In the palace of Sui Yan, Lu Renjun passed the throne to his nephew Lu Qian, admonished him to love the people and accept advice, and told him not to make changes in state affairs and not to use swords and soldiers without permission. At this time, thousands of miles away in the Chang'an Palace in the capital of the Tang Dynasty in the north, in the back cabinet of the Chongqing Palace, the Empress Dowager Gao's illness turned dramatic, and she was telling the child Li Xu: "Child, the ancestors have a difficult business, but fortunately, the ancestors are profound, and they have to have peace today." But when your father was in power, the whole country was in a boil, and it almost caused a great change, and the people are still terrified when they think about it, what is the reason for your words?"

Li Xu said: "Children often hear their grandmother say that their father listened to Dr. Zuo's words and changed the old law, which caused the people to live in misery. ”

The Empress Dowager's dry face moved slightly, and she sighed: "Doctor Zuo is knowledgeable and talented, he was not a bad person originally, and his intentions are naturally for the country and the people, but ...... Alas...... But your father, who has an impatient temperament and only hopes to succeed quickly, does not know that things in the world are often not done quickly, and they are in a hurry, but they are messed up. ”

When she said this, she gasped for a while, and then said, "Second...... Second, he can't listen to a word of uncontrollability, others only sing praises and say that he is a saint of heaven, he likes it, if he says that he is not acting properly, and admonishes a few words, he will lose his temper, and the dismissal of the official, the exile of the exile, in this way, who else dares to speak out to him?"

Li Xu said: "Grandma, it's a pity that my father's will was not completed, and his good laws and good intentions have been ruined by the villain." ”

The Empress Dowager was taken aback and asked in a trembling voice, "What...... What is the good law? What is the ...... What kind of villain?"

Li Xu said: "Aren't the Qingmiao Law, the Horse Protection Law, and the Armor Protection Law created by my father and emperor all good laws for enriching the country and strengthening the army? ”

The Empress Dowager's face changed color, and she was about to sit up, but she was extremely weak, and she had to lift her body by an inch or two. It's also hard to cough and just keep coughing.

Li Xu said: "Grandma, don't be angry, rest a little more, your body is important." Although he was comforting, there was no affection or concern in his tone.

The Empress Dowager coughed for a while, gradually calmed down, and said, "Child, you have been an emperor for nine years, but these nine years are ...... In the past nine years, the real emperor is your grandmother, you have to do everything according to your grandmother's orders, you ...... You must be very angry and hate your grandmother, don't you?"

Li Xu said: "Grandma is the emperor for me, that hurts me, for fear that I will be tired." The employment is for the grandmother, the holy decree is given by the grandmother, and the child is idle and tight, so what's wrong with that? How dare you blame the grandmother?"

The Empress Dowager sighed and said softly: "You are very much like your father, you think you are smart and capable, you always want to do something big, you have been hating me in your heart, I ...... Don't I know?"

Li Xu smiled slightly and said: "Grandma naturally knows, the commander of the palace royal forest army is grandma's cronies, the head of the eunuch is grandma's henchman, and the ministers of Chinese martial arts are all appointed by grandma, in addition to obediently obeying grandma's orders, does the child dare to do one thing casually and say a word casually?"

The Empress Dowager looked directly at the top of the tent with her eyes and said, "You are counting on today every day, only hoping that once I am seriously ill and die, you ...... That's where you can show off your skills. ”

Li Xu said: "Everything for the child is given by grandma, if it wasn't for grandma to preside, when the father and emperor died, the ministers of the court and central government did not establish King Yong, but also King Cao." How dare a child forget grandma's deep kindness......? It's just ......"

The Empress Dowager said: "What's the matter? What do you want to say, even if you say it, why bother to spit it out?"

Li Xu said: "The child once heard that grandma wants to set up a child, but she is greedy for the child to be young, and grandma can take care of the government herself." He said these words boldly.

My heart was pounding, and I glanced at the door of the palace a few times, and saw that the eunuchs guarding the door were still my henchmen, and they were tightly guarded, so I felt a little relieved.

The Empress Dowager nodded slowly and said, "Your words are good. Indeed, I am going to govern the country myself. How have I managed in the past nine years?"

Li Xu took out a roll of paper from his arms and said, "Grandma, I don't know how much the scholars of the court and the opposition have said in the past nine years, but I am afraid that grandma will get tired of listening to it." Today, someone from the north came and said that the prime minister of another country had a letter to Emperor Liao, mentioning his grandmother's governance. This is the opinion of the minister of the enemy country, grandma wants to hear it?"

The Empress Dowager sighed: "It doesn't matter if you are desecrated by the world, or slandered all over the world, old ...... The old body can't live tonight. I...... I wonder if I will be able to see the sun tomorrow morning...... He...... What does he say about me?"

Li Xu unfolded the scroll of paper and said: "The prime minister said in the recital that the empress dowager said: 'Since the curtain was lowered, the famous ministers have been summoned, the new law has been abolished, and the government has been in power for nine years, the court is clear, and China is Sui'an. Put an end to internal luck, cut off the private favor of external families, and the things offered by the Wensi Academy, regardless of the details, will not take one of them for life......"

When he read this, he paused, and saw that the Empress Dowager's eyes, which were already not shiny, shot a few rays of excitement, and then read: "......'People think that the female middle Yao Shun!'"

The Empress Dowager muttered: "People think that the female Zhong Yao Shun, and people think that the female Zhong Yao Shun! Even if it is really Yao Shun, it is inevitable to die in the end." Suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed through her mind, which was becoming more and more blurry, and she asked, "Why did the prime minister of that state mention me......? You have to be careful, they know I'm dying and want to bully you. ”

Li Xu's young face showed a proud look and said, "You want to bully me, hmph, the words are good, but it's not so easy." The people of Fanbang have a detailed work in Tokyo, and they know that grandma is seriously ill, but don't we have a detailed work in Shangjing? Their prime minister's recital, haven't we all copied it? Fanbang monarchs and ministers discussed, and said to wait for grandma...... After grandma lives a thousand years, if the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs does not change anything, does not implement the new law, and protects the territory and the people, then it will be over. What if the child has ...... Hmph, what's the recklessness...... If they act rashly, they will also act rashly. ”

The Empress Dowager lost her voice and said, "If that's the case, they will send troops south?"

Li Xu said: "Not bad!" He turned around and walked to the window, only to see the Big Dipper shining in the sky, his eyes followed the dipper, stared at the North Star, and muttered: "I have enough food and food in the Tang Dynasty, and there are many people, so why not be afraid of the land of small projectiles? He will not go south, I will go north to compete with him!"

The Empress Dowager's ears were ineffective, and she asked, "What are you talking about?"

Li Xu walked to the sickbed and said, "Grandma, our Tang Dynasty people are ten times more than those in that state, and there are thirty times more grain and grass, isn't it?

The Empress Dowager said in a trembling voice: "You said you want to start a war with Fanbang? Emperor Zhenzong was so heroic back then, and he drove his own expedition to form an alliance with the Yuanyuan, ...... How dare you use a sword?"

Li Xu said angrily: "Grandma always looks down on children, just as children are still stinky babies who don't understand anything. Even if the child is not as good as Taizu and Taizong, he may not be as good as Emperor Zhenzong. ”

The Empress Dowager said in a low voice: "It was Emperor Taizong, who was also defeated in the Northern Kingdom back then, and returned with serious injuries, and the sores were difficult to heal, and finally collapsed because of this." ”

Li Xu said: "How can we generalize about the affairs of the world. Back then, we couldn't beat the Fanbang people, and we may never be able to beat them. ”