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

Chapter 252: Resurrection! Building a new force in the East Palace! [Seeking monthly votes]

Just as Wei Zheng and others had expected, Li Shimin actually participated in the entire Double Ninth Festival banquet.

Moreover, his "performance" at certain times was so deeply rooted in people's hearts that it was hard to doubt that he would arrange a shocking killing plan with Li Chengqian.

Although the conflict between Li Shimin and Li Chengqian was known to all officials in Chang'an City, as the saying goes in "Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies of Merchants", the world is bustling with people, all for the sake of profit; the world is in turmoil, all for the sake of profit.

It is true that Li Shimin was an emperor, but he was not a saint who sat high on the throne, detached from worldly affairs.

At times, the emperor would also be driven by interests.

Therefore, when Li Chengqian and Li Shimin have the same goals, they will reach a cooperation.

And it was precisely because of this cooperation that the big thorn in the "Five Surnames and Seven Families" of the aristocratic families was successfully removed.

More importantly, the Five Surnames and Seven Families were not allowed to use their influence among the people during the entire process. This included Pei Xuan taking the Musketeers to various places to search for evidence of their crimes in the name of suppressing bandits, and then secretly arresting members of their family. All of this was done without anyone knowing.

Of course, there are many details that even Li Chengqian doesn’t know, such as how to hide it from the heads of the Five Surnames and Seven Families?
And how can they hide it from their followers, such as local officials?

All of this, except for the outline of the plan made by Li Chengqian when he left Jiangling, was almost all planned by Ma Zhou, Cen Wenben, Pei Xuan and others.

Although Li Chengqian did not delve into the entire process, judging from the results, their plan was very successful and did not disappoint Li Chengqian.

Therefore, after returning from Taiji Palace, Li Chengqian first expressed his affirmation to each of them. Except for Pei Xuan who was executed by firing squad by the Wei River, Li Chengqian rewarded them with all the good things he could give.

Even the musketeers who returned to Beijing this time received a lot of rewards.

Now, after last night's adjustments, everyone, including Li Chengqian, has calmed down and started to devote themselves to the new day's work.

After all, although the Five Surnames and Seven Families have fallen, there are still a lot of follow-up problems.

If these subsequent problems are not handled properly, the situation may reverse into an extreme state, and everyone will have to be cautious.

Li Chengqian walked leisurely to the front hall of the Crown Prince's Mansion, glanced at Yuan Tiangang, who was playing chess with Li Yuan, and then smiled and said, "Mr. Yuan, I heard about what happened last night from Ding Fang. Thanks to your help, they were able to complete the task in time."

"Haha, Your Highness the Crown Prince, thank you for the compliment. Even without my help, Commander Su and the others would have been able to complete the task. I was just adding unnecessary details." Yuan Tiangang put down the chess piece in his hand and saluted Li Chengqian with a smile.

Li Chengqian said noncommittally, "Then does Mr. Yuan know anything about Shouzhuolang?"

"This"

Yuan Tiangang hesitated for a moment and couldn't help but look at Li Yuan.

Li Yuan then said with amusement, "Why are you looking at me? It's my grandson asking you, not me. Besides, if my grandson asks you, you should tell the truth. Don't be so mysterious. My grandson doesn't believe you at all!"

"Uh,"

Li Chengqian's mouth twitched, and he thought to himself that he had never expected that Li Yuan would be so strong in front of this "remarkable man of ancient and modern times".

You know, Yuan Tiangang has always been a very mysterious and strange man in the Tang Dynasty. There are countless versions of his story that have been passed down to later generations.

The most famous one is the "Tuibei Tu" he and Li Chunfeng created, which is said to be able to predict the direction of history for the next two thousand years.

Although Li Chengqian had never read "The Book of Changes" in his previous life, he still knew about Yuan Tiangang.

I just don't know why he followed Li Yuan.

But Yuan Tiangang said awkwardly, "To be honest, Your Highness, my understanding of the Shouzhuolang is only from my encounters with them during my quest for immortality. I don't have a very detailed understanding, so I'm afraid I may not be able to help you."

"It's okay, just talk casually and I'll just listen casually."

Li Chengqian smiled and waved his hand, then he moved a bench and sat next to Li Yuan.

Yuan Tiangang thought about it for a moment, then stroked his beard and said:
"To understand what kind of organization the Shouzhuolang are, we must first understand who they are. From what I know, most of them are retired border troops, fugitives, refugees, etc. They specialize in assassinations, intelligence transactions, and underground operations."

"In the early days, he mainly engaged in intelligence trading, providing secret information to various forces. Later, he colluded with foreign races and court officials to sell weapons and military supplies."

"Furthermore, their internal hierarchy is very strict, and any defector will be hunted down to death. No one except the Shouzhuoshi knows the true identity of the Shouzhuolang."

"Has Mr. Yuan ever come into contact with this guarding envoy?" Li Chengqian asked with a frown.

"No."

Yuan Tiangang shook his head and said, "The identity of the Guardian is even more mysterious. It is said that only when the previous Guardian is about to die can the next Guardian chosen by him see him!"

"Aside from that, no one else can see the Shuzhuoshi. Including the Shuzhuolang under his command."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian couldn't help but look solemn.

But Li Yuan, standing beside him, suddenly said in a deep voice: "The Tang Dynasty will never allow such an organization to exist!"

After saying this, he turned to look at Li Chengqian and said, "My grandson's attack this time, and our last attack in Haozhi County, are all related to this Shouzhuolang. We must find a way to get rid of them, otherwise there will be endless trouble."

"Yes, Grandpa is right, I will find a way to get rid of them!"

Li Chengqian nodded in agreement, then looked at Yuan Tiangang and asked, "I wonder what Mr. Yuan meant by seeking immortality and asking for the way?"

"Grandson! Don't listen to his nonsense!"

When Li Yuan heard Li Chengqian asking Yuan Tiangang about his 'seeking immortality and asking for the way', his expression suddenly changed. He spoke first, "He's just a fake Taoist priest. Apart from fortune-telling, he doesn't have any real skills!"

After saying that, he glared at Yuan Tiangang angrily: "Don't even think about deceiving my grandson!"

"Uh"

Yuan Tiangang's mouth twitched in embarrassment, and then he shook his head with a somewhat awkward expression, sighing, "The so-called seeking immortality is nothing more than a matter of fate."

Li Chengqian was stunned for a moment, then nodded as if he understood. He bowed to Yuan Tiangang and said, "Thank you, Mr. Yuan, for your guidance!"

After saying this, he stood up from the stool and said goodbye to Li Yuan, "Grandpa Emperor, I have other things to do, so I won't bother you here anymore. Let's go boating on the Wei River some other day. Pei Xuan said Jiangling has built a new ship, as tall as a five-story building, and it's very beautiful. I'll have him send someone to sail it over. Then we can have a party on the ship, drink the latest wine, and watch the hottest fashion shows."

"Okay, okay! My dear grandson! Grandpa is waiting for you!"

Li Yuan stood up excitedly and nodded repeatedly.

Li Chengqian smiled and turned away without saying a word.

Not long after, he came to a guest room on the west side of the Prince's Mansion. At this time, there was already someone waiting for him in the room.

And this person was none other than Su Dingfang who had returned from the palace.

On Su Dingfang's left, there was a pale female corpse surrounded by ice buckets.

"His Royal Highness!"

When Su Dingfang saw Li Chengqian pushing the door and walking in, he immediately went to greet him.

Li Chengqian silently raised his hand to signal him, then walked over to the pale female corpse. He examined it carefully for a moment before saying solemnly, "Did anyone else know when you brought her back?"

"Except for Imperial Physician Zhen and the palace attendant named Chang Wei, no one else knows about it." Su Dingfang shook his head.

Li Chengqian asked again, "What about Chang Wei?"

"Let's go with Lai Fu to learn the rules of the Prince's Mansion!"

"It seems that Lai Fu will be able to relax a little in the future."

"But Your Highness, he betrayed the King of Yue. I mean, can we keep a man like that around?"

"Ah!"

Li Chengqian smiled, then patted Su Dingfang's arm and patiently explained to him, "Dingfang, I understand what you mean, but have you ever thought about it? After what he did, who else could he follow besides me? He's like a lone minister now, with no way out!"

"and."

As he spoke, he glanced at the pale female corpse on the bed, then looked at Su Dingfang meaningfully and said, "Do you think I would let him know our core secret?"

"This"

Su Dingfang opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

But Li Chengqian said confidently, "Don't worry about Chang Wei. He's in my hands and won't cause any big trouble."

"Alright." Since Li Chengqian had already made his decision, Su Dingfang didn't want to say much. He fixed his gaze on the pale female corpse and asked with a puzzled look on his face, "Your Highness the Crown Prince asked me to bring this corpse back. Are you planning to use it to search for clues about Shouzhuolang?"

“I guess so, but not entirely.”

Li Chengqian gave a vague answer, then turned and walked to the table, lighting all the candles on it. He then walked straight to the window and drew the curtains. When the entire room was filled with candlelight, he instructed Su Dingfang, "Dingfang, no matter what happens later, don't make a sound. Understand?"

"what?"

Su Dingfang was subconsciously stunned for a moment, then he couldn't help but look at the female corpse. Immediately, his Adam's apple rolled, he asked, "Is Your Highness the Crown Prince going to do anything to her?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do to her, but I want to try. Can you help me keep this secret?"

"This"

Su Dingfang swallowed hesitantly, then looked up at Li Chengqian and found that Li Chengqian was looking at him with burning eyes. There was an indescribable trust in that look that made him unable to refuse.

So he said solemnly: "I will protect this secret for the Crown Prince until my death!"

"it is good!"

Li Chengqian nodded in satisfaction, then instructed Su Dingfang, "Draw your sword, stand guard at the door, and keep your back to me. No matter what happens, don't look back until I call you. Don't look back, understand?"

"..clear.understood"

"Hey, don't be nervous. I'm a teenager and I'm not afraid, so why should you, a 30-year-old adult, be afraid?"

"Uh" Su Dingfang's face twitched with embarrassment. He drew his sword in shame and stood at the door with his back to Li Chengqian without saying a word.

Li Chengqian, who had watched him stand up, smiled faintly, then took a deep breath and took out a black pill.

This pill is the Resurrection Pill awarded by the system.

So, why did he take out this pill?
Of course, it was to save the woman.

So why did he want to save the woman?
There are two reasons. One is that he wants to test this non-scientifically explainable elixir rewarded by the system. Is it as magical as its name suggests? Can it really bring the dead back to life?
Second, this woman is of great use to him, and he can't just let her die like this.

After all, in addition to taking power, he also needs to consolidate his position.

Although the six commanders of the Eastern Palace, such as the Wolf Fang Guards, the Fire Spear Guards, the Black Armor Guards, and the Iron Pagoda, are powerful, they are only troops and cannot do anything for Li Chengqian other than fighting.

Moreover, after experiencing two assassination attempts, Li Chengqian fully realized that the army could protect his safety in the midst of thousands of troops, but could not shelter him from the wind and rain in the world of martial arts.

In other words, he wanted to set up an organization to fight against the "Shou Zhuolang".

And this former member of "Shouzhuolang" is his organizational template.

As for worrying about whether this 'Shou Zhuolang' would become his template, he actually didn't need to worry at all, because it was not difficult to see from the previous conversation that this female assassin was not very smart and was very afraid of death.

Li Chengqian was very confident that he could control such a person.

As for whether it would be a waste to use the Hua Huanhun Pill to save her, Li Chengqian felt that as long as she could bring out her value, it wouldn't be a waste!
Moreover, the things rewarded by the system are not top-notch. At worst, you can just complete the task again.

After figuring everything out, Li Chengqian made up his mind. He bent down, forcibly pried open the female corpse's mouth, and stuffed the resurrection pill into it.

It doesn't matter whether she adapts to it or not, she's dead anyway.

However, when Li Chengqian stuffed the resurrection pill into the female corpse and prepared to observe the changes, the female corpse did not change at all. Even the bulging look of the pill in her mouth did not change.

"No way, this system won't give me some rewards, right?"

Li Chengqian murmured suspiciously.

Then, he observed for a while and found that the female corpse was still motionless, and his face suddenly turned dark.

However, just as he was about to call the system to inquire about what was going on, a voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Your Highness, someone is coming from the palace!"

"What's the matter?!"

Li Chengqian asked unhappily.

But then someone outside the door reported, "It is said that the Queen sent someone to summon you, asking you to come into the palace!"

"Mother?"

Li Chengqian was slightly stunned, then frowned.

To be honest, without having to think too much, he could guess why Empress Changsun came to see him. Most likely, it was for the fat boy Li Tai.

Although he successfully dealt with the Five Surnames and Seven Families, he had never dealt with the fat guy who colluded with the Five Surnames and Seven Families.

Originally, he wanted to see how Li Shimin would deal with it, but Li Shimin never dealt with it.

This made Empress Changsun worry.

After all, the little fat boy is her biological son.

She naturally didn't want to see the two brothers killing each other.

"Ugh!"

Thinking of this, Li Chengqian couldn't help but sigh and said sarcastically, "It seems that even the most virtuous queens in history can be likened to loving mothers who spoil their children!"

After saying this, he glanced at the female corpse, which hadn't changed at all, and then at Su Dingfang, who was standing motionless at the door. After a slight hesitation, he walked towards Su Dingfang helplessly and said,
"Dingfang, I'm going to the palace. You stay here. No matter what happens, don't leave this room, and don't..."

Having said that, he paused and said carefully, "Don't let anyone else in this room leave!"

"what?"

Su Dingfang thought the first half was normal, but when he heard the second half, he immediately felt something was wrong: "Could the other people that His Royal Highness the Lady mentioned be..."

"You know!"

Li Chengqian grinned, opened the door without any further ado, and left.

Su Dingfang was left standing there in confusion.

After a long while, he finally came to his senses from the inexplicable fear. He patted his chest and said, "I also fought my way out of a sea of ​​blood and corpses. What am I afraid of? I'm just scaring myself."

After saying this, he mustered up his courage, gripped the knife tightly in his hand, and walked straight towards the female corpse.

However, just as he approached the female corpse, the female corpse, who was lying motionless on the bed, suddenly opened her eyes!
"Shh!"

Su Dingfang got goosebumps all over his body!
the other side.

Li Chengqian came to the Lizheng Hall where Empress Changsun was with reluctance.

Although Empress Changsun had woken up from her coma after being treated by the imperial physician, she did not seem to be in a very good mood.

At this time, Li Lizhi was kneeling beside the bed, carefully feeding her the medicine soup, while Xiangling was secretly wiping her tears beside her.

"Son, I pay my respects to my mother."

As soon as Li Chengqian walked into the room, he bowed respectfully to Empress Changsun.

When Empress Changsun heard Li Chengqian's voice, she immediately perked up and tried hard to get up from the bed.

"Mother, please don't get up. I'm here to talk to you!"

Li Chengqian quickly came to Empress Changsun's bedside and said softly to Li Lizhi, "Lizhi, let me feed my mother."

"what"

Li Lizhi trembled noticeably when she heard Li Chengqian's voice, and then quickly bowed to him. "Changle, I greet my brother, the Crown Prince!"

"Hey, are you okay with your injury?"

“It’s okay”

"and you."

"Brother Crown Prince, please take care of mother. Changle is leaving first!"

Before Li Chengqian could finish his words, Li Lizhi hurriedly stuffed the medicine bowl in her hand into Li Chengqian's hand, and then fled out of the room.

Li Chengqian was stunned and at a loss.

At this moment, Empress Zhangsun, who had always been watching the two siblings, sighed with melancholy: "Don't blame Lizhi, she is still young, and last night... Alas, Qingque has returned to the Zongzheng Temple..."

Li Chengqian was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then he realized that everything had changed after last night.

In fact, he had anticipated this situation a long time ago. After all, he was very different last night.

It's hard for people to accept it at first.

However, since you have chosen to do such a thing, there is nothing to worry about. Just let it go.

Thinking of this, Li Chengqian took up the soup spoon and scooped a spoonful of medicine to Empress Changsun's mouth, saying with a smile: "Mother, now that you have recovered from your illness, you should quickly practice the health preservation method that I taught you, so that I won't have to wait on you."

"Ok?"

Empress Zhangsun was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled dumbly: "No wonder your father always calls you a rebellious son, you are really filial."

"hey-hey!"

Li Chengqian smiled cunningly and passed the medicine forward again.

Empress Zhangsun looked at Li Chengqian with a complicated expression and continued, "Chengqian, Qingque told mother about the matter with the Five Surnames and Seven Families. It was Wang Gui who asked him to help. He didn't know about their plan, so..."

"It's all in the past, why should I bother about it?"

Li Chengqian smiled bitterly.

"Of course I forgive him."

"This"

When Empress Changsun heard this, she didn't know what to say.

At this moment, a hurried, concerned voice came from outside the door: "Guanyinbi! Guanyinbi, are you okay?"

"Your Majesty, my concubine"

Before Empress Changsun could respond to Li Shimin, Li Shimin hurried in.

"Guanyinbi! How are you?"

"Your Majesty, don't worry. I'll be fine with Cheng Qian taking care of me."

Empress Changsun looked up at Li Shimin and forced a smile.

"Cheng Qian?"

Li Shimin was slightly stunned, as if he had just noticed Li Chengqian.

But Li Chengqian bowed to him slowly and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you, Father!"

"Oh, Cheng Qian is here!"

Li Shimin nodded in understanding, then turned to look at Empress Zhangsun and said calmly, "I heard that you were going to discuss medicine with Doctor Zhen. Does that mean you also know medicine?"

"Ha! Father is quite well-informed!"

"So, it really happened?"

"I guess so, but I don't know any medical skills. I just want to learn from Doctor Zhen so that I can help my mother."

"There are imperial physicians in the palace. You are the crown prince, so why do you need to learn medicine?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin frowned with some displeasure.

Seeing this, Empress Zhangsun, who was lying in bed, sighed helplessly and coughed lightly, saying, "Chengqian, let Xiangling administer the medicine. You can go outside with your father to talk. Mother will fall asleep after taking the medicine. Don't worry, she will be fine."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Upon hearing this, Xiangling knelt down cautiously.

Li Chengqian frowned slightly, but didn't say much. He handed the medicine bowl to Xiangling and left the room without saying a word.

When Li Shimin saw him leave, he followed him without saying a word.

Soon, the father and son arrived at the pavilion outside the Lizheng Hall.

"Father, do you have something to say to me in private?"

Li Chengqian stood in the corridor and spoke first.

Li Shimin frowned and looked at him, then said in a deep voice: "What happened last night is not over yet, do you know?"

"I know, what next?"

"Did your mother tell you about the bluebird?"

"I said it, and then what?"

"you!"

Li Shimin was very upset by Li Chengqian's cold attitude, but he suppressed his anger and said solemnly: "I need to give an explanation to the ministers, do you understand? I need a reasonable explanation for what the prince did."

"For example, the Gu worm."

"Shh!"

Hearing this, Li Chengqian's expression changed instantly.

Then, he clenched his fists and slowly released them.

After a moment, he said calmly, "Father, are you aware of a very common conspiracy in history?"

"What conspiracy?" Li Shimin asked back with a frown.

"When a meritorious official's contributions are too great, the emperor will be in a dilemma. If he kills him, he will lose the support of the people. If he doesn't kill him, he will also feel uneasy. It is very difficult to deal with."

"So, at this time, the emperor would pretend to be confused and acquiesce to the treacherous ministers in power. Then, through the hands of the treacherous ministers, he would eliminate the loyal ministers and let the treacherous ministers bear all the public anger."

"At this time, the emperor regained consciousness, punished the treacherous ministers, and rehabilitated the loyal ministers who had died. As a result, the public anger subsided, and everyone praised the emperor's wisdom."

At this point, Li Chengqian looked up at Li Shimin with a smile, and said jokingly, "I wonder what your father thinks when he hears about this conspiracy?"

"This"

Li Shimin's expression changed, and he snorted guiltily, "Hmph! I don't understand what you are saying."

"hehe."

Li Chengqian smiled noncommittally, then glanced at Empress Zhangsun in the room and said calmly:
"I once heard Grandfather the Emperor say that he once taught Father and Uncle Han Feizi. That day, Uncle wrote on a page, 'The brilliance of bows and arrows can intimidate the world,' and the King of Qi drew a crooked hawk next to it. Now, lying prostrate at the stone steps of Xuanwu Gate, it seems as if they have completed the footnote for Father."

"what do you want to say in the end?"

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes slightly, and his imperial aura rushed towards Li Chengqian like a tide.

But Li Chengqian remained as calm as usual, like a mirror-like lake, without any ripples in his heart.

But he continued to speak to himself: "Father, your arrow has already left the string, and these vast mountains and rivers are the target."

"If your Majesty wants to treat me as a traitor, then I will not return the knife I took out last night. After all."

Having said this, Youyou sighed, then walked out of the palace, saying as he walked, "How could the Khan's quiver hold any arrows that weren't stained with the blood of his loved ones?"

"you!"

When Li Shimin heard this, his eyes widened instantly.

At this moment, a loud thunder suddenly sounded in the sky.

Rumble!
The rumbling thunder made people's scalps numb.

In a moment, raindrops as big as date pits fell down.

This was the first rain in Chang'an since the beginning of autumn, and the rain was heavy.

(End of this chapter)