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Chapter 206
Chapter 206
Chapter 206
Wei Zhang left the imperial palace looking bewildered. To be honest, he had his own reasons for entering the palace this time. People often described him as a straightforward courtier, but that didn’t mean he lacked intelligence. A straightforward courtier without cleverness wouldn’t survive long in office without causing trouble.
Throughout history, how many straightforward courtiers met their end by crashing into the grand hall’s golden pillars in Changan City’s imperial palace? Wei Zhang possessed both ability and intellect and was fully aware of his own image. During his lifetime, he served six rulers. The first five could be considered adversaries of Li Er. Nevertheless, he climbed to the fourth position on the list of accomplished officers in the Imperial Smoke Pavilion.
His achievements weren’t solely due to his candid objections – that was simply nonsense. Under Li Er’s rule, Wei Zhang might have appeared reckless, but he deeply understood Li Er’s mindset. Every piece of advice he offered was ultimately for Li Er’s benefit. Li Er was not a narrow-minded emperor, which allowed Wei Zhang’s sharp criticism to find its place.
Others might find it hard to believe, but Wei Zhang worked diligently under Li Er. On the list of accomplished officers, only seven individuals except Su Li did not participate in the Xuanwu Gate Incident. Surprisingly, Wei Zhang was the only one who was still an officer under Li Jiancheng’s command at the time of the incident.
The other six, except for the early-deceased Duke Qiao Chai Shao and Duke Xing Liu Zhanghui, were all struggling in their current situations. Prince of Hejian, Li Xiaogong, was demoted by Li Er to Marquis of Hejian, then moved from Grand Commandant of Yangzhou to Minister of Rites. He became a famous yet powerless idle prince, still celebrating night after night, uninvolved in state affairs.
Although Li Jing gained favor from Li Er, their relationship wasn’t close. Li Jing’s days in Changan City were spent in constant fear. Duke of Song, Xiao Yu, was removed from his position as Prime Minister six times and later stripped of his title by Li Er. He was exiled from Changan and ultimately met a tragic end. Only Li Ji received continuous trust and favor from Li Er, providing subtle support despite initially not openly siding with him.
Under these circumstances, how could Wei Zhang not be anxious? When Li Er ascended the throne, Wei Zhang set a modest goal for himself, to live his life without disaster. Wei Zhang was intelligent. He recognized his inherent disadvantages compared to other courtiers. Only by being distinctive and daring could he establish a stable position in the court. Hence, he chose to be a forthright officer.
Fortunately, over the past years, every time he seemed to be courting disaster, he managed to pinpoint Li Er’s vulnerabilities accurately. On the surface, it appeared reckless, but each instance of this recklessness brought Li Er a bit closer to him.
This time, as soon as Wei Zhang received the letter from Guangzhou, he hurriedly entered the palace. Because in that letter, he saw another opportunity to offer candid advice and gain a reputation. Currently, Su Li’s reputation in the Tang Dynasty was soaring. No doubt, Wei Zhang acknowledged Su Li’s significant contributions to the empire. However, that was the perspective of common folk. Having such a courtier could undoubtedly disturb an emperor’s peace of mind.
In Wei Zhang’s view, his emotional ties with Su Li merely constrained Li Er, and he hadn’t expressed his stance yet. Li Er needed a reason to take action on this matter. Who in the entire Tang Dynasty was better at finding reasons for such matters than Wei Zhang? The reputation of a courtier being so high that it overshadowed the emperors could undermine the monarchy’s authority.
Wei Zhang’s intention wasn’t specifically directed at Su Li. His purpose in entering the palace this time was to tell Li Er about an inherent conflict between the ruler and his subjects. When the power of a courtier became too great, it must be somehow limited to stabilize the emperor’s authority.
Given Wei Zhang’s understanding of Li Er and his unwavering determination to uphold the proper way of governance, he believed that Li Er would likely heed his advice this time.
However, he never anticipated that the aftermath of this incident would take an extremely peculiar turn. Li Er took his words seriously and treated this matter as significant. But what Li Er cared about wasn’t Su Li’s growing reputation. Instead, he believed that Su Li, as an auspicious omen for the Tang Dynasty, shouldn’t be baselessly suspected by others, which might chill Su Li’s heart. Thus, Li Er decided to reward Su Li generously.
Upon hearing Li Er’s decision, Wei Zhang remained utterly perplexed. What kind of strange development was this? Furthermore, thinking about the rewards Li Er intended to bestow upon Su Li sent shivers down Wei Zhang’s spine.
At this moment, he couldn’t help but want to curse. He had originally planned to flatter, but inexplicably, he had struck a nerve.
Who could he reason with now? He hoped that Prince Yongle (referring to Su Li) understood the righteousness of the situation and wouldn’t trouble him in the future regarding this matter…
Some things were beyond Wei Zhang’s comprehension as a courtier. That was because he wasn’t Li Er. He hadn’t experienced the harsh realities and hadn’t yet realized the importance of adapting to the circumstances. On the other hand, Li Er had an exceptionally insightful perspective on matters concerning Su Li.
After Wei Zhang left the imperial palace, on that afternoon, Li Er’s imperial decree was delivered to the princess’s residence. In the decree, Li Er spared no praise, commending Su Li for his outstanding contributions to the country and rewarding him with privileges such as not needing to perform the formal salutation, wear a sword and shoes in the hall, or even dismount when entering the palace.
This single act caused significant ripples. Li Er’s reward, in the eyes of the courtiers, was extraordinarily generous. These five privileges were known as the “Five Essential Privileges for Influential Ministers.” Throughout history, very few individuals were honored with these distinctions.
Those who achieved this level of recognition included figures like Jiang Shang, Xiao He, Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao, Cao Zhen, Huo Guang, Gao Cheng, and others. However, before Su Li, no one had accumulated all five of these top-tier honors. Even remarkable figures like Xiao He and Dong Zhuo had only achieved a three-piece set, which included not performing the formal salutation, not hastening their approach, and wearing swords and shoes in the hall.
Even so, attaining these three honors was already considered an extremely prestigious accomplishment. It set individuals apart as powerful ministers, a level where they wouldn’t even feel comfortable exchanging greetings when stepping outside. In contrast, achieving a high-ranking courtier position was much simpler, marked by symbolic seals of authority, riding in the emperor’s imperial carriage, receiving nine imperial gifts, and wearing ceremonial nine-tiered crowns.
These were hollow and trivial honors compared to the substantial and concrete special treatment Su Li was now receiving.
The most striking aspect of the special treatment Li Er granted Su Li was the privilege of going out on patrol and receiving official audiences. This privilege was similar to what an emperor would enjoy!
In essence, it allowed Su Li to exercise ancient traffic control. Whenever he went out, he could ensure that the main streets were cleared of commoners, even if they were in a hurry. They would have to wait until he had passed before continuing.
The entire court was in an uproar when this imperial decree was issued. While they might not admit it openly, many people already understood it in their hearts. The present status of Su Li in the Great Tang dynasty was truly that of being above ten thousand people while being under only one person – a position personally certified by Li Er.