"Elephant, don't make trouble."
Li Chengqian was sweating profusely. He didn't believe that his son had any good plan to pacify Goguryeo. No one knows a son better than his father. I guess you don't even know where Goguryeo is.
Li Chengqian wanted to gag his son. "Just now, we had a chance of survival. Your grandfather might have spared our lives out of kinship. Now you've brought up some bullshit about conquering Goguryeo. You're running around the Eastern Palace all day. I wonder if you know any strategy. It's over, it's over. This time, you're really dead. If you can't explain yourself, it's the crime of deceiving the emperor! This is the imperial court, not your kang. Grandparents and grandchildren are still kings and subjects! This time, even your head is gone."
When Li Tai heard this, a smile appeared on his face. How could a teenager come up with a strategy to pacify Goguryeo? It was simply nonsense. Aren’t you two going to finish your task today?
"Hurry up and listen to your father. Back off and don't embarrass yourself here."
Li Tai said sharply.
Li Shimin's eyes also showed a trace of disappointment. He had thought that his grandson would become a big hit. Was he really just trying to attract attention? That's right, what future could he have with a father like that? If he had taken his grandson to the palace to raise him himself sooner... Alas, it was too late. Thinking of this, Li Shimin suddenly felt guilty towards Li Xiang.
"My nephew doesn't know, is my second uncle in charge of the imperial court now? He's not allowed to speak?"
Li Xiang's words made Li Tai's face turn red. The nephew scolded his uncle and tried to alienate Li Tai and Li Shimin, but Li Tai had no way to fight back.
All the civil and military officials in the court were a little disappointed just like Li Shimin, but when Li Xiang said this, everyone felt that Li Xiang was right!
The emperor hasn't said anything yet, but you, King Wei, are obstructing him in every possible way. Even if the crown prince is deposed, the position of crown prince will not necessarily fall to you. Even if you become the crown prince, you cannot make the decisions in the court!
Li Shimin looked at him happily, thinking, "Interesting, you are a brave and scheming boy. Even if there is no plan to pacify Goguryeo today, I have to cultivate this boy well." However, when he glanced at Li Tai, his eyes did not seem so warm.
"You little bastard, I..."
When Li Tai heard this, he immediately felt unhappy and was about to hit someone. Your father's position as crown prince is about to be lost, and you, a little bastard, dare to sow discord between me and my father.
This guy is usually so spoiled that he doesn't even notice where he is. When he saw him raise his hand, Li Xiang was amused. "You cunning guy, you want to compete with me? You're out of luck."
"presumptuous…"
Seeing my second son about to hit someone, how can I bear this?
Everyone looked towards the throne at this moment. The emperor usually favored the King of Wei and rarely scolded him like this. Today, for Li Xiang, he set a precedent.
Fang Xuanling's mind worked quickly when he saw this scene. As the saying goes, the eldest son and grandson are the lifeblood of an old couple. Li Xiang is the emperor's eldest grandson. Although you, the King of Wei, are deeply favored by the emperor, your birth was not as grand as Li Xiang's.
"Your Majesty, since His Royal Highness's words are so certain, and we are at our wit's end, why don't we listen and take a look?"
Fang Xuanling was the prime minister of the imperial court, his every move affecting the entire court's direction. Normally, this Lord Fang was impartial between the princes, so what had happened today? Had he taken sides?
In fact, Fang Xuanling did not take sides, but he saw that the emperor was quite interested in Li Xiang. As a minister, didn't he have to tell the emperor what he wanted to do?
"Xiang'er, tell me the truth, do you and your son really have a good plan?"
After Li Shimin's words, everyone's attention shifted to Li Xiang again. To be honest, the Goguryeo incident had already caused a headache for the entire court.
The emperor sent troops to the east to conquer Goguryeo, which was a waste of money and manpower, and caused heavy losses. It placed a serious financial burden on the entire court, and the people were also complaining. A solution had to be found.
"In reply to Grandpa Huang, I dare not offer any good advice, but my grandson is not very knowledgeable and needs your help."
When Li Xiang spoke, he looked up at the six ministers and other officials in the court. Everyone's expressions relaxed a little. You know how to behave. If the plan works, we will all follow suit and benefit from it, so that we won't be called a bunch of trash by the emperor. But if it doesn't work, we can also pick it out. This favor you've done is not small.
"Father, he and his son are talking nonsense. They are mocking the emperor and are discussing state affairs in the palace. They should be executed."
Prince Li Tai of Wei couldn't sit still anymore. The crown prince was about to be deposed. Why was there so much trouble? I was already halfway sitting on the crown prince's throne, and now I was being pulled down?
Li Shimin looked up at Li Xiang again, meaning that you have to show some real skills.
"Second uncle is pressing on. If we can resolve the Goguryeo issue today, would you be willing to add a little bonus?"
The King of Wei tried to stop him again and again. Li Xiang originally wanted to deal with him later, but since you keep jumping out, don't blame me, your nephew, for cutting your flesh.
"How can we add any random bets to this important matter?"
"Do you dare?"
"I...what do you want?"
Li Tai saw everyone's suspicious eyes and knew that he could not retreat anymore. It was either that he lacked courage or he was doomed to have no chance of becoming the crown prince. But looking at the look in this kid's eyes, it seemed that he was digging a hole for himself again. Well, it was not a shallow one, but a deep one.
"If I solve the Goguryeo issue, I want your Nine Dragon Jade Pendant."
Li Xiang recognized this jade pendant. It was said that it was sold at a sky-high price of hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars at Sotheby's auction house in later generations. In addition, it also has great symbolic significance. It was personally selected for him by Li Shimin and his wife on the day he was born. It was made by countless skilled craftsmen from all over the world and is almost a symbol of the Prince of Wei's Palace.
"You kid..."
If it was something else, the King of Wei would have really agreed to it. He couldn't let others say he was a coward in front of all the civil and military officials in the court, but this jade pendant represents the entire King of Wei's Mansion. However, given the current situation... I have to make up my mind and take a gamble. I don't think you have any strategy to pacify Goguryeo.
"If you can't solve the problem of Goguryeo, you will lose your head."
King Wei Li Tai said sternly that although he was reluctant to give up the Nine Dragon Jade Pendant, if he could capture his elder brother and nephew in one fell swoop, the throne would be his.
These words meant that the bet was established. Li Shimin didn't say anything on the throne. In his heart, he was a little disappointed with Li Tai. You only think about courage, but if you know that some things are very important to you, then don't fall for other people's tricks. It's too reckless.
Li Shimin wanted his descendants to fight for national affairs, so that the entire Tang Dynasty would benefit, rather than the fight between Li Chengqian and Li Tai that was harmful to people and the country. So he did not stop them, and naturally others would not say anything either.
Li Xiang gave the King of Wei a triumphant look. "We're killing two birds with one stone." Li Shimin noticed the look in his eyes. "If you agree to this, your father will despise you for being stupid. If you don't agree, the ministers will despise you for being cowardly. Haha, you want to play with me? You're still naive."
Li Xiang walked up to Changsun Wuji without wasting any time.
"Uncle, may I ask what the relationship is between the powerful Goguryeo official Gai Yuansuwen and the Goguryeo king? What is the relationship between these two and the Tang Dynasty court? Uncle, you and the other officials in the Ministry of War have worked hard to plant many spies in Goguryeo over the years. Isn't it time to make some moves? Of course, the specific actions still need to be arranged by uncle and the officials."
Li Xiang regarded the strategy of pacifying Goguryeo as a big gift package. Li Chengqian had almost no support within the court because he had offended all of these people in the past. Now sending them away one after another could be regarded as improving the relationship between the two sides.
Zhangsun Wuji was a loyal minister of Li Shimin, the elder brother of Empress Zhangsun, and the legitimate uncle of the emperor. He played a crucial role in the direction of the entire court. Without his support, it would have been difficult for Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, to ascend the throne. Therefore, the first person Li Xiang wanted to curry favor with was him, the first meritorious official in the Lingyan Pavilion. To win him over was half the victory.
Li Chengqian was Changsun Wuji's first nephew. If he had not been so mischievous as to be beyond redemption, Changsun Wuji would not have given up on him.
Information was not so smooth in that era. When Li Xiang mentioned the names of these two people from Goguryeo, many people in the court looked at Changsun Wuji in confusion, but Changsun Wuji already had an idea in his mind.
"Your Majesty, your Highness's words have enlightened me. Gai Yuansuwen has always been hostile to the Tang Dynasty, but the King of Goguryeo is interested in making friends. However, the King of Goguryeo is young and has no real power. If we support the King of Goguryeo, perhaps the gap between the two sides will be narrowed, and then... this... this..."
"And then there's the constant internal strife for power, from the court to the army, with increasing internal friction. How can they possibly have the energy to invade the borders of the Tang Dynasty?"
Changsun Wuji's idea came to him at the last minute, so he had not yet organized his words, but Li Xiang had already filled in the gaps for him.
"Haha, Your Highness is right."
Changsun Wuji was a politician. After hearing what Li Xiang said, he laughed happily in the court. Others who were in this position naturally understood it all. This nephew was capable of doing things. No one cared about planting spies. It was not something that could be made public, but now everyone remembered Changsun Wuji's contribution.
Goguryeo seemed powerful and could mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops, but if there was internal discord and the king and his ministers fought each other, the results would not be apparent in the short term. In the long run, they would never be able to withstand the next attack from the Tang Dynasty.
"Grandpa Emperor?"
Li Xiang bowed his head and looked up at Li Shimin. This guy was a typical guy who wanted to take credit.
"The plan is feasible and beneficial to the country. I will reward you with two hundred strings of cash, a house, a purple gold robe, and two imperial horses, but it is not worth your second uncle's nine-dragon jade pendant."
Li Shimin’s meaning is very simple. You need to have other strategies, otherwise you still can’t get the Nine Dragon Jade Pendant.
Hehe, we have another trick up our sleeve. We will definitely destroy Goguryeo.
Of course, there is also Li Tai’s Nine Dragon Jade Pendant.