In April of the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, Tang Zaifu and Imperial Historian Wei Zheng died of illness at home.

Upon learning the news, Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty silently walked to Lingyan Pavilion alone, walked to Wei Zheng's giant portrait, stroked Wei Zheng's old face on the portrait with his hand, kept tears, and said to himself: "People use copper as a mirror, and they can be dressed properly; With the ancient as a mirror, we can know the rise and fall; With people as a mirror, you can know the gains and losses. Wei Zheng went here, and I lost a mirror. ”

After that, he cried loudly and almost fainted.

In the imperial court, Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, and Hou Junji tried their best to oppose the Tang Emperor Li Shimin's abolition of the crown prince Chengqian and the establishment of Li Tai, the king of Wei, as the crown prince. But now with Fang Xuanling lying ill in bed, Wei Zheng died of illness, and Hou Junji was dismissed from all official positions because of the report of Zhang Liang, the servant of the Criminal Department. Prince Chengqian's situation suddenly became more precarious, and the entire court officials knew that there was a sword hanging above Prince Chengqian's head, which could fall at any time, and what everyone talked about the most was when His Majesty the Tang Emperor and the Tang Dynasty would abolish Prince Chengqian and re-establish the Tang Prince.

The difficult situation of the crown prince Chengqian made the left servant of the Tang Dynasty Shangshu who had been sick and bedridden for a long time worry about Fang Xuanling. He asked people to carry himself outside the Tang Palace, and then walked off the Hu bed tremblingly, and let his two sons, Fang Zhizhi and Fang Yiai, help him into the Taiji Palace.

In the Taiji Palace, the Tang Emperor Li Shimin was reviewing the recitals, and when he saw Fang Xuanling coming, he hurriedly stood up and said, "Xuanling, aren't you sick?" You're not at home to recuperate, why are you here? ”

Fang Xuanling looked at Li Shimin and said with a sad face: "Your Majesty, the old minister is interceding for His Royal Highness the Prince. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is having a hard time. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's ability is weaker, but his quality is very good. Empress Changsun went early, if His Majesty doesn't like His Royal Highness the Prince, give His Royal Highness the Prince's fatherly love. His Royal Highness the Prince's heart will be cold. ”

Li Shimin said with emotion: "Xuan Ling, Cheng Qian is my first son. How could I not love him? But in addition to being his father, I am also the son of heaven of the entire Tang Dynasty, and all the people of the Tang Dynasty are my people. The love of the Son of Heaven is like the brilliance of the sun, which shines on the earth and benefits the people; I can't give up my love for the people of the world because of my love for the crown prince Chengqian. If I don't make up my mind, abolish the crown prince Chengqian, and replace me as the prince of the Tang Dynasty, it will be a common disaster for Chengqian and the entire Tang Dynasty. How many emperors are because of lack of ability. In the end, the society collapsed, and the country was destroyed. ”

Fang Xuanling said with tears in his eyes: "Your Majesty, but Li Tai, the king of Wei, is really not a suitable candidate for the prince." His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is capable of ......"

Before Fang Xuanling finished speaking, Li Shimin interrupted: "Who said that I want to change Li Tai, the king of Wei, as the crown prince?" Li Tai, the king of Wei, was talented but not virtuous, and I never considered making him the crown prince. ”

Fang Xuanling was stunned for a moment and couldn't say a word.

Li Shimin let people open a curtain in the Taiji Palace. Fang Xuanling saw that Li Zhi, the king of Jin, was reading and figuring out the folds that the Tang Emperor Li Shimin had just reviewed.

Seeing the curtain open, Li Zhi, the king of Jin, raised his head and saw Li Shimin, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and Xuanling, the left servant of the Tang Shangshu. Li Zhi slowly stood up, bowed to Fang Xuanling and said, "Li Zhi has seen Fang Xiang. ”

Fang Xuanling immediately woke up. Hurriedly bowed to Li Zhi and said, "Fang Xuanling greets His Royal Highness the King of Jin. ”

Li Shimin beckoned to Li Zhi, and Li Zhi stood behind Li Shimin obediently.

Seeing Li Shimin, Li Zhi and his son standing together, Fang Xuanling suddenly realized: "I understand, I understand." Lao Chen really didn't expect His Majesty to be prepared? ”

Li Shimin asked Wang Fugui to bring the imperial historian Wei Zheng before he died. The sponsor of Li Zhi, the king of Jin, as the prince of the Tang Dynasty, was handed to Fang Xuanling.

Fang Xuanling opened the fold, and after reading it, he sighed and said, "I have worked with Wei Zheng for many years. Wei Zheng's vision and judgment, Lao Chen is very convinced. Since Wei Zheng recommended His Royal Highness King Jin as my Prince of the Tang Dynasty, Wei Zheng must have felt that His Royal Highness the King of Jin was an excellent Prince of the Tang Dynasty. The old minister believes in Wei Zheng, and the old minister is also willing to recommend His Royal Highness the King of Jin as the new prince of my Tang Dynasty. ”

After that, Fang Xuanling sighed with emotion: "Since Zhenguan ten years, His Majesty has allowed His Royal Highness the King of Jin to participate in the internal court meeting of the imperial court, and the old minister and His Royal Highness the King of Jin can also be regarded as getting along day and night, working together, the old minister just thinks that His Royal Highness the King of Jin has always been silent and polite, I never expected that His Majesty had already begun to lay out silently at that time, and His Royal Highness the King of Jin was cultivated by His Majesty as my prince of the Tang Dynasty." The old minister is confused, His Majesty and His Royal Highness the King of Jin are so bitter. The crown prince is not capable of undertaking cadres, Li Tai, the king of Wei, is talented and unvirtuous, and the old minister is also heartbroken for the matter of my prince of the Tang Dynasty, how many times have I been unable to sleep at night, and I am worried about it. ”

Li Shimin comforted Fang Xuanling and said: "This matter is very important, and I have to be cautious." The crown prince was incapacitated, and Li Tai, the king of Wei, was induced to become a talented and virtuous person. The other princes were taught by Kong Yingda and Yu Shining to only know benevolence, righteousness and morality, but they had no ability to deal with things. In my hands, there is only one person left in the Jin Dynasty, Li Zhi, who can become the new prince of my Datang and inherit the thousands of miles of the Tang Dynasty. I really have to be careful and protect him. ”

Fang Xuanling was shocked and said: "Your Majesty means that someone is doing something in the matter of my Tang prince?" Who, who is so bold? ”

Li Shimin did not answer.

After a moment of silence, Fang Xuanling spit out a person's name: "Cen Wenwen." The head of the Southern Shi clan and the text of Lang Cen in the Chinese book.

Wei King Li Tai has always had the reputation of a virtuous king, broad-minded, courteous corporal, but after Cen Wenwen and Xiao Yu took refuge in him, Wei King Li Tai gradually became a talented and virtuous person, although with the help of Cen Wenwen, Xiao Yu and others, Wei King Li Tai is pressing step by step in the court, and has won repeatedly, but his character and morality have made the officials of the entire court very unhappy, and they all think that Li Tai, the king of Wei, is a talented and virtuous person.

And Kong Yingda and Yu Shining, the great Confucians of the time, were all recommended by Cen Wenwen to His Majesty. At that time, all the officials agreed, after all, at that time, Kong Yingda and Yu Shining were both scholars in the world and knowledgeable. If Your Majesty doesn't tell Lao Chen, Lao Chen won't think that Kong Yingda and Yu Shining will only talk about misleading the country, and there is no good way to govern the country and secure the country.

Such a subtle plan, such an obscure method, throughout the entire Tang Dynasty, only Cen Wenwen can do it. (To be continued.) )