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

The wheels of history were pulled and propelled by Li Chengqian, a soul who should not have appeared in this era.

Like the Zhenguan train of the third year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, it galloped along the tracks envisioned by Li Chengqian with a speed that was unmatched in the old era.

Meanwhile, the people of the Tang Dynasty sitting on the Zhenguan ship had become the first generation to enjoy the benefits of this glorious era.

"Your Majesty, our railway bureau's current plan is to build a railway from Taiyuan Prefecture to Shimen County in Hedong Circuit, and then north from Shimen County directly to Yanzhou, aiming to complete it within a year..."

The rumbling of the train did not disturb the people in Li Chengqian's carriage who were having a meeting.

As the Spring Festival of the third year of Zhenguan came to an end, Li Chengqian, the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty, finally bid farewell to his fourth brother, Prince Wei, Li Tai, who had seen him off with tears in his eyes, and boarded the train back to Taiyuan Prefecture.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian frowned slightly.

"Seventh Brother, don't put too much pressure on yourself. I've made it very clear that the railway does need to be built quickly, but that absolutely does not mean that the quality requirements should be reduced."

"Leaving aside the fact that these two routes pass through many mountains and rivers, just getting out of the Taihang Mountains alone, can you manage to do it in a year?"

Li Chengqian's voice was unusually stern as he glanced at the faces of the people present.

"Uncle, you've worked on major Yellow River water conservancy projects. How long do you think it would take to build these two railways?"

Upon hearing Li Chengqian's question, Changsun Wuji pondered for a moment.

"The Taihang Mountains stretch for hundreds of miles, and the road leading directly to Shimen County is particularly treacherous, making detours inevitable. Furthermore, the subsequent waterways will require the construction of bridges large enough to support railways and trains..."

Changsun Wuji glanced at Prince Yan, Li Yun, standing to the side and sighed.

"Your Highness, without three years, I'm afraid we won't even see any results."

Three years... Li Yun's expression tightened.

However, his nervousness was met with a helpless glare from his elder brother, Emperor Li Chengqian.

"Finally, you've come to your senses? A year... It's good to put pressure on yourself, but don't forget that the art of investigation emphasizes seeking truth from facts!"

Seeing that he finally quieted down obediently.

Li Chengqian then slowly tapped the table and spoke after a moment of contemplation.

"The project is tentatively scheduled for five years. However, these five years cannot be used solely for building railways... I will have someone allocate more funds to you. You also need to expedite the construction of the Imperial Engineering University and the training of personnel!"

"Understand?!"

Li Chengqian's low, authoritative shout caused Li Yun to quickly straighten his chest and raise his head.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty! I guarantee the mission will be completed within five years!"

After Li Chengqian nodded in acknowledgment, Li Yun carefully sat down.

Li Chengqian's gaze slowly fell on Prince Li Zhi of Jin, who was clearly trying to shrink himself into a corner.

"Child slave?"

Li Chengqian's calm, soft call caused Li Zhi's body to tremble involuntarily, and he slowly stood up from the middle of the rows of Taiyuan Prefecture officials.

With a mournful face, he bowed to Li Chengqian.

"Brother, I..."

He wanted to say something, but he couldn't get the words out.

The next moment, Li Chengqian calmly gave him the order.

"Starting this year, you no longer need to go to the First Official Academy. From now on, you will stay by my side and learn how to handle government affairs."

Li Zhi's face immediately scrunched up into a bitter expression.

But he was faced with his mother's instructions before he set off, his fourth brother's warning, and his elder brother, the Crown Prince, who was not giving him any chance to discuss things.

He could only obediently and respectfully accept the order.

Seeing that he was not causing any trouble, Li Chengqian then looked at Prince Chu, Li You, who was standing to the side.

“A portion of the Imperial University’s College of Agriculture will also be separated to establish the Imperial Agricultural University for me. Fifth Brother, you have been deeply involved in the College of Agriculture for a long time and are basically familiar with all the affairs. You will be in charge of this matter.”

"My requirements remain the same: be pragmatic, investigate things thoroughly, and seek innovation..."

Li You quickly stood up and bowed respectfully: "Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will certainly not disappoint you!"

Afterwards, Li Chengqian publicly appointed the Eighth Prince, Prince Yue, Li Zhen, to enter the New Policies Legal Affairs Department, where he would participate in the drafting of the new laws.

However, Li Chengqian's arrangements for the remaining princes were somewhat mild.

So, here are the orders for the officials under his command for the next year.

Li Chengqian truly demonstrated the decisiveness and unquestionable authority of an imperial heir.

"Duke Lu, in the third year of Zhenguan, Baikal County must at least achieve a level of self-sufficiency in production and consumption. In the coming year, the Empire will provide some material support in addition to that."

"The remaining difficulties will all need to be overcome by yourselves..."

Cheng Yaojin half-covered his old face.

The holiday was ruined because he inadvertently revealed to his wife and sons that he didn't want to go back to Baikal County.

Then came a whole year of criticism and scolding.

Now, it is clear that the news has reached the Crown Prince's side.

Faced with the Crown Prince's attitude, Cheng Yaojin, despite having had enough of the terrible environment in Baikal County, had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept the order once again.

Cheng Yaojin: "...Your subject understands."

Li Chengqian then turned his gaze to his maternal uncle, Changsun Wuji.

"Uncle, the construction of the Longyou Road water conservancy project can continue according to the established procedures and schedule. However, you probably understand what else I want you to do, right?"

Changsun Wuji stood up and bowed.

"Your Highness, rest assured, the architect of the Imperial Water Conservancy University began preparations last year, and the personnel assembled are all capable officials who have participated in various projects and have extensive experience in water conservancy construction."

"I guarantee that the establishment of the Water Conservancy University will be completed within six months, and that student enrollment will officially begin in the second half of the year."

Li Chengqian nodded: "There's no need to rush about the location of the university in the early stages. I promise you that the water conservancy university will be no worse than the Imperial University's campus. What I need is for you to train a large number of talents for the Tang Dynasty."

"Your Highness understands, and I will certainly not disappoint you!"

Li Chengqian took a deep breath.

The relationship between maternal relatives and their in-laws has always been a sensitive topic.

But it must be said that Changsun Wuji, this uncle, is truly more and more worry-free the more you use him.

He, as the crown prince, didn't need to worry too much about getting things done. He only needed to provide the other party with a general direction and standards, and they would be able to gather a group of people to work diligently...

Before dusk that day, the Zhenguan train slowly came to a stop at the platform of Taiyuan Railway Station.

The officials of Taiyuan Prefecture, who had received orders from the Crown Prince while still commuting, were clearly not going to get a good rest tonight.

Before you know it, it's time for the annual promotion assessment of officials in Taiyuan Prefecture.

"Again! Keep the sword level! Strike quickly!"

A stern, low shout echoed through the Yangcheng Palace's training grounds in the early morning.

Chang Le watched as her younger sister, Gao Yang, was once again struck on the wrist with a precise whip by her imperial brother, causing the slender dagger to slip from her hand.

I just can't understand why, out of the blue, I suddenly want to practice martial arts.

Gao Yang pouted, tears welling up in her eyes.

however.

Without hesitation, he quickly picked up the short sword.

The short sword was not the kind commonly seen in the Tang Dynasty, but rather a Western-style sword designed by Li Chengqian based on her own conditions.

Gao Yang once again assumed a fighting stance.

Looking at his elder brother, who seemed to be standing casually in front of him, yet whose flaws were impossible to discern.

I felt like I was facing an insurmountable mountain.

Li Chengqian spoke calmly.

"Instead of hoping your opponent will reveal a weakness, you might as well hope that your opponent will slit their own throat! If there is no weakness, create one. In the end, martial arts combat is all about winning hearts and minds."

"The techniques and moves are limited; the key is to quickly devise a way to break the deadlock and strike the opponent's vitals with a single blow."

"This is the question you should be thinking about... Let's try again!"

"ah!"

Aside from being unable to leave Taiyuan Prefecture and needing to manage the government affairs there, Li Chengqian's daily time has gradually become more leisurely.

While Gao Yang was sobbing and taking a break to drink water, he was...

Meanwhile, Wang Ming, the prefect of Taiyuan, was reporting to Li Chengqian on the current year's assessment of official promotions.

"Your Highness, the number of candidates participating in the examinations this year has increased significantly, more than double the 30,000 last year, now exceeding 60,000."

"The education reforms we implemented previously have now truly provided opportunities for promotion for grassroots officials."

Wang Mingxi spoke with great delight.

Li Chengqian looked at the report in his hand and nodded repeatedly.

"Very good. Our Great Tang Dynasty is currently lacking capable officials. Once these people pass their departmental assessments and are assigned to their posts, the various tasks to be carried out this year will be much easier..."

He patted Wang Ming on the shoulder.

"Lord Wang, we've taken another step closer to our desired goal."

Wang Ming smiled and nodded repeatedly, bowing obsequiously: "It is all because of wise and virtuous rulers like the Crown Prince that these people have the opportunity to enter the court and serve as officials."

Li Chengqian waved his hand, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it was unclear.

Just as Wang Ming was about to leave, he let out a soft sigh.

"Before I knew it, I was already sixteen. In another three to five years, I'll be officially married. If only I could take Yanran and the others traveling and having a honeymoon after the wedding..."

Wang Ming paused in his steps.

Suddenly, a feeling of joy welled up inside him, and he quickened his pace as he left.

Chang Le, who witnessed this scene from the side, was speechless.

"My imperial brother is always adept at using these handsome men as bait. Just the other day, the Duke of Lu originally wanted to rest in Taiyuan for a few days, but Sister Hou urged him to go to Zhenbei Road..."

Li Chengqian glanced at her sideways.

"What 'handsome man trap'? My silly sister is getting worse and worse at talking. She should probably read less medical books in the future."

After seeing the latter leave the ointment for Gao Yang, he ran away quickly.

Li Chengqian shook his head.

Since the disaster last year and the subsequent efforts to salvage the harvest, these girls, who were once just obedient and sensible, have clearly begun to have some plans and directions for their lives.

Watching Gao Yang stubbornly pick up that small Western sword once again.

Her large, watery eyes were filled with an indomitable spirit.

Li Chengqian's lips twitched twice.

"Tsk tsk tsk... The little girls are starting to dream of soaring high, huh? This should be a cause for celebration, but why do I feel a little reluctant to let them go..."

"Hey! Brother, take this!"

"Snapped!"

"Oh!"

Li Chengqian's low laughter, like that of a great demon king, echoed throughout the martial arts arena.

"Haha, little Gao Yang, you are such a stubborn little lamb."

"I am the Crown Prince of the Great Tang! The second-generation General of the Heavenly Strategy! The True Khan!"

"You think you can defeat me with this little skill? Take this!"