Chapter 3121: Advising the Emperor
The desire and greed of the aristocratic families for profit severely restricted the unification of imperial power. However, all parties were constrained and colluded with each other. Even a man as talented and strategic as His Majesty Li Er had to compromise.
It seems that hundreds of thousands of troops are rampaging across Liaodong, but His Majesty Li Er knows that once his decision is not conducive to the interests of those powerful families, resistance will instantly arise in the army, leading to unstable military morale and a sharp drop in morale.
The calamity of the clans is evident, which makes His Majesty Li Er more determined to suppress the clans.
But that is always a matter for the future. At least for now, he can only compromise...
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to suppress the anger in his heart, nodded slightly, and said to Li Ji: "It's prudent to think about meritorious service. Just follow your opinion."
Li Ji naturally knew what His Majesty Li Er was thinking, so he said softly: "If you want to take something, you must give it first. This is the best principle in the world. This Eastern Expedition is naturally a time for various families to seize merit, but it is also a time for Your Majesty. An opportunity to show your magnanimity. No matter how greedy you are, no one is a fool. Everyone understands that from now on, His Majesty will be completely benevolent. If you think about it again. If they hinder His Majesty from unifying the imperial power, they have to weigh the consequences and see if they can bear it. When the Eastern Expedition is over and the meritorious deeds are distributed to each family, most of the clans will be satisfied. A few who want to stir up troubles will not do so. If people want to die with them, Your Majesty can easily free up his hands and gather power one by one."
In short, you have to be patient.
All members of the family believe that this is the best opportunity to obtain meritorious service in the next hundred years. They are pointing to this battle to obtain meritorious service, increase their rank, and pass it on to their descendants. If you cut off everyone's opportunity to obtain meritorious service, how can you Are you feeling resentful?
At that time, if everyone has their own thoughts and the military's morale is unstable, it will be very bad.
Everyone knows that after this battle, His Majesty will definitely suppress the family members, and everyone is mentally prepared to take a step back whether voluntarily or forced. At that time, we can win over a group of people and attack a group of others, and we can get twice the result with half the effort.
There is absolutely no need to get angry at this moment and take action on those powerful people.
After all, the victory of the Eastern Expedition is the most important thing...
His Majesty Li Er still has great trust in Li Ji. Except for this guy who "pretends to be dead" from time to time, he can do everything well. He can catch both military and internal affairs, and he can be regarded as a famous official in the world.
He had no intention of going to war in the army, but he was a little angry. After listening to Li Ji's comfort, the anger in his heart gradually dissipated.
As a Nine-Five Master, naturally you cannot be swayed by emotions and should focus on the overall situation.
What's the big picture right now?
Naturally, it was the Eastern Expedition. He not only wanted to ensure the victory of the Eastern Expedition so that his personal prestige could reach its peak, but also wanted to overthrow Goguryeo as soon as possible and return to the dynasty with Tubanshi to ensure the stability of Guanzhong.
Whether it is Goguryeo that cannot be attacked, or Tuyuhun enters the pass, this is a reality that he absolutely cannot accept...
Immediately he nodded and said: "I know the importance, and I must reorganize the army as soon as possible and move south quickly. The situation in Guanzhong is critical. Although Fang Jun led his army out to control Hexi, he has few soldiers and few generals, and the situation is unfavorable. If the entire army is annihilated, Guanzhong will be in danger .”
Li Ji nodded and said: "Your Majesty, don't worry. I have ordered all the ministries to reorganize. No later than the morning after tomorrow, we can go south to attack the cities along the Yalu River, seize the ferry, and cross the river south. It's just..."
He hesitated to speak.
His Majesty Li Er said with a smile: "Although you and I are monarchs and ministers, we are really just like each other. In such private situations, you can say whatever you want without any taboos."
Li Ji gritted his teeth, stood up and left his seat, then knelt on one knee, lowered his head, and said in a deep voice: "Please forgive me for having the courage to remonstrate with Your Majesty! Your Majesty, the poison of mercury has become more and more obvious now, and many Taoist celebrities have already It has been confirmed one after another that long-term consumption will harm the body and the accumulated harm will be irreversible! Your Majesty is the master of the world and is responsible for all people. Please take good care of your body and do not continue to take such drugs. The country and the country are the most important thing!"
Throughout the ages, cultivating immortality has been the path that emperors most admire and aspire to. After all, they have mastered the supreme power in the world, and who doesn’t want to continue it for thousands of years?
Therefore, it is really a thankless task to persuade the emperor to give up the path of cultivating immortals.
If you meet a faint king, you may even think that your ministers are deliberately trying to prevent him from becoming an immortal and unable to live forever. It is not an exaggeration to kill someone in anger...
However, in recent years, people have gradually discovered that mercury contains highly toxic substances. It is not obvious after taking it for a short period of time, but if it is taken for a long time, the toxin will penetrate deep into the internal organs, making it difficult to cure it with medicine.
But this is just speculation, and there is no concrete evidence.
So whether you believe it or not, it all depends on the individual...
His Majesty Li Er's hand holding the teacup paused slightly, then with a gloomy expression, he slowly put the teacup down and stared at Li Ji fiercely with a pair of bloodshot eyes.
Li Ji knelt on one knee, not daring to raise his head.
Although His Majesty Li Er is not a tyrannical king like Jie and Zhou, he is decisive in killing and has a resolute character. He will never allow his ministers to challenge his authority.
Is taking mercury a recipe for death?
Whether true or false, that is simply calling the emperor "foolish and incompetent, unable to distinguish between good and evil"!
After a long while, His Majesty Li Er asked slowly: "Who told you that I took elixir and mercury?"
Li Ji swallowed secretly and said, "Your Majesty, no one told Wei Chen about this matter. It was just Wei Chen's random speculation."
"Hmph!"
His Majesty Li Er snorted coldly and said dissatisfied: "Do you know what the crime is in speculating on the king's heart?"
Li Jidao: "The humble minister knows his crime."
In fact, there is no crime of "guessing the emperor's heart" in the "Zhenguan Law" at all, so how can we know the crime? However, throughout the ages, as the supreme being in the world, the emperor has always been a supreme existence, and he has involved countless interests. Anyone who speculates on the emperor's thoughts will have a disobedient heart.
At the very least, they want to please the emperor and take advantage of the emperor... This is what the emperor hates the most.
Just imagine, as the supreme king in the world, his thoughts were guessed by his ministers, and his every word and deed fell into the eyes of his ministers. He even launched various calculations from this, making the emperor like a fool and being used by his ministers. This is What a humiliation?
Even an emperor with a mind as big as the sea cannot bear this.
Just when Li Ji was worried, thinking that although he would not be beheaded by His Majesty Li Er, he would not be able to escape punishment, he heard His Majesty Li Er say in a deep voice: "Don't mention this matter here, no matter what I do In front of or behind you... your duty is to help me command and mobilize the army to attack Goguryeo. Okay, Pingshen, get out."
"Here."
Li Ji did not hesitate, stood up and took three steps back, then turned around and walked out of the central military tent.
If Wei Zheng were here instead, His Majesty Li Er would definitely have to make a promise. Regardless of whether he had taken it before, it must be banned in the future.
Li Ji naturally does not have such a strong and upright personality.
In his opinion, since he has made a remonstration, it means that the matter of taking mercury is no longer a secret. At least the important officials in the court know each other's opinions. In this case, as smart and decisive as His Majesty Li Er, he should naturally understand what the consequences will be if this matter continues to rage.
As long as His Majesty Li Er has some tenacity, he will definitely put an end to Danmer and stop taking it.
Why do we have to be as anxious and recalcitrant as Wei Zheng was when we used this method to remonstrate with others?
If a foolish king were to kill Wei Zheng with a single blow, his own mistakes would not necessarily be corrected; for a wise king like His Majesty Li Er, he would only need to point his finger at him, and he would naturally understand how to choose.
We are all smart people, so naturally we have to be tactful in everything we say and do. There is no need to quarrel with each other and make everyone uncomfortable...
*****
Ping Rang City.
Changsun Chong was wearing armor and riding on horseback, looking at the endless rushing water of the river. Boats were connected on the river. Pingrang City on the bank was prosperous and prosperous, with an endless stream of pedestrians and merchants.
Although it is not as majestic and steep as the Central Plains City, it is also worthy of the praise of the first city in Liaodong.
Mr. Yuan, also dressed in military uniform, accompanied Changsun Huan. He pointed his riding whip at the foothills to the northeast of Pingrang City and said with a smile: "Anhe Palace is at the southern foot of Dacheng Mountain. Young Master Changsun has the trust of his father. It is really gratifying to be entrusted with the task of guarding Anhe Palace and guarding Pingrang City. ”
Chang Sunchong twitched the corners of his mouth and forced a smile.
Mother!
I just wanted to lurk in Pingrang City in order to gain the trust of Yeon Gaesumun, so as to steal military planes and report to the Tang Dynasty. Who would have thought that by now, he would actually "recognize the thief as his father" in a confused way?
It's as disgusting as eating a fly...
He waved his horse's rein and said, "Let's go. It's your first day at this humble position. It's best not to be late!"
After saying this, he pinched the horse's belly, and the horse began to gallop forward.
Mr. Yuan followed closely behind, leading a group of soldiers from the Great Moli Branch Mansion and headed straight for Anhe Palace on the mountainside. (End of chapter)