Traveling through Du He, Li Chengqian's rebellion begins

Hearing Du He's excuse, Wu Meiniang covered her mouth and chuckled.

She wasn't angry, but smiled brightly and said, "Duke Han, you're too modest. When it comes to poetry, who in the whole Tang Dynasty can compare to you?"

"Three years ago at the Mid-Autumn Poetry Festival, your sagelike performance made me admire you greatly."

There was a pause.

She continued, "Besides, Your Majesty has been taking longevity elixirs and practicing Taoism these days. How can he have time to guide me in poetry?"

When Wu Meiniang said this, she also gave Du He a wink.

Hey!

It also implies that Li Shimin has no time!

No wonder Wu Meiniang was able to bewitch Li Zhi so much, she really had some skills.

But when Du He thought of the evil things that Wu Meiniang had done in the original history, he felt terrified.

In the fifth year of Yonghui (654), Wu Meiniang gave birth to her eldest daughter, Princess Anding. The kind-hearted Queen Wang came to visit and teased the princess lovingly.

After Queen Wang left, Wu Meiniang took advantage of the fact that no one was around and cruelly strangled her daughter to death, and then slandered Queen Wang to Li Zhi.

Later, with the support of Li Ji, Li Yifu, Xu Jingzong and Cui Yixuan, Wu Meiniang was established as the queen by Li Zhi.

She ordered her attendants to beat Queen Wang and Concubine Xiao with a hundred strokes of the cane each, and also ordered their hands and feet to be chopped off and thrown into a wine jar, turning them into human pigs alive.

This shows how vicious she is.

As for the subsequent killing of his son to seize power, it was also terrifying.

In short, Wu Meiniang was a crazy woman who could do anything bad for the sake of power.

Moreover, after Li Zhi's death, she still kept a large number of male favorites.

The farther away from her this kind of cruel and ruthless person with corrupt personalities, the better.

Du He came to his senses and continued to decline.

"Your Majesty, I lack the ability to help you."

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

When Wu Meiniang saw that Du He refused to take the bait, her brows furrowed slightly.

She had sent people to inquire about Du He's news and knew that he was a man who was greedy for beauty and extremely bold.

Why was Du He indifferent to his provocation today?

Is he also afraid of imperial power?

But if Du He was really afraid of Your Majesty's authority, how could he dare to follow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and attempt to launch a palace coup?

Just as Wu Meiniang frowned and thought, a burst of dense footsteps came from behind her.

She knew that His Majesty was coming out, so she quickly calmed herself down and turned around to greet Li Shimin.

Wu Meiniang asked with concern, "Your Majesty, after taking the Longevity Pill, do you feel any difference in your body?"

Li Shimin smiled and said, "I feel that the blood and energy in my body have become more active, and my spirits are much better than before!"

"Give me a strong bow now, and I will be confident enough to hunt a tiger."

After recovering some physical and mental strength, Li Shimin felt full of energy.

He had never had this feeling since he returned from Fengshan.

Hearing Li Shimin's bragging, Du He complained in his heart.

"With so many stone medicines added to the Five Stones Powder, it would be strange if the blood and qi weren't invigorated."

"That thing is overdrawing your vitality!"

Du He saw that Li Shimin's face was a little rosier than before, and his voice was much more powerful.

People who don't know would think that the longevity elixir made by the Indian sorcerer is very effective.

But Du He knew that this was just an appearance.

These pills overdrafted Li Shimin's life, giving him a brief sense of comfort. If he took too many, it would definitely hasten his death.

Wu Meiniang's expression changed slightly, and then she said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, the effect of this longevity elixir is surprisingly good."

"It seems that after taking this medicine for a while, Your Majesty's dragon body will be able to recover its strength."

When Li Shimin heard Wu Meiniang's words, an indescribable expression appeared on his face.

Sun Simiao, Doctor Zhen and others standing behind him all had frowns on their brows, with expressions of deep worry on their faces.

It’s not a good thing that the pill takes effect too quickly!

Li Shimin walked up to Du He, patted him on the shoulder and said.

"Du He, the weather is nice today. Please accompany me to climb Mount Zhongnan."

"Mei Niang, you come too."

Du He and Wu Meiniang responded quickly.

"As ordered!"

When climbing the mountain, Li Shimin did not behave like a person with a serious illness. His steps were very steady.

Moreover, on the way up the mountain, Li Shimin kept chatting with Du He.

"Du He, you said there are seeds on the other side of the ocean that can yield a thousand kilograms per mu. Can our warships reach that point?"

The current grain yield per mu in the Tang Dynasty is only about two to three hundred kilograms.

If you have seeds that can yield 1,000 kilograms per mu, you won’t have to worry about natural disasters in the future. As long as there is good weather in one year, you will have grain reserves for the next two years.

Du He shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, the other side of the ocean is tens of thousands of miles away, and there is an endless ocean. Our warships are too small to reach it."

"If you want to reach the other side of the ocean, you have to develop navigation, step by step."

There is no big problem in building large ships. According to the shipbuilding technology currently mastered by the Tang Dynasty, it is possible to build larger ships.

But without a compass, a large ship would become a headless fly in the vast ocean.

In the end, the fleet will be trapped and killed at sea.

Li Shimin nodded slightly, with a look of regret on his face.

It would take at least ten years to develop navigation, and I don’t know if he can live to see that day.

After reaching the top of the mountain.

When Li Shimin looked at the beautiful rivers and mountains, the depression in his heart disappeared.

Especially the chirping of cicadas in my ears, which not only does not sound noisy, but instead gives people a sense of vitality.

He squinted his eyes and looked ahead, suddenly asking.

"Du He, after I took this pill, Divine Doctor Sun and the other imperial physicians saw my reaction and became worried."

"You said this pill can't cure my illness?"

When Du He heard Li Shimin's words, his expression paused slightly.

Unexpectedly, Li Shimin's mind was still clear and he guessed that there was something wrong with the medicine.

Du He said softly, "Your Majesty, I believe this pill is similar to the Five Stones Powder, and can keep the user high for a short period of time."

"If you take too much, I'm afraid it will drain the vitality out of your body."

"Your Majesty, please take it with caution."

Li Shimin did not speak, and a hint of gloom appeared on his expression.

Unexpectedly, the longevity elixir he had high hopes for was unable to cure him.

Just as Li Shimin was silent, Wu Meiniang, who was standing on the other side of him, had a more complicated expression.

Her mind was filled with two pieces of information: this pill could make His Majesty excited for a short period of time, but it would also drain His Majesty's vitality!

Wu Meiniang clenched her fists tightly and murmured in her heart.

"It seems we have to hurry up."

Everyone stayed on the top of the mountain for half an hour. Because Li Shimin was tired, he ordered them to return the same way.

In the next few days, Li Shimin took a longevity pill every day, and he felt much more energetic than before.

Li Shimin did not call Du He except when he was taking elixirs or resting. He called Du He to the main hall to chat at other times, and Wu Meiniang was present every time.

Mid-July.

evening.

Du He was thinking about the development of gunpowder in his bedroom. At this time, Lai Ji, the interpreter, came in and reported in a low voice.

"Duke Hanguo, His Majesty invites you to the banquet."

Going to a banquet?

Did Li Shimin think that he was getting better just because he saw that he felt better?

After thinking for a while, Du He stood up and said.

"Let's go."

At the banquet, in addition to Li Shimin, Concubine Yan Shufei and Wu Meiniang, Li Junxian, Sun Simiao and others were also present.

After the banquet began, at Wu Meiniang's suggestion, Li Junxian, Lai Ji and others frequently toasted her.

Although he refused many times, Li Shimin actually asked him to drink a few more glasses.

After half an hour, Du He was a little tipsy.

Through his hazy eyes, Du He saw a smile on Wu Meiniang's face, and he secretly sighed in his heart that something was wrong.

"Oops!"

"Could it be that Wu Meiniang wants to force herself on me?"