Sky Curtain: The Overlord Charges into Battle, Shocking Emperors of All Dynasties

Li Shimin's long-held expectations for Crown Prince Li Chengqian turned into immense pressure, suffocating Li Chengqian.

After Empress Zhangsun passed away in the tenth year of the Zhenguan era, Li Chengqian's foot ailment worsened, and his sensitive and inferior mentality tormented this Tang Dynasty crown prince at all times.

Li Shimin was extremely disgusted by Li Chengqian's obedient bowing in the main hall despite his crippled leg, and often said that the crown prince was "not like himself."

That phrase again?

The ancient person standing before the canopy looked at these three characters and recalled Emperor Wu's previous evaluation of Crown Prince Liu Ju.

It is also "not like oneself".

The seasoned bureaucrat, experienced in officialdom, saw through this perfectly and gave a cold snort.

"Not like myself?"

"That's a nice-sounding excuse."

"If a son is not like his father, he should be disliked!"

"The son resembles his father too much; I am suspicious!"

Throughout history, the relationship between the crown prince and the emperor has been very complex; it was not simply a father-son relationship.

The moment the crown prince was officially appointed, the emperor and the crown prince became more like rivals.

As the emperor watched the crown prince's power grow stronger and he himself grew older, his suspicions deepened.

The practice of deposing the crown prince and establishing a younger son in his place is a common occurrence in history.

That's why the crown princes of various dynasties were so envious of Zhu Biao, the crown prince of Zhu Yuanzhang, who was depicted in the sky, and wished they could replace him!

At this time, Li Shimin shifted his favor to Li Tai, his second son born to Empress Zhangsun.

[Li Tai was obese, so Li Shimin granted him special permission to ride in a palanquin to court, while Li Chengqian could only drag his crippled leg and hobble his way to the palace.]

On one side stood the limping Crown Prince, and on the other, the Prince, seated comfortably in his carriage. Standing side by side in the same hall, the astonished and sympathetic gazes of the courtiers dealt a heavy blow to Li Chengqian's sensitive and inferiority complex.

[Li Shimin allowed Li Chengqian's flaws to be displayed openly to his ministers, showing no regard for the feelings of his eldest son.]

[Crown Prince Li Chengqian cannot open a school to recruit talents on his own, but Li Tai can!]

[Crown Prince Li Chengqian cannot ride in a palanquin to the palace, but Li Tai can!]

[Crown Prince Li Chengqian may not receive praise and encouragement from his father, but Li Tai can!]

Li Chenggan was devastated; he had witnessed the fate of his uncle, Crown Prince Li Jiancheng.

In the sixteenth year of the Zhenguan era, Crown Prince Li Chengqian plotted a rebellion.

Li Shimin went mad.

The ancients who stood before the celestial canopy unanimously reached the conclusion that...

These are things that a wise ruler would not do.

Favoring younger sons and deposing the eldest son in favor of the younger one were common occurrences, but ultimately, they led to national instability and uncertainty in the succession to the throne.

But you, Li Shimin, are a great emperor throughout history!

Aren't all those long titles, official positions, and powers a demonstration of your abilities?

How come you changed completely in the end?

The description on the sky was very apt.

Emperor Wu of Han (Liu Che) contracted swine fever in his later years, while Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Shimin) simply contracted bird flu.

After the sky went completely black, the image reappeared.

People from all dynasties mustered their spirits and suppressed their excitement.

It's finally here! Now we're going to see how Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history, dealt with his son's rebellion!

In the scene, a man dressed in a dragon robe with a noble appearance sits in a chair, glaring angrily at the person in front of him.

Li Shimin's phoenix eyes were wide open, and his clenched fists on the armrests revealed his inner anger and turmoil.

The scene shifts, and kneeling before Li Shimin is a young man whose face bears a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to his, but is a few parts gentler.

Three large characters appeared on one side:

Li Chenggan

Li Shimin took a deep breath, suppressing his anger and calming his tone.

Why are you plotting a rebellion?

"Aren't you the Crown Prince?"

Upon hearing Li Shimin mention that he was the crown prince, Li Chengqian's eyes flickered, but he showed no sign of backing down.

"I have been the Crown Prince for eighteen years. In these eighteen years, what mistakes have I made?"

"Probably not."

"After Your Majesty's long life, will I be a tyrant?"

"That's exactly what I'm worried about!!"

Li Shimin's voice suddenly rose in volume, carrying an air of unquestionable authority and self-evident reason.

Li Chengqian sneered: "Is Your Majesty worried about my handling of state affairs?"

"You handle state affairs quite well."

"Is Your Majesty worried about my character?"

"right!!"

Li Shimin's stern shout not only failed to convince everyone that his concerns were justified, but also seemed somewhat ironic.

Moral character? It seems you, Li Shimin, have no right to worry about such things.

"Why should Li Shimin worry about morality? Didn't he spend his whole life proving to the world that an emperor's private morality wouldn't affect his governance?"

"Doesn't he find it ironic that he's saying things like that now?"

Li Shimin's behavior seemed somewhat hypocritical to them.

While the character of an heir cannot be ignored, isn't that precisely what the father needs to personally teach and correct?

In particular, Li Chenggan also suffered from a foot ailment.

Many people secretly shook their heads.

Li Shimin may have been a good emperor, but he was certainly not a good father.

The scene continues,

"Father, why are you siding with the Prince of Wei?!"

"You shall allow the Prince of Wei to move into the Wude Hall!!"

"You know what the Hall of Martial Virtue is!!"

Li Chengqian's question struck at Li Shimin's heart. Li Shimin became uneasy, turning his head away guiltily, unable to look his son in the eye.

"The King of Wei is being aggressive; this is what you wanted to see."

"Or do you really not know?!"

"I'm asking you why you're plotting a rebellion!!!"

Li Shimin slammed his right fist into the armrest.

Somewhat exasperated, he didn't know how to answer Li Chengqian's question.

Hearing his father's questioning, Li Chengan felt a pang of sorrow. He gave a few cold laughs, then, forcing himself to stand up shakily from his limp, he...

"Good question!!"

"Rebellion is for self-preservation, but self-preservation inevitably offends the root cause!"

"Why did Your Majesty go to Xuanwu Gate back then?"

"When Emperor Gaozu asked Your Majesty this question, how did Your Majesty respond?"

"Hasn't His Majesty always said that I'm 'not like my father'?"

"And now?"

In the fourteenth year of Zhenguan,

"Does His Majesty truly intend to change the heir apparent?"

Wei Zheng fired the first shot, shouting angrily at Li Shimin, who was already slumped on the dragon throne.

"Your Majesty is well aware of what the Hall of Martial Virtue is!"

"If Your Majesty truly intends to depose the eldest son in favor of the younger, thus shaking the foundation of the nation, I would rather die by striking my head against the throne in the very palace!!"

Wei Zheng consistently supported Crown Prince Li Chenggan's succession to the throne; in other words, he supported the country's primogeniture system!

At this moment, the courtiers were also very puzzled. What exactly did Li Shimin want to do?

Now, in the fourteenth year of the Zhenguan era, His Majesty's favor towards the Prince of Wei has grown far beyond that of a prince.

As early as the tenth year of the Zhenguan era, the Prince of Wei was already permitted to open the Wenhua Hall to recruit talented individuals.

Despite such favoritism, he refused to depose the crown prince, allowing the conflict between the two brothers to escalate.

If Li Chengan hadn't still held the title of Crown Prince, they would have long assumed that the Prince of Wei was the Crown Prince.

Li Shimin felt utterly powerless, as if struck by a heavy hammer, his mind blank.

A moist spot gradually formed in his eyes.

He never imagined that Chenggan would ultimately be forced to the point of rebellion.

He was merely dissatisfied with Li Chengqian's moral decline and somewhat disappointed in him, but he never considered changing the heir apparent.

"I...I never intended to depose the Crown Prince. I'm just somewhat disappointed in him."

"We've never even considered changing the heir apparent!"

"And what about the King of Wei?"

Wei Zheng, with his neck stiff, continued to press for answers.

Li Shimin was speechless after Wei Zheng's words, and felt a pang of guilt.

Even though he had no intention of changing the heir apparent, his favoritism towards the Prince of Wei was undeniable.

Li Shimin felt insecure and turned his head away, not daring to meet Wei Zheng's sharp gaze.

At this moment, Li Shimin's appearance was exactly the same as that on the sky.