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

Chapter 389 Li Shimin: With my sons around, I have nothing to worry about! [Requesting monthly votes]

The night in Chang'an was tinged with an eerie orange-red by the towering flames and thick smoke from the direction of the medical school.

Li Yin stood in the plaza resembling the ruins of the medical school, feeling the metallic touch of the military tally in his hand, an unprecedented sense of power filling his chest.

He looked around at the chaotic courtyard, the ashen-faced members of the Academy of Sciences who were under guard, the mob on the periphery who saw him as their savior with their morbid fanaticism and exhaustion, and his own guards from the royal palace and the sharp-eyed city defense soldiers. His expression suddenly turned solemn.

Now, I, Prince Li Yin of Liang, am the symbol of order in Chang'an.

"Issue my decree!"

Li Yin's voice rang out in the deathly silence, carrying an unquestionable authority: "From this day forward, the defense of Chang'an shall be under my control! The curfew shall be enforced immediately! No one shall walk in the markets after nightfall without my decree and the insignia of a physician from the Shu Prince's Palace! Those who disobey shall be punished for inciting riots and spreading plague!"

"promise!"

The guards and city defense troops responded in unison, their voices shaking the night sky and extinguishing the last shred of hope and freedom in the hearts of the people who had just participated in the riot.

Fear replaced the previous fervor once again, and they vaguely realized that they seemed to have unleashed something more terrifying than the plague.

Li Yin's gaze then fell upon Sun Simiao and the others who were under close guard, a cruel smile playing on his lips: "As for you, Dean Sun, and the 'miracle doctors' of the medical school..."

He deliberately emphasized the words "miracle doctor," his tone dripping with sarcasm: "For the sake of the Crown Prince, I will spare your lives. But while you may escape death, you cannot escape punishment!"

He paused, greatly appreciating the humiliation and indignation rising in the other's eyes, and continued: "From this day forward, all of you medical students will be reassigned to the Shu Prince's Medical Hall to assist them in treating the plague and atone for your sins!"

"If anyone dares to slack off, feign compliance while secretly disobeying, or privately research smallpox vaccines, hmph, don't blame me for being ruthless in military law!"

This order was like a poisonous thorn, not only stripping the medical school of its autonomy but also completely cutting off its path to researching the smallpox vaccine.

It can be described as extremely vicious.

"Li Yin! You...you've turned black into white and aided and abetted the wicked!"

A young physician, trembling with rage, pointed at Li Yin and shouted, "You have destroyed the foundation of medicine in our Great Tang Dynasty! His Highness the Crown Prince will not let you get away with this!"

"Be bold!"

The guard stepped forward and slammed his spear into the young doctor's back, causing him to cough up blood and fall to the ground.

The medical students around them gasped and tried to step forward, but were forced back by the city defense troops with their swords and spears.

"Your Highness, if you're determined to frame someone, you can always find a pretext."

Sun Simiao held back the students behind him, his voice as firm as a rock: "This old Taoist will obey!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "as you command," which was full of endless irony and forbearance.

"Heh, the old dean is quite shrewd; no wonder he was recruited by the Crown Prince!"

Li Yin smiled coldly. He naturally knew about Sun Simiao's past. He had refused Li Shimin many times. Later, he didn't know what methods Li Chengqian used to become the dean of Li Chengqian Medical College. That's why he said those words.

Upon hearing this, Sun Simiao remained silent, awaiting his new orders. He too had lost interest in the medical school and immediately waved his hand, signaling, "Someone! Invite our new Dean here and escort the medical students to assist him properly. Do not neglect him!"

Upon hearing this, a group of physicians dressed in the attire of the Prince of Shu, with cold demeanor and indifferent eyes, slowly entered the medical school, led by a physician with a sallow complexion and hunched posture.

And this sallow-faced doctor was none other than the plague doctor under the command of the garrison commander.

He didn't even glance at Sun Simiao and the others before heading straight for the experimental building that hadn't been completely burned down, as if that was the only thing that interested him.

Sun Simiao and the medical students and physicians were roughly escorted away from the square and headed towards the laboratories and wards occupied by the physicians of the Shu King's Palace.

"Good job, Yindi! Well done!"

After listening to Li Yin's detailed report, Li Ke excitedly slammed his hand on the table, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light.

"With military power in hand and the medical academy under our control, Chang'an is now completely under our control. Before long, we will be able to uproot Li Chengqian's power base in Chang'an!"

"Big brother! What should we do next?" Li Yin couldn't hide his excitement.

"Control! Complete control!"

Li Ke paced back and forth, speaking rapidly: "First, use military power to block all communication channels! Especially those leading to Liaodong! We must not let Father Emperor know the true situation in Chang'an!"

"Second, have the plague healers intensify their treatment of the plague, but remember, only cure those we have selected as useful individuals, or those who have instigated the unrest and are wholeheartedly loyal to us! As for the others..."

As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Let them slowly die in despair! It would be best to pin all the blame on Li Chengqian!"

"In this way, they will become even more dependent on us and even more resentful of Li Chengqian's incompetence!"

"What about the third?"

Li Yin pressed on impatiently.

Li Ke thought for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and said, "Third. Let the Plague Doctor begin the next step of the plan! I need a more 'controllable' panic, a panic that can completely shut up Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, and Li Jing, and even force them to support me in dealing with Li Chengqian, understand?"

A flicker of fear crossed Li Yin's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by fervor: "Understood! Don't worry, brother! I'll make the arrangements right away!"

"Go!"

Li Ke waved his hand and watched Li Yin leave.

Although he knew that he could not replace Li Chengqian or take that position for the time being, as long as he could bring Li Chengqian down or cripple him, dealing with the others would be a piece of cake.

The most crucial question now is: what exactly happened to Li Chengqian? Why hasn't he returned yet? Could it be that the assassination attempt by the garrison commander has already succeeded?
Thinking of that mysterious organization with profound foundations, Li Ke naturally felt a sense of awe, but soon a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Once I ascend to the throne, you will be the next ones I deal with."

On the other side, the Shouzhulang's secret stronghold in Chang'an.

After returning from the Crown Prince's residence, Wu Bing immediately inquired about Duan Shui and the others.

It would have been better if I hadn't asked; the question terrified me so much that my face turned white.

"What did you say?"

Wu Bing stared at the person in front of him in disbelief, as if he had misheard.

But then he heard the man in front of him say earnestly, "Duan Shui, Buddha, Snake Shadow, and Heart Fox have all been killed by Li Chengqian! The second wave of assassins we sent have also been wiped out!"

"It's not Liu Yun! You must be joking! They have Lord Duan Shui! How could they possibly be killed by Li Chengqian?! Lord Duan Shui, he..."

"Wu Bing! I'm telling the truth! This is what the Garrison Commander asked me to give you!"

Before Wu Bing could finish questioning himself, the guard named Liu Yun interrupted him in a deep voice and casually took out a bag from his waist and handed it to Wu Bing.

Wu Bing looked at him with suspicion, then at the bag, before taking it with trembling hands and slowly opening it.

Inside was a metal, hollowed-out box about the size of a walnut. As soon as Wu Bing touched it, he felt something inside throbbing wildly. He recoiled as if he'd been electrocuted, then stared at Liu Yun with a look of astonishment: "What is this?"

"Newly cultivated mother-child Gu!"

Liu Yun calmly said, "Find a way to get it planted in Li Ke!"

"This"

Wu Bing hesitated for a moment, then asked with some confusion, "Why not let the Gu Master plant it?"

"Something's happened in the southern border region, and they need to go and resolve it. Besides, now that you've gained Li Ke's trust, it'll be easy for you to plant the Gu!"

"But why would the garrison commander plant a Gu poison on Li Ke? Is it because he's worried that Li Ke won't cooperate with us once he gains power?"

"It's best not to ask about things you shouldn't know!"

Liu Yun remained expressionless and said, "Also, let me remind you, Li Chengqian should be back soon. We plan to find a way to get rid of him in Chang'an!"

"But even Lord Duan Shui couldn't deal with him, could it be that the Garrison Commander will personally take action?" Wu Bing couldn't help but ask again.

Liu Yun frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then said in a deep voice, "Although I don't know if the Guardian will personally deal with that monster, I do know that the Heavenly Mystery Elder has already foreseen that Li Chengqian will face a great calamity on his return to Chang'an!"

"Really?"

Wu Bing's eyes lit up, and his face immediately lit up with excitement.

Liu Yun smiled slightly: "The Heavenly Mystery Elder's calculations and strategies have never been wrong. Don't you believe him?"

“Of course! I naturally believe in the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets, but I didn’t expect Li Chengqian’s calamity to come so quickly!” Wu Bing quickly echoed.

Liu Yun shook his head slightly and said, "According to the Heavenly Calculations of the Heavenly Mystery Elder, Li Chengqian's great calamity should have occurred in the tenth year of Zhenguan, but somehow, it suddenly changed!"

"That's what alerted the garrison commander! You know what happened afterward; he was no longer the same Li Chengqian!"

"Hmm, this Li Chengqian is indeed strange. I wonder what kind of monster he is!"

Wu Bing nodded in deep agreement.

Liu Yun glanced at him and said, "Alright! I'll stay here until Li Chengqian returns to Chang'an. You can go do what you need to do! Also, that Yang Nannan, she knows a lot about us, so we need to make good use of her."

"understand!"

Wu Bing immediately bowed, then took the cloth bag and left the stronghold. Meanwhile, in Anshi City, Liaodong, at the Tang army camp...

Li Shimin is holding a military conference.

“Your Majesty! The 150,000-strong army of Goguryeo is advancing towards Ansi City. Their purpose is unclear, but they certainly have some scheme!” Zhang Jian spoke first.

Li Shimin nodded thoughtfully, then walked to the sand table map and said, "Now, with Goguryeo's 150,000 troops, there are three strategic options!"

"First, lead the main army forward, forming a pincer movement with the garrison of Anshi City, occupying strategic terrain, and sending Mohe cavalry to plunder our cattle and horses. If our attack is thwarted and we are forced to retreat, we will be trapped in the swamp and in a difficult situation. This is the best strategy!"

"Second, rescue the soldiers and civilians in Anshi City, and then escort them to their retreat. This is the middle strategy!"

"Third, it is a foolish move to overestimate one's own strength and try to fight our army head-on on the main battlefield!"

At this point, Li Shimin smiled slightly, then looked around at the assembled officials and said, "Just wait and see, based on my understanding of the Goguryeo army, they will definitely choose the worst option, and defeating them will be a piece of cake."

"this."

Upon hearing this, the civil and military officials exchanged glances, looking at each other in bewilderment.

He thought to himself, "How come His Majesty, who was so depressed not long ago, seems to be back to his old self?"
Could there be spies from our side in the Goguryeo army?

Is he His Majesty's man or His Highness the Crown Prince's man?

In fact, they were not unaware that Li Chengqian had sent spies to Goguryeo. For example, the strategist Sun Daiyin was a member of Li Siyuan's family.

And Gao Yanshou seems to be from a family of a high-ranking general in Goguryeo.

Therefore, when Li Shimin made such a judgment, they naturally thought in that direction.

But seeing their half-understanding expressions, Li Shimin's face darkened immediately; "What, you don't believe my judgment?"

"No, no, how could we not believe His Majesty!" Li Xiaogong quickly expressed his opinion first.

Li Daozong echoed, "Your Majesty is wise and mighty! We naturally believe in Your Majesty! I also think the Goguryeo army will choose a bad strategy!"

"Hahaha! What good strategies could those idiots possibly come up with!" Yuchi Gong laughed loudly.

Cheng Yaojin chuckled and said, "I guess they saw that we couldn't take Anshi City after a long siege, so they thought we were finished and wanted to fight us head-on, right? His Majesty is truly wise!"

For some reason, even though his ministers were praising him, Li Shimin felt a deep sense of defeat. This was the first time he had felt this way in all his years of leading troops into battle. He couldn't help but raise his hand to his forehead and say, "You may all leave now. I want to be alone!"

"Your Majesty, this has not been decided yet."

"Go down!"

Before Sun Daiyin could finish speaking, Li Shimin interrupted her with a stern shout.

Seeing this, the civil and military officials exchanged glances again, and then wisely left.

"Wuji! Do you think I'm getting old and failing?"

Li Shimin seemed to know that Changsun Wuji had not left, and asked this question with a hint of dejection.

But Changsun Wuji frowned and said, "Your Majesty is only thirty-three years old this year, how can you be considered old? As for what Your Majesty said about not being able to do it, I don't know what Your Majesty is referring to."

"Bullshit!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin glared at Changsun Wuji with annoyance and said, "I'm talking about fighting! Am I no longer fit for battle?! What nonsense are you spouting?! I...I'm in excellent health! I'm perfectly fine!"

"Why is Your Majesty so agitated? I never said Your Majesty was unwell."

"you!"

Li Shimin was momentarily speechless, then suddenly burst into loud laughter: "Hahaha! Wuji, Wuji! How come you've become so petty?!"

"It's all because His Majesty angered me!" Changsun Wuji said expressionlessly.

Li Shimin smacked his lips and said, "Tsk tsk, are you calmed down now?"

"It's gone!"

"Shouldn't we get down to business?"

"What matter is Your Majesty referring to?" Changsun Wuji replied, "If it concerns the Goguryeo army, I believe Your Majesty's judgment is correct; the Goguryeo army will certainly engage us in a direct confrontation!"

"Oh? Why?" Li Shimin immediately became interested.

But Changsun Wuji continued, "If they knew our Great Tang's Goguryeo generals or strategists, they would definitely adopt a scorched-earth policy and prepare for a protracted war. Then they would send out surprise troops to cut off our Tang army's supply lines. Once our Tang army runs out of food, cannot fight, and has no way to retreat, they will surely win a great victory!"

"Yes! That's right! This is the best strategy I've been talking about!"

Li Shimin's eyes lit up, but then Changsun Wuji changed the subject: "However, the Goguryeo general leading the army this time is clearly not a wise commander, otherwise he would never have led a large army to Anshi City at this time!"

"Therefore, if our army feigns a few defeats, this Goguryeo general will surely fall for it! At that time, he will definitely fight us to the death, which is exactly what we want! Defeat is inevitable!"

"Good, good, good! Well said, Wuji!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin clapped his hands excitedly.

Immediately afterwards, he prepared to recall all civil and military officials to make pre-battle arrangements.

However, just then, a voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Your Majesty, Commander Yun has urgent business to discuss!"

"Ok?"

Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji were both taken aback, and their brows furrowed deeply.

Normally, people in the cloud won't say there's an emergency unless it's a genuine emergency.

"Let him in quickly!"

Without any hesitation, Li Shimin immediately gave an order to the person outside the door.

Soon, Yun Duan rushed in: "Your Majesty! Duke Zhao!"

"What happened? Has something serious occurred?"

Li Shimin asked impatiently.

Yun Duan nodded emphatically and said, "To be honest, Your Majesty, something serious has indeed happened, and there are three major events. First, there has been a massive flood in Jiangnan. Second, His Highness the Crown Prince has been attacked multiple times on his way back to Chang'an. Third, news from Chang'an has been blocked, and we don't know what's going on!"

"what?!"

Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji were greatly surprised upon hearing this.

But then Changsun Wuji hurriedly asked, "What's going on? How could news from Chang'an be blocked? Doesn't your Hundred Cavalry Division have many undercover agents? And what about the Crown Prince? Has he been harmed? Have you found out who attacked the Crown Prince?"

"This"

Yun Duan was taken aback by Changsun Wuji's barrage of questions. After a short while, he reacted, cupped his hands, and said:

"Reporting to Duke Zhao, we do indeed have spies from the Hundred Cavalry Division in Chang'an, but we can no longer contact them. There is a high probability that they have been eliminated. There are currently two people capable of doing this: one is the Crown Prince's Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the other is the Guards."

"But in my opinion, the Embroidered Uniform Guard can be ruled out, so it can only be the Guardian!"

"In addition, His Highness the Crown Prince is currently unharmed and is on his way back to Chang'an!"

"And what about the Prince of Wei? How is he?" Li Shimin couldn't help but ask.

"Your Majesty, His Highness Prince Wei is also well and is organizing the officials and people of Yangzhou to fight the disaster!" Yun Duan replied hastily.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji both breathed a sigh of relief.

But soon, they were filled with worry again.

The secret agents of the Hundred Cavalry Division in Chang'an have been eliminated by the Shouzhulang. This is no simple matter. It requires a very thorough investigation of the Hundred Cavalry Division and the cooperation of insiders. Otherwise, it would be impossible to ensure that not a single piece of information is leaked out.

Therefore, the situation in Chang'an may not be as simple as the smallpox plague; there may even be a rebellion!
"Wuji."

Li Shimin's face darkened, and he coldly shouted something.

But Changsun Wuji shook his head and said, "With a formidable enemy at hand, Your Majesty must not return to the capital without authorization!"

"But."

Li Shimin asked with some worry, "What about the Empress and the others?"

Changsun Wuji struggled for a moment, then clenched his fists and said firmly, "Distant water cannot quench immediate thirst, but I believe in Chengqian!"

"This"

Li Shimin hesitated for a moment, then smiled and agreed wholeheartedly, "That's right! You're right! With Chengqian, Ke'er, and Qingque, I can rest easy!"

Having said that, he immediately made up his mind: "Men! Pass down the order to prepare to meet the enemy!"

(End of this chapter)