My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 260 Li Shimin: It is better for the crown prince to inherit the throne

Prince Wei's Mansion.

"King Wei, good news!"

Chai Lingwu ran all the way and when he rushed into the study, beads of sweat were still hanging on his forehead, but his face was filled with unconcealable joy.

"Your Majesty has passed a decision at the court to accept Baekje's surrender."

Li Tai was lazily playing with the jade ruyi in his hand. He stood up suddenly after hearing the voice. A flash of surprise flashed in his eyes. He walked quickly to Chai Lingwu and asked anxiously, "Is everything going according to plan? Nothing went wrong, right?"

Chai Lingwu bowed and replied hurriedly: "Don't worry, King Wei, everything is as you expected."

Li Tai clapped his hands and laughed proudly: "Haha, that's great!"

"I want to see how the prince can succeed this time."

“Will he risk the world’s disapproval and forcibly send troops to attack Baekje?”

Chai Lingwu bowed at the right time and said, "Congratulations, King Wei."

The news that the prince was going to attack Baekje had already been spread, but now, Baekje has surrendered to the Tang Dynasty.

So what is the prince going to attack again?
Hitting your own people?

Of course, for the King of Wei, the expansion of the prince's power does not have much significance.

No matter how powerful the prince is, he can only cause trouble in Liaodong.

After all this trouble, can we still surpass the Tang Dynasty?
As long as there is a rift between the Crown Prince and his father, he has a chance to succeed in his bid for the throne.

If they start an uprising again, it will be a rebellion.

Perhaps the prince can be arrogant in his small piece of land in Liaodong, but what does it matter?

As long as he can successfully inherit the throne and gather the strength of the Tang Dynasty, will he be unable to deal with the prince?

After all, what maintains his status as the crown prince is still the affection from his father.

Li Tai sneered: "If you don't have the identity of the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty, what are you?"
-
The rear hall of the imperial palace.

Li Shimin's furrowed brows seemed to be twisted into a knot as he paced slowly in the empty hall. The hem of his dragon robe rose and fell with his footsteps, just like his turbulent mood at the moment.

Every step he took seemed to carry a heavy burden. He finally stopped and slowly turned his head to look at Zhang Ananda, who was standing with his hands hanging down. His eyes were full of confusion. He opened his lips slightly and spoke in a low and slow voice: "Ananda, what would the prince think if I did this?"

The words were filled with helplessness and deep worry, echoing softly in the quiet hall.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ananda hurriedly lowered his head slightly, fixed his eyes on his toes, and his brain started working rapidly.

After a moment, he raised his head, with a perfect smile on his face, and said in a gentle voice: "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has always been concerned about the Tang Dynasty and is sincere about the affairs of the country. I believe he will understand your Majesty's difficulties."

"Baekje offered its surrender letter on its own initiative, and the crown prince, the eldest son of the king of Baekje, came to Chang'an in person to ask for surrender. It is indeed difficult for Your Majesty to refuse. I believe that the crown prince will understand Your Majesty's painstaking efforts."

Although he spoke calmly, Zhang Ananda's heart was beating like a rabbit.

Having served the emperor for many years, she knew the temperaments of this father and son too well, and knew that this matter was far from being as easy as it sounded.

Li Shimin shook his head slightly, a self-deprecating smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he murmured in a low voice: "Consideration? I know this child's temper best. Once he makes up his mind, he will not turn back until he hits the wall. How can he let it go so easily?"

As he spoke, he walked towards the window, and each step seemed heavy.

After standing still, he reached out and pushed open the window, his eyes looking straight into the distance. It seemed that his eyes could penetrate through the layers of palaces and pavilions and see the Liaodong land thousands of miles away.

After a long while, he seemed to come back to his senses from his deep thoughts, and asked without turning his head: "Ananda, do you think the prince will give up attacking Baekje?"

Zhang Ananda did not dare to neglect it. He took a few steps forward cautiously, hunched his shoulders, bowed his waist slightly, and said softly: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the Crown Prince has always had his own ideas. It is impossible to send troops to attack right now. After all, Baekje has already been accepted by the court. If it openly disobeys, it will be a serious crime of disobeying the order. But..."

Having said that, he bit his lip subconsciously and stopped talking.

"Just what? Don't be hesitant, just tell the truth." Li Shimin turned his head quickly, his eyes like a burning fire, scorching and intimidating.

Zhang Ananda was so frightened that he quickly lowered his head and said tremblingly, "It's just that the Crown Prince has been operating in Liaodong for a long time, and his prestige is getting higher and higher. Even if he doesn't send troops, with his current power and means, he can still secretly restrain Baekje."

"I heard that the Crown Prince's new policy is being implemented vigorously in Liaodong. He may also want to try it out in Baekje. However, this is very different from the current new policy of the court. If so, the voices of opposition will surely rise in the court and among the noble families."

Li Shimin sighed, and the sound seemed to come from deep in his chest, full of fatigue and solemnity: "I am worried about this. The prince's new policy intends to break the old and establish the new, and it is to turn the existing class structure upside down."

Having been the emperor for so many years, how could Li Shimin not understand the prince's thoughts?

However, governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. Liaodong and Silla are just a small place, so it is okay to manage them. But if it were the Tang Dynasty, things would not be so simple.

Not everything in the world can be controlled by the will of the emperor alone.

In many aspects, even the emperor needs to compromise.

For example, regarding the investment banking case, wasn't Li Shimin aware of the trick involved?

He knows it, better than anyone else.

But in this world, all affairs are not executed by the emperor, but by the people below.

The ministers controlled the operation of specific administrative, military, and supervisory affairs from the central to local levels. If the emperor refused to make concessions and the ministers were passive and lazy, the implementation of government orders would encounter many obstacles.

For example, when implementing a new tax law, local officials pretended to obey but actually disobeyed it, so the tax collection task could not be completed. In order to implement the reform, Li Shimin had to negotiate with his ministers and absorb reasonable opinions in exchange for their cooperation.

In the early Tang Dynasty, the court was full of intertwined forces, including the nobles who followed Li Yuan to conquer the world, the traditional aristocratic families, and the emerging scholars from humble backgrounds. If Li Shimin was stubborn and refused to compromise with his ministers, it would easily break the balance of power and trigger fierce party struggles. For example, when dealing with the conflict between the Shandong gentry and the Guanlong Group, if he completely ignored the demands of the gentry and forcibly suppressed them, the internal friction between the two major forces would cause the government affairs of the court to stagnate, the people to panic, and endanger the foundation of the rule. Therefore, appropriate compromises were needed to reserve living space for all forces and maintain the dynamic balance of the court.

As the saying goes, even a rabbit bites when it is cornered.

They have been forced into a desperate situation. How could the Tang Dynasty still have the peace it has today?

The world is vast, and although Li Shimin is the emperor, it is impossible for him to know everything and be omnipotent.

A large amount of information needs to be reported by ministers. If the ministers conceal key information and distort the facts, the emperor's decision-making will easily be wrong.

In order to encourage ministers to report truthfully, occasionally satisfy some of their small demands and make certain compromises, this is to ensure that information channels are unobstructed and to keep oneself alert.

Governing a country involves many professional fields such as military affairs, economy, law, water conservancy, etc. Although Li Shimin is a man of great talent and strategy, he has his own specialties. When faced with difficult professional affairs, the professional insights of his ministers are very crucial.

Furthermore, Li Shimin attached great importance to his historical reputation and hoped to leave his name in history.

After a brief pause, Li Shimin continued, "I had previously implemented this policy in Liaodong and Silla. I wanted to let him gain experience, so I turned a blind eye. But now that Baekje has surrendered, if I continue to allow him to do this, the old ministers and aristocratic families in the court will be furious."

At this time, Li Shimin was a little angry and aggrieved.

The prince doesn't know how expensive firewood, rice, oil and salt are because he doesn't run the household. There are many things that cannot be done well just by doing them blindly.

Zhang Ananda quickly agreed, his face full of worry: "Your Majesty is wise. Once this balance is broken, the subsequent troubles will be like a flood that breaks the dam, endless."

Li Shimin put his hands behind his back and began to pace in the hall again. The soles of his shoes rubbed against the ground, making a slight rustling sound.

After a long silence, he slowly spoke, his tone full of helplessness: "If I directly issue an order to strictly prohibit it, I am afraid that it will hurt the relationship between father and son and make the prince rebellious, which will be counterproductive. But if I let it go, I am afraid that he will cause a huge disaster and mess up the court that I have worked so hard to maintain."

After saying this, he stopped walking, the fatigue in his eyes became more and more intense, as if covered by a layer of fog that could not be dissolved: "Ananda, tell me, am I too doting on this child, which is why he acts so recklessly?"

Zhang Ananda stepped forward, bowed, and said anxiously, "Your Majesty has high hopes for the Crown Prince and has carefully cultivated him out of deep fatherly love. Your Highness the Crown Prince is young and energetic. After some experience, he will understand your Majesty's painstaking efforts in the future."

"The most urgent thing right now may be to find a compromise, so that the Crown Prince knows your Majesty's bottom line without hurting His Royal Highness's reputation."

Li Shimin nodded slightly, with a hint of recognition in his eyes: "You are right, but it is not easy to find a compromise. I also want to have a long talk with the prince, but I am afraid that once we start, the talk will break down and the father and son will be stuck in a deadlock, which will be even more difficult to resolve in the future."

His words reveal the helplessness of an emperor. Even though he owns a vast empire, he feels powerless when faced with the rift between parents and children.

Zhang Ananda felt bad when he saw Li Shimin in such distress. After thinking for a moment, he cleared his throat and said softly, "Your Majesty, I have an idea, but I don't know whether I should say it or not."

Li Shimin raised his eyelids a little tiredly and said weakly: "You can say it anyway."

Zhang Ananda swallowed his saliva and said slowly, "Your Majesty, why not send a highly respected person who is close to the prince to Liaodong first, under the banner of condolence, to quietly test the prince's attitude and convey your Majesty's concerns in a tactful way."

"This person can not only make the Crown Prince put down his guard, but also report his thoughts truthfully. Your Majesty can also use this to make decisions in the future."

Zhang Ananda's mind was as clear as a mirror. Those involved in the matter were confused, while those who were not involved could see things clearly. His Majesty had been stuck in the quagmire of self-entanglement, but he could see clearly that it was ultimately the misunderstandings and contradictions between father and son that had accumulated over time.

Your Majesty has never thought of deposing the Crown Prince, but because Your Majesty usually favors the King of Wei, the Crown Prince is always worried and even secretly prepares for a rebellion.

Fortunately, the Crown Prince is not in Chang'an now and has a large army under his command, Your Majesty has time to calm down and figure out the key to this matter.

If the crown prince was still in Chang'an, Your Majesty would be furious and conduct a thorough investigation. If the evidence was conclusive, I'm afraid you would have no choice but to depose the crown prince.

At the moment, the key lies in how to resolve the affection and misunderstandings between father and son. A direct face-to-face confrontation at this time will definitely not work. Adding a middleman may bring unexpected results, especially at this critical juncture.

Li Shimin gently stroked his fingers and nodded slightly, with a thoughtful look in his eyes: "Your idea is feasible, but the choice of person..."

As he spoke, the faces of the ministers in the court flashed through his mind quickly like a movie. For a moment, he could not make up his mind and looked hesitant.

Since Zhang Ananda had already brought up this idea, he must have already had a suitable candidate in mind.

Looking at all the officials in the court, there are only two who can take on this important task.

After a short pause, he quickly recommended: "Your Majesty, I think Changsun Situ is quite suitable. As the king's uncle, he has a close relationship with the crown prince. The blood is thicker than water, and the crown prince will definitely be closer to him."

"Besides, Changsun Situ is an important official in the court, and his words carry great weight. In the past, Changsun Situ was able to skillfully mediate between Your Majesty and the Crown Prince on many matters. With him coming forward, the Crown Prince will surely take it seriously."

Li Shimin's eyes lit up, as if he saw a ray of light in the darkness, but dimmed again in an instant, and he said worriedly: "Wuji is indeed a suitable candidate, but he is now deeply involved in the disputes in the court. All forces are like hungry wolves, watching his every move. I am afraid that this matter will be misinterpreted and used by others, and some unexpected complications will arise."

King Wei: Father, please just give me my ID card.

Li Shimin didn't need to think too much. In the current situation, how could he expect the King of Wei not to interfere?

But the palms and backs of my hands are all flesh.

Zhang Ananda quickly added, "Your Majesty is right. You may as well tell Changsun Situ to keep this trip low-key and secret, and only announce to the public that it is a routine inspection of Liaodong military affairs."

"When we meet the prince, we will find a secret and quiet place to discuss it in detail. This way, we can avoid the eyes and ears of others and achieve our goal."

Li Shimin pondered for a moment, as if he had made a great decision. He gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind: "Just as you say."

Li Shimin still had some expectations for Changsun Wuji.

After all, eliminating the gap between father and son now is the best thing, both for Li Shimin himself and for the future development of the entire Tang Dynasty.

The prince's abilities are obvious to all. The legacy of papermaking, iron wrought iron, coal, cement and other businesses alone have brought the Tang Dynasty's national strength to a new level.

Even though the crown prince was a little "nonsense", Li Shimin became more and more certain of the idea of ​​the crown prince inheriting the throne.

(End of this chapter)