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

Chapter 6 is about His Highness treating His Majesty as his father.

His eyes were slightly red.

"But Mother is gone... and he... he can only see the bluebird now..."

Li Chengqian's voice was filled with grievance and indignation, as well as a deep sense of loss.

"Everything Qingque says is good, everything he does is right... He's so fat, he's out of breath even when he walks, but he still finds him adorable!"

"Qingque edited the 'Kuodi Zhi'... He bestowed it everywhere, boasting endlessly... And what about me? If I make even the slightest mistake, I'm reprimanded, I'm given the cold shoulder... My feet..."

He instinctively touched his swollen ankle, a flicker of self-loathing and resentment crossing his face. "This useless foot of mine... it must make him feel even more ashamed..."

"I just want him to see me... I just want him to smile at me and praise me, like he did with Qingque..."

Li Chengqian's voice trembled, and he slammed his fist on the desk with a loud bang. "But why is it so difficult?! Why? I am also his son! I am the eldest son! I am the crown prince!"

He became emotional, and tears finally streamed down his face uncontrollably.

He didn't burst into tears, but let them fall silently, a mixture of anger, grievance, and long-suppressed emotions.

“They all say I’m unruly, that I’m absurd… that I’m incapable of taking on great responsibilities… but who knows what’s in my heart…” He choked up, unable to continue, and just wiped his face hard.

Li Yichen sat quietly and listened.

He neither offered words of comfort nor interrupted.

His expression was calm, even somewhat indifferent, but his gaze was fixed on Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian spoke for a long time, venting his frustrations. Towards the end, he became incoherent, repeatedly expressing his grievances, his complaints about Li Shimin, his jealousy of Li Tai, and his longing for the deceased Empress Zhangsun.

He said he was tired, and he had cried most of his tears. His voice gradually lowered, leaving only heavy breathing.

Silence fell upon the hall once more, broken only by the occasional soft crackling of the candlelight.

After a while, Li Chengqian seemed to have calmed down a bit.

He lowered his head, looking at the patterns on the desk.

At this moment, Li Yichen spoke up.

His voice was steady and calm, without any ripples, making it exceptionally clear in the empty hall.

“Your Highness,” he said, “you care about these things because you still consider His Majesty your father, the Prince of Wei your brother, and this place your home.”

Li Chengqian raised his head, his eyes red, and looked at him, seemingly not fully understanding.

Li Yichen continued calmly, his tone almost cold.

"But the imperial court is first and foremost a ruthless arena of power, and only then a family. Once the imperial court is mixed with the thoughts of ordinary people, it becomes fragile. It is most dangerous to rely on the affection between father and son or the love between brothers to determine status and life and death."

Li Chengqian stared at him blankly.

"Does Your Highness feel wronged?" Li Yichen leaned forward slightly, looking directly at Li Chengqian.

"That's only because you're still judging the emperor's actions by the standards of a son. His Majesty sees you through the eyes of an emperor; he sees you first and foremost as the crown prince, the foundation of the nation, the future emperor, and only secondly as his son. If you are not up to par, he will naturally be dissatisfied, naturally reprimand you, and naturally consider replacing you. This has little to do with whether he likes or dislikes the Prince of Wei."

"Perhaps it is precisely because he has feelings for the Empress that he is stricter with you and has higher expectations of you."

Li Chengqian's lips moved, as if he wanted to refute, but he didn't know what to say.

"Does Your Highness believe that all crown princes in history were deposed because of moral failings?" Li Yichen's voice deepened.

"Many princes were crowned simply because they became princes, blocking the way, or making the emperor feel threatened."

He began to speak, his tone flat and straightforward, without any embellishment, simply stating the facts.

"During the Qin Dynasty, the First Emperor did not clearly designate an heir. After his death, his youngest son, Huhai, conspired with Zhao Gao and Li Si to forge an imperial edict and force his eldest son, Fusu, to commit suicide. Fusu had a reputation for virtue; what crime had he committed? He had to die simply because he was a potential successor."

"During the Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang wanted to depose Crown Prince Liu Ying and install Consort Qi's son Liu Ruyi as the new crown prince. If Empress Lü had not sought help from Zhang Liang and invited the Four Sages of Mount Shang to stabilize Liu Ying's position, what would have been the consequences? Does a father need a reason to depose his son? He only needs a thought."

"Liu Ju, the crown prince of Emperor Wu of Han, was framed by Jiang Chong due to the witchcraft incident and ultimately committed suicide after his defeat. Emperor Wu later learned of his innocence and built the Palace of Repentance to repent. However, the crown prince was already dead. The trust between father and son was so fragile."

"Liu Rong, the crown prince of Emperor Jing of Han, was deposed as the Prince of Linjiang because his mother, Consort Li, fell out of favor. Later, he was falsely accused of seizing ancestral temple land, imprisoned, and committed suicide. It is rare for a deposed crown prince to have a good end."

"Cao Pi and Cao Zhi, sons of Emperor Wu of Wei, fought each other. After Cao Pi succeeded to the throne, he still guarded against Cao Zhi in many ways and forced him to write the 'Seven Steps Poem'."

"Brotherly affection is worthless in the face of power."

"Emperor Hui of Jin's crown prince, Sima Yu, was framed by Empress Jia Nanfeng, deposed, and eventually killed. The foolish emperor couldn't protect his own son."

"Yang Yong, the crown prince of Emperor Wen of Sui, was framed by his younger brother Yang Guang and his mother Empress Dugu and deposed as a commoner. After Yang Guang ascended the throne, he forged an imperial edict to order Yang Yong's death. Father, son and brothers can all be killed."

"The bloodstains of the previous dynasty are still fresh." Li Yichen's voice remained flat, but every word struck Li Chengqian's heart like a cold stone. "And what about this dynasty?"

He paused, looking at Li Chengqian's face, which had suddenly turned pale.

"How did Your Majesty ascend the throne? What became of Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and Prince Li Yuanji? What became of their descendants? Where did the Retired Emperor recuperate?"

Li Yichen's questions came one after another, cold and direct.

"Your Highness," he concluded, his gaze sharp, "your questioning of His Majesty today about the Xuanwu Gate Incident may seem treasonous, but it merely touched upon the most common shadow in every imperial palace on this land. 'There are no fathers and sons in the imperial family' is not just an empty saying. His Majesty has experienced it, so he understands. Today, you showed him that you seem to be beginning to understand as well, which is why he was furious yet hesitant. This is why you were able to escape unscathed today."

"If you just cry and complain about your grievances and unfairness today, he will only think that you are still an immature child who only knows how to demand his father's love, which will only make him more disgusted."

"What you need to show him is not a son who longs for his father's love, but a crown prince who has begun to think about the rules of power and is even capable of fighting back with his own logic. Even if such a fight back seems immature or even crazy. Fear is sometimes more effective than pity."

Li Chengqian fell completely silent.

His tear tracks had dried, leaving only a pale face and violently heaving chest.

Li Yichen's words were like a cold chisel, shattering some of his self-deceptive fantasies and revealing the bloody reality at its core.

He felt a chill seep into his bones.

He looked around the magnificent yet empty East Palace and felt for the first time so clearly that this was not home, but a battlefield.

The Li Yichen before him was not merely a study companion, but the first and, so far, only person he had encountered on this battlefield who would teach him how to survive.

"Then... then what should I do?" Li Chengqian's voice was dry, with a hint of barely perceptible dependence.

Li Yichen looked at him: "Your Highness has already made a start today. The next step is to stabilize the situation. Keep the palace gates closed and refuse visitors, especially those 'concerns' from His Majesty or other princes' residences."

"Read quietly, especially history books. If His Majesty asks, tell him that you are reflecting, reading, and thinking about the way to become the crown prince."

"Then... if Father Emperor summons me again..."

(End of this chapter)