Datang: Rebirth of Li Chengqian, the beginning of the treason interrogation

Chapter 154 Your Highness, the country should be divided and governed separately
"Your Highness, you don't know that this matter concerns your safety. In Chang'an City, all the major clans and families have jointly impeached your Highness for exceeding the imperial authority, sitting on the throne, killing surrendered generals, changing the tax system, and committing treason."

"In a few days, His Majesty's decree will come down, ordering Your Highness the Crown Prince to return to the capital. It may seem that there is no punishment, but once you return to Chang'an, Your Highness's situation will be extremely bad, especially since the Minister of Justice Zhang Liang has used his power to capture some bad guys from nowhere and directly accuse Your Highness the Crown Prince of treason."

Pei Yan said this in a very serious tone, while also observing the changes in Li Chengqian's expression.

However, he did not see any surprise on Li Chengqian's face, as if he had known about it beforehand.

Yes, Li Chengqian is the crown prince. How could there be no one in the court who knows about these things a long time ago?

"The Hedong Pei family, I remember it well, it's also a top family. You know it so clearly, could it be that the Pei family is also involved?"

Li Chengqian looked at Pei Yan. The aura of a superior completely enveloped Pei Yan, making him feel frightened.

Li Chengqian has already built up his power.

"My Pei clan has a large population, so it is difficult for us to have a unified opinion. However, Your Highness favors Pei Xingjian, and he also values ​​my Pei clan, so I cannot remain indifferent. I also ask Your Highness to be magnanimous and not blame all the people in my Pei clan. Only those short-sighted people would be so foolish as to make irresponsible comments about His Highness the Crown Prince."

Pei Yan lowered his head slightly, admitting his guilt.

"Oh, so you are supporting me." Li Chengqian asked.

"If Your Highness does not forsake me, I am willing to serve you."

Pei Yan knelt on one knee, his eyes firm and resolute, so that Li Chengqian could not see any doubt.

Pei Yan really meant it. He was not stupid. He played a game of Infernal Affairs and had his feet in two boats.

It was also Pei's doing. He didn't put all his eggs in one basket, but laid them on two sides.

Since Li Chengqian failed, Pei Yan could take credit for it, and he was the first to take credit.

If Li Chengqian wins, he will be a loyal minister and it will be a great achievement, and he will have made a lot of calculations.

At this moment, he seemed to be invincible.

"Since you said that His Majesty has issued an order, if I go back, I may lose my life. If I don't go back, it means I am disobeying His Majesty's order, and the charge of treason is confirmed? I can't move forward or backward, what should I do?"

Li Chengqian asked, politics was too complicated, facing Pei Yan's sudden surrender and loyalty, he was still a little wary.

Because he did not follow me from the beginning, but it cannot be ruled out that this is his token of surrender.

"Since His Majesty has issued an order to have Your Highness return to Chang'an, it means that His Majesty has become suspicious of Your Highness. If you go back like this, you will definitely end up in a bad situation. At the very least, you will be deposed as the Crown Prince, and at the worst, you may be executed."

Pei Yan had no more scruples and spoke frankly.

Once the word "treason" is involved, the punishment will not be light.

"Your Highness has no other choice now. You definitely cannot go back. Your Highness now controls four provinces: Baekje, Silla, Pyongyang, and Liaodong. The total population has reached 10 million, which is not much different from the Tang Dynasty. If that's the case, why would you go back?"

Indeed, after the military forces of the Three Kingdoms were reorganized, they had indeed reached the strength to go head-on with the Tang Dynasty.

"You mean to divide the country and rule it separately, and confront the Tang Dynasty?"

Li Chengqian chuckled.

Pei Yan fell silent, which was obviously what he meant.

"I am the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, how can I do this?"

Unification is necessary, otherwise Li Chengqian would not have spent so much effort.

"But…"

Pei Yan's words came to his lips, but he swallowed them back. If Crown Prince Li Chengqian obeyed the order and returned to the court, it would be a good result.

"There is no but. If an enemy comes, we will fight him. If a flood comes, we will block it with earth. I may not go back, but I cannot rule the country. Baekje, Silla, Pyongyang and Liaodong Road are all Tang territory and shall never be divided."

Li Chengqian was unsure about Li Shimin's attitude. Coupled with the pressure from the clan, he definitely could not go back. Even if he went back, he had to take his weapons with him.

"I am short-sighted, not even a fraction as broad-minded as Your Highness." Pei Yan said ashamedly.

"You are very good. The world is so big that there is room for a Pei family. I believe you all know that the nobles who have made contributions and promoted reforms are still the same now, right?"

Li Chengqian didn't quite understand which side Pei Yan was on, but it would be great if he could pull him into his own camp and thus reduce one opponent.

In the later stage, it is also possible to give these aristocratic families sufficient preferential treatment.

"I will definitely not let Your Highness down."

As for what choice to make, only Pei Yan himself knows.

Perhaps it is safer to have the best of both worlds, exerting effort on both sides and trying to please both.

"Well, if that's the case, you can leave first. As for His Majesty's will, I will make the decision myself."

Li Chengqian dismissed Pei Yan.

"How is Pei Yan? Is there any problem?"

Looking at Pei Yan's receding back, Li Chengqian asked the martial artist standing beside him.

"Your Highness, this person is quite scheming. According to the report from the Bad People, this person is the representative of the noble family in the army. He came here this time probably to probe your Highness's attitude. They had a secret meeting before coming to meet your Highness."

The military is the key target of supervision for these people. In the army, any small action of theirs will be uncovered.

"So that's how it is. But I don't know whether Pei Yan's trip was his own idea or the idea of ​​the noble family."

This is a trap for me, persuading me to rebel, so that they have a legitimate reason to deal with me.

"The content of their secret meeting cannot be discovered. If necessary, we can pry it out from the other people."

Li Chengqian shook his head slightly, "Continue to monitor and see what they want to do. We can't alert them now."

This is what political struggle is like, with one calculation upon another.

The extremely fierce court game has begun.

"Okay, I will continue to increase the number of people to supervise, but will we arrest them when necessary?"

Wu Xing asked for instructions. The Bad People organization is developing very rapidly, but the rights granted by Li Chengqian are currently limited to supervision and transmitting information.

This is also because they are afraid that the bad guys will become autocratic and the situation will become uncontrollable.

The supervisory department and the executive department must be separated.

"This is an emergency. We can carry out arrest and control, but it is limited to this time and this place."

Li Chengqian gave the Bad People the authority to act according to circumstances and gave them special treatment in special periods.

This also made Li Chengqian realize that he still needed to establish an executive agency to cooperate with the Bad People.

(End of this chapter)