Tang Dynasty: Consort Wu? Your Majesty, please address her as the Crown Prince's Consort.

Li Shimin was very pleased. Ma Zhou and Cui Yan were both quite capable. Although Cui Yan's words were somewhat inappropriate, he felt they were normal.

Zhang Heng truly gave him a great surprise. In terms of talent, scholarship, character, and ability, Zhang Heng was the most outstanding.

He was practically Li Shimin's choice for the next prime minister.

He looked down at the three people and said:

"According to custom, the three of you can first go to the Hanlin Academy for training, and then the Ministry of Revenue will arrange official positions for you. The Ministry of Revenue will also make reasonable arrangements for those who are ranked second or third."

Upon hearing Li Shimin's words, Cui Yan and the other students who were ranked second and third all bowed and expressed their gratitude.

"We thank Your Majesty!"

However, Zhang Heng and Ma Zhou remained silent for a long time, and seeing this, Li Shimin couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Do you two have any objections to my arrangements?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Heng and Ma Zhou bowed somewhat embarrassedly to Li Shimin.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty! We are afraid we will not be able to go to the Hanlin Academy!"

Why is that?

Li Shimin was not angry at what the two said. He was very tolerant of talented people. Just look at Wei Zheng! The fact that he is still alive is the best proof of that.

"Because they're going to the Eastern Palace!"

This time, it was Li Chengqian who spoke.

He looked at Li Shimin on the dragon throne with a smile on his face and said:

"Hehe! Daddy! Sorry! They've decided to follow me and take up official positions in the Crown Prince's Palace instead of going to the Hanlin Academy!"

He then ignored Li Shimin's gloomy gaze and turned to look at Canyue beside him.

"Go! Draft an imperial edict! Appoint Zhang Heng as the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince's Palace, and Ma Zhou as the Deputy Grand Tutor!"

Everyone present was stunned by these words.

Even Cui Yan, who was standing next to Zhang Heng, was dumbfounded.

Holy crap?

The Crown Prince's Chamberlain!

That's a third-rank official position! Normally, even if you're among the top three in the first-class examination, you'd only be a seventh-rank official when you first go to the Hanlin Academy.

As it turned out, the person came up with a rank of third grade right away!

Is this correct? Is this reasonable?

The ministers below looked as if they had seen a ghost.

Their gazes toward Li Shimin suddenly turned strange.

No? His Highness the Crown Prince and Canyue beside him are drafting an imperial edict!

Your Majesty! Aren't you going to do anything about it?

Are the words "drafting an imperial edict" used by His Highness the Crown Prince?

Most importantly, the Crown Prince said he would draft an imperial edict, and Canyue actually went obediently? Are you His Majesty's man or the Crown Prince's man?

"Li Chengqian!!! How dare you!!!"

Li Shimin couldn't help but roar out in anger, his face turning terrifyingly black.

That unfilial son is inhuman; heaven knows his eyes turned red when he heard Zhang Heng was going to the East Palace.

Zhang Heng's talent made him incredibly enamored, but this rebellious son actually stole his love away. It's like he's been cuckolded!

Seeing the old man's angry face, Li Chengqian remained unfazed.

"Father! Don't be stingy. You have so many talented people under your command. Aren't Fang Xiang and Du Xiang enough for you?"

Look at my Eastern Palace, I don't have a single competent civil official under my command. The only one who can help me is a bald monk. Do you think it's easy for me?

And both of them genuinely wanted to go to the Eastern Palace!

As he spoke, Li Chengqian looked down at the two people below and said:

"You yourselves say where you want to go? I respect your choice!"

Upon hearing their prince's words, Zhang Heng and Ma Zhou did not hesitate at all.

They quickly bowed to Li Chengqian and said:

"We are willing to follow His Highness the Crown Prince's lead!"

Looking at the determined eyes of Zhang Heng and Ma Zhou, Li Shimin felt as if his heart had been stabbed several times.

pain!It hurts so much!

He wasn't this heartbroken when his older brother died young!

However, looking at the two men's determined eyes, Li Shimin felt a little conflicted. He had seen such eyes before.

Back when he was still the King of Qin, Fang Xuanling and the others looked at him with the same eyes that Zhang Heng now looks at this rebellious son.

He also understood what that look meant.

This is loyalty, this is absolute faith!

Thinking of this, Li Shimin couldn't help but sigh.

"Alright! I grant your permission. Cui Yan will report to the Hanlin Academy. As for the two of you, you'll be at the Crown Prince's disposal!"

Upon hearing this, Ji Ru hurriedly bowed to Li Shimin.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Li Tai, standing to the side, felt a pang of bitterness upon witnessing this scene.

His own father could actually tolerate Li Chengqian's audacity, even to the point that he didn't care if Li Chengqian had someone draft an imperial edict.

What the hell are we still arguing about? Let's go! Off to our fiefdoms! This is pointless!

I wouldn't even be an emperor's dog!

Cui Yan, standing below, also looked rather unwell.

On what grounds?

Both were in the top three of the first-class rankings, but one started as a third-rank official.

He still has to slowly work his way up from the seventh rank!

The two of them are the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince's Palace. When Li Chengqian ascends the throne in the future, won't they become prime ministers directly?

Liangyi Hall!

Li Shimin looked at his two sons with a somewhat unpleasant expression.

"You unfilial son! When did you poach these two?"

However, upon hearing this, Li Chengqian replied with an innocent expression:

"I didn't dig them up. They've always been my people. If Zhang Heng weren't one of my men, why would I go to such lengths to ensure fairness in the imperial examinations?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin immediately recalled what had happened before the imperial examination.

No wonder this unfilial son is so concerned about the imperial examinations, appointing Wei Zheng as the chief examiner and having Fang Xuanling and others grade the papers.

So it turns out this rebellious son was paving the way for Zhang Heng!

But he still didn't quite understand.

"Are you so sure Zhang Heng will do well on the exam?"

"I'm not sure! But even if I don't do well on the test, I won't lose anything!"

Of course, Li Chengqian couldn't tell Li Shimin that Zhang Heng was the top scorer on the Millennium Dragon and Tiger List! It would be strange if he didn't do well on the exam!

Just then, Li Tai couldn't help but speak up:

"Father! I want to go and take up my fiefdom!"

Upon hearing this, both Li Shimin and Li Chengqian were slightly taken aback.

None of them expected that Li Tai would propose to take up a fiefdom himself.

"No! It's not time for you to take up your fiefdom yet!"

This time, it was Li Chengqian, not Li Shimin, who spoke.

Li Tai never expected that it would be Li Chengqian who would refuse his request to go to his fief.

Logically speaking, shouldn't he be eager for him to go to his fiefdom?

"You've finished fixing the map, kid?"

Li Tai shook his head subconsciously.

The local gazetteer is only half-finished so far, but what does that have to do with him going to his fief? He can continue to work on it once he gets there!

Seemingly sensing Li Tai's thoughts, Li Chengqian couldn't help but let out a cold laugh and said:

"Who paid you to repair the books?"

Upon hearing this, Li Tai frowned. Although he was a prince, his meager annual salary was not enough to support the construction of the imperial palace.

The money for compiling local gazetteers mostly came from the support of powerful families, especially the Wang family of Taiyuan and the Zheng family of Xingyang!