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

The turbulent situation in Chang'an was not limited to the three men—Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and Li Shimin.

Other court officials were also deeply involved.

This situation is all too familiar to them.

After all, the same situation occurred during the earth-shattering coup six years ago.

It's just unknown whether the tragedy will repeat itself for the father and his two sons.

At this time, Changsun Wuji, who had always kept himself extremely hidden, had no choice but to invite Fang Xuanling and Chu Suiliang, two members of the Crown Prince's faction, to privately discuss recent events under the pretext of court affairs.

At this moment, in a secret room of the Duke of Zhao's mansion.

The candlelight cast long shadows of the three people on the wall, which swayed slightly with the candlelight.

The atmosphere was as heavy as a physical weight.

Changsun Wuji sat in the main seat, his fingers unconsciously twirling a string of sandalwood prayer beads. His usual gentle smile had vanished, replaced by a deep worry.

He was the first to break the silence:
"This matter at the Crown Prince's residence is far too suspicious. The methods are despicable and the intentions are vicious; they are clearly trying to pin the crime of 'harming brothers and slaughtering ministers' on His Highness!"

Fang Xuanling frowned and said in a deep voice, "Fuji is absolutely right. The person behind this is despicable."

"His Majesty's order for His Highness to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors appears to be a punishment, but in reality, it also temporarily places His Highness in the spotlight, and is not without the intention of protection. However... this Jiucheng Palace..."

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji glanced at Fang Xuanling and Chu Suiliang, his voice low and slow:
"His Majesty's decree ordering the Crown Prince and the Prince of Wei to go to Jiucheng Palace together and to 'explain things clearly' is... quite meaningful."

Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and pondered for a moment:

"On the surface, His Majesty is furious about the Crown Prince's residence and has brought the two men before him as a form of punishment and control. But upon closer examination, it is probably more than that."

Chu Suiliang frowned and replied:
"Does Lord Fang mean... that His Majesty does not entirely believe that His Highness was responsible for the incident at the Crown Prince's residence? Or, at least does he believe that there is another hidden story behind this matter?"

"good."

Changsun Wuji nodded, a shrewd glint in his eyes:
"If Your Majesty truly believes that the Crown Prince deliberately poisoned his brothers and ministers, then the punishment will not be as mild as confinement to his home or accompanying the emperor on a summer retreat. That would be a grave crime that shakes the very foundation of the nation!"

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice: "Your Majesty's move is more like... a test and a balancing act."

"He took both princes away from Chang'an, a place of trouble, partly to prevent the conflict from escalating in the capital and causing greater turmoil."

"On the other hand, I also want to observe personally in a relatively clean environment to see who is stirring up trouble and who is more capable of shouldering the weight of the country."

Fang Xuanling wholeheartedly agreed: "Fuji's words are absolutely right. His Majesty is giving the Crown Prince an opportunity, and also giving the Prince of Wei an opportunity."

"What he wants to see is not only the truth of the poisoning case, but also the temperament, methods and vision of the two princes under pressure."

"Your Majesty... this is a final consideration before making the final decision."

"I really don't know what His Majesty is considering!? The Crown Prince is the Crown Prince! How can he be changed so easily?!"

Chu Suiliang, known for his upright character, was now even more somber, his fists clenched tightly.

"Moreover, Your Highness remained calm and handled the situation properly in this crisis. Your subsequent actions in comforting people also demonstrated your sense of responsibility, which has already won back the hearts of many!"

"Isn't His Majesty's decree just allowing those underhanded tricks to succeed?!"

"We cannot stand idly by! We must help His Highness uncover the truth and bring the mastermind behind this!"

Changsun Wuji slowly shook his head, his eyes flashing with a sharp light: "Investigate, of course we must investigate. But right now, the other party has done nothing wrong, the clues have been cut off, and it will be difficult to make progress in a hurry."

"His Majesty summoned both His Highness and the Prince of Wei to Jiucheng Palace, intending to control the situation and also to put them to the test."

He looked at Fang Xuanling and Chu Suiliang, lowering his voice even further:
"The most urgent task is to secure His Highness's position in His Majesty's heart."

"During the Jiucheng Palace incident, we in Chang'an must stabilize the court and absolutely not allow Liu Ji and his ilk to take advantage of the situation to cause trouble and shake the foundations of the nation. At the same time..."

His gaze sharpened: "Our people must also keep an eye on the movements of Jiucheng Palace. Although His Highness has Pei Xingjian by his side, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow."

Fang Xuanling nodded: "Indeed. His Majesty is a man of deep thoughts. This summer retreat is probably not as simple as just quiet recuperation. We must be prepared to deal with any possible changes."

Chu Suiliang nodded emphatically: "No matter what, the position of Crown Prince is a matter of great importance to the Tang Dynasty, and it must not be lost! We have received great favor from the country and will do our utmost to protect Your Highness!"

The three exchanged glances, each seeing a firm resolve and underlying worry in the other's eyes.

Supporting Li Chengqian was not merely a matter of political alignment, but also concerned their own ideals and the future direction of the Tang Dynasty.

On the other side, at the Duke of Lu's mansion, in the martial arts hall.

Unlike the repressive schemes on Changsun Wuji's side, Cheng Yaojin's mansion was filled with an atmosphere of violent rage that seemed about to explode.

"boom!"

A beautiful white porcelain teacup was slammed to the ground and shattered into pieces.

Cheng Yaojin, with his hair and beard bristling and his eyes bloodshot, paced back and forth in the martial arts hall paved with blue bricks, his heavy footsteps thumping loudly.

"Investigate my ass! Suicide out of guilt? I don't believe a damn thing!"

"That brat Li Chengqian is ruthless and cruel. He would even kill his own brother. He didn't even blink when he killed my son Huailiang!"

"What's so strange about poisoning a few unrelated scholars in one's own residence, then sending out a scapegoat?!" He abruptly stopped, pointing into the void as if Li Chengqian were right before him, and roared hoarsely:

"It must be him! When things were exposed and there was no way to salvage the situation, he killed someone to cover it up! I wish I could grab an axe right now and go to the Crown Prince's residence to chop him up!!"

Yuchi Gong sat on a stone lock to the side, his face ashen, without uttering a word.

But his clenched fists, veins bulging, and his chest heaving violently, clearly showed that he was trying his best to suppress his overwhelming rage.

His son, Yuchi Huan, also died at the hands of Li Chengqian, a hatred that was etched into his very soul.

Prince Rencheng, Li Xiaogong, was relatively more composed, but his eyes were equally cold. He spoke slowly, his voice filled with suppressed hatred:
"Zhijie, please calm down. His Majesty has already ordered him to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors and summoned him to Jiucheng Palace. His Majesty must have his own plans regarding this matter."

"To fuss? What could His Majesty possibly fuss about?!"

Cheng Yaojin roared, "Your Majesty has been too lenient with him! That's why he's become so lawless! I think Your Majesty has been blinded by his military achievements!"

Chai Shao, who had been silent all along, sighed. Although he had also lost a son, he was more reserved and composed.

"His Majesty summoned the Crown Prince and the Prince of Wei to Jiucheng Palace to 'speak clearly,' which is probably... also a way of maintaining a balance of power and not wanting either side to become too powerful."

"Hmph! Go to Jiucheng Palace to 'settle things down'? Why does His Majesty's decree sound so frustrating?!"

Cheng Yaojin sneered, "I think His Majesty is just too soft-hearted! He's been fooled by that brat Li Chengqian again!"

"Perhaps Your Majesty..."

Yuchi Gong said in a muffled voice, "I want to find out the truth myself."

"Find out the truth?"

Li Xiaogong sneered, his eyes sharp:

"To uncover the truth in a secluded palace, far from the court and with beautiful scenery? Don't you all think this sounds more like His Majesty's attempt to... appease the situation?"

He glanced at the three men and slowly analyzed, "If we take the Crown Prince and the Prince of Wei away together, Chang'an will naturally be quiet. His Majesty will also have some peace and quiet."

"As for the truth... does it matter? What His Majesty wants is stability in the court, and for the brothers to at least not openly tear each other apart."

"As long as it doesn't cause any bigger trouble, His Majesty would probably be happy to see this matter end here, with a servant who 'committed suicide out of fear of punishment' as the final outcome."

Chai Shao sighed, his tone complex: "His Majesty's thoughts have always been profound."

"Perhaps His Majesty feels that although the Crown Prince is somewhat cruel, his contributions to expanding the territory are of vital importance to the country, and he should not be completely deposed because of this."

"And the King of Wei... is ultimately a pawn in the game of keeping the Crown Prince in check. By keeping the two of them by his side, he can both control them and maintain this delicate balance."

"Balance?! My son's life is just going to end like this?!"

Cheng Yaojin slammed his fist on the table and roared:

"His Majesty is trying to smooth things over! He has no intention of truly holding Li Chengqian accountable! Going to Jiucheng Palace is just a formality, a way to give the world an explanation!"

He grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, his chest heaving violently.

"I think His Majesty has simply grown old! He's lost the decisiveness he once had! If it were back then... humph!"

A cold glint flashed in Yuchi Gong's eyes. Although he didn't speak, his tightly pursed lips showed that he agreed with Cheng Yaojin's statement.

Li Xiaogong said with a gloomy face:

"In that case, we can no longer expect His Majesty to give us 'justice'."

"His Majesty wants to maintain the balance and protect the Crown Prince, then... we will deliberately break this balance!"

"At Jiucheng Palace, we will show His Majesty just how unruly and...unfit to inherit the throne this Crown Prince he wants to protect is!"

Upon hearing this, the other three all looked at Li Xiaogong.

But Chai Shao spoke first: "What does Brother Xiaogong mean?"

Li Xiaogong pondered for a moment, then glanced at the three men and said, "What I mean is, perhaps... we can secretly provide some support to the King of Wei."

"At the very least, we can't let the Crown Prince live so comfortably! Since His Majesty wants to see the brothers fight each other, then... we'll help His Majesty make this show even more exciting!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yaojin's furious expression subsided slightly, replaced by a ruthless calculation: "Brother Xiaogong wants to borrow the King of Wei as a weapon?"

Yuchi Gong finally spoke, his voice hoarse and low: "As long as he pays the price, it doesn't matter whose knife it is."

After a moment of contemplation, Chai Shao nodded slightly: "It seems that this is perhaps the only way to shake its foundations while protecting us."

The four reached a dangerous tacit understanding.

The pain of losing their son has led them to closely link their personal hatred for Li Chengqian with the political struggles at court.

They were no longer just fathers seeking revenge for their sons, but also political enemies determined to bring down the powerful crown prince.

The two powerful undercurrents in Chang'an City have become even more turbulent due to the poisoning incident at the Crown Prince's residence. (End of Chapter)