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

night.

Chang'an, Zichen Palace.

Li Shimin was sitting at his desk reviewing memorials, while Wei Zheng stood by with his hands at his sides.

To be honest, Li Shimin was reviewing these mountains of memorials every day, it was endless, and it gave him a headache.

I don't know how there are so many things to do every day.

This reminded him of Qin Shi Huang.

It is said that Ying Zheng had amazing physical strength and had to review more than 100 jin (50 kg) of memorials every day.

He wouldn't sleep until he had reviewed all the memorials submitted that day.

In this respect, Li Shimin also admired Ying Zheng.

Therefore, it is clear that Ying Zheng's ability to unify the six kingdoms was by no means accidental.

recent,

So many things had happened, and Li Shimin was somewhat troubled.

Having to review so many memorials every day is really making me feel a bit overwhelmed.

Before this,

Li Chengan also helped him share some of the burden.

However, not long after, some officials said to him that the crown prince was not suitable for reviewing memorials, and that if he developed this habit, it would lead to the chaos of the early Tang Dynasty.

At that time,

Li Yuan's imperial edicts, Li Jiancheng's decrees, and the orders of Li Shimin and Li Yuanji all have the same legal effect.

This left the civil and military officials unsure of whose orders to follow.

However, those ministers were also very clever.

They execute whoever's order they receive first.

Sometimes government orders are completely inconsistent, even contradictory and chaotic.

This was one of the reasons that led to the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

Li Shimin was naturally worried about that situation arising and causing conflict.

During this time,

Li Chengan was either fighting in the Western Regions or serving as an envoy to the Wa (Japanese) kingdom, and was frequently away from Chang'an.

Therefore,

All the memorials were reviewed and approved by Li Shimin personally.

At this moment, Li Shimin put down the memorial in his hand, looked up at Wei Zheng, and said, "My dear minister, I have a question I would like to ask you."

"Your Majesty, what is the problem? Please speak."

"I intend to categorize these memorials and send some of the less important ones to Xu Hui for review, thus lightening her workload. What do you think?"

"Your Majesty, I object," Wei Zheng said without hesitation.

"Oh, why?" Li Shimin held his forehead, feeling a sudden headache.

"The reason is simple: reviewing memorials may seem like a small matter, but in reality, it's a big one."

Whoever holds the power to review memorials controls the central authority.

Emperor Wu of Han was most opposed to women's involvement in politics, because of this matter,

Before his death, he actually killed Lady Gouyi, who had committed no wrongdoing, and established the system of killing the mother upon assuming the position of heir.

however,

By the time of Emperor Cheng of Han, everything had changed. Emperor Cheng was unwilling to go through such hardship, so he relinquished the power to review memorials to Zhao Feiyan.

Zhao Feiyan was short-sighted and lacked any knowledge of governing a country or leading an army.

She acted arbitrarily, issuing arbitrary and frequently changing orders, which caused chaos and disorder in the Han Dynasty, leading to its decline.

Therefore, reviewing memorials was no small matter.

If His Majesty entrusts the power to review memorials to Consort Xu, her power will only grow stronger in the future.

"Many matters no longer need to be reported to His Majesty; officials can simply consult Consort Xu directly."

Li Shimin leaned back in his chair and said, "Why are you so stubborn?"

As I just said, take those less important memorials to Consort Xu for review.

I never said I would give her important memorials to review.

"Your Majesty, things often proceed gradually. You are right. In the beginning, it wouldn't be a big deal to have Consort Xu review some less important memorials."

but,

Over time,

His Majesty will gradually delegate authority to her, entrusting her with the review of the more important memorials.

Li Shimin waved his hand: "Recently, I have been feeling a bit tired and my physical strength is not as good as before. If this continues, my body may not be able to take it."

"Your Majesty, I have wanted to tell you for a long time: do not indulge in singing and dancing every night, drinking and womanizing, staying up all night long. If this continues, no one can withstand it."

There are so many beautiful women in the world, could you possibly enjoy them all?

"Uh—," Li Shimin choked for a moment, "I've heard that Qin Shi Huang's palace had tens of thousands of beautiful women, how many are there in my harem?"

"Your Majesty, you are better than nothing else, but you are better than these."

Therefore,

Qin Shi Huang only lived to be 50 years old.

Zhao Tuo was not fond of women, yet he lived to be 103 years old.

History shows that the longer a monarch or emperor lives and the longer they rule, the more achievements they make, and the more stable the country becomes, leading to prosperity and strength.

For example, King Zhaoxiang of Qin lived to be 75 years old.

He laid a solid foundation for Qin Shi Huang's unification of China;

Emperor Wu of Han also lived to be 70 years old.

He was the longest-lived emperor of the Han Dynasty.

It was precisely because he lived so long that he was able to lead the Han Dynasty to its peak, defeat the Xiongnu, and further strengthen centralized power.

"I hope Your Majesty will learn from history and take good care of your health."

Li Shimin nodded:

"I gave some of the memorials to Xu Hui for review in order to lighten my workload so that I could have more time to rest and exercise."

"Alright then, take all the memorials from officials of the fifth rank and below to Xu Hui for review; I trust her."

Wei Zheng remonstrated again: "Your Majesty, I believe this is unwise. A fifth-rank official is not a low-ranking position."

Officials in our Tang Dynasty were very powerful; even a fifth-rank official wielded considerable authority.

Xu Jieyu lacks experience in governing a country, leading an army, and managing a local area. What if she mishandles something and causes trouble in the future?

Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, it would be better to invite the Crown Prince back and have him review those memorials.

His Majesty once entrusted him with reviewing memorials for a period of time, and His Majesty also conducted spot checks on them, finding nothing amiss.

This will also help train the crown prince's ability to handle government affairs.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin was filled with rage, thinking to himself, "You old Taoist priest, are you trying to mess with me?"

I won't listen to you.

"No, this matter is settled."

Starting tomorrow, memorials from officials of the fifth rank and below no longer need to be sent to me. Send them directly to the Chongwen Academy and hand them to Xu Hui.

Seeing that Li Shimin had already made his decision, Wei Zheng didn't say anything more.

Li Shimin stood up and paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back.

Suddenly, he stopped and looked at Wei Zheng: "My dear minister, do you disapprove of everything I've been doing lately?"

Seeing Li Shimin's anger, Wei Zheng did not back down: "Your Majesty, you are mistaken!"

As a loyal and capable minister, I have the duty to speak frankly and without reservation.

"Alright, alright, I know you are utterly loyal to the Tang Dynasty," Li Shimin said, sounding somewhat impatient.

"Although you served under Li Jiancheng, I have never doubted your loyalty."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng felt a pang of unease, thinking that Li Shimin had not let go of the fact that he had served under Li Jiancheng.

However, this is understandable.

That's because Li Jiancheng didn't listen to him.

If Li Jiancheng adopts his suggestion

How could Li Jiancheng have died so tragically, and how could the throne have fallen to Li Shimin?

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty. I will certainly follow the example of Zhuge Liang, devoting myself to the cause until my dying breath." Wei Zheng's attitude was very sincere.

Li Shimin nodded slightly and asked, "Has Li Chengqian returned to the Eastern Palace?"

"In response to Your Majesty, there is no such thing."

"Then why?"

"Haven't I already issued an edict ordering him to return to the Eastern Palace and not to pursue his responsibility any further?"

Wei Zheng bowed again: "On the one hand, the Crown Prince may not have received His Majesty's decree yet;

On the other hand, even if the Crown Prince has received His Majesty's decree, he may have reservations, and therefore has not returned for the time being.

Or perhaps the Crown Prince is preoccupied with other matters and won't be able to return for the time being.

Li Shimin walked to the table, picked up the teacup, and took a small sip: "You said Li Chengqian has concerns, what are they?"

"Your Majesty, for example, you allow him to return to the Eastern Palace, but do not lift his confinement; instead, you make him reflect on his actions in the Eastern Palace, depriving him of his freedom."

and also,

His Majesty will order Chang He to lead the Imperial Guards to arrest him in a moment.

Then they said they revoked the imperial edict and everything was fine.

The Crown Prince may also be wondering whether His Majesty's decree is genuine or not.

What if I come back and fall into a trap?

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin was displeased: "What did you say?"

"Does he dare disobey or disbelieve my decree?"

"Your Majesty is the emperor, and is called 'Heavenly Khan' by the countries of the Western Regions. Everyone in the world admires Your Majesty."

of course,

Everyone will obey your will.

but,

Li Chengan was unjustly reprimanded by His Majesty, and his feelings may have undergone some changes.

"What do you mean by that? Are you blaming me?" Li Shimin's face flushed red.

Looking at all the civil and military officials in the Tang Dynasty, only Wei Zheng dared to say such a thing about him.

"Your Majesty, how could I dare?"

but,

Let's put ourselves in each other's shoes.

Think about it: when the Crown Prince was in the Western Regions, he subdued the Dangxiang and Tuyuhun tribes, repelled the Yanqi army, rescued Chang'an, and protected the safety of His Majesty and the Empress.

and,

Li Chengqian personally went to Mount Liujia to pick snow lingzhi mushrooms, and almost fell off a cliff while doing so.

It was thanks to the snow lingzhi that the empress was able to recover her health.

Each of these is a great achievement.

but,

After returning to Chang'an, he not only received no reward, but was also arrested by Chang He's imperial guards and imprisoned in the Dali Temple prison.

His Majesty still didn't trust him, and even sent Cheng Yaojin to the Dali Temple prison to test his words.

"That's only possible because he's the crown prince. If it were anyone else, wouldn't they lose their head if they said the wrong thing?"

Li Shimin lowered his head and remained silent.

(This sentence is missing a subject; based on the context, the subject is inferred to be "the Crown Prince," so it is corrected to:) The Crown Prince knew that what Wei Zheng said was true and well-founded.

He couldn't refute it.

Wei Zheng stroked his beard and said, "This time, the Crown Prince and Songtsen Gampo went to Naniwa Pass to mediate relations between Japan, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, stabilizing the situation in the east of our Great Tang. Their contribution is invaluable."

Your humble servant has already learned of this.

Originally, the Wa (Japanese) Kingdom planned to sign three agreements with Goguryeo, Yeongi, and Baekje.

It can be said,

Every agreement was a disaster and a blow to the Tang Dynasty.

The crown prince used his wisdom and courage to stop all of this.

Don't say anything else,

Take the matter of the Wa people wanting to purchase 100,000 jars of wine from Yanqi as an example. What does that mean?

Who doesn't know that the profit margins for wine are incredibly high?

If a jar of wine sells for ten taels of silver, then nine taels and ninety-nine taels would probably be profit.

By doing this, isn't the Wa-nu Kingdom essentially providing financial support to Yanqi in disguise?

After receiving this money, Yanqi can recruit soldiers and expand its army to fight against our Tang army.

and also,

What would be the consequences if the Wa (Japanese) Kingdom planned to sell one hundred large warships to Goguryeo at a low price?

We know that the Goguryeo navy was originally very powerful.

This is also one of the main reasons why the Sui army failed to conquer Goguryeo back then.

If Goguryeo were to acquire another 100 large warships,

Wouldn't that make their navy even stronger?

It was His Highness who managed to stop this once again.

The Crown Prince has rendered so much merit, yet upon his return he received no reward, only the Emperor's suspicions. Who wouldn't be disheartened in such a situation?

After listening to Wei Zheng's words, Li Shimin felt a sense of enlightenment and realized that Wei Zheng's words did make some sense.

but,

He then thought of what he had said to Fang Xuanling and his group of ministers.

They said that Li Chengqian was amassing a large army and acting arrogantly outside the capital.

Not only did he recruit 10,000 cavalrymen on the border of Gaochang, but he also placed Ashina She'er in command there.

and,

This time,

His true purpose in going to Wa was not to mediate relations between Wa, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, but to win people's hearts.

He seized this opportunity to win over Songtsen Gampo's heart.

At the same time, he also deeply attracted Queen Kim Deok-man of Silla.

It's unclear what methods Li Chenggan used to make the eldest brother of the mountain, King Yamabe, willingly submit to him.

Prince Pongjang of Baekje was extremely grateful to Yi Seung-gan.

Honestly, things like this are quite terrifying.

A few days ago,

Didn't Songtsen Gampo just come here to argue with Li Shimin?

Songtsen Gampo's imposing manner was quite intimidating.

Without the permission of the imperial court,

He had already sent a message by carrier pigeon to his capable general, Grand Chancellor Shang Nang, who was leading 20,000 cavalry to Chang'an, with the aim of protecting Li Chenggan.

This matter greatly angered Li Shimin.

Now that Li Shimin is middle-aged, his temper has mellowed considerably. If it were his younger self, he might have fallen out with Songtsen Gampo on the spot.

Li Shimin, considering the bigger picture, felt that Songtsen Gampo had no other malicious intent.

Overall, Tibet was quite supportive and accommodating to the Tang Dynasty.

Other rituals and offerings were not lacking, which is already quite remarkable.

Through this incident, Li Shimin vaguely sensed an invisible pressure approaching.

He felt that Li Chenggan was no longer the same Li Chenggan he used to be.

Unbeknownst to them, they had already accumulated tremendous power.

sometimes,

Li Shimin was thinking, if he really wanted to punish Li Chengqian,

So, what will Songtsen Gampo of Tibet, Murong Shun of Tuyuhun, Kim Deokman of Silla, King Sanbe of Japan, and Prince Pungjang of Baekje do? Do they really dare to oppose us?

Wei Zheng then said, "Your Majesty, you shouldn't have assigned Tuyuhun to Li Ke."

"Why? Is there something wrong with this?"

Wei Zheng straightened his clothes: "I have already told you about this matter last time. If Tuyuhun is assigned to Li Ke, it will have a chain reaction."

Either maintain the status quo, or cede Tuyuhun to the crown prince.

But now you're acting unconventionally, instead placing Tuyuhun under Li Ke's jurisdiction.

Do you think Murong Shun will submit to Li Ke?

Li Ke is too young; he may not be able to control Murong Shun.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin laughed heartily: "My dear minister, back in the day, when I was 16, I enlisted in the army and went to Yanmen Pass to rescue Emperor Yang of Sui."

Li Ke is about the same age I was back then, so how can you say I can't control him?

Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng quickly waved his hand and said, "Your Majesty, you are an emperor and general who appears only once in a thousand years. You may be a star descended from heaven. How many people in the world can compare to you?"

Li Shimin's expression softened slightly upon hearing this, after all, no one can refuse words of praise.

in fact,

Li Shimin also had another idea in mind: to transfer those who were very obedient to Li Chenggan away so that they could not stick together.

otherwise,

Li Chengqian's power will be too great in the future.

Now, Li Chenggan can mobilize an army of over 100,000 with a single call.

This is no small matter.

If Li Chengqian were ever in a bad mood, wouldn't he be forced to step down as emperor and become the retired emperor?

If Li Chengan had a conscience, things would be alright; but if he didn't, who knows what might happen.

Historically,

There were also cases of patricide; for example, Modu of the Xiongnu killed Touman Chanyu and declared himself the Xiongnu Chanyu.

Emperor Yang of Sui poisoned Emperor Wen of Sui and declared himself emperor.

Thinking of this, Li Shimin broke out in a cold sweat.

at this time,

Chang He rushed in from outside, looking flustered, and knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

Seeing his flustered appearance, Li Shimin frowned and asked, "What happened? Get up and speak!"

Chang He stood up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and first bowed to Wei Zheng, who returned the bow in return.

"Your Majesty, tens of thousands of troops have already gathered outside Chang'an City."

"What? Where did these troops come from? Could it be that Zhang Zhongjian of Fuyu has returned to fight?" Li Shimin asked.

"Your Majesty, judging from their banners, they are not the army of Buyeo," Chang He replied.

"Could it be that the Yanqi army has marched into Chang'an?"

"It doesn't seem so."

"So, where did they come from? And what do they want?"

"Your Majesty, this...this humble general has not yet found out clearly." Chang He was so frightened by Li Shimin's anger that he stammered.

"Useless idiot! Trash!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin became so angry that his face turned red and his veins bulged on his forehead: "Chang Datou, let me tell you, I have been putting up with you for a long time."

I've noticed that ever since you took your concubine Bai Mudan, you've lost all interest in commanding the Imperial Guards.

How could they possibly have the mind to protect the safety of Chang'an?

"You're only thinking about sleeping with Bai Mudan, aren't you?"

"Your Majesty, do you know that I have been wronged?"

"This humble general is utterly loyal to the imperial court; it's nothing like what you claim."

"You dare to talk back?"

"No, Your Majesty, you don't know this. For some reason, I've been feeling a bit weak lately, and I haven't shared a room with Bai Mudan for a long time." Chang He felt a little embarrassed as he said this.

"You look as strong as an ox, how could you be weak?"

"Perhaps due to excessive pressure, I must admit my incompetence."

Perhaps Your Majesty could dismiss me from my post?

"This humble general has indeed found the position of commander of the Imperial Guards extremely difficult and is utterly incompetent."

Li Shimin was even more furious after hearing what Chang He said.

He slammed his hand on the table and pointed at me: "Chang Datou, are you threatening me?"

Do you think I wouldn't dare remove you from your post?

Do you really think our Great Tang Dynasty couldn't select a general to serve as the commander of the Imperial Guards?

"Your Majesty, I absolutely did not mean that. I do feel like a failure."

"Also, I ordered you to capture Chengxin and Wei Lingfu, it's been so long, have you caught them yet?"

Chang He mustered his courage and said, "We haven't caught anyone yet. This humble general is incompetent. Please, Your Majesty, replace me!"

"Just let me be an ordinary soldier in the Imperial Guard."

"Fine, you said those words yourself, don't blame me for being ruthless! Guards!"

At that moment, two guards rushed in from outside, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, please give your orders!"

Li Shimin was truly anxious. He pointed at Chang He and said, "This man neglects his duties and has repeatedly failed in his duties. Our Chang'an is now surrounded by enemy troops, yet he knows nothing about it."

What use is such a commander of the Imperial Guards to me?

Remove his helmet plume, sword, and general's seal; strip him of his official rank. From this day forward, he is a lowly soldier in the Imperial Guard.

The two guards had intimidating faces; they didn't care about anything else, they only obeyed Li Shimin's orders.

The two men rushed upwards, ready to fight.

"Wait a minute!"

Wei Zheng quickly raised his right hand.

The two guards looked at Li Shimin, awaiting his final decision.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Your humble servant has something to say."

Li Shimin put his hands behind his back and looked at Wei Zheng.

If it were anyone else, Li Shimin would have completely ignored him and given him no chance to speak.

However, the person in front of me is Wei Zheng.

Li Shimin suppressed his anger and asked, "What do you have to say? He brought this on himself, is it my fault?"

Wei Zheng remained calm and smiled slightly: "Your Majesty, you are right. This time, General Chang did not find out the origin of the enemy, which is a dereliction of duty."

but,

It was late, and pitch black outside. With the New Year approaching, the Imperial Guards were probably still immersed in the festive atmosphere.

I didn't expect so many troops to arrive so suddenly.

Therefore,

It's understandable that we haven't been able to find out the details in a short time.

Li Shimin's expression softened slightly: "Their duty as imperial guards is to protect Chang'an and the palace. They must always be vigilant; how can they afford to be lax?"

"You're right."

then,

During the reign of Emperor Wen of Han,

Emperor Wen of Han was worried about an invasion by the Xiongnu, so he personally went to inspect the Balang Camp, Jimen Camp, and Xiliu Camp.

When he arrived at Ba Shang Camp and Ji Men Camp, his convoy and troops could come and go as they pleased, and the military discipline in the camps was very lax.

Emperor Wen of Han was very dissatisfied with the performance of the two battalions.

later,

Emperor Wen of Han then went to Zhou Yafu's Xiliu Camp.

His car was blocked outside.

The military there was impeccable and heavily guarded.

Someone told the guards, "This is the Emperor! Let him pass immediately!"

However, the soldiers said that they only obeyed General Zhou Yafu's orders and still refused to let them pass.

Emperor Wen of Han had no choice but to produce the imperial tally and summon Zhou Yafu to meet him.

When Zhou Yafu met Emperor Wen of Han, he said that because he was wearing armor, he could only pay his respects with military salute.

After Emperor Wen of Han's carriage entered the Xiliu Camp, it dared not ride back and forth within the camp.

After Emperor Wen of Han left the Xiliu camp, he praised Zhou Yafu as a "true general."

The army commanded by Zhou Yafu was the real army; the other armies were like child's play, how could they possibly win battles?

Emperor Wen of Han was very astute; Zhou Yafu's army was ultimately invincible.

Because Zhou Yafu was extremely strict in disciplining his troops, he was always ready.

later,

The Rebellion of the Seven States broke out, and the allied forces of Wu and Chu advanced westward, seemingly about to reach Chang'an. Emperor Jing of Han was panicked and didn't know what to do.

Just then, Yuan Ang and Chao Cuo had a falling out.

Yuan Ang said to Emperor Jing of Han: "The banner raised by the Wu-Chu allied forces is 'Execute Chao Cuo and cleanse the court of corrupt officials.'"

Therefore, as long as Chao Cuo is killed, the armies of the seven kingdoms will naturally retreat.