First Minister of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 615 Duke Zhao’s Mansion
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After driving out of Taiji Palace, we walked a short distance along Zhuque Street and then turned into Anyefang.

In Anyefang, the largest family is Zhao Guogong's mansion. Although Gao Chong has been granted the title of Duke of Yan, he has not yet opened a separate mansion. One family and two families are the only one in the huge city of Chang'an.

When the emperor's chariot arrived at the gate of the square, he was informed by his attendants.

The middle gate of Duke Zhao's mansion was wide open, and Gao Junya personally greeted him at the gate.

For the Gao family, there are only a handful of times to open the middle door throughout the year. Even if Fang Xuanling and others come, they can only enter through the side door, because now in the Tang Dynasty, in terms of qualifications and official positions, it is worthy of Gao Jun Yada opened its central gate, and not many people greeted it in person.

Li Shimin ordered the car to stop early, got off the car and walked towards the gate of the mansion. Without waiting for Gao Junya to greet him, he waved his hand and said, "I'm here to visit Liu Niang today. Mr. Junya doesn't need to be polite."

He neither called me nor showed off, which is enough to show Li Shimin's closeness to the Gao family.

Today's Gao Junya is no longer the same as before. Although Li Shimin's power is growing, Gao Junya is not the same as in the past. There is no need to grovel. He immediately turned slightly sideways, raised his hands and said in greeting: "Your Majesty, please take care of me."

After their respective greetings, Li Shimin was introduced into the central hall.

Before Li Shimin could ask, he saw Li Xiuwan walking slowly with the support of a maid.

"Second brother is here," Li Xiuwan said with a happy smile, "Early in the morning, I heard that my family was busy picking up the driver, but they didn't let me go out to greet him."

Li Shimin's heart warmed when he heard the friendly second brother. He quickly stood up and said with a smile: "Liu Niang, please sit down quickly. I have a big belly and I want you to welcome me."

Then he sighed: "It's so fast this time. When Youzhi left Beijing at the beginning of the year, he had just revealed his pregnancy, and now half a year has passed in the blink of an eye."

Li Xiuwan gently stroked her belly, covered her mouth and smiled when she heard this: "Listening to the second brother's tone, he actually misses Lang Jun more than me."

Li Shimin heard his sister's joke and smiled helplessly, "You are still the same as before."

Everyone laughed when they saw this.

"I'm ashamed to say that if the queen hadn't left the palace yesterday, I wouldn't have known that Liu Niang was about to give birth." Li Shimin looked at Gao Junya and said with a smile, "Don't blame me, Mr. Junya."

Gao Junya's face straightened, "Your Majesty has been busy with state affairs and is worried about your worries."

Hearing this, Li Shimin shook his head left and right and said with a bitter smile: "Look, you guys, Mr. Gao is so serious at home."

The eldest grandson Wugou rolled his eyes at him, then stood up and said, "Mrs. Xue, Liu Niang, let us women go to the backyard to have a private chat, let them be serious here."

Mrs.

Gao Junya looked strange.

Li Shimin also found it funny when he saw this, "Jun Yagong, is there a letter from Youzhi this month?"

Gao Junya shook his head, "A letter was delivered along with the memorial last month. The mountains in Lingnan are high and the roads are far away, so it is not easy to deliver it once."

Li Shimin nodded, and then said directly: "I intend to let brother Yan Xing and Yan Zhang enter the palace and accompany Cheng Qian to study. What does Jun Yagong think?"

"The Prince's Attendant?" Gao Junya was startled, and then asked: "Isn't the Prince's Attendant the Prince's eldest grandson?"

Li Shimin shook his head and smiled bitterly, "That boy Cheng Qian and the eldest grandson Jiaqing don't get along. They often have disputes. They had a big fight this morning. Since they can't get along, there's no need to forcefully arrange it."

Gao Junya was thoughtful and had not responded yet.

Seeing this, Li Shimin continued: "Chengqian and Yan Xingyanzhang have always been close, and their temperaments are compatible. Today, when they heard that I was coming to the Gao family, they specifically begged me to bring him with me."

Gao Junya nodded in agreement: "It is the blessing of the grandchildren to be close to the prince."

Li Shimin waved his hands when he heard this, "You and I, as well as our relationship with Youzhi, don't need to say those words to Mr. Jun Ya. I feel relieved when I see Liu Niang in good health, so I specifically want to ask you what you think." .

Gao Junya pondered for a while, neither agreeing nor rejecting. He just said: "It would be a blessing for my grandson to be able to read it, but it still depends on how they get along."

Li Shimin's eyes condensed, he picked up the teacup, nodded and smiled, "That's what Mr. Jun Ya said."

The personalities of Gao Junya and Gao Chong are also very different. One is wild and unrestrained, while the other is steady and prudent. However, it is precisely because of the nature of father and son that they have both talents and virtues. Today's Bohai Gao family That's why he has such a reputation.

In fact, according to Gao Junya's inner meaning, accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger, especially when it comes to the crown prince. He does not want his two grandsons to all enter the palace to study. To put it bluntly, Li Shimin is now in his prime. , the days ahead are very long, if there is a change in the crown prince of the East Palace in the future, it will be extremely detrimental to the two brothers Yan Xing and Yan Zhang.

But if we look at it from another level, the Eastern Palace Attendant is the potential minister of the future emperor. Once the prince succeeds to the throne, he will definitely use him in a important way.

What's more, just looking at it now, the emperor personally came to the house to inquire. Although he said he was asking for the opinions of the parents, in fact, the emperor could make the decision with one word and could not tolerate Gao's refusal. After all, this was a great grace.

But before Gao Junya could think too much, Li Shimin waved to the attendants on the left and right, "Ananda, wait outside the door, no one is allowed to come near."

Zhang Ananda bowed in response, and Gao Junya also waved to Kao Xiong at the door.

There were only two people in the waiting room, so Li Shimin said directly: "I want to hear Mr. Jun Ya's opinion on something."

"Your Majesty, please speak." Gao Junya bowed his hands and listened solemnly. He always abided by the etiquette no matter when and where he was, and never acted casually in the slightest.

Li Shimin thought for a while and then said: "Last night, Liangzhou reported urgently that the ruffians under King Changle actually wanted to kidnap King Changle and defect to the Turks."

Gao Junya was shocked when he heard this, frowned and asked: "But it has been intercepted?"

Li Shimin took a sip of tea and replied in a muffled voice, "Ren Yuwen should have arrived in Liangzhou. What do you think Duke Jun Ya should do?"

"Severe punishment will not be spared!" Gao Junya said without hesitation, his words were firm and without a trace of tolerance, "None of those scoundrels will be spared. In addition, your Majesty, please investigate King Changle strictly and be sure to find out his intentions."

"Tell me about it," Li Shimin was not surprised. For an upright gentleman like Gao Junya, such treasonous behavior would definitely not be tolerated.

"As a royal relative, King Changle would defect to the Turks, and the political impact would be extremely bad. Now that there are internal changes in the Turks, it is the time when the Tang Dynasty is forging ahead, and the prestige of the imperial court must not be ruined."Gao Junya said directly.

Li Shimin also agreed very much, only to hear Gao Junya continue to say: "King Changle is far away in Liangzhou, and the court is beyond his reach. Maybe Yu Wenren can do it expediently."

Li Shimin frowned, "If Zongzheng Temple comes forward...".

"We can let Dali Temple and Zongzheng Temple rush to Liangzhou together. Regardless of whether Yuwen Renren can handle it or not, we can also take into account the etiquette and law." Gao Junya blurted out without thinking.

Li Shimin's eyes lit up, "It's very good, so I will follow what Jun Yagong said."

Without hesitation, he immediately shouted: "Here comes someone."

"Your Majesty," Zhang Ananda stepped in quickly and promised. "The decree was passed, and the young ministers of Dali Temple, Sun Fujia, and the young minister of Zongzheng Temple, Li Changwen, rushed to Liangzhou immediately to cooperate with Yu Wenren, the governor of Liangzhou, to investigate the case of King Changle not following the law."

Zhang Ananda bowed and agreed, and quickly ordered people to pass on the order.

In a simple sentence, there is a huge amount of information. The first thing is to characterize King Changle as not following the law. Regarding the smuggling of arms, salt and iron, and personal relationships abroad, Li Shimin did not mention a word. After all, this is not a glorious thing, Tangtang A relative of the Tang Dynasty, a cousin of the emperor, making friends with foreigners from abroad, it's hard to say whether it's good or bad.

In addition, Dali Temple and Zongzheng Temple were ordered to be led by Yuwen Renren and be at his disposal.

Gao Junya's proposal is also to ensure that it does not violate etiquette and law. This ritual is the ritual of the clan. According to the regulations, if the royal clan violates the law and violates the discipline, the Zongzheng Temple must be approved during the trial. After all, the Zongzheng Temple is the department that manages the royal genealogy. This This is also the reason why many royal family members are arrogant and domineering. Without Zongzhengji to come forward, the judicial department cannot do anything to them.

On the other hand is the law. It is the duty of Dali Temple to try officials who violate laws and disciplines.

To put it simply, if Li Youliang makes any changes in Liangzhou, Yuwen Renren cannot kill him or even use torture. However, if Dali Temple and Zongzheng Temple assist in the investigation, it will be legal and proper, and it will be more convenient for Yuwen Renren to live in the world without constraining him. In etiquette.

Thinking that Li Youliang's bad influence could be minimized, Li Shimin's mood became much brighter.

At this moment, Gao Junya heard a noise from children and frowned. Before he could speak, he saw an angry boy flying in and heading straight for Li Shimin.

"Your Majesty, be careful," Gao Junya froze his eyes and shouted hurriedly.

Who is Li Shimin? Even though he has not personally gone into battle to kill the enemy in the past two years, he has been training hundreds of horses at Xuanwu Gate every day. His physical fitness is still the same as before. He stretched out his hand to catch the Qi Shun steadily.

The Qiju is made of inflated animal bladders. It is blown with air inside and wrapped with linen on the outside. It can be kicked high. It is also the kicker of Cuju. Cuju existed as early as the pre-Qin period. At that time, it was mostly a leather ball. No flexibility.

In the mid-Tang Dynasty, Zhong Wupo, a literati who loved Qihuo, even wrote a special poem "Qihuo Fu": "Qi is a Qihuan, which is contained and becomes a substance, so that it can leap and gain profit, and boast and gain truth. Be dedicated to it. Rules, in the beginning, they are round because they are square, and when they are trying to fill in the gaps, they are finally full but not overflowing."

This kind of Qi Zhu can not only be used to kick Cuju, but also often used to kick the ball high, especially for children. Whoever kicks the ball high can win applause. Wang Wei has a poem that says: "Cuju has repeatedly passed the flying bird." Kick the Qi Zhu Soaring into the sky, even flying higher than a bird, people at that time regarded kicking the air stick high as a skill.

Literary scholar Duan Chengshi recorded in "Youyang Zazu": A man named Zhang Fen was playing football in the temple, and the height of the ball could reach half the waist of the tower. Everyone was amazed and called him capable.

Li Shimin took it, turned it in his hand, and said with a loud smile: "Good news."

Gao Junya's face turned dark. She turned around and saw three children poking their heads at the door. They immediately shouted in a deep voice: "Come in."

Gao Yanxing pulled the reluctant Gao Yanzhang and walked in with his head down, followed by Li Chengqian who looked panicked.

"I have met His Royal Highness," Gao Junya stood up and bowed his hands in greeting.

"I've met Mr. Gao," Li Chengqian said obediently.

Li Shimin waved his hand and said with a smile: "You don't need to be polite, Mr. Jun Ya, you are the elder."

"The etiquette of a monarch and his ministers must not be lost," Gao Junya said solemnly. Even if Li Chengqian was young, he was still the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Shimin didn't take it seriously. He looked straight at the three children who had their heads down and said nothing, and asked with interest: "Who kicked this kick just now? It was very powerful."

"I kicked it." Upon hearing this, Gao Yanzhang said with his head held high, "It was so strong that they couldn't even kick me."

"Don't be presumptuous," Gao Junya said with a straight face.

Li Shimin was very happy and said with a smile: "Are you Yan Zhang? Okay, very strong."

Then he looked at Gao Yanxing and said with a warm smile: "Yanxing, come here and let your uncle see if you have grown taller."

Gao Yanxing was the eldest son of Princess Wanchun, and Li Shimin was truly his uncle. Gao Yanxing straightened his clothes, stepped forward and bowed respectfully, "Yanxing pays homage to my uncle."

"Okay, good boy", Li Shimin patted Gao Yanxing on the shoulder and said with a narrowed smile.

Looking at the two talented brothers, Li Shimin also smiled and said: "Jun Yagong is so lucky."

"One is good at writing and the other is good at martial arts. If they can complement each other, that would be great." Gao Junya rubbed his brows and said with a bitter smile: "Yan Xing reads and practices every day, and Yan Zhang dances with swords and guns every day. It's really Very different personalities.”

When Li Shimin saw this, he smiled and said: "One literary and one military complement each other." Then he looked at Yan Xing and said, "What books are you reading recently?"

"Back to uncle, he is reading "Mencius"," Gao Yanxing replied solemnly, just like the replica of Gao Junya.

Li Shimin nodded with a smile, and then asked a few questions casually. Gao Yanxing answered them one by one. Li Shimin was even more happy, and then looked at Gao Yanzhang, "Yanzhang likes to practice martial arts?"

Gao Yanzhang nodded vigorously, his eyes full of excitement, "I don't like reading, I want to become a general, and I want to be like the champion, crossing the desert."

A strange look flashed in Li Shimin's eyes, and then he said with a smile: "You also know the Champion, yes, but you have to know that the Champion is not only superb in martial arts, he also understands the art of war and military formations. Fighting is not just about martial arts." .

Gao Yanzhang's face turned bitter. Li Shimin saw this and smiled: "I am the emperor, and I promise you that as long as you study hard and practice martial arts diligently, I will definitely let you fight in the future. What do you think?"

"Really?" Gao Yanzhang shouted excitedly.

"Don't be rude," Gao Junya said again.

"As a gentleman says, it is true that a horse is hard to catch," Li Shimin responded with a smile.

"I don't understand what those four horses are, but I will definitely study and become a general," seven-year-old Gao Yanzhang said confidently with his head held high.

Li Shimin threw his anger at him, Gao Yanzhang caught it steadily, then proudly hugged Gao Yanxing's neck and said with a smile: "The emperor has promised to make me a general. Brother, if you want to be a prime minister, then hurry up and tell the emperor talk".

When Li Shimin heard this, he immediately laughed. He had agreed at any time. He felt that Gao Erlang had inherited Gao Youzhi's temperament and was so shameless.

Gao Yanxing curled his lips and pushed the second son away, "There is a saying in Aweng's study that you should get your fame immediately. If you want to be a general, you cannot rely on the emperor to give it to you. You have to fight for it yourself."

Li Shimin's face straightened and he clapped his hands and praised, "Yan Xing said it well."

Then he looked at Li Chengqian behind him and said, "Chengqian, come here."

Li Chengqian was dumbfounded as he watched Gao Yanzhang talk and laugh wantonly. He couldn't understand why Gao Yanzhang wasn't afraid of him.

Hearing Li Shimin call him, he immediately trembled.

Before he could react, Gao Yanzhang pushed him forward and said, "Aye is calling you, why are you shaking?"

Li Chengqian glanced at him resentfully, moved forward and said, "Yeah."

(End of this chapter)