Chapter 15 The Fifteenth Princeling Lian Teng Appears Li Shimin's Wrath

Liu Dewei bowed again and said: "Your Majesty, Hegan Chengji is now in Dali Prison. The details are best known to Dali Qing Sun Fujia." Li Shimin turned his head and shouted: "Quickly tell that Sun Fujia is here to see me." Not long after, Sun Fujia came in a hurry, and Li Shimin asked, "Sun Fujia, is Hegan Chengji's move true?" Sun Fujia bowed and said: "Your Majesty, what Hegan Chengji said is true. In order to verify clearly, I have secretly arrested the prince Qianniu Helan Chushi today. Helan Chushi's recruitment can be used as evidence for Hegan Chengji." .”

"Helan Chushi? Isn't he Hou Junji's son-in-law? Why is he also involved in this case?" Sun Fujia sighed: "Your Majesty, this matter is a long story, and Rong Chen will explain it in detail." At the beginning, Li Shimin doted on Li Tai, and anyone with a discerning eye could see that he had the idea of ​​easy storage.Although Li Chengqian usually likes to play and play around, but seeing that the crown prince is in danger, he also knows what losing the crown prince means to him.In those days, he was full of worries and thoughts, wandering in the courtyard and weeping, deeply afraid that Li Tai would usurp his crown prince.Li Yuanchang, king of the Han Dynasty, was also not a person who knew the way. When he saw Li Chengqian's worries, he came up with a bad idea for Li Chengqian. He asked Li Chengqian to stay away from the court for several months, and then stepped up the recruitment of Hegan Chengji and other hundreds of warriors, intending to murder Wei Wang Li Tai. .Li Chengqian obeyed his words and acted according to his plan.

During this period, Li Chengqian was quite dissatisfied with Zhining and Zhang Xuansu's frequent admonitions to him, so he sent Hegan Chengji to lead people to assassinate the two, which can be described as a small test. Hou Junji was convicted of stealing treasures in Gaochang, and has been at home all the time. He has a heart of resentment, and everyone in the government and the public know it.When Li Yuanchang heard the news, he said to Li Chengqian: "Prince, in ancient times, when a monarch ruled the world, he must have a confidant general in charge of the military power to secure his position. You are now the heir, and you must think about the future."

Li Chengqian sighed: "Oh, my father's heart is for the king of Wei, I am in danger, how can I think about the future?" Li Yuanchang shook his head and said: "Whatever you want to do, you have to fight for it yourself. If you blindly wait passively, you will sit and wait for death. We have recruited more than a hundred strong men. With the talents of Hegan Chengji and others, it is difficult to rely on your own courage. Lead the people to seek great things. I think you must find a brave and resourceful man, and let him assist you in military planning, in order to be successful."

"Who is handsome?" "Hou Junji. Since Li Jing, this man has become the most capable general in the court. If he continues to hold an important position in the court, he will definitely serve the emperor. We have no chance. Perhaps God has eyes, and he has a little chance. The little matter is punished by the emperor, and the heavenly man will come to help you." "Will he come?" "That Hou Junji's character has always been rebellious. Now that he has encountered this difficulty, he will never have a chance to stand up in front of the emperor's brother. You are now the prince, and you will be the future monarch. If he comes to you now to make meritorious deeds, it will be for him. Say, isn't it a great opportunity?"

Li Chengqian was overjoyed and said: "Well, if Hou Junji is brought under his command, we will have a few more chances of winning. By the way, Helan Chushi is Hou Junji's son-in-law, so let him go and talk about it." Li Yuanchang said: "Helan Chushi can't let Helan Chushi spread the word on his behalf. You can let him introduce Hou Junji to the East Palace. You can comfort him personally and explain the details slowly to show that you attach importance to soliciting." Li Yuanchang has always been playful, and he is in cahoots with Li Chengqian, for which Li Shimin scolded him face to face many times.Now he feels that if Li Chengqian falls, he will not be much better, so he and Li Chengqian share the same hatred and do their best to fight for the crown prince.What he said just now was much more solemn than his usual absurd gossip because of his well-thought-out and pertinent words.

Helan Chushi belonged to the East Palace, so he naturally obeyed what Li Chengqian said, so he entered the residence of Hou Junji, and carefully explained Li Chengqian's intention of inviting him to the East Palace for a meeting.Hou Junji didn't have a good impression of Li Chengqian at ordinary times, he thought that Li Shimin was a hero all his life, but it was a world of difference to give birth to such an incompetent son as the crown prince.He was always arrogant and looked down on Li Chengqian in his heart, so he was unwilling to deal with him. When the two met, Hou Junji respected him as the crown prince, and only made a salute and inquired, not talking much.

Now Li Chengqian asks his son-in-law to invite him to the East Palace, Hou Junji doesn't understand why Li Chengqian is interested in him.However, when he was at leisure, someone would invite him to avoid loneliness, let alone the current Crown Prince, Hou Junji couldn't help but feel happy, so he followed Helan Chushi into the East Palace. Li Chengqian and Li Yuanchang were overjoyed when they saw that Hou Junji had come as promised, and they set up wine in the East Palace to receive them.When Li Chengqian met Hou Junji for the first time, he didn't dare to tell the whole story. He mostly praised Hou Junji's military achievements, and said that he wanted to learn military tactics from Hou Junji.All his life, Hou Junji was proud of his military skills, so he was not willing to talk about this topic with such a shallow boy.He casually said a few words and didn't go any further.After the banquet, I got up and resigned.

Two days later, Li Chengqian invited Hou Junji into the East Palace again.He shuns others and stays alone with Hou Junji in order to have a secret conversation. That day Hou Jun left the East Palace after a banquet, and Helan Chushi accompanied him home.Hou Junji asked: "I have never had any contact with the crown prince. He invited me into the palace to entertain me, which is really special. Chu Shi, is there any mystery in it?" Helan Chushi replied: "The crown prince is in a bad mood this time, and he gets angry at every turn in the East Palace. From my point of view, his mood seems to be related to the emperor's dislike. I guess his intentions are that he intends to attract his father-in-law."

Hou Junji didn't speak anymore. That night, he lay on the couch without falling asleep for a long time, staring into the darkness with his eyes, thinking for a long, long time. Today Li Chengqian kept the others out, Hou Junji knew that the prince must have something secret to tell him. Sure enough, after Li Chengqian sat down, he leaned over to Hou Junji and said, "General Hou, I invited you into the palace several times, but I actually wanted to tell you what was on my mind, but it was hard to say it." Li Chengqian heard Helan Chushi introduce him He said that Hou Junji had served many officials in his life, and he liked to be called "General" the most.

Hou Junji deliberately pretended to be confused, and asked: "What's on the prince's mind? Now the world is in peace, the barbarians are in uniform, His Highness is the heir, and he can help the emperor govern the world wholeheartedly. Why do you have to be so sad?" "Everyone outside my place knows it. If General Hou said this, he must not be willing to teach me?" Li Chengqian was not deep in the city, and when he saw Hou Junji speak like this, his face suddenly showed displeasure. Hou Junji was suddenly enlightened, and said: "Oh, it seems that the crown prince believed the rumors outside. I have also heard that the emperor now favors the king of Wei and intends to change the crown. But, such rumors have been circulating for several years. , the crown prince is still the crown prince, the king of Wei is still the king of Wei, so what's the matter with His Highness?" Li Chengqian hurriedly said: "General Hou, this matter is absolutely true! If you and other important ministers hadn't objected, my father would have deposed me long ago." Hou Junji shook his head, and muttered: "I have been by the emperor's side for many years, and I have never heard the emperor say the words of abolishing the establishment. It seems that you still take this matter too seriously." Hou Junji continued to pretend to be confused, intending to Forcing Li Chengqian to say more important words. Although Helan Chushi is not Li Chengqian's confidant, he is in the East Palace every day, and he has heard and seen many things. He also saw that Li Chengqian has recently stepped up his efforts to recruit warriors, so he knows that he has plans.He told Hou Junji all about Li Chengqian's performance and his suspicions.Hou Junji went through many storms and waves in his life, and immediately understood Li Chengqian's plot.Ordinarily, Hou Junji and Li Chengqian were at the time of their downfall, they could be said to be in the same boat, and they should get together as soon as possible.But Hou Junji looked down on Li Chengqian's ability, he said to Helan Chushi at that time: "If I were the emperor, I would have destroyed this treasure long ago, how can I allow him to stay on the crown prince for so long?" But Hou Junji judged the current situation, he could not get any benefit in front of Li Shimin as a scapegoat, if he went to burn Wei Wang Li Tai's hot stove, Wei Wang's mansion is now full of traffic, will people pay attention to him?Although Li Chengqian is incompetent and disliked by the emperor, he occupies the position of prince after all, and no one knows what his future will be. If he works well and keeps Li Chengqian's position as the crown prince, he will be in another village again.Hou Junji had another plan at this time. If Li Chengqian gained power and succeeded to the throne in the future, he would definitely be able to control him, or he would be driven from the throne and replaced by himself, then the Li family would be complete. Wouldn't it be great to be in the world of the Hou family! Li Chengqian really said: "General Hou, I went to someone else to have a secret talk with you today because I wanted to ask Gao Yan. My father didn't like me for several years, and the king of Wei recruited talents again, trying to find a way to please my father. Love is added, this is known to passers-by. I have many younger brothers, and my father only allowed the king of Wei to build a literature library in the mansion to show his favor. This is one of them; The above-mentioned ceremony where the prince met the prince dismounted on the way, and the father refused to allow it. He said to everyone: "Life is short, if the prince is unfortunate, you know that the kings will not be the masters of the public in the future! How can you take it lightly!" This is the second; the father rewarded the king of Wei very much. That year, the father came to the mansion of the king of Wei and pardoned the Chang'an county prisoner and exempted the rent of Yankangfang. The method of corvee service, its favor surpasses the ritual system, and it is the third. General Hou, if the father does this, can't you see that my position as the crown prince is in jeopardy?" Hou Junji looked directly at Li Chengqian with his eyes, thinking that this son was able to utter these words clearly, obviously he had thought about this question many times and showed his anxiety.Hou Junji thought of this, nodded and said: "Yes, it seems that the emperor's heart is not stable, and the prince should be so anxious. Alas, the emperor alone decides on major events in the world. As ministers, even if we have the heart, it is difficult Say it. Prince, how should you respond to the current situation?" "I am full of worries and thoughts, I don't think about food and drink, and I am in constant anxiety, because I ask General Hou for advice." Hou Junji raised his head, closed his eyes and thought: If I knew today, why bother!You were established as the prince when you were more than ten years old, but you don't cherish this position, and play around all day long, is it the reason to be the master of others? Li Chengqian asked again: "General Hou, I have thought about it for the past few days. If I let nature take its course, I will just sit and wait for death. Instead of doing this, I would rather take the initiative to attack!" "Attack on the initiative? I don't know how the prince wants to attack?" Hou Junji said calmly. "General Hou has been on the battlefield for a long time and has rich experience. This is exactly what I want to ask for advice." Li Chengqian spoke sincerely at this time, but he betrayed Hou Junji. Hou Jun collectively observed Li Chengqian's intentions, raised his head and said with a smile: "Haha, is the capital a battlefield? Does the prince want me to lead troops to gallop in the capital? But, I am alone now, with no soldiers to lead! " "General Hou has great prestige in the army. If you climb up and call out, there will be a lot of people responding. Why don't you have soldiers to lead? For example, in my East Palace, I can gather nearly a thousand people to respond to the general. Below me, only the general will follow the lead. .” "Haha, what can you do with nearly a thousand people? What's more, how restrained are the guards of the Eastern Palace, can they obey your orders?" Li Chengqian looked gloomy, thinking that if he fought hard with his father, there was really nothing he could do, so he sighed: "Oh, this... what should I do?" Hou Junji saw that Li Chengqian's morale had faded away, he thought that this son had a childlike heart, and it would be difficult for him to conspire with him for a long time, so he looked down on him even more.He lowered his head, turned his mind, and quickly judged the situation. He felt that he had lost power in front of the emperor, and it was rare for him to trust him in the future. The only way to reverse his decline was to use the banner of Li Chengqian and join hands with him.Thinking of this, he stretched out his right hand and said to Li Chengqian: "Prince, this hand of mine has commanded thousands of troops and made countless achievements. It is a pity that I have nothing to do now. If the prince does not abandon it, this hand will be used exclusively by the prince in this life! "He said this, making it clear that he would formally join Li Chengqian from now on. Li Chengqian didn't understand what Hou Junji meant. He looked very happy, stood up and clasped Hou Junji's right hand with both hands, and said in a trembling voice: "I've been expecting General Hou to say this. General Hou, as long as you take care of me , then any major event will go hand in hand, and there will be no difficulty in the world.” Hou Junji no longer pretended to be reserved, he stood up and looked directly at Li Chengqian and said: "Prince, I ask you, what method do you want to adopt if you want to achieve great things? According to what you said, the emperor has the intention of easy storage, you If you wait passively, the chances of winning are not great, I don't think you will wait until the day the emperor abolishes you, right?" Li Chengqian also stood up immediately, thinking that he was so excited that he let the broken leg exert the force first, his body suddenly leaned over, and he was about to fall to the ground.Hou Junji had sharp eyes and quick hands, and quickly reached out to help him up.Li Chengqian was shocked by this, his face turned pale, and he hurriedly said: "Of course I can't wait blindly. If I am willing to wait for the abolition, I will not ask General Hou for advice. Up to now, I have never hidden anything from General Hou." Yes. A few days ago, the King of Han and I recruited strong men, led by Hegan Chengji, and now there are more than a hundred people. I want to take a chance and send someone to assassinate the King of Wei, so that the father's idea will be eliminated. " Hou Junji shook his head, and said with a sneer, "You want to assassinate the King of Wei? Who will help you with this plan?" "What's wrong with that?" "Of course not. Think about it, if the assassination of King Wei succeeds, it will be earth-shattering. The emperor heard that the first thing to do is to find the murderer and the mastermind behind the scenes. It is well known in the world that the king is fighting with you for the throne. The king of Wei was assassinated and died. The Dali Temple and the Ministry of Criminal Justice must first suspect His Highness. Besides, I don’t know how capable this Hegan Chengji and those people are. , I only know that the Palace of the Prince of Wei not only recruits scholars of literature, but also recruits many warriors with strong martial arts skills. They guard the King of Wei very strictly. Yet?" Li Chengqian and Li Yuanchang felt momentary at the time, thinking that getting rid of King Wei would get rid of future troubles, how could they think so thoroughly?Hearing what Hou Junji said, Li Chengqian suddenly felt that something was wrong, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he said: "What General Hou said is true, I didn't think about it carefully beforehand, so I was really careless. If not The king of Wei, let him invite his father to favor him, and finally usurped the crown prince, what should we do?" Hou Junji said calmly: "Let me ask you, even though the King of Wei is good in every way, whether he can be the crown prince or not, who has the final say?" "Is there even a question? Naturally, the father has the final say." "That's right, in order to secure the crown prince's position, you didn't seek the root cause, but moved to get rid of the king of Wei. Is it a wrong idea? Let me tell you, you don't care about the king of Wei at all, and force the emperor with all your strength." Just say it." "Forcing Father to speak? Father has always been firm-willed. It is absolutely impossible for outsiders to use force to force his good idea." Hou Junji pointed to the inside of the hall and asked, "Who lived in the Xiande Hall of the Eastern Palace during the reign of Emperor Gaozu?" "It goes without saying that it was Prince Yin who built the residence." "At that time, Gaozu preferred Prince Yiyin to succeed him. Why did this emperor become the current emperor?" Li Chengqian didn't answer in astonishment, Li Shimin launched the Xuanwu Gate Change is well known to the world, needless to say, everyone understands it. Hou Junji took a few steps towards the window, looked in the direction of the Taiji Palace, and said leisurely: "At that time, I led the army to ambush beside the Taiji Palace, and Gaozu took people to go boating in the sea pool. The leader of Yuchi Jingde intercepted and killed Yin The crown prince and King Qi came to the sea pool again, forcing Gaozu to write two edicts and seize the seal, so that Gaozu lost his power from now on." He turned his head to Li Chengqian and said: "On that day, Gaozu was willing to authorize the seal. Is it for the current emperor? No, the situation was so pressing that he had to do it." Li Chengqian heard Hou Junji's idea of ​​forcing the palace. This was something he had never dared to think about. in the chair. Hou Junji asked again: "Prince, if you want to achieve great things, this is the only way. You dare not do this?" Li Chengqian reached out his hand to wipe off the cold sweat that came out of his forehead again, and stammered: "This... this... General Hou, it's such an important matter, let me think about it carefully." Hou Junji's disdain for Li Chengqian suddenly floated in his mind, thinking that such a cowardly master would be difficult to achieve great things, he became a little impatient, his voice raised a little unconsciously, and asked: "The crown prince is rushing to ask me for advice. , I don’t hesitate to commit the crime of beheading, and offer my words to you. A man stands upright and acts rashly. If things go wrong, at most his head will be left with a scar the size of a bowl. There is no need to think about it. Prince, if you want to go well Succession must be done by this means." Li Chengqian raised his head with a look of panic, motioned him to lower his voice, and said, "General Hou, I am very confused now, please allow me to think about it." Hou Junji didn't speak anymore, he turned around silently and moved to the window, watching the scenery outside, while Li Chengqian thought hard behind him.In the meantime, he couldn't help turning his head to look at Li Chengqian's uncomfortable look, and felt a little pity and anger in his heart.Instead, he thought that if he insisted on coercing such a cowardly person, it would be hard to get good results.So, he walked slowly to Li Chengqian again, and said softly: "Prince, don't worry. Think about it, the current emperor controlled the palace with a small force, and then forced Gaozu to abdicate. You are now living in the East Palace. Da Nei is only 20 steps away. If you want to raise an issue, it will be easier than when the Xuanwu Gate changed. Although I am at home now, I have been recruiting for many years, and there are many old subordinates. If I raise my arms, I can easily gather thousands of people , why worry about major events?" Li Chengqian closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then resolutely said: "General Hou, let's do this. I am young and incompetent, and I rely on you to do my best for such a major event. I hope General Hou will not give up. This matter is no small matter, and we must do it carefully. Winning is the surest way.” Hou Junji asked again: "In the East Palace, who can conspire with the crown prince for great things?" "Han Wang Yuanchang, Zuo Tun Zhonglang General Li Anyan, Yangzhou Inspector Zhao Jie, and Prince Consort Du He can conspire in this matter." "Have you discussed it before?" "In the past, we had several secret discussions in order to plot against the King of Wei." "Okay, starting today, I'm going to plan this matter carefully. These people seem to be quite tight-lipped, you can discuss it with them quietly. Remember, the scope of knowing this matter can no longer be expanded, knowing one more person , the risk is higher, do you understand?" "Understood. I want to respect my son-in-law Helan Chushi and Hegan Chengji, and they are quite careful in their actions. Do you want them to participate?" Hou Junji shook his head and refused, and said: "My son-in-law is usually timid and timid; and that Hegan Chengji, I heard he is also very rough, so don't let them participate." The two talked in secret for a while, and then Hou Junji got up to say goodbye. After Hou Junji left, Li Chengqian called for Li Yuanchang.At that time, Li Yuanchang had been staying in the side hall, anxiously waiting for the result of their discussion.Hearing Li Chengqian's call, he hurried to Xiande Hall in two steps.When he saw Li Chengqian, he hurriedly asked: "Have Hou Junji agreed to help you?" Li Chengqian's expression was still dignified at this time, but he was much more relaxed than before.He nodded and said: "He agreed. Uncle, Hou Junji has a big heart, and his plan is much bigger than what we want. He doesn't agree to get rid of King Wei." Afterwards, Li Chengqian briefly explained the process just now. Say it again. Li Yuanchang was full of praise after hearing this, and said: "Okay, the emperor was able to force the father to abdicate at that time, why couldn't you? Cough, we have been talking about getting rid of the king of Wei all day, why didn't we think of this festival? Ask me Say, what Hou Junji said is the most thorough, and it can be said to be a plan to draw salary from the bottom of the pot!" Li Yuanchang was born to Li Yuan and his concubine, and he was three years younger than Li Chengqian. Forced to step back, the second brother also killed the eldest brother and the fourth brother together, so he didn't take Li Shimin seriously in his heart.After that, he was scolded many times by Li Shimin for playing too much with Li Chengqian. He dared not say a word because of Li Shimin's emperor majesty, but he hated Li Shimin so much in his heart. Li Chengqian said: "That's the reason. But, father is brave and wise, how can we be his opponents? Hou Junji's idea is good, but it's more difficult to implement. I agreed to him just now, but I didn't until Still muttering all the time." "Hey, as long as Hou Junji joins, why not? Think about it, Hou Junji led the troops to defeat Tuyuhun, Tubo, and Gaochang. Such a big event is easy for him. It is no small matter for him to cross the western wall and capture the emperor's brother." Is it? You, stop frowning." Although Li Yuanchang is a few years younger than Li Chengqian, his temper is a little less weak, and he has the rough personality of Li Yuanji in the past. Li Chengqian encountered a major event today, his mood was really low, and he was not at all happy.He asked Ai Ai periodically: "Uncle, in your opinion, we will follow Hou Junji's plan?" "What is there to hesitate about? If you can achieve great things, you will become the emperor, and the world will be decided by the few of us." "How many of us?" Li Yuanchang was taken aback, Fang Wu himself said something wrong, so he smoothed things over and said: "Of course, the emperor has the final say on everything in the world, so we can be reused by the emperor. But after the matter is done, there is one thing you have to do first." promise me." "What's up?" "We went to see the emperor that day, and I saw a beautiful woman playing the pipa beside her. The girl is both beautiful and graceful, and she can play the pipa very beautifully. If the event is completed, you must give this girl to me ah." "Haha, after the big event is done, you can choose any woman in the world, isn't it just this woman? Uncle, your appetite is a bit too small, right?" The two laughed at each other. The two discussed the meeting again.At that time, Li Anyan and Du He were often in Beijing, and Zhao Jie was the governor of Yangzhou, so he needed to write a book to call him back to Beijing.Du He is the son of Du Ruhui, who married Li Shimin's daughter Chengyang Princess; Zhao Jie's mother is Li Yuan's daughter Changguang Princess. Li Yuanchang insisted on summoning Hegan Chengji and Helan Chushi to join the group. He said: "We all have official positions, and it is difficult to go out and communicate calmly. With these two people joining the group, we can make up for this gap." Li Chengqian couldn't resist, so he had to agree. A few days later, Zhao Jie rushed back from Yangzhou after receiving the letter.That night, several people gathered in a secret room of the East Palace, and Li Yuanchang explained the purpose of the meeting that day. At that time, they had discussed many times about assassinating Wei Wang Li Tai.Now they ignore the king of Wei and concentrate on forcing the emperor, they feel that the situation is serious.After Li Yuanchang finished speaking, there was a moment of silence on the scene. Zhao Jie was the first to break the silence. He said in a deep voice, "This is the best! Just get rid of King Wei and there are other people. If the emperor favors someone else, wouldn't our work be in vain? If you force the emperor to abdicate, then Once and for all." Duhe also echoed. Li Anyan is usually more serious, Li Chengqian looked at him and asked, "Anyan, what do you think?" Li Anyan pondered and said: "To do this kind of thing, there must be no warning before the incident, and one hit when the incident occurs. There are only twenty steps from the east palace to the west wall, but these twenty steps are not trivial, and must be planned in secret. Only then can we break through." Li Yuanchang said: "This is the reason why the crown prince seeks Hou Junji to join the gang. An Yan, compared to us, you know military affairs, and you can plan carefully with Hou Junji. When the incident happens, you will definitely hit it with one blow. " Li Anyan nodded in agreement. Li Yuanchang said: "If you can complete this matter, you will be the crown prince's hero. After the matter is completed, it is not easy to make trouble with the Minister of the Ministry of War. What do you think, prince?" I made a wish. Li Chengqian nodded and said: "If the big thing can be accomplished, it's a small thing for An Yan to be the Minister of the Ministry of War. An Yan, don't feel wronged when the time comes." When it comes to the topic of officials, everyone present smiles, they fantasize about the glory of the highest officials.If you think about it, those who followed the emperor to participate in the Xuanwumen Incident were rewarded later. In the end, everyone reached a consensus and expressed their allegiance to the prince.Li Yuanchang suggested that those present should make an alliance with blood and swear to live and die together.So, they stabbed their middle fingers with knives, took a piece of silk and wiped off the blood of the people, then set fire to it, mixed the ashes of the silk into wine and drank together. The princelings have formally formed an alliance since tonight. They thought of many ideas for forcing the palace.Hou Junji and Li Anyan advocated applying the method of the Xuanwumen Incident, trying to bribe the chief of the palace guards, and then control the palace, forcing Li Shimin to issue an edict to abdicate.Du He thought that this was too much noise, and Li Chengqian pretended to be seriously ill, so that the emperor would definitely visit the East Palace, and at this time, the hidden soldiers were arrested in one fell swoop.Hou Junji thought that Du He's thoughts were too naive, and asked: "The emperor has hundreds of people following him when he goes out. These people are all selected by Chang He from thousands of people. Ordinary people are not their opponents at all. When the incident happened, These people can defend the emperor for at least half an hour. At that time, the reinforcements from the big internal forces will come in a steady stream, and the success will be defeated. If you want to capture the emperor, the first thing to do is to disintegrate the defense of the northern army. " They have been arguing over which method to use, and there is no proper solution in the end.Li Chengqian didn't have his own opinion, unlike Li Shimin's, he had no choice but to watch the crowd argue.Hou Junji bragged that he raised his arms, and thousands of people from the old department responded, but he was released from military power, so it was difficult to appeal.And when he was Minister of the Ministry of War, the emperor's order was required to mobilize foreign troops. Among the defenders of the capital, the Northern Army was responsible for defending the imperial palace.He is now an idler, and to say that he can control the palace is undoubtedly a dream. They were arguing endlessly here. With the insistence of Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, Changsun Wuji and other important officials, Li Shimin had no choice but to change his practice of favoring one another and appointing Wei Zheng as the prince and grand teacher to show the world that he insisted on making the eldest son the heir apparent. Determination.Li Chengqian breathed a sigh of relief because of this, he felt that his position as the crown prince was stable from now on, and he no longer had to think about forcing the palace.Hou Junji didn't take this seriously, and said to Li Chengqian alone one day: "Since the emperor appointed Wei Zheng as the prince's tutor, I see the prince's color is becoming more and more vivid. Prince, do you think you can sit back and relax from now on?" Li Chengqian was in a state of excitement, and didn't understand the deep meaning of Hou Junji's words, so he replied casually: "Father has always disliked me, now he has finally changed his attitude, after all, it is a good thing." "Prince, let me ask you. Although the emperor has changed his attitude and appointed Wei Zheng as the prince's grand teacher, has the emperor ever entered the East Palace in recent years?" Li Chengqian thought for a while and said: "Ten years before Zhenguan, my father often came to the East Palace in person, and came here to supervise my studies and talk with each other. After ten years of Zhenguan, my father basically no longer enters the East Palace." "That's right, if the emperor likes a son, he may come to his mansion or invite him into the palace to discuss. I noticed that the emperor has summoned the king of Wei to the palace twice in the past two months, but he has never summoned the prince. Prince, Tell me, what does the emperor's behavior mean?" Li Chengqian was silent. Hou Junji went on to say: "This shows that the Emperor loves the King of Wei, but his heart to distance himself from His Highness has not changed! He said that he wants to strengthen His Highness's position as the crown prince, but it is due to the situation, not because of his sincerity." "Could it be that the emperor father said that making the eldest son the crown prince is only a stopgap measure?" Hou Junji sighed: "Prince, you should have read a lot of history books. You have been the crown prince for many years. If the emperor does not let you succeed, isn't that what he said? Until the last moment, it is hard to see You know, don’t be careless.” "According to what General Hou said, how should I deal with it?" "In my opinion, Your Highness must have two preparations: one, you should follow the emperor's wishes, study more and follow the right path, and gradually increase your ability to govern in order to succeed to the throne smoothly; two, the things we have discussed cannot be neglected, We must secretly accumulate strength, and if the emperor changes his mind, he will immediately attack resolutely. This is the only way to be sure." Li Chengqian was noncommittal about Ai Ai.He has no big ambitions, and is content with whatever happens. Seeing that Li Shimin has treated him fairly well these days, he doesn't want to take tough measures anymore. But it is said that Li You, the king of Qi, was rebellious and felt that he was alone.Yin Hongzhi knew the details of the struggle between Li Chengqian and Li Tai in Beijing, so he persuaded Li You to contact Li Chengqian more, and Li You followed his will and sent Yan Hongxin to take charge of the matter.Yan Hongxin was acquainted with Hegan Chengji when he was in the capital.After going back and forth in this way, Yan Hongxin and Hegan Chengji acted as messengers between the East Palace and the Qi Palace. Hegan Chengji informed Li Chengqian of King Qi's intentions, but poor Li Chengqian had no idea, so he hurriedly called Li Yuanchang, Hou Junji, Li Anyan and others to come to discuss business.These people learned that the King of Qi sent people to contact them, and they all thought that they needed to cultivate forces outside the capital, thinking of solidarity, but they had to be careful not to be too ostentatious.After discussing with each other, they decided to send only one person, Hegan Chengji, to contact the Qi Palace, and no one else would come forward. When Li You decided to raise his troops to rebel, he sent Yan Hongxin into the capital to find Hegan Chengji, and asked him to tell the crown prince that if he heard that Qizhou's army was rising, he would immediately raise an incident in the capital to echo him from afar. Hegan Chengji secretly reported this idea to Li Chengqian. At that time, Li Chengqian was not very enthusiastic about leading the army, so he said lightly: "How can the king of Qi be so impatient? Now that he is fine, what kind of soldiers will he send out?" Hegan Chengji said: "The envoy of the king of Qi said that if the king of Qi raises his troops, the imperial court will definitely send a large army to Qizhou, so the capital will definitely be empty. Great things can happen.” Li Chengqian was still quite clear-headed about this, and said: "Hmph, how many soldiers does King Qi have under his command? State soldiers and horses can sweep Qizhou down. Chengji, we don’t have to wade through this muddy water anymore, let the King of Qi make a fuss on his own.” He Gan Chengji said in embarrassment: "Qi Wangfu has been in touch with the East Palace for a long time, if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince categorically refuses this time, I am afraid that Qi Wang will not accept it?" Li Chengqian widened his eyes and reprimanded: "What's so hard to accept? When did I promise them? What's the matter? King Qi wants to rebel, do you want me to be forced to rebel?" Li Chengqian thought for a while and said: "This is the end of this matter, you are not allowed to tell the King of Han and General Hou. In addition, you go to see the envoy of King Qi, and you don't say that you agree to jointly raise troubles, and you don't explicitly reject them. Let Qi The king can make trouble by himself." Hegan Chengji agreed and left, Li Chengqian looked at his back and thought: Let the king of Qi make trouble, if he makes something famous, or if there is any opportunity, it is unknown.In case the king of Qi is defeated, as long as the line of Hegan Chengji is cut off, there will be no proof of death, and nothing will implicate himself. Unexpectedly, before the imperial army arrived, Du Xingmin had already led someone to capture Li You.Liu Dewei thought carefully, after entering Qizhou, he searched for the documentary evidence of Prince Qi's mansion, and when he found anyone involved, he immediately issued an order to arrest him.In this way, Li Chengqian has not yet known the details of the Qizhou mutiny, and Hegan Chengji has disappeared.After some days, Helan Chushi also disappeared inexplicably.At that time, the news of King Qi's defeat had spread to the capital. Li Chengqian connected everything and sent people out to find out the news about Hegan Chengji and Helan Chushi. He vaguely learned that the two were arrested by Dali Temple. , suddenly panicked.He called several people into the East Palace to discuss countermeasures in secret. At this time, Hou Junji knew that Hegan Chengji was so deeply involved in this matter, and the words "Zhuzi is not enough to plan" flashed in his mind, and complained to Li Chengqian: "I said earlier, such a big event can't be too much. People know that. Hegan Chengji is a mediocre man, how can he be involved? Hmph, if he is arrested in Dali Temple, he will definitely be recruited by the bamboo tube and the beans." Li Chengqian and Li Yuanchang had no claims at this time, and were panicked and at a loss. Li Anyan thought for a moment, and said: "General Hou, it is useless to complain to each other now. We can only prepare for the worst. Hegan Chengji and Helan Chushi have been imprisoned one after another, which shows that Dali Temple has noticed us For today's plan, if we raise our troops, it is difficult to succeed in a hurry, so we have no choice but to keep our mouths shut, no matter what others ask, we will not answer." What Li Anyan meant was that everyone established an offensive and defensive alliance today, and if the court pursues them in the future, they will refuse to admit it.Everyone judged the situation in front of them and felt that it was impossible to imagine, so they could only resign themselves to fate and let nature take its course. Li Anyan said again: "Prince, I suggest that starting from today, we should not get together frequently in the East Palace." Li Chengqian nodded and said, "That's right, it's better to be careful." Everyone was full of worries at this time, so they were not in the mood to talk about it.They spoke a few more words and then parted ways. Hou Junji walked out of Xiande Hall, raised his head and sighed in his heart: "Zhuzi is useless! I have been a hero all my life, but in the end I might be misled by this incompetent kid, it is really not worth it!" Hegan Chengji was arrested and imprisoned, and Sun Fujia interrogated himself with the documentary evidence collected from the Qi Palace.Sun Fujia raised the two letters, and asked Hegan Chengji: "These two letters were written by you yourself, and there are many forbidden words in them. Let me ask you, what is the 'conspiracy' in your letter?" Why? Hmph, the king of Qi conspired against me, and I can sentence you to death with just these few words. Hurry up and tell the truth!" He Gan Chengji wanted to deny it at first, and argued: "The villain and Yan Hongxin have known each other for many years, the so-called big thing is nothing more than wanting to make contributions to the court together, that's all." “燕弘信跟随齐王谋反，现在已全数被擒，不日就可押送京城。燕弘信所言大事就是谋反，你却在这里混赖为朝廷建功立业。有这样建功立业的吗？你不说也行，待齐王和燕弘信来京，你们当面对质吧。”孙伏伽此时怀疑纥干承基参与了齐王的谋反，压根想不到太子会谋反。此时燕弘信已死，他故意卖了个关子，意图诱其说出实情。 纥干承基一听要与燕弘信对质，顿时慌了神。他因有勇力被李承乾赏识收入东宫，这些年假借太子之名在京城中狐假虎威，何尝经过这种阵势？他在那里颓然想了许久，然后有气无力问孙伏伽道：“孙大人，小人若将实情说出，你能免我一死吗？” 孙伏伽答道：“你之罪当死无疑。你若能说出实情，检举他人，按律可以减罪。” 纥干承基叹了一口气，说道：“如此，唯望孙大人对小人照顾一二。”他接着将所知道的太子党谋反之事尽数说了出来。 孙伏伽得知这件惊天大案，遂与刘德威商量，秘密捕了贺兰楚石严加审讯，于是获知了此案的详细。 孙伏伽用一个多时辰，详详细细将此案过程说了一遍。李世民一言不发，静静听孙伏伽说话，愈听下去，脸色愈加阴沉。 孙伏伽将案情说完，又向李世民禀道：“陛下，若纥干承基、贺兰楚石所言为实，太子之罪其实不大。像齐王谋反主动找太子联络，而太子坚决不参与，可见此事皆是下人拨弄的结果。”孙伏伽这样说，其实想替李承乾开脱罪责。 刘德威也禀道：“臣细究案情，觉得太子固然有反意，然终未成事，请皇上明察。” 李世民脸色铁青，立起身来，大声说道：“反形未具？你们未将事情查清，竟然先替太子辩解，有你们这样的主审官吗？” 李世民声色俱厉，吓得刘德威和孙伏伽低下头来，不敢再言声。 李世民转向房玄龄、长孙无忌、高士廉道：“你们瞧瞧，我的一个儿子在齐州反叛，另一个儿子躲在眼皮下密谋逼宫，还是当今太子！我怎么了，竟然惹得他们如此生厌，定要将我除去方才心甘吗？” 三人听到太子密谋逼宫的消息，也非常震惊，不知道如何回答才好。 李世民在室内踱步，显得心情非常烦躁。 房玄龄奏道：“陛下，那纥干承基被捕入狱，其罪当死，胡乱攀咬太子，那也未尝可知。太子以前确实有荒唐之事，然近一段时间得陛下训诫，深敛行为，其有逼宫之心，臣绝对不信。” 李世民扭头斥道：“你为太子太傅，难道仅会将圣哲大道空泛地教给太子吗？你何以对他的这些劣行没有一点察觉？你绝对不信，我却是非常相信。纥干承基揭露此事，当然是怕死以减轻罪责，然其中详细他能编得如此圆满吗？那侯君集因私获罪，不思其过，反而怨恨我对其不公。他的反叛之心非今日才有，那年史大柰入京，他竟然挑拨史大柰与他一同起事！哼，司马昭之心，路人皆知，我所以一直隐忍不发，是虑其毕竟为功臣，希其能够一朝幡悟。他往东宫跑，我曾经责太子与汉王，谁知他们不收敛，反而密谋逼宫。这些故事，谅纥干承基难以编派出来。” 房玄龄见李世民火气很大，不敢再言声。 李世民冷笑道：“齐王反叛，那是天下知闻的事情，用不着再审讯。这件案子中，有当今太子，朕的弟弟，还有英名满天下的大功臣。我若不问青红皂白将他们一股脑杀了，天下不明白其中曲折的人定会怪我为暴君。这样吧，你们五人，再加上萧瑀、褚遂良，即日起在大理寺共同审理此案，要使案件大白于天下。” 五人躬身领旨。 李世民让刘德威和孙伏伽即刻会同常何拘押太子党相关人犯。二人转身出宫，立即带领衙役将李元昌、侯君集、李安俨、杜荷等人拘捕，又会同常何，入东宫拿下李承乾，将其拘于殿中省内。街上行人看到如狼似虎的衙役将一拨拨人犯解往狱中，不知道京中发生了什么大事，皆交头接耳，欲询详细。 刘德威和孙伏伽走后，李世民颓然归入椅中，他自言自语道：“朕即位以后，致力于教化天下，想以仁政治理臣民。谁知到头来，还是自己的儿子行叛乱之事。”他抬头问三人道：“你们说，朕这样做，莫非是失于宽仁，以致他们无畏惧之心吗？” 房玄龄慑于李世民刚才的气势，不敢先说话，最后还是高士廉斟词酌句答道：“陛下致力于教化天下，以宽仁治国，那是不错的。陛下皇子十余人，不过此二人举乱，若以此说治国方略有错，有些不妥当。其实太子与齐王二人，其本质不差，惜其交结小人，以致贻误其身。说到底，还是他们不能品悟圣哲大道所致，恰恰说明教化未深入其心。” 长孙无忌也说道：“臣亦这样以为，像齐王久受其母其舅影响，以致失了计较。” 李世民叹道：“养不教，父之过。他们为我的儿子，如今办出错事，且矛头对我，又怎能归咎他人呢？”李世民一世英雄，唯玄武门之变时逼父退位，杀掉其兄其弟，每每思及此，未免郁郁引为憾事。现在太子和齐王反叛，若传扬天下，人们将两件事连在一起谈论，定会说他少了兄弟手足之情，失于教导后代。他初听齐王谋反，心中难受然并不十分以为然，待听到太子也欲举乱，震惊之余使得心智大乱。他继而喃喃道：“一个儿子！又是一个儿子！为什么都是我的儿子！” 他转向房玄龄、长孙无忌道：“我以前让你们修订《武德律》，让你们秉承'宽法慎刑'之意旨厘改新法，看来是我的一厢情愿了。贞观之初，长孙顺德妄取钱财，我不罚他，反而当着众人之面赏他同样的钱财，希冀他心有愧疚以自悟。可是啊，人之心性遇强则平，遇弱则升。我如此做，臣民是否以为我示以柔弱，以致敢胆大妄为呢？我们以前多次议论过秦始皇、隋炀帝'苛政猛于虎'的教训，其教训为真，然失于片面。宽严相济，方是为君者理政的道理。如此看来，始皇与隋炀帝并非一无是处！” 房玄龄听到李世民说出这等偏颇之言，不禁大吃一惊。贞观以来，朝廷抚民以静，教化天下，起到了巨大的作用，因之形成盛世。不料皇上遭遇二子之变，以致心智大乱，若从此改变方略施政，则今后不堪设想。房玄龄毕竟没有魏征那种“不畏逆鳞”的劲头，不敢在李世民气头上犯颜直谏，唯有低着头暗动心思而已。 长孙无忌倒是说了一句：“陛下，臣以为贞观以来治国方略没有错，太子有错可以惩之，不能因此动了治国的根基。记得魏征的《十渐疏》中写道……” 长孙无忌的话尚未说完，李世民听到魏征之名，心中的无名火又勾了起来，大吼道：“什么魏征？什么《十渐疏》？我听了这么多年的庸论，耳中早生了茧子了！”他说到这里，脑海中晃出了魏征那副矮胖的身材和臃肿的老脸，进而想到十余年来魏征在自己面前喋喋不休举谏的情景，心中怒火不由得更甚。他压着火气，问三人道：“贞观初年，你们皆在政事堂，还记得魏征当时向我举荐谁吗？” 房玄龄答道：“臣记得当时场景，魏征曾经向陛下举荐侯君集和杜正伦。” “对呀，他当时说此二人有贤相之才。哼，此二人果然有相才吗？一个口无遮拦，动辄露泄禁中之语；一个有过不改，私下里密谋反叛。不知道魏征什么眼光，竟然说此二人有相才！相才？我看连做个县令的资格都不够。” 三人看到李世民那气急败坏的神色，心中不知所措。多少年来，李世民在众人面前，多是神态平和，雍容大度，如此的疾厉神色几乎没有。 李世民又问道：“魏征当初举荐此二人，莫非与他们有私吗？” 房玄龄禀道：“臣当时知事吏部，知道此二人一直在秦王府，侯君集更是跟随陛下征战四方，他们实与魏征没有什么瓜葛。” “什么没有瓜葛？齐王谋反，太子欲乱，难道没有先兆吗？他们即使没有瓜葛，那魏征平时眼界奇高，朝中能才甚多，他为什么独独选错了人？魏征如今已死，实在可惜了。他若在面前，我倒要问出个所以然来，看他如何回答。” 三人不敢再答对。 李世民又想起一事，说道：“魏征整日里自诩公正，无偏私之心。我前些日子听遂良说道，褚遂良任史官时，魏征曾经将自己的谏言录成书卷，将其示于遂良观看。魏征这样做，说明他也有为名之心嘛。其对遂良不明言，无非想让遂良记史时多添数笔，以名扬后世。你们说，魏征如此龌龊之举与其光明之言相称吗？” 长孙无忌道：“人有名利之心，魏征难以例外。不过他多年来累谏无数，对国家而言还是有益的。” “罢了，我最瞧不上那些言行不一的伪君子。”李世民如此说，显然将魏征归入了伪君子一流。 三人知道李世民正在盛怒之时，再说魏征好话难入其耳，遂缄口不言。 “朕受魏征愚弄多年，一直难辨其真。他死后，朕还亲自书写一碑立于其墓前，魏征在地下，恐怕还在笑朕如此愚蠢呢！无忌，你替朕传旨将作监，让他们速速派人将此碑拔除。”他顿了一顿，重申道，“此事要马上办，朕一刻都不能等待。” 他又转向高士廉：“魏征之子魏叔玉与衡山公主事，诏命已发吗？” “已发过了，只是因衡山公主年岁尚小，问名、纳吉等仪式尚未办。” “那好，再下一诏，停止此婚事。” “用什么理由却之呢？” “朕之言，即是理由，还要什么理由不理由的！”李世民说到这里，态度几近蛮横。 三人不敢再说话，躬身退出。 李世民长舒了一口气。魏征多少年来惹了自己那么多不高兴，现在终于把这口恶气出了。可惜的是，魏征已逝，不能当面斥之使其难堪，只好仆其碑绝其婚，聊作补偿！