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

Ganlu Temple.

Having just experienced the pleasant surprise of the victory at Taiji Hall, and witnessed just how eager Fang Xuanling and his ministers were to claim credit for Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

Now, Li Shimin hears the familiar name of his son again.

My whole body trembled involuntarily.

"Is this...is this never going to end?! This unfilial son, can't he just shut up for a second?! It's only been half a year since we left Chang'an, ahhhhh!"

At this moment, Li Shimin had already cursed Jieli and Tuli, those two useless bastards, to the point of being furious.

Are you all fucking trash?

My son, not even fourteen years old, subdued you two Turkic Khans, beating you like dogs. How dare you accept capture?!

If it were me, I would have bitten my tongue and committed suicide long ago!

Is Your Majesty feeling unwell in any way?

Empress Zhangsun noticed that her husband's expression was not very good and asked him with concern.

She came here as soon as Li Shimin finished his court session, unaware that her son Chengqian, who was so outstanding that he was almost struggling to find a suitable crown princess, was in court today.

Just how much trouble did this bring to His Majesty Li Er?

"Heh, heh heh, how could I possibly feel unwell? Such wonderful news should be celebrated by the whole nation..."

Li Shimin's smile lacked sincerity; seeing the Empress's puzzled expression, he had no intention of explaining.

He waved his hand.

"Alright, Guanyinbi, look at what that rebellious son wrote in his letter. Gao Hai has been at Yanmen Pass for almost a month now, and my gold mine is still nowhere to be seen..."

At this point, Li Shimin couldn't help but glance resentfully at his empress.

To this day, not a single grain of gold has been found in his mountain of gold.

However, their own empress is now truly the richest woman in Chang'an.

Yes, Empress Zhangsun controls the palace finances, and not long ago she even got involved in a perfume business with her husband, the Crown Prince, who was still in Bingzhou.

In just the first month, the perfume became a hot item among the wealthy ladies of Chang'an.

Li Shimin didn't know much about these women's things.

However, when Empress Zhangsun reviewed the accounts that day, the long string of profits at the end of the ledger, "21 strings of cash," truly irritated the emperor.

There's also the second richest woman in Chang'an.

Princess Chang Le.

Despite her young age, she has already developed all sorts of unheard-of desserts, such as egg tarts and milkshakes, thanks to the sugar-making techniques given to her by the Crown Prince before his departure.

Later, various types of fruit candies, milk candies, and other similar products appeared.

This even emboldened Princess Chang Le, who, at such a young age, dared to utter those rebellious words to her poor father, the Emperor, on that day.

"Once I buy the palace, you'll have to pay rent every day!"

"Snap..."

The royal wolf-hair brush in Li Shimin's hand was snapped in two with a snap.

"His Majesty?"

Empress Zhangsun was somewhat puzzled; her emperor seemed a little off today.

Oh, it's not that it's always normal, but at least today... something's just too strange.

"It's alright, Guanyinbi. Show me the letter, let me see just how much more shock my good son has in store for me!"

Li Shimin gritted his teeth, cursing countless times in his heart the words "rebellious son" and "unfilial son".

The envelope seemed rather thick, unlike a simple letter inquiring about the parents' health.

This made Li Shimin secretly look forward to it.

hum!

It must be that kid. He finally realized that I am the emperor.

You may neglect anyone, but you cannot neglect me!

This is probably a money-making business, like candy and perfume, that this brat is preparing for his wise and mighty Emperor Li Shimin.

"Hmph, if it weren't for the perfume and candy sales, I'd certainly give this brat a good whipping at the end of the year..."

Li Shimin murmured softly.

"Tear"

The new seal was torn open.

A thick stack of letters was revealed inside.

"Hmm? This character seems a little different; it doesn't look like it was written with a brush..."

Li Shimin looked on with anticipation as he unfolded the first page of the letter.

next moment.

"Father, are you asleep? I can't sleep!"

Li Shimin's expression froze instantly; this opening seemed to carry a deep resentment.

Beside her, Empress Zhangsun's originally delicate face, which had been beaming with anticipation, froze slightly with the opening stroke of this passage.

She had already witnessed the "love-hate relationship" between the father and son.

She realized almost instantly that this letter might not please her emperor husband.

On the contrary...

"Since assuming the throne as Crown Prince, your son Chengqian has never dared to neglect state affairs. He personally oversees all important matters related to the new policies, lest these policies intended to benefit the people be transformed into cruel and oppressive policies that devour the people's flesh and blood through the hands of officials..."

"However, I reside in Bingzhou, worrying about state affairs day and night. Yet I have heard that my father neglects state affairs above and distances himself from his people below. He either stays in his bedchamber, indulging in the pleasures of the harem, or indulges in hunting in the hunting grounds, where he hunts a few rabbits and then boasts to the princes, considering himself extraordinary..."

Li Shimin: "......"

He stared blankly at Empress Zhangsun, who was already showing signs of wanting to leave.

With a somewhat stiff expression, he pointed to the lines of almost scathing text in the letter.

"This...this unfilial son is lecturing me? Is he calling me a tyrant?!"

Empress Zhangsun remained silent.

Since ascending the throne, Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Shimin) has become noticeably lax in his duties. This is something that even Li Shimin himself could sense, without Li Chengqian having to say it.

But that's where the problem lies.

The implementation of the new policies in Bingzhou was too exemplary.

As a result, the officials in the court, such as Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, no longer needed to argue endlessly about how to handle a matter in the court as they had in the past.

Ultimately, the decision ultimately rests with Emperor Li Er (Li Er).

Emperor Li Er, most of the time, was more like an emotionless nodding and stamping machine...

Nowadays, regardless of the six ministers...

Whether it was the prefects and magistrates of the surrounding prefectures and counties of Chang'an, they all wanted to take advantage of the great defeat of the aristocratic families and rise to power. Almost everyone subscribed to the "New Tang Dynasty Gazette" of Bingzhou Road.

Li Shimin felt as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly.

However, Li Chengqian's letter at this moment was full of veiled attacks, showing no sign of stopping.

"What I have said may indeed violate the proper etiquette between father and son, but our Great Tang Dynasty is in dire need of rebuilding, and this is precisely the opportune time for all officials to exert their efforts and for all people to cultivate themselves. I have presumptuously defied the world's condemnation by instructing my father as a son..."

"The ruler is the master of all subjects and things under heaven. Because he is the master of all subjects and things under heaven, his responsibility is extremely heavy. If anything is not done properly regarding the people's livelihood, benefits, or illnesses, he will be deemed unfit for his post. Therefore, the way of the ruler should be all-encompassing, and he should entrust his responsibilities to his ministers, allowing them to speak freely..."

Li Chengqian spoke vehemently, making no attempt to conceal his intention to "instruct his father as a son."

This infuriated Li Shimin so much that he almost tore up the rest of the letter on the spot.

"Excellent! Your Highness has such a fine literary talent! Haha... I am now truly fortunate to have my good Crown Prince write an essay for me!"

The article, with its piercing words and utterly ruthless treatment of him, made his hands tremble uncontrollably, and he uttered words of praise through gritted teeth.

The throbbing veins on his forehead clearly indicated this.

His Majesty the Emperor was already contemplating whether to use a rattan cane or a horsewhip to discipline the Crown Prince...

Keep reading.

Empress Zhangsun coughed lightly and pointed to her beloved eldest son's unique slender gold calligraphy: "Your Majesty, Gao Ming's calligraphy does indeed have Your Majesty's style."

Li Shimin curled his lip.

How is there any resemblance between my Fei Bai style calligraphy and this rebellious son's calligraphy?

"Your subject has devoted himself to the new policies, walking among the fields to measure the hardships of each family, and listening to the difficulties of the people from all directions. He has never slackened in his duties to the people. He has established agricultural schools to enrich farmers and improve the harvest, opened up the bureaucracy to revitalize government offices, diverted waterways to improve roads, and clarified the classics and laws."

"I dare not call myself ruler until the people are prosperous."

"A weak nation fears foreign aggression day and night."

"Therefore, knowing that now is not the perfect time to wage war against the Turks, your son personally led a large army, braving ice and snow, to conquer the northern border troubles. He did not seek the great achievement of expanding the territory, but only the temporary peace of the northern border troubles."

"During the great battles, they survived several times on the brink of certain death, yet they dared not show the slightest cowardice, thus exhausting the morale of their troops."

"Your subject is not one of the brave and fearless men of ancient times; I too possess the fear of death and the desire to live."

"Yet, as the Crown Prince of our Great Tang, wielding the power bestowed upon him by Heaven to rule the future, he was constantly worried about the chaotic affairs of the state, which threatened to shake the very foundations of China. Thus, he teetered between life and death, grateful for Heaven's grace, and devised a plan that led to a great victory in the northern border..."

Upon seeing this, Li Shimin's anger turned into a complex expression.

Empress Zhangsun was taken aback: "Your Majesty, Gao Ming said that he planned a great victory in the northern border. Does that mean he wanted to capture Jieli?"

Li Shimin remained silent for a long time, then suddenly let out a long sigh.

"Guanyinbi, my crown prince has exceeded everyone's expectations..."

He shook his head slightly.

"This kid not only captured Jieli, but also reported another great victory at Yanmen Pass in the court today... Tuli's army was also defeated by him, and Tuli himself was captured."

"The Eastern Turks...were wiped out by my son!"

"hiss!"

Empress Zhangsun was stunned, her mind went blank for a moment.

Subsequently.

She immediately understood why her Emperor Li Er had looked so distressed when she entered Ganlu Palace.

"Your Majesty, Chengqian is still just a child. Everything he does is for the sake of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Shimin nodded slightly, but his eyes clearly showed a hint of envy and jealousy.

Expand territory!

Although the current emperor is Li Shimin.

However, the historians could only record that after he ascended the throne, the Tang Dynasty expanded its territory.

However, the fact that it was Crown Prince Li Chengqian who eliminated the Eastern Turks is something that even the emperor could not change.

The thought of this.

Li Shimin became increasingly dissatisfied with the results achieved by Li Jing and others in Hedong Province.

If he had wiped out all those bastards from the Five Clans and Seven Families, he could at least have maintained a semblance of peace on the surface.

now......

The crown prince destroyed the Eastern Turks, and the emperor was only responsible for dealing with some rebellious officials and traitors within the country.

He also commands 50,000 pieces of fine iron armor and weapons gifted by His Highness the Crown Prince.

They still managed to escape!

Li Shimin gritted his teeth: "I should have personally led the expedition that day!"

"Now, in the eyes of my rebellious son, I probably only obtained the position of General of Heavenly Strategy by kneeling and begging from Father Emperor, right?!"

Empress Zhangsun hurriedly stepped forward and gently comforted him, "Second brother, why are you angry? He is still your child, no matter how outstanding he is."