Chapter 33: One Day, Killing Three Princes

Boom!

From afar a thunderclap sounded, accompanied by flames.

On the top floor of the Qinzhengwubenlou of Xingqing Palace, Li Longji, dressed in plain clothes, watched the lightning split a large tree on the outskirts, feeling a vague sense of loss.

Even the tallest trees cannot withstand the thunderbolt's strike amid the downpour.

Recent turmoil in state affairs and intensifying court infighting have overwhelmed him.

"Sage, Consort Wu seeks an audience, but I blocked her,"

Gao Lishi walked over and whispered to Li Longji, who was watching the rain, saying: though it was clearly noon, the rain outside had formed a massive water curtain, dimming the sky.

Just like Li Longji's current mood.

"She must have come for the Crown Prince,"

Li Longji couldn't help but sneer.

"Sage, indeed. Consort Wu asks me to convey that the Crown Prince, Prince E, and Prince Guang have secretly used witchcraft to curse her and Prince Shou, and request that you, Sage, uphold justice for them,"

Gao Lishi said slowly, carefully avoiding any emotion. In such matters, whoever gets involved dies; although he has taken bribes from Consort Wu, he would never speak for her—not a single word!

In court intrigues, witchcraft scandals keep surfacing. The reason is simple: the tactic is extremely effective, perfectly exploiting the emperor's suspicious, jealous nature.

It can be said to never fail.

Now Consort Wu is applying the same method, and her ambition is far from petty!

Crown Prince Li Ying's position is precarious; this scene was seen not only by court officials, but also by the consorts in the harem, and by the princes residing in the Ten Princes' Residence.

When a wall falls, everyone pushes; now the first to push the wall and throw stones into the well appears, and that is Consort Wu, who has reached an irreconcilable deadlock with Crown Prince Li Ying!

"Lishi, you lead a team yourself to the Eastern Palace to search for witchcraft artifacts," Li Longji said expressionlessly, his voice detached.

Gao Lishi felt a knot in his heart and whispered, "Consort Wu's words sound solid, but there may be deception toward the Sage..."

Consort Wu accused Crown Prince Li Ying of using witchcraft to curse her and Prince Shou Li Chang; could there be no ulterior motive? There must be bribed servants around the Crown Prince, making the search for witchcraft items a piece of cake. This framing requires no skill; it's a trick the previous dynasties have long abused!

Gao Lishi could not believe that Li Longji, who grew up amid palace intrigue, would be completely oblivious.

"I know, you may go; I am merely watching the drama,"

Li Longji patted Gao Lishi's shoulder, gave a firm squeeze, and sighed while shaking his head.

Consort Wu's cultivation is far insufficient to be taken seriously! However, Li Longji has long wanted to depose the Crown Prince, and now it's merely going with the flow.

Regardless of success or failure, the villain is Consort Wu, and I am the 'bewitched' Sage; that is satisfactory.

"Then I will have Chen Xuanli take the Imperial Guard there tomorrow; Chang'an will seal the main streets, closing the market gates. This matter will not go through the Secretariat, nor be reported to Minister Zhang,"

Gao Lishi whispered his suggestion.

"The rest, as you said, still requires Minister Zhang to be notified; my brother as well; the other officials need not be informed,"

Li Longji raised his hand, signaling Gao Lishi to withdraw.

"I will handle it then,"

Gao Lishi stepped lightly out of the top attic of the Qinzhengwubenlou; after emerging, his heart was still pounding fiercely.

Knowing full well Consort Wu was setting a trap, Li Longji not only did not stop her but 'played along'!

He let Consort Wu curse the Crown Prince and the two princes to death, then let the officials vehemently oppose her becoming Empress and oppose Prince Shou's elevation to Crown Prince, reminding them of the capricious political terror during Empress Wu's reign.

Finally, Li Longji pushed the Crown Prince he desired onto the forefront.

What a terrifying scheme!

Gao Lishi's whole body turned cold as he lingered at the doorway for a long while.

"Lishi, why don't you hurry?"

Li Longji stepped out of the attic, looking at the dazed Gao Lishi at the door, and asked gently with concern.

"The Crown Prince is the foundation of the state; how could I not care about him? I fear the country would fall into turmoil, tarnishing the Sage's lifelong reputation, alas!"

Gao Lishi tugged Li Longji's sleeve, pleading.

"I know your loyalty, but many matters are beyond my control; you may go now,"

Li Longji patted Gao Lishi's back, saying this is the aspect of him he most appreciates.

Gao Lishi is not wholly blindly obedient; he will advise when needed, though often his counsel is of little use, mostly old platitudes.

After Gao Lishi left, Li Longji finally fell into contemplation, pacing alone at the attic doorway.

The next Crown Prince must be able to remain in that position for a long time, not be easily removed! Someone like Li Ying, though he has faults, lacks sufficient strength—a hard flaw.

Li Longji has never once thought of letting the Crown Prince become emperor.

If the Crown Prince becomes emperor, where would this emperor go?

Once one tastes the flavor of power, it cannot be renounced.

A true man cannot go a day without power; if an emperor loses power, even a peaceful life may become a luxury!

The Crown Prince can only remain a Crown Prince for life!

Li Longji believes that for as many years as he lives, the Crown Prince must obediently occupy that seat for the same number of years—until the emperor breathes his last!

Now Li Longji feels his body is still robust, showing no signs of age. Thus he can continue to be emperor indefinitely.

Ten years? Twenty? Who knows; for long-term planning, the layout must at least be based on twenty years.

To comfortably be emperor, one needs a firmly positioned Crown Prince who cannot be shaken from the throne, and must be carefully sculpted.

Indeed, in Li Longji's view, raising such a Crown Prince is like pruning a potted plant.

The branches and leaves must look pleasing, not appear fierce or terrifying, must not be prickly, and must not grow wildly and make the house a mess!

Li Longji now needs a sharp pair of scissors in hand to prune the 'branches.'

They must be easy to use, obedient, and not hurt the hand.

"Minister Zhang, you may no longer continue in the court,"

Li Longji sighed, speaking with some regret.

That Zhang Jiuling, who kept shouting "The Crown Prince is the foundation of the state," can no longer meet the new dynasty's demands.

Now the time has come to change the prime minister.

Zhang Jiuling himself is a monument erected by Li Longji to rally the hearts of officials and the populace, especially those scholars who rose through the imperial examinations.

During Wu Zetian's reign she vigorously promoted examination talent and expanded the exams; by the Kaiyuan era, officials selected through the examinations accounted for over twenty percent of the court, making them truly influential.

Losing Zhang Jiuling would affect the court's reputation considerably, but Li Longji thought it didn't matter.

As long as he's satisfied, that's enough; anything else that can be taken care of will be, and the rest can be left alone.

……

"Sir, the market gates are closed today; no one may go out!"

Fang Dafu walked over with a worried expression, saluted Fang Chongyong and said, while Xu Yuan and Zhang Xun were idly chatting with Fang Chongyong; upon hearing this, everyone was startled and their faces slightly changed.

Why does Chang'an have to be organized into market districts; don't those in power know how inconvenient this is?

They of course know this will greatly inconvenience the residents' daily lives, even the palace people, but for other, more important considerations, the city must be divided into separate blocks for easier administration.

Usually, blocking the main streets is the most common method. For long‑time residents of Chang'an, this scene is no longer surprising.

"It must be that something major has happened in the palace; you two should refrain from visiting relatives or friends for now, and avoid seeking patronage."

Fang Chongyong spoke earnestly to Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan.

Hearing him say that, Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan's faces darkened instantly; only they know the predicament they face in Chang'an.

Is taking the imperial examinations in Chang'an easy?

Whether it's difficult depends not only on one's ability but also on the backing one has.

Fang Chongyong studied for several years and listed my father as Fang Youde; becoming the top candidate is impossible, but earning a jinshi is still quite feasible.

The reason is simple: in the Tang dynasty the examinations cared about reputation; a candidate's background, family status, and whether they have a patron also heavily influence the outcome.

Fang Chongyong's previous life earned far more bonus points!

During the Kaiyuan period of the Tang, the main examination subjects were Mingjing and jinshi. There were also various miscellaneous topics, even the military exam, but honestly, none were the main road to success.

Among them, the jinshi track is the royal path, the most valuable and the hardest to pass.

What is the Mingjing exam?

In short, it tests the ability to extract passages from the classics and write the surrounding context, much like Fang Chongyong's previous life's fill‑in‑the‑blank exercises, but with more and harder dictation.

Additionally, you'll be given a segment from the classics to analyze and discuss in light of current politics.

It is obvious that the Mingjing exam relies heavily on rote memorization of the classics; no matter the format, memorization is paramount.

Since memorization suffices, just rote learning can pass, making it comparatively easier and producing more successful candidates.

Of course, graduates of the Mingjing track cannot attain high offices; their career ceiling is pitifully low. Truly talented scholars disdain taking the Mingjing exam.

So what is a jinshi?

This track especially emphasizes literary expression; everything required for Mingjing is also tested, plus current‑affairs policies and poetry. Do you think a humanities time‑traveler can breeze through by copying a few ancient poems for full marks?

No, no, no—there might even be math; it depends on luck. Moreover, poetry is a prompted essay with strict tonal and metrical rules. You can't pass by merely copying poems; memorizing the "Three Hundred Tang Poems" won't suffice.

In short, the jinshi exam tests literary cultivation; candidates must be proficient in the classics, history, literature, and current affairs to have a chance.

The core of the jinshi is poetry and fu; candidates must master tonal patterns to stand out.

Obviously, the jinshi is far more difficult than Mingjing, so few pass.

In the streets it's said, "Thirty old Mingjing, fifty young jinshi."

The starting point and ceiling for jinshi are both relatively high.

Of course, even if you have knowledge worth five hundred carts, thinking your learning makes you invincible and you can stroll through the jinshi track is wishful thinking.

Besides one's own ability, candidates must seek recommendations from renowned scholars and examiners, building connections; otherwise there's no chance.

The main way to self‑recommend is to compile a collection of essays, using them to impress scholars and examiners and earn their favor; these include policy essays and poems.

It's simply called "submitting the manuscript."

In history, Bai Juyi entered Chang'an by presenting the poem "The grass on the plain withers and flourishes each year" to the literary elite of the time, showing that seeking connections was no novelty.

For Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan, their scholarship cannot improve quickly, so only by seeking connections and avenues can they hope for any benefit.

"Sir, what do you think is the reason the court has blocked the streets?"

Xu Yuan looked at Fang Chongyong and asked in a deep voice.

"Probably nothing other than deposing the Crown Prince."

Fang Chongyong replied indifferently, as if saying he had just eaten a bowl of porridge for breakfast.

"Sir, choose your words carefully!"

Xu Yuan reflexively covered Fang Chongyong's mouth, then, seeing Zhang Xun's helpless glance, released it.

"The two of you simply dare not imagine it. Today the sage's foundation is solid; no one would dare a coup. The imperial guards patrol the streets to prevent powerful nobles, desperate and breaking walls, from leading their servants to assault Xingqing Palace, Daming Palace, and other strategic sites.

And aside from deposing the Crown Prince, what else could justify such a massive mobilization?"

Fang Chongyong's analysis was logical and well‑grounded, yet Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan remained silent.

Precisely because it sounded so reasonable, they dared not believe it.

The nation is at peace, ten thousand states pay tribute. Why, after twenty years as Crown Prince, can he be dismissed so readily?

The Crown Prince is the foundation of the state!

Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan could not believe it; they knew this simple truth, yet the present sage seemed unaware!

"Prime Minister Zhang is probably about to be dismissed; if you seek connections, do not turn to Prime Minister Zhang's network, lest you gain no aid and become entangled."

Fang Chongyong kindly warned.

"Uh, we were actually seeking Yan Tingzhi's connections; he is a Deputy Director of the Secretariat and a close friend of Prime Minister Zhang…"

Xu Yuan stammered.

"Well… that's probably it."

Fang Chongyong said vaguely, "You two unlucky ones, it'll be very hard to achieve the top rank this time; you'll have to wait until next year to try again."

Xu Yuan and Zhang Xun both passed the first‑round exam held by their prefecture, called the "prefectural exam," also known as the "Autumn Gate."

If you fail to become a jinshi or anything, you can go to the Jiedushi's side to become a staff officer or similar official; you'll still get by locally.

"If— I mean, if there are no opportunities in Chang'an, I'll see if I can recommend you to become staff officers under the Jiedushi; that's also a path."

Fang Chongyong comforted Xu Yuan and Zhang Xun, saying.

The three chatted casually about current affairs; it was evident that after hearing that Zhang Jiuling and Yan Tingzhi were very likely to be dismissed, Zhang Xun and the others clearly lost much of their interest in conversation.

However, compared with the earth‑shattering events of the next day, today's minor moods were utterly insignificant.

On the second day after the main streets of Chang'an were barred from opening shop doors, the ban was already lifted, all trades resumed, and the East and West markets swelled with crowds, seemingly unaffected by yesterday's prohibition.

Yet an unbelievable rumor spread wildly through the various districts and markets of Chang'an.

Crown Prince Li Ying, Prince of E Li Yao, and Prince of Light Li Ju were all stripped of their titles and reduced to commoners.

Moreover, the three were ordered to die at the Eastern City Station outside Chang'an. Their three corpses were hung on the white silk ropes of a beam, silently narrating the sorrow and helplessness of being born into an imperial family.

At that moment there was no imperial edict from Li Longji, so no one dared to take the bodies down.

Officials and commoners passing the Eastern City Station were all shocked and terrified.