Chapter 91 A Cold-Blooded Game of Using a Borrowed Knife to Eliminate a Potential Problem
The autumn nights in the Eastern Palace were filled with the sounds of people and warmth due to the successive births of newborns, but in Crown Prince Li Chengqian's study, there was only a chill under the flickering candlelight.
Before him lay not a list of congratulatory gifts, nor a petition regarding the imperial heir's third-day celebration and full-month celebration, but rather a series of hastily written secret reports conveying secrecy and danger. Their contents were largely the same: the Prince of Wei's residence had been making frequent moves recently, secretly colluding with certain officials and generals dissatisfied with the Crown Prince for various reasons (perhaps due to resentment at not receiving a share of the spoils in the Eastern Palace, or because they had been reprimanded during the Crown Prince's investigation of rumors, or simply because of failed political opportunism); the Prince of Wei's confidants were frequently visiting several obscure but complex pharmacies and Taoist temples in Chang'an; and even, informants reported that people from the Prince of Wei's residence seemed to be trying to contact relatives of certain low-ranking servants in the Eastern Palace's rear garden, especially those responsible for seemingly insignificant tasks such as laundry and meals, which were actually easy to exploit.
Li Chengqian's gaze slowly moved over the intelligence reports. His face showed no surprise or anger, only an almost cold calmness, and even a very faint, barely perceptible sneer at the corner of his mouth.
His good younger brother certainly didn't "disappoint" him.
Li Chengqian had long anticipated Li Tai's potential retaliation; in fact, it could be said that it was an inevitable result of his relentless pressure. When someone is stripped of hope and cornered, what choice do they have but to launch a frantic counterattack? Especially someone as arrogant and self-important as Li Tai.
As for Li Tai's possible targets... the newly born princes in the Eastern Palace, who carry the hopes of their noble families, are undoubtedly the most tempting targets and the ones most likely to inflict a "severe blow" on Li Chengqian. Harming an infant is easier than directly attacking the Crown Prince himself, but the resulting shock and subsequent chain reaction could be just as enormous, and could even sow discord between the Crown Prince and several key noble families who have just been linked by blood.
Li Chengqian had also considered this point. Not only did he consider it, he even... was happy to see it happen.
The thought was so cold-blooded that it occasionally sent a chill down his spine. But soon, that chill was replaced by a stronger sense of reason and a deeper calculation.
Those children… yes, they were his flesh and blood, their blood flowing in their veins. But their birth, from the very beginning, carried a clear political purpose. They were tools, bargaining chips, weapons he used to bind powerful families, solidify his position as heir apparent, and strike at political enemies. Their value lay in the power of their maternal clans, in their existence as “bonds” and “future prospects.”
However, precisely because these children are backed by powerful families, from birth they are not merely Li Chengqian's sons, but also the embodiment of a family's hopes for future glory and favor for decades or even centuries. Their existence, while providing him with immediate and immense assistance, also sows the seeds of long-term hidden dangers. These powerful families will spare no effort in pouring resources into these children, influencing their education, shaping their stance, and ultimately potentially making them their representatives within the royal family, or even… a ticking time bomb in the future power struggle between the emperor and these powerful families.
The saying "a large tail wagging its tail" has been true since ancient times. Li Chengqian understood this principle well.
So, if there is an opportunity, before these children have formed their own independent will and have been completely "shaped" by the aristocratic families, could we use other people to get rid of a few of them... especially those whose maternal families are the most powerful and who may be the most difficult to control in the future... Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?
Firstly, this would thoroughly enrage those powerful families whose core interests had been touched, pushing them into a life-or-death struggle with Prince Wei, Li Tai. At that point, without him needing to say anything more, these families would become the most frantic and reckless pawns in the annihilation of Prince Wei.
Secondly, it would allow him to eliminate potential rivals who could pose a threat to him or his true heir (such as his eldest son Li Xiang, or other children he could control more). Although cruel, this might be a less costly form of "pruning" compared to the potentially bloodier royal infighting that could erupt in the future.
Thirdly, it serves as a warning to other dependent aristocratic families: the Crown Prince can bestow glory and hope upon you, but he can also take it away, or even destroy it. Loyalty and cooperation must be unconditional and free from excessive ambition. Children can be born again, but opportunities come only once.
This was an extremely cold-blooded and meticulously calculated scheme. Li Chengqian was gambling with the lives of his own flesh and blood, gambling on Li Tai's madness, gambling on the reaction of the aristocratic families, gambling on his father's ultimate tolerance limit, and even more so on whether he could perfectly control the overall situation, keep the losses within an "acceptable" range, and seize the greatest political benefits.
He knew it was dangerous; the slightest misstep could backfire, even costing him his father's trust and subjecting him to the scorn of the world. But he also knew that on the path to the pinnacle of power, tenderness and hesitation were the greatest luxuries and fatal weaknesses. His mother's distorted teachings before her death, and Wang Zhenren's cold, almost ruthless schemes in his letter, all made him understand that to secure that position, certain prices had to be paid; certain moves had to be made ruthlessly.
"Pass down the order," Li Chengqian finally spoke, his voice calm and even, addressing his trusted guard commander standing in the shadows. "The defenses of the Eastern Palace will be tight on the outside but loose on the inside. Focus on strengthening the protection of the residences of the Crown Princess, Consort Wu, and Li Xiang, ensuring they are impenetrable. As for the wet nurses and attendants of the newborn princes... arrange them as usual, no need to send extra personnel. But instruct the imperial physicians to check their pulses daily without fail, and report any abnormalities, no matter how minor, immediately."
"Tight on the outside, loose on the inside," "Just follow the usual procedure"... The commander of the guards felt a chill run down his spine, instantly understanding the Crown Prince's subtext. Was this to place the new princes under a seemingly comprehensive but actually flawed "protection"? He dared not think too deeply and could only bow his head and accept the order: "Yes, Your subordinate understands."
"Furthermore," Li Chengqian continued, "strengthen surveillance of the Prince of Wei's residence, especially its channels of communication with those inside and outside the palace who deal with medicine and other religious figures. If there is solid evidence, there is no need to alert them; simply report it to me secretly."
"yes."
After the commander of the guards withdrew, the study returned to silence. Li Chengqian walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, and the cold night wind rushed in, causing the candlelight to flicker violently. He gazed at the pitch-black night sky, where there were no stars, only endless depth.
“Li Tai,” he murmured to himself, as if speaking to an unseen adversary, “you’d better live up to my expectations and not disappoint me… You must use this knife accurately and ruthlessly.”
He seemed to see the possible bloody scene, the death of one or more infants, the overwhelming rage and frenzied revenge of their maternal families, Li Tai's descent into despair and madness, and himself building a more stable and centralized future on these ruins.
A hint of almost cruel resolve froze in his eyes. For that position, for no longer being controlled by anyone (whether it be a noble family, his father, or that unattainable desire...), he was willing to bear the stigma of cold-bloodedness, willing to dance with the devil.
Meanwhile, in the Prince of Wei's residence, Li Tai's conspiracy had entered its final stage. They had chosen their targets—not all newborns, but the eldest son born to Consort Li of Zhao County (because her maternal family was the most powerful and provided the strongest support to the Crown Prince, making them the most effective targets), and the prince born to Li Chenghui of Longxi (whose family had a long-standing marriage alliance with the Li clan of Zhao County, thus broadening the scope of their attack). The plan was not direct poisoning or assassination (that would be too easily exposed), but rather to bribe or coerce low-ranking servants in the Eastern Palace to mix extremely small amounts of a harmful substance into the infants' daily necessities (such as swaddling clothes, diapers, and moisturizing powder). This substance, however, would slowly damage the internal organs with prolonged exposure, ultimately leading to "weak constitution and premature death." Time would dilute suspicion, and infant "weak constitution and premature death" were not uncommon in ancient times when medical care was limited.
"After this is done, leave no one alive." Li Tai's eyes flashed with malice as he gave the order to the assassins tasked with carrying out the mission to silence them. He had no way out; he could only walk this path, fraught with thorns and blood, to the very end.
Deep within the palace, Li Shimin listened to the secret report from the commander of the Hundred Cavalry, his brow furrowed. He was largely aware of the movements of his two sons. Chengqian's "laissez-faire" attitude and Li Tai's "conspiracy" sent a chill down his spine, filling him with profound disappointment. Had fratricide reached such a point that they were willing to use the lives of their young children as bait and a weapon?
He recalled the vow Empress Zhangsun had made her children swear before her death that they would "never harm each other," a vow that now seemed utterly pale and laughable. Could power truly distort people's hearts to such an extent?
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As a father, his heart ached; as emperor, he had to make a choice. Should he immediately intervene, nip the danger in the bud, completely depose Li Tai, and also give Chengqian a warning? Or… continue to observe, to see how far his two sons could play this game, and to see if the one who ultimately prevailed truly possessed enough ruthlessness and ability to govern this vast empire?
After a long while, he opened his eyes, which now held the clarity and decisiveness of an emperor.
“Continue to monitor and maintain strict control. No one may move without my order. But…” He paused, his voice icy, “If any imperial heir is harmed… whoever is involved, kill them without exception, punish them severely!”
Ultimately, he couldn't completely stand by and watch his grandsons become sacrifices in the political struggle. But he also wanted to see if Chengqian's scheming could control the situation, and where Li Tai's madness would lead him.
This storm, ignited by blood ties and rife with cold-blooded scheming and frenzied retaliation, is now unavoidable. Everyone is making their move in this game, each believing they can control the outcome. However, when the cries of children may abruptly cease, when the wrath of powerful families is fully ignited, and when brothers truly clash, the outcome of this game may have already transcended the initial plans, plunging into an abyss no one can predict.
The autumn night wind is getting colder and colder.
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