The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 1254 Three Conditions (Part )

"Well, you are worthy of being a son of the Li family. You are very righteous."

Li Dao Zong was also very excited and said quickly: "Regardless of who was right or wrong in the past, Erlang was wrong to kill his brother. Both publicly and privately, you should express your opinion. Li Yan, just say it, your uncle will definitely speak for you."

Dou Dan also nodded in approval. Having taken away the hatred of the whole world and wiped out the hatred of the entire family, it was only right for Li Shimin to make some compensation.

Seeing that the time was right, Li Yan spoke out his long-planned plan: "First, I want Li Shimin to issue a self-criticism edict, explain to the world the truth of the Xuanwu Gate Incident, admit his crime of killing his brother and killing Bei, and make a deep self-examination."

"Ah this."

Fang Xuanling's face changed drastically when he heard this, and he said anxiously: "How can this be possible? Isn't this a slap in the face of the emperor?"

"Humph!"

Li Yan glanced coldly: "Did Li Shimin kill his own brothers? You can say he was defending himself. If he didn't kill Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, he would have been killed by them. But what you said is just a speculation. In fact, Li Jiancheng and his brothers did not do so."

"The person who actually killed my brothers was Li Shimin. Killing my brothers is a fact. Shouldn't this kind of thing be investigated? Isn't this kind of thing beyond the teachings of the saints? Does Lord Fang think this kind of thing is in line with benevolence, morality and universal values?"

Li Yan had checked and found that although there were unofficial histories saying that Li Xuanba's death was related to Li Yuanji, and that the death of another son, Li Zhiyun, was related to Li Jiancheng, in fact, Li Xuanba was precocious but died young, and Li Zhiyun also fell into the hands of the Sui Dynasty after Li Yuan started his rebellion and was killed by Yin Shishi, the Minister of Justice of the Sui Dynasty.

The only person who actually killed his brothers was Li Shimin.

"But he is the emperor, and the emperor has the dignity of the emperor, which cannot be violated." Fang Xuanling's old face flushed red, but he couldn't care less at this time. Even if he angered Li Yan and was beheaded on the spot, he couldn't retreat. As a minister, he couldn't not fight, otherwise it would be a great sin.

"The emperor breaks the law and is guilty of the same crime as the common people."

Li Yan did not use his power to pressure others, but said calmly: "Besides, he is no longer the emperor. If I remember correctly, he had already abdicated at this time last year. The current emperor of the Tang Dynasty is Li Chengqian, not Li Shimin."

"As far as you are concerned, even the emperor emeritus is not as important as the emperor."

"From a personal point of view, killing one's brother is a heinous crime, in terms of the principles of heaven and humanity, morality, law and etiquette. If it happened to an ordinary person, he would be sentenced to death according to the law. Now he is only asked to issue a confession of guilt, and this is after he abdicated. This is already a leniency."

"Right is right, wrong is wrong. Just because he is the emperor, can we let it go?"

"If this case is not overturned, there will be no comfort to the souls of the heroes who died unjustly; if this crime is not resolved, there will be no way to restore the righteousness of heaven and earth; does it mean that one can do whatever he wants and be lawless just because he has great power and high status? If one is not upright, how can he win the hearts of the people?"

"Although I have been living on the grassland, I know the rules of propriety and justice. I want to tell the people of the world and future generations through this action. No matter how much power you hold, even if you are the king of a country, if you do something wrong, you must bear the responsibility."

"You will pay for what you have done sooner or later. No one can escape. You should think carefully before you do it."

Li Yan's words were not passionate, but they were powerful and thought-provoking, leaving Fang Xuanling speechless. He was speechless for a moment and felt bitter. He knew that what the other party said was reasonable, and even he agreed with it.

But from Li Shimin's point of view, this is absolutely unacceptable.

He had been the emperor for twenty years, and was once the Khan who had the power of all nations. Asking him to issue an edict of self-criticism would still touch the reverse scale of Xuanwu Gate. Fang Xuanling knew that if it were him, he would rather die than admit it.

Dou Dan and Li Dao Zong also had very complicated expressions. Looking closely, they could see a hint of admiration in the depths of their eyes. In fact, what the other party said was exactly what they wanted to say. They totally disagreed with the matter of Xuanwu Gate.

Li Shimin had set a very bad precedent, but this man who killed his brother and forced his father to be king was also a man of great talent and strategy, and he established a vast country. This unprecedented achievement undoubtedly silenced everyone, but it left a deep legacy.

This makes all people in later generations believe that no matter what means are used, as long as victory is achieved, the facts can be distorted and all dishonor can be covered up. Most people can be mean and shameless, ruthless and unrighteous, but they cannot achieve brilliant achievements.

Therefore, this example really makes people feel caught in a dilemma and feel extremely conflicted.

Future generations do not know whether to praise his unscrupulous means of ascending to power, or to despise his ruthlessness and fratricide, or whether he selected talented people for positions, was humble and open-minded, and accepted advice from all sides, thus creating the prosperous Zhenguan Era.

The three people in the tent felt somewhat guilty when they saw the righteous Li Yan. The radiant humanity in the other party made them feel ashamed.

I was even more shocked. I thought that the Right Wise King was a reckless man who didn't know etiquette, didn't understand benevolence and righteousness, relied on violence, and only knew how to kill. He was able to reach his current position only because of his good fortune. How could he be compared with the benevolent people who were influenced by poetry, books and etiquette in the Central Plains?

It now seems that they still know too little about each other.

Finally, Dou Dan came out to stop Fang Xuanling from arguing: "Li Yan is right. In this matter, Erlang was wrong. No one can distort this point. Although Erlang is an emperor, his personal gains and losses are not worth worrying about compared with the great way of heaven and earth and the well-being of countless people."

"I will try to persuade him, but I can't decide whether Erlang agrees or not. You know, his status determines that no one can force him unless he is willing."

"Haha, cousin, just tell him my conditions. It's up to him to decide." Li Yan smiled. "He conquered the Tang Dynasty with his own hands. Everything he did was for the Tang Dynasty. He could also use the high-sounding excuse of doing it for the people and the world. Now, let him issue an edict of guilt for the continuation of his rule."

"Sacrificing his own dignity will save the lives of the people of the world and the throne for future generations. It's a good deal."

"I know he is wronged, but no matter how wronged he is, he is not as wronged as Li Jiancheng, who lost his country and head and his entire family at Xuanwu Gate 20 years ago. Between losing face and losing the country, it's up to him to choose."

Merits are merits, and faults are faults. Li Shimin's achievements will shine through the ages and cannot be erased, but he should also face his own sins.

When Li Yan said the last sentence, he already had a cold murderous intent and deep gloom, which made the three people sitting there feel cold on their backs and their whole bodies. It was clearly a hot summer day outside, with the heat waves rolling, but it made people feel as if they were in a world of ice and snow.

Seeing the determined look on the other's face, there was no doubt that as long as Li Shimin did not agree, he would lead his troops south and destroy the Tang Dynasty.

Li Daozon has fought in battles all his life, and his murderous aura should not be underestimated. But today, in front of this newly recognized nephew, he was suppressed everywhere, and had to endure the feeling of being out of breath from time to time.

Li Dao Zong now had a clear understanding of the opponent's strength, which made him secretly admire him. The opponent was only in his thirties, but he had such a strong momentum. I don't know what kind of situation he had been through and how many people he had killed.

This is a strong man who has stood up from mountains of corpses and seas of blood countless times, with bones piled up like mountains under his hands and countless people killed.

"You mean we must pass it on, what's the second condition?" Li Dao Zong shook his head. Forget it, let the Li family handle their own affairs! I am only responsible for passing on the message, and I can't take care of other things.

Anyway, they are all members of the Li family. Even if they fight, who wins or loses will not affect his status.

"The hardest one is the first one. If you can do that one, the second one will be much easier."

Li Yan continued, "Let the emperor issue an edict to the world to prove my identity, and change Li Jiancheng's title from Prince of Xi to Prince of Tang, and posthumously confer the title of Princess of Tang on my biological mother. Place their tablets in the Imperial Ancestral Temple in a fair and open manner, and place them below Emperor Gaozu."

"The four seasons of sacrifice must not be neglected."

"In addition, I, as well as the concubines I married on the grassland, and all the children born to them, must be included in the royal family tree, with the first place being the legitimate son of the great ancestor."

"hiss"

The three of them gasped and their pupils shrank. They naturally knew what this meant. This was equivalent to completely overturning Li Jiancheng's case. At the same time, the other party also had the legal right of inheritance, and this title was before Li Shimin's lineage.

If Li Shimin agreed, his descendants would have to be wary of the Right Wise King's lineage moving south and seizing the throne.

It's impossible to be a tyrant.

This was like putting a tiger behind one's back. From then on, the rulers and ministers of the Tang Dynasty dared not slack off. They had to work diligently to maintain the strength of the Tang Dynasty and always intimidate the grasslands so that they would not dare to move south.

Although the Central Plains had always been on guard against nomadic migrations from the north, they were not that worried, especially the emperor who was in the deep palace in the hinterland. Historically, when the Hu people went south, it was the common people who suffered, and they did not pose a threat to the high-ranking meat-eaters.

Now, the pressure is directly put on the core.

Unless the Tang Dynasty rises up and directly sends troops to exterminate the lineage of the Right Wise King on the grassland, future Tang monarchs will be unable to sleep or eat, and will be restless day and night.

Li Yan also smiled slightly. This was the situation he wanted. Since the agricultural dynasty and the nomadic people were two civilizations with different ecosystems, they would complement and counteract each other. So let them each return to their own position and set up an irreconcilable contradiction.

Using contradictions to push both sides forward, neither side should slack off. The best outcome, of course, is the prosperity of the East, which will dominate Europe and Asia.

Since ancient times, when a country prospers, the people suffer; when a country perishes, the people suffer. Why? Because the people are at the bottom of society and are the most useless.

Once the people are useful, the rulers will relax their enslavement and oppression of the people, and instead win them over and appease them. They will even use their greatest efforts to win the hearts of the people, unite all forces, and fight against foreign enemies together.

Throughout the dynasties, whenever the court and the people were of one mind, it was always when dealing with foreign enemies.

When did the dynasty begin to lose its loyalty and decline? It was when the dynasty was at its peak and had no strong enemies. When there were no enemies and the people were useless, they would be trampled on at will, and their own people would become enemies.

When you fight against yourself, how can you not fail?

This is not subject to human will, nor does it depend on anyone's character or morality. Even if Confucius and Mencius became emperors, they could not change it. This is the law of nature, and it is the same not only in human society, but also in the animal world.

(End of this chapter)