Although the monarch and his ministers "talked freely" for half the night, they never broke the topic. Li Shimin did not express his preference for which prince he preferred, and Fang Xuanling did not ask.
In fact, one of the most important reasons why Li Shimin talked about these inner thoughts with Fang Xuanling was Fang Xuanling's position. Now, the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty all have their own positions and camps, either explicitly or covertly. They are either vassal to Changsun Wuji and the King of Wei group, or they stand with the military and are optimistic about Li Ke. There were some people who stood in Li Zhi's camp very early when the King of Jin was supervising the country. However, when Changsun Wuji "left the group", he took many of his "group members" with him, and the few remaining were not large. The voice is not loud, and there is no one with real power or influence.
Only Fang Xuanling did not lean towards any prince. Although he was the commander-in-chief of logistics and had a very close relationship with the military during the Pingbo Campaign, he never expressed any opinions on the issue of establishing a governor and remained silent and neutral.
The reason is simply because of his identity. Once upon a time, Fang Xuanling was entrusted by the Empress Changsun to be an orphan and determined to assist the former crown prince Li Chengqian. When Li Chengqian fell, had it not been for Li Shimin personally protecting him (bringing him to the palace to recuperate with him), I am afraid that Fang Xuanling, like Hou Junji, would have been liquidated and eliminated in the political turmoil. Fortunately, Fang Xuanling is still standing in the court, and Fang Xuanling has never participated in any disputes related to the establishment of the prince.
Li Shimin deeply understood what kind of integrity and character Fang Xuanling had. The idea of "a loyal minister does not serve the two masters" is deeply rooted in Fang Xuanling's mind. From the day he accepted the entrustment of Empress Changsun to assist Li Chengqian, he was just like Zhuge Liang assisting Adou. He knew that he was a mediocre master, but he "dedicated himself to death and sacrificed himself" and would rather die than regret.
But God's will cannot be disobeyed, and Li Chengqian, who destroyed the Great Wall through many unjust acts, seems to be destined to fall. After that, it was absolutely impossible for Fang Xuanling to join any camp and raise flags.
It is precisely because of this that Fang Xuanling has become Li Shimin's most trustworthy person, and Li Shimin dared to discuss the matter of establishing a heir with him. Anyone else would have had scruples or selfish motives.
It was already dawn, and it was time for Fang Xuanling to hand over his shift. Li Shimin invited him to have breakfast together before leaving. The monarch and his ministers arrived at Wude Hall, where the palace staff arranged breakfast for them to enjoy.
Li Shimin decided to tell Fang Xuanling some things that he had not said for a whole night.
"Xuan Ling, I have something that's stuck in my throat and I'm not happy about it." Li Shimin said.
Fang Xuanling knew that the matter was serious, so she put down her chopsticks and said, "Your Majesty, please speak."
"I'm thinking, no matter who I make as the prince now, in a hundred years from now, there will definitely be a fight between my sons." Li Shimin frowned with thick eyebrows, and said with a serious expression and a hint of pain, "I least of all What I want to see is brothers fighting against each other... Therefore, I plan to put an end to this trouble in my lifetime! - I just want to ask you now, who of my three sons, Li Tai, Li Ke and Li Zhi, is the most worthy? Could something like this be done?”
"This!..." Fang Xuanling was shocked and her face changed.
Who dares to answer such a question
Li Shimin smiled bitterly and waved his hand, "Let's put it another way, among these three people, who is the most filial, kind and tolerant?"
This time, Fang Xuanling smiled bitterly. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, you know your son better than your father. Do you still need to ask your ministers?"
Li Shimin nodded, "I know that King Li Zhi of Jin has the gentlest temperament and is kind-hearted and honest by nature. But he is dull, timid and cowardly, and has no foundation or backing in the court. I am worried that he will not be able to control the court in the future, and thus It breeds ambitious officials who dominate the government and ruins the country."
Fang Xuanling smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty, isn't it his deepest foundation and biggest backing? - Wei Chen used an inappropriate analogy. Putting aside other things, if we only talk about backing and foundation, there is no point in talking about it. As the King of Jin, even if you pick an ordinary person from the market and establish him as the prince, as long as your Majesty makes the decision, why worry about him not having the foundation and backing? All this can be done in a matter of years and time. "
Fang Xuanling's words can be said to be flawless. On the surface, it sounds like he has no objection to the establishment of the crown prince by the King of Jin. On a deeper level, he is expressing his position - no matter who he is, he is the emperor's son!
Li Shimin also put down his chopsticks, stretched out his hand and pressed his forehead, and said: "A few years ago, before the Battle of Pingbo and Tibet started, I did consider appointing the King of Jin as the crown prince, so that he could be a loyal king to continue Zhenguan. I can rest assured that you and Fu Ji, the veterans of Zhenguan, will assist him. But the situation is different now. The Tang Dynasty has conquered Tubo and opened up the western regions, and has conquered the grasslands in the north. In the future, it is possible to march eastward to Goryeo. Datang's territory has almost doubled, which means that in the next few decades or even hundreds of years, Datang will be under great military pressure from neighboring countries. In other words, today's Datang. The Tang Dynasty has been involved in multi-national disputes and cannot extricate itself. Our internal national integration task is already very arduous, and it will be impossible for the Tang Dynasty to completely complete it in three to fifty years. It will be like sailing against the current without progress. Then retreat. If my successors do not want to make progress and stick to the rules, then the Tang Dynasty will inevitably decline. If there is any internal strife between the government and the opposition, it will not be possible to maintain the status quo, or there will be chaos in the world and the fall of the country. !”
"Your Majesty has a keen eye and a far-sighted vision, and he is very concerned about it!" Fang Xuanling said with admiration, "Due to the wars in recent years, the Tang Dynasty has suffered huge losses and its national strength has been empty. At least the next twenty years will be Here, we must not only recuperate and recuperate, but also deal with the aftermath of the aftermath in Tubo, the North, and the Western Regions, and at the same time, we must also deal with military aggression that may occur at any time in the surrounding areas. It has attracted many enemies and attracted a lot of jealousy and covetousness. His Majesty's words just hit the point. In the next few decades, the Tang Dynasty will be like sailing against the current or retreating. Moreover, this ship of the Tang Dynasty has always been the way to go. In the creeks and lakes, it is okay to move forward and retreat for a while; but now, the Tang Dynasty's boat is sailing in the turbulent river and sea, and taking a step back may be a whirlpool that devours the sky and destroys the earth. - Therefore, Your Majesty’s previous approach of establishing a conservative king is indeed not feasible now.”
"Yes! These are the two issues that I have been thinking about the most recently!" Li Shimin nodded, "What I want is a tolerant prince who can treat his brothers well; and the current Tang Dynasty needs a benevolent prince. A powerful prince who can continue to lead the Tang Dynasty for decades!"
"Your Majesty's thoughts are so profound that I have nothing else to say." Fang Xuanling bowed his hands and bowed.
Li Shimin frowned and nodded, "One is what I want, and the other is what Sheji wants... Can't these two be unified?"
Fang Xuanling looked at his nose and heart, but did not answer.
Li Shimin smiled slightly and picked up the chopsticks, "Xuanling, eat!"
"yes… "
"I have issued a secret edict to investigate and summon King Wu back to the capital." Li Shimin suddenly said.
Fang Xuanling was about to pick up the food when her chopsticks shook slightly and she failed to pick them up.
Li Shimin chuckled, took a piece of deer breast and put it into Fang Xuanling's bowl, and said, "Now that it's time to face this problem, it's impossible for me and my sons to avoid it any longer."
"Your Majesty... This matter is top secret, how can you say that you know about it?" Fang Xuanling whispered vigilantly.
"I still can't believe you?" Li Shimin smiled slightly, "Actually, there is another important factor to consider in who should be appointed as the reserve. And this factor is the most intuitive and right before our eyes."
"Your Majesty, please give me a clear explanation?" Fang Xuanling asked.
Li Shimin's smile became more profound and he said calmly: "That is, what kind of impact will the sons I gave up have?"
Fang Xuanling was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't understand the meaning of Li Shimin's words. Later he understood that the emperor was saying - if one of them was established, how would the other react
For example, if Li Tai is appointed, will Li Ke and the military give up? Will this lead to military conflicts or armed coups, or even some people using this as an excuse to divide the country by dividing the country
If Li Ke is appointed, will a group of civil servants headed by Changsun Wuji buy into Li Ke's account? Will the three provinces, six ministries and even the entire imperial court of the Tang Dynasty fall into an unprecedented crisis or even collapse
If Li Zhi is established... Then he can't suppress either of his two brothers, and he can't afford to offend either of them!
…
"Your Majesty, Wei Chen understands." Fang Xuanling breathed a sigh of relief and said, "The current situation is like riding a tiger with difficulty. Wei Chen, I am really worried!"
"Now you know why I have been unable to make a decision, right?" Li Shimin smiled bitterly, "Everyone says that establishing a prince is just a family matter for the emperor, and it is just a matter of the emperor's words. If it is really that simple, that would be great. Now, I can't Don't weigh the pros and cons, make a compromise. Xuan Ling, I'll tell you the truth. Until now, I don't know who to choose. This is no longer a matter of whether I like it or not. The current situation has long been out of my control. Now I have to settle for the next best thing. I don't expect to decide who is best for the Li family and Datang, but... "
Li Shimin paused, and Fang Xuanling listened intently.
"But, the harm is minimal!"
…
Fang Xuanling's heart was suddenly enlightened and enlightened!
"Is it because of him?!"
"Yes, that's him." Li Shimin frowned again, nodded slightly, and said, "The sword has two blades, which can both kill the enemy and hurt oneself. He is the link between me and the Tang Dynasty. The God-given sword is omnipotent and capable of destroying enemies, destroying cities, and expanding territory. But at the same time, it is also a threatening sword hanging over the Tang Dynasty. If you are not careful..."
"Your Majesty, are you worrying too much?" Fang Xuanling whispered cautiously, "Qin Lang is loyal and righteous, like his father. Besides, he is your Majesty's half-son-in-law..."
Li Shimin smiled slightly and said: "Fang Ling, even you can feel how powerless your words are to comfort me, right? Of course, I have never doubted that Qin Mubai would have different aspirations. . Otherwise, how could I give him more than half of the country's troops and half of the Tang Dynasty? - But just like at the beginning, I never thought that I would be in Xuanwu Gate..."
Li Shimin's words stopped abruptly.
Fang Xuanling sighed softly.
"The current situation is like this, what can people do?" Li Shimin shook his head and sighed, with a slightly painful expression on his face. It was as if the scene from the Xuanwu Gate Incident was reappearing in front of my eyes - brothers fighting against each other and killing flesh and blood!
"No wonder His Majesty was tossing and turning all night long. Now, I can understand the contradiction and pain in His Majesty's heart." Fang Xuanling sighed, "But Your Majesty, you must take care of the dragon body! The more critical this moment is, the more the Tang Dynasty will become." We cannot do without Your Majesty to take charge of the overall situation!”
Li Shimin nodded gently, "Xuanling, I have told you all my thoughts. What is your most direct thought now?"
Fang Xuanling answered without hesitation: "At this moment, I only have one feeling, and that is - Your Majesty's secret summons of King Wu to return to the capital will affect the overall situation, and the Tang Dynasty is bound to be in trouble again! At this moment, the safety of King Wu's trip is crucial. It’s important, it’s a matter of danger!”
Li Shimin's expression changed slightly, and then he nodded approvingly, "Fang Guduan, although Du Ruhui is gone, Xuanling is still worthy of being my number one counselor, and the sword is still young! - But don't worry, King Wu, He will definitely arrive in Chang'an safely!"