bookrandom Chapter 681 Go get a good sleep
Chapter 681 Go get a good sleep
Shrouded in the heavy twilight, the outline of the Liangyi Hall appears particularly solemn and majestic, with its flying eaves and brackets forming a dignified silhouette in the afterglow.
Zhang Xianhuai led Li Jingyou along the winding palace road. His footsteps made a dull sound on the stone road, and every step seemed to knock on Li Jingyou's increasingly tense heartstrings.
Li Jingyou lowered his head, almost touching his chest, and nervously clutched the corners of his clothes with both hands, his knuckles turning white from the force. He said nothing, and his whole body exuded a strong sense of uneasiness.
Zhang Xianhuai glanced at Li Jingyou quietly, then looked up at the tightly closed vermilion lacquered door of Liangyi Hall, secretly thinking that it would be inappropriate for him to participate in the conversation that was about to unfold between father and son.
So, when he arrived at the palace gate, he stopped very tactfully, bowed respectfully to Li Jingyou, then stepped aside, stood upright at the door, and scanned the surroundings to prevent any outsiders from approaching.
Inside the Liangyi Hall, the dim candlelight flickered in the gentle breeze, and the light and shadow danced freely on the walls, further highlighting the heavy and solemn atmosphere in the hall.
Li Chengqian sat upright on the main seat, the jade belt tied around his waist gleaming with a cold and hard luster under the candlelight, adding a bit of majesty.
Seeing Li Jingyou come in, his eyes slowly swept over him, full of disappointment.
"Come on, come here."
Li Chengqian's voice was low.
Li Jingyou slowly raised his head, and the moment his eyes met Li Chengqian's, he felt as if burned. He quickly looked away, fear flashing in his eyes.
He hesitated for a long time before he took slow steps, one step at a time, and moved in front of Li Chengqian.
At this moment, Li Chengqian suddenly raised his hand, his movements a little hurried.
Li Jingyou quickly closed his eyes as if by reflex, his body instinctively curled up into a ball, trembling slightly. The scene of being scolded by his father for making mistakes as a child kept appearing in his mind. He thought that this slap would fall heavily with the wrath of thunder.
But as time passed, the expected pain did not come.
After a long time, he cautiously opened his eyes, only to feel his shoulders sink. Li Chengqian's broad palm gently rested on his shoulders. The warmth of the palm came through his clothes, but failed to dispel the uneasiness in his heart.
"Yes, I've grown a lot this year."
Li Chengqian stared at Li Jingyou, and through him he saw the child who used to follow him and laugh. The warm scenes of the father and son getting along kept flashing back in his mind.
Then, he raised his hand and pointed to the armchair beside him, "Come, go sit, sit on that chair."
Li Jingyou was filled with doubts, his lips trembling slightly. He paused for a long time before speaking, "Father..."
He tried to find some answers from Li Chengqian's face, but Li Chengqian just shook his head lightly, his expression irresistible, and repeated again: "Go sit down."
Li Jingyou, feeling extremely uncomfortable, slowly sat down on the throne where he had sat for a year.
This chair used to be so familiar and comfortable to sit on, and he was very familiar with every texture of it. But now, it seemed to have become strange and cold, and every inch of it felt distant, as if the experiences of this year had completely separated him from his past self.
"You'er," Li Chengqian said slowly. He stood up and paced slowly in the hall, his figure stretched out very long in the candlelight. "Governing the world is definitely not as simple as you imagine."
"This is the Liangyi Palace, the heart of the entire Tang Dynasty, the center of power and decision-making."
"As for the Taiji Hall, it's just a place for discussion. The Liangyi Hall is where the real decisions are made."
"You still have to figure out the ins and outs of this."
"Have big meetings for small matters and small meetings for big matters."
"This is the rule of the court and the wisdom of governing the country."
As Li Chengqian spoke, he stopped in front of an exquisitely carved cabinet and looked at the objects placed on it. "Do you see that first chair? Do you see that first cup on the cabinet? Do you see the name on it?"
Li Jingyou followed Li Chengqian's gaze, narrowed his eyes slightly, and whispered, "Fang Xuanling, Prime Minister Fang."
"Yes," Li Chengqian nodded, a trace of nostalgia on his face. "Look at the names on those cups again. Among them are the twenty-four heroes of the Lingyan Pavilion, your grandfather, Emperor Taizong, and also the loyal ministers of your father, Emperor Qianwu."
"Many of them are no longer with us, but their achievements will be forever engraved in the history of the Tang Dynasty."
"They are watching us from heaven. Your grandfather, the emperor, and your mother, the queen, are also watching the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty from heaven."
"They have witnessed every decision we made in the Liangyi Palace. Therefore, we must act in a way that is worthy of the conscience of heaven and earth, and worthy of the people of the Tang Dynasty."
At this point, Li Chengqian's face suddenly darkened. His originally calm gaze instantly became extremely sharp, and his tone became stern: "But look at what you have done? As the crown prince, the future heir to the Tang Dynasty, do you think you are short of money?"
"Can power be bought with money?"
"If power could be acquired through money, then the one sitting on the throne now would probably be your stingy uncle, not me."
“Money is merely an accessory to power. When you truly hold power, money will naturally bow to you.”
"You've put the cart before the horse!"
"For a tiny profit, to win over those officials to your side, you actually came up with such a ridiculous idea as selling the Tang Dynasty's weapons, and even planned to make money by selling the Five Stones Powder."
"Have you ever considered the consequences this would have on the Tang Dynasty? If those weapons were to flow into other countries, they could become a deadly threat to the people of the Tang Dynasty."
"Wu Shi San is even more harmful. It will tear countless families apart and separate wives and children."
"Where will you place the millions of people of the Tang Dynasty?"
"With your behavior like this, how can the emperor trust his father to hand over the country to you?"
Li Chengqian became more and more excited as he spoke, his chest heaving violently, his eyes filled with grief and indignation.
Hearing this, Li Jingyou raised his head, his eyes filled with stubbornness. He looked directly into Li Chengqian's eyes without fear, as if he wanted to vent all his grievances and dissatisfaction. "What else? Will Your Majesty kill me? If Your Majesty wants to kill me, I will wait here. You can kill me or chop me up. I will do whatever you wish."
Li Chengqian felt a sharp pain in his heart when he heard these words. He never imagined that his once well-behaved and obedient son would become so unfamiliar and say such heartbreaking words.
He was silent for a long time, and the scene of Li Jingyou laughing and playing beside him when he was a child kept appearing in his mind, the intimacy they once had and the estrangement they had now.
After a long while, he finally spoke in a faint voice, his voice full of fatigue: "I will not kill you, nor will I hit you."
"I can't kill you, nor do I have the strength to hit you. Go back to the East Palace and reflect on your mistakes."
"I have done everything I should do, and I am worthy of your grandfather and your mother. Go back and have a good sleep. Tomorrow, come to Liangyi Palace to find me."