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

Chapter 236: Give Li Shimin the title of Khan! [Seeking monthly votes]

In Taiji Palace, a grand banquet is about to begin.

The banquet venue was decorated like a dream, and everywhere you looked was a sea of ​​chrysanthemums.

These chrysanthemums were golden chrysanthemums that Li Chengqian specially ordered to be collected from various places.

Looking from above, the golden petals are stretched out prettily, swaying gently in the breeze, like millions of golden butterflies about to spread their wings and fly high.

It is stacked up layer by layer, forming various gorgeous patterns, from the dragon pattern that symbolizes imperial power to the cloud pattern that implies auspiciousness, all of which demonstrate the majesty and luxury of the royal family.

"Not bad! Really good!"

When Li Shimin returned to Taiji Palace and saw such a grand and magnificent decoration, a bright smile appeared on his face frequently.

The civil and military officials following him, as well as envoys from various countries, were all stunned by the scene before them.

They had never seen such a magnificent banquet hall before, and they were shocked beyond words.

You know, it was not like this before they left Taiji Palace, but when they came back, it became like this, like two different worlds.

They couldn't help but be shocked and confused.

"The Double Ninth Festival banquet arranged by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince truly opened our eyes!"

"Yes, I have never seen such a luxurious banquet. I have truly wasted these past few decades of my life!"

"Your Highness the Crown Prince is the master of arrangements. Look at those foreign envoys, their eyes are wide open!"

"Hahaha, I like this year's Double Ninth Festival banquet. Why don't you let His Royal Highness the Crown Prince host it from now on? It looks so pleasing to the eyes!"

"Hey, you old bastard, what do you think of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?!"

Gradually, the tone of conversation began to change.

Especially those officials from aristocratic families, they all became sarcastic.

"I remember the Shangshu Youcheng once said that Emperor Yang of Sui used silk to wrap tree trunks in Luoyang to show off the wealth of the Sui Dynasty. I'm afraid it's inappropriate for Your Highness to do the same now."

"Yes, Your Majesty has repeatedly urged frugality. Having so many golden chrysanthemums may look beautiful, but I wonder how much of the people's money will be wasted."

"Alas, the Tang Dynasty has just started to get better, but there are still so many people who cannot get enough food. To be extravagant and wasteful is like... Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."

"I've said enough, you two. This is the money spent by my Prince's Mansion, and not a single cent from the national treasury. What are you barking about here?!"

It seemed that he was somewhat fed up with the sarcastic tone of those officials from the aristocratic families, so Fu Jia, the first critic in the Prince's Mansion, directly retorted.

The officials from the aristocratic families were so angry that their faces turned red.

However, Wei Zheng, the number one troll in the Tang Dynasty, did not speak, so they did not know how to speak either.

After all, the first bird to stick its head out gets shot.

No matter how sarcastic one is, it is definitely unwise to confront Li Chengqian directly.

So they all turned their attention to Wei Zheng, hoping that he would go into battle.

However, Wei Zheng ignored them, just glanced at the meeting place lightly, and then followed Li Shimin towards the Taiji Hall as if he saw nothing.

As for the envoys from foreign countries, they looked at each other in confusion, feeling as if they were only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Soon, Li Shimin returned to the Taiji Hall with a smile on his face.

But then he heard Wushe, who had followed him into the Taiji Hall, shout loudly, "All ministers, enter the hall to pay our respects!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Chengqian, Fang Xuanling, Xiao Yu, Zhangsun Wuji, Du Ruhui and other ministers walked into the Taiji Hall one after another.

Although Li Chengqian had already arranged the banquet venue in advance, it was not time to start the banquet yet.

Because envoys from various countries also have to pay a formal tribute.

To put it bluntly, Li Shimin wanted to brag to them for a while and then accept their gifts.

After this procedure is completed, everyone has to go to the Taimiao to worship the heaven and ancestors. After returning, they can start the banquet, enjoy the performances, drink and chat until the early morning.

Of course, because Li Shimin had boasted for a while in the Taiji Hall before accepting Jie Li's surrender, he didn't have much to say in front of the envoys from various countries this time.

Therefore, this procedure did not take a very long time, which made Li Chengqian feel relieved.

However, when the envoys from various countries presented their gifts, he was very surprised by the names of the four envoys from Wushe's mouth.

Because the envoys from these four countries were not any of the twenty-nine countries that Tang Jian had mentioned to him before.

He never expected that Goguryeo, Tuyuhun, Japan, and Western Turkestan would also send envoys.

Although Japan had sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty to pay tribute before, and the Western Turks might have come because the Eastern Turks were destroyed and they were in a desperate situation, but the purpose of Goguryeo and Tuyuhun sending envoys to Chang'an at this time could not be to celebrate the Tang Dynasty's destruction of the Eastern Turks, right?
Li Chengqian thought for a while, and always felt that they must have other intentions when they came to Chang'an at this time.

As for what their purpose is, I believe it will be revealed soon.

Even if they don't reveal their purpose actively, you still have to expose their true colors.

"Cheng Qian! Cheng Qian! What are you thinking about? It's time to go!"

Just as Li Chengqian was lost in thought, Changsun Wuji gently tugged at his robe. He snapped back to his senses and realized that the ministers were all leaving one after another, with Changsun Wuji standing behind him. He couldn't help but ask, "Uncle? Did I miss anything?"

"Ah!"

Changsun Wuji laughed: "When you put it that way, I don't know whether I should suspect you of having ulterior motives!"

"Ah? Why does uncle doubt me?"

"Because of you"

Changsun Wuji opened his mouth, wanting to say something, then glanced at the ministers who were walking out one after another, waved his hand and said, "Go ahead!"

"Oh."

Li Chengqian responded without saying anything more.

In this way, the uncle and nephew left the Taiji Hall in silence.

Although Changsun Wuji had already made it clear to Li Chengqian that he did not want to interfere in the fight between him and Li Shimin, he felt empty inside when he thought that his nephew, who was very close to him before, suddenly had nothing to say to him.

After leaving Taiji Palace, he finally couldn't help but speak first: "Cheng Qian, your cousin Chong and cousin Pingting are here too. They're at your mother's place. They said they haven't seen you in a while and want to see you. How about you meet them when you're free later?"

"it is good."

Li Chengqian responded without saying anything and fell silent again.

Zhang Sun Wuji looked at him with a complicated expression, sighed helplessly, and said in a low voice: "Your aunt's family is very grateful for your salt business. They said that if you need any help, you can come to them."

"Okay, uncle, thank them for me."

"Cheng Qian."

Changsun Wuji opened his mouth, but hesitated again to speak.

In fact, he had a lot to say to Li Chengqian, but due to the relationship between Li Shimin and Li Chengqian, he could not be as close to Li Chengqian as before.

In order to make Li Shimin believe that he would not interfere in the fight between father and son, he even had to help Li Shimin analyze Li Chengqian from time to time.

This made his relationship with Li Chengqian seem to be getting further and further apart.

Especially the coldness shown by Li Chengqian now really made him very uncomfortable.

"Uncle, do you know about the envoys from the four countries?" Li Chengqian asked suddenly.

Zhang Sun Wuji was slightly stunned, then he felt a little happy, but also a little puzzled and asked, "Are you talking about the envoys from Goguryeo, Tuyuhun, Japan, and Western Turkic?"

"Yes! It's them!"

Li Chengqian nodded and admitted, "I remember that the list given by the Minister of Rites did not include envoys from these four countries!"

"Why? Is there something wrong with these four envoys?"

Changsun Wuji is worthy of being the first of the twenty-four heroes in Lingyan Pavilion. He keenly grasped Li Chengqian's thoughts from Li Chengqian's words.

Li Chengqian smiled faintly, "Uncle, you're worrying too much. I simply haven't prepared a banquet for them. The list given to me by the Honglu Temple only includes envoys from 29 countries. When the tribute was presented just now, all 29 envoys were present, except for these four. So, out of curiosity, I asked if I should help prepare a banquet for them."

"Oh."

Changsun Wuji nodded in understanding, then dispelled his doubts and said with a smile: "As the saying goes, guests are welcome. Since they are here, we must prepare a feast for them. My Tang Dynasty is not short of food for them."

"Besides, they didn't come here to eat for free. They also brought gifts, didn't they?"

"Well, what uncle said makes sense. I will ask someone to prepare their banquet right away!" After saying this, Li Chengqian turned around and was about to leave.

At this moment, Zhangsun Wuji tugged at his sleeve again, frowning and asking, "How can I trouble a prince like you with such a trivial matter?"

"But didn't my uncle say that everyone who comes is a guest? What if I neglect the guests and my father blames me?"

"Humph!"

Changsun Wuji snorted disdainfully, then glanced around and lowered his voice again, "Cheng Qian, don't blame your uncle for what he said to you before. Your uncle is also in a difficult position. You don't understand His Majesty. Your uncle has been with His Majesty for decades."

After a pause, he hesitated and said, "Do you know why they suddenly came to Chang'an?"

"Why?"

"Because they want to ask for marriage from the Tang Dynasty!"

"what?"

Li Chengqian looked surprised.

But then Zhangsun Wuji said in a deep voice, "To be honest, the Western Turks sent people to ask for marriage from Your Majesty last year, but then your incident happened and Your Majesty rejected it outright. This time, the Eastern Turks were destroyed, and the Western Turks came again, and the betrothal gifts were beyond imagination, but Your Majesty still refused."

"As for the Japanese envoy, I'm sure you should know something about it. A few days ago, the Dali Temple investigated a smuggling case involving the Japanese royal family. His Majesty was very angry. They also knew the serious consequences of offending the Tang Dynasty, so they immediately sent an envoy."

"Ah!"

Li Chengqian laughed: "That's just the nature of the Japs. They fear power but not morality!"

"Little devil?"

Zhang Sun Wuji was stunned: "What little devils?"

"Oh, nothing, I just picked some names for them casually." Li Chengqian evaded the question.

He didn't dare tell Changsun Wuji that this Japanese country would give birth to a group of hateful devils more than a thousand years later.

However, when Changsun Wuji heard the name Li Chengqian had casually given the Japanese, he was at a loss for words: "This name is interesting. I find it funny when I see their sneaky, short, monkey-like appearance. Well, calling them 'Little Japs' is not bad either!"

After saying this, he glanced at Li Chengqian again. Seeing that he was still waiting for the next words, he continued, "I don't know why the Tuyuhun envoys came to Chang'an yet. Perhaps Fang Xuanling should know. But it is said that they came to Chang'an during the locust plague, but they never formally asked to see Your Majesty!"

"In addition, the envoys they sent this time are Prince Murong Shun of Tuyuhun Khan and his uncle."

"As for the envoys from Goguryeo, I also don't know the purpose of their visit to Chang'an, but they also haven't formally requested an audience with Your Majesty."

It seems that just as I expected, the real problems were with Goguryeo and Tuyuhun.

After hearing what Changsun Wuji said, Li Chengqian was deeply moved.

However, before he could combine history and recall the movements of Goguryeo and Tuyuhun during this period, they arrived at the Taimiao.

At this moment, Li Shimin, supported by Wushe, dragged his heavy formal attire and walked up to the altar to offer sacrifices to heaven and ancestors in the Taimiao. The ceremony was long and complicated.

Fortunately, Li Yuan didn’t come, otherwise he would have been drowsy.

After all, watching others complete a ritual and completing a ritual yourself are two different feelings.

Li Chengqian didn't want to delve into the feeling. Anyway, his attention was now on the envoys from Goguryeo and Tuyuhun.

Fortunately, they were relatively honest. They saluted when they should and agreed when they should, without showing any abnormality.

Otherwise, Li Chengqian would suspect that they were here to cause trouble.

However, even if he was not here to cause trouble, Li Chengqian pondered for a long time but still could not figure it out.

Because he knew very little about these two countries.

While Li Chengqian was pondering, Li Shimin had also completed the ancestor worship, and then returned to Taiji Palace one after another to invite the concubines, princes and princesses to attend the Double Ninth Festival banquet together.

It is worth mentioning that the little fat boy was also released from the Zongzheng Temple by Li Shimin.

However, the little fat boy's face looked very ugly. Even when his teacher Wang Gui took the initiative to come forward and apologize to him, he still looked cold.

Even those officials from the aristocratic families who followed him, he always acted like he didn't want to talk, which made the officials from the aristocratic families keep their distance from him.

Seeing this scene, Li Chengqian shook his head, feeling a bit amused and helpless, and murmured, "It seems that after this incident, the little fat boy is going to grow up. However, I won't give you time to grow up."

After saying this, he looked up at Li Zhi in Empress Changsun's arms and sighed with emotion: "The feathered canopy flies across the sky, the phoenix chariot crosses the mountains, and we all sigh that the three autumns are blocked, and we can spend a night together. My foolish brother, I am afraid that you will never have the chance to go to the nunnery to spend the night together in this life."

As soon as the words fell, a loud voice rang out from the crowd: "Your Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, our king has sent a special gift to His Majesty the Emperor!"

As soon as Li Shimin sat down on the Chrysanthemum Terrace, an envoy volunteered to stand up.

"Oh?"

Li Shimin raised his eyebrows and asked with amusement, "What is that?"

"A song!"

After saying this, two people wearing distinctive costumes and holding sheep-head fiddles came out immediately, and started playing music in front of everyone.

The song has a gentle tone, yet is passionate and sonorous, and has a strong exotic flavor. Li Shimin nodded frequently with a smile on his face when he heard it.

After one song, he smiled and exclaimed: "This song is indeed extraordinary."

"but."

After saying that, he changed the subject and continued, "This song shouldn't be new, right? I think I've heard it somewhere before."

Wow!
The delegation behind the envoy was in an uproar.

Including the two musicians who were playing the song, everyone looked stunned.

Because they had never played this song in the Tang Dynasty, and this song was specially composed for this banquet, it was impossible for it to be spread out.

The envoy's expression changed again and again, and then he jokingly said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, did you hear this in a dream?"

"hehe."

Li Shimin smiled without comment, then raised his hand to signal. Immediately, a woman in palace dress, holding a pipa, came to the two foreign musicians and knelt on the cushion in a dignified and generous manner.

Suddenly, the same music sounded in the banquet, leaving the envoy and the two musicians stunned.

They could never have imagined that there was someone in the Tang Dynasty who could play their music.

This makes them fall into a state of self-doubt.

Could it be that the music he had worked so hard to create was really heard by the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty?
"How could she play our music?" The envoy still couldn't believe the result and boldly questioned the musician sent by Li Shimin.

Li Shimin smiled calmly and gently, saying, "The music of our Tang Dynasty is mostly collected from all over the world, and the Western Regions have made great contributions!"

After saying this, he turned his gaze to the two foreign musicians and exclaimed in admiration, "Your music is indeed new, but my palace maids are so skilled that they can remember any piece of music after hearing it once and can play it again immediately!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone suddenly realized.

Immediately afterwards, a burst of warm cheers resounded through the sky.

As a result, the atmosphere of the Double Ninth Festival banquet instantly became lively.

Li Chengqian looked calmly at the envoy of the Gur Khanate, Zhishisili sent by Tuli.

Zhishisili smiled faintly, then stood up from his seat, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Tang, our Khan has a proposal. I would like to put it forward in front of the envoys from various countries and let everyone hear it!"

"hehe."

Li Shimin smiled, then glanced at Jie Li in the corner and said, "Zhishisili, I and Tuli Khan are old friends. If he has any suggestions, he can speak up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Zhishisili bowed respectfully once more, then looked around at the envoys and said solemnly, "The Great Tang unified the four seas, resonating throughout the world and shocking the world. The thirteen tribes of the Gurkhaan Empire have deliberated, and Tuli Khan has proposed that we confer upon the Emperor of the Great Tang the title of 'Heavenly Khan.' We hope that all under Heaven and Earth will be protected by the Heavenly Khan!"

Boom!

The whole place was shaken, as if struck by lightning.

Whether it was Li Shimin himself, the civil and military officials of the Tang Dynasty, or everyone present, they were all shocked by this proposal and their eyes widened with surprise.

However, before they could react, a report suddenly came from outside the hall.

"The Emperor has arrived—!"

　[Please give me a monthly pass, please give me a monthly pass, please give me a monthly pass]

　　
　
(End of this chapter)