Traveling through Du He, Li Chengqian's rebellion begins

Hou Junji looked at Du He in the main seat, feeling a bit jealous.

When he served as Minister of Personnel, Du He was only a court attendant and did not even have the qualification to attend court assemblies.

In just six years, Du He had risen above him, becoming the only non-royal king in the Tang Dynasty and a prince with his own fiefdom.

I wonder when he, as Grand Commandant and Right Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, will be granted the title of King.

On the main seat.

Du He noticed the unusual expression on Hou Junji's face, so he smiled and said, "Duke Chen, once you have overseen the repair of Chang'an, you can then lead a large army to expand our territory."

"I believe His Majesty will remember your achievements and will certainly bestow upon you the title of one of the kings."

"The fiefdom will definitely not be small."

A large pancake was tossed over, and Hou Junji's face immediately lit up with a smile.

If anyone else had said these words, Hou Junji would have scoffed at them, but coming from Du He, the head of all officials, the chances of them coming true are very high.

He did not seek to have his fiefdom within the original territory of the Tang Dynasty; he would be content as long as the land was fertile and the water supply abundant.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to take in dozens of concubines at that time?

Hou Junji cupped his hands and said, "At that time, I would like to ask Prince Han to say a few good words for His Majesty."

Du He nodded: "Duke Chen, we are both serving His Majesty, so we should help each other and make progress together."

The others listened to the conversation between the King of Han and the Duke of Chen, their faces also filled with smiles.

In particular, Yu Chang, Qiu Xingyan, and Cheng Chubi's promotions were inseparable from the support of the King of Han, and they were also among the beneficiaries of his support.

Although he was not as good as Pei Xingjian, Cui Shenji and Xiao Kai, he was still better than other officials.

For the next two hours, Du He discussed the idea of ​​building the Tang Dynasty Never Sleeping City with them and also finalized the overall layout.

By the time they finished their discussion and left the Privy Council, the sun was already setting.

...

Return to the princess's mansion.

After finishing his meal in the company of his wives and concubines, Du He took a leisurely stroll in the garden in the backyard.

Looking at her sons laughing and playing, Du He also showed a faint smile.

He didn't feel anything when these little guys couldn't walk yet, but now that they can run and jump, he suddenly feels that there are many more important people in his life.

After chatting for a while...

Li Yi said in a low voice, "Husband, my elder sister came to the princess's residence to see the children today. She said she wants to live in Qizhou to retire in the future."

“I originally wanted to give my elder sister a manor, but she felt too lonely and wanted to live near the palace.”

What?

Is Li Lizhi going to Qizhou to retire?

Qizhou was not just his fiefdom, but also the capital he had chosen.

Why is Princess Li Lizhi not staying in Chang'an, but instead going to Qizhou?

A moment of astonishment.

Du He asked in a low voice, "Princess Chang Le has secretly fallen for General Wang Jishan of the Right Thousand Ox Guard, but Wang Jishan is a bodyguard of His Majesty and cannot leave Chang'an."

"Does Princess Chang Le no longer want Wang Jishan?"

He had previously mentioned Li Lizhi and Wang Jishan to Li Shimin. At that time, Li Shimin did not immediately agree, but instead sent someone to secretly observe Wang Jishan's character.

Now a year has passed, and there has been no further news from Li Shimin.

Could it be that Li Lizhi can't wait any longer?

Li Yi shook his head and said, "I don't know what happened to my elder sister, but she has no desire to get married now, and I'm afraid she will never get married in this lifetime."

"Now many princesses go to the places where their husbands work, and we will also live in Qizhou in the future."

"My elder sister felt too lonely living alone, so she thought about moving to Qizhou to live there. She can help us take care of our children and grandchildren and enjoy the happiness of family life."

So...he's changed his mind already?

Fortunately, he wasn't asked to act as a matchmaker for Wang Jishan, otherwise Wang Jishan would have been devastated.

Du He smiled and said, "Yi'er, it's still about ten years before we go to Qizhou. Princess Chang Le might change her mind again."

Li Yi covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "It's not impossible."

After this little incident, the group not only talked about building the Han King's Palace, but also about taking a concubine.

And the more we talked, the more uneasy I felt.

Du He could detect a strong sour taste in the words of his four wives and concubines.

So he quickly changed the subject, praising them for running the printing and weaving workshops well, which diverted the attention of the four of them.

...

next day

A meeting of hundreds of officials.

After the heads of each department finished their reports.

Li Chengqian said loudly, "King Han is developing a magical device called the steam engine. When you return to your posts tomorrow, you must recruit people skilled in strange and ingenious techniques in your respective prefectures and counties, and send them to Chang'an as soon as possible."

"This is a matter of great national importance, and none of you should neglect it!"

All the ceremonies related to the enthronement have been completed, and the officials of each department have also understood the tasks to be done this year and need to return to their posts as soon as possible.

As for the Li clan members, they also had to return to their fiefdoms to recruit soldiers.

Currently, Li Zhi, Li Tai, Li Yuanjing, and others will remain in Chang'an until some time later when they will return to their respective fiefdoms.

The civil and military officials were stunned for a moment, then stood up holding their tablets and shouted in unison.

"The minister obeys the order!"

After they sat down, they were filled with doubt.

What is a steam engine?

What is its use?

However, they didn't ask any further questions, since they weren't sure they would know the answer anyway.

Furthermore, since His Majesty brought this matter to court and issued an order, it is clear that this is not a trivial matter, so it is best for them to ask as few questions as possible.

After a while.

Li Chengqian then ordered, "Yu Chang, in the name of the Ministry of Works, send someone to invite the Xiangli clan of the Mohist school and the successors of the Gongshu family to Chang'an."

"Tell the descendants of the Mohists and the Gongshu family that when they arrive in Chang'an, I will bestow upon each of them a three-courtyard mansion!"

wow~

As Li Chengqian finished speaking, a huge commotion erupted inside the Taiji Hall.

Your Majesty's gesture is truly magnificent!

He was rewarded with a three-courtyard house without having accomplished anything!

This is worth over 500 strings of cash!

They were now increasingly curious about that thing called the steam engine.

Yu Chang quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will immediately send someone to invite the successors of the Mohist and Gongshu families!"

"Ah."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly.

His gaze swept over the civil and military officials, and then he said loudly, "In two or three years, the imperial court will mobilize a million troops to conquer the lands of the seven continents."

"This great battle will likely last for several years, or even more than a decade!"

"When you return to your fiefdoms to recruit militia, you must not neglect agriculture and sericulture; you must ensure that logistical supplies are delivered in a timely manner!"

There was a pause.

Li Chengqian continued, "Besides the soldiers, it would be best to bring their wives along on this trip. Otherwise, the soldiers might feel homesick after being away for several years."

"If soldiers develop war-weariness, it will definitely affect morale!"

Du He had previously analyzed for him that if the army conquered territory tens of thousands of miles away, the soldiers or those in charge of logistics would have to stay there to cultivate the land.