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

Chapter 97 Since His Majesty has made his decision, so be it.

Within a few days, public opinion in the Chang'an court underwent a significant change.

First, several censors from the Censorate jointly submitted a memorial, stating that since the Western Prefecture had just been pacified, stability should be the top priority. Although Li Suli, recommended by the Crown Prince, was not particularly outstanding, he was steady and cautious, and as a member of the imperial clan, he would indeed have a remarkable effect on stabilizing people's hearts.

They believed that previous court discussions had overemphasized the ability to expand and neglected the special needs of the stable phase.

Following this, some mid- to lower-ranking officials from government offices such as the Secretariat, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the Court of Imperial Banquets also submitted memorials.

They either directly endorsed the censor's words or sought evidence from classical texts and regulations to demonstrate the legitimacy and superiority of members of the imperial clan serving in important positions in border regions.

Their memorials were fluent in writing, full of classical allusions, and elevated Li Suli's stability to the level of consolidating the foundation of the country.

Even some upright officials who had previously held a wait-and-see attitude between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Wei began to openly express their support for the Crown Prince.

They praised the Crown Prince for his recent handling of state affairs with composure and a balance between leniency and severity.

He demonstrated the magnanimity expected of a crown prince, especially in his commendation of the Chongwen Academy and his visit to Wei Zheng.

They believed that the court should uphold the authority of the crown prince's recommendation, otherwise it would undermine the seriousness of the system of regency.

These voices were initially scattered, but gradually converged, forming a wave of public opinion that could not be ignored.

Memorials to the emperor flew into the Secretariat and the Liangyi Hall like snowflakes.

Most of the officials who petitioned on behalf of Li Suli and urged His Majesty to adopt the Crown Prince's recommendation were of low rank and held middle or lower positions in various ministries.

However, their numbers were large, and their words were earnest and their evidence solid. For a time, the court seemed to be filled with voices speaking in support of the Crown Prince.

This trend came quickly and seemed unusually abrupt.

They cleverly packaged Li Suli's disadvantages as advantages in a specific period and elevated the issue to the level of maintaining the authority of the crown prince and the stability of the court system, making it difficult to refute directly.

Inside the Xiande Hall of the Eastern Palace, Li Chengqian methodically processed the daily summaries of government affairs that were delivered to him.

He felt very pleased with himself as he watched the wind shift in the center of the sky.

This situation, where his ministers spoke up for him and created momentum for him, made him feel an unprecedented sense of comfort.

It was as if the pent-up frustration of the past few days had been washed away by this surging undercurrent, the pent-up emotions in my chest disappeared, and even my breathing became much smoother.

However, he showed no sign of it on his face, calmly summoning his subordinates to listen to their reports and raising questions or expressing approval of the various proposals.

He seemed completely unaware of the changes in the outside world, calmly exercising the power of listening to government affairs granted to him by Li Shimin.

His fierce counterattack that day seemed to be just a one-time act to establish his authority, after which he completely fell silent.

This unusual calm, however, made some people uneasy.

It's unclear what His Highness the Crown Prince is planning, or whether he has truly accepted the setbacks in Xizhou.

Inside the Liangyi Hall, Li Shimin was reviewing the memorials piled up on his desk, most of which were petitions on behalf of Li Suli or indirect support for the Crown Prince's recommendation.

His fingers tapped lightly on the imperial desk, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

“It seems that there are quite a few more officials speaking up for Li Suli recently.”

Li Shimin spoke calmly.

Wang De bowed in response.

"Your Majesty is wise, and this is indeed the case. Most of them are senior officials, assistant senior officials, and principal officials from various government offices, as well as several censors from the Censorate. The memorials all state that stability is the top priority for Xizhou at present, and that Li Sima is capable of taking on this task."

Li Shimin grunted in response, offering no further comment.

He knew it.

That was a brilliant move.

Instead of continuing with a hardline confrontation, he turned to mobilizing lower and middle-ranking officials to create momentum, demonstrating the Crown Prince's potential influence while steering the issue in a direction favorable to him.

However, these memorials failed to sway Li Shimin's decision.

The earnest words of Li Tai that day, spoken out of public interest, for the sake of the country, and to share his brother's burdens, echoed repeatedly in his mind, as well as the phrase, "so that outsiders may see that we, the brothers of the imperial family, can be so harmonious and helpful to each other."

This harmonious scene between brothers was something he desperately longed to see deep down.

Now, Gao Ming has just commended Qing Que's Chongwen Academy, demonstrating his elder brotherly magnanimity. If he were to reject Cui Dunli, whom Qing Que recommended out of public interest and whose talent is clearly superior, and instead adopt Li Suli, whom Gao Ming recommended, wouldn't that be a slap in Qing Que's face?

The harmonious atmosphere that had just been created would vanish in an instant.

In Li Shimin's view, maintaining the hard-won harmony among his sons was far more important than who would specifically be appointed as the Xizhou Promotion and Removal Commissioner.

Cui Dunli is exceptionally talented and has an impressive resume; employing him would be perfectly acceptable.

Using him is an affirmation and encouragement of Qingque's brotherly and respectful behavior.

"When brothers are of one mind, their strength can break metal."

Li Shimin muttered to himself, as if reaffirming his belief.

He could not tolerate the fragile balance being disrupted by the selection of a border state position.

Even if the reasons are equally compelling and there are new developments in the court, concessions must be made under the overarching premise of brotherly harmony.

"Tell the Secretariat," Li Shimin said, setting down his teacup. His tone was calm yet resolute.

"I have made up my mind to appoint Cui Dunli as the Commissioner of Promotion and Demotion in Xizhou. Have them draft the imperial edict as soon as possible and expedite the process."

"Yes, Your Majesty." He bowed and withdrew to deliver the decree.

Although the appointment was not officially issued, the emperor's attitude served as a weather vane, quickly spreading throughout the inner circle of power.

Word got out quickly.

Upon hearing the news, Duke Changsun Wuji of Zhao remained silent for a moment, then uttered only two words to the officials from the Secretariat who had come to probe his intentions.

"Know."

He had his doubts about Cui Dunli. Although Cui was capable, he had close ties with the Prince of Wei's household, and using him might embolden the Prince of Wei.

But His Majesty's mind was made up, and his reasons were perfectly plausible—affirming the King of Wei's public-spiritedness and harmonious nature.

At this point, if one were to forcefully oppose it, not only would it disobey the emperor's will, but one might also be accused of disrupting the harmony of the royal family.

After weighing the options, he chose to remain silent.

Upon learning of His Majesty's decree, Liang Guogong Fang Xuanling sighed softly.

His ideal official for Xizhou was a capable person who was both prudent and innovative. Cui Dunli, who was more inclined to be a civil official, was not the most suitable candidate.

Li Suli is not a good choice either.

However, His Majesty is focused on a greater state of harmony, and as a subject, he can only comply.

He instructed the Imperial Secretary: "Proceed according to His Majesty's decree. The Ministry of Personnel's assessment must be rigorous and cannot be neglected."

The reaction of Li Ji, the Duke of England, was even more direct.

After listening to the report from his subordinates in the Ministry of War, he waved his hand.

"Since Your Majesty has made the decision, then so be it."

For him, as long as the military defense of Xizhou remained within the system of the Ministry of War and the Anxi Protectorate, it didn't make much difference whether the envoy was Cui Dunli or Li Suli.

Since His Majesty intends to maintain harmony among the princes in this way, he has no intention of interfering.

Therefore, under the emperor's clear will, the several important ministers who originally had different ideas about the matter all chose to comply.

The focus of the Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Ministry of Personnel quickly shifted to the routine assessment of Cui Dunli and the preparation of his appointment documents.

Although the official edict of appointment has not yet been issued, almost everyone in the court believes that the position of Commissioner for Promotion and Demotion of Xizhou is undoubtedly rightfully Cui Dunli's.

A fierce struggle over personnel matters in Xizhou seemed to have ended in victory for Prince Wei, Li Tai.

The Crown Prince's recommendation was shelved, while the King of Wei's recommendation received the Emperor's strong support and the tacit approval of the senior officials.

However, what is puzzling is that Crown Prince Li Chengqian, who is at the center of the storm, still maintains an unsettling calm.

(End of this chapter)