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

Chapter 244: Crossing the River by Feeling Wu Zetian

The Luo River is quiet and the sails are setting in the east.

Standing at the bow, watching the ships passing by, Li Chengqian said softly, "A white horse is not a horse. The Buddhist sect is always accustomed to discarding the meaning of words, but they don't know that meaning is what the world cares about most."

"My royal brother is still thinking about the White Horse Temple." Li Zhi came up from behind. The two brothers had just visited the White Horse Temple.

"My father has invited Master Daoxin to Chang'an three times. Today, he asked me to go to the White Horse Temple on his behalf and ask the White Horse Temple to spread the word. But Zhinu, I think Master Daoxin will still refuse this time." Li Chengqian turned sideways and looked at Li Zhi.

"Does the great Buddhist monk really want you and I to go to Jingzhou in person to invite him?" Li Zhi couldn't help but sneer.

Li Chengqian was slightly stunned, and then he remembered that Li Zhi actually didn't like Buddhism very much.

Shaking his head, Li Chengqian said, "It's about Qingque. There are many traces of Buddhism in Qingque's affairs. Father wants to invite Master Daoxin to Chang'an, actually to appease Buddhism, but..."

"They are guilty as thieves." Li Zhi immediately understood.

"Since the end of the Han Dynasty, the Three Kingdoms, the Jin Dynasty, the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and even the Sui Dynasty, and even this dynasty, Buddhist involvement in political disputes has been common." Li Chengqian sighed and said, "It's like this today, and it will inevitably be like this in the future... Young slave, remember, it's okay to worship Buddha, but don't get too close to any particular monk."

Seeing Li Chengqian's serious expression, Li Zhi immediately bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, my royal brother."

"Let's go, it's time to go back to the palace, my father is still waiting!" Li Chengqian's gaze fell to the front.

The three-masted sailboat under my feet, escorted by five warships, sailed towards the Ziwei Palace in the distance.

Although the civilian ships on both sides were far away, their progress was not hindered. Compared with the closure of the long street, sailing on the water was much more convenient.

The people in the distance were looking at Li Chengqian and Li Zhi.

It is rare for the prince to come to Luoyang.

……

At Chengtian Sect, Li Chengqian looked at Zhang Ananda in surprise and said, "Is the emperor in Renshou Hall?"

"Yes!" Zhang Ananda said as he led Li Chengqian and Li Tai towards the Renshou Hall, "The Grand Princess of Tongan has arrived. Your Majesty and Duke Zhao are receiving her in the Renshou Hall."

"Great aunt?" Li Chengqian frowned slightly. Why was he here?

Princess Tongan was the same mother and sister of Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan, the emperor's aunt, and the great-aunt of Li Chengqian and his brothers.

Princess Tongan married Wang Yu, who was from the Wang family of Taiyuan and was the son of Wang Bing, the prime minister of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Princess Tongan and Wang Yu had only one daughter, who married Yang Guang and became his imperial consort.

It was also because of this relationship that Li Yuan was able to secure his position as the governor of Taiyuan. Later, when he started his rebellion, he received great support from the Wang family of Taiyuan.

However, Wang stood on the wrong side at Xuanwu Gate, so although she was still treated with courtesy by the emperor over the years, she did not receive much real attention.

When the descendants of the Wang family entered the court, their ranks were not very high, but due to the family's noble character, many of them resigned within two years.

However, the Wang family rose to power in the early years of Yonghui... Li Chengqian subconsciously glanced at Li Zhi.

correct.

Princess Tongan came to propose marriage.

Li Chengqian almost forgot that the reason why the girl from the Taiyuan Wang family was able to become the Princess of Jin and even the Queen in the previous life was because the Grand Princess Tongan took the initiative to come to propose marriage.

The emperor was choosing a Princess Jin for Li Zhi. All other families were waiting for the emperor to make his selection, but only the Wang family of Taiyuan, no, to be more precise, it was the Grand Princess of Tongan who took the initiative to come to him.

As they were talking, Li Chengqian and Li Zhi had already entered the Renshou Hall. They both bowed to the emperor sitting on the imperial couch and said, "Your Highness, your sons pay their respects to you, Father!"

Li Shimin nodded, looked at the Grand Princess of Tongan who was wearing gorgeous clothes and gold jewelry, and said, "Greetings, Grand Princess."

"Greetings, great-aunt!" Li Chengqian and Li Zhi turned around at the same time and bowed to Princess Tongan.

Just as Princess Tongan was about to stand up, Li Shimin waved his hand and said, "Aunt, what are you doing? This is a family matter, and it's the responsibility of the two younger generations to perform the formalities."

Li Shimin turned aside and said, "Pass the decree down. From now on, the Crown Prince and the other princes must take the initiative to greet the Grand Princess when they see her, and the Grand Princess does not need to return the greeting."

"Yes!" Zhang Ananda on the side immediately bowed.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Princess Tongan quickly bowed to the emperor in return.

"You're welcome, aunt." Li Shimin looked up and said, "I have something else to do. I will seriously consider your matter."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I'll take my leave!" Princess Tongan bowed immediately.

"Crown Prince, please see the Grand Princess off for me." Li Shimin looked up at Li Chengqian.

"Yes!" Li Chengqian immediately bowed, then turned around to support the Grand Princess of Tongan and said, "Take care, aunt!"

……

"Princess Tongan came here today for your marriage." Li Shimin looked at Li Zhi and spoke directly.

Li Zhi was slightly stunned, then he bowed and asked, "Is she the daughter of the Wang family?"

"Yes!" Li Shimin nodded and said, "The Wang family has a daughter, who is considered your uncle's niece. She is beautiful and docile, so your aunt came to ask if you have any such idea."

"Your son?" Li Zhi did not expect that the emperor would let him decide on such a matter himself.

"Yes!" Li Shimin nodded slightly, and then looked at Li Zhi.

Li Zhi raised his eyebrows slightly, and he immediately understood that this was a test from the emperor.

Li Zhi was extremely smart. He immediately understood that if the emperor really liked Wang's daughter to be his Princess of Jin, why would he ask for his opinion?

The emperor was obviously not optimistic.

Li Zhi suddenly remembered what Li Chengqian had said that day. An idea immediately came to his mind. He bowed and said, "May I ask, Father, how old is the daughter of the Wang family now?"

"Twelve years old!" Li Shimin frowned slightly.

Li Zhi immediately bowed and said, "Marriage is always decided by parents and matchmakers. If your Majesty agrees, I will not object, but..."

"Say!"

"Isn't this twelve years old the nominal age? Isn't it too young?" Li Zhi bowed and said, "If that's the case, then we have to wait a few years before getting married."

Li Zhi naturally knew that the emperor was considering his marriage this time largely because he wanted to use his marriage to stabilize the local area before the eastern expedition.

If she is really the daughter of the Wang family, the Wang family is a powerful family in the world and can naturally help the emperor stabilize Hebei, but the marriage may really take several years.

"Okay, I understand." Li Shimin waved his hand.

"Your Majesty, I'll take my leave!" Li Zhi immediately bowed. Just as he was about to leave, he turned around and asked, "Father, what happened at the White Horse Temple?"

"No problem!" Li Shimin waved his hand, and Li Zhi immediately bowed and took his leave.

Looking at Li Zhi's departing figure, Li Shimin shook his head and said, "This kid still knows his limits."

"The Wang family is a great clan!" Zhangsun Wuji, sitting nearby, said, "Since the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the princes have all married women from non-noble clans. This is to prevent the wives' families from interfering in the battle for the crown prince. The Su and Yan families are all like this."

Li Shimin nodded. After all, these were the lessons learned from the affairs of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji.

Li Jiancheng's wife's family was from the Zheng family of Xingyang, while Li Yuanji's wife's family was from the Yang family of Hongnong.

After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Shimin had to work very hard to appease the two families.

This is the reason why he has three Yang concubines in his harem.

Therefore, Li Chengqian married Su's daughter as the Crown Princess, and Li Tai married Yan Wan.

A while ago, when Li Tai plotted a rebellion, the Yan family did not get involved at all, which is enough to prove the feasibility of this method.

Therefore, it was basically impossible for a woman from the Wang family of Taiyuan to become the consort of the Prince of Jin, especially at a time when the Emperor had great needs in Hebei. "The affairs of the Later Han Dynasty!" Li Shimin sighed softly. The most famous thing about the Later Han Dynasty was the harem's interference in politics and the monopoly of power by relatives of the emperor.

The emperor has always been wary of these things, especially when he has other options.

"Let's talk about the Zhao family!" Li Shimin turned and looked at Changsun Wuji.

Zhangsun Wuji said, "The Qinghe Zhao family isn't considered a top-tier clan in Hebei, but they have the Tianshui Zhao family behind them, so their family background is not bad. The Zhao family's daughter is the granddaughter of the Hongnong Yang family. Furthermore, Your Majesty, the Yang family has the bloodline of the Northern Zhou Yuwen family, and so does the Zhao family's daughter."

Li Shimin nodded. Su Shu and Yan Wan both had the blood of the Yuwen family.

When the Yuwen clan founded the Northern Zhou Dynasty, although the country was named after the title of Yuwen Tai, the Duke of Zhou, the Yuwen clan more often claimed that they were descendants of Emperor Yan. They established the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and later restored the Zhou rituals, promoted Confucianism and benevolence, and were accepted by the world.

The former Sui Dynasty also benefited from this.

The current Tang Dynasty inherited the Guanlong clan and wanted to win over the hearts of the people of Guanlong, so it had this need.

After all, the Tang Dynasty was able to be established because Yang Guang was abandoned by the Longxi clans. Now that the Tang Dynasty rules the world, it naturally wants to avoid repeating Yang Guang's old path.

The Former Sui Dynasty replaced the Northern Zhou Dynasty, so Li Shimin deliberately used the descendants of the Northern Zhou Dynasty's Yuwen family to be Li Chengqian's Crown Princess and Li Tai's Princess Wei.

The same is true for Li Zhi now.

Besides, who could marry the daughter of the Northern Zhou Yuwen clan? Which family is bad? Su Wei was the former Shangshu Zuo Pushe of the Sui Dynasty, and Yan Liben's grandfather Yan Qing was the Sikong of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.

It was Zhao Yanshen, who was also the Shangshu Ling of Northern Qi. His grandson married the daughter of the Yang family, who were members of the former Sui royal family.

If you look closely, Su Wei, Yan Qing and Zhao Yanshen are almost the top talents of their generation.

"As for the daughter of the Wang family, Your Majesty, let's not talk about the Wang family of Taiyuan. Her uncle is Liu Shi, from the Hedong Liu family." Changsun Wuji frowned and said, "If the marriage takes place, I'm afraid not only the Wang family, but also the Liu family will be implicated. Wei Ting's matter..."

Li Shimin simply waved his hand, looking thoughtful.

"Then Your Majesty, how about deciding on a daughter of the Zhao family?" Changsun Wuji looked at Li Shimin.

The emperor pondered for a moment, waved his hand, and said, "I'll think about it again. Ultimately, this matter must wait until the matter between Qingque and Wulang is resolved."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji bowed immediately.

Li Shimin looked outside the palace and said softly, "It's July, Wuji."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji seemed to understand something and his expression immediately relaxed.

……

At Chengtian Gate, Li Chengqian bowed to Princess Tongan in the carriage and said, "Grandma, take care!"

"Your Highness, please return!" Princess Tongan nodded to Li Chengqian, then lowered the carriage curtain and said to Wang Renyou, who was sitting opposite her, "Let's go."

"Yes!" Wang Renyou knocked on the front door, and the carriage started slowly and soon drove out of the Duanmen Gate.

After crossing Tianjin Bridge, Wang Renyou looked carefully at Princess Tongan and said, "Aunt, things are not going well, right?"

"Your Majesty hasn't expressed his opinion, but he must always take my reputation into consideration." After a brief pause, Princess Tong'an said with emotion, "Your Majesty has made a big fuss about this matter. The Hebei family acted too early. Your Majesty has considered them, but has not made a decision yet."

"Yes!" Wang Renyou nodded solemnly.

"But you don't have to worry. As long as things aren't finalized, Lan'er still has a chance." Princess Tong'an paused for a moment and said, "For this matter, go find your brother-in-law and ask the Liu family to help. If that doesn't work, have them contact the Dou family."

Wang Renyou was the father of Wang Youlan, the daughter of the Wang family. His wife was Liu, and Liu's younger brother was Liu Shi.

The most prominent official in the Liu family today is Liu Heng, the Junior Minister of Guanglu and the Grand Doctor of Yinqing Guanglu. Liu Heng's wife, Dou, was married to someone arranged by Emperor Gaozu himself.

On the Li family's side, Princess Tong'an is already the most capable person in the royal family, so now the Liu family or even the Dou family needs to step in.

"Yes!" Wang Renyou nodded seriously.

Princess Tongan breathed a sigh of relief and then said, "If this still doesn't work, we can find a way to find the Crown Prince and ask him for help, but this is a method that should not be used until the last resort."

"Yes!" Wang Renyou nodded slightly, and his eyes couldn't help but look back at Chengtian Gate. The prince was already walking towards the palace.

Li Chengqian had no idea that Princess Tongan had set her sights on him, and even if he knew, he would only find it funny.

He had already used several methods to try his best to ensure that the engagement between Li Zhi and Zhao could be successful, so how could he help the Wang family?

Besides, he could only find it funny that Wang was pushing her own daughter into the fire pit.

In the previous life, it was because of their various means that Queen Wang met Wu Zetian.

This poor woman, her final situation...

Li Chengqian walked past the ruins of Qianyang Palace and headed towards Zhenguan Palace.

He couldn't help but look at Qianyang Palace a few more times.

Li Zhi later rebuilt this place and renamed it Qianyuan Hall.

Later, Wu Zetian destroyed the Qianyuan Hall and rebuilt the Wanxiang Temple, where she finally handled state affairs.

Shaking his head, Li Chengqian continued walking towards the Zhenguan Hall. However, just as he took a step, a flash of inspiration passed through his mind and Li Chengqian stopped.

Vientiane Shrine, Wu Zetian.

Yes, Wu Zetian.

After ascending the throne, Wu Zetian made Luoyang, the eastern capital, the divine capital and changed the name of Tang to Zhou. From then on, she never returned to Chang'an until her death.

After she ascended the throne, she never returned to Chang'an until her death.

Why? Because Chang'an is the base camp of the Tang Dynasty.

There are countless people in Guanzhong who are loyal to the Tang Dynasty and the emperor.

So she didn't dare go back.

There are too many people in Chang'an who are loyal to the emperor, but in Luoyang, the situation is different.

The people of Luoyang received far less favor from the emperor than the people of Chang'an.

It’s the same whether it’s Li Zhi or Li Shimin.

In other words, the people of Luoyang were not that loyal to the emperor.

If someone were to gain control of the people of Luoyang and force the emperor to abdicate...

No, to be more precise, something happened when the emperor was on his eastern tour. Someone who controlled the hearts of the people in Luoyang asked the emperor to abdicate under duress. Then the people of Luoyang might have strongly supported him.

OMG!

Li Chengqian couldn't help but mutter, what on earth had he figured out?

He actually found inspiration from Wu Zetian.

He was crossing the river by feeling his way.

……

Turning around, Li Chengqian walked forward calmly.

Now he is the crown prince, a crown prince with a stable position.

There was no need to resort to these methods, no need to think about anything, unless one day in the future, he was once again faced with the situation of being abandoned...

can you?

(End of this chapter)