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Last time, we talked about how the Xu Zhen used the surprise of firecrackers to successfully solve Li Shimin's dilemma, even frightening Chancellor Gao Jifu and earning rounds of applause, which left Changsun Wuji pale with anger.
Li Mingda was naturally overjoyed, and Li Shimin felt a sense of relief. Everyone witnessed the clever tactics of the Xu Zhen and secretly marveled at her ingenuity.
This was not the first time the Xu Zhen had astonished everyone. After all these events, she gradually built a reputation. In the Western Regions, the names Firewood Man and Son of Ahura were well-known. In the Tang Dynasty, the newly appointed Loyal Martial General Xu Zhen was known for her brilliant strategies and bravery, having been personally trained by Li Jing and Li Jue. The Sovereign held her in high regard; who would dare to underestimate her?
Murong Hanzhu finally grasped the Xu Zhen's standing in court and secretly conspired with Changsun Wuji, temporarily abandoning plans to embarrass her further. The Marriage Trial competition continued.
Li Zhi had summoned Murong Hanzhu as an advisor and did not hesitate to slander Li Mingda and the Xu Zhen's reputations. He had already positioned himself in opposition to her.
Initially, he felt some gratitude and admiration for the Xu Zhen, but now only resentment remained in his heart. He finally agreed with Changsun Wuji that if they did not eliminate the Xu Zhen, she would pose a significant threat to his ambitions for the Crown Prince position.
This further solidified his determination to execute Murong Hanzhu's strategies. Feeling frustrated, he expressed his discontent outwardly, particularly towards the marriage envoys from Mohe and Shiwey. Li Zhi suppressed his anger and finally spoke up: "General Xu is exceptionally wise and brave; he represents the standards of our Tang Dynasty. Everyone else should not fall behind."
With Li Zhi controlling the situation, officials from Honglu Temple began to act, ordering one hundred sections of pine wood to be brought in. These pieces had been cut and polished until smooth; it was necessary for the marriage envoys to distinguish between roots and tips.
The envoys from various nations began to whisper among themselves. The envoy from Arabia clearly found a solution; they tied a rope around the midpoint of a piece of pine wood. The end that fell down was identified as the root, while the end that curved upwards was recognized as the tip.
However, it was not possible to complete all one hundred pieces of wood at once. Other envoys who learned of this method quickly followed suit, creating a tense atmosphere.
Zhang Jiunian also considered this method but was ultimately outpaced by the Arabian envoy. He glanced over at the Xu Zhen and saw her pointing towards Taiye Pool.
"This is excellent!"
Zhang Jiunian immediately understood the Xu Zhen's intention: if they threw all these pieces of pine wood into Taiye Pool, the heavier roots would sink while the tips would float. This way, there would be no need to measure each piece individually!
The envoy from Mohe was perceptive enough to realize that Li Zhi was already dissatisfied with him but feared acting too soon might raise suspicions among others. Thus, he pretended to ponder deeply without making any moves.
Murong Hanzhu knew all about the Tubo Envoy Group and was aware that Zhang Jiunian was affiliated with the Xu Zhen. He had infiltrated their group intending to sabotage their plans, so she kept a close watch on Zhang Jiunian's every move.
When Zhang Jiunian received a hint from the Xu Zhen, Murong Hanzhu keenly picked up on it and quickly signaled to the Khitan Marriage Envoy with her eyes.
The Khitan Marriage Envoy was still pretending, completely unaware of Murong Hanzhu's subtle hints. It wasn't until the Tubo Marriage Envoy Group began transporting the pine wood that the Khitan Marriage Envoy realized what was happening. In a panic, they quickly organized their people to throw the pine wood into Taiye Pool first.
Although Mohe ultimately won this round, Changsun Wuji was extremely frustrated. If it weren't for the long-term perspective, he wouldn't have wanted to leak the exam questions to this fool.
Zhang Jiunian and Lu Dongzan realized that their opponent had leaked the questions, and they immediately felt disheartened. No matter how clever Zhang Jiunian was, he couldn't compete against the other's prior planning and preparation.
Li Zhi saw the Tuguhun envoy group looking dejected and felt pleased. If things continued this way, the Khitan Marriage Envoy would surely win, allowing him to build a good relationship with the Mohe Royal Family. In the future, when the Sovereign personally led an expedition to Liaodong, he could borrow troops from Mohe. This way, Li Zhi would surely win the Sovereign's favor!
With the Tubo Marriage Envoy Group's defeat, they naturally wouldn't receive a marriage grant. King Wei Li Tai would undoubtedly face reprimand from the Sovereign. As a result, Li Zhi would be one step closer to the Crown Prince position!
Xu Zhen also recognized the seriousness of the situation; otherwise, she wouldn't have instructed Zhang Jiunian to secretly assist Lu Dongzan. She couldn't bear to watch history change, with Li Wushuang unable to marry into Tuguhun as Wencheng Princess. She also couldn't let Murong Hanzhu become Li Zhi's capable assistant, who could then use Changsun Wuji to undermine Li Zhi after he became Crown Prince.
As Li Zhi was about to announce the next question, Xu Zhenxin was anxious. Looking at the weather, he suddenly had an idea and gestured towards Li Mingda.
Although the marriage envoy competition was entertaining, Li Mingda's attention remained focused on Xu Zhen. As she made secret gestures, Li Mingda understood her meaning instantly due to their strong rapport and immediately spoke to Li Shimin.
"Father, it seems like it's about time; we might as well continue tomorrow. Such an interesting competition without daily viewing would be quite dull..."
Li Shimin had initially only intended to attend the opening ceremony and hadn't planned on watching the competition. However, seeing how enjoyable it was and his beloved daughter pouting playfully made him scratch Li Mingda's nose affectionately before instructing Li Zhi.
"Child, let's call it a day for now; we'll continue tomorrow."
The old ministers were already feeling sore and tired. Once the Sovereign spoke, everyone relaxed and happily sent off His Holy Presence before hurrying home to rest.
Although Li Zhi was eager to implement his plans, he had no choice but to pause out of guilt towards his brother Li Chengqian. He didn't dare linger any longer and left the venue with Murong Hanzhu.
The members of various delegations were received by Honglu Temple staff as officials departed one by one. Only Li Chengqian sat there gloomily, motionless. His confidants knew he was in a bad mood and dared not disturb him, keeping their distance.
Li Chengqian was destined to lose in this struggle for succession. Xu Zhen didn't want too much involvement with him; however, since Li Chengqian had been sold out by Li Zhi during this Marriage Trial, if she wanted to disrupt Li Zhi's plans and ensure Wencheng Princess successfully married into Tuguhun without altering history, Xu Zhen would need Li Chengqian's help!
With no other choice, Xu Zhen could only grit her teeth and walk over to Li Chengqian.
"Why does the king look so troubled?" Xu Zhen's smile was very approachable. Li Chengqian raised his head and, seeing Xu Zhen, quickly greeted her.
He had always respected Xu Zhen, and because of that, after she declared her neutrality, he dared not send anyone to disturb her. To be fair, in this regard, Xu Zhen felt that Li Chengqian was much better than Li Zhi.
It was rare for Xu Zhen to take the initiative to ask, which gave Li Chengqian a sense of hope. He then shared all of Li Zhi's actions with Xu Zhen. She feigned surprise and then frowned, sincerely exclaiming, "How could this be!"
Li Chengqian sighed as well, feeling quite helpless. Although the Sovereign favored him, it was a critical moment for the succession, and he did not want to further displease the Sage.
"Brother Xu, I am currently troubled and do not know how to respond. I dare to ask you for guidance!"
In Li Chengqian's mind, Xu Zhen was full of vitality and her thoughts were more active than those of the old advisors. Consulting Xu Zhen would surely be more effective than listening to those old-fashioned bureaucrats.
However, to his disappointment, Xu Zhen merely deflected the conversation as usual and did not wish to get involved in this matter. Li Chengqian suddenly felt a sense of loneliness and helplessness.
Xu Zhen made a few casual remarks before hurriedly returning home. This was a strategy of feigning retreat to avoid suspicion of having any connection with Li Chengqian.
As expected, Li Chengqian was still unwilling to give up. Later that evening, he visited in disguise. Xu Zhen quickly invited him into her study. Li Chengqian then imitated Liu Qi from the Three Kingdoms by closing the door behind them and assured Xu Zhen that nothing discussed in the room would be known by anyone else. Only then did Xu Zhen let out a feigned sigh and sit down with Li Chengqian to discuss matters in detail.
In fact, the struggle between Li Chengqian and Li Zhi had already moved from the shadows into the open. As the campaign against the Liao approached, the issue of succession would soon be resolved. However, Li Chengqian still valued their brotherly bond and adhered to the principles of gentlemanly competition.
Unexpectedly, this time it was Li Zhi who broke the stalemate first by resorting to such despicable means.
Li Chengqian was not someone easy to bully. Previously, he had privately asked Li Shimin for a clear request to make him crown prince and promised that once he ascended the throne, he would govern well. After his death, he would have his own son killed so that Li Zhi could become the next emperor.
Li Shimin was not foolish enough to believe that Li Chengqian would kill his own son to hand over power to Li Zhi. However, he could not refuse this request from his most beloved son and ultimately agreed to make Li Chengqian Crown Prince.
However, he ultimately hesitated. While Li Chengqian was indeed talented, he was merely a scholar with literary skills and could not match Li Shimin's standards of being both a civil and military leader who protected the home and expanded territories.
Although Li Zhi was timid and indecisive, he had the strong support of Changsun Wuji and other senior officials, which was his advantage. This was also a hidden concern for Li Shimin, which is why he sought to cultivate young generals like Xu Zhen to suppress seasoned strategists like Changsun Wuji and prevent Li Zhi from being manipulated after ascending to power.
Given this situation, the struggle between Li Chengqian and Li Zhi became particularly significant, serving as the primary demonstration of both sons' abilities and intellect for Li Shimin.
At this point, Li Chengqian would no longer hold back. He had already resolved to deal with Li Zhi; he just needed the approval of others to solidify his determination, and no one was more suitable for this than Xu Zhen.
He knew that regardless of whether Xu Zhen would assist him in claiming the position, at the very least, she would not disclose his intentions.
After leaving Brave Duke's Mansion, Li Chengqian seemed to undergo a transformation. His previous modest demeanor vanished, replaced by a terrifying intensity in his eyes.
Xu Zhen watched as Li Chengqian's bulky figure slowly receded into the distance, letting out a soft sigh, uncertain if her decision was right or wrong.
Meanwhile, Murong Hanzhu had clearly become alert as well. Together with Changsun Wuji, they arrived at Li Zhi's residence to discuss potential changes and strategies throughout the night.
Perhaps tomorrow's Marriage Trial would be an anticipated competition—not just among the marriage envoys from various nations but also a showdown between Li Chengqian and Li Zhi!
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