The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 249 He is more centralized than the emperor

When the three old craftsmen left the East Palace, each of them held a silver cake in his hand, which was a reward from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

There was some embarrassment on their faces, because the prince had set a requirement to make at least one vernier caliper every month.

The leading old craftsman sighed, "His Highness said that the vernier calipers made in the future will belong to us old craftsmen."

The remaining two remained silent.

The old craftsman weighed the two silver cakes in his hand and said, "Now I can find a wife for my grandson. From now on, the ruler will be there even if the supervisor is there."

The other two nodded heavily.

The next day, the emperor's spring outing carriage arrived at Longshouyuan.

Li Ke rode his horse with Liu Rengui and Quan Wanji and passed by Longshouyuan.

Li Shimin was drawing his bow and arrows when he saw three people riding horses past in the distance. He put away his arrows and asked, "Is that Ke'er?"

Li Zhi also took a look and continued to eat the dried meat in his hand, chewing it in his mouth, sitting quietly aside.

When the horse came closer, Li Ke dismounted and saluted, saying, "Father."

Li Shimin put down the longbow in his hand, wiped his hands with a cloth, and said, "What's the matter? Do you have something important to report to me?"

"Your Majesty, I want to leave Chang'an for a few days."

"Have you told your mother?" Li Shimin looked at him.

"Yes, I have explained it to my mother."

Li Shimin looked at Quan Wanji and Liu Rengui standing behind him. When he was in Xianyang County, he had seen this county official from afar and reminded him, "You are also old. Be careful about your words and deeds when you are out."

After paying his respects to his father, Li Ke mounted his horse and rode away.

Li Shimin looked at his son's back and the eunuch whispered a few words in his ear.

The emperor looked calm and continued to draw his bow and arrow.

As the horses trod through the mud, Quan Wanji rode behind the King of Wu and asked, "Is this also the order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

Li Ke replied loudly: "My brother said that doing something does not mean doing it well. The teaching was an order from the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, but after the order was delegated, this thing was done, but not done well."

Quan Wanji looked at Liu Rengui who was following beside him. This county magistrate was not only a good friend of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu, but was also said to be close to the current crown prince.

Li Ke continued: "Now, I am going there to get things done."

After saying that, he rode his horse all the way towards Luoyang.

West of Guanzhong, passing Longyou, and the Hexi Corridor, this was Zhang Shigui's second time here.

He dismounted and led his troops into Weiwu County to rest.

Li Zhen was appointed as the commander of Jiaohedao Zhechoufu. He went to meet the general at the foot of Wuwei County.

Zhang Shigui looked at Liang Jianfang in the team behind him, and Xue Rengui next to him, with deep meaning in his eyes. Now he was finally sure that Xue Rengui was not a disciple of the prince at all.

Li Zhen walked into the city toward the general and ordered his soldiers to welcome the army to rest.

Walking into the city, Zhang Shigui took off his helmet and looked at the bustling Wuwei County. He had no idea that Wuwei County was so prosperous.

The streets were bustling with people, including Turks, people from the Western Regions, and even Persians and Tibetans.

To Zhang Shigui's surprise, he actually saw an Indian.

"After not coming here for a year, this place has really changed dramatically."

Li Zhen smiled and said, "In the past two years of operating the Hexi Corridor, Wuwei County has become a must-go place for merchants and travelers. Now everyone knows that as long as they go to Wuwei County, they can sell their goods."

The Hu girl was dancing in the crowd, twisting her waist and moving her body, and the Hu people were shouting loudly.

There were also people from the Western Regions sitting on the side of the street, eating camel humps.

Li Zhen said: "I have received the document from the army. The general is here to build the Anxi Protectorate. I wonder how I can help the general."

Zhang Shigui waved his hand and said, "It's okay. The court has arranged a lot of people for me. There are more than 20 people following me in Chongwen Hall alone."

Li Zhen led him into a house. The house was not luxurious but very simple, and there were no servants serving him.

"General, you must have been exhausted from the journey. Please take a rest first. I will prepare a meal for you."

"Okay, thank you for your help."

"Don't be polite, General."

Zhang Shigui smiled and said, "Among the young men in this army, you are the most sensible one in my opinion."

Li Zhen laughed and said, "General, you are joking."

Today, Wuwei County is a treasure land. In the past, money and grain were continuously sent to it. Now, on the contrary, money and grain are continuously sent to Chang'an.

This was the biggest change Xue Rengui felt.

Guo Luotuo brought his family and asked a general in the city to take them to a house, where they could stay temporarily.

Xue Rengui lived just opposite.

Guo Luotuo said with a smile: "General Xue, I have some steamed buns brought from Guanzhong."

"really?"

Guo Luotuo opened a cloth bag and handed him a bun.

The buns were cold, but not bad. Guo Luotuo whispered, "Is this the second time the young general is going to the Western Regions?"

Xue Rengui nodded and said, "That's right."

Guo Luotuo whispered, "The Western Region is a good place. Xu Shaoyin said that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince cannot stand to see wasteland left vacant, especially large tracts of vacant land in the Western Region."

Xue Rengui ate the buns and shook his head to indicate that he didn't understand what was said.

Breathing the air here which is different from that in Guanzhong, Guo Luotuo sat cross-legged outside the door with a smile in his eyes.

In Chang'an, the wind is gentle today. Li Chengqian and his grandfather are sitting in rocking chairs.

In the East Palace, Li Lizhi was scolding Li Zhi for not being able to finish his homework. She shouted, "It's your own business to ask you to do your homework. Use it to solve your problem."

Li Zhi held the brush with a wronged look on his face.

I don't know what Zhinu said to her, but Lizhi's voice was heard again in the palace, her voice was very loud, and she was heard scolding: "If you don't solve your own problem, what else do you want to solve? Do you want to solve the problem of me, your sister?"

Soon, the sound of Li Zhi crying was heard from the East Palace.

This was almost a common occurrence in the Eastern Palace. Some homework was not answered correctly even after being handed in several times. The brothers and sisters all had a headache facing Li Zhi, a poor student.

Li Yuan smiled and said, "In fact, Zhinu is a kind-hearted child. You are just too strict with him."

Dongyang complained, "Grandpa, you have to be strict. Zhinu is a child who thinks he is right when you treat him well. You need to teach him a lesson."

Li Chengqian put his body weight on the rocking chair, which began to rock, and looked at the file in his hand.

Li Yuan asked, "Why? Is the imperial examination going to be held again?"

"We won't hold the imperial examination this year. We'll wait until next year. The teacher said he wants to have more students from remote areas in the court."

Li Chengqian put down the file and basked in the sun comfortably, saying: "In fact, father's vision is very good. He used the imperial examination to centralize power and limit the control of local clans." Li Yuan said slowly: "You rarely praise."

"There are many ways to do this. Father is still too gentle."

"Your Chongwen Hall selects teachers to teach, and the children they teach will all be disciples of the crown prince in the future? You said your father is centralized?" Li Yuan said with a smile: "In fact, you are more centralized than your father."

"Is this what everyone in the government and the country says about my grandson?"

"No one said that to you. They just don't understand. Can't I see through my grandson's mind?"

Li Chengqian moved his shoulders and lay on his back comfortably. He didn't want to care about political affairs today.

The eunuch came quickly and said, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, His Majesty has caught a cold while traveling, and I order Your Highness to preside over the government."

Dongyang said, "Father has caught a cold?"

The eunuch said truthfully, "The doctor from the Imperial Medical Bureau just treated your Majesty and asked me to deliver your imperial decree."

Dongyang took his feet off the chair and said while putting on his cloth shoes: "Sister, go see father."

After saying that, she left in a hurry.

Li Yuan asked curiously, "Why is she so happy?"

Li Chengqian said: "She hasn't been out for medical treatment for a long time."

Li Yuan shook his head and felt that Dongyang was a little ignorant. He said, "She is so happy that your father is sick. These brothers and sisters of your East Palace are really..."

The old man wanted to scold, but he couldn't think of any words to scold for a moment.

Li Shen was holding a bowl, which contained bitter medicine. Not only his father had caught a cold, but he too.

Seeing Princess Dongyang leave so happily, Li Shen's face was filled with bitterness. He moved his feet slightly, feeling scared.

After Mingda learned skills from Taoist Li in the morning, he came to the East Palace to have lunch after noon, and then learned to read and write with the emperor's sister.

As soon as Mingda arrived at the East Palace, it was filled with laughter again. Even Li Zhi, who had been scolded by his sister before, joined in the fun.

The next day, the emperor fell ill and had to let the prince take charge of government affairs.

Ever since the great victory in the Western Regions, the emperor had been somewhat in a state of complacency. He went hunting last winter and went on a spring outing in the spring, where he even caught a cold.

As a result, after the great victory in the Western Regions, the prince presided over the government for a long time.

Only Duke Zheng would occasionally advise Your Majesty to take care of state affairs more personally. Even if it was just for Your Majesty to take a look at the files written by the Crown Prince, it was necessary.

Not only Duke Zheng, many others also advised Your Majesty not to delay government affairs.

Today in the Taiji Hall, the morning court session has arrived and both civil and military ministers have already stood in the court line.

The ministers saluted the prince with tablets in their hands.

The prince, who was now twenty years old, looked a little different after all. His eyes were sharp and deep. They were different from those of Your Majesty. They were like those of the current queen, but with a sharp edge.

Li Chengqian looked at the ministers. With the power that he, the crown prince, now holds, among all the officials in the court, his power sphere is in the Secretariat and also in Jingzhao Prefecture. However, there are always six ministries between the two. Among them, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs are all far away from the Eastern Palace.

And those who are in charge of the six ministries are all loyal to my father.

Of course, the Honglu Temple, Taifu Temple, Dali Temple, Taipu Temple, and Taichang Temple are also at some distance from the Eastern Palace.

The six ministries and nine temples are in charge of the operation of the dynasty, and these powers are still in the hands of my father.

This year, Zhang Da'an was promoted to Jingzhao Prefecture and appointed as the Secretary, assisting in the management of Jingzhao Prefecture affairs together with Yan Qinli.

Guo Zhengyi was appointed Shaoqing of Sinong Temple, and was in charge of all affairs of Sinong Temple until Guo Luotuo returned.

The hall was silent for a moment. Many things flashed through Li Chengqian's mind. He asked aloud, "Have the tax accounts of each county been prepared this year?"

Cen Wenben handed over the memorial and said, "Your Highness, this year's taxes are twice as much as last year, of which the city tax accounts for 60%."

As the words fell in the hall, some people in the court whispered to each other.

Grapes were first planted in Guanzhong in the ninth year of Zhenguan, and there was a bumper harvest of grapes in Weibei the following year. Two years have passed since then, and the tax revenue in Guanzhong has tripled.

Due to the construction of workshops and the trade hosted by Jingzhao Prefecture, the city tax revenue has been generous in the past two years.

Watching the prince take the memorial, Cen Wenben noticed the prince's expression and was not satisfied.

There is nothing that can be done about it. Soap is not selling as well as it used to. The price of Guanzhong grapes has stabilized at fifty coins per catty. If the harvest is good next year, it may become even cheaper.

From then on, as the prince had said, everyone in Guanzhong could afford to eat a grape.

The population of Guanzhong is limited, which has led to a bottleneck in tax growth this year. This is why the Hexi Corridor, Luoyang and Tongguan were built with the intention of expansion.

Cen Wenben frowned and returned to his seat. He felt that Guanzhong was already very good now.

The court has sufficient tax revenue and is no longer as difficult as it was in the past.

Also, because the prince has repeatedly emphasized the importance of practicing frugality, no one has ever said that the court is wealthy.

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "How is the canal construction going in the Ministry of Works? The Ministry of War, please tell me about the situation of the troops in the Western Regions. The Ministry of Justice, please tell me about the prison this year?"

As the prince spoke, officials one after another talked about the affairs of the court.

Chang Sun Wuji had been standing in the court, observing the crown prince. He was listening to reports from officials from various departments, from the Ministry of Works to the Ministry of Justice.

Li Chengqian listened to the reports from various departments and said, "Last year's autumn tax in Fanyang has not yet been verified. After the flood in Lianghuai was cured, how is the subsequent farming situation? Please hurry up and let all places report to the court."

"Yes!" The Minister of Civil Affairs Zhang Daxiang bowed and returned to the court.

The canal construction in Chang'an City was still in progress. Li Chengqian listened to Yan Liben's words and denied it: "The court has not delayed any money and grain, and there are sufficient manpower. The reason why it has not reached the expected level is the management and division of labor of your Ministry of Works. I hope that Minister Yan will make arrangements after he returns. It must be completed before the summer harvest this year."

Yan Liben did not dare to show any embarrassment, and said quickly: "I obey your command."

Li Tai was still building silt dams, and Li Ke was also traveling around the counties.

Li Chengqian faced all the officials alone and heard their reports about several difficult problems. Li Chengqian specifically asked Yu Zhining, Chu Suiliang and Cen Wenben to assist.

Today's morning court ends like this.

When leaving court, Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling walked together.

Seeing the smile on the other person's face, Fang Xuanling said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has grown up. Can you, his uncle, hide your joy?"

Chang Sun Wuji said: "He has the best teachers in the world to teach him and the most powerful ministers to assist him. It is only natural that he can achieve what he has today."

After the morning court session, Li Chengqian was the last one to walk out of the Taiji Hall. He asked the eunuchs behind him to take the files and memorials to the Ganlu Hall.

When I walked outside the hall, I heard coughing.

Li Chengqian led the eunuch into the hall and saw his father sitting at the table, drinking hot water to stop his cough.

The Queen Mother stood aside and said, "Your Majesty, it is better to cough when you need to, don't hold it in."

"Mother, how is Father's condition?"

Empress Changsun patted her husband's back and said, "The doctors from Dongyang and the Imperial Medical Bureau said it's nothing serious. Just rest for half a month."

I will only update one chapter today. I worked too hard yesterday and didn’t get enough sleep. Let Xiao Zhang take a break. I will update as usual tomorrow.

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(End of this chapter)