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

Xiande Hall.

Li Chengqian said this half-jokingly.

"Master Yuan, are you blind? How can you recommend talented people to me?"

Sitting in front of him, Yuan Tiangang held a whisk, looking like a Taoist immortal. Of course, if you didn't look at the other party's completely gray-white eyes, he might look even more like one.

At this moment, the other party gave Li Chengqian the feeling of encountering a beauty with colored contact lenses on a pedestrian bridge.

"Hehe, Your Highness is too kind. I have known the Duke of Ying for a long time. Recently, I heard that Your Highness needs someone who is proficient in business, but not someone who comes entirely from a business background. That is why I have come to pay my respects to Your Highness."

Li Chengqian gave a noncommittal shrug.

This Taoist figure is shrouded in mystery throughout history.

He was also quite familiar with the background of the man before him, Wu Shihuo, the father of Empress Wu Zetian in history.

He didn't rush to ask the obviously nervous Duke Ying, Wu Shihuo.

Instead, their gazes turned to Yuan Tiangang.

"How is my younger sister, Chang Le, doing with her studies in medicine lately?"

Yuan Tiangang bowed respectfully.

"Your Highness is exceptionally intelligent and has a rapid grasp of medicine. She can understand the principles behind many things after just one explanation. She has now formally begun her studies under our guidance in acupuncture and pharmacology."

"Furthermore, Her Highness has recently shown great interest in something called blood tissue that the foreign physicians you recruited are researching..."

Li Chengqian nodded.

The two of them chatted for quite a while, practically leaving the samurai aside.

Only after the sky gradually darkened and he had learned about his younger sister's situation did Li Chengqian finally turn his gaze to the embarrassed and nervous Wu Shihuo beside him.

"Duke Ying, I didn't expect that although you left the court and resigned from your post as governor of a prefecture, your reputation is quite good."

"Not only did my imperial grandfather recommend you to me, but now even Master Yuan has made a special trip to help you. Tsk tsk tsk..."

Yuan Tiangang and Wu Shihuo were both taken aback.

"The Emperor Emeritus recommended me to you, Your Highness?" Wu Shihuo asked incredulously.

Immediately afterwards, her eyes reddened slightly.

Li Chengqian simply smiled faintly at this, his gaze lingering intently on the other person.

"It seems the Duke of Ying has three daughters; I recall one of them working in my secretariat..."

"Yes, Your Highness, that is my eldest daughter named Wu Shun. Fortunately, His Highness the Crown Prince favored her and kept her by his side. My other two daughters also recently entered the First Official School."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly.

He took out a document from a drawer next to the table and handed it to Wang De, who was standing beside him.

"Look at this, since everyone says you, Duke Ying, are capable, and I'm in need of people right now, giving you a chance isn't a big deal... Can you handle the matter of the Great Tang Construction Bank?"

Upon hearing this, a look of excited joy appeared on Samurai Go's face.

He respectfully accepted the document from Wang De with both hands, and after briefly flipping through its contents, his eyes flickered slightly.

Li Chengqian flipped through the other documents in his hand.

A calm reminder.

"Read this carefully and consider it thoroughly. This matter concerning the bank is of utmost importance. If you handle it well, I will naturally reward you and will certainly place you in a position of importance in the future. However, if you botch it..."

Li Chengqian slightly raised his eyes, glanced at the blind Yuan Tiangang beside him, and uttered a startling remark.

"I heard from my subordinates that Master Yuan seems to have a high opinion of the second young lady of the Duke's mansion, saying she has some noble qualities?"

"Clap!"

The document in his hand slipped and fell to the ground as the samurai trembled.

He was so frightened that he immediately stood up and knelt on the ground with a thud.

His eyes were filled with fear and horror.

"Your Highness, I'm innocent! This...this was just a casual remark by Master Yuan, this..."

Li Chengqian didn't look at him, but stared straight at Yuan Tiangang in front of him, whose expression had also changed visibly.

This old Taoist priest with the ox-nose, although he is blind in both eyes.

But the operation was not affected in any way.

If it weren't for the fact that Qianlou, a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had sent someone to test it and found no problem, even Li Chengqian would have suspected that this guy was wearing some kind of ancient colored contact lenses to pretend to be blind.

"Your Highness, back then, this old Taoist priest traveled far and wide, relying on his silver tongue to earn some food and travel expenses. The Taoist arts are deceptive; don't take them seriously..."

Yuan Tiangang stood up from his seat, looking terrified.

Li Chengqian chuckled lightly, neither confirming nor denying.

"I know these are just jokes, but... now that you have an official position, you should be careful with your words. After all, there are times when you have to be mindful of certain things, otherwise... trouble will come from your mouth!"

Yuan Tiangang felt a chill run down his spine under Li Chengqian's gaze, which was as sharp as a bone-scraping knife.

He quickly lowered his head and looked meek.

"Your Highness is right to teach me this lesson. I will take it to heart and inform my fellow Daoist disciples so that they may take it as a warning when they travel the world in the future."

Li Chengqian waved his hand dismissively.

"Take the documents back. If you feel you are capable of handling this task, submit a memorial and your name. I will then have someone send you your official robes and seal..."

Wu Shihuo and Yuan Tiangang hurriedly bowed and prepared to leave.

Just as the two stepped out of Xiande Hall, a eunuch hurriedly entered.

"Your Highness, a group of foreigners has arrived outside Yangcheng Palace, claiming to be envoys from Tibet and requesting an audience with you..."

Li Chengqian, who was reviewing documents, was taken aback.

His brows furrowed immediately.

"Tibetans? Do they have identification documents?"

"Your Highness, the leader claims to be a minister under the Tibetan king..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a mocking smile appeared on Li Chengqian's lips.

Zanpu?

Songtsen Gampo?

I'm afraid that Songtsen Gampo's power in Tibet today wouldn't even rank first.

"You call yourself the Zanpu of Tibet? Do you think the leaders of the other major tribes will accept that?"

"Let him in!"

The clothing of Bon religion is completely different from the ethnic clothing of the Qinghai and Tibet regions that Li Chengqian remembered from his previous life as being derived from Tibetan Buddhism.

Before the Tang Dynasty's marriage alliance and Princess Wencheng's arrival in Tibet, Tibet was in a similar situation.

It was a completely primitive, barbaric tribal state based on slavery.

For example, the "Tibetan ministers" who were being led into the Xiande Hall by eunuchs were all dressed in Tang Dynasty clothing that they had clearly bought in Taiyuan.

"I, Gar Tongtsen, pay my respects to the Crown Prince of the Great Tang, His Majesty the True Khan."

Huh?

Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow. Nowadays, apart from the Turkic people in Yanmen Pass and Zhenbei Road, who would call him "Your Majesty the True Khan," this was the first time Li Chengqian had heard such a title in Taiyuan Prefecture.

At the entrance of Xiande Hall, Jing Junhong, the commander of the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace, who was on duty today and responsible for Li Chengqian's security, curled up a cold smile.

These Tibetan barbarians certainly know how to flatter.

“Gardon Tsen…” Li Chengqian murmured.

As if pondering the name, just as Gar Tongtsen, who would later appear in history books as the future Grand Minister of Tibet, was about to explain it.

What Li Chengqian said next sent a chill down his spine.

"Wasn't your Gar family a powerful clan ruling over the Gabu area? How come you've become subordinates of some Tsangpo... Was your Gar family defeated and annexed by him, or did you submit to him and serve him?"

Gardonzan looked up in horror, his weathered face now filled with shock and disbelief.

"This... Your Majesty the Khan, you... you actually know about our Gar family? And you even know about Gabu?"

Li Chengqian smiled faintly, as if the other party was making a fuss over nothing.

"What's the big deal? You speak fluent Mandarin just as well."

Gardonzan: "..."

Facing Li Chengqian's gaze, which clearly saw through everything and held a half-smile, Galdonzan, who had initially held some confidence in his request for today's outcome.

My mood instantly plummeted.

Having just destroyed the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, and in just six months, it seized the most fertile and valuable Dafeichuan and Chishuiyuan of Tuyuhun.

Such a crown prince of the Central Plains.

They even have some understanding of the situation on the Tibetan Plateau.

What this means is self-evident...

"What, didn't you say you had something to discuss with me? And you said you represented some kind of Zanpu (king), huh... has Tibet been unified now?"

"That's not right. My Imperial Guards clearly said that the major Tibetan clans, such as the Qiongbo, Dabo, Gongbu, and Niangbo clans, are all quite powerful."

"You guys wiped us out?"

"Hiss... The king you're talking about should be the son of Nangri Songtsen, right? I remember he was an only child."

"I didn't expect that he would quell the rebellion of those old nobles in Tibet so quickly?"

"Huh? Your new king didn't even wipe out Yangtong and Supi, did he?"

"With such strength, I'd like to have a go at your Zanpu. Judging by his age, he's not much different from me, tsk tsk tsk..."

"Hahaha! Such a prodigy, I, Li Chengqian, am willing to call him the strongest! So, you've come to declare war?"

Li Chengqian put down the document in his hand and rubbed his chin.

He looked utterly surprised, yet simultaneously extremely interested and eager for battle.

This made Gardonzan tremble involuntarily.

He hurriedly waved his hand.

"No, no, no, Your Majesty the Khan, you misunderstand. Our... our Zanpu's name is Songtsen Gampo, and he is indeed the only son of the previous Zanpu of Tibet. We... we have not yet quelled the rebellion within Tibet..."

The information that should never have been exposed was now forced to be revealed by Li Chengqian's few words.

Gardonzan's expression shifted between light and dark; his previous composure and confidence had vanished completely.

Facing the sharp gaze of this Tang Dynasty prince.

It gave me a feeling of being naked and absurd, as if I weren't even wearing any clothes.

"How dare we declare war on the great Celestial Tang Dynasty? We...we have come here hoping to gain the support of the Tang Dynasty and ask for its help in quelling the internal strife in Tibet!"

Gardonzan gritted his teeth and bowed.

however.

Upon hearing that it wasn't Li Chengqian who had come to provoke them, the interest and enthusiasm on his face vanished instantly.

His expression fell.

"Wang De! Show the guest out!"