Li Xiaogong raised his eyebrows, looked at Li Ji with a little surprise, and said curiously: "I always thought that Mao Gong, you are calm and calm, with a deep chest, and can stand firm in any situation, but I didn't expect to be so straightforward today, if It would be unbelievable if outsiders knew about it."
Everyone in the government and the public knew that Li Ji was an indifferent person. Even as the head of the Prime Minister, he had always kept a low profile and was unwilling to express his opinions to avoid being regarded as using his power to suppress others. Even his status in the military had been challenged by Fang Jun in recent years. Silent and dismissive.
Today, it is really unusual to force Li Xiaogong to express his position without any change...
Li Ji had no expression on his face, looked at Li Xiaogong, and said slowly: "Today is different from the past. In the past, it was just a matter of interest disputes, more or less. I won't take it to heart. Whoever wants to rob will let him have a few." What's the point of dividing it up? But now is the time when the empire is in crisis. If anything happens to your majesty, a war for the throne is almost inevitable. We are not only your majesty's ministers, but also the pillars of the empire. We must not turn a blind eye and let it go."
Li Xiaogong's heart was filled with waves. He looked directly into Li Ji's eyes, pursed his lips for a long time, and then asked, "Has Maogong already made up his mind?"
When their status and status reach their level, they cannot do anything they say or do casually, because everyone will carefully observe their details to figure out the deeper meaning. Therefore, they must express their thoughts and opinions emotionally to avoid being misunderstood by others.
Therefore, Li Ji's words, "We are not only His Majesty's ministers, but also pillars of the empire" already demonstrated Li Ji's attitude.
Whatever is beneficial to the country will be done even if it goes against His Majesty's wishes.
On the contrary, if it is not beneficial to the empire, even His Majesty's will may be violated...
Li Ji was silent and had a firm look on his face.
After a long time, Li Xiaogong slowly exhaled, rubbed his swollen forehead, and sighed softly: "Mao Gong is the prime minister of the empire, and the interests of the empire are the top priority. This is the duty, and it is understandable. But I am the king of the clan. We should put the interests of the clan and His Majesty’s will first, even if our bodies are shattered to pieces, we will do so without hesitation…”
At this point, he suddenly changed the topic: "...I don't know if your majesty has left any posthumous edict."
Li Ji remained silent.
The edict... seems extremely important at this moment, but it is not that important, because its existence or not can affect many things, but it cannot prevent some things that are destined to happen.
His Majesty Li Er was a man of great talent and strategy. When he was in a desperate situation, he led his subordinates Hu Ben to fight a bloody road from the Xuanwu Sect. After taking the throne, he became more knowledgeable and good at his duties, diligent in administration and caring for the people. In particular, he gave preferential treatment to his subordinates and generals, which enabled him to obtain unparalleled honors. The respect and support he has received from his subordinates throughout the ages are extremely high.
Therefore, once His Majesty Li Er leaves a posthumous edict, countless people will go forward and die willingly for his will.
But at the same time, whether the prince or the king of Jin, when faced with the opportunity to rule the world in just one step, how could he shrink back because of a posthumous edict?
The King of Jin was eyeing the throne and was determined to make progress. Shandong aristocratic families and Jiangnan gentry all gathered around him, hoping to replace him with the crown prince, achieve the feat of serving the dragon, and seal his wife and son to establish a century-old glory for the family.
The interests of the East Palace officials and the prince have long been entangled with each other. Even if the prince is willing to give up the throne, how can those people be willing to give up the power they are about to acquire and become defeated soldiers waiting to be suppressed one by one after the Jin Dynasty comes to power? Prune?
Just like the "Xuanwumen Incident" back then, when the situation developed to that point, everyone was coerced by the general trend and could only move forward, not retreat.
A single person is insignificant in the face of the mighty trend, even if this person is the prince, the king of Jin, or even the talented and powerful His Majesty Li Er...
Li Ji took a sip of the already lukewarm tea on the coffee table in front of him and asked: "The prince is your majesty's confidant, why don't you know if your majesty has left any edict?"
It stands to reason that when a king feels that he is about to die soon, he will leave a legacy in advance and write down his will on it, so that he can tell the world after his sudden death, instead of being manipulated at will by the successor, causing the person to die and the government to cease, leaving only regrets.
And such a testament will be handed over to the person you trust most, and you must at least inform the existence of the testament. Otherwise, if you suddenly die and no one knows about the existence of the testament, isn't it a joke?
Li Xiaogong, Prince of Hejian County, has been with His Majesty Li Er since he was a child. The cousins have acted recklessly together and charged into battle together, and they have a very deep relationship. And as the first leader in the clan today, above Li Yuanjia, the king of Jeonghan, his identity and status, Emotions and trust, as long as there is an edict, they are bound to be under its control.
But Li Ji couldn't think of a reason why Li Xiaogong deceived him. He said that he didn't know whether the imperial edict existed, so he must not know...
But His Majesty Li Er, a wise and powerful man, had suddenly fainted once before, which almost caused the war in Chang'an. How could he not have made preparations in advance? It's just that Yi Chu's edict has not been published for a long time. If he didn't even leave a posthumous edict, it would definitely not be Li Er's. His Majesty's style.
But if there is a posthumous edict, if His Majesty Li Er does not give it to Li Xiaogong, who else can he give it to?
Li Xiaogong rubbed his face and said with a wry smile: "It is true that His Majesty had a lot of trust in me before, but over the years, His Majesty's suspicion of me is far greater than trust. Of course, it is not just me, but all the ministers in the court may not Being able to gain His Majesty's full trust, in this respect, His Majesty actually trusts the eunuchs around him even more."
Li Ji was slightly stunned.
eunuch?
The fall of the Han Dynasty was actually at the hands of eunuchs. After that, all dynasties learned their lesson and strictly prohibited eunuchs from intervening in politics. With your majesty's wisdom and wisdom, how could you repeat the same mistake and deliver your edicts to the hands of eunuchs?
Even if it is true, is it Wang De or Wang Shoushi?
One of these two people is in charge of His Majesty's palace, and the other is training dead soldiers for His Majesty. During the Xuanwu Gate Incident, they made great contributions by imprisoning Emperor Gaozu...
But no matter whether it is any of these two people, it is absolutely impossible for His Majesty to hand over the imperial edict even if he has not been buried for a day.
It's troublesome...
With Li Ji's heart as solid as a rock, he couldn't help but feel a little irritable at this moment. He became more and more reluctant to talk in circles, so he asked, "If there really is a posthumous edict, what should the prince do?"
Li Xiaogong said: "I act in accordance with the imperial edict."
Li Ji asked again: "What if the imperial edict is not in line with the interests of the empire?"
If His Majesty does not die, Yi Chu is almost inevitable, not only because of his doting on the King of Jin, but also because of the strong power of the Eastern Palace after the Guanlong Mutiny, which has loomed as a threat to the imperial power.
The emperor hopes that his prince will be capable and promising so that he can better control the country in the future; but the emperor is more afraid that his prince is too capable and promising, because no one can face the temptation of imperial power indifferently. Since ancient times, Which prince has not wanted the old emperor to be buried as soon as possible so that he can ascend to the throne and display his ambitions?
It was fine when His Majesty was around, and he could suppress all parties with his supreme prestige. Even if the Crown Prince was unwilling, he could only bow his head and obey orders. But if His Majesty was not there, just a posthumous edict would make the Crown Prince and everyone in the East Palace give up their interests and become mere fish. How could it happen? possible?
Therefore, Li Ji seemed to be asking, but in fact, the unspoken meaning in his words was that "in the event of His Majesty's absence, regardless of whether there is an imperial edict or not, the crown prince should be enthroned." This is in the interest of the empire.
Of course, this is definitely not in the interest of the King of Jin and the clans in Jiangnan and Shandong behind him.
But in this way, even if the battle for reserves is still inevitable, it can always stabilize the foundation of the empire and keep losses to a minimum.
On the contrary, forcing a prince to rebel will shake the foundation of the country, and its far-reaching influence will not only last for the Tang Dynasty, but even last for hundreds of generations, endlessly...
Li Xiaogong fell into silence again.
The tea was warm and cold, and the two of them sat facing each other in silence.
After a long while, Li Xiaogong called someone in to make another pot of tea. He poured the tea for Li Ji with his own hands and said, "This matter is of great importance. Mr. Mao, you have a special status. You should not make rash decisions easily. Since your Majesty is fine for the time being, Come to think of it, no one dares to risk the disdain of the world, so you might as well think more carefully and be as thorough as possible."
Li Ji leaned over slightly to thank him, held the tea cup with both hands, brought it to his lips and took a sip, and then said with a smile: "The prince of the county is very resourceful, and I have always been the one to take the lead. It is indeed a little abrupt for me to come here rashly today. "
He realized that something was wrong with Li Xiaogong's position. Logically speaking, the prince was usually close to the prince and Fang Jun. If his majesty died without leaving a posthumous edict, he should naturally side with the prince. But now it seems that this may not be the case.
Is it influenced by the power of the clan?
Li Yuanjia, the king of Han Dynasty, and Li Xiaogong, the king of Hejian County. These two people are almost the two with the highest power, status and prestige in the clan. The former is related to Fang Jun by marriage, and the latter is close to the East Palace. Who can make these two people more powerful? People side with King Jin against their will?