before saying slowly, "In other words, a large number of officials in Jiannan, Qianzhong and Lingnan will be dismissed!"
Taiping waved his hand, and the little maid behind him stopped and took a step back.
Princess Taiping's long hair draped over her shoulders as she slowly paced around the room, "After this incident, the Imperial Censorate is completely done for. The officials who are related to the Imperial Censorate will also suffer misfortune. A large number of officials in the south will be replaced, and there will definitely be a large number of vacancies in the imperial court … "
Taiping's eyes flickered and gradually brightened, "No wonder Ning Ke, who seldom shows himself, invited me to the banquet. Haha, I'm afraid it has something to do with this!"
Princess Taiping abruptly turned her head and stared at him, "What's happening in the imperial court?"
The man bowed and said, "Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi are moving around, but they are not interested in the barren land. They just want to make use of a deal to exchange more vacancies in the imperial court from other factions for their own people. In addition, the Zhang brothers, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, have already heard the news and are trying to profit from it. However, they have little interest in the official positions outside of the capital. Their plan is the same as Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi. They also want to use the method of helping others fight for the local official positions and then plant their own people in the imperial court. "
Princess Taiping frowned. When the position of Crown Prince was about to be lost, she offered Zhang Changzong to the Mother Empress. Although the position of Crown Prince was temporarily saved by Zhang Changzong's mediation, she did not expect that the Zhang Brothers were not willing to be a gigolo. They were also so keen on power.
This development made her very uncomfortable, but the Zhang Brothers' influence was still very limited. Princess Taiping did not think that the opposite side would become a big trouble for her. So although she was a little unhappy, she did not have the idea of making another enemy.
Princess Taiping thought for a while and asked, "Is there any movement from Li Zhaode?"
The man said, "Li Zhaode is now gathering people from the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Judiciary, and the right side of the censor to thoroughly investigate the illegal activities of the officials in the border states. I have not seen any movement from him."
Princess Taiping smiled and said, "Yes, they are in a favorable position. Of course they are not in a hurry!"
Princess Taiping thought for a moment and said hurriedly, "No! We can't miss this opportunity! I have to go back to Luoyang as soon as possible! "
Speaking of this, Princess Taiping frowned again and said to herself, "I don't know how he is now. Where did he go after leaving Panzhou? Is he on his way back to the capital city or …"
Before he could finish, someone outside the door reported in a loud voice, "Your Highness, Yang Fan, Hu Yuanli, and Sun Yuxuan have led a team of Dragon Guards to the front of the mansion. They seek an audience with Your Highness!"
Princess Taiping was happy and said cheerfully, "He is here!"
…
A big city with a population of more than a million was very rare in the early Tang Dynasty. Even so, the southern area of Chang 'an was still sparsely populated and the land was barren, which showed the vastness of Chang' an.
The population of Chang 'an was mainly distributed in the northern half of the city, with the largest population in Chongren Square. The real old Chang' an who had lived here for generations must have an old house in this square, even if they no longer lived here, as long as their homes were not ruined.
Chongren Square was close to the Jingfeng Gate Street of the imperial city and connected to the Eastern Market. When the Great Zhou was still in the Tang dynasty, the capital was set up here. The Imperial Censorate of 21 prefectures was also set up here. Those who went to the capital for official business and those who were selected to enter the capital were all gathered here and often held banquets. Every night, other places might be quiet, but other than Yongkang Square, Chongren Square was the busiest. It was noisy all night and the lights were bright.
The mansions of Zhangsun Wuji, Duke of Zhao, and Gao Shilian, Duke of Shen, were also in this square. They were both figures in the Lingyan Pavilion, one ranked first and the other ranked sixth. However, such great achievements did not guarantee that they would perish with the country. Zhangsun Wuji was sentenced to death by Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi, and Gao Shilian was already dead at that time. His son was implicated and was also demoted.
Zhangsun Wuji was Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi's blood-related uncle, and Gao Shilian was Zhangsun Wuji's blood-related uncle and Li Zhi's blood-related granduncle. In Emperor Gaozong's later years, he restored the titles of nobility to these two people. Since these two people were already dead, Wu Zetian did not want to fall out with Li Zhi because of this, so she let it be.
Although the descendants of these two people were lucky to have their hereditary titles restored, from then on they were abnormally low-key and lived in seclusion. They no longer participated in the affairs of the country and only cared about being quiet and inactive dukes. Because of this, they were able to avoid the subsequent political purges.
At this moment, in a spacious hall in the rear residence of Duke Shen Fu, there was a rare grand occasion of more than ten guests gathered in one place.
The decoration of the hall was not extravagant, but it was very clean and elegant.
The guests did not wear embroidered clothes. The colors of their clothes were simple, clean and comfortable. Judging from the seating positions of these guests, it was a little strange. Most of these guests were old men in their seventies or eighties. Occasionally, there were one or two strong men and young men. However, the order in which they sat did not seem to have a fixed order.
These people might not all have titles of nobility, and they were not officials. Then the order in which they sat should be according to age. But in reality, this was not the case. A middle-aged Scribes in his forties sat at the fourth seat, and on the sixth seat was a handsome youth who looked to be in his twenties. But the people sitting on their left and right were white-haired old people. It was really unknown what order they sat according to.
These people were all kneeling on the ground. Even the white-haired old man had his neck straight and his back straight. He was sitting very energetically. Obviously, they had received strict training since they were young and had long become accustomed to sitting, lying down, and walking. So their words and actions revealed a kind of dignity and grace in their bones.
Most of these people did not go out all year round. It was difficult to find someone in the entire Chang 'an who could recognize everyone in the hall. If there was someone who could really recognize all of these people, it would be amazing. Because these inconspicuous old men, strong men, and youths were all the heads of the Guanlong rich families.
When these people gathered together, it was obvious that they were planning something big. However, inside and outside the Gao Residence, the three alleys were all filled with their sentries. Even a fly wouldn't be able to fly in, so how could anyone see their gathering?
It seemed that they had talked for a long time, and now they entered a short period of silence.
After a while, a white-haired old man sitting at the highest seat slowly said, "These years, we have been trying hard to take back what should have belonged to us but we have lost! Unfortunately, we have spent so much effort to infiltrate, and lost another group in the political struggle. So far, we have not achieved anything. "
The old man's voice was old and hoarse, but no one dared to see him as a weak old man. His voice was still strong, and his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle's.
He glanced around coldly and emphasized in a heavy tone, "This is a chance for us to revive, a rare chance! Maybe … it is also our last chance! "
He didn't say too much. Everyone present was a smart person, and everyone should understand what he meant. Since this opportunity was so important to everyone, no matter who benefited more from it, everyone should do their best. If anyone had any ulterior motives, that person would be everyone's public enemy.
The old man sitting at the second seat coughed softly and said in a clear voice, "When I was traveling in the East Sea, I once saw fishermen catching crabs on the coast of Penglai. Crabs have eight legs and two pincers. The wicker basket is not without leverage, and the crabs can climb out.
But the strange thing is, when the fisherman catches the first crab, he needs to cover it to prevent it from climbing out, but when he catches more crabs, he doesn't even need to cover it anymore. I was still a young man at that time, and out of curiosity, I went to ask the fisherman. The fisherman smiled and said, 'If any crab wants to climb out, there will be other crabs climbing on top of it.' I observed carefully, and it was indeed so! "
At this point, he paused and smiled, "I think everyone understands what Duke Wei means. I hope everyone can put down their prejudices, put down their own gains and losses, and go all out for our common hope! If anyone wants to be the crab that no one can climb out … "
The old man laughed twice, and there was a hint of killing intent in his voice, "That … is our public enemy!"
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