The sky was getting brighter and the rain had subsided a little. Li Ji and Li Xiaogong walked from the main hall to Zhaode Hall not far away. While walking through a bamboo forest, Li Xiaogong suddenly said: "Why is Mao Gong like this? Sometimes it is not necessary to not get involved. You will stand on the outside, and it is very likely that you will not get any good no matter what the outcome is."
If you want to stay out of the situation and not offend, the result is often the opposite, and you become a stranger on both sides.
The raindrops rustled on the bamboo leaves, and the palace not far away was brightly lit. At dawn, the "small burial" was about to be carried out. Officials from the Ministry of Rites and Zongzheng Temple had already ordered the palace servants to start making arrangements. The noise of life could be heard from far away. You can't hear it clearly, and you can't see it clearly either.
Li Ji walked a few steps in silence and seemed to be thinking carefully before saying: "Your Majesty, we only need to ensure that the new emperor is of your Majesty's blood, and that will be considered as fulfilling our duties. As for whether he is the prince or the king of Jin... he is all of your majesty's blood, so let's Let them fight it themselves."
Li Xiaogong shook his head and walked heavily.
This time Li Ji did not use the rhetoric of "neutrality to ensure the stability of the world" to excuse himself. It can be seen that Fang Jun's words today must have stimulated Li Ji's pain.
Although the words are ugly, the truth is absolutely correct. As the head of the Prime Minister, you should shoulder your responsibilities at this time and determine the candidate for the new emperor as soon as possible to ensure the smooth succession of the throne. How can you stay away and wait for a price? Even if Expressing your position at this moment is far less than the benefit that one of the parties can gain from helping when the situation is desperate. However, the outbreak of the war for reserves has caused damage to the foundation of the empire. How can you not be responsible for it at all?
If this really creates many hidden dangers for the political situation of the empire, and even leads to the collapse of the empire in the future, how will the history books evaluate you as the prime minister?
Or do you really not care about the prosperity and survival of the empire, you only care about the interests of your family, and you are even willing to single-handedly push the empire into the abyss?
But there are some things that don't need to be mentioned again and again. When they reach their position, they must have a strong will and a heart as hard as stone, and they will not change their opinions and positions easily.
The reason why I ask is just to do my last bit...
The two of them walked side by side and entered the Zhaode Hall. Li Ji suddenly asked: "The prince has a lot of criticisms about what Wei Chen has done. Wei Chen also wants to ask whose side the prince is on."
Li Xiaogong stood still, looked up at the night sky that was still dark and rainy, and said slowly: "The fact that Your Majesty has a will is theoretically possible. It is not surprising that His Majesty was wise and powerful, and left something in advance, so I did not Those who have not expressed their support in time are just waiting for this edict to appear. Maybe it is a certain clan member, or a certain chamberlain, who has been entrusted by His Majesty to make the edict public at a certain time... But I will not wait forever. I will be buried in the future. At that time, the new emperor will read out the memorial in public and then ascend the throne. If there is still no posthumous edict at that time, the prince should succeed in succession. Anyone who dares to object will be a traitor and traitor."
This was the first time that he expressed his attitude and position. He didn't care whether he was the crown prince or the king of Jin. He only cared about following His Majesty's last wish.
It is possible that His Majesty left a will and entrusted the holder of it to make it public at a certain moment. There is no profession in the past that is more insecure than the emperor, especially His Majesty Li Er, who was initially firm about Yi Chu and later wavered. It was finally confirmed that he most likely had some concerns that outsiders could not understand... In short, it was difficult to figure out the emperor's thoughts.
But he cannot wait indefinitely. If there is no posthumous edict at the time of burial, then the prince has the right to fulfill his destiny and destiny, and no one can stop the prince from ascending the throne.
Li Ji nodded slightly and said calmly: "I hope so."
Lift your feet and walk into Zhaode Hall first.
…
The sky is getting brighter, and the rain will continue to pour. There are still stars dripping down. The sky is dark. There are white flags standing in the Tai Chi Palace. There are gloomy clouds and mist. The servants, palace maids, and concubines walking among the palaces have sad faces. .
In front of Wude Hall, princes, princesses, concubines, family members, and married women gathered together. The sound of bells and music was melodious. Everyone wore sackcloth and wore filial piety, with tears in their eyes, trying to suppress their sadness.
A melodious bell rang, and Wang De, the chamberlain who stood on the steps in front of the palace, shouted: "Princes enter the palace and change the burial clothes for Emperor Daxing!"
According to Zhou rites, on the day of the burial, the chamberlain changed nineteen sets of burial clothes for Emperor Daxing. These burial clothes were the crown clothes of Emperor Daxing in another world. They were very important. All the princes had to kneel on one side. Requiem.
Headed by the prince, the princes of Wei, Jin, Qi, Shu and other princes filed in and knelt on both sides of the royal bed placed in the middle of the hall. Nineteen chamberlains walked out of the back hall holding the burial clothes in their hands. Wang Shoushi He and several other old chamberlains who had served His Majesty Li Er for many years came forward and changed their burial clothes one by one.
This is the last time I can see Emperor Daxing in person. After today, Emperor Daxing will be put into a coffin. From now on, he will never be able to see his children or the people of the world. Life will end sometimes, and from now on the yin and yang Two days apart, a new emperor will ascend the throne and rule the country...
Therefore, not long after the princes entered the palace, the princesses, concubines, and royal family members who were waiting outside heard their cries, and there was a burst of crying outside the palace. The princesses, concubines at the front of the line were crying so hard that their hearts were broken. , the drizzle drenched the mourning clothes on their bodies and stained the muddy water on the ground. The noble ladies who used to be golden and spotless were described as embarrassed and uncontrollable in sadness.
Immediately, the cries infected the surrounding chamberlains, maids, and officials. The entire Tai Chi Palace burst into tears, and the whole world was filled with sorrow.
To Prince Yin Li Jiancheng, King Qi Li Yuanji and their heirs and daughters, His Majesty Li Er was like a devil, cruel, ruthless and ruthless. But to His Majesty Li Er's concubines, children and even the clan kings and court ministers, he was like a devil. He is a wise and honest elder.
Not only can he humbly accept advice, be diligent in government affairs, but also be tolerant and kind. Even if his ministers and relatives make mistakes, they can forgive them. Even Wei Zheng, a critic who offends and remonstrates without leaving any face to the emperor, will still be tolerated and rewarded. Continuously.
As the saying goes, the weather of a wise king is nothing more than this.
Now that His Majesty Li Er has passed away at such a young age, how can we not be as sad as the sky is falling?
What's more, in addition to going out to remember His Majesty Li Er, the ensuing battle for the throne is bound to be in full swing. It is unknown how many people will be swept in and suffer disaster. After all, as a royal family, unless you have the opportunity to sit on the throne, Otherwise, no one wants to get into the chaos of fighting for reserves...
…
Although the Tang Dynasty was founded not long ago, it only inherited two generations of emperors and a small number of princes. Although Emperor Gaozu broadcast seeds and had dozens of daughters, it still could not be called a royal atmosphere. However, the Li family in Longxi has spread for hundreds of years and is deeply rooted and flourishing. , so there are countless close bloodlines, resulting in a huge number of royal family members.
Everyone cried one after another, and it was not until midnight that the coffin process was completed.
Not only Li Chengqian, but also Li Tai, Li Zhi, Li Zhen, Li Min and others were exhausted, and all the bones in their bodies were about to fall apart...
After dinner, one should take a rest to recuperate one's mental and physical strength. However, as the night went on, the atmosphere became thicker and more depressing. Even the air seemed to be filled with water vapor and became heavy, making people breathless. The entire Tai Chi Palace was full of people.
People walk around in a hurry and keep their mouths shut. Even if they meet someone familiar, they will at most make eye contact and pass by.
Everyone knows that at dawn the funeral ceremony will be held by the new emperor in public. Although he has ascended the throne unofficially, his title has been determined and will not be changed.
If there are still changes in the succession of the throne, it will happen tonight...
*****
Everyone knows that if the King of Jin wants to rebel and usurp his destiny, he will take action tonight. "Baiqisi" has already placed every part of the Taiji Palace under surveillance under Li Chengqian's instructions, "
After the "little coffin", all the princes, princesses, and concubines returned to their respective palaces. They were not allowed to go out unless necessary. The palace, gardens, pavilions and corridors were all equipped with a sentry every five steps and a post every ten steps. The entire Tai Chi Palace was blocked by water.
In addition, Cheng Yaojin was ordered to strictly guard the four gates and not slack off at all. If there is chaos in the city, he will be severely punished!
Even so, Li Chengqian still felt that it was not safe...
"The childish slave is so persistent in his pursuit of the throne that he will never give up easily. What's more, the nobles in Shandong and Jiangnan have already placed bets on him. How can we allow him to ascend the throne smoothly? They will definitely cause trouble, and they will never surrender honestly.
"
Li Chengqian was very worried and could not help but worry about gains and losses.
After dinner, he had a rare moment of leisure. Li Chengqian finally recovered some energy from the whole day's torture, and immediately called Fang Jun, Ma Zhou, and Li Junxian to discuss countermeasures.
Li Junxian said: "The minister has ordered the elite of the department to closely guard the residence of King Jin. Not even a fly will be let in. There is absolutely no chance of anything going wrong."
This is already the safest way. After all, King Jin is a prince. Surveillance is okay, but you can’t send people to house arrest, right? At this time of crisis, once you do that, it will inevitably give King Jin and his family an excuse to "imprison brothers"
"Suppressing siblings" can be done, but it must not be shown in front of others.
Otherwise, public opinion will be stirred up by the Jin Wang family, which will be extremely detrimental to Li Chengqian.
Now it is not only necessary to successfully ascend the throne, but also to stabilize the world's public opinion, otherwise the rumors of the persecution of King Jin will gain countless sympathizers. After all, His Majesty loved this prince the most during his lifetime, and had deliberately awarded the throne to Li Zhi...
The human heart is the most unpredictable.
Li Chengqian nodded slightly, that was all he could do.
Fang Jun frowned in thought, then stood up immediately and said: "I'm going to have a chat with King Jin. If His Highness King Jin doesn't mind, we should have a long discussion."
This palace has been like a big sieve since the Guanlong Mutiny. No secrets can be kept. The slightest disturbance will be known to the whole city after a while. Who knows how many informants and ears of various powerful families are hidden? In particular, Wang Shoushi has been responsible for providing
His Majesty Li Er cultivated dead soldiers. Although they were all strangled and lost by the "Hundred Cavalry" before, who knows if there is still an ambush in the palace?