25: The crown prince was demoted to Jingzhou?

Zhangsun Wuji’s words were like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves.

His seemingly neutral advice was actually openly contradicting Chancellor Fang and Du, and even… defying His Majesty’s will.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the imperial court became even more bizarre.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian, standing at the front of the queue, remained perfectly upright and expressionless from beginning to end.

As an outsider, he just listened and watched quietly, without the slightest ripple in his clear eyes.

Li Shimin sat on the Dragon Throne, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest, making a very rhythmic soft sound.

He did not speak, merely watching the arguing Officials below, his gaze deep.

The next day’s morning court, the sky was even gloomier than the day before.

A suffocating atmosphere enveloped everyone’s hearts from the moment the Officials stepped through the palace gates.

Sure enough, as soon as the court session began, Censor Wei Zheng, holding his hu tablet, stepped forward with conviction.

His face, always known for its uprightness, was now filled with the solemnity of concern for the nation and its people.

"Your Majesty!"

Wei Zheng’s voice was as resonant as a bell, making the entire Taiji Hall hum, "I second the request of Chancellor Fang and Chancellor Du! The Crown Prince’s enfeoffment is imperative!"

"The ancients said, 'Love your son, teach him the right way.' Allowing His Highness the Crown Prince to live comfortably in the palace may seem like protection, but it actually harms him! A true fierce tiger fights its way out of the mountains and forests, it is not raised in a cage! Does Your Majesty wish for the future monarch of the Great Tang to be one of those 'why don't they eat meat porridge' types, who knows not the hardships of farming and understands not the suffering of the common people?"

Wei Zheng’s words were scathing, each sentence standing on the moral high ground.

As soon as he finished speaking, more than thirty Officials immediately stood up behind him with a rustle, bowing in unison.

"We second!"

"We second what Censor Wei said!"

"For the sake of the empire and for the sake of His Highness the Crown Prince, we humbly request Your Majesty’s approval!"

The voices of over thirty people merged into a torrent, echoing through the Taiji Hall, forming an overwhelming Aura.

At this point, everyone understood.

Wei Zheng was His Majesty’s blade!

Yesterday, Chancellor Fang and Du merely paved the way; today, Wei Zheng’s thunderous strike was the true killing move.

The hearts of all the civil and military Officials sank; this clearly meant the Emperor was determined to force the Crown Prince out of Chang'an!

The faces of the Crown Prince’s faction of Officials turned pale, and Cheng Yaojin and others were so furious they trembled, clenching their fists but unable to act out.

After all, the banner they raised was “for the Crown Prince’s good”; if you opposed it, wouldn’t you become a treacherous Official who didn’t care for the Crown Prince’s future?

The situation seemed to be one-sided.

In this almost frozen atmosphere, Zhangsun Wuji stepped forward again.

He surveyed the surroundings, his gaze sharp, meeting Wei Zheng’s aggressive Aura without yielding an inch.

"Wei Zheng, what kind of talk is this?"

Zhangsun Wuji snorted coldly, "When did His Highness the Crown Prince become the ignorant fop you speak of? His Highness rises at mao shi (5-7 AM) daily and rests at zi shi (11 PM-1 AM), reading extensively and reviewing memorials; his diligence is evident to all in court and country! What is your intention in slandering the Crown Prince in such a way!"

"I am merely discussing the matter at hand!"

Wei Zheng did not back down, confronting Zhangsun Wuji, "Is Prime Minister Zhangsun’s obstruction meant to make His Highness the Crown Prince indulge in comfort and forget his duty as Crown Prince?"

"Nonsense!"

Behind Zhangsun Wuji, several Officials also stepped forward simultaneously, refuting loudly.

"The Crown Prince is the heir to the nation, to reside in the capital and oversee the government is his duty! How can he be moved lightly?"

"The enfeoffment land is far away; if treacherous people conspire and mislead His Majesty, who can bear the consequences?"

"Prime Minister Zhangsun is absolutely right! This matter must not proceed!"

The Officials of the Prince Jin faction, led by Zhangsun Wuji, now united, engaged in a fierce debate with Wei Zheng’s faction.

For a time, the Taiji Hall became a battlefield of words.

One side cited classics and expounded on the importance of the Crown Prince’s experience; the other emphasized the nation’s security and the necessity of the Crown Prince remaining in the capital.

The two sides went back and forth, refusing to yield, and the entire imperial court instantly split into two major camps, the air so thick with gunpowder that it was almost explosive.

Above the Dragon Throne, Li Shimin’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He coldly observed everything below, a storm raging in his heart.

What shocked him was not the debate itself, but Zhangsun Wuji.

He knew his brother-in-law had a deep Foundation in the court, but he had never imagined his influence had grown to such an extent!

When everyone believed this was his own intention, Zhangsun Wuji was actually able to rally such a large force and openly “contradict” him.

This power… who was it prepared for?

Li Shimin’s gaze involuntarily swept towards Prince Jin, Li Zhi, who stood in the back row, his head bowed.

The boy still looked timid and submissive, seemingly frightened by the scene before him.

But was that truly the case?

Li Shimin’s heart sank.

Then, his gaze, like a sharp sword, fell upon the center of the storm—his son, the Great Tang Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

From beginning to end, this son, who should have been the protagonist of the event, was terrifyingly quiet.

He showed no panic, no anger, no pleading glances towards him for help, not even a hint of emotional fluctuation.

He just stood there quietly, like a mountain, unmoving despite the wind and rain.

His eyes, clear and calm, were coldly observing everything.

That was not the gaze of a chess piece, but the gaze of a chess player.

A thought, like lightning, flashed through Li Shimin’s mind.

In this game, he was not the only player!

Chengqian… what exactly was he thinking?

And what unknown arrangements did he have behind him?

In an instant, a chill rose from Li Shimin’s spine.

He felt enveloped by an invisible net, and the weavers of that net perhaps included his most familiar intimate and his most hoped-for son.

The Emperor on the Dragon Throne, his gaze became as deep as the sea, churning with suspicion, vigilance, and an unspeakable gravity.

The temperature of the entire Taiji Hall plummeted at this moment, the air so heavy it was difficult to breathe.

Dead silence.

The Taiji Hall, which had just been as noisy as a marketplace, was now so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

All arguing voices were choked by an invisible hand, leaving only heavy breathing echoing between the beams.

Wei Zheng’s face was flushed, his lips still trembling slightly, but he could not utter a single syllable.

Zhangsun Wuji’s brows were tightly furrowed, the sharpness in his eyes frozen; he stared intently at the Emperor on the Dragon Throne, then uneasily glanced at Prince Jin beside him.

Li Zhi still maintained his harmless appearance, his head bowed, his shoulders slightly trembling, clearly frightened by the sudden silence.

Was he feigning it?

Or was he truly so timid?

Li Shimin’s fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the Dragon Throne, once, then again.

This rhythmic tapping, at this moment, was a death knell, striking at everyone’s heart.

His gaze had moved from Zhangsun Wuji and Li Zhi, like a red-hot branding iron, firmly fixed on Li Chengqian.

This son, his Crown Prince.

From beginning to end, Li Chengqian had not moved.