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

Chapter 318 Li Zhi, Xu Hui, and Wu Meiniang (Part )
On the banks of the Luo River, Luo City is bustling.

The emperor returned from Dingzhou two days ago, and a large number of soldiers who followed the emperor on the eastern expedition also returned with him.

Of course, not everyone came back.

Many people followed Li Ji into the Xueyantuo army, and their return time was uncertain.

But it was enough to let their families in Luoyang know whether they were alive or dead.

In the two battles between Liaodong and Goguryeo, the Tang Dynasty lost 3,000 soldiers.

Yes, the Tang Dynasty had 100,000 soldiers, while Goguryeo had more than 300,000 soldiers. After several battles, only 3,000 Tang soldiers died.

The three thousand men were not only in Luoyang, but also in all parts of the world. Only two or three hundred of them stayed in Luoyang.

There are only two or three people in a block, maybe even fewer.

After all, when recruiting soldiers in Luoyang, it was not just people from Luoyang City who came, but also people from other counties and prefectures in Henan Province.

Therefore, even though there were occasional deaths in Luoyang City at this moment, there was more joy and happiness.

Even for those who have passed away, the court will provide compensation quickly.

At the same time, many things also came into the hands of the emperor, as well as Li Zhi.

……

"What, Li Yifu returned to Chang'an?" Li Zhi couldn't help but stand up from the short couch.

Ji Jiafu, the Minister of the Prince of Jin's Palace, stood across from Li Zhi and bowed earnestly, saying, "As for what happened three days ago, His Majesty ordered him to return to the Censorate. However, Censor Li did not go to the palace to meet the princess. Instead, he secretly sent a letter and instructed me to rush to Luoyang immediately to inform Your Highness."

"Something's wrong, something's wrong!" Li Zhi slowly sat down, looked at Zhao Zhongjian who was sitting on his left, and asked, "What do you think, father-in-law?"

Zhao Zhongjian glanced at Ji Jiafu, then said thoughtfully, "Li Yifu is the official of the Prince of Jin in the palace, and he is also the Imperial Censor. If it is because of the Prince of Jin's palace, then Li Yifu should not be the only one who returned to Chang'an. Sima Xu and General Xue should also have returned. So this must be the matter of the Imperial Censorate."

"There are so many censors in the Censorate, why does the emperor want Li Yifu to come back? Is he targeting me?" Li Zhi's eyes suddenly became sharp and terrifying.

Zhao Zhongjian looked at Li Zhi and said, "Your Highness, I'm afraid it's because of what happened before..."

"No, my father said that he will not pursue the previous matters anymore." Li Zhi waved his hand.

"Your Highness!" Zhao Zhongjian shook his head and said, "Li Yifu returned to the capital three days ago, which means that the emperor's edict must have reached Taiyuan at least earlier. Your Highness..."

"When the emperor said he would not pursue the matter any further, he had actually already dealt with it." Li Zhi looked at Zhao Zhongjian with an unpleasant expression.

Zhao Zhongjian nodded slowly, that's it.

How could the emperor remain indifferent when Li Zhi plotted against Li Chengqian? He must have punished him, but it was difficult to guess what the specific punishment would be.

Li Zhi's breathing became heavier.

He originally thought that the emperor loved him and rewarded the prince with the power to govern the country in front of the emperor when he was in Dingzhou, which was considered a punishment for him. Unexpectedly, the emperor had a backup plan.

What did Li Yifu return to Chang'an for?
Li Yifu knew a lot about the affairs of the Prince of Jin's Mansion, including some of the secret arrangements in Taiyuan. If he, the Imperial Censor, suddenly spoke...

Li Zhi couldn't help but shiver.

Although there was the lesson of Li Tai, Li Zhi still recruited some people. Although they were in the name of guards in the palace, in fact, they were sometimes prepared to be killers and assassins.

"Not really!" Zhao Zhongjian suddenly spoke, looking at Li Zhi, and then said thoughtfully: "Since Your Majesty has said that nothing will be pursued, it means that no matter what happens in the future, Your Highness will not be harmed again. Therefore, Your Majesty's move is not directed at Your Highness..."

"Father-in-law, have you thought of anything?" Li Zhi couldn't help but ask.

Zhao Zhongjian looked at Li Zhi and said solemnly, "Back then, the King of Wu was first the governor of Anzhou, and after the incident, he was appointed governor of Songzhou; the King of Wei was the governor of Xiangzhou and the governor of Yongzhou, but was later dismissed from the post..."

"Father-in-law, do you mean that the emperor wants to depose my son-in-law from the position of Governor of Bingzhou?" Li Zhi couldn't help but tremble slightly after he finished speaking.

Bingzhou, Taiyuan.

If he, the King of Jin, does not take the post of Governor of Bingzhou, it means that he is completely out of the fight for the throne. As long as the prince does not make any mistakes in the future, he will not have any chance at all.

Zhao Zhongjian nodded heavily, then said bitterly, "Removing Your Highness from the post of Governor of Bingzhou is the greatest punishment for all that has happened. This will be a heavy burden for the Crown Prince and all the officials who knew about this matter."

"But my father said that this matter will not be pursued anymore. He wants to remove me from my position as governor of Bingzhou, not for the previous punishment, but for the punishment after that. Could it be that my father is lying?" Li Zhi couldn't help but roar.

"Your Highness!" Zhao Zhongjian raised his head, looked at Li Zhi, and said, "No one can stay in one place forever. Even if Your Majesty cannot dismiss Your Highness as Bingzhou Governor now, if Your Highness can serve as Bingzhou Governor for ten years, the Ministry of Personnel will still request an imperial decree to transfer Your Highness elsewhere. Of course, if there are no problems, Your Highness should be transferred to Yizhou, Jingzhou, or Yangzhou at that time..."

"So what about now?" Li Zhi looked at Zhao Zhongjian closely.

Bingzhou, Yangzhou, Jingzhou, and Yizhou, the four major military governorates, were second only to Chang'an and Luoyang in importance. If Li Zhi were transferred from Bingzhou to any other place, he, the emperor's legitimate son, would still have a chance to covet the throne. Now, his biggest fear was becoming a provincial governor like Li Ke.

He wouldn't even be able to be a governor, and that would be the end of him.

Zhao Zhongjian shook his head and smiled bitterly, "This kind of matter is decided by your Majesty alone. Apart from Situ who can speak a few words in front of your Majesty, no one else's words will count."

"Uncle!" Li Zhi looked thoughtful. He nodded and said, "Yes, in this matter, uncle is the best person to convince father."

"So if Your Highness doesn't want to leave Bingzhou, or go to other places, it's best to talk to Duke Zhao." Zhao Zhongjian looked serious.

Li Zhi narrowed his eyes slightly.

Bingzhou Mu, Bingzhou Mu.

Li Zhi finally shook his head and said, "When my father was in Dingzhou, he had already decided to transfer me. Now that my father has made his decision, I'm afraid it would be difficult for my uncle to change it. Besides, my uncle has always been close to my brother, so he might not be willing to help me... In fact, in his eyes, Zhinu's transfer is the best option."

The corners of Zhao Zhongjian's mouth twitched slightly, and then he whispered: "Your Highness, Situ..."

Li Zhi waved his hand and said, "I understand what you want to say, father-in-law. Over the years, I have thought about recruiting my uncle for help. But you forgot that right after the Fourth Brother's incident was resolved and I got married, my father sent me to Bingzhou to take up my post. Moreover, my uncle also accompanied my father on the Eastern Expedition. Even if I wanted to win him over, there was no chance at all."

Zhao Zhongjian was stunned, then had to nod, this was indeed the case.

Before his wedding, Li Zhi had no chance to get in touch with outside affairs. After his wedding, not only did he take office in Taiyuan, but Changsun Wuji also went to Liaodong, so there was nothing he could do.

"Therefore, it is difficult to change the fact that I will resign as the governor of Bingzhou." Li Zhi couldn't help but sigh.

"If that's the case, your Highness's business in Taiyuan over the years will probably be..." Zhao Zhongjian couldn't bear to continue.

Li Zhi suddenly laughed, looked at Zhao Zhongjian and shook his head, saying, "Father-in-law, what are you talking about? Although Zhinu may resign as Bingzhou Governor, he is still the Prince of Jin, and the Prince of Jin's Palace is still in Taiyuan. The management of Taiyuan will not be in vain. At most, I will be transferred to another place, spend more effort there, and then start all over again."

"Your Highness!" Zhao Zhongjian looked at Li Zhi in surprise.

Li Zhi's expression calmed down, he raised his head and said softly, "If the emperor wants to punish me, then let him do it. If I really try to resist the emperor's punishment, it may not be a good thing."

Zhao Zhongjian immediately reacted and nodded, saying, "Your Highness is absolutely right."

"The key lies with my brother." Li Zhi narrowed his eyes slightly, then said softly, "My brother is deeply trusted by the emperor this time. When the emperor is ill, he is attending to government affairs in front of the emperor. This is no different from actually acting as regent."

"Your Highness, do you want to think of a solution?" Zhao Zhongjian became serious.

"No." Li Zhi waved his hand and said, "Brother Wei has used many methods against my brother, and I have used many as well. In the end, we were all proven wrong. We can't deal with my brother. Let my father come. Only he can truly deal with my brother."

Zhao Zhongjian looked solemn.

"We can't take the initiative." Li Zhi pondered and said, "My royal brother is very ambitious. What he does always involves many people, and he is bound to offend many people. When the time comes, when my royal brother's mistakes are irreparable, we can take a step back and let more people rise up against him..."

"But Your Majesty..."

Li Zhi shook his head and said, "Father will support my brother, but the way he supports me needs to be different. It can't be too direct. It would be best if my brother misunderstood and then contradicted me."

Zhao Zhongjian couldn't help but frown. Li Zhi's plan sounded like a brilliant command, but in fact it gave people a sense of illusion, like a castle in the air.

"We need help." Li Zhi suddenly looked up at Zhao Zhongjian and said, "We need someone who is always by our father's side and can speak for our brother at the critical moment."

"That must be someone from the palace, but it's hard to say who it is." Zhao Zhongjian couldn't help but shook his head.

"Who else could it be? Concubine Wei, Concubine Yang, Concubine Yan, Concubine Xu. Oh, and there's also Concubine Wu." Li Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Concubine Wei is from the Wei family. Concubine Yang and I are related, as is Concubine Yan. Concubine Wu is even more so, she's my cousin. The only surprise is Concubine Xu."

Concubine Xu, Xu Hui.

One of the emperor's most beloved concubines.

"We have to think of a way to make father distance himself from Concubine Xu." Li Zhi narrowed his eyes and made a decisive decision in his mind.

Zhao Zhongjian listened from the side, his face completely frowned.

After hearing what Li Zhi said, Zhao Zhongjian couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, those are the concubines in the harem. How could Your Highness have any connection with them? Moreover, if His Majesty finds out about this, it will be fatal."

"What are you thinking, father-in-law? How could I possibly contact the harem directly?" Li Zhi shook his head and said, "Even the concubines in the harem have their own relatives. For example, Concubine Wu, her brother-in-law is still an orphan."

Zhao Zhongjian's brows jumped, and his expression softened. How could he have forgotten about this?

Li Zhi raised his head, looked forward, and said softly: "Don't be anxious, take your time, one year, two years, ten years, as long as my father is still on the throne, I will always have a chance."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)