It is not easy to get on the ship of power, and it is even harder to get off it. When you are already entangled with the interests of others, your withdrawal will affect the interests of others. Who will agree to your withdrawal?
Your allies can tear you to pieces without your enemies taking action.
The most cruel thing is the power field, which is no less difficult than the life-and-death fight between beasts...
In the garden pavilion, King Li Zhi of the Jin Dynasty, dressed in regular clothes, held a wine glass and looked up at the bright moon in the sky. There was no trace of brightness in his heart, the sky was high and the clouds were light, only endless hesitation, loss, loneliness and loneliness.
Those subordinates and loyal ministers who had sworn to follow him in raising the flag of rebellion and vying for the throne immediately knelt before the emperor and swore allegiance at the moment of the defeat. No one cared whether he, the king of Jin, lived or died or what his fate was.
Although the emperor was merciful and did not allow him to die, what was the difference between being imprisoned in this mansion and never seeing the light of day, and death?
Several times, he had the will to live and die, intending to use death to break free from the invisible shackles, and use his life to make a silent accusation to Li Chengqian.
However, when things came to an end, he finally backed down.
It is easy to say that the only way to die is to die, but as long as you think of the endless darkness and nothingness after death, you feel that the current claustrophobia and confinement are not unacceptable...
Li Zhi took a sip of the wine in the glass and sighed quietly.
He still remembered that when his father taught him to study, he pointed out that he had many advantages, such as intelligence, gentleness and filial piety, but he also had shortcomings. The biggest shortcoming was that his willpower was not strong enough. When faced with major decisions, he often took refuge. Unable to face difficult situations head on.
There were footsteps behind him, and the chamberlain trotted over, his voice a little frightened: "Your Highness, your Majesty is here."
Li Zhi trembled in his heart at first, then recovered, and stood up to greet him.
If he were to be punished with death, His Majesty would not be able to come in person. He could just assign Li Junxian or others to come at will, or a glass of poisonous wine, or three feet of white silk. How could he not obey?
Since His Majesty is here in person, it will not be to kill him, otherwise it will be detrimental to the reputation of the king...
"Pheasant slave, I came to see you as a brother."
There was no need for him to go to greet him. Li Chengqian had already come to the garden surrounded by guards and chamberlains, and walked towards him slowly, with a smile on his face.
Li Zhi bowed and saluted: "The guilty minister Li Zhi respectfully welcomes the Holy Master."
"Hey, what are you talking about?" Li Chengqian stepped forward, held Li Zhi's shoulders with both hands to help him up, and said angrily: "Why do you blame the minister but not the minister? Don't say such stupid things again in the future. Remember At any time, you and I are brothers and sisters of the same mother. Although you have made mistakes before, I can kill everyone, but I will not hurt you even a hair."
Li Zhi looked grateful and said in panic: "It was my younger brother who made the mistake first, and he is willing to accept any punishment..."
"Don't say this anymore!"
Li Chengqian was rarely strong. He took Li Zhi's hand and sat on the stool in the pavilion. He glanced at the wine bottle on the stone table, looked sad, and sighed: "I know you are bored and lonely in the palace all day, but I need to bear with you a little longer. Come and prepare some food and drinks. I will chat with the pheasant slave and have a drink.”
"Here."
Princess Jin bowed in response, then turned around and took the maid to prepare wine and food.
Li Zhi's heart was pounding. He heard what his brother meant, but he couldn't believe it. Did his brother really have plans to end the confinement and release him?
What I have committed is a serious crime of treason. It would be a dead end at any time. Now, instead of killing me, my brother wants to release me and return to a free life... Changing places, Li Zhi asked himself that he could not have it. Such a big heart.
After a while, a pot of fine wine and a few side dishes were delivered. The two brothers sat in the pavilion, with lanterns hung around them, and everyone retreated far away.
Li Chengqian never seemed to doubt that this brother would take advantage of this moment to give him a fatal blow. He enthusiastically raised the wine bottle and poured wine for Li Zhi, and said with a smile: "A few drinks can make you happy, but don't be greedy. I know you are depressed. , but you must not hurt your body. You are still young and there are many days ahead, so don’t rush.”
Nagging and full of concern, just like when I was a child.
Li Zhi took a sip of the wine from his glass. When did his brother's temperament change drastically and he became violent, sharp, mean and manic? Yes, it was when the father expressed his intention to the King of Wei and himself to establish him as the crown prince and deposed his brother.
In the past, Li Zhi didn't understand. He thought that whether it was a reserve position or a throne, it should be occupied by a virtuous person. Since you don't have the ability, don't occupy the position and harm the country and the people. Wouldn't it be appropriate to replace it with a capable person?
But now, after a period of confinement, he understands that not everything has a chance of regression.
As a prince, if you can't become an emperor, then even if you die, you won't be able to shrink your head and be a loyal minister.
Even if you want to do it, no one will allow you to do it.
Li Zhi was filled with emotions for a moment. He did covet the throne at the beginning, but he never thought about what he would do to his brothers. But now he realized that he could seize the throne only by forcing his brothers to death.
Not only Li Chengqian, but also Li Tai.
Even Li Ke, who is in Silla, may not be able to tolerate him being carefree, and must be on guard against someone who will one day compete for the throne...
We can also better understand why my father killed his brothers and his brothers after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, leaving him with eternal infamy.
It was not a question of whether the father wanted to kill him or not, but that he had to kill him.
Even if his father didn't kill him, those wolf-like subordinates who accompanied him with his head pinned to his trouser pocket would force him to kill him.
You yourself value brotherhood and family ties, but someone else is risking the lives of your entire family to accompany you in your rebellion just for the sake of wealth and wealth. How can you leave any hidden dangers?
Since ancient times, the Heavenly Family is ruthless, and it does not vary from person to person.
It is extremely rare for Li Chengqian to reach this point.
With a long sigh and wiping away tears, Li Zhi sincerely regretted: "It was my younger brother who was so obsessed with me that he made a big mistake. Today, he is willing to accept the punishment no matter what. Even if he dies, my younger brother will never complain."
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"You kid, why are you still saying such things?"
Li Chengqian was unhappy. He looked around and saw that no one could hear them, so he lowered his voice and said, "Don't worry, how can I bear to imprison you for the rest of my life? It's just that there are some people with ulterior motives in the clan who are stirring up trouble." , It may not be a good thing to let you out, but I promise you that as long as you pass this hurdle, I will definitely let you out. The title of King Jin will be reserved for you, and the fief will be reserved for you. You and I will definitely start well and end well!"
By the time this storm has passed, the disloyal people in the clan have mostly been cleaned up, and new policies such as "land measurement" have been implemented smoothly, and the strength of the family members has been greatly reduced. Even if Li Zhi is released by then, who will be able to come back again? Support him in his quest for the throne?
In any case, he really didn't want to force his brother to death unless he had to.
The two brothers knew each other very well. Li Zhi naturally felt that Li Chengqian's tone was sincere and sincere. He was moved to tears and choked up: "Brother, it was my brother who was wrong. I never dare to do this again..."
"I didn't plan to tell you in advance. I'm afraid it would cause another commotion if it leaked out. But I can't bear to see you so lonely and depressed. You must never do this in the future and relax. Changlesheng After giving birth to a son, you are your biological uncle, so you must prepare a generous gift in the future.”
"Ah? Sister Changle gave birth to a baby? Is it my brother-in-law's?"
Since Princess Jinyang gave Fang Jun the title of "brother-in-law", almost all princesses and princes have become accustomed to calling him this way. Compared with Fang Jun, other princes-in-law are addressed either by titles or official positions.
When Li Chengqian mentioned this, he gritted his teeth: "Who else could it be besides that stick? Changle was so obsessed that he committed himself to him regardless of etiquette and shame, and now he has given birth to a baby. It is simply unreasonable!"
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Li Zhi clearly felt that Li Chengqian treated Fang Jun strangely. This strangeness was not only caused by Princess Changle's affair with him. Although he didn't know the truth, Li Zhi's keen perception was not wrong.
After thinking about it, Li Zhi did not add insult to injury or take advantage of the situation. Instead, he advised: "My brother-in-law is like a 'white jade pillar holding up the sky and a purple golden beam bridging the sea' to Your Majesty. He has not only made great achievements for Your Majesty in the past, but even future, still It is the strongest foundation for His Majesty’s throne. Since Sister Changle agrees with her and is happy with her, it would be better for Your Majesty not to interfere too much, not to mention that she has given birth to a child, so what can I say?”
For Li Zhi now, what he fears most is accidents.
Since Li Chengqian had made a promise in front of him, he would definitely honor it. Although Fang Jun was not close to him, with Chang Le and Jin Yang around, Fang Jun would not Oppose this.
The most important thing is that with the existence of Fang Jun, Li Chengqian's rule is impregnable. Naturally, Li Chengqian will not be afraid of the threat that he, a little prince, may pose.
But once something unexpected happens to either of these two people, the situation will be turbulent. It is unknown whether Li Chengqian can fulfill today's promise by then.
Therefore, Li Zhi now prays to God and Buddha to bless Li Chengqian's throne as solid as Mount Tai, and Fang Jun's status as solid as gold.
It would be troublesome if Li Chengqian lost his mind and destroyed the Great Wall.
If there were a new emperor, it would be impossible for him to be imprisoned until death, and he would definitely die...
Li Chengqian waved his hand and took a sip of wine depressedly: "I'm just complaining. I'm just unhappy that a person like Chang Le has ended up with a shady status... But as you said, since the two of them are in love, Yue, how can I interfere? That’s all, let him go.”
Li Zhi drank a drink with him, squinted his eyes slightly, and smiled brightly: "I am also an uncle... I don't know who the baby looks like? But it can look like anyone. Sister Changle is certainly beautiful, and so is my brother-in-law. Heroic and handsome, this child will definitely be a promising person in the future.”
Although the relationship with Princess Gaoyang is also very good, in this era, the meaning of "direct relatives" is extraordinary. They are brothers and sisters of the same father, and "direct relatives" are far better than "concubines".
Therefore, many people at that time advocated that it was possible for King Wu Li Ke to succeed to the throne, but in fact it was absolutely impossible.
Even if Li Chengqian is deposed, the throne can only be passed on between the kings of Wei and Jin. Otherwise, not only the Guanlong clan will not agree, but the etiquette and laws of the world will not allow it...
"So just relax and rest in peace. After a while, our family will be reunited."
"My brother, I would like to obey the emperor's order." Under the moonlight, the two brothers disappeared and drank happily.