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

Xuanzang smiled slightly: "Your Highness, why do you say such angry words?"

Even if you don't think of yourself, you should think of the people of the Tang Dynasty. If you don't become the crown prince, who will? Who can shoulder this heavy responsibility?

"Isn't Li Tai eager to become the crown prince? Then let him be the one to do it." Li Chenggan put his hands in his sleeves, suddenly feeling a sense of relief.

Xuanzang shook his head and couldn't help but laugh, "Your Highness, you're mistaken. Li Tai's calligraphy is first-rate, and his literary talent is also quite good."

That is why your father commissioned him to compile the "Kuodi Zhi" (Records of the Land), a book rich in content and extremely comprehensive, covering many fields such as history and geography.

However, making him the crown prince might not be suitable.

"Why is that?"

"To use an inappropriate analogy, he is like Cao Zhi back then, but perhaps he is not even as good as Cao Zhi."

Cao Zhi's literary talent was unmatched at the time; his "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" made him famous throughout the land.

That poem, with its beautiful language and profound imagery, is still enjoyable to read even today.

When Cao Cao was choosing his heir, he repeatedly compared and considered the brothers Cao Pi and Cao Zhi.

Ultimately, Cao Cao made Cao Pi his heir. Why was that?

Ultimately, Cao Cao wanted to choose someone who understood politics and knew how to govern a country and lead an army, not a scholar or poet.

Does Li Tai have the ability to govern a country and command an army?

According to Murong Zhonglie, Li Tai led troops on two expeditions to the Western Regions, but both times he suffered a major defeat.

How could someone like him become the crown prince?

Although our Great Tang Dynasty quelled the internal strife

However, the area surrounding the Tang Dynasty was not stable.

Recently, I heard that Goguryeo and Baekje are planning to join forces to attack Silla.

Silla was a vassal state of our Tang Dynasty. What difference would it make if we attacked Silla or attacked the Tang Dynasty?

"If the crown prince doesn't know how to govern an army, how will he become emperor and command the troops of the realm?"

"Even if Li Tai isn't quite right, there's still Li Zhi."

"Li Zhi is too young; it's still a long way from when he grows up."

People often say, "You can tell what a child will be like at three, and what they will be like in life at seven."

in addition,

Li Zhi, that child, seems to be naturally gentle and weak.

If he were to become the crown prince and inherit the throne in the future, he would surely lose all power and be manipulated by women.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan thought to himself that this Master Xuanzang was indeed remarkable. As a time traveler, he naturally knew that Li Zhi later became the emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

Because Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) was in poor health, all power was in the hands of Empress Wu Zetian.

Unexpectedly, the great master Xuanzang saw through Li Zhi's character and future at a glance.

Li Chengan sat up straight: "Master, even if Li Tai and Li Zhi are not quite suitable, there is also my sixth uncle, Li Yuanjing."

Xuanzang fiddled with the string of prayer beads: "Li Yuanjing is even worse. He only knows how to seek immortality and medicine. How can he understand how to handle national affairs?"

Besides, his identity is inappropriate.

He was your father's younger brother. Succession by a younger brother upon the death of an elder brother was a method used under special circumstances, and it did not conform to the system of our Great Tang Dynasty.

After listening to Master Xuanzang's words, Li Chenggan was even more impressed, thinking to himself that Master Xuanzang knew everything about the affairs of the court without ever leaving his home.

"Master, I have been deposed from my position as crown prince. I wish to become your disciple and a Buddhist monk. I humbly request that you accept me."

At this moment, Li Chenggan was utterly despondent.

"Amitabha, Your Highness, you are talking nonsense again."

You bear the heavy responsibility of saving the people from suffering.

You still have many unfinished ties, how can you leave home to become a monk?

Please don't think like that.

Li Chengan frowned, realizing that becoming a monk wasn't so easy.

"In this vast world, where can I find a place to belong?"

Xuanzang clasped his hands together: "Your Highness, life is always full of hardships. You are still young; your life has just begun."

Isn't there a saying?

When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first tests their resolve, strains their muscles and bones, and subjects them to hunger and thirst…

Therefore, you should approach life's hardships and setbacks objectively and calmly.

Those setbacks and hardships are not necessarily bad things.

He will make you more mature.

This humble monk will tell you two more stories:

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Duke Xian of Jin appointed Shen Sheng as his crown prince.

Later, Duke Xian of Jin fell in love with Li Ji, and Li Ji hoped that Duke Xian would make her son Xi Qi the crown prince.

Chong'er, persecuted by Li Ji, fled the state of Jin and wandered for many years before finally returning to Jin and becoming Duke Wen of Jin. Those who did not flee, such as Shen Sheng, suffered further persecution at Li Ji's hands.

Xi Qi successfully became the crown prince. After Duke Xian of Jin died, Xi Qi became the king of Jin, but he was soon killed by the minister Li Ke.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Biao had two sons: Liu Qi, the eldest, and Liu Cong, the second.

Logically, Liu Biao should have made Liu Qi his heir.

However, Liu Biao favored his younger son Liu Cong, and Lady Cai also supported making Liu Cong his heir.

Liu Qi felt extremely apprehensive.

So he asked Zhuge Liang for advice.

Zhuge Liang advised Liu Qi to garrison troops in Jiangxia.

Liu Qi applied to Liu Biao, and Liu Biao agreed.

After Liu Biao died, Liu Cong succeeded him and became the ruler of Jingzhou, while Cai Mao held military power.

Cai Mao was a complete coward.

When Cao Cao arrived, he was so frightened that he surrendered to Cao Cao. Not long after, Lady Cai and Liu Cong were both killed by Cao Cao's men.

Liu Qi was fine while he was away; this example shows us...

Staying means certain death, escaping means survival.

Li Chengan felt that Master Xuanzang's analysis was correct, and he had a sudden realization.

"Master, where should I flee to?"

Xuanzang looked eastward and sighed, "Now, a great battle is imminent in the east. You shouldn't get involved in this mess."

Let's see how the imperial court responds.

If the imperial court can successfully defeat Goguryeo and Baekje, that would be the best outcome.

Moreover, the Western Regions were not very stable.

Animosity had already been established between Yanqi and the Tang Dynasty.

Moreover, they are currently in alliance with Gaochang.

It is said that the two sides have reached an agreement.

Therefore, you might as well go to the west, where Xueyantuo, Kucha, and the Western Turks are not very stable either.

If the Tang Dynasty were attacked from both the east and west simultaneously, it would be extremely disadvantageous for the Tang Dynasty.

You are in the west, and you can intimidate the kingdoms of the Western Regions.

Didn't you already have a child with Qu Zhili?

You could use this as an excuse to go to Gaochang and get married there.

"It would be best if we could win over Gaochang."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan blushed and thought to himself that Master Xuanzang was truly remarkable, knowing everything without ever leaving his home.

After discussing the matter with Master Xuanzang, Li Chengan felt much better: "Master, what exactly is the reason why the Imperial Guards are surrounding your Great Ci'en Temple?"

"Didn't I tell you this before?"

This matter is most likely related to Bianji.

Li Chengqian's heart skipped a beat, thinking that Bianji was indeed a troublemaker.

This disaster has brought such misfortune upon the Great Ci'en Temple.

Li Chengan advised, "Master, this matter has nothing to do with you. You should run away quickly."

"Amitabha Buddha, although this matter is not directly related to this humble monk, it is indirectly related, after all, Bianji is this humble monk's disciple."

He's causing trouble outside, how can this humble monk just walk away?

"If the imperial army is going to kill me, then that will be my good fortune," Xuanzang said calmly.

Li Chengan carefully examined Xuanzang and thought to himself that Master Xuanzang's composure, calmness, and open-mindedness were truly admirable; he had long since seen through life and death.

"Master, before I came, I already spoke with Su Gui, the leader of the Imperial Guards."

Tell him to temporarily refrain from arresting the monks in your temple.

However, on the one hand, I am no longer the crown prince.

Moreover, my father is ordering people to hunt me down.

Therefore,

My words may not have any effect.

You'd better think of a solution as soon as possible.

"Amitabha Buddha, Your Highness, this humble monk is already deeply grateful."

"But what's meant to happen will happen, and there's no use in this humble monk trying to avoid it." Xuanzang remained calm, paused, and then said...

"Don't interfere in our temple's affairs anymore. Just go through the back door of the Buddha Hall."

Li Chengan shook his head: "No, Master, I can't abandon you and so many monks in your temple. I know they are all innocent."

"Amitabha Buddha, Your Highness is wise!"

Just then, Qin Ying rushed in from outside, saying in a panic, "Your Highness, the Imperial Guards and the monks in the temple have started fighting outside, and they've begun arresting the monks."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan abruptly stood up: "What did you say? Su Gui dares to disobey me?"

Who told him to do that?

"Your Highness, this matter is not Su Gui's fault. I saw it very clearly. It was not Su Gui who ordered the arrest of the monks in the temple, but rather, Gongsun Wuda who came."

Su Gui has already been tied up by Gongsun Wuda.

"Gongsun Wuda?"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan was furious: "How dare he do such a thing?"

I'll go out and meet him.

Just as Li Chenggan was about to leave, Xuanzang stood up: "Your Highness, wait a moment."

This humble monk is very grateful to you.

I understand your feelings; you want to protect the monks in our temple.

However, this calamity was inescapable.

Please don't take what I'm saying to heart.

As you just said, your father has decreed that you have been removed from your position as crown prince, and is currently ordering people to hunt you down.

At this point, it would probably be inconvenient for you to show your face. If that were the case, Gongsun Wuda would tell the Emperor that the Great Ci'en Temple was harboring the Crown Prince.

Even if the monks in our temple rescued Yin Hongzhi,

That's not a big deal.

but,

If you were in our temple, then the nature of this matter would be completely different.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan felt that Master Xuanzang was absolutely right.

If I were to show myself at this moment, it would only bring disaster to the Great Ci'en Temple.

"Your Highness, please heed my advice, you should leave quickly."

There shouldn't be any major problems with the monks in our temple.

This humble monk knows that your father was a very enlightened and sentimental person. In any case...

Your father, the Emperor, will probably still acknowledge me as his younger brother, right?

He probably won't target this humble monk or those around him until he obtains conclusive evidence.

in other words,

If the monks in our temple have truly committed illegal acts,

Then whatever the crime, that's what it is.

This humble monk will not protect anyone; it is this humble monk who should bear the punishment.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan was even more impressed, thinking to himself that Master Xuanzang was truly remarkable.

Qin Ying also advised from the side: "Your Highness, Master Xuanzang is right. If you go out now, it will only bring trouble to their temple."

Gongsun Wuda will definitely have his men capture you and take you back.

Furthermore, the Great Ci'en Temple would be accused of harboring the Crown Prince.

Let's get out of here quickly. As long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback.

Li Chengan nodded in agreement and said to Xuanzang, "Take good care of yourself, and we'll meet again someday."

Li Chengan turned to leave.

"Your Highness, wait a moment," Xuanzang said, walking to the back door of the Buddhist hall and pointing outside. "After you go out, turn left first, then right. You'll see a stable."

This humble monk has already prepared two swift horses for you there.

You can run faster if you ride horses.

"Run as far away as possible before the pursuers arrive."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan was so moved that he didn't know what to say. He thought to himself that Master Xuanzang was truly a divine being, thinking of him in every way, and even preparing horses for him.

"Then, what about Su Gui?" Li Chenggan was worried about Su Gui.

"Oh, Your Highness, don't worry so much. Gongsun Wuda won't do anything to him. You should leave quickly."

"Master, if there's a suitable opportunity, could you please speak to Su Gui and Cheng Tieniu?"

"Amitabha, this humble monk has noted it down."

So, Li Chengan and Qin Ying went out of the back door of the Buddhist hall, turned left and right, and arrived at the stable.

Sure enough, there were two horses in the stable, one black and one white. The two horses were very strong, with firm muscles and shiny coats, and it was obvious that they had been carefully groomed.

Li Chengan and Qin Ying mounted their horses and rode away.

……

Zichen Palace.

Li Shimin didn't sleep all night.

His feelings were very complicated.

He had very deep feelings for Li Chengqian.

He devoted a great deal of effort to Li Chengqian.

When Li Chengan was eight years old, Li Shimin invited great Confucian scholars such as Kong Yingda and Lu Deming to teach him to read.

Over the years, even though Li Shimin was busy with official duties and had many responsibilities, he still paid close attention to Li Chengqian's studies.

Li Shimin deeply understood that the crown prince was the foundation of the country.

Historically, many dynasties were short-lived, and the root cause of this was a problem with the selection of a crown prince.

For example, Fusu of the Qin Dynasty was very wise, but Qin Shi Huang believed he would live forever and was most averse to others talking about death, so he never established Fusu's position as crown prince.

Because if he were to establish a crown prince, it would mean his own death.

This provided Zhao Gao and Li Si with an opportunity to tamper with the imperial edict.

When Qin Shi Huang made his last tour to Shaqiu, he suddenly fell seriously ill, something he himself had not anticipated.

If Qin Shi Huang had established an empress and crown prince earlier, none of the later events would have occurred.

After Huhai ascended the throne, he listened to Zhao Gao in everything, plunging the entire court into chaos and turmoil.

The Qin Dynasty's territory was originally as solid as a rock, but unexpectedly it collapsed within 15 years.

Sima Yan's choice of heir apparent during the Jin Dynasty was also problematic.

Sima Yan knew perfectly well that Sima Zhong had intellectual disabilities and was not a normal person.

However, Sima Yan rigidly adhered to the established rites and laws, refusing to be flexible, and insisted on making Sima Zhong the crown prince.

Empress Jia Nanfeng was extremely ruthless, massacring members of the Jin Dynasty's imperial family, which led to infighting within the royal family.

Ultimately, the Jin Dynasty also perished after only two generations.

Emperor Wen of Sui can be considered a wise and enlightened ruler.

Emperor Wen of Sui established the imperial examination system, the Three Departments and Six Ministries system, and reformed the laws.

Moreover, Emperor Wen of Sui was most skilled at financial management, and he accumulated a vast amount of wealth for the Sui Dynasty, which was unprecedented in history.

However, Emperor Wen of Sui also encountered problems when choosing his crown prince. He initially named Yang Yong as his heir.

Later, Yang Yong was deposed and Yang Guang was installed in his place.

He never expected that Yang Guang was hiding his true nature so well, and that his true colors were not as he appeared.

After Yang Guang ascended the throne, he was too fond of extravagance, indulging in excessive tours, building the Xianren Palace and Tiandu Palace in Luoyang, and digging the Grand Canal, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.

Ultimately, this also shook the very foundations of the Sui Dynasty, which lasted only 38 years.

Therefore, Li Shimin attached great importance to the education and training of the crown prince.

Now, Li Chenggan is cultivating his own faction, amassing military power, and maintaining close ties with charlatans like Chengxin and Wei Lingfu.

Li Shimin deeply understood the principle that one is influenced by one's surroundings; one becomes like the company of others.

He thought to himself, what good could come from Li Chenggan spending so much time with those people?

Li Chengqian was audacious and reckless, defying imperial orders and repeatedly violating the laws of the court.

For example, they secretly mobilized local troops and, behind the back of the imperial court, recruited troops on the border of Gaochang.

These are things that the imperial court absolutely cannot tolerate.

Li Shimin grew increasingly angry and deeply disappointed, determined to kill Li Chenggan.

Just then, two generals entered from outside, knelt on the ground, and said, "Your humble servants pay their respects to Your Majesty!"

Li Shimin looked down and saw that it was Zhang Shigui and Chang He who had come.

"You may rise, no need for formalities!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zhang Shigui and Chang He said in unison.

After Zhang Shigui and Chang He stood up, they stood respectfully to one side with their hands at their sides.

Li Shimin stared intently at the two of them and asked, "Should we kill Li Chengqian?"

"No," Zhang Shigui replied.

Why?

"From beginning to end, we didn't find any trace of Li Chengqian," Zhang Shigui said, worried that Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong, and Luo Cheng would cause him trouble, so he didn't dare to tell the truth. "When we arrived at the Duke of Yi's mansion, we only saw Cheng Yaojin and Luo Cheng, but we didn't see Li Chengqian."

"You mean, Li Chengqian isn't at the Duke of Yi's residence?"

"Exactly."

Li Shimin frowned: "Li Chengqian is not in the Eastern Palace, nor in the residence of the Duke of Yi, so where could he have gone?"

Could it be that he can simply disappear into thin air?

"Your Majesty, we are unaware of this matter."

"So, how is Qin Qiong's health?" Li Shimin asked again.

Chang He cleared his throat: "Your Majesty, Qin Qiong is terminally ill and his health is not as good as before."

"Oh, it seems that's indeed the case."

In fact, Chang He said this because Gongsun Wuda had already recounted what he had said when he met Li Shimin.

Therefore, Chang He continued to fabricate the story, following Gongsun Wuda's lead.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin sighed deeply: "Back then, Qin Qiong was the most valiant general under our command. I never imagined that he would fall into such a state today."

Zhang Shigui couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, isn't Luo Cheng a traitor? Why does Your Majesty restore his title?"

Li Shimin sighed: "I had no choice but to restore his title."