"Even if the late emperor had such thoughts, how did Your Highness know about it?"
Minister Li suspected that Liu Zhao deliberately said some sensational things to mislead him.
He did not hesitate to speculate Liu Zhao with the greatest malice.
Liu Zhao chuckled softly, "Master Li, have you forgotten what my identity was a few years ago?"
Liu Zhao a few years ago was naturally the emperor's grandson.
Imperial grandson?
Minister Li pondered over this matter.
Liu Zhao said casually, "Lord Li, there's no need to ask how I knew this. I just want to tell you, Lord Li, that a prince has his own way of living, and a grandson has his own way of living."
Minister Li narrowed his eyes. "Since the late emperor had considered making Prince Zhao the crown prince, why did he change his mind?"
Liu Zhao smiled and said, "Of course it's because of the emperor's grandson."
Minister Li suddenly understood.
Liu Zhao gave him another clue. "That year, around summer, the eldest son of the King of Zhao committed a crime in the street, killing three innocent people and injuring dozens. The matter was suppressed, and no one was allowed to discuss it in court. What do you think was the late emperor's mood when he suppressed this matter?"
Minister Li's expression twisted.
Liu Zhao continued, "Six months later, the third son of the Prince of Zhao, in a jealous dispute at a brothel, beat to death the youngest son of a distinguished family. Lord Li has certainly not forgotten this case. If I remember correctly, Lord Li petitioned the late Emperor to severely punish the third son of the Prince of Zhao."
Minister Li's expression became increasingly distorted. "Did you secretly manipulate all of this?"
Liu Zhao poured him some tea and said, "Don't worry, Lord Li. Now that we've started, I will naturally help you resolve your doubts.
Back then, the Prince of Zhao had many flaws, but also many strengths. With the Xue family's support, he was very popular, and many officials in the court were optimistic about him.
Even the late emperor briefly considered appointing Prince Zhao as crown prince. Why did he change his mind? It wasn't enough for the prince to be a capable one; the grandson also had to be considered.
The Prince of Zhao had numerous wives and concubines, and over a dozen legitimate and illegitimate sons, but unfortunately, they all had their share of flaws. Once, he committed a street attack, then beat someone to death in a brothel, and then he got into all sorts of trouble. What do you think the late emperor felt towards the Prince of Zhao at that time?
Liu Zhao smiled at Li Shizhong, his smile was meaningful and malicious.
Li Shizhong's heart shuddered, and cold sweat broke out. "If you can't even raise your own children properly, how can you be worthy of being a king?"
Liu Zhao nodded repeatedly, "Master Li is indeed the one who best understands the late emperor's thoughts."
Minister Li laughed at himself and said sarcastically, "No! I don't understand the late emperor's thoughts at all. There are only two people who can truly guess the late emperor's thoughts. One is the current emperor, and the other is Your Highness. You two, father and son, are the masters of understanding people's hearts. I am just parroting their words and acting like a villain in vain."
Liu Zhao laughed heartily. "Master Li, there's no need to be so modest. Your abilities are obvious to all, and no one can deny them."
"I am in self-denial, Your Highness, there is no need to persuade me."
At this moment, Minister Li did not feel relieved after learning the truth, let alone surprise. His only feeling was fear.
At this moment, he actually felt a deep fear of Liu Zhao.
"You are so sure that the late emperor was watching the grandson of the emperor to determine the crown prince that you schemed against the prince of Zhao's sons one after another? Poor prince of Zhao, he didn't even know how he lost the crown prince position until his death."
Liu Zhao shook his head, "Master Li is wrong."
Minister Li was unconvinced, "Where did I go wrong?"
Liu Zhao smiled lightly, "You got the order wrong."
Minister Li was stunned at first, then he suddenly realized.
"You, you... you deliberately plotted against Prince Zhao's sons. Your ultimate goal was to guide the late emperor down the path of having his grandson appointed as the crown prince. You, you..."
He was cunning, deep-minded, and shameless, yet he found it so satisfying.
Even the majestic late emperor was plotted against by Liu Zhao and Emperor Wende.
Haha, that’s really heart-warming.
After a lot of people's support, Li Shizhong broke out in a cold sweat on his back.
It's so scary.
Minister Li's eyes changed when he looked at Liu Zhao.
Emperor Wende's ascension to the throne was largely due to luck.
After all, at the beginning, Emperor Wende had little chance of winning.
Even the Prince of Yan is slightly stronger than Emperor Wende.
Minister Li came to his senses. "You sent your child to the palace to study. Are you hoping to follow in his footsteps? Do you want His Majesty to follow the path of watching the emperor's grandson being appointed crown prince? Will His Majesty fall for your tricks?"
Liu Zhao laughed heartily, "Lord Li, you think too simply of me."
"What do you want to do?"
Liu Zhao said casually, "Why rush? The child is so young, and he still has ten or twenty years to grow up. If Lord Li can live to see that day, he might as well see what kind of results will be produced in a dozen years from now."
Minister Li said bluntly: "It's nothing more than you are unlucky, or you are invincible."
"No one is truly invincible. Lord Li, please don't look down on me, but of course, don't look down on me either. I appreciate your help in accomplishing this for me. If the Minister of the Court is willing to send his grandson to the palace as a study companion, I would be delighted to do so."
Minister Li: "Oh! Forget it! All the children and grandchildren of the Li family are dull and unfit to serve as companions in the palace."
He rejected Liu Zhao's proposal without hesitation.
He did not want to conspire with Liu Zhao.
The two can only cooperate, not trust each other, and it is even more impossible for them to entrust their lives to each other.
Be careful of your wolfish ambitions and attract trouble.
Liu Zhao knew that Li Shixin would definitely not say anything good about him, but he didn't mind.
He said, "Lord Li is too modest. It's alright if you don't want to send your grandson to the palace as a study companion, but Lord Li's younger brother is a first-rate scholar. Could he teach at the academy?"
"The academy founded by Madam Zhao?" Minister Li's words were filled with undisguised contempt.
Liu Zhao nodded, "It is the academy run by my wife."
Minister Li said insincerely, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your consideration of me. I will write him a letter someday and ask for his opinion."
"I hope to hear good news from Master Li."
Oh!
Minister Li felt angry and felt like he was being toyed with, as well as deeply wary.
He thought that King Zhao was defeated in a palace coup, but he didn't expect that King Zhao was destined to be defeated long ago.
I wonder if the coffin lid can still be closed after King Zhao learns the truth.
Minister Li's tone turned colder. "If Your Highness has nothing else to say, I will take my leave."
"Lord Li is dissatisfied with me?" Liu Zhao looked at the other party with a smile.
Minister Li laughed heartily, "Your Highness, you are joking. You and I have worked together many times and are familiar with each other. How could there be any dissatisfaction? Your Highness, please don't take it too seriously."
Liu Zhao smiled knowingly, "The one who's suspicious is Lord Li, right? You suspect that I'm plotting against you, don't you?"
Minister Li was silent, his face serious.
Liu Zhao picked up the teacup, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and he smiled, "You are right to be wary of His Highness. His Highness is indeed plotting against you."
"you?"
Minister Li was about to question, but as soon as he said this, he calmed down instantly.
He laughed out loud, "Your Highness, could you please tell me what I am doing that is worth plotting against?"
Liu Zhao looked at him, as if assessing him, "Lord Li has always had his feet on many boats. No matter where something goes wrong, you can always get away with it.
Just like that year, Queen Cui Ruizhen is gone, Crown Prince Renxuan is gone, the others are either dead or exiled, but you are the only one who remains as unmoved as a mountain, and you still have your place in the court.
The late emperor even trusted you so much that he gave you the honor of writing the imperial edict of succession. Now, Lord Li is trying to pull his old tricks again and straddle multiple boats.
However, I hate people who try to do things in too many ways. Lord Li, tell me, what should I do?
Minister Li's face was gloomy. "Your Highness, are you going to turn against me?"
Liu Zhao shook his head slightly. "You misunderstood. This prince wants to chop off your legs so that you can never have more than one foot in a relationship again."
Bang!
Minister Li immediately lifted the table, stood up, and pointed at Liu Zhao, "What did you do?"
The tea splashed at Liu Zhao's feet.
He pretended not to see it and laughed instead, "Your Highness did nothing."
"Do you think I will believe you? Liu Zhao, just wait for me."
Minister Li left the tea room in a hurry.
Liu Zhao nodded, and then the secret guard hidden in the dark followed Li Shizhong quietly.
Lin Shuping walked in from outside. "Your Highness, everything is ready. Are you going to meet that person?"
Liu Zhao brushed off the dust on his body and said, "Let's go. Lead the way."
…
Next door to Xianrenju is also a three-courtyard house.
People who come and go in Xianrenju rarely pay attention to this house which is closed all year round and no one is seen there.
This is a house that clearly exists and looks good, but its presence is unexpectedly low.
If someone who understands Feng Shui decoration passes by, they will understand that this is taking advantage of people's visual illusion.
Liu Zhao went directly from the backyard of Xianrenju, through the back door, and came to the house next door.
It turned out that the house next to Xianrenju had been bought by Liu Zhao a long time ago, but it was registered under someone else's name.
Even Gu Jiu didn't know about this.
Lin Shuping led the way, passed through the corridor, and finally arrived at a quiet room.
"Your Highness, the person is inside." After saying that, he pushed open the door.
Liu Zhao walked into the quiet room.
In the quiet room, a man with his hands behind his back, head tilted back and back to the door was admiring several paintings hanging on the wall.
"Eunuch Chen has a refined taste." Liu Zhao smiled softly.
The man turned around, his eyebrows and eyes relaxed, and he was white and plump. He was clearly Chen Dachang, the most useful person by the late emperor's side.
Isn't this person dead?
At least in the minds of most people, this person is already dead.
According to royal practice, anyone who had served the previous emperor, no matter how respectable they were in the past, would either die or guard the imperial tomb.
After the late emperor passed away, Chen Dachang disappeared, and the world chose to forget him.
There were also rumors privately that Chen Dachang was buried with the late emperor, some said that Emperor Wende ordered Chen Dachang to be executed, and some said that Chen Dachang escaped from the palace and went overseas.
In fact, Chen Dachang has been living in a town outside Beijing in recent years.
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