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

At the same time that Li Linger and his party left Shuanghe City, three teams of the Anbu, 18 groups, and 54 people entered Tubo. The Anbu entered various cities of Tubo in groups, and with the assistance of the secret agents of the Jinyiwei Beizhenfu Division in the city, they were about to start the subsequent "base" operation.

Li Linger and his group arrived at Shuanghe City in the morning and went to the post house to meet Li Chengqian. Li Chengqian met with 18 members of the Anbu and 50 elite Jinyiwei from Xizhou in the post house.

The Anbu members were fine, after all, they had just met Li Chengqian not long ago. The old soldiers from the Prince's Mansion, one of the 50 elite Jinyiwei in Xizhou, were very excited, as they hadn't seen their lord for nearly ten years.

As soon as Li Chengqian left the room, the veteran soldiers of the Prince's Mansion, one of the 50 elite Jinyiwei in Xizhou, knelt on the ground, looked at the familiar face, the face they had seen day and night, and burst into tears excitedly. Crazy Lu even knelt on the ground, hugged Li Chengqian's thighs and cried.

"My lord, I miss you so much. I thought I would be buried in the Western Regions for the rest of my life and would never have the chance to see you again. Today, I am content even if I die, I will be satisfied." The old soldiers from the Prince's Mansion, who were among the 50 elite Jinyiwei of Xizhou, behind him, also cried and kowtowed.

Li Chengqian was suddenly hugged by someone's thigh. He looked over curiously. After seeing the face of the man and the men crying in front of him, Li Chengqian said loudly with tears in his eyes.

"I was wondering who it was that dared to approach me openly. It turned out to be you, Lu Lunzi. Get up. It's not proper to cry. And all of you, get up. You are all veterans who accompanied me through the mountains of corpses and seas of blood. I miss you too.

What's wrong with you? When you were surrounded by that old man Jie Li, facing the rain of arrows and swords of the Eastern Turks, you were still talking and laughing without frowning. How come you are crying like a little girl today, making people laugh.

Get up quickly and let me take a good look at how my warriors are doing."

After the old soldier heard this, he recalled what happened in the past and cried even louder. The generals and soldiers of the Prince's Mansion Army and the old soldiers of the Jinyiwei who were accompanying him also laughed and shed tears. Li Chengqian wiped his tears and laughed.

"Damn it, you bunch of killers, you can't understand what I'm saying, right? Old soldiers of the Crown Prince's Mansion, listen up, I command you all to stand up, wipe your tears and line up. I want to review you warriors. Then have a drink with me and your comrades."

"Didn't you hear the commander-in-chief's orders? You bastards, you can't understand the orders after leaving the legion. Are you still the old soldiers? Are you still the most loyal and brave subordinates of the lord?

"Lu Fengzi, you are still crying, hurry up and line up, don't make the lord wait anxiously." Qin Huaiyu wiped his tears, and when he saw that no one stood up, he stabbed the ground with his sword and shouted.

"Damn it, you bunch of little girls, why are you crying? It's a happy thing to see the lord, you should laugh, why are you crying? Didn't you hear? The lord is going to inspect us, so cheer up. Whoever embarrasses me, I will beat him to death." Crazy Lu wiped his tears fiercely, stood up and said loudly.

"Yes!" The old soldiers present shouted in unison, all saluted with fists, stood up, and lined up in an instant.

Li Chengqian stepped forward, drew his sword and held it in front of him, walked past the old soldier, and shouted loudly when he reached the end.

"Our army is mighty!"

"Long live the Tang Dynasty, long live our Lord!" the old soldiers shouted in unison.

After Li Chengqian put his sword back into the sheath, he smiled and walked again. When he came to an old soldier, Li Chengqian touched the empty sleeve of the old soldier's left arm and said.

"Wang Laonian, this arm was lost in the battle against Gaochang. Didn't I order you to retire? Why did you come to Xizhou?"

"My lord, you still remember my name. Hehe, I am still young. I just lost an arm, but it's not like I can't lift a sword. I still have one arm and two legs. I am still able to wield a sword and kill the enemy.

Besides, if those brothers who were more seriously injured knew that I went home to enjoy my life after losing an arm, they would definitely come to my house and scold me to death. Hehe, if I can't be a member of the Flying Dragon Army, I can still be a Jinyiwei. "Wang Laonian scratched his head with his only remaining hand and smiled foolishly.

"Da Lang, this old man is now the deputy captain of the Jinyiwei in Yincheng, Xizhou." Chang Sun Chong said with a smile.

"Oh? Not bad, do a good job." Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"Okay, my lord." Wang Laonian nodded with a smile.

"Xiao Jiangzi, you lost this leg when you were fighting the Eastern Turks," Li Chengqian said to a captain of the Jinyiwei who was wearing a prosthetic leg.

"Haha, yes, Commander. Damn, I was surrounded by four Eastern Turks, and my bones were smashed. I had to have my limbs amputated. Fortunately, I have the prosthetic limb invented by the Commander, so I can walk and live a normal life.

Commander, when can Xiao Jiangzi follow you to the battlefield again? I want to kill the enemy and make meritorious deeds, and die for you." Xiao Jiangzi said with a smile.

"Yes. One day, you old soldiers will follow me to defeat all the enemies of the Tang Dynasty." Li Chengqian patted Xiao Jiangzi's shoulder and said with a smile.

"Crazy Lu, you've become whiter and more handsome." Li Chengqian walked up to Crazy Lu and said with a smile.

"Hehe, if it's not exposed to the wind and rain every day, it will be white, right?" Lu Fengzi said with a simple smile. After Lu Fengzi finished speaking, he exchanged glances with everyone, and suddenly more than a dozen veteran soldiers present knelt down collectively.

"What does this mean?" Li Chengqian asked in surprise.

"My lord, we petition to return to the Prince's Mansion Legion. The work of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is really not suitable for us. When we old soldiers are together, we often say that it is more to our liking to follow you to fight on the battlefield. Please grant us your wish, my lord." Lu Fengzi said while clasping his fists.

"Please grant us your blessing, my lord." The other veteran soldiers also saluted collectively with their fists clasped.

"You have already given too much for the Tang Dynasty and for me. Don't you want to live a peaceful life?" Li Chengqian said reluctantly.

"The only way we can repay the kindness of our lord is by dying. We still want to follow the lord on the battlefield to kill the enemies. We really can't get used to a peaceful life." Crazy Lu shook his head.

"Then, how about following me back to the capital and I'll arrange a position for you in the Prince's Palace Guard?" Li Chengqian asked again.

"No, my lord. We'd better stay in the Western Regions. We are familiar with this place and it will be more useful for your strategy in the Western Regions." Crazy Lu said with a smile.

"Hey, Crazy Lu, your brother-in-law, has come back to snatch the official positions of us old friends." Liao Siyuan said with a smile.

"Chou'er, what do you mean? Your brother is back, and you're not fucking happy?

What do you mean by coming back to grab an official position? I taught you step by step, if you don’t explain yourself clearly today, even though you are a master now, I will still beat you up.” Crazy Lu said dissatisfiedly.

"My brother, don't be angry. You see, you are now a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a military officer of the fourth rank, the same level as me. Now that you are back, how will the lord arrange for you?" Liao Siyuan said, spreading his hands.

"This?" Crazy Lu was stunned when he heard this.

"Or you can just stay in the Jinyiwei. Can't you see that Chou'er doesn't want to?" Qin Huaiyu smiled maliciously.

"Deputy Commander, this is not right. If you come back, I will welcome you with open arms. Even if you become the division commander, I will be your battalion commander." Liao Siyuan said hurriedly.

"Do you really want to go to the battlefield?" Li Dejian asked with a smile.

"I really do, Commander Li." Crazy Lu nodded.

"How many people are willing to rejoin the legion?" Li Dejian asked with a smile.

“I can’t say how many more there are, but it’s no problem to raise a camp in a short time.” Crazy Lu said with a smile.

"Da Lang, since the old soldiers want to go back to the battlefield, let's set up a new organization for them," said Li Dejian.

"Well, that's fine, but Crazy Lu, think it over carefully. After you return, you can only be a battalion commander." Li Chengqian said.

"Well, as long as I can follow the lord to fight on the battlefield again, I would be happy to be a soldier, not to mention a battalion commander." Crazy Lu said happily.

"In that case, Crazy Lu, please obey my orders." Li Chengqian said seriously.

"I await your orders, commander." Crazy Lu knelt on one knee and saluted.

"This commander orders you to immediately form the Iron Blood Battalion and serve as the battalion commander. The personnel will be selected from the old army, and the number of personnel will be set at 6000. A mixture of infantry and cavalry, and one battalion will be selected from the Divine Machine Battalion and equipped with firearms.

By the way, hasn't the Armament Bureau already produced a prototype of the musket for trial production? Are they waiting for me to test it when I return? If the test is successful, 500 muskets will be issued to the Iron Blood Battalion.

Since the Iron Blood Battalion is composed of veteran troops, it should stay in the most needed and most dangerous place. I ordered the Iron Blood Battalion to train in Xizhou after its establishment, and to leave for Tibet immediately after the Tibetan officials arrived to defend against Tubo.

Crazy Lu, you have to find a set of training methods and combat methods for mixed infantry, cavalry and firearms combat in Zangzhou for this commander. Since the Iron Blood Battalion is composed of veterans, don't embarrass them. Do you understand?"

"Yes! Commander, rest assured. I will defend the reputation of our old army until my death." Crazy Lu said loudly.

"Okay, okay. We've finished talking about business. Dinner is ready. You can all start eating." Li Ling'er walked in from outside and said with a smile.

"Let's go. Today we follow the same old rules and have dinner in the camp outside the city." Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"That's great. Chou'er, go away. I'm going to get drunk with you today." Crazy Lu said with a smile.

"Let's go. I haven't been drunk with my brother for years. Whoever doesn't get drunk today is not a man." Liao Siyuan put his arm around Lu Fengzi's shoulder and laughed.

A group of people walked through the streets, arm in arm, laughing. Li Chengqian looked at the generals in front of him who were like bandits, shook his head and sighed.

"Quality, quality. Look, they are all the elite of the Tang Dynasty, officers and soldiers of the Empire, but they are all like street urchins. It seems that the rectification movement is necessary and imperative."

"It's all your fault. I'm always so unruly. I won't do what you want me to do." Li Linger rolled her eyes and said.

"How can you follow me? I am known as 'the honest and friendly young man, the model of civility and courtesy'. Everyone in Chang'an doesn't know that I am a modest young master, a lotus in this turbid world-" Just as Li Chengqian was boasting about himself, Crazy Lu and his men suddenly returned, lifted Li Chengqian up high, and shouted, "The Holy Crown Prince of the Great Tang is here."

Li Chengqian was shocked.

"Hey, what are you doing, you are committing crimes, please put me down. Oh, my face is so embarrassed. Brothers, please stop making trouble, I am afraid of heights."

The Tang people on the roadside all laughed in good faith when they saw this. Li Chengqian had been in Shuanghe City for quite some time, and the people liked this approachable prince from the bottom of their hearts, so they were less afraid of him and more respectful and fond of him.

At this time, someone in the crowd joked.

"Your Highness, this human carriage is quite comfortable. Please sit properly and don't hurt your butt. Otherwise, it will be such a pity." This immediately caused everyone to burst into laughter.

"Who said that? Damn it! How dare you think about my butt? And it's a man's voice. Where is the Jinyiwei? Find him for me. I will fine him." Li Chengqian pretended to be angry. The people around laughed even louder.

Li Chengqian was carried to the camp outside the city. After Li Chengqian came down, he jumped and kicked everyone's buttocks. Several people laughed and scratched their heads, then got Li Chengqian drunk and carried him back to the posthouse.

On the second day, Li Chengqian said goodbye to the generals and set off on the road back to Beijing. Li Chengqian's imperial carriage did not stop for too long and returned to Chang'an. After Li Chengqian returned the imperial carriage to the Ministry of Rites, he and Li Ling'er returned to the Prince's Mansion.

As soon as Li Chengqian entered the Prince's Mansion, he saw the seven-year-old eldest son, Li Yun, Prince of Zhongshan, playing in the yard with his younger brothers and sisters. Not far away, the Crown Princess Su Wan'er and several other concubines were watching the children playing with smiles on their faces.

In order to make his children love each other more and deepen the relationship between them, Li Chengqian would let Li Yun take his younger brothers and sisters to eat and play together every day as soon as they were weaned, and he would often teach his eldest son Li Yun to be friendly and modest.

Li Chengqian looked at the scene in front of him and walked into the yard with a smile. Li Yun looked up and saw Li Chengqian. He was stunned at first, then ran towards Li Chengqian with a big laugh. When he ran in front of Li Chengqian, Li Yun straightened his clothes, bowed to the ground and smiled.

"Father, you must have had hard work on the journey." After saying this, he immediately called his younger brothers and sisters and bowed to Li Chengqian together.

"Your son welcomes your father home."

Li Chengqian looked at the eldest son in front of him who was modest, polite, and caring for his younger brothers and sisters. If nothing unexpected happened, this would be the eldest son of the fourth emperor of the Tang Dynasty. He was very fond of him. He picked up Li Yun and smiled.

"My son, have you been good when your father is not at home? How is your study going?"

"Hehe, father, Yun'er is very good. He has finished all the homework assigned by Master Xu (Xu Jingzong) and Grandpa Fang (Fang Xuanling). Also, grandpa gave Yun'er the nickname 'Qilinnu', father, you should call Yun'er Qilinnu from now on."

"Qilin slave?" Li Chengqian asked curiously.

"Haha, you don't know. After you left, one day the old immortal Ziyang came to the palace to chat with Aye and talked about Yun'er. The old immortal said that Yun'er had a noble fate and had the appearance of a sage king. When he grows up, he will be like his grandfather and father, and can prolong the Tang Dynasty for hundreds of years.

The Imperial Astronomical Observatory Master Yuan (Yuan Tiangang) who was standing nearby also nodded in agreement, saying that Yun'er was the holy grandson of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty had three saints, the saint, the saint son, and the saint grandson, and that the Tang Dynasty was stable.

Upon hearing this, Aye and A'niang were overjoyed and rewarded the two Heavenly Masters generously. They also canonized Yun'er as the Holy Grandson. Aye was so happy that he gave Yun'er the nickname Qilin Slave. "Su Wan'er said with a smile.