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

Dating is like a palace: those outside want to get in, and those inside want to get out.

Li Shen himself came from there; he lived there for nine years, and his only impression of the palace was that it was huge.

Other than that, they didn't feel anything special, but the common people outside naturally wanted to live inside the palace, and they all speculated about how luxurious the emperor's life must be every year.

But Li Shen didn't want to be confined inside, gazing at the towering city walls every day.

Sometimes he felt sorry for the people living there, as many of them might not be able to get out even when they died.

Those who married the emperor and became his concubines had great difficulty even going home to visit him; they were not as free as the concubines in Prince Ji's mansion.

“Father, I don’t want to live there. Besides, it’s not like I haven’t lived there before. I came out of there myself.”

"This property can be left to my eldest brother, I won't fight over it."

Li Shen spoke frankly, but what he said was indeed a bit hurtful. Such a large palace was described by Li Shen as a piece of real estate, and he even said that he would not compete for it.

Li Shimin's face immediately turned sour with anger.

"Hmph, even if you want to earn it, I won't give it to you. Let me tell you, if you ever covet the imperial treasury again, don't blame me for opening your vault."

Li Shimin issued a warning; he was now on high alert day and night, fearing that Li Shen would steal his money.

“Look at what Father is saying. Why should we distinguish between father and son? You are my dear Father. If Father wants my treasury, I will offer it to you with both hands.”

My heart is with my father's; what's mine is my father's, and what's his father's is mine.

Now I am willing to offer up my treasury. If it were my father, I believe he would also be willing to share his private funds with me.

People say, "Brothers fight side by side, fathers and sons go to war together, but we..."

"I do not wish to."

Before Li Shen could finish his eloquent speech, Li Shimin interrupted him and said something very seriously.

"what?"

Li Shen was momentarily stunned. Why wasn't emotional appeal working anymore?

"You unfilial son, don't try to fool me! Do you think I don't know that there's no money left in your treasury?"

You still owe millions of dollars to outsiders.

"What use is your treasury to me? Do you think I would share the imperial funds with you otherwise?"

Li Shimin looked at Li Shen with disdain, his face full of mockery, as if he had seen right through him.

Li Shen awkwardly touched his nose, sighing inwardly, "It's getting harder and harder to swindle money from my dad these days."

Isn't it said that old men are easy to fool?

"Father, please calm down. I was just saying it casually," Li Shen waved his hand.

Li Shimin didn't dwell on it, and after taking a sip of tea, he asked:

"Tell me, why did you hide in the medical school?"

"Hide? I didn't hide." Li Shen looked bewildered.

"Hmph, still not telling the truth? If you had nothing to do, why would you have stayed here for so many days? Your Ice and Snow City cost so much manpower, resources, and money, and you only went once and then never went back."

The so-called maid giving birth is nothing but an excuse for you.

Do you think I don't know what's going on outside?

Li Shimin snorted. He and Li Shen had been together for so many years, watching each other grow up. He knew Li Shen's personality better than anyone.

There are only two people in this world who truly understand Li Shen: Consort Wei and Emperor Taizong of Tang. Perhaps the third is Li Tai.

Li Shen is usually very good at hiding his true feelings, and even his closest people don't know what he's thinking.

Only Consort Wei, who gave birth to him, truly understood him, having observed all his habits and actions since childhood.

Li Shen's expression remained normal, but he was somewhat surprised that his father had stopped studying military strategy and started studying psychology.

He was discovered hiding here, and he even thought that using Su Xiaoxiao's pregnancy was a good excuse.

"Why are you silent now? Did I just guess right?"

Li Shimin said with amusement.

He was confident that he knew Li Shen well; he could tell how many turds that unfilial son would poop just by looking at him.

"This... Father, you have a discerning eye. I have indeed come here to seek some peace and quiet for a few days, but not to escape any disaster."

Since returning from Xizhou, my son hasn't had a single day of peace. In all the time since he came back, he's been beaten almost every three days.

So I thought maybe the feng shui of Prince Ji's residence was bad, so I came here specifically to avoid the limelight and have Li Chunfeng change the feng shui for me.

Li Shen explained. What he said was true; since he returned, he had been beaten up many times, averaging once every three days. Who could stand that?

"Change the feng shui? I heard that Li Chunfeng changed your feng shui before the Yuanzheng era?"

Li Shimin frowned; he still believed in feng shui.

“Father, it must not have been fixed properly. Ever since he changed the feng shui, I’ve been beaten up three times in one day. Something must have gone wrong.”

Li Shen immediately complained, saying it was truly bizarre.

"What about your ice and snow city? Aren't you going to go play there?" Li Shimin asked again.

"Father, spring is just around the corner, and the ice and snow in the Ice City are starting to melt. It would be dangerous to go there to play."

So the son ordered the city to be demolished, and the snow and ice spread on the fields to irrigate them after they melt.

Li Shen simply replied that he was late; construction usually started in November, but this time it was more than a month late.

The climate in Chang'an is not as pleasant as that in Liaodong, so this year's "ice and snow city" title will have to be wasted.

"Truly an extreme playboy."

Sure enough, Li Shimin immediately criticized it after hearing it, saying that spending so much money to finish it in just one day and then demolishing it was such a waste.

"I've also heard something else," Li Shimin said, looking up again.

"What did Father hear this time?"

Li Shen was a little nervous.

Li Shimin began by saying:

"I heard that you have allowed your fiefdom to cultivate paddy fields on a large scale, and you have also dug an irrigation canal from the other side of the Hao River."

Are you planning to get them to grow rice too?

Li Shen breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and quickly replied:

"Yes, Father, that is true. However, planting rice is only part of the reason. Another reason is to let them raise fish to increase their income."

"Raising fish?" Li Shimin was taken aback upon hearing this.

"Yes, it's fish farming. Fish are raised in rice paddies. The fish can eat weeds, thus fertilizing the rice paddies."

When the rice ripens, the fish in the fields will also grow up, and you can sell the fish to make money.

This way, a single rice crop can generate two sources of income, and it's more profitable than when they intercrop millet and wheat.

Seeing his father's confusion, Li Shen quickly explained.

Li Shimin's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

“That’s a good idea. Fish is also a type of meat. Let them sell it in Chang’an. They’ll definitely make more money than growing millet.”

"Tenth Brother, this is a very good deed."

(If life were only as beautiful as our first meeting, why would the autumn wind bring sorrow to the painted fan?)