Chapter 19 Li Shimin's Curiosity
Empress Changsun smiled, a hint of mischief flashed in her eyes, as if she concealed a thousand kinds of charm.

"Today, I met a strange old man outside the palace. He talked in such a funny way that I could make up a play!" She deliberately kept the secret.

"Oh?" Li Shimin became interested. "What kind of weird old man could catch your eye? Did he say something else that made you keep thinking about him? Come on, tell me!"

Empress Changsun nodded slightly, with a sly smile on her lips: "He said... Second brother, you are still a little short of the mark!"

"He said, Your Majesty, you are not yet a good emperor, but this is not always the case. It is just that now, you are still on the road to becoming a truly good emperor."

As Empress Changsun spoke, she gently stroked the back of Li Shimin's hand. The delicate touch made Li Shimin's anger dissipate a lot.

Her fingers were like a pool of spring water, sliding across the back of Li Shimin's hand, leaving a string of tempting ripples, as if saying: Believe me, you will become an emperor of all ages.

"The war on the border has never stopped, and the Turkic guys are even more ambitious!" Li Shimin looked solemn, with a frown on his face.

"Yes, the people are living in dire straits, it's really tragic!" Empress Chang Sun sighed softly, a hint of sympathy flashed in her eyes.

"Being a good emperor is not as simple as just talking about it." Li Shimin laughed at himself, "You have to show your real ability."

Hearing this, Li Shimin gradually calmed down, sat back on the couch, and after thinking for a moment, asked: "Then in your opinion, how can I become a good emperor?"

Empress Changsun smiled slightly, her smile was like a spring breeze, intoxicating. "I asked myself the same question back then."

"Oh? What did he say?" Li Shimin asked curiously.

"Enlighten the laws, value the people, be diligent in government, govern the officials well, and have a strong army." Empress Chang Sun said slowly.

Hearing this, Li Shimin's eyes flashed with brilliance. He knew the importance of these aspects. Nodding, he couldn't wait to ask: "Then how to implement these strategies specifically?"

Empress Changsun smiled, as if she had already expected Li Shimin to ask this question.

She gently stroked her chest, the action was full of temptation, and then slowly said: "Second brother, do you really want to listen? Then I will start with the first law!"

As soon as the words fell, Empress Chang Sun hesitated for a moment, and her eyes became firm. "The so-called clear law means to strictly enforce the law and let everyone in the world know that everyone is equal before the law!"

"We need to make sure the people know what behaviors are in line with the rules and what should never be crossed!"

"If the law is too light, people will lose their fear; if the law is too heavy, people will find it hard to accept it!"

"If the people are good, the state does not need to impose too many restrictions; if the people are bad, they must not be condoned!"

"Law is the foundation of a country. If you want to govern a country well, you must first clarify the law!"

"But if we want the people to accept it sincerely, you have to take the lead yourself, second brother!"

"If the emperor breaks the law, he should be punished like the common people..."

"hiss!"

"If the emperor breaks the law, he will be punished the same as the common people?"

Hearing this, Li Shimin couldn't help but take a breath.

After a moment's thought, he nodded in agreement: "Yes, the law is indeed the foundation of the country. I have learned my lesson!"

"What about valuing the people?"

"Pay attention to the people..." Empress Changsun smiled slightly, with wisdom shining in her eyes. "They are not a burden to the country, but the foundation of the country!"

"Those who can benefit the country's development are true subjects!"

"If you want to manage the people well, you must let the people have the ability to supervise the officials, but you don't need to give them the title of officials!"

"Let the people supervise the officials, and the officials supervise the people. They supervise each other and benefit together. How wise this is!"

After saying this, Li Shimin's expression suddenly glowed with new light.

"Monitor each other?"

"Yeah, why didn't I think of this before?"

"In this way, the people can supervise the officials, and the officials can manage the people!"

"Hold each other back and prevent those corrupt officials from oppressing the good people!"

“It will also inspire ministers’ enthusiasm to serve the people!”

"What a good idea! It's really a good idea!"

"The same sentence, with different understandings, can make such a big difference!"

At this moment, Li Shimin seemed extremely excited.

"Guanyin maid, what else did that master say?" Li Shimin asked impatiently, with a gleam of curiosity in his eyes.

Empress Changsun chuckled, with a hint of mischief in her eyes, "Second brother, don't be anxious. That expert also said that water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it. If we want to stabilize the foundation of the Tang Dynasty, we must win the hearts of the people. If the people support us, the world will be stable."

She paused, then opened her red lips and continued, "If you want to win the hearts of the people, you must keep them away from wars and natural disasters, and let them have food and clothing so that they are content. If you satisfy the people, they will naturally support you wholeheartedly."

Li Shimin listened to the words in fascination, as if he was deeply attracted by them and his worldview was reshaped. He slapped his thigh excitedly and shouted, "Quick, bring me paper and pen!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a young eunuch hurriedly ran in holding the four treasures of the study. Li Shimin didn't care about his image as an emperor, he turned around and lay on the couch, ready to record this way of governing the country.

As Li Shimin was writing, he suddenly looked up at Empress Changsun and said jokingly, "Oh, my memory is so bad, Guanyin, please continue. What else does that strange man have to say?"

Empress Changsun smiled, a hint of mischief flashed in her eyes, and she answered softly, "Governing officials, strengthening the army, and being diligent in government, these are what he mentioned."

Her words were like the drizzle in spring, gentle yet powerful.

Looking at Li Shimin's serious look, Empress Changsun couldn't help but smile softly with her hands covering her lips and nodded. Her smile was as bright and moving as a blooming spring flower.

She went on to say: "A strong army leads to a strong country. This is an iron rule since ancient times. But if we want to strengthen the army, we can't just focus on the existing army."

She paused slightly, straightened her body, her chest rising and falling gently with her deep breaths, and continued, "We must first make the people prosperous. Only when the people are prosperous can the army be strong, and only when the army is strong can the country prosper. Only in this way can our Great Tang Dynasty truly dominate the world."

At this point, Empress Chang Sun deliberately dragged out her voice, with a smile on her face, as if hiding a bit of pride: "Otherwise, how did you say that sentence?

A weak country has no diplomacy, and anyone can come and step on it. No matter how ambitious my second brother is, I'm afraid it will be difficult for the Tang Dynasty to dominate the world. "

After hearing this, Li Shimin's pen stopped in mid-air, his brows knitted, as if something was on his mind. He slowly said, "It's not like I haven't thought about this. Soldiers and civilians are one family.

But you and I are both aware of the current situation of the Tang Dynasty. The people are living in poverty, and even food and clothing are a problem. How can they spare the energy to build a large army? The treasury is tight, how long can it last? "
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(End of this chapter)