The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 1038: Night Visit to Hongwen Hall

Wang De suddenly knelt on the ground with a bang when he heard Li Yan say that. He said with tears streaming down his face, "How dare I, Your Majesty? I am just a lowly servant. How dare I accept such praise from Your Majesty? It really makes me feel bad."

After saying this, Wang De kept kowtowed to show that he was not worthy of the title. But in his heart, he was very excited.

His Majesty is such a kind person!
Among the twenty or thirty children of the retired emperor, which one has ever said such heartwarming words to him? Although those princes and princesses are very polite on the surface, which one of them really respects him? Even if they pretend to win him over, it is to please the emperor and get some information from him.

The current emperor had thanked Ma Xuanliang for this matter before, and Ma Xuanliang talked about it for the rest of his life.

If the emperor was still the crown prince, he could say that he was trying to win me over. But now that he is the ruler of a country, there is no need to say such clichés. This shows the emperor's true nature.

Meeting such a king is truly a blessing that I, Wang De, have earned in eight lifetimes!
"Mmmm" touched his heart and his emotions surged. Wang De knelt on the ground and burst into tears.

Seeing this, Li Yan stood up and walked around the imperial desk, helping Wang De up without saying anything. Although this man was a eunuch, he was the closest person to him. The emperor was also a human being. If the people who served him and provided him with food, clothing, shelter and transportation betrayed him, it would be difficult for him to have a good end.

The majesty of an emperor is not something he can show off to these people.

For such people, the superiors should either not use them, or if they do use them, they should treat them with sincerity, bind them with affection, and consolidate them with benefits. If they are loyal to themselves, then many risks from the outside world can be eliminated invisibly.

Everything I eat has to pass through their hands; they also watch over me when I sleep; they know my whereabouts like the back of my hand. If I can't even subdue them, I can't blame anyone else for my miserable end.

Since ancient times, important figures have always been very approachable and treated the service personnel around them sincerely, just like their family members.

"Wang De, I am the emperor, and I am the supreme monarch outside."

Li Yan looked at Wang De and said seriously, "The dignity of an emperor does not allow me to have any personal feelings. I must be decisive and ruthless. Everything must be based on the country and the well-being of the people left by my ancestors. I hope you can understand."

"If you have anything to say, feel free to say it. I am not the kind of person who does not distinguish right from wrong. I know who is truly kind to me."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. Although I am of little use, as long as I serve Your Majesty for one day, I will be loyal to Your Majesty until my death."

Although Wang De was a slave with a low status, he had learned the art of survival from living in the cracks for a long time. He watched the emperor and important officials discuss politics all day long, and he also summed up many life lessons and became very experienced in the ways of the world.

How could it be easy to follow a tyrannical Khan like Li Shimin for twenty years and gain his trust?

He knew very well that it was not appropriate to shirk the emperor's responsibility on such matters. Thunder and rain were all grace from heaven, so he had no right to be polite. The emperor was happy for a moment and said these heartwarming words. He would just remember them in his heart and serve the emperor more carefully in the future.

As a slave, you cannot show too much personality. It is best to be like an animal without emotions or opinions. Otherwise, the emperor may appreciate you today, but he may hate you tomorrow if his mood changes.

When someone appreciates you, it may not be a blessing, but when someone hates you, it must be a disaster.

Wang De expressed his gratitude at the right time, and finally said carefully: "Your Majesty, I have served the emperor for twenty years and have come to a superficial understanding. I think the most important thing for an emperor is not to govern the world or to consolidate power."

"It's about saving yourself!"

"As long as you are alive, you will get everything one day. If you lose your life, you will lose everything."

After saying this, Wang De apologized, and without staying any longer, he quietly left.

Li Yan sat quietly in the imperial study, thinking of Li Shimin lying like a living dead in the Daming Palace. Finally, he murmured to the empty room, "Wang De, you are really an old and wise man. You spoke the truth!"

“After death, I know that everything is empty, but I am sad that I can’t see the whole country together.”

"If Father could understand this truth and be more cautious, he would still be sitting here and be his Heavenly Khan!"

After Li Yan finished his meal and reviewed the last memorial, he saw that the sky outside had turned completely dark. The bright moon was hanging in the sky like a silver plate, and the dazzling Milky Way seemed to be within reach, so beautiful that it was breathtaking.

The Tai Chi Palace at night was completely quiet, exuding a thrilling charm.

Sometimes, Li Yan even felt that it was not a loss to come to the ancient times just for this beautiful starry sky.

Seeing that it was not time to go to bed yet, Li Yan simply wandered around the Taiji Palace, and walked out of Chengqing Palace with Wang De and several guards, and came to the Taiji Hall Square. He slowly walked to the Hongwen Hall on the other side, where officials from the three provinces and six ministries were on duty.

When Li Yan stepped into the brightly lit hall, he was startled to see a middle-aged official kneeling at the door respectfully. "I am Xu Jingzong, the secretary of the Central Secretariat. I pay my respects to the Emperor. Long live the Emperor!"

"Get up!" The conversation between the two woke up several officials on duty in the hall, and they all stood up and saluted. Li Yan waved his hand, praised them a few words, and asked everyone to do their job and not to worry about himself.

Afterwards, he and Xu Jingzong came to a guest room inside. Xu Jingzong quickly made a cup of tea for Li Yan and stood aside to serve him.

"Your name is Xu Jingzong, and you are the official on duty at the Secretariat tonight?"

Li Yan asked curiously, "I just came in and saw you kneeling at the door. How did you know it was mine?"

"Your Majesty, to be honest, I was just dealing with some paperwork and I was sleepy, so I took a nap."

Xu Jingzong said in a serious tone, "In my dream, I saw that the outside of Taiji Hall was as bright as day, with a bright red light. A purple aura rose from the east, and a golden light rushed towards Hongwen Hall. I was startled by this bizarre scene and suddenly woke up."

"Then, I heard the sound of dragon-shaped tiger steps outside the palace, and I concluded that it must be Your Majesty himself, so I knelt down to pay my respects."

"Hahaha, it seems that you are a blessed person. You actually dreamed of such a scene." Li Yan smiled heartily, very happy.

Of course he knew Xu Jingzong was talking nonsense, but it was the way for officials to survive by flattering him. Why should he deliberately make himself uncomfortable? If everyone was like Wei Xuancheng, the emperor would be too frustrated.

Li Yan laughed, on the one hand to express his appreciation and affirmation.

On the other hand, he also saw from Xu Jingzong's humble attitude that he was sincere in his desire to serve. He now wanted to unite all the forces that could be united, consolidate power, and deal with the aristocrats, so he naturally would not push such a minister away.

Moreover, Xu Jingzong was not an ordinary person. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, he helped Li Zhi deal with Zhangsun Wuji and regain the imperial power, making great contributions. Later, he defected to the empress and became the sharpest knife under her, slashing at the Guanlong clan.

Whether in terms of his ability to govern the court or his tactics in political struggle, Xu Jingzong was one of the best.

Through this simple exchange, both sides laid a good start for the subsequent conversation.

Li Yan looked up and looked at the man in front of him quietly. He was over fifty years old. Xu Jingzong looked like a kind old man next door. He had a clean face, elegant temperament, and a kind look.

But who could have thought that such a kind-looking man was one of the two most sinister people in the early Tang Dynasty.

Xu Jingzong, whose courtesy name was Yanzu, was from Xincheng, Hangzhou. He was famous for his literary talent at a very young age.

During the Sui Dynasty, he passed the examination and was awarded the post of judicial assistant in Huaiyang County. Soon after, he entered the Palace of Envoys and reported on personnel matters. After his father Xu Shanxin was killed by Yu Wenhuaji, Xu Jingzong joined Li Mi's Wagang Uprising Army and served as a secretary in the Marshal's Office.

After the defeat of the Wagang Army, he surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. Li Shimin heard of his name and summoned him to be a scholar in the Academy of Literature.

In the eighth year of Zhenguan, Xu Jingzong was promoted to the position of Zuo Zuo Lang and also edited the national history. Soon after, he was promoted to Zhong Shu She Ren. He stayed in this position for ten years. If Li Yan had not intervened, Xu Jingzong would have been the inspector of Zhong Shu Shi Lang this year.

Although Xu Jingzong had a lot of experience, his family background was not very good. His father, Xu Shanxin, was an official of the Southern Chen Dynasty. As a surrendered minister, Xu Jingzong was not well received by the Sui Dynasty. Later, he entered the Tang Dynasty. In this court dominated by aristocratic families and meritorious officials, he had no place to display his talents.

He just worked quietly as a fifth-rank secretary in the Secretariat.

He was far from Changsun Wuji, Xiao Yu, and Cen Wenben, who were all of the third or second rank. Even Ma Zhou, who entered the court later, was inferior to him.

Ma Zhou was born in a poor family. In the fifth year of Zhenguan, he was appointed as a duty servant in the Menxia Province for his meritorious service in writing letters to advise the emperor. He successively served as the Censor-in-Chief, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, the Counselor, and later he was promoted to the Minister of the Central Secretariat. He was appointed as the Minister of the Central Secretariat when the new emperor ascended the throne.

Become the new emperor's assistant minister, and one of the five most important ministers!

An assistant teacher from a humble background rose through the ranks under Xu Jingzong's watch, quickly becoming one of the two big men in the Secretariat and his immediate superior. Meanwhile, the senior Xu Jingzong was still a fifth-rank official in the Secretariat.

How could Xu Jingzong swallow this?

Perhaps Xu Jingzong also saw the fat under his belly and his graying hair in the toilet, lamenting his wasted life and feeling frustrated. People of the same period have already achieved success, but he is still a small servant.

After lamenting and reflecting on my fate during this period, I have learned a lesson.

Xu Jingzong decided to change his previous style and please his superiors, in order to make one last effort for his future and destiny.

It is terrible if an official who is dedicated to his duties decides to become corrupt.

(End of this chapter)