Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 4880: Betting on Both Sides
Li Shenfu advised: "If you want to accomplish great things, you should be calm and composed, and not change your expression even if Mount Tai collapses in front of you. When the opportunity comes, you should move forward courageously and risk your life. My dear nephew, you only need to wait patiently. All the plans are up to me. Even if the great things fail, I will bear the responsibility alone. I will never ruin your future and life."

"Uncle, I have been very kind to you. How can I ever repay you? But if you need me, please let me know. I will go through fire and water and die for you."

"Well, well, well, you are worthy of being a descendant of my lineage, King Zheng. You are brave and heroic, and I am very pleased!"

The father of Li Shentong and Li Shenfu was Li Liang, the former governor of Haizhou in the Sui Dynasty. During the Wude period, Emperor Gaozu posthumously conferred the title of "King of Zheng". Li Xiaoyi was the youngest son of Li Shentong...

……

Snow powder fluttered down continuously. The snow on the streets was cleared away by the laborers hired by the government, but a thick layer of snow fell again the moment before. The wheels of the car made a slight "crunching" sound as they turned on the streets, and the white mist from the horses' nostrils stirred the falling snowflakes, making them roll up and down.

Li Xiaoyi sat in the carriage, opened the curtain and looked at the falling snow outside the window. He felt anxious, fearful, greedy and confused...

If Ya's guess is correct, Li Shenfu and others are about to take action. This time they are trying to win him over not necessarily to gain his support, but more to appease him. Even if they can't get much help from him, they must not let him ruin things.

As he saw it, Li Shenfu and others did not have any army under their direct control, and they could only rely on members of the royal family. Li Xiaogong was gradually getting old, and was unable to handle royal family affairs and was perfunctory about them. Li Yuanjia had little prestige and was willing but unable to do so. Such a large royal family was actually divided into pieces, and each had their own ulterior motives.

For most of the royal family, it doesn't really matter who becomes emperor, as long as he is the son of Emperor Li II. Everyone is more concerned about their own interests. If they can get further up in their official positions and gain more benefits, they may not directly participate in the coup, but they can definitely stand by and watch.

This is also the confidence of Li Shenfu and others.

So what if the army fails to take control?
As long as a coup was quickly launched to overthrow Li Chengqian and support the new emperor to ascend the throne, creating a fait accompli, even Fang Jun would have no choice but to accept it - as I said before, Li Chengqian's own prestige was insufficient and he could not gain the loyalty of the military, so for the nobles who controlled the army, it did not matter as long as the successor was the son of Emperor Li II.

But how exactly does Li Shenfu plan to launch a coup?

If the coup succeeds, should Li Chengqian be placed under house arrest or killed directly?
How to appease the various factions in the military afterwards?
How will Fang Jun, who controls the left and right Jinwu Guards, be dealt with?

Li Xiaoyi was flustered. After returning home, he sat in the study for a long time. When it was dusk and dark, the heavy snow was still falling. He could no longer sit still, so he got up to change his clothes, got on a carriage without the family emblem, and went out of the back door to the residence of Hejian Prince Li Xiaogong.

Halfway through the journey, he suddenly asked the driver to turn around and headed straight to the residence of Han Wang Li Yuanjia...

……

In the palace of Prince Han.

The uncle and nephew sat opposite each other in the study. After listening to Li Xiaoyi's narration, Li Yuanjia frowned and said, "Such a major event concerns the imperial throne. Why don't you report it to His Majesty?"

Li Xiaoyi shook his head and said, "Your Majesty may seem weak, but he is actually well-prepared. What could possibly happen in Chang'an that could be hidden from Your Majesty? It would be useless to rashly report to Your Majesty without any evidence."

Li Yuanjia glared at him: "Then uncle, why did you come to my mansion?"

The matter is of great importance, and others would try their best to avoid suspicion, but now Li Xiaoyi has been forcibly dragged into it, and it is inevitable that he feels angry.

Li Xiaoyi sighed and said, "I'm scared. Once I'm involved in such a conspiracy, I can't just wash it off. Even if I don't care about my own life and death, can I not care about the lives of my family? So I came to you to give me some advice."

Li Yuanjia sneered, "Giving advice? Haha, uncle, you want to play both sides, don't you? On the one hand, you promised Li Shenfu, and you can just sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor when the matter is accomplished. On the other hand, you reported to Your Majesty in advance, so even if the matter fails, there is still room for recovery and a reason to escape punishment. You really have a clear plan."

"How can you defame someone like this? We have been colleagues in the Zongzheng Temple for many years. You should know what kind of person I am. Even if I am not a man of high moral character, I am worthy of the words 'fair and humble', right? I am timid and afraid of trouble, but I never cause trouble. I am already very low-key in the Zongzheng Temple."

Li Xiaoyi cried out that he had suffered an injustice.

In fact, this is true. Although he and Li Shenfu belong to the same line of King Zheng, Li Shenfu has been jumping around and stirring up trouble in the past two years, but he has never been involved in it. He has been working steadily and honestly in the Zongzheng Temple, completely different from those other royal family members who are coveting the throne.

Li Yuanjia shook his head and said, "Words alone are not enough. Brother, you should prove your innocence."

“How can I prove my innocence?”

"Find out what those people are planning to do, as well as the time and place of their actions, and then report them to His Majesty. Not only will His Majesty not blame you, but he will also reward you. Perhaps you will get the benefits that those people promised you..."

Li Xiaoyi was shocked: "When have I ever accepted benefits from those people?"

Li Yuanjia smiled meaningfully: "So, if even I don't believe you with your empty words, how can you expect His Majesty to believe you?"

Li Xiaoyi was helpless and sighed, "I have no evidence to prove my claim before His Majesty. It is a serious crime to accuse a prince, not to mention that he is my uncle. I am afraid there is no place for me to stay. Forget it. Let's leave it at that. I will go before His Majesty when I have solid evidence."

His original intention was to inform Li Yuanjia, so that he could get a share of the credit when Li Yuanjia could not wait to inform His Majesty. In this way, if Li Shenfu and others failed, he could also clear himself of the matter.

But if I report directly to His Majesty, I will completely break off with Li Shenfu and his people, and the fight will last until death. If Li Shenfu and his people succeed in the future, I will suffer a great loss...

So Li Yuanjia's statement that he was able to please both sides was really a very accurate description...

As for whether the news of his visit to see Li Yuanjia would anger Li Shenfu, he didn't care. It was no secret that Li Shenfu and others were restless. Because of various constraints, His Majesty could only endure and wait for the chance to strike back. He did not reveal the specific plans of Li Shenfu and others. Why should Li Shenfu vent his anger on him?
Moreover, his current value lies in helping Li Shenfu and others to appease the royal family after the uprising, which is very important. Even if Li Shenfu is dissatisfied, he can only endure it. If he succeeds that day and he takes great credit, how can Li Shenfu remember what happened today...

Li Yuanjia had a cold expression and remained silent.

He also understood Li Xiaoyi's intention, but he was helpless. Because he had no evidence, he could not file a complaint in front of His Majesty, and he had to thank him for coming to tip him off...

Li Xiaoyi knew that Li Yuanjia would definitely go to the emperor to report his visit to the palace. Since his purpose had been achieved, he stood up and said goodbye.

"My loyalty to the Tang Dynasty and Your Majesty is clear to all. If others have any misunderstandings, there is nothing I can do. I just hope you can put the overall situation first. Goodbye."

Li Yuanjia did not try to keep him but sent him out the back door. He watched the carriage disappear into the snowy night and stood there for a while before asking someone to prepare the carriage. He would go to the palace that night to report to the emperor.

……

Nowadays, the curfew system in Chang'an City has long been in name only. The relaxation of restrictions, increased population mobility, and the abundance of various supplies have made the city with a population of one million burst into huge commercial potential. Even after nightfall, the East and West Markets are still brightly lit and crowded with people. Han, Turks, Xueyantuo, Persians, etc. trade day and night.

The generous commercial taxes made those ministers who were only responsible for the security of the capital shut up. Although the abolition of the curfew had security disadvantages, continuing the curfew would mean the end of such a prosperous commercial trade. Between two evils, they had to choose the lesser of two evils and acquiesce in the relaxation of the curfew.

However, the martial law in the imperial city and the palace city became increasingly strict. After nightfall, fully armed soldiers in helmets and armor patrolled on time. Wuhou wearing a dark brown round-necked robe, a fu hat, and a sword on his waist could be seen everywhere. Whenever they encountered people disturbing public order or behaving in a strange way, they would step forward to question or arrest them. If they were Han people, their attitude would be relatively good, but if they were Hu people, they would be arrested on the spot and sent to the prisons in Chang'an and Wannian counties for strict interrogation.

The Hu people were crude and ignorant. When they were discriminated against, they did not gather together to demand their rights. Instead, they were willing to spend all their money to buy the identity of a Tang person, so that they could be superior to their fellow tribesmen and become the superior people...

When Li Yuanjia arrived at Chengtian Gate, the palace gate had already been locked. Only a few people in the court and the public were qualified to knock on the gate. Fortunately, Li Yuanjia, who was in charge of Zongzheng Temple, was one of them...

When they arrived at the gate and knocked on the door, the eunuch on duty hurried to the Wude Hall to report to the chief eunuch Wang De. Wang De, who had already fallen asleep, climbed out of the bed, put on his clothes, and went to the bedroom where Li Chengqian slept. He asked the attendants to wake up the emperor and tell him that King Han wanted to see him.

After receiving the emperor's oral order to summon him, Wang De personally went to Chengtian Gate, opened the small door on the side, and welcomed Li Yuanjia into the palace. He then led him to Wude Hall with a lantern, where Li Chengqian was already waiting in the imperial study.

Li Chengqian was sitting casually in the imperial study wearing a robe. Even though the heating was still on late at night, the room was very warm.

Li Yuanjia entered to pay his respects, then sat to one side and reported in detail everything Li Xiaoyi said and did after he arrived.

Finally, Li Yuanjia said with great worry, "Those traitors are so blatant and have done nothing to hide their rebellion. How can Your Majesty indulge them again and again just for the sake of your own reputation? If you hesitate to make a decision, it will easily lead to disaster! In my opinion, you should order the left and right leading army guards to defend the palace, and summon the Duke of Yue to command the left and right Jinwu guards to block the four gates into the city to arrest the traitors and completely eliminate the hidden dangers."