Chapter 4940 New Year's Day Meeting

Chapter 4940 New Year's Day Meeting
The third year of Renhe, the first day of the first lunar month.

It is still dark and the night is deep. A cold wind is blowing through the streets. Last night the whole city was filled with fireworks and stars like rain. When the smoke has cleared, the cold wind remains.

The gates of the neighborhoods were wide open, and countless carriages and horses came out from all the neighborhoods in a line, with lanterns hanging on the fronts of the carriages and horses, as if lines of light and fire were converging towards Chengtian Gate.

All officials above the ninth rank in the imperial court, envoys sent by local prefectures to attend the meeting, graduates of the Imperial College and local county schools who took the imperial examinations of the Ministry of Rites, and chiefs and envoys sent by surrounding foreign tribes to Chang'an to pay tribute and visit were eligible to attend the New Year's Day court assembly.

At the hour of Mao, the numerous palace gates opened one after another. Under the light, the palaces were majestic and the pavilions were heavy. Teams of fully armed imperial guards wearing helmets and armor marched out in neat steps. The bricks and stones on the ground were clattered by their boots, and the sound of their footsteps was suddenly amplified when they passed the Chengtian Gate archway. With sharp swords and spears like a forest, a thick atmosphere of murderous aura came over them. Many chiefs and envoys of foreign countries could not help but feel uneasy and trembling with fear.

This is the majesty of the Celestial Empire!
As the sound of bells rang out, officials attending the grand court meeting filed in according to their rank, led by the eunuchs.

More than a thousand people poured into Chengtian Gate and stood on the square, gazing up at the towering Taiji Hall atop a white jade pedestal. The night was dark, the sun was rising in the east, and the lights outlined the contours of the double-eaved brackets, making people feel even more awe-inspiring.

Li Ji, dressed in court robes and walking steadily, looked back at the crowded square. The officials of the Tang Dynasty were holding their breath and following the rules, while the chiefs and envoys from foreign countries were looking around and whispering, which was a bit noisy.

The official from the Ministry of Rites stood on the steps and estimated that the time had come, so he turned around and climbed the stairs, followed by a group of ministers according to their rank.

Li Ji had just raised his foot when he felt someone pulling his sleeve. He looked up in surprise and saw Li Xiaogong gently pulling him and shaking his head slightly.

Li Ji was puzzled at first, but then he suddenly realized. He turned slightly and made a "please" gesture to Fang Jun behind him.

Ever since Changsun Wuji committed suicide after his defeat, he, as the Shangshu Zuo Pushe, was undoubtedly the top person in the dynasty. He was always ranked first in every formal court session. So he subconsciously still stood in the first position, but for a moment he forgot that after Changsun Wuji's "Situ", there was another "Taiwei" who had a higher official rank than him.

Fortunately, Li Xiaogong stopped him, and in a trance he almost broke the rules and made a fool of himself...

Fang Jun smiled. This was not the time to discuss seniority or politeness. He bowed to Li Ji and stepped onto the stairs first, taking on the responsibility.

Li Ji's eyes were deep and he felt mixed emotions.

He was not a power-hungry person, but he couldn't help feeling jealous when he saw his junior, the overly young Fang Jun, being the first to step onto the stairs.

A thought suddenly occurred to him: Just now, he was about to go first, but no one reminded him except Li Xiaogong. Could it be that they all wanted to see him make a fool of himself? Especially since Fang Jun was right behind him, did he also have such thoughts and deliberately use this to undermine his reputation?
He glanced at Fang Jun's back, then turned back to glance at the ministers behind him. He was confused and silent, following closely.

……

The newly built Taiji Hall is brightly lit like day and magnificent. The water-polished gold bricks reflect the dome and people's shadows. Thirty-six huge beams and pillars support the entire building. The emperor's throne on the steps is intricately patterned and magnificent.

Soon, the emperor arrived and the court meeting began.

Many officials looked at Fang Jun standing solemnly at the head of the western side, and could not help but feel a lot of emotion, thinking back to the New Year's Day court meeting in the 13th year of Zhenguan. This official did not even have the qualifications to enter the palace, and could only stand outside the palace in the cold wind, shivering like a quail. Then, he was summoned into the palace by Emperor Taizong and presented the "Zhenguan Plow". From then on, Jian was favored by the emperor, rose rapidly, and started a legendary career experience...

Of course there is envy and jealousy, after all, there are only a few living Taiwei throughout history. However, considering Fang Jun's past achievements and, most importantly, his service as a follower of the emperor, few people think that Fang Jun's current position and power are undeserved.

Defeating the rebels twice in succession and helping Your Majesty to sit firmly on the throne are enough to deserve all the honors and treatment.

On the other hand, Li Ji, who was previously the undisputed number one in the dynasty, lost the emperor's favor because he did nothing and even stood by and watched during the rebellion of Zhangsun Wuji and Prince Jin. He had to be ranked below Fang Jun as a meritorious official during the Zhenguan period...

This is how the officialdom works; the higher you go, the more important your position is.

The grand court meeting usually did not handle government affairs, but was more like a large-scale celebration. The ministers sang praises and advocated the prosperity of the times, and the emperor accepted tributes from foreign countries, so that the chiefs and envoys from foreign countries could feel the majesty of the Celestial Empire, and then they would be in awe and willing to obey...

The Tang Empire was prosperous and had a vast territory, so the process of "singing praises" was naturally long. The heads of the three provinces, six ministries, nine temples and various central government offices had to report one by one and summarize the government affairs of the past year. The top or second-in-command of each prefecture, county, and city had to report on the political achievements within their jurisdiction, covering aspects such as economy and people's livelihood.

After that, the various foreign nations offered tributes and sent congratulatory messages, praising the great power of the Tang Dynasty and the reputation of the monarch in various ways, and were willing to be vassals of the Tang Dynasty and submit to it for generations, begging the Tang Emperor to give them many rewards for their obedience, so that the small countries and the few people could feel the wealth and prosperity of the Celestial Empire...

Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, such situations have been common, and most of them were just fillers. They randomly gave a country a name, carved a seal with fruit, and then claimed to be the envoys of a country. They came all the way to the Celestial Empire with some worthless local specialties, and said some respectful and submissive words, and they could get rewards dozens or even hundreds of times more. This has long become a trend.

But the present is different from the past. With the Tang Dynasty's navy roaming the oceans, the locations and situations of many small countries have been discovered. Every country of some size has Tang Dynasty officials stationed there, or at least has caravans trading back and forth. It is no longer possible to cheat and deceive as before.

Therefore, the number of foreign chiefs and envoys dropped sharply...

……

Mononobe Ashikaga was among the tribute-paying personnel from foreign countries. As he knelt in the main hall to wish everyone a happy new year and present congratulatory messages, the floor was paved with water-polished gold bricks and above his head was a magnificent and tall dome. The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty sat on the steps in a dignified and majestic manner. The huge hall was so luxurious that it would be difficult to build even with the whole strength of Japan. His heart was filled with worship and admiration.

Especially when he looked up and saw the young man wearing a purple robe and a soft-footed hat, who was the leader of the Tang Dynasty officials, he was extremely awed.

Grand Commandant of the Tang Dynasty, Duke of Yue, Fang Jun.

It was this man who created the Tang Dynasty's Imperial Navy, with its powerful ships and cannons, which roamed the seven seas. Although he never went to war with Japan directly, he instigated the strife between the Soga clan and the emperor, leading to the extinction of the emperor's bloodline. He also supported the Emishi people in launching a war, helping them to land on the Oshima Island of Honshu and capture cities and territories from north to south. The Emishi people, who had been slaves of the Japanese for generations, unexpectedly won every battle, occupied most of the territory of Japan, and marched their troops all the way to Asuka Kyoto.

To this day, in order to fight against the Ainu people coming from the north, as well as the exiled Goguryeo and Baekje people, the Japanese had to cede land and pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty, sell out sovereignty, and live in peace...

There is hatred, of course, but there is more awe.

Especially this time, he came to the Tang Dynasty in person as an envoy. From the moment he got off the ship, everything he saw showed the powerful foundation of the Tang Dynasty, the world's most powerful country, with prosperous cities, dense populations, and elite armies... Although Mononobe Ashikaga considered himself talented and capable, and had the confidence to quell the rebellion in Japan and continue the reforms of Emperor Kotoku, he could not help but feel discouraged and frightened in the face of such a powerful Tang Dynasty.

Since we cannot win the battle, we can only submit to them.

If one could become the best among the many vassal states of the Tang Dynasty, even if one was treated as a hunting dog, it would be an unparalleled honor...

……

As dusk approached, the grand court meeting finally came to an end, and a banquet was then held in the Liangyi Hall to entertain royal relatives, court ministers, and envoys from the chiefs of foreign Hu tribes.

This used to be the favorite program of Emperor Li II. During banquets, Emperor Li II would often expose his breasts and behave in an unrestrained manner when he was drunk. He would not only dance the Huxuan dance with the Turkic Khan and play tossing pots with ministers, but also compete with Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Gong and others in the hall.

The prestige of the foreign Hu people was mostly created under such circumstances. His strong personal charm convinced those Hu people who had to submit to the Tang Dynasty and surrender, so that they were willing to respect Emperor Li II as the "Heavenly Khan" and were willing to stay under the wings of the Tang Dynasty for generations, and even serve as pioneers and expand the territory for the emperor.

The Tang army often used Hu cavalry as pioneers, which was a tradition left over from the time of Emperor Li II. Those Hu people who surrendered to the Tang were loyal and willing to sacrifice their lives for the Tang.

Until the self-proclaimed "sage" Emperor Tang Minghuang messed up and pushed the prosperous dynasty into an abyss of no return...

Surprisingly, Li Chengqian also likes such occasions.

When he was drunk, he even ignored the dissuasion of the eunuchs around him, took off Ashina Simo's Turkic clothes and put them on himself, and they linked arms, sang and danced together in the hall.

A group of ministers looked at each other in bewilderment. Although being so "approachable" could indeed eliminate the Hu people's vigilance and make them more integrated into the Tang Dynasty, he was, after all, the emperor and the ruler of a country, so it was inevitable that he would be unbecoming.

But under such circumstances, you cannot persuade him, otherwise it will inevitably make Your Majesty lose face, so you can only let it go.

However, many members of the royal family sneered and were extremely disdainful of Li Chengqian's words and actions.

How could such a person who is favored by treacherous and flattering people and has no dignity at all steal the throne?