My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 392 Who can survive to the end

Prince Wei's Mansion.

The movements of the Right Jinwu Guard attracted everyone's attention, so Li Tai was naturally not surprised.

"As you thought, a new balance has been formed between the Crown Prince and the Emperor."

"But what use is this to us? The Crown Prince has gained more troops, and the Right Jinwu Guard is now completely under his control."

"What a great idea! There will be 54 Zhonglang generals in each of the 54 districts. Their salaries will also be raised and a canteen will be opened."

"It seems that the prince has plundered too much wealth in Liaodong. It seems that supporting 80,000 soldiers is not a problem for him."

Li Tai's tone was a little indifferent, but if you listened carefully you could hear the fear contained in it.

He is afraid.

Even if he followed the previous plan and revealed his father's strategy to the prince in advance, he could have avoided a faster conflict and given him a chance to buffer.

But the prince's growth made him feel suffocated.

In the future, does he really have hope of winning the throne? Not to mention winning the throne, even if it is his father, can he really punish the prince?

In the past, Li Tai felt that his father would definitely be able to defeat the crown prince, even though his father had the advantage of artillery. It was just because of the crown prince that his father had not made up his mind completely.

As long as my father is reckless and mobilizes the power of the Tang Dynasty, he will definitely be able to wipe out the prince. It’s just a matter of how much he will pay.

But now, things are changing.

My father wanted to cut off the salary of the Right Jinwu Guard in order to bring down the crown prince, but in the end he succeeded.

Are the Right Jinwu Guards who eat the prince's food still my father's Right Jinwu Guards?

Chai Lingwu felt a little sad when he heard this, but he knew that this was not the time to be discouraged.

If the King of Wei lost his ambition to strive for advancement, it would be tantamount to complete self-denial.

But what about the followers and the Wei Wang party members?

With so many officials in the court and the country following the King of Wei, what would they think?

Many times, as the leader of a force, one cannot act entirely according to one's own wishes.

Even if the King of Wei wanted to give up, how could others give up?

So Chai Lingwu could only comfort and persuade, even though he knew there was little hope.

"King Wei does not need to be too anxious. Although the Crown Prince is in power now, the Right Jinwu Guards only have more than 10,000 people. How much use can they have in this great confrontation?"

"In addition, the Crown Prince has raised the salaries of 80,000 soldiers including the Right Jinwu Guard to win the hearts of the soldiers. However, the burden must be considerable."

"Victory or defeat is not decided in a moment. Liaodong has wealth, and it is not in Chang'an. There are also ways to punish it. We need to cut off Liaodong's supply and block the passage to Luoyang. How long can the prince hold out?"

"Therefore, King Wei should not be discouraged, nor should he dwell on the victory or defeat of a single game."

"It may seem that the Crown Prince has won, but he will also bear a greater burden. Most importantly, this will make His Majesty even more wary."

Chai Lingwu's words moistened Li Tai's soul like spring rain.

In fact, there are still many loopholes here.

He was right. The prince did rely on the money and food from Liaodong for support. The Liaodong merchant caravans went from Luoyang to Chang'an. All they had to do was cut off. The prince would have no money and food supply in Chang'an.

But he also understood that it was such a simple truth, didn't His Majesty know it?

Then why hasn't Your Majesty done this before?

Because when that time really comes, there will be a complete break between Your Majesty and the Crown Prince.

Once Your Majesty blocks the supply of money and grain from Liaodong, the Crown Prince will definitely not sit idly by and wait for death.

And many things are not as simple as imagined.

Everyone only saw that the prince arranged tens of thousands of Liaodong soldiers to sneak into Chang'an, but how many troops were stationed in Luoyang, which was already under the control of the prince?

There is also Tongguan, which has not been returned yet, and how many troops are stockpiled there at this moment.

Once Your Majesty cuts off the Liaodong passage, war will be inevitable.

Chai Lingwu knew it, but he couldn't say it. He could only tell white lies to guide the King, otherwise the King of Wei would lose all his spirit.

Li Tai was shocked at this moment, and nodded in agreement: "What you said makes sense, I still have hope."

"As long as you give me some more time, my father will definitely recognize me again instead of that brat Zhinu."

Speaking of Li Zhi, Li Tai couldn't help but smile: "This fellow Zhinu is now like a stray dog. He escaped from his residence of the General of the Right Jinwu Guard and ran to Li Ji's side."

Seeing Li Zhi in such an embarrassing state really made Li Tai feel happy.

Chai Lingwu hesitated for a moment, but still advised: "Now that the crown prince is powerful, the king of Wei should contact the king of Jin more often. The first thing to do is to unite and suppress the crown prince."

Li Tai nodded slightly. He also knew the principle of "the lips and teeth are interdependent". If the Prince of Jin was killed by the Crown Prince, he would probably not get any benefit.

At the moment, he has absolutely no ability to confront the prince head-on.

Moreover, if the prince really wanted to deal with them, it would be an easy task.

I haven’t taken action now because of my father’s blessing.

After thinking for a while, Li Tai said, "Take some gifts and go to Puningfang to express my goodwill. I think King Jin will understand what to do now."

Chai Lingwu consoled him: "Yes, King Wei."

Power struggles are so wonderful.

Previously, Li Tai wanted to trick Li Zhi, but now that he has succeeded, he has to try to win him over.

It's all about interests.

The Mansion of the General of the Left Jinwu Guard.

Li Ji and Li Zhi sat opposite each other, playing chess and discussing philosophy.

"Teacher, I lost."

Li Zhi looked at the incomplete chessboard and saw his black piece being swallowed by the big dragon transformed by the white piece. He couldn't help but sigh.

Li Ji said calmly: "Even if the Prince of Jin loses this round, he can still have another round, but if he loses his heart, he will lose completely."

As a veteran, Li Ji had witnessed the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the Xuanwu Gate Incident. He could be said to be a veteran of three dynasties and was very familiar with political struggles and fighting games.

He could see that the current King of Jin had suffered a great blow.

Actually, this cannot be blamed on Li Zhi.

Before this, it was the first time that he felt so close to the throne of the crown prince, within reach.

He was thinking about what he would do when he became the crown prince, so he shared his joy with Mei Niang.

But this beautiful dream ended before it even began.

He didn't know why the prince acted so quickly. Within a day, before he could even investigate, he took action.

Did something go wrong on the part of the Emperor?
Li Zhi didn't think that the problem was on his side. After all, he only told Mei Niang and Li Yifu about this matter.

Li Yifu would definitely not betray him.

Mei Niang wouldn't do that either.

Then it can only be his father's side, or Fang Xuanling, or Zhangsun Wuji, but not him.

“I really don’t know what to do.”

Li Zhi said with a somewhat decadent look.

Li Ji paused holding the white chess piece, and gently tapped the chess piece on the center of the chessboard: "I followed Your Majesty to fight Dou Jiande in the past, and I have seen such a battle situation at Hulao Pass. The enemy's force was as strong as a dark cloud pressing down on a city, and our army was short of soldiers and food. It seemed that we were doomed to lose. But Your Majesty led 3,000 black armored soldiers to attack from behind, and the outcome was decided in one battle."

He raised his eyes to look at Li Zhi, his gaze like a pine tree after frost: "The battle situation changes rapidly. The key is not the number of chess pieces at the moment, but whether the chess player can see the overall situation clearly."

Li Zhi slapped the black piece on the edge of the chessboard, making a muffled sound. "Zhi can't even figure out the thread! The prince has been operating in Liaodong for several years. Now the Right Jinwu Guard has become his private army. Luoyang and Tongguan are under his control. Even my father has limited his hands to him."

He suddenly grabbed Li Ji's wrist and said, "Teacher, tell me the truth. Is there still a way for Zhi to survive now?"

Li Ji let him hold him, and the trembling in his palms made him understand the King of Jin's current worries.

He patted Li Zhi's hand gently with his backhand, and when the force eased a little, he picked up a white piece and placed it on the lower right corner of the chessboard: "King of Jin, you know that when Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, all the counties and prefectures in the world surrendered, except for the thousands of green forest soldiers in the small city of Kunyang who fought to the death. What happened in the end? The fire of Kunyang burned down 400,000 troops of the Xin Dynasty, and Liu Xiu became an emperor with this battle."

Li Zhi loosened his hand: "Zhi is not Liu Xiu."

He leaned back in his chair dejectedly: "Liu Xiu still has the 28 generals of Yuntai. Zhi can't even go back to the General's Mansion of the Right Jinwu Guard, and he dares not go back. He can't even take the seal with him."

Li Ji brushed his fingertips across the chessboard: "The seal is just a piece of copper and iron."

"When Your Majesty started the army in Jinyang, there was no official seal. It depended on the support of the people and the dedication of the soldiers. King Jin, please look at this chessboard."

He tapped the white piece in the upper right corner with his fingers: "The prince seems to occupy the center, but I have already placed three pieces in the empty space in this corner."

"Although the Right Jinwu Guards are numerous, they are like the dragon in the middle of the abdomen. They look mighty, but in fact their foundation is weak. How much corn does an army of 80,000 need to eat every day? How many passes does the grain road from Liaodong to Chang'an have to pass through? Can the granary in Luoyang really hold up until the autumn harvest?"

Li Zhi's pupils shrank slightly, and he suddenly sat up straight: "Teacher, are you talking about food and fodder?"

Li Ji took out a handful of black pieces from the chess box and arranged them in a row on the left side of the chessboard: "Food and grass are the courage of the soldiers."

"The prince forced merchants in Liaodong to pay tribute, calling it 'charitable donations', but in reality it was no different from robbery. Those Liaodong nobles whose property was confiscated must have resentment towards the prince."

He took out a white piece and placed it on top of the black piece: "The prince has set up fifty-four lieutenant generals in Chang'an. It seems to win people's hearts, but in fact, it makes the fifty-four people have their own thoughts."

Li Zhi stared at the black and white pieces on the chessboard, and suddenly reached out to hold Li Ji's wrist: "Teacher, since you have a plan, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Li Ji pulled his hand back and gently placed a white piece in the center of the chessboard: "Because the time has not come yet."

"When Zhuge Liang launched the Northern Expedition, he always cultivated land and trained his troops first, and only dared to mobilize his troops when the wheat in Longyou was ripe."

"Let the world see that what the prince took was not your official seal, but the military power granted by His Majesty himself. How many people in Chang'an witnessed your embarrassing move out of the Right Jinwu Guard House that day? Now people on the streets are saying that the prince can't tolerate his brothers, and even wants to kill a kind-hearted person like the Prince of Jin."

He suddenly sneered: "The reputation of kindness is sometimes more useful than thousands of troops."

When he marched east to Liaodong, Li Ji had witnessed the prince's abilities.

Better understand the situation in Liaodong.

As a supporter of Prince Jin, Li Ji seemed to be doing nothing, but in fact he had been making plans in secret.

After all, in many cases, when one prospers, all prosper, and when one suffers, all suffer.

Everyone has their own ideas, tendencies, and demands.

If the crown prince came to power, Li Ji's power would naturally decline.

No one is willing to give up power and wealth. Since we are not saints, how can we be without desires?

Moreover, the Prince of Jin now has the support of the Changsun family and the tacit approval of His Majesty, and is the best candidate for succession. Naturally, Li Ji will start to contribute.

He did not participate before because the situation was unclear. Now he is helping Prince Jin and is also being loyal to His Majesty.

Li Zhi suddenly raised his head, and his eyes finally brightened up: "Teacher, are you talking about public opinion?"

Li Ji tapped the chessboard with his knuckles. "When Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, all the Confucian scholars praised his virtues. But when he wanted to take over all the land in the world as 'king land', the Confucian scholars immediately turned to support Liu Xiu."

"King Jin, don't underestimate the people of the world. The Crown Prince has been maintaining the situation and keeping the fight within the city of Chang'an. So this is a fight between father and son, an internal fight within the royal family, and there is no reason for the people of the world to get involved."

Li Zhi frowned: "Why didn't Father take advantage of the opportunity to take action?"

Li Ji's tone suddenly deepened: "If Your Majesty could be ruthless, there wouldn't be the current situation."

"The Xuanwu Gate Incident is a lifelong knot in your majesty's heart. If he attacks the crown prince, what will the world say? 'Tang Taizong, who killed his brothers and forced his father, could not tolerate even his own son.'"

Li Zhi suddenly realized, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes: "That's why father tacitly allowed the crown prince to control the Right Jinwu Guard, but cut off his salary."

Li Ji nodded approvingly: "Prince Jin is smart."

"The more flamboyant the crown prince becomes, the more domineering he appears; the more elite the Right Jinwu Guard becomes, the more powerless the court appears. When the people lose all their support, then it will be time for Your Majesty to close the net."

Li Zhi suddenly held Li Ji's hand and said, "I am willing to listen to your teachings, how can we break the impasse?"

Li Ji looked at the fire rekindled in the eyes of the young man in front of him and sighed in his heart. After all, he was of royal blood. Although he was temporarily frustrated, he still had the ambition to compete for the throne.

He pointed at three points on the chessboard with his fingers: "First, make friends with noble families, not just the five surnames and seven families, but more powerful families, collect money and wealth to support soldiers and horses."

"Second, ally with the King of Wei."

Li Zhi frowned: "I'm afraid the King of Wei is just laughing at me now."

Li Ji picked up a black piece and gently placed it beside the white dragon: "When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman gains."

"The Crown Prince is the snipe, the King of Wei is the clam, and you are the fisherman. If Li Tai loses, the Crown Prince will swallow you next; if you lose, Li Tai will be unable to hold on alone. Only if you two join forces can this game of chess have more variables."

There was a look of struggle on Li Zhi's face.

He didn't really want to take this step. After so many alliances, the trust between the brothers had been completely lost.

Li Ji's eyes were like knives: "Back then, Gou Jian was taken hostage by Wu and tasted Fu Chai's feces himself, but in the end he was able to restore his country and destroy Wu."

"Those who accomplish great things must endure what others cannot endure. Do you think Li Tai really wants to ally with you? He is just afraid that after the crown prince destroys you, he will be the next one. Although such a fragile alliance cannot be fully trusted, you can take advantage of its power. When the crown prince and the king of Wei are both defeated, you can clean up the mess in the name of 'benevolence and filial piety'. That is the best strategy."

Li Zhi stared at the chessboard, and suddenly reached out to sweep away all the white pieces in the middle of the chessboard: "I understand. In this game, I am not competing with the prince to see who has more pieces, but only to see who can survive to the end."

Li Ji clapped his hands and smiled: "Good"

(End of this chapter)