That night, in some mansions in Chang'an City, the routine banquet was still going on. The topics discussed are all today's court discussions.

The eldest grandson Wuji did not participate in the banquet, but drank sullen wine alone in the backyard study. Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door, and the housekeeper walked in and said softly, "Grandpa, the prince is back." ”

"Let him in." The eldest grandson Wuji was already drunk, and the housekeeper was afraid of annoying him, so he ran out in a hurry. After a while, the eldest grandson rushed in, and when he saw the drunkenness of the eldest grandson Wuji, he couldn't help frowning.

"Why is my father like this?"

"Why is that?!" The eldest grandson Wuji sneered, squinted at the eldest grandson Chong, and the housekeeper saw this and hurriedly retreated. If he listened to the next conversation between father and son, there would be no good fruit to eat.

"Why didn't you tell me about Your Majesty's summoning of you? Father and son are separated, is this your filial piety? ”

The eldest grandson Chong smiled bitterly: "Father misunderstood me, His Majesty summoned me to ask, but it was only a matter of whether to divide the seal." I really don't know anything about the bachelor and so on. ”

Eldest Sun Wuji looked at Eldest Sun Chong, and there was anger in his heart, but he couldn't let it out. How could he not know that his son was not of the same mind as himself now? He looked at Changsun Chong quietly, and after a while, he said, "Chong'er, I'll ask you." Last month's loan from Datang Salt, did you approve it or not? ”

The eldest grandson Chong Zhengse said: "Father, I have said this countless times. According to the rules, it is impossible to approve such a large amount of loan without adequate security. This is the rule, and there are no exceptions. Moreover, because you are my father, in order to avoid suspicion, if Datang Salt wants to get a loan, it needs to pay a deposit in addition to the mortgage. ”

"Changsun Chong, don't go too far!" The eldest grandson Wuji gritted his teeth angrily and said, "Do you know who I am doing all this for?!" Sooner or later, I will grow old one day, the eldest grandson, and the entire Longyou will be handed over to you to inherit. If you are helping Datang Salt Industry now, you are helping you. Help you win people's hearts and help you earn a family business for yourself. Not only did you not do your best, but you were constrained everywhere, could it be that you really drank Li Mu's ecstasy soup and forgot what your surname was! ”

"Father! That's exactly what my son wants to say to you! Eldest Sun Chong rarely went toe-to-toe with Eldest Sun Wuji: "Father, don't forget, everything in the Eldest Sun Clan is given by Your Majesty." His Majesty's preferential treatment of his father is generally because of the affection he grew up with his father, and the other half is because of his aunt. My father's talent, although it is superior, is not outstanding! In addition to the conspiracy of the past, did my father ever have a special contribution to this country? ”

"What did you say!" The eldest grandson Wuji's eyes widened, and he trembled with anger: "You rebel, you speak disobedient words, you, you ......"

"I'm just telling the truth!" The eldest grandson rushed out and said loudly: "In the past, although my father did not do great things, he was loyal after all. But since His Majesty ascended the throne, after the situation was first decided, what my father did was to move away from the word 'loyalty'. The people who planned by his father were all for the eldest grandson's family. For the sake of personal interests, the court is placed, and His Majesty is secondary. His Majesty is magnanimous and does not hold his father accountable for his faults, but his father does not wake up! ”

"The prosperity of the eldest grandson's family does not depend on how much his father plans today, but whether the eldest grandson's family can be simplified in the emperor's heart. This is a superficial truth, my father can't see through it! The son didn't drink any ecstasy soup, and the teacher taught him how to do it, but he never asked his son to do anything. The son just did what he should do as a courtier. If it complies with the rules, the son will definitely do it, and if it does not comply with the rules, the son will definitely not do it, no matter who it is. Even if the teacher needs a loan, he will follow the rules step by step, that is, the prince needs a loan, and it should be the same. Datang Bank is in charge of the world's wealth, and there can be no rules! ”

After that, ignoring the eldest grandson Wuji's blue face, the eldest grandson bowed down and said, "The son makes his father angry, and it is already unfilial. Loyalty and filial piety are in a dilemma, and the heavy responsibility is on ...... shoulders" said, with tears in his eyes, and he turned around and left the study.

Eldest Sun Wuji looked at the direction where Eldest Sun Chong left in a daze, and didn't come back to his senses for a while.

……

The other mansion is a different scene.

Chu Suiliang was appointed as a bachelor of literature, and since then he has participated in confidential matters, and his progress is just around the corner. Someone heard the wind and came to congratulate him. Chu Suiliang is young and has few contacts. But his father, Chu Liang, has a wide range of friends. Although it is now 'relegated', my friends back then were all big shots.

In the past, Li Shimin set up a literature museum to recruit talents from all over the world, Du Ruhui, a subordinate official of the royal palace, Fang Xuanling, Yu Shinan, Chu Liang, Yao Silian, Li Xuandao, Cai Yungong, Xue Yuanjing, Yan Xiangshi, Su Xuan, Yu Zhining, a military counselor, Su Shichang, Xue Shu, Cangcao Li Shousu, Guozi's assistant Lu Deming, Kong Yingda, Xindu Gai Wenda, and Hu Cao Xu Jingzong, which were called "eighteen bachelors" at that time.

These eighteen bachelors not only all enjoy the five grades, but also eat fish and have cars, Li Shimin also ordered Yan Liben to paint portraits of them, and they are favored. Although, after Li Shimin ascended the throne, these eighteen people were not all reused. But the affection of the past years has not been forgotten, everyone has been properly settled, even if they are not in the real power department, they all have a noble errand, and they have no worries about food and clothing.

Today, Chu Suiliang was elected as a bachelor, for Chu Liang, it is tantamount to his own children who have been admitted to key universities in later generations.

After three rounds of drinking, Fang Xuanling, who had the highest official position and the heaviest authority here, opened his mouth with a smile, looked at everyone, and said with a smile: "In the past, all the princes were advisors who assisted His Majesty, so you might as well guess today, what is the purpose of Your Majesty's move?" ”

None of the people present were outsiders, and they didn't have any scruples about speaking. Moreover, figuring out the emperor's mind is a matter of strategists, even if it reaches Li Shimin's ears, most of them will not have anything. With the help of wine, Xu Jingzong answered: "I think that Your Majesty's move is nothing more than the word 'centralization'. ”

Yu Zhining is a one-eyed person, with no expression on his face. In his early years, he felt that Xu Jingzong was cunning, so he had a lot of opinions about him. But this time, he agreed with Xu Jingzong's point of view and said: "Your Majesty's move is to take over the power of government in the cabinet. In the future, the position of prime minister will be in vain. The power of decision-making is vested in the king, and the parliamentary power is distributed to the scholars who have no authority, and there is no need to worry about the loss of power. The administrative power is allocated to six departments, and the local government is divided into three divisions, which are in charge of judicial, military, and administration, and are directly connected to the six departments......"

Yu Zhining couldn't help but sigh: "Your Majesty is really unfathomable, just this hand, you can monopolize power, and there are many emperors in the past dynasties." ”