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

Chapter 73 What is the most urgent task?
Li Shimin remained silent for a long time.

Wei Zheng's words were like a slow-acting medicine; they couldn't cure the root of the problem immediately, but they temporarily soothed his anxious heart.

Looking at the old minister on his sickbed, barely breathing yet still working tirelessly for him, for the Crown Prince, and for the Tang Dynasty, a complex emotion welled up in his heart.

There were feelings of regret, guilt, and a rare moment of relaxation.

At least for this moment, in this room filled with the smell of medicine, he no longer had to bear the loneliness and suspicion of an emperor all by himself.

He stood up and tucked the blanket around Wei Zheng.

"Xuancheng, take good care of yourself. I have remembered your words."

He said nothing more and turned to leave the room.

Stepping out of the Duke of Zheng's residence, the evening breeze brushed his face, carrying the dusty scent unique to Chang'an. Li Shimin looked up at the starry sky and took a deep breath.

Wei Zheng's advice was a wise and experienced perspective on governing the country.

Well... let's see.

Let's see how far he can go on this unknown path, given his brilliance.

Let's also see what the "teacher" hiding in the shadows really intends to do.

His gaze became firm and profound again.

In any case, the Tang Dynasty and the Li family's rule must ultimately be firmly in his hands, or in the hands of his chosen, truly qualified successor.

Anyone who dares to challenge this will incur the wrath of the emperor.

The next day.

East Palace.

"Liu... Imperial Censor Liu... he's dead!"

A eunuch delivered the news that Liu Shi had died in a dark alley outside Yongxingfang, with several stab wounds to his body, before leaving.

Liu Shi is dead?

Shortly after the impeachment of the Crown Prince for embezzlement?
Died in the street?

This is too obvious!
This is incredibly malicious slander!
"You bastard! You beast! How dare you frame me like this!"

Li Chengqian flew into a rage and kicked over the desk in front of him, scattering writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones all over the floor.

His chest heaved violently.

"They're trying to solidify their claim of persecuting officials who dare to speak out! They're trying to ruin his reputation! Who is it? Who did it?"

He limped wildly through the hall like a wounded beast trapped in a cage.

"Who does Liu Shi think he is! Is he worth me sending people to kill? This kind of framing is treating the whole world like fools!"

He suddenly stopped and stared intently at Li Yichen, who had remained silent, as if seeking confirmation from him or finding an outlet for his emotions.

"Yi Chen! Did you hear that? They're using such despicable methods! They're trying to force me to my death!!"

Li Yichen did hear it, and he heard it very clearly.

After the initial shock, a feeling of utter absurdity welled up inside him, and he almost burst out laughing. Liu Shi... he's dead?
In his memory, this Imperial Censor Liu was the maternal uncle of Empress Wang, the future Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi. In the early years of the Yonghui era, he was a powerful and influential relative of the empress. Although he was eventually demoted and killed due to the struggle to depose the empress, that was more than ten years later.

Now, in the sixteenth year of Zhenguan, he died so mysteriously in a conspiracy against the crown prince?
As expected, the course of history has begun to subtly shift due to my intervention.

Although this deviation seems insignificant, even somewhat ridiculous, at present.

Looking at Li Chengqian, who was furious and out of control, yet also extremely aggrieved and angry because he had been "wrongfully accused," he understood.

The reason why His Highness the Crown Prince reacted so strongly, besides the anger of being framed, was probably also due to a subconscious "conditioned reflex"—he did indeed have a past record of assassinating ministers who offered advice, and now being framed in a similar way, he felt a mixture of shame and anger at "old grievances being brought up" and resentment that "this time it really wasn't me," which caused him to lose control.

"Your Highness, please calm down."

Li Yichen's voice was calm and undisturbed.

"Calm down? How can you expect me to calm down?" Li Chengqian pointed outside the hall, his fingers trembling.

"By now, the news has probably spread far and wide! Crown Prince Li Chengqian, harboring resentment because Imperial Censor Liu impeached the Eastern Palace for embezzlement, sent assassins to brutally murder him in the street! Hahaha! What a huge scapegoat! I could never clear my name even if I jumped into the Yellow River!"

"Of course Your Highness can clear your name."

Li Yichen said calmly.

"Because His Highness did not do it. The Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate are not just for show. The Magistrate of Chang'an and the Prefect of Jingzhao are not blind. To assassinate a high-ranking official in the street, especially an censor who reported the matter on hearsay, is an enormous case. His Majesty will not sit idly by and will surely order a thorough investigation."

He raised his eyes and looked at the panting Li Chengqian, his gaze calm.

"If His Highness were to fly into a rage at this moment, cry out for justice everywhere, or even take any extreme actions, it would only give others ammunition to criticize him and make him appear guilty and anxious. We only need to remain calm in the Eastern Palace and observe the situation. The Ministry of Justice will naturally give the court and the people of the world an explanation."

Li Chengqian calmed down a little after being doused with cold water by Li Yichen, but the anger in his chest still felt unbearable.

"Confess? What if someone interferes, fabricates evidence, and insists on proving that I was the one who did it?"

"That's even more impossible." Li Yichen's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Your Highness, the officials of the court may have factional strife and personal motives, but they are by no means all fools. Although Imperial Censor Liu's impeachment of the Crown Prince was vehement, it was based on the records of the Ministry of Agriculture, and there is solid evidence. Wang Shun and Wang Da have already been imprisoned. At a time when this case is still unresolved and His Majesty is paying close attention, how unwise would it be to send someone to assassinate Liu Shi? It would be tantamount to cutting oneself off from the world and courting death! No one with a modicum of sense would do such a stupid thing. The person behind this act, while seemingly ruthless, is actually hasty and reckless, with many flaws. As long as the three judicial departments conduct a normal investigation, it will be easy to see that this is a frame-up."

He paused, then emphasized his words.

"Moreover, Imperial Censor Liu is not without connections. He comes from the Liu clan of Hedong, though a collateral branch, he is still a member of the gentry. If such a person dies under mysterious circumstances, will the Liu clan of Hedong let it go? Will the upright officials in the court remain silent? To appease the literati, His Majesty will surely investigate thoroughly. Your Highness, tell me, how many of the civil and military officials in this court are fools? Would they easily believe such a clumsy frame-up?"

As Li Chengqian listened to Li Yichen's detailed explanation, the anger in his heart gradually subsided.

He slowly sat back in his chair, his face still grim, but the madness in his eyes had subsided, replaced by a thoughtful and fierce look.

"You're right... I was blinded by my own arrogance."

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his surging blood and qi.

"I am enraged by this shameless tactic! To resort to such despicable tricks!"

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with cold light, and asked urgently in a low voice, "Yichen, who do you think... could it be Qingque? Or... someone else?"

Li Yichen slowly shook his head.

“Your Highness, I do not know. Without evidence, making wild guesses will only cause unrest. It could be the Prince of Wei, it could be some forces that are dissatisfied with Your Highness opening the Eastern Palace and participating in politics, or even... it could be some third party who wants to muddy the waters and reap the benefits. All are possible. But at present, finding the real culprit is not the most urgent task.”

"Then what is the most urgent task?"

(End of this chapter)