vncnus Chapter 565 - 63: Relocation of the Capital and Retirement, The Dawn of a New Era
Chapter 565 - 63: Relocation of the Capital and Retirement, The Dawn of a New Era
From this day on, Wu Zetian became much more stable.
She seemed to genuinely fear Gu Jing, suppressing all her desires and even voluntarily writing the book "Inner Training".
It was meant to promote some principles as an imperial consort, with subtle hints that she would never interfere in politics.
If it were anyone else.
Perhaps they would indeed be deceived by Wu Zetian’s tactics.
After all, they lacked a deep understanding of Wu Zetian and could not fathom just how ambitious a woman could be.
But Gu Jing was ultimately different.
From the moment Wu Zetian walked out of Ganye Temple, he had already taken notice of her.
Not to mention all the events that happened afterward.
Gu Jing could not afford to be careless, not only against Wu Zetian but anyone else as well.
....
The imperial court was a place of intricate machinations.
Various factions balanced and targeted each other, creating a bizarre equilibrium.
Though there was conflict,
it was firmly controlled by the Gu Clan, unlike the court battles of later historical periods.
Simply put, there were still boundaries.
At least for now, no one dared to step out of the influence of the Gu Clan.
This ensured that internal strife within the Great Tang was contained, unable to disrupt the overall balance.
But as time went on, people in the court came and went in waves.
In April of the seventh year of Yonghui,
Chu Suiliang officially resigned in court.
His age was indeed advanced, and ultimately, he was a veteran official from the Wude Dynasty.
In the current situation, it was natural for him to want to retire.
As far as he was concerned,
this outcome was far better than what history had originally written.
In the original history, after Wu Zetian came to power, he was repeatedly dismissed, and even when he personally appealed to Li Zhi, recounting his contributions to the Great Tang, it was to no avail.
Eventually, he died of illness in Aizhou State.
Even after his death, all his descendants were exiled.
Now, this ending was enough for him.
Chu Suiliang still had some energy, and he wasn’t yet incapable of handling court affairs.
His desire to retire stemmed from feeling truly exhausted.
He was tired of the court, tired of everything.
He wanted to spend his remaining time on his hobbies.
He longed to visit Julu, to personally step into the "Yunshao Pavilion," now a literary sacred site, and leave his calligraphy there.
This news shocked the court and commoners alike.
As one of the regents of the young emperor, despite the diminished power of the Guanlong nobility,
neither Zhangsun Wuji nor Chu Suiliang’s positions were easily shaken.
Even Li Zhi was reluctant to part with them.
Yet seeing Chu Suiliang’s full head of white hair, he ultimately had to agree, completing a traditional "three requests and three refusals."
They posthumously ennobled him as Sikong, gave him a staff for support as he returned home, thus treating this veteran of three dynasties with respect.
Perhaps it was also due to his age,
but after everything was settled, Chu Suiliang suddenly felt a bit melancholic.
Gazing at Chang’an, a city he had looked at for countless days, he felt a different kind of emotion.
People are like this, the older they get, the more nostalgic they become.
But the more he thought of past events, the more he cherished the hard-won chance to return home safely.
On the eve of his departure, not only did officials come to bid farewell, but even Gu Jing attended.
Zhangsun Wuji felt quite conflicted.
He and Chu Suiliang were deeply connected, entwined in numerous ways, but in recent years, they had deliberately distanced themselves.
It wasn’t due to any discord between them.
Both had sensed the current political landscape and were purposely avoiding suspicion.
Now that Chu Suiliang had landed safely,
it left a profound impact on Zhangsun Wuji.
They said little, yet spoke volumes, their eyes misting over as they exchanged glances.
Ultimately, Chu Suiliang even bowed in gratitude to the young Gu Jing for his kindness.
Others might not notice,
but Chu Suiliang and Zhangsun Wuji were well aware of the emperor’s wariness toward the Guanlong nobility.
They were not the Gu Clan.
If not for the Gu Clan’s dominance, they might have faced even harsher outcomes, something too obvious to require elaboration.
This was a gesture of thanks to the Gu Clan for sparing their lives!
This matter greatly impacted the entire court, causing the Guanlong faction’s power to retract further.
Most importantly—
everyone could see that Zhangsun Wuji seemed to have a desire to retire as well. It seemed this day wouldn’t be too far off.
Indeed, as Chu Suiliang’s political influence waned,
a voice suddenly rose in the court:
——Relocate the capital to Luoyang!
....
In truth, there had always been talk of relocating the capital within the Great Tang.
Not only during the Wude Dynasty but also during the Zhenguan period, Li Shimin had similar thoughts and even proposed it several times, though always thwarted.
Chang’an’s geographical limitations were evident.
Relocating the capital to Luoyang was a favorable option.
However, Chang’an was the heartland of the Guanlong aristocracy, so whether during the Wude or the Zhenguan era, accomplishing this would never be particularly easy.