Chapter 29: The most ruthless emperor's family
Chapter 29 The most ruthless emperor's family
"The most ruthless emperor's family."
Qin Lang looked at the back of Li Shimin going away, and said with emotion, when he was leaving, Li Shimin also said a little lonely that he actually didn't want to take this step, but now he has finally reached the step he least wants to take.
"Brothers fratricide, flesh and blood are separated, human relations are tragic. Huailiang, go home and have a look when you have time. Your elder brother and second brother left early, and the younger brothers are still young. I hope you brothers can be friendly in the future." Qin Qiong patted said with a strained shoulder.
After quietly returning to Hongyi Palace, Li Shimin was locked in the house for a day.
On the third day of June, only one day later, Taibai reappeared.
Li Yuan asked left and right, "What is Erlang doing?"
"King Qin locked himself in the study for a day and a night, neither eating nor drinking."
"What happened to the old part of the Qin Palace?" Li Yuan asked again.
"No abnormal movement, calm as usual."
Li Yuan couldn't figure out whether his son had already conceded defeat or was plotting a more drastic counterattack.
"Your Majesty, I can't wait any longer. I request Your Majesty to immediately send Emperor Yuan Cong to surround Hongyi Palace and arrest King Qin's henchmen." Zuo Pu shot Pei Ji said.
Li Yuan is still hesitating, as long as the situation is still under control, he doesn't want to make things too ugly.
"Before Daozong entered Beijing, Guo Xingfang and Dou Gui, ministers of Xingtai in Yizhou, Qu Tutong, the right servant of Daxingtai in Shaanxi Province, Wen Daya, minister of Daxingtai Industry Department, Changshi of Yangzhou Metropolitan Governor's Office, and general manager of Lingzhou marching army Li Jing and Li Shiji, the chief of the Bingzhou army, still have heavy troops in the local area and hold important positions." Li Yuan expressed his concern that now in Chang'an, the people of the world have lost their wings and are under control.
However, in the local area, the King Qin Party is still very strong, especially in Luoyang, which is the headquarters of Li Shimin’s business for many years. He is worried that if he directly encircles the Hongyi Palace, the King Qin Party in the local area will panic and mutiny.
Li Yuan has passed a secret edict to Yizhou Xingtai Shangshu Wei Yunqi, Wei Yunqi is Jingzhao Webster, a famous Guanzhong family since the Sui Dynasty, and a famous Confucian general. Li Shimin also served as Minister of the Yizhou Daxingtai, and Wei Yunqi was actually the top leader of the Xingtai, but the second in command Guo Xingfang and Dou Gui were both members of the Qin Royal Party, and Dou Gui was also Li Yuan's wife.
In order to avoid chaos in Yizhou, he needs to let Wei Yunqi relieve Guo Xingfang and Dou Gui from their positions and take control of Yizhou. The most important thing is that in Luoyang, Zuo Pu She Qu Tutong of Daxingtai, Shaanxi Province, and Wen Daya, Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry, are Li Shishi's confidantes.
"Your Majesty, you can order the Chief Governor of Youzhou Metropolitan Government and Wang Junkuo, Duke of Peng Guo, to be transferred to the Shangshu of the Military Department of Eastern Shaanxi Province to lead troops to defend Luoyang." Pei Ji said.
"Pei Ji, draw up an order for me."
Li Yuan slowly mentioned a series of latest personnel transfers.
"The left servant shot Pei Ji, the right servant shot Chen Shuda, the Zhongshu ordered Feng Deyi, and the servant Pei Shiju. Li Shimin was removed from the post of Shangshuling and Zhongshuling, Xiao Yu was removed from the post of right servant shooting, and Yuwen Shi and the school inspector were removed. Yang Rengong will be removed from the post of servant, and Li Yuanji will be removed from the post of inspector."
The three prime ministers, Xiao Yu, Yuwen Shiji, and Yang Rengong, are all members of the people of the world.
Five prime ministers were dismissed at once, and Li Shimin's Shangshuling and Zhongshuling's prime ministers were all removed, and even Yuanji's servant was dismissed altogether.
Only four prime ministers remained, all of whom belonged to the emperor.
"Wei Yunqi served as Zuo Servant of Yizhou Xingtai, Wang Junkuo served as Shangshu of Daxingtai Military Department in Eastern Shaanxi, Guo Xingfang, Dou Gui, Wen Daya, Qu Tutong, etc. were all resigned from their posts by secret edict and recalled to the capital."
"Transfer Yangzhou Metropolitan Governor Shi, Lingzhou Marching Chief Li Jing back to Beijing to serve as Wei Weiqing, and Bingzhou Marching Chief Li Shiji returned to Beijing to serve as Minister of the Ministry of War."
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"Your Majesty, King Qin came out of Hongyi Palace and came straight to Taiji Palace on horseback and sword." Feng Deyi hurriedly said.
Li Yuan was startled and stood up abruptly.
"How many troops did he bring?"
"Only him."
Li Yuan was stunned, and sat down again, "Only one person?"
Li Shimin left Hongyi Palace, rode his horse and ran all the way out of Fanglin Gate, and arrived at Xuanwu Gate. The guards had received the imperial edict to let Li Shimin into the palace.
Li Shimin strode directly into the Hall of Liangyi with a big sword in his hand.
Li Yuan stood in the hall, and below the steps were Shang Shu Zuo Pu She Pei Ji and Zhong Shu Ling Feng Deyi.
Father and son looked at each other with cold eyes.
Li Shimin stared at his father in the hall with piercing eyes, and said bitterly, "My lord, do you still regard me as your son?"
"Erlang, what do you mean by that?"
"My son is too tired from life, and there are some things that you push him too hard." Li Shimin said, with two lines of tears streaming down his face.
Li Yuan's face was frosty at first, but when he heard his son crying, his eyes gradually became moist.
"The son never thought of fighting with his elder brother. My father rebelled, and I went into battle for my father, regardless of life and death. The country was established, and I, Li Tang, defeated all the anti-kings. I did have merit, but I never thought about it. I thought about it because my father told me again and again that the country needs a son like me to inherit the country. I didn’t want to, but my father promised repeatedly, so I followed my father’s wishes and started to prepare.”
"But later the father reneged on his promise. Although the son felt disappointed, he didn't intend to disobey. But why did the father treat his son as an enemy in the end?"
Li Yuan stepped forward and patted his son on the back, "Erlang, when the country was in crisis when the world was conquered, my father really thought you were more suitable to be the heir, but after the world was unified, the situation changed."
"But that's not my fault!" Li Shimin cried so much that his nose came out, he knelt down and hugged his father's thigh.
Li Yuan sighed, "I know I'm sorry for you, but your brothers are fighting like this, and my father is really helpless."
Li Shimin raised his head, "As long as father says a word today, if father wants me to retreat, I will retreat, and if father wants me to die, I will die." As he spoke, he handed the jade sword in his hand to Li Yuan, "If father thinks that my existence is always Big brother’s threat, then please ask father to take the sword that you personally gave me back then, and kill me, it’s over.”
"Idiot!"
Li Yuan couldn't help crying, Jian Jian Shimin Yuanji was born to his first wife, plus the third son Xuanba who died young, and his daughter Pingyang who was buried with military ceremonies, all of them were from the same mother. "Your mother left early, your third brother and your third sister also left, and now there are only three of you brothers left, do you want to fight to the death?"
"I won't fight, I won't fight." Li Shimin cried while hugging Li Yuan.
"I'm not going to Luoyang, and I'm not going to Yizhou either. I will disband Tiance Mansion tomorrow and resign from Shangshuling Zhongshuling Taiwei, Situ, Tiance Admiral, Twelve Guards General, Yongzhou Mu, Liangzhou I would like to stay in Chang'an in the future and study Taoism scriptures behind closed doors for all the official positions such as the general manager, Daxingtai of Shandong Dao, and Yizhou Xingtai."
"Fool, it's good if you figure it out, it's good if you figure it out." Li Yuan said comfortingly.
"My son is willing to resign from all official positions and no longer compete with the crown prince and the king of Qi. But if I don't say anything about it, I will be sorry for my father. Jian Jiancheng and Yuanji are not as loyal and virtuous as my father saw. They borrowed the convenience of entering the inner court. Secretly fornicating with Yin, Concubine Zhang and other harem, and my son-in-law just learned that Jian Jiancheng conspired with Yuan Ji to set up a heavy army to ambush me at the farewell party in Kunming Lake three days later. All sons, wives, concubines and children will be wiped out, and even all the people in Prince Qin's residence will be murdered."
Li Yuan's expression turned cold again, and he looked at his son Shimin coldly.
Li Shimin knew what the gaze meant. The emperor suspected that he was playing tricks and used the mechanism to trap the prince and King Qi.
"Father, the son's death is not a pity. The son is worried about his father. The prince and King Qi dare to fornicate the harem, that is, they don't take his father seriously. They dare to ambush and murder their son in Kunming Lake, and they will kill all the soldiers of King Qin's mansion I am afraid that they will not only do this, but they will simply lead their troops to turn around and force their father to abdicate, or even usurp the throne with a glass of poisoned wine or a three-foot white silk!"
Li Yuan couldn't help stepping back a few steps after hearing this.
"Father, my son's death is not a pity, but please be more careful, father. The former Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty believed in Yang Guang and thought he was benevolent and wise, but he was killed by him in the end? Father, be careful."
Li Shimin knelt down and kowtowed, his forehead thumped on the ground, and blood flowed.
Li Yuan waved.
Feng Deyi stepped forward to help Li Shimin up.
"You go back to Hongyi Palace first. Tomorrow, I will summon the Prime Ministers of the Three Provinces, Doctor Yushi, Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Minister of Dali Temple, and Zong Zhengqing to try this case together. I will also call you to confront the Crown Prince and King Qi. Who is right and who is wrong? Who is loyal and who is traitor will definitely be revealed by then."
Li Yuan's words contained anger. If Li Shimin played tricks with him today, he would never let him off when the results came out tomorrow.
"I am willing to confront you face to face, and dare to use my life as a guarantee for my words." Li Shimin also swears.
Seeing this, Li Yuan didn't say anything more, "Go back first."
After Li Shimin stepped back, Li Yuan's face was extremely gloomy. Neither Pei Ji nor Feng Deyi dared to persuade him. At this time, the emperor was obviously full of anger. Regardless of whether what Shimin said was true or not, the emperor absolutely wanted to find out.
"Pei Ji, you should immediately send an order to the ministers to prepare for the joint trial of the three divisions."
"Your Majesty, where will the trial be held?"
Li Yuan thought for a while, no matter whether this kind of thing is true or not, it cannot be tried in public. This is not only related to the crown prince and King Qin, but also involves the privacy of Li Yuan's harem.
"Let's go to the lakeside hall for interrogation." Li Yuan chose a relatively remote place. Haichi is inside the Xuanwu Gate, a corner of the imperial palace, where joint trials are organized and can be kept secret.
Zheng Shanguo received the imperial edict and went to Liangyi Hall, accompanied by a dozen other ministers.
Originally, Li Yuan wanted to remove Li Shimin, Li Yuanji, Xiao Yu, Yang Rengong, Yuwen Shiji and others from their positions as prime ministers, but after such an interruption just now, Li Yuan couldn't care less about changing appearances for the time being. All are called.
"You should start making preparations immediately. There will be a trial tomorrow, and you must find out the truth." Li Yuan confessed that tomorrow, no matter what the outcome is, the internal struggle of the Tian family must be settled.
All ministers lead the decree.
(end of this chapter)