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

The cries of infants echoed through the Kong family mansion in Taiyuan Prefecture.

Meanwhile, Kong Yingda, who was waiting for guests in the front hall, handed Li Chengqian a "bribe gift list" that had been written down clearly in advance, with a big smile on his face.

"Hehe, Your Highness, please take a look. I have written down everything that I extracted from the Tibetans."

Li Chengqian did not reach out to take it.

He smiled faintly and said, "Alright, as I said before, everything that is returned will be included in the Ministry of Rites' budget. You can decide how to use it yourselves. I just returned to Taiyuan Prefecture from Zhenbei Road and came to your Kong family for another matter."

Wang De, who was standing behind him, handed Kong Yingda a document that Li Chengqian had personally written on the way.

Kong Yingda solemnly accepted it, and as soon as he opened it, he was taken aback by the large title inside.

"This... Our Great Tang Dynasty has expanded its territory again?!"

His expression was strange, as if he wanted to put on a cheerful smile, but his lips twitched. After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence that sounded somewhat difficult.

Kong Yingda's eyes flickered with hesitation, but Li Chengqian sighed the next moment.

Full of helplessness.

"Yes, we've conquered another piece of land. What we in the Central Plains often call the North Sea isn't actually a sea, but a very large freshwater lake, which is what I've often referred to as Lake Baikal before."

"Although the winters there are much colder, it is still a treasure trove of resources. Now that we have conquered it, our Great Tang will naturally take control of it in the future."

Kong Yingda's lips twitched; a bad thought made his heart skip a beat.

"Your Highness, you..."

"I want you to go there and serve as the future governor of Baikal County."

really!

Kong Yingda: "..."

Li Chengqian naturally saw his predicament and understood it.

As the head of the Kong family, and already quite old, going to such a cold and remote place, he might very well die there.

Li Chengqian gently shook his head and chuckled softly.

"Master Kong, there's no need to make things difficult for you. I know your predicament. If you're unwilling, I won't make things difficult for you. At worst, I'll find someone else."

As he spoke, Li Chengqian smiled and put down the teacup in his hand.

After giving a greeting, while Kong Yingda was still somewhat dazed, he walked towards the outside of the Kong family mansion.

It was only then that Kong Yingda finally came to his senses.

They hurried after them.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, it's not that I'm unwilling, but... could you allow me some time? There are many things to do at the Kong family residence, and I also have some matters to settle with the Foreign Affairs Department."

Li Chengqian nodded.

He patted the other person on the shoulder: "On my way back, I thought about many people before finally deciding to come and find you, Master Kong. You are mature, prudent, and learned, needless to say. In the future, there will definitely be fewer Han people and more Turks and Uyghurs in Baikal."

“It will take at least ten or twenty years for the Han people of our Great Tang to fully control that area.”

"Therefore, educating them and integrating them into our Great Tang is of paramount importance!"

With tears of emotion glistening in his eyes, Kong Yingda bowed solemnly.

"Please rest assured, Your Highness, once I have settled my affairs at home, I will go to Nabaikal to spread my teachings!"

......

"Your Highness, do you really intend to send Kong Yingda to the North Sea? It's already bitterly cold there at the time of the Summer Solstice, even here. Sending him there, I'm afraid..."

In the Shougong Hall, he watched as Crown Prince Li Chengqian returned.

Li Gang and Yu Shinan hesitated for a moment, but finally asked the question.

Yu Shinan sighed, "Your Highness, this old minister still thinks it would be better to choose someone else."

Li Chengqian let out a long sigh.

"Do you think I would be willing to send Master Kong to that extremely cold place? Although I was very disappointed by what happened to him back then, and even stripped him of his position as Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, he was still my teacher and was loyal to my Tang Dynasty."

"The land of Beihai is the bridgehead for our Great Tang to conquer even larger territories in the future. Li Shi and Yu Shi, you two are not aware of the resources there, but I have sent people to investigate."

“Sending a young person there might not be enough to handle the situation. Sending a more reliable person would be better. These days, in Taiyuan Prefecture, who isn’t capable of shouldering such a heavy responsibility? Each one of them is doing the work of three or five people.”

"After much thought, I believe that only Master Kong is suitable for this position. The Education Reform Department, the Information Department, the Court of State Ceremonies, and other departments are now operating normally. I cannot think of anyone more suitable than Master Kong."

Immediately, Li Gang and Yu Shinan exchanged a glance and couldn't help but sigh.

Li Gang pondered for a moment: "Your Highness, perhaps there is someone suitable in Chang'an..."

"Forget it! Chang'an..." Li Chengqian shook his head.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui are now preparing to retire at home and live a carefree life. He is well aware of this, as he has the Embroidered Uniform Guard around.

As for others, they probably really can't understand what he means.

Just as Li Chengqian was feeling somewhat worried and hesitant about Kong Yingda,

A series of hurried footsteps sounded, and Sun Yi suddenly strode in.

"Your Highness, Fan Qi has arrived... accompanied by Lord Wei Zheng."

Upon hearing Fan Qi's name, Li Chengqian didn't react much. However, when he heard Wei Zheng's name, he couldn't help but pause in surprise.

Wei Zheng?

That old bastard actually dared to come to Taiyuan Prefecture?

When Wei Zheng was mentioned, the first thing that came to Li Chengqian's mind was the time when he held a knife to Wei Zheng's neck and forced him to pledge allegiance to the Qin Prince's Mansion and his son.

"What does my father want by sending that old scoundrel Wei Zheng here? Is he worried that I won't pay him his salary?" Li Chengqian rubbed his chin and sneered.

“Sun Yi, just take them to the treasury to collect the silver. It’s only 15 strings of cash. When did my father become so stingy with such a small amount of money?”

He shook his head, but Sun Yi's expression was strange.

"Your Highness... Lord Wei has come this time with a decree from His Majesty."

Hear the words.

Li Chengqian took a deep breath and finally nodded, indicating that he should bring the other party in.

Wei Zheng followed Sun Yi into the Shougong Hall.

When he finally met the Crown Prince Li Chengqian, whom he had been longing to see, he finally came back to his senses from the direct shock he had experienced in Bingzhou and Taiyuan Prefecture.

"Your subject Wei Zheng greets Your Highness the Crown Prince. May Your Highness be well!"

"Hmm~ Just tell me what your father's decree is."

Wei Zheng, who was full of curiosity about the situation in Bingzhou and Taiyuan Prefecture, couldn't help but pause his smile briefly after seeing Li Chengqian's seemingly uninterested reaction.

"Cough cough..."

"Your Highness, this old minister has come here on His Majesty's orders... Your Highness, what a joyous occasion!"

Wei Zheng's exaggerated expression, coupled with a smile that even hinted at flattery, left Li Chengqian, as well as Li Gang and Yu Shinan beside him, looking on in astonishment.

When has Wei Zheng, this guy who's as stubborn and obnoxious as a rock in a latrine, ever shown such a fawning expression?

That was back when the other party was still working under the Crown Prince.

Neither of them had ever heard that the other person was like that.

Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow, looking at Wei Zheng, who was bowing and clasping his hands in greeting.

Seeing that Li Chengqian showed no intention of getting up to bow and receive the imperial edict, the latter couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He gave a stiff laugh and respectfully handed the imperial edict to Li Chengqian.

"Your Highness, this is the imperial edict His Majesty sent through this old minister. Please review it..."

Li Chengqian glanced at Wei Zheng, who had immediately retreated after handing him the imperial edict, and then gave him a strange look. Seeing that Wei Zheng's expression remained as bizarre as ever, Li Chengqian watched him.

Out of curiosity, he unfolded the imperial edict in his hand.

then.

"hiss!!!"

Li Gang and Yu Shinan, standing on either side of Li Chengqian, suddenly gasped in shock.

"Succession?!"

Li Chengqian was also momentarily taken aback.

He considered many possibilities.

She thought about her father's antics and the idea of ​​increasing her "salary".

I realized the other party might want even more gold.

He even thought that the other party might simply want to get the monthly salary of "15 guan" for free, wanting only the money and not doing any work.

But to everyone's surprise, the other party suddenly quit.

"Why is that? Didn't I give him a monthly salary?"

Wei Zheng lowered his head and coughed twice; this topic was indeed full of strangeness.

But these are things that actually happened in the Tang Dynasty today.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has said that he doesn't need the monthly stipend of 15 strings of cash, and he doesn't even need it anymore. He only hopes that you will return to Chang'an and inherit the throne..."

go back?

I am doing well in Taiyuan Prefecture, but I have not yet cultivated enough officials under my command to stably manage the entire territory of the Tang Dynasty.

To return to Chang'an and inherit the throne?

I feel that the single vermilion fruit, and the daily medicinal baths, cannot counteract the damage to my lifespan caused by the political affairs of Chang'an...

Li Chengqian's self-perception has now undergone a significant change.

He used to think of himself as someone who enjoyed a leisurely life.

However, it has been almost three years since I arrived in the Tang Dynasty.

He had come to understand that he truly couldn't bear to see certain government affairs left unattended, a life devoid of anyone to manage them.

It seems like I'm already showing signs of some occupational hazards.

"I will not go back! The second year of the Zhenguan era is not even over yet, and the emperor of the Zhenguan era is already going to abdicate? Is this outrageous?!"

Without hesitation, Li Chengqian casually rolled up the imperial edict in his hand.

It was thrown at Wei Zheng, who was so frightened that he quickly caught it with both hands.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, please reconsider! His Majesty's abdication now is an acknowledgment of your abilities. You will inherit the divine artifact, take control of the world, express your ambitions, and realize your grand aspirations. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Wei Zheng hurriedly tried to persuade him.

However, he was met with Li Chengqian's gaze, as if he were a fool.

He spread his hands.

"Does being the Crown Prince mean I can't rule the world and express my ambitions? I govern Bingzhou, Zhenbei, Longyou and Tuyuhun in Taiyuan Prefecture, and soon I will have to include the Western Regions and the Western Turks."

"Why must you go back to sit on that dragon throne with its herniated disc?"

"Instead of listening to your Ministry of Revenue complaining about being poor and having no money, your Ministry of Works being lazy and inefficient, and your Ministry of Personnel being corrupt everywhere, why don't you go back and listen to the honest and upright advice of our Grand Counselor Wei?"

When he came to the end, Li Chengqian's tone was filled with undisguised disdain.

"Why would I give up such a good life in Taiyuan and go back to suffer your wrath?"

"Are you cheap?"