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

Chapter 70 seems to be just the beginning.
Li Chengqian's gaze swept over the assembled officials in the hall, taking in their varied expressions.

"The affairs of Xizhou are interconnected, affecting everything. Relocation of people, border defense, land reclamation, water conservancy, garrisoning troops, and maintaining public order are all interdependent and indispensable."

He paused slightly.

"What I asked just now was the 'cost' that must be clarified before making a decision. If we only care about Xizhou, and cause the water conservancy in Guanzhong to fall into disrepair, the border garrisons to be weak, and the prisons in the interior to be overwhelmed, this is definitely not the situation that Father Emperor wants to see."

"Therefore, today's discussion is not a final decision. After you all return, you should consult with the relevant departments and consider the matter thoroughly."

He spoke slowly but with exceptional clarity, reorganizing the scattered questions raised by the group into a coherent whole and pointing out the direction for collaboration.

"The development of Xizhou is a national policy, and it cannot be undertaken by any single government department alone. It requires collective wisdom and effort, and mutual accommodation, to achieve its full potential. If any government department shirks its responsibilities or fails to communicate effectively, the strategy will be difficult to implement..."

His voice rose slightly, carrying the authority of a crown prince.

"You all may report the truth to the Crown Prince. I will personally go and explain the situation to the official in charge of that yamen!"

These words caused the atmosphere in the hall to change once again.

The Crown Prince's words effectively granted the coordination of the Xizhou affairs a higher level and greater authority.

He is no longer merely a crown prince passively listening to opinions, but rather a supervisor and arbitrator prepared to proactively intervene and ensure the progress of the plan.

Changsun Wuji's eyelids twitched slightly, and the strange feeling in his heart grew stronger.

The Crown Prince's actions were not merely a demonstration of his thorough consideration; rather, they were an attempt to establish a coordination mechanism that transcended the various departments, with himself implicitly positioned at the core of this mechanism.

Fang Xuanling gave Li Chengqian a deep look and sighed inwardly.

The Crown Prince's performance today has far exceeded the word "progress" and is almost a "transformation".

He knows how to conceal his true intentions, how to utilize the rules, and even more so, how to weigh the pros and cons from a holistic perspective. Now, he is even beginning to try to integrate the power of the court and take the initiative to take on responsibilities.

If Your Majesty knew, would you be pleased, or... would you feel even deeper apprehension?

Chu Suiliang's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only bowed slightly.

The Crown Prince's words were all reasonable and beyond reproach. He even had a feeling that if such a comprehensive coordination could be achieved, the chances of success in the Western Regions would indeed increase significantly.

"Your Highness has given this matter considerable thought, and we will take it to heart," Fang Xuanling said first.

"After I returned, I immediately urged the Secretariat and the Chancellery to assist the various departments in refining the strategies and strengthening communication, as Your Highness instructed."

"We obey your command." The others, regardless of their own thoughts, could only respond in unison.

"Therefore, we shall conclude our discussion here for today. Thank you all for your assistance."

Having achieved his goal, Li Chengqian said no more.

The officials bowed in order and then left Xiande Hall.

Leaving Xiande Hall and walking on the spacious square of the East Palace, many officials still felt somewhat surreal.

The composed, astute, and even subtly imposing Crown Prince he had just seen in the palace was hardly the same person as the eccentric and sinister Crown Prince I remembered.

"Lord Fang, what do you think of the Crown Prince today..." Tang Jian couldn't help but lean closer to Fang Xuanling and ask in a low voice.

Fang Xuanling kept his eyes fixed ahead and his steps were steady. He said calmly, "The Crown Prince has made great progress, which is a good thing for the country. We, his subjects, will do our best to assist him."

He spoke calmly and evenly, without revealing much emotion.

Inside Xiande Hall, after the high-ranking officials left, only the officials of the Eastern Palace remained.

Sitting at the head of the table, Li Chengqian listened to the praise from his subordinates, and his heart was filled with a joy that almost overflowed.

He could sense that the flattery from these officials at this moment was completely different from the usual obsequious flattery, which was tinged with fear and perfunctoriness; it contained more genuine respect.

He tried to maintain a calm expression, even deliberately showing a hint of fatigue, and waved his hand: "You flatter me, gentlemen. I am merely stating the facts and do not wish to see the imperial decrees fail to be effectively implemented due to the discord among various departments. The affairs of Xizhou are numerous and complex, and I will need your continued attention to assist me in sorting out the documents and urging all parties to act accordingly."

"We will do our utmost in our duties!" the crowd replied in unison.

Li Chengqian nodded, indicating that they could leave.

After bowing, the officials respectfully withdrew from the main hall. Even after leaving the hall, many people couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

"Your Highness is truly... a completely different person now!"

"Yes, just now in the hall, his imposing presence and thoughtful demeanor seemed to have stumped even the Duke of Zhao and the Duke of Liang."

"With Your Highness like this, it is truly a blessing for the Eastern Palace and for the Great Tang Dynasty!"

These whispers drifted over, and Li Chengqian's lips curled into a slight smile.

He slowly stood up, his right ankle still throbbing with pain, but his emotions were running high, and he felt the pain lessen considerably.

He strolled to the palace window, looked at the bright sunshine outside, and took a deep breath.

The feeling of gaining respect and taking control of the situation through wisdom and cunning is far more exhilarating than beating or scolding servants or destroying property.

He recalled what Li Yichen had said yesterday: “Power” does not come from violence, but from a calm mind and an unquestionable judgment.

Today, he seems to have just begun to grasp the basics.

Liangyi Palace.

Wang De bowed and reported to Li Shimin in detail everything that had happened in the Xiande Hall of the Eastern Palace.

From how the Crown Prince began, to how Tang Jian and others described the difficulties, to how the Crown Prince relentlessly questioned the "costs" and "impacts" of allocating funds, supplies, troops, and judicial officials, and finally the Crown Prince's demand for cooperation from all departments and his statement that he would personally intervene if there was any shirking of responsibility, he tried his best to recount everything verbatim, without daring to omit anything or add any personal speculation.

He spoke slowly and in great detail.

Li Shimin sat upright behind his desk, his face expressionless.

After Wang De finished speaking his last sentence, the hall fell into a long silence.

Wang De held his breath, lowered his head even further, and dared not make the slightest sound.

He could sense that although His Majesty did not speak, the heavy aura emanating from him was even more suffocating than when he was in a fit of rage.

Li Shimin's body seemed to freeze, with only his chest rising and falling very slowly.

No one available?
A comprehensive consideration?

Weighing the costs?

Personally coordinate?

Each word and action struck him like a heavy hammer, relentlessly pounding against his defenses.

Is this really Li Chengqian?
How can it be?

In his memory, Li Chengqian was impatient, easily angered, sensitive, both insecure and arrogant, lacking patience, and even more so lacking the vision to see the big picture and the ability to analyze things calmly.

He may have some cleverness, but he certainly doesn't have such meticulous thinking and deep scheming!
Wang De's report was detailed and logically sound, and was by no means fabricated.

Moreover, when important ministers such as Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and Chu Suiliang were involved, no one raised any obvious objections. In fact, Fang Xuanling even expressed his approval in the end. This shows that the Crown Prince's performance today was not nonsense, but rather hit the nail on the head, demonstrating an ability that would make even these experienced and shrewd ministers take notice.

Where does this ability come from?

Studying behind closed doors?

What kind of books can transform a person to this extent?
What alarmed Li Shimin even more was that what Li Chengqian was showing today was not just some political maneuvering, but also the rudiments of an almost instinctive imperial mindset.

They know how to conceal their true intentions, how to utilize systems and rules, how to weigh things from the perspective of overall interests, and even how to establish authority and take on responsibilities.

These were things that he, as the emperor, should have gradually instilled in his successor through his words and deeds, and through the tempering of a long period of time.

But now, Li Chengqian seems to have learned everything on his own, or rather, he has been forcibly instilled and accelerated into maturity in a way that he cannot understand.

Li Shimin suppressed his emotions and slowly spoke.

(End of this chapter)