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

Chapter 334 The Future of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Must Shine Brightly! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Li Zhi can be said to have perfectly illustrated the saying "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

Although he has always been perceived as a kind, gentle, and unassuming good person.

And indeed, it has been proven that he was a good person.

But this good fortune is based on the fact that he is already a successful person.

So, is this kind of "good" really good?
From Li Chengqian's perspective, this kind of good is naturally considered truly good.

Because in history, after the lame man lost the struggle against the fat man, Li Zhi, as the victor, did not take revenge on his two older brothers.

He even treated his two older brothers and their children very well.

Based on this alone, you cannot say that Li Zhi was a bad person.

However, from a historical perspective, Li Zhi may not have been so good either.

Because beneath his seemingly harmless exterior lies a cunning and scheming mind that sees through everything.

This is not nonsense.

There is historical basis for this.

Although Li Zhi did not directly participate in the struggle for the throne, he cleverly used the father-son relationship to win Li Shimin's trust.

For example, when Li Tai threatened him, he immediately went to the palace to cry to Li Shimin, even in the middle of the night, which triggered Li Shimin's painful memories of the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

Do you think a fifteen-year-old could possess such scheming and manipulative skills?

It should be noted that Li Tai was at the height of his power at that time.

Li Chengqian's deposition was a foregone conclusion, and given Li Shimin's favor towards him, the position of Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty was practically in his grasp.

However, it was this complaint that made Li Shimin realize, as if struck by lightning, the ruthlessness of Li Tai.

If Li Tai were to ascend the throne, Li Zhi and Li Chengqian would undoubtedly die.

Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, Li Shimin ultimately chose Li Zhi.

Isn't this a perfect illustration of the proverb "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind"?

Of course, if this still doesn't reveal Li Zhi's ambition for power...

And one more thing.

Li Shimin told his ministers that Li Zhi was too weak and unfit for the throne, and wanted to make Li Ke, the Prince of Shu, the crown prince instead.

If it were a cripple, how would he react in this situation? He would probably be furious!
So what did Li Zhi do?
During Li Shimin's personal campaign against Goguryeo, he "cried all day long" and insisted on reporting his daily life to the emperor, thus cultivating an image of a filial son.

What does this show? It shows that he clearly knew Li Shimin's weaknesses and used them to strengthen his own presence.

Such keen political insight and the patient approach of retreating to advance are not qualities that a fifteen-year-old child could display.

Therefore, even though Li Zhi is still young, Li Chengqian dares not relax his vigilance towards him, after all, Li Chengqian knows Li Shimin's nature very well.

Although Li Tai was deposed by him, Li Shimin could still deal with him by supporting Li Zhi in order to make things difficult for him.

"Father, Mother, Zhinu was so good today! Xiangling told me he didn't cry when he woke up. He's such a brave little man!"

Seeing that Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun were looking at him with surprise, Li Chengqian quickly pretended to be nonchalant and praised Li Zhi.

But Li Zhi pouted somewhat shyly and said, "I've always been very brave."

Li Chengqian smiled noncommittally, then affectionately patted his head.

Empress Zhangsun and Li Shimin exchanged bewildered glances.

Li Shimin, in particular, looked at Li Chengqian with eyes as cold as a steel knife.

I wondered what this rebellious son was up to.
How old is that brat?

How did I fall into his eyes? To the point that he, the crown prince, would scheme against me like this?

Does he want all my legitimate sons to be far away from Chang'an?
What utter nonsense about the stability of the Crown Prince's palace!

Does the stability of the Crown Prince's palace mean I'll be left all alone?!

At this moment, Li Shimin really wanted to kill this rebellious son, but he also knew that unless Li Chengqian made a serious mistake, he could not possibly touch Li Chengqian.

Moreover, he could not possibly bear the infamy of killing his own son.

After all, if he were to bear the infamy of killing his son, wouldn't all his hard work in this life have been for nothing?

Therefore, even though he guessed Li Chengqian's sinister intentions, he forcefully suppressed the murderous intent in his heart.

But then he suddenly asked, "What else do you want?"

"what?"

Li Zhi looked up at Li Shimin in confusion, then turned back to look at Li Chengqian, and asked in a childish voice, "Is Father speaking to me?"

"Zhi Nu, come here to your mother!"

Empress Zhangsun waved helplessly to Li Zhi, but did not look at Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian smiled slightly, then reached out and patted his little shoulder, urging him softly, "Go to Mother's side quickly, your older brother will come to play with you later!"

"Oh, then Big Brother must teach me how to launch this ship! I, your humble servant, also long to sail the seas!" Li Zhi said obediently, then glanced at Empress Zhangsun and skipped towards her: "Mother, Big Brother told me so many interesting stories about the sea, I'll tell you them."

Seeing Li Zhi's innocent expression, Empress Zhangsun affectionately touched his face, then gently said "okay," and led Li Zhi aside.

As for Li Shimin, he sat motionless by the bed, looking at Li Chengqian with a cold expression, without saying a word.

Li Chengqian, smiling, walked to Li Shimin's bedside, picked up the medicine bowl that Empress Zhangsun had placed down, stirred it, and looked at Li Shimin with a smile, saying, "Am I that hateful? Why is Father looking at me like that?"

After saying this, he scooped up a spoonful of medicine and brought it to Li Shimin's lips.

But Li Shimin ignored him completely, still looking at him with cold eyes: "What exactly do you want to do?"

"What is Father Emperor saying? I don't understand."

Li Chengqian smiled and put away the soup spoon, asking in confusion, "Can't I come to see my younger brother and sister?"

"You still know you have younger siblings."

"Shh-"

Before Li Shimin could even finish his angry shout, Li Chengqian gestured for him to be quiet, then said calmly, "Your son is still young, Father, please don't frighten him!"

"Rebel!"

Li Shimin gritted his teeth, and the veins on his forehead bulged out.

Immediately afterwards, I suddenly felt like I couldn't catch my breath and felt extremely dizzy.

"Father, are you okay?!"

Upon seeing this, Li Chengqian quickly put down the medicine bowl and reached out to support the swaying Li Shimin.

Although he did not know Li Shimin's current condition, he did know that one of the causes of Li Shimin's death in history was wind-related illness.

The so-called "wind disease" is actually a type of cardiovascular disease as defined by Western medicine in later generations.

This disease was inherited by almost everyone in the Li Tang royal family.

Excluding members of the imperial family, only emperors, including Li Shimin, Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi, Emperor Shunzong Li Song, Emperor Wenzong Li Ang, and Emperor Muzong Li Heng, all suffered from this disease.

Therefore, there were a lot of young emperors who died prematurely in the Tang Dynasty.

It was precisely because of this that Li Zhi suffered from severe stroke in his later years, which led to Wu Zetian taking power.

After all, Li Zhi was the emperor at the time, and letting his ministers handle state affairs risked the loss of imperial power. However, he had no choice but to select someone to share his political responsibilities.

In this regard, Li Zhi's options were actually very limited.

For example, his wife, son, and trusted eunuch.

These are the three options he can choose from.

Li Zhi must have been well-versed in history and was certainly familiar with the Ten Attendants' interference in politics during the Eastern Han Dynasty.

The eunuchs he trusted were naturally excluded from the power-sharing process.

As for his son, that's even more impossible.

Having witnessed the Xuanwu Gate Incident and the lessons learned from his elder brothers Li Chengqian and Li Tai, he must have been insane to let his son take power.

Therefore, Li Zhi ultimately chose Wu Zetian, whose foundation was relatively shallow, who could only rely on herself at the time, and who was skilled and shrewd.

The reason why Wu Zetian's foundation was said to be shallow was mainly because her father, Wu Shihuo, died young, and Wu Zetian also had a bad relationship with her brother.

It can be said that without the support of a powerful family, there would be no hidden danger of interference in politics by maternal relatives.

Li Zhi naively believed that everything Wu Zetian had was given to him, and that since he could give it to her, he could take it back at any time. But in the last few years of his life, he realized it was too late.

Because Wu Zetian had already become too powerful, even the emperor was powerless to stop her.

Therefore, Li Zhi's failure was mainly due to his physical condition, rather than his ability.

Li Shimin calmed himself down, composed himself, and then forcefully broke free from Li Chengqian's support. He grabbed the medicine bowl on the table, gulped it down, and let out a long sigh, saying, "I'm not going to die! Don't even think about taking my place!"

Li Chengqian: "."

Li Shimin: "."

The father and son looked at each other, both silent.

After a moment, Li Chengqian sighed helplessly, then slowly left Li Shimin, saying with teary eyes, "Father, if you view me this way, I truly have no way to defend myself even if I die a hundred times!"

"But please let me know, Father, I have never thought of such a rebellious act, nor have I ever thought of harming my own brothers and sisters!"

"It is precisely because I wish to benefit Your Majesty and the stability of our Great Tang that I have asked the Prince of Wei to return to his fiefdom."

"What about Zhinu? What was Zhinu's reason? Why did he go overseas to become a king?"

Before Li Chengqian could finish speaking, Li Shimin interrupted him in a low voice: "Isn't this your intention to harm him?"

"Father, you misunderstand. Your son did not harm Zhinu, but rather wanted to give him a bigger stage!"

"What bigger stage?"

Li Shimin did not believe Li Chengqian's words at all, and even thought that the tears sliding down his face were crocodile tears.

But Li Chengqian didn't care about Li Shimin's opinion of him. Instead, he sincerely explained to him: "Father should know my ambition. I am not satisfied with the current territory of my Great Tang. Even if my Great Tang pacifies Goguryeo, conquers Tuyuhun, Tibet, Xueyantuo Khanate, or even the entire Western Regions, I will not be satisfied!"

"Therefore, my ultimate goal must be overseas lands."

"Although I have promised the civil and military officials the future enfeoffment system, the Zhou emperor did not relinquish his leadership position when he enfeoffed people, and so does our Great Tang!"

"However, I don't need to elaborate on how far the Tang Dynasty is from overseas lands; Father Emperor understands as well—it is extremely far!"

"Could the Tang emperor control a leader from such a remote location?"

"Perhaps in the short term, they will all acknowledge themselves as subjects of the Great Tang and obey the leadership of the Great Tang Emperor, but what if it goes on for a long time? Will they still be truly subservient?"

"You mean, you want to establish a Tang Dynasty overseas?" Li Shimin was incredibly intelligent, and he immediately understood Li Chengqian's words: "Just like Chang'an and Luoyang, establish a secondary capital overseas?"

"Not bad!"

Talking to smart people is simple. Li Chengqian readily admitted, "In my vision, once the Tang Dynasty expands overseas, it must establish a political system of four capitals, two cabinets, and one army!"

"Four capitals, two cabinets, and one army?"

Li Shimin frowned, and asked with a hint of interest, "What kind of political system is this?"

"Father, the so-called Four Capitals refer to the establishment of four administrative capitals similar to Chang'an. Except for major decrees, general decrees are issued by the Three Departments and Six Ministries of the Four Capitals!"

Li Chengqian patiently explained: "The Three Departments and Six Ministries are led by the Cabinet, and they have no decision-making power, only the power to execute."

"As for the cabinet, it reports directly to the emperor. The emperor controls the Ministry of Defense, which means the power to mobilize all troops must be in the emperor's hands."

Upon hearing this explanation, Li Shimin's eyes lit up, thinking to himself, "Isn't this the pinnacle of power I've always dreamed of?"

But would this unfilial son be so kind?
But he suppressed his expectations and said calmly, "What does this have to do with Zhinu?"

"Father, what do you think of Zhinu?"

"What do you mean, 'how so'? He's no match for you!"

It must be said that prejudice in people's hearts is a huge mountain.

When Li Shimin felt that Li Chengqian was unscrupulous in achieving his goals, no matter how Li Chengqian explained himself, even after he had told Li Shimin his thoughts, Li Shimin still suspected him of harboring ulterior motives and plotting against his younger brother.
Of course, he was indeed plotting against his brother.

However, his calculations were not as ruthless and heartless as Li Shimin imagined; rather, they were the optimal calculations based on the premise of mutual benefit.

After all, Li Zhi treated the cripple and even his descendants quite well, so there was no need for him to be as ruthless to Li Zhi as he was to Li Tai.

Humans, after all, scheme and plot, but it's all for self-preservation; they're not completely inhuman.

Therefore, Li Chengqian's arrangement for Li Zhi was to let him shine in other areas.

But then he smiled warmly and said, "Father, you are overthinking it. I only have the love of an elder brother for his younger brother. I do not regard him as an enemy!"

At this point, he winked at Li Shimin and said, "Furthermore, I think Zhinu is exceptionally intelligent. If Qingque and I were both deposed, I would think it would be most suitable for you to choose him as the crown prince."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's pupils contracted sharply, and he became furious and embarrassed: "What nonsense are you spouting! I have never had the idea of ​​making Zhinu my heir!"

Even so, Li Shimin was already utterly shocked.

Because he suddenly realized that the son in front of him was even more terrifying than he had imagined.

If Li Chengqian's words just now were not a joke, but a test, or an open scheme, what does that mean?
This shows that he had already grasped the overall situation!

What frightens and breaks down people the most in this world is not lies, but the truth.

In fact, on the way back to the palace, he was extremely disappointed with the brothers Li Chengqian and Li Tai.

Under these circumstances, he naturally turned his attention to Li Zhi.

Don't underestimate Li Zhi, who is only three years old.

But Li Shimin's ability to judge people is something that has been written into history books.

He had long ago discovered Li Zhi's intelligence.

However, a prince's intelligence does not necessarily mean he is capable of inheriting the throne, just as Li Shimin later disliked Li Zhi.

To be an emperor, one must not only be intelligent, but also possess the qualities of a ruler.

What are the qualities of a ruler? He must use himself as a reference.

That's why Li Ke, who was "brilliant and decisive like me," caught his eye.

Given the current situation, if the brothers Li Chengqian and Li Tai really fight to the death, Li Zhi would definitely be a good choice.

From Li Shimin's perspective, he is only in his thirties. Given his physical condition, Li Yuan is already over sixty. It's impossible for him not to live to sixty.
Therefore, under these circumstances, Li Chengqian would have to remain the crown prince for at least thirty years.

But how can there be a crown prince who reigns for thirty years?

More importantly, given Li Chengqian's methods and ambitions, by the time he turned sixty, Li Chengqian would only be forty, a time when a person is in their prime.

Although those who murder their fathers to seize the throne have never had a good ending throughout history, it's not unheard of for them to do so.

Especially during the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, it was an era of moral decay and the collapse of ritual and music.

Even during the Sui Dynasty, Li Shimin knew perfectly well how Emperor Wen of Sui died, and Yang Guang was truly ruthless towards his uncle.

Besides, there's the cautionary tale of him. Isn't he afraid of repeating Li Yuan's mistakes?
Therefore, the advantages of establishing Li Zhi as emperor immediately became apparent.

When he gets old, Li Zhi will only be thirty years old, which is just right.

However, he only thought this in his mind and didn't even tell Empress Zhangsun. Now that Li Chengqian had said it to his face, how could he not be furious?
But then Li Chengqian chuckled and teased him, saying, "Your Majesty, it was just a hypothetical situation. Why are you so agitated?"

"How could I be excited!?"

"Look at you, you're getting anxious again."

"Rebel!"

Li Shimin was so angry that he was about to raise his hand to teach Li Chengqian a lesson, but Li Chengqian caught his palm empty-handed and said: "Alright, Father, calm down and let me finish speaking!"

"Talk nonsense!"

Li Shimin withdrew his hand in annoyance, then stood up from the bed, took a few steps away from Li Chengqian, and said with a guilty conscience, "Besides liking to fight among your own people, you also love to overthink things. I'm too lazy to waste my breath on you!"

Li Chengqian smiled noncommittally, then said to himself, "Such a vast territory overseas cannot be without the presence of the direct descendants of the Li Tang dynasty. Are we to let the territory that my father and I have worked so hard to conquer be used as a stepping stone for others?"

"If Father Emperor doesn't consider the future of his descendants, then your son will!"

"Even if we can do our best to avoid the cyclical nature of history, we cannot ensure that the Tang Dynasty lasts for thousands of generations. So, Father, are you really not going to reconsider?"

"Which is more appealing: a great emperor for all time or a great emperor for all ages?"

"This"

Although Li Shimin and Li Chengqian no longer had any father-son relationship, he could not resist the temptation of the promise Li Chengqian made to him.

What did he pursue in his life? Wasn't it to be remembered for eternity and have his name passed down through the ages?
If he had a chance to surpass all the emperors of the past, how could he possibly miss it?
He struggled for a moment, then casually found a seat, sat down slowly, and said, "If I don't agree to grant Zhinu the title, what will you do?"

“No, Father will agree!” Li Chengqian replied.

Li Shimin fell silent instantly.

(End of this chapter)