My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 101 King Wei's plan to seize the ice making method
Marriage for peace is an open conspiracy.

The greatest sincerity here is if Zhenzhu Khan agrees to the marriage and betrothal gift.

Li Shimin will go to Lingzhou in person to see the bride off.

He understood Xueyantuo's needs, so he tried his best to seduce him.

In this case, how could Zhenzhu Khan refuse, and he couldn't refuse.

With the Tang Emperor accompanying his bride, the Xueyantuo's reputation in the desert will rise to an unparalleled level.

Zhenzhu Khan was naturally very happy and said to his subordinates: I am from the Tiele tribe. Your Majesty made me the Khan and married the princess to me. He even came to the border area to visit me because of my marriage. This is a great honor for me!
So Zhenzhu Khan ordered his subordinates to collect sheep and horses from the tribe and send them to the Tang Dynasty as a betrothal gift.

Someone in the tribe said, "Khan, you and the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty are both rulers of the same country, so why did you go there to pay tribute? It's not too late to regret it now."

Zhenzhu Khan said: "That's not the case. I heard that the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty is virtuous and is the common ruler of all four directions. Now he has left me alone and abandoning me to seek help from others is not a long-term solution." So his subordinates did not dare to say anything.

At this time, Li Chengqian realized how powerful Li Shimin was.

Emperor Wen of the Tang Dynasty is not just a name.

For a crown prince like himself, Er Feng might not be very competent, but he is really good at being an emperor.

The bottom line of this plan was that even if he lost, Li Shimin could still exchange the princess for 100,000 cattle and sheep.

There are 40,000 fine horses here.

The number of war horses that can be produced will definitely not be less than 10,000.

This is equivalent to the Tang Dynasty having 10,000 more cavalry.

If this kind of thing had happened in the later Song Dynasty, the whole court would have celebrated and all the ministers would have urged Emperor Zhenzong of Song to go to Mount Tai to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth.

If Li Shimin's plan succeeded, Xueyantuo would suffer heavy losses and be seriously injured. Moreover, it would lose its reputation due to Li Shimin's refusal to marry, causing other tribes to become disloyal, thus laying the groundwork for attacking Xueyantuo.

It can be said that even people’s hearts are taken into account.

At this point, what else can Li Chengqian say?

Li Chengqian recalled his forgotten memories. Although he had never heard of Princess Xinxing, in history, Li Shimin married three princesses, but the name of Princess Xinxing was not on the list.

This shows that the marriage was not successful and Li Shimin’s plan was a complete success.

After leaving Liangyi Palace, Princess Gaoyang saw the prince coming out and hurried to greet him.

"Brother, did the emperor agree?"

Facing Gao Yang's expectation, Li Chengqian said: "Don't worry, Xinxing will not go to marry."

Gao Yang said happily: "Thank you, brother. I knew you were the best to me."

Li Chengqian thought about it and finally decided not to tell Gao Yang the truth. He just let him misunderstand Erfeng. After all, Erfeng herself would not tell it.

"Father will not issue an imperial edict right now. After all, the marriage involves the diplomatic relations between the two countries and is not that simple."

"We still need to find some excuses. You can tell Xinxing first so that she doesn't have to worry."

After hearing the prince's instructions, Gao Yang nodded in agreement, then skipped away, obviously going to tell Princess Xinxing the good news.

Afterwards, Li Shimin was a little curious about how the prince would tell Gao Yang.

So he asked Zhang Ananda to find out the news.

When he heard that Gao Yang was very happy and Xinxing was no longer sad, he thought that the prince had told the truth.

Zhang Ananda said: "Princess Gaoyang and Princess Xinxing have been talking about the goodness of the Crown Prince, saying that the Crown Prince persuaded His Majesty to help Princess Xinxing."

Li Shimin laughed in silence: "The prince is calm. If Zhenzhu Khan really sends all the cattle and sheep, I will see how he will appease Gao Yang."

Zhang Ananda said, "I don't think the Crown Prince needs to appease Princess Gaoyang."

When Li Shimin heard this, he burst into laughter.

This is a high-end way of flattery. No wonder Zhang Ananda could gain Li Shimin's trust.
-
Yankangfang, Prince Wei's Palace.

Li Tai felt it was outrageous.

"Just because you read a few military books, you think you can give lectures?"

"Why should he?"

Li Tai was very unhappy because his father refused to let him be a nominal member of the emperor, and as for the prince's lectures, what could he say? It was probably not enough to just talk about military affairs on paper.

What's more, we have to give lectures every day.

Li Tai felt uncomfortable when he thought that the prince would be able to use this opportunity to control the military power.

Chai Lingwu said: "In fact, even if the prince is just a figurehead and doesn't teach, it won't have any impact."

"Su Dingfang has been appointed as a lecturer. He is the foundation for the prince to develop his power through the Military Academy."

"Maybe we can start with Su Dingfang."

Li Tai frowned: "Get rid of Su Dingfang? I'm afraid it won't be easy."

Chai Lingwu was speechless. How did the King of Wei come up with the idea of ​​killing Su Dingfang?

As the general of Jinwu Guard, Su Dingfang was always accompanied by hundreds of Jinwu Guards. Unless all the imperial guards from the Prince of Wei's Palace went out to kill him, the assassin would definitely be useless.

Besides, Su Dingfang was nothing compared to the King of Wei, but in the imperial court, he was a general of the third rank, and his rank alone was comparable to that of the Nine Ministers.

The killing of a high-ranking imperial general would inevitably cause a stir in Chang'an, but as long as it involved the King of Wei, then forget about the fight for the throne.

Releasing the fiefdom is the best outcome.

"What I mean is, why don't the King of Wei think of a way to kick Su Dingfang out of the lecturer class on the grounds that he lacks qualifications?"

"Except for the Crown Prince, anyone who can serve as a lecturer at the Military Academy must have made great military achievements. Even the Sixteen Guards Generals cannot be ranked higher. How can Su Dingfang surpass the Sixteen Guards Generals and serve as a lecturer?"

Li Tai thought for a moment and said, "The lecturers of the Military Academy are appointed by my father himself. If I ask him, I'm afraid he won't agree."

Chai Lingwu suggested: "But what if Su Dingfang himself has a problem?"

Li Tai frowned slightly: "You mean, frame someone?"

"Frame-up is a big risk. If the emperor finds out, the consequences will be disastrous."

Chai Lingwu said, "If this matter is planned properly, it may not be discovered."

"Su Dingfang is now in the limelight, so it is inevitable that he will arouse jealousy. We only need to guide others a little to make them suspicious of Su Dingfang."

"And now the Crown Prince is close to Su Dingfang. If we can use this opportunity to strike at the Crown Prince's power, wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"

Li Tai nodded. Although he did not investigate specifically, the fact that Su Dingfang had entered the Military Academy had put him in a dangerous position.

You know, apart from the sixteen generals of the guards, there are many others who failed to be selected as lecturers.

Is it because their abilities are not as good as Su Dingfang?

Even if they knew it was the prince's fault, they would naturally feel dissatisfied. If they acted at this time, even if someone felt there was something fishy, ​​they would probably add insult to injury.

Li Tai figured it out and said, "Tell me in detail how to plan it."

Chai Lingwu cleared his throat and said in a low voice: "We can start with the people around Su Dingfang. Send someone to secretly investigate Su Dingfang's confidants and subordinates and find someone who can be easily tempted by the benefits."

"Promise him a large sum of money, a high position and other generous rewards, so that he can leak the unfavorable news about Su Dingfang at the right time."

"For example, we can forge a story about Su Dingfang embezzling military pay." "First, find someone who is good at imitating handwriting and forge a letter between Su Dingfang and the quartermaster, saying that Su Dingfang secretly asked the quartermaster to withhold military pay from Wuhoupu and pocket the money."

"He also sent several reliable people to pretend to be soldiers in the army and spread rumors in the army's taverns and tents, saying that Su Dingfang had withheld their military pay, causing the military marquises in Chang'an who were not under his rule to become dissatisfied with Su Dingfang."

"When your majesty hears of this, he will send someone to investigate."

Li Tai said: "This may not necessarily prove Su Dingfang's guilt, and the methods you mentioned are too crude."

Chai Lingwu explained: "If one wants to clearly forge Su Dingfang's false testimony, it will easily implicate the King of Wei."

"But we don't need to convict Su Dingfang. As long as Su Dingfang is suspected, Your Majesty can send someone to investigate the case."

"How can a person with a stain on his body be a lecturer at the Military Academy? By then, there will be people who will use this as an excuse to investigate the matter of Su Dingfang's admission to the Military Academy, without the need for the King of Wei to intervene."

Li Tai asked, "I'm afraid we can't keep this muddy evidence around for too long."

Chai Lingwu said: "We just need to delay. It's not that easy to verify. We can just hinder them a little bit. When the military academy starts, the personnel will be determined. Even if we can enter again, it will not be that easy to win over others."

Li Tai nodded: "Good, I'll do as you say. But you must be careful about this matter and not reveal any clues."

Chai Lingwu said confidently: "Don't worry, King Wei, I will take care of it."

Li Tai added: "This matter needs to be handled quickly. I heard that the emperor has already finalized the list and will hold the lecture in three days."

"Oh, go and inform Cui Wensheng that my father has sent someone to inform him that he can start the winter hunt the day after tomorrow."

Because of the cold weather, the business of ice cream shops naturally declined. Most people had tasted the new ice cream and did not need to rush to buy it in winter.

All the ice cream shops became deserted and no one cared about them.

Therefore, Li Tai was not so anxious about the ice-making method.

But now that Winter Hunt has the opportunity, we must get it if we can.

When spring comes next year and the sky becomes hot, Bingsi will be bustling again.
-
The next day, the court issued a list of brigade commanders, and brigade commanders from various prefectures were also mobilized.

Those who are on the list are naturally extremely happy. If they enter the Military Academy, they will be disciples of the emperor and will surely be successful in the future.

The generals who were appointed as lecturers were also a little nervous and began to prepare their lessons.

After all, teaching and educating is a new experience for them.

Fighting is one thing, giving lectures is another.

Being able to explain what you understand in a simple and profound way is a more important skill.

For example, Hou Junji, Yuchi Jingde, and Cheng Yaojin, all had a very difficult time.

Hou Junji could not read or write in his early years. It was under the arrangement of Li Shimin that he learned to read and write, studied military tactics, and was taught by Li Jing.

Yuchi Jingde was once a young blacksmith.

Not to mention Cheng Yaojin, who was brave but lacked strategy, let alone the art of war.

Fortunately, they are just traveling to give lectures.

The others did not have much of a problem. Not to mention how deep their understanding of military tactics was, but after all, they came from famous families, had learned martial arts and literature since childhood, and had fought in battles over the years, so lecturing was certainly not a problem for them.

Apart from these, the least favored one was Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

Most people felt that the prince's insistence on giving lectures to every class of students was clearly an attempt to win over power rather than actually giving lectures.

Li Chengqian didn't care about these rumors. After all, he really wanted to recruit students.

But I am also serious about teaching.

During dinner, Crown Princess Su Yu'er said with some concern: "Your Highness, why do you have to work so hard? There is no need to be so anxious about the lectures. Su Dingfang will lead the way for Your Highness."

Today, Li Chengqian stayed in the study room all day without going out, preparing lessons for his lectures.

"Everyone else looks down on me, do you want to look down on me too?"

Li Chengqian was joking with a smile.

"How could I look down on Your Highness? It's just that I feel bad for you working so hard." Su Yuer said with a smile.

However, he was indeed not optimistic about the prince's teaching.

Li Chengqian said: "Don't worry, I have my own plan."

Li Chengqian was not worried at all about giving lectures because he had no intention of talking about any military strategies.

His goal is to become a gold medal lecturer.
-
Winter hunting.

It was Li Shimin's favorite entertainment activity.

Since becoming emperor, it was almost impossible for Li Shimin to go to war in person, but he missed his military career very much.

Hunting allows him to ride on horseback and shoot with a bow, regaining his former heroic spirit and reliving the feeling of the battlefield.

Li Shimin loved hunting to the point that he couldn't stop, so much so that many ministers opposed his hunting.

Before her death, Empress Changsun left a will, advising him to "reduce labor and stop hunting", meaning that she felt sorry for the people's hard labor and stopped hunting.

Of course, Li Shimin definitely didn't listen.

Wei Zheng often confronted Li Shimin about this matter.

There was even one time when Li Shimin got a particularly good hunting bird and was about to take it to the "battlefield". However, because he was afraid that Wei Zheng would persuade him, he quickly hid the bird in his arms. As a result, the bird was suffocated to death, and Li Shimin was heartbroken.

Fish dragon river.

It is located near Chang'an, about thirty miles away.

It was a hunting spot where Li Shimin often came.

Compared to the Forbidden Garden, this place is obviously more comfortable.

The Yulong River in winter is like a painting.

The mountains are covered with snow, like a silver dragon lying down. The peaks rise into the clouds, shining like ice sculptures. The trees in the mountains are all dressed in white, and the ice crystals on the branches are as bright as gems, swaying and making sounds.

The stream in the valley was frozen like a silver ribbon, with a smooth ice surface reflecting the sky.

Occasionally, a small animal would pass by, leaving behind its paw prints, adding to the vitality of the place. In the distance, the grassland turned into a sea of ​​snow, with the grass covered by snow, revealing only its yellow tips.

Li Tai knew that he was definitely no match for the crown prince in archery.

So he said, "Father, this beautiful scenery makes me feel excited and inspired. I wrote a poem to present to you."

Li Shimin was a man of both civil and military talents, and had profound attainments in poetry. His works such as "Ten Poems on the Imperial Capital" have been passed down to later generations.

Hearing this, he said happily: "I want to hear what Qingque thinks of this poem."

Li Tai glanced at the crown prince, and then said in a loud voice: "Winter Fish and Dragon Hunting, dedicated to father."

"The Yulong River is covered with snow, and the peaks where the silver dragon lies are like cuts. The trees are covered with white ice crystals, and the frozen stream is like a belt reflecting shadows."

"The grassland is covered in snow and the yellow tip of the dew, the shadows of animals appearing and disappearing add to the fun. The sun is warm under the blue sky, and the breeze is caressing my face and I feel relaxed."

"The king rode his horse across the vast hunting grounds, and drew his bow to chase the beasts, displaying his heroic talent. The sound of galloping hooves in the snowy fields shook the earth, and the feathered arrows broke through the wind and shook the nine-gai."

(End of this chapter)