Chapter 13 The thirteenth round of the Liangyi Hall and the painting of the six steeds in the Taiji Hall

Li Shimin felt unsatisfied after finishing the matter of the graphics of the heroes of Lingyan Pavilion.On this day, he strolled to the Imperial Horse Garden and asked someone to pull out the "Feibai" horse, then got on the horse, drove the horse into the West Inner Garden, and galloped in the garden for a while.The forest in the garden is full of trees, and it is difficult for the horse to run away, which makes him feel sorry.On a whim, he got off his horse and said to Chang He who had been with him all the time: "I think of the scene of galloping with Shi Danai on the northern pasture of Helan Mountain that time, it seems like yesterday. Shi Danai is right, the wildness of the horse comes from Those who practiced on the vast pastures will find it difficult to show their skills in the city."

During this period of time, Li Shimin was saddened by Wei Zheng's death, and his mood was relatively low, so it was rare for him to be in a good mood today.It was the season when spring was warm and flowers were blooming. Chang He wanted Li Shimin to travel in the suburbs, and then thought of Wei Zheng's "Ten Gradually Shun", fearing that if he did so, he would encourage the emperor to travel, so he kept silent. Li Shimin looked at the budding buds on the flowers and trees in the garden, and his mood gradually relaxed with the warmth of spring.He continued to say to Chang He: "Thinking of the time when our iron horses and glaciers conquered the world, the horses were always with us. At that time, I thought about how to win the battle every day. I didn't think too much about the horses. I felt that they were just a It's all about leg strength. Thinking about it today, horses are still quite spiritual. Like the time when Tancijian encountered a strong enemy, 'Telepiu' shot several arrows in his body in order to save me, and rushed forward with a long hiss. Leap, thus escaped from the rain of arrows. I got out of danger, but 'Telepiu' died of serious injuries. This kind of friendship makes me cry every time I think about it."

Chang He then said: "Your Majesty's words are true. Among the livestock, dogs and horses are the most spiritual." Li Shimin got on his horse again and said, "Chang He, let's go, let's go for a gallop in the suburbs with me." Seeing that Li Shimin was so interested, Chang He didn't dare to dissuade him, so he called "Hundred Riders" to accompany him as a guard. Under the guard of "Hundred Riders", Li Shimin quickly passed the suburbs. The tourists didn't know that the current emperor was among the group of fast horse riders.It turns out that Chang He said that there is an open place where you can ride a horse with confidence.

At the confluence of Jingshui and Weishui, we can see that the clear Jingshui and the yellow and turbid Weishui come together, and the water flow is half clear and half turbid, forming a strange water flow.Li Shimin went up along the bank of the Jingshui. The Jingshui was clear, the wild flowers were luxuriant, and the weeping willows sprouting buds on the bank. These beautiful scenery made him feel better.They galloped along the coast for less than half an hour, before stopping at a high hill.Facing the crystal-clear Jingshui, Li Shimin asked the horses to drink in the Jingshui, only to feel the breeze mixed with the fragrance of wild flowers hit his face, which aroused his poetic interest, so he used the theme of drinking water for horses, and chanted softly:

During this period of time, Chang He gathered his disciples and read a lot of books with great difficulty. Although it was difficult to enter the Daya Hall, he still had a little ink installed.He listened to Li Shimin finish reciting the poem, applauded and praised: "Good poem. Your Majesty loves bowing horses. Now that there are horse poems, why don't you write another bow poem? This way of bowing and horse matching will show your majesty the hero of your life. " Li Shimin rolled his eyes at Chang He, and said, "What horse poems and bow poems? Poetry uses things to praise ambition, how can it cover things like horses and bows. After all, it's because you can't understand the flavor when you read books, so you talk nonsense."

Chang He said with a smile: "Your Majesty blames it very much. I am a rough man, and after reading a few books, I want to be arty, and I will inevitably show my feet." Li Shimin sighed: "If a person has the heart to study, regardless of the depth of his understanding, he will succeed in studying. It is very rare for you to be able to study quietly. Well, there is some truth in your saying that bow and horse complement each other. I use bow and horse to win the world , but now governing the world can no longer rely on bows and horses. However, looking back at the present and thinking about the past, it is also a good thing to miss the old things.” He pondered for a while, and then took the bow as the subject, and slowly chanted:

After Li Shimin chanted, he laughed aloud: "Wild flowers are blooming in front of me, spring water is flowing, where are there falling geese and crowing apes? It's a bit hypocritical for me to recite this poem." Chang He didn't know why, and could only praise repeatedly. Li Shimin chanted both bow and horse today, thinking of the era of gold and iron horses in the past, he was thinking there.On the second day, he came to Liangyi Hall and asked someone to tell Yan Liben to bring painting tools into the hall. After Yan Liben entered the Liangyi Hall, he found that Li Shimin was sitting there alone, meditating silently, and hurried forward to bow down.Li Shimin stood up and said, "Stay flat, Yan Qing. You spent a lot of energy doing portraits of the twenty-four heroic officials. I saw you were exhausted at that time, are you recovering now?"

"The matter of painting is just to follow the shape, and it is not very laborious. Your Majesty does not need to worry too much." "Is painting easy? Yan Qing, who in the world can stand shoulder to shoulder with you? For example, your elder brother Lide is also famous for his paintings. I will compare your painting skills with Lide's painting skills. It’s a bit less vivid and too dull. If I build a palace, I must use Lide, but if I paint people and animals, it must be you.” "Your Majesty knows people with eyesight, and the ministers are far behind." "Forget it, we don't need to compliment each other anymore. I called you today because I want you to draw a few horses for me on the spot."

"Horses? Could it be that His Majesty asked his ministers to draw a picture of a group of horses?" Li Shimin shook his head and said, "No way. If I think about it carefully, there are six horses who have made great achievements with me. I can draw them one by one." Li Shimin turned around and took a piece of paper, densely written on it.Yan Liben took it with both hands, and looked at it intently, only to see the words on it: Fist hair, yellow horse with black beak, rode when Ping Liu was riding.Six arrows hit the front.Zan said: The moon essence presses the bridle, the sky moves across the sky, the arrows carry the arrows, and the atmosphere is clear.

Shifachi, pure red color, when Ping Shichong and Jiande were born.Four arrows hit the front and one arrow hit the back.Zan said: Huangjian is not still, the ax and ax stretch out its power, Zhu Han gallops his feet, and the green Jing returns triumphantly. White-hoofed crow, pure black, all four hooves are white, it was ridden by Xue Rengao when he was level.Zan said: Relying on the long sword of the sky, chasing the wind and galloping feet, towering the bridle to level the Long, returning to the saddle to settle Shu. Tellerpus, yellowish-white, slightly black beak.It was used by King Kong in Ping Song Dynasty.Zan said: Take the strategy to fly into the air, inherit the voice of the Han Dynasty, enter danger and destroy the enemy, and bear danger to help difficulties.

Saluzi, Ziyanliu.When Pingdong was in the capital.Take an arrow.Praise said: Ziyan super leaps, bones are soaring, and the mountains and rivers are extravagant, majestic and majestic. Green scorpion, pale and variegated, used by Pingdou Jiande.Hit five arrows before.Zan said: "Azugaru movies, the magic tricks, Cezi Fei practice, set my military uniform." Yan Liben looked at it and asked: "Your Majesty, are you only painting these six horses? I heard that Your Majesty also has many favorite horses, such as 'Yindianji', 'Yujijiu', 'Yuhuacong', and 'Feibai'." Waiting for the horse, I think we can draw together." Li Shimin shook his head and refused, and said: "The horses are famous for their military exploits. Of course, those horses also made meritorious service with me, but they are inferior to these six steeds. Yan Qing, I asked you to bring the painting tools because I wanted to Is there any difficulty in drawing it as a palace?" "I'm already familiar with the shape of a horse, and here is His Majesty's sage finger, so I can do it with one stroke." After Yan Liben finished speaking, he leaned over and opened the drawing tool, and then began to draw.Just as he was about to write, he raised his head and asked: "Qiu Xinggong, the chariot general, changed his horse to His Majesty at that time, and also healed the injury of 'Saluzi'. I thought that Qiu Xinggong was as brave as this horse, and it seemed that he could be painted on the painting together. Does Your Majesty think it is possible?" Li Shimin smiled and said: "I will show you the topic. As for how to paint, it is the freedom under Yan Qing's brush. In a word, how to paint the six horses is up to you, and I will not interfere." After that, he let Yan Liben Concentrating on painting on the right side of the hall, he turned around and came to the desk to carefully ponder his praise for Liu Jun.After a long time, he asked the eunuch to send Ouyang Xun again.Ouyang Xun tremblingly entered the Hall of Liangyi, intending to salute Li Shimin, Li Shimin stepped forward to support him, and pointed to Yan Liben on the right who was concentrating on painting, signaling him to speak softly.He brought Ouyang Xun to the front of the case, spread the compliments of Liu Jun in front of him, and said softly: "Ouyang Qing, I asked you to come here because I want you to rewrite these compliments to match the original painting." Ouyang Xun stopped talking, picked up the pen obediently, and began to write seriously. After about an hour, Ouyang Xun was the first to finish writing.In the meantime, he was dissatisfied with what he had written, so he scrapped the paper and re-wrote until he was satisfied.In the past, Ouyang Xun often wrote in one go, and it took more than an hour to write hundreds of words, which shows how serious he is about writing this praise. At that time, Yan Liben had finished drawing four horses, and half of the fifth "fist hair" was completed.Li Shimin and Ouyang Xun stood quietly behind Yan Li himself, watching his painting.Yan Liben tapped the paintbrush and drew several arrows on the horse's collar and back.These arrows seem to have just hit the "fist hair", and Yan Liben used his magic brush to condense the pain of the horse when the arrow was hit and the expression of the horse fighting fiercely. The painting is not yet finished, but it is quite vivid. Li Shimin sighed and moved, with tears in his eyes, he couldn't help saying: "Oh, 'Fist Hair' fought with me, and was finally swept away by the flood, so that there was no bones left. Every time I think of it, I feel very uncomfortable. " Yan Liben stopped writing, got up and said: "After reading the praise written by Your Majesty, I meditated on the scene of the fierce battle at that time, and tears stained my clothes. First, these six steeds can be said to be spiritual things. For Your Majesty's safety, they deserve credit Zhiwei; two, His Majesty was the commander in chief of the battlefield at that time. He broke into the enemy's formation with a strong and sharp head, fought hand-to-hand with the enemy, and finally conquered the world. Looking at the fierce scene of the six horses, one can know that His Majesty's achievements are very human. And this kind of battle scene, the ancient monarchs could not have it." When Li Shimin used to go to war, he would lead hundreds of people into the enemy's formation and meet the enemy hand-to-hand. Watching his horses fight and even die on the battlefield, we can know the tragic scene of the battle at that time.Acting as a vanguard as the commander of the battlefield, not to mention the ancient monarchs, is the commander of the battlefield. Li Shimin's approach is rare.Li Jing disapproved of Li Shimin's move, thinking that if he made a mistake, it would shake his own position.But Li Shimin didn't listen, he still went his own way, thinking that he was protected by the gods, although he experienced countless adventures, several horses under him were killed in battle, but he himself was not damaged at all. Just now Ouyang Xun carefully read the compliments of the six horses, and vaguely felt that Li Shimin was clearly praising the merits of the six horses, but in fact he wanted to show his merits in battle.He also bowed and said: "When your majesty was the king of Qin, he put on a strong and sharp sword and killed countless enemies. Your majesty took the world of the Tang Dynasty. With your majesty's power, I escaped from Dou Jiande at Hulao pass and returned to the Tang camp. Afterwards, every time I think about it, I feel that this life is really fortunate." When people start to nostalgia, they often think of the glory of the past, and will never recall those unbearable things.Li Shimin is now nostalgic, that is to say, he has a feeling of self-respect for the glory of the past, so he is not disgusted when he hears the praise of his courtiers, and he is quite contented in his heart.After listening to Yan Liben and Ouyang Xun's words, he felt very comfortable in his heart. He slowly put away his tears, wiped away the tears with a wave of his hand, and said, "Liben, it's more important to get down to business. Don't gossip, you can continue painting." Yan Liben then turned around and sat down, concentrating on completing the painting of "Fist Hair", which was completed in a short while.He carefully took off the drawing paper, clipped a new piece of paper, and began to draw "Salu Purple". Because there is a portrait of Qiu Xinggong in this painting, Yan Liben took a lot of effort to paint it than the previous five paintings.He first painted "Saluzi" with several arrows in his body, drooping eyes, and slightly shrunk hips, showing the pained expression after being injured; then he painted Qiu Xinggong in a battle robe, with a saber and quiver hanging from his waist, bowing his head to draw bloody arrows for a horse . "Sa Luzi" leaned tightly against Qiu Xinggong's chest, with endless nostalgia in his eyes.Yan Liben captures the moment when people and horses depend on each other, and freezes this moving scene, making the picture appear lifelike. At dusk, Yan Liben's six paintings will be completed.Ouyang Xun looked closely at the meaning of the painting, pointed to "Sa Lu Zi" and said to Li Shimin: "Your Majesty, I think this painting is the most vivid, and it ranks first among the six paintings." Li Shimin nodded in agreement: "The general world is only vivid because of people. In this painting, people and horses are together, which can be said to be suitable for movement and stillness. Naturally ranks first. Liben, you can complete the painting of the six horses in a short time, and the three horses are in the shape of a gallop. The three horses stand in a vertical shape, their posture is handsome, their charm is valiant, their shapes are vivid, and they are not the same, which is not easy. It can be said that it complements each other with Ouyang Qing's book, and it is the top grade of calligraphy and painting. Well, I want to reward you very much." Ouyang Xun and Yan Liben bowed to thank each other, and Ouyang Xun said: "How can I compare with Your Majesty's great achievements, and I dare not accept the reward. If you say that this painting is a day old, it is still in His Majesty's honor." Seeing Ouyang Xun's face smiling, Li Shimin knew that the old man's sense of humor would never change, so he asked with a smile, "What kind of honor do you get from me?" "Your Majesty's great achievements are as clear as the sun and the moon. If anything can be connected with His Majesty's achievements, it will definitely be passed on to future generations. In this way, the art of calligraphy and the paintings of the ministers will be immortalized." "Haha, you old man, the older you are, the hotter your flattery is. When I was not famous, you old man's calligraphy was already famous all over the world. Why should you be so modest? Write the monument of Wei Zheng, write about heroes and six steeds. Zan, I love you. Speaking of which, I still have the suspicion of taking advantage of your name. Forget it, we monarchs and ministers enjoy each other. Let's go, I will give you a banquet today, and then I will reward you with some things to polish your pens. Let you suffer, so it's worth two." When Ouyang Xun and Yan Liben saw the emperor's witty words, they knew what they meant, so they bowed to thank each other. During the banquet, Li Shimin asked Yan Liben to say: "I have made up my mind. After a hundred years of praise for this painting, it must stay by my side forever. Liben, you hand over this praise to my brother Lide, and let him select the stonemason to follow. Figure engraving." Ouyang Xun interjected: "Your Majesty is in his prime, and it is not too late to think about what will happen after you reach your present age." Li Shimin said: "The ancient kings began to build mausoleums when they were alive. I advocate thin burials, and it is not a luxury to make only a few stone carvings. I have made up my mind and set up a copy. You can do it quickly." After Yan Lide took the order, he immediately recruited master craftsmen to engrave Yan Liben's paintings on six fine white marble marbles, and Ouyang Xun's four lines of praise were engraved on the upper left corner of the stones.The stone is eight feet high and one foot wide. It stands on the north gate of Zhaoling Mausoleum. It is the famous stone carving of "Six Horses of Zhaoling Mausoleum" in later generations.Some people in later generations praised: Qin Wang's iron cavalry conquered the world, and the six horses' skills and paintings are also excellent. Recently, Li Chengqian had repeatedly stated by Li Shimin that he felt that his position as prince had been stabilized, and his temperament had gradually changed.In recent days, he was very annoyed with Du Zhenglun, so he came to Li Shimin to complain. Du Zhenglun gained Li Shimin's trust and was awarded the title of Minister of Zhongshu. At this time, Li Baiyao returned home, and Li Shimin gave Du Zhenglun the right concubine of the prince to fill his position.When Du Zhenglun went to the East Palace, Li Shimin earnestly warned Du Zhenglun: "When I was eighteen years old, I had experienced a lot of hardships among the people. Growing up in the bustling bushes, it is difficult to understand the taste of the world. I entrust you as the right bastard of the prince. From now on, you will always be by the prince's side. You must let the prince understand these principles. In the past, the prince used to associate with villains a lot. You must clearly distinguish this matter when you are by his side If the prince refuses to listen, you must tell me quickly." Du Zhenglun received this imperial decree, and when he saw Li Chengqian's slight misconduct, he immediately remonstrated with him. Li Chengqian sometimes refused to listen, and Du Zhenglun He threatened with Li Shimin's words, saying that he would sue the emperor.After several times, Li Chengqian was furious, so he discussed with Han Wang Li Yuanchang and decided to drive Du Zhenglun out of the East Palace. On this day, Li Chengqian and Li Yuanchang came to the Hall of Taiji together, and found Li Shimin to ask for instructions about offering sacrifices to the elder Sun Jiamin.Li Chengqian said that last night, the queen mother dreamed that her quilt was too thin, and asked Li Chengqian to send a thick quilt.In fact, Li Chengqian is talking nonsense. The eldest grandson Jiamin passed away many years ago. When did he dream of his mother? Helpless, Li Shimin loved his eldest grandson Jiamin, he couldn't tell the truth from the falsehood, and immediately believed it, and said in a trembling voice: "Oh, sister Min, your last words were buried poorly, and even the coffin was not allowed to be used, so that you lay coldly among the rocks. You entrusted the dream to Chengqian, why didn't you tell me?" He pondered for a moment, then turned to Li Chengqian and said: "Since your mother has said this, I will order the supervisor to build the coffin and bury your mother in the mausoleum that has been built. among." Li Yuanchang said: "Brother Huang, does this violate the last words of the emperor's wife?" Li Shimin waved his hand and said: "This time, let's go against his last words. The queen is too frugal in Japan, so that she is entrusted with her dreams. Alas, why didn't I think of this sooner?" The two bowed and agreed. Seeing that they still didn't leave, Li Shimin asked, "Go and do it quickly, why are you still standing here? Do you have anything else to say?" Li Chengqian said: "Father, my son does have something to say, I don't know if I should say it or not?" "Say it quickly." Li Shimin became obviously impatient. "Since Du Zhenglun entered the East Palace, for some reason, he has blamed his ministers too much." "He is the son of the right, and it is his responsibility to admonish you for your mistakes, so why not blame him?" "The emperor doesn't know something. There are many people who have taught the prince over the years, such as Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, Li Gang, Yu Zhining, Li Baiyao and others. They follow the way of sages and sages to guide the prince, not like Du Zhenglun. Simple." Li Yuanchang interjected. "Hmph, be kind and courteous? Then why did Li Baiyao and Yu Zhining treat the crown prince well and well, but they didn't get the prince's good looks?" Li Yuanchang and Li Chengqian had ulterior motives, thinking that Li Shimin knew about their misdeeds of attacking them.Li Chengqian was so frightened that he didn't dare to speak again. Li Yuanchang still had a bit of guts, considering himself the emperor's younger brother, and continued, "Brother emperor, Du Zhenglun was really rude to the prince. He always scolded the prince and threatened to kill him many times." Telling the prince's mistakes to the emperor's brother is really deceiving too much." This sentence moved Li Shimin, and he asked in amazement: "Did Zhenglun really say that?" "It's true, it's true." "If that's the case, Du Zhenglun is really not suitable to assist the crown prince. Well, I see." Seeing that the complaint was successful, Li Yuanchang and Li Chengqian couldn't help showing joy. Li Shimin's face was a little ugly at this time. He narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then asked Li Yuanchang: "Yuanchang, you are about the same age as the prince, so you should not play too much together with the prince. I heard that Hou Junji has been going for a while Donggong runs quite hard, did you ask Hou Junji to teach you how to fight games?" Li Yuanchang replied: "The younger brothers and the prince admire the emperor's brilliant martial arts, and also want to learn some battlefield skills. Most of the prince's teachers are civil servants, who are unable to teach the way of marching, so I invite Hou Jun to join the East Palace to teach one or two." Li Shimin snorted and reprimanded: "Yanwu Xiuwen is the principle of governing the country. The prince has not yet mastered the principles of governing the country, so why talk about other things? And after the country has been in peace for a long time, it is a matter of leading troops to conquer the Quartet. As the prince, you know how to choose It’s enough to be able to appoint someone capable, you don’t need to go into battle yourself! You tell Hou Junji that he is not allowed to run to the East Palace in the future.” Every time Li Chengqian saw his father's face, he didn't dare to say anything more. Now that he was being reprimanded by his father, he suddenly became terrified and frightened, so he obediently agreed. Seeing that the purpose of the trip had been achieved, the two bowed to leave for fear of causing complications. Li Shimin was still angry, so he sent someone to tell Du Zhenglun to go to the palace to see him immediately. After Du Zhenglun entered the palace, before he finished saluting to Li Shimin, he was reprimanded by Li Shimin: "Du Zhenglun, I asked you to teach the prince because I want you to correct the prince with the way of sages and sages, so as to achieve the way of the mean. It's good for you. I will use my words to suppress the prince. I ask you, why did the words I taught you leak to the prince?" Du Zhenglun didn't dare to get up, raised his head and replied: "I taught the prince with the principles of sages, but the prince didn't listen. I didn't dare to tell your Majesty about the prince's trip, so I had to use your majesty's words to warn the prince, hoping that the prince would restrain himself and make peace." correct." Li Shimin was furious, and reprimanded: "Wei Zheng is in Japan, and he recommends you as a talented person. I listen to his words and promote your secrets. But you are out of the mean, talking about Feng Deyi's bad deeds in the court. This The fact is true, but if you searched the past and cursed the dead with harsh words, did you lose your honesty? Now you are an official to the Minister of Zhongshu, and you are an important minister respected by the government and the public. Now you leak my words, is it not true? Have you lost the dignity of being a minister?" Du Zhenglun was so frightened that he lowered his head to the ground after Li Shimin's barrage of questions, not daring to argue a word. Li Shimin then reprimanded: "Wei Zheng said that you are talented, hmph, I don't think so, you don't even have the basics of being a minister, how can you be talented? You are the servant of Zhongshu, and you are the right concubine of the prince. You don’t even need to do it. Go back, pack your bags, and go to Jiaozhou Governor.” Zhongshu Shilang is the third rank, while the governor of Jiaozhou is the fourth rank.Because of one mistake, Du Zhenglun was demoted three grades in a row, which can be described as unpredictable. When Li Chengqian and Li Yuanchang learned that Du Zhenglun had been demoted, and would never see this annoying guy again, they couldn't help celebrating with each other and setting up wine to congratulate. Li Shimin expelled Du Zhenglun from the capital, and remembering that most of the heroes painted by Lingyan Pavilion have passed away, and the pattern of important officials holding important positions formed in the early years of Zhenguan seemed to be in disarray, so he decided to rectify it.On this day, he asked Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji, Gao Shilian, and Xiao Yu to be called into the West Nuan Pavilion of Tai Chi Hall to discuss the matter together. At this time, Changsun Wuji served as Situ, Fang Xuanling served as Sikong and Shangshu Zuopushe, Gao Shilian served as Kaifu Yitong Sansi concurrently served as Shangshu Youpushe, Xiao Yu was a special advance, and Li Wensan was a first-rank official. After the four of them entered the cabinet, Li Shimin asked them to sit around and said, "I called you here today to discuss the appointment of officials." The middle official is the best, and he is the person I trust the most. But, among the four, three are my closest relatives, and one is my old friend. Speaking of outsiders, they will definitely blame me for nepotism." The eldest grandson Wuji is Li Shimin's brother-in-law, Gao Shilian is Li Shimin's wife-in-law, Xiao Yu is Li Yuan's mother's natal son-in-law, and Fang Xuanling is Li Shimin's old minister. Everyone knew that Li Shimin was joking, so they laughed it off.Li Shimin's achievement of great rule in the world, in a certain sense, is to appoint the virtuous to rule.It is said in the world that it is difficult to know people, especially difficult to employ them, but Li Shimin understands the principle that to know people is to know both good and evil, and to employ people is to let go of their weaknesses and learn from their strengths. His ability to know people and do good things surpasses all previous monarchs.From the early years of Zhenguan to the present, Li Shimin has adopted the principles of inclusiveness, equal emphasis on talents and virtues, different situations and different treatment.The sources of its ministers mainly fall into four categories: one is the family members of the Prince of Qin, such as Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Changsun Wuji, Chu Liang, etc.; and others; the third is poor family officials without deep roots, such as Ma Zhou, Liu Ji, Dai Zhou, etc.;These four types of characters represent different factions of various classes in the early Tang Dynasty, such as the Guanlong Group, the Shandong Group, the landlords of the common clan, and the landlords of the noble clan.In comparison, Li Shimin adopted a policy of trusting and trusting the first, second, and third types of characters, forming the core force for the imperial court to discuss and administer state affairs.For more than ten years in Zhenguan, people in the government and the public all know that the current emperor treats his subordinates with sincerity and knows people well, so Li Shimin joked that he was nepotism, which is not true. Li Shimin went on to say: "Since Wei Zheng passed away, my mind has been in a state of confusion, and I have no time to think about important affairs in the court. I can only be busy with pictures of Lingyan Pavilion heroes and pictures of six steeds. Yesterday Du Zhenglun was demoted for his crimes, which made me vigilant. Be vigilant, and feel that it is time to take care of the appointment of officials." Changsun Wuji said: "The affairs of the court are in order, and I have not seen any chaos." Li Shimin shook his head and said: "I read Wei Zheng's "Ten Jianshu" again last night, and I deeply realized that governance is like sailing against the current. If you don't advance, you will retreat. When I raised my army at the age of eighteen, you or When we are in our prime, or in our youth, over twenty years have passed, and as we get older, we always feel that we have lost some of the vigor of the past. Xiao Gong, if I speak like this, you don’t have any other thoughts, do you?” Now that Xiao Yu is a very advanced person, Li Shimin allows him to participate in the government affairs, but he has not asked much about the affairs of the government recently, and he seems to be retiring his life.When he saw Li Shimin questioning himself, he replied: "A person's life span is limited. When you are young, you are full of vigor, but when you are old, you will inevitably lose your spirit. There is no way around it. Your Majesty, the waves behind the river push the waves ahead, and the trees in front of the diseased trees are full of spring. This metaphor is also very appropriate for the appointment of officials, in order to keep the government young, it is necessary to introduce new people in time." "Okay, Mr. Xiao can say this, which shows that you have the same vigor in your heart." Li Shimin was overjoyed when he heard the words, and hurriedly praised. Seeing Li Shimin say this, the four of them understood that today's topic is to discuss newcomers.Fang Xuanling said: "Your Majesty is smart and powerful. He selects people who are not selfish to the party and make the best use of their talents. Therefore, the enemies in the past are willing to be loyal. The unknown and poor people are evenly appointed. With the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, I really depend on it." Li Shimin didn't want to listen to Fang Xuanling's polite words of praise, and said: "Xuanling, you have been following me to recruit talents. From your point of view, who can be a minister in the current court?" Fang Xuanling guessed what Li Shimin meant, knowing that the selection of newcomers this time was not simply a promotion, but to put them in the post of prime minister, so he thought it over and said: "I think that Ma Zhou and Chu Suiliang have been tempered for a long time. , can be used.” Li Shimin nodded, and asked the other three people: "Do you think there are others?" Gao Shilian said: "Cen Wenwen and Liu Ji have been tempered for many years, and now they have emerged. I think they can be used more." Li Shimin nodded and said: "Cen Wenwen manages the government calmly and does his best, like a dark wind; Liu Ji is quick in thinking, loyal and straightforward in governing, quite like Wei Zheng. These two are good, your vision is the same as mine." Xiao Yu said: "Xu Jingzong used to be one of the eighteen scholars. Since Zhenguan, he has been conscientious and capable in handling affairs. I think he can also be reused." Changsun Wuji echoed, "Most of the eighteen scholars of the Qin family are dead now, Xu Jingzong is talented and capable of doing things, it's time to use him." Li Shimin shook his head and said: "I think this person is flashy and hard to be of great use. He is indeed talented, but I still can't let go of the two things he did. One is Yu Wenhua and regicide at the end of the Sui Dynasty, and he also killed Yu Shiji and Xu Shanxin, Yu Shinan wanted to die on behalf of his brother generously at that time, but Xu Jingzong begged for his life from Yu Wenhua and Yu Wenhua regardless of the revenge of killing his father; the other thing was that he laughed wildly when Ouyang Xun wore mourning clothes look." Xiao Yu continued: "When Xu Shanxin was killed, Xu Jingzong was young after all, and it was a trivial matter for him to laugh wildly in disrespect." "How can it be a trivial matter? The ambition of a person is born in nature. Xu Jingzong is so afraid of death, which shows that he is a little less proud. Such a person will change when the environment changes. I have never witnessed him laughing wildly. However, I can imagine his face in my heart. Everyone in the world knows that the empress is a sage. The reason why she laughed wildly showed her disapproval. From this, it can be seen that his previous appearance of grief was just pretending. from." Li Shimin loves his eldest grandson Jiamin, if others disrespect her, Li Shimin will be very angry. Fang Xuanling usually doesn't like Xu Jingzong, and always feels that this person is quite scheming and quick-witted.Generally speaking, when people communicate with each other, they pay attention to the word "fate" at the beginning, and only if they have similar ambitions can they continue to communicate.At the beginning, Fang Xuanling had several in-depth talks with Xu Jingzong, but Xu Jingzong said a lot of flattering words, but too few real words, which Fang Xuanling didn't like, and the two of them stopped talking too much after that.Fang Xuanling knew very well that there are vicious and good natures in human nature, those with more vicious nature and less good nature are evil people, and those with more good nature and less vicious nature are good people.In life, one must be constrained by others and morality when expressing one's true nature.Take Feng Deyi as an example. When he was Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, he made friends with Yu Shiji and did many bad things. However, in the Zhenguan era, he suppressed his evil and did many good things.In today's world of Qingming politics, Xu Jingzong is able to restrain his nature, keep his tail between his legs tightly, and dare not reveal his true colors. However, after a hundred years of Li Shimin, how can he know whether Xu Jingzong will change again?Fang Xuanling thought of this, and said: "When the forest is deep, the birds will live; if the water is wide, the fish will swim; if the benevolence and righteousness are accumulated, things will return to themselves. Xu Jingzong is certainly smart, but under the political atmosphere of the Qingming Dynasty in our dynasty, I believe he can still make great achievements. Something good." Li Shimin didn't want to talk about Xu Jingzong anymore, so he waved his hand to stop the topic.He closed his eyes and meditated for a while, then opened his eyes and said, "Well, I want to grant Ma Zhou the title of Zhongshuling, Cen Wenwen the secretary supervisor, Liu Ji the servant, and Chu Suiliang the admonisher who also knows daily life and participates in government affairs. What do you think?" All four agreed. At the court meeting on the second day, Li Shimin had people read out the imperial edict conferring on these four people. Ma Zhou, Cen Wenwen, Chu Suiliang, and Liu Ji came out of class to thank you. Li Shimin let him rest, and said: "When I first came to the throne, I set the national policy of 'pacifying the people to calm', and Xuanling and Ruhui offered me four measures. Suiliang, you now know the daily life note, you should know What are these four measures?" Chu Suiliang replied loudly: "These four measures are to reduce extravagance and save money, to lighten corvees and reduce taxes, to select good officials, and to make people have more than enough food and clothing." "Well, not bad. Do you know which of these four is the first?" "The minister thinks that the four points are irrelevant, and one cannot be dispensed with." "It should be said like this, but I believe that the selection of good officials is the most important thing. You must know the truth that the affairs of the world are carried out by people. Below me are hundreds of officials, and under a hundred officials are thousands of officials. Officials guard the land and go up Dedicate yourself to the imperial court, and be responsible to the common people. The key to rejuvenating the country and mourning the country lies in his hands. Chen Junbin was the governor of Dengzhou at the beginning, and he was able to make Dengzhou prosperous. This is the reason. I repeat the old story today to tell you that you live in The temple is so high, don't forget the responsibilities on your shoulders." "The ministers should bear in mind His Majesty's lesson, and should do their best, and dare not slack off." "Ma Zhou, the Zhongshu Province is in charge of the government orders of the military and the country, and I am in charge of the great government. You are the Zhongshu Ling, so you should know the weight on your shoulders." Li Shimin turned to Ma Zhou again. Ma Zhou bowed and replied, "I'm a commoner, and now I'm a chancellor. You can only have your majesty's trust. I'm the order of Zhongshu. You must do your best and make careful decisions. I don't dare to let your majesty worry too much." "Well, I believe in your ability, so do it well. Don't let me worry about it. You should know that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China is in the central position, and there is no difference between one government and one order. Recently, officials have been on different missions. This is a matter of government affairs in the political affairs hall. It's time for some reasoning." The Zhengshitang is the place where the prime minister discusses matters, for example, it is located in the Ministry of Education.When Wen Yanbo was the Secretary of the Central Committee, the political affairs hall had frequent discussions.After Wen Yanbo, the role of the Zhengshitang was slightly reduced, and it was not possible to insist on deliberations as usual. "I obey the order." After Ma Zhou agreed, he stopped talking and bowed back to the class. After finishing the matter, Li Shimin asked the ministers, "Do you have anything else to play?" Hongluqing Tang Jian came out to play and said: "I have something to play." When Li Shimin saw Tang Jian, he said, "Tang Qing, put what you played in advance. Let me ask you, you are one of the twenty-four heroes. You have been in the position of Hongluqing for many years, and you have not been listed yet. Zaifu, is there any grievance in your heart?" Tang Jian was taken aback for a moment, and replied: "Your Majesty, why do you ask such a question? I am a minister, and I always feel that I do too little in my daily life, and I am so favored by the emperor. Where does the grievance come from?" "I know you will answer this way, because I have asked this question. I want to tell all the gentlemen through you: stick to your duties and do things faithfully, which is the gospel for me and the common people. Tang Qing, the reason why I let you stick to your position all these years is because You have done a good job in this position. Neighbors on the frontier must rely on morality, sometimes they must be appeased, and they must be in close contact with each other on weekdays. At present, apart from you, I can’t think of anyone who can replace you .” "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your compliment." Tang Jian bowed. "I still want to praise you. After I came to the throne, the ministers with the shoulders and arms have exhausted their plans, and the small officials have exhausted their strengths. Everyone works together with one heart and one mind, so that the world is in order. You have been in office for more than ten years, and you don't want to be famous. Don't think about meritorious service, but be diligent in doing your job well. This kind of virtue can be a model for people in the world." Li Shimin's praise of Tang Jian is actually due to the promotion of Ma Zhou and others as prime ministers today, and he feels it in his heart. Tang Jian bowed again: "Your Majesty said this, which made the minister extremely ashamed. The late Du Ruhui and Dai Zhou were responsible for political affairs. All the other capable ministers exhaust their wisdom, do their best, and do their best. The reason why everyone does this is because your Majesty knows people well and serves ministers with courtesy. When you are in a prosperous age, I am very fortunate to be able to do my part for the country, and I dare not have any unreasonable thoughts." Li Shimin saw that Tang Jian's expression was sincere, his words were sincere, and his expression showed a sense of anxiety. He knew that his praise of him in class today had aroused his uneasiness, so he stopped continuing this topic and said, "Well, what I said is sincere. , I hope you can understand it in detail. You just said that you want to play something, so go ahead." "Zhang Jian, the governor of Yingzhou, sent someone to report that last month, Gai Suwen, the lord of Western Goryeo, planned to kill more than a hundred ministers, then rushed into the palace, killed King Jianwu of Goryeo with his own hands, and established himself as Mo Lizhi. state affairs." "Oh, how is Gai Suwen usually like?" "Gai Suwen has a majestic appearance. He often wears five knives, and no one dares to look up. His character is fierce, and he bullies others at every turn, which arouses the uneasiness of King Jianwu and his ministers in Korea. He is planning to punish him. However, Gai Suwen found out that his actions were not secret. , so strike first to be strong." "If such a person governs Goryeo, there will never be peace in Liaodong." Liaodong has three countries standing at the same time: Goryeo, Silla and Baekje.高丽与大唐接壤，其东南为百济，东北为新罗。武德初年，这三国均遣使朝贡于唐。然三国之间经常发生冲突，攻伐不断。武德九年，新罗、百济派遣使者入长安告称：高丽屡屡侵略，又闭其道路，阻碍入朝。贞观初年，高丽、百济同伐新罗，联兵数年不退，新罗女王贞德遣使告急。当时，李世民秉承“抚民以静”之方略，不愿出兵排解，只好派使者在三国之间进行调停使之和解。此后，李世民又忙于平定东突厥及西北军情事务，无暇顾及辽东之事。这三国中，以高丽国势力最强，且渐有抗击唐廷之心。高丽王惧怕大唐伐其国，举国修筑长城，其东北自扶余城，西南至海修建了千余里长城以备唐。然高丽王建武毕竟畏惧大唐国势，不敢公然翻脸，每年皆来朝贡示好。 高丽王建武性格比较内敛，现在换了凶暴的盖苏文来主政，则辽东的变数又增加了不少。李世民先问盖苏文性格，可见他深谙这个道理。 “陛下，张俭请问下步行止。” 李世民沉吟道：“盖苏文弑其君而专国政，诚不可忍。以今日兵力，取之不难，然朕又不欲劳民伤财。”他将李世唤出班来，问道：“李卿，若兵发高丽，一万兵难当其效吧？” 李世答道：“高丽为苦寒之地，若我国派兵去讨，粮道太远不易转运，万一攻伐不顺误了时日，到了严寒天气，我军攻伐困难。高丽国深沟高垒，不似漠北那样一马平川，极难攻取，一万兵断断不行。” “若依卿所言，攻取高丽须用何策呢？” “臣以为，若攻取高丽须胜兵五万自陆地进发，高丽国必倾全国之力来抗拒，造成其后方空虚；此时，陛下另遣舟师出东海，自海道趋平壤，这样水陆合势，前后夹击，取之不难。只是……” "Just what?" “陛下多次说过，要抚民以静，不轻易对外用兵。高丽国畏惧我国，断然不敢侵扰边境，其仅取守势而已。陛下若发十万余大兵，势必枉费钱财，且粮道太远，长途转运粮草又需十余万民夫，于国十分不利。臣以为，可以派使前去安抚，使他们勿相侵扰即可。” “嗯，李卿所言，甚合朕意。眼下四周安静，仅辽北这里有些骚动，然不足为虑，还是以不出兵为好。唐卿，你可转告张俭，让他密切注意盖苏文的举动，一有动静，立刻奏报。” 李世、唐俭躬身答应后退回班中。