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

"Your Majesty, I have a plan!"

No! You didn't!

Li Shimin looked at Yuchi Jingde, who was leaning closer, and listened to the fool's words. The first thought that came to his mind was the idea that Cheng Yaojin had come up with before, such as pretending to be an assassin to kill the crown prince and then having the crown prince rescued by a beautiful woman. It was such a despicable and stupid idea.

Almost without thinking, a large hand pressed directly onto the other person's face.

You should refuse the other party.

"No, no, Your Majesty! Listen to me! I, Yuchi Jingde, am not as stupid as that old scoundrel Cheng. Your Majesty, my method will definitely work!"

Cheng Yaojin, standing nearby, immediately glared and bristled.

"Go to hell, you old fool Yuchi, who are you calling stupid! Everyone else keeps their knowledge inside, but you just smear your knowledge on your face. How dare you call yourself cunning?"

"What, are you trying to drug me with aphrodisiacs? Do you really think this is some kind of 'Wagang Mountain bandit's wife search'?"

Cheng Yaojin's words enraged Yuchi Jingde, whose already dark face instantly turned purplish-red.

Just as the two were about to start fighting again, disregarding the occasion, a minister who didn't get along with them was unfortunately caught in the crossfire.

Li Shimin's eye twitched, and he let out a low shout.

"Enough! Yuchi Jingde, tell me, what's your plan!"

Upon hearing this, Yuchi Jingde immediately chuckled, his laughter lewd, which made Li Shimin, Fang Xuanling, and the others lose all hope.

"Your Majesty, in the common people, the practice of breeding dogs and pigs is basically..."

"Well, Yuchi Heizi, you scoundrel, you really have ill intentions. You want to breed with him? That's His Highness the Crown Prince!" Cheng Yaojin jumped out again in an instant.

Li Shimin's expression, which had been devoid of much expectation, darkened instantly upon hearing the other party's crude analogy.

He was about to look around for something so he could teach this mute simpleton a lesson.

Upon seeing this, Yuchi Jingde hurriedly waved his hand.

"No, no, Your Majesty, it's my fault for not knowing how to speak. What I mean is, since His Highness the Crown Prince is so busy that he hardly leaves the Eastern Palace, why can't we send women to the Eastern Palace?"

Li Shimin, who had just found a brick, suddenly stopped.

Beside him, Changsun Wuji narrowed his eyes, stroked his beard, and pondered.

"Your Majesty, perhaps it is feasible. His Highness the Crown Prince has always been exceptionally capable and is a wise and virtuous prince unlike any other in history. However, the Crown Prince is currently preoccupied with state affairs, and we must not allow him to stop. Since the mountain will not come to see me, why don't we go to see the mountain?"

"The palace maids in the Eastern Palace are naturally no problem handling things like serving tea and water."

"But I ask you, would such a prince possibly be interested in a palace maid who only knows how to do these kinds of things?"

As Changsun Wuji spoke, a light involuntarily shone in his eyes.

Standing nearby, Zheng Jiang, the head of the Zheng family in Xingyang, immediately raised his hand excitedly.

"Your Majesty, this plan is excellent! My daughter has been well-versed in literature since childhood and also knows some foreign languages. She is also familiar with the customs and cultures of the southeastern countries. I believe I have taught her well. If Your Majesty permits, she can be sent to the Eastern Palace as a lady-in-waiting to assist His Highness the Crown Prince..."

These people from prominent families are adept at exploiting these loopholes.

Before we knew it, that old scoundrel had once again gained the upper hand!

Cheng Yaojin pushed the other person aside.

"Your Majesty, you know my daughter, Cheng Yaojin. She's nothing like me, a big, burly man. She's a beautiful young lady who knows martial arts. She's perfect, she can be His Highness the Crown Prince's bodyguard!"

"If His Highness the Crown Prince is willing, there's nothing wrong with warming the bed for him tonight..."

"Go to hell! You old scoundrel Cheng, you've disgraced civilization!"

"Who the hell is Siwen? I, Old Cheng, don't know him. I only know that my Cheng family's daughter is the most suitable to enter the Eastern Palace!"

"Your Majesty, I have a niece in my clan who is also very beautiful. She has a similar temperament to His Highness the Crown Prince, and she always likes to stay indoors and work, often writing essays and such. She is a very good-natured person..."

“Your Majesty, I have an adopted daughter in my clan who is skilled in music and sword dance. She is also adept at managing the clan’s businesses and is very good at using the abacus, the kind of tool used in Bingzhou. She is suitable to enter the Eastern Palace!”

"His Majesty....."

"Alright, alright, I know there are fine women in your clans, but it's no use telling me these things. If the Crown Prince is to like you, do you really think that rebellious son would still give me face now?"

Li Shimin was surrounded by a crowd, whose chatter was giving him a headache.

I felt like a piece of vegetable at a market stall in the west of the city in the morning, surrounded by a group of elderly people early in the morning...

"Everyone hurry back and prepare. Those in Chang'an, give them instructions and send them to the palace. Those not in Chang'an, hurry up and ride your horses to bring them here. I will personally escort them to the East Palace. If you miss this opportunity, don't come looking for me next time."

"Throughout history, I am the only emperor who has ever personally delivered women to the Crown Prince!"

Li Shimin gritted his teeth, thinking that his crown prince was almost widowed and surrounded by men with male genitalia.

Another helpless sigh.

Upon hearing this, everyone hurriedly cupped their hands in greeting.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Please do not worry. Your Majesty's actions have not violated the law or violated etiquette. This is a benevolent father's act, and all the people of the world understand it..."

The once large group of people had suddenly dwindled to less than half.

The remaining ministers, who had just had their daughters "perform a dance," were also watching Li Shimin with bated breath.

"His Majesty....."

"Alright, alright, all of you go, go! The Crown Prince has ordered the dance performance to be canceled, so you should all take your daughters home immediately to prepare!"

......

Bright red chili peppers floated in the middle of a large pot.

The already boiling water now exudes a spicy aroma.

Chu Dahai sniffed the air, inwardly marveling at how the chili peppers the Crown Prince had brought out were indeed more potent than dogwood.

"Put the meat in first. There are many of us, so don't hold back, just put it all in..."

Outside in the cold winter, the frozen mutton, with the help of specially made tools, was sliced ​​by Chu Dahai so perfectly that there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

It's neither thick nor thin.

As plate after plate of mutton rolls were placed into the pot, they began to curl slightly at a visible speed, coated with a layer of red oil from the pot.

Immediately, the younger siblings sitting next to them were already feeling a bit hungry.

The Eastern Palace is very lively today.

Li Chengqian, who was originally annoyed by the absurdly large funding gap in the Yellow River water conservancy project, heard that Chu Dahai and his team had finally had a special pot and table made.

These worries were temporarily put aside.

They directly summoned Li Tai and the others to the East Palace to dine with all their younger siblings who were still in the palace.

among them.

The eldest daughter of Li Shimin, who is now Li Chengqian's younger sister, is Princess Xiangcheng.

She is also Li Shimin's eldest princess, and is now two years older than Li Chengqian.

She is not yet married, but recently news came from Li Ke's Imperial Guard that the Emperor intends to marry her to Xiao Yu's son, Xiao Rui, who accompanied Li Chengqian to Bingzhou to be in charge of business.

As for the youngest princess, she was Princess Gaoyang, who was quite famous in history...

Li Chengqian glanced at Princess Gaoyang, who was still only a five or six-year-old girl, without leaving a trace, and decided in his heart to reorganize the temples and Buddhist halls of the Tang Dynasty ahead of schedule.

Both Li Tai and Li Ke had followed Li Chengqian for a long time and knew that their elder brother was not one to be bound by formalities.

Especially when dining, the main focus is on being carefree and casual.

As the pot boiled again, I immediately picked out the mutton and enjoyed it immensely.

"Hiss...whoosh...it's so hot, hahaha, oh~" Li Tai picked up a piece of mutton and dipped it in the sauce made with sesame paste and other condiments in the bowl.

The moment it touches your lips, they involuntarily start "dancing" uncontrollably.

But they were reluctant to spit it out.

The four little princesses, Gaoyang, Chengyang, Xinxing, and Ankang, who were still little girls, were amused by Li Tai's appearance and burst into clear, crisp laughter.

Princess Xiangcheng smiled gently, her dignified demeanor revealing to everyone at a glance that this was not an act, but rather a natural disposition she had possessed since childhood.

He quietly watched Li Chengqian and his brothers chat.

She quietly served food to her younger siblings.

The family of brothers and sisters ate to their hearts' content, while Li Tai talked about the messages that had been sent from Bingzhou Road during this period.

"Xiao Rui is quite capable. Since returning to Chang'an, the Xiao family has been sending out at least three fast horses every day, all to deliver messages to Bingzhou. Only Du He has already started going to those brothels..."

Li Tai curled his lip, expressing his dissatisfaction with Du He's unenthusiastic work attitude.

what?

You're saying this is a day off, a holiday?

Working for my imperial brother? That's like your Du family's ancestral graves catching fire, and you still want a day off?!

Li Chengqian smiled faintly, offering no comment, but he keenly noticed that his elder sister, Princess Xiangcheng, paused slightly when Li Tai mentioned Xiao Rui.

"Does my elder sister dislike Xiao Rui?"

"Ah, ah?" Princess Xiangcheng was startled by Li Chengqian's sudden question.

Li Chengqian smiled, his eyes sincere: "Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. I have also heard the rumors that have been circulating about Father these past few days. Although Xiao Rui is capable in many aspects, it does not mean that he will be a good husband."

“Finding a husband is not the same as finding a subject. Father Emperor is clearly lacking in this regard.”

"But you don't need to worry, Your Majesty. If you don't like it, this marriage is just a test between the two sides. I'll make the decision for you; you can simply decline it..."

At this, several princesses, such as those from Changle, Suian, and Nanping, who knew a little about royal affairs, couldn't help but look up.

She looked at her elder brother with a mixture of astonishment and hope.

Li Chengqian put down his chopsticks, his expression becoming more serious.

"I know that since ancient times, the royal family has had the practice of marrying ministers. One reason is to show favor to subordinates, and the other is to win over court officials. This has been the case since my father's generation in the Li Tang Dynasty. Even Aunt Xiuning did it."

"However... I can't control the past, nor can I control what will happen after I die, but at least for now, as long as I, the Crown Prince, am still alive, you don't have to worry about becoming a bargaining chip for a political marriage!"

"If my subjects need me to exchange the lifelong happiness of my sisters for their loyalty, then they are not my subjects!"

Princess Xiangcheng stared in astonishment at the Crown Prince's serious and earnest demeanor.

Suddenly, a warm feeling washed over me, replacing my initial anxiety.

“Your Highness, there’s no need to say that. Born into the royal family, I’ve long been prepared. It’s just that… I don’t know Xiao Rui very well yet. Some things I’ve only heard about are secondhand, and I’ve never even met him in person…”

Princess Xiangcheng spoke softly.

She was a well-behaved princess, and because of this, she was both beautiful and obedient. How could Li Shimin not like her, since she could be used for political marriage at any time?