Chapter 875 Li’s bloodline talent!
Let’s put aside the matter of Luo Su and the Luo family for now.
Because of the dispute between the King of Qin and the Crown Prince, even Da Xi, who was given the order, could not dispel the stagnant atmosphere in the core of the Tang Dynasty.
Princess Pingyang's Mansion.
Luo Xuanye and Li Xiuning were lying on a large rocking chair. In front of them was a pond built by diverting water. Lotus flowers were blooming in the pond, emitting bursts of fragrance.
Li Xiuning leaned in Luo Xuanye's arms and whispered, "Erlang and Concubine Zhang had a conflict, and my father scolded Erlang, saying that he was arrogant and domineering, and that he was used to being autocratic when he was in charge of the army outside, and now he brought the habits of the army to the court."
As she spoke, she began to speak in a cold voice, "Jieyu Zhang and Concubine Yin De, they are truly enchanting concubines.
If my mother had not died early, how could things between my father and Erlang have come to this point?
These two people were trusted by our father, but they framed the king of the country. They deserve to die!
I really don’t know what benefits the prince gave them to make them help him so much.”
Logically speaking, Li Xiuning and Li Jiancheng have spent more time together and should have a better relationship, but it is obvious that people are not machines, so this cannot be calculated.
There is a scale in everyone's heart.
Li Xiuning was very clear whether Li Shimin was treated unfairly.
The real incident that caused Luo Xuanye and Li Xiuning to drift away from Li Jiancheng was when Li Jiancheng abandoned Li Zhiyun during the uprising in Jinyang.
Luo Xuanye said coldly: "It's nothing more than seeing that the emperor is old, they are anxious to find a new backer for themselves and their son.
The prince can offer better conditions, and he will not feel sorry for selling his father's land. This world was not conquered by the prince, so of course he is willing to pay for it.
Moreover, all the people in the palace are good at observing people's words and expressions. It is very likely that your father has acquiesced to this matter. Your Majesty is very likely to be deeply afraid of the King of Qin.
After all, he is the emperor. How could he not be worried about the powerful political and military group under the King of Qin, which is clearly divided into civil and military forces? "
There was another sentence he didn't say. In the current Tang Dynasty, the only one who could threaten his throne was Li Shimin. Crown Prince Li Jiancheng posed no threat to Li Yuan at all.
Li Xiuning stroked Luo Xuanye gently and said, "My husband, the emperor has his own difficulties. He is wary of Erlang, but he also loves him deeply. Otherwise, a minister like Erlang who has made great achievements would have been executed by the emperor long ago. It is too unsolvable."
Now both Li Yuan and Li Shimin were put here. Li Shimin had made outstanding contributions and could not be deposed casually, but if he was not deposed, Li Yuan would feel like a thorn in his back.
No solution.
Luo Xuanye didn't think so. He had a warrior's direct thinking, "Madam, there are very complicated knots on the pillars now. How can we untie them the fastest?
Instead of investigating the problem bit by bit, just cut it open with one sword. No matter how complicated the knot is, it can be untied with one sword. This is called cutting the Gordian knot.
Now, His Majesty neither wants to depose the Crown Prince nor wants to, or cannot, dare to depose the King of Qin. He wants to keep it fair, but how is that possible?
The Tang Dynasty is not the Rome of the Far West. After hundreds or thousands of years of unification, it is difficult to be the same as Rome, at least in the Central Plains."
Li Xiuning understood what Luo Xuan meant by "we must not dare". Qin Wang Li Shimin was the trump card and the bottom card of the Tang Dynasty. Although the world has been gradually unified now, it is only the unification within the Central Plains. There are still many enemies outside.
The Western Regions believed that the Central Plains were not pious and were heretics, among which the most powerful was the Western Turks.
The Liaodong Kingdom, which shared the same origin and culture but had always been rebellious against the Central Plains, indirectly led to the demise of the Sui Dynasty.
The Dong Turks, who had always been in a state of rise and fall with the Central Plains, were a powerful threat to the Central Plains.
When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked; when the birds are all gone, the good bows are put away.
Li Shimin now has the intention of using the enemy to protect himself. As long as there is a military threat to the Tang Dynasty, he will still be useful, and Li Yuan will let him go.
However, Li Xiuning asked doubtfully: "Husband, what is the Rome you are talking about? Is it a country?"
Luo Xuanye was startled, then he remembered that Li Xiuning certainly didn’t know the existence of Rome, so he explained: “Rome is the Great Qin during the Han Dynasty, 15,000 miles west of Chang’an!
If you walk on the road, you have to cross deserts, Gobi, plateaus, grasslands, and rivers, and walk more than 20,000 miles to get there. I once went there with our ancestor Wen Gong.
Rome is different from us in the Central Plains. Their throne is not passed down from father to son through bloodline, but inherited by adopted sons. It has a flavor of ancient abdication and is a rather backward system.
Under this system, the biggest difference between them and the Central Plains was that they had several emperors governing the empire at the same time. At most, there were four emperors, known as the Four Emperors Rule.
Eventually a powerful emperor divided the empire into two halves, giving them to his two sons. One was called the Western Roman Empire and the other was called the Eastern Roman Empire. From then on, the two empires began to operate independently. "
Li Xiuning, a woman with broad knowledge, couldn't help but open her eyes wide when she heard this, "It's unbelievable, how can a country have two emperors?
And if it is divided into two countries, doesn't that mean there is no unity?"
Luo Xuanye pondered and said, "It cannot be said that they are two countries. They are still the same country. Officials from the two empires can communicate with each other, and the emperor of one country can be the descendant of the emperor of another country.
They also considered themselves to be a country, but because the empire was too large, it was governed by two emperors of equal status.
This is a bit like the relationship between the Grand Chancellor of the Eastern Shaanxi Circuit and the imperial court. After the division of the Eastern Shaanxi Circuit, it was actually another imperial court. The difference was that the Grand Chancellor of the Eastern Shaanxi Circuit was still a minister, while the two emperors of Rome had exactly the same status. "
Li Xiuning suddenly realized what Luo Xuanye wanted to say. If it were in Rome, the fight between the Crown Prince and the King of Qin would not be a problem at all. They could just divide the empire into two.
But in the Central Plains, this is too difficult, almost impossible.
But Li Xiuning had already kept these words in mind. She didn't want to see Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin fighting to the death. But now Li Yuan's move to balance the situation was pushing the two men to an irreversible end step by step.
If it was Li Yuanji, it would be fine, but Li Jiancheng and Li Xiuning were still relatives to him. She felt heartbroken to see the family in such a mess.
…
The atmosphere in the Prince of Qin's Mansion was very depressing, probably because Prince of Qin Li Shimin was so furious after returning from the palace that it made people tremble.
When Li Shimin saw Changsun, he took her into his arms and couldn't help crying. He complained, "Why does my father doubt me so much? Concubines Zhang and Yin framed me, and I explained, but my father didn't trust me. Is it my fault that my father and I have come to this point where we hate each other so much?"
The commander who was so powerful on the battlefield now seemed like a child who had lost everything. He was grieving here, suffering great psychological torture. The father who once could protect him from the wind and rain seemed to have disappeared.
What is the difference between the royal family and ordinary people in some aspects?
Being born into a royal family doesn't make you truly cold-blooded and heartless. The heart is still made of flesh, and the unspeakable pains are the same.
Changsun caressed Li Shimin to comfort him. She knew her husband very well. It was as if there were two souls living in his body, one was the extremely emotional side, and the other was the rational side. He was crying here now, but he would not lose his rationality.
Chang Sun knew that what she had to do was very simple. "My husband, cry more and vent these negative emotions. You are still the indomitable general of Tian Ce. You have never failed, and this time is no exception."
With Changsun's gentle soothing voice, Li Shimin relaxed a little. Li Chengqian ran out holding Li Lizhi. Li Shimin took the baby from her. Li Lizhi giggled, and her chubby little face was very cute.
"Princess, let's hold a dinner party. It has been a while since I last interacted with the officials of the Qin Palace and Tiance Palace."
Li Shimin said, and Changsun nodded and said softly: "I will invite the wives of all the ministers as well."
When a husband and wife are united, they can accomplish anything.
…
In the palace, Li Yuan looked at the crying concubine and recalled the dispute between Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng. He suddenly felt a little breathless.
He is by no means a stupid man, and can even be said to be very smart. How could he not know the undercurrents between Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin?
But even if he knew, he had no solution at all.
Jiancheng had not committed any major mistakes, so how could he depose Jiancheng from the position of crown prince?
Since ancient times, has there ever been a deposed prince who could survive?
What's more, for a battlefield warrior like Erlang who regards life and death as worthless, human life, even the prince's life, probably doesn't mean anything.
He seemed to hear the sobbing voices of his concubines again, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is kind and benevolent. A hundred years from now, the survival of my descendants will probably depend on the Crown Prince.
If it was the King of Qin, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to survive!"
Li Yuan lost his parents when he was young, and he attached great importance to family ties.
He closed his eyes slightly, and tried his best to bridge the rift between the King of Qin and the Crown Prince. He wanted the two to live in peace, but it seemed that everything was in vain.
He could only watch his Jilang getting farther and farther away from him.
This was exactly Li Yuan's dilemma. If he was really a tyrant, if he was really indifferent to family affection, no matter how great Li Shimin's contributions were, he would simply be called into the palace and hacked to death.
Although his contribution to the founding of the country was not as great as Li Shimin's, his control over the empire was unquestionable and could not be shaken by Li Shimin. After losing Li Shimin's Qin Palace, the only outcome was to flee in all directions.
If he had decisively given up Li Jiancheng and made Li Shimin the crown prince, the people of the Tang Dynasty would not have been dissatisfied. Li Shimin's prestige was definitely enough to become the crown prince. Even among the people, many people have begun to speculate when Li Shimin would be made the crown prince.
But he chose not to do so. He wanted to keep Li Jiancheng's position as crown prince, but he couldn't bear to let Li Shimin's efforts go to waste, so the current result occurred.
There are also some inexplicable emotions in this.
That was a king's fear of losing power. The power of the King of Qin made him feel that he was already a thing of the past.
The King of Qin’s stubbornness made him angry!
"My Lord, how can there be such suffering in this world?
Where did my former son go?
When the army was launched in Jinyang, Erlang and Dalang were close friends. Now that they have gained the world, they have come to this point, this point..."
How could this be so?
If Luo Su were here, he would probably say that it was because you, Li Yuan, were too incompetent that you did not fight for the world yourself but relied on your son.
Because Li Jiancheng just wanted to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor, he did nothing that could be meritorious, and thus failed to accomplish anything.
In the land of Zhuxia, since King Su, for 1,600 years, achievements have been one of the greatest legitimacy.
The sun gradually set behind the mountain, and the light cast on the imperial palace gradually dissipated, and darkness engulfed the entire palace.
…
Li Shimin sent invitations to the officials in the palace. Luo Xuanling took his wife Gao to the palace for the banquet. While in the carriage, Gao whispered, "My husband, when we go to the Qin Palace this time, if the princess asks about family affairs, what should I say?"
Luo Xuanling held Gao's hand and said without hesitation: "Madam, you are the cousin of the princess, and Gao has become noble again because of the King of Qin.
Since I started my career, I have been the deputy commander of the Qin King's palace. I have served under the Qin King all the way. Everyone knows that I am the Qin King's direct descendant.
If I fail in this fight for the throne, my only outcome will be to die fighting for the King of Qin!
So there is nothing we cannot say. If the princess asks, just show your loyalty.
If the princess has daughters in the future, one of them will marry our son.
The relationship is too close. We have no way out. The King of Qin must become the Emperor!
Anyone who dares to stand in my way will be crushed to pieces by me!"
Gao shuddered. This was the first time that the couple had said such words. She held Luo Xuanling's hand with her soft hands, "Don't worry, my husband. The princess and I have had a good relationship since we were young. My family will definitely be outstanding under the emperor."
A virtuous wife at home is a blessing to the family.
After Luo Xuanling's carriage stopped in front of the Qin Palace, several other carriages also stopped in front of the Qin Palace. It was Yuchi Gong and others who arrived. After seeing Luo Xuanling, Yuchi Gong hurriedly greeted him, "Qingyu, you came quickly. Let's go in together."
Luo Xuanling also greeted with a smile, "General Yuchi came quickly, and General Qin also came quickly, which makes me seem a little neglectful."
This is true. Yuchi Gong and his men live far away from Prince Qin's Mansion, while Luo Xuanling's mansion is closer. You can imagine how quickly Yuchi Gong and his men arrived.
Yuchi Gong smiled, quite honestly, "The King of Qin has summoned me, so of course I have to hurry up to avoid delaying important matters."
He is truly worthy of being Li Shimin's trusted and beloved general. No wonder Yuchi Gong stands out among all the surrendered generals. He is Li Shimin's absolute and most trusted confidant.
Especially after Luo Xuanye's status became too high and he was not suitable to appear as Li Shimin's shadow, Luo Xuanling and Yuchi Gong took over this position.
As they were chatting, Luo Xuanye's carriage arrived, and everyone bowed and said, "I greet Her Royal Highness the Princess and the Duke."
Luo Xuanye and Li Xiuning returned the gift, and the group went back to the mansion together.
When Luo Xuanling met Yuchi Gong and others, they all had one thing in common, that is, they only addressed each other by their names or official titles, but not by their titles.
Why is this?
Because everyone in the Qin Palace was ashamed to mention it, there was almost no Duke title in the entire Qin Palace, and Luo Xuanling's Duke title of County was already the highest.
Why is this so?
Because Yuchi Gong and others were not direct subjects of Emperor Li Yuan, but subjects of the Qin Palace. To some extent, Yuchi Gong and others were not founding heroes.
This is strange, yet not strange.
But for Yuchi Gong and others, this was a very shameful thing. What kind of treatment did they, the brave generals who charged into battle, receive when the Zhou and Han dynasties were founded?
During the Zhou Dynasty, these meritorious officials were the rulers of various vassal states!
He can build his own ancestral temple and have his own country, and he is a monarch.
Times have changed and that is no longer possible, but when the Han Dynasty was founded, people like them were also marquises and had a high status.
But when it was their turn, what did they get in the end?
He is not even as good as Pei Ji and other boastful people. The blood shed is really not worth it and the injury is really frustrating.
Luo Xuanye considered this as a humiliation, and military generals like Yuchi Gong considered this even more of a humiliation, with no idea how hot the fire was burning in their hearts.
These flames burned themselves and also burned Li Shimin.
After the group entered the palace, the female members of the family were taken to the courtyard at the back to appreciate the flowers with the princess. Li Xiuning also went there. She didn't want to get involved. The noble women surrounded Li Xiuning. In this palace, Li Xiuning was the only one who was better than Changsun. The two of them were the center and focus of everyone.
After entering the hall, Luo Xuanye naturally sat in the first position on the left. Except for Li Shimin, he was the first among everyone in terms of seniority, merit, title, official position, and dignity.
Whenever he appeared, no one ever argued with him. The others took their places in turn. Li Shimin came out from the back hall, and everyone stood up and saluted, saying, "Greetings to His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin."
Li Shimin sat on a mat and asked everyone to stand up. He looked around and sighed, "Let's drink first. I summoned you all here today because, alas."
Yuchi Gong asked directly, "King Qin, did I slander you in front of Your Majesty again? How hateful!"
Yuchi Gong was a bold and careful person. Although he was a little domineering, he was not really brainless. He said that on purpose. Li Shimin sighed and said, "My father scolded me again. He thought I was being autocratic and that I was not like him. It was really difficult. It was even more difficult than being on the battlefield."
Luo Xuanye and others were silent. The reason why Li Yuan thought Li Shimin was autocratic was because Li Shimin often contradicted Li Yuan in order to protect his subordinates.
“When I was in life and death situation, I thought it was the worst suffering in the world.
Do you remember our confrontation with Liu Wuzhou in Hedong?
After two days without food and three days without removing their armor, the soldiers were exhausted to the extreme. I was also a little bit unable to hold on, but I was thinking that if I didn't chase, it would just be a common victory, and Song Jingang would still have a chance to gather the remnants.
So I kept chasing and chasing, and in the final battle I recaptured Hedong.
It was so difficult when we fought against Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande. You all followed me through that time, so you still remember it, right?
We have made so many sacrifices and paid so much price, but now, unexpectedly, there is no improvement at all, and it is even more difficult than before."
As he spoke, Li Shimin actually shed tears. The other civil officials and generals all recalled the battles in the past, which was a past that they did not want to recall.
"King Qin, the Crown Prince has colluded with the evil concubine and is suppressing you in every way. This is intolerable. We must fight back and let Your Majesty see who is truly suitable to be the Crown Prince!"
Fight for the throne!
This is what everyone thinks is the most important thing right now. As for the government affairs of the country, it is difficult to do anything at this time when the government is in chaos.
After all, there has never been a dynasty where ministers had to face orders from the emperor, the crown prince, and the king of Qin, and the effectiveness of these three orders was almost the same. They would obey whichever order arrived first. In this situation, it was naturally very difficult to get anything done.
"How can that be easy? The prince has done nothing wrong. This is exactly why Your Majesty is hesitant."
Zhang Sun Wuji and his think tanks looked at each other for a few seconds, and then slowly said: "How can the prince not make mistakes?
I see that the Crown Prince has revealed his vicious side and is plotting rebellion. He has placed his subordinates in other states and given them military power. He has also transferred elite troops from other states to the Eastern Palace to strengthen his Eastern Palace guards.
He has a large number of armored soldiers at the foot of the imperial city. Who is he guarding against?
What does he want to do?
If this isn't a rebellion, what else do you want to do?"
Once these words were spoken, it was no longer a question of whether Li Jiancheng wanted to rebel or not, but that he must rebel!
In this age of poor information flow, it is very easy to make a person rebel.
Many things that seem inexplicable to later generations are now very normal.
How the news from the imperial city becomes when it reaches the ears of the leading generals on the border depends on the person who delivers the message.
During the Han Dynasty, this is what happened with the deposed Crown Prince Liu Qi, who later became the King of Jiujiang Li. Emperor Liu Che did not want to kill him, but the messenger wanted him dead, so he deliberately said two vague sentences, which forced him to rebel, and he eventually died.
Faced with the relentless pressure from Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and Prince of Chu Li Yuanji, was Li Shimin just going to passively take the beating?
Of course not!
Although he was invincible in charging into battle, he was definitely not a warrior who only knew how to wield a spear or a stick.
He is also a master at playing politics and winning people's hearts. He is a true hexagonal warrior.
When Li Shimin fought, he would either stay still and wear down the enemy's mind, or he would move like thunder and completely defeat the enemy in one battle. Other famous generals in ancient times would usually have to fight many wars to capture a piece of land, but Li Shimin was different, he could achieve his goal in one battle.
He was the same in political struggles. He either did not move, or if he did move, he would kill with one strike. He had been making various arrangements and secretly placing his own people, especially in the East Palace and the Imperial Palace.
If he wants to target the prince, he will kill him with one blow, leaving the prince with no chance of recovery!
…
In the sixth year of Wude, Li Yuan, who had not made any changes in political affairs, began to adjust the official system.
Based on the calculated astrological signs, Li Yuan first made some adjustments to the twelve generals of the left and right guards.
The imperial edict changed the names of the twelve left and right guard offices.
The Left and Right Yiwei were changed to the Left and Right Qilin Guards.
The Left and Right Xiao Guards were changed to the Left and Right Qinglong Guards.
The Left and Right Wu Guards were changed to the Left and Right Suzaku Guards.
The Left and Right Tunwei were changed to the Left and Right White Tiger Guards.
The Left and Right Hou Guards were changed to the Left and Right Xuanwu Guards.
The left and right imperial guards were changed to the left and right blue dragon guards.
The generals of these twelve guards were all high-ranking officials of the third rank. In the Tang Dynasty, a third-rank official was basically the pinnacle of official positions, if there were no other opportunities.
Above the general, the original general was changed to the grand steward, a high-ranking official of the second rank.
These twelve guards commanded hundreds of Zhechoufu of the Tang Dynasty from Chang'an and were basically the pinnacle of military officers.
There are also the Left and Right Qianniu Guards and the Left and Right Yulin Guards, who are directly connected to the emperor and are considered palace guards. They are the emperor's personal troops and do not command the palace soldiers.
After the Tang Dynasty unified the country, Luo Xuanye was appointed as the General of the Left Feathered Guard, which is now the Chief of the Left Feathered Guard. However, after this reform, he was dismissed and his responsibility of guarding the palace was removed.
Perhaps it was because he was close to Li Shimin that Li Yuan made the adjustments.
He had been the general of the Left Guard before, and now he has returned to his old unit. Li Yuan asked him to resume his position as the chief steward of the Left Green Dragon Guard. He is currently the only chief steward among the Twelve Guards of the Tang Dynasty.
In addition to the military, in politics, Li Yuan completely determined the names of the three-province and six-department system, namely the Shangshu Province, the Menxia Province and the Zhongshu Province.
Li Shimin was the Minister of the Chancellery, but he had no power over affairs. The prime ministers were the Shangshu Zuo Pushe, the Shizhong of the Menxia Province, and the Zhongshu Ling of the Zhongshu Province. There were usually not one Shizhong and Zhongshu Ling, but two. Now there are six prime ministers in the Tang Dynasty.
The power of the six ministers and vice ministers of the Secretariat was also very great. By changing the names of these institutions, Li Yuan demonstrated his presence and influence on the officials of the Tang Dynasty. In this era, it was very important to determine the orthodoxy, which was an important source of political prestige.
Li Jiancheng began to make frequent moves in an attempt to weaken Li Shimin's power, while Li Shimin was quietly waiting for an opportunity to completely end Li Jiancheng's political life and complete his mission of seizing the throne.
As Zhangsun Wuji said, the person who could accomplish the task of deposing the crown prince must have been guilty of treason. Normally, it would be difficult to prove that the crown prince was guilty of treason, but this was not the case with Li Jiancheng.
Because Li Jiancheng was too anxious!
He was eager to defeat Li Shimin and prove to everyone that he was no worse than his younger brother, so he left too many loopholes.
Li Shimin found out that Li Jiancheng was actually transporting armor and weapons to the border generals!
This was unbelievable to him. He didn't understand why Li Jiancheng would do such a stupid thing. The Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace colluded with foreign vassals and was involved in matters of armor and weapons.
This is simply like asking for trouble!
Li Shimin would certainly not give up this opportunity, but if he wanted to kill the enemy with one blow, there could not be any accidents. In addition to reporting the matter, he also had to make preparations for the future.
Dark clouds hang over Chang'an!
————
The conflict between the Prince Group and the Qin Wang Group was initiated by Li Yuan. The Li royal family seemed to have a special quality. The innate cruelty, the unyielding spirit in their blood, and the extreme pursuit of emotions together constituted the complex characteristics of the Li royal family. This characteristic can even be said to have dominated the history of the Tang Empire. Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng, and Li Shimin, father and son, were the first generation of this bloodline talent, and it was turbulent. ——"The Rise and Fall of the Tang Empire"
(End of this chapter)
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