Chapter 4504: Raising troops to investigate crimes
The candlelight was bright, and the imperial study was silent. The candle wick made a soft "peeling" sound 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 after the imperial case, with a gloomy expression. 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
: "It's already late at night. Your Majesty is burying his head in his desk and working hard, but he must also cherish his body. Eat a little, and 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, her skin was even more white than snow. Her beautiful face under the candlelight was gentle and soft, like a hot spring in this deep winter night. Looking at it made her heart warm and amiable...
Exhaling a breath of turbidity, Li Chengqian rubbed his face and said with a smile: "It's okay to 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 doesn't have to accompany me. She needs 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 will never be finished. Your Majesty's body is not strong enough."
Even if you are strong, why are you so sleepless and sleepless? If your body is worn down, won't it delay government affairs even more? You should also work and rest on time to take good care of yourself."
For some reason, the princes born to Empress 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 Wei Wang Li Tai was too fat. In the summer,
When it's hot, he can even be out of breath from time to time. He sweats and is out of breath when he moves a little. 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. He smacked his lips and tasted the aroma of the wine. He smiled bitterly and said: "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."
Is the good situation over? But this empire is too big, the territory is too vast, the population is too prosperous, and there are countless things to do every day. The slightest mistake will lead to extremely serious consequences, and there is no one who dares to slack off for a moment.
."
The hardest job in the world is probably that of being an emperor. You must always be on guard against someone usurping the throne, and you must also 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 this continues, how will your Majesty's body be able to bear it? Now there are His Majesty's confidants in the court, so 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 'those who are suspicious are not used and those who are employed are not suspicious'. When it is time to delegate power, we should still delegate it."
"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 made him feel at ease.
They are all children of aristocratic families. The education and influence they have received since childhood has 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 to sit on this throne at this moment, I am afraid that the entire clan and court would have been killed, countless heads would be rolled down, and the whole family would be wiped out... But I still can't do it."
Guanlong, the King of 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 you have the courage to kill decisively, how can you create the foundation of Zhenguan? Your Highness is very different now. The traitors have been wiped out. Even one or two traitors are nothing more than a mantis. You only need to follow the steps and do your best.
If you can connect the past and the next and become a capable monarch, you won’t have 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 Xiao Guicao can
Only by being obedient can you be a good 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 rest first. I will deal with these memorials before going to bed."
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."
"Concubine, please retire."
Seeing the queen's slender 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 other concubines, he felt 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 take 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 among the snowflakes all over the sky, silently killing each other.
It was as warm as spring inside the tower. There was a brazier in the corner, and a bright brass hotpot on the table was steaming. King Li Tai of Wei was holding a plate in one hand and using chopsticks in the other to put in the thin mutton and green vegetables.
The rich aroma instantly overflowed from the pot. Li Tai sniffed and said with a smile: "By the way, the greenhouse of your Lishan Farm is really unique in the world. I don't know how many people have learned the method and tinkered with it in the past few years, but no one has."
The vegetables cultivated at your house are comparable to yours. By the way, last time Yuchi Gongjia Sanlang led troops to your village to snatch the seeds, and then disappeared. Is there any movement recently?... Hiss! It smells delicious!"
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 sauce, 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 poured wine from a pot for Li Tai and 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 on the feudal side... Later, when the King of Jin was defeated, the man was confused and did not dare to go anywhere, so he hid in a hiding place near Lantian, and later simply plunged into the mountains. However, Your Majesty spared him.
He was punished with the death penalty and allowed Yuchi Gong's descendants to move out of Chang'an and choose a place to resettle. Yuchi Baohuan went down the mountain and surrendered. However, his eldest son had been serving in the Navy and should have been qualified to be a deputy general. This time, his father was implicated and his future was in danger.
Total destruction."
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 him, 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 asked.
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 rebelled, his children and grandchildren will have to bear the corresponding price...
Li Tai picked up the wine glass and drank it all, 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 have not offended you, right?"
Fang Jun said with a smile: "Your Highness, why did you say this? There are only two of 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 glared 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 be patient and keep a low profile, the less people pay attention to it, the safer it will be. However, if you recommend me like this, are you harming me? You must know that there are probably countless people sharpening their swords and ambushing on the road from Chang'an to Luoyang.
Trying to assassinate this king to put the blame on His Majesty, so that His Majesty will bear the notoriety of killing his brothers and sisters!"