The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 361 The Emperor Returns
Jizhou, located on the banks of the Hengshui River, is the heart of the Hebei Plain.

Li Shimin drank the medicine in the bowl and showed a complicated expression after listening to his daughter's words.

Dongyang added: "But don't worry, father. I have written a letter to the court. When the court learns that your illness is not serious, I believe the hearts of the court officials will be at ease."

"Well, I was away on a campaign for a year, which delayed state affairs."

The emperor's carriage stayed here for a day, and Li Shimin returned to the carriage and slept until noon the next day.

Li Shimin could clearly feel that the high fever had subsided a lot. He stepped out of the carriage and saw a wooden shed set up not far away. Dongyang was treating the villagers there.

Looking at my daughter from a distance, I saw that she could still talk and smile to the villagers.

When traveling, Dongyang looks like the daughter of an ordinary wealthy family, not like a noble princess of the current dynasty.

At this moment, Dongyang was chatting and laughing with an old woman.

I don’t know if it was taught by Sun Simiao, but Dongyang was always able to take a person’s pulse while talking to them, always downplaying the condition of the patient.

Li Shimin withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and stretched his muscles. His muscles had been sore all over in the past two days.

Li Dao Zong hurried forward and said, "Your Majesty, the princess said she wants to stay here for a day. Your Majesty's condition prevents him from traveling any further."

Li Shimin sighed: "I was too hasty."

"Your Majesty, please take a look at the current scenery of Hebei Province from here."

Li Shimin nodded and said, "Okay."

It was the harvest season in Hebei at this time. Li Shimin walked to the Hengshui River and said, "I remember Kong Yingda was also from Hebei."

"I heard that Kong Yingda is old and has already asked the Crown Prince to retire."

Li Shimin looked at the wide river surface. The scenery of the river bank was reflected on the water. The scenery was a bit desolate, with only three or two trees standing scattered by the river.

“We are all old.”

Li Daozon lowered his head. Now everyone is no longer the same as they were before.

Li Shimin looked at the escort team, saw Xue Rengui, and waved him over.

Xue Rengui strode over, his armor rubbing against his chest as he walked. He stepped forward and saluted, "Your Majesty."

Li Shimin stroked his gray beard and said, "I am forty-eight this year. How old are you this year?"

Xue Rengui's expression was a little more apprehensive. How could ordinary people understand His Majesty's age? He quickly said, "I am thirty-three this year."

Li Shimin smiled and said, "This is the most prime age in a man's life."

Xue Rengui lowered his head and saluted again.

Just a few words could tell that Xue Rengui was not good at speaking, and Li Daozon saw it.

"I am old, and the generals who fought with me are also old. Duke Wei is old, and Jingde is also old. I want to promote brave young generals. If you say that you can take back Liaodong, I will be happy, but I am even happier to have you."

Upon hearing this, Xue Rengui immediately fell to the ground.

Li Shimin took a deep breath, coughed twice, and waved his hand, saying, "I appoint you as the Right Lieutenant General of the Army. In the future, you should learn more about military management from Zhang Shigui."

"Here!"

Li Shimin laughed again and said, "I also heard that you and Pei Xingjian are from the same hometown?"

"Your Majesty, Shouyue and I are both from the same hometown of Hedong. We have played together since we were young. When I first came to Guanzhong, it was Shouyue who helped me. Later, Shouyue resigned as the county magistrate, and I joined him in the expedition against Gaochang. Now he is serving as the Protector General of Anxi."

Li Shimin thought of the Hedong generals of the past. Now the Hedong generals have declined and are no longer what they used to be.

It's not just Hedong. After the war, many famous families from all over the country fell into decline. For example, Pei Ju and Pei Renji, who were famous families from Hedong throughout the world, are no longer around.

Li Shimin looked into the distance, as if recalling some memories. The era when heroes emerged from all directions and roamed the world was gone.

Nowadays, Hebei feels more and more depressed.

Li Shimin looked at the river and smiled: "If Cheng Qian was here, he would definitely want to go fishing."

Li Dao Zong said: "I will go and prepare the fishing rod now."

In the afternoon, the emperor sat on a wooden platform by the river, holding a fishing rod in one hand and stroking his temple with the other, with his eyes closed and he seemed to be asleep.

When the wind blew, it blew the emperor's clothes and hair.

Li Daozon, Li Ji and Xue Rengui stood behind His Majesty. The emperor now had a feeling of a hero in his twilight years.

Dongyang returned to the caravan. She put a thick stack of medical records into the medicine box and looked at her father who was sitting by the river fishing.

She picked up the military newspaper that her father had placed on the carriage and looked at its contents. King Wu Li Ke had gone to Chang'an first, and Zhang Jian, the military commander of Yingzhou, went to Liaoshui to preside over matters on the east and west banks of the Liaoshui River.

Qibi Heli also returned to Tiele, and most of the generals in the army went home. After the battle, Liaodong was in ruins and would be in decline for many years.

Children's laughter was heard from the other side of the river. Li Shimin looked up and saw a group of children holding books, playing and walking.

Most of these children are around ten years old and their laughter is very pleasant to hear.

Li Shimin smiled and looked for a long time.

At night, the emperor stopped fishing because he had been sitting by the river for half a day without seeing any fish taking the bait.

A convoy came from the north, carrying cartloads of coal.

The leader was an old man who spoke authentic Guanzhong dialect. Li Shimin stepped forward and asked, "Old brother."

The old man saw that the other person was well-dressed and that there were many soldiers around him. He quickly got off the donkey cart and saluted, saying, "This general has returned from the Eastern Expedition, right?"

Li Shimin was a little surprised. He looked at himself, then at the guards behind him, and smiled and said naturally, "Yes."

Seeing that His Majesty seemed very satisfied with the other party's title of General, Li Daozon did not point it out.

The old man continued, "I heard that the general was victorious in the Eastern Expedition. He must have received a great reward. My son is also in the army, but he sent a letter home saying that he will not return until Yingzhou is governed and stabilized."

Li Shimin looked around and said, "It's already night, are you still going to Guanzhong in the dark?"

"General, you may not know that there is a shortage of coal in Guanzhong and Luoyang now. All coal from Hebei has to be transported there." After saying this, the old man picked up a piece of coal with his rough hands and said, "This kind of honeycomb coal is now produced in all parts of Hebei."

Li Shimin had seen this kind of coal before. This was the coal used for cooking in the Eastern Palace. "When will Hebei start shipping coal to Guanzhong?"

The old man thought for a moment, stroked his beard and said, "It was the twelfth month of last year. The court sent many people to various places in Hebei to open coal mines, saying that they wanted to develop Hebei. Officials from the court came to Hebei in groups."

Listening to this old man speak, it seems that he is very knowledgeable.

Li Shimin stroked his beard and asked, "Are you going to take all this coal to Guanzhong to sell?"

The old man shook his head and said, "Everyone paid for me to go out and buy them."

After saying that, the old man shouted to the people at the back of the coal transport team, asking them to stop and rest.

Now that the prince has done a lot of things in Hebei, Li Shimin asked a few more questions.

In fact, the report from the court had already been delivered. The emperor knew it clearly, but he still asked again and again and listened to others talk about the various measures taken by the prince in Hebei in presiding over state affairs.

Li Shimin seemed unaware and kept asking over and over again, with a hint of pride on his face.

The next day, at daybreak, the team continued to move towards Luoyang. The team did not move fast as it was the harvest season and there were many people working in the fields.

Whenever he passed by a place, he would ask about the local governance situation. The closer he got to Luoyang, the more pedestrians he could see on the official road.

Li Shimin sat on the shaft of the carriage with a complicated look on his face. He said to Li Ji who was driving the carriage, "Cheng Qian restored the household registration of many hidden households in Hebei. Now the population of Hebei has increased by more than 200,000 households, and the land has been evenly distributed. This year's tax revenue can be increased a lot."

Li Ji said: "Your Majesty, Hebei is a prosperous land." "Yes." Li Shimin nodded. Let those who till the land own the land. The most difficult two years since the Eastern Expedition have passed.

The current achievements belong to future generations.

Li Shimin looked at the blue sky with a smile. If Cheng Qian was in front of his son at this time, he might say that the Tang Dynasty still had many problems and they must be solved.

If the problem cannot be solved in a short time, then make long-term plans.

Perhaps, this is what Cheng Qian would say. He has never been a child who is easily proud.

In August of the 19th year of Zhenguan, the emperor's carriage was finally arriving in Luoyang.

Li Chengqian led all the officials to welcome his father at the east gate of Luoyang City. His son and daughter were beside them, looking around curiously.

Xue Wanbei rode up first and saluted, "Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "You've lost weight."

Xue Wanbei, who had just returned from the Eastern Expedition, also smiled and said, "The food in Liaodong is not to my taste, so I ate less."

Li Chengqian said: "Go into the city and rest."

"Yes!" Xue Wanbei bowed and said, "Your Majesty, it is still twenty miles away."

Li Chengqian nodded.

Half an hour later, another general arrived in front of Luoyang City. It was Xue Wanche. When he got close, he dismounted and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Li Chengqian bowed and said, "You have worked hard at sea, General."

Xue Wanche bowed and said, "I should have done it, Your Highness, there is no need to do this."

Li Chengqian said: "General, please go into the city and rest."

"Here."

Then another person rode up, a soldier with a message. He said in a clear voice: "Your Majesty is still ten miles away from Luoyang. Your Majesty has ordered all the officials in the court to return to take charge of state affairs. The rest of the villagers do not need to greet us."

The joy of the victory of the Eastern Expedition had spread throughout Luoyang City before my father returned.

Because most of the generals who went on the expedition returned ahead of time.

Many families were reunited. Before my father arrived in Luoyang, his deeds in Liaodong had already spread throughout the world.

The Tang army marched hurriedly in the wind and snow, rushing for thousands of miles, and charging in the snow. The ice and snow had just melted, and the army marched without fear of the severe cold. Their beards were frozen with ice and they suffered frostbite at one point.

Many people have heard about how brave and good at fighting the Tang army was.

But from these deeds, we can also know how difficult the Eastern Expedition was in that year. The environment in Liaodong is harsh and mountainous, and how much hardship they endured. Perhaps only the soldiers themselves know.

Another messenger arrived in front of Luoyang City, reading out the emperor's order and urging the officials and villagers to go back and not to welcome him in such a way.

But people still stood in front of the city, ready to welcome the invincible emperor.

This will be one of my father's greatest achievements in his life.

In the field of vision, teams of soldiers were dispersing. They walked to the official road and cleared the road.

Until the emperor's carriage appeared in sight.

Li Chengqian glanced sideways and saw his uncle wiping his tears.

When the emperor's carriage arrived, Dongyang got off first.

The curtain of the carriage was lifted, Li Shimin walked out of the carriage and stood on the shaft. In the sunlight, the robe of the Heavenly Khan fluttered in the wind. Facing the subjects all over the city, the emperor smiled.

All the ministers bowed one after another, and people all over the city bowed solemnly.

Maybe they’ll have to wait until later before cheering.

Li Shimin got off the carriage and his eyes fell on his son, who was standing in front of all the officials, wearing a blue robe.

"Grandpa!" Little Yutu shouted and ran over quickly.

Li Shimin reached out to catch him, held him in his arms, and said with satisfaction: "It's heavy."

Xiao Yutu said, "My grandson is five years old."

Li Shimin picked up Que'er again, holding both his grandson and granddaughter in his arms, and strode into the city.

The road leading to the imperial palace from Luoyang City had already been cleared.

Li Shimin put his grandson and granddaughter down, led one by the hand and walked back to the palace. He then asked his son who was following him, "Have all the military reports from Liaodong been delivered?"

"Yes, it was delivered half a month ago. All departments in the court are sorting out the affairs of Liaodong. After the war, we need a great governance, and there are many things to do."

Changsun Wuji, who was following behind, said: "Your Majesty, I ..."

"Report the rest to me when you return to the palace."

Changsun Wuji lowered his head and stopped talking.

Before arriving at the palace, Li Shimin met his father and uncle.

Seeing his son returning victoriously, Li Yuan just nodded and said nothing.

My uncle was also stroking his beard and smiling.

All the officials stopped in front of the palace, and Li Shimin strode into the palace.

When there weren't so many people around, Xiao Yutu suddenly asked, "Grandpa?"

Li Shimin looked at the newly renovated Luoyang Palace and said, "Yes."

"When will grandpa give up the throne to daddy?"

Li Shimin looked at his grandson, smiled indifferently at the child's words, and said, "Who said that I should give up the throne?"

Xiao Yutu said, "My aunt said so."

Leading his grandson and granddaughter into the Qianyuan Hall, Li Shimin said, "It's only been a year since I left. Do you miss your grandfather?"

Little Yutu and Little Lingque said in unison: "Yes."

Li Chengqian stood aside with his hands in his pockets with his uncle.

Grandpa outside the hall was singing loudly again.

A maid came quickly and said, "Your Majesty, the Queen is preparing a banquet."

Li Shimin said: "We will have a family dinner tonight, and I will hold a banquet to celebrate tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, the palace maid bowed and left quickly.

Li Chengqian said: "Qingque and Brother Ke are on their way from Chang'an and will arrive tonight."

Li Shimin put down the two children and whispered, "I was away for a year, and it was not easy for you. I heard about the affairs of the royal family and the affairs of Hebei."

"This is all for the sake of state affairs. No matter how difficult it is, I must face it."

Li Shimin said: "Since I ascended the throne, the Tang Dynasty has had a war every three or two years. When I came here, I kept receiving memorials, all of which advised me that I should rest with the people."

(End of this chapter)