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

Agricultural policy refuted...this...

When the nobles of Chang'an saw the title of the poem written by the Crown Prince that was sent to them, they all felt a chill run down their spines, recalling the past dynasties.

The rivalry between the emperor and the crown prince was rarely heard of.

However, during the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, the struggle between the emperor and the crown prince had become a common topic of conversation in the court and even among the common people.

In other dynasties, the crown prince lived in constant fear, terrified of being stripped of his position as heir apparent.

The crown prince of the Zhenguan era... chased after the emperor and killed indiscriminately...

"hiss......"

Fang Xuanling's residence, fortunately, they only have a few days left before the end of the year's holiday.

No matter how much the emperor and the crown prince fight, whether it's a battle of wits or a physical one, that's the empress's business...

He took a deep breath and focused on reading the Crown Prince's "Water Dragon Chant: Refutation of Agricultural Strategies".

"For a thousand years, people have been said to be foolish and lazy, but who has seen how exorbitant taxes have eroded their lives?"

"Emperors Wen and Jing reduced taxes, and Emperor Kaihuang reduced taxes, yet poor households still remained."

"Spring plowing in the north of the Wei River, autumn sickle in the south, how often have we warmed our feet?"

"Of the grains in the granary, 70% is used to pay taxes, and the rest is chaff and husks to fill our bellies."

The first part of the poem alone moved Fang Xuanling and other civil and military officials who had experienced the turmoil at the end of the Sui Dynasty.

They all understood that His Majesty was advising the people to be diligent in farming.

The crown prince immediately retorted, "The common people don't need the government to persuade them to farm. Chinese farmers have been hardworking throughout the ages, but so what? They still can't get enough to eat or wear."

Inside the palace, Empress Zhangsun's eyes gleamed as she picked up a brush and copied down the last line of the first stanza, then murmured it to herself.

"Of the grains in the granary, 70% is used for taxes, and the rest is chaff and husks to fill people's stomachs... Gao Ming truly knows what it's like for ordinary people to suffer."

Beside her, Consort Yang nodded: "Yes, otherwise, why would Your Highness have immediately turned against the powerful families and local magnates when you went to Taiyuan to implement the new policies? No matter how good the new policies are, if the benefits don't reach the people, they will only enrich the powerful families and landlords."

"The reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing in ancient times, as well as the prosperous Kaihuang era of the previous dynasty, were considered good days by the people. But they were merely able to survive or not. If they did not lose their lives in the midst of war and chaos, then that was a prosperous era... Alas."

At this moment, in the study of Ganlu Palace, Li Shimin was almost in a state of utter despair, clutching the poem written by the Crown Prince that had been sent by the Hundred Cavalry Division.

He mumbled something in a trembling voice, as if he were cursing.

He had barely finished reciting the first part of the poem when his chest began to heave violently. Even the palace guards, eunuchs, and maids on duty outside the hall could vaguely hear things like "rebellious son" and "slapping my face"...

After making a slight adjustment, Li Shimin took a deep breath and looked towards the second stanza.

"Why not station the Kunlun slaves?"

"Expand into Southeast Asia and plant millet and sorghum everywhere."

"Persia irrigates wells, Tibet digs dams, and Silla cuts down trees."

"The Tang officials were in charge of supervising the grain storage, while the Han officials held the registers, and they collected the grain from the granaries."

"Let the blood and sweat of barbarian lands be used to build our soil, and then we will build a road to heaven!"

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

Chang'an nobles: "..."

Foreign envoys from the Four Directions Pavilion: "..."

The Crown Prince's harem.

After reading the second half of the poem written by Li Chengqian, the Tibetan Zanmu Samaga, the Silla Queen Jindeman, and the Sassanid Persian Princess Salmana all looked helpless and somewhat sad.

Even though they had already entered the palace and become the Crown Prince's concubines.

Even though their country had become a loyal servant of the Tang Dynasty, being drained of its lifeblood and bones.

Is His Highness still not satisfied?

Whether they were foreign envoys from the Sifang Pavilion or princesses and noble ladies from Li Chengqian's harem who were sent to marry foreign rulers, they all felt sorrow and fear.

However, at this moment, in Chang'an City, a group of people were laughing triumphantly in their raspy voices.

The Zheng family's residence in Chang'an, Xingyang.

"Hahahaha! What's wrong with you, you old codger? You still dare to speak ill of me?! His Highness the Crown Prince mentioned Persia, Tibet, and Silla, but he just didn't mention my Turkic people! My Turkic people are the true subjects of the Khan, not those lowly barbarians!"

"But you, Zheng, you old scoundrel, keep saying that it's shameful for your son to marry the daughter of this country's Duke. You're deliberately trying to sabotage the peace between the two races!"

"You're committing strife! You traitor!"

"This country's ruler is my true Khan, and I swear to never coexist with the traitorous and wicked Zheng clan!"

Zheng Jiang's face was ashen as he looked at the man in front of him, who was making no attempt to hide his smugness and petty triumph. He laughed loudly, pointed at the man's nose, and cursed him. He even spat his spittle, which smelled of mutton, all over the man's face. This man was the former Western Turkic Khan, Ashina Quli.

Gritting teeth.

Hey!

He suppressed his anger, took a deep breath, and the stench of saliva on his face almost made him vomit on the spot.

His lips twitched as he wiped his face with a hot towel.

Then he slowly spoke.

"Duke Du, you can't say such things carelessly. When did I ever say that the Turks were not of the Han Chinese ethnicity? You're misinterpreting my meaning..."

Ashina Quli scoffed, too lazy to argue with him.

Now he is living a happier life every day, and he no longer has to worry about his people's lives. His daily work is to go to court, cheer for His Highness the Crown Prince, and wave flags and shout "Long live the Khan!"

Then he went to the Zheng family in Xingyang to see how Ashina Quli's daughter (the crown prince's adopted daughter) was doing...

What if it's not good?

I'll just work overtime a bit, and then impeach the Zheng family of Xingyang again!

Delicious~

Ashina Quli swaggered away from the Zheng family mansion in Xingyang, satisfied, carrying large and small bags of gifts, like a victorious bandit leader returning home.

He held in his hands a copy of the prince's poem that he had snatched from the old scoundrel Zheng Jiang.

He had a piece of candy with a tea flavor in his mouth.

"Hehehe, it seems His Highness the Crown Prince intends to create foreign serfs. In that case... we Turkic warriors shall be true Khans, and fight for the Tang Dynasty! Hehehe, farm owners and ranch owners, whose life in the whole world can compare to that of us, the subjects of the true Khan?"

This uncouth former Turkic Khan, who was not to be underestimated among the many dukes of the Tang Dynasty, had already begun to think about how to cry his way out of trouble to get some milk from the Crown Prince...

In Chang'an's restaurants and teahouses, crowds of people thronged.

Seven years of new policies have made it possible for almost everyone in Taiyuan Prefecture and the surrounding areas of Chang'an to become literate. Even the more affluent people occasionally have time to visit teahouses and other places to indulge in a bit of refined culture.

At this moment, everyone was eagerly awaiting the Emperor and Crown Prince's new work.

Emperor Zhenguan, standing in the Lizheng Hall, seemed to be getting a little stuck...

He picked up the pen with a blank expression, not knowing where to begin.

Looking at the first General Tian Ce, who seemed on the verge of collapse, the eunuch He Ding made Emperor Zhenguan feel a pang of heartache.

I couldn't help but sigh.

"Your Majesty, perhaps we shouldn't be so stubborn?"

"Just surrender, it's no shame to lose to your own son anyway."

"The outside is now covered with His Highness the Crown Prince's poems..."