My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 446 Let the bullets fly for a while

The candlelight in the study of the Eastern Palace burned late into the night as Li Chengqian, holding a vermilion brush between his fingers, annotated the "Agricultural and Sericultural Performance Record" of Jiangnan Circuit.

The vermilion annotation on the album page, "One hundred and twenty new waterwheels have been built in Huzhou, increasing the yield per mu by 20%", still carried the fragrance of ink. When he looked up, he saw the eunuch Wenzhong leading Li Ji in, so he put down his pen and smiled, "The Duke of Yingguo's visit so late at night must be for something important?"

Li Ji bowed and presented the secret memorial with both hands: "This old minister greets Your Highness the Crown Prince. Hou Junji has colluded with his cronies to instigate Your Majesty's restoration. This matter has been reported to Your Majesty, and I have come to report it to Your Highness."

Li Chengqian took the secret document and casually flipped through it. When his eyes swept over the words "the old story of Xuanwu Gate" and "restoration and loyalty to the emperor", a faint smile appeared on his lips.

The candlelight flickered in his eyes, reflecting not surprise, but understanding—this was already within his expectations.

"General Hou is indeed... nostalgic." Li Chengqian put down the confidential memorial and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips. Most of the memorials piled on the table were reports from prefectures and counties on the effectiveness of the new policies.

The daily output of cement plants in Longyou has exceeded 1,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), commercial taxes in Anxi have doubled in three months, and all the displaced people in Henan Province have been resettled.

These achievements, with ink still wet on them, stand in stark contrast to the conspiracies revealed in the secret memorials.

Li Ji lowered his head and said, "Hou Junji is proud of his role in making the policy and is dissatisfied with Your Highness's heavy reliance on capable ministers. He has long harbored resentment. This time, his attempt to collude with the old minister failed, and I'm afraid he has other tricks up his sleeve. Your Highness needs to be prepared."

He stole a glance at Li Chengqian and saw that the Crown Prince's expression was calm. He became even more certain that the Crown Prince probably already knew about Hou Junji's unusual behavior.

"Precautions?" Li Chengqian picked up a copy of the "Secret Reports of the Investigation Department" and casually handed it to Li Ji: "Duke of Yingguo, take a look at this."

The secret report detailed Hou Junji's whereabouts over the past six months.

The West Market drunken disturbances, secret meetings with former subordinates, interception of appointment and dismissal documents from the Ministry of Personnel... every entry is marked with a date and witnesses, and at the end is the signature of the Inspector General.

Li Ji became increasingly alarmed as he read on; all these matters were actually under the Crown Prince's control.

He couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness already knew?"

Li Chengqian said with a faint smile, "If we can't even see through the little tricks of a 'meritorious official' who is always hanging around us, then this new policy probably won't be able to be implemented."

"Hou Junji seized power with his father and with me. He thought power was a fleeting thing, and that whoever had the strongest fist could sit on it. But he forgot that the Tang Dynasty of today is no longer something that can be decided by swords and bloodshed."

Li Chengqian glanced at the words "secretly meeting with Wang Fusheng to plot restoration" on the secret report, and said in a light tone as if he were talking about an ordinary matter: "He wanted power, so I gave him the position of General of the Left Jinwu Guard and Minister of Personnel; he wanted to cause trouble, so I told the Investigation Department to 'turn a blind eye' and let his tail be exposed even more."

Li Ji then suddenly realized. The Crown Prince wasn't neglecting Hou Junji; he was deliberately letting him run wild.

By deliberately making him feel the anxiety of being marginalized, deliberately letting his resentment fester, and deliberately letting his conspiracy surface, this subtle and understated approach is far more sophisticated than direct suppression.

Li Ji asked instinctively, "What does Your Highness intend to do?"

Li Chengqian interrupted him, his tone suddenly turning somber: "Father has retired to Da'an Palace, and the world needs to be at peace."

“If Hou Junji had behaved himself, the salary of the Left Jinwu Guard would have been enough to support him until old age; but he insisted on becoming a traitor, so he can’t be blamed.”

Looking at Li Ji, a sharp light flashed in Li Chengqian's eyes: "The Duke of Yingguo presented the secret memorial to the Emperor and then came to inform me. I have remembered this intention."

Li Ji bowed and said, "This old minister dares not take credit, I only pray that Your Highness is safe and that the Tang Dynasty is safe." At this moment, he fully understood that the Crown Prince had already planned how to deal with Hou Junji. His report was not only to show his loyalty, but also to step into the trap that the Crown Prince had already set up.

Li Chengqian picked up his vermilion brush again, his gaze falling back on the performance record of Jiangnan Circuit, as if the conspiracy just now was merely an interlude: "I know about Hou Junji's matter."

"Your Excellency should go back and rest early."

As Li Ji took his leave, he glanced back at the study. By candlelight, Li Chengqian was intently annotating memorials.

That figure was as steady as a mountain, which suddenly reminded him of Li Shimin from back then.

Yet he possessed a more subtle and understated control than Li Shimin.

"It's not that I can't tolerate meritorious officials, it's that meritorious officials can't tolerate this prosperous era."

Li Chengqian murmured softly.

From the very beginning, he knew that Hou Junji was not a person who could last long.

At first, it was out of helplessness, after all, it hadn't become a force to be reckoned with yet, not to mention that it had already colluded with Helan Chushi.

But things are different now. It was thought that imprisonment would make him realize his mistakes.

But in the end, it's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature.

From personality flaws to moral stains, from historical misdeeds to a complete mismatch between his abilities and reality, this "meritorious official" who participated in two Xuanwu Gate Incidents was destined from the beginning to be incompatible with Li Chengqian's new policies and court.

Hou Junji's character is rooted in a fatal "warrior-like shortsightedness".

Accustomed to solving problems with swords and spears, they have never learned the composure and balancing act of court politics.

What is needed to govern the country are capable ministers like Fang Xuanling who are good at scheming, strategists like Changsun Wuji who are good at checks and balances, and upright ministers like Wei Zheng who dare to speak frankly, rather than warriors like Hou Junji who only know how to "fight and kill".

The fact that he dared to plot a "restoration"—a heinous crime—after being incited by Wang Fusheng in a secret room demonstrates his lack of political wisdom.

For Li Chengqian, appointing such an emotionally unstable and easily provoked person was tantamount to planting a time bomb next to the foundation of the new policies.

Hou Junji's character has long been proven by history and reality to be "disloyal and untrustworthy".

"Loyalty" is the bottom line. Whether it is Fang Xuanling's "dedication to the cause", Changsun Wuji's "duty-bound", or Wei Zheng's "loyalty through remonstrance", they are all essentially loyal to the Tang Dynasty and the well-governed world.

Hou Junji's "loyalty" was conditional; he would immediately turn against others when power did not meet his expectations.

This "servile" nature made Li Chengqian, who was well aware of his historical trajectory, never dare to entrust him with important responsibilities.

Moreover, the practical selection system for officials promoted by Li Chengqian was intended to break the privileges of meritorious officials. Hou Junji's mentality of seeking power through merit was fundamentally in conflict with the new policy's ideals.

The fundamental reason lies in the complete mismatch between Hou Junji's abilities and the needs of the new policies. He was a qualified tool for seizing power, daring to charge forward, daring to kill, and daring to gamble his life in the sword fight at Xuanwu Gate, but he was by no means a qualified minister for governing the country.

As the Minister of Personnel, he has been implementing the new policies for so long, yet he still can't understand the Ministry of Personnel's three-dimensional report.

Preventing them from entering the military and utilizing their abilities is essentially a precise avoidance of power risks.

Li Chengqian knew that Hou Junji, in the original history, had taken the step of rebellion precisely because of his military power and ambition.

He followed Li Shimin in his early years, accumulating rich military experience and connections within the army. He even demonstrated absolute military talent by taking charge when conquering Gaochang.

But this strength in Hou Junji was never tied to loyalty.

Historically, he harbored resentment after being impeached for privately hoarding spoils of war from Gaochang. He then instigated Crown Prince Li Chengqian to rebel, attempting to use his role in supporting the emperor to regain the pinnacle of power.

For Li Chengqian, who had a god-like perspective, the stronger Hou Junji's military capabilities, the more likely his military power would become capital for rebellion should Hou Junji harbor any disloyal intentions.

The army is the foundation of the regime. Allowing Hou Junji into the army would be like handing the sharpest knife to someone who is known to betray the regime.

Rather than betting that he will be different this time, it's better to cut off the risk at the source and never let him touch the core of military power.

Hou Junji's personality flaws would be magnified infinitely in the military environment.

He was ambitious and obsessed with achievements to the point of being obsessive. In his early years, after following Li Shimin in the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he was full of complaints because the rewards he received did not meet his expectations.

After conquering Gaochang, he believed himself to have achieved unparalleled merit and harbored resentment towards the court's impeachment. This arrogant and self-important personality, if placed in the army, could easily breed contempt for superiors and dissatisfaction with power.

What's even more dangerous is his ambition.

Hou Junji was never satisfied with the role of a subject; he longed to gain greater power through military achievements and even attempted to interfere with the succession to the throne.

The army is a place with a strict hierarchy, but it also values ​​prestige the most. With Hou Junji's qualifications and abilities, if he were to enter the army, he would surely accumulate personal prestige quickly and form a potential force where people only know of General Hou and not the emperor.

If he were to become dissatisfied with something again and raise his voice, there would likely be quite a few people in the army who would respond. This would be an absolutely intolerable threat to power for Li Chengqian.

Hou Junji's character flaws have been repeatedly proven by history, and the military is precisely the place that needs discipline and impartiality the most.

Among his past misdeeds, the most fatal was his disregard for rules and prioritizing personal gain over public duty.

When he conquered Gaochang, he seized the spoils of war without the court's permission and even allowed his subordinates to plunder, completely turning the country's military action into a tool for personal gain.

Instead of reflecting on his actions after being impeached, he complained that the court had discarded him after using him, placing his personal interests above the law of the country.

If such a character trait were brought into the military, the consequences would be unimaginable.

An army's combat effectiveness depends on strict discipline and unified command, while Hou Junji's moral depravity directly impacts military discipline.

He may have falsified his military achievements, embezzled military pay, or even disobeyed orders at critical moments due to personal grudges for personal gain.

More importantly, his abuse of power for personal gain corrupted the military's morale. When soldiers saw that their generals could use their power for personal gain, the seriousness of military discipline would vanish, and the army's cohesion and combat effectiveness would collapse.

For Li Chengqian, the stability of the army was far more important than Hou Junji's abilities; someone who broke the rules should never be allowed into the core of the army.

The army is the violent pillar of imperial power, and its control must be firmly held in the hands of someone who is absolutely loyal or absolutely controllable.

Hou Junji was neither loyal nor controllable; allowing him into the army was tantamount to planting a time bomb for the imperial power.

In comparison, even using a slightly less capable but absolutely reliable general is far more prudent than using a capable minister like Hou Junji who is also a potential threat.

As someone who has been through it all, Li Chengqian is all too aware of the cost of losing control of power.

Rather than using his abilities for temporary convenience, it's better to completely cut off any possibility of him seizing military power and preserve the foundation of the regime.

For him, Hou Junji's abilities were never the core value; controllable risks were the bottom line for maintaining imperial power.

The next morning.

The Eastern Palace was still shrouded in a thin mist.

The eunuch Wenzhong hurried in: "Your Highness, Helan Chushi requests an audience, saying he has a top-secret matter to report."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian smiled in surprise: "That's interesting. Tell him to wait in the side hall."

The morning light shone through the window lattices of the side hall, casting dappled shadows on the blue brick floor.

Helan Chushi, dressed in court robes, looked flustered yet deliberately tense. Upon seeing Li Chengqian enter, he forgot to bow. It wasn't until a eunuch coughed to remind him that he hurriedly knelt down: "Your subject... Your subject greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Li Chengqian glanced at him; he did indeed have the air of a veteran actor.

"Get up and speak. What's the matter that's so urgent?"

When Helan Chushi stood up, his hands were still trembling slightly. He took out a roll of paper from his sleeve, held it above his head with both hands, and said in a suppressed tremor, "Your Highness, I must expose this! My father-in-law, Hou Junji, actually tried to recruit me into a rebellion last night, attempting to ask His Majesty to restore the throne! This is the contact list he asked me to copy. I copied it overnight and have come to report it!"

Li Chengqian took the scroll and unfolded it. The handwriting on it was crooked and messy, but it clearly recorded the names of Hou Junji's former military subordinates whom he planned to contact.

"Tell me the details."

Helan Chushi's face was deathly pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead: "Last night at the second watch, my father-in-law suddenly barged into my study, dismissed everyone else, and said he had something important to discuss. He said that the Crown Prince was neglecting meritorious officials, and the new policies were causing chaos in the court. Only by asking His Majesty to restore the throne could the Tang Dynasty be saved. He also said that I am his son-in-law, and if I can help him succeed, I will surely be given a high-ranking official position in the future."

"He asked me to find out His Highness's whereabouts and also asked me to copy this list, saying that he wanted to contact those old generals who were dissatisfied with the Crown Prince."

Helan Chushi knelt down again with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly. "I pretended to agree before he left. But I know Your Highness's new policies are for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. How could I dare to collude with a traitor? I immediately gathered evidence and rushed here to report!"

Li Chengqian gave Helan Chushi a deep look, which made Helan Chushi tremble all over, feeling that his thoughts had been completely seen through.

Although Helan Chushi married Hou Junji's daughter, he harbored resentment towards her because she bossed him around and repeatedly suppressed him.

This opportunity to be won over became his chance to break away from the Hou family, and also a stepping stone for him to climb higher.

Historically, Helan Chushi also protected himself by exposing Hou Junji and even gained merit.

The same thing is happening now.

"I am very pleased that you can distinguish right from wrong." Li Chengqian placed the secret letter on the table, his voice becoming gentler: "Hou Junji has become arrogant and domineering because of his role in making the plan. I had noticed this long ago. I just did not expect that he would be so blinded by greed that he would even try to drag his own son-in-law down with him."

Upon hearing this, Helan Chushi felt slightly relieved and said, "He also said that after the matter is accomplished, he will petition His Majesty to abolish the Practical Affairs Department and restore the hereditary system for meritorious officials. I was terrified when I heard this, so I took advantage of his unpreparedness to copy down this list and rushed here."

Li Chengqian nodded: "The Tang Dynasty cannot be shaken by conspiracies and tricks. Rest assured, I will handle this matter myself and will not implicate the innocent."

These words were like a reassurance, instantly putting Helan Chushi at ease, and the cold sweat on his forehead lessened: "Thank you for your wise judgment, Your Highness! I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse, and am ready to obey your orders at any time! If you need me to feign agreement to keep him in check, I will gladly die for it!"

Li Chengqian said, "Go back first and continue as usual. I will not forget your merits."

"I will obey the Crown Prince's orders." Helan Chushi bowed and stepped back, his steps light as if he had unloaded a heavy burden.

Silence returned to the side hall, and Li Chengqian picked up the list.

Hou Junji probably never imagined that his son-in-law, whom he regarded as a pawn, would turn around and sell him out completely.

This is the nature of human nature; when faced with the choice between personal desires and the greater good, some will ultimately choose to stand on the side of a prosperous era.

Li Chengqian said to the eunuch Wenzhong who was standing by, "Summon the Inspectorate Commander to arrest people according to the list. First, control Wang Fusheng and other core henchmen. As for Hou Junji... leave him alone for now and wait for him to walk into the trap."

"Yes, Your Highness."

After the eunuch Wenzhong withdrew, Li Chengqian gazed at the morning light outside the window, a cold, sharp smile curving his lips.

This incident can be considered as removing many hidden dangers for the Tang Dynasty.

Moreover, there is ample evidence to suggest that he cannot tolerate those who have contributed to his cause.

Hou Junji's matter is insignificant; he is merely dust obstructing the flow of the larger trend.

After putting down the roster, Li Chengqian's gaze finally fell on Tibet on the map of the Tang Dynasty.

Unlike later periods, due to the climate, present-day Tibet still possesses some value, which is why Songtsen Gampo gained historical fame and rose to power in Tibet.

But this is not in the interest of the Tang Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)