The Flourishing Tang Dynasty: Beginning with Marrying Yang Yuhuan

Chapter 139 Undercurrent
Jiang Caiping was trembling with fear and was already preparing for the worst.

At this time, Li Longji came.

Jiang Caiping immediately saluted Li Longji and waited anxiously for his questioning.

But after Li Longji entered the room, he didn't ask anything. He just raised his hands and asked Jiang Caiping to undress him.

Li Longji waited for Jiang Caiping to undress him, then he lay down on the bed. Seeing Jiang Caiping standing there without getting on the bed, he asked, "Why, you don't want to sleep with me?"

"No, no." Jiang Caiping quickly denied it and went to bed.

Li Longji hugged Jiang Caiping, yawned, and said, "Li Ying is really bold. She even dared to forge your handwritten letter."

Jiang Caiping was startled when she heard this, and couldn't help thinking, "Could it be that the Saint really believed that the handwritten letter was a fake from Li Ying? No, even without investigating, it's obvious that if Li Ying wanted to fake it, he would fake his imperial edict, not my handwritten letter? Unless he said it on purpose. But Li Ying has already staged a coup, what reason does he have to protect me? Is it because he really dotes on me?"

Jiang Caiping was puzzled in her heart, but she agreed, "Yes, I didn't expect the prince to be so bold."

"He will no longer be the crown prince tomorrow." Li Longji said calmly, "Tomorrow I will issue an edict to depose him. By the way, who do you think is suitable to succeed the crown prince?"

Jiang Caiping said: "This matter should be decided by the Saint alone, and I should not interfere, but since the Saint has asked, I dare not not answer. I feel that no matter in terms of seniority or talent, it seems that His Royal Highness Prince Zhong is the best choice."

"Oh?" Li Longji smiled, "From your tone, it seems that you know Prince Zhong very well."

Jiang Caiping said: "I used to work in Prince Zhong's mansion, so I naturally know a little about Prince Zhong."

"That's right." Li Longji didn't ask any more questions. He changed the subject and said, "Your grandfather has made a great contribution by suppressing Li Ying's rebellion this time. I will promote him tomorrow."

Jiang Caiping said gratefully: "Thank you, Saint."

"Yeah." Li Longji looked at Jiang Caiping in his arms and smiled meaningfully.

The evidence of Jiang Caiping's letter was in Li Longji's hands. Li Longji had no resistance whether Jiang Caiping was alive or dead.

However, Li Longji was an overconfident emperor, and he felt no sense of accomplishment in dominating the life and death of a woman.

For the women he was interested in, Li Longji wanted to conquer them from the inside out.

So Li Longji did not plan to do anything to Jiang Caiping right away. He wanted to play a good game and make Jiang Caiping submit to him from the inside out.

Moreover, Jiang Caiping plays an important role in balancing the political situation. From this perspective, he has to keep her.

……

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The next day, Li Longji announced at the court that Li Ying was plotting a rebellion, abolished the crown prince's position, demoted him to a commoner and exiled him. His accomplices Li Yao and Li Ju were also demoted to commoners and exiled. Xue Xiu and several other Eastern Palace guards were sentenced to death.

In addition, the crown prince will be recommended by everyone.

After the decree was issued, undercurrents surged again in Chang'an City.

Li Heng seized the opportunity and went to visit Li Linfu in secret as soon as possible, hoping that Li Linfu could recommend him to be the crown prince.

However, Li Linfu refused to see him.

Li Linfu's residence.

Ji Wen was very puzzled by Li Linfu's excuse for not meeting Li Heng, and said, "Right Prime Minister, now that Li Ying has been deposed, Prince Zhong is the most likely prince to become the master of the Eastern Palace. Why don't you go with the flow and make friends with Prince Zhong? Then you will be able to serve the emperor well."

Li Linfu said, "It's good to bet on both sides, but for me, there is no such easy thing. I only have one sky above my head, and that is the saint. The saint wanted me to be on good terms with Prince Zhong before, because at that time the saint needed Prince Zhong to check Li Ying. Now that Li Ying has been deposed, Prince Zhong has become the one who needs to be checked. If I be on good terms with Prince Zhong again, the saint will definitely be jealous." Ji Wen suddenly realized and said, "Right Prime Minister, it's a good idea. In this case, not only can we not work with Prince Zhong, we need to work against him."

"That's right." Li Linfu nodded.

Ji Wen thought about it and said worriedly: "But if this is the case, if Prince Zhong really ascends the throne one day, he will probably settle accounts with us then."

Li Linfu sighed softly after hearing this.

What Ji Wen said was also what he was worried about, but he was different from Zhang Jiuling and others. Zhang Jiuling and others were considered wise prime ministers by the world, but he had only been in power for less than a few years, and many people had labeled him a treacherous prime minister. He relied on flattering Li Longji to keep his position as prime minister, and he had no other choice.

Li Linfu was silent for a while, then said, "We have no way out. All we can do is to prevent Prince Zhong from ascending the throne."

Ji Wen was startled when he heard this, then nodded and said, "What the Right Prime Minister said is absolutely right."

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On the other hand, Li Heng first saw Jiang Caiping was full of gratitude to Li Longji because her father was promoted by Li Longji, but was later refused to see Li Linfu, and was extremely angry.

After returning to the mansion, he was in a depressed mood.

He didn't understand why Li Linfu didn't cater to him when he was only one step away from the position of crown prince.

At the same time, he was also worried that Jiang Caiping would be completely subdued by Li Longji.

At this time, Prince Yong Li Lin came to visit Li Heng.

As soon as Li Lin saw Li Heng, he said, "Congratulations, third brother."

"Where does the joy come from?" Li Heng sighed.

Li Lin saw that Li Heng did not seem happy, so he said, "Brother, you will soon become the master of the Eastern Palace, why are you still so unhappy?"

Li Heng had brought Li Lin up since he was a child and trusted him very much. He did not hide the fact and said, "The Right Prime Minister does not support me becoming the Crown Prince. Now the Right Prime Minister is very powerful and my father is very fond of him. If he does not support me, I am afraid... Alas!"

After hearing this, Li Lin started laughing.

Li Heng was a little angry when he saw that Li Lin was not worried about him but laughed instead. He asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Li Lin asked, "Third brother, why do you think the Right Prime Minister doesn't support you becoming the Crown Prince?"

Li Heng thought for a moment and said, "Given the character of the Right Prime Minister, he must have guessed what my father was thinking and guessed that my father didn't want him to be on the same page with me, so he chose not to support me. Humph, he used to fight against Li Ying with me, but now he has abandoned me like a worn-out shoe. What a treacherous villain!"

Li Lin said, "Earlier, the emperor used the Right Prime Minister and you to contain Li Ying. Now he uses the Right Prime Minister to contain you. Doesn't this mean that everyone assumes that you have taken Li Ying's position?"

"This..." Li Heng was just angry and didn't think deeply about it. Now that Li Lin said this, he realized it and turned his anger into joy. He said, "Yes, the Right Prime Minister doesn't support me. He is the one who believes that I will replace Li Ying and become the master of the Eastern Palace."

Li Lin said, "That's right. If the Right Prime Minister doesn't support you, others may not. How can your eldest brother be the ruler of a country if his face is disfigured? If your eldest brother can't do it, then according to the order of seniority, this position must belong to your third brother. At this time, it is your third brother, not your second brother, who should make friends. It is not someone like the Right Prime Minister who only follows the wishes of our father, but other knowledgeable people who follow the order of seniority, such as Li Shizhi and others."

"Yes." Li Heng no longer had any doubts and said, "Sixteenth brother is indeed very talented."

　Thank you for your understanding and concern. I feel better today. Friends, please take care of your health. It's winter again. People like me who live alone should pay more attention. I work in another city and live alone. It's inconvenient when I get sick.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)