As soon as the emperor said this, everyone, including Princess Gaoyang, was quite surprised - why did he suddenly mention the marriage between Princess Gaoyang and Qin Mubai at this time
Li Shimin seemed to have no interest in explaining anything, but continued: "It is unusual for an emperor to marry a daughter. The marriage should be promised first, for a period of one year, and then married. After the funeral of King Qi is completed, Ke'er, from You come to preside over their engagement ceremony."
Li Ke was surprised and startled. Without thinking, he raised his hands and said, "Father, I don't dare to accept this order!"
"What did you say?" Li Shimin was also surprised and looked at him in disbelief.
Qin Mubai and Princess Gaoyang were also shocked and puzzled.
"My son... I have just lost my wife, which is quite ominous. It is not good for this ominous aura to dampen the joy of the emperor's sister and the prince-in-law. Please think twice and choose someone else to officiate the wedding ceremony." Li Ke bowed his hands and bowed. .
"Third brother, why are you... talking like this!" Princess Gaoyang shouted in surprise and a little annoyed.
"Gao Yang, don't make any noise. Your third brother's concerns are justified." Li Shimin nodded lightly, "Okay, I will think about it some more and make another choice."
Qin Mubai stood aside without squinting and said nothing. He thought to himself that Li Ke was deliberately finding an excuse to shirk. The purpose was simply to keep a distance from him. In fact, Qin Mubai saw it when they were playing chess just now. After returning to Beijing this time, Li Ke was very cautious. In fact, Qin Mubai knew very well that his chess skills were definitely not inferior to Li Shimin's. When he just ate the horse, he hesitated again and again. He must have seen that it was an ambush and trap set by Li Shimin, but he still "decisively" ate it. As a result, he lost the game beautifully.
Li Ke began his bid to hide his capabilities and bide his time again.
Only Princess Gao Yang didn't understand and was still a little angry now, squinting at Li Ke from time to time. If it weren't for the emperor's presence, I'm afraid he would have charged Li Ke with all his teeth and claws.
At this time Li Shimin said: "In the past few days, the world has been troubled. From Xiangzhou to Dengzhou, some things Li You caused have shocked the world and made the government and the public uneasy. However, those are things in the past, and there is no need to mention them again in the future. You There is no need to explain anything in front of me.”
Li Ke immediately fell down in gratitude and said, "My father's heart is like a clear mirror, and my sons and ministers admire me."
"Get up!" Li Shimin said calmly, "The pure will become clear from themselves, and the turbid will become turbid from itself. It's not that my heart is like a clear mirror, but that things are not governed by their own laws, and there are laws in the world."
"Thank you, Father!" Li Ke still knelt down solemnly several times, and then stood up respectfully, with an expression of sincere fear of surviving a catastrophe.
"Ke'er, since you have already come to Chang'an, there is no need to rush back to Xiangzhou." Li Shimin said suddenly.
Li Ke was startled, but he didn't dare to speak. He was probably thinking: Don't you trust me? Why do you want to dismiss me from office
"Don't get me wrong, it's actually like this." Li Shimin said, "After the Dengzhou incident, many courtiers gave advice, saying that the hereditary governor system has many shortcomings. The Dengzhou rebellion this time was based on the hereditary governor system. Therefore, all the ministers tried their best to advise me to abolish the hereditary governor system. After thinking about it again and again, I felt that they were right, so I planned to abolish the new hereditary governor system at the end of the year and transfer those who were far away. The princes, princes, and princes were all transferred back to Chang'an and were only granted the post of school inspector. From then on, they no longer went to the feudal cities to serve as officials. "
"The father is wise, and the sons and ministers should obey their orders!" Li Ke responded hurriedly with his hands in hand.
Li Shimin nodded, sighed softly, turned to look at Princess Gaoyang, and said in a low voice: "King Qi has come to this day, and I do have an unshirkable responsibility. From now on, I will try my best to fulfill my responsibilities as a father. , I will accompany and guide you well. From now on, please stay with me and don’t go anywhere!”
"Yes, father..." Li Ke and Princess Gaoyang both responded softly.
Qin Mubai's heart was beating: the reason why Li Shimin wanted to implement the hereditary governor system was to disintegrate and divide the power of the party in the court, so that he could control the current situation and prepare for the establishment of the crown prince. In fact, astute politicians like Li Shimin certainly know that the hereditary governor system is actually no different from the feudal princes, with many disadvantages. He didn't make a stopgap measure at the time; now that Li You's incident has caused trouble, he had to give up this stopgap measure in advance - but does that mean that Li Shimin has already decided on the candidate for the crown prince? In other words, he has been able to fully control the two forces that compete for heirs in the court
As an emperor, Li Shimin was essentially a politician; no matter what he did - even if he was dealing with family affairs, he always showed traces of a politician's thinking.
"Ling'er." Li Shimin called softly, paused, and said, "If you have time, spend more time with your mother."
"Well..." Princess Gao Yang bit her lip and nodded gently. There were already some crystal tears shining in his eyes.
"Okay, it's okay, please step back!" Li Shimin waved his hand gently with a smile. There was a hint of exhaustion in his smile.
The three of them said goodbye and left. After leaving the imperial study, Li Ke looked deeply at Qin Mubai and walked away without saying a word.
"Hey, third brother, third brother!... Third brother, why are you like this!" Princess Gao Yang called several times, but Li Ke didn't mean to stop, which made her a little angry.
"Forget it, Ling'er." Qin Mubai persuaded her with a smile and said, "Your third brother... doesn't seem to pay much attention to us anymore."
"Why? Aren't we always the best friends?" Princess Gaoyang asked in annoyance and confusion.
Qin Mubai sighed and shook his head: "In this officialdom, there are no eternal friends and no eternal enemies. I'm afraid... I did something wrong and offended him."
"What's going on?" Princess Gaoyang insisted on breaking the casserole and asked.
Qin Mubai shook his head in embarrassment: "Forget it, let's not talk about it. Let's go and see your mother and concubine."
"No, you must say it!" Princess Gao Yang stubbornly stood in front of Qin Mubai, frowning and refusing to let him go forward.
Qin Mubai smiled bitterly: "Ling'er, don't you never care about these things about me?"
"That was before, now I have to take care of it. Have you forgotten our agreement that we no longer have secrets from each other?" Princess Gao Yang said, "What's more, the matter is related to the third brother! For such a long time, we have advanced and retreated together. We share honor and disgrace, how can we get along so well! Why did you fall out just now? Why did Sanke suddenly refuse to host our engagement ceremony just now? It turned out to be a conflict with you? "
Qin Mubai nodded helplessly: "If you insist on knowing, I will tell you. But you have to promise, can you let others know?"
"Yeah, yeah." Princess Gao Yang nodded repeatedly and said eagerly, "Hurry up and say it!"
"Actually, this is what happened..." Qin Mubai started to wonder, he said -
"His Majesty the Emperor sent an edict to Xiangzhou, summoned him back to the capital, and ordered me to stay put to protect the country and the people. But at that time, I disobeyed the imperial edict and raised troops without permission, and even argued with the King of Wu in public. In fact, it didn't matter. The key is that I later used my personal relationship with several generals in his house to transfer some of his soldiers to me to help me fight. At that time, I thought he had left Xiangzhou, but I didn't expect it. He hasn't left yet! Of course he won't be happy if he finds out about this - think about it, his men actually obeyed my orders, how happy would he be? He was very angry. Firstly, it was certain that he would be scolded by His Majesty the Emperor, because he, the governor, did not assist Chu Suiliang in restraining me, which was at least dereliction of duty; secondly... he, a prince, actually If I can't restrain him, how can His Majesty not criticize him for being incompetent? How can he not be angry because all the generals and soldiers in Xiangzhou only obey me
"Hmph, Third Brother is too petty!" Princess Gao Yang suddenly shouted angrily, "He is jealous of his talents!"
"No, you can't say that." Qin Mubai said hurriedly, "Actually, I did go too far. I didn't take into account the dignity and face of the prince, and I was too sharp. In Xiangzhou, "Yes, I have completely overshadowed his reputation and limelight. He also has his own pride and respect as a prince. If I behave like this, it is inevitable for anyone to feel a little unhappy."
"Hey, I really don't understand what's going on with you men!" Princess Gao Yang frowned depressedly, "What should I do? Could it be that you and your third brother will never have any contact with each other from now on?"
"I don't know." Qin Mubai curled his lips innocently, "He made such a refusal directly in front of the emperor. Judging from the situation, I'm afraid he means to break up with me. Since he doesn't pay attention to me, I Is it possible for you to put your warm face on his cold ass?”
"Hey!..." Princess Gaoyang sighed again, shook her head, and frowned in confusion.
The two walked and chatted slowly out of Penglai Hall. There were soldiers and eunuch palace women on both sides. These people, without exception, are Li Shimin's confidants. When Qin Mubai said these words, he pretended to be cautious and deliberately spoke a little louder. It is estimated that the guards on the left and right have heard it. It won't take long for it to reach Li Shimin's ears.
Moreover, Qin Mubai knew Princess Gaoyang too well. She is impatient. When she sees unpleasant things, she can't hide them in her heart and will try to find a way to solve them. Qin Mubai and Li Ke were at odds, which was definitely what she was least happy to see.
Given her temperament, what would she do? - There is no doubt that first, she will go to Li Ke and persuade him to "reconcile" with Qin Mubai; then, this "bad faith" guy will definitely tell these words to his father for the purpose , just to clarify in front of Li Shimin that "she and Qin Mubai have no conflict with Li Ke."
Li Shimin was most worried about his children turning against each other and having conflicts. After Li You's incident, Princess Gaoyang must have had a shadow in her heart. Of course she didn't want her father to see that she, Qin Mubai, and Li Ke were having trouble. .
In this way, the purpose is achieved.
Even if there is no conflict between Qin Mubai and Li Ke, Princess Gaoyang will "mediate" the conflict.
"This is considered a 'well-intentioned' use, not deception... I'm sorry, Ling'er! I can't say these words to anyone, only Li Ke and I know it." Qin Mubai secretly said in his heart, faintly I do feel a little guilty.
After all, whether with good intentions or bad intentions, he did "use" Gao Yang.
There is no other way, in the officialdom and on the battlefield, not to mention in such an extraordinary period, we have to use some extraordinary means... As long as it doesn't hurt anyone, that's fine.
"Okay, don't think about these troublesome things." Qin Mubai held Princess Gao Yang's hand and looked at her with gentle eyes, "Ling'er, we are finally going to be together."
"Well..." Princess Gao Yang finally showed her face and smiled softly, staring at Qin Mubai, her eyes shining with a little excitement and a little sadness, and said softly, "It's just that I don't know whether I should be sad or sad about the current situation. I should be happy. It would be great if my brother and uncle were still alive as before and could share this joy with us."
"The deceased is gone, so let's express our condolences. We should cherish those who are still alive." Qin Mubai said, "Let's go and say something to Concubine Yin De."
"Okay! My mother will definitely be happy!... Hey, I don't know whether she should be happy or sad at this time!"
"Don't think too much, let's go!"
The two came to Dajiao Temple, but heard the Taoist nun say that Concubine Yin De had just left the Taoist temple and went to the Huguo Tianwang Temple in the North Garden of Daming Palace.
"Ah, no! My mother is really going to become a nun. Go and stop her!" Princess Gaoyang exclaimed.
Qin Mubai's heart tightened, and he couldn't care less, so he and Princess Gaoyang ran around the palace without any dignity. There was quite a distance from Dajiao Temple to Huguo Tianwang Temple, so Qin Mubai simply grabbed a patrolling Imperial Guard cavalry, and he and Princess Gaoyang flew up and rode up, whipping their horses and running wildly.
All the sergeants of the Royal Forest Army were dumbfounded. They all looked at each other, but they didn't dare to say anything.
We hurried to Huguo Tianwang Temple, which is a temple located in the northwest corner of Daming Palace, a royal Buddhist temple in the palace. The Li family believed in Taoism, but they did not reject Buddhism. Many people in the palace believed in Buddhism, and the Tianwang Temple in the Buddhist Kingdom was also prosperous. The temple was full of monks, and of course there were no nuns.
At this time, Concubine Yin De had untied her frosty white hair and spread it behind her head. She knelt in front of the Buddha's golden body and clasped her hands together. A group of monks gathered around her and chanted Sanskrit sounds. The abbot held a razor and repeatedly asked Concubine Yinde to think clearly. Concubine Yinde was very determined, and she must become a monk.
The abbot sighed twice, picked it up, and prepared to cut her hair and shave her.
At this moment, Princess Gao Yang burst in shouting: "Stop—"
Everyone was startled, and the abbot and abbot's hand stopped. Concubine Yin De turned her head in surprise: "Ling'er?"
"Mom, you can't become a monk!" Princess Gaoyang rushed forward, hugged Concubine Yinde tightly, and glared at the great monks: "Step back, all of you, step back! If you dare to touch a hair of my mother-in-law, I will demolish your ruined temple!”
All the monks were taken aback and slowly withdrew with a wry smile.
"Ling'er, don't be rude to the eminent monk." Princess Gaoyang said angrily, "I have made up my mind, and you don't need to persuade me."
"Mother, I don't allow you to become a monk!" Princess Gaoyang stubbornly shouted repeatedly, rolled her eyes, and said, "My father doesn't allow you to become a monk either!"
"Him?" Concubine Yin De sneered, "He wants me to go far away, out of sight and out of mind. Have you ever heard him say anything to me?"
"Yes, yes!" Princess Gaoyang burst out in a hurry and blurted out, "He just called Mu Bai and me to Penglai Hall and promised our marriage! Mother, mother! Mu Bai and I are about to get married, how could he? What about the mother-in-law who is a nun? - My father actually did this to persuade you not to become a monk? Otherwise, why would he suddenly agree to our marriage at this time? My parents will decide when the time comes. , I want you to comb my hair and give me a dowry! Isn’t this what my father wants?”
Qin Mubai walked in at this time, sighing in his heart, Gao Yang's clever mouth really made him talk. But what she said did make some sense. Now he was organizing Li You's funeral, but he took the initiative to agree to a marriage contract. It was indeed possible, and he also wanted to retain Concubine Yin De and persuade her not to become a monk.
Putting aside the relationship between the two as husband and wife, Concubine Yin De is one of the four dignified concubines, second only to the empress in the harem. If she had become a monk, where would Li Shimin's face be
Concubine Yin De was silent for a moment without saying anything.
Princess Gao Yang shook her elbow, begged in a low voice, and kept sending glances to Qin Mubai, indicating that he would come to help.
Qin Mubai came over, knelt down and said, "Mother, Concubine Virtue, even if you want to practice Buddhism with the Buddha and seek reincarnation in the past life, you don't have to become a monk... Just practice with your hair, go to Zen and worship the Buddha every day, isn't that enough? The Buddha said, Bodhi has no tree, and the mirror is not a stand; there is nothing like dust. All the causes and consequences are actually in the human heart, so there is no difference. Why should we stick to one thing? What if His Majesty the Emperor and Princess Gaoyang are both embarrassed? His Highness Prince Qi certainly doesn’t want his mother to become a bald nun, right?”
"Pfft..." Concubine Yin De was actually amused and smiled bitterly.
She shook her head and sighed: "I'm really old and I can't defeat you. Well, I won't be ordained and become a monk for the time being. But he has to agree to one condition. He must allow me to leave the palace at any time and go to Famen Temple to visit You'er. !”
"Okay, okay, I promise you!" Princess Gao Yang nodded excitedly and shouted.
"You kid, you are so arrogant, do you dare to issue an order on behalf of your father?"
"Hehe! The child has his own way of persuading his father! Has mother forgotten that the person who can best deal with his old man in the world is your daughter—me?"
Qin Mubai couldn't help laughing at the side: This Gao Yang is so talented!