Chapter 78: Crown Prince Li Heng

“Your servant Li Qing’an pays his respects to Your Majesty!” Li Qing’an saluted Li Longji in a military manner.
Li Longji had set aside the matter of Shibu City. Smiling slightly, he said, “General Li, have you gone to my wine cellar?”
“I planned to go this afternoon; it just so happens that Your Majesty summoned me.”
“Haha!” Li Longji laughed heartily. After laughing, he waved his hand and asked, “General Li, how old are you? Are you married?”
“Your Majesty, I am 25 years old and still unmarried.”
“25 years old—not bad! When I was 25, I had already ascended the throne and was governing the country. General Li, you can also achieve something great!”
At this, Li Longji leaned forward slightly and asked, “Have you thought about your future?”
“Your servant is willing to guard the borders for Your Majesty and defend Tang’s Anxi region.”
Li Longji smiled faintly and said, “General Li, do you know why I summoned you today?”
Li Qing’an shook his head. “Your servant does not know.”
“It’s this: My concubine is very fond of throwing pots, but she lacks a good teacher. Last night, after seeing your excellent skills, she asked me to ask you to teach her. Would you be willing to do so?”
Li Qing’an was stunned—teaching Yang Guifei how to throw pots!
“What? Does General Li have any objections?” Li Longji asked with a smile.
At that moment, Gao Lishi beside him quickly gave Li Qing’an a signal to agree. Li Qing’an quickly composed himself and replied, “Your Majesty, I have no problem at all.”
“Very well. It will be once every ten days. But tomorrow, the concubine will move to Xingqing Palace, so she might not have time for now. How about scheduling the first practice for the third day of the first lunar month?”
“Your servant obeys!”
Li Longji smiled again and said, “Teaching the concubine to throw pots is a personal matter of mine. There’s also another official task I’d like to assign to you.”
“Please give your orders, Your Majesty.”
Li Longji took out a memorial and said, “The prime minister submitted a report to me, saying that a large number of people have flocked to the capital recently, increasing the pressure on public security. Relying solely on the Jinyiwei and local officials is no longer sufficient. With the New Year approaching, I discussed this with the prime minister and decided to deploy elite troops from both sides to form two temporary patrol units to maintain order in the capital. For the unit in Wannian County, the prime minister recommended you, saying that you once served as a scout officer in the Anxi army and have rich experience. I would like to ask if you’re willing to accept this appointment.”
“Your servant is willing to share the burden with Your Majesty!”
“Good! I appoint you as the Inspector of the Nine Gates, under the direct command of Prime Minister Li, responsible for maintaining order in the capital during the New Year.”
……

Li Qing’an retired. As Li Longji watched his back disappear, he smiled and asked Gao Lishi, “General, what do you think of this man?”
“Your Majesty, he is both wise and brave—a true pillar of our Tang Dynasty.”
Li Longji nodded. “The general is right. One leaf can tell us of autumn. Last night, after seeing his battle with Shi Siming, I developed an appreciation for his talents. By appointing him as the Inspector of the Nine Gates, I also want to see for myself his abilities.”
Li Longji slowly leaned back on the ivory dragon throne, seemingly lost in thought. Gao Lishi did not disturb him, knowing that some things should not be said too much—just enough. The fact that the emperor had taken a liking to Li Qing’an was sufficient.
After a while, Li Longji picked up Dong Yan Guang’s memorial, glanced at it, then threw it onto the table. With a soft sigh, he said, “I’m quite tired. I want to return to the palace. General, don’t forget to visit the crown prince.”
“I’ll go right away.”
Gao Lishi hurried to the door and called out loudly, “Your Majesty is returning to the palace! Prepare the carriage!”
…
Generally, the crown prince lived in the Eastern Palace. Li Heng’s predecessor, Li Ying, also lived there. But in the 25th year of the Kaiyuan era, after Li Longji deposed the crown prince, he decided that from then on, the crown prince would no longer live in the Eastern Palace but would reside with him in Daming Palace.
Thus, Li Heng became the first crown prince in the Tang Dynasty to live in the same palace as the emperor. For nearly a decade, he lived under his father’s watchful eye, enduring hardship in Daming Palace under Li Longji’s sharp gaze.
Since the grand court meeting at the beginning of the month, Li Heng had been unwell, falling ill twice in a row. The day before last, he fell ill again, so much so that he couldn’t attend Yang Huahua’s birthday celebration last night.
At that moment, he was lying on the bed, listening to his eldest son, Li Chu, recount what had happened the previous night. Li Chu, the eldest son of the emperor, lived in Baisun Courtyard and could visit his father every three days.
“Father, at first I wasn’t convinced of Li Qing’an. But after seeing his match with Shi Siming, I realized there are those even greater than him. I’m truly far inferior to him. Even Grandfather praised his skill in defeating his opponent without fighting.”
Eventually, Li Chu also understood Li Qing’an’s tactics, and his attitude toward him changed from dissatisfaction to admiration.
Li Heng gently stroked his son’s head and smiled. “I’d really like to meet someone who can earn your admiration. Since you think he’s good, you should spend more time with him and learn from his strengths.”
“I’ve heard he’s extremely skilled with the bow and arrow. I really want to ask him for advice. I wonder if he’d be willing to teach me?”

“Don’t worry, Little Prince. I’ll talk to Li Qing’an; he will surely teach you.” At some point, Gao Lishi appeared at the door.
“It’s Grandfather. Chu, help Your Majesty get up quickly.”
Li Heng struggled to sit up, and Gao Lishi stepped forward urgently, saying, “Your Highness, please lie down. Do not get up at all.”
Li Chu still helped his father up. Li Heng took a breath and asked, “Why have you come today, Grandfather?”
“The Emperor heard that Your Highness is unwell and sent me to check on you.”
Li Heng remained silent for a moment before asking, “Is Father in good health?”
“The Emperor is fine, but as he grows older, his strength is not what it used to be. Your Highness, the Emperor hopes you will take good care of yourself so that you can govern the country in the future.”
Li Heng smiled bitterly. It sounded nice—asking him to take care of himself—but when had he ever spared himself? With their father-son relationship at this point, what family affection was left?
“My son, you may go first. Your Majesty wants to talk to Grandfather.”
“Yes!”
Li Chu slowly retreated. Li Heng then dismissed all the eunuchs serving around him, leaving no outsiders in the room.
Suddenly, Li Heng got up and knelt before Gao Lishi, saying, “Grandfather, save me!”
“Your Highness, don’t do this! Please don’t!”
Gao Lishi was shocked and quickly helped Li Heng up, saying, “Your Highness, this will kill me.”
Li Heng sobbed, “I will always remember Grandfather’s kindness, but Father is full of suspicion and keeps launching investigations. I can no longer bear the pressure; my illness worsens by the day. I may not live much longer. My death isn’t a concern, but my son is still young. I beg Grandfather to take care of him and make him a prince in peace.”
After saying this, Li Heng burst into tears and wept softly.
Gao Lishi sighed gently. He knew all too well the prince’s suffering. After the former crown prince Ying was deposed and died, the Emperor no longer trusted any of his sons. The current crown prince was merely a placeholder—the Emperor never intended to pass the throne to him. With ten years approaching, the Emperor might again consider changing the crown prince. If that happened, all the effort he had put into Li Heng over the years would be wasted. That was certainly not what he wanted to see.
Thinking this, Gao Lishi said softly, “If only Your Highness would listen to me, you would be safe.”
This was exactly what Li Heng wanted. He quickly wiped away his tears and said, “I am willing to listen to Grandfather’s advice!”
“Firstly, if anything happens in the court, the crown prince must stay out of it. Do not interfere, and certainly do not write petitions to defend anyone. Remember this!”
Li Heng was stunned. “What do you mean by that, Grandfather?”

Gao Lishi let out a soft sigh and pointed westward. A hint of sadness flashed in Li Heng’s eyes—the emperor truly intended to eradicate everyone who supported him.
“I understand. I will follow Grandfather’s advice.”
Gao Lishi smiled slightly again. “The crown prince need not be too pessimistic. As the saying goes, misfortune may turn into fortune. I believe the crown prince’s situation will improve greatly after this.”
“I hope so too. Please give me more guidance, Grandfather!”
Gao Lishi smiled and said, “That’s one point. Another is that the emperor is about to move to Xingqing Palace. I suggest the crown prince start packing as well.”
Li Heng nodded. He understood Gao Lishi’s meaning—whether he wanted to go to Xingqing Palace or not, he had to put on this show.
“I know. I’ll order people to start packing right away.”
“There’s a third point. I would like to recommend someone to Your Highness.”
“Who?” Li Heng was surprised.
Gao Lishi smiled mysteriously. “It’s a young man. Your Highness has seen him during court meetings; he was appointed as a lieutenant in the Qianniu Guard at that time.”
“Li Qing’an!” Li Heng blurted out.
“That’s right. He is intelligent and brave. Even the emperor speaks highly of him. With him by the crown prince’s side, I’ll feel at ease.”
“But…” Li Heng hesitated. How would his father react if he befriended such a talented person?
As if knowing his thoughts, Gao Lishi narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Your Highness, there are some things one should neither overdo nor neglect. The key is to find the right balance. Does Your Highness understand?”
……