Chapter 33 The thirty-third round

Li Yuan looked at the autumn ripeness certificates from Zhuzhou newspapers, and saw that the harvest had increased by 30% compared with last year, and he was very happy.Thinking that this is the credit for the implementation of the two laws of land equalization, the people who revised the two laws were generously rewarded.When Li Shimin saw this edict, the shadow of Liu Wenjing suddenly appeared in his mind. If talking about the proponents of the revision of the two laws of land equalization, Liu Wenjing should be the first to be credited.Now that the new law has achieved results, it is a pity that Liu Wenjing has passed away for several years, and the tomb has already been arched.

At this time, it had been three months since Yang Wenqian's rebellion, and the matter had already calmed down. Although the two gangs of Donggong and Tiancefu had their own concerns, they could not help but change their ways to compete in secret, but after all, they were much more restrained than before, and the court seemed very calm.Now that the autumn harvest is ripe again, Li Yuan is happy, and the faces of all the officials are also full of joy, and they are immersed in a long-lost atmosphere of singing and dancing. Li Yuan was afraid that the officials would report the harvest falsely, so he wanted to go out for inspection.On this day, he ordered Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, and Li Yuanji to accompany him, and a group of close ministers followed him naturally. They went to Zhongnan Mountain to hunt in name, but in fact they also wanted to check the people's harvest along the way.

This time Li Yuan didn't take a chariot, but rode a horse with the others, and they rushed out of Mingde Gate along Zhuque Street.After leaving the city, you can see the rice paddies on both sides of the official road, and bundles of yellow millet stalks scattered in the field.The land around Chang'an is 800 miles away, and the land is fertile, and people bring in the Wei River to guide the canals for irrigation, so the crops can mature year after year.Now is the time for sowing wheat seeds. I saw someone in the field gather up the corn stalks, and then drive the oxen to plow the land. After several times of plowing, the grass dung was sprinkled, and finally the wheat seeds were sown by columbine.

Li Yuan looked at the busy scene in the field, and said to his three sons: "I have tea and a meal, and I always think about how hard it is. I think my Li family sits in the world, which is not a waste of time for farming. Encouraging people to harvest is the foundation of governing the country. Dalang advocated the implementation of the two methods of land equalization this time, and received such good results, which is very in line with my wishes." Li Jiancheng said to him: "When my son was in Hebei, he saw that the countryside was barren and the people were displaced. This is the land of the capital, and the kindness of the father and the emperor can be close to the Zebei. But the country is so far away, can it be as prosperous as it is now? I think there must be a gap. "

Li Yuan praised: "It's not easy for Dalang to think about long-term affairs. Erlang and Shilang, you two should follow the prince more and think about things of diligence and love for the people. I am getting older every day. In the future, after all, the world will It's up to the three of you to worry about it." Li Shimin and Li Yuanji replied in unison: "I will keep this in mind." As they walked and watched like this, it was past noon before they knew it.The food official urged Li Yuan to eat several times, but Li Yuan was so excited that he didn't want to eat.At this time, they had already left the Gyeonggi Plain, the official road was gradually raised, and hills had formed on both sides.Li Yuan saw a few blue houses at the corner, pointed there with his whip, and said to Ma Sanbao: "Sambao, I think there are mountains and rivers there, and the scenery is good. Let's have lunch there. Let the rest of the brigade stay on the spot." Don’t move, don’t frighten the people.”

Sure enough, there were a few families in the mountains. The houses were undoubtedly newly built. The roofs did not use thatch, but were paved with blue tiles of the same color.Li Yuan walked over slowly and saw the blue tiles on the house. He said strangely: "I didn't expect that tiles are used to build a house in this mountain depression. Sanbao, where are the people in this house? Call them to see me." Ma Sanbao drove out all the people here in advance, but he didn't expect Li Yuan to see him, so he called them back in a panic. Li Yuan ordered his ministers to eat together on the bluestone board in the courtyard.

The meal is very simple, the staple food is rice, gong, served with a few delicate side dishes, the food is very refreshing.Li Yuan's personality is simple, he doesn't have high requirements on food, and he thinks it is enough to eat enough, so he ordered a simple recipe, so that it is easy to come and go, and it becomes an ordinary home-cooked meal. After Li Yuan finished eating, Ma Sanbao led a group of people over. Li Yuan saw that the leader was an old man in his sixties, so he called the old man over and asked the staff of Shangshi Bureau to give fruit to those people. This old man had a silver beard and a rosy complexion. He had never experienced such a scene, and he stood there trembling, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Li Yuan was friendly, pointing to the blue stone bench in front of him and said, "Hey, why are you standing here so stupidly? When we arrive at your house, do you want me to give up my seat for you?" The officials laughed lightly after hearing this, and the old man slowly sat down on the blue stone bench. Li Yuan asked that the old man's surname was Zhang, and he was sixty-two years old this year, so he said, "I'll call you Zhang Weng, you are two years older than me, and we are about the same age, so you can also call me Li Weng. " When the officials usually saw Li Yuan, he was the majesty of the emperor, and they dared not speak nonsense.Unexpectedly, Li Yuan was so easy-going when he met this old man today, he couldn't help being very surprised.

The old man gradually came back to his senses, looked at Li Yuan's face and said: "Li Weng, you are only two years younger than me, I don't look like you, I always feel that you are only in your early fifties." Li Yuan put a smile on his face, and the old man said that he was young was definitely not a compliment, but a sincere feeling, thinking that he was right in hunting and rowing all these years.He said again: "Your spirit is not bad, it seems that your body is quite strong, can you still work in the fields?" "Yes, you see, I can eat and sleep, and if I don't do some work, wouldn't I be a waste? A few years ago, some Susukida at home were not too busy, and I had to burn charcoal in winter. In recent years, the court has given A lot of land has been allocated, and I am busy, you see, the wheat in the field has not been planted yet."

"How many fields does your family have?" The old man raised his fingers and counted for a while, then nodded and said, "It's about three hundred acres. I have two sons who are already married, so we are considered a big family." Li Yuan looked at Li Jiancheng, and Li Jiancheng nodded.According to the land equalization system, middle-aged men and middle-aged men are given 100 mu, and women are given 40 mu. Two-tenths of them are world-owned land, which can be inherited by their children and grandchildren, and the rest is divided into mouths. If they die, they will be distributed by officials.

"Is the harvest okay?" "Okay, okay, the weather has been good these few years, and there is so much food that we can't finish it. Li Weng, judging by your attire, you must be a high-ranking official in the capital. You must have seen the current emperor. How is the current emperor, I have experienced the previous dynasty At that time, the harvest was not enough to pay the rent. Now the imperial court only charges me a dozen shi for rent every year, and the rest is my own. Look, my house has new tiles. Li Weng, let’s talk How many days can I live at this age? As long as I have something at hand, it’s not too much to enjoy, right?” Although Li Yuan was very happy to listen to the praises of his courtiers, he didn't take it seriously after hearing it a lot.Now, after hearing the old man in front of him praise himself, it was an expression of his true feelings, without any false elements, so he was overjoyed and said to Ma Sanbao: "Well, reward him." Ma Sanbao saw that Li Yuan only said about the reward, but did not say the amount of the reward. He wanted to ask but dared not, so he ordered twenty bolts of Lu silk and twenty silver pegs to be brought to Zhang Weng. Li Yuan pointed to these rewards and said: "Zhang Weng, you are right, you can't just live a hard life. Now you have food to eat and a tile-roofed house to live in. Later, let your skillful daughter-in-law make a few sets of clothes for you , take these money to go to the east and west markets in the capital, that would be a worthwhile life." Seeing so many things lying in front of him, Zhang Weng was stunned for a moment. He said in a trembling voice, "This-this-how is this possible? Li Weng, where is your home? Later I will bring some corn and delicacies to thank you you." Pei Ji interjected and said: "If you don't kneel down to thank him, the one in front of you is the current emperor." When Zhang Weng heard this, he was so frightened that he "plopped" to his knees, and the family members over there also knelt down in unison, trembling, and dared not speak again. Li Yuan glared at Pei Ji with displeasure, and reprimanded: "Speak up! What's the fun in that?" He said to Zhang Weng again, "When you arrive in the capital, see where the house is the biggest, and you can go in and find me." After finishing speaking, Greet the ministers to leave. This conversation between Li Yuan and Zhang Weng was later passed down as a good story in the capital for a long time.The news that Zhang Weng was rewarded by Li Yuan spread like wildfire, and the local officials treated him differently.The bluestone bench that Li Yuan sat on was later called "Qinglong Stone" by the local people. Those who have good deeds built a small temple to offer it, and people around came to worship here, and the incense was very prosperous. Li Yuan came to the hunting place happily, looking at his three sons, he suddenly became emotional.They set up arrow stacks at the four corners, and let the three brothers compete in riding and archery, saying that the winner will be rewarded. Feng Deyi understood Li Yuan's painstaking efforts and knew that he wanted to try his best to bridge the rift between his sons.At that moment, Feng Deyi couldn't help laughing at Li Yuan's innocence: "What time is it? Isn't it a bit late to do these superficial things now?" The ministers gathered around, quietly watching the three brothers compete there.I saw them put on their horses, and then spurred the horseshoes away. The bows were like a full moon, and the arrows were like shooting stars. After a while, the winner was determined: Li Shimin and Li Yuanji fought to a tie. After all, Li Jiancheng's martial arts were not good enough. The three brothers Qiqi came to Li Yuan to return their orders. Li Yuan laughed loudly and ordered Ma Sanbao to present two sets of golden armours to Li Shimin and Li Yuanji, and then said to Li Jiancheng, "Prince, do you know why I didn't reward you?" Li Jiancheng bowed his head and said, "My minister's martial arts skills are inferior, so I won't reward you." Li Yuan restrained his face and said: "Wrong, do you think I didn't reward you?" "My son is dull, I don't know what my father rewards me?" "You have two younger brothers who are brave and capable of fighting, and they will keep your country stable in the future. With them, what reward can compare? I reward them, in fact, reward you!" Li Jiancheng was greatly moved, and wept, "Father's kindness is as great as a mountain, and my son... I am afraid that I will lose my father's great trust." Li Shimin and Li Yuanji also understood Li Yuan's meaning. They knelt in front of Li Yuan together, nodded their heads and said: "My father's teachings, I will always keep them in mind. I will be the subjects of my father and the crown prince in this life. " Li Yuan laughed again: "It's good that you understand, get up. I'm in a good mood when I'm out hunting today. I'm here to watch the hunting, and you brothers can indulge yourself, go." After that, the envoys of Wufang let go of the hawks and dogs, and the voices of people resounded all over the mountains and plains.Brother Li Jiancheng is ready to mount his horse and gallop to hunt. Li Yuanji was very puzzled by Li Yuan's actions today, thinking that who knows Erlang's temper?As long as it is something he is sure of, it is difficult for anyone to turn back.Yang Wengan's rebellion was obviously caused by Erlang, but his father mercilessly exiled Wei Ting and the other three to the wilderness, each of them hit 50 boards, and then they were thrown away.From the looks of outsiders, two people were expelled from the East Palace, while only one person was expelled from the Tiance Mansion.Most of the mistakes were made by the eldest brother, and the father was obviously unfair.Now the father is here to play a show for everyone to see, and he doesn't try to solve everyone's knots, just make some superficial things, can it work? Seeing the two elder brothers talking affectionately while walking in front, Li Yuanji felt a layer of disgust for Li Shimin in his heart.At this time, when he saw the group of horses in front of him, he suddenly made up his mind to embarrass his second brother.He shouted loudly: "Second brother." Li Shimin turned his head and asked, "What can I say to fourth brother?" Li Yuanji took a few steps and said, "Second brother, outsiders say you are the best at taming horses. Dare you be Zhang?" Long live to pass on your style? I have a new strong horse here, and my elder brother and I have been tossing for several days, but no one can tame it. How about it? Do you dare to try?" Li Shimin heard Li Yuanji's words With the intention of being aggressive, he thought to himself what kind of fierce horse he had never seen before, and said modestly: "Such a powerful horse, if the elder brother and the fourth younger brother can't tame it, I'm afraid I can't do it either." Li Jiancheng didn't want to worry too much, and said, "Both brothers, the emperor asked us to go hunting, and now is not the time to train horses." Li Yuanji raised his head and said, "Second brother, look, I have brought this horse here." Li Shimin turned his head and saw a horse tied to a tree trunk.I saw this horse with red hair all over, tall and fat, with four hooves thicker than ordinary horses, and straight ears, obviously it was not a middle-earth horse.He couldn't help being interested, and asked Li Yuanji, "Fourth brother, where did you get this horse?" "Speaking of this horse, there really is a story. A Persian businessman came to Chang'an to sell goods and broke his book. He had no money to go home, so he had to take this horse to the East Market and sell it. However, the price he paid was too high. No one was willing to buy it, and the good people found me. I thought this horse was very special, so I didn't bargain to bring the horse back. Who knew that this beast was very hot-tempered, and wouldn't let us get on its back. Paying a high price but buying back a piece of trash.” "Fourth brother, if I can tame this horse, I will never return it to you as a brother." Seeing the horse's heart, Li Shimin couldn't help but eager to try. "Of course, of course, I am willing to give it away. Second brother, you can train the horse slowly here, and my eldest brother and I went hunting there. You love horses, and I love hunting. Let's get what we like." Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji got on their horses and headed west to hunt.Not far from the two of them, Li Jiancheng complained: "Fourth brother, why are you so troublesome? This horse has a violent temper. If Erlang gets lost and reaches the ears of the emperor, the emperor will definitely blame you for having bad intentions." "I just had bad intentions. I really smashed his head and broke his blood. He won't have time to think about bad things." "Then how can it be? Father just said that we brothers should be of the same heart. If you make trouble again, father will definitely blame you." "Don't worry about it, it's me. The father is whimsical there, so you take it seriously. Could it be that you have committed an old problem again? Brother, don't be merciful. You want to treat Erlang kindly now, but what about him? Is he such a master? " Li Shimin watched the two of them leave, and then approached the red horse to watch carefully.Seeing someone approaching, the horse suddenly neighed and hooves bounced alternately, as if wanting to show its majesty. Li Shimin approached the tree trunk, put on the rope buckle with one hand, stared at the moving direction of the red horse, when the horse got closer to him, he suddenly jumped up, pulled the rope buckle with one hand, and quickly pulled the rein on the horse's collar with the other hand , the body has landed on the saddle, and the position is grasped at all times.The horse was startled, galloped like an arrow, then stopped suddenly, its front hooves clawed at the ground, and its rear hooves bounced, trying to kick Li Shimin to the ground. Li Shimin felt that the horsepower was powerful, and if he clinged to the horse's back abruptly, the horse and man would fall to the ground together.He let go of the rein, flew away from the horse's head, turned a position in the air, and landed lightly four steps away.At that time, when some people saw Li Shimin taming the horse, they all came over to watch and surrounded him from a distance outside.Seeing Li Shimin flying out of danger and saving himself from danger, he couldn't help cheering. The red horse seemed to be competing with Li Shimin, it didn't run away, it threw a heavy snort from its nose, kicked its front hooves fiercely, and continued to challenge.Li Shimin calmed down, first he stood still, and then took two steps slowly. When he saw the red horse turned around and was about to move, he suddenly started, stabbed diagonally and flew back onto the horse's back.The horse repeated its old trick and wanted to kick him to the ground, but Li Shimin turned over lightly in the air again, and landed firmly on the ground. The horse obviously felt that it had met an opponent and began to get irritable. It first stood up straight and let out a long hiss, then rushed towards Li Shimin, trying to knock him to the ground.Li Shimin's eyes were wide open, he saw the way it was coming from, turned his side slightly, and he flew onto the horse's back again. The red horse kicked twice but failed, so it changed its moves.It ran wildly, sometimes standing on its front feet, sometimes kicking its hind legs fiercely, as if it had gone mad, trying to knock the person on its back off.Li Shimin grasped the reins tightly, clamped his legs around the horse's belly, and firmly attached himself to the horse's back.The red horse had no choice but to run wildly in a circle, and ran for less than half an hour without realizing it. Li Shimin first let the red horse run freely, then gradually controlled the horse's rein with one hand, and the mane with the other, to forcefully guide it in the running direction.The red horse was not happy at first, after all, he couldn't stand the pain caused by disobedience, so he had no choice but to accept Li Shimin's command.In the end, Li Shimin found that the red horse had fulfilled his will and could control it freely, thinking: "It's done." He got off the horse and saw a layer of sweat from both himself and the horse, as if poured with water.The horse knew that it had met its real owner, it looked docile, and even stuck out its tongue to lick the back of Li Shimin's hand, with a very affectionate expression. There was thunderous applause from all around, and several Tiance Mansion guards came over, took the horse's reins, and handed him a sweat towel to wipe off his sweat. At this moment, Li Shimin remembered that Li Yuanji was uneasy and kind.This horse is so violent, if someone else rides it, it will hurt the flesh at the slightest, and the muscles and bones at the worst.While waving his hands to thank the cheering people, he said angrily, "This black-hearted Shiro has such a bad heart!" Li Shimin raised his head to the sky, and said leisurely: "Huh, you Shiro is uneasy and kind, and wants to hurt me with this. It's a pity, life and death are fate, am I not injured at all?" When Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji came back from hunting, they were surprised to see that Li Shimin had tamed the horse without any damage.Li Yuanji felt uncomfortable, and even pretended to praise him a few times.Li Yuan was watching the hunting over there, and he knew that Erlang was training horses here, and after meeting him, he also boasted: "Erlang, when it comes to loving horses, in the whole world, except for Zhang Wansui, I'm afraid you must be counted." Li Shimin said humbly: "My son knows how to love horses, but he doesn't know how to raise horses. This is far worse than Zhang Wansui. I think that when my father, Emperor Taiyuan, was first righteous, there were only a few thousand horses available. Now when he goes out to fight, he can get horses at every turn." Hundreds of thousands of horses, most of which are credited to Zhang Wansui." "Yes, when it comes to raising horses, Zhang Wansui deserves the most credit. By the way, Zhang Wansui has been in Longxi for a long time and rarely comes to the capital. After all, I haven't seen him for at least five years." The brigade hurried to the capital.On the way, Li Yuan had another idea, that is, to build a Li Palace on Zhongnan Mountain in the coming year.With Li Palace and hunting again, the time will be much more leisurely. Li Yuan has been in a good mood for several days since he heard the praise of the old man of the Zhang family, and he seems to feel that his body is also light. The next day, Li Yuan summoned Yin and Zhang to attend the bed.The two hadn't been exposed to the emperor's rain and dew for a long time, and they felt precious when they met today, and they used all kinds of means to serve Li Yuan properly.After the matter was over, Li Yuan asked the two women about Zhang Weng's words, and they answered cleverly.Concubine Yin De said: "Your Majesty governs the country benevolently, the world leads the land to return, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. As the saying goes, people are refreshed on happy occasions, and Your Majesty is good at self-cultivation. At this age, of course the more you live, the younger you are. The old man was wrong. According to my concubine, Your Majesty has just entered the prime of life." Zhang Jieyu's words inevitably had a sour taste: "Your Majesty has ignored us all these years, preferring to be with those young ones, which is clearly rejuvenating." When Li Yuan listened to it, he could only hear the words in his ears, even if Zhang Jieyu said such slightly jealous words, it would not be surprising, the three of you talked with each other very freely. They also mentioned the hunting incident the day before yesterday, and the two concubines praised Li Yuan's method of instructing the three princes.At this time, Concubine Yin De suddenly mentioned: "Your Majesty, after listening to a passage, my concubine feels that it is contrary to your majesty's original intention. I don't know if I should say it or not?" Li Yuan replied: "But it doesn't matter." I really dare not say it." Li Yuan patted the two of them with his hands respectively, and said with feigned anger, "We are a husband and wife, what else can we say to hide it?" Concubine Yin Defang said cautiously: "Your Majesty, King Qi gave King Qin a strong horse that day, is there such a thing?" "That's right. Erlang is good at taming horses. I tamed them on the spot. I even praised him for his ability to live forever." "But King Qin thought that King Qi sent him a horse with the intention of harming him. He dismounted and said something, which was too rebellious." "What words?" "The king of Qin said: 'I have a destiny, and I will be the lord of the world. How can I die in waves!'" Li Yuan was furious after hearing this, and scolded: "This bastard who doesn't know what's good or bad, I sincerely want their brothers to be harmonious, how can he be so ignorant? Concubine Yin, is this sentence true? Don't you make it up to deceive me?" "My concubines dare not. When King Qin said this, several people heard it. If your majesty doesn't believe it, you can ask them to verify it." Li Yuan couldn't sleep well that night, tossing and turning, he was very annoyed by Li Shimin, and decided to call him tomorrow to ask him. The next day, just after dawn, Li Yuan suddenly opened his eyes and couldn't sleep anymore.He rolled over and got up.The palace maids were busy shuttling to serve Li Yuan washing his face, rinsing his mouth, and combing his hair.Li Yuan looked at the bronze mirror and saw that his eyes were slack and bloodshot. After careful investigation, it was still caused by Erlang.An unknown fire surged up in his heart again, and he ordered the Shangshi Bureau to set up breakfast, and at the same time ordered Tong Shisheren: "Tell the prince, the king of Qin, and the king of Qi to come see me quickly." Just when Li Yuan was about to finish his breakfast, the officer outside the door reported: "Prince, King Qi has ordered to see you." Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were closer to the Tai Chi Hall, and they came here much faster than Li Shimin. Li Yuan said angrily: "Didn't you see that I am eating? Let them wait outside the door." He continued to eat slowly, and after finishing eating for a while, he said to Yin and Zhang: "You go." Yin Defei, Zhang Jieyu bowed her head and exited the door, seeing Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji standing there waiting, the two of them shot their eyes at Li Jiancheng and nodded slightly.It turned out that the pillow wind they blew to Li Yuan last night was originally Li Jiancheng's order, and Pei Ji sent a message to the two women to act according to plan. Li Yuan leaned on the chair and closed his eyes to rest his mind. When he heard Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji enter the room, he opened his eyes slightly and said, "You guys wait first, and then we can talk when Erlang comes." Soon, footsteps sounded outside the door again.Li Shimin's face was hot, obviously he was called during the morning exercise, so he hurried over.After entering the room, Li Shimin prostrated himself on the ground and said, "I have come here according to the imperial edict, and I wish my father and emperor long live long live long live." Li Yuan said impatiently: "Get up. What long live is not long live? If I can live for so long, won't I let your brothers die in a hurry?" This sentence is obviously angry, and it does not refer specifically to Li Shimin.After Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji heard the words, they hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed at the same time: "Please calm down your anger, don't hurt the body of the dragon. If the minister is wrong, please punish me severely." Li Yuan snorted and said sternly: "You sound nice in your mouth, but do you really think so in your heart?" The three kowtowed again and said in unison: "I dare not deceive my father." Li Yuan stood up, paced back and forth in front of the three of them, and scolded: "The three of you are in front of me, and your mouth is so sweet that it makes you tired. What about behind your back? You tear down each other, cultivate your own forces, and try your best to win over the old minister. Why is there such intrigue? Isn’t it just looking at my position? I’m not dead yet, and you’re doing this, it’s too chilling for me.” He stopped suddenly and pointed his finger, “In order to save your face, Yang Wengan’s rebellion that time I will not pursue you, but only exile Wei Ting and the other three. Do you think I am too old and confused to understand anything if I hold back like this?" The three of them were too frightened to say anything. "Dalang, as a prince, you should work diligently and have no distractions, but together with Shiro, you are also selecting soldiers from Youzhou, and you are doing some kind of 'Changlin Army' to make the capital smoky. Are you doing this? Do you want to throw me into the sidelines while I'm not paying attention? Delusion! Let me tell you, from today onwards, each mansion is only allowed to have 500 people attached to it. If there is one more person, it is to plot evil. Did you hear that?" The three kowtowed together and said: "I would like to obey the imperial father's imperial edict." "Dalang, Shiro, you are usually eloquent, why are you silent today?" "I told my father, my son thought that listening to my father's admonition should be memorized, and there is no need to say too much." Li Yuanji replied on behalf of Li Jiancheng. "Hmph, look at the two of you. Your beard and hair are disheveled, and your face is sleepy. You must have just come out of bed. Since ancient times, those who can achieve great things have to hear the chicken dancing and the butt hanging on the beam. You are young, and now you have learned to enjoy yourself?" Li Yuan saw The two of them lost their energy, and they suddenly became angry again. "Last night, my son and my fourth brother reviewed the numbers of autumn crops in various places chapter by chapter, and then compiled them one by one. I didn't go to bed until the middle of the night. I hope my father will check it out." Li Jiancheng argued. "So, did I blame you all wrong? You two get up and stand aside. I have something to ask Erlang." The two kowtowed again and said, "Thank you, Father, for your kindness." "Erlang, let me ask you, what role did you play in Yang Wen's rebellion in Qingzhou?" Li Yuan asked sharply. When Li Yuan first reprimanded Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, they couldn't help feeling anxious.They had received a secret message from Concubine Yin and Zhang Erfei, and they knew that they had angered their father by reporting what Li Shimin said, but they didn't expect that as soon as they entered the door today, their father would give them a big blow, making them confused for a while .Now the father ordered the two brothers to stand aside, and asked Erlang instead. This is the main topic of today, and the previous questions were just foreshadowing.Surprise flashed across the two people's hearts, they exchanged winks, and then waited for the good show to come on stage. Li Shimin raised his head and said: "Father, I heard that Yang Wenqian raised troops in the Renzhi Palace that day, and my father ordered my son to lead the army to suppress him, and wiped them out in one fell swoop. After my son returned to Beijing, I have reported this matter to my father. If you say that the roles played by the ministers are all entrusted by the father." Li Yuanji interjected at the side: "If you want others to know, you must do nothing yourself." Li Yuan reprimanded: "I'm here to ask questions, do I need you to interrupt? If I talk again, I will cut you out." He said to Li Shimin: "Do you think this scene is perfect? ​​Erlang, I really like it." If you don't come out, under your sincere and upright appearance, there is such a scheming hidden that you almost deceived me." Li Shimin paused and said, "I really don't know what my father said." "I don't know? Let me ask you, when I asked you to capture Yang Wengan alive to Beijing, why did you disobey my order and only bring back Yang Wengan's body to me?" "The matter has been reported to the emperor. Yang Wengan provoked public anger and was beaten to death by the people. I really can't suppress it." "Hmph, can't you suppress the bullet? You have more than 50,000 soldiers and horses? The people in Qingzhou are only 30,000, and they are unarmed. They can tear through layers of guards and kill Yang Wengan. I heard that you sent Yuchi Jingde to guard Yang Wengan. Yuchi Jingde bravely won the three armies, he was able to single-handedly enter the enemy's formation and capture the enemy's flag, why can't he even protect a little Yang Wengan? I think there is something hidden about Yang Wengan's death?" "My son has nothing to hide." "You are still stubborn. Dalang, tell me. I heard that you sent someone to contact Yang Wengan when the incident happened. What did Yang Wengan say?" Li Jiancheng took a step forward and said in a loud voice: "Father, in order to defend my grievances, I sent someone to contact Yang Wenqian. According to Yang Wenqian at the time, he received a letter from my son to make him rebel. My son sent him some The old Jiage is true, but there is no letter of words." "Okay, Erlang, have you seen this letter?" "My son once had people search Yang Wenqian's house and body carefully, but found no letters. I think he was afraid of leaving evidence, so he had already burned them." "Burned, wouldn't this become a case without a head?" Li Jiancheng answered in a hurry: "Father, the handwriting and seals of the ministers have their own characteristics. If there are letters, you can compare them carefully to distinguish the authenticity." "It's none of your business, you go back." Li Yuan continued to ask, "Erlang, let me ask you again, where are Er Zhuhuan and Qiao Gongshan now?" Li Shimin shook his head and said: "At that time, I was still in Qingzhou, and I didn't know what happened here until later. Er and Qiao were robbed, and there is a lot of mystery in it. I hope that my father will send more people to bring them back as soon as possible." It’s good to find these two people.” Hearing this, Li Yuan couldn't bear to listen anymore.He stomped his feet and scolded sharply: "Well, you bastard, do you still want to act in front of me? That day you were in Renzhi Palace, pleading hard for Dalang in front of me, pretending to be a loyal and respectful brother, you What are you thinking in your heart? Didn’t you want to drive Dalang out of the prince’s position as soon as possible and let you take the seat? You are duplicity, you are a good person, how did you become like this? You think your tricks are brilliant, I Will I always be deceived by you? Delusion!" After hearing this, Li Shimin burst into tears and sobbed: "Father said this, which really made my son feel ashamed. Father, since the first uprising in Taiyuan, my son has been fighting east and west for these years, but I just want to do something for my father. During this period, the words are frank and the temperament is frank, which is due to the mentality of disregarding the small details when dealing with big things. "A tree is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it", which will inevitably lead to the suspicion and jealousy of some people. It is inevitable. It is said that my son coveted the position of crown prince, but my father knew it best. At the beginning, my father promised me to be the crown prince, but my son refused me. If my son wanted to be the crown prince, why didn't he push the boat along? Please see my father clearly .” These words made Li Yuan very embarrassed.Li Shimin mentioned this matter in front of Li Jiancheng, what did Li Jiancheng think?Li Yuan glanced sideways at Li Jiancheng, and saw an unnatural expression on his face.He couldn't deny it, so he argued strongly: "That's right, when the crown prince was not established, I did have such considerations. But now that Dalang has been established as the crown prince, you should stop wishful thinking. Let me ask you, when you were hunting that day, I will give you the golden armour, and tactfully ask you to protect your elder brother's will. Why do you speak lies behind your back as soon as you turn your face away? What did you say: 'I have a destiny, so I can be the lord of the world. How can I die in vain!'" Li Shimin removed the crown and belt, kowtowed on the ground repeatedly, and cried loudly: "My son is diligent and cautious all day long, how can he say such lies? Father, do you believe such false accusations?" "If you don't have a series of perverted behaviors, how can I believe it? Erlang, if you read more scriptures and history, you should know that the Son of Heaven has his own destiny, which cannot be sought by intelligence. Why are you so anxious!" "Father, this rumorer must be a person with ulterior motives. I also hope that my father will find out. Please put this son in prison immediately, and have the case inspected by a clerk to see what the son said that day." He raised his head and said to Li Yuanji: "Fourth brother, what are you thinking about when you gave me a fierce horse that day? The skin is rotten and the bones are damaged." Li Yuanji interjected again: "You are the one who relies on your riding skills, why are you blaming me now?" Li Shimin said to Li Yuan again: "Father, my minister tamed the fierce horse that day, and because he complained about his fourth brother's heart, he said a few words, but it was not a disobedience made up by the rumorer. Find out." After speaking, because he knelt down for too long, his knees were already numb, and suddenly he staggered and fell to the side. Li Yuan didn't expect that there would be so many twists and turns in this, and his heart went back and forth again, so he retreated to the chair and sat down, sighed and said: "So it's all caused by you bastards. Erlang, get up too." Li Shimin stood up slowly with his right hand on the ground.Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji watched his difficult movements, their bodies were motionless, and they didn't intend to reach out to help each other. Li Yuan also shed tears and said with a sob: "You two were so close when you were young. Even after you entered Chang'an, you discussed with each other when things arose, and you were still friendly. Looking at you, I was really happy in my heart. I often boasted to my ministers that I There are successors to the Li family. Why now that the world has been settled, you have started to use ghost tricks, and there is no brotherhood at all? Alas, if I knew today, why bother, I might as well be a rich man. That way you won’t have the troubles of today.” Seeing that Li Yuan was genuinely moved, the three of them lowered their heads, not daring to speak again. Li Yuan stopped his tears and said decisively: "We father and son have talked so much today, and there is one thing that must be made clear. I have made up my mind that as long as I am still alive, the crown prince will be inherited by Da Lang. Do not have any delusions. Erlang, Dalang is your elder brother and your monarch. If something like Yang Wengan happens again in the future, I don’t need to investigate. Make it clear, and take care of yourself. Shiro, you must treat your elder brother kindly from now on, Dalang and Erlang are both your elder brothers, you must treat them the same, and you must not distinguish between Xuan Yi, and stop helping Dalang to plot against Erlang." Li Yuan was able to say these words because the relationship between father and son prevailed. It was he as a father who earnestly warned his son, not the emperor's majestic judgment.How clever the three of them were, they had already heard that Li Yuan had changed his tone from before, so they kowtowed to the ground again: "I will obey the holy order, and from now on I will be brothers in harmony and work faithfully." Li Yuan raised his head and said, "It would be great if you can really do this in the future. I'm afraid that if you say what you mean, if you promise well now, you will still go your own way after you go down." "My son dare not." Now Li Yuan doesn't believe the three people's promise at all. He understands the temperament of the three people, how can he change his past with just a few gentle words?He sighed again, waved his hands and said, "Erlang, Shiro, I'm a little tired, you guys go back first." Li Shimin and Li Yuanji withdrew as promised, leaving only Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng in the room.Li Yuan said softly to Li Jiancheng: "Come here, I have something to say." Li Jiancheng timidly walked to the case. Li Yuandao: "At the beginning I wanted to make Erlang the crown prince, because I saw that he could make decisions on the fly and be victorious in battles. However, for the crown prince, he must be lenient and benevolent, and he can tolerate brothers. Erlang is not as good as you in this point. Then I made you the prince. Do you understand my intention?" Li Jiancheng bowed his head and said in tears: "My son is favored by his father, and he is often terrified. He is really afraid that he is too incompetent and has failed his father's trust. In terms of ability to manage affairs, my son is not as good as Erlang, and if my father proposes to establish Erlang." As the crown prince, my son has no complaints." "You—how did you learn how to speak like Erlang? What you say is insincere, it is the words that punish one's heart." "I don't dare, my son understands that the ruler who governs the country is based on virtue." “好了，不管你说的是真心话或是虚言，我不再追究。唔，我单独把你留下来，就是想告诉你，你既为太子，就应该有个太子的样儿，不可效妇人之仁，这样会误国误民。” "My son, I will always remember my father's teachings." “打从今儿起，我逐步将朝中之事交你掌之。譬如人事安排及批阅奏章等，你可先拿一个主意，我皆照准。你理解我的意思吗？盖为君者，须经历诸多磨练方能成器，你可慢慢为之。” 李渊上来先给了李建成和李元吉一顿训斥，让李建成摸不着头脑。没想到到了最后，形势却急转而下，父皇在这里主动向自己交权。这让李建成大喜过望，有心想再推让恭维两句，又觉得这样做显得矫情，遂拱手言道：“谢父皇信任，儿臣定当鞠躬尽瘁，忠心为之。儿臣若理朝政，有一事儿相求。” 李渊微微颔首，鼓励他说下去。 李建成道：“三省之中，以尚书省事务最细最烦，总理国务皆赖此省。儿臣不敢隐瞒，这些年二郎担任尚书令之职，他若出征在外则理事颇顺；他一回来，则掣肘甚多，政令难以上通下达。儿臣想求父皇，能否将二郎的位置调一调？” “可以，你有什么具体方案？”李渊很干脆地答道。 “儿臣以为，封德彝谋虑周到，他现任中书令，虽位在中枢，惜未尽其才。能否将他和二郎的位置调一调？这样，儿臣今后办事就方便多了。” 李渊沉吟道：“封德彝能识机变，是一个治事儿的好人才。唔，这样很好，就将他任为尚书左仆射，专管尚书省的事务。还让二郎挂一个尚书令的名儿不用管事，另补他为中书令，可以多管一管中书省的事儿。不过四郎的位置也要动一动，现在陈叔达忙于治史，门下省的事儿忙不过来，可将四郎进位为侍中，先主持一段门下省的事体。这件事儿嘛——你可让颜师古先拟诏，后日早朝时候再宣布。” 李建成谢恩后退下。 唐于武德七年重新修订了官制，以太尉、司徒、司空为三公，尚书、门下、中书、秘书、殿中、内侍为六省，次御史台，次太常、光禄、卫尉、宗正、太仆、大理、鸿胪、司农、太府为九寺，次将作监，次国子学，次天策上将府、次十四卫府。这些都是“京职事官”，为唐朝的中央机构。这其中，三公地位最高，多为亲王或文武大臣加官，是一种荣誉职务。六省中，秘书省负责图籍管理、殿中省为皇帝的衣食住行服务、内侍省管理宦官，与政权无大关系；另外三省负责全国的政务管理，像尚书省，主管一切庶务，其首脑为尚书令；门下省，掌出纳帝令、相礼仪，其首脑为侍中；中书省，掌佐天子执大政，而总判省事，其首脑为中书令。这三省长官皆为宰相职，佐天子总百官、治万事。起初，他们常常集于门下省之政事堂议事，及至后来李世民常常出外征战，李建成居京城监国，议事的地方就改为东宫的显德殿。 尚书省下设六部，即秦汉以来形成惯例而设的吏部、民部、礼部、户部、刑部、兵部，总理全国的具体政务。后世人常说的“三省六部”，即是指尚书省、门下省、中书省和尚书省之下设的六部。大唐建国以来，李世民一直任尚书令，其出征在外时，六部例由李建成统摄；其回京后，李建成感到诸事不顺，早想把李世民扳下此位。可惜李渊一直想维持几个儿子间的平衡，李建成数次言语试探都被挡了回去，他不敢再提。今日见李渊倾向自己，因轻轻提出，没想到李渊竟然爽快地答应了，总算去掉了李建成心头上的一块心事。这样将李世民改为中书令，仍为宰相之职，然仅掌诏旨制敕，玺书册命，每字每句须由李渊过目，那是没有多大实权的。 李建成回宫后高兴异常，即把李元吉召来告诉这个好消息。两人在那里密谋了半天，决定抓住这个有利机会彻底击败李世民。李建成又令人将史万宝找来，嘱他不用再寻尔朱焕、桥公山两人。他认为父皇有现在的态度，则是一次完胜。再去寻找尔、桥两人，无疑是画蛇添足。 李世民当时退出房门，神情恍惚，身后的李元吉气昂昂地走了，把他落在后面。他呆立门前，想不透父皇今日为何火气如此大，且一波三折，最终明确了李建成的太子之位。有一点可以肯定，就是自己的身边人出了奸细，因为那天自己说话时，身旁只有府内的三名近侍听到。他看着李元吉渐渐走远的背影，心想能拉拢自己身边人者，主谋的就是四郎，他到底用了什么法儿将自己人收买过去的呢？李世民实在想不通，平时他自诩能够善待下人，这一闷棍把他打蔫了，心里变得空空落落起来。 李世民出了太极殿折向北行，地上是一溜儿用鹅卵石铺就的甬道，甬道两旁植满了花草，正是菊花盛开的时候，可以闻到飘来的一阵阵花香。 李世民无心观看这些美景，他低着头迈着大步沿湖边甬道前行。从这里走到池北首，那里建有一殿，名为临湖殿，即是宫城最北的一座殿宇。临湖殿正对宫城玄武门，出了玄武门，即可跨马返回府中。李世民边走边想，回府后的第一件事儿就是要把那三名近卫逐出。另嘱长孙无忌将府中之人细细考核一遍，不能再让四郎他们钻了空子。 然防四郎来拉拢府中人还算是容易的，眼前父皇对自己的态度却不敢深想。为夺太子之位，自己连使了两步招儿，然皆败下阵来。眼瞅着大郎的太子之位日渐稳固，父皇对自己日渐警惕，到底再使什么法儿来改变这种颓势呢？李世民思来想去，心里一片混乱。 他这样边想边走，不觉就来到了玄武门前。 宫城北墙有三个门，玄武门为通向宫禁中的唯一门户，居于宫城北墙之西；墙东首有一门名为玄德门，即是东宫的北门户，中间的安礼门则是李元吉居住的承庆殿之出口。臣子朝见李渊的时候，按例应从南边的承天门进入。而皇子们被临时召见的时候，李渊恩准他们可以从玄武门入内。像李建成和李元吉从玄德门和安礼门出来后，西行不远即是玄武门；李世民居于西墙根处的弘义宫，从玄武门进入宫禁之内，也很方便。 玄武门的城楼建得很是雄伟，厚厚的青砖砌就了门楼，留出了一个阔大的门洞，门洞里有三重门，皆用终南山上的千年椴木制成，并用阔如手掌的青铜钉镶嵌。 李世民无心看玄武门，目不斜视大跨步欲走出门外。守卫的宿卫见秦王走来，早已挺直了腰板齐刷刷地排成两行。这时，只听身后一人叫道：“秦王请留步，容小人参见。” 李世民愕然回过头来，就见身后站立一人。只见他身穿裆甲，右佩胡禄，左佩弓袋，头戴兜鍪顿项，看到李世民转过身来，他急忙屈膝为礼。又见李世民愕然的神色，那人除掉兜鍪顿项，笑道：“秦王，小人名叫常何，难道殿下不记得我了？” 李世民细观他的容貌，喃喃道：“常何——常何——噢，我想起来了。当初征讨宋金刚时，我在雀鼠谷内送你羊腿。是你吗？” 常何笑容满面，说道：“殿下真是好记性，算来已过去四年了，难得殿下还记得小人。” 李世民走前几步，拍了拍常何的肩膀，笑道：“若我们行在路上，我断然不会认出你。你在雀鼠谷时，还是一个毛头小伙子，如今你脸上胡须这么长，我实在不敢认啊。” “殿下见过那么多的人，又隔了这么长的时间，还能记得小人的名字。人言秦王素有过目不忘之能，果然如此。” “不要再张嘴闭口称呼自己为小人了，看你的装束，现在必有品秩。我这些年来久不典兵，一直不知你的音讯，你这些年来都干了些什么？” “禀秦王，小人自从离开殿下指挥后，又随太子扫平刘黑闼，因积有微功，被太子简拔为校尉，后又入东宫宿卫。昨日，又被任为左羽林军兵曹，专掌玄武门守卫之事。” “噢，想不到你还有如此的际遇。”李世民胡乱应了一声，思绪又飞开了去。心想大哥这些年果然忙碌，手伸得很长，竟然能把常何这样的人物都笼络怀中。 “唉，要说这些年蒙太子垂青，又蒙皇上圣眷，小人忝列近卫之侧，心里应该满足才是。然小人是个急性子，总想随秦王上阵劈杀，以此博取功名，这样才来得畅快。日日守在这宫禁之中，把人都快憋死了。” 李世民仔细观看常何的神色，见他满脸真情，眼光中不似作伪，看样子他还真是好武厮杀，依稀像程咬金、尉迟敬德等人的脾气。这样一个人物被大哥网罗过去，实在可惜。他不禁有些后悔，嘴里说道：“你年纪轻轻就升为禁军兵曹，一般人难有如此际遇，那是你拼杀积功所得。这玄武门位置重要，事关父皇的安全，岂能委之常人？你守此重地，今后要小心谨慎，不能有微小差错。这件事若做好了，可比你上阵斩将夺旗的功劳要大得多。” 常何道：“小人谨记秦王训诫，今后不敢马虎。”他见李世民神色游移，不敢再多说，遂问道：“秦王的马在门外吗？容小人为殿下牵马。” “不用，那里有人侍候。”李世民见常何的殷勤劲儿发自真心，其对自己的恭敬与雀鼠谷时无异，一直紧绷的精神稍有松弛，展颜笑道：“常何，我看你与我府内的程咬金、尉迟敬德的性格相仿，你有空闲时间可入天策府与他们会会，相信你们定会谈得投缘。” 常何点头道：“一定去，一定去，程将军和尉迟将军是我早就心仪的人物，只怕他们不肯与我结交呢。” 李世民嘴唇又动了动，有心想问你这样做太子会不会高兴？话到嘴边又缩了回去，就在常何陪同下出门，然后上马回府。