Chapter Fifty-two

  Chapter Fifty-two

  I dropped another bombshell. The prince and his entourage were again in an uproar, but I didn't know if they were truly stunned by what I said or had other thoughts on their minds, those trusted officials close to him. No one else spoke up, and from then on, everything was left for me to handle alone.

  But judging from their expressions, they obviously thought of themselves as being in the same boat, and most likely associated it with eunuchs like Gao Lishi, Yang Guozhong, and Li Linfu. When I mentioned that eunuchs were meddling in politics, Li Jingzhong, who was also a eunuch, didn't react at all, at least not on the surface.

  。。。。。。。

  After being with that emperor for a long time, I learned to speak a lot, except for the accent and the commonly used Shaanxi official language still having some differences. I can also talk about literature and poetry, and this is not something I'm making up. In my era, the prosperity of the Han and Tang dynasties was always a hot topic on the internet, and I've read some research by famous scholars. It's easy to find something to say with substance. When I said that the imperial court was weak and the vassals were strong, using one vassal to control another, how could they guarantee that there wouldn't be anyone emulating their predecessors? Their expressions were incredibly vivid.

  After finishing speaking in one breath, I feel a sense of relief. Whether it's being treated as having ulterior motives or seeking to curry favor with the crowd, it's none of my business anymore. However, except for the crown prince, those few trusted officials are staring at me intensely, as if they can see right through me. My heart is racing, could it be that I've said too much and achieved the opposite effect? These guys look like they're stunned.

  Silence...

  Silence... still silence...

  "Good individual, good appearance" Suddenly a loud laugh, it was the prince, "Really didn't let me look at you wrongly" The prince, who usually appeared gentle and kind, suddenly revealed a temperament that combined maturity, elegance, wisdom, and calmness, giving people a feeling of penetrating understanding and grasping everything. I was amazed, perhaps this is his true side, under the shadow of the old emperor's prosperous era, as his successor, it is a very difficult thing, not only carefully hiding one's own light and hope, dealing with suspicion from above and jealousy from outside, but also maintaining sufficient performance and ability, so as not to make the emperor feel embarrassed and be abandoned. Under a gentle and harmless appearance, he has been hiding for so long, it must have been very hard.

  According to my memory and the few words exchanged with the eunuchs, I know some things about this prince. The prince was originally named Li Siyong, the third son of Emperor Xuanzong, and his mother was just an ordinary palace maid surnamed Yang. His birth was purely accidental, as he was almost aborted in the womb. During Empress Wu's reign, several emperors were either killed or deposed, and the Li family, which had been reduced to a single branch, was on the brink of extinction. At that time, Prince Li Longji, who later became Emperor Xuanzong, did not want to raise any sons, and someone attempted to abort him, but the medicine was ineffective, resulting in his birth. Historical records describe him as benevolent, filial, and studious, and Emperor Xuanzong especially loved him, appointing famous scholars such as He Zhizhang, Pan Su, Lü Xiang, and Huangfu Bian to attend to him. In his early years, he was low-key and gentle in his actions, earning a reputation for being kind and generous. It wasn't until the former Crown Prince Li Xian and two other princes were implicated in a treason case and deposed that he, who had been third in line, emerged unexpectedly and became the new crown prince, formally entering the political stage. Prior to this, people's impression of him was mostly limited to his title as the "Loyal King".

  According to legend, An Lushan, who was then a general under the Pinglu Jiedushi, was defeated in battle against the Khitan and brought back to the capital as a prisoner. The Crown Prince recognized that he had rebellious intentions and asked Emperor Xuanzong to punish him for his crimes, but Xuanzong refused. Instead, he reinstated An Lushan, which later led to An Lushan's rebellion. Although it is impossible to verify whether the Crown Prince had foreseen this event, it is clear that he had a keen eye and political sensitivity at the time.

  Some things have been said to the point where it's already tacitly understood, so I didn't dare continue. He also stopped mentioning it. Anyway, it was enough for those guys to digest for a while, and they even didn't bother to see me off when I left.

  The crown prince behind me was full of concern and entrustment, the sound still in my ears, a sincere plea, but I didn't know if he had heard anything or not. What else could I say? As we bid farewell and walked away, "Take care, big brother", it was Xiao Bai who caught up to me, tightly grasping my hand, and patted my head, saying "Why be so mushy, it's not like it's a life or death separation". He wanted to speak but stopped himself, I knew he remembered what I said before about "Pitiful birth in the imperial family", so I comforted him by saying "You can rest assured".

  "But, Xiao Bai," I reconsidered and said seriously, "be careful of eunuchs. For some people with ulterior motives, a weak and incompetent ruler is easier to control than one who has his own ideas. If Your Majesty loses trust in military officials and reinstates the eunuchs instead, it will be troublesome."

  But it was the gaze of Jian Ning Wang who followed closely behind, his eyes fluttering with a hint of thought, "What's going on again?"

  I took a look at him, and this Prince Jianning's temperament was different from his older brother Xiaobai's humility and stability. He liked martial arts and enjoyed military tactics, belonging to the royal family's unconventional type. Others were just observing the army, but he demanded to participate in person. I wouldn't let him go onto the battlefield, but in the end, he still managed to sneak into someone else's armor and mix in with the cavalry of the hostage camp, charging down and killing to his heart's content, staining his clothes with blood. He almost scared my subordinates to death, fortunately, he himself was unharmed. At the same time, he was also one of my younger brothers who owed a large debt. Seeing him leave, I couldn't help but recall the brilliant battle example of the Byzantines using "Greek fire" to defeat the Arab navy in the over 100-year-old defense war of Constantinople. He only finished speaking and then left, perhaps it would be helpful for the result I hoped for.

  "For generations, it has been thought that eunuchs, without the burden of family and clan ties, are the most loyal. However, it is not known that precisely because they have no family or clan ties, their actions are even more unscrupulous. One must understand that eunuchs are also human beings, except for their physical defects which render them unable to fulfill their duties as humans, they also have innate desires and aspirations. Under the influence of power and profit in the palace, their desire for power and gain is often even stronger than that of ordinary people. Moreover, these individuals are psychologically defective and lack the moral constraints of the common people. If they were to grasp the military power within the palace, a strong and capable ruler might still be able to maintain order and stability. However, if there were to be any unexpected changes, and eunuchs were closest to the emperor, deeply familiar with the inner workings of the palace, it is impossible to predict what uncontrollable events might occur. The calamities that have arisen from the palace throughout history, such as the Ten Eunuchs' Rebellion of the Eastern Han dynasty, all originated from this."

  Another place

  The crown prince's eyes, which were once so eager, have changed a lot, with a tone of admiration and deep regret. It is clear that most of these things had been on his mind for some time, but the depth and insight into certain matters surprised him. After leaving for a long time, the crown prince looked at his ministers who were silent and had different expressions, and he felt something.

  "What do you think, speak your mind"

  "He doesn't want him to be unscrupulous in his actions, but he's actually a man with a conscience", is Zuo Siyu, a scholar of the Chongwen Pavilion.

  "I think there is a suspicion of usurping the throne, speaking of exaggeration, it's not trustworthy, but also can't be ignored," said Zuo Chunfang, recorder of the Crown Prince's bodyguards.

  "Congratulations to Your Highness" still said the attendant historian Zhang Guang

  "He thought to himself, does this count as surrendering to his master?" was Li Jingzhong

  However, it was the Crown Prince's Junior Advisor who was cautious.

  "He spoke recklessly about state affairs, his heart can be at ease" is You Jianmen Shuai Fu Can Shi.

  "This Rong Yu is indeed astonishing, I thought of it, he thought of it, we didn't expect that he also thought of it. Just for this reason alone, it's not in vain that I gave my good daughter to him in marriage. The Tibetan king's enthronement and the Arabs' relocation of their capital are matters of great importance to our dynasty, yet we have always been ignorant of them. You still need to take action."

  A single word is enough. "That... Your Highness wants to..." still that calm face

  "A good horse is hard to ride, but it can gallop thousands of miles. Being too mindful of gains and losses will only delay the development of talent. He's considered a family member now, and Father Emperor indeed has discerning eyes. The more I think about it, the more I look forward to the future."

  It's just that the crown prince still has things he hasn't said out loud, according to him this guy was a mere white-clad commoner who had been captured by bandits several months ago, and had only led troops for less than a month, let alone attend court audiences, yet in such a short time, he could see so many things, with such insight and vision, if not a deeply hidden sinister plotter, then a rare genius (but little did they know that all these were already well-known to later generations).

  Xiao Bai returned and they whispered again...

  "The king does not blame you for being too friendly"

  "The principle of using people is to emphasize their strengths and avoid their weaknesses. It's rare to find a perfect person in this world, so it's enough to use their strengths. You should remember this, not to mention the current situation."

  The Crown Prince Heng seems to have reached some sort of agreement with the old Emperor, and expressed sufficient regret that I could not go north. Although he had every intention of reusing me, it was clear that spending a comfortable life in prosperous and peaceful Chengdu after the Anshi Rebellion was more attractive to him.

  According to the guy who owes me money and pays with information, Xiao Bai had several famous teachers before, all of whom were very well-known figures. I'm actually on par with these guys, which is an honor, but Li Bai was exiled, He Zizhang was framed, Huangfu Weiming was suspected of treason and given a death sentence, while Dou Zhuo didn't have a good ending either.

  In fact, I also have my own thoughts. After going through so many things, I naturally understand that although I seem to be in a good position now, it's just because I happened to be useful at the right time. Sandwiched between the emperor and his son, I'm actually not much of anything, at most just a weak straw that helps balance the two camps. After following the large army north, my age, seniority, and connections are all the lowest. There are people like Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi, as well as Chen Xuanli, a batch of loyal and good generals. What am I? This Left Dragon Guard General who just got rid of "temporary" and "co-ordinate" to take office has to step aside and make way for others.

  I may have a lot of knowledge, but I lack actual military experience. My skills in discussing military tactics on paper can only fool those officials who have never been to the battlefield, and I also have capable subordinates to help me out. However, if I were to encounter an expert in warfare, my shortcomings would be exposed. It's better for me to follow the old emperor westward, where I still have some opportunities. Besides, my ruthless methods must have offended many people, and there will be no shortage of those who want to see me make a fool of myself.

  Fortunately, I was quick-witted and immediately thought that once everyone settled down, my use as a general would be greatly diminished even if I didn't become the top leader. If I didn't have any close ties to the imperial family, how could they trust me with controlling the army? Of course, what I didn't know at the time was that the emperor trusted me and even gave me free rein because I had no family or background to speak of, a complete loner with no parents or relatives. Giving me a sister created a familial bond, and after getting engaged, it was like having double insurance - using both kinship and gratitude to ensure my loyalty.

  The little girl still had an expression of seeming to understand but not really understanding, as if that matter had no effect on her. She fiddled with the two semicircular crystal pieces in her hand and listened to Xiaoyao talk about all sorts of things she saw in Chang'an, especially when she called An Lushan "Baldy An the Elephant", a comical image of a stout but constipated bald man appeared in my mind.

  She unapologetically stuck to me, occasionally rubbing against me, completely disregarding my awkward expression that I was desperately trying to hold back. This time, she didn't even need an excuse. However, seeing her clueless face about the many wonderful things that could happen between us, after a round of "Do you like me or not? Not disliking means liking, and why can't we be together?"-style questioning, under her watery gaze, I had no choice but to give up.

  It's clear that Xiao Yatou is really happy, but romance between men and women is a different matter. It belongs to the kind of yearning for something interesting and fun. Although currently, I don't see any tendency towards those carnivorous animals living on the east side of the river. Still, it makes me sigh in wonder.

  But from Xiaoyu's mouth, the truth about "Private Alliance Oath" is that Xiaoyu went to ask the emperor for a knight's title. How could they understand what this thing was? They thought it was some kind of honorary title like Cavalry General, so of course, they had to ask for clarification. Then I brought up the eight virtues of a knight, and Xiaoyu explained the exclusive meaning of being a knight sworn to her. With enough imagination, it's associated with something like the Imperial Son-in-law Guard, and then with the series of events that followed, the result was no longer suspenseful. After hearing her original words, I was really speechless.

  Unfortunately, Xie Yuan has been out of sight since the engagement, and I haven't had a chance to make any moves. Not even finding some comfort is possible.

  She finished speaking, still proudly asking me to receive payment, tilting her head, blinking her big eyes, and counting with her fingers "Ah Xiao still owes me three stories, let Yueyue go get Gao Gonggong's clothes four times, and also Ye Gege's..." I quickly waved my hand "Okay, today I'll tell the story of 'Swan Mixture' and 'Beauty and the Beast'"

  A low, irrepressible murmur rose around me, "Beauty... and... the Beast". Those nearby couldn't help but widen their eyes, perk up their ears, and reveal a unique excitement and interest on their faces.

  "Shameless, what's with those expressions? This is a story for kids, adults get out! And don't laugh so obscenely, or I'll send you to exercise. My exercise was quite impressive, the guys lying on the stretcher with no expression were the best proof."

  As I watched them scatter in all directions, they still couldn't hide their different expressions, but similarly tacit understanding of the ambiguous smile. They left behind whispers of "The boss is indeed a master" "Preparing for a rainy day..." "A role model for our generation..." and so on. I felt a sense of powerlessness, what kind of people are these? Probably there will be new rumors spreading again.

  The cat is going to take an exam again, seeing everyone's comments is really embarrassing, almost don't dare to come and see their own book. The big brothers are cutting with knives, hitting with bricks, and rushing with big pots, the cat admits it, just call you to adjust your appetite, it's just book reviews and voting, it's the cat's motivation, everyone shouldn't be stingy either, thank you for pulling.