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墨書 Inktalez
Yin De Fei shared the same thoughts as Zhang Jieyu. Zhang Jieyu was also one of Li Yuan's most favored consorts, and this time, when Li Yuan came to Ren Zhi Palace to escape the summer heat, he brought her along.
However, as a member of the harem, Zhang Jieyu did not concern herself with political affairs, so she was not immediately aware that the Crown Prince had been accused of treason. It was only when Yin De Fei arrived that she learned Li Jiancheng had already been imprisoned by Li Yuan.
While the harem generally did not interfere in politics, matters concerning the Crown Prince were an exception. The fate of the Crown Prince was intertwined with that of the consorts in the harem. Historically, this had proven true; after Li Shimin ascended to the throne, both Zhang Jieyu and Yin De Fei, along with their sons, met unfortunate ends.
Thus, both Yin De Fei and Zhang Jieyu were determined to protect Li Jiancheng's position as Crown Prince. Their presence in Ren Zhi Palace was a positive development for Li Jiancheng.
Of course, encountering such life-threatening events upon his arrival was terrifying for Li Jiancheng. Though he was still alive, being confined in a "cell" left him feeling like a lamb waiting for slaughter, unable to utilize his skills. The frustration he felt was indescribable!
There was nothing he could do; it was simply bad luck to be caught up in such a moment! For now, Li Jiancheng could only use this time to carefully consider his strategy for the upcoming struggle.
In Chang'an City, civil and military officials were surprised by the news of Yang Wengan's rebellion. However, they did not feel much fear towards Yang Wengan, believing he would not succeed. His rebellion seemed like a reckless path to destruction.
On the contrary, their primary concern was the fate of Crown Prince Li Jiancheng. The fact that he had been imprisoned by the Emperor was already known among the officials in Chang'an. With Yang Wengan's rebellion surfacing at this time, they felt that things were looking grim for Crown Prince Li Jiancheng.
Upon hearing that Feng Deyi and Yin De Fei had gone to Ren Zhi Palace, officials dispatched by the Crown Prince breathed a sigh of relief. They believed that with Feng Deyi and Yin De Fei present, along with Zhang Jieyu who had accompanied the Emperor earlier, they could ensure the Crown Prince's safety.
Meanwhile, officials secretly supporting Li Shimin felt some disappointment. As for those backing Li Yuanji, there were hardly any; if there were any at all, they were too few to matter.
Consort Li Zheng Guanyin felt extremely anxious. However, since Niu Fu and Ma Qiang had not returned with news, it meant her husband was temporarily safe. Before leaving, they had agreed that if anything happened to the Crown Prince or if he were deposed, either Niu Fu or Ma Qiang would return with news. If it were merely a temporary confinement, there would be no need for such a report.
Two days passed quickly before news arrived that Qian Jiulong and Yang Shidao had been defeated by Yang Wengan. Yang Wengan had taken control of all of Gyeongju and was marching towards Ren Zhi Palace, currently approaching Ningzhou.
As Li Shimin had anticipated, under the banner of the Crown Prince, Yang Wengan indeed found supporters; Ningzhou would surely fall as well.
Upon receiving this news, Li Yuan began to panic. He recalled his two sons' words and suspected that Li Jiancheng had colluded with Yang Wengan beforehand. Finally, Li Yuan decided to depose Li Jiancheng from his position as Crown Prince.
He did not rush to announce this decision but instead summoned Li Shimin. When it came to warfare, he still needed his second son!
"Shimin," Li Yuan said as he handed a military token to Li Shimin. "We need you to deal with this Yang Wengan!"
The mobilization of troops required an imperial edict and military token from the Emperor. This was why Li Yuan felt secure enough to escape to Ren Zhi Palace for the summer. The Crown Prince might hold power but could not mobilize troops; any attempt at rebellion would be futile. He never truly believed that Li Jiancheng would rebel.
"It is my duty as your humble son to relieve Father Emperor's worries!" Li Shimin replied as he accepted the military token. Though he said this verbally, he remained standing without leaving.
Li Yuan understood what Li Shimin meant; he couldn’t just ask him to work without offering something in return!
Thus, Li Yuan continued: "Shimin, I want you to personally go to Ningzhou to quell Yang Wengan's rebellion. When you return, I will name you Crown Prince. After all, Li Jiancheng is your elder brother; while I can depose him from his position as Crown Prince, I will not follow in Sui Wendi's footsteps and kill my own son. Instead, I will demote him to Prince Shu. The military strength in Shu is weak; if he can serve you afterward, you should spare his life; if he refuses to serve you, capturing him will be easy."
At this moment, Li Yuan no longer felt the anger he had a few days ago.
"Thank you, Father Emperor, for your thoughtful consideration!" Li Shimin left happily. He only wanted the position of Crown Prince and did not wish for his elder brother to die.
With the military token in hand, Li Shimin quickly gathered thirty thousand troops and marched towards Ningzhou. How he would quell Yang Wengan's rebellion was another matter altogether.
Yin De Fei and Zhang Jieyu were closely monitoring the situation regarding Li Jiancheng. The news that Li Yuan wanted Li Shimin to go on an expedition and would appoint him as Crown Prince upon his return soon reached their ears. The two consorts were so frightened that their faces turned pale, and they rushed to Li Yuan in tears.
"My dear consorts, what is the matter?" Li Yuan asked in surprise.
"Your Majesty, I no longer wish to live!" Yin De Fei exclaimed dramatically, leaving Li Yuan momentarily speechless.
Once he regained his composure, Li Yuan hurriedly asked, "What is it? Why do you not want to live?"
"It’s not that I do not want to live; it’s that Your Majesty has made it impossible for me to live," Yin De Fei replied through her tears.
"Nonsense! How could I possibly prevent my beloved consorts from living?" Li Yuan felt utterly bewildered.
"The Emperor wants to make Li Shimin the Crown Prince. Once he becomes Emperor, will there be any way for me and my son to survive?" Yin De Fei finally revealed the crux of the matter. The son she referred to was her five-year-old prince, Li Yuanheng.
"Yes, when Li Shimin becomes Emperor, can my son Fang'er and I survive?" Zhang Jieyu chimed in. The son she mentioned was her own five-year-old prince, Li Yuanfang.
"This..." Li Yuan gasped in realization. He had completely overlooked this issue! From what he knew, the concerns expressed by the two consorts were not mere exaggerations.
Yin De Fei and Zhang Jieyu had deep grievances with Li Shimin. Therefore, if he were to pass away and Li Shimin ascended the throne, although it was unlikely that he would kill the two consorts and their sons, they certainly would not have a good future ahead of them!
Moreover, Yin De Fei and Zhang Jieyu were his two most favored consorts; there were no others who held such a position in his heart. Thus, Li Yuan had to consider their feelings seriously. The most critical factor was still the two princes!
Thinking of this, Li Yuan sighed heavily: "Why did you have to offend Li Shimin?"
"Your Majesty, before Li Shimin was not the Crown Prince. Besides, I am still his mother; if he does not respect me, should I respect him instead?" Yin De Fei responded.
"Indeed, Your Majesty. Li Shimin's lack of respect for us is essentially a lack of respect for you as well. Moreover, what has happened has already occurred; we cannot change it!" Zhang Jieyu added.
"What should we do now?" Li Yuan felt troubled.
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