Chapter 4166: Loyal to the Emperor? Loyal to the country?
[September 18, don’t forget the national humiliation! 】
Thunder roared outside the window, echoing in waves, and heavy rain poured down. The candlelight illuminated Li Daozong's face in a gloomy light, and his eyes reflected the candlelight, jumping and flickering.
The hand holding the teacup was slightly firm, and after a long while, he said slowly: "There is no difference."
Yu Wenshi said: "Of course there is a difference."
Li Daozong remained silent.
The wind and rain outside the window became more and more intense, and Yu Wenshiji had to raise his voice slightly: "Everyone in the world says that 'the emperor is the world', but in fact, how can one person encompass the world? Many times, the interests of the emperor and the interests of the world are different, such as now . The battle for the throne and the battle for orthodoxy will seriously damage the stability of the world. This is the interest of the world. The interests of the empire, but this is not the interest of His Majesty... His Majesty's determination to save money is known to the world, and you, Chengfan, naturally know it well. Now that His Majesty the King of Jin holds your Majesty's edict, the reason why we put our lives at risk is also To support King Jin is not because of how wise and powerful King Jin is, but because we must respect His Majesty’s will.”
He clasped the table in front of him with his knuckles and said word by word: "We follow His Majesty and risk death in desperate situations to survive. The relationship between monarch and minister is as strong as gold. Your Majesty treats us with great kindness and treats us like brothers and sisters." , never willing to criticize even a little bit, such a kind encounter like a mountain, The past and the present are included. Now that His Majesty is very likely to be harmed by traitors, and the heroic spirit is full of hatred, should we still defy his will and sit back and watch his most beloved and favored son being tortured and brutally killed? This is not the loyalty of a human minister? .”
Li Daozong was speechless. Isn't the reason why the King of Jin was in danger, life and death, not because he brazenly raised troops to capture Tai Chi Palace?
But he had no intention of arguing, because that was not the crux of the matter.
He pondered and shook his head and said: "What Duke Ying said is ridiculous. As long as the King of Jin abandons his weapons and surrenders and recognizes the crown prince as the legitimate one, how can the prince be so benevolent as to harm him? On the contrary, if the King of Jin ascends to the throne, it will be difficult for the prince and the other kings to do so. Good death.”
Even if the imperial edict in the hands of King Jin is true, after all, there are two direct brothers above him. If you want to ascend the throne, it is inevitable that you will not have the right name and your words will not be right. Even if you succeed in ascending the throne, there will inevitably be many hidden dangers. No emperor can tolerate his own throne all the time. Now that he is under threat, how can he stop killing the other brothers who are qualified to inherit the throne?
This is a situation that His Majesty tried his best to avoid. Otherwise, it would have been easy to save. Why did he delay and hesitate until his death and failed to issue the edict of Yi Chu?
Of course, the Navy had just defeated the private army in the south of the Yangtze River. When the news came, Yu Wenshiji came to persuade him impatiently. It can be seen that the King of Jin was already a little panicked. The situation was urgent and there was a worry of overthrow at any time. The King of Jin could not sit still. , Yu Wenshiji's words may also hint at the promise given to him by King Jin - afterwards, he will ensure that the prince and all the former emperor's princes are safe.
This was the point that made Li Daozong most hesitant and hesitant.
I believe that my loyalty to His Majesty Li Er is absolutely pure. If I can protect His Majesty Li Er's sons from fighting against each other and killing each other during the fratricidal struggle for the throne, it will naturally be the best explanation for His Majesty Li Er...
Yu Wenshiji smiled warmly and said softly: "Chengfan knows, why did His Majesty appoint you to guard the Xuanwu Gate instead of someone else?"
Li Daozong raised his eyebrows and was speechless.
Yu Wenshiji sighed softly and said: "Things in the world often backfire, even for emperors and generals. In the world, with responsibilities and interests entangled, who can really be free and easy and do whatever they want? People have selfish motives, such as leaving the best things to their favorite children, but many times they You can't do this, you have to be fair and just, otherwise you are ignorant... So there are some things that can only be understood, not expressed, and the things you want to do most can't be done. How can you be so angry and desolate if some people can overcome all difficulties and complete it? His unfinished business will surely bring a smile to his face, and he will no longer have any worries.”
The metaphorical meaning is barely concealed.
Li Daozong certainly understood, but he remained silent and did not respond.
Yu Wenshiji did not press him, he stood up and said with a smile: "This is a serious matter, Chengfan should consider it carefully, but there is not much time, so he should make a decision early. I will take my leave first and come back to talk to you another day. ”
After saying that, he ignored the silent Li Daozong, put on his raincoat and bamboo hat, and walked out of the barracks with a slight stoop like a dignified prince and court boss, but like an ordinary old country farmer.
Li Daozong sat still, looking a little gloomy in the flickering candlelight. He didn't even send anyone to follow Yu Wenshi and check where the secret passage that allowed people to enter and exit the Xuanwu Gate at will was hidden. He was in a daze.
Loyal to the king?
Or loyal to the country?
Are the king and the country one?
A gust of wind and rain blew in from the open door, and the candle flickered and finally went out.
Li Daozong's body was swallowed by darkness...
*****
Tai Chi Palace, Zhao De Palace.
Zhaode Hall is located to the south of Wude Hall. There is a Wude Gate between the two. The Emperor's funeral was in Wude Hall. Zhaode Hall is naturally the best place to handle funeral ceremonies. Officials and servants from all over the world gathered there. Most of the various spiritual flags and ritual vessels were transported here, so even though the emperor's coffin had been transported out of Chang'an to Zhaoling for temporary storage some time ago, Zhaode Hall was still the place where the funeral rites were held.
The emperor was buried on the seventh day and buried in the seventh month. The funeral process was far from complete...
It was late at night, thunderstorms were blowing, and there were very few people in the Tai Chi Palace of Nuo Da. Only groups of guards with helmets and armor were patrolling back and forth. At this critical moment, even a bird flying through the air could not be seen. Use a crossbow to kill it to make sure nothing goes wrong.
In the side hall of Zhaode Hall, candlelight was brightly lit. Prince Li Chengqian, Li Jing, Cen Wenwen, Fang Jun, Ma Zhou, Liu Jie and others were eating midnight snacks and discussing the current situation.
It is still the period of national mourning and it is not appropriate to be extravagant, so there are a few simple dishes on the table in front of everyone, mainly vegetarian dishes, a pot of warm wine, and a bowl of rice. Everyone eats slowly and relaxedly. Comfortable.
Nearly a month of funerals almost exhausted these main ministers of the Eastern Palace to the point where their bones fell apart...
When the meal was over, the waiters took away the leftovers, placed a pot of fragrant tea in front of everyone, and bowed down.
Liu Ji poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, glanced at Fang Jun, who was on the lower left of the prince, and said: "The news came that the navy severely defeated the private army in the south of the Yangtze River and completely blocked the Yangtze River waterway. Everyone in the palace was excited and Chang'an's morale was high." However, it is not without hidden dangers. Although the Jiangnan private army collapsed, the main force is still there. The Jiangnan clan may not be able to recruit and reorganize again. Moreover, after this battle, , Everyone in Jiangnan is in danger. Those clans have always been disobedient to the control of the central government, and it is inevitable that they will become disobedient, or it is not impossible to rule by crossing the river. And since the Navy can brazenly send troops to defeat the private armies in Jiangnan without orders from the central government, When faced with the situation where the Jiangnan clan wants to separate itself, they may not be able to take the correct response. Once Jiangnan is completely corrupted, the consequences will be disastrous.”
He looked at the prince and cautiously admonished: "Perhaps your highness should issue an imperial edict to the navy to reprimand his previous actions of sending troops to attack the Jiangnan private army without authorization, and strictly order Su Dingfang not to rashly attack the Jiangnan clan without receiving orders from the central government. Take measures, and if you disobey, you will be severely punished.”
The atmosphere in the hall fell silent for a moment.
They are all high-ranking people in the officialdom, with twitching beards and tails. How can they not hear the implication of Liu Jie's words?
The tyranny of the navy's combat power greatly surprised the civil servants in the court who had never taken the lead. Moreover, it sent troops to defeat the Jiangnan clan without orders from the central government. Although it was a great achievement, it also had the tendency to do its own thing and disrespect orders. Suspicion, this is unacceptable to the central civil servants.
How is it that an army can fight whenever it wants, regardless of the consequences?
If all the troops in the East Palace have such privileges, then what use are they civilian officials?
In the final analysis, it is still a power struggle between civil and military forces.
Previously, during the Guanlong Rebellion, the internal fighting within the shareholder palace was temporarily suppressed, and everyone had to unite with the enemy to fight against the enemy. Now, although the King of Jin is clinging to Tongguan and the battle to seize the direct descendants has begun, the situation is excellent. The civilian officials are facing the military. The strength is ready to move again.
Power means merit, and merit means interests. The power between civil and military forces checks and balances each other, and interests are in opposition to each other. Barriers are inevitable.
Li Jing's eyebrows twitched, but he seemed to turn a deaf ear. He didn't even look at Liu Ji, and lowered his head to drink tea slowly.
He was most impatient of such intrigues and fights, and had suffered great losses in this regard. Besides, the Navy was not under his command. Even though Liu Jie had touched upon his status as a military boss, he did not intend to speak.
Generally speaking, this kind of scene does not require him to be shirtless...
Sure enough, Fang Jun had already put down his tea cup and said in a deep voice: "The general is outside, and your orders are not taken care of. The situation on the battlefield is changing rapidly. How can you ask for instructions in advance and wait for orders at all times? As a general, you should have the right to make decisions on the fly. , otherwise there will be too many constraints, which will inevitably delay the military aircraft. For example, this time, if Su Dingfang discovers the gathering of private troops in the south of the Yangtze River. After Yu Yanziji, he did not immediately send troops to stop the attack, but first asked Chang'an for instructions. The battle report took a month. When he got the order to attack, the Jiangnan private army had already appeared under Tongguan... Anyone who could question Su Dingfang's decision, It really lacks the most basic military strategy and makes people laugh. ”
Although Liu Ji knew that Fang Jun would definitely not have anything nice to say in the face of his criticism, he still felt angry for mocking him so bluntly for "making a fool of himself". It makes no sense. Although the navy is not an army of the imperial court, it is a family soldier of the royal family and should act according to the prince's order."
First he scolded Liu Jie, and then he turned around and mentioned that the navy was not an imperial army, but a royal private army. It was up to the prince to decide whether he made mistakes and how to deal with them. You, Liu Jie, are just a servant of the imperial court.中, the control is too broad...(End of chapter)