Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 3962 The changing times
Liu Jie understood what Cen Wenwen meant.

The "military remonstrance" of the Guanlongmen faction not only turned Guanzhong upside down and led to a series of disasters, but also made the factions all over the world eager to move, trying to grab more benefits in the upcoming upheaval.It is only one of the ways that clan elites from various places in Hedong, Hexi, and Central Plains mobilized private armies to enter the pass and support Guanlong. They set up checkpoints, merged land, and bought shops on their own sites.

Governments everywhere exist in name only.

It seems that there have been no large-scale rebellions in the world except Guanzhong, and some people even whitewashed this as the positive role of the clans in various places, but it is an indisputable fact that the government is paralyzed and the clans cut off traffic.

The isolation of merchants is one of the most serious consequences.

Since the date of commercial tax reform that year, lijin and exorbitant miscellaneous taxes that used to spread all over the world have been abolished, and the cost of goods from the place of origin to the place of sale has skyrocketed by ten times or dozens of times. The one-time taxation of the link made the empire's finances more than ten times richer, and the tax money in the treasury piled up like a mountain.

Now that Guanlong is in rebellion, powerful families from all over the world are coming back, the government is paralyzed, and all places are extorted and extorted, making a mess of smoke.

Central finance is almost cut off.

……

Cen Wenwen took a sip of tea, put down his teacup, and said slowly: "First, the Eastern Expedition consumed the vitality of the country, and later, because of the rebellion in Guanlong, all parts of the world were about to move, the situation was turbulent, the world was not peaceful, and the merchants were almost cut off. Just tea The sales suffered such a heavy loss, what is the total loss of all kinds of goods? What is the most appalling figure? Most importantly, after the crown prince ascended the throne, rebuilding the Guanzhong required a lot of money, silk and manpower. Can you sit idly by? At that time, don’t say that you have made contributions to the Eastern Palace and shed blood, whoever dares to continue to block business routes and seize tax revenue will be the crown prince’s life and death enemy.”

After a pause, Cen Wenwen looked at the thoughtful Liu Ji, and continued: "The prince is different from your majesty. Your majesty comes from a powerful family, and what he has seen and heard has been the custom of a powerful family for decades. I had to part ways with the family, and even regarded them as enemies, but my deep-rooted cognition will not change, I always regard myself as a child of the family, and the purpose of "family interests are above all else" among the family is commonplace, and I can understand it. But the crown prince is different. His Highness grew up in the court since he was a child, and he was canonized as the prince of the country early on. What he has learned and learned is how to consolidate the imperial power, how to make profits for the empire, and how to balance the court situation... It is naturally contrary to the tradition of the aristocratic family."

Liu Ji nodded again and again.

The imperial power is the ultimate form of the aristocratic family. It originated from the aristocratic family, but it is above all the aristocratic families. The interests of the aristocratic family itself are to divide the power of the imperial power. The two are entangled with each other and destined to run counter to each other.

Therefore, His Majesty Li Er wanted to weaken the family despite the meritorious ministers who fought with him in the past, so the prince trusted Fang Jun, who was not part of the party and did not want to become a family by himself... All the turmoil in the empire, inside and outside the court and the field, all the ups and downs , in the final analysis is a conflict of interests.

Cen Wenwen tirelessly taught: "As the saying goes, 'One dynasty, one courtier', in fact, it should be more accurate to say, 'One dynasty, one era'. Every emperor has his own political views, and only by relying on the political views of the emperor can he prosper and have success. What you have done. The prince's character is a little weaker, but he has his own ambitions. His ambition may not be comparable to that of your majesty. As a minister, we must abandon our previous habits and cognitions. We can speak admonishingly, see each other, and even follow Wei Zheng's example of not asking questions. For government affairs, simply be a minister of admonishment...but you have to remember that when the interests of the powerful and the empire conflict, the interests of the empire must be put in the highest position."

This is not only because the prince's determination to weaken the clan is greater than that of His Majesty Li Er, but also because the times are changing.

Every time a new dynasty is established, the world is in chaos, and the powerful families can not only rely on their powerful forces to compete in the world, but also stabilize the Quartet after the founding of the country, and be relied on by the imperial power.But with the stability of the country and the stability of the imperial power, the interests of the aristocratic families began to conflict with the imperial power little by little.

At this time, either the aristocratic family's family will continue to divide the power of the world with imperial power, or the imperial power will soar and the aristocratic family's family will be dormant under coercion. There will never be a third way.

The current situation is like this, if Guan Long destroys the East Palace in one fell swoop and establishes another crown prince, then the glory of the aristocratic family will continue, maybe 20 years, maybe 50 years.But since Guan Long was defeated, the East Palace is still standing, and the crown prince is about to ascend the throne, the last glory of the clan will gradually fade.

This is the trend.

The general trend is like the rushing of the Milky Way and the sweeping tide of the sea. All attempts to resist will be uprooted and crushed to powder in the face of this absolute power that will destroy the world.

As the saying goes, the general trend of the world is mighty and mighty, if you follow it, you will prosper, and if you go against it, you will perish.

Liu Ji's face was ugly, and he tried to speak several times, but he remained silent in the end.

Cen Wenwen let out a breath and sighed infinitely: "The imperial power has changed, and the times have changed. You can't always cling to the prejudices of the past, thinking that a set of rules can be smooth for a hundred years. You must know how to keep pace with the times, and you must know how to cater to the current situation. Conform to the general trend and stand firm. Otherwise, even if you have the ability to penetrate the sky and the earth, you will be bloody and defeated in the face of the turbulent general trend."

There is nothing better than this to create heroes for the times.

Liu Jie opened his mouth and said in a muffled voice after a long time: "The words of the seniors are so deafening, I will keep them in my heart."

He was born in the Liu family in Nanyang, but his father and grandfather moved to Jingzhou to settle down in the early years. The connection with the ancestor's family gradually became estranged, and he set up a separate family, so he is not strictly a descendant of a powerful family.In the early years, he served under Xiao Xian's command, and after Xiao Xian's defeat, he returned to Li Tang and was reused. However, living in the court controlled by the Guanlong clan, he was able to tirelessly convey his character and style to the children of an aristocratic family. Work hard to change and integrate into the various powerful forces, and only then will the official career be prosperous all the way, and you will be among the power centers of the empire.

However, now, he has to face the change of times and the changes of the general situation, and strive to transform into a courtier who is loyal to the emperor, loyal to the empire, and regards the interests of the empire above all else...

Didn't I go astray in the first half of my life and get nothing?
But he also understood that Cen Wenwen's words were invaluable words that could not be refuted, so he had no choice but to answer in a muffled voice, but it was difficult to turn around in his heart for a while...

Cen Wenwen touched the teapot and found that the tea was already lukewarm, so he simply pushed the teacup away and said with a sigh: "When the crown prince ascends the throne, I will retire and return to my hometown. I don't care about the affairs of the imperial court. Today is the last time for you." Let me remind you, whether you can understand the deep meaning of the old man is up to you, and you have to go through the officialdom in the future, whether it is a successful career, or a life of bumps and bumps, no one can help you."

What I said today is the best of benevolence and righteousness. Originally, Liu Jie was raised to be his successor to pave the way for his nephew Cen Changqian, but now Cen Changqian is firmly following Fang Jun on the side of the prince, and has made great contributions to become the prince's confidant. This move is of no use.

A few words to clarify the current situation for him, that's all...

*****
In the back hall, the crown prince came out after changing into ordinary clothes. Seeing Fang Jun kneeling by the table in front of the window, he walked up to him, kneeling opposite him, and asked with a smile, "Is Gao Yang looking for trouble for you?"

Before the battle between the two armies, Gao Kan actually came up with a "marriage". Although it is of great benefit to Donggong and Fang Jun, but with Princess Gaoyang's temper, I think he will not let her go...

Fang Jun smiled wryly: "It's what it should be, and I can't escape... But this matter can completely pull Guan Long to His Highness's side, so that they can feel at ease and encourage His Highness, even if I feel a little wronged It's nothing. Besides, His Highness Gao Yang understands the general situation, and the quarrel is only three or five days old. After a while, he will naturally understand the deep meaning of His Highness's precautions, and will be considerate."

Li Chengqian was taken aback, touched his short mustache and frowned, thought for a while, then waved his hands and said, "No, no, what does this matter have to do with Gu? North Korea and China were jointly suppressed by the elites in Shandong and Jiangnan, and this incident happened. It is nothing more than a smooth sailing and adult beauty. You have got the backing, and even famous ladies are brought into the mansion for profanity. Come and bear it, there has never been such a reason in the world!"

"Ha ha……"

Fang Jun laughed dryly, and prevaricated: "As a minister, we should do our best to be loyal to Your Highness. All we need is an edict from His Highness, and we will go through fire and water, and die! Marrying Guan Long, it seems that the humble minister has gained benefits, but in fact The deeper level is that His Highness's foundation is becoming more and more stable, what the humble minister gets is only immediate benefits, but what His Highness gets is a foundation that lasts forever."

"Hey!"

Li Chengqian laughed angrily, and said angrily: "He Zhuo Gu not only wants to blame you, but also thanks you for your heroic sacrifice for Gu's great cause?"

Fang Jun laughed: "As long as Your Highness remembers the minister's little effort, as for dedication or something, it doesn't count, it doesn't count."

Li Chengqian knew that his speech was clumsy, and he couldn't explain it to him, so he shook his head helplessly.

The tea was served inside, and the monarch and his ministers poured tea and drank each other. After putting down the teacups, Li Chengqian asked, "What does Erlang think of this alone?"

Fang Jun thought about it for a while, and said: "As a prince, it is important to accept advice with an open mind, but it is even more important to have the unswerving courage after making up your mind, otherwise you will not be firm and swaying from side to side, which will easily lead to changes in the government and political turmoil. , Your Highness has done a good job on this point."

As a superior, sometimes courage is more important than ability.

It's just that the crown prince showed his courage a little later. If he had such courage in his early years, how could His Majesty Li Er look down on him, thinking about the matter of Yi Chu?
(End of this chapter)