Chapter 28: Our Entire Family Is Made Up of Rebellious Children [Please Add the New Book to Your Favorites]

After leaving the Taiji Palace, the little fatty followed Li Chengqian with a look of trepidation. He opened his mouth several times as if to speak, but finally, unable to hold back, he asked tentatively, "Royal Brother, you aren't blaming me, are you?"

Li Chengqian, walking in front, gave a soft huff. He turned around, looking at the little fatty with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and said, "How could I blame you, my good brother?"

"Really?"

"You guess?"

"Uh..."

The little fatty’s mouth twitched. He couldn't help but ask again, "Royal Brother, can you teach me? Like the logic you used just now!"

It seemed this little fatty was still incorrigible! Even after being shut down like that, he still wouldn't turn back. He truly lived up to his reputation as a ruthless figure who would one day "kill his son to pass the throne to his brother."

After a silent, exasperated sigh, Li Chengqian feigned a sudden realization. "Oh, you mean that logic? It isn't something I can teach; it’s something I summarized..."

"How did you summarize it?"

The little fatty pressed him, seemingly surprised that Li Chengqian would actually tell him, a glimmer of joy appearing in his eyes.

Li Chengqian paused for a moment, then said with absolute seriousness, "To summarize, it’s thirteen characters: Read more books, read more newspapers, eat fewer snacks, and sleep more!"

"Read... 'Bao'?" The little fatty was stunned.

Li Chengqian turned and walked away.

Just as he reached the corridor, Pei Ji walked over with a genial smile and bowed. "This humble minister greets Your Highness, the Prince of Zhongshan."

"Hmm?" Li Chengqian took a moment to register this, then greeted him with a smile. "Minister of Works Pei, we meet again."

"Indeed. I wonder if Your Highness has a moment? I would like to have a word with you."

"This..." Li Chengqian looked troubled. "Is that really appropriate? My Imperial Father forbids us from associating with outside officials."

Pei Ji was an old fox; such a minor obstacle could not stop him. He feigned surprise and said, "Oh, is that so? In that case, I am on my way to pay my respects to the Retired Emperor. Will Your Highness be going as well?"

"To visit my Imperial Grandfather?" Li Chengqian blinked, then nodded with a smile. "That would be fine! After all, we are just heading in the same direction..."

"Yes, yes, just heading in the same direction, exactly, hahaha..."

Chatting as they went, the two left the Taiji Palace one after the other.

...

Meanwhile, inside the Taiji Palace.

Shortly after the banquet concluded, Li Shimin summoned Wei Zheng to the Ganlu Hall, intending to discuss the reduction of the enfeoffed princes. In Li Shimin’s view, this matter was more important than revising the legal code.

However, Wei Zheng brought up Li Chengqian and Li Tai instead.

"Does Your Majesty think the Prince of Zhongshan and the Prince of Wei performed well in the hall today?"

"They are but young children, ignorant and naive. They are in no position to discuss grand strategies!"

"If Your Majesty views matters with this attitude, I must ask: does Your Majesty wish to be a wise ruler or a foolish one?" Wei Zheng said with a stern expression.

"What wise ruler? What foolish ruler?" Li Shimin frowned deeply. "Can you speak more clearly?"

"A wise ruler listens to all sides; a foolish ruler listens only to one. As the saying goes, 'Listen to both sides and you shall be enlightened; listen only to one and you shall be blinded.'"

Li Shimin suddenly understood, then said with a hint of amusement, "Then, Wei Zheng, since I am currently listening only to you, does that mean I am biased?"

"That is precisely what I mean!" Wei Zheng replied. "Since Your Majesty knows that bias is wrong, why remain biased? Clearly, the Prince of Zhongshan performed better than the Prince of Wei; why favor the Prince of Wei?"

Li Shimin’s face darkened. "Are you interfering in my family affairs?"

"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, and the Son of Heaven has no private family affairs. You chose 'Zhenguan' as your reign title, implying impartiality. I am merely reminding Your Majesty to be just!"

"That sounds very noble!" Li Shimin sneered with disdain. "Have you forgotten that rebellious son’s request to depose the Crown Prince in court? Do you know how much embarrassment that caused me? I will not forgive that rebellious son so easily!"

"But Your Majesty, I do not believe the Prince of Zhongshan’s request to depose the Crown Prince was inappropriate!"

"What did you say?" Li Shimin’s eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of murderous intent seeping into his gaze.

Wei Zheng, completely unfazed, continued, "Listening to both sides does not mean only listening to what is pleasing to the ear. The Prince of Zhongshan explained his reasons for requesting the deposition clearly—why can Your Majesty not hear them?"

"But he shouldn't have said it in front of the entire civil and military court!"

"Your Majesty is wrong again!"

"Wei Zheng!" Li Shimin rose abruptly, his face full of rage as he walked up to Wei Zheng. Towering over him, he said, word by word, "How am I wrong again?"

Wei Zheng remained calm. "Everything has a cause and effect. If Your Majesty firmly chose the Prince of Zhongshan and gave him the respect a Crown Prince deserves, there would be no such consequences later!"

Li Shimin laughed in anger. "He is my son. Do you show respect to your own son?"

"But he is not only your son; he is the heir to the nation! If Your Majesty does not respect the heir of the nation, how are the officials to view him in the future?"

...

"You..." Li Shimin was so angry he couldn't speak, but he still refused to admit he was wrong, nodding repeatedly. "Fine, fine, fine. I cannot out-argue you on this, but I advise you to stay out of it!"

Hearing this, Wei Zheng stood up from his seat and said to Li Shimin, "If Your Majesty insists on acting willfully, then I shall take my leave!"

With that, he turned and walked away without the slightest hesitation.

Li Shimin was stunned. It wasn't until Wei Zheng reached the door that he snapped out of it and roared, "Wei Zheng! Get back here!"

"May I ask Your Majesty, what else is there?" Wei Zheng paused and turned to bow.

"I still have the matter of reducing the princes to discuss with you..."

"If Your Majesty insists on acting willfully, why bother discussing it with me?"

"Wei Zheng!" Li Shimin shouted in a fit of rage, pointing a finger at him. "How insolent!"

Wei Zheng’s face remained expressionless as he stared straight at Li Shimin, looking as if he were ready to face death.

Although Li Shimin was furious to the point of wanting to kill Wei Zheng on the spot, seeing his unflinching demeanor, he suppressed his anger, gritted his teeth, and said, "Fine! I promise you, I will no longer favor Qingque!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Hmph!" Li Shimin snorted coldly, then frowned. "Can we discuss the reduction of the princes now?"

"Does Your Majesty intend to discuss this with me alone?" Wei Zheng asked flatly.

Li Shimin smiled in silence, truly at a loss for words.

...

Elsewhere.

Li Chengqian and Pei Ji were "heading in the same direction" toward the Da'an Palace. Though they maintained a distance, it did not hinder their conversation.

Pei Ji smiled and said, "Your Highness’s performance at the banquet today truly made me look at you in a new light!"

"Is that so? I thought you would be displeased, Minister Pei! After all, I was refuting you all," Li Chengqian said coolly.

Pei Ji replied noncommittally, "Your Highness has been spending a lot of time with the Retired Emperor lately. May I ask if you are acting under his instructions?"

At the banquet, when he had glared at Feng Deyi to silence him, it wasn't because he lacked reasons to refute Li Chengqian, but because he suspected Li Chengqian was acting under Li Yuan's orders. He didn't dare openly defy Li Shimin just out of bravery; he did so because he felt protected by Li Yuan. If he didn't have Li Yuan as a backer, he wouldn't dare oppose Li Shimin even with ten thousand times the courage.

Unfortunately, he didn't get the answer he wanted.

Li Chengqian asked meaningfully, "I wonder, Minister Pei, have you ever heard the saying: 'A new emperor brings his own ministers'?"

"This..." Pei Ji felt a shock to his core. He couldn't help but press, "What does Your Highness mean by this?"

"Can you not see it, Minister Pei? Revising the legal code is merely the prelude. The real move is already surfacing. My Imperial Father has now firmly secured the throne and tightened his grip on all power. You, the old officials of the Wude era who cannot read the signs of the times, have become stumbling blocks on his path to governance!"

"Ah!" Pei Ji gasped involuntarily.

Li Chengqian quickly quickened his pace, moving further away from him. *Damn it! You're so old, can you not be so easily startled? You're not composed at all!*

"Your Highness, Your Highness..." Seeing Li Chengqian had run off a dozen meters away, Pei Ji finally reacted and called out to him. But the more he shouted, the faster Li Chengqian walked.

By the time Li Chengqian disappeared from his sight, Pei Ji still hadn't caught up. However, the warning Li Chengqian had given him rang like a great bell, deafening and awakening. Though he didn't know what Li Shimin’s next move would be, combined with the way Li Shimin had slapped down Feng Deyi and Li Chengqian’s warning, he feared that things would indeed turn out as Li Chengqian said. Their days as Wude-era officials were numbered. Furthermore, since Li Chengqian was so close to the Retired Emperor Li Yuan, it was possible that Li Yuan was also prepared to abandon them.

Thinking of this, cold sweat broke out on Pei Ji’s forehead. He looked toward the Da'an Palace, then decided not to seek out Li Yuan for now, but instead to find Feng Deyi and the other old officials to discuss their next moves.

...

Meanwhile.

Hiding in a corner of the Da'an Palace, Li Chengqian watched Pei Ji hurry away. In truth, Pei Ji still had some time left before his downfall. In the third year of Zhenguan, he would be involved in the case of the "evil monk" Faya, be stripped of his titles, and chased out of Chang'an by Li Shimin, who would also mock him relentlessly. Truth be told, Pei Ji was a man of great selfishness. He appeared to be devoted to Li Yuan, but he was actually only calculating for himself. Such a person could not be allowed to remain at Li Yuan’s side for long; the further away he was, the better.

The reason Li Chengqian warned him that Li Shimin’s legal revisions would implicate him was to make the old Wude faction panic and act rashly. That way, they wouldn't need to wait until the third year of Zhenguan for them to be packed off.

"Phew..." Exhaling a breath of stale air, Li Chengqian looked away, wiped the sweat from his run, and headed straight into the inner hall of the Da'an Palace.

Inside, Consort Zhang and Zhangsun Anye were discussing Li Yi with Li Yuan.

Li Yuan was scolding Consort Zhang with great displeasure. "How could you act on your own authority and send gifts to Li Yi in my name?"

"Please calm your anger, Retired Emperor. Your concubine did not know Li Yi would harbor thoughts of rebellion. Besides, he has only made minor moves; he may not truly rebel..." Consort Zhang said, looking aggrieved.

"You are my consort. Do you not understand the principle that those in the inner palace must not interfere in politics?"

"But your concubine did this out of concern for you..."

"What utter nonsense!" Li Yuan brushed his sleeves and stood up, irritated.

Consort Zhang glanced at Zhangsun Anye, signaling for him to say something. Zhangsun Anye looked bitter, but he steeled himself and said, "Retired Emperor, what the Consort was thinking is that since His Majesty intends to reduce the enfeoffed princes, and those princes were all enfeoffed by you—well, one must consider the Buddha's face if not the monk's. His Majesty is disregarding your dignity, and the Consort feared that those princes would hold a grudge against you because of His Majesty, so she wanted to restore some face for you..."

Seeing that Li Yuan was no longer fuming, he continued, "Besides, the Consort didn't just send gifts to the Prince of Yan, but also to the Prince of Yi'an, the Prince of Huai'an, and others..."

"Hmph!" Li Yuan snorted. Just as he was about to speak, a voice came from outside: "Retired Emperor, the Prince of Zhongshan is here."

"Hmm?" Li Yuan was stunned. *Isn't it too early for his daily visit? Why is he here again? Could something major have happened in court?*

Thinking of this, Li Yuan subconsciously looked at Zhangsun Anye and Consort Zhang, frowning. "I will handle this matter. You both may leave!"

"Yes!" The two felt a wave of relief and hurriedly bowed to withdraw.

Soon, Li Yuan summoned Li Chengqian.

"Grandfather, how have you been lately?" As soon as he saw Li Yuan, Li Chengqian began chatting with a smile.

"You brat, didn't your Imperial Father tell you to visit the Da'an Palace less often? Why are you here again when it isn't time for your daily visit?" Li Yuan asked with a laugh.

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes. "Look at what you're saying, Grandfather. Can my Imperial Father control me? I'm the 'rebellious son' in his mouth!"

"Hahaha!" Li Yuan threw his head back and laughed, then teased, "He is also a 'rebellious son' in my mouth!"

"Heh, what a coincidence! We're all rebellious sons in this family!"

"Talking nonsense again!" Having grown accustomed to Li Chengqian’s way of speaking, Li Yuan didn't take it to heart.

Before long, the grandfather and grandson finished their pleasantries and began discussing serious matters.

"The plan you mentioned before was to use the rebellion of the princes to make things difficult for Erlang. I just heard that the Prince of Yan, Li Yi, has intentions of rebellion. What do you think?" Li Yuan asked indifferently.

Li Chengqian looked at Li Yuan with some surprise, then burst into a laugh. "I think he's just a brave but brainless idiot!"

Li Yuan: "..."

"Don't you think he's an idiot, Grandfather? During the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he didn't have time to act. After the incident, he didn't dare to act. Now that my Imperial Father has changed the reign title to Zhenguan, he wants to act? If that's not an idiot, what is?"

"Uh..." Li Yuan’s mouth twitched. "You mean this man is of no use?"

"Not that he's of no use, but that he's unusable. He doesn't have the makings of greatness!"

"Then, in your opinion, who does?"

Li Chengqian thought for a moment and said, "The Prince of Yi'an, Li Xiaochang!"

"Him!?" Li Yuan was shocked. "You say Xiaochang will also rebel?"

"Why are you acting as surprised as Minister Pei, Grandfather?" Li Chengqian muttered in frustration, then changed the subject. "Not only will the Prince of Yi'an rebel, but we must let him enter Chang'an directly and seize the Xuanwu Gate!"

"This..." Li Yuan was shocked again. "Are you saying you have already created the fire-thunder weapons!?"

"Heh heh..." Li Chengqian gave a sly smile. "Grandfather, you guess?"

"Guess?" Li Yuan was slightly stunned, then threw his head back and laughed.

*It seems Erlang is finally beginning to understand me!*