Chapter 55: It Is Time to Act

Inside the Taiji Palace, the ministers and Li Shimin were discussing the characterization of Li You's incident.

Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out, startling all the ministers. Even Emperor Taizong Li Shimin himself broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing it.

He had not expected this person to speak up at this exact moment.

The one who stepped forward was none other than Zhang Xuanxu, one of Li Chenqian's tutors.

He had always been known for offering blunt and direct remonstrations. Apart from Wei Zheng, he was the admonishing official Li Shimin found most troublesome.

To think that this veteran official would step forward at such a critical juncture.

This instantly drove Li Shimin up the wall. Back when Wei Zheng was alive, Zhang Xuanxu's presence had been somewhat overshadowed, but ever since Wei Zheng's passing, Zhang Xuanxu had risen rapidly, seemingly poised to become a second Wei Zheng.

Now that he had stepped out to openly object, it truly gave Li Shimin a massive headache.

"Minister Zhang, pray tell, what crime does the Prince of Qi deserve?" Li Shimin asked, looking at Zhang Xuanxu with a forced smile.

"Reporting to the Sage: according to the laws of the Great Tang, rebellion is a capital offense. All those implicated, even accomplices, face execution. As for the domestic slaves of the Prince of Qi's estate, the Sage may grant them a special pardon," Zhang Xuanxu replied, lifting his head. With a calm expression, he spoke with absolute finality.

At this moment, Zhang Xuanxu had steeled his resolve, fully prepared to face Li Shimin's wrath.

"Do all of you... share this view?" Li Shimin did not answer Zhang Xuanxu's question; instead, he swept his gaze across the other ministers.

The ministers found themselves in a difficult position. In their hearts, they knew Li You deserved to die. If an act of rebellion by Li You could be specially pardoned, would future imitators expect the same leniency?

Yet, looking at Li Shimin's expression, they woke up to reality—His Majesty perhaps still wished to spare the prince's life.

This was a terribly thorny problem laid before the ministers, and they were at a loss.

Truly caught between a rock and a hard place, the court officials did not know what course of action to take.

Finally, Chu Suiliang stepped forward and declared righteously, "Sage, I second the motion. I believe Lord Zhang is correct; even for an imperial prince, rebellion is a capital crime."

Even as he spoke, Chu Suiliang cast sideways glances to observe Li Shimin's facial expression.

Yet, a bizarre scene unfolded: Li Shimin remained completely unfazed, maintaining a calm and collected demeanor.

Furthermore, there was no sign of anger whatsoever, as if Li You were not his own flesh and blood, but merely the child of some ordinary family.

Li Shimin's reaction was highly unusual. Especially under such circumstances, whether Li You was ultimately executed or not, he should have flown into a rage.

"Sage, this humble minister also seconds the motion," Cheng Yaojin said, stepping forward while patting his protruding belly.

Cheng Yaojin had always enjoyed great popularity and boundless luck. Whenever Li Shimin needed him, he would always step into the breach, rendering distinguished service to the empire of the Great Tang.

Now, he too had stepped forward to voice open opposition.

"Sage, this humble minister suggests we discuss the matter of the steam engine instead. This other issue can be temporarily shelved for debate among the ministers, to be handled when time permits," suddenly suggested Changsun Wuji, stepping out of the ranks to advise Li Shimin.

In truth, this was not Changsun Wuji's own idea, but rather instructions given by Li Shimin himself.

Li Shimin feared that if these veteran officials all turned into another Wei Zheng, his hands would be completely tied. To avert this awkward predicament, Li Shimin had made advance preparations, instructing Changsun Wuji to step forward at the critical moment.

This would allow Li Shimin himself to bide his time amidst the ministers' debate and handle Li You's affair with composure.

Changsun Wuji's intervention immediately took effect.

Several officials who had been poised to back Zhang Xuanxu and Chu Suiliang now chimed in, suggesting the controversy be temporarily shelved.

"This humble minister also believes the controversy should be temporarily shelved," Li Jing stepped forward, openly supporting Changsun Wuji.

Li Jing was exceedingly astute; he immediately perceived the underlying intent. Changsun Wuji's statement surely did not represent him alone, but rather reflected the will of His Majesty, Li Shimin.

The civil and military officials vied to express their opinions, and the eventual consensus was overwhelmingly in favor of shelving the dispute to discuss the steam engine for the time being.

This provided a timely pretext to defuse the current awkward atmosphere.

Li Shimin remained silent, sitting quietly upon the dragon throne as he watched the court officials argue among themselves.

He even closed his eyes, feigning an attitude of detachment from worldly affairs.

Seeing that Li Shimin refused to give further indication of his stance, the courtiers gradually calmed down.

Silence quickly settled over the Taiji Palace.

"Done talking?" Li Shimin suddenly opened his eyes, lifting his gaze with a faint smile. "I believe Minister Chang's words are wise. Since no consensus can be reached for the moment, you might as well write down your memorials after the court and submit them to me. Right now, I wish to hear your views on the steam engine."

This was what mattered most to Li Shimin at present. Especially after witnessing the might of the steam engine, he regarded its development as the paramount task of the moment.

"When this humble minister saw the steam engine last time, it truly dropped my jaw. The steam engine personally designed and supervised by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is simply too formidable. A single steam engine can match four thousand ordinary spinning wheels! Had I not witnessed it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it. Therefore, this humble minister proposes vigorously developing the steam engine," Changsun Wuji stepped forward, speaking of the invention as though he were still in a dream.

"Indeed, I recall asking you to compile the statistics. The energy output of the steam engine is immense; even after seeing it, my heart remained unsettled for a long time," Li Shimin suddenly turned to look at Li Chenqian. "Chenqian, this steam engine of yours is truly a work of ingenious craftsmanship, defying the very laws of nature. If mass-produced, it will undoubtedly propel the development of the Great Tang Empire to an entirely new level."

As he spoke, Li Shimin could not conceal his inner joy.

He found it hard to believe that a steam engine could be so astonishingly productive—one machine doing the work of four thousand. In any era, under any dynasty, this was a feat previously deemed impossible.

"I thank Your Majesty for the praise. This son will certainly do his utmost to vigorously develop the steam engine for the advancement of the Great Tang Empire," Li Chenqian stepped out from the side, hurriedly speaking with modesty.

He understood very well that when someone hands you a ladder, you must climb down. If he were to rely on this modest talent of his to show off wildly in front of Li Shimin, the ultimate outcome might be preparing a wedding dress for Li Tai or Li Ji to wear.

No matter what, the ultimate throne might end up having nothing to do with him at all.

This time, Li Chenqian was determined to contend with all his might. On the path to the throne, whoever blocked his way would be eliminated without a moment's hesitation—kill gods if they block gods, slay Buddhas if they block Buddhas.

True to form, these were precisely the words Li Shimin loved to hear most. The steam engine was his primary concern, and since Li Chenqian had already made his stance clear—that as long as his Imperial Father wished it, the steam engine was no obstacle at all—this was music to his stingy old father's ears and eclipsed all other matters.

As expected, hearing this, Li Shimin burst into hearty laughter. Looking at Li Chenqian with great delight, he continued, "Chenqian, keep up the good work. I intend to establish a dedicated research and development department, equip you with specialized personnel, and grant you full authority to direct them. Whatever difficulties you encounter, your father will support you with all his might."

Boom—

As Li Shimin finished speaking, a wave of bewilderment swept across the hall of the Taiji Palace. Many officials were caught completely off guard, never imagining that Li Shimin held Li Chenqian in such high regard.

Especially Li Tai, who felt as though he were reliving the scene back when his Imperial Father had established the Literati馆 for him. Those past events were too painful to look back on, surging into his mind scene by scene.

He had originally wanted to say something, but having been recently reprimanded by his Imperial Father and driven out of the Wude Hall, he was no longer in favor—or at least, not favored to the same extent.

Instead, the lucky one had become Li Chenqian, while he was reduced to mere foil.

For Li Tai, who had always occupied the core of power, this felt like sitting on pins and needles.

A trace of displeasure involuntarily welled up on Li Tai's face, though it vanished in a flash.

Even so, this subtle shift was captured by Li Chenqian.

Li Chenqian had kept a close eye on Li Tai, waiting for him to make a fool of himself. He was convinced that as long as Li Tai dared to act presumptuously, their Imperial Father would certainly not spare him.

And indeed, Li Chenqian's guess was correct. After a moment of hesitation, Li Tai reined himself in and ultimately failed to take that step forward.

Though Li Tai desperately wanted to step out, rationality won out in the end. In truth, he had been thoroughly disciplined by Li Shimin; the previous lessons were too profound—attempting to assassinate Li Chenqian, losing a public wager, and pretending to understand when he didn't, nearly getting Li Chenqian killed. Any single one of those offenses would have been enough to spell disaster for him.

It was only thanks to Li Shimin's indulgence that he had narrowly escaped severe punishment, yet expulsion from the Wude Hall was a heavy penalty in its own right.

Even so, the blow to Li Tai was immense, which was why he gritted his teeth and refrained from voicing objections this time.

"Understood, Imperial Father. This son obeys your decree and will certainly not let you down," Li Chenqian replied with a deferential bow, playing his part in seamless coordination with Li Shimin.

Seeing this spectacle, Li Tai grew even more furious. Of course he knew about the steam engine Li Chenqian had developed, but he attributed it mostly to blind luck. It wasn't that he couldn't accomplish such a feat himself, but rather that he currently lacked Li Chenqian's good fortune.

The ministers in the hall now fully understood: the relationship between father and son had warmed considerably, and Li Chenqian had gradually reclaimed his status as the apple of Li Shimin's eye.

"Oh, by the way, Chenqian, didn't you mention to me that you had another invention you wanted to show these ministers?" Li Shimin changed the subject abruptly and cast a meaningful glance at Li Chenqian.

Li Chenqian grasped the hint instantly—his Imperial Father was signaling that the time had come to play his trump card.

With this thought, Li Chenqian bowed deeply, looked up at Li Shimin, and mustered his courage. "Imperial Father, this son's invention will directly alter the landscape of the Great Tang Empire and bring about earth-shaking changes."

Spurred by this, Li Shimin perked up immediately. Leaning forward from his seat, he nodded at Li Chenqian and inquired with eager concern, "Chenqian, lay out your plan."

"Yes, Imperial Father, your son obeys." Li Chenqian slowly raised his head, resolved to play his ultimate trump card and show these ministers what true high technology looked like.