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Chapter 231:
Chapter 231:
Chapter 231:
Chapter 231
Within the imperial palace, Li Er paced restlessly in the sleeping chamber. His efforts to persuade Su Li to spare the noble families had yielded significant advantages lately, allowing him a few peaceful nights of sleep. However, as he had drifted into slumber tonight, a loud noise jolted him awake. A palace eunuch soon entered, reporting that a divine thunderbolt had struck the street where Princess Changle's residence was located, reducing nearly half of it to ruins. This news left Li Er uneasy.
Unlike the seasoned generals, Li Er's thoughts immediately turned to Su Li. The scale of destruction was immense, and perhaps only Su Li possessed the means to wield such power. But why would he undertake such an action? Was it an expression of his discontent? These possibilities fueled Li Er's anxiety.
Half an hour later, the palace eunuch returned with peculiar news, “Your Majesty, the esteemed generals have uncovered the reason behind tonight's incident. The cause of this event was the mischief of young Prince Su Che…” The eunuch's expression was odd as he spoke.
Mischief? Li Er widened his eyes in disbelief. Could a three-year-old toddler be responsible for such a massive commotion, turning half a street into ruins? Li Er's face darkened at the thought.
Li Er knew that Su Che was extraordinarily gifted, having created a steam engine at three years old and displayed martial prowess comparable to Su Li. But attributing today's incident to Su Che's fun seemed disrespectful to him as the emperor. What kind of fun could lead to such a disturbance?
Yet, he trusted his subordinates and couldn't imagine they would concoct such a lie. He quickly scanned through the memorial letter Li Jing wrote, revealing an expression of immense shock. According to Li Jing's account, Su Che had crafted fireworks to celebrate Princess Changle's birthday with Su Li's guidance. He had used explosive powder, filling five water barrels and connecting them with fuses, resulting in the current disaster.
As he considered what Li Jing had written, Li Er felt a tingling sensation on his scalp. Facing the appearance of mythical and legendary phenomena, in reality, was daunting for an emperor. He sighed long and contemplated the power of such a substance.
“Quickly issue orders to keep this tightly sealed. Only the ministers involved tonight should be informed!” Li Er commanded, and the palace eunuch hurriedly left to carry out the orders.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, Li Chengqian stood at the main hall's entrance, looking towards the princess's residence. Some time ago, Li Er had tasked him with calming down the major noble clans. Surprisingly, this brought about a positive outcome. Su Li had strongly reprimanded these noble clans, and their influence had greatly diminished.If they were to pledge their loyalty to Li Er fully, they would go from being ancient noble families to being under the care of the imperial household, which was unacceptable to them. Although their power had diminished, their long-lasting survival was due to their foresight and political skills. In the turbulent era of the Three Kingdoms, the Zhuge brothers had each served one of the Three Kingdoms as a form of investment.
Today's noble families could no longer look down on Li Er. They ingratiated themselves with him on one hand, and on the other hand, they cultivated a relationship with Li Chengqian, preparing for future opportunities. While Li Chengqian, the Crown Prince, had begun to handle state affairs, he didn't wield significant power.
With so many ancient noble families actively seeking his favor, it was hard for Li Chengqian to refuse. Furthermore, he sensed that Li Er assigning him the task of dealing with the consequences of the Five Clans and Seven Hopes had certain implications. As a result, the Eastern Palace had become bustling with activity.
Li Chengqian openly welcomed the Five Clans and Seven Hopes members and entertained them within the palace. Today, the head of the Wang clan from Taiyuan personally arrived. Wang Zhao expressed sincere gratitude for Li Er's protection against Su Li's malicious actions. However, Wang Zhao also pointed out that Li Er's close relationship with Su Li could be a problem, and their only hope was the Crown Prince.
In essence, a century from now, after His Majesty's reign, the Great Tang would ultimately become the Crown Prince's domain. Could he tolerate having an unstable figure like Su Li among his followers? Wang Zhao's words ignited anger within Li Chengqian.
Wang Zhao then shared the strange events Cui Shu had experienced earlier, using them to suggest that Su Li was a sinister being skilled in witchcraft. Wang Zhao's father, Wang Shao, had been known for his interest in esoteric and mysterious matters, and Wang Zhao had inherited this trait. Hearing Wang Zhao's words, Li Chengqian connected them to Su Li's inhuman actions, strengthening his belief.
Wang Zhao took the opportunity to influence Li Chengqian, suggesting that he would need a way to deal with Su Li when he ascended to the throne. Despite their reduced influence, the noble families could still offer assistance when necessary. With their interests aligning, they reached an agreement smoothly.
With the support of the Five Clans and Seven Hopes, Li Chengqian felt greatly satisfied. The anxiety caused by Su Li's actions had disappeared entirely, and he was so thrilled that he couldn't sleep. Suddenly, unexpected news disrupted his pleasant dreams. Li Chengqian quickly sent someone to gather information.
Soon, the messenger returned with news. “How is it?” Li Chengqian asked, inquiring about the situation.
“Your Highness, people are saying it was a dry lightning strike, a natural disaster. There were no casualties,” the messenger replied.
Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian finally felt relieved. However, a lingering feeling that something was wrong still troubled his mind.