Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5325 Reluctant
At the turn of Shen and You (3-5 PM), the night was as dark as ink, and a light drizzle began to fall.

In the past two years, there has been a lot of rainfall in Guanzhong, with heavy rain in summer and heavy snow in winter. Because Fang Jun vigorously promoted water conservancy and dredged waterways when he served as the Prefect of Jingzhao, the floods have become less frequent despite the abundant rainfall. Farmland has been fully irrigated, resulting in bumper harvests every year.

Inside the Lizheng Hall, the lights and candles shone brightly.

What happened in the court could not be kept from the Crown Prince's Palace. Ever since His Majesty launched a series of measures, the entire Crown Prince's Palace has been filled with unease and tension.

Anyone could see the true intention behind His Majesty's methods and measures.

Once His Majesty changes the heir apparent, it foreshadows the tragic fate of everyone in the Eastern Palace.

Throughout history, has there ever been a deposed crown prince who died a peaceful death?
The Crown Prince's fate is the fate of everyone else.

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken...

Crown Prince Li Xiang nestled against his mother, raising his small face full of confusion: "Mother, what did I do wrong that makes Father insist on deposing me?"

He had asked this question more than once, but he never got an answer and couldn't figure it out.

Empress Su snorted coldly, affectionately stroking her son's head: "Your father is the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty. His words carry the weight of the law, and he can do whatever he wants in this world. What reason is there? But Crown Prince, rest assured, your mother will stop him even if it costs her life."

Li Xiang was puzzled: "Does the emperor have the right to do whatever he wants? The other day, the Duke of Yan gave me a lecture, mentioning that Emperor Taizong once said, 'The people are the water, and the ruler is the boat. Water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it.' This means that even if the emperor cannot act arbitrarily, he must broaden the channels for advice, humbly accept criticism, and, more importantly, restrain himself, restore propriety, and maintain a sense of awe. Otherwise, the lesson of Emperor Yang of Sui is not far off... Why doesn't Father understand this principle?"

Empress Su remained silent; she could not answer the question.

After a moment of silence, she reassured him, "Your Highness need not worry. You are the Crown Prince of the Great Tang Dynasty, officially appointed and proclaimed to the ancestral temple. You are the legitimate heir of the nation, and countless people outside support you. Even if His Majesty insists on going his own way, it will not be so easy."

Emperor Yang of Sui was a tyrannical ruler who was condemned throughout history for his perverse actions, and he squandered a great empire.

Even so, being Emperor Yang of Sui was not an easy task.

For at least the ten years after his ascension to the throne, Emperor Yang of Sui ruled with absolute power, and his words were law; no one in the court or among the people dared to oppose him.

Li Xiang seemed to understand but not quite, and sighed, "If only the Grand Commandant were in Chang'an, we would feel at ease with him there."

Empress Su gritted her teeth at the mention of Fang Jun.

That idiot was only concerned with his own great achievements, insisting on going to Huating Town to command the Central and Southern War, while abandoning his wife and child in Chang'an without a care, leaving the Emperor to be relentlessly pressured, which led to the situation getting worse and worse.

If he were in Chang'an, would His Majesty dare to press him so relentlessly?
That bastard probably already planned to sit back and watch the situation gradually deteriorate, then force me to fulfill my promise at the crucial moment...

Empress Su held Li Xiang's hand and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Your Highness, you must remember this: whenever you feel unsafe, no matter whether your mother is there or not, you must immediately run to the Guangtian Palace to seek the protection of the 'Shenji Battalion.' They are the most loyal guards that the Grand Commandant left for you. As long as you are under the protection of the 'Shenji Battalion,' even if His Majesty replaces all six guards of the Eastern Palace, he will not be able to do anything to you!"

The "Shenji Battalion," composed entirely of students from the academy, was not only the only unit in the palace equipped with firearms, but also a solid bulwark loyal to the Crown Prince.

Li Xiang naturally knew about the "Shenji Battalion" stationed at the Guangtian Palace. Upon hearing this, his little face tightened, and he nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, Mother, I'll remember!"

Recalling how the "Divine Machine Battalion" had fought valiantly to protect him during the Prince of Jin's coup, he was filled with confidence, for he knew that this was the strongest divine weapon given to him by the Grand Commandant.

Loyal and steadfast!
*****
British government.

Inside the study, Li Ji and his son Li Zhen listened to Li Bi's detailed account of the events at the Imperial Guard Temple that day, and both of them frowned in unison.

Li Zhen coughed twice, his pale face slightly flushed, and shook his head, saying, "Even Dugu Lan knows to be outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant. How can my family gamble everything to help His Majesty change the heir apparent? The position of heir apparent is the foundation of the country. Once it is shaken, it will inevitably cause turmoil, and the consequences will be unimaginable."

Li Ji remained silent.

Seeing that his nephew was listless and looked unwell, Li Bi asked with concern, "Could it be that the changeable spring weather has worsened your illness? You don't need to worry too much about these things. Your brother and I will take care of them. You just need to focus on recovering."

There were few talented people in the second generation of the Li family, but Li Zhen was the only outstanding one. However, he was born weak and sickly, and his condition would worsen every spring and autumn when the weather changed. This caused great concern to the whole family. After all, no matter how high the rank or official position, or how profound the family heritage, a healthy and intelligent offspring is needed to carry on the family line.

Li Zhen smiled bitterly: "The country is thriving and should be a glorious era, but it has been stirred up by storms and turmoil. How can I be carefree and focus on recuperating? It is really wrong of our family to get involved in the succession issue."

Li Bi's expression shifted slightly, then he sighed and remained silent.

Li Ji took a sip of tea and said in a deep voice, "This world belongs to His Majesty, not the Crown Prince. The succession should be decided by His Majesty's word. This is a matter of the imperial family, how can it be the subject's place to interfere? As subjects, we are deeply grateful for the Emperor's favor, and we should be loyal to His Majesty, not the Crown Prince."

Li Zhen shook his head and said, "The world belongs to all people, not to one family or one clan."

Li Ji was displeased: "This empire was conquered by Emperor Taizong with the assistance of Emperor Gaozu!"

Li Zhen, in a rare instance, contradicted his father: "Father, you are mistaken. This empire was conquered by the meritorious officials and nobles who assisted Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong."

Li Ji suppressed his anger: "The proper order of ruler and subject, father and son, the emperor is the master of the world!"

Li Zhen rose and bowed deeply: “A snake cannot move without a head, and an army will be in chaos without a leader. An emperor is merely a leader chosen by the people. Mencius said, ‘The people are the most important, the ruler is the least important, and the state is the next most important.’ Emperor Taizong also said, ‘Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.’ This shows that the world belongs to all the people. Whether it is the emperor or a minister, the initial intention in making any decision should be to put the world first. How can one change the priorities and fail to distinguish between public and private interests? To put one’s own selfish desires above the well-being of the people is foolishness.”

"presumptuous!"

Li Ji, his anger flaring and his beard bristling, roared, "You have no ruler, no father, and you have overturned the established order! Do you intend to rebel?"

Li Zhen smiled wryly: "My son was just arguing with his father. Major family matters are naturally decided by your father. My son is not feeling well, so I'll go back and take my medicine first."

He bowed to his father and uncle, then turned and took his leave.

Silence fell over the study.

After a long silence, Li Bi sighed softly and said, "No wonder Your Majesty is so anxious. Nowadays, these young people are increasingly admiring doctrines such as 'the world belongs to all people.' If this continues, the imperial power will decline."

Ironically, the roots of these doctrines lie in the Zhenguan Academy, which His Majesty Emperor Taizong and His Majesty the present once placed great hopes on.

Or perhaps, the root cause lies with Fang Jun, who orchestrated the establishment of the "Grand Council" to weaken imperial power...

Li Ji's anger subsided. He took a sip of tea, his brow furrowed. "Scholarship is inherently unpredictable; it always rises and falls, repeating itself endlessly. Sometimes the East Wind prevails over the West Wind, and sometimes the West Wind prevails over the East Wind. There's no need to worry about that. We're not academics who study doctrines; we simply side with whichever side gains the upper hand. That's all. But now, we're tied to His Majesty's chariot, and we won't be able to get off anytime soon."

It's not that he can't get involved in the matter of changing the heir.

Rather, the Crown Prince's position is now extremely secure, and there are countless people in the court and among the people who support him. If Your Majesty has to go against the tide, you will naturally face many hardships and difficulties at every step.

However, His Majesty has seized control of Li Ji's fate through Li Jingye, the eldest grandson of the Li family. He can either watch Li Jingye follow His Majesty into a disastrous end, suffering setbacks and ultimately implicating the family, or he must personally intervene to devise strategies and protect him...

They were completely under His Majesty's control, with no chance of escape.

In the end, he couldn't help but curse angrily, "That idiot Jingye!"

Loyalty to the emperor is certainly advisable, but blind loyalty is not.

To disregard the safety and honor of one's entire family and blindly obey His Majesty's orders, even to the point of being used as a weapon by His Majesty to attack the Eastern Palace, is more than just stupid.
Li Bi disagreed with his brother's accusations against Li Jingye: "There is nothing wrong with being loyal to the emperor, and it is only natural to take sides. Throughout history, most changes of heirs have involved a wide range of people, but most of the time it is right to stand on the emperor's side."

When it comes to the struggle for the throne, the safest course of action is to side with the emperor. The emperor can choose whichever son he wants to appoint; I am only loyal to the emperor.

Of course, there are exceptions. During the struggle for the crown prince in the Wude era, many civil and military officials who sided with Emperor Gaozu were later purged because their loyalty to Emperor Gaozu was equivalent to their loyalty to Crown Prince Li Jiancheng. As a result, Emperor Taizong won a great victory in the "Xuanwu Gate Incident"...

Li Ji pondered for a long time before slowly saying, "I hope so."

While His Majesty's use of Li Jingye to "kidnap" the entire Li family made him hesitant to act rashly, he was still unwilling to give up.

Fang Jun is stationed in Huating, his ambitions set on conquering the world.

The Anxi army swept across the Abbasid Caliphate, advancing at breakneck speed. In terms of both battle lines and achievements, it far surpassed Huo Qubing's achievements in those years, and was destined to leave behind a glorious legacy in history.

With thousands of sails racing and cannons booming, the navy is sweeping across the Indochina Peninsula, conquering new territories and destroying nations with overwhelming force.

However, he, who was once the top military leader, was confined to Chang'an and unable to exert his influence, and all his achievements and honors were irrelevant to him.

He could accept being sidelined and relegated to the sidelines, but he couldn't accept the longing yet disappointed looks in the eyes of his subordinates.

The distribution of power is top-down, but the source of power is bottom-up.

Without the support of his generals, what use is it for him to have the title of Duke of England and the official position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel?

If you can't even command a single soldier, how can you talk about power?
His generals' support and endorsement of him were nothing more than a matter of self-interest.

If you cannot bring benefits to others, they will naturally discard you like trash.