Outside the Lingyan Pavilion, more than 100 courtiers knelt on the mountain and shouted "Tang Wansheng", Li Shimin laughed, raised his head and drank the wine in the cup, and then exhaled a long breath, relieving half of his life of honor and disgrace.

"I have robes and courtiers such as Ruer, and I will never give up, here and now, there is wine to cheer up, there are robes to drink together, and children to send them to the end, this life is not also happy, haha!" Li Shimin laughed.

More than 100 courtiers in the square hung their heads and hid their faces and wept, and the extremely suppressed sobbing sounds came and went, and no one dared to cry.

Li Shimin laughed for a while, and suddenly sighed: "It's a pity that many robes went first, and they gave up their lives to fight the country, but they didn't have time to enjoy the wealth, I don't know if they can look down under ......the nine springs."

Turning his head and glancing at the Lingyan Pavilion behind him, he swept over the portraits of the heroes hanging high one by one, and Li Shimin whispered gloomily: "In the past, I was in the past, and the willows were still there." Now I think about it, the rain and snow are falling...... Thirty years of fame, but a handful of dust, the dead are gone, the living are dying, I have finally left a trace in this world, enough. ”

After muttering, Li Shimin suddenly became cheerful and laughed: "There is good wine and robes, how can there be no singing and dancing?" Come and summon the musicians of Taichang Temple Kabuki to cheer up with my monarch and ministers. ”

The courtiers did not dare to persuade each other, endured their grief, and at the same time raised their glasses to Li Shimin.

Li Shimin drank it happily, his face was a little ruddy, and he looked more and more energetic.

The musicians and kabuki of Taichang Temple were waiting in the Taiji Palace early, and soon a group of beautiful women came forward, wearing well-fitting armor, holding shields and halberds, and their heroic costumes matched their beautiful faces, like a pleasing picture.

The musician struck the first chime, and then the terrifying drum beat gradually rose, and the dancers in the field lined up neatly, and as the drums became more and more dense, the dancers in the field flickered, raised their shields, and pointed obliquely at the halberds, and a sense of slaughter suddenly appeared.

Li Shimin stared at the dancing of the dancers in a daze, his lips trembled slightly, and his expression gradually fell into memory, and the pictures of the past years flashed in his mind one by one as if they were fast-forwarding.

In the field, halberds and shields danced, drums rang out from urgent to sparse, and the singers of the kabuki rose to the top.

"The head of the state will be resigned, and the prime minister will beg the traitors. Xian song "Breaking the Array Music", appreciating the ...... of the Taiping people"

The "Qin King's Breaking Array Music", which was extremely familiar to the monarchs and ministers, spread again, and this war song that recorded Li Shimin's lifelong exploits reverberated in the square.

The courtiers danced and listened to the song in silence with tears in their eyes, and the rumbling drums drowned out the occasional whimpering and wailing of the crowd.

Li Shimin drank a glass of wine with tears, poured it again, stood up with difficulty, Chang Tu hurriedly hugged him, Li Shimin pushed his hand away, and staggered to the field with a little drunkenness.

The dancing Maiko hurriedly stopped and avoided the side.

Li Shimin held the wine cup high above the top, his body swirling with the sound of the drum, and the dance swayed.

In front of Lingyan Pavilion, I saw Li Shimin dancing alone in the cold spring breeze, and there was only this lonely figure in the eyes of hundreds of thousands of people, dancing clumsily to the music, drunk and dancing.

Laughing and drinking the wine in one gulp, Li Shimin stretched out his hand to signal, and a maiko hurriedly offered the halberd with both hands.

Li Shimin took the halberd, seemed to be a little struggling, staggered a little, and then held the halberd with both hands, looked ahead, and the hustle and bustle on the battlefield of the year echoed in his mind, cheers of victory, a scene of Mujinge iron horse, the picture kept flashing, and then disappeared into eternity.

The halberd pointed obliquely at the sky, and then stabbed forward with a whistling sound, Li Shimin blushed, used all his life's strength, and hissed loudly.

"Breaking-——!"

The rocks are shocking and terrifying.

The courtiers fell to their knees and wept profusely.

Outside the Taiji Palace, the sunset is like blood, and the remnant sun sinks in the west.

…………

A banquet exhausted Li Shimin's remaining strength, and he was carried back to the Ganlu Hall by the palace people.

The courtiers left the palace one after another, but they refused to go home, and everyone gathered outside the gate of the Taiji Palace, standing neatly in the night breeze like a court meeting, waiting for an impending bad news.

The princes waited outside the Ganlu Palace, but Li Shimin was accompanied by his four concubines in the harem and Li Zhi.

Outside the Taiji Palace, the cries came and went, Li Su pursed her lips and sighed faintly.

Li Ji walked up to him, raised his chin and signaled, and the two walked out of the crowd and came to a remote corner.

"What do you command, uncle?" Li Sudao.

Li Ji was silent for a moment and sighed: "It seems that Your Majesty ...... It's tonight. ”

Li Su sighed gloomily and did not speak.

Li Ji continued: "Tomorrow in the palace mourning, you carefully accompany His Royal Highness the Prince, the father mourns the mourning, but the prince is responsible for the society, don't make the grief too much." ”

Li Su nodded: "Yes." ”

Li Ji looked up at the stars in the night sky and said with a wry smile: "After Zhenguan, I don't know what kind of atmosphere Datang is?" His Majesty is the most holy monarch in the past, and it is difficult for future generations to pursue his achievements, and the pressure on His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is not small. ”

Li Su was silent for a while, and said: "Perhaps, the country under the rule of the new monarch is no worse than Your Majesty, and the Tang Dynasty is stronger than the next generation after all." ”

Li Ji glanced at him and said, "The prince has such a talent?" ”

Li Su nodded and said with great certainty: "Yes." My uncle and all my uncles should believe in him and support him. ”

Li Ji sighed: "The old man will do his best to assist the new monarch. ”

After a pause, Li Ji said again: "We are all old, and our strength has gradually deteriorated over the years, and the only one who can assist the new monarch to start and finish well is your generation, Zizheng, Your Majesty and the new monarch have high hopes for you, you are the future prime minister, the burden of the common people, you have to carry it, don't be as lazy and muddy as before." ”

Li Su smiled bitterly: "I try my best not to be so lazy, but don't expect me to be too diligent, I only live for my family and myself, my family and myself live well, and then take care of the world." ”

Li Ji knew his temperament, and shook his head helplessly and sighed: "I obviously have the ability, but I have a lazy temperament, God is really blind...... The new monarch is in the dynasty, there is a new atmosphere, there will be a new policy promulgated at that time, and in the future, His Royal Highness will rely on you to govern the world, how do you plan to display the new policy? ”

Li Su pondered for a long time, and said slowly: "It has been nearly 30 years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, and Datang's foreign conquests have been maintained for 30 years, although we have laid a vast territory, but it has also consumed national strength and young lives, uncle, it is time for Datang to stop fighting and recuperate, I think the main direction of the new policy is the ...... of civil affairs and people's livelihood."

Looking at Li Ji and smiling, Li Su said: "Uncle and uncles, I am afraid that there will be no chance to lead the troops to fight in the next few years, and there will be a lot of military merits in vain, and I hope that my uncle and uncles will not blame." ”

Li Ji sighed: "Although the old man is said to be a veteran of the battlefield, his life's fame is only taken from the horse, but after all, we are the courtiers of the Tang Dynasty, don't think that we are all fierce and vicious old killers, watching the children of Guanzhong go forward and die on the battlefield, do you think we are not heartbroken?" If we can let our people rest and recuperate, we can't ask for it. ”

Li Su saluted and said, "Thank you uncle for your understanding." ”

Li Jidao: "Let's talk about the charter, how do you plan to develop the civil affairs and people's livelihood?" ”

Li Sudao: "First of all, reclamation, the land of the Tang Dynasty is not small, there is more farmland suitable for cultivation, but unfortunately many of them are uncultivated wasteland, in the next few years, the main direction of government administration is reclamation. The second is to promote the cultivation of new rice, first from the vicinity of Gyeonggi, and after the first results are achieved in a year or two, there is no need for the government to issue a decree, and the people will naturally flock to cultivate new rice......"

"Then it is to build water conservancy, encourage agriculture, support businessmen, reduce or exempt private taxes and forced labor, and encourage private childbirth, local government to increase fertility incentives, in short, within ten years we strive to achieve food and clothing for the whole people, within 20 years to achieve wealth in the people, with these 20 years, the Tang Dynasty at that time may be worthy of the name of the 'prosperous age'."

Li Ji bowed his head, glanced at him approvingly, and said: "What Zizheng said is reasonable, about civil affairs and people's livelihood, you know better than the old man, so what about the outside world?" You must know that 'forgetting the war will be dangerous', it is impossible to completely refrain from fighting outside the country in the past 20 years, right? The Tang Dynasty King has not shown his power for a long time, and those ghosts and ghosts outside are about to jump again. ”

Li Su said with a smile: "For those ghosts, you still need to slap them occasionally, but the scale of the war should not be too large, unless the other party takes the initiative to launch a large-scale invasion, if the Tang Dynasty encounters trouble in the future, it should be solved mainly through diplomatic means, and if diplomacy cannot solve it, go out to fight it, and achieve the goal of Liwei, these twenty years are a critical period for us to accumulate confidence, and we can't easily use force and consume the country again, what do you think?" ”

Li Ji nodded and said: "Very good, it seems that the old man and those killers can live in Chang'an from now on, and the direction of the new Tang Dynasty will be mastered by Zizheng, remember not to bear the people of the world, and not to bear the holy grace of His Majesty." ”

"Yes."

Li Ji hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty summoned you today, and you must have said something about the ...... of the Gate Lords clan."

Li Su nodded and said slowly: "This is the trouble of the henchmen of the Tang Sheji, only by cutting off this big trouble, Datang can move forward lightly, but if you want to completely cut off the gate valve clan, I'm afraid it will be difficult, at least in my lifetime, I can't see it, the thousand-year-old gate valve is deep-rooted, not a person or a person can easily cut it off, all I can do is to slowly reduce the impact of the gate valve on the folk scholars and the people, open the imperial examination, give the children of the poor family a ray of light, but also shrink the channel for the children of the gate valve clan to enter the court as officials, and go deeper, their power." , the land they occupy, and the influence of their families on the people, etc...... It's too complicated, it's too tricky, and I think it's going to be a protracted game. ”

Li Jizan said: "I am young, but I have seen farther than the old man, the new king of the Tang Dynasty has your assistance, and the old man is not worried......"

The two uncles and nephews were talking, and suddenly the bell rang loudly in the Taiji Palace, again and again, and the percussion sound was panicked and hurried, echoing in Chang'an City in the middle of the night.

The courtiers standing in front of the palace gate were stunned, and then they were startled, and before they could react, there was a loud cry in the palace, and the courtiers suddenly understood something, and knelt on the ground towards the palace gate with a miserable face, crying loudly.

A crack opened in the palace gate, and a young eunuch walked out and said with a crying voice: "Your Majesty has passed away—"

Outside the palace gate, the courtiers' cries became more and more intense.

Li Su also knelt on the ground, looking at the closed palace door with tears, and grief arose.

A great emperor said goodbye to the world in a heroic way and left the scene laughing.

Turning the page of the history books, the afterglow is still lingering in the world.

Heroes will eventually turn to dust, and there will be no more heavenly khans in the world.

…………

…………

On the night of Li Shimin's death, when the bell spread throughout Chang'an City, every household in the city lit up the lights, and the subjects of the whole city worshiped facing the Taiji Palace, and wept bitterly on the ground.

At the beginning of the national funeral, Chang'an City, regardless of whether the door is high or low, white lanterns are hung at the door, the courtiers change into mourning clothes, and the prince Li Zhi knelt in front of Li Shimin's body and cried almost faint.

The city of Chang'an was in mourning, and its subjects, rich and poor, were deeply saddened by the death of the great emperor.

Late at night, the crown prince Li Zhi endured his grief and announced a state funeral. Li Jing, the Duke of Weiguo, and the military generals led by the British Duke Li Ji were edicted to lead the left and right military guards into the palace, replaced the original Yulin Guards, and took over the palace ban of Taiji Palace, Li Jing and Li Ji knelt in front of the prince Li Zhi and swore allegiance to the prince.

An hour later, Li Zhi ordered Li Su, the prince of Jingyang County, to enter the palace in armor and take charge of the forbidden army, and at the same time ordered the prime ministers of the three provinces, Changsun Wuji, Chu Suiliang and others to handle Li Shimin's funeral and other ceremonies.

The next day, in a calm and mournful atmosphere in the Taiji Palace, Li Zhi convened a meeting of the ministers to discuss the national funeral, discuss the name of the emperor and the temple number, after the discussion of the ministers, it was decided to respect Li Shimin's name as "Emperor Wen", the temple name "Taizong", and Li Zhi agreed to promulgate it.

The emperor's tomb has already been built, located in the northwest of Chang'an City in Liquan County, the mausoleum is a joint burial tomb, there is still a long-dead eldest grandson queen sleeping inside, the mausoleum is called "Zhaoling".

In the morning, 800 monks and monks entered the palace, and arranged a dojo in front of the Liangyi Hall to chant and pray for the emperor.

The ministers wore mourning clothes to worship the emperor, according to the Zhou rites three bows and nine bows, the eldest grandson Wuji presided over the funeral matters, Li Zhichang knelt in the two ceremonial halls, the officials of the Ministry of Rites took a roll call, and the ministers entered the palace according to the edict and bowed to the emperor.

Li Zhi's expression was blank, like a soulless marionette, crying and worshipping all according to the instructions of the officials of the Ministry of Rites, and the water and rice did not enter for a whole day.

Until late at night, the courtiers were guarding the spirit outside the hall, Li Zhi knelt in front of Li Shimin's coffin, staring blankly at the lifeless coffin, tears seemed to have dried up, like an empty shell, guarding a dazed heart.

In the dead of night, the wake was already in the middle of the night, the courtiers outside the hall were still kneeling in the square, listening to the long and boring chanting of the monks and monks, the eighty-year-old Kong Yingda fainted twice, and was helped to the side hall to rest by his colleagues, and some old courtiers were also helped away.

There was silence in the Liangyi Palace, and Li Su put on armor and walked gently into the hall.

At the time of the alternation of the old and the new, military power was a very sensitive thing, and Li Zhi's most trusted person was Li Su, so he ordered Li Su to temporarily take charge of the forbidden army.

Li Zhi still knelt in front of the coffin, his shoulders slightly drooping, his back lonely and painful, like a nestling that had been driven out of the bird's nest, revealing a pitiful look of loneliness and helplessness.

Li Su walked behind him and gently pressed Li Zhi's shoulders with both hands.

Li Zhi was excited, turned his head to look at him, and then tears flowed down again.

"His Royal Highness mourns, the minister guesses, the emperor does not want to see His Highness under the Nine Springs, he worries too much, hurts his body, and the burden of the country and the society is all on the shoulders of His Highness, His Royal Highness should take care of himself, and do not live up to the high expectations of the subjects of the world." Li Su said in a deep voice.

Li Zhi shook his head and cried: "My father has left me......"

Li Su sighed: "The dead are gone, and the living are like this." The past cannot be admonished, but the coming can still be chased. His Royal Highness is the luck of the Tang Kingdom, and his eyes should look forward. ”

Li Zhi cried and shook his head: "I can't look forward, all I have been thinking about in the past two days is the shadow of my father, he hugged me, coaxed me, saw me naughty and helpless and smiled bitterly, saw me lazy in reading and my eyes were wide open, and I was proud to have made some achievements...... All I thought in my heart was what he was. ”

Looking up at Li Su with teary eyes, Li Zhi choked up and said, "Did my father really leave me?" I still can't believe it, do you think this is a joke my father made with me? Maybe he was hiding somewhere, deliberately looking at me crying for him, and when I cried sadly, he suddenly ran out and scared me, and then laughed proudly......"

Li Su hung his head and was speechless.

There are no words of comfort, and time can slowly erase the pain of losing a father.

"Zizheng, my father has really left me...... I lost my mother, and now I have lost my father, I am a helpless person from now on, I have been wronged, frightened, no one can pat my back to comfort me, no one can be my solid support, from now on, I have to face all the good and bad things alone......" Li Zhi looked at Li Su at a loss, and said: "Zizheng, I can't do it, the wind outside is so urgent, the rain is so strong, I have lost my support, how to bear the wind and rain?" ”

Li Su said in a deep voice: "The minister is still the same sentence, 'the deceased is gone', Your Highness, you are different from others, you have to force yourself to be strong, you will no longer have any support, on the contrary, you will soon become the support of others, become the dependence of the subjects of the world, every courtier and the people of the Tang Dynasty, they only rely on you, if you are not strong, teach the people of the world how to rely on you?" ”

Li Zhi sniffed, his emotions gradually calmed down, and he looked at Li Su and said, "Brother Zizheng, Jin Yu's good words, Zhi remembers, I ...... I also want to accompany my father more. ”

Li Su nodded and saluted: "The minister will retire first." ”

Leaving the Liangyi Palace, Li Su was extremely depressed in his heart, took a deep breath, suppressed the anxiety in his heart, and led the forbidden army to patrol the palace again.

A light figure, walking with small steps to the Liangyi Palace, saw the lonely back of Li Zhi in the hall, the small figure paused, and called softly with a cry: "Brother Pheasant Slave......"

Li Zhi's body was shocked, and he turned his head to see Princess Jinyang dressed in mourning clothes, crying so much that pear blossoms brought rain, Li Zhi suddenly burst into tears, got up and walked to Princess Jinyang, kept her thin body, and cried bitterly: "Little son, little son, father and emperor...... Leaving us forever. ”