The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 122 This level is far from enough

The two stones were heavy, so the general tied a rope around his wrists. Li Chengqian hung the stones on his hands and drew his bow and put an arrow on it.

At first, I felt I could still handle it, but after shooting four or five arrows in a row, I felt that the stone on my wrist was getting heavier and heavier.

Li Ji said: "The force of the arrow when it is released is important. Now your Highness is stable enough, but what he lacks is strength."

After shooting dozens of arrows, Li Chengqian had to grit his teeth to pull the bowstring.

Seeing that the prince was about to reach his limit, Li Ji said, "Let's stop here for now. Don't practice for too long. It's not good for your muscles and bones."

Li Chengqian sat down with his hands hanging down, picked up a fist-sized stone, and said, "I didn't expect such a small stone would cause me such a great burden."

Li Ji helped His Highness untie the rope and said, "This is to train your strength. The Crown Prince has strong endurance and willpower, even better than many people in the army, but his strength is still not enough."

"Thank you for your guidance, General."

Li Ji took off the rope and saw that there were red marks on the prince's wrist. The marks were very deep and there were even faint traces of blood. His palms were red and trembling a little.

I didn't expect that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince could endure until now without saying a word.

Li Chengqian smiled with relief and said, "General, you are welcome. If I want to master archery, I need to endure hardships first."

Li Ji put the stone he had taken aside and bowed in greeting.

For someone who was tortured by illness in his previous life, this little pain is nothing.

The strong willpower is brought from the previous life.

Li Chengqian rested for a while, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and drank a sip of cold water.

Soon, Li Ke came hurriedly and the sky became completely bright.

"Brother, I'm late." Li Ke looked apologetic.

I can feel at ease with this honest brother.

"I have finished my practice."

Li Ke held his bow in his hand, feeling as reserved as before, but now even more reserved.

Li Chengqian said, "Shoot a few arrows yourself and show them to me."

"Here."

"Don't hold back."

"Here"

Li Ke took out an arrow from the quiver beside him, and then noticed the bow in his brother's hand. He had seen this bow before. It was the bow that his father placed in Ganlu Palace.

It was this bow that my father used when he conquered the world.

Li Ke looked at it with envy in his heart, then stood up again and drew his bow and arrow.

The arrow whizzed past and hit the target firmly.

Li Ji, who was standing nearby, said, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, it's the same for Your Highness, the King of Wu. The arrows are very stable, but the power is far from enough. It is difficult to penetrate the leather armor worn by the Turks or Tibetans."

Li Chengqian asked: "So we have to aim at the weak parts of the human body?"

Li Ji nodded and said, "In the midst of war, in addition to having their own judgment among the crowd, the archers in the army need to shoot a sharp arrow in an instant. Speed, accuracy, and strength are equally important."

Li Ke also heard Li Ji's words, frowned and continued to shoot arrows, one arrow after another.

Li Zhi woke up early and came. He handed a book bag to the eunuch in Chongwen Hall, and the eunuch would send all the documents to the Secretariat.

Later, Li Zhi also sat aside. Seeing Li Ke called him "Royal Brother", he was quite polite. He enjoyed the morning breeze and tried his best to wake himself up from his drowsiness.

Soon Fang Xiang and his uncle also arrived.

Fang Xiang is a very good teacher. He never gives instructions openly, but will make up for what his disciples lack after they have made arrangements.

In the arrangements of state affairs, the teacher had far-sighted thinking, which is worthy of learning for this disciple.

Li Ke was still numbly placing arrows on the side. When he saw his royal brother, Prime Minister Fang, and Duke Zhao talking about current state affairs, he became even more reserved from the beginning.

Is the emperor now powerful enough to joke with Prime Minister Fang and others?
Half a minute later, Duke Zheng and the Prince of Hejian also arrived.

Today's breakfast in the East Palace is noodles with soybean paste and meat buns.

Seeing a meat bun on the plate being taken away by Li Ji, Li Xiaogong said unhappily: "Maogong, you are eating more and more!"

Li Ji was holding two meat buns and a bowl of noodles with soybean paste in his hands and was eating them vigorously.

Zhang Sun Wuji advised: "Mao Gong has been thinking about this meal in the East Palace all day long. He would never eat so much normally."

Li Ji laughed out loud.

There was peace in front of the East Palace gate. Li Ke's expression changed from being reserved to being on pins and needles. He was so flustered that he almost couldn't hold the chopsticks in his hand.

Who are these people eating in front of my brother’s East Palace?

Not to mention General Li Ji, Prime Minister Fang, Duke Zhao, and Duke Zheng are all important figures in the court.

Li Chengqian asked, "Not to your liking?"

Hearing this, Li Ke quickly picked up his chopsticks and began to eat voraciously, stuffing the noodles to his stomach to hide his panic.

After having breakfast, several people went to the morning court.

Li Ke was filled with sorrow and he never wanted to come to the East Palace for meals again.

Today's morning court went smoothly and I wanted to leave early.

Many things have to wait until the morning court is over before they can be arranged. If many state affairs can be arranged at the same time as the morning court, the efficiency should be better.

The Secretariat distributed all of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's replies from last night.

Prime Minister Fang trusts His Royal Highness the Crown Prince extremely, and the generals also have great faith in His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Ever since the Crown Prince took part in the allocation of money and grain in the court, the generals' salaries have never been delayed for a single day.

After the morning court session, Fang Xuanling first went to the Secretariat and then brought some of the more important documents to His Majesty.

In the Ganlu Palace, Li Shimin drank tea one sip after another, frowning as he looked at the memorials his son had reviewed.

Looking at the comments written by his son, Li Shimin had a solemn expression. He had already drunk his third bowl of tea. It really took him a lot of tea to read the documents approved by the prince.

I feel like I am facing a formidable enemy when I see those concise and expressive words in the document.

What is the singleness of crops, the comprehensive development of economy, and the ability to resist risks.

These words and phrases have never been seen before.

Cheng Qian seemed to care a lot about the development of Guanzhong. The wealth of Jingyang made the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace begin to feel that this model could be implemented.

Therefore, the success of Jingyang was also intended to be replicated in other counties in the court.

Fang Xuanling explained: "Your Highness wants to make Guanzhong rich, so that the court can receive more taxes. If only Jingyang County is rich, it will be stretched to its limits."

Li Shimin remembered what he had said before and asked me not to just focus on Jingyang.

What Cheng Qian was thinking about was the entire Guanzhong. The goal of this prince was to make the entire Guanzhong prosperous.

As a father, I am deeply worried at this moment.

"Does he think my vision is so short-sighted?" "Your Majesty's vision is certainly not short-sighted."

Li Shimin said slowly: "Cheng Qian is still young, and there are still some shortcomings in his actions."

Your Majesty has always been like this. He will naturally avoid all the advantages of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and only talk about his shortcomings.

Fang Xuanling added: "According to Jingzhao Prefecture's idea, if five counties in Guanzhong can grow grapes, the tax revenue in Guanzhong should be able to double."

"really?"

Fang Xuanling bowed and said: "One acre of grapes is worth as much as ten acres of millet."

Li Shimin said in a deep voice: "How long will it take?"

"About three years."

Li Shimin suddenly smiled and said, "Taxes doubled? That means the court will no longer be short of money, and I can build a summer palace in Longshouyuan?"

Fang Xuanling hesitated to speak, but bowed and said, "There is one more thing I have to do today."

"explain."

"Prince Wu Li Ke accompanied the Crown Prince in archery practice in the East Palace this morning, and they also had breakfast together."

"I understand."

Li Shimin just replied indifferently.

Fang Xuanling continued, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince also instructed the Honglu Temple to send a message to the Tibetans, inviting Lu Dongzan to Chang'an. This is because he withdrew his troops after receiving the letter from the Crown Prince, and he wanted to hold a banquet in Chang'an to thank Lu Dongzan."

Seeing that His Majesty still nodded without saying anything, and his eyes were still on the document that His Majesty had approved, Fang Xuanling bowed and said, "I will take my leave."

There was silence in Ganlu Palace for a while. Then a maid brought a bowl of porridge, placed it on the table and whispered, "Your Majesty, this is oatmeal porridge cooked by the Queen."

Li Shimin then realized, "I drank three bowls of tea, and now my stomach is sloshing with tea."

My father eats oatmeal to cure his illness, and I eat oatmeal to maintain my health.

Unconsciously, the food, clothing and daily necessities in the palace have undergone tremendous changes. Thinking about it, I no longer like the boiled mutton that I used to eat.

Li Shimin ate his oatmeal porridge and ordered again: "Call the prince."

"Here."

Half an hour later, the eunuch hurried back, knelt on the ground with a plop, and saluted, saying: "Your Majesty, this old slave deserves death!"

Li Shimin was surprised and asked, "What's wrong?"

The eunuch knelt on the ground aggrievedly and said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said he is very busy."

Li Shimin placed the tea bowl heavily on the table and said in a deep voice, "Didn't he say that I summoned him?"

The eunuch lowered his head and knelt on the ground, and replied: "I said it, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said that it delayed state affairs. Take this old slave to question him. This old slave... Your Majesty! This slave deserves death!"

The old eunuch standing beside His Majesty was also very melancholy at the moment. The eunuchs in the palace had a very difficult time recently, especially the eunuchs serving in the Ganlu Palace, who had been replaced batch after batch.

The last two who were replaced were the ones who were secretly stalking at Taiye Lake.

Your Majesty summoned the Crown Prince but failed to invite him here. They are guilty of immeasurable death.

They are equally guilty of the death penalty as they have delayed the state affairs presided over by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

If you make both His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince unhappy, you will be committing an even greater crime worthy of death.

"Can't I invite him as the crown prince?" Li Shimin shouted.

"I will go again, even if it means sacrificing my life, I will invite the Crown Prince to Your Majesty. If he fails, I will have someone bring my head to Your Majesty."

Seeing the eunuch's face ready to die, Li Shimin said discouragedly: "I don't need you to die."

The eunuch felt relieved and knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

From noon to afternoon and approaching evening, Li Shimin wandered outside the Sanqing Hall, looking at the pavilion nearby for a long time without saying a word.

Empress Changsun was by her side, talking about recent events in the palace.

As the emperor's first wife, Empress Changsun managed the inner palace strictly, so that the concubines in the palace could behave themselves.

All these powers are in the hands of the Queen, and the expenses of the palace are also managed by the Queen.

Li Shimin put his hands behind his back and whispered, "This son is now disobeying my summons."

Empress Changsun frowned and said, "Your Majesty, how can this be considered disobedience? Cheng Qian is in charge of the court's expenses under Your Majesty's order, and I dare not disappoint Your Majesty, your father's trust."

Listening to his wife's words, Li Shimin took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, and said: "Then he shouldn't have rejected my summons in such a way. I am not a very strict person. I have always been able to listen to advice."

"If Cheng Qian is really rude, this matter is probably very urgent."

As the emperor and his wife were talking, a eunuch came running over, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is here."

Li Shimin looked back at his son who was walking towards him.
Empress Changsun smiled with satisfaction and said, "The child is here, Your Majesty, don't worry too much. Why make things difficult for the child?"

Li Shimin's complexion improved slightly, but he was scolded by his wife again.

Li Chengqian came closer, bowed slightly, and said, "Father, Emperor, Mother."

Empress Changsun stepped forward, stretched out her hand and took her son's arm and said, "Mother heard that you were busy reviewing memorials until late at night, and you slept for two hours and wanted to exercise before dawn."

After hearing these words, Li Shimin looked even more embarrassed.

The daily life of the Eastern Palace would be reported to the Queen every day. In fact, this was the same for all the children in the palace. Except for a few concubines who still raised children, most of the children were under the care of the Queen.

Even Qingque's Prince Wei's Mansion has always been looked after by the Queen's people.

Li Chengqian said: "For me, exercising is like curing an illness."

Patting her son's sturdy shoulders, Empress Changsun smiled and nodded, saying, "Well, he's fine now. The sons of our Li family are all so strong. They haven't been sick for a long time, right?"

"I have not been ill since last year."

"It should be so." Empress Changsun looked at her son, her tone a little more reluctant, and said, "Whose child gets seriously ill in three or five months? You children are all well, which is better for your mother than anything else."

Li Chengqian felt his mother's intention and said with a smile: "Even if my younger brothers and sisters don't like physical education, I will urge them to exercise well."

As a mother, seeing her son, who used to be weak and sick, now strong and tall, with a smile on his face, and seeing the red marks on his wrists, she asked distressedly: "How did you persist in exercising for so many years?"

"Things that can be endured with just a little bit of gritting one's teeth are nothing to me."

Empress Changsun whispered, "Your father has something to say to you."

"Ahem..." Li Shimin cleared his throat and said, "I summoned you at noon today. I heard that you were busy with state affairs and couldn't come to see me."

Li Chengqian said: "The silk output in Jiangnan is increasing this year. I want Jingzhao Prefecture to purchase silk."

"Is Guanzhong not rich enough for you?"

"Replying to Father." Li Chengqian stood beside his mother, his hands in his pockets, and said, "Guanzhong is not rich enough, not at all."

After a pause, Li Chengqian continued, "The current Guanzhong is far from enough. Just like the construction of the Hexi Corridor, if there is a population, there must be employment, and if there is employment, there will be more people."

(End of this chapter)