Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 187 Li Shimin: If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight! [Seeking monthly votes]

Li Shimin stood outside the Ganlu Palace with his hands behind his back, looking at the rising sun shining through the clouds. His eyes were blurred and deep, and no one knew what he was thinking.

At this moment, Yun Duan hurried over and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has received your gift!"

Li Shimin hummed, then turned and walked into the hall, asking as he walked, "Has the Wushe Imperial Edict been read out?"

"It has already been read out, in front of all the princes!"

"Ah!"

Li Shimin smiled, then turned around and looked at Yunduan and said, "Well done, very well done."

"But Your Majesty."

"Alright, don't ask any more questions about this matter. Go call the Secretary of State and the others over!"

"Yes!" Although Yunduan was full of doubts, he still accepted the order respectfully and turned to leave.

After watching him leave, Li Shimin walked to the desk thoughtfully, opened a lacquer box on it, took out the exquisitely crafted musket, and played with it carefully.

After a moment, he murmured in admiration, "What an incredible weapon! Just how many good things are packed into that rebellious son's head?"

"Guanyin's maid said that after he fell ill, he dreamed of gods. It seems that what she said is true!"

"If my son receives enlightenment from an immortal, he will naturally be extraordinary."

"But."

As he spoke, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and then he said meaningfully: "Even if you have received enlightenment from the immortal, you can't ignore me as your father!"

"Don't you want power? Don't you want respect? I'll give it to you. Not only will I give it to you, I'll also hold you in high esteem!"

"When the day comes that you can't get out, you'll know how good your father is!"

"Before, I didn't quite understand what it meant to have my father at the front. Now I finally understand what it feels like when I'm at the front!"

At this point, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise slightly: "You still have a long way to go, don't bow your head, or the Tongtian Crown will fall off."

"hehe."

On the other side, Pei Ji’s mansion.

The officials of the five surnames and seven families were as anxious as ants on a hot pan, and one after another asked Pei Ji for advice.

"Pei Sikong, you have to take care of this matter!" The Cui family official said with a sullen face, holding the newspaper, "We must not allow newspapers to circulate freely in the Tang Dynasty!"

"Yes, Pei Sikong, the newspaper published by the prince is equivalent to digging up the roots of our aristocratic family. We can't let him do whatever he wants!" The official of the Wang family also said with a depressed look on his face.

Upon hearing this, Pei Ji didn't say anything to them. Instead, he picked up the teacup and drank the tea calmly.

Seeing this, the other officials from the Five Surnames and Seven Families looked at each other in bewilderment.

At this time, another official from the Cui family frowned and said, "Is Pei Sikong dissatisfied with us in some way? If so, why not speak frankly?"

"Ah!"

Pei Ji sneered and still ignored him. Instead, he put down his teacup, picked up the newspaper on the table, and read to himself, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is truly extraordinary. He can actually come up with something like this. Look at the content above. It's easy to understand. Even people who haven't read a book can understand it. It's really good stuff!"

As he spoke, he glanced around at the officials of the Five Surnames and Seven Families, and said with a smile, "Don't you see only the harm that newspapers do to you, but not the benefits?"

Upon hearing this, the officials from the Five Surnames and Seven Families looked at each other, and then the Li family official spoke first, "What does Pei Sikong mean by benefits?"

"Let me ask you, what are newspapers made of?"

“Paper!”

An official from a noble family answered without thinking.

Pei Ji glanced at him and said, "Is it difficult to write the content in the newspaper?"

"This"

Everyone hesitated for a moment, and suddenly the official of the Wang family slapped his forehead and said, "That's right! Why didn't we think of this? If His Royal Highness can make a newspaper, then we can make a newspaper too!"

"Besides, we control more papermaking workshops and scholars than the Crown Prince does. Even if we write some random content, it will be better than the content of His Royal Highness's newspaper!"

"But."

Upon hearing this, the Cui family official couldn't help but reveal a worried look: "Wouldn't this make it easier for the people to learn to read and write?"

"Harmful!"

The Zheng family official said speechlessly, "What time is it now? You're still thinking about this. If we don't publish newspapers, will they be unable to read and write? Now we are fighting for the right to speak!"

"That's right!" The Lu family official echoed, "We don't want to control the scholars, we want the right to speak!"

"It's not easy for scholars to pass the imperial examination and become an official, but if we lose our voice, our foundation will truly collapse!"

Upon hearing this, the officials from the noble families nodded in agreement.

From ancient times to the present, whether it is the imperial court or the aristocratic families, they all need the right to speak.

Whoever has absolute say will dominate the political landscape.

When Li Yuan started his rebellion against the Sui Dynasty, he could easily mobilize tens of thousands of troops. This was absolutely unimaginable in the minds of the landlords in later generations.

Let’s not talk about anything else, just take Nurhaci, the ancestor of the Qing Dynasty. When he rebelled, he only had thirteen sets of armor.

Compared with Li Yuan, Nurhaci must be drooling with envy.

So, why is it said that the late feudal monarchy, especially the Ming and Qing dynasties, was the peak of monarchical centralization?
Because the landlords no longer had the ability to rebel at will, the people were in a scattered and unable to gather together, making it difficult for them to rebel.

And when these two classes are unable to restrain the monarch's power, isn't that the peak of monarchical centralization?

Due to the political structure of this era, the imperial power did not extend to the countryside, and the public opinion of this era naturally fell into the hands of the aristocratic families.

They say that the emperor is wise, so the people they control will think that the emperor is wise.

On the other hand, they said that the emperor was like Jie and Zhou, and the people who had never left the village or been to the county town in their lives would believe that their suffering was caused by the emperor.

This is the importance of the aristocratic families having the right to speak.

This is also the main reason why the aristocratic families are afraid of newspapers.

But after Pei Ji's suggestion, they realized that newspapers were also beneficial to them, so the atmosphere gradually became more relaxed.

The Cui family official poured himself a cup of hot tea and said with a smile, "Prince Pei is indeed far-sighted. This trip was really not in vain!"

"Yes, Pei Sikong is wise!" The official of the Wang family also echoed with a smile.

Pei Ji smiled noncommittally upon hearing this, and then added meaningfully, "Don't be too happy too soon, especially since you probably can't hide what you did from him!"

"This"

The officials from the noble families were shocked and could not help but sigh.

But the Cui family official said nonchalantly, "I don't understand what Pei Sikong is talking about. Could you explain it more clearly?"

"Ah!"

Pei Ji snorted, then stood up from his seat, walked straight to the bookshelf, took out something and placed it in front of the officials from the aristocratic families.

When the officials from the noble families saw this thing, they were stunned.

But Pei Ji said solemnly: "I have been in contact with 'Shou Zhuolang' more than ten years ago. Can you hide your affair from me?"

"what?"

When the officials from the noble families heard this, their expressions suddenly changed.

The Li family official said with horror: "Pei Sikong, this matter..."

"I know nothing about this matter!"

Before the Li family official could finish his words, Pei Ji interrupted him. He then glanced coldly at the officials from the noble families and said, "I cooperated with you, not to be implicated by you. If you try to do such a thing again, I will immediately terminate my cooperation with you!"

"This"

The officials of the noble families looked at each other, then said in unison: "We understand!"

"We can't just sit back and watch the prince pray for rain, right?"

After a moment, the Li family official couldn't help but say, "If the prince succeeds in praying for rain, his prestige among the people will be unshakable, which will be disadvantageous to us!"

"Yes, the prince has been targeting us, and we can't let him succeed!" The official of the Wang family echoed.

Pei Ji frowned and said thoughtfully, "Praying for rain is not an easy task. Even the Crown Prince may not succeed!"

"But since the prince dared to agree to this matter, it means that he is somewhat confident in his heart. It is better to be safe than sorry," said the official of the Cui family with a serious expression.

Pei Ji glanced at him and said calmly, "If you have any ideas, you might as well tell us!"

"This"

The officials from the noble families exchanged glances, and then the Cui family official spoke again: "To be honest with you, Pei Sikong, we actually received a piece of news before we came here. I wonder if you know about it?"

"what news?"

Pei Sikong asked doubtfully. But then he heard the Wang family official lower his voice and say, "According to our investigation, the Minister of the Central Secretariat Fang Xuanling has already compiled a list of dismissals. This time, there are more than 600 central government officials being dismissed, almost all the veteran officials of the Wude Dynasty!"

"what!?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Ji couldn't help but tremble all over and almost dropped the things in his hand.

He asked in a terrified tone, "Is this news true?"

"I can't say it's absolutely true, but it's definitely not groundless. Furthermore, I've heard that His Majesty will announce this decree after the Crown Prince successfully prays for rain. This is essentially using the Crown Prince's prestige to suppress discontent!"

"This"

Hearing this, Pei Ji's expression changed again and again, and then he said gloomily: "Your Majesty wants to kill all of us old officials of Wude!"

"So, the current situation is that we have to find a way to prevent the prince from praying for rain successfully!" said the Cui family official in a serious tone.

"It is His Majesty's order that the prince pray for rain. How can we stop him? Are we going to disobey the order?" Pei Ji said with a frown.

The Li family official smiled and said, "There's no need to stop the Crown Prince from praying for rain. We just need to put some pressure on him, or make things difficult for him, so that he can't pray for rain smoothly."

"Oh?"

Pei Ji raised his eyebrows: "So, you already have a solution?"

"There is a way, but it requires Pei Sikong's connections in Guanzhong." The Lu family official said with a smile.

Pei Ji narrowed his eyes, carefully sized up the officials from the noble families, and then said thoughtfully, "As long as you don't harm His Royal Highness, I can cooperate with you."

Upon hearing this, the officials from the noble families looked at each other, and then smiled in a way that only they understood.

at the same time.

The Prince's Mansion in Pingkangfang was formerly the Prince of Qin's Mansion.

Li Tai looked at his brothers with a bitter face, and said indignantly, "Didn't Father say that the Crown Prince wouldn't be crowned? Why is he suddenly coronating him? And he's even granted 28 states? He's already the Crown Prince, why does he need so many fiefs?"

Li Ke thought about it and felt that this matter was indeed a bit strange. It was obvious that the prince and his father had not been getting along recently. Why would his father change his mind and bestow such a special title on the prince?

He also asked his brothers to provide the crown and robes for the prince. What does this mean?
Could it be that the Emperor wanted to warn us that the Crown Prince's position is unshakable and that we should give up that thought?

If that's the case, then Father's move is too cruel!
Thinking of this, Li Ke subconsciously glanced at Li Tai.

If we were to ask who among this group of brothers has the greatest advantage and can dethrone the crown prince Li Chengqian, it would definitely be the little fat guy.

But precisely because of this, the person who was most hurt by Li Shimin's move was the fat guy.

After all, if Li Chengqian did not take the throne, he would still have some chances.

That is to wait until Li Yuan's death and do everything possible to please Li Shimin.

As long as Li Shimin favors him enough, his chances will become greater and greater.

However, the current situation is that Li Shimin not only did not favor him, but also pressed his face in Li Chengqian's hands and let Li Chengqian slap him in the face.

This makes people ponder a question. Even the little fat man was suppressed by Li Shimin. Do these princes still have a chance?
Just as Li Ke was lost in thought, Li Chengqian walked in from outside. He looked around at everyone with a smile, and then said warmly, "My brothers, thank you for the gifts you brought me. Please also express my gratitude to my father."

"Also, I have asked someone to prepare lunch. You can have lunch here before returning to the palace!"

After saying that, he was about to turn around and leave.

At this moment, Li You's voice suddenly rang out: "Brother Crown Prince, I heard that you are going to pray for rain for our father. Can I go with you?"

"Yes, Prince Royal, I also want to pray for rain with you!" Li Yin also echoed excitedly.

But Li Ke quickly grabbed his sleeve and scolded him, "Brother Yin, stop messing around!"

"I'm not kidding. I just want to go and take a look with my brother the Crown Prince," Li Yin said stubbornly.

Li Ke's face was filled with helplessness. He then bowed to Li Chengqian and said, "Don't blame me, Crown Prince. My younger brother is still young and doesn't understand things. Our mother is still waiting for us to have dinner in the palace. I won't bother you here!"

Having said that, he forcibly pulled Li Yin away.

After seeing the Li Ke brothers leave, the fat boy also stood up from his seat and left in grief and anger.

As for the other brothers, except Li You, they all left in shame.

It has to be said that Li Shimin's move dealt them quite a heavy blow.

Although most of them had never thought about that position, Li Shimin's ruthless attack still made them very sad.

Li Chengqian, who watched them leave, stood there without saying a word.

Although he still doesn't quite understand Li Shimin's actions until now, it is not difficult to see from this imperial edict that Li Shimin has begun to reflect on their father-son relationship.

However, this does not mean that Li Shimin has given up his pursuit of power, but that he feels it is necessary to ease the relationship between father and son.

Li Chengqian would not give up his pursuit of power because of this imperial edict.

He sighed, then turned to look at the sneaky Li You and said, "You'd better leave."

"Are you driving me away, brother?"

Li You blinked his eyes and said aggrievedly: "Brother, you have changed. You would never treat me like this before."

Li Chengqian's face darkened at that moment: "Li You, that's enough! I'm telling you, praying for rain is very dangerous!"

"If there is real danger, aren't you afraid, brother?"

Li You said cleverly, "If you die, the position of Crown Prince will be vacant!"

"Oh, you want to stay and watch me die, right?"

"You can also help my brother collect his body!"

"thank you!"

Li Chengqian turned around and walked out.

This guy's thought process is different from that of normal people. No wonder he was fooled into rebelling by his uncle Yin Hongzhi in the end.

However, in Li Chengqian's memory when he was eight years old, apart from Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji's sons, only Li You was closer to him.

But we cannot rule out the subtle influence of his mother, Concubine Yin.

After all, Yin Fei and her brother were in a very embarrassing situation at that time.

Having one's son please the eldest son is also a means of survival.

Soon, Li You followed Li Chengqian to the backyard of the Prince's Mansion.

There, craftsmen from the Ministry of Industry were debugging a hot air balloon.

Because the rocket used by Li Chengqian could not reach the lowest altitude of the cloud.

Therefore, it is necessary to use a hot air balloon to bring people to a certain altitude, and then use a rocket to launch the catalyst.

This is the only way to effectively catalyze the water molecules in the clouds, allowing them to quickly form raindrops and fall to the ground.

"Your Majesty the Crown Prince, your servant." Duan Lun, the Minister of Works, greeted Li Chengqian with a smile the moment he saw him.

Li Chengqian smiled and waved his hand, saying, "No need to be so polite, Minister Duan. How are your preparations going?"

"Your Highness, I still find it hard to believe that this so-called hot air balloon can actually send people to the sky!" Duan Lun said with a complicated expression.

At this moment, Li You appeared out of nowhere and exclaimed, "What?! My royal brother can send people to heaven?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes turned to Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian raised his hand to his forehead with embarrassment, then said to Minister Duan helplessly, "Let's go to the side hall to talk! Let Minister Lu and the others leave this place!"

"it is good!"

Duan Lun agreed without thinking, because he had heard a little about the eccentric Prince Yi Yang.

"Hey, brother, please don't leave me, take me with you to collect your body."

Li Chengqian stumbled and nearly fell, then angrily scolded Li You, "Stay right there and don't make any trouble, or get out of here and go back to the palace!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Li You immediately admitted his mistake, smiled awkwardly, and stayed where he was obediently.

It was not until Li Chengqian and Duan Lun entered the side hall that he looked at the so-called hot air balloon with interest.

“It looks no different from a Kongming lantern.”

Li You muttered.

Just then, a thin-looking official walked in from the courtyard gate and called to the craftsman who was debugging the hot air balloon. He said, "The blower is ready. Go get some tung oil. Let's do a test flight and see how it goes. We have to make sure everything is safe!"

"Check the hanging basket carefully to see if it's tied tightly. If something goes wrong, you could lose your head!"

"Pilot over there, are you ready? If you are, come over here quickly!"

Hearing this series of greetings, Li You's heart was moved. Then he looked around and found that no one was paying attention to him. He immediately turned his eyes and walked secretly towards the hanging basket.

　[Seeking monthly tickets, tomorrow will be double the monthly tickets, and more than 1000 will be released]

　　
　
(End of this chapter)