Chapter 4107 is confusing
Li Xiaogong raised his eyebrows, looked at Li Ji with a little surprise, and said curiously: "I always thought that Mao Gong, you are calm and calm, and can stand firm in any situation, but I didn't expect you to be so straightforward today, if you are If outsiders knew it, it would be hard to believe.”
Everyone in the government and the public knew that Li Ji was an indifferent person. Even as the head of the prime minister, he had always kept a low profile and was unwilling to express his opinions to avoid being regarded as using his power to suppress others. Even when his status in the military was challenged by Fang Jun in recent years, he always refused to comment. Silent and dismissive.
It is really unusual to force Li Xiaogong to express his position without any hesitation today...
Li Ji had no expression on his face, looked at Li Xiaogong, and said slowly: "Today is different from the past. In the past, it was just a matter of interest disputes, more or less. I won't take it to heart. Whoever wants to rob will let him have some points." So why not? This is a critical time for the Empire. If anything happens to Your Majesty, a battle for the throne is almost inevitable. We are not only His Majesty's ministers, but also the pillars of the Empire. We must not turn a blind eye and let it go."
Li Xiaogong's heart was filled with waves. He looked directly into Li Ji's eyes, pursed his lips for a long time, and then asked: "Has Maogong already made up his mind?"
When their identity and status reach their level, they cannot act casually in every word or action, because everyone will carefully observe any details of them to figure out the deeper meaning. Therefore, they must express their thoughts and opinions emotionally to avoid being misunderstood by others.
Therefore, Li Ji's words "We are not only His Majesty's ministers, but also the pillars of the empire" have already demonstrated Li Ji's attitude.
Whatever is beneficial to the country will be done even if it goes against His Majesty's will.
On the contrary, if it is not beneficial to the empire, even His Majesty's will may be violated...
Li Ji was silent and had a firm look on his face.
After a long time, Li Xiaogong slowly exhaled, rubbed his swollen forehead, and sighed: "Mao Gong is the prime minister of the empire, and the interests of the empire are the top priority. This is the duty and understandable. But I am the king of the clan, and since We should put the interests of the clan and His Majesty’s will first, even if our bodies are broken into pieces, we will do so without hesitation..."
At this point, he suddenly changed the topic: "...I don't know if your Majesty has left any posthumous edict."
Li Ji remained silent.
The edict... seems extremely important at this moment, but it is not that important, because its existence or not can affect many things, but it cannot prevent some things that are destined to happen.
His Majesty Li Er was a man of great talent and strategy. When he was in a desperate situation, he led his subordinates Hu Ben to fight a bloody path from the Xuanwu Sect. After taking the throne, he became more knowledgeable and responsible, diligent and caring for the people. In particular, he gave preferential treatment to his subordinates and generals, which enabled him to gain unparalleled honor The respect and support he has received from his subordinates throughout the ages are extremely high.
Therefore, once His Majesty Li Er leaves a legacy, countless people will go forward and die willingly for his will.
But at the same time, whether the prince or the king of Jin, when faced with the opportunity to rule the world in just one step, how could he shrink back because of a posthumous edict?
The King of Jin is eyeing the throne and is determined to make progress. Shandong aristocratic families and Jiangnan gentry all gather around him, hoping to replace him with the crown prince, make a contribution to the throne, and seal his wife and son to establish a century-old glory for the family.
The East Palace officials have long been entangled with the interests of the prince. Even if the prince is willing to give up the throne, how can those people be willing to give up the power they are about to gain and become defeated soldiers waiting to be suppressed one by one after the Jin king comes to power? Prune?
Just like the "Xuanwumen Incident" back then, when the situation developed to that point, everyone was coerced by the general trend and could only move forward and not retreat.
A single person is insignificant in the face of the mighty trend, even if this person is the prince, the king of Jin, or even the talented and powerful His Majesty Li Er...
Li Ji took a sip of the already lukewarm tea on the coffee table in front of him and asked: "The prince is your majesty's confidant, why don't you know whether your majesty has left any edict?"
It stands to reason that when a king feels that he is about to die soon, he will leave a legacy in advance and write down his will on it, so that he can tell the world after his sudden death, instead of being manipulated at will by the person who succeeds him, leading to the death of the emperor and leaving only regrets.
And such a testament will be handed over to the person you trust most, and you must at least inform the existence of the testament. Otherwise, if you suddenly die and no one knows about the existence of the testament, isn't it a joke?
Li Xiaogong, Prince of Hejian County, has been with His Majesty Li Er since he was a child. The cousins act recklessly together and charge into battle together, and they have a deep affection for each other. And as the number one leader in the clan now, above Li Yuanjia, the king of Zhenghan, his identity, status, emotions, and trust, as long as there is a posthumous edict, must all be under his control.
But Li Ji couldn't think of a reason why Li Xiaogong deceived him. He said that if he didn't know whether the imperial edict existed, then he must not know...
But His Majesty Li Er was so wise and powerful that he suddenly fainted once before and almost caused the war in Chang'an to start. How could he not be prepared in advance? It's just that Yi Chu's edict has not been published for a long time. If he doesn't even leave a posthumous edict, it is definitely not the style of His Majesty Li Er.
But if there is a posthumous edict, if His Majesty Li Er does not give it to Li Xiaogong, who else can he give it to?
Li Xiaogong rubbed his face and said with a wry smile: "It is true that His Majesty had a lot of trust in me before, but over the years, His Majesty's suspicion of me is far greater than trust. Of course, it is not just me, but all the ministers in the court may not Being able to gain His Majesty's full trust, His Majesty actually trusts the eunuchs around him even more."
Li Ji was slightly stunned.
eunuch?
The fall of the Han Dynasty was actually at the hands of eunuchs. After that, all dynasties learned their lesson and strictly prohibited eunuchs from intervening in politics. With your majesty's wisdom and wisdom, how could you repeat the same mistake and deliver your edicts to the hands of eunuchs?
Even if it is true, is it Wang De or Wang Shoushi?
One of these two people is in charge of your Majesty's palace, and the other is your majesty's training of dead soldiers. They made great contributions to the house arrest of Emperor Gaozu during the Xuanwu Gate Incident...
But no matter whether it is any of these two people, it is absolutely impossible for His Majesty to hand over the imperial edict even if he has not been buried for a day.
Trouble...
With Li Ji's heart as solid as a rock, he couldn't help but feel a little irritated at this moment. He became increasingly unwilling to talk in circles, so he asked: "If there really is a posthumous edict, what should the prince do?"
Li Xiaogong said: "I act in accordance with the imperial edict."
Li Ji asked again: "What if the imperial edict is not in the interests of the empire?"
If His Majesty does not die, it is almost inevitable that Yi Chu will do it. Not only does he dote on the King of Jin, but also because of the strong power of the East Palace after the Guanlong Mutiny, which has loomed as a threat to the imperial power.
The emperor hopes that his crown prince will be capable and promising so that he can better govern the country in the future; but the emperor is more afraid that his crown prince will be too capable and promising, because no one can face the temptation of imperial power indifferently. Since ancient times, Which prince has not wanted the old emperor to be buried as soon as possible so that he can ascend to the throne and display his ambitions?
His Majesty was fortunate enough to be able to suppress all parties with his supreme prestige. Even if the prince was unwilling to do so, he could only bow his head and obey orders. But if His Majesty is not here, how is it possible for the prince and the entire East Palace to give up their interests and become mere fish with just one posthumous edict?
Therefore, Li Ji seemed to be asking, but in fact the unspoken meaning in his words was that "in the event of His Majesty's absence, regardless of whether there is an imperial edict or not, the crown prince should be enthroned." This is in the interest of the empire.
Of course, this is definitely not in the interest of King Jin and the clans in Jiangnan and Shandong behind him.
But in this way, even if the battle for reserves is still inevitable, it can always stabilize the foundation of the empire and keep losses to a minimum.
On the contrary, forcing a prince to rebel will shake the foundation of the country, and its profound influence will not only last for the Tang Dynasty, but even last for hundreds of generations, endlessly...
Li Xiaogong fell into silence again.
The tea was warm and cold, and the two of them sat facing each other in silence.
After a long while, Li Xiaogong called someone in to make another pot of tea. He poured the tea for Li Ji with his own hands and said, "This matter is of great importance. Mr. Mao, you have a special status. You should not make rash decisions easily. Since your Majesty is fine for the time being." , come to think of it, no one dares to risk the disapproval of the world, so you might as well think more carefully and be as thorough as possible. ”
Li Ji leaned over slightly to thank him, held the tea cup with both hands, brought it to his lips and took a sip. Then he smiled and said, "The prince is very resourceful. I have always been the one to set the stage. It is indeed a little abrupt for me to come here rashly today."
He realized that something was wrong with Li Xiaogong's position. Logically speaking, the prince was usually close to the prince and Fang Jun. If his majesty died without leaving a posthumous edict, he should naturally side with the prince. But now it seems that this may not be the case. Is it influenced by the power of the clan?
Li Yuanjia, the king of Han Dynasty, and Li Xiaogong, the king of Hejian County, are almost the two people with the highest power, status and prestige in the clan. The former is related to Fang Jun by marriage, and the latter is close to the East Palace. Who can make these two People side with King Jin against their will?
(End of chapter)