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

When Empress Zhangsun rushed to the Taiji Hall, Dai Zhou's lower body was already covered in blood.

He had already fainted, but the two soldiers in charge of the caning showed no sign of stopping.

His Highness the Crown Prince said, thirty strokes of the rod!

But not a single blow can be missed!

As soldiers who came from the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace and were rewarded by the Crown Prince with real gold, silver and lavish feasts, these men didn't care what official rank Dai Zhou held or what merits he had made.

"Stop! All of you, stop right now!"

Empress Zhangsun cried out in alarm to stop them. Only when they saw that it was Empress Zhangsun did the two armored soldiers stop wielding their court staffs, which they had been raising again.

"Summon the imperial physician immediately! No, send Imperial Censor Dai directly to the Imperial Medical Bureau, quick!"

Sun Yi hurriedly called several eunuchs to bring over a stretcher, and at this moment, the murderous orders of Crown Prince Li Chengqian could still be clearly heard in the Taiji Hall.

"Order Wang Ming, the governor of Bingzhou, to mobilize 5,000 elite new Bingzhou troops from Taiyuan Prefecture to Chang'an immediately!"

"The Ministry of War shall immediately send a letter to the Chengdu Prefecture of Jiannan Circuit, ordering them to command troops to guard the official roads and cities along the eastern route and the Jiangnan Circuit. On the day the order is issued, all travel between Jiangnan Circuit and Jiannan Circuit shall be cut off!"

"Prince Li Yun of Yan!"

"Your Majesty, I am here!"

The sound from inside the hall startled Empress Zhangsun, causing her pupils to shrink. She was about to walk into the hall when she was stopped by Qian Lou, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who had already received the Crown Prince's orders and was guarding the door.

"Your Majesty, the Taiji Hall is a crucial place for the nation's council; you cannot enter!"

Empress Zhangsun frowned, but then Qianlou in front of her lowered his voice.

"If this matter had come from a memorial submitted by the imperial court, it would have been acceptable for Her Majesty to go in and offer advice after the court received the news. However... this matter was reported by the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Empress Zhangsun stopped abruptly as she was about to speak.

He clenched his fists in worry, yet he also understood the extent of the danger involved.

This can almost be described as the imperial court losing its oversight and control over the Jiangnan and Huainan regions.

This is a big problem!

Inside the hall, Prince Yan, Li Yun, stood out solemnly and bowed as he stepped forward.

He was a burly, dark-skinned man, and when he stood up, his face was full of excitement.

Li Chengqian stood on the high platform.

"You shall immediately return to Yanzhou Prefecture, gather your personal guards and the road protection army, and march south along the way to take Henan Province. Deploy troops in the southern border of Huainan Province, and order the government offices of all prefectures and counties in Henan Province to cut off the official roads and waterways to Huainan Province."

"On the day the order arrives, not a single carriage or riverboat is allowed to pass!"

The officials looked terrified. Even generals like Chai Shao and Yuchi Gong were filled with fear as they listened to Li Chengqian's orders, which clearly treated Huainan and Jiangnan as enemy states.

For a moment, I couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Yuchi Gong anxiously gave Chai Shao a meaningful look.

You are His Highness's uncle, it is your turn to calm His Highness down!

Chai Shao gritted his teeth.

Uncle?

What a load of rubbish! The Prince of Qi, who was stabbed through the heart by the Crown Prince at Xuanwu Gate back then, was actually the Crown Prince's fourth uncle!

However, Li Chengqian's orders did not stop there.

His development over the years, and his support for many brothers, have been most powerfully demonstrated at this moment.

"Order Prince Li You of Chu to immediately lead the Chu Prince's Navy to attack from Guangzhou Prefecture, sail north along the coast, and directly seize Quanzhou, Taizhou, Wenzhou, Zhangzhou and other places in Jiangnan East Circuit. Make sure to control all shipyards and ships in the area. If anyone resists, kill them on the spot!"

"Order Duke Feng Ang of Yue to take control of the checkpoints and passages along the route between Jiangnan and Lingnan when the King of Chu lands in Jiangnan!"

"I order Prince Liang, Li Yin, to chop that damned Japanese king into pieces and throw him into the river to feed the fish! I have absolutely no interest in him! Tell him to immediately return the way he came, gather the Silla navy and troops, and head to Huainan Road, landing at Yangzhou..."

When the court meeting, which was almost entirely dominated by Li Chengqian, ended, many officials walked hand in hand with each other.

Some people, before they even left the Taiji Hall, were forcibly taken to the Imperial Prison by the Jinyiwei guards who were already waiting there.

These people cried out for help and pleaded for justice, but the officials responsible for overseeing and reviewing the two situations bore the most direct responsibility for the current state of affairs in both areas.

"I can walk by myself..."

Zheng Jiang, the Minister of Personnel and head of the Zheng family of Xingyang, wanted to maintain the peace at the moment, but he was facing several Jinyiwei guards who were eyeing him menacingly and seemed ready to draw their embroidered spring knives at any second.

When he said those words, there was a slight tremor in his voice.

Not only Zheng Jiang, the Minister of Personnel, but also Feng Deyi, the Minister of Revenue, and Li Daozong, the Minister of Justice, were taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guard for interrogation.

On this day, officials at all levels of the six ministries, especially those involved in affairs related to Jiangnan Circuit and Huainan Circuit, were all taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

In an instant, the entire official residence in Chang'an was filled with unease.

"Your Highness, the residences and families of all officials involved in the case have been confined to their homes and are being guarded by the Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guards!"

Yuchi Baoqi, dressed in full armor of the Imperial Guard, stood up to report.

Li Chengqian simply nodded: "There's no need to treat them harshly. Just keep an eye on them to prevent them from contacting the outside world or running away."

After Yuchi Baoqi accepted the order and left, Wang De walked in with a worried expression.

"Your Highness..."

"Tell her to get out! If she's in such a hurry to mourn her father, I'll grant her that wish today!"

Before Wang De could finish speaking, Li Chengqian interrupted him coldly.

Wang De swallowed hard, bowed, and carefully withdrew. After a short while, Zheng Lizhen's sobbing outside the hall finally disappeared.

"Royal brother, royal brother!"

Li Zhi's anxious voice came from outside. When Li Chengqian saw that he looked travel-worn, a slight smile finally appeared on his face.

Unfortunately, this smile inevitably carried a hint of bitterness and helplessness.

"Zhi Nu, hehe, I didn't expect this to happen. The vacation I promised you will probably have to be postponed again."

Li Zhi frowned: "What are you saying, Your Majesty?! Do you think that your third and fourth brothers can already help you, while I am still a clueless child in your eyes?!"

Li Chengqian felt somewhat relieved and smiled, gesturing for him to sit down.

"Child, the securities and banking sectors must be firmly controlled! They must also be kept under the control of the royal family! There can be no mistakes... It was our negligence that gave these capitalists the opportunity to bleed us dry in the Jiangnan and Huainan regions!"

Li Chengqian took a deep breath and spoke through gritted teeth, his voice solemn and filled with murderous intent.

Upon hearing this, and seeing the increasingly grim expression on the report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard regarding the Jiangnan and Huainan regions, Li Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

Thinking back to the news I heard on my way back from the train station.

He couldn't help but swallow.

"Brother, you, you're planning to...?"

Li Chengqian slowly rose to his feet, remaining silent and saying nothing.

However, that very evening, outside the Empress's Lizheng Hall, the Crown Prince's tyrannical and resolute voice could be clearly heard.

"Tang law? What right do these traitors have to mention Tang law to me?!"

"I have guns and cannons, why would I need Tang law!"