My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 160 Let Helan Chushi betray the prince

East Palace, side hall.

Li Chengqian met with Prince of Qi Li You.

"You mean, the King of Wei asked you to accuse me of treason?"

Li Chengqian asked calmly.

After listening to the story told by King Qi Li You, I immediately understood.

On that day, Fang Xuanling definitely went to the Dali Temple to meet Yin Hongzhi.

The reason why my father-in-law Su Tan failed to find out the truth after several attempts was because of Fang Xuanling's arrangement.

It seems that even in the Dali Temple, Fang Xuanling still has a strong influence there.

This is not surprising. After all, Fang Xuanling is an old minister who has followed Erfeng. There is no sign of him abdicating and he is still at the pinnacle of power.

If one wants to act secretly and not be discovered, it is normal to have this ability.

"Brother, I pretended to agree to the King of Wei. I originally wanted to wait for the King of Wei to tell me the details of the plan before reporting to you."

"Who would have thought that since then, the King of Wei seemed to have forgotten about the incident and never came again."

"At that time, he also bewitched me and said that my elder brother was just using me and would not care about me after the treason case was over."

"How can I believe this? Big brother is so kind to me. I am always grateful in my heart."

"It's just a pity that I was unable to find out the King of Wei's specific plan."

"But don't worry, brother. If the King of Wei comes to see me again, I will definitely help you find out the situation."

King Qi Li You said this solemnly.

Li Chengqian smiled when he heard this.

The meaning of these words was so obvious, how could he not hear it?

So he asked, "Do you think that you are the kind of person who will abandon the donkey after it has done its work?"

Qi Wang Li You waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Of course not, of course not."

Li Chengqian said: "Your rebellion was originally caused by Yin Hongzhi's instigation. No one knows this better than me."

"After all, for you, being an emperor is worse than being a vassal king. The emperor has to deal with so many government affairs every day. How can you take care of them? Even if you become an emperor, you will be a complete tyrant."

The words may be rough, but the truth is there. King Li You of Qi also knows his own worth.

He affirmed: "Brother is right."

Li Chengqian sighed slightly and said, "Look at the Tang Dynasty. Since the previous dynasty opened the imperial examination, although some poor students have been able to go against the tide, they have to rely on famous scholars and aristocratic families."

"Otherwise, if you fail in investment banking, you won't even have a chance to get promoted."

"The imperial examination system only selected the poor nobles, and it never gave ordinary people a chance."

"The five surnames and seven noble families are all over the court. Officials protect each other, and relatives protect each other. Even my father has to give way sometimes."

"My father's divine power is unparalleled, and his might shakes the world. I am not as good as him."

"It is said that brothers of one mind can break metal. Father has no brothers and does not need them, but I do."

"If you were in my position, would you trust those officials from the aristocratic families or your own brothers from your bloodline?"

King Qi Li You suddenly realized what his elder brother was thinking.

It turned out that he wanted to support all his brothers, let the princes control power, and thus suppress the officials from the aristocratic families.

At this moment, he remembered that at the New Year's Eve Banquet, his eldest brother knew the situation of each of his brothers very well. Previously, everyone thought that it was his eldest brother who was secretly monitoring them.

Now I understand that it was the care and love for my brothers.

Qi Wang Li You was also a little clever. Hearing this, he did not follow his elder brother's words and say what he would do if he were the crown prince. Instead, he said sincerely, "I will always cheer for you and fight for you."

Li Chengqian nodded with satisfaction.

There is no need to wave flags and shout slogans, but charging into battle is definitely necessary.

Just because the fifth brother is so sincere, he must be made the King of Silla or the King of Baekje.

Li Chengqian has always liked the Zhou Dynasty's feudal system.

Looking back to the time when our ancestors, Qin Shi Huang, were granted fiefdoms in a certain area, and only then did the country gradually develop.

At least the world is peaceful now, and it is not like the Yan State, which had a historical gap of hundreds of years and could not contact the emperor.

What kind of situation would it be to keep all the princes confined within the country?

The fiefdom means to be sealed off outside.

The princes of the Tang Dynasty were supposed to expand the territory and guard the borders.

If you indulge in pleasure, you will only die in sorrow.

This can also greatly reduce the possibility of princes seizing power. A prince is an overseas military base, which is a great thing.

That is to say, America has not been developed yet. Otherwise, such a large area would be larger than the Tang Dynasty, and it would not be excessive to enfeoff dozens or hundreds of princes.

From now on, the princes of the Tang Dynasty will no longer have to worry about having nowhere to go.

Li Chengqian felt that he was very noble. He thought that he would let the prince suffer and take the blame.

King Qi Li You naturally didn't know what his elder brother was thinking, but he felt very happy when he heard this.

He thought he would be trapped in Chang'an forever, but he didn't expect that his elder brother had already made up his mind and wanted to make him king again.

That's true. The officials in the court are not as close as brothers. These are real brothers. Even if their bones are broken, they are still connected by tendons.

"This minister must be spying on the King of Wei's plot for my elder brother."

Thinking of this, King Qi Li You added.

Li Chengqian shook his head slightly: "No need, if I'm not mistaken, the King of Wei will not look for you again."

"And I think he has already heard about your visit to the East Palace today."

Qi Wang Li You was shocked: "Ah? This, can't be."

"If he doesn't believe me, why would he come to me?"

Li Chengqian explained: "On the day of the New Year's banquet, Fang Xuanling left early. I sent someone to inquire about it. He did not return home immediately, but went to some other place."

"I just searched for a long time about where to go, but I still can't think of any news."

"I guess he might have gone to the Dali Temple to see your grandfather, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find out that Fang Xuanling had been there."

"Now that you tell me that the King of Wei went to see you, we can be sure that Fang Xuanling must have gone to see your uncle."

Prince of Qi Li You was a little confused.

What do you mean by "The King of Wei came to find me"? Fang Xuanling actually went to find my uncle.

What kind of logic is this.

Although I don’t understand, but what you said must be right.

After a little thought, King Qi Li You became a little angry.

Originally he felt somewhat guilty for betraying the King of Wei, but now he has no psychological burden at all.

Now it seems that all the nice things Fourth Brother said were actually just lies.

As expected, the eldest brother is the most reliable, and my choice was not wrong.

"The King of Wei is really despicable."

King Qi Li You started to curse.

Li Chengqian thought for a moment and said, "One of the things the King of Wei said is quite realistic. After all, the case of treason has not been decided yet. When the emperor learns of your situation, he may be furious and exile you to Lingnan."

"Maybe by then, even I won't be able to stop it, and this will be my negligence."

Qi Wang Li You hurriedly said: "Brother, please save me. I don't want to be exiled to Lingnan."

Li Chengqian looked thoughtful.

If the King of Qi hadn't been so useless, he would not have been exiled to Lingnan, but would have been granted the fiefdom of Lingnan.

In the Tang Dynasty, Lingnan referred to the area south of the Five Ridges in the south.

The Five Ridges are composed of five mountains: Yuecheng Ridge, Dupang Ridge, Mengzhu Ridge, Qitian Ridge and Dayu Ridge.

Compared with later generations, the main scope is the entire territory of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, and parts of Hunan, Jiangxi and other provinces.

Such an important region naturally needs to be divided into vassal states, and the southern part should be developed to seek welfare for future generations. The conditions are a bit difficult now, but after development, it will be an economic powerhouse.

"Well, I've come up with a solution for now."

"It's not a good idea for you to stay in Yanfufang all the time. I will arrange for you to go to the Military Academy and study with the students."

"But first of all, if you go to the Military Academy, you must not reveal your identity as the King of Qi to others, and you must be treated the same as other students."

"Don't say that my elder brother treats you harshly. My eldest son, Li Xiang, is now thirteen years old and is already in the Military Academy."

"Try to behave better and change your bad habits. Then I will ask the emperor for mercy, and nothing will happen."

"If you perform well, maybe your father will agree to send you to another fiefdom and give you the title of governor."

Li Chengqian actually felt that Prince of Qi Li You could still be saved, and the reason why he became what he is now was still a problem of education.

If he were to go to the Military Academy to hone his skills, with strict discipline and tough physical training, perhaps there would be different changes.

It’s no big deal if I fail, it’s already like this anyway.

"Okay, I'll listen to you, big brother."

King Qi Li You agreed immediately.

He had heard of the Military Academy and thought that it should be similar to studying at the Hongwenguan.

Although it is a bit boring, as long as you can get through it, everything will change.

Now he has not realized what the real Military Academy looks like.
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In the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism and Taoism were prevalent.

Li Shimin prayed for Empress Changsun and the Crown Prince many times and built a large number of Taoist temples.

This has led to the prosperity of Buddhism to a certain extent. After all, even saints pray to gods and worship Buddhas, let alone ordinary people.

However, Taoist temples today are not only religious places, but also often become places for socializing.

The social interaction here mainly refers to the women from high-ranking officials and noble families.

The Tang Dynasty might not necessarily have had the highest status for women, but it was definitely the dynasty with the least restrictions on women.

Clothing, marriage, education, even compared with later generations, are not bad.

Of course, there are still some differences compared to men, and traditional moral concepts still have a great influence.

So when it comes to social activities, it is naturally impossible to hold them in places like taverns.

Temples and Taoist temples that are relatively quiet and peaceful have become the first choice.

Jingshanfang, Daxingshan Temple.

It is located in the middle area of ​​Zhuque Street, and the entire Jingshanfang is basically the scope of Daxingshan Temple.

It was first built in the second year of Taishi reign of Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty, and was originally named "Zunshan Temple". Later, it was expanded on a large scale during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty, and became one of the largest Buddhist temples in Chang'an City.

Because of its convenient location and its inherent fame, it naturally became the best social place for women.

There is no such thing as not welcoming women nowadays. The fact that temples did not welcome women only appeared during the Song and Ming dynasties, when the rise of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism led to the tightening of social restrictions on women.

There are a large number of quiet rooms, tea rooms, pavilions and towers specially built for women in Daxingshan Temple.

Alcohol is prohibited in temples, so tea culture is prevalent inside the temples, with tea tasting and snacks being the most popular.

At this time, the backyard Zen garden.

A tea ceremony held by Cheng Yaojin's wife, the legitimate daughter of Qinghe Cui, is in progress.

"Chang Yan, if you ask me, there is no man who doesn't cheat. It's normal for him to eat what's in the bowl and keep his eyes on what's in the pot."

"It's just a small matter, what's there to worry about? You can't stay at home forever."

"Your husband has been locked up for a long time, right? It's not a big deal. After such a long time, he should have learned his lesson."

"Can you keep him locked up for life?"

Hou Changyan was the daughter of Hou Junji and the wife of Helan Chushi.

She actually looks pretty good, with delicate features and fair skin, but her figure is very noble.

There was indeed a saying in the Tang Dynasty that being fat was beautiful, but this was not the mainstream aesthetic. There was a wide variety of delicious food in the Tang Dynasty, and noble ladies and young ladies naturally ate a lot, so their bodies became fat.

But it is very impolite to call a lady "fat" or "Miss".

This is why we say plump.

When a young lady from a wealthy family gets married, the man cannot be said to care much about her status. This led to the emergence of words and poems that regard fat as beautiful, and this gradually spread.

When Hou Changyan heard this, she replied, "It's not that we want to lock him up for life, we just want to teach him a lesson. It's fine if he flirts with other women outside, but he beat someone to death just for the sake of a lowly Hu Ji."

"Do you still want to save the reputation of my Hou family?"

A friend advised: "Dali Temple is investigating the case. It's not your husband who killed the person. He was framed."

Hou Changyan nodded: "He was framed, but the news of him competing with others for Hu Ji eventually spread."

"When he was imprisoned in the Dali Temple, I didn't dare to show up for a long time, for fear of being ridiculed by the sisters."

In Hou Changyan's opinion, beating someone to death is nothing. If it happened somewhere else or about other things, she wouldn't care.

Considering her father's contributions and her status as a Qianniu of the Eastern Palace, what is there to worry about?

But in a place like a tavern, competing with others for a Hu girl is very unpleasant.

What? Is it that domestic flowers are not as fragrant as wild flowers?

Or maybe she, as a wife, cannot feed her husband enough.

It feels so shameful.

"Changyan, let me tell you, a man can't be locked up all the time. If he's locked up for too long, his spirit will be gone."

"He is your husband after all. If you keep him locked up all the time, won't it alienate him from the prince?"

"The prince is so famous now, and your husband is his confidant. Doing this will easily ruin his future."

Hou Changyan was somewhat tempted by her friend's words. The prince now had a great reputation in Chang'an City, especially the poem "Qingyu'an Yuanxi", which was widely circulated among the noble ladies.

However, Hou Changyan still didn't let it go, saying: "Humph, he got the job as a Qianniu in the Eastern Palace because of my father's relationship. If my father hadn't helped him, would he have been able to get to the Eastern Palace?"

At this point, Hou Changyan suddenly smiled and said, "But you, you have been helping him like this, could it be that you have some ideas?"

“It’s not impossible”

My friend immediately covered his mouth and laughed: "Hey, Changyan, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Hou Changyan pursed her lips and said, "If your husband can't feed you, then let my husband help you."

These words made the two of them laugh immediately.

Women can be bolder than men when talking about personal matters.

Helan Chushi could be considered a handsome man. Although he had a good background as a descendant of Helan from the Xianbei tribe, his family had fallen on hard times.

The Tang Dynasty emphasized matching of family backgrounds, and marrying him to the daughter of Hou Junji was still a little lacking.

But in the Tang Dynasty, freedom of marriage was emphasized to a large extent.

Helan Chushi is a handsome man, tall and strong, so it is normal for Hou Changyan to fall in love with him.

After the tea ceremony.

Hou Changyan's friend did not rush back, but went to another courtyard.

In the courtyard, a servant was waiting.

Seeing the lady coming, the servants hurried to greet her.

"I wonder if the lady has agreed."

The noble lady replied, "Of course it has been agreed upon. Tell your master that Helan Chushi should be released in less than two days."

The servant quickly took out a small cloth bag. The lady took it, checked it and weighed it, and immediately smiled.

Twenty taels of silver and a few words, it's really a good job.

"Who is your young master? Why is he so generous?" The lady was a little curious.

The servant replied, "It is inconvenient to reveal the identity of my young master. Please forgive me, Madam."

The lady didn't care, since the money was already in her hands.

(End of this chapter)