My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 9 Li Shimin's Wishful Thinking

The Helan clan, also known as the Helai clan, is the clan surname of the Helan tribe of the Xiongnu people, a branch of the Donghu people in the Helan Mountain area.

In the Xianbei language, Helai means loyalty.

The tribe was loyal to the clan to which it belonged. Successive chiefs repeatedly led the tribe to pledge allegiance to the Tuoba tribe, and had marriage relations with the Tuoba tribe for generations. Therefore, they were called Helai by the chief of the Tuoba tribe.

Helan Chushi's ancestor was one of the eight princes and nobles under the Tuoba royal family in the Northern Wei Dynasty, which was centered on the Tuoba tribe during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. His ancestors had been relatives of the Tuoba tribe for generations, and in terms of overall power, they ranked third only to the Qiumuling clan and the Buliugu clan.

After the Northern Wei and Sui dynasties, it gradually declined.

A lean camel is bigger than a horse. Although the Helan family is not a prominent family nowadays, they are still among the wealthy families.

"Your Majesty, this move is really too much."

"Although what Your Highness did was a little out of line, why should you bear this punishment? When I heard about this yesterday, I beat my chest and stamped my feet. I hated that I couldn't bear this injustice for Your Highness."

Helan Chushi was filled with indignation and his tone was interrupted.

It seems like she was really upset about the prince's matter.

"Okay, don't mention this anymore."

"Your Majesty's punishment of me has little to do with keeping a male concubine. It's because of some other things."

"I slept soundly yesterday and had just finished breakfast. I wanted to ask you to come and discuss this matter, but I didn't expect you to be here already."

Li Chengqian said half-truthfully.

Helan Chushi didn't expect that there was other hidden secrets in this.

Thinking of what the prince and his father-in-law had planned, he suddenly became worried.

"Is it possible?"

"Mo Duo thinks it's about the assassination of King Wei."

"Assassinate the King of Wei?"

Helan Chushi didn't know that Li Chengqian sent people to assassinate King Wei.

He immediately said confidently: "Someone must have wronged Your Highness. I must find out the truth and redress Your Highness's injustice."

Li Chengqian glanced at Helan Chushi calmly and said, "It's not wrong. The person who assassinated the King of Wei was sent by me."

Helan Chushi, who had just gotten excited, suddenly froze and felt a little embarrassed.

Li Chengqian ignored him and continued, "The King of Wei has no evidence, so I naturally don't admit it. But Your Majesty thinks that it was someone I sent."

"Your Majesty's punishment of me was not an assassination. It was just that I had a dispute with Your Majesty on some issues, which made Your Majesty so angry."

"Now that things have passed, you don't have to worry about it."

Helan Chushi asked carefully, "How will Your Highness arrange for the assassin?"

Li Chengqian said directly: "The assassin I sent was Hegan Chengji. Now that the truth has been exposed, I have no way to keep him."

"After returning yesterday, I buried him with great ceremony."

Helan Chushi breathed a sigh of relief. He was still worried that the prince would leave behind Hegan Chengji, a hidden danger.

Little did he know that he himself was also a hidden danger.

Then he thought of something and asked, "The informant was the King of Wei, right?"

Li Chengqian nodded: "There is obviously a spy from the King of Wei in the East Palace."

Helan Chushi hurriedly asked, "Your Highness, do you have any clues about the spy?"

After thinking for a while, he said, "Could it be that old villain Yu Zhining, the left bastard?"

Li Chengqian said: "It's not him. If Yu Zhining wanted to inform on someone, he would have done it long ago. Why wait until now?"

"This spy is hiding very deeply. I guess there may be more than one person, or even several or even dozens of people."

"The King of Wei had long known that I had a male lover and used it as leverage. It was not until I sent Hegan Chengji to assassinate him that he reported the matter."

"That's a good thing, otherwise if Hegan Chengji stays here, it will easily cause trouble. If it gets involved in what we are planning, that would be a big problem."

Helan Chushi was still frightened: "Your Highness is right, fortunately the hidden danger has been eliminated, but the matter of the spy..."

Li Chengqian sighed, "This is what I am most worried about right now." "You need to explain this to Minister Hou. There is no need to exchange letters in the future to avoid leaving evidence. If there is anything important, we still have to talk in person."

"If this evidence is obtained by the King of Wei's people, it will be a real disaster."

At this point, Li Chengqian paused for a moment, then said, "All the correspondence between me and Minister Hou was conveyed by Chu Shi."

"At present, we still don't know where the spy is hiding. After Chu Shi returns, we must investigate thoroughly. If there are servants who secretly do something wrong, they will be dealt with severely and without mercy."

Helan Chushi's eyes were complicated.

He didn't know whether the servants kept it or not, but he did keep a copy for himself as a backup plan.

Hearing what the prince said, I immediately became worried.

If this letter was stolen by a spy, it would lead to my own death.

Li Chengqian had been observing Helan Chushi's expression, and seeing his hesitation, he added fuel to the fire.

"Today, find a reason to meet Minister Hou in person."

"Tell him that what we are planning is a great event that will change the world. It involves a lot of things. If we take a wrong step, we will fall into an endless abyss."

"Now that the King of Wei's spies are still in the East Palace, we must tread on thin ice and act with caution. And since Your Majesty is suspicious, we must be more obedient in the next few days and make all the plans."

"Your Majesty favors the King of Wei, but I am the Crown Prince and the Six Commanders of the Eastern Palace, so I am not afraid."

"Among all the officials in the court, I only recognize Hou Shangshu. If I can ascend to the throne, Hou Shangshu will be my Taiwei, Shangzhuguo, and Shangshu Pushe."

Li Chengqian made crazy promises.

Grand Marshal, Supreme Pillar of the State, etc., are all honorary titles.

In the Tang Dynasty's system of three provinces and six ministries, Hou Junji was already the Minister of Personnel. The next position up would naturally be the head of the Secretariat and the Prime Minister.

When Helan Chushi heard the prince's promise, his breathing almost stopped.

Seeing this, Li Chengqian made another promise: "If I come to power, you, as my confidant, will naturally rise to the top as well."

Helan Chushi was overjoyed: "Thank you, Your Highness."

Li Chengqian gave Helan Chushi a few more instructions and let him leave.

Helan Chushi was a little anxious when he left because of the letter.

It was originally a retreat, but now it has become a disaster. The King of Wei's spies are still missing. If they are caught by them, it will be a disaster. Naturally, it is safer to destroy them.

Watching Helan Chushi leave, Li Chengqian felt that the hidden danger had been largely eliminated, and he finally felt a lot more relaxed.

the other side.

Li Shimin was calling the Prince of Wei into the palace, and was about to call the Crown Prince over as well.

It was about sending envoys to India to look for the White Jade Ointment.

He wanted to take this opportunity to clear up the misunderstanding between the two brothers and reconcile the Crown Prince and the King of Wei.

Changsun Wuji was not very optimistic about this matter.

As their uncle, he knew the conflict between them best.

Even if the White Jade Ointment really existed, even if it could really cure the prince's leg disease.

Can the Crown Prince and the King of Wei live in harmony?

He doesn't think so.

With Li Shimin's long-term favor, the Prince of Wei's Palace is now quite powerful. Although it is still not as powerful as the crown prince, it has shown signs of competing.

This made King Wei Li Tai also desire the throne.

How could I just let it go?

But Li Shimin was in high spirits, and Changsun Wuji didn't want to say anything to spoil the atmosphere.

I'm afraid that peace is just your Majesty's wishful thinking.

(End of this chapter)