Tang Dynasty

In mid-June, Li Yuan sent an order to entrust all major affairs of the general state to the prince, and then led everyone to leave the palace.Before leaving, Li Jiancheng personally went out of the city to see them off.

Li Yuan saw Li Jiancheng, who was dressed in fine clothes and looked imposing in front of him, and thought that this was the prince who would take over the throne from him in the future, he couldn't help feeling relieved and filled with emotion.However, he didn't say much, he just told Li Jiancheng to give relevant hints on governing the country, pointing out that the court could rely on several veteran ministers, and then left in a mighty manner.

In fact, Li Jiancheng knew in his heart that Li Yuan's reason for leaving the palace this time was [-]% to rest and recuperate, but [-]% was to give him the opportunity to oversee the country on purpose, so that he could give it a go without any restraint.Thinking of the past, he still had some complaints about his preference for Li Shimin, but at this moment, he only felt that he had misunderstood his father, and no one could distinguish between public and private affairs more clearly than him.

He bowed deeply towards the direction where Li Yuan was leaving, and the moment he raised his eyes, he met a gaze.

Li Shimin followed behind Li Yuan, but he turned around and looked at him. His eyes met for a moment, and he quickly withdrew his gaze, turned around, and seemed to sneer.

However, that gaze is deep, self-deprecating, helpless, decisive... even with a bit of resentment, at first glance, it is so complicated that people can't figure out the meaning.

Li Jiancheng lowered his eyes slightly, and laughed secretly as if sighing.After the crowd had gone away, they turned back to the palace and did not stay much.

——Shimin, you should stop early.

——You...can't compete with me.

----

During the days when Li Yuan left the palace, Li Jiancheng was in full charge of military and state affairs. Although it was the first time he supervised the country, he was already familiar with the way of governing the country. With the support of loyal officials in the court and the confidants of the East Palace, he soon became handy and gradually became better.

That day, he read the memorial at hand and sent someone to distribute it. Seeing that it was dusk, he stretched his body a little, left the study and went to the backyard.

Not long after Xiaoli stood there, someone sent a letter, saying: "The governor of Qingzhou Yang Wengan sent someone to send a secret letter, please read it, Your Highness."

Li Jiancheng reached out to take it, ordered his servants to leave, and then walked back to the room and slowly unfolded it.

This Yang Wenqian was originally from the Prince's Mansion before he became the governor of Qingzhou.After being transferred to Qingzhou, he was still a close confidant of Li Jiancheng, and most of the soldiers guarding the East Palace were recruited by this person.

Therefore, when I saw his letter mentioning that due to the quelling of the chaos the day before yesterday, armor and armaments are currently in short supply, and when he begged the court to provide supplies, Li Jiancheng thought for a moment and immediately sent someone to handle the matter.

And on the next day, the same secret letter was sent to Renzhi Palace.That night, Li Shimin called Fang Xuanling into the room, gave him the letter to read, then went to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and said, "I don't know what you think after reading it, sir?"

"It seems that among the prince's hundred secrets, one will inevitably be lost." Fang Xuanling carefully folded the letter paper and said, "In my opinion, there is a lot to be done about this matter."

"If it wasn't for something to write, I wouldn't bother you to come here this time." Li Shimin didn't turn his head back, his voice was a little low, "But I don't know what kind of things you think you have to write?"

Li Jiancheng is not perfect, what's more, under Du Yan's secret report, Li Jiancheng's actions this month are all in his eyes.

Because Du Yan had resented his nephew Du Ruhui's death at the hands of Li Jiancheng, he had already become a trusted person of Li Shimin at this time.Not long after entering Prince Qin's mansion, Li Shimin found that this person is flexible and eloquent, which is good for inquiring news and making friends with others.

Now, it really came in handy and found Li Jiancheng's flaw,

Thinking of this, Li Shimin unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth, and there seemed to be a bit of hidden joy in his heart.He turned around, looked at Fang Xuanling and said.

Fang Xuanling looked at him in deep thought, and after a long time bowed and said: "I have a plan, but it is a dangerous move."

"If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch tiger cubs." Li Shimin raised his eyebrows slightly, and said, "I don't know... where is the danger?"

Fang Xuanling looked at him fixedly, and said word by word: "If this matter succeeds, the crown prince can take his place; if it fails, then..."

"That's enough," Li Shimin chuckled, his eyes seemed to brighten up amidst the deepness, and he was vaguely excited, "Then... let me tell you about it one by one."

----

Ten days later, two unexpected visitors came to Renzhi Palace. They were just ordinary soldiers, but they were summoned by Li Yuan himself.

Because what they brought was an astonishing news: the prince rebelled!

There is absolutely no emperor in the world who can ignore these four words. Li Yuan heard the news and immediately asked the two of them in the palace.

After questioning, he found out that these two men were originally Li Jiancheng's soldiers, and this time they were ordered to take the armored weapons to Yang Wenqian, the governor of Qingzhou.The two described the ins and outs of this situation once, and they only said that they were loyal to His Majesty, and they must not ignore the prince's misconduct.

According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, allocating military supplies to the central government must go through the Ministry of War, but Li Jiancheng's move can be regarded as self-assessment, and knowing that he has a very close relationship with Yang Wengan, Li Yuan frowned after hearing this, feeling a little panic in his heart.

Logically speaking, as a prince, it is necessary to be aware of treason.However, as far as Li Yuan was concerned, Li Jiancheng, as a father, had never seen through Li Jiancheng's thoughts.Therefore, for a while, he was unable to determine the authenticity of this matter.

After ordering people to take those two people down, Li Yuan remained silent for a long time, just looking at the people sitting in the hall.Li Shimin and Li Yuanji are on the left, and several important officials headed by Pei Ji are on the right, with different expressions and behaviors.

Li Yuan slowly withdrew his gaze and sighed, "This matter... what do you think?"

After the words fell, Li Yuanji stood up and said, "Father, don't listen to the nonsense of these two people. My son promised his life with faith, and my eldest brother will never do this!"

However, this method of guarantee is too weak after all, and Li Yuanji is very close to Li Jiancheng, so Li Yuan just smiled when he heard the words, but turned to look at Li Shimin, clearly waiting for him to speak.

Li Shimin had been silent all this time, so he had to stand up slowly at this moment, and said with a wry smile: "Brother's thoughts are too deep, and it's hard for me to see through them. In addition, this matter is of great importance, so I dare not speak nonsense."

"Come on." Li Yuan had no choice but to let him return with a sigh, "What you said is true."

At this moment, Pei Ji finally stood up and said: "Your Majesty, I believe that the crown prince can never be convicted based on the words of the two pawns. It is not clear whether the crown prince has the intention of treason, but your majesty's top priority , it is better to call the prince to come here alone first, if the prince avoids coming, there may be something strange; if he comes, it is not too late to ask whether the matter is true or not."

Pei Ji has followed Li Yuan for many years, and knows his heart and mind very well. Even though he never thinks that Li Jiancheng has the intention of rebellion, he also knows that he must not reveal half of it in his mouth, so he only tries to speak objectively and neutrally.

After the words fell, he bowed, but felt a bunch of eyes cast on himself.Pei Ji raised his eyes to look where the gaze came from, but saw that Li Shimin just lowered his eyes with a calm expression.

After thinking about it for a while, something seemed to be clear in my heart.Pei Ji remained calm, but said again, "Your Majesty, please think twice" before retreating.

But Li Yuan thought deeply about the past, and he really took Pei Jizhi's words seriously.He sighed again, and finally said: "What Pei Jian said is very pertinent, come here, send an order to Beijing, and call the crown prince to Renzhi Palace!"

----

When Li Yuan's decree was passed to the East Palace, it was already known in the court.

When the people in the prince's mansion heard that Li Yuan called the prince to enter the Palace of Renzhi alone, most of them strongly opposed it.After all, the Sacred Heart is unpredictable. If Li Jiancheng has really confirmed the treason, if he goes, he will fall into the trap of himself.

Some people even suggested that Li Jiancheng might as well turn his back on it seriously and sit on the dragon chair early.

However, compared with the fierce reaction of everyone in the mansion, Li Jiancheng seemed extremely calm.He leaned on the back of the chair and let others talk to each other, but he just lowered his head and pondered.When the others had nothing to say, he slowly stood up and said: "Everyone's hearts have been established. It's just that I have no intention of rebelling, so why should I be afraid of others' slander? If I really refuse to go, teach me From the eyes of others, it is just an act of fear of sin. Therefore, since the imperial father's order has been issued, I should set off for the Palace of Renzhi tomorrow. Therefore, please don't persuade me any more."

He spoke calmly, without even any emotional ups and downs, but every word and sentence was full of determination.After speaking, the hustle and bustle in the hall suddenly receded, and no one spoke for a while.

"I think what Your Highness said is very true." Wei Zheng, who had been silent all this time, was the first to speak. He walked into the hall and bowed deeply, "Wei Zheng is here to wait for Your Highness to return safely."

Li Jiancheng looked at him and smiled slightly, and said, "Thank you sir."

----

The next day, Li Jiancheng left the imperial city with a light car.Wei Zheng and several staff members from the East Palace came to see them off, and after saying goodbye in a few words, Wei Zheng rode his horse and walked towards Li Jiancheng, whispering in his ear: "The minister has made arrangements in secret. The East Palace immediately entered the Renzhi Palace."

Li Jiancheng immediately raised the corners of his lips when he heard the words, but said in his mouth: "Mr. Wei is so courageous, he really dares to do what others dare not."

"If not, how can you be His Highness's right-hand man?" Wei Zheng also smiled, and walked away a few steps slowly, creating some distance between the two of them.

Li Jiancheng looked at him, and said after a while: "Sir, don't worry, Jiancheng should protect himself."

Wei Zheng nodded slightly, seeing that he seemed to have something to say, but after hesitating for a moment, he changed his mind and said, "Your Highness just needs to remember that Wei Zheng and all the generals in the East Palace will swear allegiance to His Highness to the death."

"Naturally." Li Jiancheng pulled his horse with a smile, turned around and left with a few entourages.

In fact, he understood that Wei Zheng wanted to ask, but he never asked what he said.The two of them knew this matter well, but they avoided it.

"It's true that one of them should be cut off..." He muttered a low sigh, and suddenly raised his whip and galloped away.

----

Li Yuan sat in the hall, staring intently at the kneeling person in front of him.The father and son in the room have been confronting each other silently for half a stick of incense.

Li Jiancheng had his hair loose, light clothes and plain robes, light fur and belts, his eyes were downcast and he was silent. He was not in a hurry to defend himself for such a big matter.

Finally, Li Yuan took the lead and said, "Why are you dressed like this?"

"Wearing the body of a sin, how can there be any reason to wear a fancy dress?" Li Jiancheng didn't lift his head, his long hair covered most of his face.

"A crime?" Li Yuan raised his eyebrows and said, "Could it be that you really have the intention of treason?"

Only then did Li Jiancheng raise his body and look at Li Yuan, but he said two words firmly in his mouth: "Never."

"Then why are you guilty?"

Li Jiancheng seemed to chuckle lightly, but there was no smile on his face, "My father believes that my son and minister have rebelled, so my son is naturally guilty."

"Jiancheng, you are blaming me." Li Yuan was startled for a moment, then smiled wryly, "It's just this matter of rebellion, if you become the king in the future, I'm afraid you will be like me."

Li Jiancheng lowered his eyes again, and said after a moment of silence: "I can't prove what I haven't done. At this time, I can only ask my father to call Yang Wenqian here to confront him, so that we can know the truth of the matter."

"This is what Jian Pei once mentioned to me, and I deeply believe it. You will stay in the Palace of Renzhi after completion, and when things come to light, if you are innocent, I will definitely give you justice." Li Yuan sighed, "You don't have to complain to me after you finish it. Although I am your father, I am also the king of a country. Before this matter is investigated, I must not be careless."

Knowing that Li Yuan was going to put him under house arrest, Li Jiancheng was not surprised, didn't say much, just bowed his hands, and walked out of the palace under the leadership of the guards.

Li Yuan watched him leave, put his hands on his forehead, sighed, and then said to the palace man beside him: "Send Yu Wenying into the palace immediately."

----

That night, Li Shimin stood by the window with his hands behind his back. There was no electric light in the room, and there was endless darkness behind him.After a while, the door was gently pushed back, and the servant came closer and said in a low voice: "Your Highness, Lord Yuwen is here."

Li Shimin turned his body sideways, his complexion generally hidden in the shadows.After a pause, he said, "Let him in."

Soon, a person walked in from the door, met Li Shimin, cupped his hands and said: "I have seen King Qin."

"Lord Yuwen, long time no see." Li Shimin nodded slightly at him, then turned his face and looked out the window, "I heard that your lord is on his way to Qingzhou tomorrow?"

"Exactly." Yu Wenying didn't dare to neglect, and said, "Leaving for Qingzhou tomorrow, please come here with Governor Yang Wengan."

"I don't think that my father just chose your lord to complete this matter. Speaking of which, it should be my luck." Li Shimin turned his head and looked at him, his expression was completely hidden in the shadow because of the backlight, "Three years ago , this king once saved your life from the hands of your father, Lord Yuwen must not have forgotten this matter?"

Three years ago, he was almost beheaded by Li Yuan because of accepting bribes for a while. Fortunately, Li Shimin reassured him, so he only gave up by demoting his official position.Since then, Yu Wenying has had an inseparable connection with the Prince's Mansion, but no one in the court knows about it.At this time, when Li Shimin suddenly mentioned the old matter, Yu Wenying had sensed some implication, and said, "Whatever your Highness has ordered, I will do my best to fulfill it."

"Very good." Li Shimin nodded, paused for a moment, and said, "But I don't know how your lord will explain this to Yang Wengan when he goes to Qingzhou this time?"

Yu Wenying said truthfully: "Inform His Majesty that he is suspected of rebelling with the crown prince, and call him into the Palace of Renzhi to confront him in court."

Li Shimin shook his head when he heard the words, and said: "There is something wrong with what you said."

Yu Wenying said: "Please advise, Your Highness."

"My lord, when you arrive in Qingzhou, you only need to tell Yang Wengan four words." Li Shimin said slowly.

"But I don't know if it's four words?"

"The crown prince is dead." Li Shimin said every word clearly and happily, "Did you remember it clearly?"

Having said this, Yu Wenying instantly understood what Li Shimin meant.Although this shocked him, he also knew that the matter was of great importance. From his position at this time, he could not ask more questions, so he just cupped his hands and said, "I will definitely tell Dudu Yang this way."

"After the matter is completed, I should thank my lord." Li Shimin nodded slightly, and said, "It's getting late, and my lord has to go on the road tomorrow, so it's better to rest earlier."

When Yu Wenying resigned, Li Shimin turned around and looked out the window.He reached out and clasped the carved window sill, held it firmly, lowered his head and laughed tremblingly.

Now that the blade is out of its sheath, it is bound to return with blood.

—Brother, speaking of it, this is your style.

——But I don't know what expression you should have when you see your own blood this time.