My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 324: Is the world's situation heading towards the prince?

The sedan chair was carried by everyone.

Li Chengqian deeply felt the meaning of these words.

Since the capture of Tongguan, the city of Luoyang seemed to have become peaceful and harmonious in an instant.

All kinds of monsters and demons have become law-abiding.

Those children of noble families who were originally supposed to be loyal to the Tang Dynasty seemed not to be so loyal anymore.

In a mansion in Luoyang city.

Several officials who usually claimed to be loyal to the emperor and patriotic were sitting together, looking panicked and a little hesitant.

The leading official frowned and spoke first: "Everyone, Tongguan has been breached, and the prince is unstoppable. I'm afraid the situation is about to change completely. We were thinking of confronting the prince before, but now it seems that this idea is too stupid."

The officials beside him also sighed: "Yes, who would have thought that the prince would be so capable that he could even capture Tongguan. Now, your majesty seems to be a little overwhelmed by the prince's artillery."

"If we still insist on being stubborn and continue to oppose the Crown Prince, we will be in trouble once the Crown Prince really enters Chang'an."

An official nodded slightly: "In my opinion, we should quickly find a way to befriend the prince."

"Although we were on the wrong side before, it may not be too late to make amends now. The prince is in need of people right now, and we have some foundations in Luoyang City. If we can take the initiative to surrender and show our loyalty, perhaps the prince will show leniency."

The leading official looked embarrassed: "That being said, can the prince easily forgive our previous attitude? Moreover, if we rashly go to show our goodwill, will the prince think we are fence-sitters and hate us even more?"

At this time, the official who had been silent all this time slowly spoke up: "Everyone, at this point, we can't care so much. You can first send a reliable person from your family with a generous gift to test the waters and express your regret and determination to follow."

"We must also take some actions in Luoyang City, such as proactively providing food and supplies to the prince's army to show our sincerity."

At this time, an official suddenly said, "But I wonder what Governor Pei is going to do? Back then, when the crown prince led his troops to Luoyang, Governor Pei took the lead in resigning, and many officials followed suit and resigned to make their intentions clear."

"The Crown Prince is so powerful now. If we want to go back, it will be very difficult. The situation with Governor Pei is even more difficult."

Another official continued, "Pei Huaijie is well-known for his loyalty and integrity. His actions at the beginning earned him a lot of good reputation. But the situation is different now. Can't he see the situation clearly? If he continues to be stubborn, he may not be able to save himself."

"In my opinion, Pei Huaijie may be unshakable in his heart. But he is too proud to be honest. He made such a big fuss at the beginning. Now he is asked to be the first to show goodwill to the prince. I am afraid he can't bring himself to do it."

The leading official thought for a moment and said, "No matter what Pei Huaijie does, we can't let him ruin our future. Let's act on our own. If we can persuade Pei Huaijie to surrender, that would be great. If not, we can't let him drag us down."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

In their view, whether it is His Majesty or the Crown Prince, they both need people like them to help govern the world.

Being an official anywhere is a good job.

In this Tang Dynasty, you can’t write two “Li” characters with one stroke.

Whether it is Your Majesty or the Crown Prince, they are all family, and it is ultimately an internal affair of the royal family.
-
The Zhang family of Luoyang is a second-rate family.

It is said to be second-rate, but looking around the world, it is not something that ordinary people can achieve.

In the meeting room of Zhang Mansion.

Many people gathered together.

The head of the family, Zhang Chongshan, who was about fifty years old and had a resolute face, was the first to break the silence: "Everyone, once Tongguan is breached, the situation in the world will change rapidly like a violent storm. Now, most of the noble families are ready to make a move and intend to join the prince, but how can we, the Zhang family of Luoyang, just follow the crowd without any opinion?"

It's not that he doesn't want to seek refuge, but given the current situation, the prince won't take him seriously even if he does.

In Luoyang city, everyone was eager to squeeze in front of the prince's gate.

Compared with those big families, the Zhang family of Luoyang is not worth mentioning.

The political power is weak, and only the business sector is developing reasonably well.

An elder of the clan, who was wealthy and dressed in gorgeous brocade robes, shook his head gently and said, "Master, although everyone wants to find a stable backer, the prince's behavior is very different from that of the court."

"The new policies he has implemented have had a huge impact on many of our businesses. In addition, he is eager to monopolize power, which makes us have to be on guard. If we rashly surrender to him, can we really live in peace and security in the future?"

This is the focus of the conflict between the aristocratic families and the prince.

What the prince did to the local nobles in Liaodong has almost been repeated in Luoyang City.

If the prince really ascends the throne, what should we do in the future?

At this time, a young and energetic young man, with an anxious look in his eyes, stood up and said loudly: "But now the situation is so serious, the prince has a large number of troops, and the power of his artillery is amazing. Even the military god Li Jing was defeated by him."

"If we hesitate any longer, once the crown prince takes power, I'm afraid that our Luoyang Zhang family will be kicked out and won't even be able to find a place to stand."

Even geckos cut off their tails to survive.

The prince's new policies do have a great impact on the aristocratic families, but if you think about it carefully, they can survive.

It's just a new rule.

Zhang Chongshan nodded slightly, his expression still solemn: "What you said is indeed the truth, but we must not blindly follow the trend. Even if we want to surrender, we must find another way and find a safe entry point. We must not rush forward so rashly."

An elder with a thin face and a goatee stroked his beard, his eyes full of thought: "Master, from what you said, do you think you have already made up your mind? Why not speak frankly and let us discuss it together?"

Zhang Chongshan slowly swept his eyes over the crowd and said in a steady tone, "I heard that the Crown Prince's concubine Feng Huiyin is the daughter of Changle Feng. Changle Feng is a powerful local force and its influence should not be underestimated. If our Luoyang Zhang family can unite with them and use this relationship to get in touch with the Crown Prince, we might be able to achieve a surprise victory and get twice the result with half the effort."

When these words were spoken, everyone was stunned at first, and then they began to whisper and discuss in low voices.

An elder expressed his doubts: "Master, this idea does sound reasonable, but the Zhang family in Luoyang and the Feng family in Changle rarely interact with each other and are not close. Will they be willing to cooperate with us?"

Zhang Chongshan narrowed his eyes slightly: "It depends on how we communicate." "Feng Tianxiang, the head of the Feng family, is a shrewd and worldly-wise man who values ​​profit over loyalty."

"You can make friends with him with generous gifts and honestly tell him that the crown prince is powerful now and the fate of the world has been decided."

"If our two families can work together to help the crown prince, not only will we be able to consolidate our family's current position in the new dynasty, but we will also be able to gain more opportunities for us when the crown prince implements new policies."

"My Luoyang Zhang family has been operating in Luoyang for many years. We have merchants all over the place and do business in all places."

"Our business in Luoyang covers grain, silk, porcelain and many other businesses. We have frequent exchanges with merchants from all over the country. We can open the door to Luoyang's trade for the Changle Feng family and expand their business."

A young man expressed a different opinion: "Master, although that is true, the Changle Feng family has a deep foundation in the local area, and they have also joined the crown prince early on. They may not look down on the conditions we put forward."

Zhang Chongshan smiled slightly and said, "You have a point. However, we should not just look at the surface. Although the Feng family of Changle is strong, they may need partners like us to expand external trade routes. Luoyang is located in the strategic point of the Central Plains, with convenient transportation and rapid information flow, connecting the north and the south, and connecting the east and the west."

"The cooperation between the two parties is naturally a win-win situation."

"Besides, if it were a big family, Changle Feng Clan wouldn't dare to do it. I'm afraid they would be swallowed up without leaving anything behind."

An elder also expressed his concerns: "Master, even if we succeed in uniting with the Changle Feng family, will the Crown Prince definitely accept us? After all, the Crown Prince's attitude towards the aristocratic families has always been unpredictable."

Zhang Chongshan looked calm and said in an orderly manner: "This requires us to show our full sincerity."

"We will select the most outstanding and promising children in our family and send them to serve in the prince's army, so that the prince can truly see our firm determination to serve him. After entering the army, these children must make military achievements, gain the prince's appreciation with their own abilities, and become a bridge between my family and the prince."

"We will take the initiative to open up some of our family businesses and actively cooperate with the Crown Prince in implementing the new policy. This will show the Crown Prince that our support for the new policy is a real move, not just lip service."

An elder who had been silent said worriedly, "Master, sending your children to join the Crown Prince's army is a big risk. If something goes wrong on the battlefield, our family will lose an outstanding descendant."

Zhang Chongshan looked determined and said, "I understand your concerns. But how can you get a tiger cub without risking it? This is an important step for us to show our sincerity to the prince."
-
Luoyang Palace City and Harem Courtyard.

Feng Huiyin sat alone in her boudoir. It was so quiet around her that she could hear the rustling of leaves outside the window.

He was unconsciously fiddling with an exquisite jade pendant in his hand, but his thoughts were drifting far away.

In recent days, Feng Mansion in Luoyang has been crowded with people, and envoys from various families have come one after another, all with the intention of currying favor, hoping to use her as the prince's concubine to get on the prince's high road. This should have been a matter of highlighting the family's glory, but Feng Huiyin's heart was full of worries and helplessness.

Not only the Zhang family in Luoyang planned this way, but other noble families were not stupid either.

Before Zhang of Luoyang, many noble families had keenly sensed the potential value of her relationship and came to visit her, some giving gifts, some seeking marriage, some lobbying, using various methods.

The intentions of these noble families were obvious; they all wanted to use her to say a few good words to the prince in order to gain a place for their family in the upcoming power transition.

However, Feng Huiyin knew her situation. In this deep palace, in front of the prince, she seemed to have unlimited glory, but in fact she did not have much ability to interfere in government affairs.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian is ambitious and decisive. All his decisions are based on his own foresight. How could he be easily swayed by the words of his concubine?

She was just a member of the prince's harem. Although she was fortunate enough to be by his side, she had little chance to have a say in important state affairs.

Whenever the envoys from the noble families smiled and earnestly begged her to speak for their family in front of the prince, she could only force a smile and pretend to be nice.

She also wanted to help her natal family and those who came to her for help, but she knew that she had to be careful with her words and actions. If she was not careful, she might anger the prince and bring disaster to the family.

She also tried to carefully mention some of the family's situations when the prince was free, but the prince just nodded slightly without commenting. His deep gaze made her feel even more insignificant and powerless.

She understood that the prince had his own grand ambitions in mind, and the plans of those aristocratic families might be nothing more than child's play in his eyes.

That was the moment when Feng Huiyin was feeling depressed.

A burst of brisk and exotic footsteps came from afar, accompanied by a silver bell-like laughter: "Sister Huiyin, what are you worried about again?"

The visitor was none other than the Roman Princess Theodosius. She was wearing a gorgeous long dress that combined the Roman and Tang Dynasty styles. Her golden curly hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and her turquoise eyes were like the waves of the Mediterranean Sea, full of agility as they flowed.

Feng Huiyin forced a smile, stood up and greeted her, "Sister Theodosius, how come you have time to come here today?"

Theodosius blinked, walked to Feng Huiyin and sat down. He reached out and picked up a hairpin on the table, playing with it and said, "I have also been troubled by some things recently. Sister, are you also entangled by those annoying families?"

Feng Huiyin was slightly startled, and smiled bitterly: "Sister, has this happened to you too? In the past few days, envoys from Luoyang Prefecture have been coming and going frequently, all for matters concerning those noble families. They all hope that I can speak well of them in front of the Crown Prince, but I..."

Theodosius pouted and said, "That's right! It's the same in my place. Many people from noble families send me all kinds of rare things in various ways and make many promises."

"Just yesterday, an envoy from an aristocratic family came to me and stated confidently that they could provide all-round assistance to the Roman delegation in the Tang Dynasty."

"Not only that, he also said that if the prince really wanted to deal with the Arabs in the future, his family would definitely stand firmly on the side of Rome, as if they could accomplish this goal just by talking."

Feng Huiyin frowned slightly and asked softly, "So, sister, how did you respond?"

Theodosius shrugged and said nonchalantly, "How can I respond? It's just a few perfunctory words. Although I married here from a distant place, I also know the ins and outs here. These noble families just want to use me because of my status as a concubine."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince always makes decisions with careful consideration. I cannot easily influence him."

Feng Huiyin sighed softly: "Sister, you see through it. I am the same. When faced with the requests of those noble families, I can only be vague. I dare not easily agree, but I am afraid of offending them. After all, the family forces behind them are huge. If I am not careful, I may cause trouble."

Theodosius took Feng Huiyin's hand and comforted her, "Sister, don't worry too much. In my opinion, we should let the Crown Princess handle all these family affairs."

"The Crown Princess is the principal wife, has a high status in the palace, and accompanies His Royal Highness the Crown Prince day and night. She has more opportunities and weight to make suggestions to the Crown Prince than we do."

After hearing this, Feng Huiyin's eyes flashed with hesitation, and hesitantly asked: "Would it be inappropriate to do this?"

Theodosius patted Feng Huiyin's hand and said confidently: "Don't worry, sister. The Crown Princess is very righteous and will not think like this."

Feng Huiyin pondered for a moment and nodded slowly: "Sister, what you said makes sense. At this point, this is the only way."

(End of this chapter)