"Don't worry, mother. After returning from the south, I will definitely rest well in the capital for a while. I will never leave the capital until you have a big, fat grandson."
After hearing what Li Xiang said, his mother was already smiling happily. Li Xiang lived a very comfortable life because he was the eldest son. Even though he was born out of wedlock, the emperor still loved him very much. Even though Li Chengqian disliked him, Li Xiang was the eldest grandson of Emperor Taizong after all, so he could not do some things too excessively.
Now, several young grandsons of the Eastern Palace have already married, and are working hard for the next generation's eldest son. If they successfully give birth to the next generation's eldest son of the Eastern Palace, it will more or less pose some threat to Li Xiang.
Li Chengqian had a different idea about the first person of the next generation. He thought it would be best if he was not born from Li Xiang's side. Although Li Chengqian had not yet reached the level of balancing like Li Shimin, because of the incident with Aunt Fan, Li Chengqian also thought that Li Xiang had too much power. If he took all the benefits, his fate in the future would not be much better than Li Yuan's.
Of course, you can't say this yet. Li Xiang is very sensitive now. The most important thing is that his subordinates are too strong. If you say this, I'm afraid Li Xiang will wipe out your last bit of strength.
Li Xiang saw some things very clearly. He was the only one his mother could rely on, so she would have to rely on herself in the future. But it was different for Li Chengqian. After going through the most dangerous moment, any man would pursue power, and Li Chengqian was no exception. Therefore, various barriers would arise between father and son.
If Li Chengqian had always been in crisis, then Li Xiang would have nothing to worry about. The problem is that this guy has come out now and thinks he has the strength.
Of course, this time the incident with Aunt Fan served as a wake-up call for him, making him realize his own shortcomings. If someone outside wanted to set a trap for him, it would be a very easy thing to do. If Li Xiang had not found and solved this problem in time, the current situation of the Eastern Palace would be unknown.
If Concubine Fan gave birth to a son in the future, the fighting in the Eastern Palace would probably become even more intense. These days, no one is a pushover and everyone wants to fight for the best interests for their sons. Li Chengqian only wants to control the Eastern Palace, but he never wants to split it up. He also knows that he does not have the ability to suppress the ministers.
"It's getting late. Let's get going. This isn't the first time my son has left. We must not miss the auspicious time."
Li Chengqian looked at the sun and saw that it was getting late. If he continued to linger here, who knew how long it would take. Women tend to shed tears at this time. In addition to the Crown Princess, the Cheng Luan sisters also had tears in their eyes. Especially Cheng Ying had just married not long ago, and her husband was about to leave. She felt really bad.
Li Xiang knew that Li Chengqian had something else to say, so he said goodbye to his mother and wife. Li Chengqian also got on the carriage and was ready to be taken to Shili Pavilion outside the city.
"This time, Xiao Yu is traveling south with you, and he's also going to be the Governor of Yizhou. This old man is no simple man, so you have to be cautious. Your grandfather only asked him to oversee your military supplies and logistics, but he didn't expect him to hold power. If a large number of children from aristocratic families enter Sichuan and Shu, you have to be aware of this."
It was too late when Li Chengqian knew about this. In his opinion, it would be better to let Li Ke do it, but he also knew what his father was thinking. He must keep a useful son in the imperial city, otherwise he would not be able to sleep at night. He still had to rely on these sons at the most critical moment.
"Thank you for your advice, father. Xiao Yu definitely wants to revitalize the Lanling Xiao family, but I will explain it to him on the way."
Li Xiang also thought of this. The patriarch of any aristocratic family is not a simple person. Don't think that he is here to help you. Such a person may not be won over by anyone. It is just a temporary cooperation. People like Xiao Shougui can still be won over, but Li Xiang has never even thought about an old fox like Xiao Yu. It is better to make their respective interests clear in advance to avoid nonsense later and delay things on the front line.
"Just be aware of this. This old man has been a veteran of two dynasties. Counting the Sui Dynasty, it's not an exaggeration to say he's been a veteran of three. When Empress Xiao was in power, the Lanling Xiao family was so glorious that they even surpassed the Five Clans and Seven Aristocrats. So there's a lot of potential within. If you want to negotiate, don't let him take you down."
If all the civil and military officials in the court were to ask who hated the aristocratic families the most, Li Chengqian would definitely be the first to come up with the answer. As for what happened to this leg, probably only he and Li Shimin knew. So when talking about these aristocratic families, Li Chengqian gritted his teeth and wished he could eat them alive.
While the father and son were talking, another team joined them from the front. This person was Xiao Yu, whom the two were talking about.
"Meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Li Chengqian's carriage was spacious enough, and even if there were three people sitting inside, there would be no problem at all. So when he saw a team joining in, Li Chengqian asked someone to bring Xiao Yu over.
"Old uncle, why are you so quick to invite me to sit down? This time, my son is heading south and is worried about having no one to guide him along the way. It is truly a blessing for him that you, old uncle, can accompany him."
When Li Chengqian said this, there was a sense of respecting the wise and humble in his words. Li Xiang who was listening beside him was also stunned. Who said that his father was incompetent? Based on the words he just said, how many people in the court could be found who could do it? It seemed that he was smart at one moment and confused at another.
In fact, this is also a very normal thing. From childhood to now, Li Chengqian was born as the extremely noble Prince of Qin, and then he was made the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. He was extremely prominent along the way, but unfortunately he was played around by Li Shimin, who would always show him favor and favor Li Tai, the Prince of Wei. No matter how broad-minded Li Chengqian was, it was impossible for him to keep a normal heart, so he had all this now. This brain sometimes works well and sometimes doesn't.
"Your humble servant is terrified. Please rest assured, Your Highness..."
Xiao Yu was naturally a very shrewd person, so everyone should maintain harmony at this time, and the conditions that needed to be negotiated would be discussed after they set off.
