Chapter 232 Li Shimin personally puts the crown on Wei Zheng

Wei Zheng was stopped.

Upon seeing this, Fang Xuanling and the others quickly took him into custody.

"Wei Zheng, who told you to bang your head against the pillar in the Taiji Hall?"

After Wei Zheng was brought under control, Li Shimin became even angrier and cursed him.

"Didn't Your Majesty instruct me to crash into him?" Wei Zheng raised his head.

Well……

Li Shimin looked slightly embarrassed.

It seems there's another sentence after this.

If you don't crash into me, I'll chop you down with my own hands!

"I told you to hit it, not now!"

Li Shimin shamelessly retorted, "You still claim to be utterly loyal to me and the Tang Dynasty!"

"What's the solution?"

"You've really gotten over your insults!"

"You must resolve this trouble for me before you die..."

The courtiers stared blankly at this scene.

Li Shimin's words still carried anger, but he no longer harbored any murderous intent.

"It was my oversight."

Wei Zheng instinctively tried to bow, but found himself being restrained: "Let me go!"

"Xuancheng, calm down! Don't run into the pillar!"

"Yes, His Majesty is just angry in the moment; he'll be fine in a few days."

"The Tang Dynasty still needs you; you cannot act impulsively."

The courtiers began to offer words of comfort and reassurance.

Just then, an inappropriate sound rang out...

“Yes, if I’m going to die, I’ll just hang myself at home. The court is dirty and needs to be cleaned. I’ll have to find a monk to cleanse me of bad luck when I get home. I’ll feel uncomfortable coming to the court again.”

Cheng Yaojin snorted coldly and spoke arrogantly.

He can both embarrass Lao Wei and persuade him.

I, Lao Cheng, am quite the expert at persuading people!

"..."

This is the result of failing to hit the pillar, an extremely embarrassing situation.

"Let me go!"

Wei Zheng struggled again.

Fang Xuanling hesitated for a moment, then slowly released Wei Zheng.

Cheng Yaojin stood guard beside the load-bearing pillar to prevent Wei Zheng from hitting it again.

"His Majesty!"

Wei Zheng bowed solemnly: "In fact, the Tang Dynasty has already laid the foundation to surpass the Sui Dynasty and directly catch up with Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han!"

"Although Emperor Yang of Sui was a man of great talent, he made the people live in constant fear and misery!"

"The Tang Dynasty replacing the Sui Dynasty is the best proof!"

As he spoke, Wei Zheng looked at his son: "Shuyu, you've done your homework, tell me..."

"oh."

Wei Shuyu obediently accepted the order.

He then bowed to Li Shimin and said, "Emperor Yang of Sui created many great achievements, but he also had many faults."

"Firstly, the North and South will be unified!"

"Although Yang Guang was the commander-in-chief, the greatest credit still belongs to his father, Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian!"

"Emperor Wen of Sui's policies of centralizing power, military means, and cultural impact were the key to the unification of the North and South."

"To put it bluntly, Yang Guang went there to gain experience and prestige!"

"Secondly, the imperial examination system!"

"Everyone says that Yang Guang created the imperial examination system, but it was Emperor Wen of Sui who truly proposed this idea!"

"It was abolished for various reasons."

"To be realistic, Yang Guang simply forced the resumption of the imperial examination system!"

Thirdly, the Grand Canal was constructed.

"Undeniably, this was a great achievement that would benefit future generations. Unfortunately, Yang Guang disregarded the people and wasted resources, which led to uprisings of rebel armies throughout the Central Plains."

"Merits and demerits cannot be judged objectively; one can only say..."

"He was in a hurry, but he was also reluctant to spend money."

"They chose the most inhumane method."

"The lives of ordinary people today were exchanged for the Grand Canal, which will benefit future generations!"

Fourthly, all nations paid tribute!

"Emperor Yang of Sui launched a western expedition, expanding the territory and seemingly ushering in a golden age!"

"However, all of this is just a superficial phenomenon."

"He merely traded the foundation of the Sui Dynasty for a moment of pleasure!"

"Fifth..."

The imperial court was completely silent.

Everyone listened quietly to Wei Shuyu's story.

It is undeniable that Wei Shuyu's words make sense.

Wei Zheng nodded.

My son has not slacked off these days, and his efforts in standing up for me have not been in vain.

"His Majesty!"

After Wei Shuyu finished speaking, Wei Zheng bowed to Li Shimin and said...

"Everything Yang Guang achieved was based on the solid foundation laid for him by Emperor Wen of Sui!"

"And everything His Majesty has achieved, he has earned it all with his own hands, bit by bit!"

"Yang Guang waged wars everywhere, shaking the foundation of the country and damaging its very core."

"Your Majesty, having defended Chang'an alone, has accumulated strength and is now ready to unleash your power, avenging the humiliation suffered at the Wei River!"

"The Sui Dynasty declined drastically, while the Tang Dynasty soared to new heights!"

"Please take a closer look, Your Majesty..."

Wei Zheng turned around and pointed to the vast expanse of land outside the Taiji Hall...

"Yang Guang was nothing more than a spendthrift emperor who squandered his family fortune everywhere."

"But His Majesty is a wise and virtuous emperor who diligently built up an unparalleled legacy..."

"Yang Guang cruelly killed loyal and virtuous officials, so Your Majesty widely accepted virtuous ministers."

"Yang Guang is stubborn and self-willed; Your Majesty should broaden the channels for advice."

"Emperor Yang Guang was extravagant, while His Majesty was diligent and frugal."

"Emperor Yang Guang wasted the people's resources and caused them hardship, but His Majesty loves his people like his own children."

"I believe..."

"Your Majesty should face the Sui Dynasty squarely and look down upon Emperor Yang of Sui!"

"Emperor Yang of Sui squandered his empire, and countless people suffered because of him!"

How can he compare to His Majesty?

"Why can't the Tang Dynasty replace it?"

"Anyone who disagrees is welcome to come to my Great Tang Dynasty..."

"Ask any official in the court!"

"Ask the common people of the world..."

"Should we choose his incompetent and tyrannical Sui Dynasty, or my benevolent and compassionate Tang Dynasty?"

boom.

Li Shimin's mind exploded.

He had always been afraid of being compared to Emperor Yang of Sui.

He was troubled by the murder of his brothers and the usurpation of the throne.

His achievements were far inferior to those of Emperor Yang of Sui...

At this moment, listen to Wei Zheng's words.

It was like striking a morning bell, instantly bringing clarity.

Yang Guang is nothing!

I, Li Er, am the best!

"Your Majesty is wise!"

As soon as Wei Zheng finished speaking, all the officials bowed in agreement.

Li Shimin then suddenly realized the truth.

"Why didn't you say so just now, my dear minister?"

Li Shimin hurriedly descended the steps, took Wei Zheng's hand, and said with gratitude and lingering fear in his eyes: "My dear minister, do you know that the few words you omitted almost cost me a wise minister?"

"Do you know how much I regretted it when you crashed into the supporting pillar?"

Li Shimin's words were sincere and heartfelt.

Deep down, he didn't want to kill Wei Zheng!

"His Majesty!"

Wei Zheng bowed in fear: "Your Majesty, my humble servant and I only wish to awaken Your Majesty..."

"It's better to guide than to block."

"Emperor Yang Guang cannot compare to you, and the Sui Dynasty cannot compare to the Tang Dynasty!"

"Your Majesty can also rightfully rule the world!"

"The Tang Dynasty did indeed enjoy some of the benefits of the Sui Dynasty."

"But didn't the Sui Dynasty also inherit everything from the Qin and Han dynasties?"

"What Your Majesty needs to do..."

"It is on this basis that we can do better and more perfectly!"

Li Shimin was deeply moved.

At that moment, his lingering shadow over the Sui Dynasty vanished.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already caught up with Yang Guang.

"My dear minister, you may dispense with the formalities."

Li Shimin promoted Wei Zheng to a higher position.

When Li Shimin saw Wei Zheng's official hat fall to the ground, he personally bent down and picked it up.

Dust off...

Then he solemnly placed it on Wei Zheng's head: "My dear minister, you are the cornerstone of the Tang Dynasty. You must never do such an impulsive thing again."

"This time..."

"It was my impulsiveness that led to this."