Chapter 42: The Old Fox's Long Grandson

  In the east of Chang'an City, there was a luxurious and magnificent villa with thousands of eaves and majestic scenery. Every blade of grass and every tree, as well as the mountains and rivers, all showed off the grandeur and nobility of its owner. Outside the villa stood two stone lions weighing over 1,000 catties, displaying the status of its master.

  In front of the stone lion, you can see the four golden characters "Zhao Guo Gong Fu" shining brightly, with Li Shimin's signature engraved at the bottom.

  Only Zhao Guogong Zhangsun Wuji was able to get Li Shimin to personally write and give him a horizontal inscribed board.

  Zhangsun Wuji was the elder brother of Li Shimin's wife, and during the process of unifying the country, he did not have any outstanding achievements, but he was one of the earliest ministers to follow him and was Li Shimin's most trusted confidant.

  At this moment, Zhangsun Wuji and his eldest son Zhangsun Chong were discussing family matters.

  Chang Sun Chong no longer had that elegant and refined temperament, his face was filled with despair, loss, resentment, dissatisfaction, and jealousy: "Father, why does the Emperor favor Du He so much? Not only did he let him stay overnight in the palace, but also gave him his own sword as a reward!"

  Chang Sun Wuji shook his head in disappointment, looking at Chang Sun, looking at his beloved son and eldest son, feeling a sense of regret that he had not lived up to expectations.

  "You're wrong!" He corrected Changsun Cheon's attitude and said, "The Emperor has never favored anyone, ever. The reason he treats Duhe so well is only because Duhe deserves it!"

  Chang Sun Wu Jin's face was expressionless, and he spoke slowly and softly, as if talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

  "The Emperor is a monarch without equal in history, no matter who you are, as long as you have ability and can make contributions to the great Tang Dynasty, he will reuse and value you."

  "So, you can't blame the Emperor for being biased, but rather resent yourself for not being as good as Du He!"

  Why don't we go to Duhe!

  Chang Sun-chung's face turned red with rage as soon as he heard these words, his breathing became rapid and he was extremely agitated.

  "How could I possibly be inferior to Du He? In what way am I not as good as him?" He was shouting in a cracked voice, from small to large, Du He had always been someone he trampled under his feet, and it was absolutely impossible for him to admit that he was inferior to Du He.

  "In this aspect, you are inferior to him!" Changsun Wuji faced Changsun Chong's roar, secretly sighing in his heart, but his face remained expressionless.

  "You are not as calm as him, nor as bold, and you don't have his ability to remain unruffled even when Mount Tai collapses. " Zhangsun Wuji thought back to his first meeting with Du He, which was at the Imperial Medical Office.

  Facing the emperor and facing Wei Zheng's questioning, Du He showed calmness and composure that was not like a 15-year-old child at all.

  At that time, his quick wit was such that even Wei Zheng was left speechless.

  From then on, Changsun Wuji kept Du He in mind, because he knew that the appearance of Du He might mean that there would be one more powerful enemy in his future political career.

  Because Du He is the son of Du Ru Hui.

  Du Ruhui and Fang Xuanling are his greatest political enemies at present.

  With them around, it's hard for me, an outsider, to grasp the great power of the court.

  As the most cunning fox of the Tang Dynasty, he had already seen through his opponents in the imperial court. He didn't make a move, only because the timing wasn't right.

  At present, the Tang Dynasty is booming, and the two people Li Shimin relies on most are Fang Xuanling who is good at planning and Du Ruhui who is good at decision-making. These two people are now like left and right arms to Li Shimin, whoever targets them is like cutting off Li Shimin's arm.

  This foolish thing, Zhangsun Wuji would never do.

  Since direct approach won't work, Zhangsun Wuji adopted a roundabout method, starting with Du He to bring down Du Ruhui.

  Originally, this plan was something that Sun Wuji had always been proud of, because he was about to succeed.

  Du Ru Hui was honored as the prime minister, and the new Tang Dynasty was established. With many things to attend to, his health, which had never been robust, began to decline subtly.

  Changsun Wuji secretly used Du He to strike at Du Ruhui, repeatedly letting Changsun Chong plot against and harm Du He, making the originally wicked Du He become the most notorious young noble in Chang'an.

  Let Du Ruhui be entangled in national affairs, and also worry about Du He, the prodigal son, and get angry.

  In the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, Du Ruhui fell ill and nearly died after learning that his son Du He had pawned a piece of jade given to him by the emperor to raise money for gambling.

  He regretted Li Jing, he regretted Sun Simiao, who ruined all his plans.

  Because Li Jing mysteriously fainted while transporting the Imperial Seal, Li Shimin invited Sun Simiao to treat him. Coincidentally, Du Ruhui was critically ill at that time, and Sun Simiao happened to cure him on the way, miraculously saving Du Ruhui's life.

  It's heaven's will, so Zhangsun Wuji can only continue to use Du He to suppress Du Ruhui.

  Just as things were about to succeed, Du He suddenly suffered from a mental disorder and his personality changed greatly, becoming almost another person.

  Du Ruhui's love for his son transformed him, and he became more relaxed and his physical and mental health improved, causing him to abandon the plans he had been secretly plotting for years.

  Zhangsun Wuji was defeated in a way that was beyond his comprehension, but he didn't take it to heart.

  He is as cunning as a fox and has the endurance of a tortoise. He waits, believing that he will eventually wait for the arrival of his opportunity.

  He will one day become the most powerful minister of the Tang Dynasty, rather than just having an empty title and no real power, with titles such as Kaifu Yitong Sansi, Siku, and Situ.

  "Father, please help me! Son, son really likes cousin, lost cousin, son... son really doesn't know what to do!" The eldest grandson rushed forward, almost begging, looking at his father in front of him.

  "Bastard!" The thousand-year-old face of Zhangsun Wuji finally revealed a hint of anger, he thought he had calculated everything, but some things were still not as he expected.

  Especially about Zhangsun Chong and Chang Le's matter.

  Li Shimin and Empress Changsun doted on Princess Yongle, which was well-known to everyone.

  Whoever marries Princess Chang Le will definitely rise to prominence.

  Changsun Wuji delayed Changsun Yong's coming-of-age ceremony and his entry into officialdom for this very reason.

  As long as he can marry Princess Chang Le, Zhangsun Chong's political career will be smooth sailing, and at least he can avoid struggling for more than 15 years.

  Changsun Wuji was eager to bring about the marriage between them, but little did he expect that before the marriage could be settled, Changsun Chong had already fallen into his own trap.

  For a woman, Zhangsun Wuji was so infatuated that he became muddle-headed, and Zhangsun Wuji's heart involuntarily seethed with anger.

  But soon, Zhangsun Wuji regained his usual expression and said, "It's best if you don't hold too much hope for this matter!"

  "Why?" Changsun's face turned pale with terror, and he was deeply infatuated with Princess Chang Le: "Is it because of Du He?" His eyes revealed a fierce look, gritting his teeth.

  "No, because of the Emperor!" Zhangsun Wuji also felt a little sad in his heart. He had twelve sons, but not one of them was worthy of praise. The only one who showed some promise, Zhangsun Chong, had lost his integrity due to his relationship with Princess Longle.

  Chang Sun Wuji let out a long sigh and said: "In the Great Tang, as a subject, you can not understand any enemy, but you cannot not understand the Emperor. What kind of person is the Emperor? You are eighteen years old and have achieved nothing, while the Emperor was eighteen and began to persuade the previous emperor to secretly gather strength and prepare to contend for the world. The Emperor values ability most and hates those who rely on their father's power the most. For a small matter, you offended Luo Tong and were caught by the Emperor, do you think he will still marry his beloved daughter to you?"

  Chang Sun's face turned deathly pale.

  "Alright then!" Zhangsun Wuji shook his head and said, "In another month, it will be the birthday of your imperial aunt, the empress dowager. Your father is giving you one last chance. It won't work with the emperor, but this is your last resort with the empress!"

  Chang Sun Wuji was also unwilling to give up, and being able to marry Princess Chang Le would not only benefit Chang Chong, but also bring great benefits to himself!

  "As for Du He!" Zhangsun Wuji sneered: "This kid has some ability, but I have my own way of dealing with him."