Chapter 4751: The Prince’s Dilemma

Chapter 4751: The Prince’s Dilemma
Although he didn't mind killing a few people to shock the evil spirits in Chang'an City, even Fang Jun couldn't dare to kill everyone. But Ma Zhou obviously did not intend to compromise with those nobles, aristocratic families, and royal family members. With his tough attitude, no one knew which one of them would jump out, which made Fang Jun very worried.

"Hehe, Erlang, why do you have to belittle yourself? Since you don't want to sit in the position of the head of the prime minister and handle all kinds of affairs, you should have the awareness to escort those of us who are charging into battle. Otherwise, when we are all killed one by one, some will be beheaded, some will be exiled, won't you still have to go into battle yourself? ... Your humble servant greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I still have matters to deal with at the government office. I will take my leave for now. Your Highness, please forgive me."

"Ah, it's Prefect Ma. Is it so urgent? I'll have a carriage escort Prefect Ma back to the city..."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. There is no need for the carriage. I will return on horseback to take a look at the hydrology of the Ba River and be on guard against flood disasters."

"That's okay then."

Watching Ma Zhou wearing a straw raincoat, getting on his horse and riding away, his figure gradually disappearing in the misty rain, Crown Prince Li Xiang held Fang Jun's hand, raised his little face and looked a little aggrieved: "Master, does Ma Fu Yin dislike me? Otherwise, why didn't he even say one more word and hurriedly left?"

Fang Jun shook his head and pulled Li Xiang back to the pavilion. The emperor and his ministers sat opposite each other, and the rest of the officials from the Eastern Palace who accompanied them stayed outside the pavilion.

He poured a cup of hot water for Li Xiang and said with a smile: "How could Prefect Ma not like Your Highness? But compared with Your Highness, he, as Prefect of Jingzhao, has more important things to do, such as inspecting the riverbank and exploring the paddy fields. These are more important than chatting with Your Highness to relieve his boredom. He is Prefect of Jingzhao first, the parent of the people of Jingzhao Prefecture, and then a minister of Your Highness. The order of priority must be clearly distinguished. Otherwise, how can a Prefect of Jingzhao who only knows how to flatter his superiors and eat for nothing be qualified to be a minister of Your Highness?"

People like Ma Zhou are only willing to be a pure official, serving the people and benefiting the people. They have no intention of handling the relationship between superiors and subordinates, and think that it is a waste of time. How can they take a little prince seriously?

But if this impression of contempt remained deep in Li Xiang's young mind, he would certainly retaliate after he ascended the throne.

Li Chengqian was not in good health. The injuries he suffered when he fell off a horse not only disabled his legs but also damaged his internal organs. Sun Simiao had already said that he was not destined to live a long life. If Li Xiang ascended the throne early, Ma Zhou would certainly have a hard time. He must try his best to eliminate the bad impression of him in Li Xiang's mind.

Alas, Ma Zhou just pushed me into a big pit, and now I have to work hard for Ma Zhou's future. I am really a model of righteousness...

"What will Master teach me today?"

The twelve-year-old Li Xiang seldom had the opportunity to leave the palace, especially in the past six months, as the number of guards in the East Palace had increased and security had been strengthened. Everything indicated that a storm was about to sweep in, so for the sake of the Crown Prince's safety no one dared to take risks.

After all, he had an older brother who was born in the fourth year of Zhenguan and died when he was three or four years old. The cause of death was inexplicable, and even the palace was very secretive about the dead child.

But Li Xiang still begged Fang Jun to ask his father for a chance to leave the palace once a month...

At this moment, Li Xiang was sitting in a thatched-roof pavilion, surrounded by mist and drizzle, with the fresh scent of tea and rice fields filling his nose. Especially when he thought about how Fang Junduo had been teaching him the skills of horse riding, archery and fighting these days, the young man's body became a little excited and he was in high spirits.

"A man holds a Wu hook in one hand, and his ambition is higher than a hundred-foot tower." Which young man in the Tang Dynasty has not dreamed of expanding territory and being the bravest among the three armies?

The trend of the whole society was to promote both civil and military talents, and to have generals and prime ministers become officials. The emperor and the crown prince were no exception.

Fang Jun smiled and said, "Today I will not teach you horse riding and archery, nor will I teach you classics, history, and literature. Today I will teach you how to enjoy life."

Li Xiang's eyes widened: "...Isn't that a tyrant?"

In his mind, what is the meaning of enjoying life? It is to be extravagant and decadent like a pool of wine and a forest of meat, with beautiful women as numerous as clouds and towering buildings, and to feed one person with the blood and flesh of the people in the world. That is to enjoy life, but anyone who does this is a tyrant.

Master, are you going to teach me how to be a tyrant?

It's really shocking, but I'm a little excited...

Fang Jun shook his head and said, "Don't talk, just feel the current atmosphere."

"Ok?"

Li Xiang was puzzled. He looked up at the thatched pavilion, thinking it was used by farmers to look after the seedlings. The floor was made of ordinary wood, and the paint on it was already mottled and peeling. Outside the pavilion, there was a breeze and drizzle, drifting like smoke. In the distance, the mountains were indigo, and the rice was green. The water vapor blew in from outside the pavilion, making it moist, comfortable, cool and pleasant.

Although the cakes on the tea table were exquisite, they were not top quality. Only the pot of tea was valuable, but that was only relative to the price of ordinary farmers. It was not worth mentioning to him, the crown prince.

But surprisingly, there is a kind of harmony and comfort in nature, the depression in my heart is relieved, the misty rain is misty, the green mountains and green waters are misty, and my mood is very relaxed and natural...

"how do you feel?"

"Very comfortable."

Fang Jun patiently asked, "Is there anything in this room that can be called luxurious?"

Li Xiang shook his head: "These are the most common things in the countryside. They are not even common in the East Palace. They are too common."

"After a tiring study, eating some cakes, drinking tea, and being surrounded by mountains, rivers, and farmland, don't you feel comfortable and relaxed?"

"indeed so."

"The so-called combination of work and rest means being able to arrange your time reasonably and handle all things in an orderly manner. When doing serious work, concentrate your mind and go all out. When the serious work is done, you should also give yourself a chance to relax. Relaxation does not necessarily require bells and drums, luxury and extravagance. As long as you know what enjoyment and life are, you can be free even in the countryside. This is how the harmony between man and nature works."

Li Xiang exclaimed: "Is this the 'unity of man and nature'?"

"It's just a performance. It's still a long way from the true 'harmony between man and nature', but it's not easy to achieve this step. You have your thoughts hidden in your heart. I know them even though I don't ask. But even I can't solve your confusion and get out of this situation. I can only teach you not to lock yourself in an irritable and depressed situation, but to open your heart from time to time to enjoy the beauty of life. You are the crown prince of the Tang Empire. In the future, you will inherit the throne and govern the world. Naturally, you will have to deal with those conspiracies and intrigues. The more so, the more you need to have an open mind and pure thoughts. If you can maintain your pure nature and open-mindedness in the midst of conspiracies and intrigues, you can become a wise ruler."

Li Xiang was a little absent-minded, but after a moment he came back to his senses and sighed, "There is nothing to hide in front of Master. Although I am the crown prince, my name is not right and my words are not in order. I don't know how many people oppose me openly or secretly, and my life is always in danger. My eldest brother, who didn't even have a name, died quietly. As the eldest son of the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty, he not only has no name, but is not included in the family tree, and even no words about him are left in the history books."

In the fourth year of Zhenguan, Li Chengqian gave birth to a son, and Emperor Taizong was very pleased and gave generous gifts to the palace. However, not long after, Li Chengqian's eldest son died. Fang Jun had never experienced that period and didn't know what happened. However, everyone kept silent about it and avoided talking about it. Taiji Palace also suffered a bloody purge.

The Imperial Palace is the place of supreme power in the world, but it is also the darkest and most filthy place in the world. Nothing will surprise people...

Although Li Xiang was appointed as the crown prince and the eldest son of Li Chengqian, he was not the legitimate son. Under such circumstances, one can imagine how difficult his situation was. Fortunately, Empress Su was a peaceful and virtuous person who protected Li Xiang. Otherwise, he would have died suddenly without a sound.

"This is what I want to warn your Highness. Don't always feel sorry for yourself and be full of resentment. Throughout the dynasties, people in your situation have died countless times, and you are still alive today because His Majesty always cares for you and protects you, and others dare not act recklessly, and because the Queen always treats you as her own child and protects you under her wings and does her best to deal with you. Think about it, how lucky you are? Don't push yourself too hard. Proper relaxation is not only beneficial to your physical and mental health, but also allows you to cultivate a broad mind. You are the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty. You should love this country and the people who support you, instead of accumulating resentment and being depressed. You should be upright and bright, and strive to be an open-minded gentleman, who can tell others everything, instead of becoming a villain who is always worried and lives in a dark corner like a mouse."

"Master, I understand."

Although at the age of twelve he did not understand much about human nature, Fang Jun's persuasive words touched Li Xiang's heart directly, as if all the shameful things in his heart were exposed to the sun. He felt a little embarrassed, but more of a sense of sudden enlightenment, thinking, "Since it's already known, it's no big deal."

Li Xiang's eyes were full of admiration. No one had ever said such heart-warming words to him. Not his father, not his mother, not the officials in the Eastern Palace. If he continued to hide his resentment, resentment, and fear in his heart as he had done in the past, he would probably grow up to be a mean, sinister, and violent person in the future... It was scary to think about it.

Fang Jun touched his head and smiled warmly: "This is a world dominated by interests, but we cannot become slaves enslaved by interests. Life is short and life is long. No matter what the external environment is like, we should always strive to live the way we want in our hearts, rather than go with the flow and let others dominate our lives."

Li Xiang blinked. Although he was precocious, he was still a little confused by these words full of life philosophy...