I am Li Shen and Li Shimin, the free kings of the Tang Dynasty

"Aye asked the fourth child to train me? But I don't look like it. The rewards and favors that Aye gave to the fourth child are far greater than me, the prince." Li Chengqian said doubtfully

"Brother, you are really a fan of the authorities. Aye has been training you for ten years. How can he give up just as he said? Are you training the fourth brother for ten years? Then the fourth brother is useless. Who has been training you for ten years? Big brother Aye is very busy. Yes, there are so many ten years. And if you want your son to inherit the throne in the future, will you discipline him strictly every day? Or will you pamper him every day?" Li Shen asked in return.

Li Chengqian thought about the same reason. Li Shimin was almost forty. It will be almost fifty in ten years. How can I have so much time? What Li Shen said at the end is very reasonable. He will definitely have to strictly discipline his son in the future. How could he be allowed to do whatever he wanted.

"Brother, actually I think you should thank Fourth Brother." Li Shen said

"Thank you, fourth child. Why." Li Chengqian was puzzled

"Brother, you are too old. And you have been doing very well. And Aye is only 37 years old now. You said that if you continue to be alone in another five years or ten years. When you are really in your prime, Aye will also You are only in your forties. Should you continue to be the crown prince then? Or let Aye abdicate. Is Aye afraid that you won't be able to wait?" What Li Shen said was treasonous. But hearing Li Chengqian's ears was like being struck by lightning.

Yes he is too old. This has often been the case in history. The emperor deposed the prince. Some even killed. And there are many princes who can't wait to rebel.

"Did you come up with all this, Tenth Brother?" Li Chengqian asked

"Brother, this is a good idea, but you are just a fan of the authorities."

"What should I do, tenth brother?" Li Chengqian asked

"The first thing is to get rid of the bad habits. Get rid of all the singers and musicians in the East Palace. Of course, you still have to play. Big brother, we are young men. Young men should be energetic and capable in doing things. They should not be immature and afraid of wolves before doing things. , afraid of tigers, procrastinating. People are not frivolous and waste their youth. Don’t care about fourth brother. Don’t care about others. Don’t let yourself down. Whatever girl the eldest brother likes, we will marry her back as a concubine. If we like horses, we will ride them. As long as you can do it by yourself. Just be on the right track. Brother, you are going astray now. Pay attention to the people around you. To be honest, as far as I know, there are really no capable ministers around you. Don’t be afraid if you are a dandy, the important thing is that you know what you are doing. Is it right or wrong? That's it. If you want, go to Ayena to help with government affairs. Ayena is too tired. As the eldest son, this is your responsibility. Even if he is not an emperor, he is a farmer. At this time, as the eldest son, you should help cultivate the land more. The rest Those who fall are waiting to be caught. Sooner or later, these cultivated lands will be yours."

"And brother, I really want to ask. Do you really want to be emperor?" After Li Shen finished speaking, he stared at Li Chengqian.

"Of course I do. Who in the world doesn't want to be the emperor?" Li Chengqian said

"I don't want to. What good is the emperor? Brother, tell me." Li Shen asked Li Chengqian

"The world is mine. Rights. Wealth." Li Chengqian said excitedly

"Brother, you are wrong. I think being an emperor is the worst profession. Let's talk about rights first: Ask Aye. Now with a status like Aye's, can he do whatever he wants. I still have rights. Believe it or not. Now Aye is saying in the court that he should abolish the crown prince and establish the king of Wei. It is impossible to do it. Do you believe it or not?" Li Shen laughed.

"Impossible. Why can't it be done?" Li Chengqian didn't believe it

"Because all the important ministers will oppose it. If they all oppose it, it won't be done. If it doesn't work well, it will be infamy. The court is a place of struggle. It is a place where all forces compete for interests. The emperor only represents our Li family. Believe it or not , Aye will tell me tomorrow morning that the Tai Chi Palace is in disrepair, is dark and damp, and needs to be repaired. Aye cannot do this. But if this matter is funded by internal funds, the ministers will not object so fiercely. But the officials can take their own risks. Come out. Things like debauchery and immorality are coming. So, brother, the emperor’s rights are limited."

Li Chengqian was silent. He felt that Li Shen was right. Many of Li Shimin’s ideas were not approved

"Then let's talk about money. This is a good thing. A country will not be stable without farmers, and a country will not be rich without business. The money in the treasury does not belong to the emperor. The emperor lives on that little money. I don't need to say this. Look at it You can tell that Aye lives so frugally. That’s why he doesn’t have money even when he is an emperor." Li Shen added

"And you only see the glorious side of the emperor. You don't see the sacrifice of being an emperor. Aye goes to court at [-] o'clock in the morning and gets up at [-] o'clock in the morning. He is busy every day until [-] o'clock in the morning, and sometimes goes to bed at midnight. Brother, can you How many decades have you insisted? And the palace is a prison. The emperor can only stay in the palace. Occasionally, when he goes out, a bunch of people will follow him, and there will be objections from the courtiers. You are the prince now. You can also take people around. From now on, you will It can only be in the palace. This palace is just a prison built for the emperor. The only place in the world that has the final say is the palace. Everything in the world belongs to the emperor. Have you been there? Have you seen it? No one who knows the emperor knows a county There are many people."

"As an emperor, you have limited rights and no money. You work early and work late, and lose your freedom. The people only know the local officials but don't know what the emperor looks like. You work like a cow all your life doing the heaviest work. But you don't get what you want. All of them. If you can't keep up with the powerful, you can do whatever you want. Brother, have you thought about this, the emperor?" Li Shen threw a big question to Li Chengqian

Li Chengqian was seriously confused. He felt that Li Shen was right. But that’s not right either. Can't say what's wrong. Is such an emperor really what he wants? If it is true as Li Shen said, then this is not the emperor he imagined.

After a long time, Li Chengqian raised his head and asked Li Shen in confusion, "Then why does Aye still want to be the emperor?"

"Because, Aye wants the people in the world to have enough food and clothing and no longer suffer from the war. Because Aye wants to make the people live a better life. Because Aye wants to change the world. Then why are you the emperor?" Li Shen said Li Chengqian was left alone to think. He walked out of the pavilion, looked up at the full moon, and said softly. "Then what kind of life do I want to live in the Tang Dynasty?"

In the dark corner. Three figures stood there and listened to the conversation between Li Shen and Li Chengqian. Suddenly someone said: "Wang De, tell me tomorrow morning that I will build the Daming Palace. Will all the ministers oppose it like Li Shen said?"

"Your Majesty, my old slave, I don't think so. The courtiers still love your Majesty very much."

"Okay, you don't need to comfort me. Li Shen is right, the court is a place of struggle. Everyone is seeking benefits for their own power, and I want to represent not only the Li family but also the people of this world. .”