Chapter 84

PS: Thank you, Huohai Yiqian for the generous donation of 200 Qidian coins, and Qitianzhi Shu for the 20 Qidian coins and the red envelope. I bow in gratitude!

Thank you to all the brothers and sisters who have been voting. I really appreciate it, and I still need to call for more recommendation votes!

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The noise from the old generals naturally caught the attention of the nearby civil officials. Although they didn't understand what was happening, the moment they saw Zhao Chen's figure, their faces became quite expressive.

The events Zhao Chen caused in Lantian before the New Year were still fresh in their minds, especially for a few of the older civil officials. They had almost been ruined by that incident, like Cui Shilang, who ended up retiring in disgrace.

Now, seeing Zhao Chen's figure, the faces of these old officials immediately turned cold, and they snorted heavily through their noses. However, they didn't dare to confront Zhao Chen directly.

At this moment, the palace gates, which had been tightly closed, opened wide. The eunuch by Li Er's side loudly called for the civil and military officials to enter the court. The officials, who had been waiting for a long time, quickly tidied their robes and, led by Pei Ji, the head of the officials, slowly made their way to the Taiji Hall.

"Kid, don't say anything out of turn!" Old Qin, worried that Zhao Chen would embarrass himself during the court session, warned and threatened him as they were about to enter.

"Uncle Qin, don't worry!" Zhao Chen felt warm inside. Old Qin truly cared about him, which was why he kept reminding him. Therefore, he smiled and promised Old Qin.

"Old Qin, you're really good to this kid!" Li Shentong, seeing this, laughed and teased, "It's like you're a father-in-law and son-in-law. You're not thinking of marrying Yu Yan to this kid, are you?"

What the heck! Hearing this, Zhao Chen's mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg. This Prince of Huai'an really says anything! Doesn't he worry about Old Qin turning on him?

"Old Cheng, I think it's a good idea too!" Just as Prince of Huai'an finished speaking, before Old Qin could say anything, Cheng Yaojin chimed in, "Yu Yan isn't young anymore. It's better to marry her to this kid than to some outsider!"

Zhao Chen closed his mouth and quickly moved to the side. Staying with these old guys who speak without thinking was too dangerous; they could bring you trouble without you even realizing it!

Old Qin glared at Prince of Huai'an and then at Cheng Yaojin, who spoke without thinking. He then turned to look at Zhao Chen, who was standing a few steps away and smiling at him, and snorted heavily before walking towards the palace gate.

"If I die, it will definitely be because of them!" Zhao Chen, seeing Old Qin glare at him and then walk towards the palace gate, suddenly looked up and sighed.

"It's the New Year, Little Duke, don't say such unlucky things!" Qin Ming, hearing this, immediately spat and said to Zhao Chen in a low voice.

After saying this, he looked at Zhao Chen thoughtfully and said in a strange tone, "But, the young lady is indeed of marriageable age!"

"Get lost!" Zhao Chen, hearing this, immediately said rudely. However, despite his words, the image of Qin Yuyan's sweet smile that day flashed in his mind.

But it was just for a moment. Zhao Chen quickly shook his head to dispel the thought. That's Old Qin's daughter!

There were indeed over a hundred officials, and as they entered the Taiji Hall one by one, the usually spacious hall quickly became crowded and cramped.

Those with the right, like Old Qin, naturally stood at the back of the Taiji Hall, while minor officials like Zhao Chen could only stand at the entrance. Even though the doors were closed, the cold wind still blew in.

After the officials were in place, Li Er, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe and wearing a headdress, slowly walked out from behind the hall. When Li Er sat behind the imperial desk, the officials bowed and shouted "Long live the Emperor" three times.

Li Er, sitting behind the desk, raised his hand and said the officials could rise. They bowed again, shouted "Long live the Emperor" three times, and then returned to their positions. Pei Ji, the head of the officials, stepped forward to request the new era name.

Li Er granted the imperial edict he had already drafted, and Pei Ji announced it in court: the Wu De era name was abolished, and the new era name, Zhen Guan, was adopted.

Next, it was announced that a general amnesty would begin from that day, with all crimes except exile being reduced by one degree. The provinces of Shandong and Hebei, which had suffered from years of war, would be exempt from taxes.

The new era name marked a new beginning, and Li Er was determined to make all of Tang feel the new emperor's new spirit. A series of benefits were announced, and the officials, who had just taken their seats, had to stand up again to shout "Long live the Emperor" to Li Er, especially the officials from Shandong, who shouted the loudest.

After the benefits, the reforms began. Li Er announced that from now on, any official of the third rank or higher who entered the cabinet for deliberations must be accompanied by a censor to correct any mistakes.

This immediately put a leash on the high-ranking officials. The Censorate, which was already above the other officials, now had even more power and became a hot spot.

Li Er then turned his attention to the Ministry of Justice. The heavy punishments in Tang, such as hanging, were deemed too cruel by Li Er, who ordered the abolition of hanging.

One decree after another was announced, and Zhao Chen felt dizzy. Some of these laws could have been discussed and resolved earlier, but they were all brought up at this New Year's court session.

Li Er had been saving these for a long time! If he had finished everything earlier, there would be nothing to announce now, and that would make the Zhen Guan era no different from the Wu De era.

Sitting still and being blown by the cold wind from the door, Zhao Chen felt his body start to freeze. If this continued, he would be completely frozen.

Since Li Er was busy with the new reforms, no one was paying attention to a minor official like Zhao Chen. He looked around and, when no one was paying attention, quietly patted a fellow official who was also freezing and, under the surprised gaze of that official, moved himself and his mat behind the curtain.

The curtain hanging from the top of the hall was long enough to wrap around his body. As soon as Zhao Chen moved behind it, he felt much warmer.

Zhao Chen chose this spot to observe Li Er. Watching Li Er announce the laws and regulations, Zhao Chen suddenly thought of Li Yuan.

Li Yuan was a great hero who had risked his life to establish the Tang Dynasty. He hadn't even been emperor for long when he was forced off the throne by his own son. Now, as Li Er was making sweeping reforms, what must Li Yuan be thinking?

While Zhao Chen was lost in thought, Li Er's reforms finally came to an end. The officials stood up again, gathered in the center of the hall, and bowed to Li Er, shouting "Long live the Emperor."

Zhao Chen opened his mouth in surprise. Even if he wanted to go out now, it was impossible. He could only hide behind the curtain, looking at the officials shouting "Long live the Emperor," under the amused gaze of the official he had moved next to.

Li Er probably wouldn't notice, right? Zhao Chen secretly looked at Li Er, but unfortunately, his gaze met Li Er's, who was enjoying the officials' homage.

Li Er's expression clearly changed, and his eyes narrowed. Zhao Chen could feel the coldness in Li Er's gaze, but Li Er, considering the presence of all the officials, pretended not to see Zhao Chen behind the curtain.

It's over! Zhao Chen stared at Li Er, his mouth dry. Li Er would definitely hate him now. On such a happy day, hiding here must mean he had some objections, right?

Zhao Chen thought about the scene where he would be detained by Li Er after the court session and felt a sense of helplessness.

The pardons had been granted, and the reforms had been implemented. As the new emperor of Tang, Li Er wanted to make the people of Tang feel the benefits of the new era from the very beginning.

After Li Er finished, it was the officials' turn to show their respect. As the saying goes, "It's impolite not to return a favor."

The officials' way of showing respect was to present auspicious signs to Li Er. This was a great opportunity to gain the new emperor's favor and potentially advance in rank.

Some officials had been preparing for this moment for a long time, and it was said that the Chang'an inn had become a gathering place for all sorts of curios.

The presentation of auspicious signs started with the high-ranking officials in the capital, one by one, and then the local officials.

Zhao Chen, who had been hiding behind the curtain, quickly moved out when it was the local officials' turn. Even without looking at Li Er, he knew Li Er had noticed him. But so be it.

The auspicious signs presented by the high-ranking officials in the capital were relatively normal, even if they were embellished with mythical stories. For example, something clearly man-made was claimed to have been accidentally fished out of a well, but the items were still good.

However, when it was the local officials' turn, the situation was quite different. All sorts of strange and exotic items were presented, and the officials described them in such a way that it seemed they were on familiar terms with heaven, leaving Zhao Chen amazed.

One local official presented a strange bird and, in front of all the officials, proudly claimed that he had accidentally encountered it on his way to Chang'an, and the bird could speak human language, calling out "Long live the Emperor."

This statement shocked the entire hall. Other items were inanimate and could be described however the presenters wanted, and no one could prove them false. Even if there were honest officials, they wouldn't be foolish enough to challenge the claim, as it would be seen as deliberately causing trouble for Li Er.

Li Er's eyes also widened. Could there really be such a strange bird in the world? Driven by curiosity, he immediately asked the official to make the bird speak.

Unfortunately, the bird, once out of its cage, curled up in a ball at the sight of so many people. No matter how the official tried to coax it, the bird refused to speak, much to the official's frustration.

All the officials were eagerly waiting to hear the bird speak. After waiting for a long time, they were disappointed and then burst into laughter.

"Let me try!" Zhao Chen, who had been laughing with the others, noticed the official's pitiful expression and stood up from his position, smiling.