My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 193 Fang Xuanling: You are forcing the Crown Prince to rebel
"Your Highness, the Grand Astrologer Guo Zheng, is extremely terrified and bows his head a hundred times in homage."

"The interaction between heaven and man, auspicious signs and disasters all have their signs. Now that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has had a dream, this must be something extraordinary. Although I am of a lowly position, I dare not take this matter lightly."

"The duty of the Grand Diviner is to observe the heavens and the earth to predict good or bad luck. I have searched the classics and found that many ancient books record that strange dreams are often related to the fate of the country and the safety of the country. The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne, and his dreams must be carefully observed."

"I think the prince's dream has a great impact. It may be a warning from heaven, or it may be a teaching from our ancestors. We should hold a grand sacrificial ceremony to inform the heaven, earth and ancestors and pray for their protection."

"First, it can calm the people's hearts; second, it can show your majesty's respect for heaven and ancestors; third, it can ensure the long-term stability of the country."

"I only hope that Your Majesty will accept my advice and hold a grand sacrificial ceremony to ensure the prosperity of our dynasty."

"I am extremely terrified and I am reporting this with all my heart."

Tai Chi Palace, Liang Yi Palace.

After reading the memorial, Li Shimin frowned slightly.

If it had been two months ago, I would have agreed.

But now the war has begun, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians are already on the way. It feels a little inappropriate to hold a sacrifice at this time.

After a brief thought, Li Shimin convened a meeting of the emperor and his ministers.

"Call Wei Zheng, Chu Suiliang, Zhangsun Wuji, and Fang Xuanling to discuss this matter."

The meetings between the emperor and his ministers were not limited to the morning. Li Shimin could summon them at any time when he encountered difficult decisions.

The imperial city is only about Chengtian Gate away from the Forbidden City.

Zhang Ananda received the order and sent a eunuch to pass the message.

Soon, the four men came over and greeted each other one by one.

"Give me a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Li Shimin asked Zhang Ananda to pass the memorial to everyone.

Then he asked, "What do you think?"

Fang Xuanling's heart was beating fast and his brows were slightly furrowed.

He knew that Guo Zheng, the Grand Astrologer, was a member of the King of Wei's party.

The matter of dream interpretation was not a big deal, and Fang Xuanling did not take it to heart, but Guo Zheng brought up the matter of sacrifice.

A little thought will make it clear that Guo Zheng has no courage to do this. It is obvious that someone is instigating him.

It is not difficult to guess that it is undoubtedly the King of Wei.

Fang Xuanling sighed inwardly. He deliberately did not inform King Wei about his visit to the palace to meet the emperor because he was worried that King Wei would act on his own and provoke the prince, which would lead to unpredictable consequences.

This kind of thing probably could not be thought of by the King of Wei, it must have been suggested by his subordinates.

He saw through the possibility that the prince would leave Chang'an at night and used this to try to sow discord between them.

While Fang Xuanling was thinking, Changsun Wuji had already spoken: "Your Majesty, I think that this expedition to Goryeo should be accompanied by a sacrificial ceremony."

"The prince had a dream. This is definitely not an ordinary thing."

"The Analects of Confucius says: 'Sacrifice as if the gods are present; sacrifice to gods as if the gods are present.' Sacrifice is a manifestation of our reverence and should not be taken lightly."

"When King Wu of Zhou attacked King Zhou, he also performed a sacrificial ceremony before he set out to show his determination to enforce justice on behalf of heaven. In the end, he gained the support of 800 princes and accomplished his great cause."

"The prince's dream may be a warning from heaven. If our Tang Dynasty wants to conquer Goryeo, we should follow the example of the ancients and offer sacrifices to calm the people and gather morale. This can also be a way to respond to the will of heaven."

"Moreover, the Book of Rites says: 'In all ways of governing people, nothing is more urgent than ritual. There are five classics of ritual, and none is more important than sacrifice.' Sacrifice is the most important of rituals. This expedition to Goryeo is related to the safety of the country. Performing the ritual of sacrifice can pray for the protection of heaven and earth and ancestors, and help our Tang soldiers win the battle."

After hearing what Changsun Wuji said, Li Shimin nodded slightly, feeling that it made sense.

Fang Xuanling was completely speechless.

He knew that Zhangsun Wuji was doing this to protect the prince's reputation, but he didn't know the news, so he really meant well but ended up doing something bad.

If the sacrificial ceremony is completed, Your Majesty will summon the Crown Prince back to the palace to participate in the sacrifice. But now the Crown Prince is afraid, so how can he be willing or dare to return to the palace?

He immediately argued, "I beg to differ."

"The expedition to Goryeo is for the stability of the country and the peace of the border. We should win with military strength and strategy. Although sacrifices have existed since ancient times, they may not be necessary in the current situation."

"In the past, Qin Shi Huang's Qin Shi Huang swept across the six kingdoms with his army of tigers and wolves. This was due to the strong national strength after Shang Yang's reforms and the bravery of the Qin army, not the merit of sacrifice."

"Now that the army has been on the march for several months, holding a sacrifice again would be like trying to make up for the loss."

After listening to this, Li Shimin nodded slightly. What Fang Xuanling said made sense.

The troops have already been dispatched, so it seems inappropriate to offer sacrifices again.

Wei Zheng glanced at Fang Xuanling.

Personal relationships are personal relationships, and official business is official business.

There was no open party in the court, but there was a secret party fighting between the Crown Prince and the King of Wei.

Wei Zheng was the Prince's Junior Tutor, so he naturally supported the Prince's party.

So he opened his mouth to refute: "Mr. Fang is wrong."

"Sacrifices are not simply for seeking the blessing of the gods, but also a way to unite people and demonstrate the majesty of the country."

"If you cherish the memory of your ancestors, the people will become more virtuous. Going to war is a big event, and offering sacrifices can show your majesty's prudence, and it can also let the soldiers and the people know that your majesty cherishes your ancestors and respects heaven and earth. In this way, everyone will be united and morale will be greatly boosted."

"Moreover, the prince's dream must be carefully observed, as it may be a revelation from heaven to our Tang Dynasty. We should respond with sacrifices to show our Tang Dynasty's reverence for the gods of heaven and earth."

Fang Xuanling was tired, and now the attack and defense had changed.

Without knowing the situation, it seemed that he was protecting the prince and everyone was provoking the prince.

All he could do was respond, "King Wu's attack on King Zhou was an ancient event, and the times are different."

"Now that the Tang Dynasty is strong, your majesty is wise, and the soldiers are willing to sacrifice their lives, why do we need to rely on sacrifices to boost morale?"

"Moreover, if the sacrifice is half-opened, it will reduce the prestige of the Tang Dynasty and increase the prestige of Goryeo. In the eyes of many soldiers, could it be that the Tang Dynasty is afraid of Goryeo, so they think that the court is worried about the outcome of the war and is holding the sacrifice?"

"As for the prince's dream, it may just be a coincidence and should not be over-interpreted."

The words just fell here.

Chu Suiliang stood up again and said: "What you should be careful about are: fighting, war, and illness. War and sacrifice are both important matters and must be treated with caution. You can follow the ancient system and keep it simple."

"In rituals, it is better to be frugal than extravagant; in funerals, it is better to be sad than easy. The ritual of sacrifice is to be sincere and not to be too extravagant. This can achieve the purpose of sacrifice, avoid wasting money and labor, and even respond to the prince's dream."

What a great scene of three heroes fighting Lu Bu.

Fang Xuanling is not Zhuge Liang, and he cannot engage in debates with other scholars.

Even if you have two fists, how can you defeat four hands?

I tried hard to maintain the situation, but everyone was in the game and didn't understand why.

But how can I talk about such things? I am powerless to do anything about it.

The situation is now becoming clear. In Li Shimin's view, except for Fang Xuanling's opposition.

Zhangsun Wuji, Wei Zheng, and Chu Suiliang all agreed.

So he made the final decision: "The matter of sacrifice is related to the fate of the country and the people's hearts. Although the army has been dispatched, the prince's dream must be observed."

"We will follow the ancient system and conduct the sacrificial ceremony in a simple manner to calm the people, show respect for the ancestors, and ensure the prosperity of the country."

"What Lord Fang is worried about is reasonable, but we should consider the overall situation first. This sacrifice should be done quickly and not delayed, so as not to shake the morale of the army and the people."

Li Shimin glanced at everyone with a serious expression: "You all should work together to ensure that the sacrifice goes smoothly, add momentum to the war against Goryeo, and help our Tang soldiers return triumphantly."

Everyone responded in unison: "Your Majesty is wise."

At this point, Fang Xuanling could no longer object.

After the meeting.

Fang Xuanling just felt bitter in his heart.

He wanted to reprimand the King of Wei, but he couldn't tell him the truth.

If the King of Wei knew the reason, he would definitely take it as an opportunity to launch an offensive against the Crown Prince. In the eyes of the King of Wei, he naturally felt that the Crown Prince could not be better than Your Majesty.

If the crown prince rebels, Your Majesty will depose him and succeed to the throne.

How can the turmoil in the country be compared with the fight for the throne?

In the government office, Fang Xuanling rarely did not handle government affairs.

Instead, I am thinking about how to break the deadlock.

Your Majesty is unaware of the situation and is considering the prince's interests in offering sacrifices.

However, the prince was unaware of the situation. At such a critical moment, if he suddenly performed the sacrifice, he would certainly be suspicious and regard Chang'an as a dangerous place.

The prince is of a cautious nature and will definitely not return to the palace, so he made an excuse to decline.

If this happens, Your Majesty will become suspicious again.

The prince commands a large army, so why is he unwilling to take part in the sacrifice? Does he have some plan?

As a result, the situation became chaotic, suspicion arose, and internal strife was imminent.

There were two options before Fang Xuanling.

The first thing is to appease the prince.

They had no choice but to try every possible means to get the prince back to the palace to participate in the sacrifice.

Although this may be dangerous, there will be no bad consequences.

The other is to depose the crown prince.

It would be better to go all out, follow the situation, make plans early, and force the prince to rebel.

Fang Xuanling fell into deep thought, tapping his fingertips lightly on the desk.

To force the crown prince to rebel, one must first protect the King of Wei and his army.

However, if we start making arrangements now, it will be difficult to escape the prince's sight.

The prince must be keeping a close eye on the Chang'an army at this moment, but if there is any mobilization, he will directly take action and plunder the King of Wei's camp.

The weather is hot now, and the King of Wei's army is unprepared. They are not wearing armor during training, so how can they defeat 5,000 heavy cavalry?

I'm afraid that if one wave of attacks continues, it will completely collapse.

All military equipment and supplies belong to the prince.

In Chang'an, the troops were hastily mobilized, so how could they carry out the siege?

After thinking for a while, Fang Xuanling still couldn't come up with a perfect plan.

The prince is now in power, and it will be extremely difficult to cut him off.

After much deliberation, Fang Xuanling's expression changed, and he finally gave up the idea of ​​forcing the prince to rebel, and decided to take the path of appeasing the prince.

On Li Shimin's side, after confirming it, he quickly issued an imperial edict to announce it.

Three days later, sacrifices will be held in the ancestral temple.

Li Shimin immediately arranged for someone to send a letter to the prince's military camp outside the city.

I don’t have any other ideas.

This sacrifice was entirely caused by the prince's dream, so the prince naturally had to participate in the sacrifice.

The angel rode at full speed and delivered the document to the prince's camp at sunset.

When Li Chengqian took the document and opened it, his face suddenly darkened.

The document only reads:
The great Tang Dynasty, with its mighty power, is now conquering Korea. The Crown Prince has a dream, which indicates extraordinary things to come.

Performing grand sacrificial ceremonies is a message from heaven and a warning from ancestors.

Recalling King Wu's conquest of King Zhou, offering sacrifices to show his determination and building a great cause. Our Tang Dynasty inherits the destiny of heaven and the virtue of the emperor. Now we are fighting against Goryeo, and our soldiers are willing to sacrifice their lives.

I hope that the gods of heaven and earth will witness my sincerity, grant victory to the Tang Dynasty, protect the safety of our soldiers, bless the people, and ensure long-term stability and prosperity for our country.

I hope you will enjoy it!

Li Chengqian didn't expect that he would make up an excuse and open the Xiacheng Gate on the grounds of dreaming.

As a result, after he threw a punch, he was hit hard again.

Erfeng's move was truly impeccable.

Putting him in a dilemma.

It’s not right to reply, and it’s not right not to reply.

He wanted to rebel directly, but he was hesitant.

A military meeting was immediately convened.

Su Dingfang, Li Dejian and Helan Chushi were called in to discuss the matter.

Inside the big tent, Li Chengqian passed the document around to the three of them.

Then he said, "My father wants to hold a grand sacrificial ceremony. I am afraid there is a trick and he wants to trick me back to the city. What do you think I should do?"

Su Dingfang said firmly, "This matter is indeed strange. Your Majesty is holding a sacrifice for the prince's dream at this time. The timing is delicate and we must be on guard."

"A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. Your Highness is in a delicate situation now. You must not act rashly."

"Back then, King Fuchai of Wu led his army to attack Qi, and King Goujian of Yue took the opportunity to raise his army, which eventually led to the demise of Wu. If Your Highness returns to the city rashly, you may fall into danger and repeat the mistakes of King Fuchai of Wu."

"Your Majesty is holding a sacrifice to lure Your Highness back to the city. If Your Highness falls into the trap, the consequences will be disastrous."

Su Dingfang was a staunch advocate of war. In his view, rebellion seemed inevitable, so it would be better to just go for it and do it with all your might, leaving life and death to fate, victory or defeat to destiny.

Fang Xuanling must have secretly reported the Crown Prince to the police for treason. Your Majesty's many actions were only intended to strip the Crown Prince of his military power and place him under house arrest before investigating the treason.

However, Su Dingfang now knows that the prince has been preparing for a rebellion for many years, so he must have left behind many evidences.

How can it withstand scrutiny?

Once their conspiracy is exposed, these people will be beheaded and exiled, and they will not gain any benefits.

In contrast, turning passivity into initiative, occupying Luoyang, and dividing half of the world, even if losing, it would take a thrilling battle.

Su Dingfang didn't want to die in frustration. Even if he died, he wanted to die heroically on the battlefield.

Li Dejian also echoed, "Your Highness, General Su is right. We must not fall into his trap so easily."

"Think about the time when Chu and Han were fighting, Xiang Yu trusted Liu Bang's promise and went to Gaixia, where he was eventually ambushed from all sides and ended up committing suicide by slashing his own throat at the Wujiang River. Your Highness must not repeat Xiang Yu's mistakes."

Li Dejian was also a decisive man. At this point, he was only half a step away from rebellion.

In comparison, Helan Chushi was a little worried.

He grew up hearing about Your Majesty's reputation. Although the Crown Prince has 5,000 cavalry, everyone in the Tang Dynasty knows Your Majesty's abilities.

The vast Tang Dynasty was almost entirely conquered by Your Majesty.

During the chaotic times at the end of the Sui Dynasty, the Li family was not in an advantageous position, but they were able to finally rule the world and establish the Tang Dynasty.

Your Majesty should take seven points of the credit.

Moreover, Your Majesty is the emperor who fought his way out of the midst of thousands of troops and has many famous generals under his command. How can the prince turn defeat into victory with only 5,000 cavalry?

Although the strategy of dominating Luoyang is a good one, people's hearts are unpredictable. Luoyang was once your majesty's base and the people's will. Can the prince really completely control Luoyang?

After thinking for a moment, Helan Chushi said, "I think Your Highness might consider returning to the city to participate in the sacrifice."

"The mistakes of a gentleman are like the eclipse of the sun or the moon. When he makes a mistake, everyone sees it; when he corrects it, everyone admires him."

"If Your Highness does not return to the city due to doubts, Your Majesty and the people may think you are not concerned about the overall situation."

"Although I have always suspected that Fang Xuanling might have filed a complaint, I have not heard of any unusual movement. There are still three days before the sacrifice. Perhaps we can contact Du He and Li Anyan to find out more about the situation in the palace."

(End of this chapter)