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

The situation unfolded exactly as Li Xing had predicted.

Neither Li Shimin nor Li Chengqian reacted much to whether Goguryeo submitted or not.

Whether you submit or not.

It's nothing more than a snack on the table. As time goes by, as long as they don't cause internal trouble, the Tang Dynasty's naval fleet will become increasingly powerful.

The forces stationed in Pyongyang and Silla will become increasingly solid.

"I was originally a carefree person from Wollongong."

"Understanding Yin and Yang is as easy as turning one's hand, ensuring the stability of the universe."

"The late emperor personally visited Nanyang and invited me three times."

"Allied with Eastern Wu to destroy Cao Wei, thus establishing a tripartite balance of power."

I am viewing the mountain scenery from the city tower.

Hearing commotion outside the city...

"Banners flutter and shadows dance in the air"

"It turns out they were soldiers sent by Sima..."

"it is good!!!"

Yuchi Jingde's hoarse shouts, along with the melodious singing of the performers on stage, somewhat disrupted the atmosphere. Fortunately, everyone was focused on making a lively scene, so no one paid any attention to this simpleton who had come all the way from the harsh lands of Baikal.

Empress Zhangsun is four months pregnant, which is considered the early stage of her pregnancy.

However, various symptoms of pregnancy have already begun to appear.

I'm eating more and sleeping longer than before.

This also explains why, despite Empress Zhangsun proposing a grand opera performance in the palace this year, she herself did not attend in the end.

They rested early at the Ganlu Hall.

However, this also made the Eastern Palace even more lively at this moment.

"That was boring, not quite there... I still think my brother's 'Xuanwu Gate' story was much more exciting and got my blood pumping..."

The situation in Goguryeo is somewhat complicated, so much so that Prince Liang, Li Yin, and Prince Han, Li Ke, who were originally supposed to return this year, ultimately did not. However, Li Zhi was unusually active today.

Sitting next to Li Chengqian, behind him was Wu Zetian with a fake smile and reluctance, and Murong Yu, who was obedient like a little wife, constantly feeding him snacks.

As Li Zhi spoke, he stood up and began to sing in front of everyone.

"As night deepened and palace secrets lay hidden, a storm brewed in the heart of the Crown Prince Qin."

"With no way out, Luoyang is impossible; life and death, fortune and misfortune, hang in the balance."

"My father, clad in blood-stained armor and turban, fought valiantly on the battlefield, yet now he lies dead, poisoned by the Crown Prince, his life hanging by a thread on the road between the underworld and the netherworld."

"Calamity has befallen the Prince's family—his parents, siblings, and other relatives!!!"

"Good! Prince Jin sang well too!" Yuchi Jingde shouted loudly again, causing Chai Shao, who was standing to the side, to facepalm in silence. He cursed inwardly, thinking that it would have been better to bring Cheng Yaojin back.

At least Cheng Yaojin knew how to maintain some decorum in front of the Crown Prince.

This doesn't seem like the behavior of this simpleton...

However, even as he thought this, the chopsticks in his hand flashed out afterimages, and the scalding copper hot pot, along with the rich aroma of spices that even nobles like them dared not use lavishly before, filled the air.

The light snowfall added a touch of vibrancy to the Eastern Palace.

Not far away, Li Shimin was pulling along Li Jing, the Duke of Yingguo, who had been transferred back from Xizhou County to report on his duties, along with Qu Tutong, Duan Zhixuan, and others, and they kept pouring each other wine.

Qu Tutong's loud, aged laughter rang out: "Hahaha, my life is truly complete now! From now on, my children and grandchildren will have their own lives to live, and I can finally enjoy my retirement!"

He is older.

Having won a great victory in the western expedition, he had nothing left to worry about and formally submitted his resignation to Li Shimin a few days ago.

"Hehehe..."

Li Shimin wore a smile on his face, while Li Jing, who could immediately see what the emperor was thinking, couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

Want to rest? Want to retire?

In the past, this might not have been a big deal, but now... just look back at Qin Qiong, the Duke of Yi, who has been eyeing you for a long time.

Your Majesty and Your Highness the Crown Prince have even prepared a place for you to retire in the future.

Changsun Wuji, standing to the side, chuckled softly, seeing through it but saying nothing.

Qu Tutong, this veteran general, was particularly skilled in cavalry charges and command, and now, during the western expedition, he had witnessed the power of firearms. His understanding of warfare was truly invaluable.

Even if His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince let either of them off, they would never let you, Qu Tutong, off the hook.

Changsun Wuji, the Crown Prince's maternal uncle, was in high spirits when he saw the old general.

He also raised his glass in flattery: "Yes, Duke Jiang has fought for the peaceful lives of the people of the world for so many years, from the previous dynasty to the present glorious Tang Dynasty. He can finally catch his breath."

"Lord Jiang, I'd like to offer you a toast!"

Qu Tutong's slightly drunken face beamed with even more joy as he raised his wine cup and began to flatter Changsun Wuji.

"Hahaha, when it comes to benefiting all people, among all the ministers present, who can compare to you, Lord Changsun? On my way back from the western expedition, when I passed through Longyou Road and Bingzhou, I saw a magnificent spectacle!"

"I ask you, before this, who dared to say that the waters of the Yellow River would be used by our Great Tang?"

"It is Lord Changsun who truly deserves to be remembered in history..."

The crowd drank and flattered each other, boasted and joked, and some, like Yuchi Jingde, acted dissolutely, asking the actor playing Zhang Fei on stage for a set of clothes in front of everyone.

I went up and sang a few lines myself.

This prompted everyone on Li Chengqian's side to shake their heads and smile wryly.

Yu Chi Baoqi and Yu Chi Baolin covered their faces, looking as if they were afraid of being recognized. Yu Chi Baoqi, in particular, felt that he was still among his friends, despite the aura he had built up for his meritorious service in the Western Expedition.

At this moment, everything had crumbled and collapsed.

All that's left is embarrassment and shame.

"Hahaha, Baoqi and Baolin, the Duke of E looks more like Zhang Fei than that actor with the fake beard!" Cheng Chuliang laughed so hard he could hardly breathe.

These words made the already embarrassed Yu Chi Baoqi and his brother even more wish they could disappear into the ground.

Li Chengqian watched this scene with a smile, making no attempt to stop these people from becoming increasingly unruly.

My gaze was unfocused, and I couldn't help but sigh in my heart.

Time really flies.

Five years have passed.

Those once spoiled and dissolute young nobles of Chang'an have now all undergone a complete transformation.

Yuchi Baolin achieved considerable military merits during the Western Expedition, and his body was covered with several scars of varying depths. He had escaped death and became a true soldier.

Yuchi Baoqi applied to join the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace for the third time. Unfortunately, although the results had not yet been announced, Crown Prince Li Chengqian knew that he had been rejected again.

Having experienced the end of the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty, with the arrival of its golden age and the emergence of the military examination system and the royal military academy, saw all the truly talented warriors from the common people join the army.

As the most powerful force in the Tang Dynasty, known throughout the world, the competition among the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace was naturally the most intense.

Li Chengqian would not tolerate or condone such an honor; he had to fight for it himself.

Cheng Yaojin's sons, except for the youngest Cheng Chubi, are all studying literature while taking the entrance exam for the Royal Military Academy.

Cheng Chumo and Cheng Chuliang have now established themselves firmly in the Tang Dynasty Navy.

Du Ruhui's eldest son, Du Gou, went through layers of selection and performance evaluation to serve as the provincial governor of Qinghai City, while his second son, Du He, was in the position of chief of the Royal Military Post Office, where he did a very good job.

Li Jing's son, Li Dejian, and Fang Xuanling's son, Fang Yi'ai, are both serving as senior officers in the artillery battalion of the new army in Bingzhou, Tang Dynasty.

Furthermore, the teams around Xiao Rui, son of Xiao Yu of the Duke of Song's mansion, and Pei Ji, son of Pei the Duke of Wei, and lawyer Li Chengqian, have already matured.

As long as these people don't make any mistakes, nothing bad will happen to the young Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

None of these noble elders in the Tang Dynasty had any worries about the future of their family.

"Hahahaha! Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you must promise me that when those old scoundrels, Lu Zhaojing and his family from Fanyang, return, I must be allowed to receive them! Your Majesty knows me; I've wanted to beat those old bastards for a long time now..."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!"

In Pyongyang, Li Ji looked at his "old acquaintances," who were now noticeably more hunched and thin than before, and made gloating clicks of his tongue.

"Oh, you guys actually came! Hahaha..."

Li Ji laughed loudly, and the several Tang generals around him also joined in the laughter.

The Five Clans and Seven Noble Families—it was these scoundrels' descendants who made ordinary generals like them, without any background, helplessly watch their rivals rise higher and higher.

They occupy the most lucrative positions and remain unmoved.

Now that these bastards have fallen, simple ridicule is no longer enough to satisfy their sense of superiority.

The crowd started talking all at once, some feigning seriousness and others looking terrified, saying, "Won't we get our heads chopped off for humiliating the family heads like this?"

Someone immediately chimed in: "Beheading is unlikely, but now that we're generals with some standing, the patriarchs might just have to arrange marriages for us."

Unexpectedly, the person who had spoken earlier immediately retreated as if avoiding a plague.

"No, no, no, marrying a noblewoman? I'd rather be beheaded than have that!"

"Ha ha ha ha......."

Everyone knows that both His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince are intentionally controlling the influence of aristocratic families on the court and the nation. This is especially true for two people whose military achievements and performance in the army are at the same level.

Promotions will be made without hesitation to those without aristocratic backgrounds.

Nowadays, for truly capable and ambitious military officers and generals, women from aristocratic families are not a driving force for promotion, but rather a burden and a stain.

Lu Zhaojing, Cui Minshi, and Li Xing: "..."

The three men remained expressionless, having long been mentally prepared for such humiliation, and were completely unmoved.

He then cupped his hands in greeting to Li Ji.

"General, we are willing to surrender to His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince. We humbly request that you send someone to escort us to Chang'an."

Li Ji curled his lip in disdain.

The three companies are now a thing of the past.

In Chang'an today, the positions vacated by the five clans and seven powerful families have long been filled by new officials. Each position is filled with a new official, and these old fogies might even lose their lives if they go to Chang'an.

The five surnames and seven clans offended quite a few people in the past...