Chapter 4504: Raising troops to prosecute
The candlelight was bright, and the imperial study was silent. The candle wick made a soft sound of "peeling" from time to time and exploded a little fireworks, reflecting Li Chengqian's gloomy face.
Queen Su took the tray from the maid, left the maid outside the door, and walked into the imperial study alone. She saw Li Chengqian sitting motionless behind the imperial desk with a gloomy look on his face. His heart skipped a beat. He felt this for no reason. His Majesty was a little strange at that time...
Suppressing the sudden feeling, the Queen walked gently to the imperial desk, placed the tray on the imperial desk, took out two plates of side dishes, a pot of hot wine, and a bowl of rice porridge, and said softly : "The night is already deep. Your Majesty is immersed in writing and working hard, but you must also cherish your body. Eat a little, then take a shower, change clothes and go to bed later."
Li Chengqian raised his head and saw that the queen was wearing a dark palace dress that made her skin whiter than snow. Her beautiful face illuminated by candlelight was gentle and gentle. It was like a hot spring in this deep winter night. Looking at it made her heart warm and amiable...< br>
Exhaling a breath of turbidity, Li Chengqian rubbed his face and said with a smile: "Let the servants handle this kind of thing. Why bother the queen? Government affairs are so complicated that I have to stay up late to deal with them, but the queen does not have to accompany me. It is better to have a rest early in the morning. .”
As he said that, he picked up his chopsticks and took the bowl handed by the queen. Although it was just a few simple side dishes, a pot of sake, and a bowl of white porridge, it was very delicious.
Queen Su poured the warm wine from the flask into a small wine glass. She held the wine glass in her delicate white hands and placed it in front of Li Chengqian. A worried look appeared on her face: "Government affairs can never be finished, Your Majesty." Your body is not strong, so why do you spend so much time sleeping and sleeping late at night? If your body becomes exhausted, won’t it delay government affairs even more? You should also work regularly and take good care of yourself.”
For some reason, the princes born to Queen Wende were all weak. The eldest son, Li Chengqian, was a little weak before he was framed and broke his leg. After the leg was broken, his vitality was even more damaged. The second son, King Wei Li Tai, was extremely obese. On hot days, I can even be out of breath from time to time. If I move even a little bit, I will sweat and be out of breath. The youngest son Li Zhi seems to be stronger than his two brothers, but he has suffered from gas disease since he was a child, and he is not very good. .
Even Changle and Jinyang are weak and lack vitality...
Li Chengqian picked up the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp, smacking his lips to taste the aroma of the wine, and said with a wry smile: "Although I am self-aware and have no lofty ambitions, I also want to be a monarch who maintains the status quo. I cannot let the late emperor create this situation." Great situation is lost Right? But this empire is too vast, the territory is too vast, the population is too prosperous, and there are countless things happening every day. The slightest mistake will lead to extremely serious consequences, and there is no time to slack off. "< br>
The hardest job in the world is probably that of being an emperor. You have to be constantly on guard against being usurped, and you also have to do your best to handle government affairs to avoid making mistakes that will cause anger and resentment. Unless you have great perseverance and energy, it is extremely difficult to be an emperor.
Queen Su worriedly said: "But if things continue like this, how will your Majesty's body be able to bear it? Now there are His Majesty's confidants in the court. We might as well let them bear more, so that Your Majesty can take a breath and practice more. I am not the concubine. When it comes to intervening in government affairs, it is often said that "the people who are suspected are not used, but those who are employed are not trusted." When it is time to delegate power, we should still delegate power. ”
"Huh, confidants? They are just people who adapt to the wind."
Li Chengqian snorted coldly. It was rare to vent the resentment in his heart. He said dissatisfiedly: "Even if Guanlong collapses and King Jin has been deposed, there are still people secretly trying to get their hands on Dabao. I even have to sleep with one eye open." , how dare you delegate power to others?”
Except for Fang Jun, there were few civil and military officials in the dynasty who really reassured him.
They are all children of aristocratic families. The education and influence they have received since childhood have made them always put the interests of the family first. Loyalty to the emperor and patriotism must come second to the family, and they cannot even be compared with their own future and well-being.
Immediately he sighed, took a sip of wine, and felt a little annoyed: "I'm still not cruel enough... In fact, what my father said back then was right. I am soft-hearted and cowardly in my actions. I am not decisive enough to kill and it is difficult to be a person." Good Emperor. If Qingque or Pheasant Slave were sitting on this throne right now, I am afraid that the entire clan and court would have been killed, countless heads would have been wiped out, and entire families would have been wiped out... But I still can't do it." br>
Guan Long and King Jin had two mutinies in a row. Countless people were directly involved or secretly involved in subverting the imperial power. If the penalty was imposed, each of them would be beheaded and their homes confiscated, but he was lenient and most of them would not be held accountable.
On the one hand, he was weak by nature and could not bear to massacre, and on the other hand, he lacked self-confidence, fearing that he would arouse public anger and affect the stability of the imperial power.
Otherwise, not only the rebels must be killed, but even those who have not rebelled but affect the stability of the imperial power must be framed and then completely eradicated...
Queen Su stood on the side of the imperial case, stretched out her jade hand to gently press Li Chengqian's shoulder, and said softly: "Your Highness is a generous person, so what if you can't kill as decisively as the late emperor? What's the situation that the late emperor faced back then? It is more than ten times worse than now. It is really life or death. If How can the decisiveness of killing create the foundation of Zhenguan? Your Highness is very different now. The traitors have been wiped out. Even a few thieves are just mantises. They only need to follow the steps and be able to connect the past and the next. To be a capable monarch, there is no need to go on a killing spree. .”
Is it not just about being soft-hearted?
Insufficient courage, insufficient talents, insufficient intelligence... In the final analysis, Li Chengqian is just a middle-aged man. He cannot be as decisive as Emperor Taizong, nor can he be as talented and broad as Emperor Sui Yang. He can only follow the steps and follow the rules. Only by following along can you be an emperor steadily.
Li Chengqian breathed out, patted the jade hand on his shoulder, and said with a smile: "It's late at night. Queen, please go and have a rest first. I will deal with these memorials before going to sleep."
Queen Su naturally would not advise the emperor to put down government affairs and rest first, so she smiled gently and said: "Although government affairs are important, it should be done in moderation and don't stay up too late."
"Well, go ahead."
"I retire."
Seeing the queen's slender and graceful figure walking out the door, Li Chengqian breathed a sigh of relief for no reason...
During these days, he was highly nervous and had to deal with a mountain of government affairs, which completely consumed his little energy. Even if the imperial doctor gave him a few tonics, it was still difficult to get excited.
Every time he saw the slightly longing eyes of the queen and the other concubines, it made him feel guilty...
I am only in my twenties, and the imperial doctor also said that it was caused by too much stress. I just need to take a rest after a while and pay attention to taking supplements. Otherwise, I can't use those tiger and wolf medicines now, right?
Clean up your mood and focus your energy on government affairs again.
*****
The cold wind is howling and snowflakes are flying. Looking north from the windows of the Nei Zhongmen Gate Tower, the flags above and below the Xuanwu Gate are flying and dancing in the snowflakes all over the sky, silently killing each other.
It was as warm as spring inside the tower. There was a fire pot in the corner, and a bright brass hotpot on the table was steaming. King Li Tai of Wei was holding the plate in one hand and using chopsticks in the other to put in the thin mutton and green vegetables. In the pot, the rich fragrance overflowed instantly. Li Tai sniffed and said with a smile: "By the way, your Lishan Farm Your greenhouse is really unique in the world. I don’t know how many people have learned how to do it in the past few years, but none of them can grow vegetables as good as yours. Last time, Yuchi Gongjia Sanlang led troops to your farm to snatch the seeds. , has disappeared since then, has there been any movement lately... Hey! "
The thin mutton is rolled in the hot soup and the color changes. Use chopsticks to pick it up and dip it into the bowl with a sauce made from sesame paste, chili oil and chive flowers. Put it in your mouth and chew it. The tenderness of the mutton is so rich in the sauce. The incense exploded all of a sudden, making Li Tai hiss with great pleasure.
Fang Jun picked up a few leeks, dipped them in the sauce and ate them. He then held a pot and poured wine for Li Tai. He replied: "That guy robbed a lot of food from my cellar. Maybe he planned to plant it in the fiefdom in the future. After all, Jin was at that time." The king made a promise to Yuchi Gong from the feudal side... Later, the King of Jin was defeated. The man was confused and did not dare to go anywhere, so he hid near Lantian. However, his Majesty exempted him from the death penalty and allowed Yuchi Gong's descendants to move out of Chang'an and find a place to settle. Yuchi Baohuan went down the mountain and surrendered. He was serving as a division commander and should have been qualified as a lieutenant general. This time, his future was ruined because of his father’s involvement.”
Yuchi Gong was guilty of treason, which was an unpardonable crime. His family should have been confiscated and his family should have been confiscated. Li Chengqian spared no effort to pursue the case, but things could not continue as usual. At the very least, Yuchi Gong's descendants would not be able to become officials within a few generations. Not even in the military.
Although Fang Jun sympathized with Yuchi Baolin, it was impossible for him to go to Li Chengqian to plead for him. After all, for any emperor, "treason" was an absolutely insurmountable red line. Fang Jun thought to himself that Li Chengqian would definitely give him a favor if he opened his mouth. It's a friendly relationship, but it's very likely that there will be a rift between the monarch and his ministers from now on.
Not worth it.
Moreover, since Yuchi Gong raised an army to rebel, his children and grandchildren will have to bear the corresponding price...
Li Tai picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, let out a sigh of relief, took a bite of food, and said dissatisfiedly: "The reason why I invite you to drink here today is because I want to ask you: I haven't offended you, have I?"
Fang Jun said with a smile: "Your Highness, why did you say that? There are only you and me here, so if I say something arrogant, although I am loyal to His Highness the Crown Prince, when it comes to friendship, it is far inferior to the one I have with you, Your Highness." .”
Li Tai stared, raised his head and asked: "In that case, why do you recommend me to go to Luoyang and become the target of public criticism? At present, the court seems to be calm on the surface, but in fact, there is an undercurrent. You don't think the world is peaceful, do you? As the king, , you should keep a low profile, the less people will pay attention to it The safer it is, but by recommending me like this, wouldn’t it be harmful to me? I must know that there are probably countless people ambushing me on the road from Chang’an to Luoyang, trying to assassinate me and blame His Majesty. Carrying the reputation of killing brothers and sisters!" (End of Chapter)