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

Chapter 687: Wei Wang Li Tai
While Li Ke and Quan Wanji were discussing conspiracies all day long, on another street not far from the Prince of Shu's Mansion in Yongfufang, there was a house that was no less beautiful than the Prince of Shu's Mansion. On the plaque of the wide gate designed in the style of a prince was inscribed the three large characters "Prince of Wei's Mansion".

This is the palace of Li Tai, the Prince of Wei, the second son of Empress Changsun.

Prince of Wei Li Tai was the third son of Li Shimin, the second son of Empress Zhangsun, and the most beloved son of Li Shimin. Various deeds of favor were common among him.

In ancient times, family interests were above everything else. Perhaps it was because the eldest son shouldered the mission of family inheritance, and parents were more responsible for training their eldest son to become a talented person and cultivate future pillars of the family. Almost every eldest son and grandson of a family were strictly educated, and parents rarely showed a doting attitude to prevent their children from indulging in play.

But it is different for young children, as they do not need to inherit the family business. On the basis of overall stability, parents can simply pour their parental love onto the second or youngest son, supporting each other and enjoying a happy family life.

Parents put a lot of effort and reason into the eldest son, and give more affection and love to the youngest son, so that the eldest son is more like a monarch and his subject, while the younger children are more like flesh and blood.

This model certainly takes all aspects into consideration, but after a long period of interaction, parents will obviously have a deeper bond with their young children.

Among the aristocratic families in Chang'an, it was not uncommon for the eldest son to become successful and the parents to dote on the younger son, and Li Shimin's family was no exception.

As an emperor, he was quite strict with Li Chengqian and rarely showed his fatherly side. However, he doted on Li Tai and often called him to his side, asking about his well-being, caring about his food and clothing, and giving him frequent rewards. It can be said that the love and care that all the other princes, including Li Chengqian, received combined was not as great as that of Li Tai.

Li Tai was not only handsome and cute since childhood, but also smart, clever, and good at pleasing others, which made him very much loved by Li Shimin.

In the third year of Wude, Li Tai was named King of Yidu just after he was born. The following year, at the request of Li Shimin, Li Yuan promoted Li Tai to the first-rank King of Wei and Shangzhuguo based on Li Shimin's achievements. At this time, Li Chengqian and Li Ge were still only princes.

In the second year of Zhenguan, Li Tai was renamed King of Yue, and was appointed as the Grand Commander of Yangzhou and the Commander of Yuezhou, with 22 states as his fief.

In addition to the title of governor, at the beginning of the third year of Zhenguan, Li Tai was renamed King of Wei, and also served as the governor of Yongzhou and the left general.

After Li Chengqian was named the crown prince, his position was only more superior, but in terms of actual rewards, apart from the title of crown prince, the other rewards were unremarkable. Even if the rewards of his other brothers such as Li Ke, Li You, Li Yin, Li Yun, and Li Zhi were included, they were still not as great as the rewards received by Li Tai alone.

It seems that in Li Shimin's heart, Li Tai is his real flesh and blood, while Li Chengqian is just a need of the country, and Li Ke is the whetstone of the prince. And the other sons are just by-products of his temporary happiness, products to prove that his fertility is fine.

This extraordinary favor not only made Li Tai have the ambition to covet the throne, but also made many ministers in the court gather around Li Tai. Perhaps in their view, reason would eventually lose to emotion, and Li Shimin would definitely pass the throne to Li Tai in the end.

At this time, in the main hall of the palace, Wei Wang Li Tai, who was only one year younger than Li Yan, was meeting his favored minister, Du Chuke.

Du Chuke was from Duling Village, a few dozen miles southeast of Chang'an City. He was the younger brother of Du Ruhui, the right servant and minister of war of the current dynasty.

When Du Chuke was young, he admired strange moral principles. When he grew up, he had great talent and fame. At the beginning of Zhenguan period, Du Chuke served as the governor of Puzhou and had a remarkable reputation. Later, Li Shimin appreciated his talent and transferred him back to Beijing to serve as the chief of the Wei Wangfu. At the same time, he was promoted to the Minister of Works to handle the affairs of the Wangfu. He was known for his dignity and integrity.

At this time, at the top position in the main hall of the palace, a chubby, round, and very cute boy was sitting with a serious face. His pair of bright eyes seemed to contain spiritual energy, which made people happy to see him.

The Chief Clerk Du Chuke was sitting at the bottom, holding a cup of tea, and said worriedly: "Your Highness, this time the Emperor ordered the Crown Prince to train the Flying Tiger Army, and ordered King Xiang of Shu to gather the Zuo Wuwei Army and take charge of the Zuo Tunwei Army. These two people have gained great benefits, but we have gained nothing. It's really a pity, isn't it?"

"Humph, it's because I'm still young. Otherwise, given my father's favor towards me, how could they have gotten their turn?"

Li Tai said indignantly: "It's all because I was born two years later, which is why Li Chengqian, a cowardly and incompetent guy, occupied the position of the Eastern Palace. Otherwise, the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty would definitely be mine. It's really unfair."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. The Emperor has been very fond of you since you were young. I can see it clearly. This kind of love between father and son is something that other princes cannot have. Besides, there is still a long way to go. Being the crown prince does not necessarily mean you can inherit the throne."

"Throughout history, there have been countless princes who died halfway through their careers. Your Majesty is still young and strong, and there is still plenty of time. It is still unknown who will win in the end."

Du Chuke smiled slightly, "Let's not talk about the distant past. Yang Yong of the Sui Dynasty was the crown prince for nearly twenty years, but he eventually lost the country. The emperor back then was not the crown prince either, but in the end, the crown prince Yin was defeated and died tragically at Xuanwu Gate, and the current emperor still took over the country."

"The emperor is still young, and the princes are still young. It was because of the invasion of the Turks that the Tang Dynasty was in danger. The emperor appointed Li Chengqian as the crown prince at the request of the ministers." "Over time, if the crown prince makes frequent mistakes, the emperor will sooner or later find that the original choice was too rash. By then, he may have the idea of ​​changing the crown prince. So your Highness does not need to be anxious. You must work hard to improve yourself, win over the ministers, and prove to all officials that you are the most suitable crown prince for the future of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Tai's round little face brightened up after hearing this and he nodded slightly. Since he was old enough to understand, the emperor and the empress had favored him the most. After his elder brother Li Chengqian went to Zhongshan County to guard the border, he became the most beloved child of Li Shimin and Zhangsun Wugou.

When Li Tai was young, he once thought that he was the eldest son. However, as he grew up, he regretfully discovered that he had an older brother who had left for the frontier a long time ago. This made Li Tai very sorry.

Later, when I grew up slowly and understood the significance of the crown prince and the difference between him and an ordinary prince, I learned that my elder brother, who was born earlier than me, had been made the crown prince and occupied the position that should have belonged to me.

Li Tai was extremely disgusted and hated Li Chengqian, and even hated his own mother, Empress Zhangsun. He believed that it was his mother's favoritism towards his elder brother that caused him to miss the position of crown prince. Therefore, after leaving the palace and setting up his own residence in the early years of Zhenguan, he seldom went to the Qiyun Palace to pay his respects, citing his busy studies as an excuse.

His relationship with his mother, Empress Zhangsun, gradually became indifferent, but Li Shimin did not blame him. With the support and indulgence of Emperor Li Shimin, Li Tai became more and more arrogant, and he even ignored the Empress and the Crown Prince.

"Your Excellency is right. However, it is not enough for me to make progress. I must also find a way to create more troubles for my cheap elder brother, so that he will make more mistakes and I will do more meritorious deeds. Only in this way can I get rid of the suspicion."

After Li Tai finished speaking, he looked at his most capable right-hand man Du Chuke with anticipation. The implication in his eyes was self-evident, which was to let Du Chuke find a way to cause trouble.

Du Chuke smiled slightly and admired Li Tai's intelligence very much.

He has always believed that a true king must not only have keen insight, the ability to grasp complex situations, and the courage to fight to the death at critical moments, but also be familiar with various conspiracies and strategies and how to control people's hearts.

Among all the princes, only Prince Wei had the best talent and was a person who could be cultivated. The other princes were just mediocre. This was definitely the reason why Li Shimin favored Li Tai.

Li Shimin is only in his early thirties now. If nothing unexpected happens, he can stay in power for at least twenty years. In such a long period of time, there will be countless variables, such as the crown prince who is now the target of public criticism and the King of Shu who is eager to challenge.

There is also the King of Qi who is hiding in Shandong, waiting for the right time to make a move. Just like Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji in the past, they are just the vanguard of the king!

The true dragon emperor must now be like a lurking dragon in the abyss, lying dormant.

Among them, King Wei had the greatest potential, so Du Chuke bet his future on King Wei, and this was also recognized by his elder brother Du Ruhui, who was also Fangmou Duduan's brother.

Now, facing the King of Wei's request for advice, Du Chuke said confidently: "I came to your house today because I have something to ask Your Highness?"

"Oh, Lord Du, if you have anything to say, just tell me. We can talk freely between us."

"Your Highness, at your suggestion, I have sent my nephew Zhou Yande to the Eastern Palace as a tutor. According to the latest news he sent back, after the Crown Prince took over the task of training the Flying Tiger Army, he secretly sold the position of Lieutenant General of the Flying Tiger Army under the pretext of raising funds for the Flying Tiger Army."

At this point, Du Chuke was also amazed at the prince's audacity: "According to what he knows, Cen Wenben's nephew Hu Lixian has planned to take out one million strings of cash to secretly appoint a position as a Zhonglang Jiang. He informed me as soon as he got the news."

"Let me report to Your Highness, should we also pay to buy a spot?"

When Li Tai heard this, he was skeptical at first, but when he saw that Du Chuke looked serious and didn't seem to be joking, he confirmed it was true and said happily, "It's great that this is true."

"Uh no."

At this point, Li Tai suppressed his surprise. He thought that gloating over someone else's misfortune was too superficial, so he quickly retracted his expression and put on a righteous image, saying angrily, "This is simply lawless. The prince is so greedy for money that he is so blatantly selling official positions and titles. As a prince, I cannot sit idly by and watch."

"If the emperor knew about this, he would be furious. I will immediately go to the palace to report it and make sure the prince has nothing to lose."

(End of this chapter)