Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 7 Li Shimin: Qingque, your brother is injured, please share more of the burden

Li Chengqian was wearing a bright yellow robe with nine pythons and nine emblems, holding a jade tablet in his hand, and standing on the golden steps with his head bowed solemnly.

Familiar footsteps sounded behind him, and an invisible pressure silently fell on Li Chengqian's heart.

The person who truly controls everything in the Tang Dynasty today, his father, the Supreme, the Sage, the Heavenly Khan, Li Shimin, has arrived.

Beneath the bright yellow dragon robe, a pair of bird-skin Liuhe boots appeared in Li Chengqian's eyes.

The majestic figure paused for a moment beside Li Chengqian, and then stepped onto the golden steps.

For some reason, Li Chengqian couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The figure walked directly to the dragon couch and sat down gently and steadily.

Almost simultaneously, the eunuchs stepped forward and shouted, "The Holy Saint has arrived. All the ministers pay their respects."

All the ministers in the hall bowed in unison, holding out their tablets, and shouted, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects to you. May your Majesty live a long and healthy life."

Today is not a grand court session, but just a regular court session, and all the ministers can just pay their respects.

Li Chengqian stood on the third golden step holding a sceptre, glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

Throughout the entire hall, dozens of dignitaries bowed their heads.

Among them are Zhangsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Gao Shilian, Wei Zheng, Li Jing, Yang Shidao, Liu Li, Cen Wenben, Li Xiaogong, Tang Jian, Liu Dewei, Zhang Liang, Sun Fujia, Yu Zhining, Zhang Xuansu, Kong Yingda, Chu Suiliang, Ma Zhou and others.

If these people were to be placed in later generations, any one of them would be a famous figure passed down through the ages.

This is just a regular court session. If it were a grand court session, all civil and military officials above the ninth rank in Chang'an City would be present.

The entire square in front of the Tai Chi Hall will be filled with people.

Stretching out are the splendid mountains and rivers of the Tang Dynasty and hundreds of millions of its subjects.

The majestic world, the peak of the Tang Dynasty!
……

"Everyone, please stand." Li Shimin's slightly hoarse voice sounded from above. Li Chengqian then bowed again along with the other ministers: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

As soon as Li Chengqian stood up, he noticed the emperor's gaze falling on him.

"Cheng Qian, is your leg injury much better?" The emperor's voice sounded faintly from above.

Li Chengqian immediately held up his hu tablet and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, my leg injury has mostly healed, but walking is still somewhat inconvenient. It's even more difficult for me to sit, lie down, ride, shoot, or perform formalities... I'm being rude, Your Majesty, and please punish me!"

Li Chengqian's words made the ministers' eyes fall on his legs.

It was difficult to walk, sit, lie down, ride, shoot, or even perform a formal ceremony...

This was the prince's answer to the emperor and officials regarding his current leg injury.

As to whether this is really the case...

The ministers couldn't help but look at the emperor.

On the imperial couch, the emperor sighed and said softly, "I am already very pleased that you can appear here."

"Father!" Li Chengqian lowered his head again, his eyes filled with solemnity.

Li Shimin looked down at Li Chengqian, nodded, and said, "Chengqian, since your leg injury has not fully healed, I will temporarily exempt you from the grand ceremony. I will make up for it after your injury is healed!"

After saying this, Li Shimin's relaxed laughter spread throughout the court, and the ministers were also infected and smiled.

"Your Majesty, I thank you very much." Li Chengqian lowered his head, his voice choked with sobs.

The emperor nodded, turned to look at Li Tai, and said coldly: "Qingque."

Li Tai immediately stepped forward, holding his sceptre, and uneasily bowed, saying, "Your son is here!"

Li Shimin looked at Li Tai deeply and said dissatisfiedly: "Your royal brother has injured his legs and feet. At this time, you should stop being willful and willful. Support your royal brother when going out. Also, help your royal brother share some of the burden when doing things on a daily basis."

"Your son obeys your command!" Li Tai bowed with a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

Among the ministers, Fang Xuanling, Yan Liben, and others couldn't help but relax in their eyes, while Yu Zhining, Zhang Xuansu, and others looked increasingly solemn. The emperor's light words made Li Tai's forced testing of the crown prince in Taiji Hall Square today, regardless of the crown prince's injuries, seem like simple willfulness.

In fact, he would have to support Li Chengqian more in the future and help Li Chengqian share more of his responsibilities in daily life.

What are the things you do in your daily life?

The emperor's words here were very vague, but they gave people unlimited room for imagination.

Li Tai was too young to understand what was said, but the other old foxes in the palace immediately grasped the hidden meaning in the emperor's words.

……

Li Chengqian still bowed solemnly. He had no ripples in his heart about his father's secret rescue and favoritism towards Li Tai.

He had expected this, so it didn't matter.

What he really cared about was that the emperor exempted him from performing grand ceremonies in the future.

Li Chengqian couldn't help but look at his left leg.

Although today, he used some tricks to temporarily cover up the past.

But in fact, all this was because they were in the palace today and the ministers were not walking fast.

As long as they change the location, the scene, and let Li Chengqian change his clothes, his left foot, even if it is not a serious limp, will be clearly displayed in front of everyone.

By then, under the crazy rumors, even if Li Chengqian spent more than half a year recuperating and his foot injury healed a lot, it would still be exaggerated to the point that his leg was so lame that he could hardly walk, and he should be deposed.

Since it is difficult to distinguish the truth from the false, I don’t know how many people will become suspicious of him, and even turn directly to Li Tai.

Moreover, his father asked Li Taiping to support him, which made everything even more difficult to say.

However, although his father had good intentions, he obviously did not understand Li Tai well enough.

Li Tai is not the kind of person who would show brotherly love, he would definitely not support himself.

And even if he came, Li Chengqian dared to guarantee that Li Tai would immediately explode with anger and leave him alone with just a few words from him.

Li Tai, Li Tai.

Although Li Tai has many advantages, he has a very obvious weakness that will become his fatal flaw in the future.

That is unfilial.

Li Tai treated Li Chengqian the same way as Li Zhi.

Li Chengqian only needs to carefully do something to Li Zhi, and then Li Tai's weakness in this aspect will be completely exposed.

Of course, Li Tai had weaknesses, but with the emperor's favoritism, it was not easy to defeat him.

Li Chengqian stayed in bed for more than half a year to recuperate, and finally came up with the best strategy to force his father to personally depose his most beloved son.

Just like he was deposed before, Li Tai was deposed and then completely driven out of Chang'an.

……

On the imperial couch, Li Shimin paid no attention to Li Chengqian's expression. He looked solemnly at the ministers and said, "If you have something to report, please proceed. If you don't, please leave the court."

"Your Majesty, I have a memorial to your majesty!" The Minister of Works, Duke of Zhao, Changsun Wuji, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Governor of Fuzhou, Prince of Jing, Li Yuanjing, and others have submitted a petition requesting that Your Majesty perform the Fengshan ceremony, honoring the Duke of Chen for his conquest of Gaochang."

Li Shimin looked at Zhangsun Wuji deeply, then shook his head calmly and said, "Gaochang is a small country. If we destroy Gaochang, how can we offer Fengshan to the gods? I won't allow it."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji bowed and then stepped back.

"Your Majesty, I have a report!" Li Daozong, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo has sent his chancellor, Lu Dongzan, with gifts to the court, seeking a Tang princess. The Honglu Temple has received him according to protocol, and I would like to ask Your Majesty how this matter should be handled."

"Send it!" The emperor nodded calmly and said, "Send Lu Dongzan to see me. I want to hear what he has to say. If I don't allow it, will Tubo still attack the Tang Dynasty?"

(End of this chapter)