Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 612 Ah, I have Xia Daosheng

Emperor Jingtai was not surprised to meet these two here. They were actually cousins, having grown up in the same compound. It should be noted that the person he was adopted by Emperor Hongbao was the Prince of Qin.

However, he and Li Shimin had never gotten along since childhood. Even though he was a few years older than Li Shimin, Li Shimin was a well-known leader of children and was very mischievous from a young age.

However, he had a good relationship with San Niang. He even took San Niang to the mountain to catch eagles back then. But in the end, he fell off the cliff because he was running around, and it was San Niang who saved him.

Among this group, Dugu Han was the least popular, while San Niang was the most popular. So when San Niang slammed her hand on the table, Emperor Jingtai only glanced at Li Shimin and then said nothing more.

"You're all so old, yet you're still playing these childish tricks. Why don't you go outside and have a fight?"

At this moment, Bean Sprout came out from outside: "If there were outsiders here, I don't know how embarrassing it would be."

In the eyes of ordinary people, everyone sitting here is unapproachable. They are either emperors or princes, or at the very least, dukes. These dukes don't even have to bow their heads to anyone.

But once you enter this circle, the social hierarchy is roughly the same, if you round it off.

Emperor Jingtai held the highest position, but would Li Shimin be afraid of him? Not to mention Third Sister, the regent who commanded the Tang army.

If Xia Lin were here at this moment, he would probably break out in a cold sweat, because there are five people sitting at this table: the emperor and those who may become emperor!

"I've heard that things haven't been very peaceful in Jinling these days?"

After taking her seat, Third Sister asked Emperor Jingtai, "Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to come out at this critical juncture?"

Emperor Jingtai glanced at Li Shimin: "Your troubles in Chang'an are even greater than mine. Didn't you two also run away?"

Li Shimin turned his head away and ignored him, but did not deny it. After all, he had come to discuss with Xia Lin about leveraging the situation, which was a serious matter. Tuoba Jing did not seem like someone who did serious things.

"Li Erfeng, you better behave yourself, I'm warning you. The fact that I'm sitting here with a traitor like you is already an immense favor."

Li Shimin slammed his hand on the table, about to get up, but San Niang simply slammed her chopsticks on the table, and the two immediately fell silent again...

"Let's not discuss these things now. Now that we're on Xia Daosheng's territory, you two should put aside your identities. I remember you two were quite close when you were kids, weren't you? Apart from this bad luck making you a bit unpopular, we've been doing just fine."

"Hey hey hey hey!" Dugu Han, who was squinting and eating melon seeds, was displeased. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "How can you talk like that? What do you mean Da Yun is disliked? How am I disliked?"

“Oh! Everyone in the world can say they are not disliked, but you can’t say that.” Erfeng changed her target at this moment: “Back then, you burned down the house of Grand Tutor Feng. He was a virtuous man whom even the late Emperor Hongbao called Master. You burned down his house and couldn’t even save his father’s memorial tablet.”

"That's right, that's right. Back then, we even put more than fifty hedgehogs in the Luoyang Palace. I heard the hedgehogs coughing day and night, and I thought they were possessed by evil spirits. I was sick for more than a month."

"And another thing!" Erfeng continued, "That scoundrel even fed my horse croton seeds. The other day I was practicing riding, and my horse was pulling me while swishing its tail, getting croton seeds all over my head and face."

Dugu Han stood silently to the side, only scratching his face repeatedly.

Jinlian, who didn't dare to breathe loudly, was shocked and confused after hearing these things. She was not familiar with these people and had only heard rumors about them. Who knew that the aloof and cold Dugu family was such a troublemaker back then?

More importantly, no matter how she looked at him, Jinlian didn't think Dugu Han was a man. She had been to a brothel, where there were people who could read faces and read bones. This Dugu family head clearly had the appearance of a woman. But after hearing what this person had done as a child and what he had done as an adult, she probably believed that the Dugu family head was a man.

Women would never do something like that.

"Anyone who utters another word will have half their caravans disappear starting next month!" Dugu Han slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "I don't care whether I live or die, I'll kill you all. I'll make sure that the people of Jinling and Chang'an are living in misery, and that the eighteen rebel groups rise up against me!"

"Then you'll see someone comes after you." Emperor Jingtai remained unfazed: "I have signed a trade protection agreement."

“I signed it too.” Li Shimin spread his hands. “The Bashu Chamber of Commerce has the original document. Shall I get it for you now?”

Even Third Sister laughed at this moment: "I signed it too."

"Yes, all they do is guard against me in the end."

Dugu Han's mood instantly plummeted. She chuckled twice. She had resolutely resisted the so-called trade protection agreement at the time, but it was useless. Some people said that it was best for her to sign it, but if she didn't, there were plenty of others who would be willing to sign it. If she was unwilling to let the Dugu family serve the world, then it didn't matter whether the Dugu family existed or not.

Even a monarch might not utter such resolute and ruthless words, yet the father of his own child could say them in the most resolute and cold tone.

"You know," Third Sister laughed, "some people are really clever, they anticipated this move long ago." Even Li Shimin, who was usually uncontrollable, had to admit with admiration, "Yes, what do you think he's after? I've been pondering this for the past few years in Shu. He doesn't want to be emperor, he doesn't amass wealth, and he doesn't play power games. What is he after?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room turned their gaze to Emperor Jingtai, who looked around blankly and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"

“I’ll listen to my sister. I won’t call you ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘Your Majesty’ anymore. Just call me Jing’er, like when we were little.” Li Shimin said, “Well, how should I put it, aren’t you afraid that your men will rebel?”

This is a highly sensitive question. If anyone else asked it, it would be taboo. But after that "Jing-ge'er" was uttered, the taboo was no longer taboo. It was like when one child asked another, "If you do something bad, are you afraid of being punished by your father when you go back?"

"I am afraid, but I have the Way to save lives."

Emperor Jingtai's answer was very confident: "As long as he is alive, no one can rebel."

"Have you considered what if he were to rebel?"

Normally, if an emperor were to be confronted with a series of highly sensitive questions, his most dignified approach would be to walk away, his most cowardly approach would be to give a sheepish smile, and his most unconventional approach would be to neither leave nor answer, but instead stand up and dance a song called "Gokuraku Jodo".

"What are you planning?"

Emperor Jingtai was no longer someone easily silenced. Having reigned for five years, he had seen his share of storms: "Now, I ask you a question, Erfeng. What did he gain? You and your father rebelled for the throne, for the people, for the state of Wei. What did Daosheng gain? The throne? He roamed three thousand miles, and wherever he went, the land was taken by the Xia dynasty, but he withdrew and returned the throne to Wei. The people? There are seventy-seven million people in the land..." The Southern Circuit alone has tens of millions, more than all six tribes of Longxi combined. For the sake of the nation, he wields public office without seeking personal gain, guarding the borders and intimidating the feudal lords. He provides disaster relief, cultivates wasteland in his spare time, increases revenue and reduces expenditure, and expands trade. Let alone my Jinling, even your Chang'an, isn't it also under his care? When your Chang'an is threatened by foreign tribes, he crosses three thousand miles to invade the royal court. When the people of Chang'an suffer, he expands roads to alleviate disasters and save the world. Two capitals, ten circuits, seventy-two tribes. What is he plotting to gain? Li Shimin, you are narrow-minded.”

Li Shimin opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word. He sat there stunned for a long time, and when he looked at Emperor Jingtai, his expression was somewhat surprised, as if he were seeing a former classmate who couldn't even speak properly drive a luxury car worth 30 million yuan into a class reunion.

Being told he was narrow-minded was a great humiliation for Li Shimin. He was very proud, but the problem was that he couldn't refute the criticism.

"Besides, I may not trust him, but I trust the late emperor. Since the late emperor has made this arrangement, then I will follow it accordingly. Yes, you, Li Shimin, are a man of extraordinary talent, which was already evident in your childhood. You have the vision of an eagle and the gaze of a wolf, and you have grand ambitions in your heart."

Emperor Jingtai paused abruptly, narrowed his eyes, and said menacingly, "Then why don't you send troops south to capture the bandits? Come on! I'll give you three months. If you don't dare to send troops, you're a coward, and don't say I look down on you."

Li Shimin blushed on the spot. He nodded with a smile, and said through gritted teeth, "Very well, very well, so you, Tuoba Jing, actually have a day when you say such things to me, Li Shimin."

"So, are you going to send troops or not?"

Li Shimin stood up and slammed his wine cup on the table, shattering it with a crash. His eyes widened in fury, and after staring at Emperor Jingtai for a long time, he said, "I won't issue it!"

At this moment, Third Sister smiled and said, "You two, get out!"

Then they were kicked out of the dining room.

After a while, Li Shimin returned from the kitchen with a steamed bun. He hadn't eaten much and was still hungry. Seeing Emperor Jingtai squatting there, he thought for a moment and handed him half of the now-cold steamed bun: "Want some?"

You eat this stuff?

"Damn, you're complaining about having this? Back when I was driving out the barbarians, I would swallow a mouthful of snow and a mouthful of aged naan bread, and my neck would stick out for two miles after swallowing it."

Emperor Jingtai stood up with a flick of his sleeve: "If you can't handle it, then come on, I'll take you, you ignorant fool, to see the world."

"Wow, what a grand display. Aren't you afraid I'll stab you?"

"If you had any brains at all, you wouldn't have said such things." Emperor Jingtai sneered, "Li Erfeng, you're getting worse every year."

Li Shimin quickened his pace and caught up with Emperor Jingtai: "What are you so arrogant about? You're just a puppet emperor, yet you act all high and mighty."

"Yes, I am a puppet emperor, but some people are still princes. Who knows, they might be overthrown by the fake crown prince in the future."

"I am the King of Shu!"

Emperor Jingtai whistled dismissively: "To confer a title of king requires the Imperial Seal of the State. Do you have one? Or is it carved from a radish from your Chang'an?"

"Alright, Tuoba Jing, let's send troops tomorrow. We'll fight outside Luoyang. Whoever wins will be emperor, okay?"

"Haha, I have Daosheng, who do you have? Tell me so I can have a laugh."

(End of this chapter)