Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 551: The Crown Prince
In order to facilitate the emperor in handling state affairs, the front area of ​​the Daming Palace also had official offices such as the Secretariat, the Ministry of Palace Affairs, the Ministry of Palace Affairs, the Hongwen Academy, the History Academy, the Jixian Academy, and the Prince's Academy.

After Li Cong ascended the throne, he established Shaoyang Court, which was the residence of the prince, to the north of Menxia Province and Hongwenguan.

This was quite different from Li Longji's practice of detaining the crown prince in the residence of the Ten Kings. He set up the Eastern Palace near the government offices to make it easier for ministers to teach the crown prince Li Qiu.

Now that Prince Yong's rebellion has been quelled, the imperial guards politely send Li Qiu back to Shaoyang Court to live.

After more than two months of absence, weeds had grown in the cracks of the stone steps, and there were traces of dried rainwater mixed with yellow mud on the window sills.

"Do I still live here?"

Li Qu stopped and asked timidly.

The imperial guards behind him replied, "Your Highness is the Crown Prince. Where else can he live if not in Shaoyang Courtyard?"

"How can I still be the prince?"

Li Qu knew very well that his position as crown prince was no longer secure, it was just that some procedures had not been completed.

No one answered him. The imperial guards had already closed the palace gate and left. He could faintly hear the sound of the door being locked outside.

In the corridor in front stood four old palace maids with gray hair and wrinkled faces, but their clothes were neatly dressed without a single wrinkle. Their faces were serious, and they did not look like servants, but rather like the housekeepers of the Ten Kings' residences.

They stood there like statues, and when Li Qiu approached, someone said, "Your Highness, wash up and go to bed."

Li Qu was startled and stammered, "I'll do it myself."

This was originally his residence, but this time when he came back, he seemed more reserved than the guests.

The expenses of the Eastern Palace were reduced a lot. The various golden basins for different purposes were replaced with a small copper basin for washing. At night, there was only one candle.

Li Qu blew out the candle with a "whoosh" sound, and the room fell into darkness. He felt much safer.

That night, he fell asleep in a corner.

He noticed that the bedding on the couch was new, and he didn't dare lie down on it to avoid wrinkling it. Xue Bai was definitely going to be the master of the East Palace, and if he got angry because of that wrinkle, it would cost him his life.

It was not that he had carefully analyzed the possibility of dying because of a wrinkle, but fear forced him subconsciously not to touch anything that would belong to Xue Bai.

Several days passed like this, and Li Qu felt like several years had passed.

He had no idea what was happening outside Shaoyang Courtyard and was always worried that the imperial guards would suddenly rush in and execute him as a traitor.

Perhaps being executed itself is not so scary; what is more scary is not knowing when it will happen.

Finally, early in the morning of that day, the door was pushed open and the sunlight shone on the face of Li Qu, who was curled up in the corner. He raised his head and saw the serious face of the old palace maid again.

"Your Highness, the Saint has summoned you to the Xuanzheng Hall for a meeting."

Xuan Zheng Hall is very close to Shaoyang Courtyard, but is located on a much higher ground and is built on a five-meter-high stone platform.

This is where the court held its regular sessions. Every time the ministers came here, they would climb the stone steps and look up to admire the grandeur of this hall.

Li Qu looked at the flying eaves of the hall, and also saw the thick gargoyles at both ends of the roof. He was inexplicably frightened by their ferocious images, and felt that they would come alive and kill him.

When he stepped onto the stage, he came to his senses and was suddenly frightened by the person he met in front of him. He shuddered and his body stiffened.

"Your Highness."

Xue Bai was standing there casually, waiting for court like an ordinary minister. When he saw Li Qu, he greeted him naturally.

Li Qu was so nervous that sweat was pouring down his face. He wanted to say something but couldn't make a sound. He was also afraid that if he didn't say anything, Xue Bai would be furious. He said anxiously, "I'm not... meeting Third Brother."

He actually bowed to Xue Bai.

"Your Highness, you don't have to be like this."

The two were not familiar with each other and had nothing much to say. They exchanged a few casual greetings. Xue Bai raised his hand slightly and asked Li Qu to stand in front of him. The crown prince should naturally be listed first among the kings.

Li Qu was so frightened that he didn't know what to do. He didn't dare to do anything until Xue Bai asked, "Are you trying to make me behave disrespectfully?"

"No, no, no, then I'll listen to Third Brother."

Li Qu took a small step and finally tiptoed in front of Xue Bai and entered the hall.

All the ministers had arrived. As soon as Xue Bai arrived, Emperor Li Cong quickly entered the palace on a sedan chair. Along with the greetings from the ministers, Li Cong coughed.

"Ahem, please don't be so polite, my lords. I am not feeling well. Prince Yong will preside over the meeting."

Li Qu couldn't help but shrink his neck, fearing that he would steal the limelight from Xue Bai.

In fact, no minister dared to set his sights on him, although Xue Bai allowed the prince to participate in state affairs today just to show the ministers that he had no intention of usurping the throne. In simple terms, it was just for show.

Today we are discussing rewards and punishments.

Xue Bai first said that the treacherous eunuch Dou Wenyang and his accomplices had all been executed, and stated many of Dou Wenyang's crimes.

Li Cong had been pretending to be sick, but after hearing this, he was filled with shock and anger, and exclaimed, "How dare this traitor do this!"

He behaved very well, as if he had never known Dou Wenyang's evil, and only realized today that he had been deceived by him. He was furious but also deeply ashamed.

What is rare is that he can express these complex expressions with great layering on his face covered with scars.

Because he knew very well that the better he acted, the more satisfied Xue Bai would be, and the less likely he would kill him. Now it was too easy for Xue Bai to kill him, of course not openly, but he could easily let him die of "sudden illness".

"I have mistakenly believed in such a treacherous person. I feel so ashamed of my ancestors! Ahem…"

At the end of the performance, Li Cong burst into tears, but he still showed his illness, which aroused the concern of all the ministers.

Li Qu looked over and saw that his adoptive father, who had raised him for many years, looked so miserable and pitiful. His nose felt sore and tears almost fell, but he suddenly stopped.

He knew that he couldn't act more filial than Xue Bai, so he took a step back and pretended to be indifferent.

But what was strange was that the originally strong affection between father and son seemed to have become much more distant due to this pretended indifference. From the beginning to the end of this small court session, Li Cong did not even glance in the direction of Li Qu.

They were all trying to save their own lives and had no time to care about anything else.

Finally, Li Cong said with relief: "I trusted the wrong people and neglected state affairs, which led to this chaos. Fortunately, Prince Yong and the ministers are loyal and diligent in state affairs. With Prince Yong as regent, I can rest assured and recuperate."

Li Qu thought that the next step would be to depose the crown prince.

He felt a wave of sadness and self-pity, but he also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, because at least what was supposed to come had finally come.

However, Li Cong did not propose to depose the crown prince. He could not wait to ask the servant to send him back to the palace, as if he was afraid that if he stayed in the Xuanzheng Hall for a while longer, he would make more mistakes and put his life in danger.

Li Qiu then hoped that someone among the ministers would point out that the "crown prince is unfilial" and start to change the crown prince. After all, his behavior just now was already very unfilial. However, state affairs have been busy recently and the officials seem to have no time to take care of this, or they still cannot guess what Prince Yong is thinking.

"Your son has something to report!"

Finally, seeing Li Cong being helped onto a sedan chair and about to leave, the fear of continuing to be imprisoned in Shaoyang Courtyard came over Li Qu. Suddenly, a flash of lightning struck his mind, and he shouted out as if he had been enlightened.

Everyone stopped and turned their eyes in his direction, which was rare.

"I know I am stupid... cough cough cough..."

Li Qiu lowered his head in fear, coughing while organizing his words, and said in a panic: "Besides, I am also sick, and I think I should abdicate and let the position of crown prince be given to my third brother."

After saying the last four words, he felt so relieved that his legs almost went weak and he almost fell to the ground.

Everyone in the hall was very calm, as if they had expected it. Many old ministers raised their hands and stroked their long beards at the same time, nodding repeatedly.

Chen Xilie said meaningfully: "Your Highness has the style of Prince Ning."

This sentence seemed like a reminder. Li Qu, who was so nervous that he didn't know what to say, suddenly understood and knew what to do.

With a plop, Li Qu fell to his knees in the hall.

"The crown prince is a public tool of the world. In times of peace, the eldest son should be given priority. In times of national crisis, the meritorious should be given priority. If the crown prince is not given the right position, the people will be disappointed, which is not a blessing for the country. Although I am your Majesty's adopted son, I am actually a brother to my third brother. My third brother is the eldest son and has made great contributions to the country. He is respected by both the gods and the people, and is the hope of the scholars and common people. Now I dare to ask you to issue an edict to change the crown prince, even at the cost of my own life!"

Li Cong was standing there supported by someone. After hearing these words, he looked even more haggard and his back slumped.

He was extremely disappointed and absent-minded.

Yes, they were not his sons originally. They were all Erlang Li Ying’s sons. Only he thought that Li Qu and Li Qian were different, but he was just deceiving himself.

When faced with danger, Li Qu would rather recognize his brother than his adoptive father who had worked so hard for him.

If a person does not have his own son, he will end up alone and helpless. Who can he blame? The emperor was right. Without an heir, he was indeed unworthy of being an emperor.

It took a long time for Li Cong to come back to his senses, and all he heard was "I second the motion" again and again.

"I second the motion. I beg the Saint to fulfill the Crown Prince's sincere wish."

People like Chen Xilie are not good at practical work, but are very good at political speculation. He even disregards etiquette and has led many people to agree to change the crown prince.

Li Cong's gaze fell on Xue Bai's face.

For a moment, he thought to himself, if only this was his own biological son.

He forgot that Emperor Gaozu also had a son like Emperor Taizong. Whether biological or not, what difference would there be between his fate and that of Emperor Gaozu?

"King Yong."

"Your Majesty, I would never take the throne even if I die."

Xue Bai refused straightforwardly, saying that Li Qiu was the successor to the throne and carried on the family business, and was the sage's son, while he was a descendant of Li Ying and should go to the mausoleum to observe mourning to comfort the deceased's soul. However, the country was in trouble and he had no choice but to enter the officialdom. If the sage suspected that he had ill intentions, he would resign now.

Li Qu hurriedly gave way again, even knocking his head on the steps in the hall, threatening to commit suicide.

Xue Bai then claimed to be frightened, resigned from the position of guarding the tomb, and left the palace immediately.

All the ministers knew that it was normal to refuse, and there was no reason to agree readily from the beginning.

This back and forth is also an opportunity for everyone to express their opinions and make contributions.

Li Qu took a quick glance and saw that the officials looked thoughtful. He knew that no one supported him anymore and felt disappointed.

He was sent back to Shaoyang Court, and this time he was given paper and pen. He submitted another petition, begging for the position of Crown Prince to be given to Prince Yong, and then waited anxiously.

Sometimes, when he huddled in a corner, half asleep and half awake, he could imagine Xue Bai hiding in his mansion and ignoring the affairs of state, which made all the officials so anxious that they went around in circles and went to persuade him, asking him to agree to be the crown prince. He was very envious.

Most of the time he had nightmares, in which he dreamed that someone was strangling him with a white silk scarf, so he buried his head even lower.

The next day, the old palace maid still called him "Your Highness".

"I am still the prince?"

"Prince Yong refused the position of crown prince."

"Then I will give in again?"

Li Qu then repeatedly petitioned to give up the throne, creating a touching story of brothers giving up their thrones. This time, Li Cong finally issued an imperial edict to commend Li Qu for his sincerity in giving up his throne for the sake of the country.

"My adopted son, Qu, has been recognized by both the people and the gods for his great contributions to Prince Qian of Yong. Therefore, I have made a request before, and my words must be carried out. The world is fair and honest, and it is true that it cannot be taken away. In accordance with the rules of establishing the youngest son, in order to comply with people's wishes, Qu can be appointed as the King of Chu, the Minister of the Left, the Minister of the Interior, and the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, and he can also be given a thousand households, three thousand pieces of goods, the first district of Jia, and thirty hectares of good land."

Li Qu was overwhelmed with emotions when he heard the imperial edict. However, he did not feel as safe as he had expected, and was still worried about being persecuted.

He completed all the rituals of changing the crown prince like a puppet and offered sacrifices to the Taimiao. Afterwards, Li Qu looked at Xue Bai and saw that he was wearing a royal robe, with an imposing bearing and extraordinary heroism.

"Third brother...Your Highness." Li Qu said, "Can I have a few words with Your Highness?"

"Let's go together."

Xue Bai was not too wary of Li Qu. He still maintained a natural attitude, waved his hand, and walked out of the palace together.

They walked on the high platform and could overlook a corner of Chang'an. They had a feeling that the beautiful mountains and rivers were in sight, but their mood was quite different.

"I sincerely support Your Highness."

Li Qiu mustered up his courage and finally spoke, continuing in a flattering manner: "Your Highness is my brother from the same mother. He is a man of great literary and martial talent. He is the most suitable candidate for the crown prince. I have long wanted to give up my throne."

It is not shameful to say some flattering words in order to survive. Li Qu was young and thin-skinned, so he did not seem to be flattering when he said these words. Instead, he felt like a brother to him.

To be honest, he used to call Xue Bai "Xue Ni", but in fact he never verified Xue Bai's identity. He just opposed this matter out of personal interests.

But once the position of interests changed, he did not think that Xue Bai was an imposter, after all, Li Longji had admitted it.

Then this brotherhood becomes extremely precious, even more precious than the father-son relationship with Li Cong.

"Don't worry." Xue Bai said, "As long as you behave yourself and don't break the law, no one will dare to hurt you."

Li Qu was stunned. He didn't expect Xue Bai to speak so frankly and directly expose his concerns.

But it is also true that, just as the Supreme Emperor has always been kind to the Emperor, as long as he gives up the throne, Xue Bai should be nice to him, even if it is just for show to the world.

"Have a good life."

Xue Bai said this and patted Li Qu's back gently.

Li Qu felt a warmth on his back, and his heart, which had been uneasy for a long time, seemed to be comforted by this pat.

Xue Bai, who looked very scary in the past, now seemed amiable and amiable.

When he thought about it carefully, he realized that Xue Bai had never done anything to deliberately target him. It was the eunuchs who had been sowing discord among them.

A person with a strong aura only needs to put on a good attitude to be appreciated. Li Qu actually had some respect for Xue Bai at this moment. Of course, this respect was based on fear.

"Yes, brother!"

Li Qu spoke again and changed the address.

In his opinion, he and Xue Bai are long-lost brothers.

~~
Shengpingfang, Duzhai.

Du Youlin was the governor of Dongdu at the time, but it could be foreseen that the day when he would be transferred back to the court and become a prime minister was not far away.

In fact, given the Du family's current status, it is no longer appropriate for them to live here. The house is too small and too far from the imperial city.

That day, someone came to Du Wulang and said that he could buy Li Linfu's original house in Pingkangfang for him.

"Wu Lang, do you still remember that you were beaten by Ji Da Lang because you pointed a few fingers at the Right Prime Minister's Mansion in Pingkangfang? Now if you buy the Li Mansion, wouldn't you be proud of it? Wonderful."

"Feel proud?" Du Wulang raised his eyebrows, exhaled, and said, "What's the point of me feeling proud? The most important thing in a house is to live comfortably and at ease."

"The mansion in Pingkangfang is spacious and luxurious, and it's convenient to go out. Isn't it more comfortable and relaxed to live there than here?"

Du Wulang thought about the time when he went to the Right Prime Minister's Mansion, and his fear of the son-in-law selection window surfaced. He couldn't help but shake his head and said, "I don't feel comfortable at all. I finally escaped from the poisonous hand."

"Wu Lang, do you have any concerns? Considering your relationship with His Highness..."

Du Wulang said hurriedly, "Go away, Your Highness and I are just friends, and I have never thought of using this as an excuse to rise to the top. I am a hopeless case myself, and you want to get close to me? It's a waste of effort."

"Wu Lang, how can you be so self-deprecating?"

"I want to. I am just mud. What about you?"

Without giving any explanation, Du Wulang drove out all the lobbyists who came to disturb his peace.

At the gate of the house, the doorman was leading a few horses.

A man in a long robe and a bamboo hat just happened to enter the Du residence. When Du Wulang saw him, he opened his mouth and said, "Wu...Brother Wu is here."

The two then entered the yard.

"The house is quite lively."

"After all, I am different today than I used to be." Du Wulang said with a smile, "Should I call you Wujiu or Your Highness? You are the regent, the crown prince, you are so majestic."

Even so, I'm afraid that in his heart, he didn't think that the crown prince was that great. After all, when Li Heng was the crown prince, he had had a lot of dealings with the East Palace.

Xue Bai was too lazy to pay attention to him. He picked a green apricot from the tree and threw it over, then half-lying down on the rocking chair in the yard.

"Why are you here today?" Du Wulang asked, "If you want to find your female friends, go find them yourself. Sister is not at home."

"Just come and stay for a while."

"Oh."

The two of them lay leisurely in their respective rocking chairs, staring blankly at the branches and leaves of the fruit trees above their heads. Xue Bai gradually closed his eyes, as if he had fallen asleep.

"My two chairs are well arranged, aren't they?" Du Wulang said, "I know what you are thinking."

"Oh?"

"You are in a bit of a dilemma now. You have finally become the regent prince and hold great power. You have to give him a title, which is a very difficult thing."

Xue Bai listened without opening his eyes, only the corners of his mouth slightly raised, as if mocking Du Wulang's superficiality.

He came here to calm down and re-examine himself.

After so many years in the Tang Dynasty, this is the only place where he can find out who he is and not get lost in one identity after another.

"I have calculated it for you." Du Wulang said, "There are several women who you really cannot give names to. Li Shiqi Niang is easier to deal with, but she is the descendant of a treacherous prime minister and has the same clan name and surname as you, so the generation difference is huge after all. My second sister's identity is not appropriate..."

"You can become a nun first." Xue Bai said casually.

"Have you really thought about it?" Du Wulang was quite surprised.

But in fact, this matter is far from that simple. Given Xue Bai's identity, his relationship with Du Jin, and even his relationship with the Yang sisters, they are definitely unacceptable to the world.

Xue Bai fell silent again.

Du Wulang stopped talking about this topic and muttered, "I shouldn't have cared too much about your business."

He then talked about some insignificant little things, either things that happened to him, or trivial matters in his neighbors' homes, or rumors in the streets of Chang'an. He spoke in a disjointed manner, and Xue Bai listened inattentively, responding when he wanted to and not responding when he didn't want to.

The sun gradually moved and the shadows under the trees became shorter.

Du Wulang was exposed to the sun and was too lazy to get up and move his chair. He narrowed his eyes and turned over.

"When you were here, you asked me my name." Xue Bai suddenly said, "I said my name was Xue Bai."

"and then?"

"I've always been called this name."

"As for the name, it's fine now that I've found out my background and real name." Du Wulang couldn't understand Xue Bai's dilemma, so he responded casually.

Xue Bai smiled and thought, for the sake of my own ambition, I should just be Li Qian. Compared to the Tang Dynasty, the name is not important.

After all, this was the plan from the beginning. With this identity, many things will go more smoothly...

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Suddenly there was a hurried knock on the door, and then the gate was pushed open.

Quan Rui ran in quickly, and when he saw Xue Bai, he showed no surprise. He bowed and said, "Your Highness, Feng Changqing returned to the capital without permission, and he is outside the door!"

Du Wulang jumped up and asked in surprise: "How can it be so fast?!"

Even he knew that Feng Changqing had forced Xue Bai to swear that he would never usurp the throne, and that he was considered one of the more stubborn and obstinate among all the civil and military officials in the court. If he suddenly returned to Chang'an without following the imperial edict at this time, he might have bad intentions.

But judging from the time, Feng Changqing should not have rushed here just after hearing that Xue Bai was made the crown prince. He should have come earlier, perhaps wanting to come to support the king.

"Your Highness, would you like to meet him?" Quan Rui asked.

Du Wulang turned around and saw Xue Bai still lying there leisurely, as if he didn't hear anything.

"Why are you so lazy today? This is not like you at all."

"Yeah, I'm not myself anymore."

Xue Bai murmured something in a low voice, finally stood up and walked out the door.

Quan Rui hurried forward and opened the door.

With a "creak", I saw that the outside of the door was full of people. I didn't know when they came, but there was no big noise.

The Diao brothers were originally military officers in the Yongwang Palace. Now they have been granted the position of generals of the imperial guards. They do not mind the heavy responsibility and stand in front of the door wearing majestic armor and leading people, like door gods.

The person being blocked by them was the dusty Feng Changqing.

Feng Changqing was a frugal man, his clothes were old and covered in mud, and people who didn't know him would think he was a commoner asking to see him.

Behind Feng Changqing were the soldiers he brought with him, as well as many officials who had rushed over after hearing the news.

"Your Highness."

As Xue Bai showed up, everyone bowed and called out to him at the same time.

Only Feng Changqing still stood there straight, and said, "Your Highness? Do you still remember the oath you made in front of me and the generals?"

Xue Bai did not answer immediately, but raised his head and looked at the eaves of the courtyard wall... He was standing in this position when he first opened his eyes in the Tang Dynasty, watching the snow in Chang'an spit out his own name.

And he had indeed promised Feng Changqing that he would not plot to usurp the Li family's throne "in the name of the emperor's grandson."

There was something he had been thinking about recently, but he hadn't come up with a definite result yet. He didn't expect Feng Changqing to come to him so soon.

Xue Bai finally turned around and was about to speak.

"Feng Changqing!" Chen Xilie had hurried over to the other end of the long street. From a distance, he pointed at Feng Changqing with his hair and beard standing on end, and shouted, "Don't be rude!"

The winner takes it all. Once the task is done, there will naturally be someone to endorse Xue Bai. It seems that Xue Bai does not need to explain the oath himself.

(End of this chapter)