The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 1093: Wu Wang Li Ke (Part )

"Ok?"

Li Yan was shocked. Cen Wenben had reported to him a few days ago that because this matter was too abrupt and unbelievable, Li Ke had never thought about it before. Therefore, he was hesitant and had many concerns about the Western Expedition and needed time to think about it.

He went there several more times and analyzed the pros and cons to Li Ke. The best outcome if he did not go west would be to become a vassal.

Li Ke finally agreed and would come to Chengqing Palace to meet the king soon.

Li Yan had been thinking about this matter, and now that Li Ke had come, this major event had been resolved. In fact, Li Yan had plenty of ways to deal with Li Ke, even if he didn't fabricate a false case, the Turkic invasion from the south was about to happen.

You can also calmly send him to the battlefield and use the Turks to solve this hidden danger.

Unlike Li Zhi, who had just emerged and could be taken back, Li Ke was only a few months younger than Li Chengqian, and had caught Li Shimin's eye early on. The battle with Li Chengqian for the throne began in the ninth year of Wude when Jie Li's troops approached the Wei River.

At that time, Feng Deyi took advantage of the war to send the ten-year-old Li Chengqian to Luo Yi's army as a hostage.

Li Ke went to Cheng Huailiang without mercy, hoping to take advantage of the war and borrow Luo Yi's knife to get rid of Li Chengqian.

Li kept all these words in mind.

In addition, Li Yan was not in Chang'an in these years, and Li Ke competed with the King of Wei and worked hard to form a network of power throughout the court and the army. It was intricate and should not be underestimated. His strength was second only to that of the King of Wei Li Tai.

Li Tai was captured by Li Shimin with lightning speed, and the Wei Wang party was also shattered.

After Li Yan returned to Beijing, many people took advantage of the situation and joined Li Yan's army. However, the Wu Wang Party still maintained its organization because of Li Ke's existence. Li Ke and his brother, the Shu Wang Li Yin, formed a horn of support, which posed a great threat to Li Yan.

Concubine Yang in Ningxin Palace was unwilling to sink into such a state and began to consider taking risks.

Therefore, Li Ke must be captured. If the literary method doesn't work, then force must be used to solve the problem, and the result will not make any difference.

Cheng Yaojin's story taught Li Yan a truth: if you can't feed someone well, you can't feed him well, no matter how polite and sincere you are. When the other party is weak and you are strong, the other party will make a compromise gesture under pressure.

But once the situation reverses and the other party has enough advantages, they will abandon you without hesitation.

In the face of power, no one will be soft-hearted, nor will they be fettered by past friendships. Only those with a heart as hard as stone and without ruthlessness and loyalty can hold the position of emperor. As long as you have love and loyalty in your heart, there will be countless people who cater to your needs and use love and loyalty to influence you.

Li Yan has gone through three lifetimes and lived almost the life of an ordinary person.

Only at this moment did he truly let go of the obsession in his heart and no longer pinned his hopes on the other party's loyalty. Instead, he wanted to hold absolute power. He no longer needed the loyalty of his subjects, he just needed them to obey his orders.

To Li Yan, it makes no difference whether one obeys orders out of loyalty from the bottom of his heart or out of greed for fame and fortune and fear of the majesty of heaven.

Perhaps the root of Cheng Yaojin's betrayal can be traced back to the conspiracy outside Luo Yi's military camp in the ninth year of Wude. Rather than believing that Li Chengqian would never know about the incident, he would have to offer his loyalty in a servile manner and live in fear for the rest of his life.

It would be better to take this opportunity to seize the real power, unite with the aristocratic families, and ensure that the emperor will never have the capital to settle old scores.

Li Yan took a deep breath with a gloomy expression, suppressing the anger boiling in his heart.

These people who had come from troubled times were used to the change of dynasties and the shift of imperial power. They were bold and could do anything, not to mention that there was a group of people in the world who had always been above the imperial power.

Putting aside other things, Li Yan hated Cheng Yaojin so much. In this battle, other people could be considered, but this person was the one that Li Yan must take down.

Only he and Cheng Yaojin knew about their past. Cheng Yaojin chose to betray and there was no turning back. People of this age have been in the power field for a lifetime and have extremely rich life experience. Of course, they know that they either don't do it or do it to the extreme.

Since this person has turned to the opposite side, if he is not eliminated, he will sooner or later become a serious threat to Li Yan.

This also reminded Li Yan that even if he could let go of the person who had attacked him, the other party would never let go; even if the other party could let go, the other party would not believe that he would let go. This is the prisoner's dilemma.

Rather than bearing the huge trust cost and the suspicion crisis that may erupt at any time, it is better to solve the problem once and for all and train new people. I am the emperor, and talents in the world emerge one after another, waiting for me to appreciate them. Why should I go to great lengths to save an old person?

Another very realistic point is that if Li Ke is not taken down, the remaining princes such as Qi Wang Li You, Jiang Wang Li Yun, Yue Wang Li Zhen, Ji Wang Li Shen and others will not be dealt with. They each have their own strength, and relying on Li Ke, they have formed an alliance to jointly resist the court's policy of enfeoffment.

After Li Ke is dealt with, Li Yan will order the kings to go to their fiefdoms. Those who are willing to leave can go to the Snow Region to be a self-made king. If they are unwilling to go and have great ambitions, they will be given military power and sent to the battlefield to be heroes!
Although Chang'an City is large, it cannot accommodate so many princes.

If they were not driven away, firstly, there would be no one to guard the snowy border, and secondly, the burden on the people would be too heavy. Finally, he would soon select beauties from all over the world to fill his harem, and after such a carefree life, there would inevitably be the sequelae of falling to the ground.

If they don't leave their positions vacant, how will their sons have room to survive?
Arranging for one's own descendants to take over power is necessary, whether for personal needs or for the stability of the country. After the aristocratic families were eliminated, there was a huge power vacuum. In order to avoid the emergence of new aristocratic families, a class had to be created to fill it.

Although the power structure in the middle and late Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty resulted in the Nine Dragons Fighting for the Throne, it has to be admitted that during that period, the ruling power of the emperor reached an unprecedented height, and the country was as stable as Mount Tai and as solid as a rock.

All kinds of thoughts and plans flashed through Li Yan's mind, and he immediately ordered: "Chu Qing, let's leave it like this for the Finance Temple for now, you go down and implement it!"

"Wang De, summon the King of Wu to an audience."

"Yes, I'll take my leave." Chu Suiliang retreated, and Wang De took Li Ke into the imperial study.

Seeing Li Yan reading the memorials behind his desk, Li Ke knelt down on the ground and said, "Your Highness, I, Li Ke, pay my respects to the Emperor. Long live the Emperor!"

The visit was grand and courteous, but it lacked the closeness between brothers and seemed particularly distant and cold.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, and anger rose in his heart: "Damn it, when I was ten years old, you tried to kill me, your elder brother; when I was thirteen, you wanted to cheat on me and put a nail in the East Palace that no one knew about; when I was sent as an envoy to the Turks, you also wanted to secretly send assassins when I returned."

"Do you think I don't know this?"

"For the sake of power, you repeatedly and ruthlessly attacked your elder brother. You are not much worse than Yang Guang. As a victim, you are not angry yet. As a criminal, you have a stern face every day. Who are you showing it to?"

With the presence of Quan Wanji, a high-level traitor, there was no telling how many insiders the Prince of Wu's Mansion had deployed. Even the eunuchs and palace maids who accompanied Li Ke in his daily life were from the Baiqisi.

Li Shimin had two major spy agencies, the Jinyiwei and the Baiqisi. Since the commander of the Jinyiwei was Wang Xuance, who was from the Eastern Palace, then the Zhonglangjiang Quan Wanji of the Baiqisi would naturally lean towards Li Ke.

In order to restrain the Donggong clique, Li Shimin also deliberately allowed Quan Wanji and Li Ke to contact each other after Li Yan left Chang'an. Without Li Yan, Wang Xuance could not control this chess piece, and he dared not publicize the night party in the Dali Temple.

Quan Wanji also had concerns, so the two sides tacitly cut off contact, and both sides seemed to have never experienced that experience. Usually they served in front of Li Shimin, fighting openly and secretly with each other, and Li Shimin was very satisfied with their exchanges.

The unrestrained Quan Wanji quickly got involved with Li Ke again, but this time he was truly loyal to Li Shimin. According to the emperor's request, he placed spies in the mansions of all the dukes and marquises, including Li Ke's.

Because of the close relationship with Li Ke and the convenience, the Prince of Wu's Mansion was the hardest hit area, and the Hundred Cavalry Division almost infiltrated Li Ke's mansion.

It’s just that Quan Wanji is smarter, or has no choice. After Li Yan returned to Beijing and was re-established as the crown prince, Quan Wanji found Li Yan as soon as possible, and he was so excited that he had been lurking behind enemy lines for many years and finally waited for the organization to return.

She sobbed and vented to Li Yan the sadness and loyalty that did not exist in the first place.

Li Yan naturally didn't care about this little guy struggling in the power field. He took advantage of the situation to accept his surrender and took Quan Wanji back in. However, when he thought that the founder and first chief of the Hundred Cavalry Division was the old fox Changsun Wuji, Li Yan became wary.

He didn't believe that the break between Baiqi Division and Zhangsun Wuji was so clean, and was afraid that it would end up as a favor to others, so he let Baiqi Division maintain its status quo and Quan Wanji continued to contact Li Ke.

Li Ke's every word and action in the mansion was under Li Yan's control at all times. In order to atone for his sins and prove his loyalty, Quan Wanji submitted a message from the Prince Wu's mansion every day, and Li Yan frowned every time he read it.

Although Li Yin, this loser, is young, he is as vicious as Li Ke.

He analyzed the gains and losses of the government in Li Ke's ear all day long. Whenever he was frustrated, he was overjoyed. Whenever he got an advantage, he cursed without restraint. He often came up with some strange and bizarre assassination methods and instigated Li Ke in his ear.

Li Yan was furious. Damn it, I haven't been in Beijing since you were still playing tricks in the palace. Even in the two months since I came back to Beijing, I haven't had a single interaction with you, let alone a few words alone. You're just thinking about killing yourself every day.

It's really like the top beam is crooked and the bottom beam is crooked, he is a born bad seed.

(End of this chapter)