I have already established my power and prestige, so how did Li Shimin come back to life?

After traveling all the way, Li Chengqian, Zhang Xianhuai and Qin Ruzhao stepped into a somewhat old inn.

The store was filled with the aroma of food and a faint scent of wine, and the noisy voices of people were intertwined.

They found a table in the corner and sat down, casually ordering three simple side dishes and a pot of local liquor.

As soon as Li Chengqian sat down, he took a deep breath and tried his best to control the waves in his heart.

As an emperor, he has cultivated his character over the years, always remembering to keep his emotions under control. This is the cultivation of an emperor, and it is also the key to maintaining royal dignity and court stability.

However, the various situations he had just witnessed along the way almost overwhelmed his calm rationality, which undoubtedly went against the principles he had always adhered to.

His eyes slowly swept over Zhang Xianhuai and Qin Ruzhao, with a hint of apology in his eyes, and he asked softly, "Xianhuai, Ruzhao, I know your child was born not long ago. This is the time to stay by your wife and child's side and enjoy the happiness of family."

"But I summoned you out now to accompany me on this journey. Do you feel the slightest bit of grievance?"

After hearing this, Zhang Xianhuai and Qin Ruzhao were slightly stunned at first, as if the softest part of their hearts was touched.

But soon, they shook their heads with determined eyes and said in unison, "Teacher, we have absolutely no grievances! Being able to follow you and help you solve your problems is our lifelong blessing. How can we say we have been wronged?"

Their voices were not loud, but they were full of sincerity.

Seeing this, Li Chengqian nodded slightly, with a hint of relief in his eyes.

It is a rare blessing to have two such loyal students by my side.

"Xian Huai, please record everything we saw and heard today in detail. As for how these records will be used in the future, we will discuss it after we return."

Li Chengqian gave the order with a serious expression.

"is teacher."

Zhang Xianhuai responded immediately, then took out paper and pen from his bag, arranged them neatly, and prepared to record every detail of the journey truthfully.

Li Chengqian's thoughts gradually drifted away, recalling the sixth year of Daye recorded in history books, a period that seemed glorious but was fraught with crisis.

At that time, Yang Guang was in power, and on the surface, the Sui Dynasty appeared to be prosperous everywhere.

Luoyang, the capital of the Sui Dynasty, was the core of international trade and communication. It was bustling with envoys and merchants from various countries coming and going every day.

The streets are bustling with traffic and people coming and going. People of different skin colors and clothing gather here, presenting a prosperous and bustling scene.

But beneath this prosperous appearance, there are many deadly crises hidden.

Yang Guang was ambitious and his pursuit of luxury was almost crazy.

In the sixth year of Daye, he actually ordered that the trees in the city be wrapped with layers of expensive brocade.

His main purpose was to show off the wealth of the Sui Dynasty in front of foreign envoys and merchants, and to create the illusion of extreme national strength in this extremely luxurious way, so that those who came from all directions would feel awe of the Sui Dynasty, thereby satisfying his inflated vanity.

Looking from the streets and alleys of Luoyang City, one can indeed see the remarkable prosperity.

The streets have been carefully repaired and widened, and the ground is paved with smooth stone slabs. The buildings on both sides of the road are magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters, and are magnificent.

The unique sight of trees wrapped in brocade adds a touch of absurdity to the prosperity.

From a distance, the entire Luoyang city looks like a dreamlike paradise on earth, full of extravagance and luxury, which is dizzying.

But in reality, behind this false prosperity was the people's heavy tax burden and endless suffering of hard labor.

In order to meet the extravagance of the court, the construction needs of huge projects and the huge expenses of war, the people were ruthlessly exploited for every penny of their blood and sweat.

Countless farmers were forced to leave their land and homes and engage in heavy labor, resulting in large tracts of farmland becoming barren, a sharp drop in grain production, and people's lives falling into dire straits.