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

"The snow before the Linde Hall has not yet melted, and the spring edict from Jiannan has already arrived far away."

"Three thousand pieces of Shu brocade are used to implement the new policy, and a million coins are used to build a bridge between magpies."

"Mandarin ducks on the Jinshui River startled by the sound of the zither; the lights of Lishan Mountain dimmed the silk of the mermaid."

"On the night when the beauties of the six palaces receive the emperor's favor, who remembers the old imperial robes of Zhaoling?"

Li Shimin: "......."

Although Li Shimin was somewhat lacking in poetry writing, his skill in appreciating poetry was quite high.

In just a moment, his face turned a dark red, like a pig's liver, at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Below the stage, the officials looked at each other in bewilderment, and many couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

"Hiss... Jiannan Spring Edict, Your Highness, are you referring to the documents from Jiannan Circuit and the fine wines of Chengdu? Is Your Highness implying that His Majesty is using the guise of the new policies to indulge in pleasure?"

Fang Xuanling inwardly gasped.

Beside him, Du Ruhui stroked his beard, and couldn't help but murmur, "Your Highness said 'a million coins to build a magpie bridge,' could it be that Your Majesty used government funds for your romantic pursuits? Hiss... Your Highness is really ruthless. Your Majesty, tell me, why did you provoke him?"

Changsun Wuji sat in his seat, also reading carefully.

"The lights of Mount Li, no matter how you look at it, seem to correspond to the bloodshed at Xuanwu Gate back then. This is a cruel contrast to the current 'gentle and beautiful' atmosphere in Chengdu... Sigh, Emperor's brother-in-law, everyone knows you've been working diligently in Chengdu, but... who did you have to mess with?"

Changsun Wuji was speechless.

With the Crown Prince's poem, His Majesty the Emperor's hard work in Chengdu for more than a year was directly summarized in one sentence: "embezzlement of public funds and extravagant lifestyle."

Li Shimin's Adam's apple bobbed as he stared blankly at Crown Prince Li Chengqian, who had turned around and was giving him a half-smile, feigning humility. If only Li Shimin could control objects with his mind.

At this moment, he was determined to send this rebellious son soaring into the sky, crashing through the palace roof, and then tumbling down from the highest mountain peak...

The images in his mind were ultimately just fantasies of impotent rage. He looked pleadingly at Empress Zhangsun beside him, only to hear her holding a wine cup and murmuring softly.

"On the night when the beauties of the six palaces receive the emperor's favor, who remembers the old imperial robes of Zhaoling? I quite agree with Chengqian's poem... What do you say, Your Majesty?"

Empress Zhangsun's delicate eyebrows seemed to express a sense of resentment, yet she also seemed to share an almost identical provocation with Li Chengqian at this moment.

The final line, "Who remembers the old imperial robes of Zhaoling?" refers both to Empress Zhangsun's neglect and, more importantly, to the image of her father, whom Li Chengqian witnessed in his childhood, as a figure fading into extravagance...

The pen of a writer can be a knife that kills...

Li Shimin wished he could spit a mouthful of blood on the face of the mother and son.

ruthless!

That's too cruel!

I merely wrote a "Letter of Admonition to My Son"... wait!

Li Shimin suddenly widened his eyes, as if he had realized something. The Crown Prince had shown his poetic talent long ago, whether it was the poem he had given to the Wang family earlier, or the lyric he had given to the Zheng family of Xingyang.

They are all unforgettable, but I hardly wrote any poetry after that.

But at the end of this year, he has been writing poems frequently, as if... as if he is warming up and practicing?

In an instant, Li Shimin immediately understood the crux of the matter. It was likely that Li Junxian, that good-for-nothing, had not stopped the "Admonition to His Son," or perhaps the Crown Prince had already received the news before he stopped it.

Now, Li Shimin couldn't help but feel guilty.

The eight million strings of cash were delivered to Chengdu Prefecture. He didn't even handle the money himself before discussing the budget allocation with Lu Shiming and others.

Ensure that every copper coin is used effectively.

Li Chengqian's claim that he misappropriated public funds for personal enjoyment and debauchery is clearly a slander.

However, the poem only mentions "one million zhu" instead of eight million guan, which is considered to have saved face for Li Shimin.

He coughed awkwardly twice.

She dared not face the gaze of her "wealthy son" Crown Prince Li Chengqian, nor did she dare face Empress Zhangsun, whose eyes were filled with resentment.

"Ahem, what do you all think of the Crown Prince's poem?"

The officials looked at each other, wondering how they were supposed to respond to His Majesty's words.

It's hard to say?

Putting aside the fact that this is blatant lying and goes against their principles, it also offends the Crown Prince.

Agreed?

Your Majesty, you're sure you're not happy...

The atmosphere was awkward, which Li Shimin was aware of, but as long as he wasn't left alone to feel embarrassed, it wouldn't be considered that he, Emperor Zhenguan Li Shimin, had lost face.

"Hmm, is there anyone who can continue this poem about Shu brocade?"

Li Shimin asked again, and seeing everyone shaking their heads and bowing, he breathed a sigh of relief. Before Li Chengqian beside him could say anything, he quickly said, "Since none of you esteemed ministers have a better poem, then let's simply choose another one..."

He pretended to ponder.

"This time, I'll choose something simpler, something that evokes the imagery of flowing rivers. I'm just offering a starting point..."

Li Shimin spoke slowly, under the watchful eyes of everyone.

"The spring scenery of Jinjiang River surrounds the city, and the golden fortress of the land locks up the dragon."

"The sound of waves from ten thousand miles away returns to the pillar, and the rice waves from a thousand villages emerge from the silkworm cocoon."

"Dujiangyan connects with Persian craftsmen, and Yulei Mountain opens up Tibetan craftsmanship."

"Do not say that Western Sichuan is a remote place; the virtuous rule of the Holy Dynasty is shared by all the lands."

After reciting the poem, Li Shimin stroked his beard, looking very satisfied, and smiled as he looked at the officials below.

If accompanying leaders to social events is not a difficult task for the civil and military officials present here, then... it is not easy to deal with two leaders at the same time, and you must not offend either of them, but also make them compete and determine who is superior.

How to do this?

The military generals present, such as Duke Yuchi Gong of E, Duke Ashina Quli of Du, and Duke Li Daliang of Wuyang County, all pretended to be fools and started eating the food and wine in front of them.

He had an air of "Hehehe, I'm a bad student, I can't understand poetry."

This made civil officials like Fang Xuanling feel a little envious for a moment.

It's good to be a fool!

Being treated like a fool at this moment would be perfect...

"Xuanling, what do you think?"

Fang Xuanling was startled and stood up to bow: "Your Majesty's poem perfectly captures the peaceful and harmonious life of the people of Jiannan Circuit. I congratulate Your Majesty!"

The officials all hurriedly followed suit, becoming a kind of repeating machine.

It's a water group.

The most dangerous people are those who stay underwater all the time and don't even act like a broken record.

Hearing the cries of "Congratulations to Your Majesty!", Li Shimin smiled and nodded slightly. He couldn't let that rebellious son's poem turn his year's hard work into "extravagance and pleasure."

Li Tai secretly curled his lip.

"Such a plain and unremarkable poem for reciting merits is truly a feat for Father Emperor, who could still recite it in front of all the officials. Haha, 'All under Heaven'... it's really empty."

Li Shimin laughed twice and then ordered the officials to continue writing.

Li Chengqian didn't interrupt. This time, even rough men like Yuchi Gong could casually utter a few risqué poems during the Flying Flower Order game, which made everyone present burst into laughter.

The atmosphere at the scene warmed up again and became lively.

Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, Li Shimin noticed that his crown prince remained silent, and raised an eyebrow.

No way?

You can't even write such a simple poem?

Li Shimin was pondering whether his crown prince was deliberately creating a false impression, waiting for him to fall into a trap, or giving him a ruse.

Li Chengqian seemed to sense something, and slightly raised his eyes to meet his father's gaze, which was both eager to attack and somewhat hesitant.

A sly smile curled at the corner of his lips.

not good!

That rebellious son is about to make his move!