Chapter 42: I just want to be a weed

Yan Lide lowered his head. He really didn't want to take on this task. If something happened to the Prince of Qi, he wouldn't be able to explain it clearly.

"Crown Prince, the Prince of Qi is the Prince of Qi after all. Letting him eat and live with commoners is slapping the face of the royal family and slapping the Emperor's face."

"Doing this, no one will look up to the Prince of Qi, even commoners will look down on him."

Li Chengqian also knew this situation. It was not the later generations, and the ritual system was deeply rooted in people's hearts.

If Li You went deep into the bottom level, he would be considered to have been expelled from the family.

In this patriarchal society, being expelled from the family meant that this person was definitely unbenevolent and unfilial, and no one would look up to him.

Even so, Li Chengqian still had to put Li You at the bottom level. Some things only have an effect when done by the royal family.

"Master Yan, I know what you mean. Father has already agreed, and I will be responsible for everything that happens."

Since it had reached this point, Yan Lide would not give him face if he refused again.

"As long as the Prince of Qi doesn't cause trouble, this subject will take on this matter."

"If he dares to cause trouble, you just whip him. I'll go get Father's whip for you."

Yan Lide took on this matter, and Li Chengqian felt relieved in his heart.

He now needed to consider how to persuade Li You. From the few contacts, Li You was a salted fish, completely lying flat. Neither luring with profit nor threatening with force would work.

After Yan Lide left, Li Chengqian turned his gaze to Wang Qi:

"Is the Prince of Qi fishing in Qingfeng Pavilion?"

"He didn't come today!"

"What do you think about me going into the palace to scold Father?"

？？？？？

Wang Qi's head was full of question marks. Crown Prince, do you want to listen to what you are saying?

Seeing Wang Qi's scared look, Li Chengqian nodded slightly:

"That's right! After all, he is the Emperor. Scolding him is really not giving him face. It's fine to make him angry."

Doing what he said has always been Li Chengqian's life motto, unless he encounters force majeure factors.

Li Chengqian slowly got up, picked up the 'Dao' book from the book basket, and decided to teach Li You the real Tao Te Ching.

'The highest good is like water! It's really well said.'

Li You didn't know that Li Chengqian was coming to pit him, and was still hiding in the courtyard roasting fish and drinking.

Compared to roasting fish, he preferred roasting wild chickens, especially the wild chickens he shot himself.

However, the conditions didn't allow it, so he could only roast fish.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!"

"Big Brother's roasting fish steps are really good. Using a brush to dip in oil and brush back and forth, this fragrance is simply perfect."

"Gulp!"

Li You swallowed his saliva, his eyes staring straight at the roasted fish:

"Wait a bit longer! It's not burnt yet. It's only crispy enough when it's burnt."

Just after speaking, a voice sounded outside the courtyard:

"Prince of Qi, the Crown Prince is here!"

Hearing this, Li You's body shook, and he hurriedly grabbed the roasted fish, wanting to send it to his mouth.

"Stop!"

Li You looked up, stopped his movements, and then, in the shocked eyes of everyone, spat a mouthful of saliva on the roasted fish.

After doing this, Li You raised the roasted fish and smiled:

"Big Brother, do you want to eat? It has Western Regions spices added."

"Get out!"

Li Chengqian scanned coldly, his face full of unhappiness. Good for you, Li You, if I don't pit you this time, I'm not human.

"Eat quickly! I have something to tell you after eating."

"Crack!"

Li You took a hard bite of the fish and said vaguely:

"Big Brother, tell me, I'm listening!"

"Choose a place between Lingnan and Youzhou. You can't stay in Chang'an anymore!"

"I won't go!"

Li You shook his head and refused: "It's too dangerous outside. I don't want to die without knowing why."

"Moreover, Mother is old. If something happens to me, she won't be able to take it."

"You have to leave! Do you know why Father wants to send all the Imperial Princes out?"

"Why?"

Li Chengqian explained softly: "To snatch local power. Look at the Third Brother, the Sixth Brother, and them, and then look at the Imperial Uncles. Which one of them is not a regional inspector or governor?"

"Originally, local power belonged to local aristocratic families. In order to prevent the local area from getting out of the court's control, Father needs to arrange people he trusts."

"Now do you understand why you, who don't understand anything and don't fight for anything, were forced to rebel, and why the Third Brother was transferred from Yizhou to Anzhou?"

"Then I can't go even more!"

"But Father wants you to go. Other places are intricate, while Lingnan and Youzhou don't have many aristocratic families."

"Instead of being arranged by Father to other places, it's better to go to these two places. At least it's safe."

Li You collapsed instantly, and even the roasted fish in his hand lost its taste:

"Big Brother, I want to stay in Chang'an. Do you have any way?"

"It's not that there isn't."

Halfway through, Li Chengqian shook his head repeatedly again:

"Forget it. You want to learn from Zhuangzi and be carefree. If you do this, you won't be able to take it."

Li You threw down the roasted fish in his hand and tightly held Li Chengqian's arms with both hands:

"I can take it! I can take it! As long as I can stay in Chang'an, I can do anything!"

"Are you sure? You won't learn from Zhuangzi anymore?"

"Sure!"

Li Chengqian sighed pretentiously:

"How about serving in the Jiangzuojian for a few months? You only need to serve for a few months. Not only do you not have to go to the fief, but you can also walk around Chang'an City at will."

"Serve?"

Li You hesitated, a look of entanglement on his face. Seeing this, Li Chengqian spoke again:

"I see, you'd better think about whether to go to Youzhou or Lingnan."

Li You gritted his teeth and said: "I'll serve. It's just a few months. I can endure it."

"Sigh! Let's go! Go with me to Ganlu Hall and say what you said in the carriage to Father again."

"Is this useful?"

"And you have to add Laozi's words. I'll tell you on the way."

Li Chengqian was also gambling this time, gambling that Li Shimin knew what the consequences would be once Li You was allowed to become a waste.

A quarter of an hour later, the two arrived at Ganlu Hall. Li Shimin was a bit surprised by Li You's arrival.

He hadn't seen Li You take the initiative to find him since he came back for so long, and he was too lazy to see this son who had already given up.

"Prince of Qi, you don't show filial piety by Yin Fei's side, what are you doing here at my place?"

"Father, I just want to ask you, do you know everything that Quan Wanji did in the Prince of Qi's mansion?"

"Have you ever seen the letter I gave you? Was Uncle originally..."

"Are you questioning me?"

"No! I just want to know who Zan Junmo belongs to, and whether you are fighting with those people through me."

"Does it matter who he belongs to?"

Li Shimin glared at Li Chengqian and then spoke indifferently:

"If your heart is firm, can Yin Zhihong and Zan Junmo persuade you? If you were smart, would you be used by others?"

"I hope you become a talent, hope you can contribute to the Great Tang. Is that wrong?"

"No wrong! But you taught me Laozi and Zhuangzi since I was young. Can't I learn from them?"

Li Shimin laughed out of anger: "Did Laozi and Zhuangzi teach you to rebel? Teach you not to listen to remonstrance? Teach you to go against the heavens?"

"The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things and does not contend. It dwells in the places that everyone dislikes, so it is close to the Dao."

"In ancient times, there was a great tree called the Chun, which took eight thousand years for spring and eight thousand years for autumn. Yet Peng Zu is known today specifically for his longevity; is it not tragic that the masses compare themselves to him?"

"Comparing people to people will piss people off. I just want to learn from Laozi and be a weed. Anyone can step on me, but no one will deliberately step on me."

"Father wants me to fight for power and profit, why didn't you teach me Sun Tzu's Art of War since I was young?"

"Bang!"

"Presumptuous!"

Li Shimin roared: "I taught you to read and write to make you understand principles, not to make you a waste."

"If everyone learns from you, what will happen to the Great Tang in the future? As an Imperial Prince, enjoying wealth and glory but not contributing to the country is shameless to the extreme!"

"I am shameless?"

Li You's temper also came up, and he roared with a red face:

"Isn't Father shameless? Sitting and watching Big Brother and Fourth Brother fight, wanting to let Big Brother become the second... woo woo woo woo..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Chengqian stepped forward quickly and covered his mouth. ===== CHAPTER 43 =====