The most basic means of stabilizing the world and the court is balance, and the imperial technique is the art of balance.

"Balance" means partition, there are left and right, the emperor is impartial in the middle, does not make one family dominant, does not make the power of the vassal too strong, and it is the emperor's forte to win over one side and suppress the other.

Li Shimin is a heroic and strategic hero, his greatness is not only in the victory of a hundred battles in foreign conquests, but more importantly, he used the imperial technique to balance the court situation, break through the shackles of the family lords to rule the place, and promote the benevolent government of the court to the people, while also strengthening the concentration of imperial power.

The emperor has lived his whole life, so that the best thing is the balancing technique, from suppressing the Guanlongmen valve, supporting the Shandong scholars, to Shangshu Province to set up the left and right servants to shoot the double prime minister for each containment, so Li Su guessed that when the prince seized the heir and showed signs of succession, Li Shimin chose the same approach, after all, Li Tai, the king of Wei, had befriended the Guanlongmen valve over the years, and the party was wantonly formed in the court, Li Shimin had already noticed it and gradually became dissatisfied, suppressing the king of Wei was the general trend, and he had to do it, no matter how much he loved his son, the imperial power and society would always be in front of his son.

The speculation is not unreasonable, in fact, the case of Feng Du's assassination was finally reversed, if Li Shimin has the heart to investigate to the end, Li Su may inevitably be exposed, after all, there is no seamless conspiracy in the world, no matter how perfect it looks, there are loopholes after all, but after the reversal of the case, all the investigation of this case was stopped overnight, Li Shimin's purpose seems to be enough as long as Li Zhi's suspicion is cleared, there is no need to investigate further, which is really not in line with Li Shimin's character.

Li Su breathed a sigh of relief, and then lay in the shade of the courtyard every day to ponder, not only thinking about the possible loopholes in all his layouts, but also constantly speculating about Li Shimin's psychology, and finally came to this conclusion,—— Li Shimin did not continue to investigate, because he wanted to check and balance, and the performance of King Wei had made him a little jealous, so he needed another prince to stand up and contend with King Wei, and Li Zhi, King of Jin, regardless of size, was the most suitable candidate.

As for the case of Feng Du's assassination, as Li Zhi's closest friend, what Li Su did and planned in it is not important to Li Shimin, he saw the result of the final reversal, and it turned out that Li Su has the ability to assist Li Zhi, a prince who is lonely in the court has a talent like Li Su to assist, which is also very in line with Li Shimin's mind.

Thinking of these truths, Li Su couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

The emperor's family is really ruthless, and he talks about the relationship between father and son all the time, but Li Tai and Li Zhi are still chess pieces in the hands of Li Shimin after all.

It took Li Su a long time to figure this out, but apparently Li Ji and Niu Jinda hadn't thought about it so far-reaching.

"Your Majesty deliberately did it to try to check and balance?" Li Jishen furrowed his brows and quickly glanced at Niu Jinda.

Niu Jinda said with a solemn expression: "Is Zizheng really sure?" After all, both inside and outside the government and the opposition, King Wei is the only candidate to succeed the unification, even if the assassination of Feng Du caused the King of Wei to lose his holy family, everyone only thinks that it is temporary, and after a while, when His Majesty is discouraged, the holy family will still return to the same as before, and the checks and balances you said ......"

Niu Jinda was puzzled, but Li Ji seemed to understand something, and smiled at Li Su.

"The kid thinks that today, the King of Wei is probably hopeless, and the King of Jin is the most suitable person to inherit the unification, as for the reason, it is not the surface fratricide, but the more far-reaching dispute between the gate lords and the clans, and can even extend to the next hundred years of the Tang Dynasty's national policy, simply put, the King of Wei ...... Gone astray. ”

Although Niu Jinda has a generous personality, he is a veteran who has been up and down for many years in the court, and has a keen political sense.

"Guanlongmen valve and Shandong Shi clan?" Niu Jinda took a breath in surprise, and then sighed: "If you say so, the dispute between the two princes and princes may really be deliberately done by Your Majesty, resulting in the current situation of mutual checks and balances......

Li Ji sighed and said: "It's just that the two tigers must be injured when they fight, not to mention that the position of the prince of the East Palace has been vacant for a long time, if Your Majesty does not decide quickly, I am afraid that the savages of the Tang Dynasty will be in turmoil, after all, the prince is the foundation of the country, and it cannot be suspended for a long time, when does Your Majesty plan to maintain this situation of checks and balances?" ”

Li Su pondered for a moment and said: "The kid guesses that Your Majesty's purpose of balancing the two princes may be for the Eastern Crusade, Your Majesty's personal expedition to Goguryeo is irreversible, at that time there must be a prince in the country to guard the country, and other princes are also needed to restrain it, although the position of the crown prince is important, but in the eyes of Your Majesty, nothing in the world is as important as the Eastern Crusade, and maintaining the stable political situation in the Tang Dynasty during the imperial expedition is what Your Majesty needs most, so I guess that before the end of the Eastern Crusade, Your Majesty is likely to still let the position of the East Palace be vacant, When the Eastern Crusade is successful, His Majesty will return to the dynasty with a great victory, and then no one will have any objection to the announcement of the candidates for the East Palace, and the dispute between the two princes and princes can be settled. ”

Li Ji and Niu Jinda were silent for a long time, Li Ji nodded, and said: "The old man has lived in vain for decades, but he is not as far-reaching as you, it is really terrifying in the future......"

Li Su said with a smile: "The kid is too lazy, he likes to lie in the yard and ponder, these ideas are all guessed by lying in the yard, as for right or wrong, it depends on the changes in the court situation in the future." ”

Li Ji stared at his eyes and said with a solemn expression: "So, you are determined to assist King Jin?" ”

Li Su nodded and said solemnly: "King Jin, the unpolished beauty of jade is also worthy of my assistance, I believe that in the future, he will be able to create a thousand years of achievements that are not inferior to His Majesty." ”

Li Ji sighed: "At the beginning, the old man felt that it was too dangerous for you to step into the court, I hope you will be impartial and don't wade into troubled waters, but I didn't expect you to be involved in the dangerous right and wrong......"

Li Su said with a smile: "No matter how honest a person is, there are one or two enemies after all, if I am just friends all over the world in my life, it will be too boring, since I have decided to assist the King of Jin, even if the world is an enemy, I am willing to go." ”

Li Ji's expression became more and more serious, and he was silent for a long time.

Niu Jinda looked at Li Su, then at Li Ji, and then stopped talking.

He knew the meaning of Li Ji's question, this is not just about caring about Li Su, as we all know, Li Su is Li Ji's nephew, in the eyes of outsiders, Li Su represents Li Ji, and the two families are really one, so Li Su's decision is related to the rise and fall of the two families, and now the conversation between the two is equivalent to deciding the future direction of the two families.

Li Ji frowned tightly, he did not agree with Li Su's decision, for him, no matter which prince he supported, he had committed Li Shimin's taboo, Li Ji was a military general with military power, and his identity was particularly sensitive in the matter of competing for the crown, and the best way was to stand tall and impartial.

But Li Su made the decision to assist the King of Jin, and now Li Su's official title is not small, and his weight in the court is not light, so Li Su's decision inevitably affected Li Ji and made him hesitate.

As if seeing Li Ji's difficult struggle, Li Su took the initiative to smile and said: "Don't worry, uncle, the kid thinks that it is best not to get involved in this matter, you are a military general, your identity is too sensitive, if you are detected by Your Majesty, I am afraid that it will cause death to our two families, and it is enough to assist the King of Jin by me alone, if the King of Jin succeeds in the future, in the eyes of outsiders, our two families are actually one family, and we can share the rain and dew, if it doesn't work out, then there is a debtor and a master, my uncle has a deep prestige in the army, and I am not directly involved in this matter, Presumably, neither His Majesty nor the future new monarch will embarrass his uncle, and at that time, the boy's family will rely on his uncle to take care of him, which is the safest way. ”

Li Ji glared at him dissatisfiedly: "Do you think the old man is greedy for life and afraid of death, and he doesn't dare to take responsibility?" ”

Li Su said with a smile: "The kid just thinks that there is no need to bet the life and death of the two families on the same person, as long as my uncle is not involved in this matter, he can make our two families invincible, you are the Dinghai God Needle, with you, I can attack, retreat and defend, even if I lose, I will not lose the life of the whole family." ”

Li Ji was silent for a long time and nodded.

Li Su's words are undoubtedly the best way, standing in line before the situation is clear has always been a risky gambler's behavior, Li Su dares to gamble with his own life on this victory, he is convinced that Li Zhi will be the final winner, but he does not dare to gamble with the lives of his father and Xu Mingzhu and the child in her belly, even if there is a ninety percent chance of winning, because it is the life of his dearest relatives, not his own.

Li Ji looked at him with complicated eyes and sighed: "You gambled a lot this time, if you fail......"

Li Su said with a smile: "If I fail, I don't bother Your Majesty to send troops to get me, I will jump into the well and be happy." ”

Blinked at Niu Jinda on the side, Li Su said: "After the little nephew jumped into the well, Niu Bobo Mo looked down from the well......

Niu Jinda was stunned: "Why?" ”

Li Su laughed twice and didn't dare to answer. I can't say that your old man's face is too much like a brick, and appearing above the wellhead is inevitably suspected of falling into the well, which makes people die without being blinded......

****************************************************************

Leaving Li Jifu, Li Su exhaled a long breath.

Some words were finally made clear in person, participating in the struggle for the crown is an extremely risky thing, and Li Su and Li Ji have a relationship of both losses, in fact, they should have made it clear a long time ago, but considering Li Ji's status as a founding veteran with high prestige in the army, it is too sensitive to say this.

Today, since Li Ji took the initiative to ask, Li Su naturally stopped hiding it, and took advantage of the fact that the contradiction between the struggle for the crown was not yet sharp, so as to teach Li Ji to be prepared and calm in advance.

Perhaps, after Li Shimin's death in the future, Li Zhi's ascension to the throne as the crown prince may encounter some man-made changes, and the importance of Li Ji, a military general with military power, will be very prominent.

…………

It was dusk back to Taiping Village, the home was quite deserted, Dad Li Daozheng and Fang Lao Wu and other subordinates sat in the ear room drinking and bragging by the way, the atmosphere was very warm, one said that I killed hundreds of enemies before the battle, and the other was not convinced and said that I killed three or four hundred enemies before the battle, and the one who killed hundreds of enemies immediately changed his words, saying that I killed the enemy in a certain battle and broke a thousand, and a certain general Dayue sent me the nickname "Thousand People Chop" ......

A round of cowhide blowing down, the numbers are exaggerated again and again, and in the end, everyone's force value can basically sweep thousands of troops and horses by one person, and the outcome of a war depends on how you feel that day......

Li Su couldn't listen to it anymore, one was more shameless than the other, did the family have to make a whole mess. The wind is moving? First lock up Daddy in the firewood room and starve for a few days to make an example?

Walked to the backyard, just about to enter the east wing to see Xu Mingzhu, by the way to listen to the movement in her belly, who knew that when she walked to the door, she was blocked by the maid, and the maid trembled and told Li Su that Mrs. felt tired and sleepy after dinner, and fell asleep, Mrs. felt shallow, and after the lord came back, please be light, it is best to go to the princess's Taoist temple to deal with it for a night, so you are good, I am good, she is good......

Li Su was stunned for a long time, and then smiled bitterly.

This lady is really virtuous and virtuous, suitable for room and IKEA, and is so generous, but she looks like this and looks like a scumbag......

However, the environment of this era is like this, men, especially powerful men, if there is only one wife in the family but it makes people laugh, Xu Mingzhu may have had a certain wariness of Dongyang at the beginning, but since she became pregnant, her wariness of Dongyang seems to have disappeared overnight, and now this attitude of actively encouraging him and Dongyang makes him feel as if he is ...... Divorced?

Standing outside the arch in the backyard, Li Su thought about it and finally decided...... Be a scumbag.

The lights had already been turned off in the east wing, Li Su pretended to linger at the door for a while, and finally looked up to the sky with a reluctant look and sighed helplessly, and then walked out slowly.

Turning around, a chuckle came from the east wing, and then it stopped abruptly.

Li Su felt that his acting skills were particularly shameful and hypocritical, and three slaps were still not enough for the people to be angry.

…………

Taoist temple apse.

Dongyang saw that Li Su didn't give a good face, and his pretty face was tense, as if he could scrape a layer of frost from above.

"Madame drove you out to know that you came to me, when I am here at the inn?"

Li Su hugged her slender waist and smiled: "Why should Mrs. Princess insult herself? Which inn has such a beautiful shopkeeper as you? ”

Dongyang snorted and laughed, blushing and twisting him unwillingly.

"You know that I am honest, you know how many days you have not been here to bully me, I sent someone to inquire, I haven't seen how busy you have been recently, and I haven't seen you pass by me after eating and walking a few steps!"

Li Suzheng said: "Nonsense! Who says I'm not busy? I'm as busy as Dayu, three times through the door without entering, can only hurriedly pick the wildflowers from the side of the road and throw them at your door, silently wish you a quiet time, the present world is stable......"

Dongyang smiled angrily: "Where did you learn these weird words?" It's pretty catchy......"

Apricot eyes are slanted, eyes are shining, and Dongyang after becoming a woman is more and more charming and beautiful, and more feminine.

"Congratulations to my husband first, I accidentally became a man of the year in Chang'an City, and the portrait of the hero has caused a lot of noise in Chang'an City."

"Rejoice and rejoice, I just mentioned it in front of your father, it all depends on your father's wisdom and martial ......arts," Li Su pretended to bow his hand in the direction of Taiji Palace.

Dongyang wrinkled his nose and said: "There are many founding heroes in the court, and they are all from the dragon's merits, but if you really talk about merit, your contributions to the Tang Dynasty over the years are not inferior to the opening of the national dynasty, whether it is making firearms, fighting in Xizhou, or introducing real rice seeds, which one is worse than others?" Why did my father tell me that you were not included in the portrait of a hero this time? ”