The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 246 Master Father
"This..." Wang Zimei groaned, "I think it's inappropriate."

The saint became interested, turned over, and propped up his chin: "Why?"

Prince Mei avoided answering and asked, "Your Majesty, have you heard about the disaster of Lord Father?"

"Zhao Yong's story?"

"Correct."

"I know a little bit, but not much."

It's quite frank... I'll just tell you. Wang Zimei then told the story: "The Queen of Han gave birth to the Crown Prince Zhang. Later, Meng Yao was born, who was very pretty and Wu Ling loved her very much. When they had a son named He, Meng Yao was made the Queen and Zhao He the Crown Prince. Later, Wu Ling, in order to compete for hegemony, passed the throne to Zhao He and called himself Lord Father."

"The Lord Father had good intentions and the design seemed to be very good, but why did a coup happen?" Wang Zimei paused, picked up the teacup and took a sip, as if leaving time for the Saint to digest it: "That's the problem."

"Zhao Zhang was the eldest son and had never done anything wrong. He was dissatisfied with being deposed and was even more dissatisfied with Zhao He being king. Every time he performed the ritual of monarch and subject with his younger brother, he was depressed and lost. The Lord Father was also unhappy and planned to split the State of Zhao into two. Zhao He would continue to be the King of Zhao, while Zhao Zhang would be promoted to the King of Dai."

“But the hardest thing to look at is the human heart.”

"After Lord Father's actions, Zhao Zhang saw hope for a comeback and was always thinking about how to kill his brother. Zhao He's hatred for Lord Father became deeper and deeper. Since he had already passed the throne to himself, why did he support Zhao Zhang? How could the State of Zhao have two kings at the same time?!"

"At this time, the two brothers only had one thing in common, their resentment towards their master father."

"One day, the Lord Father went on a trip to Shaqiu. Zhao Zhang and Zhao He accompanied him, and the two brothers lived in two different palaces. Tian Buli immediately gave Zhao Zhang an idea: Steal the Lord Father's talisman, and falsely tell the Lord Father to trick Zhao He to come and kill him. With the status of a prince, won't the throne be returned to you?"

"It should be a sure thing, Zhao He is also preparing to go to the court..."

The sage listened silently and observed the beauty of the prince.

This guy is very cunning. Although he tells the story vividly and vividly, he is calm and composed, with a polite but hypocritical politician-like, social smile on his face. "And then?"

"But Fei Yi, who assisted the young master, was a loyal minister and a wise man." Wang Zimei continued, "Fei Yi resolutely stopped Zhao He from meeting the Lord Father and chose to go to the appointment on Zhao He's behalf. Naturally, Fei Yi was killed by Zhao Zhang in the palace."

"A fierce fight ensued. Zhao Zhang was badly defeated and fled to the Lord Father's bedroom for refuge. The Lord Father relented and opened the door to let him in."

"At this time, the ministers were in a dilemma: they did not dare to kill the Lord Father. But if they gave up, what if the Lord Father would take revenge later... So they surrounded the Shaqiu Palace like an iron barrel, leaving the Lord Father and Zhang's son to fend for themselves. This siege lasted for more than three months. The Lord Father was so hungry that he climbed a tree to get bird eggs. During this time, he begged to go out, but was not allowed."

"The monarch is howling in the palace. What are Zhao He and the ministers of Zhao doing? Of course they are waiting. They are waiting for the monarch to starve to death so that they can collect his body and hold a funeral..."

"Just like that, a great ruler starved to death, and his posthumous title was given the word 'Ling'. The wise minister Fei Yi died in a civil war. Zhao Zhang, who did not deserve such an end, died an untimely death, and Zhao He was cursed..."

Having said this in one breath, the prince held the teacup with his hand, waiting for the saint's reaction. The emperor, who was known for his tenderness, patted the bed and laughed for a long time, saying, "Interesting, interesting, it's true that the father is kind and the son is filial!"

Wang Zimei was depressed and said, "Similarly, there are also the great-grandfather and his son, and Xuanzong and his son in the Guo Dynasty."

The saint stopped laughing.

The former actually experienced a miniature version of Sand Dune. Once, Li Yuan went out to live in Renzhi Palace, accompanied by the Crown Prince, the King of Qin, and the King of Qi. Jiancheng said: "How can I sit cross-legged and suffer disaster? The decision of safety and danger will be decided today." So he ordered Erzhu Huan and others to bring armor and documents and quickly raise troops.

But a traitor appeared in the middle and informed Li Yuan.

At this time, some people suggested raising troops to surround the palace and kill Li Yuan and Li Shimin, while others suggested asking for forgiveness: You are the crown prince, why take the risk? After some consideration, Li Jiancheng asked for death on his own.

He was imprisoned by the furious Li Yuan.

Later, Li Yuan, who was afraid to trust the prince's party, called Li Shimin and said, "If Jiancheng is involved, many people may respond. You go ahead and come back. I will make you the prince and Jiancheng the king of Shu. Shu is a small land and not vulnerable to change. If he cannot serve you, it will be easy to take him."

If you take down the prince's followers, I will make you the crown prince and banish Jiancheng to Shu. If he dares to rebel, it will be easy for you to get rid of him.

Li Er listened, but after the rebellion was quelled, people from all walks of life pleaded for the prince. Li Yuan also felt that Li Jiancheng was a good boy who dared to ride alone to see him at the critical moment, but was just bewitched. So he called the two brothers together for a heart-to-heart talk, but it was useless - "resentment and suspicion grew day by day."

Li Yuan also considered dividing the world into two, but it was of no use.

The two brothers eventually followed the path of Zhao Zhang and Zhao He, and it was impossible to judge who was right or wrong. Each of them had a group of younger brothers. When it came to matters of imperial power, wealth, life and death, who had the time to see how friendly and respectful you were to your brothers?

As for the latter. After Xuanzong was driven off the throne, he still issued orders in Shu, supporting Prince Yong and others to fight against Li Heng. After Prince Yong was killed, he died sadly in the bitter wind and rain. The saint highly suspected that he was taken away by Suzong. When Suzong was seriously ill, he might have been anxious: This old man, why is he not dead yet?
So, on April 5, Xuanzong died, and on April 16, Suzong died...

Family affection? What kind of affection can stand the test of imperial power?

In the royal family, the relationships between father and son, brothers, husband and wife, and monarch and ministers are bullshit 90% of the time.

Oh! Will I end up being stabbed in the back by my son, wife, and concubines?
"I say this only to emphasize that the royal family is ruthless. The saying "I wish I would never be born into an imperial family again in my lifetime" is just like this. Your Majesty sent Prince De to Liangzhou for training, and his teachers were Lord Han and General Wenming. The two uncles of Prince De served in the army... The intention to train them was obvious, but they did not appoint a crown prince, and showed special favor to the Privy Councilors, Consorts and their children, allowing their relatives and cronies to hold high positions... I understand that your Majesty has his own difficulties, but this is unreasonable and a way to please neither side."

"The concubine Shu, who is of humble origin and weak, will be terrified and afraid. Because with the current strength of the Prince of De, if there is a change, it will be difficult for him to ascend the throne smoothly."

"Before the crown prince is appointed, the virtuous concubine and the privy council will see hope and have ideas."

"Ministers and officers will slowly start to take sides secretly, gradually forming the power of the kings and the relatives of the various clans." "..." Wang Zimei listed more than a dozen pros and cons in one breath, and concluded: "So I hope Your Majesty will think carefully. Only when the imperial power is passed on stably can the country have a hope of long-term stability and prosperity. At the very least, concubines and female concubines with children should no longer be allowed to hold important positions in the court. Those female concubines without children or those who have no foundation should be used. The newly trained eunuchs should also be used. This is also for the safety of Your Majesty."

"Women's hearts are like needles in the sea, and it is hard to predict. They are jealous by nature and used to fighting for favors. Nine out of ten women value their own beauty and resent the beauty of others. Ten out of ten women want to monopolize their husbands and hate other wives and concubines, either openly or secretly. I have never seen a woman without jealousy. Emperor Xiaowu was smothered to death by Concubine Zhang for a joke after drinking. How can I not learn from this?"

This……

Perhaps only the Hebei vassal could be so straightforward.

But the saint was neither surprised nor angry, instead he was very proud: "Wang Qing is exaggerating, God... Zhang Hui is not one of them, nor are the Privy Councilor, the Imperial Envoy, Yang Fei, Luo Ji, Chu Chu, Chong Yan... There are still women in my harem who are sincere to me, and there are quite a few of them, loyal, pure, and virtuous beyond words."

Wang Zimei was speechless.

Nangong privately called Zhang Hui a bitch, and the saint still feels good about himself? And when I mentioned Zhang Ze just now, his name subconsciously starts with the word "Tian". It's self-evident what he wanted to call him, but it was abrupt. I couldn't help but ask: "Are Zhu Ze's wives and concubines so charming? Being with Zhang Hui will damage your majesty's reputation!"

In response to his question, the sage asked, "Wang Qing, do you practice Taoism?"

Why do you ask this? Wang Zimei was stunned: "It's been a few years."

"So, have you learned it?"

"The Dao is infinite. I am sorry for bothering you with all these matters. At present, I can only say that I have a slight understanding of them."

"Can you achieve it in your lifetime?" the sage asked again.

Wang Zimei shook her head: "My fate as an immortal is weak, and it is basically impossible for me to reach the realm of Zhang Daoling, Ge Hong, Lu Xiujing, Kou Qianzhi, Tao Hongjing, and Princess Jinxian. I can't refine the inner elixir, so the outer elixir and mental skills depend on luck."

"To study things and acquire knowledge, or to study by hard work, is not possible."

The saint gathered his long hair behind his ears and said, "They all say that you should cultivate the Tao, but that's actually wrong. To achieve the Tao by interweaving heaven and man, becoming an immortal and attaining the Tao, is not all about living in a mountain house and sitting under the moon. That can only lead to the achievement of Dan Gong and the achievement of Xin Gong, which is the level of Tao Hongjing and Princess Jin Xian. You have to seek the devil. Integrate into the mortal world and the rivers and lakes, entangle with every devil, comprehend all kinds of Tao, and level out the heavy karma. Only by cultivating both the devil and the Tao and passing the devil test can you hope to achieve the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top of the Head. If the devil test is blocked, it means that the roots of the mortal world are deep, and it is impossible to achieve Tao, and the cultivation can stop here."

"For me. I fell in love with Zhang Hui at first sight. I can't live without her. Without her, I will die."

Behind the white curtain, a saint in white clothes maintained an elegant immortal posture: "This is the demon in my heart. Zhang Hui is exactly my earthly fate, a test of the devil. If I can't get over it, can't get rid of my obsession with her, and let go of my heart, then I can't even think about practicing the heart skill. Do you understand?"

"Your Majesty..." The prince pondered for a moment, "According to this statement, aren't all the thorns and bumps a test from the devil? If Zhang Hui is your majesty's devil, then your majesty should kill her, imprison her, or drive her away, and not see her, not know her, then wouldn't the test from the devil be over?"

"My dear, you are obsessed..." In the darkness, the saint said faintly: "You have the thinking of a mortal. If I kill her, chase her away, or escape from her, I will fall into the devil's way, and lose my mental power, instead of passing the devil's test. This is called the devil's heart. All Taoists have it. If you can't control it, you are not a Taoist."

"As for reputation."

"Even if everyone in the world praises me, I will not become arrogant or work harder because of it. On the contrary, even if everyone dislikes me, abandons me, and slanders me, I will not be depressed or sad. I can forget myself and everything else and become one with the universe, the earth, and all things. I can sit and forget the Tao, transcend the mundane world, and not be moved by the grudges and seven emotions and six desires of the world. I regard the universe, the people, and the animals as my own kind. I have achieved the highest level of cultivation and am admired by all, but I do not seek fame. Without a name, I cannot be defined. This is called the perfect person has no self, the divine person has no merit, and the sage has no name; a sage has no reputation and no specific standards."

"My heart and my actions are as clear as a mirror. Everything I do is just. I just do what I think is right."

Wang Zimei was silent, having listened to the story in a trance. His eyes passed through the fluttering white curtains. He was still sleeping like flowing water under the dark wall painting with black hair and white clothes. He really looked like an immortal. No wonder Nangong was so obsessed with it. "Saint Lord, I would like to ask, has your Lord... attained enlightenment?"

“Hahaha…” The saint laughed a few times suddenly, and gathered his hair again: “I haven’t even figured out lust and sexual desire, how can I talk about enlightenment?”

Wang Zimei shrugged and smiled bitterly. Daoist metaphysics is profound and obscure. The saints are far superior to him, so there is no practical point in discussing it. Somehow, perhaps after hearing the magic test, Wang Zimei suddenly remembered the rumors about Meng Cairen and Zheng Zhaoyi. A cunning flashed in his eyes: "Forgive me for my disrespect, but I have another question. Please answer it: Are my two sisters-in-law also your...demons?"

He wanted to hear what the saint had to say this time.

Unexpectedly, the saint was not ashamed, and spoke in a gentle tone: "You also know? That's right, the emperor's sister-in-law has a demonic attack, testing herself and me. What is the outside world talking about?"

"Levitra marriage is very normal and there is no objection to it. What is talked about most is the history of the two ladies... I dare not say this. Some people also think that this is a blasphemy against the Holy Monarch and feel unfair that his reputation has been damaged." Wang Zimei said.

The sage hummed and asked, "What else did you discuss?"

"Also..." Wang Zimei hesitated for a moment, sizing up the saint's demeanor and movements: "Also, it's the saint who is strong... ...only interested in this matter."

"Hahaha." The saint laughed out loud, "I guessed that people would gossip like this, but it's not true. After I rescued the emperor's sister-in-law, she was afraid of the world and was willing to live the life of a nun in the palace. Over time, she became irresistibly attached to me. I could actually refuse, but think about it, the emperor's sister-in-law suffered a lot in her life, and her children died young. I can't bear to see them die in pain and loneliness. I protect the world, and of course I can protect my sister-in-law as well."

Speaking of which, many people cannot accept this kind of thing. But the reality is that marriage between cousins, marriage between aunts, marriage between brother and daughter, marriage between cousins, marriage by levirate, etc., are still prohibited in the 21st century. I have seen many cases in my previous life. There are people in the social circle who are the product of middle-cousin marriage, and they are not noticed among several families, relatives, and friends. There are also cases where the elder brother dies unexpectedly, and the younger brother and sister-in-law live together under the matchmaking of the elders, and the younger brother helps the elder brother to support his wife and children. It is even considered a good thing.

It's just that for various reasons, it can't be relaxed legally.

I love the world, and I also love my sister-in-law... In order to make my sister-in-law happy, I silently endure criticism, which is great. In such a situation, Wang Zimei has nothing to say: "The Holy King has great love."

"It's all fate. Who took the initiative to do this?" The saint sighed helplessly.

Seeing that the saint was kind and had a kind of personal charm, Wang Zimei also relaxed a lot. The two of them talked for a long time, from afternoon to dusk. From the vassal states to Li Keyong, from religion to classics, from the central court to the outer court, from Yongliang to Bashu, from the Han Dynasty to the Wei and Jin Dynasties, from the political system to the trend of the lower class rebelling against the upper class. The prince. The peasant uprising. The scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans...

(End of this chapter)