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

Chapter 271: Being a Crown Prince Does Not Mean Being the Emperor’s Son (Part )
In the hottest days of June, the sun sets at dusk.

Li Chengqian got off the sedan chair somewhat tiredly. Although it was another busy day, there was a hidden excitement in his eyes.

The great war was won, the great war was won under his command...

Just as Li Chengqian was about to step into Ganlu Palace, a burst of hurried footsteps sounded behind him.

Li Chengqian turned around.

Chang Sunxiang had already hurried up behind him, and with a bow, he said, "Your Highness, Minister Fang is here, and he said there's an urgent military report from the grasslands."

Li Chengqian's expression became serious, and he immediately said, "Please come in."

"Yes!" Changsun Xiang turned and left, and Li Chengqian followed him to the Chongjiao Hall, but there was some doubt in his eyes.

At this time, the court officials had just been dismissed, and even Li Chengqian had returned to the Eastern Palace from the Wude Hall.

As soon as he returned to the Eastern Palace, Fang Xuanling came to him.

……

Li Chengqian had just taken his seat in the Chongjiao Hall when Fang Xuanling entered from outside. He solemnly bowed to Li Chengqian and said, "Your Highness, urgent news from the grasslands! General Tian Renhui of the Right Jinwu Guard has captured Yemang, the eldest son of Xueyantuo Zhenzhu Khan, alive on the grasslands!"

"Who?" Li Chengqian looked up in surprise.

"Tian Renhui, the General of the Right Jinwu Guard." Fang Xuanling nodded affirmatively.

"Are you sure it's him?" Li Chengqian tried to force a smile, but the shock in his heart was hard to suppress.

Fang Xuanling looked at Li Chengqian deeply and nodded, "It's him."

The expression on Li Chengqian's face gradually subsided, and then he said lightly: "Just catch it."

Fang Xuanling looked at Li Chengqian, his eyes gradually becoming serious. He bowed seriously and said, "May I ask, Your Highness, did His Majesty leave you any secret instructions before he left?"

Li Chengqian was slightly taken aback, then smiled calmly and said, "Yes, before my father left, he gave me the power to directly command Chai Zhewei in Yanzhou and Xi Junmai in Lanzhou to deal with any possible attack from the Xueyantuo."

Fang Xuanling clenched his hands slightly, sighed inwardly, and then asked, "May I ask, Your Highness, how many people know about this imperial edict?"

"Besides me, Chai Zhewei, Xi Junmai, there's also Dou Zhijie and Zhang Xuan... these are all military matters." After a brief pause, Li Chengqian continued, "As for the others, even Zuo Kuangzheng and Li Dejian don't know the details. But with their intelligence, and the few things I've inadvertently revealed, perhaps they can guess a thing or two."

Zuo Kuangzheng was also a veteran, and it was impossible for Li Chengqian to convince him with just a few words. He must have guessed that Li Chengqian had a secret decree in his hand.

As for Li Dejian, commanding the war in Mobei was not something that Li Chengqian could ask others to cooperate with. They would definitely guess that the emperor had other intentions.

Fang Xuanling nodded slightly, turned around, looked at Changsun Xiang and said, "Can the Changsun family leader give me and the crown prince some space?"

Changsun Xiang looked at Fang Xuanling in surprise, then turned to look at Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, and Changsun Xiang bowed and retreated.

The sound of light footsteps was fading away. It was Chang Sun Xiang taking away the guards in secret.

Fang Xuanling took a deep breath, looked at Li Chengqian and asked, "May I ask Your Highness, did His Majesty leave a secret order for Your Highness to investigate General Tian Renhui of the Right Jinwu Guard?"

Li Chengqian's face darkened completely. He then raised his head, looked at Fang Xuanling with a faint smile, and asked, "Why does Prime Minister Fang make such a guess?"

"I'm still young." Fang Xuanling bowed and said, "It's obvious that Li Dejian is secretly directing the battle in Mobei. Too many people can see it. He was once an official of the Eastern Palace and the son of Li Jing. He is very capable. Everyone has tacitly accepted his command. This is not surprising. But the matter of Tian Renhui..."

Fang Xuanling suddenly laughed at himself and said, "Your Highness placed Xi Junmai in Wuwei. Wuwei to Lingzhou is as far as Dunhuang, a day and a night's journey. Even with the messenger, it would only take two days... As soon as Xi Junmai's whereabouts were revealed, I guessed that Your Highness was on guard against Tian Renhui. Then, considering Your Highness's sudden division of troops, everything became clear."

Divide the troops.

Li Chengqian's original plan was to use the Great Wall as a defense line and then gather 5,000 elite cavalrymen together.

As long as we can capture the main force of the Xueyantuo people, and then break out of the Great Wall in one fell swoop and kill the main force of the Xueyantuo people, the situation on the grassland can be stabilized.

But suddenly the troops were divided.

At first Fang Xuanling thought it was Zuo Kuangzheng's suggestion, but when Xi Junmai appeared in Wuwei, everything became clear.

From the very beginning of dividing the troops, Li Chengqian was plotting against Tian Renhui.

All his arrangements were prepared for any changes in Lingzhou and Xiazhou, especially if the Xueyantuo people broke in, several ambushes would be launched immediately.

Even in Chang'an, Zheng Rentai was waiting with two thousand elite cavalrymen, and the situation was completely under Li Chengqian's control.

"I remember that it was Your Highness who first decided to transfer troops from Shazhou to Anxi." Fang Xuanling sighed softly and said, "This not only resolves the crisis in Anxi, but also lays an ambush in Shazhou."

"I never thought they would actually go to Shazhou." Li Chengqian shook his head slightly, still a little incredulous. "Xi Junmai was already preparing to go to Lingzhou, but who knew they would show up outside Shazhou? I really feel a little sorry for them if I don't treat them well."

Seeing Li Chengqian trying to change the subject, Fang Xuanling lowered his head slightly, his expression somewhat bitter, but he still spoke: "If the Xueyantuo continue to attack the Great Wall, especially Lingzhou, that would be more in line with Your Highness's preparations."

Tian Renhui.

Fang Xuanling came to see him today because of Tian Renhui's matter.

……

Li Chengqian gently raised his head and looked at Fang Xuanling, and said calmly: "Prime Minister Fang, I have the answer to your question. Are you sure you really want to ask?"

Fang Xuanling fell silent. After a moment, he nodded again and said, "Your Highness, please give me some advice."

"Good!" Li Chengqian breathed a sigh of relief, then continued, "A few years ago, I was bedridden for half a year due to a leg injury. During that time, I figured out a truth."

"Listen to your highness's teachings!"

Li Chengqian chuckled softly, then said, "Although I am the crown prince, my father's eldest son, if I truly treat my father as the eldest son, no, even if I treat my father as a son, and treat everything in the court as such, it is actually wrong."

Fang Xuanling looked at Li Chengqian in surprise. What's wrong with this?
Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "Later, I put myself in the right place. In the entire Tang Dynasty, in this court, the most important thing about being a crown prince is that I am not the emperor's son, but his subject. I must treat my father and the court officials as a subject, and act accordingly."

Fang Xuanling fell silent.

"Over the past three years, everything has proven me right." Li Chengqian gave a self-deprecating laugh and continued, "My position in the court has become increasingly stable. And while I was acting without any deviation, my younger brother, the King of Wei, rebelled and was ultimately deposed."

Li Tai really wants to be a son.

Li Chengqian sighed softly and said, "And there's Zhinu. He was sent back to Taiyuan because he wanted to be a son so badly."

As the emperor's son, you must never act like one when conducting yourself within the court. "As the Crown Prince, my position in the current court may not be comparable to that of the other prime ministers, but it is on par with the six ministers. In fact, my position is unique among the six ministers." Li Chengqian looked out at the entire Eastern Palace outside the hall and said softly, "Prince Fang, the entire Eastern Palace has one official of the third rank, four or five of the fourth rank, and even more of the fifth rank. Add in the Crown Prince, and I, as long as I'm involved in court affairs, my weight will be extraordinary."

Fang Xuanling nodded slightly. The prince could not enter the government hall, which restricted the upper limit of his power.

"So, I act as one of the officials of the Eastern Palace, and as long as I stay within the rules, then naturally, there are no taboos." Li Chengqian looked at Fang Xuanling and said with a smile, "Ever since I no longer consider myself the emperor's son, the emperor has become more and more respectful of me. Isn't that strange?"

Fang Xuanling didn't know how to refute for a moment.

Because this is actually the fact. After leaving Beijing, the emperor not only let the prince govern the country, but also gave him secret orders and decrees.

These are things that Fang Xuanling does not have.

"So, Prime Minister Fang, the reason you came to see me today is because you have misjudged yourself." Li Chengqian shook his head at Fang Xuanling and said, "Prime Minister Fang, you are merely a subject of my father, nothing more."

Fang Xuanling's face was terribly gloomy.

The reason why he felt a little emotional today was indeed because, as Li Chengqian said, there was something wrong with his positioning.

Taking a deep breath, Fang Xuanling bowed and asked, "May I ask Your Highness, regarding the matter of Tian Renhui, how do you intend to deal with it?"

"Tian Renhui." Li Chengqian's face was solemn. After a moment's thought, he said, "This battle has fully demonstrated the Duke of Xindu's loyalty to the Tang Dynasty. Your Majesty will not pursue the previous matters. Later, Your Majesty may appoint him as one of the sixteen generals, or a provincial governor, and give him important positions."

"Are you entrusting him with an important task, or do you no longer trust him?" Fang Xuanling asked softly.

Fang Xuanling could not hide Tian Renhui's affairs from him. As long as he investigated Tian Renhui's affairs in reverse order, he would be able to find out all of Tian Renhui's actions on the night of Li Tai's rebellion.

The things behind his back could not be hidden from Fang Xuanling.

Li Chengqian looked up at Fang Xuanling in surprise, then shook his head slightly and said, "Prime Minister Fang, I have a question for you. Among all the people in the court and the country, including me, who do you think the emperor trusts the most?"

"It's Duke Zhao." Fang Xuanling didn't hesitate at all. The emperor only had one person he trusted the most, and that was Duke Zhao, Changsun Wuji.

"Then has Prime Minister Fang ever thought about this question: why did the emperor never let my uncle assist in governing the country during his many eastern tours?" Li Chengqian asked softly, and Fang Xuanling was stunned.

He had never thought about the problem from this perspective.

The emperor always took Zhangsun Wuji with him when he toured the east, but he never asked him to stay in the court to assist in the administration.

Those who stayed in the court to assist in the administration were either Gao Shilian or Fang Xuanling, and basically no Zhangsun Wuji.

Yes, it cannot be said that there was no such thing. It was when Empress Changsun was still alive.

"Father never trusts anyone absolutely. I am like this, you are like this, and even my uncle is like this." Li Chengqian looked at Fang Xuanling and waved his hand, saying, "I shouldn't be the one to say this, Prime Minister Fang. You should understand it better than me!"

Fang Xuanling closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again and looked at Li Chengqian and asked, "If Your Highness were to make the decision about Tian Renhui and the things behind him, what would you think?"

Li Chengqian's eyes lit up. It turned out to be for Fang Yiai.

"Tian Renhui has already expressed his loyalty to the Tang Dynasty. So, if it were up to me, I wouldn't investigate him. However, I won't let go of that web." Li Chengqian lowered his head, looking outside the hall, and said softly, "In fact, as long as there are losers and dark sides in the world, those things will always exist."

"Yes!" Fang Xuanling nodded.

"However, they can get what they want, but they must not be seen by me. I will eliminate them if I see them. That's the first thing." Li Chengqian looked up at Fang Xuanling and said, "Secondly, if those people secretly get what they want, they should just stay put. But if they even interfere in the affairs of the court, or even in the struggle for the throne, don't blame me for being ruthless."

So that's how it is. Fang Xuanling finally understood why the emperor was so determined to keep harping on this matter.

From Li Chengqian, Fang Xuanling got the answer that the emperor would give.

Intervene in the fight for succession.

Qi Zhixuan, Zhang Liang, and Yuan Renhui were all like this.

There is also Tian Renhui. Although he made the right choice at the critical moment, he still moved after all.

So the emperor would no longer trust him, but he would not continue to dig deeper into him.

If Tian Ren was smarter and completely cut off contact with those people, the emperor would naturally not investigate again, but if he refused to cut off contact, the emperor would not let him go.

There is another person in the court who is also deeply involved in this matter.

Fang Yiai.

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness." Fang Xuanling took a deep breath and bowed.

In many matters, Fang Xuanling could be resourceful when dealing with external parties, but when things fell on him, he became somewhat confused.

"You're welcome, Prime Minister Fang." Li Chengqian waved his hand slightly, then said, "Ministers, ministers, always come first. Prime Minister Fang, remember this!"

"Yes!" Fang Xuanling bowed again, then glanced at the urgent official document on the table and said, "I haven't congratulated Your Highness on getting what he wanted yet. After this battle, Your Highness's reputation in the army is probably unmatched by anyone except Your Majesty."

Li Chengqian looked at Fang Xuanling with a bewildered expression. "What does this mean, Prime Minister Fang? What do you mean by 'I got what I wanted'? Besides, it's just one battle. How will it improve my reputation in the army?"

"The army now follows Your Majesty's lead. Hou Junji should have been the next in command, but unfortunately, he's dead. As for the others, Li Ji and Li Jing, while capable commanders, are extremely cautious. The rest are nothing more than reckless men." Fang Xuanling smiled broadly, then looked at Li Chengqian and said, "Your Majesty, you orchestrated this battle from within the tent, winning the battle from afar. Everyone with a discerning eye in the army saw this."

"Minister Fang has said that I don't have a single soldier under my command." Li Chengqian shook his head slightly, his expression still calm.

"I once tried to get my third son included in the list of those to be transferred to the Eastern Palace through the Ministry of Personnel, but Your Majesty rejected it." Fang Xuanling couldn't help but sigh.

Li Chengqian raised his head and looked at Fang Xuanling in surprise.

"The storm is coming." Fang Xuanling bowed and said, "Your Highness, please be careful."

A burst of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall.

Then, Changsun Xiang rushed into the hall without hesitation. Without even looking at Fang Xuanling, he bowed to Li Chengqian and said, "Your Highness, something has happened in Bingzhou. The entire Turkic Ashina Sibi tribe has suddenly headed north, and the Prince of Jin has led his men in pursuit."

"What? Didn't I repeatedly warn him to defend Taiyuan firmly and not to act rashly?" Li Chengqian slammed the table and stood up suddenly.

"Perhaps it was because of seeing His Highness's great victory on the western front that Prince Jin finally couldn't help it." Fang Xuanling shook his head slightly and sighed.

"This matter cannot be handled this way." Li Chengqian looked at Changsun Xiang and said, "Order General Tian Renhui of the Right Jinwu Guard to immediately behead Zhenzhu's son Yemang, and then send the heads of the other tribes on the grassland. At the same time, send a message to the King of Jin, ordering him to return to Taiyuan immediately without delay!"

Fang Xuanling raised his head and sighed softly, "Yemang could have lived, but Xueyantuo would have been destroyed because of this."

Li Chengqian never looked at Fang Xuanling again.

(End of this chapter)