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

Chapter 192 The Crown Prince’s Rival is Always the Emperor (Part )
"What, he wants to see me?" Zhang Liang couldn't help but look up in surprise at Zhang Xi behind the desk.

In the study, Zhang Xi stood in front of the desk and said with a bow, "His people brought news from outside the city."

"His people know us?" Zhang Liang narrowed his eyes slightly.

"No." Zhang Xi shook his head and said, "We only know that there are people in Chang'an who are cooperating with them, but they don't know who is behind them."

"I don't know who it is, yet they dare to make such demands. They must be completely crazy." Zhang Liang suddenly smiled and said, "No, the Xueyantuo are gradually falling into a desperate situation."

"Yes!" Zhang Yi nodded in agreement.

In the battle last year, the Xueyantuo lost nearly 100,000 elite warriors both inside and outside the army. Coupled with the disunity among other tribes, they became increasingly weak.

Zhang Liang knocked on the table and said, "This time, the Xueyantuo are using the power of the Western Turks to pressure the Tang Dynasty. This has already violated Your Majesty's taboo. If they really dare to march south, Li Ji will crush them again... You said they spread the news from outside the city. How did they spread it? Was anyone discovered?"

Now that the Xueyantuo have angered the emperor, their every move in Chang'an City will be watched closely.

"Don't worry, Master." Zhang Yi bowed and said, "Their men never entered Chang'an City at all. They even sent word through someone before Ni Shushijin entered the palace to see the emperor. So don't worry, Master. The palace won't know."

"In other words, they are two separate lines. Nishushijin is attracting attention in the city, while his men are communicating outside." Zhang Liang nodded and said, "The Xueyantuo still has some capable people, but what can be done? They have completely offended Your Majesty. The decline of the Xueyantuo is inevitable. No one will offend Your Majesty for them."

"Then did the son refuse them?" Zhang Xi looked at Zhang Liang cautiously.

Zhang Liang shook his head slightly and said, "They came here this time with the intention of burning their boats. If I really reject them directly, I'm afraid they will turn against me."

"So?"

"Transfer all those who have met with them out of Chang'an." Zhang Liang thought for a moment and said, "The next time someone meets them, they should leave Chang'an immediately after the meeting. We might as well tell them this and cut off all contact with them."

"Yes!" Zhang Xi bowed solemnly.

Zhang Liang pondered for a moment, then looked up at Zhang Yi and said, "We've worked together for so many years. Tell Nishushijin that Zhenzhu Khan's ambition has stung His Majesty. Either Xueyantuo changes their Khan, puts aside their ambitions, and sincerely submits to the Tang Dynasty, or they will be destroyed."

"Here!"

"Also, tell him that if that doesn't work out, he should learn from the Tiele and Turkic tribes and try to annex them, then come to Chang'an and become a wealthy man." Zhang Liang smiled and said, "He brought 38,000 sable furs with him this time. Tell him to find a way to exchange them for gold. Neither the Crown Prince nor His Majesty likes sable furs."

"Yes!" Zhang Xi smiled. He knew that this batch of sable furs would probably be eaten by their people.

"Finally," Zhang Liang's eyes grew slightly colder as he said, "To prevent them from becoming desperate, let's choose the Wei family's restaurant near the Western Suburbs Market for our next meeting. If anything happens, let Your Majesty go to the Wei family."

"Yes!" Zhang Xi looked solemn. He knew that his father was targeting the Imperial Censor Wei Ting. If anything happened, he also wanted to see how Wei Ting would react.

……

East Palace, Cheng'en Hall, Inner Palace.

Li Chengqian looked at the secret report in his hand and sneered softly, "They are really smart. They actually spread the news from outside the city. If I hadn't been keeping an eye on Zhang Yi, I'm afraid I really wouldn't have discovered them."

"Your Highness!" Li Anyan bowed slightly.

"The signs of the Xueyantuo's demise are already apparent. They're truly unscrupulous." Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "Since they've truly connected with Duke Xun's men, let's expose them completely to Father... Wait until they meet again, and set fire to the area nearby."

"Yes!" Li Anyan's expression suddenly became stern.

"Then the arsonist will return to the city from outside, circle around Duke Xun's Mansion, and then go to the vicinity of Duke Ying's Mansion and disappear completely." Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Duke of England?" Li Anyan nodded blankly.

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "This matter will definitely attract the attention of the emperor. The Qianniu Guards and the Baiqi Division will definitely investigate. Finding someone to be a scapegoat will be enough."

Li Anyan forced a smile on his face. The prince really dared to think of finding the Minister of War, Duke of Ying, Li Ji, as a scapegoat.

"Go." Li Anyan bowed, then turned and left.

Li Chengqian sat in the hall, looking towards the west of Chang'an City, and his expression gradually calmed down.

Zhang Liang, this time, his background is likely to fall completely into the emperor's sight.

Then he will have no part in the expedition against Goguryeo next year.

So he had to stay in Chang'an.

Li Tai...

……

In the western suburbs of Chang'an, opposite the chaotic market, in the backyard of a restaurant, the collapsed woodshed was filled with burning ashes.

A Qianniu guard took a look and then walked towards the restaurant owner.

……

In Liangyi Hall, Li Shimin, standing in front of a map of the Western Regions, turned sideways in surprise: "Did you find him outside the gate of the Duke of Ying's mansion?"

"Yes!" Chang He bowed helplessly and said, "The restaurant where the Xueyantuo people met was owned by the Jingzhao Wei family, and also belonged to the Imperial Censor's family. Someone set it on fire, and the Qianniu Guards discovered that there were foreigners there. Finally, they found out that it was a Xueyantuo. They have arrested him, but they haven't found out who he was in contact with yet."

"He doesn't know?" Li Shimin nodded slowly, but his eyes had turned cold.

"Yes, the other side was very cautious." Chang He took a deep breath and said, "So I started looking for the arsonist. Through the watchtower, I found his whereabouts. After setting the fire, he entered Chang'an very carefully. If it weren't for the watchtower, we would never have found him... But strangely, he first wandered around the Duke of Xun's Mansion..."

"Zhang Liang?" Li Shimin suddenly looked up.

"Yes!" Chang He bowed and said, "The Qianniu Guards watched for a while, perhaps startled by the fire, and the Xunguo Mansion was very nervous... In the end, it seems that the Duke of Yingguo specifically lured people to the Xunguo Mansion. I don't understand why the Duke of Yingguo didn't tell Your Majesty directly?"

"Li Ji!" Li Shimin shook his head and said, "Have you forgotten that he, you, and Zhang Liang are all from the Wagang Army? Zhang Liang was once his subordinate, but now he is his equal. There are some things he cannot say casually."

Zhang Liang and Chang He were both heroes at Xuanwu Gate, while Li Ji, like Li Jing, remained silent at Xuanwu Gate. Although Li Ji and others gradually rose to the position of Minister of War, they were still no match for Zhang Liang and Chang He, the emperor's heroes.

"Your Majesty, could it be that someone else is borrowing the name of the Duke of England?" Chang He bowed carefully.

"Is this a frame-up of Zhang Liang?" Li Shimin looked up with a cold look in his eyes.

Although he had guessed this possibility, he couldn't help but feel angry when he thought about Zhang Liang.

Zhang Liang, that’s Zhang Liang!

His Minister of Works.

The last time Quan Wanji secretly met Zhang Yi at the foot of Mount Hua, Li Shimin became suspicious of Zhang Liang.

But after a thorough investigation by the Baiqi Division, they discovered that although Zhang Liang had some merchant caravans under his command, most of them were still normal.

The emperor also investigated the affairs of Zhang Liang's Ministry of Works in Goguryeo and other places, and found nothing wrong.

In this way, Li Shimin gradually felt relieved about Zhang Liang and did not touch him, but this time it was different.

The Xueyantuo were in Chang'an, and the person they contacted was not Li Tai as Li Shimin originally thought, but Zhang Liang.

Last time, Zhang Liang and Li Tai had no connection.

Last time, Zhang Liang contacted Quan Wanji, and Li Tai contacted Wei Wenzhen, the commander of the Qi King's army.

Now it seems that Li Shimin was wrong.

Zhang Liang, Chai Lingwu, Li Tai, Wei Ting, and Dou Dan.

The last time he was in Luoyang, Li Shimin felt strange. Why did Dou Dan also petition Li Tai to stay in Chang'an?

Now it all makes sense.

Zhang Liang, from a noble family in Hebei; Wei Ting, from a noble family in Jingzhao; Dou Dan, from an old family in Longyou; Quan Wanji, from an old family in Ganliang.

The power of this group of people was much greater than Li Shimin had imagined, so great that even he felt palpitations.

Now, the Xueyantuo even came to Zhang Liang for help with the issue of the survival of their race. One can imagine Zhang Liang’s status in this group of people.

Li Shimin turned to look at Chang He, his expression suddenly calmed down: "Chang He!"

"Your Majesty!" Chang He immediately bowed.

"Go and investigate. How many people are behind Duke Xun? Find out for me thoroughly." Li Shimin looked up and said, "The assassin at the foot of Mount Hua last year wasn't just trying to hide Zhang Liang; there were many more. With so many people gathered together, what they did probably wasn't that simple."

"Yes!" Chang He immediately bowed, then turned around and left quickly.

Li Shimin looked at the map in front of him, but the figure of Li Tai flashed in the depths of his eyes.

He had never felt that his son was such a stranger as he did now.

……

East Palace, Cheng'en Hall.

It was pitch black inside and outside the palace.

Li Chengqian sat calmly behind the desk.

The moonlight fell on the temple gate and was completely blocked.

The emperor's plan to march eastward to Goguryeo will not change. Li Chengqian is keeping an eye on this matter, and Li Tai is also keeping an eye on this matter.

Li Chengqian was certain that as long as there were no flaws in the Eastern Palace, Li Tai's plan would definitely be implemented during the emperor's eastern expedition to Goguryeo.

Because only then would the emperor be unable to intervene in time.

Without the emperor, the power of the Eastern Palace is extremely weak.

Whether it is Zheng Rentai or Du He, one is the General of the Left Jinwu Guard and the other is the General of the Left Guard, both are honorary positions and have no real power.

Now, the emperor can clearly see how much power Li Tai can mobilize.

Li Chengqian believed that with the emperor's ability, it wouldn't take long to figure out everything. The key was what happened afterwards.

If Li Tai did not take any action, the emperor would not do anything more to him.

There is also Zhang Liang. Zhang Liang was a hero in the Xuanwu Gate Campaign. Even if the emperor wanted to capture him, he would give him a decent treatment.

What would the emperor do?
The key is when the emperor will choose to take action.

Li Chengqian looked up and sighed softly.

Although he is now in the palace and is heavily protected, his power outside the palace is terribly weak.

I hope that through this incident, the emperor will let him go.

The emperor is the emperor after all.

Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes slightly. How much could he know about the emperor through this incident?

Next March, or next fall?

(End of this chapter)