Chapter 76 Chang'an
A few days later, in the Daming Palace in Chang'an City, Wu Zetian stood beside the dragon table, and Zhang Jianzhi, the Minister of Fengge, and other officials stood solemnly on the steps.

Shangguan Wan'er was reading aloud the memorial submitted by Di Renjie from Youzhou.

However, when reading the part involving Li Qingxia and Hu Jinghui, Wu Zetian suddenly frowned and fell into deep thought.

After reading the memorial, Shangguan Wan'er secretly glanced at Wu Zetian and saw that she was staring outside the palace, as if she was wandering in the sky.

Zhang Jianzhi saw this and hurriedly called out softly, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

Wu Zetian finally came back to her senses from her deep thoughts: "Have you finished reading?"

Shangguan Wan'er replied respectfully: "Yes."

Zhang Jianzhi then stepped forward and asked, "I wonder what Your Majesty thinks of what Di Gong has asked?"

Wu Zetian breathed a sigh of relief, but did not directly answer Zhang Jianzhi's question: "Such a strange case, involving two countries, spanning thousands of miles, and with intricate details, Di Huaiying actually solved it within a few months, which is truly amazing!"

Judging from the words, Di Renjie was indeed praised highly, but Wu Zetian's face did not show too much joy, and her tone seemed rather bland.

A gleam of light flashed in Zhang Jianzhi's eyes, and he immediately noticed this abnormality.

He smiled and continued what Wu Zetian had said: "What is even more valuable is that Di Gong personally rescued Jili Khan, helped him to suppress the rebellion and restore his country, and stopped the war, so that the two countries could reconcile. He also made Jili bow down before the palace of the Celestial Empire, so that your majesty's grace spread to the barbarians and the Celestial Empire's prestige spread to all nations. His contribution is truly great."

Wu Zetian raised her eyebrows, nodded, and turned away.

Zhang Jianzhi glanced at Wu Zetian again and kept talking: "In addition, when Di Gong was in Youzhou, he was kind to the people, dismissed bad officials, abolished harsh policies, promoted education, and made the king's rule spread to the people. This is also a great achievement!"

Hearing this, Wu Zetian's brows finally relaxed.

She turned to Zhang Jianzhi and said with a smile, "You! All right, all right. You don't have to submit Di Qing's report to the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War for review. Just approve it."

Zhang Jianzhi was overjoyed when he heard this and quickly thanked him: "Your Majesty is wise!"
-
A few days later, a grand welcoming ceremony was held in Chang'an City to welcome the Turkic Khan Jili to Chang'an for peace talks.

The scale of this audience was much larger than the previous peace negotiation with Shibi Khan. All the twelve guards of Chang'an were mobilized, lining up from the Tonghua Gate in Chang'an to guard the gate of Daming Palace.

The streets were crowded with people, and people in Chang'an rushed to see the Turkic Khan. Thousands of people witnessed this grand event.

Di Renjie and Jili Khan rode side by side, holding hands, demonstrating the friendship between individuals and two countries.

Zhao Ji and Li Yuanfang were proud of it and mingled in the team behind Di Renjie and Jili Khan, enjoying the cheers of the people.

It’s a pity that no painter was arranged to paint this scene, otherwise it would probably be a masterpiece handed down from generation to generation.

In the Taiji Hall, Wu Zetian and Jili swore to heaven: the two countries will be in peace and there will be no war forever.

The court officials, led by Di Renjie, together with the Turkic envoys, paid homage and shouted "Long live the emperor".

In the afterglow of dusk, the grand celebration had quietly come to an end. Wu Zetian and Di Renjie both took off their gorgeous clothes, put on light casual clothes, and took a rest.

After all, there was a banquet to welcome Jili Khan in the evening, and Wu Zetian and Di Renjie were both going to attend. Taking advantage of this break, the two of them leisurely strolled along the quiet path in the Imperial Garden, talking about the friendship between the monarch and his subjects.

Wu Zetian was in a good mood and walked quickly in front, while Di Renjie followed closely behind her, keeping a half-step distance.

After walking for a while, Wu Zetian asked directly without any extra greetings, "Where is the list?"

Di Renjie spoke without hesitation: "The bandit leader Jin Mulan is dead. According to the captive rebels, she was the only one who had the list. With her death, the list is naturally gone."

Wu Zetian looked at Di Renjie for a moment and asked, "Is this true?"

Di Renjie was worthy of being a prime minister, with extensive knowledge and strong memory. He casually said in his memorial many years ago: "When Your Majesty first ascended the throne, you complied with the will of heaven and the will of the people. The King of Yue, Xu Jingye and others started the rebellion, but the local authorities did not respond."

"Chen Zi'ang said, 'The country is at peace, not a speck of dust has moved.' Zhu Jingze also said, 'The people are at peace, and the Purple Palace has changed its master.' Now it's just a list whose authenticity cannot be determined. Why should we worry about it?" Wu Zetian nodded when she heard this, with a smile in her eyes: "Huaiying, you mentioned the two people's memorials, it's not without purpose, right?"

"Your Majesty is wise." Di Renjie bowed.

The two sentences were respectively excerpted from "Memorial on the Use of Punishment" and "Memorial on the Elimination of Abuse of Punishment" submitted by Chen and Zhu. Di Renjie used other people's words to advise Wu Zetian to show leniency and be cautious in using cruel laws.

There was no sign of joy or anger on Wu Zetian's face, and the two of them continued to move forward slowly.

Suddenly, Wu Zetian stopped and turned to Di Renjie: "How did Hu Jinghui and Li Qingxia die?"

Di Renjie bowed his head and clasped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, I have already reported everything in the memorial."

Wu Zetian stared at Di Renjie, and a smile gradually appeared on her face.

Di Renjie also looked up at Wu Zetian, and their eyes met at this moment.

Then, Wu Zetian laughed heartily, and Di Renjie also smiled knowingly.

Bursts of laughter echoed in the sky above the Imperial Garden, which was the unspoken understanding between the two.
-
As night fell, Chang'an City was still immersed in the joy of Jili Khan's visit. The bright lights reflected the festive atmosphere throughout the city.

Inside the Daming Palace, music and dancing were heard. Wu Zetian, Jili Khan, Di Renjie and all the civil and military officials of the court were gathered together to enjoy the feast.

Zhao Ji had already returned to the Right Thousand Oxen Guard Mansion, where he was familiar.

His colleagues, such as Zhang Huan and Li Lang, had already entered the palace to perform guard duties, while other acquaintances, such as Xiao Bao and Shen Tao, who were not on duty, came to visit Zhao Ji and chat with him.

Everyone found a place and simply set up a table with wine and food to welcome Zhao Ji.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, the topic turned to Hu Jinghui.

"Is General Hu really gone?" Xiao Bao and others all had sad looks on their faces as they asked about Hu Jinghui.

Zhao Ji looked heavy-hearted, sighed, and said slowly: "Yes, General Hu was killed by the villain in order to save Di Gong."

"General Hu was such a good man, how could he be gone just like that?" Everyone sighed and expressed their regret.

"Come, let's offer a toast to General Hu from afar!" I don't know who proposed it, but everyone responded.

Zhao Ji's face immediately became a little embarrassed: "Come, let's toast to General Hu. Don't forget his care for all of us."

Everyone poured wine on the ground to show their respect.

Sacrifices have been offered and worships have been paid. When it comes to Hu Jinghui, the topic at the table has to be the selection of the new General of the Central Army.

"I wonder who will be the next General of the Central Army?" Shen Tao asked curiously.

"I think Chengyuan has a chance. Chengyuan has made great contributions in Youzhou this time, so he will definitely be promoted." An old man at the table said.

Hearing this, Shen Tao, Xiao Bao and others began to make a noise: "When General Zhao becomes rich in the future, don't forget us brothers!"

Zhao Ji waved his hand immediately after hearing this: "Before I went to Youzhou, I had already been promoted to the rank of Qianniu Beishen. It is a great favor from His Majesty that I can be promoted to the rank of Qianniu Beishen."

He paused, then continued, "Besides, I am only in my early twenties. How can I take on the important task of the Lieutenant General? Most importantly, there is no need to fill the vacancy. Maybe this position will be vacant for a while."

Zhao's explanation was very logical and everyone at the table nodded.

At this moment, a Qianniu Guard hurried in and whispered something to Zhao Ji.

(End of this chapter)