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

Chapter 241 Li Shimin: Prince, what do you think should be done with the King of Wei? (First update)
Outside Dingding Gate, Li Chengqian, dressed in a pale yellow python robe, dismounted. Zhangsun Wuji, Yang Shidao, Liu Li, Cen Wenben, Li Zhi, Tang Jian, and the others all bowed and said, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, is here to pay his respects!"

Li Chengqian immediately stepped forward, helped Changsun Wuji up, and said gratefully, "Uncle, please stand up. Gentlemen, please stand up."

"Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince." The ministers then stood up.

Li Chengqian looked Zhangsun Wuji up and down, then said with a bit of relief, "The wind and sand are strong in the northern part of Youzhou. Now that I see that my uncle is in good health, I think my father is also in good spirits. I am now completely relieved."

"The Crown Prince is benevolent and filial." Zhangsun Wuji bowed with emotion, then looked towards the black-covered carriage behind him and asked in a low voice, "Has the King of Wei arrived?"

"Yes, it's right behind." Li Chengqian nodded and sighed softly.

"Then I will go see King Wei now!" Changsun Wuji bowed with a serious expression.

"Yeah!" Li Chengqian nodded.

Changsun Wuji walked towards the black-covered carriage behind, and several Qianniu Guards followed him.

Li Chengqian shook his head, turned to look at Li Zhi, forced a smile, and said with a gentle expression, "Zhi Nu, you have grown taller!"

Li Zhi bowed earnestly again and said, "Greetings, my royal brother."

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "You and I are brothers, no need to be so polite. By the way, how is Father feeling today?"

"Not bad!" Li Zhi was a little surprised when he said this, but he still said: "Today, the emperor ordered all officials to come to welcome my brother, and he is very happy."

"That's good." Li Chengqian breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "How is the King of Qi now?"

"Brother Prince Qi is currently confined to the Yiluan Palace." Li Zhi shook his head and said, "Brother Prince's matter has been discussed several times by the court, but was always suppressed by the Emperor."

"Yeah!" Li Chengqian nodded. The emperor might not be able to handle Li You's matter easily.

In the previous life, Li You was sentenced to death by the emperor after he rebelled. But now, although Li You rebelled, letters between Li Tai and Quan Wanji were found in Li Tai's study.

This makes the matter complicated.

Originally, it was Li You who was plotting a rebellion, but now it seems that he was forced to rebel by the King of Wei. This also explains why Li You's uprising was unimaginably chaotic.

Before the imperial army arrived, he was captured alive by the Qizhou military officer.

It becomes troublesome when discussing the crime. If we want to discuss Li You's crime, we must also discuss Li Tai's crime.

When his two sons were interrogated by court officials about their conspiracy to rebel, Li Chengqian asked himself if he had the face to do so. As for the emperor, he also didn't have the face to do so.

This is also the reason why in his previous life, after Li You and Li Chengqian rebelled one after another and Li Tai lied about killing his son and passing the throne to his younger brother, the emperor collapsed and wanted to commit suicide.

Of course, the so-called collapse was just a pretense, to save face in front of his ministers.

Otherwise, why didn't it collapse earlier or later, but just when the ministers were present?

"Your Highness!" Changsun Wuji's voice rang out from behind. Li Chengqian turned around, and Changsun Wuji bowed and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty is still waiting in the palace. Let's go in."

"Okay!" Li Chengqian turned around and looked at Li Zhi, nodded, then jumped on his horse and headed towards Dingding Gate first.

The ministers on both sides immediately made way and followed Li Chengqian into the palace.

……

Dingding Gate is majestic and vast, towering and magnificent, and is in no way inferior to Mingde Gate, the main gate of Chang'an.

Dingdingmen Street is straight and wide, leading directly to Duanmen.

As Li Chengqian walked along, he couldn't help but look to both sides.

The gatehouse is tall and exquisite, and locust trees line the road.

Although the people in Luoyang City did not walk around with their heads held high like the people in Chang'an, they looked relaxed, indifferent and calm, and their clothes were not inferior to those of the people in Chang'an, and even better.

Li Chengqian vaguely understood that this was the result of the people of Luoyang not having huge food and housing pressures, which allowed them to use more surplus wealth than the people of Chang'an.

"Is this your first time in Luoyang, my royal brother?" Li Zhi and Li Chengqian rode side by side, and Li Zhi looked at Li Chengqian in surprise.

"I came here once a few years ago, but it was a quick visit." Li Chengqian looked at the undulating buildings in the distance and sighed softly, "Luoyang's prosperity is no less than Chang'an, and its cultural heritage surpasses it. No wonder my father makes his annual eastern tour."

"The climate in Luoyang is indeed much better than that in Chang'an." Li Zhi nodded with a smile, a hint of pride in his eyes.

The emperor would basically take him with him on his annual eastern tour, and he would also accompany the emperor to Luoyang every year. Compared with Li Chengqian, who could only stay in Chang'an at this time of year, Li Zhi was indeed much luckier.

Li Chengqian smiled. In the distance, the clear sound of flowing river reached his ears.

Li Chengqian immediately understood that Luohe had arrived.

The Ziwei Palace in Luoyang City is located on the northwest highlands of the entire Luoyang City. Further away is the undulating Mang Mountain, and to the south is the Luo River flowing down from the Luo River Plain.

Most of the powerful officials in the court have mansions on both sides of Luoyang. Not only are they very close to the imperial palace, but they can also enjoy the scenery of the Luo River and the convenience of falling into the water.

……

Cross the Luo River, enter Duanmen, and follow Gong Street into Chengtian Gate.

On both sides of the straight and narrow palace road are towering city walls.

On the city walls were countless guards holding long spears and guarding the city strictly.

The end of the palace road is Qianyang Gate. After passing Qianyang Gate, you will find the ruins of Qianyang Palace.

Although the Ziwei Palace was the former palace of the Sui Dynasty, at the end of the Sui Dynasty, after the emperor led his people to attack and defeat Wang Shichong, he thought the palace was too luxurious and burned it down.

Nine years later, in the fourth year of Zhenguan, the emperor wanted to rebuild the Qianyang Palace on the original site, but was strongly opposed by the minister Zhang Xuansu.

After Afang Palace was completed, the Qin people dispersed.

After the construction of Qianyang was completed, the Sui people dismantled it.

Zhang Xuansu believed that rebuilding the Qianyang Palace would inherit the root cause of the Sui Dynasty's demise, and that the emperor might be even more incompetent than Emperor Yang of Sui in the future... With just one sentence, the emperor stopped thinking about it.

Li Chengqian's gaze fell on Qianyang Palace, and then he glanced at Li Zhi lightly.

In later generations, Li Zhi rebuilt the Qianyang Palace, and the Tang Dynasty gradually entered a prosperous era. He himself finally died in this Ziwei Palace.

Then came the chaotic era of Empress Wu.

If we had followed Zhang Xuansu's advice and not rebuilt the Qianyang Palace, would we have been able to avoid the disasters of later generations?

Li Chengqian shook his head slightly in his heart. In any case, the root of the problem lies with people, and things are just the introduction and appearance.

But if there is no introduction and appearance, then even if there is a contradiction, it will be delayed for several years.

So, doing this still makes sense.

Because the Qianyang Hall was not built, the emperor held court and handled government affairs in the Zhenguan Hall when he was in Luoyang.

During the Sui Dynasty, this palace was called Daye Hall. After the Tang Dynasty, it was renamed Zhenguan Hall. ...

Standing at the foot of the jade steps, Li Chengqian took a deep breath, then quickly walked up the steps and entered the Zhenguan Hall.

In the Zhenguan Hall, the emperor, dressed in a scarlet and yellow dragon robe, sat upright on the imperial couch, sizing up Li Chengqian with calm and sharp eyes.

Li Chengqian walked into the hall with a solemn expression, came to the steps, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed solemnly, saying: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you, Father. May you live forever."

Behind him, Fang Xuanling, Gao Shilian, Chu Suiliang, Ma Zhou, and many more officials from Chang'an all knelt and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects to you. May your Majesty live a long and healthy life."

Li Shimin nodded calmly and said, "Everyone, please stand up."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian and all the officials kowtowed to express their gratitude, then stood up and returned to their ranks.

Li Chengqian had just reached the third step of the Danbi and stood still when the emperor's voice came from above: "Crown Prince!"

"Your son is here!" Li Chengqian immediately walked down from the steps, stood in the hall and bowed to the emperor.

Li Shimin sighed softly and said, "It has been four months since I left Chang'an in early March. You have been regent for four months. So many things have happened in Chang'an. What do you think?"

Li Chengqian lowered his head slightly. Was he going to be given a warning just because he had just arrived in Luoyang?
Li Chengqian immediately knelt again, kowtowed in a sorrowful voice, and said, "Your Majesty, I am guilty. I failed to monitor the affairs of Chang'an properly. If I had noticed this sooner, the following events would not have happened."

The emperor was slightly stunned, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. Then, he looked up and sighed, "Qingque went berserk and held Hou Junji and Zhang Liang hostage in rebellion. Although you did neglect your duties, to be honest, you were able to pacify everything in the shortest time possible and at the lowest cost. This was something I had not expected before, but I also admit that you did a great job."

Li Chengqian kowtowed in panic and said, "I was ultimately unable to stop everything before it happened. Otherwise, I wouldn't be putting my father in such a difficult position right now."

Li Shimin laughed helplessly twice, then said: "Everything in the world is ultimately about human nature. If human nature is evil, no matter how kind your intentions are, it will be difficult to dissuade those who are determined to die."

It's hard to persuade the damn ghost!

Although Li Shimin criticized Li Chengqian a little, to be honest, if you think about it carefully, he had already done the best he could in Chang'an City.

He tried to persuade Li Tai more than once, but Li Tai, who was determined to raise an army and storm the palace, simply wouldn't listen.

Unless he acted decisively at the last moment and captured and imprisoned Li Tai in advance.

But if he really did that, the emperor would be worried.

Although Li Chengqian was the regent prince, he could not even leave the palace on weekdays. The Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple were unaware of Li Tai's rebellion. The only thing they could notice was that the Hundred Cavalry Division was not under his control. If he really acted recklessly, who knew what the result would be.

Who knows, in the end, he might be accused of treason against his brother.

"Yes!" Li Chengqian nodded slightly with a sad look on his face.

Li Shimin sighed, then looked at Li Chengqian and asked, "You've petitioned several times before to confer titles on Li Xin. What title do you think should be bestowed upon him?"

Li Chengqian's expression grew serious. The Emperor mentioned Li Xin. Was this the beginning of preparations for dealing with Li Tai?
Li Tai rebelled after all. Even though Li Chengqian gave him a crazy protective cover, all the officials in the court and the country knew what was going on and would eventually have to take action.

"Confer the title of Prince of Wuyang on him. After all, he is the son of a prince!" Li Chengqian bowed seriously.

"If he is granted the title of Prince, it will be difficult to deal with Qingque." Li Shimin shook his head and said, "I intend to demote him to a commoner and then exile him to Qianzhou."

He was demoted to a commoner and exiled to Qianzhou.

Li Chengqian couldn't help but look up in surprise, his expression a little dazed for a moment.

The final outcome of his previous life was that he was demoted to a commoner, exiled to Qianzhou, and finally died of illness on the roadside.

Now Li Tai is about to follow the same path as Li Chengqian, being demoted to a commoner, exiled to Qianzhou, and even dying of illness on the road.

This was Li Chengqian's original idea. He wanted to be demoted to a commoner and exiled to Qianzhou like Li Tai. However, when the emperor began to look for a powerful wife and family for Li Zhi, Li Chengqian changed his mind.

He was not worried about the emperor, nor about Li Tai, but only about Li Zhi.

Li Zhi eventually became the emperor, and his reputation in history books was not low, especially with the support of Wu Meiniang.

If it were not for the fact that he could not easily interfere in the emperor's harem, Li Chengqian would have killed Wu Meiniang long ago.

When he woke up in the middle of the night, Li Chengqian couldn't help but think of the alliance between Li Zhi and Wu Meiniang, and he couldn't help feeling a little frightened.

One of them kept saying bad things about the emperor in his ears, while the other acted like a filial son in front of the emperor. This was extremely harmful to Li Chengqian.

How did Fusu die?

This is how Fusu died.

Therefore, he needed someone to block Li Zhi in front of him. His first choice was Li Tai, who had failed in his rebellion and was insane.

Li Tai is useful to him, very useful to him.

……

Li Chengqian quickly turned around and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Father, Qingque was wrong, but that was simply a result of his disordered mind. The most important thing is that he didn't cause much damage in Chang'an City.

Even many people in Chang'an are unaware of this incident. In my opinion, it would be better to demote him to a prince, keep him in Chang'an, and after proper medical treatment, send him to a local settlement."

"Demoted to a prince?" Li Shimin looked at Li Chengqian in surprise. This son really didn't look like him!

Li Shimin turned to look at Li Zhi and asked, "Prince Jin, what do you think?"

Li Zhi immediately stood up, then knelt on the ground, bowed to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that what my brother said is reasonable. Chang'an is not seriously harmed after all. Your Majesty, if you want to punish my fourth brother, whether it means demoting him to a prince or a commoner, you must first cure him."

When Li Zhi said this, Zhangsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Chu Suiliang, and Ma Zhou couldn't help but frown.

What the King of Jin said sounded right, but upon closer examination, it was full of flattery.

Li Chengqian wanted to demote Li Tai to a prince, and he accepted the proposal. The emperor wanted to demote Li Tai to a commoner, and he also accepted the proposal.

Li Chengqian said that he would properly treat Li Tai, and he adopted the prescription. The emperor said that he would exile Li Tai to Qianzhou, but he left a loophole to talk about it after Li Tai was cured.

Talking for so long is equivalent to saying nothing.

however……

Li Shimin's expression relaxed as he sat on the imperial couch. He nodded and said, "It's rare that you brothers all think this way. However, the matter of the Blue Bird will ultimately be determined by national law. I need to think about it again. Okay, you two can go down first. Cheng Qian, you haven't been to Luoyang for a long time, right? Let Zhinu take you around. Let's go see Songshan, Longmen, and the White Horse Temple."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian immediately bowed, but then he looked up and said, "Father, I haven't seen Jinyang for a long time. I want to go see her first."

"Okay, let Zhinu take you there." Li Shimin smiled calmly and looked at Li Zhi.

Li Zhi immediately bowed and said, "Your son obeys your order."

……

Watching Li Chengqian and Li Zhi leave, Li Shimin's expression turned cold. He looked outside the hall and said in a deep voice, "Send Zhang Liang!"

(End of this chapter)