"Haha!" Qin Mubai laughed.
Li Zhi, who was only fourteen years old, was indeed still a child. Moreover, he was kind-hearted by nature, and to put it mildly, he was a bit blunt. How could he have thought through the many twists and turns in the party struggle in the court? Moreover, Li Shimin had almost raised him in his mouth before and never let him come into contact with anything dark or complicated. It was normal that he couldn't bear it or understand it for a while.
But aren’t people forced out? Who can be the emperor at birth? It is estimated that with time, Li Zhi will taste the feeling of holding power at a high level, and will learn to enjoy it and be reluctant to let it go. After all, he is a man too. Men, who doesn’t like wine, sex and wealth? And these can all be brought about by power. Not only that, power can also control the life and death of others. This is much more interesting and pleasant than having someone else control life and death.
However, as long as Changsun Wuji is around, Li Zhi is just a puppet. More power will only be in the hands of Changsun Wuji, which is an important reason why he chose Li Zhi - Li Zhi is young, dull, has no foundation, no experience, and is very easy to control.
Every powerful minister will choose a weak monarch. It is impossible for a king as powerful as Li Shimin to have powerful ministers under his command. Changsun Wuji is now drawing up a blueprint for his future - he will be the chief powerful official after the Zhenguan Dynasty, take charge of the giant ship of the Tang Dynasty, and move forward according to the great path he envisioned. Perhaps Li Shimin also had this idea, because Changsun Wuji was his most capable and trusted person. He hoped that Changsun Wuji could continue to assist his successor and carry forward the Zhenguan Tang Dynasty.
This is probably an important reason why Li Shimin is now "conniving" Changsun Wuji. He even did not hesitate to release his power and prestige to Changsun Wuji to create a solid ruling foundation for the future of Datang.
Qin Mubai thought that this was Li Shimin's choice, but it may not be the choice of dynasty and history. In the face of the wheel of history, anyone's subjective assumptions may become wishful thinking. A wise and great person like Li Shimin has no privileges at all. If someone makes the "right" choice, then there is a 90% chance that it is a coincidence. History chose him as a lucky person, rather than him actually "creating" history.
A few years ago, Qin Mubai felt that he could easily follow the wheel of history. But now, it doesn't work anymore. Because the trajectory of history has already been deflected because of his appearance. In Li Chunfeng's words, his "demon star" has already changed the destiny of the Tang Dynasty and China. Everyone has a dark eye on what will happen in the future.
At this time, not only the young Li Zhi felt uncertain, but also Qin Mubai, probably Changsun Wuji, and even Li Shimin!
Everyone is crossing the river by feeling for pebbles, taking every step carefully.
"Teacher, you have to save me!" Li Zhi raised his eyebrows and hummed, "Now as long as I sit on the dragon chair, I feel that all the ministers are scolding me in their stomachs, scolding me for colluding with my uncle to murder the prince brother. But then, it would be okay if I was young, promising, and capable, but... I am obviously an idiot who knows nothing about anything! I am far inferior to my brother, the prince!"
"That's all you've got!" Qin Mubai was so angry and funny, pointing at him and scolding him. ,
"Teacher, others don't know me, don't you know it?" Li Zhi smiled bitterly, "In terms of qualifications and knowledge, I'm not as good as Si Zi! My uncle could just carry Si Zi to the dragon throne to supervise the country. Why? Harm me?"
"Shut up!" Qin Mubai couldn't help but cursed in anger, "Prince Jin, how could you do this? Look at your brothers, fighting to the death for the position you sit in today. .You got a big deal for nothing and you are still acting like a good boy. If they find out, they will kill you!"
"Then kill me! Kill me, and I won't sit in this position anymore!" Li Zhi waved his sleeves, spread his hands, and yelled, "Whoever wants it can take it! Fourth brother is not an old man." Have you wanted to be the prince for a long time? I will give it to him!"
Qin Mubai's heart tightened and he said, "If you have the guts, tell your uncle this. Don't yell around here."
"I told you, my uncle called me a... pig." Li Zhi twisted his neck and said seriously with his eyes rolling.
"Haha!" Qin Mubai laughed, "Your uncle is really wise."
"Teacher, please stop making fun of me! Please save me! If I sit in that seat again, I will die of sorrow!" Li Zhi said with a groan, "You don't know how much pressure I have and how much pain I have. ! When I was dealing with state affairs every day, listening to my uncle and Chu Suiliang and other ministers talking about the memorials, I felt like listening to heavenly scriptures, my legs were trembling and I was covered in cold sweat. Just put a big seal on it. What hurts me the most is that my father didn't care about me at this time. I listened to them like a fool and made a fool of myself by sitting on the throne like a waste. You don’t know how helpless and embarrassed I am! As soon as I sat down on that dragon chair, I felt like I was going to die! What’s more, when I returned to the harem, even Si Zi stopped being close to me. Brother Ninth is busy with state affairs, don't just play with him, do more serious things. The concubines, maids, and eunuchs who were very close to me in the past all looked at me differently, as if I was just like him. It’s like a wild beast will eat them at any time. Master, what did I do wrong? Why did everyone treat me differently when I sat on the dragon chair?”
"That's natural." Qin Mubai smiled, "You used to be just a carefree little prince. Now, you hold the power of the Tang Dynasty... Well, at least on the surface it seems that you hold the power of the country. Bing, who is in charge of the center of the dynasty and controls the life and death of others, can I not treat you differently?"
"Hey, I don't want to be like this!" Li Zhi shouted, "I just like my old life. I have no intention of being a prison prince, and I am not interested in power or court! Why do you guys not want the things I want? Do you have to give it to me?”
"It has nothing to do with me, don't involve me." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "Complain to your uncle if you can."
"I didn't... didn't I dare to come to you..." Li Zhi muttered in a low voice, "Uncle has always loved me very much, but in the face of this matter, his attitude is very tough and resolute. If I dare to fight half If I back down, he will reprimand me severely and remove my late mother. I am really afraid of him!"
Qin Mubai's heart moved, and he said tentatively: "Then talk to your father."
"I can't see my father at all." Li Zhi said with a bitter face, "I go to see my father once or twice every day, but I am blocked and not allowed in. That Chu Suiliang is simply smelly and hard! I'm scared He wants to kill his head, but he won't let me in to see my father. Are you angry?"
Qin Mubai smiled and said nothing. It was clear that Li Shimin wanted to avoid Li Zhi, and insisted on giving Li Zhi a hard time to see if he would succeed. Furthermore, what is more important is whether Changsun Wuji has the ability to assist the prince and re-establish order in the court.
"Then it's useless for you to come to me!" Qin Mubai said with a smile, "In terms of power, ten Qin Mubai combined can't compare to your uncle; in terms of closeness, I am just a consort, and you are still the direct relative of His Majesty the Emperor. Where is my son! Since you can’t convince your uncle and you can’t see the emperor, what can I do?”
When Li Zhi heard this, he was dumbfounded. He knelt down again and almost shouted: "Teacher, you must save me! I know you are resourceful and must have a way! When Sizi was seriously ill and endangered, you You can rejuvenate her and bring her back. Now that I am in trouble, why are you standing by and watching? Master... Oh, village chief, help me!"
"Shut up, stop yelling! Oh, I can't stand you anymore, you're so worthless!" Qin Mubai smiled, lifted him up, patted his shoulder, and said, "Let me think about it."
Although Li Zhi had a ring of fine hair on his mouth, he still had the nature of a child. He immediately smiled and said, "Thank you, master! I knew you wouldn't die without saving me!"
"Don't die all the time. Who wants you to die now?" Qin Mubai said dumbfounded, "You haven't reached that point yet."
"It's almost..." Li Zhi said with a sad face, "I just took away the prince's brother, and now I'm going to attack the fourth brother again. I..."
"What did you say?" Qin Mubai's eyes widened and he asked in shock.
"This..." Li Zhi suddenly panicked.
"If you have something to say, just say it! Don't blame me for not caring about you, you hidden one!" Qin Mubai said majestically.
"Hey..." Li Zhi threw his hands and said bravely, "otherwise, why would I come to my mentor for help today?"
"Tell me more about what happened?" Qin Mubai asked him patiently as he sat down.
"That's it..." Li Zhi blinked in embarrassment, but decided to speak out. He whispered, "I sat on the dragon throne for a few days, but I felt uncomfortable and unwilling to do it. One day, the fourth brother came. He came to me and said... If I really didn't want to do it, I would give him my position temporarily. He was willing to help me solve my problems. I was very happy at that time and agreed! "
"Damn... you are so talented." Qin Mubai shook his head in confusion, "What happens next?"
"It's okay! I told my uncle, and then, my uncle called me a pig." Li Zhi said with an embarrassed look on his face.
"What do you mean... attacking your fourth brother?" Qin Mubai asked.
"Teacher, I tell you this, you must never tell anyone else!" Li Zhi said nervously, "My uncle said that my fourth brother will definitely not let me go. I am determined to win the position. As long as my fourth brother is here, I will be in danger of following in the footsteps of my elder brother. I was frightened at that time. My uncle called me...a pig again."
Qin Mubai couldn't help laughing and said: "Okay, let's not mention the pig thing for now. You talk about business."
"Oh..." Li Zhi nodded and said, "Then my uncle told me that if I don't want to follow the footsteps of the prince's brother, I must take action first and get the fourth brother out of the court. I was frightened at the time. No matter what, he would not harm the fourth brother. My uncle also sighed and said that he would not do anything about it. "
Qin Mubai blinked: "Then how did you decide?"
Li Zhi was about to cry, and groaned: "Have I not slept well these past few nights? Of course I don't want to die, but I... I can't harm Fourth Brother! Besides, Fourth Brother and I both If something happened to either of them, my father would be devastated! When something happened to the prince’s brother before, my father was already seriously ill. If this happened..."
"Okay, you don't need to say anything." Qin Mubai said, "Then, your uncle forces you to do something, right?"
Li Zhi gritted his teeth, nodded reluctantly, and said, "My uncle asked me to tell my father what my fourth brother said to me."
"What did your fourth brother say?"
"He said that if I temporarily gave up the position of supervising the country to him, he would give it back to me when I wanted to come back when I grew up. I said I didn't want it. I wanted my fourth brother to be the prince and the emperor in the future. My fourth brother agreed. He said that if he becomes the prince and the emperor, he will make me the prince when he ascends the throne. Even if he has a biological son, he will not make me the prince. If his son dares to steal from me. As for the position of the Eastern Palace, he will... kill his son!"
Qin Mubai was shocked: Li Tai, you are so cruel!
However, he really went too far this time!
Let me ask, how can a person who doesn't even cherish his own son cherish his younger brother? !
If Li Tai's words reached the emperor's ears, it would be enough to prove his hypocrisy. With Li Shimin's shrewdness, he will definitely no longer trust Li Tai! In this way, Li Tai's impression score with Li Shimin will be greatly reduced! Furthermore, these remarks and actions fully prove that Li Tai has been working hard to manage his dream of the East Palace. Everything done before was for this purpose.
So, no matter what achievements Li Tai performed before, no matter how outstanding his performance, or how filial he was, it was all intentional and artificial with impure motives, and it was absolutely sinister and hypocritical!
In this way, Li Shimin's previous trust and respect for Li Tai could be wiped out in an instant!
"Fourth brother also said..." Li Zhi muttered softly, with a look of fear on his face, and said hesitantly, "If I don't give up the position of supervising the country to him, then I will definitely not be able to work for a long time."
"Why?" Qin Mubai asked.
"Because... because all the ministers in the court do not obey me. They only recognize my uncle and not the King of Jin." Li Zhi said with a disappointed look on his face, "Even if one day I enter the East Palace or even ascend the throne, He is just a puppet prince and a puppet emperor. He will hand over my family to others just because I am too weak and incompetent! In this way, I will definitely not be able to explain it to my ancestors!"
"King Wei, how dare he say such treacherous words? He is clearly trying to sow discord between you and your uncle, and is trying to intimidate you!" Qin Mubai couldn't help but said angrily.
Li Zhi nodded lightly: "Actually, I'm not stupid. I know what the fourth brother wants to say. He wants to say that his popularity and power in the court are far greater than mine. Even with my uncle's full support I may not be able to defeat him. If I don't give up the position of supervising the country to him today, he will be able to take it back with his own ability tomorrow. So, I might as well give it to him now to preserve the brotherhood. "
Qin Mubai nodded: "It's rare for you to be smart for once. Didn't you tell your uncle this?"
"No, no!" Li Zhi waved his hands hurriedly, "Then how dare I say it? If I say it, my uncle will stab my father in there, and my fourth brother will be dead!"
"Then tell me, you are not afraid that I will stab the emperor?" Qin Mubai asked with a grin.
"My teacher will definitely not! My teacher is a gentleman and a kind person! Moreover, the students trust my teacher so much, my teacher will not let me down! Even if he cannot save me, he can still consider my brotherhood!" Li Zhi said seriously.
Qin Mubai nodded with a smile, sighed, and said: "Prince Jin, although you are young and more blunt than your brothers, it is rare that you have a pure and kind heart. Don't worry, I won't If I betray you, I will not betray the King of Wei. You are right. The fall of either you or the King of Wei will be a great harm to His Majesty the Emperor and the Tang Dynasty. Even if you call me your mentor, I have never had much friendship with the King of Wei, but at this time, I will not favor you or help the King of Wei. You don't have to worry too much. If your uncle asks you to supervise the country, just sit on the dragon chair. Anyway, they can handle the matter for you. Don't worry, because His Majesty the Emperor is still alive, and everything is under his control, even if you can't trust yourself. Uncle, if you can’t trust anyone, you should trust your father, right? Don’t worry! Nothing will go wrong with him!”
"Really?" Li Zhi blinked in doubt and surprise, "When you said that, I felt much more at ease. You're right, my father is still here, so there won't be any chaos! Okay, I Just go back and be a clay-embodied Bodhisattva on that dragon chair. Whatever my uncle wants to do, I will do it, as long as he doesn’t force me to murder my brother. Whatever my fourth brother wants from me, I will give it to him, as long as I have it. As long as I can give it. The only thing I hope for is that I don’t want anything like this to happen to my brother. My brother and my father are healthy. This is better than anything else.”
"Well... I know it well." Qin Mubai nodded and sighed softly, "If the prince had your mentality and the king of Wei had your magnanimity, things wouldn't be such a mess. King Jin, Since you trust me to make this special trip, I will go to King Wei for you and have a heart-to-heart talk with him, if not to resolve his inner demons. This is a misunderstanding between you brothers. Just do your best and obey fate! Just have a clear conscience."
"Well, keep your teacher's teachings in mind and have a clear conscience." Li Zhi stood up, bowed his hands to Qin Mubai, and said, "Teacher, take care, student, leave!"
"Wait a minute." Qin Mubai called him, held his hand, and said softly, "Just keep a normal mind. You can learn things you don't know; you can ask questions if you don't understand. However, some people are sensitive. Don't bring up the topic lightly with others. Let me give you an explanation. If you have any thoughts and ideas that you can't control, you might as well hide them in your heart and ask yourself a few more questions. If you really can't figure it out, go to your father. It’s right to treat him as the backbone of the discussion.”
"Well, students, remember this!" Li Zhi bowed his hands again and said, "If I can't see my father, I will ask my teacher!"
"...Okay!" Qin Mubai nodded and smiled, "Let's go, I won't send you off!"
Li Zhi left.
Watching him drive away, Qin Mubai shook his head and sighed with a smile.
This is the Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty in history. There is indeed nothing particularly outstanding about him, but no one is born an outstanding king or outstanding statesman. They are all trained and tempered the day after tomorrow. Who can say for sure what the confused Jin King Li Zhi will look like in another three to five years
Environment can change a person's life. The previous Li Zhi was born in the harem and raised in the hands of a woman. He had a cowardly, blunt and kind-hearted character. This is a natural thing; but if he was kicked ruthlessly into the rapid political torrent, and after many struggles and hardships, he would not be able to survive. In such a life-and-death battle, it would be impossible for him to remain as "foolish" as he is now.
Just like Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty in history, although history does not think highly of him, he is by no means a mediocre and incompetent person.
I'm afraid this is exactly what Li Shimin is thinking at this moment. It's like teaching a person to swim by throwing him into the water, then letting him submerge and drink a few mouthfuls of water to suffer.
Then, it will be easy to learn to swim.
Li Zhi's pure white rice paper is being painted with rich colors by two great masters, Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji...