My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 319 What Did I Do Wrong

In a side hall of the Ye Ting Palace, candlelight flickered.

Concubine Yang was wearing a plain palace dress and sitting on the couch with a solemn expression. She was holding a scroll in her hand and reading it carefully.

The personal maid Luzhi walked in quietly, hesitated for a long time, and finally spoke to break the silence.

"My lady, I am really worried. If the King of Wu raises an army to support the Crown Prince, His Majesty will be furious, and I am afraid he will vent his anger on you."

Luzhi's voice was trembling slightly, and her eyes were full of worry.

Concubine Yang slowly put down the document in her hand and looked into the distance, as if she had penetrated through the palace walls, her thoughts drifting to the distance. "Luzhi, you have followed me for many years. Although you have seen many things, you may not know the reasons behind them. The changes in the court are not as simple as they seem."

Luzhi lowered her head and said softly, "Your Majesty, I am a dull servant. I just feel that Your Majesty has always respected you, and the King of Wu is Your Majesty's favorite prince. Now they are in such a confrontational situation, which is really distressing."

Concubine Yang sighed slightly, stood up and walked to the window, looking at the palace garden shrouded in the night outside the window, and said: "Lvzhi, you know that although my Yang family was a royal family in the previous dynasty, our situation has been delicate since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. Although His Majesty treats me well, how many people in the court of those aristocratic families really accept us?"

"My son Ke'er, he has the blood of Yang family, so he is at a disadvantage in the matter of choosing a crown prince. Although he is diligent and hardworking on weekdays and always cares about the Tang Dynasty, he has missed many opportunities because of his background." A trace of regret flashed in Concubine Yang's eyes.

Historically, after Li Chengqian was deposed, Li Shimin did think about passing the throne to Prince of Wu Li Ke.

Li Ke was brave and courageous, and his character was quite similar to that of Li Shimin.

Apart from the Crown Prince and the Prince of Wei, Li Shimin's favorite was probably the Prince of Wu, Li Ke.

Even Prince of Jin, Li Zhi, had to stand a little behind.

However, Concubine Yang was the daughter of Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty, and Prince of Wu Li Ke had the blood of both the Sui and Tang royal families.

The establishment of the Tang Dynasty was based on the overthrow of the Sui Dynasty, and most of the nobles and high-ranking officials under Li Shimin rose to power because of the anti-Sui movement.

If Prince Wu Li Ke became emperor, the power of the previous dynasty would be revived.

Officials of this dynasty must be liquidated.

Whether it is the Five Surnames and Seven Clans or the Guanlong Group.

They are all firmly opposed.

This is the sorrow of King Wu Li Ke.

Concubine Yang continued, "The Crown Prince's move may seem risky, but it is actually a great opportunity for our Yang family to turn things around. If the Crown Prince can succeed and ascend to the throne, he will definitely rely on the forces that support him. At that time, my son Ke'er will be able to get rid of the difficulties brought about by his background and gain a firm foothold in the court, and our Yang family will also have a solid backing."

Luzhi bit her lip and said, "My queen, what if the prince fails? Then we..."

Concubine Yang turned around and looked at Luzhi firmly. "Wealth and honor are achieved through risk. If we are always timid, our Yang family will always be trampled underfoot. The prince is not a reckless person. Since he dared to raise an army, he must have something to rely on. Do you still remember that the prince swept through Liaodong with his thunderbolts? Now there are artillery guns in the world, and this kind of power is enough to change the situation of the war."

"Moreover, the court seems calm, but undercurrents are surging. All forces are ready to make a move, and the power of the prince should not be underestimated. I have inquired from many sources and learned that he has been secretly preparing for a long time. Now the arrow is on the string and must be fired."

Luzhi frowned, still a little worried: "Your Majesty, but your majesty is the king of a country after all, sitting on the world's troops. Even if the prince has artillery, what are the chances of winning? Moreover, if the King of Wu raises an army, Anzhou will inevitably be plunged into war, and the people will suffer."

Concubine Yang's expression was stern. "Luzhi, how could I not know the sufferings of the people in this world? But in this world, if you want to truly seek the welfare of the people, you must first seize power."

"In today's court, aristocratic families control many resources. Although Your Majesty is willing to reform, he is constrained everywhere. The Crown Prince has always been ambitious to reform and strengthen the country. If he can ascend to the throne, he will surely carry out drastic reforms and break the monopoly of the aristocratic families. Only then will we have a truly peaceful and prosperous era."

Concubine Yang had the most experience with reform.

During the Sui Dynasty, the most important reform was the imperial examination system, which was what her father had wanted.

But in the end, it was not really implemented.

Even today, the power to select talents is still controlled by the aristocratic families.

After a pause, Concubine Yang continued, "As for your majesty, I am also in pain. Your majesty has the love of a husband and wife to me, and has raised Ke'er."

"But in front of this country, there are some choices that must be made. I believe that Ke'er is also conflicted, but as a man, he shoulders the family's mission and has his own ambitions. If he retreats now, he will regret it for the rest of his life."

Luzhi shed tears silently, "I understand. But I am worried about you. If His Majesty knew that it was you who persuaded the King of Wu to respond to the Crown Prince, he would definitely blame you."

Concubine Yang gently stroked Luzhi's cheek and wiped away her tears: "Silly child, since I have made this decision, I have already put life and death aside. As long as I can create a bright future for Ke'er and the Yang family, I will not hesitate even if I die."

"Besides, I am not completely unprepared. Over the years, I have secretly cultivated some forces in the palace, which may come in handy at a critical moment. Moreover, once the prince succeeds, he will not sit idly by and watch my Yang family do nothing."

Luzhi nodded, "Your Majesty is very thoughtful and far-sighted, and I will do my best to assist you. But there are many eyes and ears in the palace, so you need to be extremely careful in your actions."

Concubine Yang nodded slightly, "I understand. In the next few days, you should pay more attention to the movements in the palace, especially the words and actions of those who are close to His Majesty. If there is any disturbance, report it immediately."

"Yes, your majesty." Luzhi replied.

"By the way, you also need to pay close attention to the prince's movements. Although I have correspondence with the prince, the situation in the palace is changing rapidly. I must ensure that I can grasp the latest information at any time so that I can adjust my strategy in time." Concubine Yang added.

Luzhi's heart moved, and she asked, "My queen, if the prince is defeated, we..."

Concubine Yang's eyes were deep, as if she had already foreseen the worst outcome. "If the Crown Prince is defeated, His Majesty will certainly severely punish those involved in this matter. At that time, I will do everything I can to protect Ke'er. Even if it costs me my life, I will fight for a glimmer of hope for him."

"But Your Majesty..." Luzhi was choked with sobs and couldn't speak.

"Okay, Luzhi, don't be so sad. What we should do now is to support the prince and Ke'er with all our strength, instead of grieving here in vain." There was an unquestionable firmness in Concubine Yang's tone.

Luzhi took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "Yes, Madam. I will do my best."

Concubine Yang sat back on the couch, picked up the document and continued to study it. Luzhi stood quietly by her side with a firm gaze.

After an unknown amount of time, Concubine Yang put down the document and rubbed her tired forehead. Seeing this, Luzhi hurried forward and gently massaged Concubine Yang.

"Luzhi, tell me, what exactly do I want in my life?" Concubine Yang suddenly asked.

Luzhi was slightly startled, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "What the queen wants is nothing more than to gain glory for the Yang family, pave a bright road for King Wu, and seek a peaceful and prosperous world for the people of the world."

Concubine Yang smiled bitterly, "That being said, every step is so difficult. I have been trapped in this deep palace all my life. It seems that I am extremely noble, but in fact I have no choice. Many times, I have to make choices that go against my own heart." "Your Majesty has paid too much for the Yang family and King Wu. I believe that King Wu will not let you down and will achieve great things in the future." Luzhi comforted.

Concubine Yang nodded slightly, "I hope so. Now, I place all my hopes on Ke'er. I only hope that he can carve out a world of his own."

Of course, Concubine Yang actually had two sons.

There is also Li Yin, the King of Shu.

However, Concubine Yang had long lost her intention to train Li Yin, the King of Shu.

This son is ruined.

Being rich and prosperous throughout life is the greatest blessing.
-
Inside the Tai Chi Hall, the atmosphere was so heavy that it was almost suffocating.

Li Shimin sat upright on the dragon throne, his face as gloomy as ink, holding tightly in his hand an urgent military report, on which it was clearly written that Prince Wu Li Ke had raised an army to respond to the Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

All the civil and military officials in the hall bowed their heads and held their breath, not daring to make a sound, for fear of angering the emperor who was already furious.

"The traitor! The traitor!"

Li Shimin threw the military newspaper to the ground and roared angrily. His voice echoed in the empty hall, hurting everyone's eardrums.

"I treated Ke'er well, why did he do such a treasonous thing! He colluded with the rebellious prince and raised an army to rebel. Does he still have me, his father, in his eyes, and does he still have the country and people of the Tang Dynasty?"

Fang Xuanling stepped forward, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, calm down. There may be something else behind this. His Royal Highness the King of Wu has always been respectful. His actions now are really puzzling."

"Hidden secret?"

Li Shimin's eyes widened as he looked at Fang Xuanling: "They have already raised their troops to respond, what else can they hide? Has he been bewitched by the rebellious prince, or has he been coveting the throne for a long time? Now that he thinks he has an opportunity, he disregards the father-son relationship and attempts to usurp the throne!"

Zhangsun Wuji also stepped out and said worriedly, "Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to quell the rebellion as soon as possible. The King of Wu has his own troops in Anzhou. If he joins forces with the Crown Prince, the situation will be out of control."

Li Shimin took a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger in his heart, and said in a deep voice: "Pass on my order, order Li Jing to immediately dispatch elite troops and make sure to quickly go to Anzhou to quell the rebellion of the King of Wu. I want them to know that this country of the Tang Dynasty will not allow anyone to trample on it at will!"

After saying that, Li Shimin remembered something again, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

"Concubine Yang... How did she teach Ke'er to make him do such a thing? Tell Concubine Yang to come to see me immediately. I want to ask her what she is thinking!"

In the Ye Ting Palace, Concubine Yang learned that Li Shimin had summoned her, and she had already vaguely guessed the reason.

Her face was calm. She straightened her clothes and took Luzhi to Taiji Hall with the eunuch who came to convey the imperial edict.

Along the way, Luzhi was worried and whispered, "My queen, I'm afraid His Majesty summoned you this time because of the matter of King Wu. What should we do?"

Concubine Yang patted Luzhi's hand gently and comforted her, "Now that you have made your choice, there is no need to be afraid. I will handle it myself, so don't panic."

In the Taiji Hall, Concubine Yang walked in steadily and bowed: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

Li Shimin looked at Concubine Yang, his eyes blazing with anger. "Humph! You still know that I am His Majesty! Raise your head, and let me ask you, why did Ke'er raise an army to support the rebellious prince? Was this your idea?"

Concubine Yang slowly raised her head, her expression full of innocence and surprise, her voice soft but firm: "Your Majesty, I really don't understand why you ask this."

"Ke'er has always respected Your Majesty and has been loyal to the Tang Dynasty. How could I have instigated him to do such a treasonous thing?"

"I have been in this palace day and night, devoted to Buddhism, hoping only to pray for Your Majesty and the royal family, and have never interfered in the affairs of the court."

Li Shimin was so angry that he laughed: "Well, at this time, you are still pretending to be confused in front of me! Ke'er suddenly raised an army to support the prince. If there is no one behind it, who can believe it?"

"You are his mother, how could you be unaware of his every move?"

Concubine Yang's eyes were red, and she was about to cry: "Your Majesty, I swear to heaven that this is absolutely not the case."

"Perhaps Ke'er was confused for a moment and was deceived by the wicked man. I am also deeply saddened. I never thought that he would do such a wrong thing."

Li Shimin stared at Concubine Yang with a sharp gaze, trying to find a flaw in her expression: "Then according to what you said, who deceived Ke'er?"

Concubine Yang bowed her head slightly, thought for a moment and then said, "Your Majesty, I heard that the situation in the court is complicated, and the forces of all parties are surging undercurrents. Could it be that someone with ulterior motives is spreading rumors in front of Ke'er, exaggerating the prince's ability to reform, and painting a false and beautiful picture, misleading Ke'er into thinking that supporting the prince is to seek the welfare of the Tang Dynasty, and thus making a big mistake?"

"I know that Ke'er is wholeheartedly committed to serving the Tang Dynasty. If she had not been misled, she would never have done anything against your Majesty's will."

Li Shimin was so angry that he was shaking all over: "Ridiculous! As a prince, doesn't he have the ability to judge? Are you trying to excuse him or cover up for yourself!"

Concubine Yang had tears in her eyes, but she still insisted, "Your Majesty, every word I said is true, and I have never lied. Both I and Ke'er rely on your Majesty's favor, so how could we do anything to betray you?"

"Now that Ke'er has made a mistake, I am willing to plead guilty to Your Majesty on his behalf. I only ask Your Majesty to give him a lighter sentence for the sake of our father-son relationship."

Li Shimin was silent for a moment, and the anger in his eyes was gradually replaced by fatigue.

The crown prince rebelled, and his favorite illegitimate son also rebelled.

This made him feel very uncomfortable.

Is it because he is not qualified to be a father?

One would be fine, but there are two.

And they are all his most beloved and trusted sons.

What did I do wrong?

Glancing at Concubine Yang, Li Shimin said, "You go back first. I will investigate this matter thoroughly. If I find out that you are involved in this matter, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Concubine Yang felt nervous, but she knew that it was useless to say more at this moment, so she could only bow again: "Your Majesty, I thank you."

(End of this chapter)