The Fierce Teacher of Zhenguan: Starting with Teaching the Crown Prince to Make a Comeback

Chapter 166 has such a miraculous effect. (Please vote with monthly tickets!!!)

He abruptly stopped laughing, all expression vanishing from his face in an instant, leaving only a cold, resolute look.

"Since they are hesitant and afraid to take risks, then I... will do it myself!"

Du Chuke's heart trembled violently.

"Your Highness! No! This is...this is a path of utter destruction!"

He said urgently, "What if things don't go smoothly..."

"My mind is made up! This matter must not be known to those noble families in the slightest! They cannot be trusted!"

He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging blood and qi, and his voice became low and dangerous.

"Sir, regarding what you just said about maintaining contact with the powerful families and discussing how to impeach those who form factions... you should still handle this matter."

"At the very least, we need to make the Crown Prince's side believe that we are still on this legitimate path."

Du Chuke's advice was interrupted by Li Tai's stern voice, and the hall fell into a deathly silence.

Du Chuke knew that it would be useless to persuade him at this moment, and it might even provoke the King of Wei to rebel more deeply. He could only suppress his worries and bow his head in response.

"...Yes, I understand. I will continue to push forward the matter of contacting aristocratic families and impeaching the Crown Prince for forming a faction."

Li Tai snorted coldly, stopped looking at him, turned around and walked to the window, then suddenly pushed it open.

The night breeze swept in, carrying a coolness, but it couldn't dispel the restlessness and gloom in his heart.

He gazed at the deep night at the Prince of Wei's residence.

In the following days, Chang'an maintained an eerie calm on the surface.

The Crown Prince's reorganization of the Ministry of Works proceeded smoothly, and the practice of his officials "going deep into the grassroots" showed no signs of stopping. In fact, due to the "victory" in the previous court dispute, it even showed signs of spreading.

Meanwhile, the secret meetings between the Prince of Wei's residence and the aristocratic families seemed to be continuing, and rumors about impeaching the Crown Prince for forming a faction were circulating among the lower levels of the court, but no substantial storm of memorials had yet been formed.

However, a new undercurrent was brewing among some officials from aristocratic families, especially those closely associated with the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites.

On this day, after discussing several routine government affairs, Cui Renshi, the Imperial Censor of the Palace and a member of the Cui clan of Boling, stepped forward steadily, holding a jade tablet.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report." Cui Renshi's voice was clear and his posture respectful.

Li Shimin's gaze fell upon it.

"What is it that you, Minister Cui, have reported?"

“Your Majesty,” Cui Renshi bowed.

"Recently, the affairs of the Eastern Palace have been numerous. His Highness the Crown Prince has to oversee the reform of the Ministry of Works and handle the daily documents of the Regent. He is diligent and hardworking, and we admire him greatly."

"However, the crown prince is the foundation of the country, and excessive hardship may not be a blessing for the nation. Moreover, Your Majesty is busy with countless affairs every day, and you also need your trusted advisors to share the burden."

He paused slightly, then quickly glanced at the emperor on the throne.

"In my observation, Prince Wei Tai is intelligent and quick-witted, with outstanding literary talent, especially in classical texts and etiquette, which has always been praised by scholars. Prince Wei and the Crown Prince are brothers born of the same mother and have a deep bond. If Your Majesty could allow Prince Wei to participate appropriately in court affairs and assist in managing some matters, it would not only alleviate the worries of Your Majesty and the Crown Prince and demonstrate harmony within the imperial family, but also allow Prince Wei's talents to be displayed and to serve the country."

"This move is beneficial to both the country and the family. I humbly offer this suggestion and humbly request Your Majesty's wise decision."

These words immediately caused a slight commotion inside the hall.

Many officials exchanged glances, understanding the situation perfectly.

This was by no means Cui Renshi's idea alone; there must be a considerable number of powerful families behind him.

Immediately afterwards, Li Jingxuan, a Vice Minister of Rites from the Zhao County Li clan, stepped forward to second the motion.

“Your Majesty, Censor Cui is absolutely right. His Highness the Crown Prince has recently devoted himself to the practical affairs of the Ministry of Works and achieved remarkable results. However, the regulations of the Ministry of Rites and the selection of officials by the Ministry of Personnel are also related to the dignity of the court and the promotion and demotion of talents.”

“His Highness Prince Wei is well-versed in etiquette. If he could observe and learn from the Ministry of Rites or the Ministry of Personnel and assist in some matters, he would surely make great achievements. It would also allow scholars throughout the land to perceive His Majesty’s virtuous intention of valuing relatives and opening up avenues for talent.”

Subsequently, several officials from the Secretariat and the Chancellery, as well as several officials from prominent families who served in the Ministry of Personnel, stepped forward and spoke earnestly.

The reasons given were grand and respectable, but the core message was that the Crown Prince was busy and His Majesty was overworked. Prince Wei, Li Tai, was both talented and virtuous, and as the Crown Prince's younger brother, he was perfectly suited to serve in important positions and share the burden of government affairs. The message specifically mentioned that the Ministry of Personnel or the Ministry of Rites would be the most suitable.

The criticism was subtly directed at the Ministry of Personnel, which was in charge of the promotion and appointment of officials throughout the country, and the Ministry of Rites, which was in charge of etiquette and the imperial examinations.

On the dragon throne, Li Shimin remained calm, his gaze slowly sweeping over the officials below who were petitioning for his services, his mind as clear as a mirror.

Seeing that the Crown Prince's power was difficult to stop, these powerful families wanted to put forward the Prince of Wei to counterbalance him.

Placing Li Tai into the Ministry of Personnel or the Ministry of Rites, even if only as an "assistant" or "observationist," would be tantamount to driving a wedge into the core of the most important bureaucratic system. This would both divide the Crown Prince's power and allow the aristocratic families to influence the appointment and removal of officials and the prevailing sentiments among scholars, thus maintaining their own interests.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Li Chengqian, who was standing at the front of the officials.

The crown prince stood with his eyes lowered, his face expressionless, as if the advice had nothing to do with him.

Li Shimin then recalled that Li Tai had recently been staying at home and not coming out, and seemed to be in low spirits.

"I understand what you all have said."

Li Shimin spoke slowly, his voice steady, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"I am very pleased with the Crown Prince's diligence. I am also well aware of the Prince of Wei's talent and learning. It is truly a good thing that the brothers are harmonious and work together to govern the country."

He paused for a moment, as if carefully weighing the options.

The courtiers in the hall held their breath, awaiting his decision.

Those aristocratic officials who stepped forward to plead their case were inevitably a little uneasy, wondering whether His Majesty would see through their intentions and whether he would accept this "seemingly fair" suggestion.

"The Ministry of Personnel is a crucial institution for personnel selection, and it is essential for the integrity of the administration."

Li Shimin continued, “The Prince of Wei is young, and although he is willing to serve the court, the power to govern in all aspects should not be given lightly.”

Upon hearing this, Cui Renshi and the others felt a slight unease.

However, Li Shimin immediately changed the subject.

"However, it is not unreasonable to let them become familiar with departmental affairs and understand the difficulties of selecting officials."

"Alright then, starting today, Prince Wei Tai may participate in the deliberations of the Ministry of Personnel. He may offer suggestions on all matters concerning the performance evaluation and transfer of officials below the fifth rank."

"Furthermore, the King of Wei must also regularly submit a memorial to the emperor detailing his observations and feelings."

This was not a complete control over the Ministry of Personnel, nor even an assistant; it was more like giving Li Tai the identity of a "senior observer" and "limited advisor."

The main scope was limited to the evaluation, promotion and transfer of officials below the fifth rank, and the final decision-making power was firmly in the hands of the emperor and the head of the Ministry of Personnel.

But this did allow Li Tai to legitimately extend his reach into the Ministry of Personnel for the first time.

Cui Renshi and Li Jingxuan exchanged glances. Although it did not fully meet their expectations, His Majesty had finally relented and allowed the Prince of Wei to intervene in the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel. This was an important first step.

The group bowed in unison.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Li Shimin turned his gaze to Li Tai: "Qingque, I entrust you with this post. I hope you will be careful in your words and deeds, listen and observe more, study diligently, and do not disappoint my expectations."

Li Tai immediately stepped out of the line and strode forward, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace! I am deeply grateful for your trust! I will certainly do my duty diligently, learn humbly, and never dare to fail your trust!" He lowered his head, his face flushed with an uncontrollable glow, as if the gloom of the past few days had been dispelled at this moment.

He finally... finally had the chance to touch the real core of power!
Even if it's just on the edge, that's enough!

"Rise," Li Shimin said calmly.

"Thank you, Father Emperor!" Li Tai bowed again before rising and returning to the ranks, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, but his eyes couldn't help but glance at Li Chengqian, who was standing not far in front of him.

Li Chengqian turned around to face Li Tai, a gentle smile on his face.

"I am very pleased that my fourth brother has been appointed to the Ministry of Personnel. The affairs of the Ministry of Personnel are complicated and involve the court's personnel selection. My fourth brother is very talented and will surely benefit a lot from it, so that he can better share the burden for Father in the future. If there is anything I can do to help you, please feel free to speak up."

His tone was calm and natural, without the slightest hint of resentment, as if the older brother was genuinely happy for his younger brother's progress.

These words of encouragement, to the assembled officials, made the Crown Prince appear even more magnanimous and mindful of his brotherly affection.

Li Tai quickly composed himself, cupped his hands in greeting, and replied, "Thank you for your encouragement, Your Highness. I will certainly do my best to live up to the expectations of my father and elder brother."

The court assembly ended in such a seemingly harmonious and joyful atmosphere.

The news spread quickly.

Although the Prince of Wei's role as advisor to the Ministry of Personnel had limited authority, it still attracted widespread attention from both the court and the public.

All parties are reassessing the current situation.

The aristocratic group considered this a good start, at least successfully bringing the King of Wei to the forefront and creating a certain degree of checks and balances.

Some neutral observers felt that His Majesty's move was quite meaningful, as it appeased the powerful families and the Prince of Wei without excessively weakening the Crown Prince's power.

The Eastern Palace, Xiande Hall.

After returning from court, Li Chengqian handled government affairs as usual.

Subordinate officials Dou Jing and Du Zhenglun came to report on the progress of the Ministry of Works' reforms and a summary of various documents recently received by the Crown Prince's Palace.

Both of them noticed that His Highness the Crown Prince's reaction to the Prince of Wei's entry into the Ministry of Personnel was extremely indifferent, as if it were just a trivial matter.

After finishing her report, Dou Jing couldn't help but mention something.

"Your Highness, although the Prince of Wei's participation in the Ministry of Personnel this time lacks real power, his title has been established, and I fear that in the future..."

Li Chengqian raised his hand to interrupt him, his expression calm.

"I understand. It is a good thing that my fourth brother is talented and serves the court. As for the Ministry of Works, we can proceed according to the established strategy and there is no need to be distracted by other matters."

Seeing the Crown Prince's stance, Dou Jing and Du Zhenglun said no more, bowed, and took their leave.

After leaving Xiande Hall, Du Zhenglun whispered to Dou Jing, "Your Highness's demeanor has become even more composed. It seems that the Prince of Wei's actions have not swayed Your Highness in the slightest."

Dou Jing nodded, a hint of admiration on her face: "Your Highness's heart is indeed beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. We only need to do our jobs well."

After the two left, Li Chengqian sat alone at his desk, his fingers tapping the tabletop unconsciously.

He wasn't entirely indifferent, but Li Yichen had already analyzed various possibilities with him, including the possibility that the aristocratic families might introduce the Prince of Wei to check and balance the situation, as well as the balancing measures that his father would inevitably take.

Today's events in the court merely confirmed our previous predictions.

His current foundation lies in the substantive reforms of the Ministry of Works.

Li Tai has been granted limited access to the Ministry of Personnel's deliberations, but this will not shake his fundamental position in the short term.

What he needs to do is continue to solidify his foundation, improve efficiency more quickly, and produce more undeniable achievements.

Thinking about efficiency, Li Chengqian recalled Li Yichen's recent suggestion regarding improving the document processing procedures in the Eastern Palace.

Li Yichen said that based on recent observations, he has drafted a method whose core is "pre-classification and label management".

He suggested that clerks should classify documents based on their content rather than their source when they first receive them.

For example, it is divided into major categories such as "emergency military affairs", "routine government affairs", "engineering and construction", "personnel appointment and removal", "finance and grain auditing", "etiquette and system", "suggestions and advice", and "impeachment and investigation".

They are also labeled with different colored envelopes or tags.

If Li Chengqian can classify and review documents in this way, he can prioritize handling urgent matters and group similar matters together, thereby avoiding frequent switching of his mind and improving efficiency.

Li Yichen further suggested that status labels such as "pending discussion," "approved," and "forwarded" could be added to various documents.

A special register will be established to record the entire process of document circulation in order to achieve closed-loop management and prevent backlog or omission.

Li Chengqian believed that this method was feasible and immediately ordered it to be implemented in the Eastern Palace. He also ordered Li Yichen, Dou Jing, and Du Zhenglun to jointly determine the specific classification details.

Over the next two days, Li Yichen discussed the matter in detail with the two of them.

The new law was first piloted in the Imperial Household Department's document room.

At first, the clerks found it inconvenient to have to do extra sorting and labeling, but the results became apparent after a few days.

Li Chengqian found that the documents on his desk had become well-organized. He could prioritize urgent or important matters based on color-coded labels, and reviewing similar matters together made his thinking coherent, significantly speeding up decision-making. The processing progress of various documents was also clear at a glance.

Li Chengqian was the first to sense the change.

His desk was no longer a messy pile of documents, but arranged by color.

Depending on his current situation, he can first quickly browse the red "urgent military affairs" and the yellow "impeachment and investigation" documents, and then focus on dealing with the blue "construction projects" and the cyan "financial documents".

Grouping similar tasks together ensures a coherent thought process and significantly speeds up decision-making.

Those white "routine administrative documents" and brown "ceremonial documents" can be reviewed in spare moments.

The purple "suggestions and advice" were arranged in a separate stack, making it easier for him to carefully consider them.

The black "Personnel Appointment and Removal" document becomes clearer when compared with relevant documents from the Ministry of Personnel.

Dou Jing and Du Zhenglun, as the main officials assisting the Crown Prince in handling documents, also found it very convenient.

When they report matters to the Crown Prince, they can present them in a categorized and organized manner.

When you need to find old files or track the progress of a document, you can quickly locate them with the help of classification labels and registers, eliminating the need for aimless searching.

On this day, Dou Jing and Du Zhenglun came out of Xiande Hall together, both with relaxed expressions on their faces.

"Brother Du, I never imagined that the method advocated by Li Yichen would have such miraculous effects."

Dou Jing couldn't help but sigh.

“At this time in the past, you and I would probably still be racking our brains over sorting out the documents that need to be submitted to His Highness tomorrow, but today it has already been dealt with.”

Du Zhenglun stroked his beard and smiled.

"This method seems simple, but it actually organizes and standardizes complex matters. Although the master of ceremonies, Li Yichen, is young, he has quite a knack for practical management!"

This news quickly reached Li Shimin's ears.

"Li Yichen?"

(End of this chapter)