Thief Emperor

Chapter 1038 Conflict of Human Nature
The Tubo Kingdom was once a powerful nation that fought back and forth with the Central Plains dynasties.

However, after the rise of Buddhism, Tibet lost its former military strength.

In another world, the decline and demise of Tibet cannot be entirely blamed on Buddhism, but there is a certain causal relationship between the two, which is almost irrefutable.

If the two worlds are truly mirror images of each other in some sense, then Tibet in this world is also nearing that point.

It's certainly not as powerful as it used to be.

In fact, since the founding of the country, Emperor Li's attention has been focused on these neighbors, and he has learned a lot about them. The Tubo Kingdom is indeed much weaker than before.

Du Xiangong glanced at Li Yun, seemingly lost in thought.

After thinking for a moment, he lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, although the Secretariat does not participate in military research, I would like to hear Your Majesty's arrangements for Jiannan Circuit."

He looked at Li Yun and said quietly, "Your Highness, what is your position among them...?"

His Majesty the Emperor looked at Du Qian and sighed: "What can a child do? At most, he can only make a pretext. Besides, if he succeeds in this matter, he can take advantage of the situation and be enfeoffed as the King of Shu."

"In that case, Brother Shouyi will no longer have to worry, right?"

Du Qian was one of the more enlightened members of the traditional aristocratic families; otherwise, he wouldn't have started his "entrepreneurial career" in the southeast with Emperor Li not long after arriving in Yuezhou.

However enlightened he may be, he was still a traditional scholar-official at heart, and superstitious about the patriarchal system.

He firmly believed that only by adhering to the patriarchal system could the court avoid, and not possibly cause, any major chaos, and that the next few decades would be peaceful.

Therefore, he has always been committed to maintaining the crown prince's position.

In his own view, this was not a blind faith in the patriarchal clan system, but rather a means to maintain the stability of the court and to eliminate future troubles.

Once the King of Yue takes up his fief, the threat to the Crown Prince will be completely eliminated, which is why His Majesty the Emperor made such a statement.

Minister Du smiled wryly and said, "These are all His Majesty's family matters, and I dare not comment."

He thought for a moment, then lowered his head and said, "But Your Highness's journey may be fraught with danger, and if the Crown Prince finds out about this, he may become suspicious."

His Majesty the Emperor frowned deeply upon hearing this.

He glanced at Du Qian, frowned, and said, "Why is Brother Shouyi always considering the feelings of the Crown Prince? When I govern the country and wage war, do I have to consider the feelings of the Crown Prince in everything I do?"

Du Qian smiled wryly and said, "That's not what I meant."

The emperor waved his hand: "I know that Brother Shouyi is considering the big picture, the country, and everything he does is for the stability of the court."

He narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "But Brother Shouyi can rest assured, as long as I am alive, the court will remain stable."

Du Qian sighed, bowed deeply to the emperor, and said, "Your subject has misspoke."

"My minister retire."

Seeing this, the emperor sighed, got up and walked over to him, patted him on the shoulder: "Don't take a few words of argument to heart, Brother Shouyi."

"will not."

Du Qian smiled and said, "Your Majesty and I have been friends for almost twenty years."

"It's been common for us to have disagreements over the years."

The emperor nodded, then tugged at Du Qian's sleeve and said quietly, "We can't just consider the Crown Prince's thoughts. In this position, he must be resolute and strong-willed. Otherwise, no matter how much we elders try to understand his feelings, he will still overthink things."

Du Qian thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty is right."

"only…"

Minister Du sighed, "However, being the heir apparent and having such a powerful father as His Majesty, the Crown Prince... will definitely be suspicious."

Li Yun was not only an extremely powerful father, but also an extremely powerful monarch.

This extreme power manifests in the fact that he can make the decisions on both national and family matters. Even if one day he really wants to change the crown prince, even if he encounters some resistance, he can crush these obstacles with just a little effort.

This is where the insecurity of the Eastern Palace, or rather the Crown Prince, lies.

Unfortunately, this mutual distrust between father and son is unavoidable.

It's even less likely that fathers and sons will be completely open and honest with each other.

The relationship between father and son is similar to that between ruler and subject, not to mention that they are father and son, who are ruler and subject.

If Li Yun were to personally go to the Eastern Palace and politely explain to the Crown Prince at this time, the Crown Prince would likely become even more suspicious.

Therefore, throughout history, powerful emperors have often had problems with their crown princes.

Li Yun is now doing his best to prevent this problem from occurring.

Emperor Li pulled Du Qian by the sleeve and escorted him to the entrance of Ganlu Hall, then said quietly, "That's why I said he must have a strong mind."

"otherwise…"

"If it's going to rain, it's going to rain; if a mother wants to remarry, there's nothing anyone can do."

His Majesty the Emperor looked at Du Qian and said, "I can't keep pleasing him forever, otherwise he won't be a good emperor in the future."

Du Qian nodded and remained silent. After reaching the entrance of Ganlu Hall, Emperor Li looked up at the sky, then turned to look at Du Qian and sighed, "In the blink of an eye, I'm already forty years old."

"Brother Shouyi, let's work together for another ten years."

His Majesty the Emperor smiled and said, "Let's see if we can create a golden age during the Zhangwu Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Du Qian became serious and bowed to Li Yun.

"Your Majesty, I swear to follow you to the death."

…………

Two days later, Chen Da's Divine Martial Guard was ready, and that morning he arrived at the palace to meet the emperor.

After the two discussed for a long time in the Ganlu Hall, Li Yun patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Tomorrow is the Grand Court Assembly. At the Grand Court Assembly tomorrow, I will announce the military campaign in the Northwest and your appointment."

"When the time comes, you will take the imperial edict and military tally from the court, go to Chang'an first to take over the Chang'an army, and then head north to Lingzhou."

"After resolving the chaos in Lingzhou, we will first open up the Guannei Road."

His Majesty the Emperor instructed: "Then, we will seek another opportunity to reopen the Longyou Road."

As a close confidant of the Emperor, Chen Da remains very close to him. He bowed deeply to Li Yun and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly do my best to fulfill Your Majesty's duties."

It was almost noon. Li Yun pulled him to sit down and had someone prepare food. Once the food and wine were on the table, His Majesty the Emperor spoke with a smile: "This business trip of yours will probably last for more than a year or two. Have you taken care of things at home?"

Chen Da hurriedly replied, "Everything has been arranged, Your Majesty, please rest assured."

His Majesty the Emperor looked at him and continued, "Your son is also at the age where he's going to cause trouble, but don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on him while you're not in Luoyang."

"I won't let anything happen to your family."

If it were an ordinary relationship between a ruler and his subject, what Li Yun said at this moment might have sounded like a threat to Chen Da's family to outsiders. However, the two of them had been brothers for many years, and Li Yun's promise to take care of Chen Da's family meant that he would genuinely take care of his family.

Chen Da bowed deeply: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

His Majesty the Emperor patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "If this battle is won well, when you return to Luoyang, you will be promoted to Duke along with Meng Qing."

Like Meng Qing, Chen Da is still a marquis.

This was also a space for advancement that Li Yun had deliberately left for them back then, since he intended to give these two important positions during his reign.

Chen Da smiled and said, "I don't aspire to be a Duke, I just hope for something."

"I hope to do more for Your Majesty and repay Your Majesty's kindness over the years."

"Alright, alright, no need for such mushy talk."

The emperor raised his wine cup and clinked it against his: "Let's have a drink, brothers."

"Consider this a farewell drink for you."

The emperor rarely leaves the palace, and when Chen Da sets off on his expedition in a few days, the crown prince will most likely see him off on his behalf.

In fact, in recent years, the Crown Prince has been performing many of the sacrificial rites to Heaven and ancestors on his behalf.

Chen Da clinked glasses with Li Yun and downed his drink in one gulp.

"Thank you sir!"

...

In the afternoon, not long after Chen Dagang left, His Highness the Prince of Yue also slipped into the Ganlu Hall. He cautiously approached his father, and when he looked up and saw his father's slightly flushed face, he was immediately startled.

My father drank alcohol!

He became even more cautious and kowtowed to Li Yun, saying, "Father."

His Majesty the Emperor looked at him and said helplessly, "Why did you run into the palace?"

"I've come to see you."

Li Yun put down his brush, looked at his second son, and said helplessly, "Shall we ask about the Jiannan Circuit?"

His Highness the King of Yue got up and chuckled, "Father, I'm so bored in Luoyang."

Emperor Li glanced at him and said quietly, "The Prince of Nanyang is seriously ill, and you've been... "

"Let's go take a look."

The Prince of Yue was taken aback, but then he understood his father's meaning and exclaimed with delight, "Father, you're sending me to Jiannan?"

Emperor Li frowned: "A monkey's temperament."

"Go to the Xue family first, and after you get there..."

"Ask me again."

(End of this chapter)