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

As the spring breeze blows, few farmers can be seen working in the rice paddies of the countryside.

This stands in stark contrast to the north, where it is currently the busy spring planting season, and the Harsha slaves and Kunlun slaves are shouting and directing the farmers to cultivate the land.

This made Li Shimin, who had led his army all the way from Tanzhou to Hongzhou, look even more displeased.

"That old scoundrel Zhang Zhenzhou deserves to die!"

He forced out a murderous utterance through gritted teeth.

The Xuanjia Army's imposing presence became even more magnificent and awe-inspiring.

"cracking!"

Amidst the sharp cry of the golden eagle, Li Shimin looked up and saw that, besides his own golden eagle, several other golden eagles were circling and playing in the azure sky.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Liang's eyes lit up: "Your Majesty, it seems that the Crown Prince and the others have arrived as well. We have hardly been delayed along the way, yet the Crown Prince has managed to arrive at the same time as us."

Li Shimin's expression was complicated.

He still needed to settle the people ravaged by opium and make sure the place was settled before leading his army to set off again. But as the crown prince... he had killed everyone, so naturally it wouldn't take too much time.

He couldn't say whether the Crown Prince's actions were right or wrong, after all, he had witnessed the viciousness and horror of that poison firsthand. If he didn't use swift and decisive measures, he would instill fear in the world.

I fear that such things will still be circulated secretly in the future.

If such inadequate supervision occurs again in the future, it will be another tragedy.

"Governor, the Chu King's army has arrived in Zhongling County. The county magistrate and his officials have all been imprisoned. The army should arrive at Hongzhou City by this afternoon at the latest."

"Report! The armies of His Highness the Crown Prince, His Highness the Prince of Wei, and His Highness the Prince of Liang have arrived in Beijianchang County, less than fifty li from Hongzhou City!"

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, His Majesty's Xuanjia Army is less than sixty li from Hongzhou City and has now arrived at Xigao'an County, Hongzhou..."

Zhang Zhenzhou looked tired, but he seemed to have a sense of relief.

Hearing the report from his personal guards, he dejectedly stroked the official robe and seal he had taken off. Several deputy generals beside him looked at him with complicated expressions, but they were relieved.

Fortunately, this governor did not make another mistake.

Even now, surrendering is a capital offense...

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

He was being held tightly by several guards, bound hand and foot, and even his mouth was gagged with a strip of cloth. Chen Congyun's eyes were bloodshot as he struggled anxiously.

However, it was to no avail.

Zhang Zhenzhou glanced at him indifferently, then unfastened the sword from his waist and placed it, along with his official robe and seal, on the tray. At this moment, he was dressed in white.

"So you're scared now? Back then, when you tricked me with that poison and used your wife as leverage to force me to do these sordid things, didn't you never care about anyone in this world?"

Zhang Zhenzhou snorted coldly, his gaze complex and tinged with guilt as he looked at his several deputy generals.

He bowed deeply to the crowd.

"Gentlemen, my actions over the years have implicated you all."

No one spoke. The so-called brotherhood had long since been worn away over the years. Someone brought in shackles and chains from outside.

Zhang Zhenzhou raised his hands and stretched them out in front of everyone.

April 18th, the eighth year of Zhenguan.

Outside Hongzhou City, banners fluttered in the wind from all directions.

Li Shimin's Xuanjia Army and the Jiannan Road New Army stood solemnly in formation on the west side.

The six guards of Crown Prince Li Chengqian's Eastern Palace and the Shenji Battalion, the personal troops of Prince Wei Li Tai, were arrayed in preparation for an attack on the city.

To the east was the Silla-Tang allied army led by King Yi Yin of Liang.

To the south, King Li You of Chu and his personal guards also took control of the navy outside Hongzhou City.

At this moment, although all four gates of Hongzhou City were open, no one ordered an attack. The tense atmosphere, like thin clouds in the sky, made the people in the city feel the solemnity and danger.

However, while the Li Tang imperial army surrounded Hongzhou City like Mount Tai on all sides, the situation inside the city was equally unsettled.

Zhang Zhenzhou surrendered and bound himself.

However, there were still many merchants and their followers in Hongzhou City, as well as the families of these merchants and their confidants.

In this upheaval, these people, and even the Hongzhou City garrison that is currently arresting them, are not spared.

Banner hunting.

Looking at Hongzhou City, which had clearly surrendered, Li Chengqian could not calm his heart.

In his vision of reform and development, the surging river should have been bustling with activity, with merchants on board making a living. However, nowadays, there are hardly any fishing boats to be seen on the river.

"The strategy for governing the two rivers requires several years of drastic measures and strong measures..."

The sentence he murmured at that moment completely laid the foundation for the direction and policies of the officials who would take over Huainan Circuit and Jiangnan Circuit in governing their respective areas.

With the sound of horses' hooves, Emperor Li Shimin arrived from the other side with a dozen or so Xuanjia Army personal guards. Upon seeing the emperor...

Li Chengqian's companions, including Qianlou, dismounted and bowed.

Li Chengqian and Li Tai also dismounted and bowed, saying, "Your subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty!"

Li Shimin came before the crowd, looked at his two eldest sons, and took a deep breath. When his gaze fell especially on Li Chengqian, he was about to ask him about the resettlement plan for the poisoned people, but the words were already on his lips.

But it turned into a gratifying compliment.

"Not bad, your martial arts skills don't seem to have deteriorated; you've even gotten stronger..."

Li Tai, standing to the side, couldn't help but purse his lips in envy.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian bowed to Li Shimin again, his expression earnest and full of remorse.

"Father has entrusted me with such great power, yet I have failed to oversee it and caused such a disaster. This is my fault!"

As she spoke, to Li Shimin's surprise, she knelt down in front of him with a thud.

This left him, the father, completely at a loss.

They rushed forward to help him up.

Li Shimin should indeed have reprimanded the other party, but now that he saw Li Chengqian kneeling in front of him with an apologetic look, he became anxious instead.

"What are you saying? You have to prepare military supplies and reserves for the western expedition, and you also have matters to arrange in India and Tibet. That girl Gaoyang also needs you, as her elder brother, to keep an eye on her at all times. You are not a three-headed, six-armed man. The crime in the Liangjiang case lies with all the officials and the court. How can you be the one to take the blame here?!"

"Get up! Get up for me!"

As he pulled on Li Chengqian, he suddenly felt his son, who had never been afraid of anything, trembling slightly, and his eyes were even a little moist.

But my heart ached even more.

Seeing him open his mouth as if to say something, but unable to speak out of pain, Li Shimin understood perfectly well what was going on.

She sighed softly and patted him on the shoulder.

"Do not be afraid! It's just a few people killed. With me here, I'll see who in the world dares to speak ill of me, the Crown Prince!"