Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 4 Lanti Golden Terrace (2)

In the hanging arch hall, there is a strange and rich fragrance. In the copper censer, three dipteroincense, benzoin and jiangzhen release fragrant smoke, circling in the hall.There are mermaid candle lights hanging on the four walls, burning quietly, illuminating the palace without a single shadow.

"Among the ministers, there are many villains. They compete in the rich and powerful, live in the officialdom, play tricks every time to flatter the world, and form cliques to repel dissidents. In short, the emperor should not be misled by these villains. When making decisions about the government, don't be lazy. Leave everything to the ministers, you must have your own ideas, and you can't let the officials see through your ideas."

With doubts on Zhao Qi's face, he said in a deep voice: "Father, since you know they are villains, why don't you repel them."

Zhao You meditated on the golden silk cotton futon. The back of the spacious Taoist robe was a picture of Tai Chi and the Eight Diagrams, and the front was embroidered with dragons, phoenixes and auspicious beasts. He looked at the third prince Zhao Qi with kindness in his eyes, and said slowly: "Because the world is prosperous." It is all for profit. To govern the world, a gentleman is inseparable from a villain. When the water is clear, there will be no fish. With the wisdom of Zhuge Wuhou, he only said when he was a teacher, "Be close to a virtuous minister, and stay away from a villain". The villains repel them all. As a ruler, you should use straight ministers and not be misled by straight ministers, use villains and not be deceived by villains."

Zhao Qi replied respectfully: "I understand."

Seeing the expression on Zhao You's face, which seems to be understanding but not understanding, he sighed and explained: "The so-called straight ministers are divided into true straight ministers and false straight ministers. Flying and domineering, boasting to rule the world with the king, but actually running rampant in the government and the public, seeking selfishness, occasionally frustrated, then harboring resentment, or cynical, or pretending to be crazy, corrupting customs, and it is useless in the world. Zi said, only women and villains are hard to raise Also. Those who are near are not inferior, and those who are far away are resentful." Zhao You smiled mockingly, "From this point of view, these people who are chasing fame can be regarded as villains."

Speaking of this moment, Zhao You couldn't help but think of the party stele and the case of revealing the posts that shocked the world, and felt a little regret in his heart.If he hadn't consciously exhausted his energy, and he was unwilling to let this peaceful and prosperous world be ruined by his descendants, he would not have announced these emperor's intentions.If he hadn't consciously exhausted his energy, and he was unwilling to let this peaceful and prosperous world be ruined by his descendants, he would never announce these emperor's intentions.

"The so-called true and straight ministers, uphold the public heart, only have the king of the country in their eyes, and ignore everyone else. It is inevitable that they will face court disputes and offend Shangyi. Ji'an in Han Dynasty, Wei Zheng in Tang Dynasty, Bao Zheng and Wang Anshi in this dynasty are true straight ministers." He paused and said, "The so-called state has a virtuous monarch, and then there are direct ministers. Such ministers must be preserved. This is also the true meaning of the ancestor's legacy of 'don't kill scholar-bureaucrats and those who write letters'. The emperor only needs to be gentle and careful." Don't be fooled by it."

Zhao Qi asked suspiciously: "Since all the ministers are loyal and should be relied on as the pillars of the country, why should we be careful about being wronged by them?"

Zhao You hummed in a low voice, so frightened that the third prince, Zhao Qi, bent his legs and his back was sweating. He just wanted to admit his mistake and apologize, but his father sighed and said in a deep voice: "The so-called' It's easier said than done. Things in the world are changing. If you are not familiar with the way of flexibility, it is bound to be impossible to implement administrative affairs. Even if there is a way of flexibility in the government, if you can't handle it flexibly, you will be hindered everywhere. Therefore Employers should not stick to one style, they should be upright and loyal, but also round and flexible, so that they can restrain each other, each should do its best, and be ruled by the king's talents."

Looking at his father's uncertain face, Zhao Qi suddenly realized something in his heart: "Is it the same for the father to bestow honor on Xueshi Yang after his death?"

He was not sure, and he was expecting Ai Ai when he spoke, but Zhao You showed a gratified smile on his face, and said in a deep voice: "The emperor is really intelligent by nature, that's exactly what it is."

Zhao Qi's heart was in his stomach, and he heard Zhao You say, "Cai Jingtong, Wang Fu, Li Bangyan and others are growing in power, and they need to be curbed. Although there are many people who are trying to gain fame, they are quite knowledgeable about current affairs. In recent years Come on, although I haven't made any big moves, I've always been beating those lucky people. Right now, they can't get closer to you because of Qingliu's reputation. When you inherit the great power in the future, I will show you a little favor. Naturally, Qingliu's hearts will be subdued. At that time, the emperor will be a magnanimous benevolent monarch, and Qingliu's subjects will gain the reputation of taking care of the overall situation and working hard for the country. The world will be peaceful and prosperous." Zhao You said, as if seeing In the scene of the prosperous future, the corners of the gray eyes glowed a little.

"I understand." He suppressed the turmoil in his heart.What Zhao You may not know is that in recent years, Qingliu's important ministers have seen that the emperor's desire to change his family is irretrievable. Although he has not changed his family, he has already shown his favor to the third prince Zhao Qi. Now the prince Zhao Ke's family is neglected. The deputy of the Privy Council ordered Shao Wu and the two important officials to visit the East Palace from time to time, but even Shao Wu had shown friendly gestures to the third prince several times.

"Okay, okay!" There was a gratified smile on the corner of Zhao You's mouth. Seeing Zhao Qi's hesitation, he asked in a low voice, "What else is there to worry about, the emperor?"

"This," Zhao Qi stammered, and suddenly knelt down and said, "My father forgives my sin, but my son is just thinking that my eldest brother is older than me and lives in the East Palace for a long time, but my father has wrongly loved me. My son has a guilty conscience." !” He mustered up his courage to say it, and his thighs were already trembling slightly.

"Are you ashamed?" Zhao You was stunned, and looked at Zhao Qi carefully, with a gloomy look in his eyes, and then sighed, and said in a low voice: "Get up. I have an answer to Ke Er, and the emperor will not want it." Looking for troubles." When he saw Zhao Qi standing up, a trace of annoyance suddenly surged in his heart, and he said in a deep voice, "This is the way to control the subordinates, the emperor should try to figure it out. After returning, he should read more about Han Gaozu, Emperor Guangwu and others." Biography of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty. Alright, step down."

Only then did Zhao Qi retreat as if he had received an amnesty. Zhao You looked at his trembling back with complicated eyes. "Qi'er is really ashamed? Or..." A wry smile floated on his face, "If it is a king, it would be the latter, maybe it would be better." Desolate, Zhao You stood up and walked slowly towards the harem. Now, only with those young and beautiful concubines can he return to his youth for a short time.

In spring, the field is full of brilliant flowers, and when a spring rain falls, even clumps of tender grass emerge on the barren Gobi Desert.After a long journey, the soldiers of Chengying Eighth Battalion did not have time to linger to appreciate the rare beauty. After passing the uninhabited Gobi Desert in front, they entered the boundary of Xijing Road in Liao Kingdom.The carts for the march were left to the guides of the Military Intelligence Division. Whether it was cavalry or infantry, there were now three horses per person.Later on, the Eighth Battalion of Chengying became a group of more than 700 horse thieves on the grassland. Under the guide, they crossed Xijing Road and Zhongjing Road until they arrived at Huanglong Mansion on Dongdong Road in Liao Kingdom. It is said that there were Han troops there to meet them.

"Since you have become a horse thief, why not burn, kill and loot all the way there?" Wang Tongdeng looked at the wildflowers in the distance, and said with confidence.Zhao Xingde raised his horsewhip and scolded with a smile: "If the trip is delayed, you can stay here and be a horse thief." He stood on his horse and watched from a distance, and it is said that the journey ahead was escorted by a spy from the Military Intelligence Department.Thinking of the word "escort", Zhao Xingde felt it was funny, and the Military Intelligence Division also considered himself too powerful.

"Here we come, we come!" Suddenly the cavalry centurion Jian Cheng appeared on the distant horizon, and he was accompanied by ten cavalrymen.Jian Cheng went to contact the spy from the Military Intelligence Department, and saw a line of white smoke approaching from far away, and it got much closer after a while.The faces of all Chengying sergeants showed joy, but Zhao Xingde's eyes suddenly froze, followed Jian Cheng, and a cavalry army appeared on the horizon again, shadowy in a straight line, moving forward slowly, It seems that there are as many as two or three thousand riders. I don't know if they are friends or enemies.

"Stand on guard!" Zhao Xingde raised his right hand, and a group of cavalry quickly surrounded him. The other centurions also put on their armor and mounted their horses.The temporary cavalry sat on their horses holding bows and arrows, fully on guard against the invading army.Although the sergeants of the Chengying Battalion are not as elite as the Hussars, they are still capable of simple cavalry operations.However, their blood should be shed in Liaodong, and if they encounter the enemy army here, it will be a failure no matter what.Zhao Xingde's heart was full of haze.