My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 381 Li Zhi's Conspiracy

Why did Li Zhi dare to target Wei Zheng? This has a lot to do with Wei Zheng’s current position.

As the prince's tutor, Wei Zheng has been trying his best to secure the prince's qualification for the throne.

Every time there was a debate in the court, the emperor would side with the prince.

Equivalent to a staunch princeling.

It’s similar to Chu Suiliang’s situation.

However, in reality, Wei Zheng's reputation is much higher than that of Chu Suiliang, and his influence is much greater.

In the eyes of many people, Wei Zheng played a big role in why the prince, who had already rebelled, was not dealt with by His Majesty.

In fact, this is indeed the case. Whenever there is a topic about the crown prince, Wei Zheng takes the lead.

This made the wavering Changsun Wuji follow suit and say a few words.

For example, in the case of Yang Shidao, the stepson is the prince's confidant, but he himself will not completely pledge his allegiance to the prince. If the court is in one direction, he naturally will not say much.

But as the two sides argued endlessly, they began to have some concerns in their minds.

The reason why Li Zhi dared to arrest Wei Zheng directly was not only because Wei Zheng spoke out of turn after drinking, but also because there was actually not much contact between Wei Zheng and the prince.

It is true that Wei Zheng was a supporter of the prince, but he was not one of those who followed the prince in rebellion.

If Wei Zheng had too much private contact with the prince, Li Shimin would not let him off.

The same was true for Chu Suiliang. Although Chu Suiliang always fought for the King of Wei in the court, he was almost ashamed to be with the King of Wei in private.

This is also the reason why Li Shimin could tolerate Chu Suiliang and Wei Zheng.

In Li Shimin's view, the two men were competing on ideas rather than having been in collusion with the Prince of Wei.

It was for this reason that Li Zhi dared to mobilize the Jinwu Guards to arrest Wei Zheng.

Obviously, facing the arrest by the Jinwu Guards, Wei Zheng had no ability to resist and was directly thrown into prison.

Since Prince Jin is leading the team personally, there is no chance of any accidents.

After returning home, Li Yifu advised: "Prince Jin should not personally deal with such matters. He may be in danger and be impeached by others."

In Li Yifu's opinion, Prince Jin could completely hide behind the scenes in this arrest operation, and even if there were any problems, Prince Jin would not be implicated.

Li Zhi did not think so, and said bluntly: "Since I am the general of the Right Jinwu Guard, how can I be unrelated to the deployment of the Jinwu Guard? Even if I am trying to shirk responsibility, doesn't your father know it?"

"If we are not honest and upright, and this matter was originally Wei Zheng's fault, the evidence is solid, so why should we be afraid?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yifu sighed, "Prince Jin is wise."

Li Zhi couldn't help but feel a bit proud of his youth. To be honest, the reason why he decided to lead the team personally in this arrest operation was because he learned from his elder brother.

Wasn't my eldest brother like this at the beginning, leading his personal guards and running rampant on the streets of Chang'an?

This is why the King of Wei always suffered setbacks.

The most important thing is that Li Zhi felt that leading the team personally would have a great influence on his subordinates.

It can be clearly seen that after leading the team this time, many members of the Jinwu Guard have a sense of identification with him as the general.

This is different from the previous forced mobilization by military order, but rather a genuine support.

Li Zhi had a feeling that as long as he reached a certain level, even without the military token, if he showed up in person, the Jinwu Guards would be under his control.

the other side.

Jinwuwei General’s Mansion.

Wang Shun, the General of the Zuoyi Palace, was under Lu Tong's command.

Naturally, someone would report his movements to his direct superior.

Lu Tong was a little surprised: "Prince Jin is leading the team personally?"

The person who reported it confirmed: "General, it is indeed the Prince of Jin who is leading the team personally."

This made Lu Tong admire him a little. After all, the King of Jin was young, and young people were rarely useful in taking on responsibilities, let alone arresting Wei Zheng.

Wei Zheng is a member of the prince's party. Now the prince is in his prime in Chang'an City, and even His Majesty has to give him some face. He occupied the Daming Palace by force, but His Majesty directly agreed. It shows how powerful the prince is.

The King of Jin should have been lying in wait, but he dared to lead a team to arrest people. Apart from anything else, his courage was truly remarkable.

However, since Lu Tong has already defected to the prince, his position has changed.

He asked, "Which prison is Duke Wei in now?"

The subordinate replied, "In the prison of Buzhengfang."

The Right Jinwu Guard was in charge of Wannian County and had many prisons.

Simply put, there is a prison in every district of Chang'an, but some are small and some are large.

The big prison in Buzhengfang is equivalent to the key prison of Youjinwuwei.

Lu Tong thought to himself that it was not impossible for him to take Wei Zheng out by force while the Prince of Jin was away, but after all, the Prince of Jin was his direct superior.

Although everyone knew that they had already surrendered to the prince, it would be bad for their reputation to disobey their superiors.

It seems that everyone in Chang'an knows about the struggles between the King of Wei, the Crown Prince, and the King of Jin, but in fact, they are limited to the top leaders. The officials who know the situation are also very secretive and dare not discuss it at will.

As for the position of officials, if they have not reached a certain level, they are not even qualified to take a position.

For example, some courageous captains seemed to have considerable power, but in fact they could not be involved in the fight for the throne.

Even a General like Wang Shun, even if he knew a thing or two, would not be qualified to enter.

"Go to Daming Palace immediately and report this matter to the Crown Prince."

After a brief thought, Lu Tong decided to report the matter to the prince for the decision.

If the prince ordered him to arrest someone, then he would go and arrest someone.

Even the King of Jin would have nothing to say.

In Chang'an City, apart from His Majesty's imperial edicts, there were also the Crown Prince's orders.
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"Wei Zheng must be sent to the palace now."

"If we wait until the prince reacts, there might be trouble again."

Li Zhi made a decision. Now that the evidence was solid, he could send Wei Zheng to the palace so that his father could interrogate him.

"Yifu, what do you think the emperor would think if he saw Wei Zheng like this?"

Li Zhi asked with a high spirit.

Li Yifu didn't pay much attention to it, but said, "Your Highness, do you know that in the early years of the Zhenguan period, Your Majesty discussed politics with Wei Zheng in the side hall, but left in anger because of the fierce words. When Empress Wende heard about it, she actually wore court dress to congratulate Your Majesty?"

"These two have known each other for more than ten years, how can their relationship be ordinary? Although there is a slight rift between them due to the Crown Prince's matter, it is like the roots of an old tree, cracked on the surface, but still intertwined inside."

Li Zhi said: "That is why I will personally escort Wei Zheng to the palace."

"Father always said that people can be used as a mirror to understand gains and losses. Now that a corner of this mirror has been broken, how can he not feel sad?"

Li Yifu advised: "The broken mirror can be put back together, but the cracks are still there."

"If the Prince of Jin brings him into the palace now, it would be like holding a hot potato. Your Majesty, will you kill him or keep him? If you kill him, it will damage the reputation of the Zhenguan monarch and his ministers; if you keep him, it will offend the Prince of Jin."

"This move will only make things difficult for Your Majesty, and will inevitably lead to some dissatisfaction with Prince Jin."

Li Zhi frowned: "What do you think?"

Li Yifu said, "Wei Zheng will be kept in prison. The Crown Prince has many spies in Chang'an City. The news may have reached the Daming Palace by now."

"Prince Jin entered the palace overnight and reported the matter of Wei Zheng to His Majesty in detail, asking for your wise judgment. From now on, the matter has nothing to do with Prince Jin."

Li Zhi was a little hesitant. He wondered if his father would take it seriously if he just told his story.

"Duke Wei just spoke out of turn after drinking." "Will your Majesty think that I am making a big fuss out of nothing?"

Li Yifu understood that what His Majesty thought depended on what Prince Jin said.

But King Jin may not be able to grasp this thing.

But Li Yifu had a different opinion.

"Don't worry, Prince Jin. Just report the truth. There is no need to make too many comments. Your Majesty will make the decision in his heart."

"After a thorough investigation, Your Majesty will have greater trust in Prince Jin."

"And the most important thing is the prince."

"Does the King of Jin think that after the Crown Prince knows about this, he will allow Wei Zheng to be imprisoned?"

Li Zhi reacted and said, "You mean, the prince will break out of prison?"

Li Yifu shook his head: "The prince only needs to issue an order to have the prison release the prisoners."

"However, previously, the Crown Prince, in the name of law, ordered the Dali Temple to arrest more than 200 officials, and almost dragged the Prince of Jin into the vortex."

"Now that Wei Zheng has violated his words, the prince has ordered his release, which means that his reputation will be completely lost as a result of what happened previously."

"And what will your Majesty and the officials think after they know about this?"

"If the prince orders Wei Zheng to be released, he will be slapping himself in the face."

"Su Tan, the Prince's father-in-law, said before that the law is as hard as a mountain, and even relatives must be punished. Now the Prince wants to break the law for Wei Zheng. What do those officials who committed crimes think?"

Li Zhi's eyes lit up: "You mean, the prince will be in a dilemma?"

Li Yifu said slowly: "It's more than a dilemma. If the prince forcibly rescues people, he will be breaking the law knowingly."

After a pause, he continued, "It's more than just breaking the law. If the Crown Prince can move the prisons under the jurisdiction of the Jinwu Guard at will, doesn't it mean that the seal of the Right Jinwu Guard granted by Your Majesty is meaningless in front of the Crown Prince's order?"

Li Zhi was immediately satisfied.

The key here is not how to deal with Wei Zheng.

The previous idea was to break the prince's arm in the court, but Li Yifu's idea was obviously more in line with Li Zhi's interests.

Because what Li Zhi needs now is that the conflict between his father and the crown prince escalates and deepens, because only in this way will he, who is lying dormant, have a chance.

Otherwise, it will remain dormant for a long time.

The reason why my father allowed the crown prince to enter the city to supervise the country was largely due to his health.

Everyone knows that the prince is disobedient, but his strength is there. Whether it is managing the army or governing the country, he is top-notch. Compared with other princes in history, he is much better.

Li Zhi also understood his father's thoughts. If the emperor was really unwell, letting the crown prince succeed to the throne would be the best outcome for the Tang Dynasty.

But Li Zhi couldn't accept it. He also wanted to achieve something and realize his ambitions, instead of being an idle prince.

Once ambition arises, it is like a spark that starts a prairie fire. It is very difficult to extinguish it.

If not for this, Li Zhi would not have considered ambushing the prince on Zhuque Street and would have directly killed the prince and the King of Wei.

Therefore, only by letting a fierce struggle between his father and his elder brother can he have hope.

"Okay, I will go to the palace now, report to my father, and ask for his holy judgment."

Li Zhi made a decision quickly. This matter should be dealt with as soon as possible. If he waited for the crown prince to take action, there would definitely be more unexpected events.

Li Yifu instructed: "Prince Jin should enter the palace quickly. If the Crown Prince reacts and tries to stop us, it will be difficult."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi suddenly felt a little nervous.

He knew that what Li Yifu said was right and the prince really dared to do so.

There are a large number of Shenwu troops in the city of Chang'an.

If the prince took forceful action and released the prisoners from the prison while sending people to stop him from entering the palace, then the arrest of Wei Zheng tonight would become a joke.

Thinking of this, Li Zhi no longer hesitated and set off immediately.
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Inside the Daming Palace.

"Wei Zheng was imprisoned in Buzhengfang Prison."

"It was the Prince of Jin who did it, and he brought the Right Golden Guards with him."

After Du He received the news, he reported it immediately.

Li Yuanchang said in a muffled voice: "What does the King of Jin want to do?"

"Wei Zheng was just drunk and said a few drunken words. Is it worth making such a fuss?"

Zhao Jie said: "I heard that Duke Wei wrote 'The Jade Tree Song Ends and the King's Spirit Ends'. If this word gets out to the market, that old man will be raided ten times."

Li Chengqian frowned slightly: "How can Lord Wei speak so harshly?"

But when I think about it, this is indeed Wei Zheng's character.

He also knew something about what happened in the morning, which was Wei Zheng advising His Majesty.

"He wanted to force me to do it."

Li Chengqian said calmly: "Wei Zheng is my man. If he arrests Wei Zheng, it will be a slap in my face. If I don't take action, the whole court will say that I can't even protect my teacher; if I take action."

Du He continued, "I just fell into his trap."

Li Yuanchang snorted coldly, "Wei Zheng is the Prince's Junior Tutor, a first-rank official appointed by His Majesty himself! Who are the Jinwu Guards? How dare they detain the Emperor's tutor?"

Zhao Jie said in a deep voice: "When Fang Xuanling was impeached by the Censorate, Your Majesty personally went to the prison to pick him up. Now that the Prince of Jin has arrested Wei Zheng, isn't it because he wants your father to learn from what he did back then?"

This is an open conspiracy. If Your Majesty personally pardons Wei Zheng, it would be a slap in the face of Prince Jin and prove that you are biased towards the crown prince.

If Your Majesty severely punishes Wei Zheng, it will destroy your reputation of being willing to accept criticism. And no matter what the result is, the one who benefits is Li Zhi who is watching coldly from behind.

Li Chengqian made a decision quickly: "That's not what he wants. Find out where the Prince of Jin is. Send the Shenwu Army to stop him. Prepare some horses. I will go to Buzhengfang to pick up Duke Wei in person."
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Tai Chi Palace.

Li Zhi ran very fast, riding his horse at full speed all the way.

He was really afraid of being intercepted by the prince.

Fortunately, the transmission of information and the mobilization of soldiers both take time. By the time he entered the imperial city, the prince had not yet reacted.

Only after entering the Tai Chi Palace did I feel relieved.

Inside the Tai Chi Hall.

Li Shimin still summoned him.

"Child slave pays respect to father."

"Without courtesy, I will give you a seat."

Li Shimin asked calmly, "It's so late, what else is there?"

Li Zhi replied respectfully: "Father, I have received news from the wine shop in the West Market. Duke Wei's words after drinking are unbearable to hear."

Li Shimin was not surprised by this because this matter had already reached his ears.

"Drunk talk!" Li Shimin said in a deep voice, "Wei Zheng likes to complain when he's drunk, you know that!"

"But this complaint directly points to the foundation of Zhenguan."

Li Zhi took a half step forward, his boots crushing the thin frost on the steps: "If it were just ordinary drunken talk, I would have turned a blind eye. But now in the streets of Chang'an, there are children's songs singing: The willows at the Dragon Pond are withered, and the jade trees are rising with new pictures."

"That's enough!" Li Shimin waved his hand fiercely. "You are the general of the Right Jinwu Guard, not a street singer! If you arrest someone, you should send him to the Dali Temple. Why are you coming to me to file a complaint?"

Li Zhi looked down at his own shadow on the ground. The shadow was stretched so long by the morning light that it almost touched the gilded auspicious beast under the dragon throne.

He knew that his father was testing him, testing whether he was doing this for justice or for the fight for the Eastern Palace.

(End of this chapter)