Chapter 936: Please Go Straight to Lingyan Pavilion
There was heavy snow in Guanzhong, and no one was seen on the paths.
The Qinling Mountains soar like a dragon, and the Wei River surrounds the imperial capital.
In the plains of Chang'an and above the original forests, all wild beasts in the mountains have disappeared and all birds in the forests have disappeared. This is not just true in Guanzhong. In the vast territory of the Tang Dynasty, from east to west, only the biting cold wind whistles past, rolling up layers of ice crystals, like the roar of the wind god and the arrival of the snow god.
“Woo woo~~”
The desolate and sad sound of horns could be heard from Guanzhong from time to time.
In the palace.
In the Taiji Hall, the earth dragon was burning very strongly. Li Shimin, the prime ministers and important officials did not discuss state affairs, but sat in the hall drinking and appreciating the snow, looking very happy.
Li Shimin looked at the white snow outside the palace, and over the towering palace wall not far away, he seemed to see the mountains and rivers, the majestic, tall, sparkling, and slightly rising waves.
He suddenly sighed, his eyes filled with tears, what a wonderful country, "It's a pity that my mother can't see it, my sister and Qingyang are also dead, and Ruhui and Shubao, it would be great if they were still alive."
During the Wude period, he often missed Empress Taimu at banquets. Now, as he grew older, he began to miss those old people more and more.
The ministers in the palace were a little at a loss. What should they do when the emperor is sad?
Li Shimin gulped down the strong liquor and coughed heavily. Concubine Xu Hui, who was his favorite in the late Zhenguan period, patted him gently. Perhaps it was the scene that brought back his emotions. After Li Shimin recovered his breath, he was silent for a moment, and then with deep nostalgia, "I am getting older and older, and I am beginning to miss the old people more and more. It is true that new clothes are not as good as old ones, and old people are not as good as old ones.
I have made considerable achievements in my life, and I am afraid that history will record my achievements greatly. But I often wonder, what about my loyal ministers?
Yuchi Jingde.
I still remember when I was young, I told you that I wanted you to go down in history, and that your name would still be famous in the world a hundred or a thousand years later. Do you still remember?"
Yuchi Jingde wept and fell in the hall, "I still remember, I still remember."
Li Shimin stood up shakily, smelling heavily of alcohol. "Hundreds of years ago, during the Han Dynasty, there was a Kirin Pavilion, which recorded the twelve heroes of Emperor Xiaoxuan's Restoration. Thousands of years later, the world is still praising their names.
There is a most contemptuous saying in the world - 'Your body and name will be destroyed, but the rivers and mountains will flow forever.'
yes.
How short is human life?
Compared with rivers and mountains, it is like a mayfly that relies on heaven and earth, or like a cicada that dies after seven days.
The Han Dynasty used the majestic Mount Tai and the surging Yellow River as its oath, because Mount Tai never changes and because the Yellow River never stops.
When people are connected with these immortal things, it seems that they also become immortal.
Carving people's names on stone tablets has been done by sages since ancient times.
Recording people's names in history books is what all sages and wise men have done since ancient times.
Sacrifices are offered every year to pass on to future generations.
I want to build a pavilion named "Lingyan" to record the ministers who have made outstanding contributions during my life. I will make their portraits and hang them in the Lingyan Pavilion for future generations to look at, remember and remember.
In the majestic imperial palace, under the profound Tai Chi, the emperor raised his cup and spoke loudly to the crowd. All the officials in the palace raised their heads in excitement, both civil and military officials.
Who doesn’t want to leave their name in history?
Who wouldn’t want to stay in the Lingyan Pavilion built by the emperor?
In today's world, there is a trend of thought that the family is destined to decline, but one's own name will never fade away. If one devotes one's life to the family, the final outcome will be the annihilation of one's achievements.
The emperor walked in front, and all the ministers in the hall stood up and followed behind him. Li Shimin staggered to the front of the hall door, then sat on the wooden threshold. He picked up the wine jug again and took a big gulp of the distilled liquor. A burning feeling fell on his throat. He exhaled, and it condensed into ice crystals, and white mist swirled in front of him.
"Lingyan Pavilion! Twenty-four heroes!"
Li Shimin shouted towards the white snow outside the palace, "Qingyang, can you see it from the spirit of heaven? I will build a majestic palace, and I will put you in the first place, just like in the past.
It was the way it was in the past.”
Luo Xuanling was the first to rush over and hold Li Shimin. Seeing that Li Shimin was still smacking his lips, he knew that he was drunk, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty is drunk. The weather is cold, please don't let your Majesty get cold. Concubine Xu, please take the emperor to the harem. The gentlemen can disperse first. I will also lead the guards to clear the heavy snow in the palace."
Concubine Xu Hui was born into a prominent family and loved reading. Even the classic Tang Dynasty ladies' clothing could not hide her bookish air. It was a bit difficult for her to support the majestic Li Shimin. She quickly called a few palace maids and eunuchs to help, and then said to Luo Xuanling in a gentle voice, "Duke Yong, I will take His Majesty back to the harem, and the front hall will be handed over to the Duke. Gentlemen, I will leave now."
In the imperial palace, the front hall was cleaned by the imperial guards, and the harem was naturally cleaned by the eunuchs and palace maids. Xu Hui was now one of the high-ranking concubines in charge of the harem.
In the snow-covered palace, the ministers of the country walked on it. The cold wind made them feel a little cold, but their hearts were burning. Lingyan Pavilion, who could be ranked above it?
What are the selection criteria?
Almost everyone was asking this question in their hearts. His Majesty said that he wanted to rank Prince Zhou Luo Xuanye first in the Lingyan Pavilion, which means that a dead minister could also be ranked first.
Some can't wait.
Rustle, rustle.
The sound of leather boots stepping on the snow penetrates into people's ears and makes people feel a little itchy.
…
In Hongwenguan, Luo Xuanjing was writing on a document. She was already very old, no longer as stunning as she was when she was young, but she was still gentle and quiet like mountain spring water, and the few strands of white hair did not make her look shabby.
Since she took over the post of compiling history in the early years of Zhenguan, she has almost always stayed in the Hongwenguan for so many years. During these years, she presided over the compilation of almost all historical books since the end of the Han Dynasty. The discarded drafts alone could fill up a palace.
During those years, too many things were covered in the mist of history, and too many kings deleted and revised history books, resulting in a large number of errors and even contradictory records.
Some records are not important and can be ignored or reasonably inferred, but some things must be known and corrected.
During this process, she and a group of Luo family women who compiled the history books together naturally used Qingshi more than once to verify those key but unclear historical materials that must be recorded in the history books.
All I can say is that, fortunately, the burden that the artifact Qingshi brings to people is not fatal, and it is not just Luo Xuanjing who is using it, so there are people to share the backlash.
"Master, your eldest son is outside the door asking to see you."
The colleagues in the academy came up to the hall respectfully. This was the fate of life. Luo Xuanjing was able to sit in the Hongwenguan for more than ten years and made outstanding contributions. She was able to become a literary master in the world by relying on her body as a woman, and was deeply respected by the literati of the Tang Dynasty.
Luo Xuanjing raised his head from the pile of old papers when he heard this, a hint of joy flashed in his eyes, but his face was calm as he said, "Let him in."
After a while, Luo Jungong hurried in from outside the hall, his face full of sorrow. As soon as he entered the hall, he knelt down and cried, "Mother, my father was unfortunately killed in a mountain flood in Jingzhou. I came here to report the death."
boom!
It was like a bolt from the blue.
The pen in Luo Xuanjing's hand fell straight down, and black ink smudged on the white paper, like a little bit of ink plum. Luo Jungong knelt on the ground, his body trembling with sadness, and only sobbing could be heard.
Luo Xuanjing felt like he was struck by lightning and couldn't recover for a long time.
Gusu Prince Luo Jingcheng, the head of the Jiangnan Luo family after the Luo family returned to the south, has been transferred to such positions as Suzhou Governor, Six Ministries Minister, and later to the position of Governor. It can be said that except for never being appointed as prime minister, he has served in various high-ranking positions in the Tang Dynasty.
The governor of Jingzhou was originally going to be transferred for the last time.
Because the couple had been apart for most of these years, Luo Xuanjing was ready to resign from his position as the director of Hongwenguan and return to Suzhou with Luo Jingcheng to retire and enjoy the last leisurely years of their lives.
Unexpectedly.
Unexpectedly.
The farewell a few months ago turned out to be the last time the two met.
Before Luo Xuanjing could come to her senses, her tears were already falling, dripping onto the already blurred ink, with varying degrees of lightness and heaviness, like a natural painting.
"Can we go to the Ministry of Personnel to report the death?"
Luo Xuanjing's voice was a little hoarse, Luo Jungong looked up, "Mother, I have sent the document to the Ministry of Personnel."
Luo Xuanjing was silent for a moment, then asked, "Have you recovered your father's body?"
Luo Jun burst into tears, "To answer mother, the mountain torrent caused a landslide, and father's convoy was buried in the mountain. The bodies, the bodies..."
Luo Xuanjing's face turned pale, his body swayed, and he could no longer speak. All he could hear was Luo Jungong's sobbing.
Not all palaces in the imperial palace were magnificent and splendid. Many of them were very simple. Li Shimin sat at the top, looking at Luo Xuanjing who was sitting at the bottom, and said in a gentle voice: "Miss Xuanjing, please accept my condolences."
The words "Miss Xuanjing" moved the quiet Luo Xuanjing, who was sitting quietly, a little, as if the time was brought back to thirty years ago, when Luo Xuanjing had just met Li Shimin, who was still a teenager and Luo Xuanjing had never married.
Li Shimin held Luo Xuanjing's resignation letter in his hand. He flipped through it and said in a gentle voice, "Miss Xuanjing, I know that the prince has passed away. You must be very sad, and I am also very sad.
I can give you a long vacation and you can return to Suzhou with your clothes and hats, but I will take back your resignation."
Luo Xuanjing's face was filled with sorrow. "I thank Your Majesty for your regard for me, but I was originally planning to return to Suzhou to spend my remaining years after my husband's term as the governor of Jingzhou expired. Now it seems that this is God's will.
Our ancestors said that as long as one has accomplished something worth remembering while living in this world, his life will not be in vain.
In my life, I have compiled history for the world and distinguished right from wrong for the Tang Dynasty. I have gained some fame, which is worthy of what I have learned in my life. Now that things have come to this, I am physically and mentally exhausted and no longer want to think about these worldly affairs.
Please, Your Majesty, allow me to retire."
"Alas~"
The hall was filled with light and shadow, and the candlelight flickered, just like the mood of the two people in the hall at the moment. After a long time, Li Shimin sighed and said, "How can I force others to do something?
My dear minister, when you return to Suzhou, I will give you the title of Kaifu Yitong Sansi and the full salary of the Minister of Rites."
In the Tang Dynasty, officials who were in poor health or over 70 years old could retire, which was called "retirement". There were also people like Luo Xuanjing who retired voluntarily.
The retirement of officials above the fifth rank had to be approved by the emperor, so Luo Xuanjing came to Li Shimin for special approval so that he could retire as soon as possible.
The retirement of officials below the sixth rank was approved by the Secretariat, which was a reflection of the power of the Secretariat.
After retirement, officials of the fifth rank and above will enjoy half of their salary while in office, but meritorious officials who are granted special favor by the emperor can receive full salary.
For the wealthy Jiangnan Luo family, these salaries are nothing, but they are a manifestation of favor.
Any regulation that requires the emperor to issue an additional decree represents the emperor's special attention.
Luo Xuanjing bowed from a distance, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Now that the matter has been settled, Li Shimin thought for a moment and said in a gentle voice: "I said a few days ago that I want to build a Lingyan Pavilion. I believe you know about this."
"I know."
Luo Xuanjing was a little confused this time. He and Luo Jingcheng were not the core personnel in the Wude and Zhenguan dynasties. There were not enough places for the old people in the Qin Palace and Tiance Palace among Li Shimin's core team. How could there be a share for two people in the Lingyan Pavilion?
Li Shimin said with a thoughtful expression, "The Lingyan Pavilion selects important ministers who have helped me achieve my great cause. I was originally planning to list you in the Lingyan Pavilion because you have accomplished the great cause of compiling the history books and I value you very much.
But now that the Prince of Gusu has passed away, if at this time, I list you as one of the officials, while the Prince of Gusu is not here, would that be inappropriate?"
After Li Shimin said this, Luo Xuanjing knew what Li Shimin was thinking.
In Li Shimin's heart, he was much closer to him than Luo Jingcheng.
If there was no Luo Xuanjing, Luo Jingcheng would be a vassal of the late Sui Dynasty, similar to Du Fuwei and others. In the political structure of the Tang Dynasty, he could save his life, but he had to stand aside. Basically, there was no trace of this person, and it had to wait until the second generation, that is, the generation of Luo Jungong, before he could normally serve as an official.
However, Luo Jingcheng had Luo Xuanye and others guaranteeing him, so he was considered to be highly valued during the Wude and Zhenguan dynasties, but he was never able to enter the government hall. This was a kind of estrangement, and almost everyone tacitly did not mention this matter.
Luo Xuanjing said calmly, "It is indeed inappropriate. Your Majesty can remove me from the list."
She was very calm and didn't act like she had lost anything.
Luo Xuanjing pulled down the thick brim of his hat and wrapped himself in thick brocade fur. The bright red color seemed to be the only bright spot in this desolate northern winter.
In front of the hall, Li Shimin looked at this scene, recalling every detail of the past in his mind.
That once stunning woman.
He recalled that at the end of the Wude period, when the conflict between him and Li Yuan reached its peak, Luo Jingcheng and Luo Xuanjing were both summoned to the capital.
He is really a nostalgic person.
"The Prince of Gusu is also my man, so all of them should be placed in the Lingyan Pavilion."
Li Shimin silently crossed out another name. The cold wind blew and goose bumps appeared on his neck. "It's so cold."
He rubbed his hands and returned to the temple.
The next day.
Luo Jingcheng was posthumously honored with the titles of "Minister of Works" and "Governor of Suzhou", and given the posthumous title "Wencheng". No one had any objection to this posthumous title, but the official position he was given was actually a bit puzzling. To be honest, it was a bit low.
Most people believe that he will be awarded the title of "Shangshu You Pushe" or "Kaifu Yitong Sansi".
After all, before his death, Luo Jingcheng was already the governor of Jingzhou. Now these two bestowed official titles are almost the same as those of the governor of Jingzhou, especially since even the retired Lady Chu, Luo Xuanjing, was given the title of Kaifu Yitong Sansi.
and.
When Luo Jingcheng first defected to the Tang Dynasty, he was already a Kaifu Yitong Sansi. However, after so many years, his official position is still low.
But Mrs. Luo Xuanjing, the widow of the State of Chu, had no objection, and the others just treated it as a conversation after dinner and did not care about it anymore.
In the eyes of most people, Luo Jingcheng is a big shot.
Although not a royal relative, but almost.
But in fact, his influence on the political arena was extremely limited, especially for Chang'an, he was actually a marginal figure.
This was his own choice, because he did not want to represent the Jiangnan gentry, so naturally he would not be surrounded by them.
The reason for this is that the Luo family itself is powerful enough. If the Luo family represents the interests of a certain region, the court will be completely unbalanced.
Therefore, whether it is Luo Xuanye, Luo Xuanling, Luo Xuanchen or Luo Xuanjing, these Luo family members who have entered officialdom are all undisputed members of the imperial party, which means they help the emperor to balance other forces.
…
It is often said that the drizzling autumn rain is the saddest thing when we are parting.
"It's the same in the cold winter months."
Outside the city of Chang'an, the trees were already bare, without any sign of life, with only a little white snow hanging on the branches.
Brothers Luo Xuanchen and Luo Xuanling came to see Luo Xuanjing off. The three siblings looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Who doesn't know?
After this farewell, I am afraid we may never see each other again in this life. Suzhou is so far away, and I have heavy responsibilities and cannot leave easily.
Luo Xuanjing raised his head and looked in the direction of Lingtian Pavilion, feeling somewhat desolate, "I will never see my ancestors and my two brothers again."
Luo Xuanchen forced a smile and said, "Ah Jing, after I retire, I will go to Suzhou to see you again. What do you mean we will never see each other again in this life?"
Luo Xuanjing lowered his eyelids. Too much wisdom will lead to harm, and too much love will not bring longevity. The lifespan of Luo family's disciples has never been long. Almost no one can live to retire. Almost every generation dies in office. This is the fate of Luo family's disciples.
Luo Xuanchen said this dryly, knowing that he said it too lightly. Luo Xuanling, who was always silent, patted Luo Xuanjing on the shoulder and said, "We'll see each other again someday."
Luo Xuanjing lifted the curtain of the car and waved to the two of them for the last time. Then Luo Jungong drove the car himself, leaving Chang'an along the straight road, heading for the nearest ferry and returning to Suzhou, of course, by boat down the river.
Luo Xuanchen looked at the carriage going away. Even though it was a cold winter day, it still raised clouds of dust. "Suddenly, I feel a little empty inside. I didn't have this feeling when my fifth brother passed away. It's so sad that Ah Jing left today."
Luo Xuanling exhaled, then took a deep breath of the cool air, and said with emotion: "The literati in this world all like to chant about the dusk. My brother's temples are already covered with white hair, and his face is covered with wrinkles. He no longer looks like a young man. This is probably the case when people grow old.
The eldest brother passed away three years ago, and now Jingcheng has passed away. Now that Ajing has returned to Suzhou, I wonder who will be the next to pass away?
Is it the second brother who is far away in the Western Regions, or the third brother stationed in Liaozhou, or is it us?
Fourth brother, you are probably worried about these things. When I think about these things, I can't help but shed tears. "
Luo Xuanchen turned his head and looked at Luo Xuanling, as if he was meeting his younger brother for the first time. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Ah Ling, it's exactly what you said. I hope the next person will be me. This kind of separation is something I don't want to endure again."
The cold wind whistled past, blowing away the words of the two people in the wind, leaving only their figures walking side by side into Chang'an City, and the dark doorway swallowed up the two people.
…
The news of Lingyan Pavilion spread wildly at all levels, mainly among the old members of the Qin Palace and Tiance Palace. Not to mention those who are still alive, such as Yuchi Gong, some people have passed away, but their descendants are also constantly active.
They all secretly compared their achievements, or even compared them directly, hoping that their fathers or grandfathers could be selected into the Lingyan Pavilion.
Many people were puzzled as to why the emperor had not yet made public the list of candidates for the Lingyan Pavilion, but they soon reached a consensus that there were only twenty-four places available, which was indeed difficult to divide, and the emperor must have been constantly considering the matter.
This kind of consideration is even more heart-warming. When the emperor does things today, he naturally pays attention to old relationships, but generally speaking, he does things according to the rules, which means that there will be no obvious injustice.
Even if this list of twenty-four people is controversial, overall it is definitely enough to shut everyone up.
Li Shimin was indeed considering it, but the overall list was already in his mind. The most important thing for him now was to rank these people.
What he was struggling with was what kind of ranking method to use so that people could not say anything and find fault, because he did not want people to say that he was giving some people a backdoor.
He could guess that such voices would definitely appear at that time, and then many people would begin to wonder about his motives for ranking.
Finally, he decided to follow a method that no one could find fault with, which was to rank them according to their official positions.
The official positions here include not only the current ones, but also the ones conferred posthumously. Of course, if they are arranged in this way, then those who died early will have an advantage, after all, they will be conferred posthumously.
However, according to the principle of "the dead are greater", this is not a big problem.
It was for this reason that Li Shimin posthumously bestowed a low official position on Luo Jingcheng in order to ensure that Luo Jingcheng's ranking was around 20th.
…
In the Tai Chi Hall.
Many people guessed something about the emperor's sudden summons of a large number of important ministers. They thought that the list of officials in the Lingyan Pavilion was about to be announced, and many people felt extremely nervous.
When everyone entered the hall, what they saw was the emperor pacing in the hall. After noticing everyone coming, he stood in front of the throne with his hands behind his back, squinting his eyes at each of the ministers who walked into the hall.
After the ministers entered the hall, they all fell silent, and then, under the arrangement of the palace maids, they sat in their seats, sitting upright and not saying a word.
After all the ministers arrived, the gate was closed, the biting cold wind was blocked outside the hall, and the burning heating made the hall warm.
"I summoned you to the palace today. I'm sure you can guess what I'm going to announce. Since you are here, please record it."
Seeing that the emperor spoke directly to the point without any hesitation, the ministers straightened their backs and listened attentively. Each of the following names might be worshipped for hundreds of years in the future.
"Lingyan Pavilion, I have carefully considered and arranged it in order of official rank."
"The first in Lingyan Pavilion, Grand Protector, Prince Zhou Luo Xuanye."
Li Shimin said this name with deep emotion. There was no doubt about this name. No matter what standard was used to rank it, it was Luo Xuanye.
Regardless of the official position he held during his lifetime or after his death, if Luo Xuanye had not died suddenly, he would have been one of the Three Dukes during his lifetime. When he just died, two of the Three Dukes were posthumously conferred titles. Later, when the King of Qin was enfeoffed, Li Shimin further conferred the title of the Third Master and Grand Tutor to Luo Xuanye. No one could challenge his status, even after his death.
After Luo Xuanye, there are people who have been conferred the title of one of the Three Dukes in recent years. As I said before, if Luo Xuanye had not died, he would have been conferred the title of one of the Three Dukes during his lifetime.
Zhangsun Wuji, Wei Zheng, and Fang Xuanling, the three prime ministers during the Zhenguan period, were Shangshu Zuo Pushe, and Zhongshu Ling, all of whom had three titles of duke, plus Du Ruhui who was posthumously awarded the title.
There is no need to say much about Li Xiaogong. Although he was not a die-hard supporter of Li Shimin, as a leading relative of the clan, he must stand at the forefront of the Lingyan Pavilion.
Luo Xuanling and Yuchi Jingde were neighbors, ranking seventh and eighth in the Lingyan Pavilion. Both of them held the highest official positions, below the Three Dukes.
He was given the title of Kaifu Yitong Sansi and then the title of Shang Dudu.
Next is Li Jing. Although he has many military achievements, his official position is indeed not as high as that of the previous ones. There is not much dispute in the ranking here. The most intense disputes are in the future.
Almost everyone believes that their ancestors have made greater contributions. Even if they are ranked according to official positions, they are almost the same. They are all dukes. If they are ranked entirely according to official positions, there will definitely be people who will not accept it.
"Tenth in Lingyan Pavilion, Kaifu Yitong Sansi, Madam of Chu State, Luo Xuanjing."
When Li Shimin uttered this name, there was a moment of silence in the hall. This was a name that no one had expected.
Luo Xuanjing was neither the one who fought with Li Shimin to conquer the world, nor was he a capable minister who governed the country during the Zhenguan period. How could he appear in the Lingyan Pavilion?
"Luo Xuanjing compiled the history books and sorted out the cultural context of the world. The prosperity of our Tang Dynasty is due to his contribution, which is not inferior to the nobles present here."
After Li Shimin said this, there were a few mixed sounds in the hall, and then it returned to silence. The emperor was right. The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty was due to the cultural and literary achievements.
"The 23rd in Lingyan Pavilion, the governor of Suzhou and the prince of Gusu, Luo Jingcheng."
This time Li Shimin did not explain any further and let the world guess. After the ranking of the Lingyan Pavilion was completed, he would choose a suitable opportunity to posthumously confer a title on Luo Jingcheng.
Many people in the hall have already understood why Li Shimin did not posthumously confer a high-level title on Luo Jingcheng.
"The 24th in the Lingyan Pavilion, the governor of Xuzhou, Duke of Hu, Qin Qiong."
When the last name was spoken, Li Shimin let out a long breath. He actually felt a little tired, yet relaxed.
One thing he had always wanted to accomplish was completed today.
"The golden jade platform, on the Lingyan Pavilion."
I will repay your kindness on the Golden Terrace and die for you with the Jade Dragon.
"Where can we bring honor to our ancestors? Please go to the Lingyan Pavilion!"
Li Shimin walked forward, walked out of the hall and stood on the steps. There was no snow today, but a cloudy day.
He pointed to the distance, "Right over there! That's the Lingyan Pavilion!"
The gloomy sky slowly split open, and the light shone down, holy and brilliant!
——
Why don’t men take Wu Gou and take over the fifty states in Guanshan?
Please go to the Lingyan Pavilion for a moment. How can a scholar be a marquis? - "Nanyuan Thirteen Poems·No. 5", Li He
(End of this chapter)
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