The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 382: Zhang Sun Wuji's Courage That He Only Used Once in His Life
The general's mansion does not have the new-style tables and chairs that are popular in Chang'an today, but maintains its previous appearance, appearing very simple and rustic.

The wind and snow were still blowing outside, so Xue Rengui was standing guard outside the door.

Qin Qiong looked at the prince and said, "Back then, the prince was only as tall as my waist. I didn't expect that he has become so strong and tall now."

"Yes, I have been weak and sick since I was young. I always exercise in the hope that I can become stronger."

Qin Qiong said: "The men of the Tang Dynasty should all be strong and healthy."

Li Chengqian nodded.

"I heard that the government and the people are now asking people to let His Royal Highness ascend the throne?"

"Yes." Li Chengqian nodded as he read the scroll, "Today, many people submitted petitions to the emperor, asking him to abdicate and let the crown prince ascend the throne."

Qin Qiong's expression became more difficult.

Li Chengqian added: "In fact, my father has been very concerned about the old generals these days, so I came to visit you."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."

"I heard that the general and my father had fought in all directions, fighting Song Jingang and Liu Heita."

Qin Qiong talked about the past with a nostalgic look...

The heavy snow made Chang'an city even quieter, and only the sounds of people talking and laughing could be heard in the houses.

Even though many changes have taken place in Guanzhong now, people's life pattern of harvesting in autumn and storing in winter has not changed.

In this winter, many people are lazy and leisurely.

When His Royal Highness the Crown Prince left Duke Yiguo's Mansion, it was almost night.

The next day, the prince went to visit General Yuchi and Prince Hejian again.

This is what the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace has been doing recently. The Crown Prince has been personally visiting the residences of various generals to visit those old generals who have retired or are preparing to retire.

During this period, he also visited General Li Daliang, General Xue Wanche, Su Dingfang, Zhang Shigui, Cheng Yaojin...

There were even some old generals who had their houses cleaned up early, waiting for the prince to arrive.

During the time when the Crown Prince visited the old generals in the court, more and more memorials were received from the court advising His Majesty to allow the Crown Prince to ascend the throne.

"Old General, has His Highness come to visit?"

The elderly servant stood beside Lord Ying and asked in a low voice.

Li Ji stood in his own courtyard, his clothes fluttering in the cold wind.

"Father, the Crown Prince is here."

Li Zhen came hurriedly.

Li Ji said hurriedly: "Prepare food and warm the stove, wine... There is no need to prepare wine, Your Highness does not drink."

"I'll arrange it right away."

Li Ji's grandson, Li Jingye, was lazily reading a book and turned over.

Li Chengqian arrived at the gate of the mansion and said with a smile, "General."

Li Ji came with his family to greet him, "Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Looking at Li Zhen and then at the general's grandson, Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Winter came late this year, and it's so cold that it makes people shiver."

As they were talking, the Prince and Duke Ying walked into the house in quite harmony.

Li Zhen personally prepared the meal for the prince and arranged the dishes and chopsticks, and dismissed all the family members and servants.

Li Chengqian took out the yellow silk and placed it in front of Duke Ying.

Li Ji looked at the handwriting on the yellow silk and appointed him as the governor of Luozhou, and conferred him the title of Kaifu Yitong Sansi to be in charge of confidential affairs.

This is the position of the Three Masters and Three Dukes, which is the first rank and is a great honor bestowed by the emperor on a family.

Before Yinggong could speak, Li Chengqian said, "Don't misunderstand, Yinggong. This is a draft by our father, and it has not yet been announced to the world."

Li Ji bowed down towards the palace: "How can I..."

Li Chengqian helped the general up and said, "The general taught me archery back then. It has been so many years and I have never slacked off. In my heart, Lord Ying is also my teacher."

Li Ji bowed again and said, "I am ashamed to accept this."

Looking at the food on the table, Li Chengqian said, "Let's eat first."

"Here."

Li Chengqian added: "This is the appointment that my father left for me. I plan to talk to Lord Ying first."

Seeing that Lord Ying was still hesitant, Li Chengqian said, "Lord Ying did not agree to my request in Luoyang. I hope you will not refuse now."

Li Ji still kept his head down and said nothing.

"These days, I have visited many old generals. Father hopes that the old generals can enjoy their old age. As a son and subject, I naturally dare not slack off. Even though you are old, you can still be ranked in the Lingyan Pavilion. From now on, the reputation of the Lingyan Pavilion will only increase."

"I thank His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

The king and his ministers discussed for a long time, and just like in the past, Duke Ying wanted to teach His Royal Highness the Crown Prince archery again.

In the spacious courtyard, Li Chengqian shot an arrow at the target.

However, this time, Li Ji's archery skills were not as good as the Crown Prince's. He smiled and said, "Your archery skills have improved more than before. I am not as good as you."

The king and his ministers laughed in the snow.

After this conversation, Li Chengqian went to visit Prime Minister Fang and Madam Fang again.

In the Fang residence, Fang Xuanling, wearing glasses made of colored glass, said with a smile, "Your Highness the Crown Prince has been walking around the residences of the old generals recently?"

Li Chengqian said, "It's the end of the year, and the twentieth year of Zhenguan will have passed. Let's take it as a celebration, and it's only right for me to make a few trips."

Fang Xuanling smiled without saying anything, and then he heard the voice of Mrs. Fang scolding the child outside the house.

After Li Chengqian said goodbye, he walked on Zhuque Street, exhaling hot air from his mouth. Thinking about these old ministers who had worked hard with his father for many years, his heart was deeply touched.

The eunuch hurried over and saluted, saying, "Your Highness, more than ten people in the court have written a memorial to urge Your Majesty to abdicate."

After hearing this, Li Chengqian did not say anything, but walked into the mansion of Duke Zhao.

As early as when His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was about to arrive at the door of the house, Duke Zhao came to the door to greet him personally.

Naturally, he also heard the words that the eunuch hurriedly conveyed.

Li Chengqian motioned the eunuch to go back, then turned to his uncle, bowed and said, "I'm sure you've heard about what happened in the court."

Chang Sun Wuji, who was still wearing his court robes, nodded and said, "I have heard about it."

When I walked into my uncle's mansion, people from both the court and the public were advising His Majesty to abdicate the throne and let His Royal Highness the Crown Prince take over, so that the Zhenguan Dynasty would have a story that would be passed down through the ages.

This is certainly a wonderful story.

But the people in the court and the country were in turmoil, but my uncle was the only one who remained calm.

Li Chengqian took the basket from Xue Rengui and handed it over, saying, "These are dates sent from the Western Regions as a tribute to the palace. I brought some for my uncle."

Changsun Wuji bowed and said, "I obey your command."

Li Chengqian said, "Now the government and the public are asking father to abdicate. This matter was initiated by Cen Wenben and others. Father has been ignoring state affairs for many years. After returning from Luoyang, father had a long talk with uncle and teacher."

"Ah."

"To this day, I still don't know what my father and uncle said."

"Your Majesty..." Seeing his uncle's embarrassment, Li Chengqian smiled and said, "It's okay if your uncle doesn't tell me. It's better if I don't know. So don't tell me."

"I accept your order."

"Now that the government and the people are admonishing my father, I should be in a state of panic in their hearts. The government and the people are all pleading for the crown prince. For me, the crown prince of the Eastern Palace, it is easy to usurp the throne and seize power."

"Therefore, some people may feel lonely and anxious all day long, unable to sleep or eat well, and find it difficult to face their father and the court officials."

Listening to the prince's words, Changsun Wuji lowered his head, feeling that he was the one who was in constant fear.

After saying this, Li Chengqian left.

I didn't stay in Duke Zhao's mansion for long.

After seeing off the crown prince, Changsun Wuji sat alone in his mansion with an unwritten memorial in front of him. The pen was in his hand, but he couldn't put it down.

For some reason, the words my uncle said back then have been lingering in my mind and cannot be dispelled.

"In terms of courage, you are not as good as the current crown prince."

"You always think so much. You want to take everyone into consideration. Have you ever thought that some things have to be given up?"

"Only if you help the crown prince can the Changsun family remain safe. You have no other choice but to help the crown prince."

Recalling the time when I was by the Qujiang Lake, the lights illuminated the night of Qujiang Lake, so bright.

That night, my uncle said: Cheng Qian is a good boy, he wants to be emperor.

These words come to my mind again and again.

All the events of the past came to mind. Cheng Qian was the prince, but he was not the prince in the eyes of the emperor, nor the most perfect prince in the eyes of the court officials. This prince was harsh and centralized, and he wanted to be powerful and brave.

He is the prince in the hearts of people all over the world.

After so many years, Changsun Wuji finally mustered up the courage for the first time and wrote a memorial.

When he finished writing the memorial, he came back to his senses from a trance, and had written down the words in his heart without realizing it, and called out again, "Come here."

The eldest grandson walked up to his father and said, "Father."

Zhang Sun Wuji slowly handed over the memorial and instructed, "Deliver it to His Majesty overnight."

"Here."

After his son sent the memorial out, Changsun Wuji leaned on the table and breathed deeply. His heart had never been so impulsive.

But he knew in his heart that only when the prince ascended the throne could everyone feel at ease.

Changsun Wuji suddenly smiled. He thought that he would probably be able to get some praise from his uncle in this life. Then the people of the world would feel at ease.

This winter is exceptionally cold. On the next morning, my elder brother should be holding court with his ministers in the Taiji Hall at this time.

Li Lizhi and Dongyang stood by the Taiye Lake. They looked up and saw their father in the water pavilion getting angry at several innocent-looking eunuchs.

Li Lizhi said, "Last night, my uncle sent someone to deliver a memorial."

Dongyang sat on a chair, propping up his face with one hand, looking at the thin ice in the pool and asked, "Is the emperor angry because of that memorial?"

Li Lizhi said: "Uncle is the closest and most loyal minister to the emperor."

Dongyang didn't understand these complicated relationships, which were all related to power. She pondered and said, "When will my brother be able to ascend the throne?"

"If my brother doesn't fight for it, then the throne will just remain there."

Dongyang whispered: "No wonder."

Li Lizhi added: "There are some things that our emperor cannot just wait for. If we just wait and don't know when the wait will end, we have to move forward. Our emperor has never been a person who lacks courage."

The angry father drove away all the eunuchs. Li Lizhi then stepped forward, pressed her father's shoulder, and said, "Father, why are you making things difficult for them?"

Li Shimin closed his eyes and let his daughter press his shoulders. He said, "I asked them to play chess, but they were so nervous that they were not happy."

Li Lizhi smiled and said, "Father."

"Ah."

“Who isn’t trembling with fear right now?”

Li Shimin opened his eyes slightly, breathed heavily, and said, "Tomorrow, I will go to court."

Li Lizhi narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Okay."

In the 20th year of Zhenguan, just after the winter solstice, the emperor finally came to the morning court after an autumn.

Li Shimin sat on the throne and listened quietly to reports from the three provinces and six ministries.

Cen Wenben stood out of the court and said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty, since the time of Yao and Shun, the throne has passed through many hands. Now the four seas are pacified. The Crown Prince has governed the country for more than ten years, and the people of the world have followed his lead. He has built the Hexi Corridor, governed Songzhou, reassured the people, leveled taxes, and governed Hebei. Now the four counties of the Han Dynasty have been recovered, but the Central Plains are exhausted, and we need to give the people a rest."

Liu Li stood up and said, "Your Majesty, now the troops in Songzhou, Hebei, Shuofang, Yinshan, and Xizhou all obey the orders of the Crown Prince. Since the Crown Prince took charge of state affairs, the soldiers in various places have been well fed and clothed. All places are grateful for the Crown Prince's achievements in governance. We request that the Crown Prince ascend the throne and take charge of state affairs."

Li Shimin looked very calm when listening to these words. Duke Zheng was no longer in the court, and Fang Xuanling had also retired.

Changsun Wuji was still in the court, but he said nothing and let the civil officials speak.

From their words, it seems that the Tang Dynasty no longer needs an emperor who is good at fighting. What the Tang Dynasty needs is an emperor who can rectify the administration of officials, pacify the people and govern the country.

Li Chengqian stood quietly in the court without saying a word. The current territory of the Tang Dynasty extended from the four counties of Liaodong in the east to the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains in the west, covering an area of ​​tens of millions of square kilometers.

This is an extremely vast territory for an empire.

To Duke Zheng, Your Majesty is a tolerant emperor, and one must not be soft-hearted or show mercy when governing the country.

This is what Duke Zheng advocated. He felt that the emperor should be a rational person, not one who was swayed by emotions and desires.

In fact, Duke Zheng’s proposition is applicable at all times. Those in power should be rational, even if their rationality reaches the freezing point.

The Tang Dynasty has finally conquered the foreign barbarians and pacified the various countries. It is time to rectify the administration of officials. If it is not done now, it may be too late in the future.

After clearing Hebei, the aristocratic families are still there, and the soil of the Tang Dynasty cannot become the soil for those aristocratic families to nourish themselves.

The Tang Dynasty needed a major purge, a reckoning from the root. The ills of the Middle Ages could not be allowed to remain and be eradicated... otherwise they would spread and expand.

Therefore, in order to accomplish these things, Duke Zheng believed that the future emperor needed to maintain extremely strong rationality.

For example, Mr. Zheng, Gunali, and even Mr. Wen Yanbo, they are all old people who have lived through the chaotic times of the Sui Dynasty. In fact, they are all very clear about the problems.

More and more court officials came forward to advise, and in the Taiji Hall, the voices advising the prince to ascend the throne became louder and louder.

Even Li Tai, who was standing on the side, looked panicked.

Li Shimin sat on the throne all the time, facing everyone calmly.

After a long time, when the midday sun shone into this north-facing and south-facing hall, the emperor finally spoke.

"Cheng Qian, come out and talk to me."

Li Chengqian walked up to the officials, bowed and said, "Father."

Li Shimin said: "The court officials are begging for you. Are you willing to stand in my position and lead the people of the world?"

All the court officials were solemn.

Li Chengqian said in a clear voice: "Your son obeys your command."

After hearing his son's brief words, Li Shimin saw his son's smile.

I don't know why I couldn't help laughing.

(End of this chapter)