My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 350 Leaving the Palace to Meet the Prince

Garden outside the palace.

"Rebellion is for self-protection."

Li Chengqian sighed inwardly.

Everyone says being an emperor is good, but in fact he wants to be a prince more.

But it’s not easy to be a prince.

Who isn't forced to leave?

At this time, Wen Zhong came to report.

"Your Highness, I just got the news that Lord Fang recently had a secret meeting with Sun Fuga, the Minister of the Dali Temple. The teacups were changed nine times, but no one saw what they said."

"The only thing we know is that after each secret meeting, Fang Xiang would sit alone in the courtyard, staring at the chessboard for a long time."

Li Chengqian frowned slightly: "Sun Fujia."

"Why did Fang Xuanling look for him?"

Sun Fujia was the Minister of Dali Temple, and Li Chengqian's father-in-law was the Junior Minister of Dali Temple.

Although Li Chengqian had already started a rebellion, Li Shimin had no intention of implicate Su Tan, the father of Su Yuer from the Prince's Mansion.

Now Su Tan is still the Shaoqing of Dali Temple.

"No, not Sun Fuga."

"It's through Sun Fuga, who is contacting other people."

Li Chengqian quickly figured out that Fang Xuanling was too big a target, and if he showed up himself, he would easily attract attention, so Fang Xuanling was actually communicating with other people through Sun Fujia.

Maybe he is planning something, or maybe he is gathering information.

After thinking for a while, Li Chengqian said, "Go and send a visiting card to inform Fang Mansion that I will personally visit them tomorrow."

Wen Zhong showed a worried look on his face and took a half step forward: "Your Highness, there are guards every three steps on Suzaku Street now, and the four gates of the palace are strictly checking the entry and exit. If you go there rashly now..."

Li Chengqian entered the city, seemingly with overwhelming force, but he still had to be cautious.

Whenever he travels, he is protected by the Shenwu Army.

"It is precisely because the inspection is strict that I have to go."

Li Chengqian stood up, his robe blew up in the wind, and the memorials on the desk rustled.

"Who do you think Father is guarding against? On the surface, he is guarding against me, but in fact, he is guarding against variables. And variables are often hidden under the seemingly calm surface. Fang Xuanling may be the key to solving this dilemma."

In Chang'an City, people were in a state of confusion.

It is not rash to say that you can seize the throne by simply breaking through the Xuanwu Gate.

We will break into the palace today and ask Li Shimin to abdicate.

The day after tomorrow, maybe a bunch of people will come out and ask the emperor to restore the throne.

Patricide?

That was the beginning of chaos in the Tang Dynasty.

This is not Liaodong. You can't be straightforward here. If you destroy the perfect bureaucratic system with one blow, you will be the only one who suffers in the end.

Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. Some things cannot be rushed and must be done slowly.

Fortunately, the current Tang Dynasty is not full of cancer and is still relatively healthy.

The visiting card was quickly delivered to Fang's house.

Fang Xuanling felt mixed emotions when he saw the prince's visiting card.

He who comes has bad intentions.

The next day.

Li Chengqian arrived at Fang Mansion in a carriage.

This caused a big stir in Chang'an.

Li Chengqian's current actions have attracted too much attention.

The news was also reported to the palace at the first opportunity.

After Li Shimin learned about it, he did not make any statement.

He believed in Fang Xuanling, and believed that this minister who had followed him all the way would not do anything to destroy his innocence at this time.

Wubenfang, Fangfu.

The entire neighborhood has been under martial law.

A large number of Shenwu troops forcefully took over the public security of the entire district.

All streets within the main district were temporarily closed to traffic.

The gates of Wubenfang were also replaced by the Shenwu Army.

At this time, you have to be cautious.

If Li Shimin had the opportunity, he would naturally not miss the opportunity to capture the prince.

Li Chengqian would not give Li Shimin this opportunity.

Inside the mansion, upon hearing that the prince had arrived, Fang Xuanling naturally went to greet him in person.

The place they went to was Tingyuxuan in Fang Mansion.

Looking at the sign of Tingyuxuan, Li Chengqian asked with a smile: "This Tingyuxuan of Fang Xiang is quite interesting. I wonder if Fang Xiang is listening to the sound of rain or the sound of wind in Chang'an City?"

Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and smiled, then walked to the stone table and sat down, saying, "Your Highness, I am too kind. I am just an old man, and I cannot bear the strong winds and waves. I can only listen to the gentle rain, and treat it as a way to cultivate my character."

Fang Xuanling's meaning was very clear. He did not want to get involved in the fight between the Crown Prince and the King of Wei. The previous matters were just decided by Your Majesty.

If possible, Fang Xuanling was willing to give up supporting King Wei.

As long as the prince doesn't hold a grudge.

"Cultivate your character?"

Li Chengqian smiled faintly and asked, "Then Prime Minister Fang recently had a secret meeting with the Dali Temple Minister Sun Fujia. They talked all night long. Did they also talk about the way to cultivate one's character?"

"I heard that you were looking at the chessboard, sometimes frowning, sometimes clapping your hands. I wonder which move made you two so worried?"

Fang Xuanling's hand holding the teacup paused slightly.

These words are a warning.

The prince's warning.

The prince knew everything about the secret affairs between him and Sun Fujia, as if he was watching right next to them.

This kind of thing is really scary.

It seems like there are no secrets at all.

Is the prince’s strength so terrifying?
But Fang Xuanling soon realized that it was Yin Hongzhi.

Sun Fujia told him that in order to rebel, Yin Hongzhi secretly trained a large number of spies to go deep into various offices and industries in Chang'an to collect intelligence and find out the truth.

Later, these spies were captured by the prince.

But no one expected that there were spies around Sun Fujia in the Dali Temple.

This spy is actually very easy to find, after all, there are only a few of them to be seen.

But this is meaningless to Fang Xuanling.

Since the prince dared to say it, there must be more spies lurking.

For example, the old steward of the Fang Mansion.

Fang Xuanling pushed the teacup towards Li Chengqian, steam rising from it. "Your Highness, you don't know this, Lord Sun is obsessed with chess, and I am just accompanying him to amuse myself. The game of chess is unpredictable, just like the situation in the court. If you make a mistake, the whole game will be lost."

Li Chengqian nodded, without any hesitation, and continued: "What a chess game is like a court."

"Then what do you think, Prime Minister Fang, in this big chess game, who is holding the black pieces and who is holding the white pieces? And which pieces are there? They seem insignificant, but in fact, one move can affect the whole body?"

Fang Xuanling picked up the teacup and took a sip: "In my opinion, there is no fixed number for black and white, and the person who plays chess is not fixed either."

"Some pieces, seemingly fighting in the open, are actually paving the way for moves in the dark."

"Some seeds may seem quiet, but they can turn the tide at a critical moment."

"Just like the twelve gates of Chang'an City, which one is not a key point? But what really determines victory or defeat is never the strength of the gate."

Li Chengqian's eyes turned slightly cold, he was talking about Xuanwu Gate.

"What Prime Minister Fang said is indeed very mysterious, but aren't you afraid that if you make a wrong move, you will lose everything?"

It was almost a threat.

Fang Xuanling's expression remained unchanged, but he sighed slowly: "Prince, I have been working in this court for decades and have seen too many ups and downs, honors and disgraces." "Some things cannot be avoided just because you want to."

"Just like this drizzle, it seems gentle, but it can soak every inch of the land."

There was a hint of determination in these words.

If you insist, Prince, then let's try to fight to the death.

Li Chengqian was silent for a moment. If Fang Xuanling really wanted to get ruthless, his methods were still very powerful.

"Prime Minister Fang has assisted my father for many years and understands his thoughts best."

"Now that my father is seriously ill, all forces in the court are ready to make a move."

"Which side will the chess piece of Prime Minister Fang fall on? The side of the King of Wei that seems prosperous but has an unstable foundation, or the side of me that seems radical but holds real power?"

Fang Xuanling shook his head slightly: "Your Majesty's thoughts, this old minister cannot guess, nor dare to guess."

"I remember when I followed His Majesty to pacify the world, I saw a formation on the battlefield - the Bagua formation. It seemed to follow a certain pattern, but in fact, it was infinitely variable. Every change in position could cause a shock to the entire situation. Isn't the court today an even larger Bagua formation?"

Li Chengqian sneered: "So what Fang Xiang meant is that we should wait and see what happens?"

"But Prime Minister Fang, don't forget that once you miss some opportunities, you will never have them again. Just like the Xuanwu Gate Incident, if you hadn't acted decisively, how could we have the prosperous Zhenguan Era today?"

Fang Xuanling was slightly shocked when he heard this: "Xuanwu Gate... that is a past event that Your Majesty would never want to mention in his life. Prince, let me advise you that if you can avoid taking some roads, you should not take them."

Li Chengqian said calmly: "I don't want to leave, but can I turn back now?"

"I know that my father wants me to turn back, but can Minister Fang tell me which way to go?"

Fang Xuanling sighed, "Prince, I understand your situation. But at times like this, you must stay calm. Do you think you can win just because you have the Shenwu Army?"

"Your Majesty was able to conquer this country not only by relying on military force, but also by relying on the hearts of the people."

"The Tang Dynasty finally stabilized and rested for decades. If we rush into some things, it will inevitably damage the foundation. Many things need to be done step by step. Just like controlling water, it is better to drain it than to block it."

"Your Majesty has the prince in mind, so why should the prince insist on having his own way?"

“If you really have to take the step from which there is no turning back, even if you win, you’ve already lost.”

This is directly pointed out.

The current Li Chengqian is not yet qualified to directly succeed the throne.

Even if we break into the Xuanwu Gate, what does it matter if Your Majesty abdicates?

Can you control this court?

If you can't control it and make a fuss, it will become a joke.

Li Chengqian was silent.

To be honest, Xuanwu Gate is not difficult for Li Chengqian.

The hard part is what to do after it breaks.

Many people think that once they become emperor, there will be great scholars who will debate with them.

But this palace is actually a cage.

Once you get in, it’s not that easy to get out.

Many people believe that the emperor's power comes from the emperor himself.

In fact, the emperor's power comes more from his loyal subordinates.

Whether an imperial edict can be implemented depends entirely on what the people below do.

This is not a game. It is not something that can be fully implemented simply by issuing an order. More often than not, the people below obey the order in secret but secretly disobey it.

Fang Xuanling saw that the prince was touched, and continued: "Although your majesty has been ill recently, he still knows everything about the court."

"Secretly mobilized the palace soldiers on Suzaku Street. It seems that they are guarding against the prince, but in fact they are also protecting the prince."

"Your Majesty does not want to see brothers killing each other, and even less does he want to see the Tang Dynasty fall apart because of a fight for the throne."

At this point, Fang Xuanling paused for a moment and said slowly, "I, your old minister, have something to say to you, Your Highness. More haste, less speed."

"If the prince could calm down and deal with various forces instead of rushing for success, perhaps the situation would be very different."

Li Chengqian left, and he understood Fang Xuanling's thoughts.

To put it simply, it was not that Fang Xuanling did not support him.

But the time has not come yet.

Li Chengqian's carriage was moving farther and farther away, but the martial law in Wubenfang had not yet been lifted.

Behind the gate of Fang Mansion, Fang Xuanling looked at the carriage going away with a complicated look.

Fang Yizheng stood by and said softly, "Father, the prince has bad intentions this time, why not just..."

Fang Xuanling shook his head: "Do you think the court is your study where you can paint and write? Or a small place where you can place chess pieces at will?"

Fang Yizhi hesitated and said, "But my father did not agree to the prince's request. Besides, my second brother is now under the command of the King of Wei. If we side with the prince now, wouldn't we be putting him in danger?"

Fang Xuanling said in a deep voice: "Do you think you can stay out of this by just waiting and watching? The Crown Prince has come here alone today, which means he has already put his life at risk. Since he dared to expose my secret meeting with Sun Fujia, he must have been prepared in advance."

"Chang'an now seems to be in a stalemate, but in fact, there are murderous intentions everywhere. The prince seems radical, but every word he says hits the nail on the head. He mentioned Xuanwu Gate to remind me how Your Majesty ascended the throne, and now he has the ability to repeat it."

Fang Yizhi heard this and said, "But your Majesty has secretly mobilized troops, which is clearly to guard against the crown prince. Shouldn't we obey your Majesty's will?"

Fang Xuanling asked back: "In compliance with the emperor's will?"

"Your Majesty's holy will is the prince."

"It was, it is, and it will be."

"Your Majesty has always wanted to find some room for maneuver between you and the Crown Prince."

Fang Yizheng recalled that before, even when his father stood on the side of King Wei, he hardly stood out.

"Did my father already..."

Fang Xuanling said calmly: "I'm just waiting for an opportunity."

"Although the prince holds military power, he lacks the team to govern the country."

"Although the King of Wei is supported by his ministers, he lacks the bearing of an emperor."

"As for the King of Jin."

When it comes to Li Zhi, Fang Xuanling doesn't know how to evaluate him.

In fact, Li Zhi had the ability to be emperor, but he was too young and his foundation was too weak.

It is so difficult to get past the Crown Prince and the King of Wei.

Especially the current prince.

During the conversation with the prince, Fang Xuanling could feel the prince's self-confidence.

Fang Xuanling did not think that this confidence was blind.

It is not so easy for a prince to conquer the entire Liaodong.

As for the choice, in fact, for Fang Xuanling, there was never any choice.

The prince will become the emperor in the future, so Fang Xuanling has to join the prince?

Then why did the Xuanwu Gate Incident happen in the first place? Wasn't Crown Prince Li Jiancheng more qualified to be the emperor?

the other side.

Inside Tai Chi Palace.

The eunuch Zhang Ananda was reporting on the Crown Prince's visit to Fang Xuanling.

Li Shimin waved his hand: "I believe in Lord Fang."

If even Fang Xuanling didn't trust him, who else could Li Shimin trust?

Li Shimin never doubted the old ministers who followed him.

If he didn't even have this level of tolerance, he wouldn't be in the position he is in today.

Whether it is Fang Xuanling or Changsun Wuji.

Maybe they all have their own ideas, but their loyalty to him is unquestionable.

"To be honest, I made it difficult for them."

Zhang Ananda wanted to say something to comfort him, but Li Shimin spoke again: "My health is almost healed."

"Cheng Qian has been in the city for several days and has not come to see me."

"Then I will go see him."

(End of this chapter)