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

Chapter 75: Just because of this?

Inside the Yanying Hall.

The ministers had already left, but Liu Hongyi and Yang Qinyi remained.

Li Ang first praised them, then looked at Yang Qinyi and said.

"Now that Xue Jiling has been dismissed, there is no one in charge of the Right Army for the time being. You should take care of it for now. I have already instructed Li Deyu to discuss the details with the other prime ministers of the Council of State as soon as possible."

"After the New Year, we'll set up the Shence Military Governor's Office. You'll keep an eye on this. Send someone to the Council of State Affairs every three days to report back."

Taking down Xue Jiling this time seemed simple, but in fact, Yang Qinyi's strong assistance was indispensable.

Although he was only a Privy Councilor, theoretically he could not mobilize the Shence Army.

However, as someone from a long-established eunuch family, Yang Qinyi had many old friends and confidants in the Shence Army.

With him accompanying Liu Hongyi, he can play a significant role in maintaining a balance of power.

Yang Qinyi's willingness to do these things was certainly not without reason.

What he was eyeing was the military power of the Shence Right Army, or more accurately, the newly established Shence Grand Commander.

This is also why Yang Qinyi and Li Deyu were able to reach an agreement.

The Yang family's position in the inner court was already very secure, so rather than simply controlling military power, Yang Qinyi hoped to further participate in the court's political affairs.

The Shence Military Governor's Office essentially sacrificed some control over the military in exchange for power over other military and political affairs.

At this point, Li Ang's statement was essentially an acknowledgment of Yang Qinyi's future status.

Therefore, the latter was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately kowtowed to express his gratitude.

After Yang Qinyi left, only Liu Hongyi, the Left Army Lieutenant, remained in the hall.

"Come with me for a walk."

Looking at Liu Hongyi, who stood with his hands at his sides and had a calm expression, Li Ang did not say anything immediately. Instead, he stood up and slowly walked out of the hall.

Liu Hongyi hesitated for a moment, but quickly followed.

The heavy snow had stopped by then, but the sky remained overcast.

Li Ang walked along the corridor in front of the palace and finally stopped in front of the railing at the corner.

The howling north wind whipped at my clothes, and even a thick fur robe couldn't keep out the biting cold.

Palace servants and eunuchs came and went in the square, with the continuous palace walls in the distance and wisps of smoke rising faintly in the distance. The howling wind added a touch of peace to the scene.

"You've been working very hard lately. There aren't many people in your position who can be so humble and self-disciplined."

Standing at a distance with his hands behind his back, Li Ang turned slightly to the side and said calmly.

Liu Hongyi bowed: "Thank you for your praise. This old servant is only doing my duty to serve you all."

Upon hearing this, Li Ang glanced at him and asked, "What are your thoughts on this reform of the Divine Strategy?"

This time, Liu Hongyi remained silent and did not answer immediately.

Li Ang shook his head and said, "I didn't tell you the details of today's audience beforehand. Do you have any complaints?"

Liu Hongyi lowered his head: "This old servant dares not."

Li Ang turned his head and looked at the silent palace, his tone unusually complex.

"In this world, no one is in control of their own destiny; you are, and so am I."

"In fact, you and I both know that the Shence Army has become too powerful to be controlled. In terms of combat strength, it cannot subdue the regional military governors and protect the capital. In terms of loyalty, well... So, the reform of the Shence Army is only a matter of time."

"Reform inevitably infringes on vested interests, and where there are interests, there will always be stances, won't there?"

In fact, Li Ang always remained cautious about Liu Hongyi.

Although judging from the events that followed the execution of Qiu Shiliang, Liu Hongyi was very meticulous in his work and was not as domineering as Xue Jiling.

But no matter what, he was still a dignified lieutenant of the Shence Army.

Holding great power and possessing the real ability to threaten Li Ang, even without taking any action, one cannot let down one's guard.

Therefore, most of the time, Li Ang was both trusting and wary of Liu Hongyi.

It's the same this time.

The idea of ​​using the arrest of Xue Jiling to promote the reform of Shence was proposed by Li Deyu, and Li Ang agreed. Yang Qinyi also had some prior knowledge of this.

But Liu Hongyi was the only one excluded.

In a sense, this summons was a scheme against him.

First, he was made to personally lead troops to arrest Xue Jiling. Then, in the palace, various forces reached a private agreement to jointly put pressure on him.

While this plan has the highest success rate, it is not without risk.

In fact, Li Ang had already prepared for Liu Hongyi's fierce opposition... As a lieutenant of the Shence Army, and a lieutenant who was always loyal to his duties, he had the confidence, the ability, and the reason to do so.

But things progressed more smoothly than he had imagined.

Surprisingly, Liu Hongyi did not put up any strong resistance and agreed to the somewhat coerced discussion.

Sometimes things going too smoothly is not normal.

Faced with Li Ang's scrutiny, Liu Hongyi clearly understood the meaning behind the sage's words.

After a moment of silence, a complex look flashed in his eyes, and then he spoke.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, this old servant... has a son, an adopted son, named Liu Xiuqi, which is taken from the meaning of 'cultivating oneself and regulating one's family' in the Book of Rites."

Without any apparent reason, Liu Hongyi began to talk about his family affairs.

He kept his head down, but Li Ang could hear a hint of pride and helplessness hidden in his tone.

The first half of the saying is "cultivate oneself and regulate one's family," which is followed by "govern the country and bring peace

Choosing the former over the latter is not out of unwillingness, but because it is impossible.

For a moment, Li Ang seemed to vaguely understand something.

"...This son of mine was not adopted from the palace, but from a distant relative. He is very good at studying, very filial, and a very good child."

When Liu Xiuqi was mentioned, Liu Hongyi's tone became warmer.

He took a deep breath, then suddenly knelt down and kowtowed.

"As you all know, everyone has selfish desires. The more something is lacking, the more we want it. Therefore, this old servant dares to ask you all for a favor."

"What is it?"

"This old servant humbly begs everyone to allow my son to be granted an official position through hereditary privilege and to serve in the imperial court."

Liu Hongyi kowtowed again, his voice low and deep.

Li Ang remained silent for a while.

He could certainly guess that Liu Hongyi's actions all along had a reason.

However, I never expected it to turn out like this.

So much so that in this treacherous and unpredictable court, it seemed somewhat unbelievable.

"Just this?" Li Ang turned around, his gaze scrutinizing.

Liu Hongyi, however, seemed to have anticipated that he would ask such a question.

He raised his head slightly and said sincerely, "Everyone in the world loves their children. Although I have no blood relatives, this child calls me father, so I will naturally do my best as a father."

Li Ang remained silent for a long time before letting out a long sigh and speaking.

"In that case, tomorrow I will issue an edict to the Secretariat and the Chancellery, appointing him as an assistant instructor at the Four Gates and enrolling him in the Hanlin Academy."

Upon hearing this, Liu Hongyi was first taken aback, then overjoyed.

It should be noted that the Hanlin Academy was a prestigious and prestigious institution, and although the Assistant Instructor of the Four Gates was only an official position of the eighth rank, he was a close advisor to the emperor.

Generally speaking, such official positions, which allow one to serve the emperor for an extended period, are highly coveted and difficult to obtain.

Being able to start as a teaching assistant in the fourth department means that Liu Xiuqi's career path was much more grounded than others from the very beginning.

He immediately knelt down, bowed deeply in gratitude, and said...

"This old servant thanks everyone for their kindness!"