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

Chapter 66 Li Lizhi Refuses Marriage, Changsun Chong Takes Poison

the next morning.

The Eastern Palace.

Li Chengqian is exercising.

He discovered that exercise could make people happy, and he forgot all his unhappy things.

At that moment, a person entered the palace gate crying.

Li Chengqian stopped and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Upon seeing that the visitor was none other than Princess Chang Le, Li Lizhi, her eyes were swollen from crying.

Li Chengqian was taken aback and took out a white handkerchief from his pocket, handing it to her: "Sister, what's wrong?"

Li Lizhi truly lived up to her name; she was naturally beautiful, with a face as lovely as a flower. At this moment, with tear stains on her face, she resembled a pear blossom in the rain, making her even more charming and touching.

She cried for a long time and said, "Brother, I don't want to live anymore."

"What's going on? Why do you say that?"

"When you were away from the capital a while ago, that brat Qingque wanted to curry favor and suggested to Father that I betrothed to Changsun Chong."

"But Changsun Chong is not only ugly, but he is also arrogant, indulges in drinking, gambling, and whoring, and does all sorts of bad things. How can I marry someone like that?" Li Lizhi said while crying.

Seeing her so heartbroken, Li Chengqian felt bad for her and could only try to comfort her, asking, "Have you seen Changsun Chong?"

"I've seen him. He's dark-skinned and thin, with an unremarkable appearance, like a rat," Li Lizhi said bluntly.

"So, do you know him as a person?"

"I've also inquired about him. He's a notorious scoundrel in Chang'an, a good-for-nothing who does all sorts of evil. I've also heard that he frequents the North Quarter."

Pingkangfang Beili was a notorious red-light district in Chang'an. You can imagine what kind of people frequented there.

"So, has Father Emperor agreed to this marriage?" Li Chengqian asked again.

"It seems that Father Emperor has agreed, but Li Ke is obstructing things, and for the time being, he has not made a clear statement."

"Do you know that Changsun Chong is the son of Changsun Wuji?"

I don't care whose son he is.

Li Chengqian nodded: "So, what's your attitude?"

"I swear I will never marry Changsun Chong. If you push me too far, I would rather die."

"Little sister, you can't have such thoughts. If something happens, we should communicate properly. You must not do anything extreme."

"If that were the case, wouldn't Father and Mother be heartbroken?"

"If Father Emperor loved me, he shouldn't have betrothed me to Changsun Chong."

Brother, your words carry weight with Father. Go and talk to him, and tell him not to agree to this marriage.

"I beg you." Li Lizhi started crying again as she said this.

Li Chengqian felt sorry for her and gently stroked her hair: "Little sister, don't cry anymore. If you cry, your eyes won't be pretty. I will go and see Father Emperor."

"Then I'll thank you in advance."

Military training ground.

Li Shimin is practicing archery.

He first shot arrows with his own bow, then fired them with crossbow bolts redesigned by Li Chengqian.

His archery skills were still as accurate as ever; he hit the bullseye with three arrows in a row. No wonder the Turks were afraid of him.

Wei Zheng said, "Your Majesty's archery skills are as superb as ever!"

Li Shimin smiled and said, "It's been a while since I've been on the battlefield, so I'm a bit rusty. As the ancients said, 'One should never leave the stage without practicing music, and one should never leave the battlefield without practicing martial arts.' That's so true."

"Your Majesty, you are only in your thirties this year, at the height of your power, and even more mature and composed than before. This is a blessing for the Tang Dynasty."

"Chengqian is different from other princes. The crossbow he designed is indeed exceptionally powerful. It is lightweight, easy to use, more accurate, and has a strong killing force."

Wei Zheng bowed again: "Your Majesty, I congratulate the Great Tang Dynasty and Your Majesty! Is the Crown Prince's intelligence not a blessing to the nation?"

Li Shimin nodded slightly: "You're right, I didn't expect him to have such talent."

Just then, Li Chengqian arrived.

Li Shimin smiled and said, "Chengqian, you've come at the right time. Everyone says you're a good archer. Shoot a couple of arrows for me to see."

Li Chengqian looked around and saw that besides Wei Zheng, there were other ministers such as Chen Shuda standing beside him.

"promise!"

Li Chengqian took the crossbow bolt, aimed at the bullseye, and shot it.

Although it hit the target, it was slightly off-target and didn't hit the bullseye.

"Chengqian, your archery skills are still lacking. Why didn't you hit the bullseye?" Li Shimin said with a smile.

Upon closer inspection, everyone realized that Li Shimin's archery skills were far superior.

Li Chengqian looked ashamed and said, "When I shoot arrows, sometimes I hit the target and sometimes I miss."

"That won't work. The target is stationary, so you can't even shoot it. If you encounter the enemy on the battlefield, will that work?"

The enemy isn't that stupid; they won't just stand there and wait to be shot.

"Your Majesty's teachings are correct; I will certainly keep them in mind."

Wei Zheng stood aside, watching the scene unfold. He nodded slightly, thinking that Chengqian had done the right thing, knowing how to save face for his father in front of the ministers.

Wei Zheng's assessment was accurate: Li Chengqian didn't miss the shot; he intentionally missed.

He had heard that when Emperor Yang of Sui and Prince Qi went hunting together, Prince Qi, in order to show off his superb archery skills, drove all the wild animals to his side. As a result, he caught a lot of prey, while Emperor Yang of Sui caught nothing and lost face in front of his ministers.

Originally, Emperor Yang of Sui intended to make Prince Qi the crown prince, but ultimately, because of this incident, he did not make him the crown prince.

Li Chengqian thought to himself that he must never do what the King of Qi did.

Li Shimin was also a man who cared about his reputation.

Although Li Shimin outwardly reprimanded Li Chengqian, it was clear that he was actually pleased.

Li Shimin said, "The crossbow you redesigned is quite powerful. After my trial, it can be mass-produced. We will produce a batch first and equip the Imperial Guards with it for a period of time. If it works well, it will be promoted throughout the country."

"Father is wise."

"For an army, weapons are very important. If our weapons are more advanced and powerful than those of the enemy, then we can win with fewer troops on the battlefield."

"When I was fighting battles, I mostly won with fewer troops than others. Sometimes the enemy's forces outnumbered ours by several times, or even ten times. It was rare for me to win with superior numbers."

"Father, you are a god of might, a blessing to the Tang Dynasty!" Li Chengqian said, then lowered his voice, "Father, I have something to report to you."

"What is it? Tell me."

"Father, are you planning to marry Li Lizhi to Changsun Chong?"

"You've heard about this too?" Li Shimin nodded.

"Yes, I think this is inappropriate."

"What's wrong with it?"

Do you know what kind of person Changsun Chong is?

Regardless of his appearance, I've heard that he's idle and good-for-nothing.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin frowned: "I have heard about these things, but he is the son of your uncle, Changsun Wuji. You must know that Changsun Wuji made great contributions back then."

Without his help, I would not only have failed to seize the throne, but I would probably have lost my life as well.

Changsun Wuji was not greedy for fame and fortune. When I wanted to make him prime minister, he firmly declined!

"I feel bad about it. Coincidentally, Tai'er suggested that Li Lizhi marry Changsun Chong. I think it's a good match, and wouldn't that bring us closer to Changsun Wuji?"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian thought to himself that he couldn't win over his ministers in this way, and that he didn't necessarily have to marry Li Lizhi to Changsun Chong.

"Father's concerns are not without merit. However, Li Lizhi does not agree to this marriage."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin angrily retorted, "What does a little girl like her know?"

This is not just a matter between the two of them; on a larger scale, it also concerns the rise and fall of the entire Tang Dynasty.

Lizhi is really clueless.

What is ugly? What is handsome? Once you get used to them, they all look the same.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian grinned and said, "Father, Changsun Chong has character issues."

Li Shimin said, "On the one hand, Changsun Chong is still young, and on the other hand, no one is taking care of him. Once he gets married, someone will take care of him, and that will be fine."

Li Chengqian understood that since ancient times, royal marriages have often been political alliances, not based on love, but on the interests of the royal family.

Previously, during Empress Lü's reign, most marriages were between children of the Lü family and children of the Liu family.

The same thing happened during the reign of Emperor Jing of Han. Empress Bo was originally a descendant of Empress Dowager Bo, but Emperor Jing of Han did not like Empress Bo. In the end, Empress Bo did not have any children and died of depression.

The same applies to the marriage between Emperor Wu of Han and Empress Chen.

Empress Chen was domineering and arrogant, while Emperor Wu of Han was autocratic and tyrannical; the two were constantly at odds.

In the end, Empress Chen did not have any children, and her position as empress was revoked, and she was banished to the cold palace.

Political marriages often end up like this, with virtually no happiness to speak of.

After hearing what Li Shimin said, Li Chengqian felt it inappropriate to say anything more.

Wei Zheng, who was nearby, heard this and came over to advise Li Shimin: "Your Majesty, you are a wise ruler. In matters like this, I think it would be best to consult Princess Chang Le."

If Princess Chang Le firmly disagrees, and His Majesty forces her to agree, there might be unforeseen consequences.

Li Shimin gazed ahead and sighed, "Alright, I'll have Li Lizhi come to see me later, and I'll ask her in person."

Li Chengqian said, "Okay."

night.

Lizheng Hall.

Empress Zhangsun was playing with Weishan when Li Shimin walked in from outside.

Wei Shan ran over and asked Li Shimin for a hug.

Li Shimin bent down, hugged him tightly, and kissed him repeatedly: "Weishan, your father asks you, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I don't want to be anything, I just want to be a prince."

"Don't you want to be emperor?"

"No, being an emperor is too tiring; there's no time to play."

Besides, isn't my elder brother the crown prince, destined to become emperor?"

"You're so smart, such a good boy. Go play now."

Li Shimin gently put him down again.

Empress Zhangsun, observing Li Shimin's expression, noticed that he didn't look well and asked, "What happened?"

Li Shimin then recounted to her some recent events.

Empress Zhangsun's expression changed upon hearing this: "According to you, isn't Tai'er in danger in Tuyuhun?"

"Yes, I have already made arrangements."

"Tai'er is too careless. How did he fall into someone's ambush again?"

"Haven't you learned your lesson from the last time?" Empress Zhangsun asked with a worried expression.

"He was careless. Also, because Su Wan gave him a fake agreement that said Tuyuhun would surrender to the Tang Dynasty, Tai'er believed it and went to persuade Tuyuhun to surrender. He didn't expect to fall into the trap set by the King of Tianzhu."

Why did Su Wan do that?

"I understand, it seems Chengqian instructed her to do it this way."

Empress Zhangsun said, "How can you joke about such a thing? Have they gone too far?"

Chengqian went too far. No matter what, I don't want the brothers to attack each other.

You must rescue Tyrell no matter what.

"Don't worry, Tai'er will be fine."

Empress Zhangsun felt more at ease when she saw that Li Shimin spoke with certainty.

"What are your thoughts on Li Lizhi's marriage? Do you really intend to marry her off to Changsun Chong?"

What are your thoughts?

Empress Zhangsun stood up, placed her hands in front of her abdomen, and paced back and forth in the hall: "Zhangsun Wuji is my elder brother, and Zhangsun Chong is his son, which is my nephew. I know my nephew very well."

In terms of appearance, character, and talent, he is probably not up to par.

However, he is my nephew, and in terms of loyalty, there should be no problem.

"If we marry Lizhi to Changsun Chong, it will greatly benefit the relationship between our two families. But what is Lizhi's attitude towards this matter?"

"She doesn't seem too keen on it."

"Your Majesty, please heed my advice. If Lizhi does not agree, let's just drop the matter. You can't force a relationship."

For a woman, marriage is the most important thing. If her marriage is unhappy, then her life is essentially over. Are we really going to ruin Lizhi's lifelong happiness just to strengthen the relationship between our two families?

"What you said makes some sense. I have already asked Chengqian to speak to her and have her come to see me."

Just then, Li Lizhi entered from outside the door, bowed and said, "Father, Mother, your child greets you."

Empress Zhangsun beckoned to him, saying, "Come here, let your mother take a good look at you."

Li Lizhi nestled in Empress Zhangsun's arms like a child.

"You're getting more and more handsome," Empress Zhangsun said with a smile, holding his hand. "I heard your father is going to find you a good husband. Are you interested?"

Li Lizhi's eyes were red, and she cried again after hearing what Empress Zhangsun said: "I don't want to get married. I want to stay by my mother's side forever."

"Silly child, a man should marry when he comes of age, and a woman should marry when she comes of age. There's no reason for them not to get married."

"Even if I were to marry, I wouldn't marry Changsun Chong. I don't like him."

"Then tell me, why don't you like him?"

"For no reason, I just hate seeing him."

"If my father insists on marrying me to him, I'll kill myself."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's face darkened: "Stop talking nonsense. What are you talking about life and death at such a young age?"

Empress Zhangsun said, "Since Lizhi is not willing, I think we should just let it go."

Li Shimin said angrily, "You just spoil her!"

Although Li Shimin seemed very angry, it appeared that there was still room for negotiation.

Empress Zhangsun held Li Lizhi in her arms and comforted her in every way, and she stopped crying.

the next morning.

Li Shimin was having breakfast.

His meals were very simple: porridge, steamed buns, and a few Guanzhong side dishes, nothing else.

Because he advocated frugality in the palace, he led by example and practiced what he preached.

Changsun Wuji rushed over in a panic.

After he finished bowing, he said, "Your Majesty, please have the imperial physician examine Chong'er."

Li Shimin was also taken aback: "What's going on? What happened?"

"Chong'er heard that Li Lizhi disagreed with the marriage, so she committed suicide by poisoning herself this morning and is now unconscious."

"How could this happen?"

"Chong'er is too fond of Lizhi; he can't accept this reality," Changsun Wuji said, tears streaming down his face.

Li Shimin said, "Saving the child's life is of utmost importance. Quickly send Physician Sun to take a look."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Therefore, Physician Sun immediately accompanied Changsun Wuji to the mansion to treat Changsun Chong. Fortunately, Physician Sun arrived in time, and after some rescue efforts, Changsun Chong was finally brought back to life.

Both Emperor Taizong of Tang and Empress Zhangsun came to offer their condolences, which was a great honor for Zhangsun Wuji.

After Changsun Chong woke up, he quickly got off the bed and kowtowed on the ground: "Greetings, Your Majesty and Aunt."

Empress Zhangsun came over and helped him up, saying, "Your body is still very weak, quickly lie down on the bed."

"Thank you, Aunt."

So, Changsun Chong went back to bed.

"Why are you so foolish, child? Why would you do something so stupid?"

Upon hearing this, Changsun Chong burst into tears again: "I truly love Lizhi. I heard that she doesn't approve of our marriage. I feel like there's no point in living anymore, so..."

"Even so, you can't do this. If something happens to you, what will your father and mother do?"

Wouldn't you then be branded as unfilial?

"My nephew was confused for a moment."

"From now on, I must take good care of myself."

"Nephew, I've got it."

Afterwards, Changsun Wuji invited Li Shimin and Empress Changsun to the hall, where they sat down as host and guest.

Changsun Wuji sighed, "Thanks to His Majesty for sending Physician Sun in time to treat Chong'er; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Li Shimin frowned: "This child is so fragile, how am I supposed to handle this?"

"What I'm worried about is that if Li Lizhi insists on not agreeing to this marriage, Chong'er might still have a moment of despair in a few days."

"If anything happens to Chong'er, my husband and I won't live either." Changsun Wuji said, tears welling up in his eyes again.

Li Shimin spread his hands: "Other matters are easy to handle, but this is something I am helpless to deal with."

Empress Zhangsun looked at him and comforted him, saying, "Brother, don't worry. I'll discuss it with Lizhi later."

Upon hearing her words, Changsun Wuji wiped away his tears and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, sister."

Because he knew that his younger sister was no ordinary person; she was well-read, exceptionally intelligent, and her words carried great weight in front of Li Shimin.

If it's something Empress Zhangsun agreed to, generally speaking, there shouldn't be any problems.