The Prodigal Son of Zhenguan

Li Shimin looked calm, and glanced at Wei Cheng.

"Since the locust plague began, the court has issued a series of measures to deal with the locust plague, whether it is offering sacrifices to the locust god or me meeting the people on the tower of Zhuque Gate. Even the court's right servant and the minister led the palace guards to the surrounding areas of Chang'an City to preside over the locust extermination. Under these measures, some grain in the fields has been preserved, which is much better than leaving it alone."

Many officials in the hall secretly raised their heads to look at the emperor sitting at the top, but they could not see any expression on his face.

Li Shimin's voice was slow, like a slow stream.

"Looking back on the past, locust extermination has never happened before. In all dynasties, once a locust plague occurred, they would just let it go and let the locusts eat their fill and leave."

"But what is the result? The crops in the fields of the common people were damaged, and the harvest of the year was destroyed. The people had no food and could not make a living. The court provided relief.

However, the relief from the court was limited. People still could not eat enough and the whole family was starving."

"And now? Locust extermination is effective. The crops in the fields of the common people were saved. The Right Prime Minister and the Shangshu Ling They were around Chang'an City, under their leadership, and the surrounding places were also imitated. At least, the people's rations kept some of them, and the court reduced the pressure. In addition, the court had survived the time of food assistance in the affected place, and there was no problem at all. "" This is the best result at the moment. "Wei Cheng, the rumors you said, and I also heard something. Do you think that this rumor has risen?" Li Shimin's eyes brought a little cold, looking at Wei Cheng. "Chen, I don't know." "It is said that Li Shimin was sitting upright." Everyone, you say, is it useful to say a series of measures made by the court for the locust accident? Pei Ji glanced at Wei Cheng, then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the court has implemented many measures against the locust plague, which has indeed saved most of the crops in the fields. I have also heard the rumors outside."

Li Shimin looked at Pei Ji with interest.

He has learned his lesson in the court. He has not made any comments on the court's new policies for such a long time. Now, he has stood up and spoken. It's interesting.

"Rumor has it that the people are concerned about the cause of the locust plague. Zhuangzi once proposed that heaven and man are one. Later, during the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu said that the origin of the Tao is from heaven, and human affairs are subject to the will of heaven. The will of heaven and human affairs are mutually responsive. Therefore, from ancient times to the present, people have believed that many things that happen in the world are the result of heaven sensing things in the world.

When a disaster occurs, people will offer sacrifices. As long as they move heaven, the disaster can be eliminated.

This is also the reason why the court wanted to offer sacrifices to the locust god in the beginning."

"And the people are discussing why the locust plague occurred. They just think that something has happened in the world that angered heaven. The court offered sacrifices to the locust god while hunting and killing locusts. On the one hand, it wants to move heaven, and on the other hand, it offends the locust god and suffers the sin of killing. Isn't this contradictory?"

"According to Prime Minister Pei, it is wrong for the court to take the lead in killing locusts and is not sincere to heaven?" Li Shimin asked.

"I just think that there is no connection between the two." Pei Ji responded.

"If it is because someone or something in the world has angered God, or if it is according to the rumors that the emperor has lost his moral integrity, and God uses the locust plague to warn me, then I am the emperor, and God must be able to sense my behavior. My sincerity has been demonstrated." Li Shimin smiled and said, "But the locusts did not disappear."

"Your Majesty." Wei Zheng stood up: "What Prime Minister Pei said is not entirely true. The ancients did not think as Prime Minister Pei said. Wang Chong of the Eastern Han Dynasty recorded in "Lun Heng" that how can the heaven and the earth escape? The insects ate the grain, which was caused by the officials."

Li Shimin really didn't expect that Wei Zheng could stand up and speak for him.

Today, the sun is rising from the west?

"Your Majesty, I think that cultivating virtue is the only way to eliminate natural disasters. There was an official in the previous dynasty named Liu Cong. He also thought of eliminating locusts by manpower, but the result was a greater disaster." A court official stood up and said.

"Locusts are born in Guanzhong and affect many places. Is it because all the local officials in Guanzhong are not virtuous enough?" Wei Zheng asked back: "IfAccording to rumors, the locust plague should have occurred all over the Tang Dynasty, not just in Guanzhong.

Now, it is only Guanzhong that is plagued by locusts. What do you say? Did the court punish all the officials in Guanzhong? From the governor to the county magistrate, and even the village head, they should be punished. Tell them that you are not virtuous enough? "

"The rumors in the streets are obvious enough. What does it mean? The rumors are not groundless, but someone is deliberately disturbing behind the scenes. This is premeditated!" Wei Zheng angrily rebuked: "The court has issued a decree to eliminate locusts, and it has achieved good results. For things like locust plagues, there is no need to look at what will happen in the future, just focus on the present.

The result in front of us is that the locusts have been eliminated, the crops in the fields have been saved, and part of the people's food has been saved. This is already a good thing. "

"Let's say that God has the virtue of loving life. Human efforts to eliminate locusts are fighting for the hope of survival. Will God not give it? If you say so, isn't God extremely cruel? "

Wei Zheng spoke up, from the heavens to the officials, and he criticized them all.

Pei Ji, who had prepared a lot of words, just shut down.

What else can he say? How can he say it?

Wei Zheng blocked his words.

Shouldn't Wei Zheng take this opportunity to advise His Majesty to cultivate his virtues?

Why did he do this again?

Pei Ji had no idea that Wei Zheng didn't care about the king. He didn't care whether the king lived or died. He cared about the people.

He could even say in front of Li Shimin that the king was dead and the ministers were just sad.

He cared about the country.

If Wei Zheng was a person who cared about the king, he wouldn't have worked under Li Jiancheng in the first place, and he would have killed himself long ago.

Li Shimin looked at Wei Zheng.

This guy, sometimes, is still pretty good.

Unconsciously, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

Now, he didn't need to speak for himself, Wei Zheng was enough.