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

After Li Shimin approved Li Chengqian's inspection trip to Goryeo, Li Chengqian returned to the Prince's Mansion and ordered people to summon Changsun Chong, Zhuge Fu and the generals of the Prince's Mansion to come to the Prince's Mansion. Soon, everyone arrived at the Prince's Mansion Hall, and after greeting each other and sitting down, Li Chengqian spoke.

"Everyone, I asked my father for permission to go to Goryeo for an inspection this morning, and he has agreed. I have a few things to tell you before I leave."

"Dalang, if you have anything to say, just tell me directly. There is no one else in the room." Yuchi Baolin said while eating cakes and swinging his legs.

"Well, Brother Rengui, you lead the Prince's Mansion Army to the seaside. I will personally write a letter to my uncle, the King of Hejian. My uncle, the King of Hejian, is the god of naval warfare in the Tang Dynasty.

You take the troops over there, secretly cooperate with the navy training infantry and ships, and land and fight. And according to the Japanese intelligence and military maps provided by Jinyiwei, refine and improve the military plan for fighting against Japan with Hejian Wang Shu. "Li Chengqian looked at Xue Li and said.

"I obey your command." Xue Li stood up and clasped his fists.

"Dejian, you stay in Chang'an. I intend to expand two more armies, named Shenji and Feidiao. The Shenji Army specializes in firearms, and the number of troops is set at 1. After the army is established, the Xuanwu Army will no longer be responsible for the use of combat firearms, and will be controlled by the Shenji Army. By the way, tell Yin Tianzheng that the Armament Bureau must increase and speed up the output of firearms.

Isn't Li Zhen, the eldest son of Li Ji, the Duke of Ying, always in the Armament Bureau and very interested in firearms, and has a good understanding of their use? Let him be the commander of the Shenjiying. And hasn't Huang Hu, the young apprentice of Yin Tianzheng, always wanted to join the army? Let him be the deputy commander.

The artillery test must also be completed as soon as possible. If there are no problems, 10 guns will be manufactured first and handed over to the Shenji Army for training. The Armament Bureau will record the results throughout the process and follow up on improvements. Tell Yin Tianzheng that I will take the artillery to attack Japan next year.

Build a special operations force, the Feidiao Army, whose personnel can be selected from the southern mountainous areas of the Tang Dynasty, the Youzhou frontier and the plateau. The troops are mainly trained for mountain jungle warfare and plateau warfare. The number of troops is set at 5. Li Jingheng, the son of my uncle Li Daozong, the King of Jiangxia (in the th year of Zhenguan, Li Daozong was renamed the King of Jiangxia from the King of Rencheng), is the commander, and Chai Lingwu (the son of Chai Shao and Princess Pingyang) is the deputy commander.

Dejian, although three of these four people are descendants of famous generals, none of them have ever been in battle. You must teach them carefully. Also, after daily training, let them go to the Military Academy to study.

Tell them that if they fail the exam, they will be sent back to where they came from. Select suitable graduates from the Military Academy to serve as low- and middle-ranking officers in the two armies.

This is the training method and equipment diagram of the Fei Diao Army. I have prepared the finished equipment and subsequent equipment materials. You can pick them up when the time comes (Li Chengqian has already bought the enhanced and modified "White Pole Army" equipment from the system in advance). You ask Jing Heng and Ling Wu to study it carefully.

As for the Shenji Army, you can study it with Jingyang (Li Zhen) and Huang Hu. I have only one request, that is, the Shenji Army must have all-weather and all-region combat capabilities, and maximize the power of firearms. If you are not good at firearms or have any new needs, please directly report it to Yin Tianzheng and let the Armament Bureau fully cooperate in research and production. "

As he spoke, Li Chengqian handed the Baigan Army's training methods and equipment drawings to Li Dejian. Li Dejian took it and frowned.

"Da Lang has established the Fei Diao Army. Is he planning to attack the Nanzhao and Tubo regions?"

"Well, it's always better to prepare in advance." Li Chengqian nodded.

"Cousin, I originally wanted you to come with me to inspect Goryeo, but Changle is pregnant, so you should stay and accompany Changle. As the Sikong of the Prince's Mansion, you should be responsible for the military and political affairs of the Prince's Mansion. If you are undecided, send me a pigeon. Zhici, Wu Qianyuan and Wang Lianghe will accompany you, and Li Guangwei will lead the secret troops to follow secretly. Deng Xiaohu will lead 3 Prince's Mansion guards to lead the escort. If there is no problem, please prepare to go. I still need to say goodbye to all the ladies." Li Chengqian said. Everyone smiled and said goodbye.

Li Chengqian returned to the backyard. Except for Jin Shengman who went to talk to Shande, the other girls were packing Li Chengqian's luggage under Su Wan'er's command. When the girls saw Li Chengqian coming in, they surrounded him, and Ashina Yun said aggrievedly.

"My dear husband, how long has he been back? And now he has to go on a tour to Goryeo. What if the baby is born and my dear husband is not here?"

"I heard that it was that vixen Shan De who wrote to the saint to ask you to go. This shameless foreign vixen dared to seduce you. I will kill her right now, and you don't have to go." Ashina Zhen said angrily and turned to walk out.

"Come back, come back. Why do you need surgery for no reason? You're pregnant, don't get the baby upset. This time I'm inspecting Goryeo on behalf of God, to comfort the newly surrendered Goryeo people, and to visit my brother Ke. Don't worry, I won't be away for too long. Ayun, Azhen, Jiaonu, Moyun, you're all less than two months pregnant. I will definitely be back before the baby is born." Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"Then I will go with you. Yu Niang has to take care of the child, and the other sisters are pregnant. I can accompany you if I have nothing to do. Besides, Shan De is pregnant and may not be able to serve you. I can serve you and warm your bed." Li Linger said with a smile.

"What? Shan De is pregnant? Shan De serves my husband? What happened between you and Shan De? Is it your child that is pregnant?" Yu Moyun asked in surprise.

Li Chengqian looked at the women looking at him with dissatisfaction and suspicion, and instantly felt overwhelmed. He glared at Li Ling'er fiercely, and Li Ling'er stuck out her tongue and shrank her head.

"This, ah, that, ah." Li Chengqian was sweating profusely, and was almost singing nervously. He couldn't tell the girls that he had sex with Shande for the plan. Su Wan'er was gentle and kind, and when she saw that Li Chengqian was in a dilemma, she softened her heart and said.

"I have seen Shan De, she is indeed charming, and you are a young talent. You are away on a military campaign, and you are lonely and unbearable. Men can't control themselves and be more affectionate. I understand. But you are not satisfied with us? I know you will be a king in the future, and you will have countless beauties in your harem, but please don't find sisters for us now, okay?"

"That's right. When you become emperor in the future, we won't be able to control you. There are no extra rooms in the Prince's Mansion for other women. You'd better take Ling'er with you, so that you don't lose control and look for another woman." Yu Moyun said seriously.

"Okay, I'll listen to you ladies." Li Chengqian agreed hastily. After trying his best to coax her for a long time, the ladies finally gave up.

Three days later, Li Chengqian and the Silla envoys set off for Goryeo. They walked and admired the scenery along the way. Although Li Chengqian and his entourage stopped and walked, their speed was not slow. In order to avoid extravagance, Li Chengqian ordered that no welcoming banquets should be arranged in the prefectures and counties they passed through, and only the main officials of the city were seen.

The team stayed at the post house in each city and bought the items they needed at the price. He ordered the secret department to secretly investigate the governance of the counties and the suffering of the people. Along the way, Li Chengqian was very satisfied with the customs, reputation of officials, and governance of the places along the way. Although Li Chengqian ordered not to disturb the people, the people of the city spontaneously organized to come to the post house when they learned that the Holy Prince had arrived, bringing food and fruits to offer to Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian walked out of the post house and talked cordially with the people. The people were delighted to see that Li Chengqian was approachable. Seeing the people of the Tang Dynasty living and working in peace and contentment, with faces full of happiness, Li Chengqian felt that everything he had done was worth it.

Two months later, they were about to enter Liaodong. In order to better inspect Goryeo, Li Chengqian ordered the Prince's Guard and the Silla Guard to slow down their journey. He, Shandeok, Shandeok's personal maid, Li Ling'er, Wang Lianghe, Wu Qianyuan, Deng Xiaohu, and Zhuge Fu disguised themselves as wealthy businessmen and marched separately from the Prince's Guard and the Silla Guard. Li Guangwei led the secret troops to provide secret protection.

Li Chengqian and his party entered Liaodong City in disguise. Li Chengqian sat in the carriage, opened the curtains, and looked at this important town in Liaodong. He couldn't help but frown. The whole Liaodong City was dead, withered and dilapidated. Most of the shops on the street were closed, and the pedestrians looked pale. It was winter now, but the pedestrians were all wearing thin clothes. Beggars could be seen everywhere on the roadside, and many people even froze to death.

Li Chengqian frowned, with a hint of anger lingering between his brows. At this time, Deng Xiaohu walked to the side of the car and said.

"Master, there are only a few hotels and inns open in the entire Liaodong City, and this is the only one that's still good. Master, please rest here today."

Li Chengqian hummed and got out of the car with a blank expression. There was a three-story restaurant in front of him, covering a large area. There was a plaque hanging at the door, which read "Chengtian Restaurant". It was a gold sign with a bright yellow background. When Li Chengqian saw the plaque, his face suddenly darkened and he sneered. Zhuge Fu came over and saw that Li Chengqian's face was not right. He looked up in confusion and was instantly startled. He pulled Deng Xiaohu over and said.

"Why did you find this place?"

"What's wrong? Is there any problem?" Deng Xiaohu scratched his head, wondering.

"What else? You have a pig brain. Look at the base color of that sign. It's bright yellow! In the sixth year of the Zhenguan reign of the Tang Dynasty, the emperor designated yellow as the royal color. Since then, the people are not allowed to use yellow. Anyone who uses it will be charged with treason. Bright yellow can only be used by the emperor.

Moreover, the lord's taboo name is Li, and Chengqian. This restaurant is named Chengtian, and Qian means heaven. The owner of this restaurant does not avoid the taboo word Cheng, and is named Chengtian. Isn't it the same as the lord's taboo name?

You are always with the master, how could you be so careless? You have displeased the master, what should you do? "Zhuge Fu said in a low voice with a look of regret. Deng Xiaohu was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and immediately knelt down beside Li Chengqian, blaming himself.

"I was careless for a moment and made my master unhappy. Please punish me."

"Get up. It's understandable that the newly surrendered barbarians don't understand the etiquette of our Celestial Empire. Besides, this city is so dilapidated that it's not easy to find a suitable restaurant. Thank you for your hard work, Ah Hu. Let's go and stay here today." After Li Chengqian finished speaking, he walked into the restaurant with his hands behind his back.

As soon as we entered the restaurant, there were a few tables of people drinking. Wu Qianyuan said loudly.

"Shopkeeper, prepare seven rooms for dinner. A table full of delicious food." The shopkeeper replied without even raising his head while standing behind the counter.

"A room in an upper room costs 2 guan per day, without food or drinks. A table of fine wine costs 5 guan, please pay first. We do not accept banknotes, only cash. How many days will you stay?"

"So expensive? Two strings of coins for a day? Are you robbing? And why don't you accept notes?" Wang Lianghe was surprised. No wonder Wang Lianghe was surprised. During the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, one string of coins was worth about 2 to 1000 yuan today.

"If you think it's too expensive, don't stay here. This is our price. Is there any place in Liaodong City that is higher in quality than ours? You can stay here if you want. If you think it's too expensive, go somewhere else. Baochao? My master said that Baochao is a thing of the Tang Dynasty, not of Goguryeo. Besides, do you think there is a central bank in Liaodong City?" The shopkeeper said disdainfully. Deng Xiaohu was about to get angry when he heard this, but Li Chengqian stretched out his hand to stop him and spoke.

"Well, we'll stay for three days first. Bring a table of delicious food and wine, we're all hungry. Ah Hu, give us the money." Deng Xiaohu had a gloomy face. He took out his purse, took out several silver ingots, totaling 3 taels, and placed them on the counter, saying with a cold face.

"Here, 24 taels in total, change."

"I'm sorry, our 1 tael of silver can be exchanged for 1 guan of money, so you need to give me another 23 taels of silver," said the shopkeeper.

"What? In the Tang Dynasty, 1 tael of silver can be exchanged for 2 strings of coins. Why can yours only be exchanged for 1 string of coins? Since the prince reformed the currency, the silver-to-coin exchange rate has been determined by the court. How dare you change the silver price at will?" Deng Xiaohu said angrily.

"Hmph, what court? That's the Tang Dynasty's court. This is Goguryeo, it's Liaodong City. The price is whatever my master sets." The shopkeeper snorted coldly.

"Oh? From what you said, this Liaodong City no longer belongs to the Tang Dynasty? And your master is very powerful and doesn't take the imperial court seriously at all?" Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes.

"That's right. My master is from the royal family of Goguryeo. How can we surrender when the Tang Kingdom took advantage of the situation and invaded Goguryeo?" said the shopkeeper proudly.

"Very good, Ah Hu, give me the money." Li Chengqian said and went upstairs. After Deng Xiaohu paid, the waiter opened a room for everyone. Li Chengqian sat in the room and asked in a cold voice.

"Where are the Jinyiwei here? Someone openly defied the royal family and disrespected the court, why didn't the Jinyiwei investigate?"

"My lord, Goryeo has just been conquered, and the Southern Pacification Office has not had time to arrange personnel. The Jinyiwei have failed in their duties, please punish them, my lord." Wu Qianyuan said in panic with cold sweat.

"Humph, this is not a reason. Liaodong City is an important town in Liaodong, and the Jinyiwei should be arranged to move in as soon as possible. Jinyiwei commander Changsun Chong, commander-in-chief Wu Qianyuan, and Southern Pacification Division pacification envoy Liu Shaokang will be fined one year. If it happens again, you will submit your resignations on your own." Li Chengqian said coldly.

"I obey your command." Wu Qianyuan said with a long sigh.

"The Jinyiwei didn't have time to arrange personnel. What about the Liaochengzhou Supervisory Office? Where are those inspectors? Are they all dead? The people's livelihood here is declining. Why haven't they reported the rebellion? By the way, where is Li Ke? As the king of Goryeo, there are people in his territory who are disrespectful to the royal family and the court, and privately change the price of silver. The people in the city are living in misery. Doesn't he know?" Li Chengqian frowned and said.

"My lord, after the conquest of Goguryeo, many of the officials in various cities were former Goguryeo officials, so it is inevitable that they are mixed with good and bad. The King of Goryeo has only been in the country for a short time, and he probably hasn't had time to understand the situation here. The King of Goryeo sent a letter three days ago, saying that he has come to Liaodong City to meet my lord, and he should be not far from here." Zhuge Fu said.