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"Hehe, it's all thanks to you, Brother. How could I take the credit?" Li Yuanji naturally knew his place. This time, it was indeed all due to his elder brother's efforts; he had done nothing to earn any merit.
"How could it all be my doing? You were the deputy commander this time; your contributions are hardly less than mine!" Li Jiancheng replied.
"Hehe, my achievements are all because of your support, Brother!" Li Yuanji chuckled before becoming serious. "Brother, what do you think of Second Brother?"
"What do you mean by that? Second Brother is quite a good person and very capable!" Li Jiancheng feigned ignorance.
"Brother, that's not what I meant. What I mean is..." At this point, Li Yuanji glanced at the guards and palace maids behind Li Jiancheng.
Li Jiancheng understood his intent and waved his hand to dismiss the servants, but Wei Zheng remained. "Lord Wei is absolutely loyal to me; you need not worry," he assured.
Li Yuanji nodded and sent away his own guards as well. Once the door was closed, he continued, "Brother, don't you think Second Brother has been eyeing your position as Crown Prince?"
"Surely not?" Li Jiancheng continued to play dumb. "Fourth Brother, didn't I tell you last time? If Second Brother truly wants to be Crown Prince, he can go tell Father that I will relinquish the title to him."
"Crown Prince, you mustn't say that!" Wei Zheng interjected. "The position of Crown Prince concerns the stability of the state; how can it be given up so easily?"
"Indeed, Brother, how can it be given up so casually?" Li Yuanji was also surprised by Li Jiancheng's attitude. Although Li Jiancheng had said something similar before while imprisoned, Li Yuanji thought he had only said it to get out sooner. Now that they were in the Eastern Palace and he still spoke this way, it left Li Yuanji bewildered.
"Fourth Brother, Lord Wei. Since Li Shimin is more capable than I am and has greater achievements, what is wrong with me giving him the title of Crown Prince? It would be beneficial for the state," Li Jiancheng stated.
"Crown Prince, surely you are aware of the history of the previous dynasty! Yang Guang also had great military accomplishments, but he could not become emperor! Now Prince Qin is a skilled warrior in battle but unfit for the throne. In my eyes, you are the most suitable person to be emperor in the future!" Wei Zheng became anxious. He couldn't understand why his master would say something so naive.
"Yes, Brother, even if you wanted to give up the position of Crown Prince, Father would never agree," Li Yuanji was also confused by Li Jiancheng's naive words. He had initially intended to incite his elder brother against their second brother but found his elder brother's generosity surprising. After the Yang Wengan Incident, his elder brother had changed significantly.
How could this continue? If both brothers remained on good terms, what could he do as their fourth brother?
"If we don't relinquish the position of Crown Prince, won't we end up fighting each other?" Li Jiancheng asked another innocent question.
"Crown Prince, as Prince Qi has already mentioned, Prince Qin has been eyeing your position as Crown Prince for some time now; thus, a conflict between you two is inevitable. The Yang Wengan Incident was clearly orchestrated by Prince Qin to eliminate you with the Emperor's hand. Fortunately, the Emperor is wise; otherwise, Prince Qin's scheme would have succeeded. After this incident, next time Prince Qin will surely take direct action against you!" Wei Zheng urged urgently.
"Surely not?" Li Jiancheng appeared skeptical.
"How can it not be? The Yang Wengan Incident was an accusation against you for treason! If it weren't for the Emperor's brilliance, would you still have a way out?" Wei Zheng was exasperated. "As for now, Your Highness must make plans early; it would be best to strike first and eliminate Prince Qin."
Wei Zheng had long wanted to say these words. He originally planned to speak with Li Jiancheng in private once they were in a secure location. However, after the secret chamber was built, the Crown Prince only brought Niu Fu, Ma Qiang, and the newly arrived Jia Jian inside; no one else—including Wei Zheng—had ever been allowed in. This left Wei Zheng puzzled and anxious.
Today presented an opportunity when no servants were around; without hesitation, he expressed his thoughts.
Although Prince Qi was present, Wei Zheng could tell that what this Prince Qi wanted to convey aligned with his own thoughts.
Indeed, Li Yuanji immediately chimed in: "Yes, Brother! Since conflict is unavoidable, we should strike first!"
Wei Zheng is truly adorable, having spoken the words I wanted to say before I could!
Li Jiancheng certainly understands Li Yuanji's intentions; he aims to incite a conflict between him and Li Shimin, hoping to benefit as a fisherman reaping the rewards. Is this fourth brother really so considerate of his elder brother? Impossible. The royal family is the most heartless of all!
"This matter is significant and requires careful thought!" Li Jiancheng couldn't continue to feign innocence, but he also couldn't agree too readily. His current strategy was to appear generous and low-key, as his strength was still insufficient.
If Li Shimin were to act out of desperation before he could complete his plans, the outcome would be unpredictable. Such uncertain ventures, Li Jiancheng felt, were best avoided. A time traveler must ensure victory!
"Elder brother, what is there to think about? Lord Wei has made it very clear that second brother might directly take action against you. If you don't act first, you may face unforeseen dangers!" Li Yuanji pressed on, seizing the moment.
"Fourth brother, Li Shimin is after all your second brother; we are blood brothers. How could he possibly harm me? I also cannot bear to kill him. Moreover, the soldiers in Prince Qin's mansion are formidable; how could I possibly defeat him?" Li Jiancheng's face showed hesitation.
"Elder brother, fourth brother knows that killing Li Shimin is not an easy task. The key is that you must have the resolve; we can think of ways slowly, and I will help you. Fourth brother will definitely stand by your side. Although Li Shimin is my second brother and our blood brother, if he intends to harm you, I will never agree to it. He has shown cruelty first; you cannot be blamed for being ruthless afterward." Li Yuanji spoke with righteous indignation, as if Li Shimin truly intended to kill Li Jiancheng.
In truth, at this moment, while Li Shimin did wish to seize the position of Crown Prince, he had no intention of killing Li Jiancheng.
Li Yuanji was aware of this as well. If Li Jiancheng were to relinquish the title of Crown Prince, then there would be harmony between elder and second brothers, leaving no room for him, Li Yuanji. Thus, he was determined to thwart any such thoughts from Li Jiancheng.
Li Jiancheng certainly did not genuinely intend to give up the title of Crown Prince; he merely spoke that way to appear magnanimous.
"Very well then, elder brother will entrust fourth brother with devising a foolproof plan before we proceed!" Li Jiancheng agreed.
"Not a problem! I will definitely think carefully for elder brother when I return!" Li Yuanji quickly assured him.
"Thank you, fourth brother!" Li Jiancheng expressed his gratitude.
"Elder brother need not be polite; this is what a younger brother should do. If there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave!" Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Li Yuanji proposed to depart and began referring to himself as a younger brother to demonstrate his loyalty to the Crown Prince.
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