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

Chapter 392: Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and Li Zhi, the Three Brothers Meet Again (Part )
In Ganlu Palace, Li Shimin woke up faintly and subconsciously said, "Cheng Qian, Cheng Qian!"

"Father, Father, I'm here!" Li Chengqian hurried into the inner hall, then knelt in front of the bed, holding the emperor's hand, and whispered, "Father, I'm here!"

"What's wrong with me?" the emperor asked tiredly.

"Your Majesty was just momentarily suffocating." Li Chengqian glanced sideways and said, "Zhang Qing arrived just in time and used acupuncture on Your Majesty, and he finally recovered."

"Mr. Zhang!" The emperor turned his head and looked outside.

Imperial Physician Zhang Ananda hurried in from outside and bowed to the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, you only fainted for a moment. Fortunately, the Crown Prince ventilated you in time, and you managed to hold on until I arrived."

Li Shimin smiled, looked at Li Chengqian and said, "Thanks to you."

"This is what I, your son, should do." Li Chengqian bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, please rest well. You will be fine tomorrow. I, your son, will also take my leave."

"Yes!" The emperor nodded. Seeing Li Chengqian about to leave, he suddenly looked up and asked, "Forbidden Garden, have you been there?"

"Father!" Li Chengqian turned around, his expression changing slightly.

"You didn't go, did you?" Li Shimin waved his hand, raised his head and said calmly, "Go now, go ask that rebellious son now. I believe I have always treated him well, so why would he want to use the events of Xuanwu Gate to provoke me?"

Everyone in the world knew that the Xuanwu Gate incident was the thing that worried the emperor the most.

Even though more than 20 years have passed, one can still see the emperor making some movements from time to time.

For example, in the past few years, I kept trying to check the daily records.

There were also posthumous awards for Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji.

All these can show the emperor's uneasiness.

But now, Li Zhi was plotting a rebellion, and he actually used the same methods used by the remnants of the Xuanwu Gate Incident to deal with the emperor.

This is what the emperor hates most.

Li Chengqian was somewhat helpless, but then he bowed solemnly and said, "Your son obeys your order."

……

Beiyuan is the royal garden to the north of the imperial palace.

Broadly speaking, the entire area north of Chang'an City, extending to the Wei River, belongs to Beiyuan.

Beiyuan is not just a garden.

In fact, the entire North Gate Imperial Guards and their families all lived in Beiyuan.

From the north of Chang'an City to the Wei River, the vast fertile fields were all cultivated by the families of the North Gate Imperial Guards, and they were exempt from paying taxes.

Since the construction of Daming Palace began, it was separated from Beiyuan.

Therefore, the Daming Palace became the East Inner Courtyard, and further west was the West Inner Courtyard.

The families of the North Gate Imperial Guards mostly lived near Fanglin Gate, so that area was also called Fanglin Garden.

The area north of Xuanwu Gate, from Daming Palace in winter to Fanglin Garden in the west, is the Western Inner Courtyard in the strict sense.

There are many palaces in the west inner garden.

For example, the Hanguang Hall, where the emperor occasionally came to rest, is located in the northeast corner of Beiyuan.

The emperor would occasionally entertain soldiers returning from battle in the Western Inner Courtyard, and Guangde Hall was responsible for this most of the time.

In the northwest corner of the Western Inner Courtyard, there are also two palaces that are rarely visited.

Xingqing Hall and Datong Hall.

Li Tai lived in Xingqing Palace.

Li Zhi moved into Datong Hall not long ago.

On this day, the wind was calm and the sun was beautiful.

There is a gatehouse in the center of Datong Hall and Xingqing Hall. It was originally unobstructed, but after Li Tai moved in, it was completely closed.

After Li Zhi moved into the Datong Hall, guards began to guard both sides.

However, even when the door is closed, there is still a gap through which you can see both sides.

Two tables and chairs were placed on both sides of the gate, filled with wine, meat, melons and fruits.

Li Tai sat in the Xingqing Hall and Li Zhi sat in the Datong Hall. The two brothers drank with each other across such a tight door.

"Congratulations, Zhinu, the family is finally reunited." Li Tai raised his glass and looked across.

The sound was not loud, but it came through clearly.

"Thank you, my royal brother." Li Zhi raised his glass and looked towards the crack in the palace door. He then said, "But this family reunion is only temporary. I'm afraid Zhinu can only stay here for a year. After that, I'll be exiled to Yunnan and Guizhou."

Li Tai drank the whole glass of wine, then looked at Li Zhi with a serious expression: "Zhi Nu, listen to my advice. If you can avoid leaving Beiyuan, then don't leave Beiyuan. If you leave here, you will die."

"Dead? Why is it so?" Li Zhi was slightly stunned. He looked at Li Tai and said, "But I, Zhinu, heard from the Crown Prince that Xin'er will be released from the palace in the future. Although he won't be given the title of prince again, he will let him take the imperial examination. If he passes, he will even make him a county magistrate, but in a slightly more remote place."

"No, I'd rather let Xin'er marry a random girl from an ordinary family in the Imperial Guards in Beiyuan than have him leave the palace." Li Tai looked at Li Zhi nervously and said, "Once you leave the palace, many things will be beyond your control. For example, if someone who has no connection with you suddenly raises an army under your banner somewhere, you..."

Li Zhi's eyebrows jumped immediately and his expression became serious.

If someone raises an army under his banner, if it succeeds, he is a puppet and will be killed in a few years. If it fails, even if the emperor is willing to let him go, the officials in the court will not be willing to let go of this threat.

"So, young slave, do your best to stay in the palace. Once you leave..." Li Tai sighed softly and said, "It's better when the emperor is here. Once the emperor is gone, the prince..."

"How is my royal brother?" Li Zhi asked subconsciously.

Li Tai raised his head, looked at the sky above, and said softly, "I have been in Beiyuan for several years. Thinking back carefully to the past, I concluded that the Crown Prince is best at three methods: adding fuel to the fire, killing with a borrowed knife, and luring the enemy withholding action."

Li Zhi was stunned, and he thought carefully about his own affairs.

Although he was plotting a rebellion, the emperor and the crown prince knew about his deeds. Not only did they not stop him, but they often fanned the flames.

Also, afterward, the prince did plead for him, but in reality, he was more out of filial piety as the eldest brother.

But in reality, the court never stopped investigating him. For example, the imperial censors wanted to behead him immediately.

Even though the emperor had decided to exile him three thousand miles away after a year, the imperial censors still refused to give up.

In addition to the prince's secret instigation, I'm afraid he also intends to kill someone with a borrowed knife.

And there is also the temptation to not fire...

Li Zhi's eyes gradually became solemn. He had a feeling that this strategy of luring the enemy withholding action was the prince's strongest tactic.

Li Zhi was plotting a rebellion, but Li Chengqian pleaded for him, and the emperor kept giving in.

Many things were brought to light, but one thing was completely covered up.

Li Zhi's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he remembered something.

When the emperor saw him for the last time in Cuiwei Palace, he said something very strange, saying that he had never killed the prince.

A chill inexplicably enveloped Li Zhi's whole body.

This time, his rebellion and siege of the Lishan Hot Spring Palace was just one of his means. The most important thing for him was to kill the prince outside the city of Chang'an.

If the prince is killed, he will be the only heir the emperor can choose.

However, although he killed a "prince", that person was actually just a substitute sent by the prince.

There is something wrong here.

Since the prince had known what he was planning a long time ago, and as his father said, the best response strategy for the prince that night was not to leave the palace and go to Mount Li at night, but to win over the hearts of the people in Chang'an City, and wait for Li Zhi to return to Chang'an, and then overturn the will in his hand.

In this case, there is no need for the prince to send out any substitute.

So, the substitute...

At this time, Li Zhi finally realized that he was caught in a huge conspiracy.

Became a chess piece for others to play.

Brutal means,

Brutal means.

The purpose of this non-action is naturally to target Li Zhi. Once this matter is thoroughly investigated, the emperor will probably have to kill him.

The emperor who killed his brothers and forced his father to abdicate, now had the reputation of killing his son.

How will the world view him?

Because of this matter, the emperor had to give in to the prince in many things.

He even gradually transferred many powers of the court to the prince, with the purpose of saving Li Zhi's life.

On the contrary, it was Li Chengqian.

A prince with a sinister and vicious mind.

Li Zhi raised his head, looked towards the front door, and said to Li Tai across from him: "As my royal brother said, I will definitely find a way and will never leave the palace, even if it means looking for my father..."

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!" the eunuch shouted loudly at the palace gate in the distance.

Li Zhi and Li Tai looked in the direction of the sound at the same time, their whole bodies cold.

……

Li Chengqian stood before the gate, looking at Li Zhi, who was kneeling before him, and Li Tai, who was also kneeling nervously behind the other door. He said calmly, "I never thought that you and I, three brothers, would meet together again. If my mother is still alive, she would surely be very pleased."

"Royal brother!" Li Tai's voice came from behind the door first, and he said nervously, "Today is to celebrate the reunion of Zhinu's family..."

"Okay." Li Chengqian waved his hand and Li Tai immediately shut up.

Li Chengqian looked at Li Zhi and said, "I came here today to ask you a question on behalf of my father!"

Li Zhi raised his head, calmed himself, and looked at Li Chengqian seriously: "My Royal Brother, may I ask?"

"Have you ever sent a death squad disguised as Gongsun Chang to Qizhou, and then detoured to Songzhou and returned to Jiannan?" Li Chengqian looked at Li Zhi indifferently.

Li Zhi's mouth twitched slightly, and he lowered his head and said, "Yes!"

"Did you know that Gongsun Chang once murdered Doctor Wei?"

"Know!"

"Then you may know that Gongsun Chang is a disciple of the hidden crown prince Li Jiancheng?" Li Chengqian asked the last sentence, and Li Tai and Li Zhi looked up in surprise at the same time.

Li Chengqian looked at Li Zhi with a cold gaze, gritted his teeth and asked, "Tell me, do you know?"

Li Zhi lowered his head, his expression extremely grim. Finally, he sighed deeply and said, "I know."

"Have you ever considered the impact your use of Prince Yin's followers would have on our father?" Li Chengqian clenched his fists and looked at Li Zhi. "Those are the remnants of the Xuanwu Sect. Don't you know what our father is obsessed with?"

"Brother Your Majesty, I haven't thought about it." Li Zhi suddenly looked up.

"It's not that you haven't thought about it. You know what's going on, but you deliberately don't think about it. You don't dare to think about it." Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "Come, send Prince Jin back to his bedroom and don't let him out again."

"Yes!" Two guards immediately walked over, took Li Zhi and went towards the Datong Hall. Li Zhi wanted to say something, but he had no chance at all.

Li Chengqian stood in front of the gate, looking at Li Tai on the other side of the door, and said calmly: "Qingque, you are different from Zhinu. Although you are ambitious, cruel, and even reckless, you have great ambitions but little talent. You have no ability at all. So, you can rest assured to stay in Beiyuan. After a few years, I will release Xin'er..."

"Royal brother." Li Tai suddenly interrupted Li Chengqian. He raised his head, looked at Li Chengqian and said, "Royal brother, if you truly love Xin'er, please don't send him to be a county magistrate. Let him be a lonely censor for the rest of his life. This is my humble request to you."

Censor.

Li Chengqian sighed, turned around and left: "Okay!"

Li Tai finally sat down and breathed a long sigh of relief.

There was a rare hint of relief in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)