154: One country, two crown princes! The frustrated Emperor Qing! (23

Chapter 153: Two Crown Princes in One Nation! Emperor Qing's Frustration! (23)

Several days later, Emperor Qing received a memorial from Li Chang'an.

The memorial contained only eight characters: “Corrupt officials in power, dare not return to the capital”!

News of Li Chang'an's assassination attempt had already spread throughout the capital, and Emperor Qing also knew that Li Chang'an had executed Gong Dian and Qin Yi.

Emperor Qing was very displeased, especially since Li Chang'an had executed Gong Dian, which was clearly a slap in Emperor Qing's face.

According to intelligence from the Supervisory Council, Li Chang'an had dispatched his two most elite Martial Artist cavalry units to attack Western Hu again.

Li Chang'an remained at Yang Pass, deeply reorganizing the Ding Zhou Army.

It could be said that Li Chang'an was showing an attitude, an attitude of distrust towards the Crown Prince and Emperor Qing.

Li Chang'an's family was all in the capital, and there were no signs of them leaving, so Emperor Qing judged that he would not go as far as to rebel.

Because, with Li Chang'an's current merits, it was very likely for him to legitimately become the Crown Prince of Qing Kingdom.

Therefore, Emperor Qing personally issued an imperial edict, comforting Li Chang'an and asking him to return to the capital.

Then Li Chang'an submitted another memorial, stating that Western Hu had gone too far in bullying them, and he was determined to eradicate the Western Hu royal court.

He even said that if it weren't for insufficient troops, he could completely exterminate the Western Hu.

After several rounds of back-and-forth, Emperor Qing realized that the situation had completely reversed.

When sending Li Chang'an out, Emperor Qing had wanted him to stay outside for a few more years.

But half a year had passed, and Emperor Qing was constantly hoping for Li Chang'an to return soon.

Li Chang'an held significant military power and was self-important, which truly worried Emperor Qing.

If Li Chang'an were to truly raise the banner of rebellion, Qing Kingdom would instantly split apart.

Moreover, with Li Chang'an's military strength, Emperor Qing had no confidence in quelling the rebellion in a short time.

Northern Qi, Imperial Palace.

Empress Dowager Wei finally received a reply from Li Chang'an.

Upon receiving the news that Li Chang'an had stopped his return to the capital, Empress Dowager Wei immediately sent a letter to Li Chang'an.

The meaning was clear: she invited Li Chang'an to declare himself Emperor of Western Qin, taking control of Western Qin State and the Northwest of Qing Kingdom.

Northern Qi would fully support Western Qin in its confrontation with Southern Qing, and was even willing to persuade the Great Grandmaster to help.

Empress Dowager Wei wrote several pages with sincere words, but Li Chang'an only replied with five characters.

After reading it, Empress Dowager Wei was instantly speechless.

Clearly, Li Chang'an hadn't considered her idea at all.

"What is this Li Chang'an thinking? Does he still want to return to the Southern Qing capital to be a bullied prince?"

"With his achievements, he either gets established as Crown Prince, or he dies!"

"I spoke to him with all my heart, and he didn't take it seriously at all!"

The more Empress Dowager Wei thought about it, the angrier she became. She had just placed the paper over a candle, intending to burn it, but then regretted it.

"Forget it, I won't burn it. The handwriting is quite beautiful."

On that paper, five characters were written in a free and elegant style.

"Madam, do you miss me?"

At almost the same time, the young Emperor Zhan Doudou also received a reply from Li Chang'an.

Her letter to Li Chang'an conveyed a similar message to Empress Dowager Wei's.

However, the words subtly hinted that if Li Chang'an declared himself Emperor of Western Qin, their relationship would become closer.

While explaining the larger situation, there was a faint hint of affection within, with the balance perfectly struck.

Li Chang'an's reply was equally concise: "My beauty, do not worry, the day of our meeting is not far."

Zhan Doudou gritted her teeth, pondering what Li Chang'an truly meant.

Recalling a military report from some time ago, she quickly understood.

Han Xin had already moved one hundred thousand elite troops to the Qin-Qi border, ready to attack Northern Qi at any time.

Although one hundred thousand troops couldn't destroy Northern Qi, it demonstrated the attitude of Western Qin and Li Chang'an.

"Li Chang'an, you truly don't know a good heart!"

"You are in dire straits in the Southern Qing court, yourself in a perilous situation, yet completely unaware!"

"Moreover, Great Qi has Grandmaster Ku He, so even with a million elite troops, you can't hope to destroy Qi!"

More than two months later, Ye Wan and Shang Shanhu returned to Ding Province.

The Western Hu Golden Tent royal court and the royal courts of the Left and Right Wise Kings were all swept away.

The two captured Chanyu Su Bi Da alive, executed all the Left and Right Wise Kings and exterminated their clans, and seized countless cattle, sheep, and horses.

Li Chang'an's power and prestige in the Northwest region grew even stronger!

Such military prowess was something no Central Plains emperor had achieved in several centuries.

Southern Qing.

In the Imperial Study, Chen Pingping and Emperor Qing sat opposite each other, having just reported the latest intelligence.

Li Chang'an had destroyed Western Qin, and exterminated the royal courts of the Northern Barbarians and Western Hu, leaving Emperor Qing utterly perplexed.

"Director Chen, how do you think Li Chang'an managed to do it?"

"It took forty thousand elite cavalry to eliminate the Northern Barbarian royal court, but only twenty thousand to eliminate the Western Hu Golden Tent!"

Chen Pingping replied, "The barbarian tribes of the snowy regions and the nomadic people of the grasslands all practice a tribal system.

The royal courts where the Khans and Chanyus reside are merely larger tribes."

"Unless they gather their forces to plunder the Central Plains, they live in scattered tribes, and their armies are not concentrated."

"If our cavalry is strong enough, we can indeed sustain ourselves through warfare, eliminating tribes one by one."

"Troops are not about quantity but quality. Entering the snowy regions and grasslands requires battle-hardened elite soldiers.

Too many people would only increase the burden and hinder sustaining ourselves through warfare."

Emperor Qing nodded; this was a basic consensus among Northern Wei, Northern Qi, and Southern Qing.

Chen Pingping continued, "It sounds easy, but it's almost impossible to achieve."

"Firstly, the foreign royal courts are nomadic and unpredictable. The grasslands and snowy regions are vast, stretching for tens of thousands of miles, making it impossible to locate tribes and royal courts."

"If one gets lost in the snowy regions or grasslands, no matter how many people there are, they can only wait for death."

"Secondly, no matter how strong our cavalry is, we don't have guaranteed victory against the foreign cavalry."

"Foreign cavalry are all warriors, fighting from a young age, and are exceptionally fierce."

Emperor Qing said in a deep voice, "The first problem requires precise intelligence and guides. The second problem is to raise a hundred-times-victorious cavalry force."

"Director Chen, I don't think these two things can be accomplished in just half a year. I always feel that this was a long-planned operation by Li Chang'an."

"However, he had never been involved in military affairs before, nor had he befriended any generals."

Chen Pingping said, "This old official believes the key to this matter lies with Western Qin.

Western Qin had been preparing for many years in terms of intelligence and raising an army."

Emperor Qing slapped his thigh and said, "I thought so too, which makes it even stranger."

"Western Qin should be far stronger than it appears on the surface, but why did it so wholeheartedly pledge allegiance to Li Chang'an once it fell into his hands?"

Chen Pingping bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this old official is currently investigating, but has found nothing yet."

"Your Majesty, it is now time to invite His Highness the Prince of Qin back to the capital. We cannot allow Great Qing to fall into division."

Ye Zhong was sidelined in the capital of Western Qin State, and the Ding Zhou Army was now controlled by Li Chang'an's men, capable of carving out a territory at any time.

Emperor Qing's expression was somewhat gloomy. "There are already calls in the court for a change of Crown Prince, but how can the Crown Prince be deposed arbitrarily when he has committed no crime?"

Emperor Qing's thoughts on the imperial throne had never changed; if he could achieve immortality, that would naturally be best.

If not, it would definitely be passed on to his son.

If the Crown Prince was not suitable, there were other sons.

Although Li Chang'an had made great contributions, Emperor Qing believed he could control the situation.

After all, he had a hidden trump card; he was a Great Grandmaster!

He had an internal plan to eliminate Si Gu Jian and Ku He entirely, and sweep away all destabilizing factors within the country.

These destabilizing factors included Li Yunrui, the Qin Family, Li Chang'an, and even Chen Pingping.

Therefore, Emperor Qing knew that the most rational approach now was to stabilize Li Chang'an and invite him back.

As long as Li Chang'an returned to the capital, Emperor Qing believed he could gradually weaken Li Chang'an's power.

Then, step by step, he would truly incorporate Western Qin State into the territory of Qing Kingdom, under his own rule.

"The Crown Prince cannot be deposed!"

"However, I fear that no other condition besides the position of Crown Prince can satisfy Li Chang'an."

Chen Pingping said calmly, "Your Majesty, do you remember the precedent in Great Qing where a Prince directly ascended the throne?"

"At that time, there were two imperial princes vying for the throne: one was the Crown Prince, and the other was a Prince concurrently serving as the Kyoto Prefecture Chief. Their chances of succession were almost equal."

In Southern Qing history, a prince concurrently serving as the Kyoto Prefecture Chief had special significance.

The instance Chen Pingping referred to was when that prince eventually succeeded to the throne.

"Concurrently serving as the Kyoto Prefecture Chief is not enough; he must also be granted special rites, so that his treatment is on par with the Crown Prince's."

Emperor Qing listened to Chen Pingping's words and began to grit his teeth.

He, a dignified Great Grandmaster, the Emperor of the strongest nation in the world, was actually forced to make such a humiliating concession!

However, Emperor Qing, as a power animal, was terrifyingly rational.

He knew that he had to maximize his own interests.

He had to plan step by step, firmly seizing control of the lands Li Chang'an had conquered.

Then, he would devise a plan to uproot Li Chang'an along with his forces; this was the safest approach.

Therefore, he still had to endure!

Having been on the throne for over twenty years, this was the first time he felt so stifled!

"Director Chen, do as you say."

Chen Pingping bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"

"In the current situation, everything must prioritize stabilizing Li Chang'an!"

Emperor Qing's expression returned to calm. "Evidence of Li Chang'an's treacherous intentions must also begin to be collected."

"I hope this time, the Supervisory Council will not disappoint Us again!"

The main reason for Li Chang'an's growth into a behemoth was the Supervisory Council's dereliction of duty.

Due to erroneous intelligence from Western Qin, Emperor Qing made a wrong judgment, sending Li Chang'an to the border army.

Several days later, in Dragon Guard Manor.

Fan Ruoruo, Zhan Pianpian, and Ye Ling'er were playing mahjong with Lin Wan'er.

In front of Lin Wan'er, piles of broken silver and banknotes had already accumulated.

Fan Ruoruo held a tile, hesitating for a long time before daring to play it.

Lin Wan'er smiled slightly, "Princess Qin, why do you make this princess rush again!"

Fan Ruoruo gave a wry smile, then played the tile in her hand, "Two of bamboos!"

Lin Wan'er, who had already declared a 'listening hand', didn't speak, and Fan Ruoruo let out a long sigh of relief.

After one round, Ye Ling'er also happily played a two of bamboos.

"Hehe! Sister played this one already, Wan'er, you shouldn't be able to win with it, right!"

Lin Wan'er looked coldly at Ye Ling'er, "You must call this princess Princess Yichen. You've already lost the right to call me Wan'er!"

Ye Ling'er's front was completely empty; she had nothing left to lose, reaching the point of losing the right to use informal address.

"Alright, alright, Your Highness Princess Yichen~"

Lin Wan'er's lips curled upwards as she pushed down the tiles in front of her, "I win! I was waiting for your two of bamboos!"

Ye Ling'er immediately protested, "Sister played a two of bamboos just now too! Why didn't you win from her!"

Lin Wan'er had specifically set this rule to win against Ye Ling'er, letting Fan Ruoruo off so Ye Ling'er would be the one to 'light the cannon' (pay).

"Ye Ling'er, what's wrong, are you a sore loser!"

"From this round onwards, call this princess Princess Yichen!"

Ye Ling'er didn't know why Lin Wan'er always targeted her from time to time.

She thought long and hard, it must be because she got married first, so Lin Wan'er was unhappy!

Ye Ling'er pleaded, "Let Qingwen play, I'm not playing anymore, I'm not playing."

Lin Wan'er said sternly, "If you leave the game, this princess will cut off the provisions for Li Chang'an and Ye Zhong!"

Lin Wan'er was in charge of the Imperial Treasury, but Li Chang'an's provisions were supplied by the Ministry of Revenue, and Li Chang'an had never relied on the capital's provisions anyway.

But Ye Ling'er didn't know that! Her husband, father, and elder brother were all in the Northwest, so she dared not offend Lin Wan'er in the slightest.

Ye Ling'er and Zhan Pianpian had never won a single game since Lin Wan'er joined the table.

Unable to win, yet unable to quit, Ye Ling'er was truly in a difficult position.

Fortunately, at this moment, Gao Wuniang hurried in and reported a piece of news to Lin Wan'er, which finally rescued Ye Ling'er.

"Your Highness Princess, His Majesty has issued an imperial decree."

"His Highness the Prince of Qin is appointed Chief of Kyoto Prefecture, and the former Chief of Kyoto Prefecture, Mei Zhili, is demoted to Prefect of Kyoto."

"His Highness the Prince of Qin is granted the special rites of wearing a sword into the Imperial presence, not needing to rush in court, and not needing to announce his name when presenting memorials, with all such special honors one rank higher than the Crown Prince!"

"He is also awarded three times the Prince's salary, one hundred thousand taels of silver, and ten thousand taels of gold..."

Hearing this news, Lin Wan'er showed a relieved smile.

"His Majesty has brought out all the ancient rituals. The salary and gold are just for show, they don't count for much."

"The Prince's title combined with Chief of Kyoto Prefecture, plus special rites superior to the Crown Prince, that is the most crucial part."

The three Princesses knew that Lin Wan'er was Li Chang'an's staunch ally, and knew even more than they did.

Therefore, discussing these matters in Dragon Guard Manor was not taboo.

Fan Ruoruo slowly said, "So, from now on, Great Qing Kingdom will have two Crown Princes?"

Zhan Pianpian blinked her clear, large eyes, "Your Crown Prince has no achievements, no talent, why doesn't Your Majesty just depose him!"

The clever Lin Wan'er had already guessed that Li Chang'an was finally about to return.

"Three Princesses, this princess has other important matters today, so I will take my leave first."

After the three Princesses respectfully saw Lin Wan'er off, Lin Wan'er turned back and patted Ye Ling'er on the backside.

"Ye Ling'er, this princess is in a good mood today, so I'll let you off for now."

After speaking, Lin Wan'er smiled and strode away.

Zhan Pianpian cautiously asked, "Ling'er, how did you offend Her Highness Princess?"

Ye Ling'er said with a mournful face, "How would I know!"

Fan Ruoruo chuckled softly, as if she had discovered a subtle, hidden clue.

Half a month later, Li Chang'an, leading two divisions of Dragon Cavalry, returned to the outskirts of the capital.

The Crown Prince, the First Prince, the Third Prince, and civil and military officials traveled ten li out of the city to welcome him.

Li Chang'an saw from afar the flags obscuring the sun, and the music shaking the heavens, a truly lively scene.

As Li Chang'an rode closer, the Crown Prince respectfully bowed and cupped his hands, while everyone else knelt on the ground.

"Welcome His Highness the Prince of Qin on his triumphant return!"

Li Chang'an dismounted his warhorse, scanning the kneeling crowd and the fluttering banners.

Immediately, his expression couldn't help but darken.

The banners were wrong, and the music was wrong too!