Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 258 Li Shimin: Prince! Don’t force me! [Seeking monthly votes]

"boom--!"

A sudden gunshot stunned everyone present.

Especially Empress Changsun, who was pulled aside by Li Shimin, was full of surprise.

Without any time to think, she rushed towards Li Shimin crying.

"His Majesty!"

The others who heard Empress Changsun's cries came back to their senses from the gunshot and looked in the direction where the gunshot came from.

Ten steps away, a stern-looking young man was holding a musket from which smoke had not yet dissipated. He stood there calmly, as if he had just done something that was in line with his job.

"Haibin!"

Xue Rengui immediately discovered the identity of the young man. It was actually his trusted guard Wang Haibin. He was shocked and hurried forward to suppress the rifle in his hand.

Although Li Chengqian's six generals of the Eastern Palace all had strict military configurations, there would not be the Black Armor Guards or the Iron Pagoda equipped with muskets.

But senior generals, such as Su Dingfang, Xue Rengui, or their trusted guards, can be equipped with muskets for self-defense.

The right guard named Wang Haibin was one of the guards equipped with muskets.

"I didn't hit your Majesty, I just hit the sword in his hand!"

Even though Xue Rengui forcefully pressed down his musket, Wang Haibin still spoke calmly.

The others who heard his words breathed a sigh of relief, but were also surprised by the guard's ferocity.

He actually dared to shoot at His Majesty. It must be said that he is truly a newborn calf that is not afraid of a tiger.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, are you all right?"

Empress Changsun threw herself into Li Shimin's arms with tears on her face and asked him in a sobbing voice.

But Li Shimin stood there in a daze, staring motionlessly at the emperor's sword in his hand that had broken into two pieces, without saying a word.

Although his action just now looked like he was going to kill the rebellious son with a sword, in fact, his intention was just to chop the sword onto the stone platform behind Li Chengqian and scare Li Chengqian.

After all, Li Chengqian's series of calculations made him, as a father, lose face.

However, what he never expected was that after he threatened someone, someone actually dared to shoot him.

In other words, if I really want to kill Li Chengqian, I might be the first one to die?
After all, the speed of a musket cannot even compare to that of an arrow, let alone the speed of one's own hands?
Thinking of this, Li Shimin's forehead was covered with beads of sweat, which was rare. He didn't know what words to use to describe his current mood.

Anyway, he now felt a little regretful about coming here alone.

However, he also believed that no one here, including Li Chengqian, would dare to kill him, not even the person who had just shot him.

But then Xue Rengui quickly scolded Wang Haibin, "Who told you to shoot?!"

"Commander Xue, have you forgotten?"

Wang Haibin said sternly, "The first rule of the Sergeant's Handbook is never to put the commander in danger. Your Majesty just wanted to kill the Crown Prince. How could I just ignore it?"

"you!"

Xue Rengui was choked by this, and then turned to Li Shimin and explained: "Your Majesty, I will..."

"Commander Xue's ability to manage the army is truly eye-opening!"

Before Xue Rengui could finish his words, Li Shimin interrupted him coldly, then looked back at him expressionlessly and said solemnly, "What is the 'Sergeant's Handbook'?"

"This"

Xue Rengui hesitated, looked at Wang Haibin, then at Li Chengqian, and explained again, "Your Majesty, the so-called 'Sergeant's Handbook' is actually a training manual developed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for the Six Commanders of the Eastern Palace. Every soldier of the Six Commanders of the Eastern Palace must read the 'Sergeant's Handbook' and use it as their code of conduct, obeying discipline and strictly following orders."

"Oh?" Li Shimin raised his eyebrows upon hearing this. "So, shooting at me is also in the Sergeant's Handbook?"

"No, no, father, don't think too much about it. It was just an accident!" Li Chengqian hurriedly explained after hearing this.

"Humph, what a surprise! I almost..."

"Father, you didn't come here to teach me a lesson, did you?"

Seeing that Li Shimin was about to use this incident to attack him, Li Chengqian immediately interrupted him and waved to Xue Rengui and others, signaling them to leave quickly.

When Empress Zhangsun saw that Li Shimin was all right, she came to her senses and patted her chest, complaining to him, "Your Majesty, you were too impulsive just now. If anything happens to Cheng Qian, how will I live?"

Having said that, he glared at Li Chengqian angrily and scolded him, "Chengqian, you too! What kind of subordinates are you training? You're too reckless! What if you hurt your father? I'm telling you, this person must be severely punished!"

"Yes, yes, mother, I am right. I will punish this person severely!"

Li Chengqian nodded and bowed, looking like he was accepting a lesson.

Li Shimin, who was watching from the side, had a strange look on his face.

However, just as he was about to continue his attack, he suddenly discovered that the people around him had disappeared, leaving only the three of them next to the thatched cottage.

"Rebellious son! How dare you!"

"Oh, Father, let's make some plans!"

The moment Li Shimin pointed at Li Chengqian angrily, Li Chengqian quickly reached out and held his fingers, with a smile that said "we can discuss something".

Li Shimin was both angry and amused, and could not help but snort coldly: "What good plans do we have? Aren't you the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty now?"

After saying this, he prepared to pull out his finger.

However, just as he was about to pull out his fingers, he suddenly found that his fingers were like being clamped by pliers and he couldn't pull them out at all. He couldn't help but look at Li Chengqian with a look of astonishment.

But Li Chengqian said with a half-smile, "What's the matter, Father? Don't you want to talk to your son more?"

Li Shimin's heart sank, and he suddenly felt threatened in person. He immediately increased his strength and tried to break free from Li Chengqian's hands.

However, no matter how hard he tried, even to the point where veins popped out on his forehead, he still couldn't get rid of Li Chengqian.

Empress Zhangsun, standing by, seemed to notice something was amiss between the father and son, and blinked her beautiful eyes and asked, "Your Majesty, Cheng Qian, what are you doing?"

"I didn't do anything, it's just that your Majesty's hands are a little cold, and I wanted to warm them up!"

Li Chengqian said this nonchalantly, then he let go of Li Shimin's hand and smiled and winked at him, "Isn't that right, Father?"

"Humph!"

Li Shimin snorted in anger and shame. He neither responded to Empress Changsun nor answered Li Chengqian. At the same time, he felt an incredible shock in his heart.

He could never have imagined that Li Chengqian had such a talent.

You know, being born with supernatural powers is not uncommon for the Li family.

Because his younger brother Li Yuanba was such a person.

He was gifted when he was young and was strong enough to lift a tripod.

However, God was jealous of his talent and he died very early.

However, he was really surprised that Li Chengqian had such talent.

Because before Li Chengqian was eight years old, he had never heard that Li Chengqian had such talent.

After Li Chengqian turned eight years old, he had never heard anyone say that Li Chengqian had such talent. However, Yun Duan mentioned to him that Li Chengqian had been practicing martial arts recently and had once kicked Li Zhen away.

However, neither practicing martial arts nor kicking Li Zhen away was enough to show that Li Chengqian had such talent.

Now that he had personally experienced Li Chengqian's talent, Li Shimin was both shocked and confused.

Shockingly, the Li family's talent was passed on.

What makes me confused is that this rebellious son might be unstoppable in the future. What should I do?
You know, although Li Yuanba was gifted, he was not very smart.

But now Li Chengqian is not only gifted, but also very smart.

If this happened in a chaotic world of struggle for hegemony, if Li Shimin was not on his side, he would have said that this boy must not be kept.

It’s definitely Xiang Yu and Han Xin!
"Well, the Emperor came to see me, probably because of Tuyuhun and Tubo, right?"

Seeing that Li Shimin's expression kept changing but he didn't say a word, Li Chengqian broke the silence with a wry smile.

Empress Changsun, who was standing by, saw that the father and son started talking about serious matters, so she tactfully left.

However, in order to prevent the father and son from having another conflict, she did not leave too far. She made tea for the father and son by the thatched cottage and did not disturb them silently.

But Li Shimin said with lingering fear: "Since you know everything, then tell me, how are you going to deal with it?"

"Didn't the Emperor forbid me from interfering in state affairs? Why are you asking for my opinion?"

Li Chengqian said with a bit of amusement, then spread his hands and said, "Besides, I am just a mere prince, how can I be qualified to take charge of such matters, don't you agree, father?"

Li Shimin sneered: "What a mere prince! If you despise the position of crown prince, I don't mind fulfilling your wish and abolishing your position as crown prince!"

"Really? Father, do you really think you can depose me again?"

Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes slightly.

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes not to be outdone.

The father and son looked at each other with murderous intent.

The next moment, a tongueless voice suddenly came from the hillside: "Your Majesty."

"Shut up!"

"shut up!"

The father and son turned around at the same time and stopped each other.

But Li Shimin said coldly: "Prince, I acknowledge your current ability, but it is far from enough in front of me. Do you understand?"

"Your Majesty, you are joking. I don't have any ability. I am just blessed by God."

Li Chengqian said calmly, "After all, being born in an emperor's garden is not what I wanted."

"Humph!"

Li Shimin snorted coldly, then said directly: "Since you understand everything, then I won't waste my words with you. As long as you can solve the current crisis, I will promise you that you will be allowed to participate in the government instead of just listening in!"

"Oh, it seems that Your Majesty still doesn't understand what I want!"

"Prince!"

Li Shimin's face turned cold, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Don't force me!"

"Your Majesty, you should first listen to that person's report."

"you!"

Li Shimin was so angry that he was speechless again, especially when he saw Li Chengqian bargaining with him calmly. His heart was like a thousand alpaca horses galloping. He was devastated, helpless, angry and crazy.

"Tell me! What happened?"

Li Shimin suppressed all the emotions in his heart and asked solemnly.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, urgent news from Liaodong: Goguryeo has sent troops to attack the Tang Dynasty. Also, the civil and military officials in the court have also arrived, but they were stopped by the Sixth Officer of the Eastern Palace."

Wushe said cautiously.

Li Shimin's face instantly turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. He then looked at Li Chengqian with uncontrollable anger and shouted, "Look at what you've done! Do you really want to destroy the Tang Dynasty to make you happy?!"

"Your Majesty, what are you talking about? I am the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. How could I possibly let the Tang Dynasty fall?"

Li Chengqian frowned and argued, "Besides, they are just barbarians. Why is Your Majesty so out of control?"

"That's a nice thing to say!" Li Shimin sneered, "You think they are barbarians, but don't they think our Tang Dynasty is a treasure trove? Everyone wants to come to our Tang Dynasty to get a piece of the pie!"

"Now that you've detained and killed their people, they have an excuse to attack our Tang Dynasty!"

"So what? Is the Tang Dynasty afraid of them?"

"Oh, you're not afraid. You have your six generals protecting you. You can even ignore me, but what about the people of the Tang Dynasty? Who will protect them? Do you think the Tang Dynasty has the ability to face all foreign enemies?"

"Who said that the Tang Dynasty needs to face all foreign enemies?"

Li Chengqian argued, "They've only deployed troops outside the Great Wall, and haven't said they want to go to war with the Tang Dynasty. Hasn't the war started yet? Your Majesty, why are you so panicked? I really don't know how you conquered this world!"

"Rebel!"

Li Shimin was furious and rushed to Li Chengqian in one step, almost knocking him down.

Li Chengqian took two steps back before finally stabilizing himself. Then, a surge of rage erupted in him, and he angrily said, "Enough! Stop calling me a traitor! If I were truly a traitor, I should have followed your example. I'd put a gun to your head and yell that I'd control all the troops in the world!"

"Bastard!"

When Li Shimin heard this, he immediately got furious: "Where is my sword!?"

After saying this, he looked around, as if looking for Jian Shazi to prove his truth.

Seeing this, Empress Zhangsun, who was not far away, rushed over and said, "Your Majesty, calm down. Your Majesty..."

"Mother! Leave him alone!"

Before Empress Zhangsun could finish her words, Li Chengqian interrupted her: "I will let him kill me right here! He killed his brothers anyway, so he doesn't care about me as his son."

"Cheng Qian! Shut up, mother!"

Upon hearing this, Empress Changsun's face changed drastically and she quickly stopped Li Chengqian from saying the next words.

Li Shimin was so angry that he even forgot to look for his sword. He pointed at Li Chengqian and was about to complain to Empress Zhangsun: "Guanyin, listen to what this rebellious son said. He..."

"Your Majesty! You better shut up!" Empress Changsun said angrily.

Li Shimin: "."

Li Chengqian: "."

It seemed that this was the first time that the father and son saw Empress Changsun get angry, so they really shut up.

Empress Changsun quickly came to Li Chengqian and glared at him.

"Mother."

Just as Li Chengqian was about to speak, Empress Changsun slapped him in the face.

"Snapped!"

Five slender finger prints suddenly appeared on Li Chengqian's little face.

Pink and burning with pain.

But then Empress Zhangsun said with a look of dismay, "Cheng Qian, he is your father! No matter what he does, anyone in the world can scold him, but you cannot. Do you understand?"

"My son."

Li Chengqian opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopped.

He knew that if he talked back, Empress Zhangsun would not hesitate to give him another big slap, so in line with the idea of ​​a good man not to suffer a loss in front of him, he had to pinch his nose and said: "Son, I understand."

"hehe!"

Seeing that Li Chengqian was beaten speechless, Li Shimin's anger immediately subsided and he even laughed. He was ready to add fuel to the fire and let Empress Zhangsun beat him a few more times.

But he added fuel to the fire and said, "Guanyin, this rebellious son just now..."

"His Majesty!"

Before Li Shimin could finish his words to add fuel to the fire, Empress Changsun gave him a cold look.

"The nation is in crisis, Your Majesty. Why don't you prioritize the greater good? They say fathers and sons fight together. Shouldn't fathers and sons work together? Look at you. You don't act like a father at all. Have you really disregarded the father-son bond for the sake of power?"

"If that's the case, how can future generations follow your example? Do you really want the Li Tang royal family to be shed in rivers of blood?"

"Queen!"

When Li Shimin heard what Empress Changsun said, his face suddenly turned dark.

It was obvious that Empress Changsun's words were a bit harsh.

But Empress Zhangsun ignored Li Shimin's anger and continued to talk to herself:

"There are some things that a woman like me shouldn't say, and I've said I won't interfere in government affairs. But after listening to Cheng Qian's ideas, I think they make a lot of sense. Your Majesty has already set a bad precedent, and we can't let Cheng Qian cause any more problems!"

"If Crown Prince Cheng Qian gets into trouble again, the Li Tang royal family will have a hard time living in peace, because everyone will think that the Crown Prince has no authority and that the position can be obtained by killing brothers! It can be fought for through business!"

"This"

Li Shimin was shocked by Empress Changsun's words.

But Empress Changsun did not finish her words.

She continued earnestly, "Your Majesty, think about it. Do you really want to see the Tang Dynasty become like this? Do you really want to see the descendants of the Tang Dynasty shed blood?"

"I"

Li Shimin was speechless for a moment.

Naturally, he did not want to see the descendants of the Tang Dynasty shed blood, but he also did not want the prince to have too much power, because it would make him feel very uncomfortable as the emperor.

After all, he paid a huge price for the throne.

Why should you let others take half of the throne when you haven't even sat on it yet?
Is it just because he is the prince?

Isn’t it enough that I’m being oppressed by my eldest brother, the prince?

As if she had seen through Li Shimin's thoughts, Empress Zhangsun said solemnly, "No matter how Your Majesty views me, I support the Crown Prince in taking back his power!"

"Guanyinbi, what are you doing?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin was stunned where he stood.

Because this was the first time that Empress Changsun called him "this palace" in front of him, which meant that she was supporting the prince as the queen.

Don't underestimate the queen's power.

Although the Tang Dynasty was not the Han Dynasty, the queen still had considerable power.

After all, Yang Jian, the founding emperor of the Sui Dynasty, once ruled the world together with Empress Dugu.

The Tang Dynasty succeeded the Sui Dynasty and did not weaken the power of the empress.

It’s just that Empress Changsun was unwilling to use her power as empress.

Also.

Because of the Royal Manufacturing Bureau, Empress Changsun controlled the financial power of the palace.

Even if Li Shimin wanted to use the money and food in the palace, he had to get the consent of Empress Changsun.

So, somehow, Li Shimin suddenly felt like he was being sidelined by the mother and son.

One is for the inside and the other is for the outside?
Damn it!
He really wanted to curse!
However, before he could recover from Empress Zhangsun's support, Li Chengqian's voice rang out again: "Father, I wonder if you have ever heard this saying: the best defense is offense. As long as the Tang Dynasty demonstrates a strength beyond their comprehension, they will not dare to act rashly."

"what do you mean?"

Li Shimin was stunned.

But Li Chengqian smiled and asked, "Father, do you know why I plotted against them?"

"why?"

"Because I've never thought about all nations coming to pay tribute, nor have I ever thought about the Celestial Empire. I just want to think that wherever the sun and moon shine, it's China, and wherever the rivers flow, it's Tang territory."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and took out a map from his bosom, pointing to Australia on it and said, "Father, on this side of the sea, there is an island rich in gold. There is countless gold on it."

"in addition."

Then he pointed to Europe and America and said, "There are many countries here whose wealth is comparable to that of the Tang Dynasty. Even my sweet potatoes, which yield thousands of kilograms per acre, originated from here. Father, think about it, are we really satisfied with the status quo?"

"What's the point of fighting these impoverished steppe nomads all day long? Can they ever make us rich?"

"So, we must get rid of these country bumpkins as soon as possible and make them our mercenaries to help us expand our territory!"

Hearing this, Li Shimin suddenly felt that his brain was not enough.

In fact, he had thought about Li Chengqian's ambition, but no matter how he thought about it, he could not imagine that Li Chengqian's ambition was so big.

But then Li Chengqian said in a resounding voice, "Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms, and Emperor Wu of Han forged the Han people. What about us, father and son? Can't we take a broader view?"

"for example."

At this point, Li Chengqian took out a larger map and said solemnly, "How about dominating the world?"

"This is?!"

Li Shimin stared at the map in Li Chengqian's hand with his eyes wide open, as if he was immersed in the grand blueprint drawn by Li Chengqian and couldn't extricate himself for a while.

At this time, Empress Zhangsun said excitedly: "My son has such ambitions. Mother is so happy for you!"

"Haha, actually this is nothing, mother, I have another bold idea, if..."

"No! Absolutely not!"

Before Li Chengqian could express his bold idea, Li Shimin seemed to come to his senses and resolutely interrupted him: "Your idea is too unrealistic. You have never fought in a real battle. With such a long distance, the baggage of our Tang Dynasty cannot catch up. It is absolutely impossible to conquer these places!"

When Li Chengqian heard this, he was unhappy: "You haven't even fought yet, how do you know it won't work?"

"I said no, it's no!"

Li Shimin interrupted Li Chengqian again without question, and then said seriously: "I can promise you that I will give you the power that a prince should have, but I will never agree to an expedition!"

"It's not Father, how come you..."

"Alright Cheng Qian!"

Seeing that the father and son were about to quarrel again, Empress Zhangsun quickly comforted Li Chengqian, saying, "Things should be done one by one. Let's solve the current problem first, and then talk about the future!"

When Li Chengqian heard what Empress Changsun said, he couldn't help but look hesitant, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that he should not be too ambitious and should focus on the present first and worry about the future later.

After all, as long as he holds power, future affairs will no longer be decided by Emperor Li II.

"Okay! I'll listen to you, mother, and deal with the current situation first!"

After saying this, Li Chengqian immediately said to Chang Wei, who was standing at the foot of the hill: "Chang Wei, immediately send someone to invite the envoys from the twenty-nine countries, the envoys from the four Tuyuhun countries, and the envoys from Tubo. Tell them that the Tang Dynasty will be holding a military exercise outside the city. Ask them to come and watch the ceremony!"

"promise!"

Chang Wei agreed, as if he had been prepared for it, and jumped on his horse and rushed into the city.

The civil and military officials who watched him leave looked at each other and whispered to each other.

Military exercises?

What a fresh word!

(End of this chapter)