Chapter 4118 Meeting in the dark night
A group of concubines knelt at the back. After hearing the quarrels and exchanges of words among the people in front, they were so frightened that they dared not say a word and wished they could put their heads in their crotches.
As a prince, how could he not know the dangers of competing for heir apparents? Their respective elders and teachers would always carefully explain the various dangers involved in the struggle for the throne in the past and present. Even their father had a successful case of seizing the throne more than ten years ago that was famous in history, so they felt the same way...
Although there are no rules strictly prohibiting the power of princes in the Tang Dynasty, based on past mistakes, once the new emperor ascends the throne, he will definitely restrict his brothers and sisters. Military power is a no-brainer. Even the government will prohibit them from interfering with it, so for complete For concubines who are not qualified to compete for the heirloom, they absolutely do not want to get involved in the fight for the heir apparent.
If you win, you won't get much benefit, but if you lose, you will be implicated. Who would be stupid and rely on others?
Li Min, the king of Shu, even had an empty mind, wondering whether he should simply go to Silla to join his brother Li Ke in the future, and become a true prince who is inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people, so as to enjoy some glory and wealth. Otherwise, with his usual arrogant, domineering and willful behavior and temperament, the new emperor might one day regard him as a chicken that scares monkeys, take him out and chop him into pieces...
Jiang Wang Li Yun was thinking that if the prince was defeated in the end, the Fang family would be implicated, and it was possible to kill the whole family. However, if the men beheaded and the women's family members would probably join the Jiaofangsi, they would have to find a way to kill the Fang family. When the little sister of the family is rescued, even if she cannot marry the guilty minister's daughter, she will definitely take her as a concubine.
Even if I have to marry a royal concubine by then, I will just leave them aside and respect each other like ice. I will definitely stay and fly with the little girl of the Fang family and love each other...
The most frightened one was King Li You of Qi. Previously, the Guanlong clan had staged a mutiny to depose the crown prince, but failed to win over the King of Jin, so they had to retreat and push him out. As a result, he could not help himself and was so powerful that he was so stupid that he actually answered. Sun Wuji was allowed to serve as the crown prince, and he even wrote a crusade against the crown prince.
The prince was benevolent and never held him accountable, but his father had kept him imprisoned since he returned to the capital. Punishment was inevitable. Even if his father died now, no one who ascended the throne would tolerate someone who once coveted the throne. Are you alive?
Who is not afraid that one day he will be resurrected, and the prince who once tried to get his hands on the throne will rise again?
No matter what I think, I am afraid that I will not escape death...
Heartbroken, he raised his head and glanced at his father, who was lying on the imperial bed covered with a brocade quilt, and the sad tears couldn't stop flowing down.
Although my father was strict, he was like a mountain weighing on the hearts of my brothers when he was alive, but no matter how strict my father was, he would never kill us...
He started sobbing and crying, and the brothers in front and behind him also cried, either because of the atmosphere, or because they simply thought they should cry...
When the chamberlains standing on both sides saw the princes crying together, they also burst into tears. The whole hall was filled with smoke and their cries were sad.
……
His Majesty Li Er, who was wise and brave, won the admiration and support of the minister of cultural relics. Now that he suddenly died, everyone naturally felt sad in their hearts, just like mourning a heir. However, human nature is selfish. While remembering the situation wirelessly, it is inevitable to think about how to deal with the current situation in order to ensure one's own interests.
It is euphemistically called "the dead are gone", but the living must continue to live...
In the second half of the night, all the princes were exhausted and listless, so they took turns to rest under the arrangements of the officials of the Ministry of Rites. In particular, they staggered the time for the prince and the king of Jin to watch the mourning, ensuring that one of them was always kneeling in front of the mourning. This shows that the internal control of the Ministry of Rites There were also disputes over the ownership of the throne and they could not agree on the same opinion.
The other princes had no objections, but King Li Tai of Wei was deeply dissatisfied with this: Why do I, the second-ranked prince among the legitimate sons, have no chance of ascending to the throne, but all of them are optimistic about Zongnu?
However, the situation is like this, no matter how unwilling you are, you can only swallow it.
At this moment, Li Tai could not help but reflect on the bitter consequences of his previous reckless actions and his complete disdain to make friends with the courtiers. It should be noted that at that time, the calls for him to be crowned crown prince were unanimous from both the government and the public, and the momentum completely overwhelmed the crown prince. He was still a slug-nosed childish slave. No...
At the end of Yinshi, Li Zhi returned to his residence exhausted. The waiter prepared boiling water and clothes for him to take a bath. The hot bath water soaked his whole body and invigorated his muscles. He sweated hard and put on clean clothes. Yi, then let out a long breath, feeling that he finally survived...
I simply ate a few snacks, drank tea, and let two pretty young eunuchs beat my legs and rub my shoulders to relieve physical fatigue.
Wang Shoushi walked in silently from the door. His thin body was hunched, but his pace was not slow. He was like a poisonous snake that suddenly sprang out of the darkness to bite people, exuding a sinister and dangerous aura.
Even the air seems to have cooled down a bit...
"Your Highness, the Duke of E is here."
Li Zhi put down the teacup, frowned and asked, "Hasn't anyone noticed it?"
Wang Shoushi's wrinkled and mature smile was as weird and ugly as a withered chrysanthemum suddenly blooming: "Your Highness, don't worry, this old slave has lived in this palace for decades, and this matter can still be handled, but right now people If you have too many eyes, the conversation should not be too long.”
During the mutiny of the Guanlong Clan, they entered the Taiji Palace and suffered a lot of losses in their chamberlains and maids. However, most of the core chamberlain officials followed the prince to retreat to the Xuanwu Gate, so their losses were not great. When His Majesty Li Er returned to the palace, he was appointed to reorganize the palace staff, and almost all of them were placed in various positions by himself.
If you want to do something secretive in this palace, Wang Shoushi will naturally be able to do it...
Li Zhi nodded slightly, rubbed his red and swollen eyes, and said emotionally: "My father died in heaven, and I am heartbroken. I wish I could hold my father to account for his filial piety... But since my father left you like this Loyal people assist me. How dare I slack off and live up to my father’s great expectations? How dare I waste the enthusiasm of your loyal and good ministers? If you can achieve great things in the future, I will not treat you lightly.”
When Wang Shoushi heard this, he knelt on the ground and said in a hoarse voice: "This old slave is just a eunuch. He has no children, no home, and no job. The reason why he serves His Highness wholeheartedly is because Your Highness is His Majesty's chosen prince. Even though he has no The edict has been passed down to Your Highness, and I must swear allegiance to it and never regret it.”
"There are countless high-sounding people in the court, and every one of them claims to be a loyal and righteous country, but they can't even match the loyalty of a eunuch like you. How can they exist between heaven and earth? But there is something wrong with what you said. Since my father is interested in me, he has already How could I not think of leaving a posthumous edict just in case something goes wrong? When the time is right, I will make the edict public and see if those people are still determined to go their own way and are willing to be rebellious officials and traitors!"
Wang Shoushi paused: "I am willing to do your best for His Highness!"
……
The rain fell deeper at night, the rain outside the window became lighter and drizzled, and the night breeze was cold.
When Yuchi Gong entered the side hall, he saw several candles burning on the bronze candlesticks in the hall. His Royal Highness the King of Jin was kneeling on the smooth floor on the side of Linchuang in his broad robes. He quickly stepped forward and knelt down on one knee: "The final general will join His Highness the King of Jin."
Li Zhi smiled and stretched out his hand to support him, with a gentle expression: "Why should you be so polite when your family meets in private? Come to me quickly and try the tea I brewed."
"Here!"
Yuchi Gong stood up, came to the opposite side of Li Zhi, lifted up his clothes and knelt down to sit down. When he saw that Li Zhi had filled a cup of tea for him and pushed it in front of him, he quickly leaned over slightly, took the tea cup with both hands, held it up and brought it to his lips. He took a sip lightly, clicked his tongue, and said with a smile: "I'm not afraid of His Highness's jokes. , I have been fond of wine all my life, and I am not happy without wine. I really can't tolerate the clear soup and lack of water. Your Majesty has repeatedly reprimanded the veteran for not being flexible. The veteran has also reflected on it, but what should I do if my parents give me such a thing? He has a bad temper and sees a path, even if it breaks through He will never compromise, and he has suffered a lot for this. But having said that, isn't the reason why His Majesty has such deep kindness and trust in the old minister, is it because the old minister does not care about interests and only cares about morality? Now that His Majesty is in mourning, the old minister is in grief and should have followed. His Majesty led his horse and fell to the ground under the Nine Springs, but thinking that His Majesty still had a last wish that he had not fulfilled, he could only live in this world and work hard to help His Majesty achieve great things. Go to Zhaoling to follow His Majesty.”
These words are 90% true and 10% false, so they are full of emotion and touching. It has the feeling of a loyal minister and general who cherishes the memory of the late emperor and wishes he could follow him underground.
Li Zhi was moved to tears. He straightened up and leaned forward to hold Yu Chigong's hands. He choked and said, "If everyone is like Duke E and respects his father's will until death, my father will not change it." The emperor should be smiling under the nine springs, but it is a pity that all the people in the court The Duke talks about being benevolent, righteous, moral, loyal and courteous, but in fact all the bustling and bustling is for fame and fortune... With what the Duke of E has said today, I will never forget it as long as I live, but if I succeed, I will protect the Duke of E and ensure that his lintel does not fall and that he stays with the country. Same break! ”
"Your Highness, I am so kind to you. Do you dare to honor me as an old minister? How dare you not serve with all your heart and soul?"
Yuchi Gong was also moved and his blood boiled.
His Majesty Li Er had great trust in him when he was alive, but he only promoted the title to the highest level without giving him the corresponding official positions and powers. This made him extremely dissatisfied privately, but he did not dare to show it at all, so he could only act in a perverse manner. Zhi Style reminded His Majesty Li Er from time to time, but failed to do so.
This does not mean that he is willing to surrender to the King of Jin. After all, the prince has a good reputation. As long as there is no decree from His Majesty to depose the throne, he will be the legitimate next emperor of the Tang Empire. Why mess around with the King of Jin and take huge risks?
However, the Guanlong clan launched a mutiny before and ultimately failed, putting Yuchi Gong in an extremely dangerous situation. The prince seemed magnanimous and did not pursue any charges against the Guanlong clan, but in his view, this was just a compromise that had to be taken due to the unstable reserve position at that time. Once he ascended the throne, how could he not counterattack and torture the Guanlong clan to death? ?
In particular, Yu Wenshi and the Guanlong core headed by him publicly supported the prince but secretly sided with the king of Jin. This made him more and more convinced that once the prince ascended the throne, he would never end well. For the sake of his own power, title and family continuation, he had no choice but to do anything. Not willing to take any risks, he stood on King Jin's side.
Of course, the risks and benefits are equal. As long as His Highness the King of Jin can seize the throne as he did in the "Xuanwumen Incident", he, the military boss who helped him in times of need, will naturally be the first-class follower of the dragon. By then, , we can really "break up with the country" as the King of Jin promised...
But then, Yuchi Gong said worriedly: "Your Highness is now imprisoned here and cannot go out to contact the courtiers who support you. The old ministers are also under house arrest and cannot command the army. If you want to achieve great things, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven."
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Li Zhi, however, was full of energy and confident: "Don't worry, Duke E. Without complete preparations, how could I allow them to transfer you into the palace and imprison you? Until tomorrow night, let's plan something big together!" ( End of chapter)