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

Chapter 336 Open your eyes wide, what is a Heavenly Strategy General! [Seeking monthly votes]

“Mr. Yuan, including last time, you have helped me three times now. I don’t know how to thank you enough!” Li Chengqian said with a smile to Yuan Tiangang.

Yuan Tiangang stroked his beard noncommittally and said, "As Your Highness is, any form of thanks is appropriate. Why should I, a humble commoner, bother to make a fuss?"

"That's true. Then I won't thank you. Anyway, my grandpa said you're just a freeloader. It's enough that he feeds you!"

"Uh"

Yuan Tiangang's lips twitched, and he was speechless for a moment.

But then Li Chengqian said with a smile, "I wonder if Mr. Yuan has ever heard a saying?"

"What did you say?" Yuan Tiangang asked instinctively.

Li Chengqian laughed and said, "A small favor is appreciated, but a large one breeds resentment! It means that when the favor exceeds one's ability to repay, it may turn into enmity. So, do you want us to become enemies?"

"Your Highness is too kind. I have never felt that I have done Your Highness any favor, let alone become your enemy!" Yuan Tiangang said, shaking his head.

Li Chengqian's lips curled up slightly, and he personally picked up the teapot, poured him a cup of green tea, and continued, "This is this year's Zhuyeqing tea. My teacher Wei Zheng said it is bitter at first but sweet later. Try it and see if you like it."

"The tea that the Crown Prince's tutor likes is naturally extraordinary."

Yuan Tiangang smiled faintly, then picked up the teacup, smelled it, said "good tea," and took a small sip to savor it.

After a short while, he said with a sigh, "Indeed, this is excellent tea! There's a reason why the Crown Prince's tutor loves this tea so much!"

"is it?"

Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow and asked, "Does Mr. Yuan also like this tea?"

"do not like."

Yuan Tiangang stated bluntly, "This humble subject does not like to suffer first and then enjoy the sweet. This humble subject prefers to enjoy the sweet all the time."

"Haha, that's interesting!"

Li Chengqian smiled, then seemed to remember something and said, "I've heard that Mr. Yuan is skilled in physiognomy. I wonder what my physiognomy is like?"

“Those who hold the position of Crown Prince are naturally of immeasurable nobility!” Yuan Tiangang replied without hesitation.

Li Chengqian glanced at him with a smile and continued, "But I've heard that my appearance suggests I'm possessed by an evil spirit?"

"Uh, this."

Yuan Tiangang's lips twitched again, then he chuckled and said, "But these are all just rumors to mislead the public. Your Highness really doesn't need to pay any attention to them. If there are truly evil spirits in this world, Heaven will not let them go."

"Really? That day the weather was pretty good!"

Li Chengqian chuckled and joked, then added, "Could Mr. Yuan help me eliminate those who spread heresies and mislead the public?"

"I am but a humble Taoist priest, how could I possibly possess such abilities? Your Highness is joking."

"But I wasn't joking with you!"

Li Chengqian suddenly stopped smiling and even changed his self-reference.

This immediately made the atmosphere on the scene tense.

Yuan Tiangang looked at him helplessly and said, "Your Highness, why do you do this?"

"Why bother?"

Li Chengqian sneered, then slowly stood up from his seat, walked step by step to a peach tree, looked at the peach blossoms on the tree, and said leisurely: "In a person's life, the most difficult enemy to deal with does not come from outside, but from within, such as the various uncontrollable desires deep in human nature."

"If a person cannot overcome his inner enemy, he cannot become strong, let alone defeat his opponent."

"Alone in the imperial garden, I know better than anyone that in the life-or-death political struggle, every additional desire I have may expose a fatal weakness to my opponent, who may seize this opening and kill me in one fell swoop."

"so."

At this point, he turned to look at Yuan Tiangang, a half-smile on his face, and said, "And what is Mr. Yuan's weakness?"

"This"

Yuan Tiangang's heart sank, and his expression turned solemn.

But then Li Chengqian said with a half-smile, "Sometimes, a person who seems to have no desires is actually the one with the most desires, because his purpose is very clear, so clear that others may not even believe his purpose."

"What exactly does Your Highness want to say?" Yuan Tiangang finally put on a serious expression and stared straight at Li Chengqian as he asked.

"Mr. Yuan, don't you understand?"

Li Chengqian said with slight disappointment, "The Heavenly Cycle is fifty, and one is lost. Even if it is the Heavenly Dao, it will still give people a glimmer of hope!"

After saying that, he casually took out a pill and said leisurely, "This should be what you want to get from me, right?"

"!"

When Yuan Tiangang saw the pill in Li Chengqian's hand, his pupils contracted sharply, and he slowly stood up from his seat, stammering, "Your Highness, what is this?"

"A elixir of life and death!"

Li Chengqian smiled, then casually tucked his sleeve, and the pill disappeared instantly.

But then he changed the subject: "But I can't give it to you right now!"

"Your Highness, it's not that I don't believe you, it's just that this resurrection is far too mysterious."

"Is it mysterious?"

Before Yuan Tiangang could finish speaking, Li Chengqian interrupted him mockingly: "Don't you know how Yang Nannan came back to life? Don't tell me you didn't tamper with her."

"A commoner."

Yuan Tiangang hadn't expected Li Chengqian to be so perceptive, and was immediately rendered speechless.

Li Chengqian continued, "Actually, I do have some respect for you metaphysical masters, because you do have real skills, but that's all."

"Your exploration of the universe, your study of the mysteries of nature, and even your pursuit of immortality are, in my view, nothing but flowers in a mirror and the moon's reflection in water. The true path, however, must be the exploration of the origin of this world."

"May I ask Your Highness, what is the origin of this world?" Yuan Tiangang couldn't help but ask.

Li Chengqian glanced at him with a smile and said calmly, "Heavenly principles, human desires!"

"This"

Yuan Tiangang was completely dumbfounded.

But then Li Chengqian said, "So-called desires include eating, drinking, defecating, and sleeping. Therefore, desires reside in the heart. As for principle, the Tao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things. This is principle. So, where is principle?"

"Once you find the truth, you will find the origin of this world!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tiangang felt completely bewildered, as if he were in a fog, confused and unable to explain himself, and stood there dumbfounded.

Only when Li Chengqian slowly walked up to him, raised his hand to circulate the *Tai Xuan Yang Sheng Jing* (a classic text on health preservation), and approached his arm, did a mysterious and indescribable magical power awaken him as if by electric shock. He stared at Li Chengqian in astonishment, exclaiming incoherently, "Qi! Truly, truly, truly Qi!"

"hehe."

Li Chengqian smiled enigmatically, then casually patted Yuan Tiangang on the shoulder and said lightly, "Mr. Yuan, when you realize how well I know you, you'll be afraid. Think carefully about my proposal!"

After saying this, he walked past Yuan Tiangang and left on his own.

Yuan Tiangang was left standing there, his expression uncertain, motionless.

Clearly, Li Chengqian's last sentence contained a threatening undertone.

However, he never imagined that Li Chengqian would have such a big secret.

That's real qi!

The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, the Tao Te Ching, and Zhuangzi all mention Qi!
Yuan Tiangang was a proper Taoist practitioner; how could he not understand true qi? In fact, he could even use true qi to regulate his body.

However, the internal energy he mobilized was very different from Li Chengqian's.

His inner energy is somewhat similar to Qigong; no one but himself can sense it.

Li Chengqian's true energy is like a kind of life energy; although it is invisible and colorless, it can be felt by people.

This is a bit scary.

"It seems that this Crown Prince is even more unfathomable than I imagined!"

Yuan Tiangang, still bewildered, murmured, "It seems that the garrison commander is truly finished this time."

Meanwhile, inside a mansion near Suzaku Avenue.

Even during the day, the room was still filled with candles and brightly lit.

In the center of the house, a young man dressed in black was kneeling, seemingly waiting for something.

Only when a familiar figure appeared behind the screen did he cup his hands and say, "My lord, we are ready and can execute the plan at any time!"

"Ok!"

A casual reply came from behind the screen, followed by a light inquiry about another matter: "I heard that the weapons workshop in Zhongnan Mountain was raided by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Is that true?"

"This"

Upon hearing this, the young man in black immediately looked embarrassed.

But then a sharp shout came from behind the screen: "Wu Bing! You have disappointed me greatly!"

"My lord, please calm your anger! Let me explain!"

Wu Bing quickly replied, "That weapons workshop was a stronghold that our garrison commander deliberately abandoned to mislead the Crown Prince's Imperial Guards. As for our other strongholds, they have already completed their mission!"

"Oh?"

A suspicious voice came from behind the screen: "So, those five thousand muskets have already been copied?" "No!"

Wu Bing replied, "It's easy to copy a musket, but we can't copy the gunpowder it needs. So we've abandoned our plan to copy a musket!"

"Humph!"

A cold snort came from behind the screen: "Since you haven't been able to replicate the musket, why do you say you've completed your mission?"

"Reporting to you, my lord, our garrison commander has a new plan, and this new plan can still help you complete the original plan!"

"you sure?"

"Rest assured, my lord, the reason why our Guardian Army has been able to survive for hundreds of years has never been because of our own survival alone. It is you powerful and wealthy people who are the foundation of our survival!"

Wu Bing said very sincerely.

Silence fell behind the screen.

The surroundings were completely silent; you could hear a pin drop. Only the candlelight flickered incessantly.

After an unknown amount of time, the person behind the screen said, "Do you remember what I told you before? I want to kill someone!"

"Do you remember, sir? Have you decided who to kill?" Wu Bing looked up at the screen and asked directly.

But then the person behind the screen said again, "Yes! I've decided who to kill! You must do it yourself!"

"Then, sir, who do you wish to kill?"

"Prince Li You of Yan!"

"This"

Wu Bing was taken aback for a moment, then asked with a puzzled look, "Does Prince Yan, Li You, have a grudge against you, sir?"

"no!"

"That sir..."

"Just do as I say! After it's done, I'll agree to all your conditions!"

Before Wu Bing could finish speaking, the person behind the screen interrupted him.

Immediately afterwards, the person behind the screen stood up from their seat and walked towards the door behind the screen.

Just as he opened the door and was about to leave, he stopped and said, "What to do is in the letter on the chair. Burn it after you've read it!"

After saying this, the door was slammed shut with a loud bang.

When only Wu Bing was left in the room, he slowly got up from the ground, frowned and stared at the chair behind the screen. He saw that there was indeed a letter on the chair, so he went directly behind the screen, picked up the letter, and opened it to read it.

I should have looked at it first; once I did, my jaw almost dropped from shock at the plan.

It has to be said that he couldn't have come up with such a bold and crazy plan even if he racked his brains.

"Truly befitting the Yin family! They're incredibly cunning!"

Wu Bing murmured something, then walked straight to the candle and lit the letter.

Only after seeing the letter burned to ashes did he slowly walk towards the door.

In the following period, Chang'an seemed to return to its former tranquility, and the people rarely even talked about the dispute between the Crown Prince and the Emperor, and the Prince of Wei.

Meanwhile, the imperial court was operating in an orderly manner.

In particular, the activation of the temporary cabinet freed Li Shimin, who was already preoccupied with preparing for the expedition against Goguryeo, from his predicament, which made him very happy.

As for Li Chengqian, he was also preparing for his expedition to the northern desert.

By August of the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, after more than two months of preparation, both Li Shimin and Li Chengqian had completed all the necessary preparations for the expedition.

Thus, in mid-August, Li Shimin, who had reigned for five years, donned military attire for the first time.

Li Chengqian was also dressed in military uniform, just like him.

As the current emperor and crown prince, it is unprecedented in history for the father and son to lead an expedition together.

Even so, no one thought that the country would descend into chaos without the emperor and crown prince in the capital.

Because by this time, the people of Tang had already been elevated by Li Chengqian's words, "The monarch dies for the country, the crown prince guards the nation's gate."

They had an unparalleled love and identification with the Tang Dynasty.

They are all of the Chinese nation, and they are all Han people with national dignity.

The sound of horses' hooves clattering on the bluestone pavement of the street was crisp and clear.

The Imperial Guards, clad in their flying fish robes and embroidered spring knives, marched with a resounding thud, their footsteps as powerful as war drums.

Li Chengqian rode a pair of pure white, docile warhorses, without a single stray hair, as they slowly walked out of the Crown Prince's residence.

Behind him, countless Imperial Guards formed a long, imposing line.

And in front of him, the moment he left the Crown Prince's residence, countless Ironclad Warriors and Black-Armored Guards cleared the way for him.

On both sides of the street, the locals, vendors, and merchants from all over the world all stopped and watched, not daring to breathe.

This was an era of strict hierarchy. Even though the Tang Dynasty was quite progressive, no one dared to act recklessly during such times.

"Our Chengqian is becoming more and more like a king!"

Empress Zhangsun, standing atop the imperial city wall, looked at the young man riding a white horse and smiled with satisfaction.

Li Shimin, standing to the side, frowned in displeasure and snorted coldly, "This rebellious son is even more pretentious than I am!"

After saying that, he said to Yun Duan beside him, "Give the order: beat the drums and gather the generals!"

"Yes!"

Yun Duan responded and immediately turned and rushed down the city wall.

Immediately afterwards, the most solemn and deadly war drumbeat in the world suddenly rang out.

The war drums surged like a raging tide, wave after wave, leaving all who heard them utterly awestruck.

This includes Li Chengqian and his entourage, who are about to step onto Zhuque Avenue.

"This is."

Li Chengqian subconsciously looked back towards the imperial city. Although he could not see the people on the imperial city, he could feel that someone was watching him from above.

"Is it your mother? It must be, right? Who else could it be? And that drumbeat..."

Before Li Chengqian could guess that it was Li Shimin's doing, a sound of clashing swords and galloping horses, even more powerful than his own, rumbled over.

This caused his docile warhorse to instantly bristle and neigh. The Imperial Guards, Ironclad Guards, and Black-Armored Guards around him also looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy, gripping their weapons tightly.

"call!"

Li Chengqian took a deep breath, suppressing the pounding in his heart.

He knew that what he was about to witness was the most valiant and legendary army of the Tang Dynasty, which had once swept across the land and helped Li Shimin capture two heroes in one battle.

The Xuanjia Army of the Tang Dynasty.

Although Li Chengqian established the Iron Pagoda based on the Xuanjia Army, he had never seen the real Xuanjia Army, but had heard of its power more than once.

Of course, his Ironclad Cavalry was also very powerful.

As for whether a counterfeit can surpass the original, we'll only know after a test.

Rumble!
The distant sound of galloping hooves grew louder as they approached. Beneath the Tang Dynasty's battle banners, countless knights clad in blood-red armor rose like dragons emerging from the sea, giving one a sense of impending bloodshed.

"Uu——"

Li Shimin, the cavalry leader at the very front, tightened his reins about a hundred meters away from Li Chengqian's troops.

The warhorse's front hooves were kicking and thrashing incessantly, but Li Shimin on the horse remained as steady as a mountain.

This demonstrates Li Shimin's exceptional skill in controlling his warhorses.

What's even more bizarre is that when Li Shimin reined in his warhorses, the vast army behind him didn't panic at all; they all stopped where they were supposed to.

"Is this the Xuanjia Army, the strongest force in the Tang Dynasty?"

Li Chengqian muttered a sigh, then quickly bowed to Li Shimin and said, "Your subject wishes Your Majesty a victorious campaign and a swift return!"

"set off!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin merely glanced at Li Chengqian indifferently before issuing the order without a word.

Immediately afterwards, he spurred his warhorse and led the mighty Xuanjia Army, stepping onto Zhuque Avenue ahead of Li Chengqian.

What kind of weasel is paying New Year's greetings to a chicken?

This time, I'm going to show you what a Heavenly Strategy General really is!

Looking back on his youth, the heroic spirit of riding a horse and wielding a sword, dominating the battlefield, once again stirred within Li Shimin's heart.

At this moment, he was just like Emperor Yang of Sui back then, not taking South Korea seriously at all.

This is the same kind of confidence as Yang Guang.

No one knows what the outcome of this confidence will be.

(End of this chapter)