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"Father, your wisdom is unmatched, and I feel fortunate!" Li Jiancheng quickly flattered, understanding the situation. Since he was not the instigator, he would certainly not face the death penalty.
Li Yuan was pleased and continued, "Jiancheng, do you know that Yang Wengan has raised an army in rebellion?"
"Ah? Your humble son did not know!" Li Jiancheng feigned surprise. He had been confined in a temporary cell for the past few days, and Li Yuan had not sent anyone to inform him of this news, so he truly should be unaware.
However, Li Jiancheng had his ally, Fourth Brother Li Yuanji. As soon as the news of Yang Wengan's rebellion broke, Li Yuanji had informed Li Jiancheng under the guise of a prison visit.
Li Jiancheng did not want Li Yuan to know that he was close to Li Yuanji, so he pretended ignorance. He then stood up and angrily declared, "That Wang Ba egg dares to rebel! Father, give me several thousand troops, and I will immediately go capture him and bring him to justice!"
Li Yuan smiled and gestured for Li Jiancheng to sit down. "Jiancheng, your eagerness pleases me. But I have already sent your second brother to deal with Yang Wengan, and he will soon have his head. The rebellion has been quelled. Yang Wengan's head was delivered today, and tomorrow Shiming will return here to report."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Li Jiancheng pretended to be delighted as he sat back down. However, he felt uneasy: Was Father going to name Li Shimin as the crown prince?
Sure enough, Li Yuan said, "Jiancheng, although the rebel has been killed, I find myself in a dilemma regarding how to handle this matter conclusively."
What does that mean? Is he asking me to voluntarily relinquish my position as crown prince? That simply cannot happen. Such polite words could be said in front of Li Yuanji but not before Li Yuan.
Li Jiancheng cautiously asked, "Father, what troubles you? Perhaps your humble son can help relieve your concerns?"
Li Yuan nodded. "Jiancheng, Yang Wengan rebelled under the pretense of avenging you. This makes it difficult for you to distance yourself from this matter. If I were to classify Yang Wengan's rebellion as an attack against the court, you would not escape punishment. Therefore, you need to do something—not only for your own sake but also to ease my burden."
"Oh? What does Father need me to do?"
"I want to change the nature of Yang Wengan's rebellion and classify it as an attack against your second brother. In other words, Yang Wengan is not rebelling against the court but merely against Prince Qin. His uprising was instigated by the rivalry between you brothers. Now we need a righteous person from Prince Qin's mansion to stand up and testify that Er Zhu Huan and Qiao Gong Shan are loyal to Prince Qin. This way, their accusations against you can be explained."
Upon hearing this, Li Jiancheng understood that this was about changing the nature of Yang Wengan's rebellion! This Li Yuan was quite clever; such a strategy was not something one would expect from a mediocre historical figure.
The so-called righteous person from Prince Qin's mansion undoubtedly referred to an insider planted by the crown prince within Prince Qin's household. Otherwise, why would anyone from Prince Qin's mansion willingly come forward to help Li Jiancheng?
Arranging for someone from Prince Qin's mansion would not be easy for his predecessor. Having just crossed over, sacrificing someone felt somewhat reluctant. However, given the current situation, there was no other choice; this approach by Li Yuan was indeed the most beneficial for Li Jiancheng and clearly indicated that his position as crown prince would not be revoked.
Thus, Li Jiancheng expressed his gratitude: "Father considers my interests so thoroughly; I am deeply grateful. Your humble son will certainly do my best to find a righteous person in Prince Qin's mansion and act according to your wishes."
Li Yuan nodded. "When Feng Deyi arrives, he will inform you who instructed Er Zhu Huan and Qiao Gong Shan. You must return immediately to Chang'an and continue overseeing matters on my behalf. But first, you need to find a righteous person from Prince Qin's mansion who can arrive here before your second brother."
"Your humble son understands!" Li Jiancheng replied while contemplating who among his predecessor's spies in Prince Qin's mansion would fit the bill.
At that moment, Feng Deyi returned.
"Your Majesty, Crown Prince!" Feng Deyi greeted respectfully.
"Feng Aiqing, no need for formalities; quickly tell me who instructed Er Zhu Huan and Qiao Gong Shan?" Li Yuan asked anxiously.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Er Zhu Huan and Qiao Gong Shan each named one person—Wang Gui from the Eastern Palace and Wei Ting from the Left Guard Commander!" Feng Deyi replied.
"Oh, two people? Then it shall be two! Jiancheng, did you hear that? These two have instigated Er Zhu Huan and Qiao Gong Shan to transport weapons without permission. This is a grave offense, and I must punish them. You need to be mentally prepared!" Li Yuan said to Li Jiancheng.
"Your humble son understands!"
"Then hurry back!"
"Yes!" Li Jiancheng cupped his hands to Li Yuan and Feng Deyi before quickly departing.
Niu Fu and Ma Qiang had been keeping an eye on their master, Li Jiancheng, for the past few days. When they heard that the Crown Prince had left the temporary prison to meet the Emperor, they waited near the Emperor's study.
Seeing Li Jiancheng emerge from the study, Niu Fu and Ma Qiang rushed over. "Crown Prince, is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine. Niu Fu, Ma Qiang, we need to hurry back to Chang'an!" Li Jiancheng replied.
"Yes!" Niu Fu and Ma Qiang answered.
The three quickly mounted their horses and galloped back toward Chang'an City. However, after riding for a short distance, Li Jiancheng thought of something and said, "Niu Fu, you go ahead alone while Ma Qiang and I follow behind at a slower pace. You must reach Chang'an before dark. Go directly to Prince Qin's mansion and find Minister of Military Affairs Du Yan. Tell him the Emperor commands him to arrive at Ren Zhi Palace tomorrow; he needs to set off tonight. I should encounter him on the way and have matters to discuss!"
"Understood!" Niu Fu replied and spurred his horse forward.
Knowing that the Crown Prince's instructions were urgent, Niu Fu did not stop along the way, only changing horses at the relay station. He finally arrived in Chang'an City before nightfall.
Following the Crown Prince's orders, Niu Fu went straight to Prince Qin's mansion.
"The Emperor has issued an order for General Du to immediately proceed to Ren Zhi Palace," Niu Fu shouted at the entrance.
The guards at Prince Qin's gate heard the order from the Emperor and did not dare delay; they hurried to inform Minister of Military Affairs Du Yan.
Upon receiving the news, Du Yan rushed to the entrance. Seeing it was Niu Fu, one of the Crown Prince's attendants whom he recognized, he was somewhat surprised. After all, he knew that Niu Fu was secretly sent by the Crown Prince.
"Niu Fu, why are you here? Did the Crown Prince send you?" Du Yan asked with a hint of astonishment. He had expected a palace eunuch delivering an imperial decree instead.
"General Du, it is the Crown Prince who sent me to inform you that the Emperor wants you to go immediately to Ren Zhi Palace for an audience. The Crown Prince is on his way back; you should encounter him on your way there. At that time, he will have further instructions for you," Niu Fu explained.
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