Chapter 591: Jian's presence in the heart of the Emperor

Chapter 48: Jian's presence in the heart of the Emperor in the main text of "Married Wu Zetian at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty" PS: Thanks to the support of the big guys like the bitten apple, Xiaomu ol, etc., please continue to vote and bookmark for passing friends. Thanks again!
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With a grunt, Li Ke indicated that he understood. He had exerted a lot of effort to get Yang Tong appointed as the magistrate of Chang'an County.
As part of the same faction, they would occasionally interact with each other. Now that Yang Tong had sent someone over, he couldn't ignore it. So, he followed the attendant's lead and went out.
In the house, there is a room specially designed to receive visitors. Li Ke sat there sipping hot tea while attentively listening to the account of the incident. However, as he listened, his brows slightly furrowed and he felt a bit dissatisfied.
Although the plague is over now, the relief and post-disaster work is still in full swing. I wish I could learn the art of cloning so that I can be in two places at once. However, Yang Tong, the magistrate of Chang'an County, seems to overlook such an important matter and instead, is preoccupied with a brawl. This is truly a case of losing sight of the bigger picture.
Although the disaster relief situation in Chang'an County is better than in Wannian County, at least we should give it due attention in terms of attitude. Moreover, as long as we do a good job in disaster relief, it will be a great achievement.
Moreover, shouldn't the county magistrate deal with such trivial matters as the fight between Douou? Why does he care so much? Even if someone was seriously injured, like a deputy envoy from a small country, it's not that big of a deal. Is it necessary for him to personally intervene?
Although Weiwang Li Tai has now intervened in this matter, in his opinion, it is just a joke. After all, the cause of the matter is already very clear, and even if Li Tai is a prince, he cannot engage in random and reckless behavior.
Although Li Tai enjoys special favor, the law cannot be set aside, let alone when it comes to the sons of the regional princes and dukes. They are not to be underestimated, as their merits are achieved through blood, sweat, and tears.
Especially Yang Fan, Li Ke learned from the mouth of the mother concubine about this extraordinary person. Although he only knows a small part, he is extremely wary of him.
In Li Ke's view, the simplest way to handle such matters today is to investigate the cause, follow the law, and make a fair judgment.
If both parties are people who can't afford to provoke, then just let bygones be bygones, whoever is responsible should take responsibility, and handle it accordingly.
Everything is based on the law, and who can fault you, but this Yang Tong just wants to play tricks, wants to take the crooked path, wants to please both sides, the end result will only make people feel afraid to take responsibility and just want to push blame.
Li Ke secretly sighed. Yang Tong was his maternal uncle according to seniority, although he was from a distant branch, he was still a steadfast supporter.
This person had some minor talents but was not suitable for important positions. His character was overly slick, and he prided himself on being clever without realizing that it was a big taboo in the officialdom.
Although there are many grievances in my heart, it is impossible to ignore them. King Wei has his own reputation, and so does Li Ke.
Thinking about this, I said to the master lowly, "I understand this matter very well. Stay calm and wait for my message."
The leader sighed with relief, bid farewell without further delay.
Returning to the desk, Li Ke picked up a freshly written memorial, turned around and walked towards the outside of the mansion.
Just out of the government office, he felt uncomfortable as the hot air hit him.
He looked up at the suddenly darkening sky and was slightly surprised. The weather in Chang'an in August really changes like a child's mood. It was just sunny a moment ago!
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Outside the Taiji Palace, Li Ke stood waiting. Although he was a prince, he couldn't enter casually and was waiting for the eunuch's announcement.
Not long after, led by the old eunuch Wang Huangu, they entered the palace. Just as they stepped through the palace gate, they heard Li Shimin's hearty laughter:
“两位爱卿认为霸业与守成孰易孰难？”
李恪心里微微一惊，太极殿内还有其他人？顿时对于刚才的决定有些犹豫。
进入殿内再一细看，房玄龄、程咬金两人端坐在下方，而李世民坐立于上位，看样子他们正聊得兴起。
李恪快走几步对着李世民躬身行礼:“儿臣李恪见过父皇……”
Li Shimin smiled slightly and waved his hand: "No need for formalities, Ke'er, you have worked hard during this period. It seems that you have lost weight."
Li Ke hurriedly replied respectfully: "It's my duty as a prince to share the worries of my father. Besides, saving the vulnerable and comforting the people is also our responsibility."
This is the situation of the relief work last month. Please review it, Father. After speaking, I handed over the memorial.
Li Shimin nodded approvingly. He was actually quite satisfied with his son, who had the charm of his youth:
"You have done well, the Emperor has noticed it, young people should gain more experience so that they can be of great use in the future."
"Real leaders don't waste words, Li Shimin's seemingly casual remark 'to be of great use in the future' reflects his internal recognition."
There are so many princes, but there are only a few who can definitely get the approval of Li Shimin. Li Ke's heart suddenly became hot and excited:
"Thank you, Father Emperor, for your praise..."
Li Shimin waved his hand to signal Li Ke to sit down, and turned to look at Cheng Yaojin, continuing the conversation from before:
"Which is easier and harder between building a lasting legacy and defending it? Do you have any understanding of this question? Ke'er, you should also listen carefully."
Cheng Yaojin pondered for a moment and said in a rough voice, "With chaos and people displaced all over the world, I was forced to become a rebel when I had no other choice. I fought with various warlords, risking my life countless times, and witnessed many brothers turn into piles of bones. It was only under the leadership of the Emperor that I was able to sweep away the warlords and establish dominance in the Central Plains. Therefore, in my humble opinion, building a lasting legacy is difficult."
The answer from Cheng Yaojin made Li Shimin fall into reminiscence, and images of people kept appearing in his mind, Li Yuanba, Du Ruohui...
After the melancholy, enthusiasm surged, and scenes came to mind one by one:
闪电般攻破西河郡，浅水滩大破薛仁杲，虎牢关前三千铁骑破百万雄兵，玄武门前置之死地而后生……
一路走来，刀光剑影血雨腥风，若有一步走错皆是满盘皆输之局，可谓霸业难。
Just regained consciousness, and I heard Fang Xuanling say: "Since ancient times, it has been difficult to maintain what has been achieved. Every dynasty and every generation has gained it through hardships and lost it through comfort. This is just like a clear mirror. If we want the people to have enough to support themselves and have a place to rely on in old age, with everyone enjoying a peaceful and prosperous life, it is indeed extremely difficult to achieve such a goal."
Li Shimin nodded in agreement and couldn't help but sigh: "In the past, when I first ascended to the throne, I made a peace treaty with the Turks at the Wei River. Since then, there have been continuous man-made and natural disasters. Recently, there was even a widespread outbreak of smallpox and plague. I have worked diligently as a ruler, but it is difficult to ensure that every citizen of the Great Tang lives in peace and prosperity. It is also challenging to preserve what we have achieved."
Continuing the conversation confidently, I declared:
"Together with all of you, I have conquered the world and now we govern it together. It can be said that we have gone through countless dangers and hardly survived. It is known that both establishing a hegemony and maintaining it are difficult tasks. I often fear that arrogance arises from comfort and calamity begins with negligence. In order to ensure that the people can live and work in peace and happiness, all of you and I should encourage each other in the future."
Fang Xuanling and Cheng Yaojin immediately stood up and praised in unison, "Your Majesty is diligent in governance and loves the people, and is a rare virtuous monarch throughout history. The people are blessed by Your Majesty."
Hahaha...
Li Shimin, who was filled with vanity, felt delighted upon hearing the compliment and couldn't help but burst into a hearty laughter.
而后对着李恪问道：“恪儿可有感悟……”
李恪受宠若惊，激动地回道:“父皇与两位国公之言震人肺腑，让儿臣深有感触，以后儿臣一定铭记今日的教诲。”
Such opportunities are not easy to come by. After all, these words are equivalent to teaching how to be a good emperor. How can he not be excited.
Before he could react, Li Shimin asked again: "By the way, the relief work is complicated. If you encounter any difficulties, speak up now. The Prime Minister and others are also here. If you don’t understand anything, you can seek advice from them at any time."
心念百转间，李恪好似有什么难言之隐似的犹豫了一下道:“启禀父皇，有众人相助，儿臣暂时倒也没有遇上什么麻烦，不过儿臣倒是有一件事不知当不当讲。”
李世民此时的心情大好，呵呵一笑无所谓的挥手道:
“有什么事尽管道来……”
偷偷看了程咬金与房玄龄两人一眼李恪接着道:“儿臣前来宫中的路上，忽闻万年县县伯杨帆、房相二公子房遗爱、程将军大公子程处默以及李景桓、杜荷等人与扶桑使臣发生冲突，一起被长安县衙缉拿，现在正好看到房相与程将军在此，所以……。”
这就是李恪的高明之处，他并不直接说杨帆他们因为什么事打架被抓，而是采取迂回策略，好像是他不经意间闻听此事，只是看到房玄龄与程处默在这里才说了出来。
In this way, he can not only avoid taking action himself, but also win the favor of the two dukes.
This is not to say that Li Ku is afraid of Li Tai, he just doesn't want to engage in meaningless fighting and would rather take a simpler approach.
This is a person's ability to adapt. Originally, he wanted to visit the Chang'an County government office after submitting the memorial, but now it seems unnecessary.
The reason why I didn't immediately mention this is because if I had said, "Prime Minister Fang, General Cheng, your young master got into a fight with the envoy from Fusang because of a woman and even seriously injured the deputy envoy. Now, King Wei Li Tai wants to go after them, you need to go and help them."
If you say so, not only will Fang Xuanling and Cheng Yaojin not follow him, but they will also hold a grudge against him.
After all, as a prince, why don't you focus on important matters? Why are you so interested in gossip? Are you free now?
Moreover, since you already know the reason, why didn't you bring their son out and instead come here to accuse Li Tai?
Having said these words, Li Ke kept his gaze fixed on his toes and remained silent.
While Fang Xuanling and Cheng Yaojin were still wondering why their son had conflicts with the envoy from Fusang, they heard Li Shimin cursing angrily.
"This boy Yang Fan is such a troublemaker, always causing trouble and giving me headaches. Last time, he forcibly entered the Duke of Yingguo's mansion, and now he's having conflicts with the envoy from Fusang. It really infuriates me."
缓了一口气又接着道:“玄龄与咬金的公子素来安分，勿需说便是杨帆带头挑事，这个小子贪财好色、嚣张跋扈，简直岂有此理。”
Come on, quickly go to the county government office in Chang'an to find out the situation. If it is true that the County Earl of Wannian caused trouble first, I will definitely strip him of his title. Don't think that just because he recently made a small contribution to the court, he can act all high and mighty.
老太监王焕贵应了一声急匆匆离开，想必让人前去长安县衙了解情况。