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

Chapter 59: Looking through historical records, there is indeed no other example like this.

Li Tai pondered for a long time before finally shaking his head slowly.

"No. These things...every single one leaves a trace. They can't completely erase them."

“Exactly!” Du Chuke’s voice was filled with excitement, but also with a chilling sense of knowing everything.

"The Crown Prince's response appears ingenious. I must admit, however, that the person who orchestrated this scheme possesses an unparalleled mastery of public opinion and the will to win hearts and minds. They used a poem worthy of being passed down through generations to elevate the Crown Prince's image, used absurd auspicious omens to divert attention, and even evoked sympathy from some of the ignorant masses. But—"

His tone suddenly changed, and his voice turned cold.

"None of these methods directly address the accusations we've leveled! They're merely manipulating public opinion, making the ignorant masses believe the Crown Prince might be innocent. But Your Highness, how much influence do you think these public opinions have in such a crucial matter as the deposition and installation of the Crown Prince?"

A glint of light flashed in Li Tai's eyes: "You mean..."

"In matters concerning the very foundation of the nation, such as deciding the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty, what the common people think and what the people say in the marketplace have negligible, or even meaningless, influence!"

Du Chuke's tone was resolute.

"The only person who can truly decide the Crown Prince's fate is His Majesty! Before the supreme imperial power, the will of the people is nothing more than a number that can be manipulated at will, as light as a feather!"

"Furthermore, this move by the Crown Prince will not only be useless, but will also provoke His Majesty's wrath!"

"Why?" Li Tai leaned forward, his breathing becoming rapid.

"Your Highness, please think it over carefully," Du Chuke's voice was icy.

"What is the Crown Prince doing now? He is manipulating public opinion and using popular sentiment to build momentum for himself, and his methods are so sophisticated that they are unprecedented in history. What does this mean in His Majesty's eyes?"

Li Tai's pupils suddenly contracted, as if he had grasped something.

Du Chuke spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice icy cold.

"This means that the Crown Prince, or rather the person behind him, understands the power of public opinion better than anyone else, and is more adept at accumulating political capital in this way than anyone else! This is touching the true dragon's sore spot!"

Li Tai gasped, but a playful smile appeared on his face.

He found himself almost deceived by appearances, overlooking the most fatal key.

"Furthermore, Your Highness, think about it more deeply. What was the Crown Prince like before? Impulsive, irritable, eccentric, and even somewhat foolish. Such a Crown Prince, though unpleasant, was safe for His Majesty to some extent because he was easy to control and easy to see through."

"But now? He's suddenly become so 'clever,' so 'skilled at planning,' and even able to create such astonishing public opinion tactics that leave us in awe... Where does this contrast, this sudden 'wisdom,' come from?"

Li Tai's pupils contracted.

"It's the powerful figure behind him!"

“That’s right!” Du Chuke’s voice carried a hint of coldness.

"Your Highness, after reviewing the history books, I have found it extremely rare for someone to be able to reverse public opinion in such a short time and with such methods. There must be an extraordinary person who is extremely skilled in this art by the Crown Prince's side."

Li Tai asked anxiously, "If someone with such great talent were to assist that cripple, wouldn't that be a major threat?"

Du Chuke gave a cold laugh.

"That's the most fatal point! His Majesty, and those shrewd and calculating ministers in the court, must now have their eyes fixed on that 'mastermind' hiding in the shadows of the Eastern Palace! The very existence of this person is a grave taboo!"

"Why?" Li Tai asked urgently. "Your Highness, times have changed," Du Chuke shook his head.

“Assisting and controlling are two different things.”

"Your Highness, what is your character like? You are arrogant, domineering, stubborn, and close to petty people while alienating upright officials. This is common knowledge in the court and among the people! Wei Zheng is a pillar of the state. He has repeatedly offered his honest advice. What was the result? Did Your Highness truly listen to even a fraction of it? As for the officials in the Eastern Palace, such as Zhang Xuansu and Yu Zhining, which one of them is not a learned scholar? Which one of them did not earnestly advise you? Did Your Highness listen to them?"

Li Tai shook his head: "No. If that cripple had listened to advice, he wouldn't have ended up in this state today."

"Exactly!" Du Chuke said emphatically. "However, in response to this public opinion offensive, from his attitude of accepting advice to this 'divination by the spirit dog,' the Crown Prince executed it so decisively and efficiently, with such immediate results. This is enough to prove that the Crown Prince listens to this person almost without question and trusts him completely! This person's ability to tame the Crown Prince, this unruly horse, is nothing short of genius!"

"In that case, the best thing this person should do right now is to advise the Crown Prince to temper his arrogance, reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors, behave himself, and show remorse for his past wrongdoings. He should remain calm and wait for His Majesty's attitude to soften. This is the safest and most prudent strategy."

His tone became extremely serious.

"But what did this person do? He did the exact opposite! He taught the Crown Prince to contradict His Majesty, to play power games, and to stir up public opinion! He pushed the Crown Prince, the entire Eastern Palace, and everyone connected to the Eastern Palace into a dangerous situation where they had to directly confront His Majesty!"

Du Chuke looked at Li Tai and asked, word by word, "Your Highness, do you think His Majesty will tolerate such a 'master'? Will the Duke of Zhao tolerate him? Will the civil and military officials who all hope for stability tolerate him?"

Li Tai gasped, instinctively replying, "Absolutely not!"

For the first time, Du Chuke's face revealed undisguised sarcasm.

"This person's current actions are not only not concealing himself, but are desperately trying to demonstrate his existence and ability! He has made His Majesty and the important officials in the court clearly see that there is a dangerous figure in the Eastern Palace who can 'bewitch' the Crown Prince, 'manipulate' the people's hearts, and 'defy' His Majesty's will!"

"Throughout history, anyone who attempts to manipulate public opinion or bewitch the crown prince, regardless of their initial intentions or talent, will only face certain death, without exception."

"This person's stupidity is so extreme that, looking through the entire history books, there is indeed no other example like it."

Li Tai was already excited.

Du Chuke continued to pronounce his death sentence.

"All of this person's actions now, whether it's trying to cultivate the image of the Crown Prince as someone who 'accepts advice' or staging this farcical 'auspicious omen,' are not helping the Crown Prince in the eyes of His Majesty and his senior ministers, but rather pushing him into an abyss!"

"At the same time, he has paved a path to certain death for himself! The more successful he is now, and the stronger his abilities are, the more determined His Majesty and the court will be to kill him!"

"But... Father has not yet had an attack..." Li Tai asked in confusion.

"Why should His Majesty need to take action personally?" Du Chuke sneered, his tone laced with knowing mockery.

"Your Highness, please don't forget that all the officials under the Crown Prince have families and are all linked together. Their backgrounds are clearly recorded in the court's archives. It is now an open secret that there is such a 'master' by the Crown Prince's side."

"With just a little attention, we can find clues about this person, and based on their past behavior, finding them will be effortless!"

"But... Father Emperor has no evidence to prove who this person is, nor any reason to take action against the officials of the Eastern Palace?"

"Evidence? Reasons?"

Du Chuke chuckled, his laughter filled with a keen understanding and ruthlessness of the rules of the power game.

"Your Highness, you are still too lenient. Before His Majesty and his court officials, on fundamental issues concerning the stability of the nation and the authority of the emperor, evidence and reason are dispensable."

"His Majesty doesn't need concrete evidence to prove exactly who it is. He only needs to 'suspect' and 'feel' that there is such a dangerous presence in the Eastern Palace, and that's enough!"

(End of this chapter)