The Fierce Teacher of Zhenguan: Starting with Teaching the Crown Prince to Make a Comeback

Chapter 88: Excellent! Excellent! This is truly gratifying!

Inside the Taiji Palace, Li Shimin stood alone in front of the vermilion-lacquered window on the east side of the Liangyi Hall.

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the window lattice, illuminating the gold bricks scattered on the floor in front of the imperial desk.

The aftershocks of the court assembly at Taiji Hall two hours earlier still lingered in the emperor's mind.

The scene depicted Li Ji's direct opposition, Changsun Wuji's remonstrance while stroking his beard, Fang Xuanling's pleas with lowered eyes, Cui Renshi's forceful defense with his tablet, and the scene where the ministers used Li Suli's "mediocre talent" and "lack of military knowledge" as pretexts to push the Crown Prince's recommendation to the brink of despair.

This scene was vividly replayed in Li Shimin's mind at that moment.

Li Chengqian's reaction during the court assembly exceeded expectations.

Except for the initial change in expression when Gao Ming heard Li Ji's advice, he remained standing quietly with his eyes lowered for the rest of the time. Even when the final decree to "temporarily shelve" was issued, he simply bowed according to protocol, without revealing any emotion.

Such composure is not the mark of a wise person.

The crown prince should learn to be patient, but the undercurrents of scheming beneath that patience are even more alarming.

He deliberately postponed the appointment, both to save face for the Crown Prince and to throw the problem back at Gao Ming—to see how Gao Ming would resolve the situation.

"Your Majesty," said Wang De, the eunuch, bowing as he entered the hall, "the Duke of Zheng has submitted an urgent memorial."

Li Shimin took the memorial.

Wei Zheng's memorial clearly supported Crown Prince Li Chengqian's recommendation of Li Suli!
Its sharpness of words, rigor of logic, and firmness of stance far surpassed Chu Suiliang's defense.

Wei Zheng did not dwell too much on the details of Li Suli's personal abilities, but went straight to the core of the problem—the authority of the crown prince and the established order of the court.

In his memorial, he wrote that the Crown Prince's appointment to oversee state affairs was by His Majesty's decree and was a crucial strategy for cultivating a successor and consolidating the foundation of the nation.

Since they have been granted the right to participate in politics, their responsibility to make recommendations should be respected.

If the crown prince's carefully considered candidate is easily rejected due to the discussions among court officials, then the system of regents and those in charge of government affairs will be rendered meaningless, and the crown prince's authority will be lost.

If this continues, who will dare to wholeheartedly plan for the Crown Prince, and how will the Crown Prince grow and mature?
Regarding Li Suli, Wei Zheng acknowledged that he was not a pioneering and capable general, but he emphasized that the primary task for Xizhou at present was not to expand rapidly for quick success, but to "stabilize people's hearts, establish rules, and consolidate the foundation."

Li Suli, with his "steady and cautious nature, adherence to etiquette and law, and loyalty to the king," was the best candidate to carry out the mission at this stage.

Their status as members of the imperial clan further demonstrates the court's emphasis on and trust in Xizhou, which is conducive to appeasing the newly incorporated people.

Conversely, if an ambitious but impulsive person is sent, chaos may ensue.

In the final part of his memorial, Wei Zheng bluntly pointed out that some of the opposing voices in the court, though seemingly righteous, were actually driven by selfish motives.

Whether to protect their own interests or to curry favor with other forces, their actions are undermining the authority of the crown prince and shaking the foundation of the nation; their intentions are despicable!
He earnestly requested His Majesty to make a decisive judgment, uphold the Crown Prince's due rights and responsibilities, and grant his request in order to reassure the Crown Prince and rectify the conduct of the court.

After reading the memorial, Li Shimin remained silent for a long time.

Wei Zheng's words struck a sensitive spot in his heart like a heavy hammer.

He had to admit that Wei Zheng's concerns were justified.

On the one hand, he hoped that the crown prince would grow up, but on the other hand, he easily put aside the crown prince's first important recommendation due to pressure from the court. This may indeed send the wrong signal to the court officials and weaken the crown prince's authority.

Perhaps... I haven't given my son enough support and have put him through too many trials?

Wei Zheng's memorial, which was unreserved and frank, caused the balance that had been slightly tilted towards him due to the "shelving" of the memorial to waver once again.

……

East Palace.

Li Chengqian sat alone in the Xiande Hall.

The knuckles of my right hand were still throbbing, marks from when I hit the pillar earlier.

But at this moment, the burning anger that had been scorching his lungs strangely cooled down.

He no longer thought about the arrogant or indifferent faces of his ministers, nor did he dwell on the humiliation of being publicly "set aside."

Li Yichen's voice seemed to ring in his ears, cold and clear: "Your Highness, the way of strategy lies in seeing the big picture and calculating gains and losses, not in acting impulsively."

A game... Yes, this is a game.

He, Li Chengqian, was one of those involved. And everything that happened in the court today was just another round of the contest.

He began to try to use the methods taught by Li Yichen to dismantle the positions of those who opposed him.

Li Ji, the Minister of War, objected on the grounds that Li Suli was "unfamiliar with military affairs." Was it truly only because Li Suli was ignorant of military matters?

The establishment of the Chouzhi Shi (a high-ranking official) in Xizhou to oversee development inevitably involved land reclamation, garrison defense, and even intertwined responsibilities with those of the Anxi Protectorate.

With Li Ji in charge of the Ministry of War, the military's interests in the Western Regions were deeply entrenched.

Will the presence of a civil official, entirely recommended by the Crown Prince and easily controlled, in Xizhou disrupt certain established patterns of the military on the frontier?

Or, does Li Ji himself, or the military forces he represents, want this position to be filled by someone closer to their interests?
Was his opposition motivated by public interest, or was it to protect the authority of the Ministry of War, and even the influence of his lineage in the Western Regions?

Li Chengqian's thoughts were racing at an unprecedented speed.

He viewed each opponent as a piece on a chessboard, attempting to analyze their motives, estimate their power, and judge their "gains" and "costs" in this matter.

He realized how foolish and useless his previous anger had been.

Anger changes nothing; it only exposes one's weakness.

Li Yichen is right. This is not a casual conversation between father and son, but a dialogue between emperor and subject, an arena for the struggle for power.

So, what were Li Chengqian's gains and losses in this game?

On the surface, he lost.

The recommendation was shelved, and he lost face.

But is it really so?

He remembered what Li Yichen had said yesterday.

"Your Highness, you still have a backup plan."

Yes, the second move.

That seemingly crazy but potentially game-changing contingency plan—to take full responsibility for the financial and logistical support of the Xizhou development!

If... if he could really do it, he could raise 150,000 strings of cash, 200,000 shi of grain, or even more, without needing additional funds from the national treasury.

Therefore, all the reasons for opposing him today, such as "wasting huge sums of money," "wasting national funds," and "being unworthy of his position leading to waste," will fall apart on their own!

By then, who could question his recommendation of Li Suli?
Who can still say that Li Chengqian was "ambitious" and "incompetent in practical matters"?
He could even use this incident to completely seize control of affairs in Xizhou.

What will be the expressions on the faces of those who oppose him today?
This thought, like a flash of lightning in the darkness, instantly illuminated his gloomy heart.

The sense of frustration still exists, but it is no longer suffocating; instead, it has transformed into a kind of cold motivation.

He knew he still held an ace up his sleeve.

But... how should we play this trump card?

What exactly is the "credit" that Li Yichen talks about, that mysterious "anchor"?
What does the Crown Prince have that can secure the credit of 150,000 strings of cash, 200,000 shi of grain, and even more investment thereafter?

He frowned and fell into deep thought again.

Gold and silver? Land?
Or... what about his future as crown prince?

He didn't understand.

But he knew that Li Yichen must have his reasons for bringing it up.

While Li Chengqian was calmly reviewing the situation and planning his next move in the Xiande Hall of the Eastern Palace, a different scene was unfolding in the Prince of Wei's residence.

Li Tai could not hide the excitement on his face as he paced back and forth in the ornately decorated study, his obese body swaying slightly with excitement.

"Good! Good! This is truly gratifying!"

(End of this chapter)