The Fierce Teacher of Zhenguan: Starting with Teaching the Crown Prince to Make a Comeback

Chapter 200 Tell me, who is the one teaching you from behind?

His voice also rose an octave.

“Father! It must be Hegan Chengji! It must be because I dismissed him back then, and he holds a grudge, so he is using this opportunity to frame me!”

"You want to kill me! I beg you, Father, to investigate! I am innocent!"

He knelt down with a thud, touching his head to the ground, his shoulders trembling slightly, looking both angry and aggrieved.

Li Shimin stared intently at his eldest son kneeling on the ground, trying to find a flaw in his every subtle expression and movement.

Li Chengqian's reaction was exactly like that of someone who had been wrongly accused—shock, anger, grievance, and defense.

"You mean that Hegan Chengji is making a complete false accusation?" Li Shimin's voice remained icy.

"Yes! Father!"

Li Chengqian raised his head, his eyes resolute, yet tinged with the pain of being doubted by his most trusted father.

"Your subject never instructed anyone to assassinate Qingque and Master Yu!"

He met Li Shimin's gaze without flinching.

"You said you dismissed him because he harbored delusions,"

Li Shimin remained unmoved and continued to press for answers.

"If you have nothing to hide, why did you erase all traces of his existence so completely after he left? Is there not a single person in the Eastern Palace who knows the details?"

Li Chengqian seemed to have been prepared for this question. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his excited emotions.

“Father, it was not that I deliberately erased the traces. My dismissal of him was a proper act, and there is no need to hide it.”

"As for the fact that no one knows the details... Father, should I publicize and record such matters involving private expressions of loyalty and inappropriate remarks?"

"At that time, I simply summoned him to a side hall, gave him a lecture, and made it clear that the Crown Prince's Palace would not tolerate such words and deeds. Then I gave him gold and sent him away."

"The process was simple and did not alert anyone. Perhaps that's why such despicable people thought they had an opportunity, believing that there would be no way to verify the story, so they dared to make baseless accusations!"

His explanation was logically consistent once again.

The phrase "erasing traces" is interpreted as the nature of the event itself, rather than as deliberately destroying evidence.

Li Shimin remained silent.

He looked at his eldest son kneeling on the ground, his face filled with grief and stubbornness, and felt a mix of emotions.

Every explanation Li Chengqian gave seemed reasonable and well-founded, completely absolving himself of any wrongdoing.

Could it be that He Gan Chengji harbored resentment because he was dismissed and deliberately framed him?

Or... has this son's acting skills become so superb?

He waved his hand, his tone slightly weary: "Get up first."

"Thank you, Father Emperor." Li Chengqian slowly stood up, still with his head bowed, but his back was straight, as if he were bearing a great injustice.

Li Shimin instructed those outside the hall: "Summon Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling to come in."

Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling returned and, seeing the situation inside the hall, understood the situation.

"You've all heard what the Crown Prince said," Li Shimin said, looking at them. "What do you think?"

Changsun Wuji pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, what His Highness the Crown Prince said is also a reasonable explanation. Hegan Chengji did indeed have the motive to harbor resentment due to being dismissed and then make false accusations. At present, the case is at a stalemate, and it is difficult to distinguish the truth from the falsehood."

Fang Xuanling also said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, this matter... may be put on hold for now. Continuing to investigate further may damage the Crown Prince's reputation and be detrimental to the stability of the court."

Their words subtly expressed their inclination to temporarily shelve the case.

Forcibly convicting the crown prince without solid evidence is too risky.

Li Shimin looked at them, then at Li Chengqian, who stood to the side with his head bowed but his posture still stubborn. The inexplicable sense of irritation in his heart grew stronger.

He felt as if there was an invisible barrier between him and his son, preventing him from truly seeing into his heart.

He took a deep breath and made a decision.

"Since that's the case, He Gan Chengji's framing of the Crown Prince is utterly despicable. The Dali Temple is hereby ordered to keep a close watch on him, and no one is permitted to visit him without my order!"

"This case will be shelved for now, and it must not be discussed further with the public!"

"The ministers obey the order."

Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling responded in unison.

This result represents the treatment method that best maintains surface equilibrium at present.

"You may all step back now," Li Shimin waved his hand again.

"Your subject takes his leave." Li Chengqian also bowed and prepared to leave.

"The Crown Prince shall remain." Li Shimin's voice brooked no argument.

Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling glanced at Li Chengqian, then silently withdrew from the main hall and gently closed the door behind them.

Inside the empty Liangyi Hall, only the father and son remained, making the atmosphere even more tense.

Li Chengqian stood respectfully with his hands at his sides, awaiting his father's next words.

Li Shimin stood up from behind his desk, slowly walked to Li Chengqian, and scrutinized him with a deep gaze.

That gaze seemed to reach straight into the depths of one's soul.

“Brilliant,” Li Shimin said, his voice not loud, but carrying an unprecedented sense of pressure.

"There are no outsiders here. Tell me, in the past year or so, you have changed so much, coming up with ingenious strategies, and your insights and knowledge far surpass what they were before. Even... I and the court officials are often surprised."

"Tell me, who exactly is teaching you?"

He finally asked the question that had been buried in his heart for so long.

The truth of Hegan Chengji's accusations is hard to discern, but the enormous changes that have occurred in the Crown Prince are real.

This change could not have come out of thin air.

Li Chengqian's heart skipped a beat, but he tried his best to keep his face calm.

He raised his head to meet his father's probing gaze, his eyes clear and calm.

“Father, I do not understand what you mean. There is no master behind me teaching me.”

"No?" A cold smile curled at the corner of Li Shimin's lips.

"Then tell me about the theory of the hundred crafts, bonds, the method of making snowflake salt, and even that 'heart-piercing argument' you once gave me..."

"Did you just make all of this up out of thin air?"

"Do you take me for a three-year-old child?!"

His tone grew increasingly stern, carrying the unyielding authority of an emperor.

Li Chengqian felt the immense pressure, but he knew he could not back down at this moment.

He took a deep breath and answered firmly, "Father, I dare not lie. These... are indeed the conclusions I have reached through my own reflection."

"What did you figure out yourself?"

Li Shimin seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, but he couldn't laugh; instead, his eyes became even sharper.

“You used to spend your days with actors and entertainers, befriend Turkic customs, have an eccentric temperament, and neglect your studies.”

"How could he come up with such knowledge in such a short time that even Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji had never heard of it?"

"Gao Ming, do you think I would believe that?"

Li Chengqian did not back down at all. Instead, he took a small half step forward and raised his voice, which was filled with excitement and persistence at being questioned.

"Father! It was because of my past foolishness, and the events of Zhang Shi's departure and being reprimanded by you, that I finally realized my mistake!"

"Since that day, I have secluded myself to reflect on my mistakes, read through history books, and pondered deeply about the way of the crown prince and the principles of governing the country."

"Your subject has been working tirelessly day and night, repeatedly scrutinizing and comparing the rise and fall of dynasties in history with the current state of the court and my own situation! This is what I have learned from classics such as Guanzi and Discourses on Salt and Iron, combined with practical experience in the current state of the court's expenditures and the supply of provisions for the border regions!"

"That concept of 'credit' is something I came up with after observing the ease or difficulty of transactions in the marketplace and the implementation of imperial decrees!" He spoke faster and faster, as if he wanted to pour out all the thoughts that had been building up in his heart for a long time.

"If Father Emperor does not believe me, he may go to the Eastern Palace to examine my reading notes and casual jottings from the past year!"

“These all bear the marks of my thoughtful consideration!”

He stared directly at Li Shimin, his gaze intense, with an almost obsessive honesty and stubbornness.

“Father, I admit my past mistakes, but no one is perfect. To err is human, to forgive divine!”

"Does Father Emperor think I will always be that good-for-nothing son, with no chance of ever realizing my mistakes and striving for improvement?"

"Can't I make progress through my own efforts?"

Li Chengqian attributed all his changes to "sudden awakening" and "his own efforts."

They also presented seemingly irrefutable "evidence"—reading notes and casual jottings.

Li Shimin stared intently into Li Chengqian's eyes, trying to find even the slightest hint of guilt or hesitation.

But what he saw was only a frank, excited, and even somewhat resentful and angry flame of being distrusted by his closest relatives.

A long silence fell over the hall.

The father and son stared at each other, a silent contest filling the air.

Li Shimin felt a wave of powerlessness.

He was almost certain that Li Chengqian was lying.

That kind of insight cannot be acquired in a short period of time through "studying behind closed doors" and "self-comprehension".

However, Li Chengqian stubbornly refused to admit it.

He has no evidence.

He cannot force his crown prince to confess based on his own suspicions.

Especially now that Li Chengqian has seemingly "cleared" his name after the controversy surrounding the accusations made by He Gan Chengji.

He suddenly realized that he seemed somewhat helpless with this son.

"Good...very good."

Li Shimin finally spoke slowly, his voice carrying a complex mix of emotions that were hard to describe, including disappointment and anger.

"Then let me ask you again, what about those rumors that circulated in the streets of Chang'an a few months ago, such as 'The rooster in the Eastern Palace laid a golden egg,' 'A raccoon cat wrote a poem,' and 'A greyhound divined an earthquake in Bingzhou'..."

"Where did these absurd and nonsensical words come from? Don't tell me that you figured them out by reading in seclusion?"

Li Chengqian deliberately furrowed his brows, his face showing anger and impatience at being dragged into this for no reason.

"Father!" His voice suddenly rose, filled with the excitement of being cornered.

"Those rumors circulating in the marketplace are absurd and outrageous, and I am also a victim! I don't know what kind of despicable people, unable to frame me, resort to such vile means to tarnish the reputation of the Crown Prince! I abhor this!"

“Deeply hate it?” Li Shimin took a step closer.

"That poem, 'I fear not being crushed to pieces, but only wish to leave my innocence in the world,' is said to have been obtained by your Eastern Palace cat!"

"Such powerful and spirited verses, could they really be so easily fabricated by others?"

"Tell me, when did your Eastern Palace acquire such a wondrous cat capable of composing poetry? Or... when did you, Li Chengqian, acquire such poetic talent?"

The last sentence was almost a stern question from Li Shimin.

He absolutely refused to believe that such verses could have been written by a cat, let alone by Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian felt his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

But he knew he absolutely could not back down. If he admitted to being involved with Li Yichen, all his previous efforts and his "self-reliant" image would collapse, and it would even bring disaster upon his master.

He has to hold on to the end!
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot with excitement and grievance, his voice carrying an insulting and resolute tone.

"Father, you are wise! There are no cats in the Eastern Palace! No dogs! And certainly no roosters that lay golden eggs!"

"If Father doesn't believe me, you can send people to investigate right now! Turn the Eastern Palace upside down! See what kind of people I've been keeping!"

He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently, as if he had been wronged terribly.

"Where did that poem come from? I have no idea!"

Li Shimin stared intently at him, not missing a single subtle change in his face.

Li Chengqian's denial was too resolute, his attitude too forceful, and even carried a sense of reckless madness.

This doesn't seem like acting, at least not entirely.

"As for the earthquake in Bingzhou..." Li Chengqian continued, his tone tinged with mockery.

"That's utter nonsense! Celestial phenomena are unpredictable, and the movements of earth dragons are beyond human comprehension."

"If I or someone by my side truly possessed such foresight, why would I... why would I have acted as I did in the past..."

He paused at the opportune moment, leaving a thought-provoking blank space, leading his father's thoughts to his past "shamelessness" in contrast to his present "innocence" and "helplessness".

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

Li Shimin remained silent for a long time.

He is weighing the options, making a judgment.

Could the person who transformed him also be unrelated to these rumors?

Is there really such a coincidence in the world?

He doesn't believe it!
Li Shimin's gaze remained fixed on Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian felt a chill run down his spine, but he forced himself to stand firm and met the gaze head-on without flinching.

He cannot retreat, not even a single step!

Time slipped by, each breath feeling like being tortured on a hot coal fire.

Finally, Li Shimin spoke slowly, his voice deep and imposing, carrying an unquestionable authority and a cold warning.

"I will investigate this thoroughly."

He spoke each word slowly and deliberately, as if each word carried immense weight.

"Whether it's Hegan Chengji or these rumors, I will investigate them thoroughly."

He changed the subject, his gaze becoming even more profound.

"Gao Ming, you are the crown prince, the future emperor of the Tang Dynasty. I hope... that you have the wisdom to judge people and can distinguish between loyalty, treachery, virtue, and folly."

"Don't let your mind be influenced or your decisions swayed by those of dubious origin or those who are hiding their true intentions."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice deep and resonant, yet reaching Li Chengqian's ears with even greater clarity.

"You must remember, you are a descendant of the Li family, and the crown prince I have chosen!"

"Not a... puppet being manipulated at will!"

Li Chengqian took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging blood and qi, bowed respectfully, his movements meticulous, and his voice returned to normal, yet carried an unprecedented forcefulness.

"Your subject will remember your father's teachings."

He straightened up and met Li Shimin's gaze once more.

This time, his eyes held no excitement, only a cold, resolute determination.

"Father, rest assured, as the Crown Prince, I know the responsibilities of the Crown Prince. I will never allow those petty people to slander the Eastern Palace and shake the foundation of the nation!"

He paused, his tone resolute, carrying a hint of chilling killing intent.

"Those who spread rumors and frame others, no matter who they are or what their motives are... once I find out, I will never let them go!"

(End of this chapter)