The summer vacation has passed, early autumn has arrived, and the power of the autumn tiger is raging in Guanzhong. Even though His Majesty Li Er is sitting in the cool imperial study room, he still feels unbearably hot.
Wearing a thin silk uniform, he loosened his collar and took a sip of herbal tea to feel a little cooler.
In front of him, Li Ji and Xiao Yu were kneeling on the floor, with lowered eyebrows and respectful expressions.
A waiter came in with a tray and placed two jade bowls in front of the two of them. The crystal jade bowls contained thick-colored iced sour plum soup.
The two of them picked up the bowl, drank the sour plum soup in one go, put the empty bowl back on the tray held by the waiter, and said to His Majesty Li Er together: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
His Majesty Li Er waved his hand, and the chamberlain quickly exited.
He came to the banquet, lifted his robe and knelt down opposite the two of them. He pondered for a moment and said straight to the point: "I have invited you two here today because I want to ask your opinion on something."
Li Ji and Xiao Yu looked at each other and said in unison: "Your Majesty, it's okay to just say it. I am all ears."
His Majesty Li Er tugged at his collar again. The coolness he had just felt disappeared in an instant, and a heat rose up in his body again, making him a little irritable...
He took a deep breath and said slowly: "Some ministers came to see me and advised me to cancel King Jin's order of confinement. I was still hesitant and couldn't make a decision at the moment. Both of you are the pillars of the imperial court. I don't know what to do with my humerus.
What’s your opinion? Don’t worry, it’s okay to speak out.”
Their hearts sank slightly.
As expected, the previous speculation had been confirmed. It was absolutely impossible for Fang Jun to remonstrate and cancel King Jin's ban. After all, it was because of being too close to the Guanlong nobles that King Jin was trapped by His Majesty Li Er.
If he is banned, how can Fang Junyou cause trouble for himself and threaten the crown prince's position as heir apparent?
In terms of popularity, all the princes combined cannot compare to the "child slave"...
The two were silent for a long time.
Li Ji was a cautious person and would stay away from matters that did not concern him. Now, whether he agrees or opposes the lifting of the Jin King's ban, he will offend countless people. When Xiao Yu was young, he was very energetic and dared to speak and do, but
Now that I am getting older, I have begun to seek stability, become more sophisticated, and even less willing to do such offending things.
His Majesty Li Er glanced at the two of them, then sighed and said: "I am also in a dilemma now. King Jin is my legitimate son, and Queen Wende passed away early. He has been raised by me alone since he was a child. How can he be cruel?
To imprison him for a lifetime and spend his whole life in the palace walls and corridors? But once King Jin is released, it is inevitable that those with ulterior motives will covet him... It is really difficult for me to do."
He sighed and looked sad, but Li Ji and Xiao Yu felt contempt in their hearts.
Who doesn't know that the only person who can shake the crown prince's position is the King of Jin? What's more, the King of Jin has learned from the past and is surrounded by Guanlong nobles who want to compete for the throne. Whether actively or passively, his ambition has been clearly revealed.
As long as King Jin is released, this is equivalent to a clear signal. All those who oppose the prince will flock to the throne and build a new mountain around King Jin...
What else is there to worry about?
If you don't want to be easy to save, then simply imprison King Jin. Don't say that you are so affectionate and can't bear to meet each other. Compared with the stability of the country and the inheritance of the country, what is a mere family relationship?
Obviously, His Majesty Li Er has once again moved Yi Chu's mind, but there are too many constraints and the impact is too far-reaching, so he has not yet made up his mind.
Li Ji and Xiao Yu felt heavy in their hearts.
The two of them did not want to see the prince relying on Fang Jun as his confidant, obeying his advice, and taking over all the power when he ascended the throne in the future. However, they also did not want to see the Guanlong nobles who were on the verge of collapse rise again through the power of the Jin Dynasty, making the
The situation in the DPRK is becoming increasingly chaotic.
When a person reaches a certain status, he will always have some ideals and pursuits, rather than simply chasing power and wealth. As long as the prince's status is stable and the alliance with Fang Jun is achieved, the Guanlong nobles will be defeated, allowing this prince to control the government and monopolize political resources.
After many years of power collapse, the benefits they can obtain themselves are considerable enough, and there is no need to get involved in the fight for the reserve position in order to grab more benefits.
Li Ji thought for a while and said tentatively: "Your Majesty cherishes the King of Jin, and I feel the same. However, His Majesty's concern is indeed necessary. The King of Jin is indeed smart, but he is still young. Once he establishes a palace, he will definitely be the same."
If you interact with those people who have ulterior motives, if you are bewitched or exploited by them, it will damage the family ties and cause your Majesty to be in trouble."
His Majesty Li Er frowned, looked at Li Ji, and said coldly: "Then in the British opinion, the King of Jin will continue to be imprisoned and never be released?"
Of course this is not an answer. The King of Jin is His Majesty Li Er's pet peeve. How he deals with him is his business. However, if others criticize and treat King Jin harshly, His Majesty Li Er will definitely bear it in his heart.
Li Ji naturally made such a mistake and said calmly: "Of course not! When the King of Jin made a mistake, His Majesty punished him and ordered him to be imprisoned. This is the way of a king with clear rewards and punishments. But in the end, the mistake made by the King of Jin is just
Being deceived and deceived by others for a moment has no real consequences. Being imprisoned for such a long time is enough to make him alert and teach him a lesson. This is enough. How can he be imprisoned for a lifetime for such a small mistake?"
His Majesty Li Er still looked unkind, stared at Li Ji, and asked: "Then what you mean...are you to wait until after my funeral, the prince ascends to the throne, and the overall situation has been decided, before you release King Jin?"
This is still not certain.
When will the emperor's funeral be? If we say twenty or thirty years later, will the King of Jin be locked up like this for decades? This is inconsistent with His Majesty Li Er's original intention. But if we say three or two years, it will pass with a little patience.
...I'm afraid His Majesty Li Er will become even more angry.
Are you cursing me for being a dying person?!
Xiao Yu on the side was sweating for Li Ji. His Majesty Li Er was obviously in a bad mood today. He was violent and harsh and would irritate him with the slightest careless answer.
Of course, he would never open his mouth to bear the Emperor's wrath for Li Ji...
He lowered his eyebrows and lowered his eyes, standing aside silently.
Fortunately, Li Ji didn't give it in vain, and said quickly: "Of course it won't work! Wei Chen has already said that since His Highness the King of Jin has been punished for his mistakes, his imprisonment should be lifted. But it would not avoid His Highness the King of Jin.
Being bewitched and confused by some people, thus causing damage to the family ties of the Tian family, why should Your Majesty follow the example of His Highness King Wu, choose a place in the world, and canonize the King of Jin as his king, so that his descendants can thrive for generations and become a vassal of the Tang Dynasty forever?"
His Majesty Li Er: "..."
Xiao Yu: "..."
Mother!
This Xu Maogong usually seems to be an honest man, but he didn't expect that he could be so flexible when it comes to tricks!
His Majesty Li Er obviously had not thought of this method at all. He stroked his beard and asked Xiao Yu, "What do you think, Duke Song?"
Xiao Yu hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, the British Duke is really a mature man who plans for the country, and I think it is feasible."
Don’t you just not want your sons to be wronged? Do you think that if King Jin’s talents were only to be a wealthy and virtuous king for the rest of his life, his abilities would be buried?
Don't always worry about the position of the crown prince. After all, if King Jin comes to power, the prince may end up in a difficult situation. After all, you are also a father. You can't force one son to die just for the sake of the talent and ability of one son. ?
Do you think King Jin has the appearance of a king, no problem, just give him a piece of territory and make him a king!
At the beginning, King Wu was very prestigious in the court. Many former Sui officials were interested in King Wu and wanted to assist King Wu in fighting for the throne. As a result, King Wu was sent to Silla and established himself as king. This perfectly solved the crisis of brotherly fratricide and became the king of Wu. Best solution!
His Majesty Li Er pondered for a while and asked slowly: "If this is really the case...then where do you think the King of Jin can build his country?"
Li Jidao: "His Royal Highness the King of Jin is the legitimate son of His Majesty, with noble blood and respected status, so naturally he cannot be reduced to a barren land. Originally, if the Eastern Expedition were successful, Goguryeo's vast area would be worthy of His Highness the King of Jin, but Goguryeo is located in Liaodong. , it is bitterly cold all year round and not rich enough. But today, there may be only one place worthy of His Highness the King of Jin..."
He and Xiao Yu looked at each other, and they both said in unison: "Annan!"
His Majesty Li Er stroked his beard and fell into deep thought.
Annan is far away from the sea, tens of thousands of miles away from Chang'an, and the land routes are almost cut off. Transportation with the Tang Dynasty depends entirely on sea routes. It is too far and he can't bear it. However, Annan has a humid climate, abundant rain, thousands of hectares of fertile land, and vast sea areas. Now it is completely Under the control of the Annan Protectorate, a large number of refugees have taken sea ships to Annan to make a living in the past two years, causing the number of Han people in Annan to surge, almost the same as in the Tang Dynasty.
Such a rich and fertile land is worthy of the status of King of Jin.
In particular, Annan is located in Hainan and has inconvenient transportation. It is even more difficult to rule for a long time. If there is a Jin Dynasty king who sits as the king and is of the same lineage as the Tang Dynasty, it will be the same as the long-term induction of this land. Within the territory of the Tang Dynasty, it will be the territory of the Tang Dynasty for all generations.