As soon as Eunuch Gao arrived at the door, he heard the sound of breaking porcelain coming from the hall. His hands trembled in fright and his steps slowed down.
"Wei Zheng! How dare he force me like this! Who does he think he is? This world belongs to me! Is he coming to make the decision for me?!"
Empress Changsun advised: "Your Majesty, please calm down. It will not help if you get angry here. Now the civil and military officials of the whole dynasty are waiting in Liangyi Palace, and this stalemate is not an option. If Your Majesty keeps refusing to show up, won't Wei Zheng's plan be fulfilled?"
Have you gained a reputation?"
"Show up?" Li Shimin said angrily: "How do you want me to show up? Do I have to be threatened by them? Do I want to kill Li Mu? Queen! It's not like you don't know Li Mu's treatment of me. I have already broken my trust with him once. I will not do it again."
How can I bear to harm his life! Besides, if I really agree to Wei Zheng, how can I have the face to govern the world from now on? From now on, people in the world only know Wei Zheng but not me. How can this world be considered a good one?
My world!"
"Your Majesty..." Empress Changsun wanted to persuade her again, but she suddenly saw Eunuch Gao poking his head at the door of the palace. She glared and called out: "Eunuch Gao, what happened again?"
Eunuch Gao entered the palace with his head lowered, saluted, and looked a little embarrassed. Li Shimin frowned and said: "Say! Is there anything else that I can't say? I want to see how far this old dog can push me.
!”
"Your Majesty..." Eunuch Gao said with a wry smile: "The Dengwen drum has just sounded. The Shandong scholars Louvre and Zheng Jing took the lead. More than ten scholars and hundreds of students knelt at the gate of the imperial city in mourning clothes, claiming to avenge Zhao Yuanlang.
, the old slave just took a look, and Zhao Yuanlang’s family also came. The paper money was everywhere, and many people gathered to watch. The Louvre Museum was preaching to the people, saying that Zhao Yuanlang was his disciple and Zheng Jing’s niece and son-in-law.
, If Your Majesty does not give Zhao Yuanlang justice, the Shandong nobles..."
Li Shimin gritted his teeth and asked, "What do they want?!"
Eunuch Gao groaned and whispered: "He said...he said he would never agree."
"Rebellion!" Li Shimin was furious. Another porcelain vase next to the table was also hit and fell to pieces. Li Shimin said angrily: "The Louvre, Zheng Jing, they are two thieves again! I have ascended the throne.
At that time, it was these two thieves who jumped out and pointed at me, saying that I was not like a human king, that I killed my brothers and killed my brothers, that I was a waste of life... Okay! Today I will let them see what it means to be an emperor.
Angry! Come on! Go and call me Cheng Yaojin. I will kill as many people as you kneel at the gate of the imperial city. Not only will I kill them, but I will also punish all three of their clans. I..."
"Your Majesty!" Queen Changsun sternly stopped Li Shimin, stood in front of him and looked at each other, saying: "Your Majesty, if you really do this, wouldn't you be playing into your own hands? Their lives and deaths don't matter, what will happen to your Majesty's reputation! Your Majesty
I told my concubine that I am determined to be a wise king. How could this be done by a wise king? If word spreads, how will the people of the world view your Majesty! Your Majesty, think again!"
"I..." Li Shimin looked at Empress Changsun's eyes, clenched his fists tightly, and endured the anger in his chest. After a long while, Li Shimin seemed to have lost all strength, fell down on the chair, sighed, and said to Mr. Gao:
"Go and call Wei Zheng over to me, and send a team of Jinwu guards to separate those people from the people. Go ahead..."
"promise,"
Eunuch Gao responded, turned and left. Li Shimin was silent for a long time, and then said: "Queen, I really can't bear to leave Li Mu."
"Your Majesty, I am reluctant to part with you, but given the current situation, Your Majesty still has to put the overall situation first."
Li Shimin sighed and said no more. Empress Changsun also retreated. When the monarch and his ministers met, it was not polite for the empress to be by her side. Others would naturally not find this small fault, but Wei Zheng... as long as he can find faults
If there is a place, he will not let it go.
After a while, footsteps sounded outside the palace, and Eunuch Gao led Wei Zheng into the palace. Wei Zheng saw the porcelain fragments on the ground, looked up at Li Shimin, and instead of saluting, he knelt down on the ground neatly.
"Wei Zheng, did you know that the emperor was so angry that blood flowed everywhere? You forced me like this today. Have you ever thought about the consequences?"
Wei Zheng looked at Li Shimin's vicious eyes and was unafraid and said: "Your Majesty, I don't know that the emperor is angry. I only know that a wise king is benevolent and the people have grievances. As the emperor, your majesty cannot ignore it. Shui Neng
The boat that carries it can also capsize, and only public opinion can determine what is right or wrong."
"Ha!" Li Shimin sneered and said: "Don't tell me these big principles. What is public opinion? Where can we get public opinion? The two old thieves of the Louvre and Zheng Jing were very disrespectful and insulting to me when I came to the throne.
As for me, I didn't punish them, and even invited them to join the court as officials, but they! They didn't appreciate my kindness at all and rejected me! It made me lose face! They set up private schools in Chang'an, recruited disciples, and preached the so-called scriptures and meanings.
Do you think I really don’t know what they are doing? What kind of people are they? When you say these things to me, do you think I am a three-year-old child?"
Wei Zheng did not directly answer Li Shimin's question. He raised his head and looked at Li Shimin and asked: "If your majesty really ignored them because of public opinion, why didn't you just kill them back then?"
"Wei Zheng, you!"
Wei Zheng smiled and said: "Your Majesty, today, I know that in Your Majesty's heart, I am no different from a traitor and a traitor. But I still want to say a few words. Please calm down and think about it."
"The emperors of ancient and modern times have much help when they are good, but they have little help when they are bad. Are the so-called 'helpers' the people or the scholars?"
"Zhuluhou regards the people as 'the people'. I can't say that he is wrong, but he is too naive. The world has been ruled by the emperor and the scholar-bureaucrats since ancient times. Your Majesty, who is familiar with the classics and history, should understand that the former Sui Emperor Wen unified the world, recuperated and prospered, and the people enriched the country.
It was strong and prosperous. When Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty came to the throne, the country's power was even greater. However, Emperor Yang conquered the south of the Yangtze River several times and conquered Goguryeo twice, which caused the world to boil with resentment. Are the people who rebelled at this time the people? No,
He is a member of the noble family and a powerful family member!"
"Your Majesty, if you want the world to be stable, you must get the full support of the nobles and nobles. Since ancient times, the people have relied on the nobles and nobles to live, and their recuperation and survival must also come from top to bottom. Your Majesty wants to surpass the nobles and win the hearts and minds of the people.
How can we succeed? I also know that recovering mineral deposits can fill the national treasury, but if it causes the nobles and nobles to lose their moral integrity, your Majesty should think about it, which is more serious!"
After saying that, Wei Zheng kowtowed, stood up and said again: "Zhulu Hou mentioned my fault, but I have nothing to say in reply. But I asked myself, although I have served as seven masters, I have tried my best and have a clear conscience. Zhulu Hou dedicated his family property to the Ministry of Works, but I have no words for him."
I can make money, but I also have no money left, and I have nothing to lose. Isn’t it because Your Majesty keeps me in the court to appease the Shandong nobles? This is my duty, and what I did today is also fulfilling this duty."
"I know that your Majesty wants to kill me quickly. After today's incident, I should complain to you and then commit suicide to thank your Majesty so as not to disgrace your Majesty's reputation. However, I cannot retreat from what happened today. If I retreat, your Majesty will make a big mistake."
, the Tang Dynasty will also fall apart because of this, and I don’t want to see the people displaced and hungry! I often say that I will die for advice, but Your Majesty doesn’t believe it, but today, I die for advice!”
"you!"
Li Shimin looked at Wei Zheng's stubborn look, stretched out his hand, but then took it back. Although he hated Wei Zheng and wanted to draw his sword to kill him, Wei Zheng's words did speak to his heart.
Throughout the ages, which emperor has won the world and secured his position in the world without the support of a powerful family? Even when Li Yuan raised an army, he only took the first step with the full support of the Li family in Longxi, and later competed for the throne.
When the world was under heaven, the Wang family of Taiyuan, the Cui family of Qinghe, etc. gradually joined in and provided food, horses, soldiers, etc., so that the world could be conquered. Whether it is said that they obeyed the will of God or they were just on the wall, one undeniable fact is that if
Without the support of the noble families, the Tang Dynasty would not be what it is today.
Taking back mineral deposits can certainly fill the treasury, but if it really causes turmoil and a big war, it will be exhausted.
Li Shimin was silent for a long time and said: "Wei...Ai Qing, if I don't mention the matter of taking back the mineral deposits again, can you spare Li Mu's life?"
When Wei Zheng heard this, he understood that the emperor was about to compromise. But Li Mu... Wei Zheng thought of Li Mu's eloquent and eloquent appearance yesterday, and recalled Li Mu's face when he told them that he was cheating the world and stealing his reputation, and thought to himself, this boy is only seventeen years old.
, with such eloquence, who will be his opponent in a few years? Now that things have reached this point, there is no possibility of reconciliation between the two. If you raise a tiger, you will be injured by a tiger one day. Think of this
, Wei Zheng became concerned and said: "Your Majesty, one thing is another matter. The disputes between me and Zhuluhou are all about state affairs, and there is no right or wrong. But Zhuluhou kills people, and he must give an explanation to the people of the world.
Your Majesty, please do not be partial and decide according to the law."
Anger appeared in Li Shimin's eyes, and he said sternly: "Wei Zheng, I have agreed to your request, are you serious about not giving me any face at all?"
"Your Majesty, I also pity Zhu Luhou's talent, but the law is the law, and the law does not tolerate mercy. If there is a law that cannot be followed, what is the use of the law!"
"you……"
Li Shimin was so choked that he couldn't say a word. He stared at Wei Zheng, and Wei Zheng looked at him. The two of them didn't blink, as if they were engaged in a silent exchange.
"You are just a secretary. Prison matters have nothing to do with you! I want to listen to the opinions of the officials. Get up and follow me to Liangyi Palace. Li Mu's life or death will be decided by the officials now!"
After that, Li Shimin ignored Wei Zheng and walked out of the Tai Chi Hall. Wei Zheng got up from the ground. He knelt for a long time and his knees were numb, but he straightened his waist and followed Li Shimin. He was not worried at all.
When things got to this point, Li Mu would definitely die. Without him having to say anything more, the Shandong Confucian Association at the entrance to the imperial city forced Li Shimin to agree, otherwise, he would not be able to stop Youyou from talking.
Wei Zheng's back was dripping with cold sweat, but he was still very calm because he knew that this time he won again!