Wu Yi and Li Cheng were both silent. Liu Zheng nodded and smiled, "It was my disciple's idea. Shangguan Yi talked to me about it and I felt that it made sense. So, now it seems that I am Meng Lang."

Wang Zheng pondered again, and after a long while, he said to Liu Zheng: "Write a letter of apology, then find a small courtyard in the Fifth Courtyard to live in, and send me a chicken, duck, or a fish, or a bundle of vegetables every other day, and that will be considered as your filial piety."

Wu Yi and Li Cheng looked at each other, both with surprise on their faces.

Liu Zheng's face was ashen, he slowly stood up and bowed to Wang Zheng and said: "Master, I will obey your orders. After all, without your good intentions, I would not have everything.

The master has never made any excessive demands on his disciples. I am willing to be filial to you. But can you explain a few things to me?"

These disciples still trusted Wang Zheng. After all, Wang Zheng was absolutely good enough to them, just like a father or brother treats his disciples. He never made any demands on them, and even when he corrected their mistakes, he advised them in a kind way.

Therefore, Liu Zheng did not resist the punishment from the master this time, because he believed that the master did this absolutely for his own good, and with the master's ability, Liu Zheng did not think that the master could be wrong, but just wanted to seek clarification.

Wang Zheng nodded and said with a smile: "I don't know what Shangguan Yi said to you, and I don't want to know, because it is meaningless, because I know that after you do this, you will directly put our Yuzhou family on the opposite side of the emperor and the empress.

Listen carefully, it is not just the opposition to the Empress, but also the opposition to Your Majesty, because the current situation in the country is a balance that Your Majesty has painstakingly cultivated.

My Yuzhou lineage corresponds to Confucianism. Because Confucianism is a little weak now, my Yuzhou lineage is not allowed to enter the court.

There is also the opposition between civil and military officials, between officials from aristocratic families and those born into ordinary families, between the empress and the prince, and so on. All these intricate relationships create a delicate balance.

This will make it easier for Your Majesty to control the overall situation, and it is also proof that Your Majesty can easily make his words count. I didn't attend court before, and now I always keep silent when I attend court, just to keep this balance.

Otherwise, the court will easily become a one-man show for me.

But I am not a perfect person, and governing a country does not necessarily mean that you can govern it well by having many ways to do it, because many times the best way is not necessarily the best choice. After all, people have feelings, and there are definitely many things that I cannot take care of.

This is the tacit understanding between Your Majesty and me, a tacit understanding that has been built up over more than ten years.

I am responsible for external affairs and earning enough profits for the Tang Dynasty. After all, it is a wild land. No matter how we mess around, as long as we can get the profits back, there is no need to be so thorough.

Your Majesty is responsible for internal affairs, sorting out various relationships within the Tang Dynasty, between the aristocratic families, between the aristocratic families and ordinary people, between the states and counties, and between civil officials and military generals, so as to create a stable and balanced situation.

The Tang Dynasty has been developing steadily over the past decade, which is not easy. Your Majesty has spent no less effort than I have, so you don't have to look down on me.

But this Tang Dynasty is your Majesty's Tang Dynasty after all, and your Majesty has not made any mistakes so far. Therefore, no one can have any objection to your Majesty wanting to control the Tang Dynasty.

Can you understand what I am saying?"

Liu Zheng was sweating profusely and sat on the ground. He looked at Wang Zheng with some despair and stammered, "Sir, what you mean is, Your Majesty, Your Majesty does not want the Crown Prince to really participate in state affairs?"

Wang Zheng nodded and said with a smile: "You can say that."

"But your Majesty has been ill for a long time. Wouldn't it be better to let the crown prince assist in governing the country?"

"That's just what you think is good. It's good for the Crown Prince to assist in the administration, but what happens after that?"

Wang Zheng sighed and then asked, "Should we let the crown prince inherit the throne?"

Liu Zheng blurted out, "Isn't that a natural thing to do?"

"It is indeed a matter of course." Wang Zheng stared at the absent-minded disciple and asked word by word: "But, have you asked His Majesty himself if he is willing?"

"Are you willing? Are you willing?" Liu Zheng murmured a few words, looked at his master and asked, "The prince is kind and filial. Even if Your Majesty retires as the emperor, the prince will still be filial to Your Majesty. Why is Your Majesty unwilling?"

"You are really blinded by lard."

Wang Zheng shook his head in disappointment and asked, "Have you seen Da'an Palace?"

Liu Zheng nodded.

Wang Zheng then asked, "How do you feel Da'an Palace compares to other places like Taiji Palace and Daming Palace?"

"Of course, that is far inferior."

After all, Da'an Palace was just a small palace in the Western Inner Courtyard, a place for the emperor to rest while strolling in the garden. How could it be compared with the main palaces such as Taiji Palace and Daming Palace? Da'an Palace was not even as good as the Eastern Palace, but such a small palace was where Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan lived after his abdication. Li Yuan even died in Da'an Palace.

The Daming Palace that Li Shimin promised to build for Li Yuan was only built with a wall until Li Yuan's death.

When Li Yuan abdicated, he originally lived in Taiji Palace, but in the end he moved to Da'an Palace. Let's not go into the reason for now. After Li Zhi saw the scene of the old man in his later years, would he still be able to retire as the emperor? Now the whole country can't cure his illness. After he retires as the emperor, is there still hope for his illness? Only when the crown prince and the queen assist in the government can Li Zhi control the overall situation. The crown prince can be replaced at will. After all, as the crown prince and the future emperor, he cannot lack ministers around him.

However, Empress Wu Zetian could not be replaced. Otherwise, it would be basically impossible to find another empress who was so capable and had no family ties behind her.

Therefore, whoever touches Wu Zetian can basically be said to have touched Li Zhi's reverse scale, and the best outcome is not to implicate his family.

After listening to his teacher's explanation of the various principles, Liu Zheng was stunned for a long time. Finally, he straightened his clothes and kowtowed to Wang Zheng, saying: "Thank you, sir, for clearing up my doubts. It was my ignorance that brought such trouble to my Yuzhou family.

Please give me three days to arrange the Ministry of Works affairs and bring the princess to live in the Fifth Courtyard immediately. I have never been filial to you in these years. From now on, please let me take care of the fresh food in your house."