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

Chapter 29 is simply naive!

Suddenly, a slight smile appeared on Li Shimin's lips.

He thought of those officials of the fifth rank and above, especially those young and ambitious censors in the Censorate who were eager to gain fame.

The Crown Prince thought that opening the Eastern Palace would bring him fame and turn the tables on him.
That's incredibly naive!

Those censors who wanted to uphold integrity and seek a bright future were like hungry wolves smelling blood. How could they let go of such a golden opportunity that could reach the emperor directly and even bring down the crown prince?

They'll do anything and say anything for their reputation!
Their harassment, questioning, and even framing are enough to annoy anyone and expose their true colors!
Li Shimin suddenly realized that Li Chengqian and the people behind him, who seemed to have come up with a brilliant move, had actually made a terrible mistake!
They may be well-versed in classic political maneuvering, but they underestimate the madness and tenacity that "pure" officials can unleash for political capital.

They stirred up the water, forgetting that they themselves might drown!

"Heh..." Li Shimin sneered, his fear of the person behind the scenes instantly turning into contempt.

"In the end, they are just shallow-minded people who only know how to scheme in the palace but do not understand the human heart and the underworld."

Since that's the case, why not go with the flow?
Let those censors tear down the iron curtain of the Eastern Palace for him and see what kind of monsters and demons are hiding inside!
Let the Crown Prince experience what it means to be feared by public opinion!

Having made up his mind, Li Shimin picked up his vermilion brush and wrote a powerful "Approved" on the memorial, adding a sentence: "Since the Crown Prince has this intention, I am very pleased. I hereby approve it and order the historian to attend and record it, so as to demonstrate the Crown Prince's sincerity in accepting advice."

He wanted to see how this grand show would end!

The emperor's reply was transmitted to the Secretariat and Chancellery at the fastest speed, and then immediately sent to the court.

In an instant, the entire officialdom of Chang'an was shaken to its core!

When Li Tai received the news at the Prince of Wei's residence, he was first stunned, then burst into uncontrollable laughter, his fat body jiggling with laughter.

"Hahaha! Fool! He's courting death! Who does he think he is? Daring to emulate the ancients' humility in accepting advice? Just wait to be devoured alive by those censors!"

He immediately summoned several censors and officials, including Censor Cui Renshi and Investigating Censor Liu Shi, their eyes gleaming with excitement and malice.

"The opportunity has arrived! All of you, perk up! Tomorrow, head to the Eastern Palace! Give the Crown Prince a thorough dressing-down! Unearth all his past misdeeds, one by one! Ask him if he knows his mistakes! Ask him how he plans to change! Ask him until he's agitated and loses his temper, roaring! As long as you find even the slightest fault, impeach him severely! I want to see how long this act of accepting advice can last!"

Several young censors, known for their sharp and passionate words, immediately rubbed their hands together and expressed their willingness to go.

They began to discuss how to use this opportunity to gain a reputation for speaking frankly, severely damage the crown prince's prestige, and even find fault with him.

Some suggested starting with the Crown Prince's past words and deeds, others suggested paying attention to the expenses of the Eastern Palace, and still others turned their attention to the newly replaced attendants Li Baiyao and Xu Jingzong, wondering if they could find a breakthrough from them.

Listening to the crowd's discussion, Li Tai's face was filled with a confident smile, as if he could already see Li Chengqian's miserable state under the siege of the censors.

Upon hearing the news, Changsun Wuji remained silent for a long time at the Duke of Zhao's residence.

He dismissed his attendants and paced alone in his study.

Finally, he stopped at the window, looked out into the courtyard, sighed deeply, and his face was full of disappointment and worry.

"Fool! Utter fool! This is a self-destructive act! Does he think he can prove his innocence this way? Little does he know, he is placing himself on a hot plate! Those censors are like flies drawn to filth; they are not easily dealt with. A single misstep will give them leverage, leading to utter ruin! The Crown Prince's position... is in grave danger!"

What he was worried about was that Li Chengqian's seemingly tough move actually exposed his political immaturity and impatience.

In Changsun Wuji's view, true power stability lies in subtle influence and balancing all parties, rather than such high-profile and risky behavior that attracts fire.

He seemed to foresee the impending chaos in the Eastern Palace and the Crown Prince's predicament, which made him even more pessimistic about the Crown Prince's future. A strong sense of disappointment and anxiety welled up in his heart, both annoyed by the Crown Prince's foolishness and resentful of the shortsightedness of the person who came up with the idea behind it.

He immediately ordered the gates of his residence to be closed and feigned illness to decline visitors.

Upon hearing the news, Duke Liang, Fang Xuanling, sighed deeply, shook his head silently, and said only to the old servant beside him, "The Crown Prince is in danger."

He said no more, his brow furrowed with deep concern for the nation's foundation.

He understood clearly that this was not about accepting advice, but rather the start of a public hunt targeting the crown prince.

Although Wei Zheng, the Chamberlain, was ill, upon hearing the news, he struggled to sit up and sighed to his son, Wei Shuyu: "The Crown Prince's proposal may seem hasty, but if he can sincerely accept advice, it may not be a bad thing. I only fear that... his heart is not pure and his will is not firm, and he may be taken advantage of by villains, which could lead to a great disaster."

He hoped that the Crown Prince could take this opportunity to truly repent, but he also worried that this was just a carefully planned performance that would ultimately end in farce.

This will further damage the crown prince's reputation and the dignity of the court.

Other officials also reacted differently.

Some upright officials were eager to put their ideas to good use;

Some prudent and experienced ministers secretly shook their heads, believing that the crown prince was being too reckless.
Some speculators are observing the situation and considering how to profit from it;

There are also those who genuinely care about the country and hope that the Crown Prince can seize this opportunity to truly grow into a qualified heir apparent.

The entire officialdom of Chang'an was in turmoil because of the emperor's approval, and the atmosphere of an impending storm was becoming increasingly intense.

At this very moment, within the Eastern Palace, which was at the eye of the storm, an unusual calm prevailed.

The palace doors were tightly shut, but the candlelight shone brightly.

Li Chengqian and Li Yichen sat facing each other.

All the disturbances of the outside world seemed to be shut out from behind those heavy palace gates.

The excitement and impulsiveness that had been on Li Chengqian's face were gone, replaced by a calmness, though beneath this calm lay a suppressed tension about facing unknown challenges.

He looked at Li Yichen, who remained calm across from him.

"Yichen, Father has given his permission. Now, how should we deal with this? Those censors will probably swarm in tomorrow."

Li Yichen slowly raised his head, his face showing no surprise, as if everything was under control.

His eyes were deep, and there was even a faint, cold smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Your Highness, the bait has been cast, and we're just waiting for the fish to bite. They want a good reputation, don't they? We'll give them... a reputation that will last for eternity."

"Regardless of what the visitors say, Your Highness should always be extremely humble at first. Listen patiently, nod occasionally, and even say that you are learning something and should think deeply. If they want the reputation of speaking frankly, Your Highness should grant it. Let them speak and say as much as they want."

"Your Highness, you only need to remember that no matter what you hear, you must not get angry or lose your composure. This is the appearance of 'humility,' something you do for His Majesty and for the world to see. The more Your Highness behaves in this way, the more ridiculous the performances of those clowns will appear."

Li Chengqian seemed to understand: "I understand now. Let them perform to their heart's content."

(End of this chapter)