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

Chapter 717 Crown Prince, Do You Know How to Be a Qualified Crown Prince? (One update today)
On the thirteenth day of the eighth month, the emperor returned to Chang'an.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th of August, is a time for family reunions.

The emperor issued an edict to lift the curfew in Chang'an for seven days.

The city of Chang'an was in an uproar.

……

Even after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the people of Chang'an remained lively.

Li Chengqian stood at the entrance of the Liangyi Hall, looking out at the distant city of Chang'an, which stretched as far as the eye could see.

Zhao Yuankai, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, stood behind Li Chengqian and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, since Your Majesty returned to the capital, the price of grain in Chang'an has increased by eight li."

"Eight cents, is that much?" Li Chengqian couldn't help but turn to the side.

Zhao Yuankai cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, this is an inevitable result of the return of court officials and nobles to the capital. However, the people have been used to it for many years, so before Your Majesty returned to the capital, the people had already stored up enough grain to last until March of next year. Although the price of grain has risen now, the people are not buying much, so the impact is not significant."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "It seems that I will still have to make an eastern tour to Luoyang next March in order to bring down the grain price in Chang'an."

"Yes!" Zhao Yuankai cupped his hands and bowed his head, saying, "Next April, the grain from Jiangnan will arrive in Chang'an. With His Majesty leaving the capital, and officials and nobles also leaving, the price of grain will drop accordingly, which is a good thing for the people."

Li Chengqian turned to look at Li Xiang, who was slightly behind him, and said, "Your Highness, Zhao Qing has been doing and caring about these things all along, from Minister of Agriculture to Minister of Ceremonies, and then to Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. You should consult him more on this matter."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Li Xiang bowed respectfully, then bowed to Zhao Yuankai as well.

Zhao Yuankai quickly returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

Li Chengqian waved his hand slightly, then looked at Li Xiang and said, "You need to pay close attention to these things, such as the prices of grain, cloth, and meat in Chang'an. In winter, you also need to keep track of the prices of goods. Only in this way can you have a thorough understanding of everything in Chang'an."

"Your subject will respectfully follow Your Majesty's instructions." Li Xiang solemnly cupped his hands in greeting.

Li Chengqian nodded and turned to walk towards the steps of the imperial palace.

Zhao Yuankai, Du Zhenglun, Xue Renfang, and Zhang Daxiang stood aside.

Li Chengqian looked at Li Xiang and said, "Gao Zhenxing has served as a local governor for many years, Su Jun has also gone to Liaozhou, and Di Renjie has also made achievements in Andong."

Over the years, I have allowed them to communicate with the Crown Prince's Palace frequently, and the Crown Prince's Palace has also been involved in many matters. Your Highness, I will give you half a month.

"In half a month, I will hold a political consultation with you and the other ministers of the Eastern Palace in the Wude Hall. Your brothers will also be present. Be prepared."

Li Xiang's expression tightened, and he bowed, saying, "Your subject obeys."

Li Chengqian nodded, then walked up the steps and finally sat down on the imperial couch.

All the ministers bowed and said, "Your Majesty!"

Li Chengqian looked up and said, "Although the main task of the court is to conquer Tibet, other matters should not be neglected."

“Your Majesty!” Du Zhenglun stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, “After the pacification of Goguryeo last year, the soldiers returned to the capital, and all the rewards from all sides have been arranged. The land granted to local prefectures and counties has also been distributed without delay.”

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, feeling somewhat relieved.

The encroachment and concealment of land by local powerful families must be investigated every year; otherwise, if greed rekindles, who knows what they might do?

"In addition, the Ministry of Finance, the Imperial Guard, and the Ministry of Justice have uncovered two cases of illegal minting of counterfeit coins in Huainan Circuit, investigating over a hundred people and implicating thousands." Du Zhenglun said with a solemn expression, "The counterfeit coins are mostly related to smuggled salt, which is why they are rampant in Huainan Circuit. We will need to investigate again next year."

The salt administration of the Tang Dynasty was not a monopoly, but heavy taxes were levied at every checkpoint, city, and market, so that people knew that salt was very profitable and would not easily allow powerful families and clans to monopolize all the profits.

In some places, people who were unwilling to pay taxes would cross checkpoints and bypass city markets to sell their goods privately.

Some collaborated with local powerful figures, clerks, and even officials.

To obtain violence.

When these smuggled salts were sold to local powerful figures and clerks, they had difficulty obtaining legitimate currency, so some people resorted to minting counterfeit coins to facilitate circulation.

This ultimately led to the rampant proliferation of counterfeit money in Huainan.

Li Chengqian gently tapped the table and said, "The minting of coins is not easy. The most important part is the furnace. The furnace produces smoke, which can spread to informants in all directions. We must carefully observe."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Du Zhenglun bowed respectfully, but a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes.

He was well aware of what the emperor was saying, but it wouldn't be easy to investigate further.

But what could he say? The emperor had ordered him to investigate, so it was his responsibility. Did the emperor have to come up with a solution himself and go to Huainan to investigate these matters?

In that case, what use would he be as the Grand Secretary?

"By the way, how has the grain variety improvement progressed in the past two years?" Li Chengqian turned to look at Zhao Yuankai.

Although the rice seeds were brought back by Du Zhenglun, Zhao Yuankai was still in charge of transplanting and improving them.

Zhao Yuankai respectfully cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, there has been some progress, but not much, and we still need more time to figure it out."

“A process of large-scale screening.” Li Chengqian nodded and said, “Release some seeds as much as possible for the people to plant. Only with a large quantity can truly good seeds be selected.”

"Your subject obeys the decree." Zhao Yuankai bowed respectfully.

Li Chengqian pondered for a moment and said, "Tibet also has grain. After we conquer Tibet, you should send someone to Tibet to select grain there."

"Yes!" Zhao Yuankai bowed again.

"Alright, let's leave it at that." Li Chengqian raised his hand slightly and said, "Please bear with us all and do your best in all matters."

"We obey your command." All the ministers bowed.

"Okay!" Li Chengqian stood up and said, "Let's stop here!"

"Your Majesty, we respectfully bid you farewell!" All the ministers bowed in unison.

……

After leaving the Liangyi Hall, Li Chengqian sat on the imperial carriage and headed towards the Lizheng Hall.

The Tang Dynasty had to be prepared for a protracted war when it attacked Tibet.

After all, what they will face in the future is the Tubo Kingdom, which has millions of people behind the Tanggula Mountains.

If the Tibetans were truly determined to resist the Tang Dynasty at all costs, they could easily muster an army of hundreds of thousands.

We must be cautious.

The imperial carriage landed at the Lizheng Hall. Su Shu stood at the door and curtsied to Li Chengqian, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, rise." Li Chengqian gently reached out to help Su Shu up, and then they walked together into the Lizheng Hall.

Inside the inner palace, Li Chengqian leaned against a soft couch and had just taken a sip of tea when Su Shu handed him a memorial.

Li Chengqian was subconsciously surprised.

Su Shu curtsied slightly and said, "Your Majesty, these are the twenty-three candidates for imperial consort selected by the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the Ministry of Rites. Please take a look."

Li Chengqian accepted it somewhat helplessly and said, "Is this all the Empress has done in Chang'an these past six months?"

Su Shu reached out and gently massaged Li Chengqian's arm, saying, "Your Majesty knows that you don't want Fu Chang'er to marry so early, but I'm always afraid that the matter of the Tibetan king will happen again."

If one day the Uyghur king, or some other prince, were to come seeking marriage, would Your Majesty then destroy their kingdom as you have done now?

Li Chengqian paused slightly, sighed, and put the memorial aside, saying, "The Empress is right, so let it be."

“Then this thing.” Su Shu picked up the memorial.

Li Chengqian thought for a moment and said, "Let the Crown Prince meet with these people, meet each one of them, and finally select a list of three. Then the Empress will choose the person chosen by the Empress to be the consort."

Su Shu was taken aback, and looked at Li Chengqian, saying, "Your Majesty, I thought you would at least choose them one by one yourself."

“I am not the right person to choose.” Li Chengqian shook his head and said, “I have too many distracting thoughts. Who knows when I will be influenced by other things and end up choosing someone who is not suitable to be my son-in-law.”

Su Shu put down the memorial and gently massaged Li Chengqian, asking, "Is something on Your Majesty's mind?"

"It's still about Tibet." Li Chengqian raised his head and said calmly, "The generals in the army, the transportation of grain in the court, all involve countless people. I don't know if these things will affect my judgment, and that's something I don't want."

"Yes!" Su Shu nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right."

"Alas!" Li Chengqian sighed and said, "This is not the only worry. At the beginning of next year, Lord Zhang will retire, and a large number of veteran officials will follow suit. After the fall of Tibet, there will be a large number of officials being transferred, and even my uncle... I need to start making arrangements now."

"Yes!" Su Shu nodded quickly and vigorously.

She chose a husband for her daughter to be someone she could truly connect with, not someone the emperor would use as a bargaining chip.

Li Chengqian looked up at Su Shu and said, "The Empress can look at more. If the Crown Prince's choice is not to his liking, let him choose again."

"Xiang'er will choose a good consort." Su Shu nodded slightly.

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "My sister's happiness for the rest of her life is in Xiang'er's own hands. It's up to him to choose."

Su Shu rolled her eyes at Li Chengqian, annoyed, and said, "How can you treat your own son like this?"

“Look, this is me.” Li Chengqian waved his hand slightly and said, “I always connect many things together without even realizing it.”

Asking Li Xiang to choose a consort for Fu Chang'er was not only a test of Li Xiang's judgment, but also a test of his character.

Li Xiang, now the Crown Prince who has served as regent for many years, has a considerable understanding of power.

The princess is getting married, and the emperor has entrusted him with the power to choose her husband. What will he do?
What will the people around him do?
This is a huge vortex of right and wrong, and it's not so easy to escape.

Of course, in the end, the power to control everything was in Li Chengqian's hands.

If he is not satisfied in the end, he can reject all three candidates.

It all depends on how others try to guess what he's thinking.

Li Chengqian lay on the bed, then gave a slight bitter smile. Being emperor for so long, his thoughts often wandered in uncontrollable directions.

The mobilization of soldiers in the army...

Li Chengqian gently closed his eyes.

……

The night was cool and clear, and the autumn moon hung high in the sky.

Daming Palace, Bathing Hall. Li Chengqian leaned against the edge of the bath, his fingers gently tracing the back of the exquisite body in his arms.

"Your Majesty!" Zhuomulari sensed something and looked up, his forehead covered in sweat.

Looking at her exquisite and charming face, Li Chengqian turned his finger and lightly brushed it across her chin.

More than a decade has passed, and apart from becoming more mature and plump, Zhuomulari, who hails from the plateau, has not changed much in appearance.

Perhaps because Li Chengqian often saw her at the Daming Palace, he didn't feel it deeply.

And speaking of which, she's not even thirty years old yet.

Li Chengqian composed himself and asked in a low voice, "How is Shan'er?"

"Everything is fine, but I'm a little reluctant to go back to Yangtong." Zhuo Mula Ri leaned against Li Chengqian's chest, looking somewhat wistful.

Shan'er, Li Shan, was her son with the emperor, and was eventually registered under his elder brother's name.

Also known as Rijiecuo.

The meaning of "King of the Mountains".

Li Chengqian embraced Zhuo Mula Ri and said in a low voice, "Going back to Yangtong now is just a temporary way to relax. If you want to come to Chang'an in the future, I will turn Yangtong into a tributary state of the Tang Dynasty, and I will appoint him as a prince, give him the surname Li, appoint him as the prefect of Yangtong, and hand over the government affairs to the chief secretary. I will stay in Chang'an."

After a slight pause, Li Chengqian smiled and said, "I'm afraid that once he becomes king, he will no longer think of the days in Chang'an. At that time, it will not be easy for me to see you again."

Li Shan was going back to Yangtong, and Zhuomulari had to accompany him.

Li Shan is nominally the son of Prince Gang Rinpoche, but Gang Rinpoche has been dead for ten years.

If Li Shan wants to gain the recognition of the local nobles and people after returning to Yangtong, he must be accompanied by Zhuomulari.

Other matters requiring ancestral worship at the temple also need to be reported to the ancestors by Zhuomulari.

Not to mention the various difficulties encountered in the specific governance process, all of which require Zhuomulari's help.

Even if everything goes smoothly, it will still take Li Shan four or five years to stabilize the situation.

The reason he doesn't want to return to Yangtong now is because he's grown accustomed to the prosperity of Chang'an and is unwilling to leave. But when that time comes, after he's tasted the power, let alone turning Yangtong into a prefecture of the Tang Dynasty, he probably wouldn't even want to go back to Chang'an.

"Your Majesty, it wouldn't be like that." Zhuo Mula quickly shook his head, his body tense for a moment.

Li Chengqian rested his hand on Zhuo Mula Ri's chin and said in a low voice, "Don't worry, he is still my son. As for you, if you don't want to stay in Yangtong in the future, just come back to Chang'an. There will always be a place for you here... At worst, you can travel back and forth between Yangtong and Chang'an for half a year, so that I can see you all the time."

"Your Majesty!" Zhuo Mula Ri couldn't help but burst into tears, deeply moved.

"Why are you crying? Unless you never want to see me again, I will never let you go." Li Chengqian kissed Zhuo Mula Ri on the lips before continuing, "As for Shan'er?"

Zhuomula Ri couldn't help but look up with tears streaming down her face.

Li Chengqian shook his head slightly and said, "If he is unwilling, then let Yang Tong remain a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty. He is my son. Even if he is not the King of Yang Tong, he is still a prince of the realm and will inevitably govern a major state in the future. As for Yang Tong, to be honest, I feel that he is being treated somewhat unfairly."

If Yangtong is not incorporated into the Tang Dynasty, Li Shan will remain the King of Yangtong, ruling his own territory and making it difficult even for Li Chengqian to do anything about him.

Once incorporated into the Tang Dynasty, countless constraints were imposed on everyone, making everyone feel uncomfortable.

Moreover, Li Shan himself didn't even know he was Li Chengqian's son, so naturally he would feel that staying in Yangtong was better than being restricted in Chang'an.

However, to be honest, Li Chengqian really looked down on Yang Tong.

What else could Yangtong produce besides squeezing out tens of thousands of cavalrymen?
The population is less than that of a single prefecture in the Tang Dynasty, the output is less than that of a single prefecture in the Tang Dynasty, and the environment is not as good as that of a single prefecture in the Tang Dynasty.

Besides being free from others, they have nothing left.

Not to mention that once the Tang Dynasty occupies Yangtong, all military power in Yangtong will be transferred to the Tang Dynasty, while only the political power will belong to him. Even if such a place were given to Li Chengqian's son, he would find it too poor.

The emperor's son, at the very least, was the governor of a wealthy prefecture, leading a prosperous life. Who wouldn't be better off than a mere Prince Yangtong?

"Your Majesty, perhaps it's best not to tell Shan'er," Zhuo Mula Ri said, still feeling uneasy.

"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. He will know in the future. There is no need to rush. What I really care about is you." Li Chengqian looked at Zhuo Mula Ri and said softly, "Shan'er will get married in the future. Once he gets married, you, as his aunt in name, may not be able to be accepted by your daughter-in-law. At that time, you may find it difficult to stay in Yangtong."

"Daughter-in-law!" Zhuomula Ri had never thought about this before, but now she needed to consider her daughter-in-law.

Li Chengqian sighed softly and said, "He is, after all, my son. I must consider his future. In a few days, I will have the Duke of Xin take him to visit the homes of the various maternal relatives to see which family's daughter he finds appealing and then arrange a marriage. Once Yangtong is settled, he can return to marry her."

Although Li Shan was Li Chengqian's son, Li Chengqian was unwilling to let other families send their daughters to Yangtong to suffer.

Of course, if the various families themselves take a liking to him, then it has nothing to do with Li Chengqian.

"Your Majesty!" Zhuomulari stared blankly at Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian held her close and whispered, "When Yangtong is settled in the future, I will bestow upon you the title of Lady and build a villa next to Wannian Palace in Qizhou. If you want to go to Yangtong, you can go to Yangtong; if you want to come to Chang'an, you can come to Chang'an. I will also visit Wannian Palace more often in the future..."

After a slight pause, Li Chengqian leaned close to Zhuomulari's ear and whispered, "When the time comes, if you give me another son, I will rightfully bestow upon him the title of Prince!"

"Your Majesty!" Zhuo Mula Ri couldn't help but blush, but she couldn't help but snuggle into Li Chengqian's arms.

Li Chengqian laughed, then picked up Zhuomulari and carried him to the bed in the side hall.

The red blanket was pulled up, completely covering the two of them.

The curtains fell, but outside the main hall, the stars surged.

……

The news arrived much faster than Li Chengqian had anticipated.

Just half a month later, Yang Tong was captured by Su Dingfang.

Li Shan, who had just gotten engaged, was immediately granted the titles of Prince of Yangtong, Prince of Beizang, and Grand Master of the Three Departments. He was escorted back to Yangtong by his mother, Princess Zhuomulari of Yangtong, Li Xiaoyi, the Right General of the Thousand Bull Guard, and Xiangli Xuanjiang, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies.

At the same time, Su Dingfang, the General of the Left Guard, was appointed as the Chancellor of Yangtong State, in charge of all internal and external affairs of Yangtong.

Li Chengqian did not tell Li Shan that he was his son because Li Chengqian needed Su Dingfang to use the entire national strength of Yangtong as a backing during the campaign against Tibet.

After the war ends, Yang Tong's political and administrative power will be returned to Li Shan, but military power will be incorporated into the Tang Dynasty's system.

As the Prince of Yangtong and the Prince of Beizang, when Li Shan left the capital, Li Chengqian deliberately had Li Xiang go out of the city to Chunming Gate to see him off, as a sign of respect.

Although Li Xiang found Li Shan's appearance somewhat familiar, he didn't think much of it. After all, while Li Shan's father was Prince Gang Rinpoche of Yangtong, his mother was a genuine member of the Tang Dynasty imperial family, so it was normal for them to look familiar.

Li Xiang has an even more troublesome matter to deal with.

Half a month has passed, and the emperor is about to ask questions about state affairs.

……

The Wude Hall is majestic and solemn.

The emperor sat on his imperial couch, with all the ministers, secretaries, and high-ranking officials standing on his left, and the princes bowing respectfully on his right.

Crown Prince Li Xiang stood in the center of the main hall, behind him were Crown Prince's Chamberlain Lai Ji, Crown Prince's Attendant Li Yanshou, Crown Prince's Attendant Su Gan, Crown Prince's Attendant Wang Gongjin, Crown Prince's Attendant Zhang Changling, Crown Prince's Tutor Ge Xiyuan, Crown Prince's Attendant Cui Wenyuan, Crown Prince's Attendant Fan Libing, and other officials of the Eastern Palace.

Today is the day the Emperor consults with the Crown Prince.

The emperor allowed the Crown Prince to engage in local government affairs through officials such as Gao Zhenxing, Su Jun, and Di Renjie, while in turn using various strategies to govern the local areas.

This will enhance the Crown Prince's ability to govern the local area.

In addition, the Crown Prince had served as regent for many years, and the officials of the Eastern Palace assisted in governing, so he was also very knowledgeable about the affairs of the world.

The Crown Prince has special privileges.

However, when the emperor inquires about politics, he would not ask about ordinary matters.

For the past two weeks, the Crown Prince's Palace has been preparing, but no matter how much they prepare, they still have no idea what the Emperor will ask.

Li Xiang took a deep breath and, as calmly as possible, cupped his hands and said, "Father, I am ready."

Li Chengqian withdrew his gaze, nodded and said, "You are the Crown Prince. I do not expect you to have the ability to solve all the affairs of the world, but you at least need to know about them."

"Your subject understands." Li Xiang bowed slightly, and the officials behind him also looked solemn.

"First question," Li Chengqian looked up and said, "Su Jun has been in Shenzhou for more than half a year. Now that the autumn harvest in Liaodong is over, I ask you, what is the price of grain in Liaozhou today?"

"What?" Li Xiang was taken aback, and the officials of the Eastern Palace couldn't help but murmur in surprise.

They had prepared a lot, but they hadn't expected the emperor to ask this question. And yet, it was precisely this question that left them speechless.

"Grain prices are the foundation of people's livelihood." Li Chengqian leaned forward slightly and looked at Li Xiang, saying, "Your Highness, you may not understand other things, but you must understand grain prices. Once grain prices rise to an uncontrollable level, not only will the whole city be short of food, but the whole country will probably be in turmoil and change hands."

For some reason, Li Xiang's body trembled slightly, but he still earnestly cupped his hands and said, "Your subject will remember your father's teachings."

"Hmm!" Li Chengqian nodded and said, "You can't possibly know today's grain price in Liaozhou City. What I need is for you to estimate a grain price based on your understanding of various affairs in Liaodong over this period of time. Ten days ago, I sent someone to Liaodong to keep an eye on today's grain price. As long as your answer is within one qian of the original price, you will pass."

Now that autumn has arrived, the price of grain in Chang'an is seven coins per dou (a unit of dry measure), so the price of grain in Liaozhou today must be below seven coins.

one two three four five six seven.

The prince can propose any number.

Li Xiang pondered for a moment.

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "You have so many officials behind you, you can go and ask them directly."

"Yes!" Li Xiang seemed lost in thought, then instinctively turned slightly to the side.

The officials of the Eastern Palace wanted to speak for a moment, but... none of them dared to speak easily.

Because this number can be four, or five, or even lower than four, higher than five, or even three.

You can just throw out any number and get away with it, and you might even happen to get it right, but what if you're wrong?
The emperor will be disappointed, and the princes will be tempted.

Although the emperor has not considered changing the crown prince in recent years, it is inevitable that the emperor would be tempted if the crown prince disappoints him.

The crown prince of the Tang Dynasty has never been able to sit securely in his position from the very beginning.

Therefore, no one dared to speak up easily.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense.

(End of this chapter)