A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 663 Leading the Way in Urging Enthronement
The sixth year of the Wude era, the fourth day of the sixth month.

As the sun rises,

On the west bank of the South China Sea Pond in the northern part of Taiji Palace, in the secluded Xianchi Hall, Yuchi Jingde, clad in armor and wielding a spear, led two hundred elite guards from the Qin Prince's Mansion, surrounding this side hall completely.

An unusual sense of tension permeated the air after the rain.

The emperor has been moved from the dragon boat on the lake to the Xianchi Palace.

Li Yuan refused to bathe and change clothes. He wore a white robe embroidered with dragons, which still bore traces of blood splattered from when the eunuchs were shot at dawn. The blood had turned dark red and still smelled of blood.

Li Yuan, whose face was already described as having a "grandmother's face," had even deeper wrinkles on his face. This was a far cry from the once powerful and charismatic emperor who commanded the nation.

He sat there, looking lost and dejected, head bowed and disheveled, just an old man with gray hair.

Several prime ministers sat in the hall, all lost in thought.

Footsteps could be heard outside.
Li Yi accompanied Li Shimin.

Yuchi Gong shouted loudly at the door, "The King of Qin and the Prince of Dai are here to pay their respects!"

Li Yuan raised his head and watched two tall young figures enter the hall. His eyes held anger, disappointment, loss, and sorrow.

The father and son's eyes met across the distance.

The air seemed to freeze.
Li Shimin stopped and stood there stunned for a moment.

“Erlang,” the emperor spoke first, his voice hoarse.

Li Shimin rushed to his father and knelt down before Li Yuan, saying, "Father, I have no other choice!"

As he spoke, Li Shimin burst into tears, feeling utterly wronged, and threw himself into his father's arms.

Li Yuan was only wearing a bathrobe, but fortunately it wasn't cold in June. The Prince of Qin, like a fledgling returning to its nest, rushed into his father's arms, tears streaming down his face.

The emperor's robe was rubbed open by Li Shimin.

It revealed the unique dragon body of the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, who had three breasts.

Li Shimin wept bitterly in the emperor's arms, as if he were kneeling and suckling at the emperor's breast.

Li Yuan had a thousand words to say and wanted to reprimand his second son to his face, but seeing him crying like a child, he couldn't say anything for a moment.

In fact, Li Gang, Chen Shuda, and even Xiao Yu and Feng Deyi had all openly and secretly advised him to either protect the crown prince or establish the Prince of Qin, and not to waver between the two to maintain a balance.

Otherwise, internal strife will inevitably occur, even leading to bloodshed at the gates, the killing of those of the same ilk, and eternal ridicule.

Unfortunately, Li Yuan at that time always thought he could maintain a good balance.

This situation is inevitable; the root of the problem lies with him, so how can he blame Shimin? It's too late.

"Hey,"

Li Yuan sighed.

"Dalang, Silang, and the others?"

When Li Yuan asked this question, he had already given up hope. After all, this was a mutiny at the Bloodstained Palace Gate, a rebellion, and a usurpation of power.

With the Crown Prince and the King of Qi falling into the hands of the King of Qin, it was highly likely that they would be killed.

But he still harbored a sliver of hope.

Li Shimin looked up.
"Father, the Crown Prince and Prince Qi are in Linhu Palace. Only Yuanji suffered minor injuries."

"What do you plan to do with them? They are your own brothers, born of the same father and mother. Your mother gave birth to four sons and one daughter. Now your third sister is seriously ill, and your third brother has passed away. You three brothers... sigh!" Asking how to deal with the Crown Prince and the others was actually asking Li Shimin how to deal with his father.

Having witnessed the bloodshed in the palace before dawn, Li Yuan didn't know where his son's bottom line lay, so he could only use this opportunity to probe and inquire.

Li Yuan pulled Li Shimin up and made him sit next to him.

Li Shimin wiped the snot and tears from his face, "Father,"

Li Yuan patted his son's arm and sighed, "Recently, I have been somewhat confused about what to do next."

As soon as these words came out,
In fact, their position has already been made clear.

Li Yi stood aside, witnessing this rare scene of father and son embracing and crying. Li Yuan's words had a story behind them.

The Dilemma of Throwing the Shuttle is a story told by Gan Mao, the Left Chancellor of Qin, to King Wu of Qin before launching a military campaign against Han. Zeng Shen, a disciple of Confucius and a great Confucian scholar, was extremely filial to his mother, and the bond between mother and son was very strong.

But it couldn't withstand the test of rumors.

Zengzi and his mother once lived in Feiyi. One day, a man with the same name as Zengzi committed a murder. Some people, unaware of the details, thought that Zengzi was the one who committed the crime and kept running to Zengzi's mother to inform her that his son had killed someone.

At first, Zeng's mother stayed at home weaving cloth without looking up, saying that her son couldn't possibly have killed someone.

But when a third acquaintance came and said that Zengzi had killed someone, Zengzi's mother threw down her weaving shuttle and fled over the wall.

At this point, Li Yuan spoke of the confusion surrounding the throwing of the shuttle.
He was actually just trying to save face.

When Li Yi came to him to issue the imperial edict earlier, he was forced to admit that he had already intended to change the crown prince to the Prince of Qin.

Now you're talking about the deception of throwing the shuttle, which means that I originally intended to make you the crown prince, but because some people kept deceiving and misleading me, I became suspicious of you and delayed making you the crown prince.

I also believed too many rumors and lies, which made me waver in my trust in you, but that's only human nature, and you can't blame me.

Ultimately, it's all about shifting blame. They claim they were misled, but they don't admit they messed up the balancing act themselves.

Of course, Li Shimin couldn't say, "I knew all along that you had been betraying me and that you would exile me to the south to live among the barbarians."

He could only hold the emperor and weep bitterly once more.

In the main hall,
Li Yi and the other prime ministers watched the father and son silently. The two did show genuine emotion, but their performance was also quite convincing.

After a while,

The father and son then separated.

Li Yuan asked, "What do you plan to do with them?"

Li Shimin said, “The crimes of treason end with Jiancheng and Yuanji. The law of the land is merciless, and they deserve to be executed. Your Majesty, I humbly request that Your Majesty pardon them from the death penalty and only demote them to commoners.”

The remaining accomplices and their families will not be prosecuted.

This answer surprised Li Yuan, who stared at his son for a while. "Good, good," he said, patting Li Shimin's back. "I am very pleased that you have such a magnanimous heart."

However, Li Shimin's answer also drew a line.

The Crown Prince and Yuanji could survive, but they had to be demoted to commoners, and even the path of being banished from the capital to become princes was blocked.

Li Yi then spoke up at the opportune moment.

"Your Majesty, Jiancheng and Yuanji plotted a rebellion, but fortunately, the Prince of Qin came to the rescue and protected you."

"I urge Your Majesty to depose the Crown Prince and establish the Prince of Qin as heir!" Feng Deyi quickly stood up as well, urging the emperor to depose Jiancheng and establish the Prince of Qin.

Xiao Yu, Chen Shuda, and Yang Gongren also followed suit.

Since things have come to this,

There is no other way.
If the emperor is unwilling to act with decorum, then things could easily escalate into something unseemly.

Only Pei Ji remained there, seemingly lost in thought.

Seeing this scene, Li Yuan could only sigh and ordered Feng Deyi to draft an edict on the spot to depose Crown Prince Jiancheng.

Feng Deyi quickly ordered a palace attendant to bring him pen, ink, and paper, and began drafting the imperial edict on the spot.

He was quick-witted and had excellent calligraphy skills.
A decree to depose the crown prince was quickly drafted. Li Yi guessed that he had probably been mentally preparing the draft all along and had long anticipated this moment.

"Please review this, Your Majesty."

Li Yuan waved his hand weakly and said, "Prime Minister Yang, you read it."

Yang Gong nodded, took the draft edict from Feng Deyi, and read it aloud.
His voice echoed throughout the Xianchi Palace.

"The position of Crown Prince is the foundation of the state; it should not be vacant if the person is not the right one."

Throughout history, even if a successor is incompetent or incorrigible, he is still allowed to hold the reins of power. This is all due to excessive pampering and favoritism, which leads to a loss of reason and ultimately results in the downfall of the dynasty and the suffering of the people.

Therefore, the safety and well-being of the nation depend on the succession of the emperor, and the passing down of a great legacy is of paramount importance!
When the Crown Prince was born, he was the eldest son of the emperor and was deeply loved by him. Upon ascending the throne, he immediately built the Spring Palace, hoping that his virtue and achievements would improve day by day and that he would be able to shoulder great responsibilities.

However, he was mediocre and ignorant, lacked benevolence and filial piety, associated with petty people, appointed treacherous officials, and his record of past transgressions is too detailed to be fully documented.

But the common people are the people of Heaven. I respect Heaven's mandate and they are to be nurtured in peace. Although I wish to love my son, I am truly afraid of the divine spirit. How could I dare to let my unworthy son disrupt the world?

Those who are enfeoffed as princes or princesses may be demoted to commoners.

Considering the plight of the people, and with no other choice but to speak of this matter, I feel deeply ashamed and regretful!

"May the world be at peace and the people live in tranquility. This decree is hereby issued to all under heaven, so that all may hear it! So be it!"

This edict was not long.

Written in the emperor's voice, Jiancheng is portrayed as an unfilial, incompetent, and immoral son who is close to petty people and trusts treacherous officials.

Jiancheng's sons, including Prince Anlu Chengdao, Prince Hedong Chengde, and Prince Wu'an Chengxun, as well as all his daughters, were all demoted to commoners. The Crown Princess and her concubines were also stripped of their titles and honors.

Li Yuan listened without expression.
He simply nodded and uttered a single word, "Okay."

"Prime Minister Feng, please write another edict to depose Prince Yuanji of Qi and present it to His Majesty for review."

Feng Deyi wrote it down in one stroke, and just like before, he gave Yuanji a severe dressing down, criticizing him to the point of being worthless, and even writing down some of the bad things he did when he was guarding Taiyuan.

Li Yuan simply said "yes".

The edict deposing Crown Prince Jiancheng as a commoner and the edict deposing Prince Qi Yuanji as a deposed person were issued.
He then drafted a decree granting a general amnesty to the entire country.

Today, Feng Deyi's pen has never stopped. In this sudden coup, he is like a fish in water, quickly finding his place.

Three imperial edicts

The prime ministers signed and affixed their seals together.
The emperor approved it and stamped it with his imperial seal.

Li Yuan was listless, feeling as if all his energy had been drained away. "Appoint a prime minister,"

"Chen is here!"

Li Yuan grasped his son Li Shimin's hand, then glanced at Li Yi, and said, "Draft another edict."

"Imperial Edict Establishing Prince Shimin of Qin as Crown Prince!"

Li Shimin immediately declined, but Li Yuan still had Feng Deyi write it.

Feng Deyi immediately picked up his pen again.
"The importance of the heir apparent is to solidify the ancestral lineage, and the presence of a virtuous and capable ruler will bring peace and prosperity to all nations."

Grand General of the Heavenly Strategy, Grand Commandant, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Grand Chancellor of the Shaanxi-Eastern Circuit, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat of the Yizhou Circuit, Governor of Yongzhou, Governor-General of Puzhou, Commander-in-Chief of the Twelve Guards, Grand General of the Imperial Secretariat, Pillar of State, Prince Qin, Shimin.

With lofty character and far-reaching vision, outstanding achievements and a promising future, the beauty industry is thriving.

Filial piety is the foundation of virtue, encompassing all conduct; benevolence is the most important responsibility, bringing peace to all things.

In the early days of his reign, he laid the foundation for the nation, quelled numerous difficulties, and quelled rebellions. His wise strategies and extraordinary achievements ensured his long-term success. He governed the vast country, spreading his influence throughout the land. His merits were outstanding, his virtue surpassed that of the two southern regions, and as the chief administrator, his achievements were exemplary.

His duties encompass both internal and external affairs, are well-documented and recorded, and are admired far and wide, observed by both the court and the people. He is fit to assume the mantle of emperor and is worthy to uphold the throne. He may be established as Crown Prince. The relevant authorities shall prepare the necessary rites and issue the official appointment in due course.

One edict deposed Crown Prince Jiancheng, and another edict established the King of Qin as Crown Prince.

Both were created by Feng Deyi.

One can criticize while the other praises.

They denigrated Crown Prince Jiancheng to the point of being utterly worthless, while praising Li Shimin to an unprecedented degree.

Within the Xianchi Palace,
Emperor Li Yuan only responded with a single word of approval to both edicts.
None of the other prime ministers raised any objections.

Even when the drafted edict was shown to Yang Gongren, who was also the Grand Secretary, Yang Gongren didn't change a single word.

When the document was sent to Attendant-in-Ordinary Chen Shuda and concurrently Attendant-in-Ordinary Li Yi, the two men, who had the power to review and reject it, did not change a single word before giving it to the emperor, who then directly approved it and stamped it with his seal.

“Second Prince,” Li Yuan said, pointing to the three imperial edicts, “they are all yours.”

"I am tired and wish to return to my palace to rest."

Li Shimin refused to accept the edict to establish a crown prince, so Li Yuan directly pointed at Li Yi.

“Prince Dai, keep the imperial edict for now. Announce it in court tomorrow, and then deliver it to the Prince of Qin’s residence to proclaim the edict.”

"If the King of Qin does not accept the edict, you should go and deliver the edict the day after tomorrow."

After saying this, Li Yuan stood up and asked Li Shimin, "I'm going to rest now."

Li Shimin summoned Yuchi Gong, who was outside, and said, "Jingde, you must immediately escort His Majesty back to the palace to rest, and personally guard His Majesty's quarters!"

After saying that, he said to Li Yi, "Wu Yi, I ask you to temporarily take charge of the Inner Secretariat of the Palace."

The prince, who was about to become the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty, glanced at the prime ministers in the hall one by one, and said, "I also ask Prime Minister Pei, Prime Minister Xiao, Prime Minister Feng, Prime Minister Yang, and Prime Minister Chen to stay in the palace with Wu Yi for the time being."

Please understand, gentlemen, during this special time.

Li Yi readily agreed. Although he really wanted to go home after get off work, he knew that these few days were a critical period and he couldn't afford to be careless.

The other five prime ministers could only verbally claim to be following the orders of the King of Qin.

(End of this chapter)