Prince Li You of the Great Tang Dynasty begs the noble families to their deaths!

Fang Xuanling rose and said, “Your Majesty, the distribution of provisions for attacking Xueyantuo will take time, and we must not rush it. I have heard that the Yinan Khan of the Xueyantuo tribe is seriously ill, and his son, Bazhuo, is cruel, causing considerable resentment among the Xueyantuo people. I suggest that we wait and see. If internal strife breaks out in Xueyantuo, it will not be too late to launch an attack.”

Chu Suiliang said, "I second that suggestion. Since last year, our Great Tang has been continuously increasing taxes and levies, causing immense suffering to the people. They all hope to be able to recuperate after defeating Goguryeo. Now that Goguryeo has not been defeated, we have turned to attack Xueyantuo, incurring huge military expenses. Are we going to increase taxes again next year and the year after? I hope Your Majesty will think carefully and consider the well-being of the people."

Li Shimin couldn't help but glare at Chu Suiliang, but he had to admit that what the guy said made some sense.

The people are not a perpetual motion machine. If the burdens imposed on them are too heavy, the people will surely rebel.

Li Shimin sighed: "Xuanling, Fuji, you two discuss with the Ministry of War again how much money and grain we'll need to attack the Xueyantuo next year. Li Daliang, the Jiangzhou shipyard is now a wasteland; the Ministry of Works must find a better site to build new ships… This time, you absolutely cannot afford another mishap!"

Upon hearing this, the ministers exclaimed, "Why do we still need to build ships? Is the Emperor never going to stop?"

"We absolutely must fight Goguryeo. If we can't win next year, we'll fight the year after. If we can't win the year after that, we'll fight the year after that. This war is crucial to the very foundation of our Great Tang! Only by defeating Goguryeo can our Great Tang surpass the former Sui Dynasty, and only then can the Tang Dynasty's rule be forever secure. Do you understand?"

Upon hearing the emperor's majestic voice, all the ministers were shaken.

It has been a long time since we have heard the emperor express such a resolute attitude.

Moreover, the emperor's words also revealed other thoughts.

That is, if the Tang Dynasty could conquer Goguryeo, which the Sui Dynasty failed to conquer, it would prove that the Tang Dynasty had surpassed the Sui Dynasty!

Since the emperor attaches such importance to this, we must put some effort into the work that follows.

……

Half a month later, Yan Lide was escorted to Chang'an and immediately imprisoned to await trial.

The emperor initially intended to kill him, but later realized that such a talented person was rare, so he killed Yan Lide, leaving only Yan Liben, which was not enough.

He then pardoned Yan Lide's death sentence, demoted him to commoner status, and sent him to serve in the army in Youzhou.

Yan Lide's younger brother, Yan Liben, was also implicated. His two titles, Chief Minister of the Ministry of Justice and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, were revoked, and he was only retained as Junior Supervisor of the Ministry of Works.

It has now been determined that the thieves who burned the ships used kerosene. Therefore, the government has urgently confiscated all kerosene in the market of Chang'an and sent an official document to Yanzhou, north of Chang'an, which produces kerosene, ordering the local authorities to organize personnel to control the oil-producing areas, and to hand over the obtained kerosene to the government. The people are not allowed to mine kerosene privately.

As a result, the price of kerosene, which was previously inexpensive, suddenly skyrocketed, making it unaffordable for ordinary people.

In addition, the emperor's elite guards—the Hundred Cavalry—also dispatched their best personnel to the Jiangzhou shipyard overnight to thoroughly investigate the cause of the burning of the warships.

The military plan to attack Goguryeo had to be postponed again, at least until the Xueyantuo were pacified.

Taking advantage of this rare strategic window of opportunity, Goguryeo increased its military investment and completely annexed the two kingdoms of Silla and Baekje on the Korean Peninsula, and its power continued to expand.

The hundreds of warships that Li You burned on the southern border of the Tang Empire thus changed the fate of Silla and Baekje.

……

Due to the Jiangzhou Shipyard incident, the emperor's temper has recently become rather irritable.

For several days in a row, he frequently punished palace servants for trivial matters, creating an atmosphere of panic throughout the palace.

Upon hearing this, Li Tai, despite still being recovering, went to the Taiji Hall and chatted with his father to cheer him up.

From this perspective, the King of Wei did better than his other brothers, and even better than Li Er's daughter, Li Gaoyang.

No wonder Li Tai won Li Shimin's favor.

Those guys simply didn't have that kind of awareness.

Some children will take the initiative to love their parents, while others can only passively wait for their parents' love; this is the difference.

In addition, Li Tai was very knowledgeable and knew a lot, so he could always find topics to talk about with Li Shimin. As they talked, Li Er's recent anxiety gradually eased.

"Qingque, I heard you sent someone to Qianzhou to inquire about the Crown Prince. How is he now?"

"My elder brother is in poor health, and I have already sent someone from the Imperial Medical Bureau to check on him. I have heard that he has repented, and I would like to ask Your Majesty for a favor and release him. My residence at the Weiwang Pond in Luoyang is empty and uninhabited, so I suggest that he move there to be closer and have someone to look after him."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin felt quite uncomfortable.

Although Li Chengqian launched a palace coup, after so many years of being father and son, it's not that there was no affection between them at all.

After careful consideration, Li Tai's suggestion was quite appropriate. Placing the Crown Prince in Luoyang, away from the troubles of Chang'an, would allow him to spend the rest of his life in peace, which was a good choice.

"Very well, you arrange this matter. Transfer five hundred men from the Imperial Guard to keep an eye on him, and make sure he doesn't cause any trouble."

"Your subject understands, and thanks Your Majesty for your grace."

Seeing that the emperor had adopted his suggestion, Li Tai thought to himself, "Mr. Yuan has once again guessed the emperor's thoughts correctly."

Mr. Yuan is Yuan Qi, Li Tai's chief retainer, who comes from the Yuan clan of Chenjun.

When the crown prince was deposed, it was by following Yuan Qi's advice that Li Tai was able to achieve his goal of becoming the crown prince.

After taking power, Li Tai brought his own faction to the Eastern Palace, mainly Yuan Qi, Wang Chongji, and Wang Jingzhi.

Li Shimin was also aware of this matter.

Today, Li Tai pleaded with the emperor, and the previous incident of sending people to check on the Crown Prince was actually orchestrated by Yuan Qi.

This strategist astutely sensed that the emperor felt a certain guilt towards the Crown Prince, an emotion that could be exploited.

"Qingque, how is your health progressing?"

"Your Majesty, I am fine. I will be completely healed in a few days."

"Well, I originally decided to personally lead the expedition and hand over the responsibility of overseeing the country to you. However, due to the Jiangzhou shipyard incident, we can no longer fight Goguryeo. Alas! The Ministry of War has discussed it and it is decided that our army can fight against Xueyantuo as early as next July. At that time, I will stay in the palace and you will go to the front line in my place. It will also be good training for you to learn how our Tang army fights and how supplies are allocated."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly do my best."

Upon hearing that the emperor was going to send him to the army for training, Li Tai's spirits immediately soared.

He knew that he had shortcomings in military affairs, and he was determined to make up for them by taking this opportunity.

Li Shimin couldn't help but smile as he looked at the Crown Prince's confident demeanor.

I can always see a reflection of my own youth in these young people.

Unfortunately, many of the comrades who were by my side back then have passed away.

"Father, a few days ago when I was reviewing memorials on your behalf, I discovered something interesting that I'd like to tell you about."

"speak."

"Master Xuanzang, do you know this person?"

"Xuanzang...who is Xuanzang?"

Li Shimin had no recollection of this name whatsoever.