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

"After those two die, have you ever thought about what will happen to our Great Tang Dynasty?"

Outside the Wude Hall.

Changsun Wuji, Cui Xiaoguo, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the eunuchs and palace maids of the Wude Hall who obeyed Emperor Li Shimin, as well as the Imperial Guards, remained silent and did not utter a sound.

It was as if the cries coming from inside the hall had been completely ignored by them at this moment.

Changsun Wuji stood quietly with his hands behind his back, looking up at the moon.

The moonlight on this day of the Reunion Festival shines around the Wude Hall, making the palace seem even colder.

however.

At this moment, Li Yuan's heart was even colder than the full moon outside.

"Although you are imprisoned in the imperial estate, you should not be kept in the dark about the outside world, right? You should know what changes have taken place in our Great Tang Dynasty."

Li Yuan spoke in a way that revealed neither joy nor anger.

His gaze was fixed on Li Chengdao, the eldest son of Jiancheng, who was crying and wailing, urging him to kill Li Shimin and his son.

“Chengdao, do you know that only about a month after that incident, the Eastern Turkic leader Jieli led 100,000 cavalrymen into our Great Tang territory, and marched all the way through Jingyang to the Wei River.”

"The enemy is at the city gates!"

Li Yuan took a deep breath: "If you and your father were in that situation, how would you handle it?"

Li Chengdao, who was crying his heart out, could never have imagined that his beloved grandfather, Li Yuan, had regained power and not only did not directly avenge them.

They even set up exam questions here.

"I ask you, if your fathers were still alive, and the Eastern Turks were at the gates of your cities, what would you do?"

Li Yuan's voice became a few decibels louder.

Li Chengdao and the others looked at each other in bewilderment.

After a long silence, Li Chengye, the eldest son of the King of Qi and the Prince of Liang, stood with his neck stiff.

“Grandfather, I have also read that newspaper. The Turks and our Great Tang are allies. Moreover, Khan Jieli even formed a brotherhood alliance with you. If it weren’t for the Qin King and his son’s coup and palace coup, would the Turks have sent troops?”

"If my uncle were still alive, why would the Turks send troops?"

The Crown Prince and the other sons of the King of Qi all nodded in agreement.

He looked completely convinced.

however.

These grandsons, each with their innocent and confident demeanor, almost made Li Yuan faint on the spot.

God-f***ing Brotherhood!

Who is the elder brother?

Who's the younger brother?

In order to maintain this so-called brotherhood alliance, our Great Tang Dynasty had to send supplies and tribute to the Eastern Turks every year.

This is an act that is called a brotherhood alliance, but in reality it is a matter of submission and tribute.

Is it something to be so proud of in your eyes?

The Eastern Turks invaded our Great Tang, plundering people and villages along the way and killing civilians. In your eyes, this is actually acting on behalf of Heaven.

Li Yuan's hands, hidden beneath his sleeves, clenched and unclenched repeatedly.

At that moment, he felt only irony and confusion.

When he first established the Tang Dynasty, the political situation was unstable and powerful warlords and warlords were everywhere. In order to avoid being attacked from both sides by Liu Wuzhou and the Turks, he was forced to submit to the Turks and pay tribute.

This was a thorn in his side.

Li Jiancheng, the first crown prince, knew about this matter, as did Prince Qi, Li Yuanji.

But why are their children so foolish and ignorant?

Suddenly, Li Yuan remembered something Li Shimin had mentioned to him while fishing: Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji's sons referred to Chengqian and Li Tai as "household slaves"...

Li Yuan felt another surge of anger.

For the first time, he felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, his grandson had forced and coerced the Prince of Qin into launching a palace coup.

If he were truly to await his execution, then his eldest son, Jiancheng, would inherit the throne.

How can someone who can't even teach his own son be expected to govern the world?

"Alright, since you believe that the Turks' attack on Chang'an is to save the people of our Great Tang, what about the aristocratic families?"

"You were once born into the Li Tang royal family. Although you never entered the court, you should know how much influence powerful families can have on the nation, right?"

"Now, the treacherous Second Uncle and his brother Chengqian, whom you call traitors, have truly reduced the influence of the Five Clans and Seven Families to the bare minimum. The Lu family of Fanyang, the Cui family of Qinghe, the Cui family of Boling, and the Li family of Zhao County have been almost completely eradicated!"

"If you and your father were in the same positions as your second uncle and Chengqian, facing a powerful clan forcing you to abdicate, a monopolistic court, and the dominance of aristocratic families, how would you break the deadlock?"

If Li Chengdao and his fathers, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, were alive, they would see Li Yuan's expression at this moment.

He was certainly able to distinguish right from wrong; at this moment, Li Yuan was furious to the extreme.

However, Li Chengdao, son of Li Jiancheng, didn't even think about it when he heard the question.

"Then let's arrange marriages! We can win them over and use them for our purposes!"

What a wonderful marriage alliance! What a perfect way to use them for my own purposes!

Ignorant! Mentally ill!

Li Yuan took a deep breath: "Don't you know that daughters of noble families don't marry into the royal family?"

"If they are willing to marry their daughters off, would I stop your father from doing so?"

Before the others could offer any explanation, Li Yuan spoke again.

"I ask you again, the Great Tang has been established for several years, and policies such as the equal-field system to encourage the people to cultivate the land were issued long ago. However, powerful families still disregard the laws of the court and continue to annex land and conceal the population."

"They secretly stockpiled grain and fodder, cultivated local popular support, and even kept vicious slaves and servants to oppose local officials."

"In some prefectures and counties, the government is completely controlled by a single family or clan, and imperial orders are ignored. How do you plan to break this deadlock?"

Li Chengdao, Li Chengye, and others: "..."

"Then let the people cultivate new land!" said Li Chengyi, the fifth son of the Crown Prince and the Prince of Julu, boldly expressing his dissatisfaction.

Li Yuan was so angry that he laughed instead.

With a thumbs up, he was surprised to find that with such a wise and virtuous crown prince as Li Chengqian, who was a rare find throughout history, he was now somewhat suspicious that all the imperial grandsons in front of him were born to Jiancheng and Yuanji's concubines and other men.

Why are they so stupid and ignorant?

Even the emperor's grandson, who was beaten up by his second son and daughter-in-law all day long because of his greed for sweets, could at least understand the truth.

"You have all studied at the Imperial Academy. No one cultivates barren land, but when it is cultivated, everyone fights for it! Have you never understood this principle?!"

"Even if we let the people reclaim wasteland, can they really control the land they cultivate?"

"The powerful families control the prices of grain and salt, and many of their sons serve as officials in local areas. If they want to seize land, let alone the Tang Dynasty law, which is a mere formality in their eyes, even if they abide by the Tang Dynasty law, they have a thousand ways to take over the land that the people have worked so hard to cultivate!"

"The common people would never curse those aristocratic officials; they would only curse the Li Tang imperial family!"

"They will say that your father, and even I, are tyrannical rulers!"

"Even the former dynasty's Yang Jian and the Qin dynasty's Ying Zheng managed to have their two dynasties fall. If my Great Tang falls into your hands, I'm afraid even I, the emperor, won't be able to survive!"

Li Yuan was furious.

The joyful mood of the reunion was completely ruined by the stupidity of these imperial grandsons.

With a "bang!" kick, he sent the men who were clinging to his leg flying.

He glanced sideways at the sons of Prince Qi, Li Yuanji, who were clinging to his other leg.

The cold gaze frightened the group so much that they immediately let go.

He knelt on the ground and backed away repeatedly.

"Grandpa, please don't be angry. We didn't understand. We'll definitely study hard from now on. But, but you must avenge our father! Waaah..."

“Grandpa, if you don’t care about us anymore, then we really have no chance at all.”

"Yes, Grandfather, that bastard Li Chengqian will kill us! He will definitely kill us!"

Li Yuan snorted angrily.

"Look at you all now! With your empty heads and your clueless, stupid expressions, what are you? If the Crown Prince were to kill you, that would be an insult to him!"

"Killing you would only dirty my hands!"

Li Chengdao understood from Li Yuan's words that he would not avenge them.

Anger welled up inside him, and he raised his head with a look of resentment and malice.

"Grandfather, you're being unfair! My father was your son, and we are your grandsons. Why do you still protect Li Shimin and Li Chengqian after they committed such treasonous acts?"

"How can you face our father's spirit in heaven?!"

"You said they governed the Tang Dynasty very well. If our father were still alive, he would be no worse than them!"

"Back then at Xuanwu Gate, if you hadn't so easily believed Li Shimin's false accusations, our father wouldn't have lost his life!"

"We will never be prisoners confined to a royal estate like we are today!"

Li Chengdao's angry questions and shouts carried directly outside the Wude Hall.

Changsun Wuji took a deep breath, looked up at the moon that seemed to be getting rounder and rounder, and secretly calculated the time in his mind.

Li Yuan stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Looking at Li Chengdao, who was kneeling on the ground with his neck stiff and a face full of resentment and anger.

Looking into the other person's eyes, which were quite similar to those in his memory.

Suddenly he burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! Good! That's the look in my eyes! That's the look Chengqian used when he wielded his spear and ousted me from the throne! Good!"

"Stab!"

Li Yuan suddenly pulled a Tang dynasty ceremonial sword from the weapon rack.

With a clatter, he threw it in front of the enraged Li Chengdao and suddenly opened his arms.

"Come! I'll give you a chance today! Kill me!"

Li Yuan's eyes were filled with anger, yet also with the cold, authoritative majesty unique to imperial power.

"Since you are so unwilling to accept this and consider yourselves so great, why don't you avenge your father yourselves?"

"Kill this cowardly emperor! Then take control of Chang'an, which is now without an emperor!"

"Didn't you say that the aristocratic families could be won over by you?"

"Perfect timing! The Pei family of Hedong, the Du family of Jingzhao, and the Zheng family of Xingyang are all currently in power in Chang'an. Go and win them over, and then be surrounded by them as you ascend the throne and become emperor!"

"Send troops to Bingzhou and take the heads of your second uncle and cousin Chengqian!"

"Come!"

"Pick up the knife!!!"