lovenovelstory Chapter 2 Li Chengqian: Father, you must not pass the throne to your son!
Chapter 2 Li Chengqian: Father, you must not pass the throne to your son!
Zichen Palace.
Li Shimin was reading the memorials, and Wei Zheng stood by his side.
"How is Chengqian's health?" Li Shimin looked up at Wei Zheng.
"The imperial physician said that he has almost fully recovered."
"He is different from me. When I was young, I was never sick."
"Your Majesty's good health is a blessing to the nation," Wei Zheng paused, "I have heard that Your Majesty intends to move the Prince of Yue to the Wude Hall. Is this true?"
Li Shimin knew that this old man liked to speak frankly and often embarrassed him in front of his ministers.
Li Shimin knew that Wei Zheng was loyal to the Tang Dynasty, so he both loved and hated him, and was also somewhat annoyed by him.
"Yes, I do have this plan." Li Shimin continued reviewing the memorials.
"Your Majesty, I believe this is absolutely unacceptable."
Li Shimin put down the memorial in his hand: "I am just asking Tai'er to move to a different place. What's wrong with that?"
This is my family matter; why should you interfere?
"Your Majesty is mistaken. The royal family has no private affairs; private affairs are also state affairs."
A monarch must be careful in every word and deed.
Does Your Majesty still remember the incident at the gate of Yao's mother during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han?
When Emperor Wu of Han was sixty-two years old, he met Lady Gouyi and had a son, Liu Fuling, with her.
Emperor Wu of Han was very fond of this youngest son, so he inscribed the three characters "Yao Mu Men" (Gate of Yao's Mother) on the door of Lady Gouyi's residence. This seemingly insignificant matter caused a great uproar.
At that time, Wei Qing had already died, and this matter aroused speculation among the court officials. They believed that if Yao was an ancient sage ruler, then if Emperor Wu of Han said that Lady Gouyi was like Yao's mother, then wouldn't Liu Fuling be Yao?
Therefore, many people believed that Emperor Wu of Han had the idea of changing the crown prince, and they switched allegiance from Crown Prince Liu Ju to Liu Fuling.
Crown Prince Liu Ju was also filled with fear and unease, which ultimately led to the witchcraft scandal, a blood feud between father and son that killed tens of thousands of people, and Liu Ju himself committed suicide as a result.
"Given such severe consequences, is Emperor Wu of Han without fault?"
Li Shimin lowered his head and remained silent after hearing this.
Wei Zheng continued, "Now, His Majesty's favor towards the Prince of Yue has surpassed that of any other prince, even the Crown Prince. This is somewhat of a breach of the proper order of rank."
Although the Crown Prince has a physical disability, no one can deny that he is wise and virtuous.
If the King of Yue were to reside in the Wude Hall, which is located west of the East Palace, it would be too close to the East Palace.
This would inevitably cause misunderstandings among the court officials, including the King of Yue himself. Those who originally had no intention of coveting the position of crown prince might change their minds because of this.
If that were the case, what would the Crown Prince think?
Although Li Shimin was displeased upon hearing this, he understood that Wei Zheng's words made some sense: "My dear minister, you have reminded me. You are a mirror for me. I will think this matter over carefully."
"Your Majesty is wise!"
At this moment, Li Chengqian limped in from outside, knelt down, and called out, "Father Emperor!"
Li Shimin nodded slightly: "You may rise."
Li Chengqian did not get up and remained kneeling there.
"Are you feeling better?"
"It's just a minor cold, nothing serious."
"It's good that you're alright. You're about to have your coming-of-age ceremony; how can you go if you're not feeling well?"
"Does Father Emperor intend for Qingque to reside in the Wude Hall?" Li Chengqian asked in a clear voice.
Li Shimin's expression froze instantly. He thought to himself that he had only told Wei Zheng and Du Zhenglun about this, so how could Chengqian know about it?
"That's not true. Don't listen to what others are saying." Li Shimin seemed a little uncomfortable.
Li Chengqian's eyes burned with fervor: "Does Father Emperor intend to change the Crown Prince?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng was quite frightened and quickly gestured with his eyes, as if to say, "You little rascal, are you out of your mind?"
Li Chengqian, however, simply pretended not to see it.
Li Shimin's face darkened: "Chengqian, as the Crown Prince, you must be mindful of your words. How can you speak so carelessly without any basis?"
The crown prince is the foundation of the nation; how can he be changed so easily?
However, you must be careful with your words and actions, and don't think that I don't know what you've done in the Eastern Palace.
Putting everything else aside, let me ask you this: what exactly is going on between you and Chengxin?
Instead of studying properly, you spend all your time hanging out with a clown. What kind of behavior is that?
Li Chengqian suddenly stood up: "Chengxin is about the same age as me. He's just a page. We're just studying and playing chess together. What's wrong with that?"
Seeing Li Chengqian's behavior, Wei Zheng was also startled. He wondered what was wrong with the usually quiet and polite Crown Prince today, that he would be so bold as to speak to his father like that.
"Reading and playing chess? I heard that one night you kept him in the Eastern Palace and slept in the same bed with him. Is that true?"
"We had a very pleasant conversation, so what's wrong with sleeping side by side?"
"Outrageous! I've heard he looks neither male nor female, he's a monster!"
"You are the Crown Prince, and he is a despicable man. How can the two of you sleep in the same bed?"
"He's perfectly normal!"
Li Shimin looked sharply at Li Chengqian: "You still dare to talk back!"
I ordered you to study the "Essentials of Governance from Various Books" carefully. Have you read it yet?
It states that etiquette is of utmost importance and must never be disorderly.
It seems you're far less capable than Tair when it comes to studying.
Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian thought to himself, "You're clearly a biased father. You think Qingque is superior."
Therefore, he thinks I am inferior to him in every way, and he always finds fault with me.
Today, Li Chengqian went all out, looking directly into Li Shimin's eyes: "Father, do you think I lack the countenance of an emperor because of my leg ailment?"
Since that's the case, then please sit on this throne forever, until the very end! Or you can pass it on to whomever you wish, but whatever you do not wish, do not pass it on to your son!
"You unfilial son! I'll whip you to death today!" Li Shimin was so angry that his face turned pale and the veins on his forehead bulged. He took out a long whip from the drawer of his desk.
Li Chengqian looked at it by the light and found that the whip was more than ten feet long, black and shiny, and covered with sharp spikes.
With a flick of his wrist, Li Shimin sent the long whip flying through the air like a silver snake, inspiring awe in all who beheld it!
At this moment, the voice of the strategic simulator rang in Li Chengqian's ears again: "The opponent is on the verge of rage, the opponent's defenses have been breached, and the opponent's emotional fluctuations are abnormal. Simulation options are now activated:"
First, stand here and wait to get beaten up;
Second, quickly kowtow and admit your mistake;
Third, take off running;
Please select!
Li Chengqian thought to himself that this simulator was quite good, as it could actually provide him with three strategies: superior, middle, and inferior.
The best course of action seems a bit dull;
The middle option is to kowtow and admit wrongdoing to the Emperor in front of Wei Zheng, but wouldn't that make him lose all face?
The worst option seems feasible, but how can I run with my legs and feet inconvenient?
"I'll choose the third option."
"Congratulations, host, for answering correctly. You are rewarded with a versatile wheelchair. This wheelchair can be used as a regular wheelchair, allowing you to sit, lie down, or fold up. It can also be used as a weapon to launch hidden weapons."
It can also be used as a whirlwind, making escape convenient and quick. See the instruction manual for specific functions.
"The traitor!"
At this moment, Li Shimin's long whip came flying over.
"No, Father, you really have the heart to do that..."