Chang'an, Tai Chi Palace.

It was still cold in February. I had just cut off my clothes for a few days, but the colder people had to wear fur.

The pear blossoms in front of the palace, which were as bright as frost and snow, were also colorful and snowy roads overnight, covering the ground with silver.

"Your Majesty, it's cold. Add more clothes and don't catch a cold."

Wu clasped his bulging belly and held a peacock fur made himself in his hand to put it on the emperor.

"It's such a cold day, my beloved concubine is not resting in the hall, why are she here? It's like a knife outside?" Li Zhi held Wu's hand and found that her hands were cold and full of love.

"I am bored if I stay alone, so I came over to see Your Majesty, brought the newly prepared fur clothes, and made a bowl of hot soup."

"I'm so nice to beloved concubine." Li Zhi said with a smile. Although Wu was several years older than him and was once a talented person for his father, he had secretly admired her since the time of Zhenguan. Later, Taizong was seriously ill. As the prince, he often stayed with the bedside and often had contact with Wu, who was taking care of Taizong. Gradually, the two of them became in love.

Until now, Li Zhi has always loved Wu as always.

Compared to Queen Wang, Concubine Xiao and others in his harem, Li Zhi only loved Wu. Perhaps this was related to Wu's true love and was brought into the palace. The other women were just his father who took charge of him.

"It would be great if some people could be as considerate as their beloved concubines." Li Zhi sighed.

Wu glanced at the memorial before the emperor's case and quickly glanced over it. From the familiar handwriting, he saw that these memorials were written by Prime Minister Changsun Wuji, Chu Suiliang, Yu Zhining and others.

"Are the uncle still dissatisfied with the matter of pardoning Li Ke and leaving Yuwen Jie for His Majesty?"

"Well, I'm not willing to give up, especially when I left Yuwen Jie and wanted him to be appointed as the chief censor. I made seven or eight memorials in a row, and even brought Chu Suiliang, Yu Zhining and other ministers together."

Changsun Wuji was both the uncle and the prime minister, especially the minister of the reign left by Emperor Taizong, and he was still the representative of the nobles of Guanlong today.

His attitude is crucial to the government.

If it weren't for this uncle, Prince Li Zhi would not have been able to become the emperor, let alone become the emperor.

But after several years of becoming a throne, Li Zhi became increasingly dissatisfied with his uncle. He always regarded himself as a child and had to make decisions for him in everything.

Li Zhiben wanted to win over this uncle, but the two had more and more disagreements.

"Your Majesty, the uncle of the country has always been like this. Didn't your Majesty know it long ago?" Wu was also very dissatisfied with Changsun Wuji, because although Wu was favored, he was just a Zhaoyi in the palace.

Although Zhaoyi was the leader of the nine concubines, there were four concubines and queens on it. She was not even considered a concubine, but she was just a concubine. The emperor liked Wu and wanted to make her a concubine for a long time, but this matter was firmly opposed by Changsun Wuji.

When Wu was born, although her father was a founding hero of the Tang Dynasty, a hero of the Taiyuan period, a Duke of the State, served as the Minister of Works of the Central Committee of the Court, and was also the governor of the local government, her mother was even the royal family of the Sui Dynasty and the daughter of the prince.

But Changsun Wuji and others have always believed that the Wu family is just a nouveau riche.

The Wu family's father was just a businessman from a commoner back then. By making friends with officials, he provided wood in many projects such as the construction of the Dongdu of the Sui emperor, and then bribed Taiyuan officials and obtained the position of the Weifu team.

Later, he made friends with Li Yuan, the remaining guard in Taiyuan, provided Li Yuan with a lot of money, followed him to rebel, and gradually entered the court because of his management skills. He also married the daughter of the Sui Dynasty royal family, greatly improving the family status.

But in the eyes of old Guanlong nobles like Changsun Wuji, the Wu family is not up to par. Especially in the past, the Wu family was once a talented man from Taizong, and the talented man was also a woman in the emperor's harem.

When Li Zhi brought Wu, who had become a monk in Ganye Temple, back to the palace, and Changsun was very dissatisfied, which was contrary to the ethical principles.

Now that Zhaoyi is the one who has given the emperor face.

I also want to make her a concubine, how is this possible?

"I explained a lot to my uncle, but he just refused to agree." Li Zhi was helpless. He was increasingly dissatisfied with Changsun Wuji, but on the other side, he was very afraid.

Changsun was not only his mother's uncle, but also the prime minister in the court, who was in charge of the government affairs. Behind him was a powerful Guanlong noble group.

No one dares to underestimate this group's strength.

In the late Northern Dynasties, that is, the Western Wei Dynasty, a group began to form during the Northern Zhou Dynasty with military nobles in the Longyou area of ​​Guanzhong as the core. The royal family of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, Sui and Tang dynasties and royal family members all came from this group, the famous Eight-Pillar countries, among which the Li Tang royal family was one of the Eight-Pillar countries.

The Tang Dynasty inherited the Sui Dynasty, but the Sui Dynasty was also passed down from the Northern Zhou, Western Wei, from the Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, to the Tang Dynasty, whether it was the royal family or the meritorious officials in the court, they all came from such a group.

They occupied the position of prime minister in the court and held important positions such as governors in the local area, especially throughout the army.

Li Zhi dared not offend such a force, but the more he did, the more he felt depressed.

The dignified emperor is constrained everywhere.

"If I really drive Yuwen Jie out of the court and exil to the border state, then this court will be even more of Changsun Wuji's one-man show!"

"Since Your Majesty has long thought about it, why should you hesitate? You should stop and suffer the chaos." Wu advised.

"Can······"

Li Zhi couldn't say it halfway through his words. Changsun was too powerful and even had the ability to depose and establish, so he did not dare to move lightly.

He was Fuli of Changsun. Once he turned against Changsun, who could guarantee that his throne could be preserved?

"Your Majesty, now it is not the time to find the country. Now, the Shandong gentry has collapsed, and the Guanlong group has become weaker and no longer as strong as it was back then. The country's regime is no longer based on the foundation of aristocratic families and nobles. Your Majesty is the emperor and the emperor of the world."

Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, the emperor has always married the most powerful and influential nobles or nobles at that time. The nobles were not only nobles, but also influenced the court.

But the Wu family's eyes were very sharp. Since the Sui Dynasty, several generations of emperors of the Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty have been constantly weakening the huge aristocratic group of Guanlong Group. Yang Guang's slash was too urgent, which led to the collapse and demise of the Sui Dynasty.

The Li family's methods were much gentler. Although the Tang Dynasty inherited the Sui system, there were reforms in many places. These reforms were actually constantly reducing the influence of the Guanlong Group.

Changsun Wuji is indeed the representative of Guanlong Group, but Guanlong Group is no longer as strong as it used to be.

"Your Majesty, don't forget. In addition to the Guanlong Group in the court, the Shandong gentry also has a force that cannot be ignored. If Your Majesty can get his help, it may not be impossible to balance the Guanlong Group."

"What are you talking about the Chinese people in Jiangnan?"

"No, if the Kanto gentry collapsed, the Chinese people in Jiangnan had already withered. Although the imperial examinations have prospered and the gentry has risen again in recent years, their strength is still insufficient to compete with the Guanlong Group. The other force that I mentioned that cannot be ignored actually refers to the Shandong Heroes Group."

The so-called Shandong Heroes Group actually refers to the upstarts of military meritorious scholars from Shandong in the court at the beginning of the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

These humanities include Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, Wu Li Ji, Qin Qiong, etc., who made great contributions in the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, especially in the Zhenguan Dynasty, and were highly valued.

Although many famous Shandong generals have passed away now, famous officials such as Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng have also left, there are still many important figures in this sect.

For example, Li Ji, who is also the prime minister in the court, and the old general Cheng Yaojin.

They also have another characteristic, which is that they have a deep influence in the military. This is exactly different from Changsun Wuji's strong influence in the court.

Changsun Wuji strongly had a strong influence in the court, but was much worse for the military.

In the past, the Guanlong Group was a group that started with military power. They had a strong control over the military, but now, the military is their weakness. Although the Guanlong children join the army in large numbers, there are not many of them among the top generals in the court.

A large number of generals from the Guanlong Group fell into the past internal struggles after the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

The chief representative of the Chinese military today is Li Ji.

The British Duke Li Ji was a third rank under the Secretariat. This was a general left by Emperor Taizong for Li Zhi.

"I don't understand this person." Li Zhidao, when Taizong left Li Ji in Taiyuan for more than ten years, he stayed there for more than ten years, but Li Ji had no complaints. Later, when he became the crown prince, Taizong deliberately demoted Li Ji out of the capital, saying that it depends on Li Ji's attitude. If Li Ji's attitude is good and there is no complaints, then wait until the crown prince ascends the throne, and then rewards Li Ji and transfers him back to the court to serve as a central position.

After Li Ji became the prime minister, he was always cautious and silenceless, and basically rarely opposed Changsun Wuji.

If you want Li Ji to stand up and support him, I am afraid that things are not that simple.

"I believe that Li Ji is a smart person. In the past, His Majesty obeyed the arrangements of the country's uncle everywhere, so Li Ji naturally would not be contrary to the country's uncle. But if Li Ji wanted to make a choice between His Majesty and the country's uncle, I believe that Li Ji knew how to choose!"

"The key point is that Your Majesty must first express his attitude. If Your Majesty is not clear, how can you let a minister like Li Ji and the others choose?"

Li Zhi frowned.

It is not easy to take this step, although he had long wanted to take this step.

"What should I do?"

"Your Majesty can ask the Secretariat to issue an edict to Yuwen Jie as the Censor."

"The subordinates of the Secretary of the Central Committee can refuse to draft an edict. Without the consent of the prime ministers, Yuwen Jie cannot be the chief censor." Under the system of the Three Provinces and Six Ministry, the Secretary of the Central Committee drafted an edict, and the Provincial Committee of the Branch reviewed and rejected it. Now the center is the Secretary of the Central Committee, and the Secretary of the Central Committee is controlled by Changsun Wuji. If his edict is not approved by them, it will be the entrustment of the Central Committee, and the ministers can refuse to implement it.
Chapter completed!