Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

Xiao Ran reined in his horse, looking directly at Li Shimin without looking away: "Uncle, you dote on Qingque, that's true—which father wouldn't soften his heart when he sees a smart and sensible son?"

“But Uncle Shi has forgotten that you are not a grain shop owner in Chang’an, nor an ordinary father who can easily divide his family business among his children. You are an emperor sitting on the dragon throne in the Taiji Hall. Your ‘pain’ can never be limited to the well-being of your own children.”

He paused, pointed to the city wall of Xuanwu Gate, and his voice deepened:

"Back then, you hated the old man for his hesitation because you hated him for not being able to distinguish between the scales of 'emperor' and 'father'."

"He was protecting the Crown Prince's position, but he couldn't bear to lose your merits, which caused the conflict to escalate into a major one."

"And what about you, Uncle? You've given Qingque Chongwen Academy so he can use printing technology to make a name for himself. It seems like you're giving the child a chance to showcase his talent, but what do the officials think?"

“They will think, ‘Does His Majesty favor the Prince of Wei?’”

“What will Dalang think? He will feel that ‘as the crown prince, I can’t even overshadow my younger brother. Does this mean that Father doesn’t approve of me?’”

“You say you are a father and want to love your child, but if this ‘love’ is not properly guided, it becomes a time bomb buried under the throne.”

Xiao Ran's tone softened a bit, but it was even more hurtful, "Back then, didn't you and the Crown Prince also start from 'who Father loves more' and 'who Father likes more,' and slowly turn into suspicion and covert struggle?"

“Your current favoritism towards Qingque is just following the old man’s old path—not putting ‘the rules of the emperor’ first, but letting ‘father’s wishes’ take precedence.”

He looked towards the direction of Da'an Palace in the distance, then turned back:

"If you become emperor, uphold the rules, ensure that the eldest son remains firmly in the position of heir apparent, and let Qingque fulfill his duties as a prince. This is the true way to protect them."

“Otherwise, if things really come to the point where Da Lang panics and Qing Que gets anxious, and the two of them get red-eyed like you and the Crown Prince did back then, and Si Zi cries and tugs at your clothes asking, ‘Why did I let my brothers fight?’ while Wu Niang hides to the side and doesn’t dare to say a word, is this the ‘fatherly love’ you want to give your children?”

Xiao Ran's voice was soft yet firm, "Only when the emperor's scales are balanced, the crown prince's position is secure, and the court is at peace can you be a father in peace and watch Qingque submit memorials to you."

"Otherwise, if the blood of Xuanwu Gate were to be shed again because of 'father's favoritism,' what could you possibly undo, no matter how much you love your child?"

"Do you want to see your brothers, Da Lang and Qing Que, kill each other again?"

"If those brothers really come to that point, Uncle, you are the real culprit!"

Li Shimin gripped the reins tightly, his knuckles turning white. Even the horse sensed its master's tension and nervously pawed at the reins.

He stared at Xiao Ran, the composure in his eyes shattering instantly. First, he widened his eyes in astonishment, as if hearing someone speak so bluntly for the first time. Then, his brows furrowed, and his tone carried a panic he himself was unaware of:
"Can it really go that far?"

He instinctively wanted to refute, but the words were cut off by Xiao Ran's mention of "Li Yuan's hesitation" and "the bloodshed at Xuanwu Gate".

Back then, he hated Li Yuan for not being able to distinguish between "emperor" and "father," but now Xiao Ran's words are like a mirror, reflecting that he himself is making the same mistake.

He always felt that he was in control, and that the "favoritism" he showed to Li Tai was his father's intention. However, he failed to see the unease in Li Chengqian's eyes, heard the private speculations of the court officials, and did not expect that this "intention" would become the spark that ignited the struggle for the throne.

"I just think Qingque is talented and want to give him a chance to show his skills."

Li Shimin's voice was weaker, no longer as assertive as before.

His gaze drifted towards the walls of Xuanwu Gate, as if searching for a reason to refute it, but he only saw the bloody shadows of yesteryear:
"I believe that as long as I am here, I can keep things under control, make the eldest son understand my thoughts, and ensure that Qingque stays within his bounds."

"Uncle, the old man back then also thought he could control things, but what happened?"

Xiao Ran's words, though seemingly gentle, struck Li Shimin's heart like a heavy hammer.

He snapped back to his senses, a flicker of lingering fear crossing his eyes.

Yes, back then, Li Yuan also thought that he "could control things" and that "there wasn't that much hatred between the brothers." As a result, the conflicts accumulated and intensified, and in the end, they could only end in bloodshed.

What makes him think he's an exception? What makes him think that "favoritism" won't turn into "suspicion," and "suspicion" won't turn into "murder"?
He became emperor to protect the peace of the Tang Dynasty and the safety of his family. But if his "favoritism" caused his sons to turn against each other and his daughters to be afraid, what would be the point of him being emperor and maintaining this peace?
"I didn't think that far ahead."

Li Shimin's tone softened completely, losing all imperial majesty and replaced by a somber tone that suggested he had been awakened.

Looking at Xiao Ran in silence for a long time, Li Shimin increasingly felt that Xiao Ran could predict the future.

It seems like I can know a lot about what will happen in the future.

This feeling is getting stronger and stronger.

"So, if I don't change, will Dalang and Qingque turn against each other in the future?"

Li Shimin stared intently into Xiao Ran's eyes, as if trying to see through him.

Xiao Ran avoided Li Shimin's gaze, "That's highly likely!"

“Your previous confident attitude clearly indicates that you know something!” Li Shimin continued.

"It's not that I know anything, it's just that I'm learning from history!" Xiao Ran smiled. "It's only been nine years since the Xuanwu Gate Incident, and we can always see the shadow of the old in new events."

It was clear that Xiao Ran didn't want to say anything more; it was obviously a bit of a stretch.

"Xiao Ran, tell me, should the emperors of the Tang Dynasty follow my example?" Li Shimin changed the subject.

The two headed back towards the Rissei-den (Imperial Hall).

"Uncle, you were a good emperor. Future emperors will definitely take you as their role model and learn from you."

"No, that's not it! You understand what I mean."

"Oh! I get it, you mean Xuanwu Gate!" Xiao Ran didn't expect Li Shimin to ask this.

Xiao Ran hadn't actually read many history books, but as a time traveler, he knew about history.

They naturally knew that the Tang emperors took Li Shimin as their role model and launched various struggles at Xuanwu Gate.

"Uncle, yes, there will definitely be descendants who will learn from you. They won't learn your ability to be a wise ruler, but they will learn your 'Xuanwu Gate' technique."

He turned to look at Li Shimin, a hint of helplessness in his eyes:
"You secured the Tang Dynasty with this step, created the Zhenguan era of prosperity, and became a good emperor praised by everyone."

"When future generations read history books, they may not think first, 'You were forced to do this back then,' or 'How did you work so hard to make the people live a better life?' What they will see first is, 'So this is how the throne can be fought for.'"

"As long as one can become a good emperor in the end, the 'methods' used in the preceding steps seem to become a 'forgivable process'."

Xiao Ran's voice softened further, "After all, you eventually became the founder of the Zhenguan Era, which is like adding a layer of gold to 'seizing the throne by force'."

"If future generations think, 'I can also be like General Tian Ce, first seize the throne and then become a wise ruler,' then they will naturally follow suit."

He sighed and added, "But rules are easy to break once and then repeat themselves."

“You were a good emperor, so later generations took you as an example—but in the ‘shadow’ of this example lies the precedent of the ‘Xuanwu Gate Incident.’ Those who are eyeing the throne will only focus on the ‘methods’ in this ‘shadow,’ not on the ‘peace’ you enjoyed later.”

"After all, seizing power comes quickly, but serving the people takes a lifetime."

"Sigh!" Li Shimin sighed, not knowing what to say.

Every rebellious emperor doesn't want his descendants to follow in his footsteps, and Li Shimin was no exception. "Uncle, don't sigh like that; there are advantages to it too."

"Huh? What benefits could this possibly bring? You're making fun of me, kid. You're really audacious!" Li Shimin said irritably.

"Those who rose to power in the Xuanwu Gate Incident were all capable; those who weren't capable died there. Isn't that a benefit? It means the emperors are of higher quality!"

"Get out of here!" Li Shimin was speechless.

"Hahaha!"

The two of them rode slowly and leisurely on their horses, without saying another word.

Xiao Ran did not disturb Li Shimin.

The sound of horses' hooves on the bluestone slabs was slow and deep, like a hammer blow to Li Shimin's heart. Each hooves reminded him of Xiao Ran's words, "fratricide" and "a repeat of the Xuanwu Gate Incident."

He looked down at the horse's swaying mane, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the reins, his mind churning over how to dismantle the "mine" buried under the throne.

First, we must accept the "overstepping" favors bestowed upon Qingque.

It's acceptable for the Chongwen Academy to have him compile books, but it's unacceptable for him to use printing technology to curry favor and make court officials think that "the Prince of Wei can share the burdens of His Majesty."

We need to find a pretext to take back the administrative authority of the Chongwen Academy, leaving it only with the task of compiling classics and history, so that Qingque knows that his talent should be used for writing, not for court intrigue.

The previous arrangement for him to participate in the printing workshop also needs to be adjusted. From now on, the printing workshop will be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, and Qingque will at most be a "supervisor". He can no longer hold real power, lest Dalang feel that even people's livelihood affairs are being taken away by his younger brother.

Then it's Dalang's turn.

This child must have been holding back a lot of anxiety all these years. His foot ailment already made him sensitive, and seeing Qingque being favored must have made him think of all sorts of things.

I need to find an opportunity to talk to him privately and explain things clearly.

In a side hall of the Taiji Hall, without the formalities of a monarch and his subject, they sat down like ordinary father and son, and he was told, "You are the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and the position of heir apparent was decided from the day you were born. I have never considered changing it."

We also need to give him some real power so that all the officials can see that "the Crown Prince is managing the people's livelihood for me and is the foundation of the future of the Tang Dynasty." This way, he can stand taller and the officials will no longer dare to speculate in private that "the Crown Prince is unstable."

There also needs to be a clear stance in the imperial court.

At the next court assembly, we should use the pretext of discussing the "promotion of Zhenguan sweet potatoes" to mention that "establishing the eldest son as heir is the foundation of the state," and have veteran ministers like Fang Xuanling and Li Jing subtly reinforce the idea that "the crown prince is unshakeable."

If any short-sighted minister were to suggest that "Prince Wei is talented and should be entrusted with more important responsibilities," I would have to suppress it on the spot and let everyone know that I love Qingque, but the extent of my love is within the bounds of "the duties of a prince" and will never exceed the "rules for the crown prince."

We also have to guard against the two of them having conflicts in private.

I hadn't paid much attention to their interactions before, but from now on I need to have the eunuchs keep a close eye on them to prevent the people from the Eastern Palace and the Prince of Wei's residence from fighting each other in private. If any signs of conflict arise, they must be nipped in the bud.

You also need to persuade the eldest brother, telling him, "Qingque is young and sometimes impulsive. As the eldest brother, you should be more tolerant of him, but don't be afraid of him. I'll support you from behind."

As he pondered, Li Shimin's gaze drifted towards the Lizheng Hall in the distance.

Back then, he hated Li Yuan for his hesitation because he was afraid his family would be implicated. Now, he couldn't become a second Li Yuan and let his children experience the bitterness of "brothers turning against each other" again.

He loosened his grip on the reins a little, and his thoughts gradually became clearer: in the end, he still had to put the "rules of the emperor" first and put the "father's favoritism" second.

It's not that I don't care about Qingque, it's that I can't let the pain turn into harm.

It's not that I don't believe in Dalang, but I need to give him enough confidence to believe in himself.

Only in this way can the bloodshed at Xuanwu Gate cease, the children be able to live peacefully as brothers, and the foundation of the Tang Dynasty truly stabilize.

When Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun returned to the Lizheng Hall, they saw that everyone else was there.

"Stay here tonight!" Li Shimin said, breaking the silence.

"Others are more suitable; it would be presumptuous of me, a man, to presume!" Xiao Ran knew what was going on and also wanted to go back as soon as possible.

"Alright!" Li Shimin knew that Xiao Ran wasn't there, and the others certainly couldn't stay overnight either.

"It's getting late, we should head back," Xiao Ran said.

"Hmm, okay, let's wait a bit!" Li Shimin ordered someone to prepare some food for His Highness.

Xiao Ran had been a great help, so Li Shimin would definitely want to show his appreciation by rewarding Xiao Ran with something.

It was given to Xiao Ran, but it also seemed to be given to several princesses.

When we returned, we had a lot of things, including Princess Gaoyang.

From now on, I will study in Kaolao Village with the two little princesses.

Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun watched as Xiao Ran and his entourage drove away.

Not only did Li Shimin bestow gifts upon Xiao Ran, but Empress Zhangsun also gave Zhang Jinhe, Zhang Erya, and San Niang a considerable amount of clothing.

These are all top-quality fabrics, and the craftsmanship is impeccable.

Even Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya were reluctant to pass it on.

"Oh dear! It's all gone now, and the Lizheng Hall feels so empty. I feel a little lost." Li Shimin felt a bit uneasy.

"Occasionally, have the young master bring a few maids back to visit! Don't let him be gone for more than half a year like before." Empress Zhangsun also liked having several princesses around her.

"This time it's all thanks to my eldest son!" Li Shimin pulled Empress Zhangsun's arm and walked towards the Lizheng Hall.

"Your Majesty, what is the meaning behind this?" Empress Zhangsun sensed the hidden meaning in Li Shimin's words.

"I was careless before and didn't realize these problems. Xiao Ran came here specifically to talk about these matters."

Others suggested that Li Shimin should consider it, but the problem was that he trusted Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran couldn't have made such a claim without a basis.

Xiao Ran came to say something, which means things are a bit serious. Xiao Ran hadn't come to the palace before.

After hearing this, Empress Zhangsun fell silent. "How could the eldest son and Qingque end up like this?"

"Your Majesty, don't worry, it won't happen again. I hope my brother is doing well. I won't give Qingque any more illusions."

The favor shown to him by Li Shimin gave Li Tai an unwarranted misconception.

He believed that once Li Chengqian was deposed, the throne would be his. (End of Chapter)