The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 140 Turning the Tide

Li Qi lit divine incense high above the nine heavens.

Li Xianmu spoke passionately in the Wuying Hall, and the hall fell silent for a moment.

Li Xianmu's eyebrows, which had been damp from the rain, had dried and were now slightly upturned in a barely noticeable arc.

A deafening rumble of thunder echoed outside the hall, occasionally accompanied by flashes of lightning that pierced the sky, illuminating everything inside and revealing every detail of people, their faces glowing with a divine light.

Then came the pattering raindrops, falling on the glazed tiles like pearls falling onto a jade plate, a crisp and rhythmic sound.

A deep dampness seeped in through the cracks in the palace doors, carrying a chill unique to summer downpours, making one shiver involuntarily. It was the King of Han.

The emperor, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, still had an indignant expression on his face, but it slowly froze, and his brows furrowed slightly, revealing a thoughtful look.

Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi straightened up slightly from his prostrate position on the ground, a hint of color returning to his pale face, and a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes, like a rainbow after the rain.

Prime Minister Yao Guangxiao, dressed in black, stared intently at Li Xianmu, his hand moving faster and faster as he twirled the prayer beads, but with less force.

Duke Zhang Fu of England's straight back slumped slightly, his gaze lowered, and he even had the leisure to smooth out the wrinkles on his ducal robe.

The chief eunuchs standing on either side of the emperor all glanced sideways in shock, their eyes filled with deep respect and admiration.

The King of Han was pale, and the King of Zhao also had a hint of displeasure in his eyes.

Under the white flash, Li Xianmu knelt behind, taking in the expressions of everyone.

Li Xianmu's impassioned words were truly impeccable, a perfect response to the emperor's anger.

He first clarified his relationship with the Crown Prince, then his closer connection with the Emperor, and finally expressed his sincere devotion to the Emperor.

Finally, he brought up the late emperor!
This was actually a subconscious influence on Zhu Di. Li Xianmu was telling Zhu Di that the reason he was close to the Crown Prince was because the Crown Prince was the grandson of Emperor Taizu, while he was the maternal grandson of Emperor Taizu.

In this relationship, our bloodline originates from the late Emperor, and you are my maternal uncle. In terms of blood ties, I am closer to you than to the Crown Prince.

Why do you suspect that I would side with the Crown Prince against you?
Li Xianmu also uttered the phrase "the imperial family's kinship," which was a subconscious hint to Zhu Di.

In this whole set of argumentative logic, Li Xianmu did not put in any effort to explain that he had no connection with the crown prince. Instead, he used his closer connection with the emperor to tell the emperor that they, uncle and nephew, were closer.

This explanation touched the emperor's heart and completely calmed him down.

Those present were most sensitive to changes in the atmosphere, and they could naturally sense the emperor's changing attitude.

Li Xianmu knelt on the ground. Others were observing him, and he was observing them. In just that short moment, he could clearly sense that the hall was indeed divided into two factions.

Among them, the black-clad prime minister Yao Guangxiao seemed to intend to take action, but because Li Xianmu had already solved a major problem, Yao Guangxiao remained silent.

The emperor's attitude softened, but Li Xianmu did not relax at all, because the real problem lay with the crown prince. He had now regained the opportunity to speak before the emperor, but whether he could exonerate the crown prince depended on whether his words could move the emperor!
Zhu Di gradually calmed down from his initial anger and looked at Li Xianmu kneeling on the ground. "I have always known your loyalty and integrity. Besides, who said that you are good at planning for the country but bad at planning for yourself? Planning for the country and planning for yourself are the same thing. Is this an insult to me that I cannot protect myself for those who plan for the country?"

To utter such treasonous words deserves death!

The atmosphere in the hall changed drastically as soon as the emperor uttered these conciliatory words.

The Prince of Han never expected that the Emperor would so easily dismiss his suspicions about Li Xianmu!
Although he had anticipated what the words had just said, he was still unwilling to accept it. He had planned so much, and with the right timing, location, and people, he had managed to force Li Xianmu and the Crown Prince into such a desperate situation.

I'm really not willing to give up like this!
"They are nothing but a bunch of wicked and despicable people who cannot receive the Emperor's boundless grace. If I were to argue with them, wouldn't I be sinking into the mire?"

Li Xianmu's eyes were clear and bright, filled with contempt for those people. His spirited demeanor made everyone in the hall think that he was still a young man who had not yet reached adulthood.

“That’s right. Heaven’s grace is boundless, truly boundless. Someone of your stature should not bother with those people.”

Zhu Di glanced at the Prince of Han and the Crown Prince on the ground with disdain, then shook his head.

Comparisons are odious; comparisons are inevitable. With Li Xianmu as a shining example, Zhu Di felt quite disdainful of his own sons. One was skilled in martial arts but not in literature, and the other was skilled in literature but not in martial arts. Only his eldest son, Zhu Zhanji, was very much like him.

Thinking of Zhu Zhanji, Zhu Di frowned slightly and looked at the Crown Prince.

Today's events ultimately stemmed from the Crown Prince.

Although Zhu Di believed that Li Xianmu would not side with the Crown Prince because of his connection with the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince's actions still made him uneasy, as he had violated a great taboo this time.

He gazed intently at the Crown Prince, his eyes sharp as swords and knives, as piercing as divine light, as if trying to penetrate his two-hundred-pound weight and flesh to see into Zhu Gaochi's heart, to see if he was truly as gentle, kind, respectful, frugal, and modest as he usually was, if he was the benevolent Crown Prince praised by the world, or if beneath his kind exterior lay resentment towards his sovereign father, and a heart as rebellious as a tiger or wolf!

Having emerged from the flames of war and ascended the throne amidst a sea of ​​blood, Zhu Di naturally possessed an imposing aura that commanded respect without anger. This profound and inquisitive look of his carried a hint of murderous intent. Zhu Gaochi, lying on the ground, felt enveloped by death, and the slight relief he had just felt immediately replaced by renewed anxiety.

"Is Father trying to kill me?"

The next moment, Zhu Gaochi dismissed such a treasonous thought. He knew that his father would not kill him for this, and at most, he would only depose him from the position of crown prince.

Seeing the tense atmosphere between the emperor and the crown prince rekindle, the King of Han was overjoyed.

Having been shocked by Li Xianmu, he almost forgot that today's matter was between the emperor and the crown prince, not between the emperor and Li Xianmu.

Even though Li Xianmu managed to escape through clever words and feigned weakness, once the crown prince was deposed, Li Xianmu would have no choice but to submit to him if he desired wealth and power. The key to victory is to capture the king; after so many years of fighting, how could we have forgotten this crucial point!

“Father, we have come here today to discuss the Crown Prince’s crimes, not Li Xianmu’s crimes.”

The Prince of Han spoke these words with some impatience, then lowered his head heavily. His movements were so violent that the python embroidered on his princely robe seemed to move with it, lifelike, as if it were about to devour someone.

Just as Zhu Di was about to speak, Li Xianmu looked at the Prince of Han with great surprise and asked curiously, "Your Highness the Prince of Han said that His Highness the Crown Prince is guilty. Just now when I entered the palace, His Majesty also said that the Crown Prince is guilty. I wonder what crime the Crown Prince has committed?"
Could it be the sorcery mentioned in that memorial from that day?

Your Majesty and His Highness the Prince of Han never imagined that such an absurd matter would be recorded at this time.

Zhu Gaochi felt a chill run down his spine. He knew Li Xianmu quite well and knew that Li Xianmu must have a plan to deal with this.

Zhu Di was taken aback at first, then turned his gaze to Li Xianmu, his eyes revealing an unfathomable meaning.

"Are you saying that I have wronged and wrongly accused the Crown Prince?"

Zhu Di's voice took on a chilling tone once more, and the Prince of Han was already on the verge of bursting into laughter.

Li Xianmu, Li Xianmu, you have a path to heaven but choose not to take it, and you barge into the gates of hell. Just now you used your clever words to extricate yourself from the Crown Prince's vortex, but now you have voluntarily jumped back in. At this time, you speak up for the Crown Prince, truly showing no regard for life or good fortune.

Do you really think that your father's indulgence towards you is limitless?

Do you know what you're saying?

If you cannot provide a reasonable explanation, I will doubt your intentions and the truthfulness of what you just said. Are you sure you want to speak up for the Crown Prince?

The emperor's voice carried a chilling coldness, but those in the hall who knew the emperor's thoughts best sensed the change in his tone.

The biggest lie in the world is that everyone is equal, and the second biggest lie in the world is that reason prevails everywhere.

The same sentence, spoken by different people at different times and in different places, can have completely different effects.

If Li Xianmu had said those words as soon as he entered the hall, he would have been severely reprimanded by the emperor. But now the emperor is willing to give him a chance.

This shows that Li Xianmu's position in the emperor's heart had changed, and thus the weight of his words became different.

For the first time since entering the Wuying Hall, Li Xianmu felt a sense of relief. Wasn't this exactly the opportunity he had been seeking?

His previous words, full of emotion, were precisely what he sought: an opportunity to make the emperor take his words seriously and consider them.
As long as the emperor thinks, as long as the emperor begins to ponder whether what he said makes sense, he has already gained a significant advantage in this game of chess between him and the emperor!
The situation in the hall has been reversed in that short moment!

A great unease arose in the heart of the Prince of Han, which then swept through his entire body. He could no longer bear it, raised his head, glared angrily, and shouted at Li Xianmu, "Li Xianmu, just keep stirring things up, keep stirring things up, use your mouth that only knows how to spout nonsense to turn a perfectly good court upside down."

You've turned matters of state and the throne into such a mess. What do you take the Emperor for? Does he think he's less knowledgeable than a greenhorn like you?
"We actually need you here to spout some words about saving the nation!"

Li Xianmu, undaunted, raised his head and looked directly at the Prince of Han, saying sternly, "Your Highness, I urge you to be careful with your words!"

Your humble servant is a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) of the third year of the Yongle reign. He is a disciple of the Emperor and the top scholar personally selected by His Majesty. After reading my policy essay, His Majesty praised me as having the talent to surpass that of three hundred prefectures, and I was awarded the title of "Six-time Top Scholar"!

After I had completed my mourning period, it was Your Majesty who promoted me to the Grand Secretariat, Your Majesty who made me your advisor, and Your Majesty who allowed me to enter the Eastern Palace to assume the responsibility of regulating the Crown Prince. Every step of my promotion was done by Your Majesty and was highly valued by Your Majesty.

If Your Highness is unable to speak on matters of state, are you questioning His Majesty's judgment?
Does Your Highness suspect that His Majesty has been making things easy for me?
Does Your Highness believe that the two Jinshi candidates from the third year of the Yongle reign were merely empty names?

After all, in His Highness the Prince of Han's eyes, I, the leader, am nothing more than a greenhorn, let alone the others.
This is not how Your Highness should discuss matters concerning foreign officials. Your humble servant urges Your Highness to retract such inappropriate remarks!

The King of Han never expected that he would be met with such a long rebuttal from Li Xianmu after only saying a few words. He couldn't help but press his temples, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. Li Xianmu's words lingered in his ears like countless flies buzzing, making him so angry that he almost fainted.

But as soon as he got up from the ground, he heard Li Xianmu still speaking sternly: "As for what His Highness the Prince of Han said, His Majesty has his own opinion, and this is indeed true."

However, Emperor Taizong of Tang also had Wei Zheng to advise him. Even the wisest person can make a mistake. Your Majesty is divinely gifted and intelligent. We are only here to point out your shortcomings and make up for them. How can we remain silent and watch Your Majesty be deceived by treacherous people?
Although His Highness the Prince of Han cannot succeed to the throne, he is still the ruler of a country and a bulwark for the emperor. I urge His Highness to put aside his thoughts today, for this is not the way of a ruler, not the way of a king, not the way of a master. Making decisions arbitrarily and listening to only one side are the ways to bring disaster!

Although I am not His Highness Prince Han's subordinate, I am His Highness's cousin. This is a younger brother's advice to his elder brother!

"Li Xianmu, you've gone too far!"

The Prince of Han could no longer tolerate it, especially when Li Xianmu directly said that he was not fit to inherit the throne. This struck a nerve with him, causing him to shout angrily, "What outrageous things are you spouting!"

Prime Minister Yao Guangxiao, dressed in black, narrowed his eyes slightly. As a true outsider and one of the most brilliant strategists of his time, he realized that Li Xianmu was deliberately provoking the Prince of Han.

The Prince of Han wanted to capture the king first, so he bypassed Li Xianmu and directly arrested the crown prince. Li Xianmu did the same. In order to exonerate the crown prince, besides persuading the emperor, Li Xianmu was also thinking of capturing the Prince of Han in one fell swoop, so that the Prince of Han would be disliked by the emperor after this incident.

What a grand ambition!
What a grand scheme!
That's incredibly bold!

Given the current situation, being able to retain the position of crown prince is already a glorious victory.

They even thought they could achieve victory in one battle, but it's unknown whether the King of Han will fall into Li Xianmu's trap and be knocked down from the peak to the bottom today.

Yao Guangxiao naturally favored the Crown Prince, but that didn't stop him from wanting to watch the show.

He knew that Li Xianmu was talented, but he wanted to see how much Li Xianmu was inferior to or superior to his father, Li Qi. He was extremely interested in the father and son!

(End of this chapter)