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How do we add fuel to this fire? Upon hearing that Father Emperor had dispatched Yu Wen Ying to summon Yang Wengan, Li Yuanji immediately had an idea.
Li Yuanji hurried to the palace gate and saw Yu Wen Ying on horseback, accompanied by several attendants, preparing to set off. He quickened his pace and shouted, "Lord Yuwen, wait! I have something to discuss with you."
Hearing the call, Yu Wen Ying quickly reined in his horse, dismounted, and respectfully bowed, "Prince Qi, what is your command?"
Li Yuanji glanced around and noticed that there were not many people nearby. He pulled Yu Wen Ying aside and lowered his voice, "Lord Yuwen, you are in such a hurry to leave the palace; you must be going to Gyeongju to summon Yang Wengan, right?"
Yu Wen Ying nodded and replied, "In response to Prince Qi, I am following the Emperor's decree and am indeed preparing to go to Gyeongju to bring Yang Wengan here for questioning with the Crown Prince."
Li Yuanji frowned slightly and feigned a worried expression. "Lord Yuwen, do you know that this task is not simple? Think about it: the Emperor is furious about the Crown Prince's alleged rebellion and nearly executed him. Although he is currently only imprisoned, this is the result of Consort De and Lord Feng's desperate pleas."
Upon hearing this, Yu Wen Ying felt a jolt of anxiety and showed a hint of nervousness on his face. "Prince Qi, what do you mean?"
Li Yuanji patted Yu Wen Ying's shoulder and intensified his tone. "If my father can act against the Crown Prince, then if Yang Wengan comes here and admits to colluding with him, he will surely be doomed. Moreover, no one will plead for him at that time. If you summon him and he comes, isn't that equivalent to sending him to his death?"
Yu Wen Ying panicked and asked, "Prince Qi, what should I do then? Should I defy the Emperor's order and not summon Yang Wengan?"
Li Yuanji chuckled slyly, a glint of cunning in his eyes. "Of course you should summon Yang Wengan; whether he comes or not is up to him."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Just don't let Yang Wengan come. Tell him that the Emperor believes he has conspired with the Crown Prince against the throne; coming to Ren Zhi Palace would be a dead end for him. Encourage him to rise up in rebellion under the pretext of seeking justice for the Crown Prince!"
Yu Wen Ying's eyes widened in disbelief. "Prince Qi, this... this is treason!"
Li Yuanji sneered. "What are you afraid of? If Yang Wengan truly rebels, my father will certainly think that the Crown Prince is in league with him, thus solidifying the Crown Prince's treason charge. As for you, Yang Wengan will definitely detain you, but he won't amount to anything significant; he will soon be subdued by the imperial army. By then, not only will you be safe, but I will also speak well of you before my father—there will be benefits for you!"
Yu Wen Ying felt deeply conflicted; on one hand was defying imperial orders and inciting rebellion—a grave crime; on the other was Prince Qi's coercion and temptation. After hesitating for a while, he finally gritted his teeth and cupped his hands in respect. "Prince Qi, this matter carries great risk; however, since Your Highness has arranged it this way, I am willing to follow your orders. I only hope that Your Highness will keep your promise and ensure my safety."
Li Yuanji patted his chest in assurance. "Lord Yuwen need not worry; as long as you do as I say, I will definitely not treat you unfairly! Once this succeeds, wealth and honor will be yours."
With no other choice, Yu Wen Ying nodded reluctantly and remounted his horse before heading towards Gyeongju with his attendants. Li Yuanji watched Yu Wen Ying's departing figure with a smug smile on his face as if he could already see Li Jiancheng stripped of his title as Crown Prince. With this move, his only remaining rival would be Li Shimin. He muttered to himself, "Li Jiancheng, let's see how you turn things around this time!"
After arranging everything, Li Yuanji leisurely returned to the palace. Along the way, he contemplated how to present himself favorably before his father—showing concern for his elder brother while simultaneously tarnishing Li Jiancheng’s reputation. At that moment, another idea formed in his mind.
In the temporary prison cell at Ren Zhi Palace, although Li Jiancheng had temporarily preserved his life, he could not relax even for a moment. Lying on a crude straw bed and staring at the ceiling of the cell, countless thoughts raced through his mind.
Li Jiancheng analyzed the peculiarities of the Yang Wengan Incident and suspected it was likely a trap set by Li Shimin against him. The accusations from Er Zhu Huan and Qiao Gong Shan might not have stemmed from fear but rather from being bribed by Li Shimin.
If Li Yuan did not realize this was a scheme orchestrated by Li Shimin, then even if he did not kill Li Jiancheng outright, he would still strip him of his title as Crown Prince.
In that case, achieving his ambition of becoming emperor would become exceedingly difficult!
He could only hope that once Li Yuan calmed down, he would see through Li Shimin’s plot so that Li Yuan would refrain from punishing Li Jiancheng altogether.
Even so, Li Shimin's attempt to frame him this time had failed, but he was sure there would be a next time. Understanding this, Li Jiancheng realized that merely preserving his life was not enough; he needed to ascend to the throne as soon as possible. Otherwise, he would always feel as if his life was hanging by a thread.
But seizing the throne was not an easy task. Even someone like Li Jiancheng, who had crossed over from the modern world, knew that this matter could not be rushed. Historically, Li Shimin had swiftly taken the throne in the ninth year of Wu De through the Xuanwu Gate Incident. If history were to follow its original course, Li Jiancheng would not only fail to become emperor but would also meet an early death, as he was killed during the Xuanwu Gate Incident.
Having traveled back in time, Li Jiancheng naturally wanted to alter the course of history to avoid such a tragedy. With two years left before the impending disaster, he sat in his temporary cell, contemplating the Xuanwu Gate Incident. Should he prevent it from happening or reverse its outcome?
Ultimately, Li Jiancheng decided to choose the latter: to reverse the outcome of the Xuanwu Gate Incident! This was the fastest way for him to become emperor!
Why did he think so? If he were to prevent the Xuanwu Gate Incident from occurring, Li Jiancheng had no idea how to eliminate Li Shimin and Li Yuanji or how to force Li Yuan to abdicate early. However, if the Xuanwu Gate Incident were to unfold as it did in history, Li Shimin would set a precedent by killing his opponents and then using force to compel Li Yuan to step down.
What Li Jiancheng needed to do was simply reverse the result of the Xuanwu Gate Incident, turning the victor from Li Shimin into himself. With that in mind, for the next two years, Li Jiancheng realized he could not make any significant changes on the surface; he needed to ensure that events unfolded according to historical trajectory during this period. He would wait until two years later during the Xuanwu Gate Incident and then seize victory and become emperor.
While Li Jiancheng was pondering how to contend with Li Shimin, Prince Qi, Li Yuanji, continued his own schemes. At that moment, he arrived at Li Yuan's study.
"Father, your humble son thought about it all night yesterday and believes that elder brother could not possibly rebel!" Li Yuanji said as he entered and addressed Li Yuan.
"Yuanji, do you truly think so?" Hearing his fourth son's words brought comfort to Li Yuan. Empress Tai Mu had given him four sons: Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, Li Xuanba, and Li Yuanji. Since Li Xuanba had died young, only three legitimate sons remained for Li Yuan. Naturally, he hoped that his three legitimate sons could live in harmony and assist him in creating a prosperous Tang dynasty.
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