Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Wu Meiniang Cheng En Trains a Horse Li Shimin Reads the Remonstrance at Night

When the anniversary of Li Yuan's death was not reached, Li Shimin finally couldn't stand the persuasion of his officials, and began to wear ordinary clothes to listen to the government in the main hall.Thinking about it, Li Chengqian supervised the country in the name of the prince, and he had no idea about anything. He used the false name of supervising the country, and the ministers still had to report to Li Shimin if they had something to do, which seemed very troublesome. That year, another bumper harvest of domestic grain was achieved, and the price of grain dropped by another penny.After more than ten years of rest and recuperation, and the people who had fled and returned one after another, the population has increased by more than 20% compared with the early years of Zhenguan.On the frontier, due to the newly achieved victory in pacifying Tuyuhun, Siyi, especially the countries in the Western Regions, felt the power of the Tang Dynasty, and suddenly more tributes and envoys came to Chang'an.

The Tubo envoy went to Chang'an again. He first found He Jiluo, and then went to Honglu Temple to report.When he was about to leave, Qi Zong Nong Zan earnestly confessed that he must meet the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty after entering Beijing, and clearly stated his intention of intermarriage.Qi Zong praised and said: "When Tuyuhun was still strong, Murong Shun was able to court Princess Datang, and now Nuohebo can also marry Princess Datang. I, the king of Tubo, dominates the plateau, and I have expressed my sincerest wishes to the Emperor of Tang Dynasty. He should not be indifferent. The first thing you need to do is ask for a marriage during your mission this time. If you can’t do it, you don’t want to come back.” Qi Zong Nongzan was so impatient to marry Datang, the primary reason was seeing Datang If Tubo can intermarry with him, the two countries will be relatively close and will not interfere with each other; secondly, Tubo has no written language at this time, and Qizong Nongzan feels that most of the daughters in the country are vulgar. The princess of the Tang Dynasty, her color must be round and jade-like, and she is knowledgeable and sensible, no doubt like a heaven and a man.

The envoy conveyed to Tang Jian the meaning of abandoning the sect and praising him, but Tang Jian did not dare to call the shots. Coincidentally, Nuohebo, the king of Tuyuhun, also came to Beijing to worship this time, so Tang Jian asked them to visit Li Shimin together. Li Shimin was indifferent when he heard that Qizong Nongzan asked for intermarriage, and said lightly: "The Tang Dynasty and Tubo have communicated for a short time, and the time is too short. This matter should be discussed in a long-term way." He asked about the current situation of Tubo, and then ignored it The envoy turned to talk to King Nuohebo of Tuyuhun.Nuo Hebo was still young at this time, so Li Shimin taught him some principles of governing the country during his conversations.

The Tubo envoy stepped out of the palace with infinite melancholy, and asked He Jiluo, "The emperor of the Tang Dynasty refused to accept the marriage proposal. What should I do?" He Jiluo said: "The emperor's meaning, because the two countries have been in communication for a short time, this matter should not be rushed. After you go back, explain the emperor's meaning to Zanpu, I think he will understand." "Impossible. Before I left, Zanpu said that if this matter cannot be done, I am not allowed to go back. I returned empty-handed from this trip, and Zanpu will have my head chopped off if I fail."

"It's okay, you can ask Lu Dongzan for an idea first, he must have a plan, and he will naturally pass the test in front of Zanpu." The Tubo envoys were distraught along the way, walking through the mountains and rivers in panic.He passed the boundary of Tuyuhun one day, and suddenly he had an idea, and came up with an idea to survive. When he returned to Luodian, he didn't go to Ludong Zan to discuss his ideas as He Jiluo said, but went straight to Qizong Nongzan's big tent. After seeing Qizong Nongzan and saluting, he said angrily: "Zanpu , the villain met the emperor of Tang Dynasty and offered to marry him, the emperor praised you for being young and heroic, and his expression seemed to agree."

"Okay, how did it turn out?" "I hate that Tuyuhun King Nuohebo is by his side. When he saw that the Tang Dynasty wanted to marry our country, he didn't know what kind of bad idea he had in his mind. He said in the emperor's ear that our country is so vulgar and Zanpu is unbearable. Zanpu, it's really not worth it. After he disturbed him, the villain's success fell to the brink, so the emperor of the Tang Dynasty rejected his intention to ask for marriage, saying that he had to think about it in the long run." Qi Zong Nong praised this remark, and immediately became angry from the bottom of his heart. He gritted his teeth and said: "What a shameless villain, I didn't seek your business, but you ruined my good business! Hmph, brat, if you don't let me Try something powerful, but it's hard to know my means."

Qizong Nongzan did what he said, and he called tens of thousands of cavalry in ten days, led them personally, and killed Tuyuhun without mentioning it. When Li Shimin was committed to the great governance of the country, the blessing of his harem could be said to be like flowers and brocades.That year, Li Shimin was nearly forty, and had given birth to eleven sons and eighteen daughters.Among them, Prince Li Chengqian, fourth son Li Tai, ninth son Li Zhi, Princess Changle, Princess Xincheng, and Princess Dongyang were born to Empress Changsun, and the rest were born to other concubines and palace people.

Li Shimin is now full of ambition, and today he told Empress Changsun that the palace staff has been abolished one after another over the past few years, and there are not many palace staff.Empress Changsun naturally obeyed her advice, and ordered the official family to recommend a beautiful girl.After a selection process, a total of 110 newcomers were selected into the palace.Among them, there are two beauties who are the most outstanding, one is the most beautiful, and the other is famous for talent. This most beautiful woman, twenty-seven years old, is the second daughter of the current governor of Jingzhou, the warrior Xun.When Li Yuan was still serving as the left guard in Taiyuan, the warrior Xun served as the marching commander in the left behind mansion.Li Yuan killed Wang Wei and Gao Junya, appointed himself a general and began to raise troops, and the samurai Xun was awarded the title of the general's armor Cao, which shows that he and Li Yuan were in the same group, and he was also a founding hero.Since then, the samurai Xun has been named Doctor Guanglu, Duke of Yiyuan County, Inspector of Lizhou, Governor of Jingzhou, and his official fortune is very balanced.His original partner was Xiangli, who had two sons, and then married Yang, who gave birth to three daughters.The second female breast name is Mei Niang (Wu Mei Niang's original name is no longer testable, this name was taken by Li Shimin after she entered the palace, and it is used here for the time being).According to legend, Yuan Tiangang was about to go to Beijing to seek an audience with Li Shimin at this time. He traveled to the ground of Jingzhou on this day, and because he was an old acquaintance with the warrior Xun, he went to the mansion to meet him.At that time, Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang were famous all over the world for their knowledge of yin and yang, literacy, and physiognomy. The warrior Xun first hosted a banquet for them, and then called the monks to invite Yuan Tiangang to meet them one by one.When Yang was interviewed by Yuan Tiangang, Yuan Tiangang looked at it for a long time, then turned to the warrior Xun and said, "Looking at the way of the lady's bones, you must have a bone." When the second son came, Yuan Tiangang shook his head and said, "It's hard for these two sons to be very expensive. When they grow up, most of them will be governors. Please call Mrs. Yang's son."

Yang's eldest daughter was only three years old at this time, while her second daughter, Mei Niang, was still in her infancy.Yuan Tiangang looked at the eldest daughter of Yang's family, nodded and said: "This heroine is very noble, but she will be unfavorable in the end." Later, this girl married He Lan's family first, and was a widow when she was young. Later, she was favored by Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi of Tang Dynasty and named Mrs. Han.Wu Meiniang was Empress Gaozong at this time. Legend has it that she was afraid that her sister would seize the palace and planned to murder Mrs. Korea.

The infant Wu Meiniang was dressed in men's clothing and was carried out by the wet nurse.It was thought that Mrs. Yang was eager to have a boy, so she raised Mei Niang as a boy.When Yuan Tiangang saw Meiniang's appearance, he was shocked and said: "This gentleman has a very good look, it is not easy to know." The warrior Xun thought it was a bit funny that he mistook Meiniang for a man, so he asked him to take a closer look.Yuan Tiangang looked at it carefully again, and said: "This son has dragon eyes and a phoenix neck, and he will be extremely expensive in the future. Unfortunately, he is not a woman." The warrior asked anxiously, what if it was a woman?Yuan Tiangang solemnly replied: "If this son is a woman, she will become the emperor in the future." Whether this legend is true or not is untestable today.It is thought that this woman became the emperor of Zetian in the future, and a group of people who climbed the dragon and attached to the phoenix under her command used the name of Yuan Tiangang to prove that Wu Zetian's ability to become the emperor was determined by the destiny, and there are also some.Wu Meiniang grew up quietly in the house, and gradually developed a flower-like appearance, jade-like skin, a graceful waist, and a pair of pretty eyes that seem to be able to speak.In this way, Wu Meiniang's fame spread among the officials' families, and gradually spread to the palace.On that day, the Wu family suddenly received the imperial edict, and when they learned that Mei Niang was conscripted into the palace, the whole family couldn't help but mourn.One must know that there are thousands of beauties in the palace, how many of them can touch the emperor's rain and dew?The vast majority of people in the harem just stay in the empty room all year round, washing their faces with tears all day long, and hurting the spring and autumn. This is called "palace grievance", as evidenced by poems:

Mrs. Yang has shed tears all day long since she learned that Meiniang was conscripted into the palace. When Meiniang was about to leave, she held Meiniang's hand and said goodbye: "My daughter has entered the deep palace, and it will be hard for me to see her again. God why You are so blind, why do you want to send your daughter to the deep palace?" At this moment, Wu Meiniang didn't show any sadness, her face was full of longing and joy, she persuaded her mother: "My daughter enters the palace and can see the face of the emperor, how can it be a disaster? Mother, don't worry, how can you know that it is not a good thing?" After all, I resolutely bid farewell to my family.Wu Meiniang was raised as a boy by her family since she was a child. Her mother had no children, and her status in the family was very low.Wu Meiniang gradually developed an arrogant character. When her half-brother bullied her mother, she often stood up and even fought.In this way, tenacity has been added to her personality, which is very different from ordinary girls and reveals something special. A few days after Wu Meiniang entered the palace, she was summoned by Li Shimin to attend her bed.When she saw Li Shimin, she didn't panic at all, she bowed gracefully, and said: "My concubine Wu has an audience with the emperor." Then she shouted long live three times, and all the etiquettes were completed perfectly, which was very different from the flustered panic of other newcomers.Li Shimin saw that this girl was not sloppy, and liked it in his heart, so he called her to be flat, and then looked at her appearance, she was born with the face of a lotus, and she was in the age of cardamom.He stretched out his hand to summon Mei Niang, and Li Shimin embraced the petite baby, and whispered in his ear: "I never thought that my father has such a good ability. I haven't seen you for several years, but I gave birth to such a charming beauty like you." Come." That Mei Niang was embraced by a man for the first time since she was an adult.She smelled the masculine breath from Li Shimin's body, and she couldn't help being shaken, her body became powerless, and she let Li Shimin manipulate herself casually. On the second day of Fusang Day, Li Shimin was going to the morning court.Mei Niang obediently got up early and helped Li Shimin get dressed together with the maid.Li Shimin looked at his sleepy sallow face, felt pity in his heart, and asked, "You were at home, what hobbies do you have?" "The concubine obeys her mother's order, and follows her teacher to read and write red. However, the concubine was raised as a man since she was a child, and what she loves most is riding and shooting with her father and brother." "Oh, so you like riding and archery? Well, the countries in the Western Regions have recently sent a few good horses. I will take someone to ride and shoot in the afternoon. If you are interested and you are not in the way, you can come with me and let I have seen and seen your riding and archery skills." "If Your Majesty doesn't think the courtiers and concubines are cumbersome, the courtiers and concubines will obey the order." Seeing that Li Shimin was willing to take her to ride and shoot, Wu Meiniang was overjoyed, thinking that the emperor must have fallen in love with her.Since breakfast, she has been lazily lying in front of the window, watching the sunlight pass by, eagerly looking forward to the sun setting to the west, so that she can accompany her in the garden. In the afternoon, Li Shimin sent someone to call Wu Meiniang.At this time, Wu Meiniang has changed into men's clothes, wearing a head scarf, a round collar robe, and black leather boots.When Li Shimin first saw her attire, he couldn't help but praised: "What a handsome and handsome man." Indeed, among the three thousand women in the palace, no one has ever dressed like this, which made Li Shimin feel very fresh. Wu Meiniang accompanied Li Shimin to ride and shoot a few times in the garden, she couldn't help frowning, she thought it was because she had tasted Li Shimin's rain and dew for the first time last night, her body was still tender, so she was still in pain.Seeing this, Li Shimin knew the reason, so he asked her to rest aside. Li Shimin tried riding those good horses from the Western Regions, the first three were very smooth, but the last one was violent, as soon as a person approached, he kicked wildly, and he was already kicking the last one.Li Shimin claims to be a master horse trainer, and he has subdued countless horses in his life. The appearance of this horse in front of him is not special, what's the point?He waved his hand to let the people go away, and said: "Everyone, step back, let me deal with it." I saw him slowly walking up to the horse, slowly taking the rein of the horse, and then flying to recognize the stirrup, intending to quickly climb on the horse's back.Unexpectedly, this horse is quite spiritual. When Li Shimin was flying, it flicked its heels and turned half a circle quickly, leaving Li Shimin in vain. He rushed forward, endured the pain in his nose, broke free the rein from Li Shimin's hand, then raised his hooves and rushed towards Yuanbei.Li Shimin was weightless and suspended in the air, and then pulled by the reins, his body naturally rushed forward in the air, only to hear a "plop", and he fell heavily on the ground. Amidst the exclamation of the crowd, Chang He rushed to Li Shimin's side first, carefully helped Li Shimin up, and said in his mouth: "Is the emperor not in the way? I don't have enough guards, and the death penalty is the death penalty." Li Shimin's body and face were covered with dust, and a layer of skin was scratched on the left side of his face, with a little bit of blood oozing out slowly.The expression on his face was both frustrated and angry. He wiped his face and scolded: "Damn horse, I don't believe that I won't subdue you. Chang He, quickly bring this horse back to me." Chang He persuaded: "Your Majesty, this horse's wildness has not faded away, it must be kept in a pen for a period of time, after its temperament has been worn down, it will not be too late to subdue it." "Nonsense, what's the fun in this?" At this time, the eunuch accompanying him brought wet wipes for Li Shimin to wipe his face, and two eunuchs even gently brushed off the dust on his body.This made Li Shimin very impatient, and waved the two of them away. The horse was quickly brought back with a lasso. Li Shimin walked a few steps, watched the horse, and thought about how to subdue it.At this time, Wu Meiniang's voice came from behind: "Your Majesty, if you want to subdue this horse, this concubine has a way." Li Shimin didn't expect such a weak woman to have a way to subdue a fierce horse, he turned his head in amazement and asked, "What method do you have?" "Your Majesty, please bestow three items on the ministers and concubines, and the concubines will be able to subdue them." "Which three?" "Iron whip, hammer, dagger." "How do you use it?" "Firstly, the concubine whips it with an iron whip; if it refuses to obey, the concubine hits its head with an iron hammer; if it refuses to obey again, the concubine stabs its throat with a dagger." Li Shimin was startled, he didn't expect such a decisive idea to come out of her mouth.But thinking about it carefully, using this method to deal with a fierce horse is also a tactic, but it's just blindly brave and too arrogant.He laughed and said: "Meiniang, if you were a man, you would definitely become a decisive fighter. It's a pity, you must know that horses also have spirituality, and you can't blindly match strength with strength, so you will lose flexibility." "There are tens of thousands of horses. How can it be worth a lot of patience for a stubborn horse? Your Majesty rules the world with a body of ten thousand chariots. How can you delay time because of trivial matters?" Li Shimin looked at Wu Meiniang's impassioned face, and felt that this young girl had such a sharp heart, which made him feel uncomfortable, so he scolded: "You are young, what do you know? In the world, if you blindly judge the affairs of the world with violent methods, you will be a tyrant, and I will become Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty. People in the harem should not talk about state affairs. You must keep this in mind in the palace from now on. If you say this today, In fact, it shouldn't be, I think you are young and ignorant, so I won't punish you this time, and you will not be allowed to do this in the future." Li Shimin's stern words scared Wu Meiniang to kneel on the ground, kowtowed, and dared not speak anymore. That night, Li Shimin ordered Wu Meiniang to go to bed again.After all, Wu Meiniang is young and has a delicate body. When she is accepting kindness, she can be tactful and delicate, which makes Li Shimin look down on her and love her.However, he suffered from Li Shimin's repeated tortures, coupled with the fright he received during the day, on the second day, his whole body became weak and became seriously ill, and he lay on the couch for more than 20 days in a row. Seeing Wu Meiniang's situation, Li Shimin asked the imperial doctor to make a good diagnosis and treatment, and comforted her with kind words, but he was not in the mood to let her come to bed again.Wu Meiniang fell alone, and there were more than a hundred newcomers who entered the palace at the same time as her. They all had flower-like faces and immature ages, so that Li Shimin could taste new things every day and have different tastes.A few days later, Li Shimin began to fall in love with a gentle woman named Xu Cairen. Xu Cairen's name is Xu Hui. It is said that he could speak five days after he was born, recite and write at the age of four, and write articles at the age of eight.He loves to read scriptures and history, and never puts down the scrolls all day long.When she was fourteen years old, her talent became famous all over the world, and she was named "Talented Girl".She was able to enter the palace this time because of her talent and fame.When Li Shimin was at his bedside for the first time, he couldn't help feeling delighted and fascinated by watching him carve out snow for his chest, knead crispy bones, rich and gorgeous with a bit of elegance.The two of them were having a good time together, Xu Cairen had a shy face, and endless love filled his gentle eyes, which made Li Shimin obsessed. During the day, Li Shimin and Xu Hui felt very comfortable being alone together.Xu Hui is proficient in qin, chess, calligraphy and painting, and Li Shimin is delighted to see him playing the qin or brushing ink.When the two talked about their pride in calligraphy, Li Shimin moved all the old posts here, and the "Lanting Preface" post was naturally among them.In terms of calligraphy skills, Xu Hui is absolutely inferior to Li Shimin, which makes Li Shimin give pointers, which is quite enough for the teacher's addiction. The eldest grandson Jiamin is the master of the harem, and Li Shimin is busy trying new things these days, so she naturally knows everything.As a queen, you can't be jealous, but you can't allow Li Shimin to fight there every day.This will definitely damage the dragon's body, so it is necessary to persuade him to let him relax. At dusk that day, Empress Changsun sent someone to invite Li Shimin, saying that she had cooked a bowl of corn porridge for Li Shimin to drink.Their husband and wife are deeply affectionate and know each other's hearts. Li Shimin naturally understands the true meaning of Empress Changsun.What's more, the corn porridge cooked by Empress Changsun is a must.It is said that corn is common, but the ingredients of the queen's corn porridge are more particular. First, a stone of corn produced by Jian Sheng is taken, and five buckets of osmanthus are pounded together, so that the fragrance of osmanthus is infiltrated into the corn.Use this corn to cook porridge. When the porridge is finished, it is filled with cinnamon fragrance, and it is even more delicious after eating. It is a delicacy that Li Shimin never tires of eating. Li Shimin had already had dinner at this time, he didn't want to take the opportunity, so he walked to the Lizheng Palace where Empress Changsun lived.As soon as he entered the gate of the palace, he could smell the scent of osmanthus. At this time, Empress Changsun came to greet him and said: "The concubine knows that His Majesty has just had dinner and has no appetite now, so I asked them to cook the corn porridge over a slow fire. Boil it slowly, thinking it will be used for your majesty's supper." Li Shimin nodded, and said: "Sister Min is more careful, I'll smell its fragrance first, and use it later." After speaking, he couldn't help opening his mouth and yawned. The eldest grandson pursed his lips and smiled, stretched out his hand to hold Li Shimin's hand, took him to a soft chair and sat down, and said with concern: "Your Majesty must have been very tired these few days, and my concubine will not have to go to court tomorrow. Just rest here for a good night and relax your mind." Li Shimin nodded and said, "That's fine. Minmei, as long as you are by my side, I feel relaxed all over my body, and I feel more comfortable when I rest. Minmei, I know what you mean. I read a lot of newcomers these days. I think you can't read them." Eyes, I’m here to persuade you.” "Your Majesty is wise. The concubines thought to themselves that these newcomers will serve His Majesty after all when they enter the palace. The days are long, and they are not busy at this moment. His Majesty loves them, that is their blessing, but the emperor's dragon body is important. It’s about relaxation.” Empress Changsun's words were very decent, which made Li Shimin listen very pleasantly.He knew that among the three thousand women in the harem, only the person in front of him cared about him the most.Li Shimin thought of this, and teased, "Could it be that sister Min feels lonely these days and misses me?" After hearing this, Empress Changsun blushed in embarrassment, which was a familiar expression to Li Shimin.She patted Li Shimin's palm with her hand, and said, "Forget it, I just came here these few days, and I really can't serve you. Look at you, we are together, don't we only do these things? Erlang, take care of yourself tonight." Take a rest, there are many things waiting for you." Li Shimin laughed and said, "Could it be that you're scared?" Empress Changsun stopped talking about this topic, and Qiqi Ai said, "Your Majesty, my concubine heard from Taier that you allow him to set up a literature center in the mansion, is that okay?" Li Shimin attaches the most importance to the children born to Empress Changsun.The eldest son Li Chengqian was established as the prince, the second son Li Tai was named the king of Wei, and the third son Li Zhi was also established as the king of Jin when he was young.When his eldest daughter, Princess Changle, got married, Li Shimin ordered Yousi to accompany the dowry twice as much as other princesses because she was born to the eldest grandson queen.Although Wei Zheng found out about this matter and wrote a letter to dissuade him, his dowry was still accompanied by the usual practice. However, it can be seen from this matter that Li Shimin treats his children differently. Li Chengqian is now the prince, and because of foot disease, he can't help being wretched and wretched in his actions, which makes Li Shimin displeased.However, what annoys Li Shimin the most is that Chengqian was born in a deep palace, and he was infected with extravagant activities, loves to roam, playful and abandons studies.At the beginning, Li Shimin placed high hopes on him, and successively sent Li Gang, Yu Zhining, Li Baiyao and others as his mentors, in order to correct his mistakes and become a qualified prince.When Li Chengqian met this strict father and good teacher, he didn't dare to neglect, and he was very respectful in front of them, pretending to be an open-minded student.When these people were not in front of him, he immediately returned to his original nature and led his subordinates to play and have fun in the East Palace.Recently, another person has become Chengqian's Mo Ni, that is, Li Yuanchang, the seventh son of Li Yuan, who was named the King of Han. He was the governor of Liangzhou some time ago.Li Shimin handed him an imperial edict to punish him, dismissed him and ordered him to return to Beijing to think about his mistakes.After Li Yuanchang returned to Beijing, probably because of his similar habits to Li Chengqian, the two became close friends, and recently fell in love with Turkic martial arts.They made five wolf-headed banners in the palace, divided them into formations, tied banners and banners, and set up a dome to live in. Everyone wore Turkic costumes.Then the two led a team, shouted loudly in the East Palace, stabbing each other for fun.Although Li Chengqian concealed all kinds of absurd things in every possible way, some rumors eventually reached Li Shimin's ears.In the early years of Zhenguan, Li Shimin often visited the East Palace in person to learn about Li Chengqian's academic progress. After ten years of Zhenguan, Li Shimin never entered the East Palace, which shows the change of his likes and dislikes. As for Wei Wang Li Tai, it was another situation.Although this son is a compatriot with Li Chengqian's mother, he was extremely intelligent when he was young, good at writing poems when he was young, and loved classics and geology when he grew up, which is completely opposite to Li Chengqian's personality.While Li Shimin was disappointed with Li Chengqian, he found some shadows of his past in Li Tai, and was very happy.On this day, Li Taizuo asked to write "Kuo Di Zhi", Li Shimin was overjoyed, and immediately agreed that Li Tai could set up a literature museum in his mansion, and asked him to invite scholars to complete the book as soon as possible. Empress Changsun's question now contains two levels of worry: one is whether Li Shimin has the intention of abolishing the establishment; the other is that when Li Jian became the prince, Li Yuan asked Li Shimin to set up a literature center in the mansion, which finally led to the change of Xuanwu Gate.Empress Changsun was a participant in the incident at the time, and she fully supported Li Shimin.But now things have changed, Li Chengqian and Li Tai are both her own sons, she really doesn't want to see their brothers fighting each other. Li Shimin didn't want to explain too much about Li Tai's establishment of a literary museum, but said lightly: "It's a good thing that Taier wants to write "Kuo Dizhi". How can such a huge book be completed by Taier alone? With the establishment of a literature museum, Taier can recruit more guests, collect pictures and books, and make things happen sooner." "But some people who don't know the truth compare this move with the original Tiance Mansion Literature Museum." "Hey, sister Min, it's difficult to talk to everyone in the world. Can you stop them? Let them say whatever they want. Sister Min, quickly serve the corn porridge, my eyelids are going to fight." Empress Zhangsun pursed her lips into a smile, and hurriedly asked people to serve porridge. Li Shimin quickly drank up a bowl of porridge, and the maids around him had already prepared clean water for him to rinse his mouth.After Li Shimin rinsed his mouth, he got up and said, "Sister Min, I'm a little tired, let's go to rest." Empress Changsun hurriedly said: "Your Majesty just went to bed to rest after eating. It's not good. It's better to let the courtiers and concubines accompany us. We go around the front of the hall for a week to digest food. This is the best." "Forget it, let's wait another day. I didn't expect you to know how to keep in good health." After Li Shimin finished speaking, he went to the bed by himself. Empress Changsun hurried forward, helped him take off his clothes, and helped him into the quilt.It seemed that Li Shimin was really tired, as soon as his head touched the pillow, he heard the sound of snoring, and he was already fast asleep. Once a person is over forty, the hours of sleep are gradually shortened.Li Shimin fell into a deep sleep, thinking that he went to bed early tonight, and woke up at the third watch. The drowsiness disappeared without a trace, and he could no longer fall asleep.When he moved a little, the eldest grandson empress beside him also woke up. She leaned forward and asked the maid of the palm what time it was, and persuaded: "Your Majesty, it's just passed the third watch. It's dark outside, let's continue to sleep." Li Shimin knew that he could no longer fall asleep, so he got up and said, "Forget it, you can continue to sleep. I am going to the Liangyi Hall now. I have pressed a lot of memorials these days, and it is time to read and approve." Seeing this, Empress Changsun hurriedly called the maids to come up to change their clothes, and ordered the Shangshi Bureau to prepare some breakfast for Li Shimin. When he arrived in the Hall of Liangyi, he sat on the table and began to read the memorials that were thick enough. Most of the memorials are specific affairs of the six parts, and Li Shimin read and approved them as he went, so it didn't take much effort.Later, Li Shimin was greatly shocked by four letters to Shangshu. The first letter was written by Ma Zhou, in which he listed the complaints of the common people, and the reasons for this were, "At the beginning of Zhenguan, the world was hungry and apologetic, and a bucket of rice was worth a piece of silk, but if the common people did not complain, you know that your Majesty is worried and never forgets." Also. This year is abundant and rich, and the horses and silk got more than ten dendrobium millet, but the people who complained about it knew that His Majesty would not think about it again, and that it is not urgent to do more business." After reading this, Li Shimin murmured: "There is no rush to do more business. What is a non-urgent task? I worry about state affairs, which one is not an urgent matter?" He continued to read, and saw that the following wrote: "A husband is thrifty to save others. Your Majesty has already fulfilled it at the beginning of Zhenguan. It is not difficult to do it today. Your Majesty must plan for a long time. There is no need Looking far away from ancient times, but like the beginning of Zhenguan, the world is very fortunate!" Ma Zhou wrote here, he has clearly pointed out that with the gradual accumulation of wealth, Li Shimin is no longer as frugal as he was at the beginning of Zhenguan, and began to spend extravagantly. Li Shimin's hands and feet have indeed begun to grow in recent years, such as building palaces, feasting frequently, and studying calligraphy in order to pursue some leisurely fun, which is quite different from what he did in the early years of Zhenguan.Outsiders can see these changes in him, but he himself doesn't feel anything. He feels that everything follows the trend and there is nothing special about it.After Li Shimin read Ma Zhou's Shangshu, he thought it was mostly empty truths, so he ignored it and threw it aside. The second letter was played by Liu Ji, the servant of Huangmen.Liu Jie is a native of Jiangling, Jingzhou. He was originally Xiao Xian's servant of the Huang family. After returning to the Tang Dynasty, he was able to speak out because of his trustworthiness.The purpose of this Shangshu is also to persuade Li Shimin to start well and end well. It said: "Nowadays, the four barbarians are obedient, and the world is fine. It is honest and unprecedented. However, since ancient times, the emperors who came to the throne at the beginning all wanted to work hard. Shun; when he is in peace and happiness, he is arrogant, extravagant and unrestrained, and he cannot end his goodness. When people and ministers first see appointments, they all want to help the master. There is no way to be loyal. If the monarch and his ministers are not slack, and each protects his end, the world will be free from worries, and he will be able to surpass the past." He repeatedly explained that when the living environment changes, the monarch and his ministers often unconsciously To change some practices, Liu Ji's memorandum actually directly pointed out that Li Shimin's current actions have changed from those in the early years of Zhenguan. Li Shimin read Ma Zhou's and Liu Ji's Shangshu one after another, and they all said the same meaning, which made him pay attention to it.He got up and left the case, paced around the hall, and murmured: "Am I really like this?" He thought about what he had done in recent years, and felt that it was not as serious as the two said, because these years It is in the same strain as the early years of Zhenguan.Of course, the time of spending is definitely different from before. After all, in the early years of Zhenguan, money and goods were scarce, so one had to save and spend;There is a saying called "living within one's means", isn't that the truth? After that, Li Shimin read the next two books, both of which were written by Wei Zheng, and after reading it, he changed his mind. The content of Wei Zheng's first Shangshu is roughly the same as that of Ma Zhou and Liu Ji, and most of them talk about some major principles.One of the passages is the most exciting, and Li Shimin praised it. The original words are: "There are many people who are good at the beginning, but few are the ones who restrain the end. How can it be easy to take but difficult to keep? If you are worried, you will do your best, and if you are comfortable, you will be arrogant. And despise things; if you do everything down, you will be Hu and more concentric, and if you despise things, the six relatives will be separated from virtue. Although it is shaken by power and anger, it is also because of appearance, so the heart is not convinced. The owner is sincere and can see what he wants, then think and know enough to guard himself, and there will be When you think about danger, you think about humility and shepherd yourself. If you are afraid of overflowing, you think about the rivers and seas. If you are happy, you think about three drives. Concealment is to think with an open mind to accept, fear of slander and evil is to think of rectifying the body to dismiss evil, grace is bestowed, and there is no reason for joy, and false rewards are given, and punishment is met, and there is no reason for anger. Virtue, simple and capable, let it go, choose the good and follow it, then the wise will do their best, the brave will do their best, the benevolent will spread their benefits, and the believers will be loyal; both civil and military skills will be used to rule. Why bother to think hard and replace the hundred What a job!" Li Shimin attaches great importance to what Wei Zheng said, which is a formula he has formed over the years.When he saw the "Ten Thoughts" mentioned in this book, he thought it was a classic, so he asked the eunuch to grind the ink and write it into regular script.When he wrote "Ten Thoughts" meticulously, the morning light had penetrated into the window lattice.Li Shimin asked people to hang the calligraphy on the screen, not only knowing Wei Zheng's deep meaning, but also admiring his own calligraphy. The "Ten Thoughts" mentioned by Wei Zheng is actually a high-level summary of the laws of the monarch's self-cultivation and self-cultivation in concise language. This is why Li Shimin solemnly hung it up, so that he can read it all the time. After finishing these things, Li Shimin murmured to himself: "Wei Zheng was born in heaven, so it's a blessing to be able to be alert all the time." Li Shimin read Wei Zheng's second Shangshu with such a mood, and gradually lost his ease. Wei Zheng said at the beginning of the article: "Since ancient times, the emperors have received pictures and set tripods, and they all want to pass them on for generations to benefit Sun Mou. Therefore, when he hangs down the arched eaves and corridors, and governs the world, his language must first be simple and restrained. Loyalty and kindness must be valued but evil and sycophants should be valued. When talking about the system, they should never be extravagant and respect frugality. When talking about products, they should pay attention to grain and silk and despise rare things. However, at the beginning of the order, they all followed it to make order. What's the reason? Isn't it because the honor of living in ten thousand chariots, the wealth of the world, the words are not against one's own, the actions are obeyed, the justice is indulged in selfishness, and the etiquette is lost in lust? The saying goes:' If it is not the difficulty of knowing, it is the only difficulty of doing it; if it is not the difficulty of doing it, it is the difficulty of the end.” After Li Shimin read this, he casually flipped through the booklet at the back, and found that the article was quite long.I thought to myself that this old man has moved some other tendons, not to mention the two books one after another, and the articles are getting longer.Looking at the meaning of "however, at the beginning of the order, everyone obeyed it to make it ruled, and after a while, it is often reversed and corrupted." It probably needs to make a big fuss in this regard, in order to persuade oneself not to slack off when the country is prosperous. Sure enough, Wei Zheng's following words first strongly praised Li Shimin, and he praised: "Your Majesty Fu Wei, who was young and weak, made great achievements, flattened the world, and opened up the emperor's career." "At the beginning of Zhenguan, the time was strong, restrained lust, practiced frugality, internal and external well-being, and then reached the state of governance. In terms of merit, Tang and Wu were insufficient; For more than a year, every time I serve the tent, I have repeatedly obeyed the clear decree. I always cherish the way of benevolence and righteousness, and keep it without losing it; What?" This is a tribute to Li Shimin who took various measures in the early years of Zhenguan to rule the world with literature and martial arts, and finally achieved great rule in the world.It is said that his merits are not even comparable to Shang Tang and King Wu of Zhou, but his morality is not far from that of Yao and Shun. Li Shimin couldn't help being a little proud when he read this. It was really not easy to be able to compare himself with the ancient sages Yao, Shun, Shang Tang, and King Wu of Zhou from Wei Zheng's mouth, so he couldn't help showing joy.However, he knew that Wei Zheng praised himself at the beginning of the chapter so as to have something to compare with, and the rest of the words were not much better.Sure enough, Wei Zheng's tone changed: "Over the past few years, I have been a little bit obedient, and the simple principles have gradually failed. I would like to list what I have heard." This means that Li Shimin has violated some of the original principles in recent years. Aspirations, those simple and simple truths, gradually cannot be adhered to. Li Shimin's eyes widened and he looked carefully to the left. "At the beginning of your Majesty's Zhenguan, inaction and desire, the transformation of purity, was far from being desolate. Considering it now, the wind has gradually fallen, and listening to words is far beyond the sage, and discussing things is not beyond the lord. Why do you say that? Both Chinese and Jinwu are not superior philosophers. Chinese speaks of a thousand-mile horse, and Jinwu burns a pheasant's head fur. Today, horses are sought for thousands of miles, and rare and rare are found outside the region. Strange things are taken from roads, and sight is lighter than that of Rong and Di. This gradually Can't end, one also." Wei Zheng said here that Li Shimin had no desires in the early years of Zhenguan, but in recent years there have been changes, such as going to the Western Regions to seek horses, and buying rare things abroad. Wei Zheng's words made it difficult for Li Shimin to accept. Li Shimin thought that he only cared about one thing and ignored the rest. It is true that he asked for horses to buy rare things.However, Wei Zheng cited the examples of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty refusing to accept the Chollima and Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty burning the pheasant head fur.李世民无奈地摇摇头，继续向左看。 “昔子贡问理人于孔子，孔子曰：'懔乎若朽索之驭六马。'子贡曰：'何其畏也？'子曰：'不以道导之，则吾仇也，若何其不畏？'故曰：'民唯邦本，本固邦宁。'为人上者奈何不敬？陛下贞观之初，视人如伤，恤其勤劳，爱民犹子，每存简约，无所营为。顷年以来，意在奢纵，忽忘卑俭，轻用人力，乃云：'百姓无事则骄逸，劳役则易使。'自古以来，未有由百姓逸乐而致倾败者也，何有逆畏其骄逸，而故欲劳役者哉？恐非兴邦之至言，岂安人之长算？此其渐不克终，二也。” 李世民某一日偶然对群臣感叹道：“看来百姓无事就骄奢安逸，让其劳役则容易驱使。”这句话是其随口说来，不料被魏征记得如此牢固。他先用圣贤道理铺垫，说明百姓是唯一的国家根本，继而直斥自己的妄言，嘲笑道：“没听说过因为百姓逸乐而导致国家败亡的事。”这使李世民面红耳赤，觉得魏征真是揭了自己的疮疤：自己贞观初年心想百姓，近来对百姓确实有奴役之意。 下面的这段话，即是直斥李世民追求享乐，往往编造理由营造宫殿（如大明宫、飞山宫、洛阳宫），以杜绝谏官之口：“陛下贞观之初，损己以利物，至于今日，纵欲以劳人，卑俭之迹岁改，骄侈之情日异。虽忧人之言不绝于口，而乐身之事实切于心。或时欲有所营，虑人致谏，乃云：'若不为此，不便我身。'人臣之情，何可复争？此直意在杜绝谏者之口，岂曰择善而行者乎？此其渐不克终，三也。” 李世民每次欲营造新宫的时候，因怕群臣谏止，先找来爱谏诤的臣子说明自己的理由，不料还是被魏征瞧出了自己的真实心思。读到这里，李世民又无奈地摇摇头。 “立身成败，在于所染，兰芷鲍鱼，与之俱化，慎乎所习，不可不思。陛下贞观之初，砥砺名节，不私于物，唯善是与，亲爱君子，疏斥小人。今则不然，轻亵小人，礼重君子。重君子也，敬而远之；轻小人也，狎而近之。近之则不见其非，远之则莫知其是。莫知其是，则不间自疏；不见其非，则有时而自昵。昵近小人，非致理之道；疏远君子，岂兴邦之义？此其渐不克终，四也。” 李世民读到这里，见魏征说自己亲小人远君子，不禁拍案怒道：“好一个利嘴的魏征，竟然将我说得如此不堪！”想想这些年来，自己能纳谏言，朝中的忠直之臣蔚为壮观，他们在朝中发挥着主要作用，怎么能说自己远君子呢？回忆这些年亲小人的事，无非是那次听信权万纪和李仁发之言，因而错杀张蕴古的那档子事。然自己明白真相之后，已经断然改错，除了这两人之外，还有谁是小人呢？如此，自己怎么算是亲近小人呢？李世民觉得魏征夸大其词，断难接受此点。他哼了一声，又坐下继续看。 “曰：'不作无益害有益，功乃成；不贵异物贱用物，人乃足。犬马非其土性不畜，珍禽奇兽弗育于国。'陛下贞观之初，动遵尧舜，捐金抵璧，返璞归真。顷年以来，好尚奇异，难得之货，无远不臻；珍玩之作，无时能止。上好奢靡而望下淳朴，未之有也。末作滋兴，而求丰实，其不可得亦已明矣。此其渐不克终，五也。” 李世民读到这里，不禁有些上火。魏征在前面已经说过自己到外国求马取珍，到了这里又重复一次。这些年，外番知道李世民爱马，因常常进贡宝马。其朝贡之时，将其珍奇之物选来送入宫中，那也是有的。魏征借此大做文章，说自己好尚奇珍，追求奢靡，何其危言耸听！ 李世民喃喃自语：“这老儿，前面说我不及中等之君，到了这里，我恐怕要与隋炀帝等昏君为伍了。若按他所说，外番贡来之物只好锁入仓库，这样才是返璞归真吗？” 人之欲望是无穷尽的，对于钱物的追求也如是。美的东西赏心悦目，好吃的东西撩起食欲，以及大屋、美色，都是人孜孜追求的东西。试想想，当国家富足，钱物充实的时候，李世民作为皇帝，可以支配天下的钱物，阅尽人间美色。其置身于这样一个锦衣玉食的环境中，魏征却让他像贞观初年那样克制己欲，来返璞归真，不由得李世民不恼火。 李世民愤愤道：“这老儿，终究要让我如苦行僧那样去生活，他才满意。难道说，百姓尚且能够从容生活，我就不能吗？我什么都没干，却把我说得如此不堪。” 他强压火气，埋头向左看。 “贞观之初，求贤若渴，善人所举，信而用之，取其所长，唯恐不及。近岁以来，由心好恶，或众善举而用之，或一人毁而弃之，或积年任而用之，或一朝疑而远之。夫行有素履，事有成迹，所毁之人，未必可信于所举；积年之行，不应顿失于一朝。君子之怀，蹈仁义而弘大德；小人之性，好谗佞以为身谋。陛下不审察其根源，而轻为之臧否，是以守道者日疏，干求者日进，所以人思苟免，莫能尽力。此其渐不克终，六也。” 魏征在这里说李世民现在用人之时，根据自己的好恶而随意舍弃，不像贞观初年那样，能够求贤若渴，用其所长。李世民读到这里，心中怒火腾腾而起，猛然立起，骂道：“我若是如此不堪，焉能容忍你这老儿在我耳边喋喋不休至今？” 李世民求贤若渴，善用人之所长，为朝野所共赞，也是李世民得意之事。 如此的得意之事却被魏征说得一团黑，怎么不让李世民分外恼火？李世民回味了前面列举的五件事，其手法大致相同。即是抓住一点小事，然后尽力往大道理上扯，无限上纲，夸大其词，竭力渲染紧张的气氛，以达到耸人听闻的效果。想到这里，李世民怒言出声：“好一个魏征，你整日让我处事要不偏不倚，力求中正。可你呢？难道只会教训他人，自己行事之时就可以肆无忌惮，就可以刻薄谩骂吗？” 李世民心想，我为国家大计包容了你们多少的难听话儿，可你们也不能视皇帝威严于不见，来任意羞辱我呀！ 这时，太阳已经升起，阳光透过窗棂射入殿内。一名太监看到李世民低着头在殿内转悠，不知道此时的皇帝正怒火万丈，遂在其后面轻声提醒道：“皇上，该是进早膳的时候了。” 李世民正在恼火之时，听到这名不识趣的太监在这里多嘴，遂唤人将其拖下掌嘴。他现在无心进膳，唤人道：“去，传魏征即刻见朕。”