My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 333 Welcoming the prince into the city?
Tongguan.

An army of 30,000 set out.

In fact, Li Chengqian did not count much on Zhao Jie, Li Yuanchang and Li Dejian.

Princess Changguang, although seemingly of noble status, actually does not have much influence on the court. The only one who has some influence is Yang Shidao.

As the Minister of the Secretariat, he has great power and has a considerable say in the entire court.

In particular, he once served as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and had many students and connections under his tutelage.

However, these are not enough in the fight for the throne.

What is most important is that Yang Shidao is of pure good nature and has never committed any fault. However, he is actually timid and inexperienced, so he cannot be of any help in an emergency.

This is the historical evaluation of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, which means that he is rather cowardly, has little experience, and is difficult to rely on in an emergency.

In addition, he has good literary talent and is good at calligraphy.

Under such circumstances, Yang Shidao probably would not take sides directly.

The facts were just as Li Chengqian had guessed.

After Zhao Jie and Princess Changguang went to meet Yang Shidao, the subsequent discussions did not go smoothly.

Yang Shidao believed that even though the Crown Prince had an advantage now, His Majesty was seriously ill, but His Majesty was in good health, and the imperial physician also said that he would recover after just resting for a while.

Once Your Majesty wakes up, the court will still be under Your Majesty's control.

I am not very optimistic about supporting the prince's entry into the city.

Not to mention King of Han Li Yuanchang and Zhangsun Wuji.

Even though Changsun Wuji had the idea of ​​investing in the prince at this time, he did not dare to make the decision on his own about welcoming the prince into the city.

It's just a joke to Li Yuanchang.

This old fox is very cunning. No matter what you say, he will not be moved.

Changsun Wuji knew clearly that as long as the Prince of Wei did not succeed in his bid for the throne, his status would not be greatly affected whether he became the Crown Prince or the Prince of Jin.

This also involves the struggle between the Five Surnames and Seven Families and the Guanlong Clan.

Even if the prince ascends to the throne, won't he deal with the five surnames and seven families?

To deal with the Five Surnames and Seven Aristocrats, he can only rely on people like the Guanlong clan.

It is impossible for the prince to deal with the Five Surnames and Seven Families and the Guanlong Clan at the same time.

Does the prince want to make enemies with everyone in the world?
Even though Li Chengqian has been dealing with the Five Surnames and Seven Clans, it seems that several big moves by the Five Surnames and Seven Clans were easily resolved, as if the Five Surnames and Seven Clans felt that they had no strength.

In fact, this was influenced by Li Chengqian's status as the crown prince, and he dared not say many things openly.

Li Chengqian and Li Shimin are father and son no matter what.

No matter how hard you fight, it will never be a life-and-death fight.

On the contrary, even if the crown prince was deposed, if anyone dared to kill Li Chengqian, he would still be met with Li Shimin's wrath.

As for the Guanlong clans, it seemed that they had no effect on Li Chengqian, but they had always been restricting the five surnames and seven families.

For all the aristocratic families, the current struggle between Li Chengqian and Li Shimin, between the crown prince and the emperor, is a struggle for imperial power, not a struggle involving the power of ministers.

Even if Li Chengqian took some action in Luoyang, it was because the officials in Luoyang resigned and there was no one available.

This has not yet touched the bottom line of the family.

Of course, the bottom line of aristocratic families is usually ridiculously low.

There is even less hope for Li Jing.

Even if Li Jing had some ideas, he didn't have the ability.

Li Jing's military power was granted temporarily, and he had handed it over very early.

If Li Shimin had not been young, had many military achievements, and had a broad mind, and if Li Jing had not been in poor health in his old age, it would have been difficult for him to have a good ending given the precedent set by Sima Yi.

Li Jing himself was aware of this, so he was particularly cautious about military power from an early on.

In Chang'an City, even in Li Jing's mansion, there were very few guards, less than thirty people.

"So, people, in the end, you still have to rely on yourself."

It was said that there were 30,000 troops, but in fact there were nearly 100,000 of them.

This time when Li Chengqian went to Chang'an, in addition to food and supplies, he also brought 360 cannons and thousands of fire bombs.

It’s not about taking down Chang’an City directly.

Thousands of incendiary bombs may seem like a lot, but it is still very difficult to blow down the city walls of Chang'an.

Even if part of it was destroyed, the chances of 30,000 elite troops attacking Chang'an City and winning would be low.

The number of imperial guards in the Chang'an area remained above 100,000 for a long time.

During the early Tang Dynasty, the combat effectiveness of these imperial guards was extremely strong, and they were truly fierce soldiers in the army.

In other words, before the An-Shi Rebellion, the strength of the Chang'an Imperial Guards had never been underestimated.

Whether in terms of combat capability or willpower, he is the best in the world.

Strictly speaking, these elite Liaodong troops trained by Li Chengqian are still inferior to the Chang'an Imperial Guards.

Some things cannot be compensated by a short period of practice.
-
Chang'an, Tai Chi Hall.

The news that the prince was leading a large army from Tongguan could not be concealed.

Your Majesty is seriously ill, but the court meeting must still be held.

All the civil and military officials in the court gathered together, and the atmosphere was solemn.

Chu Suiliang was the first to step forward, his posture was straight, his expression was serious, and his voice was like a bell: "Everyone, Li Chengqian raised an army to rebel, which is a heinous act! Now he is leading his troops directly to Chang'an, his wolfish ambition is obvious. Even if Your Majesty has restored his position as the crown prince, how can his rebellious behavior be forgiven lightly?"

"The laws of our Tang Dynasty are strict, and those who commit treason must be executed. If we let him into the city now, where will the laws of our Tang Dynasty be placed? Where will your majesty's dignity be placed?" After saying this, he looked around with a sharp gaze.

Minister of Rites Li Gang responded immediately, stepped forward, and said with a clasp: "Mr. Chu is absolutely right. The prince's behavior is not only unbecoming of a monarch, but also unbecoming of a son. If we rashly allow him to enter the city, chaos may occur, endangering the country. The safety of the people in Chang'an and the safety of the court all depend on this, so we must be careful!"

The new Minister of Revenue also nodded repeatedly and added: "Li Chengqian has his own army and is trying to seize the throne by force. If this trend continues, many princes will follow suit in the future. Our dynasty has just been established and its foundation needs to be consolidated. How can we allow such chaos? We must resolutely prevent him from entering the city."

For a time, voices of agreement arose one after another in the court, and many officials nodded in agreement, strongly supporting the views of Chu Suiliang and others.

These people either have close ties with the Five Surnames and Seven Families, or are supporters of the Wei Wang Party.

Zhang Sun Wuji frowned slightly, but was not in a hurry to express his opinion. After everyone's voices died down, he slowly spoke: "What Doctor Chu and the others said is not unreasonable. The prince's behavior is indeed rebellious, but Your Majesty is now unconscious, and he has already been restored to the position of crown prince. If we forcibly stop him, how will we explain it to Your Majesty when he wakes up?"

"Furthermore, the prince's army has arrived. If we don't handle it properly and a war breaks out, the people of Chang'an will be caught up in the flames of war, which is something we don't want to see."

Changsun Wuji's words were neither hurried nor slow, but their meaning was somewhat elusive. He neither explicitly supported stopping Li Chengqian, nor did he say that he should be allowed to enter the city.

Li Jing glanced at Changsun Wuji and said, "What Changsun Situ said is very true. The current situation is delicate, and we must act with extreme caution. Your Majesty is seriously ill, and the court must not be in chaos, but Li Chengqian's behavior is also hard to forgive. If we rashly go to war, the outcome is unpredictable, and once the war starts, it will be disadvantageous to both the country and the people."

Yang Shidao stroked his beard and said with difficulty: "Gentlemen, this matter is extremely tricky. Although the prince has made mistakes, his status is still there. Now that His Majesty is unconscious, it is difficult for us to guess His Majesty's intentions. If we stop the prince from entering the city, what if His Majesty's intention is not so, wouldn't we be making a big mistake? But if we let him in, he is afraid that he will have evil intentions and endanger the court. This... this is really a dilemma." It cannot be said that the persuasion of Zhao Jie, Li Dejian, and Li Yuanchang was completely useless.

The role is reflected at this moment.

Even if you don't support the prince, it's good to muddy the waters.

This also involves a struggle for interests. None of the three are considered to be the King of Wei's party. People from the five surnames and seven families naturally do not want to see him gain power.

While everyone was arguing, Wei Zheng stepped forward steadily.

He was thin, but spoke in a powerful voice: "Gentlemen, please listen to me. Crown Prince Li Chengqian is the heir to the throne. This is an indisputable fact."

"Your Majesty has already restored him to the position of Crown Prince, which shows that Your Majesty still has hope for him. Now that Your Majesty is seriously ill, according to the ancestral system, the Crown Prince has the right to govern the country. If the Crown Prince comes here this time to govern the country, there is nothing wrong with that. We have no reason and no excuse to stop him."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the court.

No one expected that Wei Zheng would openly support the prince's entry into the city at this time.

Is he crazy?

Chu Suiliang was shocked and retorted: "Duke Wei, why are you saying such foolish things? Li Chengqian is clearly plotting a rebellion with ulterior motives. How could he be acting as regent? He is clearly trying to seize the throne and usurp the Tang Dynasty!"

Wei Zheng sneered: "How dare you, Chu Suiliang, be so rebellious? Is this your Tang Dynasty?"

"This is your Majesty's kingdom, this is the prince's kingdom!"

"Your Majesty is seriously ill, the Crown Prince is the regent, this is the law of the land."

Chu Suiliang was so angry that his face turned red, and his hands trembled slightly: "Wei Zheng, you...you are making up stories!"

"Everyone has seen what Li Chengqian did. If he enters the city, it will inevitably cause chaos and endanger the safety of the court. As court officials, we shoulder the important task of assisting His Majesty and protecting the country. How can we easily let him succeed?"

In Chu Suiliang's view, Wei Zheng was calling a horse a deer and confusing right and wrong.

Wei Zheng responded calmly, "Doctor Chu, I am not making unfounded arguments. Crown Prince Li Chengqian has been crowned crown prince since he was young and has been taught by the royal family. He is not ignorant of state affairs."

"He was already the regent at the age of thirteen and was well versed in government affairs. You praised him back then."

"He may have come here with his troops because he was eager to supervise the country and wanted to do something when Your Majesty was seriously ill. He just acted rashly. As ministers, we should not blame him blindly at this time, but should think about how to guide him back to the right track and stabilize the situation in the court."

One of the imperial censors could not help but ask loudly, "Guide him? How can we guide him when his troops are already at the gates of the city?"

Wei Zheng looked at everyone with a firm gaze and said, "We can send an envoy out of the city to negotiate with the crown prince. Tell him that His Majesty is seriously ill and that the whole court is praying for His Majesty. At the same time, we should explain the righteousness of the matter and remind him that as a crown prince, he should strictly abide by the ancestral rules and take his responsibility as regent as the most important thing. He should not act rashly. If the crown prince still has a trace of conscience, he will definitely restrain himself after hearing this."

Wei Zheng's words left even Changsun Wuji, Li Jing and Yang Shidao a little confused.

But at first glance, it seems to be true.

However, everyone actually knew that His Majesty did not really want to restore the crown prince's position, but was just using a delaying tactic.

But who would have thought that Li Chengqian would now use this chicken feather as a token of authority.

He seemed to be trying to force his way into Chang'an as the crown prince.

Then again.

a man of his words.

What’s more, it is His Majesty’s edict.

Since Li Chengqian's status as the crown prince has been restored, there is no doubt that Li Chengqian is the crown prince.

Be it a strategy, true or false.

At present, in the Tang Dynasty, apart from His Majesty, the most honorable person is Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

As for the regent, it is a power that one already possesses.

Just, just.
The court officials looked at each other, and for a moment they really couldn't find any words to refute Wei Zheng.

You can't say no, he's the prince.

Say it's okay, that's even worse.

Chu Suiliang's face turned red, but he couldn't speak for a long time, he was holding it in.

Wei Duidui is not limited to His Majesty, he is also very familiar with arguing with other people.

In desperation, Chu Suiliang looked towards Fang Xuanling for the last time.

Although Fang Xuanling never expressed his opinion on the issue of the crown prince, everyone who was interested knew that Fang Xuanling naturally supported the King of Wei.

Fang Xuanling's expression was calm, and he showed no intention of refuting Wei Zheng's words.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he said, "What Duke Wei said makes sense. It is the ancestral system that the crown prince supervises the country."

These words left everyone a little confused.

When did Fang Xuanling secretly defect to the prince?

"However, it is indeed inappropriate to raise troops. Bringing troops into the city is also prone to uncertainty. In my opinion, the number of troops that the prince should bring into the city should be 1,000. A thousand people can show the prince's majesty without posing a threat to the defense of the city. This can solve the current emergency and also show the court's magnanimity. I hope you will think twice."

After saying this, everyone immediately understood.

Chu Suiliang gave a thumbs up in his heart.

Mr. Fang’s move was indeed brilliant.

It not only fulfilled the morality and national law, but also restricted the prince.

With only a thousand people, what kind of waves can the prince create in Chang'an City?
If he enters the city, what good will it do even if he has the title of crown prince?

Even if I am just a temporary regent, as long as His Majesty wakes up, I will be trapped in a jar.

Does the prince still want to rebel with a thousand people?

Uh.

It seems not impossible.

After all, there were only 800 people on His Majesty's side at the beginning.

Now the prince has two hundred more men than the eight hundred.

Changsun Wuji was a little stunned, his lips slightly opened, wanting to say something.

After hesitating for a long time, he still couldn't say it.

He remembered that he had tried to persuade the prince before, and the prince then talked about the incident at Xuanwu Gate.

Could it be that the Crown Prince is going to follow Your Majesty’s old path and go through Xuanwu Gate again to succeed to the throne?

Shaking his head slightly, Changsun Wuji shook the idea out of his mind.

Chu Suiliang also thought of this and said anxiously, "Lord Fang, your majesty had a thousand men at the beginning! Li Chengqian has evil intentions. If he takes the opportunity to cause chaos, how can we respond? Wouldn't the safety of Chang'an be in jeopardy?"

Fang Xuanling looked calm, looking at Chu Suiliang with a peaceful gaze, and said slowly: "Don't worry, Mr. Chu. With General Yuchi and General Cheng guarding the palace, there will be no problem."

(End of this chapter)