Chapter 29: Showing One's Talents

  Yang Guang ascended to the throne in 604, changed the era name to Daye in 605, and moved the capital to Luoyang. A series of actions showed his boldness and precision, everything was dominated by himself. In his eyes, any ordinary people including officials were his objects, could be used if useful, otherwise discarded. Yang Guang did not treat people as human beings, which also led to the downfall of the Sui Dynasty.

  Seeing Li Yuan's tightly locked eyebrows, Li Jiancheng was also very distressed. He wanted to reveal a bit of his own talent to share some worries for his father.

  "Alas!" Li Yuan sighed again, seemingly lost in thought.

  Seeing Li Yuan like this, Li Jiancheng decided that he had to share some of his father's worries. Otherwise, if his father became ill due to overwork, it wouldn't be good either. Besides, geniuses also exist, and perhaps they wouldn't think so much about it. It's not like the terrifying era of past lives where every strange thing was dragged to a research institute for dissection and study.

  "Father, you don't have to worry so much." Li Jiancheng said slowly to Li Yuan.

  "Oh? Cheng Er, why do you say that." Li Yuan heard Li Jiancheng's words and didn't find it strange. After all, he had always been more mature than ordinary children since childhood, so hearing his comforting words wasn't particularly noteworthy either.

  "Father, look, the minister who was beheaded and his family exterminated today must have been in one of two situations." Seeing that he spoke sensibly, Li Yuan focused a bit more attention on him, and he continued to say: "One, this minister was loyal to the former Crown Prince Yu. Now that Your Majesty has ascended to the throne, it is necessary to eliminate all obstacles, including the former Crown Prince Yu. If this minister was indeed loyal to the former Crown Prince Yu, then it means that Your Majesty intends to take action against the former Crown Prince Yu; two, this minister had opposed Your Majesty's actions. Your Majesty pacified Jiangnan at the age of 20, and his decisions were swift and decisive. It is likely that he would not hesitate to kill people either."

  At this time, Li Yuan was already attracted by what Li Jiancheng said. If a slightly older person had said these words, it could be said that he was talented, but since he was so young when he said these words, he could only be called a genius. So Li Yuan said: "My son is naturally talented, my Li family has a future!" Indeed, great people have insight, if in an ordinary family, he might have been treated as a freak, do you think that China's 5,000 years of talent would be scarce? Of course not, some talents are simply ruined by their own relatives and friends.

  "The words of Cheng Er are reasonable, but still lacking. Now that Your Majesty is benevolent and generous, respects the virtuous and yields to scholars, how could you possibly commit fratricide? Therefore, I think it must be the second situation, only I don't know how this minister offended Your Majesty." Li Yuan didn't quite agree with the first situation that Li Jiancheng mentioned. However, Li Jiancheng sneered in his heart: Yang Guang is benevolent and generous, respects the virtuous and yields to scholars? Even a sow would climb trees then! That's just superficial phenomena, Li Yuan will have opportunities to know eventually, but if he says it out loud, Li Yuan probably wouldn't believe him anyway. When he finds out, it'll be too late, in any case, it won't harm the Li family."

  After listening to Li Jiancheng's words, Li Yuan's worries also eased a bit, and the whole family had a harmonious dinner together. After dinner, he returned to his room to practice the inner skill of "Changsheng Jue Ri Zhi Pian" and swordsmanship, and another night passed.

  The next morning, after breakfast, Dugu Feng arrived. Today, he was going to teach her another 36 moves, and tomorrow, he would teach for one more day. After that, she would have learned the 108 moves of Wang Yue's swordsmanship. From then on, she could practice on her own. The only question was how much power the Wang Yue swordsmanship without the heart method could unleash. It seemed like he needed to find an opportunity to try it out. Who knew that this idea would have to wait for many years to come true? Perhaps that's what they meant by "nothing is certain".

  Still spent the day like yesterday, after sending Du Guofeng back, Li Yuan also returned home. However, Li Yuan's eyebrows were furrowed again today, which made him wonder what had happened again?

  Li Jiancheng's footsteps woke up Li Yuan, and as soon as he saw Li Jiancheng return, he said to Du Xian beside him: "Cheng'er, come with me to the study for a while, you eat first." After finishing, he gave him a look and left. It seems that something important has happened. Du Xian also looked at Li Yuan worriedly.

  "Mother, don't worry. Father must be worried about the imperial court, so he's like this." Li Jiancheng comforted. Duan Yin thought for a moment and went to invite Li Shimin and Li Yuanji to eat, putting it aside for now.

  After he entered the study, he saw Li Yu had already sat down in a chair.

  "Come here and sit down." Li Yuan said seriously.

  He was also very puzzled about what had happened and why Li Yuan would be like this.

  "Son, it seems what you said is not wrong, I was the one who made a mistake." Li Yuan's words startled him, what was going on here?

  "How can Father talk like this?" He said anxiously, if a thunderbolt came down from the sky, he would be done for.

  "Alas!" Li Yuan sighed and said, "This morning at court, Your Majesty confiscated the homes of some high-ranking officials and exiled others to remote areas." Li Yuan paused for a moment before continuing, "Originally, these things weren't that significant. However, later it was announced that the former Crown Prince Yong had died suddenly from illness. I thought this wasn't a big deal either. But then my insider in the palace told me something: yesterday, Your Majesty visited Crown Prince Yong's residence, and soon after, news of his sudden death broke out. This matter must be related to Your Majesty, which means that your previous actions were inconsistent with your true intentions." After finishing speaking, Li Yuan glanced at Li Jiancheng.

  Li Jiancheng nodded slightly to indicate he had understood.

  "Really? Then in your opinion, will His Majesty be unfavorable to our family?" Li Yuan now had some faith in Li Jiancheng's abilities and thus asked him anxiously.

  "Father, you're worrying too much! Firstly, Wang Guifei is Father's niece. With her in the palace, if His Majesty has any unfavorable intentions towards Father, she will surely send word to Father; may I ask, has Father ever had any differing opinions with His Majesty on the matter of him becoming the Crown Prince?" Li Jiancheng asked, turning his head.

  "We never have, our Li family has always not interfered with who becomes the crown prince, only following the emperor's orders." Li Yuan said. Upon hearing this, Li Jiancheng didn't know what to say, you maintained neutrality, although it doesn't offend anyone, but once the new emperor ascends to the throne, he will definitely have an opinion about your lack of support in the beginning, if you stood on the wrong side regarding the issue of establishing the crown prince, then you can also bid farewell, so these things all have two sides, before the result comes out, no one dares to say anything.

  "Since that's the case, Your Majesty also has no reason to take action against my father; lastly, and most crucially." Li Yuan heard what Li Jiancheng said was the most crucial point, he concentrated his mind to hear it, the first two points he might have thought of before, but never thought there was something even more important.

  "Our father is the head of the Li family, and our Li family is one of the four major families now. If any one of us four families makes a move, it will likely cause unrest, because no one can guarantee that Your Majesty won't take action against the other few families. Moreover, our Li family has a certain amount of power in our hands, which father should be aware of. Although Your Majesty may not know everything, you still have a general idea, so you also have some reservations about us four major families and don't dare to act rashly. Therefore, father doesn't need to worry too much." Li Jiancheng spoke fluently, and after listening, Li Yuan burst out laughing.

  "With a son like this, what more can I worry about! How fortunate! Heaven has bestowed a rare talent upon my Li family."

  Actually, Li Jiancheng also agreed with Li Yuan's words. Why was he not born into the Yuwen family, the Dugu family or the Song family, but instead the Li family? So it can be said that heaven also has its reasons.

  After listening to his words, Li Yuan's worries were dispelled and he went to eat with a happy heart. Li Jiancheng followed behind him, shaking his head in amusement.