Chapter 5327 Tit for tat
Chapter 5327 Tit for tat
Li Zhi's departure caused widespread anxiety both inside and outside Chang'an.
Anyone with eyes could see that Li Zhi was in such a hurry to go to sea to take up his fiefdom in order to escape the increasingly chaotic situation. The other princes who were waiting to take up their fiefdoms were naturally feeling uneasy and anxious. However, apart from Prince Qi, Li You, the others were not yet married.
Sending a prince to his fiefdom at sea is a sign of the monarch's magnanimity and benevolence. However, if a prince goes to sea before he is married and has not yet had children, it must be a sign that the monarch is harsh and abusive, and does not tolerate others sleeping soundly beside his bed.
Therefore, the princes could only hide in their own residences, trembling with fear, praying to the gods and Buddhas to protect them from the current turbulent situation.
Amid this tense situation, Li Chengqian issued an edict suspending Li Siwen, Cheng Chubi, and Qu Tuquan from their official posts, and after verifying the extent of their military losses, reassigning them accordingly. He also ordered Cao Jishu to act as the Left Guard Commander of the Crown Prince, Ashina Funian to act as the Right Guard Commander of the Crown Prince, and Su Haizheng to act as the Left Qingdao Commander of the Crown Prince...
At the same time, he ordered the reorganization of the Six Armies of the Eastern Palace, streamlining the army and administration, and used the "Hundred Cavalry Division" to urge, supervise, and approve the list of officers and soldiers.
Upon issuing this order, the wind and waves intensified.
April 15th, the sixth year of Renhe.
The rain that had lasted for several days finally stopped, but the sky was filled with leaden clouds that blocked out the morning sun, and the air was so damp that it seemed you could wring water out of it.
Early in the morning, as the gates of each neighborhood opened, several carriages emerged from their respective gates and set off in unison along the well-planned, crisscrossing streets of Chang'an. Their final destination was inside Yanxi Gate and outside Jiafu Gate, where the carriages and horses converged. Several civil and military officials, including Attendant-in-Ordinary Ma Zhou, Duke of Wei Li Jing, Minister of War Liu Rengui, General of the Left Jinwu Guard Cheng Wuting, and General of the Right Jinwu Guard Sun Renshi, exchanged greetings before filing into the Eastern Palace.
This scene was witnessed by officials on their way to the government office, and the news quickly spread throughout the entire capital, causing an uproar.
At a time when His Majesty is exerting increasing control and pressure on the Eastern Palace, and his intention to change the heir apparent is obvious, these ministers gathered at the Eastern Palace to oppose the change of heir and support the Crown Prince. Their intentions were too clear and were practically an open confrontation with His Majesty.
Is this okay?
Regardless of the consequences, it's enough to stir up a huge storm.
……
"Your humble servants pay their respects to the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince."
Several ministers entered the Lizheng Hall and bowed respectfully.
"My esteemed ministers, please dispense with the formalities and take a seat."
The young voice of Crown Prince Li Xiang rang out.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Several people got up and took their seats one after another.
Empress Su, holding Li Xiang's hand, sat upright in the main seat. Her long, cloud-like hair was neatly tied into a bun, adorned with gold hairpins and jade hair ornaments. Her palace dress was embroidered and magnificent. With her delicate features, arched eyebrows, slender shoulders, and graceful neck, she was a picture of beauty and elegance.
At this moment, she sighed softly and said, "It is not that I am unaware of the current situation and am deliberately making things difficult for you all. It is just that the current situation is urgent and turbulent. I, the Crown Prince, and the women and children have lost our composure. The Grand Commandant is far away in Huating and cannot help us. I can only ask you all to come and ask what we should do."
Last time, His Majesty wanted to summon great Confucian scholars to advocate for the young prince and gain momentum, but Princess Chang Le suggested using Fang Xuanling's prestige to forcefully thwart the plan. However, His Majesty's will is firm, and this time he will directly target the six guards of the Eastern Palace.
Although the core "Shenji Battalion" still protects the Eastern Palace, the dismantling of the six guards of the Eastern Palace means that the emperor's will will inevitably lead to a change in the wind. If the court supports His Majesty's change of heir, how will the Eastern Palace deal with itself?
We can't wait until the imperial edict for changing the heir apparent is issued, and then the Crown Prince relies on the "Divine Machine Battalion" to defy the edict, can we?
Therefore, the purpose of summoning a group of ministers who support the Crown Prince to the Crown Prince Palace to discuss countermeasures is actually to send a message to the outside world—even if His Majesty intends to change the heir apparent, the supporters of the Crown Prince Palace remain steadfast.
In this way, perhaps we can influence those who waver with the wind.
Ma Zhou, with a cold and unsmiling expression, replied without hesitation: "Your Highness and Empress, please rest assured. The Crown Prince is the foundation of the nation. How can he be changed arbitrarily without serious wrongdoing? We are entrusted by the late Emperor to assist Your Majesty. We prioritize the well-being of the country and the nation, and we will uphold justice and offer advice. Even if the order is chaotic, we will not accept it."
Liu Rengui also stated: "The Crown Prince is the foundation of the nation and should not be touched lightly."
Cheng Wuting and Sun Renshi were even more straightforward: "If anything happens to the Crown Prince, we are willing to be fully armed and protect His Highness outside his bedchamber, and do our utmost to ensure that he is not lost."
They were Fang Jun's core group, and Fang Jun was the biggest "crown prince" in the court, which meant that his interests were already tied to those of the Crown Prince. Naturally, they would fight to the death to protect him and spare no effort.
Li Jing then said, “Your Highness and Empress, there is no need to panic. Changing the heir is not something that can be done with just an imperial edict. It requires gathering the opinions of all civil and military officials and making a public announcement to the late emperor’s mausoleum and the ancestral temples. It cannot be done without being absolutely certain. Otherwise, why did the late emperor hesitate and ultimately let it go? His Highness the Crown Prince is intelligent, filial, upright, and honest. He is the hope of the court and the people. He is truly a gift from heaven. There is no need to worry about rumors. Just wait until the Grand Commandant returns to the capital and everything will be calm.”
When it comes to court strategy, he is far inferior, otherwise he wouldn't have been sidelined for so many years. However, he is a first-rate military strategist, and the current situation is somewhat similar to the battlefield. When the enemy is strong and we are weak, we must remain unchanged to deal with all changes, strengthen our defenses, and wait for strong reinforcements to arrive so that we can be invincible.
Empress Su gritted her teeth in hatred when she heard the Grand Commandant mentioned.
That man was only concerned with his own great achievements, leaving the mother and child alone in Chang'an, facing the harsh winds and frosts, trembling with fear and helplessness.
But then she wondered if his actions were a way of putting pressure on her while subtly hinting at something.
For example, you can't just make a vague promise; you should first offer something tangible...
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly coughed to bring her thoughts back. She nodded and said softly, "Lord Wei's words make sense, but what if the ministers in the court are forced by His Majesty's power to agree to the change of heir?"
This matter doesn't require a vote. What His Majesty fears is merely public opinion and the stability of the court. If he disregards all of that and insists on going his own way, no one can stop him.
Once His Majesty is determined to issue the decree, there will be no turning back.
We can't exactly start a rebellion, can we...? Hmm?
Empress Su unconsciously clenched her fist. It wasn't impossible. When Emperor Wu of Han listened to slander and deposed the crown prince, Empress Wei Zifu opened her confidants to help the crown prince plot a rebellion. Although she was ultimately defeated and committed suicide, she left behind a story of decisive action and a woman who was no less capable than men.
When you're truly at your wit's end, anything can happen...
Ma Zhou shook his head and said, "His Majesty is not so stubborn. In the end, without the Grand Commandant's consent, the crown prince could not be deposed and replaced. This is also the reason why the Grand Commandant went to Huating Town to command the Central and Southern War."
Given Fang Jun's current status and power, would His Majesty dare to depose the Crown Prince and establish a new heir without his permission or tacit approval?
Ma Zhou believed that he would absolutely not dare to do it.
The emperor naturally had the right to decide who would become the crown prince, but no one dared to openly stand up and support His Majesty, because who could guarantee that Fang Jun would not lead tens of thousands of naval troops, along with the Left and Right Imperial Guards, to blockade Chang'an and raise the banner of "purging the emperor's inner circle" when he returned to the capital?
Given Fang Jun's emphasis on the legitimacy of the empire, it's not impossible that he could storm the Taiji Palace and "request His Majesty to abdicate"...
Empress Su blinked and asked, "Is it really because the Grand Commandant was so determined that he went to Huating Town without hesitation?"
If that were true, she would feel a little better.
This shows that her status as an empress wasn't entirely unattractive to that guy...
Ma Zhou nodded and said, "The Grand Commandant is always prudent and acts only after careful consideration. He would never go to Huating Town without being absolutely certain of success."
In fact, the current situation, though seemingly turbulent, is not actually dangerous.
Your Majesty could certainly issue an edict to depose the Crown Prince and establish a new heir, but if the Crown Prince refuses to obey the edict and the civil and military officials remonstrate to the death, what will become of the imperial authority?
Could they really allow the six guards of the Eastern Palace to storm into the Eastern Palace and forcibly depose the Crown Prince?
Even if His Majesty dares to take a desperate gamble, how could the "Shenji Battalion," composed entirely of students from Zhenguan Academy, simply surrender?
The "Divine Machine Battalion," fully equipped with firearms, was virtually unassailable, as it only defended and did not attack, and had ample ammunition.
*****
The news that a group of civil and military officials had been summoned by the Crown Prince and entered the Eastern Palace in a grand manner quickly reached the Taiji Palace. The officials, who were discussing matters in the Imperial Study of the Taiji Palace, turned gloomy upon hearing the news and remained silent for a long time.
Anger was rising within him.
Whether it was the Crown Prince or those civil and military officials, this move was tantamount to publicly slapping the emperor in the face, demonstrating to the world that the so-called authority of the monarch was worthless, and that even as emperor, one could not control the succession.
What a shame!
"Li Jingye, you must personally go to the Imperial Guard and inform Minister Dugu that the crimes of Li Siwen, Cheng Chubi, and Qu Tuquan must be thoroughly investigated, without missing a single detail. Even if a single armor plate is missing from their armor, it must be recorded!"
Liu Ji, who was standing to the side, was taken aback. Before Li Jingye could accept the order, he hurriedly advised, "Your Majesty, you must not! Although the three generals have made some mistakes, a minor punishment is sufficient as a warning. It is not appropriate to be too harsh on them. After all, they were meritorious ministers who followed the Grand Commandant to assist Your Majesty in suppressing the rebels. If they are severely punished, it will damage Your Majesty's prestige."
The implication was quite clear: he said that severely punishing the emperor would "damage his prestige," but the key point was the phrase "follow the Grand Commandant."
That was Fang Jun's best brother since childhood, a loyal subordinate he relied on as a right arm!
While Fang Jun might not be allowed to give his approval for the change of heir, at the very least, it needed to be done in the first place and then be approved by him. Otherwise, with Fang Jun's power and prestige, a single call from him could throw the entire Tang Dynasty into chaos!
However, this time Li Chengqian showed unprecedented decisiveness, waving his hand to reject Liu Ji's advice and saying to Li Jingye, "Do as I say, go."
"Here!"
Li Jingye loudly agreed and turned to leave excitedly.
He still had to serve by His Majesty's side. Everyone in the court and the country feared Fang Jun like a tiger. Only His Majesty dared to directly clip Fang Jun's wings!
