Chapter 4108: No successor
After coming out of Li Xiaogong's residence, Li Ji stood in front of the rain corridor, shook his head and looked into the dark night sky with raindrops scattered, exhaled heavily, and then walked back to his temporary residence separated by a wall.
Go inside, take off your coat, and sit in front of the window.
A young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes came over with a teapot, filled the tea cup on the table with tea, and whispered: "Grandpa, drink tea."
"Yeah."
Li Ji took a sip of tea and frowned in thought.
The young man put the teapot next to the table, sat opposite Li Ji, and asked in a low voice: "I wonder how my grandfather talked with the prince of Hejian County?"
Li Ji raised his head and looked at the young man who had a vague shadow of himself between his brows. He simmered for a while and said in a deep voice: "What are you going to do about this matter? I'm just a private soldier, and you should take care of the things you should take care of. Don't go overboard." distance.”
The young man didn't think so, and said carelessly: "Grandpa's words are ridiculous. Although you are a dedicated official, you are also a dedicated grandfather. The current situation in the government is ups and downs, and there is always danger of overthrow. It is at stake for the future of my family, and my grandson is also affected. How can you remain indifferent? Please tell me, what does Prince Hejian say?"
Facing this eldest grandson, Li Ji, who was usually decisive in killing, was helpless.
The eldest son and grandson are the pillars of the family. Whether they are good or not is crucial to the family's century-old foundation. Otherwise, if they are not good enough, even if they create such a great business, they will be ruined sooner or later.
This eldest grandson was not corrupted by wealth like other children and became a playboy who was idle and useless. He was proficient in bow and horse and witty since he was a child, which made Li Ji quite pleased and thought he had a successor. But his personality is too out-of-the-box, unwilling to keep to himself, and quite ambitious.
Therefore, Li Ji did not place him in the army for training, but took him with him as a personal soldier to teach him personally.
Otherwise, if it is allowed to develop, this unruly spirit will not be eliminated, and you may not be able to make achievements in the future. If not, you may ruin your family and career...
At this moment, seeing his eldest grandson asking this question, he was thinking about taking the exam and asked: "The prince refused to express his position. I think it's normal to have concerns. But we can't follow others in everything. We have to have our own ideas. OK. In your opinion, what should I choose?”
When Li Jingye heard this, he raised his thick eyebrows and said excitedly: "What's the point? If there is a posthumous edict, I will stand by the crown prince. If there is no posthumous edict, I will do my best to help the King of Jin ascend the throne!"
Li Ji had no expression on his face and said calmly: "Tell me carefully."
Li Jingye licked his lips. He had always been high-spirited, but he was still too young to speak on important matters at home. At this moment, his grandfather asked him. He felt that having the opportunity to influence such important events was a sign that his grandfather valued his performance. He became more and more excited and anxious. vocal tract : "If there is a posthumous edict, it will inevitably depose the prince and pass the throne to the king of Jin. We respect the posthumous edict and assist the king of Jin. How can we get ahead of Xiao Yu and others? My grandfather is already the head of the prime ministers and assistants. When the time comes, he will be reduced to the lower position. Under Xiao Yu and other villains, there are What's the point? The opposite is the same. If there is no edict, the prince will still be the legitimate prince. We will support the prince to ascend the throne, but the prince's most important thing is Fang Jun and others. He can't let his second wife fall ahead of his grandfather. ? Only the opposite Only by doing this can both sides regard us as ministers of humerus. After ascending the throne, my grandfather will truly be inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people, instead of being the head of the prime minister in vain but without reality. "
Regardless of whether he is a prince or a king of the Jin Dynasty, when his reputation is justified, he will have the support of his previous team and all the people in the world. If you have more Li Ji, it will not be too much, and if you have less Li Ji, it will not be too much. After he ascends the throne, when rewards are based on merit, there are naturally not many benefits. What is the icing on the cake? So rare?
On the contrary, if Li Ji bucks the trend and provides strong support when the crown prince or the crown prince of Jin falls, it will be a kindness in times of need, and the rewards he will receive after success will naturally be tenfold and a hundredfold.
Li Ji was speechless.
Is this eldest grandson a fool for choosing the most difficult path? Of course not, on the contrary, this is the most profitable approach.
In fact, with Li Ji's current status, prestige, power, and strength, if he really bucked the trend and fully assisted the losing side, he might not have a chance to turn things around.
What troubles him is that this eldest grandson only thinks from the perspective of profit, but has no thoughts of loyalty, morality, and the world. He is so ambitious and far-sighted but lacks grandeur, how can he achieve anything?
Once the road goes astray, you will fall into a pit and be unable to get up, and countless people will step on it...
But he is still just a child...
Li Ji had no choice but to explain patiently: "There is nothing wrong with pursuing profit in one's life. Everyone in the world is seeking profit, and this has been the case since ancient times. But when you reach a certain status, you will understand that the word 'profit' is the most complicated , maybe money and silk, maybe official position, maybe power, various benefits The advantages and disadvantages are mixed and difficult to distinguish. It is often impossible to absorb everything, but at the same time, how should we weigh the pros and cons? We must stand firm and have our own opinions. It is better to choose small and large to be sure. Don’t be greedy and take risks to gain.”
Li Jingye scratched his head, half understanding.
Although many interests are mixed together and it is difficult to distinguish them from each other, why not choose the big one and let the small one go?
Besides, which step in officialdom is both dangerous and dangerous? Even a wealthy family like his family is always walking on thin ice. How can it ever be stable?
Thinking about the current situation again, how to choose between the prince or the king of Jin... Li Jingye has one head and two big ones.
Li Ji was inevitably disappointed when he saw his confused look.
Although this boy is smart and strong, in fact he is just a little clever and cannot hold a big responsibility. Such people are just doing nothing. In short, they are just drifting with the crowd and living a mediocre life. With the family fortune they have earned, it is not difficult to be rich all their lives.
But once you reach a high position, you will inevitably be deceived by the will of others, and you will follow what others say and not distinguish between things and things.
There is always danger of death and annihilation...
All in all, this kid has some abilities, but he lacks knowledge about right and wrong, and he is unruly and likes to take risks. The higher his position, the greater the backlash.
It seems that I have to keep a close eye on myself in the future to avoid causing big trouble and ending badly...
*****
The next morning, the night rain had begun to stop, but the sky was still gray and not clear.
At the beginning of Mao hour, two lanterns were hung at the door of a row of duty rooms on one side of the Taiji Palace Square. The orange halo was slightly bright. The ministers who had stayed in the palace before and the civil servants and generals outside the palace were arriving one after another. The small room was packed to the brim.
The Tai Chi Palace is where the court meeting is held, but now that His Majesty is critically ill, no one dares to step into the Tai Chi Palace to hold the court meeting. But now there are many things in the court, and if they are not arranged for a long time, they will inevitably become more crowded, resulting in government affairs being blocked and causing serious damage. The prince had to summon the ministers and hold a court meeting here.
Of course, the scale of this court meeting is limited, and it is impossible for all ministers to come together like in the past. Only the chief officials of the various ministries and yamen in the court, as well as the prime ministers, assistants, and generals can participate.
At three o'clock in the morning, all the ministers arrived.
A waiter placed tea and snacks on the table in front of each person, and then left.
Li Chengqian was dressed in a prince's robe and sat in the middle. He looked very haggard. He looked around at the important court officials in the room and spoke in a hoarse voice: "My father is seriously ill and cannot wake up, but state affairs cannot be delayed, so I am alone in the UK. Hejian County At the king's suggestion, a court meeting was held here to formulate a charter for the urgent government affairs. It was supposed to be held in the East Palace, but some people had doubts in their minds and caused trouble, so we had no choice but to grievances here."
The tone was somewhat dissatisfied.
As an upright prince, it was his duty to supervise the country when the emperor was seriously ill, and His Majesty had ordered the prince to supervise the country several times before. However, Li Ji and Li Xiaogong insisted that he was not allowed to return to the East Palace to preside over the court meeting. The reason was that His Majesty was critically ill and could not leave without permission. In fact, they also understood that they wanted to avoid irritating the Zhinu family and take risks. At the same time, they also did not want the Zhinu to misunderstand that they had joined the East Palace. intention.
Even if Li Chengqian has a good temper, he will inevitably feel angry at this moment...
Listening to the prince's slightly dissatisfied words, Li Ji and Li Xiaogong lowered their hands slightly and remained silent.
After all, Li Chengqian was a soft-tempered person. Even though he was angry in his heart, he stabbed the two of them and it was not for his own sake. He looked at King Wei, King Jin, Fang Jun, Xiao Yu, Cen Wenwen, Liu Jie, Chu Suiliang, and Cheng Yaojin in front of him. , Yuchi Gong, Li Daozong, Ma Zhou and other civil servants and military generals, said slowly: "If something comes up, I will discuss it with the officials and make a decision, so that the government affairs will not be neglected."
In such a large empire, there are countless major events that need to be approved by the king every day. His Majesty has been seriously ill and unable to attend the court these days, which has squeezed a lot of things. The chief officials of each department quickly reported them one by one and asked His Highness the Crown Prince to make a decision. .
This made Li Zhi look a little ugly. After all, Li Chengqian is a legitimate prince. Even today, His Majesty has not issued an imperial edict to Yi Chu. He has occupied the rightful position and overpowered him. Look at this important minister in the house. They all stood up and reported respectfully, which made him envious and jealous.
Leng Buding remembered Xiang Yu's words in "Historical Records": He can take his place...
Everyone in the hall naturally paid attention to King Jin all the time. Seeing his ugly expression, they were all worried. Some people hope that the two kings will fight for the crown prince so that they can choose sides and get a Conglong Gong who will rise to great heights. However, everyone in the hall has reached the highest level of officialdom and cannot be promoted. Most of the few people who went out hope that even if His Majesty appears, No matter what the accident, the imperial power can be changed smoothly. I am afraid that the prince's hosting of the court meeting will further irritate the king of Jin, making him unwilling and determined to fight for the throne.
Fortunately, Li Chengqian is a prudent person. Although he may not care about the mood of the King of Jin, he does not want to leave a strong impression in front of the ministers. As before, he will ask the ministers for their opinions in a pleasant manner after listening to the report. You can listen to people's different opinions with an open mind and follow their advice readily.
Quite a bit like a wise king.
Until Cheng Yaojin suddenly straightened up and said, "The six leaders of the East Palace left their station without authorization, and the guards of the Youhou Army came to the Chunming Gate. The merchants outside the city have been wiped out, and the city is full of chaos. I don't know what the leaders of these two armies want to do." There was a sudden silence in the hall.
Everyone realized that it would be impossible to maintain harmony between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Jin. The purpose of today's court meeting was to force everyone to take sides...(End of Chapter)