Datang: Rebirth of Li Chengqian, the beginning of the treason interrogation

Chapter 235 Li Zhi's Art of Controlling People

At this time, Li Zhi's unique imperial skills gradually came to light.

There are huge differences between people, and the emperors, as the rulers of a country, have their own strengths in governing people.

Although Li Zhi's way of governing people was inherited from his father Li Shimin, the difference between them is obvious.

As the founding emperor of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin's power is unmatched. When facing the civil and military officials in the court, his words alone can produce a strong deterrent effect.

According to historical records, Li Shimin has always been known for his humility in accepting advice.

However, in reality, this wise and capable monarch was extremely domineering at heart, and his so-called patience and forbearance were only relative to specific situations.

Take the matter of forcibly revising the clan records for example. Even though it caused dissatisfaction among various forces and even led to war, Li Shimin was still able to make decisions decisively and suppress all opposition voices with his absolute authority.

He uses his power to suppress others and is extremely powerful.

In contrast, since Li Zhi's path to the throne was full of controversy and his own power was insufficient, he had to find another way and choose a relatively gentler and more peaceful imperial method to control his ministers.

Therefore, he cleverly adopted the move of delegating power, so that the officials in the court could form a situation of mutual restraint and checks and balances among each other.

In this way, he could sit firmly in the core position of power with peace of mind, overlooking the people of the world leisurely, like a wise man fishing in rivers, lakes and seas, controlling the overall situation without making a fuss.

Just like him now, facing a powerful enemy, he closed the palace to avoid remonstrance.

He acted like a fool.

In fact, he controls the rise and fall of the universe.

If he did not intervene, no one could stop Fang Xuanling's arrangements.

If anything goes wrong, it will be the fault of Fang Xuanling and his companions.

For a king, everyone in the world is a chess piece and anyone can be discarded.

The greatest success of a king is to know how to use people well, and what he needs to master is the art of controlling people.

Rather than any achievements in martial arts or literature.

It is indeed good to have martial arts literature, which is a plus.

When talking about Li Shimin, people's first impression is that he is a wise ruler who is open to advice.

Few people know that Li Shimin was also a master calligrapher.

In the world of today, only Yu Shinan can rival him.

Under the reflection of the emperor's identity, other abilities also seem to be as they should be.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is ill and will not attend the morning court today."

A eunuch stood on the towering top of Xuanwu Gate, and the loud voice spread.

For a moment, the ministers who had been standing quietly in front of the palace gate waiting to attend court suddenly became noisy, like a swarm of bees that had been disturbed.

Everyone began to whisper to each other, discussing this sudden change in low voices.

"Duke Liang, let's go!"

The several important officials standing at the front of the queue looked at each other solemnly, then turned and left without hesitation. Their steps were steady, as if they had their own unique understanding and judgment of what was happening before their eyes.

For these old foxes who have been in the officialdom for many years, they naturally understand the profound meaning contained in this.

The way to survive is to see through some things but not speak them out.

Many ministers have already realized that their seemingly gentle and refined Crown Prince is by no means an ordinary person.

Xuanwu Gate is the throat of the imperial city and the most important place. Unless there are special circumstances, no one is allowed to stay here for too long.

Soon, the ministers dispersed.

"Your Highness, why don't you go to the morning court today?"

A clear and melodious voice came from behind Li Zhi, with a hint of doubt and worry.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince has just assumed the throne. If he behaves like this, he will probably be criticized by those ministers who advise him!"

The voice continued, softly,

Hearing the voice, Li Zhi looked back and saw Wu Meier, who was carefully dressed up, walking towards him in the first rays of morning sunshine.

She was wearing a gorgeous brocade dress, the hem of which fluttered in the wind, like a fairy descending to earth.

Under the reflection of the golden light, Wu Meir's delicate and beautiful face looked even brighter and more charming, as charming as a blooming peach blossom.

The faint blush on her cheeks added a touch of maturity to her.

A married woman always makes people fall in love with her.

"Could it be that something unexpected has happened in the war outside the city?"

Wu Meir's face suddenly changed and she asked in slight surprise. Her eyes, which were originally full of affection, were instantly filled with worry.

"There were indeed some unexpected situations. All the troops that were sent out for a surprise attack were blocked outside the city. The troops left in Chang'an are already stretched thin. If the rebels take the opportunity to attack the city, I don't know if we can hold on to the city defense."

Li Zhi's tone was steady, without any sign of panic.

His heart was as deep as the sea. Even Wu Meir could hardly detect Li Zhi's true emotional fluctuations from his expression.

"Your Highness, you are so calm and composed. I guess you must have already planned a response plan in your mind, right?"

Wu Mei'er said softly, and at the same time reached out and gently opened the lid of the food box beside her, only to see dishes of exquisite dishes neatly arranged inside.

She carefully took out the delicacies one by one, and then placed them gracefully on the exquisitely carved jade table.

Li Zhi shook his head slightly and replied with a wry smile:
"What can I do? I just don't want to worry about it. Besides, I'm not very good at military affairs."

In terms of military ability, he did not inherit Li Shimin's amazing talent.

However, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.

Although Li Zhi was not good at military affairs, there was no problem in preventing him from taking charge of the overall situation.

He has his own unique way of doing things, which is to fully trust and delegate power to professional talents.

After all, every profession has its own expertise, and it is wisest to let professionals handle what they are good at.

This is the purest way of being a king.

Looking back at the time when Li Zhi was emperor, it seems that he did not do anything outstanding.

But during his period, the Tang Dynasty's territory reached its largest, and all nations came to pay tribute and offer sacrifices to the gods at Mount Tai.

It seems that many major events have little to do with him, but his shadow is everywhere.

This is his unique way of controlling people. It seems to be inaction, but in fact it is very effective.

"The problem of manpower is not that difficult to solve."

Wu Mei'er's eyes turned, and she seized the opportunity to speak softly and leisurely.

At this moment, she looked calm and composed, her manners were elegant and graceful, and she looked very natural.

However, only she herself knew that such opportunities to display her talents and offer advice in front of Li Zhi were extremely rare.

It is so precious to her!

It is said that beauty is fleeting and time is unforgiving.

It is simply impossible to gain the king's favor for a long time by relying on your beautiful appearance.

Even though she now has a stunning beauty, she can ultimately not defeat the ruthless butcher knife of time.

Therefore, Wu Mei'er knew very well that if she wanted to stay by Li Zhi's side safely, she had to demonstrate extraordinary abilities.

Otherwise, after several years, when one's own beauty gradually fades, how can one compete with those 17 or 18-year-old girls who are in their prime and look charming and stunning?

"Oh? Auntie, you are so confident, could it be that you have a brilliant plan in mind?"

When Li Zhi heard this, his originally fiery gaze instantly became even more fiery, and he looked at Wu Mei'er expectantly. Facing Li Zhi's burning gaze, Wu Mei'er smiled, as beautiful as a peach blossom blooming in spring:
"Your Highness, I'm afraid you are a forgetful person! Think about it, what kind of place is Chang'an City? I may not be able to boast about other things, but these people are really too numerous to count! As long as Your Highness issues an imperial decree, I believe it won't take long before you can easily gather a hundred thousand strong troops."

"Yes! Yes! How could I not have thought of that? Hahaha..."

Li Zhi suddenly burst into laughter.

However, Wu Meir, who was standing aside, keenly noticed that although Li Zhi looked so excited on the surface.

But in fact, she could feel that deep down Li Zhi was not as excited as he appeared.

The whole city is full of soldiers, this is not a mysterious strategy.

Even an ordinary person who knows nothing about military affairs can probably easily think of this method.

As a precocious prince, could Li Zhi really not have thought of it?

The answer is obviously no.

Just as Wu Meir thought, Li Zhi already had a plan to deal with it.

Chang'an City is home to hundreds of thousands of permanent residents, and even in its most prosperous period, its population reached millions.

It is definitely not that easy for a hundred thousand soldiers to break through the high and thick walled city of Chang'an.

At this moment, Li Zhi smiled and looked at Wu Mei'er beside him, his eyes revealing sincere admiration without disguising:

"Sister Auntie, you are truly a person of both talent and beauty! It's a pity that you could come up with such a brilliant plan."

His eyes stayed on the woman's pretty face, without any evil intentions.

The deep gaze made Wu Meir feel uneasy.

"Thank you for the compliment, His Royal Highness!"

Wu Mei'er bowed slightly and said in a tender voice. Her white face, as white as mutton-fat jade, always had a faint smile on it, just like the most beautiful peony flower blooming in spring.

However, it felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her chest, making it extremely difficult to breathe.

The powerful aura emanating from the Crown Prince in front of her completely suppressed her.

This strong feeling of oppression was even heavier than when she faced Li Shimin before.

Wu Mei'er felt like a small boat in a storm, which could be completely swallowed up by the raging waves at any time.

"If I don't understand something in the future, I will have to trouble my aunt and sister."

Li Zhi withdrew his intimidating gaze.

"It is my honor to be able to share your highness's worries."

Wu Meir was more than happy about this.

She didn't know that from then on, her political career had already begun.

And Li Zhi obviously also needed a trustworthy sharp blade to deal with things that he could not deal with directly.

Due to their own reasons, the two rely on each other.

There are political reasons, but also the special feelings between them.

However, Li Shimin, who was wearing a high hat, was completely unaware of this.

Otherwise, the breath he was holding on to would be taken away by anger.

"Jingde, is there any news from Chang'an?"

A mansion in Lingzhou City is heavily guarded by the Black Armor Army.

Ordinary people are absolutely not allowed to get close to here.

As time went by, Li Shimin's illness became more serious.

This also became top secret, and the only people who knew the inside story were those closest to Li Shimin.

"Your Majesty, not yet. It seems that Zhang Liang has been blocked outside. Your Majesty is well aware of the ability of that traitor. What kind of big waves can he make?"

"Besides, old man Li Yaoshi is also in Chang'an City. Your Majesty just needs to be at ease."

Yuchi Jingde snorted and laughed.

"Oh, Your Majesty, we have received a report from the front. Su Dingfang and Zhishishili have joined forces to defeat the main force of Xueyantuo. They are still chasing Duomi Khan. I believe it won't be long before the Xueyantuo disaster can be completely quelled."

Yuchi Jingde continued to speak, only reporting good news and not bad news.

Li Shimin's current situation is such that he cannot bear any stimulation.

"Okay, our Tang army will certainly be able to conquer any enemy."

Li Shimin was in a very good mood, and the stone in his heart finally fell.

As for Zhang Liang's rebellion, he actually didn't take it seriously.

Before, he was only worried about Su Dingfang and Zhishisili.

Before they surrendered to him, these two men were the leading figures of a warlord group.

There is no need to say much about Su Dingfang, he is a general that both Dou Jiande and Liu Heita rely on.

Zhishisili was the right-hand man of Jie Li Khan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

The two men are not only familiar with military affairs, but also understand local governance.

If the two of them joined forces, it would be a headache.

Zhang Liang, then I can only laugh.

Among the many generals under Li Shimin, whose performance on the battlefield was not more outstanding than Zhang Liang?
"Your Majesty, how should we appease the Xueyantuo tribe?"

"From time to time, tribes of the northern nomadic peoples will rise up and become a threat to our Tang Dynasty. From the Eastern Turks to the current Xueyantuo, it has only been a dozen years. There is no guarantee that another tribe will not appear in the future to complete the unification of the north and become a hidden danger again."

Li Zhi was still young.

Li Chengqian's expression was unclear.

Li Shimin's time is running out.

Yuchi Jingde couldn't help but worry about the fate of the Tang Dynasty and wanted to ask Li Shimin for advice.

At the same time, it is also conveying a certain meaning implicitly.

Cut the grass at its roots and avoid future troubles.

"Jingde, didn't I tell you about how to deal with Xueyantuo a long time ago?"

"We cannot kill too much. Instead, it will arouse the generations of hatred between the Tang Dynasty and the northern ethnic groups. Only by winning people over with virtue can we ensure long-term peace and stability in the border areas."

Li Shimin shook his head. He had his own thoughts.

To use force to suppress the enemy and to defeat the enemy without fighting is the overall strategic layout of the Tang Dynasty today. The situation of the entire Tang Dynasty cannot be affected by the Xueyantuo.

Even if we want to kill them, I'm afraid we won't be able to kill them all.

"Order Su Dingfang, Zhang Jian, and the troops of Zhishisili to treat the prisoners well, and not to bury them alive. Only the ringleaders should be executed, and the others should be treated leniently."

Li Shimin said again with concern.

He knew the characters of his generals very well, and none of them was merciful.

Moreover, most people have the same idea as Yuchi Jingde, which is to kill them all to eliminate future troubles.

"Your Majesty is a man of long-term vision, unlike us who only know how to wield weapons and sticks."

"Your Majesty, take a good rest. I will go and pass on the message."

After Yuchi Jingde comforted Li Shimin to sleep, he left in a hurry.

(End of this chapter)