Chapter 5211 Born Abroad
Chapter 5211 Born Abroad
Li Tai glanced around and saw that his brothers were a mix of surprise and joy, happiness and worry. He couldn't help but remind them, "His Majesty is benevolent and does not wish to confine us to Chang'an to live a life of idleness and waiting for death. Instead, he has granted fiefdoms to all corners of the land. Therefore, we should be grateful for His Majesty's grace and do our utmost to protect the country. When you arrive in your fiefdoms, you must not act recklessly or disregard the law. Otherwise, even if His Majesty is reluctant to dismiss you, the censors and officials in the court, as well as those members of the imperial clan who have been stripped of their titles, will not let you off the hook."
In fact, for him and the descendants of Emperor Taizong, going to their fiefdoms was far more dangerous than staying in Chang'an.
Being in Chang'an, with countless eyes watching, I must be cautious in my words and deeds, and follow the rules, for fear of making a mistake and being impeached.
However, living in a fiefdom or vassal state, one is bound to be less vigilant and more prone to letting loose, making it easier to commit serious mistakes and ultimately face irreversible consequences.
After all, no matter how distant a vassal state was, it was still nominally a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, subject to the supervision of the Tang court and the rule of the Tang laws. This did not mean that it became a state within a state or broke away from the rule of the Tang Dynasty...
Thinking of this, he was suddenly startled.
An idea surged into my mind uncontrollably: Could this be a conspiracy?
With the princes residing in Chang'an, if any mishap were to occur, someone would pin the blame on His Majesty. Even if it wasn't His Majesty's fault, His Majesty would still protect the princes simply because he claimed to "love his brothers."
Conversely, if the princes leave the capital to go to their fiefdoms, and are punished for violating the law, then no one can blame His Majesty.
In other words, with the princes residing in Chang'an, His Majesty is bound by many restrictions and feels constrained in what he wants to do; but with the princes in their fiefdoms, any unforeseen events are none of His Majesty's concern...
Subconsciously, Li Tai turned to look at Li Zhi.
Li Zhi, who was speaking with Prince Li Yin of Shu, seemed to sense something, raised his head, met Li Tai's gaze, and then smiled brightly.
Li Tai then realized that his exceptionally intelligent younger brother had also guessed what he was thinking.
But he seemed indifferent...
……
After the banquet, all the princes left the Prince of Jin's residence, except for Prince Wei, Li Tai, who remained.
Princess Wang of Jin served the two men fragrant tea. Knowing they had something to discuss, she bowed and withdrew from the study.
Li Zhi raised his hand, inviting Li Tai to drink tea.
Li Tai didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, sighed softly, and said, "Zhi Nu... how about I speak to His Majesty on your behalf, so you don't have to go to your fiefdom? You can stay here in Chang'an and enjoy wealth and honor. What do you think?"
Regardless of whether His Majesty truly pardoned Li Zhi's crimes, for Li Zhi, going to a fiefdom was fraught with danger, and staying in Chang'an was the only way to save his life.
Li Zhi shook his head and said softly, "Thank you for your care, Brother Qingque, but if things really are the worst-case scenario, how long can I hide? What's coming will come sooner or later, and there's no escaping it."
If His Majesty's forgiveness is a pretense, and the real purpose is to settle accounts after the autumn harvest, how can he possibly escape it?
A subject who is disloyal deserves to die.
Moreover, his infidelity goes far beyond that.
He is committing treason!
Li Tai said urgently, "His Majesty is benevolent and will certainly not pursue the matter afterward. But I am afraid that some other people might use underhanded tactics to harm you and also cause His Majesty to be branded as a traitor. Why not stay in Chang'an, keep to your place, and hope for the long term?"
Once you leave Chang'an, it's no longer enough to simply stay within your bounds.
Those powerful clans and aristocratic families hate His Majesty to the bone but are powerless to do anything about it. They will inevitably use Prince Li Zhi of Jin as a scapegoat, and will use all sorts of schemes and tricks. With the tacit cooperation of the censors and officials in the court, Li Zhi will be unable to explain himself no matter how eloquent he is.
The law of the land is as firm as a mountain. When everyone says that Li Zhi deserves to die, what can His Majesty do?
Can I be pardoned one more time?
Li Tai could almost foresee that as long as Li Zhi was granted a fiefdom, his fate would be certain death...
Li Zhi smiled and said, "I have some guesses about Brother Qingque's worries, but compared to that, I am more worried about spending my whole life under surveillance... I will no longer have any ambition for that position, but I yearn for a free and unrestrained life."
Although His Majesty lifted his confinement and did not restrict his movements, he was still surrounded by all sorts of spying agents, including the "Hundred Cavalry Division," the Censorate, and even the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Secretariat...
His every move and word was under surveillance.
An invisible high wall confined him, leaving him with no freedom whatsoever.
Logically, since he had committed the heinous crime of treason, being spared the death penalty and released from confinement was already an act of leniency, and he should have been content. But now that he had the opportunity to go far away and establish his own fiefdom, how could he not yearn for it?
It is better to die outside than to be imprisoned inside.
Li Tai shook his head repeatedly, his mouth dry but unable to persuade him. Somewhat annoyed, he said, "How can you be so ungrateful? This is not a matter of luck. Once you are granted a fiefdom, countless eyes will be watching you. Any mistake, however slight, will be magnified, impeached, and attacked, and then you will be put to death!"
Li Zhi smiled brightly as he said, "Then I'll just stay further away so those people can't see or hear me, right?"
"How far can it go? The navy roams freely on the sea, with open sea routes everywhere. Countless merchants travel on these routes. No matter where you hide, someone is watching you. News travels extremely fast."
"I have heard that the navy sails south through the strait east of Japo, where there is a large, uninhabited island. If one could lead a personal guard to roam there, establish a nation, and procreate, it would become part of China's territory in the future. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"The large island south of Jambudvipa?"
Li Tai had heard of this place before, but he frowned and said, "The navy only reached that place and did not explore it. There are savages living on that island who eat raw meat and drink blood. They are extremely ignorant and only know how to fish and hunt, but do not know how to cultivate crops. It is very desolate."
Although the countries of East and Southeast Asia were also barbaric and ignorant, they had long been influenced and assimilated by Chinese culture, and could be considered a civilization, which was incomparable to the islands where savages lived.
Living among savages for a long time, how miserable that must be.
Li Zhi not only disagreed, but even longed for it: "What does it matter if I live and roam under the sun, even if I live among savages?"
Li Tai was speechless.
Staying in Chang'an meant losing freedom and being monitored at all times; going out to take up a fiefdom meant having to guard against conspiracies and being constantly on the verge of death.
Compared to that, the idea of actually going to a desolate place, conquering a territory, and establishing a feudal state seems pretty good...
"Are you really willing to go to that big island?"
"That is exactly what I wish for. I also hope that you, elder brother, will put in a good word for me before His Majesty."
Li Tai shook his head and sighed: "If you go there, I'm afraid we brothers will never see each other again in this lifetime... Well, since that's the case, I, as your elder brother, will naturally do my best to help you. However, I think His Majesty will not agree easily. He also cares about you. When Fang Jun returns to the capital, I will ask him to advise His Majesty as well."
Whether His Majesty's affection for the Prince of Jin is genuine or feigned, he will not easily grant him a fiefdom on such a desolate island; otherwise, he will surely be criticized as "intolerant" and "leaving the Prince of Jin to fend for himself"...
Li Zhi said happily, "If my elder brother and brother-in-law speak on my behalf together, His Majesty will surely agree!"
Li Tai complained, "You, why were you so foolish back then? Look at me, I was so scared that I ran as far away as possible and didn't dare to even touch the edge, but you were so reckless!"
Li Zhi smiled bitterly and said, "Brother Qingque, please don't say anymore. It's too late for me to regret it now! I was misled by my uncle at the time, and my covetousness and greed led me to make a terrible mistake!"
"Hmph! That old thief deserves to die!"
Li Tai cursed angrily.
……
After Li Tai left, Princess Wang of Jin entered from the outer room, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Li Zhi. After hesitating for a long time, she asked softly, "Do you really want to leave the Tang Dynasty and go to such a desolate and barbaric place?"
Li Zhi took a sip of tea and sighed, "What else can we do? Staying in Chang'an will only lead to our inevitable demise."
Wang sat beside him and said softly, "Your Majesty is benevolent. Since you have forgiven His Highness, I imagine you will not go back on your word."
Li Zhi shook his head: "Do you think that being the emperor means you can do whatever you want and have absolute authority? Your Majesty may care for me, but not everyone is willing to uphold Your Majesty's reputation for benevolence. If we don't force Your Majesty to kill me, how can we shatter the halo of glory surrounding Your Majesty?"
With the aura of "generosity" and "benevolence" bestowed upon him, His Majesty was invulnerable to swords and spears.
Only by smashing all these things and ruining His Majesty's reputation can those in the royal family have a chance.
By now, His Majesty and the imperial clan are sworn enemies, more like mortal foes than blood relatives...
Lady Wang shed tears: "Wherever Your Highness goes, I will follow you to the death. It's just a pity that our children will have to grow up in such wild and untamed lands, never able to set foot on the homeland of China, and never have the chance to return to Chang'an and Luoyang to see the beautiful rivers and mountains left by their ancestors."
These words stung Li Zhi's heart.
After a long silence, he gave a helpless bitter laugh and murmured, "It's fate, what can be done?"
If his father had not passed away so early, perhaps the throne would have already fallen to him.
If the coup had succeeded back then, he would be sitting in the Taiji Palace today, ruling the world...
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.
Now, in order to save their lives and for freedom, they have no choice but to travel overseas and venture into wild lands...
Seeing that Lady Wang was still heartbroken and weeping, Li Zhi forced a smile and said, "There's no need to be so sad. Don't you trust your husband's abilities? Although that island is remote and desolate, it is precisely because of this that it is far from the world's sight. With my abilities, I can definitely develop it into a prosperous place. In ten or twenty years, its prosperity may not be inferior to Silla or Japan. We, husband and wife, can then procreate there, becoming an uncrowned emperor and empress, our words becoming law, and our status unparalleled. Wouldn't that be wonderful!"
Lady Wang wiped away her tears, hummed in agreement, and said softly, "Whether in the Central Plains or overseas, whether in life or death, I will always serve Your Highness and never be separated from you."
Li Zhi grasped Wang's hand and sighed softly, "I'm sorry to have wronged the Princess."
Lady Wang smiled, tears welling in her eyes: "Following Your Highness, I'm not wronged at all."
(End of this chapter)
