The Legend of Shushan Xuanjian

Chapter 122
Last night, I read Shu Zhi.Laugh at Cao Cao, Sun Quan, Liu Bei.Exhausted organs, exhausted effort, only one-third of the world.Thinking carefully with your fingers, fighting like a party, Liu Ling was drunk.

There is no one hundred years old in the world.Less dementia, old age haggard.Only in the middle, some young men, forbear to tie up their names.Yipin and Qianjin, ask the white hair how to avoid it.

——Fan Zhongyan in "Ticking the Silver Lantern and Ouyang Gong's Divided Topics"
……

This day the court meeting ended, and Xuanzong left Li Xiang alone.After talking about the military and state affairs, the topic naturally turned to the rumors about the succession of the crown prince in the past few days.

Xuanzong said: "The crown prince is the foundation of the country, so don't be careless. I don't want to shake the foundation of the country unless it is necessary. But this prince, I have broken my heart. If I have to go this far, Aiqing thinks that other princes Among them, who is worthy of this great responsibility?"

Li Linfu bowed and said: "This is a saint's family business, I dare not speak falsely."

Xuanzong pretended to be displeased, and reprimanded: "Establishing a crown prince is not only a family matter, but also a state matter. Aiqing is the head and assistant of the country, how can you deliberately shirk it."

Li Linfu groaned for a long time, and said: "Reporting to the sage, I thought that 'if there is a great meritorious service in Zongji, there is no one like Yuanzi' (if the other princes have not made great contributions to the country, then under normal circumstances, the crown prince should be the eldest son). Qing The king was raised as a legitimate son since he was a child, and after Emperor Ruizong ascended the throne, King Qing was conferred the title of Prince of Xuchang County as the grandson of the emperor. No grounds for objection."

Xuanzong thought for a long time, and said to Li Linfu: "King Qing has a facial disability, and he is unbearable to be a king."

Li Linfu pointed out something, and responded: "Although King Qing has some minor flaws in his face, he governs the country not by his appearance, but by his character and talents. My Tang Dynasty has a vast territory, rich in the world, and came from all directions. Only a majestic emperor like you, a sage, who is as talented as you are, who knows the heavens and the earth, has a benevolent heart, and is virtuous and worthy of the Quartet, can control it. If you give up talents because of your appearance, the court will be in turmoil, and the country will be in danger, which is not the way to maintain prosperity."

After Xuanzong listened, he hesitated.He waved his hands weakly, and said, "Aiqing, step down, let me think about it."

Not long after Li Xiang left, Xuanzong looked at the portrait of Emperor Xuanzong in the hall, full of thoughts.Back then, "killing three kings in one day" was an eternal pain in his heart.Now that I am old and my heart is soft, I like family reunion and harmony, and I don't want this kind of fratricide to happen again.

Xuanzong thought about it, and remembered that he hadn't seen the prince for a long time, so he immediately announced the prince Li Heng to the palace to see him.

Not long after, Li Heng came to the inner hall.Seeing Emperor Xuanzong, he bowed to pay homage, and said in a loud voice: "I wish my father and emperor long live, long live, long live!"

When Li Heng saluted, Xuanzong suddenly found that his son's hair had fallen out a little, and his temples were gray.Counting his age, the prince has not yet reached middle age, yet he has experienced such vicissitudes, as if he is in his twilight years.

Xuanzong couldn't help feeling sympathetic.Although Xuanzong has tolerated Li Linfu's behavior of attacking dissidents to the maximum extent in order to protect his status, he has always been sober when it comes to deposing the prince, and has never been bewitched by Li Linfu.

Xuanzong was very clear about what happened around the prince in recent years. Through Gao Lishi, he learned a lot about the inside story of the court struggle.

Xuanzong admired the prince's benevolence, filial piety and obedience.When the prince suffered hardships and grievances, he could always endure humiliation and never seek protection from his father.Either bear it silently and wait for the truth to come out;Xuanzong was quite pleased that the prince had passed these tests intentionally set by Xuanzong time and time again.Xuanzong felt that the prince was very knowledgeable and could entrust Qianqiu's foundation.

However, the prince's overly cautious and obedient performance made Xuanzong a little more worried and hesitant.

For Xuanzong, it is not necessarily a bad thing for the prime minister to have a bad relationship with the prince.If Li Linfu and Li Heng are allies and take care of each other, once the situation changes, the prince can rely on the orthodoxy of blood and law, use the prime minister to coerce all civil and military officials, and force the palace to take power.Xuanzong relied on the "Shenlong Coup" to overthrow Emperor Zetian and support his father Emperor Ruizong to the throne.As an emperor who came to power through a coup, Xuanzong had rich experience, and it was impossible for the prime minister and the East Palace to be on the same boat.

Only when the two political forces, the Prime Minister and the Eastern Palace, restrain each other and maximize the constraints, can he stand firm.Only when they are constantly at war with swords and swords, Xuanzong can make himself superior and keep the veil of power mysterious.Just like the sphinx in the distant sky, the lion's body represents power, and the human face represents mercy.The combination of kindness and power can form a fatal restraint and deterrence on both sides, and realize the balance and stability of the imperial power.

This is Xuanzong's imperial technique.

In other words, Xuanzong would never let Li Linfu defeat the prince.Once the power of the prime minister is too great, enough to overthrow the prince and establish another prince, the power of the prime minister is no longer the power of the prime minister, but the power of the monarch.Once the limit of this kind of power is breached, it will be like a flood breaking a dike, a wild beast coming out of its cage, a gentleman turning into a leopard, a villain changing his face, and attacking a villain.Xuanzong would never allow a situation where the power of the prime minister overrides the power of the emperor.

This kind of arbitrariness of the world, shifting stars and changing battles, and the power of life and death can only be firmly grasped in one's own hands.

……

When it was time to eat, Li Heng was about to leave.Xuanzong said: "Heng'er, let's have dinner with me. We father and son haven't eaten alone for a long time."

Li Heng's heart felt cold, and he thought: "Could it be that the father is going to tell me right now?" This meal was uneasy.

The Shangshi Bureau in charge of meals in the palace quickly brought up the dishes.Among them was a leg of lamb that had just been roasted.

Xuanzong asked the eunuch to bring the leg of lamb to the prince, and said: "Heng'er, this is a new dish from Shangshi Bureau recently, you can try it."

After Li Heng thanked him, he cut it with a sharp knife and ate it. The mutton was tender and fragrant with cumin, but Li Heng ate it tasteless, and his thoughts were all on Xuanzong.While eating, he answered questions from his father.

After cutting the leg of lamb, Li Heng's hands were all stained with oil, but there was no silk cloth and water basin to clean his hands.Li Heng grabbed the pancake beside him and wiped his hands clean.When he raised his eyes, he just caught a glimpse of anger flashing across Xuanzong's face.

Li Heng's heart trembled, and he hurriedly calculated.In desperation, a flash of inspiration suddenly appeared.Li Heng pretended not to see Xuanzong's expression, and after wiping his hands, he took the oil-stained pancake to his mouth in a leisurely manner, and ate it in big mouthfuls.

Xuanzong was very upset at first, so he held back his temper and did not lose his temper.Li Heng's move was beyond Xuanzong's expectation, and he couldn't help but smile.Xuanzong put down the bowls and chopsticks in his hand, smiled and said to Li Heng: "Fudang cherishes it so much."

During this meal, the father and son chatted very happily, without the restraint of a monarch and his ministers, and more like family members.

After the dinner was over, Li Henggong sent his father into the palace, and then returned to the East Palace.

Entering the inner bedroom of the East Palace, Li Heng sat slumped on the couch, and after taking off his brocade robe, he found that the inner and outer three floors were thoroughly wet.

……

　References:
　　1. "Speaking of the 21 Emperors of the Tang Dynasty"

　　2. "Tang Suzong" in "5000 Years of China"

　　3. "The Bloody Tang Dynasty" Wang Jueren Phoenix Publishing House

　　4. "Tongjian of Vernacular Zizhi" Bai Yang Wanjuan Publishing House
　　5. "Old Tang Book Suzong Benji Tenth"

　　6. "New Tang Book Suzong Benji Sixth"

　　
　　
　
(End of this chapter)