Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 222: Things change, and retribution is inevitable! [Happy New Year!]

Ganlu Temple.

Li Shimin still doesn't know that Li Yuan has returned to Chang'an.

At this time, he was discussing with Dali Temple Minister Dai Zhou the issue of the replacement of disaster relief grain in Hebei Province.

Although he had previously sent Wei Zheng to Hebei Province to investigate the matter, before Wei Zheng could come up with any results, the Dali Temple received a letter of complaint from Wei Zheng.

This made Dai Zhou very puzzled, but he had to report the matter to Li Shimin.

After carefully reading the contents of the report, Li Shimin frowned and asked, "Do you think there is something wrong with Wei Zheng?"

"This"

Dai Zhou hesitated for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "Your Majesty, the Dali Temple handles cases based on evidence. I wouldn't assume there's anything wrong with the Right Chancellor just because of a letter of accusation. Of course, I also don't think there's nothing wrong with the Right Chancellor."

"Then what do you mean?"

"To be honest, Your Majesty, in addition to this letter of accusation, it is said that Minister Fang Xuanling has also received a memorial impeaching Wei Zheng for forming a clique for personal gain. I believe that although this matter is somewhat exaggerated, it is by no means groundless!"

"Ah!"

Li Shimin laughed when he heard this: "I never thought that the Dali Temple even knew so much about the affairs of the Secretariat?"

"Your Majesty, you have misunderstood. I received the report and took the initiative to go to the Secretariat to investigate!"

Dai Zhou explained, "The Minister of the Central Secretariat also knows about this."

"Why didn't the Minister of the Central Secretariat report this to me?"

"this."

Dai Zhou hesitated for a moment and said, "According to the Minister of the Central Secretariat, the Right Chancellor is currently under orders to investigate the disaster relief grain case in Hebei Province. If I report this to Your Majesty at this time, it might disrupt the Right Chancellor's investigation in Hebei Province."

"So, the Minister of the Central Secretariat doesn't believe Wei Zheng would form a clique for personal gain?"

"But Your Majesty, even if the Minister of the Central Secretariat believes the Right Chancellor, the fact that so many memorials have been submitted to impeach him, and some have even written letters of denunciation to the Dali Temple, shows that the Right Chancellor should indeed review his behavior!"

Li Shimin thought about it and nodded, saying, "Well, that makes sense. Go tell Wei Zheng what I said. He advises me all day long and advises me on my behavior. Don't let a small matter tarnish his image as a perfect loyal minister. How can I trust him in the future?"

"Also, tell him to be more discreet when doing things from now on, so I won't find out!"

"This"

Dai Zhou was completely confused by these words.

What does it mean to keep things hidden?
You are trying to cover your ears and steal the bell!
Although Dai Zhou was speechless about Li Shimin's attitude towards Wei Zheng, he also understood Li Shimin's favor for Wei Zheng, and he also did not believe that Wei Zheng would form a clique for personal gain, so he said goodbye and left without saying a word.

After watching him leave, Li Shimin had no time to relax when he heard the palace servant's report from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, the Minister of War Du Ruhui requests an audience!"

"Ok?"

Li Shimin was slightly stunned, then waved his hand and said, "Let him in!"

"promise!"

There was a response from outside the hall.

Soon, Du Ruhui walked in from outside.

"minister"

Du Ruhui was about to pay his respects when he was interrupted by Li Shimin. "No, no, tell me what happened!"

He knew that under normal circumstances, Du Ruhui would not be so anxious to see him unless something big happened.

The important matter that the Ministry of War received was definitely not a simple one.

Therefore, Li Shimin had no choice but to be anxious.

Du Ruhui then reported in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I have just received news that the Emperor has returned from Taiyuan and is currently outside Chang'an!"

"what?!"

Li Shimin was surprised for a moment, then his face darkened instantly: "How did he get back to Chang'an without my order? And Li Dao Zong, what is he doing? He can't even handle such a simple thing!"

"Your Majesty, calm down and listen to my detailed report!"

While comforting Li Shimin, Du Ruhui reported to Li Shimin the details of Li Yuan's return to Chang'an.

After listening to the whole process of Li Yuan's return to Chang'an, Li Shimin's face became even gloomier.

But he said solemnly: "As expected, they are grandfather and grandson, and they do things in exactly the same way!"

"Then how does Your Majesty plan to accommodate the Emperor?"

“Now that everyone has returned, how can we accommodate them?”

Li Shimin said this in a bad mood, then suddenly remembered something and smiled:
"It's good that he's back. I was thinking about how to spread the news of my pacification of the Turks to Taiyuan. Now that he's back, let him attend the Chongyang Festival banquet. Let him see if I, as an emperor, am better than him!"

"This"

Du Ruhui was embarrassed for a moment, then laughed along, "The three generations of Turkic Khans, starting with Shibi Khan, have always been a major threat to the Tang Dynasty. The Emperor, over the years, suffered many setbacks at the hands of the Turks. Now that Your Majesty has pacified the Turks, it's a real relief for him!"

"hehe."

Li Shimin smiled and nodded, then asked, "Has there been any new progress in the equipment of the Ministry of War recently?"

"This"

Du Ruhui hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "Apart from the new progress on fire bombs, there's no clue about weapons like muskets. Perhaps we really need to send someone to Jiangling to learn from them!"

"Also, I had the craftsmen from the Ministry of War examine that dagger. They said the Crown Prince must have mastered a new ironmaking technique!"

"Then send someone to Jiangling! I want to take control of everything he has!"

"But, the prince..."

Li Shimin was enraged and shouted, "This Tang Dynasty belongs to me. Don't consider him in everything! You also have to consider me, understand?!"

"Yes, yes, I understand. I will send someone to Jiangling immediately!"

Du Ruhui nodded repeatedly with a look of panic on his face, and at the same time changed the subject; "To be honest, Your Majesty, the Ministry of War has made some new progress. For example, the new armor that the Crown Prince recently designed is also being produced by the Ministry of War. I believe that it will be ready in a few days!"

"Oh?"

Li Shimin raised his eyebrows, immediately becoming interested. "You said that rebellious son designed new armor? Was it designed for the Sixth Commander of the Eastern Palace?"

Du Ruhui thought for a moment and said, "That's probably the case. I heard that the Crown Prince has been training troops in the Crown Prince's Mansion recently. The demonstration was so grand that it alarmed many of the people in Chang'an!"

"What!?"

Li Shimin's eyes widened instantly, and he asked in disbelief, "You said the Crown Prince has been training troops in the Crown Prince's Mansion recently?"

He always thought that he had compromised enough with Li Chengqian, but he didn't expect Li Chengqian to be so greedy and dare to train troops openly under his nose.

"Yes! Everyone in Pingkangfang could hear the noise, and it was quite loud!"

"This rebellious son!!"

Li Shimin suddenly stood up from the throne and shouted angrily, "He's not hiding anything at all, is he? He's letting everyone know. What on earth does he want to do?!"

"This"

Du Ruhui opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopped himself.

At this moment, another voice came from outside the door: "Your Majesty, the Minister of the Central Secretariat Fang Xuanling and the Duke of Zhao, Zhangsun Wuji, request to see you!"

"Ok?"

Li Shimin frowned, and then said in a deep voice: "Call them in!"

Not long after, Fang Xuanling and Zhangsun Wuji entered the main hall. Just as they were about to pay their respects, Li Shimin quickly waved his hand and said, "Stop it. Tell me, what happened?"

"This"

Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji exchanged a glance, then glanced at Du Ruhui. Changsun Wuji spoke first, "Your Majesty, we just received news that the people who captured Jie Li were not General Li Jing's men, but the Crown Prince's men."

"What? You said Jie Li is the prince's man."

Li Shimin's heart skipped a beat and he was speechless.

Fang Xuanling sighed and said, "We have already informed the envoys of various countries and even invited the kings of various countries to come to Chang'an to meet Your Majesty. We also told them the news that the Turks were defeated by the Tang Dynasty and Jie Li was captured alive."

"If the prince refuses to hand over Jie Li, then..."

"He dares!"

Before Fang Xuanling could finish his words, Li Shimin interrupted him angrily: "He is the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty! How could he do such a thing? Where is he? Let him come to see me!"

"This"

Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji exchanged a glance, only to hear Changsun Wuji continue, "Before entering the palace, I sent someone to the Crown Prince's residence to look for Cheng Qian. It was said that he went outside the city and hasn't returned yet!"

"Outside the city?"

Li Shimin was surprised for a moment and turned to look at Du Ruhui.

Du Ruhui then murmured, "Although I believe the Crown Prince wouldn't act recklessly, if the Emperor Emeritus is involved, I'm truly worried that what happened that night will happen again."

"That's unreasonable!"

Li Shimin gritted his teeth and ordered Yunduan outside the palace: "Yunduan, take people outside the city immediately and summon the prince back!"

"promise!"

Yunduan outside the palace responded and immediately led his men out of the palace.

At the same time, outside the city, at the Xishan Hunting Ground.

After a pleasant hunt, Li Yuan and Li Chengqian each led their own horses and strolled in the woods.

The setting sun stretched the shadows of the grandfather and grandson very long. "Grandpa, who is this person next to you? Why have I never seen him before?"

Li Chengqian looked curiously at the middle-aged man in a long gown beside Li Yuan.

Judging from his appearance, he looks like a Taoist priest.

But he is not like the upright Taoist priests in Taoist temples, but more like a free and easy cultivator.

Li Yuan smiled and explained, "He's just an ordinary cultivator. It's normal you haven't met him before. Grandpa met him on the road and because we got along well, he became my friend!"

"Oh!"

Li Chengqian nodded in understanding, then couldn't help but glance at the Taoist priest. He then winked at Li Yuan and said, "Grandpa, have you become obsessed with Taoism after your trip to Taiyuan? Will you try to make elixirs to achieve immortality in the future?"

"What are you talking about!"

Li Yuan rolled his eyes and said seriously, "Grandpa, I'm not Qin Shi Huang. How could I possibly believe in such a mythical technique of immortality?"

"But, Grandpa, don't you want to live longer?"

"What are you talking about? Who thinks they haven't lived long enough? Ask your father, has he lived long enough?"

"Uh, this."

Li Chengqian scratched his head awkwardly, not knowing how to respond for a moment.

Although he knew that Li Shimin in history had indeed sought immortality, he really didn't know what Li Shimin's mentality was now.

After all, all the great emperors in history who sought immortality had one thing in common, that is, they did so in their later years.

Because they are afraid of losing power, because there are still many things they want to do, and because they want to continue to enjoy wealth and glory, they pursue immortality in their later years.

But without exception, they all failed.

"Grandpa, did you come back this time specifically to help me deal with the aristocratic families?" Li Chengqian turned his head and looked at Li Yuan with a sharp gaze.

Li Yuan, who was originally a little angry, couldn't help but chuckle when he heard this: "I am an old man, and I wanted to enjoy a peaceful life outside the palace, but you are making too much noise here. How can I not come back to see you?"

As he spoke, he turned his head to glance at Li Chengqian and added, "You have quite a few tricks up your sleeve. You're not afraid of their retaliation at all! Have you forgotten the assassination attempt that night? A desperate dog will jump over the wall!"

"Grandpa's worries are certainly not without reason, but are we going to give up so easily on our two years of planning?"

Li Chengqian said sternly, "What's more, Jie Li is now in my hands. Even if my father wants to make trouble for me, he has to consider whether now is a good time!"

"Oh?"

Li Yuan was startled, as if he had not expected Jie Li to fall into Li Chengqian's hands. He asked doubtfully, "Are you planning to use Jie Li to make Erlang compromise?"

"Yup!"

Li Chengqian admitted very frankly: "My father has already announced that the Tang Dynasty has pacified the Turks, and will accept Jie Li's surrender on the Double Ninth Festival in front of all civil and military officials and foreign envoys!"

"If Jie Li is not there at that time, what do you think will happen to him?"

"This"

Li Yuan was so shocked by these words that he was speechless.

But then Li Chengqian added, "As long as he cooperates with me, I can give him a huge gift. I believe he will help me!"

Li Yuan couldn't help but laugh when he heard this, "Grandpa was always manipulated by him before, and now it's your turn to manipulate him. This is really retribution!"

After saying that, he seemed to remember something and asked, "Grandpa, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, I have!"

Li Chengqian blurted out, "Grandpa, you have to help me shake things up when the time comes. Even if my father and I fall out, Grandpa has to support me unwaveringly! Otherwise, my plan might not be very successful!"

"So, are you planning to make a big move?"

"Ok!"

Li Chengqian nodded heavily and said, "As the saying goes, one strike is enough to prevent a hundred blows. Just like Grandpa said, my previous solution was not thorough enough. I plan to give them a devastating blow this time!"

"Oh? Tell me!"

Li Yuan immediately became interested.

However, just as Li Chengqian was about to explain his plan in detail to Li Yuan, Du Caigan rushed over from a distance and reported: "Grand Emperor, Your Highness the Crown Prince, His Majesty has sent someone to summon the Crown Prince to the palace!"

"Don't go!"

Li Yuan angrily refused, "Just say I want my grandson to accompany me!"

"But this time, Commander Yun personally brought people here. If the prince doesn't go, I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of? I said I won't go, so I won't go! Let Erlang..."

"grandfather!"

Before Li Yuan could finish his words, Li Chengqian interrupted him: "My father should have known that Jie Li fell into my hands. He must be anxious. I can go and meet him. If I am not back before dark, you can go to the Prince's Mansion to find Cen Wenben. He knows what to do next!"

"How can this be possible?!"

Li Yuan's face darkened at that moment: "Erlang dared to imprison you! Grandpa will save you even if it costs his life!"

"Grandpa, don't worry. My father won't imprison me. At most, he'll keep me for two days and ask me to hand over Jie Li! As long as I don't hand over Jie Li, he won't do anything to me!"

After saying this, he immediately jumped on his horse and said, "Also, remember to send someone to urge the Ministry of Industry to make the new equipment. Try to get it before the Double Ninth Festival!"

"But grandson, grandpa is still a little worried."

"Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll be fine!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Chengqian rode away from the Xishan hunting ground without saying a word.

After watching him leave, Li Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly. After a moment, he said solemnly, "Mr. Yuan, did you see anything?"

Yuan Tiangang thought for a moment, then stroked his beard and said, "The fruits are plentiful, countless in number. Each fruit has a kernel, sometimes new, sometimes old."

"What do you mean?"

"All things are born from the earth, and the twenty-ninth day is the first to become fruitful. When the Central Plains are unified, the yin is strong and the yang is exhausted first!"

"What does this mean?" Li Yuan became more and more confused the more he listened.

But Yuan Tiangang added, "This is the hexagram I calculated for the Tang Dynasty."

"Then what does this hexagram mean? What does it mean that Yin is strong and Yang is exhausted first? Will my Tang Dynasty be destroyed by a woman?" Li Yuan frowned.

Yuan Tiangang glanced at him with a smile, then shook his head and said, "The secret of heaven cannot be revealed!"

"Hey! You old, arrogant old man! Why are you talking halfway?"

Li Yuan cursed Yuan Tiangang in displeasure, but knowing his character, he couldn't help but ask, "What does my grandson look like? He's the future of the Tang Dynasty."

“It is both the future and the future!”

"you!"

Li Yuan was so angry that he was speechless.

But Yuan Tiangang didn't finish his words.

He then continued, "Your Majesty, could you allow me to stay with you for a while? I want to communicate more with the Crown Prince!"

"What are you discussing?" Li Yuan suddenly became alert: "Don't try to get him. I won't let him practice Taoism with you!"

"No!"

Yuan Tiangang smiled and shook his head, saying, "I want to practice with him."

"What? You said you were practicing Taoism with him?"

"Maybe it's not cultivation, I don't know, please take me in, Your Majesty!"

"Ah!"

Li Yuan smiled: "I tried every way to get you to stay with me before, but you refused no matter what. Now you are actually begging me. How strange!"

"Then what the Emperor meant was..."

"No! Who knows what An is thinking!"

"Cousin!"

"Asshole! Who is your cousin?"

"I can explain the prophecy to you!"

"This"

Li Yuan showed hesitation, as if he was still somewhat curious about the fate of the Tang Dynasty. After hesitating for a moment, he finally agreed to Yuan Tiangang and said, "It's not impossible for you to stay with me, but you can't see Cheng Qian alone!"

"no problem!"

Yuan Tiangang agreed readily.

But Li Yuan felt a pang in his heart, and felt that he had been deceived.

"that."

"Joking harms the country. The Emperor doesn't want the Tang Dynasty's fortune to be damaged, right?"

Just as Li Yuan was about to go back on his word, Yuan Tiangang stopped him with one sentence, and he was so angry that he just stormed out.

Yuan Tiangang was left standing there, with a meaningful smile on his face.

　It’s the last two days, Happy New Year, and I’m asking for some monthly tickets!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)