My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 429 I Don't Need Anyone's Advice
Tai Chi Hall.

Li Shimin felt he had never been so relaxed.

Without having to concern himself with state affairs or seeing the mountain of memorials, he felt completely relaxed.

The crown prince did not hinder his communication with the outside world, seemingly unconcerned about any changes, even though the troops from Liaodong were still on their way.

Of course, he also knew that the entire Taiji Palace was filled with the Crown Prince's spies and informants.

His every move and word may be known to the Crown Prince.

However, this was nothing to him. Just like the daily records, the emperor didn't really have much privacy. Even when he was about to spend the night with someone, there would be officials and palace maids attending to him at all times.

Zhang Anan also told him that all the eunuchs and palace maids were now under the jurisdiction of the Crown Prince's eunuch, Wen Zhong.

At this moment, he was sitting by the window, stroking an old bow. It was used during the suppression of Dou Jiande in the Wude era. The lacquer on the bow tip was already peeling, but he had polished it until it shone. Hearing footsteps outside the hall, he did not look up, but said calmly, "Is it Fuji?"

Changsun Wuji appeared at the door, his black official robe still damp with morning dew. He bowed and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

"no."

Li Shimin put down his bow and looked at him: "The commotion outside must be putting you in a difficult position, right?"

Li Shimin had naturally heard about the matter of the Crown Prince having additional officials appointed.

And then there were the officials who were arrested for their remonstrances.

Changsun Wuji's throat bobbed, and he said in a low voice, "The Crown Prince's actions were indeed swift and decisive. However, there were indeed some issues with the situation that day."

Li Shimin turned around abruptly, the wide sleeves of his dragon robe sweeping across the table, splashing a few drops of ink from the inkstone: "Fuji, you've followed me for thirty years, can't you see what the intention is?"

"The remonstrating officials are the pillars of public opinion that I personally nurtured! Back then, when Wei Zheng pointed his finger at me and cursed me in court, I never had the thought of killing him. But Chengqian is different. After a few words, he accused me of 'forcing the emperor' and threw me into prison—he's trying to silence everyone in the world!"

As he spoke, Li Shimin became somewhat agitated.

The group of remonstrating officials was not founded by him, but by his father, Li Yuan.

Who would have thought that the Crown Prince would do such a thing?

‘cough cough cough’

Perhaps due to excessive excitement, Li Shimin couldn't catch his breath and started coughing.

Changsun Wuji quickly stepped forward to help him up, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Your health is of utmost importance."

Li Shimin waved his hand, and Zhang Anan, who was standing next to him, quickly brought over some tea.

After taking a sip of tea, I felt better.

Changsun Wuji remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Your Majesty, it's not that the Crown Prince can't tolerate the old ministers, it's just that the timing is different. Now that the new policies have just been implemented, there are many people in the court and the public who are watching. Their storming into the Eastern Palace with the 'Essentials of Governance in the Zhenguan Era' does indeed have the appearance of coercion. If the Crown Prince wants to establish his authority, someone has to pay the price."

Li Shimin sighed, "When I launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, I killed my brothers to protect my country. But what about him? He killed loyal officials to protect his power."

"Your Majesty!" Changsun Wuji's voice suddenly rose: "The Crown Prince is implementing new policies! The establishment of new government offices and the separation of military and political affairs—aren't these all major initiatives that benefit the country and its people? If we don't make an example of him, those conservatives will only obstruct us at every turn. Didn't Your Majesty also target the Shandong gentry when you implemented the equal-field system?"

Changsun Wuji was also somewhat helpless. He was not a fence-sitter and had to stand on the Crown Prince's side, but if he didn't say this and support the Crown Prince, it would be difficult to explain to His Majesty.

If Your Majesty has any dissatisfaction, these thoughts will spread and easily arouse the ambitions of some people, which will cause chaos to break out in the Tang Dynasty, which has just calmed down.

Hearing what Changsun Wuji said, Li Shimin also came to his senses.

"Never mind." He closed his eyes. "Let him be."
-
East Palace.

No sooner had Changsun Wuji left than their conversation was placed on Li Chengqian's desk.

After looking at it carefully, I'm fairly satisfied.

It is better to block than to open up.

Li Chengqian did not cut off Li Shimin's external channels at all. Ministers could visit him whenever they wanted and talk about whatever they wanted without any obstruction.

It was as if Li Shimin still held the same great power as before.

In fact, many people in the imperial court still wanted to follow Li Shimin, or rather, to challenge the Crown Prince.

After all, the officials in the court are still the same officials from back then.

Most people are loyal to His Majesty in their hearts.

As long as His Majesty gives them a hint, they can support His Majesty's restoration.

But unfortunately, His Majesty clearly intends to abdicate.

Even if the Crown Prince doesn't object, there's nothing they can do if His Majesty doesn't agree.

Regardless of the circumstances, the Crown Prince is the first in line to the throne, and as the regent for over a decade, no one has a higher title than him.

Li Chengqian understood that Li Shimin was somewhat unwilling to accept this.

But he dared not, or rather, was unwilling.

Li Shimin had already lost. House arrest was one aspect, but more importantly, Li Tai and Li Zhi were also involved.

The lives of the two men were in Li Chengqian's hands. If Li Shimin made any move, the first to lose their lives would be Li Tai and Li Zhi.

With all the legitimate sons dead, only the crown prince remained.

Other sons born out of wedlock are not without the right to inherit, but how can they compare to the crown prince?

The only decent one was Prince Wu, Li Ke, who had previously responded to the Crown Prince's rebellion.

With bloodlines spanning two dynasties, no one would agree to the King of Wu succeeding to the throne.

As for the other princes, let's not mention them.

All things considered, no matter how much trouble Li Shimin caused, the throne would ultimately go to the crown prince.

So why make such a fuss? Why force brothers to kill each other?

No matter how unwilling I am, I have no choice but to accept it.

This was an inevitable trend, and Li Chengqian and Li Shimin both understood it.

At this moment, outside the East Palace.

Wei Zheng's purple robe had faded slightly from washing, but he held the imperial tablet in his hand ramrod straight.

This Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, known for his outspokenness, now had to plead for his colleagues who had been imprisoned, and more importantly, he wanted to ask the Crown Prince, who had just used his iron fist to intimidate the court, for an explanation regarding "the channels for free speech."

"Master Wei, please wait a moment. His Highness is currently reviewing the regulations submitted by various departments."

The eunuch Wen Zhong's voice was cautiously respectful, yet tinged with a hint of detachment. The Eastern Palace was no longer the place where old ministers could come and go as they pleased. Wei Zheng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the guards standing solemnly in the corridor. The swords at their waists gleamed coldly, displaying a greater degree of vigilance than the guards of the Taiji Hall.

Those were the eyes of someone who had experienced the bloody battle at Xuanwu Gate, and who only recognized one master, namely Li Chengqian, who sat upright inside.

A moment later, the study door was pushed open, and Li Chengqian's voice came out: "Master Wei is here, come in."

The study was filled with the faint scent of pine soot and ink. A new map of the Tang Dynasty's territory was hanging on the wall, with the locations of Lingnan Circuit and Anxi Protectorate marked in red ink. Next to it were thick volumes of documents, which were proposals from various departments to establish new government offices.

Li Chengqian sat behind his desk, his casual clothes barely concealing his imposing presence. When Wei Zheng entered, he merely raised his eyelids and asked, "Master Wei, you haven't come today to discuss the new policies, have you?"

Wei Zheng bowed and said, "I have come to plead for the old minister in the imperial prison."

Li Chengqian put down the wolf-hair brush in his hand and tapped the dossier lightly with his fingertips: "Does Master Wei know their crimes?"

"Your Majesty understands," Wei Zheng said in a steady voice. "Their intrusion into the Eastern Palace and violation of the Emperor's authority were indeed inappropriate. However, Your Highness's judgment of them as 'forcing the abdication' is perhaps too harsh."

"They were just...just anxious and wanted to use His Majesty's established rules to advise Your Highness. They did not intend to force you to abdicate."

Li Chengqian sneered, stood up and walked to Wei Zheng: "Taking the 'Essentials of Governance in the Zhenguan Era' and storming into the Eastern Palace, shouting in front of the guards, 'The Crown Prince is going to destroy the foundation of the Zhenguan era,' is this what you call loyalty and integrity?"

Wei Zheng looked up at him. The crown prince, whom he had watched grow up, had long lost the naivety of his youth, replaced by an almost cold and clear-headedness.

He took a deep breath: "Your Highness, His Majesty once said, 'Use bronze as a mirror to straighten one's clothes; use history as a mirror to understand the rise and fall of dynasties; use people as a mirror to understand one's gains and losses.' They are that 'human mirror.' Now that Your Highness has thrown them into the imperial prison, the people of the world will say that the Crown Prince cannot tolerate ministers who speak frankly."

"A mirror for people?" Li Chengqian leaned forward, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Does Master Wei think that what the Tang Dynasty lacks most right now is a mirror to reflect on myself, or a mirror to reflect on the officials?"

Li Chengqian pointed to the map of the territory on the wall: "During the Zhenguan era, the country was newly settled. Various factions in Guanzhong, Shandong, and Jiangnan were fighting openly and secretly. Father Emperor needed officials to keep an eye on him to prevent him from making mistakes in decision-making. This is the foundation of the 'Reign of Zhenguan'."

"But what about now? The Tang Dynasty has more than 300 prefectures and over 10,000 officials. The governor of Lingnan Circuit dares to embezzle tribute, the military commander of Anxi Protectorate dares to deduct military pay, and grain merchants in Luoyang dare to collude with officials to inflate rice prices. Has Master Wei seen these things in his 'human mirror'?"

Wei Zheng was taken aback and was speechless for a moment.

Li Chengqian straightened up: "They only care whether I am as 'open to advice' as His Majesty, but they ignore the fact that the barbarians in Lingnan are rebelling because of excessive taxes, and that the soldiers in Anxi are freezing to death because of the lack of winter clothing! Is such 'open advice' loyalty or dereliction of duty?"

“Back then, Master Wei dared to smash his tablet in the Taiji Hall and curse the Emperor for ‘seeking immortality and asking questions, which is foolish’ because he knew that the Emperor’s mistakes would affect the whole country.”

“But now, those officials who advise the emperor only dare to shout to me, ‘We should learn from Your Majesty,’ but they dare not check the accounts of the various states, nor do they dare to manage the provisions of the border troops.”

"What is this? Using the guise of 'speaking frankly' to coast along, while remaining indifferent to the corruption of officialdom!"

Cold sweat beaded on Wei Zheng's forehead. He had never imagined that his steadfast adherence to the principle of "accepting advice" would be used by Li Chengqian as an excuse for "dereliction of duty." He opened his mouth, "Your Highness, that's not what I meant. The duty of an advisor is to correct the emperor's mistakes, and the Censorate is responsible for supervising all officials..."

"The Censorate?" Li Chengqian interrupted him. "The Censorate is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel. Hou Junji himself is secretly expanding his ranks with disciples. Who are they investigating? Who are they protecting? Doesn't Master Wei know?"

That statement hit the nail on the head.

Wei Zheng remained silent.

He was well aware that as the ranks of officials expanded during the Zhenguan era, the Censorate had long been infiltrated by various factions. When investigating cases, they often avoided the important ones. The ones who could truly intimidate the officials were those who dared to speak frankly before the emperor.

But now, these officials' attention is really only focused on the "loss of the emperor".

Seeing that he remained silent, Li Chengqian softened his tone slightly: "Master Wei, I do not want to abolish the remonstrance officials, but rather to make them do what they are supposed to do."

Li Chengqian was prepared. After speaking, he returned to his desk, took out a file, and handed it to Wei Zheng: "Look, this is my draft of the 'New System for Remonstrance Officials.' I want to expand the number of remonstrance officials from the current twenty to two hundred, and station them in various prefectures and protectorates."

"They don't need to monitor my words and actions every day. They only need to find out three things: whether local officials are corrupt, whether military pay is paid in full, and whether government orders are implemented effectively."

Wei Zheng took the file, his fingers trembling slightly as he opened it. The handwriting was sharp and clear, each line distinct.

"The remonstrating officials can directly audit the accounts of the prefecture government without the governor's approval."

'They may attend military councils and inspect provisions and weapons; border generals must not obstruct them.'

"If anyone is found to have committed dereliction of duty, an impeachment memorial can be drafted directly, bypassing the Six Ministries and reaching the Crown Prince's Palace."

'If an official who offers remonstrance covers up or condones such behavior, he/she will be punished the same as one who neglects his/her duty.'

“This…” Wei Zheng looked up, his eyes filled with shock: “In this way, the power of the remonstrating officials is far too great, which may cause chaos.”

Li Chengqian smiled and asked in return, "With little power, how can I investigate those deeply entrenched local forces?"

"Back then, Wei Shi dared to impeach the Duke of Zhao precisely because he relied on the power of 'no punishment for speaking out' granted by His Majesty?"

"Now I'm giving the officials the 'power to investigate,' letting them dig out those parasites hiding beneath this prosperous age. What's wrong with that?"

He walked up to Wei Zheng and said solemnly, "My father used remonstrance officials to restrain the monarch because he was afraid that the monarch would act arbitrarily; I use remonstrance officials to supervise all officials because I am afraid that all officials will deceive their superiors and conceal the truth from their subordinates."

"Times change, so methods must change. We always say we should learn from our father, but what he was best at was adapting to the times. When he changed to the imperial examination system, wasn't that breaking with the old system?"

Wei Zheng's hands trembled slightly as he held the dossier.

He originally thought the Crown Prince was going to abolish the group of remonstrating officials, but he didn't expect that he would instead give the remonstrating officials such great power.

“Your Highness…” Wei Zheng’s voice was a little hoarse: “If this system is followed, the remonstrating officials will no longer be able to advise the monarch. What if… what if Your Highness makes a mistake? Who will remind you?”

Li Chengqian glanced at him indifferently and said, "If I were to make a mistake, who do you think would be of any use in reminding me?"

That's a domineering statement, but it's also very true.

In Li Chengqian's view, the existence of remonstrating officials was nothing more than a fig leaf for the monarch.

In dynastic times, the emperor's power was supreme.

If Li Shimin didn't listen to the advice of his remonstrating officials, would those officials have been truly effective?

For example, in recent years, with the large-scale construction projects underway, officials like Wei Zheng, who offered advice and criticism, did not simply stand by and watch.

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, Wei Zheng fell silent once again.

The Crown Prince's cannons blew up Xuanwu Gate, so he no longer cared about the remonstrating officials.

Even the officials of the imperial court probably didn't care much.

"I understand."

Wei Zheng nodded slowly, holding the dossier in his arms: "Your Highness's new policy aims to transform the remonstrating officials from 'officials who speak out' to 'officials who supervise,' and from 'correcting the emperor's mistakes' to 'purifying officialdom.' This is an innovative move, and I...I admire it."

Li Chengqian said calmly, "It's not just the remonstrance officials; they are merely one link in the chain."

"Let Wei Shi take charge of the matter of the remonstrance officials. As for the others, we'll see once I've established the regulations."

Li Chengqian's words effectively ended the conversation, but Wei Zheng hesitated for a moment before pleading, "Although these veteran officials have made mistakes, they are still founding ministers. If they are to be executed for 'forcing the emperor to abdicate,' it would discourage the scholars of the land. I humbly request Your Highness to be lenient in your judgment."

After a moment of silence, Li Chengqian said, "Their crime is not in offering advice, but in forming a faction to storm the palace and challenge imperial authority. If they are not punished, everyone will dare to follow suit, and how can the new policies be implemented?"

“I can spare their lives, but their official titles and ranks must be stripped away. They should be demoted to commoners and exiled to Lingnan, so that they can see for themselves what kind of life the people there lead. Perhaps this will make them understand what the real Tang Dynasty is like, rather than just talking about ‘loyalty and integrity’ in Chang’an.”

(End of this chapter)