Chapter 36: A Guidebook for Rebellious Plots

"You're saying that the Fox Zhang is planning to help the Retired Emperor restore his throne?"

Inside the secret chamber of the Liangzhou Governor-General's Office, Li Youliang, the Prince of Changleq, looked at Zhangsun Anye with a mixture of doubt and suspicion, asking, "What abilities does she have to enable the Retired Emperor to retake the throne?"

Zhangsun Anye smiled and then said meaningfully, "If we are talking about maternal family influence and connections at court, Consort Zhang indeed lacks any special talent. But when it comes to social networking skills, I am afraid no one in the entire inner palace can match her!"

"Oh, I understand."

Li Youliang nodded with sudden realization, "The Fox Zhang has gathered a faction of people to help her, is that right?"

"Indeed! Didn't I mention Prince Yi'an, Li Xiaochang, earlier? I hear that Prince Yi'an is taking this matter very seriously!"

"Hah!"

Li Youliang sneered, staring intently at Zhangsun Anye, and said in a deep voice, "Aren't you afraid that by telling me this, I will report you to His Majesty?"

"If the Prince of Changleq is so inclined, I wouldn't be able to stop you anyway. However, I have two questions I'd like to ask the Prince first," Zhangsun Anye said, completely unfazed.

Li Youliang narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Which two questions?"

"Hehe, the first question is: do you still remember the death of the Prince of Changping?"

"Isn't that obvious nonsense?"

Upon hearing this, Li Youliang retorted irritably, "The Prince of Changping was my eldest brother! He was killed by a Turkic arrow! I saw it with my own eyes, how could I possibly forget?!"

"Then does the Prince of Changleq remember how the descendants of the Prince of Changping are faring nowadays?"

"This..."

Li Youliang was left speechless.

Even he, a prince, found that each day was worse than the last; how much more so for those orphan children and widowed wives who had lost their father and husband?

"Alas! Who knows what is going on in Li Shimin's mind? We are all family, why must he make things so difficult for his own kin!"

Li Youliang couldn't help but complain, then turned his gaze back to Zhangsun Anye and asked, "What is your other question?"

"Well..."

Zhangsun Anye dragged out the syllable deliberately to create a sense of mystery before continuing, "When did the Prince of Changleq earn his military merits?"

"Hmm?"

Li Youliang was momentarily startled, then frowned and replied, "I earned my merits in the ninth year of Wude! Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason, just wanted to remind the Prince of Changleq that it is now the first year of Zhenguan!"

"Humph! What on earth are you trying to say? Can't you speak plainly?"

"Hehe, please calm your anger, Prince!"

Seeing that Li Youliang was growing impatient, Zhangsun Anye smiled and cut straight to the point: "My point is, while your contributions from the Wude era have not yet been exhausted, and while His Majesty still remembers your services, you should take some actions to let His Majesty know where you stand!"

"You want me to help Consort Zhang?"

"Even if you don't help Consort Zhang, it's still better than waiting around to die. After all, rather than waiting for death, one might as well court disaster!"

"This..."

Li Youliang was somewhat tempted, but he did not make a hasty decision.

At that moment, a voice echoed from outside the door: "Reporting to the Prince of Changleq, an envoy from the Ministry of War has arrived and is waiting in the hall!"

"Hmm?"

Li Youliang's brow furrowed deeply, and he instinctively turned to look at Zhangsun Anye.

Zhangsun Anye wore a knowing, half-mocking smile as he said, "It seems the Prince of Changleq has already lost His Majesty's trust. Without imperial decree, the Ministry of War would never dare to dispatch men to Liangzhou rashly!"

"Hah, stop trying to alarm me with scare tactics. I am His Majesty's paternal uncle; even if I were to rebel, His Majesty wouldn't dare do anything to me. Mere Ministry of War—how could they possibly warrant any concern!"

With a confident and cold sneer, Li Youliang strode out of the secret chamber.

Meanwhile, Zhangsun Anye cautiously took out a piece of paper and slowly unfolded it. Prominently written upon it were several large characters: *Guidebook for the Rebellion Plan*.

This *Guidebook for the Rebellion Plan* had suddenly appeared in his home shortly before he set out for Liangzhou.

When he first laid eyes on it, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Later, following the address listed inside the guidebook, he found the gunpowder caches buried outside the city walls, which convinced him of the authenticity of the contents.

Even though he still had no idea who authored this guidebook, following the plans outlined within it yielded twice the results with half the effort, bringing a profound sense that everything in the world was entirely under his control.

Take Li Youliang, for instance: though he was merely a minor cog in the grand scheme, hitting him with those two questions from the guidebook was enough to manipulate him effortlessly.

The feeling was utterly marvelous.

"Perhaps there is a master strategist secretly assisting us, much like when Yang Guang rose to power; had it not been for hidden guidance behind the scenes, he could never have so smoothly eliminated Yang Yong and ascended the throne..."

With such thoughts, Zhangsun Anye carefully tucked the paper away inside his robe, waiting quietly for Li Youliang's reply.

About a quarter of an hour later, Li Youliang walked back in with a sullen expression, cursing as he vented, "I risked life and limb for His Majesty out here in Liangzhou, yet he actually chooses to believe outsiders, claiming I intend to rebel and even sending investigators! Utterly preposterous!"

"Hehe..."

Zhangsun Anye smiled noncommittally. "As the saying goes, a good horse is ridden by others, and a good person is taken advantage of. The Prince is simply too kind-hearted!"

"Humph! If not for the sake of the Retired Emperor, I would have gone straight to Chang'an to make a scene with Li Shimin!"

...

"But what if the Retired Emperor also harbors thoughts of restoration? What would the Prince of Changleq do then?"

"What did you say?"

Li Youliang widened his eyes, disbelief written all over his face as he asked, "You're saying the Retired Emperor also wishes to be reinstated?"

Zhangsun Anye smiled and replied, "If the Retired Emperor were unwilling to cooperate, all our efforts would be in vain! So, does the Prince of Changleq still not understand?"

"This..."

Li Youliang was struck dumb.

If Li Yuan was pulling the strings from behind the scenes, how could he fail to grasp the implications? After a brief silence, he resolutely pledged his loyalty to Li Yuan: "If the Retired Emperor truly desires restoration, I will gladly offer my utmost service as a hound and horse!"

"Splendid!"

Zhangsun Anye clapped his hands in delight. "With the Prince's pledge, half of our grand enterprise is already accomplished! When the time comes, the Prince shall strike first to draw the attention of Chang'an, and Prince Yi'an will catch Li Shimin completely off guard! Our great cause will then be assured!"

"Prince Yi'an only commands around ten thousand troops in Yuzhou, whereas Chang'an boasts tens of thousands of elite soldiers. How could he possibly be a match for Li Shimin?"

"Heh, that is not something the Prince of Changleq needs to worry about. With the Retired Emperor orchestrating things, would we act without absolute certainty?"

Zhangsun Anye smiled craftily, clearly unwilling to reveal the entirety of the plan.

Nodding in silent assent, Li Youliang pressed no further.

...

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

After duping Li Tai into compiling the *Zhenguan Grand Canon*, Li Chengqian set his sights on acquiring the imperial palace access token currently in his younger brother's possession.

With a chuckle, Li Chengqian began: "Hasn't Qingque always wanted to know how your elder brother mastered all those skills? Actually, it's quite simple: aside from reading extensively, it's about observation. The more you observe, the more you understand."

"But isn't Imperial Brother just like me? You've never left the palace either; how could you observe so much and understand so much?" Li Tai countered with a frown.

Li Chengqian maintained his smiling demeanor. "Although I haven't left the palace, I know more people than you do! Remember the Prince of Hedong and the others? Back then, I used to play with them frequently, and they introduced me to many people from outside the palace!"

"The Prince of Hedong and his crowd? Imperial Brother, you still remember them? Weren't you afraid?"

"Of course I was afraid! But they truly helped me a great deal; I could never be ungrateful..."

"This..."

The little chubby fellow was struck speechless, momentarily at a loss for words.

Though he and Li Chengqian were less than two years apart in age, Li Chengqian preferred playing with the sons of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, whereas he did not.

He knew very well that his imperial father would inevitably have a falling out with Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji.

As the old saying goes, two tigers cannot share one mountain—every book explained it clearly. Only his foolish older brother lacked the sense to keep his distance and stayed thick with them.

No wonder that upon hearing of the Xuanwu Gate Incident, his brother had nearly been scared out of his wits.

Still, what his brother said about reading widely and observing deeply made a certain amount of sense.

"So, in Imperial Brother's view, are we planning to leave the palace?" the little chubby fellow tested the waters by asking.

Without missing a beat, Li Chengqian replied, "Naturally! Only by going outside to witness the wider world can we achieve the unity of knowledge and action. As the saying goes: Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles!"

Good heavens!

The unity of knowledge and action!

Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles!

How was it that every casual remark his brother made sounded like the words of a sage?

The little chubby fellow was once again dumbfounded by Li Chengqian.

He had lost count of how many times he had been shocked, but Li Chengqian's talent truly made him feel increasingly inadequate by comparison.

Fortunately, Li Chengqian had given up the position of Crown Prince; otherwise, he felt he would have had zero chance.

However, with the credit of compiling the *Zhenguan Grand Canon*, he too could stand shoulder to shoulder with the sages.

At this thought, Li Tai cast a deep look at Li Chengqian and nodded. "Very well! The next time Imperial Brother wishes to go anywhere, you must take Qingque along!"

"Hahaha, Qingque truly lives up to being my good younger brother! No wonder Father often says, 'Your elder brother is unlike me, Qingque must strive harder.'"

"Ah? This..."

The little chubby fellow was left utterly speechless by Li Chengqian's words.

...

Concurrently, within the Taiji Palace, at the Ganlu Hall.

Li Shimin had Wusha summon Xiao Yu. For one, Feng Deyi had enjoyed a good relationship with Xiao Yu during his lifetime, and Li Shimin wanted to inquire about Feng Deyi and the various enfeoffed princes; for another, he wanted to remind Xiao Yu not to be obstinate and ignorant of the shifting times.

After all, Xiao Yu was currently the Left Director of the Secretariat.

Although Xiao Yu had not interfered with many of Li Shimin's political decrees, he was nonetheless an old minister from the Wude era, stubborn and rigid by nature. Should any major crisis arise in the future, there was no guarantee he wouldn't go against Li Shimin's grain.

Therefore, inserting Zhangsun Wuji into the Department of State Affairs was like driving in a wedge, ensuring the emperor was no longer entirely constrained by the old guard.

"Left Director, I hear that the last person Feng Deyi saw before his death was you. May I ask what the two of you discussed?" Li Shimin asked casually.

Xiao Yu was slightly startled, then hesitated before answering, "Uh... We didn't discuss much, just some Buddhist matters regarding accumulating virtue and doing good deeds!"

"As far as I know, Feng Deyi was never one for Buddhism. Why would you discuss such things?"

"This..."

"What is it? Does the Left Director intend to keep secrets from me?"

A chill ran down Xiao Yu's spine. Bowing hastily, he said, "This minister dares not deceive Your Majesty. It's simply that I was somewhat baffled myself. That day, Feng Deyi suddenly summoned me to his residence and talked at length. During our conversation, I happened to mention how the Retired Emperor had once been troubled by the disputes between the crown princes!"

"He said he deeply regretted that matter, that he shouldn't have urged the Retired Emperor to execute Your Majesty, and that otherwise, he wouldn't have suffered such retribution..."

"Oh?"

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable as he asked, "There was such a thing?"

"Has Your Majesty not heard of it?"

"Hah!"

Li Shimin let out a dry laugh, then said expressionlessly, "I knew he repeatedly spoke ill of me to the Retired Emperor, but I never heard of this."

"Ah?"

Xiao Yu instantly realized he had been trapped by Li Shimin's probing, and stammered, "I... I thought Your Majesty had forgiven him out of magnanimity!"

Li Shimin replied indifferently, "There are no shortage of people who advocated for my death. However, as long as a man is beneficial to the New Administration, I let bygones be bygones!"

"That includes Wei Zheng, Xue Wanche, Li Sixing..."

Saying this, he cast a meaningful look at Xiao Yu and continued, "And you!"

Xiao Yu's heart tightened.

Li Shimin then added coolly, "Left Director, since the inauguration of the Zhenguan New Administration, there have been numerous decrees, particularly regarding the reduction of feudal domains, which have sparked much debate and many rebellions. I reckon there will still be trouble ahead, and I cannot guess who the next troublemaker might be. Therefore, I hope that for the sake of peace at court and stability in the nation, the Left Director will clearly distinguish right from wrong!"

"This..."

Hesitating for a moment, Xiao Yu bowed and said, "This minister understands."

"Very well, you may withdraw—"

Just as Li Shimin was about to dismiss him, a voice suddenly echoed from outside: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Chu Liang, Academician of the Hongwen Pavilion, seeks an urgent audience!"

"Hmm?"

Li Shimin was slightly taken aback and exchanged glances with Xiao Yu.

Then, his brow furrowed deeply. "An academician of the Literature Pavilion—what urgent business could he possibly have? Send him in!"

"As you command!"

The palace attendant acknowledged the order and promptly escorted Chu Liang into Li Shimin's presence.

"Your minister, Chu Liang, pays respects to Your Majesty!"

As soon as he entered, Chu Liang respectfully bowed to Li Shimin.

Cutting straight to the point, Li Shimin asked, "Speak, what is this urgent matter?"

"Your Majesty..." Chu Liang softly called out, then without further ado, handed the records of the two brothers' discussion directly to Li Shimin.

Looking puzzled, Li Shimin took the papers, glanced at Xiao Yu, looked back at Chu Liang, and slowly unfolded them.

The documents detailed the two brothers' discussion regarding the *Zhenguan Grand Canon*. As Li Shimin read through them, his expression shifted from bewilderment to utter disbelief as he stared at Chu Liang.

"Did they really discuss this?"

"Yes, Your Majesty! This minister heard it with his own ears and saw it with his own eyes; I dare not deceive Your Majesty. If Your Majesty doubts it, you may go personally to the Hongwen Pavilion—the two Imperial Highnesses should still be there!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Splendid, splendid, splendid! What a magnificent *Zhenguan Grand Canon*! Once my Great Tang compiles this book, there will be no other books left to write in this world!"

"Indeed, Your Majesty! This is a monumental event for literature!" Chu Liang chimed in excitedly.

Standing to the side, Xiao Yu wore a look of utter incomprehension. "May I ask Your Majesty, what on earth has happened to cause Your Majesty to lose your composure like this?"

"This is a great undertaking that benefits both the state and the people!"

Li Shimin stood up with a smile, brimming with heroic spirit as he declared, "If I accomplish this feat, my name shall endure through the ages!"

With a sweep of his grand sleeves, he ordered, "Let us go! Prepare the imperial carriage for the Hongwen Pavilion! Wait! Summon my Eighteen Academicians as well! I shall confer with them regarding the compilation of this book!"

"Your Majesty, stay your hand!"

Just as Li Shimin was about to leave on a whim, Xiao Yu stepped forward to stop him.

"Hmm?"

Li Shimin frowned and asked, "Does the Left Director have anything else to say?"

"If Your Majesty undertakes this book, the realm will descend into chaos!"

Xiao Yu declared with indignation.

Li Shimin's face darkened as a surge of towering fury welled up in his heart.