My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 147 The Crown Princess Marries the Crown Prince
Li You was frightened.

He was frightened by what Li Tai said and the prince's behavior.

Although it feels shocking, if you think about it carefully, isn't that what the prince did?

After making such a comparison, Li You realized how naive he was and how ridiculous the rebellion plan prepared by his uncle Yin Hongzhi was.

Compared with the prince, this is a world of difference.

Even if the rebellion was not discovered, when their father passed away, could they defeat such a terrible prince?

However, the prince probably won't wait until the day his father passes away.

Li You is also an educated person and has quite a good knowledge.

I have my own judgment on what Li Tai said.

There are many precedents in history regarding relationships between princes and emperors, so it is not surprising that the prince would rebel.

Li Tai added: "Father is now in his prime, how can the prince wait forever?"

Li You hesitated and said, "But all these things are based on the premise that the eldest brother can conquer Goryeo. If the prince fails to conquer Goryeo, then all his plans will be in vain."

Li Tai shook his head: "Old Five, Old Five, I think you are really stupid."

"Since the prince has made such a move, isn't he prepared in other aspects?"

"Whether the expedition to Goryeo is won or lost, the prince is preparing for a rebellion. This is an established fact. There are some things I cannot tell you, but I am 100% sure that the prince is secretly colluding with many officials to prepare for a rebellion."

"The war against Goryeo was only to better control the court after the rebellion."

After hearing this, Li You actually believed it.

According to what Li Tai said, if the prince was indeed preparing for a rebellion, then a thorough investigation would surely reveal clues.

No matter how great the crown prince's achievements are, no matter how good his reputation is, as long as the crown prince commits treason, his father will definitely depose him and appoint a new crown prince.

The King of Wei is the best candidate for crown prince.

Li You weighed the pros and cons in his mind. Judging from the current situation, if he helped his fourth brother slander the prince for treason, during the thorough investigation, his fourth brother would definitely provide guidance and even arrange clues.

There is a great possibility that evidence of the prince's rebellion will be found.

Then he can be considered to have made a contribution by reporting the case.

If I don't help Fourth Brother, he will still do the same thing, but it will be more troublesome.

But it was also risky for him. If he could not overthrow the prince in a short period of time, the prince would first exile him to Lingnan.

After thinking it over, Li You still hadn't made up his mind.

After all, there are too many things involved here.

Li Tai looked at the struggle on Li You's face and asked, "Old Five, do you think the prince can really succeed in his rebellion?"

"When the emperor investigates, the prince has recommended you. How can you escape?"

This sentence was like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Yes, the prince’s rebellion can succeed.

In Li You's opinion, this possibility is very slim.

Who is my father? He is a ruthless man who conquered most of the Tang Dynasty, killed my uncle, my fourth uncle, and all their children, and finally imprisoned my grandfather in the Daming Palace.

In recent years, my father has indeed behaved more mercifully, but dealing with him is not an easy task.

It would be fine if the emperor was old, but he is in his prime, so the court officials and generals in the army will naturally listen to his words more.

If the prince's rebellion fails, there is a high probability that he will be implicated.

Judging from the current situation, the prince may not necessarily help him avoid the punishment of exile, and he will be implicated in the future.

In comparison, following Fourth Brother seems to be the real way out.

Li You gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice: "Fourth brother, tell me what you want me to do."

Hearing this, Li Tai's face suddenly broke into smiles.
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East Palace, rear hall.

In the quiet courtyard, the afternoon sun shines down, bringing a touch of warmth.

Li Chengqian was wearing a moon-white brocade robe, with an upright posture and a faint smile on his handsome face.

He sat on a low stool, looking intently at the bluestone slab in front of him. The flames under the slab were dancing, reflecting the redness of his eyes.

Crown Princess Su Yu'er was wearing a light pink silk dress, with long black hair and a beautiful face. She leaned forward slightly, picked up a piece of freshly roasted meat, and put it into her mouth to taste it carefully.

Instantly, her eyes lit up and she exclaimed, "Your Highness, this barbecue is really good."

Today is a rare time for couples.

There are grand events in the palace during the Lantern Festival, and Du He also needs to be busy.

Li Dejian was training the government soldiers outside the city, and the government soldiers also had performances.

Zhao Jie and Li Yuanchang have already gone to Chang'an City to have fun.

After all, Chang'an City is the most lively today.

According to convention, after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the palace would hold another banquet the next day and all the princes would return to their fiefdoms.

Officials who come back from other places to report on their work must also go back to continue their local duties.

The two sat opposite each other, with the meat sizzling under the flames on the bluestone slab in the middle, giving off an alluring aroma. The guards beside them skillfully cut the beef and mutton into thin slices, while the palace maids carefully placed the meat slices on the bluestone slab with skillful and elegant movements.

Hearing this, Li Chengqian raised the corners of his mouth, sprinkled a layer of pepper on the freshly grilled meat slices, and placed them in front of Su Yuer.

“Try this, it tastes better.”

Su Yuer picked up a piece of meat and took a light bite. The tender meat and rich aroma spread in her mouth, making her intoxicated.

"Your Highness, where did you learn the barbecue skills?" Su Yuer asked curiously.

Li Chengqian was slightly stunned, then smiled and said, "I heard that it is quite popular in the West. After listening to a few words, I tried it according to my own ideas."

Hearing about the West, Su Yuer hesitated, and then asked: "I heard rumors outside that His Highness is supporting the Roman delegation."

Li Chengqian nodded: "That's right."

Su Yuer asked, "I heard that Rome is thousands of miles away from the Tang Dynasty. It took the Roman delegation a year or so to get here, and they had to cross mountains, vast oceans, and desolate deserts."

"If we ally with Rome, it doesn't seem to be of much benefit to our Tang Dynasty."

Li Chengqian was a little surprised and asked, "Why are you suddenly concerned about these things?"

Su Yuer was a little embarrassed and said, "It's just that I always hear people mention it, so I'm a little curious."

Li Chengqian looked at Su Yu'er carefully, and felt that she had other intentions. He then explained: "Together with Rome, to make friends with those far away and to attack those near. Now the Arab Empire near the Western Regions is rising rapidly."

"Although the Persian Empire has not yet perished, its capital has been lost, and Rome has also lost a large amount of its territory."

"I am not worried that the Arabs will directly attack our Tang Dynasty, but once they stabilize, they will inevitably have a significant impact on our Tang Dynasty."

"For example, Tibet seems to be on good terms with our Tang Dynasty, but once it grows stronger, will it still be content with the plateau?"

"The Arabs have no shortage of smart people. They can support the Tibetan rebellion and destroy our Tang Dynasty."

"Or support and instigate other countries around the Tang Dynasty."

"Although it is just speculation, we must guard against it, and curbing the development of the Arabs is naturally in the best interests of our Tang Dynasty."

Li Chengqian's vision is completely different from before. He thinks about problems from the perspective of history and the Tang Dynasty.

From the time he succeeded to the throne at Xuanwu Gate to the time when he rebelled, these things were just a natural outcome for him.

The saltpeter stored in the East Palace has reached a very terrifying amount after a long period of continuous acquisition.

The best breakthrough point for the layout of the Tang Dynasty imperial court is from Xuanwu Gate.

Li Shimin also knew this, after all, that was how he himself went through life.

Therefore, a large number of elite troops were deployed at Xuanwu Gate, and Zhang Ananda was in charge of these elite troops.

Theoretically speaking, even with tens of thousands of troops, it would be difficult to break through the Xuanwu Gate in a short period of time.

But is this a problem for Li Chengqian? The small Xuanwu Gate was blown up by him.

Treat the explosive pack as a decoration.

After hearing this, Crown Princess Su Yuer also had a clue in her mind.

He asked tentatively, "I heard that there is a very beautiful princess in the Roman delegation. Has Your Highness seen her?"

Hearing this, Li Chengqian suddenly remembered the time when the Roman delegation came to meet him in Taiji Hall.

Although the distance was far, Li Chengqian had good eyesight.

I was indeed amazed by the beauty of the Roman princess.

"I've seen it, it's really good." Li Chengqian admitted directly.

Su Yuer asked again: "Your Highness, have you ever thought about taking her as your concubine?"

Li Chengqian couldn't help but laugh and said, "Why are you still concerned about these things? Isn't it good enough that I only favor you?"

In the Eastern Palace, apart from the Crown Princess Su Yuer, there are no other concubines.

Li Chengqian didn't care about these things. If it was just about beauty, marrying a concubine would have no effect on him.

Anyway, no matter which one you want to sleep with, it’s just a matter of doing it.

Although there were no other concubines, Li Chengqian did not only slept with the Crown Princess.

Many of the maids who slept with him had been favored by the emperor before.

"I don't want to be called a jealous woman. If Your Highness feels good, then take Princess Roma as your consort."

"This way, Your Highness will have a reason to support Rome, and he can also win the beauty. It's a two-birds-at-one deal."

"Besides, I heard that Rome is also a big country, with a territory and population that is not less than that of the Tang Dynasty, so it can be considered a good match."

Su Yuer said very seriously.

The reason he thought so was that his father Su Tan had talked to him about this.

Because if the prince ascends the throne, it is impossible for him to have only one queen. He will definitely take in more concubines. This is something that is bound to happen.

The Su family's foundation is too weak, and it is inevitable that there will be power struggles in the harem.

Coupled with external influences, it will naturally have an impact on Su Yuer's power.

Su Tan also knew that his daughter was very inexperienced when it came to power struggles.

But if this concubine was a Roman princess, then there would be no impact on Su Yuer.

Taking all factors into consideration, it would be most beneficial to let the Roman princess become the prince's concubine.

When Su Yuer asked about the Roman delegation earlier, she was testing the prince's attitude.

Li Chengqian neither refused nor agreed, and said, "We'll see about these things when the time comes."

Seeing this, Su Yuer said, "I heard that the Roman delegation will also go to the Lantern Festival Poetry Festival tonight. I have to take a good look."

Li Chengqian smiled and did not continue the topic.

Li Chengqian would naturally not refuse to have Princess Naroma as his consort, but he was still a little uncomfortable talking about another woman in front of his wife.

After finishing the barbecue, a long time passed while the prince was reading a lot of documents in calligraphy. Then the eunuch Wen Zhong said, "Your Highness, a few days ago you asked me to find a manager who can manage the Jinzhou coal mine. Now the county lieutenant Ji Zhaoji has finally provided someone."

Li Chengqian asked: "Tell me about it in detail."

The eunuch Wen Zhong continued, "This man is called Luo Hui, and he is quite famous in Chang'an City."

Wen Zhong told the story in detail. The reason he didn't say it before was because the prince was eating barbecue.

This Luo Hui is doing Ye Xianglang's work. If he ruins His Highness's appetite, it will be his fault.

In fact, the matter concerning Luo Hui has been reported to Wen Zhong for a few days.

The reason why it has been suppressed and not reported is because Luo Hui's business is too low-class. Wen Zhong wants to wait and see if he can find other more suitable people.

Until today, there have been quite a few people provided by the lower levels, but they are far inferior to Luo Hui.

After all, Luo Hui has thousands of Yaxianglang working for him, as well as stable sales channels, which is equivalent to having experience in large-scale project management.

Other shop owners usually manage only a few dozen people at most. They don't have the experience of managing thousands of people like Luo Hui.

The prince's plan to open a coal mine in Jinzhou is very similar to Luo Hui's situation.

After processing, transportation of mined minerals is also a big problem.

Mr. Luo has extensive management experience and is also experienced in transportation.

In contrast, the advantages are very prominent.

After listening to this, Li Chengqian nodded and said, "That's him. Let's arrange for him to meet me at the poetry gathering tonight."

The eunuch Wen Zhong bowed and said, "Yes, Your Highness."

Taiji Palace, harem.

Concubine Yang looked worried.

As the sky gradually darkened, I became anxious.

She regretted inviting the prince to the Lantern Festival Poetry Party.

Because of the expulsion of the Koreans, his son Li Ke told him that these Koreans were likely to take revenge on the prince at the Lantern Festival Poetry Festival.

If the prince suffers any harm, it will be her fault.

The most important thing is that she wanted to curry favor with the prince. In this way, the prince might suspect that she and the King of Wei were plotting something.

But it is even more impossible to say now that the prince cannot go.

I can only wait and see.

Inside Chang'an City.

Luo Hui has been very nervous these days, since Ji Zhao told him that he had reported his situation to the Eastern Palace.

Several days have passed and there is still no news.

It's most likely yellow.

As expected, I was too wishful thinking.

With the prince's status, how could he possibly look down on a Yexianglang like me?

He knew that the prince would go to Furong Garden today to attend the Lantern Festival Poetry Festival.

But with his identity, he doesn't even have the qualifications to enter.

A poetry gathering of this scale requires a visiting card.

Just when he was feeling discouraged, Ji Zhao suddenly came to visit.

"Brother Ji, are you here to laugh at me?" Luo Hui said dejectedly.

Ji Zhao took out his business card from his pocket and placed it on the table.

During the Tang Dynasty, a business card meant an invitation letter.

"I'm here to give Brother Luo a surprise."

Luo Hui widened his eyes, looked at the business card on the table, and said in disbelief: "This, this is..."

Ji Zhao smiled and explained, "Just now, the Eastern Palace sent a message that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was very interested in Brother Luo's news."

"This is the business card for the Lantern Festival Poetry Festival hosted by Concubine Yang in Hibiscus Garden tonight. Brother Luo can meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in person then."

"After I got this business card, I didn't even have dinner before I gave it to Brother Luo."

"If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince values ​​you, Brother Luo will surely rise to prominence in the future."

(End of this chapter)