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

Chapter 353: The Crown Prince's Debauchery and Immeasurability (Part )

Prince Jin's Mansion, beside the small lake in the backyard.

A thick layer of ice has formed on the surface of the lake, and the willows are withered.

Li Zhi sat on a futon, wearing a thick sable fur coat, holding a fishing rod, fishing by the lake.

The fishing line was lowered into the lake through the deliberately dug hole in the ice.

Li Zhi looked at the ice eye and the fishing line, but his eyes were inexplicably distracted.

At this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps sounded behind him.

Li Zhi didn't turn around. When the footsteps stopped, he asked calmly, "What's the matter?"

"Your Highness!" Ji Jiafu stood behind Li Zhi, bowing with a serious expression, and said, "Your Highness, news has just arrived from the palace that the Crown Prince has caught a cold and is unable to attend court regularly. His Majesty is now presiding over the regular court session in the Liangyi Hall!"

Li Zhi suddenly turned around and stared at Ji Jiafu for a long time, then turned around expressionlessly. Looking at the ice surface in front of him, he slammed his palm.

Damn!

Li Zhi cursed inwardly, wondering why he hadn't noticed it before.

What about suspending the imperial court hearings? I'm afraid it will be stopped forever.

My father had actually long planned to regain complete control of the government, but he didn't dare to do it directly.

Based on Li Zhi's understanding of the emperor, the emperor either didn't do it, or if he did it, there would be no hidden dangers and he would do it safely.

Based on Li Zhi's understanding of the prince, if the emperor wanted to take back power, the prince would not stop him at all.

What really matters are those officials in the court who are inclined towards the prince.

Especially young officials.

A simple-minded and impulsive young official.

"My father is old, and the civil and military officials who followed him to conquer the world are also old." Li Zhi sighed lightly. Now he has a clear understanding of the current situation in the court.

The emperor has been fighting wars in the east and west in recent years, and the prince has been regent for several years. In recent years, almost all officials transferred from local areas to the central government, as well as officials promoted from lower levels to middle levels, were transferred by the prince himself, or to be more precise, they have not seen the emperor for several years.

These people still respected the emperor, but not as much as the old ministers.

"Isn't this all within our expectations?" Li Zhi smiled helplessly. Then he shook his head, his eyes cold and serious. He said softly, "What a pity! My brother is already ill. If he weren't ill, we could arrange for someone to petition Father to release his power... No, it might be too late this time, but what about next time?"

Li Zhi's eyes suddenly lit up.

The emperor was in poor health, and perhaps he was the only one who couldn't see it clearly, but Li Zhi and Li Chengqian could see it clearly.

Otherwise, the emperor would not have waited until Li Zhi returned to the court to take action this time.

This time, the emperor took back the power, but sooner or later, he would have to hand it over to the prince again.

In other words, he still has to take it back again.

Li Zhi was not prepared this time, so he should be prepared for next time.

Li Zhi waved behind him.

Ji Jiafu stepped forward gently: "Your Highness!"

Li Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Let's check how many people have been transferred to Chang'an from Jingzhou, Luoyang, and Bingzhou in the past two years. Then, we'll find out who has a dirty background. We'll find Luo Binwang and have him find a way to completely wipe out these people..."

After listening to this, Ji Jiafu bowed solemnly and said, "Yes!"

"If we can't find them in the next two years, we'll have to see who will be transferred to Chang'an in the next two years to investigate their background." Li Zhi clenched his fists tightly.

"Yes!" Ji Jiafu bowed, then quickly turned and left.

Li Zhi turned around, looked at the lake in front of him, and smiled gently.

After all, there are still conflicts and rifts between my father and my brother.

With this slight rift, at the critical moment, it may collapse into a road to heaven.

Li Zhi's expression instantly turned cold.

Take it slow, little by little.

First, you have to hide yourself so that your father and your brother can fight more fiercely.

……

East Palace, Cheng'en Hall.

Three quarters past three, a winter afternoon.

Li Chengqian sat on the couch, looking at the secret book in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

"It really is omnipresent!" Li Chengqian put down the secret book and sighed in his heart.

At this point, Li Zhi was increasingly unwilling to give up any opportunity.

As the emperor grew older, his suspicion grew.

No, it’s not so much suspicion as it is distrust of oneself.

There are fewer and fewer old ministers in the court who have followed the emperor to build the country, and a younger generation has grown up. Many times, they feel that the older generation is too conservative in their actions.

Rather than being a conflict between Li Chengqian and the emperor, this is a conflict between the younger and older generations.

Now, thanks to Li Chengqian's cooperation, this contradiction has been suppressed before it even emerged, but once it is provoked by Li Zhi, something bad will inevitably happen.

It even ended in blood.

Contention.

No one is willing to give up the power in their hands, and the dispute will eventually end in violence.

Li Zhi unconsciously saw this opportunity.

But Li Zhi cannot take advantage of this opportunity, or...it must be strangled in advance.

Li Chengqian raised his head and looked outside the hall.

The winter afternoon sun shone into the hall through the windows, leaving the cold behind and keeping the warmth in the room.

Li Chengqian raised his gaze, looked to the side, and said calmly, "Come here, ask the Crown Prince's wife Zhang Xuan to come to Cheng'en Hall."

"Yes!" A eunuch in blue bowed, then quickly turned and left.

Li Chengqian looked at Xu An and waved.

Xu An immediately came to Li Chengqian's side, and Li Chengqian whispered a few words.

Xu An bowed, then quickly turned and left.

……

The elegant sound of the piano rang out in the hall. In the inner hall, the person sitting on the ground playing the piano was Li Chengqian.

In the hall, Zhang Xuan was wearing a red skirt.

With her sleeves fluttering, she dances gracefully.

She has a charming appearance and her eyes are charming.

The clear sound of the piano came from Cheng'en Hall into the front yard.

It was still early in the evening and many officials in the Eastern Palace had heard the sound of the piano.

After thinking about it, no one paid any attention.

The prince is currently "sick", so it's no big deal for him to play the piano to improve his condition.

A burst of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall, and then the door was pushed open, and Su Yi walked in with a grim expression.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" Su Yi entered the hall and saluted directly. Her cold voice interrupted Li Chengqian's piano playing.

Li Chengqian reluctantly stopped playing the zither, looked up at Su Yi, and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Your Highness, your sister asked me to come and see why Your Highness is so outrageous in broad daylight." Su Yi had a tense face and looked very unhappy.

Although it is the end of the year, the annual holiday has not yet begun, and there are still many officials in the front yard of the East Palace.

Even Su Shu in Yichun Palace heard Li Chengqian's piano playing, so how could she not hear it in the front yard, not to mention that Li Chengqian was still "recuperating".

"I just want to relax for a while." Li Chengqian looked at Su Yi, waved his hand, and said, "Yiniang, come here."

Su Yi walked to Li Chengqian's side with a stern face. Li Chengqian stretched out his hand and pulled her to sit in his arms. Then he hugged her gently and said, "Yiniang, you play the piano. Xuanniang continues to dance. I will also be quiet for a while."

"No!" Su Yi's face suddenly turned red for no apparent reason.

"Yes." Li Chengqian gently rubbed her waist and whispered in her ear, "Since you are here today, there is no need to rush back."

With a "ding" sound, the sound of the piano rang out.

But the sound of the piano is very chaotic.

Even people who don't understand the music of the piano can't help but frown when they hear the sound of the piano.

But fortunately, the song ended quickly.

Today, Cheng'en Gate closed much earlier than usual.

……

"Your Majesty, I, the Censor Yang Zheng, impeach the Crown Prince for his excessive enjoyment of music and pleasure, and for excessive playfulness. I request your Majesty to admonish him."

In the Liangyi Hall, an elderly official in a dark blue official robe, with white hair and beard, and eyes wide open, stood in the hall and bowed earnestly to the emperor sitting on the imperial couch.

Li Shimin glanced at the old minister standing in the hall, then turned to Li Chengqian and asked, "Prince, is this true?"

Li Chengqian stood on the Danbi and quickly turned around, somewhat surprised but also somewhat amused, and said, "Father, it is true, but there is a hidden story behind it."

Li Shimin looked at Li Chengqian and raised his head slightly: "You say!"

"Yes!" Li Chengqian bowed solemnly, then smiled and said, "Your Majesty, that day, it was the Crown Prince's wife, Lady Zhang, who diagnosed her with pregnancy. This is why I was so overjoyed that I lost my composure. I had originally planned to report this to Your Majesty during the New Year's Eve banquet, but I didn't expect to be impeached for being too obsessed with sex today, so I had no choice but to tell you in advance."

"The Crown Prince's wife, Zhang Xuan, is pregnant." The Emperor looked at Li Chengqian in surprise, then he couldn't help laughing: "This is good news, Mr. Zhang!"

Zhang You, a doctor of the Imperial College, stood up and said, "Your Majesty!"

"Congratulations, you are going to be a grandfather." The emperor smiled and nodded at Zhang You.

Zhang You suppressed his joy and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! May the bloodline of our lineage continue, and may the Great Tang live forever."

The ministers reacted at the same time and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! May the bloodline of the Tang Dynasty continue and may the Great Tang live forever."

"Alright, alright." The emperor waved his hand, then looked at Zhang You and said, "Mr. Zhang, please go to the East Palace to visit him later."

"I obey your order." The joy on Zhang You's face finally blossomed. If his daughter gave birth to a son, he would be a prince, and his position in the Eastern Palace would also be higher.

The emperor turned to Yang Zheng, who was standing awkwardly in the hall, and asked curiously, "Yang Qing, how did you know about this?"

"While I was off duty, I overheard the officials of the Eastern Palace muttering, so I listened in a little while." Yang Zheng finished speaking, then bowed to Li Chengqian and said, "Your Highness, this matter is due to my old age and confusion. I impeached them without investigating thoroughly, and I am guilty."

Li Chengqian quickly waved his hands and said seriously, "This is not a big deal. Yang Qing is thinking about me, and I am grateful to him. How can I blame him?"

"Okay, today's happy event, let's end this matter here." The emperor smiled and waved his hand. He had another grandson.

"Yes!" All the ministers bowed.

"Your Majesty!" Yuwen Chongsi, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, the Goguryeo envoys have arrived in Chang'an. What are your instructions for their removal?"

The emperor's expression grew serious. After a moment's thought, he looked at Li Chengqian and said, "Prince, you will be the one to receive these people."

"My son, I accept the decree!"

(End of this chapter)