My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 395 In the Name of Empress Changsun

The war in the Western Regions would naturally not be able to spread to Chang'an in a short period of time.

However, even if the news spread to Chang'an, no one would care too much.

After all, for the Tang Dynasty, the people were tough and the prosperity was achieved through fighting.

If your fist is not strong, how can other nations come to pay tribute to you?

Perhaps the only one who cared more was the Roman princess Theodosius.

Because the Tang Dynasty was at war with the Arab Empire, the Arab Empire naturally had no time to care about Byzantium.

In fact, the Byzantine Empire survived this period entirely by luck. Both in history and now, the enemy has already reached Constantinople.

This is just like the army approaching the city of Chang'an.

Originally, Byzantium was ready to surrender, but who knew that the enemy would retreat in such a confused manner, which allowed the Eastern Roman Empire to survive for a while longer.

Naturally, Li Chengqian’s current thoughts cannot be on the border.

Besides, the current Anxi Protectorate of the Tang Dynasty is really powerful. At least before the An-Shi Rebellion, it was the overlord of the Western Regions.

It doesn't mean that the Arab Empire can just send some troops here and conquer other places as smoothly as it did.

The Tang Dynasty's armaments and the personal qualities of its soldiers and generals were not comparable to those of the Arab Empire.

The Battle of Hengrus is evidence of this. The Tang army was able to defeat a larger force with fewer troops and escape unscathed. If there had not been internal problems, they would have gathered their forces and crushed the enemy.

However, the news from Tianzhu has already reached Li Chengqian.

Although Li Chengqian himself did not care much about it, Wang Xuance cared a lot. The death of King Harshavardhana would cause great changes in the whole of India, so of course he had to tell the prince as soon as possible.

Wang Xuance still wanted to get the prince's approval.

Even though Wang Xuance's status in the Tang Dynasty was not very high, his situation outside the Tang Dynasty as a Tang envoy was naturally completely different.

Li Chengqian also gave his approval to this, allowing Wang Xuance to act at his discretion.

The distance is too far and there is nothing much to explain.

It would probably take several months for this approval to reach Wang Xuance. This is the problem with long distances. The central government's orders cannot be conveyed immediately, and his subordinates are more likely to act freely.

Fortunately, Wang Xuance is also a talented person.

"Your Highness, I heard that His Majesty has developed artillery and has produced quite a few."

Du He delivered the news promptly. He had worked in the palace at the time and had some connections.

But the most important thing is the current situation of the prince in Chang'an City.

Otherwise, others would not be willing to sell well to him.

Many people are still willing to secretly bet on the prince. Since ancient times, in the struggle for imperial power, who dares to put all their eggs in one basket?

Therefore, Du He’s former friends will also sell well.

It is actually not a big secret that the Gunpowder Department needs a large amount of copper. A little investigation will reveal what all the copper is used for.

"That's not a bad thing. The artillery is about the fire, not the cannon."

"Without a good cannon, it's just a decoration."

Li Chengqian saw it clearly and knew very well that the key to artillery lies in gunpowder.

As of now, it is impossible for the Gunpowder Bureau to develop the gunpowder formula in such a short time.

The gunpowder in Li Chengqian's hand is the best ratio developed by later scientific and technological means.

And when it comes to the production of gunpowder, they would rather go slow than leak it.

Each craftsman who made gunpowder had his own steps, and they were all under strict supervision and surrounded by the army.

Not to mention investigating, even if the spies get close they will be killed immediately.

This is also the reason why Li Shimin spent so much time trying to get the distribution but failed.

Moreover, Li Chengqian had issued an order that if anyone was found making gunpowder, they should attack the military camp.

The first step was to kill the gunpowder maker and then completely destroy the gunpowder workshop.

It sounds like these gunpowder craftsmen seem innocent, but there is no other solution.

Because Li Chengqian knew very well what it would mean to him if the gunpowder formula was leaked.

Whenever there was a possibility of leakage, Li Chengqian would raise his troops without hesitation and storm Xuanwu Gate.

Even if the reputation is bad and the situation is turbulent, we can't care so much.

This is his biggest advantage, or even his only advantage.

The throne of emperor must be won.

Inside Tai Chi Palace.

Li Shimin summoned Zhangsun Wuji to discuss strategies to deal with the prince.

Seeing that the triple-harvest rice was about to be planted, Li Shimin knew that this might very well be an opportunity for the crown prince.

There is a high possibility that the prince will take advantage of this opportunity to make some big moves.

As for what the action was, Li Shimin probably had some idea of ​​it.

The candlelight flickered on the gilded animal-head candlestick, casting a shadow on half of the copy of "Zhenguan Zhengyao" on Li Shimin's desk.

He tapped the jade paperweight with his fingertips, his eyes fixed on the dark night outside the window. The copper bells on the eaves rang softly in the evening breeze, but could not dispel the gloom that had condensed in the hall.

Changsun Wuji stood beside the throne with his hands hanging down. The gold-woven Xiezhi pattern on his black court robe glowed coldly under the candlelight. He could see the new white hair on His Majesty's temples, which was a mark that had become increasingly serious since Crown Prince Li Chengqian took control of the Right Jinwu Guard.

"...Twenty artillery pieces at Tongguan, thirty thousand Liao soldiers at Luoyang, and two hundred thousand more troops in Liaodong."

Li Shimin suddenly spoke, his voice as low and hoarse as polished jade.

"Cheng Qian has put a knife on Chang'an's neck. But if I mobilize the army, Guanzhong will be ravaged. If the rice seed incident is true, how can the people believe that I am fighting for the country?"

This is what Li Shimin found most troublesome.

In recent years, the weather in various parts of the Tang Dynasty has not been completely good. It can only be said that the overall situation is pretty good, but disasters still occur every year.

Moreover, because of the previous eastern expedition to Liaodong, the burden on many places was still quite heavy.

At this point, the three-harvest rice that the prince developed had a huge impact.
Zhang Sun Wuji's throat moved slightly, and he bowed and said, "Your Majesty is worried. Since the Xuanwu Gate Incident, your majesty's benevolent rule has spread throughout the world, but the prince has grown up, and a head-on confrontation will only hurt the country. In the past, the King of Chu held the Hongmen Banquet, but he wanted to capture Liu Bang alone to determine the fate of the world. Now, perhaps..."

In fact, Changsun Wuji didn’t have any good ideas. If he had any, he would have used them long ago.

However, he saw clearly that for the current prince, although his power was huge, it was somewhat weak, like a castle in the air.

As long as the crown prince falls, with your majesty's majesty, you will be able to easily control the situation.

"Hongmen Banquet?"

Li Shimin raised his eyes, the candlelight reflected a complex light in his pupils.

"You mean, to catch the thief first?"

Zhang Sun Wuji hesitated a little, but still said affirmatively: "That's right."

He took a step forward, and the corner of his robe brushed against the floor tiles, making a slight friction sound.

"Although the prince holds military power, his base is still in Chang'an. If we can control him in the capital, the troops in Tongguan and Luoyang will be leaderless and trapped. However..."

He paused, deep wrinkles forming between his brows. "When Xiang Yu held a banquet, Liu Bang still had Xiang Bo to tip him off. Now that the rift between Your Majesty and the Crown Prince is deep, how could he easily take risks?" The hall was silent for a moment, with only the sound of dripping water from the clepsydra being clearly audible.

Li Shimin stood up and walked to the mural with the painting "All Nations Paying Homage". His fingertips traced the kneeling figure of Jie Li Khan in the painting, and he suddenly sneered: "I once rode alone on the banks of the Wei River to repel 200,000 Turkic troops. Now, to deal with your own son, you have to follow Xiang Yu's example and set a trap?"

This made Li Shimin feel a little absurd.

But I have to admit that Cheng Qian is indeed very similar to me.

There was no lack of means, schemes, cunning and planning.

But it was precisely because of his similarity that Li Shimin felt troubled.

He himself knows best what he is like.

Since ancient times, emperors have hoped that the crown prince would be like themselves, but they don't want that.

This kind of self is really not a good thing.

"His Majesty."

Changsun Wuji spoke in an earnest tone.

"It's not about learning Xiang Yu's brute courage, but learning his 'legitimate reason'. Liu Bang went to the banquet because Xiang Yu summoned him with the 'Prince Huai's Agreement'. Liu Bang had a legitimate reason to go. Now, if we want to make the prince let down his guard, we must first find a reason that he can't refuse."

Changsun Wuji still had a lot of ideas, but even if he had some thoughts, he didn't dare to say them directly.

This is a struggle between the emperor and the prince. It is not a good thing to get too involved.

But Your Majesty has doubts, but you have to answer.

I can only tell you slowly and see how Your Majesty arranges it.

After all, no matter what happens in the future, I can get rid of some of the ties.

"The reason..."

Li Shimin turned around and his eyes fell on the newly arrived official newspaper on the desk.

This is the official bulletin published a few days ago, regarding the issue of triple-harvesting rice.

It caused a great disturbance both among the people and in the court, but within the palace, everything seemed relatively calm.

After all, no one dared to congratulate the prince at this time, as this would be like stabbing His Majesty in the heart.

The public response was huge, and many scholars had written articles praising the prince. Words like "The prince saved me" were certainly not something that the common people could come up with, but there were writers who wrote them for them.

After all, the Tang Dynasty royal family had a very high credibility. Even before the planting of the triple-harvest rice began, everyone felt that it would be successful, and this was also the hope of most of the people.

If it really succeeds, if the family can produce three crops from their own fertile land, the annual grain income will be tripled, so there will be no need to worry about food and drink.

It is also because of the three-harvest rice issue that the rice price, which had originally started to rise, has continued to fall.

Although a dou of rice cost only three or four coins, this was a reflection of the Zhenguan period, but it was actually only a period of time, and the price of rice could not have remained so cheap all the time.

The current price of rice has risen to more than ten cents.

This time, as the court newspaper reported the triple-harvesting rice, the price of rice fell rapidly again.

Grain traders dare not hoard too much grain, so they naturally have to sell it off, and this sale will cause prices to go down.

Overall, it is good for the Tang Dynasty’s treasury.

The drop in food prices is good news for the people in the disaster-stricken areas.

Officials from all over the court could easily provide porridge to help with disaster relief, after all, it didn’t cost much.

These things made Li Shimin feel very complicated.

"Just because of this rice seed, the people are almost worshipping him as Shennong! If we arrest him now, wouldn't it be a proof that 'the king's virtue is lacking'?"

The prince's reputation was rising, and Li Shimin felt somewhat restrained even if he wanted to take action.

"Your Majesty, the rice seed issue is the key to breaking the impasse."

Changsun Wuji picked up the official report with a burning gaze.

"The prince wants to win the hearts of the people by using rice seeds. Your Majesty, why don't you do the opposite? You can issue an edict to summon the prince to the palace and tell him that 'the three-harvest rice seeds are the country's most precious treasure. We should offer sacrifices to the gods at the Altar of the God of Agriculture to pray for a good harvest.' Sacrifice is a great ceremony for the country. As the crown prince, there is no reason for him to refuse."

Changsun Wuji had his own ideas. After all, he was already on the road to supporting Prince Jin, and the news could not be hidden from the Crown Prince.

Deposing the crown prince was also Zhangsun Wuji's political desire, but it couldn't be too extreme.

After all, political struggle is struggle, but reputation is also very important to the aristocratic families.

He represents the Guanlong clan, and what he seeks is not prosperity for one generation, but orderly inheritance and long-term prosperity.

I can't stand the Five Surnames and Seven Aristocrats, but I also want to become one of them.

"Sacrifice to the heavens?"

Li Shimin pondered and said, "Xiannongtan is in the south of Chang'an City. The terrain is open. If we set an ambush..."

This reason is good, but setting up an ambush is a bit troublesome.

The prince will definitely not come alone, it is inevitable that he will bring troops with him.

Besides, for Li Shimin, what he wanted was not to kill the crown prince, but to depose him.

After all, Cheng Qian is the eldest son of himself and Guanyinbi.

"No!"

Changsun Wuji interrupted immediately.

"The Xiannong Altar is a sacred place for royal sacrifices. If you resort to war, it will damage your majesty's virtue."

"My intention is to use the name of 'telling the heaven' to lure the prince into a trap, expose his crime of forming a clique for personal gain, and make his military power unjust and legitimate."

He paused and lowered his voice: "Your Majesty's Xuanwu Gate Incident was also in the name of 'clearing the emperor's side'. If the prince has a rebellious heart now, Your Majesty should deal with him as a father and a king. It is only natural."

Li Shimin walked to the window, looked at the towering walls of the Taiji Palace, and recalled the bloody morning of the ninth year of Wude.

He didn't want Cheng Qian to repeat Jiancheng's mistakes, but he had to be on guard.

"Cheng Qian is suspicious. Just in the name of sacrifice, he must bring guards. The Right Jinwu Guard is in his hands, the elite of Liaodong..."

Zhang Sun Wuji immediately responded, "You can deploy the imperial guards to the vicinity of the Altar of Agriculture in the name of 'protecting the emperor during the sacrifice'. They are called guards, but they are actually for surveillance. As for the prince's guards... you can order them to wait outside the altar, and only allow the prince to enter the altar with a few personal followers, on the grounds that 'the sacrifice is solemn and outsiders are not allowed to enter.'"

Li Shimin sneered: "How can the prince be willing to have a few followers? I think he will want to mobilize tens of thousands of troops by then."

A gleam of light flashed in Changsun Wuji's eyes: "This requires another reason."

"Your Majesty can issue an order at the same time, ordering all the officials in the court to go together, under the pretext of 'discussing strategies for promoting rice seeds'. If the Crown Prince sees that all the important officials are present, he may think that Your Majesty has no intention of engaging in war and relax his vigilance. Furthermore..."

Speaking of this, Changsun Wuji's expression began to struggle.

He actually didn't want to use this last excuse, but if he didn't use this excuse, how could he convince the prince.

The key point is that if I tell it out, I will offend His Majesty.

The plan is a good one, but it depends on whether Your Majesty is willing to accept it.

Li Shimin frowned and said, "Speak."

Zhang Sun Wuji sighed inwardly, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Your Majesty, you can use the name of Empress Zhang Sun to order the Crown Prince."

Before he could finish his words, Li Shimin shouted, "How dare you!"

(End of this chapter)