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

Chapter 313 Conferring of the Title of Holy Crown Prince, Flames of War Illuminate the Western Capital! [Seeking Double Monthly Tickets]

"Old man Yuchi, do you dare to fight?!"

"You old hag! Do you think I'm afraid of you?!"

"Aiya ya ya—! Watch me flood your entire army!!"

"A mere trick! How dare you show off your meager skills before an expert? I'll withdraw my troops, you won't drown! Hahaha!"

Generals: ..."

Li Chengqian: "..."

What was once a magnificent sand table was turned into a battle game by these two old scoundrels, resulting in a chaotic and fierce fight.

Although Li Chengqian wanted to stop those two old rascals, seeing how much fun they were having and that the other generals hadn't said anything, he decided not to bother.

So, while they were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle, and all the generals were watching with great interest, he secretly slipped out of the classroom by himself.

At this moment, Pei Xingjian was already waiting for him outside the door.

But then Pei Xingjian whispered, "Your Highness, Yang Nannan has already gone to see her master!"

"Hmm, did the guard you captured reveal any important information, besides Yang Nannan's master?"

Li Chengqian calmly pressed on with the question.

Pei Xingjian thought for a moment and replied, "The useful intelligence we have so far is that the military has requested that they produce five thousand muskets by June!"

"Before June?"

Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes, then frowned and said, "It's already May 20th, only ten days until June. But there doesn't seem to be any sign of anything major happening lately!"

"Is the Crown Prince worried that they are planning a rebellion?"

"If there is a rebellion, even five thousand muskets will not be enough!"

Li Chengqian shook his head, then suddenly seemed to remember something and asked, "Is there anything unusual about that Yin Hongzhi?"

"Aside from continuing to have frequent contact with Li You as usual, there was nothing else unusual."

Pei Jian pondered for a moment before replying, then changed the subject: "However, Li Yin seems to be acting a bit strange lately!"

"Oh?"

Li Chengqian immediately became interested and couldn't help but ask, "Why is Li Yin acting strangely?"

"According to reports from informants in Shu, since Li Ke was enfeoffed as the King of Shu by His Majesty, Li Yin has been frequently sending people to and from Shu, sometimes four or five times a month! Moreover, a major event has recently occurred in Tuyuhun. Murong Shun has already divided the city and ruled separately from the Crown Prince of Tuyuhun. It is said that Fu Yun suddenly fell seriously ill, and now the military power of Tuyuhun is commanded by the Crown Prince of Tuyuhun, the King of Tianzhu, and Murong Shun. Both the Crown Prince of Tuyuhun and Murong Shun are vying for the support of the King of Tianzhu."

"You mean, Li Ke might be involved in these matters?"

Pei Xingjian said, "Your Highness, Li Ke once colluded with Lu Dongzan, who in turn colluded with the Shouzhulang. Therefore, I cannot help but suspect that these matters are related to Li Ke!"

"Hmm, your suspicion is reasonable. It seems that those five thousand muskets may also be related to Li Ke."

Li Chengqian nodded in approval of the authenticity.

Pei Xingjian tentatively asked, "Then what does His Highness the Crown Prince mean?"

Li Chengqian thought for a moment and said, "Although I agree with your deduction, I still feel that things are not that simple. Even if Li Ke is ambitious, he would not be so foolish as to rebel!"

"Therefore, we might as well broaden our perspective; perhaps the turmoil is not domestic, but abroad."

"This"

Pei Xingjian reacted for a moment, then immediately understood and said, "I will immediately have people keep an eye on the border, and report to Your Highness immediately if there is any disturbance!"

"Alright! Go ahead! But we can't let our guard down with Yin Hongzhi, Li You, Li Yin, and Li Ke!"

"promise!"

Upon hearing this, Pei Xingjian immediately agreed and withdrew.

After watching him leave, Li Chengqian suddenly felt a sense of impending doom.

That's just how people are sometimes. After you've worked so hard to solve a problem, you can't completely relax because there's a constant stream of new problems to solve.

Even the supreme emperor cannot do whatever he wants.

Li Shimin had many profound experiences during the years he was on the throne.

When he was the King of Qin, he was often hampered in the army. Later, when he became emperor, he thought that no one would hinder him anymore, but then his son Li Chengqian rose to power.

This made him extremely frustrated.

However, it was precisely because of Li Chengqian's rise that he saw a path different from the past.

If he had followed his initial plan, even if he had to live a somewhat 'miserable' life, he could have become one of the few wise rulers in history.

But after Li Chengqian rose to power, he discovered something interesting: he could become a wise and benevolent ruler for all time simply by relying on his son's influence.

So, a bold idea began to take shape in his mind.

But he calmly and indifferently said, "In the years since I ascended the throne, the officials who have submitted memorials have all said that a political leader should make decisions on his own to demonstrate his authority, and should not hand over power to his ministers."

"Some people say that we should show off the empire's military power and send troops to conquer the barbarians in all directions."

"Only Wei Zheng advised me to abandon the use of force and govern the country with civil officials. In this way, the country will be stable and the surrounding barbarians will naturally submit."

"Later, I adopted his advice, and today the world is at peace, and the people live in contentment. This is all thanks to my trust in Wei Zheng."

"Your Majesty, please speak freely. You have already said these things before!"

Faced with Li Shimin's flattering words, Wei Zheng was not moved at all, but instead directly reminded him.

Li Shimin must have had ulterior motives for condescending to say such things.

Sure enough, upon hearing Wei Zheng's reminder, Li Shimin glanced awkwardly at Xiao Yu and Yang Shidao, then said with a smile, "What I mean is, I can trust you ministers, and you have not let me down. The credit should not belong solely to me!"

"Your Majesty is good at recognizing and employing talent, and dares to accept advice. Even the wise rulers of ancient times could not have been more like you. We all admire you!" Yang Shidao said with a smile, flattering Li Shimin.

Xiao Yu echoed, "Now that the Turks have been defeated and the world is at peace, it is all thanks to His Majesty's prestige and grace. We have only done our part."

“No, actually, besides me and my ministers, there is one more person who cannot be ignored,” Li Shimin said, shaking his head.

Wei Zheng frowned: "Your Majesty, are you perhaps referring to the Crown Prince?"

"Not bad!"

Li Shimin smiled and nodded, saying, "I am referring to the Crown Prince!"

"This"

Upon hearing this, the three exchanged glances, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Clearly, none of them seemed to understand what Li Shimin was really up to.

Although this wasn't the first time Li Shimin had used such cryptic tactics in front of his ministers, the conflict between Li Shimin and Li Chengqian was a long-standing one.

Even though the conflict between the father and son was never made public, just by knowing a little about what happened between them, one can understand all the conflicts between them.

Therefore, when the three of them heard Li Shimin voluntarily acknowledge Li Chengqian's merits, their immediate thought was that there was something wrong with this.

But then Li Shimin said with a sigh, "Actually, I've been thinking a lot lately, especially about the Crown Prince. I don't know if you've noticed, but ever since the Crown Prince recovered from his serious illness, he's been like a completely different person."

"Some say the Crown Prince is a reincarnation of an immortal, others say he has an immortal master, and still others extol him as a contemporary sage!"

Boom!

These words caused a stir throughout the entire Ganlu Hall.

Wei Zheng, in particular, was so shocked by Li Shimin's words that his eyes widened.

Xiao Yu and Yang Shidao were also shocked by these words, their faces filled with disbelief.

You should know that the first two claims can be considered nonsense, but the last one is simply outrageous.

What is a contemporary sage?

Does Your Majesty not understand the meaning of those words?!
However, Li Shimin paid no attention to their current shock and continued to speak eloquently: "If I remember correctly, there is a saying in Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, which says, 'The sage has no fixed mind; he takes the mind of the people as his own.' This means that the sage has no fixed and unchanging ambitions, but takes the desires of the people as his own."

"Do you think the Crown Prince has been in accordance with the Emperor's wishes these past few years?"

"In Jiangling, he prayed for divine seeds for the people, developed commerce, and ensured their abundance. He then went to Shuofang to quell a rebellion, freeing the people from the ravages of war. Later, upon returning to Chang'an, he prayed for rain to alleviate the suffering caused by natural disasters. Still later, he reformed the imperial examination system, promoted new learning, and enabled everyone in the land to read and write. He truly lived up to his words: 'To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations!'"

"Tell me, what more could a man ask for than a prince like this?"

"This"

The three men were all deeply moved upon hearing this.

Even Wei Zheng couldn't find any fault with Li Shimin's words. To be honest, Li Chengqian's actions truly made him arguably the greatest crown prince in history.

However, Li Shimin did not finish speaking.

But then he continued with a sigh, "Sometimes, I even doubt whether the Crown Prince is truly my son, because my virtue is actually inferior to his. Even if you don't say it, I am well aware of this."

"His Majesty."

Xiao Yu opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

Yang Shidao, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but smile wryly and said, "Let alone Your Majesty's doubts, I am in the Ministry of Rites, in charge of etiquette and morality throughout the country. A person as benevolent, righteous, and virtuous as the Crown Prince can probably only be compared with the ancient sages."

"hehe."

Li Shimin smiled, a strange yet relieved smile, because his goal could finally be achieved.

But then he laughed and said, "My dear ministers, you probably don't know this, but the Crown Prince recently opened a medical school, and the dean of the medical school is none other than the 'Medicine King' Sun Simiao, who is dedicated to healing the sick and saving lives. Back then, I invited him to take up an important position in the palace more than once, but he resolutely refused me every time."

"Later, I thought about it carefully and realized that this was just like when Emperor Gaozu of Han wanted to depose Liu Ying, but after learning that the Four Recluses of Mount Shang had been invited to his side, he eventually gave up the idea."

"This"

The three looked at each other again, wondering what kind of example this was.
How can Liu Ying be compared to our Crown Prince?
But Li Shimin continued, "Guess what the Crown Prince said to Sun Simiao that moved him?"

"Please enlighten me, Your Majesty!" Wei Zheng said, bowing first.

He wouldn't care what anyone else said, but he was very curious about Li Chengqian.

Every word Li Chengqian said was refreshing to him, as if he had opened the door to a new world.

Li Shimin smiled and glanced at him, saying calmly, "It is the saying, 'Be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures.'"

"What!?"

Upon hearing this, the three of them felt a chill run down their spines.

I thought to myself, "What kind of saintly thought is this!"

That's too detached from worldly affairs!
No wonder even a recluse like Sun Simiao was won over by Li Chengqian; he was truly a saint.

"Dear ladies!"

Seeing that the time was almost right, Li Shimin immediately straightened his posture and said solemnly, "The Crown Prince is of such great virtue that I believe he should be a role model for the world. Therefore, I intend to bestow upon the Crown Prince the title of 'Holy Crown Prince.' What do you all think?"

"what?!"

Upon hearing this, the three were so shocked that their pupils shrank sharply.

But Li Shimin looked around at them solemnly and said in a deep voice, "What, do you all think the Crown Prince is unworthy?"

"It's not that I'm unworthy, it's just that..."

Yang Shidao opened his mouth, hesitated, and finally looked at Wei Zheng with a sigh.

Wei Zheng was so shocked by Li Shimin's words that he was speechless and stood there dumbfounded.

To be honest, given his past personality, he would definitely have jumped out and angrily criticized Li Shimin.

But for some reason, today he seemed to have lost the desire to lash out at Li Shimin.

Xiao Yu was delighted with Li Shimin's decision and quickly said, "Your Majesty is wise and powerful, a rare sage ruler throughout history. Otherwise, it would be difficult to raise a sage heir like the Crown Prince. Therefore, I believe that a sage ruler should have a sage Crown Prince!"

"Hehe, since none of you ministers have any objections, then this matter is settled!"

Li Shimin smiled, and then immediately gave the order: "Someone, convey my decree."

Soon, an imperial edict that shocked the entire Tang Dynasty was issued.

Meanwhile, in Liaodong City of the Tang Dynasty.

Although Li Chengqian's actions temporarily forced Goguryeo to withdraw its troops, Goguryeo's ambitions were not extinguished.

In particular, they recently received some bad news: the Tang Dynasty was said to be supporting Silla and Baekje to counterbalance them.

This was something they found hard to accept.

Therefore, the King of Goguryeo once again sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty to inquire about the Emperor's intentions.

But before heading to Chang'an, the Goguryeo envoy first went to Liaodong City.

Then, the Goguryeo envoy Gao Chengjiu smiled and said to Du Junzhuo, the governor of Liaodong, "Governor Du, I have heard that the Empress of the Great Tang is currently selecting a Crown Princess for the Crown Prince of the Great Tang. Is this true?"

Du Junzhuo looked at him strangely: "What, does your princess want to marry into the royal family of my Great Tang?"

Gao Chengjiu shook his head and said, "No, no, our princess has no such intention. It is my daughter who greatly admires Han culture!"

"Ok?"

Du Junzhuo frowned, thinking to himself, "You, the daughter of an envoy, are you worthy of marrying into the royal family of my Great Tang Dynasty?!"

However, although Du Junzhuo was very disdainful in his heart, he still nodded lightly and said, "Worship is the right thing to do. Which countries do not admire our Han culture now?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Chengjiu smiled and said, "After my daughter became enamored with Han culture, she began to become arrogant and conceited. She said she wanted to ask the wisest person in your country a few questions, and if he could answer them, she would marry him. As far as I know, the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty is currently the wisest person in your country."

"Of course, Governor Du need not worry, I will not agree to my daughter marrying just anyone!"

What the hell!
Upon hearing this, Du Junzhuo's face immediately darkened.

I thought to myself, this guy is probably here on purpose to make trouble for the Tang Dynasty, right?
Could it be that he was trying to provoke the Crown Prince?
Thinking of this, Du Junzhuo calmed down instantly and said calmly, "I understand what your envoy means, but my Crown Prince of the Great Tang is busy with many affairs of state and I'm afraid he doesn't have the time to answer your daughter's questions."

"Furthermore, there are many wise people in our Great Tang Dynasty, not as you think."

"hehe."

Gao Chengjiu smiled noncommittally and said, "Since that's the case, then I won't say any more. We'll see if we can meet the Crown Prince of Tang when we get to Chang'an. However, I'm confident that the Crown Prince of Tang will definitely see me!"

"Ok?"

Du Junzhuo frowned, then stared coldly at Gao Chengjiu.

Although he didn't know where the other person's confidence came from, seeing his confident demeanor still made him wary.

On the other side, in a mountain valley about twenty miles from Liaodong City, a cavalry force was lying in ambush, ready to attack.

The number of cavalrymen was not large, but they were all heavily armored cavalrymen.

And far behind the entire mountain valley, another massive army was stationed.

There are tens of thousands of people.

Judging from their clothing, it was clear that these people were neither Han Chinese nor Turks.

The soldiers in the camp wore various kinds of armor, but they were generally divided into five types.

The reason it is divided into five types is because Goguryeo itself was also divided into five tribes.

They are the Juannu tribe, Juennu tribe, Shunnu tribe, Guannu tribe, and Guilou tribe.

The chief of the five tribes was called Nossa (equivalent to the governor of the Tang Dynasty).

At this moment, the five chieftains gathered together, seemingly discussing something.

But then the leader of the Juennu tribe spoke first: "The Tang Dynasty really doesn't take us seriously at all. Don't they know how the Sui Dynasty was defeated by us? They actually want to support those people from Silla to deal with us. They are simply overestimating themselves!"

At this point, he couldn't help but glance at the leader of the Juannu tribe and said jokingly, "If Li Siyuan and Gao Yanshou weren't so useless, our plan would have succeeded long ago!"

“Kim Jae-yang, there’s no need for further nonsense. We’ve come this far, what can’t we put aside our past grievances for now?” said Gao Huizhen, the leader of the Juannu tribe, calmly.

"Yes, Kim Jae-yang, our goal now is to catch the Tang Dynasty off guard. Let's not talk about anything else!"

Another leader of the Shunnu tribe chimed in, "This time, we must act swiftly! Otherwise, once the Tang army reacts, we'll be difficult to deal with!"

"But aren't you really worried about the Tang people's firearms? Even Gaiyuan Suwen was scared away!" Li Yuan, the leader of the Guan Nu tribe, said hesitantly.

The other tribal leaders glanced at him coldly, but Jin Zaiyang sneered, "This is my king's order! Do you intend to disobey orders? Or do you think Gae Yeon Suwen retreated because he was afraid of the Tang people's firearms?"

"Huh? You mean..."

"I wonder if you've ever heard the Han Chinese idiom, 'Openly repair the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass'?"

"This"

Li Yuan felt a chill run down his spine, and his mind immediately cleared.

That night!

On a section of the Great Wall on the border of the Tang Dynasty, beacon fires blazed across the sky!
(End of this chapter)