Gao Zhenxing's death caused a great response in Chang'an.
A young man who was usually a swaggering, dandy and scoundrel suddenly turned around and turned into an imperial hero who fought to the death against the enemy. The change was really huge and it was very shocking to people.
Even people like Li Chengqian who have never had a good impression of Gao Zhenxing can't help but feel their blood boiling after hearing about his deeds, and they can't help but feel admiration and reverence in their hearts while sighing with regret.
He can spray his blood on the battlefield of national war, and no matter how low his conduct is, his personality can be elevated to a position of admiration by all in an instant.
One thought is life, the other thought is death. How easy is it to choose between life and death?
Fang Jun also felt a little emotional and sighed softly: "It is because of countless bloody men like Gao Zhenxing, who are not afraid of life and death, brave and unparalleled, that we can live and work in peace and contentment and enjoy peace. However, they all say that today is a prosperous age, the country is peaceful and the people are safe, but in the world How can there be peace in the years? It’s just that someone is carrying the burden for the world.”
Li Chengqian sighed in admiration: "That's a good saying! Come, let's toast to those heroes who fought bloody battles on the frontier and were wrapped in horse leather!"
He personally held the pot and filled the wine glass in front of him. The two of them clinked their glasses and drank it down in one gulp.
Putting down his wine glass, Li Chengqian took a bite of food and said while eating: "Tomorrow morning, Gu will go to Gaofu to express his condolences. Duke Shen is getting older. He must be extremely sad to lose his beloved son. Gu is really worried about his health. .”
Fang Jun said: "When I went to Gaofu, I happened to see Duke Zhao leaving..."
Li Chengqian's hand holding the chopsticks paused slightly, and then asked: "How was your talk with Duke Shen?"
Fang Jun said easily: "Shen Guogong is a minister of the country and a pillar of the world. He naturally understands righteousness and is loyal to the country."
"So good!"
Li Chengqian finally let go of his hanging heart. When he saw Fang Jun pouring wine, he picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. He sighed and said: "I am here today only because of Erlang's contribution. If Erlang hadn't helped me, I'm afraid the prince would have lost his mind." The position has changed hands a long time ago, and Gu's wealth and life may be at risk... I won't say much, from now on, I will never let each other down, Gu and Erlang will share wealth and honor!"
Fang Jun quickly stood up and left the table, bowed to the ground and said: "Being loyal to the king is the duty of a minister, why should you take credit for it? Your Highness is kind and kind, and all the officials in the court will flock to you, and all the people in the world will be united, and you will surely create a brilliant future." In the prosperous age, I have inherited the merits and virtues of my ancestors, and inspired the heroic deeds of hundreds of generations. It is already an unparalleled achievement for me to be able to follow you!"
What he said made Li Chengqian blush. He quickly waved his hand and asked Fang Jun to stand up and sit down at the table. He said helplessly: "Why should Erlang be like this? I only have self-knowledge and limited talent. How can I dare to compare with my father? I just hope that I can work hard and be a steadfast king." , Don’t lose the reputation of your father, and take good care of the beautiful rivers and mountains that your father has single-handedly built, so that the people of the world can live and work in peace and contentment, it is enough! Don’t say these words again in the future, it’s just embarrassing and embarrassing, if outsiders hear it If you go, won’t you laugh your head off?”
As a prince, he is surrounded by too many snobs. He seems to have heard countless flattering words like this all day long. He has long been able to remain calm and unmoved. But when these words came out of Fang Jun's mouth, he couldn't even deal with them calmly.
He knows how many points he has, and Fang Jun also knows it.
Without Fang Jun's strong protection, he, the crown prince, would have been deposed long ago. How could he still be sitting firmly in the East Palace to this day, imagining that he would rule the world and dominate the mountains and rivers in the future?
Fang Jun followed Shan Ruliu, got up and sat down at the table, sitting opposite Li Chengqian, pouring wine, talking and laughing, looking as usual.
He is not a flatterer, but how can he be as clear as water in the officialdom? If you say something nice, everyone will be happy, so why not say anything good like Wei Zheng, always focusing on the king's mistakes and not letting go, making everyone embarrassed?
The so-called worldly wisdom is mostly like this.
Even the relationship between father and son, brother and son, still needs to be managed and maintained. If you are not careful, you will turn against each other, let alone between a monarch and his ministers?
Being happy with others is the way to live in the world.
Otherwise, no matter how high your merits are, they will not be able to withstand the accumulated disgust and alienation over time...
The two of them sat across from each other, having a drink and chatting in low voices.
Li Chengqian pushed a piece of steamed carp in front of Fang Jun and asked: "My father is very determined to suppress Guan Long, but in your opinion, how far will this suppression go?"
For him, although the throne is stable now, it is not without danger at all. The person who can most threaten his position as crown prince is the Guanlong noble.
Nowadays, many forces in North Korea and China are intertwined, with Guanlong, Jiangnan, and Shandong being the most powerful.
The Fang family was born in the Fang family in Qizhou and was related by marriage to the Lu family in Fan Yang. In addition, Li Ji, the current crown prince and Taibao, is a flag of the Shandong family. It can be said that Li Chengqian now has a strong appeal among the Shandong family. The Jiangnan gentry have always been mavericks, and they seem to be self-sufficient, but in fact they have never had a say in the government. Even though the leader of the Jiangnan gentry, Xiao Yu, was the leader of the clean civil servants in the court, he still did not change this political pattern.
Nowadays, due to the rise of sea trade, the status of the Jiangnan nobles has rapidly risen, but their roots are behind the Royal Navy.
Leaving the land and setting foot on the sea, it is the territory controlled by the Royal Navy. It can allow any fleet to smoothly connect to the Eastern countries, but it can also cut off any sea trade route at will.
Although the Royal Navy has a "royal" name, it has always been called Fang Jun's "private soldier". Fang Jun has unparalleled control.
It can be said that two of the three major forces in the DPRK and China have already taken up positions behind Li Chengqian, or may become his supporters at any time.
Except for the Guanlong nobles.
This is to blame when His Majesty Li Er established the prince. In order to prevent the Guanlong nobles from hijacking and bewitching the prince, very few of the Winter Palace officials appointed were from Guanlong nobles, so the interests of the Guanlong nobles had little to do with the prince. In order to maintain absolute control over the government after the new king succeeded to the throne, the Guanlong nobles had to seek to depose the prince and establish a new crown prince.
Only when the crown prince they fully support comes to power can they maintain or even seize greater benefits in the future.
Therefore, from the day Li Chengqian was established as the prince, his interests were in conflict with those of the Guanlong nobles.
Either Li Chengqian came to power successfully and suppressed the Guanlong nobles, causing them to lose their past glory; or the Guanlong nobles succeeded in their conspiracy and established another prince to depose Li Chengqian and continue to maintain control of the Tang Dynasty.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the situation is like fire or water.
It is no secret that His Majesty Li Er wants to suppress the world's elites, and the first to bear the brunt is the powerful and deep-rooted Guanlong nobles. However, no one knows to what extent this suppression will go.
If you beat them hard, there is no guarantee that the Guanlong nobles will not jump over the wall and fight back desperately. These people have never been "obedient" in their hearts. The rise and fall of the country and the change of dynasties are not once or twice. They only have interests in their eyes and no loyalty.
Even if the beating was not severe and the muscles and bones were not injured, it would inevitably still have the power to stir up trouble, which would always endanger Li Chengqian's position as heir apparent.
Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, due to the fact that the government was controlled by the Guanlong nobles, the Jiangnan gentry and the Shandong aristocratic families have been extremely suppressed for many years. The power in the DPRK and China is better than nothing and cannot be compared at all.
With a sharp sword hanging above his head at all times, how can Li Chengqian eat and sleep?
What's more, he has to consider whether His Majesty Li Er has room for suppressing the Guanlong nobles, and whether he has the intention of letting the Guanlong nobles continue to scheme against him as the prince... For Li Chengqian, this is what makes him the most Fearful and uneasy.
Fang Jun picked a mouthful of tender fish with chopsticks and put it into his mouth. He chewed it slowly, feeling the smooth taste of the fish. After a long while, he said: "Your Majesty is far-sighted. How can a humble minister understand his thoughts? It's just a thousand things." Of all things, the Eastern Expedition is the biggest. Before the Eastern Expedition fails to triumph, I am afraid that all of His Majesty's methods will be restrained, so we must ensure the stability of the court."
His Majesty Li Er was very happy with his achievements and suppressed the powerful clans in order to consolidate the imperial power. However, conquering Goguryeo and incorporating that land that had never been truly conquered by previous dynasties into the territory of the Tang Dynasty were the most important achievements that could ensure his achievement of the grand hegemony of one emperor through the ages.
If anything happens to the Eastern Expedition, you have to step aside.
Anyone who dares to influence or even sabotage the Eastern Expedition is His Majesty Li Er's mortal enemy!
Under such circumstances, how could His Majesty Li Er go all out to suppress the Guanlong nobles? The reason why General Fang Jun was allowed to take away the power of legal trial from Weiwei Temple was probably because His Majesty Li Er sensed some instability within the Guanlong nobles and pushed him to see the effect.
If we can take advantage of the situation, accelerate the internal conflicts of the Guanlong nobles, push them from unity to division, and achieve the goal of weakening and dividing the Guanlong nobles without bloodshed, that would be the most ideal situation...
