Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5188: Beyond the Rules
Facing Fang Jun's straightforward question, Li Ji turned a deaf ear to it, raised his wine glass to signal, took a sip, and praised: "You young people really know how to enjoy life. This kind of place is quiet in the midst of noise, and the style is elegant. It is indeed very suitable for a banquet or a small gathering."

Fang Jun smiled, and when he saw Li Ji put down his glass, he raised it and said, "My nephew offers a toast to my uncle."

Li Ji glanced at Fang Jun and said helplessly, "It's fine to be casual in a private gathering, why do we have to be so particular about the rules?"

Fang Jun held up his wine glass and did not put it down: "There is no order without rules. There are rules in every occasion. Even the emperor has to follow the rules and cannot do whatever he wants. What about you and me? No one is willing to abide by the rules, but the price of breaking the rules is not something everyone can afford."

Li Ji looked a little helpless and raised his glass: "Come on."

The two men clinked their glasses, Fang Jun shouted "Drinking Saint", tilted his head back and drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, then took a look at the bottom of the glass, put the glass on the table, then picked up the pot to fill both glasses, and then raised his glass again.

"My success today is all thanks to your guidance and support. I would like to take this opportunity to toast you."

Li Ji: “…”

Although he didn't feel that he had done anything to help Fang Jun, after all, it was the junior who toasted him, so he couldn't just refuse to drink, right?

I had no choice but to raise my glass and drink it all in one gulp.

Fang Jun poured wine again and raised his glass...

Li Ji laughed and said, "You don't want to get me drunk, do you? Su Wenfang drank 2,000 cups without getting drunk, but I can drink quite a bit, too. If you keep drinking like this, I'm afraid it will take until dark before you can get me drunk."

Fang Jun smiled and said, "Uncle, what are you talking about? It's just that I have always admired your character, but I have never had the opportunity to have a few drinks and talk to you... Uncle, you won't let me hold the glass like this, right?"

Li Ji looked at him deeply and said, "Erlang has made great achievements and has an outstanding reputation. Although I am your elder, I dare not take advantage of my age. So I will sacrifice my life to accompany you."

Clink glasses and drink up.

I had come here with great momentum, intending to suppress this guy with my momentum, but I didn't expect that he would be forced to drink three cups in a row, and my momentum was greatly reduced...

This method is a bit unpresentable, but it does work.

But it's not over yet.

Fang Jun put down his wine glass, looked directly at Li Ji, and got straight to the point again: "Uncle, you invited me today to talk about the navy, right? If you have any advice, please speak frankly."

Li Ji: “…”

This guy didn't play by the rules, which caught him off guard and completely disrupted his planned steps.

He was surprised, "Who taught you to negotiate like this? There's no beginning, no climax, no build-up, just a straightforward conversation... It's like bargaining between market people, no skills at all."

Faced with Fang Jun's direct questioning, he could neither say yes nor no, so he could only change the subject and try to take the initiative again.

Fang Jun shook his head, his face solemn and his tone firm: "I know what my uncle is doing, I just want to tell you that state property cannot be transferred privately, let alone negotiated."

Li Ji shook his head, picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of food, then slowly said, "Young people should not be too confident. There is only the question of whether something can be negotiated, but not the question of whether something can be negotiated. From the country, power and interests to needles, threads, vegetables and radishes, everything can be negotiated."

Stop talking about metaphysics and national justice all the time. We are all secular people who put interests first. Do you, Fang Er, think you are a saint?
Even a saint has to negotiate for the sake of profit!

Fang Jun looked straight at Li Ji, and after a moment of sternness, he suddenly smiled: "So what do you want to talk about, uncle?"

Li Ji's hand holding the chopsticks paused, picked up a piece of fish and put it into his mouth to chew, then looked at Fang Jun with slightly squinted eyes.

This bastard kept talking about rules but didn't play by them. In the end, he stole the limelight from me.

However, Li Ji did not take it seriously. Negotiations always involve testing, debate, and compromise. Momentum is important, but it cannot determine victory or defeat.

We still have to talk.

"You know what I want. Tell me your conditions."

Although momentum cannot determine victory or defeat, we still try to regain the initiative.

Fang Jun said: "Uncle, if you don't tell me, how would I know what you want?"

Li Ji knocked the porcelain plate with his chopsticks and said in dissatisfaction: "We are all sensible people, why do we have to pretend to be confused?"

Fang Jun smiled and said, "If I misunderstand your uncle's meaning, you can't blame me."

Li Ji was speechless. You are now the number one in the military. Can you still cheat?

But if you think about it carefully, this idiot might really be able to do such a thing. What can I do if he cheats?
I felt very depressed. Was it because I was getting too old and could no longer keep up with the thinking of young people, and there was a generation gap?
"Ten naval officers of the rank of lieutenant or above."

This is his condition, and there is actually nothing wrong with it, because although the forces behind him are in decline, they are numerous and powerful, and there will not be enough places if there are fewer quotas.

Fang Jun laughed and said, "Uncle, are you kidding? The navy has only more than 20,000 people so far, and how many officers above the rank of captain can there be? If I give you ten, then the navy will not be a navy, but a pirate."

The combat effectiveness of an army is actually not greatly affected by the quality of its soldiers. The decisive factor is its officers. A group of officers who dare to fight, are able to fight, and have strong military qualities are the bottom line of an army.

If a victorious army replaces a group of its middle-level officers, it is more likely to see a decline in combat effectiveness, low morale, and a loss of morale...

Be it the Anxi Army or the Navy, they were both powerful armies built by him. How could he allow others to interfere with them?

It is not a bad idea to mix sand in, but it is absolutely not acceptable if it affects the combat effectiveness.

Li Ji said: "Don't you want to hear my terms?"

Fang Jun shook his head: "No matter what conditions my uncle offers, it won't work."

Li Ji frowned: "Nothing to discuss?"

"If you don't give up on your uncle's request, there's no point in talking."

"Nine, then."

Fang Jun remained silent, then suddenly asked, "In your eyes, uncle, is the imperial army just a tool for gaining benefits and merit? When you charged into battle and fought to the death, apart from the fame of establishing a career and providing honors to your wives and children, didn't you have the slightest thought of your country?"

People die for money and birds die for food. This is the eternal truth of human nature and there is no room for criticism.

But besides this, shouldn’t we pursue personal interests on the basis of ensuring the prosperity of the country? How can we put our own interests above the interests of the country?

If the skin does not exist, how can the hair be attached?
Li Ji was surprised and said, "It would be wrong to sell out the country in exchange for personal gain, but now that the country is strong and the political situation is stable, why can't we seek our own interests? After all, this country was conquered by us following Emperor Taizong! Instead, you youngsters are sitting back and enjoying the fruits of his labor. Now that I am negotiating with you as a national hero, I am already going against the will of Heaven."

In his opinion, it's okay for others, but what qualifications do you, Fang Jun, have to say those metaphysical words? If we hadn't fought bloody battles and gambled everything under the Xuanwu Gate, how could you be where you are today?
Family, country and the world.

Without a home, where is the country?

Where does the world come from?
Fang Jun smiled bitterly and shook his head, sighing, "If an ordinary soldier said such a thing, it would be understandable, but I think that at my uncle's level, he has already put his own interests aside, and his eyes should be full of the country and the people, and the inheritance of China."

After a pause, he looked at Li Ji and said, "I have only one condition, that my uncle writes to His Majesty and retires."

Li Ji was so angry that he laughed. He raised his eyebrows and said, "So we don't want to talk about it anymore?"

Retire?
Without his official position and authority, why should he stand up for all the meritorious officials of the Zhenguan period?
Even if all the meritorious officials of the Zhenguan period stood behind him and followed his orders, what would be the use once they retired?

Fang Jun refused to give in: "Since my uncle is obsessed with power and doesn't care about the overall situation, then let's not talk about it."

Li Ji finally became angry.

He knew that this was Fang Jun's negotiation tactic. After all, it was the Zhenguan meritorious officials who were begging Fang Jun, so Fang Jun had the qualifications to manipulate them.

But it is absolutely unacceptable to accuse him of "clinging to power and ignoring the overall situation".

"Why, the world's overall situation is either good or bad because of me, and I am the one who destroys the overall situation?"

This kid is really going too far!
After accomplishing a few great feats, he becomes arrogant and unruly!
Thinking back to the time when I destroyed the Eastern Turks and annihilated the Tuyuhun, that was an unprecedented achievement!

Until today, I am bullied by you youngsters relying on your military achievements. This is intolerable!
Fang Jun poured the wine and sighed, "I'm not referring to you, Lord Ying, I'm referring to all the nobles of the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Ji: “…”

Can you be any more arrogant, you idiot?

Fang Jun said: "In fact, the group of nobles is a cancer that sucks blood from the body of the empire. It is true that their ancestors fought bravely and fought for the world to gain merits, and they deserve to enjoy wealth and glory...but their descendants have not made any achievements, but they have been high-ranking officials for generations, occupying high positions, consuming resources and controlling the upward channels. After several generations, they are all incompetent people who waste the country's finances. This is the root cause of the dynasty's rise and fall."

Li Ji stared at Fang Jun in astonishment: "Do you know what you are saying? This includes the royal family as well."

Even the emperor is included!

Isn't the throne the place where the founding emperor conquers the world and his descendants enjoy the country's fortune?

Treason!
Fang Jun certainly knew that these words were heretical and treasonous within the current system, but today, facing the tremendous pressure brought by Li Ji and the entire Zhenguan meritorious officials group, he suddenly felt like he had to speak out.

"In essence, the royal family is of course a kind of noble family, and the greatest one, and the harm it brings to the country is naturally the greatest! If this noble family system cannot be completely destroyed, the rise and fall of dynasties will only be endless, and social productivity will only stagnate. The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty today can also be foreseen to decline in the future!"

Hearing this, Li Ji's head was buzzing.

Mother!

Do you know what you are talking about, you idiot?!