The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 120 My Great Business

Li Shimin nodded and signaled him to speak.

Ma Zhou said in a clear voice: "I have learned that Li Yifu, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, is now building the four Hexi counties in the Hexi Corridor, and the civilians he uses are all Tuyuhun people."

After the words were spoken, the hall became very quiet.

The behavior of the prince always arouses discussion among many people, especially a prince who is quite capable in supervising the government and allocating money and grain in the court, who is more worthy of discussion.

"I heard that this matter was arranged by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Li Tai stood straight, frowning and standing there in a daze, feeling a little bit of disbelief and frustration. His royal brother was getting better and better at managing the government, and now he could even build the Hexi Corridor.

Li Chengqian stepped forward and asked, "Is there anything inappropriate about this?"

Ma Zhou bowed and said, "I am just a little worried."

"Please say."

All the civil and military officials in the court were listening to the conversation between His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Censor, whom His Majesty trusted very much. This was undoubtedly a unique event.

Everyone in the government and the public knew that Ma Zhou had never been afraid of power and even dared to impeach the powerful people of the time.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is a wise and virtuous prince who is quite famous in the court. Apart from the fact that he had Li Yuanchang beaten up and talked back to His Majesty, this Crown Prince is quite good.

The hall was very quiet. Ma Zhou said in a clear voice: "I know that about 5,000 Tuyuhun people entered the Hexi Corridor and built the Hexi Corridor under the supervision of General Li Daliang."

Li Chengqian said with his hands in his pockets: "Since ancient times, Tuyuhun has been part of the Central Plains. It was originally a horse farm during the Han Dynasty. After they established themselves, they named themselves Tuyuhun. As long as they are willing to serve the Tang Dynasty, we can gradually naturalize them."

"From what I can see now, Fuyun is dead, and most of the Tuyuhun people are still living in Qinghai. I have ordered Li Yifu to recruit the idle labor force of Tuyuhun in order to build the Hexi Corridor."

Ma Zhou continued, "But what about the future? When the four counties in the Hexi Corridor are built, these Tuyuhun people will become idle again. How should we settle these people? If they rebel, should we kill them all?"

Finally, some people in the hall started to talk, and someone whispered that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would probably kill all the Tuyuhun people after he had used them up.

Li Chengqian took two steps back and forth, put his hands in his pockets and replied, "Those who cause trouble will naturally be killed."

Ma Zhou continued, "Once the Tuyuhun people lose their livelihood, they will rebel. Your Highness, please do not be too merciful. They will surrender now, but once the Hexi Corridor is repaired, they will lose their livelihood and will rebel as well."

People's hearts are complicated, and what Ma Zhou said was right. He didn't think too badly of the Tuyuhun people, but he was worried that people who lost their livelihoods would become bandits, thieves or even rebels.

These are all unstable factors. The lifestyle of Tuyuhun is still mainly nomadic and with a small amount of farming. Unlike the people in the Central Plains, they cannot rely on farming for a living and thus maintain stable production relations, that is, live and work in peace and contentment.

From the perspective of production relations, if these people lose their current jobs, they will do anything to make a living.

Ma Zhou's worries are not unnecessary. Only by making ten thousand preparations can you be prepared for the worst.

It is said that you should plan for the best and prepare for the worst.

This is the reason.

Li Chengqian still very much agreed that there were censors like Ma Zhou in the court who could speak frankly about the shortcomings and deficiencies of the government.

"What the censor said is correct. I have already made arrangements. During the construction, I will ask Li Yifu to select capable Tuyuhun people. These people can be used as craftsmen in the future. I will let the rest plant trees on the edge of the Hexi Corridor to improve the environment of the Hexi Corridor, or build bridges and roads."

Li Chengqian added in a clear voice: "The Hexi Corridor is in a state of disrepair and needs to be rebuilt. They will have endless work to do. If there are any arrangements in the future, I will definitely discuss them with everyone in the court."

Ma Zhou bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have no problem."

Li Shimin nodded slightly, still looking at his son, until he returned to this position.

This is the prince's ability, to find the problem and solve it. It may seem ordinary, but being able to accurately find the root of the problem is a rare ability.

Noticing that his father was looking at him, Li Chengqian put his hands in his pockets and said, "Father, is there anything else?"

Li Shimin retracted his absent-minded gaze, cleared his throat, and said seriously: "Chengqian, you are old enough. When you were having your coming-of-age ceremony, I told you to choose a day to hold it. It's already autumn since the beginning of the year. What do you think?"

"I think we should postpone it further."

"put off?"

"Yes, I have been very busy recently. There are still many things in the court waiting for me to do."

Li Shimin hesitated as he was about to speak. He glanced at the officials who were bowing their heads and said in a clear voice, "Do you have anything else to report?"

His Majesty's words echoed in the Taiji Hall.

There was silence in the hall. Li Shimin glanced at the crown prince again and said in a loud voice, "Adjourn the court. Xuanling, assistant minister, Duke Zheng, please come to Ganlu Hall to discuss matters."

"Your Majesty, I respectfully bid you farewell."

Watching his father leave the throne, Li Chengqian's gaze lingered on this position for a moment.

The ministers in the hall left in twos and threes. Li Chengqian stood there for a while. Li Tai also left and saw Li Ke still standing aside.

Li Chengqian walked out of the Taiji Hall, walked down the steps outside the hall, and saw that he was still following him. He asked curiously, "What's the matter?"

Li Ke said: "I heard that my brother has been practicing archery recently. I want to practice archery with him."

"I only exercise after the hour of Yin every morning. Now I have to deal with important matters in the court."

Li Ke smiled awkwardly and said, "So that's how it is. Yinshi is quite early."

Li Chengqian asked: "Can't you get up?"

"I can get up."

Li Ke said quickly.

Li Chengqian nodded and continued, "I'm used to going to bed early and getting up early, there's nothing I can do about it."

Li Ke followed his brother with his head down, unable to find the words to start with.

"Do you have anything else?"

"Oh, my brother." Li Ke followed and said, "My brother hasn't gone out to play for a long time. He used to take me out hunting."

As he was speaking, seeing that his brother had walked away, Li Ke stood there scratching his head in annoyance. He could no longer speak to his brother.

When I returned to the East Palace, my younger brothers and sisters had all returned.

The place was noisy again. Seeing Li Zhi holding a duckling, Li Chengqian asked, "Is this the pet you want to keep?"

Li Zhi said: "This is my brother's friend."

"Xiaofu!"

"Here!" She came running over quickly.

Li Chengqian ordered: "Send this little duck to the Taiye Lake and raise it. If it appears in the East Palace again, stew it!"

"Here."

Li Zhi looked at his brother aggrievedly, and the little duck in his arms was taken away by Xiaofu.

Li Chengqian walked back to the hall quickly, and seeing his brother still standing there aggrieved, he asked again, "Why don't you wash your hands and eat?"

Li Zhi nodded, and went to the well with a feeling of grievance to wash his hands with the water he had drawn.

Normally, the Crown Prince would go to the Taiji Hall for the morning court, then return to the East Palace for lunch, and then go to the Secretariat to work in the afternoon, doing the same routine.

My younger brother and sister haven't been back for a long time. They stayed by Taiye Lake for two months this summer vacation.

Li Lizhi looked at her brothers and sisters and said, "No matter how happy you are by the Taiye Lake, now that you are back in the East Palace, you should concentrate on your studies and listen to the lessons carefully."

"Yes!" a group of younger brothers and sisters responded.

Li Chengqian picked up the bowl and chopsticks, glanced at them, and said, "Eat."

The word "eat" has a kind of magic in the East Palace. No matter how busy they are, no matter how much they play, no matter how much fighting and complaining there are, as long as the emperor says to eat, they will sit down and eat obediently.

This kind of passivity has been developed over the years. Perhaps many years later, when the brothers and sisters have grown up, when they sit together, they will listen to the emperor brother's words before picking up their chopsticks.

No matter how big the conflict is, no matter how many complaints there are, we have to sit down together and eat at the dinner table.

This is a bottom line and also the strictest rule.

Li Lizhi sat closest to her brother, holding the bowl and chopsticks and asked, "After dinner, will my brother still go to the Secretariat to be on duty?"

"Well, I'll go after lunch." Li Chengqian ate a pancake and a piece of pickled radish.

My younger brothers and sisters all buried their heads in their food and dared not say a word.

Li Lizhi turned around and looked at Xiaofu, and asked, "Have you delivered the food to Grandpa?"

Xiaofu replied, "It has been delivered."

Li Lizhi then started to eat with peace of mind. She loved eating pickled mustard greens the most. She could be full with a bowl of millet rice and a few mouthfuls of pickled mustard greens.

The children's appetites were getting bigger and bigger. Xiaofu cooked a pot, but was still afraid that it would not be enough. Worried that the princes would not have enough to eat, he would also bake some pancakes stuffed with mutton and green onions. If they were not full, they could eat the pancakes, or as snacks in their spare time.

After lunch, Li Chengqian went to Chongwen Hall for a nap.

Li Yuan tasted the wine carefully and said, "The wine from Guanzhong is indeed different from that from outside the pass."

Li Chengqian was lying on a bamboo chair, with the eaves just blocking the scorching sun. He closed his eyes and enjoyed a moment of leisure. "Which one do you think tastes better, Grandpa?"

Li Yuan said: "Of course, the ones brewed by us in Guanzhong taste better. Is there any need to think about it?"

Li Chengqian closed his eyes and smiled, "Grandpa is right. No matter what, the grape wine from Guanzhong tastes the best."

Li Yuan sat down next to his grandson and whispered, "We should be able to make a lot of money from selling this grape wine."

Li Chengqian sighed, "My uncle has warned me many times not to care about the petty gains in front of me, and that the prince should pursue great things."

Li Yuan disagreed and said, "Then how big a career do you want to have?"

Li Chengqian said slowly: "For example, being an emperor."

Hearing this, Li Yuan looked around and glared at the eunuch beside him. The eunuch immediately lowered his head. He must forget what he had just heard, not even in his dreams. If he told anyone about it, he would be killed and then chopped up and fed to dogs.

Li Yuan took another sip of the wine and said with satisfaction, "It's been so long, I almost forgot what wine tastes like."

Seeing that his grandson was about to fall asleep, he asked again: "Besides being the emperor?"

Li Chengqian turned over and said, "Grandson has many important things to do this afternoon, so I'm going to sleep first."

A few bird calls were heard from the eaves of Chongwen Hall. Li Yuan looked at his tired grandson, sighed, and sat aside to continue tasting the grape wine.

As everyone knows, Jingyang is the prince's territory, and this is known to everyone in the court and the country.

The grapes and wine from Jingyang also belong to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

As for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince giving back to the villagers of Jingyang, this is only natural.

No one knows how much money Jingyang has made, but just from selling raisins and grape wine, the village has already become incredibly rich.

Since Jingyang belongs to the prince, the grape wine should be his own.

Li Yuan felt more and more satisfied as he tasted his own grape wine.

The grandson has grown up and he wants to be emperor. Erlang is now in his prime, so how can this grandson become emperor?

Li Yuan drank the grape wine and felt a little distressed.

Looking at the sleeping face of my grandson, this child has a difficult life. He not only has to deal with so many things in the court, but also has to face his father, the emperor, and so many younger brothers and sisters.

Sometimes I think that although this grandson is very young, he has already left behind his peers.

As a grandfather, he had nothing to leave for his grandson, nor could he help him in any way. Everyone in the court and the country was loyal to Erlang.

The only thing left for him was the five-stone gold sand hidden in the Wude Hall.

It was hidden away during the Wude period in case it was needed in the future. However, it was not used until Erlang pacified the Central Plains, so it has been hidden until now.

Erlang is now the emperor, but he still doesn't know the existence of Jinsha. Only an old man like me knows where Jinsha is.

If I don’t leave it to my grandchildren, who else can I leave it to?
Li Yuan drank the grape wine in the bowl in one breath.

Li Lizhi ran over and said, "Grandpa, even if you can drink grape wine, you can't drink too much."

Li Yuan sniffed and said, "Just one bowl a day!"

"Really just one bowl?"

Seeing his granddaughter still looking doubtful, Li Yuan emphasized: "It's really just one bowl."

Li Zhi asked curiously, "Sister, I want to drink grape wine, too."

Li Lizhi said, "If you dare to drink, I will punish you by making you live alone in the villa of Taiye Lake."

Li Zhi followed Li Lizhi aggrievedly and said, "Sister, when can my brother drink?"

Li Lizhi said, "When the emperor gives you permission, you can drink."

"My brother will be laughed at if he can't drink."

"Who dares to make fun of me? I'll have someone beat his mouth to pieces."

……

Li Yuan smiled and said to himself, "You want to drink at such a young age, you useless boy. The grape wine in front of me is not enough for me to drink."

After sleeping for an hour in the Chongwen Hall, Li Chengqian took a still hot cake from the oven in the East Palace and prepared to go to the Secretariat to take up his post.

While asking, "Are your brothers and sisters still asleep?"

Li Lizhi replied: "Still asleep."

Li Chengqian said: "Wake them all up, don't let them sleep too long, otherwise they might start playing around at night."

"Here."

After saying this, Li Lizhi picked up the bell and shook it vigorously.

This woke up the sleeping brother and sister. Li Lizhi said, "Get up, wash your face, eat the cake and then start the class."

They struggled to get up, and the only thing that could motivate her to wake up was a snack after her nap.

There are hot meat patties on the table. Because they are made from newly harvested wheat, they have a strong wheat aroma.

Li Shen looked around and asked, "Where is my brother?"

Li Lizhi brushed off some dust behind him. This brother had rolled outside when he was sleeping, and there was a patch of white dust on his back. "My brother has important things to do in the court."

Seven-year-old Li Shen, eating a biscuit in his mouth, let his sister help him tidy up his clothes. He chewed the biscuit with a silly look on his face and a dull look in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)