Traveling through the Gaowu Tang Dynasty, Li Kuan and Li Shimin became the second sons of the Prince

Although His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu's thoughts had begun to wander, it did not mean that he had not grasped the main point of the conversation.

"Uncle, that's not right..." In the pavilion, Li Kuan was silent for a moment after Chai Shao finished speaking, and then he asked the doubts in his heart: "According to what you said... the tyrant was quite powerful at the time - Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji had his people around them, so how could it be..."

"That's where the problem is..." Chai Shao sighed and said, "When Li Jiancheng wrote the handwritten letter to Yuwen Bao, he should have destroyed it immediately after reading it. But because His Majesty ordered him to keep the letter as evidence, Yuwen Bao hesitated for a while after receiving it. Then, with the reminder of the people around him, he 'belatedly' destroyed the letter.

Just this little episode made Li Yuanji suspicious of him!

Not only Yuwen Bao, but even Wei Ting, who had persuaded Li Jiancheng, was targeted by him.

So, that’s why what happened later…” When Chai Shao said this, his expression gradually became ferocious: “Li Yuanji, that beast… that beast! In order to plot against your aunt, he found the prince, and in the name of testing, he revealed the news that they were going to assassinate your aunt to Yuwen Bao and Wei Ting at the same time.

And these two people... According to what Wei Ting said afterwards, he realized at the time that it was the brothers Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji who were testing him, so he did not pass on the message.

As for Yuwen Bao...his answer afterwards was even more direct: he was only loyal to the King of Qin!"

“Li Yuanji wasn’t testing me at all, was he?” His Royal Highness the King of Chu finally realized at this moment that there was no waste at all among the second generation of the Li family. It was only because the person who survived in the end was too dazzling that gave the world this illusion.

"He hid it from everyone." Chai Shao's voice trembled slightly: "Even Li Jiancheng didn't expect that Li Yuanji would really plot against his own sister. That beast...even had the nerve to tell Li Jiancheng afterwards that he did it to help him make up his mind!

But in fact, he just wanted to make Li Jiancheng and His Majesty completely fall out over this matter, and he was ready to continue waiting for Li Jiancheng and His Majesty to fight each other, while he himself would be the fisherman..."

"I still don't believe it." After learning the truth from his uncle, Li Kuan's face was very calm: "Uncle, I want you to swear to heaven that everything you say to me now is true."

"I swear now!" Chai Shao looked at his nephew and pointed to the sky to swear: "Everything I say today is true. If you break it, God will strike you with lightning!"

"But I feel that there is something wrong with my father in this matter..." After his uncle finished his oath, His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu felt soft-hearted for a moment, but when he thought of the faces of his aunt and grandmother that were almost blurred in his memory, he felt that he should not be so easy to talk to.

"Then you want me to swear?!" Chai Shao was almost dizzy with anger at this bastard in front of him.

"I didn't say that I will definitely believe you after you swear..." His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu curled his lips, and then said: "But since you have sworn, then Kuan'er will continue to listen to you..."

"..." After hearing what his nephew said, Chai Shao was stunned for a moment, then remained silent for a long while before he slowly said, "Actually... your aunt could have stayed in Chang'an at that time. With her merits, she could have been the eldest princess.

But in order to prevent the brothers from becoming enemies, she chose to guard Niangzi Pass. On the one hand, it was to make her position clear to the retired emperor and Li Jiancheng that she had no intention of interfering in the struggle for imperial power. On the other hand, she hoped that Li Jiancheng would be cautious and not really think that by leaving the King of Qin in Chang'an, he could bully him unscrupulously.

It's a pity that your aunt is ultimately burdened by family affection and cannot see, or is unwilling to see, that this royal dispute is destined to end in a fight to the death.

The emperor was the founding emperor, but he ultimately failed to have a clear understanding of his position: the emperor should not treat his sons the same way as ordinary people - family affection should not be more important than the law. If the emperor cannot be fair and strict, then the emperor's sons will not just say "father is partial" in private - it is bound to lead to disaster..."

"Uncle, please stop..." His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu finally came to his senses: "My royal grandfather was a little confused in some aspects, that's true... but... he was also..."

"Kuan'er," Chai Shao interrupted his nephew before he finished speaking, "You don't have to associate the kind-hearted grandfather in front of you with the foolish emperor in your uncle's mouth. People's hearts are multifaceted, the world is complicated, and everyone has their own circumstances. Therefore, there is no need for us to impose our views on a person or a thing on each other."

“Uncle, why did you suddenly become so profound in your words…” His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu felt that his head was about to be confused.

"Kuan'er, your two cousins ​​are useless, so your uncle will count on you to take care of them in the future..." Chai Shao said, looking at his silent nephew, and said in a gentle voice: "In this way... your uncle can rest assured..."

"Uncle, you're looking for my father to entrust your orphan to... Why are you looking for me?" Upon hearing this, His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu suddenly felt unlucky: "I'm still a child..."

“Kuan’er, I know you can’t completely trust your uncle, but listen to what he says—” At this moment, Chai Shao stared at Li Kuan with an extremely serious expression: “Your father…only lost to Li Yuanji once in his life, and this one defeat caused him to lose his sister, his mother’s trust, his father’s regard, and at the same time, he also put himself in an almost irreparable situation…

His Majesty used to be very proud, but since then, although in the eyes of others, he has not changed at all, in fact, everything is different..."

"What's the difference?" His Royal Highness the King of Chu said stubbornly, "He cries a lot, has a bad temper, hangs out against the wall for no reason, is arrogant and narcissistic, likes to chase rabbits... raise birds... and curses Wei Zheng in private..."

"In the seventh year of Wude, your father forced the emperor to exile Wei Ting to Yuexi on the grounds that Li Jiancheng had tried to murder him but failed. Although he later brought Wei Ting back after launching the Xuanwu Gate Incident. But in fact, by doing this, Your Majesty was telling everyone that this man was a spy he had planted beside Li Jiancheng.

Just imagine, a man like Wei Ting has been seeking fame, high office and high salary all his life, but will Your Majesty satisfy him?

Look at Wei Zheng, who served under Li Jiancheng with him in the past. He even called for war and killing against Your Majesty. But in the end, Wei Zheng's reputation and official position are now much higher than Wei Ting's.

Your Majesty is torturing him in various ways!" Chai Shao said this, and a sneer gradually appeared on the corners of his mouth: "Speaking of which, Wei Ting, who was born in the Jingzhao Wei family, and Du Ruhui, who was born in the Jingzhao Du family, had a world of difference in status during the Wude Dynasty. Now in the Zhenguan period, they are completely different. Kuan'er, your majesty is doing this, which is more painful than killing him directly."