The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 200 The Emperor is very busy
This daughter is very smart, but she is becoming increasingly difficult to deal with.

Especially after learning some skills from Cheng Qian.

Li Shimin guiltily took a big gulp of tea and watched his daughter's expression change.

Li Lizhi put down the Lingyan Pavilion's list and put it back into the mezzanine of the bookshelf. Then she said with a smile, "Is your Majesty going to the East Palace for dinner? Your brother should be back soon."

"I will dine with your mother tonight."

"Then the daughter went back first?" Li Lizhi still had a bright smile on her face.

Li Shimin nodded slightly and took another sip of tea.

Cheng Qian's name was still not on the list of Lingyan Pavilion meritorious officials.

Although my daughter didn't get angry right away, judging from her expression, she must be unhappy.

"I will have someone prepare dinner in Lizheng Palace right away."

"No need." Li Shimin looked at his daughter's figure outside the palace and whispered, "I want to have dinner in Lizheng Palace now."

"Here."

As night fell, when Li Chengqian returned to the East Palace, he saw his two younger brothers, Li Zhi and Li Shen, peeking at the kitchen door.

Afterwards, Dongyang grabbed his two younger brothers by their ears and took them away.

Li Chengqian placed the fish basket in a small water tank outside the kitchen. The fish just caught had a strong earthy smell, so it was best to keep them in clean water for two days before eating.

I looked into the kitchen again and saw Li Zhi chopping ribs.

Li Chengqian nodded and left the kitchen, muttering to himself, "So we're having spare ribs tonight."

"Brother!" Li Zhi pulled his brother's sleeve and walked to the side, whispering, "After my sister met with father today, she came back and started chopping pork ribs."

"Well, you should help in the kitchen more often in the future."

Li Zhi emphasized: "Chop the ribs!"

"What's wrong? You want to chop it too?"

He followed suit and said, "It's probably because Father made my sister unhappy."

Life in the Eastern Palace was not all smooth sailing. During dinner, Li Lizhi remained silent, and the other sisters also sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere.

Li Chengqian was eating his dinner by himself and said to Xiaofu beside him: "Your cooking skills are getting better and better."

Xiaofu smiled happily and said, "Your Highness, you are too kind."

"What a shame! If Father could give some candy to the East Palace, we could have sweet and sour pork ribs."

Li Zhi chewed the pork ribs and said, "Brother, sugar is too expensive. I prefer saltier food."

Dongyang nodded and said, "Zhi Nu is really sensible."

Li Zhi grinned and glanced at his silent sister.

The twelfth month of Guanzhong has just passed, and this year's snow has been falling one after another.

On January 1, the tenth year of Zhenguan, it was still snowing heavily.

The Minister of Rites Li Baiyao was in the imperial city making preparations last night, and many rituals for the new year needed to be arranged.

Clerks were arranged to go to various markets in Chang'an City to recite the imperial edict.

The court was still on rest, and news was sent into Chang'an City one after another.

Li Chengqian sat in the official office of the Ministry of Rites, reading the military reports with Li Baiyao.

Currently, in the imperial city, only the Ministry of Rites is open, while all other departments, except the Secretariat, are still closed.

Looking at the military report in his hand, Li Chengqian sighed: "Fighting has broken out again on the Ili River. I don't know which Khan will die this time, and which Khan will establish himself."

The court is constantly updating its views on the changes in the situation on the Ili River. The Khan who ascended the throne just last year will most likely be replaced this year.

This kind of information has a serious lag. If the Tang Dynasty sends an envoy at this time, the Khan may have been replaced by someone else by the time the envoy arrives.

"Go ahead and make a fuss. I can't control it anyway."

Li Baiyao explained: "There is a man named Yu Gushe in the Yili River tribes. He has many people under his command, and he has always been vicious. He even once clamored to be an enemy of the Tang people."

Li Chengqian looked at the name. There was indeed such a person in the military newspaper. Moreover, he was one of the core figures in the struggle among the tribes along the Ili River and was very powerful.

Li Chengqian said calmly, "It would be great to grow cotton. They are fighting for the wealth in front of them, but they don't know that the precious land they are sitting on has very fertile soil. It's such a waste."

"Cotton...cotton?"

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Of course, my vision has always been for world peace."

Not to mention future plans, the current Tang Dynasty is separated from them by Gaochang and the Western Regions in the desert.

However, Li Chengqian resisted and firmly opposed the waste of land resources.

All of this is just based on assumptions. Could it be that if the emperor writes a letter to them, they will stop fighting?

On second thought, I decided to forget it. By the time the letter arrives, maybe they have appointed a new Khan.

So we need to take a long-term view.

At the very least, we must first prove that there are bad guys in power in the Western Regions.

During the years he served as the crown prince, he had a clear understanding of how various departments in the court operated.

When the court is on holiday and the officials are not there, these matters have to be reviewed by the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince cannot shirk his responsibilities.

Only if the situation is important will it be sent to the emperor.

Li Chengqian put the general report aside, wrote his comments, and asked a clerk beside him to deliver it to his father.

Li Baiyao just took a quick glance and caught a glimpse of the Crown Prince's comments, which made him feel overwhelmed.

The content of the annotation is nothing special. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wrote it. Li Tang is unable to take care of his own affairs, so don't bother yourself.

Noticing Li Baiyao's surprised look, Li Chenggan cleared his throat and asked, "Is there anything inappropriate?"

Li Baiyao collected his expression, blinked his eyes, and said with a smile: "Your Highness is really outspoken."

"I have always been like this."

"Your Highness is right."

Li Chengqian sat lazily in the chair, chewing walnut kernels and continuing to read the military newspaper, when he saw another piece of news.

The Arabs and Persians also went to war, and the Persian prince fled east to Tocharistan.

Li Chengqian thought for a moment, recalling the details on the map in his mind. The current location of Tocharistan should be in Tarim.

Li Baiyao stood aside, and if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had any questions at this moment, he would explain.

Just like the military report of the Persian prince fleeing eastward for help, there is no need to present it to my father.

Li Chengqian asked, "Minister Li?"

"Your Highness, please speak."

"Is this Tocharian a Saiyan?" Li Baiyao stroked his beard and said solemnly, "There are all kinds of people, including Saiyans, Persians, people from the Western Regions, Turks, or Indians. As far as I know, Tibetans also have contacts with them."

Li Chengqian nodded in understanding and listened to Li Baiyao's words to catch up on the current external situation.

"Report! The Persian monk Aroben wants to see you."

Li Baiyao looked at the prince and obeyed his instructions.

Li Chengqian peeled a walnut and ate the kernel slowly, saying, "It's New Year's Day, don't spoil his fun, let him in."

Li Baiyao said: "If the Persian monk comes, the Gaochang prince will also come to ask for an audience."

"It's okay. It's New Year's Eve. How can we turn away guests?"

As the bald-headed Persian monk Alopen walked into the Ministry of Rites, the reflection from his head disappeared as he entered the eaves.

The Persian monk looked fatter and rounder.

The water and soil in Guanzhong are very nourishing. After living in Chang'an for half a year, the Persian monk actually gained a lot of weight.

It was only afterwards that Aroben found out that the unfriendly young man was the current crown prince of the Tang people, and the future emperor of the Tang people.

He bowed and said, "Your Highness, I was disrespectful to you earlier, and I am here to apologize."

Li Chengqian was still eating walnuts, trying to make up for the recent overuse of his brain, and did not reply to him immediately.

Aroben opened his arms and said, "The Tang people's city is so beautiful, and the Tang people's food is so delicious. I think this beautiful place should have a temple, a Persian temple."

"There is a temple in Chang'an, so it is not needed."

"But there is no Persian temple in Chang'an."

Li Chengqian brushed off the walnut residue on his hands, washed his hands with water, and continued: "It will cost a lot of money to build a temple in Chang'an City. Do you have money?"

"I don't have any." He bowed respectfully and said, "If the Tang people can help me build temples, more Persians will come to Chang'an in the future."

The Ministry of Rites fell into silence.

Aroben felt a little uncomfortable being stared at, and he understood what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince meant. After bowing once more, he left in disappointment.

He was worried that if he stayed here any longer, he would lose his life.

After dealing with the Persian monk, Li Chengqian left and went to the Secretariat with the files to file them.

There was the sound of an abacus being ticked nearby. Li Lizhi was doing the accounts. She was tickling the abacus with one hand and holding a pen with the other, very focused.

After a long time, she put down her pen and handed over the account book.

The brother and sister sat outside the Secretariat, looking at the account books in the sunlight outside.

It’s not that it’s bad to sit inside, it’s just that it’s very cold in the Secretariat at this time, and it would be much more comfortable to sit outside in the sun.

Li Lizhi faced the sun and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth on her body.

Li Chengqian listed the numbers in the account books and asked, "Have you seen the list in Lingyan Pavilion?"

"Father hid it very well, but my sister still found it."

She responded to her brother's words, picked up a cushion and placed it on her back, then put all her weight on the chair, trying to let the sunlight shine on her whole body as much as possible.

The Eastern Palace was being cleaned at this time, and my younger brothers and sisters must have been very busy, as they had to dry their own bedding and clothes, as well as a large pile of books.

The brother and sister who worked in the Secretariat did not take part in the general cleaning because they had to deal with government affairs, so the eldest brother and sister had an excuse to be lazy together.

Li Chengqian drank his tea and asked in confusion: "So much money and food?"

Li Lizhi closed her eyes and said, "Brother Wu Wang has more than 800 militiamen under his command. Yan Lide can solve the problem of stone materials, but the food and wages must be provided by the court. This is the suggestion that my brother gave to my father to use work in lieu of relief."

Li Chengqian frowned and said, "Five thousand dan of grain and grass will be enough for Luoyang to repair the river for a long time."

"Before Grain Rain, including the busy farming season, whether we should stop working in the summer depends on Luoyang's plan. My sister can only think about this step."

"That's right." Li Chengqian nodded in agreement.

At this time, there was no sight of those aristocratic families taking out money and grain to benefit the country. In other words, large interest groups like theirs were more inclined to let the country benefit them.

The next day, after finishing the general cleaning of the East Palace, they also had to clean the palaces of their mother and father.

Li Shimin watched numbly as a group of children emptied the Ganlu Hall and moved out all the tables, chairs and books. Dongyang and his sisters were wiping the floor.

And Li Chengqian was not present again.

Li Shimin looked around and asked, "Li Zhi?"

Li Lizhi was looking at the things in her father's palace that she had never seen before, and nodded: "Hmm?"

"Where are the others?"

"The court is on holiday, and so is my father. My brother is not. He is going to collect food and grass for Luoyang today." Li Lizhi looked up and thought, her eyes fell on the chopsticks in her hand, and added: "We also need to pay for the craftsmen. My brother is very busy."

Li Shimin's mouth twitched, and he whispered to himself, "He is very busy..."

Li Zhi came forward and said, "Sister, these white jade chopsticks are so beautiful."

Li Lizhi tapped his forehead gently with chopsticks and said, "This is not white jade, this is ivory, the chopsticks are made from the tusks taken from the trunks of war elephants."

Li Zhi covered his forehead and said, "This thing is very valuable."

Li Lizhi put down the chopsticks and went to pour water for Dongyang.

Outside the city of Chang'an, Zhang Daxiang, the Minister of Civil Affairs, arranged people to carry out bags of grain from the granary.

Li Chengqian stood aside with the account book in his hand, listening to his uncle Li Xiaogong's chattering.

Being a crown prince means being able to govern several places and arrange some people well, which are the prerequisites for ascending the throne.

As a prince, he needs to be more sensible, and the general scope of this sensibility should be the scope of his own authority.

In other aspects, according to the words of the civil and military officials in the court, it should be good, except for the human relations and worldly affairs...

Li Xiaogong talked about his experiences in the past few days. He was tortured by his relatives from the royal family. When those relatives came to Chang'an to visit him, he only received them for a few days and then closed the door to refuse visitors.

Up to now, all the relatives who wanted to go back have returned. The kings have returned to their fiefdoms, the princes have returned to their own states and counties, and the county ladies have returned to their respective counties.

Only a few people were allowed to stay in Chang'an, such as the Prince of Hejian who served in the court and the Prince of Jiangxia Li Daozon who served in Jingzhao Prefecture.

There are still a few people who are determined to stay in Chang'an, so there is no need to pay attention to them.

"I know that the emperor's uncle has difficulties to overcome. In fact, my father, grandfather, and I all know it. There is no need to explain so much."

Li Xiaogong looked at the bags of grain being delivered and scratched his beard. "Some brothers also said that after the crown prince comes of age, should the King of Wei and the King of Wu return to their fiefdoms?"

"Well, they not only considered my father, but also me." Li Chengqian smiled, "These people are really worried about our Li family. These relatives are really doing good for our Li family. The longer they are away from Chang'an, the more I miss them."

Li Xiaogong squinted at his nephew and asked in disbelief, "Really?"

Li Chengqian put away the account book and watched the bags of grain being weighed without saying a word.

Zhang Daxiang was a young assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue. He was actually the chief clerk of Weinan County arranged by Yan Qinli, and the elder brother of Zhang Da'an.

He is a thorough and responsible official, and he might become the Minister of Civil Affairs in the future.

(End of this chapter)