Time Travel: I am the idle king Li Shen and Li Shimin in the Tang Dynasty

With a shout from Li Shen, Changsun Wuji was the first to bow deeply to Li Shimin, refusing to get up.

He cursed Li Shen inwardly for being too ruthless; wasn't this a blatant accusation that they were unworthy of their positions?

They were also falsely accused of having selfish motives and not being truly loyal to the court.

If His Majesty and the Crown Prince heard this, their futures would be ruined. Who would want to appoint someone with ulterior motives?

"Yes, Your Majesty, this old minister has always been loyal to the Tang Dynasty. Prince Ji is slandering this old minister."

Gao Jifu also bowed.

Others followed suit, some even offering to apologize.

Li Shimin's face remained calm and expressionless. He glanced around and said in a flat tone:

"Rise, I naturally trust you."

Li Shimin appeared calm and composed, but others interpreted his expression as one of having taken his words to heart, hence his serious demeanor.

He cursed Li Shen in his heart, thinking, "We're talking about reason, and you're resorting to underhanded tricks!"

At this moment, Li Shimin spoke:

"Tenth Prince, the hereditary title of Prince is no small matter, and we cannot make an exception for you."

"Does Father think these two crops aren't worth a hereditary succession?" Li Shen countered.

Li Shimin shook his head:

"This isn't a question of whether it's worth it or not, but rather that it's unacceptable. As you just heard, hereditary succession is extremely harmful."

If I were to make an exception for you now, my successors would likely follow suit, and I must consider the future emperors.

Otherwise, a hundred years from now, who knows how many hereditary dynasties there would be in the Tang Dynasty.”

Li Shimin originally wanted to emulate the Zhou Dynasty and continue its rule for eight hundred years.

But Wei Zheng persuaded him against it, and he realized that although hereditary succession could continue the Tang Dynasty, it could also be the root of chaos.

During the Great Zhou Dynasty, numerous feudal lords stood side by side, attacking each other. The people suffered from the chaos of war, and their lives were filled with misery. This situation lasted for only a few hundred years.

This is not what he wanted to see.

“Father, actually…” Li Shen opened his mouth, wanting to try and persuade Li Shimin, but Li Shimin waved his hand:

"Alright, my mind is made up. You don't need to say anything more. Let's choose another one."

Li Shen looked disappointed after hearing this. The reason he wanted the title to be hereditary was because he knew that princes were demoted one by one, and in the end, they might be reduced to commoners.

Unless one gains the court's favor and makes some contributions during this period, one's rank will not be promoted.

Otherwise, it's hard to say whether their family will still exist four or five generations later, since life is unpredictable and there's no guarantee that their lineage won't end.

Li Shen wanted to fight for his descendants, but unfortunately his father disagreed.

And after four or five generations, how many members of the royal family will still care about their bloodline?

"Sigh..." Li Shen sighed, and finally spoke:

"In that case, I won't be greedy. A princely title would be fine."

"Tenth Prince, do you know what the title of Prince represents?" Li Shimin asked.

"Father, you misunderstand. I am not establishing another prince, but I hope that my eldest son will inherit the throne as a prince, not as a heir apparent."

Li Shen quickly explained that he understood his father's meaning, thinking that he wanted another prince.

But if that's the case, who should receive the title of Prince? The eldest son is the heir to the throne, so it's inappropriate to give it to anyone else.

“You want to preserve a generation,” Li Shimin said.

Li Shen nodded without hiding anything; all he could do for future generations was to extend their lives one generation at a time.

Many people thought that it was perfectly acceptable to grant a hereditary title for such a great achievement as bringing back potatoes and corn.

But this was the Zhenguan era, and there were too many people who had made great contributions. Not to mention those from distant times, Ashina She'er, who led the western expedition and conquered such a large territory for the court, was still only a duke and would not be granted the title of king.

Li Jing conquered far more territory for the Tang Dynasty in his lifetime, to the point that even he was afraid of it, and he was still a duke.

Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Jingde, and Changsun Wuji—each of them was a man of great military achievements.

Therefore, Li Shen was already mentally prepared for his father's disagreement with his succession.

Even without potatoes and corn, the Tang Dynasty would still be well-fed.

"Your Majesty, I think that if my tenth brother can really find the two divine objects he mentioned, then the title of Prince is not excessive."

Just then, Li Chengqian, who was standing to the side, bowed and said...

It's just a princely title; it's only a half-level promotion, which isn't excessive.

He also understood Li Shen's feelings, fearing that his descendants would be left desolate.

"What do you all think?" Li Shimin asked the crowd again.

After a moment of contemplation, Changsun Wuji bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, this old minister agrees with what the Crown Prince said."

"I also second my opinion."

"I also second my opinion."

The others bowed in agreement, saying that preserving one generation and elevating the title by half a rank was not excessive.

Li Shimin nodded upon seeing this:

"Very well, Tenth Prince, I grant your request if you can bring back these two divine objects."

I will issue an edict that the eldest son of the Prince Ji's family shall inherit the title of Prince and enjoy the salary of a Prince.

"I am grateful for Father's kindness and will do my utmost to bring back potatoes and corn to present to Father."

Li Shen quickly bowed and expressed his gratitude. This reward was far more valuable than a million strings of cash. If possible, he would be willing to pay five million strings of cash to renew the contract.

Unfortunately, the imperial court would not agree.

"Alright, the matter has been settled. Have you all had your meal yet?"

Wang De went to prepare the meal.

Li Shimin slowly stood up, glanced at the map at his feet, and then walked towards his study.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." The crowd quickly bowed and followed.

Before long, Wang De entered with a group of maids. Li Chengqian had just instructed them to prepare the meal.

Li Shimin then led everyone to dine in his study.

Because of the map, Li Shimin took out a bottle of his treasured wine and shared it with everyone.

"Your Highness Prince Ji, may this old minister ask, how did Your Highness obtain the map of the world?"

Many veteran officials had never even heard of such a thing.

As everyone ate and chatted, Ma Zhou asked curiously.

Li Shen picked up a piece of meat and chewed it slowly, while the others waited quietly for his answer.

"Hmm, there's too much spice in this meat," Li Shen muttered after swallowing.

"Does Your Highness Prince Ji have some unspeakable secret?" Changsun Wuji asked when he saw that Li Shen did not want to answer.

"Uncle, what are you saying? I am young and strong, what could I possibly have that I can't say?" Li Shenyi said with a sneer.

Changsun Wuji and the others were taken aback, not understanding the meaning behind Li Shen's words.

"Well, there's nothing to hide about this map. The reason you haven't heard of it is because you haven't had much contact with the people."

Have you heard of the Eastern Divine Continent? It's...

"Your Highness Prince Ji, are you perhaps going to talk about the Classic of Mountains and Seas?"

Just as Li Shen was about to spout nonsense, Changsun Wuji's words left him speechless: "Do people in the Tang Dynasty even read the Classic of Mountains and Seas?"