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

June of the fifth year of the Zhenguan era.

In the northern regions of the Tang Dynasty, where winter wheat of the Tianbao Golden Seed was cultivated, it was once again a scene of busy farming and abundant harvest.

Amidst the golden wheat fields, the people of the Tang Dynasty sat by the ridges, gazing out at the scene before them, still finding it hard to believe that such a life was possible for them, these peasants.

"A bumper harvest! Another year of a bumper harvest! Hahahaha!"

"The government has already given us a price quote for grain. This year's grain price has actually gone up again, now it's 13 wen per dou. Hahaha, we'll keep some for our family to eat, and sell the rest to the Royal Grain Reserves Bureau. That way we can get a few more Harsha slaves for our family."

"Old Zhang, you're going to buy more Harsha's slaves? Are you planning to never do any farm work again? Hahaha!"

Along the edge of the field, several old men whose fields are adjacent are drinking herbal tea and chatting animatedly about recent interesting events.

It was supposed to be the busy farming season, but the people working in the fields were Harsha's slaves, who had been purchased from the government. Several strong young men, holding whips and wearing sun hats, were acting as supervisors.

This scene has now become a common sight in the surrounding villages.

Old Zhang seemed to have been waiting for his old buddies to say such things, and he pulled out a document from his pocket that he had been caressing all night.

He laughed triumphantly and shook it.

"Hahaha, you old folks, you can't call me Old Zhang anymore, you have to call me Master Zhang!"

The group was puzzled, wondering if the old man had drunk fake alcohol today.

Upon closer inspection, and seeing the contents of the official document in the man's hand, they all gasped in shock.

"Damn! An official employment document? No, wait, huh?"

"Whose is this? Where did you find it, you old codger?"

I'm afraid my old buddies will starve, but I'm even more afraid they'll become tigers.

The men who had been leisurely lying there, drinking tea and eating pastries made by their wives, suddenly rushed over excitedly, and one of them snatched the document from Old Zhang's hand.

Old Zhang wasn't annoyed at all; he just shook his head and hummed softly twice.

"Hmph, I told you back then, how could a university personally established by His Highness the Crown Prince not be entrusted with important responsibilities after its graduates? You bunch of uncouth scoundrels, you only think about those meager immediate benefits. Yes, your sons have passed the exam and become clerks, while my eldest and second sons are still studying at the university..."

"What? You're dumbfounded now! Hahahaha!"

The crowd looked at each other in disbelief. The name written on the document was none other than that of Old Man Zhang's eldest son.

The seemingly dull-witted eldest son of the Zhang family was actually a scholar, yet he was inexplicably interested in the carpentry skills of his maternal grandfather, Zhang's father-in-law, which led to a lot of gossip and teasing.

Now... Taiyuan Prefecture Royal Steam Engine Manufacturing Bureau, isn't that the industry that His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Prince of Yan have been vigorously promoting recently?

To this end, His Highness the Crown Prince published articles in the "New Tang Dynasty News" and "Daily Tang Dynasty News" on several occasions, emphasizing that the future Tang Dynasty would be a world of scientific investigation and technological innovation.

Old Zhang felt the envious, jealous, and resentful looks from his old buddies, and his laughter grew even louder.

"We know about steam engines. There's one in the cannery in the county. It's a coal-fired machine, but it's said to be a very precious thing. Is that what your eldest son is studying at the Imperial University?"

"Yes, isn't he a carpenter?"

The moment the word "carpenter" was mentioned, Old Zhang immediately became furious, his eyes widening in disapproval.

“A carpenter? So what if he’s a carpenter! His Highness the Crown Prince said that no one is noble or lowly based on their status, only on their skill! My eldest son is a carpenter, but he’s a fourth-rank carpenter! His allowance alone is almost as much as that of a county magistrate!”

He stood up, waving his large hand as if he were commanding the heavens.

I wish I could use all the literary skills I'd learned from reading newspapers during this time.

"His Highness the Crown Prince also said that besides craftsmanship, innovation is the most important thing. It's true that our eldest son is a carpenter, and there are several other carpenters in the county who are of the same caliber as him, but so what?"

Do they understand mechanics? Do they understand design?

"These are the things that are taught at the Imperial University; they're not some amateur skills they figured out on their own..."

Old Zhang continued talking.

He couldn't help but feel pleased.

Their eldest son wrote a letter saying that as soon as he started his job, the department assigned him a courtyard house in Taiyuan Prefecture. Although it wasn't a magnificent official's residence, it was still Taiyuan Prefecture!

A small courtyard house in Taiyuan Prefecture is enough to exchange for three mansions owned by the richest man in their county.

It's valuable.

Although it's said that you can only freely buy and sell after working for twenty years, ... Dalang said that the steam engine will be very useful in the future, and as long as you work hard, you won't have to worry about promotions and rewards...

The loud "bang bang bang" of firecrackers echoed enthusiastically at Taiyuan Railway Station today.

The soldiers of the Eastern Palace, standing ready for battle, were clad in imposing steel armor. Their bright eyes seemed to see through all the wicked and treacherous, and their upright postures ensured strict security for the entire Taiyuan Railway Station.

This armor, brimming with visual impact and violent aesthetics, is paired with a short crossbow and a waist knife.

He seemed to be no less imposing than the gloomy Imperial Guards around him.

Among the crowd, any man with a bit of courage and manly spirit couldn't help but have his eyes burning with passion.

Not to mention, His Highness the Crown Prince is coming today...

"Seventh Brother has lost weight and gotten quite tanned, tsk tsk tsk..."

The Ninth Prince, Prince Jin, Li Zhi, with his hands in his pockets, glanced sideways at his Seventh Brother, Prince Yan, Li Yun, who was barely suppressing his emotions. He said he felt sorry for him, but anyone with eyes could hear the sarcasm in his voice.

Li Tai stood to the side, smiling but saying nothing.

Old Nine is great, he's a promising talent!

More importantly, they are robust and durable; even if they say they can't handle it anymore, they always manage to finish all the government affairs in the end.

No wonder my elder brother said back then that he should hold the fort for a few years, and then someone else would take over... Heh.

Li Yun was a straightforward person, and he nodded as he looked at Li Zhi at this moment.

"Railway construction inevitably requires inspections and supervision along the route, so it's bound to be a bit simplified. But Ninth Brother... you're becoming more and more spirited. Before, I was worried that you wouldn't be able to handle such heavy political affairs, but now I realize I was overthinking it."

"From now on, Ninth Brother should help the Crown Prince more."

I'm so pissed off...

Li Zhi's forehead veins bulged.

But at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder why, even though he was exhausted every day, he was full of energy the next day.

The brothers stood on the platform, bickering as usual.

As a sudden uproar arose from the crowd, a figure emerged from the side, protected by the Imperial Guards and the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace.

"Your Highness! It's Your Highness! Your Highness!"

"His Highness has really come! I've finally seen him in person! It's really His Highness!"

"My goodness, His Highness seems even more handsome after his marriage than when we first met in Taiyuan..."

"......"

The soldiers of the Crown Prince's Six Guards instantly felt the people's admiration and enthusiasm for their prince, and they all blushed and desperately blocked the crowd.

The common people dared not charge the blockade, but their actions of peeking or standing on tiptoe inevitably pushed the people at the front forward, forcing the six guards of the Eastern Palace to stand in front of them.

"Your Highness, you sowed the seeds of benevolent governance back then, and now you are reaping the bountiful harvest of the people's hearts. Hehe, these people are truly grateful to you."

Kong Yingda, who had come along beside him, said with a smile.

Li Chengqian smiled and waved to the surrounding people. Such a simple gesture elicited screams from the crowd, like those of young girls.

Li Chengqian: "......"

Goodness, the sounds mixed in here... they sound a bit like 404 (a Chinese internet slang term for something obsolete).

If it weren't for the fact that photography technology didn't exist then, his little action would probably have consumed a lot of magnesium powder for exposure.

However, the officials from the Ministry of Rites had already arranged for several painters to be on high alert.

This scene today will soon serve as historical evidence of the popular love for Li Chengqian, the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty.

Upon arriving before his younger brothers, they all bowed respectfully.

"Your Majesty, I have successfully completed my mission. The railway line to Shizhou has been completed and passed inspection!"

When Li Yun said this, although he tried his best to restrain himself, his voice clearly carried a hint of sobbing.

He stood there with his chest out and head held high, like a common soldier under the prince.

Li Chengqian patted him on the shoulder: "You have not only fulfilled your mission, but I thought it would take you five years to build this railway. I did not expect... it has only been less than two years."

"Thanks a lot."

"Your Majesty's command is my duty!"

Standing to the side, Li Zhi rolled his eyes slightly, pursed his lips, and spoke in a voice barely audible.

"Your Majesty's command—this humble subject will not trouble you~yue~"

Li Chengqian had excellent hearing, but he had his own way of dealing with his younger brother, who was tough and resilient from a young age and had a tenacious spirit of never giving up.

While smiling and praising the key officials in charge of the railway construction under the leadership of Prince Yan, Li Yun, he secretly began to entrust his ninth brother with important responsibilities.

"Let's go to Shizhou and take a look. I'll also enjoy the scenery along the way!"

Just like when the railway from Taiyuan Prefecture to Chang'an was completed, Li Chengqian still insisted on taking it himself. However, unlike the time he went to Chang'an, he was accompanied not only by many officials from Taiyuan Prefecture.

Several beauties, including Qian Yingying, followed suit.

This time, Li Chengqian brought few people. Yingying was still in Chang'an learning how to manage the inner palace from Empress Zhangsun, and she also had to take care of the two little ones, Xiangyu and Yue Niao.

Accompanying Li Chengqian was his concubine, Wu Shun.

In addition, his father, who served as the president of the Royal Bank, was accompanied by Duke Ying, Wu Shiyue.

“Your Highness, the eastern part of Hedong Road is flat, and the construction of the railway from Yanzhou to Shizhou has already begun in sections. It is estimated that the construction of this third railway will be completed soon.”

Inside the train carriage, watching the scenery rushing past the window, Wu Shige sighed sincerely.

Bingzhou is mountainous and has a high altitude. The construction of the railway required a lot of gunpowder and manpower for digging. On the route from Taiyuan Prefecture in Bingzhou to Zhending Prefecture in Shizhou alone, nearly a thousand laborers died.

These were just some insignificant slaves, and Wu Shiyue naturally wouldn't bring up such trivial but certainly unpleasant matters at this time.

Beside him, Prince Yan, Li Yun, described the situation along the way to his elder brother, the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, this railway mainly passes through four stations: Yuci County and Shouyang County in Bingzhou, Jingxing County and Yangquan County in Hengzhou, and then enters Shizhou, ending in Zhending Prefecture.”

The number of stations along the route is not as high as that of the route from Taiyuan to Chang'an, but the construction difficulty and investment are much higher.

It can be said that the investment in the construction of this railway alone is enough to build two or even three of the former.

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, looking out the window at the towering mountains and the railway guards standing at attention and saluting as the train passed by.

His vision blurred for a moment.

Perhaps, possibly, maybe... could I really make the Tang Dynasty, which lasted only one or two hundred years, traverse the more than one thousand years of twists and turns in history?

Li Chengqian murmured to himself, "Primitive accumulation... the Tang Dynasty needs to thoroughly complete its primitive accumulation..."

........

A caravan flying the flag of the Tang Dynasty, bearing the stars, sun, and moon, was traveling on the road from Sassanid Persia to Arabia. The camel bells jingled. The large caravan included merchants, bodyguards, and hired Arabic translators who understood Tang language. Their eyes were filled with a desire for wealth.

The caravan's cargo at this moment included a large quantity of silk, porcelain, finished medicines, and numerous valuable works of art, even several clocks purchased from the Taiyuan Clock Factory...