The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 13: Grievances
In the Honglu Temple, a few officials were busy coming and going, and the food and wine for entertaining the foreign envoys were also very simple, a plate of large pieces of mutton, a plate of bean sprouts, and a pot of wine.

Li Chengqian had no interest in the food in front of him and did not pick up his chopsticks. The mutton was not cooked thoroughly and there was a lot of blood inside.

Since bean sprouts became a new dish in the Tang Dynasty last winter, this vegetable, which is easy to grow and requires few cultivation conditions, quickly became a favorite dish in the royal court and among the common people.

Lu Dongzan took a bite of mutton and then took a sip of wine.

Li Chengqian sat there with his hands in his pockets without picking up his chopsticks.

"Hmm." Lu Dongzan nodded slightly while chewing, and said, "The Tang people's wine is delicious. The Zamp often said that one day he wanted to drink with the Heavenly Khan."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Songtsen Gampo is ambitious, and I admire him very much."

Lu Dongzan frowned slightly and whispered, "The foreign minister brought some barley wine."

As he spoke, he handed over a water bag.

Li Baiyao took the barley wine and placed it on the table of His Highness.

Li Chengqian opened the cork of the bag of highland barley wine and smelled it carefully. The aroma of the wine was not too strong, but had some barley aroma.

"I will treasure it well. If Songtsen Gampo comes to the Tang Dynasty one day, I will take out this wine to entertain him."

Hearing this, Lu Dongzan's face brightened, and he saluted dignifiedly, "I will tell the Zanpu what your Highness said truthfully."

Now the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, is accumulating strength and is eager to challenge the Tang Dynasty.

The feud between Tubo and the Tang Dynasty began during the Wude period, when Li Yuan sent additional troops to the border and taught Tubo a lesson.

Inside the Honglu Temple, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Tibetan envoy Lu Dongzan were still talking.

A few officials were standing outside the Honglu Temple. Logically speaking, the Tang Dynasty should be most concerned about the Turks and Mobei, or the Tuyuhun people outside the northwest pass, or the Gaochang people in the Western Regions.

I never expected that His Highness would be so enthusiastic towards the Tibetans.

The conversation at the Honglu Temple continued for a while, and Lu Dongzan was drunk and wanted to leave.

Li Chengqian took the bag of wine that Lu Dongzan had given him and said with a smile, "When we meet at the next grand court meeting, I will also give you a gift."

Lu Dongzan bowed and said, "Then it's a deal."

After seeing off Lu Dongzan, Li Chengqian returned to the East Palace.

Ning'er, who had been waiting outside the Honglu Temple, hurriedly caught up with the prince.

After understanding the court these days, including Yu Zhining now, they all feel that the current Tubo is not to be feared, and is even worse than the current Tuyuhun and the countries in the Western Regions.

But no one knows now that the feud between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo would last for more than two hundred years, and the war would continue intermittently for more than two hundred years.

This is a very strong opponent.

Li Lizhi's wedding was postponed for a year, and she smiles more often these days.

Twelve-year-old children should be the most innocent at this age.

Including my younger brothers and sisters.

The weather was warm and cold. The warmth for three or two days made the grass in the field grow, but spring had not yet arrived. Three days later, Guanzhong was hit by another cold wind.

The newly grown green grass had to face the cold wind and withered again.

The Eastern Palace was very warm because the prince built a heated kang. The doctors from the Imperial Medical Bureau unexpectedly discovered that no one in the Eastern Palace was sick or caught a cold.

In the past, the young princes and princesses would often suffer from stomachaches, but now there has been no sign of abdominal pain for a month.

Today, the Eastern Palace gave the younger brothers and sisters a holiday, and they can finally return to Lizheng Palace.

These days, Li Shimin often paid attention to the situation at the border. Li Chengqian's behavior these days was normal. He just received a Tibetan envoy named Lu Dongzan, looked at the conversation record of the Honglu Temple, and asked: "Your brother seems to admire Songtsen Gampo very much."

Li Lizhi was holding a small abacus, helping her mother calculate the accounts of the harem. She sat cross-legged on the table and said, "I haven't heard my brother mention this person."

Li Shimin frowned and looked over. Seeing Li Lizhi moving some beads, he asked curiously, "What is this?"

Li Lizhi replied: "This is an abacus. My brother taught me this. It will be more convenient to use it to calculate accounts."

"Ok?"

After carefully watching Li Zhi using the abacus, Li Shimin withdrew his gaze and asked, "What has your brother been doing these days?"

Li Lizhi replied: "My brother said he was going to enjoy the spring."

Li Shimin whispered: "It's not even spring yet, what spring is he stepping into?"

Seeing that Li Lizhi was silent again, Li Shimin waved and called Li Zhi over.

Normally, Li Zhi is an obedient child, but now these children, including Li Zhi, are very disrespectful to me.

Li Shimin asked, "Zhi Nu, what have you been learning these days?"

Li Zhi ate a persimmon and walked forward slowly, saying, "Brother Royal has been teaching us mathematics these days."

Li Shimin said in a deep voice: "What's wrong recently? Your brother hasn't sent any articles?"

"My brother hasn't given a lecture on moral education for a long time. He has only given one three times." Li Zhi thought for a moment and said, "If you want to read my brother's articles, you can come to the East Palace to listen to the lecture."

"Haha, let me listen to his class?" Li Shimin looked at a scroll of bamboo slips in his hand, snorted coldly, turned his head and said something, then lay down again.

Li Zhi sat aside and ate quietly.

He just lay there for half an hour before Li Shimin could no longer sit still.

Li Shimin always felt uneasy because he could not read the subsequent articles of "Eastern Palace". After reading those discussions on production and wealth, he was very worried.

Wanting to know the subsequent views on production relations, Li Shimin walked out of the Lizheng Hall quickly and told the guards outside the hall: "Go and call Cheng Qian."

"Here."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Shimin called the guard again, "Forget it, no need to call him."

The guard came back with a puzzled look on his face. What happened to His Majesty these past two days? He was confused but didn't dare to ask. He just believed whatever His Majesty said.

Empress Changsun looked at His Majesty's current condition and sighed.

Li Shimin really wanted to know what the subsequent core logic of production relations was and what the key to insight into the wealth of productivity was?
Seeing the emperor's thoughts, Empress Changsun said, "Ke'er has returned from the army. Wait for him to meet Concubine Yang. Summon Qingque in a couple of days. The three brothers haven't been together for a long time."

Li Shimin nodded, "Guanyin, you make the arrangements."

Empress Changsun smiled and nodded.

In fact, His Majesty is still very concerned about the articles in the Eastern Palace, but he can't say it out loud, and he is not ashamed to go to the Eastern Palace to ask his son for advice.

The Queen also needs to give His Majesty a way out.

Outside Chang'an, a horse-drawn carriage was moving slowly forward. Li Chengqian sat in the carriage, lifted the curtain and looked at the scenery outside.

Ning'er, wearing men's clothing, sat on the shaft of the carriage, helping the prince drive the horse, and said, "Your Highness should go out more often."

Feeling the cold wind blowing in his face, Li Chengqian looked at the scenery outside leisurely with his hands in his pockets, and said, "I actually want to ride a horse."

Ning Er whispered, "Why not go to the Military Guard now? I heard that they recently bought some young mares, which are very gentle." "Forget it." Li Chengqian leaned against the carriage and frowned, "Let's talk about it later."

"Okay." Ning'er nodded with a smile.

When we walked onto the official road, there were more pedestrians coming and going, and we could also see some foreign people. The grand court meeting of the Tang Dynasty was about to begin, and there were more and more foreign envoys.

The Tang people were tough and they acted arrogantly towards these foreign peoples.

Thanks to the great victory in the battle of Yinshan that year, these foreign people no longer dared to talk back.

A black Dayuan horse came neighing, and on its back was a spirited young man of about his own age.

Of course, most people in this era relied on their legs for transportation, and information was transmitted entirely through shouting. Not everyone could afford a horse.

The young man on the horse also noticed Li Chengqian's gaze, lifted the reins, looked at the carriage, and smiled happily again.

Ning Er whispered, "This is His Royal Highness the King of Shu."

Li Chengqian frowned and asked, "King of Shu, Li Ke?"

Ning Er explained, "His Royal Highness the Prince of Shu has been in the army these days and rarely walks around Chang'an. Today he is going to attend a grand court meeting, so he was summoned back by His Majesty."

As he was speaking, the young man arrived in front of him on horseback.

Li Chengqian looked at the boy who was about the same age as him. His skin was dark, but his eyebrows looked very much like Li Shimin. It was no wonder, as they were both children of their father.

"Royal brother!" Li Ke dismounted, saluted with a smile, and said, "I didn't expect that the royal brother would be waiting for me on the official road."

Li Chengqian suddenly smiled, looking at his straightforward and innocent smile, and said, "It's been a long time since we last met, I almost didn't recognize you."

Li Ke grinned innocently, "My younger brother recognized my brother at a glance from such a distance."

"Ah."

Li Chengqian smiled and nodded.

Li Ke walked forward, walked to the side of the carriage and asked in a low voice: "Royal brother, Li Tai has not come to make things difficult for you these days, right?"

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "That's not the case."

Li Ke continued, "Did Li Tai say bad things about my brother in front of my father?"

Li Chengqian thought for a while and said, "Probably not. How would I know?"

"That's right!" Li Ke put his hands behind his back and said indignantly, "I was very worried when I learned that my brother was seriously ill, but I have to follow military regulations in the army, and I can't leave without permission. I'm afraid that Li Tai will take advantage of my brother's illness to make trouble everywhere. I will definitely beat him to a pulp!"

Li Chengqian got off the carriage and looked at the scenery on the official road with him. Then he looked at the tall Dayuan horse and the horse snorted.

After looking at it for a while longer, I no longer felt envious.

Li Chengqian asked with his hands in his pockets: "What are your plans for coming back this time?"

Li Ke said: "I would like to ask the emperor for permission to lead the troops to the frontier!"

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Yes, that's what a man should do."

"What about my royal brother? What are your plans for the future?"

"What else can I plan?" Li Chengqian smiled in surprise, and then said: "In terms of academic talent, I am not as good as Qingque, and in terms of martial arts and military tactics, I am not as good as you."

Li Ke was stunned for a while and said, "General Li Daliang often said that I didn't learn well and only knew the basics of military tactics."

Li Chengqian patted him on the back and said, "You are already very impressive. In fact, my brother is very envious of you."

Hearing this, Li Ke smiled awkwardly, scratched his head in shame, and said: "It is said that after my brother's serious illness, he has become a different person. It is true..."

"What's different?" Li Chengqian suddenly asked back, but with a gentle smile on his face.

"The same! They are all the same, how can they be different?" Li Ke's tone became firmer.

Li Chengqian put his hands in his pockets and said, "It's getting late. You should go back to the palace to see your mother. She must be worried about you."

"Yes." Li Ke suddenly came to his senses, looked up at the sky, and said, "It's getting late, we should go."

After saying this, he mounted his horse again and hurried towards Chang'an City.

Among my father’s children, I have almost gotten to know his brothers and sisters, and now I have even seen Li Ke.

Ning Er asked, "Your Highness, where do you want to go now?"

Li Chengqian said: "Let's walk around."

"Here."

Li Chengqian sat back in the carriage and let Ning'er drive the carriage aimlessly. The carriage was not moving very fast, and it could still nose the ground from time to time to see if there was any grass to eat.

After more than a thousand years, looking at Guanzhong today, the scenery of the 800-li Qinchuan is very beautiful.

The water and soil environment in Guanzhong is not as bad as it will be in later generations. The water system here is abundant and the land is fertile. Although it is not yet spring, vegetation can be seen in the distance.

Of course, if the efforts of land reclamation are increased year after year or grazing is carried out without restraint, the soil and water in Guanzhong will become barren, which seems inevitable.

Although he had not seen it with his own eyes, Li Chengqian had read the documents sent from the Hexi Corridor these days. The Hexi Corridor and even the Qilian Mountains are now a place with abundant grass and water, herds of cattle and sheep, and it is also an excellent horse farm.

At that time, Huo Qubing advocated building the Hexi Corridor into a horse farm of the Han Dynasty and stationing troops in the Hexi Corridor. This strategic policy has continued from the time of Emperor Wu of Han to the present day of the Tang Dynasty.

The Central Plains had lost the Hexi Corridor for many years. After the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, Tuyuhun took the opportunity to annex the Hexi Corridor until now.

Li Shimin and all the generals in the court looked at the Hexi Corridor with shining eyes, and they wished they could send troops to capture Tuyuhun and take back the Hexi Corridor right away.

Sending troops must have a legitimate reason, but what is lacking is the timing and a just reason to send troops.

Looking at the current environment in Guanzhong, desertification on the Loess Plateau is not serious, and building the Northwest is a very complex issue.

The setting sun is slowly falling from the horizon. Although I can't see the scenery of the lonely smoke in the desert, I can now see the scenery of the sunset over the long river with my own eyes.

Ning Er whispered, "Your Highness, it's getting late."

Li Chengqian said helplessly: "Then let's go back now."

"Yes." Ning'er sat on the shaft of the cart and turned the horse towards Chang'an City. She asked again, "Your Highness, will you give a lecture tomorrow?"

Li Chengqian sat in the carriage, leaning sideways and looking outside, and whispered, "Give them some time off, so I can have some free time for a few days."

"Yeah." Ning'er nodded in response.

The carriage arrived at Chunming Gate, the east gate of Chang'an City, and was returned to the guards there. Then, it was escorted back to the Eastern Palace by the guards on the city wall.

When I returned to the palace, it was already night.

Ning Er suddenly asked, "Is Your Highness still upset about Xu Xiaode not bringing his daughter to the East Palace?"

Li Chengqian walked with his hands in his pockets, whispering, "I'm just curious about this little girl, nothing else."

Of course, if it were Wu Zetian, it would be even more curious.

(End of this chapter)