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

Chapter 96 Alas, one wrong step leads to another!
He took a small sip of tea, his expression inscrutable.

"Very well, I will observe the situation and see what brilliant moves His Highness the Crown Prince will make next."

In the Duke of Liang's residence, Fang Xuanling stood in front of his desk, looking at the document of rebuttal sent by the Crown Prince.

The above text meticulously points out several oversights in the process proposed by one of his subordinates, which are indeed true and difficult to refute.

"The future life is terrible."

Fang Xuanling sighed softly, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Knowing how to utilize the rules, knowing how to distribute the blows, knowing how to demonstrate power without overstepping the bounds. What would His Majesty think if he knew about this?"

He shook his head and put the document down.

Should we intervene now?

To confront the Crown Prince over such a trivial matter is hardly the act of a wise person.

We can only remain patient and wait and see.

These bigwigs were all deep in thought.

The Crown Prince's counterattack was skillful, justifiable in terms of etiquette, and its swiftness and wide scope caught them off guard.

They wanted to retaliate, but found themselves at a loss—the Crown Prince was only attacking “minor matters.” If they were to make a big fuss about it, they would appear petty and too targeted, which would surely displease His Majesty.

More importantly, they couldn't figure out His Majesty's attitude towards this matter.

Is His Majesty pleased to see the Crown Prince display his courage, or is he dissatisfied with the Crown Prince's "aggressiveness"?
Before the emperor's will is clear, no one dares to act rashly.

Just as the entire court was reeling from the Crown Prince's series of attacks, a new piece of news emerged, once again shocking everyone.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian submitted a memorial requesting that several officials under the jurisdiction of Prince Wei, Li Tai, be commended for their "meritorious service in organizing classics and promoting culture and education" and be rewarded with silk.

This left even the self-proclaimed shrewd courtiers completely baffled.

The Crown Prince has just launched such a swift retaliation against the important officials in the court, yet he turns around and rewards the subordinates of his political rival, the King of Wei?
What is this about?
Only a few people who truly understood the situation suddenly realized what was happening after a brief moment of astonishment!
The Crown Prince's move was by no means a gesture of goodwill, but rather a more sophisticated political maneuver!

Inside the Liangyi Hall, Li Shimin listened to the detailed report from the eunuch Wang De, his expression shifting constantly.

"...His Highness the Crown Prince rejected the seven proposals submitted by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel, and the relevant departments have returned them for revision according to the Crown Prince's opinion."

"Subsequently, His Highness the Crown Prince submitted a memorial to commend the three scholars, including the proofreader of the Chongwen Academy, and bestowed upon them one hundred bolts of silk. He also specifically praised Chu Suiliang's recent advice on frugality, calling it a wise suggestion for the nation."

"The Emperor ordered officials from the Eastern Palace to bring rare medicinal herbs from the palace to the Wei residence to express their condolences and say that the Duke's poor health is a loss to the country. They hoped he would recover soon and be able to share the Emperor's burdens again."

After Wang De finished speaking, he bowed with his hands at his sides, and the hall fell silent.

Li Shimin remained silent for a long time.

The Crown Prince's swift reaction, shrewd methods, and precise judgment startled him.

That precise rebuttal was a naked attempt to establish authority and retaliate, carrying an undeniable ruthlessness.

The subsequent appeasement measures were even more ingenious.

"Reward Chongwen Hall..." Li Shimin thought of this, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up slightly, revealing a truly satisfied smile.

Excellent! Excellent! This is the demeanor a crown prince should have!

Regardless of Gao Ming's inner thoughts, his willingness to make this gesture and take the initiative to show goodwill to Chongwen Hall, which is under Qingque's jurisdiction, demonstrates his consideration for the overall situation and his brotherly affection!

He preferred to believe that this was the Crown Prince's true growth after experiencing setbacks, realizing that as the heir apparent, he could not simply be aggressive and ruthless, but also knew how to win people's hearts and maintain harmony among his brothers.

As for whether there was a deeper meaning behind this... Li Shimin did not want to think about it too deeply.

"Being good brothers is more important than anything else..."

He muttered to himself, as if trying to convince himself.

The shadow of Xuanwu Gate was always a thorn in his side; he longed to see his sons get along harmoniously.

“Your Majesty,” Wang De asked cautiously, “regarding His Highness the Crown Prince’s request to commend the Chongwen Academy…”

He waved his hand and said to Wang De, "The Crown Prince's request has been granted. The relevant officials of the Chongwen Academy shall be rewarded with silk as requested by the Crown Prince. Tell the Crown Prince that I am very pleased."

Wang De bowed in agreement, then secretly glanced up and saw a relaxed smile on His Majesty's face, a smile he hadn't seen in a long time. This made him even more alarmed.

The Crown Prince's move directly scratched the itch that His Majesty felt most.

Li Shimin leaned back on the dragon throne, gazing at the bright sunshine outside the palace, and felt that the gloom of the past few days seemed to have dissipated considerably.

Gao Ming's growth allowed him to see another possibility for the continuation of the Tang Dynasty, a possibility that could avoid bloodshed and achieve a relatively smooth transition.

As for Li Tai's thoughts, and the speculations and anxieties of the court officials, in Li Shimin's eyes at this time, none of them were as important as the harmony between the brothers.

Inside the Prince of Wei's residence, Li Tai slammed a gift list onto the table, his obese chest heaving violently.

"Awarding the Chongwen Academy? That cripple! What does he mean by this? Is he slapping me and then giving me a sweet treat? What does he take me for!"

His face was ashen, and his eyes burned with rage.

"He's trying to win people's hearts! He's doing this for the Emperor! He's doing this for the whole world!"

Du Chuke stood at the lower end, his expression equally solemn. He picked up the gift list and looked at it carefully.

"Your Highness, please calm down. The Crown Prince's actions may seem like a gesture of appeasement, but they are actually a trap. His commendation of the Chongwen Academy is a calculated move."

"If Your Highness overreacts, you will be playing into their hands."

"Are we just going to let him do as he pleases?" Li Tai roared.

"What will those people from the Chongwen Academy think now that they've received the commendation? Will they still be as devoted as before? And what will the court officials think of me now that the Crown Prince has been so magnanimous?"

Du Chuke pondered for a moment and said, “Your Highness, we should not act rashly at this time. The Crown Prince has just established his authority and his momentum is at its peak. His Majesty’s attitude is still unclear. If we rashly retaliate, it will only make it seem that Your Highness… cannot tolerate your brother’s goodwill.”

"The most urgent task is to stabilize the matter of Cui Dunli's appointment as the envoy to Xizhou. Once this matter is settled, Xizhou will be in our hands, and the initiative will still be on our side."

"As for the Chongwen Academy receiving an award... it's nothing more than a few empty titles and honors, which cannot shake the foundation."

"Your Highness may also submit a memorial to express your gratitude to the Crown Prince for recognizing the Chongwen Academy, which would also demonstrate the harmony between the brothers."

Li Tai was panting heavily, trying to calm himself down. He knew that Du Chuke was right, but the feeling of being schemed against was driving him almost crazy.

He clenched his fists tightly.

"Very well... what a fine display of brotherly affection! I'll see how long you can keep up this act!"

He almost squeezed out these words from between his teeth.

The Crown Prince's series of combined actions caused subtle yet profound changes in the officialdom of Chang'an.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has changed so much that it is truly unbelievable."

A secretary in the Imperial Secretariat lamented to his colleagues in private.

"He understands the balance between firmness and gentleness, and also has the capacity to tolerate others. To commend the Chongwen Academy is something that no ordinary prince can do."

"Yes, especially the praise for Doctor Chu and the condolences to Duke Zheng, which shows that Your Highness values ​​the integrity of upright officials. If Your Highness can truly do this, it will be a blessing for the Tang Dynasty."

Those officials who had remained silent or secretly opposed the Crown Prince's recommendation of Li Suli in court were now filled with unease and deep regret.

"If I had known that His Highness the Crown Prince had such magnanimity and methods, I should have spoken up for him back then... back then."

An imperial censor said to his wife in frustration at home.

"Looking at it now, although the Prince of Wei is favored by His Majesty, the Crown Prince is still the rightful heir apparent, and now he is showing such an attitude... Alas, one wrong step leads to another!"

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(End of this chapter)