The revitalization of the Tang Dynasty began with the Ganlu Incident.

Chapter 11: Kindness and Power

The inner palace of Zichen.

As the two Shence Lieutenants knelt down to beg for forgiveness, the other palace servants and eunuchs nearby also knelt down one after another.

The huge hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; even the air seemed to have become stagnant.

However, Li Ang, the one who started it all, seemed completely unaware of the change in atmosphere. Instead, he continued to push the plate forward and said...

"Have some snacks."

Without offering any comfort or asking the two to get up, he simply calmly repeated what he had already said twice.

Liu Hongyi and Xue Jiling hesitated for a moment, swallowed, and then carefully straightened up, crawled forward on their knees, and shakily picked up a pastry from the plate and swallowed it.

"Get up, there's no need to kneel."

Li Ang picked up his chopsticks again, slowly and deliberately picked up a piece of venison, and placed it on his plate.

"Yes..." The two then stood up.

He gently wiped the sweat from his forehead, then boldly stepped forward to continue serving the dishes.

But Li Ang raised his hand to stop him, picked up the venison himself, tore it into small bites, and swallowed it all. After wiping his mouth with a handkerchief, he casually asked.

"What are your thoughts on yesterday's events?"

Upon asking the question, the two people opposite him felt somewhat more relaxed than before. After pondering for a moment with their hands down and heads bowed, Liu Hongyi spoke first.

"Reporting to everyone, Qiu and Yu plotted to assassinate you, which is a heinous crime. The villains have been executed, and everyone in the court and the country is praising your swift and decisive actions."

"Our humble servants, having been entrusted with the Shence Army by Your Majesty's grace, have been ordered to capture the remaining traitors and their associates. We have already apprehended nineteen of Yu's trusted men, who are awaiting investigation. We request Your guidance on how to proceed."

As he spoke, he took out a list from his sleeve, placed it in front of Li Ang, and then stepped back to his original spot.

Li Ang glanced down and saw a few familiar names from his memory, but he didn't pick them up to take a closer look.

Admittedly, this list is important, but things must be done one step at a time.

Li Ang tapped his right knuckles lightly twice on the table and then waved to Yang Qinyi, the Xuanhui Envoy serving beside him.

Upon seeing this, Yang Qinyi immediately ordered the breakfast to be removed and dismissed many of the palace servants, leaving only a few people to serve him personally.

Then, Li Ang stood up and walked forward slowly.

Liu Hongyi and his companion, puzzled and somewhat nervous, followed after them.

Finally, Li Ang stood still in front of the palace gate.

Outside the hall, the sun was rising, the sky was bright, and a gentle autumn breeze was blowing.

Li Ang turned slightly to the side, half of his face hidden in the shadows, and glanced at the two people behind him, speaking softly.

"You yourselves know that none of this is the truth..."

This is a declarative sentence, not an interrogative sentence.

Liu Hongyi and the others remained silent, but all lowered their heads even further without prior agreement.

Li Ang glanced at them, turned around and stood with his hands behind his back. His voice seemed to drift in from the wind, yet it was like a steel needle, piercing straight into their hearts.

"Qiu Shiliang and Yu Hongzhi are innocent. Everything that happened yesterday was a meticulously planned assassination plot against them, with the aim of seizing the Shence Army from them!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Hongyi and Xue Jiling exchanged a glance and both saw the shock in each other's eyes.

Everyone knows the truth about what happened yesterday.

However, no one dared to say it.

If Qiu Shiliang is dead, then he must have been a traitor.

This is the consensus of everyone, both inside and outside the government, and it is also the reason why the two of them were surprised at this moment.

They simply couldn't understand why His Majesty the Emperor, the one who started it all, would tear off this fig leaf.

Li Ang seemed completely oblivious to their subtle interactions and continued speaking.

"When I first ascended the throne, the Left Army Lieutenant was Wei Yuansu, and the Right Army Lieutenant was Wang Shoucheng. They commanded the Shence Army for eight years before they died."

"The later Left Army Lieutenant was Qiu Shiliang, and the Right Army Lieutenant was Yu Hongzhi. They served for less than half a year and died yesterday."

"So, what about the two of you?"

At this moment, he turned around, his gaze calm, as if they were talking about something as trivial as what to wear tomorrow.

In contrast, Liu Hongyi and his companion were sweating profusely and immediately knelt down, saying...

"This old servant is utterly loyal to everyone and has no disloyal intentions. Please see this clearly."

"The Shence Army is the Emperor's guard. How to deal with it is just a matter of everyone's word. This old servant will definitely obey without the slightest negligence."

Clearly, in their eyes, Li Ang's words were tantamount to taking power away from them.

But in response to this statement, Li Ang shook his head and said...

"Don't be nervous. If I wanted to take the Divine Strategy back from you, I wouldn't have given it to you in the palace yesterday."

After saying that, he turned around and walked slowly forward.

Liu Hongyi and his companion, who were kneeling on the ground, were puzzled, but they still carefully stood up and continued to follow.

After walking to the imperial desk and sitting down, Liu Hongyi and his companion stood on either side. After hesitating for a moment, they finally mustered up the courage to ask.

"Everyone, what should we do with those henchmen like Qiu and Yu who were arrested yesterday?"

At this moment, Li Ang was examining the list that Liu Hongyi had handed him during breakfast.

Unlike before, this time he looked at it very carefully.

This list contains nineteen people, including many high-ranking eunuchs from various departments within the inner palace and the Shence Army.

Many of them were names Li Ang had heard of.

He carefully flipped through it, picked up his pen, circled a few names, and then said...

"Apart from these few people, the rest should be sent out of the capital to serve as military supervisors in the regional military governorships."

External playback?

Liu Hongyi and the other man looked somewhat surprised.

The eunuch system in the Tang Dynasty was divided into two parts: the system of various departments within the inner court, and the system of military supervisors in the local areas.

In terms of rank and function, there is not much difference between the two; their ultimate goal is to become the Shence Lieutenant and Privy Councilor, who are collectively known as the Four Nobles.

Sending eunuchs to the capital, if compared to the outer court, could at most be considered a demotion, and for some, it didn't even qualify as a demotion.

The problem is, yesterday's incident caused such a big stir.

Killing one is the same as killing a group.

Since we've already done it, why not nip it in the bud?

Just then, Li Ang's voice rang out, a hint of amusement in his tone: "Do you think I would kill these people?"

Liu Hongyi quickly lowered his head: "This old servant dares not. It is a blessing for these sinful slaves that everyone is kind and generous and willing to give them another chance."

Upon hearing this, Li Ang shook his head and sighed, "As I said, yesterday's events were a trap set up to seize power, not a real rebellion. Although these people are close to Qiu Shiliang and others, in the end, they are all just royal servants."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Liu Hongyi and Liu Hongyi: "You are both eunuchs, so you know the hardships of being one. Whether you are in it voluntarily or involuntarily, once you enter the palace, you become rootless."

"Bloodline inheritance, beautiful wives and concubines... you can't ask for these things. All you can ask for is to live more like a human being."

"Killing is not a good thing, nor does it solve any problems. The important thing is to live well."

There was clearly a hidden meaning in those words.

Upon hearing this, Liu Hongyi and the other man's expressions became somewhat complicated. They knelt down again and whispered.

"You are all kind and compassionate, showing great consideration for our plight. We, your humble servants, are deeply grateful."

Seeing this, Li Ang did not say anything more. He closed the document in front of him, pushed it in front of the two men, and said.

"You two discuss where these people are going and then report back to me. The unrest has just subsided, and there are many matters in the palace and the city that require your attention. Go forth..."