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

Chapter 409 A Clown [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

As night deepened, the candlelight in the Crown Prince's study flickered, illuminating Li Chengqian's pensive profile.

The tapping of his fingers stopped, and his gaze fell on the deep night outside the window, as if he could see through the bricks and tiles of Chang'an City to the restless military camp in the direction of Xianyang.

"Hou Junji is going to protect the emperor?"

Li Chengqian chuckled softly, his voice carrying a hint of understanding: "This old fox has mastered the art of 'double-dealing'."

"Your Highness, Hou Junji's actions are extremely unusual."

Pei Xingjian frowned and said, "He led his army to approach Chang'an, but under the guise of 'protecting the Crown Prince.' This is clearly a ploy to manipulate public opinion and put you in a very difficult position!"

“If we stop him, it would be Your Highness’s suspicion of loyal officials. If we don’t stop him, his every move will represent your will, and who knows what he might do!”

"Ah!"

Li Chengqian sneered and said calmly, "He colluded with the garrison commander to try and solidify the charge of murdering my brothers. Unfortunately for them, their plan suits me perfectly. I also want to kill the Li brothers. However, they haven't produced any valid evidence to prove that I did indeed kill the Li brothers. What do you think they will do?"

"this."

Pei Xingjian hesitated for a moment, then frowned and said, "In my opinion, their next step might be to produce effective evidence!"

"That's right! That's more like it!"

Li Chengqian slammed his hand on the desk, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. He said, "Once they produce valid evidence, they will have to work with Hou Junji from the inside. And the reason Hou Junji willingly 'colluded' with me is that he wants to deliver a fatal blow to me at the most crucial moment!"

"Damn it! That Hou Junji deserves to die!"

"Yes, he deserves to die, but..."

Li Chengqian changed the subject: "Isn't he going to protect me? In my name, issue him a commendation order, saying that he is loyal to the country, came to the aid of the king upon hearing the news of the uprising, and is truly a pillar of the country. Heh, the wording should be more enthusiastic, so that the people of Chang'an can see how much I trust this pillar general."

"Uh."

Pei Xingjian's lips twitched. He thought to himself, "His Highness the Crown Prince's method of flattery to kill is truly deadly without shedding blood!"
Once this commendation order was made public, Hou Junji was placed in the position of a 'loyal minister'.

If he dares to make any unusual move, he will be slapping himself in the face and will be condemned by the whole world.

"Your subject obeys! I will have the Imperial Secretary draft the decree and spread it throughout Chang'an as quickly as possible."

"Go!"

Li Chengqian waved his hand and then stood up from his seat.

Hou Junji wanted to borrow the garrison commander's sword, the garrison commander wanted to borrow Hou Junji's troops, and Li Chengqian wanted to stir up trouble and force the garrison commander to show himself.

"His Royal Highness!"

Lai Fu returned and bowed, saying, "Grand Historian Li said that according to the celestial phenomena tonight, a guest star is invading the Purple Palace, which may indicate a change of war. He will come to pay his respects to Your Highness first thing tomorrow morning."

"A change of military power?"

Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow, turned around and smiled, "He is quite frank. Prepare the carriage, I'm going to Chang Le Palace."

"promise!"

Lai Fu agreed.

Half an hour later, they arrived at Chang Le Palace.

At this moment, the fragrance of medicine had not yet dissipated in the side hall of Chang Le Palace.

Princess Chang Le, Li Lizhi, sat by the window wearing a thick brocade robe. When she saw Li Chengqian enter, she quickly stood up and bowed. Although her face was still pale, her eyes were much brighter.

"Brother Crown Prince," she called softly.

"Hmm, Chang Le, are you feeling better?"

Li Chengqian stepped forward in response.

Li Lizhi blinked her beautiful eyes and stared intently at Li Chengqian, as if trying to see right through him.

Li Chengqian looked at her calmly.

Although the two siblings didn't say anything, they knew exactly what was going on.

After a moment, Li Lizhi spoke weakly, "Brother, I heard that you killed the King of Shu and the King of Liang?"

Although her voice was weak, it carried a complex stubbornness.

She shouldn't have interfered in such matters.

However, she wanted to know if the Crown Prince in front of her was still the Li Chengqian she knew.

But then she saw Li Chengqian slowly sit down opposite her, pick up the hot tea served by a maid, and say indifferently, "Do you believe me?"

Li Lizhi bit her lip, then shook her head and said, "My elder brother, the Crown Prince, is not that kind of person. It's just that there are rumors outside that you are plotting a rebellion."

"rebellion?"

Li Chengqian laughed and slammed his teacup down on the table: "I am the Crown Prince, the heir apparent of the Tang Dynasty. Who would I be trying to impress with my rebellion?"

He looked at his sister's worried eyes and softened his tone: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. As for you, just focus on getting better. Once you get vaccinated against smallpox, you can go to medical school like before."

When cowpox was mentioned, Li Lizhi's eyes lit up even more: "Doctor Sun said that this is a miraculous medicine that can cure smallpox?"

"It's not a miracle drug, it's a vaccine that can prevent smallpox."

Li Chengqian patiently explained, "Once the matter in Chang'an is settled, I will have medical schools promoted throughout the country, so that no one will lose their life to smallpox again."

Li Lizhi nodded as if she understood, then suddenly took out a jade pendant from her sleeve and handed it over: "This was given to me by my father when he went on his last expedition. He said it could ward off evil spirits. Crown Prince, please take it with you and be careful in everything you do."

The jade pendant was warm and smooth, still carrying the warmth of the young girl's body.

Li Chengqian took the jade pendant and held it tightly. The warmth from his fingertips dispelled some of the chill in his heart: "Alright, elder brother, keep it. You should rest early, I still have things to do."

"and many more!"

Li Lizhi suddenly called out to Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian paused, then asked, "Is there anything else, Chang Le?"

"My cousin Xueyan has disappeared, as have Aunt Hua and Su Wan."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian frowned: "Cousin Xueyan?"

"Yes, it's Li Xueyan, the eldest daughter of Uncle Jiangxia!"

Li Lizhi nodded and said, "I was feeling better and wanted them to come visit me, but then I heard from the people who went to look for them that they had all disappeared. I don't know if they died of smallpox or if someone kidnapped them in the chaos."

At this point, Li Lizhi wrapped her brocade robe tighter and looked at Li Chengqian expectantly, saying, "Brother, I know Su Wan's feelings for you. Those beef balls weren't actually bought by Hua Gu, but by Su Wan."

"And then there's my cousin Xueyan. Uncle Jiangxia only has one daughter, and he dotes on her. We can't just sit idly by."

"Well, I see."

Li Chengqian nodded, not saying much about the matter, and reached out to touch Li Lizhi's hair, saying with a smile, "Take good care of yourself. Once you're better, your older brother will take you all out for a couple of days of fun!"

"Brother Xie"

Li Lizhi responded weakly, but the worry in her eyes did not disappear.

However, she knew that Li Chengqian had his own plans, so she didn't say anything more.

And so, Li Chengqian left Changle Palace on his own.

By this time, the night was deep.

There were several times more Imperial Guards patrolling the streets than usual, and the clanging of their armor was especially clear in the quiet night.

Li Chengqian sat in the carriage, lifted a corner of the curtain, looked at the empty Zhuque Street, and suddenly said, "Go to the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

As the carriage drove away from the imperial city, Li Chengqian stroked the jade pendant in his palm, gazing at the street scenes flashing past the window with a deep look in his eyes.

He knew that Hou Junji's "protection" was just a pretext, and the real storm was yet to come.

He must make thorough preparations before this storm arrives.

"I want to personally interrogate those captured guards."

The night wind blew through the streets and alleys of Chang'an, carrying a hint of chill.

The lights of the Xianyang camp flickered in the distance, like a lurking beast, quietly waiting for the hunt at dawn.

Meanwhile, in the heart of Chang'an, Li Chengqian's chess game had only just begun.

The Imperial Guard's prison was cold and damp, with the torchlight casting flickering shadows on the stone walls, and the air filled with the smell of rust and blood.

Li Chengqian walked down the stone steps, the clattering of shackles dragging on the ground coming from each cell, accompanied by varying degrees of heavy or light breathing.

When the Imperial Guards guarding the prison gate saw him arrive, they quickly bowed and saluted. The clanging of their heavy armor was particularly jarring in the cramped space.

Who is here today?

Li Chengqian asked calmly.

"Your Highness, Commander Yang is here!"

"Yang Nannan?"

Li Chengqian was somewhat surprised: "Where is she?"

"In the interrogation room! We've caught several spies suspected to be Hou Junji!"

"Oh?"

Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow, then waved his hand and said, "Take me to the interrogation room!"

"promise!"

The Imperial Guard acknowledged and quickly led Li Chengqian to the interrogation room.

"His Royal Highness!"

When Yang Nannan saw Li Chengqian enter, she immediately bowed to him and said, "What brings you here?" "That's what I wanted to ask you. Didn't I put you in charge of the smallpox vaccine? Why did you come back?" Li Chengqian said with a smile.

Yang Nannan shrugged and said, "I didn't want to come back either, but these few people were acting suspiciously, and I bumped into them. I suspect they are Hou Junji's men, deliberately sabotaging the smallpox vaccination!"

"As for their purpose, it should be the same as that of Brother Li Ke—plotting something sinister!"

"Heh, your case-solving skills are getting better and better. How about I recommend you for a position in the Ministry of Justice?"

"Is it possible? Does the Tang Dynasty allow women to hold official positions?"

"Aren't you an official now?"

"That's different."

"Alright, let's get down to business first!"

Li Chengqian waved his hand to interrupt the commotion, then turned to the Imperial Guards beside him and said, "Bring those spies up!"

"Yes!"

Soon, several men in black, whose skin was torn and bleeding but who remained silent and gritted their teeth, were dragged to an open space. Their black clothes were already soaked in blood, but traces of the disguise cream still remained on their faces.

"Tell me, who sent you here."

Li Chengqian squatted down, looked at one of the men in black with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and asked in a cold voice.

The man in black suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with resentment: "Li Chengqian! You murdered your brothers, a crime that has angered both heaven and man! We are acting on behalf of Heaven to bring justice!"

"No, you seem to have a serious illness, don't you?"

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes, then took out a token from his pocket. The token had the character '守' (shǒu, meaning 'guard') on it.

But then he laughed and said, "Do you know him?"

The man in black's pupils suddenly contracted, clearly not expecting Li Chengqian to possess such a thing.

"Looks like he recognizes her."

"Hmph! Li Chengqian, you think you can turn the world upside down just because you've captured a few of our small fry?"

At this moment, another man in black suddenly let out a sinister laugh: "The scheme set up by the magistrate has been meticulously planned from the very beginning!"

"You killed Chai Zhewei, the Chai family will not let you get away with this!"

"You killed the King of Shu and the King of Liang; the Emperor of Tang will not forgive you!"

"General Hou's army is right outside the city; you can't escape!"

"General Hou?"

Li Chengqian stood up and looked down at him: "You mean Hou Junji? He sent you?"

"So what if it is!" the man in black retorted, "General Hou said that once you are disgraced, he will lead his army into the city to purge the court of corrupt officials. At that time..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly coughed violently, black blood gushing from the corner of his mouth, his eyes wide open, and he died in full view of everyone.

"poisonous!"

Yang Nannan's expression changed, and she rushed forward to check, only to find that the person had already stopped breathing: "It's a deadly poison hidden in the teeth!"

Seeing this, the other men in black also struggled to bite down on their venomous fangs, but were held down firmly by the swift-reacting Imperial Guards.

Li Chengqian looked at the corpse on the ground, his eyes as cold as ice: "It seems that the garrison commander is in a hurry to kill and silence witnesses."

"Does the Crown Prince mean that they weren't sent by Lord Hou?"

"Otherwise, do you think they resemble people from Hou Junji?"

"On the surface, he does look a bit like a soldier, but upon closer inspection, he looks more like a swarm of ants guarding the border!"

Yang Nannan pondered for a moment and said, "Moreover, they know the guard order, so they are definitely not Hou Junji's people. This was my oversight."

"Whatever it is."

Li Chengqian shook his head, then turned and walked out, saying as he went, "Interrogate the rest of them separately. Even if you have to use a branding iron, you have to pry their mouths open. Also, keep a close eye on the movements of the Jingji Guard, especially the guards at the city gates."

"Yes!"

Yang Nannan immediately clasped her hands in response.

at the same time.

The office of the Ministry of Personnel.

Looking at the urgent document that Fang Xuanling had personally signed, affixed the official seal of the Secretariat, and sent to the Duke of Qiao's residence and the Emperor's camp, Liu Ji finally revealed a smug, cold smile.

He specifically requested that the details of "His Highness the Crown Prince killing Chai Zhewei, the heir of the Duke of Qiao, in public at the Prince of Shu's residence" be written down clearly, and that the testimonies of several noble sons present, such as Cheng Chuliang, Yuchi Huan, and Li Zong, be attached.

Although these testimonies were obtained under pressure from him.

"Prime Minister Fang, Doctor Chu, did you see that?"

Liu Ji trembled as he held the copy in his hand, his voice filled with almost fanatical excitement: "This is the way of a minister! Impartial and truthful reporting! Even if the Crown Prince wields immense power, he cannot silence the voices of the people!"

"Your Majesty is wise and discerning, and will surely see through everything and bring justice to the wronged!"

Chu Suiliang stared at the glaring words, his face turning pale. His lips moved, but he finally let out a heavy sigh.

His concern was not for Crown Prince Li Chengqian, but for Liu Ji's almost self-destructive integrity.

Dai Zhou frowned, feeling that Liu Ji's actions were pushing everyone toward a cliff from which there was no turning back.

After all, they never intended to be enemies with Li Chengqian.

The reason for cooperating with Liu Ji was because Li Shimin issued an edict ordering them to supervise the joint trial by the three judicial departments. In reality, they were in charge of presiding over the case of Li Chengqian's 'assassination of Prince Yan, Li You'.

Otherwise, they would definitely stay away from Liu Ji, that madman.

Yes, they all agreed in their hearts that Liu Ji was a madman.

At that moment, Fang Xuanling expressionlessly put away his copy, as if it were just an ordinary official document.

He picked up the teacup, which had long since gone cold, took a sip, and felt a bitter taste spread through his mouth.

"Vice Minister Liu is commendable for his loyalty and integrity."

Fang Xuanling's voice was calm and even: "However, Chang'an is in turmoil, the garrison commander has not been eliminated, and Hou Junji has stationed his troops outside the city. At this moment, it is even more necessary for the court to work together to stabilize the overall situation."

"Although His Highness the Crown Prince has ruthless methods, his actions have also brought peace and stability to the world and the nation."

"Your Majesty's wisdom is clear and discerning; you will surely make a wise judgment. As your subjects, we will simply do our duty and await your decision."

His words, seemingly fair, actually contained a hidden warning.

He wanted to remind Liu Ji not to create any further complications and escalate the conflict.

The ship Chang'an cannot withstand any more internal holes being drilled.

But Liu Ji seemed not to understand, stubbornly retorting, "Prime Minister Fang, you are mistaken! Precisely because the situation is so precarious, we must rectify the root of the problem. The Crown Prince's indiscriminate killing of noble sons is a dangerous trend; if this continues, the nation will be doomed. I, Liu Ji, would rather have my blood spilled five steps away than..."

"Bam—!"

Before he could finish speaking, the door to the duty room was suddenly pushed open.

A minor official from the Secretariat rushed in, panting, his face filled with panic: "Minister Fang! Your Excellencies! An imperial decree has been issued! It is a decree from His Highness the Crown Prince!"

"What's the panic? Read it!" Fang Xuanling said in a deep voice.

The clerk swallowed hard, unfurled the scroll in his hand, and his voice trembled:

"The Crown Prince issues this decree: It is heard that General of the Left Guard, Duke of Chen, Hou Junji, is loyal, brave, and devoted to the country. Upon hearing of the slightest trouble in Chang'an, he immediately led the royal army on a journey that took only day and night, stationing troops in Xianyang under the banner of 'Protecting the Emperor,' guarding the capital region. His heart shines as brightly as the sun and moon, and his actions are a model for all! This decree is hereby issued to all government offices and markets in Chang'an, informing the military and civilians alike! Furthermore, a thousand bolts of gold and silk are bestowed upon the three armies as a reward to commend his loyalty!"

boom--!
This imperial decree was like an invisible slap in the face of Liu Ji, who had just been speaking passionately.

He had just been vehemently denouncing the Crown Prince for his indiscriminate killings and lawlessness, but in the blink of an eye, the Crown Prince issued an imperial edict to commend and reward Hou Junji, whom they suspected of secretly colluding with the guards.

They even announced Hou Junji's "protection" to the entire city.

This is hardly a reward; it's a brilliant, open conspiracy!

It's blatant praise that's meant to kill!

Hou Junji was completely nailed to the pillar of shame as a 'loyal minister' by this sudden and extremely enthusiastic commendation order!

He's now in a difficult position, both to advance and to retreat.

If he truly harbors rebellious intentions, this decree will be the noose tightening around his neck.

If he had no intention of rebelling, he would surely be suspicious and paranoid by the Crown Prince's 'trust' at this moment, finding himself in a difficult situation.

A glint flashed in Fang Xuanling's eyes, and he instantly understood the Crown Prince's intention.

What a brilliant move! Using one tiger to devour another, and striking a cow from across the mountain.

The pressure from both inside and outside the court was cleverly shifted onto Hou Junji.

Chu Suiliang and Dai Zhou exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock and a hint of barely perceptible admiration in each other's eyes.

His Highness the Crown Prince's move was brilliant!

To remove the fuel from under the cauldron, to move a thousand pounds with four ounces of force!

Liu Ji's face turned from red to white, and then from white to green.

His mouth was open, the boastful words about bloodshed still stuck in his throat, but he couldn't utter a single word. He only felt a chilling coldness rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He felt like a clown; all his loyalty and remonstrance, even unto death, seemed so laughable and powerless in the face of the Crown Prince's casual decree of commendation.

The duty room was deathly silent.

(End of this chapter)