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

When Sasanian King Yazd II received the order from Su Dingfang of the Hexi Corridor to send troops, the Sasanian Persian army had already been prepared for the expedition.

Although he was a king, it was only because of his relationship with the Sassanid Persian princess Salmana and the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty that he was able to sit firmly on the throne.

The governance of the country, taxation, and the enactment of laws are still subject to many complex obstacles from the powerful and the Persian family.

but.

No one in the Sassanid Persian leadership objected to the idea of ​​sending troops to the Byzantine Empire.

Even if sending troops means needing them to provide military pay and provisions.

"Those arrogant and shameless Byzantine heretics dare to challenge the majesty of our great overlord, the Tang Dynasty! This is a trampling on the dignity of Sasanian Persia and an arrogant provocation against our Sasanian warriors!"

"Warriors, bring your sharpest scimitars!"

"With the bloodied heads of Byzantine heretics, your valiant names will be forged before the great Emperor of the Tang Dynasty..."

In rousing Persian, the young and clad in magnificent armor, Crown Prince Ona, the son of Sasanian I, rode atop his warhorse and delivered a rousing speech to the five thousand Sasanian cavalry assembled before him.

On a high tower in the royal palace, King Izrael II saw this scene and a hint of relief appeared on his aged face.

In the letters his daughter Salmana sent back from Chang'an, she had been telling him to follow the Tang Dynasty faithfully and that the Sasanian Persians and the Yazdul family would one day regain their glory.

Without a doubt, nothing would demonstrate Sasanian Persia's loyalty to its suzerain state, the Tang Dynasty, better than sending its sole heir to personally lead an expedition against the Byzantine Empire.

As the army set out on its expedition.

The numerous Persian, Arab, and Tang Dynasty merchants in Ctesiphon, the capital of the Sasanian Persian Empire, inevitably had to react in some way.

However, compared to the Tang Dynasty merchants, they were more worried that the number of foreign merchants traveling through Sassanid Persia would decrease due to the war, thus affecting their profits.

Those foreign merchants had many worries.

Will the caravan be ambushed and killed on its return journey due to war?

Will the Sassanid Persian Kingdom target Arabs and merchants passing through Byzantium because of this?

Or... after they finish their business here, will they still have a homeland to return to...?

Meanwhile, Su Dingfang's report to Chang'an was still being rapidly transferred en route.

At this moment, the entire Li family was gathered in the Chang'an Imperial Palace, as if in a court trial, with all eyes fixed on Princess Gaoyang in the center.

The people who came today were all there, not just Li Shimin's entire family.

Even the princes and princesses born to Li Yuan in recent years, as well as some relatives of the collateral branches of the Li Tang royal family, were present.

Their faces were filled with shock, and they glanced at the Crown Prince Li Chengqian, who was leisurely sipping tea, with a strange and incredulous look.

Li Yuan and his son Li Shimin stroked their beards in deep thought, while Empress Zhangsun frowned.

"Isn't this absurd? Aside from those barbarians, where in the world is there any reason for a woman to rule? A hen crowing at dawn..."

Behind Prince Lu, Li Yuanchang, and Prince Jing, several princes, including Li Yuanheng, Li Yuanfang, and Li Yuanli, who were hiding behind them, whispered among themselves.

Prince Lu and his companion subtly moved away from the group, appearing relaxed and calm, and stood quietly with their arms crossed on the side of the Crown Prince.

"Chengqian, you couldn't have instructed this behind the scenes, could you? Gaoyang is just too bold. Without your support, she would never have dared to make such an absurd request!" Li Shimin, who had always been kind and gentle to his children since he had Li Chengqian, a qualified crown prince who could inherit the throne, showed a rare stern expression today.

As he spoke, he glared at Princess Gaoyang, who was standing in the middle.

"Your imperial brother has given you so much power and indulged and protected you so much, and now you dare to say such outrageous things as wanting to seize his power! I think you have been far too lenient with him!"

He shouted angrily.

In reality, Li Chengqian only intended to use Baikal County as the capital of the future Gaoyang fiefdom.

However, in Li Shimin's eyes, Baikal County originally belonged to the Tang Dynasty and to him, the eldest son!

Even the vast Tang Dynasty, and all those colonies, all belonged to him, the eldest son.

His face was ashen, his attitude was firm, and he simply waved his hand.

"I disagree with this matter! Furthermore, you are not to return to Baikal County; from now on, you must remain obediently in Chang'an..."

Gao Yang's pretty face turned pale instantly. She anxiously wanted to argue, but she noticed her brother's subtle shaking of his head. Out of trust in her brother, she could only grit her teeth and remain silent.

"Ahem, Father, this world is vast..." Li Chengqian seized the opportunity and spoke softly.

However, this time Li Shimin seemed determined, and snorted angrily: "Great! It is great! But I think that no matter how great the world is, is there anyone as bold as you, the crown prince?!"

"To establish a fiefdom? That's utter nonsense! Have you forgotten all the books you learned from your teachers since childhood, all the chaos of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods?! I am still the emperor, and I absolutely will not agree to this!"

The princes, princesses, and other nobles looked at each other in bewilderment. There had been many rumors in the palace that the crown prince and the emperor often had a falling out, and that they would even start arguing after exchanging a few words.

Some even say that the Li Tang father and son fought each other more than once, with each fight being so intense that neither side would give an inch.

But judging from Li Shimin's attitude now, it's clear that apart from his son, the crown prince, all his other children are just extras, freebies, dispensable...

Just as everyone had this thought, Li Shimin snorted angrily again.

He angrily swept his hand around and glared at his princes and princesses. Even the now-famous Prince Wei, Li Tai, could not escape his wrath.

"I'm making this clear today: the Crown Prince may spoil you all, but the Heir Apparent is the Heir Apparent, the future successor of the Tang Dynasty, the Emperor who will inherit this vast empire!"

"If any of you dare to do what Gao Yang did and attempt to seize the throne from your brother... Hmph! Even if I go to the underworld, I will never let you go. You are my children!"

"King of Wei, King of Han, did you hear that?!"

Li Shimin stared intently at Li Tai and Li Ke, who quickly stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Your subject remembers this well; your subject has never desired to be granted a fiefdom!"

Li Shimin then looked at the Prince of Chu and the Prince of Yan, and everyone hurriedly swore oaths to prove their loyalty.

Li Chengqian sighed helplessly, realizing that his father was not worried about the future succession of the Tang Dynasty, nor was he dissatisfied with Gao Yang's audacity.

Chun Chun was taking this opportunity to remind him, the crown prince, and also to warn the members of the Li Tang royal family present.

Even if Crown Prince Li Chengqian is willing to give, you should think carefully about what you should and shouldn't accept...

This is helping him to give everyone a warning.

Everyone quickly echoed this sentiment.

Only then did Li Chengqian finally have a chance to speak: "Father, I know what you are worried about. Of course, it is impossible to divide up the land and establish a fiefdom. Now, the territory of our Great Tang is tens of thousands of miles, from the plateau of Tibet to the islands of Japan across the sea. All of these are the land of our Great Tang."

"This is true now, it is true now, and it will be true in the future!"

He paused slightly as he spoke, then scanned the members of the Tang Dynasty royal family present with a strange look.

With royal elite education, even if some of them are useless, how useless can they really be?

Among them were figures like Prince Lu, Li Yuanchang, who were shrewd, capable, and accomplished many things.

“Father, as I just said, this world is vast, so vast that even on the day I close my eyes, I don’t know if I will be able to turn every inch of this land into the territory of my Great Tang.”

"This is an opportunity for the Li Tang royal family!"