Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 167 Father, do you feel cold on your back?
Why don't you just die? Why don't you just die? I should have killed you with one blow when I was in Tuyuhun!
There was a little man roaring in Qibi Heli's ear.

Li Tai smiled awkwardly but politely and looked at his brother inquiringly.

Li Ming reacted quickly and made up a reason:
"General Xue was about to go out, but his father called him back for something else.

"I just happened to meet him on the road, and we chatted for a while."

As he spoke, he kicked Lao Xue's heels from behind.

Xue Wanche realized it later:
"Yes, yes, that's right."

Li Tai obviously didn't quite believe this nonsense, but he didn't continue to embarrass Qibi Heli, who was so embarrassed that he almost dug out a Wude Hall.

He smiled gently and said:
"Then I won't delay the two generals."

"Goodbye." Qibi Heli was obviously relieved and looked gratefully at Li Ming who had smoothed things over for him.

Li Ming asked his fourth brother with a half-smile:
"Brother Tai, do you have something to do with General Xue?"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Qibi Heli wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground, look at his nose with his eyes and his heart with his nose, and pretend he didn't understand.

Even the slow-witted Xue Wanche sensed the unusual aura and took a step forward, intentionally or unintentionally standing in front of Li Ming.

Li Tai still had a gentle smile on his face, and his tone was calm:
"I'm looking for you, Brother Ming."

"I?"

Li Ming remembered the strange letter sent by Li Tai.

Do you really have to take me to the Han Dynasty Underground Palace to see the great treasure?

"In that case, I will not disturb you two princes any more. Goodbye!"

Qibi Heli pulled Xue Wanche up and fled away like the wind.

Looking at the two people's hurried backs, Li Tai said calmly:

"Brother Ming and his generals are like fish in water. I really envy them."

Li Ming shrugged:

"Just treat him as a national hero."

Li Tai's smile deepened, and he suddenly began to sing:

"There was a dead deer in the wild, wrapped in white grass. There was a girl in love, and a good man seduced her."

Li Ming: “???”

Seeing Li Ming's confused expression, Li Tai was also confused:
"The Book of Songs: Zhaonan: There is a Dead Deer in the Wilderness."

"and then?"

"...I'd like you to come in and have some tea."

"?!"

Li Ming stepped back subconsciously.

This poem sounds so inappropriate. Brother Tai, what do you want to do?
Do you think I am developing normally?!
Oh my god, are all the people in your Li family so flamboyant?

Is it a family inheritance like that of the Liu family in the Western Han Dynasty?
Oh my god, I can't possibly...

Just when Zhang Yuming was embroiled in a lawsuit, Li Tai realized that he had made a mess of things and sighed helplessly:
“When the scholars of the pre-Qin period were maneuvering among the various states, they would first quote a line from the Book of Songs to explain their intentions, which had nothing to do with the original meaning of the poem.

"The Master said, 'If you don't learn poetry, you won't be able to speak.'"

"Oh." Li Ming, who often skips classes, said that he seemed to have a vague impression of this, but not deeply.

"So, what I mean is, please come in and talk to your brother, and give your brother a chance to treat you like a national hero."

Li Tai explained word by word helplessly, feeling the boredom of having to force an explanation for a joke.

"I want to poop, so I can't."

Li Ming refused decisively.

He didn't want to enter the Wude Hall casually, fearing that he would be tricked by his brother who didn't follow the Wude rules, so he politely refused:

Pull...even the gentle Li Tai couldn't hold it anymore.

Talking about the Book of Songs with such a rough draft feels as absurd as wiping your butt with silk.

"Ahem." Li Tai coughed dryly and brought the topic back:

"I wonder why I rejected the invitation in my brother's letter?"

Li Mingli replied:

"I don't want to go underground. I'm afraid of the dark."

"? Why are you afraid of the dark? I am inviting you to form an alliance with me."

"???"

Seeing Li Ming's confused expression again, Li Tai couldn't help but press his temple:
"Wait a minute, I'll smooth it over."

He realized he had made a mistake.

He seemed to have forgotten what this little rascal had done.

It's true that Brother Ming has a lot of clever ideas and is very good at winning people's hearts.

But it is an indisputable fact that this fellow is uneducated, always skips classes, and causes trouble in the palace.

As expected, birds of a feather flock together. Xue Wanche was able to join him so wholeheartedly...

Li Tai decided that he had to treat Li Ming the same way he treated Xue Wanche and speak frankly.

"Brother Ming, please form an alliance with me. Then we can..."

"Okay." Li Ming agreed readily.

"what?"

Li Tai was surprised by such a straightforward attitude.

I thought there would be some back and forth bargaining.

"Then we are allies. Is everything alright? It's ok. I'm leaving now. Bye~"

Li Ming didn't wait for Li Tai's reply and slipped away with a random excuse.

Alliance?

Damn it!
He didn't even dare to enter the Wude Hall!

Similarly, Li Tai often came to Lizheng Hall to pay his respects to his father, but he would never take a look into Li Ming's study!
Both sides are afraid that the other side will stab them in the back. Without even the most basic trust, how can they form an alliance?
"Li Zhi's strange reaction that day was probably because he received Li Tai's invitation to form an alliance, right?

"Judging from what that black-bellied fool said to Li Mingda, Li Tai invited him to have sex with me first?"

Li Ming finally figured out what happened that day.

Judging from the results, Li Zhi did not accept his brother's invitation. Instead, he took advantage of Li Tai's power in the court and launched a crazy attack.

"That stupid boy still has some conscience and brains." Li Ming sneered.

As for Li Tai...

Sometimes he joined forces with Li Zhi to fight Li Ming, sometimes he joined forces with Li Ming again, and at the same time tried to steal Li Ming's girl.

It gives people a feeling of trying anything possible to cure an illness.

"Li Tai found that his situation was not optimistic?
"I finally realized that I was just a hammer used to beat the Crown Prince. When the Crown Prince no longer holds the throne, his value to my father has also become zero?"

Li Ming thought the fat old man was both funny and pitiful.

He wastes all his time on succession conspiracies and various obscure "anecdotes", but never considers how to govern the country.

But when he realized that he had lost his usefulness, the guy was completely confused and didn't know what to do. He had to maintain a calm and composed image.

In comparison, the two younger brothers Li Ming and Li Zhi were much more organized.

The two of them developed step by step, winning people's hearts and minds, following the rules of the game set by their father.

As for my eldest brother Li Chengqian...

"What is he doing?"

Li Shimin changed the inheritance law, and Crown Prince Li Chengqian was the biggest victim, and he should have the most intense reaction.

But, when the fight officially started, why did Prince suddenly become so calm?
From the beginning till now, there hasn't been a single splash.

Although he still has the greatest power accumulated in the court.

But his power was being poached at a very fast pace by the newly rising Li Ming and Li Zhi.

After all, the minister is not a fool.

The prince's peaceful and completely calm appearance made them wonder if he was completely hopeless and they had to find another way out for themselves.

After all, no one dares to bet that the next emperor will have the same broad mind as the current one.

Just because Li Shimin did not settle accounts with the former subordinates of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji does not mean that his successors would do the same.

If I choose the wrong side on the issue of the crown prince and the new emperor takes revenge on me later, I will have no way to seek justice.

"Does Li Chengqian not want to be emperor?
"That's impossible. He was driven crazy because of the fear of being abandoned." Or... like some overly nervous senior high school students, who prepared for three years and suddenly broke down and gave up on themselves on the eve of the college entrance examination?
"But you can't just quit your job as the crown prince if you want to..."

Li Ming muttered all the way and walked out of the palace through the main gate in a swagger.

His Majesty has given him permission to enter and exit the Taiji Palace at any time by scanning his face, without having to climb over the wall.

…………

At the meeting.

Cen Wenben reported:
"I impeach..."

"I impeach the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, Cen Wenben, for forming a clique for personal gain and uniting with his party to attack those who are different from him."

Minister of Civil Affairs Tang Jian interrupted Cen Wenben's singing.

Cen Wenben opened his eyes wide:
"Why do you accuse someone of innocence out of thin air..."

"What innocence? I saw you enter the King of Wei's Literature Museum the day before yesterday."

Cen Wenben's face flushed red, veins popped out on his forehead, and he argued:

"Discussing literature cannot be considered forming a clique... How can the affairs of scholars be considered forming a clique?"

What followed were phrases like "A gentleman makes friends but does not form factions", which made all the ministers burst into laughter, and the hall was filled with a happy atmosphere.

"My dear ministers, please pay attention to your manners in front of the palace, Kukuku..."

Li Shimin tried hard to suppress his smile and shrugged his shoulders.

Cen Wenben returned to his seat with a red face and ears, and the pleasant impeachment session ended.

Li Shimin retracted his smile and said seriously:
"Xueyantuo Zhenzhu Khan has sent an envoy to ask for the princess's marriage. What do you think, my dear ministers?"

The ministers were highly unanimous on this matter, and they answered in unison:

"No!"

The Xueyantuo had always been restless and had been making advances towards Li Simo, a Turkic ally of the Tang Dynasty. The officials of the Zhenguan period and the people of the Tang Dynasty had long been dissatisfied with them.

Marriage?

Funny?
It is now the early Tang Dynasty, not the early Han Dynasty.

And although His Majesty did not make an official announcement, the perceptive ministers had already vaguely sensed it.

Your Majesty wants to start with the Xueyantuo.

The troops from Jiang, Huai, Ling and Xia, as well as the baggage from You and Yun states, which were originally prepared to attack Goguryeo, were sent after the war in Liaodong stopped.

Not only did they not disband, but they increased in number and accumulated in Yunzhou and Shuozhou areas.

The food and fodder were sent before the troops moved, which clearly showed that they were planning to go to war with Shuobei.

The only forces in Shuobei, apart from Li Simo, a Turkic ally who was pushed south of the Great Wall by Xueyantuo, were the Xueyantuo Bentuo.

War is a systematic project, especially when dealing with a large force like the Xueyantuo, the preliminary preparations cannot possibly not leak out.

Your Majesty has already made up his mind about the attitude of conquering Xueyantuo, and even pretended to ask whether we should form an alliance with them.

It is both a question that will give you points and a question that will kill you.

"I think you shouldn't reject me so bluntly. It's not a bad idea to pretend to be nice to me."

It was the veteran Fang Xuanling who came up with a different idea.

Using marriage alliance to keep the enemy in suspense can both buy time for war preparations and paralyze the enemy.

Li Shimin looked pleased:
"What Prime Minister Fang said is very much in line with my opinion. Which envoy can go?"

"I am willing to go." Tang Jian, who had been sent as an envoy to the Eastern Turks to induce them to surrender, volunteered.

Fang Xuanling had a different idea:

“I think there is someone more suitable to be sent as an envoy to Xueyantuo.

"What power does Qibi have?"

Li Shimin stroked his mustache:

"Why?"

"Because although Qibi Heli came from the Turkic Khanate, his ancestors were Tiele people, and they had the same origin as the Xueyantuo Tiele tribes." Fang Xuanling said:
"He knows the Tiele people better. He can not only delay time better, but also help us find out the terrain and strengths of the Xueyantuo."

In the court, no one understood Xueyantuo better than Qibi Heli.

Li Shimin nodded slightly.

Changsun Wuji disagreed with this:
"What if Qibi recognized the Tiele as his own people and defected to Xueyantuo?"

Fang Xuanling simply replied:

"He won't betray the Tang Dynasty."

Changsun Wuji wanted to refute, but when he thought of the old Qibi's handsome voice, appearance and smile, he hesitated.

Li Shimin made the decision on the spot:
"Let Qibi Heli go as an envoy to Xueyantuo."

…………

"So, the ministers in the court all agreed that Prime Minister Cen, Prime Minister Liu and others were members of the King of Wei's party, and they were suppressed?"

In the Wude Hall, Li Tai was drinking tea leisurely.

Cen Wenben nodded and sighed:
"Now we are being deliberately targeted by the insects in the court, and it is difficult to display our abilities."

"Don't force it, just do your best." Li Tai put down the tea bowl.

Cen Wenben looked at the darkening sky and wisely said goodbye.

The evening sun shines into the study, making it seem particularly lonely.

Li Tai couldn't help but sigh.

"My father's move is really giving me a headache. The Wei Wang faction is now surrounded by enemies and pointed at by thousands of people. They are almost at the end of their rope and have nowhere else to go...

"?

“It would be nice if everyone could think that way.”

He curled his lips and left the empty study room with a wave of his sleeves.

Outside the study window, a goshawk flapped its wings and flew high, with a roll of ink-soaked silk cloth tied to its legs.

…………

In the secret room of Ganye Temple, Li Chengqian and Wu Meiniang sat opposite each other.

Now that the four sons are competing for the throne, the crown prince, apart from having the title of "first in line to the throne", is no different in essence from the other three younger brothers.

Yes, he is still the No. 1 pick in the Empire.

That is to say, if Your Majesty encounters an unexpected accident before issuing an edict to determine the new crown prince.

Then legally speaking, His Highness Li Chengqian will still inherit the throne.

Your Majesty may suddenly issue an edict at any time to deprive Li Chengqian of his status as crown prince.

However, Li Chengqian did not seem to be in a hurry about this and did not take any action.

He still often came to Ganye Temple to listen to scriptures and study, and he was reluctant to leave the land of pleasure. It seemed that he was an idle prince and the game of thrones had nothing to do with him.

It is completely different from the previous anxious and worried look.

Faced with the prince who seemed to have given up on himself, Wu Meiniang had no intention of urging him.

After experiencing the "baptism" of Li Ming and his mother, she is calmer than before.

He just occasionally whispered something in the prince's ear.

"Does Your Highness hate His Majesty?"

Li Chengqian nodded without hesitation:

"Hate it. He used his power and pressure to make me like this. After he thought I was useless, he started to play with my brothers."

Wu Meiniang gently pressed Li Chengqian's head into her arms and patted him lovingly like a mother:

"We, the concubines in the cold palace, have spent our lives wasting our time waiting for his favor. How could we not hate him?"

The two fell silent at the same time.

a long time.

"When will we do it?"

"We need to think carefully and not let anyone see any flaws."

"Your Highness values ​​your reputation?"

"I cherish my life. If someone gives me a chance to criticize you, my three fierce brothers will not obey you, and neither will the whole world."

"Your Highness, don't worry. After Li Ming's reminder, I have a complete plan."

"...Well, let me think about it for a while."

(End of this chapter)