My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 368: King Jin wants to return his fiefdom?

Tai Chi Palace.

Li Shimin's complexion had become rosy and his physical condition had basically recovered.

This is somewhat inconsistent with history.

Historically, during this period, Li Shimin respected Taoism, and the Taoist concept of alchemy to achieve immortality had a subtle influence on Li Shimin.

In addition, alchemy was popular in the Tang Dynasty, and many emperors pursued immortality, which prompted Li Shimin to come up with the idea of ​​prolonging his life through elixirs.

With the prosperity of the Silk Road, the external alchemy techniques from India, Persia and other places were introduced to the Central Plains. Some foreign envoys or alchemists presented so-called foreign elixirs to Li Shimin, claiming that they had magical effects, which further encouraged him to take elixirs.

However, the reason why it has been changed now has a lot to do with Li Chengqian.

First, Li Chengqian personally arranged for people to go to the Indian delegation, but they couldn't find the so-called Duanxu ointment to treat the leg disease, which made Li Shimin a little disappointed.

At the same time, Li Chengqian disciplined foreign businessmen and cracked down severely on some swindlers who attempted to make money by boasting about their elixirs.

For example, as for the exotic miracle doctors that were widely circulated among the people, Li Chengqian directly arranged for people to expose the fakes, and most of them were executed.

In such a situation, many people do not dare to take the risk of turning around and defrauding money.

In history, the Indian alchemist Narasapa was unable to reach Chang'an because of Li Chengqian's intervention.

Although Li Shimin now suffers from respiratory disease, he still mainly relies on Chinese medicine for treatment.

And because Li Shimin had an enemy in Li Chengqian, his mind was not entirely focused on immortality, but was more concerned with how to solve the troublesome issue of the crown prince.

Of course, Li Shimin became truly obsessed with immortality in his later years, and it is not the right time now.

Although the Turkic issue made Li Shimin a little angry, it was not a big problem.

The Tang Dynasty of today is not the Tang Dynasty of the past.

The Eastern Turks were once powerful, but became weak when the Tang Dynasty was first established.

However, after defeating the Eastern Turks and being honored as the Heavenly Khan, the Tang army is now very powerful.

Although the Five Surnames and Seven Clans allowed the Western Turks to enter the pass, which had a certain impact on the people in the Hedong area, with sufficient military forces prepared, a situation like the Weishui Alliance would naturally not happen again.

The Western Turks were not as powerful as the Eastern Turks.

What gave Li Shimin a headache was still the Crown Prince.

"Your Majesty, the King of Jin requests an audience."

The eunuch Zhang Ananda made the report.

Li Shimin frowned slightly and said, "Didn't I tell him yesterday that I needed to rest? Why did he come again today?"

It’s not that Li Shimin doesn’t want to see his son, but he needs to pretend to be sick now.

I don’t want to pretend in front of my son, so I just disappear.

The eunuch Zhang Ananda replied, "The Prince of Jin said he had something important to report to Your Majesty."

Li Shimin said casually: "What's the important matter?"

After thinking for a while, he said, "Okay, let him in."

After all, he is my own son, and it’s not good to always refuse him.

Not long after the report was made, Li Zhi entered the palace.

"This slave pays respect to the emperor, father. I wish the emperor good health."

Li Zhi looked up at his father who looked in good spirits and said.

At the same time, I felt much calmer.

Because my father is in good health, he can fight against the prince.

Li Zhi himself is not capable of fighting against the current crown prince.

Wu Meiniang had told him before that the reason why His Majesty repeatedly tolerated the Prince's behavior had a lot to do with His Majesty's health.

If Your Majesty is in poor health, you will consider the issue of succession. Looking at the current situation, the Crown Prince is undoubtedly the best successor, no doubt about it.

To put it bluntly, the King of Wei and the King of Jin combined are not even half as good as the Crown Prince.

But then again, if Your Majesty is in good health, the conflict with the Crown Prince will be irreconcilable.

The more powerful the prince is, the more fearful His Majesty becomes.

When it breaks out completely, it will be King Jin's chance.

What we need to do now is to wait patiently for the conflict between His Majesty and the Crown Prince to break out.

Wu Meiniang indeed had a very thorough understanding of imperial power.

Since ancient times, the imperial power has been unique and no one else is allowed to interfere.

The more powerful the emperor, the more so.

Even if this person is the prince, his own son.

Since ancient times, emperors have been extremely wary of princes seizing power.

"Tell me, what's the matter that makes you so anxious to see me?"

Li Shimin nodded slightly and asked directly.

This made Li Zhi feel a little disappointed.

The emperor's attitude towards him was quite official.

Among the three brothers, he is the youngest legitimate son and also the least favored one.

"It's the fourth brother. The fourth brother might be harmful to the Tang Dynasty."

There was some hesitation in Li Zhi's tone, as if he was a little unsure.

Li Shimin raised his eyebrows when he heard this and asked, "How is Qingque going to harm the Tang Dynasty?"

Li Zhi's face showed some struggle, and after a while he said, "Zhi Nu got the news that a few days ago, Cui Wenxin from the Qinghe Cui family went to the fourth brother's mansion many times."

"This Cui Wenxin was Cui Wensheng's younger brother. Cui Wensheng colluded with Goryeo and committed suicide. This Cui Wenxin must have no good intentions."

"So Zhinu investigated privately and found that there were Turks who secretly entered the fourth brother's mansion."

"I didn't think much of it at first, but my elder brother issued a decree prohibiting Turks from staying in Chang'an inns. This is very similar to my elder brother's expulsion of Korean merchants back then."

"So Zhinu wondered if Fourth Brother had any misunderstandings, so he tried to find out from various sources."

"But I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it."

At this point, Li Zhi's voice suddenly trembled and choked.

Li Shimin asked in a deep voice: "I didn't expect anything!"

Li Zhi shuddered and replied, "I never thought that my fourth brother would collude with the Turks."

After hearing this, Li Shimin remained calm.

He knew about this a long time ago.

And know more.

After Fang Xuanling submitted the report overnight, Li Shimin naturally would not convict the King of Wei based on Fang Xuanling's one-sided statement.

Since then, secret agents have been arranged to conduct investigations.

Li Shimin also had his own intelligence organization. It was not as evil as described in the novel, but it was also quite capable.

Among them, it was discovered that Prince of Jin, Li Zhi, went to the Prince of Wei's Palace.

In Chang'an City, it was very troublesome to investigate a minor official or commoner, and as Li Zhi was the King of Jin, it was difficult for him to keep his whereabouts secret.

Combined with the previous joint attack by the King of Wei and the King of Jin, Li Shimin could naturally guess that the King of Jin was probably also involved in the collusion with the Turks.

After all, the King of Wei is not stupid, and he will not do such a thing alone.

However, in terms of behavior, the King of Wei and the King of Jin did not have the ability to directly collude with the Turks.

The middlemen here are the five surnames and seven families.

Only they have the ability to allow the Turks to enter the country.

The Five Surnames and Seven Families were supporters of the King of Wei, and the King of Jin was unable to mobilize them. The supporters of Li Zhi were Li Ji and the Grand Princess of Tong'an.

They would not help King Jin collude with the Turks.

So all in all, the King of Jin could be considered as someone who knew the truth but did not report it.

The fact that he is informing on the matter now should be a sign of his sudden awakening and a return to the right path.

This made Li Shimin feel more comforted.

At least Zhinu is a sensible child.

This time, I also look at it with a different eye.

However, it still needs to be tested.

He immediately pretended to be angry and said, "Child slave, just based on Cui Wenxin's entry and exit of the Prince of Wei's palace and the appearance of the Turks, you concluded that Qingque was colluding with foreign enemies? How dare you bother me with empty words without any evidence?"

Li Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

He didn't understand why his father said that.

Didn't Mei Niang say that father had already known about the King of Wei's collusion with the Turks? Why is she still asking this?

Are you testing me?
Thinking of this, Li Zhi knelt down and bowed: "I dare not deceive my father. These things are indeed known to me through investigation. I didn't think much about it at first, but now that the Turks are making unusual moves, I think of it now."

Li Shimin said calmly: "Is there any conclusive evidence?"

Li Zhi shook his head helplessly: "There is no evidence."

I originally thought that I would be met with the emperor's wrath, but unexpectedly, I only heard a few light words.

"Get up."

Hearing this, Li Zhi knew that he had guessed right.

Or maybe Mei Niang guessed right.

My father really has already known about the King of Wei’s collusion with the Turks.

Fortunately, Mei Niang asked me to report King Wei, otherwise if my father conducted a thorough investigation, I would be implicated.

In fact, Li Zhi himself didn't expect this.

If he also participated in the collusion with the Turks, he would not only face punishment from Li Shimin, but more importantly, his own power would suffer great losses.

Li Zhi's most favorable supporters were Li Ji and Princess Tong'an.

As a veteran of three dynasties, Li Ji experienced the turbulent times at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the founding of the Tang Dynasty. His political stance has always been centered on the safety of the country.

Although he was a supporter of Prince Jin, he was by no means blindly dependent on him. During the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he deliberately remained neutral.

In the dispute between the Crown Prince and the King of Wei, he did not clearly take sides.

This caution stems from his clear understanding of the boundary between military power and imperial power.

Li Ji not only controlled the military power, but also the core structure of the Tang Dynasty's border defense system.

If the King of Jin colluded with the Turks, it would mean actively inviting foreign enemies into the Great Wall, which was completely contrary to Li Ji's military philosophy of protecting the territory and the people.

In the Battle of Shuozhou, Li Ji led only 3,000 cavalrymen to fight against an army of 100,000 Turks. He was well aware of the devastation that foreign invasions would cause to the people's livelihood, and would never tolerate any secret dealings with the Turks.

Li Ji supported Li Zhi because he believed that Li Zhi was gentle and kind and could maintain the status quo.

If Li Zhi participated in such a conspiracy of colluding with the Turks, which was a short-term solution, it would expose his inability to govern the country and his lack of loyalty and filial piety.

This would make Li Ji have fundamental doubts about him.

How can a prince who breaks even the bottom line of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism be entrusted with the responsibilities of governing the country?
From another perspective: The Li Ji family has been operating the business for several generations and knows very well that serving the emperor is like serving a tiger.

When he was suspected by Li Yuan, he tarnished his own reputation in order to protect himself.

If something happened to Prince Jin at this moment, if Li Ji continued to support him, he would be regarded as a clique at best, or implicated in treason at worst.

With his political wisdom, he would certainly cut ties with King Jin at the first opportunity, and even take the initiative to plead guilty to show his loyalty.

If Li Ji was disappointed, it would mean that Prince Jin had lost the most critical support from the military.

Under the Tang Dynasty's military system, most of the local military commanders came from Li Ji's school.

Once Li Ji's attitude wavers, the Prince of Jin's voice in military affairs will be gone.

What’s more serious is that if Li Ji publicly questioned the morality of Prince Jin in the court, it would trigger a chain reaction.

As the younger sister of Li Yuan and the aunt of Li Shimin, Princess Tongan had a special identity in that she was not only the most senior woman in the royal family, but also a living symbol of the Li clan system.

Her support for Li Zhi was mainly due to her dislike for the King of Wei and the Crown Prince's rebellion.

Then there is her close relationship with her husband Wang Yu’s great-grandniece, now the Princess of Jin.

But this support has two insurmountable prerequisites.

Princess Tong'an experienced the war at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the rise of her family. She witnessed the Li family's journey from a prominent family in the Northern Zhou Dynasty to the common ruler of the world. In her eyes, colluding with foreign races was a betrayal of the Li bloodline.

When Dou Jiande captured her, she would rather die than marry into the Dou clan, precisely because of this obsession with the distinction between Chinese and barbarians. If Li Zhi colluded with the Turks, in her view, it would be tantamount to recognizing an enemy as her father, which would inevitably trigger her strongest patriarchal condemnation.

Princess Tong'an is still treated with courtesy even though she is over 80 years old. This is not because of her power but because of her moral character.

If the Prince of Jin whom she supported fell into disgrace, her reputation as a judge of people would be completely ruined, and she might even be described in later history books as an old woman who had brought misfortune to the country. In order to leave a name in the ancestral temple after her death, she would definitely cut ties with Li Zhi before the scandal was confirmed, and even personally impeach him to show that she was willing to sacrifice her own relatives for the greater good.

Princess Tongan's disappointment meant that Prince Jin lost the support of the royal family.

Although the royal family's attitude towards the selection of the crown prince does not directly determine who will own the throne, it can influence the support of the gentry.

If Princess Tong'an publicly accused Li Zhi, it would be a disgrace to the Li family.

The old subordinates of Li Yuan would also look down on Prince Jin, leaving Li Zhi no chance of a comeback.

It has to be said that this time, it was Wu Meiniang who saved Li Zhi.

At this time, there was a bit more relief in Li Shimin's eyes when he looked at Zhinu.

"It would be great if your elder brother and Qingque were as sensible as you."

Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. Li Shimin would naturally not think badly of Zhinu, who was known for his kindness and filial piety.

Especially in comparison with the Crown Prince and the King of Wei, the King of Jin at this time stands out particularly.

Although he had ambushed the prince together with the King of Wei, and even secretly mobilized the Jinwu Guards to besiege Lai Tingfang.

But looking at these things from the perspective of fundamental interests, Li Shimin did not think that Li Zhi was trying to seize the throne for himself.

Instead, he was forced by the crown prince to join forces with the King of Wei.

Because even if the prince was defeated, the current King of Jin would not be strong enough to defeat the King of Wei.

The position of crown prince can only fall on the King of Wei, not the King of Jin himself.

The more likely possibility is that he was threatened, bribed, bewitched, and deceived by the King of Wei.

Li Zhi didn't dare to respond casually to his father's words.

Wu Meiniang repeatedly told him that at this time, he must not reveal his intention to seize the throne.

Instead, he wanted to express that he had absolutely no intention of competing with the Crown Prince or the King of Wei.

At this moment, Li Zhi suddenly had an idea.

He bowed and said, "Father, the Turks are invading now. I am doing nothing in Chang'an. Please go back to your fiefdom and fight against the Turks. I beg your help."

These words made Li Shimin stunned.

Li Zhi's fiefdom was in Bingzhou, which is the area around Taiyuan, Shanxi in later generations.

Bingzhou was the birthplace of the Li Tang Dynasty. Li Yuan once served as the governor of Taiyuan and started his rebellion against the Sui Dynasty here.

Li Shimin made Bingzhou Li Zhi's vassal state and attached great importance to his legitimate son.

After all, there are only three legitimate sons.

Bingzhou was an important military town in the north of the Tang Dynasty. It was located on the main transportation route between the Central Plains and the northern frontier, and was a frontier position for defending against the northern nomadic peoples and the southward migration of the Turks.

However, after the fall of the Eastern Turks, the Western Turks mainly controlled the Western Regions. Their sphere of influence was far away from Bingzhou and could be considered the second front.

(End of this chapter)