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

Daci'en Temple.

meditation hall.

Daozhao brought hot water.

Li Chenggan removed his mask and washed his face clean.

Dao Zhao knelt down before Li Chengqian with a thud: "Your Highness, have you forgotten what you promised me?"

"Oh, what is it? Tell me." Li Chenggan couldn't remember what he had promised him.

"When we were in Naniwa-tsu, you promised me that after we met Master Xuanzang, you would put in a good word for me and ask him to accept me as a disciple."

However, despite my repeated pleas, Master Xuanzang refused. Please, Your Highness, help me!

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan laughed heartily: "What is it you want to know? Oh, it's this."

"I can put in a good word for you, but whether it works or not, whether Master Xuanzang agrees to accept you as a disciple, is not up to me."

Dao Zhao was very excited when he heard this: "Your Highness, just say a word for this humble monk."

at this time,

A tall monk walked in from outside.

Li Chengan glanced around and saw that the person who walked in was none other than Master Xuanzang.

Master Xuanzang changed into a new robe, because he was receiving a distinguished guest like Li Chenggan.

He needed to bathe and change his clothes.

"Master Xuanzang, you've come at the perfect time. I was just about to discuss something with you."

Xuanzang waved his hand cheerfully: "Your Highness, you don't need to say anything. This humble monk has already heard everything."

To my shame, I have also taken in a few disciples.

but,

No one has satisfied this humble monk.

Some of them lack the spirit to endure hardship, some are not pure of heart, and some are simply not talented enough; it will probably be difficult for them to achieve enlightenment in the future.

Li Chengan crossed his arms: "Since you see it so clearly, what do you think of Daozhao?"

Master Xuanzang praised him, saying, "Daozhao is exceptionally intelligent and possesses profound wisdom."

He's still very young; he's bound to achieve great things in the future.

"In that case, please accept him as a disciple, Master, what do you say?"

"This—," Xuanzang hesitated, because no matter what, Daozhao was not a Tang person. "Daozhao's aptitude is good, but he is not a person of our Great Tang."

Li Chengan laughed heartily: "Master, Buddha saves all living beings from suffering."

I heard that you plan to go to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

So, does India belong to our Great Tang Dynasty?

"That's not true."

Li Chengan continued, "In my view, Buddhism has no national boundaries."

Since India doesn't treat us Tang people as outsiders, why do you refuse to let Daozhao in?

"Amitabha Buddha, it seems Your Highness has a very broad vision. This humble monk is ashamed of his inferiority."

at this time,

Li Chenggan winked at Dao Zhao, as if to say, "Why don't you hurry up and become his disciple?"

Daozhao understood and immediately knelt before Master Xuanzang: "Master, please accept my humble bow!"

As Dao Zhao spoke, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times.

"Amitabha Buddha, it seems we are destined to meet. This must be fate."

Daozhao then offered tea to Xuanzang.

Xuanzang nodded slightly: "From this day forward, you will be considered my disciple."

Remember, never indulge in alcohol, never kill, never indulge in lust, never lie…

Xuanzang spoke of some monastic rules and regulations.

Dao Zhao was respectful and wrote everything down.

Xuanzang continued, "The so-called nominal disciple is someone whose performance is observed. If you perform well, we may consider accepting you as a formal disciple."

If you don't perform well, you'll be removed from the team. Do you understand?

"I have noted it down."

Daozhao stood behind Master Xuanzang, puffing out his chest and belly, his face beaming with joy.

Li Chengan saw that things would immediately change after they became master and disciple.

Master Xuanzang looked kindly at him: "Your Highness, please hide here for now and do not show your face."

In a few days,

I will go to Chang'an again to talk to your father, the Emperor.

There's no lasting grudge between a father and son; once his anger subsides, everything will be fine.

Li Chenggan thought to himself that he and his father were different from ordinary fathers and sons. He knew that there were no relatives in the royal family, and once the power of the emperor was involved, father and son could become enemies.

Li Chengan thought this to himself, but didn't say it aloud: "Master, I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Xuanzang waved his hand: "We can be considered friends despite our age difference."

This humble monk once discussed some matters concerning Buddhist scriptures with you.

I have explained those things many times, yet many monks still cannot understand them. But you only need to explain them once, and they will immediately grasp their meaning.

This reminds me of the time when Liu Bang met Zhang Liang.

Normally, when Zhang Liang talked to others about military strategy and governance, no one understood what he was talking about. Only when he was with Liu Bang did he understand everything immediately.

This was one of the main reasons why Zhang Liang decided to serve under Liu Bang.

Li Chengan put his hands in his sleeves and said, "Master, you flatter me. I only know a little about Buddhism and I am far from being proficient. I hope you will give me more guidance in your spare time in the future."

"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance, let's exchange ideas," Xuanzang said, toying with the string of prayer beads in his hand. "Your Highness, the temple is crowded and noisy. These are extraordinary times, so if you don't have anything to do, please don't wander around unnecessarily."

Li Chengan nodded: "Master, I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"Don't be shy, get some rest."

After Xuanzang finished speaking, he got up and left the meditation hall with Daozhao.

Li Chengan changed his clothes and lay down on the couch.

He was exhausted but couldn't sleep, lost in thought.

He thought to himself that his current situation was not much different from Liu Ju's situation after his defeat.

They can't even compare to others.

Back then, Emperor Wu of Han wanted to kill Liu Ju; now, his father wants to kill him.

Emperor Wu of Han, due to false accusations by Huangmen Shilang Su Wen, Xiaohuangmen Chang Rong, Wang Bi, and others, believed that Liu Ju was indeed plotting a rebellion.

Then, he sent his nephew Liu Quli with troops to suppress the rebellion.

Liu Ju had no military power and could only organize some household guards to resist. How could he possibly be a match for the regular army of the imperial court?

Ultimately, Liu Ju was defeated and committed suicide.

Thinking of this, Li Chengan felt a pang of sadness.

He only wanted to strive to be a qualified heir apparent, always maintaining restraint, composure, and tolerance.

I will do my best to complete whatever my father asks me to do.

Even though he knew that Li Tai had tried to kill him several times, he didn't hold it against him.

This time, when Li Tai had an upset stomach, out of brotherly affection, he still sought medical treatment for him.

The situation in the eastern countries was complex, with the Wa (Japanese) and Goguryeo harboring ambitions and eyeing the region covetously.

Each of them had their own agenda, intending to first annihilate Silla, a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty.

Then, they invaded the Tang Dynasty.

They successively reached several agreements that appeared fair but were actually unfair and harbored hidden dangers.

He racked his brains and risked his life to prevent those agreements from being reached, and finally succeeded.

To ensure the safety of both the Tang Dynasty and Silla, I did a lot of work to prevent any unforeseen events.

Li Chengqian couldn't understand why, after doing so much for the Tang Dynasty, he would be accused of plotting a rebellion.

and,

What's even more infuriating is that the Emperor didn't investigate thoroughly before believing what others said.

That means that in his father's eyes, he was a crown prince who was about to rebel.

sometimes,

Li Chenggan thought to himself that he was living a very tiring life.

If this were his predecessor, someone his age would probably still be in high school, a truly blossoming age, carefree and without worries.

Besides reading, I spend my free time scrolling through Douyin (TikTok) and playing games. I don't want to live too carefree a life.

I never expected that after transmigrating to the Tang Dynasty, I would be overwhelmed by this huge mess of problems.

It's disheartening to even think about it.

Why be a crown prince?

Wouldn't it be better to be an ordinary citizen, living a life of working at sunrise and resting at sunset? Wouldn't that be just as carefree and happy?

Even if it's just simple food for three meals a day, it doesn't matter.

During this time,

Having gone through so much, on his way back from the Japanese invaders, he had survived several assassination attempts and nearly lost his life.

Having finally entered Chang'an, thinking he was safe, he never expected that his father would believe the words of ministers like Fang Xuanling and want to kill him. Where can he find justice in this world?

sometimes,

Li Chenggan felt it would be better to just die.

At this moment, he might be able to understand the feelings that Fusu and Liu Ju had when they committed suicide.

He thought of his mother, who had a difficult life.

His mother married his father when she was very young.

At that time, my father had not yet started his rebellion.

soon,

Grandfather and father then began to raise an army in Jinyang.

During his father's conquest of the empire, he received tremendous support from his mother.

During those years, my mother lived in constant fear and anxiety.

Every time the Emperor went on a campaign, the Empress Dowager would pray for him, hoping that he would return safely.

You could say that without the Empress Dowager, there would be no Emperor today.

The Empress Dowager has worried herself sick over her children.

The good news is that I heard recently that my mother is pregnant with another little princess. If that's true, that would be wonderful.

Li Chengan was also very happy when he thought that he would soon have a younger sister.

Li Chengan thought of Su Wan again; Su Wan was truly beyond words when it came to him.

In recent years, due to the Tang army's continuous wars, the monthly allowances for eunuchs and palace maids have often been delayed or not paid.

Li Chenggan wanted to do something, but he was short of money. People probably wouldn't believe it if he told them. How could the Crown Prince be short of money?

The most pressing issue was the expenditure on Ashina She'er's 1 cavalry, which truly gave Li Chenggan a real headache.

The provisions for those 1 cavalrymen were not supplied by the imperial court; they had to find their own solutions.

They devised all the solutions themselves, including swords, guns, bows and arrows, shields, armor, and warhorses.

Where did all that money come from?

The money allocated by the imperial court to the Crown Prince's Palace each month was pitifully small.

Because the Emperor said that a culture of thrift should be fostered from top to bottom, the Crown Prince should take the lead in practicing thrift.

Li Chengan remembered that all he wanted to do was repair three dilapidated houses, but he didn't have the money.

In the end, the house was never built; instead, it was converted into three flower beds with a few trees planted on them, supposedly to beautify the environment.

In reality, the root cause is that they can't come up with the money.

It was under these circumstances that Su Wan managed to find a way to solve the problem of food and pay for Ashina She'er's army.

Su Wan is very hardworking.

On the one hand, she worked hard to reclaim wasteland and cultivate various cash crops and agricultural products.

On the other hand, a large-scale Su family supermarket was opened in Chang'an City.

It must be said that Su Wan's business acumen and money-making skills are top-notch.

Looking across the entire Tang Dynasty, there are probably few who can make money better than Su Wan.

Don't say anything else,

They extorted hundreds of thousands of taels of silver from Li Tai alone.

Li Chengan felt extremely grateful to Su Wan.

At this moment, I wonder if Su Wan has already seen the letter I wrote to her.

As Li Chengan pondered, he felt dizzy and lightheaded, and drifted off to sleep.

Midnight.

The night was dark and the wind was high.

An uninvited guest arrived outside the meditation room.

The man was bald, masked, and dressed in all black, appearing very capable.

He tiptoed to the door.

He looked around and saw no one.

then,

He reached out his right hand and pulled a dagger from his waist.

The blade of that dagger was about eight inches long.

He quietly slipped the dagger through the crack in the door and slowly pried open the bolt.

The lights in the room were off, with only a faint moonlight shining in.

The bald, masked man's eyes darted around, gleaming with a thieving light.

He looked around again; no one was there. He quietly pushed the door open.

He gripped a dagger in his right hand and approached Li Chengqian's bed step by step.

Li Chenggan was asleep with his head covered, completely unaware.

The bald, masked man walked to the bedside, raised his right hand high, and then suddenly stabbed it towards Li Chengqian's head.

However, after he inserted the needle, he immediately felt that something was wrong.

It might be because he used too much force.

The knife pierced through the bedding and stuck to the bed board. It was difficult to pull it out for a while.

The bald, masked man found it strange. He lifted the blankets and found that there was another blanket underneath, but it was rolled up into a strip.

Where is Li Chengqian now?

The bald, masked man was puzzled, thinking that Li Chenggan was clearly sleeping in the room, so why had he disappeared?

Just as the bald, masked man was wondering what was going on, someone jumped down from the roof and kicked him in the butt, knocking him to the ground.

The person who jumped off the roof was none other than Li Chengan.

original,

Li Chengan was half asleep when he suddenly heard the sound of the door bolt rattling.

He sensed that something was amiss.

He quickly got off the bed.

He quickly rolled the quilt into a strip.

Then, another blanket was taken and placed on top, making it look as if someone was sleeping with their head covered.

Li Chengan leaped into the air and landed on the rooftop, looking down.

He was on the roof.

He saw every single move the bald, masked man made.

He thought to himself that this person must have ill intentions.

It seems they want to assassinate me.

Just as Li Chengan had predicted, the man used too much force and stabbed the quilt through the bed board.

The bald, masked man was drawing his knife when Li Chenggan seized the opportunity and decisively struck.

Realizing he was no match for Li Chengqian, the bald, masked man turned and ran.

However, because he was running in such a hurry, he left one shoe behind.

Li Chenggan did not give chase.

Li Chengqian relit the candle, bent down to pick up the shoe, and upon closer inspection, realized it was a monk's shoe.

Li Chenggan was puzzled.

The civil officials, led by Fang Xuanling, were making trouble for him. Left with no other choice, he followed the advice of Master Xuanzang, disguised himself as a monk, and came here to seek refuge.

I never expected that there would be monks in this temple who wanted to kill me. What's going on?

It seems I've never had any conflicts with the monks in the temple.

at this time,

Dao Zhao heard the noise and rushed in from outside.

Li Chengan then briefly recounted what had happened.

Dao Zhao was greatly surprised: "I never expected that someone in this temple would dare to assassinate His Highness. They must have eaten the heart of a bear and swallowed the gall of a leopard!"

That person must be a monk from this temple.

Didn't he leave behind a monk's shoe?

"Let's investigate immediately; we should be able to find out who he is."

at this time,

Xuanzang also rushed over upon hearing the news.

His heart pounded with fear.

He thought to himself that although Li Shimin wanted to execute Li Chenggan, it was ultimately a matter between father and son.

Once Li Shimin calmed down, the matter was over.

but,

If something were to happen to Li Chengqian in his own temple, it would be a terrible matter.

After Xuanzang entered, he quickly asked, "Your Highness, you were frightened. How are you? Are you injured anywhere?"

"I am safe and sound."

Then, Li Chengan briefly recounted the events to Master Xuanzang.

"Thank goodness, it's truly a blessing from Buddha. I'm so glad Your Highness is alright."

Daozhao then explained his idea of ​​searching all the monks in the temple to Master Xuanzang.

Xuanzang listened and pondered for a moment: "If that's the case, we should be able to find out who that person is."

Li Chenggan thought he had come to the Great Ci'en Temple to seek refuge, but he never expected to cause trouble for them.

The temple was peaceful and harmonious, but now, because of my appearance, everyone is in a state of panic.

Thinking of this, Li Chengan said to everyone, "There is no need to search, I am not injured."

Let's just drop this matter; there's no need to search.

"Amitabha Buddha, Your Highness's magnanimity is truly admirable."

Li Chengan crossed his arms and said, "Master, you flatter me. It's probably just a misunderstanding. It's nothing serious."

I intend to leave this place.

"Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"

Li Chengan gave a wry smile: "I am now a sinner. If I stay here too long, I'm afraid it will cause trouble for your temple."

Master Xuanzang also felt that what he said made some sense, and asked, "Then where do you plan to go?"

"Let it be."

"Could you stay here temporarily to avoid trouble, and leave once things have calmed down?"

Li Chengan waved his hand: "No need, thank you for your kindness, Master."

Seeing that Li Chenggan had already made his decision, Xuanzang did not press the matter further.

"Alright then, you're welcome to come back anytime you want."

Li Chengan repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

……

Qin Ying and Gongsun Wuda chased after the flower thief.

They chased after him down Zhuque Street, but the flower thief was surprisingly fast. He swayed and disappeared into an alleyway.

Qin Ying was very unconvinced and said to Gongsun Wuda, "If you want to talk about my lightness skill, there are few people in Chang'an City who can match me."

He had been spending too much time eating delicacies in Wa (Japan) recently while accompanying the Crown Prince, and coupled with his busy official duties, he had no time to exercise.

Therefore, I've gained a lot of excess fat.

Otherwise, how could that flower thief have slipped away right under my nose? He got lucky today.

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Wuda naturally understood his meaning.

Gongsun Wuda knew that Qin Ying was a person who cared a lot about his reputation.

He couldn't very well point it out to his face: "Young General, you are Qin Shubao's grandson, and your future is limitless."

"That's right, that's right," Qin Ying said, a little too pleased with herself.

"Well then, you've all worked hard too."

"Have your personal guards stand watch outside the inn. I'll invite you in for a couple of drinks, how about that?"

Gongsun Wuda was a man of strong emotions, and naturally he couldn't refuse an invitation to a meal.

then,

Qin Ying and Gongsun Wuda entered an inn, went up to the second floor, and entered a private room.

Qin Ying ordered a table full of her favorite dishes, such as braised pork, stewed pig's trotters, beef, roast chicken, and braised duck, all of which were meat dishes.

Gongsun Wuda frowned upon seeing this, thinking to himself, "You just said that you eat delicacies every day in the Japanese Kingdom and are already tired of them, and have gained a lot of fat. Now you've ordered so many meat dishes. Aren't you afraid of gaining weight?"

Qin Ying ignored all that and replaced the wine cup with a large bowl.

He felt that drinking from large bowls and eating large chunks of meat was the true joy of life!

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Qin Ying glanced at Gongsun Wuda and asked, "When I passed by Xuanwu Gate earlier, I saw you questioning three monks. Who were they?"

"Master Xuanzang and his two disciples."

"Master Xuanzang? I hadn't paid attention to him before. What are they up to?"

"They want to leave the city for medical treatment."

"Then why don't you let them leave the city?"

"The higher-ups have given the order to close all city gates. Everyone inside Chang'an is only allowed to enter, not leave."

"Why is that? What happened?"

Gongsun Wuda shook his head: "I don't know either. I only heard that the Crown Prince was trying to escape and that they were going to capture him."

"What! Is that so? Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Qin Ying was also taken aback when she heard this.

"The orders from above are crystal clear, how could we possibly misunderstand?"

"Your Highness is loyal to the court, very filial to your father and mother, and has made many contributions."

Why arrest him?

I don't know the specifics either.

"I only heard that a group of ministers, led by Fang Xuanling, went to the Zichen Hall to request the Emperor to execute Li Chenggan," Gongsun Wuda explained.

"Those old bastards are tired of living, especially that Fang Xuanling, who has repeatedly gone against our Crown Prince."

No one knows what deep-seated hatred exists between him and the Crown Prince.

"If you really piss me off, I'll storm into his mansion, twist his head off, and kick it like a ball." Qin Ying gritted her teeth in anger.

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Wuda turned pale with fright: "Young General, you must not do this! You must not act rashly!"

You need to know, impulsiveness is the devil.

People often say that there is no greater merit than saving the emperor.

Our Crown Prince subdued the Dangxiang, won over the Tuyuhun, defeated the Yanqi, and then returned to relieve Chang'an, lifting the siege and rescuing the Emperor Emeritus, the Emperor, and the Empress.

What a great achievement this is!

But those ministers would impeach our Crown Prince at the drop of a hat, imprison him in the Dali Temple prison, and even say they would exile him to Qianzhou.

Now they want to kill him? What kind of logic is this? *Slap, slap...*

Qin Ying was so angry that she kept banging on the table.

"Keep your voice down, keep your voice down!"

Gongsun Wuda thought to himself, "This guy is really a patriarch."

He quickly got up, opened the door to check, and seeing that no one was around, closed the door again. "Young General, you can't just say things carelessly, lest someone overhears you."

"I don't care about this or that. Whoever dares to be disrespectful to the Crown Prince, I'll fight them to the death!"

Am I really inferior to Wu Song, the tiger-slaying hero, and Shi Xiu, the daredevil?

Gongsun Wuda sat down again and asked, "You just said, who is Wu Song? Who is Shi Xiu?"

"In short, they are all heroes of Liangshan. I will tell you about them in the future."

Qin Ying picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

Because he drank so fast, the wine dripped down his cheeks and into his collar.

He wiped his mouth with his hand: "I understand now."

The situation in the court was extremely complicated. Each of them wasn't concerned with the fate of the Tang Dynasty, but rather with their own official hats.

"What do you mean?"

Logically speaking, Changsun Wuji, as the Crown Prince's maternal uncle, should be biased towards the Crown Prince.

However, Changsun Wuji was an eccentric.

He doesn't play by the rules at all.

He didn't want to be an official.

First, he resigned from his position as prime minister.

You have to understand, that's the prime minister! Second only to the emperor, above everyone else. Countless people dream of becoming prime minister, but none can achieve it.

But he declined again and again.

Then, while unemployed at home, he compiled something called the "Zhenguan Code".

He also said that the pheasant had the appearance of a dragon and phoenix, and the countenance of the sun and moon.

What do you think he meant by saying that?

Is he planning to support Li Zhi to become the crown prince?