Jiuxi

Chapter 360 Chapter 358 [Father and Son]

Pingkangfang, Li's mansion.

The setting sun in early summer enveloped this courtyard with curls of blue smoke. The pavilions and pavilions were all hidden in the dim light, and the noble atmosphere was clearly visible.

The atmosphere inside Jinlin Hall was quite solemn.

Li Daoyan looked at the ginseng tea in the tureen in his hand, took a small sip, and then handed the tureen to his young grandson Li Gongxu who was standing beside him.

There were no servants in the hall. Apart from the pair of grandparents, only Li Shizhi, the Minister of Punishment, sat down.

"You should know everything that will be discussed in the meeting today."

In the silence, Li Daoyan spoke slowly, his tone slightly tired.

Today's court meeting is of relatively high standard. Although Li Shizhi is Li Daoyan's eldest son and has the official status of Minister of Justice, he is still not qualified to enter the Wende Palace. Logically speaking, Li Shizhi would not know the content of the court meeting so quickly, but Li Daoyan's tone was very firm, and he obviously understood the eldest son's skills and abilities.

Li Shizhi did not deny it, and after a moment he said softly: "Father, Your Majesty is a little anxious."

Although Guo Congyi, Wang Yan and others were forced to bow their heads because of Jing Guogong Han Lingfu's appearance, this does not mean that everything will be peaceful in the future.

Last year, news of the Heluo victory came back to the capital, and Xiao Wangzhi was granted the title of Duke and Lu Chen was granted the title of Marquis. Li Daoyan publicly expressed his admiration for the two men and the border troops in the court, suppressing a potential imperial dispute.

There are various complicated reasons entangled here, but one of them is extremely important and cannot be ignored, that is, Li Daoyan, as the leader of the Jiangnan family in the court, did not strongly oppose the emperor's decision, but repeatedly choose to give in.

Perhaps they also knew that Li Daoyan's statement today was out of necessity. After all, Jing Guogong Han Lingfu was the only remaining member of the older generation in the army. Once the passion he had accumulated for most of his life was revealed, Guo Congyi and others would have to bow their heads.

In the Jinlin Hall at this moment, after Li Shizhi finished speaking, the father and son couldn't help but fall into a long silence again.

At that time, many people rushed to the prime minister's residence after the court meeting, which showed that they did not resent Li Daoyan's statement, but were slightly worried and wanted to find out what the old prime minister really thought.

With Li Shizhi's scheming attitude, he naturally understood that his old father was trying to beat him.

Li Daoyan turned his head and glanced at his young grandson. He did not directly respond to Li Shizhi's complaint against the emperor, but said slowly: "On the first day of the Moyuan Literary Meeting, you and I both listened to Lang Sanyuan's nonsense. After you left, I I once told Jiao Yuer that Lu Chen’s praise of me came from the sincerity, which made me feel very gratified, which is enough to show that he is a truly smart person.”

Whether Lu Chen can gain a foothold in Nanya is secondary. The key lies in the fact that from the time when the Northern Expedition was decided a year ago to now when the emperor intervenes in Nanya's military power, the Jiangnan family has almost been giving in.

Not to mention that Li Daoyan and Han Lingfu also had a deep friendship. The other party made it clear that he would support the emperor before he died, so what could Li Daoyan do?

But there is also a possibility that because Li Daoyan has repeatedly chosen to give up power to the emperor in the past two years, representatives of the major forces in the Jiangnan family no longer have absolute trust in the old prime minister, at least they will not obey orders as before.

Now the emperor first adopted Lu Chen's suggestion and asked the middle and lower-level generals of the Beijing army and the frontier army to be exchanged. He also directly adjusted the power structure of the northern and southern yamen, forcibly assigning one-third of the military power of the southern yamen to Lu Chen.

Li Daoyan added: "He knows the difficulty of the emperor, and also understands the difficulty of me and the Jiangnan family. He can consider issues from such a high level at such a young age, which shows that his vision is extraordinary. At that time, I also said to Ju Yu'er However, compared to Lu Chen, some people are smarter, and no matter how they plan, they will definitely end up in vain."

The emperor had vigorously supported the border troops in these years, but he had basically not interfered in the appointment and dismissal of generals in the northern and southern yamen of the Beijing army. This was a tacit understanding between him and the Jiangnan aristocratic families.

Not just today.

For fourteen years, the relationship between the emperor and the central government has been in a delicate balance.

However, after the court meeting ended today, the adults, including Ning Yuanfu, the Minister of Civil Affairs, and Ding Hui, the Minister of War, did not immediately come to the Li Mansion for advice.

Li Shizhi was slightly surprised by Li Daoyan's words, and then he heard his father continue: "King Jian... looks like a king."

"But when I said this, I was not alluding to you, but to King Jian Li Zongjian, who has a deep personal connection with you."

Twelve-year-old Li Gongxu stood nearby obediently. Although he could not follow the thoughts of these two elders, he also understood the reason why his grandfather asked him to stay and serve. He listened carefully with only one pair of ears. .

Li Shizhi remained silent.

Under the surface of calm and tranquility, some emotions are brewing.

In fact, this sentence is slightly inappropriate.

Of course, Li Daoyan's identity and qualifications can be more unrestrained, but the Jinlin Li family should not show an obvious tendency towards the candidate for the crown prince. At least before the emperor decides to appoint the crown prince, they need to stand neutral in public.

Li Shizhi knew very well that his father's words were telling him that if the Li family chose to support King Jian, there would be endless troubles.

He picked up the tea cup and took a sip, and said calmly: "Father, the third prince can understand the difficulties of our Jiangnan family."

Li Daoyan said seriously: "This is not important."

Li Shizhi put down the tea cup, looked his father in the eyes very rarely, and retorted: "No, this is very important."

Li Daoyan's old eyes narrowed slightly, and a solemn expression appeared on his old face.

Li Gongxu, who was standing nearby, became nervous for no reason.

After a long time, Li Daoyan breathed out softly and said: "My father originally thought that Lang Sanyuan was the person who established the king, but later I realized that he should be the secret hand you use to cast stones to ask for directions."

Li Shizhi nodded calmly and said, "Father, I understand."

Li Daoyan slowed down his tone and said: "The reason why my father had this illusion is because at that time, except for Lang Sanyuan, there was no one else with ulterior motives in the cultural conference. Logically speaking, King Jian would not miss this opportunity to cause trouble for the second prince. opportunity. Later, my father learned that King Jian was kept in the harem by Queen Xu on that day, and he realized that the Queen was aware of King Jian's thoughts and did not allow him to do whatever he wanted."

"Actually, my son was a little surprised at the time that King Jian could hold back. Later he found out that it was the Queen who took action."

Li Shizhi took over his father's words and said with a smile: "They are all smart people."

"Just a little clever."

Li Daoyan shook his head, looked at the eldest son's indifferent face, and said: "Now it seems that His Majesty is interested in the second prince, so he asked Lu Chen to attend the Moyuan literary meeting, and use this obscure way to express his feelings to the officials and the family. Xu The queen always prefers the third prince because of some things that happened back then. From the surface, the second and third princes each have some advantages, but the eldest prince is the legitimate eldest son."

Li Shizhi understood why his father was worried, and he explained gently: "Your Majesty has a wise mind, and the reason for delaying deciding on the prince is to avoid turmoil in the court. With your Majesty's solemn control, no matter which prince lives in the East Palace, it will not cause too much trouble. . In my opinion, my father really doesn’t need to worry about this matter." Li Daoyan's eyes flashed with deep disappointment, and he said slowly: "Jing State in the north has annexed Zhao State, and the invasion from the south is a foregone conclusion. Do you understand? ?”

Li Shizhi was silent for a moment and said softly: "My son understands, so he has always agreed with his father to make appropriate concessions to the frontier army in order to ensure the combat effectiveness of the frontier army. Although Jingguo is powerful, the wars in the past two years have shown that they are not invincible." , Hengjiang will still be a natural chasm in front of them. Taking ten thousand steps back, even if Dingzhou cannot be saved, Jing and Huai can still keep Jingjun out."

Li Daoyan's mood was very complicated at the moment.

Today's conversation is not only an exchange between father and son, but may also be related to the future fate of the Jinlin Li family, the nine Jiangnan families, and even the entire Da Qi court.

He has been cultivating Li Shizhi as the heir and the next generation head of the Jinlin Li family, and the other party has not let him down. For nearly twenty years, he has worked steadily and steadily, relying on his beautiful articles and solid ability in general affairs to establish himself and support himself, without showing off. Dew will win over most people's hearts.

But now he suddenly realized that he seemed to be unable to understand the eldest son's thoughts.

"Your view is the most idealized state, but you have to understand that things are unpredictable, and situations that you don't expect will often happen."

It is said that a son is better than his father. Li Daoyan knew very well how determined Li Shizhi was, so he did not act like a strict father, but explained patiently uncharacteristically: "The strength of the frontier army is not constant. Xiao Wangzhi and Li Tianrun Once they get in the way, almost no one can replace them. Although Lu Chen has the potential to excel in the past, how can he take care of the three places by himself? When Jing Jun invaded the country in large numbers, the country was still in chaos, and the world might be overturned. Worry."

Li Shizhi looked at the worry in his father's eyebrows and couldn't help but sigh softly.

Based on Li Daoyan's decades of experience in the ups and downs of the officialdom, he can naturally feel that there are countless undercurrents hidden under the seemingly calm water of Yongjia City.

There are not only the power struggles between the frontier army, the Beijing army and the central government, but also the increasingly obvious struggle for the throne among several princes, as well as the overt and covert struggle between the new military elite represented by Lu Chen and the old military heroes.

If Han Lingfu hadn't dragged his broken body into the palace today and used his pure name as the emperor to suppress the battle, the first clear and fierce court battle would probably have broken out.

But what about next time? Where did the emperor go to find the second Han Lingfu?

There will eventually come a day when the situation becomes tense.

After a long time, Li Shizhi lowered his eyes and said slowly: "Father, is the Northern Expedition really that important?"

Li Daoyan's white eyebrows moved slightly, but he did not answer this question directly.

Li Shizhi didn't take it seriously and continued: "Actually, my son has been thinking about this question. What is the meaning of the Northern Expedition? For His Majesty, cleaning up the old mountains and rivers is a banner that must be upheld. For the frontier soldiers, the Northern Expedition is what they gain. The means to improve my military exploits step by step, but for the people of the North, do they really want my army to return to the North?"

"Suitable——"

Li Daoyan's expression gradually became serious.

Li Shizhi said sincerely: "Father, please let your son finish."

"There must be people in this world who have innocent thoughts, either to serve the country loyally, to punish the people, or to expel the barbarians. I have never doubted that such people exist, and I have respect for such people."

"But, I must say, but, like our Jinlin Li family, Changle Ning family, Ningtan Ding family, Boyue Chen family, De'an Guo family, Yongxin Wang family, Xingshan Le family, etc., we, the noble family, The foundation is all in Jiangnan. Regardless of whether the Daqi army can completely defeat the Jing army, even if Daqi wins, what benefit will it have to us?"

"My father may not consider this issue, and I may not consider this issue. Can other people be impartial and selfless? Are they willing to dedicate all their family assets to the court? The Jinlin Li family cannot achieve its current status without first of all My father’s hard work, and secondly, the strong support of so many Jiangnan aristocratic families.”

At this point, Li Shizhi exhaled a breath, shook his head and said: "If they can support the Jinlin Li family and lift our Li family to this position, they can naturally pull the Li family down."

Li Daoyan closed his eyes slightly and said after a moment: "There is more than one road in this world."

"What my father said is absolutely true."

Li Shizhi's tone was low and he sighed: "But Your Majesty chose the most radical path. Father, my son has always understood your difficulties and has not objected to Your Majesty's support for the border troops. Last year's Northern Expedition was very costly. Without me, my father In the name of secretly helping to turn things around, Xue Nanting really thinks that his position as right-hand prime minister can suppress the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty and provide so much food, grass, weapons, and wages to the border troops?"

Li Daoyan's expression was very complicated at the moment.

Of course he knew that the eldest son was not lying. This was his entrustment to Li Shizhi.

Li Shizhi said: "Your Majesty wants the Northern Expedition, wants to strengthen the frontier army, wants Xiao Wangzhi's confidant Chen Lanyu to join the Beijing army, and has made various arrangements in the past two years. All of us have chosen to retreat. This is Because we know that His Majesty is the emperor of Daqi, and the border troops are the barriers to the border. Supporting them is also supporting ourselves. We are not stupid, and we know our priorities clearly."

"However, Your Majesty is too impatient."

Li Shizhi ended with the first sentence.

Li Daoyan understood his thoughts and realized that the emperor's decision had touched the bottom line of the Jiangnan family. This silent opposition was even more dangerous.

But...what can he do?

This is forced by the general trend and cannot be changed by one person.

What's more, Li Shizhi is the heir he has trained for more than 20 years, and he and the Jinlin Li family are one and the same. Even if Li Shizhi's idea is not what he wants, he can't even kill his relatives for justice, unless he is willing to watch Jinlin. Li's family was destroyed.

Thinking of this, the old man turned to look at his young grandson who was standing beside him obediently, and said slowly: "No matter what, the Jinlin Li family cannot be enemies of Your Majesty. If those people feel that the old man is not worthy of this position, let them choose someone wiser." stop."

Li Shizhi looked at the ground steadily. After a long silence, he stood up and saluted: "I will obey my father's order."

After he left, Li Daoyan waved to Li Gongxu, then raised his old palm like a dead branch and patted the back of his hand gently, and said with a smile: "Jiaoyu'er, did you understand what your uncle said? "

The young man looked at the old man's kind smile, and for some reason he felt sad for a moment, and said in a trembling voice: "Grandpa..."

"It doesn't matter."

Li Daoyan interrupted the young man with a smile, turned to look at a corner of the world outside the hall, and said quietly: "They feel that His Majesty is too anxious, but they have not thought about a problem. After all, His Majesty is the Ninth Five-Year Plan, and it is not their hands. The puppet inside."

"Which worthy king from ancient times to the present can tolerate sleeping next to a sword held by someone else?"

"Your Majesty has suffered in silence for fourteen years."

"Your Majesty...it's really not easy."

(End of this chapter)