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

Chapter 47 The secret must not be revealed
He paused, remembering that the conversation hadn't ended, and pressed on, "Yichen, you just said that you wanted to fabricate a strange event on me to change my image as much as possible. What exactly is it? Tell me quickly!"

However, Li Yichen slowly shook his head, a mysterious smile appearing on his face.

"Your Highness, this matter... is a secret that cannot be revealed."

"Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed?" Li Chengqian was taken aback, then became somewhat anxious.

"Why? You can tell me everything else, but why keep this matter from me?"

“It’s not that I’m hiding it from Your Highness,” Li Yichen said calmly, yet with an undeniable firmness.

"It's not that the time is right, and this 'rumor' needs to be circulated when the opportunity arises. If it's announced too early, things might change. Your Highness only needs to believe that everything I've done is to help you secure your position as heir apparent. Once this rumor is spread, it will not only not harm Your Highness in the slightest, but it will also cleverly resolve many of Your Highness's past embarrassments and completely reverse some of His Majesty's and the court officials' preconceived notions about Your Highness. Its effect may even be greater than opening the Eastern Palace and accepting advice to gain fame."

Seeing Li Chengqian's hesitant gaze, he added, "Your Highness, please trust me. This matter concerns whether Your Highness can truly remain invincible."

Li Chengqian and Li Yichen looked at each other, and in those clear and firm eyes, he saw absolute confidence.

He recalled every turning point that Li Yichen brought after his appearance, every seemingly hopeless situation that turned into a ray of hope.

An almost instinctive dependence and trust ultimately overwhelmed his doubts and curiosity.

“…Okay.” Li Chengqian exhaled a heavy breath and chose to believe unconditionally.

"I will not ask!"

"Thank you for your trust, Your Highness." Li Yichen bowed respectfully, then his expression turned serious and his tone became pragmatic.

"In that case, Your Highness, please immediately take action on two matters. First, closely monitor the streets and markets of Chang'an, especially the East and West Markets, the areas where foreign merchants gather, and the teahouses and taverns in various neighborhoods. Pay attention to all rumors and movements concerning the Eastern Palace and Your Highness. Once any rumors that are unfavorable to Your Highness arise, immediately release information about the strange events in the Eastern Palace."

"Secondly, and most urgently, we must immediately investigate and prosecute the Wang Shun and Wang Da embezzlement case with swift and decisive action! We must be resolute, transparent in our process, and lawful in our judgment! This is a crucial step in demonstrating to His Majesty and the court that His Highness is determined to 'repent and reform, and eliminate internal corruption,' and there must be absolutely no hesitation or leniency!"

Li Chengqian's eyes sharpened, and his nerves, which had relaxed slightly from discussing absurd rumors, tightened again.

He knew that what Li Yichen said was the most real test before him.

Treating the internal borers is like cutting away flesh to mend a wound, or scraping away bone to remove poison.

“I understand!” Li Chengqian stood up abruptly. Although his ankle was still uncomfortable, his aura was completely different, carrying a kind of do-or-die determination.

"I hereby summon the Director of the Imperial Kitchen and the Chief Clerk of the Imperial Household Department, and order the Left and Right Guards of the Eastern Palace to immediately arrest Wang Shun and Wang Da and investigate the accounts! At the same time, I will submit a memorial to the Emperor, explaining this matter and requesting the Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate to jointly investigate it!"

Liangyi Palace.

Li Shimin put down the secret memorial in his hand, leaned back slightly on the back of the dragon throne.

The report detailed everything that happened in the Eastern Palace's Consultative Hall that day.

Liu Heng's performance, seemingly reminiscing about the past, was actually a subtle expression of his grievances;

Liu Shi pressed on relentlessly, his questions laced with hidden sarcasm;

And, Crown Prince Li Chengqian's unusually calm response to these two "advices" with such different styles.

Especially for Liu Shi.

There was no outburst of anger, no loss of composure, no hasty defense, and not even any obvious panic.

He calmly accepted all the accusations, stating that he would "check the accounts" and "find out the truth," and tacitly approved Liu Shi's move to transfer the case clues to the Dali Temple.

Deep down, Li Shimin did feel a very slight sense of approval for the Crown Prince's performance today.

At least, the child has learned to control his emotions and understands that sometimes silence and acceptance are more powerful than yelling and arguing.

However, this sliver of approval was quickly overshadowed by another surge of anger.

This anger was not directed at the Crown Prince, but at the Imperial Censor, Liu Shi!
“Comparing the crown prince to Emperor Yang of Sui…” Li Shimin muttered to himself.

His tone carried a murderous intent. Every word Liu Shi uttered in his memorial was meticulously recorded by the scribe and was now being presented before the Emperor.

Those seemingly patriotic and well-researched words, in the eyes of Li Shimin, an emperor who personally experienced the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty and created the prosperous reign of Zhenguan, were actually malicious!
Emperor Yang of Sui!
That stubborn, extravagant, and ambitious ruler who ultimately led to the disintegration of the empire, his own death, and the destruction of his kingdom!

Liu Shi dared to compare the Crown Prince's actions with Emperor Yang of Sui's "Advice-Receiving Platform" in front of the Crown Prince!
They dared to imply that if handled improperly, they would "repeat the same mistake"!
What a vicious and malicious argument!

Where is this supposed to put his crown prince?
Where does this leave Li Shimin?
A violent impulse surged within Li Shimin's chest.

Such words, which sow discord between the ruler and his ministers and undermine the foundation of the state, deserve no pity even if one dies!
But he was, after all, Li Shimin.

He was the Heavenly Khan who established the Tang Dynasty amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and who ruled his ministers for sixteen years in the treacherous court.

He took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his anger.

His chest heaved violently a few times before finally calming down, but the cold light in his deep eyes intensified.

Can't move.

It cannot be moved, at least not now.

Liu Shi was nothing more than a pawn.

Who is behind this?
Were they those upright officials who harbored deep resentment towards the Crown Prince?
Or... other forces lurking in the shadows?
If he were to severely punish Liu Shi now, it would certainly be satisfying, but it would just fall into the trap set by certain people.

They would immediately exaggerate how the emperor was "punished for speaking out" and "blocked the channels for criticism," and even shift the blame onto the crown prince, saying that he "used personal revenge" and "did not tolerate remonstrances."

This will only complicate an already delicate situation further.

And... he also wanted to see.

Let's see how the Crown Prince will respond next.

Let's see where this storm, stirred up by the Crown Prince, will ultimately lead.

"Wang De." Li Shimin's voice returned to its usual calm and steady tone, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

Wang De, the eunuch who had been standing by his side like a shadow, immediately bowed and replied, "Your subject is here."

"Keep your eyes on the Eastern Palace, keep your eyes on the Court of Judicial Review," Li Shimin said calmly.

"I want to know how the Crown Prince investigated Wang Shun and Wang Da. I want to know every word, every action."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Wang De replied in a low voice, his figure silently disappearing into the shadows.

Li Shimin sat alone in the empty hall, the candlelight casting a long shadow of him on the cold ground.

clever……

Have you finally started to learn to use your brain instead of your temper when dealing with court affairs?

However, this first step, though seemingly steady, has actually placed you in a more dangerous situation.

Liu Shi's plan was both an open scheme and a vicious one.

If you handle this improperly, the Crown Prince's Palace will become a den of iniquity and mismanagement.
If you handle it improperly, you will be seen as cold-hearted, cruel, and ungrateful.

And this is only the first wave that has been made public.

The real undercurrents are probably already brewing.

Are you and the person behind you ready to welcome this?
I will wait and see.

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(End of this chapter)