Whether Li Ji really believed that the edict existed and just needed to be found, or he deliberately delayed the succession of the crown prince, it was extremely detrimental to Li Chengqian. This seriously lacked the responsibility of a leader in both the court and the military.
Of course, only he himself knows what Li Ji thinks in his heart...
Fang Jun was both disappointed and dissatisfied. He knocked on the table in front of him with a stern expression: "Here are both the leaders of the court and the mainstays of the clan. If your majesty has a legacy, who else can he put besides these people?" In the hands of others? His Majesty never confessed that there was a will during his lifetime, and no one among you can produce the so-called testament. Why do you have to search the Taiji Palace to find such a non-existent testament? I would like to remind you, you all. They are all the main cities of the country, and any action taken will lead to serious consequences, and some consequences are absolutely unbearable for us. No one can bear such a responsibility."
Once fighting for the throne leads to wars and wars, and even the whole Guanzhong and the whole world are filled with wars and wars, countless people will be ruined and their lives will be destroyed. All the political achievements since Zhenguan will be wiped out. Is this a frivolous statement about whose responsibility can be wiped out?
It is useless to commit suicide and apologize!
Li Ji glanced at Fang Jun. Although these words were extremely rude, he did not refute. Instead, he lowered his eyes and said nothing.
Fang Jun was very angry, and he had such an expression that he wanted to stay out of the matter...
Historically, Wu Meiniang teamed up with Xu Jingzong and others to persuade Li Zhi to depose the Queen and make her his queen. The interest group headed by Guan Long strongly opposed it. When Li Zhi asked the opinion of Li Ji, who was the head of the prime minister at the time, he said: " "Your Majesty's family affairs are not subject to interference by ministers" and tried to stay out of the matter. In fact, as the most powerful figure in the court and the military, his "no objection" already meant that Wu Meiniang would succeed in taking office.
Is this the responsibility of a dignified prime minister?
The same is true now. Sure enough, a country is easy to change, but a temperament is hard to change. Li Ji is indeed not keen on power, but that is because he does not pursue the upper limit of power, but he attaches great importance to the lower limit.
I don't care about Conglong's merits, but I am sure that I will make no mistakes. No matter who is in power, how can I treat him, the most powerful person in the dynasty, lightly?
Li Chengqian looked at Li Xiaogong: "What did the Duke Prince say?"
Apart from Li Ji, only Li Xiaogong can make the decision here. Zong Zhengqing Li Yuanjia's status is high enough, but his power and reputation are far inferior...
Li Xiaogong was also in a dilemma. Li Ji's statement made him feel quite troubled. If there were no such powerful figures to resist the chaos, wouldn't it be adding to the chaos? But having said that, at this moment, Li Ji was standing among the princes and kings of Jin. On the other hand, the war for reserves will end quickly, but it may not be beneficial to the country.
It is either/or in the court, and there is no third party to check and balance each other. The natural result is to cultivate party members and exclude dissidents...
After pondering for a moment, Li Xiaogong could only nod his head and said: "In this case, we will put this matter on hold for the time being and wait until after the funeral to make a decision."
…
Zongzhengji Temple and the Ouchi Chief Mansion began to make arrangements. Fortunately, the royal family had a large population and people died from time to time, so the funeral process was very skilled. Of course, the etiquette required for the emperor's funeral was different, becoming more complicated and demanding. .
Pieces of white cloth were brought into the palace, and were cut by the chamberlains and palace staff under the guidance of officials from Zongzheng Temple and the Ministry of Rites. Then, everything they saw was wrapped and covered with white cloth, making the entire Tai Chi Palace a plain, even during the heavy rain. Adding a sense of sadness.
The princesses, consorts, and relatives of the emperor in Chang'an City have been notified one by one by Zongzheng Temple. Some people with higher status directly arranged for carriages and horses to enter the palace. Fang Jun stood at the door of Wude Hall holding an umbrella, looking at Xiang Xiang.
The princesses from Cheng, Runan, Nanping, Changle, Yuzhang, Baling, Chengyang, Gaoyang, Jinyang, Xincheng and other places knelt down in the open space in front of the palace and cried sadly. They not only shook their heads, but also asked several palace maids to
Princess Gao Yang helped him to the side and stepped forward to comfort him warmly.
Looking at Princess Gaoyang's pale face and red and swollen eyes, Fang Jun lamented in his heart: "Your Majesty's funeral will be mourned by the whole world. You are His Majesty's daughter. It is your duty to cry before the funeral, but you should also be careful not to exhaust your body."
Physical strength leads to energy exhaustion, so take it easy."
The funeral of an emperor is the most important event in the world. The complexity of the etiquette is unbelievable and astonishing to later generations. Although the etiquette systems of different dynasties are different, they are mostly the same. It takes five to seven months to bury the body, and it takes at least seven months to lay ashes in the palace.
During this period, there are no less than dozens of etiquettes such as summoning souls, paying homage, holding meals, and making public greetings, etc., which can be regarded as torture for close relatives.
I cried like this on the first day. How could I bear it after the whole funeral?
Princess Gaoyang nodded obediently, holding Lang Jun's hand tightly with her delicate hands and refusing to let go. There was not only a strong look of sadness in her eyes, but also endless fear.
Her mother-in-law is not seen on the royal jade plate and has no status. The reason why she can marry the son of meritorious deeds depends entirely on the favor of His Majesty Li Er, so that even if she marries a prominent family like the Fang family, she can still be confident and bossy.
Among all the royal relatives, he was even more arrogant and held a respected position.
Now that His Majesty Li Er was buried, the biggest backer suddenly collapsed, which made Gao Yang, who was used to doing whatever he wanted, suddenly feel scared.
The only person I can rely on for the rest of my life is my husband...
Fang Jun patted her shoulder and whispered: "Don't worry, I will take care of everything... let's get over it."
Seeing Princess Gaoyang returning to the queue of princesses and continuing to cry, her eyes moved to Changle and Jinyang. The palace servants held umbrellas, but they were unable to block the rain, so the princesses' clothes were soaked by the rain in a short time.
…
Fang Jun felt pity in his heart, but he didn't dare to come forward to comfort him in front of everyone, and he felt even more ashamed.
*****
Under the rain corridor in front of the palace, Li Xiaogong and Li Ji stood side by side. The imperial guards and chamberlains all formed a circle at a distance to prevent anyone from approaching and overhearing the conversation of these two big men who represented the clan and the court respectively...
The rain was pouring, the lightning was thundering, and the Tai Chi Palace was full of people and cries. A desperate atmosphere spread in the rain, as if the sky was falling apart. The king passed away, and the imperial power changed. I don’t know how many people took advantage of the wind to rise up.
A person's official career is bleak and his destiny is clumsy.
After this heavy rain, a power change similar to that of the "Xuanwu Gate Change" is about to begin...
Li Xiaogong put his hands behind his back, looking at the princess and concubines crying sadly in the rain curtain, as well as the prince and royal family members kneeling in the rain not far away, and said calmly: "What does Maogong mean?"
Li Ji stood beside him, his pale face unmoved, his chin slightly raised, his gaze falling through the rain curtain on the broad and towering roof of Wude Hall: "I have no other intentions."
He naturally understood what Li Xiaogong's abrupt questions meant...
Li Xiaogong frowned tightly, looking a little anxious, and said impatiently: "At this moment, I have no intention to quarrel with you, let alone quarrel with you. You are the chief minister and the leader of the military. At this time, I We should express our position to maintain the smooth transition of imperial power. How can we seek good fortune and avoid harm and have no independent opinion?"
Li Ji's clothes were blown by the night wind, and his body became increasingly thin. He sighed softly: "Smooth transition...Do you really think that this change of imperial power can be a smooth transition?"
Li Xiaogong remained silent.
A burst of drum music sounded in the rain, covering up the previous continuous cries. This was the Taoist temples and temples in the city entering the palace to hold rituals under the auspices of the Ministry of Rites. The Li Tang royal family claimed to be descendants of Laozi and respected Taoism as the state religion, but this time At that time, Buddhism was prosperous, had a huge influence, and had countless believers, so it had to be temporarily moderated. Important events such as the funeral of an emperor had to be invited to the palace together with Taoists to hold rituals. Otherwise, Buddhism would regard them as being excluded and suppressed, which caused Unnecessary turmoil.
Just like the current situation in the court, the prince and the king of Jin... who is willing to take a step back?
Taking a step back would mean that the supreme imperial power in the world would fall into the hands of others, and he and his countless supporters would soon face suppression, rejection, dismissal, and even execution...
Li Ji withdrew his gaze, lowered his head and shook off the rainwater on his sleeves: "Your Majesty once said that the way to imperial power lies in checks and balances. The most taboo thing in the court is to be either this or that. If someone advances, someone will retreat, and someone will win. Someone must be defeated, and the winner will chase after him fiercely and eradicate the roots, while the loser will vent his anger and lose his fate... This is the country's misfortune."
It is human nature to seek good fortune and avoid evil.
A wise ruler can often check and balance all parties in the court. When one party becomes too powerful to contain, he immediately supports the other party to check and balance. Otherwise, allowing one family to dominate will endanger the imperial power, instead of choosing the party that conforms to his own governing philosophy and giving unlimited support.
After anyone gains an advantage, he will maintain it, thereby cultivating party members, rejecting dissidents, and defeating anyone who opposes him...Li Ji is no exception.
No matter which side he is on, after winning, he will pursue the losing side fiercely. This is not determined by his character, but by his stance.
At present, both the prince and the king of Jin have countless supporters, not only in the court, but also in all states and counties around the world. When one of them wins the battle for the throne and takes the throne, in the process of excluding The process of dissent will inevitably affect all hostile forces, and a huge political disaster will occur throughout the world. The good situation that has been managed since Zhenguan will be destroyed in one day.
At this time, there is a powerful person who is neutral, suppressing the winner and preventing him from suppressing his political opponents. He supports the loser and preventing him from being completely defeated and disappearing. There are always two factions standing side by side in the court to check and balance each other. For the long term...
Li Xiaogong was noncommittal, but a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He nodded: "I hope Mao Gong, you really think so, and you will live up to His Majesty's original wish to appoint you as Prime Minister... So, we just sit back and watch the prince and the King of Jin fight?"
Li Ji seemed not to hear the sarcasm in the other party's words, smiled bitterly, and said helplessly: "Who can stop it?"