Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 174: Undercurrents? Fake becomes real? A terrifying night! [Seeking monthly votes]

The night was as dark as ink, thickly covering the entire city of Chang'an.

In the Imperial Palace, inside the Hongwen Pavilion, lights flickered.

Two figures, one big and one small, were having a cordial conversation in the candlelight.

"Father, I heard that my brother is coming back. Is this true?"

Li Tai tilted his head and asked Li Shimin with an innocent look.

"Yes, didn't you say before that you missed your royal brother? So I let him come back!" Li Shimin said with a smile.

"Ah? This!"

The little fat boy looked depressed and thought to himself, "I was just saying it casually, why did you take it so seriously?!"
But Li Shimin did not talk to him about Li Chengqian's thoughts, but picked up the manuscript on the table and looked at it carefully.

Li Tai smiled awkwardly upon seeing this: "Of course I miss my brother. I just heard that he won a great victory in Shuofang and somehow he came back."

"Fighting is not that easy. He is so young. At his age, he should study hard like you. That's the right path!"

Li Shimin said casually, then raised his hand and shook the paper in his hand, and asked: "Did you write this?"

"Huh? Oh"

Li Tai took a moment to react, then quickly replied respectfully, "Yes, Father. I previously worked with the scholars of the Hongwen Academy to compile the catalog of the Zhenguan Encyclopedia. I was deeply inspired and thought that since we can't compile the contents of the Zhenguan Encyclopedia now, we might as well start with small things, such as compiling books on geography, which can then be included in the Zhenguan Encyclopedia."

"Well, well said!"

Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction, then smiled and said, "Studying is the same as being a person. Don't aim too high, but start with small things!"

After saying that, he seemed to remember something and asked, "Who is your current teacher?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, my former teacher was Master Kong Yingda, and my current teacher is Master Wei Ting!"

"Well, Wei Ting is a good person, but his knowledge is not yet sophisticated. How about I find you a new teacher?"

"This"

Li Tai hesitated, thinking, "Master Wei is so good, why did the emperor suddenly want to change his teacher?" "Could it be that the emperor saw through the manuscript and it was Master Wei who was behind it?"

Thinking of this, Li Tai suddenly felt a little uneasy, but he still said to Li Shimin: "Your son is willing to listen to your father's arrangements."

Li Shimin smiled, feeling even more satisfied with his obedient son. He added, "Since you are willing, I will let Wang Gui be your teacher. You must study hard with him, understand?"

Shizhong Wang Gui?

Isn't this the Prime Minister?!
My father actually asked the prime minister of the time to be his teacher!

Could it be that my brother has made father angry again?
Thinking of this, Li Tai was overjoyed, but he said calmly, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will study hard and ask the King's teacher for advice on how to govern the country and benefit the people."

"Efforts to benefit the people? Yes, it's good to benefit the people!"

After hearing this, Li Shimin liked the little fat boy more and more.

However, just as he was about to have an in-depth conversation with the little fat man, a voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Your Majesty, the Minister of the Central Secretariat Fang Xuanling has an urgent matter to discuss with you!"

"Ok?"

Li Shimin was stunned for a moment, thinking that it was so late, could something big have happened? So without saying anything, he had Fang Xuanling brought in.

As soon as Fang Xuanling entered, he bowed to Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and the Emperor were attacked on their way!"

"What!?"

Li Shimin was shocked and asked in disbelief, "How could the Crown Prince and the Emperor be attacked?"

"It's said that someone secretly spread rumors that the Crown Prince and the Emperor Emeritus were colluding with rebels and harming all officials. Perhaps someone held a grudge against him, and this is why he was assassinated in revenge!"

"Damn it! How dare they!?"

When Li Shimin heard Fang Xuanling's words, he was immediately furious.

The little fat boy beside him turned pale with fright.

As if realizing he had frightened his son, Li Shimin turned to Li Tai and said, "Qingque, go back to Lizheng Palace first. Don't tell your mother about this!"

"Yes, yes, Father."

Li Tai responded tremblingly and followed the young eunuch out of Hongwenguan.

Li Shimin, who had watched him leave, gradually calmed down and asked Fang Xuanling with a serious face, "How did you get this news?"

"Your Majesty, it was Zhangsun Wuji who sent someone to inform me that they have now arrived in Haozhi County!"

"Are the Crown Prince and the Emperor safe and sound?"

"According to Changsun Wuji, everything is fine now, but it is not certain whether there will be any new assassinations." Fang Xuanling nodded.

"So what do you think about this?"

"This"

Fang Xuanling thought for a moment, then said meaningfully, "What the Crown Prince and the Retired Emperor did can be concealed for a while, but not forever."

"However, I find it rather strange that he was assassinated at this time!"

"Oh? What's the matter?"

"Your Majesty, logically speaking, the Crown Prince and the Emperor Retired were most vulnerable to assassination while in Jiangling. However, they were safe and sound in Jiangling, and yet upon returning to Chang'an, someone began to plot evil. Isn't this a bit too coincidental?"

Fang Xuanling said thoughtfully.

Li Shimin frowned upon hearing this and continued, "Are you saying that the story of the Crown Prince and the Emperor being assassinated is false?"

"It can't be said to be fake, but there are definitely problems. At least someone is spreading rumors behind the scenes. I have confirmed it!"

"Oh? Did you find out who started the rumor?"

"Time is short, and I haven't had time to investigate in detail, but many people are already spreading rumors about the matter in private!" Fang Xuanling shook his head and said.

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes, then shouted outside: "Yunduan, check the latest public opinion immediately!"

"promise!"

Yunduan outside the door immediately agreed and retreated.

But then Li Shimin asked again, "Have you arranged a welcoming ceremony for Zhangsun Wuji and his men when they return to the capital?"

"Your Majesty, arrangements have been made. Tomorrow at 3:00 AM, officials from the Ministry of Rites will lead the people of Chang'an City to welcome you."

"Go inform the Ministry of Rites and cancel the welcoming ceremony!"

Before Fang Xuanling could finish his words, Li Shimin interrupted him with a wave of his hand: "Also, let the troops returning to the capital be stationed in the Lantian camp!"

"what?"

Fang Xuanling was surprised for a moment, and asked in confusion, "Why is this happening, Your Majesty?"

Li Shimin pondered, "Since Chang'an is already undercurrent, if I go out of the city to welcome them tomorrow, I'm worried that it will cause even greater disasters!"

"This"

Fang Xuanling reacted for a moment, then nodded and said, "Your Majesty is quite right. I will inform the Ministry of Rites right away!"

"Go!"

Li Shimin waved his hand and watched Fang Xuanling leave the Hongwenguan.

the other side.

In the secret room of Cui's mansion, the candlelight flickered, illuminating several faces with different yet equally gloomy expressions.

The Cui family official sat at the head of the table, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest. His eyes were cold, as if covered in ice. "The Crown Prince and the Emperor will be back soon. Our family's business has already suffered a blow from Jiangling, and now, we've also been hit by His Majesty in the court!"

Having said this, he paused, looked around, and said in an increasingly low voice: "Everyone, this situation cannot continue like this."

The Zheng family official sat on the cushion and twisted his body uneasily. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. Although the secret room was cool, he was sweating profusely due to nervousness.

He also looked around, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and stammered, "Lord Cui, in this year's imperial examination, many of us from the Five Surnames and Seven Families were admitted. Even if we fail slightly in the court, if they are given important positions, our influence will be even greater. Why act rashly and risk being discovered by His Majesty?"

"Humph!"

Upon hearing this, the Li family official snorted coldly, interrupting the Zheng family official. With a sullen face, he said, "Master Zheng, you're oversimplifying. Who do you think the Crown Prince was talking to? Do you think he'll allow our people to be promoted? Look at his plans in Jiangling. Isn't it clearly aimed at us?"

"But the prince is only nine years old. Is he really such a big threat to us?"

"Nine years old? If you treat him like a nine-year-old, you won't even know how he died! What's more, he has the retired emperor behind him! There's no guarantee that the retired emperor is using the crown prince's name to attack us!"

"This"

When everyone heard this, they looked at each other.

But then the Wang family official suddenly said, "No matter who did it, we can't just sit there and wait for death!"

"That's right!"

The Lu family official said sternly, "This matter concerns the life and death of our family. Either they die or we die."

"What's more, what they did was a shameful act. It's only a matter of time before it's exposed. We're just using someone else's knife to kill someone. Even if His Majesty wants to investigate, it won't lead to us!"

"Master Lu is right!"

The Li family official echoed, "Those killed or injured in the Taiji Hall explosion, as well as those who died in the incident, every family is likely to seek revenge. Your Majesty, if you have any suspicions, you should first suspect them, not us!" As he spoke, his eyes gradually became darker, and a subtle smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He added, "I have a retainer who helped me find a killer organization. He said they are very efficient and will do anything for a high price. There is no need to worry about them exposing our identities!"

A sinister glint flashed in the eyes of the Cui family official. He said, "Master Li, you have done a great job. However, to ensure that everything goes well, contact the assassin's organization and leave no one alive!"

"Don't worry, Master Cui. I poisoned that retainer's entire family, even the slightest trace of him following me has been wiped out!"

"it is good!"

Upon hearing this, the Cui family official smiled with relief. He then looked around at the officials from other families and said in a deep voice, "Our family has survived for hundreds of years. We must not let it end in our hands. No matter who wants to touch us, they will be unstoppable. I hope you all have this awareness. Otherwise, if we lose our lips, we will be in trouble. Need I say more?"

"This"

Upon hearing this, the officials from the noble families looked at each other and nodded silently.

at the same time.

Inside the county government office of Haozhi County.

Changsun Wuji was discussing with County Magistrate Zhou about impersonating an assassin to kill Li Chengqian and Li Yuan.

In Changsun Wuji's plan, as long as the assassination was carried out, those who secretly spread rumors that Li Chengqian and his grandson were colluding with the rebels would be implicated.

In this way, he could take advantage of the assassination of Li Chengqian's grandfather and grandson to carry out a large-scale purge in Chang'an City.

As long as some people are purged, no one will dare to mention what happened that night.

It’s just like the witchcraft disaster that happened during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han.

If you touch it, you will die.

After all, the crime of assassinating the crown prince and the emperor is no small crime.

But then Changsun Wuji said solemnly, "If this is accomplished, I guarantee that you will be a completely different person now, but if it fails, you know the consequences!"

"But."

County Magistrate Zhou asked anxiously, "Are you really not going to inform the Crown Prince about this?"

"idiot!"

Zhangsun Wuji angrily scolded Magistrate Zhou and said sternly, "This isn't a real assassination, so why notify the Crown Prince? You just need to alarm the Crown Prince and get him to react in a genuine way. Leave the rest to me, understand?"

"Ming, understand."

County Magistrate Zhou nodded hesitantly, then left without saying a word.

at the same time.

In a dilapidated house across the street from the inn where Li Chengqian and Li Yuan lived.

A man in black, holding a sharp sword, said in a low voice, "Sir, everything is ready. You can start now."

In the shadows, a middle-aged man in a brocade robe, his eyes dark, sneered, "Hmph, we absolutely cannot fail this time. Are those of yours all skilled?"

"Don't worry, sir. They are all ruthless warriors with high martial arts skills. They are best at hiding their whereabouts and killing with one blow! Besides, our people have been ambushed all around the inn. We guarantee that they can't escape even if they have wings!" The man in black raised his head, his eyes revealing ruthlessness.

"That's right. After the task is completed, I will give you double the reward, but if there is any mistake, you know the consequences!" The middle-aged man's tone was cold and full of threats.

"I understand, and I will definitely fulfill my mission. But, sir, assassinating the crown prince and the emperor is a heinous crime. What if..." The man in black showed a trace of worry.

"What are you afraid of? I've already arranged new identities for you. Once this is done, you can go to foreign countries and live happily ever after!"

"Thank you, sir!"

The man in black heaved a sigh of relief, then quickly disappeared into the night, leaving only the middle-aged man in the dilapidated house. He looked at the flickering candlelight, his eyes flashing with a glimmer of conspiracy, as if he saw the bloody scene tonight and the satisfaction on his master's face after he completed the task assigned by his master.

However, just as he was gazing at the candlelight intently, his ears suddenly moved, and the light in his eyes disappeared. He quickly drew his sword and shouted in a deep voice, "Who?"

"puff!"

The moment he finished speaking, a knife-like glint flashed in his eyes. He felt a chill on his neck, and then his eyes widened. He looked at the figure gradually approaching him with disbelief. He choked, trying to make a sound, but no sound came out. He only heard a silver bell-like laughter in his ears: "The family is finally together."

At the same time, in the inn where Li Chengqian and Li Yuan were staying.

After taking a comfortable hot bath, the grandfather and grandson returned to their respective rooms and prepared to have a good sleep.

However, not long after Li Chengqian lay down on the bed, he heard shouting outside.

"assassin!"

"There are assassins!"

"Protect the Crown Prince and the Emperor!"

"Stand up your shield!"

Hearing these shouts, Li Chengqian was suddenly startled and instantly jumped up from the bed.

At this moment, Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui both burst open their own door and asked loudly, "Your Highness, are you okay?"

"No, I'm fine. What's going on?"

Li Chengqian asked in some surprise and doubt.

Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui exchanged a glance, then frowned and said, "We heard the noise outside and came to see you right away!"

"Yes, Your Highness, we don't know what's going on either!" Xue Rengui echoed.

"Since you don't know, then go out and take a look!"

Li Chengqian said speechlessly.

"But your safety, Your Highness?"

"Don't worry, I have this!"

Li Chengqian smiled and pulled out a musket from under his pillow, saying, "With this thing, ordinary people can't get into my body!"

"This"

Xue Rengui and Su Dingfang exchanged a glance, then said, "Commander Su, you stay here to protect the prince. I'll go see what's going on first!"

"it is good!"

Su Dingfang agreed directly.

Soon, Xue Rengui walked out of Li Chengqian's room with his weapon.

The next moment, Li Yuan and Du Caigan walked in again and said, "Cheng Qian, what happened? I just heard someone outside shouting that there was an assassin!"

"I don't know what happened, but Xue Rengui went out to check it out, and the results should be out soon!"

Li Chengqian spread his hands and said.

Li Yuan frowned and said, "Could this matter be related to Zhangsun Wuji? He arranged for us to be here, but he himself disappeared!"

"That shouldn't be the case. That's an assassin!"

Li Chengqian curled his lips and said, "Could it be possible that my uncle would send someone to assassinate me?"

"This"

Li Yuan hesitated for a moment and felt that this matter was a bit absurd.

Unless Changsun Wuji is crazy, he would never do such a stupid thing.

Just when they thought that this matter could not be related to Changsun Wuji, the black-clad assassins around the inn were all confused and looked at each other.

"Boss, what's going on? Why are there another group of people?"

"I don't know either. Maybe the Master is worried and sent another wave of people!"

"Damn it! Then don't we have to give half of our money to others?"

"You ask me, how should I know!"

"Now what?"

"Don't worry about it, just kill them first. Whoever kills the Crown Prince and the Emperor will get the credit!"

"it is good!"

After a brief exchange, the assassins surrounding the inn also joined the assassination.

"Whoosh whoosh—"

Countless arrows were shot out from the roof like a rainstorm, making the whistling sound disappear in an instant, which seemed particularly terrifying.

Immediately afterwards, countless black-clad assassins jumped down from the roof and rushed towards the guards in the inn.

For a moment, the entire inn was filled with shouts and cries of killing.

On a rooftop not far from the inn, Changsun Wuji was looking at the scene in the telescope in astonishment, and couldn't help but gasp.

He never expected that the situation would be like this, and was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.

"Damn you Zhou Quan! How dare you make a fake play into reality!?"

"Quick! Send someone to rescue His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

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(End of this chapter)