The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 383 Wude Hall Many Years Ago

In the silent court, even the rising and falling breathing sounds lingered in my ears.

A court official raised his head slightly and saw His Majesty's smile. The smile looked very strange, as if His Majesty was very happy, or there was a lot of calmness in His Majesty's eyes, or was it displeasure?

The court officials just glanced at him quickly and then continued to lower their heads, waiting for His Majesty's words.

Li Shimin looked at his son in front of him, suddenly stood up and said, "Dismiss the court."

The court and the country were still silent. Li Tai felt as if he had heard wrongly. Should his father have said to abdicate at this time?
After all the ministers bowed and saluted to see the emperor off, Li Tai came to his senses and followed them in saluting.

The emperor left the Taiji Hall, and his ministers also left in twos and threes.

Li Chengqian walked at the end of the court officials. Li Tai hurriedly followed and said, "Royal brother."

"Has anyone mentioned recently that you should go to the fiefdom?"

Li Tai shook his head and said, "No."

Li Chengqian walked out of the Taiji Hall, stood in the sun and smiled again, "Don't think too much, and don't worry too much."

Yes, don’t think too much and don’t worry too much, Li Tai breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the throne will eventually belong to his brother.

Since returning to Chang'an, Li Tai once felt that the current court officials had only two choices: the crown prince ascended the throne and became emperor, and if the crown prince did not ascend the throne, as a prince, the other princes should return to their fiefdoms.

From the perspective of the court officials' interests, they only have these two choices for the stability of the country.

As long as my father does not make a decision, such discussions will continue, and it may even divide people's hearts, lead to factional struggles between the court and the opposition, and I will have to be involved.

Why there were no such discussions before? Li Tai suddenly felt that this was probably because after his brother took charge of state affairs, the court and the country were busy and the court officials had no time to take care of other things. They were busy with state affairs and would not have any wild thoughts.

Li Tai did not leave the palace directly, but spoke a few words to the eunuch in front of the palace, and then let the eunuch take him to visit his mother.

The Lizheng Hall has been completely renovated before returning to Chang'an.

The Lizheng Hall is now larger than before and looks very beautiful in the sun.

Walking into the Lizheng Hall, the sunlight shines into the hall, making it bright and warm, and the doors and windows block the wind from outside.

Li Tai raised his eyes and saw his mother sitting beside him reading a book.

My father sat with his eyes closed, resting.

"Qingque?"

Hearing his mother's call, Li Tai bowed and said, "Mother."

Empress Changsun smiled and said, "Come, come forward."

Upon hearing this, Li Tai stepped forward.

Looking at her son, Empress Changsun held his hand and said, "Qingque, you look thinner and haggard."

Li Tai said: "I will lose weight according to what the palace physician said."

Seeing the wrinkles at the corners of his mother's eyes, Li Tai realized that she was nearly fifty years old. He still remembered that his mother was only two years younger than his father.

"Actually, you are fine, whether you are fat or thin. You have always been the smartest one among the children."

Li Tai sat on the chair next to his mother and said, "Mother."

Hearing her son's call, Empress Changsun patted him on the back and said, "Of all the children, Zhinu is the most ignorant."

Li Tai said: "I will definitely write a letter to reprimand him."

The conversation between the queen and the prince seemed to be like that between an ordinary mother and her child.

Empress Changsun sighed, "You are all good, Chengqian, Lizhi, and you. You are all good children who make your mother proud."

Li Tai said: "I will be good at managing literature. Geography and literature are the achievements that I can pursue throughout my life."

Seeing his mother nodding with a smile, Li Tai looked at his father beside him.

At this moment, the emperor was resting with his eyes closed, and looked silent. Li Tai didn't want to disturb him, so he bowed and left.

By the Taiye Lake in the imperial palace, Li Chengqian looked at the calm water.

Not far away, Xiao Sizi was holding a volume of Qi Min Yao Shu, and Xiao Fu was sitting beside a wooden basin holding the Food Sutra.

Xiaofu is illiterate and needs Xiaosizi to give her guidance and teach her how to read.

"It seems that my royal brother is not so busy anymore."

"Yes, the court has been quite quiet recently."

After that, Xiao Sizi sat quietly beside him and whispered, "Brother, is my sister's illness healed?"

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Mingda, you have never been sick since you were a child."

Little Sizi laughed even more happily.

At night, in the Lizheng Hall, Li Shimin was talking to Empress Changsun.

The palace was very quiet. Empress Changsun held her husband's hand and whispered, "It's been so many years. It's time to let go of some of your worries."

Li Shimin held her hand and said, "You and I have been married since we were young. We can grow old together. What else can I ask for?"

Empress Changsun nodded slowly and looked at His Majesty's profile which looked tired.

Li Chengqian stood in the Ganlu Hall, still not finding the scroll with the memorial that was supposed to be there. After returning from Luoyang, his father met Duke Zheng, and later he had a whole day long memorial conversation with his uncle and teacher.

However, the content of this memorial could never be found. After searching through several archives in the court, no record of the memorial that day was found.

Perhaps my father did not have anyone record the conversation, so it would not have appeared in the history books.

Su Wan walked into the palace and said, "Your Highness, it's getting late."

Li Chengqian stood in front of an oil lamp. If these things were really instructed by his father, then his father had helped the crown prince, his teacher, Lord Zheng, and even his uncle. His father had helped everyone.

My father’s life experience is brilliant and dazzling.

Li Chengqian said: "Even now, my father is still lonely..."

After a pause, Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Father, I owe you a huge favor. I will probably have to work hard throughout my life to repay it."

The prince picked up a wooden clamp beside him and extinguished the flame of the oil lamp.

The next day, just as the sky was getting light, court officials stood in front of Chengtian Gate to prepare for the morning court session.

Just when everyone was preparing to go to court, the emperor sent another decree, adjourning court on the winter solstice, ordering the Ministry of Rites, Zongzheng Temple, and Taichang Temple to prepare for sacrifices, and ordering the crown prince to ascend the throne in the first month of the following year.

Upon hearing the news, all the ministers stood in front of Chengtian Gate and bowed in silence, with a solemn look on their faces.

In the 20th year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty, the emperor issued an edict ordering the crown prince to ascend the throne in the first month of the following year.

In the last year of Zhenguan, the power transfer between the emperor and the crown prince seemed exceptionally calm, but Changsun Wuji, who was standing in front of Chengtian Gate, could not calm down for a long time.

He couldn't help but smile at himself. The only time he mustered up the courage to act on his own was to persuade His Majesty to abdicate.

At this moment, Changsun Wuji felt guilty. He blamed himself for his advice which made His Majesty have such thoughts.

Also standing here is Duke Ying Li Ji.

Your Majesty is of course still the hero who commands the world, the revered and brilliant Khan.

But now, it is rumored that the emperor has fallen seriously ill and can no longer take care of state affairs, so he lets the prince ascend the throne.

There has been endless debate about this.

Changsun Wuji and Li Ji were still standing in front of Chengtian Gate. Snowflakes kept falling on their bodies, and soon some snow accumulated on their shoulders.

The eunuch couldn't bear to see this, so he hurried to report to His Majesty. After that, the eunuch didn't come back, but Princess Jinyang came. She was wearing a beautiful red coat and bowed, saying, "Uncle, Lord Ying, my father summoned you."

After saying this, the little princess went to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau alone.

It has been over a year since Taoist Li went to Laojun Mountain. He has not yet come down the mountain and seems to have no plans to come back.

Little Sizi already knows how to use the ecliptic armillary sphere, and can also calculate the stars and the solar terms. In this way, she is fully capable of doing the job of Tai Shi Jian, and she alone is enough.

Changsun Wuji and Li Ji walked into Chengtian Gate and followed the guards all the way to Xingqing Palace.

When the two old ministers arrived at Xingqing Palace, they saw His Majesty playing Huarong Road with his granddaughter with a smile on his face.

She said, "Grandpa! Cao Cao can't leave like this, he can't get out..."

When he was halfway through his words, he saw the person standing in front of the hall, and then he put away his toys and left tactfully.

Li Shimin cleared his throat and said, "Go into the palace."

Changsun Wuji and Li Ji walked into the hall together.

The wine was already heated, and the dishes were already on the table. Li Shimin asked loudly, "What are you two doing standing outside Chengtian Gate?"

The two were speechless for a while.

Li Shimin asked again: "Why? Do you want me to take back my order?"

Just as Zhangsun Wuji was about to speak, Li Shimin interrupted him and said, "I know what you want to say, but don't say anything. Let's just drink today."

Li Ji said: "I thought Your Majesty was seriously ill."

Li Shimin sighed: "I am not sick."

Chang Sun Wuji said: "Then..."

Li Shimin smiled and said, "I will be fifty next year, how about that?"

Changsun Wuji's old face showed some innocence, and he frowned and wanted to ask, what's the matter?
Li Shimin ate a piece of braised beef and said, "Next year you will go hunting in winter with me at Mount Li."

Li Ji bowed and said, "I will obey your orders."

Li Shimin smiled heartily and said, "Sit down. Don't be so stern. You were not like this when you were young."

After that, Li Shimin added: "Forget about the auxiliary machine. You were like this before."

Chang Sun Wuji said with a straight face: "Your Majesty, are you making fun of me?"

Li Ji on the side also laughed heartily.

The wind and snow were still blowing outside the Xingqing Palace, but the emperor and his two ministers were drinking happily inside the palace.

When Xiao Sizi came back from the Imperial Academy, she saw her drunken father and sighed, "Pack up, don't let your father catch a cold."

Several eunuchs nodded.

Duke Zhao and Duke Ying had left long ago. Little Sizi stood in the hall filled with the smell of alcohol and stepped forward to check his father's pulse. He found that his father's pulse and breathing were stable.

Only after his father fell asleep peacefully did Xiao Sizi leave.

The court was on holiday, and on the night when the emperor's edict was issued, all the officials in the court slept peacefully.

As the court was on holiday, Li Chengqian had a lot more free time.

With nothing to do today, the father, son, grandfather and grandson came to the Wude Hall again.

The Wude Hall had not been demolished and remained in its original state. Li Chengqian naturally knew that his father would go winter hunting with Lord Ying and his uncle on the day he turned fifty next year.

I'm afraid there are many old generals going on the winter hunt together.

There will be two retired emperors in the palace. I guess my uncle should be relieved.

Looking around again, Li Chengqian asked, "Where's my uncle?"

"Here it comes, here it comes." An old voice came from outside the hall.

Gao Shilian came in with a cane and a smile on his face. He took out four tea eggs from his sleeve and gave them to the father, son, grandfather and grandson in front of him, and took one for himself.

"Mingda likes to eat tea eggs. I took a few extra eggs. The girl is probably making a fuss right now."

Li Yuan was peeling a tea egg and asked, "How should we deal with Ashina Helu?"

Seeing his father looking at him, Li Chengqian said, "I will lock him up for a while and discipline him, and sweep the streets in Chang'an."

Gao Shilian said: "He is the chief of the tribe after all. How can you disgrace him by doing this?"

Li Chengqian said, "My grandson is doing this for his own good. If he dares to rebel against the Tang army, will the people of the Western Regions not tolerate him? Besides, if he really returns to the Western Regions, Liang Jianfang will beat him to death."

Li Shimin snorted coldly.

Li Chengqian asked: "Are the new glasses still working well?"

Li Yuan was wearing glasses and tilted his head back slightly to look at the cards. He said, "It's still clear. The blue colored glass pieces are more useful. This thing is too precious."

Gao Shilian also took out a pair of glasses with smooth lenses from his sleeve.

Li Chengqian said: "Maybe it won't be long before there will be something better."

Li Yuan played a card first.

Li Shimin looked rather displeased.

His Majesty's unhappy expression was also seen by the eunuch standing beside him.

There was no time to talk about whether it was fair or not, the four of them sat down at the card table and started fighting.

From noon till night, the fierce battle at the card game continued.

When the prince left Wude Hall, he was holding several IOUs in his hands.

In the twelfth month of the 20th year of Zhenguan, officials from all over the country came to Chang'an City, because the emperor's decree had been announced to the world that the prince would ascend the throne in the first month of the next year.

Two fast horses arrived at the front of Chang'an City, and the messenger handed over the documents.

The guard in front of the city gate bowed immediately when he saw the clerk, and greeted the two people into the city.

Pei Xingjian shook himself up, and the snow on his body fell off. He took off his hat and looked at the bustling Chang'an City. He let out a long sigh and said, "I haven't been back for a long time."

Looking back, Liang Jianfang was standing in front of a store, hunching his neck and rubbing his hands due to the cold. He asked the owner for a bowl of soup noodles.

There was also Bai Fang, a man from the Western Regions, who was also standing nearby and asking questions.

Pei Xingjian had no choice but to follow. In fact, according to the date, he arrived in Chang'an three days earlier, so he was not in a hurry to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

The innkeeper greeted him very politely. He saw a general, an official, and a prisoner in shackles. He did not dare to neglect them and took care of them personally.

The three of them sat down in the store and ate mutton noodle soup.

Liang Jianfang's appetite was whetted, and he also ordered a bowl of millet rice, two cakes, and two persimmons.

Bai Fang kept stuffing food into his mouth while looking outside the store. It was his first time in Chang'an, and he was full of curiosity about this most beautiful city in the world, not daring to miss even a single bit of the scenery.

Pei Xingjian was just eating a piece of cake, looking around, and asked, "Shopkeeper, are there so many scholars in Chang'an City now?"

The shopkeeper said with a smile: "Master Du He, a great philanthropist in Guanzhong, built many houses in the south of Chang'an City. They are still under construction. He said they are for these scholars to live in."

Pei Xingjian was curious and asked again: "Why did he build so many houses?"

"Mr. Du He is a kind-hearted man, and kind-hearted people always do good things."

(End of this chapter)