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

Chapter 277 Li Shimin: No one can underestimate me, Li Er! [Seeking monthly votes]

"System, issue a new side quest!"

As Li Chengqian finished speaking, the system's voice suddenly rang out.

[Okay, host. New side quest issued: You have successfully become the Crown Prince Regent, but Li Shimin is not entirely at ease with you. Therefore, he has arranged for Fang Xuanling to assist you in governing the country in Chang'an.]

But you know better than anyone that Fang Xuanling's ostensible purpose in assisting you was actually to monitor you.

You are extremely unhappy and want to do what you want, but Li Shimin is constantly remotely controlling Fang Xuanling and hindering you. You are fed up and want to rebel.

Li Chengqian: "No! You son of a bitch!"

Of course, that's impossible. Although you wanted to rebel, you ultimately restrained yourself because of past examples, and you planned to prove yourself through other means.

[Please use overwhelming force to destroy the four kingdoms of Goguryeo, Wa (Japan), Tuyuhun, and Tibet within three years. Then, give Li Shimin a pinky finger gesture, telling him, "The Heavenly Khan is nothing."]

[You can choose to abandon this mission]

[Reward for this mission: A system completely under the host's control (which can be used by the host or designated for use by others)]

Li Chengqian: "."

Upon seeing the new side quest released by the system, Li Chengqian was stunned for a full quarter of an hour before he came to his senses, staring at the system panel with shining eyes.

He thought he was seeing things, so he rubbed his eyes again. Only after confirming that he wasn't mistaken did he roar in uncontrollable rage, "Fuck your damn system! How the hell is this possible?!"

"You think I'm a god? You think I conquered four countries in three years? And those were the four most difficult ones at that!"

"Do you know how long it took Emperor Yang Guang to fight Goguryeo? Do you know how the Sui Dynasty fell? Do you know that Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Er) spent his entire life trying to destroy Goguryeo but failed?"

"And then there's Tibet, Tuyuhun, and Japan. Do you know how difficult they are to fight? They're either on high plateaus or separated by the sea!"

"Do you think they're all lambs to the slaughter, waiting for our Great Tang to attack them? Do you think Emperor Taizong wanted a marriage alliance? It was because he wanted to fight Goguryeo and didn't want Tibet and Tuyuhun to stab the Great Tang in the back! Do you really think they're weak? I'm asking you! Don't you want to take a look at the lousy mission you posted???"

[After the host's reminder, the system has carefully reviewed the side quest issued and found no issues. If the host finds it unacceptable, they may abandon this quest.]

"This"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian froze on the spot.

To be honest, he genuinely wanted to give up on the mission because it was too difficult.

However, danger and reward go hand in hand.

If I can obtain a system that I can completely control through this mission, it would be a great thing for me.

After all, the current system is really unreliable, and it might just trap us like a venomous insect one day.

But how am I supposed to complete such a difficult task?
It's almost impossible to complete!

Therefore, Li Chengqian ultimately chose to abandon the mission.

But then he resolutely declared, "I abandon this mission!"

[To confirm that the host did not make a mistake, the system is confirming again. Do you wish to abandon this mission?]

"Yes!"

Should we give up?

"Yes!"

【whether.】

"Yes Yes Yes!"

Li Chengqian said somewhat impatiently, "You can ask me a thousand times and I'll still say yes!"

[Okay, host. The system has confirmed that you intend to abandon this mission. Please wait.]

Li Chengqian was speechless.

Because every time he dealt with this damn system, it made him furious.

If possible, he really wants to switch to a different system.

But after the system finished speaking, it went silent again.

However, having learned from his previous experiences of being tricked, Li Chengqian was not in a hurry this time.

He's definitely not going to accept this mission.

Just as he was waiting for the system to confirm that he was abandoning the mission, a shout suddenly came from outside the door: "Your Highness, Pei Xingjian, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and Pei Xuan, commander of the Musketeer Guard, are requesting an audience outside the door!"

"Ok?"

Li Chengqian was slightly taken aback, wondering why they had come. But when he thought of Pei Xingjian's discovery that Lu Dongzan had colluded with the Shouzhulang, he hesitated for a moment and wondered if something had happened to the Musketeers.
Thinking of this, he glanced at the system interface again, but found that the system still did not respond. He then exited the system interface speechlessly, calmed himself down, and ordered towards the door, "Let them in!"

"promise!"

There was a response from outside the door.

Before long, Pei Xingjian and Pei Xuan walked in.

"Your humble servants pay their respects."

"Alright, there's no need for such formalities in private!"

Before the two could finish their greetings, Li Chengqian waved his hand to interrupt them, and then asked them directly, "Has something happened to the Musketeers?"

"This"

Pei Xuan and his companion were startled, then exchanged glances. Pei Xuan spoke first, saying, "Your Highness is wise! Something has indeed happened to the Musketeers!"

"Oh?"

Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes slightly: "What happened? Tell me!"

"Yes!"

Pei Xuan responded and quickly recounted in detail what had happened the previous night to Li Chengqian.

He reported even the losses of the musketeers and various suspicions in great detail.

After hearing Pei Xuan's account, Li Chengqian's expression darkened noticeably: "So, my brother Ke is very likely colluding with the Shouzhulang?"

“Although there is no conclusive evidence yet, Lu Dongzan is already in our hands. I am sure I have a way to make him talk!” Pei Xingjian said with great confidence.

Li Chengqian looked at him with admiration and praised, "Commander Pei, you did a great job this time. Adding to your previous merits, a reward of one thousand taels of silver is not enough."

"Enough, Your Highness. I don't like spending money, nor do I have time to spend it."

Pei Xingjian quickly explained.

"Ah!"

Li Chengqian laughed: "I didn't say I would reward you with money, why are you so agitated?"

"Ah? Really?"

Pei Xingjian scratched his head awkwardly, then looked at Pei Xuan with embarrassment.

But Pei Xuan smiled and said, "Little Pei is quick-witted and has strong case-solving abilities. He is an invaluable talent in our Eastern Palace."

"Yes, talented people are good. What my Eastern Palace lacks most is talented people!"

Li Chengqian smiled and nodded, then his smile faded and he said seriously, "Pei Xingjian, obey my command!"

"Your subject, Pei Xingjian, obeys!"

Pei Xingjian's expression turned solemn, and he immediately knelt on one knee before Li Chengqian.

But then Li Chengqian said in a deep voice:

"In view of your meritorious service on these two occasions, in accordance with the principle of rewarding those who have made contributions and punishing those who have made mistakes, I hereby promote you to the position of Commander of the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to establish an imperial prison, to try cases designated by imperial decree, to have independent interrogation authority, to hold a rank equivalent to the fifth grade, and to enjoy the treatment of a commander."

"As ordered!"

Pei Xingjian was overjoyed and immediately clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

Pei Xuan, standing to the side, wore a beaming smile, as if she herself had been bestowed with a title.

Although Pei Xingjian wasn't from that Pei clan, they shared the same surname, so there was still a sense of elders looking at younger generations.

But then Li Chengqian said in a deep voice, "Although it's a pity that we lost those firearms, you don't need to worry. Even if they can imitate firearms, without the gunpowder formula, they still can't make powerful firearms. As for..."

He paused for a moment, then added, "As for the Prince of Han, let's not alert him yet. Let's finish the trial of Lu Dongzan first!"

"Yes!"

Pei Xingjian and Pei Xuan exchanged a glance, then responded in unison.

Soon, they left Li Chengqian's bedroom.

Li Chengqian, who watched them leave, opened the system interface again.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace, at the Zhaohua Hall.

After escorting Consort Yang back to her palace, Li Ke returned to his own room.

Although he is now a prince, according to the rules of the Tang Dynasty, he could only be granted a fiefdom after the age of twelve.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as Li Chengqian, who went to his fiefdom at the age of eight.

But the current situation is also quite special.

After seeing the painting that Li Chengqian gave to Consort Yang, Li Ke guessed Lu Dongzan's fate on his way back.

Most likely, the plan for that night failed.

Although he was very confident that Li Chengqian would not find any evidence against him, given Li Chengqian's recent behavior, he might still cause trouble for him even without evidence.

Therefore, after much difficult deliberation, Li Ke felt he had to leave Chang'an as soon as possible.

Otherwise, if Li Chengqian really came knocking on our door, it would be troublesome.

However, the thought of leaving Chang'an soon made Li Ke feel extremely aggrieved. He hadn't done anything yet, so how did he end up in this state?
It's all that damned Lu Dongzan's fault!
That's incredibly stupid!

And that guard!

What a waste!
A bunch of trash!
Li Ke grew angrier the more he thought about it, and finally, he couldn't hold back any longer and slammed his fist on the table. "Bang!"

The sound of a fist slamming on the table had barely rang out when a frantic cry came from outside the door: "Ke'er! Ke'er, are you alright?"

Li Ke was slightly taken aback, but quickly composed himself and asked in confusion, "Mother? Why are you here?"

"Ke'er, don't scare your mother! Has something happened? Open the door and let your mother in, waah!"

Hearing Consort Yang's sobbing outside the door, Li Ke sighed helplessly, then looked at the blood-soaked hand and explained, "Mother, I'm fine. The table just tipped over, and I couldn't hold it, so it hit my hand."

After saying that, he put his hands behind his back, walked quickly to the door, and opened it.

"Ke'er!"

When Consort Yang saw Li Ke, she hurriedly hugged him in her arms, while behind her stood Li An, who looked completely bewildered.

"Brother."

"Brother An, what brings you here too?"

Li Ke, who was being held by Consort Yang, looked tenderly at his younger brother and asked in confusion.

But Li An replied hesitantly, "My mother sent me, saying that you might be leaving soon, and I'm curious where you're going."

hum!
Upon hearing Li An's words, Li Ke's head visibly buzzed.

What does it mean that no one knows a child better than their mother?
It turned out that she had seen through Li Ke's thoughts on the way back, and after secretly examining the painting that Li Chengqian had sent, she was even more certain that something must have happened to Li Ke.

Moreover, this matter is most likely related to Li Chengqian.

The thought of that ruthless crown prince made her, as an imperial concubine, feel a little scared.

So regardless of whether Li Ke had made up his mind to leave, he hoped that Li Ke would stay far away from Chang'an, the farther the better.

But then Li Ke asked incredulously, "Mother, what happened?"

"Ke'er, whatever decision you make, your mother will support you."

Before Li Ke could finish speaking, Consort Yang interrupted him:

"Actually, there's something I originally intended to keep from you brothers. Now that you've already done it, there's probably no turning back, so I might as well tell you brothers what happened back then."

"Is Mother referring to the matter of my maternal grandfather?" Li Ke asked curiously.

Consort Yang shook her head and said, "It has no direct relation to your maternal grandfather, but because of him, my son and I almost became victims of his blade!"

"what?"

Li An was startled and couldn't even utter a word.

But then Li Ke said in a deep voice, "Who dares to do such a terrible thing to my son and me?"

"Those ministers around your father, the emperor!"

Consort Yang sighed and said, "Back then, your father and your grandfather conquered Chang'an and established Yang You as emperor. In order to stabilize the civil and military officials in Chang'an, your grandfather ordered your father to marry me. But I was not happy with your father at the time because he was only the second son of the legitimate wife. Even if your grandfather replaced the Sui Dynasty with the Tang Dynasty, your father could not be made the crown prince."

"Moreover, your father already has Lady Changsun. Am I, a princess of the Great Sui Dynasty, to become someone else's concubine?"

"Unfortunately, the Sui Dynasty was already in decline, while the Tang Dynasty was at its zenith. Even if I wanted to resist, I was powerless. In the end, I could only marry your father."

"Then what happened when Mother said that my son and I almost died back then?" Li Ke asked, frowning.

Consort Yang glanced at him, then at Li An, and sighed, "Because my son and I threatened the position of the Changsun family, Changsun Wuji planned to eliminate us on the pretext of being remnants of the previous dynasty!"

"What? This old dog! How dare he!"

Li Ke was furious.

This was a secret he had never heard of before.

But Consort Yang raised her hand to stop his anger, and said:
"Actually, I don't think there's anything wrong with what he did. More than half of the ministers of the Li Tang dynasty at that time were former Sui officials. Your father's position in the court is rising day by day, and he is invincible on the battlefield. Even the former crown prince Li Jiancheng had to avoid his sharp edge. It's normal for them to want me to be the Princess of Qin."

"After all, back then, the Changsun clan had little foundation except for Gao Shilian, who had been demoted and was supporting them. Even Changsun Anye didn't support them. But I have a bunch of former officials from the previous dynasty behind me. Do you think that's a big threat to them?"

"Even so, shouldn't they have been more justifiable to kill us, mother and son? Doesn't Father care?"

“Your father would naturally not allow them to do that, but the situation was indeed dangerous at the time. The reason I am telling you this today is to remind you that the Changsun family has a grudge against us, and you must be careful of Changsun Wuji.”

"This"

Li Ke hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "If my mother hadn't told me about this, I'm afraid I would never have taken Changsun Wuji seriously!"

"Ha, he's a wolf in sheep's clothing. Perhaps not only you, but even your father, the Emperor, and Empress Zhangsun, can't see through him," Yang said with a sneer.

"Then, in Mother's opinion, what should I do?"

"go!"

Consort Yang uttered a single word, then added, "There is no place for you in Chang'an anymore. Leave as soon as possible."

"Then Mother and Brother An."

"You don't need to worry about us. With your father, the Emperor, around, no one can touch us!"

Hearing this, Li Ke finally felt a little relieved and continued, "Will Father Emperor allow me to leave Chang'an?"

Consort Yang thought for a moment, then looked at Li Ke meaningfully and said, "If you take your elder brother, the Crown Prince, as your role model, it might be quite possible."

"This"

Li Ke was stunned for a moment, but then he understood instantly. He immediately bowed to Consort Yang excitedly and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Mother. I will go to find Father right away!"

After saying this, he prepared to leave.

However, at that moment, Consort Yang pulled him into her arms again, her face full of tenderness and reluctance, and said, "My son, I ask for nothing more than that you be safe and sound."

"Mother."

Li Ke choked up, but didn't say what he wanted to say.

Whether it was the grudge from back then or the enmity of today, how could he possibly forget it?

However, to reassure Consort Yang, he said nothing.

"Brother An, take good care of Mother and wait for your elder brother to return!"

"Brother."

Li An's eyes reddened, and he hesitated to speak.

Li Ke simply smiled and then resolutely left.

On the other side, the Ganlu Palace.

After returning from the Taiji Hall, Li Shimin lay on the rocking chair in the Ganlu Hall, saying nothing, doing nothing, and seeing no one.

Although he had promised Du Ruhui that Li Chengqian would preside over the court assembly, he never imagined that Li Chengqian would use this assembly to do so many things.

He certainly wouldn't believe it if you said he wasn't tricked.

He also did not believe that Du Ruhui colluded with Li Chengqian.

So, why did this happen?

After much deliberation, Li Shimin finally came to a seemingly conclusive conclusion: Li Chengqian must have a secret that no one else knew.

This secret is probably unknown even to Li Yuan.

As for whether this secret is that of a 'disciple of an immortal'?
Although Li Shimin could not be certain, he thought it probably wasn't.

Because the seemingly absurd things Li Chengqian did all seemed to be done in order to complete some kind of mission.

So, who exactly gave him this task?

Besides himself, the emperor, who else could threaten him, the crown prince, into doing tasks?

Li Shimin couldn't understand it; he simply couldn't understand it.

Then Yun Duan walked in from outside the palace: "Your Majesty, I have found out that the female commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is the very woman who cast the curse on the Crown Prince. And that woman, who was said to be dead, has somehow come back to life!"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's eyes snapped open, and he sat up abruptly from his rocking chair, his face filled with disbelief. "What did you say?!" he exclaimed.

"That woman came back to life?!"

"this."

Yun Duan hesitated for a moment, then said uncertainly, "Perhaps he wasn't originally dead, but was saved by the Crown Prince, just like the Crown Prince saved Minister Du."

"Humph!"

Li Shimin snorted coldly, clearly finding the argument untenable.

Because Zhen Liyan had told him that the female assassin was dead, he didn't believe that Zhen Liyan couldn't even tell whether someone was alive or dead.

Therefore, no one can underestimate Li Er.

Then he said in a deep voice, "Did you go and ask Zhen Liyan?"

"We asked, but Physician Zhen refused to say anything!"

"Damn it! Does he want to die?"

Li Shimin suddenly stood up, and an aura of imperial power swept down towards the clouds.

Yun Duan's pupils contracted sharply, and he hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, I have already threatened him with death, but he would rather die than speak!"

"It seems there's definitely something fishy about this."

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes, about to continue speaking, when suddenly a voice came from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, the Prince of Han requests an audience!"

"Ok?"

Li Shimin frowned, wondering why he had come.

(End of this chapter)