Chapter 18: Please, Imperial Grandfather, Appoint a Crown Prince!

Hongyi Palace.
Now known as Da'an Palace.
Although Li Chengqian had caused such a stir, Li Shimin did not force Li Yuan to move out of the Taiji Palace immediately.
However, Li Yuan was very tactful and moved to Da'an Palace the very next day.
In truth, he understood the situation well.
The world had always worked this way: whoever held the blade held the power of speech.
When dealing with a man who had killed his own brothers and forced his father to abdicate, to speak to him of respect and consideration was simply to invite him to rub one's face into the dust.
Therefore, Li Yuan could not be bothered to haggle.
If you want me to move, I will move.
At this moment, inside Da'an Palace, music and dance filled the air.
The sounds of strings and woodwinds were incessant.
As the Retired Emperor, Li Yuan had looked much older since his abdication, yet his spirit remained robust.
He sat drinking wine, smiling as he watched the dancers.
Beside him, a woman in luxurious court attire and loose pink robes was pouring his wine.
To his lower left sat an old man, roughly the same age as Li Yuan, though perhaps looking slightly younger.
This was none other than Pei Ji, the Minister of Works and one of Li Yuan’s veteran officials.
"I heard that the Empress of the Second Son has been reducing the number of palace maids lately. I wonder if there is any truth to that?"
After downing a cup of the latest brewed rice wine, Li Yuan asked nonchalantly, his eyes fixed on the dancing girls.
"This..."
Pei Ji, who was just about to enjoy a pastry from the table, paused. He glanced at the lady in court dress with a chuckle and said slowly, "Your Majesty, you are now the Retired Emperor. Perhaps there are some things you should not take too much to heart..."
As he finished speaking, he couldn't help but sigh, "Speaking of which, being a Retired Emperor is no easy task either!"
At these words, the previously indifferent Li Yuan suddenly wore a look of displeasure.
It is said that each emperor brings his own ministers, and although Li Yuan had retreated to the sidelines, who could easily let go of past power?
Especially hearing this from his old official, Pei Ji, a nameless fire flared up within him. He couldn't help but retort indignantly, "Is this something one shouldn't care about? It's just a few palace maids! Is the Retired Emperor no longer an emperor? Does he no longer need to live his life?"
"Uh..."
Pei Ji’s face twitched. *Why are you venting your anger on me?* he thought. *I’m not the one who wants to cut your palace maids! If you want to get angry, go find Li Er!*
Though he felt deeply wronged, Pei Ji still offered a dry, conciliatory smile: "The Retired Emperor is right. One must have people to serve them in daily life!"
"Exactly! And is living one's life a matter of being petty?" Li Yuan demanded, still feeling aggrieved.
"Heh..."
Hearing Li Yuan's words, the lady in court dress exchanged a look with Pei Ji and chimed in with a laugh: "If you don't care, we concubines might as well be the ones serving you your bedpans from now on."
"What kind of talk is that?"
Li Yuan tilted his head, dissatisfied. "My concubines all have official titles. If there is no one to serve you, what kind of titles do you even hold?"
"Oh, so the Retired Emperor isn't senile yet!" the lady in court dress said with a feigned tone of surprise. "I thought you had lost your wits!"
"Heh..."
Pei Ji offered an awkward smile.
He knew that the talk of cutting palace maids must have been whispered into Li Yuan’s ear by this Lady Yin.
However, this wind blew at just the right time. It was high time Li Yuan took charge of some matters; otherwise, he and the other old officials might find their days ahead difficult.
But then, Lady Yin added with a sharp, sarcastic tone:
"If it were the Second Son who ordered the cuts, that would be one thing. But the fact that it is his Empress who says so, and you don't even care! If outsiders were to find out, they would think you, the Retired Emperor, have been ridden over by a woman..."
"Hmph!"
Li Yuan snorted coldly, sulkily picking up his wine cup and taking another drink.
Seeing this, Lady Yin continued to fan the flames: "If you, the Retired Emperor, make an issue of it, we can still live a decent life. If you don't care, then you really will be a lonely old man with nothing but a few aging hags for company!"
Hearing this, Li Yuan could no longer suppress his inner rage and slammed his cup down with a 'clack.'
The entire inner hall of Da'an Palace fell into deathly silence.
Even the musicians and dancers who had been performing knelt on the ground, trembling.
Although Li Yuan was no longer the reigning emperor, the dignity of the throne still clung to him.
"Hahaha..."
Seeing that Li Yuan was angry, Pei Ji hurriedly put on a fawning smile and comforted him: "Retired Emperor, please calm your temper. Everything is negotiable. How about I go and seek an audience with the Emperor and ask him to make an exception..."
"Exception my foot!"
Li Yuan glared at Pei Ji and flicked his sleeve. "Not a single maid in my palace shall be moved! Keep the music playing, keep the singing going, brew the fresh wine, and keep the luxury!"
"Otherwise, what is the difference between having won the world and not having won it at all!?"
With these words, Lady Yin and Pei Ji exchanged a look and smiled, then bowed in unison: "The Retired Emperor is wise!"
"Heh!"
Li Yuan beamed, raised his hand, and said, "Continue the music, continue the dance!"
Just then, a voice came from outside the hall: "His Highness the Prince of Zhongshan requests an audience—!"
"Hm?"
Li Yuan was slightly stunned and instinctively looked at Pei Ji.
Pei Ji was also taken aback. *Why has Li Chengqian come? Could it be that Emperor Li Er has come too? No, if the Emperor had come, he wouldn't have gone unannounced. That means Li Chengqian is here alone?*
Thinking of this, Pei Ji immediately bowed to Li Yuan: "Does the Retired Emperor remember the matter of His Highness the Prince of Zhongshan requesting the removal of the Crown Prince?"
"Yes, I remember you mentioning it."
Li Yuan nodded as if recalling, saying, "I just don't know why that lad Chengqian would do such an absurd thing."
"At first, I didn't understand either. But after thinking about it later, I felt that His Highness the Prince of Zhongshan is quite extraordinary."
"Oh?"
Li Yuan raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued: "How is he extraordinary?"
Pei Ji smiled, withholding the answer: "You will see for yourself in a moment."
"This..."
Li Yuan hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand: "Let him in!"
"Understood!"
A palace attendant outside the hall acknowledged the order, and soon brought Li Chengqian into the inner hall.
This was the first time Li Chengqian had seen Li Yuan since his transmigration, but the Li Yuan in his memories did not feel strange at all.
He knelt on the ground quite obediently and performed a respectful bow to Li Yuan: "Grandson Chengqian pays respects to the Retired Emperor, my grandfather!"
"Hahaha, my dear grandson, come here, come to grandfather!"
Seeing Li Chengqian’s obedient appearance, Li Yuan was very pleased and beckoned him over with a smile.
Li Chengqian showed no signs of discomfort and trotted into Li Yuan’s arms. He opened his innocent, wide eyes and looked left and right, causing Li Yuan to burst into laughter: "Hahaha, my dear grandson has grown taller. Come, tell grandfather, have you been listening to your parents?"
"Yes, I have! Chengqian listens to Father and Mother very well!"
Li Chengqian told the lie without hesitation, which made Pei Ji, who was standing to the side, unable to hold back a chuckle. *If you count as obedient, then there are no obedient children in the world.*
However, Li Yuan didn't care at all whether Li Chengqian listened to Li Er and his wife; he only cared about how Li Chengqian treated him.
So he asked with a smile: "Why did you think to come to grandfather today? Is there something you need?"
"Nothing in particular, I just missed you!"
"Good, good, good, my good grandson, your filial piety is enough for grandfather!"
Honestly, Li Yuan was truly moved; there is a reason they say grandparents are closer to their grandchildren.
"Grandfather, how is this Da'an Palace?" Li Chengqian asked calmly.
Li Yuan chuckled casually: "It's good, very good..."
"And is it comfortable to live in?"
"It's just a bed; it's the same wherever one sleeps!"
"Grandfather is truly carefree. Unlike me, I can't sleep if I change places!"
Li Chengqian couldn't help but sigh: "Although the East Palace is only twenty or so steps away from the Taiji Palace, the environment is similar, the terrain is low, and it's near the water. When winter comes, it's really no life for a person!"
"Heh..."
Li Yuan smiled noncommittally and said, "I don't have so many requirements. I haven't noticed what you're talking about!"
"By the time Grandfather notices, it will be too late..."
"Hm?"
Li Yuan frowned slightly, his mood unreadable.
Li Chengqian was clever enough to know when to stop. He immediately changed the subject: "It's just that the humidity is too heavy, which is bad for the health!"
"Oh, heh."
Li Yuan realized and smiled, then sighed with emotion: "Ah, you don't understand. I have suffered much in this life. If I had complained, there would be no Tang Dynasty today!"
Hearing this, Li Chengqian was somewhat moved.
Although Li Yuan’s contribution to founding the Tang Dynasty was not as great as Li Shimin’s, he had indeed suffered a lot in the beginning.
However, he hadn't come here today to listen to Li Yuan reminisce about the past.
He looked around and noticed Pei Ji, who had been watching him with a smiling face, and said: "Minister Pei, you are here too!"
"Heh, this old official pays respects to His Highness the Prince of Zhongshan!"
Pei Ji bowed with a smile, thinking, *You finally noticed me.*
However, after the bow, Li Chengqian did not engage him, but turned to look at Lady Yin: "And who is this?"
Lady Yin’s face sank, but she quickly smiled again: "His Highness is still young, how can your eyes be so dim that you don't even recognize your elders?"
"Oh, are you the new grandmother my grandfather found?"
"Pfft—"
Li Yuan, who was drinking, sprayed the wine all over Lady Yin. He coughed and said: "Cough, cough, Chengqian, stop talking nonsense. This is Lady Yin, you should address her as Noble Consort!"
"Oh, oh, oh, sorry. My grandfather has too many consorts, and you aren't pretty enough, and I'm still young, so I can't remember..."
"You!"
Lady Yin’s chest heaved with rage. She was about to complain to Li Yuan, but Li Chengqian continued: "Grandfather, I want to have a conversation between men with you!"
"Hm?"
Li Yuan was slightly stunned. He looked at Pei Ji, then at Li Chengqian, and said: "What kind of conversation between men?"
"It's a conversation between you, me, and Minister Pei, without any women!"
"This..."
Li Yuan hesitated for a moment, looked at Pei Ji again, and seeing the latter nod slightly, he waved his hand: "All of you, leave!"
"Retired Emperor!"
"Leave!"
Lady Yin left the banquet in a huff.
Soon, only Li Yuan, Li Chengqian, and Pei Ji remained in the inner hall.
"Chengqian, tell grandfather honestly, why do you have it in for Lady Yin? Has she offended you?"
Li Yuan spoke first.
Although his voice was calm, it still carried the pressure of an emperor.
Li Chengqian answered calmly: "I heard that she went to the inner palace to see my mother, trying to use your name to force my mother to submit and stop the reduction of palace maids."
"So, is it true that palace maids are being reduced?" Li Yuan narrowed his eyes.
"Of course it's true! It was my father’s order!"
"What?"
Li Yuan looked at him in disbelief: "Your father ordered your mother to reduce the maids in grandfather’s palace?!"
"What? Who told you that, Grandfather? My father and mother never said anything about reducing your palace maids!"
"Ah?"
Li Yuan was completely bewildered and couldn't help but look at Pei Ji.
Pei Ji was also stunned, wondering what was going on. He couldn't help but ask: "Could we have heard wrong?"
"Heh!"
Li Chengqian chuckled, then poured a cup of wine for Li Yuan and Pei Ji, and said meaningfully: "Perhaps... it was passed on incorrectly..."
"This..."
Li Yuan and Pei Ji exchanged glances, thinking that this boy was indeed extraordinary.
But then Li Chengqian said with great sincerity: "My grandson came to see you today, Grandfather, because I actually have an important request for you!"
"What is it?" Li Yuan asked suspiciously.
Pei Ji also looked at Li Chengqian with curiosity.
Li Chengqian took a deep breath, performed a solemn bow to Li Yuan, and said seriously: "Please, Grandfather, appoint me as Crown Prince!"
"What!?"
Li Yuan was shocked, and even Pei Ji was stunned into speechlessness.
*What is going on here?*
*Your father removed you from the position of Crown Prince, and you are asking your grandfather to reinstate you?*
*What kind of bizarre maneuver is this!?*
"Chengqian, grandfather heard that your father had already appointed you as Crown Prince, and it was you who voluntarily requested to be removed! Why are you doing this now?"
Li Yuan recovered from his shock and asked, completely baffled.
Li Chengqian looked aggrieved: "Grandfather, I heard that in ancient times, when emperors and ministers were invested, there was a ritual of declining three times and yielding three times. Even when you abdicated to my father, he went through the ritual of declining three times and yielding three times before taking the throne. So, I wanted to ascend to the position of Crown Prince in the same way..."
"But, but..."
At this point, tears welled up in his eyes. He couldn't help but wipe them away while sobbing: "But Father didn't follow the etiquette! He removed me and didn't reappoint me! Wuwuwu..."
"Uh..."
Li Yuan’s mouth twitched. For a moment, he didn't know how to comfort this unlucky child.
When others decline three times and yield three times, it’s a polite back-and-forth.
As for you? You did it directly in the imperial court!
Who could stand that kind of stimulation?
Never mind your father, even I would have removed you!
"Heh..."
Seeing that the grandfather and grandson had both fallen silent, Pei Ji, who had been quiet, spoke up with a smile: "His Highness the Prince of Zhongshan knowing the great rituals is a good thing, but can your father agree to a Crown Prince appointed by your grandfather?"
"Why wouldn't he?"
Li Chengqian raised his small eyebrows and said righteously: "My grandfather is the Retired Emperor! The founding emperor of the Great Tang! My father’s father! How could a son dare not listen to his father!"
"Good! Well said!"
Just as Li Chengqian finished speaking, a loud voice echoed from outside the door.