A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 634 Rebellion
Wei Zheng carried a jar of wine into Li Yi's courtyard.

"The winter wine was brewed last winter solstice and distilled after the spring. Your sister-in-law specially had it sent from Chang'an."

Wei Zheng skillfully tapped open the seal on the wine jar, and a fragrant aroma of wine immediately wafted out. He inhaled it with relish and said with a smile, "This is the taste! Go and get some wine and dishes."

Li Yi smiled, turned around and went out. When he came back, he was carrying two food boxes and took out a variety of snacks to go with the drinks.

Braised beef, braised donkey meat, boiled mutton, roast chicken, roast duck, peanuts...
"I knew you'd never lack good snacks to go with your drinks."

Wei Zheng poured a large cup for each of them, took a delicious sip, and then picked up a piece of cold tofu skin with his chopsticks, praising it as he ate.

Li Yi picked up the glass and took a sip.

This Wei family liquor, also called Shaochun or Chunjiu, is different from Li Yi's persimmon liquor, which is a distilled spirit. Tang dynasty Shaochun was actually a fermented liquor heated at low temperatures. Its alcohol content was the same as rice wine, but the low-temperature heating process sterilized it and delayed spoilage.

Brew wine in winter, distill it in spring.

“It would be a mistake for the King of Qin to return to the capital now,” Wei Zheng said, tearing off a roasted chicken leg and starting to eat it.

Li Yi felt that the spring wine brewed by Pei, the wife of the Wei family, was indeed quite good, with a more authentic taste than the common spirits on the market.

"Then, senior brother, do you think the King of Qin should remain in Daibei?"

"What's the point of keeping him in Daibei? This is a battle for the throne. Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. Regardless of whether the King of Qin fights for it or not, he has already seriously threatened the Crown Prince's position."
It even poses a threat to saints.

Even if the King of Qin stays in Daibei, or even if he's not in a hurry, the Crown Prince will never let him go.

To be honest, the King of Qin has no way out now. He can only grit his teeth and charge forward, even if it's a path fraught with peril.

Otherwise, there will be absolutely no good outcome.

Wei Zheng tossed aside the leftover roasted chicken leg bone and tore off a roasted chicken wing. "You and the King of Qin are already bound together. You share the same fate, and if the King of Qin cannot ascend the throne, you will not have a good end either."

Li Yi, holding his wine glass, also had a headache.

If he were Li Shimin, he would definitely abandon his illusions and prepare for battle, but judging from his conversation with Li Shimin, Li Shimin still had a glimmer of hope.

He also felt that based on his military achievements,

It could allow the emperor to choose him as the crown prince.

However, since ancient times, the selection of a crown prince has always been based on the eldest son of the legitimate wife, not on the most virtuous.

What use is high military merit?

He had already hinted to Li Shimin that holding military power was the key to success, and that the newly rich military leaders who had followed him in his campaigns and became the new aristocracy of the Tang Dynasty were his true and powerful supporters.

This implies to Li Shimin that he could seize the throne through a coup.

However, Li Shimin was shocked when he heard this.

"The King of Qin will ultimately be disappointed upon his return to the capital. He will be trapped in the small Hongyi Palace, and although he holds a long official title, he will have no real power."

The titles of Grand Secretary concurrently serving as Grand Secretary, Grand Commandant concurrently serving as Minister of Works, General of the Heavenly Strategy concurrently serving as Grand Secretary of the Eastern Shaanxi Circuit, General of the Twelve Guards, Governor of Yongzhou, Grand Secretary of the Yizhou Circuit, Governor of Liangzhou, etc., are all meaningless.

He couldn't even get through the door of the government office.
They will only be more sidelined than before.

Wei Zheng took a big gulp of wine, smacked his lips, and said, "Do you know what will happen next? The Qin King's direct subordinates will all be purged."

They might be transferred out of the Tian Ce Mansion and Qin Prince's Mansion to various places, demoted, or simply given a sinecure.

You, Wu Yi, are now the standard-bearer of the King of Qin, and will inevitably be the first to be targeted.

Once the King of Qin is put on hold, it will be your turn. You will definitely not be able to continue as the Grand General of Bingzhou. You will most likely be recalled to the capital and given the prestigious but powerless position of Minister of Works.

"Of course, the Crown Prince will definitely target you. If things go wrong, you might end up like Liu Wenjing."

Li Yi felt that the Shaochun brewed by the Pei family was a bit bitter.

He felt that Wei Zheng had not exaggerated; this struggle for the throne was extremely dangerous.

"As the secretary of the Tian Ce Mansion and the left vice minister of the Shaanxi East Circuit, I will probably have to go back to the Secretariat to proofread books when I return to the capital this time."

“Not necessarily.” Li Yi picked up a piece of braised pork knuckle. “In my opinion, the King of Qin is not without a chance. As long as he is determined, he can turn the tide and take control of the situation in an instant.”

Wei Zheng shook his head.

Suddenly, his eyes widened. "You...you don't mean to incite the King of Qin to mutiny? Even with 100,000 troops in Daibei, if they rebel, they'll become traitors!"
"If the son rebels against the father, do you think the King of Qin can succeed?"

"If the emperor issues an edict, how many people will support the King of Qin? Most of the soldiers' families are in Guanzhong. Will they abandon their wives and children to join the rebellion?"

"Senior brother, you're still too conservative in your thinking. Who says we have to rebel in Daibei?"

Wei Zheng sat up straight and put down the roast chicken in his hand.
“Tell me your bold ideas.”

Li Yi poured himself a full glass of wine.
"Judging from the Emperor's thoughts, no matter how great the achievements of the King of Qin, he will not depose Jiancheng and make him the heir apparent. Perhaps he is learning from the past dynasties."

Since the King of Qin's attempt to seize the throne through the same means as Emperor Yang of the previous dynasty failed, he decided to try another approach.

If the emperor refuses to depose the crown prince and install the Prince of Qin in his place, then let's stage a palace coup to control the emperor, force him to depose the crown prince and install the Prince of Qin as the new crown prince, and once we have control of the court and stability in all directions, then we can respectfully request His Majesty to abdicate and become the Retired Emperor!

After Li Yi finished speaking, he picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Wei Zheng remained silent for a long time.

He picked up his glass and silently finished his drink.

"Your idea is indeed bold, even a bit defying the heavens. Have you ever thought that if you rebel in Daibei, most of these 100,000 soldiers will still follow you in the rebellion?"

Returning to Chang'an after the palace coup is no easy feat.
The King of Qin, as the Grand General of the Twelve Guards on the Left and Right, actually had no way to mobilize the troops of the various guards.

The palace guards

Furthermore, the main force consisted of the Emperor's personal guards, including the garrison north of the palace. While the six guards of the Prince of Qin's residence, as well as the Imperial Household and the Imperial Guards, numbered in the tens of thousands, none of them were stationed in Chang'an.
Where will this opportunity come from?

Wei Zheng shook his head, feeling that Li Yi's idea was too bold, too audacious.

"It's all rebellion. What's the difference between rebelling in Daibei and rebelling in Taiji Palace? In any case, you can only succeed and you can't fail. Rebelling in Taiji Palace has a higher success rate." Li Yi picked up his wine glass and took another big gulp.

Wei Zheng was no longer in the mood for drinking and eating meat.
He stood up, paced around the room, and even quietly went to the door, opened it, and peeked outside.

"Don't worry, I've already sent my guards to watch out on all four sides. No one will come close to eavesdrop."

If even a single word of their conversation got out, those two would lose their heads, and their families might even be ruined. Li Yi was far from being careless.

Wei Zheng closed the door.
"I advise you to be more cautious. A palace rebellion is far more difficult than a surprise attack on the Khan's court. There are layers of defenses, gates guarded at every turn, and the Three Inner Guards, Four Offices, and Twelve Guards checking and balancing each other."
It was difficult to enter any of the palace gates.

Mobilizing troops in the capital region is even more difficult.

I'm afraid that before I can even make a move, the news will leak out, and I'll be surrounded and captured by the Imperial Guards.

“We can’t just sit here and wait to die. As you said, once the arrow is released, there’s no turning back. Even if we lie down now, how could the Crown Prince let us go? We might as well go all out.”

Wei Zheng paced back and forth in the room, his expression becoming agitated.

"Then we need to plan carefully before we act. We must not act rashly, as we only have one chance."

Li Yi laughed and said, "Senior brother is even more excited than I am."

"I've long been in the same boat as you. Besides, I've long been dissatisfied with the Crown Prince's appeasement policy. If the King of Qin were the Crown Prince, or even the Emperor..."
This will end this chaotic world more quickly and restore peace to the land.

These people who emerged from chaotic times are naturally wild. If they were civil officials in peaceful times, they would have been trembling with fear at the mention of rebellion, and would not have dared to be so enthusiastic and excited.

Wei Zheng sat down.

He tore off another roasted chicken leg and devoured it. "You're right. There's no such thing as a thousand days of guarding against a thief. Rather than passively defending, it's better to take the initiative."

"While the Emperor and Crown Prince haven't had time to thoroughly purge the Prince of Qin's people, there's still a chance."

Li Yi nodded.
That is exactly the point.

There is only one chance,
But opportunity favors the prepared mind.

Since Li Yuan refuses to depose the crown prince, then depose him as well.

Li Yuan treated him well, but now he is deeply bound to Li Shimin. If Li Yuan were to take action against Li Shimin, Li Yi would be the first to suffer and would not escape his fate.

He would advise Li Shimin to treat him well after Li Shimin's success, and to send him more young and beautiful palace women and more fine wine.

After drinking with Wei Zheng,

Li Yi was somewhat unsettled.
Yes, there's no need to wait any longer.

Li Shimin may still be hesitant, perhaps still harboring illusions about changing the heir apparent, or perhaps finding it difficult to make the decision to stage a coup, as the risk of failure is high, and even if he succeeds, he will bear a bad reputation.

Who would willingly take this step unless absolutely necessary?

Carrying the remaining half-jar of Wei's homemade Shaochun wine and some snacks, Li Yi went to find the fat man, Changsun Wuji.

If anyone most hoped that Li Shimin would become the crown prince and the emperor, then Changsun Wuji would definitely be one of them.

This man, who was only in his early twenties but as obese as a bear, was somewhat surprised by Li Yi's visit. He was packing his bags to return to Chang'an.

"Lord Shangdang, how about we have a couple of drinks?"

"What brings you here today, Prince Dai, to have a drink with me?" Changsun Wuji said with a smile, putting down what he was holding.

Changsun offered to pour wine for Li Yi.

They drank and chatted.

After a few drinks, the two of them started talking more.

"The King of Qin will be in danger on his return journey."

“We are all the King of Qin’s confidants. We share the glory and the glory. The King of Qin cannot afford to make the slightest mistake.”

Changsun Wuji agreed with this statement.

"Does Lord Changsun think that the Prince of Qin is more qualified to be the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty?"

Changsun Wuji nodded and said, "That's natural. When the uprising started in Taiyuan, it was Qin Wang who strongly urged us to join. After the uprising, he led his troops south and fought bravely. After the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, he continued his campaigns in the east and west, defeating Xue Ju, Liu Wuzhou, Wang Shichong, and Dou Jiande."

Now, they have even captured Jieli and destroyed the Turkic Khanate.

The vast empire of the Tang Dynasty was largely conquered by Prince Qin, so he naturally has even greater right to be the crown prince.

"What Lord Changsun said is correct; most people think so, but the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and Pei Ji, among others, are not willing to agree."
They might even suppress and purge the civil and military officials of the Prince of Qin's mansion after the Crown Prince returns to the capital.

"Lord Changsun, our fates are intertwined; we rise and fall together. We have followed the King of Qin in countless battles, achieving numerous merits. Are we destined to be purged in the end?"

Changsun Gongji downed the wine in his cup in one gulp. "King of Dai, you are wise and resourceful. What do you suggest we do?"

Li Yi leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"We can't just sit here and wait to die. We have to take action. If all else fails, we'll stage a coup, seize the Xuanwu Gate of the Taiji Palace, enter the palace, control the Emperor, then summon the Crown Prince to the palace and capture him."

"Then summon the prime ministers of the three provinces to the palace, have them sign the edict establishing the King of Qin as crown prince, and issue the edict throughout the land. Then the matter will be settled."

Upon hearing these words, Changsun Wuji's breathing became rapid.

“Lord Changsun, there are some things that the King of Qin is unable to do, or has not yet made up his mind to do. At this time, we must make the decision for the King of Qin, or even do it for him.” Li Yi poured him a full glass of wine.

(End of this chapter)