Tang Dynasty: The Holy Prince, the Dragon that Reigns Over the World

After dinner, Li Chengqian was chatting with Zhangsun Wugui. Suddenly, the eunuchs around Li Shimin came to Li Chengqian and said that Li Shimin was having a banquet for all the ministers in Linde Hall. Li Shimin asked Li Chengqian to attend. After saying goodbye to Zhangsun Wugui, Li Chengqian followed the eunuchs to Linde Hall. When he arrived, he saw that Li Shimin and his ministers had already arrived.

When the ministers saw Li Chengqian coming, they all stood up and saluted. Li Chengqian returned the salutes one by one. He walked to sit next to Li Shimin. The banquet began, and the emperor and his ministers were very happy.

"I went to see your mother." Li Shimin was slightly drunk.

"Yes, father. Uh." Li Chengqian burped.

"Da Lang, you must have eaten too much at your mother's house." Li Shimin said with a smile.

Thinking of the bowl of rice and the pile of meat, Li Chengqian couldn't help but burp again. Li Shimin laughed and said, "Dalang is growing up, you need to eat more. When your father was your age, he ate a dou of rice and ten kilograms of meat for each meal. Eat, I order you to finish all the meat in front of you."

You're just bragging, Li Chengqian rolled his eyes. Looking at the whole roasted deer leg in front of him, he couldn't help but burp again.

"Your Majesty, why make things difficult for the Crown Prince. He just had a meal at the Queen's, how can he eat a whole deer leg? I remember when Erlang was a child, his appetite was not as good as Guanyin's maid." Changsun Wuji said drunkenly.

"Changsun Dalang, how dare you expose my shortcomings?" Li Shimin said in feigned anger.

"Li Erlang, don't think you are a saint and can bully my nephew." Changsun Wuji retorted. Seeing the two men glaring at each other, all the officials in the hall smiled.

"Okay, okay, Your Majesty, Minister Zhangsun, please calm down. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince once wrote a poem and ordered people to carve it on Yinshan Mountain. After I read it, I was greatly impressed. I wonder if Your Highness could write another one at this time to toast you." Du Ruhui said with a smile.

Li Shimin and his ministers all looked at Li Chengqian expectantly. Li Chengqian had no choice but to stand up and sing, "Don't you see, the water of the Yellow River comes from the sky, rushes to the sea and never returns. Don't you see, the white hair in the mirror in the hall, which was black in the morning and turned into snow in the evening. When life is happy, you should enjoy it to the fullest, don't let the golden cup face the moon in vain. ~". Li Chengqian borrowed a poem "Song of the Wine" by Li Bai and read it out. Everyone in the hall was surprised and praised it as a good poem.

"The prince is a man of great literary talent. I am not as good as him." Kong Yingda sighed, stroking his beard.

"This poem will be famous through the ages. My son has such literary talent, it should be made known to the world. You all should drink with me." Li Shimin laughed and raised his glass to drink.

At this time, it was the Prince of Yan's Mansion in Youzhou.

King Luo Yi of Yan was drinking and sighing. Seeing Luo Yi like this, Luo Song couldn't help but ask, "Father, why are you sighing?"

"Li Shimin repelled the Turks, and the Turks paid compensation and withdrew their troops. You know the relationship between my father and Prince Yin. Now that the Turkish crisis has been resolved, I'm afraid Li Shimin will take action against my father." Luo Yi said sadly.

"Father, don't worry. The spear in my hand can keep you safe. If Li Shimin attacks my Prince Yan's Mansion, what can we do if we rebel against Li Shimin?" Luo Song said sternly.

"My son is brave. But how can he rebel? How can it be so easy? Li Chengqian, the son of Li Shimin, faced the Turkic army. He killed five Turkic generals in battle and smashed the strongest Turkic warrior to pieces, all with one blow. The purple-gold dragon-howling halberd in his hand weighed 900 jin. His bravery might be better than Yongnian (Luosong's pen name).

Li Chengqian's Feilong Army fought against 1 Turkish cavalry with only 15 soldiers. They even achieved a casualty ratio of 1 to 10 and repelled the Turks. And his Xuanwu Army fought against 5000 Turkish cavalry with 2 infantry soldiers, but they completely wiped out the enemy without any damage. Such a strong army is rare in the world. How can our Yan Wang Army win? "Luo Yi held his head and said.

"My husband is a great man in the world. Why are you so indecisive? When Cheng'er (Luo Cheng) was alive, he said many times: The King of Qin is broad-minded, unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness, and has the appearance of a wise ruler. My Luo family should submit to and assist the King of Qin.

My husband is afraid that His Majesty will attack you because you are an old subordinate of Prince Yin. But my husband, look at the old subordinates of Prince Yin and see who was punished by His Majesty. Wei Zheng and his peers even became important officials in the court, which shows how broad-minded His Majesty is.

Moreover, a man should protect the country and the people and make great contributions when he is born. How can he be greedy for power? If you surrender to Your Majesty at this time, you can get a good future forever. "Mrs. Luo Yi came in and said.

Luo Yi pondered for a long time, and said with emotion, "My lady, what you said is very true. Come here, I personally submit a petition. I am old, and I resign as the governor of Youzhou and the king of Yan. I wish my whole family to live in peace in the capital. Send this petition to Chang'an by fast horse."

On this day, Li Chengqian went to the palace to ask to see Li Shimin.

"Da Lang, how come you have time to come to the palace to see your father today?" Li Shimin leaned back in his chair and said with a smile.

Li Chengqian straightened his clothes, knelt down and said, "I have something to ask, Your Majesty."

"Why is Dalang so formal?" Li Shimin asked curiously.

"I request to build a Shrine of Heroes to commemorate the souls of the heroes who died fighting for the Tang Dynasty, to inspire the people to serve the country and to demonstrate your majesty's virtue. I humbly ask for your majesty's approval." Li Chengqian bowed again.

"Well, what my son requested is very much in line with my heart. The heroic spirits of the Tang dynasty men should be worshipped by my Li family and the people of the world.

I will immediately order the construction of a Heroic Soul Temple in the suburbs of Chang'an. From now on, all of our Tang warriors who died in battle will be buried in the Heroic Soul Temple, enjoying the eternal worship of the Li Tang royal family and the people of the world. The heroic souls will enter the temple and serve as the flying dragon in military affairs. On the day of its completion, I will personally go to offer sacrifices. "Li Shimin said solemnly, sitting upright.

"On behalf of the soldiers of the Great Tang Dynasty, I kneel to thank the Emperor for his grace. Our Emperor is wise." Li Chengqian bowed again and said loudly.

"Da Lang, this is what a king should do. Da Lang, I am very pleased that you can think of this. Get up and come to your side." Li Shimin said with relief.

Li Chengqian stood up and sat on the imperial steps, chatting with Li Shimin. At this time, Zhangsun Wuji took Luo Yi's petition and asked to see Li Shimin.

"Your Majesty, Prince of Yan Li Yi (In the third year of Wude, Luo Yi presented a petition to return to his country. Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan, summoned him to be the Prince of Yan and gave him the surname Li. From then on, Luo Yi changed his name to Li Yi and made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty.), submits a petition to resign as the governor of Youzhou and the Prince of Yan. I hope that my family will come to Beijing to enjoy my old age." said the Minister of Personnel, Zhangsun Wuji.

"That's good. In this way, Youzhou will completely belong to the imperial court." Li Shimin said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, we still have to do things to save our reputation." Changsun Wuji said with a smile.

"Well, Auxiliary Machine, I leave this matter to you." Li Shimin nodded.

Li Chengqian followed Zhangsun Wuji out of the hall and saw Zhangsun Wuji wearing a sword on his belt.

"My uncle and father have known each other since childhood, and he assisted my father in ascending the throne. My uncle is my father's confidant. My uncle did not take off his sword as required by the court, and went straight into the palace. My father did not mind, but Qian'er thought it was inappropriate. If there were outsiders present, they might tell my father that my uncle did not follow the etiquette and had bad intentions by wearing a sword to meet the emperor. How would my uncle deal with it then?"

"Dalang is right. I was almost in danger." Changsun Wuji reacted and broke out in a sweat.

The Prince of Yan petitioned to go to the capital to enjoy his old age, but Li Shimin refused and insisted that the Prince of Yan guard Youzhou.

Li Shimin replied: "You have made great contributions to the Li Tang Dynasty, and I will always remember it. You were once a subordinate of the Crown Prince Yin, and I do not blame you for that. Why do you still keep thinking about it? Now you have submitted a petition to resign because of this, and you want to do me an injustice. You should just concentrate on governing Youzhou for me."

The Prince of Yan submitted a petition to resign again, and after three resignations, Li Shimin had no choice but to agree to the Prince of Yan's petition and issued an edict to appease him. He stripped Luo Yi of his title of Prince of Yan and conferred him the title of Duke of Yan. Luo Yi's wife was conferred the title of the first rank imperial decree.

Luo Yi changed his surname back to his original one. In Chang'an, he built the Duke of Yan's Mansion according to the prince's specifications and gave it to Luo Yi and his family to live in. He also gave them countless money and ordered Luo Song to work in the Prince's Mansion.

After Luo Yi received Li Shimin's order, his whole family shouted that the emperor was very kind. Seeing that Li Shimin allowed Luo Song to enter the prince's mansion, they were even more grateful for Li Shimin's kindness. They immediately ordered people to pack up and go to Beijing as soon as possible to thank the emperor for his grace.

After Li Shimin ordered the construction of the Heroic Soul Temple, the Ministry of Works immediately selected a site in the suburbs of Chang'an for construction. On the day of its completion, 5000 soldiers of the Flying Dragon Army who died in the battle were buried in the Heroic Soul Temple. A stone tablet was erected 1 li in front of the temple, on which was engraved the words "The heroes of the Tang Dynasty rest here. Whoever comes, dismount."

Li Shimin led all the civil and military officials to pay tribute in person, and Li Chengqian read the sacrificial text aloud in person. The people outside the temple stood in awe. After reading the sacrificial text, Li Chengqian burned it in a bronze tripod. The sky was covered with dark clouds, the armor of the Flying Dragon Army was looming, and there were the roars of soldiers. The emperor and his ministers inside the temple and the people outside the temple all showed fear.

Li Chengqian picked up a bowl of wine and said loudly

"My fellow heroes, you were born as heroes to protect our country, and you died as heroes to protect China. I, the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty, would like to thank you for all you have done for the Tang Dynasty. Your heroic spirits will never die, and you will enjoy the eternal incense of the Tang Dynasty. Your family members will be treated well by the Li Tang royal family.

My brothers, have a safe journey. Wait for me in the underworld. A hundred years after I die, I will go to the underworld and drink with you.

If there is an afterlife, we will get drunk and sing, fight on the battlefield, and keep the world peaceful. "Li Chengqian spilled the wine on the ground with tears in his eyes. After he finished speaking, there was still a roar. Li Chengqian smashed the bowl and said sternly

"You died fighting for the people of the Tang Dynasty, why do you scare the people after your death? All the fallen soldiers of the Flying Dragon Army, listen to my order, march to the underworld." As soon as the words fell, the roar turned into the sound of the army marching. The dark clouds in the sky dissipated, and the sky was clear.

The common people were all surprised to see this, and looked at Li Chengqian with respect. Li Shimin and Li Chengqian had just returned to the palace when a palace servant reported that the Duke of Yan and his son Luo Song wanted to see him. Li Shimin allowed them to see him.

"I, your old minister Luo Yi/Luo Song, pay my respects to Your Majesty." Luo Yi and Luo Song went to the palace and knelt down to pay homage to Li Shimin.

"Duke Yan, brother Luo Song, please stand up quickly. I and Duke Yan's son Luo Cheng are brothers, and we are as close as brothers. I should call Duke Yan uncle, and that's fine." Li Shimin smiled as he walked down the steps and helped Luo Yi up. When Luo Yi heard Li Shimin calling him uncle, he even said he didn't dare.

Li Chengqian came over and saluted Luo Yi and Luo Song with the courtesy of a junior, saying, "Junior Li Chengqian greets Elder Luo and Uncle Luo." Luo Yi and Luo Song quickly turned aside and saluted in return, "I dare not accept the courtesy of Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Li Shimin immediately ordered a banquet to entertain Luo Yi's family, and ordered Li Yuanba, Yuchi Jingde, Qin Qiong and other brave generals to come to the banquet.

During the banquet, Luo Yi stood up and walked to Li Chengqian, clasping his fists and said, "Prince Su Wen is very brave. When I see someone with great martial arts skills, I can't wait to learn a few moves from you. I wonder if that's possible."

"My son, please don't be rude." Luo Yi was shocked. Then he leaned over to Li Shimin and said, "My son has been obsessed with martial arts since he was young. He learned spear skills from his mother Jiang and is good at using the 108-route Jiang family spear skills. My son was drunk and bumped into the prince. Your Majesty, please punish him. If he hurts Your Highness, I will die."

"Haha, Duke Yan, although your Luo Yi is an extraordinary martial artist, not inferior to me, I really don't believe that he can hurt Qian'er." Li Yuanba laughed. Luo Song was more eager to fight when he heard Li Yuanba say that.

"It's okay. Since Uncle Luo wants to learn a few moves from me, then I will learn a few moves from him to toast you." Li Chengqian said indifferently.

Luo Song was the descendant of Jiang Wei, the master of the Jiang Family Spear during the Three Kingdoms period. He was the leader of the "Four Wonders" in the Romance of Sui and Tang Dynasties. He was good at using the 108-route Jiang Family Spear Technique. He went into battle without armor, only wearing arrow sleeves (tight clothes). With only his horse under his crotch and the spear in his hand, he was invincible. Li Chengqian also wanted to see the strength of the leader of the Four Wonders. He ordered people to bring their respective weapons.

"Prince, the spear in my hand is called the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear, which was used by Zhao Yun, one of the Five Tiger Generals of Shu Han. I obtained it by chance, and it weighs 300 kilograms." Luo Song stroked the spear and said.

"Well, Uncle Luo, the painted halberd in my hand is called Purple Gold Dragon Roaring Halberd, and it weighs 900 kilograms. Uncle Luo, please." Li Chengqian held the halberd upside down in his right hand and stretched out his left hand.

Luo Song said sorry, and then stabbed with his spear. Li Chengqian swung his halberd with one hand and swept the spear away. A huge force came along with the spear, and Luo Song was forced to take two steps back. He was surprised and said, "What a strong force."

"Su Wen, the Jiang family's spear skills are famous. Today, I will compete with Uncle Luo in skills." If you want to subdue a powerful warrior like Luo Song, you must first make him admire you.

Li Chengqian wielded his halberd and his halberd skills were unpredictable. Luo Song was able to cope with it at first, attacking and defending in an orderly manner. After 100 moves, Li Chengqian wielded his halberd as fast as lightning, and it was getting faster and faster. Luo Song was struggling and exhausted from defending. After 200 moves, Li Chengqian saw that Luo Song had revealed a flaw, and with a stab of his halberd, he knocked the spear out of Luo Song's hand.

"The Jiang family spear is indeed exquisite. Thank you for your kindness." Li Chengqian saluted with his fists clasped.

"Your Highness is very brave. I am not as skilled as you. I admire you very much." Luo Song said with a satisfied heart.