When the emperor announced such a big thing, everyone didn't seem surprised, the prince was under house arrest for such a long time, and at first he took care of his face and let him go to the court, and then he didn't even let him go to the court, although the reasons are different, but everyone thinks that the most reasonable is because of the death of King Wei in the first battle of Goguryeo, which led to the emperor's complete disappointment in the prince.

Everyone knows that the crown prince is definitely going to be replaced, so Yang Xiucai is so hardworking, and even Yang Jun is also very hardworking.

Everyone wants to have enough.

Of course, everyone also knows who is the most reasonable and suitable to sit in this position.

Yang Jian first looked at everyone's faces, so as to observe their attitudes towards this matter.

Seeing that everyone was not surprised by this matter, and there were no waves, Yang Jian was a little dissatisfied, the emperor took out the important matter of changing the crown prince and discussed it with you, you have to show some attitude.

No one spoke, no one expressed their position, and even Yang Jian felt a little helpless.

In the end, it was re-ordered for Gao Xi: "Gao Xi, what do you think?" ”

Gao Xi was helpless, the prince was deposed, and he was helpless about this matter, his daughter was the prince's good training, so he had to help the prince speak, but from his observation of the emperor during this time, he knew that there was no way to return to heaven in this matter.

even went to see Queen Dugu, but Queen Dugu was more determined than the emperor, but Queen Dugu also promised to ensure the safety and prosperity of Yang Yong and his concubines.

For a person who does not have the political sensitivity and ability to respond, it may be better to stay away from the center of power.

Gao Xi was silent for a moment and then said, "Your Majesty, Weichen doesn't dare to discuss it. ”

"My sons are very good, today the King of Shu is present, I often praise him in front of him, although he is young, but he is a handsome talent, and the other princes are also very good, so I often feel worried, what should I do? Xiu'er, which of you do you think is up to the position of crown prince? ”

Everyone showed a slightly surprised expression at this time, Yang Jian actually asked his son so bluntly, the current strong contender for the position of the crown prince, which seemed to be inconsistent with the emperor's consistent behavior.

Yang Xiu immediately realized that this problem was a trap for him.

At this time, if he is bold enough, following the emperor's words, Mao Sui's self-recommendation will seem to be a little eager for quick success, and the most powerful courtiers in the court are all present now.

If you are too eager for quick success, you will definitely be despised, although you have gone through some relationships during this time, but these important ministers in the court are not his descendants, and there can be a few people who will stand up for him when the time comes, in case Mao Sui recommends himself and no one stands up, it will be embarrassing.

But if he doesn't recommend himself now, but is modest and says that the second brother is more virtuous, will the emperor just get off the donkey? Since the king of Shu thinks that the king of Jin is virtuous, what about making the king of Jin the crown prince?

So now he can't recommend himself or humbly recommend other brothers, and said with a smile: "Father, the son has never thought about this, the son is stupid, and he can't give any answer for a while, he knows that the East Palace is the foundation of the country, so he should set up a virtuous person according to his father's ideas, and listen to the father's holy judgment." ”

Yuan Yan looked at His Royal Highness the King of Shu with satisfaction, the King of Shu was alert and reacted quickly, so he didn't have to worry about this.

Got rid of a difficult question and led the conversation to the word virtuous.

Lichang Lixian has been a big problem since ancient times, although the palms and backs of the hands are meat, but the number of children is large, there are always smart and not smart, like and dislike, the mothers of these children also have likes and dislikes, favored and disgraced, these conditions will become complicated when superimposed on the thoughts in the heart.

Lichang or Lixian, throughout the ages, ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, basically the political power is the choice of the successor, because the Lichang is simple, whoever comes out of the mother's womb first, is who, this chronological order is still very simple.

But Lixian is different, there is no standard for measuring virtue, and there is no stick to the brain who is more virtuous, and in the end it is impossible to distinguish between the top and the bottom, and can only see the true chapter in front of the Xuanwu Gate, who wins, who kills the other party, who is virtuous.

This is the way to get rid of chaos.

So the best choice is the eldest son with a normal head, but now the eldest son has been abolished, if it is in order, it is the second son Yang Guang, but Yang Xiu and others also want this position, and the sons have also grown up, and the competition between them will inevitably continue.

Yang Jian and Queen Dugu didn't want their sons to fight, but they didn't have a good solution to this eternal problem.

Gao Gong stood up at this time and said, "Your Majesty, please also convene the heads of the six ministries to discuss this matter, and all the princes will discuss it together." ”

Yang Jian said: "Gao Gong, after you return to the house today, write a name to me, the name of the person you think is suitable to become the prince." ”

Gao Gong looked at the emperor helplessly, as soon as he said this, the eyes of Yang Xiu and the others instantly fell on Gao Gong's body, isn't this the emperor deliberately pushing himself to the forefront?

Gao Gong couldn't resist this matter, so he had to respond.

Yang Jian let everyone leave first, leaving Gao Gong alone, and asked, "Gao Gong, you really didn't think about who would be the prince." ”

Gao Gong's face showed bitterness: "Your Majesty, the old minister has been feeling more and more old recently, and his strength is not enough in the past, you and the queen mother have decided on such things, and the old minister will support it no matter what." ”

"Are you old? Didn't you pay back a room of eighteen concubines a few days ago? ”

Nothing can escape the emperor's eyes, at this time, the emperor's words put down the courtesy of the monarch and ministers, Gao Gong withdrew his hand, sighed and said, "Your Majesty, aren't you embarrassing me? You threw this problem out, and you were happy to be free, what should I do? ”

The corners of Yang Jian's mouth turned up slightly: "I don't just give you a problem, I really want to see what your mind is." ”

Gao Gong waved his hand and retired: "Then the old minister will go back to the house first to think of ideas for His Majesty." ”

He understood what the emperor meant, and wanted him to initiate the recommendation of the crown prince, and when the time came, when the court mentioned it, people with different opinions would naturally jump out, so the emperor could distinguish more obviously who was who.

If the emperor initiated it himself, many people would be afraid to say it, and the situation would not be clear at that time.

As a chess player, you must sort out the situation.

The emperor's hand injury was transferred, so that Gao Gong was stopped by Yang Xiu at the first time he left the palace gate.

Yang Xiu couldn't wait to stop Gao Gong and respectfully greeted him: "Situ Gong." ”

"His Royal Highness the King of Shu."

"This king is holding a banquet in Xinghualou today, I don't know if Situ Gong is willing to enjoy his face and have a light meal together."

The King of Shu personally invited, if you are not free, you have to be free, Gao Gong understands the purpose of the King of Shu very well, but he has to go to eat this meal.

The Changle Fang at night is still a prosperous place at night, the Xinghualou is brightly lit, the warbler song is gentle, the swallow dance is curling, and the woman's crisp laughter comes from time to time, which makes people yearn for it.

The best hall on the Xinghua upstairs is called the Spring Rain Hall, and there are only special facilities in the hall, so that the hall is dripping from the roof except for the dining table, and you have to pass through the rain curtain to reach the table.

Gao Gong couldn't help but sigh: "Elegant, indeed elegant, taste tea and explore the secluded, listen to the rain and cook wine in the downtown area, the door is closed like a group of mountains surrounded by only the sound of the piano, I didn't expect the Xinghualou to really live up to its name." ”

"Gao Xiang is busy with affairs, and it seems that he hasn't been to this Xinghualou much."

"Lao Chen doesn't like lively scenes, so he doesn't often come to Changle Fang, only when he encounters a celebrity calligraphy and painting auction, he will come to a visit, the auction is really good, and there are often some famous works in the world."

After chatting for a few words, Yang Xiu stretched out his hand and motioned for Gao Gong to take a seat first, and there were only two people at a table.

Sumptuous dishes are plentiful.

"His Royal Highness the King of Shu, the two of us eat, these sixteen or seven dishes are too much."

Yang Xiu said indifferently: "It's not a year of catastrophe, it's okay, these dishes are all precious dishes collected from all over Xinghualou, you can taste them first." ”

Gao Gong didn't know how to bite for a while, but called the guy: "Give me a bowl of porridge." ”

"His Royal Highness the King of Shu, the old minister can't eat too much meat, please forgive me, just eat a little bit with porridge and food."

Yang Xiu was not very happy in his heart, the old guy didn't eat oil and salt, and he actually wanted to drink porridge with such a table full of delicacies.

But because of Gao Gong's current task and his own high morality, even if Yang Xiu is a little dissatisfied, he will not show it.

The next round of unnutritious mutual praise is a common routine in officialdom, Yang Xiu also took the wine out to drink with Gao Gong, but after three glasses of wine, Yang Xiu's face turned crimson, on the other hand, Gao Gong's complexion did not change at all.

Gao Gong couldn't help but laugh secretly in his heart, at a young age, he actually relied on drinking to get closer to each other, but he hadn't heard of Gao Gong's previous reputation.

After the founding of the Great Sui Dynasty, Gao Gong rarely drank alcohol, because in essence, he didn't like to drink, there was a lot of entertainment in the officialdom before, and he had to drink, and he didn't like to drink, but Gao Gong was massive, and he was not drunk in a thousand cups, and now he was in a high position, except for the toast of the emperor and queen, other wines could not be drunk, and it seemed that the officialdom gradually forgot the appearance of Gao Gong killing all sides at the wine table.

Now Gao Gong is holding a wine glass to salute Yang Xiu, he thinks that as long as Yang Xiu is drunk, so that he can't ask questions, he can go home in peace today.

Fortunately, Yang Xiu was just invincible in alcohol, not in his brain, and seeing that his alcohol consumption was not Gao Gong's opponent, he directly stopped drinking, and asked very bluntly: "Gao Xiang, what do you think about your father asking you to recommend a candidate for the crown prince?" ”

"His Royal Highness the King of Shu, you shouldn't ask such a question."

"There's no one else here, I just want to discuss with Gao Xiang, what does Gao Xiang think of me?"

Gao Gong shirked: "Your Highness, are you drunk?" ”

"Drunk? I'm not drunk, I've always respected Gao Xiang, as my father's most relied on courtier, Gao Xiang's moral ability is obvious to everyone, my father asked you to recommend it must also want to see what you mean, so I also want to hear what Gao Xiang means. ”

Yang Xiu asked again: "What does Gao Xiang think of me?" ”

Asked again and again, it would be rude if he didn't answer, but it was rude to answer, because he couldn't give Yang Xiu the answer he wanted.

"His Royal Highness the King of Shu, young and promising, has military merits, has literary talents, has both virtue and virtue, and is a person on the people, and it is the blessing of the Great Sui to have such a vassal king as His Royal Highness the King of Shu."

"Looking at everything else, it seems that Gao Xiang thinks that I can't be the prince anymore, is it possible that Gao Xiang already has a candidate in his heart?"

In the face of Yang Xiu's slightly threatening words, Gao Gong was neither humble nor arrogant: "His Royal Highness the King of Shu, this is an order issued by His Majesty, I only have one word, no other meaning." ”

"Then the king may ask Gao Xiang, do you think the crown prince's position should be established as a long or virtuous person?"

"Since ancient times, the young and the old have been orderly, so that everything has rules."

Yang Xiu immediately said: "If you talk about the eldest and youngest, my eldest brother is the best candidate for the prince, but my father wants to choose another virtuous person as the prince because of the eldest brother's immorality. ”

"The old minister asked His Highness rhetorically, how does His Highness judge the word virtuous?"

Yang Xiu's slightly flushed face showed a smile: "Governing the place, marching and fighting, and respecting your parents are all standards." ”

Gao Gong stroked his beard and said: "Governing the place, which is better or worse, the people and the local wang clan have judgments, marching and fighting, the victory or defeat is on paper, but several princes can not fight each other to see who is better, as for the respect for parents, His Royal Highness the King of Shu, the continuation of the heir is a great filial piety, His Royal Highness the King of Shu, you have to work hard in this regard." ”

Yang Xiu didn't expect Gao Gong's refusal angle to be so strange, and he couldn't refute it, he really didn't have an heir, now in addition to Yang Yong, only Yang Guang has an heir, and he is the eldest son of Zheng'er Bajing, the son of Princess Jin appointed by the emperor and empress, and there are no other collateral heirs.

Among the brothers, the side concubine of Yang Jun, the king of Qin, is pregnant with a child, and he doesn't know whether he is male or female, and Yang Xiu hasn't yet.

At this time, the heir is a very important bargaining chip, Yang Guang has the eldest son, which means that he is the crown prince, and the next orthodox heir is also selected, as long as Yang Zhao is not stupid or stupid, unlike Yang Yong, the emperor position of the Great Sui can be steadily handed over for three generations, which is much more important to the courtiers, especially the courtiers who are in the center of interests, even more important than Yang Guang's own ability.

Yang Xiu was helpless, but if he wanted to go back and conjure one at this time, he was afraid that it would be a little difficult.

Gao Gong then said: "Regardless of the establishment of the virtuous, the two saints should have their own decision, Your Majesty ordered me to recommend it is just a pretext, His Royal Highness the King of Shu, the old minister can't help in this matter, and he doesn't plan to really recommend anyone, this is a royal matter, the old minister still doesn't participate, and His Royal Highness doesn't have to bother with me." ”

With that, Gao Gong walked towards the door.

Yang Xiu didn't stop him, Gao Gong's words reminded him that the emperor and empress are very important in this matter, and he has to deal with his mother.

But Queen Dugu had just brought his side concubine Dong into the palace and said that he would discipline the rules, so as not to be ignorant of the general situation, and he was worried for a while that his side concubine had offended Queen Dugu.

(End of chapter)