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

Li Chengqian was surprised that Yuan Tiangang and his group were able to explain things so perfectly.

Even Empress Zhangsun, who had been secretly watching the situation, was stunned to see her emperor husband, whose head she had beaten into a pig-like shape, being misled by her son and the Taoist charlatans Yuan Tiangang.

In the end, he actually believed it in a self-hypnotic way.

She couldn't help but smile slightly.

Seeing her husband looking like he had suddenly realized his mistakes and was ready to start anew, the last bit of anger in her heart finally dissipated completely at that moment.

As the saying goes, couples who quarrel in bed make up before they get out of bed, and Empress Zhangsun was particularly adept at understanding the principle that a good husband comes from discipline.

Seeing this, he finally got up quietly and arranged for people to prepare to return to Chang'an.

She should still be in Chang'an, waiting for His Majesty the Emperor's return...

"Father, even if you're going to apologize with a bundle of thorns on your back, you can't be in such a hurry. You're covered in injuries, and your face..."

Inside Li Shimin's sleeping quarters.

Li Chengqian chuckled dryly as he held up a silver mirror and approached his father, the Emperor.

When the latter finally saw his own nearly disfigured appearance, he couldn't help but gasp in shock.

He snatched the mirror with tenderness, stroking the bruises on his face.

He was full of self-blame.

"Oh dear, what kind of illness has struck me... Even if I feel guilty, I can't slap myself in the face! What am I going to do? If those old scoundrels Xuanling and Keming see this, won't my reputation be completely ruined...?"

Li Chengqian struggled to suppress his laughter.

My father can be quite adorable at times!

"Ahem, Father, don't worry. Your son has already ordered Dean Sun Simiao and the others to prepare the best medicine for the injury. Although it may be a little difficult to make it completely invisible in a short time, it should be fine to see people after half a month."

"Father, this is also a good time to think carefully about what I told you before..."

After leaving Li Shimin's bedroom, Li Chengqian hurriedly headed towards the "director's office." When he met Empress Zhangsun, she had already ordered the maids to start packing.

"Hehe, Mother, you can rest assured now. From now on, Father will definitely not stray outside anymore. Not to mention that he now has a virtuous and wise Empress like you, and with my lucrative offer right in front of him, Father will probably even voluntarily give up his lust..."

"Snapped!"

Empress Zhangsun lightly patted Li Chengqian on the head, clearly annoyed.

"Do you want him to give up lust? You want him to become a complete idiot like you, who only knows politics and achievements all day long!"

The Empress couldn't help but take a deep breath when she mentioned this. Her husband, the Emperor, sometimes had a childish temper that was a worry, while her eldest son, the Crown Prince, was too mature and a cause for concern.

"When I return to Chang'an this time, I will begin preparations for your wedding. After the wedding this year, as the crown prince, you will also need to start working on having offspring. Yingying is very good, but the others..."

"Alright, alright, Mother, I understand. Your son will try his best. Father said he might suddenly come looking for me later, so perhaps you should leave now..."

He personally went to Taiyuan Railway Station to see his mother off on the royal train.

Li Chengqian chuckled dryly and waved goodbye to his mother, who was silently warning him from the window. Only after watching the train finally pull away from the station did he wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Hehe, in the blink of an eye, Your Highness is approaching marriageable age. Time really flies..."

Fang Xuanling stood behind him, looking quite emotional.

Li Chengqian turned around, but looked at him and Du Ruhui beside him with a forced smile.

"Yes, judging by the time, it should be around the time of my wedding that Prime Minister Fang and Prime Minister Du should also have a child in their old age..."

Upon hearing this, both of their expressions froze instantly.

The facade that had been holding up was instantly shattered at that moment.

"Your Highness, you must save this old minister! If I return to Chang'an, how can I possibly survive?!"

"Your Highness, we originally came here to serve you. Although His Majesty is also a wise and capable ruler, compared to Your Highness, he is ultimately like a firefly compared to the bright moon, insignificant. When this old minister was handling state affairs in Chengdu, he suffered from backache, dizziness, and headaches..."

"Now that I'm here in Taiyuan, the thought of having the honor of serving Your Highness in the future makes me so happy! My back doesn't hurt anymore, and I can work at least six hours a day!"

“Your Highness, I am more capable than him. Du Ruhui will definitely outlive me. This old minister can serve you for at least another ten years!”

"Fang Xuanling, you're cursing me!"

"......"

Seeing the two about to start a fight, even though he knew it was just the two old guys putting on an act, Li Chengqian couldn't help but twitch his lips.

He shook his head, somewhat speechless.

"Alright, whether it's out of consideration for the many years of hard work and meritorious service of Prime Minister Fang and Prime Minister Du, or out of respect for Du He and Yi Ai, I will naturally help with this favor."

"but......"

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui's hearts, which had just relaxed, jumped again in an instant.

"but?"

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "If you want to get through this, then Chancellor Fang and Chancellor Du will have to suffer a bit."

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui were stripped of their titles by imperial decree from the current Crown Prince for the crime of deceiving the emperor!

This is a news item.

While Li Shimin was recuperating from his injuries in Taiyuan, and Li Yuan was exhausted from reviewing documents in Chang'an, it was like a depth charge that exploded in the circles of Chang'an.

All the civil and military officials in the court were shocked and puzzled.

Weren't Fang Xuanling and the others in Chengdu Prefecture with His Majesty? When did they arrive in Taiyuan Prefecture, and how did they commit such a serious crime as deceiving the emperor?

This is a capital offense!

The ladies of the Fang and Du families in Chang'an were instantly astonished upon receiving the news.

He rushed to the palace to inquire with the current empress.

“Alas… You all know the Crown Prince’s character. He has always detested this kind of thing. Madam Fang, you are all heroines who are no less capable than men, and you have diligently taken care of so many affairs in the mansion. Now that Prime Minister Fang and the others are out… Originally, he shouldn’t have been able to manage this matter.”

"Unfortunately, their attempt to use their previous merits to ask the Crown Prince to mediate only angered Chengqian."

Empress Zhangsun looked rather troubled.

The words he spoke made both Mrs. Fang and Mrs. Du's hearts tighten.

"Our master has really angered His Highness the Crown Prince? How could he be so foolish..." Madam Du said with a sorrowful and anxious expression.

The crime of deceiving the emperor has been a serious offense in every dynasty.

Although only their titles have been stripped, this decision will have a significant impact on the Du and Fang families.

Aside from the negative impact on official circles, the two families' future descendants would simply lose a title to inherit.

"What, what should we do...?"

Madam Fang also looked worried. If she were asked to commit suicide with Fang Xuanling, she might actually do it in a fit of rage.

But... if it involves his own son.

Mrs. Fang couldn't help but hesitate.

This was ordered by the current Crown Prince himself. If His Highness looks at the Fang family differently because of this, wouldn't all of Yi'ai's hard-earned achievements on the battlefield be wasted?

"Tsk tsk tsk, those two old scoundrels, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, have finally boarded His Highness the Crown Prince's ship. It's just a pity... Hmph, I was one step ahead of them!"

Longyou Circuit, Suzhou, Fulu County.

Changsun Wuji looked at the message that had come to him and couldn't help but sneer.

His face, etched with deep lines from years of exposure to wind and sun, was radiant with pride.

Back then, he gave up the title of Duke of Zhao and was the first to step forward when the Crown Prince lacked the support of veteran ministers. Only then did he secure the Yellow River water conservancy project that is destined to go down in history and receive incense offerings from future generations.

Five years have passed since then.

"The two of you, what makes you think you can compare to me..."

He looked at the huge water conservancy project diagram in front of him.

Following the completion of the Yellow River diversion project and several reservoir projects in Yanmen County, Bingzhou was no longer troubled by Yellow River floods, and the land of Yanzhou in Hedong Road was transformed into a fertile plain.

Now, this core group of students from the Imperial Hydraulic Engineering University has officially started the construction of a large reservoir in Fulu County, Suzhou, Longyou Province.

It can be said that this project, which aims to intercept the water flow of the Laitao River, Qingshui River, and Linshui River, will cover a drainage area of ​​nearly 200,000 hectares above the dam, and protect at least 80,000 mu of irrigated land.

The benefits to the surrounding counties and prefectures are self-evident.

Changsun Wuji stared blankly at the blueprints, muttering uncontrollably, "My divine position will be attained soon..."

Some people saw through the hidden purpose behind Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui being stripped of their titles, but everyone tacitly understood but kept quiet about it.

The fact that His Highness the Crown Prince would willingly play the villain for the sake of the two of them is, in a way, a form of imperial favor.

After the injuries on His Majesty's face had healed, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, who had been stripped of their titles, finally boarded the Zhenguan train and officially set off back to Chang'an.

Compared to Li Shimin, who was genuinely repentant and well-versed in Empress Zhangsun's temperament, he was prepared to plead guilty with a bundle of thorns on his back.

Knowing their wives so well, they were now prepared to be killed with a single blow.

"Your Highness, is this method really effective? My wife has a very strong temper and cannot tolerate any dissent..." On the train, Fang Xuanling still looked uneasy.

Li Chengqian scoffed.

"Can't stand disobedience? Coincidentally, I can't stand anyone disobeying me either!"

Fang Xuanling: "......"

He opened his mouth, praying repeatedly in his heart for the blessings of all the gods and Buddhas.

This prince is a ruthless man who personally sent his own fourth uncle to his death. He even saw the body of Prince Qi, Li Yuanji, pierced by a spear after the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

He couldn't help but look at the instigator of this matter with a deep gaze, only to see Li Shimin snort lightly, turn his head to the side, and look at the book in his hands with a very serious expression.

"Hey......"

Du Ruhui, on the other hand, already seemed to have given up the struggle.

Amidst the rumbling of the train, Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui didn't even have much time to be nervous; the train quickly traveled from Taiyuan Prefecture to Chang'an.

The train slowly pulled up beside the platform.

At this moment, on the platform, Empress Zhangsun, Prince Wei, a group of civil and military officials, and even the retired Emperor Li Yuan, were all waiting here with complicated expressions.

Beside Empress Zhangsun, Lady Fang and Lady Du had complex expressions.