Chapter 4 The Fourth Chapter: The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty Shows His Virtue and Hustles to Kiss Silkworms

After Li Shimin retired from the court that day, he was in a very unhappy mood.Regardless of his face, Wei Zheng contradicted himself in front of so many people, which really embarrassed him.However, since I want to rule the world, I have to advocate frugality and save money. Wei Zheng's remonstrance is not wrong, so I feel relieved after thinking about it. However, Wei Zheng didn't give up, and became more and more fierce.Two days later, Wei Zheng embarrassed Li Shimin once again. Due to the constant wars in recent years, soldiers have to be recruited every year to supplement the army.According to the system of the Tang Dynasty, only males over the age of 20 can join the army.However, with continuous recruitment, the source of troops is inevitably stretched.This year, Feng Deyi used Shangshu Youpushe as Jiandian envoy. He suggested to Li Shimin that the age limit for recruiting soldiers should be relaxed, and all middle-aged men between the ages of 18 and 20 should be recruited into the army.Li Shimin agreed, and ordered Feng Deyi to handle it as soon as possible.

As soon as the order came out, Yousi started to get busy.Upon hearing the news, Wei Zheng and Wang Gui signed a joint form, resolutely opposing it on the grounds that it was inconsistent with the system. Seeing this, Feng Deyi hurried out of the class to play: "Your Majesty, I have also considered what Doctor Wei and Doctor Wang said. During the process of briefing, I went to the nearest recruiting point to check many times. I saw that all the people who joined the army looked good. They are thick and thick, even if they are less than eighteen years old, their appearance is no different from that of adults. Only after seeing them can I feel at ease, thinking that they can be taken care of."

Li Shimin's anger rose in his heart, and he felt that Wei Zheng and Wang Gui were immutable and imitating dogma, so he said: "Yes, Feng Gong has a good vision. Now is an extraordinary period. I don't want to fight, but the frontier defense must be prepared. If the frontier defenses are not prepared for barbarian and di-di invasions, the domestic peace will be affected. Wei Qing and Wang Qing, it is not wrong for you to rely on the national system. Don't argue about this matter any more, I have made up my mind that all men above the age of 18, or those who are under the age of 18 but who are stout, will be recruited into the army." The Tang system stipulated that men under the age of 18, called For the second male, those who are 18 to 20 years old are called middle males, and those who are 20 to 60 years old are called small males.

Wei Zheng saw that Li Shimin was a little unhappy, but still insisted on his own opinion, saying: "Your Majesty once said that the country is not as great as the law, do you want to violate it at every turn?" Li Shimin's voice was a little higher: "Wei Qing, I have just made it very clear why I took middle-aged men into the army. I didn't do this for my own selfishness, but also for the sake of the country. You are stubborn, do you want to have a ulterior motive?" Against the decree?" Wei Zheng showed no signs of fear, and said loudly, "I dare not resist the edict, but the country has a system, and taking middle-aged men into the army is against the system, and I dare not sign the edict."

Li Shimin opened his mouth a few times, but was speechless for a moment.It turned out that after he came to the throne, in order to change the previous situation where admonishing officials were empty, he issued a special edict expressly stating that any matter that an admonishing officer admonishes cannot be implemented without the final edict of the admonishing officer.Right now, Wei Zheng is unwilling to sign the edict, if he bypasses the hurdle of the admonisher and enforces it, it will also violate his foreword. Feng Deyi was well versed in accidents, he saw that Li Shimin and Wei Zheng were deadlocked here, and the officials below were all watching, if there was another conflict, everyone would lose face, so he said: "Your Majesty, this matter has too much to do with it, it's better to discuss it in the long run."

Li Shimin showed an angry look on his face, and reprimanded: "What's the long-term plan? Let's talk now. You all step back, and I, Wei Qing, and Wang Qing will talk alone." Seeing that Li Shimin got angry, the officials bowed their heads and retreated out of the hall. Only Li Shimin, Wei Zheng, and Wang Gui were left in the hall. Li Shimin waited for everyone to leave, his face became more gloomy, and he asked, "If the middle-aged men are really thin, naturally they will not be recruited into the army; if they are tall and strong, they can be easily recruited into the army. You are so stubborn, what hindered you?" Where did you go against me? I don’t understand the reason, and now that the ministers have withdrawn, you can talk about it.”

Wei Zheng and Wang Gui had already expected that Li Shimin would speak harshly, and they were already prepared in their hearts.Hearing Li Shimin's question, the two looked at each other, and Wang Gui signaled Wei Zheng to answer. Wei Zheng walked forward a few steps slowly, and when he reached the front of the imperial platform, he said solemnly: "I heard that at that time, the fish must be exhausted, but next year there will be no fish; if the forest is burned, the beasts must be caught at that time, and then there will be no fish. There will be no beasts in the next year. If your Majesty will send as many young men as possible into the army, then there will be soldiers at that time, and there will be no soldiers next year. The national system has decided that the younger men can simply join the army. It is a long-term plan, not a short-term achievement."

Li Shimin snorted and said, "I'm not a three-year-old child, don't you understand this truth? I have already said that this is an extraordinary period, and it's okay to be flexible." Wei Zheng chased after him persistently: "If only the second sons and above are recruited into the army, the men in every township will be exhausted, and the fields will be left to work, so who will bear the country's rent and miscellaneous corvee?" Wang Gui then said: "Your Majesty, in fact, a simple number of soldiers does not mean a large number of soldiers. If they are simple and strong, they will be more courageous. This is the so-called elite soldiers. If they are recruited as many as they are now, they will not know the military after they join the army. To go into battle, we have to use them as handymen, it seems that although there are many of them, they are ultimately useless."

Wei Zheng persuaded again in a different tone: "The border is relatively stable now, only the Eastern Turks are the confidant enemy, and His Majesty has made an alliance with them, and sent Li Jing and others to defend heavily. Since the seven years of Wude, there has been no major war in the world. So far, the soldiers have been recharging their strengths, and there is actually no need to add a lot of troops. Besides, His Majesty is determined to appease the people, if he disregards the national system and recruits the younger men and above into the army, the people of the world will think that His Majesty is still a martial artist."

These few words obviously moved Li Shimin, he meditated silently, and kept silent. Wei Zheng's tone changed, and his tone became more serious: "In comparison, conscription is a small matter after all, and there is the most crucial point. I wonder if Your Majesty has thought of it?" Li Shimin said impatiently: "What's the key point? Wei Qing, I have tolerated you for a long time, don't scare you!" "Your Majesty has said many times: As a king, if you want to make officials and people not hypocritical, you must treat people with integrity. Since your majesty has said this, you must strictly abide by it in action. If you join the army, if you are not honest, you will lose your trust in the people of the world."

Li Shimin's heart was shocked, and he thought about the whole situation, and felt that if the second son and above were forced into the army, officials at all levels and the common people would know about it.In previous years, Ding Nan, who were over 20 years old, suddenly changed, and they would definitely think that their words and deeds were inconsistent.Li Shimin then nodded and said: "Yes, thanks to the reminders from the two love ministers. It is indeed inappropriate to do this matter rashly. Alas, Feng Gong is also a person who is careful, how could he fail in this matter?" Why don't you care about it?" Li Shimin lightly pushed the responsibility of this matter to Feng Deyi, which was a step down for himself. Unexpectedly, Wei Zheng didn't buy it at all, he continued to expose Li Shimin's old background: "Of course Duke Feng is responsible, but the most important thing is your majesty. After all, since your majesty came to the throne, not to mention the small things, but the one who broke the trust of the world in major matters, This is the third one." Li Shimin couldn't help but asked helplessly, "Three things? Is it so unbearable for me? You just come to me one by one." "The first one, when His Majesty first came to the throne, the edict said, 'Privilege of private debts, debts owed to officials, and I will be exempted'. However, in the items listed by the Secretary, the utensils in the Qin Palace were only picked out, saying that it was wrong. They are artifacts of the official family. Excuse me, Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven since King Qin, if the artifacts in King Qin’s mansion are not official, then can the rest of the world’s artifacts still be official?" Li Shimin thought about it carefully, and it was true.It turned out that after he ascended the throne, he ordered the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Bureau of Internal Affairs to count the debts owed by officials and state artifacts.At that time, the utensils moved from Hongyi Palace were put into the East Palace, and the Bureau of Internal Affairs thought it would be too troublesome to make a new inventory, because they reported the utensils from the original East Palace, but only missed the list of utensils moved from Hongyi Palace.It stands to reason that if you are the king of the country, all the utensils in the palace are your own private property, and there is actually no big difference between counting and not counting.Unexpectedly, this tricky Wei Zheng didn't know how to find out about this matter, so Li Shimin snorted and remained silent. Wei Zheng didn't look at Li Shimin's face, and continued to say: "The second thing is that your Majesty will be exempted from the rent for two years in the Guanzhong, and will be paid for another year outside the Guanzhong. The people heard the news, and they were all grateful and happy. However, the minister saw His Majesty the other day and issued an edict. "This year, Bai Dingduo has finished serving. If he is exempted from now on, it is a waste of the country's grace. If he has lost and lost, he will be taken by the general. Those who are exempted will start from the next year." From this point of view, His Majesty has scattered before Returning the imperial edict, and now collecting it for no reason, the people of the world must think that your majesty is always at odds, how can you win the trust of the people in the world?" Li Shimin's heart, which had just calmed down, was throbbing again. This damn Wei Zheng actually used eccentric words to describe himself, which was obviously disrespectful!He wanted to get angry, but when he squinted, he saw the historian who was in charge of recording the words and deeds of the emperor writing a book, so he couldn't help suppressing his anger.Advising officials to speak to the emperor is their duty. If you are furious, and reprimanding the admonishing officials, regardless of the right or wrong of the matter, it is an unbeautiful thing after all.If it is passed on to later generations, some people will say that they followed the journey of Qin Shihuang and Sui Yangdi.Thinking of this, Li Shimin suppressed his anger and said solemnly: "Go down, let me think about it." After speaking, he got up and walked back. Li Shimin's anger was stuffed in his chest, and it was difficult to vent it for a while.His strides were so long that the accompanying eunuchs had to quicken their pace to keep up. Li Shimin wandered around the palace for a while, unconsciously moving towards the Hall of Renshou. Seeing Li Shimin approaching, the maids of the Renshou Palace had already notified the eldest grandson Jiamin.When Li Shimin approached the gate of the palace, he saw the elder Sun Jiamin leading Jing'er out to greet him. They brought Li Shimin into the hall and waited for him to sit on a chair.Li Shimin's face was livid, and he was furious, and it took him a long time to hold back a sentence: "This country bumpkin should be killed!" Elder Sun Jiamin was careful, and asked softly: "Who provoked His Majesty to be so angry? Your Majesty, it is absolutely impossible to get angry and hurt your body." Li Shimin said loudly: "Sister Min, I told you that you still call me Erlang in the palace, which sounds habitual to me. What is your majesty? I have given birth to cocoons early, please don't bother me anymore, okay?" It was obvious that he was very angry. The eldest Sun Jiamin said solemnly: "Your Majesty is the master of a country, and my concubine is the master of the harem. Even if it is a trivial matter, it must be handled according to the system. Nowadays, family affairs are state affairs. If a concubine shouts and shouts, she will lose her dignity. How can she respect the world?" Woolen cloth?" "Hmph, you have exactly the same tone as Wei Zheng." Only now did the elder Sun Jiamin know that the person Li Shimin denounced as a bumpkin turned out to be Wei Zheng.She was puzzled: "Wei Zheng? His Majesty has praised Wei Zheng on many occasions recently, saying that he is a rare and good official. The ministers have never dared to ask about state affairs, but the attitude of His Majesty towards Wei Zheng is so different. Could it be that Did he do something wrong?" "Hmph, this country bumpkin humiliated me many times in class, embarrassing me on the spot." After speaking, he briefly described Wei Zheng's deeds. After hearing this, the eldest grandson Jiamin felt thoughtful.She asked Jing'er to serve Li Shimin tea, handed wet wipes, and said: "Your Majesty, I have something to go to the back hall for a while, please wait a moment." After finishing speaking, she hurried into the back hall. Soon, the eldest grandson Jiamin came out from the back hall. Li Shimin looked sideways and was stunned: "Sister Min, you...you...why is this?" The eldest Sun Jiamin was originally dressed in plain clothes, but in a blink of an eye she came out in a plain dress.This dress is the queen's uniform, which is used when she receives the book, deacons, and court meetings.The eldest grandson Jiamin walked up to Li Shimin, bowed gracefully, and said: "Your Majesty, please accept my concubine's bow." After speaking, he fell at Li Shimin's feet. Li Shimin didn't know, so he went in and said, "Sister Min, what are you doing? This place is not above the court, why do you perform such a grand ceremony?" He stood up and pulled the elder Sun Jiamin up as he spoke. Elder Sun Jiamin smiled and said: "The concubine made this great gift because Your Majesty met Wei Zheng, a great minister of the ages, so I congratulate you." "Oh, that's how it is. Don't mention Wei Zheng, I get angry when I think of him." "Your Majesty reads a lot of history books and understands the facts. The concubine's knowledge is not as good as your majesty's. The concubine has heard some general truths. For example, the emperor has mentioned the words 'Jun Ming Chen Zhi' many times recently. " "how to say?" "Wei Zheng is now frankly saying that it is because of His Majesty's sageness. If His Majesty is dark, Wei Zheng will be silent like a cicada, and he will definitely save his life. He will never dare to say a word." "Hmph, Wei Zheng knows that I want to be a Mingjun, so he dares to get carried away and never go up or down." "Your Majesty has said many times recently that the people are the most important, and the king is the least. Therefore, those who value the people are actually the world. If there is no world, how can there be a king? Wei Zheng dared to remonstrate directly because he knew that His Majesty would use The country is the most important thing, and it should not be destroyed by trivial matters. Besides, if your majesty kills Wei Zheng, you will deny yourself. Does your majesty want to be a foolish king?" The last words of grandson Jiamin even Jing'er beside her felt moved.Sure enough, Li Shimin became beaming after hearing this: "Haha, sister Min, could it be that you are Wei Zheng's accomplice, so we communicate with each other." Eldest Sun Jiamin said solemnly: "Yes, we are in the same party. The more loyal ministers your Majesty has, the better." Li Shimin completely released his depression, and he had already made up his mind that he didn't want to talk about this topic again.Suddenly seeing that the case was full of booklets, Yin asked, "Sister Min, what are you and Jing'er doing here?" Elder Sun Jiamin pursed his lips and said with a smile: "What else can we be busy with? Of course we are all busy for His Majesty. Your Majesty takes care of the affairs of the country, and of course the affairs of the harem must be taken care of by the concubines. I couldn't do it, so I dragged Jing'er away." Come and have a look." Li Shimin took a closer look, and found that the booklet was full of people's names.On closer inspection, it turns out that the names of these people are all the daughters of officials, aged between sixteen and eighteen years old, and below are the introductions of each person's birth date, figure, appearance, and talent.Li Shimin understood that this was the elder Sun Jiamin who was choosing a concubine for him.Although Li Shimin has recruited many women as concubines over the years, but now that he is the emperor, after all, it is much worse than the regulations, so Empress Lao Changsun chose him. Li Shimin looked down for a while, but couldn't see why, so he asked: "You two have been choosing for a long time, do you like it?" Jing'er interjected, "Yes, we selected carefully and found that Zheng Renji's daughter is the most outstanding among them. She is sixteen years old, has a beautiful face, and knows etiquette." Li Shimin smiled and said: "Well, the vision of your master and servant is not bad. Minmei, if you are really good, you can issue an imperial edict to hire them. They are new to the palace, just hire them to fill their capacity." The eldest grandson Jiamin replied: "Okay, wait for the concubine to verify it again, and then ask the emperor to issue an edict. By the way, Yang Zhaoyuan is happy. I think the emperor doesn't know yet?" Li Shimin was overjoyed and said, "Really? Is she happy? I'll go and see her." Jing'er pursed her lips and said with a smile: "The emperor still loves younger sister Yang Ju the most." Yang Ju is Yang Qiong's compatriot sister, born to Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty and Empress Xiao.Yang Ju married Li Yuanji at first, but after Li Yuanji was killed, Yang Ju lived with his sister.Yang Ju was born with a beautiful country, which Li Shimin coveted for a long time.He hinted to Yang Qiong many times, asking her to persuade Yang Ju to return to him.Yang Ju felt sad for his son at first, but it gradually faded away. At this time, Yang Qiong began to persuade her.Yang Ju thinks about being alone, and it is not an option to protect his sister's family.Seeing that Li Shimin's abundance is more powerful than Li Yuanji's, she agreed with half hesitation.Li Shimin met her that night, one was Jiu Muzhiyan, and the other was not exposed to rain and dew for a long time, and the two were mad in the red gauze tent.In those days, Li Shimin seldom got together with other women, and seemed to favor Yang Ju exclusively, and named her Zhaoyuan. Li Shimin was going to see Yang Ju, so the eldest Sun Jiamin and Jing'er would naturally accompany him.Seeing Li Shimin's excited look, Changsun Jiamin knew that by this time, his anger towards Wei Zheng had dissipated in smoke. At the subsequent court meeting, Li Shimin issued an edict to stop sending Zhongnan Jian into the army.He was in a good mood, and called Wei Zheng and Wang Gui out: "You two lovers abide by their duties and are not afraid of Longyan's wrath. They can be regarded as a model for admonishing officials. Wei Qing, I have already done what you said was wrong. Ask Mr. Xiao to make corrections according to the facts. Yes, I treat the world with sincerity, and I want the officials and people in the world to treat me with integrity. If I make a slight mistake, my obedience will poison the world, and the consequences will be unimaginable. It will be difficult to remedy it. Ladies and gentlemen Ai Qing, I take care of all kinds of situations every day, and decide the affairs of the world with the wisdom of one person, so it is inevitable that there will be negligence. You should follow the example of Wei Qing and Wang Qing, and when you find that I have made mistakes, you must follow the observation and follow the advice." Wei Zheng nodded his head and said: "Your Majesty puts the country first, and has the courage to examine his own mistakes. Since Qin Dynasty, there is no monarch like His Majesty. If this is the case, it will be a blessing for the world and the people." Li Shimin smiled and said: "It's really not easy to hear the words of praise from Wei Qing. Wei Qing, listening to your words is not easy, but it is getting heavier. Haha, I hope that we will be one monarch and minister in the future, and we will do things better. Be more appropriate. Come here, reward Wei Qing with a golden urn, and give Wang Qing fifty bolts of silk." Li Shimin seemed to have completely let go of Wei Zheng, but in fact there was still a little sour feeling in his heart.Li Shimin thought to himself, this country bumpkin always wants to make himself a perfect person, so what about himself?Is everything done without any loopholes? After coming down to court, Li Shimin ordered Wen Yanbo, a counselor, to be summoned.Wen Yanbo is forty years old this year, he is Wen Daya's younger brother, and has been sent by Li Yuan to foreign domains as envoys many times.He was detained by Jieli the last time he went on a mission to the Eastern Turks.After Li Shimin and Xieli made a covenant at Weishui Bridge, Li Shimin proposed to release Wen Yanbo back, and Jieli released him according to the agreement, and he was granted the title of advising doctor.Compared with Wei Zheng, Wang Gui, Wei Ting, etc., Wen Yanbo is relatively gentle, and he mostly uses the written form to explain, unlike Wei Zheng who is often questioned by the court. Li Shimin feels very comfortable. Wen Yanbo finished his salute, Li Shimin waved him to sit down, and said with a smile: "Wen Qing, I rewarded Wei Zheng and Wang Gui in public today, and you are also advising the doctor, what do you think?" Wen Yanbo replied: "Your Majesty has never given such a high reputation to an admonisher. I feel deeply honored by Hua Dun. Fortunately, I can only abide by my duties and try my best to serve the emperor." "Well, very good. I have high hopes for you, and you must redouble your efforts to investigate my shortcomings in a timely manner and advise them in a timely manner. I called you here today, not to talk about any law-abiding matter, but to chat casually. As an admonisher, What do you think is the most important thing to do?" Wen Yanbo thought for a while, and replied: "The duty of an admonisher is to observe the faults of others. Don't do to others what you don't want. An admonisher must not have any shortcomings in his conduct. If he is not righteous, it will be difficult to criticize others. " "In the present palace of remonstrance, you, Wei Zheng, Wang Gui, Wei Ting, and Du Yan are at the top. You don't need to judge yourself here, but you can evaluate the four of them one by one. Do they meet this standard?" Wen Yanbo nodded, and said: "I deeply admire Your Majesty's ability to recognize people, and conferring them as admonishers is indeed doing their best. In the past, someone once said that Du Yan's intentions were not right, but Wei Ting was arrogant. A tame character. However, since His Majesty came to power, these two people have concealed all their shortcomings, highlighting the character of dealing with things and others with integrity, and serving the court conscientiously. As for Wei and Wang, their academics are deep, and they are upright. Every time you say something and make admonition, it is only a matter of public opinion. The court has already judged the two of them, and His Majesty rewarded them today, so I don’t need to say more.” Li Shimin nodded and asked, "Where is Wei Zheng? Since Wei Zheng served in the Sui Dynasty, he has always been insignificant and depressed. I will explain the old grievances and simply make him an important minister. He is a member of the Shandong gentry, and his relationship is intertwined. Now he If you are proud, will you pretend to be a public servant and help relatives or old friends to seek some personal gain? I heard that around the New Year's Eve, there is a lot of traffic in his house, and it is very lively." Wen Yanbo shook his head and said: "I haven't heard of anything illegal. Your Majesty, it's normal for relatives to move around at the end of the year. It's not surprising." Li Shimin snorted, and then said earnestly: "Wen Qing, there is an old saying that prevents the passing of time, which is very reasonable. Since Wei Zheng can be traced now, it is very necessary for us to find out. If Wei Zheng really has nothing, You can also return his innocence. Isn't it better?" Wen Yanbo hesitated and said, "This... the matter of visiting the door is like a passing cloud, it's really hard to investigate." Li Shimin turned his head and took out a piece of paper from the case, handed it to Wen Yanbo, and said, "I'm not without evidence, take a look at what's written on it?" Wen Yanbo took a closer look, and it turned out that it was a secret letter, which stated that Wei Zheng became more powerful, began to make friends with relatives, and sought personal gain for him.There are not many words in the secret book, and all the words are relatively broad, and there are no specific examples. Li Shimin said: "After seeing it, I would rather believe it, but someone came to sue, and it is impossible to fabricate it out of thin air. You put aside all the things at hand these days, and concentrate on finding out this matter. Remember, this matter will be investigated by you alone and secretly." , don’t make too much noise. Sigh, I hope Wei Zheng will be fine, if that’s the case, I really can’t let go of my heart.” Not to mention that Wen Yanbo went down to investigate secretly, Wei Zheng here was still looking for something wrong with his eyes wide open.On this day, Li Shimin's draft edict was issued, and Wei Zheng found that Zheng Renji's daughter's name was on it, and she had been hired as a substitute.Wei Zheng used to be an official with Zheng Renji in the Sui Dynasty, and the relationship between the two families has always been good.After reading the edict, he was shocked for a moment, hurriedly went to Li Shimin, and said, "Your Majesty, the daughter of the Zheng family has promised to marry the Lu family. If she is forced to enter the palace again, she may lose her virtue." Li Shimin was very puzzled: "Isn't it right? This matter was done by the empress alone. I chose a concubine on the condition that she is an unmarried daughter. The empress is a very cautious person, she would not be so reckless." "However, the fact is that the subject and Zheng Renji are acquainted with each other. Two years ago, Zheng Renji told the subject in person that his daughter has agreed to marry the Lu family." "Two years? Maybe they broke off the engagement later, have you checked again recently?" "I don't dare to speak falsely about things. If there is no basis, I dare not speak nonsense. Your Majesty is a parent and caresses the people. You should worry about their worries and take pleasure in their joys. Since ancient times, the master of Tao has taken the hearts of the people as his heart, so When the king is between the terraces and pavilions, he thinks that the people have a place to live; when he eats, he thinks that the people will not suffer from hunger and cold; when he is lucky, he knows that the people have family happiness. The daughter of the Zheng family today, It has been promised a long time ago, and His Majesty will take it without doubt, without any scruples, if it is spread all over the world, isn't it in line with His Majesty's principle of being the parents of the people?" Wei Zheng's words aroused Li Shimin's anger again. He blushed and turned pale, and finally broke out after holding back for a moment: "What a Wei Zheng, I don't know what's going on, so I have to give me time to check it out! You always use the truth Rebuke me, are you the only one in the world who understands the truth? Is it possible that I am a foolish emperor for no reason? Well, you can step back. After I verify, if this woman really agrees, I will return it to my old husband; He has already retired, hehe, Wei Zheng, you insult me ​​so often, you have to tell me a reason!" Wei Zheng kowtowed and said: "The reason why I dare to offend Yan Zhijian, I think that Your Majesty should not fall into an unrighteous situation. Please check carefully, and know that what I have played is not false." After finishing speaking, he left the hall. Li Shimin understood that if a daughter married to Xu was forcibly conscripted into the palace, if this letter spread outside, and others would not speak to her face, she would definitely not take it seriously.Seeing that Wei Zheng had withdrawn, he hurriedly got up and walked into the harem, found the eldest grandson Jiamin and blamed him, "Sister Min, why did you do such a foolish thing. Then the daughter of the Zheng family has promised to marry someone else, how can she be recruited into the palace?" Min was shocked: "No way, the concubine once sent someone to Zheng Renji's house to inquire, and the reply was that no one was allowed. Now that the edict has been issued and everyone in the world knows, what should I do?" Li Shimin said: "Zheng Renji is an old official in the Sui Dynasty, and now he lives at home. If his daughter can enter the palace to enjoy the favor, is it a world of difference from marrying with the Lu family? That country bumpkin is entangled again. Look at his unrelenting attitude." Jiner, I looked angry, but also fearful. Don't make the world ridicule for this trivial matter. Forget it, but the imperial edict stops sending out envoys, and let her marry the Lu family." Eldest Sun Jiamin pursed his lips and said with a smile: "Your Majesty has envied her for a long time, wouldn't it be a pity to give up so easily?" Li Shimin sighed: "Oh, I became the emperor, but I became timid. Sister Min, it seems that the feeling of being an emperor is not good." "When your Majesty used to be a vassal king, he was a courtier after all. Now that you are an emperor, you don't want to be a foolish or mediocre king, and you have to be noticed by the people of the world. Of course, you must be careful in everything. Please be blamed by your majesty for negligent selection of ministers and concubines. .” "It's not your fault, so you don't have to feel guilty. Well, Wei Zheng is quite competent as a country bumpkin, and nothing can escape his eyes. Sister Min, tell me, what has a good eye and a good nose?" "Your Majesty is calling Wei Zheng an eagle dog. Your Majesty, the world is so big, it will be a blessing to Your Majesty if there are such eagle dogs guarding everywhere." "Haha, sister Min, I have many admonishing ministers in the court, and when I return to the harem, I have a good wife like you who can understand the integrity. Yes, this is my blessing, but it is a bit in the way. Do you think , if this is the case for a long time, I will respect you as a heavenly man, and dare to be intimate with you?" The eldest Sun Jiamin blushed and opened his mouth to say something, but his face became more shy and he didn't say anything. Li Shimin did not expect that the suspension of the policy envoy would cause a controversy in the court.On this day, Fang Xuanling, Wang Gui, and Wei Ting jointly made a statement saying: "Zheng's daughter Xu married Lu's, there is no obvious sign, the gift can be done immediately, and it cannot be terminated." After reading it, Li Shimin smiled, thinking We are both advising doctors, but we have a disagreement on the same matter, let's see what other reasons you, Wei Zheng, can come up with. It so happened that at this time, Wen Yanbo entered the palace to ask for an interview, obviously he wanted to verify the affairs of Wei Zheng and his relatives. Li Shimin was very interested, and asked with concern: "How is it? Did Wei Zheng really do something bad?" Wen Yanbo replied: "I've been focusing on my affairs these days. I've been investigating secretly, or inquiring in the department, but I've searched all over to no avail. Although Wei Zheng received his relatives very affectionately, that's all. He avoided them all and never intervened." Li Shimin showed a complicated expression. On the one hand, he was quite satisfied with Wei Zheng's ability to uphold integrity and not favoritism, but on the other hand, he was also slightly disappointed.The idea of ​​reprimanding him heavily by taking advantage of his shortcomings seems to be completely in vain. Wen Yanbo observed the words and demeanor, and he could vividly remember the scenes of Wei Zheng constantly exposing the emperor's shortcomings in the court.This time Li Shimin ordered him to investigate Wei Zheng's private interests, he knew like a mirror in his heart that the emperor wanted to find fault with Wei Zheng.He usually doesn't like Wei Zheng, he thinks Wei Zheng is obscene and self-reliant, he looks down on his colleagues, and he also wants to seriously find out one and a half of his faults, and use the emperor's hand to ridicule him.During the investigation and visit, Wen Yanbo spared no effort, and whenever he found any clues, he would pursue them with all his might.However, because Wei Zhengxing's facts are too upright, he has nothing to gain. Li Shimin pondered for a moment, then said: "Since this is the case, it seems that someone else has falsely accused Wei Zheng. Wen Qing, your hard work is not in vain, and finally helped me to understand Wei Zheng's character thoroughly." Wen Yanbo rolled his eyes and said: "Your Majesty, although Wei Zheng is far away from his relatives, there is something to blame." "He avoids his relatives, what is there to blame?" "Your Majesty, if you think about it, Wei Zheng avoids his relatives, that is, he wants to be invisible and avoid suspicion. A gentleman must be frank and frank, and must not be hypocritical. From this point of view, Wei Zheng concealed all traces, although his heart is selfless. , but if he did it intentionally, there is something to be blamed for.” After hearing this, Li Shimin stared at Wen Yanbo for a moment, then suddenly laughed out loud: "Haha, Wen Qing, you really deserved to find out Wei Zheng's fault. However, I'm afraid he won't be convinced if we say so. What should I do if I want to commit a crime?" "Wei Zheng is the best at finding out the bones of the egg. He makes even a small matter extremely huge. Your Majesty, the reason why I think this way is also inspired by Wei Zheng, that is, to use his own way to treat his own body." Li Shimin pondered again. After the recent encounters, he felt a layer of fear towards Wei Zheng, always afraid that he would expose his shortcomings again.Now that Wen Yanbo found out Wei Zheng's fault, Li Shimin thought it was a bit reluctant, and if he could not do it, he would provoke Wei Zheng to be impassioned and embarrass himself on the spot again.Thinking of this, Li Shimin told Wen Yanbo: "That's right, Wei Zheng has always pursued perfection. Don't do to others what you don't want, then you should first seek perfection. Gentlemen are magnanimous, while villains often feel sorry for each other. There is indeed something wrong with Wei Zheng's move. ...However, Wei Zheng's actions do not violate the criminal law, so I can't blame him face to face. You can ask him to express my opinion, so that he will not deliberately hide it in the future, and he must show his behavior." Wen Yanbo replied: "I obey the order." Then he bowed and retreated. Li Shimin watched Wen Yanbo exit the hall, his heart was agitated, with Wei Zheng's nature, if he listened to Wen Yanbo's message, he would definitely not give up.Li Shimin was lucky, and thought to himself that Wei Zheng would not make any more moves after hearing the words, so it would be better to restrain his arrogance from now on. However, things backfired. After hearing Wen Yanbo's decree, Wei Zheng didn't have any theory about Wen Yanbo, but entered the palace in a muffled voice, begging to see Li Shimin. Li Shimin knew Wei Zheng's reason for coming, so he didn't point it out, and asked with a smile: "Wei Qing is here, is it possible that he wants to talk about Zheng's daughter again? I think you have heard about it, and I have stopped sending envoys since you remonstrated." I don’t want to cause Xuanling, Wang Gui and others to question me again, thinking that it’s not obvious that this girl is allowed to marry someone else, and the gift should be done, so it can’t be stopped. Alas, this matter is getting more and more complicated.” Li Shimin changed the subject because he wanted to cheer up the atmosphere, because he saw that Wei Zheng's face was serious and he didn't smile at all.Unexpectedly, Wei Zheng ignored his quarrel, but went straight to the point, and said: "Your Majesty, I don't want to talk about Zheng's daughter today. Just now, Wen Yanbo conveyed His Majesty's will to me, and I feel special because of something. Come tell." A strange look appeared on Li Shimin's face, and he murmured: "This... this... Wei Qing, in fact, once Wen Yanbo left, I already regretted it. I also listened to Wen Yanbo's performance at that time, and I agreed to it without further consideration." "Your Majesty, as the saying goes, 'No joke', the king's words and deeds must not be false. Now I am bathing in the emperor's favor, obeying the state system, and dare not be biased in everything I do. I have many relatives. They know that I am close to the emperor's favor. Come to get close, and there are many people who try to get something out of the door. I am an admonishing officer, and if I am admonishing others, I must correct myself. I understand this truth. Therefore, I am enthusiastic about those relatives who ask for it. Hospitality. As for the entrusted matter, which violates the national system, the ministers will strictly reject it in person, and they dare not speak to Yousi in private. Your Majesty, Wen Yanbo sent a decree that the minister must keep his appearance in the future, and the minister can't think of it I am here to ask His Majesty for advice. Is it true that I will record all my words and deeds on weekdays for the Secretary to verify, so as to keep traces?" This sentence stumped Li Shimin, and he replied: "I think... I think Wen Yanbo said that at the time, just to let you act openly and not hide it. After all, so many people ask you for help, outsiders can't see A little trace is really... really puzzling." "What's so confusing about this? There's nothing wrong with it, so why make something difficult? According to His Majesty's intention, I want my ministers to be careful in their actions in the future, and to publicize no matter how big or small the matter is. Your Majesty I think I have no ghosts in my heart, and my heart is open, so I don’t need to explain anything. Your Majesty has said many times to create Qingming politics and turn complexity into simplicity. If this is the case, isn’t simplicity turned into complexity? The minister thinks that this is not the same as His Majesty I didn't agree with the original intention, because I didn't dare to follow the imperial edict." Li Shimin nodded and said: "Okay, I have said it just now, I have regretted it, and I will take back what I said now." Hearing this, Wei Zheng knelt down on the ground and kowtowed: "Your Majesty can say this, I am grateful." Li Shimin went down to help Wei Zheng, and said: "The reason why I corrected my mistake when I heard it was due to you. Only when the monarch and his ministers meet, if there is a fish and water, then the sea will be safe. Although I don't know, I rely on you to help me with numbers, and to be honest with you. Please remonstrate and make up for my mistakes. Get up and sit with me." Wei Zheng got up and sat down, and said: "Your Majesty said well, when a monarch and his ministers meet, if they have the same fish and water, they must be sincere to each other. So the minister dared to offend Yan Jin, does your Majesty know why?" "I know that to rule the world is to be loyal." "That is the principle of governing the country. It is very simple to say. If your Majesty does not accept the words of his ministers like Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, how dare the ministers violate the dragon's scales and touch taboos. The state affairs are important, but the minister's life is also important. It is better to die than to live. If you know that you will die, you will not dare to risk your life to try." Li Shimin laughed: "Haha, Wei Qing, you are telling the truth. You have seen through my mind, and you know that you will not die, so you are so arrogant, aren't you?" "I dare not be arrogant. I am fortunate to serve Your Majesty. I wish to be a good minister, not a loyal one." "Good minister? Loyal minister? Is there any difference?" "Of course there is a difference. Like Qi and Gaotao, they both know the Lord and do their best. Because the monarch and his ministers work together, they all enjoy honor. This is a good minister." Qi is the ancestor of Shang in the legend. He was once appointed as Situ by Shun because he helped Dayu to control the water, and he was in charge of enlightenment.Gao Tao was Shun's official in charge of criminal law.They assisted Shun and created a generation of prosperity, which will be talked about by future generations.各代士大夫历来将尧、舜视为其理想中的开明君主，则契、皋陶佐舜成就伟业，士大夫也将他们奉为臣子的楷模。 “那么忠臣呢？” “梅伯、比干，面折廷争，身诛国亡，是为忠臣。” 梅伯和比干皆为商代贵族，为殷纣王的大臣，比干还是纣王的叔父。相传他们屡次劝谏纣王，惹得纣王大为光火。最后梅伯被乱箭射死，比干被剖心而死。他们身死之后，不久商朝灭亡。 李世民点点头，说道：“你的这个说法很贴切。魏卿，假若朕昏聩无比，难道你就不能做一回忠臣吗？要知道，你虽身死，却也博得青史留名啊。” “今日君臣推诚相待，臣唯说实话。若陛下为昏君，臣人物猥琐，混迹于人群之中毫不起眼。在乱世中随波逐流，虽不乏颠沛流离，然亦能安然度此一生。脑袋掉了毕竟很疼，臣还是保一条小命为好，因此不敢当忠臣。” “哈哈，看样子你只能做良臣了。说来说去，你所以能当良臣还是因为朕。唉，朕还是当一位明君为好，不然不知有多少人的脑袋就要落地。”李世民到了现在，已经完全轻松起来，言语中不乏调侃的意味。 李世民语气一转，叹道：“看来臣下揣测圣心，确实要惹出不少事儿。温彦博得朕言语去访查你，结果最后出了这样一个馊主意。说起来，还是当初朕的言语中露出了端倪，认为你必有其私，温彦博想取悦于朕，即顺着朕的思路去寻。归根结底，还是朕的原因。” “陛下不可错怪温彦博，其实论才智能力，其堪为良臣。这件事儿说到底，臣也有过失，毕竟君臣须推诚相见，同僚之间亦须坦诚。臣往日落落寡合，与同僚交流不多，也算短处。” “哈哈，魏卿日常慷慨激昂，现在也学会谦虚了。嗯，夫为人臣，当尽思尽忠，退思补过，方为完美。魏卿，朕听到你这句话，心里其实很欣喜呀。” 魏征再拜曰：“臣今后定将一心致公，与同僚共相切磋。” “好的，魏卿，朕今日很高兴。来人，赏魏大夫丝绢五百匹。” "Thank you, Your Majesty." 李世民又失笑道：“魏卿，你这一段时间得朕赏赐不少啊。若不靠俸禄，也完全可以发家致富嘛。” “臣发财事小，陛下若能纳谏以兴邦，比起来，还是陛下的收获为多。”魏征说完起身告退，李世民笑容满面，破天荒地起身将魏征送出殿外。经过这一番的交锋，李世民彻底地明白了魏征的心思，此后每每谏诤，他皆言听计从。 第二日的朝会上，房玄龄、王珪、韦挺又提起郑氏之女事儿，三人言之凿凿，认为诏令已发，且郑氏之女并未许嫁，不可轻易收回成命。 温彦博上前奏道：“陛下，臣这里有陆爽上表一道，请予御览。”陆爽即是郑氏之女适嫁的对象，现在吏部任一小吏。 "Present." 陆爽表中说道：“某父康在日，与郑家往还，时相赠遗资财，为两家同好之意，并无婚姻交涉亲戚。外人不知，妄有此说。”其极力表白自己与郑氏之女没有缔结婚约。 李世民看罢，又令人将之送给魏征观看，说道：“魏卿，若如玄龄等大臣来劝朕，你或许会说是他们想顺从朕之旨意。然现在陆爽也极力分辩没有此事，看来也许是外人传说，亦未可知。” 魏征匆匆地将陆爽之表浏览了一遍，坚定地说道：“臣与郑仁基交好，其不止对臣说过一遍，且臣也亲眼看到其文定之物。陛下，此事千真万确，臣不敢虚言。” 房玄龄插话道：“魏大夫，也许郑、陆两家起初有缔婚之意，然主人已逝，此事很可能就此搁置下来。我现为中书令，朝廷制诏皆由此出，一书一诏皆为严肃之事，若轻易废之，就会有失朝廷尊严。” 王珪、韦挺连连点头，显然赞同此议。 萧瑀、陈叔达、封德彝最近也很不满意魏征，以为他风头太劲，动辄将小事说得比天还大。像眼前之事，无非是皇上纳一个嫔妃，值得他如此大动干戈吗？萧瑀出班奏道：“陛下，眼前国事纷纭，这郑氏之女既然未许嫁他人，就依前诏将其选入宫中即可。没必要在这里翻来覆去，虚耗光阴。另外，魏大夫司谏议之事，应从国体大事上着眼，不可在此等琐屑之事上纠缠不清，臣请陛下责之。” 魏征侧头直视萧瑀，大声说道：“萧公，若皇上不明底细将已嫁之女纳入宫中，此事定会传闻天下，说嘴者很多，难道这是小事吗？” 封德彝冷冷说道：“魏大夫，这里为朝会，不可动辄咆哮于廷，有失体统。” 魏征不理封德彝，扭过头来面向李世民道：“陛下，陆爽所以上表，臣想他的意思很明白，他怕陛下与太上皇一样。” “太上皇怎么了？” “太上皇初平京城，看到了辛处俭的夫人生得美艳，即夺而纳之。辛处俭时为太子舍人，太上皇遇之不悦，遂令他出东宫到万年县任长史，不许他再回京城。辛处俭到了万年县，心中依然惊惧不安，常常怕难以全命。”当年京城中人大多知晓这件事情，很不以为然。 魏征此言一出，满殿皆惊，顿时变得鸦雀无声。要知道李渊毕竟为李世民的老子，为尊者讳，魏征如此直揭疮疤，难道他不会动怒吗？ 魏征不理这些，依旧镇静地侃侃而谈：“臣想陆爽所以上表，竭力表白自己，无非畏惧皇权，怕陛下今日虽然容忍他，以后也会阴加谴谪。由此来看，其反复陈说，意在于此，不足为怪。” 李世民脸色平和，静静地听完魏征的诉说。他沉思片刻，说道：“魏卿所言有理，朕多次说过要从谏如流，看来真正做起来就太难了。玄龄、如晦，你们以为呢？” 房玄龄未及言声，杜如晦抢先奏道：“臣以为魏大夫所言有理，陛下多次说过要克制己欲，做国人之楷模，则一言一行不可有失。臣同意罢纳郑氏之女。” “封公、萧公，你们以为呢？” 萧瑀答道：“道理嘛，确实是这样。只不过魏征言辞激烈，有失为官敦厚之风，若众官皆效之，朝堂上岂非乱了套？伏望陛下责之，以正官风。” Feng Deyi nodded in agreement.其实他们明里责怪魏征，内里却有失落之意。李世民即位以后，一开始颇重他们，对如何理政多听他们的意见。然今年以来，形势似乎发生了改变，每每与房玄龄、杜如晦、魏征等人争辩，到了最后，李世民以听这些人的意见为多，这几名老臣的心里难免不是滋味。 李世民挥挥手道：“大家既然赞同魏卿的主张，朕以为并无什么不可。看似他当场驳了朕的面子，然这里毕竟为朝堂，比起天下之人来，人数毕竟为少。朕若为顾自己脸面拒不听谏，则谬误流亡天下，这个就失得太大了。昨日魏卿对朕讲了做良臣与忠臣的区别，其间只是一念之差。”说罢，他将魏征对良臣和忠臣的剖析略述了一遍。 众人听后纷纷点头。 李世民接着道：“历史上的殷纣王、周厉王、秦始皇、隋炀帝并非生来就是暴君，其中有一个渐变的过程。他们太看重自身的威权，以为臣子皆是自己的奴隶，不容他们开口说话。其实君臣合契，有同鱼水，则海内可安。若君王听不到一点反对意见，又谈什么君臣合契呢？萧公，君明臣直，方有鱼水之欢。你们今后只要提出正确的意见，朕定虚心接受。明白此节，就不会再为一点颜面之事耿耿于怀了。当然，妄自尊大与讪谤亦不可取，那是有区别的。” 李世民又对魏征笑道：“魏卿，朕听从你的意见，让郑氏之女仍归陆爽。你为其父故人，其成婚之日你须当场证婚，也算彻底了却此事。至于陆爽，外人定会让他小心翼翼，怕朕报复。朕这里言之凿凿，然终归不信，这如何是好呢？” 魏征道：“陛下胸怀阔大，包容万物，不会行小肚鸡肠之事，这一点臣深信不疑。” “外人信不信，只好让他们看今后的事实了。嗯，魏卿，朕现在立刻亲手出敕，传令有司后，你可将此敕交由郑氏之女收存。”李世民唤人取来笔墨，然后援笔立就，其敕云：“今闻郑氏之女，先已受人礼聘。前出文书之日，事不详审，此乃朕之不是，亦为有司之过。授充容者宜停。” 李世民知错能改，这件事情很快传扬出去，在坊里道间为人们津津乐道，一时传为美谈。 郑氏之女复归陆氏，然宫内纳采并未停止。长孙皇后先是确定了六尚女官的人选，然后将选入宫内的秀女进呈李世民御览。李世民匆匆看了一遍，重点将授有品级者查看了一番，点头道：“皇后的眼光是不错的，就按你所拟议的为她们册封吧。” 长孙皇后将宫内的事体逐步安定，又开始准备另一件大事，即由后宫主持的皇后亲蚕仪式。古来所传男耕女织，妇人注重桑蚕之事，亦为兴农之重要组成部分。大唐建立后，由于李渊夫人窦氏早逝，宫内未设皇后，若由贵妃主持行此仪式，有些名不正言不顺，因从未行过此仪式。如今李世民初登皇位，多次宣称“农为邦本”，长孙皇后适时决定举行皇后亲蚕的仪式，无疑是对李世民的响应。消息传出，京城士民纷纷议论，并打听皇后亲蚕的日子，想早日一睹为快。 正是孟春三月的时节，晨阳微微露出了红红的头儿，朝露在柔和的光线之下愈发晶莹。经历了一晚睡眠的小鸟开始在树丛之间蹦跳着，吱吱喳喳地鸣叫着，显出清晨的寂静和闲适。车仗辘辘而来，将道边的小鸟惊起，小鸟抖动着沾满朝露的翅膀，忽高忽低不知飞往何处。 看到这些，长孙嘉敏不由得心旷神怡。到了采桑的地点，她对众妃嫔说道：“我们日日处在深宫之中，很少有机会感受到田野的美妙啊。” 阴梦婕依旧是洒脱的性儿，抢先答道：“皇后说得有理。那日臣妾对皇上说起，能否带我们出外骑马一回，谁知遭到了皇上的一番训斥，说如今正是忙乱之际，哪儿有如此心情。” 长孙嘉敏点点头，说道：“是啊，皇上理国劬劳，我们不可给他再添乱了。嗯，等将来年成好的时候，我们可以结伴出来游春。” 即使到了郊外采桑，诸般仪式也不可偏废。那边，主事者已在配座上摆好了笾、豆各十，篮、簋各二，甑、铡、俎各三，里面依例摆放了各种祭品，以行祭礼。祭礼已毕，即开始采桑。这采桑之事并非大家持筐随便采取，也有严格的规定。像采桑人数，即有严格的限制，除了皇后之外，还有内外命妇一品各两人，二品、三品各一人。 司宾官引八名采桑的内外命妇到了采桑的桑树前，让她们执钩筐各就其位。这时，长孙皇后执钩而至，身后跟随一名持筐女官。长孙皇后到桑树前采桑三条即止，然后退回。之后，那八名采桑内外命妇依次到树前，一品者采五条，二品者采九条，三品者采十二条。采桑事毕，车驾返回到禁苑祭坛前，再进行一番祭祀仪式。最后，她们携带桑叶来到蚕室前，将之交给在这里养蚕的外命妇。外命妇将桑叶切碎，然后由内命妇婕妤以上者将桑叶撒入箩中，以喂食蚕宝宝。如此，冗长的皇后亲蚕仪式方告结束。 长孙嘉敏在整个仪式过程中，心情一直不错。只不过在禁苑中发现新来的几名年轻的采女在草丛中抓捕着什么，认为举行大礼之际如此作为非常不庄重，遂派人过去制止。几名采女被带到长孙嘉敏身边接受斥责。长孙嘉敏看到一女手中紧紧握着似是有物，遂令她松开，就见一绿色大蚂蚱弹腿蹦开。长孙嘉敏心里一沉，心道：“怎么这禁苑之中也有蝗虫生成？似非吉兆啊。”因见人多，她仅仅轻声斥责了几句，然后丢开，却怀上了心事。