Chapter 29 Chapter 29: Swallowing Strong Medicine and Going Astray

After the Spring Festival in the 23rd year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin was extremely weak.During the daytime, the charcoal fire in the hall was extremely prosperous, making the room as hot as spring, and Li Shimin had to put on thick robes one after another, for fear of catching cold.When Li Shimin took the aphrodisiac given by Na Luo Er Suo Po Mei last year, he felt energetic, and he couldn't help being energetic day and night, fighting endlessly.After several months of this, taking the medicine again seemed to be ineffective, so Li Shimin gave up on it.After stopping the drug, Li Shimin was depressed and listless.

Although Li Shimin's body is very weak, he still braced himself to receive the envoy. Datang has sent troops to harass Goryeo for several years, which made the Goryeo people exhausted. Gai Suwen was too busy to deal with it, so he had no intention of sending troops to attack Silla, which made Silla breathe.During the Spring Festival of this year, Queen Kim Jung-deok of Silla sent her younger brother Kim Chun-chu of Silla to pay tribute to Chang'an, and King Kim Moon, the son of Kim Chun-chu, also accompanied him.Li Shimin held on to his sick body and met them. Jin Chunqiu praised the emperor for his kindness to Silla and presented tributes, among which dozens of Korean ginseng were the most eye-catching.Jin Chunqiu respectfully said: "The subjects of Silla only hope that Your Majesty will be healthy and live forever, so I offer Korean ginseng as a token of my heart."

Li Shimin coughed, and said: "Silla is thousands of miles away, do you know that my body is empty?" This sentence made it difficult for Jin Chunqiu to answer, Li Shimin's weakness can be seen at a glance.Now he feels that speaking bluntly and falsely is not good, he hesitated for a while, and slowly replied: "Although the subjects of Silla are thousands of miles away, their admiration for His Majesty is no different from that of the Chinese. Korean ginseng has only one thought, that is, your Majesty's daily consumption, in addition to eternal longevity, can also make your spirit more vigorous, so that your majesty can feel the reverence of the subjects of Silla. For the blessing of Silla."

Li Shimin and the ministers present all praised Jin Chunqiu for being able to speak. Li Shimin smiled and said: "Longevity is boundless? It's okay to say such respectful words, life is limited, let alone long live, how many people can be a hundred years old? I am fifty-two this year, with such a body, I am afraid it will be difficult to reach a hundred years old." Bar!" Jin Chunqiu hurriedly said: "Korean ginseng does have the effect of prolonging life. If Your Majesty takes it for a long time from now on, let alone a hundred years, it is unknown whether you can prolong your life by another century."

Li Shimin shook his head and said: "Forget it, if Korean ginseng has such effects, it will be the best in the world. At the beginning, Qin Shihuang sent Xu Fu to the east to seek medicine for longevity, why didn't he use local materials? Well, I am a little tired If you can't have a banquet, Gao Qing will accompany you." Gao Yanshou agreed: "I obey the order." Li Shimin turned to Chu Suiliang and said: "Silla hangs alone by the sea. It has been loyal to China for many years, and its aspirations are commendable. Suiliang, please quickly draw up an order to grant Jin Qing the special promotion and his son General Zuo Wuwei. "

Chu Suiliang bowed to receive the decree, and when the four countries came to the pilgrimage, Li Shimin often conferred official positions in the Tang Dynasty to show his favor.It is quite an honor for Jin Chunqiu to be awarded the first rank of Special Advancement and Lie Wen San Official this time. Jin Chunqiu and his son hurriedly knelt down and thanked him.Jin Chunqiu thanked Enbi, raised his body and said: "Your Majesty, after entering the ground of China, I found that the clothes worn by men and women are quite splendid, and I also saw that the official uniforms of the court have a new look. Yes, Silla will switch to the Tang Dynasty clothes from now on."

People in Silla speak Chinese and use Chinese characters at this time, which is no different from the Chinese. Jin Chunqiu please use the Tang Dynasty Zhangfu now. After meeting with Jin Chunqiu and his son, Li Shimin also met Helibu Shibi, King of Kucha from the Western Regions.Li Shimin looked tired at this time, and he didn't want to talk too much with him, he only reprimanded him a few words, and then awarded him the title of Zuo Wuwei Zhonglang General, and made him live in Beijing with his family. Seeing Li Shimin's fatigue, Li Zhi was very worried. After he came down, he summoned Wang Xuance and Cui Dunli to inquire about the progress of refining medicine.He was young and ignorant, seeing that Li Shimin believed in the power of elixirs recently, he regarded elixirs as very effective, and felt that he should supervise the progress of refining medicines to show his benevolence and filial piety.

Li Zhi said to the two of them: "You have all seen it. Father has looked tired these days and urgently needs to use the elixir. Let me ask you, how is the progress of that Tianzhu man refining the medicine?" Wang Xuance said: "This matter was supervised by Cui Shangshu. I have recently experienced a new job, so I didn't ask about this matter." Li Zhi looked at Cui Dunli. Cui Dunli reported: "Your Highness, since I have been in charge of supervising the refining of medicines, I have set up a dharma field in Jinbiao Gate, built a three-story high platform, and collected domestic strange medicines and stones according to the list made by the alchemist. Recently, the alchemist has When I started to refine medicine, I only burned borneols and smoked Lu Zhuxiang every day, which required several catties, and I also played happily in the audience, and the sound continued day and night."

Borneo and Xunlu Zhuxiang are expensive, and it takes a lot of money to burn several catties of incense every day.Hearing this, Li Zhi asked in puzzlement, "What does the refining of elixir have to do with burning incense and playing music?" "The alchemist insisted on doing this, saying that only in this way can he obtain the Great Repayment Pill." Li Zhi nodded, and asked again: "So, when will the pill be refined?" "Now everything is ready, only the ivory and harilla are missing." "What's the difficulty? There are Hu merchants in both capitals, and they must have stock in their hands. Otherwise, just send someone to Guangzhou Port to get it."

At that time, Chang'an and Luoyang had convenient transportation and prosperous commerce, making them the first choice for Hu merchants to live together.Many foreign businessmen settled here, shuttling back and forth to buy and sell fragrant medicines, treasures, and ceramics.In addition to transporting these goods by land, many goods were also transported by sea. Guangzhou was the largest port in China at that time, and there were many sails and booms, and the merchants were prosperous.The port is full of ships from Brahmins, Persia, Kunlun, and Dashi Kingdom, and they are loaded with incense, medicine, and treasures.Cui Dunli shook his head and said: "The alchemist from Tianzhu said that the ivory must be the ivory of a two-year-old female elephant in Tianzhu, and the Helile must be from Fulin, and cannot be taken casually."

"Oh, it's so particular. If that's the case, you should send a special person to buy it as soon as possible." "Chen Er has sent two groups of people to buy it a few days ago. Counting the date, we will return in a month or so." "Too slow, too slow. You tell the Anxi Protectorate in my name, and as soon as these purchasers enter the country, send the goods to Beijing immediately. The father is in such a healthy state that there is no time to delay. " The two bowed and obeyed. Na Luoer Suo Po Mei is actually a person who pretends to be a ghost. He said that he has lived for more than two hundred years, which is pure nonsense. Unexpectedly, Wang Xuance believed it deeply, and Li Shimin and his son also believed it.The art of alchemy he called was nothing more than knowing how to make aphrodisiacs. Now, in order to show the mystery of his alchemy, he put on a show and spent a lot of money and things. After Cui Dunli and Wang Xuance came out of the palace, they came directly to the medicine refining field, and they could smell the fragrant wind and the soft music. The Indian alchemist sat on the high platform, closed his eyes slightly, and pretended to be chanting there.They didn't dare to disturb him, they waited respectfully under the stage for more than an hour.At this time the music stopped, and the alchemist stepped off the stage surrounded by four young girls. Cui Dunli asked: "Master, just now the emperor summoned us and asked when the elixir will be ready?" Wang Xuance also said: "The crown prince has sent an order to Anxi Dufu, if ivory and other items enter the country, they will be transported to Beijing immediately by fast horse." Na Luoer Suo Po Mei knew that these officials are pampering him now, they just want him to refine the elixir as soon as possible.He played tricks on himself, knowing well that the pills he made could not prolong life, so he deliberately put on airs and tried his best to prolong the time of refining the medicines, in order to waste more time on the other.Seeing the two people coming to urge him, he said slowly: "Materials are all, now there is one most important thing that needs to be done immediately." "What's the matter?" Cui Dunli asked hastily. "On the day when the elixir is synthesized, it must be moistened with the dew from the celestial hub." "What is Tianshu?" "This Tianshu is ninety feet high, with Iron Mountain as its foot, and two unicorns cast in copper, to surround the four directions. There is a copper plate on it, three feet in diameter, to bear the morning dew." When Cui Dunli and Wang Xuance saw him mentioning such a topic, they were both stunned and couldn't help opening their mouths.Wang Xuance said: "It takes a lot of time and labor to build this thing, and it will take three months to complete. Can we use other things to replace it?" Na Luoer Suo Po Mei shook his head. Ever since Cui Dunli took up this job, he has long been made a mess by this old man, and the old man said a word, that is, strange things, it was difficult to serve him, which made him miserable.However, in order to obtain the elixir, despite all the difficulties, Cui Dunli could only follow his orders and was busy everywhere.Now the old man said that he wanted to build Tianshu, and it would not be a day's work just to prepare so much copper and iron, but he said that this is the key to refining the elixir at the last moment, Cui Dunli naturally agreed. When the two left the refining field, Cui Dunli was full of impatience, and asked Wang Xuance, "How did you think of bringing back such a treasure? Fortunately, he only said that it would take one year to refine the medicine. What if he said it would take ten years?" , I will be exhausted towards the national treasury." Wang Xuance said: "At that time I heard that he had the art of longevity, and I thought that refining medicine was not a big deal, because I brought him back to the country. Alas, who would have thought that this old man would make such a fuss, and made me want to I can't see it." "You must have been deceived by him at the time, hey, what are you two hundred and three years old, you are purely deceived! Since the establishment of the medicine factory, he asked me to match several young virgins for him, saying that taking medicine and adding medicine It must be done with virgin hands to be effective. In less than a year, he has already ruined those virgins many times in turn. You said, if he is more than two hundred years old, would he still have such ability?" Wang Xuance knew that this old man loves sex, so he smiled wryly and shook his head again and again. Cui Dunli said angrily: "Hmph, in a few days, maybe he will ask me to change another woman for him, maybe even a virgin." Wang Xuance said: "Looking at the current situation, Mr. Cui is at the last moment of refining the medicine. No matter what he wants, let him do what he wants. If he fails to refine the medicine and puts the matter on us, then he can't tell. gone." Cui Dunli gave Wang Xuance a meaningful look, and said, "He really refined the medicine, but it didn't work. At that time, hehe, Mr. Wang, the crown prince will blame you. I'm afraid you will be responsible." Now Wang Xuance deeply regrets that he brought this old man back to the country, which caused the trouble to get worse and worse, and reached the point of being out of control, so he sighed and said: "Well, it's up to now, I have to resign myself to fate. One medicine is ineffective, and the crown prince blames it, so he can't blame others." In those days, Jin Biaomen became a scenic spot in the capital.Under the towering Tianshu, the fragrant wind blows and the music is soft. Na Luoer Suopo sometimes goes around in front of the high platform and points there, attracting people from the capital to come here to observe. In March, the elixir was finally refined.Cui Dunli led Na Luoer Suo Pomei into the Taiji Hall to present the elixir to Li Shimin. Cui Dunli bowed and played: "Thanks to Your Majesty's great blessing, the elixir was prepared in the midnight of last night after master Tianzhu skillfully prepared it, and it is now presented to the imperial court." Naluo Suo Pomei held a golden plate with both hands, on which were three brocade boxes, one of which opened the lid, revealing black pills.Li Shimin walked in front of him, looked down at these dark and inconspicuous balls, and asked suspiciously: "Is this medicine really effective?" Na Luoer Suo Po Mei blinked her small eyes, and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, this medicine is the best elixir that a villain can refine in this life. Take it slowly, after a long time , which can prolong life and rejuvenate youth.” Li Shimin turned to Cui Dunli and said, "Has this medicine been seen by the Imperial Medical Office? Is it really a panacea for longevity?" Cui Dunli was not easy to answer.After the elixir was prepared last night, the imperial physician present ordered people to swallow it for trial. The person who swallowed said that after the elixir entered the abdomen, a ball of flames filled the abdomen, and he missed the matter in the room very much.The imperial physician ordered to observe its condition and knew that the elixir was a very powerful aphrodisiac, so he discussed with Cui Dunli whether it could be tried for a few days to test its efficacy before presenting it to the emperor.Cui Dunli shook his head and sighed: "The emperor respects this man as a heavenly man, and the crown prince is urging him over there again. Tonight, the elixir furnace will cease fire. After dawn, everyone in the city will know that the elixir has been prepared. If you don't offer it, your majesty will die." Blame it with the crown prince, we really can't afford it." The Imperial Physician Ling also had something to fear in his heart, fearing that he would be blamed if he didn't know the nature of the medicine.Cui Dunli said: "After taking the medicine, you can see that this person is full of energy and energy, and he does not appear to be poisoned. Your Majesty has been exhausted recently. If he regains his energy after taking the medicine, he will definitely praise the medicine for its effectiveness. In this way, we will work together I've done my job." Now that Li Shimin asked about the efficacy of the pill, Cui Dunli knew in his heart that it was undoubtedly an aphrodisiac, and he neither dared to brag about the effectiveness of the pill, nor dared to say that the medicine was useless, so he said cautiously: "Your Majesty, after Ye Lai's medicine is finished, the imperial physician He ordered someone to try it out on the spot. I have been watching from the sidelines, and I saw that after taking this person, his expression is healthy and his body is strong. It can be seen that this medicine is definitely effective. However, whether he can live forever, because the medicine is not ready, I can't verify it, so I dare not say for sure. I think, this Master Tianzhu can live to be more than two hundred years old, and he has devoted all his energy to refine the elixir this time, so the elixir should not be less effective." Li Shimin was very satisfied with Cui Dunli's answer, so he nodded, and then turned to Na Luoer Suo Pomei: "If this medicine is really effective, can I take it now?" "I can take it, I can take it. The villain has been refining this medicine for nearly a year, and what I have been looking forward to for many days is to let His Majesty take the medicine early." "How to take this medicine?" "Your Majesty, this elixir contains all the essence of the world. Its medicinal effect is very strong. You should not take more than one pill a day. The elixir contained in this brocade box is enough for your Majesty to use for a year. Jincheng Xindan, you can take two pills at that time. If you gradually accumulate it, your Majesty's dragon body will be healthy and healthy, and you will live forever." All alchemists often have excellent eloquence in the art of manipulating the world, and they can be fooled by their rhetoric.This old man is quite capable of bragging, now that the elixir has been refined, it seems to have accomplished a great feat, his demeanor reveals infinite satisfaction, and the cowhide is blowing more and more loudly. Li Shimin was wise all his life, but now he is trapped by his illness, and he believed in what the old man said, so he said: "Oh, the medicine in the brocade box is only for one year, so you can't rest, and you have to take care of yourself." I refine the next year's medicine. Cui Qing, you have to properly prepare all the expenses for it." Cui Dunli was the Minister of the Household Department, and he was busy with refining medicine this year, so he had to hand over the general affairs of the Household Department to the Minister, while he devoted himself to dealing with the strange requests made by the old man, and he was already very impatient.Now that I heard that the old man would continue to refine alchemy, he complained incessantly, but he did not dare to disobey the imperial decree, so he bowed and replied: "I obey the decree." Li Zhi had been waiting by Li Shimin's side, and at this moment he said: "Father, now that the elixir is ready, I think I can reward this Tianzhu master and those who have made great achievements." "Well, you can figure it out." Na Luo Er Suo Po Mei was given a mansion and another thousand catties of gold.Cui Dunli and related personnel also received different rewards.Wang Xuance also received some rewards for his meritorious service in recommending them. On the evening of the eve, the impatient Li Shimin swallowed a pill.Half an hour later, his belly was like a raging fire, which scorched his whole body very hot.He didn't have time to call his concubine to attend the bed, so he casually grabbed a handsome court lady beside him, pressed him on the couch and started messing around.At that moment, the fifty-two-year-old emperor seemed to have returned to his youth, with all the energy leaking from the pores of his body, as if he was rushing into the enemy's line with a machete and slashing at him endlessly.Since Li Shimin became the emperor, he never had the chance to show his courage in the enemy's battle with the attitude of a fierce general, and only when he fought fiercely among the women can he feel the taste of fighting. The maid was serving the palace, seeing the many beautiful concubines of the emperor, she never dared to think that she would have the chance to be blessed by the emperor.Now I suddenly feel the storm, with fear and excitement in my heart, but more of it is the pain of tearing.Li Shimin's eyes widened violently, and his body kept moving for half an hour. During this period, the maid's lower body first poured out blood like a trickle, and gradually the dark red blood stain soaked the bed.The palace maid resisted at first, but finally burst into tears.Li Shimin was extremely excited at this time, and he became more excited when he heard this woman's crying.After she was exhausted, she fell over to one side, and the palace lady turned pale, fainted, and was carried out. Li Shimin rested for a while, only to feel that the passion was still surging down below, so he called the eunuch to hand over the brochure to select people. The eunuch in charge watched Li Shimin's movements just now, and knew that he was taking medicine. He had a lot of experience and was very mature, so he didn't dare to send any immature and weak girls, so he said softly: "Concubine Xu is closer here, how about calling her here?" ?” Li Shimin thought of Xu Hui's pretty face and nodded in agreement. In a moment, Xu Hui was called in.She saw that Li Shimin's energetic head was very different from his previous exhaustion, and she didn't understand why. Li Shimin hugged Xu Hui lightly, leaned into his ear and said, "Hui'er, I have taken the elixir of longevity today, and I feel relieved, because I want to spend a good night with you." Without waiting for Xu Hui to ask, he revealed himself first Bottom. Na Luoer Suo Po Mei's refining medicine in the capital was very active, and it lasted for nearly a year. Everyone in the capital knew about it, and Xu Hui naturally heard of it.In the harem, Xu Hui is a knowledgeable person after all, so he doesn't take it seriously.She heard that Li Shimin had already taken the medicine, she sighed: "The concubine knows that the elixir is actually useless, and your majesty hated it in the past, why do you believe it now?" Li Shimin said: "In fact, the elixir also has its advantages, so don't just throw it away. I have been in poor health recently, and I have taken the elixir today, and it has already seen its effect." Xu Hui shook his head slightly, thinking the same reason, why the difference is so big?At this time, Li Shimin's big hand began to rub her body. Although she was favored by Li Shimin, but the number of lucky times was not many after all. Obscene clothes on her body. Li Shimin scored twice tonight, which lasted longer.Xu Hui was enjoying the storm at first, but at the end he couldn't bear it anymore. He frowned slightly, hoping that Li Shimin would end it soon. When it was midnight, Li Shimin had just poured out.He slumped down from Xu Hui's body, lying on his side panting slowly, his head was dripping with sweat, which showed that he had tried his best. Xu Hui was now feeling bittersweet. She treated Li Shimin calmly, gently stretched her jade hand to caress Li Shimin's arm, and said with concern: "Your Majesty said just now that you have sex with my concubine, and this is the second time tonight. I heard that lust is actually It is a sharp axe, which hurts the body the most. Your Majesty is not going to be young again now, so it is advisable to refrain from intercourse and not to be lucky one after another." Li Shimin closed his eyes slightly, and did not answer directly. After a while, he opened his eyes slowly. Stopping on her chest, she said affectionately: "Hui'er, I understand this truth. However, there is nothing more joyful in life than this, so how can I let go? Whether you are tired or not on the second day will prevail. I am fortunate enough to be here for the second time tonight, and I am still full of ideas, so it is not excessive. Well, I am a little sleepy, come on, let's sleep over." The court lady outside the tent dimmed the light of the candles after hearing the sound, Xu Hui rolled into Li Shimin's arms, pillowed on his arms, and gradually fell asleep. From that night onwards, Li Shimin took a pill every night, and the medicine was really effective. It kept Li Shimin's sex drive extremely strong, and basically every night he had a beautiful woman sleeping with him.In the daytime, Li Shimin's energy was quite strong, and he was able to watch affairs before the court. His ministers complimented him one after another: "The Tianzhu elixir is as effective as a god." Li Shimin was very happy when he heard this, and turned to Na Luo Er Suo Po Mei to reward him again. In the blink of an eye, it is mid-April, and the days are getting hotter day by day, and it is time to escape the summer heat.At this time, the Cuiwei Palace built by Yan Lide was newly completed. Li Shimin will not go to Yuhua Palace this summer, but will lead Li Zhi, Changsun Wuji, Chu Suiliang, Xue Rengui and others to Cuiwei Palace.Among the accompanying people, those glamorous harem concubines are naturally indispensable. Li Shimin was exhausted all the way into Cuiwei Palace, probably because of the bumpy journey, he felt a little tired after entering the palace, he didn't want to watch the beautiful scenery inside and outside the palace, he fell asleep soon after dinner, and didn't call anyone to attend the bed.After a night of sleep, I felt refreshed after waking up the next day. Although I couldn't straddle my horse to go hunting, I still looked around inside and outside the palace with great interest.In the evening, he took a bath in the hot spring, presumably because the warm water nourished him, reminding him of those beautiful bodies with creamy skin, so he asked the eunuch to call the new beauty from Kucha to serve him. In the Hanfeng Hall of Cuiwei Palace, there is a cool breeze, and red candles are burning brightly. In the red gauze tent, a naked Qiuci beauty is like a small white fish, waiting quietly for the arrival of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.Li Shimin regretted that he had sent away those beauties from Kucha, now he saw that the beauties selected by Ashinasheer were no worse than last time, and he was overjoyed.After a lot of lingering, he straightened in, and his heart was full of joy beyond words.So, he quickly poured out, but in the middle of the matter, he suddenly felt a tingling pain in his lower body, and the semen flowed out endlessly, he yelled, turned over and hit the couch.It was not white semen that flowed out of his lower body, but bright red blood. Seeing this, the beauty from Kucha was startled and at a loss, so she burst into tears. Looking at Li Shimin again, he has passed out. The Hall of Hanfeng suddenly became alarmed, and Li Zhi, Changsun Wuji, Chu Suiliang and others quickly entered the hall.After all, Li Zhi rarely encountered such a sudden incident. He saw Li Shimin passed out on the couch with blood still bleeding from his lower body, he was so frightened that he didn't know what to do, he just kept crying.Changsun Wuji was quite calm, he put his hand under Li Shimin's nose, felt that he was still breathing, felt relieved, and urgently ordered the imperial doctors to give emergency treatment. The imperial doctors didn't know the cause of the disease, so they dared not use drugs indiscriminately.They frantically tried acupuncture and hot compresses, trying to wake up Li Shimin first. After half an hour of tossing like this, Li Shimin finally opened his dull eyes, but was unable to speak. All of a sudden, Cuiwei Palace was busy inside and outside. On the road from the capital to this place, famous doctors and drug dealers from all over the world walked in an endless stream.The Imperial Physician Order summoned all the people from the Imperial Medical Office to consult Li Shimin's condition on the spot and prescribe the right medicine. After several days of diagnosis and treatment, Li Shimin's condition gradually stabilized, his weakness remained the same, but his lower body no longer bled, and he could speak slowly. The heat of early summer gradually pervades, especially at noon when the sun is directly shining, but Cuiwei Palace is as cool as spring.Li Shimin came here to escape the summer heat, intending to enjoy the coolness and tranquility, but he suddenly suffered from an illness, not to mention endless pain in his body, and layers of sweat from his body, it was really difficult to escape the heat. After all this trouble, people forgot to give Li Shimin the pill.In the evening of that day, the palace maid offered Li Shimin a pill, and the eldest grandson Wuji and the imperial doctor ordered hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, you don't need this medicine." The imperial doctors searched for Li Shimin's cause to no avail, and finally suspected the elixir.The Imperial Physician Order quietly said to Changsun Wuji: "The elixir made by the sorcerer in that day is called the elixir of prolonging life, but it is actually an aphrodisiac. The emperor is getting old, and after being stimulated by this strong medicine, he has exhausted his energy. It finally led to a serious illness. Alas, if what the officials said is true, it will be too difficult to treat the emperor's illness." Changsun Wuji said: "The emperor stopped the medicine from now on, and then treated it with the law, wouldn't it work?" The imperial physician Ling replied: "The emperor took the elixir of the alchemist from Tianzhu last year, and the root of the disease has been planted. I heard that after the emperor took it for a period of time, the elixir has no effect. It can be seen that this medicine has exhausted the emperor's energy. This time, I will use it again. The medicine exhausted all the remaining energy of the emperor, and caused the lower body to bleed, which shows that the medicine is too strong. If the medicine stone is used to prolong the treatment, the emperor may not be able to catch it in the emperor's body." Therefore, Changsun Wuji and the Imperial Physician Order regarded the elixir as the culprit of Li Shimin's illness, and now they saw the maid serving the medicine, and they couldn't help admonishing them at the same time. Li Shimin looked at this dark pill blankly, thinking how much happiness he had enjoyed in the past month because of taking this medicine, and now that he suddenly suffered from this disease, I am afraid that this medicine has also made a "great contribution", so he said softly: "You don't need to." He looked around at the crowd, then said weakly: "Wuji stay here, you all go out." The Imperial Physician Ling and others bowed and exited the hall, Li Shimin called out: "Wuji, come, sit beside me." He gently raised his hand and pointed to his side. Although Changsun Wuji was an uncle of the state, he also knew the rules, so he dared not sit on the dragon couch, so he moved a round stool by himself and put it in front of the couch, and sat down face to face with Li Shimin. Li Shimin closed his eyes slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said: "Wuji, you are right, it seems that the medicine is indeed to blame. These days, I feel exhausted, and my body is limp and powerless. Sigh, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape this." Changsun Wuji burst into tears and said: "How can your Majesty say such words? How can one live without illness? Generally speaking, illnesses come on violently, but getting rid of them is like spinning silk. Your Majesty will rest slowly and he will recover one day." Li Shimin shook his head vigorously, and said: "Well, last year I said goodbye to Xuan Ling and others, and seeing their pain lying on the sickbed, I actually didn't know the real pain in their hearts. I'm lying here now, and I just realized them My state of mind at that time. Wuji, my body is suffering, but my mind is still clear, and I know that the end is approaching. It seems that Wei Zheng is right. A monarch has unlimited power. If he wants to govern the country well, he must restrain his desires. In the past twenty-three years, I tried my best to restrain my desires, and finally created a colorful world. But, since Jiamin passed away, there is no one to preside over the harem, and I can indulge in my own desires in the harem, and no one dares to advise, which eventually leads to disaster." Changsun Wuji said bitterly: "It's all caused by this swindling old man, and Wang Xuance, who pretended to be clever to attract him. Your Majesty, I ordered Dali Temple to punish these two people." Li Shimin shook his head and said: "If you kill these two people, can you cure my illness? Besides, if you kill them, the world will definitely say that my illness was caused by them, which is even more unbeautiful." Wang Xuance and Na Luo Er Suo Po Mei thus escaped unharmed.A few days later, Cui Dunli was ordered to close the medicine factory, and ordered Na Luo Er Suo Po Mei to leave Beijing and return to China immediately.Na Luoer Suo Po Mei is refining the next year's elixir for Li Shimin. He drinks five times and six times in Beijing.Now he was suddenly expelled from Beijing, and he didn't know the reason, so he asked Cui Dunli for inquiries.In fact, Cui Dunli didn't know what to do, so he had no choice but to say: "If you are told to go, go, why bother! There is a package prepared for you here, if you don't go, I won't be surprised if I don't beat you out of the capital!" More than a year For a long time, Cui Dunli was tortured by this old man to a point where he let out a bad breath. Seeing that there was no momentum, Na Luoer Suo Po Mei left Beijing in a hurry with all the treasures and belongings he had accumulated in the past year.It's a pity that Li Shimin, a hero all his life, finally lost his life in the hands of this old man, which is really sad and deplorable.In order not to make the people of the country and the people of Tianzhu a laughing stock, he secretly sent this old man back to the country without punishment, which is pedantic and ridiculous. Li Shimin lingered in Hanfeng Hall.In the evening of that day, Li Zhi entered the hall lightly and reported to him that Li Jing passed away in the house last night at the age of seventy-nine. Hearing this, Li Shimin's eyes turned red, and he sighed, "There's another one!" Wei Gong's Art of War is comparable to "Sun Tzu's Art of War".Li Shimin respected him very much, but on the eve of the Xuanwumen Incident, Li Jing refused to defect to Li Shimin's camp, which made Li Shimin worry about this matter all his life, and he always took precautions against it.Now that he heard of his death, he suddenly felt relieved, and Li Jing's various benefits came to his mind again, so he said to Li Zhi: "There is a minister in the decree, and I will give him the title of Sikong and the governor of Bingzhou. His posthumous title is Jingwu, and he can be given to Banjian. , Yu Bao, advocating treatment, let him be buried in Zhaoling." Li Jing received endless mourning and honor for this. After Li Shimin finished speaking, he suddenly said slowly and in a daze: "Last year, Sui Xuanling and others buried Zhaoling with them, and today Brother Yao will go to accompany him. Zhier, look at the current situation, I am close to the end of the day." Not far away, it's time to meet with your mother and ministers Huang Quan." Li Zhi cried loudly when he heard the words: "How can the father say such ominous words? The father is now in his prime, a minor illness is nothing serious, do you have the heart to leave your son and minister alone in the world?" After finishing speaking, Fu Crying on Li Shimin's body. Li Shimin reached out to wipe away Li Zhi's tears, and said, "Don't cry!" Li Zhi stopped his sobs, and Li Shimin continued: "I said a long time ago, this burden will fall on your shoulders sooner or later. After this period of experience , You have matured a lot, and you will not go wrong if you have your uncle and others to assist you in the future. Zhier, life is short, and parents who are fathers and mothers will leave their children one day. This is something that cannot be changed. You are benevolent and filial by nature, you will miss me for a long time, and your mother and I will sleep forever in the ground, and that is enough in our hearts." Li Zhi was still sobbing softly. "Now that the domestic affairs are on the right track and the four realms are stable, with the help of the ministers, you can act according to the teachings of the "Emperor Model", and there should be no deviation." Li Shimin suddenly felt a little uneasy when he said this.He stopped talking, concentrating on where the anxiety came from. After a while, he thought of Li Shilai from Li Jing's death. Only then did he know the source, so he said, "Zhier, I have always admired bright actions and not conspiracy and power. Why? Is that so? I pacified the world and became the emperor. With outstanding literary and martial arts, the people of the world dare not covet you. You grew up in the deep palace since you were young, and you don’t know the depths of the world. It’s hard to have my chance and prestige. With the help of others, there will be no serious problems. However, there is one person, you must be on guard." "I don't know who the emperor is referring to?" "Military Minister Li Shi." "Li Shangshu acts cautiously and has repeatedly made great achievements. Does he dare to disagree?" "He doesn't have it now, and maybe he won't in the future. However, he is more than talented, and he is a minister. You will have a stable throne in the future, so you have to come here." "Excuse me, father, what law should I use to rule it?" "If I have breath, he doesn't dare to make any changes. However, after I die, you have no kindness to him. After a long time, there must be changes. Well, I will issue an edict tomorrow. If he does not accept the edict Speak a word and go to the post immediately. After my death, you can promote him to be the Minister Zuo Pushe, and appoint him personally, and he can be used by you; Immediately capture him and kill him on the spot, so as to avoid future troubles!" Of course Li Zhi obeyed. On the second day, Xue Rengui led his servants to the capital with Li Shimin's edict. They came to the Yamen of the Ministry of War and read the imperial edict to Li Shimin in court.When Li Shi heard the decree demoting himself as governor of Diezhou, he knelt on the ground and couldn't help being shocked.Because although he is now a minister of the Ministry of War, he was awarded the third rank under the Tongzhong Shumen in the 19th year of Zhenguan, which is actually the position of prime minister. Now he is not at fault, but he is suddenly demoted to the fourth rank. It is difficult for him to understand what he meant . After Xue Rengui read the imperial decree, he handed it to Li Shi. Li Shi took it with both hands and asked, "General Xue, does the emperor have any other words?" Xue Rengui shook his head and said: "The lower official got the imperial decree this morning, and flew to read it to Mr. Li. He didn't know other words." What Xue Rengui said was not a lie. He really didn't know why Li Shi was demoted. Still wondering about it on the road.As for the hidden story behind, he dared not tell Li Shituo.Before his departure, Changsun Wuji summoned him to a secret room and told him: "You must rush back to Beijing before noon and read the imperial decree to Li Shi. If he is still in Beijing after sunset, you can capture him with this gold medal." , and beheaded on the spot." After finishing speaking, he handed Xue Rengui a gold medal representing imperial power. Li Shi asked again: "General Xue is here, is he here specially to read out the imperial decree?" He stood up as he spoke, appearing to be asking casually. "That's right, the next official obeyed the orders of Lord Changsun and came to announce the decree." Li Shi used his troops to plan a lot all his life, and he expected the enemy to respond to the situation, so he was suddenly demoted for no reason.Xue Rengui was the emperor's close servant, and he only had the duty of guarding, but not the duty of proclaiming the decree, but he was appointed by the eldest grandson Wuji to proclaim the decree, which is really strange.In this flash of thought, Li Shimin had already understood Li Shimin's intentions. He had heard about Li Shimin's illness recently, and understood that what Li Shimin did was actually arranging for his death.Thinking of this, Li Shi said to Xue Rengui: "Is General Xue going back to Cuiwei Palace today?" "The next official will return tomorrow." Xue Rengui replied honestly. "So, General Xue, please reply to the emperor, the crown prince and the grandson Taiwei, and say that I am deeply grateful for the grace. Now that I have received the imperial decree, I will immediately go to Diezhou to take up my post." "Could it be that Mr. Li doesn't even go home?" Xue Rengui couldn't help asking in surprise when he saw Li Shi started to pack his simple luggage. "That's right, the emperor issued such an urgent edict. I think there must be something important in Diezhou, so it's better to go to the post as soon as possible. General Xue, I'm busy packing up and leaving right away, so I won't be able to talk to you. Please bear with me." .” Xue Rengui opened his mouth wide in surprise, unable to figure out why he was in such a hurry.But in this way, Changsun Wuji didn't have to do what he ordered him to do, which saved him a lot of hands and feet. 片刻之间，李世已整顿结束，仅带领两名随从，跨上马向薛仁贵拱手作别。 李世民听说李世的这番举动，不禁叹道：“唉，他毕竟识破了我的心机。不过他竟然不停顿一下，连家门都不入，未免露出了痕迹。” 李世民自知大限将至，这日将褚遂良唤来，让其代拟遗诏。三日后，褚遂良将遗诏拟成，送入含风殿请李世民过目，此诏写道：夫天命之重，绿错奉其图书；天子之尊，赤县先其司牧。而功兼造化，桥山之树已阴；业致升平，苍梧之驾方远。至于平寇乱、安黎元、洒洪灾、攘大患，黄帝之五十三战，商汤之二十七征，以此申威，曾何足算！昔者乱阶斯永，祸钟隋季，罄宇凝氛，昏辰象，绵区作梗，摇荡江河。朕拂衣于舞象之年，抽剑于斩蛇之地，虽复妖千王莽，戮首车，凶百蚩尤，衅尸军鼓。垂文畅于炎野，余勇澄于斗极。前王不辟之土，悉请衣冠；前史不载之乡，并为州县。再维地轴，更张乾络，礼义溢于寰瀛，菽粟同于水火。破舟船于灵沼，收干戈于武库。幸李卫霍之将，咸分土宇；缙绅廊庙之材，共垂带绶。至于比屋黎元，关河遗老，或赢金帛，或赉仓储。朕于天下士大夫，可谓无负矣；朕于天下苍生，可谓安养矣。自栉风沐雨，遂成弭诊；忧劳庶政，更起沉疴。况乃汉苦周勤，禹胼尧腊，以矜百姓之所致也。道存物往，人理同归，掩乎玄泉，夫亦何恨矣！皇太子治，大孝通神，自天生德，累经监抚，熟达机务。凡厥百僚，群公卿士，送往事居，无违朕意。属纩之后，七日便殡。宗社存焉，不可无主，皇太子即于枢前即皇帝位，依周汉旧制。军国大事，不可停阙，寻常闲务，任之有司。文武官人三品以上，并三日朝晡哭临，十五举音，事毕便出。四品以下，临于朝堂。其殿中当临者，非朝夕临，无得擅哭。诸王为都督、刺史任者，并来奔丧。其方镇岳牧，在任官人，各于任所举哀三日。其服纪轻重，宜依汉制，以日易月。园陵制度，务从俭约。昔者霸陵不掘，则朕意焉。太原无从人见在者，各赐勋官一级。诸营作土木之功，并宜停断。 褚遂良体会李世民心意，拟诏时数易其稿，逐字斟酌。李世民阅后非常满意，说道：“可在'诸王为都督、刺史任者，并来奔丧'一句之后，加上'濮王、莱王，不在来限'。” 褚遂良急忙答应，当即在稿上注上此八个字。李世民不让李泰回京奔丧，深怕昔日魏王党再有异动，如此对新皇帝不利。 李世民闭目养神一会儿，然后睁眼说道：“遂良，此诏拟得过于华美，像其中所言：'前王不辟之土，悉请衣冠；前史不载之乡，并为州县。'又曰：'朕于天下士大夫，可谓无负矣；朕于天下苍生，可谓安养矣。'后人若见此等词句，定会讥朕自我吹嘘。你应该知道，此诏虽由你所拟，毕竟为朕之言语，对其中过于溢美之处，可以略作改动。” 褚遂良急忙答道：“陛下，臣拟诏之时，往往笔悬纸上难以下笔，深恐不能表达全貌。臣下笔之时，实际上已将陛下之功抹去不少，若再加改动，臣实在不敢奉旨。” 李世民此时无力多讲，就轻轻挥挥手说道：“朕有些乏了，你下去吧。此诏就如此定稿，待朕宾天之日，可立即颁行天下。” “陛下……”褚遂良听到“宾天”一语，顿时泪如泉涌，有心想说话，终久不敢再说，遂躬身退出殿外。 李世民的担忧其实为多余的，后世史家写此，由衷赞道：“甚矣，致治之君不世出也！……其除隋之乱，比迹汤、武；致治之类，庶几成、康。自古功德兼隆，由汉以来未之有也。至其牵于多爱，复立浮屠，好大喜功，勤兵于远，此中材庸主之所常为。然《春秋》之法，常责备于贤者，是以后世君子之欲成人之美者，莫不叹息于斯焉。” 世人常常爱求全责备，然后人提起李世民，往往多溢美之言，对其“牵于多爱，复立浮屠，好大喜功，勤兵于远”等诸多所谓的缺失，常常视而不见，由此可见后人对其极为爱戴。 李世民一日又一日躺在含风殿内，身上苦楚未有一丝减轻，反而日益加重。御医们百般调治，终久束手无策。李治向长孙无忌说道，不如将李世民搬回京城诊治，也许会有结果，长孙无忌坚决不同意，说李世民如此虚弱的身体，哪经得起如此折腾。 五月过后，李世民的身子更糟，其周身浮肿，面孔肿得变了模样。长孙无忌见诊治无效，对太医令大发脾气，骂道：“你们往日里自恃医术高明，皇上如今有病，你们怎么越治越糟？哼，皇上若有个三长两短，我定要问罪你们。” 太医令也无计可施，心道皇上食丹中毒，无药调治，怎能独怨我们！长孙无忌现在权倾朝野，当此盛怒之时，他不敢与其犟嘴，只好小心回答，然后再苦思疗法。 其实李世民到了现在，任何药石用在他身上也毫无功效，其强撑至今，无非靠其肌体自身维持罢了。到了五月八日，李世民召长孙无忌入殿，想独自对他说一些要紧的话。孰料长孙无忌一进殿门，看到李世民那令人撕心裂肺的模样，不禁悲从心来，就此呜呜大哭起来。二人从小为伴，后来又成为至亲，诸般情谊混杂在一起，非是简单的君臣关系。 李世民叹了一口气，费力地抬起手来抚在长孙无忌的面庞上，替他拭去泉涌似的泪花，叹道：“无忌，我唤你前来，有大事要说。你如此哭哭啼啼，我们如何说话？”李世民说完，忽然明白长孙无忌如此大哭，实为悲己将与之永诀，也不禁哽咽起来。 长孙无忌大哭道：“陛下……陛下……臣见到陛下如此模样，实在心痛如割……” 李世民此前与人诀别时，其最大痛处即是今生再难与人相见。现在自己病重，心里早知道离辞世不远，与长孙无忌等人相见的时辰无几。那一时刻，他不禁悲从心中来，也陪着长孙无忌流泪不已。 他们相对而泣，实在无法说话，过了好长时间，他们方才止住哭泣。然经此一折腾，李世民又耗去许多精力，没有力气对长孙无忌说话，遂让长孙无忌退出，说道：“我今日歇息歇息，你明日带治儿和遂良入殿说话。” 第二日为五月九日，李治、长孙无忌和褚遂良三人早早地候在含风殿之外。殿内，太医令带人正为李世民侍候汤水。 过了半个时辰，太医令等人方才出来。太医令将长孙无忌拉到一边，小心说道：“瞧皇上的光景，今日很不好，你们入内后拣要紧的话说，不能让皇上耗力太多。” 长孙无忌点头答应，与二人一起入内。 李世民躺在病榻上微闭双眼，看到三人入内，轻声道：“你们来了，我有几句要紧的话要说。” 李治不禁轻轻啜泣起来。 李世民轻轻地摇摇头，说道：“不可再哭！”李治急忙止住哭声。李世民目视长孙无忌和褚遂良，示意二人靠近一些，将手抬起拉着二人之手，殷切地说道：“我自知大限将至，今日召你们来，要将大事托付给你们。” “陛下……”长孙无忌和褚遂良心里非常明白李世民离死不远，有心想再宽慰几句，又觉得于事无补，唯有流泪不止。 李世民费力地抬起右手指了李治一下，说道：“你们当初言称治儿仁孝，极力推荐他继为储君，我遂群臣之意立治儿为皇太子。治儿入东宫以来，勤勉学习，练达政事，堪称仁孝，可为大唐天下之主。无忌、遂良，我此刻心中有千言万语，然无力说出。一句话，治儿毕竟年轻，你们今后要好好辅佐他，将天下事办好。” 两人心里明白，皇上临终之前，指明自己为顾命大臣。长孙无忌既为勋臣又为国舅，当然为顾命大臣；而褚遂良为朝中新贵，新进位为中书令，却能成为顾命大臣，他事先实在难以想到。两人齐齐地跪在榻前，向李世民叩首道：“臣遇此大恩，愿尽心竭节，鞠躬尽瘁，全力辅佐太子。” “起来吧。自今日开始，你们二人就依此办事。”李世民又将目光视向李治，说道：“若无忌、遂良在，你勿忧天下！” 李治也跪下叩首道：“儿臣奉旨。儿臣今后每遇大事，定事先与其商量。” 李世民让长孙无忌、褚遂良为顾命大臣，其实他心中还有一个人，即是被贬出京的李世。后来李治即位，果然召李世回京，授其为尚书左仆射。有此三人辅佐李治，保证了大唐延续贞观年间的做法，使大唐国势保持了蒸蒸日上的势头，后世称此段史事为“永徽之治”，此为后话。 李世民说完这些话，已是大汗淋漓，无力多说。这时，他又忽然想起一件事，对褚遂良说道：“无忌随我多年，忠心耿耿，我有天下，多其力也。只是他性格耿直，不知世人心内幽暗。我死以后，你要多替无忌操些心，不能让小人进谗言以毁之。” 褚遂良躬身领旨，然心里纳闷，长孙无忌现在实为首辅，又为国舅，何人敢打他的主意？ 李世民一生识人用人，实有他的过人之处。他现在嘱咐褚遂良让他保护长孙无忌，实在大有深意。后来李治即位，武媚娘渐渐专权，许敬宗也在朝中大行其道，许敬宗秉持武媚娘的意思，捏造长孙无忌与褚遂良意图谋反，一下子扳倒了二人。这样，褚遂良自身难保，更谈不上保护长孙无忌，则李世民可谓一语成谶。 三人见李世民神情疲惫，无力说话，遂躬身退出。李世民这时又忽然想起一事，唤回李治，嘱咐道：“我死之后，你千万将《兰亭序》放入墓中。我一生独爱此帖，就让它陪葬吧。”李治含泪答应。 是夜，李世民崩于含风殿，终年五十二岁。其死后，有司为其上谥号曰文皇帝，庙号曰太宗，后世从此称李世民为唐太宗。 李治遵从李世民遗愿，将《兰亭序》放入其墓室枕前，并将其母长孙皇后与李世民合葬一起。这样，李世民一生最爱的人和最爱的物件，从此又归于一室。 墓室前，镶嵌有六块石画，即是有名的《昭陵六骏》。 李世民驾崩，天下闻此噩耗皆为之举哀，四夷之人入仕于朝者及来朝贡者数百人，闻丧皆恸哭，他们依本族风俗剪发、面、割耳，以致流血洒地。阿史那社尔、契苾何力、执失思力等人痛哭流涕，向李治请求，要求杀身殉葬，李治坚决不许；松赞干布闻听此讯，极为哀伤，以婿礼遣使吊祭，献金银珠宝十五种，请置李世民灵前，并致书长孙无忌，表示效忠李治，其中写道：“天子初即位，若臣下有不忠之心者，当勒兵以赴国除讨。”李治感于这些人对父亲的一片忠心，就召来阎立德、阎立本兄弟二人，让他们画出归附中国的十四位外国君长之像，再琢石为像立于昭陵之前，此十四人为： 突厥颉利可汗左卫大将军阿史那咄苾； 突厥突利可汗右卫大将军阿史那什钵苾； 突厥乙弥泥孰俟利苾可汗右武卫大将军阿史那思摩； 突厥答布可汗右卫大将军阿史那社尔； 薛延陀真珠毗伽可汗夷男； 吐蕃赞普松赞干布； 新罗乐浪郡王金贞德（女）； 吐谷浑乌地也拔立豆可汗诺曷钵；龟兹王左骁卫大将军诃黎布失毕；焉耆王左卫大将军突骑支； 于阗王右骁卫大将军伏阁信； 高昌王左武卫将军麴智勇； 婆罗门帝中天竺王阿罗那顺； 林邑王范头黎。 贞观二十三年六月，李治即皇帝位，即是后世所称的唐高宗，次年改元为永徽元年。