Chapter 5394 The Mighty Momentum

Chapter 5394 The Mighty Momentum
Empress Su hesitated slightly upon hearing this: "Because the Crown Prince is the legitimate heir and the one everyone hopes for, why does the Prince of the County support him so strongly?"

This was the answer she had always believed to be correct, but now she seemed extremely insecure.

If even His Majesty has considered changing the heir apparent, how can one expect his ministers to uphold the so-called "orthodox calendar"?
Fang Jun smiled and said, "Before the Xuanwu Gate Incident, the legitimate successor was Crown Prince Li Jiancheng, but the Prince of the County unhesitatingly supported Emperor Taizong... In the face of a hero like the Prince of the County, what is the difference between the legitimate and the illegitimate? Whoever wins is the legitimate successor, and whoever loses is a traitor."

History is written by the victors, and this has been true throughout history.

The story of "Cui Zhu murdering the emperor" has been passed down through generations precisely because it is extremely rare.

The fact that something as simple as "being in a position and fulfilling one's duties" has been praised for so long suggests that this is quite unusual.
Empress Su was puzzled and tentatively asked, "Is it because the Prince believes that the Crown Prince will eventually ascend to the throne?"

Fang Jun's daughter: "It's not that we, the Prince, hold political ideals. Given his status, qualifications, and achievements, what does it matter who inherits the throne in the future?"

Only those with political ambitions would risk everything to gain the merit of supporting the emperor. Li Xiaogong had already reached the pinnacle of his position and had no political aspirations of his own, so why would he care which emperor the future emperor would be?
Could he possibly be promoted from a prince to a prince of the first rank?
Given the Tang Dynasty's system of managing nobles and imperial relatives, that was absolutely impossible.

Empress Su looked bewildered, unable to fathom the deeper meaning behind the question, even with her political acumen. Seeing Fang Jun leisurely sipping his tea after asking the question, she secretly resented him: "Is the Grand Commandant showing off his abilities in front of a woman like me?"

Fang Jun casually said, "Abilities aren't for showing off, but for demonstrating in real combat so that people can feel them... Uh, Your Majesty misunderstands, that's not what I meant!"

Empress Su's fair face flushed red, both ashamed and angry. She gritted her teeth and said, "Then tell me what you mean?"

What "real combat that makes you feel it"...

What kind of words are these tigers and wolves!
Although I made a promise to you, I cannot allow you to desecrate it like this!
Fang Jun was extremely embarrassed: "It was a slip of the tongue that caused the Empress to misunderstand, it was my fault... Let's get back to the main topic!"

Empress Su glared at him fiercely for a while before letting out a soft snort and turning her head away.

"Ahem... The reason why the Prince supports the Crown Prince is because he is afraid."

These words immediately aroused the Empress's confusion. She turned her head, a blush still lingering on her jade-like face, and asked in surprise, "What makes you say that?"

As early as the reign of Emperor Taizong, Li Xiaogong's status and achievements had already been definitively judged, with him being described as "the most meritorious official of the imperial clan," unmatched by anyone else within the clan.

Today, the meritorious officials of the Zhenguan era who could rival Li Xiaogong have long since passed away. Even Li Ji, who was known as the "number one person in the military," could not shake his position. Fang Jun, on the other hand, lacked the qualifications and was far inferior.

Even if His Majesty was dissatisfied with Li Xiaogong's various actions, he could only let it go and could not say a harsh word, let alone the Crown Prince.

Who in this world could make Li Xiaogong afraid?
Fang Jun said, "The Prince of the County is naturally free from all taboos, but his descendants may not be."

Although Empress Su lacked political talent, she was a wise woman and understood the meaning behind the words after a little thought.

What Li Xiaogong cared about was the inheritance of the Hejian Prince's Mansion.

Leaving aside the dynasties in history, even within the Tang Dynasty alone, which lasted only a few decades, how many noble titles were abolished and how many bloodlines were wiped out? Li Xiaogong may have been unrestrained, but what descendants of his had the status and merit to guarantee the continuation of the Hejian Prince's Mansion?

Empress Su hesitated for a moment, still puzzled: "But who can guarantee him something like this?"

The saying goes, "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger." The closer one gets to the center of power, the more one faces a huge upheaval in the power structure. Every upheaval could lead to a reshaping of the power structure. Even the imperial power could be overthrown in a coup, let alone a mere prince's mansion.

Even a promise made by the emperor himself is not valid.

Fang Jun countered, "What does the Empress believe is the greatest danger that could affect the succession of a prince's mansion?"

Empress Su was taken aback, then seemed to realize what she meant, and tentatively replied, "Is it... imperial power?"

Fang Jun nodded: "It is precisely the supreme, golden-mouthed, life-and-death power of the emperor."

Obeying the law, being loyal to the emperor and loving the country, and maintaining an orderly succession... none of these are enough to ensure the safety of a prince's mansion, because above all of these, there is the even higher imperial power.

Imperial power can disregard all worldly rules. Whether one adheres to strict family rules and the proper conduct of one's children, or prioritizes loyalty to the emperor, patriotism, and benevolence, ultimately nothing can withstand an imperial edict or decree.
Titles, wealth, power, inheritance... everything is within the control of the emperor.

If the king wants the minister to die, the minister has to die.

Empress Su finally understood Fang Jun's meaning. She stared intently at Fang Jun, her pretty face serious: "So the reason why the Prince supports the Crown Prince is because he also hopes that imperial power will be limited?"

Fang Jun said, "To be precise, the Prince and many members of the imperial family also believe that 'princes are subject to the same laws as commoners,' and everything should be done in accordance with the law, rather than having the power of the emperor to decide life and death with a single word."

The premise of "the prince is subject to the same law as the commoner" is "equality before the law." While the prince must be punished according to the law when he breaks the law, no one can overstep the law to punish the commoner when he has not broken the law.

In short, it can be summarized in four words: "The king is under the law."

The supreme authority is no longer imperial power, but the law.

The law is the standard for all behavior. It is regulated, visible, and transparent. As long as I do not break the law, no one can punish me.

Imperial power is different; life, death, honor, and disgrace are all determined by the emperor's single thought.

Before the supreme imperial power, anyone can be abandoned and anything can be done.

Even a wise ruler can sacrifice certain people and disregard reason in order to "consider the overall situation," let alone a foolish or even tyrannical ruler?

No one wants their life, death, honor, or disgrace to be held in the hands of the imperial power, not even the most privileged members of the royal family.

Empress Su's pretty face turned pale: "So... the reason you support the Crown Prince is to limit his power after he ascends the throne, making him a puppet that you can manipulate at will? Xiang'er worships and respects you so much, but you only use him to achieve your so-called ideals?"

Fang Jun remained silent.

It's impossible to say he has no conscience. Li Xiang truly treated him like a teacher and a father, and held him in high esteem. It was indeed unfair to him that Li Xiang began to restrict imperial power...

"The Empress should understand that even a pillar of the imperial family like the Prince of Hejian has begun to realize the dangers of imperial power, let alone the people of the world. The days of prosperity are the days of the decline of imperial power. When everyone is in awe of the imperial power and lives in fear, the resistance will naturally be the strongest. This is the general trend, and the general trend is overwhelming. Those who follow it will prosper, and those who oppose it will perish."

He created this trend single-handedly, but as the wheels of history rolled forward, even his attempts to stop them were futile.

Empress Su was pale and her mind was in turmoil.

She didn't understand politics, but she clearly heard Fang Jun's words, "Those who follow the trend prosper, those who oppose it perish"...

But she was also a woman of her own mind. Even if the imperial power was weakened and the emperor was like a puppet, she still had to make sure that the crown prince was firmly in his position as heir apparent and would eventually ascend the throne.

If she were deposed now, the Crown Prince and she, the Empress, would probably not live for more than two or three years. No matter how powerful Fang Jun was, he would not be able to extend his influence into the palace. Who in the world would care about the life or death of her and her son?
She then gave Fang Jun a charming and seductive look, her eyes brimming with tears: "Fine, fine, I'm afraid I'll be bullied by Erlang for the rest of my life."

Fang Jun: "..."

*****
Fangfu, Huating.

Outside the bright glass windows, wind and snow raged, while inside the hall, green trees and red flowers created a vibrant spring atmosphere.

Because the women of the inner quarters often gathered and chatted here, Fang Xuanling rarely came here to avoid an awkward encounter. Today, Fang Jun returned from the palace and, after dinner, invited his father to sit here, have some tea, and chat.

Fang Xuanling took a sip of black tea, savored it, and praised, "This tea is excellent. It is fragrant and smooth to the throat, and its mild nature is conducive to health, making it quite suitable for us elderly people. However, the tea leaves are thick and robust with a dark color; I wonder how they are made?"

"The process of making this tea is extremely complex and cannot be explained in a short time. The key points are fermentation and baking, which are completely different from Longjing tea."

Fang Xuanling took another sip of tea, looked up at his son and said, "Tea has existed since ancient times, but no one has ever come up with such ingenious ideas. Yet you have managed to find a unique path in the ordinary."

Fang Jun smiled and said, "As the saying goes, if one principle is understood, all principles will be understood. All things in the world have their own original attributes. As long as we follow their attributes and conduct research, we can innovate and make progress. This is true for gunpowder, iron smelting, and tea making. This is the wonder of investigating things to gain knowledge, and it is also the origin of my disciplines such as 'Physics' and 'Chemistry'."

Fang Xuanling said with great emotion: "The truth is there, many people can see it and understand it, but how many people can return to simplicity and get to the root of things like you? In this respect alone, I am not as good as you."

Fang Jun was somewhat flattered and quickly poured tea for his father, saying, "Father, I am truly humbled and at a loss for words."

One of the most important aspects of Confucian customs in the family is the "strict father and kind mother." Even a great Confucian scholar like Fang Xuanling would never casually mention his children's achievements or his feelings of relief and joy.

Such praise is truly rare.

Fang Xuanling smiled and said, "You deserve praise for doing well. Why should I put on a stern face and nitpick to show my authority as a father? Merit should be rewarded and mistakes should be punished. The palace and the government are one. This is a principle that the sages have already summarized. How can I, as your father, not follow it?"

(End of this chapter)