Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5314 Tied to the Chariot
Li Jingye recalled his grandfather's earnest admonitions and said, "My grandfather repeatedly warned me that Emperor Gaozu bestowed upon us the imperial surname and repeatedly promoted and rewarded us, showing us the same kindness as if we were reborn. Emperor Taizong relied on us as his right-hand man and placed great trust in us, which is why our family has achieved such merit and wealth... Since our family shares the same surname as the country, we should never forget the kindness shown to us and repay His Majesty."

That's what I say, and that's what I really think.

My grandfather once said that he had "many servants and thousands of bushels of grain," making him a local tycoon. However, in the chaos of the times, human life was as worthless as grass, and he was constantly worried about his safety. In the end, he joined Wagang. To put it nicely, he was a "hero of the common people," but in reality, he was nothing more than an outlaw.

If it weren't for the trust and promotion of two emperors after entering the Tang Dynasty, and the bestowal of the imperial surname, how could the Duke of Ying's mansion be what it is today?
Everything was bestowed by the royal family, and it is only right to repay them with the blood and sweat of a loyal subject.

As for my grandfather's teachings and instructions... I'll keep them in mind for now and deal with them later.

"it is good!"

Li Chengqian beamed with joy: "Your grandfather made great contributions to the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, and his merits in following Emperor Taizong to annihilate the Turks were unparalleled. Your uncle was a former official of my former residence when I was a prince, and he made great contributions to protecting me during the two coups! I hope that you can also inherit the family's glory and make new contributions by my side!"

"I will dedicate myself wholeheartedly, even unto death, and will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations!"

Young people are always passionate and their loyalty to the emperor and their country is as firm as a mountain. At this moment, hearing His Majesty's recognition of the entire family and his implicit expectations of him, they are naturally filled with excitement and high spirits.

Li Chengqian patted his strong shoulder again: "Alright, starting tomorrow, follow Li Junxian to hand over the reins as soon as possible, take up the burden of the 'Hundred Cavalry Division', and be my right-hand man. Together, we, the emperor and his minister, will create a prosperous era and protect our Great Tang!"

"I will obey your orders!"

*****
Taiji Palace was drafty, and there were almost no secrets within the palace.

Shortly after His Majesty discussed matters with Li Ji and Li Jingye entered the palace, Liu Ji received the news. After a moment of stunned silence, disregarding the late hour and the heavy rain and snow, he took a carriage and visited the Duke of Ying's residence that night.

Upon entering the study and meeting Li Ji, his first question was: "His Majesty's intentions are quite clear. The Crown Prince is the foundation of the nation. What are you, Duke Ying, planning?"

Li Ji remained calm, waved for Liu Ji to sit down, and gestured for him to drink tea before slowly saying, "Jingye is young and arrogant, and lacks talent and learning. He is not suitable to lead the 'Hundred Cavalry Division,' but His Majesty has kept his promise to Li Junxian and allowed him to leave the palace and join the army. It was difficult to find a suitable successor in time, so Jingye was promoted... I have declined three times, but His Majesty's mind is firm, and the emperor's order is as solid as a mountain. What can I do?"

Liu Ji had no interest in drinking tea and said urgently, "Lord Ying, don't play dumb. Is this a question of whether Jingye is suitable to lead the 'Hundred Cavalry Division'? It concerns the Crown Prince. Don't tell me you can't see it!"

His Majesty's intention to change the heir apparent is known to all in the court and among the people.

However, too many people in the court were trying their best to support the Crown Prince, which caused His Majesty to suffer repeated setbacks. This time, he wanted to take the opportunity of naming the young prince to gather great scholars to build momentum for him, but Fang Xuanling blocked it. It seems that he has realized that the imperial power alone is not enough to subdue the ministers, so he used this strategy of dividing the court.

The target was Li Ji.

Although his status as the "number one in the military" has been shaky in recent years, and could even be said to have been "stepped down" and surpassed by Fang Jun, his seniority, authority, and influence are still there. As long as he is won over, the matter of changing the heir apparent is no longer hopeless.

However, the Crown Prince is the foundation of the nation. Deposing him even when he has done nothing wrong could trigger a huge power upheaval, thus jeopardizing the stability of the country.

But you know His Majesty's intentions, yet you do not refuse. What are you trying to do?
To support the young prince in ascending to the position of crown prince and become a loyal minister who will help him succeed to the throne?
Li Ji sighed and slowly said, "The principles of ruler and subject, father and son, and the natural order and social norms cannot be ignored with just the excuse that the country is of paramount importance."

The proper order of ruler and subject, father and son – this is the natural order of human relationships.

“This Tang Dynasty belongs to Your Majesty, and the choice of the crown prince should naturally be decided by Your Majesty’s word. Changing the crown prince may have many hidden dangers and endless consequences, but as ministers, after our remonstrances have been ineffective, shouldn’t we act in accordance with the emperor’s orders?”

Liu Ji shook his head: "The struggle for the crown prince position has always been extremely dangerous. There is no reason for us to interfere, whether for public or private reasons. Even if we do interfere, we should do so in accordance with the general trend and support the Crown Prince. You have always been intelligent, resourceful, and insightful. How could you be so confused?"

That's exactly what Fang Jun did back then, and as a result, he seized enormous power after His Majesty ascended the throne, becoming all-powerful.

After all, the crown prince is the foundation of the country, and even if he ultimately fails, the backlash will be much smaller, at least there is still an excuse to "maintain the legitimacy".

It supports easy storage, but the risks are too great...

Upon hearing this, Li Ji sighed heavily and said with a bitter smile, "Jingye has his own ambitions and no longer listens to me. But what else can I do? Either support His Majesty or expel my wicked grandson from the family and sever all ties. There is no other way."

The key question is, is kicking someone out of the house and severing ties effective?

Who would recognize that?
If Li Jingye gets into trouble, his entire family will be implicated.

Since that's the case, it's better to support His Majesty sooner rather than later...

Liu Ji was dumbfounded, and only then did he understand Li Ji's predicament.

He was kidnapped by His Majesty using Li Jingye as a pretext...

"This……"

Liu Ji was speechless, feeling both absurd and shocked.

His Majesty, once he made a move, had seized upon the vital point of this old snake, Li Ji…

But upon further reflection, that's not entirely true.

Given Li Ji's wisdom and methods, was it really necessary for him to change course and participate in the succession change simply because his grandson was loyal to His Majesty?

Didn't they intend to go with the flow?
After all, if the Crown Prince were to ascend the throne smoothly in the future, Fang Jun, as Grand Tutor and Grand Commandant, would still wield immense power and dominate the court, while Li Ji would still be suppressed.

The only way to change this situation is to change the heir apparent and gain the status of a minister who supported the emperor's rise to power...

Li Ji took a sip of tea, looked at Liu Ji who was deep in thought, and sighed, "I am now at my wit's end and can only let things take their course. Even if he is doomed one day, there is nothing I can do. But you are different. You can continue to support the Crown Prince. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, you will be a great minister who will benefit the country."

Liu Ji looked at Li Ji with suspicion.

Was this a sincere statement, or an attempt to sow discord?

Given the current situation, it is certain that Fang Jun's faction will be given important positions after the Crown Prince ascends the throne. Ma Zhou, Cui Dunli, and even Pei Xingjian and Liu Rengui... how could he possibly get a chance?
From a purely self-interested perspective, he should stand on His Majesty's side and support the change of heir apparent.

The problem is that he is already over fifty years old this year, and his health has always been poor and he is plagued by illnesses. It is unknown how many days he will live. Is it necessary for him to get involved in such a dangerous matter?
After pondering for a long time, he asked, "In your opinion, is it possible for the heir apparent to be replaced?"

Li Ji took a sip of tea and said calmly, "There are no fixed formations in warfare, just as water has no fixed shape. Everything in the world is constantly changing, and nothing is absolute."

It says "nothing in this world is absolute," but in reality, it gives an affirmative answer.

Since everything is in flux, storage space is no exception...

Liu Ji remained silent, reached for the teacup, and brought it to his lips, only to find that the tea had cooled down. Seeing that Li Ji wanted someone to refill the cup, he waved his hand, got up, and took his leave.

Li Ji escorted him to the second gate, then watched Liu Ji's retreating figure with his hands behind his back. He looked up at the dark night sky ravaged by rain and snow and let out a barely perceptible sigh.

What he said to Liu Ji tonight was a mix of truth and falsehood, but one thing he said was the truth.

That is, now that Li Jingye is by His Majesty's side, he is no longer under His Majesty's control. Moreover, Li Jingye's abilities are far from sufficient to assist His Majesty in completing the matter of changing the heir apparent. Rather than suffering a backlash and his whole family being implicated after the failure, it would be better for him to do his best to help His Majesty.

Emperor Taizong was truly remarkable, especially his sons with Empress Wende, all of whom were outstanding individuals. Even the most meek and weak-willed emperor, who lacked his own opinions, could occasionally pull off an amazing feat when he got serious...

With just one Li Jingye, he managed to bind the entire British Duke's Mansion to his war chariot.

*****
Mulu City.

Wang Xiaojie walked into the main hall of the city lord's mansion through the melted snow, squinting to adjust to the dim light. Seeing Xue Rengui bent over his desk examining a map, he waved the envelope in his hand and said in a relaxed tone, "General, this is a secret letter from the Grand Commandant sent from Chang'an before the New Year!"

"Oh?"

Xue Rengui straightened up, rubbed his eyes, took the envelope from Wang Xiaojie, took out the letter, and read it quickly.

"With Grand Commander Su personally directing operations in Da Nang and Grand Commandant overseeing logistics in Huating, victory in this battle between Central and Southern China is assured."

Xue Rengui had just bent down to examine the map again when he straightened up, took a tinderbox, lit the candle on the candlestick beside him, and then found one from a pile of maps and began to examine it carefully.

"The Grand Commandant said in his letter that after the war in the Central and Southern regions ends, a fleet will rush to the Persian Sea to join forces with Buyeo Long at the port of Mesun, and head straight for the mouth of the Fris River and the Tigris River. Then, it will sail upstream along the Fris River, advancing with us by land and sea, with its sights set on Damascus..."

The Fritilla and Tigris rivers are two rivers that flow into the Persian Sea. The civilizations in their basins are ancient and have a long history. Chinese historical records have mentioned them extensively since ancient times, and at one point they were even compared to the Yi and Luo rivers of Luoyang.

Wang Xiaojie picked up the teapot next to him, poured himself a cup, took a big gulp, wiped the water stains off his beard, and came to Xue Rengui's side. He bent down and looked at the map of the two rivers, pointing his finger from Basra at the mouth of the two rivers upstream to Damascus.

"With the navy's main force deployed and all-out attack, the end of the Sino-Southern War is just around the corner. The Grand Marshal said in his letter that he would be heading straight for Damascus from the mouth of the two rivers by September at the latest. We must set off as soon as possible and speed up, otherwise we will not be able to catch up."

Xue Rengui nodded, then switched back to the map, pointed to the Persian Plateau region, and then traced his finger across the northern shore of the Sea of ​​Leyte: "The Persian Plateau is crisscrossed by mountains and winding roads, and we have to cross two mountain ranges. We probably won't have enough time. We might as well cross directly through the lowlands on the northern shore of the Sea of ​​Leyte, cross the mountains at the Dageler Pass, capture the city of Surasatana, and then head west around the mountains in southern Persia, crossing the source of the two rivers and approaching Damascus."

This route is much longer, and its advantages are that it is easier to travel and faster. However, its disadvantage is that it is almost entirely under the control of the Arabs, and it may require a long and arduous campaign of attacking cities and fortresses to reach it.