My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 245 Li Tai, You Are Not the Crown Prince Yet
Li Tai was no match for the crown prince.

But the King of Jin is also very different from the current King of Wei.

Whether it is Princess Tongan or Li Ji.

These can only be regarded as valuations, which are the support and potential for the future succession, not Li Zhi's current power.

For example, Changsun Wuji only regarded Li Zhi as a fallback for the time being and let his eldest son maintain a relationship with him.

The Left and Right Jinwu Guards are indeed a very powerful force, but Li Zhi cannot fully control them at present.

Just like how the Crown Prince dealt with the King of Wei before, the King of Wei can now use the same method to deal with the King of Jin.

The growth of the Prince of Wei's party may sound a bit illusory. In fact, if Li Zhi wanted to use the Jinwu Guards to deal with the Prince of Wei, it would easily have the opposite effect.

Among the military officers of the Jinwu Guard, countless of them were members of the King of Wei's party.

On the contrary, if the King of Wei wanted to deal with the King of Jin, he could easily undermine the power of Li Zhi, the general of the Left and Right Jinwu Guards, making him unable to mobilize troops and his orders useless.

The only thing the Prince of Jin can rely on is the Jinwu Guard.

It was impossible for Li Ji to join him in dealing with the King of Wei, and it was even more impossible for Princess Tong'an to do so. After all, they were all family members, and when the younger generations were arguing, how could the elders take sides?

If Princess Tong'an takes sides, His Majesty is still on the side of the King of Wei.

It can be said that in all aspects, the power of King Wei far exceeds that of King Jin.

Li Zhi was well aware of this, which was why he behaved so humbly.

Besides, he is my younger brother.

At this time, respecting the elders is not just a simple statement.

Just like the Crown Prince's suppression of the King of Wei, even though the King of Wei was powerful, he could only tolerate the Crown Prince in various ways.

When Li Zhi went back, he had a gloomy face the whole time.

Li Tai was feeling very happy.

Suppressing Prince Jin made him feel happy.

All the grievances suffered by the Crown Prince were now directed at the Prince of Jin.
-
Shenwu Palace.

Naturally, Li Chengqian was out of reach of what was happening in Chang'an City.

But even if you knew, there's nothing to worry about.

The power of the Prince's Party has the same origin as the emperor, so there is basically no difference between them.

Those who were able to lead troops in battle also came to Goryeo.

From now on, it should be called Liaodong Road.

After all, from now on, Goryeo has become the dust of history and has been completely destroyed.

Soon, Silla and Baekje would follow suit.

Su Dingfang had already led 10,000 troops to the capital of Silla, under the pretext of investigating the rebellion.

The cities along the way did not dare to block them.

There are not only the imperial edicts from the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, but also the documents from the King of Silla.

All Silla areas had to cooperate with the Tang army's inspections, reviews, and even orders.

This gave Su Dingfang a lot of room for development.

In the Silla capital of Jincheng, the city gates were also wide open and no one dared to stop anything.

As soon as Su Dingfang entered the city, he directly replaced the city defense, controlled the entire process, and occupied the palace city Yuecheng.

Then the interrogation phase began.

Baekje also began to make emergency preparations for war.

In terms of population size, Baekje was not much larger than Silla, but its overall strength was far greater than Silla.

It is certainly inferior to Goryeo, but it is definitely not a soft persimmon.

In the 15th year of Zhenguan, Baekje King Buyeo Jang died of illness.

The king appointed his son, Buyeo Uija, as his successor. After ascending the throne, King Uija began to reform the aristocratic-centered political system and strengthen the king's power.

Aristocratic rule is an unavoidable topic for most countries.

In the Tang Dynasty, it is the name used for aristocratic families.

King Yici was known for his filial piety when he was young, and was praised by his contemporaries as "Zengzi of the East Sea".

Born into the royal family of Baekje, he grew up in power struggles and court teaching. He was tied to the fate of Baekje and was placed with high hopes.

He has a sturdy figure, a resolute face, and his eyes are filled with intelligence and ambition.

In his early years, Buyeo Uiji witnessed Baekje struggling to survive between Goguryeo and Silla, until it made friends with Japan and gradually became stronger under the rule of his father.

As soon as he came to power, Buyeo Ui-ji was determined to reform and strengthen the country.

He carried out drastic reforms to overhaul the bureaucracy, cleared out those who were incompetent and engaged in self-enrichment in the court, and promoted talented and capable people. For a time, the Baekje court had a new look, government orders were implemented smoothly, and the people's hearts and strength were gathered for the country's rise.

In military affairs, he personally took charge, emulating the Central Plains dynasties and strictly training his soldiers. The Baekje army was reborn, morale was high, and it seemed that it was on the verge of dominating the peninsula.

Buyeo Yici, who was becoming more and more powerful, was no longer satisfied with living in a remote corner.

At that time, there were frequent battles between Silla and Baekje on the border cities, and Buyeo Ui-ja took this as an opportunity to lead the army in person.

More than ten cities of Silla were conquered in succession, the territory of Baekje was greatly expanded, and the prestige of Baekje was greatly enhanced.

During this period, Buyeo Yici stood at the pinnacle of power and glory, and neighboring countries were all afraid of him. The people in the country also cheered for his great military achievements.

However, the shadow of decline is quietly looming.

The suppression of the nobles caused a backlash, and the Tang Dynasty's eastward expedition to Goryeo made Buyeo Yici feel a sense of crisis.

No one expected it, not even Buyeo Yici.

The huge Goryeo Empire was completely destroyed in just a few months.

The years have not even passed yet, and the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty has already swept across the entire territory of Goryeo.

The pressure brought by the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty caused Buyeo Uiji's plan against the Baekje nobles to fail.

Although he gained some power from the nobles, Buyeo Yiji had no choice but to compromise.

Just like Li Shimin was afraid of the Five Surnames and Seven Families.

If Buyeo Uija insisted on going to war with the Baekje nobles, the only result would be unrest in the entire Baekje.

At this time, if there is unrest in the country, how can we deal with the attack of the Crown Prince of Tang?

Seeing this opportunity, the Baekje nobles chose to force Buyeo Uiji to make concessions.

In some aspects, Buyeo Yici is actually somewhat similar to the current Li Chengqian.

He has excellent talent for military leadership and is also very proud.

During the Tang army's attack on Goryeo, Buyeo Uiji not only blocked Silla's way to the Tang court, but Baekje also stopped paying tribute to the Tang.

There are no eternal allies in the world, and naturally there will be no eternal enemies.

While Buyeo Yi-ji was worried, Kim Chun-chu's arrival gave him hope. He immediately gave a positive response to Silla's plan and request for a secret alliance.

The most important thing at the moment is to deal with the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. As for other things, they will naturally be put aside for now.

However, just as Jin Chunqiu left, news came that the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty issued a manifesto to attack Silla, and the Queen of Silla went to Shenwu Palace to apologize to the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty.

The capital of Baekje, Sabi Castle.

The atmosphere in the palace was so solemn that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it. The flickering candlelight reflected the gloomy and anxious face of Baekje King Buyeo Yiji. Below the steps, several important ministers looked solemn and silent.

Baekje nobles were divided in local areas, but in the royal capital, Buyeo Uija had supreme power.

boom.

Buyeo Yici slammed the table, causing the cups and plates to clang. "Queen Seondeok is such a fool. Even at this time, she still wants to deceive the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty and even run over to apologize."

"Her sister, Jin Shengman, is the most stupid of all. I wonder if she has something wrong with her brain. She even wants to sell out her own country. Does she even want to give up her own identity?"

"When a woman is in charge, she will do stupid things."

Buyeo Yici felt very speechless towards the two sisters Kim Deokman and Kim Seungman.

Some even got angry out of shame.

Buyeo Yiji also knew something about the decline of the holy bones and bloodline of Silla.

There is no need to mention the Queen of Silla, but her sister Kim Seung-man and Buyeo Ui-ji are targeted.

Appearance is not important. What is important is that if he marries Kim Seung-man, it will be of great help in the future annexation of Silla.

But the situation of these two sisters is really unbearable to watch.

One ran over to inform, and the other ran over to apologize.

This is equivalent to handing Silla over to the hands of the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty.

Fu Yu Yi Ci doesn't think that there is any such thing as a thorough investigation and the truth coming out in the end.

Lian Cheng, a veteran general of Baekje, stepped out with a frown, bowed and said, "Silla is not worth cooperating with, but the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty is ambitious, and he will definitely take this opportunity to control Silla."

"If the prince of the Tang Dynasty leads the troops of Goryeo and Silla to attack Baekje, it will be troublesome."

"Perhaps the king should not attack Silla's city so quickly,"

"Humph!" Park Sun-jeong, a civil official standing beside him, swung his sleeves with disdain on his face: "General Lian, are you planning to seek refuge with the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, just like those two women from Silla, and hand over our Baekje to others?"

Lian Cheng glanced at the civil official Park Sunjeong, then bowed to Buyeo Yici and said, "Your Majesty, the biggest threat to the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty now is not how many troops and food he has, but the thunderbolt in his hand."

"Goryeo perished at the hands of Thunderbolt here."

"Therefore, I think that a large number of workers should be recruited to strengthen the city's defenses to prevent thunderbolts."

Lian Cheng has fought in wars all his life. Although his achievements are mediocre, he is very experienced.

According to the intelligence from Goryeo, the reason why the Crown Prince of Tang was able to succeed so smoothly without spending many soldiers was entirely due to the Thunderbolt Fire.

How to guard against Thunderfire is a very crucial issue.

Jin Hongji, the minister in charge of food and supplies, was somewhat dissatisfied: "Recruiting workers, how many people do we need to recruit?"

"There is also food and fodder that needs to be prepared for the war. This is not a small amount."

Upon hearing this, Lian Cheng immediately questioned, "Master Jin, if the city defenses are easily breached by the thunderbolt, what good will it do us no matter how much food and grass we have? By then, the Tang army will be unstoppable, and not only will we have food and grass, but the entire Baekje will also be in vain!"

Buyeo Yici raised his hand to stop the two people's quarrel, his expression solemn: "What Lian Cheng said is not without reason. I have also heard about the power of Thunderbolt Fire. Strengthening the city defense is indeed a top priority. But the food and manpower that Jin Hongji is concerned about cannot be ignored."

He rubbed his temples and continued, "Park Sun-jeong, you always have a lot of ideas. Tell me, how should we weigh this matter?"

Park Sun-jeong thought for a moment, then stepped forward and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, General Yeom is concerned about the war, and Lord Kim is concerned about logistics and supplies. They both have their reasons. I think that we can recruit workers from the capital and surrounding areas first. We can recruit prisoners and idlers to work, which can not only reduce expenses, but also replenish manpower. As for food and fodder, we can borrow them from the rich families in the city and promise them a huge profit after the war to solve the urgent problem first."

Buyeo Yici nodded slightly: "This method is feasible, let's do it this way. However, the situation in Silla has changed suddenly, and we must have a response plan. We can't just wait for the Tang army to come to our door. I intend to send an envoy to sneak into Silla secretly to find out the truth and see if we can win over a group of Silla ministers to serve me. What do you think?"

Jin Hongji hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, we must be very careful in selecting the envoy. If the Tang army finds out, he may never come back."

Lian Cheng continued, "Why not select a few smart assassins and have them disguise themselves as merchants and sneak into Silla. They are skilled in martial arts and can escape even if they encounter unexpected events. They can also adapt to circumstances and gather intelligence."

Buyeo Yici's eyes were stern. "Okay, let's do as Lian Cheng said. Go and arrange the personnel quickly and set off immediately. We Baekje must not lose. Everyone, please cheer up and do your job. If there is any mistake, I will not let you off easily!"

All the ministers agreed in unison.
-
The first day of the first lunar month, the eighteenth year of Zhenguan.

Li Shimin held a grand banquet in the palace.

It’s a bit funny to say that this banquet was nominally held for the prince.

The crown prince should be credited with the great victory in the Eastern Expedition.

But today's prince is still staying in Goryeo and has no intention of returning.

The minister, who was quick-witted, had already noticed the trick.

At the end of the year, princes from all over the country also rushed back.

In the absence of the crown prince, Prince of Wei Li Tai stole the show and acted like a crown prince in front of his brothers.

In order to make his own influence even greater, Li Tai even asked his father, the emperor, to grant special permission to Prince of Qi Li You to attend the banquet.

Because of the great victory in the Eastern Expedition and Li Shimin's general amnesty, Yin Hongzhi was not executed for the time being.

Of course, things like treason cannot be pardoned just like that.

He will just be detained for one more year and executed in the fall of this year. This is equivalent to giving him more hope.

Just like how the prince scolded his younger brothers last year, Li Tai followed suit and started scolding them as well.

This is to experience the feeling of being a prince in advance.

Most of the younger brothers did not dare to go against the King of Wei. They felt a little strange in their hearts, but they kept it to themselves and just responded.

Let the King of Wei say whatever he wants.

However, not all princes would follow Prince Wei Li Tai.

For example, King Li Yin of Shu.

He was already arrogant and domineering, and did not take the King of Wei seriously.

Facing the King of Wei's reprimand, he snorted coldly and ignored him completely.

Li Tai's face immediately turned pale.

He knew that King Li Yin of Shu might not cooperate, but he didn't expect that he would dare to embarrass him so directly.

"King Wu, is this how you discipline your brother?"

Li Tai turned around and directed his attack at King Wu Li Ke.

Prince Wu Li Ke had already surrendered to the Crown Prince a long time ago, so even now, there was no point in him being a fence-sitter.

Naturally, I don't intend to spoil him.

"Fourth brother is so majestic, much more majestic than eldest brother."

"Just don't forget that you are not the crown prince yet."

(End of this chapter)