Da'an Palace.
"East Wind!"
"south wind!"
"Hooray!"
There was a crackling sound, and the Emperor Li Yuan of the Tang Dynasty touched the card in his hand and smiled.
"Good cards, good cards, hahaha!"
He slammed down the jade mahjong tiles in front of him and said proudly,
"Come on, come on, pay, pay!"
In front of Li Yuan, there are several old men of the same age, all of them are wearing brocade hats and mink fur coats, and they are very luxurious.
"Your Majesty, your luck is so good."
Li Fu, the Duke of Lishan County, smiled bitterly and said,
"We old brothers are no match for you..."
"After these few rounds, you have taken all the chips."
Li Kan, the Duke of Huayang County on the opposite side, also waved his hands repeatedly and said:
"No more playing, no more playing!"
"If this continues, all my salary will be lost! It's not like your Majesty doesn't know that we are now a duke and don't have much wealth left."
"Show your hands high, show your hands high..."
For a moment, both of them wanted to get up and leave the table.
These two people were both county kings, one was Lishan County King and the other was Huayang County King. They were also well-known figures at the time.
However, under an imperial edict from Li Shimin, except for Li Shentong and Li Xiaogong, who had military merits, the rest of the royal family were all demoted to Dukes and Marquises.
These two are quite lucky.
There are many people in the clan who have been demoted to their grandma’s house!
"Hey, don't go, don't go!"
Li Yuan was in high spirits at the moment and was not willing to let the two of them go.
He hurriedly waved and said:
"It's fun, it's just fun. Take back half of your chips. Take it back."
"Let's keep going! As the tides turn, there will always be times when you play tricks!"
"Come on……"
The two young men looked at each other, both of them speechless.
This Supreme Emperor really wants to entertain himself to death. This round of mahjong, I don’t know when it will end!
"Come here, shuffle the cards!"
Li Yuan rubbed his hands and said with a smile,
"Don't worry, I'm not a black-hearted person, and I won't let you lose everything."
"Erlang also sent me some good things two days ago. I will give you some too later. Enjoy the tribute."
"Come on, touch the cards!"
After hearing that there was a reward, the three clan princes cheered up and started playing cards.
Bang bang!
The continuous sound of mahjong percussion sounded like the most beautiful music in the world to Li Yuan's ears.
"The Supreme Emperor, the Supreme Emperor."
A eunuch ran in and reported to Li Yuan,
"Mr. Pei Ge wants to see you. There are a large group of ministers following you outside, all wanting to see you."
"Three!" Li Yuan took a picture of a mahjong tile and waved, "See you, see you! Why, Pei Ge Lao Ba Ge Lao, didn't you see that I am busy at the moment? If you have something to do, go find someone else! Don't come here to find me. !”
The eunuch looked troubled and said yes.
Outside Da'an Palace.
Pei Ji stretched his neck and looked hard, but he couldn't see any movement in the palace.
Behind him, all the old ministers of martial virtue also had eager expressions on their faces.
The Supreme Emperor is their expectation and their only backer!
However, they waited for a long time, but what they waited for was the messenger who shook his head and sighed.
"Mr. Pei Ge, dear officials, Your Majesty said that he is busy now and does not want to see anyone."
He sighed softly,
"You'd better... go back."
As soon as this statement came out, everyone was in an uproar.
"How is that possible? The Supreme Emperor doesn't even want to meet him?!"
"Yes, even though he doesn't want to see us humble officials, but Mr. Pei Ge has come to ask for a meeting, so why can't he give him a favor?"
"Your Majesty, are you so cruel..."
"..."
Several ministers looked sad and unwilling.
The one with the most complicated mood was undoubtedly the leader, Pei Ji.
"It's impossible, he can't even see me..."
"Eunuch, the Emperor really doesn't want to meet me?"
He took two steps forward and said hurriedly,
"What is the old man doing now? How did you inform him?"
"My servant said that Mr. Pei Ge wants to see you..." the eunuch who sent the message responded.
"Please help me ask again!"
Pei Ji's voice rose an octave and he said decisively,
"Just say Pei Ji, Pei Ji wants to see you!"
"If he doesn't see me, the minister who has served him for more than ten years, I...I will kneel here until he sees me!"
After saying that, he actually bent his knees and fell straight to his knees.
"Ouch, Mr. Pei Ge cannot do anything..."
The eunuch who sent the message hurriedly helped him up and said,
"Slave, I'll go help you again. Please wait a moment, wait a moment."
After helping Pei Ji upright, he ran into Da'an Palace again.
"Your Majesty..." Pei Ji looked at the eunuch's back and murmured absently, "Do you really not miss our old relationship?"
…
Inside the palace.
"Three barrels."
Li Yuan threw down a card and frowned,
"It seems that the feng shui has really changed. Why is this card so stinky?"
Unlike him who frowned, Li Fu, the Duke of Lishang, relaxed his brows.
"Yea, haha……"
He responded,
"Bang!"
This shout made Li Yuan frown even more, caressing the cards in his hand, and began to think.
"The Great Emperor."
The eunuch who sent the message came in again and said respectfully,
"Mr. Pei Ji is still standing outside begging to see you. He said that if you don't see him, he will keep kneeling outside."
Li Yuan pointed his finger.
"Um?"
He raised his head and said,
"Pei Ji? What is he doing here?"
Messenger eunuch; "..."
Come on, the old emperor really didn’t listen to what he said just now!
"I don't know, but Mr. Pei Ji and all the ministers are waiting outside."
He responded,
"Maybe there's something important."
Hearing this, Li Yuan moved his buttocks and adjusted to a relatively comfortable sitting position.
"oh……"
He waved and said,
"Then let him come in."
"Yes." The messenger eunuch breathed a sigh of relief and turned around.
"Nijo."
"Five barrels."
"bump!"
While talking, people at the table started fighting again.
Until there was a sound of footsteps.
"Old minister Pei Ji, see His Majesty the Supreme Emperor."
Pei Ji walked to the side and behind Li Yuan, saluted respectfully and bowed.
"How can the Supreme Emperor's holy bow be safe?"
"Ninety thousand." Li Yuan didn't look back, played a card, and responded casually, "I bow to you, Pei Ji, why do you think of coming to me today?"
Pei Ji's face turned bitter, and the grievance in his expression almost overflowed.
Although Li Yuan can't see it at the moment.
"Your Majesty...you have to make the decision for me!"
Like an old woman, he muttered with endless resentment,
"Yesterday, when the government was discussing politics in the political hall, the old minister just wanted to take a seat, but Yuchi Gong actually insulted the old minister in front of the hall, and was extremely insulting! He said that the old minister did not deserve to sit down, but your majesty still ignored him and completely turned against that Yuchi Gong! Wow! …”
"Also, Your Majesty wants to change the law! You know, the Military Code was formulated by the veteran minister. It has been running smoothly for so many years without any faults. However, he suddenly denigrated the Military Code, saying that it was too complicated and too strict. Harsh, not suitable for the current dynasty, and he also said that Zhenguan should have Zhenguan’s own things. This is obviously to erase all the achievements of the old minister!"
"Your Majesty! You...you want to say something to me..."
As Pei Ji spoke, tears flowed down unsatisfactoryly.
He felt that he was really wronged!
However, Li Yuan remained expressionless.
Snap, snap.
"Nine tubes."
He threw down the mahjong tiles and muttered,
"I'm afraid I'm really going to lose this card..."
"Pei Ji, that's all? Is there anything else?"
Pei Ji was stunned.
Is it any wonder that these...are not enough to attract enough attention?
"Yes, yes, and..."
Although he didn't know what Li Yuan meant, Pei Ji still said bitterly like he was pouring beans,
"Your Majesty also wants to assess officials. He has summoned all officials in the world to Chang'an for assessment, including those in Beijing."
"This time, it is clear that we are going to kill all the veterans of martial arts!"
"Your Majesty! Many of those veterans were promoted by you. They have worked hard for the Tang Dynasty for so many years. We cannot let them be eliminated like this. This will chill everyone's hearts!"
There were tears here, but the sound of mahjong over there continued.
"Liu Jiao."
"Hey, it's finally my turn, come and go!"
Li Yuan broke off the mahjong tiles in his hand and piled the three cards in the corner with a smile. Then he glanced at Pei Ji and said casually,
"Pei Ji, don't speak so harshly."
"Extermination of all officials is what should be done. Survival of the fittest is also the rule of the imperial court. If the emperor wants to eliminate a group of useless ministers, that is also what should be done."
"As long as there are people with real talents and hard work, they are not afraid of being laid off. Tell me, is this true?"
Pei Ji's face froze.
"Yes...but..."
He responded and was about to argue, but was stopped by Huayang Gong Li Kan waving his hand.
"Pei Ji, you'd better save it. It's useless for you to come to the Supreme Emperor about this matter."
Li Kan pouted and said,
"I think at the beginning, we, the princes of the clan, were more important than you veterans of martial arts, right? But what happened later?"
"His Majesty issued an imperial decree and all of us became county princes and marquises. Don't we have no temper at all?"
"You can struggle for a while, but listen to my advice, brother, it's useless to struggle. The sky is big and the earth is big, and the emperor is the biggest. You can't stop his footsteps. Just stay in peace, do you understand?"
"Four barrels!"
Bang, a mahjong tile was thrown down, and Li Yuan was about to touch the tile when he saw Li Fu's eyebrows dancing with excitement:
"Haha, what a fool, what a fool!"
"Damn, I've been fighting all day, and I finally got off to a good start!"
"Think about it!"
Li Yuan rolled his eyes.
"It's just a few pieces, it's nothing!"
He said unhappily,
"Shit luck, come on, shuffle the cards and pour the tea!"
The servants standing by the side hurriedly came forward to shuffle the cards, and poured tea and refills for a few old guys.
"Huh-tsk."
Li Fu took two sips of tea and persuaded Pei Jixiao,
"Pei Ji, I'm not talking about you, brother. You're so old, why are you arguing?"
"Be smart, give in when you need to, and retire when you need to. How about playing cards and having fun like the rest of us? It's also a way to save the last bit of dignity."
"You're the one who complains about everything. In the end, it's not you who's ashamed of yourself."
"Come on, why don't you come down and play two rounds? This mahjong is small, but there is endless fun in it. Let the Supreme Emperor teach you, and you will be taught how to do it!"
Pei Ji: "@#￥%...&#!!!"
"It's time for me to give up on my old bones, but I..."
His expression was gloomy, but he gritted his teeth and said,
"But I'm not willing to accept it!"
"The Supreme Emperor, you are the founding emperor! Wude Chao, your Wude Chao! Although you have retreated, we, the veterans of Wude, are still fighting hard! We have never retreated!"
"But now... Wude Chao is really going to pass away. Could it be that you... you just?"
Blah blah blah, blah blah.
Li Yuan slowly numbered the cards, waved his hands and said softly:
"Wu Dechao? When did that happen?"
"It's so far away that I don't even remember it. It's good like this now. I'm quite satisfied."
"Go ahead, go ahead...oh."
Pei Ji froze on the spot, dumbfounded.
Wu Dechao...
When did that all happen?
This short sentence made his heart feel like it was falling into an ice cellar.
"Mr. Pei Ge, please have some tea."
A slave came forward and handed Pei Ji a cup of hot tea.
"No need, no need..."
Pei Ji's eyes were empty, he waved his hands and murmured,
"Old minister...Old minister knows."
"I'm sorry to bother you, my Majesty. I'm going to resign, I'm going to resign..."
After that, he turned around slowly, paused for a few breaths, then lowered his head and left.
On the card table, Li Yuan's expression was as usual. Even though there was a trace of anger in his eyes, it quickly disappeared and he was immersed in the game of cards again.
"East wind."
"south wind."
"What a fool again!"
…
Outside Da'an Palace.
The ministers were looking forward to it, but what they expected was Pei Ji with his head hanging down.
"Mr. Pei Ge, what did the Supreme Emperor say?"
"Old Prime Minister Pei, has the Supreme Emperor made a statement? He must be on the side of us veterans of martial arts, right?"
"Mr. Pei Ge..."
They gathered around and asked questions.
But Pei Ji waved his hand impatiently.
"Let's go, let's go!"
He said irritably,
"Wu Dechao, it's over! It's over a long time ago!"
"It's Zhenguan Dynasty now, Zhenguan Dynasty! Alas!"
After saying that, Pei Ji waved his sleeves and left, leaving only the ministers with stunned faces.
…
Go to the study.
"His Majesty."
The attendant presented the Tremella Fungus and Lotus Seed Soup and said respectfully,
"The queen cooked this herself and asked her slave to deliver it."
Li Shimin put down the memorial, took it and took a sip.
"Yes, there is progress."
He said without changing his expression,
"Tell her again and put less sugar in the future. I've been soft-spoken lately."
"Yes." The nearby attendant responded and said, "Your Majesty, Mr. Pei Ge took a group of ministers to Da'an Palace."
Li Shimin raised his eyebrows and put down the dessert in his hand.
"oh?"
He said,
"Then what?"
"The Emperor only met Mr. Pei Ge briefly, and none of the other ministers got to see him." The attendant responded, "I heard from the guards of Da'an Palace that Mr. Pei Ge seemed to be very frustrated, and the other ministers also dispersed like birds and beasts in the end."
Li Shimin couldn't help but sneered when he heard this.
"I understand."
He waved his hand and said,
"Just back off."
"Yes." The attendant stepped back obediently.
The door creaked shut, and Li Shimin's eyes slowly became deeper.
"Pei Ji, Pei Ji... you'd better be calm and don't be a mantis blocking the car, otherwise..."
He twisted the pen in his hand and said softly,
"I still remember Liu Wenjing's death, I remember it firmly..."
(End of chapter)
