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

He was shocked to hear that His Highness the Crown Prince, Li Chengqian, had suddenly ordered his exile.

Wei Zheng's bewildered face instantly turned blank and confused until two burly men from the Eastern Palace entered and lifted him up on either side.

His mind was still completely blank.

Equally bewildered were Li Gang and Yu Shinan.

Yu Shinan stared blankly at his beloved teacup that Wei Zheng had smashed, then looked at Crown Prince Li Chengqian, who had a strange smile on his face, and suddenly realized something.

I gasped sharply.

"Your Highness, brilliant!"

He stared wide-eyed at Li Chengqian, his eyes wide with surprise and disbelief.

"Although His Majesty is targeting the Wei family's relatives now, everything is still under His Majesty's control. The Wei family will certainly suffer a lot, but it is highly unlikely that they will lose their lives."

"Your Majesty only wants to force Wei Zheng to come here to put pressure on Your Highness the Crown Prince. However, if Wei Zheng acts tough and does try his best to persuade you, but ultimately fails to persuade you, Your Majesty will not want to make things difficult for the Wei family any further."

"Your Highness! Your move to strike at the heart of the problem is brilliant!" Yu Shinan exclaimed excitedly, even standing up from his seat.

Upon hearing these words, Li Gang, who instantly understood, couldn't help but nod repeatedly with admiration.

"If Your Highness truly intends to exile Wei Zheng to Nabaikal County, once Chang'an learns of the harshness of the environment there, Your Majesty's elaborate scheme of feigning an attack on Liu Bang will not only fail to achieve its goal, but may even... trap you in your own web!"

"Hahaha! Wei Zheng, you old rascal, your luck has finally turned!"

Li Chengqian smiled smugly, and even he himself had to give himself a big thumbs up for his sudden, quick-witted idea.

Haha, what first generation of General Tian Ce?

With a few tricks and schemes, they still want to subdue the second generation of the orphan?

Do you still want to lead the army in person?

Ah!

As a remnant of the Wude era, Father, your role is to lift the curtain on the Zhenguan era. On the battlefield of the new era, there is no battlefield for you to command and roam!

Li Chengqian's smile widened, gradually becoming more unrestrained.

"Hahahaha!"

"Father, my dear father, you have a brilliant plan, but I have a way out! Wang De, bring me pen, ink, paper, and inkstone! I want to write a letter myself to thank my good father!"

Wang De quickly did as instructed.

At this moment, Wei Zheng finally snapped out of his daze.

Hearing that His Highness the Crown Prince seemed to have a way to resolve the Wei family's predicament, he breathed a sigh of relief.

When he learned that he was to be exiled to that Baikal County, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Your Highness..."

He wanted to ask, but Li Gang, who was standing to the side, gently shook his head at him.

Li Gang and Yu Shinan got up, pulled Wei Zheng, who was being dragged by two strong men, and walked out of the Shougong Hall.

"Elder Li, Elder Yu, what kind of place is Baikal County? I've never heard of it before..."

Li Gang gave a wink to the soldiers of the Eastern Palace's Six Guards. After the two left, he took a deep breath and solemnly began to tell Wei Zheng about the Baikal County.

"Wei Zheng, what is the highest symbol of martial arts in China?" Li Gang suddenly asked, his solemn demeanor making Wei Zheng's heart skip a beat.

“Of course, it’s sealing the wolf’s lair and drinking from the North Sea…” Wei Zheng suddenly widened his eyes halfway through his sentence.

Even when he was in Chang'an, he read the newspapers from Taiyuan Prefecture every day. Although the news was delayed by several days, he was still very clear about the situation there.

"You mean, the Baikal County that His Highness the Crown Prince mentioned is the North Sea?"

Yu Shinan nodded from the side.

"Now, Duke Huo Chai Shao, Duke Lu Cheng Yaojin, and Duke E Yuchi Jingde have all defeated the Turkic and Uyghur tribes there. With the current strength of our Great Tang, it will be as difficult as climbing to heaven for those nomadic peoples to take back that place."

"However... although China has achieved the feat of drinking water from the North Sea, it has not actually had any real control over that area."

Wei Zheng's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Originally, His Highness the Crown Prince intended to send Kong Yingda. Kong Yingda is old and his health is not as good as it used to be in Chang'an. However, His Highness the Crown Prince does lack mature and steady people who can educate a region."

Wei Zheng: "Hiss!!!"

"Elder Li, Elder Yu, this is a great achievement! This is a great achievement that will be recorded in history and remembered in the annals! Does His Highness mean that I should be sent to govern Nabaikal County?!"

What worries they had about the Wei family and what uncertainty they felt about the future?

With the arrival of this news, Wei Zheng immediately forgot about it.

Li Gang and the other man nodded with smiles, but then shook their heads.

Seeing Wei Zheng's anxiety, he chuckled and continued speaking.

"As I have already said, the original choice was Kong Yingda. Although he misunderstood His Highness the Crown Prince's decree and made a mistake in education reform, he has done an excellent job in the past year."

"He already knows very well what His Highness the Crown Prince needs and what he will not allow to happen..."

“Wei Zheng, if you want to obtain this post that will be remembered in history, you must first make His Highness understand that you are the one who understands him.”

Yu Shinan chuckled and stroked his beard, his face full of teasing: "Wei Zheng, you probably don't know this yet, but these days, whenever His Highness the Crown Prince mentions you, his first impression is of your stubborn and unpleasant temper. In other words... His Highness the Crown Prince believes that you are not loyal to him."

"How could this be?! I have the utmost respect for His Highness the Crown Prince. Tell me, in all of history, who is more wise and capable than His Highness the Crown Prince?!"

"How could I be disloyal to the Crown Prince?!" Wei Zheng shouted angrily.

Seeing that Li Gang and Yu Shinan were smiling but silent, as if they simply did not believe it.

Wei Zheng couldn't help but rush to defend himself.

"While I was in Chang'an, I studied His Highness the Crown Prince's various policies and military strategies in Bingzhou. I even read the 'Great Tang New Gazette,' the 'Great Tang Military Gazette,' the Commercial Gazette, and even the Medical Gazette!"

"Even Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, when they were in Chang'an, needed to consult me!"

"How could I possibly be disloyal to His Highness the Crown Prince?!"

Li Gang chuckled softly.

"What's the use of you telling the two of us? The problem now is that you need to convince His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Whether it's nominally exile, but in reality granting you the power of the governor of Baikal County, or genuine exile where you'll suffer, while this historically significant achievement is still awarded to Kong Yingda, it's not up to the two of us to decide..."

.......

"Your Highness, hehe, are you having your meal... I'm so sorry to have disturbed you..."

Lunchtime.

The three princes, Li You, Li Zhi, and Li Zhen, who were still in Taiyuan Prefecture, stared in astonishment at the hunched-over man before them.

Despite wearing a blue fish pouch symbolizing a fifth-rank official at his waist and appearing humble and ingratiating, he was a figure comparable to Wang De and his entourage behind his imperial brother.

Who would have thought that the person in front of them was actually Wei Zheng, the upright and fearless remonstrating official who was rumored to be incorruptible and unafraid of powerful figures?

Wei Zheng held a carefully revised "Five-Year Development Plan for Baikal County" in his hands, which he had even consulted with Li Gang and Yu Shinan for advice. He was carefully observing Li Chengqian's reaction.

"Bring the stuff."

Upon hearing Li Chengqian's order, Wei Zheng was instantly overjoyed.

He hurriedly bent down and handed the document in his hand to Li Chengqian.

The Baikal County Five-Year Development Plan: 1. First, stabilize the local people's livelihood and learn from the strategy of integrating the Turks in Zhenbeidao. Vigorously develop animal husbandry and forage grass planting to ensure that Baikal County can achieve self-sufficiency within one year while maintaining the daily consumption of the local garrison.

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, at least he didn't really resemble those bookish, brainwashed civil officials.

Facing the defeated and ruled Turkic and Uyghur people, they immediately tried to assimilate them into Han culture...

However, due to a lack of information, Wei Zheng had no idea how abundant the resources were in Lake Baikal, which was called the North Sea in the Central Plains.

With its vast freshwater reserves and expansive land, this area is well-suited for agricultural development.

In addition, the abundance of wild animals and the natural resources of thousands of plants make it possible to develop hunting and gathering here.

In addition, there are abundant mineral resources around Lake Baikal...

Li Chengqian said nothing, saying that these details could be added later. He patiently looked at the later parts of Wei Zheng's document.

Meanwhile, Li Chengqian was eating his meal while looking at the documents in his hand.

Wei Zheng, however, stood to the side, nervous and expectant, like a primary school student waiting for the teacher to check his homework.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

Li You picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and ate it, making a smacking sound as he ate.

The smile on his face was hard to tell whether it was a sigh of admiration for the improved skills of Chu Dahai and his imperial chefs, or surprise at the unusually cautious demeanor of the remonstrating official, Lord Wei.

However, there was the seventh prince, Prince Yue, Li Zhen, who was obsessed with the law and dreamed that one day he could create a legal code for the Tang Dynasty that would be recognized by his elder brother, the crown prince.

He had initially held this remonstrating official in high regard.

Now, when he eats, the expression on his face is one of disgust and discomfort, as if he has swallowed a fly.

"Wang De, please take a seat."

After an unknown amount of time, Wei Zheng, whose forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat from nervousness and trepidation, suddenly heard Li Chengqian's voice and his body jolted.

After Wang De brought over a chair, he hurriedly and excitedly bowed to Li Chengqian.

"Thank you, Your Highness..."

"Hmm, your document is good, but... it still lacks a lot."

The first sentence had just brought a glimmer of excitement to Wei Zheng's eyes, but the second sentence instantly plunged him into an icy abyss.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, I was just correcting myself!"

Seeing Wei Zheng, who was about to sit down but was now so frightened that he stood up on the spot, Li Chengqian waved his hand.

Li You and Li Zhi, who were standing to the side, did not understand what it meant for China and for civil officials like Wei Zheng to manage and control Beihai for a long time.

Li Chengqian, however, was not surprised at all by Wei Zheng's tense reaction.

"Sit down. I don't mean to criticize you. Based on the information you currently have, the contents of this document are already an excellent governance plan. The reason I say there are still many shortcomings is because there is a lot of valuable information on it that you are unaware of."

It's as if it was prepared well in advance.

Sun Yi walked in, carrying several thick booklets in his hands.

At Li Chengqian's prompting, he handed the item directly to Wei Zheng, who was standing to the side.

"This contains some information I know about Beihai. There may be some discrepancies in the map or geographical information, but the description of local resources is very realistic."

"Take this back and study it carefully. In the meantime, I will have people prepare the supplies and personnel to be sent to Baikal County... One month from now, you will officially set off to take up your post in Baikal County!"

It was as if a priceless treasure had been lost and found again.

Wei Zheng's old face instantly flushed with excitement, and his body trembled as he hurriedly bowed.

"Your subject, Wei Zheng, thanks Your Highness the Crown Prince for your divine favor! I will certainly not fail your trust!"

When Wang De escorted Wei Zheng to the gate of Yangcheng Palace, Wei Zheng, who seemed to be walking with the wind all the way, looked at the several Imperial Guards blocking his way and the prison cart behind them.

He was momentarily stunned.

Pointing at the other person, he looked at Wang De with a bewildered expression: "Eunuch Wang, what is this...?"

"Hehe, Lord Wei, have you forgotten? The Hundred Cavalry Commandery is probably still keeping an eye on things in Taiyuan Prefecture. If you leave like this, even if you announce to the outside world that you are being exiled to Baikal County, do you think His Majesty will believe it?"

He pointed to several Imperial Guards standing nearby: "His Highness the Crown Prince means that you will be staying in the Imperial Guard's Northern Garrison Prison for the time being, and after one month, you will be directly escorted by the Imperial Guard to Baikal..."

Wei Zheng understood instantly, and then, moved, turned around and bowed solemnly in the direction of the Shougong Hall.

"Your Highness, I am deeply grateful! Your Highness's kindness is immeasurable, and I, Wei Zheng, will live up to your trust!"

After a few minutes.

Wei Zheng, looking disheveled and with what appeared to be bruises and bloodstains on his forehead, struggled and cried loudly in the prison cart.

"Your Highness! I beg you! Please go back!"

"Your Highness, the nation needs you, the people of Chang'an need you!!!"