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

The 11th year of the Zhenguan reign was just over. At this time, Japan was in the Asuka period in history. During this period, Prince Shotoku established twelve ranks of the crown and seventeen articles of the "Constitution". At the same time, he called for "reverence for the Three Treasures" (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha), advocated Buddhism, and built many temples across the country.

In order to achieve long-term peace and stability, Prince Shotoku actively absorbed mainland culture, sent students directly to China, and implemented important reforms in foreign policy.

He sent Ono no Imoko as an envoy to the Sui Dynasty to seek to establish equal diplomatic relations with the Sui Dynasty. He actively absorbed Chinese culture and imitated the official system and institutions of the Central Plains. Although it did not involve fundamental social issues and had little effect, it still played a certain role in the growth of Japan's national strength.

In Fujiwara-kyo, Japan, in Asukaokamoto Palace, Emperor Shumei, the powerful Japanese minister, Soga no Emishi, and other court officials are discussing state affairs.

"Gentlemen, Tang Dynasty destroyed Goguryeo and Baekje one after another. Before the fall of Goguryeo, the minister of southern Goguryeo, Yeon Jodo, came to Japan for refuge. Baekje's prince Buyeo Uiji also secretly contacted our envoys to Tang Dynasty many times. Both of them sought help from our country, hoping that our country could send troops to help them restore their countries. What do you think?" asked Soga no Emishi.

"Your Excellency the Grand Minister, I wonder what conditions Fuchi Jodo and Buyeo Yoshiji offered in exchange for our country to send troops to help them restore their country." asked Soga no Emishi's nephew, the Right Minister Soga no Ishikawamaro.

"Feng Jingtu promised that if our country helps him to restore his country and become a king, he will cede one-third of his coastal territory to our country and pay tribute to our country. Buyeo Yiji promised that if our country helps him to restore his country and ascend the throne, he will cede half of his territory and pay tribute to our country." Soga no Emishi said with a smile.

"Oh, in this way, our Great Japan will have a foothold in Goryeo, and can slowly plot to occupy the entire Goryeo." Soga no Emishi's nephew, the Left Minister Soga no Akae, said with a smile.

"In recent years, the Tang Empire has expanded its territory and strength through its conquests, while Japan is confined to four islands. If we do not expand our territory, the gap between us and the Tang Empire will widen, and we will eventually lose our equal status with China.

We will take advantage of this opportunity to capture Goryeo, and then use it as a stepping stone to make preparations in Goryeo, stockpile supplies, train the army, deploy tactics, and then slowly plot our way to the Central Plains.

Our great Japan is too small. Our people lack land, and our warriors lack battlefields. The Central Plains countries on the mainland are vast and rich in resources, which should belong to the great Yamato nation. Therefore, this minister has decided to help Yuan Jingtu and Buyeo Yiji restore their countries. "Soga Emishi said.

"Your Excellency the Grand Minister, if the Tang Dynasty sends troops to stop us, what should I do? The national strength of the Tang Dynasty is far greater than that of our country. Even if our country puts all its strength into it, it can only have 20 soldiers and horses, while the Tang Dynasty has more than one million soldiers. The Tang Dynasty has many famous generals, while our army has few major generals, and the Tang Dynasty also has a monster-level existence like Li Chengqian. Do we have any hope of defeating the Tang Dynasty?" Emperor Shumei asked with a worried look on his face.

"Your Majesty, our country is sending troops this time to help Goguryeo and Baekje restore their country and save the people of the two countries from the persecution of the Tang Dynasty. This is a just war and our country has a legitimate reason to fight. Moreover, the Tang Dynasty only has 10 troops in the Goryeo region, so Silla is not a concern. Our Yamato warriors are the best warriors in the world, and each of them can fight ten enemies with one. Unless Li Chengqian's army comes in person, the rest of the Tang army is not a concern.

Your Majesty, the Yamato people are all heroes, how can they be cowardly? Your Majesty is not familiar with state affairs, please stay in the palace, I will take care of the affairs of the court, your Majesty does not need to worry about it. "Souga no Emishi said with disdain. Soga no Emishi disobeyed the will of Emperor Suiko, killed the heir Yamabe no Oe, supported Emperor Shumei, and had power over the court and the country, and did not take the emperor seriously at all.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Shu Ming was angry but dared not say anything and could only swallow his anger.

"Your Excellency, the Emperor's worries are not without reason. Especially the Crown Prince Li Chengqian of the Tang Kingdom, this child is indeed a big trouble. This child has led troops to fight since he was 8 years old and has never lost a battle. He is also born with supernatural powers. His reputation among the people and the army of the Tang Kingdom is also at its peak. He is regarded as a god. Li Shimin is particularly fond of this child.

If we can get rid of this boy, we can strike a blow to the morale of the Tang army and people, shake the foundation of the Tang country, and make Li Shimin without a successor, fall into grief and lose his composure. "Councilor Ono Jiro said.

"Mr. Ono is right. Your Excellency the Grand Minister, I would like to recommend someone who can be tasked with assassinating Li Chengqian." said the Grand Minister Hojo Ichizuru.

"Oh? Who did Hojo-kun recommend?" Soga no Emishi asked in surprise.

"This man is the number one ninja in Iga Ninja Village, named Fujikawa Ichiro. He has the strength of a thousand pounds and is extremely proficient in assassination. He can hit the target with any hidden weapon and the sword he uses weighs three hundred pounds. He also has six subordinates with special skills, known as the Demon Six. If we can send him to assassinate Li Chengqian, we will surely achieve great success." Grand Minister Hojo Ichize said with a smile.

"Oh, Hojo-kun, hurry to Iga Ninja Village and ask Ichiro Fujikawa and his six demons to get ready. After the Tang Dynasty's International Conference, they will enter the Tang Dynasty to assassinate Li Chengqian. Tell Ichiro Fujikawa that if the assassination is successful, he and his men will enjoy countless wealth and glory.

The envoy Watanabe Muju in Chang'an was ordered to take Buyeo Yici back to Japan when the Tang Dynasty held a meeting of all nations. Gentlemen, this is a battle that will determine the foundation of our great Japan for thousands of years. I hope you will fight bravely. "Soga no Emishi said with a smile.

"Ha!" All the ministers bowed and shouted. Then Soga no Emishi and the Japanese ministers discussed the details of the invasion of Goryeo. No one noticed that a palace servant standing at the door of the palace lowered his head, remembering every word of the people in the palace, and showing a barely perceptible smile.

That night, everything the Japanese officials discussed in Asuka Okamoto Palace during the day was recorded in a secret report, which was then sent back to the Tang Dynasty on the merchant ship of the Imperial Guard. Ten days later, late at night, the secret report appeared in the hands of Chang Sun Chong, the commander of the Imperial Guard.

After reading the secret report, Chang Sun Chong hurriedly ordered people to go to Zhuge Fu's house and ask him to go to the Prince's House. He took the leader of the Anbu, Li Guangwei, who was on duty and waiting for dispatch, and ran to the Prince's House. Chang Sun Chong knocked on the door of the Prince's House. When the doorman saw that it was Chang Sun Chong, he hurried to report to Deng Yinlong. Deng Yinlong came to the door holding a lantern and asked.

"The commander came to the Prince's residence late at night. Is there something urgent?"

"Where is Dalang?" Chang Sun Chong asked anxiously.

"The master just fell asleep in Sixth Lady's room." Deng Yinlong said.

"Fuck, damn it, I haven't slept yet, how can he sleep? I'll go to the study and wait for him, wake him up quickly." Chang Sun Chong hurried to the study.

"Hiss!" Deng Yinlong took a breath of cold air when he heard this. The number of people in the Tang Dynasty who dared to be so rude in the Prince's Mansion and speak disrespectfully could be counted on one hand. But this gentleman was one of the five. There was nothing he could do, because he was the Prince's childhood friend, and also the Prince's cousin and brother-in-law. If it were someone else, Deng Yinlong would have dragged him out and buried him alive.

When Deng Yinlong was smiling bitterly, Zhuge Fu came in a hurry on horseback, asked where Chang Sun Chong was, and then hurried to the study. Deng Yinlong came to the door of Yu Moyun's room and woke Li Chengqian up. Li Chengqian came to the study with an unhappy look on his face and put on his coat.

Chang Sun Chong shouted at Li Chengqian as soon as he saw him. "What time is it? You're still sleeping?" Li Chengqian, who was about to complain, was stunned, stepped back, looked at the sky, and wondered.

"It's late at night, shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"You can't sleep until we destroy Japan." Chang Sun Chong said casually.

"Hiss! Cousin, you want to kill me." Li Chengqian took a breath and said in shock.

"Well, it's not right to not let you sleep all the time. Then you can sleep later." Chang Sun Chong thought for a moment and waved his hand.

"My cousin is very understanding. Thank you." Li Chengqian bowed and then sat in the main seat.

"Tell me, why are you coming to my place so late at night instead of sleeping?" Li Chengqian said after taking a sip of tea.

"Well, see for yourself, Japan is planning to take over Goryeo." Chang Sun Chong handed the secret report to Li Chengqian and said.

"Hehehe, I haven't even started to plot against him, but he has already started to plot against me. He's quite courageous. Looking for someone to assassinate me? Hehehe, he really is thinking that." Li Chengqian sneered after reading the secret report.

"What is the truth?" Chang Sun Chong asked.

"I really thought about it. By the way, how are the action plans and military plans being prepared?" Li Chengqian asked.

"It's all ready and can be handed over to Dalang for review tomorrow." Chang Sun Chong said.

"My lord, the Japanese want to assassinate you, you must be on guard." Zhuge Fu said.

"It's okay, he's just a mere thief." Li Chengqian said disdainfully.

"My lord, don't be careless. I have heard that the son of a wealthy family will not sit in the hall, the son of a hundred gold will not ride a horse, and a wise ruler will not take advantage of danger to seek fortune. My lord, you are the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty. The morale of the army, the people and the foundation of the country all depend on you. If you fail, the Tang Dynasty will be in danger. How can you not be on guard?" Zhuge Fu said anxiously.

"Be merciful and do not rush. As the saying goes, a thief can only steal for a thousand days, but you can never guard against him for a thousand days. He is in the dark and I am in the light. There will always be a loophole in a hundred precautions. It is better to design a plan to lure him out and then kill him." Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"Da Lang, we still have to take necessary precautions. If you don't agree, I will go find my uncle and aunt right away." Chang Sun Chong said as he stood up and walked out.

"Come back, come back. There's no need to disturb Father and Mother over such a small matter. Well, let's put it this way. The Jinyiwei will closely monitor the whereabouts of the assassin. Let the Anbu protect him secretly, and Ah Hu and Ah Long will be in the open." Li Chengqian said.

"Li Guangwei, A'long, A'hu." Chang Sunchong shouted at the door of the study. After a while, Li Guangwei, Deng Yinlong and Deng Xiaohu came to the door of the study and knelt on one knee to salute.

"Your subordinate/servant greets the lord/master, the commander, the chief secretary."

"Let's stop talking nonsense. Someone wants to assassinate the lord. Keep your voice down." Chang Sun Chong said. The three of them were shocked and then furious. Deng Xiaohu roared in a low voice.

"Damn it, who dares to be so bold? I will bring the six generals of the Crown Prince's Mansion to wipe out his entire family."

"My lord, the Anbu will tie up the person in charge and torture him to pieces in front of you," Li Guangwei said coldly.

"No need. Your mission is to protect the lord. A'long and A'hu are in the light, and the secret department is in the dark. When the time is ripe, hehe, if you don't torture the mastermind to death for planning to assassinate the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty, lord of the Jinyiwei, I will request to be disbanded as the Jinyiwei." Chang Sun Chong sneered.

"We swear to protect our master until death." The three knelt down and bowed their heads and shouted. Chang Sun Chong returned to Jinyiwei overnight and summoned the commander and various pacification envoys to arrange tasks. When they heard that Japan was going to assassinate Li Chengqian, they were furious and cursed Soga no Emishi. Then they hurriedly issued the tasks.

It was September of the 11th year of the Zhenguan reign, and envoys from various countries had arrived in Chang'an one after another. The people of the Tang Dynasty spontaneously lit firecrackers to celebrate the birth of the eldest grandson of the Tang Dynasty. In the early morning of Chang'an, all the people bowed down in the direction of the imperial city to congratulate the Tang Dynasty on the birth of the grandson. Then, as if it were the New Year, every household put on new clothes and happily set off firecrackers.

When envoys from various countries saw this scene on their way to the palace, they were all surprised that the Li royal family was so popular among the people. Li Chengqian heard the report from the servants in the palace and was grateful. He ordered a banquet to be held on Chang'an Street and invited all the people of Chang'an to a three-day banquet to celebrate with the people.

Li Shimin even issued an edict to grant amnesty to the whole country and exempt the country from taxes for one year to accumulate blessings for the holy grandson. The people of the Tang Dynasty were even more excited when they heard this and happily celebrated the first birthday of the holy grandson.

Li Shimin held a birthday ceremony for Li Yun in the Linde Hall. Knives, scissors, bows, pens, books, thread, money, abacus and other items as well as several kinds of cakes and fruits were placed in the hall.

One-year-old Li Yun was carried out by Su Wan'er, wearing a bright new birthday outfit. Su Wan'er put Li Yun on the carpet and smiled.

"My dear, go and catch whatever you like."

Upon hearing this, Li Yun curiously crawled forward, crawled to the object, looked left and right. Then he grabbed a toy knife with one hand and waved it twice, and grabbed a book with the other hand and shook it twice. Everyone present was delighted when they saw this, and Li Shimin was even more pleased, smiling at Zhangsun Wugou and Li Yuan.

"Haha, my eldest grandson, you have a sword in one hand and a calligraphy in the other. You will surely be a man of both civil and military talents in the future. Follow me, follow me."

"Well, Erlang first had such a talented son like Gao Ming, and now he has a good grandson. The Tang Dynasty will prosper. Even if I die, I will be able to rest in peace." Li Yuan also smiled with great satisfaction.

"Grandfather, why do you say that? As long as you live long, you will want to see Yun'er get married and have children, and see our Li family continue from generation to generation." Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"Yes, father-in-law, may you live a long and healthy life." Changsun Wugou also said with a smile.

"Haha, good, I will live well and watch my Li Tang last for ten thousand years." Li Yuan laughed.

"We, the ministers, congratulate the emperor on the birth of his holy grandson. May the Tang Dynasty prosper forever and remain strong forever." His Highness, his ministers, and envoys from various countries all knelt down and congratulated him.

Li Shimin ordered a banquet, with singing and dancing, and toasts were made. Li Shimin, Li Yuan and Li Chengqian drank heartily, and they never refused the toasts from their subjects. Not long after, Li Yuan fell to the ground drunk and was carried back to his bedroom by palace servants. Just as the emperor and his subjects were drinking, the sky suddenly became overcast and thunder roared. The cries of the Goguryeo people could be heard faintly in the air. The emperor and his subjects of the Tang Dynasty and the people of Chang'an all looked up at the sky in panic. Li Chengqian was already about 70% drunk at this time, and seeing this, he stood up and smiled.

"Father, mother, we are in a good mood today. I haven't written a poem for many days. How about I dance with swords and compose poems to toast to the wine?" Li Shimin and Zhangsun Wugou smiled and nodded when they heard this.

Li Chengqian pulled out the Qingshuang Sword from Deng Xiaohu's hand behind him, staggered to the center of the field, and then began to dance with the sword, chanting as he danced.

“The prince is drunk and dancing with Qingshuang.

Drunk, I look up to the sky and ask.

One sword clears away the clouds and fog.

Just ask who is the master of the universe" (This is just the author's own nonsense. If you don't like it, please don't criticize me. The author is thick-skinned and it's okay to criticize him.)

"Haha, bring me some wine." Li Chengqian laughed after reciting the poem. Deng Yinlong brought a glass of wine. Li Chengqian drank it all in one gulp, threw the glass on the ground and shouted.

"Where are the officials of the Tang Dynasty?"

"Your servants are here." The ministers of the Tang Dynasty stood up, bowed, and shouted.

"Where are our Tang Dynasty soldiers?" Li Chengqian shouted again.

"The Tang Dynasty soldiers are here." The guard pounded his chest with his right fist and shouted.

"Now I have three questions. I would like to ask the gentlemen present here, the soldiers of the Great Tang Dynasty and the God." After saying this, Li Chengqian raised his sword and pointed it diagonally towards the sky.

"Which country is the master of this universe?" Li Chengqian asked loudly.

"Tang Dynasty." The officials and guards of the Tang Dynasty shouted in unison.

"Who is the most respected person in the Tang Dynasty?" Li Chengqian asked loudly again.

"I am the emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the supreme ruler of the world." Li Shimin shouted loudly.

"Damn God, our Great Tang saint is here, and you are covering the sun with dark clouds. Are you trying to redress the traitors of Goguryeo? Please tell this damn God, why should we, the people of the Great Tang, be afraid?" Li Chengqian asked three times.

"Don't be afraid." The officials and guards of the Tang Dynasty shouted in unison.

"Please ask the saint to issue an edict to clear the clouds in the sky and let the sun come out." Li Chengqian immediately turned around and saluted Li Shimin with his fists.

"Okay, God, listen carefully. I am the common ruler of the world, and I order you to quickly clear the clouds and let the sun appear." Li Shimin was also very drunk at this time, and he stood up staggeringly and said. Seeing that the sky did not change, he was furious, drew his sword, pointed at the sky and said angrily.

"How dare you disobey my will? Where is my son? Follow me to split the sky in half." After saying this, Li Shimin and his son simultaneously split the sky with their swords and shouted in unison.

"Open for me." Two whirlwinds roared like dragons and rushed straight into the sky from behind the two men. The dark clouds seemed to be split by a sword, dispersing and disappearing, and the sun shone on the earth. His Highness's ministers and envoys from various countries were all horrified when they saw this, and they all knelt down and shouted.

"Long live the emperor, and a thousand years for the prince." Soon, the people of Chang'an shouted in unison outside the imperial city, shaking the sky.