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

What happened at Rissei-den that night?

No one knew about it except the Empress and the Emperor.

However, when the Tang Dynasty's ministers went to court the next day, they all noticed that Emperor Li Shimin was distracted.

Since the start of the court assembly, His Majesty the Emperor seemed to be frequently glancing at his two sons.

To be precise, His Majesty the Emperor had been eyeing Li Chengqian, the Crown Prince, all along.

"Your Majesty, General Yuchi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Jingzhou Army, has completed the handover of military affairs around Jingyang and is expected to return to Chang'an tomorrow. I wonder what preparations the Ministry of Rites should make?"

Zhang Gongjin, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward.

During this period, officials from all departments in the imperial court were extremely busy.

The stone tablet commemorating His Highness the Crown Prince's extortion of grain from powerful families has not yet been completed due to the Turkic situation.

We are currently arranging for artisans to prepare.

Now that the Tang Dynasty has just won another great victory, the Ministry of Rites will inevitably need to prepare various rewards and honors.

Moreover, it is already September. Although there is still some time, the New Year is not far away, such as the time when Emperor Li Shimin ascended the throne in the Kaiyuan era.

We need to start preparing in advance.

Zhang Gongjin stepped forward, but after waiting for a long time without receiving a reply from His Majesty the Emperor, he looked up anxiously.

But then they saw His Majesty staring intently at the Crown Prince, lost in thought.

"Cough cough!"

Wei Zheng cleared his throat, preparing to step forward and give a reminder.

Li Chengqian, who was looking down at the memorials in his hand and thinking about the order of his reports, finally realized that something was wrong with Comrade Li Er today.

"Ahem, Father, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat is questioning you. In the grand court, one must be serious..."

A series of suppressed gasps came from the mouths of the courtiers.

Even Wei Zheng, looking at the solemn-looking Crown Prince Li Chengqian, whose position seemed to have been reversed between father and son, opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

The old remonstrating official I was speaking just now actually had a more tactful wording than His Highness the Crown Prince himself...

Li Shimin's expression froze.

That's when he finally came to his senses.

However, when he thought about what his own crown prince had done these past few days...

Emperor Taizong couldn't help but feel a bit of pressure.

There's a sense of... helplessness that his own prince, who was in the depths of hell, felt when facing his former general, Tian Ce.

Li Shimin wasn't sure if that was the feeling, but facing the strange gazes of his court officials, he took a deep breath.

Give yourself a mental pep talk.

"No matter how outstanding you are, you are still just my son, my worthless son! How could you possibly surpass your tiger father?"

Think about this.

Li Shimin's expression finally turned serious.

"Yes, the reward for Yuchi Jingde needs to be prepared. Not only Yuchi Jingde, but all the officials and generals present here have contributed to the great Tang Dynasty's victory in this battle. I will draft a list of rewards, and the Ministry of Rites can prepare accordingly."

As Li Shimin spoke, he seemed to have suddenly found his bearings as an emperor.

My back straightened up a little.

Meanwhile, Zhang Gongjin had just received the imperial decree to return to his post.

A figure then stepped forward.

Minister of Revenue Cui Minshi looked solemn.

"Your Majesty, although the Turks have retreated, the threat still remains. Now that our Great Tang has driven them out of our territory, shouldn't we prepare for peace talks between the two countries to buy time for our people to recuperate?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's gaze involuntarily turned to his own crown prince once again.

Peace talks?

Is this still necessary?

Although Jieli has escaped back to the Turkic Khaganate, the Turkic Khaganate is severely weakened and it is likely that he will not be able to formally declare his revenge against the Tang Dynasty.

On the vast grasslands of the Turkic Khaganate, one would hear the cry, "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

"Putting peace talks aside for now, the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonies are closely monitoring the situation in the Turkic Khaganate."

"Ministry of Revenue, you must report the damage to all prefectures, counties, and even villages affected by the Turkic attack as quickly as possible. I cannot stand by and watch these people become displaced and turn into refugees!"

Minister of Rites Zhang Gongjin's expression turned bitter. Well, another task has been added to his workload.

Minister of Revenue Cui Minshi frowned slightly.

It seems he has unspeakable suffering.

Seeing Li Er looking over, he gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, although the Ministry of Revenue currently has over two hundred thousand strings of cash in its coffers, I'm afraid it's insufficient to rebuild and repair the prefectures and counties attacked by the Turks..."

This made Li Er frown.

"I will handle the financial matters. The Ministry of Revenue should begin to restore the reputation of the Northern Border."

Only then did Cui Minshi give up.

Li Shimin's mood turned somewhat unpleasant.

Although a detailed report has not yet been presented, everyone present is well aware of the true nature of those Turkic barbarians.

It's already a blessing from God that there weren't too many casualties among the people.

As the court officials stepped forward one by one to report on the day's events, and Li Shimin responded to each of them, it was almost noon.

Li Shimin, who was already quite hungry, was just about to wave his hand to dismiss the court.

Li Chengqian, who had remained silent until now, suddenly stepped forward.

"Father, I have a report to submit!"

Li Shimin took a deep breath, feeling a bit uneasy.

"allow."

Li Chengqian handed a report to the eunuch Wang De, who then passed it on to Li Er.

Li Chengqian then began to speak slowly, under the tense gaze of all the court officials.

"Father, the hardship in the north has not been since the Turks entered, but since the wars of the previous dynasty. Although the Retired Emperor has implemented a policy of light taxes and levies since he pacified the realm, the people toil in the fields, and the harvests are insufficient."

"The effects of recuperation and restoration are quite limited. Therefore, I request that new policies be implemented in Bingzhou and Lingzhou!"

"Avoid agricultural tax, collect commercial tax!"

Li Chengqian's words immediately caused an uproar among the court officials.

"What? Collect commercial taxes? Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! Collecting commercial taxes would only allow merchants to influence the policies of our court in the future!"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Merchants have always been a group of despicable people. If we impose taxes on them, allowing them to grow powerful in our Tang Dynasty, it could lead to disaster!"

"Your Majesty, we should take Lü Buwei of Qin as a warning!"

All the court officials, whether they were from the Six Ministries or censors, stepped forward.

Upon seeing this, Li Shimin looked at what his son had written in his memorial, and his already deeply furrowed brows furrowed even more.

What Li Chengqian said at this moment was just the tip of the iceberg compared to the contents of the memorial.

That kid, he just can't seem to stop for even a day.

The situation with the Turks is not yet resolved.

Tax law reform is imminent!

Standing beside Li Chengqian, Prince Li Tai of Yue glared at the sight of so many people opposing his elder brother.

"You are so impudent!"

A slightly immature voice, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority, rang out, like the first roar of a young dragon.

"Our farmers in the Great Tang Dynasty are already struggling, but those merchants in the marketplace are not only fat and bloated, but also have servants following them around. You all talk about being loyal to the emperor and serving the country and its people!"

"how?"

"Does this mean that those who are called 'citizens' should bear the tax burden of my Great Tang Dynasty, while the truly wealthy are exempt from taxes?!"

"Isn't this bullying honest people?!"

Everyone was taken aback by Li Tai's sudden remarks, the Prince of Yue.

However, when Li Shimin, sitting on the throne, heard that his Qingque also had such a brave and wise side, a look of surprise and pride flashed in his eyes, which were hidden behind the memorials.

"Your Highness, you are mistaken!"

An aged voice rang out, and Lu Zhaojing, the Minister of the Imperial Treasury, stepped forward.

"Merchants are lowly, and the money they earn is all the hard-earned money of the people of our Great Tang. Since the previous dynasty, the offspring of merchants have not been allowed to participate in the imperial examinations or become officials. If our Great Tang were to fight for commercial taxes now, wouldn't that give these merchants a reason to become officials?"

"If officials and businessmen collude, wouldn't that bring disaster to the local people?"

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince's actions are indeed somewhat foolish! Please investigate thoroughly!"

Li Tai's round face turned red with anger.

"Damn it, you aristocratic officials should all be blown up like those Turkic dogs!"

Changsun Wuji and the others' faces twitched.

Seeing that Prince Li Tai's eyes seemed to be memorizing people, wandering over the dissenting courtiers among the assembled officials, one couldn't help but recall the day when this Prince Li Tai, feigning madness, ordered the projection of those terrifying heavenly lightning bolts.

"Brother, why don't we just blow all these bastards to bits!"

"These sons of bitches, all they do is cause us trouble every day... I'll have people prepare as soon as I get off court!"

Seeing that Li Tai seemed to be really going to give these powerful ministers an explosive spa treatment.

Li Chengqian's forehead twitched involuntarily.

One hand is placed on the other person's shoulder.

"Alright, Qingque, the more these aristocratic families oppose us, the more it proves that what we are doing is truly for the country and the people!"

Cui Minshi, Lu Zhaojing, and the others immediately looked grim.

"Ahem! Qingque, Chengqian! Do not be rude during the court assembly!"

Li Shimin gave a faint rebuke.

Seeing that his fourth son had finally returned to his original position without saying a word, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked at his eldest son, Li Chengqian.

"Your Highness, what the ministers said earlier is not without reason. Collecting commercial taxes elevates the status of merchants. What will happen if officials and merchants collude in the future?"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian immediately bowed.

As if he had been prepared, he took out another memorial from his bosom.

"Your Majesty, this is unavoidable, but commercial taxes are more beneficial than harmful to the Tang Dynasty. Your Majesty requests that Your Majesty allocate a group of elite cavalry to form the Embroidered Uniform Guard to supervise the collection of commercial taxes!"

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is not under the jurisdiction of the Six Ministries, nor is it subject to the orders of the Court of Judicial Review. It reports directly to the Emperor, and can arrest anyone, including members of the imperial family, and can conduct closed-door interrogations!"

Li Chengqian's voice was firm and resonant, yet it carried a chill that sent a shiver of cold air rushing up from the soles of his feet to everyone present, including former officials of the Prince of Qin's mansion such as Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui.

"Your Majesty! This is absolutely unacceptable!"

If, as Li Chengqian had just proposed the collection of commercial taxes, the ministers had simply stepped forward to object as usual.

So, the proposal to establish the Embroidered Uniform Guard had just been made.

The voices of all those who opposed the movement were clearly tinged with a deep sense of fear.

Even the old ministers of the Wude clan, who had always remained neutral between the Qin Prince's Mansion and the aristocratic families, and silently acted as quails in the court, now all seemed to have their tails stepped on.

The sound itself carried a sense of being torn apart.

They stepped forward to object.

The voices of opposition from the ministers nearly overturned the Taiji Hall.

Li Shimin finally came to his senses at this moment and looked at his eldest son, who was meek and submissive, in shock.

The Tang Dynasty naturally had organizations similar to intelligence agencies.

The Hundred Cavalry Division mentioned by Li Chengqian was a direct subordinate agency that Li Shimin converted from the original spy agency of the Prince of Qin's mansion.

However, even the Hundred Cavalry Division certainly did not have the terrifying privileges that Li Chengqian mentioned.

They can arrest anyone, including royalty, and even conduct closed-door trials...

If such privileges are applied to an institution, and then this violent institution is handed over to his own crazy prince, one can imagine how many people would be affected.

People will be killed in secret.

"Ahem, the matter of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is of great importance and needs further discussion..."

However, before Li Shimin could finish speaking, Li Chengqian, as if he had been prepared, took out another memorial from his bosom under Li Shimin's almost fiery gaze.

"Father, our Great Tang has just experienced the chaos of the previous dynasty, and everything is in need of rebuilding. Such methods of recuperation and restoration will take far too long. I implore you, Father, to designate a special region in the northern border of our Great Tang as a special zone and implement a new commercial tax policy!"

"If it is very effective, it can be promoted nationwide."

"The affairs of the Embroidered Uniform Guard can also be confined to the special economic zones under the new policy..."

Li Shimin gritted his teeth inwardly, wishing he could rush down on the spot and slap the memorials in his hand onto this rebellious son.

"Very well! My Crown Prince, your wings have certainly hardened quite a bit!"

"They've been waiting for me here all along!"

Li Shimin cursed inwardly, glancing at the contents of the memorial. It was well-organized, and judging from the ink, it was clearly written recently.

Thinking back, the Crown Prince was only allowed to return to the Eastern Palace very late last night.

Li Shimin, who was initially somewhat angry, suddenly felt inexplicably heartbroken.

It seems that compared to the Crown Prince, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty has indeed become somewhat lax...

"This matter will be discussed again; I will give it serious consideration!"

As he spoke, Li Shimin was about to order the court session to end.

Suddenly, Wei Zheng stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, it is time for His Highness the Crown Prince to be assigned a tutor..."