Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 181 You fight your own battles, don’t disturb me from governing the country

In a corner of the East Palace, there is an inconspicuous mound of earth.

The eunuchs who were digging the pit did not dare to ask too many questions, they just dug the pit as their leader told them to.

But after one night, they found that the hole they dug had turned into a mound of earth, and they dared not ask any more questions.

Just think of it as nature's magic.

Li Chengqian looked haggard. He leaned against the cypress tree in front of the grave, speechless and choking with emotion.

Wu Meiniang, his newly acquired favorite concubine who allowed him to enjoy the pleasure of being a man for the first time, died.

The charming and gentle body was now buried in the mound of earth in front of her, living with ants and insects.

Nothing is more regrettable than losing something.

He felt empty inside, but it was quickly filled with anger.

He was inexplicably injured in an accident and died inexplicably from a strange disease.

coincidence?

He doesn't believe it!

The grief and anger in my heart are accumulating and I urgently need to find a target to vent it.

Li Chengqian felt that this target was Li Shimin, his father.

The man who gave him life and status, but also brought him endless pressure and pain.

"It must be him, it must be Father!
"For his crazy plan of establishing a crown prince, he can incite his own sons to fight each other! Then killing a fifth-rank talent is nothing!
"He is warning me not to touch his woman, so that I can continue to fight for the throne with my brothers wholeheartedly!"

Li Chengqian's lips trembled, and he nervously muttered some treasonous words.

Li Ming's previous worries were not wrong. The prince who was fond of disguise and worshipped Turkic culture did have some mental problems.

Sometimes not very rational.

After Wu Meiniang's death, his emotions became even more unstable, and he paranoidly magnified the malice from his father.

"Now that Mei Niang is dead, what should I do? Continue to accompany him and raise Gu with my stupid brothers?

"To breed the strongest and most vicious poisonous insect for the Tang Dynasty?"

Li Chengqian had a ferocious look on his face. Suddenly he paused and turned his head slightly to one side, as if he was listening to something.

There was no one around.

"Yes, Mei Niang, you are right. I am too indecisive and too trapped in the love affair..."

Li Chengqian's expression changed, and he laughed nervously again:
"I want him to know that poisonous insects can also devour their masters!"

…………

"I am very pleased that you took the initiative to bring this up."

In Lizheng Hall, Li Shimin looked at his eldest son with a pleasant expression.

Li Chengqian smiled gently.

He was wearing a round-necked red robe, with his head properly wrapped in a fu. He said with great respect:
"Our dynasty has been established for more than ten years, and there is a lot of work to be done. There is a shortage of people, and there are still vast wastelands and idle fields that have not been developed.

"How can I, a minister, occupy so many official slaves just for my own enjoyment and relaxation?

"I only ask Your Majesty to grant my son's request and release the palace maids and eunuchs from the Eastern Palace to cultivate the fields, work as farmers, and make the best use of the people's resources and resources."

"Haha, from what you said, it seems that I am indulging in pleasure and taking up too much labor."

Li Shimin complained on the surface, but he was extremely happy in his heart.

Ever since his last talk with Li Chengqian, he found that his eldest son had become "better".

Not only did he come to ask for instructions and report whenever he had time, he even came more frequently than Li Tai.

And it also makes sense.

Instead of just talking about romantic things, he actively sought advice on strategies for governing the country.

More importantly, the prince even changed his previous absurd way of dressing.

He finally looks like the true dragon son of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Er felt that he was successful again. He felt that he had a good way of raising his son and had successfully resolved his son's emotional issues. He was much better than his father.

"Father is very busy, if the palace maids can share more of the burden for you, you can think more about the country."

Li Chengqian's mouth was as sweet as honey, flattering silently:

"Serving you wholeheartedly is the only way to help the country."

"Good, good." Li Shimin did not hide his relief.

Today was the same as the previous few days. The prince came forward to pay his respects early in the morning just after breakfast.

This time, he not only discussed with his father some ideas about the flood and drought disasters in the south this year, but also took the initiative to propose reducing the number of slaves in the Eastern Palace.

This made Li Shimin particularly happy.

Let’s start with me, working diligently and caring for the people!

In comparison, more than ten years ago, His Majesty the Supreme Emperor was still angry with Li Shimin because he was unhappy about the layoffs of palace maids.

As expected, the disciple is better than the master, and my descendants are stronger than the previous one!

Li Shimin seemed to have returned to several years ago.

At that time, Empress Zhangsun was still alive, and Li Chengqian was very well-behaved and sensible, without the many problems he later had...

"It's just that the Eastern Palace is laying off so many palace servants at once. Is that okay? After all, your body..."

Li Shimin looked at Li Chengqian's sick leg worriedly, and hesitated to speak.

"No problem. How can you sweep the world if you can't even sweep your own house?" Li Chengqian answered simply.

Li Shimin felt sincerely relieved:

"Very good!"

He immediately approved the request to dismiss the palace maids and eunuchs in the East Palace, and said with a distressed look:

“Cheng Qian, there are few people in the palace, it’s a bit lonely.

“I have a handwritten copy of Wang Xizhi’s “Lanting Preface”, which I put a lot of effort into.

"I give this to you. Every time we meet, it will be like seeing me."

Li Chengqian resisted the urge to sneer and put on an expression of gratitude.

"Also, considering your inconvenience in walking, you can ride a horse in the palace." Li Shimin smiled generously:
"Come visit me often in the future."

Li Chengqian thanked him lightly:

"Your son is always at my service, father."

On that day, there was another sensation among the court officials.

Your Majesty commended the Crown Prince and rewarded him with a painting copied in his own handwriting. This is already a very strong signal.

What’s even more exaggerated is that His Majesty even allowed the Crown Prince to ride a horse in the palace!

Strictly speaking, this is the first time that His Majesty the Emperor has bestowed such treatment on others!
Li Tai could only ride in a sedan chair in the palace, but could not ride a horse like others.

As for the other prince Li Ming who did not want to reveal his name...

Anyway, no one dared to say anything no matter what he did inappropriately in the palace.

However, in theory, His Majesty did not officially allow Li Ming to ride a horse in the palace.

It's no use even if you allow it, because His Highness Li Ming's short legs are too short to ride a horse.

The commendation received by the prince was interpreted in endless ways by the ministers who had recently been keen on taking sides.

Because, this is the first time that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has taken the initiative to attack since His Majesty has set up the arena for the succession competition!
The fence-sitters and the old ministers of the princeling party began to look around again.

The advantages of being the eldest son and the legitimate child, brought from the mother's womb, are ultimately unrivaled.

In order to get the same treatment with just a few words, the other three brothers must have done a lot of real work.

If you don't make a sound, you'll be amazing. The situation may change, and the outcome is still unknown...

…………

Li Chengqian returned to the deserted East Palace's Jiade Hall with a gentle smile. Finally, he couldn't hold it back anymore and laughed hysterically:

“Pfft, hahahaha!

"Fool, what a fool! Just a few nice words and he will..."

The laughter stopped abruptly.

He suddenly tilted his ear to listen, then nodded, not knowing who he was talking to.

“You’re right, Mei Niang.

"We should guard against arrogance and impatience, and take our time to achieve our goals."

Li Chengqian felt that he was very rational and not crazy at all.

He wants to climb up step by step and take back everything that belongs to him.

He wants to be the supreme being.

From then on, there was no longer any "Father Emperor" weighing down his head, and he no longer had to worry about being criticized by his subordinates, being oppressed by his brothers, or being killed when defeated in a fight.

He can do whatever he wants, wear whatever clothes he wants, and fall in love with whichever man or woman he wants, and no one can interfere.

"Before that, I must first remove the nail that my father has planted in the Eastern Palace and further gain his trust in order to keep my first place in the line of succession..."

Li Chengqian planned his crazy plan very calmly.

He believed that his father was able to kill Wu Meiniang from a distance because he must have placed spies in the Eastern Palace disguised as palace maids.

Therefore, he has been very cautious these days, trying to find ways to please his father.

The purpose is to make the other party relax their vigilance and agree to remove these nails.

Fortunately, my father successfully removed these spies.

"Is this the reward and transaction from my father for my good behavior during this period?" In the empty Jiade Hall, Li Chengqian fiercely battled wits and courage with the air.

…………

"So, you were fired by the East Palace?"

At the gate of Taiji Palace, Li Ming looked at Hu Sanniang speechlessly.

The assassin who killed the Son of the Plane with his own hands, the double-flowered red stick of the Anti-Counterrevolutionary Committee, the killer who has no feelings, is now crying bitterly because he lost his job in the system that was guaranteed to pay him back:
"I don't know either... The prince laid off all the people as soon as he came to power. Except for a few aunties who cooked and cleaned, all other palace servants were laid off."

In other words, Comrade Li Chengqian sent thousands of laborers to society.

"…Don't cry, don't cry, I won't treat you unfairly.

"I will double the monthly salary you receive from the palace and support you until you grow old."

Li Ming skillfully used vulgar money to comfort the girl's wounded heart.

"Great! Master Ming is the best!"

The rain immediately turned to clear, and Hu Sanniang skipped out of the Taiji Palace with a simple package on her back.

Watching her back blending into the vast sea of ​​people on Suzaku Street, Li Ming couldn't help but mutter:
"Dismissing the palace servants...what on earth is my elder brother doing?"

If you say that Li Chengqian was putting on a show to gain fame, then this amount of labor is really not a small number.

This is a benevolent policy that will go down in history books.

Brother Cheng Qian is really cruel. He cuts himself with the knife facing inward.

He would rather drag his sick body and live a hard life, and managed to win some favor from his father, thus stopping the downward trend.

Why did his attitude suddenly change, he became so obedient to his father and stopped cosplaying?
After I publicly executed the traitor Wang, he finally realized that conspiracies and tricks were useless and couldn't sit still anymore so he came out to compete with us head-on?
Li Ming pondered with some pride.

The mastermind behind all these events is among those three brothers.

No matter who the culprit was, after witnessing Wang's tragic and unexpected death, he must have been left with an indelible psychological trauma.

In the eyes of outsiders, this was an accident full of coincidences.

But for the manipulator behind the scenes, this is nothing short of a stern warning.

I, Li Ming, can kill the traitor in public in the palace without getting hurt, and I can do the same to you.

Be honest with me.

Under the nuclear deterrence of mutually assured destruction, Li Ming sleeps more soundly.

The balance of terror is also a balance.

It's much better than him passively taking the beating while the enemy is in the open and in the dark.

"It's just that Li Chengqian's trick hit the mark unexpectedly, and it just happened to pull out the nail that I had planted with great difficulty.

“Or did he really see through my plan, but he just couldn’t pinpoint who the thorn was, so he had to fire them all at once?
"Although the East Palace and Taiji Palace are only separated by a wall, once he closes the Wude Gate, I can't see what's going on inside..."

Li Ming found that he could not see through this elder brother at all.

Unlike the petty silver coin Li Zhi and the flashy Li Tai, the nervous Li Chengqian is totally unpredictable.

I don't know when he is rational, when he is crazy, and when he is crazy in a rational way.

"Let them do whatever they want. As long as they behave themselves and don't try to assassinate me, they can fight as they please."

Li Ming shook his head and walked out of the palace.

When it comes to palace fighting, he can only devote this much energy to dealing with it.

Even after returning to Beijing, Li Ming always had a clear distinction between the primary and the secondary.

Developing the base is the primary priority, and competing for the throne is secondary.

Except for matters that concern his own life - such as assassination cases, traitor cases, the Wu Meiniang case, etc. - he needs to spend his personal energy on them.

As for the ordinary political struggles involved in the fight for the throne, he only needs to set the right path and steer the ship without having to worry about everything.

There are capable people in the court to complete the details for him.

This is the style of a top leader.

Li Ming is serious about developing and strengthening Liaodong's strength and he must do it himself.

Because violence is the foundation and guarantee of all power.

Without consistently reliable political, military and supporting economic power.

Even if his father really appoints him as the successor in the future, it will only give his older brothers or other ambitious people an opportunity to stage the "Battle of Jingnan" in advance.

Conversely, if his hard power is strong enough.

What's the point of playing house with those three brothers who are obsessed with palace fighting?

Why not just push forward all the way south?

Therefore, Li Ming went to see Fang Xuanling as usual to discuss the governance of Liaodong.

"Ah!"

As he passed by the palace gate, the gatekeeper general suddenly sneezed.

"I told you not to rummage through my package, and you got caught again."

While complaining, Li Ming subconsciously stayed away from the source of infection.

The gatekeeper general's mouth twitched, and he raised his head stubbornly, not wanting to pay attention to him.

…………

Fang Xuanling sat in the yamen of the Shangshu Province, just outside the palace and inside the imperial city.

"Father~"

Li Ming walked into Fang Xuanling's study room with familiarity and sat down in his special seat:
"Has the Liaodong monthly report arrived?"

Fang Xuanling looked over the documents and looked at the young master who came to the government office as if he was going home with interest. He pointed at the small table in front of Li Ming:
"Just arrived this morning, right on top."

"It arrived so late. Did the postman get owed wages?"

Li Ming complained, picked up a thick stack of reports and started to read through them.

He has gradually gotten used to remotely controlling Liaodong despite huge delays.

With his previous experience as a civil servant and the written reports submitted by his subordinates, he was able to gain a general understanding of the situation and make decisions in advance.

So that after Liaodong receives the instructions next month, it can implement them in accordance with the established general direction and exercise subjective initiative.

Li Ming is developing his remote micro-control skills with interest.

Just in case, right, one day he can rule such a vast country, he can prepare in advance.

Although he was 4,000 miles away from his subordinates, thanks to the solid ruling foundation, people at all levels in Liaodong, from officials to civilians, were faithfully implementing Chairman Li's highest policies.

Officials are not a problem, discipline is not a problem.

However, the communication delay between Liaodong and Guanzhong became more and more of a problem.

For some reason, the recent post roads are becoming increasingly congested.

The time it takes to deliver a letter has gradually dropped from the fastest twenty days to an average of one month.

There is no war in Liaodong, so the postal route will not be occupied...

Li Ming was keenly aware of what had probably happened in this core area of ​​China between Guanzhong and Liaodong.

But no one knew what had gone wrong, and the court was unaware of it.

"What's going on? What happened in the Tang Dynasty?"

Li Ming took a look at Liaodong's recent iron ore and ironware export account book, and his eyebrows immediately twisted into a "川" shape.

Fang Xuanling put down the document in his hand:
"You are looking at Liaodong's account books, right? How can it involve the Tang Dynasty?"

In the communication among this group of rebels, they have become accustomed to putting Liaodong and the Tang Dynasty on the same level.

“The total amount of copper and iron exported to inland counties and cities has dropped sharply, but the total amount is still increasing.”

Li Ming tapped the corresponding entry in the account book:
"What does this mean? It means that the inland counties are short of ironware and the price has skyrocketed, causing many places to be unable to afford it!"

Hearing this, Fang Xuanling also frowned:

"This is really strange. According to the accounts of the Salt and Iron Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the national iron ore production has not decreased..."

We are still an agricultural society. It is impossible for any sudden technological breakthrough or invention of any new product to lead to a sudden surge in demand for steel.

Li Ming inexplicably recalled the caravan he saw in Youzhou when he was returning to Beijing from Liaodong, which was transporting iron ore and ironware towards Mobei.

Is this preparation for war against Xueyantuo? Or what?
"Anyway, please pay attention." Li Ming reminded.

"I obey your order." Fang Xuanling agreed easily.

Then he was stunned and burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry, but I always have the illusion that you are ruling the country."

"Now the government is busy with palace fighting and political struggles. Shouldn't I bear more responsibilities here? Someone has to govern the country." Li Ming said unhappily:

“If one or two wives or concubines die, hundreds of people from multiple departments will be mobilized to investigate.

"But a number in the account book concerns the livelihoods and even lives of millions of people."

The times are like a speck of dust, and individuals are like a mountain. This is true from the perspective of the ruler.

Behind every abstract number and word are countless living people.

Fang Xuanling was stunned for a while, then smiled and sighed:

"Alas... Your Highness, you shouldn't be here."

Li Ming put away the account book and started to browse the next document, and asked casually:
"So I should be there?"

"You should go back to the palace and continue to please His Majesty like your brother did. Even if you just become familiar with him, that will be fine."

Fang Xuanling stopped his work and advised earnestly:
"Now, the fight for the throne is the real business."

Li Ming was writing comments on the document, not caring:
"Just let them play. I don't have much time to play house with them."

(End of this chapter)