Chapter 37: Purge the Court and Execute Zhangsun Wuji

"What do you mean?"
Li Shimin reined in his emotions and asked with a sinking expression.
Previously, he had reminded Xiao Yu to grasp the greater good and understand the times, yet the moment he wanted to accomplish something monumental, Xiao Yu stood up to oppose him.
It turned out this fellow's earlier claim of "understanding" was just a perfunctory dismissal of him!
Simply outrageous!

Seeming to sense the fury in Emperor Li II's heart, Xiao Yu hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, it is not this old minister being an alarmist, but rather that Your Majesty has forgotten the current national condition of the Great Tang."
"Although the Great Tang has recovered some national strength by reducing the number of fiefs granted to princes, it is still not enough for the country to squander at will. For instance, Your Majesty's wish to compile a grand historical work is, in this minister's view, an untimely endeavor."
"If Your Majesty stubbornly insists on going your own way, it will easily plunge the nation into turmoil."

"Ha, what a joke! Compiling a book will plunge the nation into turmoil?"
Before Li Shimin could speak, Chu Liang at the side couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

Xiao Yu gave him a faint glance and said, "Academician Chu does not govern the state, so he does not know the hardships of the country. To say nothing of other things, just look at the personnel required for compiling a book. Must the imperial court arrange food, clothing, housing, and transportation for these people? Do you have any idea how massive the expenses involved would be?"

"This..."
Chu Liang froze, instinctively looking toward Li Shimin.
He saw that Li Shimin's brows were deeply furrowed, maintaining a silent expression.

"If what Your Majesty compiles is a grand compendium, the number of people required will only be greater, and the expenditure will be even more staggering. As a result, the imperial treasury will have to bear another colossal expense, which is extremely unfavorable for the current Great Tang!"
Xiao Yu continued, "Therefore, this minister suggests that Your Majesty temporarily shelve the compilation of the book. When the Great Tang becomes prosperous in the future, it might be better to resume it then!"

Upon hearing this, no matter how enthusiastic Li Shimin was about the Grand Compendium of Zhenguan, he cooled down.
Because what Xiao Yu spoke was the truth.
In the Great Tang, simply having enough to eat was still a problem; where would there be surplus funds to compile books?
The old saying that one compiles books in times of prosperity and encyclopedias in times of chaos was not without reason.

"Hehe..."
Li Shimin smiled knowingly, then glanced at Chu Liang and then at Xiao Yu, nodding as he said, "Every word spoken by the Left Minister comes from the depths of his heart. It was I who failed to consider this thoroughly."
"However."
Here, his tone shifted, and he said with unwavering determination:
"I will definitely compile a book that is the largest, most comprehensive, and most perfect in history! One day, I will govern the Great Tang into the most prosperous dynasty in history! I want to tell future generations about the glory of our era!"

"Your Majesty is brilliant!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Liang and Xiao Yu could not help but exchange glances and offer their compliments in unison.
The glory of the Great Tang was definitely not just the glory of Li Shimin alone; it belonged to the entire nation.
The Huaxia nation had weathered thousands of years of storms, having once shone brightly across the lands and grown immensely strong for a time, while also suffering humiliation and experiencing several brushes with near-extinction.
Yet, it had never surrendered to fate.
Because every Huaxia person believed that one day they would flourish once more, this civilization had endured, leading them to stand up tenaciously.

Why was the Yongle Encyclopedia praised by later generations?
Because it represented far more than just a book; it represented the thousands of years of Huaxia cultural heritage, a spirit—the spirit of unremitting self-improvement.
Therefore, the Grand Compendium of Zhenguan, conceived hundreds of years earlier, would similarly illuminate future generations just like the Yongle Encyclopedia.

Although the Grand Compendium of Zhenguan was not compiled smoothly as Li Shimin had wished, the act of striving to compile it became one of Li Shimin's goals in governing with redoubled effort.
He would use his actions to show the world that he wanted both the prosperous era of Zhenguan and the Grand Compendium of Zhenguan.
An era belonging to him had arrived.
......

However, amidst such a generational atmosphere, there were still those willing to brave universal condemnation and once again swim against the current.

At this very moment, inside a rather desolate tavern outside Chang'an City, Prince of Yi'an, Li Xiaochang, was secretly meeting with two men.
They were General of the Right Martial Guards, Liu Deyu, and Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, Yuan Hongshan.

Yuan Hongshan complained with a hint of anger:
"Is Zhangsun Anye actually reliable or not? He made an appointment with us here to discuss matters, yet he didn't even show up himself. What kind of behavior is this?"

"Hehe, Brother Yuan need not be angry. Anye had other matters to attend to; we don't need to wait for him!"
Li Xiaochang smiled and consoled Yuan Hongshan, then personally poured him a cup of wine.

Seeing Li Xiaochang personally pour him wine, Yuan Hongshan was instantly flattered, more than half of his irritation instantly dissipating: "I am aware that the Prince of Yi'an is close with Zhangsun Anye. Actually, I have no personal objections to Zhangsun Anye; it's just that our enterprise admits no delay!"

"I understand Brother Yuan's meaning!"
Li Xiaochang nodded, and then revealed the truth: "To not keep it from you two, Anye didn't intentionally stay away; rather, he went to see the Prince of Changleqi, running errands for our cause as well!"

"Oh?"
Hearing Li Xiaochang's words, Yuan Hongshan's eyes instantly lit up, and he couldn't help but turn to look at Liu Deyu.

Liu Deyu's eyes narrowed slightly, and he asked in a deep voice: "Does this mean the Prince of Changleqi will also get involved in our affair?"

Li Xiaochang glanced at him and replied vaguely: "If Anye has the ability to persuade the Prince of Changleqi, it's not entirely impossible..."

"This..."
Liu Deyu furrowed his brows slightly, then said with a helpless expression: "To be honest, we were forced by circumstances to embark on this path!"

Li Xiaochang sneered inwardly, while outwardly agreeing completely: "Am I not the same? We were all forced into this by Li Shimin!"

"Alas!"
Hearing this, Liu Deyu let out a sigh: "Feng Deyi is dead, and Yuwen Shiji has also been dismissed. We have lost two veteran officials in the court!"

"Indeed! Now that Zhangsun Wuji has become the Left Minister, things might be a bit difficult to handle!"
Li Xiaochang echoed the sentiment, then changed the subject: "However, we still have a chance. If the Prince of Changleqi is willing to intervene, we can easily employ a feint to the east and strike in the west to accomplish our goal!"

"Then what are the chances of success for Zhangsun Anye?" Liu Deyu couldn't help pressing.

Li Xiaochang mused, "Before setting out for Liangzhou, I corresponded with him once. He claimed to have a ninety percent chance of success, though I don't know if it's true..."

"Ninety percent? Doesn't that mean success is virtually guaranteed?!"
Yuan Hongshan exclaimed in astonishment: "I never expected Zhangsun Anye to possess such capability. How come I never noticed it before?"

"I rather feel that this matter doesn't look like Zhangsun Anye's scheming, but rather resembles the Retired Emperor's handwriting!"
Liu Deyu shook his head and said, "You know the Prince of Changleqi's temper well enough; apart from the Retired Emperor, who could possibly persuade him?"

"Brother Liu means that Zhangsun Anye was dispatched to Liangzhou by the Retired Emperor?" Yuan Hongshan inquired further.

Liu Deyu smiled and said meaningfully, "If not for the sake of the Retired Emperor, would we even bother interacting with Zhangsun Anye?"

"This..."
Yuan Hongshan instantly reacted, a look of sudden realization dawning on him.

Li Xiaochang looked at the two of them, straightened his posture, and continued: "Regardless of whether Anye succeeds or not, let us reiterate each person's assigned task. Make sure not to make any mistakes, or it will bring disaster upon ourselves and others!"

"Hehe, rest assured, Prince of Yi'an, we both have it memorized!"
Liu Deyu said with a smile: "I will control the Xuanwu Gate!"

"I will control the civil officials and the major gates of Chang'an!" Yuan Hongshan also said with a smile.

Hearing this, Li Xiaochang nodded in satisfaction and added: "I will command the troops of Yuzhou to enter Chang'an and escort the Retired Emperor back to his throne!"
Having said that, he looked around at the two and asked sternly, "Do you have anything else to add?"

"This..."
The two exchanged glances, and Liu Deyu said with some concern:
"Although Zhangsun Anye told us that the Retired Emperor intends to restore his reign, it wasn't the Retired Emperor himself who told us. I am somewhat worried: once we succeed, will the Retired Emperor heed our arrangements?"

"Ha!"
Hearing this, Li Xiaochang let out a scoff and said darkly, "Li Shimin didn't ascend the throne because the emperor gave it to him; he seized it himself. As for Li Yuan, just as he could submit to Li Shimin's arrangements, he can submit to ours!"

He paused here, his gaze gradually turning cold:
"To put it bluntly, he is merely a chess piece in our hands—not some Retired Emperor, nor any sovereign ruler!"
"If he obeys obediently, we can let him continue acting as emperor; if he disobeys, he remains nothing more than the Retired Emperor."

As these words fell, Liu Deyu and Yuan Hongshan looked at each other in dismay.
However, the boulder hanging in their chests finally dropped into place, and they no longer worried about matters after success.

"Oh right, there is one more thing!"
Just as the three of them were about to reach a final agreement, Yuan Hongshan seemed to recall something and said to Li Xiaochang, "Chang'an has tens of thousands of troops; how does the Prince of Yi'an plan to deal with them?"

"What we are planning is not a rebellion, but rather purging the wicked ministers from the sovereign's side. This prince has never thought of rebelling; you must be clear on that!"
Li Xiaochang said with a slight amusement: "Besides, without absolute certainty, this prince would not take personal risks!"

"Does that mean the Prince of Yi'an has a way to deal with those tens of thousands of troops?" Liu Deyu asked excitedly and eagerly.

Li Xiaochang glanced at him, hesitated slightly, then stood up from his seat and said nonchalantly, "Come, I will take you to see something. Once you see it, you'll understand!"

"This..."
Liu Deyu and Yuan Hongshan exchanged glances, their interest thoroughly piqued, and without another word, they followed Li Xiaochang out of the tavern.

Before long, they arrived at a secluded patch of woods.
At this moment, someone was already waiting for them in the trees.
Clearly, Li Xiaochang had made preparations well in advance.

He walked straight up to the man in black within the woods and asked indifferently, "Are the preparations complete?"
"All set, and anyone in the vicinity has been driven away," the man in black bowed and replied.

Li Xiaochang nodded in satisfaction, then turned back to look at Liu Deyu and Yuan Hongshan, smiling as he said, "The two generals must not be frightened later! Remember to cover your ears!"

"Ha! The Prince of Yi'an jests. We are not three-year-old children; how could we possibly be frightened!"
"Indeed, Prince of Yi'an, we are veteran soldiers who have been on the battlefield and taken lives. What kind of seas of blood and mountains of corpses have we not seen? How could we be scared?"

Seeing that both were full of confidence, the corners of Li Xiaochang's mouth curled up slightly. Without further ado, he took a torch from the hand of the man in black, walked twenty paces away, and ignited a fuse on the ground.
Immediately afterward, he ran back swiftly.

The fuse instantly sputtered with sparks, making Yuan Hongshan and his companion stare with wide-open eyes.
It was as if they were seeing such dazzling firelight for the first time, making them forget to run away alongside Li Xiaochang.

Boom!

Before they could even react, a violent explosion rang through the entire forest, causing even the ground to tremble.

Holy crap!
Hearing the explosion, Yuan Hongshan and his companion felt their hearts and livers tremble, and their legs gave out, causing them to drop straight to their knees with pale faces.

What on earth is this situation?!
What incredible thing has the Prince of Yi'an mastered to actually conjure heavenly thunder!
Could this be the key to his confident assurance of success?

Thinking of this, Yuan Hongshan and Liu Deyu turned their gazes toward Li Xiaochang.
They saw Li Xiaochang walking over with a half-smile as he said, "How about it, two gentlemen? Do you now believe that this prince can succeed?"

With that, he waved his hand, and several men in black immediately stepped forward to help Liu Deyu and Yuan Hongshan to their feet.

"Prince of Yi'an, what on earth was that thing just now?!"
"Yes, Prince of Yi'an, why have we never seen such a thing before? For something of such destructive power to exist in this world—could it be immortal sorcery?"

Seeing the two questioning him in lingering terror, Li Xiaochang smiled and continued, "When I first saw it, I was quite startled too. Actually, this item was procured by Zhangsun Anye; it is called a fire-thunder, a type of gunpowder weapon!"

"Fire-thunder? A gunpowder weapon?"
Liu Deyu froze for a moment, then sighed with deep emotion: "No wonder the sound just now was like thunder; it truly lives up to its name!"

"Hehe..."
Li Xiaochang smiled noncommittally, then looked around at the two and said:
"You have witnessed the fire-thunder for yourselves, so I need not say much more. You also understand that Li Shimin's tens of thousands of troops pose no threat to us!"

Liu Deyu nodded in profound agreement: "With this fire-thunder in our hands, our grand enterprise is guaranteed to succeed!"

"Then, for our next step, we need to take some new actions!"
Li Xiaochang took up the thread: "In this prince's view, we cannot rely entirely on that Prince of Changleqi, nor can we rely on nothing at all. We should first reach a consensus with the princes residing within the city!"

"Does the Prince of Yi'an mean...?" Yuan Hongshan asked curiously.

Li Xiaochang glanced at him and mused, "Ever since Zhangsun Wuji became Left Minister, he has repeatedly helped Li Shimin suppress the imperial princes. Since we are purging the wicked ministers, we might as well make him our first target. Once Zhangsun Wuji dies, the princes will surely rejoice!"
"At that time, we will also secure the support of even more princes!"

Having said this, he paused briefly before adding: "In the event that our operation hits a snag, I can still use the Yuzhou troops to confront Chang'an. Combined with the guards you control, openly calling to execute Zhangsun Wuji and purge the court will likewise win us widespread support."

Liu Deyu thought for a moment upon hearing this and nodded: "Splendid! This plan is wonderful!"

"Hmph! I've long found Zhangsun Wuji an eyesore. Let's kill him and purge the court!" Yuan Hongshan chimed in with a cold snort.

"Very well! Since neither of you has any objections, it's settled then!"
Li Xiaochang clapped his hands in agreement with a smile.

Soon after, the three of them departed the woods separately to prepare for their upcoming actions.
......

Wishing all book friends a happy National Day! Those who have guaranteed monthly tickets, remember to cast them for me! Double the good fortune!