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

The matter of Park Mi-hye came to an end, and Changsun Wu-gou's health was gradually recovering. On this day of the first lunar month, Changsun Wu-gou summoned Li Chengqian to the palace for dinner. Li Chengqian came to the Lizheng Hall and saw Li Tai and Li Lizhi surrounding Li Mingda. Li Shimin and Changsun Wu-gou were chatting.

"Da Lang is here." Li Shimin smiled when he saw Li Chengqian. After Li Chengqian greeted Li Shimin and Zhangsun Wugou, he quickly walked to Li Mingda. When Li Mingda saw Li Chengqian, he actually stretched out his chubby little hand to Li Chengqian.

"Sizi, do you want your big brother to hold you? Come here, let your big brother hold you. Be good, Sizi, and call me big brother. I'll buy you some candy." Li Chengqian held Li Mingda, who was less than two months old, with a smile on his face and teased him.

"Da Lang, be gentle and don't hurt Sizi." Li Shimin stroked his beard and called out.

"Today is the New Year's Day. Shouldn't Father host a banquet for all officials?" Li Chengqian asked while holding Sizi.

"Not this year. My father has already issued an order. We won't hold a big banquet this year. All officials will be rewarded and their families will reunite. We will spend the New Year reunion together with your grandfather, your uncle's family, and your eldest aunt's family in Hua'e Xianghui Tower. This is also what your mother wanted." Li Shimin smiled, stroking his beard.

"Yes, although the Tang Dynasty has been getting richer and richer in recent years, the royal banquets are very expensive, so we should save as much as possible.

In previous years, at the royal New Year banquet, the ministers knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, and the monarch and his ministers were bound by etiquette. It should be a festive New Year's Eve dinner, but it feels so restrained. It would be better to give more rewards so that the ministers can spend a relaxing and happy reunion year at home with their relatives and friends. Our family can also have a relaxed reunion dinner. How nice it would be. "Changsun Wugou took the Sizi from Li Chengqian and said with a smile.

Empress Changsun was simple by nature and did not like to waste. She only needed enough things. She was very strict with the princes. She often admonished the princes and asked them to be humble and frugal. Even her own children were no exception.

"That's great. I don't really like the ritual between the emperor and his subjects. It would be great if the whole family could have a reunion dinner together." Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"You, when you become the emperor in the future, you still have to abide by these etiquettes. People say that our Tang Dynasty has entered a prosperous era, and this prosperity is all due to the contribution of my son. Since my son has been regent, the government has been clean and everything is in order. As a father, I sometimes think that it would be better to abdicate the throne to you like your grandfather did, so that you can be a retired emperor and live a free and easy life." Li Shimin said with a smile.

"Don't make a fuss, father. You are in your prime and will live a long and blessed life. I want to be the Crown Prince for a few more years." Li Chengqian raised his eyebrows.

"You bastard, everyone else is scrambling to be the emperor, but you just look down on it. You just look down on the throne of my Li family." Li Shimin scolded with a smile.

At this time, the palace servants came to report that the banquet was ready. Everyone was invited to move to Hua'e Xianghui Tower.

Everyone came to Hua'e Xianghui Tower. Zhangsun Wuji and others, as well as the concubines and Li Shimin's children, had already arrived in advance. Everyone bowed to Li Shimin and Zhangsun Wugui. As soon as Li Shimin and Zhangsun Wugui sat down, Li Yuan walked slowly over. Everyone hurriedly stood up and saluted. Li Yuan smiled and waved.

"Today is a family dinner, no need to be polite."

Li Shimin leaned over to Li Yuan and raised his glass, smiling, "Father, Happy New Year." Everyone present raised their glasses and said, "Father/father-in-law/grandfather/father-in-law, Happy New Year."

"Okay, let's celebrate together, let's celebrate together." Li Yuan stroked his beard and laughed, and drank a cup. Everyone drank the wine in the cup. Li Shimin filled another cup and laughed.

"Today is the New Year's Day, I am inviting all my relatives and friends to gather together to celebrate the new year. This is a family dinner, there is no need to be restrained, just enjoy yourself. Everyone, drink up this cup." Li Shimin said and drank a cup with everyone.

"Father-in-law, shall we start the banquet?" Changsun Wugou asked with a smile.

"Let the banquet begin." Li Yuan waved his hand.

As the palace servants shouted for the banquet to begin, the palace maids placed the food in front of everyone. The dishes were simple in style but delicious. There were singing and dancing girls on stage to perform. The family was free and cheerful, laughing and talking.

Li Shimin looked at his sons and heirs laughing and talking with Li Chengqian without restraint. Li Shimin tilted his head and asked.

"Da Lang, if you were the king, how would you treat your brothers?" Upon hearing this, Li Yuan put down his wine glass and looked at Li Chengqian.

"Father, I will treat my brothers well. But I will not let them become vassal states in Central China. This world is still too small. One day, when I have conquered a vast territory for the Tang Dynasty, I will let my brothers choose their own places to become vassal states and guard the four directions for you. By then, there will be vassal kings of the Tang Dynasty guarding every corner of the world. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Why should we be bound by the current territory of the Tang Dynasty?" Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"Oh? This is a good choice, but grandfather asks you, what is your grandson's ambition?" Li Yuan asked.

"My grandson's ambition is to plant the flag of our Tang Dynasty all over the world. Wherever the sun shines is Tang territory. I want to build an empire on which the sun never sets for my father. Let the Tang Dynasty become the overlord of this world. However, my brothers must prepare in advance and participate more in political and military affairs to exercise their ability to govern the country." Li Chengqian said with great pride.

"The Empire on which the Sun Never Sets? Okay, I'll wait and see. As I said before, Dalang is the eldest brother, and you will teach the other brothers." Li Shimin laughed.

"Grandson, you have great ambitions. Come, drink this cup with your grandfather." Li Yuan smiled and drank a cup with Li Chengqian.

"Father-in-law, husband, Dalang. Don't just drink and eat." Changsun Wugou said with a smile.

Li Chengqian was chatting and laughing with Li Yuan, Li Shimin and Changsun Wugou. Li Chengqian occasionally said something out of place, which made Li Shimin laugh and scold, Changsun Wugou scolded him, and he and Li Yuan stroked their beards and laughed.

"Brother, let me offer you a toast." Li Ke walked up to Li Chengqian and said with a smile.

"Brother Ke, how come you are thin again? Look at Qingque, he is almost as fat as a ball. Why don't you eat more? It's not good for a prince to be so thin. How can you have the strength to have children in the future? Come and eat this plate of chicken legs." Li Chengqian hugged Li Ke and sat down, smiling. Li Ke looked at the chicken legs in front of him, which looked like a small mountain, and said with a bitter face.

"Brother, please don't make things difficult for me. I will be sick after finishing this plate."

"Da Lang, your brother has a small appetite since he was young, how can he finish it? And what about how can he have the strength to have children? As the eldest brother, how can you be so unreasonable?" Yang Fei scolded. Li Chengqian smiled and apologized to Yang Fei.

"That's right. If elder brother wants to talk about brother Ke, then just talk about brother Ke. Why are you talking about me? I'm just a little fat." Li Tai said dissatisfiedly.

"Your elder brother said you were wrong? Look how fat you are." Changsun Wugou scolded with a smile. Li Tai looked innocent and continued to eat vigorously.

"Haha, Guanyin maid, please don't be too harsh on Qingque. My Li family can still afford it." Princess Pingyang, the female warrior goddess of the Tang Dynasty, and the leader of the 'Women's Army' Li Xiuning said with a smile.

"Sister, the female warrior of the Tang Dynasty has become more heroic." Li Shimin teased.

"Erlang, are you itching again?" Li Xiuning glanced at Li Shimin and then pretended to step forward to punish Li Shimin. Li Shimin was quite afraid of Li Xiuning, as he had been beaten by Li Xiuning many times when he was a child.

"Sister, stop making trouble. I am the emperor after all. Sichang (Chai Shao's name), you don't even care about your wife." Li Shimin said hurriedly.

"I can't manage it, and I don't want to manage it." Chai Shao said calmly. Li Shimin was furious when he heard this, and he had to offer Li Xiuning a glass of wine to apologize.

Just as everyone was laughing and feasting, Li Chengqian suddenly felt a murderous aura. A dancer shot a poisoned crossbow arrow from her sleeve at Li Shimin. Li Chengqian hit it with his chopsticks, and the crossbow arrow deflected and flew away, brushing against Li Shimin's neck.

"There is an assassin, protect the emperor." Changsun Wuji shouted. Then he kicked over the table and went forward with Chai Shao to arrest the assassin. Two more dancers took out daggers and archery and rushed towards Li Shimin.

Li Chengqian stood in front of Li Shimin, kicked a dancer away, and then punched another dancer unconscious. Another dancer was knocked down by Chai Shao and Changsun Wuji and pinned to the ground. The dancer wanted to commit suicide by taking poison, but Changsun Wuji was quick to pinch the dancer's chin and take out the poison.

The guards heard the noise and rushed over to see three assassins. The guards on duty were so scared that they broke out in a cold sweat.

"I am late in coming to your rescue, Your Majesty, please punish me." Li Shimin waved his hand to indicate that it was all right. He walked up to the dancer who was pinned to the ground and asked.

"Who ordered you to stab me?" The dancer turned her head away without saying anything.

"Your Majesty, this is a death warrior. He won't tell anything." Chai Shao frowned.

Li Chengqian walked up to the dancer, took a look, and said calmly.

"Chang Sun Chong, the Jinyiwei knows about the assassination."

"The Jinyiwei has not obtained any relevant information." Chang Sun Chong broke out in a cold sweat.

"Hmph, incompetent. Someone wanted to assassinate the emperor, but you, the Jinyiwei, didn't get any news in advance. What's the use of you, the Jinyiwei. I don't care what method you use, I want to know everything tomorrow." Li Chengqian said angrily.

Chang Sun Chong bowed and accepted the order, and asked the imperial guards to take the three dancers and walk towards the Jinyiwei Criminal Trial Department with a dark face and anger.

Li Shimin ordered that the news should not be leaked, and that the New Year's Day holiday should be given for seven days so as not to disturb the officials. When the assassination attempt was made, the banquet was cancelled and everyone left the palace.

On the second day, Li Chengqian came to Jinyiwei early in the morning. He heard from the eunuchs that Changsun Chong had been interrogated in the Criminal Court all night and had not come out yet. Li Chengqian walked towards the Criminal Court. As soon as he entered the Criminal Court, he saw Changsun Chong sitting on a chair with dark circles under his eyes, and on both sides stood the Criminal Court's pacification envoy and a thousand households in charge of criminal punishment. The captain was whipping three dancers. When everyone saw Li Chengqian coming, they all knelt on one knee to salute.

"The commander of the Imperial Guard/the pacification commissioner of the Ministry of Justice/the chief judge of the Ministry of Justice greets the lord." In official matters, Chang Sun Chong also had to address Li Chengqian as the lord.

"Get up, what's the situation?" Li Chengqian asked while sitting on the chair where Chang Sun Chong had just sat.

"These three people are very stubborn and haven't spoken yet. The Jinyiwei has failed to complete the lord's entrustment. Please punish them." Chang Sun Chong clasped his fists and bowed his head.

"Are you being stubborn? Very good. Someone, get Wang Liang and that old poisoner here. Oh, and bring Liang Moyun here as well."

Li Chengqian ordered. Wang Lianghe is the junior brother of the Medicine King Sun Simiao. However, Sun Simiao specializes in saving people and is called the Medicine King. Wang Lianghe specializes in poison and is called the Poison King. Li Chengqian rescued him from the prison and subdued him in the Jinyiwei. He is now the pacification envoy of the Jinyiwei's new weapon department. This department specializes in the development of various poisons and Jinyiwei tools.

After a while, Wang Lianghe and Liang Moyun arrived. Liang Moyun was dressed in white and looked calm.

"Miss Liang, do you recognize the three people in front of you?" Li Chengqian asked. Liang Moyun took a look, looked puzzled, and lowered her head without saying a word. Li Chengqian observed Liang Moyun's expression and turned to Wang Lianghe.

"Old Poison, is there any way to make these three of them speak?"

"Hehe, my lord, do you want me to use poison?" Wang Lianghe said sinisterly.

"As long as you don't kill him, it's up to you." Li Chengqian nodded.

Wang Lianghe laughed strangely and ordered someone to bring a bathtub and fill it with water. He also ordered someone to strip a dancer and throw her into the bathtub. Wang Lianghe walked to the bathtub and poured a bottle of medicine into it.

Yin smiled and said, "This is the potion I prepared recently. Don't worry, it's not poison. This medicine is called Ten Thousand Ants Gnawing Bone Juice. If you are poisoned by this medicine, it will feel like thousands of ants gnawing at your bones, and it will be extremely itchy. Especially in water, your skin will feel like it is being bitten by thousands of ants, and it will be very painful. I wonder how long you can endure the itching and pain."

After saying this, the dancer felt itchy all over her body in the bathtub, as if thousands of ants were gnawing at her bones. She wanted to reach out to scratch, but the Jinyiwei next to her quickly held her hands down. Not long after, she felt a sharp pain on her skin, as if it was pricked by needles. The dancer screamed in pain in the bathtub.

Wang Lianghe walked to another dancer, took out a pill, and said with a sly smile.

"This pill is called Chunxiao Yike Pill. Those who take this pill need to find the opposite sex to have sex all night long. However, during sex, the intercourse will be extremely painful. But the lust will be uncontrollable, and eventually they will die of pain. My Jinyiwei are all strong men, and I guarantee that they will satisfy you. Do you want to try it?" (The Tang Dynasty people generally called men "Langjun" and women "Niangzi" or "Xiao Niangzi")

The dancer was so frightened that she trembled all over, but she still didn't speak. Wang Lianghe shook his head and was about to put the pill into the dancer's mouth. Liang Moyun couldn't bear to speak.

"Li Chengqian, why do you have to treat them like this? They are just following orders."

"Haha, what a good job of following orders. The person they want to assassinate is my father, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. If my father is killed, the world will be in chaos, and this prosperous era that was hard-won will be destroyed in an instant. The people will suffer again. Can I excuse them for offending you by just following orders?" Li Chengqian said angrily.

"Just kill them, why torture them?" Liang Moyun said with a frown.

"Liang Moyun, who do you think you are? Don't forget that you are also a prisoner, the daughter of the enemy of the Tang Dynasty. Do you think I won't kill you?" Li Chengqian said sternly. Liang Moyun opened her mouth, sighed and closed her mouth. Li Chengqian motioned Wang Lianghe to continue.

Wang Lianghe sneered and stuffed the pill into the dancer's mouth. The dancer screamed in fear.

"I'll tell you. We are the loyal soldiers of the Hongnong Yang Clan."

"Why assassinate the saint?" Chang Sun Chong asked.

"The court has reformed, and the lives of the aristocratic families are getting worse and worse. The Turkic national teacher Liang Shidu found my master and said that as long as the aristocratic families cooperate with the Turks, the aristocratic families will be more prosperous than before when the Turks conquer the Tang Dynasty. My master felt that he could not defeat His Royal Highness the Crown Prince if he rebelled, so he ordered us to assassinate His Majesty. By then, the Tang Dynasty will be in chaos, the Turks will take advantage of the situation and move south, and the aristocratic families will respond." The dancer said.

"Who are the involved families?" Li Chengqian asked.

"The Yang family of Hongnong, the Shen family of Wuxing, the Xue family of Hedong, and the Xie family of Chenjun." The dancer lowered her head and said.

"Chang Sun Chong, record her words and the process of the assassination, have them sign and seal it, and report it to His Majesty. Order the Jinyiwei to monitor these four families and be prepared to arrest them. Humph, they conspired to assassinate the king and colluded with foreign tribes. Just one of these charges is to confiscate their property and exterminate their clan. After these three people have confessed, give them a quick death and don't humiliate them again." Li Chengqian sneered. The three dancers looked at Li Chengqian with gratitude on their faces.

Li Chengqian walked out with Wang Lianghe and Liang Moyun. Wang Lianghe leaned close to Li Chengqian's ear and said, "My lord, Liang Moyun was arrested but was not tried or sentenced. Are you interested in this woman? I have a medicine called the Lie Nu Pill. Once you take it, the virtuous woman will become a slut. Are you interested?"

"Get away, you old vicious man. I am not that despicable. I don't touch her because I have no interest in her." Li Chengqian cursed with a smile.

When Liang Moyun heard what Li Chengqian said, she felt a little disappointed.

Chang Sun Chong sent the confessions of the three dancers to the palace overnight. Li Shimin was furious after reading them. He ordered Li Chengqian to take full charge of the matter, and Li Chengqian immediately ordered the Jinyiwei to arrest the people. Jinyiwei from all over the country issued imperial edicts to enter the four families to arrest the people, and escorted the four families to Chang'an.

Li Chengqian, together with the three courts, tried the case and obtained the result, and then asked Li Shimin for instructions. Li Shimin immediately issued an edict to confiscate the property of the four families and exterminate their clans, and announced their crimes to the world. The Yang family of Hongnong, the Shen family of Wuxing, the Xue family of Hedong, and the Xie family of Chenjun were all wiped out from then on.