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

Chapter 64: A New Landscape

The heavy snow fell for a full day and night, and the weather finally cleared up on the third day.

This day also marked the first time the emperor returned to court after being "ill" for many days.

In the waiting courtyard, civil and military officials gathered in twos and threes, some holding food and discussing something.

At this moment, several people walked towards the direction of the Hall of State Affairs. Upon seeing this, the officials all retreated, but their eyes involuntarily glanced over.

One, two, three... four prime ministers, but only three came.

For a moment, everyone's hearts were in turmoil, and they believed the recent rumors circulating in the court even more.

Just then, Zheng Tan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, arrived. As many people bowed in greeting, they were surprised to find a familiar figure accompanying Zheng Tan.

Li Deyu!

As a result, the members of Li's faction, who had received the news early on, stepped forward to greet him, while the officials of Niu's faction, led by Linghu Chu and others, looked rather grim.

It should be noted that just yesterday, the palace officially issued an edict, restoring Li Deyu to his original position, granting him the title of Grand Master of the Palace and concurrently serving as Minister of War.

Given recent events, anyone in the government with even a modicum of political acumen would surely understand what this means...

Soon, dawn broke and the palace gates opened wide.

After the assembled officials entered the Zichen Hall and shouted "Long live the Emperor!", an imperial envoy came forward to announce the imperial decree.

"The Emperor of the Great Tang decreed: Li Deyu, who is the Grand Master of the Palace, Minister of War, Pillar of the State, Earl of Zanhuang County, and Fief of 700 households, is upright and honest by nature, quick-witted and far-sighted... He is hereby appointed to his post as Chancellor of the Secretariat and the Chancellery, and all other duties remain unchanged."

"Your subject respectfully obeys the imperial decree!"

Li Deyu stepped forward first and bowed to receive the imperial edict.

Following closely behind, another inner servant stepped forward, also unfolding a book and reading aloud.

"The Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty decreed: The duties of a prime minister are to assist in the management of Yin and Yang, regulate the weather, properly manage all industries, and bring peace and prosperity to all nations... Li Xun, who was appointed as a court advisor, vice minister of the Ministry of Rites, academician of the Hanlin Academy, and concurrently Chancellor, was treacherous and cunning, abused his power and harmed the government... He was demoted to the position of Prefect of Xunzhou."

"Shu Yuanyu, a court advisor, vice minister of the Ministry of Justice, and concurrently Chancellor, is weak and indecisive, holding his position without doing any work... He can remain in his post, but will be appointed as the prefect of Chaozhou. The rest of the position remains unchanged."

At this moment, Li Xun was no longer in the court. Only Shu Yuanyu, looking dejected, walked out of the court, kowtowed deeply, and respectfully received the imperial decree.

It should be said that this result is already quite good.

At least, Shu Yuanyu retained his official position, and the imperial edict did not mention any excessive crimes he had committed.

Although Chaozhou is remote, it can only be considered an exile. As long as he can honestly achieve some results, he may still have a chance to return to the central government.

The issuance of the two imperial edicts effectively sealed the fate of Li Xun's faction.

Of course, apart from major events like appointing and dismissing prime ministers, the handling of other people did not require taking up the morning court session.

The long-awaited morning court session ended amidst this atmosphere of mixed emotions, with some officials rejoicing and others lamenting. Soon, the officials dispersed and returned to their respective offices to attend to their duties.

As for the prime ministers and high-ranking officials, they rushed to Yanying Hall after having a quick breakfast and began a new round of audiences.

Having rested for another day, Li Ang was now full of energy, holding the memorial that the Secretariat had just handed over, and said.

"I have reviewed the handling of Li Xun and Zheng Zhu's faction. The Secretariat did a very good job this time. Those who deserved punishment were punished, and those who deserved disciplinary action were punished. What is rare is that no one was implicated. This has ensured the stability of the court. Thank you both for your hard work."

Deep down, Li Ang still remembered the contributions that Li Xun and others had made.

Even putting aside these issues, from a purely political perspective, these people were promoted by the original owner of this body, so it's not appropriate to turn against them too ruthlessly.

Therefore, apart from Li Xun, Zheng Zhu, Wang Fan and other core members, they were all given leniency at Li Ang's instruction.

Han Yue was transferred from the Jinwu Guard and sentenced to the Guanglu Temple.

Guo Xingyu, the military governor of Binning, was transferred to the position of military governor of Qianzhong, which can be considered a slight demotion.

Li Xiaoben, the Imperial Censor, was spared due to his status as a member of the imperial clan and was able to continue in his post.

Because of their low rank, Luo Liyan, the Junior Magistrate of Jingzhao Prefecture, and others were able to temporarily retain their original positions.

Apart from these members who were generally recognized by the imperial court, very few other officials were implicated.

It should be said that Wang Ya and Jia Su, the two officials under the Zhongshu Menxia (Secretariat and Chancellery), were under great pressure on this list.

Li Xun's rapid promotion and domineering personality led to numerous dissatisfaction among officials in the court.

When he was favored, these people dared not say anything, and even had to curry favor with him intentionally or unintentionally.

But now that Li Xun is about to fall, memorials and impeachments against him are naturally pouring in.

This is not just about venting anger, but also about matters involving one's own interests.

The political arena is only so big; if there's a little more here, there's a little less there. Li Xun had previously promoted many of his own people to important positions.

At this point, the more people you pull down, the more people you can rise to power.

Especially after Li Xun fell from power, those who had previously had a poor relationship with him and were unwilling to submit to him immediately became "upright" figures in the court, with a great chance of taking over these vacant official positions.

With all these factors combined, many people naturally became enraged and frantically put pressure on the Council of State.

If it weren't for the intervention of veteran official Wang Ya, this matter probably wouldn't have been resolved so easily.

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. As your ministers, it is our duty to share your burdens."

Li Ang nodded without saying anything more.

He had witnessed Wang Ya's hard work during this period.

Not only did Wang Ya do his utmost after receiving Li Ang's instructions, but he also began trying to appease the court officials even before Li Ang mentioned any solutions.

Otherwise, not only Shu Yuanyu, but even Jia Su might not have been able to escape unscathed.

There are four chancellors in the Council of State Affairs. If three of them were to leave at once, the government would be severely affected, if not paralyzed.

However, Wang Ya's current official position is already Sikong, one of the Three Dukes, so it is not easy to get a higher title. He can only receive verbal praise and some extra gold and silver, so there is no need to mention it in this occasion.

"The Secretariat can continue to handle this matter. I have summoned you here today for another matter."

Li Ang straightened up slightly and continued.

"The Council of State Affairs has always had four prime ministers. Now that Li Xun and Shu Yuanyu have been dismissed, I have reinstated Minister Li to participate in government affairs in the Council of State Affairs. There is still one prime minister to be appointed."

"You are all pillars of the state, and I have summoned you here today to hear your opinions and see if you have any suitable ministers to recommend."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the ministers present perked up.

Personnel appointments have always been the most crucial matter in officialdom, especially since the current discussion concerns the appointment of the Grand Chancellor.

It is no exaggeration to say that this person's selection may affect the power structure for a considerable period of time, so it is naturally something to be very careful about.

Of the three, the one who got the answer the fastest was Li Deyu, whose question had already been guessed.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the most important position of prime minister should be filled by a minister with profound experience, integrity, and incorruptibility. Niu Sengru, the governor of Luoyang, is of pure character and has outstanding literary talent. He is worthy of being reinstated and given important responsibilities..."