Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 400: The Shura Field of Two Old Men

The dragon boat docked steadily.

Amid the cheers of countless people, the hot man and his follower slowly walked down the gangway and waved to the welcoming crowd with a smile on their faces.

"Your Majesty, we love you!"

There is only one sun in the eyes of the crazy Ming fan, and he looks down on his followers.

No one paid any attention to the fact that among the "followers" there was an old man who was paralyzed and needed the support of a servant.

Where did this old man come from? Is he worthy of following our Majesty Li Ming, and following him so closely?

However, those present to welcome His Majesty included not only common people, but also officials of all ranks of the Ming government.

Their emotions are much more complicated than those of ordinary people.

Because most of the officials were former officials of the Tang Dynasty, they knew the old man who had suffered hemiplegia due to a stroke.

Behind His Majesty Li Ming, to whom they swore eternal allegiance, was His Majesty Li Shimin, to whom they once swore eternal allegiance.

Two suns are in the sky.

After changing jobs, I found that the new boss and the old boss were chatting and laughing in the company. It was such an embarrassing scene.

After all, we all learned from the books of Confucius and Mencius, so we should have some shame.

But what you fear will come true.

As soon as Li Ming and his party got off the boat, His Majesty Li Shimin bowed to the ministers with great enthusiasm:
"How are you all? Hey, isn't this the uncle of the Tang Dynasty, Chang Sun? Are you used to living in the Ming Dynasty?"

The sarcasm was overflowing.

He had reason to be ridiculed.

Old Li is very familiar with these old faces in the audience: from Changsun Wuji onwards, Yang Shidao, Cui Renshi, Xiao Yu...

Who is not his guest of honor in Taiji Palace, and who does not eat Tang Lu’s food?

My goodness, they all jumped over to the other side!

I wonder how many pounds of the stones that were mercilessly smashed onto the walls of Jinyang came from you beasts in human clothing!

Except for his elementary school buddies such as Changsun Yan, Yuchi Xunyu, Fang Yize, and a few tough characters like the born rebellious Hou Junji, all the dignitaries who came to receive the ship looked ashamed and embarrassed.

Changsun Wuji, who was hit accurately, was so ashamed that he wanted to dive into the sea and escape from the Shura field between his former and current lover.

But he couldn't run away, or even step back a little and hide behind someone.

Because he was the highest-ranking leader present, he stood in the most conspicuous place, enduring the death gaze from his predecessor.

The poor uncle dared not move, and could only use his toes to silently dig at the two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment, hoping that the reporters and historians present would be lenient and not put him in the center of "The Story of Two Officials"...

Of course, in addition to the problem of face, you also encountered another more difficult and more realistic problem -

His Majesty Li Shimin greeted them. It is only right that they should return the greeting, right?

But how should we address each other?
Li Shimin was not only their former leader, but also their current rival and the biological father of their current leader.

The contradictions are both opposing and unified, and the relationship is so tortuous and complicated that they don't even know what attitude they should have towards each other.

Friendly, hostile, or neutral?

This inevitably involves the extremely complex relationship of unity in opposition between the Ming and Tang dynasties and the two regimes.

It’s so difficult!
Naturally, everyone's micro-expressions could not escape Li Shimin's keen eyes.

He was very proud and twirled his goatee smugly.

This difficult question was his way of showing warning to the people in Tangzhou.

Let them use their brains and lose face.

Humph, who told them to be disloyal and hang out with that guy Li Ming!

Li Ming saw it and couldn't help but hold his forehead in his hand.

Why is this Mr. Bear so naughty?

During this period of time, he discovered that his father Lao Li's temperament had changed drastically and was full of evil tastes.

Is it a sequela of a stroke? Or has Mr. Li succeeded in refining the elixir and regained his youth?

His character is almost overlapping with mine!

"Cough cough."

Li Ming coughed lightly and rescued his subordinates first.

"This is my father, His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus of our dynasty.

"Because of his poor health and the instigation of evil people, he mistakenly sided with the reactionary side.

"Now they have come to their senses and returned to the people's side."

He emphasized the five words "the Supreme Emperor of our dynasty".

In just one sentence, His Majesty Li Shimin's historical status was determined.

All mistakes in old age are the fault of illness and "evil people" whose existence is questionable.

Regardless of whether Li Shimin himself believed it or not, his ministers believed it anyway, and immediately shouted long live the two suns:

"Your Majesty, the Emperor, Your Majesty the Retired Emperor."

The title issue, which was neither big nor small, was solved easily by His Majesty Li Ming.

All the ministers silently chanted "Long live His Majesty" three times in their hearts.

If His Majesty had not stepped in to rescue them, they would not know how to survive this Shura field.

"Hmm? Where did this traitor come from? You make me sound like a foolish king who can be easily deceived."

Li Shimin grumbled unhappily, but didn't say anything else.

All that is in the past. There is no need to worry about whether old employees are loyal or whether they will change jobs.

There is no point in worrying about it. Xiao Li is the emperor now and Lao Li has no say.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty the Retired Emperor. Empress Dowager Yang, Crown Prince Yin, Prince Jin, Princess Jinyang, and all the princes, princesses, and imperial concubines are waiting for you at the palace."

Changsun Wuji cheered up again and introduced himself to the two suns respectfully and calmly.

Although the Ming Dynasty was more open than the Tang Dynasty, there were no restrictions on the entry and exit of women in the palace.

But the guest should follow the host's wishes.

In order to avoid giving His Majesty the Emperor some major "Ming Dynasty shock", Empress Dowager Yang, who had appeared in newspapers countless times, decided to observe the feudal code of conduct for women today and avoid showing up in public.

As for the other princes and princesses, they were royal family in name but captives in reality, so there was nothing wrong with them staying in the palace in an orderly manner.

Therefore, the specifications of "picking up" for the boss this time were correct, and basically everyone was there.

Except for one person.

Li Ming saw it but did not ask about it on the spot.

After the (forced) grand welcoming ceremony ended, the group finally squeezed through the crazy fans.

Before getting on the bus, Li Ming fanned his right hand, which was almost swollen from shaking hands with the people, and asked Changsun Wuji, who was accompanying him, in a low voice:
"Where's Fang Xuanling?"

As the chief civilian officer, he is indispensable.

However, this matter is not convenient to ask in public, as it will affect the onlookers' view of the Ming Dynasty court.

Chang Sun Wuji replied softly:

"Prime Minister Fang is ill and unable to attend. He asked me to convey his apologies to you."

"My father-in-law is sick?" Li Ming suddenly became a little nervous.

The possibility that Lao Fang is faking illness and not leaving the house is almost zero, there is no such reason.

He was really sick, so sick that he couldn't leave the house.

This is not a good thing for an elderly person... "What happened? Why did Fang Xiang fall ill? Has he seen a doctor? How is he now?" Li Ming asked a series of questions with concern.

"There's nothing serious wrong with Fang Xiang. He just had a poor appetite and was worried. He fainted while working. The doctor told him to stay in bed and rest." Changsun Wuji answered fluently.

At that time, when he hurriedly called a doctor, who took the prime minister's pulse and made a diagnosis, and came to the conclusion that "the prime minister fainted from hunger", he almost fainted from anger.

You old man, did I starve you or what? As the chief who is second only to the emperor and above ten thousand people, how could you really faint from hunger? !
If this matter gets out, our Ming Dynasty will become a laughing stock of the international community!

"Eat little but do much..."

Li Ming repeated this sentence in a low voice. He was not as relaxed as Changsun Wuji.

Having a lot to do but eating little is not a good sign.

Prime Minister Zhuge was in roughly this state before the Autumn Wind at Wuzhangyuan.

He wasn't asked to beat three books with one book, so why would Mr. Fang devote himself to this?
"I want to go visit him, right now." Emperor Li Ming issued the first decree after returning to the capital.

When Fang Xuanling fell ill, he was more worried than anyone else.

Because Prime Minister Fang was his right-hand man and the ballast of the Ming Dynasty's internal affairs.

Li Ming can go out and have fun with peace of mind, all thanks to Prime Minister Fang who stays in Beijing to take charge of the work.

If Fang Xuanling stopped performing his duties, it would be like a major earthquake in the Ming officialdom, breaking the delicate balance that Li Ming had skillfully managed.

Not only that, Fang Xuanling was both a teacher and a friend to Li Ming. The relationship between the two - although Emperor Li Shimin disagreed with it - had long transcended the traditional friendship between the monarch and his subjects.

"As you wish. Prime Minister Fang is recuperating in his own residence."

Changsun Wuji answered very fluently, without asking His Majesty to return to the palace to rest first, as if he had already expected His Majesty Li Ming to make such a request.

"go!"

Li Ming was about to jump onto the dragon chariot, but he saw Changsun Wuji looking behind him.

The somewhat avoidable "Mr. Bear" Emperor Li Shimin also followed.

Before Li Ming spoke, Li Shimin spoke first:
"Fang Xuanling and I have known each other for decades, so I will go with you to visit as well."

Changsun Wuji subconsciously looked at His Majesty Li Ming.

Li Ming nodded:
"Go together."

…………

The emperors and fathers of the world and the fathers of the emperors and fathers rode in the same carriage, accompanied by Changsun Wuji.

There were two suns in the car, which made Chang Sunxiang sweat profusely. He huddled in a corner and dared not speak.

Li Shimin smiled and twirled his beard, observing with interest his brother-in-law who wished he could escape underground.

Changsun Wuji felt uncomfortable being stared at and cast an earnest look at Emperor Li Ming.

But Li Ming did not pay attention to his cry for help. He looked absent-mindedly at the street scene outside the window, tapping his fingers anxiously on the window frame.

The disorganized sounds were just like his confused state of mind.

Even if we put aside the emotional factors, Fang Xuanling was extremely important to him and almost irreplaceable.

After being enlightened by His Majesty Li Shimin, Li Ming did think about the domestic political situation.

The result is that you don’t know until you think about it, and you’ll be shocked when you think about it.

The political situation in the Ming Dynasty... to put it in a high emotional intelligence way, it was simply "a hundred flowers blooming."

There are the "Xiaoxue Party" represented by Changsun Yan and others, the "Fourteen Parties" represented by Hou Junji, the "Chang'an Party" thrown over by Xiao Yu and others during the period when Li Ming was regent, the Hebei Party represented by Cui Mingan and other members of the Qinghe Cui family, and so on.

There are also two giant factions: Zhangsun Wuji's "Uncle of the King Party" and the "Empress Dowager Party" composed of Yang and her distant cousin Yang Shidao.

Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes. There are no factions in China, and all kinds of strange things happen.

The various forces are interdependent, and there is both unity and cooperation as well as struggle and restraint, and they are engaged in an extremely complex game with each other.

At the center of this turbulent vortex, Chief Fang Xuanling sat in charge, keeping the various parties from fighting each other and assisting Li Ming in maintaining political stability.

Even though the Ming Dynasty is full of talented people, no one can replace Lao Fang's role in uniting the various internal interest groups.

This role requires both skilled political skills and a detached political position.

As for extremely high IQ and EQ, they are the basic entry requirements.

Changsun Wuji has such ability, but as the last important official to arrive, his "status" in the Ming Dynasty is far inferior to his.

Hou Junji’s status is barely within reach, but his character flaws are too great and his emotional intelligence is clearly insufficient.

Li Jing is too old and too lazy, while the children like Chang Sun Yan still have a lot of time to grow up.

As for other ministers, they were far inferior.

Not to mention Fang Xuanling's own outstanding business capabilities. In addition to balancing various domestic forces, he can also play the role of "general manager" well, providing a solid material foundation for Li Mingtian's imaginative ideas.

"I've used up the entire card pool, but I didn't expect the best one to be the five-star old man I got for the first deposit of six yuan..."

Li Ming muttered to himself.

…………

The driver whipped the dragon chariot, which was originally used for ceremonial purposes, and it seemed to be running at a high speed.

The vehicle drove along the Luan River, passed through a quiet garden in the midst of a bustling city, and stopped steadily at the gate of a spacious and luxurious courtyard.

This is the prime minister's residence.

Unlike the simplified version of the "Imperial Palace", the mansions of the important officials are almost one-to-one replicas of their official residences in Chang'an.

As "talent security housing".

Of course, the ministers were very clear-headed and would never dare to allow their residents to have higher standards than the emperor. They all petitioned to reduce their land to avoid being guilty of usurpation.

Li Ming set an example by freeing up a large piece of land for real estate development in the capital and collecting a large amount of land transfer fees.

However, despite its slight reduction in size, the size of Fang Xiang's mansion is still the largest in the capital, and its area is almost equal to that of the imperial palace.

This shows how much Li Ming values ​​his father-in-law.

"Your Majesty? There are two more... I will report them immediately!"

The gatekeeper was a little confused. Just as he was about to enter the house to pull the dead old man out of the bed, he was pushed back to his original position.

"No need, I'll go in by myself!"

Li Ming stepped through the gate, took two steps at a time, and ran straight to where Fang Xuanling was staying.

When he got there, he opened the door and shouted:
"Father!"

Fang Xuanling was half lying down drinking porridge while being served by his servants. He was frightened by the noise and his hands started shaking, spilling the porridge all over himself.

"Ahhh!"

"Father, what's wrong with you?" Li Ming was shocked.

Fang Xuanling: "..."

…………

"I should have dragged my dying body to the port to greet the emperor, but the doctor would not allow it. I also recalled that Your Majesty had repeatedly told me in your letters to take care of my health, so I had to rest in bed for a while.

"For this, Your Majesties, I have troubled you to make an extra trip. I really deserve death."

Fang Xuanling muttered politely "I deserve to die" with an expressionless face, but his body was lying comfortably on the couch.

The object of his apology, the most holy and virtuous Emperor Ming, was diligently wiping the porridge and rice stains on his teacher's clothes:
"That's not true. The prosperity of our dynasty is inseparable from the assistance of my father-in-law."

Fang Xuanling turned his gaze to Old Li who was standing behind Little Li and said:

"It is a great pleasure for everyone that His Majesty the Emperor can turn back from his mistakes."

Li Shimin looked at the old man lying on the bed, and then looked at the eldest son who was personally serving this old man. Suddenly, veins on his forehead bulged and he sneered:
"Mr. Xuanling, I haven't seen you for a long time. Why do you look like you are on the verge of death?"

(End of this chapter)