Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5312 Sword Pointing at the Eastern Palace
Empress Su held Princess Chang Le's hand, her collar slightly open to reveal her delicate collarbone, her beautiful face showing worry.

“But wouldn’t that put Prime Minister Fang at odds with His Majesty? While this might resolve the immediate crisis, it would place Prime Minister Fang in a disadvantageous position. How could I bear to do that?”

Princess Changle patted the Empress's hand in return, her smile gentle: "What does Your Majesty think of Chancellor Fang? He was appointed by Emperor Taizong as the prime minister of the country. He rose up and worked hard amidst the difficulties of the Khan Jieli drinking his horse at the Wei River and the humiliation of the treaty, and did his best to support the then broken country, until the country was peaceful and prosperous and a golden age came... Such a person is naturally loyal to the emperor, but even more loyal to his country and the world."

All the famous ministers who have left their mark on history have a sense of national responsibility that transcends their own family or clan. In their hearts, the whole world is the most worthy of their loyalty.

His Majesty is clearly acting against the tide of history. Fang Xuanling may not openly refute or oppose him, but he certainly will not stand with His Majesty and echo his words.

The Empress sighed, “A country will not perish if it has loyal ministers. Back then, when Emperor Taizong insisted on changing the heir apparent, it was the Grand Commandant who led a group of loyal ministers and righteous men to support the Eastern Palace, thus ensuring His Majesty’s ascension to the throne. Today, His Majesty also intends to establish another heir apparent, which will surely be due to the support of loyal ministers and righteous men.”

A strange thought suddenly occurred to him: given Fang Jun's obsession with upholding the legitimate dynasty, if he had been born a few years earlier, which side would he have stood on during the "Xuanwu Gate Incident"?
Princess Chang Le reminded her, "There's no time to lose. I'll go to the Duke of Liang's residence myself and ask Minister Fang to intervene."

"Thanks to Lizhi, otherwise I really wouldn't know what to do right now."

Holding Princess Chang Le's hand, the Empress was very grateful.

Princess Chang Le smiled gently and said, "We're family, why speak so formally? The Crown Prince is filial, respectful, gentle, and obedient, and his position as the Eastern Palace is rightfully his."

The Empress wept, saying, "What is there to say about legitimacy? It is merely His Majesty's will."

His Majesty had complained to her more than once that the establishment of institutions such as the State Affairs Hall and the Grand Council had effectively restricted imperial power, preventing him, as emperor, from having his words carry the weight of the law and his imperial decrees be as readily implemented as those of Emperor Taizong.

As his wife, she also shared his indignation, feeling that Fang Jun and his ilk were simply going too far. How could a subject set up various barriers and restrict the emperor's power?

They are all traitors and rebels.

Even today, she is acutely aware of the importance of restraining imperial power.

Not every emperor is as wise and powerful as Emperor Taizong, whose wisdom illuminates the world. When imperial power is supreme, those mediocre or even foolish and tyrannical rulers can cause immeasurable damage to their wives, children, ministers, and even the entire country.

Otherwise, if His Majesty wishes to change the heir, he can do so arbitrarily; why go through all this trouble?

She felt an unprecedented desire for Fang Jun to return to Chang'an as soon as possible. Without Fang Jun in charge of Chang'an, she couldn't even sleep soundly...

*****
Back in his palace, Li Chengqian took a hot bath and changed his clothes. Feeling refreshed and relaxed, he sat down and personally wrote more than ten invitations, handing them to Wang De and instructing him: "Take my invitations and visit each of these great scholars to invite them to the banquet in the palace tomorrow. They must not be absent."

"Here."

Wang De accepted the order and wanted to inform His Majesty that someone had already sent a message to the Eastern Palace when the meeting in the Imperial Study just ended, but after hesitating for a moment, he decided against it.

He then turned and went to deliver letters to the residences of various great scholars.

By evening, Wang De returned to the palace to report back.

Li Chengqian looked displeased. "It was just a few letters to deliver, and you've been delivering them all day?"
Wang De bowed and said with a disgruntled expression, "This servant was ordered to deliver letters to various residences, but I learned that Kong Yingda, Linghu Defen, Cui Renshi, Yan Qinli, Yu Zhining and others have just been invited by Prime Minister Fang to go to the Fang family's farm in Lishan with their learned sons to participate in the compilation of the Cihai. This servant dared not delay and rode out of the city to the Lishan farm. The several great scholars read Your Majesty's letter, but all of them politely declined."

Li Chengqian's face darkened: "What did they say?"

"Fang Xiang said that the compilation of the Cihai is a great undertaking that will benefit future generations. He himself has limited energy and shallow knowledge, so it is necessary for great scholars from all walks of life to work together to make this a great undertaking... As for going to the palace banquet, that will not happen at any time."

Li Chengqian's face was extremely ugly, yet there was nothing wrong with it.

For these highly experienced and learned Confucian scholars, they had long since transcended the three realms and were no longer bound by the five elements. As long as they were not involved in the heinous crime of treason, neither the emperor nor the laws of the Tang Dynasty could do anything to them.

If you dare to embarrass them in the slightest, their disciples and followers all over the world will jump out and unite Confucian scholars to cry out for justice.

Or perhaps some old fellow, leaning on his cane, goes to Zhaoling to lament his fate...

Suddenly, he realized something was amiss: "When did Prime Minister Fang invite these people to Lishan Farm to compile the Cihai dictionary together?"

"Just this morning."

"In the morning?" Li Chengqian realized, "Just after I mentioned to my ministers that I wanted to invite a great scholar to a banquet to name the young prince?"

Wang De said cautiously, "Judging from the timeline, it should be true."

"So, someone in the palace went to the East Palace to report a message?"

"I don't know."

"I don't know?"

Li Chengqian sneered: "Then go investigate!"

"Here!"

"return!"

Seeing Wang De turn to leave, Li Chengqian called him back and sighed.

The Taiji Palace has a long-standing tradition of being "wind-proof from all sides." When Emperor Gaozu stayed here, news of his daily life and activities was known throughout the city. Otherwise, during the "Xuanwu Gate Incident," Emperor Taizong would not have been able to accurately place Emperor Gaozu under house arrest on a dragon boat on the lake, leaving him helpless as a coup was launched at the palace gates.

Emperor Taizong was a man of great talent and ambition, yet during the Zhenguan era, the Taiji Palace remained unchanged. Inside and outside, above and below, were all the old officials who had followed him through dire straits and usurped the throne. To harm any one of them would implicate a whole host of others, so he could only let it be and could not bear to be harsh.

When he ascended the throne, he thoroughly cleaned up the Taiji Palace, but the palace servants who entered the palace afterward still came from various factions, and the palace was constantly entangled with various forces...

Even if we know who sent the message to the Crown Prince, what can we do?

We can't just start a massacre because of this, can we?

After a moment's thought, he instructed, "Go to the Duke of Ying's residence and invite him over. Tell him I have something important to discuss with him."

"Here."

Wang De turned and strode out.

……

Half an hour later, Li Ji, who had just arrived home, entered the palace again and met with the emperor in the imperial study.

After exchanging greetings, the emperor and his minister sat on a mat by the window. Outside, rain and snow fell heavily, freezing the glass windows with a layer of fog, making the scenery in the courtyard indistinct and hazy.

Li Ji took a sip of tea, put down his teacup, and asked, "May I ask what Your Majesty has summoned me for?"

Li Chengqian didn't mince words and said directly, "I intend to appoint your grandson to succeed Li Junxian as the commander of the 'Hundred Cavalry Division.' What do you think, Lord Ying?"

Li Ji was taken aback: "Has Li Junxian made some kind of oversight?"

"That's not it."

Li Chengqian sighed and said, "On the contrary, Li Junxian has been conscientious and diligent in his role as commander of the 'Hundred Cavalry Division' for the past few years, making great contributions to the consolidation of imperial power. However, he has always been ambitious and unwilling to waste his time in the palace. He is focused on guarding the frontier and leading troops into battle. I had a gentleman's agreement with him long ago to let him go to the army to make meritorious contributions... Now that the court is full of upright officials and the country is as stable as a rock, it is time to fulfill my promise."

Li Ji remained silent in thought.

Is the business of a monarch really that simple?
Li Junxian took charge of the "Hundred Cavalry Division" in the late Zhenguan period and made great contributions during the process of His Majesty's ascension to the throne. He has always been regarded as a key minister and trusted by His Majesty. Now, he has been suddenly removed from his post. Is it really just because of the gentleman's agreement at the time?
Even if Li Junxian steps down, His Majesty still has trustworthy people among his followers. Why then did he appoint his eldest grandson, Li Jingye, to succeed him?
Thinking back to what I just heard about Fang Xuanling inviting several great Confucian scholars to the Lishan Farm...

After a moment's hesitation, Li Ji said with difficulty, "To be able to serve Your Majesty and charge into battle for Your Majesty is truly an honor for a subject... However, She Sun is of a coarse and uncouth character and acts recklessly. While he may have some bravery in battle, he is absolutely incapable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of commanding the 'Hundred Cavalry Division,' which is crucial to Your Majesty's safety and the stability of imperial power. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider your decision and make other plans."

How could he not know the true nature of his own grandson?

He possessed some talent and extraordinary bravery, but he was arrogant, conceited, unruly, and looked down on everyone. Leading troops into battle was one thing—at worst, he could die and bear the consequences of his mistakes—but what a prestigious position was the commander of the "Hundred Cavalry Division"?
If you make a mistake, it will implicate the entire family...

Moreover, His Majesty's dismissal of Li Junxian and appointment of Li Jingye is clearly not a simple matter of succession; there must be a deeper scheme involved.

Li Chengqian's smile faded, and his expression turned indifferent: "Li Jingye is a young man of great talent and strength, with a pure heart and unwavering loyalty to the emperor and the country. Such a talent should be entrusted with important responsibilities and carefully nurtured. In the future, he will surely become a pillar of the empire and a cornerstone of the Tang Dynasty. Why is Duke Ying so cautious and fearful? Is there something he dislikes about me?"

Li Ji sighed inwardly and forced a smile: "Your Majesty is benevolent and kind, a virtue that will last for ages. My family and I will certainly devote ourselves to this cause until death."

Your Majesty has said so much; to refuse again would only anger Your Majesty.

Even if His Majesty's move was intended to completely bind the entire British Duke's Mansion to his cause, there was nothing that could be done but let it be.

Moreover, aligning one's interests with His Majesty's may not necessarily be a bad thing...

Li Chengqian then smiled and praised, "That's more like it! Li Jingye is indeed young and inexperienced, and he is prone to making mistakes. But with Ying Gong guiding and reminding him from behind, he will naturally grow quickly and become a pillar of the nation soon!"

Li Ji then understood that His Majesty's heart was not with Li Jingye, but with him.

Earlier, Fang Xuanling interfered in the gathering of renowned Confucian scholars, leading to the dismissal of Li Junxian and the promotion of Li Jingye...

In the end, His Majesty's sword is still pointed at the Eastern Palace.

This is an attempt to drag me into his scheme to change the heir apparent...