In the main hall, civil and military officials stood in two rows. Compared with before, there were some new faces and a lot fewer people in the court.

“Long live my emperor! Long live!”

“Everyone, I love you!”

“Your Majesty, Qi, Shu, and Jin have all sent envoys hoping to meet with Your Majesty.”

“Xuan!”

A moment later, envoys from the three kingdoms appeared in the hall.

The last time the envoys from Shu Kingdom came, they only met Su Ming privately and it was not formal. This time it was a truly formal meeting. The solemn Tai Chi Hall was magnificent, and Su Ming, sitting on the dragon throne, was even more imposing.

The dragon throne from the Longquan treasure has been moved to the Taiji Hall. Compared with the one that Li Cunxu sat on before, this one is probably an old item left over from the previous dynasty. It is very appropriate and shining when placed in the Luoyang Imperial Palace.

“Long live my emperor! Long live!”

“Be flat.”

“Your Majesty, my king has long admired the imperial court and is willing to submit his entire country to the Tang Dynasty and be governed by the king. I beg Your Majesty for your approval.”

“Your Majesty, my family, the King of Jin, is willing to surrender to Your Majesty and surrender the land of Hedong to the Tang Dynasty.”

“Your Majesty, our Qi Kingdom is willing to surrender to the Tang Dynasty.”

……

Silence, complete silence. The court officials were shocked beyond words as they watched the scene before them.

The three vassal states of Shu, Qi, and Jin actually wanted to surrender to the imperial court?

Are they crazy or are we crazy?

What is happening to this world?

Most people had no right to know about last year’s battle for the Longquan treasure. The fight between the real and fake Li Xingyun had been completely covered up in the shadow of history.

They had never seen Su Ming’s strength, nor did they understand the bravery of the Bad Commander. What a surprise it was that the three kingdoms had surrendered to them!

Under the astonished gazes of the ministers, Su Ming stood up from the dragon throne and said loudly, “I approve!”

These three words exploded in the ears of the court officials like thunder. Did they really surrender?

In the past, when a vassal state surrendered, the imperial court would be shocked for a long time, let alone three countries in a row.

After a long time, they came back to their senses and hurriedly bowed to Su Ming, “Your Majesty, I congratulate you.”

After hearing the congratulations, the other court officials also reacted and saluted quickly, “Your Majesty, I congratulate you!”

“Today is a day of great joy for the court. Pass the order down and increase the salaries of all officials by one year.” Su Ming made the decision immediately and made the reward.

In the past, the court officials would have been overjoyed, but today’s news was so shocking that they have not yet come to their senses. In comparison, the joy of a year’s salary increase is insignificant.

The states of Qi and Jin surrendered, and the Central Plains was almost unified. Except for those small vassal states in Youzhou, the north was almost a foregone conclusion. Although Shu only had a corner of the country, its location was strategic and it was a natural granary.

It can be said that this time the court almost reproduced the territory of Li Cunxu during his peak period.

After the court session, the news quickly spread throughout Luoyang City.

In the streets and alleys, peddlers, from kings and nobles to ordinary people, everyone was talking about this matter.

It was only after the court officials returned to their mansions that they came to their senses and realized that the emperor had deliberately made the three kingdoms submit to the Tang Dynasty at the same time. Even the court itself was extremely surprised, not to mention the hostile forces.

Guanzhong, Hedong and Bashu have all been taken control, almost like a flying dragon riding on the face.

Su Ming was also well prepared. After the envoys from the three countries submitted their surrender letters, he issued an edict.

“Prince Qi Li Maozhen was demoted to Marquis Tai’an, with an income of 10,000 households, and his family will be hereditary!”

“Prince Jin Li Siyuan was demoted to Marquis Jing’an, with an income of 10,000 households, and his family will be hereditary!”

“King Wang Yan of Shu was demoted to Marquis of Anle, with an income of ten thousand households, and his family will be hereditary!”

After the imperial court announced it to the world, the southern countries were in an uproar. Chu and Wu were completely paralyzed. Jin and Qi were fine, but Shu also surrendered cleanly. How could they survive in the south?

With the Three Kingdoms surrendering to the imperial court, the imperial court’s power increased dramatically. Even if the south was united and there were no warlords fighting for power, it could not stop the imperial court’s military advance.

In the State of Jin, at the Prince of Jin’s Palace, Li Siyuan stood in the palace to receive the imperial edict from the court.

Chapter 283 The Three Kings’ Actions

After the imperial emissary finished reading, he saw Li Siyuan standing there in a daze. After waiting for a while and seeing that he did not move, he thought that he did not want to accept it, so he carefully reminded him, “Marquis Jing’an, it’s time to accept the order!”

“I accept the order.” Li Siyuan took the imperial edict respectfully, and Li Cunzhi behind him stepped forward to give silver and money to the envoy.

After the messenger left, Li Siyuan turned his gaze to the imperial edict in his hand with a complicated expression. He had spent his entire life in military service, but in the end he only got the title of a king.

Only one year later, Li Siyuan’s hair was already full of white. When he left Luoyang, his hair was gray and he looked very energetic. But now his hair and beard were all white, and his eyes were covered with crow’s feet.

“Seventh Brother, Eighth Brother, I slaughtered people in Hedong to get this title of prince. Tell me, is it worth it?” From the powerful King of Jin to an idle prince, the gap is too big.

“Brother, it’s already been done. It’s too late to say anything more.” Li Cunxin saw Li Siyuan’s anxiety and said in a deep voice.

“Yes, brother, think about Li Cunxu. He has turned into bones now, and you are still alive. Is there anything more important than life?” Li Cunzhi also comforted him.

Fortunately, his emotion was only temporary and he soon returned to normal.

Li Siyuan looked at them solemnly and sighed, “The matter of Hedong is finally settled. You don’t have to follow me anymore. When I get to Luoyang, I will be a leisurely prince and not care about worldly affairs.”

“You are still young and will have many opportunities in the future. You don’t have to waste your time following an old man like me. Tongwenguan will be disbanded.”

“Big brother!”

“Big brother!”

In an instant, the eyes of Li Cunzhi and Li Cunxin both turned red. They grew up in Tongwenguan since childhood and had long regarded Tongwenguan as their home.

Now that Tongwenguan is gone, the two of them feel empty inside.

Li Cunzhi patted his chest and said excitedly, “Brother, I won’t leave. Wherever you are, I will be there. We are brothers for one day and for life!”

Li Cunxin was the same, with no intention of leaving. “Well, as long as big brother is here and Tongwenguan is here, I won’t go anywhere!”

The brotherhood of more than ten years cannot be easily severed.

Not everyone is blinded by greed and can easily make choices and give up dignity and freedom at all costs for the sake of future, glory and wealth.

Be it fame, fortune, or affection, only they themselves can weigh which is more important.

At the same time, Li Cunzhi and Li Cunxin also understood that without Tongwenguan and leaving Li Siyuan, they would be nothing, and even if they surrendered to the emperor, they would not be valued.

The emperor has the Bad Guys, the Xuanming Sect, and the Jinyi Guards at his disposal. He has no shortage of manpower. What can they do if they go?

A man was born between heaven and earth, how could he live in a state of depression for a long time?

Since you are destined to never make a breakthrough, you might as well retire and live a stable life.

Li Siyuan stared at the two men for a long time, and when he found that their expressions did not seem fake, he nodded and said, “Forget it, in that case, you should just follow me. We are all old, and in this era, let them fight it out.”

“Big brother!”

“Big brother!”

The two cordial calls brought a little comfort to Li Siyuan’s cold heart. It was good to have them accompany him in his retirement.

……

Fengxiang of Qi State, the palace of Prince Qi.

The empress took the imperial edict and sent the court envoy away.

She returned home and locked herself in her boudoir, staring in a daze at the imperial edict on the table and the King of Qi’s robe hanging on the clothes hanger.

It has been eighteen years, a full eighteen years. She has finally unloaded the burden of being the King of Qi, unloaded the Qi Kingdom that she had been carrying on her shoulders, and can finally be herself again.

She walked behind the screen and began to change her clothes. After a while, a stunningly beautiful woman in a bright red palace skirt walked out. Her graceful posture and exquisite figure were extremely beautiful.

Her long black hair was tied into a bun and adorned with golden hairpins, giving off the aura of a mature woman and a queen.

The empress came to the dressing table, looked at herself in the mirror, and two lines of tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes. When she was the empress of Huanyinfang, she often dressed up and wore girls’ clothes.

But when she put on women’s clothes again today, she felt that everything seemed different. The burden on her shoulders disappeared, as if an invisible shackle had been removed.

She stared at herself in the bronze mirror and spoke word by word, “From now on, I am no longer Li Maozhen, nor am I the empress. I am just Song Qingqing.”

……

Chengdu Prefecture in Shu, the Palace of the King of Shu.

Wang Yan received the court envoys in the palace. After the imperial edict was announced, Wang Yan took the imperial edict respectfully and asked his ministers to present the seal of the King of Shu and the royal robe.

After the messenger left, Wang Yan held the imperial edict and looked at the empty hall with a look of loss on his face. From now on, this place would no longer belong to him, and he would have to leave the land where he grew up and go to an unfamiliar place in the north to live out the rest of his life in peace.

This emotion soon disappeared. Wang Yan was a person who indulged in pleasure and was not fit to be a monarch. He never had the ambition to be pioneering and enterprising and to dominate the Central Plains.

Losing the throne did not make him sad, but made him feel more relaxed. So he directly ordered: “Come on, have a big banquet tonight. This king, no, this marquis, wants to drink to his heart’s content!”

……

The news of the Three Kingdoms’ surrender spread across the country like wildfire.

Such a thing has never happened in history, but today, they have the opportunity to experience it, and ordinary people may not think it is a big deal.

But anyone who has read the book knows what this means. It is an inevitable trend for the world to return to the Tang Dynasty. No one else has a chance!

When those vassal states that still had ambitions heard the news, they were devastated. The Tang Dynasty had gained the north and Sichuan, and its power was so vast. Who in the world could compete with it?

Moreover, the three countries submitted their surrender requests at the same time, which must have been planned in advance.

The Chu State, the Wu State and other small forces were as anxious as ants on a hot pan, but some of them, seeing the situation, simply gave up and continued to play music and dance!

Life goes on in all kinds of ways, the sun rises as usual, and the south falls into an eerie silence.

After the Three Kingdoms were united, the ministers in the court were extremely busy, but no matter how busy they were, no one was willing to be absent. The general trend was set, and the Tang Dynasty would be unified again in the future. If one did not take advantage of this opportunity to serve the emperor, it would be too late later.

The opportunity to go down in history is right before their eyes. How could officials not work hard?

The military generals trained the army and taught the students even more diligently. After the Three Kingdoms were united, there were fewer and fewer wars. There were many generals in the court, but too many monks and too little rations. No one wanted to miss the opportunity to make achievements.

In this way, all the civil and military officials in the court fell into a rare state of internal circulation.

All officials became busy, but Su Ming, on the contrary, had some free time. Government affairs were no longer as complicated as before.

Chapter 284 This son must not be kept!

Not only are the officials busy, but the Bad People are even busier. Every day they have to intercept the letters sent by Khitan spies at the border, stop the caravans, and delay time for the court as much as possible.

“Your Majesty, it was the bad guy who made the mistake that caused the news to be leaked. Please punish me.” In the hall, Yuan Tiangang half-knelt and apologized.