Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 170: In This Life, the King of Qi Will Definitely Raise an Army Again (Part )

A hard day's work.

Li Chengqian stretched, stood up and walked outside the Chongjiao Hall.

Under the night sky, the breeze blows gently.

The knocking sounds in Chongwenguan had stopped, and most of the lights in the palace had been extinguished.

March is almost here.

The emperor went on an eastern tour and the crown prince was regent.

Li Chengqian needs to be prepared for many things.

Li Anyan walked silently from the side hall, stood behind Li Chengqian, and said with a bow, "Your Highness, the spies outside the palace have sent me news that there is nothing to do today."

"Hmm!" Li Chengqian took a deep breath. The coolness of spring made him feel refreshed.

Li Chengqian turned sideways and looked at Li Anyan, asking, "No one is doing anything they shouldn't be doing, right?"

"No!" Li Anyan cupped his hands and said, "Everyone is just collecting information as a routine matter. No one has taken the initiative to go out."

"That's good. The Hundred Cavalry Division is keeping an eye on Quan Wanji. No matter what happens, let the Hundred Cavalry Division investigate. They are much more capable than us in handling these matters." After Li Chengqian finished speaking, he turned and walked towards Cheng'en Palace.

Li Anyan quickly followed, then said carefully: "Your Highness, if our people don't move, then the Hundred Cavalry Division won't inform us of what they find out. Then the East Palace will know nothing about what's going on here."

Li Chengqian stopped, looked at Li Anyan, and then continued walking towards Cheng'en Hall, but this time, his pace was much slower.

"During the recent turmoil in Qizhou, many people have focused on the position of the Chief Clerk of Qi, but they've overlooked the fact that it's the fiefdom of the King of Qi." After a brief pause, Li Chengqian continued, "It's the fiefdom bestowed upon the King of Qi by my father, which means it's my father's territory. If anyone has designs on it, my father won't let them off."

"Yes!" Li Anyan bowed, with confusion on his face. He didn't understand why Li Chengqian said this.

"So no matter what, we have to wait until Father finds out something in Qizhou. Otherwise, Father won't let this go easily. Given this, the unrest in Qizhou will probably continue for some time, and eventually, news will spread to Chang'an." Li Chengqian stopped completely and looked at Li Anyan. "In late March, Father will be on an eastern tour."

"Your Highness is the regent, I know." Li Anyan bowed, then said carefully, "But Your Highness needs three months to recuperate."

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "Even if I need to recuperate, I am still the regent prince. I can make many arrangements. Also, don't forget that we found a lot of things on Chai Lingwu. When I become regent, I can find out a lot of things with a little investigation."

Following Chai Lingwu may not necessarily lead to finding the mastermind behind the scenes, but Li Chengqian has traveled through time and space and been reborn.

In his previous life, when he was deposed and after being deposed, although a lot of information was buried, he also learned a lot of information.

Just by comparing this information with the clues found from Chai Lingwu, it will not be difficult to find out who is behind Chai Lingwu.

"Besides, it's just that it's not convenient for me to move at first. By June or July, things will be much smoother." After a brief pause, Li Chengqian said, "Besides, keeping a low profile has its advantages. At least others will ignore us, and then we can see many things more clearly."

"Yes!" Li Anyan still didn't quite understand Li Chengqian's methods, but he knew that Li Chengqian had enough ideas in his mind, and that was enough.

Seeing Li Anyan calm down, Li Chengqian smiled and continued walking towards Cheng'en Hall, saying, "At least the Prince of Wei's Mansion won't let the Qizhou matter go. We just need to keep an eye on Chai Lingwu, and we can find out a lot of things. Don't forget that our enemy first and foremost is the Prince of Wei."

"Yes!" Li Anyan's expression became serious.

"Let father deal with the enemies outside. This way he won't have to focus on me and the King of Wei." Li Chengqian sneered.

For him, the most troublesome thing is the emperor's balancing act, and anyone who shows up will dare to compete for the position of crown prince.

It would be better for him to focus on Li You now.

In the previous life, Li You raised an army in March of the next year. Although Li Chengqian has changed a lot now, he has a feeling that the King of Qi will definitely raise an army again in this life.

But it’s hard to say who will be implicated this time.

……

Prince Wei's Mansion, study.

Chai Lingwu sat on the short couch on the right and said to Li Tai, "Your Highness, everything has been investigated. The one behind Quan Wanji is not the King of Wu, but the Quan family of Tianshui and the old clans of Longyou. They are trying to infiltrate Qizhou and then reap benefits from Qizhou."

Li Tai nodded slightly, his expression relaxed. "As long as it's not the King of Wu, that's fine."

"Quan Wanji is just the chief secretary of the King of Qi, yet he wants to do whatever he wants in Qizhou." Su Xu, sitting at the upper left, sneered softly, "Qizhou is the core of Qi and Lu. Countless Qi and Lu families have taken root there. Yin Hongzhi has the King of Qi and His Majesty behind him, so he'll be faltering in everything he wants to do. Quan Wanji is just daydreaming."

"I see." Li Tai laughed and waved his hand, saying, "If that's the case, then we won't be involved in Qizhou's affairs."

"Yes!" Su Xu and Chai Lingwu nodded at the same time.

However, compared to Su Xu's indifference, Chai Lingwu looked slightly serious.

In the land of Qi and Lu, the Kong family is needless to say, but in addition to the Kong family, there are also many other families such as the Yan family, the Zeng family, the Meng family, etc.

They may not be a big deal in Chang'an, but they are very difficult to deal with in Qi and Lu.

The matter in Qizhou is not so easy to resolve.

Li Tai calmed down and looked at Su Xu and Chai Lingwu. "It's almost March now. It's time to present the Comprehensive Geography to your father." "Yes!" Su Xu breathed a sigh of relief. He then looked at Li Tai and said, "When will Your Highness present it to His Majesty?"

"March 15th." Li Tai's expression became serious.

"March 15th?" Chai Lingwu looked at Li Tai in surprise and said, "Isn't March 15th the day when the Crown Prince's Taiyi Qinghua Temple is consecrated by the Emperor Taiyi Qinghua?"

"Yes, but cousin, don't forget, that day is also the Queen Mother's birthday." Li Tai raised his head and looked in the direction of Jinchangfang, saying, "My royal brother deliberately chose that day to consecrate the Taiyi Qinghua Emperor, and his purpose was to offer sacrifices to the Queen Mother. If that's the case, then I should go there that day as well."

"Your Highness wants to present the Comprehensive Records of the Land to Your Majesty at the Taiyi Qinghua Temple on that day." Su Xu understood Li Tai's meaning.

"And Queen Mother!" Li Tai said seriously, "On Queen Mother's birthday, I should express my grief."

"Yes!" Su Xu and Chai Lingwu nodded at the same time.

"Don't be too nervous." Li Tai waved his hand and said with a smile, "Father must have been very upset that day. It's a good opportunity to present this set of 'Comprehensive Geography' to him. This will make him happier, and my mother's spirit in heaven can also be comforted."

"Your Highness is wise." Su Xu nodded calmly. He knew that there was something Li Tai did not say, which was that he could just share the crown prince's attention on that day.

But there is no need to say these words.

Li Tai looked at Su Xu excitedly and said, "Uncle, please write a memorial to the emperor, stating that I must be at Taiyi Qinghua Temple on March 15th."

"Yes!" Su Xu bowed calmly as always.

Li Tai didn't notice anything, but Chai Lingwu felt that something was wrong with Su Xu and he didn't seem that happy.

At this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps appeared outside the hall, interrupting Chai Lingwu's thoughts.

"Your Highness!" a voice came from outside the door.

Chai Lingwu glanced at Li Tai, and Li Tai nodded slightly.

Chai Lingwu immediately stood up and opened the door. He quickly closed it again and handed the secret letter to Li Tai. Then, frowning, he said, "The Crown Prince and the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, Ma Zhou, have submitted a memorial. On the grounds of harmony in Qizhou, they request that the people of Qizhou's autumn harvest this year be increased by 50%, returning to the level of the 13th year of the Zhenguan reign. Then, next year, the people of Qizhou's autumn harvest will be increased by 30%, making up for the deficit of recent years."

"That's nothing. As long as Quan Wanji and Yin Hongzhi work together and do their best, it won't be difficult to complete it within two years." Su Xu shook his head slightly.

In recent years, Qizhou's development has lagged behind that of the nearby states, and they should be made to work hard to catch up.

"However, if the Crown Prince and Ma Zhou's memorial is not fulfilled, then the King of Qi will be transferred back to Chang'an, demoted, and exiled to a remote prefecture." Chai Lingwu's expression grew stern. This move was truly ruthless. He shook his head slightly and said, "The key is that His Majesty has already agreed, and Quan Wanji dared not neglect it for a moment. After entering the palace and not seeing His Majesty, he returned to the Qizhou Memorial Court, packed up a little, and left Chang'an for Qizhou."

"He has left Chang'an?" Li Tai looked at Chai Lingwu in surprise.

"Yes!" Chai Lingwu nodded solemnly.

"What a pity." Li Tai shook his head, then said thoughtfully: "Why is my royal brother oppressing Qizhou so much when there is nothing wrong with him?"

"Your Highness," Su Xu said seriously, looking at Li Tai, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince is using pressure to force Quan Wanji and Yin Hongzhi to work together. After all, if the King of Qi is blamed, neither of them will be able to escape, and their future careers will be difficult."

"Then they must hate our royal brother to death." Li Tai was a little amused.

"Your Highness!" Su Xu's voice deepened. He looked at Li Tai and said, "Your Highness, this is the most honorable and upright way of governing the country. Your Highness should not underestimate it. If this matter succeeds, your weight in Your Majesty's heart will greatly increase."

"Oh!" Li Tai's expression finally became serious.

"It's the people." Chai Lingwu stood aside and said seriously, "When they were in Qizhou, no matter how big the quarrel between Quan Wanji and Yin Hongzhi was, it was just a small matter. But it affected the governance of people's livelihood, which is a big deal. The Crown Prince used this to pressure Quan Wanji and Yin Hongzhi to focus on people's livelihood. I'm afraid his prestige will greatly increase in the hearts of Your Majesty and the officials who have seen through this matter."

"My Royal Brother seems to have some tricks up his sleeve." After a brief pause, Li Tai looked at Chai Lingwu and said, "Or maybe it was Ma Zhou's idea? Cousin, now you need to find out whose idea it was. If it's the Crown Prince, that would be best. If not, it would be best to say it was the Crown Prince. Otherwise, it might offend Father."

"Yes!" Chai Lingwu raised his eyes and immediately bowed.

"I will also take my leave." Su Xu stood up at the same time and said with a bow, "There are still some parts of the Comprehensive Geography that need to be completed. I will finish it now."

"Okay, thank you for troubling my cousin and uncle." Li Tai nodded seriously.

"My minister retire."

……

Li Tai watched Chai Lingwu and Su Xu leave, still thinking about these things in his mind.

A moment later, he was sitting behind the desk with a piece of paper spread out in front of him.

After a brief pause, Li Tai wrote, "My brother, the Prince of Qi, I am shocked to hear the Crown Prince's memorial... This is too much... You must be patient..."

A moment later, a letter was written, put into an envelope, and stamped.

Li Tai breathed a sigh of relief, looked to the side, and said, "Send this letter to Wei Wenzhen, the commander of the Qi Palace, and ask him to pass it on to the King of Qi."

"Here!" A strange and respectful young man stood out from behind the curtain, took the envelope with a bow, turned and left.

Li Tai narrowed his eyes and sneered softly: "King of Qi!"

(End of this chapter)