Chapter 48: My Second Brother is Really My Good Brother
"But the granaries in various parts of our Li Tang are empty. The grain collected by the local governments each year is not enough to support the army's conquests, let alone provide relief to the people.
Those wealthy families do have food, but they won't give it to us easily.
If you ask them for food, you need to exchange your official position for it.
My elder brother, my father and I went to ask them for food and had to exchange them for more precious things.
We can easily take back the official position you gave up.
But the things we give away may never be recovered in our lifetime.
Therefore, it is far more cost-effective for you to exchange official positions for food than to exchange other things for food.
The most important thing is that even if you don’t resell them, we will have to give them those official positions sooner or later.
Because most of the scholars in the world are in their hands, if we, the Li Tang, want to unify and govern the world, we have to grant official positions to them.
Therefore, it is more beneficial for us to grant the official position by reselling it.
Not only did we get a large amount of food and fodder, but we were also able to get those wealthy families to take the initiative to send us the scholars we needed.”
Li Shimin tried his best to explain the interests involved in a simple and easy-to-understand way, hoping to convince Li Yuanji.
Li Yuanji had not expected that his small act of reselling official titles would be taken so seriously by Li Shimin.
If one thinks further, one could take advantage of the opportunity of reselling official titles to grant official positions to the concubines of the aristocratic families and neglect the legitimate descendants of the aristocratic families, which would eventually make the concubines stronger and the legitimate descendants weaker, and there would definitely be chaos within the aristocratic families.
By that time, Li Tang would not only no longer have to worry about the threats from the aristocratic families, but he would be able to take advantage of the internal chaos among the aristocratic families to reap huge profits.
If you cannot defeat the enemy from the outside, you can only attack from within the enemy, let the enemy fight among themselves, and reap the benefits while you sit back and reap the benefits.
With Li Shimin's cleverness, he should have noticed the beauty of this, so he couldn't wait to trick him into reselling official titles on a large scale.
The reason why Li Shimin didn't say anything now was because he had not yet agreed to resell official positions on a large scale.
Li Yuanji nodded slowly and said in agreement: "Second brother, what you said makes sense. For our Li Tang, this kind of event will indeed bring more benefits than disadvantages."
A look of joy flashed across Li Shimin's face. Is Li Yuanji going to agree?
However, Li Yuanji changed the subject and said solemnly, "This matter involves many people. With my ability, I am afraid it is difficult to handle it. I still need my second brother to take charge of the overall situation."
At this point, Li Yuanji clasped his fists towards Li Shimin with a serious face, "Brother, just go for it. I will definitely cooperate with you to the best of my ability and contribute to the Li Tang Dynasty."
Li Shimin's expression froze. Did I want to carry the banner myself? I wanted you to carry the banner!
"Shiro, you should understand what I mean!"
Li Shimin stared at Li Yuanji and said in a deep voice.
Just now when Xie Shufang and Zhangsun Wuji were still there, he had already made his thoughts clear, and Li Yuanji also understood.
If I pretend to be stupid now, how could he believe me?
Li Yuanji slumped down in his seat. "Of course I understand what Second Brother means. But Second Brother is obviously more capable than me, and thinks more deeply than me. He should be able to do better than me. Why doesn't Second Brother do it himself?"
Li Shimin looked at Li Yuanji deeply and said, "Everyone in the government and the country knows what I want, so I can't take part in this matter."
Li Shimin did not need to hide his ambitions, because everyone in the court and the country knew that he wanted to be the crown prince.
Li Yuan promised him the position of crown prince again and again. He felt that his becoming the crown prince was a sure thing, so there was no need to hide it.
Li Yuanji said calmly: "Then let Big Brother come forward."
Li Shimin stared at Li Yuanji and said, "Big brother won't show up."
Li Yuanji looked at Li Shimin and said with a smile: "You didn't even ask my elder brother, but you said he wouldn't show up. Since my elder brother won't show up, why should I show up?
The eldest brother is the crown prince and the heir to the throne of the Li Tang Dynasty.
The huge Li Tang will belong to him in the future. If Li Tang is in trouble and needs someone to help and bear the blame, shouldn't he be the one to do it?"
Li Shimin glared and shouted, "It is precisely because my elder brother is now the crown prince that he will not come forward to do such a thing."
Li Yuanji laughed and said, "So it's my turn to go? You guys are good people, you take care of your reputation, and I'm the bad guy, I have to bear the infamy?"
"This is also for the Li family's foundation!"
Li Shimin said solemnly.
Li Yuanji smiled and asked, "If I bear the infamy for the Li family's foundation, can the Li family's foundation be passed on to me?"
"bass!"
Li Shimin suddenly stood up and looked at Li Yuanji with wide eyes .
Li Yuanji smiled calmly, "Don't react so strongly, second brother. I'm not interested in that position."
At this point, Li Yuanji's smile faded, and he said leisurely: "I am not interested in that position, and that position will not be passed to me. Then why should I sacrifice myself to help you?
What can you give me, official title or wealth?
Do you think I lack these things? "
Among the titles, Li Yuanji was granted the title of Prince, which was the pinnacle of nobility.
Among his official positions, Li Yuanji also held the title of Shizhong, which basically meant he reached the pinnacle of his official position.
Even if Li Yuanji made great sacrifices, Li Yuan, Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng could not give him much.
It's nothing more than adding a few more sealed households, or concocting another Tiance future leader.
The problem is that even if he could create another great general of Tian Ce, for Li Yuanji, it would only be icing on the cake, better than nothing.
If that is the case, why would Li Yuanji make such a great sacrifice?
Li Shimin stared at Li Yuanji for a long time with deep eyes, and slowly said, "I will report this matter to father. When father knows, he will definitely agree."
As long as he told Li Yuan that Li Yuanji would resell official titles and only sell them to the common people of the aristocratic families, this would cause chaos within the aristocratic families, and Li Yuan would definitely agree.
Li Yuan would never hesitate to let a notorious son bear some infamy in order to control a serious threat for the Li Tang Dynasty.
"Second brother, are you sure you can defeat me?"
Li Yuanji stood up, stared at Li Shimin and asked.
Li Shimin snorted coldly and said nothing.
Li Yuanji bowed to Li Shimin and said, "Then please ask my second brother to inform my father and ask him to send Xiao Yu and Chen Shuda to help me. Then ask my eldest brother to send Wang Gui and Wei Zheng to help me. Then ask my second brother to send Zhangsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling to help me."
Are you trying to figure me out?
The ultimate one-for-six, wanna try it?
I will bear the infamy of reselling official titles, but I will not die.
But the six of them must die.
"you!"
Li Shimin glared at Li Yuanji angrily.
Li Ji straightened up slightly and stared at Li Shimin, "Why? Second brother can't bear to leave Zhangsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling? Then why can second brother bear to leave me, his younger brother?
Having a brother like my second brother, shouldn't I be thankful that I will live a long life?"
Li Shimin's ears turned red.
I don’t know whether I was angry or ashamed.
Li Yuanji's words were extremely heartbreaking.
Li Shimin couldn't bear it anymore.
“Shua…”
Li Shimin flicked his sleeves and left the front hall of Luoyang Palace angrily.
Li Yuanji sat down, slumped down in his seat, and fell into deep thought.
He did not take Li Shimin's threat seriously.
If Li Shimin really wrote a letter to Li Yuan, asking Li Yuan to force him to come forward and resell official positions and titles.
There is a high probability that Li Yuan will agree, and will also agree to send Xiao Yu and Chen Shuda to him.
Although Xiao Yu and Chen Shuda were deeply trusted by Li Yuan, Li Yuan would certainly not show mercy if they were used to restrain the aristocratic families and wealthy clans.
Xiao Yu and Chen Shuda are not Pei Ji, and Li Yuan will not give up things that are beneficial to the Tang Dynasty for them.
Li Jiancheng would agree with gritted teeth and send Wei Zheng and Wang Gui to him as well.
During the Tang Dynasty's conquests, Li Jiancheng had to deal frequently with aristocratic families and wealthy clans in order to raise food and fodder for his army. He was well aware of the harm that aristocratic families and wealthy clans posed to the Tang Dynasty.
Therefore, Li Jiancheng would definitely agree to use Wei Zheng and Wang Gui as two ministers to restrain the aristocratic families and wealthy clans.
Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng agreed and sent people.
Li Shimin had no choice but to send people.
By then, even if Li Shimin was unwilling, Li Yuan and Li Jiancheng would force him to send Zhangsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling.
Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling were extremely important to Li Shimin, and Li Shimin was absolutely reluctant to let them go.
Li Shimin must have seen through the whole thing, so he would never write a letter.
Li Shimin would only find another way and try to get him to agree.
As for whether his confrontation with Li Shimin today would put him in enmity with Li Shimin, he was not worried.
Li Shimin was in the wrong and was left speechless by his rebuttal. Li Shimin didn't have the face to hold a grudge against him.
The reason why he fell into deep thought was because Li Shimin's words reminded him of something.
That is, there really are people who will take advantage of the Tang Dynasty's distress to turn against it.
And it was during this expedition against Liu Heita.
One was Gao Kaidao, the Prince of Beiping in Youzhou, and the other was Fu Gongyou under Du Fuwei.
Gao Kaidao rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, plotted against Li Yi, and almost killed him.
Fu Gongyou rebelled and plotted against Du Fuwei, causing Li Yuan to suspect Du Fuwei and he died in fear.
There was nothing worthy of his attention about Gao Kaidao and Fu Gongyou.
But Li Yi and Du Fuwei are worthy of his attention.
Because Li Yi and Du Fuwei have many powerful generals.
Li Yi does not have much contact with Li Jiancheng now, and he has not sent the Xue brothers under his command to Li Jiancheng as bodyguards.
Using Gao Kaidao's information to exchange for the five Xue brothers from Li Yi should be possible, right?
"With the Xue brothers in hand, plus Xie Shufang, the left third commander of the palace should be able to make preparations. With elite soldiers and fierce generals, no matter how strong you, Li Shimin, are, you dare not control me like you did today."
Li Yuanji had an idea in his mind and immediately prepared to ask Xie Shufang to do the job.
But before he could open his mouth, he remembered that Xie Shufang had been sent away by Li Shimin.
So he could only wait.
After waiting for half an hour, Uncle Xie hurried back to the side hall.
Li Yuanji immediately ordered Xie Shufang, "Go and help me find out where the King of Yan is now, and then send someone to tell Ma Zhou to hand over the task at hand to Li Sixing and wait for me outside the city."
Li Yuanji planned to let Ma Zhou meet Li Yi. The reason why he let Ma Zhou go was because Ma Zhou had not been put on the table yet, and his target was small, so he would not attract other people's attention.
If Xie Shufang or Li Sixing were to go find Li Yi, they would definitely be targeted.
A prince sent his trusted men to look for a warlord. Anyone could guess that there was something fishy going on.
