On that day, Li Shimin ordered a large number of stocks to be printed and gave Li Min a week to print them.
And that same afternoon.
Li Shimin and Queen Changsun said, "Queen, I haven't been to Cuiwei Hall for a long time. Why don't you go with me tomorrow?"
Cuiwei Palace is one of the royal palaces. It is located south of the ancient capital Xi'an, at the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains, southeast of Qinghua Mountain, and south of the Luanzhen Street Office of Chang'an District, Xi'an today. It is 19 kilometers away from the center of Chang'an and located at the foot of Cuiwei Mountain, with an altitude of 1568 meters.
It is a palace with excellent scenery.
Li Shimin would go there to live for a period of time every year.
Therefore, when Li Shimin mentioned it, Queen Changsun immediately said: "Yes, Your Majesty, I will be together tomorrow."
"Okay, I will also ask a few ministers to go there and stay there for two days tomorrow!"
Everything is as His Majesty intended.
Queen Changsun said.
Until the morning of the next day, Li Shimin got up early. There was no morning meeting today, but he was already sitting in the car in advance, ready to set off.
Queen Changsun was also in the car at this time.
The car set off soon.
The destination is forty miles away and takes half an hour to get there.
Along the way, looking at the scenery on both sides, it was already autumn.
Li Shimin was very emotional.
He looked at the scenery outside the car window and said nothing for a long time. There were about ten cars following him.
When the car arrived at Cuiwei Palace, Li Shimin got out of the car and looked at the scenery outside Cuiwei Palace.
I can't help but sigh.
"When I see this scene, I want to recite a poem."
Officials encouraged.
Li Shimin said:
"Autumn Cuiwei Palace"
In autumn, the green mountains are green, and the cool breeze blows in the palace.
The lotus is sparse and the cover is missing, the tree is cold and half empty.
The side array moves the shadow, and the round flowers nail the chrysanthemum bush.
I look away from the worldly dust and look high into the white clouds. "
The ministers around him were amazed and said that the poems written by Li Shimin were good poems.
The literal translation of this poem is, The autumn sunshine shines on the green mountains, giving people a sense of tranquility and warmth. The cool autumn breeze blew through the solemn palace, making the atmosphere more solemn and solemn. The lotus leaves are sparse and incomplete, looking a bit messy, while the trees are coldly hidden among them, as if telling a half-empty existence.
The gusts of wind on the side move the silhouette of the swan, beautiful and elegant, while the round flowers nail the lush chrysanthemum bushes, outlining a beautiful picture. With otherworldly feelings in mind, look up at the sky filled with white clouds, let your thoughts wander freely, and feel the tranquility and magnificence of nature.
Li Shimin was not in a good mood at this time.
Otherwise, I would not have written such a poem.
But no matter what, the ministers still praised this song.
Li Shimin's talent in poetry is also extremely high.
Then Li Shimin walked into the palace.
He looked at the scenery around him and seemed to remember something again.
The minister stood behind him.
At this time, Li Shimin said: "Since ancient times, although emperors have achieved great success in pacifying the Central Plains, they have often been unable to completely subdue the northern tribes. Compared with the ancient emperors, my talents are far inferior to them, but I can achieve More significant results. For this problem, I did not clearly explain the reasons, and now I ask you to share your opinions candidly."
Li Shimin is giving everyone a difficult problem.
If he could do this, half of it was because of Li Min.
But you can’t say that.
Everyone should still follow his words.
Then, all the ministers began to say in unison: "Your Majesty's merits are equal to those of heaven and earth, and it is difficult to explain them in one word."
Everyone attributes all this to something that cannot be explained in words. Obviously, this statement cannot be recognized by Li Shimin.
But how could anyone know what he was thinking.
So Li Shimin made it clear.
He said: "You don't understand me, and that's not what you said. I can do this only because of five reasons!"
The ministers and others all asked, what are the five reasons?
Li Shimin looked at the sky, then at Empress Changsun, and then said: "First, since ancient times, emperors have often been jealous of those whose abilities exceed themselves, but I can appreciate and see the strengths of others, just like myself. !”
On this point, Li Shimin did really well.
He can take advantage of the strengths of good ministers instead of being jealous of them.
No one spoke.
Li Shimin added: "Secondly, it is impossible for a person to be omniscient and omnipotent. The same is true for me, so I often use my strengths and avoid weaknesses to make up for my own shortcomings! I use this to improve myself!"
The second point is also true.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Thirdly, the kings of the past introduced talented people just for their own selfish interests and rejected the incompetent with a grudge. But I respect the talented people and show mercy to the incompetent, allowing everyone to follow their own needs. Only then can we get the position we deserve!”
Li Shimin went on to say: "Fourth, other kings often hate upright people and tend to punish them openly and secretly. But since I came to the throne, upright ministers are everywhere in the court, and I have never demoted or reprimanded anyone! "
"Also, traditionally, the emperors respected the Central Plains, but despised the Yi and Di tribes. However, I have always protected and cared for them, so their tribes relied on me like their parents. These five points are what I have achieved The reason for today’s merit.”
Li Shimin didn't say anything when he saw everyone.
Obviously, he was still a little dissatisfied with everyone's performance.
So, he looked at Chu Suiliang beside him.
Chu Suiliang was born in the Chu family of Henan Province. He was erudite and proficient in literature and history. During the late Sui Dynasty, he followed Xue Ju, the overlord of the Western Qin Dynasty, and served as general secretary. After returning to the Tang Dynasty, he was highly regarded by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. He successively served as an admonishment official, Huangmen Shilang, and later moved to Zhongshu Ling to take charge of the political power.
He is one of the few talented people around Li Shimin.
"Chu Suiliang, you once served as a historian. Do what I said are consistent with historical facts?"
Li Shimin asked this maybe because he didn't know whether what he did was right or wrong.
So I asked Chu Suiliang.
Chu Suiliang thought for a while and then replied: "Your Majesty's virtues are unparalleled. Just basing your conclusion on these five points shows that your Majesty is too modest."
This means that Li Shimin did more than just these five things, and there was more.
Li Shimin is still too modest.
But if we really care about it, then half of Li Shimin's achievement is due to Li Min.
It was Li Min who made Datang develop faster.
Only after the Tang Dynasty developed, the surrounding countries would be afraid.
Therefore, it became very easy for Li Shimin to calm down.
At this point, Li Shimin didn't say much.
He went on.
At this time, he said to Chu Suiliang: "Chu Suiliang, how about the twelve chapters of "Emperor Fan" that I asked you to compile before?"
"Your Majesty, it has been sorted out." Chu Suiliang said.
The twelve chapters of "Emperor's Model" are respectively "The King's Body", "Establishing a Marriage", "Seeking Talents", "Judged Officials", "Accepting Advice", "Removing Slander", "Jie Ying", "Advocating Thrift", "Rewards and Punishments", "Farming", "Martial Arts", and "Chongwen".
It was Li Shimin who compiled some of his views on the governance of the Tang Dynasty over the years into a book.
The reason why he did this was because he was worried about future generations.
Then he said: "The principles of self-cultivation and governing the country are all contained in these twelve articles. Once I pass away, there will be nothing else to say. This is also the knowledge I will leave to future generations."
He felt a little sad when he said this.
The prince has not yet been established. If Li Min becomes the emperor, Li Min will not need his twelve articles at all.
But Li Shimin also said: "If future generations ascend the throne, they should learn from the ancient sages and kings. Like me, it is not enough to imitate. The ancients said that if you imitate the superior, you will only be among the best. If you imitate the average, you will inevitably be inferior."
The ministers did not dare to speak, for fear of what Li Shimin would say next.
Unexpectedly, Li Shimin had no intention of stopping yet. He went on to say: "Since I came to the throne, I have made many mistakes. Splendid pearls and jade are constantly in front of me, and I continue to build palaces, terraces and pavilions. Dogs, horses, eagles and falcons have to collect them no matter how far away they are. They travel in all directions and make every place provide for trouble." , these are all my big faults, I hope you will never think they are correct and imitate them."
Queen Changsun asked at this time: "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"
Li Shimin ignored it, but went on to say: "In retrospect, I benefited the people a lot and made a great contribution to establishing the foundation of the Tang Dynasty. The benefits were great but the harm was small, so the people had no complaints; the merits were great and the faults were small, so the king's industry was stable; however, if perfection is required , I am really ashamed. If future generations do not inherit my wealth and honor through hard work and hard work, and do their best to do good deeds, then the country will only be stable; if they are arrogant and lazy, they will not be able to protect themselves."
No one knew what to say.
Chu Suiliang was also stunned there.
But Li Shimin had no intention of stopping yet. He continued:
"Success is hard-won, but failure can happen quickly, in the case of the country; it is easy to lose, but harder to gain, in the case of the throne. Can you not cherish it? Can you not be cautious!"
What Li Shimin said made people suspect that he was preparing for the next emperor.
"Chu Suiliang!"
"I'm here!"
"Can you remember what I just said?"
Chu Suiliang was stunned when he heard this.
Li Shimin said so much just now, how could he remember it?
He wanted to say, Your Majesty, please say it again.
But in the end, he didn't say it.
Just write it down from memory.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I am taking note now!" Chu Suiliang said immediately.
"Okay, okay!"
At this time, Queen Changsun asked again: "Your Majesty, why do you talk so much about governing the country?"
Yes, Li Shimin suddenly said this, which made everyone very confused.
This has never happened before.
"I have to prepare these things for future generations in advance. Otherwise, how will we be able to educate future generations a hundred years from now?"
What Li Shimin said seemed to be reasonable.
It's impossible to refute.
"Your Majesty, this..."
Queen Changsun was a little worried.
"Queen, there is nothing wrong with me. I just suddenly remembered that the position of crown prince must be established. Otherwise, in a few years, there may be changes."
Yes, it will be beneficial for a prince to be established early or late.
There are two benefits to the prince's early establishment:
First, by stabilizing the order of succession, establishing a prince early can prevent disputes and chaos during the succession process and ensure the smooth succession of the throne.
The second is education and training. Early establishment of the prince means that he can have a longer period of education and training to prepare for his future role as a monarch.
However, there may also be some problems with the early establishment of a prince.
Because the prince is established too early, if the prince is established at a young age, it will cause childishness and incompetence. If the prince is too young to fulfill the duties of a monarch, it may lead to political instability and difficulties in governing the country.
This point is actually reflected in Li Chengqian.
A good deck of cards was ruined by him.
The second point is the close trust of powerful ministers. When the prince is young, a situation may arise where powerful ministers interfere with politics, making it impossible for the prince to truly hold power and affect the development and governance of the country.
That's why Li Shimin had so many emotions.
He also wanted to establish a prince early.
If Li Min hadn't been the emperor, someone else would have been the prince. Now his main candidates have all gone to the Shengtang Group.
Only a few people born later are suitable.
Nowadays, these people are young and not qualified for big positions.
But he, Li Shimin, was very anxious.
You just have to prepare in advance.
When the prince is established, the emperor usually clears up some relationships for the prince before moving to the throne. Some ministers who threaten the prince's accession to the throne will usually be cleared.
This is what the former emperor can do for the next emperor.
There are several main aspects to cultivating a prince.
The first is education and training, ensuring that the prince receives comprehensive education and training, including knowledge and skills in politics, military, economics, etiquette and other aspects. This can lay the foundation for the prince to become a qualified monarch. This is very important. To govern the country well, knowledge is the most important thing for an emperor.
The second is to provide the prince with practical administrative and management experience. This can be done by allowing the prince to participate in state affairs, observe various meetings and decision-making processes, and assign the prince to take on some specific responsibilities, thereby accumulating experience.
You can let him do things like supervising the country. At that time, Li Chengqian had already overseen the country, but it was Li Shimin who taught him more step by step.
Now that Li Shimin is still alive, if he waits for Li Shimin to grow old, he will have to deal with this matter a few years earlier.
The third is to provide the prince with a good support system. The prince is not the former emperor, and he generally does not have the strength to survive.
Therefore, he needs to have a strong support team, including trustworthy prime ministers, important ministers, and loyal family members. They can help the prince with his affairs, provide advice, and maintain the prince's authority.
The fourth point is prestige. If a prince does not have prestige, he will have no mass base!
Therefore, before the prince becomes emperor, he needs to win the recognition and support of the people. He needs to win widespread public support and trust by participating in charity, paying attention to people's livelihood, demonstrating benevolence and leadership.
The fifth point is the need for a strong strategic alliance.
Before the prince became emperor, the former emperor must consolidate diplomatic relations for him and establish mutually beneficial relationships with influential domestic and foreign forces. Ensure that after succeeding to the throne, we can receive sufficient support and a stable international environment.
Finally, there is strategic wisdom, which is very important. Without this, the prince's throne will not be long.
If the prince does not have certain strategic wisdom, is not good at analyzing situations, formulating policies, and making wise decisions at critical moments, he will be like a waste.
Even if he becomes emperor, it is very likely that he will be purged.
It can be said that Li Shimin is worried about his successor.
(End of chapter)
