Hearing what Fang Jun said, Cui Xin breathed a sigh of relief...
Since these tens of thousands of Shandong children are being coerced into being used as hostages, and the Shandong aristocratic families are forced to cooperate in measuring the acres of land, it means that His Majesty has no intention of sending these Shandong children to the frontier to "guard the border."
Although the land of Shandong is vast, as long as you cooperate with the court as much as possible, it can be measured within three or two years. By then, your majesty will naturally have no excuse to detain these Shandong children. As long as these people return to Shandong, the Shandong family will be within ten years.
He can recover quickly. Even if he cannot return to his peak for a while, Li Chengqian cannot live forever...
There was once an emperor and a courtier, but if there was another emperor in the future, the Shandong family might not have no hope of revival.
However, he still asked: "Then what exactly does Your Majesty plan to do with these Shandong children?"
It is not an easy task to detain tens of thousands of people. Not only must enough troops be dispatched to detain them, but they must also be provided with food. They cannot all starve to death, right?
Fang Jun paused and said: "Guanzhong suffered two mutinies, the population dropped sharply, and the city defenses were in ruins. A large number of manpower was needed to restore farmland, build cities, and repair roads. These tens of thousands of Shandong private troops came in handy. But there is no need to worry.
, Your Majesty is so kind that he has ordered the navy to purchase a large amount of rice from Nanyang and transport it to Guanzhong for consumption, so there will be no cruelty to the soldiers. By the time the land in Shandong is measured, everything in Guanzhong will be almost in repair, which is just right.
Return them to their native places and get the best of both worlds.”
Cui Xin remained silent.
He had actually anticipated this possibility, and now that he heard it from Fang Jun, he knew that it was very close to the truth.
As for what Fang Jun said, "There will be no cruel treatment of soldiers." Just listen to it. Tens of thousands of Shandong children are still "captives", how can they be treated well? The best outcome is "no"
"Starve to death". As for how many people can return to their place of origin, we can only leave it to fate...
However, he could not utter a single word of dissatisfaction, let alone say that anyway, the Shandong private army under his command could only be counted as surrendering, not as prisoners. Otherwise, once His Majesty becomes angry and pursues the case, all of them, including himself, will be punished.
Trap and kill.
*****
In the evening, the rain that had stopped for a long time started to fall again. Li Chengqian hurriedly finished his dinner and stood in front of the window with his hands on his hands, looking at the rain outside the window. He concentrated for a long time without moving.
Queen Su came from behind, put a cloak on Li Chengqian, and said softly: "Your Highness is worried about the flood in Guanzhong?"
Li Chengqian hummed and sighed: "In previous years, it has been freezing and snowing at this time, but this year the weather is very different. The water in various rivers in Guanzhong has risen sharply. If the Jingzhao Prefecture had not organized manpower to dredge the rivers and strengthen the dams last year, I am afraid that it would have become
A vast country... Is it possible that I am really not destined by fate, and even if I steal the throne, I will still suffer divine punishment?"
"How can your Majesty be so presumptuous?"
Queen Su said angrily, stepped forward and pressed her delicate body slightly against Li Chengqian's body, holding an arm with both hands. The fragrance of orchid and musk filled Li Chengqian's nose, admonishing: "Destiny belongs to it, it is mysterious and unpredictable, who can do it?"
Can you really get a glimpse of the secrets of heaven? Since Your Majesty is sitting on the throne and ruling the world, it at least means that the people of the world support you. Man can conquer heaven. As long as everyone is united, the destiny of heaven will also be subdued."
"Haha, the queen is very eloquent, but why does it sound like Fang Jun's to me? Well, the heart of heaven is the heart of the people, and the people's will is what the people want, and man can conquer nature... It does make some sense."
Patting the back of Su's hand, Li Chengqian took off his cloak and said, "It's time for me to go see Pheasant Nu and tell him the truth about people's disapproval."
…
East Palace.
When he came to the door of Li Zheng Palace, Li Chengqian stopped and looked up at this palace, which did not have a majestic and royal atmosphere, but looked small and exquisite. He had mixed feelings for a while. After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Emperor Taizong was conferred the title of Emperor Taizong by Emperor Gaozu.
The prince lived here for a short time, and then moved from here to Taiji Palace, ascended the throne as emperor, ruled the world, and founded the Zhenguan Dynasty.
But now, things have changed. Mother, queen, father and emperor were buried in the sky one after another. The pheasant slave even tried to change his destiny against heaven, and went up to the top. In the end, he was defeated and captured, and he was imprisoned here...
"I have met His Majesty!"
The soldiers of the Baiqi Division who were guarding here saw His Majesty coming and hurriedly came to greet him.
Li Chengqian hummed and asked, "How is the situation with King Jin?"
The soldier said: "The spirit is a little decadent, and he looks very frightened. Moreover, he has not eaten anything today and has not even touched a drop of rice."
Li Chengqian frowned: "But the food is not good, why do you treat King Jin so slowly?"
The soldiers were startled. They couldn't afford this crime, and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, all the meals are prepared in the imperial kitchen. They are of the highest standard of the prince. After being tested and non-toxic, they are sent to the palace. We absolutely dare not
Wait for His Highness King Jin."
"Okay, I'll go in to visit King Jin. If you are a good guard, if you make any mistakes, don't blame me for severely punishing you."
"Here!"
After the soldiers retreated, Li Chengqian left only Wang De, who accompanied him up the steps and opened the door to enter Lizheng Hall.
The light in the hall was dim and there were no candles lit. When the two maids saw Li Chengqian entering, they quickly stepped forward and bowed their skirts. Li Chengqian waved his hands to let them go and walked to the window.
There was a mat spread on the floor in front of the window. Li Zhi, wearing a silk uniform, was sitting on his knees. He was staring blankly at the rain outside the window and the gradually dimming dusk. He could not hear the footsteps and voices behind him.
Hearing this, the whole person was as still as a rock, motionless.
The slightly thin figure looks a little thin...
Li Chengqian stood behind him, looking at the lifeless Li Zhi. The anger accumulated in his heart due to the mutiny dissipated in an instant, and his original words of admonishment and reproach turned into a sigh...
"Hey, tell me, why bother?"
Li Zhi remained motionless.
Li Chengqian took two steps forward, lifted up his clothes and knelt down on the other side, waving to Wang De. Wang De quickly found the candlestick, picked up the fire stick on the side and lit the candle. The orange candlelight rose in the hall, and the floor was smooth and bright.
, the main hall is empty and deep, and the dusk outside the window becomes darker and deeper...
Seeing that Li Zhi was silent, Li Chengqian said directly: "Later, I will ask someone to send Princess Jin over, and the Prince of Jin will also bring her with her. Don't worry, although you are disloyal to me and disloyal to the empire, you are not loyal to me.
The people are unjust, but I am not as decisive as my father, so I will not kill you. From now on, you will live in this Li Zheng Palace,"
Whether public or private, the pheasant slave cannot kill him, he can only be imprisoned within the palace wall for the rest of his life.
Li Zhi, who was sitting on his knees like a rock, finally couldn't help but shake his shoulders, and then slowly turned his head, his eyes full of surprise and astonishment, his lips twitched twice, and he asked in a harsh voice: "Your Majesty...really don't want to kill me?"
Cutting off the grass and rooting out the roots is an iron rule in political struggles. Emperor Taizong had already defeated the forces of Prince Li Jiancheng after the "Xuanwu Gate Incident", but he still wanted to send troops into the East Palace. The Qi Palace would kill everyone from top to bottom, otherwise
How come Zhenguan has been stable for more than ten years?
After this defeat, from the moment he raised the flag of rebellion, it was destined that the only life-or-death relationship between him and Li Chengqian would be life and death.
But I don’t want to be forgiven by Li Chengqian now that I am in jail...
Li Chengqian raised his head slightly, his eyes wandering in the candlelight-soaked hall, his eyes full of memories and nostalgia: "On Gengyin day and night in June of the second year of Wude, it was in this hall that you, Ninth Brother, were born. At that time, I
You are only ten years old, Qingque, and your third brother rushed into the hall together and saw your mother sitting on the couch with you in her arms. You still smiled at us... The three of us wanted to reach out and hug you.
But you were scolded by your mother, saying that you are too young, and as brothers, we must take care of you and take care of you..."
Among Taizong's disciples, Li Chengqian, Li Kuan, and Li Ke are the same age, and Li Tai is one year younger. Li Kuan's mother was a palace maid, and she was succeeded by Taizong's brother Li Zhiyun, King of Chu Ai, who died young. So Li Chengqian, Li Ke, and Li Tai are three
We grew up together since childhood and have been close friends for the longest time.
To this day, Li Chengqian can still clearly remember the furnishings in the Li Zheng Hall back then. As time goes by, Queen Wende's voice and smile are still fresh in his memory, and every word she said to him back then is clearly remembered.
If his mother hadn't passed away early, he, the prince, would naturally be in a stable position. Why would there be so many fights for the heir apparent in the future?
Li Chengqian recalled the past, thinking of his mother's warmth and brotherly love, smiled, and said with emotion: "They all said that I am not a ruler of the country. I didn't accept it before. I think I can do what my father can do. It's nothing more than
He is just open to speaking out and accepting advice with an open mind. As long as he is not stubborn and goes against the grain, the emperor will naturally continue to do so. However, only now do I realize that I was very wrong. In fact, I am not as good as my father. At least my father treats his brothers and sisters without mercy.
If I am decisive, I will not be able to do it no matter what."
It was easy to kill Li Zhi. A glass of poisonous wine and three feet of white silk were enough. For Li Zhi's crime of rebellion, the whole world could not blame him as an emperor. Even if there was some small public opinion, it disappeared after the passage of time.
But he couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart.
Raising the butcher's knife to eradicate the roots of his brother is easier said than done. As long as he thinks that he may blame himself for the rest of his life, and be haunted by guilt all day long, he can't do it...
He raised his hand and patted Li Zhi on the shoulder. Hearing this, he smiled and said: "Haosheng, live here. All the supplies will be treated as a super-grade prince. If you have any requirements, you can always let me know. I will
I will be satisfied. Your princes will also live here together. I will find the best teachers to teach them. When the world is at peace and the world is stable, I will let them go out to serve as officials, and the title of King Jin will not be revoked. You
From generation to generation, our descendants will enjoy the title of the King of Jin, wealth and splendor, and live together with the country."
Doesn't he know that as long as King Jin is alive, he will be a huge hidden danger?
Of course he knows it, but he is willing to take this risk just to preserve this brotherhood and not to face the shame of meeting his father, emperor and mother in the future...
He has already sat on the throne of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, ruling the world and ruling over all nine states. Why should he bear the infamy of being a murderer and endure the torment of his conscience for the rest of his life?
Fang Er said it well: Take a step back, the sea and the sky will be brighter...