Chapter 871 The powerful Tang Ting!
This is the most glorious moment in Li Shimin’s life!
The bright but not scorching light shone on his armor, revealing a sacred golden majesty, just like the awe-inspiring god, and his glance was captivating.
With flags covering the sky and colorful flowers flying, the elite troops of the Tang court who had returned from the eastern capital Luoyang surrounded their commander, King of Qin Li Shimin.
All the generals on the Eastern Expedition rode their horses happily, with undisguised pride on their faces. Yuchi Gong even raised his hand and cheered.
The people of Chang'an City gave him a warm response.
Luo Xuanye rode his horse following on the left side of Li Shimin, still with an expressionless look on his face. Privately among the people, he was known as "God-faced Shura". The source of this title was that he was majestic and heavy, like a god, and killed people without blinking an eye on the battlefield, just like a Shura.
Luo Xuanye, who has always been low-key, is now dressed in gorgeous clothes. This is to cooperate with Li Shimin. This triumphal ceremony is too important to Li Shimin and the Qin Palace. In this way, he can show off his martial arts to everyone, especially to his father.
Li Shimin wanted to tell Li Yuan that I, Li Shimin, am your best son. The founding of the Tang Dynasty is my credit. Father, please don’t forget what you once said to make me the crown prince.
…
In the Taiji Palace, due to its low terrain, it was a little dark and damp. Even in the daytime, there were a few candles lit. A frail palace maid stood behind Li Yuan and gently waved a fan. Li Yuan sat and listened to the palace maid describe how powerful the Qin King's army was. He and Pei Ji looked at each other. Pei Ji smiled slightly, like an old fox. Li Yuan's eyes had a complicated expression, which was joy, worry, and hesitation.
Li Shimin naturally didn't know that when he captured Luoyang to handle affairs and meet Luo Su, a conversation took place between the emperor and his ministers Li Yuan and Pei Ji in Chang'an City that was enough to determine his fate.
The reason for the conversation was simple. Li Shimin's great achievements made Li Yuan once again think of making him the crown prince.
Did Li Yuan ever think of making Li Shimin the crown prince?
Almost everyone knows that there must be!
Because the King of Qin was so outstanding. This excellence was not hypocritical like Yang Guang's, but was demonstrated time and time again in life and death and in blood and fire.
The King of Qin dares to do what others dare not do!
The King of Qin can solve problems that others cannot solve!
With the Tang Dynasty's repeated wars of unification, the current political peak of the Tang Dynasty is Li Yuan, but the one with the highest military prestige is Li Shimin. As long as he leads the army to war, the men of the Tang Dynasty will fight bravely to be the first.
There has never been anything like this in the past years.
The military capability of the founding monarch must be very strong. Even if he cannot fight the entire war of unification, he must at least control half of the country. The prestige of the founding monarch in the army is always very high, and he thus obtains almost unlimited power, which is enough to suppress all those who disobey.
But the Tang Dynasty was different. Li Shimin represented the army and was an important part of Li Yuan's imperial power. It was impossible for Li Yuan to fight against his own power base.
However, Li Jiancheng was not part of Li Yuan's royal power. On the contrary, Li Jiancheng was the one who needed Li Yuan's support.
For Li Yuan and the entire Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin was indispensable, while Li Jiancheng could be replaced at will. This was the political reality of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Yuan saw this, so his idea of changing the crown prince was quite reasonable, but there was always one thing weighing on him, and that was the end of the Sui Dynasty in the second generation!
At that time, his cousin, Prince of Jin Yang Guang, was also praised by the world as much better than the deposed Crown Prince Yang Yong, but in the end, this "excellent" second son, Prince of Jin, destroyed the Sui Dynasty.
This incident had a greater impact on Li Yuan than many people imagined, as it was happening right next to him.
After receiving the battle report, Li Yuan had been worrying about how to reward the King of Qin. One battle allowed Li Tang to almost unify the world. This achievement was unbelievably great, and he was completely unsure, so he found Pei Ji, whom he trusted the most.
Li Yuan asked Pei Ji, "The King of Qin has made such great contributions that there is almost no reward or title that can be bestowed upon him. I wonder if it is feasible to make the King of Qin the crown prince?"
When Pei Ji heard what Li Yuan said, he was terrified. He was Li Yuan's diehard descendant, neither the Prince's Party nor the Prince of Qin's Party, but that didn't mean he had no bias. Letting the Prince of Qin be the Prince, or even become the Emperor in the future, was something he could not accept!
Liu Wenjing is the King of Qin's man, and Liu Wenjing is his mortal enemy. If it weren't for the King of Qin, Liu Wenjing would have died by now.
Once the King of Qin becomes the emperor and Liu Wenjing is reinstated, he will be more capable than him. Will Pei Ji still be able to escape unscathed?
But that's not the case.
Pei Ji could become Li Yuan's favorite minister, and even the crown prince had to curry favor with him, so he must have certain abilities. Although he was mediocre in both civil and military affairs, he was top-notch in flattery and scheming.
He only used two sentences, two sentences that changed the concept, to make Li Yuan give up the idea of making Li Shimin the crown prince.
"The King of Qin is so outstanding and brilliant because Your Majesty did not allow the Crown Prince to make achievements, but instead appointed the oldest and the most virtuous. The Crown Prince is both the oldest and the most virtuous. How could Your Majesty bear to depose him?"
"The King of Qin has great military prowess. If the country is unified, the world will be at peace. In the future, the role of military prowess will be greatly reduced, and the Crown Prince will be more outstanding than the other princes. Your Majesty must be aware of this."
Li Yuan was always hesitant when facing his two sons. After hearing these two sentences, he gave up the idea of making Li Shimin the crown prince.
…
After the Eastern Expedition army returned victoriously, Li Shimin marched straight into the imperial palace. Looking at the majestic and quiet imperial palace, Li Shimin's eyes were filled with an expression that he could not conceal.
The sun shone on his body, making him look brilliant.
Li Jiancheng looked at this scene and found it too glaring. In the current Tang Dynasty, people only knew about the King of Qin but not the Crown Prince. His assistants in the East Palace told him day and night about the threat posed by the King of Qin to his throne, which made Li Jiancheng more and more anxious, but helpless.
The group walked up to the hall and took their seats in order under the guidance of the palace maids. Li Yuan sat at the top of the table with a casual attitude. Everyone could see his joy, especially when the mighty and heroic Li Shimin came to the hall to pay his respects. Li Yuan laughed loudly to his close ministers such as Pei Ji, "Who can compare to my Li family's unicorn son?"
Such boasting naturally attracted a wave of echoes. Besides, there was really nothing to compare with, and the excellence of the King of Qin was recognized by all.
Li Shimin strode in the hall. Behind him, a group of military officers, although not wearing armor, still had a murderous aura. From Li Shimin to Luo Xuanye, Yuchi Gong and others, almost every one of them was tall and strong, and looked extremely oppressive. As they walked, it seemed as if the earth was shaking, causing everyone in the hall to look at them sideways.
"Your Highness, I, Li Shimin, lead the generals of the Eastern Expedition to pay my respects to Your Majesty!"
Li Shimin lifted his skirt and knelt on the cushion at the front of the hall. All the generals knelt down, and the sound echoed through the four pillars. They all said in unison: "Your Majesty, may you live in peace and happiness forever!"
Although it was daytime, hundreds of candles were lit in the hall. The bright candlelight made the hall bright and shining, without a trace of dimness, just like the mood of the generals who were on the Eastern Expedition in the hall.
There is nothing in the world that makes a military general happier than returning victoriously. If there is anything, it is the reward after the victory. Almost everyone is looking forward to Li Yuan's reward to Li Shimin.
Li Yuan laughed loudly and said, "Hurry up and give seats to the King of Qin and the generals."
A large group of palace maids walked through the hall, placing cushions on both sides of the hall, and then led the generals to sit on the cushions. Only Li Shimin was left kneeling in front of the tens of thousands of people.
Li Yuan, wearing a bright yellow robe, finally stood up. He walked to Li Shimin, helped Li Shimin up, held Li Shimin's hand, and couldn't help laughing again. Li Shimin also laughed heartily, looking like a loving father and a filial son.
Everyone in the Prince of Qin's Mansion was naturally delighted to see this scene, but the Crown Prince and the Eastern Palace were heartbroken. His Majesty's love for the Prince of Qin was somewhat unusual!
Li Yuan cleared his throat and said in a deep voice to the senior officials of the empire in the hall: "We have conquered Henan and Hebei in one battle. Now only Xiao Xian of Jingchu is left in the world. Our Tang Dynasty is about to dominate the world, and the King of Qin is the first to achieve this.
The King of Qin's contributions are so great that they are in no way inferior to those of Han Wumu of the Han Dynasty. Among all the heroes of the Tang Dynasty, he is unparalleled in his contributions.
He is my son, and I have been thinking about how to reward him so as to win the support of the people!
I want to give him more fiefs and more money, but how can these compare to the glory that the King of Qin has brought to the Tang Dynasty?"
yes!
Even the officials of the Eastern Palace had to admit that no reward could compare to the glory that the King of Qin brought to the Tang Dynasty.
Why?
Because the Tang Dynasty is about to obtain the Mandate of Heaven!
The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty will become the Son of Heaven of all China!
Since the advent of the Su King, the emperor has become more and more noble. Since the Han Dynasty, there have been many emperors, but the emperor has become more and more proud above all the crowns.
Li Yuan returned to his seat and looked at the ministers with high spirits, "I have thought about it, what else can be conferred the title of King of Qin among the four officials of the so-called noble titles?
No more.
How much money should be given to the King of Qin to be considered enough?
I don’t know.
In this case, I will follow the example of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, and allow the King of Qin to mint his own coins. He can mint as much money as he wants!
I will increase the King of Qin's fief to 30,000 households, and confer upon him the title of General Tiance, which is above the first-rank prince and a super-rank. The General Tiance can establish his own government and set up his own office.
I have decided not to withdraw the establishment of the Grand Secretariat of the Eastern Shaanxi Road. The King of Qin will still be the Minister of the Grand Secretariat of the Eastern Shaanxi Road, governing the area east of the Shaanxi Mountains. All the offices, roads, and states must obey the orders of the Grand Secretariat of the Eastern Shaanxi Road!"
Li Shimin was shocked when he heard this. Every time Li Yuan said something, he would reply, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The ministers in the hall could not help but start discussing, and even Pei Ji was a little confused, as this was different from what they had discussed before.
Pei Ji still didn't understand Li Yuan's love for his sons. At least at this time, Li Yuan truly loved Li Shimin, this outstanding son who was about to make him the emperor.
Crown Prince Li Jiancheng was already gloomy as water, but he still had to pretend to be congratulatory. He really wanted to leave on the spot.
It is outrageous that one can mint coins by oneself, but among all the rewards given by Li Yuan, this is actually the most normal and least outrageous one.
General Tiance!
What is this?
In order to make the King of Qin prominent, an official position was even created, which was above the prince and duke. You should know that only the crown prince was above the prince and duke.
Moreover, the General of Tian Ce can also set up his own government office. Isn't this completely different from the Eastern Palace?
The last one is even more outrageous, it is the permanent position of Shangshu Ling of the Grand Secretariat of the Shaanxi East Circuit.
Your Majesty, what do you want to do?
Let the King of Qin divide Shaanxi and Guandong, and directly divide the Tang Dynasty into two empires, the Eastern and Western empires, and let the King of Qin become the emperor of the Eastern Empire?
When the people in the Prince of Qin's mansion heard about the reward, they were all smiling happily. On the way back, many of them were worried.
How should the emperor reward such a great contribution? No matter how one thinks about it, no answer can satisfy anyone except to make him the crown prince.
But it is obviously not that simple to appoint a crown prince.
Now, His Majesty the Emperor has given his answer. Although he cannot be named the Crown Prince, he is completely equivalent to the Crown Prince, and his power, status, wealth and glory are even higher than those of the Crown Prince!
Now not only Li Shimin was satisfied, but even the ministers in the Prince of Qin's Palace were satisfied. Perhaps only the people in the Prince's Palace were heartbroken.
Although the officials in the palace were shocked by Li Yuan's words, no one, even the Crown Prince and the Eastern Palace, spoke out in opposition. The reason was simple, because Li Shimin's contributions were worthy of it!
The prince has no merit but enjoys a high position. He is already inferior to others. If a dispute arises on this issue, he will be in an extremely passive position.
Li Shimin was naturally delighted in his heart, but he did not show it on his face. He remained calm and thanked the emperor for his great grace, and then drank happily with all the ministers.
His majesty and nobility were so impressive that all the generals drank happily. Zhangsun Wuji and others stepped forward to congratulate the King of Qin, but Li Shimin just waved his hand. Everyone was immediately in awe, realizing that the more urgent it was, the more cautious they had to be.
Luo Xuanye had not drunk any wine, but just sat beside Li Shimin. He glanced at everyone in the hall, and suddenly whispered to Li Shimin, "Prince Qin, the one beside the crown prince is Wei Zheng. He has followed many people. A few months ago, he was under Dou Jiande. Now I don't know how he got to the crown prince. My second brother once said that this person has the talent of a king's assistant and is not easy to deal with."
Talented enough to assist the king?
Li Shimin narrowed his eyes immediately, and wanted to go to the prince to say a few words. He just stood up when he was stopped by Luo Xuanye. Luo Xuanye shook his head. Li Shimin reacted, and Luo Xuanye whispered: "Although Wei Zheng is not a minister who serves one person all his life, since he has surrendered to the prince, he will not surrender to the King of Qin just like that.
Moreover, although he is intelligent, you, the King of Qin, have Fang Du and others, all of whom are capable of assisting the king and are well-informed. You don't need to worry about a mere Wei Zheng."
Li Shimin laughed softly and said, "Qingyang, you have improved a lot in these years. If it were in the past, you would definitely kill Wei Zheng."
Luo Xuanye smiled and said, "I was not an official of the Sui Dynasty before, so there is no pressure to kill officials of the Sui Dynasty.
But things are different now. We have laws in the Tang Dynasty, and we must always act according to the rules.
But I still think it is better to kill him. He is cunning and may be detrimental to your cause, King Qin."
Luo Xuanye's words made Li Shimin laugh out loud, and then he said with some emotion: "The world is unified, the war is basically over, and the world will belong to the Tang Dynasty in the future. We have risked our lives on the battlefield for so many years, and finally achieved a good result.
I still remember that dozens of soldiers surrounded me. If you hadn't come to save me, I might have died there. How could I have the glory I have today? And A Ling and Yuchi both saved my life.
It’s so hard to conquer the world! "
Yes, it was really difficult. Luo Xuanye just felt uncomfortable all over his body, and the wounds left by the battle began to ache again.
Probably no one would have thought that at the celebration banquet, as Li Shimin drank cup after cup of wine, he was not very happy, but only felt regretful, feeling how difficult it was to gain the world.
Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji could not empathize with this kind of emotion. Only Luo Xuanye, who had always been with Li Shimin, understood how many times Li Shimin had risked his life, charged into battle and suffered for the sake of the Tang Dynasty over the years. At least five or six times, if there was a slight accident, Li Shimin would have died!
Therefore, Luo Xuanye has always been a staunch supporter of Li Shimin. Before Luo Su confirmed his support for Li Shimin, he was already prepared to help Li Shimin seize the throne in the future.
In his opinion, the world should belong to Li Shimin. It was fine for Li Yuan to just sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor, but why should Li Jiancheng have the right?
Li Shimin has always understood Luo Xuanye's psychology, so he tells Luo Xuanye almost everything.
Li Shimin suddenly remembered something and poked Luo Xuanye and said, "Qingyang, the princess gave birth to a legitimate daughter. I will give her to your eldest son."
ah?
Luo Xuanye knew that ever since Li Shimin knew that he had a son, he had always wanted a legitimate daughter to be closer to him. According to common sense, this was no problem, but...
Luo Xuanye looked around and whispered, "King Qin, Dalang and the princess are cousins. In the Luo family, this kind of marriage can only be completed with the blessing of the Su King.
After being blessed by the Suwang, it is called "holy marriage".
Without the blessing of King Su, cousins will be cursed when they marry, and their children will be extremely likely to die, and there is a high chance that they will be born with abnormalities.
King Qin, when the time is right, we will advise His Majesty to enact a law to prohibit cousin marriages without the blessing of the King."
It was the first time that Li Shimin heard such remarks, and he quickly asked, "Qingyang, are you telling the truth?
Without the blessing of the Su Wang, will there really be big problems if cousins get married? Will it be easy for the marriage to end in infancy? "
Before Luo Xuanye could answer, he murmured, "That's right.
Since ancient times, noble families have doctors and excellent conditions, but the survival rate is even lower than that of ordinary people. It must be because noble families often intermarry like this."
It would be fine if this matter of close-kin marriage was not mentioned, but once it was mentioned, it was easy to sense. Because the nobles have had a vague feeling about it for so many years, they just don't know the reason.
Li Shimin asked in a low voice: "Qingyang, what does the holy marriage mean?"
Luo Xuanye was about to speak when he saw Li Yuan, who was drinking happily, and waved his hand to Li Shimin over with a smile on his face, so he stopped talking.
Li Shimin walked forward. Li Yuan was obviously a little drunk. Concubines such as Zhang Jieyushi were supporting him, otherwise he might have collapsed.
Seeing Li Shimin approaching, Li Yuan spoke vaguely but was still full of energy. He smiled and said, "Erlang, your martial arts are so great that no one in the world can match you. Since you started your army in Jinyang, you have been invincible. You have defeated Xue Ju, repelled the Turks, destroyed Song Jin Gang, killed Liu Wuzhou, defeated Wang Shichong, and captured Dou Jiande. You are truly the reincarnation of the Lord of Arms and the might of the God of War."
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin hurriedly said modestly: "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I just relied on the help of my ministers and assistants. Qingyang, Jingde, Shubao, Zhijie, and Qingyu are all powerful enough to defeat ten thousand men.
Qingyang mounted his horse to fight, commanded the cavalry, and formed a battle array to resist, and he was skilled in all aspects.
General Yuchi's cavalry's horsemanship and his prowess with spears and halberds are unmatched in the world.
Shubao rode his horse and jumped with his spear, and he was always able to stab the generals in the battle. He followed me in the battles, charged into the battle array hundreds of times, and caused dozens of deaths.
Zhijie is brave and resourceful. He stands in the front, as steady as a mountain.
Qingyu is like my shadow, following me wherever I go, never leaving my side, and helping me escape danger several times.
With these people, I can conquer the world with one battle in the Central Plains and spread the power of the Tang Dynasty."
Li Yuan laughed loudly upon hearing this and said, "Erlang, don't be so modest. I know Qingyang. He was born in the Luo family and was taught by Duke Wen. He has always been arrogant and proud. If he didn't recognize you, how could he have stayed under your command for so many years and followed you in battles.
Yuchi Jingde, Qin Shubao and Cheng Yaojin were all surrendered generals. Why weren't they like this in the past?
Isn't this because of you?
Tell me how you have been able to win every battle. There have not been many people like you since ancient times."
Li Shimin just wanted to smile bitterly when he heard this. There is no such thing as winning every battle in this world. There are many unexpected events in war.
A commander who is invincible in every battle has simply not yet encountered the war that will lead to his failure.
But the emperor asked, he had to answer, so he said: "To win a war, you must have strong military skills. The first thing about strong military skills is the general. It is said that it is easy to get an army, but it is difficult to get a general. The second thing is the soldiers. It is said that strong soldiers win by themselves. One strong soldier can defeat ten inferior soldiers.
The Black Armor Army is powerful. With only 3,000 Black Armor Army members, I dare to attack Dou Jiande's army of 100,000. This is the way to use strong soldiers.
As for the generals, has your Majesty ever seen the heroic figures of Generals Qingyang and Yuchi who could defeat thousands of enemies on the battlefield?"
Li Yuan was quite interested when he heard this and said, "I have never seen this before. In ancient history books, there are many words praising the Ten Thousand Enemies, saying that they are as strong as tigers and leopards, and their voices are like thunder, which is simply inhuman, but I have never seen it in person."
Li Shimin bowed and said, "Father, why don't we let the Yulin Guards and the generals under my command give it a try? Then you will know that the enemy of ten thousand men is strong and can move freely on the battlefield. It is no problem for them to break through the enemy's formation, kill the enemy generals, and break through the enemy's formation."
While the two were talking, Li Yuan summoned the Yulin Guards into the palace. At the beginning of the founding of the country, these Yulin Guards were not just for show, but real elite troops.
Yuchi Gong, Qin Shubao, and Cheng Zhijie stood up. Luo Xuanye drank tea leisurely. Li Yuan saw this and asked, "Qingyang, why don't you go into battle?"
Luo Xuanye bowed and smiled, "Father, the Imperial Guards only have thirty people, and three generals are just enough. If I go into battle again, it will be bullying the Imperial Guards."
Li Yuan was shocked when he heard this. The Yulin Guards were the elite troops protecting him, and Li Yuan was well aware of their strength. Even if Yuchi Gong and others were strong, could they really fight ten people at once?
Soon the result will be revealed to all the ministers. Both sides will remove the spearheads of their spears, leaving only the wooden poles. They will stand still and rush forward swiftly as a drum sounds.
Yuchi Gong and his two companions were clearly not riding horses, but they acted as if they had war horses under their crotch. They rushed forward at an extremely fast speed, like an arrow shot from a bow. Every step they took in the hall was like the sight of thousands of troops, shocking everyone's mind.
Li Shimin smiled but said nothing. He liked to show off his martial arts in front of others, but he didn't like to show it to Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and others, because Yuchi Gong and others couldn't hide it. In this case, he would show it to them thoroughly.
The effect was quite good. The prince was dumbfounded. These few people were outnumbered ten to one, but they beat the Yulin Guards so badly that they had no power to fight back. Yuchi Gong was especially outrageous. He snatched away the spears in the hands of the Yulin Guards one after another, leaving them with no power to fight back.
If they were on the battlefield, these Yulin Guards would have been dead, and everyone in the hall knew that after these generals mounted their horses and put on armor, their combat effectiveness would increase several times again, and they would be difficult to kill unless they were surrounded.
Li Jiancheng looked at these people with greed in his eyes. He was really envious of the generals under Li Shimin's command.
If he has these people, then what does he have to worry about the King of Qin?
When the Yulin Guards were defeated one after another, Li Yuan applauded loudly, "Great, great, with such warriors, my Tang Dynasty will be as stable as Mount Tai. Imperial Censor, give the three generals a hundred gold coins to reward their bravery!"
After saying that, Yuchi Gong and the other two hurriedly thanked him. Yuchi Gong looked at Li Yuanji with a smug look on his face. During the expedition against Wang Shichong, the two had a grudge against each other, and Yuchi Gong was almost killed by Li Yuanji.
Li Yuan looked at the calm Luo Xuanye again and asked with a smile: "I heard that General Yuchi was defeated by the prince consort himself, so the prince consort must be stronger?"
Upon hearing this, Yuchi Gong immediately had an embarrassed look on his face, which made Qin Shubao and Cheng Zhijie beside him laugh out loud.
Luo Xuanye bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I captured General Yuchi by accident. General Yuchi is as brave as I am in Guan Zhang Zhiyong, but I am more proficient in horse lance. General Yuchi is good at seizing lances, but I have a steady hand, so I can beat General Yuchi.
It’s just that everyone has their own specialization.”
Yuchi Gong laughed when he heard this.
"good!"
Li Yuan was very happy. "General Yuchi is very capable, and my consort is even more capable. I am very happy!"
————
How should Li Yuan choose? Perhaps he tossed and turned for countless days and nights, regretting one thing: Li Shimin was not his eldest son. How could he not know that his son, who had the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix, and the appearance of the sun and the moon, would not stop because of the general of Tiance. There has never been cowardice and fear in the blood of the Li family. As a descendant of the Li family, he knows this better than anyone else. Li Jiancheng is like this, and so is Li Shimin. ——"China·Tang Empire"
————
At that time, Emperor Gaozu, because of his great merits, was granted the title of Tiance, rewarded with the title of Kaifu, and granted Shaanxi East. His favor was great, far surpassing that of other kings, even to the East Palace. No one at that time was angry, and they said: The country has a wise king, and the country is peaceful and stable.
The emperor was popular, but the Crown Prince was worried. Chu Li was furious and often asked, "Why do you hold on to your achievements and become so arrogant?" - "Book of Tang: Chronicle of Emperor Taizong"
(End of this chapter)
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