My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

Chapter 42 The Crown Prince Judges the Case, Su Wan Beats Her Brother

Li Chengqian, Princess Gaoyang, Chengxin, and others returned to the cave together.

Chengxin took out clothes for Li Chengqian and Princess Gaoyang to change into.

Princess Gaoyang was wearing clothes that were comfortable, but they looked a bit loose and oversized, like Wu Dalang (a character from Journey to the West). However, she decided to make do with them.

Li Chengqian sat in the center, his face ashen.

He disliked killing and didn't want to kill, but this time, he was truly forced to.

At this moment, Tujishe brought the fisherman up, his arms were tied behind his back, and he was forced to kneel on the ground.

Li Chengqian looked at him: "What's your name?"

The fisherman looked at Li Chengqian without saying a word.

Tuji came over and delivered a resounding slap to his left cheek: "You little brat, you've come here to cause trouble!"

The man's blood trickled down his lip. Then, feeling something in his mouth, he spat it out and produced a molar.

A moment later, his face swelled up.

Tsuchiya raised his hand again: "Are you going to talk or not?"

"I'll talk, I'll talk."

"You're such a jerk. You deserve a beating!"

"My name is Su Gong. The fisherman who ran away is Sima Suxu. I am his younger brother."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian thought for a moment and asked, "Is Su Xu Li Tai's subordinate?"

"Yes, last night, the leader of those men in black who blocked your way was named Wei Ting."

Li Chengqian nodded, thinking to himself that they were all part of Li Taiyi's faction.

How did you know we were by the Wei River?

"Last night, after you got help, Wei Ting led his men to retreat. However, they did not go far. Instead, they sent out scouts to observe you in the dark. Although they did not know your exact location, they knew that you were on Zhongnan Mountain."

They discovered you were heading towards the Wei River and notified us, so we made arrangements.

"I see. You're quite the actors. Well then, let me ask you one more question: Who killed the person who reported to Father Emperor that there was a wooden effigy buried in the Eastern Palace?"

"I was the one who did it."

Li Chengqian thought to himself, "It was indeed murder, not suicide."

"Very good, you dare to take responsibility for your actions, you do have some courage. Who was the person who attempted to assassinate Secretary Su Dan at his residence?"

"That person is me too."

"Who was the person who injured Du He?"

"I did it all."

"It seems Qingque has given you quite a bit of benefit; otherwise, would you be so willing to risk your life for him?"

"No, it's just that I'm already on a pirate ship, and there's no way to get off now."

"You're actually quite honest."

"Your Highness, I was forced into this situation. Please spare me." Su Gong said, kowtowing repeatedly.

What else do you know about Li Tai?

"Yesterday at Daxingshan Temple, the one who performed the act of breaking a stele with one hand, Fodingzhu, and the monk Fatong who wrestled with you, were both men of the King of Yue. They have all been bribed by the King of Yue."

"Just as I expected." Although Li Chengqian had already guessed this outcome, hearing Su Gong say it himself still felt a little hard to accept.

This shows that Li Tai had meticulously planned and laid a trap for him, just waiting for him to fall into it.

Luckily, I'm alive, otherwise I would have died long ago.

Chengxin suggested, "This person has killed people and done so many bad things, so why not just kill him?"

Li Chengqian waved his hand: "Don't kill him yet. Haven't I already had you build many prisons here? Let's lock him up for now."

"promise!"

Li Chengqian waved his hand, and Tujishe escorted Su Gong into the prison.

Chengxin said, "Your Highness, you may be thinking of your brotherhood and not have the heart to harm Li Tai. But do you see? You treat him as a younger brother, but he doesn't treat you as an older brother. He treats you as an enemy."

"Why don't we fight back! I'll lead the men and kill him!"

"Yes, kill Li Tai!" That's what the rest of the Turkic men all said.

Upon hearing this, Princess Gaoyang cried: "Your Majesty, Li Tai must have been instigated by villains to treat you this way. It is wrong of him, but Li Tai is also my brother. I do not want you brothers to kill each other."

If anything were to happen to either of you, I would be heartbroken. Waaah…

Li Chengqian came to her and put his hands on her shoulders: "Gaoyang, don't worry, I won't do that. I know he was just confused for a moment."

He won't do that anymore when he's a little older.

"You're right. You'd better keep your word."

"Of course. If you don't believe me, let's make a pinky promise."

The brother and sister made a pinky promise, and Princess Gaoyang stopped crying.

Chengxin and the others were very disappointed when they heard this.

Chengxin said solemnly, "Your Highness, Li Tai is in Daxingshan Temple today. If we want to deal with him, it shouldn't be too difficult. If we miss this opportunity, you will regret it in the future."

Li Chengqian interrupted him, saying, "Don't mention this matter again."

Everyone was helpless to change Li Chengqian's mind.

night.

Su Wan's boudoir.

Su Wan was pacing back and forth in her room, feeling extremely anxious.

Xue'er came in from outside.

"Xue'er, have you found out anything?" Su Wan grabbed her arm.

"I heard that Your Highness, Su Gui, and Princess Gaoyang went to Daxingshan Temple together," Xue'er said.

"Did Princess Gaoyang go too?"

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, Su Wan pouted and cursed, "That damned Li Chengqian is really too much."

Xue'er was startled by her words: "Master, what makes you say that?"

"Think about it, the Crown Prince took Princess Gaoyang with him, but he wouldn't take me. Don't you think he's going too far?"

"If that's what you're saying, then you've really misunderstood His Highness. He doesn't want you to go because he's worried about your safety."

He's protecting you.

How could you say that about him?

Su Wan looked at Xue'er and said, "I feel like something's off about you. You're starting to speak well of Li Chengqian now, which isn't how you used to be. Did you take some money from him?"

Upon hearing this, Xue'er hurriedly swore an oath: "You are not allowed to wrong an innocent person. I am only stating the facts."

"Okay, so what happened next? Did they see Li Tai?"

"The people we sent out to gather information haven't returned yet, so I'm not entirely sure either."

"These lackeys are so inefficient. I'll deduct their pay next month," Su Wan said irritably.

Just then, there was a loud bang, and the door opened.

Su Wan and Xue'er were startled.

It turned out that Su Gui had barged in from outside, looking quite disheveled.

"You're back. Where is His Highness?" Su Wan asked hurriedly.

"I'm very thirsty, quickly pour me a bowl of tea."

Xue'er quickly poured him a bowl of tea.

Su Gui was truly thirsty, so she took the teacup and gulped it down.

"Hurry up and tell me, where is His Highness now?" Su Wan urged him again.

Su Gui wiped her mouth with her hand: "Sister, I don't know either."

"What? You didn't know?" Su Wan grabbed his collar and slapped him twice across the face. "You went to Daxingshan Temple, were you drinking?"

"I...I didn't want to drink it, but those bald monks forced me to."

"You're talking nonsense. How could a monk drink alcohol? You're clearly lying. I think you're the one who wants to drink."

"Sis, this really isn't my fault." Su Gui covered his cheek with his hand, feeling that his sister was too domineering, slapping him twice without asking any questions.

"What did I send you to accompany His Highness for? You were drunk and didn't even know where His Highness went! Let me tell you, if anything happens to His Highness, I'll skin you alive!"

"Can't you let me speak? Can't you let me finish what I have to say?" Su Gui looked aggrieved.

"What exactly happened? It's not that I don't want you to tell me, but you asked for tea as soon as you came in. If you hadn't been drinking, would you be that thirsty?"

Su Gui steadied herself and recounted what had happened.

Su Wan and Xue'er were both shocked when they heard this.

Su Wan knew Li Tai wasn't a good person, but she never expected him to have planned this so meticulously.

Su Wan pondered for a moment, then asked, "You said you got separated from His Highness and Princess Gaoyang, and then you never found them again?"

"Yes. Once I shook off those men in black, I couldn't find them anymore."

"So, does this mean His Highness and Gao Yang have been captured by them?"

Su Gui shook her head: "His Highness is so smart, it probably won't be so easy for them to capture him."

If that's the case, he must have left some kind of mark so I could find him.

Su Wan lowered her head, resting her chin on her hand: "What you said seems to make some sense."

"If they didn't capture His Highness, and His Highness didn't return, then where could His Highness have gone?"

"In that case, Your Highness should be on Zhongnan Mountain," Su Wan analyzed. "I remember once you were hunting on Zhongnan Mountain with Your Highness and the Emperor, and then a small wild boar suddenly jumped out of a cave."

"yes!"

Su Wan smiled: "I understand. His Highness must be safe and sound, and he may already be back."

I'll go take a look at the East Palace.

The Eastern Palace.

After Li Chengqian returned, he was exhausted, both physically and mentally.

He lay in his ever-changing wheelchair, lost in thought!

Although he was only away from the Eastern Palace for two days, the experience during those two days left him with many thoughts.

He thought of Master Xuanzang's extraordinary talent and magnanimous spirit.

Xuanzang's lectures on the Mahayana-samgraha are even more brilliant.

Wherever his thoughts led him, the screen of the strategy simulator displayed:

Xuanzang's background was also very difficult; he experienced many hardships from a young age.

"When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first tests their resolve and strengthens their body; this is an eternal truth."

What you see is his achievement today, but in reality, he has put in a hundred times more effort behind the scenes.

The Buddha's teachings are profound and complex; to fully comprehend their mysteries is not something that can be achieved overnight.

Li Chengqian thought that if he could escape this sea of ​​suffering and become a monk at Daxingshan Temple, becoming a disciple of Xuanzang, it would be a blessing he had earned in his previous life.

[Host, you are now the Crown Prince, with heavy responsibilities. You cannot have such thoughts.]

"I'm already fed up. If I were to become a monk at Daxingshan Temple and have my father relinquish the position of Crown Prince to Qingque, would he still cause me trouble?"

Yes, he will cause you trouble again; there are historical examples of this.

After Liu Rong was deposed and demoted to Prince of Linjiang, the court closely monitored his movements. He was forced to commit suicide simply because he built a palace and encroached on some land designated for ancestral temples.

After being deposed, Crown Prince Yang Yong was placed under house arrest in the Eastern Palace, constantly monitored. Even his act of climbing a tree to catch bird nests was reported.

Similarly, even if you reach Daxingshan Temple, Li Tai will not let you go unless you are dead;

"So, you're saying I have nowhere to retreat?"

Your current situation only allows you to move forward, not backward; rest assured, this system will always support you.

"I asked you to raise ten thousand taels of silver, and you couldn't even do it. What support are you giving me?"

The rule of this system is: easy to borrow and easy to repay, easy to borrow again; please repay the one thousand taels of silver you owe this system last time, and this system can lend you another ten thousand taels of silver;

"You're here to collect debts again!"

This system is not for debt collection; it simply aims to better serve its host.

Li Chengqian thought calmly for a moment and said, "Alright, I will return one thousand taels of silver to you first."

So he took out a thousand taels of silver from the document drawer.

A flash of light appeared, and the thousand taels of silver vanished.

[Congratulations, host! Repayment successful!]

"Can you lend me ten thousand taels of silver now?"

Please wait while our system calculates your credit rating.

"What? You dare to fool me?"

Please remain calm, host. This is not a lie; it is simply the rule of this system.

A moment later, the screen displayed:

[Based on a comprehensive assessment, you have been overdue once. Please pay an additional late payment fee of ten taels of silver.]

"Late fees?"

【Yes. 】

"I'll fucking beat you to death!"

Please calm down, host. These are the rules, and ten taels of silver isn't much.

You've already repaid your principal of one thousand taels of silver, why would you care about ten more?

Li Chengqian thought about it and agreed, then took out another ten taels of silver.

[Please wait a moment, host. Your credit rating is being recalculated.]

After a while, it displayed:

[After recalculation by this system, your credit rating is 0 and you have a history of overdue payments. Therefore, we are temporarily unable to provide you with services.]

However, this system knows that your overdue payment was unintentional and will report it. After approximately twenty days, once approved, the overdue payment will be cancelled, and you will be able to enjoy the loan service again. The loan amount will then be reassessed.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian was furious: "Another twenty days? Get the hell out of here!"

【receive! 】

Li Chengqian was so angry that he sat in his chair, panting heavily. He thought to himself, "What kind of broken system is this? There are too many rules. What's the point?"

At that moment, Su Wan walked in from outside the door.

When Su Wan saw that Li Chengqian had returned safely, she felt relieved.

"Your Highness, you're back without even telling me. I was so worried about you," Su Wan said reproachfully.