My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 369: Soft-hearted Li Shimin
Li Shimin looked at Zhinu seriously.

The youngest legitimate son.

There was a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

He was a little unsure whether Zhinu really wanted to return to his fiefdom or was just taking the opportunity to test him.

But Li Zhi is no longer the same as before.

He used to be simple and innocent, but now he has the demeanor of a veteran actor.

Li Zhi also knew that it was not easy to hide the secret from his father.

So before saying this, Li Zhi kept reminding himself in his heart.

It's good to stay away from Chang'an, avoid the struggle between the Crown Prince and the King of Wei, and be a leisurely vassal king.

This can also be considered as early self-hypnosis.

Li Zhi said it so much in his heart that he began to believe it himself.

Therefore, when Li Shimin saw Li Zhi's sincere eyes without any hesitation, he also believed it.

"Why do you suddenly think so?"

"Isn't Chang'an good?"

Even if he had some belief, Li Shimin would not confirm it directly, and naturally he would have to test it a little more.

Let’s take a look at the youngest legitimate son and see what his situation is.

According to the current situation, it is the most intense moment.

Judging from some of her earlier actions, Zhinu should have the intention of seizing the throne, Li Shimin was very sure of this.

Because it was he who instigated Zhinu's intention to seize the throne.

If he had not given Zhinu the real power of the General of the Right Jinwu Guard and allowed him to enter the palace many times, he would not have been promoted to an official position.

How could a young slave have such thoughts?

But Li Shimin had no choice. The Prince of Wei was too disappointing. He had previously competed with the Crown Prince with great success. At one point, Li Shimin was worried that the Crown Prince could not withstand the test.

But unexpectedly, when the prince got serious, the King of Wei was no match for him at all.

Until now, even Li Shimin himself could not tell whether the prince had been hiding his strength and biding his time before, or was really awakened by his five horsewhips.

There is no point in worrying about these things now.

But Zhinu suddenly wanted to leave, which was a bit unexpected.

Fighting for the throne is the temptation of power.

Supreme and unique in the world.

Can Zhinu really escape this temptation?

Li Zhi had already gotten into the role to a certain extent, and there was a hint of grievance in his tone.

"Father, when I first came to Chang'an, I was highly regarded by you and was granted the position of General of the Right Jinwu Guard."

"Zhi Nu is very happy, and I also hope to achieve something and gain the recognition of my father."

"But gradually, Zhinu discovered that many things were not what Zhinu thought."

"Between my fourth brother and my eldest brother, I don't know what to do."

"Before, my eldest brother led his own army and I felt that he was wrong. Now that my fourth brother is colluding with the Turks, I don't want to be involved in this either."

"I never thought that the situation would turn out like this. I am really distressed and in a dilemma."

"I remember when Zhinu first returned to Chang'an, my elder brother was unhappy and asked when the emperor would let Zhinu return to the vassal state. The emperor said that he would let Zhinu return after the eastern expedition to Goryeo."

"After that, my elder brother took control of his army in Luoyang and did not mention this matter again when he came back."

"But I think it's time for me to go to the vassal state. Now that the Turks are invading the border, I can also do my part to help the Tang Dynasty."

At this point, Li Zhi's voice choked up.

"I am just worried about your health. I cannot visit you often. Please take care of yourself. I will pray for you in Bingzhou."

"Please also ask for your permission, Father."

These words made Li Shimin almost cry.

He could feel that this was Zhinu's true feelings.

Li Zhi's words may seem simple, but they actually convey a lot of meaning.

First, it was about joining forces with King Wei to attack the crown prince.

Li Zhi said this because the crown prince was rebelling, so he thought he was on the side of justice by being with the King of Wei.

After all, even if he defeated his elder brother, he would not be the crown prince.

Then he admitted his mistakes and gave an explanation for his past behavior. His original intention was not to fight for the royal family, but in this game, he couldn't tell himself apart, and he didn't know whether what he did was right or wrong.

I once thought that the prince was wrong.

But now that his fourth brother is colluding with the Turks, he feels that he is wrong.

Can't tell the difference.

It’s better to just leave and avoid this place of conflict.

It can be regarded as the fulfillment of the promise made by Li Shimin.

These words, coupled with his aggrieved expression.

Li Shimin's doubts immediately dissipated.

Looking at Zhinu's slightly immature face at this time, Li Shimin suddenly remembered that Zhinu was only seventeen years old this year.

At seventeen, what can you think about?

When I was seventeen years old, wasn’t I also young and passionate, wholeheartedly devoted to being loyal to the emperor and serving my country?

Li Shimin suddenly felt a little guilty towards Li Zhi.

It was he who dragged the young Li Zhi into this complicated situation.

Li Zhi was forced to bear a burden that he shouldn't have at his age.

Thinking of this, Li Shimin took a few steps forward and patted Li Zhi on the shoulder.

"You've suffered a lot in the past few years."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi hurriedly said, "Child slaves are not suffering."

At this time, Li Zhi didn't dare to continue talking about going to the vassal state.

If I insist too much, it will be disastrous if my father really asks me to go to the fiefdom.

He still can't bear to part with Mei Niang.

He was also reluctant to give up the fight for the throne.

Li Shimin thought for a moment and said, "I have my own plans for the Turks. They can't cause any trouble. Lord Li Wei has already gone there. You are still young and have little experience in leading troops. There is no need to get involved."

"I have wronged you about some things. After all, you are still young and may not have thought too much about it."

"Who doesn't make mistakes? I made a lot of mistakes in my life."

"It's not terrible to make a mistake, but to make the same mistake over and over again. It's great that you recognize your mistakes."

"As the saying goes, every sting makes you wiser. I believe you will grow in the future."

At this point, Li Shimin paused for a moment and said, "You want to return to Bingzhou, that's also possible."

Hearing this, Li Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

Could it be that I overacted and ended up making things worse?

However, Li Shimin changed the subject and continued, "You are still young and incapable of governing government affairs. You should first follow me and learn. When you have learned enough, it will not be too late to return to Bingzhou."

Li Zhi felt relieved, as long as he was not really forced to become a vassal.

As long as you are in Chang'an City, there is hope.

Mei Niang was right. He actually didn't have to do anything now.

The position of crown prince cannot be obtained by any means. Compared with the King of Wei and the crown prince, he is far inferior.

The support of Li Ji and Princess Tong'an seemed to be very advantageous, but compared with the Crown Prince of Wei, it did not have much advantage.

As for Uncle Changsun Wuji, he is just a fallback and cannot be relied upon.

Li Shimin thought for a moment and ordered, "Ananda."

The eunuch Zhang Ananda bowed and said, "I am here."

Li Shimin said: "Pass on my imperial edict to restore the Prince of Jin to his position as the General of the Right Jinwu Guard."

Zhang Ananda bowed: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Li Zhi looked surprised, then a little frightened, and hurriedly said: "Father, I don't know."

Li Shimin interrupted with a wave of his hand: "I said, who can avoid making mistakes? Now that you know your mistakes, I am relieved." Li Zhi said worriedly: "But will my elder brother misunderstand me?"

Li Shimin said: "The prince will understand."

Li Zhi immediately bowed and said, "Thank you, Father."

Li Shimin nodded: "Alright, I'm tired, you can leave first."

Li Zhi bowed and said, "I will take my leave. Please take care of your health, father."

Watching Zhinu leave, Li Shimin felt a little melancholy.

Restoring Zhinu's power as the General of the Right Jinwu Guard was also part of the plan, except for the guilt I felt towards Zhinu today.

The King of Wei can no longer be relied upon for the time being.

Once the news of the King of Wei colluding with the Turks comes to light, how will he be able to compete with the Crown Prince in the future?

Li Shimin actually had no choice.

Because the Prince of Jin went to the vassal state, the Prince of Wei lost hope of becoming the crown prince.

He and the prince are the only ones left in Chang'an City.

Given the prince's current situation, he will inevitably face off against each other on a daily basis in the future, not to mention that the prince also has powerful troops and artillery at his disposal.

The Daming Palace is just northwest of the Taiji Palace.

If the prince led his army straight down, the first place to be hit would be Xuanwu Gate.

Li Shimin needed to divert the conflict between himself and the prince.

So no matter whether it is the King of Wei or the King of Jin, they must be able to fight against the Crown Prince.

There is no way to restore the Prince of Jin to his post as the General of the Right Jinwu Guard.

And the King of Wei is really useless.

Li Shimin suddenly felt a little tired.

Being an emperor is really difficult.

He had to guard against foreign invaders, ministers from aristocratic families, and his own sons.

I am really a lonely person.
-
The news that Li Zhi was reinstated as the General of the Right Jinwu Guard quickly spread.

Inside the Daming Palace, King of Han Li Yuanchang was very angry.

"Your Majesty, what are you thinking? The King of Jin has joined forces with the King of Wei to attack the Crown Prince. How can you restore his position as the General of the Right Jinwu Guard?"

"There is also the matter of the King of Wei colluding with the Turks. I don't believe that the King of Jin is completely unaware of it. Maybe he is also one of them."

Li Chengqian didn't react much.

What Erfeng did was simply to find a balance.

When the King of Wei went down, the King of Jin was brought up.

This was expected and it was also Erfeng's old routine.

Du He said at the side: "I heard that Prince Jin went to the palace twice."

"When I went there first, His Majesty did not see me. The next day, I went to see him again, saying that he had something important to say."

"Perhaps, the Prince of Jin's visit to the palace was to talk about matters concerning the Prince of Wei."

Du He had been working in the palace before, so he naturally had access to information from within the palace.

However, it is unknown what Prince Jin said to Your Majesty in the hall.

Zhao Jie analyzed: "Could it be that the King of Jin reported to Your Majesty that the King of Wei was colluding with the Turks?"

"If not, how could Your Majesty restore him to his post?"

Li Chengqian said calmly: "That's roughly it, but it's not a big deal for us."

"The Right Jinwu Guard is not the one who has the final say over King Jin."

After Li Chengqian entered Chang'an City, Lu Tong came to surrender again.

Although Lu Tong had previously attempted to surrender to the King of Jin, which seemed a bit like a fence-sitter, he had no choice but to do so.

Li Chengqian did not care too much about this and met Lu Tong as before.

As the general of the Right Jinwu Guard, Lu Tong controlled half of the Jinwu Guard's military force.

Besides, given the situation in the past, Lu Tong’s actions could not be blamed on him.

Although Li Chengqian had a plan for the previous attack, Lu Tong did not participate in it after all.

Since he did not participate, he is naturally not guilty.

Therefore, Lu Tong returned to the Prince's Party again.

After thinking for a while, Li Chengqian ordered: "Zhao Jie, go and arrange for someone to tell King Wei about the King of Jin entering the palace and reporting to King Wei."

Han Wang Li Yuanchang's eyes lit up: "This is a good idea, let them fight each other."

"If the King of Wei knew that the King of Jin had informed him of the secret, he would be so angry that he would die."

Zhao Jie has a lot of connections in Chang'an City.

After all, he was a governor before, which meant he was a local official, a senior official in the imperial court, and also the son of a princess and the stepson of Yang Shidao.

His status and position are nothing compared to that of the prince, but in the eyes of outsiders, he is a natural nobleman with the highest status and position.

"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will definitely take care of this matter."

Zhao Jie agreed immediately. It was not a big deal. It was just a matter of spreading some rumors to his brother through other people's mouths.
-
Prince Wei's Mansion.

Zhao Jie acted quickly. After all, the restoration of Prince Jin to the post of general of the Right Jinwu Guard had to be announced to the court.

Li Tai was also a little surprised as to why his father suddenly let Prince Jin go.

Later, news came that Prince Jin had gone to the palace and said he had something important to tell him.

Only then did my father restore his official position.

"What's the big deal? Why didn't you tell me, but told Father, and asked Father to reinstate him?"

Li Tai was a little confused.

When Zhao Jie passed on the message, he naturally would not directly say that he was accusing the King of Wei of colluding with the Turks.

Because the fact that King Wei colluded with the Turks was only known to a small circle of people and it was not an open secret.

Chai Lingwu pondered and said, "Could it be that the Prince of Jin informed His Majesty?"

Li Tai hadn't reacted yet and asked, "What secret are you telling?"

Chai Lingwu hesitated and said, "It's about the Turks."

Li Tai was immediately shocked and said, "He dares, but he knows about it."

Chai Lingwu said: "However, the Turkic affairs are related to the Five Clans and Seven Aristocrats, and the King of Jin is not fully involved in it."

"If the Prince of Jin informed on the matter, His Majesty would naturally not think that the Prince of Jin could be involved. After all, the Five Surnames and Seven Families have always been supporters of the Prince of Wei, not the Prince of Jin."

After hearing this, Li Tai was immediately furious.

"What a naive slave! You want to use me as a stepping stone."

Then, without caring about being angry, he said worriedly: "Father won't believe it, will he? Father will believe me, right?"

Chai Lingwu said: "King of Wei, the most important thing now is to first find out whether King of Jin has informed on the Turkic matter."

Li Tai asked hurriedly: "How do you know?"

Chai Lingwu thought for a moment and said, "If the Prince of Jin is the one who informed on the matter, he must be guilty. The Prince of Wei can invite the Prince of Jin to his palace first."

"It's to celebrate the restoration of the title of Right Jinwu Guard General by the King of Jin."

"If the King of Jin doesn't come, then he will be considered as a informer."

Chai Lingwu also had his own thoughts, and the reason why he directly decided to let Prince Jin report the incident was just a coincidence.

Because what he wanted more was to put the blame of informing on the King of Jin.

In this way, the King of Wei would not think of Fang Yiai, let alone associate it with himself.

Li Tai nodded and said, "Okay, go and tell them that I will host a banquet in my mansion tonight and invite the King of Jin to come."

After saying this, Li Tai's face darkened.

"I hope Zhinu won't let me down."

Li Tai sincerely hopes that this is not true.

Once his father finds out that he is colluding with the Turks, he will be doomed.

Chai Lingwu bowed and said, "Yes, King Wei."

(End of this chapter)