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

"Your Majesty, this..."

Sun Yi stammered, glancing at Lu Shiming from time to time, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated to speak because Lu Shiming was present.

This timid and hesitant demeanor immediately revealed obvious dissatisfaction in the eyes of Emperor Li Shimin, who was in high spirits.

"What? Is it that I can't command you, Grand Eunuch Sun?"

In a word.

Sun Yi was so frightened that he immediately knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"I...I deserve to die!"

His face turned deathly pale instantly, and he completely forgot what he had wanted to say.

With a cold snort from Li Shimin, who waved him away, Li Shimin hurriedly fled the main hall as if escaping.

"Hmph, is that old bastard Wang De about to become incapacitated? Even Sun Yi is getting more and more unruly! No wonder that rebellious son has become so dissolute!"

Lu Shiming could only awkwardly force a smile.

Only after His Majesty finally waved for him to leave did he hurriedly leave Qing Shu Palace.

That night, Emperor Li Er was in high spirits and summoned several of the concubines who had accompanied him to Qing Shu Palace.

As the saying goes, like father, like son.

Li Shimin was not worried at all about his rebellious son, who was truly as hopeless as Duke Huan of Qi and Emperor Wu of Jin, as he had mentioned in his writings.

After all, Li Shimin cared about his reputation, but his eldest son cared about his reputation even more.

If there's anything that would make someone suffer more than killing them, it would undoubtedly be being scolded by their own foolish father for being incompetent.

"Hahaha, I really want to see that unfilial son's expression when he reads that article..."

Sun Yi didn't know what expression Crown Prince Li Chengqian would have upon seeing that "Letter of Admonition to His Son," filled with a man's ridiculous ambition. But at this moment, after leaving the Qing Shu Palace, he...

Holding the letter tube that had been sealed by the eunuchs of Qing Shu Palace, his hands trembled uncontrollably.

"What, what should we do?"

He turned around and looked at the closed gates of Qing Shu Palace behind him. Thinking of the Emperor's impatient expression just now, reason told him that he should go back and make things clear, but his body just wouldn't move.

Among the accompanying convoy, a young eunuch following Sun Yi looked puzzled.

"Eunuch Sun, what's wrong? Has His Majesty refused the Crown Prince's offer of eight million strings of cash in financial assistance?"

The young eunuch was puzzled. In fact, not only the young eunuch, but everyone else in the group was also confused by Sun Yi's bewildered appearance.

His Highness the Crown Prince heard that His Majesty the Emperor had achieved good results in Jiannan Circuit, and that the recent financial situation was more favorable, so he specially allocated an extra sum of money to Jiannan Circuit, which His Majesty could use at his disposal.

Logically speaking, even if His Majesty was not overjoyed, he should at least be ecstatic.

But judging from Eunuch Sun's appearance, it seemed as if he had been scolded.

Sun Yi frowned, calmed down for a moment, and then looked back at the palace gate behind him.

Finally, he sighed and said, "Let's go. Let's find a place to stay first. This is a matter of great importance. Although His Majesty is unwilling to see us, we must inform His Majesty about the Crown Prince's allocation of funds."

He thought it over and over again.

After finding a place to stay with the team and resting for a few days, they also made inquiries from various sources.

Finally, after much difficulty, they managed to intercept Lu Shiming at the entrance of the governor's mansion, whom they had finally managed to meet.

"Governor Lu, my son Sun Yi is His Highness the Crown Prince's..."

"Eunuch Sun, there's no need for introductions, is there?"

Lu Shiming glanced at Sun Yi, who looked embarrassed, and then at the convoy behind him: "Is the eunuch about to set off back to Chang'an?"

Sun Yi nodded and solemnly took out a document sealed with sealing wax from his pocket.

"There are still many matters to attend to in Chang'an. Having finished my business with the Crown Prince, I dare not linger any longer... These are things the Crown Prince asked me to deliver to His Majesty, but alas..."

He gave another awkward smile, and Lu Shiming understood.

Judging from His Majesty's state a couple of days ago, he couldn't even get a word in edgewise, let alone find an opportunity to take out anything.

He glanced at the wax seals of the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of State Affairs, and the Ministry of State Affairs of Chang'an, and understood why Sun Yi hadn't said it directly that day, but instead wanted to say it after he left.

He nodded slightly: "Don't worry, Eunuch Sun, I will personally deliver this item to His Majesty... I know the rules well: His Majesty looks at it, then I look at it, and then I look at it!"

Sun Yi then bowed with relief and said, "Then I'll leave this to Governor Lu."

Lu Shiming returned the greeting and said goodbye.

Watching the carriage rumble away towards the city gate, Lu Shiming couldn't help but shake his head and sigh softly.

"Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; being a eunuch isn't easy either..."

Just as they were reflecting on this, they suddenly heard a series of urgent shouts coming from the governor's mansion.

"Prefect Lu! Prefect Lu!"

Lu Shiming turned around and saw that the person who came was the Prefect of Bazhou. He seemed to have been waiting for him for a long time. As soon as he saw him, he hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed him.

"It's terrible, Governor Lu! Bazhou is experiencing a severe spring frost! Large swathes of farmland have been destroyed, and the people have suffered heavy losses! Lord Deng is currently there comforting the people, but we urgently need a batch of disaster relief funds. May I ask if Chengdu Prefecture has any..."

"What?! Frost?!"

Lu Shiming was immediately alarmed and, disregarding everything else, hurriedly summoned the finance and agricultural officials of Chengdu Prefecture.

That's how it is when you rely on the weather for your livelihood. As a local official, Lu Shiming also frequently has to deal with all sorts of unexpected situations.

However, generally speaking, as long as there are no casualties among the local people, what he needs to deal with are some official legal matters, as well as financial allocation and fundraising.

Another busy day passed, and it wasn't until just before dinner, when he had arranged everything, that he suddenly realized he seemed to have something on his mind.

"broken!"

Qing Shu Palace.

At this time, Emperor Li Shimin was still reviewing memorials.

It seemed that the "Letter to His Son" from a few days ago had greatly encouraged him, because today, when Li Shimin was dealing with memorials, he actually felt quite enjoying the process.

The ancients spoke of strategizing and planning; I am no different now... Hmph.

Suddenly, a palace attendant reported that Governor Lu Shiming was requesting an audience, and he nodded in agreement.

"Hehe, Governor Lu, are you here to report to me about the frost in Bazhou? I already know about it in today's memorial... You handled it very well."

Lu Shiming wiped his sweat, took a couple of breaths, and then hurriedly bowed.

He presented the item that Sun Yi had entrusted to him to Li Shimin.

"Your Majesty, this was entrusted to me by Eunuch Sun before he left today. He said that His Highness the Crown Prince asked me to give it to you as well."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin took a look and, seeing that it contained the sealing wax of the Six Ministries and the Secretariat, his expression turned solemn.

"Hmph! That Sun Yi! He's getting more and more incompetent!"

He tore off the seal, opened the waterproof packaging of the document, and what came into view was a book.

The topmost document was a memorial from the Ministry of Revenue.

"On the 17th day of the third month of the sixth year of the Zhenguan era, the Ministry of Revenue issued an imperial edict regarding the allocation of silver."

"Given the remarkable progress and outstanding results of the Jiannan Circuit's policy of appeasement towards the Six Zhao Kingdoms in the south, the Ministry of Revenue is hereby ordered to allocate eight million strings of cash for the Jiannan Circuit to use for its military and civilian needs."

"This allocation is not included in the Ministry of Revenue's regular budget allocation for this year. We hope that all officials in Wangjiannan Circuit will respectfully comply and carefully raise funds to ensure that these funds are used effectively to strengthen border defenses, reassure the people, and demonstrate His Highness's benevolence."

"Once this order is issued, it shall be carried out as law. All officials in Jiannan Circuit shall be dutiful and courageous in their duties, striving to achieve new merits to repay the nation's great kindness."

March 17th, the sixth year of the Zhenguan era

"Respectfully written by Imperial Decree, Minister of Revenue Feng Deyi"

Li Shimin's eyes widened instantly.

"Hiss! Eight million strings of cash?!"

Seeing Emperor Zhenguan leap up from the dragon throne, Lu Shiming was startled by the emperor's dramatic reaction.

"Your Majesty, what, what eight million strings of cash?"

Li Shimin had no time to pay attention to him. Overjoyed, he hurriedly opened the memorials from the Secretariat and the Chancellery. Upon seeing the neat seals and regulations on them, he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! We're rich! Hahahaha, Lu Shiming, we're rich again! Eight million strings of cash! A full eight million strings of cash!"

"This doesn't even include the fiscal funds allocated from there this year! Eight million strings of cash... If I had eight million strings of cash, I could use money to win over the Southern Six Zhao Kingdoms and make them submit to my Great Tang!"

Li Shimin's words were becoming somewhat irrational.

but.

When Lu Shiming, who was standing to the side, received the document from the other party and saw its contents, he couldn't help but gasp sharply, just like Li Shimin.

Just today, he was still somewhat worried about the lack of funds because he had allocated 50,000 guan to Bazhou for disaster relief.

Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, the Crown Prince sent eight million strings of cash.

"Your Majesty, this document says that the relevant funds will be delivered in a month at most. Your Majesty, we can resume construction on the workshops and government properties that were previously delayed!"

Li Shimin nodded vigorously, stroking his beard and sighing.

"Hahaha, my Chengqian truly always manages to share my burdens! I was short of money, and before I even asked him, he sent it to me—a full eight million strings of cash! That kid is really something, where did he get so much money from...?"

He was still laughing, but Lu Shiming, who was holding the documents in his hands, gradually realized something.

His expression slowly stiffened.

He stared blankly, as if on cue, at the Emperor Zhenguan, who was still there, smug and self-satisfied.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

Lu Shiming's voice trembled slightly as he stepped forward and grabbed Li Shimin's arm.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Eunuch Sun set off for Chang'an this morning! I am guilty, I am guilty!"

Li Shimin frowned: "You are guilty? What crime have you committed? You...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Shimin's expression changed drastically.

"No, no!"

"Guards! Guards! Summon Li Junxian to me immediately! Bring Li Junxian to see me at once!!!"

"quick!!!"

This is infuriating... Cold sweat instantly broke out on Li Shimin's forehead.

Just thinking about his son, whose temper was even more explosive than his own, and how he had kindly allocated a full eight million strings of cash to him, he was immediately met with Emperor Li Shimin's lengthy "Letter of Admonition to His Son".

Even a fool could imagine what kind of expression the crown prince would have.

When Li Junxian rushed to Qingshu Palace in a panic, he saw Governor Lu Shiming kneeling on the ground and Li Shimin looking as if the sky had fallen as he entered the hall.

"Quickly! Summon fast horses for me! Chase after them all the way to Chang'an on the official road! We must stop that bastard Sun Yi!"

"Take that letter from his hand back to me!"

"You must take it back for me, do you hear me?!"

"If you can't get the stuff back, don't come back either. Find me the nearest crooked tree and hang yourself!"

Li Junxian had never imagined that such an anxious, distorted expression could appear on the face of Emperor Zhenguan. He dared not ask any questions and hurriedly accepted the order, then dashed off outside.

From the main hall of the Qing Shu Palace behind them, one could still faintly hear the emperor's voice, full of frustration.

"Oh dear! How could I be so foolish!"

"A lifetime of wisdom! My lifetime of wisdom!"