Prince Li You of the Great Tang Dynasty begs the noble families to their deaths!

Xuanling's response to Li Er's question was basically in line with Li Er's own judgment.

That means choosing between the King of Wei and the King of Wu.

Fang Xuanling also devised a backup plan for the emperor: after selecting one emperor, the other should not be abandoned either. He should train the other emperor slightly and prepare him as a substitute for unforeseen circumstances.

The second important minister, the famous calligrapher Chu Suiliang, preferred the Prince of Wei and suggested that the emperor immediately enthrone the Prince of Wei without hesitation, lest things get complicated.

The last important minister was Changsun Wuji.

Changsun Wuji proposed a third option: Prince Li Zhi of Jin.

Li Shimin was somewhat surprised by this.

He hurriedly asked his eldest grandson why he had chosen the youngest son, Li Zhi.

"The King of Jin is benevolent and kind; he can treat the world well."

Li Er neither confirmed nor denied this.

Is this child kind? He is indeed kind, but the downside of kindness is that he is a bit weak-willed.

Can he shoulder this immense responsibility?

Sensing that the emperor might not like his suggestion, the cunning Changsun Wuji immediately found an excuse to withdraw.

For ministers, discussing such issues with the monarch was actually quite risky.

The risks come not only from the present, but may even come from the future.

Li Shimin liked to read the daily records of the emperor's activities. If his son became emperor, would he stop reading them?

The new emperor looked it over and thought, "Oh, so-and-so recommended me at a crucial moment. Hmm, not bad, not bad, he's a loyal minister."

Huh? Changsun Wuji, how could he say such a thing about me? You old scoundrel! I've always treated you with utmost respect, and I've even visited your residence to deliver gifts during festivals. But when it really matters, you don't utter a single word. And you're my uncle, for goodness' sake!

Isn't that where the risk comes from?

After much deliberation, Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty finally made up his mind.

Upon returning to the capital, he first issued an edict, severely reprimanding Prince Wei, Li Tai, for his extravagant lifestyle and ordering him to close his doors and residence, and forbid him from holding lavish cultural gatherings. Any further offenses would be severely punished.

Subsequently, the emperor publicly praised Prince Wu, Li Ke, and Prince Jin, Li Zhi, saying that the two brothers respected and loved each other and were models for all the princes in the court. He then bestowed upon each of them two thousand bolts of the finest Shu brocade.

The marriage between Prince Li Ke of Wu and the youngest daughter of the Su family, which Consort Yang had requested, was also gladly granted by the emperor.

On one hand, he was rewarding people with money to marry off their wives; on the other hand, he was being imprisoned. The political winds seemed to be shifting suddenly again.

Officials at all levels began to discuss the matter again.

……

On the day he received the imperial edict reprimanding him, Li Tai was completely stunned.

In his memory, this was the first time his father had ever been so strict with him.

He did live a luxurious life and held large-scale cultural banquets, but he used money and silk bestowed by his father, the emperor.

Even at banquets, people mostly recited poems and exchanged verses; it was rare to see women dancing, let alone indulging in wine, women, and meat.

What, the wind has changed now? Is it illegal for a son to spend his father's money?

Although he was angry, Li Tai maintained his character as a wise prince and did not show any resentment.

He obediently closed his door and refused to see any guests. At the same time, he wrote a memorial to the emperor, which was thousands of words long, to examine his own mistakes.

Large-scale cocktail parties were never held again.

However, small-scale seminars continued as usual.

Those who could participate were all the confidants of the King of Shu.

The two brothers, Wang Chongji and Wang Jingzhi, and a middle-aged scholar named Yuan Qi.

Yuan Qi came from the Yuan clan of Chen Commandery and had been a disciple of the Prince of Shu for seven years. Besides Yuan Qi, the Yuan family also had scholars who had studied under other princes. Investing in multiple places and diversifying one's resources was a common tactic used by aristocratic families.

Li Tai felt somewhat anxious.

"Old Yuan, didn't you say that Father Emperor would definitely make me the Crown Prince? What's the situation now?"

Yuan Qi slowly sipped a cup of wine, then advised, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Haste makes waste. Besides, the Emperor only reprimanded you a few times; he didn't issue a decree directly establishing an heir. What good is it for us to be anxious now?"

Upon hearing this, Li Tai sighed, then beckoned someone down the corridor to bring him some snacks and fruits, which he then began to chew. Throughout history and across cultures, overweight people have always loved to eat, and they can eat anytime—this is a common characteristic.

After eating some of his favorite fruit, Li Tai's mood gradually calmed down.

"Old Yuan, my two virtuous brothers, what should I do next?"

Yuan Qi considered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Has Your Majesty ever heard the story of the man who was arrogant at first but humble later during the Warring States period?"

Li Tai, well-versed in literature, immediately understood: "He was about to persuade the King of Chu when he passed through Luoyang. His parents, upon hearing the news, cleared the palace and roads, set out music and a feast, and welcomed him thirty li outside the city. His wife glanced sideways and listened intently; his sister-in-law crawled on her hands and knees, bowing four times in gratitude. Su Qin said, 'Why were you so arrogant before and so humble now?' His sister-in-law replied, 'Because of your high position and wealth, young master.' Su Qin said, 'Alas! When one is poor, one's parents disown one; when one is rich, one's relatives fear one. In this world, can power, position, wealth, and honor be ignored?'"

The saying "arrogant at first, respectful at second" perfectly describes the story of the famous diplomat Su Qin and his sister-in-law.

However, this story is not a popular romantic tale; instead, it vividly portrays the coldness and indifference of human relationships.

Li Tai thought to himself that his current situation was exactly the opposite of Su Qin's.

Su Qin experienced hardship before success, while I experienced success before hardship.

Thinking of this, Li Tai put some more food into his mouth.

Ugh, this is awful! Mushrooms.

"Has Your Majesty ever considered why His Majesty reprimanded you while praising the King of Wu and the King of Jin so highly?"

"I just can't figure it out, that's why I came to ask you!"

"Alas, to put it bluntly, it's exactly the same situation that Su Qin, the Prime Minister, encountered back then. When Prime Minister Su was successful and famous, his status was higher than that of his sister-in-law, so she had to kneel before him. When Prime Minister Su was poor and destitute, his status was even lower than that of his sister-in-law, so he naturally had to endure her cold treatment."

"A few months ago, when Crown Prince Chengqian was in power, Your Majesty was the most favored son of the Emperor, so you took good care of him. Now that the Crown Prince has been deposed, Your Majesty is the new Crown Prince and heir apparent to the Emperor, so you must be even stricter with him."

"As the crown prince, Your Majesty's duty is to be a role model for all the people. What harm is there in the Emperor reprimanding you a few times? Isn't it all for Your Majesty's good? If you truly become the crown prince in the future, the Emperor's words of scolding you will probably be even more vicious and unpleasant than they are now. If Your Majesty cannot even bear this injustice, even if you become the crown prince, you will probably not be able to hold your position firmly, and you may even repeat the mistakes of Li Chengqian."

These words were like a wake-up call. Li Tai was stunned for a long time before he stood up and bowed deeply to Yuan Qi.

"What you say is quite right, sir. I was confused. However... since Father has already chosen me, why praise and reward the Prince of Wu and the Prince of Jin?"