Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

"burn!!!"

Changsun Wuji then issued orders as if he were insane.

The soldiers of Yanmen County, who were stationed on all sides of the depression and had already prepared oil, responded enthusiastically.

The sound of the earthenware pot hitting the ground with a "clatter" followed.

The strong, pungent smell of kerosene, along with Changsun Wuji's almost undisguised, insane killing intent, finally drove these Buddhist monks, who were now at their wits' end, to their breaking point.

I felt real fear.

"No, stop! We surrender! We surrender! Don't set fires!"

"I... I'll stop fighting. Please, Duke Zhao, spare us. We're willing to continue digging the canal..."

"Spare me! Duke Zhao, spare me! I'll never dare to do it again..."

The crowd knelt on the ground, some kowtowing, others trying to climb up the surrounding earthen slopes, but were forced back by the soldiers' sharp spears.

Amidst the mournful wails, several officials beside Changsun Wuji hesitated.

“Governor…if we kill them all, all our work on this side of the river will have to stop, this…”

"Yes, Your Excellency, why don't we put them in shackles, give them a good beating, and make them continue digging the canal..."

The words had barely left his lips.

Before Changsun Wuji could say anything, a cold voice came from behind him.

"These people are unforgivable; leave no one alive!"

Several officials from the Ministry of Works of Taiyuan Prefecture turned around, about to say something, but when they saw who it was, their expressions changed instantly, and they hurriedly bowed their heads in greeting.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince. May Your Highness be well!"

Changsun Wuji turned around, his haggard face, which had been filled with anger and even ferocity, suddenly trembled upon seeing Li Chengqian appear.

Two streams of tears instantly welled up in her bloodshot eyes.

"Your Highness, I..."

Li Chengqian waved his hand and glared at the governor of Yanmen County.

"What are you all standing there for? Do you expect me to do it myself?!"

Upon hearing this, the governor of Yanmen County, who had just come to his senses, immediately changed his expression and hurriedly waved his hand to order his soldiers to obey.

"Set it on fire! Send these Buddhist villains to that blissful world!"

"Ignition!"

"Ignition!"

"..."

Voices echoed across the scene, and the evil Buddhist monks in the depression who heard them all changed their expressions drastically.

Those who were kneeling on the ground begging for mercy saw those figures tracing an arc.

The torches falling from above also caused them to panic instantly.

They couldn't care about anything else anymore.

They all rushed frantically up the earthen slope in front of them, as if they didn't care about their lives.

"Ahhhh!"

A piercing wail erupted instantly across the vast depression as the kerosene, filled with acrid smoke, was ignited.

The sound of spears flying through the air was described as "thud thud thud".

Some wicked Buddhist monks, their bodies stained with flames, attempted to rush out of the depression, but were immediately riddled with holes by the Yanmen County soldiers guarding the area.

"May you all die a horrible death!!! Tyrants, you all deserve to die a horrible death!!!"

"Your Li family's empire won't last much longer! Aaaaaaah!"

Amidst the piercing wails, bursts of curses erupted.

However, Li Chengqian calmly sat down on the edge of a slope and enjoyed the lively scene in the depression.

Changsun Wuji plopped down next to Li Chengqian.

however.

Watching these figures fall one by one as they are gradually engulfed by the flames, he could no longer hold back.

"Waaaaah, Your Highness, it's all gone! I'm guilty, I'm guilty, waaaaah!"

"One hundred thousand people! The river channel in Hequ County hasn't even been dug yet, and they're all gone. Waaaaah, Your Highness, it's my fault for being incompetent and failing to manage these people."

"I've delayed your important business, Your Highness..."

Changsun Wuji wailed miserably; if one did not listen to him, one might think he was shedding tears for those who had failed in their rebellion.

"It's all my fault for being in such a hurry. I shouldn't have given out those iron items. I shouldn't have done that, boohoo..."

Li Chengqian sighed. The acrid smell that had filled the air made him feel somewhat physically uncomfortable.

But with so many eyes watching him, he could only suppress the churning in his stomach.

Hearing Changsun Wuji's self-reproachful voice.

He couldn't help but reach out and pat the other person on the shoulder.

“Uncle, there’s no need to blame yourself so much. Several sections of the river experiencing such atrocities on the same day must be the work of some villain. The distribution of ironware was just a trigger. Before the Bingzhou New Army finished its training, the riots here were already inevitable…”

He sighed.

"It's also my fault. I was too merciful. If I had eradicated all these evil Buddhist monks on the day of my death, things wouldn't have come to this."

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji's tears flowed even more fiercely.

During this period, he devoted almost all his energy to the Yellow River water conservancy project.

Even the saying, "For the rest of his life, and even the entire Changsun family, he was locked in a battle with the Yellow River," was not a joke.

"Your Highness, that's 100,000 people! If they were used properly, how many projects could they have built? It's all my fault... Waaah!"

Li Chengqian felt annoyed as he listened to the other person's crying.

"Alright, alright, it's just 100,000 people!"

"If they dare to rebel or riot, they deserve to die! Why are you crying? I didn't say I was going to kill you!"

"So what if you lose 100,000 laborers? I'll give you 500,000! Right now, how many monks and nuns have committed crimes all over the country? How many death row inmates are still imprisoned here!"

"You're worried about no one fixing the river? What are you crying about!"

He grabbed the other man by the collar and looked at Changsun Wuji, whose face was still covered in dust, whose hair was disheveled, and whose tears were streaming down his face.

For a moment, he couldn't connect the other person with Changsun Wuji, the powerful minister in the early Tang Dynasty.

"Now that the riots are over, what's with all the crying? Come on, give me a smile!"

Changsun Wuji twitched the corner of his mouth.

The smile that appeared was even uglier than a cry.

As the last evil Buddhist monk in the depression fell, Li Chengqian stood up.

“After today, the river dredging will be suspended for at least half a month. During this period… Duke Zhao.”

"The old minister is here!"

Li Chengqian's voice was icy: "I will have the Embroidered Uniform Guard assist you, and you will be in charge of thoroughly investigating this matter!"

"Whether it is Chang'an, Bingzhou, or even the entire Tang Dynasty, anyone involved, whether a member of the imperial family, a general, a minister, or a marquis, shall be arrested without hesitation!"

Changsun Wuji instantly wiped away the messy tears on his face, his hands clasped in a gesture of deep resentment and hatred.

"Your Highness, rest assured, this old minister... will absolutely not let these treacherous officials get away with it this time!"

aside.

Fang Yi'ai and several other second-generation Chang'an youths who were officers in the Bingzhou New Army couldn't help but gasp inwardly when they saw Changsun Wuji, who was now acting like a complete madman.

If any of these families were to fall into the hands of the current Duke of Zhao...

With the support of His Highness the Crown Prince... I'm afraid even His Majesty the Emperor wouldn't be able to stop it.

A swift crackdown on the riots.

Thanks to Changsun Wuji's decisive and ruthless attack, and the Tang soldiers guarding the various river sections fought bravely, these evil Buddhist monks were unable to even break through the construction sites along several river sections in Hequ County.

So much so.

When the governor of Yanmen Commandery dispatched soldiers to notify the magistrates of the counties under his jurisdiction to continue the autumn harvest.

The county magistrates were all somewhat incredulous.

A riot reportedly involving 100,000 people was suppressed just like that?

Qian Lou, the commander of the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, personally came to Yanmen County to investigate with Changsun Wuji the instigator behind this rebellion.

Ten thousand newly trained soldiers from Bingzhou, who had just experienced actual combat and had completed their initial training and were equipped with weapons, remained in the area.

Assist the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Changsun Wuji in their investigation.

Li Chengqian, on the other hand, led his three thousand heavy cavalrymen from the Eastern Palace back to Taiyuan Prefecture.

The incident of the Buddhist uprising in Bingzhou.

Chang'an will soon receive the news of a riot involving 100,000 people. Crown Prince Li Chengqian himself will also bear some responsibility. Therefore, even he has to step up his preparations for the memorial.

Have someone send it to Chang'an.

however.

Li Chengqian underestimated Li Shimin's speed in understanding the situation in Bingzhou.

After the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty established the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Li Junxian, the leader of the Hundred Cavalry Division, sensed the crisis and intensified efforts to enhance the division's capabilities.

Putting aside everything else, the number of carrier pigeons prepared by secret agents in various places is quite large.

In summer, Chang'an is gradually getting hot.

Recently, a type of food called shaved ice has become popular in Chang'an City.

Officials from the Ministry of Works recently received silver sent by His Majesty, instructing them to expedite the reconstruction of the tower on one side of the Ganlu Hall, ensuring that the top is warm in winter and cool in summer.

Some skilled craftsmen from the Ministry of Works, who had returned from studying in Taiyuan Prefecture, planned to use waterwheels to send water to the top of the tower, which was tens of meters high, and then turn it into a rain curtain.

His Majesty the Second Emperor was very satisfied with this.

On the shore of the sea pool, Li Yuan and his son Li Er were fishing together, a rare occasion for them. It seemed as if they had deliberately forgotten the events of that day.

Li Shimin kept his eyes on the fishing rod while occasionally glancing at the "New Tang Dynasty Gazette" that had been delivered that day.

"Tsk tsk tsk, another batch of Japanese students has arrived. That kid Gao Ming must have made at least two million kan (a unit of currency) in the bank. These Japanese nobles are much richer than I imagined..."

Emperor Taizong (Li Er) is somewhat dissatisfied with the recent business of sea salt and green salt.

Despite the royal monopoly, Li Shimin did his best to keep the price of salt affordable for ordinary people.

At least it will prevent people in salt-producing areas from having to use things like vinegar cloth.

Now, half a year has passed since the first year of the Zhenguan era.

The salt business also enabled Emperor Taizong of Tang to maintain a daily reserve of over two million strings of cash in his private treasury.

With the help of her good son, the Crown Prince, and capable ministers like Fang Xuanling managing the government, she lived a happy and carefree life.

Just as Li Shimin was happily putting down the newspaper, somewhat anticipating the results of the wheat harvest in Bingzhou Road as reported in the newspaper.

Li Junxian suddenly strode over.

His face was full of solemnity and gloom.

He walked to Li Shimin's side, first glancing at the retired Emperor Li Yuan who was drinking tea and fishing nearby, then quietly approaching Li Er's side.

"Your Majesty, in the section of the Yellow River project in Hequ County, Bingzhou Prefecture, 100,000 wicked Buddhist monks have rioted..."

"Crack!"

The fishing rod, inlaid with jade and wrapped with gold wire, was held in the hand by an excessive amount of force applied in an instant.

It was broken on the spot by Li Shimin, whose body was now at its peak human condition.

A chilling killing intent instantly rose in his tiger-like eyes.

As Li Junxian's report became more and more comprehensive, Li Shimin's expression changed several times.

He slowly turned his head, then looked at the somewhat bewildered Emperor Emeritus Li Yuan beside him with a complicated expression.

"Father..."

"What, what's wrong, Erlang? What happened?" Li Yuan felt a chill run down his spine under Li Shimin's gaze.

I don't know why, but I always feel like the other person is right now, as if they'll be right in the next moment.

He would drown his father, the emperor, in this sea pool.

“Inhale…exhale…”

Li Shimin remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly took a deep breath and stood up.

"It's nothing, Father. You can continue fishing here. I suddenly remembered that I still have some state affairs to attend to..."

Watching Li Shimin and Li Junxian leave, Li Yuan felt a strange sense of unease creeping into his heart.

What, what the hell has happened that has something to do with this old man?

No... I have never left the palace!

Ganlu Temple.

When Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Cheng Yaojin, and Yuchi Jingde, several trusted ministers, were summoned into the palace by Li Shimin.

After the group saw the urgent report from the Hundred Cavalry Division handed over by Li Junxian, they realized that...

His expression changed drastically in an instant.

"Hiss!!! A rebellion of 100,000 people?!" Even fierce generals like Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Yaojin were horrified.

Fortunately, Li Shimin then waved his hand.

"No need to be nervous. The riot has already been suppressed by the Crown Prince and his men. What I want you to see is... the backstory of this Buddhist rebellion."

however.

The words are not finished yet.

Upon reading the secret report from the Hundred Cavalry Division, Du Ruhui and Fang Xuanling's faces instantly darkened.

Without prior arrangement, they all stepped forward at the same time.

A cold, sharp voice, filled with undisguised anger and killing intent, rang out in the Ganlu Hall.

"Your Majesty! Duke Changsun Wuji of Zhao was entrusted with important responsibilities by Your Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince, but he neglected his duties and almost brought disaster upon His Highness, causing annihilation to countless common people in Bingzhou!"

"Your Majesty! I request that Changsun Wuji be executed!!!"