My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 450 Educating All Nations
The sandalwood incense in the East Palace study was stronger than usual. Li Chengqian sat behind his desk by the window, with Li Yifu's policy essays on the table, his gaze falling on the paulownia leaves falling outside the window.

When the eunuch Wenzhong announced, "Li Yifu has arrived," he did not look up, but simply said, "Let him in."

Li Yifu almost held his breath as he entered the study. Although his blue robe was perfectly starched, it couldn't hide his slightly trembling hands.

Four years have passed. From the chief secretary of the Prince of Jin's mansion to a sinecure in a back alley of the West Market, he has finally stepped back into the heart of power.

As he stepped through the door, the soles of his boots made a soft rustling sound on the blue bricks. He hurriedly bowed and greeted the Crown Prince, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement: "This sinful subject, Li Yifu, pays his respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"No need for formalities." Li Chengqian raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping calmly over him: "I have read your policy essay."

Li Yifu's heart leaped into his throat, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but he forced himself to remain calm: "Your Majesty, I am of limited talent and learning. If there are any inappropriate points in my policy proposals, please correct me."

He clenched his fist in his sleeve, anticipating either praise or a stern reprimand.

But either way is better than being forgotten.

Li Chengqian pushed the strategy paper forward, pointing to the phrase "bombard their fortifications with cannons": "I ask you, the Yanqi Kingdom in the Western Regions just sent a prince to the court last year, presenting three hundred bushels of grape wine and fine horses, wishing to open trade. According to your strategy paper, if they suffer from grain shortages next year due to silted-up canals, should we then bombard their capital with cannons?"

Li Yifu was taken aback, then braced himself and said, “Your Highness, foreign countries are fickle. If we do not establish our authority, it will be difficult to maintain our peace! Although Yanqi is on friendly terms, it is located near Bosten Lake and has abundant rice and wheat production. If we can force them to pay 50,000 shi of grain annually, it will be enough to relieve the predicament of Hexi. The cannon threat is only to make them back down, not to really massacre the city.”

Li Chengqian snorted coldly: "Give up when faced with difficulties?"

His face remained expressionless, but the dissatisfaction in his eyes was clearly visible: "I saw in the report from the Agriculture and Sericulture Department that Yanqi suffered from a locust plague last year, and the canals were also blocked by torrential rains, resulting in a complete crop failure in half of the farmland. The people are now living on grain seeds provided by the national treasury."

"You're forcing them to transport grain, and you're even using artillery to coerce them? Are you trying to incite them to rebel and completely cut off the trade routes in the southern part of the Western Regions? Yanqi is a crucial point on the Silk Road. If we lose the hearts of the people because of our harsh treatment, which caravan from west of the Pamir Mountains will dare to come to Chang'an?"

Li Yifu's face turned deathly pale. He had been so focused on the grain accounts that he had forgotten the recent disaster in Yanqi, and even more so, he had overlooked its importance as a key point on the Silk Road. He hurriedly knelt down: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty has been negligent! Your Majesty believes..."

Li Chengqian interrupted him, his tone tinged with disappointment: "You think you can solve everything with swords and spears?"

“Li Yifu, you’ve spent four years in the grain market in the West Market, and all you’ve learned is ‘forced buying and selling’? The people of Yanqi have just suffered from a natural disaster, and instead of thinking about how to help them dredge the irrigation canals and replant new crops, you’re using cannons to force them to give grain. How is that any different from looting?”

These words struck Li Yifu like a slap in the face. He fell to the ground, his back soaked with cold sweat.

Fear overwhelmed him instantly. Was this only chance going to be lost because of his recklessness?

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word of explanation; all he could hear was his own rapid breathing.

The study was eerily quiet, with only the rustling of fallen leaves in the autumn wind outside the window.

After a long while, Li Chengqian slowly spoke, his voice softening: "Get up. I summoned you back not to punish you, but to tell you that power can be used, but not all of it. Especially with these city-states along the Silk Road, we must combine kindness with power."

Li Yifu rose shakily, stood with his head bowed, and dared not meet the Crown Prince's gaze.

“Look at the ‘new species introduction’ section in this policy essay.”

Li Chengqian picked up the policy essay and turned to the place he had circled earlier: "You said you wanted to hire foreign agricultural technicians to come to Tang, why can't it be the other way around?"

“Send agricultural technicians from the Great Tang Dynasty to places like Yanqi and Kucha to teach them how to grow drought-resistant wheat, build seepage-proof canals, and help them clear silted-up river channels. When the harvest is good next year, tell them to pay taxes based on 30% of the increased production.”

"If they benefit from this and are grateful for the Tang Dynasty's kindness, would they still default on their grain taxes? Which is safer, this or bombarding the city with cannons?"

Li Yifu suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with shock. He had never imagined it could be like this.

By exchanging technology for food and favors for obedience, they gained both tangible benefits and a good reputation, while also stabilizing the Silk Road trade routes.

“You always say ‘to govern all nations with military might,’ but you’ve forgotten the word ‘education’.”

Li Chengqian stood up, walked up to him, and said in a low but clear voice: "The reason why the Central Plains is the Central Plains is not because our weapons are more powerful than those of the other four regions, but because we have agriculture, a calendar, and etiquette."

"Why do foreign nations seek friendly relations with us? It's not only because they fear our soldiers, but also because they admire our civilization."

“When the people of Yanqi suffer from disaster, we send them waterwheels and rice seeds, and help them repair canals to prevent disasters. Only then will they truly submit to us.”

"If we resort to force, even if they temporarily submit, they will rebel sooner or later."

Li Chengqian pointed to the "Map of the Great Tang Dynasty" on the wall: "Look at the countries of the Western Regions. Most of them live by water, but they do not know how to maintain water conservancy; although they have fertile land, they do not know how to cultivate new crops. What they lack is not food, but the technology to grow food; what they lack is not order, but the etiquette of education."

“We sent not only agricultural technicians, but also ‘civilization envoys.’ They taught them how to build irrigation canals so that they would have food to eat. They taught them to read and write and to do arithmetic so that they would know how to measure; they taught them the Tang Code so that they would understand how to trade.”

"When the people of Yanqi enjoy a bountiful harvest thanks to the technology of the Tang Dynasty, and when Silk Road caravans travel freely due to smooth roads, will there be any need to use cannons to force them to pay their taxes? They will naturally send their best grains and rarest specialties, begging to expand trade and become vassals of the Tang Dynasty. This is the way to achieve long-term stability and security."

Li Chengqian's gaze fell on Li Yifu's face, with a guiding tone: "This is the essence of 'using all nations to support the Tang Dynasty,' paving the way with education and building bridges with benevolence, so that they willingly 'contribute grain,' rather than being forced to 'offer grain.'"

"The 'military might' you speak of should be used to protect this road, guard this bridge, and prevent bandits from plundering, not to deal with the city-states that have submitted to you, understand?"

Li Yifu stood rooted to the spot, as if struck by lightning. Four years of seclusion had made him focus only on "profits" and "methods," forgetting that the most powerful weapon of the Tang Dynasty was never artillery, but civilization and education that could win the hearts of all nations.

Looking at Li Chengqian's calm face, he suddenly understood.

The Crown Prince had already planned it out; the so-called "test" was nothing more than teaching him how to disguise the sharp edge of "plunder" with the guise of "education."

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty understands!" Li Yifu knelt down again, this time his voice was not filled with fear, but with excitement at suddenly understanding.

"Your Highness intends to use education as a pretext to achieve mutual benefit; to use benevolence as a facade and secure the granaries as the foundation! Sending envoys to spread agricultural techniques and develop water conservancy will not only demonstrate the benevolence of the Tang Dynasty but also secure foreign grain supplies, which is a hundred times better than forcing grain with artillery! This is especially true for Silk Road city-states like Yanqi!"

Seeing that he had finally come to his senses, Li Chengqian finally smiled faintly: "It seems that your four years of squatting in the West Market were not in vain."

"Get up. I have a task for you. Go to the Agriculture and Sericulture Department and the Trade Department and borrow ten people each to form a 'Western Regions Education and Civilization Preparatory Group.' Combine the 'Trade Department' in your strategy with the 'Education and Civilization Envoy' I mentioned. Start by drafting a plan for Yanqi and Kucha. I want to see a concrete plan in three days."

Li Yifu kowtowed heavily, his voice choked with emotion: "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail your trust!" As he walked out of the East Palace, the autumn sun was warm. Li Yifu touched the old goldfish pouch at his waist and suddenly felt that it seemed to have regained its luster.

He finally understood that the Crown Prince didn't want a reckless man who only knew how to shout for violence, but a pragmatist who could use "education" to mask his sharpness and "benevolence" to gain real benefits. And he seized this opportunity for a complete transformation.
-
On a late autumn night in the twenty-fourth year of the Zhenguan era, the cold wind of the tenth day of the tenth month blew and the cold rain beat against the window lattices of the Marquis's mansion, and the candlelight in the secret room flickered in and out of control.

Hou Junji, wearing a sable fur coat, ran his fingers across the unfolded "Chang'an City Defense Map" and said in a very low voice: "On the night of the fifteenth of October, the Jinwu Guard set fire to the east gate as a signal. General Wang led three hundred elite soldiers to storm the Da'an Palace and asked His Majesty to 'take personal rule'."

"Official Li, keep the civil officials in the Ministry of Personnel in check to prevent the Crown Prince's transfer order from being issued; as for Li Chengqian..." A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, "All we need is a detachment to surround the Crown Prince's palace and cut off his communication with the outside world, and the great undertaking can be accomplished!"

Coups have never relied on military force, but rather on how to seize control of the central government.

No matter how powerful artillery is, it cannot surpass the power of the human heart.

The former subordinates below nodded in unison, and one of them whispered, "General, rest assured, Commandant Helan has already prepared an inside agent in the Eastern Palace. He will surely be able to trap the Crown Prince!"

Hou Junji stroked his beard with satisfaction, looked at his son-in-law Helan Chushi standing in the corner, and softened his tone: "Chushi, you must keep a close eye on Li Chengqian's movements. Send a signal the night before the fifteenth to let him know if he is in his bedchamber. This is our last chance. If we succeed, we will both be meritorious officials in the regency; if we fail..."

He didn't say anything more, but the chill in the secret room grew even stronger.

Helan Chushi bowed and replied, "Father-in-law, rest assured, your son-in-law will certainly take care of it." The candlelight illuminated his face, half in light and half in shadow, and no one could see the calm deep in his eyes. This calm had been hardened to the point of being as hard as iron in the countless nights he spent passing secret reports to the Investigation Department.

At the same time, the lights in the study of the Eastern Palace remained on all night. Li Chengqian unfolded the secret letter that Helan Chushi had just sent, on which was marked with vermilion the list of Hou Junji's core henchmen.

Wang Fusheng was the General of the Imperial Guard, Li Xiaojie was the Principal of the Ministry of Personnel, and Zhao Deyan was an official under the Prince of Qin.

The time, location, and troop deployment of the uprising were clearly listed, exactly matching the results of the investigation department's surveillance over the past few days.

"It seems Hou Junji is really in a hurry, choosing to make his move on the fifteenth to take advantage of the dark night and high winds to cover his tracks."

Li Chengqian said to the standing inspector, "Proceed according to plan. Make our move at midnight tonight. First, control Wang Fusheng and his core henchmen, and cut off his arm."

"The Jinwu Guard ordered General Guo to change garrisons, using the pretext of 'winter defense drills' to take over the defense of the East Gate; Helan Chushi will remain at the Marquis's residence to keep Hou Junji in check."

The captain bowed and accepted the order: "Your Highness, rest assured, three hundred inspectors have been deployed around the Marquis's residence, waiting only for the midnight signal."

Just as the first clapper sounded at midnight on the tenth day of the tenth month, the sound of rapid clashing of armor suddenly rang out in Chang'an City.

Wang Fusheng was checking the night patrols at the Jinwuwei barracks when a squad of inspectors dressed in black suddenly rushed in. Their blades gleamed coldly in the candlelight: "General Wang, by order of the Crown Prince, you are suspected of treason. Arrest him!"

Before he could react, his wrists were already shackled. His confidants in the barracks were about to draw their swords when they were shot in the throat with crossbows and instantly collapsed.

The residence of Li Xiaojie, a principal officer in the Ministry of Personnel, was also surrounded. The secret letters between him and Hou Junji found in his study by the inspectors became irrefutable evidence.

Zhao Deyan, an official under the former Qin Prince's Palace, had just wrapped himself in a cotton coat and climbed over the wall to escape through the back door when he was pressed down in the mud by the Jinwu Guards who had been waiting for him.

Inside the secret chamber of the Marquis's residence, Hou Junji was still swearing a blood oath with his confidants. He had just received the "oath" from Zhao Deyan when he heard a commotion outside the courtyard, mixed with the sound of clashing weapons.

A servant scrambled in, shouting, "General! Something terrible has happened! The Imperial Guards have surrounded the mansion, saying... saying they want to search for evidence of treason!"

Hou Junji suddenly stood up, his sword clattering as it was drawn from its sheath: "What's the panic! We have three hundred elite soldiers, let's fight them to the death!"

His gaze swept around the room, finally settling on his son-in-law, Helan Chushi, and he said sternly, "Did you leak the secret?! It's only the tenth of the month, how could they know!"

Helan Chushi slowly took a step back and took out a gilded token from his sleeve.

That was a token from the Crown Prince's Inspection Office.

“Father-in-law, His Highness the Crown Prince has known about your plan for a long time. From the moment you began to win over Wang Fusheng in September, every step has been under surveillance. You thought that choosing the fifteenth to make your move would be discreet, but little did you know that the Investigation Department had already laid a trap.”

Hou Junji's eyes widened in fury: "You...you traitor!"

As he spoke, he swung his sword at Helan Chushi.

Before the blade could fall, the door to the secret chamber was kicked open, and the crossbows of the inspectors were all aimed at the room. The captain in charge said coldly, "Hou Junji, surrender now! Your cronies Wang Fusheng and Li Xiaojie have all been captured!"

Looking at the surging inspectors, at Wang Fusheng and Li Xiaojie being brought in, and at the token in Helan Chushi's hand, Hou Junji finally realized that he had stepped into a trap from the very beginning.

The knife in his hand clattered to the ground, and he staggered back a few steps, crashing into the table.

“Li Chengqian…what cunning…” He gave a bitter laugh, his voice filled with resentment.

"When I followed His Majesty through Xuanwu Gate, he was just a callow youth... and now I've fallen into his hands!"

At dawn on October 11, Hou Junji was escorted to the Eastern Palace for trial.

Li Chengqian sat in his study, looking at the old general with graying temples, and recalled the words that Li Shimin had sent him.

But the person before me had only murky resentment in their eyes.

"Why rebel?" Li Chengqian asked.

Hou Junji retorted, "Your new policies sideline old officials and promote those from humble backgrounds, treating us meritorious officials who followed the late emperor in conquering the country like dirt! I refuse to accept this!"

Li Chengqian said calmly, "I value capable officials and do not care about their background. If you are law-abiding, the salary of the Left Jinwu Guard will be enough to support you until you are old."

He then produced a secret letter: "But you colluded with your cronies, trying to force the Emperor to restore the throne and stir up trouble in the country. This is not to save face for meritorious officials, but to ruin the country for your own selfish desires."

(End of this chapter)