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

Chapter 333 Li Zhi: I've Become My Brother's Tool?! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"Come on!"

Outside Chang'an City, Li Tai, looking disheveled, was forced onto a carriage by the Imperial Guards.

Even now, his head is still turned back towards Chang'an.

Because he didn't believe that Li Shimin, who doted on him, would allow Li Chengqian to treat him like this.

But from sunrise to sunset, he never received Li Shimin's edict.

This filled him with despair and resentment.

If it weren't for the group of Imperial Guards surrounding him, he would have loved to hurl insults at Li Chengqian.

You have to understand, he has never suffered such a great loss since birth. Even when Li Shimin was the Prince of Qin, he was the darling of the palace and the royal family.

But now, he's like a stray dog, even worse off than Li Ke.

Li Ke, at least, requested the title himself, and although his departure was hasty, it was still quite dignified.

As for him, he was directly driven out of Chang'an by Li Chengqian. Forget about dignity, he was utterly humiliated and trampled into countless pieces.

This incident was, to put it mildly, a great humiliation for him.

Just as he was being forced onto the carriage by the Imperial Guards, filled with grief and indignation, one of the guards suddenly noticed something and squinted, saying, "Someone's coming!"

Upon hearing this, Li Tai trembled and his spirits lifted. He then looked in the direction of the voice.

But then the Imperial Guards around them immediately shouted, "Be on guard! Anyone who gets close will be killed without mercy!"

"No, wait a minute, that might be someone sent by my father to deliver an imperial edict."

Upon hearing the shouts of the Imperial Guards, Li Tai quickly warned, "Do you intend to defy the imperial decree?!"

However, the moment he finished speaking, the expectation on his face vanished instantly.

Because the group that came was not Li Shimin's people, but his people from the Yuewen Academy.

The person in charge was none other than Su Xu.

"Your Highness, the Prince of Wei—!"

Su Xu spurred his horse forward and shouted to Li Tai.

Li Tai's face grew paler and paler, and he even seemed to lose his balance.

Even so, he still held a glimmer of hope for Li Shimin, feeling that even if Li Shimin did not send anyone, it did not mean that Li Shimin had given up on him.

Perhaps Li Shimin sent one of his men to deliver the imperial edict.

But then he impatiently replied, "Su Xu, you've come to take me back, haven't you? Quickly read out my father's decree, and don't come any closer!"

"Uu——"

Upon hearing Li Tai's question, Su Xu and the others immediately reined in their horses and then looked at each other in bewilderment.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Guards in front drew their embroidered spring knives with a clatter, looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

"This"

Su Xu paused for a moment, then cautiously spoke first: "Your Highness, Prince Wei, you misunderstand. We are not here to deliver His Majesty's decree. His Majesty has already been sent back to the palace by the Crown Prince. We are here to accompany you to your fiefdom."

"What!?"

Upon hearing this, Li Tai was struck dumb, thinking, "How is this possible?!"
How could my father possibly abandon me?!
impossible! Absolutely impossible!
But Li Tai, his face ashen, shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting? Where is my father's imperial edict?! Bring it to me right now!"

Upon hearing this, Su Xu and the others exchanged glances again, then lowered their heads helplessly.

Li Tai panicked immediately: "Are you all mute?! Speak up! It's my father's imperial decree!"

"enough!"

Before Li Tai could finish speaking, a Jinyiwei centurion interrupted him sharply, saying coldly, "Your Highness, it would be best not to put us in a difficult position. Otherwise, we will have to forcibly take Your Highness on your journey."

"How dare you! I want to see my father, I want to see my father!"

"Oh!"

Li Tai was kicked into the carriage, and then he heard the Imperial Guard commander shout sternly, "Send His Highness Prince Wei on his way—"

At the same time, in the Prince’s Mansion.

Not long after Li Chengqian returned to the Crown Prince's residence, Wei Zheng came to visit him.

Meanwhile, the two were drinking tea in the study.

"Teacher, I'm afraid the conflict between me and my father is going to be very difficult to resolve."

Li Chengqian poured tea for Wei Zheng while saying with a wry smile.

Wei Zheng smiled faintly, then picked up the teacup, smelled it, and said, "This tea is Zhuyeqing, isn't it? Hmm, this year's new tea, bitter at first, then sweet, is one of my favorite teas."

After saying this, he gently blew on the tea stem, took a small sip, and continued, "There is an ancient legend that says a dragon has a reverse scale eight feet in diameter on its throat. If anyone touches it, they will be killed. Han Feizi once explained that this means that most emperors could not tolerate their ministers' remonstrances. Therefore, throughout history, most ministers who offended the emperor by offering advice were killed."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian asked with some surprise, "Then why did you repeatedly advise my father, even though he threatened to kill you, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to do it?"

"hehe."

Wei Zheng smiled faintly, took another sip of tea, and said unhurriedly, "Your Majesty wishes me to speak, so I dare to speak. If Your Majesty does not wish me to speak, why should I risk my life to speak? Do I not know that dragons have scales that cannot be touched, and to touch them is to die?"

"Uh"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian couldn't help but twitch his lips, thinking to himself, "What are you saying, so bluntly? It makes me not even want to praise you anymore."

However, judging from Wei Zheng's principle of "being a good minister, not a loyal minister," if Li Shimin were a suspicious and harsh tyrant, then Wei Zheng would ultimately just be a mediocre minister who knew how to protect himself.

It was precisely because Li Shimin aspired to be a wise ruler that Wei Zheng was motivated to become a loyal and upright minister throughout history.

It can be said that the two of them complemented each other and achieved mutual success.

In Li Shimin's own words, their relationship was like that of fish in water.

"In your opinion, even if I have deeply hurt my father this time, he will not take action against me?" Li Chengqian realized what was going on and couldn't help but ask again.

Wei Zheng smiled and glanced at him, saying calmly, "Although the Crown Prince's behavior was somewhat excessive, in my opinion, there was nothing wrong with what he did. Even if I were there, I would have advised Your Majesty in the same way!"

"I know there's nothing wrong with what I'm doing. The problem is, I'm worried that my father might suddenly turn against me."

"Your Highness need not worry!"

Before Li Chengqian could finish speaking, Wei Zheng interrupted him, saying, "If the Crown Prince is not virtuous, I believe that the civil and military officials at that time will also stand up and condemn him. However, as long as they are not treacherous ministers, they cannot fail to see that the Crown Prince's potential is no less than that of the wise and virtuous rulers of the past!"

"Since they simply watched you father and son argue without intervening, surely His Majesty, with his wisdom, can't see through it? Or is he planning to make the same mistake again?"

"this."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian nodded thoughtfully, then pressed Wei Zheng for an answer: "Then, according to Master, can I still lead an expedition to the northern desert?"

"With the Crown Prince's abilities, leading the expedition to the northern deserts is naturally no problem. However, I am somewhat worried about the Crown Prince. The battlefield is dangerous, and if anything were to happen to you, I'm afraid..."

"Teacher, don't worry, I know what I'm doing! As long as I can go to the northern desert, I guarantee I can conquer a vast territory for the Tang Dynasty!" Li Chengqian said confidently.

Wei Zheng glanced at him helplessly, then looked at the tea in the cup and sighed, "Your Majesty and I are like this tea and water; Your Majesty and I are like this tea and cup. The tea may taste good, but it has nothing to do with the cup."

"Hehe, teacher is joking. The taste of tea is quite different when you drink it from a porcelain cup versus an earthenware cup." Li Chengqian smiled, then raised his hand and waved to Laifu, who was not far away. Laifu immediately understood, turned around and walked into the room, carrying two sealed cans of tea, and slowly walked to Li Chengqian's side.

But then Li Chengqian said, "Teacher, this is your favorite Zhuyeqing tea. I specially picked out two cans of this year's new tea for you. Go back and enjoy it. I'll be back in triumph!"

"This"

Wei Zheng hesitated for a moment, then looked at Li Chengqian with deep emotion and said, "Your Highness has always been adept at handling interpersonal relationships. But there is still one thing I don't understand: why must Your Highness insist on clashing with His Majesty, instead of finding a better way?"

Li Chengqian smiled: "Teacher, you are probably one of the ministers who understands my father the most. In your opinion, why would my father knowingly commit such a crime? Does he really not know the lessons of the past with Prince Xi and the others?"

"Your Majesty understands what you mean, but I feel that your words and actions are too sharp. Given His Majesty's personality, even if he doesn't do anything to the Crown Prince in the short term, the Crown Prince will likely suffer in the long run."

"No, it won't be long, at most three years. After three years, I will make sure this sky can no longer obscure my vision."

"Your Highness..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, and he looked at Li Chengqian with a face full of astonishment.

But Li Chengqian simply smiled calmly, stood up and said, "Thank you for coming to see me today, and thank you for clearing up my doubts. Now I need to go to the palace to see my mother. I don't want Qingque to be too sad about leaving."

After saying this, he strode towards the door without another word.

After glancing at his retreating figure, Lai Fu wisely placed the tea leaves on Wei Zheng's desk and then followed him eagerly.

Wei Zheng was left standing there, his expression complex, watching them leave the room. Meanwhile, in the imperial palace, at the Ganlu Hall...

Li Shimin lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, silent.

If he were to compare himself to Li Yuan as a father in his entire life, it would undoubtedly be Li Yuan.

Because in his mind, Li Yuan was a model of a failed father.

He had to use Li Yuan as a negative example to tell everyone that he was not only more suitable to be emperor than Li Yuan, but also more suitable to be a father.

As a result, Li Chengqian's words completely refuted him, leaving him utterly ashamed to face his children and the world.

So, at this moment, he felt like dying.

But some things are not as he wishes.

For example, he might want to die right now, but someone else is preventing him from dying.

And this person was none other than his wife, Empress Zhangsun, whom he loved throughout his life.

Empress Zhangsun glanced at him with a complicated expression, then resolutely said, "If anything happens to Your Majesty, I will never seek to live on my own!"

After saying this, she unbuttoned her robe, took out a packet of poison, and prepared to swallow it.

"Guanyin maid!"

Upon seeing this, Li Shimin was startled. He sat up abruptly from his deathbed, snatched the poison from Empress Zhangsun's hand, and angrily exclaimed, "What are you doing?!"

"On the day I married Your Majesty, I said that I would share life and death with you. Now, I am merely fulfilling my word."

"Confused!"

Li Shimin angrily threw the poison packet in his hand to the ground: "I'm not dead yet!"

"But His Majesty's heart is already dead."

Empress Zhangsun said sadly, "As the saying goes, there is no greater sorrow than a broken heart."

"you"

Li Shimin was rendered speechless by the retort, and couldn't help but sigh, "You two are truly of the same mind, even your way of getting angry is exactly the same, leaving me speechless."

"Was His Majesty angered to this extent by Chengqian?"

Empress Zhangsun frowned and asked.

Li Shimin glanced at her, opened his mouth as if to speak, but hesitated, and finally curled his lip: "He said I'm not even half a hair of my father's head! Can you believe it?"

"Ah? This"

Empress Zhangsun was stunned upon hearing this and exclaimed, "How could Chengqian utter such treasonous words?!"

"Haven't he uttered enough treasonous words?"

Li Shimin retorted with a question about Li Chengqian, then said angrily, "Do you know how much my heart aches?"

As she finished speaking, tears slowly slid down her cheeks.

Empress Zhangsun was speechless upon seeing this.

Li Shimin seemed to have opened up and recounted all the events of the day in one go.

Empress Zhangsun was stunned for a moment, then took out a cotton handkerchief and gently wiped away Li Shimin's tears, saying softly, "Chengqian has gone too far this time. Your Majesty should punish him, and I have no objection. However, there is something I don't know if I should say."

"I don't want to hear it, so you'd better not speak!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin lay down again, turned his back, and said, "Qingque also said before that he didn't know whether he should say it or not. I regret not sewing his mouth shut!"

"hehe."

Empress Zhangsun couldn't help but laugh: "Then before Your Majesty sewn my mouth shut, I'd better tell you!"

"Humph!"

Li Shimin snorted, still with his back to Empress Zhangsun, and casually pulled the blanket over himself.

But then Empress Zhangsun said softly, "Chengqian once asked me a question: if one day his leg were to become lame by accident, would Your Majesty depose him from his position as Crown Prince?"

"Ok?"

Li Shimin stiffened, but did not turn around.

Empress Zhangsun continued, "Does Your Majesty know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking that Your Majesty might not cripple him because of his lameness, but Your Majesty will definitely care a lot about his lameness!"

“Chengqian has been very sensitive since he was a child. If he senses that His Majesty cares about his lameness, he might do something outrageous.”

"And this might invite even harsher criticism from His Majesty."

"Am I right, Your Majesty?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin still did not turn around, but his body gradually began to relax.

Although he did not want to acknowledge Empress Zhangsun's thoughts, he also did not want to deny them.

Empress Zhangsun, who knew him best, couldn't help but feel a touch of sadness in her eyes at this moment.

But she continued speaking as if to herself, "Your Majesty knows your affection for Qingque, and you also know that Qingque has had many ideas since she was little. From a mother's perspective, both children are precious, and I would not favor one over the other. But from the perspective of the country, I support Chengqian!"

"Hmph, I knew it! You've always supported that rebellious son!"

Li Shimin finally couldn't help but speak up.

However, Empress Zhangsun disagreed, saying, "Your Majesty should know that since the Zhou Dynasty, the throne has always been passed down from father to son, and there has never been a share for brothers. This is to eradicate the ambition of illegitimate sons to seize the throne and to eliminate the root of chaos. This is something that a ruler should be most wary of!"

"Didn't you say you wouldn't interfere in politics? Why are you trying to teach me how to do things now?" Li Shimin retorted to his wife in a somewhat petty manner.

He felt that his wife was just as biased as he was and had no right to lecture him.

However, Empress Zhangsun was very tolerant of him and was not hurt by his words.

But then she earnestly asked, "May I ask Your Majesty, what is the most urgent matter for the nation today?"

"That goes without saying, they are the barbarians from all directions. They have repeatedly refused to learn their lesson and have not respected the way of the king. I will surely punish them!"

"Then may I ask Your Majesty, with the barbarians on all sides still unsettled, how can the country be in chaos?"

"this."

Li Shimin was stunned by the question and turned to look at Empress Zhangsun.

Empress Zhangsun gently stroked her hair, then picked up the medicine soup beside her, scooped a spoonful and brought it to Li Shimin's lips, saying calmly, "Your Majesty has important matters to attend to, why waste your energy on such trivial things?"

"How can this be considered a small matter?"

Li Shimin took a sip of his medicine and said indignantly, "That rebellious son is riding on my head!"

"Your Majesty is joking. You are the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty, ruling the world. Who would dare to ride on your head? Once you have pacified all directions, who would dare to point fingers at you?" Empress Zhangsun said, while scooping up another spoonful of medicine and feeding it to Li Shimin.

Li Shimin thought about it and felt that Empress Zhangsun's words seemed to make sense: "You mean that after I pacify the four directions, that rebellious son will behave himself?"

"With the Crown Prince's position secure, what could he possibly be dissatisfied with? Shouldn't he just obediently remain the Crown Prince?" Empress Zhangsun asked with a smile.

Li Shimin thought about it more and more and found it to make sense, so he was invigorated and prepared to have an in-depth conversation with Empress Zhangsun.

But just then, a clear voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Father! Your son is going to be a king overseas!"

"Ok?"

Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun were both taken aback and looked in the direction of the sound.

Three-year-old Li Zhi appeared before them, hopping and skipping, carrying a beautifully crafted model of a ship.

At the same time, a figure they were very familiar with appeared behind Li Zhi with a grin, and respectfully bowed, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty and Your Majesty!"

This traitor!

Why are they even targeting child slaves?!

Li Shimin almost spat out another mouthful of blood.

Li Chengqian smiled and glanced at Li Zhi, thinking to himself, "My good brother, your elder brother will definitely grant your wish!"
It is clear that Li Zhi had already laid the groundwork for the matter of bestowing titles upon officials.

After all, the system's hidden tasks also include the younger brother.

(End of this chapter)