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Xiao Yu was ultimately relieved of his position as Crown Prince Protector, remaining at the same rank as the Third Division of the Secretariat. Changsun Wuji felt secretly pleased; now that Gao Shilian was suffering from a severe illness and had resigned from his role as Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, and with Li Jue managing the military for many years, matters concerning the Eastern Palace were entirely under Changsun Wuji's control.
Changsun Wuji's mind was heavy. Although he was secretly delighted, he feared that becoming too powerful would arouse the Sovereign's suspicion. Thus, he advised both the Duke of Liang and the newly appointed Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, Fang Xuanling, to resign from his position as Crown Prince Grand Tutor. The Sovereign did not express anything outwardly but inwardly appreciated and relied on Changsun Wuji.
Due to his body not yet recovering, Li Shimin followed Changsun Wuji's advice and entrusted some memorials from civil and military officials to Crown Prince Li Zhi for handling. Naturally, Li Zhi was very grateful to his uncle Changsun Wuji.
To show his gratitude, Li Zhi personally visited Changsun Wuji for a banquet. During the meal, they discussed the upcoming birthday of the Sovereign and how to present gifts.
Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji frowned and said, "Your Highness must not do this. The Sovereign is frugal, and having just ended a campaign, there are many grievances among the people. If you organize a grand celebration, it will inevitably draw the Sovereign's reprimand..."
Li Zhi suddenly realized and quickly apologized, "Thanks to Uncle's reminder; otherwise, I would have made a foolish move..."
Despite saying this, Li Zhi couldn't help but have some thoughts in his heart. After all, to please the Sovereign, he had already planned many details for the celebration and even ordered a batch of oranges to be transported quickly from Lingnan.
Changsun Wuji knew well what Li Zhi was thinking and pondered aloud, "Your Highness is benevolent and filial; the Sovereign will surely be pleased. While it cannot be a grand affair, presenting gifts is still necessary. Moreover... Your Highness need not handle everything personally; you can delegate it to others..."
Li Zhi thought about it—who would want to take on such a thankless task? But he noticed the cunning glint in his uncle's eyes and quickly realized that Changsun Wuji was trying to set someone up!
Others were not as adept at understanding the Sovereign’s intentions as they were. Presenting gifts to the Sage was indeed an excellent opportunity for flattery; wouldn't those civil and military officials rush to seize such an opportunity?
Considering this, Li Zhi couldn't help but ask, "Which member of the Court does Uncle think would be most suitable to handle this matter?"
Changsun Wuji smiled without answering but directed his gaze toward Shuyi Hall. Li Zhi's eyes brightened as he understood immediately.
Li Mingda was dear to the Sovereign. If she took charge of organizing the celebration, the Sovereign would naturally not be angry. However, Li Mingda was just an impressionable young girl; organizing such an event would require assistance. Who would she turn to for help?
The answer was clear: it would be none other than the recently popular Left Vanguard General and Xu Zhen!
The Sovereign might not be angry with Li Mingda, but that did not mean he wouldn't be displeased with Xu Zhen!
Li Shimin's strong support for Xu Zhen was naturally aimed at helping Li Zhi solidify his position as emperor. However, Li Zhi had his own thoughts. Not to mention the existing animosity between him and Xu Zhen, after ascending the throne, if Changsun Wuji were to seize power, the uncle-in-law would be quite old and unlikely to live long. But if Xu Zhen were to harbor ulterior motives, being young and well-regarded by the military, it could spell trouble for Li Zhi.
Thus, Li Zhi was not very satisfied with Sovereign's arrangements. Regardless, leveraging Sovereign's influence to give Xu Zhen a warning was undoubtedly beneficial. Therefore, Li Zhi dismissed Changsun Wuji and sought out Li Mingda.
Since learning about Li Zhi's secret affair with Martial Talent and witnessing the competition for favor involving Li Chengqian, Li Mingda had developed a rift with her brother. However, now that she was fifteen, she had matured significantly and no longer acted so straightforwardly. She had Female Knight bring Crown Prince in.
Seeing that his sister did not come out to greet him personally made Li Zhi somewhat displeased. Nevertheless, he suppressed his feelings as he was eager to strategize against Xu Zhen. After mentioning the celebration gift, Li Mingda was indeed delighted and readily agreed.
After sending off Li Zhi, Li Mingda summoned Liu Shuyi, the Deputy Minister of Rites, to inquire about related matters. Liu Shuyi was the son of Great Strategist of Early Tang Liu Wenjing and inherited his father's wisdom. He had a keen understanding of court politics and was close to Xu Zhen. Thus, he reminded Li Mingda to consult with Xu Zhen regarding the generals.
Li Mingda had long wanted Xu Zhen to handle the ceremony since Xu Zhen was a genuine Illusionist. If she could showcase her Illusion during the event, it would surely make the celebration vibrant. So the two went to Xu Zhen's residence.
At that moment, Xu Zhen was visiting Yan Lide's residence, collaborating with Ginger Sage and Li Chunfeng on new military equipment. She returned home only in the evening.
Seeing that Li Mingda and Liu Shuyi had been waiting for a long time made her feel somewhat guilty. Fortunately, Caesar and Zhang Suling were graciously attending to them without losing decorum.
Li Mingda joyfully shared the news about Sovereign's prolonged illness and how he only attended court every three days now. Holding a birthday celebration would bring some cheer to Sage.
Xu Zhenxin thought this was a good opportunity and was about to get involved when Liu Shuyi gave him a subtle glance that left him puzzled.
With Xu Zhen's approval, Li Mingda was naturally happy and ordered gifts to be brought in—several pots of fruit trees laden with round orange-yellow fruits, which turned out to be oranges from Lingnan!
By this time of year, it was already cold; oranges ripened early in September and late varieties could last until late October or early November. Even in Lingnan, oranges in December were rare.
These oranges were specially sent by Li Zhi via fast horses for presentation to Li Shimin. To prevent spoilage during transport, he had brought back the fruit trees as well. After some days, these oranges were perfectly ripe and incredibly sweet.
Xu Zhen gladly accepted the Orange Trees and sent off Li Mingda while keeping Liu Shuyi behind.
She held a deep impression of Liu Shuyi; during the Tuguhun when Governor of Lizhou Gao Zhensheng and others pressured Xu Zhen in various ways, Liu Shuyi stood firmly by her side.
Liu Shuyi did not beat around the bush and revealed the deeper meaning hidden behind the celebration to Xu Zhen, hoping that she would act cautiously. Xu Zhen couldn't help but furrow her brows.
During this time, he had been fighting everywhere to avoid court struggles; however, it seemed that Changsun Wuji and Li Zhi still did not trust him, Xu Zhen...
Having received Liu Shuyi's reminder, Xu Zhen kept a watchful eye. Li Mingda was, after all, a princess with a temper. It would be quite difficult to make her give up on the celebration, but it couldn't be too extravagant either. Xu Zhen fell into deep thought.
Yan Lide, Ginger Sage, and Li Chunfeng had also been working tirelessly during this period. For them, the design plan provided by Xu Zhen was simply astonishing. They even doubted whether she was a celestial being descended to earth because these ideas were truly imaginative. However, if they pooled their resources together, it could indeed be accomplished, leaving them in awe.
The three were still discussing how to improve the designs so they could utilize existing resources for a prototype when night fell, and they each bid farewell to return home.
Just after sending off Ginger Sage and Li Chunfeng, Yan Lide had not yet had a chance to rest when Xu Zhen rushed over and placed a stack of design blueprints on the table.
"This is a clever mechanism for a small object. Let's set our other matters aside for now; I need you to construct this within three days. This is confidential and must be kept secret!"
Yan Lide carefully examined the blueprints; they contained intricate details that tested his skills. He couldn't guarantee success, but as the Minister of Works, it would be embarrassing if he couldn't create such clever devices.
Seeing that Yan Lide had agreed, Xu Zhen did not engage in pleasantries. She then went to both Ginger Sage's and Li Chunfeng's residences, giving each of them a portion of the blueprints and instructing them not to disclose anything to anyone.
Thus, the next day, Yan Lide, Ginger Sage, and Li Chunfeng coincidentally took leave from their duties to gather materials for Xu Zhen's project.
Meanwhile, under Li Mingda's urging, Xu Zhen had no choice but to collaborate with officials from the Ministry of Rites to begin preparations for the Sovereign's birthday celebration. The news quickly spread to the Eastern Palace.
Upon hearing that Xu Zhen was involved, Changsun Wuji and Murong Hanzhu exchanged smiles while Li Zhi beamed with joy.
On December 25th, Guiwei Day, after finishing his court meeting, Deputy Minister of Rites Liu Shuyi cautiously reported that Countess Guisi Xu Sier had prepared gifts for the Sovereign’s birthday celebration. Li Shimin couldn't help but frown slightly.
Although he doted on Li Mingda, his health was poor and he had been neglecting state affairs. After some quiet reflection on his campaigns against Goguryeo and the Northern Barbarians over the years, he was acutely aware of rising public discontent. At such a time, it was indeed inappropriate to hold any royal celebrations that would burden the people financially.
Seeing the Sovereign remain silent caused an immediate hush in the court. Some looked at Deputy Minister Liu Shuyi with glee while others glanced at Xu Zhen beside Li Jue and then at Changsun Wuji at the head of the court. The Crown Prince listening in on the court meeting wore an amused expression; their thoughts were evident without words.
Moments later, Li Shimin sighed softly and slowly spoke to Changsun Wuji and the others, "Today is my birthday, a day that should be filled with joy for everyone. Yet here I am, only feeling sorrow. I may rule over the world and possess great wealth, but alas, I cannot care for my parents anymore. This is the regret of my life."
"The Book of Songs states: 'Pity the parents who labored to give me life; how can I feast and celebrate on the day of their toil?'"
After Li Shimin finished speaking, he seemed to recall his parents' kindness, his eyes reddening with unshed tears. Those around him felt a deep sense of sadness, and the Deputy Minister of Rites felt particularly uncomfortable.
The Xu Zhen felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles. Although she knew that the Sovereign would not approve of such behavior, Li Mingda was unwilling to relent. She had to muster her courage to prepare the banquet. Now it seemed that the Sovereign's attitude towards this matter was even more resolute than she had imagined.
Sensing the unusual atmosphere among them, Li Shimin glanced down the hall. The Deputy Minister of Rites lowered his head in silence, and Li Shimin merely shook his head lightly, instructing Liu Shuyi to cancel the birthday celebration.
Just as he was about to leave court and return to the palace to properly educate his beloved daughter, he saw Changsun Wuji rise to speak: "Your Majesty, this is ultimately Countess Guisi's filial piety. The colleagues from the Ministry of Rites have also worked hard for several days, and General Xu from the Left Vanguard has tirelessly overseen everything. Since preparations have been completed and expenses incurred, perhaps Your Majesty should go see this celebration."
On the surface, Changsun Wuji appeared amiable and caring for his colleagues, but upon closer inspection, his words were sharp and cunning. He subtly condemned the extravagance of the Ministry of Rites while dragging the Xu Zhen into it—truly a masterful maneuver!
Li Shimin furrowed his brow and cast a glance at the Xu Zhen. She slightly raised her head, her gaze neither servile nor arrogant. Li Shimin exhaled a long breath and said in a neutral tone, "If that is the case, then I shall go take a look. You all should come along as well to see how General Xu and Si'er are celebrating my birthday."
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