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

Chapter 664 Li Yan's Wisdom

Li Shimin also knew some of the history of the Three Kingdoms period, but he had not read it in detail. Which part did the prince want to talk about and what kind of meaning did it contain? This made Li Shimin look forward to the next conversation even more. He didn't even open his mouth, but nodded, indicating that Li Yan could speak freely.

Li Yan picked up the teacup and took a sip to moisten his throat. He said calmly, "During the Three Kingdoms period, Emperor Zhaolie of Han, Duke Xuande Liu Bei, had two sworn brothers when he was young and down and out. They were his second brother Guan Yu and his third brother Zhang Fei."

"The three brothers supported each other and never left each other. After years of struggle, they finally conquered Jingzhou and became local heroes."

"Later, he got his military advisor Zhuge Kongming. Under Kongming's advice, in order to expand his power, Liu Bei handed over the base of Jingzhou to his second brother Guan Yu to guard. He led his army to the west to conquer Bashu and established the Western Shu regime, which stood on equal footing with Sun Wu in Jiangdong and Cao Cao in the north, controlling one third of the world."

After briefly introducing the background of the story, and seeing Li Shimin nod in agreement, Li Yan continued, "Later, they conquered Hanzhong. At that time, all the officials believed that Liu Bei had two sworn brothers, Guan Yu guarded Jingxiang, so Hanzhong must be given to the third brother Zhang Fei to guard."

"Even Zhang Fei thought so, and was full of confidence and prepared to pack his bags and go out to guard the area. But in the end, after comprehensive consideration, Liu Bei ordered Wei Yan, who came from the Jingxiang forces, to guard Hanzhong."

"At that time, Liu Bei's forces were mainly composed of three parts. The first was the core force represented by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who Liu Bei had spent many years fighting for and wasting half his life on until his death. The second was the Jingxiang forces represented by Zhuge Liang, Wei Yan, and Huang Zhong after he conquered Jingxiang. The third was the local forces that had just joined forces in Xichuan. "

“Those in Hanzhong are not included.”

At this point, Li Shimin's eyes jumped slightly, as if he understood what the prince wanted to express, but he still did not speak.

Li Yan had no choice but to continue explaining: "When this order was issued, all the ministers were surprised. Zhang Fei couldn't understand it at all. He drank wine at home all day and even complained when he was drunk, implying that he blamed Liu Bei for not being loyal to his brotherhood."

"Zhang Fei is a reckless man. Naturally, he thinks that among the three sworn brothers, the eldest brother has become the ruler of Western Shu, and the second brother guards the Jingxiang area. Naturally, Hanzhong should be handed over to him. As the saying goes, brothers fight tigers together, and fathers and sons fight in battle."

"But Zhuge Military Advisor came to persuade him, saying that they were brothers in the past and are now the monarch and his subject. The former elder brother is now the monarch of half of the southwest. He cannot only care about his two sworn brothers, but also many more ministers and forces who have surrendered to him, as well as countless people, all of whom are Liu Bei's subjects."

"When Liu Bei conquered Xichuan, he was only the lord of Jingxiang. It was understandable that he appointed his trusted second brother to guard Jingxiang, and no one could say anything. But the Jingxiang generals who followed Liu Bei to attack Xichuan also hoped to be loyal to the monarch, and then make achievements and have their wives and children honored."

“If Hanzhong is handed over to the sworn brothers to guard again, people’s hearts will be dispersed. They will think Liu Bei is nepotism and rewards people based on their closeness instead of merit. Then the two sworn brothers who followed Liu Bei the earliest have been rewarded, and there are still Mi Zhu, Jian Yong, Sun Qian and others.”

"Then came the generals from Jingzhou. Those from Xichuan were even less likely to make the list. The rest had nothing to eat. The newly surrendered forces from Hanzhong were even further away."

"If this happens, Liu Bei's kingdom will collapse in an instant."

"After Zhuge Kongming's explanation, the third brother Zhang Fei finally understood that the eldest brother is the emperor, but the emperor is not just the eldest brother. The emperor must put the country first and treat all his subjects equally without partiality. Only in this way can he unite all the forces that can be united to the greatest extent possible and restore the Han Dynasty."

Li Yan bowed his hands and said, "Emperor Zhaolie of Han is only the ruler of a small corner of the southwest, while father is the emperor of the nine provinces and ten thousand places. He is more talented, wise and intelligent. I believe that father will make a proper decision!"

When Li Shimin heard this, he completely understood what the prince meant. He couldn't help but secretly cheer in his heart, overjoyed, looking at his eldest son as if he were a treasure. With such wisdom, even if he was not his own son, as a minister, he would be a talent for the prime minister's office!
The prince not only used historical allusions to express his own opinions and inclinations, but also did not dwell on details such as the talents, bravery and loyalty of Yuchi Gong and Cheng Yaojin. He considered the issue in a very broad perspective and was able to look at the appointment and removal of a general from the perspective of the balance of different factions and the stability of the power in the court.

This is exactly the vision and pattern that an emperor should possess. It is rare for such a young person to have such a broad perspective. How could I not have such a broad perspective at my age?

Li Shimin himself knew that the army was actually divided into three factions. The Nine Generals of Xuanwu Gate were the core of the core. Over the years, each of them held great power, shouldered important responsibilities, guarded a part, and was relied upon by Li Shimin as his arms.

The second group is the former generals of the Prince of Qin's Palace who did not participate in the Xuanwu Gate Incident. Some of these people were sick and unemployed at home, some were guarding local areas, and some were sent to border towns. Generally speaking, they had fallen out of favor, but they still held some military power.

The third group is the generals who were left behind by Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji but did not participate in the rebellion, as well as some members of the Li royal family who were not close to him, and some major families in Guanlong who did not take sides. Most of these people had titles but no titles, and were in name only. They were considered to be hollowed out by him, but the number of these people was the largest and they were almost everywhere.

The prince was reminding himself tactfully that he should not rely too much on the Nine Generals of Xuanwu Gate. They were made of iron, and no matter how capable they were, they could only hit a few nails. If they were assigned to guard a large state, they would not be able to gather enough people now. Being too close to them was actually artificially creating a sense of closeness and distance, and in disguise pushing the people from the two factions behind them away. After all, he was the emperor of the people of the world, not just the emperor of the Nine Generals. He had to win over and unite the vast majority of forces in order to control the court.

I didn't expect that the prince, as a bystander, could see the problem clearly, which I just thought of. It's really not easy!

Even Fang Xuanling had not reminded himself of this, which showed that he had underestimated the prince's talent.

During the Three Kingdoms period, there was a saying, "If I had a son, I would hope he would be like Sun Zhongmou." Now, I, Li Shimin, also have a son who is as talented as Sun Zhongmou.

Li Shimin's heart was so happy at this moment that he seemed to explode. His eldest son had such talent and would surely succeed to the throne. He, the father who had fought alone, finally saw some hope. God had not let him, Li Shimin, down.

Li Shimin now breathed a sigh of relief from the bottom of his heart. Ever since he came to power through iron and blood at Xuanwu Gate, the world only saw his glory as the ruler of the world. But God knew that he was afraid that others would follow his example, so he was worried all day long and dared not trust anyone.

He was afraid that if something unexpected happened to him, his sons would not be able to control the situation. Once they lost the imperial power, his branch would be despised by the world, and even the Li Shi royal family would not forgive him. All his wives and children, as long as they were his blood, would be killed as a warning to those who committed treason.

Now I see my son growing up, with wisdom and vision beyond my expectations. If I continue to train him, he will definitely not lose to me in the future. If there are two generations to take over, the world will be stable and will not repeat the mistakes of the Sui Dynasty.

This was the first day after Li Shimin arrived at Xuanwu Gate that he felt that he was not alone and that there were people to succeed him.

Looking at the young prince standing respectfully in front of the imperial desk with his hands clasped and his head lowered, Li Shimin suppressed his excitement and took a few deep breaths, slowly putting away the light in his eyes.

After a long while, Li Shimin regained his sanity and dignity as an emperor, nodded with satisfaction, controlled his tone, and said calmly: "Well, I understand what you mean. I am very relieved that you can see this."

"However, you should not be too proud. The court has to consider many aspects and take all factors into consideration when appointing a military commander. It is not as simple as you think. It is rare for you to have such insight and think of these things at your age."

"I will consider this matter comprehensively!"

"Although the Yongtong Canal is now open to navigation, some finishing works need to be done. We cannot be careless. The rainstorms in summer are even more severe. Take this opportunity to inspect the 300-mile canal in Guannei Road. Repair what needs to be repaired and reinforce what needs to be reinforced to prevent it from being washed away again in the next rain."

"Also, you have to continue to manage the food transportation between the border and the capital. Once the war begins, the food supply is of utmost importance. If the front line runs out of food, I will hold you accountable."

Li Shimin had a stern face and, with the mentality that good soldiers need more training and good iron needs more beatings, suppressed Li Yan's arrogance, told him to be humble and not to be impatient, to keep up the good work, and after giving him a few words of advice, sent Li Yan away.

Li Yan had a look of fear and trepidation on his face. After leaving Chengqing Palace, he thought about what he had just said and how Li Shimin would react. In the end, his expression remained unchanged, but a slight smile appeared in his eyes. This matter was probably settled.
The next day, there was a court meeting in Taiji Hall!

The second day of the first and fifteenth day of every month is a grand court meeting. All officials, big and small, in the capital must attend, and the number of people often reaches several hundred. It is said to be a political discussion, but in fact it is just an announcement of important matters in the court. All departments are involved, and the main purpose is to enforce discipline, supervise work attitudes, and look forward to a better future.

This kind of court meeting is usually a victory meeting and a unity meeting, which mainly reflects the emperor's majesty and strengthens the support of officials for the court. There is no specific discussion session.

Ordinary court meetings were for discussions, and only officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital, as well as heads of departments, the Censor-in-Chief, Deputy Directors, and Taichang Doctors, were required to attend to discuss important matters of the court. Even officials without personal responsibilities could ask for leave and be absent.

If it was a more important matter, Li Shimin would summon several important officials from the prime minister's office to Chengqing Hall to discuss it.

(End of this chapter)