The Bad Guys: Playing the Fake Li Xingyun at the Beginning

Su Ming smiled faintly and explained, "Of course I want the Longquan treasure, but now is not a good time to open it. Even if I open it now, it will only be a wedding dress for others."

"The Longquan treasure contains the wealth accumulated by the Tang Dynasty for many years. Once we obtain this wealth, the current situation of the court will become simpler. But now that I have obtained the Longquan treasure, I cannot control this wealth. It is still in the national treasury and is controlled by Li Siyuan."

"I have endured for so long, there is no need to rush."

After saying this, Su Ming sighed with emotion, "Back then, for this Longquan treasure, I was tortured to death and chased everywhere. But now that I'm the emperor, no one bothers me anymore."

Hearing this, the empress's beautiful eyes rolled and she rolled her eyes at him, "Are you regretting not becoming the emperor earlier? Otherwise, your wish of having women on both sides might have come true."

Su Ming laughed out loud, as if reminiscing about the past. "Haha, yes, when I first came down the mountain, I was full of ambition and ambition. I wanted to be a respected hero, with two beauties by my side. Unfortunately, I was beaten up right after I came down the mountain, and afterwards, I had no choice."

The empress said with a half-smile, "It's not too late now, you can still hug her left and right."

Su Ming had a complicated look on his face. "It's different now. I can't go back. I can't be the person I was before."

At this moment, he seemed to have really become Li Xingyun, lost in memories.

The empress at the side saw his complicated expression, and her heart was filled with tenderness. She comforted him, "Don't worry, I will help you find Xue'er."

Sensing the tenderness in the empress's eyes, Su Ming smiled secretly in his heart, but his face remained expressionless and he did not respond.

At this moment, the two of them were silent at the same time, sitting on the soft couch and drinking tea silently, without breaking this rare tranquility.

Then, the two of them raised their heads, "You..."

"I······"

The two smiled at each other and fell silent again.

Su Ming refilled the empress's tea and filled his own, his voice softening, "You go first, I'm listening."

The empress nodded slightly, a smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of her mouth, and asked, "How do you want me to help you?"

Su Ming did not answer immediately. He pondered for a moment and then spoke slowly, "I want you to stay in the court and help me contain Li Siyuan."

The empress's face changed color, and she asked solemnly, "You want me to stay in Luoyang to help you contain Li Siyuan?"

Su Ming nodded and waited for her to continue asking questions.

"I'm afraid this will be difficult. Li Siyuan is cunning and treacherous. It's impossible that he can't imagine what will happen if I stay in the court and how much of an impact it will have on him. No matter what, he will definitely stop it."

Indeed, Li Siyuan was not a fool. How could he watch Prince Qi stay in the court to check and balance him? He would definitely try to stop it.

Su Ming shifted his gaze to the Longquan treasure box beside him and chuckled, "If you are meritorious in offering the treasure, I will keep you in the court. Even if the court officials object, it doesn't make sense."

The empress immediately understood what he meant, "You want me to offer the Longquan treasure box?"

Su Ming nodded and continued, "The Longquan treasure has been circulating throughout the world since the fall of the Tang Dynasty. It is said that whoever obtains the Longquan treasure will obtain the world. King Qi presented the Longquan treasure box and the Longquan treasure to the court. How could the court not reward him?"

Chapter 83: Powerful Officials and Military Governorates

The empress then asked, "If Li Siyuan personally comes out to oppose, how will you respond?"

Su Ming smiled confidently, as if he had a clear mind, "If Li Siyuan is killed, it will be easier to deal with."

"King Qi presented the Longquan treasure box, which was a great contribution to the country. I promoted King Qi and kept him in the court. This is in accordance with the rules and etiquette. Merits must be rewarded and faults must be punished. This is the most basic principle."

"If Li Siyuan stops it, he will be breaking the rules and ruining the court he is trying to maintain. If the court loses its dignity, it will be useless even if he controls more officials in the court. Without morality, he will not be able to suppress the governors of various places."

"When the time comes, all regions will go to war with each other, and as the general, he will be the first to be punished."

"Secondly, only the state officials are allowed to set fires, but the common people are not allowed to light lamps. Li Siyuan is already serving in the court. Why can't the Prince of Qi, who has made great contributions and has more seniority than him, stay in the court? What's the logic behind this?"

"Blocking the channels of speech, excluding officials, and acting beyond one's authority, any of these will be criticized by others if they are spread. Guess what will happen if a vassal revolt rises up and uses this as an excuse to purge the emperor's side?"

"Li Siyuan would never leave the court unless it was absolutely necessary. He could silence the officials in the court, but he couldn't silence the people. Haven't you discovered that Li Siyuan is a person who cherishes his reputation?"

"He can either risk his own reputation being ruined and his public opinion being damaged by preventing you from entering the court, or he can do nothing and let you enter the court."

In just a few words, Li Siyuan's dilemma was analyzed.

The empress looked at him carefully, with a strange look in her eyes. This guy had so many bad intentions, why didn't she realize it before?

However, she thought about it carefully for a moment and found that what Su Ming said did make some sense. Looking at Li Siyuan's actions over the past year, it was not difficult to see the concerns in his heart, regardless of what kind of person he was in private.

Let’s talk about what he did after Li Cunxu’s death. After Li Cunxu’s death, the Tang Dynasty was leaderless. He first defected to Yuan Tiangang and killed Li Keyong. Only with Yuan Tiangang’s endorsement did he dare to step forward to clean up the mess and enter Luoyang to stabilize the government.

At this time, he merely maintained the situation and had not yet implicated anyone on a large scale and eliminated dissidents. It was not that he did not dare, but that he had no chance, because Li Xingyun appeared at this time.

It can only be said that the time chosen by Yuan Tiangang and Su Ming was too clever. It happened to be at this point in time that not long after Li Keyong's death, Su Ming left Xuanwu Mountain and headed for Luoyang.

Because he was not clear about Yuan Tiangang's intentions, Li Siyuan did not dare to act rashly. When Yuan Tiangang arrived and he understood their intentions, it was too late to eliminate the dissidents.

The emperor entered Luoyang. If he made any big moves at this time, wouldn't it be obvious that he would give people a chance to talk nonsense? Therefore, Li Siyuan could only try his best to sow trouble in the court, bribe ministers, and urgently dispatch his confidants to various important places.

After doing all this, Su Ming ascended the throne and became emperor.

After the emperor ascended the throne, Li Siyuan had to return power to the court officials and could no longer do as he pleased as before.

The reason why he was so careful about his reputation and keeping a good reputation was to stay at the center of the court and gain greater power.

No matter how weak the center is, it is still the center of the imperial court and the political center of the Central Plains. It is far from comparable to a local emperor of Jin State. If Su Ming finds a breakthrough because of this incident and forces Li Siyuan to return to his fiefdom in Jin State, Su Ming will probably wake up laughing in his dreams.

Being at the center is completely different from being at the local level.

If Li Siyuan stayed in the local area, he would have no choice but to rebel if he wanted to dominate the world. There was no other way.

Since ancient times, rebellion and usurpation of power are completely different. The reason why powerful ministers are called powerful ministers is that they suppressed the emperor at the center and gained political advantages.

Throughout history, there have not been many people who succeeded in rebelling, but there have been many who have usurped power and seized the throne. These two paths are in different directions and are more than one level more difficult.

If military power cannot be transformed into political advantage, it will be futile no matter how good you are at fighting. Xiang Yu is a living example. Li Siyuan is not stupid and would not do such an unwise thing.

Moreover, no matter how powerful the Jin State is, it is impossible for it to compete with the entire Central Plains. The Jin State and the Liang State had been confronting each other for decades. What's more, the Central Plains court now has Su Ming, the direct descendant of the Tang Dynasty. The two sides are no longer the same as before.

It would be too difficult to break through the map like Li Cunxu.

After all, Su Ming sat on the dragon throne, with justice in his hands, and he used rules to suppress others. Li Siyuan's advantage was not as great as imagined. He was neither Huo Guang, nor Wang Mang, nor Sima Yi. He was just a warlord, and the only thing he could show off was the troops in his hands.

But if he could conquer the imperial court with the troops at his disposal, why would he need to stay at the center and slowly gain power?

In a flash, many thoughts flashed through the empress's mind. She calmed herself down and said, "Okay, it's useless for me to keep the Longquan Treasure Box. I'll do as you say."

"I'd like to see whether Li Siyuan is going to break the rules or is he prepared to swallow his anger." At the end, a cunning look flashed in her eyes, as if she couldn't wait any longer.

Su Ming laughed loudly and said confidently, "Don't worry, Li Siyuan will definitely swallow his anger. If you can't stay in the court, then neither can he."

It is impossible for him to turn himself from a powerful official into a vassal because of this incident, otherwise, everything he has done in the past year would be in vain.

At this time, a strange look flashed in the empress's eyes, and she had to admit that she had underestimated him. Before coming to Luoyang, she thought that the emperor must be suppressed by Li Siyuan in the court and almost became a puppet.

So when the emperor sent a letter asking her to send elite troops to Luoyang, she agreed without hesitation. Although she had explained it to Yang Yantian and the others, she was still a little worried, fearing that he would disregard the consequences and fight with all his might.

But now it seems that this is not the case. His methods are far more sophisticated than he thought. The intelligence sent by Miao Chengtian and others let the empress know what happened in the court.

The empress also knew that the emperor had used the Khitan letter to set a trap for the Ministry of Rites, but when she actually arrived in Luoyang and had a chat with Su Ming, she realized that he was well versed in political schemes, familiar with the rules of the court, and would not do whatever he wanted.

The hardest thing in this world is to stick to your heart.

It is easy for one's mind to swell when one transforms from an ordinary person into the almighty Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Many people who suddenly ascend to high positions make many foolish decisions because they are unable to stick to their original intentions and break the rules at will.

Sometimes, rules not only bind the emperor, but also bind everyone in the world.

When the emperor no longer abides by the rules, others will naturally not follow the rules. Over time, the court's moral principles will be corrupted, its prestige will be lost, and it will no longer have the power to restrain the people of the world.

Chapter 84: Calculations by Both Sides

Rules are etiquette and also human nature.

The reason why the court is the court is not because of how many people, how many soldiers, or how much money it has, but because it has the power to formulate the rules of secular operation. It is both a referee, an athlete, and the fucking Football Association.

How do you play this?

Therefore, as long as the imperial court is stable and operates in an orderly manner, in most cases, the local governments are no match for the imperial court, and the two sides are not opponents of the same level.

The empress's heroic face was filled with a smile, "Okay, since you are so confident, I will accompany you in this bet."

"I will not let you down."

······

While Su Ming was negotiating with the empress, Li Siyuan learned that Prince Qi had entered the palace to meet the emperor, so he summoned his trusted men to hear their opinions.

The beautiful maid served tea and turned to leave. Her graceful figure brought a fragrance with her, but no one paid any attention to her. They all looked as if they were worried about something.

Li Siyuan glanced at everyone and coughed softly, "Prince Qi has entered the palace to see the emperor. He must have some plan with the emperor. What do you think?"

On his left sat the Third Secretary Ren Yuan, who was wearing a light-colored round-necked cotton gown with his hands tucked into his sleeves. His square, broad face looked serious and deep. "Tomorrow there will be a court meeting, and the envoys of the Jiedushi from all over the country will gather together. The emperor may make trouble at this time and undermine your prestige."

On Li Siyuan's right sat a tall and sturdy man with a beard on his chin and his triangular eyes flickering constantly. "No, maybe it doesn't necessarily mean a rebellion. The emperor has no one at his disposal. Even if he cooperates with King Qi, it will be difficult to shake your power." He is Li Congke, Li Siyuan's adopted son and the current Jiedushi of Hezhong.

"The emperor will not sit idly by and wait for death. The governors from all over the country have gathered together, and the civil and military officials are present in the court. It is such a good opportunity, and a smart man like him will never give up." A seemingly taciturn man beside Li Congke suddenly spoke.

He sat there with his head down silently. If he hadn't spoken, it would have been difficult for people to notice him. He was Shi Jingtang, the governor of Hedong.

An Zhonghui, who was standing beside Ren Yuan, also spoke up when he saw this. "Yes, I think so too. King Jin, we must be careful not to fall into his trap."

Li Siyuan narrowed his eyes, feeling uneasy for no reason. He glanced at Shi Jingtang and said in a deep voice, "Since you all think that the emperor will take action, how should we respond? This time he will not play small tricks like before. Once he makes a move, he will definitely make me unable to move forward or backward, just like before."

"You should have seen his methods. Although he is young, he is well versed in the political intrigues of the imperial court. He is worthy of being the person appointed by Yuan Tiangang. I have suffered a lot in the several confrontations."

At this time, Li Siyuan was still brooding over the previous incident in the Ministry of Rites, but he didn't know that his former confidant Li Cunyi had already sold him out.

Ren Yuan nodded and stroked his beard. "The emperor is indeed cunning, but he has no one around him to use. Zhang Zifan and others can only hide in the deep palace and cannot be seen on the stage. As long as the King of Jin does not give others a chance to talk about him, the court officials dare not have any dissent."

Li Siyuan smiled faintly, "Don't worry, it won't be that easy for the emperor to deal with me, but we don't have many means to deal with the emperor, we can only act in the name of justice. The emperor has just ascended the throne, he is alone and the harem is empty. For the sake of the world and the Tang Dynasty, all officials will make a memorial to persuade the emperor to select a concubine to continue the bloodline of the Li Tang Dynasty."

"At that time, we will have the final say on who will be chosen in the selection. This will not only ruin the emperor's reputation and make him slowly lose the support of the people, but also cut off his support for marriage."

The people present nodded secretly when they heard this. As long as the emperor did not leave the deep palace and did not cause trouble, the powerful officials did not have many means to deal with the emperor. Why was Liu He, the Marquis of Haihun in the Han Dynasty, deposed? It was because he caused trouble. As a result, he was slandered by Huo Guang, his reputation was ruined, and his political life was destroyed. That's why he was deposed with full justification.

In this day and age, reputation is very important.

When Su Ming ascended the throne before, he was targeted by Kong Xianwen and others, but he did not deal with Kong Xianwen. He targeted the Kong family, even though the Kong family was not as famous as in later generations at that time, but if he acted on impulse, he would take action against the Kong family.

By then, his reputation among the literati would be completely ruined, and it would be easier for Li Siyuan to throw dirty water on him.

An Zhonghui also nodded and said in a righteous tone, "Yes, your majesty is the only descendant of the Li Tang bloodline. The royal family has few offspring. Your majesty should take responsibility and marry a queen as soon as possible and give birth to an offspring to reassure the people of the world."

"Lord An is absolutely right. The royal heir is related to the stability of the court and the continuation of the country. We should not interfere in the harem, but for the sake of the people of the world, we have to do it." Ren Yuan nodded and spoke righteously, as if he was really concerned about the country and the people.

Now that the two civil officials had spoken, the two military generals Li Congke and Shi Jingtang would naturally have no objection. They were both smart people. Li Siyuan had already made the decision, so even if they had other ideas, they could only keep them to themselves.

Both parties are ready and have made their own plans. Let's see who will have the more sophisticated tactics in the court tomorrow!

······

It was already dawn. After the heavy snow, the sky was cloudless and the sun was rising. The bright and clear sunlight came from the sky and shone on the eaves and tiles. The red and green colors shone together, folding into halos of different sizes. The glazed tiles were shining with colorful light, which looked sacred and dazzling from afar.