After Li Yuanji was sure that Li Shimin would definitely do this, he stopped beating around the bush with Ren Gui and asked straight to the point: "That being the case, what do you think we should do?"
Ren Gui didn't understand Li Yuanji's intentions, or to be precise, he didn't understand what Li Yuanji's ultimate goal was, so he didn't know what to say and looked hesitant.
Seeing this, Li Yuanji said again: "If you have anything on your mind, just say it directly. Since you have joined my disciples, you are mine. There is no need to hesitate when talking to me."
When Ren Gui heard this, he immediately cupped his hands and said: "Since His Highness asked me to just speak frankly, I won't be polite if I take it."
After saying this, without waiting for Li Yuanji to speak, Ren Gui once again raised his hands and asked solemnly: "May I ask what your Highness wants to ask for in this sudden change?"
This statement is still not straightforward enough.
However, Li Yuanji understood the meaning. Li Yuanji did not mince words like him, and once again said straight to the point: "Do you want to ask me whether I will compete for that position?"
Ren Gui was stunned for a moment, not expecting Li Yuanji to be so direct.
However, now that Li Yuanji's words have reached this point, Ren Gui no longer hides them, and immediately nodded without hesitation and said: "Yes, that's what I mean. If Your Highness is interested in becoming a powerful person, then I will
I will help His Highness plan according to the method to win the big position. If His Highness is bent on protecting himself, then I will help His Highness plan according to the method of self-preservation.
Therefore, what we should do is not decided by the minister, but by His Highness."
Li Yuanji nodded and asked, "What if I want to become a powerful person?"
Ren Gui nodded and began to think deeply.
Li Yuanji originally thought that Ren Gui would be stunned and shocked, but he did not expect that Ren Gui would not react at all.
It seems that in Ren Gei's mind, it is right for him to strive for a big position, and there is a problem if he does not fight for a big position.
It was precisely because of this that when Ren Gui heard him say that he wanted to become a big man, there was no emotion on Ren Gui's face.
Immediately, Li Yuanji didn't dare to tease Ren Gui anymore, and said truthfully: "Ziwei, since this is what I said, I will tell you the truth."
Ren Gui was thinking about something and was obviously stunned when he heard these words.
However, he did not speak, but continued to think about things while listening to Li Yuanji's words.
Seeing this, Li Yuanji said frankly: "Ziwei, let me tell you the truth, I don't want to be high-ranking. The reason why I just said, 'I wish to be high-ranking' was just a joke."
Ren Gui was completely stunned now and stopped thinking about things. Instead, he stared at Li Yuanji in astonishment.
Li Yuanji continued: "Ziwei, I know how much I weigh, and I also know that I am not an emperor's talent. If I sit in that position, it will be a disaster for the Tang Dynasty, for you, and for the people.
So I won't fight for that position, let alone worry about that position.
But I won’t completely lie down and let the mermaid be eaten.”
Ren Gui looked at Li Yuanji blankly and said subconsciously: "Your Highness wants to share the power and value of the country, but does not want to bear the responsibility of the country?"
Li Yuanji quickly waved his hand and said: "That's not what I meant..."
Li Yuanji also knows that only by giving can you gain something, and also knows that if you gain something, you must give something.
So he also knew that while enjoying the glory and wealth of the Tang Dynasty, he also had to contribute to the Tang Dynasty.
If he has this awareness, he will also contribute to the Tang Dynasty within his ability.
But there is a premise for all this, which is to get through the difficulties of Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin's competition, and live a more free, unrestrained, and free life.
Without meeting this premise, even if he wanted to contribute to the Tang Dynasty, it would only be on a small scale.
And the additional bricks and tiles must be used only by himself first.
For example, Xinglu in Chang'an, water transportation from Luoyang to Dizhou, sea transportation from Dizhou to Jiaozhou, etc.
These are the bricks and tiles he added to the Tang Dynasty. Although these bricks and tiles are currently only for his own use, when Chang'an Xinglu and water transportation, maritime transport fully flourishes, it will indeed benefit the Tang Dynasty, and it will also be the Tang Dynasty that will enjoy the greatest results.
.
He had the ability to foresee and foresight, and he also had a wealth of knowledge that far exceeded the people of the Tang Dynasty. He had the ability to contribute to the Tang Dynasty, so he never thought about enjoying the wealth of the Tang Dynasty in vain.
He couldn't afford to lose that person, and the knowledge of later generations far surpassed that of the Tang Dynasty for more than a thousand years, and he couldn't afford to lose that person.
Therefore, he did not want to enjoy everything that Datang gave him in vain as Ren Gui said.
But Ren Gui obviously didn't think so. Before he could finish his words, he glared and said eagerly: "Your Highness, this is not possible. The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility.
If you take part of the power of the Tang Dynasty into your own hands, and if you do nothing, it will be the people who suffer."
Although Ren Gui is not a great person who serves the country and the people, he still has basic ethics.
Especially after staying in a place like Xuzhou for a long time, where all kinds of rebels and rebels competed for glory, and got used to the darkness of human nature and the hard life of the people, he still retained more or less some conscience in his heart, and
Compassion for the people.
For many people, the matter of exchanging children and eating them may be just four words in the history books.
But for Ren Gui, it really happened and was something he had seen with his own eyes.
Therefore, he hoped that the Tang Dynasty would be stronger and stronger, and that the people of the Tang Dynasty would be richer. He also hoped that the people at the lower levels could live a slightly better life.
Even if you still don’t have enough to eat, you don’t have to swap food with your neighbor’s family.
He still remembers that when Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande were fighting against the Tang Dynasty, he led his army to support Li Shimin. When he passed through a small village with a sparse population, he opened the door of a house when he asked for water.
The scene seen in the water tank.
There was a white and tender baby's arm soaked in it.
He's a neighbor's child of that family.
And in the water tank of the neighbor's house, there was a white and tender thigh of a child, which belonged to that family.
That family, as well as that family's neighbor's family, were killed by him in a fit of rage.
But that incident always lingered in his mind, so when he led his troops on the journey again, he would send people to secretly inspect every place he passed.
He thought this kind of thing was a special case.
But the results of the inspection were that there were more shocking things than this.
That family and that family's neighbor are already considered very kind families.
Things like selling human remains, adults and children have their own prices, are everywhere.
There are also those who steal graves and dig up corpses that have just been buried.
In short, he has seen and investigated all kinds of things that he can accept, things that he cannot accept, and shocking things that are in the history books but not in the history books.
It is precisely because of this that he hoped that Li Yuanji, a man with status, status and ability, could do something for the people.
Even a little bit is enough to keep many people alive.
Yes, just stay alive.
For the people who suffered from the abuse of the former Sui Yang Emperor, the abuse of the Eighteenth Route Army rebels, and the abuse of various bandits and bandits, living is their only requirement.
They don't dare to ask for a better life, and they don't even dare to think about having enough to eat.
Li Yuanji saw that Ren Gui was a little excited, and realized that Ren Gui had probably suffered something tragic, or had seen something tragic. He immediately comforted Ren Gui's emotions and said: "I'll say it again,
That's not what I meant. I will not share the power and the preciousness of the country in vain. I will perform my duties within the scope of my ability, and I will also do what I can for the people of the Tang Dynasty.
Even if I don't have time to do it, you will still do it for me.
This is also one of the reasons why I recruit so many of you.
What I mean is that I must first ensure that I am safe, ensure that I am not controlled by others, and ensure that I can act freely before I can do these things."
Under Li Yuanji's comfort, Ren Gui gradually calmed down a lot. After hearing Li Yuanji's words, she hesitated to speak.
Li Yuanji knew that Ren Gui was still a little unwilling, so he said seriously: "Ziwei, I have to take care of myself first before I can take care of others.
】
The sage once said that if you are poor, you can benefit yourself; if you are rich, you can help the world.
I have never heard of a poor man going to help the world.
I am still poor, so I don't have the ability to help the world."
When Ren Gui heard this, he felt relieved.
Everything Li Yuanji said was reasonable, so there was no reason why he was unwilling to do so.
He immediately smiled bitterly and clasped his fists and said, "I have lost my composure. You don't know what I have gone through. If you knew, you would probably understand me."
At that moment, Ren Gui did not give Li Yuanji a chance to speak. He told Li Yuanji one by one the tragic things he had heard and seen during his stay in Xuzhou.
Li Yuanji only listened to three things, and he couldn't stand it anymore.
After listening to it too much, my scalp started to feel numb.
After all, he is not a Tang Dynasty person through and through, nor is he a person who grew up struggling to survive on the line of food and clothing, nor is he a person who has been accustomed to the suffering of war since he was a child.
Therefore, it is difficult for him to be like the people of the Tang Dynasty and accept the tragic events one after another that make people doubt their life.
"Okay... stop talking."
When Ren Gui talked about the ninth tragic incident, about a mountain king at the junction of Henan Road and Hebei Road who served children's hearts as his top delicacy, Li Yuanji couldn't listen anymore.
His throat was throbbing, and he almost vomited out the food he had just eaten.
Seeing this, Ren Gui was sensible and did not say anything further. He just said with a bitter face: "Now you understand why I am so excited."
Li Yuanji nodded, but was unwilling to discuss this topic with Ren Gui anymore, "Let's get back to business."
Ren Gui nodded, adjusted his mood, sorted out his thoughts, and said with a wry smile: "If Your Highness wants to seek self-protection and freedom, in my opinion, it may be worse than having Your Highness fight for that big position."
Disaster.
Although I don’t know His Highness the King of Qin, I know His Highness the Crown Prince.
His Highness the Crown Prince is not a person who can tolerate others taking away his authority, nor is he a person who can tolerate His Highness disobeying his orders and not following his lead.
Therefore, once His Highness the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, he will definitely find ways to get rid of His Highness.
In this case, His Highness has only two options left.
Either compromise and raise the flag of righteousness.
However, once His Highness the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, is filled with great righteousness, and has many loyal ministers and good generals, even if His Highness raises the flag of righteousness, it will most likely end in failure.
Although I don’t understand His Highness the King of Qin, I also know that His Highness the King of Qin is a domineering person.
I imagine that after he ascends to the throne, he will treat His Highness like this.
Therefore, it is extremely difficult for Your Highness to take authority from them and achieve freedom."
