My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 259: If Baekje surrenders to Tang Dynasty, can we stop fighting?

How did the people of the Tang Dynasty spend the winter?
In the absence of large-scale cotton cultivation, most people do not have the conditions to use fur cloaks to keep warm like the rich and powerful.

Basically, they are made of reed catkins, willow catkins, and some pieces of cloth. They are pounded into a soft paste like rice and then sewn into the interlayer of linen clothes to keep warm.

What's worse, the interlayer is made of straw.

Obviously, the warming effect of this is minimal.

Even in the prosperous Tang Dynasty in Chang'an, people kept warm in this way.

Li Bai's poem "Autumn Song" contains the following: There is a moon over Chang'an, and the sound of clothes pounding can be heard in thousands of households.

It means that the people of Chang'an made interlayers to keep warm in winter.

If this was the case in Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, what about other remote places?

Every winter, countless people freeze to death.

If people catch a cold and have a fever, a large number of them will die.

The end of the year is sad.

The reason why Kublai Khan vigorously promoted cotton planting was because he was born on the grassland and understood how important a cotton coat was for surviving the winter.

And now, Li Chengqian is also going to start vigorously promoting cotton planting and textile.
-
It took more than ten days.

Wen Zhong set out from Chang'an and finally crossed the Tang Dynasty border and arrived in Liaodong.

Of course, the current Liaodong is also considered to be the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

The wind in Liaodong was like a broken ice dragon, whistling along the official road with fierce force, raising so much dust that people could not open their eyes.

Wen Zhong tightened the reins and stood guard at one side of the carriage. His eunuch uniform was rustling in the strong wind. Although the Roman princess in the carriage had her hair a little messy, she was still sitting upright. Her deep blue eyes were calm as she stared closely at the situation outside.

Suddenly, a deafening sound of horse hooves, like thousands of troops galloping, broke the tense silence.

On the road ahead, a group of cavalrymen came rushing over, about seventy or eighty of them, wearing black coats.

The Eastern Palace guards on Wen Zhong's side immediately stepped forward and surrounded the carriage tightly. Some of the guards took this opportunity to quickly put on armor.

Wen Zhong drew his sword and shouted at the top of his lungs, "How dare you, the daring bandits, attack the royal convoy!"

He intended to delay further.

The Ming Guang armor of these guards were all made by the Eastern Palace and used a lock method, which made it quicker to put on than traditional Ming Guang armor and saved a lot of time.

If everyone were wearing armor, these assassins would naturally not be a threat.

"Crossbowmen, ready, shoot!"

At a command from the commander of the Eastern Palace, a row of guards quickly took their positions armed with powerful crossbows.

They knelt on one knee and raised their powerful crossbows. The cold crossbow arrows flickered faintly in the wind and sand.

As the order was given, a rain of arrows fell.

The group of assassins was thrown to the ground in panic.

However, this had little effect on the assassin, as the sharp arrow cut through his black clothes, revealing a cold light.

Under the black clothes, he was actually holding armor.

At this moment, many East Palace guards have been dressed in Ming Guang armor. The metal plates on the armor are shining brightly in the wind and sand, reflecting a fearless light.

The captain of the guard drove his horse forward, raised his long sword high, and shouted: "Kill!"

The assassins saw that the East Palace guards were coming in full force, but they remained calm. At the whistle of their leader, they quickly changed their formation from a loose charging formation to a tight circle.

The riders touched the horses' bellies lightly with their knees, and the horses moved in small steps in tacit understanding, with even spacing between them, protecting their entire bodies tightly.

The exposed armor had a cold and hard luster in the wind and sand. It was obviously made of fine iron and could not be damaged by ordinary swords.

The two sides collided with each other in an instant, and in an instant, the sound of metal colliding, the neighing of horses, and the roar of soldiers intertwined into one.

The captain of the guard swung his sword at the assassin in the front row with great force, thinking that he could knock him off his horse, but there was only a loud "clang" sound, and the blade hit the assassin's helmet, splashing a string of sparks, and the assassin's body just shook.

The captain of the guard was not discouraged. He used the recoil force to quickly sweep his sword across, forcing back the enemy who was trying to launch a sneak attack from the side.

The Ming Guang armor of the East Palace guards showed its advantages to the fullest. They were not afraid of the assassins' counterattacks. They kept stabbing and swinging the long swords and spears in their hands. Each attack was packed with tremendous force.

A young guard seized the opportunity and thrust his spear straight into the gap between the two assassins. With a strong push, he actually knocked one of the assassins flying. The assassin screamed and fell to the ground. Before he could get up, he was trampled by the hooves of the horses that followed.

The assassins were no ordinary people. They formed a tight formation and used their scimitars to attack the joints of the guards' armor. For a while, several guards were injured, and blood oozed out, staining their armor red. But the injured guards gritted their teeth and not only did not retreat, but became more brave, using the price of injury to exchange for more opportunities to attack the enemy.

The Roman princess was standing beside the carriage, witnessing the fierce battle, her beautiful eyes full of determination.

He also took out a set of Western armor from the wooden box he carried with him and put it on.

Theodosius was no mere decoration, as he was able to come to Chang'an from thousands of miles away from Byzantium.

Since childhood, Theodosius received training from the royal sword master and was proficient in riding and archery.

Theodosius was wearing armor, with golden hair draped over his shoulders and a unique helmet that only revealed a pair of bright eyes.

Holding a long sword, he nimbly climbed onto the horse.

The golden hair fluttered wildly in the wind like a golden battle flag.

The horse neighed loudly and charged into the melee. Ordinary assassins were no match for her.

At this moment, a more violent sound of horse hooves suddenly came from the distance, like rumbling thunder rushing from the sky.

More than twenty elite cavalrymen rushed to the battlefield to provide support like lightning.

This made both sides suddenly nervous.

Soon, Wen Zhong breathed a sigh of relief. The new cavalrymen were not assassins. They were dressed differently and were targeting the assassins.

Shan Yao was wearing a neat suit, with her black hair tied up. A few strands of hair were soaked with sweat and stuck to her cheeks, but it did not diminish the heroic spirit between her eyebrows at all.

The spears in their hands were already ready to go. As Shan Xiongxin's personal guards back then, Chen Ming and the others naturally had excellent martial arts skills.

The assassins were already suppressed by the East Palace guards, and now they were in great chaos.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the assassin leader secretly thought that it was not good and began to retreat. While the guards beside him were distracted by the newly charged cavalry, he slapped his horse's back and shouted, "Retreat."

In an instant, the assassins scattered like birds, fleeing in all directions, leaving behind a field of corpses.

The guards of the Eastern Palace did not dare to chase after them. After all, their primary mission was to protect the Crown Prince's eunuchs and the Roman princess.

Shan Yao and Chen Ming looked at each other, and they understood what was going on.

Wen Zhong then called the two men over to meet him. Although these strangers had helped him a little, Wen Zhong still remained vigilant.

"Thank you just now."

Wen Zhong bowed slightly.

Shan Yao, Chen Ming clasped his fists in return: "When seeing injustice, it is only right to draw a sword and help. No need to thank you."

Wen Zhong wanted to ask something when Theodosius came over on horseback.

After taking off the helmet, his golden hair was extremely dazzling.

"thank you all."

Theodosius looked at Shan Yao and thanked him.

As a woman, Theodosius was very interested in Shan Yao.

Shan Yao looked at Theodosius with envy, her eyes lingering on Theodosius's armor.

The laws of the Tang Dynasty restricted private ownership of armor, and even noble families could not violate it.

"Tang Law Commentary" has clear and strict regulations on the control of weapons. Except for the five short and light weapons of bow, arrow, sword, wooden shield and short spear, civilians are prohibited from privately storing and manufacturing weapons such as armor and crossbows.

If one person privately possesses a crossbow, the crime will be doubled; if three crossbows or a set of armor are privately possessed, the person will be sentenced to exile 2,000 miles away.

Anyone who privately possesses five crossbows or three suits of armor will be sentenced to death by hanging.

As foreign envoys, the Roman delegation could naturally carry armor when traveling long distances.

Shan Yao had learned martial arts since childhood, so she naturally knew the power of armor. She was of course extremely envious of Theodosius's women's armor.

Upon seeing this, Wen Zhong no longer had the heart to interrogate him.

The Eastern Palace guards searched the assassin's body and reported.

“It’s the Turks.”

Wen Zhong didn't say much. This was already Liaodong, and the appearance of Turkic horse bandits seemed normal.

But wearing black clothes and armor is not normal at all.

There is no time to investigate anything now. The key is to get to the prince as soon as possible.

The powerful protection of the Ming Guang Armor, coupled with its casting of fine steel, meant that although there were many injuries among the Eastern Palace guards, there were no deaths.

Wen Zhong asked, "Young lady, there is also this warrior. I wonder what his name is, where he is from, and where he is going."

Shan Yao smiled, clasped her fists and saluted, saying, "I'm Shan Yao, this is Chen Ming. We are a small caravan, starting from Chang'an, planning to go to Liaodong to seek a way out. We just got close to it, heard the fighting, and hurried over."

Chen Ming also clasped his fists and added in a muffled voice: "We are all straightforward people. We hate to see people bullying the minority. When we encounter such a thing, how can we just ignore it?"

Wen Zhong nodded slightly, looked at the two men, and said, "I am grateful for your kindness. But Liaodong is not like Chang'an. You two are new here, do you have any comprehensive plans?"

Shan Yao said calmly, "We heard that the prince was reclaiming wasteland in Liaodong, so we brought some goods with us, hoping to earn some land."

After hearing this, Wen Zhong's doubts were gone and he even had a favorable impression of them.

After all, the order to open up the wasteland and compile the register was given by the crown prince, and he was the crown prince's eunuch, so naturally he felt closer to him.

Theodosius was listening with great interest and couldn't help but interrupt: "Ms. Shan, your courage is truly commendable."

"In Rome, there are many merchants like you who are brave and adventurous. I saw that you just made an extraordinary move, so I guess you are very skilled in martial arts. I wonder who did you learn it from?"

Shan Yao glanced at Uncle Chen, and Chen Ming immediately said, "I dare not deceive you, sir. We were once the personal guards of General Shan Xiongxin. We followed the general and learned some martial arts. We also saw many big scenes. But later the general died, and we were disheartened. So we thought about doing some small business and living a stable life."

Having said this, there was a brief pause, and Shan Yao added at the right time: "Shan Xiongxin is my father."

Although he was secretly preparing for revenge, his identity as a descendant of Shan Xiongxin was fine and there were no taboos.

When Wen Zhong heard the words "Shan Xiongxin", his expression changed slightly, but he quickly recovered and said with a smile: "I see, General Shan was also very famous in his time. Since you two are going to Liaodong, why don't we travel together for a while so that we can take care of each other. But we still have to abide by some rules along the way, what do you think?"

At this point, Wen Zhong seemed to have just remembered, and immediately introduced himself: "I am Wen Zhong, the eunuch of the crown prince, and this is the Roman princess Theodosius."

"This time we are also heading to Liaodong."

Shan Yao immediately responded, "It is our honor to be able to travel with Eunuch Wen and the princess. We will naturally abide by the rules. Eunuch Wen, don't worry."

After everyone agreed, the team reorganized a little, the injured guards were simply bandaged, and then they set off again. Along the way, Theodosius and Shan Yao chatted more and more, from martial arts to the customs of Rome and the Tang Dynasty, with constant laughter.

Wen Zhong silently observed Shan Yao and the others. Although they were getting along well at the moment, the trace of vigilance in his heart had not completely disappeared.

It’s not that he thinks Shan Yao and others are assassins, but he is a little suspicious of Shan Yao.

As the prince's eunuch, Wen Zhong knew all the court ministers.

That year, Wang Shichong led civil and military officials including Shan Xiongxin to surrender to Li Shimin.

Li Shimin immediately ordered that more than a dozen of Wang Shichong's generals, including Shan Xiongxin, be tied up and taken to Luoshui to be beheaded in public.

Although Li Ji pleaded for him, Li Shimin believed that Shan Xiongxin was extremely brave and had almost killed him, so he resolutely ordered him to be executed.

After Shan Xiongxin was killed, Li Ji adopted his son and promised to take care of his family.

So, where did Shan Xiongxin's daughter come from?
Changan.

The news of Baekje's surrender was publicized in the Chang'an Gazette and had caused a sensation in the capital. People were talking about it in the streets, teahouses and taverns.

At the beginning of the morning court session, the censors came out one after another and impeached the prince for his radical behavior in Liaodong, saying that if Baekje was handed over to him again, great chaos might occur.

Li Shimin's face was calm, but he was fully aware of the undercurrents behind the court.

The aristocratic families are now almost at odds with each other, and it is obvious that they want to curb the prince's development in Liaodong.

Although it was in line with Li Shimin's balancing strategy, he still felt a little unhappy.

After everyone finished speaking, Li Shimin did not comment, but only looked at Zhangsun Wuji. Zhangsun Wuji stepped out and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Your Majesty, I think that this matter has been reported in the court newspaper and has been biased."

"Baekje's surrender was originally a good thing, but now it has become a reason to criticize the prince. This is really wrong. The prince's actions in Liaodong were swift and decisive, but they were very effective. He conquered Goryeo and Silla, and made the Tang Dynasty famous."

Chu Suiliang immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, what Lord Changsun said makes sense, but the prince's actions have touched the foundation of the aristocratic family. If Baekje is now under the control of the prince, I am afraid it will be difficult to check and balance in the future."

After he finished speaking, many ministers in the court nodded. The power of the Five Surnames and Seven Families was intertwined in the court, and there were many people who agreed with them.

Fang Xuanling was silent for a moment. Now that the matter had been brought to the court, the outcome was already determined.

After all, as the Celestial Empire, the Tang Dynasty had no reason to refuse the surrender of small countries.

After a slight hesitation, Li Shimin finally summoned Baekje Crown Prince Buyeo Long to the palace for an audience.

(End of this chapter)