Chapter 5198 Hit it off

It is still the same elegant room, and the Longshou Canal outside the window is still there, but today it is a sunny day with bright sunshine. The water in the canal is flowing and sparkling, and the willows on both sides of the canal are swaying gently in the wind. The breeze passes through the hall, making it slightly cool.

Li Ji and Liu Li sat opposite each other, with a few simple and exquisite side dishes and a pot of fine wine on the table in front of each of them. The sound of stringed instruments came from another room, melodious, soft and fascinating.

It is very pleasant to sip slowly.

Liu Li raised his glass to toast Li Ji, who responded and drank it all together.

Putting down the wine glass, Liu Li smiled and said, "Mr. Ying is now more and more free and unrestrained, indifferent to fame and fortune. I really admire and envy you, but it is really difficult to do the same. The endless government affairs all day long are like a mountain and a sea. Once you dive into it, you can't extricate yourself. When you are exhausted by the paperwork, you often feel grateful in your heart. Is this the ambition I pursued so diligently in the beginning? In the confusion, there is nothing to pursue."

Li Ji smiled and said that it was enough to just listen to this. Power is the backbone of a man. People in power may occasionally complain about burying themselves in paperwork and never slacking off, but if they really withdraw from power, the huge sense of loss would be unbearable for anyone.

"The Minister of the Central Secretariat is the Prime Minister of the Empire. He is not only the right-hand man of Your Majesty, but also the pillar of the country. How can you easily say that you are tired and depressed? Your Majesty needs you, and the Empire needs you even more."

"I just want peace of mind as an official. The complexity of the current political situation and the pressure I am under are really unbearable."

The topic turned to the main topic without any trace.

Li Ji was never a talkative person. He poured himself a glass of wine and drank it slowly, listening to Liu Li's chatter and trying to figure out his intentions.

"Mr. Ying is indifferent to fame and gain, and is pure and self-sustaining. Under your leadership, the military is calm and orderly, and moves forward step by step. But now the rising military forces are too radical, only caring about their own merits and completely ignoring the actual situation of the empire. They are blindly demanding weapons, food, and supplies, and the national treasury is almost empty... It's okay for the country to be rich and strong at the moment, but if this continues, no matter how rich the family assets are, they can't withstand the turmoil, and there are many hidden dangers."

Listening to Liu Li's complaints, Li Ji nodded slowly and said, "Young people are naturally anxious. The Taiwei once said 'seize the day and night'. Now everyone in the army takes him as an example, being proactive and pioneering. This is a good thing."

Liu Li said: "A thousand-mile horse can travel a thousand miles a day, but it also needs a bridle and reins to restrain it. Otherwise, it will not save its energy and will just run wildly, which is not a good thing."

Li Ji smiled but said nothing.

Liu Li secretly hated himself in his heart. He had already made his words so clear but you still didn't respond. Are you really not going to act without seeing the rabbit?

"Mr. Ying is right. Time flies and the world changes. Our generation has fought its way out in the chaotic world at the end of the Sui Dynasty. We have followed the hard work and excellence of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong to create this glorious era. But that's all. It will fade away in a few years, and the new generation will be better than the old. When he is enjoying his leisure time in the mountains and rivers in the future, I hope that we, the meritorious officials of the Zhenguan period, can remain the same and keep our friendship forever."

Li Ji raised his eyebrows and nodded, saying, "What the Minister of the Central Secretariat said is something that all the meritorious officials of the Zhenguan period feel. Although you and I were different in our careers, we fought together under Emperor Taizong. This friendship will naturally become more fragrant as time goes by."

The most important thing is to put both parties into the same camp and have common interests.

Some minor contradictions and differences are not a concern within this overall framework.

Liu Li smiled and said, "Although we are old, we can still help Your Majesty. As the saying goes, an old horse in the stable still has ambitions to run a thousand miles!"

Li Ji looked at him and said slowly: "Your Majesty proposed the policy of 'feudalizing the world'. The whole country should contribute its strength. We old ministers should not retreat in the face of difficulties."

Now that we have reached a consensus on attitudes, the next step is to talk about the specific division of labor and interests.

Liu Li raised his glass to toast him, drank the wine in the glass, and then said: "When Emperor Taizong divided the princes across the country, he was actually negligent and buried many hidden dangers. Throughout history, these vassal states have always been a hindrance to the central government. Fortunately, the princes were virtuous and did not cause a big disaster. But the fiefdoms are hereditary, who can guarantee that every generation of princes will be virtuous and kind? Disasters are only sooner or later. Therefore, it is the best policy to place the fiefdoms outside China, in the land of barbarians."

The so-called "land outside China and among the barbarians" naturally refers not only to overseas countries, but also to foreign nations outside the country.

It's impossible that such a big thing as "feudal world" can only be handled by the navy, right?

Li Ji agreed with this: "The original intention of 'feudal world' is not only to rely on the central government and serve as a barrier for the country, but also to assimilate the people and use them for our own benefit. Therefore, the significance of the land is greater than that of the sea."

This was the promise made by Liu Li. He would support the meritorious officials of the Zhenguan period in their fight for the "feudal world" and ensure that there would be several fiefdoms on land and outside the national borders, rather than placing them all overseas and being monopolized by the navy.

Li Ji offered a toast from afar: "The Minister of State Affairs is mature and thoughtful. He is not only proficient in government affairs, but also full of strategies for military affairs. I admire him very much."

This was the condition he gave, allowing Liu Li to exert influence on the Grand Council through the Zhenguan meritorious officials.

Liu Ji understood the meaning of the music, and although he didn't show it on his face, he was overjoyed in his heart. He returned the toast: "Mr. Ying is still strong and should be the cornerstone of the country. The meritorious officials of the Zhenguan period have made unparalleled contributions and stabilized the country! Come on, come on, cheer for the hardships and honors we have gone through!"

Against the backdrop of the rapid rise of a new generation of forces in the military, the forces represented by the two men have felt tremendous pressure. How could they be willing to give up their own interests?
So they hit it off immediately.

The meritorious officials of the Zhenguan period sought benefits on land through the civil service, while Liu Li used Li Ji to exert influence on the Military Affairs Council...

How could he be willing to be the prime minister of an empire, second only to the emperor and above everyone else, but be confined to government affairs?

As long as he thought about the fact that history books would record in the future that it was Liu Li who was the first prime minister to be deprived of his power, he would be worried day and night and toss and turn.

What a shame...

*****
"Your Majesty, be aware that whether it is the government or military affairs, the most important thing is balance. Checking and balancing each other is the only way to achieve long-term stability. However, when the navy roams the seven seas and is invincible, the resources occupied by a mere army far exceed the sum of any four or five of the sixteen guards. Moreover, because it cruises overseas, there is almost no one to control it, and there are many hidden dangers."

In the Wude Hall, Liu Li gave advice to Li Chengqian, his words sincere and heartfelt.

"This has nothing to do with whether the commander is loyal or not. It is about ensuring the balance of the army! Your Majesty is now advocating 'feudalizing the world' and intends to enfeoff overseas lands to various kings, making the navy more powerful. How will Your Majesty reward them when they conquer cities and make achievements? If you don't reward them, it will go against people's will. But if you do reward them...how should you reward them?"

The current Anxi Army is a precedent. Because they won great victories in the two wars with the Arabs, the entire army was rewarded heavily. Their titles, military ranks, official positions, etc. were all the highest among all the armies. This has caused envy and dissatisfaction among the other armies. If a navy emerges, how should the Sixteen Guards accept it?
Li Chengqian pondered in silence, he knew that Liu Li's advice was right.

Liu Li continued: "Now the navy is trying to hold a 'popular election' in Japan, trying to incorporate the entire country into the territory of the Tang Dynasty. Regardless of whether this is right or wrong, the fact that they act on their own and never ask for instructions from the central government is enough to show that the navy has gradually lost control... But it is unrealistic to ask the navy to report everything. The sea border is thousands of miles away, which will only delay the opportunity and make a big mistake. There have been precedents before."

Today, the navy has long developed into a "monster". It not only has extraordinary strength, but also, due to unique environmental factors, has the power to make decisions on the spot far beyond the Sixteen Guards. If you want to eliminate the hidden dangers, you can only start by limiting the navy's strength.

Otherwise, when the situation becomes too great to be controlled in the future, it is not impossible for the entire navy to break away from the empire and become a country of its own, or even for a vassal state attached to a feudal overseas country to attack the Tang mainland in return...

What to do then?
No matter how powerful the Sixteen Guards are, how can they go out to sea and fight a decisive battle with the navy?

Can we build another navy and defeat this invincible army formed by Fang Jun himself?

Li Chengqian hesitated for a long time before he slowly said, "I understand what the Minister of the Central Secretariat means, but we need to wait until the Grand Commandant returns to the capital to discuss this matter carefully before making a final decision."

Liu Li understood the emperor's concerns and nodded, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. This is exactly what should be done."

Although no one in the court or the public doubted Fang Jun's loyalty, and no one questioned his excessive power, it was a fact recognized by all parties that Fang Jun had already become the de facto "powerful minister."

When facing "powerful ministers", one naturally cannot rely on imperial power to exert pressure at will. Otherwise, if there is a backlash, the consequences will be unpredictable.

If one wants to limit and restrain the expansion of the navy's power, one can only obtain Fang Jun's support, rather than arbitrarily suppressing it from top to bottom.

But Li Chengqian thought Fang Jun was a man of broad mind and would not object to this...

He also understood Liu Li's intention.

Form an alliance with the meritorious officials of Zhenguan, and then fight against Fang Jun together...

This is also in the emperor's interest.

It is not a bad thing for ministers to fight for their own interests. The emperor will make the final decision after all the fighting, which naturally highlights the prestige of the imperial power. On the contrary, if the ministers are in harmony with each other, can discuss everything, and are humble and compensate each other... then the emperor is likely to be sidelined.

This is the thing that Li Chengqian cannot accept the most.

Why did he insist on revealing his intention to change the crown prince?

The purpose is to break the alliance of interests that has been established around the Eastern Palace and take everything into his hands as the emperor, instead of allowing the Eastern Palace to grow larger until one day the profits of the Eastern Palace can no longer satisfy those people's stomachs. It would then be a natural process to launch a coup d'état and imprison him in the Daming Palace like Emperor Gaozu, enshrining him in the position of "Taishang". From then on, the imperial power would fall into the hands of others and he would be able to eat and wait for death in the deep palace.

If such a day really comes in the future, how will he meet Emperor Taizong in the afterlife?