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

Looking at his father, his eyes, filled with resentment and anger, slowly closed.

He lay slumped over the table, and soon began snoring.

Li Shimin tried to suppress his excitement several times, but in the end he couldn't contain the joy and excitement in his heart.

"Hahahaha!"

"Bang" sound.

Li Shimin kicked over the table in front of him. Li Chengqian stood up helplessly and looked at his grandfather, who, even in his unconscious state, still seemed to be struggling with something.

I couldn't help but sigh.

"Grandpa Emperor, I told you so, be careful..."

Li Shimin's smile was extremely joyful, just like when he had defeated Wang Shichong with fewer troops.

He hurried over to Pei Ji, Wang Gui, and Xiao Yu, who were hiding in the crowd at the very end of the banquet.

"Hahaha, Duke of Wei, Duke of Song, you and the Emperor Emeritus have schemed and plotted, and during this time you have gone to great lengths to please me, even personally helping me handle state affairs... You are truly loyal to my father!"

Li Shimin, with his strong arms on either side, instantly wrapped his arms around Pei Ji and Wang Gui.

The pectoral muscles, throbbing with excitement, moved from side to side like the thunderous drums of a victorious battle, pulsating just inches in front of the two men.

This made their already pale faces even more gloomy and ugly.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty...you..."

Pei Ji still tried to say something.

Li Shimin gave a cold laugh and suddenly interrupted.

"Alright! Duke of Wei, stop talking. I have already approved the Ministry of War's report you submitted a few days ago, as well as the tiger tally for the expedition. If I am not mistaken... the camps around Chang'an are ready to set off, aren't they?"

Li Shimin's eyes were filled with coldness, and his questioning voice made several veteran officials of the Wude era inwardly groan.

"Hmph! They were worried that the Emperor Emeritus wouldn't be able to get me drunk, so they secretly drugged my drink... No wonder the Wude Hall suddenly asked me for Fan Qi and the other eunuchs to buy something. The eunuchs in the Wude Hall and the palace stewards weren't enough, so they had to send my personal eunuchs in person?!"

"Pei Ji, Wang Gui, Xiao Yu! How dare you!"

Pfft!

Xiao Yu immediately knelt on the ground, his face ashen, and looked pleadingly at His Highness the Crown Prince standing beside him.

Pei Ji and Wang Gui were held in a pincer movement by Li Shimin, one on each side.

At this moment, his legs went weak and he wanted to kneel down, but Li Shimin lifted him up like a chick.

The two women, trembling with fear, looking weak, powerless, pitiful, and helpless, immediately attracted many sympathetic and pitiful glances.

"Tsk tsk tsk... These old geezers are in for a rough time~"

Fang Xuanling smiled broadly, making no attempt to hide the schadenfreude on his face.

Even Du Ruhui, who was standing to the side, coughed lightly twice, and a smile appeared on his lips as he lowered his head.

"Your Majesty, this...this is all the Emperor Emeritus's decree! We...we..."

"The Emperor Emeritus ordered you to plot against me, and you actually did it? Xiao Yu! Are you my subjects, or the Emperor Emeritus's subjects?! Who exactly is the Emperor of this Tang Dynasty?!"

Li Shimin roared, causing Xiao Yu, who had just tried to defend himself but was powerless to do so, to close his eyes in helplessness and despair.

With a thud, he bowed deeply.

"Sir, die!"

Li Shimin snorted coldly, but when he saw Li Yuan lying on the table, fast asleep, the smugness and excitement deep in his eyes were keenly noticed by Li Chengqian and Fang Xuanling.

"Cough cough... Of course you deserve to die! To plot against the emperor is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family in any dynasty!"

"You members of the Pei family of Hedong, the Wang family of Qixian, and the Xiao family of Lanling, men, women, children, and relatives, whether legitimate or illegitimate, shall all be executed!"

The three of them felt their legs go even weaker.

Pei Ji let out a mournful wail, tears streaming down his face, and tried to kneel down, but he couldn't manage it.

"Your Majesty, this is all my fault. I beg Your Majesty to spare the rest of the Pei family, considering my dedication and hard work for the Tang Dynasty."

"Your Majesty, I am willing to die, I beg you... Waaah!"

"Your Majesty, this is all due to my own old age and senility; my descendants are innocent..."

Both of them had bent legs, but their bodies were being supported by Li Shimin, who was holding them on either side.

Li Shimin sneered.

"Heh, whether this is your fault or not is not for you to decide!"

Their faces paled even further.

however.

The next moment, Li Shimin changed the subject again.

"However, I am not an unreasonable person. The Emperor Emeritus forced you to do this, and as veteran ministers of the Wude era, even if you were unwilling, sometimes it was difficult to refuse. In addition, I have indeed treated you somewhat harshly at times..."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in the despairing eyes of Pei Ji and the others.

Hearing Li Shimin's words, he didn't dare to say that he was truly wronged.

He shook his head and waved his hands repeatedly.

"Your Majesty, this is all due to our ignorance and foolishness. Your Majesty has already been too lenient with us."

"This is all the fault of this old minister; how can Your Majesty, the sage, say I am wrong?"

"Your Majesty... Waaaaah!"

Li Shimin looked smug and glanced at the sleeping Emperor Emeritus Li Yuan beside him.

Unless it's truly unsuitable.

At this moment, he even wanted to step on his own father, the emperor, and grab the necks of the old ministers of Wude on either side, and give a proper victory speech.

"Ahem, alright, I never said I was going to let you off the hook!"

Li Shimin sneered: "Since all the major camps in Chang'an are ready to set off, and the retired emperor, who is now the commander-in-chief, is in such a state, how can matters of military and national importance be treated lightly? In that case, issue my decree!"

"The Emperor Emeritus shall remain in Chang'an to oversee the country and administer state affairs. He may make decisions on matters large and small on his own. Matters concerning new policies shall be discussed with the Crown Prince and decided by the Crown Prince!"

"I will personally lead the expedition! To conquer and annihilate the Turks!"

Li Chengqian smiled bitterly.

really!

Grandpa Emperor, no matter how skilled you are with a bow and arrow, you're still just an archer.

Trying to outsmart someone like Li Shimin is clearly too naive...

"What does the Crown Prince think?" Li Shimin asked, glancing at Li Chengqian who stood to the side.

Li Chengqian had no choice but to fold his hands.

"Your subject obeys the decree..."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin released Pei Ji and Wang Gui, who were standing beside him.

"Hahaha! Good! Since the matter is settled, then quickly summon Li Jing, Cheng Yaojin, and Yuchi Jingde. I want to discuss the military campaign with them!"

"Order all armies to set off immediately at dawn!" Li Shimin stroked his beard.

Although the situation in the central government has improved significantly due to the vigorous rectification and planning implemented before the Lunar New Year, and the empty treasury has been temporarily alleviated as tax statistics from various regions have been completed.

But governing a country is a brain-intensive matter.

Where else can I find the joy of leading an army equipped with steel swords and iron armor to completely crush the Turkic barbarians?

Li Shimin laughed heartily all the way as he went to prepare his armor.

Pei Ji and the others, who had just escaped death, rushed to surround Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

"Your Highness, what should we do about this?"

"Yes, yes, Your Highness, are you really going to send His Majesty on a campaign? Then, if we drug His Majesty, wouldn't that mean..." Someone became more and more frightened as they thought about it.

They were prepared to die on the way to the Northern Expedition.

But they died for the army and for the Tang Dynasty to expand its territory; they weren't beheaded for some inexplicable crime!

In Chang'an, within the territory of the Tang Dynasty, if they really did something wrong and offended Li Shimin...

Perhaps His Highness the Crown Prince can still save them.

However, if the army is on a campaign abroad, and the surrounding generals are all military officers from the Qin Prince's Mansion during the Zhenguan era, and they are far away from the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin could find a pretext to eliminate these military wings.

That would truly be a situation where no one would hear your cries for help...

Pei Ji and the others were clearly afraid at this moment.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian took a deep breath and beckoned Wang De, who was standing nearby.

"Are the carriages for the Crown Prince's Palace ready?"

Wang De: "Your Highness, as you instructed, we left the palace half a month ago disguised as a merchant caravan and are now waiting in Chang'an at any time..."

aside.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and the others were startled.

"Your Highness, you...you're running away too?!"

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes: "Run away? What do you mean by running away? The New Year is over, can't I go back to work in Taiyuan Prefecture?"

Ignoring the anxious and nervous group, Li Chengqian turned to Pei Ji and the others and gave them instructions.

"You must immediately rush to the army, take the tiger tally, and order the army to set off."

"I will handle things on Father's side."

Xiao Yu hesitated, "Your Highness, are you really capable? His Majesty will certainly not abandon this Northern Expedition!"

Li Chengqian took a deep breath and looked in the direction outside the hall.

Mouthing in his mouth.

Whether it works or not depends on the potency of the medicine...

Qian Lou, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, moved like a ghost, leading dozens of elite Embroidered Uniform Guards. At this moment, he was as agile as a raccoon cat, and soon he reached the outside of the palace where Li Shimin was.

In the palace.

Li Shimin was still excitedly choosing the armor he wanted to wear.

Before returning from his "internship" in Taiyuan this year, he had the Taiyuan forge specially forged a set of expensive armor for him. It was not only magnificent, but also made of very solid materials...

"Hehehe, Father Emperor, no matter how cunning you are, you still have to drink my foot bath water, hahahaha..."

Outside the door, Qianlou's expression froze for a moment as he listened to his father-in-law's lewd laughter.

Then waved his hand.

Streams of colorless and odorless smoke began to silently spread into the palace through the surrounding doors and windows.

The palace guards, eunuchs, and even the palace maids in the surrounding area had all been sent away by the Crown Prince's Palace under various pretexts long ago.

Just for today.

Inside the palace.

Li Shimin took off his somewhat cumbersome dragon robe, stood in front of the armor to the side, and began to dress skillfully.

As an emperor on horseback, even though the armor worn by ancient generals was extremely cumbersome.

However, Li Shimin was not slow in arming himself.

It's like it's because I haven't worn armor for a while.

As he fiddled with it, he was soon covered in sweat.

Just then, with a creak, the palace door was pushed open.

Li Shimin was delighted, thinking that a eunuch had come upon hearing the noise. He was about to call the eunuch over to help when he turned around.

His face, which was slightly flushed, froze instantly.

"My beloved concubine, you..."

Consort Wei was graceful and slender, already possessing a stunning figure. At this moment, she wore a cheongsam that accentuated her curves.

As she gracefully walked towards Li Shimin with light, lotus-like steps, her fair and slender legs were faintly visible through the slit of her cheongsam.

Li Shimin: "......"

A sweet, fishy smell wafted into my nasal cavity.

Consort Wei smiled charmingly, her beauty both alluring and shy, and gently wiped away the blood of Li Shimin with a handkerchief.

"Your Majesty, let me help you put on your armor."

however.

A short, angry exclamation came from inside the hall.

Upon hearing the commotion, Qianlou and the others outside the hall immediately moved away quietly.

Not for a moment.

Another graceful figure walked slowly into the hall...

In the Lizheng Hall, Empress Zhangsun looked at Crown Prince Li Chengqian, who was fawning and admitting his mistakes, with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

“You know, when your father wakes up tomorrow and realizes something is wrong, he will surely give you a good scolding again.”

Li Chengqian hurriedly bowed humbly again.

"Mother, you have also spoken of Father's temper. If I have now gained his approval in governing the country, then in terms of military campaigns and troop deployment, even ten of me would not be his match."

“If he were to lead the army on a northern expedition, I would not listen to any orders, let alone any arrangements I made. I had no choice but to do so.”

Empress Zhangsun naturally understood and took a deep breath.

Another year has passed, and my son is noticeably stronger than last year.

nodded.

"Alright, since we've decided to set off today, let's not delay any longer..."