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

"Guanyinbi! That rebellious son actually sent the Embroidered Uniform Guard to keep an eye on me!!!"

Inside the palace.

Li Shimin rushed in, grabbed Empress Zhangsun, whose face was full of helplessness, and pointed to the direction where the Imperial Guards were standing guard outside the door.

Feelings of injustice, sadness, anger, and resentment surged into my heart at this moment...

“It’s so unfair!”

"Is nobody going to take care of this?!"

"Is this how you bully the emperor?!"

"Am I still the emperor? I'm clearly just a tool for that rebellious son to deal with the regent! How is this any different from him imprisoning me?!"

Seeing that Li Shimin was about to lose control of his emotions, Empress Zhangsun hurriedly reached out and gently stroked his chest, comforting him while also urging Cui Xiaoguo and the other Imperial Guards to stay away from Ganlu Hall.

"Your Majesty, you can't say that. Wasn't it already agreed before? The Retired Emperor would personally lead the Northern Expedition, you would handle state affairs in Chang'an, and Chengqian would go to Taiyuan to oversee the new policies... Wasn't it all because Your Majesty secretly plotted with Cheng Yaojin and the others that things have come to this..."

Li Shimin immediately objected.

"So he drugged me?! He drugged both him and his grandson?!"

"Why don't they just poison me with arsenic! Is there anyone in the world more pathetic than me, the emperor?!"

"Waaaaah... Guanyinbi~ I shed blood for the Tang Dynasty, I contributed my strength to the Tang Dynasty~"

Li Er's mournful cries echoed throughout the entire Ganlu Hall.

At this moment, Empress Zhangsun, though feeling helpless, could only try to comfort her from the sidelines.

Listen to the heartbroken sobs of her emperor husband.

"Waaaaah, Guanyinbi, what kind of emperor am I anyway?!"

"Cheng Yaojin and the other generals of the Qin Prince's Mansion are going to compete for military merits for the Emperor Emeritus."

"Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui are practically dying every day~"

"My sons are all disobedient to me, and even my concubines in the harem are helping that rebellious Crown Prince! Waaaaah~"

"Now that rebellious son has even sent the Embroidered Uniform Guard to place me under house arrest... Guanyinbi~"

Empress Zhangsun was helpless. Outside Ganlu Hall, Fan Qi and the other eunuchs and maids, who had retreated fifty meters away, exchanged glances.

Finally, led by Fan Qi, they moved a little further away again.

"Waaaaah, what kind of emperor am I? That Hall of Martial Virtue..."

"Fan Qi!!! Fan Qi, where the hell have you been?!"

Outside the hall, Fan Qi, who had just retreated to a distance of seventy meters and was kneeling on the ground, suddenly froze. Pitying gazes fell upon this fourth personal eunuch of His Majesty the Emperor.

It's as if I can already see the day when the fifth eunuch takes office.

Fan Qi lowered her head, her heart pounding, and her legs trembled as she quickly ran into the hall.

She knelt on the ground with a thud: "Your Majesty, this servant is..."

"Go! Order someone to take down the plaque from the Hall of Martial Virtue! Replace it with the Hall of Rejuvenation, and I'll stay there tonight... so that those traitorous lackeys can see how subservient I, the emperor, am to their master!!!"

Listen to His Majesty the Emperor shouting at the top of his lungs towards the outside of the palace.

Fan Qi's initial desire to struggle finally died at this moment.

outside the temple.

Although the emperor's voice, which broke down, was somewhat remarkable.

However, as the Crown Prince's father, Choi Hyo-guk immediately ordered his men to retreat even further...

hey~

Serving the royal family isn't easy!

Seeing her emperor husband, she looked like she was about to rush out of the Ganlu Palace and embarrass herself.

Empress Zhangsun quickly stepped forward to stop the other party.

"Your Majesty, calm down! How did things come to this? To spout such nonsense is truly causing Your Majesty to lose face as emperor..."

Li Shimin looked up and sighed, appearing utterly despondent.

"What face do I have left... My face has long been given to the retired emperor by that rebellious son. Oh no... Now I look more like the retired emperor."

Li Shimin shook his head, looking desolate and forlorn.

He pointed to himself with a self-deprecating smile.

"Cao Cao only imprisoned two women at the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, but my Chengqian is far superior; he imprisoned an entire emperor!"

Fan Qi wished she could faint on the spot.

Empress Zhangsun was helpless. Seeing her husband so dejected and heartbroken, she had originally planned to tell him later.

At this point, they finally had no choice but to use the brilliant plan that the Crown Prince had left behind before his departure...

"Your Majesty, isn't Chengqian doing this all for the sake of making the Tang Dynasty better?"

Li Shimin snorted coldly, his face full of disdain, and sat down, turning his back to the Empress.

Empress Zhangsun stepped forward with a smile.

"Your Majesty, conquering a country is easy, but maintaining it is difficult. Don't you see the people of Bingzhou today? Although some praise Chengqian for his bravery, don't most of them praise him for his effective governance?"

"If Your Majesty can govern the Tang Dynasty well, what difference does it make if you don't have the military achievements of the Northern Expedition against the Western Turks? Doesn't Your Majesty prefer to be a civil emperor?"

Li Shimin sneered and turned to the side again.

"Easy for you to say. So many government affairs keep me busy to death every day. When will our great Tang Dynasty ever become such a prosperous era? Guanyinbi, stop pleading for that rebellious son!"

"Since he has committed such a heinous act as drugging me, I will never again consider him my son!"

Empress Zhangsun raised an eyebrow, her expression a half-smile.

He took out a scroll made of cloth from his bosom and gently handed it to Li Shimin from behind his back.

"Since His Majesty doesn't acknowledge Chengqian as his son, it seems rather unreasonable for him to keep this..."

"what?"

Li Shimin frowned, but Empress Zhangsun smiled without saying a word.

Li Shimin let out another cold snort.

"That rebellious son is trying to get my forgiveness with these petty favors? Don't even think about it! Give me a slap, then a sweet treat, do you think I'm still a three-year-old child?!"

Li Shimin turned his head to the side again.

Seeing this, Empress Zhangsun was not in a hurry. She slowly put away the scroll of cloth, and a soft voice came from behind Li Shimin.

"Oh, Your Majesty, I also said that Chengqian's actions are definitely unacceptable. After all, Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, possessing the wealth of the entire realm. How could you possibly be bought off by a mere three mountains of gold..."

"and many more!!!"

Li Shimin looked stunned, though he was somewhat embarrassed by his empress's ambiguous smile.

But his eyes still showed more shock at what he had just heard.

"Guanyinbi, you just said, 'Golden Mountain? Three of them?!'"

Empress Zhangsun nodded and shook the scroll in her hand.

"Chengqian said there are three gold mines not far from Chang'an, and he has already sent people to investigate them; the reserves are considerable..."

The words are not finished yet.

Li Shimin acted swiftly and decisively.

However.....

He wasn't the only one whose body had been strengthened by the red fruit.

Empress Zhangsun nimbly dodged, easily avoiding her emperor husband's attack, and gently shook the scroll in her hand.

It seems like a smile but not a smile.

"Didn't His Majesty say that such petty benefits cannot possibly bribe you?"

Li Shimin: "I...I was just curious! What gold mines are there around Chang'an...I just think that rebellious son is deceiving me!"

Seeing that his empress remained smiling and silent, Li Shimin finally blushed.

Gritting his teeth.

"Three, three mountains of gold are not too few... If this sweet date is real, I, I will accept it!"

Empress Zhangsun chuckled softly and tossed the scroll to the other party.

Li Shimin took it and immediately opened it without hesitation.

Looking at the detailed geographical description above, I couldn't help but mutter to myself, somewhat incredulous.

"There are gold mines near Jingzhao?! Tongguan..."

"Shangluo County and Fengyang County in Shangzhou actually have gold mines? Wow..."

Fan Qi kept her head down, wishing she could bury it in the floor tiles, listening to the emperor sniffing and muttering about the location of the gold mine.

It felt like today was his last day.

Seeing that her husband, the emperor, had finally managed to calm himself down, Empress Zhangsun couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

And so, once again, I have saved the Great Tang Empire...

She poured Li Shimin a cup of tea.

He waved his hand again, signaling Fan Qi to go out first.

Fan Qi, looking dejected, numbly accepted the order, rose, bowed, and prepared to leave.

suddenly.

"and many more!"

Li Shimin's voice came again, causing Fan Qi, who had just taken a step back, to freeze instantly once more.

With a thud, he knelt down on the ground again, looking utterly miserable.

"I implore Your Majesty, in consideration of my utmost loyalty, to grant me a proper burial..."

Li Shimin frowned: "What are you talking about? When did I say I wanted to kill you?!"

Fan Qi looked up in surprise, her eyes instantly brimming with hope for survival.

However, the next moment, the emperor, whose emotions were extremely unstable, shook the scroll in his hand and spoke in a low voice.

"This gold mine is my apology for sparing him from drugging me, but... that rebellious Crown Prince, who imprisoned me in Chang'an and made me his regent, that's a different price to pay!"

Fan Qi was stunned.

No, Your Majesty, are you speaking Tang language?

Why is it that I don't understand?

Isn't the current emperor you? How come handling state affairs has become "regent" in your mouth?

And confinement... When did His Highness the Crown Prince confine you?

Empress Zhangsun also showed a look of surprise on her pretty face.

Li Shimin snorted coldly and extended one finger.

"Back when I was in Taiyuan, Li Chengqian still paid me my full salary, even when I was working in Chang'an!"

Li Shimin suddenly calculated the time again and slapped his thigh.

"Hmph! 15 strings of cash a month, and now that we've returned to Chang'an, I haven't neglected my duties for a single day, so that's 30 strings of cash in two months! Besides, that rebellious son also promised me my year-end bonus!"

"According to the custom in Bingzhou that three months' salary is generally given as a year-end bonus, my year-end bonus is 45 strings of cash!"

"A total of 75 strings of cash. Go and catch up with the convoy immediately and get my salary back!"

"If you can't get it back... then don't come back at all!"

Fan Qi: "???"