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

As Wu Shiyue's explanations became more and more illuminating, more and more foreign envoys began to feel the increasingly blatant barbarity emanating from him.

The foreign envoys present couldn't help but look at each other in bewilderment.

Let them exchange their hard-earned money for a bunch of things that could become worthless at any time.

Only a fool would agree to that.

But... only a fool would stand up and object at this time.

For a moment, the court fell into an eerie silence. Everyone had their own agenda, their eyes darting between them, hoping the other would be the first to speak out against the decision.

however.

The Tibetan Grand Minister, Gar Tongtsen, remained silent.

Silla minister Eulje remained silent.

Zoridam, the Sasanian Persian Minister of War and also the tributary envoy for this mission, also chose to remain silent.

If even the relatively stronger vassal states like theirs haven't made a statement yet, how could the weaker vassal states dare to step forward and express their opinions?

Li Chengqian sat on the throne, already mentally prepared for the reactions of the crowd.

His smile held a hint of amusement.

If the tactics used by the Bald Eagle in later generations were employed by the Tang Dynasty, which now holds absolute power and military superiority in East Asia, there would be absolutely no problem with it.

The Tang Dynasty not only imposed no restrictions on the surrounding countries regarding raw materials, but also possessed an absolute military advantage.

They obediently accepted it and were economically colonized by the Tang Dynasty.

If they did not obediently accept, they would be completely colonized by the Tang Dynasty.

He glanced around with a half-smile: "Rest assured, our Great Tang is a land of propriety. How could we oppress and humiliate the weak like you? This is not a matter of coercion. Those who are willing can contact our Great Tang government to inquire about the details. If you are unwilling..."

"Then from now on, there will be no need to busy ourselves with preparing any tribute."

The last sentence nearly made the foreign tributary envoys present curse.

No need for tribute?

You might as well just say you're expelling our nation; that would be much clearer and more straightforward!

Take Southeast Asia as an example, including the countries of Lin-yi, Zhenla, Jiaozhi, and Siam. Any one of these countries was stripped of its status as a tributary state by the Tang Dynasty.

That would mean losing the right to request the Tang Dynasty to "uphold justice" after being attacked in East Asia.

In other words.

No one wanted to become a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, especially since the crown prince was a shameless member of the Tang Dynasty.

But if you were to ask who would be the first to give up their status as a vassal state... none of these people are fools.

All the foreign envoys, including Galdontsen, immediately said that they needed to go back and inform their own kings, thus employing a delaying tactic.

Li Chengqian was not annoyed.

Anyway, the initiative is always on the side of the Tang Dynasty. You can drag it out however you want. In any case, we won't have to worry about where to sell our products!

After the grand court assembly concluded, a group of court officials emerged from the Taiji Hall with beaming smiles.

Last time, the six ministries and the chancellors Fang and Du joined forces to carry out a spectacular self-inflicted injury scheme, which finally suppressed Li Bapi's arrogant behavior of exploiting officials' holidays.

Nowadays, the holidays and seasonal breaks that should be observed for various festivals and solar terms have been restored to their original duration.

The courtiers exchanged pleasantries, wishing each other a prosperous new year, and walked out of the palace in twos and threes.

At this moment, Li Chengqian, who had just returned to Ganlu Palace, had barely sat down when someone came to report that someone had come to announce his arrival.

"The Tibetan Grand Minister Gardonzan, the Silla Minister Eulji, and the Sasanian Persian envoy Zoridamu are requesting an audience outside..."

"Hehe, didn't you say you were going back to discuss it with the King? Hehe..." Li Chengqian smiled knowingly.

Have someone bring the group in.

"Your Highness, the Foreign Minister Gardonzan (Yiji, Zolidamu) pays his respects!"

Of the three, apart from Zolidam, who had only been learning Tang language for about a year and whose pronunciation was still strange, Gardonzan and Yiji, both long-time players of the East Asian Monster Room, spoke fluent Tang language.

Li Chengqian nodded and told the group to rise.

"What business do you lot have with me?"

Gardonzan hesitated for a moment, and was about to speak when Zolidam spoke first.

"Your Highness, we Sassanid Persia are willing to accept your order to adopt Tang paper money as the currency for future trade."

Hey!

Damn white pigs! White-skinned, black-hearted bastards!

Just as Galdonzan and Yiji were about to speak, they both cursed inwardly.

When this guy was talking to them outside, he spoke Tang dialect haltingly, and even his greeting just now didn't sound out of place.

But it's this one sentence... you said it so fluently!

Li Chengqian smiled, sitting at an angle with one hand supporting his chin.

"Oh? The envoy shouldn't go back and discuss this with King Izwarak?"

Zoridam bowed and said, "Your Highness, before I left, His Majesty the King granted me this power, and... Princess Salmana also sent someone to tell me after I arrived in Chang'an that I should trust in Your Highness's wisdom."

"Since you have been able to govern the Tang Dynasty to such a prosperous and great state, then the decisions you make will naturally also allow your loyal servants to become wealthy as well!"

"Sasanian Persia is willing to accept your command!"

As he spoke, the man bowed respectfully once more.

Li Chengqian's smile deepened; sometimes dealing with smart people is just that easy and simple.

He nodded slightly, then looked at Gardonzan and Yiji.

Gardonzan cupped his hands and said, "Tibet is willing to accept the decree of His Majesty the True Khan!"

Yi Ji bowed and said, "The entire Silla Kingdom accepts all orders from His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Now, this reform of Tang paper currency for trade has completely settled the situation. The Tang Dynasty, a superpower, is determined to implement it, and neighboring medium-sized countries such as Tibet, Sassanid Persia, and Silla have followed suit.

So the idea that smaller countries like Linyi, Zhenla, and Siam could unite and boycott them is nothing short of a joke.

Li Chengqian praised the wisdom of Galdonzan and his group.

The latter group immediately wrote letters after leaving the palace, sending them back to their home country to exchange for gold in Tang Dynasty paper money, as well as national credit gold to be stored in the "Great Tang World Treasury" for the long term.

Li Chengqian was not entirely unreasonable; he would often reward those who made the right choice first.

For example, he told Gardonzan and the others that Tang paper money was pegged to the price of gold, but the gold content in gold products and coins varied from country to country...

This ambiguous distinction between different purities and sizes instantly made the three of them realize what this ruthless Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty was planning to do.

After melting down gold artifacts of equal weight, how much pure gold remains and how much is lost in the fire are all determined by the Tang Dynasty.

Suddenly, what had initially felt somewhat uncomfortable turned into schadenfreude towards those who would follow.

.......

"Your Highness, the Marquis of Qingshui has arrived!"

Wang De led his men into the Ganlu Hall.

Marquis Qingshui, Lü Shiheng, strode into the hall with his head held high, and then respectfully bowed to Li Chengqian.

"This humble general, Lü Shiheng, pays his respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Li Chengqian smiled and nodded, then had a chair brought to him.

The military officer he rescued during the Xuanwu Gate Incident was granted the title of Marquis along with Jing Junhong after the incident.

Lu Shiheng, Marquis of Qingshui; Jingjun Hong, Marquis of Jingshui.

Now, Jing Junhong has been sent to Silla by Li Chengqian to assist King Liang, Li Yin, in managing the Tang army in Silla.

As for Lü Shiheng, he was always assigned to do some things in the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace, basically a role that required him to move around wherever needed.

Li Chengqian casually chatted with the other party about his recent situation before revealing the purpose of his summons.

“Cunyi (Lu Shiheng’s courtesy name), you should know about what happened at the grand court meeting a couple of days ago. I am preparing to issue paper money for the Tang Dynasty, and the value of paper money is linked to gold. Therefore, our Tang Dynasty needs to reserve a large amount of gold as the equivalent of our Tang Dynasty paper money in the future.”

"Therefore, I intend to have the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War jointly construct the world's largest treasury, its scale to match that of the imperial mausoleum..."

Just a few casual words were enough to make Lü Shiheng gasp in shock.

A treasury built to the scale of an imperial mausoleum... How much gold is His Highness planning to store?!

The so-called "gold and silver mountains" are actually just gold and silver ore. In terms of volume and scale, the actual amount of gold and silver produced after smelting is greatly reduced.

But if it really is as the prince said, and this world's treasury is built...

That was a real gold mine!

Li Chengqian looked at him with a solemn expression.

“You are good at commanding troops, you are also familiar with new military weapons, you are good at defense, and you are the only person I can think of right now who is competent for this position and whom I can trust.”

"Therefore, I intend to establish a Royal Treasury Guard, drawing elites from the Imperial Guard, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace, and you will be in charge of it, responsible for guarding the security of the treasury!"

Wow!

Lu Shiheng was so shocked that he stood up on the spot, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Your Highness, this...this matter is of utmost importance, and such a crucial place...this humble general..."

"What? You think I trusted the wrong person?" Li Chengqian's eyes flashed.

Lu Shiheng immediately straightened his chest and raised his head: "His Highness the Crown Prince saved my life from Xuanwu Gate. I will never hesitate to obey His Highness's orders, even at the cost of my life!"

"However... I fear I may fail Your Highness's trust."

He couldn't help but be nervous, this was the world's treasury! According to the Crown Prince, all the gold of the countries under the influence of the Tang Dynasty's military banner would be included in it.

To defend that place, we must not only guard against potential external enemies, but also against internal threats... and even against ourselves.

Li Chengqian stood up, walked up to him, and gently patted his shoulder.

"I trust you!"

On the Spring Festival of the sixth year of Zhenguan, Chang'an was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. The sound of firecrackers and the joyful cheers of children echoed through the streets and alleys of Chang'an.

On New Year's Eve, stages were set up in places like Zhuque Square in Chang'an, with the imperial family funding the performances for the people of Chang'an.

Lu Shiheng held his three-year-old son in his arms. The little guy still couldn't get rid of his bad habit of sucking his fingers. Lu Shiheng had scolded him for this many times in the past.

But now...

That very evening, upon returning to his residence, he announced something that greatly surprised Lady Qingshui.

"The Crown Prince has entrusted me with a heavy responsibility. This matter is of utmost importance, concerning the very foundation of the nation. I fear I will be unable to return to see you for a long time to come—at least a few months, at most several years..."