Tibet

Li Ye followed his mother to the Prime Minister's Mansion. He went directly to his father's study and saw him sitting alone on the steps with his back bent, his eyes full of tears.

Li Ye sat down next to his father and accompanied him silently.

After a long time, Li Dai said slowly: "He was assassinated by the Khitans. There are different opinions among the high-level officials in Goguryeo. Some people want to seek refuge with the Khitans, while others are firmly opposed to surrendering to the Khitans and insisting on the path of independence and restoration. Li Huai is opposed to surrendering to the Khitans. He is the governor of Pingzhou and has a very important position. He has become a stumbling block for the Khitan to annex the Goguryeo army. "

After a moment of silence, Li Ye asked again: "Don't the Goguryeo and Khitan people know his true identity?"

Li Dai shook his head, "They always thought he was from the Yuwen family."

"Does he have any children in Pingzhou?"

Li Dai still shook his head, "His Goguryeo wife did not bear him a child, and he only has one descendant, Nan'er."

Li Ye sighed, "People cannot be resurrected after death. Father, please be more liberal!"

"I know!"

Li Dai also sighed and said: "I had a feeling that today would happen, so I wrote many times to persuade him to come back, but he refused to come back. Alas! In the war-torn place of Youzhou, it is only a matter of time before he encounters danger. , but I feel very sad. After all, he is my son, and he knows his mistake."

When he said the last sentence, 'He knew he was wrong,' Li Dai couldn't bear it anymore, covered his face with his hands, and cried silently.

Li Ye didn't persuade his father any more. It was difficult to persuade the father with white hair to express the pain of losing his son. Only with time, the father would slowly get rid of the pain of losing his son.

After crying for a long time, Li Dai finally calmed down. Li Dai wiped away his tears and said, "Ah Ye, I want to resign as the right prime minister!"

Li Ye was startled. He was silent for a moment and said, "If my brother were here, I believe he would not agree to your resignation for him."

Li Dai patted Li Ye on the shoulder, "I'm not doing it for him, but for you. Although people in the world won't say anything, me being the right minister will affect your prestige."

Li Ye shook his head, "I don't want the ministers to have the feeling of accompanying a king like a tiger!"

"Then you are wrong. Even if he is as wise as Emperor Taizong, he will never allow his ministers to challenge his authority. Why would he smash Wei Zheng's tombstone? Wei Zheng made him famous, but he also challenged his bottom line. "

Speaking of this, Li Dai sighed again and said: "Ye'er, the king is lonely, aloof, and true to his word. You don't have to let the ministers feel that accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger, but you must make the ministers look up to you. I surrender to you, and I will be the right prime minister, bringing you down so that you can't be high up."

Li Ye wanted to speak again, but Li Dai waved his hand, "I have made up my mind. Don't try to persuade me any more. I can inspect education for you, especially elementary schools and primary schools. I will take your mother by boat to inspect various places. I I want to teach Nan'er how to read in person to make up for the regrets in my life."

Li Ye nodded silently, "Who does father recommend to replace you?"

Li Dai had already thought about it, and he said without hesitation: "I recommend Wei Jiansu to take up the post!"

"Why not Zhang Li?"

Li Dai shook his head, "Zhang Li's qualifications are still a bit low. He can't lift you up. Now you need a right prime minister with deep qualifications, and he is a treacherous one. The only people who can judge the situation are Wei Jiansu, Pei Zunqing and Li Xian is not enough to support you."

Li Ye nodded and said, "Then who will replace Wei Jiansu?"

"Do you have anyone to choose?" Li Dai asked.

"I'm considering activating Xiao Hua!"

Li Dai nodded, "Xiao Hua is good, his thinking is clear, and his qualifications are sufficient. In fact, I originally wanted to recommend Zhang Hao. This man has a reputation as a prime minister. He was demoted as the governor of Chenzhou because of his involvement in Li Zhen's rebellion. It is a pity. "

Li Ye pondered for a moment and said: "Let him serve as the observation envoy of Jiannan Road first, and then use him when there is a vacancy."

The next day, the Right Prime Minister Li Dai formally submitted his resignation to the Regent Li Ye. Li Ye approved Li Dai's resignation and named him Taifu and King of Hongnong County. Li Ye also appointed Wei Jiansu, the Assistant Prime Minister and the Minister of Rites, as the Zhongshu Ling. The Right Prime Minister also appointed Xiao Hua, the governor of Qizhou, as the Assistant Prime Minister and Minister of Rites, taking over Wei Jiansu's position.

At the same time, Zhang Hao, the governor of Chenzhou, was appointed as the observer of Jiannan Road and the governor of Yizhou, replacing Cui Yuan who committed suicide out of fear of crime.

A series of appointments and dismissals shocked the government and the public. In particular, Li Dai was dismissed less than a year after becoming right minister, which made all officials feel deeply regretful. However, Li Dai is the father of the regent, and this is a matter between their father and son, so although it is a pity , but not resentful either.

What's more, it is the power of the regent to appoint and remove officials of third rank or above. Li Ye is exercising his own power, so what can the officials say?

In the regent's official room, Li Ye asked Wei Jiansu to sit down and said with a smile: "Congratulations to Wei Xiangguo for returning to the position of right prime minister again!"

"Thank you for your trust, Your Highness. I really didn't expect it."

Wei Jiansu felt a little uneasy. He had to find out why Li Dai resigned before he could understand why he took office. This was very important. Why did the regent choose him at this critical moment?

"Your Highness, did something happen to your father? It's fine. Why did you resign suddenly?"

The smile on Li Ye's face disappeared. He was silent for a moment and said, "Wei Xiangguo should know that I have a half-brother!"

Wei Jiansu nodded, "I remember, his name seems to be Li Huai. Because of his mother Yu Wenluo's relationship with your father was very tense, I heard that he went to Youzhou."

Li Ye said slowly: "He married the daughter of the Lu family, a wealthy family in Goguryeo. He has been serving as the governor of Pingzhou in recent years and can be regarded as the representative of the interests of the Goguryeo people. Because he opposed the annexation of the Goguryeo people in Youzhou to the Khitan, he was He was assassinated before. The news that my father only received yesterday was a huge blow to him.”

Wei Jiansu suddenly realized that it was because of the death of his eldest son. Li Ye said calmly: "Although my father is very sad, his resignation was decided a few months ago."

"ah!"

Wei Jiansu was confused again. It turned out that the decision had been made a few months ago, and it had nothing to do with the death of his eldest son!

Li Ye changed the subject and said: "I asked Wei Xiangguo to come here to talk about the key points of the policy in the next few months. Needless to say, the resettlement of the Goguryeo people, and then transportation and water transportation. The Danba Waterway has been opened, which involves The adjustment of freight and material transportation by local governments requires arrangements made by the political hall. The third most important issue is the tax system reform, canceling household taxes and other miscellaneous taxes, reducing local taxes, starting to collect salt taxes, and implementing salt and iron monopoly. Then it will slowly be expanded to include wine and sugar, with full protection from internal guards to ensure the success of the tax reform.”

Wei Jiansu nodded, "Weichen understands. Please rest assured, Your Highness, Weichen will implement these important arrangements one by one as soon as possible."

"That's it, Xiangguo Wei, let's go and take office!"

Wei Jiansu bowed, said goodbye to Li Ye and left.

At noon, Li Dai invited Wei Jiansu to have lunch with him at the Bai Yutang of the Anranju Restaurant. They had just handed over the handover. In the political hall, Li Mi, the official secretary, read out the regent's order, officially appointing Wei Jiansu as Zhongshu. Make the right minister.

But Wei Jiansu was still a little uneasy. He still didn't understand why the regent chose him as the right prime minister at this critical moment.

When Wei Jiansu saw Li Dai's haggard look, he comforted him and said, "I know what happened to you, my dear brother, my condolences!"

"Did the Prince Regent tell you?"

Wei Jiansu nodded, and Li Dai sighed: "Although I lost my eldest son, he still left me a grandson. I want to educate my grandson myself and make up for the rift between father and son caused by my improper education back then!"

"I understand brother Xian, but this shouldn't be the real reason why brother Xian resigned as right minister!"

"Didn't the Prince Regent tell you?"

Wei Jiansu shook his head, "He didn't say anything, so I was confused, why me?"

Li Dai poured Wei Jiansu a glass of wine and said calmly: "I recommend Brother Wei to be the right prime minister. The reason why I resigned as the right prime minister and the reason why I recommended my brother to be the right prime minister are actually the same."

"I'm all ears!"

Li Dai was silent for a moment and said: "Actually, I should call you senior instead of brother. My father and you were both prime ministers back then."

"That's right, your father calls me Wei Xiandi."

Wei Jiansu was confused, why did Li Dai mention this?