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

Shi Tianhu and his companions had tried their best to guess Chen Congyun's courage, but after seeing everything in front of them, they were all horrified to find that even they had underestimated this guy's courage.

This guy is a complete madman!

A complete madman.

"You want to assassinate Li Shimin?"

Xiao Poyue looked at Chen Congyun with a complicated expression and asked.

Chen Congyun smiled faintly, his smile full of arrogance, his eyes seeming to say, "Is it not allowed?"

"Our Emperor, though nominally the Emperor, is actually suppressed by his own Crown Prince, a truly absurd situation. His exile to Jiannan Circuit only serves to demonstrate his inadequacy in holding the position. As for that Crown Prince..."

"Chen admits he has some ability, and he only had the capital to start a rebellion because of the new policies. However... he and Li Shimin, one killed his brother and the other murdered his uncle, how can they be considered sage rulers?"

Su Jiuniang's eyes always carried a hint of coldness, her heart filled with contempt and disdain.

No matter how immoral Li Shimin and his son Li Chengqian were, it was at most a family matter of the Li Tang imperial family. As for how the people of the Tang Dynasty were living, justice would prevail.

She had already made up her mind that she could not keep the Su Clan Chamber of Commerce, and that she would immediately lead everyone away from Jiangnan Road after today.

Chen Congyun's gaze was fixed on Shi Tianhu, Xiao Poyue, and Chen Hengjiang, his eyes filled with fervor.

"Don't be fooled by Li Shimin's invasion of our Jiangnan region. He has already captured Shaozhou, Langzhou, and Tanzhou. This is only because we have joined forces in Hongzhou. Li Shimin came with great momentum and killed his way through, thinking that this was all we were capable of. But little did he know that he was already like the First Emperor of Qin at the Sand Dune, trapped in our trap!"

......

"Damn it! Damn it!!"

"These traitors and their entire families should be executed!"

"No! Ten generations! I will exterminate ten generations of their families!!!"

Tanzhou.

The closer they got to Hongzhou, the more the local situation exceeded Li Shimin's understanding. The opium mentioned in the Crown Prince's golden eagle message was actually so toxic.

They corrupted outstanding individuals into grotesque and monstrous demons.

To tame virtuous and chaste women into prostitutes and lowly prostitutes!

Li Shimin felt as if his heart was being torn apart and his anger was soaring.

Zhang Liang's face was grim: "Your Majesty, what should we do with these people? Even we, the accompanying physicians, haven't found a way to treat them..."

Li Shimin clenched his fists tightly.

He did not encounter any of the rebel forces that a rebellion would normally face; even if there were, he easily ordered them to be swept away, and all those involved in the rebellion were publicly beheaded within the city.

They even skipped the trial.

Originally, given Li Shimin's magnanimity, he could have ordered an interrogation to find out if anyone had been coerced into participating. However, when he saw the horrific scene in Tanzhou, the last shred of mercy in his heart was shattered.

He gritted his teeth, his gaze fixed on the five or six hundred drug addicts in front of him.

Previously in Langzhou and Shaozhou, this kind of opium, which poisoned people's hearts and turned good people into monsters, was only circulating in official circles. But when he led his troops to Tanzhou.

This stuff has already found its way into the hands of some wealthy families in the countryside.

Zhang Liang waited anxiously for his reply, but Li Shimin clenched his hands, his eyes filled with pain and self-blame.

"If you feel that my Li Tang dynasty has lost its virtue, you may raise an army to attack me. Why then do you harm the people?!"

He let out a mournful cry.

In his hands, the golden eagle letter sent by his own crown prince described the terrible consequences of opium addiction: once addicted, it is very difficult to quit, and even if one manages to quit, the person will be ruined.

Kill?

He could order the beheading of the hundreds of rebel soldiers from Tanzhou City at Caishikou without batting an eye.

He could also order the governor of Tanzhou to be executed by slow slicing and his entire clan beheaded without hesitation.

But these are all ordinary people of the Tang Dynasty!

"Immediately, immediately search the Roman carriages and send all these people to Chang'an..." Li Shimin stopped mid-sentence.

Too many people.

And these are just the obvious cases that they caught; what about those who have only recently become involved?

How many cities are there in Tanzhou?

At this moment, even Li Shimin and Zhang Liang, who had lived through the late Sui Dynasty, felt as if they were facing something far more terrifying than a thousand troops.

"Subu!"

Chenzhou Prefect Su Bu hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your subject is here..."

"For now, keep all these people detained in Chenzhou. Send soldiers and medical officers to take care of and guard them. Make every effort to keep them alive. I will issue an order for Chang'an to send medical officers immediately."

Subu hurriedly agreed, but his face showed a bit of bitterness. Chenzhou had already taken in nearly 10,000 people from Shaozhou and Langzhou who had been infected with that evil thing, which was also a pressure on Chenzhou itself.

After all, these people need to be kept under guard, but they cannot be treated as prisoners.

Li Shimin patted him on the shoulder: "I know you've been under a lot of pressure lately. Hang in there for now, think of a solution, and I will quell the rebellion as soon as possible. After this is over, I will reward you handsomely!"

Subu's spirits lifted: "Your subject is willing to sign a military pledge! If I fail in my duty, may I be beheaded!"

Su Bu led the garrison from Chenzhou who had come along the same route to discuss the escort arrangements with the generals, while Li Shimin's eyes instantly turned icy cold.

"Zhang Liang!"

"The general is here!"

"You old codger, do you still have the guts to fight alongside me?"

Zhang Liang glared and brandished his broadsword: "This humble general's swordsmanship dares to challenge the Duke of E! Today, I will wield my sword and Your Majesty will wield your bow! Let us slaughter the rebel army until they are routed!"

Li Shimin laughed twice, but his laughter was full of murderous intent and icy coldness.

"Men and horses are in chaos? This is not enough! Such cruelty to my people is like killing my own children! I will have all the rebels die!"

"By my order, the Xuanjia Army and the Jiannan Road New Army shall split up and retreat, no longer concerning themselves with Yuanzhou and Yuezhou, and follow me directly to Hongzhou! To capture the traitors!"

After only a brief moment of hesitation, Li Shimin immediately made the most correct decision.

And the same.

Chu King Li You, who landed at Zhangzhou Port with his troops, successively captured Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, and then Jianzhou, which was closer to Hongzhou.

The order to take Hongzhou was issued immediately.

"Your Highness, what should we do with these people? We can't trust the local garrison..." Du Ling hesitated, glancing at the Jianzhou City officials who were being dragged out of the mansion.

Some of them already resembled evil spirits, while others were clearly untouched by that substance and were now shouting and claiming their innocence.

however.

Li You, however, had a ruthless look in his eyes.

"Kill! Leave no one behind!"

"Jianzhou has fallen into such a state of decay, yet not a single person has reported to the court. Even sending a message to me would have been acceptable, but these people have simply stood by and watched... What use are they?!"

Outside Jianzhou City.

Li You sat on the high platform, while below, piles of firewood were stacked up, and former officials and wealthy merchants of Jianzhou City were all bound hand and foot.

"King of Chu! You can't! You can't kill me! I'm innocent, and even if I were guilty, the court should handle the trial! You can't kill me!"

A county magistrate under the jurisdiction of Jianzhou shouted in panic.

However, under the fierce and ruthless hands of the King of Chu's personal guards, they were quickly tied to racks like chicks, and dozens of officials struggled fiercely or begged for mercy amidst their cries.

Li You's expression was icy: "Light the fire!"