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

Fang Yi'ai felt a pang of unease as he faced Su Wan.

On the one hand, Su Wan had once saved him, and he owed her a huge favor, which is an undeniable fact;

On the other hand, he also knew that Su Wan had dealt with Li Tai more than once. Even someone as capable as the Prince of Yue was no match for her, so how could he be a match for Su Wan?

Fang Yi'ai steadied himself and quickly explained to Su Wan, "Your Highness, I'm only here to convey the Emperor's decree. As for anything else, it has nothing to do with me."

Fang Yi'ai's intention was clear: he wanted to distance himself from the situation.

Su Wan stared intently at him and said, "Very well, you're right. This matter really has nothing to do with you."

So,

Tell me clearly, what decree did the Emperor issue to you, and what did it say?

Upon hearing this,

Fang Yiai thought that since Su Wan had already asked, it was impossible not to answer.

So he cleared his throat: "His Majesty's intention is to have Prince Li Daozong seal off Luoyang and arrest Li Chenggan."

After we capture Li Chenggan, we'll send him to Chang'an.

"Did His Majesty really say that?" Su Wan pressed.

"yes."

"So, what did you and the Prince discuss?"

"I—." Fang Yi'ai's tongue circled twice in his mouth, but he couldn't utter a word.

"Did you tell the prince that if we could capture them alive, we should capture them alive; if we couldn't capture them alive, dead ones would be fine too?"

"Uh—," Fang Yi'ai choked up, wondering how Su Wan knew.

"You, Fang Yi'ai, how dare you falsely convey an imperial edict!"

Believe it or not, I'll send you to the Dali Temple and sentence you to death.

"No, no, please don't send me to the Dali Temple. I never want to go to that awful place again."

Li Daozong was also annoyed when he heard this, and looked at Fang Yi'ai and asked, "Prince Consort, is what the Crown Princess said true?"

The Emperor didn't intend to kill Li Chengqian, did he?

Fang Yi'ai's face turned bright red, unsure how to explain: "I...this is how I reasoned and guessed."

Upon hearing this, Li Daozong was furious. He thought to himself that Fang Yi'ai was incredibly audacious, daring to forge an imperial edict and almost causing him to make a grave mistake. Could arresting Li Chengqian and taking his life be the same thing?

Li Daozong quickly summoned a guard and said to him, "Go quickly, catch up with Zhang Shigui and his four sons, and tell them that they must not harm Li Chenggan, and can only capture him alive."

"promise!"

The guard agreed and turned to leave.

Su Wan glared at Fang Yi'ai, as if to say that they would settle their score later.

Fang Yi'ai shrank back in fright.

Su Wan turned to Li Daozong and asked, "When did Zhang Shigui arrive in Luoyang?"

Why did he want to arrest the crown prince?

Li Daozong said, "Zhang Shigui and his four sons have come to Luoyang to participate in the martial arts examination."

"Participating in the martial arts examination?" Su Wan frowned slightly and asked, "So, Zhang Shigui's four sons are quite skilled in martial arts?"

That martial arts exam is no ordinary exam; you have to be exceptionally skilled in martial arts to pass.

Which of his four sons intends to take the martial arts exam?

"Eldest son Zhang Zhilong."

"Zhang Zhilong? Is he very skilled in martial arts?"

Li Daozong thought to himself that Zhang Zhilong was no match for Li Chengqian at all.

Li Chengan knocked Zhang Zhilong to the ground with just one move.

Even if the four brothers Zhang Zhilong, Zhang Zhihu, Zhang Zhibiao, and Zhang Zhibao attacked together, they would still be no match for Li Chengqian.

However, no matter what, Zhang Shigui was his father-in-law.

Therefore, Li Daozong also had to consider this relationship.

then,

Li Daozong, holding the document, said, "I don't know Zhang Zhilong very well yet, and I don't know how good his martial arts are."

"Alright, so did the Crown Prince actually come here?"

Where did they go now?

When Su Wan asked about Li Chenggan, Li Daozong recounted how Li Chenggan had been invited here.

Su Wan and Princess Wencheng sighed upon hearing this and asked, "And who is that Xue Rengui in white?"

"I heard he's a commoner, yet he plans to take the martial arts exam."

"A commoner?" Su Wan found it a bit strange. "A commoner actually wants to participate in the martial arts exam. It seems that this person is not simple."

I heard his ancestors were quite distinguished, but now their fortunes have declined.

"I see. Do you know where Li Chenggan went?"

Li Daozong shook his head and explained, "At that time, Zhang Shigui and Li Chengan were having a martial arts contest in the hall."

Zhang Shigui was no match for Li Chengqian, so he brought in three hundred archers to shoot and kill Li Chengqian.

Just then, Xue Rengui arrived.

A rope was thrown in through the window, and Li Chenggan was pulled away in an instant.

"What did you say? Zhang Shigui actually wants to poison the Crown Prince?" Su Wan asked, her eyes wide.

"Uh..." At this moment, Li Daozong also regretted letting it slip.

"What did the Crown Prince do to offend him? What deep-seated hatred does the Crown Prince have with him that he would do such a thing?"

Li Daozong realized he had spoken too hastily and shouldn't have revealed what had happened.

However, the words have already been spoken and cannot be taken back.

Li Daozong had no choice but to smooth things over: "Princess Consort, please don't misunderstand, there is no hatred between them."

Zhang Shigui was at a disadvantage during the martial arts competition.

Therefore,

A fire burns in my heart.

It's not because they have any hatred towards each other.

Upon hearing this, Su Wan sneered: "Your Highness, I didn't expect your old man to have such a temper."

Upon hearing this, Li Daozong blushed, because Lady Zhang was also present.

Li Daozong also knew that Princess Wencheng was very concerned about his taking Lady Zhang as a concubine.

Su Wan said to Li Daozong, "Empress Zhangsun has promised me that she will persuade His Majesty to rescind his decree."

possible,

At this point, His Majesty had withdrawn the decree and would no longer pursue any responsibility against Li Chengqian.

therefore,

Please do not make things difficult for the Crown Prince.

No matter what, you're his uncle, we're family.

Princess Wencheng also advised from the side: "Father, you must listen to the Crown Princess and not make things difficult for your elder brother. Otherwise, not only will I not agree, but even Songtsen Gampo will not agree."

Li Daozong had already sensed that Su Wan was no ordinary woman; no wonder he had heard that Su Wan had once dealt with Li Tai.

It seems those were not just rumors.

and,

Princess Wencheng's words also carried great weight.

Li Daozong thought to himself that although Songtsen Gampo was his son-in-law...

However, he knew that Songtsen Gampo was different from ordinary people; he was the king of Tibet.

Li Daozong had also heard that Songtsen Gampo and Li Chengqian had an extraordinary relationship.

If we offend Songtsen Gampo, things won't end well in the future.

Thinking of this, Li Daozong smiled slightly: "Your Highness, you are right. Li Chenggan is my nephew. How could I possibly make things difficult for him?"

"If I make things difficult for the Crown Prince, wouldn't I be making things difficult for myself?"

At this moment, Su Wan walked up to Fang Yi'ai: "Prince Consort, since you are here..."

So,

You can take me to find Li Chenggan.

If you can find Li Chengqian, I will reward you handsomely.

otherwise,

I am about to report your crime of falsely conveying the imperial edict to the Dali Temple.

Fang Yi'ai naturally knew who Dai Zhou, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was.

That guy was stern and impartial; when his dark face darkened, who wouldn't be afraid?

Last time, when he was in the Dali Temple prison, Dai Zhou almost chopped off his head.

As Fang Yi'ai thought about this, sweat began to bead on his forehead.

He wiped it with his hand:

"Your Highness, I don't know where Li Chengqian is either."

"It doesn't matter if you don't know. Just take me to find him. If we find him, great. If we don't, it's not your fault." Su Wan said this because she knew Fang Yi'ai too well and knew that this kid was a troublemaker.

Only by keeping an eye on him can he prevent Li Chengqian from speaking ill of Li Daozong.

Su Wan understood that Li Daozong's words were all well and good, claiming that he and Li Chengqian were uncle and nephew, family.

But don't forget,

Zhang Shigui and Li Daozong are father-in-law and son-in-law.

Therefore, Li Daozong's stance was not firm, and he wavered between the two sides.

Li Daozong agreed not to make things difficult for Li Chenggan, but that was only because he was under pressure.

If Zhang Shigui and Fang Yi'ai put more pressure on Li Daozong, it's hard to say who Li Daozong will side with.

of course,

Su Wan had also heard that Li Daozong and Li Yuanjing had a very good relationship.

Su Wan gradually realized that Li Yuanjing was a special person, not like what people said, that he only knew how to refine pills and didn't care about worldly affairs. In fact, that was not the case.

After hearing Su Wan's words, Fang Yi'ai had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Alright then, you said it yourself. You can't blame me if we can't find Li Chenggan."

Su Wan smiled, pursing her lips: "Don't worry, I keep my word!"

Zhang Shigui and his four sons led two thousand men to Yuelai Inn, surrounding it completely.

Zhang Zhilong asked with a worried expression, "Father, Li Chengqian is the Crown Prince. Is it appropriate for us to surround him here?"

"What, are you scared?" Zhang Shigui glared at him.

"I--."

"You're not exactly a child anymore, and while your martial arts skills are mediocre, you're also incredibly brainless."

Zhang Zhilong was scolded by his father, and he scratched his head, asking, "Dad, what did I say wrong again?"

"Think about it, when we were talking to Li Daozong..."

Li Chengan had already arrived.

He overheard our entire conversation from outside the window; in other words, he already knew about my unauthorized recruitment of soldiers on the east bank of the river.

We handed over some old, weak, and disabled soldiers to the court, but kept 30,000 strong and capable men. If Li Shimin knew about this, would he forgive his father?

"Is this a very serious crime?"

Back then, you made so many contributions to the Tang Dynasty. Are you going to erase them all because of this?

Didn't I hear that the Crown Prince also recruited 10,000 cavalrymen on the border of Gaochang?

"Let Ashina She'er lead the army there. Why can the Crown Prince raise troops, but we can't?"

"Pah!"

You're such a pig-brain!

Can the way the Crown Prince recruits soldiers be the same as how we recruit soldiers?

Regardless of the circumstances, Li Chenggan was Li Shimin's son. As the saying goes, even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs. Even if Li Chenggan had committed a serious offense...

Would Li Shimin be willing to kill him?

Think about it.

At the beginning,

After Liu Bang seized power, he enfeoffed seven princes who were not of the same surname.

To the end,

What became of those feudal lords?

The successive killings of meritorious officials such as Han Xin, Peng Yue, and Ying Bu created widespread panic.

To the end,

The founding heroes and veteran generals were almost all killed.

Even Xiao He, who was so loyal to Liu Bang, was imprisoned in the Dali Temple jail by Liu Bang.

later,

Someone suggested to Xiao He that he should ruin his reputation by intentionally seizing other people's land.

Liu Bang discovered that Xiao He's reputation was deteriorating, and that he spent his days only seeking land and houses.

In the end, they let Xiao He go.

Otherwise, Xiao He would probably have been killed too.

"You're right, Liu Bang was a very suspicious emperor who liked to kill his meritorious officials."

but,

Li Shimin doesn't seem like that kind of emperor.

In this respect, Li Shimin and Ying Zheng are somewhat similar.

After Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms, he did not kill his meritorious officials. Zhang Zhilong knew a little about history, so he wanted to show off in front of his three younger brothers.

Zhang Shigui shook his head:

You're wrong.

Do you still remember Luo Yi?

"I know, isn't he Luo Cheng's father?"

"Luo Yi was killed by Li Shimin."

Because Luo Yi was originally Li Jiancheng's man.

He was terrified, fearing that Li Shimin would kill him.

"So, they rose up in rebellion." Zhang Shigui sighed.

"Luo Yi is plotting a rebellion, but we are not."

Why did Li Shimin want to kill us?

"Just because you say we didn't rebel doesn't mean we didn't rebel."

You must understand that our unauthorized recruitment of soldiers violates the imperial court's regulations.

This matter,

Li Chengan overheard it.

Therefore, Li Chenggan must die!

Everyone, listen up! Surround the Yuelai Inn!

Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!

If Li Chenggan refuses to surrender, he will be killed without hesitation.

Fang Yi'ai has already issued an imperial edict on behalf of the Emperor: we must see Li Chengqian alive or dead. Even if we bring Li Chengqian's head to the Emperor, we will still receive a reward.

"promise!"

At Zhang Shigui's command, the two thousand soldiers quickly sprang into action.

Li Chengan, Su Gui, and Xue Rengui were talking in the room.

A soldier rushed in from outside in a panic: "Your Highness, Commander Su, Zhang Shigui and his four sons have surrounded us with more than two thousand soldiers."

"What? Is that so?"

Su Gui was furious when she heard this, her eyes turning red: "Damn it, Zhang Shigui is incredibly audacious, daring to surround the Imperial Guards. I'll deal with him."

Upon hearing this,

Li Chengan waved his hand: "Su Gui, wait, don't be rash."

Things are different now.

Today's situation is different from usual; they are not targeting the Imperial Guards, but rather me.

To ensure the safety of the brothers, let's do this.

"I went out alone to negotiate with him; isn't he just after my life?"

Li Chengan finished speaking and strode towards the door.

Su Gui and Xue Rengui quickly stopped Li Chenggan: "Your Highness, you mustn't!"

"Why are you stopping me?"

"Do you think I'm afraid of Zhang Shigui?" Li Chenggan asked, somewhat displeased.

Su Gui advised, "Your Highness, I have heard that Zhang Shigui is a fierce general, whose reputation is comparable to that of Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, and Yuchi Gong."

That person is not easy to deal with.

The saying goes, "A bachelor doesn't suffer a loss in front of him," and at this moment,

He led 2000 soldiers, and his army was at its peak.

Your Highness, please don't act impulsively.

I still have 200 men under my command. Even if I wipe out all 200 of them, I cannot allow His Highness to suffer any harm.

just in case,

"What injuries have you sustained? How am I supposed to explain this to my sister?"

Xue Rengui also chimed in, "Your Highness, it seems Zhang Shigui is no ordinary man."

We had only been at the inn a short time when they caught up with us.

and,

Is it just a coincidence that he can touch it so accurately?

Your Highness, you must not take any risks by yourself.

Before Qin Ying left, he clearly instructed me and Su Gui to ensure your safety. He said that since I had been entrusted with this task, I must be loyal to it.

Your Highness, it would be best if you didn't go out.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan realized that Su Gui and Xue Rengui's words did make sense.

Besides, they were doing it for their own good.

Li Chengan pondered for a moment, then said to Su Gui, "How about this, you have 200 of your men hold the line."

Go and summon Zhang Shigui; I want to question him in person.

Su Gui nodded and said, "Alright, let's do it your way."

Su Gui is truly remarkable; he's quite different from before. His 200 Imperial Guards are now full of energy, each one spirited and eager to fight!