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

The Empress has left.

Consort Wei looked anxiously at Emperor Li Shimin, who seemed to have lost his soul, leaning against the wall with a desolate expression.

"Your Majesty, please don't just stand there. If the Crown Prince really abdicates, who will be able to sit on the throne?"

"Who dares to sit here?"

Li Shimin simply stared blankly up at her.

My mind was filled with Empress Zhangsun's fierce rebuke.

Do I hate Chengqian?

If someone had asked this question in the past, Li Shimin would have definitely chopped off their head with his own hands.

But now, looking back on all that had happened during this period, Li Shimin suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Creepy!

"Have I really become such a muddle-headed person?"

He murmured to himself, as images began to surface in his mind.

On the shore of Chang'an Lake, the retired emperor, who was fishing with him, earnestly instructed the crown prince to treat him well: "Alas, if Jiancheng had even half of Chengqian's responsibility and talent back then, you brothers would not have ended up like this."

In the Ganlu Hall, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui repeatedly exclaimed that the Tang Dynasty had received such a crown prince, as if it had been blessed by the heavens: "Your Majesty, with such a grandson as the crown prince, our Tang Dynasty can prosper for at least three hundred years!"

In the Lizheng Hall, the Empress chuckled lightly upon learning that the Crown Prince had retrieved the First Emperor's Imperial Seal for him: "Does Your Majesty still say Chengqian is a rebellious son? That child is incredibly filial; you watched him grow up with your own eyes..."

Before the Cheng Yi Hall, Qin Qiong, with blood in his mouth and a face full of grief and despair, cried out, "Your Highness! Your Highness, what has happened to you?!"

And finally, there was the Crown Prince Chengqian, whose eyes, seemingly devoid of any luster, stared at him blankly.

"Father, I will commit suicide to atone for my sins against the world! Whether it's the Xuanwu Gate Incident that harmed my family, the massacre of noble families in Hedong Province, or even the Buddhist affairs, feel free to pin the blame on me... I guarantee that your throne will be clean!"

The overwhelming sense of terror nearly shattered Li Shimin's mental defenses in an instant.

His body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.

His forehead was covered in cold sweat.

My vision was blurry and unfocused.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Your Majesty, what's wrong?!"

An anxious slapping sound came from his face, accompanied by a rough and familiar voice, which barely brought Li Shimin back to his senses.

Seeing Yuchi Jingde so anxious that he was spitting everywhere, Li Shimin had no mind to dwell on these matters.

Despite his slightly weak body, he grabbed the other person.

"My Chengqian, where is Chengqian?!"

"Who brought you to my side?"

"It's that round, bright moon~ It's that round, bright moon~"

In the dim light, the courtesans dressed as exotic dancers from the Orient brothel swayed their skirts gently as they danced, like blooming flowers.

Her dance steps were as graceful as flowing water, her eyebrows and eyes were like a painting, and a mysterious smile hung on the slightly upturned corners of her mouth.

Her singing voice was like heavenly music, melodious and lingering, seemingly able to penetrate the heart.

Although it was just a little tune that Li Chengqian wrote casually, it was so lively and vivid under the performance of the musicians and courtesans of Yunxian Tower.

As one of the few people in Yunxian Tower who sells their art but not their body.

If one's skills are lacking or one's appearance is unattractive, one would have long since gone hungry.

Therefore, if these girls in front of Li Chengqian were placed in later generations, they would all be able to directly compete with the original camera without any beauty filters.

"what!"

"Hey!"

Amidst the melodious music, Li Chengqian appeared rather unrestrained and dissolute.

She walked right into the middle of the group, making avant-garde dance moves while loudly singing a familiar tune from her past life.

Outside.

Cheng Yaojin and Wang De looked conflicted and nervous.

Compared to them, the madam of Yunxian Tower was even more nervous at this moment.

The sight of the Imperial Guards and heavily armored soldiers downstairs made her realize that the young master she was entertaining today was probably of a much higher status than she had imagined.

even......

Cui Xiaoguo stared at the madam with a sinister look, his fierce eyes flashing with murderous intent, which terrified the madam so much that she wished she could faint on the spot.

however.

The madam felt tormented, and at this moment, the Imperial Guards, who were loyal to the Crown Prince, eager to make a name for themselves and hoping that these good men would achieve great things, were even more tormented.

The one above, indulging in pleasure, is none other than the crown prince, whom they revere like a god!

Almost everyone had only one thought in their mind at that moment.

"Kill that guy who made the Crown Prince so heartbroken and despondent!"

The commotion caused by the Imperial Guards drew curious glances from the surrounding merchants and residents of Yunxian Tower.

Half a day passed without anyone being arrested, and the sounds of string and wind instruments from upstairs continued unabated.

This has led many to speculate about what happened at Yunxian Tower today...

After an unknown amount of time, a carriage stopped in front of Yunxian Tower.

Empress Zhangsun's personal maid walked quickly inside, and a short while later, Qian Yingying followed her out.

"Your Majesty, you should go back. The Crown Prince is in a bad mood today and doesn't want to see anyone. I will stay here and keep an eye on him, and I will make sure nothing happens to him..."

Inside the carriage, Empress Zhangsun couldn't help but feel worried.

"Has Chengqian said when he will return to the palace?"

Qian Yingying shook her head helplessly, and Empress Zhangsun couldn't help but sigh again.

Hearing the decadent sounds coming from upstairs, he gently shook his head.

Soon, the carriage departed.

Not long after Empress Zhangsun left, Yuchi Jingde hurriedly arrived with Emperor Li Shimin, who was dressed in plain clothes.

"Your Majesty, you should go back. His Highness the Crown Prince refuses to see anyone today!"

Just as he reached the door, Qian Yingying's figure blocked his way.

"You are the Crown Princess he has chosen. Now that he has come to a place like this, are you going to protect him too?" Li Shimin frowned, looking anxiously upstairs.

"I'm just having a few words with him; we won't argue..."

Qian Yingying blocked her way again.

"Your Majesty, if you truly care for the Crown Prince, why not let him have some peace and quiet here for a while? The Crown Prince is quite tired. The girls up there are all respectable performers who don't sell their bodies. I will keep an eye on them, and nothing will happen."

Li Shimin: "......"

Looking at the gazes of the Imperial Guards on the first floor, he glanced at Cheng Yaojin and Wang De, who were guarding the area.

In the end, Li Shimin sighed.

He did not stubbornly go up to see the Crown Prince.

"Let's go back to Yangcheng Palace!"

At this moment, the area around the Shougong Hall of Yangcheng Palace was in complete chaos.

Wang Ming, the governor of Bingzhou, Wang Qingyun, the military commander, Xiao Rui from the Commerce Department, officials from the Medical College, the Agricultural College, and the Yellow River Water Conservancy Project... all of whom were in Taiyuan Prefecture or had come to Taiyuan Prefecture today to report on their duties.

In just one morning, hundreds of officials were already waiting here.

"Elder Li, is His Highness ill? Why has no one arrived yet?"

"Old Master Yu, why don't you go and find the Crown Prince? If that doesn't work, you could try asking Miss Yingying. There are so many things waiting for His Highness's approval."

"Prefect Wang, what should we do? The National Medical Research Institute in Datong has been completed, but we still don't have a physician. With His Highness away, we can't leave it vacant forever, can we?"

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. The financial reports from various regions regarding healthcare reform were submitted a while ago, and some of them are still waiting for us to make up for their deficits..."

Li Gang and Yu Shinan were both so anxious that their foreheads were covered in sweat.

On the secretariat side, Wang Yuyan saw her colleagues rushing back and hurriedly went to them.

"Where is His Highness? Have you been able to find out?"

The female official hesitated for a few seconds, then gritted her teeth and was about to say something when a loud voice suddenly came from the palace gate.

"The emperor has arrived!"

Everyone was taken aback, then hurriedly prepared to bow and greet the arriving guest.

Everyone was completely confused.

His Highness the Crown Prince didn't come, but His Majesty did. What exactly happened today?

Could it be that His Majesty the Emperor has given the Crown Prince...

Li Gang and Yu Shinan stood at the front of the procession, bowing respectfully as they looked at Li Shimin as he alighted from the carriage, their eyes filled with obvious resentment.

"This old man (your subject) greets Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be well!"

Li Shimin took a deep breath and waved his hand.

Looking at the Crown Prince's officials in front of him, and glancing at the documents that almost everyone had in their hands, he felt a sense of pressure rising in his heart.

"Alright, rise. The Crown Prince is unwell today. I will handle these memorials and documents!"

As he spoke, Li Shimin ignored the bewildered looks on everyone's faces.

They went straight into the Shougong Hall.

Looking at the main hall in the Shougong Hall, there was the seat where their own Crown Prince had sat for more than a year, with small tables set up on both sides around it for Li Gang and Yu Shinan.

However, now all three tables are piled high with documents and scrolls.

Li Shimin: "......"

"Your Majesty, is it really impossible to invite His Highness the Crown Prince back?" Li Gang leaned close to Li Shimin and asked in a low voice.

Li Shimin glanced at him, ignoring the word "please" he uttered, and simply shook his head slightly.

"He's in a fit of anger right now, and he won't even see his mother. I... I want to go and persuade him, but I'm afraid that forcing my way in will only make things worse..."

He sighed, looking at the table full of documents in front of him and the many officials behind him waiting to be dealt with.

"Alright, let him calm down for a while. I can handle things here as well."

aside.

Yu Shinan looked at His Majesty the Emperor, who had not dealt with any proper state affairs for nearly a year, and then looked at the state of the Shougong Hall.

He couldn't help but exchange a glance with Li Gang.

Your Majesty!

We are glad that you have finally realized your mistake.

But...aren't you being a little too confident?

The new policies in Bingzhou Circuit are not the same as those in Chang'an...

Li Shimin took the seat of Crown Prince Li Chengqian and received the most urgent request: for supplies to the troops stationed in Qinghai City and Chishui City in the direction of Tuyuhun.

He glanced at it and was about to wave his hand and approve it directly.

Li Gang quickly pressed his hand down.

"No, no, no, Your Majesty, I would never dare!"

Li Shimin looked puzzled: "Why is that? The Tuyuhun garrison is requesting more supplies to consolidate the Tang Dynasty's control over the area..."

Yu Shinan shook his head slightly and pointed to the geomantic map next to him.

"Your Majesty, not to mention the considerable losses incurred during the long journey, there is also the ongoing large-scale construction in Qinghai City and Chishui City, which has already required a significant investment."

“We can send the supplies for the garrison directly, such as the wear and tear of weapons and armor. But we have ways to save the medicine, military rations, and warhorses.”

Li Gang nodded and sighed as he leaned close to Li Shimin.

"Your Highness currently has the Tibetan king in his grasp. This is a perfect opportunity to squeeze some money out of them!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Ming, the governor of Bingzhou who was waiting to handle official business for him, nodded.

But then he spoke up to add something.

"Not only Tibet, but also Tuyuhun has not yet paid the reparations from that year. We can use this as an excuse to plunder Tuyuhun again. They still have a lot of medicine there!"

Li Shimin: "......"

What Yangcheng Palace? This is Yangcheng Village, isn't it?

However, it must be said that the officials of Taiyuan Prefecture nowadays really treat foreigners like bandits treat merchants; when they get angry, they are truly ruthless.

On that day, documents piled up higher and higher in front of Li Shimin in the Shougong Hall.

He was completely unaware of many details regarding the new policies and reforms, and even his own son, the Crown Prince, had only a superficial understanding of his political policies.

Not only was he exhausted, but he also narrowly escaped collapsing Li Gang and Yu Shinan.

The secretariat finally finished its shift, but Wang Yuyan, Wu Shun, and the other female secretaries seemed to have had their energy drained, slumped limply in their seats.

"Your Highness... if you don't return soon, I won't be able to live to see the day I marry you..."