I am Li Shen and Li Shimin, the free kings of the Tang Dynasty

Li Shen blurted out his opinion in one breath, expressing his strong dislike for Li Chengqian's comparison of his treasures to grain.

People don't grow grain to buy luxury goods; they grow it to improve their basic living standards, including food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

Since ancient times, merchants have always sold whatever they wanted and misled the working class, never considering the consequences.

This is why dynasties throughout history suppressed commerce; they didn't care whether the country was stable or the people were well-off.

"What my tenth brother says makes sense. I also know that high grain prices hurt the people."

Li Chengqian awoke from his reverie, and naturally understood what Li Shen had said.

"It's good that you understand, brother. You are the crown prince, you can't be as short-sighted as a commoner."

The common people only see what's in front of them, while the imperial court has to consider the bigger picture. This is also for the sake of the people.

These luxurious items may be expensive, but the profits come from the wealthy and powerful; their money can then be used to support a larger number of ordinary people.

Originally, Li Shen didn't want to say so much, but seeing Li Chengqian's expression, Li Shen had no choice but to bring it up.

During the mid-Tang Dynasty, the prices of all necessities began to rise, with grain prices increasing several times over. People really suffered during that time.

Li Shimin remained silent, simply watching Li Shen reason with Li Chengqian. At that moment, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

This proves that his decision was correct; leaving Li Shen to assist Li Chengqian would allow Li Chengqian to avoid many detours.

Li Shenhui will use his own methods to make Li Chengqian understand the principles of things.

Moreover, Li Shen had a long-term vision and unique insights, which was a good thing for the Tang Dynasty.

Perhaps with Li Shen's help, the Tang Dynasty could advance even further.

"Your Majesty, Tang Jian, the Minister of Civil Affairs, is currently out requesting an audience."

At this moment, Stone stood at the door and reported.

“Summon him!” Li Shimin sat up.

A short while later, Tang Jian entered alone, bowed respectfully before Li Shimin, and

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness Prince Ji."

"No need for formalities, Maoyue, what brings you here?" Li Shimin gestured for Wang De to bring Tang Jian a chair and asked.

"Your Majesty, today is the day for profit distribution, and I had nothing else to do, so I came to take a look," Tang Jian replied.

"Hmph, I bet you're here to supervise because you don't trust me, right?" Li Shen sneered.

"Your Highness is too kind. The court trusts Your Highness completely. I am simply curious about how much money I will receive, which is why I came in person. Your Highness, please do not overthink it."

Tang Jian smiled and shook his head. Even he wouldn't say it outright. Everyone knows Li Shen is cunning and scheming. He was still worried about not getting enough dividends.

This is different from the money given by the Chamber of Commerce. The money given by the Chamber of Commerce is given away for free, and the court will not say anything about how much or how little is given.

But guessing for profit sharing is a business, so accuracy is crucial.

"Hahaha, so Maoyue came here because he didn't trust him." Li Shimin laughed heartily.

"Oh? Does Your Majesty also have such thoughts?" Tang Jian immediately responded with a smile.

"That's natural. I came here today to see how much money can be made from this so-called betting, and I'm also worried about this rebellious son."

Li Shimin nodded in agreement. He wasn't worried about the large sums of money, as Li Shen wouldn't dare to cheat, but he was unsure about the small sums.

For Li Shen, several hundred thousand strings of cash were just small change; he could simply embezzle it.

The two of them spoke openly to Li Shen without any restraint, saying they didn't believe him and didn't take him seriously at all.

Li Shen was so angry that his face turned ashen.

"Minister Tang, do you believe I'll beat your Tang Songling to death?"

Li Shen issued a threat.

"Hehe, it's alright. If he has done something wrong, Your Highness Prince Ji, please teach him a lesson. I have seven sons, and any of them can inherit the family business."

Tang Jian was a seasoned veteran and knew Li Shen very well. Although the boy acted eccentrically and lawlessly, he had not done anything particularly heinous.

Therefore, he was not afraid that Li Shen would actually beat Tang Songling to death.

Li Shen was displeased with these two old immortals. Tang Jian was so shameless. It seemed that none of these old guys were simple.

"Your Majesty, the Duke of Lu and the Duke of E have arrived."

Just as they were talking, Stone reported again at the door.

"Xuan."

Li Shimin was taken aback. What were these two doing here? Tang Jian, after all, represented the imperial court.

Soon, Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde, the two generals, strode in.

"Haha, I knew His Majesty was here too!" Cheng Yaojin laughed as soon as he opened his mouth.

The two then came over and bowed to Li Shimin, Li Chengqian, and Li Shen.

"Oh, the Duke of Ju is here too. Are you here to ask for money as well?" Yuchi Jingde asked Tang Jian in surprise.

"Money? What kind of money?" Tang Jian asked, feigning ignorance.

"What are you two doing here?" Li Shimin asked, frowning. Wherever the two of them were, things were bound to get lively.

"Your Majesty, we heard that His Highness Prince Ji is holding a profit-sharing meeting, so we came to collect our money."

Cheng Yaojin said confidently. Without waiting for Li Shimin to offer him a seat, he and Yuchi Jingde sat down directly.

"Dividends? What dividends are you two getting? Are you sure you've got it wrong?" Li Shen said disdainfully.

“Your Highness, what you say is true. All six of my sons have shares in the company. How could I, as their father, not come personally for such an important matter?”

Cheng Yaojin retorted.

"Yes, yes, I also have three sons. It's such a big deal to divide the money, so naturally we have to come and help keep an eye on things."

Yuchi Jingde nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Yes, that makes sense. Such a big matter should naturally be overseen by the older generation to prevent them from wasting money."

Unfortunately, although one of my sons was involved, he was unfilial and insisted on establishing his own household and dividing the family property, refusing to hand over any money.

Li Shimin nodded in agreement, his tone filled with envy.

"How could this happen? Your Majesty, it is the father's fault if the son is not taught properly. How can there be a division of the family while the father is still alive? If my sons were like this, I would have already hung them up and beaten them."

Cheng Yaojin immediately spoke up for Li Shimin, saying that all six of his sons had been beaten, and they would get a beating every few days.

"Your Majesty is still merciful. You must know that discipline is essential for success. We cannot continue to indulge you like this," Yuchi Jingde advised.

"That's enough, you two." Li Shen's face was now ashen. Were these two henchmen trying to make things difficult for him?

Seeing his father's increasingly excited eyes, Li Shen knew that his father was somewhat tempted.

I just got beaten up yesterday, so I should wait at least a couple more days.

Besides, this money is hard-earned, why should I hand it over?

"Oh dear, could His Majesty be referring to Prince Ji?" Cheng Yaojin slapped his thigh in a mock surprise.

“Brother, Cheng Chusi has performed exceptionally well at Yucai Academy and is well-versed in military strategy. I believe he would be the perfect candidate to serve as the garrison commander of the Northwest border.”

(From this moment on, history has changed and entered a new chapter.)

And I haven't broken up with my boyfriend yet.