The third emperor of the Sui Dynasty

Chapter 722 Zen position retreats as advance
Outside the Hall of Martial Virtue, amidst the uneasiness of many courtiers, the blue veins on Li Yuan's forehead twitched, suppressed the anger in his heart, and said lightly: "It is indeed not my fault that the Great Tang has fallen to this point; Emperor Tang, big and small, right and wrong decisions are all made by me, and I made my own decisions. Isn’t it the one who is most responsible? Among other things, at least I have failed to check. There were a series of incidents of losing power and humiliating the country, such as the fall of Bingzhou, the fall of Guanzhong, the disastrous defeat of the Eastern Expedition, and the fiasco of Gucheng... It is precisely because I don't know who I know that the nobles in Guanlong headed by the Dugu clan cooperated with the enemy... All of these, people in the world You can only say that I am incompetent, incapable of knowing people, and employing people improperly, but who would say Li Xiaogong, Li Shimin, Li Shenfu, Li Shuliang, Dou Kang, Dou Cong...?"

The ministers are speechless, even though it is so on the surface, but if you follow your way of commanding troops, if you replace them with Bai Qi, Li Mu, Lian Po, Han Xin, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, Cao Cao, Yang Shuang, Yang Su, etc. Famous generals, I am afraid they will also fail miserably.

"People all over the world will say that I am not as good as Yang Tong's child, so what if I refuse to accept it? In the battles of Bingzhou, Guanzhong, Longyou, Hehuang, Fuyang, Luoyang, Zhuyangguan, etc., we lost again and again, and the number of soldiers died and injured Hundreds of thousands of people, who will be responsible? Who can be responsible? Bingzhou, Yongzhou, Liangzhou, Hanzhong, Jingzhou and other countless territories have been lost, and who can be responsible? Princes, ministers, and ordinary people are displaced, countless families are destroyed, wives and children are scattered, Who else can take responsibility for this? You say, all these responsibilities, except for me, who else? So I must give an explanation to the subjects of the Tang Dynasty, so I must give up the throne." Speaking of this, Li Yuan was calm Yes, but there was a piercing chill in the gentle tone.

"I've been thinking about it for a few days, and I've thought about it countless times." Looking at Chen Shuda at the bottom of the steps, Li Yuan asked, "Not to mention anything else, Chen Xiangguo, let me ask you: Sweep Liuhe and rule the world." Why did the powerful Qin Dynasty die in the second generation? Why did the mighty Han Dynasty escape the end of disintegration and annihilation?"

Chen Shuda was stunned for a moment, but this question obviously did not bother him, so he replied respectfully: "The tyranny of the Qin Dynasty caused the whole country to rebel, and the second generation died; .”

Li Yuan said in a deep voice: "I used to think so, but after thinking about it for the past few days, I found that the defeat of the Qin and Han Dynasties seemed to be caused by something other than the court, but it was actually caused by his own chronic illness. , unified the world, and passed down to the second generation, but the ancestral temple was extinct. Although the Han Dynasty had the Han Dynasty of Wenjing, Wuhan Xiongfeng, and Guangwu Zhongxing, but in the later period, it was because the young master was old and ignorant of government affairs, which led to the fall of the monarchy. The empire Unsteady, spread to Liu Hong and fell apart... Sui's civil and military is the most typical, Emperor Wen is wise and martial, the Sui Dynasty dominates the world, rampant in the world, and is unparalleled in the world; Yang Guang is stupid and brutal, and finally makes the people of the Sui Empire miserable, and the flames of war are everywhere... Let's talk about it , the defeat of the Qin and Han Dynasties, and the collapse of the Sui Dynasty were all due to the emperor's insensitivity."

The officials were silent.

Anyone with a little level knows this truth, but no one dares to say it.Because in the era when the monarchy was supreme, no one dared to question the authority of the emperor.

Why did Yang Guang prefer to go to war with the powerful people in the world, rather than issue the "Edict of Guilt"?It's nothing more than wanting to maintain the authority of the emperor!As long as you are the emperor, you will always be right and never make mistakes... because once the authority of the emperor is questioned, the regime will be in turmoil, and the great empire may collapse.

When Yang Guang was able to dominate the world and occupy the general situation, he was unwilling to issue the "Sin Ji Zhao"; now that the Tang Dynasty is in jeopardy, and Li Yuan's majesty has been lost, the consequences of issuing the "Sin Ji Edict" can be imagined, but he is restrained But the families of countless thousands of soldiers who died in battle had no choice but to step down, otherwise they would fall into a situation of betrayal.

Some smart people, such as Li Jiancheng, Chen Shuda, Xiao Yu, Liu Wenjing, Pei Ji, Dou Gui, Dou Lukuan, etc., have already figured out the trick.As far as the current Tang Dynasty is concerned, it is indeed a good choice for Li Yuan to step aside.

But as the person involved, Li Jiancheng was stunned. He couldn't feel any joy or warmth, but only the bone-chilling coldness...

His father's actions reminded him of Gao Wei, the Empress of Qi. Gao Wei passed the throne to his son Gao Heng during the difficult period of the country. Gao Heng is just a puppet in the hands of Gao Wei, whose only value is to bear the infamy of various failures.

From the series of appointments made by his father, Li Jiancheng can see that the governors of the several governor's mansions are still his father's people, and although Li Xiaogong was promoted to the King of Jing and the governor of Badong, he can grow Shi Gaoshilian, Sima Both Chai Shao belonged to the royal father, will these two become Xiaogong's right-hand men?
"Although I am extremely reluctant, extremely sad, and heartbroken, I will not be unwilling to disobey the holy will until my death. His Royal Highness is kind, filial, honest, resourceful, and resourceful. He is indeed the best candidate to inherit the great rule. If His Royal Highness As the emperor, the ministers will do their best to support, and there will be no disobedience, please rest assured!" Pei Ji knelt heavily in the stagnant water, kneeling three times and knocking nine times.

The ministers secretly despised him.

He was the first to oppose, and he was also the first to support.In the end, he knew that the new king was a puppet and the power was still in the hands of Li Yuan. In order to enjoy the privilege, he shamelessly showed his loyalty to Li Yuan.But wouldn't he think about it, once there are uncontrollable factors in the alternation of the old and the new, it will cause civil strife and fragmentation in the Tang Dynasty?
Li Yuan, who was expressionless, finally showed a smile, and said with relief: "Pei Xiangguo is still sympathetic to my heart, and I am very pleased."

Pei Ji stood up, and saluted with a sonorous tone: "I only know that I will obey all the orders of the Holy One!"

Li Yuan nodded in satisfaction: "Is there anything Zhu Qing wants to ask?"

"Report to the Holy Majesty, I have two questions." Li Yuan's confidant Tang Jian cupped his hands and said.

Li Yuan frowned imperceptibly, and said lightly: "Tang Aiqing, please tell me."

"After the sage ascended to the throne, is it true that he does not care about state affairs? It's not that the humble ministers are talkative and talk about the sage's family affairs; but that although His Highness is intelligent, benevolent, civil and military, he has the experience of being alone after all. My Tang Dynasty is currently in a state of desperation. , I am worried that His Highness the Crown Prince will not be able to cope with the ever-changing and harsh situation."

Li Jiancheng's body trembled, his fists hidden in his sleeves were clenched violently, he quickly suppressed the shocked look on his face, and returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

At this time, besides the bone-chilling coldness, he also felt an indescribable sense of exhaustion. The Tang Dynasty had already been defeated like this, and everyone was still fighting for power, fighting each other, and calculating themselves. You can't live if you do evil!
Li Yuan glanced at Li Jiancheng faintly, smiled slightly, and said: "What Aiqing said is very true, I should take him for a while; what is Aiqing's second question?"

"My lord, the old place of Hanzhong is the throat of Qin and Shu. It is the gateway and buffer place shared by Guanzhong and Bashu. It is also the hub of the northern and southern regimes. The gains and losses of Hanzhong have a great impact on the division of the north and the south. If Hanzhong is won, Qin and Shu will be integrated. If Hanzhong is lost, the North and the South will confront each other, so Huang Quan, the chariot general of the Shu Han, said to Liu Bei, "If Hanzhong is lost, the Sanba will be weak, and this will cut off the arms of the Shu people." Yang Hong, a man of insight in Shu County, also said clearly to Zhuge Kong' Hanzhong, the throat of Shu, the chance of survival, if there is no Hanzhong, there will be no Shu." Now that Hanzhong has fallen into the hands of the Sui Dynasty, if Yang Tong attacks the Chengdu Plain from Hanzhong, besides Jinniu Road and Miicang Road; Yangshui in the townships and counties goes south, you can enter Qinghua in the west, and you can reach Tongchuan (Litchi Road) in many directions. On the contrary, if our Tang Dynasty conquers Hanzhong and Guanzhong in the north, we can also follow these three routes.”

Seeing that Li Yuan was listening carefully, Tang Jian said, "The Governor's Mansion of Yinping Road and the Governor's Mansion of Brazil Road set up by the Holy Majesty guard the Jinniu Road and Micang Road. I would like to ask who the Holy Majesty wants to guard the third strategy." Land!"

Li Yuan thought for a while, then said: "When Zhang Shigui withdraws, he can specialize in this strategic channel."

"I understand." Tang Jian bowed and retreated to the queue.

"Jinniu and Micang are not to be missed. Prime Minister Dou and General Changsun will enter Shu tomorrow. First, they will do a good job in the defense of the various places. Feel free to report to the court if there are any difficulties. Zhao Cijing, you will also go to Chengdu, Shu County tomorrow to stabilize the people and preside over the situation." Pick up the driving business."

"The last will obey."

"Wei Chen obeys."

Li Yuan sighed, and said: "My dear friends, first appease the people outside the palace city. There is a lot of compensation. Xiao Xiangguo is responsible for this matter."

Despite his reluctance and reluctance, Li Yuan had no choice but to bleed to comfort the families of the fallen soldiers. Otherwise, the imperial palace would not be able to leave, so how could he move the capital as he wished?If it is not handled properly, it will shake the morale of the army at the slightest, and at the worst, the soldiers in the city will simply turn against him and launch the "Tai Chi Palace Coup". Regardless of the severity, he cannot afford it.

Xiao Yu hurriedly responded, "I obey."

"The Ministry of Rites chooses a good day, and when the Crown Prince and the Sui Dynasty complete the handover of Jingbei, he will go to Shu to accept Zen and ascend the throne." After speaking, Li Yuan returned to Miyagi regardless of the reaction of the officials.

. . . . . . . . .

With a stiff smile on his face, Li Jiancheng entered the Hall of Martial Virtue under the instigation of his ministers, and received congratulations. He dragged his tired body back to the East Palace until dark, and then collapsed on the bed. No one wanted to see him. No one wants to bother.

He stared at the roof, thinking of his hometown in Hedong, and the plain but warm days in the past, but he knew that he would never go back.

Just as he was falling asleep, the door opened, and a graceful woman appeared in the dark bedroom.

"Who!" Li Jiancheng asked vigilantly.

"Husband, it's me." The familiar voice in the dark came from the Crown Princess Zheng Guanyin. Li Jiancheng's heartstrings relaxed and he sat up slowly and said, "It's Guanyin."

"Yes." Zheng Guanyin put the food box in his hand on the table, lit the lamp, and the soft light filled the whole room.

Li Jiancheng patted the mosquito on his face, smiled wryly, "Did you bring me food?"

"What do you think?" Zheng Guanyin asked her husband coquettishly. She looked like she was only in her early thirties.The couple have been married for many years and are very affectionate. They have two sons and a daughter. The eldest son Li Chengdao was named the king of Anlu, the second son Li Chengde was named the king of Hedong, and the daughter Li Wanshun was named the princess of Xincheng.

Zheng Guanyin opened the food box, put several plates of side dishes and a bowl of rice in front of him, and said, "I know my husband is in a bad mood, so I specially made some side dishes. Eat it while it's hot!"

"I'm going to be the emperor of the Tang Dynasty soon. I'm in a good mood." Li Jiancheng was also a little hungry. He picked up his chopsticks, picked up his rice bowl, and started eating

"I've heard about the arrangements of my father, so why did my husband lie to me? In name it is to abdicate the throne, but in fact my husband has less power than before." Zheng Guanyin sat down.

Li Jiancheng swallowed the food in his mouth, and chuckled: "It is precisely because the father values ​​power and is obsessed with power, so he doesn't trust anyone, and Datang will be reduced to this level. I'm afraid we will send people to monitor our every move in the future." .”

Zheng Guanyin became frightened, and said worriedly: "It's better if my husband refuses."

"Father needs a puppet to bear everything in the future, and I can't refuse at all."

Zheng Guanyin's eyes were clouded with mist, and she said in a trembling voice: "My husband has walked on thin ice all these years, and I have noticed it; especially in the past two years, I have been supervised every step I leave the East Palace. I am really scared, shall we escape?" good?"

"I don't want you to worry about it, and I don't want my children to pretend to be grandchildren despite their cleverness." Li Jiancheng put down the bowl and chopsticks and looked at his beloved wife seriously: "Whether it's the emperor, the prince, or the Tang Dynasty I don’t even want to be an official. Now I just want to take your mother and son back to your hometown in Hedong and live an ordinary life. Is my wife willing to endure hardships with me?”

Zheng Guanyin burst into tears, held her husband's hand, nodded repeatedly and said, "I dream of escaping from this prison one day. But, can Emperor Shengwu tolerate my husband?"

"Our sister-in-law seems to be more cruel than anyone else, but he values ​​love and righteousness more than anyone else." Li Jiancheng laughed at himself and said, "This cruel sister-in-law is ten thousand times more reliable than my father and brothers."

"Then when will we leave?" Zheng Guanyin was obviously terrified.

Li Jiancheng said in a low voice: "Father will do a big thing next, and this big thing may leave a bad name, so a 'new emperor' is needed to memorize it. This matter will also be of great benefit to the Sui Dynasty. Do this well. Things, we will be safer in the Sui Dynasty."

Zheng Guanyin burst into tears and said: "But if my husband misses by a little bit, then..."

"Then are you widowed for me?" Li Jiancheng said suddenly, Zheng Guanyin was stunned for a moment, knowing that Li Jiancheng was playing tricks on her, and said angrily, "I won't!"

Li Jiancheng smiled: "I will be fine, you can rest assured. As long as you know what we say, you must not let the third person know, otherwise we will surely die."

"I understand……"

(End of this chapter)