My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

"If the Crown Prince is able to successfully enter the examination hall and take the exam, what issues should he pay attention to?" Su Wan asked.

"I'm not afraid of the others, but I'm worried that the Crown Prince might not be a match for Chu Suiliang," Xu Hui said.

"Chu Suiliang was very learned and had beautiful handwriting."

As long as everyone competes fairly, it doesn't matter who wins or loses. Su Wan's gaze was fixed on the window. Outside, the moon was dark and the wind was high; such a night was perfect for murder.

Su Wan and Xu Hui discussed it again, taking into account many details.

Su Wan left Chong Sheng Palace and returned to her own residence.

As soon as she entered the room, she noticed that the light in her father's study was still on.

She knocked gently on the door, making a "knock knock" sound.

"Wan'er, come in!"

Hearing the footsteps, Su Dan knew that Su Wan had returned.

Su Wan pushed the door open: "Dad, it's so late, aren't you asleep yet?"

"I have something on my mind and can't sleep. Where did you go just now?" Su Dan looked at Su Wan with kind eyes.

Su Wan then recounted what had just happened.

After listening, Su Dan sighed: "Your suggestion that the court organize civil and military examinations is excellent."

but,

At the same time, it also brought a lot of trouble.

As I told you last time, some senior ministers in the court have high qualifications but were not selected as examiners, which makes them quite resentful.

and also,

On the surface, this written exam was just an ordinary test.

Actually, that's not the case; there's more to it than meets the eye.

"Father, what do you mean by that?" Su Wan frowned slightly.

"It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this civil service exam is related to the position of the crown prince."

When Cao Cao was choosing his heir, he wavered between his two sons, Cao Pi and Cao Zhi.

Cao Zhi was also outstanding, with exceptional talent, quick wit, and eloquence. He was famous throughout the land and held great prestige in the court. He had many supporters, such as strategists like Ding Yi, Ding Yi, Yang Xiu, and Handan Chun, as well as members of the imperial family and ministers like Xun Yun and Cao Hong.

Of course, Cao Pi was no simple man either; he was very shrewd and skilled in both literature and martial arts.

Similarly, Cao Pi had many supporters, including Sima Yi, Chen Qun, Wu Zhi, and Zhu Shuo, the so-called "Four Friends of Cao Pi"—it can only be said that Sima Yi was very well hidden, and at that time Cao Cao and Cao Pi had not yet seen his true colors—as well as strategists such as Jia Xu, Cui Yan, and Xing Yong.

People on both sides offered advice to their respective masters, and the brothers had even reached a point where it was a matter of life and death.

Cao Cao then took advantage of the completion of the Bronze Sparrow Terrace...

He summoned all his ministers together and asked each of them to write a poem.

Of course, Cao Zhi's "Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Terrace" is a masterpiece that can be passed down through the ages. Its words are beautiful and its artistic conception is profound. Even Zhuge Liang was very interested in that ode and knew it by heart.

However, this poem did not resonate with Cao Cao, and Cao Zhi lost his chance to become the heir apparent.

On the contrary, Cao Pi had made preparations beforehand.

The response was excellent.

finally,

Cao Pi successfully inherited the position of heir apparent.

The completion of Jiucheng Palace and the completion of Tongquetai share a similar significance.

If Li Chengqian's writings align with the Emperor's wishes, then that's fine.

If one does not align with the Emperor's wishes, it could be a disaster.

Su Wan also felt that her father's words made some sense: "Father, what do you think the Emperor is really thinking?"

Su Dan stood up, paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back, and asked, "Do you know what the Jiucheng Palace is all about?"

"Wasn't Jiucheng Palace originally Renshou Palace?"

"Exactly," Su Dan continued, "Many people throughout the court are taking this opportunity to stir up trouble."

Especially Lee Tae-il's faction.

They felt this was an excellent opportunity for Li Tai to shine.

It's clear that Li Shimin favored Li Tai greatly, and even planned to have Li Tai move into the Wude Hall.

Do you know what it means to live in the Wude Hall?

"Is there any special significance to moving into the Wude Hall?"

"Emperor Wu of Han was overjoyed when Lady Gouyi gave birth to Liu Fuling, and he named the gate where Lady Gouyi lived 'Yaomu Gate'."

This seemingly trivial matter has caused a huge uproar.

Some in the court speculated that Emperor Wu of Han was about to make Liu Fuling the crown prince.

Ultimately, Emperor Wu of Han made Liu Fuling the crown prince.

However, at that time, Emperor Wu of Han did not have such an idea.

Therefore, matters of the royal family are not family matters; they are all matters of state, and even the smallest thing can cause a huge uproar.

Su Wan thought her father made sense: "Father, I have an idea."

"What are your thoughts?"

"If Li Chenggan successfully takes the written exam, give him a lower score during the review process."

Why is that?

"To avoid some people gossiping," Su Dan nodded slightly, "What you said makes some sense, but what if Li Chengqian's score is low, wouldn't he miss out on being the top scholar?"

"That's alright, it's better than letting those with ulterior motives gossip."

"That won't do. I will review it carefully, and the grade will be exactly what it should be."

"Father, I heard that the theme of this written exam is related to Jiucheng Palace."

Su Dan nodded slightly: "You've heard about it too?"

"Jiucheng Palace was originally Renshou Palace of the Sui Dynasty. Emperor Wen of Sui was a famously good emperor in history for his financial management skills."

Therefore,

During his reign, he firmly opposed the construction of Xianren Palace and Jiangdu Palace.

The construction of Xianren Palace and Jiangdu Palace were both undertaken by Emperor Yang of Sui.

Now that Li Shimin has ascended the throne, he advocates frugality and is unwilling to undertake large-scale construction projects.

but,

All the civil and military officials said that, on the one hand, Renshou Palace was somewhat dilapidated;

On the other hand, building Renshou Palace could demonstrate the majesty of the Tang Dynasty to the Western Regions and Eastern countries.

After repeated persuasion from Fang Xuanling and others,

Only then did Li Shimin agree to repair Renshou Palace.

Therefore, the construction of Renshou Palace becomes of great significance.

Therefore, when writing the Rhapsody on Jiucheng Palace, one must consider it from multiple perspectives, rather than simply praising how magnificent and grand Renshou Palace is, which would be too superficial.

There is a view that the Tang Dynasty seized power from the Sui Dynasty.

Why do I say that?

Because Li Yuan was originally the Duke of Tang of the Sui Dynasty, which meant he was a subject of the Sui Dynasty.

However, Li Yuan raised an army in Jinyang, seized Chang'an amidst the chaos, and became emperor himself.

This matter is also a very sensitive one for the Li family.

Jiucheng Palace was built on the foundation of Renshou Palace.

Upon hearing this, Su Wan nodded repeatedly: "Father, you are indeed very knowledgeable and consider issues very comprehensively."

"Furthermore, when writing this article, it is essential to consider Li Shimin's thoughts and feelings."

Cao Cao built the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, supposedly to house Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, so that they could enjoy their later years.

The current emperor is different from Cao Cao and Emperor Yang of Sui.

Cao Cao was a lecherous man; every time he conquered a new territory, he would bring back women with him.

Emperor Yang of Sui was ambitious and loved to show off.

Li Shimin was not like that. He was a wise and capable ruler, very reserved. Even if he clearly had the ability, he would hide it, making people think he didn't.

Upon hearing this, Su Wan smiled and said, "Father, it seems you understand the Emperor best."

How did you do that?

During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao had a famous strategist named Jia Xu.

Many strategists consider themselves clever.

However, none of them ended well.

The best one is Jia Xu. So, do you know why Jia Xu was able to die a peaceful death?

Xun Yu, Yang Xiu, Kong Rong, and Cui Yan were all killed by Cao Cao.

"Why is that?"

"Because Jia Xu was insightful about human nature and adept at interpersonal relationships."

He knew Cao Cao too well.

Moreover, he was a low-key person, unlike Yang Xiu who was flamboyant and liked to show off his cleverness.

He was not like Xun Yu, who was an idealist and too principled.

Xun Yu was loyal to the Han Dynasty, and his life goal was to restore the Han Dynasty.

When Cao Cao was granted the Nine Bestowments and the title of Duke of Wei, and wanted to establish his own government, Cao Cao resolutely opposed it.

Xun Yu understood that these were all harbingers of rebellion.

You should know that being too rigid can easily lead to breaking.

The Tao Te Ching clearly states that the weak overcomes the strong.

Therefore, a true wise person is outwardly flexible but inwardly principled, insightful about human nature, reserved in temperament, and with keen observation skills.

Su Wan listened and kept everything in mind.

Su Dan picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Back then, Yang Yong had the opportunity to inherit the throne."

Finally, he was deposed as crown prince and killed by Yang Guang.

Why did this tragedy occur?

Isn't it because he's too flamboyant and does things his own way?

He knew perfectly well that Empress Dugu hated it most when princes took concubines.

He disliked the Crown Princess Yuan, but doted on Yun Zhaoxun.

Furthermore, she had three sons with Yun Zhaoxun, which literally angered the Crown Princess to death.

He knew perfectly well that Emperor Wen of Sui valued frugality and opposed extravagance.

He insisted on decorating the Eastern Palace with excessive luxury.

His idea was too naive.

In this respect, Yang Guang was much smarter than him.

Yang Guang was clearly a lecherous man, yet he sent away all the concubines and palace maids in the palace to create the illusion that he favored Empress Xiao.

He decorated the Prince of Jin's residence very simply, giving people the illusion that he was as simple as Emperor Wen of Sui. In reality, he was extremely extravagant.

Of course, we cannot emulate Yang Guang's hypocrisy.

However, we must not emulate Yang Yong's arrogance and naiveté.

Su Wan benefited greatly from listening to this.

"Recently, Li Chengqian has been away from Chang'an, and many things have happened in Chang'an."

Li Tai intensified his efforts to win over the concubines in the harem.

Some of the concubines even sided with Li Tai.

"Father, how come you noticed too?"

There's a saying: "If you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place." Chang'an is only so big. Does Li Tai think that no one knows about his little tricks?

throughout history,

The power struggles within the imperial harem are extremely fierce and cruel.

Empress Lü cut off Consort Qi's hands and feet, gouged out her eyes, and cut off her nose and tongue, turning her into a "human pig."

Lady Qi was tortured to death.

Empress Lü's methods were so cruel that they were appalling.

Consort Li, a concubine of Emperor Jing of Han, offended Lady Guantao.

Lady Guantao and Wang Zhi joined forces to deal with Consort Li.

At last,

Princess Kuri was deposed and died of depression;

Huo Guang's wife, Huo Xian, wanted to marry her daughter to Emperor Xuan of Han. So, she had the female physician Chunyu Yan poison Empress Xu Pingjun. These are all bloody lessons.

The power struggles within the imperial harem have never ceased.

It is a war without gunfire.

If the concubines and princes of the harem colluded, it would be even more terrifying, potentially leading to a change of dynasty.

Upon hearing her father's words, Su Wan's expression became worried.

She kept rubbing her clothes together: "Cheng Gan is too honest and doesn't know how to use these connections."

Li Tai sends gold and silver jewels to this concubine today and gifts to that imperial concubine tomorrow, secretly forming cliques. What should we do?

Su Dan shook his head and said, "This matter is indeed not easy to handle."

The relationships between those concubines were very delicate, and each of them had a vested interest group behind them.

Several important ministers in the court each chose sides; Changsun Wuji favored Li Zhi, while Fang Xuanling and his son Fang Yi'ai supported Li Tai.

"Hasn't Changsun Wuji already resigned from his position as prime minister and is now living in retirement at home, devoting himself to compiling the 'Zhenguan Code'?"

"Those are all superficial phenomena."

Although Changsun Wuji held no official position, his words carried considerable weight with the emperor.

If the emperor encounters any difficult problems, he still has to consult with him.

It was precisely because he resigned from his position as prime minister that his image became more esteemed.

Li Shimin was a wise ruler, and he did not look down on Changsun Wuji just because Changsun Wuji did not hold an official position.

in other words,

If Changsun Wuji wanted to become an official, wouldn't that be a very simple matter?

"But isn't Zhinu still very young?" Su Wan frowned.

"So what if it's very small?"

In the future, he will grow up. Does that mean he can't become the crown prince?

Don't forget, Liu Fuling was the youngest of Emperor Wu of Han's six sons.

Before his death, Emperor Wu of Han made the eight-year-old Liu Fuling his crown prince.

"You mean, in the future, the Emperor might make Li Zhi the Crown Prince?" Su Wan asked, her eyes wide.

"To be pessimistic, I think this is a bit risky," Su Dan said, his expression somber.

Why?

Is it because Li Chengqian lacks ability?

Su Dan waved his hand: "Sometimes, the selection of a crown prince is not necessarily based on ability."

Traditionally, the eldest son of the legitimate wife has been chosen over a son of a concubine, and the eldest son of the first wife has been chosen over the most virtuous.

The crown prince is very capable.

However, one thing caused the emperor unease.

Furthermore, the Emperor firmly opposed his association with Chengxin, Wei Lingfu, and others.

However, the crown prince couldn't bring himself to sever ties with them, which was a potential problem.

If one day,

If the Emperor finds out that the Crown Prince is still in contact with Chengxin, who knows what might happen?

Li Tai is too treacherous and ruthless. If Li Tai becomes the crown prince and then the emperor,

Do you think Li Chenggan and Li Zhi can still be saved?

After Hu Hai ascended the throne, he almost wiped out all of Qin Shi Huang's sons.

At the beginning,

Liu Bang had eight sons, half of whom, although not killed by Emperor Hui of Han, died at the hands of Empress Lü.

Emperor Jing of Han had 14 sons.

At that time, Liu Rong was the crown prince.

On one occasion, Emperor Jing of Han fell seriously ill and, in entrusting his affairs to others, summoned Consort Li to his bedside, hoping that she would protect his sons in the future.

but,

Princess Kuriki refused.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Jing of Han recovered from his illness.

This is also one of the reasons why Emperor Jing of Han was determined to depose Liu Rong.

No father doesn't love his son.

Even emperors hope that all their sons can be preserved.

Therefore, Emperor Jing of Han was worried that once Liu Rong ascended the throne,

That Consort Li was ruthless and domineering; she would kill all of Emperor Jing's sons.

Now, Li Tai is ruthless, while Li Zhi is weak.

If one day Li Zhi becomes the crown prince and inherits the throne, then all his brothers will be able to survive.

This may also be one of the reasons why Changsun Wuji supported Li Zhi, but it has not been made public yet.

but,

The situation is now clear: Changsun Wuji is neither on the side of the Crown Prince nor on the side of Li Tai.

So, isn't he on Li Zhi's side?

When he visited Li Zhi, he praised Li Zhi for having the appearance of the sun and moon and the bearing of a dragon and phoenix.

Think about it, what did he mean by saying that?

Upon hearing this, Su Wan felt the problem was even more complicated: "The Crown Prince is isolated and helpless in the harem. Apart from Xu Hui, who can say a few good words for him, the other concubines either remain neutral or side with Li Tai."

What should we do?

"Li Shimin was in his middle age, like the sun at its zenith, with many concubines in his harem."

His relationship with Empress Zhangsun was exceptionally deep, a bond unmatched by any of the other concubines.

"Recently, His Majesty has been staying overnight at Empress Zhangsun's residence."

"Empress Zhangsun may be pregnant again," Su Wan said with a smile.

In the harem, only Empress Zhangsun supported Li Chengqian.

Xu Hui might also say a few good words for Li Chengqian in front of the Emperor.

However, Xu Hui's foundation was too weak; her Xu family had no power in the court, unlike Empress Zhangsun, whose elder brother Zhangsun Wuji had rendered great service.

To use a somewhat inappropriate analogy, Xu Hui was like Lady Qi, who served Liu Bang back then.

Perhaps she is not even as good as Lady Qi.

Because no matter what, Lady Qi still has a son, Liu Ruyi, and so far, there has been no news of Xu Hui being pregnant.

"Yes, she is not pregnant with the dragon's child yet."

"In terms of status, she couldn't compare to Empress Bo of Emperor Jing of Han."

Although Empress Bo had no children, she was still, after all, the Empress.

The Bo family still has a certain foundation;

Xu Hui could not compare to Empress Chen Ajiao, the wife of Emperor Wu of Han.

Although Empress Chen had no children, her mother was Princess Guantao, who was Emperor Wu of Han's aunt.

Chen Ajiao's father was Marquis Chen Wu of Tangyi.

Chen Wu is a dignified marquis;

Xu Hui was no match for Zhao Feiyan, even though Zhao Feiyan had no children.

But she was also an empress.

The reason Xu Hui stayed in her hometown for so long was because her life in the palace was not easy.

Even in the imperial harem, she could hardly protect herself.

Although she had no intention of stealing the emperor's favor, she unknowingly stole his love from him.

Will the other concubines be satisfied?

You must understand that the emperor is the only man in the harem, and some concubines may never receive the emperor's favor even once in their entire lives.

However, the Emperor goes to Xu Hui's palace every night. How could the other concubines not have any objections?

This is similar to how Consort Li had a problem with Queen Zhi back then.

Wang Zhi was a woman who had been married before and had a daughter, Jin Su, with Jin Wangsun.

Later, her mother, Zang'er, consulted a fortune teller who said she was destined for greatness.

Zang'er then retrieved Wang Zhi and, through her connections, arranged for Wang Zhi to enter Liu Qi's Eastern Palace.

At that time, Liu Qi was only the crown prince, and Wang Zhi was a very scheming woman who was deeply favored by Emperor Jing of Han.

In contrast, Princess Kuri seems far too naive.

She hoped that Emperor Jing of Han would focus all his love on her alone.

but,

How could that be?

Emperor Jing of Han was not an ordinary man; he was an emperor.

From this we can see that Xu Hui's power was limited.

Her first concern was how to survive in the harem.

Li Tai had Fang Xuanling advising him.

"Even Consort Yang, the Princess of Chao, Consort Yang, and Consort Yan are all helping Li Tai."

"In the inner palace, there are still Consort Wei and her sister Wei Nizi, while Consort Yin De has not yet expressed her opinion."

So, who exactly are they?

"It's not something I, as your father, can say for sure."

Because they rarely show their faces in public and we rarely hear them say anything, people like that are the most terrifying.

However, the situation is not optimistic; regardless of whom they support, they probably won't support the Crown Prince.

Upon hearing this, Su Wan's heart sank rapidly.

She felt that being the crown prince was really too difficult.

No wonder so many princes in history didn't live long; the pressure was just too great.

Few are able to successfully inherit the throne.