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

What does Chapter 36 mean?
He took a few deep breaths, forced himself to calm down, and scanned the crowd.

"Tell me, what exactly is that cripple's weakness? How can we strike him decisively and expose his true colors in front of the Emperor and the court officials?"

A tall, thin scholar with a sinister expression slowly spoke: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has a long history of misdeeds, all of which are his fatal weaknesses. First, his private conduct is immoral; his affair with the musicians of the Imperial Music Bureau is known throughout the land, a testament to his debauchery. Second, he associates with treacherous officials, maintaining close ties with those he resents, such as Prince Li Yuanchang of Han and Hou Junji, demonstrating his disloyalty. Third, he has disregarded propriety and forgotten his ancestors, imitating Turkic customs, a clear indication of his lack of loyalty to the ruler and father. Any one of these three offenses could be used to launch a major attack."

Li Tai narrowed his eyes: "How exactly should it be done?"

The sinister scholar said in a sinister tone, "Ordinary impeachments are unlikely to touch his core. We need to find an opportunity for someone of special status who has a past grudge against the Crown Prince to question him face to face, directly hitting his sore spot and forcing him to lose his composure. As long as the Crown Prince is enraged in public, or speaks evasively, or acts inappropriately, his pretense of 'repentance and reformation' will be exposed."

"Special status? Old grudge with the Crown Prince?" Li Tai pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "What do you all think of... Yu Zhining, the former Left Vice-Chancellor of the Crown Prince?"

Yu Zhining once served as the Left Vice-Minister to the Crown Prince. He repeatedly offered frank advice to Li Chengqian, which incurred the prince's hatred. Li Chengqian even sent assassins to break into Yu Zhining's residence at night, but the assassination attempt failed. Although the incident was suppressed and not allowed to be mentioned again, Yu Zhining's resentment and fear towards the Crown Prince can be imagined.

Moreover, Yu Zhining was a former official of the Qin family and one of the eighteen scholars of the Literary Academy. He was of noble status, and if he were to question the matter, it would carry great weight.

Upon hearing this, all the strategists felt that this plan was brilliant!
"Yu Zhining harbors resentment towards the Crown Prince, and he is upright and honest. If guided properly, he can become a sharp weapon!"

"But how can we get Yu Zhining to willingly step forward? Although he resents the Crown Prince, he has always been cautious..."

Li Tai smiled smugly: "That's not difficult. Yu Zhining values ​​his reputation most and is also worried that the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne will be detrimental to him. I only need to have someone whisper a few words in his ear, saying that the Crown Prince is currently putting on an act, but is actually preparing to settle scores later. If we don't take advantage of this opportunity to bring him down, we will surely be punished in the future. And then promise him great benefits afterward... I'm sure he won't be tempted!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he could already see Yu Zhining in the court or in the East Palace's advisory hall, sternly questioning the Crown Prince and forcing him into a sorry state.

"Good! Let's focus on this! You all go and plan carefully, and make sure you can persuade Yu Zhining! At the same time, compile a book of the Crown Prince's past misdeeds, especially those related to Chengxin, the Prince of Han, and Turkic customs, making sure the details are thorough. If you can gather witnesses and physical evidence... even better! I want to give that cripple a big gift!"

The conspiracy within the Prince of Wei's residence unfolded quietly under the cover of night.

Meanwhile, Li Shimin, inside the Liangyi Hall, was not at rest either.

He listened as Wang De gave a detailed report on everything that had happened in the Eastern Palace's Consultative Hall that day, especially the complete process of the Crown Prince's response. He tapped his fingers lightly on the imperial desk, remaining silent for a long time.

The Crown Prince's performance was indeed beyond his expectations once again.

Her response to Wei Siqian's erudite and refutative rebuttal, while consistent with the previous dialogue at the Liangyi Hall, was even more composed and experienced.

Immediately, he changed the subject, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Your Highness's response today, especially your swift acceptance and commitment to the Western Continent strategy, seemed smooth and natural... but I always feel it was too... meticulous. As if every step had been pre-calculated. Wang De, tell me, was Your Highness... hiding your true abilities beforehand?"

Once this thought arises, it is difficult to suppress.

Could it be that half of Li Chengqian's past unruly behavior was an act?

Why pretend?

Is this to lull me into a false sense of security?

Or is it to...wait for the right opportunity?
Wang De's heart skipped a beat, and he bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise, I...I dare not presume to speculate."

Li Shimin snorted coldly and stopped asking questions.

He knew he wouldn't get any more information from Wang De.

"Keep an eye on it. Especially tomorrow, see who else will go to the Eastern Palace to 'receive advice,' and how the Crown Prince will respond."

A cold glint flashed in Li Shimin's eyes. "I want to see how long he can keep up this act!" The night was as dark as ink, spilling across the neighborhoods of Chang'an.

The curfew drums had already sounded, all the gates of the neighborhoods were tightly closed, and the streets were deserted, with only the heavy footsteps of the night patrol guards occasionally breaking the silence.

However, in some secluded mansions of this imperial capital, the candlelight was not extinguished by the curfew; instead, behind the heavy curtains, it flickered with an even more faint light.

Liquanfang, the residence of the Duke of Yun.

The owner of this residence was Yin Yuan, the adopted son of the late Duke of Yun, Yin Qiao.

Yin Qiao, one of the twenty-four meritorious officials of Lingyan Pavilion, served the emperor in his early years and rose to the position of Minister of Personnel, and was enfeoffed as Duke of Yun. He died of illness in the fourth year of Zhenguan.

As the descendant of a meritorious official, Yin Yuan inherited the title of Duke, but failed to inherit his father's prominent position. He now only holds a sinecure in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and has no real power.

Although the mansion was large, it exuded a desolate atmosphere of deserted courtyards.

At this moment, in a secret room deep within the mansion, only two bronze oil lamps were lit.

The dim light cast the shadows of the three people sitting around a rosewood table onto the wall, making them appear longer and shorter, swaying and uncertain.

Yin Yuan, who sat in the main seat, was about forty years old. He had a fair complexion and fine lines at the corners of his eyes. At this moment, his brows were furrowed and his fingers unconsciously caressed a jade cup that had long since gone cold.

Sitting below him was a burly old man with a ruddy complexion, Cheng Mingzhen.

Cheng Mingzhen had also fought in the army in his early years and had accumulated military merits. He rose to the rank of governor, but because of his rough and unruly nature, he repeatedly violated taboos and was not promoted for many years. Now he is retired in the capital and is often depressed.

On the other side was a scholar with a thin face and sparkling eyes, dressed in an ordinary blue robe. He was Su Xu, a former official of the Sui Dynasty who had a past relationship with Wang Shichong.

Su Xu was a man of great talent and learning, but due to his family background, he was never given an important position during the Zhenguan era. He worked as a staff member in the residences of various princes and was extremely well-informed.

A stifling silence filled the room, broken only by the occasional soft crackling of the lamp wick.

After a long silence, Yin Yuan slowly spoke, his voice low and hoarse: "You two have both heard about what happened at the Eastern Palace today, haven't you?"

Cheng Mingzhen snorted loudly, which sounded somewhat out of place in the secret room.

"How could I not know? That young brat has learned to be quite eloquent. That pedantic Wei Siqian has brought shame upon himself!"

There was a hint of barely perceptible smugness in his words, as if he was pleased to see the censor suffer a setback.

Su Xu gently stroked his sparse beard, his eyes appearing even more profound in the dim light.

"It's not just about being quick-witted. The Crown Prince's actions today are completely out of character. His response to Wei Siqian was shrewd, accurate, and ruthless, drawing on classical texts and legal arguments. His acceptance of Lai Ji's proposal was humble and far-sighted. This is something that the impulsive, easily angered, and self-destructive Crown Prince of the past could never have done."

Yin Yuan stopped pointing and looked up at Su Xu.

"In Mr. Su's opinion, what does this mean?"

(End of this chapter)