Datang forges ahead bravely, but Li Shimin, the leader of Datang, feels more and more unable to focus because of his old age. Especially after the death of the eldest grandson of the queen Wujian in the twenty-fourth year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin's body took a sharp turn for the worse, causing the injuries suffered in the early years of the conquest of the world, and there were already some heroes in the twilight of just one year.

At present, Li Chengqian's political affairs in the Tang Dynasty are basically handled by Li Chengqian, and only particularly major matters are reported to Li Shimin for knowing.

As people age, Li Shimin misses more and more the heroes who fought the world with him. So the crown prince Li Chengqian suggested that Yan Liben depict the portraits of thirty-six heroes in the Lingyan Pavilion, which is the "Thirty-six Heroes Picture", the proportions are all life-size, and the portraits are all facing north for the memory of his father.

Li Shimin was overjoyed and approved his chapter; Then he ordered Yan Liben to come and personally arrange for him to make and paint the portrait. After each portrait, Li Shimin had to look at it for a long time, and then write a comment with his own handwriting.

Lingyan Pavilion is the first meritorious hero, with the world in mind, wise and foolish, brave and tiger-wise, and the righteous general Cheng Zhijie, the king of the Great Demon County. Li Shimin looked at Cheng Zhijie's portrait, and saw that things and people were secretly sad, and tears couldn't help but flow from his eyes.

The second is powerful and invincible, King Kong descended to the world Zhao King Li Yuanba

The third noble family, the British Champion Jie Zhao Guogong Sun Wuji.

The first is a famous king of the clan, known as Li Xiaogong, the king of the military merit river.

The fifth talent of the world, good at building Jiamou Liang Guofang Xuanling.

The sixth virtuous assistant was deeply conspiratorial, and he was met by the lord of the Ming Dynasty, Du Ruhui.

The seventh wise man said everything, Zheng Guogong Wei Zheng.

The eighth is highly respected, and the minister of the society, Shen Guogong Gao Shilian.

The ninth place strategized and won the victory over Li Jing, the prince of the country.

The tenth place is brave, righteous, thin, cloudy, sky, Hu Guogong, Qin Shubao.

The eleventh National Great Wall, the righteous name of the British Duke Li Ji.

The twelfth took the lance and fell into battle, and the loyalty and righteousness of the unparalleled Duke Chi Jingde of the Hubei State.

The thirteenth bone Confucian, bluntly said that he did not hide Xiao Yu, the Duke of Song Kingdom.

The fourteenth is not afraid of danger, and the real general praises the country Duan Zhixuan.

The sixteenth founding general, Liu Hongji, the first meritorious Duke of Kui Guogong in Beijing.

The seventeenth noble minister of the Sui Dynasty, the righteous husband of the Tang Dynasty, Jiang Guogong, Qu Tutong.

The eighteenth participated in the premeditation strategy, and the Qin Mansion was able to minister the country and open the mountain.

The nineteenth horse hero, not afraid of the prince of the country Chai Shao.

The twentieth place is of a generous nature, and there is no omission of the Gangneung Gongcen text.

The twenty-first dragon in the sea, Zhang Zhongjian, the prince of Donglai, shocked the four seas.

The twenty-second is of noble character, invincible, and invincible.

The twenty-fourth is the mighty side stopper, and the world is dominated by Luo Song Luo Yongnian, the prince of Liao.

The twenty-fifth soldier is like a god, and Zhang Shigui, the first meritorious national public.

The twenty-sixth has destroyed countless countries, and his courage is overwhelming.

The twenty-seventh Taiyuan Conglong, the late festival does not end the prince of Pi Sun Shunde.

The twenty-eighth is forbearant and strong, immobile as a mountain Langya bull through the bull into the cow.

The twenty-ninth was born in a humble background, and Zhang Liang, the unequaled Duke of Yunguo, was used.

The thirtieth destroys the enemy and pampers the Marquis of Chen Guo.

The thirty-first general of the door tiger, the battle must first ascend to Xinyi County Gonghan to capture the tiger.

The thirty-second reckless hero, with unparalleled righteousness, the prince of Ji Guogong is majestic and the sea.

The thirty-third assistant Ding Qice, who died young, Zhang Gongjin, the Duke of Tanguo.

The thirty-fourth virtuous and pure, good advice and pure minister, Yongxing Gongyu Shinan.

The thirty-fifth former minister of Gaozu was a great meritorious service to Xingguo Gong Liu Zhenghui.

The thirty-sixth is loyal and pure, and has Tang Jian, the Duke of Ju State of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Shimin built the Lingyan Pavilion, and he had to go here every day to remember; He also ordered someone to draw a small pair of Cheng Zhijie in Shandong.

Cheng Zhijie watched it for a long time, and he was also secretly sad, and now he is also in the year of knowing the destiny of heaven, his mother has already died, and even his wife Sun Sixin left early because of her frail health.

Seeing these portraits of his old brothers, Cheng Zhijie also burst into tears; In recalling the bits and pieces of the past, the eventful years, I couldn't help but pick up the pen and write on it: Why don't men take Wu hooks and collect Guanshan Fifty Prefectures. Please go to Lingyan Pavilion temporarily, if you are a scholar and a marquis?

Cui Yu also changed from a young girl to a gray-haired old woman, he looked at Cheng Zhijie with some excitement, and said: "King Jun, if you still can't let go, go back and see, Chang'an does have a lot of people and things that cannot be forgotten." I'm missing my kids a little bit too. ”

"It's not time yet, just wait!" Cheng Zhijie let out a long sigh and ordered someone to send the letter in his hand back to Chang'an.

Li Shimin's physical condition deteriorated, and finally he could not manage the government, so he completely handed over the big and small government affairs to the crown prince Li Chengqian, and he went to Zhongnanshan to recuperate.

In April of the 27th year of Zhenguan, that is, in the 23rd year of Zhenguan in 648 in history; Li Shimin has to rely on medicinal stones every day to maintain his life. When he was dying, he called Li Chengqian to his bedside and said: "The emperor's time is approaching, and he will die soon, and the country of the Tang Dynasty will be entrusted to you."

You should follow the old sages and sages as your teacher, and you must not follow me. Because if you take the law from above, you can only get it, and if you take the law from the middle, you can only get it.

Since I ascended the throne, I have made many mistakes: splendid pearls and jades are endless, palaces and pavilions are often flourishing, dogs, horses, eagles and falcons are far away, and they travel all over the world to provide fatigue. All of these are the greatest mistakes I have ever made, and you must not follow me as an example. ”

As he spoke, he picked up a book from the side of the bed and said, "This is a book written for my father, called "Di Fan", which is my understanding of life and the world; It is also a summary of my experience in my life and governing the world; The way of expounding politics is all in it, and once I don't shy away from it, I have nothing to say. I hope you will study it well and pass it on to future generations, so that our Datang foundation will be immortal forever. ”

Li Chengqian knelt on the ground, lay on the side of his father's bed and cried loudly: "My father is the son of heaven, and he is blessed by a hundred spirits. Please also ask my father to take care of his health! ”

Li Shimin shook his head and said, "Emperor, most of the ministers who fought with me have passed away, and some have also become old. However, over the years, the Tang Military Academy has cultivated a lot of talents, so that the emperor has no worries.

There are two people in this Manchu Dynasty and you must reuse. The first is your father-in-law, Cheng Zhijie, the king of the Great Demon County. After I dismissed him as a citizen, I have not dealt with him; Even when your mother died, she didn't bring him back.

I want you to be gracious to him and make him useful to you; As long as he is there, Datang will be as stable as Mount Tai and will never make mistakes.

There is also a British duke Li Ji, but you have no favor to Li Tao, and I am now ready to demote him to a foreign official. After my death, you should give him the position of servant, and he will receive your favor and will surely die for you. ”

Li Chengqian hurriedly agreed, saying that he remembered it in his heart.

Li Shimin sighed and said: "Your father-in-law often said that I am a man of temperament, and I have no way to govern the country and the family. Now it seems that he was right. Over the years, I have pampered your brothers and sisters too much, making them lawless one by one, which has made you suffer a lot of grievances.

After I die, no matter what they do, I hope you can spare their lives, these guys think they are doing it carefully, in fact, where all this is under your control, very good, you did a good job, but I don't want the tragedy of Xuanwumen to happen to you again. ”

Li Chengqian knelt on the ground, even his back was soaked; It seems that the father-in-law has always enlightened himself, so that he only cares about doing his own job and not competing for favor. His father, such a heroic and powerful emperor through the ages, would he not be able to see through the tricks of himself and others?

Thinking of this, he couldn't stop kowtowing and said: "Father, rest assured, the sons and daughters remember, they must maintain a good brotherly friendship and never hurt anyone." ”

Li Shimin nodded slowly, and then let Li Chengqian retreat, secretly closing his eyes to recuperate.

On May 26 of this year, Li Shimin, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, died of illness in the Hanfeng Hall of Zhongnan Mountain; At the age of fifty-two, he reigned for twenty-seven years, the temple name was Taizong, and he was buried in Zhaoling.

The news of the emperor's death spread all over the land of China, and the world was full of vegetarianism, and everyone consciously wore linen and filial piety for this heroic and martial king to show their nostalgia.

The information reached Shandong, Cheng Zhijie screamed in pain when he heard the words, and he almost fainted, and when he cried for a long time, he rode his rainbow war horse, took the gossip Xuantian axe, and hurried to Chang'an alone.

When the aliens on the grassland heard that Tian Khan had died, they all gathered in Chang'an to mourn. According to the rules of the grassland, when a respected person in the family dies, a person will use a sharp blade to cut his cheek from the forehead and jaw to accompany the funeral.

Ashinadur, who had already been a general of the Tang Dynasty, slashed his cheek with a sharp blade, and he must go to Zhaoling to bury this wise monarch. Later, everyone persuaded him to cancel his plan to accompany the funeral, but he and Qi He Li paid tribute to Li Shimin's mausoleum in Zhaoling.

In Chang'an City, these days are dark and cloudy, everyone is saddened by Li Shimin's death, and at the same time, the new emperor has just ascended the throne, and everything has not yet been on the right track. These days, the army in Chang'an City is frequently dispatched, and it is strange everywhere, which makes everyone secretly frightened.

Li Chengqian dragged his heavy body back to his dormitory slowly, and took over the behemoth of Datang in an all-round way, and he knew why his father was so tired every day. He even thinks that his father's death has something to do with it.

These are not the most uncomfortable things for him, and now the strange atmosphere in Chang'an makes him a little upset, and there is a lot of evidence to prove that these things are not unrelated to his younger brothers. Thinking of this, he looked at the Xuanwu Gate to the north again.

Twenty-seven years ago, his father obtained control of the Tang Dynasty through there; Today they also want to take away their rights through there. However, unlike his father's opponent, there is a god of war in Xuanwumen, and as long as he is in him, he is as stable as Mount Tai.

"Your Majesty! You're back. Cheng Zhuyun saw Li Chengqian's figure and hurriedly greeted him, changed his clothes very gently, and handed him hot and cold tea.