bookrandom Chapter 376 Cheng Qian, kneel down! Father asks you for a favor!
Chapter 376 Cheng Qian, kneel down! Father asks you for a favor!
Li Shimin wore a jade belt around his waist and sat upright on the armchair. His posture was still as straight as a pine tree, but the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and the white hair at his temples were somewhat noticeable.
"Cheng Qian, come here, come closer to father, let father take a good look at you."
Li Shimin's voice was mellow, with an imperceptible intimacy.
When Li Chengqian heard this, doubts filled his heart. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were full of confusion.
He could only bite the bullet and walk slowly towards Li Shimin with slightly hesitant steps.
He kept wondering in his heart what kind of deep meaning was hidden behind Li Shimin's unusual behavior today.
Li Chengqian walked close to Li Shimin, and the distance between them was so close that Li Chengqian almost touched Li Shimin's knees.
Li Shimin leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice so low that only Li Chengqian could hear, and whispered to Li Chengqian: "Chengqian, kneel down first. Your Majesty has a favor to ask of you."
When Li Chengqian heard this, his eyes widened instantly, his face full of astonishment, and he was stunned as if struck by lightning.
He was complaining madly in his heart.
"You old man! Do you even know what you are talking about?"
"What do you mean by asking me for a favor? You have to make me kneel down and ask for it!"
"Have you forgotten who is currently in charge of the Tang Dynasty?"
"What kind of incomprehensible opera is this?"
Li Chengqian was just about to open his mouth to refute and vent his inner dissatisfaction.
But suddenly he noticed that Li Shimin's face looked increasingly sad, his eyes were red, and the tears in his eyes seemed to be about to burst out.
He subconsciously turned his head and looked around, only to see several historians standing not far away, pens tightly gripped in their hands, staring at this side with bright eyes, clearly filled with an uncontrollable excitement.
The look in his eyes can be described in just three words.
New Year!
Li Chengqian gritted his teeth, feeling helpless, but in public, he had to endure it and slowly knelt down, holding Li Shimin's knees.
As he knelt, he lowered his voice and said to Li Shimin with a hint of anger: "Old Li, you are trying a new trick."
The voice seemed to tremble a little because of being suppressed.
Li Shimin, however, seemed to have completely ignored Li Chengqian's words. He spoke calmly and leisurely, "Chengqian, you know that my father has fought on the battlefields throughout his life, and has experienced countless hardships."
"Thinking back to those days, with swords and spears blazing, our father led the Tang Dynasty's soldiers through battles across the country, pacifying the four corners of the country and laying the foundation for the present Tang Dynasty."
"Now that I'm old, I feel my energy is dwindling. This road of life is almost coming to an end. Your mother left me early. Now, apart from you children, I have nothing else to think about in this vast world."
After saying this, he sighed deeply, and that long sigh carried all the ups and downs of his life and the endless vicissitudes and loneliness.
"Cheng Qian, you are the child I have always been most optimistic about. You are the emperor who is capable of shouldering the responsibility of supporting the Tang Dynasty."
"Father still remembers that when you were little, you were smart, witty, and had your own unique perspectives on things."
"Since then, my father has placed great hopes on you, believing that you are the most qualified candidate to inherit the throne of the Tang Dynasty."
"You are most like me, Cheng Qian! Whether it's your strong character, your perseverance in the face of difficulties, or your extraordinary intelligence, your father can clearly see his own shadow in you."
Li Chengqian listened to Li Shimin's words and sighed softly. A slightly dissatisfied look appeared on his face. He said, "Father, didn't you always say that Li Ke was most like you?"
"Why are you talking about me like this again now? Isn't this change a little too fast?"
"Also, you scold me at least twice in three days! You say I'm obsessed with studying strange and cunning tricks all day long. How did I get to Xianyang? Father, have you forgotten? My father! Have you changed a little too much?"
There was a hint of bitterness in his words.
When Li Shimin heard Li Chengqian's words, the muscles on his face stiffened noticeably, and he was obviously choked and speechless. However, he quickly adjusted his expression and pretended not to hear anything. He continued, "Chengqian, do you know what my father loves most in his life?"
Hearing Li Shimin's question, Li Chengqian felt a moment of confusion in his mind, as if he had heard a similar question at some point in time.
He tilted his head back slightly, searching his mind intently for fragments of memory. After a long pause, he finally understood and said, "Old Li, don't you usually love antiques, calligraphy, and paintings? I'll ask Fatty Lin to search around for some and tinker with them for you. Maybe that'll make you feel better."
Li Chengqian said tentatively, his eyes still full of confusion about Li Shimin's true intentions.
Li Shimin shook his head gently, a hint of melancholy in his eyes: "Cheng Qian, father no longer likes those antiques, calligraphy and paintings. Father, like you, is also an emperor with a broad mind."
"You also know that my father has always been a person who cares most about face. Now that you have ascended the throne and become the ruler of the Tang Dynasty, my father has grown old."
"In the future, your achievements will undoubtedly far surpass those of the Emperor. Although his previous achievements were quite remarkable at the time, they were also widely praised by the ministers in the court."
"But compared to your brilliant achievements in future history books, I'm really worried that future generations will gradually forget me, and I won't leave a deep mark in the history books!"
The more Li Chengqian listened, the more he felt something was amiss. He carefully looked Li Shimin up and down, looking at him with a strange look in his eyes: "Father, if you have anything to say, just say it directly. Don't beat around the bush like this."
"Whatever you ask your son to do, he will definitely agree to it! Why do you have to do these confusing things?"
Li Chengqian really couldn't stand Li Shimin's hesitant attitude, and just wanted to find out as soon as possible what Old Li was going to do!
When Li Shimin heard Li Chengqian's words, his face, which had just been red and sad, suddenly broke into a brilliant smile. There was a sly smirk in that smile: "Chengqian, are you serious? Don't just perfunctorily answer your father. You must do what you say."
Li Chengqian looked at Li Shimin, who was now as innocent and slightly mischievous as a child, and sighed helplessly: "Father, the king never jokes! Please stop keeping me in suspense and tell me now."
"Alright, alright! Cheng Qian, I'd like to discuss something with you. Could you please give me all the achievements from the first, second, and third years of Qianwu?"
"How about until the end of this year? Starting from the fourth year of Qianwu, father will definitely not take away your achievements anymore, okay?"
"How about you ask the historian to change it and put all your achievements in the 13th, 14th, and 15th years of the Zhenguan period?"
There was a glint of anticipation in Li Shimin's eyes, and there was even a hint of coquettishness in his voice. He looked at Li Chengqian eagerly, waiting for his reply.
His hands unconsciously clenched into fists, and he felt a little nervous.
"That's brilliant! You know, this is just a little fun for Aye. This is really a bit too much!"
"But Aye really has no choice. Aye has seen that your future achievements will definitely be even more outrageous!"
"Aye's previous achievements were quite reasonable, but now that you've taken the throne and accomplished so many earth-shattering things, it seems that everything Aye did before is insignificant, like he's just a piece of crap!"
"Please, my good son, just agree to my request this time. When I go down, I will praise you every day in front of your mother, okay?"
"How about changing that cannon to Zhenguan Cannon in the history books?"
As Li Shimin spoke, he made a pleading look with longing in his eyes.
His words contained both praise for his son and a hint of reluctance at having his past achievements covered up, but more of it was a special kind of "dependence" and "trust" on Li Chengqian.
At this moment, he was just an ordinary father who longed to be helped by his son.