Cen Wenwen smiled and said: "You, you are smart all your life, but you were confused at the critical moment... The prince is kind and does not deceive the world and steal his reputation. This is actually his nature. It is just for you to stand up and call on the Three Laws Division to interrogate the matter of 'poisoning the late emperor'." This move can also clear the prince's innocence. How can the prince do anything bad to you? Even if others have evil intentions, the prince will stop him."
Liu Ji thought about it and thought it made sense.
The benevolence of the prince is not just for a moment, but year after year, day after day. The late emperor angrily criticized him for his cowardice and the kindness of a woman, but for his ministers, such an emperor could not be better. Even if he makes mistakes, he will be forgiven. . Most heroes with great talents and strategies do not rub sand in their eyes, and kill people without blinking an eye. Their ministers are frightened every day, fearing that they will make a mistake, and they will suffer disaster at every turn...
"What if I show my kindness to the prince?"
"How can the prince not be angry when rumors are rampant? And if the rumors are allowed to spread, it will inevitably affect the prince's reputation. However, the prince is kind-hearted and cannot bear to deal harshly with those who have been bewitched. Who can stand up and protect the prince at this time? , to deal with those people who spread rumors and have wandering thoughts, the prince may blame them too harshly, but in his heart, how can he not take a high look at them? "
"Brother Jing Ren, these words are very kind!"
Liu was excited on the face, but despised in his heart. Do you think I am a fool?
No matter how tolerant and kind the prince is, how can he have no grudge against those who prevent him from ascending the throne? Although he will not retaliate directly, once he ascends the throne in the future, it is almost inevitable that he will be thrown into disuse.
The same goes for King Jin...
However, it is not enough to just sit on the mountain and watch the fight between tigers. In the end, you will only be rejected by both families. No matter who wins in the end, you will not be left behind.
He humbly asked for advice: "Among brothers Yijing, who can achieve great things, the prince or the king of Jin?"
How could Cen Wenwen be fooled by him? He said calmly: "I am seriously ill, and I am afraid that I will not die soon. Most of my nephews and sons in my family have grown up and have their own futures. Therefore, I have no longer cared about the affairs of the court and just let it go. No matter who is the emperor, it is said that After all, they are all the sons and heirs of the late emperor, so as a minister, you just have to do your best to serve him."
Liu Jie's teeth were itching with hatred. You said it was brilliant, so why did you encourage me to choose one of them?
However, he was not willing to let his official career end. He had a different position from Cen Wenwen, who had already prepared to become an official. He could naturally ignore the change of imperial power while enjoying Linquan. No matter who became the emperor, he had to take into account his past achievements and provide more pensions to Cen Wenwen. However, he was in In court, it is inevitable that one cannot help oneself.
After considering it carefully and thinking it over thoroughly, he drank the tea in the cup in one gulp, wiped his lips, and stood up and said: "As Brother Jing Ren said, we, as ministers, should be loyal to our duties and loyal to the death, even if Even if you are attacked by swords and axes and your life is at risk, you cannot lose this loyal heart that can be used to judge the sun and the moon! Those people with ulterior motives are trying to overthrow the empire Zhengshuo, and I will never agree!"
Cen Wenwen looked at the upright Liu Ji with a faint look, nodded and said with a smile: "That's how it should be! My good brother is loyal and enthusiastic, and he is really a model for our courtiers. If the eunuchs in the world can follow his example, why? Are you worried that the prosperous age will not last for thousands of years? Although I will become an official in the future and will not care about the affairs of the court, my nephew will not be able to bear it, so I ask my virtuous brother to teach me more."
Liu Jie was overjoyed. This was because the other party recognized him and was willing to use his political resources to fully support him in exchange for his support for the career of the Cen family's nephews...
Among the nephews of the Cen family, the most promising one should be Cen Changqian, a student from the academy. Not only is this son smart and agile, but he also has a strong temperament and decisiveness in killing. He is a talent that can be built. Even Fang Jun, who is known for cultivating young officials, looks at him with special eyes. , destined to have a bright future.
Young people like this can't be found by themselves. Now that they are connected together, isn't it just what they want?
He raised his hand to salute Cen Wenwen, then stood up and strode out.
What he has to do now is to find an unlucky guy who is making irresponsible remarks about King Jin's message, and use him as a way to get ahead in front of His Highness the Crown Prince.
…
The "big burial" is an extremely grand ceremony, because the prince has to read out the memorial in public and accept the worship of hundreds of officials. From then on, he determines his status as king and ministers. He will ascend the throne after the coffin of the late emperor is delivered to the mausoleum, so it is almost equivalent to a "little enthronement." , the meaning is extremely important.
Not only were almost all members of the Ministry of Rites and Zongzheng Temple mobilized, but many officials from the court also stayed in the palace the night before to prepare for many matters.
As the emperor's bedroom, Wude Hall naturally has many rooms. The servants and palace attendants tidied up each room for officials to rest and sleep. But right now, the Youhou Wei has entered Chang'an City and is having a fierce battle with the Sixth Leader of the East Palace outside the Taiji Palace. Where can these officials sleep? They all inquired about the changes in the situation in the side hall, exchanged some opinions with each other, and whispered, without feeling sleepy at all.
Liu Ji, wearing an official uniform, strode out and his eyes passed over the dozens of officials gathered together. He was looking for someone suitable to "accuse the guilty" with his eyes, so that he could express his goodwill to His Highness the Crown Prince. He is loyal to the prince's position.
The officials who were whispering with their heads in their hands noticed that the people around them gradually became quiet. When they looked up, they saw Liu Jie's eyes burning with murderous intent. They were shocked and quickly closed their mouths and stood up to salute.
In the Taiji Palace, the prince is in the sleeping hall not far away. It is really inappropriate to discuss the "edict" and the content of the message in the hands of King Jin here. If the prince hears it, there is no way to explain it...
Liu Jie had a straight face and was not angry. He had been in charge of Yushitai for many years and was already imbued with a harsh and mean demeanor. He looked like a tiger and leopard that chooses people to eat, and his eyes were fierce, scaring the hearts of all the officials. Playing the drum, I wonder what this person wants.
Looking around the crowd, Liu Ji raised his finger and pointed at one of them, saying coldly: "Li Yifu, come out and speak!"
Li Yifu, who was among the crowd, felt a little thump in his heart, but he did not dare to be negligent. He quickly stepped out of the crowd and bowed and saluted: "Your Majesty, Li Yifu, what are your orders from the waiter?"
The name of a person and the shadow of a tree. When Liu Jie was in charge of Yushitai, he was a being who dared to confront fierce people such as Fang Junna. Countless fifth-grade and first-level officials fell in his hands. Although Liu Jie has been promoted to The servant is in charge of the province, but the remaining prestige still scares Li Yifu.
Liu Ji took two steps forward, stood with his hands behind his back, looked at Li Yifu, and asked slowly: "I just heard you whispering about the late emperor's edict and the King of Jin's message. Is this relevant?"
This Li Yifu is a member of King Jin's team. It must be that King Jin did not take him with him when he escaped this time, so he stayed here, and Fang Jun has always disliked this person, so it is just right for him to operate...
Li Yifu secretly said, "It's over." He quickly said, "The servant has a clear warning, and my subordinates have never discussed this matter."
Liu Ji's face was stern: "Are you saying that I have ringing in the ears and eyesight, causing trouble over nothing, and framed you?"
Li Yifu bowed, wishing he could lower his head and dig into the floor tiles: "I don't dare, but I really didn't talk about this matter."
Liu Ji's face was expressionless: "Since I didn't hear it wrong and you didn't say it, does it mean that others are talking about it? Come on, tell me who said it. As long as the report is true, I will I don’t blame you.”
Li Yifu was sweating on his head, hesitating and speechless.
"Reporting colleagues" is something he does not feel any burden at all, and he has even done it frequently in the past. But if he reports someone in public, will he continue to work in the officialdom in the future? Moreover, almost everyone was talking about this matter just now. If you report one of them, you will probably find them all eventually, and you will not be able to escape in the end...
I could only feel a sudden change in my heart, and I bowed my head and confessed: "It's my fault. It was indeed my fault that I was talking about this matter just now. I shouldn't be making excuses. Please forgive me, sir."
All the officials around him let out a long sigh. They all knew that Li Yifu was selfish, cunning and treacherous, and had a bad character. Just now, I was really afraid that this man would bite everyone out in order to shirk responsibility. Now Li Yifu has taken the responsibility himself and has not clung to him. Others can't help but feel grateful...
"presumptuous!"
Liu Ji's voice was fierce, his finger almost pointed at Li Yifu's head, and he yelled: "Excuse me? You committed a serious crime of colluding with the rebels and disregarding righteousness. Who can forgive you? Who dares to forgive you! I, the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty His Highness is the crown prince of the country, with a dragon-like and phoenix-like character, and a heart that is bound to the heavens, and he has ascended to the throne of the emperor from now on. If you disrespect the prince, the heaven and the earth, it would be a pity to die!"
There was silence in the side hall, only Liu Jie's shouts echoed around the beams, and the rest were trembling and did not dare to speak out.
Li Yifu felt his head buzzing and realized that something was wrong. He knelt down on the ground without caring about his face and said in panic: "The servant has wrongfully accused this official. How dare I disrespect the prince..."
But how could Liu Jie let him speak?
He stopped him with a loud shout, and said loudly: "When the late emperor was here, he would always praise the prince in front of our ministers, saying that the prince 'lives in a prosperous place with close relatives, he is wise and wise, has a benevolent and filial nature, and is kind and harmonious', which made him even more happy. For the prince, he is "loving etiquette without being tired, and is eager to learn without slacking off", and even "should inherit the throne in vain, lead the country and care about the heart, consult civil and military affairs, and be praised by salt". Forever for a hundred generations, to be loyal to all nations'! Now that the late emperor is buried, he will inherit the throne as the crown prince and stabilize the world! As a minister of the Tang Dynasty, you don't know how to stabilize the country. Instead, you have evil intentions and advocate the Jin King's proclamation here, confusing right and wrong, and referring to deer as horses. , His crime deserves to be punished! Come here, tie this animal up, and wait until I escort it to the Crown Prince, and ask the Crown Prince to punish him!"
"Here!"
The guards from outside the gate rushed in and pushed Li Yifu to the ground like wolves and tigers. They first took off his crown, then took off his sweat towel and tied his hands behind his back.
Li Yifu was so distraught that he struggled and shouted: "I know my mistake, but I have no disrespect for the prince. Please forgive me, my servant!"
Just now, almost everyone in the palace was talking about King Jin's statement, so why did he have to be captured? It was obvious that he was causing trouble! Besides, the King of Jin's message has already been circulated in the palace, and everyone is discussing it, so what's the big deal?
He had to take him down and take him to the Crown Prince, because he was using Li Yi's head as a bargaining chip to claim credit... All he had to do was say "I'll lend you my head"!
What an injustice...
