Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5220 Chang Le's Advice
Around noon, Li Chengqian had lunch with Consort Shen, played with the infant prince for a while, and returned to the Imperial Study for a nap. He had just woken up and washed his face when a palace attendant announced that Princess Chang Le was requesting an audience.

Although he had some dissatisfaction with his own sister, he generally loved her very much, so there was no reason for him not to see her.

When Princess Chang Le entered, she saw Li Chengqian sitting on a mat by the window, boiling water and making tea. All the eunuchs had been dismissed, leaving only the brother and sister in the imperial study.

Seeing Princess Chang Le curtsy, Li Chengqian casually waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities, come and have a cup of tea."

Then, upon seeing Princess Chang Le's Taoist robe, he frowned slightly.

Although Li Lizhi was naturally beautiful, even in a simple Taoist robe, she still looked fresh and refined, like jade and orchid, but ultimately lacked magnificence and nobility.

"It's fine if you often go to Zhongnan Mountain for a short stay, and what you wear doesn't matter. But in the palace, you should dress more elegantly. Even if you don't care about other people's opinions, you should pay attention to Lu'er's character development. If you dress so simply and plainly every day, the children will naturally imitate you. It is common for my royal princess to become a nun and cultivate Taoism, but we can't let our offspring become Taoist priests, can we?"

Princess Chang Le sat down with a smile and said, "Your Majesty is right. I will change it in the future."

Seeing the smile on his younger sister's face, and the tranquility and peace that emanated from within, Li Chengqian was also in a good mood. He teased, "Oh, our Princess Chang Le can actually listen to advice? I am truly flattered."

Princess Chang Le knew that His Majesty was referring to the time when he prevented her from being with Fang Jun. Her pretty face flushed slightly, and she took the initiative to extend her slender, jade-like hand to pour tea. She retorted, "Everyone in the world says that His Majesty is kind and benevolent, a humble and simple ruler, but they do not know that in private he can also be witty and sarcastic, which makes the Zhao family feel uneasy."

Li Chengqian laughed heartily: "My verbal skills are nothing compared to yours, Your Highness Chang Le, you flatter me!"

"Your Majesty, please have some tea."

"Don't be so formal. In private, I prefer to hear you call me 'Big Brother'."

"Hmm... Eldest brother."

“That’s right. Although I am the emperor, I still hope that we brothers and sisters can always love each other as much as we did when we were young. Sometimes, even if we quarrel, we can turn around and be back to normal without any resentment. The term ‘lonely person’ doesn’t sound good, but the bitterness in it is beyond the comprehension of outsiders.”

Li Chengqian sipped his tea, sighing repeatedly.

The mere five words, "The higher you climb, the colder it gets," cannot fully express his current situation and state of mind.
He appeared to be the ruler of the world, reigning supreme over the Tang Dynasty, wielding absolute power and authority, yet many things did not go according to his wishes, and the so-called "one word carries the weight of nine tripods" was a joke. Conversely, the supreme power brought more estrangement, alienation, and even betrayal than anything else.

Princess Chang Le said softly, "Why should you feel sorry for yourself, elder brother? Whether as an elder brother or as the emperor, you have been good enough, far exceeding the expectations of many people."

Li Chengqian chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Perhaps it's just because their expectations were too low, and they found that I, as emperor, wasn't so bad after all, at least a little better than Emperor Yang of Sui, so they became relieved. But then again, whether I've been a good or bad emperor is for history to judge, but as an elder brother, I think I've done quite well. That brat Zhinu committed such a heinous crime, and I not only spared his life and didn't strip him of his title, but I even planned to let him establish a feudal domain and continue his bloodline. Throughout history, I'm afraid there aren't many emperors who could do that, are there?"

Princess Chang Le smiled and nodded, saying softly, "My elder brother is not only the best emperor, but also the best elder brother."

Li Chengqian's treatment of his brothers and sisters can be described by more than just the word "tolerance".
It's practically "indulgence".

Then he added, "So, back then, Erlang disregarded Emperor Taizong's scolding and suppression, and insisted on supporting his elder brother to inherit the throne, which shows that he had foresight."

While the primogeniture system has its drawbacks, it has one major advantage: it allows power to be smoothly and steadily transferred to the next generation.

Li Chengqian snorted and said angrily, "Don't mention that blockhead in front of me. I regard him as my right arm and trust him completely, but he specifically targets my sister. He's simply not human!"

Princess Chang Le blushed and retorted, "What kind of brother speaks of his own sister like that?"

Li Chengqian scoffed: "So, my sister isn't here to plead for the Crown Prince, is she? If so, then forget it. Countless officials have been nagging me about this all day long; my ears are tired of it."

Princess Chang Le knew he didn't want to hear this, so she smiled and shook her head: "Of course not. It is an ancestral rule that the inner palace must not interfere in politics. I dare not make a mistake."

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Then tell me, how do you plan to plead for Changsun Yan? Besides, aren't you afraid that Erlang will become jealous if he finds out that you're going to the palace to plead for the Changsun family?"

Princess Chang Le was not surprised that His Majesty knew her intention to enter the palace. The "Hundred Cavalry Division" was not to be underestimated. How could His Majesty have been unaware that Changsun Yan had visited her at the Taoist temple in Zhongnan Mountain? With a little deduction, it was not difficult to know Changsun Yan's purpose.

Princess Chang Le shook her head and said, "I came here not only for the Changsun family, but also for His Majesty's prestige."

"Hehe," Li Chengqian couldn't help but laugh, personally pouring tea from the pot: "Very well, please enlighten me, my sister strategist. I am all ears."

Princess Chang Le, unusually displaying a girlish demeanor, blushed slightly and playfully scolded, "Big brother!"

"Ha ha!"

Li Chengqian was in a great mood and shook his head with a smile, saying, "Do you think I'm joking with you? Not at all! I've said it before: among all my brothers and sisters, in terms of talent, temperament, and intelligence, Chang Le, you can rank first. It's just a pity that you haven't shown your talents because you're a girl. So don't worry about it. Speak your mind if you have any thoughts. I value your advice very much."

"Brother, are you really not making fun of me?"

"Of course not, sister, please speak freely."

"Very well." Princess Chang Le said seriously, "Your brother already knows that Changsun Yan went to ask me for help. What do you think about this?"

Li Chengqian pondered for a moment and said, "From a sentimental standpoint, I should make an exception and allow members of the Changsun family to enter officialdom, since they are cousins. The other families who participated in the rebellion were forgiven, let alone the Changsun family. But logically, I cannot open this door. I just sent people to expel Chai Zhewei from the capital and escort him to the Hanhai Protectorate. If I were to personally allow the Changsun family to enter officialdom... what would the Chai family think? What would those who participated in the mutiny back then think?"

She smiled and said, "If my sister pleads for the Changsun family, then neither sentiment nor reason matters; I will certainly do as she says."

At this point, he suddenly sighed and said with emotion, "No matter what, the Li family owes you something. As the elder brother who inherited our family business, I must make it up to you."

Princess Chang Le was a true darling of heaven. Not only was she the legitimate daughter of the emperor and empress, of noble birth, but she was also beautiful, well-educated, and courteous. Even before she came of age, she was pursued by the entire court and the public. Countless nobles and powerful families pleaded with Emperor Taizong and Empress Wende, hoping to secure a chance for their sons to marry Princess Chang Le.

However, after considering various factors, Emperor Taizong ultimately decided to marry Chang Le to the Changsun family.

As a result, Chang Le's marriage failed, and she became depressed...

Princess Chang Le's eyes reddened and her beautiful eyes filled with tears, but she smiled and said, "The past is the past, why should you care, brother? Looking back now, those years were indeed not good, but who could have imagined it back then? Everyone has their own destiny, perhaps this is my fate."

Li Chengqian nodded.

At that time, the Changsun family was a pillar of Guanzhong. Changsun Wuji was the leader of Guanzhong, and Changsun Chong was also a handsome and talented young man who was favored by Emperor Taizong and Empress Wende. Moreover, the cousins ​​had grown up together since childhood and were familiar with each other. Whether from a political perspective or for personal reasons, it seemed like a match made in heaven.

But who could have imagined that Changsun Chong would become a "eunuch" who was unable to have sex and harbored resentment?

Composing himself, Li Chengqian asked with a smile, "If you have any thoughts, feel free to share them."

Princess Chang Le hummed in agreement, took a sip of tea, and then raised her head to say, "Brother, now that you are the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the ruler of the world, how do you consider yourself to be superior to the wise rulers of ancient times?"

Li Chengqian chuckled and said, "Is my sister mocking me? No matter how arrogant and stubborn I am, I dare not compare myself to those wise rulers. However, I am not being self-deprecating. I am far inferior in terms of governing ability, but I am not inferior in terms of kindness and benevolence."

Princess Chang Le nodded: "That's exactly what my sister wanted to say."

She said, "Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms, swept across the eight directions, brought the nine provinces under one rule, and his achievements were unparalleled. No one could surpass him."

Li Chengqian nodded in approval.

If we were to mention the honor of being called "the greatest emperor of all time," there would be dissenting voices if any emperor were mentioned, but there would be none for Qin Shi Huang.

The First Emperor of China, number one in the universe.

Princess Changsun said: "Emperor Wen of Han was a wise ruler of ancient times. His reputation for benevolence and filial piety was known throughout the world. He embodied benevolence and forgiveness, followed the principles of profound silence, cleansed the cruelty of Qin and Xiang, and reversed the pure customs of Xuan and Hao. He almost committed execution, which was difficult. However, he had a reputation and was praised by the world, but in reality he was a conservative ruler and an incompetent person. He was just a follower of Xiao He's rules and Cao He's rules."

Li Chengqian shook his head: "He was more than just a conservative ruler. During Emperor Wen's reign, the government collected only one percent of the taxes, while the people paid the majority. The government's benevolence was greater than that of the Three Dynasties, and the tyranny of the powerful was more severe than that of the fallen Qin Dynasty... Emperor Wen did not address the root cause but instead focused on reducing taxes, which only emboldened the powerful, making them stronger and causing the people to suffer. The seeds of the Rebellion of the Seven States were sown during Emperor Wen's reign, but the event itself came to fruition during Emperor Jing's reign."

While Emperor Wen of Han was undoubtedly a wise and virtuous ruler, his governance was not without its flaws.

Princess Changle added, "Emperor Wu of Han was unparalleled in military strategy and his achievements have been celebrated throughout history, but he failed in domestic affairs."

Li Chengqian said, "That's true. Emperor Wu of Han dismissed all other schools of thought and exclusively promoted Confucianism, which unified public opinion in the country. He could have created a great empire that would last for thousands of years and rival the First Emperor. However, he became muddleheaded and tyrannical in his later years, and the domestic political situation became chaotic. This is not enough... What exactly are you trying to say?"