Chapter 8: Reason

At the mere thought of Hou Junji's face just now, Zhangsun Wuji was so angry he could not contain himself.

Had it not been so late, he would have loved to enter the palace immediately to lodge a complaint.

He had originally assumed that with Helan Chushi's testimony, a military man like Hou Junji would simply and straightforwardly admit it.

Who would have thought that Hou Junji, who always valued his reputation more than his own life, would be so shameless as to even use the excuse of settling a private grudge.

"Forget it! I'll go back to sleep first and discuss it with Li Shiji tomorrow."

Carrying a heavy heart, Zhangsun Wuji returned home, and just as he was about to go to the study to read for a while, he saw the figure of Zhangsun Chong in the corridor.

"It's so late, where are you going?"

Zhangsun Chong bowed respectfully: "I was just about to find Father to discuss an important matter."

"Follow me to the study!"

"Yes."

Following the dim light, the two pushed open the study doors gently a quarter of an hour later.

"What is it you want to see me about?"

"Changle wants to ask what will happen to the Crown Prince. She has been close to the Crown Prince since childhood, and upon hearing the news, she began to worry for him."

"The position of Crown Prince is certainly gone! As for his life, I imagine the Emperor will preserve it."

Zhangsun Chong frowned: "Since there has been no action, why must the Emperor pursue this so relentlessly?

Could it be true, as the rumors outside say, that the Crown Prince's nature has changed drastically due to his leg ailment and the matter of Chengxin?"

"Have you not seen the Crown Prince?"

"I saw him ten days ago and did not notice any changes; this is also the part that I cannot fathom."

"The leg ailment did change the Crown Prince, but not to such an exaggerated extent.

As for the matter of Chengxin, I do not know the truth of it either, and the Crown Prince has never deigned to explain."

Speaking of this, Zhangsun Wuji sighed softly: "Whether his nature has changed or he has a penchant for men, these are but minor details.

As long as the Crown Prince has no issues handling state affairs and can stabilize the nation, the Emperor would not think of replacing him.

The real reason the Emperor is determined to replace the Crown Prince is that the Crown Prince is fond of military affairs and has been continuously promoting generals who are descendants of the Northern Wei Six Garrisons.

Yet the Emperor desires civil governance and has been blocking the Guanlong Aristocratic Group from obtaining military power.

The Literature Pavilion of the Wei Wang Mansion and the Hongwen Hall of the Eastern Palace are proof of this."

"Is the Guanlong Aristocratic Group the descendants of those military lords of the Northern Wei Six Garrisons?"

"Most of them are!"

Zhangsun Wuji explained in a low voice: "To say nothing of the others, the most famous Wuchuan Garrison produced three emperors, as well as the Dugu family, which was prominent for four dynasties.

The Yuwen Family established Northern Zhou, the Yang Family established the Sui Dynasty, the Li Clan founded the Great Tang; the Dugu family was one of the Eight Pillar Kingdoms in Northern Wei, and in Northern Zhou, they not only produced an Empress, but the Dugu family's presence could also be felt among generals everywhere; as for the Former Sui and the Great Tang, you know them, so I will not speak of them.

From the Yuwen Family to the Li Clan, power has always been seized by force; in such a situation, how could the Emperor not guard against the Guanlong Aristocratic Group?"

Zhangsun Chong had never looked into the Wuchuan Garrison, but now, hearing Zhangsun Wuji's explanation and combining it with what he already knew, he could not help but gasp:

"No wonder not only the Yang family and the Yuwen family, but even the Dugu family now has few people controlling military power.

Our Zhangsun family comes from Luoyang and does not belong to the Guanlong region; why is it always said that we are the Guanlong Aristocratic Group?"

"After our ancestor Zhangsun Zhi followed Yuwen Tai, the Zhangsun Shi became a member of the Guanlong Aristocratic Group.

As for your observation that you do not see the Dugu and Yang families controlling the military, besides preventing the Guanlong Aristocratic Group from touching military power again, it is also because the Guanlong Aristocratic Group originally supported Li Jiancheng.

The Emperor wants civil governance and fears that the Shandong Aristocratic Families and Jiangnan Aristocratic Families will control the imperial court, so he supports the emerging military families led by Li Shiji and the talented individuals within the Guanlong Aristocratic Group who dislike the military and favor civil affairs; this is also the reason why I can always be trusted by the Emperor."

"Hoo..."

Zhangsun Chong let out a long breath, his face unable to hide his shock:

"So the Emperor does not loathe the Crown Prince, but is doing this out of necessity.

Spreading word that the Crown Prince will not be replaced while letting the Prince of Wei move into Wude Hall is to force the Crown Prince to make a mistake, so that he has a reason to depose the Crown Prince.

If this is truly the case, then Hou Junji was also deliberately indulged; otherwise, it would be impossible for the Emperor to have no reaction at all when hearing those disrespectful words from Hou Junji.

It is a pity for the Crown Prince! His actions while acting as regent were truly there for all to see, and even Wei Zheng praised him highly."

"He is not the only one with great ability."

Zhangsun Wuji sneered: "The Emperor came from the battlefield; he knows the horror of war too well, so he will not allow the future rulers of the Great Tang to support military generals.

Emperor Yang of Sui destroyed an entire empire through his three campaigns against Goguryeo; how could the Emperor allow the Great Tang to repeat the same mistake?

The Crown Prince fails to see the situation clearly and does not understand the Emperor; he deserves to be deposed.

The Prince of Wei is the same; he only knows how to win over the Shandong Aristocratic Families and does not understand the Guanlong Aristocratic Group; even when the Emperor gives him a chance, he does not know how to win people's hearts."

"What do you mean?"

"Yuwen Shiji!"

Zhangsun Wuji scoffed: "The Emperor let him choose a teacher between Yuwen Shiji and Wang Gui, and he actually chose Wang Gui, not knowing he could have chosen both."

The Northern Wei's Wuchuan, Woye, Huaishuo, Fuming, Rouxuan, and Huaikuang Six Garrisons were six military garrisons established by Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei to guard against the invasion of the Rouran, and they were also the origin of the Guanlong military and political group.

The struggle between civil and military that Li Chengqian perceived was the struggle between the Guanlong military group and the civil scholar-official families.

The most powerful person in the Guanlong Aristocratic Group now is Zhangsun Wuji, yet Zhangsun Wuji no longer supports him; he must accumulate strength anew, and the troops of the Liangzhou Yin Family are the first step.

In his view, only by controlling the military and wealth would Li Shimin's thoughts no longer matter.

'I must plan carefully regarding Cheng Yaojin; this fellow controls the troops of six prefectures plus the army of the North Gate of Chang'an, which is truly enviable.

Before that, I must still resolve the matter of Prince of Qi, Li You.'

As an Imperial Prince, Li You could be considered the most inconspicuous among the many Imperial Princes; his maternal family had little power, and he himself had no talent.

If it were just that, it would be fine, but the most fatal thing is that his maternal grandfather Yin Shishi once dug up the ancestral graves of the Li Clan.

In historical records, Li You was killed; Li Chengqian once wondered if Li Shimin killed his own son to avenge his ancestors.

At this moment, inside the Liangyi Hall of Taiji Palace, the high officials of the Great Tang had all arrived, including not only the founding ministers like Situ Zhangsun Wuji, but also the emerging civil official group like Chu Suiliang.

As Prince of Qi Li You walked into the palace hall with his head hanging low, Li Shimin broke the silence with an angry roar:

"Why did you rebel! What have I done to wrong you that would make you so devoid of loyalty to your sovereign and father?"

"What rebellion?"

Li Chengqian smiled slightly: "Father is talking nonsense! My fifth brother was clearly just conducting a drill, wanting to let the officials of Qizhou know how to face rebels if they encounter them.

The misunderstanding that has been caused is clearly because Du Xingmin and the group of officials in Qizhou framed my fifth brother in order to get promoted; Father must not listen to only one side of the story."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone stood frozen in place, and only the sound of breathing remained in the hall.

After a long while, Li Tai slowly spoke up:

"Big Brother, can you be any more shameless? You can even call a rebellion a misunderstanding? The ten thousand people of Qizhou all saw it clearly; do you think all the commoners of Qizhou joined together to frame our fifth brother?"

"I just said, this was a drill!"

Li Chengqian looked calm: "In order to achieve the most perfect effect, my fifth brother did not inform everyone, which is why others misunderstood.

I received a letter from my fifth brother last year, and I was the one who agreed to this drill; this letter is still in the Eastern Palace!"

Saying this, Li Chengqian looked at Li You: "Fifth brother, I told you long ago that Quan Wanji cannot be trusted. Because he cares about his own official position and knows that Father likes direct remonstrance, he would seize any opportunity to scold his own superior.

It was the same with our third brother back then; even though it was clearly an accident and he had already compensated the farmer, he still had to be reported by him.

For such a big matter, you still told him; you really deserve this."

Li You did not react for a long time; what did that mean? I have become the victim?

"What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and plead guilty to Father!"