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

Li Chengqian was unaware of the awkward situation Fan Qi experienced after returning to Chang'an.

75 strings of cash is indeed a large sum of money, but if it could make my father, who always finds various excuses to shirk his duties, obediently put a rein on me and tie me to the dragon throne and the Taiji Hall.

Li Chengqian felt it was worthwhile.

"Your Highness, as you instructed, Lord Changsun has led personnel from the Ministry of Works and water conservancy engineering to Lingzhou to explore and study the planned river section. Construction should commence in two months at the latest."

In the Shougong Hall, Wang Ming, the governor of Bingzhou, reported with a joyful expression.

However, Li Chengqian simply nodded.

"Have them speed up the dredging of the downstream river channel in Hedong Road. As long as it is completed within a month, our first phase of the Yellow River water conservancy project will be able to start operating. At that time, the people in the downstream areas of Hedong Road will be able to irrigate their farmland more easily and have better harvests."

Li Chengqian frowned as he looked at the reports from the Ministry of Works of Bingzhou Circuit regarding various river sections, including the lower reaches of the Yellow River in Hedong Circuit.

Wang Ming didn't understand why the Crown Prince was in such a hurry.

He couldn't help but cautiously approach and ask.

"Your Highness, construction in Hedong Province has been accelerated, and His Majesty has allocated additional funds. It should be completed in a month and a half at most..."

"One and a half months is not enough! Spring plowing will be almost over in a month. If we miss the season, it will have a huge impact!" Li Chengqian interrupted sharply.

Take a deep breath and stand up from your seat.

He walked to the Tang Dynasty geomantic map next to him, his brows furrowed.

Only he knew that in the second year of the Zhenguan era, the Tang Dynasty was truly going to fight against the heavens.

The Guannei Circuit, where Chang'an, the most prosperous city in the Tang Dynasty, is located, and even parts of the Hedong Circuit, will be plunged into a drought that is rare in a century.

Every household in the area suffered a complete crop failure.

Historically, even within Chang'an city itself, there was no surplus food, so much so that the emperor father had to send the people out of the city to find their own way to survive.

He took a deep breath and clenched his fists slightly.

"Within one month! The Yellow River irrigation canals and reservoirs in Hedong Province must be completed! I'm giving them only one month!"

"Somebody come!"

With a sharp shout, Wang De immediately rushed over.

"Go and summon the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to me!"

Upon hearing that Li Chengqian was going to summon Qianlou, the murderous star, even Wang Ming couldn't help but tremble. It was because of a canal in Hedong Road that His Highness the Crown Prince was going to directly use the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

But the Tang Dynasty had no shortage of food!

Even if spring plowing is delayed, it will only mean a smaller grain yield, but this smaller yield is only relative to Bingzhou Road.

Hadong Province is still able to maintain its annual production levels...

In no time at all, Qian Lou appeared in the Shou Gong Hall dressed in a flying fish robe.

Li Chengqian's eyes were fierce.

"You shall carry my decree and personally lead a group to Weizhou County in Hedong Province for one month! I require that all the waterways and canals along the Sanggan River be connected!"

"Repair what needs repairing, and patch what needs patching!"

"I'll only give them one month! If the water from Lushan Mountain doesn't flow into the Sanggan River in one month... then the blood of the entire family of the officials of the Hedong Circuit will be poured into that river!"

Wang Ming's heart skipped a beat. What kind of madness had His Highness the Crown Prince gone mad this time?

However, upon hearing this, Qianlou simply accepted the order immediately.

"Your Majesty, I shall depart immediately!"

After Qian Lou left, Li Chengqian stood with his hands on his hips, staring intently at the geomantic map in front of him.

His gaze was particularly fixed on the Guizhou County of Bingzhou Road, then on the Weizhou County of Hedong Road, and then on the entire line from west to east along Youzhou, as he kept pondering.

"Your Excellency must think I've gone mad, right? Our Great Tang Dynasty has no shortage of food, yet I'm in such a hurry, even resorting to torture again, all just to seize that one season's harvest..."

Li Chengqian spoke softly.

Wang Ming, who was standing next to him, quickly bowed and clasped his hands, repeatedly saying that he dared not accept such a gesture.

Li Chengqian waved his hand, signaling the other party to relax, and sighed softly.

"Wang Qing, you and Wang Shi have done a lot for me. Although you come from a noble family, you are at least a smart head of a noble family... I will not hide it from you."

Li Chengqian slowly sat down, looking at Wang Ming, who was full of doubts.

"In the second year of Zhenguan, the Guannei Circuit and the Hedong Circuit of our Great Tang Dynasty will face a severe drought!"

"What?!" Wang Ming exclaimed in shock, his eyes widening.

He instinctively glanced in the direction outside the palace. The weather was clear and sunny, with no sign of any impending disaster.

"Your Highness, you can't believe such things so easily. Is there someone around you trying to sway the heavens?" Wang Ming asked solemnly.

Guannei Circuit and Hedong Circuit, the most important central regions of the Tang Dynasty, not only had a large population, but were also the foundation of the Tang Dynasty's military, economy and basic manufacturing industry.

If these two regions truly face a severe drought, it will undoubtedly be a major test for the Tang Dynasty.

"Your Highness, who is spreading rumors that have reached you?"

Li Chengqian gently shook his head.

"If it's just a rumor that reached my ears, do you think the Embroidered Uniform Guard wouldn't be able to find this person?"

Wang Ming asked in confusion, "How did Your Highness find out?"

"I dreamt about it!"

Wang Ming: "???"

Before the other person could show a look of disbelief or doubt as if they had misheard, Li Chengqian took a deep breath and spoke again.

"Although I was told by an immortal in my dream that Heaven has a great test for my Great Tang, after I woke up, I immediately ordered people to go to Guannei Road to retrieve the water level of wells and rivers in various places before this year's spring plowing."

"We also retrieved data and documents from the Imperial Observatory, and had Master Yuan and his team conduct calculations... Indeed, a great drought is about to befall our Great Tang Dynasty."

“Moreover…” Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes, looking at Wang Ming, whose old face was frozen in place.

"After a severe drought, there will inevitably be a great locust plague."

Wang Ming stared wide-eyed. Such a huge piece of news had suddenly fallen into his lap, leaving him momentarily at a loss for what to do.

however.

Li Chengqian, however, appeared full of fighting spirit. Seeing the other person's worried expression, he reached out and patted him on the shoulder, encouraging him with a smile.

"Why is Wang Qing so worried? Hahaha, it's just a drought. Prepare in advance, stockpile more grain, and stabilize grain prices. Surely we can get through it?"

Wang Ming quickly shook his head: "Well, His Highness the Crown Prince is resourceful and blessed with good fortune, so there is no need to worry."

"Hehe, good fortune..."

Li Chengqian chuckled softly and leaned back in his chair.

"In the ninth year of the Wude era, my father and I stormed into the Xuanwu Gate and seized the throne! My eldest uncle and fourth uncle, who were so arrogant, still died at the hands of my father and me!"

Wang Ming's forehead instantly broke out in a cold sweat, and he knelt down on the ground with a thud.

I can't understand why His Highness the Crown Prince would suddenly bring up these "glorious past events."

Tell him!

however.

Li Chengqian ignored his reaction.

"In the first year of Zhenguan, Jieli of the Eastern Turks, who tried to take advantage of my father and me before we had a firm foothold in the Wei River, was sent to Chang'an bound hand and foot and is still a stray dog ​​to this day."

Li Chengqian took a deep breath.

Looking out of the Shougong Hall, the sky over Taiyuan Prefecture was clear and sunny today.

Mouthing in his mouth.

"In the second year of Zhenguan, it seems Heaven is looking for trouble with me... Well then, I'll fight it out!"

"The Emperor, the Son of Heaven, alas... I was born with a rebellious spirit. If Heaven wants my Tang Dynasty to suffer starvation for thousands of miles and make my people kneel and beg, I will show them what it means to... conquer nature!"

When Wang Ming returned to the Wang family mansion from Yangcheng Palace that day, his hand holding the teacup was trembling violently until he sat down in his living room.

For someone from ancient times, describing Li Chengqian's words today as utterly rebellious would be an understatement.

Going against the heavens!

They even dared to mock the heavens, saying that man can conquer nature...

"They've gone mad, they've gone mad..."

Wang Yuyan looked at her trembling father, completely bewildered.

"Father, who are you calling mad?"

Wang Ming stared at her blankly, his lips trembling for a long time before he finally murmured a sentence.

"They've all gone mad!"

"Bang! It's just a mere Tang Dynasty. If Li Yuan hadn't had the help of us Turks, he wouldn't have been able to sit on the throne! Now, all you've got is a few weak civil officials who shout a few words, and you're all so scared that you're tucking your tails between your legs?!"

"That piece of trash, Moheduo, dares to call himself a Great Khan? It's laughable!"

"Hahahaha!"

Within the headquarters of the Western Turkic Right Wing tribe.

Ashina Dili, the Khan of the Four-Yagu, laughed wildly, and the Turkic tribal leaders in the tent also burst into laughter.

Before them, the Turkic envoy sent by Mohedu Khan looked grim.

"Great Khan, the Tang Dynasty is no longer the same! The Tang Dynasty has now occupied Jieli, who helped them take Chang'an, and even seized their grasslands. Furthermore, even the king of Tuyuhun, Murong Fuyun, dares not provoke them, and for this, the Dafei River and the Chishui River source were forcibly taken from them. The Tang Dynasty..."

"That's because Jieli and the others are useless! Trash! They've utterly disgraced the Turks!" Siyehu Khan interrupted him with a cold laugh.

"I admit that the Tang Dynasty has a few capable generals, such as Li Shimin and Li Jing, but where is this place? No matter how powerful the Tang army is, can they really reach us?"

"Even if they manage to get here, how long can they hold out?" The leaders of the surrounding tribes burst into laughter again.

Seeing the envoy's embarrassed expression, the arrogant nature of the Yabghu Khan was immediately satisfied.

He stood up and kicked over the perfectly roasted camel in front of him.

"Since that good-for-nothing Moheduo sent you to ask for help, then... everything eighty li east of the Suyab River will henceforth be under my command. You people of the Left Wing tribe should obediently hand over the land, and I will send troops to support you!"