plumnovel Chapter 5: The Crown Prince's Selection of a Consort; Who Was to Blame for the Xuanwu Gate Inci
Chapter 5: The Crown Prince's Selection of a Consort; Who Was to Blame for the Xuanwu Gate Inci
"The coming-of-age ceremony for the crown prince is also a major event. After the ceremony, it signifies that he has grown from an ignorant boy into an adult and must shoulder the responsibilities of a man," Li Shimin said.
Empress Zhangsun looked at Li Shimin with tenderness in her eyes: "Unbeknownst to us, our children have grown up and can now share some of your burdens, so you can worry less."
Li Shimin nodded: "Now that Chengqian has completed his coming-of-age ceremony, he'll be an adult, and it's time to find him a crown princess. Which family's daughter do you think is worthy of Chengqian?"
Empress Zhangsun smiled upon hearing this: "You really are something. You were so angry just now, and now you're arranging his marriage."
"I hope someone will keep him in check, so that I can distance myself from Chengxin in the future."
Empress Zhangsun thought for a moment and said, "Su Dan, a man from Wugong in Jingzhao, is an official who holds the position of Secretary Assistant. He is highly talented, learned, virtuous, and respected."
His eldest daughter, Su Wan, is beautiful, literate, and skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She's about the same age as Chengqian, so they're a good match. I think she and Chengqian are quite compatible.
"Su Wan?" Li Shimin thought for a moment, feeling as if he had seen her somewhere before.
"Yes, if that girl becomes the Crown Princess, she will definitely be a virtuous and capable wife."
"Of course I trust your judgment," Li Shimin paused, "there is one more thing I would like to hear your opinion on."
"Your Majesty, please speak."
"I intend to have Li Tai compile the 'Kuodi Zhi' (Records of the Land), and I have granted him the special privilege of recruiting talents according to his own preferences. However, Elder Wei objects. What do you suggest we do about this?"
Empress Zhangsun bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, Wei Zheng is right."
You shouldn't allow Qingque to recruit scholars according to his own preferences. He's still young; who can guarantee that those scholars he recruits will all be learned and of excellent character?
Li Shimin lowered his head and remained silent.
Do you still remember Lord Mengchang from back then?
He was very fond of cultivating retainers, and had thousands of followers. But what kind of people did he recruit?
Among them were many petty thieves and scoundrels.
If those people are allowed to infiltrate, wouldn't they subtly influence Qingque's words and actions?
Near Zhu Zhechi, near the ink is black.
Back then, Hu Hai's teacher in the Qin Dynasty was Zhao Gao. How could a treacherous and wicked person like Zhao Gao, who was in charge of criminal justice, teach good students?
It's more accurate to say that the Qin Dynasty was destroyed by Zhao Gao than by Hu Hai.
Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the princes' teachers and those around them be of upright character.
If their teachers and those around them are upright gentlemen, then they can't be too bad;
If the people surrounding them are all wicked and despicable, then it will inevitably have a negative impact on the children's words and actions.
During the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Shan was surrounded by many treacherous officials. Zhuge Liang presented him with the "Memorial on Dispatching the Troops," advising him to be close to virtuous ministers and stay away from treacherous people. In the end, after Zhuge Liang died, Liu Shan was at a loss, and soon the Shu Kingdom was destroyed.
History is a mirror, and I urge Your Majesty to reconsider and revoke the privilege granted to Qingque to recruit talent according to his own preferences.
This isn't love; it's harming him.
Li Shimin listened and, although he felt that the Empress's words made some sense, he thought to himself, "The imperial edict has already been issued, how can it be changed so easily?"
Besides, he hadn't discovered any people of questionable character who had infiltrated the group, so he didn't take the matter to heart.
Empress Zhangsun then suggested, "Since Tai'er has already been enfeoffed as the Prince of Yue, then he should go to his fiefdom. Why keep him in Chang'an?"
Li Shimin smiled and said, "I didn't expect you to be such a heartless mother. Tai'er is still so young. How can anyone feel at ease sending him alone to his fiefdom?"
"He's already fifteen years old, not young anymore. Gan Luo was already a high-ranking official when he was only twelve."
How can you abolish the system just because he's young?
"Let's wait a bit longer, until Chengqian has completed his coming-of-age ceremony."
This ceremony is very important; how could he not attend?
"You're the children's father, you're in charge."
At this moment, young Li Zhi ran over and called out, "Father, hug me."
Li Zhi had fair skin, looked like a girl, and was very handsome.
"Weishan, come here quickly." Li Shimin also liked him very much, picked him up, and kissed and nibbled on his little face.
At Su Dan's residence.
Su Wan's boudoir.
A charcoal fire was burning in the room.
Su Wan asked her maid Xue'er to bring hot water and pour it into a large wooden tub, filling it about seven-tenths full.
A curtain was drawn around the large wooden barrel.
Su Wan took off all her clothes and jumped into the large wooden tub.
Xue'er held a towel and helped her take a bath.
"My lady, your figure is so alluring, and your skin is so fair and tender. Not to mention men, even I am tempted by it," Xue'er said with a smile.
Su Wan slammed one long leg against the edge of the wooden tub, glaring at her: "You little slut, you never say anything serious. You're tempted, so what? You want to marry me?"
"I would love to, but even if I marry you, we won't be able to consummate our marriage."
"You're dreaming! You're already thinking about getting married?"
It's springtime now, are you like a cat, going into heat again?
Xue'er blushed upon hearing this: "Master, I have a question for you. I heard that the emperors of the Han Dynasty liked to keep male concubines. How do you think these two men got together? What kind of things did they do?"
"Can they have babies too?"
"Get out of my way! I have no idea what you're thinking all day long."
It would be great if men could give birth, so they would understand how difficult childbirth is for women.
Xue'er chuckled as she wiped Su Wan's back and said, "I've heard that there's a girl named Chengxin who's exceptionally beautiful, even more beautiful than a woman. They say there's something going on between her and the Crown Prince. Is that possible?"
I don't think the Crown Prince is that kind of person.
A single sentence touched a raw nerve with Su Wan.
Su Wan couldn't help but feel secretly saddened: "I don't believe such a thing could happen either, because I've already asked His Highness about it."
Xue'er was very curious: "What did the Crown Prince say?"
He said that's not true, it's all made up.
"That's fine then. I think the Crown Prince is a very normal man and wouldn't do anything like that. You should trust him."
Su Wan rested her head on the edge of the wooden tub and closed her eyes slightly.
Xue'er then massaged her head.
"I also think he's normal, but for some reason, ever since he met Chengxin, I feel that he's become much colder towards me."
"My lord, don't overthink it. You're so beautiful. Even if you're not quite the most stunning beauty, you're still pretty close. Who in Chang'an can compare to you? Be confident. I believe the Crown Prince will truly love you."
By the way, could you tell me what it feels like when a girl falls in love with a boy?
"This kind of thing can only be understood intuitively, not explained in words."
"So, what's it like being with the Crown Prince?"
Su Wan thought for a moment and said, "When I can't see him, I miss him a lot. When we meet, sometimes we get along very well, and sometimes we quarrel. It's as if he's someone who doesn't know how to cherish women."
Especially after he got sick this time, he seemed like a different person; sometimes he was quite fierce.
"Really? But I think he's very handsome. I heard he's especially kind to the maids in the Crown Prince's palace."
Su Wan opened her eyes, frowned, and said, "What do you mean? Haven't I been good to you?"
"No, you are not only exceptionally kind to us, but you are also the most beautiful master in the world."
"Look at your mouth."
"..."
morning.
Su Dan's study.
Su Dan is reading the Analects.
"Father, your daughter greets you," Su Wan said.
"Mm." Su Dan nodded.
He had a son named Su Gui and two daughters, the eldest daughter Su Wan and the second daughter Su Fei. Of these three children, he loved Su Wan the most.
He put down the Analects he was holding and asked, "Did you go to the Eastern Palace?"
"I...I didn't," Su Wan said, blushing as she lied.
"Have you been crying?"
"this--."
"Last night, when I saw you come back, your eyes were red and swollen from crying. Did the Crown Prince upset you?"
Upon hearing this, Su Wan thought that no one knows a daughter better than her father. It turned out that her father had seen everything: "No, it's just that the wind blew into my eyes."
"You child, you're all talk and no action. Remember when the Crown Prince angered you last time, you said you would never go to the Eastern Palace again? How come you went there again just a few days later?"
Don't make threats about things you can't do.
"Oh dear, Dad, why are you still saying those things?" Su Wan's face turned even redder.
Su Dan stood up, came out from behind the desk, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth in the study: "As for the Crown Prince, there's nothing to say. He's like a piece of fine jade; with a little carving, he can become a useful object."
However, his father is no ordinary person. Even compared to Qin Shi Huang or Emperor Wu of Han, I think he is in no way inferior.
Especially after experiencing the Xuanwu Gate Incident, his personality changed drastically.
"Father, many officials in the court are saying that the Emperor favors Li Tai and seems to be considering changing the heir apparent. Could this be true?"
Su Bing pondered for a moment: "Some say that the Emperor loves you, but in my opinion, this is just a superficial phenomenon, more like a strategy, a balancing act."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's imagine that if the Emperor favored only Chengqian, and Chengqian was also the Crown Prince, what would the situation be like?"
Su Wan tried to analyze, saying, "The ministers will definitely fawn over the Crown Prince, believing that he will be the future emperor, and instead leave the current emperor out in the cold."
"That's exactly right. I remember when Yang Yong was the crown prince in the previous dynasty, on the morning of the winter solstice, he opened the gates of the Eastern Palace to receive the congratulations of all the officials. He even kept all the ministers who came to offer their congratulations and held a banquet with music to enjoy with them. Just imagine how Emperor Wen of Sui must have felt!"
"My daughter thinks he must be very lonely and dejected."
"Yes," Su Dan said, "this serves as a cautionary tale. Do you think the Emperor wants to follow in the footsteps of Emperor Wen of Sui?"
Su Wan was incredibly clever, and upon hearing this, she seemed to understand somewhat: "You mean, the Emperor intends to favor and promote Li Tai, so that he can weaken and check the Crown Prince's power, and only then will the ministers take the Emperor seriously?"
"This is just my guess, and it may not be correct."
Didn't Li Yuan treat Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, and Li Yuanji with the same attitude back then?
He turned a blind eye to some things, and eventually, the orders issued by his three sons had the same legal effect as his imperial edicts, leaving the ministers confused and unsure of whose orders to follow.
Su Wan found this intriguing and couldn't help but ask, "If that's the case, then whose orders should the ministers follow?"
"The ministers were also very clever; they would carry out the orders of whoever gave them the first order."
"Huh? Wouldn't that create chaos?"
"Yes, the historical tragedy of the Xuanwu Gate Incident cannot be entirely blamed on the emperor; Li Yuan also bears a great deal of responsibility."
If Li Yuan had been able to balance the relationship between his three sons back then, how could such a tragedy have occurred?
Li Shimin was an emperor, but he was also a father, and no father wants to see his sons kill each other.
That kind of pain is unbearable for anyone.
After listening, Su Wan felt that what her father said wasn't entirely unreasonable.
Su Dan sighed and continued, "Now the Emperor has many children. To say nothing of others, he and Empress Zhangsun have three sons: the eldest son Li Chengqian, the fourth son Li Tai, and the ninth son Li Zhi."
"Father, is history going to repeat itself?" Su Wan asked, her brows furrowed and her expression worried.
"The current emperor is not the same as Emperor Gaozu," Su Dan paused, looked up and said, "Back then, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, took seven years to pacify the world, while the current emperor, after the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, single-handedly pacified the separatist forces of Xue Ju, Xue Rengao and his son, Liu Wuzhou, Wang Shichong, Dou Jiande and Liu Heita, etc., in just five years."
Throughout history, who can compare?
Do you think his three kids can outmaneuver him?
"Father, do you think the Crown Prince will be able to ascend the throne safely in the future?"
Su Dan looked out the window and said, "It's hard to say; it all depends on his fate."
Su Wan couldn't help but worry for the Crown Prince: "Could it really be that serious?"
"In history, there are many such cases. For example, there was Crown Prince Liu Rong, who was the eldest son of Emperor Jing of Han. However, due to various reasons, Emperor Jing of Han deposed Liu Rong from his position as Crown Prince and instead appointed his tenth son, Liu Che, as Crown Prince, who later became Emperor Wu of Han."
After Liu Rong was demoted, he ultimately did not fare well; Emperor Jing of Han found a pretext to force him to commit suicide.
"Huh? Was Emperor Jing of Han really that heartless?" Su Wan was shocked to hear this.
"He is a father, but don't forget, he is also an emperor. Can an emperor consider issues the same way as ordinary people?"
The saying goes that royalty has no relatives. Since he has changed Liu Che to the crown prince, he must do everything he can to maintain Liu Che's position as crown prince.
Even Zhou Yafu, who supported the deposed crown prince, was driven to starvation and died in prison by him.