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

Even though there was a mat between them.

But who was Li Shimin?

The first generation of General Tian Ce also underwent enhancement by the Red Fruit, and is now the pinnacle of human combat power in this world.

Humanoid Tyrannosaurus!

The mat could only protect Li Zhi from being beaten until his skin was torn and bleeding, but he could not avoid the pain.

At this moment, his own crown prince was right beside him, and Li Shimin was wielding a board with great force.

It has a sense of offering a pledge of allegiance.

The paddle landed hard on Li Zhi's bottom, causing Consort Yang and the others to grimace and grimac.

Empress Zhangsun, however, was still holding Li Chengqian's hand, smiling broadly.

He muttered in a low voice about the absurd things Li Zhi had done that day.

"Brilliant! You don't need to feel sorry for Zhi Nu. It's one thing for him to keep stealing sweets despite repeated warnings, but now he dares to steal from you, the Crown Prince, and even altered your exam papers. This is a serious matter and he must be disciplined severely!"

The voice just fell.

Li Shimin, the "executioner" standing to the side, immediately raised his eyebrows and put on a righteous and awe-inspiring appearance.

He looked in Li Chengqian's direction and waved his hand.

"Gao Ming, do not stop me today. This rebellious son is spoiled and pampered. You, as his elder brother, are reluctant to discipline him. If he is not disciplined, he may be capable of doing anything outrageous!"

"Today I will teach this brat a lesson and show him what rules are!"

"What does it mean to be an elder brother?!"

"What does it mean to be a crown prince!"

Li Chengqian looked at his younger brother Li Zhi, whose eyes were filled with tears and whose mouth was stuffed, looking at him with a pleading and sorrowful expression, and then at Li Shimin, who had once again raised the board in his hand.

His expression was indescribably strange.

This method of apology is quite reminiscent of the victors of the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

However, Li Chengqian, who was initially feeling sorry for Li Zhi's miserable state, changed his mind after hearing his mother recount what had happened after he left that day.

They immediately abandoned any thought of stopping them.

At such a young age, he is already disobedient; as a member of the royal family, he is capable of such despicable acts as secretly altering exam papers.

If they don't teach them a good lesson...

It's unlikely they'll learn their lesson.

Amidst the resounding thuds of the whip, Li Zhi's sobs were mournful and pitiful.

I don’t know how long the fight lasted.

With a snap, the board in Li Shimin's hand broke. Just as he was about to beckon and take it down, the long-awaited, heavenly sound finally came from the other side.

"Father, would you like to rest and have a glass of water?"

"okay!"

Li Shimin sat down with an air of grandeur, looking at the water poured for him by his own crown prince, feeling as if drinking this cup of water could prolong his life.

“I know you love your younger brothers and sisters. Li You and Li Yin have been well-educated by you, and I have seen that. But Zhi Nu has clearly been in Chang'an for too long and has developed a lot of bad habits. You, as the elder brother, can't bear to see him like this, so I, as the father, will play the villain!”

Li Shimin's fatherly demeanor caused several concubines to secretly chuckle.

This Ninth Prince is truly pitiful, having to fall into His Majesty's hands at such a crucial time.

This, ironically, became a way for His Majesty and the Crown Prince to admit their mistakes.

Li Chengqian smiled faintly.

"Zhi Nu has indeed been misbehaving a bit. It would be best if Father could discipline him... Father, how do you feel about handling the affairs of Bingzhou Circuit these days? Are they different from those in Chang'an?"

Hearing his own crown prince initiate the conversation.

Empress Zhangsun's smile eased slightly, and Li Shimin instantly felt a sense of relief.

My tense body relaxed a little.

"The administration of Bingzhou is heavy, and the matters involved are more detailed. Moreover, some policies involve foreign tribes such as the Turks. If we want them to truly win over their hearts, we need to carefully consider many things when handling them... Although there are also many matters in Chang'an, most of them do not need to be so detailed. I only need to have a general direction."

As he spoke, Li Shimin thought about his experiences during this period and couldn't help but sigh.

"Alas, I have become much more confused. I was completely unaware of the state affairs in Bingzhou before, and I thought you were handling things too personally..."

Li Chengqian smiled, and at this moment, his father's eyes were finally much clearer.

The worries and dissatisfaction in my heart finally subsided a bit.

"Hehe, Father is right, but in some ways, the affairs of Bingzhou don't have to be so burdensome. For example, the Yellow River water conservancy project is now on track, but the consumption of money and food is continuous."

"Often, in order to cut some expenses, the project leaders of local river sections have to impose restrictions on certain things, and even on the selection of river routes. If the finances are sufficient, they can simply and directly excavate."

"Bingzhou Circuit has many heavy affairs, but in the final analysis, they all boil down to two words."

Li Chengqian sighed, "We're short of money!"

Gao Hai stood behind Li Chengqian, his head bowed.

Hearing what the Crown Prince said, she pursed her lips, trying hard not to laugh out loud.

Li Shimin nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

"But I've noticed these past few days that the tax bureau and the commercial bureau have collected quite a bit of money. Taiyuan Prefecture has so many industries, and now they're like a treasure trove of business... So, is Bingzhou still short of money?"

Li Chengqian sighed.

"Father has been in Bingzhou for three months now. He must know about the national debt, right?"

"Your subject now owes a huge debt of thirty million strings of cash. If you include the national debts that the Duke of Lu and his family bought later, your subject now owes a total of thirty-two million strings of cash!"

"All of this money has been invested by your son in Dengzhou and the Tang Navy. With a 30% interest rate, that means that by this time next year, your son will have to come up with at least 41.6 million strings of cash!"

Li Shimin gasped.

The smiles on the faces of Empress Zhangsun and the other concubines slowly faded, and those who hadn't paid attention to this incident gasped in shock.

More than forty million strings of cash?!

This is equivalent to the total taxes of the entire Tang Dynasty for a year, which would take two or three years to accumulate.

Li Shimin did not calculate it at the time.

Hearing this number now makes me feel dizzy.

"How could you owe so much? More than 30 million strings of cash, are you going to invest it all in Dengzhou? This... how can you possibly need so much?"

"The navy is expensive, but how could it cost so much?"

Li Chengqian gently shook his head and asked Gao Hai to go to his palace to fetch a scroll.

He unfolded it directly in front of everyone, revealing a map of the sea frontier with many marked locations.

among them.

The five places—Dengzhou, Jeju Island, Fukuoka, Busan, and Tsushima Island—are specially highlighted in red.

"Father, I am in a great hurry! I know that many things cannot be rushed, but I have no choice but to be!"

Li Chengqian's expression was solemn, and he exuded an aura of authority that made even Li Shimin feel awe.

"Now, for my Great Tang Dynasty, money is not so important. What my Great Tang Dynasty needs is time!"

"Race against time, even if it means spending money, as long as we establish absolute hegemony over this sea area at an illogical speed, I dare say that the achievements of the Tang Dynasty will surpass those of the Qin and Han Dynasties!"

"Thirty million strings of cash is indeed a considerable burden, but if we can use these thirty million strings of cash to acquire an absolutely powerful naval fleet, then our Great Tang will be the only one in the entire world sitting at the table."

"Goguryeo, Silla, Baekje, and Japan are all just dishes on that plate!"

Li Shimin: "......"

“This, Silla, is a vassal state of our Great Tang.”

Li Shimin tried to say something weakly, but Li Chengqian glared at him.

"Can't we become a part of our Great Tang? Or do you, Father, feel that if you can't improve the lives of the people of Silla, then I can't improve the lives of the people of our vassal states?"

"Is it fair that the people of those vassal states have to bear the pressure of paying tribute to our Great Tang while also enduring the oppression of their own royal families and nobles?"

Li Shimin: "......"

I can't argue with you.

"Ah, more than forty million strings of cash. No wonder you are so tired every day, Gao Ming. It is I who have caused you trouble these days."

Li Shimin sighed, then his expression turned serious.

He suddenly stood up and bowed to Li Chengqian.

The eunuchs and palace maids around Gao Hai were terrified and their expressions changed.

"I am an incompetent emperor. Brilliant! You deserve this salute!"

Li Shimin was quite serious and was about to bow in greeting, but Li Chengqian hurriedly stood up and helped him up.

“Father, please don’t do this… To be honest, it’s because I’m too upright. Li Shi and the others have said this more than once: too much rigidity leads to breakage. If I hadn’t repeatedly failed to save face for you in front of outsiders, you wouldn’t be in such a passive position.”

"In the end, it is still your son who is at fault!"

As he spoke, Li Chengqian took the lead in bowing.

His sincere expression and respectful voice caused Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun's eyes to redden slightly.

"It is because I am spoiled and arrogant and have not been considerate of my father's difficulties. If I had spoken to my father properly and explained the matter and the misunderstanding, we would not have become so suspicious of each other."

"Father is benevolent. He has entrusted me with the management of such a vast territory as Bingzhou and Zhenbei. He has been far too lenient with me."

"If I had spoken of my difficulties earlier, Father would have surely done his best to help me, instead of being stubborn and defiant as I am now, and instead incurring such a huge debt."

Li Shimin waved his hand repeatedly and wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.

He patted his own son on the shoulder.

"Alright, alright, it's all in the past. Gao Ming, you made no mistake. It was all my fault as the emperor who was foolish. I assure you that such absurd things will never happen again."

"Don't worry about your money, I will help you find a way."

Li Chengqian shook his head repeatedly: "Your Majesty, I appreciate your kindness, but I brought this upon myself, so it would be inappropriate to trouble you. I believe that if Your Majesty has the capacity, you will certainly not refuse."

“If Father Emperor had ten million strings of cash, I would certainly not be stingy with it if I were in trouble.”

Such praise and flattery made the emotionally charged Li Shimin burst into laughter.

"If I had ten million strings of cash, I would have it all sent to you, Gaoming!"

A smile flashed in Li Chengqian's eyes.

"What if Father Emperor had thirty million strings of cash?"

Li Shimin tilted his head back, his eyes serious and solemn, his face full of heroic spirit.

“Brilliant! You are the crown prince, and the entire Tang Dynasty will be yours in the future. You are not going to squander it on debauchery, so I am not worried that you will do anything outrageous. Let alone thirty million strings of cash, even ten million strings of cash!”

"Whatever I have, I'll send it all to you!"

Li Shimin stood with his hands on his hips and one arm around his crown prince's shoulder, looking like he was saying, "I am your strongest support."

But the next moment.

But the faint voice came again.

"What if Father Emperor had 5.37 million strings of cash?"