"Grandfather, when we are in trouble, is the Cui family of Boling also in trouble?"
Li Xiang saw that the atmosphere was almost set. Li Shimin had made everyone very nervous, and if the problem was not resolved, there might be changes. Every second was tense outside. If the Cui family of Boling took risks, it would be of no benefit to the court. It was better to solve the problem as soon as possible.
As soon as Li Xiang finished speaking, everyone had an expression of sudden enlightenment. This matter did pose a difficult problem for the court, but if we have to talk about difficult problems, the Cui family of Boling should be more difficult. They were in the wrong in this matter, and the court could do whatever it wanted whether to deal with them or not. But the Cui family of Boling was different.
No matter which dynasty you are in, you are guilty of a capital crime. Who made your family betray the court?
If the imperial court were to announce this to the world, the Cui family of Boling would have no way out. Although they suffered relatively small losses in the two previous heavy blows, the imperial court would be able to nail you to the wall just for the fact that you are a traitor.
Before Li Shimin, the world was in chaos and the common people had no sense of belonging. You were the king today and he ascended the throne tomorrow. For the common people, there was nothing surprising. Anyone could ascend to that position. There was no sense of belonging to the court at that time. After all, things changed too quickly.
But since Li Shimin became the emperor, the Tang Dynasty began to show a different look. It continued to win victories in foreign wars, and the people's lives also improved. Although it cannot be said that everyone has achieved a well-off life, at least compared with the past, there is a world of difference, and everyone's sense of belonging to the Tang Dynasty has become stronger and stronger.
In the past, the major families could get along with everyone, and even flirt with foreigners. The common people thought it was normal. After all, these major families had their own property, and it was normal for them to make friends with more people in power. But now that the Tang Dynasty has been peaceful for a long time, if you still do such a thing, it is wrong for you.
"Go on."
After hearing what Li Xiang said, Li Shimin naturally knew that Li Xiang must have a plan in mind, but as before, Li Shimin did not know Li Xiang's specific plan, so he could only let him continue.
The other ministers also listened with their ears tilted. Wang De, standing on a high place, could see clearly that since when, it seemed as if all the policies and major policies were said by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Even if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince did not implement them, it was according to His Royal Highness's wishes. This was the guidance of the court.
"The imperial court could have completely wiped them out, but for the sake of the current balance, the imperial court can show some leniency..."
Li Xiang's words were just flattering Li Shimin. To be honest, Li Shimin really didn't dare to wipe out the Cui family of Boling. On the surface, the strength of the Cui family of Boling was just that little. We only needed to send two thousand soldiers to destroy its lair. But how many chess pieces did they have in secret? This was probably only known by the elders of the Cui family. Once all of them were revealed, the entire Tang Dynasty might be shaken.
"How can I show some leniency? Will I not pursue their affairs? Will I lose my dignity?"
Li Shimin still didn't understand what Li Xiang wanted to do, and the people around him nodded. They believed that there were only two results for this matter: either to wipe out the Cui family of Boling, or to pretend that this matter had never happened. However, both results were unacceptable to the court.
"Of course we have to investigate, but we have to make it clear to them that we're only going after a few key criminals. The Bo Ling Cui family isn't a monolithic entity. If we only investigate a few individuals, then the positions vacated by these individuals will surely be filled by others. We can make an agreement with them first: whoever causes trouble within the court will be killed. This will not only give the world an explanation, but also make the Cui family bleed. They won't rebel in front of those vested interests..."
Everyone present was smart. After Li Xiang said this, they understood what was going on. That is, to win over one group and attack another. The people in power in the Cui family must be killed because they are not in the same mind as the Tang Dynasty. The Cui family members who are watching from below have ascended to leadership positions with the help of the court. In order to live a smooth life in the future, they can only rely on the court.
Take the current people of the Cui family in Boling for example. Some of them are the existing forces and they are now in all the positions of power. The other part is the opposition party. Although they are also descendants of the Cui family, they have no power. They hope that something will happen to the current people in power. Only when something happens to these people in power can they gain new power.
What the court needs to do now is to reach an agreement with this group of people and let them stand up and deal with those in power. As long as someone from the Cui family is still in this position, most of the Cui family's forces will not rebel. It's just that this group of newly appointed people are different from those who were dealt with. This group of newly appointed people have been stamped with the mark of the court. No matter what they do in the future, they need to discuss it with the court.
In the process of replacing the old with the new, the power of the Cui family of Boling also began to decline sharply, at least by more than 30%. Taking advantage of this incident, the imperial court once again struck a blow against the aristocratic families, and at the same time, it also drove its own power into the Cui family of Boling, further disintegrating the Five Surnames and Seven Families.
Very wonderful!
Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling looked at each other, and both saw admiration in each other's eyes. Neither of them had thought of this method, but they just needed time. If given some time, they would definitely be able to think of it.
"You're quite courageous. You're just talking about it, but if you want to put it into practice, do you know how difficult it is?"
Li Shimin's tone had softened a lot, but he was still reluctant to praise Li Xiang. This matter was simple to say, but if it was to be implemented, it would be no less difficult than an expedition to Tuyuhun.
"My grandson is willing to implement this matter."
Li Xiang spoke up without hesitation, but Li Shimin didn't assign him the position because he knew he had already reconciled with the Qinghe Cui family. If he were to reconcile with the Boling Cui family, especially with the new head of the family, Li Xiang's power would be unprecedentedly large. Even if he wanted to deal with him, the major families would probably not agree. By then, although the court would have disintegrated the major families, Li Xiang would have become the head of the major families, which would have meant that the family would not have disintegrated, but would have become stronger...