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

Chapter 92 Revenge.

Li Yichen looked at him and said, word by word, "Revenge."

"Retaliation...?"

Li Chengqian was completely stunned, almost thinking he had misheard.

He repeated it unconsciously, his face filled with disbelief.

"Yichen, what...what did you say? Revenge? Revenge on whom?"

"Naturally, it is to retaliate against those court officials who openly opposed Your Highness in court, causing Your Highness's recommendations to be shelved."

Li Yichen's tone was as calm as if he were stating a given fact.

Li Chengqian opened his mouth, a sense of absurdity welling up inside him.

Of course he considered revenge. In that moment of humiliation in court, he wished he could wipe out all those who opposed him…

But that was just a fleeting thought in the heat of anger.

After calming down, he knew better than anyone that he had neither the means nor the ability to retaliate.

He gave a bitter laugh, his voice filled with helplessness.

"Yichen, are you joking with me? Revenge? What could I possibly use to take revenge?"

"Li Ji is the Minister of War and a pillar of the military."

"My uncle is the Minister of Works, a meritorious official of the state."

"Fang Xuanling is the head of the court officials and enjoys the Emperor's deep trust... as well as those censors, who hold the power to report matters based on hearsay!"

"As a disgraced crown prince, I was easily rejected even when recommending Li Suli. How can I retaliate against them?"

The more he spoke, the more breathless he felt, and a deep sense of powerlessness gripped him once again.

"Issue an edict to reprimand me? I am just a crown prince, I do not have that authority!"

“The Book of Rites says: ‘The son should respect the ministers of his father.’ As the crown prince, I have no right to openly rebuke my father’s important ministers. That would be against the rules of propriety and would only invite more fierce attacks and my father’s wrath!”

He spread his hands, his face full of bitterness and helplessness.

"I do want to take revenge, but I don't have the power! If I were to use underhanded means to retaliate, not to mention whether I could succeed, once they find out, they would turn around and fully support Qingque, and it would not be difficult for them to depose the emperor!"

"At that time, I will truly be doomed!"

Li Chengqian laid out all his concerns, feeling that he had already seen that the end of this road was inevitably a precipice.

Li Yichen listened quietly until the end.

He looked at Li Chengqian's face, which was slightly flushed with excitement and helplessness.

His thoughts raced, traversing the dust of a thousand years of history, as he examined the emperor who sat high on the dragon throne, a complex and indescribable emotion welling up within him.

This wise and capable ruler throughout history was a model of wisdom and skill in foreign wars and national governance.

However, he repeatedly displayed incomprehensible incompetence when it came to his son, especially when it came to the issue of succession.

Li Shimin personally ignited Li Tai's ambition, driving Li Chengqian into a corner of fear and despair.

He fought his way out of the bloodbath at Xuanwu Gate, so he should know best the terrible consequences that an unclear succession to the throne can bring.

Even more absurdly, after Li Chengqian's rebellion failed, Li Shimin almost believed Li Tai's nonsense about "killing his son to pass the throne to his brother".

Such a promise, which goes against human nature and is completely unbelievable, actually managed to move the shrewd Li Shimin.

Li Yichen felt that Li Shimin was perhaps one of the most tragic emperors in history.

He personally built a magnificent empire and laid the foundation for a prosperous era, but he also personally deposed his eldest son, Chengqian. Due to the opposition of his ministers and the exposure of Li Tai's ambition, he was forced to depose his beloved Prince Wei, Li Tai.

Ultimately, to save the lives of his other sons, he chose the relatively mild-mannered Prince Li Zhi of Jin as his successor. However, fate played a cruel joke on him.

He could never have imagined that this seemingly safe choice would ultimately lead to his beloved concubine Wu Mei becoming his daughter-in-law, then empress, then empress dowager, and finally emperor, changing the Tang dynasty to the Zhou dynasty.

The Li Tang royal family, on which he had placed great hopes, was almost completely wiped out under Wu Zetian's sword, and its bloodline was nearly extinct.

The Li family empire that he had strived to pass on throughout his life was almost destroyed after only two generations. Isn't this the greatest punishment for his failure to govern his family in his later years?
These cold historical facts flashed through Li Yichen's mind, giving him a deeper understanding of the desperate situation of the prince before him.

Li Yichen sighed inwardly. The Crown Prince before him, after his repeated guidance, had gradually emerged from the shadows and begun to learn to think and deal with predicaments in a more mature way. He was slowly embarking on the right path that a crown prince should take.

But Li Shimin's foolish move was like rubbing salt into the wound in the Crown Prince's heart.

In an instant, it stirred up the deep-seated fear he had managed to suppress about his father and his own position, even more intensely than before.

What alarmed Li Yichen even more was that he remembered historical records indicating that Li Shimin would soon issue an edict.

The title of Crown Prince was posthumously restored to Li Jiancheng, and the title of Prince of Chao was posthumously restored to Li Yuanji, the Prince of Hailing, and he was reburied according to the proper rites.

This may seem like an act of benevolence and forgiveness by the emperor, but for the sensitive and suspicious Crown Prince Li Chengqian, whose position was not yet secure, it was nothing short of a thunderbolt!
The severe psychological impact and political consequences on Li Chengqian were far more profound than the consequences of a single rejected recommendation!
We must ensure that the crown prince has a stronger will and a more stable position before this happens.

We must not allow him to have any inappropriate or extreme thoughts because of this incident!
The trajectory of this historical tragedy must be reversed!
“Your Highness’s concerns are indeed valid. However, who told Your Highness that revenge must involve intrigue and trickery? And who told Your Highness that revenge would inevitably lead to their alienation and their support for the Prince of Wei?”

Li Chengqian was stumped by his question and hesitated before asking, "Could it be... that's not it?"

"Of course not."

Li Yichen categorically denied it.

"Has Your Highness forgotten the game theory I explained to you before? Especially the 'tit-for-tat' strategy?"

Li Chengqian nodded.

"I remember. It started as a partnership, and if I were betrayed, I would retaliate in kind. But..."

His face was still full of confusion.

"I don't even have 'teeth' now, how can I 'retaliate'?"

"Your Highness has fallen into a misunderstanding again."

Li Yichen patiently guided him.

"The core of 'an eye for an eye' is not just about retaliating after being attacked, but also about ensuring that such retaliation is 'equal' and predictable."

"It's not about venting emotions, but about establishing rules and clarifying bottom lines."

"Let all participants know that crossing your bottom line will inevitably come at a price."

He looked into Li Chengqian's eyes.

"What Your Highness needs to do now is not to use any conspiracy, but to carry out a public, equal, and lawful revenge."

"Public? Equal? ​​In accordance with etiquette?"

Li Chengqian muttered to himself, his brows furrowed, trying hard to understand the meaning of these words combined.

“Exactly,” Li Yichen affirmed.

“Your Highness is the Crown Prince, the future Emperor. Your act of revenge cannot be despicable, as that would lower your status and give others ammunition to criticize you.”

“Your revenge must be made public, so that everyone can see it, and it must be in accordance with the law and etiquette.”

Li Chengqian was even more confused.

"But... I just said I have no right to reprimand them personally!"

"Who gave His Highness permission to directly reprimand Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and Li Ji himself?"

(End of this chapter)