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

Chapter 267: Two Saints in the Court, Please Call Me the Executive Vice Emperor! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"Your Highness, Commander Su was captured by Right Guard General Hou Junji and his men. The Jinyiwei Yamen of our Eastern Palace was also sealed by Marquis Wu. It is said that the Jinyiwei gathered a crowd to disrupt the order in Chang'an, resulting in multiple murders and fires in Chang'an tonight."

Not long after Li Chengqian returned to the Prince's Mansion, Sun Fujia hurried to report to him.

Although Li Chengqian had a premonition that things would be turbulent tonight before he returned, he was still a little surprised when he heard Sun Fujia's report. He frowned and asked, "You just said that there were many murders in Chang'an. What's going on?"

"According to my colleagues at the Dali Temple, one murder involved a Tibetan treatise from the Honglu Temple, who was assassinated in the Honglu Temple posthouse. Another involved the owner of a bookstore in Changshoufang, who was mysteriously hanged in his shop. Another involved the owner of an antique shop inside the Huji Tavern, who was murdered inside his shop. These three murders occurred within two hours of each other, and the last one seems to be connected to Captain Pei of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Oh?"

Li Chengqian raised his eyebrows and said, "You said that Tubo Xiaolun was assassinated at the Honglu Temple Posthouse?"

Sun Fujia nodded and said, "Yes, according to my colleagues in the Dali Temple, this Tibetan minister is the uncle of the Tibetan king. He holds a high position in Tibet and is highly respected by the Tibetan king. For this, the Tibetan minister Lu Dongzan is extremely angry and demands an explanation from the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Chengqian sneered, "Who the hell is he? He's just a dead man. Why should the Tang Dynasty give him an explanation?"

"This"

Sun Fujia hesitated for a moment, then said helplessly, "I know the Crown Prince looks down on foreign nations, but Tubo is a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty. Their envoy died in the Tang Dynasty. If the Tang Dynasty does not provide a reasonable explanation, it will be difficult for the court to silence the public."

"If the Tibetans spread the news, saying that the Tang Dynasty couldn't even protect its envoys, the Tang Dynasty would be humiliated in front of other countries."

"Another point. Isn't the Crown Prince planning to sign military alliances with other nations? As the suzerain state, the Tang Dynasty is also obligated to protect these allies."

Hearing this, Li Chengqian nodded suddenly, thinking that he had thought things were too simple.

However, it is strange that this Tubo Xiaolun died at this time instead of earlier or later.

Li Chengqian paused for a moment before continuing, "You just said that the owner of an antique shop inside the Hu Ji Tavern was murdered inside the shop, and that it was related to the Jinyiwei. What's going on here?"

"To your Highness, according to the information sent back by Commander Su, they are trying to capture the fire master of Shouzhuolang, and the antique shop owner is the fire master!" Sun Fujia replied.

"Oh?"

Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes and said, "So, what happened tonight is related to Shouzhuolang?"

"I don't know for now, but Commander Su and his men have already apprehended the Fire Master's assassin. Captain Pei is currently bringing him to a secret torture chamber for interrogation. I believe the results will be known soon."

"Well, Pei Xingjian is a capable man, and I believe in him."

"That Su leads them."

"Since Su Dingfang was able to pass on the news, it means he should be fine now. Hou Junji, for my sake, should not make things too difficult for him."

"only."

Having said this, Li Chengqian paused and said solemnly, "The death of Tubo Xiaolun will probably cause quite a stir. At the grand court meeting tomorrow, watch my gaze and act accordingly!"

"promise!"

Sun Fujia agreed and was about to leave.

Suddenly, Li Chengqian seemed to remember something and said, "Oh, by the way, there's one more thing. I've prepared a gift. I'll have Lai Fu deliver it to Concubine Yang tomorrow. I'll tell Lai Fu to thank his son Li Ke for hosting me."

"This"

Sun Fujia was obviously stunned when he heard this, but seeing that Li Chengqian had no intention of continuing, he bowed and replied "yes" before retreating.

After watching him leave, Li Chengqian slowly sat down on the chair, looked at the pitch-black night outside the door, and rhythmically tapped the table next to the chair.

He originally thought that after he dealt with the fat guy, no one would dare to fight him again. Unexpectedly, the King of Han, who was called "a hero like me" by Li Shimin, also jumped out.

Could it be that his strong rise has changed the fate of others as well?
But did the King of Han really not understand his own situation? No matter how hard he tried, his bloodline doomed him to failure.

Whether it was himself, the little fat boy, or Li Zhi, who had just turned one year old, none of them could compare to him.

Why does he jump out like that?

To be honest, Li Chengqian still cannot understand what he did.

And that girl named 'Ruyi' tonight, was that also something he did on purpose?
If this is the case, it would not be difficult for Li Chengqian to understand the reason why the lame man was infatuated with Guan Niang.

Although the lame man's obsession with Guan Niang was not necessarily due to Li Ke, if people around him kept instilling such ideas in him, it would be difficult for him not to be influenced.

Therefore, Li Ke's behavior tonight, whether intentional or unintentional, made Li Chengqian very unhappy.

But no matter how unhappy he was, Li Chengqian did not explode on the spot because he had not yet figured out Li Ke's true purpose.

Including Lu Dongzan who appeared later, he thought it might also be related to Li Ke
and many more!

If Lu Dongzan was colluding with Li Ke, then could Tubo Xiaolun's death be a conspiracy?

Thinking of this, Li Chengqian's hand on the table suddenly froze, then frowned and muttered to himself: "Banquet, Yan Niang, Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, fire, Du Shangshu's illness, murder in Chang'an City, Jinyiwei trapped, Shouzhuo Lang..."

As Li Chengqian sorted out the events of the night, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

the other side.

Chang Sun Chong returned to Duke Zhao's mansion in a daze.

Meng and Changsun Pingting were shocked to see him covered in blood.

But then she heard Mrs. Meng say in a surprised and doubtful voice, "Chong'er, what's wrong with you? Don't scare me. Have you been bullied?"

"Mom, I'm fine." Chang Sun Chong shook his head hesitantly and asked, "Where's father? Is he back?"

"Your father just came back from the palace. Look how badly you've been injured, and you still say you're fine. Come here quickly, let me apply some medicine on you!"

"Oh, mother, I'm really fine. I'm going to ask my father for forgiveness!"

Changsun Chong said something impatiently and prepared to go find Changsun Wuji.

At this moment, Changsun Pingting, who had been observing her brother, suddenly asked, "Did you offend Cheng Qian?"

"what?"

Chang Sun Chong was surprised for a moment, then quickly shook his head and said, "I didn't, I didn't."

"Humph! You really have offended Cheng Qian! Didn't you say you would treat him to a banquet? Judging from your behavior, you should be asking Cheng Qian to apologize, right?"

"Me me me"

Chang Sun Chong hesitated for a long time, and finally said angrily: "I don't want to bother with you, I'm going to find my father!"

After saying that, he ran away.

"Stop!"

Changsun Pingting stomped her feet and was about to chase after him.

At this moment, Meng grabbed her and hurriedly asked, "Pingting, is what you said true? Did Chong'er really offend the prince?"

"Oh, mother, you know what he's like, right? He's been like this since he was little. Whenever he does something wrong, he always blames his father. He has no opinion of his own!"

"The prince..."

"Don't worry, mother. Cheng Qian is not a petty person. If he is really angry with Chongdi, Chongdi may not come back!"

Changsun Pingting smiled and comforted Meng, saying, "If mother is really worried, go see Auntie tomorrow. Cheng Qian listens to Auntie the most!"

"Okay, okay, tomorrow mother will go to the palace to see the queen."

Meng Shi seemed to have realized what was happening. She nodded repeatedly, then patted the back of Changsun Pingting's hand and said gently, "Our Pingting is sensible. Who knows which young master will marry her in the future."

"mother--!"

Changsun Pingting said with a coquettish tone, interrupting what Meng wanted to say. The latter laughed and said no more.

But Changsun Pingting's beautiful eyes blinked frequently, and the figure of a man she liked appeared in her mind.

At the same time, Changsun Chong carefully knocked on the wooden door of Changsun Wuji's study.

"Is it Chong'er?"

A slightly tired voice came from behind the wooden door.

Chang Sun Chong hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and said respectfully, "It's me, father!"

"Well, come in!"

"Yes!"

Chang Sun Chong responded and went into the study without hesitation.

Changsun Wuji was seen sitting on the armchair with a calm expression, looking at the disheveled Changsun Chong indifferently, as if he was not surprised by his condition.

But then Changsun Wuji said again: "Jin Yu has already told me what happened tonight. Do you know where you went wrong?"

"This"

Chang Sun Chong hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and said, "I shouldn't have been so greedy and let the King of Han and the others arrange the banquet."

"Confused!"

Changsun Wuji slammed the table and angrily said, "Why don't you understand? The problem is not whether you are greedy or not, but that you are being schemed against and don't know it!"

"what?"

Chang Sun Chong was taken aback for a moment, and looked up at Chang Sun Wuji with a bewildered expression: "Father, are you saying that the King of Han and his men have plotted against me?"

"What do you think?"

Zhang Sun Wuji said with a look of regret, "How can there be so many coincidences in the world? If the King of Han and the others really wanted to meet with the Crown Prince, why would you need to invite the Crown Prince?"

"This"

When Chang Sun Chong heard this, his heart was suddenly shocked.

For the first time, he felt afraid.

Yes, Li Ke and Chai Zhewei were no less prominent than himself. Even Li Zong, whose home was right next to the Crown Prince's residence, had never taken the initiative to approach the Crown Prince. Why did they all come over when he was hosting a banquet for Li Chengqian? There had to be something fishy going on here!

And with the fire tonight, if anything happens to Li Chengqian, it will be blamed on his grandson Chong for murdering the crown prince!
Thinking of this, Chang Sun Chong couldn't help but tremble all over, feeling a wave of fear in his heart.

Until Zhangsun Wuji's voice sounded again: "No matter what, the best outcome is that the Crown Prince is safe and sound."

"Your talent is limited, and I, your father, do not expect you to achieve anything great. However, there is one thing you must understand: Your Majesty is our greatest reliance."

"But father, didn't you ask me to get closer to the Crown Prince? I invited him to a banquet to build a good relationship with him. After all, he's been so popular lately that even His Majesty has been overshadowed by him."

"What do you know!?"

Changsun Wuji glared at his son angrily, then said solemnly, "In this Tang Dynasty, whether now or in the future, there is only one sky, and that is Your Majesty!"

"Any hero can only act in this world, and the prince is no exception!"

Hearing this, Chang Sun Chong nodded in agreement. "I understand. Father has followed Your Majesty on numerous campaigns and has seen countless heroes fall before Your Majesty. All we have to do is follow Your Majesty closely."

"but."

At this point, Chang Sun Chong suddenly thought of something and changed the subject: "Father still hasn't answered me. Your Majesty is being pressed by the Crown Prince, why don't you react more strongly?"

"Ah!"

Zhang Sun Wuji sneered and said, "Who do you think the emperor Your Majesty admires? That was Emperor Wen of Han, who forced his own uncle to death!"

"Your Majesty has been worried about how future generations will judge him because of the Xuanwu Gate Incident. Therefore, whether he's facing the Emperor Emeritus or the Crown Prince, he must let everyone know one thing: he's always been tolerant of both. If one day, everyone in the world feels that he shouldn't tolerate them any longer, then he'll have done his utmost!"

"Hiss——" Upon hearing this, Chang Sun Chong couldn't help but take a breath.

Damn it!
How come your Majesty and the Crown Prince are both more perverted than each other!
In front of them, I am like a pure little white flower, flawless and flawless.

No wonder my father chose not to take sides even though the prince was frequently close to him. It turned out that my father had already seen through the essence of the matter.

But then Changsun Wuji sighed again, "You know what? I've been with Your Majesty since I was a teenager. I witnessed firsthand how Your Majesty emerged from the sea of ​​blood and corpses. The few lives the Crown Prince killed are nothing to Your Majesty."

"In his life, he has never fought a war he was not sure of winning!"

Hearing this, Changsun Chong could clearly feel his father's awe and admiration for Li Shimin.

In other words, his father, who was as cunning as a fox, had long been subdued by Li Shimin.

"What does father mean?"

"Don't you understand yet?"

Changsun Wuji shook his head helplessly and said, "What I mean is, you can be close to the Crown Prince, but not too close. Even if you did something wrong this time, just apologize and don't do anything else. Just let things take their course."

"As for the King of Han and the others."

At this point, Changsun Wuji's eyes suddenly became fierce, and he said coldly: "Sooner or later, I will make them pay double for this debt!"

At the same time, on the west side of Suzaku Street, inside a luxurious tall gate.

In a room filled with incense and flickering candlelight, a man in black was kneeling on one knee reporting to the person behind the screen.

Then the man in black said, "Your Excellency, the plan has been completed. However, something went wrong with Yu Liu, and he was captured by the Jinyiwei. His current status is unknown!"

"Yes. Yu Liu did a good job and treated his family well. As for him, Wu Hou's people will take care of him, you don't have to worry."

"The Prince"

"Don't worry about him for now. The final step of the mission will begin soon. You should finish the rest of the things first. We are still businessmen after all. Do you understand?"

"understood."

The voice behind the screen disappeared, and the other party had left the room.

The man in black waited there for a while, then slowly stood up, stood in the candlelight, and muttered a few words in a voice that no one could hear.

The next morning, it was just dawn.

The entire Tai Chi Palace was like a complex machine, operating rigorously and orderly.

Countless palace maids and eunuchs began to arrange all the decorations needed for the grand court meeting.

It was not until the ministers arrived at the small square in front of the Taiji Palace that the palace maids and eunuchs left the Taiji Palace.

As more and more ministers gathered in the small square, ministers who were familiar with each other or had close relationships began to gather together, whispering to each other.

"Hey, did you hear? Several big things happened last night!"

"What else is going on? I just heard that Minister of War Du Ruhui almost died!"

"Ah? Is this true? Did Du Shangshu really almost die? No wonder, I was wondering why I didn't see him."

"No, why are you only concerned about Minister Du? I also heard that the prince was almost burned to death last night!"

"What!? There's such a thing, how come I don't know anything about it?"

"What do you know lying at home? I went to several places last night. Not only did I deal with the matter of Minister Du and the Crown Prince, but I also dealt with the murder of the Tibetan Vice Prime Minister!"

"This is such an eventful time!"

"It seems that today's grand court meeting is bound to be bloody and violent."

"Don't mention it. After the Double Ninth Festival, my legs tremble every time I think about it."

Gradually, the topic began to change.

"Oh, by the way, I heard someone from the East Palace brought a chair into the Taiji Hall today, and no one from His Majesty tried to stop them!"

"Chair? What chair? Could it be the Zhenguan chair that's been popular in Chang'an lately?"

"It seems so. The chair is comfortable to sit on, but it's not very elegant!"

"I guess the Crown Prince ordered a custom dragon throne for Your Majesty to please Him?"

"Haha, even though the prince is showing off in front of us, he is still a subject in front of Your Majesty!"

“Who says it’s not?”

"quiet--!"

Just when the ministers were discussing happily, a sharp shout suddenly came from outside the Taiji Hall.

Immediately afterwards, the ceremonial officer stepped forward and shouted loudly, "Open the palace gates!"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the ministers immediately lined up in an orderly manner and waited quietly for the palace door to open.

At this time, envoys from 29 countries in the Western Regions, represented by Gaochang Kingdom, also slowly walked into the small square.

Next came the envoys from Tuyuhun, Tubo, Goguryeo, Japan, Western Turks and others.

Although they were all invited to attend the grand court meeting, they were not qualified to enter the palace and could only stay in the small square and wait to be summoned.

As for the ministers who were preparing to enter the palace to attend the grand court meeting, they were ignored.

Until a young palace attendant quickly ran forward, stood in front of the Taiji Gate, took a deep breath, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "The Crown Prince is in court!"

The sound spread in all directions, and all the ministers outside the hall were startled.

what's the situation?
When does the prince need to chant the ritual when he goes to court?

This doesn't seem to be against the rules, does it?

However, just as the ministers were in a state of surprise, another young palace attendant quickly ran forward and stood beside the young palace attendant. He also took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Your Majesty, please come to court!"

Wow!
The whole place was in an uproar!

All the ministers were confused by this operation!

Immediately afterwards, they saw Li Shimin and Li Chengqian slowly walking out from both sides of the Taiji Hall, wearing gorgeous court robes.

When Li Chengqian was nine steps away from Taiji Gate, he stopped and bowed to Li Shimin.

Then, Li Shimin smiled and nodded, raised his hand and said, "Prince, please come in!"

"Your Majesty, please!" Li Chengqian also raised his hand to signal.

"."

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment.

Even Zhangsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng and others felt that their brains were not enough, wondering what on earth these father and son were doing! ?

However, before they could react, the father and son entered the Tai Chi gate one after another.

Until two palace servants shouted in unison: "All ministers enter the palace to pay homage to His Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Your Majesty, I wish you good health!"

The ministers walked into the hall with their heads down, full of doubts, and paid homage to Li Shimin according to the previous procedures.

But then Li Shimin said, "I am at peace. All the ministers, please stand."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The ministers stood up one after another and planned to return to their seats.

At this moment, another voice sounded again: "The ministers pay their respects to the Crown Prince again—"

"???"

A string of black question marks slowly appeared on the foreheads of the ministers, and some of them who were puzzled immediately looked up.

It's okay if you don't look at it, but you'll be shocked when you look at it.

Li Chengqian was sitting openly on the left side of Li Shimin. If you didn't look carefully, the father and son were almost on the same level.

I rub!

Are our eyes blurry?!
One minister subconsciously rubbed his eyes, his face full of disbelief.

However, before they could clearly see what was happening, Li Chengqian, who was sitting on the chair, said calmly, "Why, you don't recognize me anymore?"

"This, this, this"

The ministers were so shocked that they were speechless.

It really is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!

Oh my God!

Is the world of Tang Dynasty about to change?!
The hearts of the ministers were like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, which immediately caused huge waves.

However, no matter how shocked they were, when they saw Li Shimin sitting on the throne as if nothing had happened, they knew that this must have been tacitly approved by Li Shimin.

So after experiencing a moment of indescribable surprise, the ministers immediately adjusted their mentality and bowed to Li Chengqian sitting on the Zhenguan Chair.

"Your Highness, I pay my respects to you. May your Highness live a thousand years!"

"No gift!"

Li Chengqian smiled.

Then the eunuch shouted again, "Go to court! If you have something to report, please report it. If not, please dismiss the court!"

"Your Majesty! I have something to report!"

As soon as the eunuch finished speaking, an imperial censor stood up.

Li Shimin asked calmly, "What's the matter?"

"Your Majesty, I accuse the Crown Prince of gross disrespect!"

Good guy!
So exciting!

As soon as you get here, fire at that killer!

As expected, they are the tough guys in the Censorate, none of them are afraid of death!

This is what the ministers thought when they saw the censor stand up to impeach Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian looked at the censor calmly and said, "The impeachment is invalid. Next!"

"????"

The censor's head was about to split open.

Because there are too many question marks, I can’t react at all.

What the hell? Impeachment is invalid?
And this kind of operation? !
(End of this chapter)