My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

Every time Li Shimin and Xu Hui were together,

Li Shimin felt as if he had become ten years younger, with inexhaustible energy throughout his body.

Tonight, he reunited with Xu Hui after a short separation, and his blood was boiling with excitement.

Xu Hui hadn't seen Li Shimin for a long time, and her heart was pounding.

She hadn't expected Li Shimin to be so wild tonight, like a young man, making her feel like she was in heaven.

The dragon bed made rhythmic creaking sounds, which excited everyone who heard it.

About half an hour later, Li Shimin was covered in sweat from all the exertion.

Xu Hui's cheeks were flushed, and she was covered in fragrant sweat.

She wrapped her arms around Li Shimin's neck, looked at him with her beautiful eyes, and asked with concern, "Your Majesty, are you tired? Take a rest."

Li Shimin lay on the couch, and Xu Hui took a white handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead.

then,

She buried her head in his firm chest again: "Your Majesty, I never imagined you'd become so powerful!"

Li Shimin embraced Xu Hui's willow-like waist, which was just the right size to hold in one hand, and said with a smile, "Is that so?"

"Haven't I always been like this?"

"Your Majesty seems to be acting strangely tonight, as if you're full of energy, it's almost unbearable," Xu Hui said breathlessly.

"Haha, recently, I have been setting aside one hour each day to practice my skills."

"Oh, Your Majesty is so busy with state affairs, yet you still have time for this?"

Li Shimin stroked Xu Hui's fragrant shoulder: "Isn't the court going to hold civil and military examinations?"

"Perhaps I'll even have to show off my skills then."

"What? You're going to play again?" Xu Hui pouted.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin sat up and leaned against the headboard: "In history, there have been many emperors who were good at fighting. For example, King Zhou of Shang was exceptionally talented and strong, able to wrestle wild beasts with his bare hands and drag nine oxen backwards."

Xia Jie could kill tigers and leopards with his bare hands;

Xiang Yu was strong enough to lift a tripod, and he fought almost every battle in his life. He once led twenty-eight horsemen to fight against thousands of Han soldiers.

Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu was also extremely brave. During the Battle of Kunyang, he broke through the encirclement with thirteen horsemen to seek reinforcements.

Later, he defeated Wang Mang's army of more than 400,000 with a force of more than 10,000 men.

Emperor Wu of Song, Liu Yu, was a warrior of iron and blood, his spirit as fierce as a tiger that could swallow ten thousand miles.

He was extremely skilled in infantry combat, sometimes facing thousands of enemy soldiers alone, and once single-handedly killed over a thousand.

Xu Hui gently stroked Li Shimin's broad chest: "Why do you boost others' morale and diminish your own?"

"I've heard that you joined the army at a young age and are exceptionally skilled in archery, once piercing an enemy's armor with a single arrow. Is that true?"

"That's true!" Li Shimin was quite confident in his skills, and the bow he used was the two-meter-long Juque Tian Bow, which was different from the bows used by ordinary people.

"During the Battle of Hulao Pass, you personally led the Xuanjia Army in a surprise attack on Dou Jiande's 100,000-strong army. Dou Jiande was defeated and captured."

During the Battle of Huoyi, you stormed into the enemy camp and, in a fit of rage, killed dozens of people, even chipping away at both of your blades. Otherwise, you would have killed even more.

Even after you became the commander-in-chief of the three armies, you still frequently charged into battle, leading the charge into enemy territory.

"Am I right, Your Majesty?" Xu Hui recounted Li Shimin's past deeds with great familiarity.

Li Shimin nodded repeatedly: "My beloved concubine, I did not expect you to know so much about my past."

Xu Hui looked at Li Shimin with an adoring gaze: "Your Majesty, you are the hero in my heart."

Your concubine is naturally very interested in your past.

Your heroic deeds of the past, even if I started recounting them now, would go on until dawn and I still wouldn't finish.

Li Shimin waved his hand and laughed, "A hero doesn't dwell on past glories; those are all things of the past."

At this moment, I am reminded of a poem, or rather a joyous song, written by Liu Bang, called "The Song of the Great Wind," which contains the line: "Where can I find brave warriors to guard the four corners of the land?"

At that time, Liu Bang had achieved great success, unified the country, and returned home in glory, where he wrote this poem, "The Song of the Great Wind."

I feel the same way now.

I am not even as good as Liu Bang.

To the west of our Great Tang Dynasty were the kingdoms of Kucha, Xueyantuo, Yanqi, and Tuyuhun.

To the east were the kingdoms of Wa, Goguryeo, and Baekje.

They are all eyeing our Great Tang with covetous intent, eager to try their luck. I, too, lack capable generals.

Xu Hui comforted him, saying, "Your Majesty, there is no need to worry too much."

In my humble opinion, Your Majesty is far superior to Liu Bang.

Putting aside everything else, even the prosperous Zhenguan era created by Your Majesty is unparalleled by Liu Bang.

Our Zhenguan era has surpassed the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing.

Moreover, I have a different understanding of the poem "The Song of the Great Wind."

When Li Shimin heard Xu Hui praise him, saying that he had surpassed Liu Bang,

Although he knew there was an element of flattery in it,

However, Li Shimin was quite pleased with what he heard.

Even the greatest heroes need recognition and praise from others.

Li Shimin could only discuss poetry and songs when he was with Xu Hui.

The other concubines would only ask him for gold and silver jewelry, beautiful clothes, palaces, or land and houses, which annoyed Li Shimin.

"Oh, what's your opinion? Tell me about it."

"I believe that the Song of the Great Wind is not a joyous song; on the contrary, it is a tragic one," Xu Hui stated directly, revealing her opinion.

"What do you mean?"

"Your Majesty, please consider what kind of situation Liu Bang was in at that time."

Liu Bang was already old by then.

He passed away in a few months.

During his campaign to quell Ying Bu's rebellion, he was struck by a stray arrow and suffered a severe wound, leaving him extremely weak.

He felt that his days were numbered.

therefore,

He only shed tears when he was composing "The Song of the Great Wind".

He still has many things left to do.

He was worried about internal and external troubles, and that the court lacked capable generals.

But you're different from him now.

You are only in your thirties, at the height of your power, and have already accomplished the great task of unifying the world.

Our Tang Dynasty was full of talented people, with famous generals such as Li Jing, Li Ji, Cheng Yaojin, Qin Shubao, Yuchi Gong, Hou Junji, and Li Daliang.

They were all veterans of countless battles.

They were in no way inferior to Liu Bang back then.

Han Xin, one of Liu Bang's generals, was extremely capable. Compared to Li Jing, he was no less skilled.

Your Majesty, why do you worry so much?

"What you said makes some sense. Indeed, our Tang Dynasty had quite a few generals who were good at fighting. However, time waits for no one."

Many of them are already old.

Therefore,

Recently, Su Wan proposed to hold a civil service exam and a military exam, which I immediately agreed to.

The imperial court is lacking in talent.

Xu Hui reached for her clothes and put them on: "Your Majesty, I was just about to discuss this matter with you."

"What is it?"

"On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Jiucheng Palace was completed. The imperial court took this opportunity to hold a civil service examination to select talented individuals from across the country."

"I'm planning to take the civil service exam. What do you think?" Xu Hui asked softly.

Li Shimin laughed heartily: "Well done, you are a rare talent."

This is your chance to shine.

I know some of the concubines in the harem have grievances against me, saying that since you entered the harem, I've come to you every night and rarely go to their quarters.

They even said I was a lecherous man.

Little did they know, I admire your beauty, but I admire your talent even more.

Upon hearing this, Xu Hui's eyes flickered: "Your Majesty, I must ask you, do you really not like beautiful women?"

"If I were ugly as a monster, you probably wouldn't have come to me."

"What do you mean?"

"I have heard that Emperor Wu of Han first favored Chen Ajiao, and the two even left behind the beautiful story of keeping her in a golden house."

Chen Ajiao is old and her beauty has faded.

He banished Chen Ajiao to the cold palace and began to favor the young and beautiful Wei Zifu.

As the years passed, Wei Zifu also aged and lost her beauty.

He then favored Madam Li and Madam Wang.

Madam Li was frail and often ill.

By the time Madam Li fell seriously ill, she had become emaciated.

Emperor Wu of Han went to see her.

However, Lady Li covered her head with a blanket and refused to see Emperor Wu of Han no matter what.

Emperor Wu of Han said, "If you allow me to see you, I will not only reward you with a thousand catties of gold, but also appoint your brothers to high-ranking positions."

Even so, Lady Li refused to meet with Emperor Wu of Han.

Left with no other option, Emperor Wu of Han left dejectedly.

Undeniably, Madam Li was a very wise woman, and we can't help but ask, why did Madam Li do this?

Li Shimin knew that Xu Hui was very knowledgeable about history, especially about famous women in history: "Tell me about it."

"This incident fully demonstrates that Emperor Wu of Han valued Lady Li's beauty very much."

Therefore,

In my humble opinion, you emperors, especially wise rulers, are even more fond of beautiful women!

After hearing Xu Hui's explanation, Li Shimin smiled and said, "You really have read a lot of books; you even know about this."

However, Emperor Wu of Han is Emperor Wu of Han, and I am I.

Emperor Wu of Han not only liked beautiful women, but also handsome men.

Although Gongsun Hong was old, he was handsome and dignified, so Emperor Wu of Han appointed him as prime minister.

In addition, he also supported the male lead Han Yan and Li Yannian.

Han Yan was Emperor Wu of Han's childhood friend, and the two had a close relationship, sharing the same bed and chair.

Li Shimin's expression changed slightly: "I really can't understand this."

Why would two men sleep in the same bed, feet touching?

The ambiguous relationship between Li Chenggan and Chengxin caused quite a stir in Chang'an.

Although Chengxin was a man, he was extremely alluring.

If he were to wear women's clothing, he would be more womanly than a woman herself.

I ordered Chang He to capture Chengxin and Wei Lingfu, but I don't know if he succeeded.

If they are captured, I will have them executed without fail!

As Li Shimin spoke, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

Xu Hui saw this and her heart skipped a beat.

Judging from Li Shimin's tone, she sensed that he deeply resented and hated his friend.

and,

Because Li Chenggan and Chengxin were too close, Li Shimin also developed a dislike for Li Chenggan.

Xu Hui sat up, smoothed her hair with her hand, and said cautiously, "Your Majesty, I have a few words to say, but I don't know if I should."

"Go ahead and say it."

"In my opinion, the Crown Prince is exceptionally talented, proficient in both literary and military arts."

Firstly, back then,

The Crown Prince helped you review memorials and handle government affairs, and you also conducted spot checks, but found nothing amiss.

Secondly, during the western expedition to the Western Regions, Li Tai suffered repeated defeats and deserted in battle, causing our Tang army to collapse and many soldiers to desert.

Later, His Majesty replaced the Crown Prince with a smaller army. However, the Crown Prince was able to reverse the tide of defeat and turn the tide of war in the face of adversity. He successively subdued the Dangxiang and Tuyuhun, and defeated the Yanqi army, which made our Tang army proud in the Western Regions and greatly enhanced our military prestige.

Chang'an was besieged by the armies of Li Yuanli and Zhang Zhongjian.

The crown prince then led his army back to Chang'an to provide relief, defeating the combined forces of Li Yuanli and Zhang Zhongjian.

People often say that there is no greater merit than saving the emperor. The crown prince saved the emperor and was therefore a meritorious minister.

The Crown Prince's performance was something even the most renowned generals of antiquity, such as Bai Qi and Han Xin, might not have been able to match.

Objectively speaking, what Xu Hui said is basically true.

Li Shimin also agreed with this.

"I never expected the Crown Prince to be so capable in leading troops into battle."

"As for the relationship between the Crown Prince and Chengxin, in my opinion, it doesn't have much of an impact."

Chengxin was merely a pageboy; before this, he would occasionally accompany the prince to study and eat, nothing more.

Your Majesty, there's no need to get so angry over something you like; anger is bad for your health.

Only Xu Hui dared to say such things in front of Li Shimin. Which of the other concubines dared to mention Chengxin in front of Li Shimin?

Li Shimin stroked his beard and said, "Recently, I have been reading a book that has given me much insight."

"Oh, may I ask which book Your Majesty is reading? Isn't it 'Essentials of Governance from Various Books'?"

"no.

What I was reciting was the "Zizhi Tongjian" compiled by Li Chenggan and his colleagues at the Chongwen Academy.

Before the publication of the Zizhi Tongjian, I thought the Records of the Grand Historian was the best historical book.

In my opinion, the *Zizhi Tongjian* is probably more of a practical tool for emperors.

Sima Qian imbued his writing of the Records of the Grand Historian with a great deal of personal emotion.

The Zizhi Tongjian begins its narrative in the 23rd year of King Weilie of Zhou. In that year, the three families of Jin, Han, Zhao, and Wei were divided. Why did the ministers of these three families do that?

It was because the Zhou emperor made a careless statement and recognized the three families of Han, Zhao, and Wei as feudal lords that...

This gave Han, Zhao, and Wei the idea of ​​having improper plans.

From this, we can see the importance of etiquette.

Only in this way can society function properly.

What is the status of "Chengxin"?

Among the various social classes, he belongs to the lowest class. How could he be on equal footing with the Crown Prince?

They ate at the same table and slept in the same bed.

Isn't this ridiculous?

What worries me is not finding a suitable person, but rather the collapse of social order and morality.

Upon hearing Li Shimin's words, Xu Hui frowned deeply.

It should be said that Li Shimin's words were reasonable and well-founded.

Indeed, the division of Jin into three states, on the surface, appeared to be due to Zhi Yao's inflated ambition and his desire to seize the lands of the Han, Zhao, and Wei families.

Finally, the three families of Han, Zhao, and Wei joined forces and divided up the state of Jin.

However, this matter, fundamentally speaking, is not unrelated to the Zhou emperor's enfeoffment of the Han, Zhao, and Wei families as feudal lords.

If the Zhou emperor had not said those words, then Han, Zhao, and Wei would have no legitimate status.

From this perspective, etiquette is indeed very important.

Therefore, it cannot be said that Li Shimin's concerns were unfounded.

Thinking of this, Xu Hui parted her lips slightly and said, "I believe that the Crown Prince is the foundation of the country and should not be moved lightly. As I have already said, Li Chengqian is the most outstanding Crown Prince in history. He is superior to Fusu, Liu Rong, Liu Ju, Yang Yong, Yang Zhao and Li Jiancheng."

If you believe the Crown Prince has made any mistakes, you can instruct him and help him correct them.

You must not entertain the idea of ​​deposing or establishing a new emperor.

At the beginning,

The Sui Dynasty perished after only two generations because Emperor Wen of Sui deposed his eldest son, Yang Yong, and instead made Yang Guang the crown prince.

We must admit that, in terms of ability, Yang Yong was indeed inferior to Yang Guang.

but,

If Yang Yong had succeeded to the throne, he would have been a capable ruler who maintained the status quo, and the Sui Dynasty would not have lasted for less than forty years.

This serves as a warning from the past; Your Majesty must heed it.

Li Shimin also had concerns about this.

At the beginning,

Li Yuan once considered deposing and installing the crown prince.

It was also because Yang Yong was deposed that Emperor Wen of Sui installed the more capable Yang Guang on the throne, which led to the demise of the Sui Dynasty after only two generations.

Therefore,

Li Yuan dared not easily depose Li Jiancheng from his position as crown prince.

He didn't know what the future held for Li Shimin, or whether he would become a second Yang Guang.

"I have no intention of changing the crown prince. Who told you that?"

"Your Majesty is wise. If Your Majesty had no such intention, why did you promise to let Li Tai reside in the Wude Hall?"

"This—." Li Shimin was speechless.

Everyone knows that the Hall of Martial Virtue is different from other palaces; it's too close to the East Palace.

Li Yuanji once lived there.

If Li Tai were to move into the Wude Hall, he would definitely harbor covetous thoughts.

Your Majesty, you must not depose or install the Crown Prince out of favoritism!

It is evident that His Majesty has a special fondness for Li Tai, agreeing to allow him to establish a literary academy in his residence.

And he was allowed to recruit talent according to his own preferences.

In my opinion, this is also very dangerous.

"Oh, I allow Li Tai to recruit taxi drivers he likes to the Literature Academy. Wouldn't that make things easier for Li Tai?" Li Shimin didn't see anything wrong with it.

Xu Hui immediately objected: "Your Majesty is mistaken."

In the past, there were four noblemen in the Warring States period: Lord Mengchang of Qi (Tian Wen), Lord Pingyuan of Zhao (Zhao Sheng), Lord Xinling of Wei (Wei Wuji), and Lord Chunshen of Chu (Huang Xie).

They all enjoyed keeping retainers, and some had as many as several thousand.

However, later generations have given it mixed reviews.

Wei Wuji is ranked first, but Tian Wen is ranked last.

Li Shimin discovered that Xu Hui was very familiar with historical events, and that Xu Hui had unique insights: "Oh, why is that?"

"It was because Lord Mengchang recruited some petty thieves and scoundrels."

When Lord Mengchang was in exile, some of his retainers imitated the crowing of roosters to trick people into opening the city gates, while others imitated the barking of dogs.

His Majesty said that the people he recruited were of what kind?

As the saying goes, "One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black." Those people corrupted Tian Wen, to the point that in the end, Tian Wen's character was reversed, and he even wanted to lead his troops to attack his own state of Qi.

Why do you think Tian Wen would stoop to such a low level?

Did Lord Xinling act like him?

Wei Wuji always put the interests of the Wei state first.

When the State of Wei was in peril, he stepped forward and led the allied forces of the feudal lords to defeat the Qin army twice, forcing them to retreat to Hangu Pass and not daring to come out.

Lord Xinling had a high reputation, and his retainers, such as Hou Ying, Zhu Hai, Mao Gong, and Xue Gong, were all people of high moral character.

What is most lamentable is that Hou Ying, who was over seventy years old, committed suicide when Lord Xinling set off, so that Lord Xinling would go to war without hesitation!

His noble character and integrity are truly admirable!

Now let's look at the men under Li Tai. Can they do the same?

All they care about is their own official positions.

If those people only care about their own future, only thinking about promotion and wealth, Your Majesty, think about what they would say to Li Tai?

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin lowered his head and remained silent.

Because he also knew that what Xu Hui had just said was not without reason.

Xu Hui dressed herself neatly and got off the bed.

She poured Li Shimin a cup of green tea and handed it to him with both hands.

Xu Hui placed her hands in front of her abdomen: "Your Majesty, Liu Bang was just mentioned as well."

Liu Bang once considered deposing Liu Ying out of love and planned to make Liu Ruyi the crown prince instead.

finally,

Why didn't Liu Bang do that?

Was it that Liu Bang lacked the ability?

Obviously not.

Liu Bang was the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty. His wisdom and methods were endless, and he was highly regarded by later generations.

If he really wanted to change the crown prince to Liu Ruyi, it wouldn't be too difficult.

but,

Considering the bigger picture and learning from the lessons of the Qin Dynasty's demise, he did not do that.

Ying Zheng feared death and abhorred the mention of the word "death."

Why didn't he appoint a crown prince?

Because if a crown prince is chosen, doesn't that mean that one day I will die?

He sought immortality and elixirs, unwilling to face reality.

Therefore, he delayed in announcing his choice of heir apparent.

He favored his youngest son, Huhai, and took him with him wherever he went.

He probably never imagined that his last tour would end in his death from illness in the sand dunes.

Zhao Gao conspired with Li Si to alter the imperial edict, ordering the death of Fusu and installing Huhai as the Second Emperor of Qin.

What was the final result?

The Qin Dynasty lasted only two generations, a reign of just 15 years.

Liu Bang knew all too well that the crown prince should not be touched lightly.

Although Liu Ying is somewhat timid and unlikely to achieve much,

However, he can be considered a ruler who maintained the status quo.

The Great Han should be fine.

Ultimately, persuaded by Zhang Liang, Fan Kuai, and others, Liu Bang believed that the order of seniority and the hierarchy of rank were already established, and the crown prince should not be changed lightly.

He then abandoned the idea of ​​making Liu Ruyi the crown prince.

This is how the Han Dynasty was established for 400 years.

The treatment His Majesty has given Li Tai is now on par with that of you, Li Chenggan.

The Crown Prince opened the Chongwen Hall in the Eastern Palace, and Li Tai opened the Wenxue Hall in his residence.

Li Chengan compiled the Zizhi Tongjian.

Li Tai compiled the "Kuodi Zhi" (Records of the Land).

His Majesty just said that there is an order of seniority and that the hierarchy of rank is already established.

but,

The privileges enjoyed by Li Tai were not much different from those of the Crown Prince.

In some aspects, he has even surpassed the Crown Prince.

Your Majesty, isn't this putting the cart before the horse?

Do you think this is appropriate?

"Well—" Li Shimin wondered how to explain it to her.

"Moreover, Li Tai owns 22 states, a prestigious position, and is very powerful!"

Logically, Li Tai, as the King of Bo, should have returned to his fiefdom.

but,

He stayed in Chang'an the whole time.

What exactly did he mean?

Li Shimin fell silent again.

After a long while, Li Shimin took a sip of tea and said, "The civil service examination will be held in a few days."

Li Tai has already registered, and I have granted him permission to take the exam.

Let's wait until he finishes his exams before we talk about it.

Seeing that Li Shimin had already made concessions, Xu Hui felt it was inappropriate to say anything more.

Xu Hui thought that if what Li Shimin said was true, and Li Tai left Chang'an after the exam,

Then, it won't pose much of a threat to the Crown Prince.

This can be considered as Xu Hui winning a round.

Li Shimin and Xu Hui were chatting casually when the maid He Lian rushed in from outside, knelt on the ground, and said, "Your Majesty, Chang He requests an audience!"

"Why does he come to see me at this time?"

"I won't see him!" Li Shimin was a little disappointed.

Upon hearing this, Xu Hui quickly advised, "Your Majesty, you should still meet him."

It's so late.

He's come to see you, he must have something to say. Listen to what he has to say first.

Li Shimin thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let him wait a while."

"I need to change my clothes."

"promise!"

He Lian agreed and turned to leave.

Xu Hui helped Li Shimin change his clothes.

Not long after, Chang He, fully armed, strode in from outside and knelt on the ground: "This humble general greets Your Majesty!"

Li Shimin looked down at him: "Get up! What brings you to see me?"

"Your Majesty, this time, on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Jiucheng Palace was completed, and the court held a civil service examination."

therefore,

The subordinate general has strengthened the security both inside and outside Chang'an city.

Li Shimin nodded slightly: "You did the right thing."

So, did Chengxin and Wei Lingfu manage to capture them?

"We haven't caught it yet."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's face darkened: "Chang Datou, what are you Imperial Guards good for?"

Why is such a small thing so difficult?

What will you be able to do in the future?

If I remember correctly, during Princess Gaoyang's wedding, the Tuyuhun sent over a hundred spies to infiltrate our Chang'an city.

If Li Chengan hadn't captured them, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

This time, I ordered you to capture Chengxin and Weilingfu, and you actually captured two thieves who look like Chengxin and Weilingfu to fool me.

"If it weren't for your past merits, I could have executed you according to the laws of our Great Tang Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Chang He felt a cold sweat break out on his back.

Because he knew that Li Shimin was right; the crime of deceiving the emperor was a serious offense.

"I have already instructed Su Gui to handle this matter with all her might."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin looked at Chang He with a skeptical gaze and asked, "Do you think Su Gui can accomplish this?"

Why don't you use your brain to think before you do things?

Who is Su Gui?

"Su Gui is the younger brother of Crown Princess Su Wan," Chang He replied.

"It's a wonder you even know that Su Gui is Su Wan's younger brother, so naturally he'll defend Li Chenggan."

Even if he encountered Chengxin and Wei Lingfu, would he arrest them?

"this--."

Chang He slapped his forehead, thinking to himself, "Of course! How come I didn't think of that?"

"No wonder. Last time, you said you didn't capture Chengxin and Wei Lingfu. Maybe Su Gui released them."

Otherwise, how could so many imperial guards possibly escape when they were trying to capture just two people?

"Your Majesty is quite right. This humble general will immediately assign someone else to carry out this task!"

"That's your own business, you decide what to do."

You are the commander of the Imperial Guards. Do you really need to ask me about something like this?

However, let me make this clear: the deadline is only one month. If you haven't captured Chengxin and Wei Lingfu by then, I won't allow it."

"This subordinate understands."

When I was on patrol in Beili Pingkang Ward, I encountered three people.

Who did you run into?

"Chu Suiliang".

"Isn't he Chu Liang's son?"

"Exactly."

"What is he doing there?"

"He got drunk, put his arm around a girl, and said a lot. The gist of it was that our imperial examination system was too corrupt and ineffective. Scholars wanted to serve the court, but had no way to do so!"

He was a talented man who was not given the opportunity to shine!

In short, he publicly criticized the government there, attracting a large crowd, and most people thought he was right.

"What? That fellow is too audacious. Go and capture him, cut off his head, and hang it on the city wall of Chang'an as a warning to others."

Chang He was also stunned when he heard this, because he did not expect Li Shimin to lose his temper so much!

At this moment, Li Shimin was so angry that the flesh on his face was trembling uncontrollably.

He paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back.

"Now I finally understand why Liu Bang hated scholars so much. Whenever he saw a Confucian scholar, he would take off their hat and urinate inside it."

Who gave them the power to criticize the government?

At the beginning,

When Emperor Yang of Sui first ascended the throne, three high-ranking officials, Gao Jiong, Yuwen Bi, and He Ruobi, slandered the court behind its back.

Emperor Yang of Sui then had all three of them executed on this charge.

"If Emperor Yang of Sui could kill someone, why can't I?"

Chang He noticed that Li Shimin's forehead veins were bulging and his eyes were bloodshot.

Chang He knew that this time, Li Shimin was truly furious.

He dared not say anything else, and turned to leave, intending to capture Chu Suiliang.

"Wait a minute, General Chang, please wait!"

Chang He stopped and turned to look at Xu Hui after hearing her voice.

Awaiting Li Shimin's final decree.

at this time,

Xu Hui gracefully walked up to Li Shimin and bowed again: "Your Majesty, why get so angry?"

Li Shimin and Xu Hui, having just reunited after a short separation, had just enjoyed another passionate encounter.

at this time,

Li Shimin was filled with love for Xu Hui.

Li Shimin's expression softened slightly, and he asked, "My beloved consort, what do you wish to say?"

"Emperor Yang of Sui made a grave mistake by executing Gao Jiong, Yuwen Bi, and He Ruobi, thus destroying his own Great Wall."

Emperor Yang of Sui was a foolish and tyrannical ruler. Does Your Majesty intend to emulate him?

"Yes, yes, I was confused. We should not follow the example of Emperor Yang of Sui."

"Chu Liang and his son Chu Suiliang enjoyed a high reputation."

If His Majesty were to kill Chu Suiliang in a fit of anger, it would be a grave mistake.

Wouldn't that block the path to virtue?

Who will dare to serve the imperial court in the future?

If that were the case, let alone selecting talent for the imperial court, the civil service examination might not even be able to be held as scheduled.

Li Shimin's mind gradually cooled down.

He also realized that he had acted a bit impulsively.

Xu Hui continued, "Let's talk about Cao Cao again. Cao Cao's principle for selecting talents was to appoint people based solely on their abilities."

That means that we don't care about the other person's character, as long as they have talent.

Cao Cao put forward such a slogan because of specific historical conditions.

At that time, Cao Cao's strength was still very weak.

He was no match for Yuan Shao, no match for Liu Biao of Jingzhou, and not even as good as Liu Zhang of Xichuan or Sun Quan of Jiangdong.

But now, Your Majesty's situation is different from Cao Cao's.

Your Majesty has unified the world, and all the land now belongs to the Great Tang.

Therefore, I believe that the standard for selecting talent in the imperial court should be both moral integrity and competence.

Li Shimin also admired Cao Cao's ability to recognize and employ talent.

Li Shimin believed that among Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan, Cao Cao was the most outstanding in recognizing and utilizing talent.

Therefore, Cao Wei was rich in talent, with civil officials including Xun Yu, Xun You, Cheng Yu, Guo Jia, and Jia Xu, among others.

The military generals included Xu Chu, Dian Wei, Zhang Liao, Li Dian, Xu Huang, Yue Jin, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong, among others.

Looking at Western Shu, after the deaths of generals like Ma Chao, Huang Zhong, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, they had no outstanding generals left.

The only one who could be called a general was Wei Yan.

So,

The loss of Jieting during Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions was not entirely his fault.

Zhuge Liang had no choice but to put Ma Su in the position.

If Zhuge Liang had so many capable generals under his command, why would he have chosen Ma Su?

Sun Quan was also excellent at employing people, and his characteristic was to move people with emotions.

Sun Quan was also good at recognizing and employing people.

Sun Quan was very fortunate; he rarely led troops into battle personally.

He entrusted all matters of war to the Grand Commander.

During the Battle of Red Cliffs, Zhou Yu served as the Grand Commander, setting fire to Red Cliffs and inflicting a crushing defeat on Cao Cao.

Zhou Yu died, and Lu Su succeeded him.

After Lu Su's death, Lü Meng became the Grand Commander, and after Lü Meng came Lu Xun.

Overall, Cao Cao was better at recognizing and employing talent.

Xu Hui continued, "Cao Cao controlled one-third of the empire."

Now that Your Majesty has unified the world, is Your Majesty not even comparable to Cao Cao?

"You mean to say that I am better than Cao Cao?" Li Shimin asked with a smile.

"That's not just a little stronger, it's far too much stronger."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's face broke into a smile again: "My beloved consort, then, in your opinion, how should I handle this?"

"Your Majesty, I suggest that you have General Chang invite Chu Suiliang over."

His Majesty personally received him to see what he thought.

If what he says makes sense, Your Majesty may adopt it.

If he is truly a madman spouting nonsense, Your Majesty need not heed his words.

Li Shimin listened and thought that this might be a good method.

Just at this time,

Lu Zhaolin walked in from outside and knelt on the ground: "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Li Shimin was deeply impressed by him because Su Wan had once praised him in front of Li Shimin.

Lu Zhaolin was not only an excellent doctor,

Moreover, this person is exceptionally talented, and his poetry and prose are also first-rate.

Recently, Li Shimin also read some of Lu Zhaolin's poems, which were profound in meaning and beautiful in language.

Li Shimin also liked it quite a bit.

"You may rise, no need for formalities!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Lu Zhaolin stood up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"What brings you to see me so late?"

"Your Majesty, I have just heard that one of my friends, Chu Suiliang, has offended you."

"Your Majesty, please consider this is his first offense and that he is ignorant of etiquette; please forgive him."

Li Shimin nodded and said, "I didn't realize you were such a sentimental person."

Indeed, I was a little angry just now.

I dislike those bookworms who gossip about the court behind people's backs the most.

My actions will naturally be recorded by historians.

Whether what I did was right or wrong will be judged by future generations; there's no need for those people to worry about it.

"Yes, yes, Your Majesty is absolutely right."

Turning back, I told him to stop talking nonsense from now on.

Li Shimin paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back, then suddenly stopped and said, "How about this, didn't Chu Suiliang say that my selection of virtuous and capable officials is unfair?"

I will give him a chance.

Tomorrow morning court session,

They invited Chu Suiliang to the court to compose poems and write calligraphy on the spot.

If his poetry and calligraphy pass the examiners' scrutiny and are deemed acceptable, then he will be allowed to participate in this written examination.

On the other hand, if his poems and handwriting are truly appalling,

"I'm sorry, but I will not only disqualify him from the exam, but also transfer him to the Court of Judicial Review so that Dai Zhou can punish him according to the law."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

At this moment, Lu Zhaolin was also feeling very uneasy.

He felt this was similar to when Cao Zhi wrote the "Seven Steps Poem".

Cao Pi held considerable power in the court because of Cao Zhi's outstanding talent.

Cao Pi was very wary of him.

On one occasion,

Cao Pi summoned Cao Zhi to the court and asked him to compose a poem on the spot.

Cao Pi asked Cao Zhi to compose a poem on the theme of brotherhood.

The word "brothers" is not allowed to appear in that poem.

Cao Zhi, as expected of a great talent, was quick-witted and could compose poems on the spot. Within seven steps...

He indeed completed the famous "Seven Steps Poem," one line of which, "We are born of the same root, why are we so eager to harm each other?" has become a timeless classic.

Seeing that Li Shimin had already made his decision and could not change it, Lu Zhaolin had no choice but to agree.

It was around midnight.

Fang Xuanling's residence.

Fang Yi'ai knelt on the ground, his body already bearing the marks of his father's whip, a bright red welt on his left cheek.

Fang Yi'ai knelt there, not daring to move.

At this moment, Fang Xuanling, holding a long black whip, lashed out at him again: "You unfilial son! I'll beat you to death today!"

Fang Yizhi quickly stopped his father: "Dad, calm down!"

What a coincidence!

Are you really going to beat him to death?

Fortunately, Fang Yizhi managed to snatch the whip from Fang Xuanling's hand.

Fang Yi'ai got a good deal.

Fang Xuanling was so angry that his beard trembled uncontrollably. He pointed at Fang Yi'ai and said, "Do you think your father didn't know about the things you did?"

Calling you a pig-brain is being too kind.

Last time, you actually dared to sneak into the Dali Temple prison and poison those two thieves who looked like Chengxin and Wei Lingfu. You were truly audacious!

If it weren't for your father suggesting that you go to the Dali Temple to confess your crimes,

If it weren't for the Emperor's mercy, and for Princess Gaoyang's sake, he spared you...

otherwise,

What chance do you have of living?

but,

What did you do after you got out of the Dali Temple prison?

You keep going to the south side of the city, what are you doing there? Are you going to see Qiu Tianjiao again?

Upon hearing this, Fang Yi'ai thought to himself, "Wow, his father is amazing!"

How did he find out about this?

That's really strange.

"You've really angered your father to death! Princess Gaoyang is young, beautiful, and of noble status, yet you don't treat her well and instead fool around with that woman!"

If things continue like this, will things ever get better?

"Rather than have our entire Fang family executed, it's better for Father to kill you himself!"

Fang Yi'ai, however, disagreed.

He thought to himself that if he were with Princess Gaoyang, she would often lose her temper and even try to force him into the bridal chamber.

"Father, what you're saying is too alarmist."

No matter what, our Fang family is a meritorious family of the Tang Dynasty.

Would His Majesty treat us like that?

Unexpectedly, Fang Yi'ai's words further enraged Fang Xuanling: "I told you you have no brains, but you don't believe me and you won't admit it."

Why do you only see one step at a time when you look at a problem?

Why can't we think more deeply about things?

No matter how great my father's achievements are, can they compare to Wen Zhong, who helped Goujian restore his country?

Can he compare to Shang Yang, who made the Qin state rise to prominence?

Can anyone compare to Lü Buwei, who helped Yiren ascend the throne of Qin?

Can he be compared to Li Si, who enabled the Qin state to unify the six states?

Can he be compared to Chao Cuo, Emperor Jing of Han's teacher?

Furthermore, who can compare to Xun Yu, who helped Cao Cao rise to power and win the Battle of Guandu?

I'm afraid not.

"I ask you, what became of those people?"