My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 398 The Last Chance, A Desperate Gamble

Deep down, Li Ji didn't really want to lead his troops to attack the Daming Palace.

Li Ji is already very satisfied with his current status and position.

He had already reached the pinnacle of the Ming Dynasty; any further advancement would only bring him to a level similar to Li Jing.

But if he were to reach Li Jing's position, wielding a large amount of military power, he would be more likely to arouse suspicion. Even if he successfully helped Li Zhi ascend to the throne, he wouldn't be as relaxed as he is now.

Sima Yi's boomerang-like maneuver effectively sealed the fate of subsequent dynasties.

But as the old saying goes, many things are beyond our control.

Facing Li Zhi's expectant gaze, Li Ji finally took a deep breath.

"it is good."

This word seemed to have drained all of Li Ji's strength.

However, Li Ji immediately perked up and began to make plans.

Since everything has already been decided, of course we should do our best.

“I have two thousand Flying Cavalry under my command, all of whom are my trusted confidants. On the day of the sacrifice, the Crown Prince will take away the elite troops of the Eastern Palace, and the garrison of the Daming Palace will be empty. At that time, we will force our way in.”

"We can also recruit some of our old troops. In terms of manpower, we should have enough."

"Our goal is not to capture the Daming Palace, but the gunpowder workshop. Destroying it will be a victory."

"The rest is up to His Majesty."

Li Ji's thinking was very clear: when the Crown Prince went to perform the sacrifice, he would ostensibly bring 3,000 Right Jinwu Guards, but in reality, he would have more troops. However, these troops would not go to the altar, but they would definitely provide support from the outside.

If there are any changes to the sacrificial ceremony, we will definitely provide support immediately.

Therefore, the number of elite troops left to guard Daming Palace would not exceed 20,000.

Li Ji had a general understanding of the Daming Palace, as it was built by skilled craftsmen and thus had many intricate details.

Li Ji, who controlled the Left Jinwu Guard, was a trusted and capable general of Li Shimin, and naturally shared intelligence from the Daming Palace with him.

He knew very well that the Crown Prince's standing army at the gunpowder workshop only numbered five thousand.

This gave Li Ji some confidence.

Most importantly, everyone's attention will be on the sacrificial ceremony and ensuring the safety of the Crown Prince, so the defenses at Daming Palace will definitely be reduced.

"I'm leaving everything to you, teacher."

Li Zhi bowed deeply and respectfully.

He knew that his teacher had helped him, and even if he became emperor, he couldn't give his teacher anything more.

At most, he would receive the same treatment as Changsun Wuji, with the title of Minister of Works.

The title of Situ sounds like a high-ranking and powerful position, but in reality, he has to hand over the military power he holds.

Of course, he had to be given the title of prime minister, but Li Ji was not good at handling state affairs, and he didn't particularly like dealing with important state matters.

In comparison, this gives the impression of a promotion in name only, but a demotion in reality.

But there's nothing we can do about it.

Li Zhi didn't have many ideas about how to attack the Daming Palace. Li Ji was more professional in this area, and all he could do was wait for the results.

"Your Majesty is too kind. I will certainly do my utmost."

Li Ji did not stand on ceremony; he quickly stepped forward to help him up and referred to himself as "your subject."

If this plan succeeds, Li Zhi will become the crown prince and the future emperor of the Tang Dynasty. The distinction between the emperor and his ministers will still be very important.

If they lose, or even lose their lives, at least they will retire early.

After the matter was settled, Li Zhi took his leave.

Li Ji also needs to begin preparations.

The most important thing here is secrecy. Both the Crown Prince and His Majesty have a large number of spies in Chang'an, including around Li Ji.

Therefore, the information must not be leaked before the operation is carried out.

This was not difficult for Li Ji. He had fought for many years, from the Sui Dynasty to the present, and had many old subordinates and confidants.

Moreover, this is not a rebellion, but merely an attack on the Crown Prince's Daming Palace.

In a sense, Li Ji's actions could be carried out under the banner of Li Shimin, given the relationship between the Crown Prince and His Majesty.

In dynastic times, most soldiers followed their generals, and old subordinates were more like family retainers. Even if there was a rebellion, they would still follow along.

Moreover, most military men have no concept of politics. They simply obey their general's orders.

After Li Zhi left the residence of the Left Jinwu Guard General,

He did not return directly to his own residence.

Instead, they went to a quiet villa in Puningfang.

Inside the villa, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

As Li Zhi stepped into the room, he saw Cui Shengyu dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, holding a jade teacup, leisurely sipping tea.

Upon seeing the arrival of the Prince of Jin, Cui Shengyu calmly put down his teacup, stood up and bowed, his attitude respectful yet somewhat distant.

"Young Master Cui, there's no need for such formalities."

Li Zhi raised his hand to signal, and then cautiously scanned his surroundings to make sure no one was eavesdropping before sitting down opposite Cui Shengyu.

No one would have imagined that Cui Shengyu, the eldest son of the Cui family of Qinghe and an absolute core member of the Wei King's faction, would now be entangled with the Jin King.

Actually, there was nothing that could be done about it. From Cui Shengyu's perspective, he felt that the chances of the Prince of Wei succeeding in seizing the throne were too slim.

He did want to side with the Crown Prince, but despite expressing his sincerity multiple times, the Crown Prince showed no intention of accepting his offer.

Especially recently, after Changsun Wuji, as a member of the Guanlong aristocracy, almost tacitly agreed to support the Prince of Jin, Cui Shengyu wanted to talk to the Crown Prince again, but was directly rejected without even meeting him.

Clearly, once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he will not tolerate these prominent families and will continue His Majesty's strategy of suppressing the Shandong gentry.

Cui Shengyu couldn't understand it. The Guanlong aristocratic families, represented by Changsun Wuji, were all supporting the Prince of Jin, yet the Crown Prince had no interest in them whatsoever.

In the Tang Dynasty, the two largest forces were the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families and the Guanlong Clan.

The Crown Prince wanted neither.

What are they trying to do?

Cui Shengyu couldn't understand it, but he still had to find a way out for the Cui family of Qinghe.

After much deliberation, he decided to have a talk with the Prince of Jin.

Unexpectedly, the Prince of Jin was quite tempted by his surrender.

After some private conversations, they developed a cooperative intention, which was something Cui Shengyu himself hadn't expected. He thought that with the support of the powerful clans, the Prince of Jin would definitely stand against the five surnames and seven clans.

Unexpectedly, there was a sudden turn of events.

After pondering for a moment, Cui Shengyu came to his senses, smiled slightly, poured two more cups of tea, pushed one towards Li Zhi, and asked in a meaningful tone, "Did the Prince of Jin come here for the sacrificial ceremony?" This time, the Prince of Jin had invited him to meet through a secret letter.

Regarding this meeting with the Prince of Jin, Cui Shengyu had made many predictions beforehand. Now, the most important matter is His Majesty's sacrifice to Heaven for the three harvests of rice.

Li Zhi picked up his teacup, took a sip, and frowned slightly: "Young Master Cui is indeed exceptionally intelligent. The current situation in the world is turbulent and unpredictable. The Crown Prince is powerful, and the Prince of Wei and I are in a difficult situation. This sacrificial ceremony is a crucial opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Cui Shengyu's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible glint, and he slowly said, "Prince Jin must already have a plan. I wonder why you seek my help? You should know that in the eyes of outsiders, I am a member of the Wei King's faction."

Li Zhi put down his teacup and stared intently at Cui Shengyu: "That's why I've come to find you. Young Master Cui is the eldest son of the Cui family of Qinghe, of noble status, and wields extraordinary influence in the court. If Young Master Cui can be used by me to send false information to the Prince of Wei, it will surely disrupt the Crown Prince's plans."

These words were tantamount to directly urging Cui Shengyu to betray the King of Wei.

Previously, there had been no such connection between the two.

Cui Shengyu leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, a half-smile on his face: "Why would the Prince of Jin think I would betray the Prince of Wei and help you instead? Besides, how can such false information be fabricated to make the Prince of Wei believe it without a doubt?"

That's what they said, but in reality, Choi Sung-ok had already agreed.

He felt no guilt whatsoever about betraying the King of Wei.

Li Zhi leaned forward, his expression serious: "Young Master Cui, we both understand the current situation. If the Crown Prince ascends the throne, the Cui family of Qinghe may enjoy temporary glory, but it may not be able to prosper for long. If I ascend the throne, I will certainly not mistreat the Cui family. As for the false news, I want you to tell the Prince of Wei that the Crown Prince plans to kill me and him during the sacrificial ceremony to eliminate any future troubles. In this way, he can become His Majesty's only legitimate son and firmly sit on the throne as Crown Prince."

Li Zhi was also honest and spoke his mind directly.

Of course, this plan was not actually his idea, but Wu Zetian's.

Meiniang told him that Li Ji alone might not be enough, and it would be best to use other things to attract the attention of the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

The key lies with the King of Wei.

Since he had already plotted against the Crown Prince, he certainly couldn't overlook the Prince of Wei. However, Li Zhi couldn't possibly deal with both the Crown Prince and the Prince of Wei at the same time; he didn't have that kind of power yet.

Furthermore, both Li Zhi and Li Tai were required to attend the sacrificial ceremony on the day of the ceremony.

Therefore, Mei Niang came up with a plan to kill two birds with one stone.

Cui Shengyu raised an eyebrow, a playful look on his face: "Prince Jin's plan is indeed ruthless, but Prince Wei is no fool either. Why would he believe me?"

Actually, I was somewhat disappointed. I thought the Prince of Jin was going to target the Crown Prince, but I didn't expect him to target the Prince of Wei instead.

In terms of their current relationship, the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Wei are interdependent and must unite against the powerful Crown Prince.

If they start fighting amongst themselves now, wouldn't that just benefit the crown prince?

However, Cui Shengyu did not say it directly, but instead followed the words of the Prince of Jin.

“Young Master Cui has served by the King of Wei’s side for many years and enjoys his deep trust. As long as you speak sincerely and present some seemingly plausible evidence, the King of Wei will surely believe it.”

A ruthless glint flashed in Li Zhi's eyes: "Moreover, the Crown Prince is now very powerful, and the Prince of Wei is already uneasy. If we provoke him a little, he will definitely lose his composure."

He was referring to the King of Wei, but also to himself.

He had previously considered that the King of Wei might not believe him, but Meiniang asked him what would happen if he were in the King of Wei's shoes and heard that the Crown Prince wanted to kill him and the King of Wei.

Will there be doubt, or fear?

Li Zhi immediately understood that even if there were doubts about the news, the King of Wei would absolutely not dare to gamble.

Because he knew he would be afraid, naturally the King of Wei would also be afraid.

Cui Shengyu pondered for a moment, then lightly tapped his fingers on the table: "Prince Jin, this matter is extremely risky. If it is discovered, my entire Cui family will be doomed. You must give me a promise of sufficient weight."

Betrayal is a bad reputation, and it's more troublesome than colluding with the Turks.

Colluding with the Turks could be attributed to internal factions, but betraying the King of Wei carries entirely different implications.

Therefore, Cui Shengyu asked the Prince of Jin for protection.

Li Zhi said without hesitation, "As long as I ascend the throne, I will definitely appoint the Cui family members to high-ranking positions and grant them access to the central government. Moreover, I will also arrange a marriage alliance with the Cui family to ensure a lasting bond of friendship."

Cui Shengyu didn't care much about bringing the Cui family of Qinghe into the imperial court, because it was the most basic condition for cooperation.

But marrying a woman surnamed Cui is a different concept.

The position of Empress is a given, but the position of Imperial Concubine is definitely going to be given to her.

This greatly appealed to Cui Shengyu.

If Prince Jin truly ascends the throne, the Cui clan of Qinghe will undoubtedly rise in status and regain its former glory through this marriage alliance.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Cui Shengyu's eyes, but he still did not budge: "Words are meaningless. How can you expect me to believe you, Prince Jin?"

Li Zhi pondered for a moment, then took out a jade tablet engraved with the seal of the Prince of Jin from his bosom and solemnly placed it on the table: "This is my seal. Young Master Cui, take it. If you need it in the future, I will definitely keep my promise."

This is tantamount to handing Cui Shengyu a handle against him.

Cui Shengyu reached out and picked up the jade token, examining it carefully before nodding after a long while: "Alright, I agree. However, after this false information is spread, we need to carefully consider the follow-up matters. The Crown Prince has many capable people around him, and he will definitely be on guard."

Cui Shengyu's attitude also became more serious in his words.

Li Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, his expression softening slightly: "Young Master Cui, rest assured, General Li Ji has agreed to help me. On the day of the sacrifice, he will lead the Left Jinwu Guard to attack the gunpowder workshop in the Daming Palace. Once it is destroyed, the Crown Prince will be thrown into chaos. And the false information you spread will cause conflict between the Prince of Wei and the Crown Prince, diverting their attention."

Having already given the Prince of Jin his seal, Li Zhi no longer intended to hide it and immediately revealed his plans for the Crown Prince.

Cui Shengyu pondered, "I see. General Li Ji's intervention has greatly increased our chances of winning."

In just a moment, Cui Shengyu understood.

Giving the King of Wei false information was merely a supplementary measure; the real key lay in the gunpowder workshop of the Daming Palace.

Once the Crown Prince's gunpowder workshop is forced to close, without gunpowder, how can the Crown Prince, even with tens of thousands of elite troops, confront His Majesty?

His Majesty will surely take this opportunity to strip the Crown Prince of his military power, and even depose him.

To Cui Shengyu's surprise, Li Ji actually agreed to raise an army to help.

"General Li Ji had already planned everything meticulously."

Li Zhi explained, “On the day of the sacrifice, the Crown Prince will take away the elite troops of the Eastern Palace, leaving the garrison of Daming Palace vulnerable. Moreover, General Li Ji has two thousand Flying Cavalry under his command, all of whom are his trusted confidants. If we also gather some of his old troops, it will be enough to accomplish our goal. Furthermore, when the craftsmen were building Daming Palace, we planted many spies who are very familiar with the situation inside.”

Cui Shengyu nodded: "It seems that the Prince of Jin is indeed well prepared. However, when would be the best time to pass on this false information to the Prince of Wei?"

Li Zhi's expression was solemn: "Tomorrow morning, you will go to see the Prince of Wei and tell him the news. Time is of the essence, and there can be no delay."

"The sacrifice is in three days, and we must give King Wei enough time to prepare and deal with it."

Cui Shengyu remained silent for a long time before finally nodding: "Very well, since the Prince of Jin has made up his mind, I will do my best to help him. I hope we can achieve great success this time."

Li Zhi rose and bowed to Cui Shengyu again: "Thank you, Young Master Cui. After this great undertaking is accomplished, I will never forget your help today."

Cui Shengyu also stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "Your Highness is too kind."

After discussing some more details, Li Zhi left.

After leaving the villa, Li Zhi was filled with mixed feelings, a mixture of anticipation for the upcoming action and unease. But he knew he had no way out and had to take a gamble.

Unsuccessful, they become benevolent.

After this, if he fails, the Crown Prince will certainly not hold back against him again.

Even the Emperor couldn't protect them anymore.

(End of this chapter)