My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 304: The Greatest Case in Zhenguan Period
From Li Chengqian's perspective, who was preventing him from fully controlling Luoyang?
It’s Li Shimin.

Are they the scoundrels, robbers and bandits in Luoyang city?

No, neither.

Li Shimin was out of reach.

All kinds of people, including petty thieves, are nothing in front of the army.

The most troublesome are the aristocratic families in Luoyang city.

They have been entrenched in Luoyang for a long time and their roots are complex and intertwined.

Business, shops, and houses in Luoyang city are almost monopolized.

At that time, Li Chengqian wanted to purchase a number of shops in Luoyang City, but found that almost most of them were owned by the same owner.

This street belongs to the Chen family, and that street belongs to the Zhang family.

Turning around, the other street is Sun’s.

It's not just a few shops, but shops on an entire street. Even in a neighborhood, almost half of the houses are owned by one family.

Strictly speaking, the change of dynasties from the Sui Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty was not a class change.

In other words, from the end of the Han Dynasty to the present day, many families have remained standing.

In the old days, Wang Xietang flew into the homes of ordinary people.

The Wang family of Langya and the Xie family of Chenjun, even if they were in decline, were not comparable to ordinary people.

When Li Chengqian understood the situation, he understood.

If anyone wants to cause trouble, it will definitely be these aristocratic families in Luoyang City.

Among them, the most likely one is the Changsun family.

His mother's family.

Therefore, before entering Luoyang City, Li Chengqian had already started to bribe people in secret.

No matter how big a family is, there are always countless conflicts and gaps within it.

As long as you put in a little more effort, you can always find someone.

Besides, his position as the crown prince had not been abolished at that time, so it was very easy for him to secretly win over a group of people.

Now that he has been deposed, the ones who are anxious are not Li Chengqian, but those who have accepted benefits from Li Chengqian.

Because once exposed, it will be difficult to survive in the tribe, so it is better to go down this path to the end.

When Changsun Wuji's letter arrived in Luoyang, the news was reported.

Naturally, the subsequent situations were also reported one by one.

The next day.

There were some dark clouds, blocking the hot sunlight.

In the largest brothel in Luoyang City.

Representatives from most of the noble families gathered.

There was laughter and joy in the front hall, and guests were frequent.

The backyard is peaceful and tranquil.

Several elders of the Changsun family looked displeased.

After all, they are old and not very interested in brothels. Most of them were young and playful, but they are powerless when they are old.

For the children of aristocratic families, they have all passed the test of worldly life.

After all, no matter how fun it is, I’m already tired of it.

"Why did you choose such a place? It's really unrefined."

One person looked unhappy and complained in a deep voice.

The people sitting in front of the hall were all representatives of the younger generation of Luoyang's noble families. Upon hearing this, one of them, a handsome young man in a gorgeous brocade robe, chuckled and said, "Old Sun, although this place of fireworks is not a place of elegance, it is the most relaxing place."

"Besides, there are many people here, and it's a mixed bag. If we discuss important matters here, it will be less likely to be noticed."

"Please don't worry about these things for now. We are gathered here today because we have something important to discuss."

The elder of the clan known as Old Sun snorted coldly and said nothing more.

At this time, a middle-aged man from the Changsun family stood up. He had a gaze like an eagle and a steady demeanor. He was the manager of the Changsun family who had considerable say in Luoyang.

He looked around at everyone, cleared his throat, and said loudly: "Everyone, the situation in the world is turbulent now. The deposed Crown Prince Li Chengqian has his own army and is occupying Luoyang, openly defying Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty has assembled a large army and will soon be at the gates of the city to encircle and suppress the rebels. As members of an aristocratic family, we are supported by your majesty and should share your worries. Your Majesty, Changsun, has also issued an order for us to unite and fight against Li Chengqian."

An old man from the Chen family frowned slightly and slowly said, "That being said, Li Chengqian commands a large army, and his soldiers are no ordinary people. Although our family has some power, we may not be able to compete with him."

"If we act rashly and fail, I'm afraid it will affect the family."

Dealing with the deposed Crown Prince Li Chengqian is easier said than done.

Who doesn’t know the current situation in Luoyang City?

The deposed crown prince is extremely tough and will not tolerate any tricks. Those grain merchants are the best evidence of this.

Many wealthy grain merchants wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to make a fortune, but were ruthlessly arrested by the deposed prince. Some of them who made the most noise even had their shops raided.

If you don't open for business, you will be arrested.

Those who use the excuse of having no food will be arrested.

Anyone who dares to raise prices will be arrested.

So many grain merchants were arrested, but no one from the aristocratic families dared to speak out.

It’s not that there aren’t any, but anyone who dares to speak out is now in jail.

For these small families living in Luoyang, they really don't want to get involved in the fight between His Majesty and the Prince.

Because for them, as long as they don't get involved, it doesn't matter whether His Majesty wins or the Prince wins in the end.

They live their lives as usual.

It won’t make you any more money or power, but it won’t make you any less either.

Then what's the point of this?

Even if there is any credit, it is the credit of the big family. What does it have to do with them?

"Mr. Chen, you don't know something." A young man from the Zhang family said with confidence, "Many of the defenders in Luoyang City are from our noble families. As long as our noble families work together, explain the benefits and disadvantages, and appeal to their family affection, how can those defenders follow the deposed crown prince so wholeheartedly?"

"When the time comes, we will work together inside and outside to help your majesty's army enter the city, and suppressing the rebellion will be a piece of cake."

"This is a good opportunity for us to make achievements. If we can succeed, our family's status in the court will be able to rise to a higher level in the future, and wealth and glory will be within our reach."

This sounds very inspiring. Perhaps everyone standing here is a smart person.

"That being said, we can't take it lightly."

An old man from the Sun family twisted his beard, his face full of worry: "Since Li Chengqian dared to defend Luoyang, how could he be defenseless? We want to persuade the garrison commander to rebel, but we must act cautiously and must not let him realize our intentions. Otherwise, if we alert the enemy, the consequences will be disastrous."

The middle-aged man from the Changsun family looked solemn and said calmly, "I have also considered this." "We can first send people from our clan who have close relations with those garrisons to contact them and try to find out their intentions. If they show any signs of wavering, we can then promise them generous benefits and explain the righteousness of the cause."

"We can use multiple methods at the same time. On the one hand, we can persuade the garrison to revolt, and on the other hand, we can spread rumors in the city to disrupt the morale of the army and the people."

But some people were afraid: "If this fails, we don't know how the deposed crown prince will deal with us."

"That sword has no eyes."

The young master of the Zhang family slammed the table and stood up suddenly: "What are you afraid of!"

"Li Chengqian is now the traitor. It is a righteous act for us to help Your Majesty put down the rebellion."

"Besides, we have made a thorough plan, and with the support of many noble families, how could it be easily exposed?"

"After the mission is accomplished, Your Majesty will surely reward us handsomely. How could you punish us?"

"Let's take a step back. If we don't do anything, once Li Chengqian has established a firm foothold in Luoyang, sooner or later we will be liquidated by him. That's when the catastrophe will come."

"Everyone, think carefully about how the new policy of deposing the crown prince was implemented in Liaodong. So many nobles were arrested in the great investigation he organized, and not a single one was spared."

"If the prince did this in Luoyang, who among you would be able to bear it?"

After hearing this, everyone fell into deep thought.

What the prince did in Liaodong sounds really scary, as it was really digging up the foundation of the aristocratic family.

If something like this happened in Luoyang, probably no one among the noble families present would be able to escape.

Because of this matter, the prince had said before that it would not be used against the Tang Dynasty families, but only as a means against foreign countries.

That being said, can you really believe it?

Just when everyone thought they were going to stick together.

The old man of the Wang family, who had been silent the whole time, slowly stood up and sighed, "Although what you said makes sense, my Wang family is still a small family with little business, and our roots are all in Luoyang."

"If this fails, Li Chengqian will be furious and ashamed. How can our Wang family survive?"

"Besides, Li Chengqian holds the Thunderbolt Fire, a siege weapon that even His Majesty is afraid of."

"Back then, when the crown prince conquered Goryeo, he relied on this thunderbolt and was unstoppable. He easily conquered Goryeo, and then he conquered Silla and Baekje, unifying Liaodong."

"Your Majesty has not yet sent out his army. I believe he is afraid of the power of the Thunderbolt Fire. My Wang family dare not act rashly."

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall suddenly fell silent.

The name of Thunderbolt Fire is due to the great achievements made by the prince.

This is something that even His Majesty envies. He established the Gunpowder Bureau and summoned so many high-ranking officials. A few days ago, the King of Wei offered a reward for it.

But till now, I haven't heard of it being done.

Still only the prince is in control.

If the army attacks the city and is blown up by this thunder fire, it will probably be very difficult for your majesty's army to capture Luoyang.

Of course, even if it was said that the prince had Thunderbolt, no one thought that His Majesty would lose.

It just depends on how much it costs.

The young master of the Zhang family looked gloomy and sneered, "Uncle Wang, you can't say that. Now that we are united, it is for the common interests."

"If your Wang family stays out of this matter and enjoys the fruits of our labor, how can we allow your Wang family to continue to enjoy themselves in Luoyang City when we succeed in the future?"

The old man of the Wang family showed an awkward expression, and said with a bow, "Mr. Zhang, it's not that our Wang family is unwilling to help, but our Wang family is weak and cannot afford such a risk. I hope you can understand our Wang family's difficulties."

The younger generation representative of the Chen family also spoke up: "Uncle Wang, if you don't get involved now, when Li Chengqian finds out in the future, he will definitely think that your Wang family is in cahoots with us, and then your Wang family will also be doomed."

"Besides, your majesty is wise and wise now, and the army is approaching. It is only a matter of time before Li Chengqian is destroyed. Why should you put the Wang family in an irretrievable situation for the sake of temporary stability?"

The elder from the Sun family also echoed, "Yes, Brother Wang, we are all aristocratic families that have been rooted in Luoyang City for many years. We prosper together and suffer together."

"If your Wang family does not participate, we will have to be on guard against your Wang family in order to ensure the plan is complete."

"When the time comes, don't blame me for not remembering our past friendship."

As the old man from the Wang family listened to the pressure from everyone, his face turned red and white, and his heart was filled with bitterness.

He knew very well that he had no way out now. If he did not agree to participate, the Wang family would probably no longer have a foothold in Luoyang City.

After a long silence, the old man of the Wang family sighed and said helplessly: "Forget it, my Wang family will follow you. I just hope that when you make plans, you can consider my Wang family a little more and try to reduce the risks of my Wang family."

The middle-aged man from the Changsun family nodded slightly and said, "Don't worry, Uncle Wang. We will naturally take care of everything and will not let any family bear the risk alone. Now that we have reached an agreement, we need to unite more closely and overcome the difficulties together."

"After you go back, you must act according to the plan and don't slack off in the slightest."
-
In the Luoyang Palace City, candlelight flickered and light and shadows swayed on the walls.

Luoyang Governor Liu Huaijin was dressed in military uniform, with a solemn expression. He held a list in both hands and respectfully presented it to Li Chengqian who was sitting in the main seat.

The eunuch Wen Zhong next to him stepped forward to take it, and then handed it to Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes swept across the yellowed paper, and the corners of his mouth curled up in an ambiguous arc.

"Commander Liu, are you sure that all the people listed here are from noble families who might rebel against me?"

Liu Huaijin bowed and said, "Your Highness, I have sent people to investigate carefully. These people are all from noble families and hold important positions in Luoyang City. In recent days, they have been secretly communicating frequently and seem to have ill intentions."

"Especially the Changsun family, the Zhang family and other families, who have colluded with the imperial forces outside the city, intending to cooperate with the outside forces to open the city gates and let the imperial army enter the city."

Li Chengqian smiled faintly, did not answer, but started flipping through the documents.

There aren’t many names, maybe a few dozen.

Each person's background, qualifications, and current position are also marked above.

After a quick look, Li Chengqian said, "Commander Liu's list is quite rigorous, with just this number of people."

Liu Huaijin thought that Li Chengqian said there were too many people, so he quickly explained, "Your Highness, these people have absolutely no selfish intentions. I have found out all of this through careful investigation. The reason there are so many people is because there are too many noble families in Luoyang City."

"So many important positions are filled with people from aristocratic families. I don't know what they are thinking, but I must be on guard."

Seeing that Li Chengqian remained silent, Liu Huaijin continued to offer advice, "Your Highness, these noble families are intertwined and powerful. If we act rashly, something unexpected may happen."

"I think we can first transfer these people from important positions, and then slowly clip their wings. This is the only way to be safe."

Li Chengqian chuckled.

"Transfer from important positions? How could they obey?"

"In my opinion, it would be better to just catch them all at once."

"And your list is really a bit thin."

At this point, Li Chengqian paused for a moment and ordered, "Wen Zhong, show the list to Commander Liu. After all, we need Commander Liu's cooperation."

Wen Zhong bowed his head and said, "Yes, Your Highness."

After saying that, he took out another list and handed it to Liu Huaijin.

Liu Huaijin took the list somewhat puzzled.

very thick.

Taking a quick look, there are probably more than two to three thousand people.

(End of this chapter)