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

"Plop" sound.

Zheng Jiang's legs went weak, and he was so frightened by Changsun Wuji who had just rushed into the hall that he collapsed to the ground.

The sweat that had just been wiped away was gone again in an instant.

It covered his forehead.

Zheng Rentai, who was standing to the side, also stared wide-eyed.

"Your Majesty! Fifty thousand! Fifty thousand fine iron weapons and armor! Fifty thousand!"

Changsun Wuji had no idea how he had gotten through these past few days. He had set off from Jingle County, even though he was accompanied by thousands of guards and was escorted by garrison troops in the prefectures and counties along the way.

However, in those ten days or so, Changsun Wuji lost a lot of weight.

During the transport of weapons and armor, the guards would frequently ride horses to conduct random inspections within the ranks, fearing any oversights.

Now I've finally met my beloved brother-in-law, the emperor.

My entire emotional state seemed to collapse in an instant.

"Your Majesty, the supplies are outside. Quickly equip the army. You will personally lead the expedition, and I will accompany you. Let's begin with the Zheng family of Xingyang, the closest enemy to Chang'an..."

Changsun Wuji spoke at a fast pace, but his enunciation was so clear it was like sharpening a knife, which sounded particularly jarring to Zheng Jiang, who was standing to the side.

Li Shimin noticed Zheng Jiang's pale face and was about to step forward to help Changsun Wuji up, while also reminding the protagonist he had mentioned that was still present.

however.

Just as he reached out, Changsun Wuji suddenly grabbed one of his arms first.

His eyes were wide open, bloodshot from the long journey and the tension of being so long.

“Your Majesty, we can order Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde to go and take over the military power of Hedong Road together with General Li Jing. There are two Cui families in Qinghe Boling, as well as the Li family of Zhao County and the Lu family of Fanyang in Hedong Road. They will certainly not sit idly by and wait for their doom.”

“Hedong Road will surely be in chaos! However, with General Li Jing and Cheng Yaojin in charge, these families will certainly not be able to spread beyond Hedong Road.”

"Your Majesty's personal command presents an opportunity to seize Henan!"

"Most of the Tang Dynasty's territory was conquered by you. Even if there are some treacherous officials and traitors in Henan Province who harbor disloyal intentions, they would not dare to openly follow the Zheng family of Xingyang in rebellion. All we need to do is storm Xingyang and wipe out the Zheng family!"

"Then, slaughter all the powerful clans in Henan who have close ties with the Zheng family."

"With grain being transferred from the Luoyang granary to provide emergency relief to the disaster victims, Henan Province will surely be as stable as Mount Tai within a month!"

"At that time, we will send troops north again, invade Hedong Road, and together with General Li Jing's troops, form a trap that will surely leave the remaining four families with nowhere to go!"

"I'll wait..."

It was clear that Changsun Wuji had repeatedly rehearsed this plan along the way of transporting the weapons and armor.

He became increasingly excited as he spoke, and an unnatural blush appeared on his travel-worn face.

however.

Hearing his "meticulous" plan...

Zheng Jiang, who was slumped on the ground, looked increasingly pale.

In the end, he was swaying unsteadily, and all the color drained from his face.

He looked like he was about to faint on the spot.

"Auxiliary machine!"

Finally, Li Shimin let out a loud shout.

Finally, Changsun Wuji, who was recounting incessantly the subsequent purge of the remaining local aristocratic families in Hedong Road, slowly came back to his senses.

As if waking from a dream, a glimmer of clarity finally flashed in his bloodshot eyes.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

A scream filled with terror came from the side, followed by several loud thuds as heavy objects slammed into the ground.

Changsun Wuji slowly turned his head.

Zheng Jiang wailed and lamented, banging his head against the ground of Ganlu Hall with loud thuds.

"Your Majesty, the Zheng family of Xingyang has absolutely no intention of rebelling, absolutely no intention of rebelling!"

"Your Majesty, please see the truth! Your Majesty, please see the truth!"

With a series of loud kowtows, Zheng Jiang's head turned a reddish-purple color in just a few moments, startling Li Shimin so much that he quickly had Zheng Rentai pull him up.

Changsun Wuji blinked in confusion.

Seeing Zheng Jiang, who was being pulled up by Zheng Rentai, still struggling to stand up with his body as thin as a noodle and tears streaming down his face, Zheng Jiang looked on.

Can't help but feel a little confused.

"What are you doing here?!"

Li Shimin took a deep breath.

First, he comforted Zheng Jiang, who was still in shock and seemed to have lost his mind.

Then his gaze returned to his brother-in-law, Changsun Wuji, who was now in a disheveled state.

She glared at the other person, clearly annoyed.

"As a high-ranking official of my Great Tang Dynasty, do you not even have the composure to remain calm in the face of a collapsing Mount Tai? Fuji! You have disappointed me greatly!"

Changsun Wuji opened his mouth.

She glanced at Zheng Jiang again with a puzzled look, who was still sobbing softly to the side, looking like a wronged little wife.

Weird expression.

"Your Majesty, he..."

"What do you mean, 'him'?! The Zheng family is full of loyal and righteous men, so why do you, Changsun Wuji, portray them as traitors and rebels?!"

"You look to me like a traitorous minister!"

"They've only just returned and they're already shouting for war. How long has the world been at peace?"

"Forgot?"

Changsun Wuji remained silent.

After Li Shimin had scolded him for a while and his anger had subsided somewhat, he cautiously raised his head.

"Your Majesty, I have brought back 50,000 pieces of fine iron armor; they are outside..."

At this moment, Li Shimin finally realized what was happening.

The hand that had just picked up the teacup paused involuntarily.

"Are there really 50,000 soldiers and armor? All forged from fine iron?"

Changsun Wuji nodded, adding, "And the accompanying swords are also forged from fine iron, numbering at least fifty thousand..."

Bang.

Li Shimin immediately slammed the teacup in his hand on the table and stood up.

He then strode quickly out of the Ganlu Hall.

When you see the steps below, the spacious square in front of the palace is densely packed with carriages.

Chang He, who is now serving as the commander of the Imperial Guards, is directing the soldiers to unload the carriages one by one.

Li Shimin strode forward.

He yanked open a wooden crate in front of him, and with a cloud of dust, several pieces of fine iron armor, stacked inside and gleaming coldly in the sunlight, were revealed.

Come into view.

"hiss!"

Li Shimin, who rose step by step from the second son of the Li family to the Prince of Qin, then to the General of the Heavenly Strategy, and finally to the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, did not even need to touch or slash with swords.

With just one glance, he was able to identify the armor inside the wooden crate.

The quality is absolutely top-notch.

"Is this all there is?" Li Shimin asked excitedly.

Meanwhile, he quickly opened several other wooden crates beside him with a few more rustling sounds.

The sight of the armor made the eyes of the Tian Ce general instantly turn red.

"Auxiliary machines, is this all there is?!"

Changsun Wuji nodded from the side.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince was furious upon hearing that the five noble families and seven powerful clans had not only dared to obstruct the implementation of the new policies but had even attempted to force the emperor to abdicate. He immediately ordered the 50,000 pieces of armor and weapons to be retrieved from the Bingzhou armory and weapons workshop and commanded me to transport them back immediately..."

As he spoke, Changsun Wuji paused slightly, then glanced at the person beside him who looked as if they had seen a ghost.

Zheng Jiang stared blankly at the armor in the wooden box, his eyes glazed over.

Speak softly.

"His Highness also said that he discovered a gold mine in Bingzhou. If Your Majesty wants to wipe out the aristocratic families, he can give up half of the gold mine for military expenses."

"Hiss! That kid really has a mountain of gold?!" Li Shimin gasped.

The expression on his face instantly changed from excitement at receiving 50,000 suits of armor to a father's jealousy of his son.

Changsun Wuji coughed twice.

"I haven't seen it, but I don't think Your Highness would try to deceive His Majesty with such a thing."

Suddenly.

Li Shimin's pleasant mood was severely damaged.

He grabbed Changsun Wuji, who was standing to the side, and without caring about the affairs of the aristocratic families, immediately began to ask him questions.

"What exactly has my Crown Prince been doing in Bingzhou? How is Bingzhou now?"

Changsun Wuji nodded.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, although I was unable to inspect the entire Bingzhou Circuit due to the urgency of the situation, I have observed that the people are all looking radiant, both in the cities, counties, and rural areas."

Merchants flocked to Taiyuan Prefecture, and the carriages carrying goods from the workshops were so long that they could not be moved.

"Your Highness also obtained a type of wheat seed called 'Tianbao Golden Seed,' which can be planted in winter. It is now being promoted for planting in many counties and prefectures of Bingzhou. According to Your Highness, this wheat seed can yield eighty dou per mu!"

"Your Majesty, if that is the case, after we take over Hedong Province, it won't be long before Bingzhou Province reaps a bountiful harvest, and the crisis and unrest among the people of Hedong Province will be resolved!"

Li Shimin: "......"

He looked speechlessly at his brother-in-law, who had become somewhat "dry and stern" since returning from Bingzhou.

After exchanging only a few words, the topic of slaughtering aristocratic clans was brought up again.

"Ahem, Auxiliary machine, maybe that kid got the seed from somewhere, got tricked, and just heard it from others."

"Tell me, how did he manage to produce so many fine iron armors all at once?"

"It's impossible that he ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to search the homes of the aristocratic families in Bingzhou, right?"

Changsun Wuji hurriedly shook his head.

Then, he recounted the story of the Jingyue County Ironworks.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince said that the output of the forging factory is still very low. When I left Jingle County, they were setting up something called a water-powered forging hammer on the banks of the Fen River."

"It's said that with the water-powered forging hammer, the forging of chainmail, scale armor, plate armor, and all kinds of weapons, including swords, spears, and halberds, will be more than ten times faster..."

"By the way, Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince also said that there are many large mines in Hedong Province. If we take over Hedong Province and make use of it, our dynasty can have more than a million armored soldiers."

"At that time, all the Turks, Goguryeo, Tuyuhun, and Tibet will have to submit to the might of the Celestial Empire before the might of my Great Tang army!"

"His Majesty......"

"Ahem, alright, alright, I understand. Go back and rest first, recover your strength, then submit a memorial, and I will read it..."

"Wait, Your Majesty! I have important matters to report to you in person now!" Changsun Wuji said urgently.

The appearance of Zheng Jiang, the head of the Zheng family in Xingyang, disrupted many of his plans.

Seeing that his brother-in-law, the emperor, was beating around the bush, he immediately became anxious.

Niang Xipi!

If you, Li Shimin, do not send troops to slaughter the five clans and seven noble families, then I, Changsun Wuji, will take back 50,000 soldiers and armor from His Highness the Crown Prince for nothing.

Wouldn't this debt ultimately fall on my shoulders, Changsun Wuji?!

They tricked His Highness the Crown Prince out of 50,000 troops?!

This kind of thing sounds like it's going to get you killed!

"Your Majesty, when I returned to Chang'an from Bingzhou, I heard that the situation in the Turkic Khaganate is currently in great turmoil. The breeding area that His Highness the Crown Prince set up in front of Yanmen Pass alone has taken in more than 80,000 Turkic herders."

"Nowadays, the area in front of Yanmen Pass looks just like an urban area outside the pass."

"Although the Turkic Khaganate had achieved several victories, it also suffered several major defeats, resulting in heavy losses of soldiers and generals. The Turkic Khaganate had been severely weakened."

"Now that winter is approaching, the Turks will only become more chaotic. It is already a blessing from their heaven that our Great Tang is not going north to launch a northern expedition. Now that the Zheng family is not rebelling, we can even launch a three-pronged attack."

"Your Majesty will personally lead an army, Li Jing will lead an army in Hedong Road, and Henan Road can also send an army northward."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Rentai immediately cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty, the general is willing to go!"

Li Shimin glared at him: Get out of the way!

He took a deep breath and grabbed his brother-in-law, Changsun Wuji, who was still rambling on and on, urging him to send troops to "suppress the rebellion ahead of schedule."

"Alright, Assistant, I will seriously consider your suggestion. You should go back and rest. Such important national affairs require you to be well-rested before you participate, don't you think?"

Changsun Wuji immediately raised his neck, his eyes bloodshot and dark-circled, and spoke with unwavering resolve.

"Your Majesty, I am in excellent spirits and am not speaking nonsense!"

Li Shimin nodded repeatedly.

Meanwhile, he gave a wink to Eunuch Gao, who then pushed Changsun Wuji toward the palace gate.

Along the way, Changsun Wuji was dragged along by Eunuch Gao and several young eunuchs.

But they still refused to give up.

"Your Majesty, this is a golden opportunity! We must not be swayed by sentimentality!"

"Your Majesty, only by eliminating the corrupt officials in the court can our Great Tang Dynasty more smoothly implement its new policies!"

"His Majesty....."

"Your Majesty, I will come again tomorrow! Your Majesty must consider this carefully..."

As the sound faded into the distance, Li Shimin waved to Zheng Jiang and the other man.

"You should all go back now. What happened today must not be spread!"

Zheng Jiang and Zheng Rentai hurriedly bowed in greeting.

"Your subject understands!"

When Zheng Jiang, feeling weak, walked out of the palace gate and had just said goodbye to Zheng Rentai, he was greeted by Changsun Wuji, who had obviously been waiting at the palace gate for a long time.

Before he could say anything.

The latter suddenly lunged forward, and the next moment a dark shoe sole rapidly enlarged in Zheng Jiang's line of sight.

"Hey! You scoundrel! Take this kick!"

"oops!"

Changsun Wuji then began kicking and punching Zheng Jiang, who was curled up on the ground.

He continued cursing, "You scoundrel, stand up and fight! You've disgraced the entire Zheng family! Stand up and fight me! Come on!"

"Bang bang bang..."

Zheng Jiang covered his head with both hands, rolling around as Changsun Wuji kicked and punched him, looking extremely disheveled.

however.

Listening to the undisguised anger and resentment in the other person's words.

Zheng Jiang, however, felt that the pain all over his body was like the most pleasant reward in the world.

"Hahahaha! Changsun Wuji! Even if you beat me to death today, my Xingyang Zheng family will never rebel!"

"I, Zheng from Xingyang, am alive!"

"Even if I, Zheng Jiang, die, I will be able to face my ancestors! Hahahaha!"

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji's eyes grew even fiercer, and he began kicking the other man's head with his big feet.

"Die! Die! Die for me!"

"Master! Master! You can't hit him anymore! If you keep hitting him, he'll really kill him..."

That night.

Li Shimin hummed a little tune as he walked from the armory, where weapons and armor were stored, carrying a lantern himself, to the Lizheng Hall.

In high spirits, he was preparing to stay overnight at his empress's place again.

As soon as I entered the palace, I saw the Empress sitting gently in front of the couch.

Looking at the other person's face, which bore a resemblance to Changsun Wuji's, his expression suddenly froze.

A faint, ghostly murmur suddenly echoed in his mind.

"Your Majesty, this is a golden opportunity!"