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

In October of the eighth year of the Zhenguan era, Prince Li You of Chu married Feng Jinsi, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Yue.

Chang'an was in an uproar, and the whole country celebrated.

Today, all the princes of the Tang Dynasty hold significant weight in the hearts of the common people. According to the old people of the Sui Dynasty who experienced the turmoil of the previous dynasty, if Emperor Yang of Sui had just encountered one of the same virtues among the Li family members, the Sui Dynasty would not have perished after only two generations.

"Today is the wedding day of my fifth son, Prince You of Chu. Although You was mischievous in his youth, he has never failed my expectations. As he grew older, he became well-versed in agronomy and also possessed the talent of a shepherd. The rice and yams of Champa all owe their prosperity to his efforts..."

Fan Qi's high-pitched voice today seemed to have a touch of humor.

At this moment, in the main hall of Taiji Hall, a smiling man read out the imperial decree in his hand. On the dragon throne beside him, Li Shimin, Empress Zhangsun, and Consort Yin sat respectively.

Empress Zhangsun and Consort Yin sat on either side of Li Shimin.

Meanwhile, below the stage, Prince Li You of Chu, who had already changed into a bright red wedding robe, was holding a silk ribbon in his hand, while the other end of the ribbon was being held by Feng Jinsi, who was wearing a red veil.

King Li You of Chu, who had previously declared more than once that he would not marry, blushed with excitement at this moment, ultimately succumbing to the "it smells so good" phenomenon.

"Duke Feng Ang of Yue is a pillar of the state, dedicating his life to the nation and benefiting the people. The implementation of the new policies in Lingnan and the submission of the southeastern barbarians all depend on his efforts. Now, I am greatly pleased to have my daughter married to the King of Chu, becoming the wife of my son..."

"A precious ship is hereby bestowed upon the Prince of Chu's residence, and the original farmland of Linyi is permitted to be used as an internal vessel of the Prince's residence!"

Li Chengqian and his other brothers stood on one side of the hall, all dressed in their finest attire.

When the officials heard the imperial decree, they all instinctively looked at Li Chengqian, the crown prince who was known for doting on his younger brother. Seeing the latter's calm expression, they felt a mix of emotions.

The veteran officials, including Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui, exchanged a subtle glance, all seeing the worry and solemnity in each other's eyes.

Giving a treasure ship to the Chu King's mansion is nothing special. However, although Linyi has been destroyed and its grain-producing lands have been occupied by the Chu King's men, it is still considered a no-man's-land by the Tang Dynasty's official authorities.

The cabinet had even privately discussed advising the crown prince to reclaim the lands of Lin Yi before his ascension to the throne.

however.

The crown prince, however, seemed to have anticipated their thoughts and directly gifted the land to the King of Chu as part of a grand wedding ceremony.

What should we do?

Li Shimin glanced at his ministers with a warning look. His fifth son was now very honest and dutiful, devoted to farming, which was already a service to the country. What was wrong with rewarding him with some land? It wasn't the land of the common people anyway.

The grain produced in the future can also be used to support his westward expedition and establish unparalleled achievements.

Noticing the look in their leader's eyes, Changsun Wuji and the others could only suppress their reluctance, despite their helplessness.

Similarly, princelings like Wang Ming and Zheng Jiang also received Li Chengqian's calm warning gaze.

They all chose to remain silent.

Those present who reacted the most strongly were actually Duke Feng Ang of Yue and King Li You of Chu.

"Father, elder brother, this..."

Li You wasn't stupid. He knew better than anyone how precious those lands in Linyi were. Even if they were only used to grow grain crops in the future, the annual grain output would be terrifying.

Li Chengqian subtly shook his head at him, signaling him not to refute and to accept it obediently.

He gave Feng Ang a reassuring look, telling him to calm down.

Only then was the wedding ceremony able to continue.

The grand and majestic court music, full of the grandeur of a great nation, accompanied by the pronouncements of the Ministry of Rites officials on each ritual procedure, and with the cooperation of the royal nobles and court officials, brought to a successful wedding ceremony for Prince Li You of Chu.

In Chang'an, rows of banquets were set up on both sides of Zhuque Avenue. As requested by Li Chengqian, the banquets would last for a full month.

Even for him, the crown prince, the grand wedding banquet in Chang'an lasted only seven days.

However, after several attempts to dissuade Li Chengqian from giving this order, the officials eventually gave up.

This moved Li You to tears once again...

.......

"Your Highness, this is absolutely unacceptable! Although Linyi is mostly mountainous and forested, it also has a considerable amount of plains suitable for grain production, yielding at least tens of thousands of bushels of grain annually. If this continues, I fear it will lead to countless disasters!"

The Eastern Palace Xiande Hall.

When Changsun Wuji said these words in front of Duke Feng Ang of Yue, the latter broke out in a cold sweat but dared not utter a word in rebuttal.

Without Li You present, Changsun Wuji, Li Chengqian's maternal uncle, wouldn't care about the mere face of the Duke of Yue.

Li Shimin and Li Yuan were also here.

However, the father and son were oblivious to everyone else, sitting at a tea table nearby, sipping tea and playing chess, fiercely battling it out on the Chu River and Han border.

Wang Ming also bowed and advised, "Your Highness, I know you favor the Prince of Chu, and we understand the Prince of Chu's virtue and conduct. He is by no means a person with ulterior motives. However, if the Prince of Chu is virtuous, does that mean that all the officials under the Prince of Chu will be the same in the future?"

"Your Highness, please be careful!"

"Your Highness, I believe that some restrictions could be imposed in the imperial decree, such as reducing the amount of land that can be allocated, or requiring seven-tenths of the annual grain production to be sold to the court..." Xiao Rui, the husband of Princess Xiangcheng, also offered his advice.

Li Chengqian remained indifferent to the words of the crowd, neither objecting nor refuting them.

Instead, they handed a memorial bearing the seal of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to the group.

"Uncle, let's set this matter aside for now. Let's take a look at this memorial first; it's the latest news from the Embroidered Uniform Guard..."

Changsun Wuji frowned in confusion, but still reached out and took it.

The group huddled together, and as the memorial was opened, everyone's pupils constricted instantly upon seeing the information on it.

"In the Eastern Kingdom of Japan, all the powerful lords and feudal lords have been subdued. The remaining forces have fled into the mountains and forests and are no longer a threat. Your subject, Gongsun Wuda, requests Your Highness's permission."

"This... Japan has been destroyed?"

Even Xiao Rui, the youngest among them, couldn't help but show surprise. Japan's strength was not as great as that of the Tang Dynasty, but it was destroyed so quickly. It seemed a bit too fast.

A faint smile then appeared on Li Chengqian's face.

She gently tapped the table with her fingers and spoke softly.

"Gentlemen, although Japan is an island nation, it has a considerable amount of land. Now that the Duke of Donglai has pacified Japan, I think it is time to carry out immigration and turn Japan into the Eastern Route of our Great Tang."

Everyone: "..."

migrant.....

Upon hearing this word, Changsun Wuji subtly slipped the memorial into Fang Xuanling's hand. The latter's expression stiffened, and he glared at the other man with the disdain one would show to a traitor.

However, Changsun Wuji had already quietly withdrawn from the group.

He moved over to Li Shimin and Li Yuan's side and pretended to watch them play chess.

Fang Xuanling took a deep breath, his old face full of bitterness: "Your Highness, this... immigration will probably have to wait a little longer. The immigration policy that our Great Tang started last year in Liaodong and Zangyuan has not yet been fully completed."

"Now, having just acquired the Northern Desert Circuit this year, we also need to mobilize the people and arrange officials, and now we have another Eastern Sea Circuit..."

Fang Xuanling was on the verge of tears.

In a daze, he realized the purpose of his prince taking out this memorial.

Li Chengqian laughed, a wicked laugh.

"That's not something I need to consider. Grand Secretary Fang, didn't you say that our Great Tang needs land that produces grain? What's a little bit of land in Linyi? The entire Dao of Dongying is now at your disposal for cultivation and reclamation."

"Keep it up, Grand Secretary Fang! My father is waiting for the supplies for the western expedition!"

Fang Xuanling: "......."

Did I owe the Li family something in my past life?!