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

Chapter 200 Li Shimin's Back-up Plan
"this!"

Yuan Tiangang and Fang Xuanling looked at each other and saw the shock in each other's eyes.

What a big layout.

The methods used were extremely cruel, and he was not afraid to sacrifice himself.

At this moment, they all understood why Li Shimin let Goguryeo do what it wanted.

It turns out that Li Shimin was involved in this.

"I know you are all very surprised, but this is the truth. The former Crown Prince Li Chengqian disobeyed my order in order to use it as a rebellion so that I can send troops to attack him. With the help of both inside and outside forces, we can completely eliminate the power of the clan."

Li Chengqian's plan was to have the Tang Dynasty send out troops and dispatch the elite among the aristocratic families to kill them in the battle. Then, based on Goguryeo, he would push back against the Tang Dynasty and uproot the aristocratic families in the places they passed by under the pretext of military affairs.

"However, our Tang Dynasty was founded on aristocratic families. Although I can interfere and send the children of the aristocratic families to their butcher knife, this will undoubtedly ruin the country's destiny. All over the country, politicians are children of aristocratic families. It's easy to kill them, but who will replace them?"

"So I delayed, and the time was not yet ripe, so that the situation developed into today, and Goguryeo is no match for us."

Li Shimin explained the whole story.

In his words, he did not admit that Li Chengqian was plotting a rebellion.

Then the question is, who will succeed Li Shimin to the throne a hundred years later?

Moreover, at this delicate juncture, Li Zhi was not allowed to come in.

"Please give me your instructions, Your Majesty. After Your Majesty, who will be the successor of the throne?"

Fang Xuanling couldn't help but ask.

"The throne will be passed to Zhinu, but if one day the time is right, for the sake of the eternal foundation of the Tang Dynasty, you can bypass Zhinu to execute the secret in the letter, help Chengqian, and lay the eternal foundation of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Shimin said resolutely that an emperor is never merciful and can use any means, even killing his closest relatives, for the sake of his great cause.

This also granted the two the ability to slay dragons.

"As your majesty wishes."

The two of them took note of it secretly, and this would also be the biggest secret in their hearts.

"You guys step back first and ask the prince to come in."

Li Shimin waved his hand, he had explained everything that needed to be explained, and he would definitely not die for a while.

I’m just afraid that by that time, it will be too sudden and Li Shimin won’t have a chance to make arrangements.

Yuan Tiangang and Fang Xuanling bowed and stepped back, leaving the Wude Hall.

"Your Highness, His Majesty is calling you in."

Yuan Tiangang said softly.

"Master Yuan, is my father okay?"

Li Zhi did not go in immediately, but asked with great concern, saying that Yuan Tiangang was now more effective than ordinary imperial physicians.

"Your Majesty has exhausted all his vitality, and is now at the end of his rope. If he rests peacefully and does not overwork himself, he can still hold on for two to three years. If he continues to overwork himself, half a year may be his limit."

Yuan Tiangang didn't dare to lie in the slightest, as his destiny had already arrived.

Li Zhi was stunned for a moment, and said nothing more. He had a rough idea in his mind.

He turned around and entered the Wude Hall.

Fang Xuanling was examining the person in front of him. He had heard of Yuan Tiangang, who was famous for his arithmetic, but he had never thought that he could climb so high and become Li Shimin's trusted minister.

"Congratulations, Duke Liang. Good times have come, the great disaster is over, and you will surely rise to prominence in the future."

Yuan Tiangang noticed Fang Xuanling's gaze and smiled slightly.

"Thank you for your kind words, but I am far inferior to you. All of this is due to your majesty's grace. You are well versed in the ways of fortune and misfortune, so I will have to give you more advice in the future."

Fang Xuanling had met countless people and had seen both loyal and treacherous people, but he was unclear about the person in front of him, who seemed both loyal and treacherous.

Anyway, Fang Xuanling had no good feelings towards these fictitious sorcerers.

This kind of people are the ones who spread evil words to confuse the people and harm the country.

"I dare not. The Duke is a pillar of the country. He has followed Your Majesty to conquer the country and needs more guidance."

Yuan Tiangang's tone was flattering, but judging from his expression, he was not that respectful.

At this moment, even if they were very harmonious, they would definitely show discord. Only those of them who played power games all day long could understand the other reasons.

"Father, please rest assured and recuperate. I will handle state affairs. If there is anything you cannot decide, please come and consult your father again."

Li Zhi stood in the hall, his eyes full of worry.

"Okay, I will rest assured and recuperate. From now on, you can use the heavy state affairs as an excuse to re-employ Fang Xuanling. Now, among the government and the public, he is the only one who can assist me."

"Moreover, you must also make use of Xu Jingzong and others to balance the power in the court. Sometimes, you can even rely more on Xu Jingzong."

Li Shimin did not keep anything to himself but passed on all his experience to Li Zhi.

"I don't understand. Xu Jingzong has some ability, but is he too partial to the position of Zuo Pushe? Moreover, he is extremely extravagant in private, makes friends with political parties, and has committed many crimes."

If Li Zhi came to power, he would definitely suppress the people and support his own people.

"It is precisely because they have a handle in their hands that they can kick out at any time that they should be used more. Moreover, how many of these ministers in the court are not extravagant and vain? As for your so-called political party friendship, it is even more irrelevant. You have not yet seen how prosperous the marriages between clans are. Intermarriage between generations is the greatest friendship, and this is also the most difficult part to deal with. One move can affect the whole body."

Li Shimin couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Although Li Zhi had grown a lot, he still did not meet the standards of a monarch.

I hope I can hold on for a little longer.

"My son, I understand."

Li Zhi nodded, not quite understanding.

"After that, how will you treat your brother?"

The fatal problem arises again.

There have been some problems with the inheritance.

This also includes how Li Zhi will treat Li Chengqian in the future.

A situation in which brothers fight with each other is certainly inevitable.

In Li Shimin's heart, Li Chengqian was never a rebel, but someone who endured humiliation for the sake of the Li family's kingdom.

He was even willing to give up the throne that was within his grasp.

If I were still alive, I would be able to eradicate this cancer when the time comes.

But if it were in Li Zhi's hands, it would be difficult.

"Give amnesty to the whole nation, re-employ the King of Wei, and allow him to continue his studies in literature."

"Make peace with the former crown prince Li Chengqian, send him as an envoy to advise him, and make Goguryeo part of the Tang Dynasty. If the former crown prince is willing, the throne will be waiting for him. This throne should have been his."

"As for other brothers, I also treated them with kindness and made use of capable princes to stabilize the country and check and balance the aristocratic families."

After thinking about it, Li Zhi expressed his thoughts.

Li Shimin's eyes flashed with approval. He was very satisfied with the answer, but whether Li Zhi could do it was another matter. "Not bad, Zhinu, you are kind-hearted, which is a good thing. However, as an emperor, you must not only be kind, but also have an iron fist. You must not be soft-handed when you need to kill. Those who should be killed must be executed without hesitation."

A glimmer of light flashed in Li Shimin's dim eyes. He looked at the Crown Prince Li Zhi in front of him and spoke earnestly.

"Now, I have carefully selected several ministers who can assist you. Let's talk about Yuan Tiangang first. This person is deep-minded and cunning. You must not let him control the military power or confidential power. You can only appoint him as a palace guard and keep him under your control at all times. Use the bad guys to restrain the officials in the court."

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes slightly, as if thinking about something.

"As for Fang Xuanling, he was born in a humble family and worked his way up from the bottom. Over the years, he has been loyal to the Tang Dynasty royal family and is one of the important officials that my father has always relied on. If you encounter any difficulties in government affairs, you can ask him for advice, but you must never let him interfere in military and political affairs."

"There is also Ma Zhou. He also comes from a poor family and was just a small retainer at first. However, because he is appreciated and trusted by the emperor, and because he is indeed talented, honest and upright in his official duties, and wholeheartedly cares about the country and the people, he can be appointed as the Minister of the Court, one of the three officials."

"And Chu Suiliang is a man who dares to speak out and give advice, much like Wei Zheng in the past. You should be patient and tolerant of his advice, even if it sounds unpleasant to the ear. Honest advice may be unpleasant to the ear, but it is beneficial to the action!"

Li Shimin's expression became extremely serious at this moment.

"Li Daliang is an important general in our army. He is upright and loyal. In the future, military matters can be left to him to handle and decide."

"Your uncle, Changsun Wuji, can be used, but he must be checked and controlled, and his power must not be too great. You must learn the lesson of the Han Dynasty's foreign relatives interfering in politics."

……

Li Shimin informed Li Zhi of all the backup plans he had made.

It feels like a last will.

Li Zhi was still too young and his methods were immature, so he might not be able to suppress these ministers.

"I will follow your father's instructions, but I don't know who should be appointed to take on the important task after you ministers."

Li Zhi asked solemnly. You know, the time he took over the throne of the crown prince was too short.

Before this, he only wanted to be a free and carefree prince.

However, at this moment, the entire vast Tang Empire was about to weigh heavily on his shoulders. This sudden and enormous pressure made him involuntarily feel a strong sense of suffocation.

Li Shimin smiled slightly, slowly stretched out his broad palm, gently patted Li Zhi's shoulder, his eyes full of love and encouragement:

"As for what happened after that, I'm afraid only you know."

This was all he could do for Li Zhi and the Tang Dynasty.

Perhaps, he could do one last thing for the Tang Dynasty and burn out his last bit of energy.

"You go out first and summon Yuan Tiangang to come see me."

Li Shimin's tone was firm and decisive, and it even added a sense of unquestionableness.

After a while, Yuan Tiangang came in hurriedly and closed the palace door tightly.

In an instant, they were the only two left in the empty and lonely Tang Dynasty palace.

At this time, Li Shimin was sitting upright on the edge of the bed, exuding an unparalleled kingly aura.

It spread out in all directions like a surging wave, so much so that Yuan Tiangang didn't even dare to raise his head and look at it.

Is this a warning from His Majesty to himself?
Yuan Tiangang's thoughts were racing in his mind, but he came to his senses in an instant, then knelt on his knees without hesitation and kowtowed to the ground.

"Get up!"

"To be honest, how much time do I have left?"

After a while, Li Shimin finally spoke.

"I dare not deceive the superiors, the longest destiny is three years!"

Yuan Tiangang said that this was the most ideal situation.

"You mean, I still need to lie in bed for three years?"

Li Shimin said coldly, he had fought in battles all his life, but now he had to lie sick in bed, how cruel it was.

This is not what he wants.

Yuan Tiangang did not reply, but his back was wet with cold sweat.

Li Shimin was in great danger at this time. Knowing that his end was approaching, he would definitely eliminate all threats to ensure a smooth transfer of power.

"What if I don't want to wait for death in bed? Is there any way to make my body recover? When can you successfully refine the elixir?"

Li Shimin asked again, having come to this point, wouldn't he also want to live another hundred years?

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. It will take at least five years to refine the elixir. I can only collect the medicinal materials and complete the smelting."

Yuan Tiangang couldn't help swallowing his saliva. It was indeed his fault for not doing his job well, but he couldn't blame Li Shimin for not being able to hold on for that long.

"Forget it. Immortality is a vague idea. Even if you have achieved it, it may not be true. But I want to suppress my illness and restore my body. Do you have any way?"

Li Shimin faced the present and did not become too obsessed with immortality.

"Your Majesty's illness is a legacy of the battles you fought in your early years. In other words, your Majesty overdrew his vitality in his early years, which is why he is like this."

"If you want to recover your physical strength, there are ways. Although medicine and stones are useless, acupuncture can stimulate all the vitality in your Majesty's body."

Yuan Tiangang couldn't help but pause, as if he had something to hide.

"However, this will also overdraw all of Your Majesty's wealth in advance, and at most it can only last for half a year."

"Half a year is enough."

Li Shimin smiled knowingly and felt much better.

He didn't want to die in bed, and the current conditions didn't allow him to stay in bed.

The Xueyantuo invaded the south, the northern army rebelled, and the court had no generals to send.

He, the General of Tiance, has been sent into action. He is the last bastion of the Tang Dynasty and also the biggest hidden trump card of the Tang army.

"You step back and prepare to treat me as soon as possible."

The military situation was urgent and he couldn't wait.

Even if he is seriously ill, he will fight for the Tang Dynasty.

"Cheng Qian, the Tang Dynasty is facing internal and external troubles. Was your original decision really the right one?"

"Maybe I'm wrong! I've grown old and become more indecisive."

In the Wude Hall, Li Shimin murmured to himself that the cause of all this was the Goguryeo Rebellion.

If he had agreed and cooperated with Li Chengqian's opportunities when Li Chengqian gave him the secret letter, the situation might not have been like this.

Li Chengqian stationed troops in Goguryeo and confronted the Tang Dynasty, which directly led to the reduction of the Tang Dynasty's military strength by half.

What’s more fatal is that all the energy was detained.

No one answered.

Right or wrong, perhaps only in the future can we get the answer.

But judging from the current situation, it was obviously a wrong move.

(End of this chapter)