My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 349: Eventually Going Through Xuanwu Gate

For the Five Surnames and Seven Families, the biggest problem is how to gradually gain power.

In recent years, under the suppression of Li Shimin, the Five Surnames and Seven Families have actually gradually begun to weaken.

No matter which family rises and enters the court, this is a necessary condition, without exception.

Otherwise, even if a lean camel is bigger than a horse, there will be a day when it will be hollowed out.

From the perspective of family inheritance, one king is not enough to determine the rise and fall of a family.

However, for people in contemporary families, every dynasty naturally involves struggle.

If our dynasty does not fight for it, will our descendants be asked to fight for it?

Placing our hopes on our descendants, does this mean that our generation is useless?

Cui Shengyu naturally didn't want to be a waste.

I have been thinking hard for a long time to solve the current situation.

In the end, he found that it was not possible to stand with King Wei.

It is not possible to stand for the prince either.

On the contrary, only by standing with King Jin can there be hope.

"Do you really want to support King Jin?"

Lu Zhijie found it a little unbelievable.

Because the Five Surnames and Seven Families have always supported the King of Wei.

"Time is also fate."

"If the King of Wei was not unable to support me, I would not have resorted to such a desperate measure."

Cui Shengyu smiled bitterly and shook his head.

He also wanted the King of Wei to seize the throne, but the King of Wei didn't have the ability to do so.

Lu Zhijie was a little unsure and said, "But will King Jin believe us?"

"After all, we have been causing trouble for King Jin because of King Wei."

Cui Shengyu said firmly: "This is a different time, unless the King of Jin has no interest in the position of Crown Prince."

Lu Zhijie thought about it, gritted his teeth and said, “Okay, I’ll listen to Brother Cui.”

It’s not that Lu Zhijie is a fence-sitter, but after Cui Shengyu said that, he seemed to see some hope.

In fact, what the Five Surnames and Seven Families least want to see is the crown prince successfully succeeding to the throne.

Everything the prince did in Liaodong and his new policies were designed to shake the foundation of the family's inheritance.

But even if they were willing to sacrifice everything to follow the prince, the prince would remain indifferent.

This shows that if the Crown Prince takes power, he will still suppress the five surnames and seven families like Your Majesty does now.

One generation of kings is not worth worrying about.

But what about two generations?

There is also the emperor's eldest grandson in Liaodong, who also adheres to the ideas of the current prince.

Three generations of kings.

What can the five surnames and seven families use to fight?

Since ancient times, no matter how powerful a family is, how can it fight against the suppression of three consecutive generations of kings?

"Who's going?"

Lu Zhijie asked.

Cui Shengyu took the lead: "It was me who proposed it, so of course I will go."

Lu Zhijie thought about it and asked again: “Where are the others?”

Cui Shengyu said naturally: "I will only tell you for now. I will tell others after I have negotiated with the King of Jin."

Lu Zhijie bowed and said, "Thank you, Brother Cui."

The Cui family of Qinghe is the leader of the five surnames and seven families.

The eldest son of the Cui family is naturally the leader among all the sons.
-
That night.

Jin Palace.

Cui Shengyu, wearing a gray cotton robe and a conical hat, was led by two guards along the winding corridor and finally entered a secret room full of files.

It is difficult for ordinary people to meet King Jin, but for Cui Shengyu, it is a very simple thing.

It just needs to be concealed.

As the candlelight flickered, Li Zhi leaned on the sandalwood couch, playing with a mutton-fat jade ring on his fingertips, and glanced coldly at the uninvited guest.

He was naturally familiar with Cui Shengyu, a good helper under his fourth brother.

The strength of the Wei Wang Party comes from the support of the Five Surnames and Seven Families.

The former Cui Wensheng, now Cui Shengyu.

In Chang'an, Li Zhi served as the General of the Right Jinwu Guard, and the Five Surnames and Seven Clans often caused him trouble.

"Master Cui came to visit me late at night. Could it be that he wanted me to see this coarse cloth dress?"

Li Zhi raised his lips in mockery: "When did the people of the Five Surnames and Seven Famous Family learn to pretend to be poor scholars?"

Cui Shengyu took off his bamboo hat and saluted in a dignified manner: "Please forgive me, Prince Jin. I did this only because I was afraid of alarming the palace guards, and I was even more afraid that some 'interested people' would make unfounded accusations."

He deliberately emphasized the three words "people with a heart".

Li Zhi sneered, "Master Cui, you are worrying too much. I am now just a dismissed prince with no military power and no favor from the emperor. Who would be interested in my shabby palace?"

"But Master Cui, you left the popular King of Wei and came to me. Did you come to the wrong place?"

Li Zhi didn't think that anything good would come from Cui Shengyu's coming.

It was just because he had never thought that the Five Surnames and Seven Families would have the idea of ​​abandoning the King of Wei.

Faced with the mockery of Prince Jin's words, Cui Shengyu remained unmoved.

It's just a few words. If you can't even stand this, what big things can you talk about?

"Is King Jin testing me, or are you deceiving yourself?"

"The Five Families and Seven Noble Houses have supported the King of Wei for many years, but what was the result? In the battle on Suzaku Street, the King of Wei didn't even touch the edge of the Crown Prince's clothes, but almost lost his life. Does Your Highness really think that he can still bear the expectations of the aristocratic families?"

This sentence was like a sharp blade, piercing through Li Zhi's deliberately maintained indifference.

Li Zhi stood up suddenly.

A trace of anger flashed in his eyes: "Cui Shengyu, as the eldest son of the Qinghe Cui family, you actually slandered your allies behind their backs? Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the world?"

Cui Shengyu chuckled: "Laughing?"

"When the crown prince implemented the new policy in Liaodong and when he used artillery to blast open Tongguan, the Five Surnames and Seven Clans were already fish on the chopping board!"

"King Jin thinks that we still have the time to care about empty reputation?"

Li Zhi was silent for a moment, then he grabbed the teacup on the table and drank it all in one gulp. "Even if Fourth Brother is useless, the Crown Prince commands a large army and has the title of Regent. Wouldn't it be more promising for you to join him than to follow me?"

At this point, some things don't need to be made too clear.

Li Zhi already understood Cui Shengyu's purpose.

I just can't understand why it was him.

Cui Shengyu was silent for a while, organizing his words in his mind.

We can't say that the prince doesn't want us, so we come to you for help.

"How can the prince defeat your majesty?" "The reason why the prince is so powerful now is only because your majesty's dragon body has not recovered."

"When your majesty recovers, what will the prince do?"

"And will the prince be willing to hand over the artillery?"

"The purpose of the 30,000-strong Shenwu Army is obvious."

"I am from the Five Surnames and Seven Families, so it is impossible for me to follow someone who is plotting rebellion."

These words sound very high-sounding.

However, Li Zhi is no longer the Li Zhi he used to be. Under the influence of Wu Meiniang, he has grown rapidly.

Li Zhi picked up the teacup and asked calmly, "Tell me, what do you want to do?"

Cui Shengyu analyzed: "It is difficult to reconcile between your majesty and the crown prince. There will definitely be a war."

"If the prince wants to ascend to the throne, he will naturally follow the path that His Majesty once took and go to the Xuanwu Gate."

Li Zhi was a little confused: "Why is it Xuanwu Gate?"

Li Zhi also knew some news in the palace.

Xuanwu Gate is now heavily guarded, and my father is constantly sending more troops. It is the gate with the most troops in the palace.

Why did the prince have to go through Xuanwu Gate?

Cui Shengyu was silent for a moment. He didn't expect that King Jin didn't know about this.

So he explained: "Because only through Xuanwu Gate can you enter the palace directly."

"So no matter how many troops there are at Xuanwu Gate, the prince can only choose to enter from Xuanwu Gate. It seems that Xuanwu Gate is the most defensive place in the palace, but in fact it is also the weakest place."

"Once the Xuanwu Gate is broken, the prince can go straight to the palace."

Li Zhi really didn't know that there was such a saying. After all, who would dare to tell these secrets easily? This is the disadvantage of the palace.

Li Zhi took a deep look at Cui Shengyu and said, "I have no power and influence, and I was just defeated by the crown prince on Suzaku Street. Is Mr. Cui desperate and seeking help from all directions?"

Cui Shengyu said calmly: "If Prince Jin had saved the Crown Prince when he attacked Xuanwu Gate, it would have been a great achievement."

Li Zhi laughed and said, "Mr. Cui, that's easy to say. If the prince really attacks Xuanwu Gate, what can I use to save him?"

"The seal of the Right Jinwu Guard General has been taken back, and the order to mobilize the Imperial Guards is in the hands of my father and the Crown Prince. Do you want me to raise my arms and rely on the servants of the palace to fight against the Crown Prince's Divine Martial Army?"

Cui Shengyu said at this moment: "As long as the King of Jin is willing, he can naturally mobilize the imperial guards in the name of saving the emperor."

Li Zhi's eyes flashed: "What do you mean."

Cui Shengyu was silent for a while.

This was something the King of Wei had always wanted, but now he has to hand it over to the King of Jin.

After a moment, Cui Shengyu slowly said: "The Imperial Guards are the most important weapon of the country, but the commanders of the Imperial Guards are also human beings."

In fact, Cui Shengyu really didn't want to do this.

Because doing so would be too intimidating.

Not only His Majesty and the Crown Prince, even if the Prince of Jin succeeds in winning the throne, he will be wary of them in the future.

But Cui Shengyu had no choice.

The power of the court is no longer of any use in the current situation.

Ultimately, victory or defeat is determined on the battlefield.

Li Zhi hesitated a little and asked, "How many people can Master Cui help me mobilize?"

Cui Shengyu didn't say it directly, but just stretched out a finger.

Li Zhi frowned and asked, "One thousand people?"

“That’s not enough.”

"You should also have heard about the prince's Shenwu Army, which is as strong as the imperial guards. If..."

Cui Shengyu shook his head slightly: "Prince Jin, it is 10,000 people."

Li Zhi was a little scared.

"Ten thousand imperial guards?"

"You guys"

"How dare you!!!"

Cui Shengyu explained: "It's not us, it's the King of Jin."

"How could we have such ability? It was the Crown Prince who rebelled, and the Prince of Jin came to the rescue. Many soldiers heard about it and voluntarily followed the Prince of Jin to take the credit for the rescue."

The same meaning, if expressed in a different way, is easier to accept.

There is no doubt that Li Zhi was moved.

If he could really do as Cui Shengyu said and capture the crown prince while saving the emperor, the position of crown prince would naturally fall on him.

After thinking for a long time, Li Zhi asked again: "Will the prince really attack Xuanwu Gate?"

Cui Shengyu affirmed: "Of course."
-
In the early morning, the Taiji Hall was filled with a strong aroma of medicine.

Li Shimin was half lying on the dragon couch, his pale face showing a bit of haggardness.

The eunuch Zhang Ananda waited cautiously by the side, glancing at the emperor on the couch from time to time, as if he had something to say.

"Ananda, if you have something to say, just say it."

Li Shimin didn't even raise his head, and his voice sounded a little tired.

Zhang Ananda was shocked and knelt down quickly, his voice trembling slightly: "Your Majesty, I have something important to report. The Crown Prince has been in and out of the Shenwu military camp frequently recently and has not paid much attention to state affairs."

Li Shimin took a deep breath and looked up at the sky outside the palace, but it seemed like he was looking at the distant past: "I still remember that Cheng Qian was very intelligent when he was young. I taught him how to read and write, and how to govern the country. At that time, he had the world in his heart and was kind and benevolent. How come now..." His words stopped abruptly, filled with unspeakable disappointment.

Zhang Ananda didn't dare to respond. He just lowered his head and didn't dare to breathe. The hall fell into dead silence.

After a long while, Li Shimin withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhang Ananda, his eyes full of complexity: "Is the defense of Xuanwu Gate still stable?"

"Your Majesty, Xuanwu Gate is now under the command of General Yuchi himself, and 3,000 elite soldiers have been dispatched to patrol day and night, making the defense as solid as a rock. But..."

Zhang Ananda hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's just that the Shenwu Army under the Crown Prince has been frequently wandering around Xuanwu Gate recently, seemingly surveying the terrain, which makes the soldiers feel quite uneasy."

Li Shimin clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "He still wants to follow my old path! But I was forced to do so. Now he is the crown prince. As long as he behaves himself, the country will be his sooner or later. Why is he so impatient?"

Zhang Ananda bravely said: "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince may be worried..."

"What are you worried about? Are you worried that I don't want to pass the throne to him?" Li Shimin interrupted him and said angrily, "Don't I know what he's thinking? I just want him to gain more experience so that he can take over the throne safely after I die a hundred years later. But he thinks he can threaten me with 30,000 Shenwu troops and powerful weapons like artillery?"

At this point, Li Shimin started to cough violently, and an abnormal flush appeared on his pale face. Zhang Ananda hurriedly stood up and gently calmed him down: "Your Majesty, calm down and take care of your health! The Crown Prince may just be preparing for a rainy day, and he has no other intentions."

"Prepare for a rainy day?" Li Shimin sneered, "If he really cares about the country, he should take the initiative to hand over the artillery and disband the Shenwu Army. If these things remain in his hands, it will be like a sword hanging over my head!"

After a pause, Li Shimin's voice suddenly lowered, with a hint of sadness, "Ananda, tell me, am I too indulgent to him?"

Zhang Ananda knelt down again with a plop. "Everyone in the court knows that your majesty loves the crown prince. The crown prince must have been confused for a moment, which is why he did something that made your majesty worried. As long as your majesty reminds him, the crown prince will surely come to his senses."

Li Shimin smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Remind? How many times have I reminded him? I have noticed his ambition since he implemented the new policy in Liaodong. But I thought he was also doing it for the country, so I let him do it. Unexpectedly, he became more and more excessive."

"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince may be worried that the King of Wei and the King of Jin will do something bad to him, so..." Zhang Ananda said cautiously.

"Hmph! Although Qingque and Zhinu are ambitious to compete for the throne, I know very well their own capabilities. They are no match for Cheng Qian at all. If Cheng Qian is really capable, he should convince Qingque and Zhinu with virtue instead of relying on threats of force!" Li Shimin became more and more angry as he spoke. He sat up abruptly, but because he moved too hastily, he started coughing violently again.

"Your Majesty!" Zhang Ananda was horrified: "Your Majesty, please don't get angry. It's important to take care of your health!"

Li Shimin leaned on the dragon couch, closed his eyes, and seemed to have exhausted all his strength: "Ananda, tell me, did I do something wrong?"

"I launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, killed my brother and forced my father to ascend the throne. Now Cheng Qian also wants to follow my example. Is this karma?"

(End of this chapter)