Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 287 Father, Brother, and Prime Minister Fang are too close (Part )
"Last year, he was still in Shiguo and sent someone to Chang'an to deliver a letter, saying he wanted to return to Chang'an. But I was busy with the expedition and forgot about it." Li Shimin sighed and said, "Now he has arrived in Shazhou and submitted a memorial, saying that because he left the country secretly that year, he is willing to ask for forgiveness and allow him to return to Chang'an."

Zhang Sun Wuji looked at Li Shimin and asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, is this man so disciplined?"

Li Shimin shook his head and said with some nostalgia, "Back then, because of the war with the Turks, I sealed off the border. He applied several times to travel west, but the court refused. Later, when a severe drought struck Guanzhong, I granted special permission for the people to leave the country in search of food. He left Chang'an, and who would have thought he would eventually reach Dunhuang, escape through the border, and travel west to India, only returning seventeen years later."

"Your Majesty, did he really go to India?" Changsun Wuji had never heard of Xuanzang, and for a moment he couldn't help but feel a little skeptical.

"Yes." Li Shimin nodded and said, "When he returned from this trip, he brought back 520 volumes and 657 volumes of Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhist sutras, precepts and treatises.

The purpose of returning from this journey westward is to spread the Dharma, so it is natural that we need to use the orthodox method to enter Chang'an."

"The vast Buddhist Dharma." Zhang Sun Wuji hesitated, looked at Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, what about the Taoist sect?"

“I also know that the conflict between Buddhism and Taoism is serious, but…” Li Shimin looked at Zhangsun Wuji seriously and said, “He traveled for seventeen years, covering more than sixty thousand miles to India, and his group traveled to the Western Regions and even one hundred and thirty countries in India.

Wuji, what do you think? "

"Yes, he must return to Chang'an." Changsun Wuji nodded sharply and said, "Have Li Xiyu, the governor of Shazhou, personally escort him. After he arrives in Chang'an, have the Crown Prince receive him personally. Then have him write down every detail of his journey, including every place he passed by. Have him write a memoir of his journey west."

Li Shimin suddenly smiled, then nodded with satisfaction and said, "I think so too. Let Fang Xuanling meet him outside the city, and the Crown Prince will meet him in the Wude Hall. Then let him live in Hongfu Temple and write books. After he finishes writing books, he will be allowed to spread Buddhism."

Li Shimin's expression turned cold.

Buddhism and Taoism, you can fight as much as you want, but what I want is to spread the prestige of the Tang Dynasty to all the countries in the Western Regions, so that all nations will come to pay tribute.

Zhangsun Wuji nodded in agreement, but soon his expression darkened slightly, and he whispered, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is inclined towards Taoism..."

"No, Cheng Qian treats Taoism and Buddhism equally." Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "After you and I left Luoyang last year, Cheng Qian went to the Longmen Grottoes to pray for the army. He is the crown prince, so he can still do this... Of course, when it comes to Buddhism, it's still Qingque..."

Li Shimin suddenly paused, looked up at Zhangsun Wuji, and said, "Are you worried that Zhinu will take advantage of this and do something?"

"I don't know Xuanzang, but I do know Buddhism. Buddhism has always liked to interfere in the fight for the crown prince, and Prince Jin is good at availing himself of all kinds of help. Although Your Majesty has now appointed Li Baiyao as the Chief Secretary of Prince Jin to control Prince Jin, if Buddhism takes the initiative to contact Prince Jin..." Changsun Wuji couldn't help shaking his head.

Li Shimin's expression darkened completely. He then said calmly, "Although I have appointed Li Baiyao as the Chief Clerk of the Prince of Jin, I have not yet lifted Zhinu's house arrest. This is a warning he will understand... Besides, although Zhinu has some thoughts, he is also intelligent enough to know what to do and what not to do, as well as the consequences."

After all, Li Zhi is Li Shimin's son, and he has some understanding of this son.

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji nodded slightly, but his expression remained tense.

If there was another dispute between Buddhism and Taoism, Changsun Wuji knew how big a turmoil it would cause.

If there really was any connection between Buddhism and Li Zhi, it would not be so easy to discover.

Li Shimin glanced at Zhangsun Wuji, shook his head, and said, "Wuji, you underestimate Cheng Qian. He is capable enough to stabilize everything in Chang'an. As for the Buddhist sect, leave some space for them. It is better to do things in a visible place than for them to do things in an invisible place."

Hearing the emperor say this, Changsun Wuji nodded in agreement.

……

Under the soft quilt, Li Shimin slowly opened his eyes.

After taking the medicine, he went to sleep.

Standing up, Zhang Ananda put a black cloak on Li Shimin.

Li Shimin walked to the east wing and sat down on the short couch. Zhang Ananda came to Li Shimin with hot soup.

After eating dry biscuits and a bowl of hot soup, Li Shimin's expression relaxed a lot.

Li Shimin stood up and walked to the bookshelf, casually flipping through the books on it.

Inadvertently, his hand fell on the "Book of Wei", and a memorial placed next to it caught his eye.

These are some of King Jin’s interpretations and doubts about the Book of Wei.

The biggest question is why such great heroes as Emperor Wu of Wei and Emperor Wen of Wei were eventually replaced by the Sima family.

The Sima family has deep ambitions and produces many talented people!
"Cough, cough, cough..." Li Shimin couldn't help coughing twice. His hand fell on the "Book of Wei", but his face became gloomy.

The Sima family was patient, and the emperors of the Cao family did not live long... Of course, the most important factor was the failure of checks and balances of power.

The Nine-Rank System.

Because of the Nine-Rank System, the development of poor families was suppressed, while the power of aristocratic families expanded infinitely.

Finally, the Sima family, which was strongly supported by the aristocratic families, succeeded in replacing the Wei Dynasty.

In addition, Sima Yi has long held central power...

Li Shimin's breathing slowed down silently.

He couldn't help but pick up the memorial placed aside, Li Zhi's memorial, opened it and carefully read the questions about Sima Yi on it.

Cao Pi and Cao Rui passed away one after another, and the interregnum between regime change was firmly controlled by the Sima family...

Although the Tang Dynasty was not in such a state today, Li Shimin had been conquering Goguryeo for two consecutive years. Although memorials from the court were constantly sent to him, they were written by people after all, and it was hard to say how true the contents were.

As he continued to be away from home, Li Shimin had been quietly losing control of the government bit by bit.

This is inevitable and irreversible.

Li Shimin couldn't help but grit his teeth. Who would take over the power he lost in the end?

Fang Xuanling.

Fang Xuanling was a calm, quiet man who was highly trusted. Since the Zhenguan period, eighteen years have passed since his rise from the position of Zhongshu Ling to Shangshu You Pushe, Shangshu Zuo Pushe, and now to Sikong.

It will soon be the 19th year of Zhenguan.

For eighteen years, Fang Xuanling has been serving as prime minister diligently.

Li Shimin couldn't help but think of the time when Li Chengqian asked Li Yu to follow Fang Xuanling for three days, and almost let him see all the government affairs that Fang Xuanling handled every day.

After three days, no problems were found.

Li Shimin couldn't help but smile, but halfway through his smile, his expression gradually became serious.

Li Shimin tightly grasped Li Zhi's memorial. Suddenly, Li Zhi's voice appeared in his mind: "Father, my brother and Prime Minister Fang are too close, just like Cao Pi and Sima Yi back then."

Li Shimin's breathing became heavy.

Fang Xuanling, Sima Yi.

Li Shimin shook his head slightly. Fang Xuanling was not Sima Yi, and he could not be Sima Yi because he had no military power.

Among Fang Xuanling's sons, Fang Yizhi was a kind and honest man, not good at speaking, but with a clear vision. He was indeed a good minister, but he was far inferior to Sima Shi, who was calm, strong and had great talent and strategy.

As for Fang Yiai, Fang Yiai was somewhat restless like Sima Zhao, but he was just a little clever. Compared with Sima Zhao, it was simply a compliment to him.

Although Fang Xuanling had some power, it was far inferior to Sima Yi, and most importantly, Fang Xuanling had no military power.

What can Fang Xuanling do without military power?

Li Shimin snorted coldly, but the solemn expression on his face did not diminish in the slightest.

Are the prince and Fang Xuanling close?

Li Shimin recalled all the official documents and secret reports from both inside and outside the country, and there were not many things that were too close. Moreover, because of some things that happened in their early years, it was difficult for the two of them to get close.

Especially with the existence of Fang Yiai, Li Shimin himself did not believe that Li Chengqian trusted Fang Xuanling.

But for some reason, when Li Shimin thought about Li Chengqian asking Li Yu to follow Fang Xuanling for three days and three nights and carefully plan things for him, he felt a little uneasy.

Zhinu, so this is what you planned.

Li Shimin put down the memorial, sat back at the desk, and began to deal with the memorial again.

He completely buried that matter in his heart.

……

The twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Changan.

Although it is still some time before the New Year, the crackling sound of firecrackers can already be heard faintly from Chang'an City.

Wude Hall.

Li Chengqian sat on the couch and looked at Li Baiyao who was bowing solemnly in front of him. He couldn't help but think of his previous life.

In his previous life, he just built a house in the East Palace, but Yu Zhining wrote a memorial to criticize him for being too extravagant; he used eunuchs too often in his work, and Yu Zhining wrote another memorial to criticize him, even comparing him to Qin II.

There was also Kong Yingda, who would immediately speak out against Li Chengqian whenever he saw something wrong.

Zhang Xuansu, on the other hand, gave advice all the time.

Finally, there is Li Baiyao in front of him. He once forgot the time while playing, so Li Baiyao wrote "Praise of Tao" to ridicule him.

When there were too many people around, it ended up having a counterproductive effect. He became even more rebellious in his previous life, and eventually resorted to rebellion.

But from today's perspective, what Li Baiyao and his group did was actually right.

It was Li Chengqian's own fault. As the crown prince and heir to the throne, he could not act recklessly.

It was his own words that as a crown prince, to the emperor, you cannot treat yourself as a son, but as a subject. Without the father-son relationship, you will be more suitable for the world.

As it turns out, he was right.

Li Chengqian raised his head and looked at Li Baiyao. Now Li Baiyao was going to be the chief secretary of Li Zhi.

For some reason, Li Chengqian had some kind of expectation in his heart.

"Mr. Li, you are now the Minister of the Imperial Clan Affairs Bureau. As the Minister of the Imperial Clan Affairs Bureau, you are appointed as the Chief Clerk of Prince Jin. My father hopes that you can give Prince Jin more advice. If he does anything absurd, just reprimand him with words." Li Chengqian looked at Li Baiyao calmly.

"I obey your command." Li Baiyao bowed seriously. He was not blind. He knew who might benefit from Li Yu's accusation against Fang Xuanling just by guessing.

This is also the meaning of the emperor's edict. Otherwise, how could the Minister of Zongzheng Temple be appointed as the chief secretary of a prince? He is not the crown prince.

Li Chengqian pondered for a moment and said, "But we still need to be careful. After all, Zhinu is still young and doesn't understand much. You should teach me the same way you taught me over the years."

"Yes!" Li Baiyao accepted the order calmly.

"My dear, please go and get busy."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)