Chapter 4114 The war is about to begin
Whether Li Ji really believed that the edict existed and just needed to be found, or he deliberately delayed the succession of the crown prince, it was extremely detrimental to Li Chengqian. This seriously lacked the responsibility of a leader in both the court and the military.
Of course, only he himself knows what Li Ji thinks in his heart...
Fang Jun was both disappointed and dissatisfied. He knocked on the table in front of him with a stern expression: "Here are both the leaders of the court and the mainstays of the clan. If your majesty has a legacy, who else can he leave besides these people?" In the hands of others? Your Majesty never told you about the imperial edict during his lifetime, and no one can tell you about it. Edict, why do you have to search the Taiji Palace to find such an edict that does not exist? I would like to remind you that you are all the emperors of the country. Any action you take will lead to serious consequences, and some consequences are absolutely unbearable for us. Yes, no one can bear that kind of responsibility.”
Once fighting for the throne leads to wars and wars, and even the whole Guanzhong and the whole world are full of wars and wars, countless people will be destroyed and their families will be destroyed. All the political achievements since Zhenguan will be wiped out. Is this a frivolous statement about whose responsibility can be wiped out?
It's useless to commit suicide and apologize!
Li Ji glanced at Fang Jun. Although these words were extremely rude, he did not refute. Instead, he lowered his eyes and said nothing.
Fang Jun was very angry, and he had such an expression that he wanted to stay out of the matter...
Historically, Wu Meiniang teamed up with Xu Jingzong and others to persuade Li Zhi to depose the Queen and make her his queen. The interest group headed by Guan Long strongly opposed it. When Li Zhi asked Li Ji, who was the head of the prime minister, for his opinion, he said "This is the case." His Majesty's family affairs are not subject to interference by ministers." He tried to stay out of the matter. In fact, as the most powerful figure in the court and the military, his "no objection" already meant that Wu Meiniang would succeed in taking office.
Is this the responsibility of a dignified prime minister?
This is the case again today. Sure enough, the situation is easy to change and the temperament is hard to change. Li Ji is indeed not keen on power, but that is just that he does not pursue the upper limit of power, but he attaches great importance to the lower limit.
I don't care about Conglong's merits, but I am sure that I won't make any mistakes. No matter who is in power, how can I treat him, the most powerful person in the dynasty, lightly?
Li Chengqian looked at Li Xiaogong: "What did the Duke Prince say?"
Apart from Li Ji, only Li Xiaogong can make the decision here. Zong Zhengqing Li Yuanjia's status is high enough, but his power and reputation are far inferior...
Li Xiaogong was also in a dilemma. Li Ji's statement made him feel quite troubled. If there were no such powerful figures to resist the chaos, wouldn't it be adding to the chaos? But having said that, even if Li Ji sided with one of the prince or the king of Jin at this moment, prompting a quick end to the battle for the heir apparent, it would not necessarily be beneficial to the country.
It is either/or in the court, and there is no third party to check and balance each other. The natural result is to cultivate party members and exclude dissidents...
After pondering for a moment, Li Xiaogong could only nod his head and said: "In that case, let's put this matter on hold for now and wait until after the funeral to make a decision."
……
Zongshengji Temple and the Ouchi General Palace began to make arrangements. Fortunately, the royal family had a large population and people died from time to time, so the funeral process was very skilled. Of course, the etiquette required for an emperor's funeral is different from others, becoming more complicated and demanding.
Pieces of white cloth were brought into the palace and cut by the chamberlains and palace servants under the guidance of officials from Zongzheng Temple and the Ministry of Rites. Afterwards, everything they saw was wrapped and covered with white cloth, making the entire Taiji Palace completely pristine, even in the heavy rain. Adding a sense of sadness.
The princesses, consorts, and relatives of the emperor in Chang'an City have been notified one by one by Zongzheng Temple. Some people with higher status directly arranged for carriages and horses to enter the palace. Fang Jun stood at the door of Wude Hall holding an umbrella, looking at Xiang Xiang. Cheng, Runan, Nanping, The princesses of Changle, Yuzhang, Baling, Chengyang, Gaoyang, Jinyang and Xincheng knelt down in the open space in front of the palace and cried bitterly. They not only shook their heads, but also asked several palace maids to help Princess Gaoyang to the side. , stepped forward and comforted her warmly.
Looking at Princess Gaoyang's pale face and red and swollen eyes, Fang Jun lamented in his heart: "Your Majesty's funeral will be mourned by the whole world. You are His Majesty's daughter. It is your duty to cry before the funeral, but you should also be careful not to exhaust your body." Physical strength leads to energy exhaustion, take it easy.”
The funeral of an emperor is the most important event in the world. The complexity of the etiquette is unbelievable and astonishing to later generations. Although the etiquette systems of different dynasties are different, they are mostly the same. It takes five to seven months to bury the body, and it takes at least seven months to rest in the palace. During this period, there are no less than dozens of etiquettes such as summoning souls, paying homage to the deceased, holding meals, and holding a banquet, etc., which can be described as torture to close relatives.
It was only the first day that I was crying like this. How could I bear it after the whole funeral?
Princess Gao Yang nodded obediently, holding Lang Jun's hand tightly with her delicate hands and refusing to let go. There was not only a strong look of sadness in her eyes, but also endless fear.
Her mother-in-law is not seen on the royal jade plate and has no status. The reason why she can marry the son of meritorious deeds depends entirely on His Majesty Li Er's favor, so that even if she marries into a prominent family like the Fang family, she can still be confident and commanding. Among all the royal relatives, he was even more arrogant and respected.
Now that His Majesty Li Er was buried, the biggest backer suddenly collapsed, which made Gao Yang, who was used to doing whatever he wanted, suddenly feel scared.
The only person I can rely on for the rest of my life is my husband...
Fang Jun patted her shoulder and whispered: "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything... let's get over it."
Seeing Princess Gaoyang returning to the queue of princesses and continuing to cry, her eyes moved to Changle and Jinyang. The palace servants held umbrellas, but they could not block the rain completely, so the princesses' clothes were soaked by the rain in a short time. ……
Fang Jun felt pity in his heart, but he didn't dare to come forward to comfort him in front of everyone, and he felt even more ashamed.
*****
Under the rain corridor in front of the palace, Li Xiaogong and Li Ji stood side by side. The imperial guards and chamberlains all formed a circle at a distance to prevent anyone from approaching and overhearing the conversation between these two big men who represented the clan and the court respectively...
The rain was pouring, lightning and thunder were pouring, and there were crowds of people in the Tai Chi Palace. There were bursts of crying, and a desperate atmosphere spread in the rain, as if the sky was falling apart. The king passed away and the imperial power changed. I don’t know how many people took advantage of the wind to rise to the top, and I don’t know how many people had a bleak official career and a clumsy fate.
After this heavy rain, a power change similar to the "Xuanwu Gate Change" is about to begin...
Li Xiaogong put his hands behind his back, looking at the princesses and concubines crying sadly in the rain, as well as the princes and royal family members kneeling in the rain not far away, and said calmly: "What does Maogong mean?"
Li Ji stood beside him, his pale face unmoving, his chin slightly raised, his gaze falling through the rain curtain on the broad and towering roof of Wude Hall: "I have no other intentions."
He naturally understood what Li Xiaogong's abrupt questions meant...
Li Xiaogong frowned tightly, looking a little anxious, and said impatiently: "At this moment, I have no intention to quarrel with you, let alone quarrel with you. You are the chief minister and the leader of the military. At this time, I We should express our position to maintain the smooth transition of imperial power. How can we seek good fortune and avoid harm and have no opinion?”
Li Ji's clothes were blown by the night wind, and his body became increasingly thin. He sighed softly: "Smooth transition...Does the prince really think that this change of imperial power can be a smooth transition?"
Li Xiaogong remained silent.
A burst of drumming sounded in the rain, covering up the previous continuous cries. This was the Taoist temples and temples in the city entering the palace to hold rituals under the auspices of the Ministry of Rites. The royal family of Li and Tang claimed to be descendants of Laozi and respected Taoism as the state religion. However, at this time, Buddhism was prosperous, had a huge influence and had countless believers, so it had to be temporarily moderated. Important events such as the emperor's funeral had to be held in the palace together with Taoism. Buddhist rituals, otherwise it will be regarded as being excluded and suppressed by Buddhism, which will cause unnecessary turmoil.
Just like the current situation in the court, the prince and the king of Jin... who is willing to take a step back?
Taking a step back would mean that the supreme imperial power in the world would fall into the hands of others, and he and his countless supporters would soon face suppression, exclusion, dismissal, or even execution...
Li Ji withdrew his gaze, lowered his head and shook off the rainwater on his sleeves: "Your Majesty once said that the way to imperial power lies in checks and balances. The most taboo thing in the court is that it is either this or that. If someone advances, someone will retreat, and someone will win. When someone loses, the winner pursues them fiercely and eradicates them, while the loser loses his temper and loses his fortune... This is the country's misfortune."
It is human nature to seek good fortune and avoid evil.
A wise king can often check and balance all parties in the court. When one party becomes too powerful to contain, he immediately supports the other party to check and balance. Otherwise, allowing one family to dominate will endanger the imperial power, instead of choosing the party that conforms to his own governing philosophy and giving unlimited support.
After anyone gains an advantage, he will maintain it, thereby cultivating party members, rejecting dissidents, and defeating anyone who opposes him... Li Ji is no exception.
No matter which side he is on, after winning, he will pursue the losing side fiercely. This is not determined by his character, but by his position.
At present, both the prince and the king of Jin have countless supporters, not only in the court, but also in all states and counties around the world. When one of the parties wins the battle for the reserve and takes power, all hostile forces will inevitably be affected in the process of excluding dissidents, and a huge political disaster will set off in the entire world. The good situation that has been managed since Zhenguan will be about to come. Destroyed.
At this time, there is a powerful figure who is neutral, suppressing the winner and preventing him from suppressing his political opponents, and supporting the loser to prevent him from being completely defeated and disappearing. There are always two factions standing side by side and checking and balancing each other in the court. For the long-lasting way...
Li Xiaogong was noncommittal, but a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He nodded: "I hope Mao Gong, you really think so, and you will live up to His Majesty's original wish for you to be the prime minister... So, we just sit on the sidelines and watch the prince and the King of Jin fight?"
Li Ji seemed not to hear the sarcasm in the other party's words, smiled bitterly, and said helplessly: "Who can stop it?"
In his view, this battle is inevitable. (End of chapter)