Although Zhuang Jia and the concubine were favored by the monarch, they could not escape death because of violating military discipline.

Zhang Jiuling's bitter words did not convince Li Longji, because the brave and combative An Lushan made Li Longji suddenly feel compassion.

Although Li Longji sometimes showed extraordinary ruthlessness and ruthlessness towards his younger brothers and sons, he was always more generous and kind to his courtiers.

Li Longji could not bear to kill An Lushan, and decided to remove him from his official position and serve in the army as an ordinary soldier.

In this regard, Zhang Jiuling naturally found it difficult to accept, because he wanted to kill An Lushan, who was greedy for merit, to warn those border generals who were good at war because they were greedy for military merit.

The purpose of war is to fight for peace, not war for war's sake. Generals must fight for the future and destiny of the empire, not for personal fame and fortune!

"Character determines fate", and Zhang Jiuling's upright character determines his final tragic fate, because Li Longji at this time is no longer the hard-working monarch at the beginning of his accession to the throne.

Even in the early Kaiyuan Dynasty, when the government was the most enlightened, Li Longji was by no means as admonished as depicted in the history books. We can get a glimpse of one or two from the life experiences of Yao Chong and Song Jing, the famous ministers of the Kaiyuan Dynasty.

When people mention the prosperity of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, they will always think of Yao Chong and Song Jing, the two prime ministers, but the term of office of the prime ministers of both of them is only three years and two months.

In stark contrast to this, Yuan Qianyao had two experiences as prime minister, the first of which lasted only three months, but he realized the true meaning of politics, so his second term lasted nine years and six months.

Yuan Qianyao's trick is to have no quarrel with the world and get by. This not only reminds us of the popular phrase now: "The general assembly does not speak, the small meeting does not speak, the prostate speaks; The work is not outstanding, the performance is not outstanding, and the waist disc is protruding. ”

Yuan Qianyao's approach naturally made upright courtiers despised, but the reality was always full of helplessness.

Looking at the stubborn Zhang Jiuling, Li Longji's heart was quite unhappy, and he suddenly said inexplicably: "Is it possible for Aiqing to conclude that An Lushan will definitely be difficult to control in the future just based on one side of the fate like Wang Yifu knows Shile?" ”

"Wang Yifu knows Shile" is a classic story that has been widely circulated.

During the Western Jin Dynasty, the fourteen-year-old Shi Le sold goods at the upper east gate of Luoyang City. His shouts reached the ears of Wang Yifu (Wang Yan), who was passing through here.

Wang Yifu said to the left and right: "That Hu man just now has strange ambitions, I am afraid that he will become the culprit of the chaos in the world in the future!"

Wang Yifu, who advocates metaphysics, can be called the leader of the clear stream, but he is just talking.

Later generations have criticized Wang Yifu for "misleading the country". Zhang Jiuling was naturally unwilling to talk about it, but Li Longji's stubbornness made him helpless!

Li Longji's sentence "Wang Yifu knows Shile" is like a terrible stern, casting a shadow on the prosperous Tang Empire.

Shile eventually dragged the Western Jin Empire into the abyss of misery, as Wang Yifu said, and An Lushan became another Shile in the future.

After the outbreak of the Anshi Rebellion. Li Longji often recalls this historical fragment, and what follows is a deep sigh and helplessness.

An Lushan was lucky to escape death for the second time. He served in the army as an ordinary soldier.

Fate seemed to play a big joke with him, and after some ups and downs, he reluctantly returned to the original point, but he did not give up on himself, but continued to use military exploits to prove his ability.

Although Li Longji's protection allowed An Lushan to escape, he reluctantly stood on the opposite side of Zhang Jiuling, the prime minister of the dynasty, but the appearance of one person changed An Lushan's fate.

The strange political situation

In May of the twenty-second year of Kaiyuan (734 AD), Li Linfu walked into the solemn Zhongshu Gate for the first time as the prime minister in the faint heat of early summer. Since Zhang Shuo, who was the prime minister at the time, asked to change the political hall to Zhongshumen, it has been upgraded from a simple deliberative body to a prime minister's office.

Walking here is something that every official dreams of, because this is the core of power and decision-making center of the entire Tang Empire.

As a member of the clan, Li Linfu has an identity that is often overlooked. He was a distant uncle of Emperor Li Longji, as his great-grandfather Li Shuliang was a cousin of the founding emperor Li Yuan. This is also the emotional factor that Li Longji favors this distant relative from the bottom of his heart.

The most favored Concubine Wu Hui kept blowing the pillow wind in Li Longji's ears, which was also an important reason for Li Linfu to pay homage to the prime minister. Running and breaking her leg is not as good as a mouth of the woman next to the emperor, and it is Concubine Wu Hui who has a mouth that makes Li Longji fascinated.

Concubine Wu Hui undoubtedly inherited the fine tradition of her aunt Wu Zetian who was good at seducing men, and was able to firmly manipulate the emperor in the palm of her hand.

The prime minister of the Tang Empire was not one person, but many. During the time of Tang Zhongzong, there were so many prime ministers that there was no place to sit in the office. Li Longji controlled the number of prime ministers to two or three. The difference between the prime ministers is still very big!

The first level is the ex-officio prime minister, that is, the prefects of Shangshu, Zhongshu and Menxia provinces. Since the beginning of the Taizong Dynasty, the Shangshu Order was no longer lightly awarded to the courtiers, and the two deputy governors of Shangshu Province, the left and right servants, could not participate in the highest decision-making if they did not add the title of the three products under the Zhongshu Sect, so of course the prime minister was left with the Men Provincial Governor Shizhong and the Zhongshu Provincial Governor Zhongshu Ling.

The second gear is the third product under the door of the same book. Shangshu-level officials and even higher-level officials generally confer three grades under the Tongzhongshu Sect.

The third level is the Pingzhangshi under the Tongzhongshu Menxia, and the officials at the Shilang level or lower level are generally awarded the Pingzhangshi under the Tongzhongshu Menxia.

Li Linfu's position at this time was the Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites and the Sanpin of the Tongzhongshu Men, so at this time his status was obviously inferior to Zhang Jiuling, who was also the prime minister, and Pei Yaoqing, who was also the prime minister.

Li Linfu's initial career as prime minister was not satisfactory, because he was marginalized by Zhang Jiuling and Pei Yaoqing, who were older and higher-status.

The scheming Li Linfu is not in a hurry to fight for power, because many things are not fought for but waited.

"Waiting" is not to sit back and enjoy the success, nor to wait for the rabbit, but to sit and wait for changes, and the opponent will be wiped out while talking and laughing.

After more than two years of waiting, Li Linfu finally waited for the opportunity to fight back, and also waited for the opportunity to return the favor.

The winter of the twenty-fourth year of Kaiyuan (736 AD) was destined to deeply affect the future trajectory of the Tang Empire.

In this cold winter day, the "Ten Princes' Mansion" where the princes live looks bleak.

The three lost princes, the crown prince Li Ying, the king of E, Li Yao, and the king of light, Li Ju, gathered together. Little did they know that the meeting would result in their deaths.

Li Ying's mother, Concubine Zhao Li, served by Li Longji's side as early as when he was a vassal king. Li Longji is an emperor with high artistic attainments, Xiaoyin rhythm, good at singing and dancing, so Zhao Life, who was born as a singer, is deeply favored by Li Longji.

Since Empress Wang has never had an heir, Li Longji canonized Li Ying, the son of Concubine Zhao Li, as the crown prince.

The appearance of Concubine Wu Hui made Li Longji's favor for Concubine Zhao Li decline day by day. Concubine Zhao finally left this world with endless loss.

Li Ying, who lost the protection of her mother, naturally became less and less favored by her father. This also provided an opportunity for Concubine Wu Hui and Li Linfu to jointly design and frame the prince.

The three of them complained a few words. They would not have thought that these words would become a lever for Concubine Wu Hui to attack them.

Concubine Wu Hui cried in front of Li Longji that the crown prince had formed an alliance with Li Yao, the king of Hubei, and Li Ju, the king of light, and tried to kill their mother and son.

In the cry of the favorite concubine, Li Longji finally became angry.

"Forming a party" has always been the word that Li Longji hates the most. "Forming a party" inevitably means "running a private business", and "running a private business" will inevitably lead to "abolishing the public".

The potential threat posed by the crown prince's "clique" can be imagined.

Li Longji, who has been through countless palace coups, has a neurotic sensitivity to potential threats.

If it weren't for the strange political situation, Li Longji, who was not the eldest son, might have been just a vassal king all his life. The glamorous vassal kings actually had troubles and bitterness that were unknown to outsiders.

Turning the pages of history, we will find that most of the vassal kings left only a few words in the annals of history, nothing more than when they were crowned kings, when they were officials (under normal circumstances, they did not go to the post but just put on their names), and when they died.

It is not that the historians are stingy with their pen and ink, but that there are really nothing worth writing about them, because the elder brother or younger brother who ascended to the throne has always maintained an almost neurotic vigilance against them.

Although they are clothed and fed, they are empty and lonely; Although they are noble, they are like facing the abyss.

In order to truly control his own destiny, the vassal king must participate in the contest for the crown prince, and this brutal and almost bloody battle has only one ultimate winner.

Li Long, who is not the eldest son, basically did not have any advantage in the competition for the crown prince, but he relied on his great achievements in the palace coup and was made the crown prince.

In the context of the primogeniture inheritance system, Li Longji's bloodline problem has become the best excuse for his aunt Princess Taiping to attack him, so he always feels that his position as the crown prince is shaky.

From the vassal king to the crown prince, from the crown prince to the emperor, Li Longji has taken every step of the way. Even after ascending the throne and becoming emperor, Princess Taiping, as the emperor's father and aunt, are still the two swords of Damocles hanging over his head.

Until her aunt Princess Taiping died in a foggy rebellion, and her father Li Dan also passed away after that. At this time, Li Longji became the emperor who really controlled his own destiny.

Li Longji, who deeply felt that the throne was not easy to come by, always felt threats from all directions, some of which were real, but more of them were imaginary. For this reason, he once suspected heroes and brothers, and in his later years, he pointed the finger of suspicion at his son.

The idea of abolishing the crown prince and the king of E and the king of Guang suddenly rose in Li Longji's heart, but to make such a heavy decision, the prime ministers must be convened for discussion.

Zhang Jiuling, who looks like an old pedant, cites the allusions of Duke Wen of Jin, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Hui of Jin, and Emperor Wen of Sui who abandoned the crown prince and caused national turmoil.

Zhang Jiuling's earnest persuasion finally achieved the desired effect.

Li Longji, who gradually regained his senses, had to re-examine this decision that was so heavy.

Concubine Wu Hui, who had been looking forward to it, was disappointed in the end, but he was not reconciled.

Concubine Wu Hui sent her cronies and eunuch Niu Gui'er to secretly buy Zhang Jiuling. Niu Guier's sudden visit drew a rebuke from Zhang Jiuling. Zhang Jiuling will also report to Li Longji at this time.

Concubine Wu Hui, who had lost a lot of ashes, had to choose to swallow her anger and think about it in the long run.

Although the prince's turmoil has come to an end temporarily, Zhang Jiuling's career as prime minister is coming to an end, and the terminator of his fate is Li Linfu, who has a sweet belly.

Li Longji wanted to appoint Shuofang Jiedu as the envoy of Niu Xianke, but was opposed by Prime Minister Zhang Jiuling and Pei Yaoqing.

Li Linfu, who was silent at the time, found Li Longji afterwards and said: "Niu Xianke has the talent of the prime minister, let alone serve as a scholar." Zhang Jiuling is a scholar, he really doesn't know the general situation! ”

Li Longji naturally regards Li Linfu as his bosom friend and confidant.

The next day, Li Longji again convened the prime minister to discuss the appointment and dismissal of Niu Xianke.

The upright Zhang Jiuling is still resolutely opposed, and his rhetoric is becoming more and more intense.

Li Longji couldn't help but be furious, but Li Linfu chose to remain silent again, but after retreating from the court, Li Linfu once again slandered Zhang Jiuling.

Li Longji's dissatisfaction with Zhang Jiuling reached a critical point, and Li Linfu quickly threw out the straw that was enough to break the camel's back.

The embezzlement case of Wang Yuanyan in Ulzhou was discovered. In view of the seriousness of the situation, the Criminal Department, Dali Temple and Yushitai jointly tried the case.

Wang Yuanyan is none other than Yan Ting's ex-wife's current husband.

That's right! Yan Tingzhi did divorce his ex-wife, and the dissolution of the marriage did not make the two strangers.

I don't know if it's because the old love is unforgettable or for other reasons, Yan Tingzhi, who has "boundless love", actually tried to rescue Wang Yuanyan secretly in disregard of national law.

Li Linfu was secretly watching Wang Yuanyan's every move, like a cheetah quietly waiting for its prey to arrive in the depths of the woods.

Li Longji convened the prime ministers to discuss Wang Yuanyan's perversion of the law for personal gain.

Zhang Jiuling didn't know at this time that the severity of the situation had greatly exceeded his expectations, so he still defended his friend Wang Yuanyan regardless of his words.

This is exactly what Li Linfu is looking forward to, because Zhang Jiuling is stepping into the trap he has laid step by step.

Looking at Zhang Jiuling, who was trying his best to protect Yan Tingzhi, Li Longji couldn't help but think of all the unpleasant experiences that occurred when he was discussing the appointment of Niu Cyclamen a few days ago.

I'm going to promote the talented Ox Cyclamen, and you're adamantly against it!

I want to abolish the prince who plotted against him, and you are firmly against it!

I want to punish Wang Yuanyan for violating the law of the country, and you are resolutely against it!

Li Longji's mind suddenly came up with the extremely worried and disgusted word "forming a party".

This series of incidents unmistakably shows that Zhang Jiuling used his position to facilitate the cultivation of cronies and the exclusion of dissidents, especially what he could not tolerate was that the prime minister of the dynasty was actually entangled with the crown prince.

Li Longji immediately dismissed Zhang Jiuling and Pei Yaoqing from their posts as prime ministers. The two people who were indescribably sad had to accept this cruel result, because this is the political zhì!

Li Linfu, who "coerced two rabbits with one carving", undoubtedly became the biggest winner. Li Linfu, who also served as the Zhongshu Order, became the "prime minister". (To be continued.) )