Chapter 918: Being a saint in public and being partial to others in private (I am in a good mood, so I will add one more chapter)
The soft morning light shone into the Lingtian Pavilion. Luo Su was flipping through a book in his hand. Opposite him, sat a fat man in prince's clothes. He had a sweet smile on his face and looked a bit like Maitreya Buddha. It was the popular Prince Tai of Wei.
"Many people get nervous when they come to me, but the King of Wei is not nervous."
The King of Wei was startled, then he reached out and touched the back of his head, smiling naively, "The Imperial Master won't harm me, why should I be nervous?"
“What a wonderful person.
The book is well edited and very talented, no wonder His Majesty likes you."
Luo Su raised the book in his hand and praised it. Li Tai smiled calmly and said, "It is my honor to be praised by the national teacher."
Luo Su laughed out loud, "You have the idea of seizing the throne in your heart, but you sit in front of me so calmly, what are you thinking?"
Li Tai was a little overwhelmed by Luo Su's straightforward words. It was too direct. And at least on the surface, it was just that Li Shimin doted on him, not that he really had any thoughts.
Li Tai smiled bitterly and said, "Master, don't say that, as if I were some kind of conspirator. Besides, Master, you are a swan above the nine heavens, how could you care about these things?
Although King Wucheng supports the Crown Prince, I think the Imperial Master should not have any feelings towards the Crown Prince. After all, my brother is indeed absurd at times. "
Li Tai had a bitter look on his face, but there was no respect for Li Chengqian in his words. In front of Luo Su, he seemed to feel that he did not need to pretend anything.
After all, the person in front of him is probably the one with the most transcendent status in the Tang Dynasty.
Luo Su did not comment, "This is the second time that the King of Wei has come to Lingtian Pavilion. Can you guess why I want to see you again?"
Li Tai's face was filled with genuine confusion. He really didn't know and couldn't guess. Few people could guess what the Imperial Master was thinking.
"I want to see what your talents are, what responsibilities you can take on, and see if there is anything you can accomplish in this world."
Luo Su said something that Li Tai would never have expected. Although he didn't understand what Luo Su was trying to do, he would ask, "I wonder what the Imperial Master thinks of the young king, that he might bear such a heavy responsibility?"
Luo Su nodded in approval, "Very good, among the emperor's sons, only King Ke of Yan can be compared with you."
Li Tai's eyes suddenly lit up. This was the evaluation from the imperial teacher. As for Prince Ke of Yan, he was just a bastard's son. It would never be his turn to inherit the throne.
The atmosphere between the two became increasingly good. Luo Su asked Li Tai some questions, and Li Tai answered them one by one in a clear and vigorous manner. Luo Su kept nodding and was very satisfied with Li Tai.
This made Li Tai even more excited. If the attitude of the national teacher were to reach his father's ears, he, who was already favored, would become even more favored.
Luo Su was not pretending, he really felt that Li Tai was very talented, and even if he didn't become an emperor, it would not be a problem for him to become a great scholar.
Just as Li Tai said before, Luo Su didn't care about Li Chengqian or anyone else. Among Li Shimin's sons, he was very fair and would never favor anyone. Even if it was Luo Xuanye's last wish, he could not be partial to anyone.
Li Chengqian just can't do it. Luo Xuanye and the others are talking about personal feelings, but Luo Su's personal feelings have been left behind 1,500 years ago. Apart from the love he has for the Luo family and the people who marry into the Luo family, such as Li Xiuning and Changle, he doesn't care about the rest of the people. As long as the task can be completed, it's fine.
After Li Tai left Lingtian Pavilion with a feeling of reluctance, Luo Su looked at his back and suddenly shook his head with regret. He felt that Li Tai was a little too strong.
It’s not that having a strong personality is bad. Most people who achieve great things in this world have a strong side to their personality. Strength is an indispensable aspect of leadership.
But people have to act according to the situation. Above Li Tai, there is the crown prince and the emperor. Who is he showing his strength to?
Especially Li Shimin is also a strong person.
Out of two strong people, only one can survive, because such people will naturally be antagonistic and hate people who are the same as themselves. This is human nature.
…
Another year had passed since Luo Xuanye's death, and Li Shimin was still not quite used to it. What made him most uncomfortable was that some rumors had begun to circulate recently about the crown prince.
This made him very upset.
He once couldn't help but complain to Luo Xuanling: "Qingyu, what do you think of the Tang Dynasty since the Zhenguan period? What about me?"
Luo Xuanling said very impartially: "The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty is a scene of prosperity. Your Majesty is one of the top Saint Kings throughout history, and is not inferior to the Ten Palace Saint Kings in the slightest."
Li Shimin was not happy at all when he heard this. Instead, he sighed and said, "I have accomplished the feat that a king desires, but why am I not happy? Instead, I am here talking like a woman and sighing.
Qingyu, why do you say that?"
Luo Xuanling was about to speak, but Li Shimin just sat casually in the hall, "What can't you say to me? Others are afraid of my punishment, are you worried about that?"
Luo Xuanling whispered: "I am not worried that Your Majesty will be angry, but I am wondering if it would hurt Your Majesty too much if I tell you."
Li Shimin was stunned. He closed his eyes slightly and did not speak for a long time before he said, "Qingyu, tell me. Since Qingyang passed away, few people can say these intimate words to me. In state affairs, they are all wise ministers, but when it comes to these things, I want to hear your opinion. I believe you are fair."
Luo Xuanling heard this and said slowly: "Your Majesty, the saints said that one should cultivate oneself, manage the family, govern the country and bring peace to the world. If one's family is not at peace, one cannot devote oneself to governing the country. In fact, isn't it the same for a king?
You are an outstanding monarch. When facing state affairs, you almost always listen to the correct opinions. Even the most difficult tasks are always solved with full confidence. That is why the Tang Dynasty is as prosperous as it is today.
But once you face private matters, you cannot control yourself because you are a passionate emperor. I am not saying that being passionate is a bad thing. After all, you know very well that your fifth brother is willing to die for you. We surround you not only for the so-called wealth, but also because of your personal charm and your sincerity.
What's draining your energy now are all the Crown Prince's affairs. He's your son, so they're private matters, but the throne is a state affair. You can't distinguish between public and private, so you're hesitating and suffering.
This is my opinion, and I would like to share it with Your Majesty."
Being a saint in public and partial to personal relationships does not affect an emperor's achievements. The thriving Tang Dynasty is proof of this. Even though Li Shimin is struggling with this every day, he can still govern the Tang Dynasty without any problems.
But Li Shimin himself could not accept the confusion between public and private affairs, and could only suffer.
After listening to Luo Xuanling, Li Shimin was silent for a long time, "Qingyu, what do you think I should do?"
what to do?
There was more than one person who tried to persuade Li Shimin, but how can one persuade people? If you like someone, you like him or her; if you like something, you like it. Who would really change their preferences because of other people's persuasion?
It is easy to change the country but difficult to change one’s nature.
This statement is not just talk. Let alone Li Shimin, even Luo's son, has anyone ever really changed his character?
It is really funny that Luo Xuanling tries to persuade others to do something that he himself cannot do.
If Li Shimin could really change this, he would not be Li Shimin. If he could stop acting on his emotions, then the Prince of Taiyuan who was once admired by all the heroes of Taiyuan would have completely disappeared.
Seeing that Luo Xuanling didn't say anything, Li Shimin knew what Luo Xuanling meant.
He whispered, "What if I turn this from a private matter into a thorough public matter? For example, I can stuff all the important officials of the court into the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace."
As soon as Luo Xuanling heard it, he knew that Li Shimin really took his words to heart, but maybe Li Shimin was a little angry with him and lost his mind, so he actually said such nonsense.
He immediately advised: "Your Majesty, please think twice."
Luo Xuanling has no connection with the prince. He is more pure than Luo Xuanye. He is Li Shimin's important minister and relative. It is not a good thing for Li Shimin to let the prince have strong power, so Luo Xuanling persuaded Li Shimin without hesitation.
Deep down, Luo Xuanling didn't really care whether the crown prince would be deposed or not. It was only because Li Shimin asked him that he expressed his opinion.
Moreover, Li Shimin was not too old, and the prince possessed such powerful strength, the possibility of conflict between father and son was even greater. What if the prince became too powerful to be controlled, and what if the situation became difficult to deal with, wouldn't that be even worse?
No matter what the reason, the power of the Prince's Mansion cannot be allowed to continue to expand.
As soon as Li Shimin said it, he knew that what he said was indeed inappropriate. Li Chengqian was a descendant of the Li family, and now Li Jing was in the Eastern Palace, which made Li Shimin feel very uncomfortable.
After Luo Xuanye's death, Li Shimin replaced the guards of Xuanwu Gate with Luo Xuanling and Yuchi Jingde, which shows Li Shimin's worries.
————
The political situation was clear, the seas and rivers were peaceful, the people were prosperous, and all nations came to pay tribute. The Khan's orders spread from the shores of the East China Sea to the Tianshan Mountains in the Western Regions. The emperor's glory shone on the people within ten thousand miles as never before. This prosperous era was praised in history books, and almost all the people praised the Emperor Zhenguan for his wisdom and faultlessness.
But Li Shimin, who should have been proud and proud, was deeply trapped in family affection and could not extricate himself. This seemed to be a problem that any king with a strong sense of humanity would encounter. He knew what to do, but facing his son who called him "father" with tears in his eyes, how could he act coldly and decisively?
The author suddenly remembered the old saying that has been passed down in this land, "You will rise with this, and you will fall with this." When Li Shimin gained the unswerving loyalty of a large number of civil officials and military generals because of his true character, he would eventually lose the same amount because of his true character. A cold-blooded king would not become Li Shimin, and a cold-blooded king would not toss and turn like Li Shimin. ——"The Rise and Fall of the Tang Empire"
There is one more chapter.
(End of this chapter)
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