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

Chapter 378 Your Majesty! You are forcing the Crown Prince to abdicate! [Seeking monthly votes]

Li Shimin naturally wouldn't easily believe that Li Chengqian would send assassins to kill Li You.

What really angered him was the person who reported the matter.

Although he was the one who asked about this matter, he couldn't express his stance as clearly as Changsun Wuji when he brought it up in front of all the civil and military officials.

Because he is the emperor, his perspective is definitely different from that of his subjects.

Of course, he also needed Changsun Wuji to step forward and express his stance. After all, it involved brothers fighting amongst themselves, and if no one stepped forward in time, it would easily lead others to speculate wildly.

Prejudice is like a mountain.

He killed his brothers, and his son also sent someone to assassinate his own brother. It seems 'very reasonable,' which creates a natural sense of identification.

It can be said that the person who devised this conspiracy was ruthless and clever in their methods.

Soon, Li Shimin received two urgent reports.

The first thing he opened was the urgent report from Chang'an.

Compared to the incident involving Li Chengqian, he felt that the smallpox epidemic in Chang'an was far more significant.

After all, Chang'an was the capital of a country. If the capital was in chaos, the country would definitely fall into a state of instability.

This would undoubtedly be adding insult to injury for him in his current situation.

"how so."

After reading the urgent report from Chang'an, Li Shimin murmured in shock, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

Yang Shidao, who was standing nearby, quickly asked him, "May I ask Your Majesty, why did a smallpox epidemic break out in Chang'an? How come we didn't hear anything about it? Logically speaking, there should be some signs before a major epidemic!"

"Yes! I haven't heard any news about smallpox either!" Yun Duan echoed, but then questioned, "Is this a conspiracy by Goguryeo? Deliberately spreading false information to sow discord among our troops!"

"How dare you! Guards! Drag these two spies out and behead them!" Yuchi Gong rushed forward, grabbing one of the messengers in each hand, glaring angrily.

"Ah! No, no, no! We're not spies! We're on the same side!"

One of the people who reported this was so frightened that he wet himself and hurriedly tried to explain.

The other person who reported the incident was so frightened that he turned pale and trembled like a leaf.

"Alright, Jingde! Stop fooling around, they're not Goguryeo spies!"

Li Shimin, with a stern face, stopped Yuchi Gong, then looked around at the civil and military officials and said, "The smallpox epidemic in Chang'an is indeed real. This urgent report is stamped with the Empress's private seal! It was sent to her by me, there is no mistake!"

"Is the Empress alright?" Changsun Wuji asked hesitantly.

It concerned his own sister, so he couldn't help but take it seriously.

Li Shimin nodded heavily and said, "The Empress is well, so you don't need to worry. The entire city of Chang'an is currently engaged in epidemic prevention and control! The Empress, the Crown Prince's Imperial Guards, the cabinet ministers, the Medical Academy, and the Imperial Hospital will all be responsible for the epidemic situation in Chang'an."

"But how did the epidemic break out in Chang'an? Why didn't we hear anything about it?" Yang Shidao couldn't help but ask again.

Li Shimin glanced at him, then frowned and said, "According to the Empress, it was a palace maid in her palace who contracted smallpox, which led to the initial outbreak of smallpox within the palace, and later spread outside the palace via the Yeting Palace."

“So that’s how it is”

Yang Shidao suddenly realized that it was no wonder there had been no news before; it turned out that the news had originated from inside the palace.

Although Chang'an had a vast information network, matters concerning the palace were generally difficult to leak out, especially those concerning the Empress's palace, which were second only to the Emperor in terms of secrecy and were even less likely to be revealed.

But then Li Shimin said in a deep voice, "The epidemic in Chang'an did come rather suddenly, but you don't need to worry too much. The epidemic has not yet reached the point of being out of control. Before the Empress wrote this letter, Chang'an had already begun to close the city gates, and it will not easily spread to other prefectures and counties."

"The problem now is that it's not very convenient for the Empress to be stationed in Chang'an. I plan to summon a prince back to take charge. Who do you think would be the most suitable?"

"this."

The civil and military officials hesitated for a moment, then all looked at Changsun Wuji.

Normally, they would have advised Li Chengqian to return to Chang'an.

After all, Li Chengqian was the crown prince, and his claim to the position was legitimate.

However, Li Shimin had not yet opened another urgent report, and they did not know what the situation was. If they suggested to Li Shimin at this time that Li Chengqian return to Chang'an, wouldn't that be a slap in the face to Li Shimin?
That's why they looked at Changsun Wuji with some uncertainty.

Because Changsun Wuji was the first to stand up and express his trust in Li Chengqian.

"Wuji, what are your thoughts? Speak freely!"

Seeing that all the civil and military officials were looking at Changsun Wuji, Li Shimin couldn't help but look at him as well.

However, Changsun Wuji did not answer his own question, but calmly reminded Li Shimin, "Your Majesty, you still have an urgent report to read!"

"Ok?"

Li Shimin frowned, then gave Changsun Wuji a deep look, and silently picked up another urgent report, opening it and reading it in front of all the officials.

When he saw Li You hanging by a thread, his heart tightened. And when he heard the assassin say that Li Chengqian had sent him to assassinate Li You, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

Although he still did not believe that Li Chengqian would do such a thing, the current eyewitnesses (Li You's guards) and physical evidence (the piece of cloth, which was confirmed to be a product of the Eastern Palace) all pointed to Li Chengqian.

Even if he were the emperor, he couldn't just declare that Li Chengqian didn't do this when there were witnesses and physical evidence.

"call"

After reading the urgent report, Li Shimin took a deep breath, glanced at Changsun Wuji, and then looked at the assembled officials: "Regarding the matter of the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan, I will issue an edict to the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs to conduct a thorough investigation!"

"Whoever it is, I will punish them severely according to the law, without any leniency!"

"May I ask Your Majesty, who submitted this urgent report, and is the information accurate?" Li Xiaogong asked, frowning.

Although he is now Li Shimin's rear army general, he is also the Zongzheng of the Zongzheng Temple, so he has the right to know the ins and outs of this matter.

But then Li Shimin said in a deep voice, "It is Yin Zhihong, the chief secretary of the Prince of Yan's residence."

It's him?

Changsun Wuji's heart sank.

Although both were relatives of the emperor, Yin Zhihong and he had absolutely no connection.

After all, one of them is in the sky, and the other is on the ground.

Putting aside their respective sisters, one being the Empress and the other a concubine, they were enemies in the past.

In particular, Yin Zhihong's father, Yin Shishi, was the "gravedigger" of the Li Tang dynasty, a true sworn enemy.

If Li Yuan hadn't considered the bigger picture and spared Yin Zhihong and his sister, they would have been victims of the Li Tang dynasty long ago.

Therefore, Changsun Wuji held Yin Zhihong in utter contempt, and even felt ashamed to stand beside him.

But now, Yin Zhihong has actually submitted such a shocking report, so he has no choice but to be cautious.

Could this be a conspiracy by Yin Zhihong?

Did he deliberately orchestrate this assassination attempt to bring Chengqian down from power?

But isn't that his own nephew? How could he bear to do that?
Moreover, even if Li Chengqian steps down, it won't be his nephew Li You's turn!
What was his purpose in doing this?

Just as Changsun Wuji was lost in thought, Yun Duan suddenly spoke up again: "Your Majesty, I have just remembered something concerning Chief Secretary Yin!"

"What's the matter?"

Li Shimin gave a cold look, seemingly blaming Yun Duan for not reporting earlier.
However, Yun Duan explained with trepidation, "To be honest, Your Majesty, when I informed the Bad People to investigate the Shouzhulang, I also increased the number of people to monitor Chang'an. For a period of time, my men discovered that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was frequently seen around the residence of Chief Secretary Yin."

"At first, I thought this was a routine activity of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, because they not only appeared around the residence of Chief Secretary Yin, but also at the residences of the Minister of War, the Left General of the Martial Guard, the Right General of the Martial Guard, the residences of the Duke of Zhao, the Prince of Rencheng, and the Prince of Jiangxia!"

"What!?"

The ministers were shocked and felt their scalps tingle when they heard Yun Duan's words.

"No, you mean the Crown Prince's Embroidered Uniform Guard is even monitoring our residences?" Li Xiaogong said angrily.

"Yes! How could this be? We haven't offended the Crown Prince!"

"Does the Crown Prince have some misunderstanding about us?"

"His Majesty."

"Alright! All of you, shut up!"

Before the ministers could finish echoing Li Xiaogong's words, Li Shimin impatiently interrupted them, and then Yun Duan said sternly, "Continue!"

"Yes!"

Yun Duan responded, then added as if recalling something, "Although the Embroidered Uniform Guards are present throughout Chang'an, they have always been very disciplined. My men and the Embroidered Uniform Guards have always kept to themselves."

"but."

At this point, he changed the subject and continued, "After leaving Youzhou, I suddenly remembered that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was monitoring Chief Secretary Yin's residence, which seems to have happened not long before the Prince of Yan went to his fiefdom!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince once tried to stop the Prince of Yan from going to his fiefdom and being granted it, but for some reason, the Prince of Yan's attitude toward going to his fiefdom and being granted it was unusually firm. As Your Majesty probably knows, the Prince of Yan went to his fiefdom and was granted it ahead of schedule."

"Oh, by the way!" He added as he finished, "Before the Prince of Yan went to his fiefdom, he often visited the residence of Chief Secretary Yin!"

Upon hearing this, the civil and military officials exchanged bewildered glances.

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes slightly.

Clearly, this matter is more complicated than they imagined.

In particular, the unusual behavior of Li You and the Embroidered Uniform Guard seemed to confirm one thing: Yin Zhihong was suspicious.

"His Majesty!"

Changsun Wuji's expression suddenly turned solemn: "Your Majesty, I request a thorough investigation of Yin Zhihong!"

"Yes, Yin Zhihong's matter should indeed be thoroughly investigated!"

Li Shimin nodded in agreement, then looked at Changsun Wuji and said, "However, there is also a problem with the Crown Prince's matter. Why would he send the Embroidered Uniform Guard to monitor Yin Zhihong? Isn't that suspicious?"

"If there is a conflict between them, it is the Crown Prince who sends someone to assassinate Yin Zhihong, not Li You!"

"This"

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji was speechless.

Because he simply couldn't understand why Yin Zhihong would risk his own nephew's life to plot against Li Chengqian.

What benefits would this bring to Yin Zhihong?

Just as Changsun Wuji fell silent again, Li Shimin made the final decision: "Alright, let's do this as I said before, and hand it over to the Dali Temple to investigate!"

“But Your Majesty, isn’t the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review a man of the Crown Prince? And what about the Prince of Rencheng? It’s not convenient to investigate him right now,” Zhang Jian said abruptly.

Li Shimin frowned, then said in a deep voice, "Then let Dai Zhou, Chu Suiliang, and Liu Ji investigate!"

"All three of them are my men; I guarantee fairness and impartiality!"

Upon hearing this, the ministers exchanged bewildered glances once again.

At this moment, Li Shimin continued, "Now that we've finished discussing the Crown Prince, let's talk about Chang'an. Which prince do you think should be summoned back to Chang'an?"

"Your Majesty! I believe it would be more appropriate to send the Crown Prince back to Chang'an! One Crown Prince can prove his innocence, two Crown Princes are capable of handling the epidemic, and three..."

"okay!"

Before Changsun Wuji could finish speaking, Li Shimin interrupted him, saying, "Do you think I only have one son? He's done something so terrible; how can you expect others to trust him?"

"But."

Just as Changsun Wuji was about to continue his explanation, another report came from outside the tent: "Your Majesty! A report has come from Yizhou!"

Yizhou?

Upon hearing this, the ministers' hearts stirred.

Li Shimin looked out of the tent with a puzzled expression: "Something has happened in Yizhou."

Having learned from his previous experience, he stopped mid-sentence and waved his hand, saying, "Bring the report in!"

"Yes!"

A voice responded from outside the tent, and the report was quickly brought in.

Li Shimin took the report and, just like everyone else, opened it directly in front of his ministers.

Just when he thought the report was going to bring bad news again, its contents surprised him so much that he burst into laughter: "Hahaha! Excellent! Excellent! You truly are my good son!"

Smiling, he didn't forget to share the contents of the report with his ministers:

"I received a report from the Prince of Shu that he has gathered enough grain for next year. In addition, he has rectified the officialdom of Yizhou, cracked the corruption case of Liu Zhongyi, confiscated a large amount of his property, and turned it all over to the national treasury. Moreover, the newly implemented land policy in Yizhou has greatly benefited the people of Yizhou. Starting next year, they will be planting sweet potatoes on a large scale, raising pigs, cattle, and sheep, and dredging water conservancy projects!"

"Most importantly, the King of Shu also suggested that I establish a temporary logistics department, in which he would mobilize surplus grain and fodder from various states to support the front lines at any time."

"In this way, I will have no worries! Hahaha! I think this is a good idea. A temporary logistics department is just like a temporary cabinet!"

Hearing Li Shimin recount Li Ke's deeds with great enthusiasm, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration for Li Ke, the assembled officials couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

Changsun Wuji's face was ashen as he stared intently at Li Ke's report in Li Shimin's hand.

Only after Li Shimin had calmed down from his joy did he hear him say with a sigh, "The Prince of Shu is becoming more and more composed and experienced in his work, just like I was back then."

"This"

Upon hearing this, the ministers immediately understood Li Shimin's intentions: he wanted Li Ke to return to Chang'an to take charge.

However, Li Ke's status was too awkward. Not only would Changsun Wuji not agree, but even the other civil and military officials from the former Qin Prince's Mansion and Tian Ce Mansion would not agree.

Seeing that none of his ministers agreed with him, Li Shimin frowned instantly: "Didn't I just ask you which prince should be summoned back to Chang'an to take charge? Why is no one saying anything?"

This is already a very obvious hint.

Li Shimin was just short of mentioning Li Ke's name and asking him to return to Chang'an to take charge.

However, the civil and military officials did not buy into this and remained silent.

This immediately enraged Li Shimin: "Are you all mute?!"

"Your Majesty's anger! Your Majesty's anger!"

Seeing Li Shimin's uncontrollable rage, Sun Daiyin, who was not familiar with the details, quickly said, "Since His Highness the Prince of Shu is so outstanding, why not let him return to Chang'an to take charge?"

"Very well! That's exactly what I was thinking!"

Li Shimin's face lit up with joy, and he immediately prepared to issue an imperial edict.

At that moment, Changsun Wuji immediately stepped forward and said, "Does Your Majesty intend to plunge the world into chaos?!"

"Bastard!"

Li Shimin was furious: "What are you saying?! I sent the Prince of Shu back to Chang'an, how did that cause chaos in the world?!"

"The King of Shu is merely a titled king; how can he be allowed to reside in Chang'an? May I ask Your Majesty, what kind of place is Chang'an? It is the heart of the nation!"

"Now that my Crown Prince is still alive, why abandon him and favor the Prince of Shu? Isn't this clearly telling the world that His Majesty has a problem with the Crown Prince and intends to depose him? And the Prince of Shu is the Crown Prince's new successor!"

"Nonsense! When did I say I wanted to change the crown prince to the Prince of Shu? I only sent him back to Chang'an to assist the officials in fighting the epidemic!"

"Ha! Your Majesty's words are truly laughable! Don't you ask me, I didn't kill Bo Ren, yet Bo Ren died because of me? By sending the Prince of Shu back to Chang'an to take charge, you are forcing the Crown Prince to abdicate!"

"Changsun Wuji! How dare you!"

"Your Majesty's anger! Your Majesty's anger!"

Seeing that Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji were getting into a heated argument, the officials quickly stepped forward to dissuade them.

But Li Shimin's anger was not so easily quelled. He coldly questioned Changsun Wuji: "You oppose the Prince of Shu returning to Chang'an! Is it because he is not your nephew?"

His words were quite sharp, essentially exposing Changsun Wuji's selfish motives.

But Changsun Wuji remained unfazed and argued vehemently, "I have always kept public and private matters separate in my actions. Your Majesty is judging public affairs based on my personal feelings, so what can I say? However, I am paid for by the Emperor and I am obliged to share his burdens. Even if Your Majesty harbors resentment towards me, I must state my reasons!"

"First, although there are doubts surrounding the Crown Prince, he is still the Crown Prince. With the country in turmoil and the Emperor absent, the Crown Prince should be in charge."

"Secondly, the crown prince is the foundation of the country and cannot be easily shaken by anything."

"Third, Your Majesty stripped the Crown Prince of his rights without conducting a thorough investigation, which is not in accordance with normal procedures!"

"Fourth, the King of Shu is a titled king. If he is stationed in Chang'an, what will the other titled kings think? Will they think they can also be titled kings? Isn't this just encouraging the titled kings to secretly compete for power? What benefit does this bring to the country?"

"This"

Upon hearing Changsun Wuji's four reasons, Li Shimin was speechless.

The other officials also stepped forward at this moment, and said in unison, "Your Majesty, please summon the Crown Prince back to the palace!"

After saying this, Li Shimin felt helpless and finally gave in: "Fine, fine, let the Crown Prince return to Chang'an!"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

"However, the Prince of Shu expressed his concern for his mother in his letter and wanted to go back to see her. I can't very well refuse his filial piety, can I?"

Upon hearing this, the officials couldn't help but look at Changsun Wuji again.

Changsun Wuji looked utterly dejected, yet helpless.

After all, Li Shimin had already said this much; if he were to object again, it would be somewhat unbecoming of a subject.

"I second the proposal!"

"Very well! Issue my decree that the Crown Prince return to Chang'an immediately to oversee the epidemic control efforts! Also, order the Prince of Shu to return to Chang'an to visit his family!"

(End of this chapter)