Time Travel: The Useless Prince, First Destroy the Princess

After the morning court session, Liu Yan returned to Hanzhang Palace to work.

If a minister had important matters to discuss privately that could not be discussed at the court meeting, he would wait until the court was dismissed to come to Hanzhang Hall to find Liu Yan.

There were many people looking for it, and they all had to wait in line in the small house outside the Hanzhang Hall, the Xiangming Hall.

The first to go was General Yang Ke.

After the ceremony, Yang Ke said, "Your Majesty, General Tang Dan of the Left Guard has dispatched troops to the West Palace today and replaced all the guards, imperial chefs, and maids there!"

"Did Tang Dan act on his own initiative, or was there some other reason?"

Liu Yan was very interested.

"Your Highness went to the West Palace last night. It was Your Highness who asked for the change!"

"Oh?" Liu Yan's eyes lit up instantly, "Is he still in the West Palace?"

My son finally got it, that’s good!

Once you have tasted the sweetness, you won’t have to worry too much about having no successors!

But then he suddenly thought that his son and Xie Chan had been together for quite a while, so why didn't Xie Chan have any children?

She had been married to Sima Yu for five years but had no children. Could it be that there was something wrong with her son?

That's bad!

But obviously I can’t think so much at this moment!

"Yes, I'm still in the West Palace now!"

"Why do we need to change people?" Liu Yan asked with great interest.

"According to Tang Dan, when His Highness went to the West Palace last night, he was stopped by the West Palace guards. His Highness then ordered the Tiger Guards, General Ma Zhuang, to kill the guards. Today, he requested a rotation of guards!"

"Ma Zhuang? Is he the one you recommended to me last time?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have spent more than two months investigating Ma Zhuang's situation. He is available, so I have assigned him to the Eastern Palace to protect Your Majesty's safety!"

"I am extremely confident in the person you are looking for!" Liu Zhao nodded.

"Your Majesty, General Liang Ji of the Western Palace Right Guard has failed to teach his subordinates well. I have dismissed him and sent him back to his hometown!"

"Very good! Disrespecting the Crown Prince in the palace will indeed be severely punished!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I am also responsible for this matter. Please punish me!"

Yang Ke stood up and was about to kneel down again.

"Come on! Then I punish you by quickly gathering some highly skilled guards to strengthen the defense of the Crown Prince's place and replace all the previous guards!"

Liu Yan smiled.

"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty!"

Of course Yang Ke knew Liu Yan's character clearly, but he still had to act as he should!

Who made him the emperor?

"That Tang Dan, there's no need to change him for now. I think he still cares deeply about the Crown Prince!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will arrange it right away!"

"Okay, go down! Report something secretly!"

Liu Yan knew that there were other people waiting outside!

It's impossible to keep talking to Yang Ke.

"Yes!"

After Yang Ke finished speaking, he walked out quickly.

As soon as Yang Ke walked out, the Minister of the Central Secretariat Song Xian followed him in.

As the Minister of the Secretariat, Song Xian naturally had a lot of things to say to Liu Yan in private.

Song Xian's ability to get things done is outstanding, and his political skills are extraordinary!

And keen insight!

Now is also a good time to stand on your own side!

Sima Bei was of course also waiting outside. Seeing Song Xian walk in, he felt very uneasy.

Song Xian had very few political enemies in the court, including Sima Bei, and their relationship was neither close nor distant.

But Sima Bei was always worried that these people would say bad things about him!

Would you suggest that Liu Yan take this opportunity to consider changing the Crown Princess?

The possibility is great!

Liu Yan also wanted to hear Song Xian's opinion on the prince.

If something happens to him and the crown prince succeeds to the throne, apart from the struggle for power, he will have to rely on Song Xian to govern the country.

After Song Xian bowed and sat down, Liu Yan spoke before he could say anything.

"Song Xian, I was just about to talk to you about the Crown Prince."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Song Xian had to keep what he wanted to say in his stomach for the time being.

"You saw the prince's performance yesterday. What do you think?"

The questions Liu Yan asked were very vague and not specific, and he was not sure what he was asking.

What the emperor wants to hear is up to the ministers to understand.

Song Xian thought for a moment, then said, "The prince's wisdom has been awakened. As the saying goes, if you don't make a sound, you will be a surprise once you do. You will surely achieve great things in the future!"

Song Xian also spoke in a smooth way. If he couldn't figure out the emperor's true intention, he would just try to smooth things over.

Anyway, I can’t say like Wei Huan, “What a shame about this seat!”

Liu Yan smiled and said, "I was indeed a little worried about the Crown Prince before, but now it seems that the time has not come yet! What you said is exactly what I want to say!"

In such a private occasion, when Liu Yan was in a very good mood, he did not call himself "Zhen" but "Wo", which seemed more intimate.

"Your Majesty, it is indeed so. To be honest, the two lines of poetry the Crown Prince wrote yesterday may seem ordinary, but they actually contain great wisdom. I stayed up all night and can't even come up with the answer!"

If you don’t flatter me at this time, you will be unconscious!

Song Xian has always been very good at flattery, otherwise he would not have been able to gain Liu Yan's trust and serve as the Minister of the Central Secretariat!

"I think it's just an ordinary poem, don't be so modest! But it also shows that the Buddha's enlightenment to the prince was very effective, and he even mentioned the Buddha in his poems!"

Liu Yan laughed after he finished speaking. He himself had a good literary level, but he had neither the time nor the mood to indulge in literary pursuits.

Song Xian was a master of calligraphy, poetry and prose. When he said that it didn't match, he was probably being modest.

All these ministers are shrewd people. Whoever dares to say that he wrote the second half of the poem based on the two lines written by the prince, wouldn’t that be a deliberate slap in the face of the prince!

At the same time, it was also a slap in the face of the emperor. Without any skills, how could he become a second-rank official?

Song Xian smiled slightly. Of course, there was no need to explain, let alone argue.

"Let me see! You can teach him later! When writing poems, you must write them in full!" Liu Yan continued.

Song Xian said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince now has Tang Dan as his attendant. Tang Dan's literary and military skills, as well as his poetic and literary talent, are no less than mine. I believe Tang Dan is the most suitable candidate and should not be replaced!"

Although Tang Dan was only a fourth-rank official, he was in charge of the palace guards of the Eastern Palace, and his status was very important!

Although Song Xian didn't like Tang Dan's flattering nature from the bottom of his heart, he would not tear his face with Tang Dan!

When he heard that Liu Yan wanted him to teach the prince, it was certainly not just about reading Buddhist scriptures. Liu Yan meant that he should not only teach poetry and prose, but also teach how to govern the country!

The meaning of writing a poem in its entirety is obvious!

What this means is that the prince should improve his abilities so that he can eventually govern the country independently!

Song Xian understood what Liu Yan meant, but of course he couldn't say it out loud.

Teaching the prince is easier said than done!

Whether the prince is smart or not is secondary. It is difficult to measure how much he has taught!

If the emperor thinks it’s okay, then it’s okay. If he thinks it’s not okay, then it’s not okay!

But if I really go to teach the prince at this time, given Tang Dan's vengeful character, he will definitely think that I am trying to compete with him for favor.

Then conflict is inevitable!

Song Xian doesn't want to offend Tang Dan's ally, Sima Bei, a hero who made great contributions to the founding of the country!

Although he was deeply trusted by Liu Yan, Sima Bei, Yang Ke and others were Liu Yan's childhood friends. In the emperor's mind, he was far less important than them!

Therefore, if I offend Tang Dan, it will be of no benefit to me!