The sky was getting dark and the rain had subsided a little. Li Ji and Li Xiaogong walked from the main hall to Zhaode Hall not far away. While walking through a bamboo forest, Li Xiaogong suddenly said: "Why is Maogong like this? Sometimes it is not necessary to not get involved. You will stand on the outside, and you will probably not get any good no matter what the outcome is."
If you want to stay out of the situation and not offend, the result is often the opposite, and you become a stranger on both sides.
The raindrops rustled on the bamboo leaves, and the palace not far away was brightly lit. At dawn, the "small burial" was about to be carried out. Officials from the Ministry of Rites and Zongzheng Temple had already ordered the palace servants to start making arrangements. The noise of life could be heard from far away. You can't hear it clearly, and you can't see it clearly.
Li Ji walked a few steps in silence, and seemed to be thinking carefully before saying: "Your Majesty, we only need to ensure that the new emperor is of your Majesty's blood, and we have fulfilled our duties. As for whether he is the prince or the king of Jin...it is all your majesty's flesh and blood, let's Let them fight it themselves.”
Li Xiaogong shook his head and walked heavily.
This time Li Ji did not use the rhetoric of "neutrality to ensure the stability of the world" to excuse himself. It can be seen that Fang Jun's words today must have stimulated Li Ji's pain.
Although the words are ugly, the truth is absolutely correct. As the head of the Prime Minister, you should shoulder your responsibilities at this time. You should determine the candidate for the new emperor as soon as possible to ensure the smooth succession of the throne. How can you stay away and wait for a price? Even if expressing your position at this moment is far less than the benefit that one of the parties can gain from helping each other when the situation is desperate, how can you not be responsible for the damage caused to the foundation of the empire by the outbreak of the war for the reserve?
Sure enough, this has laid many hidden dangers for the political situation of the empire, and even led to the collapse of the empire in the future. How will the history books evaluate you as the prime minister?
Or do you really not care about the prosperity and survival of the empire, you only care about the interests of your family, and you are even willing to single-handedly push the empire into the abyss?
But there are some things that don't need to be mentioned again and again. When they reach their position, they must be strong-willed and iron-hearted, and they will not change their opinions and positions easily.
The reason why I ask is just to do my last bit...
The two of them walked side by side, and when they entered the Zhaode Hall, Li Ji suddenly asked: "The prince has a lot of criticisms about what Wei Chen has done, and Wei Chen also wants to ask whose side the prince is on?"
Li Xiaogong stood still, looked up at the still dark night sky with raindrops, and said slowly: "The fact that Your Majesty has a legacy is theoretically possible. It is not surprising that His Majesty is wise and powerful, and left a legacy in advance, so I will not Those who have not expressed their support in time are just waiting for this edict to appear. Perhaps it is a certain clan member, or a certain chamberlain, who has been entrusted by His Majesty to make the edict public at a certain time... But I will not wait forever. I will be buried in the future. At that time, the new emperor will read out the memorial in public and then ascend the throne. If there is still no posthumous edict at that time, the crown prince should inherit the throne. Anyone who dares to object will be a traitor and traitor."
This was the first time that he expressed his attitude and position. He didn't care whether the prince or the king of Jin came to the throne. He only cared about following His Majesty's last wish.
It is possible that His Majesty left a will and entrusted the holder of it to make it public at a certain moment. There is no profession in the past that is more insecure than the emperor, especially His Majesty Li Er, who was initially firm about Yi Chu and later wavered. It was finally confirmed that he most likely had some concerns that outsiders could not understand... In short, it was difficult to figure out the emperor's mind.
But he cannot wait indefinitely. If no edict appears at the time of burial, then the prince will have his rightful name and destiny, and no one can stop the prince from ascending the throne.
Li Ji nodded slightly and said calmly: "I hope so."
Lift your feet and walk into Zhaode Hall first.
…
The sky is getting brighter, and the rain will continue to pour. There are still stars dripping, and the sky is dark. There are white flags standing in the Tai Chi Palace, and there are gloomy clouds. The servants, palace maids, and concubines walking among the palaces have sad faces. .
In front of Wude Hall, princes, princesses, concubines, family members, and married women gathered together. The sound of bells and music was melodious. Everyone wore linen and mourning, with tears in their eyes, trying to suppress their sadness.
A melodious bell rang, and the chamberlain Wang De, who was standing on the steps in front of the palace, shouted: "Princes enter the palace and change the burial clothes for Emperor Daxing!"
According to Zhou rites, on the day of the burial, the chamberlain changed nineteen sets of burial clothes for Emperor Daxing. These burial clothes were the crown clothes of Emperor Daxing in another world. They were very important. All the princes had to kneel on one side. Requiem.
Led by the prince, the princes of Wei, Jin, Qi, Shu and other princes filed in and knelt on both sides of the royal bed placed in the middle of the hall. Nineteen chamberlains walked out of the back hall holding the burial clothes in their hands. Wang Shoushi He and several other old chamberlains who had served His Majesty Li Er for many years came forward and changed their burial clothes one by one.
This is the last time I can see Emperor Daxing in person. After today, Emperor Daxing will be put into a coffin, and from now on he will never be able to see his children, family members, and subjects in the world again. Life comes to an end. From then on, the yin and yang are separated, and a new emperor will ascend the throne to rule the country...
Therefore, not long after the princes entered the palace, the princesses, concubines, and royal family members who were waiting outside heard their wailing, and there was a burst of crying outside the palace. The princesses and concubines at the front were even more crying and heartbroken. , the drizzle soaked the filial piety clothes on their bodies and stained the muddy water on the ground. The noble ladies who used to be golden and spotless described themselves as embarrassed and uncontrollably sad.
Immediately, the cries infected the surrounding chamberlains, maids, and officials. The entire Tai Chi Palace burst into tears, and the whole world was filled with sorrow.
To Prince Yin Li Jiancheng, King of Qi Li Yuanji and their heirs and daughters, His Majesty Li Er was like a devil, cruel, ruthless and ruthless. However, to His Majesty Li Er's concubines, children and even the clan kings and court ministers, he was like a devil. He is a wise and honest elder.
Not only can he humbly accept advice and be diligent in government affairs, but he can also be generous and benevolent. Even if his officials and relatives make mistakes, they can still forgive him. Even Wei Zheng, a critic who offends and remonstrates without leaving any face to the emperor, will still be tolerated and rewarded. Continuously.
As the saying goes, the weather of a wise king is nothing more than this.
Now that His Majesty Li Er has passed away at such a young age, how can we not be filled with grief that is uncontrollable and as if the sky is falling?
What's more, in addition to going out to remember His Majesty Li Er, the ensuing battle for the throne is bound to be in full swing, and it is unknown how many people will be swept in and suffer disaster. After all, as a royal family, no one wants to get into the chaos of fighting for the throne unless they have the opportunity to sit on the throne...
…
Although the Tang Dynasty was not long established, it only inherited two generations of emperors and a small number of princes. Although Emperor Gaozu broadcast seeds and dozens of women, it still cannot be called a royal image. However, the Li family in Longxi has spread for hundreds of years and has deep roots and branches. Therefore, there are countless close bloodlines, resulting in a huge number of royal family members.
Everyone cried one after another, and it was not until Youshi that the coffin process was completed.
Not only Li Chengqian, but also Li Tai, Li Zhi, Li Zhen, Li Min and others were exhausted, and all the bones in their bodies were about to fall apart...
After dinner, one should take a rest to recuperate one's mental and physical strength, but as the night went on, the atmosphere became more dense and oppressive. Even the air seemed to be filled with water vapor and became heavy, making it difficult to breathe. Everyone in the Tai Chi Palace was walking around in a hurry and keeping their mouths shut. Even if they met someone familiar, they would only make eye contact and pass by.
Everyone knows that at dawn the funeral ceremony will be held by the new emperor in public. Although he has ascended the throne unofficially, his title has been determined and will not be changed.
If there are still changes in the succession of the throne, it will happen tonight...
*****
Everyone knows that if the King of Jin wants to usurp and change his destiny, he will take action tonight. "Baiqisi" has already placed every part of the Taiji Palace under surveillance under Li Chengqian's instructions, " After the "little coffin", all the princes, princesses, and concubines returned to their respective palaces. They were not allowed to go out unless necessary. The palace, gardens, pavilions, and corridors were all equipped with a sentry post every five steps and a post every ten steps. The entire Tai Chi Palace was blocked by water.
In addition, Cheng Yaojin was ordered to strictly guard the four gates and not slack off at all. If there is chaos in the city, he will be severely punished!
Even so, Li Chengqian still felt that it was not safe...
"The young slave is obsessed with the throne and will never give up easily. What's more, the nobles in Shandong and Jiangnan have already placed bets on him. How can we allow him to ascend the throne smoothly? They will definitely cause trouble and will never surrender honestly. "
Li Chengqian was very worried and could not help but worry about gains and losses.
After dinner, it was a rare moment of leisure. Li Chengqian finally recovered some energy from the whole day's torture, and immediately called Fang Jun, Ma Zhou, and Li Junxian to discuss countermeasures.
Li Junxian said: "The minister has ordered the elite of the department to closely guard the residence of King Jin. Not even a fly will be let in. There is absolutely no chance of anything going wrong."
This is already the safest way. After all, Prince Jin is the prince. Surveillance is fine, but he cannot be put under house arrest, right? At this time of crisis, once you do this, it will inevitably give Jin Wang and his line an excuse. You can "imprison brothers" and "suppress siblings", but you must not show it in front of others.
Otherwise, public opinion will be stirred up by the Jin Wang family, which will be extremely detrimental to Li Chengqian.
Now it is not only necessary to successfully ascend the throne, but also to stabilize public opinion in the world, otherwise the rumors of King Jin's persecution will gain countless sympathizers. After all, His Majesty loved this prince the most during his lifetime, and had deliberately awarded the throne to Li Zhi...
The human heart is the most unpredictable.
Li Chengqian nodded slightly, that was all he could do.
Fang Jun frowned in thought, then stood up immediately and said, "I'm going to have a chat with King Jin. If His Highness King Jin doesn't mind, we should have a long chat."
This palace has been like a big sieve since the Guanlong Mutiny. No secrets can be kept. The slightest disturbance will be known to the whole city after a while. Who knows how many informants and spies of various powerful families are hidden? In particular, Wang Shoushi has been responsible for training the dead soldiers for His Majesty Li Er. Although they were all killed by the "Hundred Knights" and lost all before, who knows if there is still an ambush in the palace?
