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

Li Xueyan ultimately failed to become a "fellow villager".

However, precisely because of this, the other party's value and status in Li Chengqian's eyes have risen to a new level.

"Sister Xueyan, besides making these design drafts, don't you have anything else to do on weekdays?"

Li Chengqian asked aloud.

Meanwhile, she was flipping through a booklet that Princess Jiangxia had sent by someone. It was said that Li Xueyan had left it with her, and it was full of all kinds of textile patterns.

Princess Jiangxia didn't think anything of it; apart from looking a bit prettier, there didn't seem to be anything unusual about her.

Even the nonchalant attitude of Li Xueyan, one of these eccentric authors, towards this booklet further shocked Li Chengqian.

Could Princess Wencheng truly be a person blessed with great fortune?

Look at what's in this booklet!

Green ground with eight roundels of floral patterns, pink lotus scroll pattern, beige ground with ruyi and floral patterns, chrysanthemum scroll pattern...

Each page features a new design.

Some of them were things Li Chengqian had never seen in his previous life, while others he had seen in national treasures on display in museums.

These patterns were not only used on textiles such as official robes, dragon robes, and phoenix robes, but also on lacquerware, pottery, and bronzeware.

Li Xueyan sat quietly to the side, her pretty face cupped in her hands.

The pavilion was surrounded by screens and a heater, so it wasn't cold at all. However, with her beloved Crown Prince by her side, she felt even warmer inside.

Her eyes, fixed on Li Chengqian's profile, grew increasingly flushed without her noticing.

"Snow Goose? Snap!"

Li Chengqian raised his eyebrows and snapped his fingers in front of his cousin, who was in a daze.

Li Xueyan snapped back to reality in an instant.

"Ah! Brother Crown Prince, you, is something wrong?"

Li Chengqian was speechless. He pointed to the booklet in his hand and the thick pile of drawings on the table.

"Besides drawing these things, do you do anything else on a daily basis?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xueyan thought for a moment, then gently shook her head.

"Aside from the occasional trip by carriage to the Wei River or other places, there's nothing else to do..."

As if she had thought of something, Li Xueyan blushed again halfway through her sentence.

The way she looked at Li Chengqian also became more evasive, like a young girl.

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, making sounds of admiration.

"Amazing! I'd call you the number one female homebody designer in the Tang Dynasty!" Li Chengqian said, not caring whether Li Xueyan understood or not, and gave her a thumbs up.

These drawings laid out on the table are hardly ordinary sketches.

This is an intangible, priceless cultural treasure that can be passed down through the ages!

"Brother Crown Prince, are these things useful to you?"

Li Xueyan asked cautiously.

Li Chengqian suddenly burst into laughter.

"Useful? More than useful! Extremely useful! Hahaha!"

Seeing the other person's blank expression, Li Chengqian took a deep breath and patiently began to explain.

Carefully put away the drawings on the table and set them aside.

Picking up the teacup and snacks on the table, one can then use tea to outline the scene on the stone table.

"Xueyan, look, this is Jingchuan County in Chang'an. Now, the economic, military and political centers of our Great Tang are all in the north, especially around Guannei Road. However, does our Great Tang only have half of the country?"

Li Chengqian seemed to instantly enter a state of euphoria.

This prompted Princess Jiangxia, who had been eavesdropping nearby, to cautiously prick up her ears from behind the courtyard wall.

On the table, Li Chengqian used tea to draw a rough outline of the Tang Dynasty's territory, and then skillfully sketched out the Yellow River and the Yangtze River.

At this point, the map of the Tang Dynasty on the stone table seemed to be divided into three parts: upper, middle, and lower.

"The future Bingzhou in the north, the Jiuyuan under construction in Zhenbei Road, and Youzhou in Hedong Road will all make the economy and military strength of the north as solid as a mountain."

"With Chang'an, Luoyang, and Dengzhou downstream of the Yellow River in the central region, we can firmly control the central government."

“However, only in the South…” Li Chengqian took a deep breath.

“Huainan, Jiannan, Jiangnan, Lingnan... are all places with small populations and complex terrains, but the local climate is excellent for developing agriculture. For example, rice in Linyi can be harvested two or even three times a year.”

"In this case, why can't the rice varieties from Linyi be grown in Jiangnan and Lingnan as well?"

Li Chengqian's eyes gleamed with an air of supreme arrogance, like a divine light overlooking all living beings from the clouds, causing Li Xueyan beside him to become mesmerized.

"Currently, our Great Tang Dynasty is not facing a large food shortage. In any case, we have Linyi to supply us with grain. At worst, we can make them our Great Tang Dynasty's colony and grain-producing area. The problem I am facing now is how to break the deadlock in the development of Jiangnan!"

As Li Chengqian spoke, a smile appeared on his lips.

He glanced at Li Xueyan beside him and pointed to her pile of drawings.

"Grain prices are controlled by the imperial court. I can only guarantee that farmers won't starve, and at most, I can ensure they are slightly better off. But if I want the people of my Great Tang, especially those in the south, to live a prosperous life, all I can think of is maritime trade, tea, silk, and porcelain..."

Li Chengqian pointed again at the location of Jingchuan County in Chang'an.

“Jingchuan County is now the center of sericulture in our Great Tang Dynasty. I have long had the idea of ​​shifting this center of gravity southward. Xueyan, the things you drew have given me an opportunity!”

As Li Chengqian spoke, the light of excitement in his eyes grew even stronger.

however.

These were things that Li Xueyan, a homebody who paid little attention to court affairs, found hard to understand.

Hearing Li Chengqian's praise made her feel sweet inside.

"Yes, it's good that I can help my brother, the Crown Prince..."

Li Chengqian was full of energy.

He picked up the sketch in his hands again and suddenly called out to Wang De beside him.

"Wang De, send someone to summon my seventh brother. I have some questions for him..."

Upon hearing this, Wang De quickly nodded and left.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Princess Jiangxia, who had finished eavesdropping and quietly returned to her courtyard, was so excited that she almost cried out.

Become!

This is definitely going to be a success!

Not only did it work out, but the Crown Prince clearly took a great liking to that girl Xueyan!

Just as she was happily waiting for the King of Jiangxia to return from court and share this great news with him, King Li Daozong of Jiangxia surprised her unexpectedly.

They actually returned ahead of schedule.

"Master, great news! Great news..."

Princess Jiangxia grabbed Li Daozong, who was about to pay his respects after learning of the Crown Prince's visit.

"Alright, alright, the Crown Prince and Xueyan are having a pleasant conversation right now. What are you doing meddling? Come on, sit down. I have something to tell you..."

Princess Jiangxia was truly excited and pulled Li Daozong back into the house.

Then, he recounted what he had just overheard.

"Hiss! You mean, His Highness said he's planning to develop the south? And that girl Xueyan was a big help?"

Li Daozong gasped. He had originally intended to reprimand the other party for his reckless act of eavesdropping on the Crown Prince's speech, but now he was stunned by Li Chengqian's words.

"There are still many things to deal with in Bingzhou, and now we have to conquer the Western Turks... Isn't Your Highness being too hasty?"

Li Daozong frowned.

Similarly, when Prince Jiang, Li Yun, who had just received a message from Wang De, arrived at the Jiangxia Prince's residence, he also looked troubled and hesitant upon hearing his elder brother's words.

"Brother, isn't this silkworm rearing and development in the south a bit too hasty... You can't possibly manage it all."

Li Chengqian curled his lip.

"Who told you that it was me who was going to do it?"

Li Yun was taken aback and didn't understand. Then, he noticed that his elder brother, the Crown Prince, was gradually developing a strange expression.

What the hell!

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I'm only 13 this year, I..." Sweat instantly broke out on Li Yun's forehead.

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I didn't say you were going! You're better suited for your mechanical research. What can you do without Imperial University?"

Li Yun breathed a sigh of relief, but still looked uneasy.

"So, Your Highness is planning to send Fifth Brother instead?"

Li You?

Li Chengqian immediately shook his head: "Alright, stop thinking nonsense. Your third and fourth brothers have followed me to the battlefield and have seen countless dangers. They are also people who are suitable for governing a region."

"The rest of you brothers..."

Li Chengqian seemed quite dissatisfied, while Li Yun was completely relaxed.

"Then, Your Majesty, why did you summon me here...?"

"I remember you interned at a textile factory in Yanmen County for two months. You were able to make the improved textile machines and jacquard machines, right?"

Upon hearing that it was an area he was good at, Li Yun immediately smiled.

"No problem! I've disassembled and broken several of those things; I know their structure by heart..."

"I will have the Ministry of Works allocate a group of skilled craftsmen to you, and give you another 50,000 strings of cash. You should quickly lead your men to assemble a batch of machines in Chang'an..."

......

"Da da da....."

"Da da da......"

"Da da da... Bang! When will this end?!"

Outside the Ganlu Hall, the tower that was once used to gaze towards his son's Taiyuan Prefecture has undergone several renovations and reinforcements, and has now become a long-standing part of the Tang Dynasty imperial palace.

However, this wooden pagoda now serves as the platform where Li Shimin, while reviewing memorials, would hurl envious and resentful glances at the Eastern Palace...

He angrily pointed at the fast horses that kept galloping in and out of the East Palace.

Furious.

"This is the palace. Tell his men that if they want to ride a horse, they can get out and ride it!"

Fan Qi looked nervous and troubled, unable to fathom whether His Majesty was truly angry and needed him to carry out orders, or simply throwing a tantrum and grumbling as usual...

Fang Xuanling advised from the side, "Your Majesty, the Eastern Palace seems to be quite busy lately."

"Busy? He's already back in Chang'an, and his father-in-law and uncle are keeping an eye on things in Bingzhou. What could he possibly be busy with?"

"this......"

All eyes turned to Fan Qi, who was standing to the side.

Fan Qi lowered her head and spoke softly.

"Your Highness, recently you have transferred almost all the silk from the treasury, and you have also specially ordered a batch of wool yarn from Bingzhou to be purchased from the West Market... You have also summoned many skilled embroiderers to the palace."

Li Shimin: "He's a crown prince, and now he's actually studying needlework?!"