The wine was half-drunk, and everyone had a good chat. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

Suddenly, the housekeeper came in, "Lang Jun, someone from the palace." ”

Li Chao frowned, what did someone do in the palace in the middle of the night.

"If Cai Guogong is going to die, Your Majesty asks King Zhao to go to Cai Guogong's mansion immediately." There was a young eunuch in the palace, and every time it was dark, the palace door would be locked. If it is not a matter of urgency, the palace door will not be opened, and even if it is an important piece, it can only be handed in through a small opening in the palace gate.

To open the palace gate at night, there must be many procedures, and people outside generally can't get in, and people inside can't get out. It's not a hundred thousand urgent matters, and it can only be said after dawn.

But tonight, the emperor sent someone out of the palace.

Cai Guogong is going to die.

Li Chao muttered again, and most of the wine immediately woke up. Cai Guogong, that is Du Ruhui in the service, and Fang Xuanling have been the emperor's right-hand man over the years. Du Ruhui's body had already had problems, and it was Li Chao who made a deviation that allowed him to survive for several more years.

But now, if you say no, you can't do it, and suddenly it falls.

"Lead the way!"

The other princes, when they heard that Du Ruhui was not good, also had to follow over to take a look. Du Ruhui's popularity in the DPRK and China is also very good, although he has served as prime minister for many years, he is very polite to everyone. Even the generals like Qin Qiongcheng bit Jin, and they have been somewhat taken care of by Du Ruhui.

Everyone took the coat and the hat wore the hat, and the hall was in chaos.

By the time Li Chao and the others rode to Cai Guogong's mansion, Du Ruhui was already angry.

His chest rose and fell violently, and his mouth was huge, but he always seemed to be out of breath, and his face was already completely black. A group of imperial doctors were busy beside them, but they were already useless.

Li Shimin sat on the edge of the bed, holding the old man's hand tightly.

Li Chaolai saw that Du Ruhui's arms and calves were already swollen badly, in this case, people who know medicine know that this is already the limit, there is no medicine stone, and there is no strength to return to heaven.

Du Ruhui, who had been panting and closing his eyes, suddenly opened his eyes.

Du Ruhui's uncles, brothers, sons, nephews, and sons-in-law all called him in unison.

Du Ruhui turned his head, recognized them one by one, called their son, and then withdrew his gaze and saw Li Shimin.

"Your Majesty!"

"Du Xiang, I'm here."

Du Ruhui saw Li Chao again, "Wenyuan." ”

Li Chao also walked to the bed, and Du Yan took a chair for him.

"Du Xiang, I'm Wenyuan."

Du Ruhui smiled at him.

"Originally, I died a few years earlier from this disease, but Wenyuan's home remedies helped me hang my life for a few more years. Today's deadline is up, and I don't have any regrets. When I was born, it was the beginning of the previous dynasty, and it was also a prosperous era. But when I was young, I experienced the collapse and destruction of the Sui Dynasty, I followed Your Majesty when I was young, opened the country in a hundred battles, and the changes of Xuanwumen helped Your Majesty win the world, but when it comes to the proudest, it has been nine years since Xuanwumen to the present. We are honest and gentle, but we have done what others have not been able to do for decades or hundreds of years, and now the four seas are peaceful, the country is rich and the people are strong, I went at this time, and I have no regrets. I came to the prosperous world of the emperor, and now I will go to the prosperous world. ”

The more Du Ruhui spoke, the more energetic he became, his eyes lit up, and he spoke much more fluently.

But Li Chao knew that this was a return to light.

"Du Xiang, Datang has today's prosperous era, you are indispensable, you are a virtuous and virtuous minister!" Li Chao held his hand, "Du Xiang, is there anything else you want to tell Your Majesty and the Du Du He brothers?" ”

Du Ruhui smiled, very free and easy, in the face of life and death, he had no nostalgia.

"Everyone dies!"

"Your Majesty, Zhenguan will definitely be stronger and more prosperous, but it's a pity that the old minister can't accompany His Majesty to go down, and the minister will go first."

Li Shimin couldn't help but have tears in his eyes, an old partner for so many years, when he was fighting, he was a staff member, a military advisor, and a guarantee for the rear. When he won the throne, he was the mastermind again, and when he finally won the world, he was one of his best prime ministers.

"I should let you recuperate at home, you have worked too hard for the court to get to where you are today."

Du Ruhui just shook his head, "Your Majesty, in terms of ability, the minister is far inferior to Xuan Ling, and it is not as good as Wen Yuan, after I go, there are so many virtuous ministers in the court, I don't worry about the affairs of the court." ”

"Wen Yuan, Du Gou Duhe, these two boys, also studied with you when they were young. I know that these two boys have no talent, and they don't want to put their hearts into it, especially Duhe. After I go, I hope that Wenyuan can discipline the two brothers on my behalf and not let them go down the evil path. ”

Li Shimin held Du Ruhui's hand and said, "Your Duke title and territory of Cai State, I will let Du Gou inherit them all." As for Duhe, he is my colt, and I will take good care of him. I give you the Duke of Xiangyang County today! ”

Li Chao also said to Du Ruhui, "Du Xiang, rest assured, they have all worshiped me as a teacher, and I will definitely teach them well." ”

Du Ruhui finally called his uncle Du Yan and his brother Du Chuke and confessed a few words.

As he spoke, two lines of tears flowed from Du Ruhui's eyes, and then he stopped breathing.

"Brother!" Du Chuke shouted.

But Du Ruhui couldn't respond anymore, only the godless eyes and the mouth that didn't close.

Li Chao stretched out his hand to help Du Ruhui close his eyes, and then helped him close his mouth.

Li Shimin held Du Ruhui's hand, his voice choked, and tears fell.

"Ru Hui, I still want you to serve as my assistant for thirty years, and I also want you to support the contractor in the future, but you will go first."

The crowd bowed their heads.

The Du family had already prepared for the future.

Li Shimin and Li Chao both came out of the house and sat down in the hall. The Du family began to scrub Du Ruhui's body and change clothes.

Li Shimin looked a little haggard, and went out of the palace in the middle of the night to come to Dufu to send the last ride for an old minister, and this was only Li Shimin. This gentleman's affection moved all those present.

Li Chao couldn't help but sigh, the emperor is indeed such a more affectionate and righteous person. For those old brothers who fight the world together, they are very affectionate. Just like Hou Junji back then, he was also bent on protecting.

"Wen Yuan, if you are gone, you can come and serve as a servant." Li Shimin said suddenly.

Li Chao was stunned, then shook his head.

"Your Majesty, this is not appropriate."

Cheng Biting Jin and the others only came up to greet Li Shimin at this time, Li Shimin nodded, "The world is impermanent." ”

Du Ruhui is actually quite young, only in his fifties at this time, but he said he would leave.

Du Chuke came over with a watch seal.

"My brother knew that the deadline was coming, and he had already prepared a testament."

Li Shimin took it, and Du Ruhui's testament was full of words of advice to Li Shimin, and he did not mention his own family children. Li Shimin saw it and couldn't help crying again.

"I want to posthumously crown Ruyan as the king of Runan County!"

Posthumously crowned as king, this is the first time in Datang.

Du Ruhui's sudden death made the entire court mourn.

Li Shimin issued an edict to posthumously crown Du Ruhui as the king of Runan and dropped out of the dynasty for seven days. Du Ruhui's eldest son Du Gou inherited Du Ruhui's title, changed the title of Duke Laiguo, and gave Du Ruhui's second son Du He as the Duke of Xiangyang County, and Du Ruhui's fief was all inherited by Du Gou.

Originally, Li Shimin had already selected the four ministers who would stay in Beijing when he went to Feng Chan, but before it was announced, Du Ruhui went first.

The Imperial Study.

"If you are gone, I will be like a broken arm."

Li Shimin looked very haggard.

"Zhuqing, who do you say will take over the position of servant?"

The people are gone, but the court has to continue.

The position of the servant is quite important, and this is one of the three orders of the imperial court. According to today's system, the position of the servant is second only to the Zhongshu Order, and it is still above the Shangshu Order.

Shang Shuling had been vacant for four years before, and he couldn't be vacant again.

"I mean, Wen Yuan will take over the position of servant." Li Shimin set his eyes on Li Chao.

Li Chao sat there and didn't speak, listened to the emperor's name, got up and shook his head in decline.

Li Shimin said it three times, and Li Chao refused three times.

"The minister recommended Gao Xiang to take over the post of servant."

Gao Shilian is old and serious, and he is the uncle-uncle of the queen, which is still more reassuring to the emperor.

Li Shimin thought about it and felt that it was not appropriate. Because he is already preparing to let the eldest grandson Wuji take the position of Shang Shuling, he can't let Gao Shilian be a servant anymore.

A brother-in-law and an uncle, if the two of them are divided into Shang Shuling and Shizhong, this is not very suitable.

In the end, the eldest grandson Wuji refused to serve as Shang Shuling, believing that he lacked prestige qualifications. So in the end, Gao Shilian served as Shangshu Ling, the eldest grandson Wuji continued to serve as Shangshu's left servant and secretary of the ministry, and Ma Zhou took the position of Shizhong.

This decision surprised the full house.

Even Ma Zhou himself didn't expect him to serve as a servant.

His current official position is Zhongshu Shilang, Tongzhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, and the prince's right concubine. The transfer of the vice minister of Zhongshu Province to the governor of Menxia Province is still a relatively big step. In particular, Ma Zhou's Zhongshu Shilang has only been a squire for three years, after he had been the right servant of Shangshu Province for one year and the head of the household department.

In terms of qualifications, Ma Zhou is far inferior to the eldest grandson Wuji.

But now, it has risen much faster than Ma Zhou.

Ma Zhou refused to accept it, and Li Shimin did not accept it.

So after a few times, it was finally settled.

Fang Xuanling was the Zhongshu Ling, Ma Zhou replaced Du Ruhui as the servant, and Gao Shilian finally took up the position of Shangshuling, which had been vacant for four years after Li Chao's resignation.

Li Chao still did not hold a substantive position, but he had the title of Taishi, and he could still be ordered to enter and leave the palace at any time, sit and discuss with the Son of Heaven, and even participate in the imperial meeting, he is a prime minister who is not a prime minister.

"Wen Yuan, I also have an errand to hand over to you here. In the first month of next year, it will be the second meeting of the new imperial examination. The last time Zhenguan took the sixth year of the examination, you presided over it, and next year's second examination, I still appointed you as the main examiner. ”

In the sixth year of Zhenguan, the first subject was reformed after the imperial examination, and Li Chao personally took the examination in that subject, admitted 500 jinshi, 50,000 talents, and finally selected 500 jinshi, which can be described as one in a hundred.

After three years, next year will be the ninth year of Zhenguan, and the second subject will start again.

The chief examiner of the imperial examination was just a temporary errand, and it was also a very honorable thing, Li Chao did not refuse, and immediately took it.