The emperor fell ill in front of all the civil and military officials during the morning court. This kind of thing could not be hidden from anyone. The news spread as soon as the morning court ended, and soon spread throughout Chang'an City.
Naturally, people are panicked, and even if the prime ministers and generals personally come out to refute the rumors, it will be useless.
Different people have different views on this matter.
Most of the ordinary people felt panic and then prayed for the emperor. Although everyone said that the people did not care who sat on the dragon throne, they only cared about their own rice bowls.
This sentence is correct, but it is not entirely correct.
It doesn't matter who sits on the dragon throne to the people. What matters is whether the emperor can let them eat.
The emperor who can make them eat will gain their support. They will care about this emperor and pray for him to live a long life.
Because no one knows what the next emperor will be like.
Li Shimin was undoubtedly an emperor who could provide food for most people, so the people cared about him very much and did not want anything to happen to him.
People who had problems with the royal family were jumping for joy. No matter whether the emperor died in the end or not, this was a very happy thing.
They were even happier when they learned that Gao Shilian, a relative, stabbed the emperor in the back.
The Li family is indeed a nouveau riche, even their own relatives have betrayed them, and they still want to compare with the gentry, which is ignorant.
The careerists prayed that the Tang Dynasty would die in the second or third generation like the former Sui Dynasty, so that they would have the opportunity to sit in that position.
The envoys from various countries looked sad on the surface, but they were as happy as flowers on the inside. It would be good to die, but such a vicious emperor should die.
Of course, there were more people loyal to the imperial court. After all, the establishment of the Tang Dynasty created a new group of vested interests, and these people were unwilling to see the country fall into chaos.
There are also some people who, although closely related to the gentry, care about the world and do not want unrest, such as Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng and others.
Therefore, more people are worried about Li Shimin and trying their best to maintain the situation.
After the first few days of panic, people gradually calmed down after seeing that the court was operating normally and there was no further bad news from the emperor.
It's just that this year's Lantern Festival celebration was hosted by the prince, which cast a shadow on everyone's mind.
This worry lasted until the 16th, the day when Hou Junji led his army to go on an expedition.
It was the first time for Li Chengqian to send an army on a trip and he was very excited. To show his respect for this day, he even put on the prince's dragon robe and came to the school grounds outside the city early.
However, reality dealt him a heavy blow. Seeing that the prince actually appeared, the soldiers fell silent and the atmosphere became somewhat depressing.
Li Chengqian knew the reason and tried to encourage everyone in the hope of boosting morale, but the effect was minimal.
The soldiers were most concerned about only one question: "Is the saint in good health?"
Li Chengqian sincerely assured: "The saint just suffered from dizziness and needs to rest for half a month. Generals, there is no need to worry. When you return in triumph, he will personally host the celebration banquet."
But the effect of these words was very poor. The soldiers said:
"The saint will not be disappointed."
"We will never let down the grace of God."
"Use the head of an unsubmissive thief to pray for His Majesty..."
But the worries and gloom in their hearts cannot be hidden from anyone at all.
At this time, Li Chengqian understood more clearly the status of his father in the hearts of the Tang soldiers.
But the current situation is that the soldiers must not be allowed to go on the road with worries. What should they do? At this moment, he was helpless.
Even his most valued advisor, Du He, felt powerless.
As the commander-in-chief, Hou Junji naturally did not want to see the morale of the army so low before it even set off. He also tried to encourage everyone, but the effect was also very little.
Just when everyone felt bad, they suddenly heard someone shouting: "The saint is coming, the saint is coming..."
Li Chengqian thought someone was causing trouble and immediately frowned.
Hou Junji even had evil eyes in his eyes and shouted: "Who dares to make a noise in front of the army and think that my military law does not exist? Come here, pull them out and sacrifice them to the flag."
However, before his men could move, the soldiers on the side of the school grounds also began to shout: "The saint... is the saint..."
Li Chengqian and others looked toward the door, and sure enough they found a group of people slowly entering the school grounds. The person walking at the front was Li Shimin in military uniform.
He was riding a tall, dark horse, with a serious look on his face and a look of intelligence in his eyes. His momentum was like a tiger entrenched on the horse's back.
Everyone was surprised and happy, and rushed forward to greet him.
"See Sage."
Li Shimin dismounted from his horse, his posture was strong and healthy, and he didn't look sick at all.
The surrounding soldiers were completely relieved, the uneasiness that shrouded everyone's hearts was completely dissipated, and their morale increased at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Chen Jingke, who was following behind, was trembling. My father-in-law, are you so desperate for your life? Don't you know what's going on? Just put on a little show.
Li Chengqian also had a flash of worry in his heart, but he didn't dare to show it at this time.
Hou Junji didn't know his specific situation and thought he was really excited again.
But as a minister, you still have to be concerned, and said: "Sage, didn't Master Sun say that you need to cultivate yourself? Why did you leave the palace?"
Li Shimin smiled and said: "How could I not come when the army is out? Originally, I wanted to train the prince, but now it seems that he is too immature to appease the military spirit."
Li Chengqian said ashamedly: "I disappoint you."
The other soldiers were embarrassed. Their behavior just now was indeed a bit disrespectful to the prince.
But the army is different from other places. If it works well, it won't work. It is a fact that the prince's prestige is not enough to inspire the morale of the army. There is no way to fake it.
But on the other hand, if morale rises to a certain point as soon as the prince comes, we should be more worried.
Li Shimin naturally understood this truth, so he simply clicked to open his son's eyes and let it go.
Afterwards, surrounded by everyone, he walked up to the generals' platform, and he simply waved to the soldiers below.
Then……
"Long live, long live, long live..." The shouts sounded like a tsunami.
Everyone's morale, which had failed to improve after trying for a long time, was instantly lifted to the highest level.
Li Chengqian felt a little depressed, but in this situation, he was more excited.
Chen Jingke, who was following the crowd, experienced such a big scene for the first time, and his face flushed with excitement.
A sentence came to his mind, a true man should be like this.
Seeing that the auspicious moment had arrived, an official brought the commander's flag and the tiger seal ribbon and asked Li Shimin to issue them.
Li Shimin waved his hand and said: "I said that today the prince is seeing off the army, how can I break my promise? I will just watch from the side and leave the rest to the prince."
Hearing this, Li Chengqian trembled with excitement, while the eyes of the officers and men flickered, but they quickly calmed down.
Everyone knows that this is helping the prince to come to the stage. The inheritance of father and son is a matter of course, and ministers can only support it but not have any opinions.
In this matter, whoever has an opinion will die.
Taking a deep breath, Li Chengqian took the commander's flag, handed it over solemnly, and said: "General Hou, I'll leave this battle to you."
Hou Junji bent down and took it with both hands, saying: "Respect the prince's order, I will return in triumph without losing the grace of the saint."
"Wan Sheng, Wan Sheng, Wan Sheng..." The roar of the mountain and the tsunami resounded through the sky again.