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

Chapter 327 Waiting for the Day the Emperor Passes Away (Part )
In the Liangyi Hall, Li Shimin noticed Li Chengqian's gaze and shook his head slightly, saying, "Zhi Nu requested permission a few days ago to enter the palace to visit Si Zi. I agreed. I thought it was today, but I've been so busy these days that I forgot!"

Li Chengqian bowed and said, "Father, since Zhinu has arrived outside the palace, why not summon him in? I haven't seen him for a few days."

"They're not children. They need to see each other every day." The emperor waved his hand and said to the blue-robed eunuch, "Send the Prince of Jin to Lizheng Palace to see Princess Jinyang. Everything is fine here. There's no need for him to come. I have many government affairs to attend to."

"Yes!" The eunuch in green bowed, then turned quickly and walked out of the hall.

Li Shimin withdrew his gaze, looked at Li Chengqian, and said, "Prince, please tell me about the current status of your farming business in the past few years."

"Yes!" Li Chengqian bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Guanzhong, Longyou, Gansu, Liangshan, and Shasu provinces have all been adjusted based on their different terrain, weather, and hydrology. The remaining areas are some marginal ones, which will take time."

"Guanzhong has had a good harvest in the past two years. The prince has put in a lot of effort." Li Shimin looked at Li Chengqian with appreciation.

Li Chengqian had already started planning this matter three or four years ago. His attack on Goguryeo in the past two years, the stability of the country and the sufficient logistics were closely related to these things.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the compliment." Li Chengqian bowed calmly, then said, "Half of Henan has been adjusted. The remaining areas of Qi and Lu, Jingzhou, and Hebei have been tested for a year. We can continue the rollout next year, and we can also conduct trials in Jiangnan at the same time."

After a brief pause, Li Chengqian said confidently, "As long as the weather is favorable over the next two years, the Tang Dynasty will undoubtedly continue to enjoy bumper harvests, and supplying Father with food for his eastern expedition will be no problem."

"Yeah!" Li Shimin nodded with satisfaction.

"But there are still some problems." Li Chengqian's expression became serious, and he said seriously: "Some local officials only pass on the reform methods passed down from the court to local aristocratic families..."

"We need to kill a group of them." Li Shimin nodded slowly.

All the ministers bowed in unison.

……

In the wind and snow, Li Zhi, wearing a black sable fur coat, calmly passed by the side of the Liangyi Hall.

Li Zhi raised his head and glanced at the Xianchun Gate in front of him. Finally, he couldn't help but look at the Liangyi Hall behind him.

The wind was howling and the snow was falling.

Although he could not hear any sound, Li Zhi seemed to hear the constant whispering of people discussing political affairs.

He knew it was his own illusion.

He was the one who was imagining what was happening in the Liangyi Palace.

Since the emperor returned to the court, he usually just discussed the general situation with the ministers and then returned to the harem to recuperate.

The crown prince sat under the steps of the Liangyi Hall and handled state affairs on behalf of the emperor.

Although the emperor would ask a few questions about these state affairs the next day, it was only one or two questions.

Everyone in the court understood that His Majesty's trust in the Crown Prince was so deep that no other prince in the court could match it.

Even Li Zhi, the Prince of Jin, who was also a legitimate son.

Today, the emperor rarely summoned the ministers to discuss matters in the Liangyi Hall, and the topics of discussion were all recent major events in the court.

There are only the emperor and the prime minister.

And the prince.

Li Zhi had a feeling that the prince's current status in the court was equal to that of a prime minister, even if one put aside the prince himself.

A prime minister, no matter if he is an old minister like Zhangsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling, or a newcomer like Yu Zhining and Chu Suiliang, as long as he becomes the prime minister from the position of Vice-Minister of State Affairs, his weight in the court is immeasurable.

This means that there is a lot of power behind them.

The same goes for the prince.

Even if he puts aside the position of crown prince, he still has enough power in the court to support him in entering the political arena.

Coupled with his position as the crown prince and this power, even the emperor would not dare to act rashly.

Not to mention Li Zhi.

In the current situation, even with the emperor's special favor, Li Zhi can't replicate Li Tai's original path.

Not to mention that he finally falsely accused the prince of witchcraft and then launched an attack on the palace.

Li Tai's strength at that time was something Li Zhi could not even imagine.

However, Li Zhi was not completely without opportunities. He was also pursuing his own plans.

As long as the emperor is alive, Li Zhi will always have a chance.

The only last chance is the day the emperor dies.

All of Li Zhi's current actions are in preparation for that day.

Raising his head, Li Zhi strode towards the Lizheng Hall.

In the wind and snow, Li Zhi's steps were firm.

……

In the Lizheng Hall, Li Zhi looked at Princess Jinyang who was guzzling soup and could not help but advise her, "Slow down! I'm not leaving right away. Why are you in such a hurry?"

Princess Jinyang put down her spoon, leaned on the table, looked at Li Zhi with affection, and said, "Brother, how have you been lately?"

"Of course it's great." Li Zhi looked at Princess Jinyang with a smile and said, "My son Sizi now knows how to care about his brother. He has really grown up. But speaking of which, in the next one or two years, your father will choose a husband for you, right?"

Princess Jinyang immediately shook her head and said, "No, Sizi, don't leave the palace. Once you leave, you will have to face many things."

"Silly sister, once you leave the palace, I will go to see you every day and no one will stop me." Li Zhi looked at Princess Jinyang with his eyes full of expectation.

"Yes!" Princess Jinyang immediately understood. Once she left the palace and lived in Princess Jinyang's Mansion, she could come and go freely, and it would be easy for her to see Li Zhi.

Princess Jinyang's smile hadn't even fully blossomed when it suddenly dimmed. She looked at Li Zhi and said, "Brother, if Sizi leaves the palace, will it be difficult for her to see our father?"

"Silly girl!" Li Zhi reached out and stroked the back of Princess Jinyang's head, saying softly, "It's not easy for me to enter the palace on weekdays because I'm a man and you're a woman. If you want to enter the palace to see the emperor, you can see him anytime as long as he allows...but only if he's not busy."

Princess Jinyang knew how busy the emperor was.

Over the years, even when she was in the palace, she could not see the emperor at any time.

However, although she could not see the emperor, she knew that the emperor was in Liangyi Hall most of the time.

Knowing where the emperor was was enough to put her mind at ease.

After that, after leaving the palace, although she didn't know where the emperor was, as long as she went into the palace more frequently, she would have many opportunities to see the emperor.

Seeing Princess Jinyang's happy smile, Li Zhi couldn't help but shake his head in amusement and said, "Don't think so far ahead. Before those things, you have to choose a good and ideal husband."

Princess Jinyang's expression couldn't help but change slightly.

Not all of her royal sisters had happy marriages.

Looking at the pitiful Princess Jinyang, Li Zhi said firmly, "Sizi, don't worry. I will definitely choose a suitable husband for you."

"Yeah!" Princess Jinyang smiled sweetly again.

Li Zhi looked ahead, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes.

He wanted to intervene in Princess Jinyang's marriage. He had to ensure that his sister could marry a man of her dreams.

Even if the prince consort chosen by the emperor himself does not suit his taste, he will firmly oppose it.

At worst, we can drag the prince into this.

Li Zhi believed that the prince shared the same opinion as he did on this matter.

……

I don’t know why, but the heavy winter snow is still falling after a few days.

Li Zhi walked out of Chengtian Gate, got on the carriage, and then slowly headed towards Zhuque Gate.

Officials passing by on both sides occasionally paused for a moment, then bowed and watched Prince Jin leave the palace.

Although the emperor had completely covered up the Hebei incident, those sharp-nosed officials in the court also sensed the Prince of Jin's intention to compete for the throne.

But unfortunately, compared to the King of Jin, the Crown Prince's advantage is too great, so great that it is difficult for anyone to compete with him through normal means.

This is the advantage that the prince has accumulated bit by bit in the past few years, and it has a tendency to grow larger and larger.

Li Zhi walked out of the Suzaku Gate with a calm expression.

"Your Highness!" Ji Jiafu came in from outside the carriage.

Li Zhi glanced at the empty Chang'an City outside the carriage curtain, then looked at Ji Jiafu and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Yes!" Ji Jiafu nodded, and then said seriously: "Your Highness, the news has been sent to Luoyang, and then from Luoyang to the Yang family."

Although Yang Shidao was the Minister of the Central Secretariat, he would not tell many things to the Yang family, and he would not even get involved in the private affairs of the Yang family.

"It's good that the message has been passed on. There are too many people from the Yang family in the court. As long as they can support me, I will not be isolated and helpless in Chang'an City." Li Zhi smiled lightly, but his eyes were still indifferent.

"Your Highness!" Ji Jiafu leaned closer to Li Zhi and whispered, "The Yang family has sent a message that the Censorate's impeachment list includes Xu Xiaode, the governor of Yizhou."

"Xu Xiaode?" Li Zhi frowned and said softly, "This name sounds familiar."

"Your Highness, it's Concubine Xu's father." As soon as Ji Jiafu finished speaking, Li Zhi couldn't help but look up at him.

Ji Jiafu shook his head slightly and said, "Originally, Xu Xiaode was on the impeachment list of the Censorate, but His Majesty removed his name."

Li Zhi's pupils dilated slightly.

In order to save Concubine Xu's face, the emperor removed Xu Xiaode from the impeachment list of the Censorate.

"The Yang family has other ideas and is about to take action!" Li Zhi narrowed his eyes slightly.

Now in the emperor's harem, there are three Yang concubines. If we count Yan concubine and Wu Cairen, there are as many as five concubines related to the Yang family.

Concubine Xu was favored by the emperor and was given the title of Concubine Xian.

But if Xu Hui's position as the virtuous concubine becomes vacant, a woman from the Yang family will immediately take it.

However, the Yang family also thought about their own women.

Li Zhi looked up at Ji Jiafu and asked, "How's Guo Xiaoshen doing?"

"On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Madam Guo will enter the palace with her sister Wu Shun and brother Wu Yuanqing to meet Consort Wu." Ji Jiafu whispered, "Guo Xiaoshen listened to His Highness's words and did not show up that day, but he did prepare a generous gift."

Li Zhi nodded. Although Guo Xiaoshen was no longer working in the Prince of Jin's Mansion, he was once Li Zhi's man after all.

Even though he and Wu Cairen are relatives, they still have to avoid suspicion.

Especially since Li Zhi already had a plan in mind.

"Let Guo Xiaoshen tell Madam Guo about these things on the 28th." Li Zhi began calmly.

"Yes!" Ji Jiafu immediately understood that as long as Guo Xiaoshen told his wife, his wife would definitely tell Wu Cairen.

Guo Xiaoshen had tried to contact Wu Cairen before, but Wu Cairen ignored him.

However, how Wu Meiniang will use Xu Hui's affairs will determine how Li Zhi will use her.

(End of this chapter)