Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 274 "Green Tea" Li Zhi (First Update)
East Palace, Guangtian Hall.

Li Chengqian and Su Shu sat on the main couch, with exquisite food on the table in front of them.

Putting down the wine jar, Li Chengqian looked at Li Zhi on his left and said gently, "Although my father told you to stay at home and study when you return to the capital, I can still make some decisions in Chang'an. I ask you to come to the palace every month to spend time with me and Jinyang Xincheng."

"Thank you, my Royal Brother." Li Zhi glanced at Jinyang and Xincheng who were sitting across from him and said, "My father ordered me to reflect on my mistakes behind closed doors. I entered the palace today. If it weren't for my Royal Brother's invitation and the need to offer sacrifices to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, I would have wanted to see Jinyang and Xincheng. Otherwise, I wouldn't have entered the palace."

"Royal brother!" Princess Jinyang's eyes were filled with tears.

Su Shu sat beside Li Chengqian and snorted in her heart.

This sounds as if the prince was doing something wrong by entering the palace to invite his brother and sister to reunite.

Li Chengqian waved his hand, his expression still gentle as he spoke, "This time, I didn't anticipate Shi Bi's sudden departure, and I didn't warn you in time, which is why I nearly made a mistake and caused you to be punished by my father... Come, I'll offer you a drink."

"I dare not. This is all Zhinu's fault. My royal brother has repeatedly warned Zhinu not to leave Taiyuan at will. It was Zhinu who was worried that the Shibi tribe's departure would affect other tribes, so she made a mistake in a hurry. It is Zhinu's fault." Li Zhi raised his glass and drank it all.

Li Chengqian smiled, then drank the wine in the glass.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could clearly see the distressed expressions on Jinyang and Xincheng's faces.

As expected, Li Tai’s straightforward nature is pleasing to the eye, while Li Zhi’s “green tea” image of showing weakness to the enemy is too lethal.

Putting down his wine glass, Li Chengqian glanced at Su Shu.

Su Shu nodded slightly, looked at Zhao Yun, the Princess of Jin, who was sitting next to Li Zhi, and said, "Sister-in-law, you haven't been to the Prince of Jin's Mansion in Chang'an, right?"

"No!" Zhao Yun, dressed in a purple skirt, bowed slightly and said, "After my wedding in Luoyang, I went to Taiyuan."

Su Shu nodded and said, "The Crown Prince has already ordered the cleaning of Prince Jin's Mansion. If there's anything missing, just ask the servants to buy it... Oh, by the way, Father only ordered Prince Jin to study behind closed doors, but he didn't ask my sister-in-law to do the same. If you have time, please come to the palace more often. Jinyang and Xincheng often come to the East Palace to play together, so we can arrange a time to come together."

Zhao Yun subconsciously glanced at Li Zhi, who smiled and nodded. Zhao Yun then bowed and said, "Thank you, Empress Dowager."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "The main reason why your father asked you to return to the capital is to have a child as soon as possible. If there is anything that is inconvenient to tell others, just tell your sister-in-law directly. Having a child sooner will help you settle down sooner."

"Yes!" Li Zhi raised his eyes slightly and said thoughtfully: "Thank you, my royal brother!"

"You really need to read more books now that you're back in the capital," Li Chengqian said, his expression growing serious. "Local governance, agriculture, population, criminal justice, bridges, roads, etiquette, and scholarship all require serious study. I'll have someone select some of the six ministries' documents and send them to the Prince of Jin's mansion from time to time. You should take a closer look."

"Yes, thank you, my emperor." Li Zhi bowed quickly.

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "The most inappropriate thing your father did when he asked you to return to the capital this time was to dismiss Fuyang County Man from his duties as the Prince of Jin's Chief Clerk. Later, I will ask your father to let him take the Prince of Jin as your tutor and accompany you in your studies."

"No need!" Li Zhi quickly stood up and said with a bow, "Father, your Majesty, has ordered this slave to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors. This slave will reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors. Your Majesty, do not worry about this. This slave will reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors."

"Okay." Li Chengqian nodded somewhat helplessly, then said, "Father is currently campaigning in Liaodong. Although the northwest has been pacified, much more needs to be done to support Liaodong. If you have anything to say, just have the chancellor inform me directly."

"Yes!" Li Zhi then bowed.

……

The carriage swayed slowly as it drove from the East Palace towards the Suzaku Gate.

Li Zhi lifted the curtain of his carriage and stared intently at all the buildings in the palace.
There is a building every five steps and a pavilion every ten steps.

The waist of the corridor is unobtrusive, and the eaves and teeth are high.

Everyone is holding on to the terrain and fighting each other.

Beehive-like whirlpools and a long bridge lying on the waves.

Li Zhi's eyes were full of lingering look.

He had lived in this palace for sixteen years, but in one night, all the cauldrons, jades, gold nuggets, and locked terraces were gone.

Green clouds are disturbed, smoke is slanting and fog is horizontal.

Miserable and miserable.

The officials around stopped and bowed to the carriage, but Li Zhi ignored them all.

Only when the carriage had completely driven away from his brother and was no longer in sight was Li Zhi forced to look away.

Zhao Yun called softly from behind, "Your Highness!"

"Alas!" Li Zhi's body softened, and he leaned against Zhao Yun, then murmured, "My beloved, why, why, I can never go back, I can never see Jinyang, I can never see Xincheng, and I can never see the palace where my mother once lived."

Zhao Yun hugged Li Zhi and was shocked to find that tears had silently slid down Li Zhi's face.

She couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

The crown prince was the eldest son and lived in the Eastern Palace, which was still within the imperial palace, but Li Zhi had to live in the Prince of Jin's Mansion.

If you want to enter the palace again, you need to ask for permission.

If the emperor were in Chang'an, holding court frequently and having access to the palace at will, the gap here could be gradually overcome.

However, Li Zhi was suddenly driven to Taiyuan.

Although Taiyuan is the capital of Bingzhou, it cannot be compared with Chang'an, let alone Luoyang.

Not to mention that Li Zhi, the governor of Bingzhou, could only serve for a few years before being transferred to other places.

By then, let alone the imperial palace, even Chang'an might not be able to return once a year.

There is a huge gap here.

Zhao Yun was Li Zhi's bedside companion. Many times in the middle of the night, Li Zhi woke up crying.

Li Zhi said these words to her more than once.

Why is the prince the prince? Why can he inherit everything left by his father and mother?

Why!
Zhao Yun said nothing, just hugged Li Zhi tightly, and then slowly walked towards the Prince of Jin's Mansion.

……

East Palace, Chongjiao Hall.

Li Chengqian was sitting on the couch, looking at the medical book in his hand, when he heard a slight sound of footsteps.

Xu An walked to Li Chengqian's side and said with a bow, "Your Highness, the Prince of Jin has returned to the palace and has since moved to the study."

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Tell our people to do their job honestly in Prince Jin's Mansion, don't take the initiative to investigate anything, and don't do anything except delivering messages at fixed times. My younger brother is very thoughtful, far beyond the reach of Prince Wei." "Yes!" Xu An bowed immediately.

Today Xu An was standing by the side serving, and he saw the subtle fight between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Jin very clearly.

The Prince of Jin avoided all the traps set by the Crown Prince, and even tried to set traps for the Crown Prince himself.

"Keep an eye on Wei Ting." Li Chengqian sneered softly and said, "In Chang'an, the only man the Prince of Jin can mobilize is him."

"Yes!" Xu An bowed seriously.

"As for Jin Wangfu's Prime Minister Ji Jiafu, don't worry about him. Let him do whatever he wants. If he really dares to collude with Zhifangsi Ji Sizhong, my father will deal with him." Li Chengqian said indifferently.

"Yes!" Xu An nodded solemnly.

Li Chengqian took a deep breath and his expression suddenly became emotional.

Because Li Zhi was only seven years old when the queen passed away, in addition to Emperor Gaozu's Concubine Xue, Li Zhi's wet nurse Ji began to play a more important role.

Ji, or to be more precise, her name was Ji Yichi, the granddaughter of Ji Wei, Duke of Fenyuan of the Sui Dynasty, and the wife of Li Yiyu, the sixth son of Li Xiaochang, Prince of Yi'an, and the Grand General.

Later, after Li Xiaochang launched a rebellion, he was convicted and executed, and his female relatives were sent to the imperial palace. Ji Yuchi was rarely appreciated by the empress and became the wet nurse of Prince of Jin Li Zhi and Princess Jinyang.

Ji was gentle and kind, modest and respectful, and acted loyally and diligently. She was praised by the emperor and was granted the third-rank title of Lady of Xingyang County.

Li Zhi should have moved out of the palace a long time ago, but because Princess Jinyang was too lonely in the palace, she let Li Zhi stay.

But the Prince of Jin's Mansion had already started operating, but because Li Zhi was young, there were not many officials in the Prince of Jin's Mansion.

However, Ji's son Ji Jiafu was in charge of everything in the Prince of Jin's Mansion outside the palace, and Ji's brother Ji Sizhong was the Deputy Director of the Military Affairs Department, so he must have been secretly arranging people.

However, there are very few such people, and they are extremely secretive, so it is not easy to find them.

But this is enough. Once Li Zhi uses Ji Sizhong to do something, the sensitivity of the position of Deputy Director of the Military Affairs Department will make the court officials and the emperor explode.

Li Chengqian stood up, turned around and left the Chongjiao Hall, walking towards the harem.

……

"Your Highness, Junior Architect Yang Wulian requests to see you." Xu An stood outside the Wude Hall and bowed seriously.

Li Chengqian glanced at him, then looked at Changsun Xiang and asked, "How has Mr. Chu been doing these days in Chang'an?"

Chang Sunxiang bowed and said, "In addition to mobilizing food, military equipment, medicine, bedding, and other supplies, the Imperial Counselor is also reviewing court documents. He is the Imperial Secretary and an imperial envoy, so no one has said anything. However, people in his court are also secretly investigating Chang'an City."

"The Emperor has finally sent someone back to Chang'an City, so he must find out everything that's going on inside and outside of it." Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "Let him go. Tell our people not to disturb him. At the same time, everyone inside and outside the palace must be disciplined. In the past, present, and future, no one is allowed to do anything wrong under the name of the Eastern Palace."

"Yes!" Changsun Xiang immediately bowed. He was the nephew of the Queen, the nephew of Changsun Wuji, the cousin of the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince's household steward. When he spoke, the Changsun family, the Dou family, the Su family, the Zheng family, the Zhang family, and the Wang family all had to listen.

"Go and invite Yang Qing in." Li Chengqian looked outside the hall, and Xu An immediately bowed and turned around.

Soon, Yang Wulian, dressed in a scarlet robe, appeared in the hall and bowed earnestly to Li Chengqian, saying, "Your Highness!"

"Hmm!" Li Chengqian nodded and said, "You've seen the map of Anshi City, right? What do you think?"

Yang Wulian bowed solemnly and said, "The mountain is steep, and the easiest climbing area is fenced off. We can only attack the city head-on, using catapults to smash through the walls. However, even if we force our way in, we'll have to pay a heavy price, and Anshi City has a plan for this..."

"So, we can't force the attack." Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "Father must have his own tactics. My idea is to infiltrate the city with Korean prisoners, burn the food, or poison the water with croton seeds or something like that. Bring a few carts with you this time."

"Yes!" Yang Wulian breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Chengqian continued, "Your Majesty wants to attack the city. There's not much I can do. For the past six months, I've prepared a large amount of food, woolen clothes, and craftsmen. If all else fails, we can build another city under Anshi and slowly wear it down. Goryeo can't compete with the Tang Dynasty."

The Tang Dynasty attacked Anshi City. It was already July, and in late August, Liaodong would be very cold. Lack of food and clothing would greatly affect the army, so Li Chengqian made a lot of preparations.

"Yes!" Yang Wulian bowed slightly.

"My only request is for prisoners. If the prisoners cannot be used to replenish the army immediately, then please transfer them to the rear to be used for mining, transporting food, and other logistical tasks." After a brief pause, Li Chengqian said, "After all, we haven't created the real wooden ox and flowing horse, so the Tang Dynasty's eastern expedition has suffered a huge loss of manpower."

This year, Li Chengqian got up early and went to bed late almost every day, and almost all his thoughts were devoted to the collection and deployment of logistics such as food, military equipment, and medicinal materials.

He was trying his best to ensure that the army had enough food, weapons, medicine, and clothing. At the same time, the people in the court would not feel much different from last year.

Almost all the energy of the officials in the Eastern Palace was spent on this.

"Also, I know that many people in Liaodong City need food and grass relief from the court. So, can we consider letting these people go up the mountain to collect herbs, or repair the roads, or even go down to the sea to catch fish, and report to the emperor, so as to reduce the pressure in the future as much as possible?" Li Chengqian said as he handed over the memorial.

"Here!" Yang Wulian took it seriously with a bow. He was in Chang'an and knew the prince's hardships best.

"When you arrive in Liaodong, remember to say hello to me!" Li Chengqian raised his head slightly.

"Yes!"

"Okay, there's nothing else to say. You can go." Li Chengqian waved his hand slightly, and Yang Wulian bowed and took his leave.

……

Looking at Yang Wulian's leaving back, Li Chengqian stood up and walked to the door of Wude Hall.

He raised his head and looked at the sky above his head with a serious expression.

Anshi City.

In his previous life, the emperor's eastern expedition was stuck in Anshi City and was not captured until twenty years later by Li Zhi.

This time, Li Chengqian fully supported the emperor's eastern expedition, fully supported the emperor's attack on Anshi City and his invasion of Goguryeo. In addition to a little selfish motive, he was also considering the future.

If the emperor fails to destroy Goguryeo, then Goguryeo will become Li Chengqian's future trouble.

The 100,000 troops under the emperor's command are preparing to explore the way for Li Chengqian.

Taking a deep breath, Li Chengqian turned around and went to the desk to deal with official documents.

Until late at night.

All of this was seen by everyone, and was silently conveyed to the emperor's ears.

Everyone in the world, including the emperor, will feel that Li Chengqian is the more suitable crown prince than anyone else.

Of course, the premise is that he has no ambition.

Ah!
(End of this chapter)