Thousand-year-old family: its rise began with Shang Yang’s reforms

Chapter 476: A Prosecution of Thieves
Li Shimin looked like a good gentleman, standing in the main hall looking down at Shan Xiongxin in the audience, with a confused look on his face, but the words he asked were like sharp swords, piercing everyone's heart.

One dynasty for all eternity!
This is orthodoxy.

The one who inherited the Mandate of Heaven and carried on the orthodox rule of the Nine Provinces of China was Yu Wenzhi, and the one to whom Yu Wenzhi abdicated was Li Shimin. In this case, Li Shimin was the true orthodox one. Then, what was the real Li Yuan, the so-called Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, who was far away in the south?
Does he have legitimacy?
You want to seize the legitimacy of the nine provinces of China and the position of emperor with just empty words?
Who gave them the courage?
Where does the courage come from?

Some old ministers whose brains were as rotten as wood also reacted. They could naturally use their "sense of morality" to force the emperor to recognize the status of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and their identities as the sons of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

But then what?
What should these people do?
The dilapidated Tang Dynasty already has its own team. What good will it gain for them to force this person now?
It's not that they didn't know before, but that thin layer of mist covered their minds like a "fog", making them subconsciously ignore it all. But now.
They understand what they should and can do.

Shan Xiongxin had already discussed the play with Li Shimin, and he also knew that there was no way he could go back alive. That old man Li Yuan had sent him here without intending to let him go back alive.

After reaching a "contract" with Li Shimin, he could do much more.

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Shan Xiongxin's lips. The smile disappeared in a flash, and then he continued to act with Li Shimin.

"My master is the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty!"

He looked at Li Shimin proudly: "Who is he? Don't you know better than me? He is your father! The current Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty is your brother!"

"how?"

"Do you, the world-famous Lord Tian Ce, want to commit treason and beat me as a son, so that history will remember you harshly?"

"Do you want to leave a bad name in history books? For example, killing your father and brother?"

Shan Xiongxin’s performance was very vivid, and the tone of his voice and the words he spoke made many of the ministers present grit their teeth - but this was something that had to be considered.

The word "filial piety" carries a very important meaning in the vast land of China.

No one present dared to speak.

Li Shimin was not in a hurry.

At this moment, a sneer sounded in the hall, and then the sound of footsteps accompanied by an old voice echoed. The whole hall seemed ancient and full of vitality against the backdrop of this sound.

"Oh?"

"If the father is not kind, how can the son be filial?"

"I have never heard of a wise man teaching a person to be filial! I have also never heard of a person who, after expelling his own son from the family and severing all ties with his family, still relied on his son's power to bully others!"

"What a clown!"

When this voice sounded, people subconsciously paid attention to what he said and were amazed by what he said.

How dare this person say that?

Aren’t you afraid of offending that person?

When the old figure slowly appeared in the court, everyone was stunned, and then they all breathed a sigh of relief.

If this person
Then he really has the qualifications to say such things. Not to mention saying such things, even if this person slaps that person on the spot, that person will have to endure it!

The person who came was Chen Zhan!

The contemporary King Zhenguo, the head of the Chen family, the teacher of the Duke of Tang, the most powerful noble in the dynasty, the head of the largest family in the world, the most powerful minister in the world, even if he has resigned from office and retired for many years, he is still the most powerful person in the world, no one else!

Even the emperor cannot surpass this one!
This is the real horror!
Beside Chen Zhan, Chen Yu stood there, supporting Chen Zhan with both hands to lend him strength.

The two of them walked slowly towards the hall. The sunlight outside the hall shone into the magnificent hall, making it look even more noble - of course, the most noble were naturally the two people who were walking slowly towards them.

Chen Zhan! Chen Yu!
As Chen Zhan walked to the center of the hall, ministers kept bowing and saluting to show their respect.

Most of the people in one part were Chen's disciples.

These people usually keep a low profile, and they don't form cliques or engage in factional struggles or fight to the death, but in fact they are all Chen's disciples, and they don't do those things only because their status gives them the "confidence" to avoid doing these things.

Like Moses parting the sea, almost all the ministers bowed their heads as Chen Zhan walked forward.

Chen Zhan walked to Shan Xiongxin's side and looked at him: "For so many years, I have been concerned about the friendship between teacher and student and have not expelled him from the sect. Perhaps it is because of this that he feels that I still care about him a little bit."

There was a sarcastic smile on the corner of his mouth.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report."

Chen Zhan ignored Shan Xiongxin and instead looked at Li Shimin on the high platform. His voice was light but firm.

He wanted to launch a fatal attack on "Li Yuan" at this time.

Cut off the relationship between Li Yuan and his "legal principles"!
Why was Li Yuan able to occupy the south now and even openly demand that Li Shimin submit to him?
It’s because Li Yuan considers himself a disciple of Chen!
Chen may not have disciples who are the emperor's, but when the emperor becomes Chen's disciple, the emperor's position will definitely be very stable!
This is a paradox, but it is a paradox that everyone agrees on!

"I, your Majesty, invite all my colleagues to bear witness to this."

"Today, Li Yuan will be expelled from the sect!"

"From now on, Li Yuan is no longer my disciple!"

Chen Zhan stood there and closed his eyes slightly.

His thoughts went back to a long, long time ago, back to that afternoon that he thought was the most ordinary at that time, when the sun fell on the earth, illuminating everything. Li Yuan and he lay on the recliner together, watching everything running in the distance.

That time. That time was so good.

At that time, Yang Jian had just usurped the throne and established the Sui Dynasty; although Li Yuan was a little biased at that time, he was still a gentle gentleman, an excellent father, and a good disciple.

At that time, Li Shimin was only five or six years old. He played all day long and was very lively. There was some dirt on his face from nowhere.

And all of this has disappeared at this moment.

Chen Zhan whispered "reason", or rather, it was not "saying" but "reciting". This was a manifesto to fight against the enemy that had been written long ago, and the target was Li Yuan!
Every word was like a sharp sword, slashing at Li Yuan who was complacent and thought he could win!
You have soldiers as bloody as blood, and I have literary talent as sharp as a sword!

The huge monster Chen once again opened his bloody mouth and wanted to swallow the world into his stomach!
The opponent he faced this time was particularly "interesting" and "weak", so weak that others didn't even understand why Chen would make such a big fuss!

Not just in the hall at this moment.

All over the world, just as Chen Zhan was reciting the "Exhortation to Punish Li Yuan" in this hall, literati and scholars continued to write articles to punish Li Yuan. In just a moment, these articles rushed out like a flood, obliterating everything! Countless people spread the word, and all the people were spreading it.

All of a sudden, the prehistoric monster hidden in this peaceful country roared.

When Chen Zhan finished reading the last word, he stood there, raised his head slightly, and looked at Li Shimin on the stage: "This old minister has finished speaking."

He smiled and turned around to look at the ministers around him, especially those so-called old ministers who had previously shouted and clamored for Li Shimin to observe the so-called "father-son etiquette".

"Who among you disagrees?"

"I have a good temper and can listen to your reasons."

Although he said this, many people at the scene raised their heads and looked at the white-haired old man. Who dared to say anything to him? Who could say anything to him?
But there is never a shortage of people in this world who are not afraid of death.

Some people actually stood up with indignation on their faces. They kept saying that Li Yuan was Li Shimin's father, and that there are only bad parents in the world. Even if Li Yuan had done something wrong in the past, Li Yuan had now bowed his head and admitted his mistake - they believed that Li Yuan had admitted his mistake by rewarding Li Shimin with the title of King of Qin and General of Tiance.

The father has already admitted his mistake and apologized. What else do you want from the son if he doesn’t forgive him promptly?
Chen Zhan closed his eyes and listened slowly to these old men finish their reasons. After everyone slowly shut up, he opened his eyes and asked, "Are you done?"

Those old guys looked at me and I looked at you, but none of them dared to speak.

They sensed a sense of danger.
But they didn't understand where the danger came from. After all, they were old ministers. Li Shimin couldn't kill them, right? Chen Zhan was also a well-known good man. And most importantly, he had no fame at that time. Why would he kill them? What right did he have to kill them?
Chen Zhan waved his hand: "Now that we have finished talking, let's drag him out and kill him."

He said casually: "Follow this strong man and kill him together."

As soon as Chen Zhan's voice fell, many soldiers stepped forward instantly, and then began to drag these old ministers and Shan Xiongxin away. They had long been fed up with what these old guys said.

"Why do you want to kill me?"

One of the old ministers had a ferocious and fearful look on his face. He didn't expect that Chen Zhan would really dare to kill him!

He roared and shouted, "I am the Censor! Throughout history, I have never heard of anyone killing a Censor because of his advice! Will Your Majesty be the first king to do so?"

"And you! Chen Zhan!"

"Don't show off your power here by relying on your status as the head of the Chen family! You don't hold an official position in our dynasty! What identity do you have to kill me?!"

"That's ridiculous!"

"A tyrant king! A treacherous minister!"

Chen Zhan turned around and glanced at Li Shimin: "Your Majesty, will you give me an official position?"

"Your Majesty, are you willing to give it up?"

Li Shimin was standing there at this time, listening to the lecture obediently - Chen Zhan always taught him a lesson when he was a child. After all, he was naughty at that time, so the person he was most afraid of was not his father and elder brother, but his master's master.

Because the master was really cruel.

"Erlang doesn't dare."

He said quickly, "Pass on my decree, confer the title of 'King of the State' on Lord Chen, confer the titles of Grand Master and Grand Tutor, appoint Lord Chen as the Minister of the Central Secretariat and the Minister of the Chancellery, confer the title of Purple Gold Guanglu Dafu, and make him the Great General of the Army of the World."

A series of titles were instantly bestowed upon Chen Zhan. In just a few words, Chen Zhan went from being the "King of the Kingdom" of the previous dynasty to the most powerful man of the present dynasty.

No one has any problem with this.

Chen Zhan turned around and said, "Does this old man have the right to kill you now?"

He yawned and said, "Alright, take him down and kill him. I'm tired and don't have the mood to argue with him."

The soldiers immediately took orders and pulled the cursing old men down from the hall, and then the entire hall returned to its previous silence.

Chen Zhan smiled and said, "Why is it so quiet?"

"What were you talking about before I came here? Go ahead and continue your discussion now, and don't worry about me."

Li Shimin followed suit: "Mr. Chen, I and the other ministers are discussing the establishment of a country and the location of the capital."

He smiled, like a younger generation trying to please his elders.

"My intention is to name the country "Tang". My ancestor was the "Duke of Tang". This name was conferred by His Majesty of Dayu, not by Li Yuan. So I still want to use Tang as the name of the country."

"But these ministers are pedantic and say how can there be two Tangs in the world, so the discussion is still ongoing."

Chen Zhan sat there without opening his eyes. Not long after Chen Zhan arrived, Li Shimin asked the eunuchs to move a chair. How could he dare to let this person stand!
"What is there to discuss?"

"Your Majesty is the orthodox one. If you want to name the country Tang, then Tang is the name of the country."

"Li Yuan is nothing but a big thief. You can call him a traitor, a pseudo-Tang, or a Southern Tang in the future."

"Your ancestor was the Duke of Tang, so it's normal to name the country Tang."

Li Shimin looked at everyone present, with an obvious "questioning" expression in his eyes. All the ministers lowered their heads and did not dare to look at him.

Now that this person has spoken, who dares to say anything?
Just agree honestly.

Since this person doesn't care anyway, why should they worry about it?
Li Shimin continued with a smile: "The rest is the matter of deciding the capital."

"I think it is very appropriate to set the capital in Chang'an. After all, the capital of the Han Dynasty was in Chang'an, and later it was moved to Luoyang."

"Chang'an is also close to the Western Regions and other places. We can find a way to bring that vast piece of Western Regions land into our Kyushu territory."

This is not actually the real reason.

The real reason is that there are too many "powerful and wealthy" people in Luoyang, and they are all old powerful and wealthy.

Li Shimin needed a new capital and some new "forces" to dilute the "concentration" of these old forces.

"Mr. Chen, what do you think?"

(End of this chapter)