Chapter 356 Falling short of success

Li Yuan didn't expect that he was just trying to pick some peaches, but he was forced into a corner.

The behavior of Prince of Jin Li Xuanqing was actually similar to forcing abdication.

So Li Yuan was very angry, but he couldn't show it because the third and fourth brothers directly held him up.

This was completely different from what he had imagined.

He had thought about making his second son the crown prince, but now was obviously not the best time. Looking at the densely packed crowd of generals kneeling below, one could tell how popular His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin was.

His popularity was too high, which would have an impact on his authority as an emperor.

So he wanted to wait and see. It would be best if his sons could fight with each other, but not too extreme.

But the scene of his sons and brothers living in harmony now made him, as a father, feel particularly uncomfortable.

Li Yuan looked at Li Er, and Li Er also looked at Li Yuan.

Li Yuan now has reason to believe that all of this was directed by the King of Qin. After all, the two rascals, the third and fourth brothers, were trying to help their second brother, him, become the crown prince.

But he vaguely felt that it might not be the case.

Because the second brother looked too excited. If he had planned this in advance, he shouldn't be so excited at this moment.
But the truth is, the second brother had no idea that the third brother was going to do this.

Even the fourth brother suddenly came up and joined in the singing.

But the two brothers directly accused Li Yuan, and they had reasons and evidence.

In terms of the eldest son, now that Li Da is gone, Li Er is the eldest son.

As for achievements, they are vivid and indisputable.

In terms of popularity and prestige, the third and fourth brothers, who are both qualified to compete for the throne, are almost becoming members of the Qin Wang Party. Just tell me whether they can convince the public.

Li Yuan let out a long sigh, and after a while he said, "The King of Qin has noble character and outstanding achievements. He is also the legitimate son of me and Queen Taimu. After Crown Prince Zhaode, he is the oldest King of Qin?"

Li Er stood up immediately after hearing the call: "I'm here."

Li Yuan said: "The King of Jin, the King of Qi, and a group of ministers all support you to be the crown prince. I actually had this idea a long time ago, but I was afraid that you would become complacent. Now I just take this opportunity to do so."

At this point, Li Yuan paused. He spoke very slowly and said a lot, so Pei Ji, one of the prime ministers, sighed helplessly and stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."

Li Yuan heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that you finally spoke, "Minister Pei, please tell me."

Pei Ji said: "The King of Qin has made great contributions to the country, and he is your Majesty's oldest legitimate son, but matters concerning the country's foundation should be handled with caution. I think it would be better to wait until the army returns to Chang'an to discuss such an important matter."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan showed a surprised expression, then nodded and said, "What Minister Pei said makes sense, King Qin, what do you think?"

What do you think? The King of Qin thought it was not a good idea and wanted to become the crown prince immediately.

But can you say that? Definitely not.

"This matter should be decided by your majesty, and I dare not interfere."

Li Er's words were neither salty nor bland, and everyone could hear that there was some dissatisfaction in them. But there was nothing he could do. The emperor just didn't want to make him the crown prince immediately. Could you still force the emperor to do so?

In fact, after Pei Ji said the above words, he broke out in cold sweat. He did not want to offend the King of Qin, because everyone could see that after the death of Li Jia Dalang, the Prince Zhaode, the King of Qin was basically the most qualified heir and the one closest to the throne.

Even his two powerful brothers support him to take the position. If you offend him at this time, wouldn't that mean you are wasting your life?

But there was no way, he knew Li Yuan too well. He spoke so slowly and avoided the question, obviously waiting for him to speak.

If he didn't say this, then as Li Yuan's confidant, he would die a more miserable death. Therefore, at this time he had to make all the choices and could only offend the King of Qin.

But Li Er really didn't hate him too much, because it was obvious that the old man didn't want him to become the crown prince immediately. Otherwise, why not say we should discuss it again when we return to Chang'an?

The two princes, the King of Jin and the King of Qi, and a group of generals saw this relief and knew that there was no hope today.

After all, even the real culprit, the King of Qin, was forced to express his opinion, so what else can they say?
The banquet soon ended, and the three brothers were the first to leave after paying their respects to Li Yuan.

Li San came out and said directly, "Second brother, you should have..."

Li Er smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "Sanlang, I understand your and Silang's good intentions. My eldest brother is gone, and the three of us brothers have fought side by side and supported each other all the way to today's Tang Dynasty. But Your Majesty is my father after all."

Li San also sighed helplessly and shook his head. "Second brother, don't worry too much about today's matter. Aye should have relented. We can discuss it in detail after we return to Chang'an."

Li Er hummed without comment, then said: "It's getting late, Sanlang and Silang, you should also go to bed early."

Li Si said nothing, but bowed to his two brothers, and then the three brothers left.

Li Yuanhui returned to his residence, which was originally the private residence of Wang family of Taiyuan in the city, and now served as his temporary residence.

After entering the inner house, he ordered the maid to serve strong tea to sober him up, as he needed to sober up.

He is having a hard time understanding the situation. Why does it feel like Third Brother's move doesn't seem like he is helping Second Brother?

Why does it feel like forcing the emperor to express his opinion in such a public occasion and making the second brother the crown prince is counterproductive?
Even if the second brother becomes the crown prince, it is impossible for him to have a good relationship with the emperor, right?

But on the other hand, for them, the emperor, this method is really the most direct and effective.

Otherwise, if you wait for him to take the initiative, it will take a long time.

So Li Si was very confused about the situation. After the tea was served, Li Si ordered his men to invite the military officer Dugu Ying, the chief secretary Li Baishi, and the guard Li Qinglian.

These three people are currently his most core staff.

He told everyone what had just happened in the hall, and then told them his own guesses.

"Do you think, my third brother, is this really helping the second brother?"

After hearing this, the three did not reply immediately, but thought about it. Li Qinglian spoke first, "Prince Jin and Prince Qin have always been good friends, and His Majesty has always refused to express his position. There is nothing wrong with His Royal Highness Prince Jin's behavior."

Li Baishi said: "Your Highness, you are probably the only one who knows best what His Highness Prince Jin is thinking."

After hearing this, Li Yuanhui nodded. What Li Baishi said was very interesting.

Today in the palace, he and his third brother sang the same tune, but they had not discussed it in advance. The third brother probably really wanted the second brother to be the crown prince, but he, Li Yuanhui, was just taking advantage of the situation.

First of all, he couldn't win the fight in the court. His status and achievements were not comparable, so he couldn't go through the normal procedures.

Secondly, even if he rebelled, he felt uncertain even if he had Zhu Yuanzhang and the God of War in his hands.

As for staging a coup, firstly, he had no roots in Chang'an, and secondly, Li Er himself was an expert in coups and it would be impossible to try this on him. It would be like showing off one's skill in front of an expert or waving a sword in front of Lord Guan Er.

So he might as well just express his support for his second brother to become the crown prince.

Isn’t that the end of it?
We can't defeat the rebellion, we can't win through normal procedures, let alone a coup. Given the situation, it's better to stick to our original intention.

When Jiangdong is conquered, he can go directly to Jianye to enjoy himself. Jiangdong and Huainan are such large and prosperous areas, enough for him to support these old brothers.

Of course, if there really is an opportunity, he will definitely give it a try. Human hearts never know how to be content.

(End of this chapter)