Traveling through Du He, Li Chengqian's rebellion begins

The Privy Council.

When Pei Xingjian recounted how a group of officials surrounded Xu Jingzong and demanded the return of the lavish gifts they had given him, a faint smile appeared on Du He's face.

Pei Xingjian asked in a low voice, "Prince Han, should we have the officials of the Censorate impeach Xu Jingzong?"

Du He waved his hand: "One is willing to hit, and the other is willing to be hit. Let it be."

"I will keep Xu Jingzong alive; he will be of great use to me."

As long as Xu Jingzong does not oppress the people and can successfully complete the important task of compiling the "History of Zhenguan", he will have fulfilled his mission.

For someone as capable as Xu Jingzong, it's still necessary to squeeze some money out of him.

"promise."

Pei Xingjian bowed in response.

While the other officials despised Xu Jingzong, Pei Xingjian thought Xu Jingzong was a smart man who knew what he should and shouldn't do.

They also know what they can take and what they must not touch.

Du He asked softly, "Shouyue, how is the construction of the arsenal progressing?"

Pei Xingjian replied, "The four arsenals have been renovated and the personnel have been recruited. They are currently receiving training from Feng Yuanxi, the Junior Supervisor of Armaments."

"It is expected that the weapons and equipment in the Chang'an armory will be officially redesigned in three days."

There was a pause.

Pei Xingjian continued, "Qingguo Duke Ma Zhou was responsible for organizing a group of master craftsmen to develop molds for various weapons."

"The progress is good at present, and we should be able to make all kinds of armor molds within six months."

Hearing that Pei Xingjian and Ma Zhou had managed the arsenal in an orderly manner, Du He nodded in satisfaction.

He truly deserves to be called a capable minister!

They're so efficient!

Du He smiled and said, "Shouyue, once all the weapons and equipment have been delivered, I will give you a great reward."

"Besides the arsenal, the Institute of Physics is also a priority. We must develop the steam engine as soon as possible!"

"The newly opened steel plants should also be put into production as soon as possible."

At present, Li Shimin and Li Chengqian's attention is entirely focused on the steam engine.

In addition, laying railway tracks is an extremely complicated project. Even if millions of people work together for several years, it may not be possible to lay this railway.

Pei Xingjian cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my utmost!"

Du He nodded slightly.

Of all his ministers, Ma Zhou and Pei Xingjian were the most reliable, and he didn't need to worry about them much.

He thought of what Li Shimin had told him yesterday.

Du He said in a deep voice, "Shouyue should send spies to find famous doctors and bring them back to Chang'an so that they can treat the Duke of Liang."

"The Duke of Liang is not in good health right now and needs to be treated by some famous doctors."

Du He and Fang Xuanling, that wise and virtuous prime minister of all time, were quite compatible.

If it could allow him to live a few more years, that would be a good thing.

Pei Xingjian replied solemnly, "Yes, sir!"

Du He then chatted with Pei Xingjian for a few more minutes before waving him away to go back to his work.

Half an hour later.

After finishing his duties at the Privy Council, Du He visited the department at the Institute of Natural Sciences that was developing steam engines before finally entering the Ganlu Hall around lunchtime.

On the imperial platform.

Li Chengqian said with a smile, "Du He, the Prince of Jing sent 50 strings of cash over last night. I will have someone take 5 strings of cash to the Princess's residence later."

Du He bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the eunuchs came in carrying bowls of sumptuous food.

When eating meals.

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Du He, you're in charge of quite a lot of things now, you can't just sit back and do nothing."

"The steam engine, the selection of concubines, and the preparations for the great war to unify the world are your most important tasks at present!"

"You don't need to think about your Han Palace; I've already sent people to repair it for you."

He and Du He grew up together and knew that Du He liked to be a hands-off manager, so he took the initiative to help Du He with some things.

If Du He feels that the administrative duties are too heavy, she might quit.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Du He cupped his hands in greeting and continued, "Your Majesty, the development of the steam engine is not something that can be accomplished overnight; it requires years of dedicated research."

"Regarding the war against the Western Regions, I have decided to send 20 imperial troops and 35 militiamen to the front in early spring of next year."

"After the prisoners are properly dealt with, we will gradually increase the number of troops."

There are currently over a million strong prisoners of war from various countries in the Tang Dynasty. Although these people are unarmed, they are still quite destructive, so a large army still needs to be dispatched to guard them.

Moreover, with 65 cavalrymen deployed in the early stages, it was already sufficient for the imperial court.

Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow and asked, "Du He, when will you join the army for battle?"

"Without you stabilizing morale on the front lines and coordinating the army's operations, I always feel uneasy."

Among the generals of the Tang Dynasty, apart from Du He who had experience commanding an army of more than 30, the other generals had only commanded more than 10 people.

In addition, the Western Regions, thousands of miles away, were a forbidden zone that had never been touched before.

If a country with the same strength as the Tang Dynasty suddenly appeared, wouldn't hundreds of thousands of Tang soldiers be in great danger?

After thinking about it for a while.

Du He said softly, "Your Majesty, after Li Ji and Hou Junji and other important ministers lead the troops out to war, I still need to sort out all those major projects."

"I expect to lead the second batch of troops into battle next July."

"Whenever we conquer a country, we will send the most beautiful young woman from that country back to Chang'an."

Upon hearing Du He's last words, Li Chengqian nodded in satisfaction.

As expected!

Du He really understands him!

In the following time, Du He mentioned his conversation with Li Shimin and also talked about recompiling the teaching materials.

Without much thought, Li Chengqian directly entrusted Du He with full responsibility.

...

As the various departments of the imperial court got back on track, officials, powerful families, and ordinary people throughout the Tang Dynasty all entered into an atmosphere of building the Tang Dynasty and preparing for a major war.

The following month, Du He also became exceptionally busy.

At the end of March, Du He convened a meeting with officials from the Ministry of War, the generals of the Sixteen Guards, and the governors of various prefectures and counties to discuss the timing of the army's deployment and the generals who would lead the campaign.

In early April, outstanding craftsmen from all over the country gathered at the Gewu Academy, where Du He spent seven days explaining steam engines and railways to them.

In mid-April, Du He summoned the chief officials of the three provinces and six ministries to discuss relocating people to the fiefdoms of the three princes, Li Zhi, Li Ke, and Li Daozong.

After finishing these major tasks, it was already late April.

The Privy Council.

Du He, having a moment of leisure, was relaxing in her chair, drinking tea.

He was holding a sheet of Xuan paper covered with writing, and the title at the very beginning of the paper read "Education Reform".

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Knock knock knock."

"King Han, Minister of Rites Xu Jingzong has come to report that three thousand noble ladies have arrived."

"Minister Xu is now waiting in the main hall."

Upon hearing the servant's words, Du He immediately put down the Xuan paper and teacup in his hand, then opened the door and went out.

Come to the lobby.

Xu Jingzong greeted him with a smile: "Your Highness, three thousand noble ladies are already waiting in the Yeting Palace. The Empress is already there, waiting for you to come and observe their character and demeanor."

"it is good."

Du He nodded slightly, and then strode towards the Yeting Palace under the guidance of the eunuch.

Xu Jingzong followed Du He for a while, flattering him profusely, before returning to the Ministry of Rites to handle official business with satisfaction.

Ye Ting Palace.

When Du He entered, he found thousands of beautiful women standing inside, their skirts cinched at the waist and reaching up to their chests, revealing large expanses of their snow-white skin.

Many of the beauties wore thin veils, their skin partially obscured, which dazzled Du He.

"Fuck!"

"Isn't this going to kill someone?"