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

"I've always believed what you said was true, but you forgot what you said earlier."

"You say I'm your only true love, then tell me clearly, what exactly is going on between you and Qu Zhili?" Su Wan's shoulders trembled incessantly.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan blushed and stammered out the story of what happened between him and Qu Zhili that night.

"Li Chenggan, you're really something!"

Last time, when I was in Luoyang, I wanted you to consummate our marriage, but you absolutely refused, making all sorts of excuses. Oh, I just left, and Qu Zhili went there.

So you two got really into a passionate, real fight, right?

"Do you think I'm not as pretty as her?" Su Wan seemed very agitated.

"Wan'er, I didn't mean that. In my eyes, you are the most beautiful woman in the world."

"You two already have a child, what else is there to say?"

"I'll give my position as Crown Princess to Qu Zhili." Su Wan's expression was very serious.

"How can that be allowed?"

"You are the Crown Princess chosen by Father and Mother, how can you just change her like that?"

Su Wan's beautiful eyes looked at Li Chengan, her gaze a mixture of love and resentment. Without a doubt, Li Chengan was the person she cherished most; for him...

She's willing to risk her life.

She had also tried to convince herself that Li Chengqian was the crown prince, and it was impossible to expect him to have only her as his woman and to love only her for the rest of his life.

However, when that day suddenly arrived, she still couldn't accept it.

"You don't need to pretend to be a good person in front of me. Actually, you're just a womanizer."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan thought that at this moment, no matter what he said, Su Wan probably wouldn't listen.

In short, I am the one who has let others down.

They treat me incredibly well.

Just as Li Chengan was struggling with this problem, Xu Hui arrived.

Xu Hui stepped forward and grabbed Su Wan's collar: "Wan'er, are you crazy? How can you be so disrespectful to the Crown Prince?"

"You don't know, he's so wicked!"

He once said he was devoted to me, but that was all a lie.

In reality, he had affairs with many women.

Besides Qu Zhili, he had many other women.

Today, I'm not going to live either!

As Su Wan spoke, she rammed her head against a pillar in the corridor.

If she were to actually crash into it, it would surely cause a huge uproar.

Because it happened so suddenly, how could Xu Hui possibly stop her?

Li Chengan was also terrified and quickly grabbed Su Wan around the waist, saying, "Wan'er, you can't do this!"

Su Wan cried, "Why are you stopping me? Just let me die, waaaah..."

Li Chengqian felt as if his heart was being stabbed with a knife; he was filled with mixed emotions.

Li Chengan could understand Su Wan's feelings.

He didn't blame Su Wan for stabbing him; he just silently held her in his arms.

Su Wan kept sobbing.

Xu Hui, who was watching from the side, was also moved by the scene.

Xu Hui sighed, "What is love in this world that makes people willing to die for it?"

You two clearly love each other, so why make things difficult for each other?

Wan'er, since it has already happened, and the Crown Prince didn't do it on purpose.

You don't need to worry about this.

The Crown Prince's favorite person is still you.

His relationship with Qu Zhili was just a coincidence.

If you look at it from another angle, if Qu Zhili hadn't arrived in time, the Crown Prince might have already met with an accident.

If that's the case, what should you do?

Su Wan lowered her head and remained silent.

"So, it's all fate, so you shouldn't blame the Crown Prince anymore."

and also,

This martial arts exam is of great importance.

The situation is quite complex and has exceeded expectations.

No one expected that Yeon Gaesomun, Buyeo Takashi, Inugami Odenku, Soga no Emishi, and others would also come.

So far, the Blue Brahma has not been captured.

She's incredibly audacious; there's nothing she wouldn't dare to do.

I heard that she dared to cause trouble for Empress Zhangsun just now. Fortunately, the Crown Prince arrived in time and scared her away.

She's a master of poisons; what if something goes wrong at the banquet?

Li Chengan understood that Xu Hui was not exaggerating when she said such things.

This martial arts examination coincided with the Lantern Festival, a time of universal celebration, and the Emperor specially hosted a grand banquet.

The banquet was attended by imperial concubines, princes, princesses, civil and military officials, and candidates taking the exams—an unprecedented event. Such a grand banquet is rarely seen.

If the Blue Bhadra woman were to exploit a loophole and poison the wine or food, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Thinking of this, Li Chengan turned to Xu Hui and said, "Consort Xu, please take care of Wan'er."

Let Su Gui protect your safety.

"I will go there immediately to discuss the specifics with my father."

Xu Hui nodded in agreement: "Your Highness, you should go about your business. I will take good care of Su Wan."

Su Wan is exceptionally intelligent.

She understands the importance of knowing when to stop.

She did this to teach Li Chenggan a lesson.

If Li Chenggan isn't given a warning, he'll probably take her even less seriously in the future and end up taking in countless concubines and mistresses.

Su Wan naturally understood that expecting Li Chengan to stay with her for life was unrealistic.

Qu Zhili is a highly skilled swordswoman and deeply loves Li Chenggan.

With her by Li Chengqian's side, Su Wan felt much more at ease.

Su Wan smoothed her hair with her hand: "Li Chenggan, let me tell you, this matter between us isn't over yet. We'll discuss it further when we see your father and mother."

I'll make sure your father breaks your legs!

If you keep messing around with other women, I'll castrate you!

"How dare I?" Li Chengqian laughed. "As long as you can vent your anger, I'll do whatever you want."

Li Chengan observed that Su Wan's emotions had stabilized somewhat.

Xu Hui recounted to Li Chenggan the assassination attempt on Li Shimin by Yin Hongzhi.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan was greatly surprised and grasped Su Wan's hand: "Wan'er, I never expected you to be so brave. You don't know martial arts."

This time, it was all thanks to you that Father Emperor was saved.

"If you hadn't arrived in time, wouldn't Father have been in great danger?"

"It's not that I'm brave, but in that situation, I couldn't care less about anything else."

However, I can tell you that the Emperor has promised me something. He is willing to help me fulfill a wish, and he will agree as long as I tell him.

Don't mess with me, or I'll have your father deal with you.

Li Chenggan felt a cold sweat break out on his back when he heard this, thinking, what if something happens to my father?

Even if we kill those people from the Yeting Palace and Yin Hongzhi, what problem will that solve?

Throughout history, very few people have dared to assassinate the emperor.

It seems I haven't considered things thoroughly enough; I never even considered that there might be someone in the palace who could harm my father.

Li Chengan handed a handkerchief to Su Wan.

Su Wan took the handkerchief, wiped away her tears, and steadied herself: "I'm telling you, it was only a matter of time before Yin Hongzhi assassinated the Emperor."

What you need to consider now is who else in the palace might be a threat to your father, the emperor.

Prevention is better than cure; don't wait until something happens to regret it.

Li Chengqian frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "I can't think of anyone else who would be detrimental to Father Emperor."

Su Wan sneered: "Your father is a womanizer, taking concubines everywhere. Putting aside everything else, there are probably a few of the concubines in the palace who would be hostile to him."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan was startled, thinking to himself, "Is this possible?"

Most of those concubines had given birth to sons for the emperor.

Li Chengan then ordered someone to summon Su Gui.

Li Chengan instructed Su Gui to ensure the safety of Su Wan and Xu Hui.

Su Gui kept a stern face and didn't say a word.

Su Gui pulled Su Wan aside and whispered, "Sister, do you need me to beat up the Crown Prince for you and let you vent your anger?"

Su Wan rolled her eyes at him: "You're such an idiot. Do you think you can just beat up the Crown Prince whenever you want?"

"Didn't you say you were feeling angry and resentful?"

"I'll give the prince a good beating for you, then you'll vent your anger, won't you?"

"Nonsense. I can mess around with His Highness however I want, but you're different. You're all grown up now. Don't you know some manners?"

Do you know what might happen tonight?

"Sister, don't worry, General Chang has already made arrangements, everything should be fine."

"It's not just 'should,' it's 'absolutely cannot' happen. If something happens, no one can afford to suffer the consequences," Su Wan instructed.

"Sister, I understand."

"You don't need to stay here. Go do whatever you need to do."

"What if something happens to you?"

"I'll be fine."

……

Li Tai, Fang Xuanling, Qibi Heli, Cen Wenzi, and others gathered together to discuss countermeasures.

Qibi Heli knelt on the ground: "I am truly sorry. I originally intended to kill Murong Shun, Tuoba Chici, and Li Chenggan all on the arena, but I did not expect to be unable to do so."

"Your Majesty, please punish me!"

"You were able to pierce through such a thick cedar tree with that punch, so why couldn't you pierce Li Chengqian's chest?" Li Tai was indeed not satisfied with Qibi Heli's performance, and he said with a sullen face.

"Your Majesty, it is not that I am shirking responsibility, but it is because Li Chengqian is wearing a layer of crocodile armor."

That soft armor is impervious to swords and spears; it cannot be penetrated.

"He's incredibly lucky to be alive!"

Li Tai glanced at Fang Xuanling.

Fang Xuanling gestured to him not to take Qibi Heli seriously.

So Li Tai pulled Qibi Heli up from the ground.

After Fang Xuanling gave the signal, Li Tai understood, suppressed his anger, stood up, walked to Qibi Heli, helped him up from the ground, and said, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. You don't need to take this to heart. We still have a chance."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Qibi Heli stood up with trepidation.

Actually, he was a little scared too.

If Li Tai wants to hold him accountable for this, there's nothing he can do.

"The banquet is about to start, so what should we do next?"

Fang Xuanling smiled slightly: "Your Majesty, gentlemen, have you noticed anything amiss during today's martial arts competition?"

"I didn't see anything suspicious."

Fang Xuanling turned to look at Cen Wen and asked, "What do you think?"

Cen Wenzi straightened his clothes and sat up straight: "Your Majesty, Your Excellency, I feel that Li Chengqian's strength has become quite formidable without us even realizing it."

Look, Songtsen Gampo, Murong Shun, Tuoba Chici, Fuyu Fengzhang, and the Great King of Shanbei—all of these people are on Li Chenggan's side.

Even the examiners, such as Cheng Yaojin, Li Jing, and Li Xiaogong, seemed to be speaking up for him.

You're right.

Li Chenggan is no longer the same person he once was.

It won't be that easy for us to defeat Li Chenggan.

More importantly, the Emperor has already decided to station Li Chengqian in Luoyang.

Not only that, they also gave him an army.

Although not many, 5000 soldiers are still quite a lot.

In addition, he was given the power to review memorials from officials of the fifth rank east of Luoyang.

What does this mean?

In other words, Li Chengqian already wielded considerable power. To say he controlled half of the Tang Dynasty would be an exaggeration, but he essentially had the final say in matters east of Luoyang.

This shows that your father still trusts Li Chengqian quite a lot.

Secondly, there are many people secretly helping Li Chengqian around your father.

otherwise,

Li Chenggan disobeyed imperial orders twice, which should have been punished. However, Li Chenggan not only escaped punishment but also gained even more power.

He wouldn't have gained so much power if no one had helped him.

Li Tai, supporting his pregnant belly, paced back and forth in the hall, asking, "Who do you think will be by the Emperor's side assisting Li Chengqian?"

First of all,

I have dealt with your mother for many years and know what kind of person she is.

Although you and Li Chenggan were both born to your mother.

However, your mother's heart is with Li Chengqian.

From beginning to end, your mother has always upheld Li Chengqian's position as crown prince.

I have repeatedly asked you to return to your fiefdom and not stay in Chang'an.

Their aim is to distance you from Chang'an, the economic and political center, and marginalize you.

Secondly, Xu Hui, the newly arrived palace maid, also did her best to support Li Chenggan.

Although you went to visit her, she refused to let you in.

Xu Hui achieved excellent results in the last written exam.

She then volunteered to go to Chongwen Hall.

We all know that Chongwen Hall was founded by the Crown Prince.

This shows that Xu Hui also favored the Crown Prince.

Furthermore, the ministers in the court, led by Wei Zheng, are also strongly supporting the Crown Prince, so the situation is extremely unfavorable for us.

Finally, Li Chenggan was adept at manipulating power, winning over and bribing others.

He traveled far and wide, and unknowingly built up his strength.

Most importantly, he now controls the military.

The five-nation coalition obeyed him; with just one order from Li Chengqian, he could mobilize over 10 troops.

Li Chenggan liked the Turks.

The Turks then fell into his arms.

Ashina She'er led 1 cavalrymen to garrison on the border of Gaochang.

It was driven there like a wedge.

None of the kingdoms in the Western Regions dared to act rashly.

Ashina Jieshe, one of the three great assassins, was originally loyal to Your Majesty.

However, he has now switched his allegiance to Li Chengqian.

Even more shockingly, the Turkic leader Ashina Simo led over 10 troops to surrender to the crown prince.

This is outrageous!

After listening to Fang Xuanling's analysis,

Sweat beaded on Li Tai's forehead.

He looked nervous: "Grand Secretary, what do you suggest we do?"

Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?

Fang Xuanling picked up the teacup on the table, took a small sip, and then gently placed the teacup back on the table: "Your Majesty, you are just too impatient."

Even the most meticulous plans can have flaws. If we seize upon Li Chengqian's weakness and impeach him before your father, he'll be in deep trouble.

"But what wrong has Li Chenggan done?"

"This isn't too difficult. First, we can impeach him for forming cliques and secretly cultivating his own power, threatening the safety of the capital. After all, the five-nation coalition has already reached the gates of Chang'an."

Although no war occurred

However, your father must have felt an invisible pressure coming from him, which is not what your father wanted to see.

Secondly, did you notice that there's someone sitting next to Li Chengqian who is extremely handsome?

"Yes, we saw him. Isn't that Luo Cheng?"

Fang Xuanling nodded: "Yes, we can make a fuss about this."

Li Tai frowned, not quite understanding Fang Xuanling's meaning: "Your Excellency, what do you mean?"

"Don't you know that Luo Cheng is Luo Yi's son?" Fang Xuanling retorted.

"I know, back then Luo Yi was the King of Beiping, and Luo Cheng was called Luo Shaobao."

"The cold-faced, spear-wielding, handsome Luo Cheng—isn't that him?"

"That's right, but do you know how Luo Yi died?"

"Oh, how did he die?"

"Luo Yi intended to rebel, but failed and committed suicide out of fear of punishment."

Luo Yi was originally Li Jiancheng's subordinate. After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Luo Yi was filled with fear and unease, and thus conceived the idea of ​​rebellion.

Of course, Luo Yi also knows that your father was a general who rode a horse to the capital.

Your father's speed in conquering the world was unmatched.

Luo Yi felt that he was definitely no match for your father, the Emperor.

If they rebel, not only will he not survive, but his entire clan, young and old, will not survive either.