Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 4938 Queen: He has me in his heart...

"After this matter is over, these students will return to the academy to continue their studies, but the organization of the 'Shenjiying' will not be disbanded for the time being. Instead, it will be reorganized after selecting personnel and temporarily controlled by Cen Changqian, and placed under the organization of the Zuojinwuwei."

The current production capacity of the foundry is not enough to complete the replacement of the entire army. Moreover, firearms such as muskets, cannons, and even thunder bombs cannot fully adapt to all-weather combat and their usage scenarios are extremely limited. Therefore, for a long time in the future, the scale of cold weapons will still be very large.

But this did not prevent the birth of a new army fully equipped with firearms.

A "Shenji Battalion" composed of carefully selected soldiers, generals with abundant theoretical knowledge, and well-made firearms, accumulated and improved bit by bit from the tactical level, and prepared for the replacement of the entire army. It will be the "model" of the future Tang army. Fang Jun even thought of simply naming it the "Instruction Corps"...

Li Chengqian asked curiously, "Is this also something that your 'committee' discussed?"

"Yes, the power of firearms has been recognized by the entire army, but it will be a long process to promote firearms throughout the army. Not to mention that the current production capacity of the foundry cannot keep up. Even if there are sufficient firearms, it will be difficult for the troops to exert the power of firearms. Tactical training, logistics reconstruction, and expansion of production capacity all require a long period of preparation."

Compared to the era of cold weapons, the biggest obstacle to the use of firearms is the difficulty of logistical supply. Firearms are extremely powerful, but consume too much energy. Without a thorough, rigorous, and large logistical supply system, they cannot exert their combat effectiveness at all.

Firearms without bullets and shells are not even as good as fire sticks...

At present, the lack of transportation capacity is the biggest obstacle to the promotion of firearms.

Li Chengqian didn't understand this. Although he wanted to manage it, he was powerless. He could only nod and say, "Although I have great confidence in Erlang's ability and firearms are new, Lord Ying and the others are all veterans with profound strategies. We should still discuss more, learn from each other's strengths and make progress together."

As he himself said, he is now powerless in terms of military power.

He is not Emperor Taizong, and he does not have achievements as huge as a mountain, and naturally lacks the prestige to shock the four directions. Whether it is the Zhenguan meritorious officials headed by Li Ji, or the rising star represented by Fang Jun, these two people are now like two mountains standing in the military of the Tang Dynasty, towering and indestructible. Even this emperor can hardly intervene.

For example, in order to protect the Eastern Palace this time, Fang Jun had to stop a "Shenji Battalion" from hiding in Lizheng Palace...

Fortunately, his ambition is limited, and he has not tried to get involved in military power so far. With Li Ji and Fang Jun restraining each other, the imperial power is as stable as Mount Tai.

Fang Jun nodded: "Your Majesty is right. I will obey your order."

After a pause, he said, "If Your Majesty has no other instructions, I will take my leave for now."

Queen Su raised her eyes and glanced at him, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself.

Fang Jun noticed the Queen's gaze and said gently, "Don't worry, Queen. Even if the 'Shenjiying' withdraws from the East Palace, there are still troops led by the Sixth Commander of the East Palace guarding the north and south gates of the East Palace, which is enough to protect the safety of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

The queen was still worried. She moved her red lips and whispered, "I hope so."

She would feel at ease only when Fang Jun was involved in everything, otherwise she would be flustered and unable to sleep or eat.

Compared to His Majesty, she trusts Fang Jun more...

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "It's getting late, let's go back and stay up till the New Year."

"Here."

Fang Jun stood up, bowed to the Queen and the Crown Prince, and took his leave.

Prince Li Xiang immediately walked out from behind the imperial desk, respectfully returned the gift to Fang Jun, then stood up and asked curiously, "I will go to pay New Year's greetings to Master tomorrow morning. I wonder what gift Master has prepared?"

Fang Jun was stunned and looked at Li Chengqian: "The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne of the country, and he is extremely noble. How can he leave the palace to pay New Year's greetings to me? I dare not accept it."

Li Chengqian didn't take it seriously: "Once a teacher, always a father. Since you are the crown prince's junior protector, you are the crown prince's close minister and elder. The crown prince should treat you with courtesy. There is nothing wrong with that."

He fully learned from his own experience in the past. It was because he did not have a minister of sufficient weight to stand by his side from beginning to end that his status was impacted and the throne almost fell to someone else. He found a backer for Li Xiang early so that his position as crown prince could be secured and did not give any opportunity to those who coveted the throne.

As for whether Fang Jun would be trained to become a "powerful official" as a result, he didn't care.

He is now in his prime, and there is no need to worry about the decline of imperial power for at least 30 years. By the time the crown prince ascends the throne in the future, he will have already established his own prestige, and a situation like "the ruler is young, the country is in doubt, and treacherous ministers are usurping power" will not occur.

Besides, Fang Jun himself did not have much desire for power, otherwise, he, the emperor, would have to suffer Fang Jun's coercion and control now, without waiting for the crown prince to come...

Fang Jun had no choice but to agree, and turned to the prince and smiled, "There are too many rules in life, and we are stuck in them and cannot resist. It is already extremely boring. If we have a vision of unknown gifts every day, it may not be a happy thing."

Li Xiang was full of anticipation: "I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep well tonight. I'm really looking forward to Master's gift."

Fang Jun laughed loudly: "When have I ever disappointed Your Highness? You are too young now. You must pay attention to sleep and diet. You must take good care of your body so that you can contribute to the empire in the future."

"Yes! I will remember Master's teachings."

Li Xiang nodded vigorously.

……

"The prince seems to like the general very much?"

After Fang Jun left, Li Chengqian took a sip of tea and asked thoughtfully.

Li Xiang was a little nervous. He couldn't tell whether his father was happy or angry, and he didn't dare to ask his mother for help, so he said, "It's not that I like him, but I just heard about some of the deeds of the general in the past and found them very interesting."

Compared to his father's old-fashioned and serious style, he obviously prefers Fang Jun's casualness and gentleness. Every young man has a "jianghu dream" in his heart, dreaming of trampling on rules, breaking etiquette, carrying a sword and drinking wine, and doing his own thing. Fang Jun's various "feats" in the past made the little prince yearn for and admire him.

Li Chengqian nodded to show his understanding.

As an emperor, he naturally had to maintain his dignity at all times. Over time, this became a habit, and he acted very dignified even in front of his wife and children, which inevitably made him lack consideration and kindness. However, he did not take it seriously.

Boys are always naughty, unwilling to follow the rules, and always wanting to do something willful. Not only the prince thinks so, but he also envied Fang Jun in the past.
If he wanted to drink, he would drink. He could compose hundreds of poems and drink thousands of cups without getting drunk. If he wanted to fight, he would fight. He could make the prince cry and the royal family howl. The dude in Chang'an had no rivals...

When he was in the Eastern Palace, he often heard about Fang Junzhi's deeds and was envious of him.

Seeing his father's approval, Li Xiang became bolder, puffed out his thin chest, and said, "'A man holds a Wu hook in one hand, and his ambition is higher than a hundred-foot building'. When I grow up, I will also be a good man with lofty ambitions!"

"Good good!"

Li Chengqian was very pleased. He pulled Li Xiang to his side and hugged him in his arms, saying: "Your great-grandfather and grandfather were both heroes in the world. They fought bravely in the troubled times, fought against the enemy, and conquered this beautiful country. Your father and you can be said to be enjoying the fruits of their labor. However, you and I cannot be content with the status quo. We must be diligent in government affairs, work hard day and night, and continue the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty for a long time, so as to live up to the glory of our ancestors!"

This country belongs to the Li family. Only the descendants of Li family can hold the sun and the moon in their hands, make their words lawful, and decide the life and death of millions of people with a single word!

All the shackles and fetters now imposed on imperial power will one day be broken!

The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty must be extremely majestic and have the power of life and death!

Li Xiang's face flushed with excitement, and he shouted, "I must be a man who stands tall and proud, like my master, leading a large army to sweep across the world and intimidate foreign nations!"

Li Chengqian: "..."

You are my son, why do you look like him?!
Empress Su was startled and quickly pulled Li Xiang over to teach him a lesson: "You are the crown prince, the heir to the throne. You should be dignified and prudent. How can you go to war and tread on dangerous ground? The generals and others will take care of the fighting. You should just stay in the palace and study hard, and be a good emperor."

After saying this, he ignored Li Xiang's drooping face, glanced at Li Chengqian, and said unhappily, "The Crown Prince is at an age when his mind is unstable. Your Majesty, how can you encourage him like this? If he develops a restless character from now on, he will definitely cause trouble in the future."

Li Chengqian didn't take it as an offense. He patted his legs and sighed, "Which man doesn't have the dream of expanding territory and galloping across thousands of miles? If I hadn't been framed by Changsun Chong and had my legs crippled, making it difficult for me to walk, I would have asked my father to let me join the army to fight in all directions. Why did I have no military achievements in my life, and therefore lack prestige, causing my brothers to be resentful and want to replace me?"

The queen was silent.

As his bedmate, no one knew better than her how Li Chengqian had been through those years, how he tossed and turned at night and lived in fear during the day. All of this was because although he was the eldest son, he had neither extraordinary intelligence nor outstanding achievements. He was mediocre in talent and followed the routine. How could he control his two younger brothers who were extremely talented and intelligent?

Although Li Xiang is the eldest son, he is the legitimate son because he was raised by her, so his foundation is not stable. In addition, there is Li Jue. Moreover, Your Majesty is young and there will definitely be other heirs. If Li Xiang cannot establish a solid foundation early, he may repeat the mistakes Your Majesty made in the past.

If Li Xiang was deposed, what would she do if she was unable to raise her son?

As if sensing the queen's worry and panic, Li Xiang held her hand, his face full of seriousness: "Master said that mother has sacrificed a lot for me. He told me to study hard and be filial to mother in the future. I will never make you angry!"

Queen Su felt warm in her heart and hugged Li Xiang in her arms.