Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 320 Love each other as a family
The cool autumn breeze dyed the land of the Tang Dynasty with golden color.

Autumn is the harvest season for the people. The fields in the suburbs are full of farmers working hard, including women, children, the elderly, and even disabled veterans.

The rice and sorghum must be harvested before the end of the White Dew season. If you delay the farming season, the crops will fail or even be completely destroyed.

This means a year's work has been wasted.

The autumn is the time when common people are so busy that they can't straighten their backs, and it is also the time when nobles are busy with autumn hunting.

Chang'an Taiji Palace, Northern Forbidden Garden.

Li Chengqian, now "Your Majesty", rode his horse back to where his dream began.

Two years ago today, it was also autumn hunting.

On that day, Li Ming stepped on the head of Qi Wang Li You and climbed onto the dragon throne with half of his butt.

On that day, Li Chengqian, who was still the crown prince at the time, met his stepmother Wu Meiniang at the Ganye Temple in the Northern Forbidden Garden.

Compared with Li Ming, who was in the limelight at that time with the residual power of the Jiucheng Palace Incident, Li Chengqian's performance in the autumn hunt could be said to be lackluster.

But it was that encounter that completely changed the trajectories of their lives.

Two years later, Li Ming became a traitor and established his own regime in the Northeast.

However, the low-key Li Chengqian came from behind and sat firmly on the throne.

"This all depends on you giving me advice, Mei Niang..."

Li Chengqian murmured silently.

"Your Majesty." A male attendant with a deep voice and a strong figure dismounted and reported:

"The Crown Prince and the princes will be here soon."

This complete man who can serve His Majesty the Emperor and whose important parts are intact is Li Chengqian's good friend, Zhenxin.

In name, Chengxin served as the General of the Left Cavalry Guard in the capacity of "New Turkic Shekui Khan", responsible for the emperor's personal protection, which was in line with Tang etiquette.

But in fact, what is the "body" that is "sticking" to? Only those who understand will understand.

Li Chengqian has become the emperor, so what's wrong with inserting a relative into the palace?
"Well, ask the eunuchs to prepare some easy-to-carry fruits and snacks, so that they don't go hungry while hunting." Li Chengqian instructed considerately.

As the eldest brother, he is very caring towards his younger brothers and is as attentive as a woman.

"Follow the order."

Chengxin said little and immediately reported the emperor's decree.

Li Chengqian was alone, feeling the autumn northwest wind, and continued to wait for the princes to arrive.

The emperor waited for his ministers. This was a new practice during the Yongqing reign.

Because the emperor has difficulty walking, Li Chengqian always takes every opportunity to show off his heroic figure on horseback, based on the principle of emphasizing what he lacks the most.

Autumn hunting is of course no exception -

But he didn't want his men to see his embarrassed appearance as he was helped onto the horse.

So, he gradually developed the habit of riding on a horse and waiting coolly for his subordinates.

Of course, the princes were not so low in EQ as to just leave the emperor waiting there.

They entered early and waited in the no-viewing area.

Just wait for the eunuch's order and respond immediately to the emperor's summons.

"Hail, Your Majesty."

Led by the Crown Prince Li Zhi, all the surviving sons and illegitimate sons of Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan and Emperor Retired Li Shimin rode on horseback to pay their respects to their common leader, His Majesty Li Chengqian.

No matter whether Li Zhi was a bad person or not, he had a very firm grasp of the etiquette system and there was no fault to be found.

After all, Li Zhi's identity as the "Crown Prince" was a bit awkward, and there were many contradictions between the emperor and the crown prince on their innate "lifespan theories".

In order to avoid giving others any excuse to think that he hoped his brother, who became emperor, would die soon, Li Zhi had to be extremely cautious at all times.

"Well, everyone please get on your horses."

Li Chengqian nodded gently to his brothers and uncles, looked around, and frowned slightly.

"Where is the father?"

Li Zhi replied promptly and respectfully:

"Your Majesty, His Majesty the Emperor is ill and is resting in Ganlu Palace. I'm afraid it's inconvenient for him to attend. I asked this minister to tell you."

Alas... Li Chengqian sighed silently and said:
"Father has just been through a great battle, and he really needs to have a good rest.

"Everyone, let's set off. I believe this year's hunting will be very rich.

"How about this, I have a jade ruyi as a prize. Whoever wins first will win the prize. What do you think?"

"Yes, sir!" the royal princes responded in unison.

No one was worried at all about their father's health.

It’s not because they are all filial sons who smile at their fathers when they say goodbye.

It was because they knew that His Majesty the Retired Emperor was in good health and he just found an excuse not to attend the "Autumn Hunting" event.

After ending the Central Plains War, His Majesty Li Shimin immediately returned to the capital and handed over the military power without saying a word.

From then on, he no longer cared about state affairs, plunged into the harem, and lived a happy life of revelry every night.

After fighting all your life, can't you enjoy yourself?

With this spirit, Li Chengqian even suspected that he might die before his father.

As for why Li Shimin declined to attend the autumn hunt today, it was because he was afraid of being reminded of the past and recalling the dead Li Tai and Li You.

Or it was because he seized the time and worked hard, racing against time to add a few new younger brothers for His Majesty the Emperor.

Let's keep everyone in the dark for now.

It can only be said that it seems to be a tradition of the Li family that sons resemble their fathers. After retiring, Li Shimin became more and more like his father Li Yuan.

…………

The exciting autumn hunting is in progress.

A group of princes demonstrated their skilled horseback hunting skills, bent their bows and drew their arrows, hunting hard.

They all tried their best to act as if they valued His Majesty's "gift" very much.

Outside the busy hunting ground, Li Chengqian rode on horseback and stayed where he was.

As an emperor, it would be inconvenient for him to compete with his ministers for the prize.

After a while, Li Zhi also came over on horseback and pretended to dismount.

"Don't you want to go and have some fun? - You don't have to get off the horse, we can talk on the horse." Li Chengqian said with a smile.

After receiving the personal permission from His Majesty, Li Zhi sat back on the saddle, touching his head with a wry smile.

"Your Majesty, I am still young and not good at riding or shooting, so I will not spoil the fun of my brothers."

This excuse was perfect, showing his innocent attitude that he was still incompetent and had no intention of replacing his elder brother.

But Li Chengqian saw clearly from above that Li Zhi was unable to fit in with the princes' games and quit because he felt bored.

After all, those princes had been Li Zhi's enemies during the Second Rebellion of the Eight Kings. They knew how cruel and brutal the seemingly harmless little brothers could be, and they felt uncomfortable.

Alas... Li Chengqian sighed silently again.

After his death and Li Zhi ascended the throne, those half-brothers who had offended Li Zhi would probably not live long.

However, he has no control over what happens after his death.

The troubles in front of him alone were enough to make him overwhelmed.

Li Chengqian hesitated for a while, and finally asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time:

"Crown Prince, regarding the recent situation, didn't Father... tell you anything?"

Li Zhi's expression was somewhat dim, and he shook his head:

"No."

The current relationship between the royal father and son is somewhat contrary to the heavens.

Before the Central Plains War, Li Chengqian was always on guard against his father, the retired emperor.

Either they wanted to kick him out of Lizheng Hall, or they tried to prevent him from getting involved in military and national affairs.

He even thought about assassinating his father.

After the Central Plains War, Li Chengqian was outnumbered by his opponent Li Ming, and in turn sought advice and guidance from the retired emperor, and even intervened in government affairs himself.

However, Li Shimin did the opposite of his eldest son. As soon as he returned to Beijing, he took the initiative to move out of the Lizheng Hall and went straight to the harem, refusing to interfere in state affairs.

This made Li Chengqian a little confused.

Without his father's assistance, he became increasingly unable to cope with the pressure from the Ming Dynasty.

So he tried another way and wanted to ask his father's most beloved children Zhinu and A Sizi to sound out the matter for him.

A-si Li Mingda was very disgusted with her family's scheming and she directly disobeyed the emperor's order and rejected her brother's request to become a commercial spy. Li Chengqian had no way to deal with her.

Based on the principle of common interests, Li Zhi, despite being a minor, went to the Ganlu Hall at the gate of the harem and had a cordial and friendly talk with his father.

After the two of them tearfully expressed their family affection for several nights, Li Zhi really failed to get any useful information out of them.

How could a little rascal possibly defeat an old rascal?
Alas... Li Chengqian sighed again and couldn't help complaining:

"The Tang Dynasty is now in trouble. The country is in tatters and the people are in dire straits. Father, are you just going to sit there and watch?"

While Li Shimin was flirting with Xue Rengui and racing with Li Jing on the Central Plains front, Li Chengqian was also being flirted with by Li Ming in the rear.

Jiaozhou was erratic, the Liao people in Sichuan and Shu were in turmoil, the barbarians in Lingnan were causing trouble, the Minyue and Shanyue were plundering, and the Tang vassal states in Erhai were repeatedly harassed by the Tubo...

The entire southern part of the Tang Dynasty was in chaos.

This chaos began after the Suzaku Gate Incident and was the sequelae of Li Zhi's inability to subdue the south during his regency.

The founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who was despicable and extremely good at dealing with foreign races, took advantage of this opportunity and used Jiaozhou as a fuse to set off a big firework.

"His Majesty the Retired Emperor said..." Li Zhi glanced at the emperor timidly, then lowered his eyes, seeming to be hesitant to speak.

Li Chengqian waved his hand:
"What did the emperor tell you? You can tell me, Crown Prince."

"His Majesty the Emperor said frankly that governing the country is His Majesty's right and obligation, and he... has no right to interfere." Li Zhi said in a low voice.

This statement was beautified by him. Lao Li's original words were "He is the emperor now, what does it have to do with me?"

However, Li Chengqian naturally knew what his father really meant, and his face darkened.

Li Zhi was keenly aware of his brother's unhappy mood, and immediately tried to save his dignity:

"Your Majesty, please don't worry. According to the latest intelligence, the chaos in Jiaozhou has stabilized. The barbarian chieftains headed by Ruan Fuchun were frightened by your majesty's majesty and voluntarily gave up resistance.

"With Jiaozhou stable, the unrest among the barbarians in other parts of the south will also be a sourceless flood and will soon be quelled."

"I hope so. Ruan is fickle and cannot be trusted." Li Chengqian said in a muffled voice.

"Li Ming is behind this." Li Zhi continued to give his brother psychological massage.

"Li Ming is a cunning fellow, and even the emperor can only fight him to a draw.

"Your Majesty, with your strategic planning, defeated his plot in Jiaozhou. Doesn't this just prove that Your Majesty can surpass his teacher?
"Your Majesty should pursue your ambitions on your own. Why do you need others to guide you?"

Li Chengqian was very pleased with this textbook-level flattery and felt that he was doing well again.

"What the Crown Prince said makes sense. I should be more confident."

I am already an adult and an emperor. How can I still rely on my father in everything? Besides, the relationship between my father and I is not that harmonious... He confessed to Wu Meiniang in his heart.

"Wu Mei Niang" couldn't help but smile:
"Your Majesty clearly did nothing, so why did the Nguyen clan in Jiaozhou stop their activities? Does Your Majesty really think that he is born with supernatural powers?"

This... Li Chengqian was stumped by his own inner demon and asked back subconsciously.

"Is there something fishy going on in the south?"

"What did you say?" Li Zhi was stunned. He didn't know why his brother would say such a thing without any reason.

"Uh... ahem, what I mean is." Li Chengqian realized that he had said something wrong and immediately changed his words:
"Compared to the minor problems in the southern border, the people's livelihood is the real problem."

Normally, ministers would flatter the emperor when he expressed his concern for the suffering of the people.

But the flatterer Li Zhi couldn't say it, and his face darkened.

Because there are really big problems with people’s livelihood in the country.

During the Zhenguan period when Emperor Li Shimin was in power, people's lives were relatively comfortable. As long as they didn't suffer from disasters for several consecutive years, even the lowest class of people could still have some surplus food at home.

Even if the harvest fails once, the whole family will not starve for the whole year.

But during the Yongqing period of Emperor Li Chengqian, life became difficult for everyone.

The imperial court was busy with coups and civil wars, and the grassroots landlords were also busy.

They took advantage of the chaos in the government, took advantage of natural disasters and war, and frantically annexed land.

A large number of farmers lost their allotment of land and were forced to become tenants working for landlords.

However, the tenant farmers’ ability to resist risks is very weak. If the harvest is poor, they will starve, and the rent and taxes will not be reduced by a single cent.

The landlord doesn't care whether you live or die.

The government was unable to take care of the increasingly rampant aristocratic families and was unable to curb land annexation, so it could only let it go.

Generally speaking, thanks to the foundation laid during the Zhenguan period, even the vast majority of tenant farmers could still sustain their lives for a while.

However, the situation this year is truly unusual.

Because of the Central Plains War that had just ended, too many laborers were mobilized.

There were 500,000 soldiers in the army alone, including not only the guards but also ordinary able-bodied men recruited from the army.

Not to mention the even larger number of civilian laborers and other logistical support personnel.

Millions of strong laborers were withdrawn at once, making this year's autumn harvest situation immediately grim.

Although the war ended in time before the White Dew Festival, a large number of able-bodied men were still trapped on their way back, and the labor force in farmland everywhere was still stretched to the limit.

This is how the grand scene of men, women, old and young all joining in the action came about.

Regardless of north or south, regardless of age, everyone has the responsibility to harvest. If you miss the autumn harvest season, the grains of millet will be sucked back into your body within two or three days.

For the increasing number of tenant farmers whose livelihoods are becoming increasingly difficult, this is a critical period that determines whether the family will further degenerate into vagrants worse than dogs, or even starve to death.

The suffering of the people can actually be fed back to the court through various channels, and qualified rulers with certain abilities can take notice of it.

Li Chengqian and Li Zhi belong to this category. If they were not fighting against the cheating Li Zhi, they would have no problem governing the country normally.

The plummeting tax rates, the surging number of refugees, the rapidly deteriorating public security...all indicated to the two men the dire state of the country.

Not to mention the memorials that came flying in like snowflakes.

"If we don't do something... people will starve to death and it will be too late."

Li Zhi said heavily.

"Not to mention, there is Li Ming in the north fanning the flames. I have to admit that he is very good at governing the country.

"People in the world are not blind. With the Ming Dynasty as a comparison, people in the Tang Dynasty will surely be unsettled, and the country will probably be in chaos."

Li Zhi pointed out the problem very accurately.

and then?
what can we do about it?

"Should we reduce taxes?" Li Chengqian asked.

Li Zhi shook his head:

"I'm afraid this is only a temporary solution and will only benefit the noble families.

"Besides, now is the time to mobilize troops. If we reduce taxes, what will happen to the military pay?
“The key issue is that the land is not in the hands of the farmers.”

Although people cannot transcend the limitations of their own times, the rulers and ministers of the Tang Dynasty all had eyes.

They all witnessed the process and results of Li Ming's land property rights redistribution in Liaodong.

They can also think and learn.

After a long while, Li Chengqian said in a muffled voice:
"Perhaps, I should learn from my younger brother Li Ming's approach.

"We must crack down on those local tyrants and evil gentry, curb annexation, revive the equal-field system, and return the land to the farmers.

"Brother Crown Prince, what do you think?"

Li Zhili replied:

"Your Majesty is wise!"

His tone was excited, and it was obviously not just flattery.

Although Li Ming is annoying, he is very good at dealing with even more annoying local tyrants.

The master "Ming" uses his skills to defeat "Ming". These two people do have some brains and vision.

Huh... Li Chengqian exhaled a breath of foul air, his expression finally relaxed a little, and smiled bitterly

"Brother Ming has given me difficult questions over and over again, but I have been able to solve them one by one."

Li Zhi responded:
"Your Majesty is wise and brave, and you can easily break through the traitor's tricks while chatting and laughing.

"Whether it was on the battlefield, in the economy, or in suppressing the Jiaozhou rebellion."

Apart from anything else, the rebellion in Jiaozhou was quelled in the midst of laughter and conversation.

Before His Majesty the Emperor could even exert any strength, the barbarians had already calmed down.

Just when Li Chengqian was feeling proud.

Ta-da-da...the sound of hurried horse hooves came from afar.

It didn't come from the hunting ground, but from the Xuanwu Gate behind.

It was a fast horse carrying a message, galloping towards this side at a rapid speed.

Li Chengqian's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

What happened?
While presiding over the autumn hunting ceremony, he was able to pass through the layers of guards of the imperial guards and deliver urgent reports.

This shows that the situation is very serious.

He subconsciously looked at the Crown Prince beside him.

Li Zhi's expression was also very solemn.

At the critical moment of the battle with Ming Dynasty, an urgent report suddenly came, which was most likely not good news...

"Your Majesty, there are changes in Southern Xinjiang!"

The messenger brought the message immediately.

"The Linyi barbarians invaded Jiaozhou!"

(End of this chapter)