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

Chapter 282 Li Chengqian: I can't eat too much, otherwise I'll be [Requesting monthly votes]

The historical Li Chengqian had his eldest son Li Xiang when he was only twelve years old, which is quite astonishing.

This may be related to the fact that their family has Hu (non-Han) ancestry, which gives them natural strength.

How to put it? In a word, it's fierce.

But the current Li Chengqian, although he has the same body as the historical Li Chengqian, is not interested in that aspect at all!

Of course, it's not that he has a problem with his orientation, but rather that he's currently focused entirely on his career and finds it difficult to pay attention to other things.

However, to his surprise, while he didn't care, some people did.

For example, his elderly mother, Empress Zhangsun.

He didn't know what had gotten into Empress Zhangsun, but choosing a wife for her twelve-year-old son was just absurd no matter how you looked at it.

Therefore, upon hearing Chang Wei's report, Li Chengqian rushed out without hesitation, his face grim as he demanded, "Where is Lizhi?!"

Chang Wei was startled and stammered, "In, in the side hall."

"Humph!"

Li Chengqian snorted coldly, and then rushed towards the side hall without saying another word.

This scene left Chang Wei utterly bewildered. He wondered why the Crown Prince was so angry. Did the Crown Prince not want to choose a Crown Princess? Or did the Crown Prince dislike women?
Thinking of this, Chang Wei suddenly recalled what happened that night at the Hu Ji Tavern, and his scalp tingled, his face filled with horror.

No way!
Could it be that the Crown Prince really...
"Hey, Chang Wei, what are you doing here?"

Just as Chang Wei thought he had uncovered a great secret, Lai Fu's voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

He immediately felt the hairs on his body stand on end, and said in a panic, "No, nothing."

"What didn't you do?"

Lai Fu walked over with a frown, squinting as he said, "Why do you look a little off?"

"Oh? Really? Maybe I caught a chill last night. You know, the weather's been strangely cold lately."

"Too."

Lai Fu nodded in agreement, then seemed to remember something and said, "Oh right, recently the nobles in the palace have been using stoves, and there's a shortage of charcoal. I heard that Jiangling is developing new stoves, which seem to burn coal."
Go check out Jiangling. If you figure it out, transport it back to Chang'an. The weather's getting colder, so there shouldn't be any trouble finding a market!

"Isn't coal poisonous?" Chang Wei asked doubtfully, "Can this really be burned?"

"Heh, you've never been to Jiangling. This is a good opportunity for you to go and broaden your horizons. It will be better for you to serve His Highness the Crown Prince when you come back!"

Lai Fu didn't explain, but just smiled, patted Chang Wei on the shoulder, and left.

After a moment of stunned silence, Chang Wei muttered, "I heard that the Crown Prince rose to power in Jiangling. We should go and see for ourselves. Maybe we can discover more of the Crown Prince's secrets."

"What secret?"

"Ah? Commander Su, you haven't left yet!"

"I've been here the whole time. What secret were you talking about?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing."

Chang Wei waved his hand repeatedly and left, while Su Dingfang narrowed his eyes slightly and watched him leave.

Meanwhile, in a side hall of the Crown Prince's residence.

Upon seeing Li Lizhi, Li Chengqian hurriedly asked her, "Lizhi, is this true?!"

"what?"

Li Lizhi, who was eating a milk candy, looked completely bewildered. Her little hand held the candy, hovering near her mouth, unsure of what to do.

Seeing that she was stunned and silent, Li Chengqian took three steps at a time to stand in front of her, snatched the milk candy from her hand, and asked again, "I'm asking you, is it true that Mother wants to choose a Crown Princess for me?"

"Ah? Oh!"

Li Lizhi finally realized what was happening, and then nodded solemnly, saying, "It's true. Mother has been choosing for two or three months, and today she and Father Emperor are helping you choose!"

"Two or three months?"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian was struck dumb, his legs went weak, and he almost lost his footing.

"No! What was Mother thinking?!" Li Chengqian forced himself to steady himself, but his face was still filled with grief and indignation as he said, "How old am I?!"

"this."

Li Lizhi blinked her beautiful eyes and looked at Li Chengqian curiously. Although she didn't know why Li Chengqian was reacting so strongly, she still kindly comforted him, "Brother Crown Prince, don't worry. Mother said she won't force you to marry anyone. She's just helping you to see who it is. In the end, it's up to you to make the decision!"

"Does Father Emperor agree?" Li Chengqian asked subconsciously.

"Well, although Father Emperor disagrees, he listens to Mother Emperor, I suppose."

"Impossible! Father will never listen to Mother on this matter!"

Before Li Lizhi could finish her awkward speech, Li Chengqian interrupted her, saying, "Choosing a Crown Princess is not a private matter, but a matter of state. Father Emperor will not compromise easily."

"Even so, won't my elder brother, the Crown Prince, have to choose a Crown Princess sooner or later? What's the big deal?" Li Lizhi asked, somewhat puzzled.

Because Empress Zhangsun was not only selecting a crown princess for Li Chengqian, but also arranging her marriage with Zhangsun Chong.

This left her feeling helpless and bewildered, unsure of how to cope.

Although Changsun Chong did save her at the Double Ninth Festival banquet, she did not have any romantic feelings for him.

Or rather, she has no idea what romantic love between men and women is.

She could accept it if it were like her father and mother, but she absolutely could not accept it if it were like her father and his other concubines.

Therefore, she is now very curious about what Li Chengqian is thinking.

But then Li Chengqian sighed and said, "I know I will have to choose a Crown Princess sooner or later, but there is a difference between sooner or later!"

"What's the difference?"

"This"

Li Chengqian hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should explain this to Li Lizhi.

But seeing that Li Lizhi's hair was slightly damp, he realized that she must have come to find him as soon as possible, and he couldn't help but feel touched.

So he picked up a handkerchief and handed it to her, saying, "Wipe the sweat off your forehead first. It's chilly, don't catch a cold."

"Oh." Li Lizhi obediently took the handkerchief, subconsciously smelled it, said "It smells so good," and then playfully wiped her sweat.

Meanwhile, Li Chengqian was considering how to explain things to Li Lizhi.

Perhaps, if explained well, Li Lizhi might be able to help him.

After all, Li Lizhi was Li Shimin's most beloved daughter, and even when the ministers couldn't persuade Li Shimin, they would ask her for help.

Thinking of this, Li Chengqian glanced at Li Lizhi again, pondering that in two years, she would be marrying Changsun Chong.

She was only twelve years old at that time.

They were both twelve years old, and both suffered tragic fates.

Li Chengqian felt quite saddened.

It should be noted that Li Lizhi died less than ten years after marrying Changsun Chong, at the young age of twenty-three.

Twenty-three years old!
She died at such a young age, and it's hard to say whether it was related to her early marriage.

After all, the Li family has many hereditary diseases.

But getting married at the age of twelve is equally outrageous.

"What's wrong, brother?"

Suddenly realizing that Li Chengqian had been staring at her while she was wiping her sweat, Li Lizhi couldn't help but ask him a question, feeling a little shy.

"Nothing much, our Lizhi is getting prettier and prettier!" Li Chengqian joked, snapping out of his reverie.

Li Lizhi blushed instantly, her face turning as red as a flower, and spat out, "Your Highness is just talking nonsense!"

Li Chengqian smiled, then became serious and said, "Lizhi, do you know about the three reforms I proposed in the Taiji Hall some time ago?"

Is it a reform of the imperial examination system?

Li Lizhi was very clever and quickly realized what was going on, replying, "I've heard my mother mention it. She thinks my eldest brother's reforms are very good, and she even talked about the contents of that 'Chinese Language' textbook in front of Father today!"

"They say a prime minister's belly can hold a boat, and an emperor's belly can hold a vast land. I advise Father to be broad-minded and not to hold a grudge against Lord Wei."

"Oh? Really? Mother has also taken a liking to the Chinese language textbook?"

"Yes! I'm also planning to go back and take a look. But what does this have to do with my elder brother, the Crown Prince, not wanting to choose a Crown Princess soon?" "Well..."

Li Chengqian hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said, "To be honest, Lizhi, I'm doing this for safety reasons!"

"Safety?" Li Lizhi was puzzled again: "What safety?"

Li Chengqian thought for a moment and said, "Since Lizhi knows about those three reforms, she should also know that one of them is to adjust the marriage age and advocate gender equality. So why do I want to promote this reform? The reason is actually very simple: for the safety of men and women!"

"Safety for men and women?"

Li Lizhi was even more puzzled.

At this moment, Li Chengqian casually found a table, moved it in front of Li Lizhi, then went to the stove, picked up a piece of charcoal with tongs, and finally extinguished the charcoal with tea, obtaining a slightly thick charcoal pencil. He then went to the table and began to write and draw:
"Look, Lizhi, this is the entire process of how a human being is born."

As a fairly detailed biology lesson came to an end, Li Lizhi felt her face burning red, like charcoal in a furnace.

After a long while, he finally exhaled a fragrant breath, staring at Li Chengqian with eyes full of disbelief, speechless for a long time.

But Li Chengqian calmly concluded:
"Therefore, it is very dangerous for both men and women to get married and have children before their bodies are fully developed. This is why many newborns die young and many newlywed women die in childbirth."

"I wonder if Lizhi has noticed that among the concubines in the palace, the older the pregnant woman is, the fewer difficult births she experiences?"

"Huh?" Li Lizhi looked completely bewildered and exclaimed, "Your elder brother, the Crown Prince, knows how to deliver babies?"

"But by the same token, the younger the pregnant woman, the more likely she is to experience a difficult labor. As for the reason, as I just told you, it's because her body is not fully developed and she is not suitable for childbirth!"

Li Chengqian ignored Li Lizhi's question and continued, "So, having children early is dangerous, but the fundamental reason for having children early is to get married early."

"But isn't it natural to have children after getting married?"

Although Li Lizhi knew that as an unmarried woman, she shouldn't ask such a question, she couldn't help but ask it anyway.

Because Li Chengqian's previous lectures had completely overturned her worldview, she was eager to drink this new knowledge.

But Li Chengqian laughed and asked in return, "Since we know that having children early is dangerous, why do we still get married so early?"

"Because in poor families, having a daughter means wasting food!"

"It's precisely because they're wasting food that they want to marry off their daughters as soon as possible."

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Li Lizhi was stunned again, but then she remembered something, her eyes instantly reddening, and she said pitifully, "Then...then I won't eat it anymore."

Hahaha!
Li Chengqian almost burst out laughing, thinking to himself that this little sister was just too cute!
But he said this not to scare Li Lizhi, but to make her understand that whether it is royalty or the poor, everyone is the same.

As the saying goes, every family has its own problems.

But he suppressed a laugh and said with compassion, "Brother is talking about those poor families who have no choice but to do this because of their difficult lives. But this has also led to the bad trend of early marriage and pregnancy."

"Therefore, the eldest brother is promoting reforms to correct this kind of trend."

"Of course, it is true that our Great Tang Dynasty wants to establish a prosperous era, but there is no need to force growth. It is not a bad thing to be two or three years late. This is also one of the reasons why my elder brother vigorously develops firearms. With advanced weapons, the country will lose fewer people and everything else will come together. There is no need to open the door to reproduction and exhaust resources for the sake of a war."

Upon hearing this, Li Lizhi suddenly realized, then wiped away her tears and smiled through her tears; "Brother, you are the true benevolent ruler!"

"Hehe." Li Chengqian chuckled noncommittally, then his face fell, and he shook his head and sighed, "It's a pity that Mother and Father don't understand me. Alas."

"Your Highness, rest assured, Lizhi will never allow a girl who can't even get enough to eat to marry you!"

"Ah, no, I mean beautiful."

"Your Highness, I take my leave! Lizhi is returning to the palace!"

Before Li Chengqian could finish speaking, Li Lizhi rushed out indignantly, as if she had made up her mind.

On the other side, on the official road ten miles outside Chang'an City.

An army of about five hundred men was advancing slowly.

Among them, the leading general looked around at the scenery with a sigh and said with deep emotion, "When I left, these branches and bushes were full of refugees who had fled to Chang'an. Now, only a year later, there is not a single refugee in sight. It is truly rare!"

"Yes, I've also experienced famine years, but I've never seen one so short-lived."

A woman in a red dress nearby chimed in with a casual remark, then added with a radiant smile, "What does this show? It shows that our dynasty is getting better and better! Much better than the Sui Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, the general smiled, stroked his beard, and nodded, saying, "What you say is true, Madam! Our Tang Dynasty is indeed more magnificent than the Sui Dynasty."

"Li Jing! How dare you and your husband speak ill of my Great Sui! You are both traitors to my Great Sui!"

Before Li Jing could finish speaking, a sudden, cold shout rang out.

Li Jing frowned deeply, looked in the direction of the voice, and then smiled jokingly: "Yicheng, how does it feel to return to your old homeland?"

"Humph!"

Upon hearing this, the stubborn woman in the prison cart immediately sneered, "You are entrusted with the Emperor's grace, yet instead of thinking of serving your country and upholding your ideals, you have joined the traitorous Li family. Don't you feel ashamed at all?"

"Ha, you've been with several husbands, don't you feel ashamed?"

Before Li Jing could speak, Hong Fu Nu, who was standing to the side, sneered and asked him a question in return.

Enraged, the woman in the prison cart immediately flew into a rage: "I'll kill you, you wretched servant!!"

Because this was a disgrace in her life, and a past she was unwilling to mention.

She was initially married to Qiming Khan of the Turks, but the Turkic Khanate changed too quickly, with four different Khans in a row, and she also changed husbands four times.

It's truly impossible to describe this explosive experience in words.

However, before she could go berserk for long, a whip came flying at her.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

She screamed as she was whipped.

But then a young general said in a deep voice, "You all better behave yourselves, or you'll be sorry!"

After saying that, he looked at Li Jing and his wife and smiled, "Uncle Li, Madam Li, don't bother with her. When we get to Chang'an, there will be plenty of people to deal with her!"

"Yes, Zhongyu is right, we really don't need to pay any attention to her!"

Hong Fu Nu smiled and nodded, then glanced at Empress Xiao in the corner of the prison cart and Yang Zhengdao, who was trembling with fear. She sighed silently and said, "I hope His Majesty can treat this grandmother and grandson kindly and stop them from wandering aimlessly."

"We shouldn't meddle in His Majesty's affairs. Just like doctors save lives, we can't interfere even if we wanted to."

Li Jing spoke expressionlessly, clearly not wanting to meddle in Empress Xiao's affairs.

But Hong Fu Nu didn't think so, and jokingly teased Li Jing, "My husband isn't a doctor, but he's a pharmacist, so isn't that irrelevant?"

"That's different!"

"What's the difference?"

Li Jing thought for a moment and sighed, “When I lead troops into battle, the wounded often die because they cannot receive timely treatment. I named myself Yaoshi (Medicine Master) in the hope that the Medicine Buddha will heal those wounded soldiers.”

"This"

Hong Fu Nu was stunned for a moment, then moved: "That's good. The Turks have been wiped out by us, the war is over, the world is at peace, and there will be no more deaths or injuries."

"Yes!"

Li Jing smiled and nodded, then, as if remembering something, looked at Zhang Ping: "I remember you said that the Crown Prince had a way to reduce soldier casualties?"

Zhang Ping nodded sincerely and said, "When I was in Jiangling, I did hear the Crown Prince say that. Moreover, he also said that future wars will probably not be fought in the way we are now, but will be more advanced, and we will be able to win the war with almost no casualties!"

"There are always deaths in war. The Crown Prince is not a god. How could he possibly do such a thing!"

Upon hearing this, Hong Fu Nu immediately burst into laughter.

Zhang Ping couldn't help but feel embarrassed, but he still chose to believe Li Chengqian and said earnestly, "Anyway, I think the Crown Prince can do it. He has never let us down!"

"But."

"Alright, madam, it's getting late, we need to hurry into the city!"

Before Hong Fu Nu could finish speaking, Li Jing interrupted her, then glanced in the direction of Chang'an City, brandished his whip, and said, "Give the order to advance at full speed."

"promise!"

Zhang Ping agreed and immediately urged the soldiers to move forward quickly.

Empress Xiao, sitting in the prison cart, glanced at Li Jing without making a sound, and clenched a square object in her hand.

This is the foundation upon which they, grandfather and grandson, have made their living.

(End of this chapter)