The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 283 What did you eat when you grew up?
His life only lasted until the seventeen-year-old Cui Yao fell in a pool of blood and never got up again.

"Murder!" Another loud shout came from the cell.

There were hurried footsteps outside the cell.

The jailers were running towards him. Xu Shishan stood up and said to the jailer who was opening the cell: "Fuck your integrity."

After saying that, he picked up the long needle and stabbed it into his throat.

Li Yifu ran over in a hurry and saw Cui Yao lying on the ground, dead. He looked again and saw that Xu Shishan's throat was bleeding and it was obvious that he was dying.

Until the light in Xu Shishan's eyes faded and the blood in his throat stopped flowing.

The jailer said, "We failed to take good care of Li."

Li Yifu still had a tired look on his face. He had not had a good rest in the past three days. He whispered, "It doesn't matter. They are just killing each other. There will be more people like this dying in the future."

A fast horse came out of Luoyang City. It was someone from Chongwenguan. Zhang Xuansu was checking the list of civilians. When he saw someone leaving the city, he asked, "Do you have anything else to report to Chang'an?"

"Cui Yao is dead."

Zhang Xuansu asked in surprise: "Dead?"

Li Ke, who was standing aside, did not show much emotion. He did not think that Li Yifu's method was good, and the result was not surprising.

After that, those people hated Li Tang even more.

These days, when Li Yifu slept, he always kept a knife beside the bed, always on guard.

When the news reached Chang'an, Li Chengqian was reporting recent political affairs to his father who was offering sacrifices at the Yu Temple.

"Your Highness, urgent news from Luoyang." The eunuch handed over the memorial with both hands.

"Yes." Li Chengqian took the memorial, signaled him not to disturb his father, and opened it to read.

After paying respects to Yu Temple, Li Shimin asked, "What did the urgent report from Luoyang say?"

After reading the memorial, Li Chengqian said, "A young man from an aristocratic family died. It was a fratricide among them. It's not a big deal."

Li Shimin walked out of the Yu Temple and said, "Qibi Heli and the others should have arrived at the battlefield as well."

According to the schedule, they should have crossed the Altai Mountains and headed straight into the heart of Yugushe.

Although the Emperor has been in the Yu Temple all these days, he will send any military reports from Tianshan urgently.

Su Dingfang and Liang Jianfang arrived in Yizhou half a month ago, and should be heading to Xizhou now to join forces with Guo Xiaoke's troops from Anxi Protectorate.

As long as Qibi Heli invaded the hinterland of Tianshan Mountains, it would be the time for General Zhang Shigui to attack Yuguse's troops, that is, the time to launch a general attack on the Ili River at the foot of Tianshan Mountains.

This month, another 100,000 shi of grain and fodder were sent to the Hexi Corridor. In this battle, Guanzhong felt unprecedented pressure.

Grain and grass were being sent out from Tongguan continuously, and the official granaries in the counties of Guanzhong were almost emptied.

Li Chengqian said: "I hope that the millet and wheat will mature earlier this year."

Li Shimin looked at his son and said, "Thank you for the food and grass."

Li Chengqian continued, "Last year, I asked Niu Jinda to cultivate land in Qinghai, which amounted to about 3.62 million mu of farmland. However, even though Li Zhen used 30,000 soldiers and horses from the Hexi Corridor and used war horses to plow the land, he only cultivated 300,000 mu of land. Including General Niu Jinda's land west of Songzhou, that is, south of Qinghai, there are about 700,000 mu of paddy fields."

"How many acres?"

"There are about 3.62 million mu of land that can be reclaimed, but only about 1 million mu has been reclaimed so far, and what we planted are barley and millet. We don't know what the weather will be like, so we'll have to wait and see. When the harvest is good, we can send the crops to the Western Regions."

Li Shimin asked in surprise, "You are farming in Qinghai?"

Li Chengqian asked, "Then what do you think your Majesty wants me to do by sending General Li Zhen to Qinghai?"

The father and son came to a map, and Li Chengqian explained: "After the Chongwen Hall in Qinghai was built last year, they got along very well with the herdsmen in Qinghai. They learned that they could cultivate land in Qinghai. The Chongwen Hall was opened outside the Great Wall. In addition to teaching them Central Plains knowledge and writing, the Tang people also lived in harmony with them and shared life experiences."

In fact, the Tang Dynasty's military system allowed for farming and warfare to be carried out simultaneously, which greatly reduced the cost of maintaining troops and allowed them to farm wherever they fought.

Military farming was originally one of the necessary skills of the Tang army. The purpose of guarding the Hexi Corridor was to prevent the Tibetans. However, the defense line was moved south to the doorstep of the Tibetans, and troops were stationed there. At present, the effect seems to be quite good.

Qinghai is now a huge granary. God favors the Tang Dynasty. At this time, people can even cultivate land in Qinghai.

"I don't know if this is a good idea, as we don't have many people to send right now."

Li Shimin looked at the map and said suspiciously, "You should send more people."

"The preparations made during the cold winter of last year have only shown results this year. I was not sure at first, but with the help of the local herdsmen in Qinghai, there shouldn't be any big problems. Father, don't worry. The students of Qinghai Chongwen Academy get along well with the local herdsmen."

"I don't know if Songtsen Gampo will be angry, but now the Tang army has gone to Qinghai to cultivate land, and the herders in Qinghai are living a better life."

Li Shimin suddenly laughed and said, "If Songtsen Gampo saw the Tang army stationing troops at his doorstep, he would probably be so angry that his teeth would break."

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "I should have more foresight than Songtsen Gampo. I don't have much foresight, so I can only cope with it."

The entire Qinghai was the granary of the Tang army during the war in the Western Regions. What does a million acres of farmland mean? This is a huge granary, and it is very close to the Western Regions.

The military farming in Qinghai fully alleviated the pressure of Guanzhong on supply for the war in the Western Regions.

Li Shimin looked at his son and whispered, "Do you know what Cheng Yaojin said about you?"

Li Chengqian asked: "How do you evaluate me?"

Li Shimin drank a sip of tea with a serious expression and said, "They often say that the Crown Prince of the East Palace has changed."

Outside the Yu Temple, Empress Changsun's movements of cutting cotton and linen cloth obviously paused.

Li Chengqian said: "This son was born to the queen mother."

Li Shimin added: "They also said what the Crown Prince of the East Palace ate to grow up, and they should feed some of it to their children as well."

"Father, you are just following the crowd and are a little blind."

Li Shimin noticed his wife's occasional glances, cleared his throat, and nodded, "I think so too." The father and son sat in the sun in front of the Yu Temple. Li Chengqian ate a walnut and said, "There are too many walnuts in Guanzhong. Recently, there are so many walnuts in the palace that we can't eat them all."

Li Shimin picked up a walnut from the stove, cracked it open with a small wooden hammer, and put it into his mouth.

These walnuts were all sent from the Western Regions. Because of the war in Tianshan, more and more merchants rushed to the Hexi Corridor. With the protection of the Tang people in the Hexi Corridor, they would not be affected by the war.

Starting from winter, the most common item sent by merchants was walnuts. After the fall of Gaochang, there were so many walnuts sent from the Western Regions that they could not be eaten all.

"Father, do you still remember the man named Feng Dexia?"

Li Shimin nodded slightly.

Li Chengqian explained: "Feng Dexia was the Tang envoy that my father asked the Honglu Temple to send to meet Songtsen Gampo. He is also in Qinghai now, and often travels between Luoshui and Qinghai in the name of an envoy. Every time he goes to Luoshui alone, when he returns to Qinghai, he will bring many Tibetan herdsmen with him, and let the herdsmen stay in Qinghai."

"Although this method is a bit shameful and not gentlemanly, Qinghai needs more manpower for its construction. Bringing some people out from Lhasa can not only relieve Songtsen Gampo's pressure, but also alleviate the problem of Qinghai's shortage of manpower. He didn't bring many people out each time, the most was only over a thousand, and the next few times, there were 300 to 500 people, and sometimes over a hundred people."

"I am worried that Songtsen Gampo will not allow Feng Dexia to go to Luoxie again. How about your father give me an order? Let him continue to be an envoy, so that Tubo will not be able to stop the envoys from traveling."

Seeing that his father did not answer immediately, Li Chengqian continued: "I also want to build a special kind of guard house. They will not be trained in swordsmanship, but mainly in planting and construction. The people outside the Great Wall are in poverty and the Western Regions are barren. We need a group of people to concentrate on production and construction."

Listening to my son talking a lot, it seemed like he was going to talk more.

Li Shimin lowered his head to eat the walnuts, then picked up the tea bowl and took a sip, his son's chattering words ringing in his ears again.

"I think whether it's planting cotton in the Western Regions or farming in Qinghai, people are needed to study and lead. Guo Luotuo is in the Western Regions now, and he is in great need of manpower. These people don't have to be all from Guanzhong. A few people from Guanzhong will be fine, and the vast majority should be locals."

"In addition, there will be someone to lead and preside over production and construction, increase crop diversity and improve yields, plant trees and maintain the local environment, and provide many strategies and guidance for related construction, while enriching the Tang Dynasty's understanding of the Western Regions and Tubo."

"I also discovered that most of the students in Guanzhong know very little about the Western Regions and Tubo. This point can be addressed by allowing the Chongwen Hall and the Wenxue Hall to work together to make up for the deficiencies in this regard..."

"Father? Are you still listening?"

Li Shimin straightened his sitting posture and asked, "What time is it?"

Hearing this, Li Chengqian looked up at the sky and said, "It's time for lunch."

Li Shimin finally came to his senses and asked, "Has the lunch been delivered?"

The drowsy eunuch beside him also quickly perked up and said, "Your Majesty, it has been delivered. It is said that the East Palace stewed pig's trotters today."

"Okay, let's eat."

Empress Changsun was still unwilling to have dinner with the father and son.

Li Chengqian saw his mother, Su Wan and Ning'er eating, and he sat opposite his father at a separate table.

After dinner, Li Chengqian took the two concubines back to the East Palace.

After eating, Li Shimin lay down on the recliner and closed his eyes to rest, and ordered: "If there is any report of the arrival of the Western Regions troops, wake me up."

The eunuch nodded and said, "Yes."

Your Majesty said that the sacrifice in the Yu Temple only takes half a month, but it has been one and a half months now. During these days, the Crown Prince has been supervising the government affairs, and Your Majesty has been having a leisurely time in the Yu Temple, keeping an eye on the situation in the Western Regions.

After just a short nap, when Li Shimin opened his eyes, he felt darkness in front of his eyes again. On the table in front of him was a pile of files, which was half a person's height.

Li Shimin took a deep breath when he saw this and asked, "What are these?"

"Your Majesty, these were sent by the East Palace."

"Eastern Palace?" Li Shimin was shocked and said, "What does this kid Cheng Qian want?"

"His Royal Highness sent a message saying that these are all the various strategies for the development of Qinghai and the Western Regions in the past month. They were compiled by Yu Shilang, Chu Shilang, and Cen Shilang of the Secretariat. Please review them, Your Majesty."

"Your Highness has sent someone to send a message. I have said so much to Your Majesty this morning, but I am afraid Your Majesty has no memory of what you have heard. So I sent someone to send the file to Your Majesty so that he can take a good look at it and consolidate the current changes in the situation in Guanzhong, Qinghai, and Songzhou."

Li Shimin closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and asked with one hand on his forehead: "Why? Is he busy on weekdays?"

The eunuch replied, "The maid who brought the daily records to the East Palace said that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would attend court every morning, and after that he would discuss state affairs with Prime Minister Fang, Duke Zhao, and Duke Zheng."

"After dinner, we have to go to the Secretariat to issue government orders. It is said that the officials of the Secretariat are often kept by the Crown Prince, and usually no one leaves until after nightfall. I remember..."

The eunuch paused for a moment and continued, "I remember that at that time, just after the rain of the Grain Rain season, the Zhongshu Province was still brightly lit after midnight, with people coming and going constantly. Moreover, they had to attend the morning court on time the next day. If they handled government affairs too late, they had to sleep in the Zhongshu Province and rush to the morning court at dawn."

"Several elderly scholars have been recuperating at home. Yan Shigu has also reached the age of old age. Yesterday, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince allowed Yan Shigu and several other old officials to retire and return home. He also gave them half of their monthly salary so that they could enjoy their remaining years in peace."

Li Shimin still closed his eyes, rubbed his eyebrows, and said, "Is the court really so busy?"

"The imperial examination is coming up soon. I heard that the Secretariat has to work all night long recently."

Li Shimin picked up a scroll and looked at it. The matter in Luoyang was the range of taxes and fines set by the newly appointed Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Di Zhixun, under the arrangement of the crown prince. This kind of punishment of ten times or even dozens of times was presided over by Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Di Zhixun, and Liu Dewei of the Ministry of Justice.

This is what I approved, but my son recorded it in the file and explained the reasons.

Moreover, annotations have been made, and they will be revised in the future. Plans for long-term changes in penalties should be prepared, especially those involving taxation, which should be prepared for long-term and continuous adjustments.

This son did not adjust the taxes, but instead adjusted the tax-related penalties. This was indeed the job of the Ministry of Justice.

After reading three or two volumes, Li Shimin put it down and didn't want to read any more. Instead, he looked at the several marching routes of the war in the Western Regions and worried about it.

Thinking about it again, she realized that her son had been busy in the court these days, and for some reason she felt a little guilty.

West of Guanzhong, in the northwest, at this moment in the Western Regions, Guo Xiaoke had just left Xizhou with an army of 10,000.

Xue Wanbei rode his horse aside and said, "General, shouldn't we wait for General Su and General Liang?"

Guo Xiaoke relaxed his neck and snorted coldly, "The opportunity for war cannot be delayed. Yanqi rebelled and went to support Yu Gushe. I will go and pacify Yanqi right away."

"General, are you too anxious?"

"Anxious?" Guo Xiaoke glared at him and said, "The army is out there, the opportunity to fight is fleeting, if you tell me this again, you will be punished by military law!"

(End of this chapter)