Like many historical researchers in his previous life, Li Yuan not only expressed deep doubts about the cause of Li Hongji's death, but also lamented that once the prince, who had high hopes for the whole country, died, there would be no chance for the Southern Tang Dynasty to turn around.
Thinking of this, Li Yuan suppressed his mixed thoughts and replied in a deep voice: "The crown prince is related to the foundation of the country, and the general will never dare to speculate. But since His Highness has asked, the general will not dare not answer."
"Does Your Highness know the cousin of the Crown Prince?"
Li Hongji was a little confused: "Third uncle's cousin's name? What's the use of this?"
"Back off." Li Yuan continued unhurriedly: "When the late general heard that the emperor's younger brother was being conferred, he refused to accept it. He took the meaning of Lao Tzu's "retreat after success and fame" and changed his name. To retreat."
There was a coldness hidden in Li Hongji's words: "Everyone knows this. Does Li Yuhou mean that my third uncle, the king, is humble and courteous? He has become the crown prince after all!"
Seeing this, Li Yuan still thought to himself and said: "Your Highness, in the second year of Baoda, His Majesty ordered the emperor's younger brother to take charge of the government, but he still refused; since he was established as the crown prince, he has repeatedly submitted letters requesting to return to the vassal... ....”
Before he finished speaking, Li Hongji clenched the jade finger tightly, and the blood suddenly disappeared from his fingers: "Huh! Li Yuhou still can't understand the methods of this third uncle of my king! What is the refusal of an excuse and what is a request? The vassal is just a cover-up! In this way, my father, the ministers in the court, and even the common people will think that he is pure and courteous!"
"Your Highness, it doesn't matter anymore whether the Crown Prince's innocence and humility are true or false!"
This sentence frightened Li Hongji, and Li Yuan then smiled lightly and said: "The position of the crown prince is not his at all. It is just that Emperor Liezu's order at that time was difficult to disobey. Now that His Majesty has many heirs, how can he be willing to hand over the throne to him?" give him?"
Li Yuan deliberately bit the four sons who had "many heirs" very hard, but Li Hongji was deep in thought and didn't seem to notice.
For a moment, Li Hongji's eyes flashed and he asked in a low voice: "You mean, my father has changed his mind?"
"No, Your Highness. Your Majesty had already made a plan in his heart before he ascended the throne. Sorry to be rude, but the word "Hongji" in His Highness's name was not chosen by His Majesty after hearing the rumors among the people."
Li Hongji's eyes tilted up and he thought for a while: "I heard from my mother that there were rumors among the people at that time that 'there was a real man in Jizhou who opened his mouth and stretched his bow to the left.' Therefore, my father named me 'Hongji' .”
Li Yuan nodded and said: "That's it. His Majesty has long had high hopes for His Highness, but Emperor Liezu's death was at the top, and at the beginning of his accession to the throne, many old ministers were still in the court, so His Majesty had no choice but to , and then gave the throne to the crown prince. Your Majesty, in all dynasties, there have been cases where the legitimate son has not been established, which is the way to cause chaos. The fact that Ma Chu’s brother has finally succeeded is the best proof. Your Majesty, the next generation of the British Lord, has just been captured this time Knowing the King of Chu, how could you not know?"
"But now most of the important ministers in the court are leaning towards Third Uncle, and my father has never said anything about Yi Chu."
Li Yuan had a headache and continued to explain patiently: "Nowadays, the trend of cliques in the court is rising. Since the Crown Prince is the crown prince, he naturally has people who are clinging to him. But don't forget, Your Highness, there are many veterans behind you. Support, such as the late general’s father-in-law, Xiao Yan, Sun Sheng and other ministers. Although they may not be in power for a while, this power cannot be underestimated! Once the time is right, these veteran ministers will definitely stand up for His Highness."
Seeing that Li Hongji was silent, Li Yuan could only try to make some suggestions: "Party disputes between the DPRK and China have always been the most feared thing by kings of all ages. But since your Majesty came to the throne, why have you repeatedly tolerated the conflict between the DPRK and China's factions? Does your Highness understand?" "
"I understand roughly! My father actually had the intention of changing the throne for a long time, so he tolerated the formation of factions in the court. In fact, he was secretly supporting me?"
Li Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: "It's not just that. I would like to ask Your Highness to think boldly. Your Majesty originally sent you to Yangzhou, but soon recalled you to Runzhou to guard and made you King of Yan. What is the meaning of this?" "
Li Hongji suddenly stood up, and then wandered back and forth thoughtfully: "Well, Runzhou is only a day away from Jinling. Could it be that my father's intention is for me to prepare for the troops to be sent to Jinling in the future?"
These words immediately made Li Yuan lose his temper. Do you think your father is hinting at your rebellion?
Seeing that Li Hongji's eyes were getting colder, Li Yuan quickly calmed down and said seriously: "Your Highness, please forgive me for saying this bluntly. Since Your Majesty has asked you to guard Runzhou, and has also given you the power to control the troops and horses of the two states, what is your intention? It’s obvious! His Majesty has always had great ambitions to restore the Central Plains and unify the world. Over the years, he has conquered the East and West, keeping His Highness away from the chaos of the court, and one day establishing military merit and prestige. This is His Majesty’s intention!”
After a moment of silence, Li Hongji suddenly exhaled a breath, and then smiled with emotion: "Father has really good intentions..."
Li Yuan finally showed his approving eyes and nodded repeatedly: "Therefore, Your Highness does not need to pay too much attention to the affairs of the court. You are His Majesty's eldest son. I, King Yan of the Tang Dynasty, have a high position. I have the support of Your Highness in all matters of fighting for power." Minister, you should do it. You should study and practice martial arts every day, and train your troops diligently. If there is a war in the future, once your highness has established prestige, the opportunity will come, and the time for your majesty to save money will also come!
In today's troubled times, soldiers and horses are the most important thing. Although the emperor's brother is called the Marshal of the Army, he has never been in charge of an army. Without the support of the army, the emperor's brother, no matter whether he is humble or not, will have no choice but to abdicate and give way to others! "
"No, if the third uncle abdicates, the fourth uncle is still here! My fourth uncle, King Qi, is the deputy marshal of all armies and horses, and all military power is in his hands..." Li Hongji said sadly.
Li Yuan looked unconcerned: "King Qi is upright by nature and has offended many important officials in the court over the years. Moreover, his ability to command the army is really... in short, it cannot be compared with His Highness. .....”
Seeing this hesitant look, Li Hongji tilted his head, but still couldn't help laughing: "Haha, how did Yuhou know that the fourth uncle cannot compare with me?"
how do you know? Your fourth uncle Li Jingda is famous in history. In the battle of Huainan, two geniuses, Chen Jue and Chen Jue, led 50,000 elite soldiers. They lost 40,000 in the first battle. In the end, the two men abandoned the army and ran away, running all the way back to Jinling from Haozhou. City, this speed could not even catch up with Zhou's cavalry...
Thinking of this, Li Yuan almost couldn't help but complain, and then said with a mysterious face: "Your Highness must know the talent of King Qi better than the general, and it is difficult for the general to speak frankly. In short, as long as your Highness understands, King Qi is definitely no match for His Highness , no need to care.”
Having said this, Li Hongji's heart seemed to have been relieved by seven or eight points, and he finally laughed heartily: "After listening to Li Yuhou's words today, I was enlightened and felt very comfortable! What Zhou Zong said is true, Li Yuhou is really an unparalleled talent! With Li Yuhou's help, I don't have to worry about failing to achieve great things! After I return this time, I will follow Yuhou's words to reorganize the army and make contributions to my father in the future. !”
Seeing that Li Hongji had regained the vigor that a young man should have, Li Yuan sighed with emotion. If such a heroic prince really succeeded to the throne, the fate of the Southern Tang Dynasty was really hard to predict. So he couldn't help but speak again: "Well, Your Highness, the general has one more thing to say..."
Li Hongji was in a good mood and said cheerfully: "Marquis Yu is my king's man, so there is no harm in telling him!"
"Your Highness, please don't forget that your Majesty has many heirs..." Li Yuan repeated these four words again.
"Many heirs?" Li Hongji smiled disdainfully: "Most of my brothers are good friends with me and have a docile temperament. And most of them are deceased. I am the eldest son of my father, so what should I worry about?"
Li Yuan finally couldn't hold himself back: "I will boldly ask, in order of eldest and youngest, which prince will come after Your Highness?"
Li Hongji twirled his fingers one by one and muttered: "My queen? The second child unfortunately passed away last year, and the third, fourth and fifth children also died young... You mean Congjia, the sixth child?"
Li Yuan clasped his palms together, isn't he that old six? He quickly said: "Your Highness, he is the Sixth Prince!"
"Hey! Yu Hou is thinking too much! This sixth brother of my king has been obsessed with Buddhism since he was a child. He has always been interested in mountains and rivers and has no interest in political affairs. How can this happen?"
Li Yuan smiled jokingly: "The sixth prince is only fifteen years old, and he was born in an imperial family. The queen is also very fond of him. Does your highness really believe that at such an age and with such a background, he can secretly practice Buddhism?"
Seeing that Li Hongji always looked nonchalant, Li Yuan decided to take a cruel move: "Your Majesty and the Queen believe in Buddhism, so the sixth prince named himself 'Zhong Yin' and started practicing Buddhism; Your Majesty likes poetry and poetry, and the sixth prince has been practicing Buddhism since he was a child. He started writing poems and poems; His Majesty was suffering from disputes in the court, and the Sixth Prince simply turned to the mountains and rivers...Don't you understand, Your Highness?"
Li Hongji swallowed his saliva, as if he couldn't believe it: "You are saying that this sixth brother of my king did it intentionally to hide his stupidity and bring disaster..."
But then he regained his serious look and shook his head decisively: "Impossible! I'm afraid Yu Hou is exaggerating! The sixth brother is the best friend of this king. He has no power in his hands and no one behind him to support him. Besides, he is so young. , where does such scheming come from?”
Li Yuan snorted lightly, and then said in a low voice: "This matter is related to the fate of our country, the Tang Dynasty, and the life and death of Your Highness! Your Highness, you must be on guard! There will be a plan in the end, and you know the true intentions of the Sixth Prince, Your Highness might as well give it a try... ..."
As the saying goes, people's words can be feared.
Seeing Li Yuan say so much with a serious face, even though Li Hongji had trusted Li Congjia before, he now had inexplicable doubts. No matter what, Li Yuan was right in saying that the fight for the throne was related to the fate of the Tang Dynasty and the life and death of Li Hongji. Being suspicious is not a bad thing.
Li Hongji seemed to be convinced, and then asked: "What good plan does Marquis Yu have? Just don't hurt your sixth brother!"
"Your Highness, isn't the Sixth Prince so obsessed with Buddhism that he even took the title of a hermit? You also know that as long as you are interested in Buddhism, form is emptiness, and emptiness is form! I heard that the Sixth Prince made a vow to the Queen last year, wishing to escape into Buddhism with all his heart. If you don’t want to take a wife or concubine... Your Highness, why not choose two beauties and give them to the Sixth Prince..."
Li Hongji sniffed and said doubtfully, "That's it?"
These two words made Li Yuan's mouth twitch, and his face was full of embarrassment: "Of course, Your Highness must not let the Sixth Prince know that this matter is related to His Highness, otherwise it will make His Majesty and the Queen suspicious! Your Highness might as well arrange a meeting for the beautiful lady to meet the prince by chance. Ben? If the Sixth Prince really falls under the beauty’s skirt——"
Li Hongji clenched his fists and said, "That means Lao Liu has not let go of his mortal heart at all! Everything was done deliberately by him!"
"Your Highness is wise! The beauty of heaven and earth is only worthy of the strong. If the Sixth Prince covets such beauty, how dare he say that he is not interested in the position of emperor?"
Li Hongji nodded vigorously and agreed: "Okay, I will give him a try!"
Li Yuan thought for a moment, and then said with an unspeakable smile: "Well, Your Highness, when choosing a beauty, you must remember to choose one with small feet and one who can dance. If you really can't find one...in short, you must Choose those with smaller feet!”
Seeing that Li Yuan made this suggestion inexplicably, Li Hongji was confused, but now he had some trust in Li Yuan, so he nodded in agreement.
At this time, a strong sense of mission suddenly arose in Li Yuan's heart. Li Yu, Li Yu, you old six, since I, Li Yuan, have come to this era, I will try my best to prevent you from ascending to the throne of God!
Not to mention what happened to your eldest brother after he succeeded to the throne, not to mention how you treated Emperor Zhou E, just because you pioneered such strange habits as "foot binding", you have harmed many women in future generations...
