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

Chapter 718 In educating the Crown Prince, the Emperor is better than the late Emperor (First update today)
Inside the Wude Hall, all the princes and officials watched together.

Li Xiang turned around to look at the officials behind him. Lai Ji wanted to say something, but after glancing at the steps, he finally kept quiet.

At this moment, none of the other officials dared to utter a single word.

Li Xiang was somewhat disappointed.

He snapped out of his reverie, looked at the emperor on the imperial couch, thought for a moment, and then earnestly cupped his hands and said, "Father, I believe that the price of grain in Liaozhou today should be around four qian and seven li."

The Crown Prince's words caused the assembled officials to stare at him in astonishment.

How did the Crown Prince know all this so clearly?

That's Liaozhou, which is three thousand miles away!
Li Chengqian nodded calmly and said, "Make a note of it first, and we'll discuss it further after the grain price figures from Liaozhou today are sent back."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Lu Dunxin, standing to the side, solemnly cupped his hands.

Changsun Wuji stood at the head of the assembled officials, his body slightly turned to the side as he looked at Xue Renfang, the Minister of Revenue, who was standing not far away.

Xue Renfang noticed Changsun Wuji's gaze and nodded almost imperceptibly.

The prince's answer was correct.

Changsun Wuji breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Xue Renfang lowered his head slightly. The emperor had actually given him a hint about this matter half a month ago. As long as the crown prince was willing to put in some effort and carefully consider what the emperor had said, it wouldn't be difficult to give a relatively correct answer.

As long as the mistake wasn't too outrageous, the emperor could even manipulate grain prices in Liaozhou... Of course, the emperor might not actually do such a thing.

However, the officials in the court, after a little speculation about the Crown Prince's answer, knew that it was actually quite accurate.

This problem is not difficult, especially for officials who have years of experience in local affairs.

For a moment, everyone looked at the Crown Prince with a hint of admiration.

Then they came to admire the emperor.

The emperor's question demonstrates his concern for the people's livelihood. As a result, all the princes and officials in the country followed suit, which was extremely beneficial to the stability of the country.

In addition, this is how the emperor instructed the crown prince.

The future crown prince will surely be a benevolent ruler as well.

……

Li Chengqian sat on the steps, taking in everyone's expressions. He calmly nodded and then continued to ask, "Liu Rengui is serving as the Chief Secretary of the Anxi Protectorate and concurrently as the Inspector General of the Jiangnan Governorate. What I want to know is, how many ships arrived in Pingrang Prefecture this year?"

The number of ships involved was related to the Tang Dynasty's support for the Jiangnan Protectorate and the trade between the Tang Dynasty and the Andong Protectorate.

This relates to the Tang Dynasty's support for the Andong Protectorate the following year.

This number is very important.

"The rule remains the same. I will allow you to guess a number. As long as you are within ten ships, you will pass." Li Chengqian calmly raised his head.

"Yes!" Li Xiang's expression was solemn, and his voice trembled slightly.

"You can discuss it yourselves." Li Chengqian waved his hand slightly, leaned back, and calmly sat on the imperial couch.

Li Xiang turned to look at Lai Ji, Yuwen Zhongfang, and the others, and then began to discuss in hushed tones.

Li Chengqian had not given Li Xiang any prior warning about this issue.

Moreover, unlike the previous question, which only required guessing between one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven, this question now has a number that starts at least in the hundreds, and the emperor only allows for the investigation of ten ships.

Of course, as long as the Crown Prince has a sufficient understanding of the Jiangnan Governor's Office, it's not a big problem to guess this number roughly.

But do they have them?

The courtiers stood on both sides, watching the ministers of the Eastern Palace discussing amongst themselves, and couldn't help but frown.

Just then, Su Gan, a courtier of the Crown Prince, approached Li Xiang and whispered a few words in his ear. Li Xiang's eyes lit up, and he immediately turned to the Emperor and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the number of ships that have arrived in Pingrang Prefecture this year is around 580."

"Don't you want to think about it anymore?" Li Chengqian raised his head slightly.

Li Xiang closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and then cupped his hands and said, "Father, it should be around five hundred and eighty ships."

"Write it down!" Li Chengqian glanced at Lu Dunxin, who immediately wrote down the relevant words.

Li Chengqian turned to look at Li Xiang, his gaze sweeping over Lai Ji and Li Yanshou, the two veteran ministers of the Eastern Palace, before continuing to ask, "How many official and merchant ships from the Andong Protectorate arrived in Dengzhou, Yangzhou, and Hangzhou this year?"

The courtiers were slightly taken aback. Wasn't this the same number from before?
But instantly, the courtiers fell silent.

The emperor's question was not so simple.

Every year, a large number of ships traveled to the Andong Protectorate and returned to Chang'an from the Andong Protectorate. At the same time, many ships were destroyed at sea.

Of course, in recent years, the sea route between the Tang Dynasty and Andong has been much smoother, so the losses were not significant.

But is that all there is to it?

Li Xiang pondered for a moment.

Li Chengqian glanced at him, his eyes blazing with anger, and said coldly, "There are so many people behind you, don't you know how to ask?"

"Yes!" Li Xiang came to his senses, bowed somewhat ashamed to Li Chengqian, and then began to discuss with the ministers of the Eastern Palace behind him.

All the officials could see it, but the one they talked about the most was Su Gan.

Just then, Li Xiang turned around, cupped his hands to Li Chengqian, and said, "Reporting to Father Emperor, the number of ships traveling from the Andong Protectorate to Dengzhou, Yangzhou, and Hangzhou this year is approximately seven hundred."

The courtiers were slightly taken aback; how could there suddenly be more than a hundred ships?

There were fewer than 600 ships that went to Andong from North Korea, so how come there were 100 more that returned?

Li Chengqian looked at Su Gan behind Li Xiang and nodded, saying, "I had forgotten that Erlang has just returned from his post in the south and knows a lot about various matters."

Su Gan bowed respectfully to Li Chengqian, his expression cautious.

Li Chengqian looked at the ministers on his left and right and said, "Baekje was also a great shipbuilding country in the past. Since it submitted to Tang, a large number of ships have been transporting Baekje's herbs, minerals and timber to the southeast for sale... After all, compared with the Tang Dynasty, there are too many deep mountains and forests in Andong that have not been developed, and there are quite a few towering old trees."

"Yes!" The ministers bowed slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in their eyes.

Emperors never act arbitrarily.

Today, although the meeting was with the Crown Prince, it was also a veiled message to the court officials that they possessed vast wealth in the Andong region.

They could legally seize this wealth and increase their operations in Andong, which would actually strengthen the central government's control over Andong.

Even officials from humble backgrounds in the imperial court were quite wealthy.

As for the common people, few of them were literate, and even fewer held official positions.

The court did not impose many restrictions on officials' families doing business, as they could not abuse their power for personal gain or engage in corruption. Many of these restrictions were already stipulated in the Tang Code.

Of course, more importantly, it was decided at the very beginning of the founding of the nation.

Merchants, and their sons, are not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations; this is an ironclad rule.

……

"The exact figures mentioned by the Crown Prince still need to be relayed back from Andong, but they are generally accurate," Li Chengqian said, looking at Li Xiang.

"Thank you, Father Emperor!" Li Xiang and the other officials of the Eastern Palace bowed in unison.

"To govern the world, one must first know what the world is like, and then know why it is like this." Li Chengqian raised his head slightly and said, "The local prefectures and counties have various departments such as Household Affairs, Law, Military Affairs, Merit, Granary Affairs, and Personnel Affairs, as well as Recorder, Sima, and Chief Clerk, which correspond to the Three Departments and Six Ministries in the central government. This is not the case of five factors."

All the ministers bowed in unison.

The Six Ministries and the Six Offices are the foundation of the empire.

“I asked you to pay more attention to the local areas because if you understand a county, you will have a deeper understanding of a prefecture. If you understand a prefecture, you can then get a glimpse of a whole region.” Li Chengqian smiled and nodded at Li Xiang, saying, “When you have a thorough understanding of everything inside and outside a region, I will let you truly try to oversee the country.”

A true regent is not someone who simply sits there making a human-shaped seal, as is the case now, but someone who actually makes decisions about the affairs of the world.

"Your subject accepts the decree and thanks Your Majesty." Li Xiang then bowed respectfully, but there was little excitement in his eyes, only trepidation and unease.

Because he now barely has any understanding of a county, if he were to actually govern a county on his own, he would probably make a mess of it.

As for a state, that's even more of an achievement.

The other path, and the world, require at least twenty or thirty years of experience.

It's still a long way off.

"Take your time." Li Chengqian nodded, then looked to the other side and said calmly, "Prince Yong."

Li Jue quickly stepped forward, walked to Li Xiang's side, and bowed, saying, "Father."

"You are now the Inspector General of Yanran." Li Chengqian leaned forward slightly and said calmly, "I will not question you about the many things that were not prepared for this year, but I will question you about the affairs of the Yanran Protectorate next year."

"Your subject understands." Li Jue felt a slight tension in his back.

"And you too." Li Chengqian looked at the other princes, then raised his head and said, "In a few years, those of you who are to get married will all get married, and then you will be granted local official positions. I will use this method to test you at that time."

"Your subjects obey the decree!" The princes bowed respectfully, their expressions cautious.

“When you have a clear understanding of the territories you are in, I will allow you to actually go to the local areas to take up your posts.” Li Chengqian slammed his fist on the table and said bluntly, “Only in this way will you not harm the people when you go to the local areas.”

"Your subjects will respectfully follow Your Majesty's teachings." The princes bowed respectfully.

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "If you pass the test, I can rest assured. If you fail, then you shall remain in Chang'an and Luoyang forever as a prince without any official position. I will just raise a useless person."

"Yes!" The kings' hearts sank instantly.

Although everyone is the emperor's son and has the opportunity to inherit the throne, the crown prince has been intelligent and capable in all matters over the years, and the emperor has never had the idea of ​​changing the crown prince. He has been very dedicated to teaching him.

Today's events clearly demonstrate that the emperor is teaching the crown prince how to become a wise and virtuous ruler.

Their chances are slim.

It may not be very big, but it does exist.

In the past, there would inevitably be some people who wanted to stay in Chang'an and wait for an opportunity.

Now, you can stay in Chang'an, but you won't be given any official position, which means you won't have any opportunity to build your own power.

If they're labeled as useless, life will probably get really tough.

Li Chengqian looked up at Li Ji and said, "Duke of Yingguo, you are the Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince. Lead the ministers of the Eastern Palace to review today's events."

"Yes!" Li Ji stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting.

Li Chengqian looked at the ministers of the Eastern Palace and said, "Today you have all done a good job in assisting the Crown Prince. Each of you shall be rewarded with fifty bolts of silk."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The ministers immediately beamed with joy and bowed in unison.

Li Chengqian looked at Li Xiang again and said, "Many of the ministers in the Eastern Palace have outstanding qualities. You should learn from them and not be arrogant. Only in this way can you achieve greater success in the future."

"Your subject will humbly follow Your Majesty's teachings." Li Xiang bowed respectfully once again.

"Alright, that's enough." Li Chengqian said, getting up and leaving the Wude Hall.

The officials immediately cupped their hands and said, "Respectfully seeing Your Majesty off!"

……

The courtiers walked along the palace path, and although they didn't say much to each other, they all looked satisfied.

The emperor was virtuous, and the crown prince was intelligent.

This is something all the officials are happy to see. Moreover, it's clear that the emperor is very dedicated to teaching the crown prince, using unique and effective methods.

Even if something were to happen to the emperor in the future, the crown prince would still be a wise and virtuous ruler.

Although these people are old and may not even outlive the emperor, they still have descendants. When the crown prince ascends the throne, their descendants will not lack a good future during his reign.

What reassured them most was the emperor's instruction to the princes: if the princes focused on local affairs, they would not scheme for the position of crown prince.

This evoked particular emotions in those who had come from Xuanwu Gate and the late Zhenguan era.

The King of Wei attacked the Vermilion Bird Gate, while the King of Jin besieged the Hot Spring Palace.

These are all things they have experienced.

From today's perspective, as long as the current system of the emperor can be established stably, such a thing is unlikely to happen easily again in the Tang Dynasty.

As they passed through the Secretariat, the officials couldn't help but glance at Changsun Wuji.

At least in educating the crown prince, the emperor is better than the previous emperor.

Changsun Wuji seemed not to care, but as he walked out of Zuoyanming Gate, he couldn't help but look into the depths of the palace.

He knew that the emperor had learned from the mistakes of his predecessor.

That's fine, it's only natural that each generation should be better than the last.

Deep within the palace grounds, Li Chengqian sat on his imperial carriage, moving slowly along.

Each generation is stronger than the last; he aims to completely surpass his father.

The autumn sunlight shone on the palace path.

Clean and clear.

……

Northwest, Kucha City.

In a secluded courtyard, a dusty, burly man in black strode into the study and bowed to Luo Binwang, who was sitting on the main couch in the study, saying, "My lord, Li Jia has returned."

Luo Binwang put down his book, looked up and said, "You came back faster than I expected. Did the Tibetans say anything?"

"They said they were thanking you for your help, and also asked you to hurry to Bolu, where they would hand over Prince Li Zhi of Jin to you as soon as possible." Li Jia said, handing a letter to Luo Binwang, and added, "This is a letter from the Prime Minister of Tibet to you."

Luo Binwang took the letter, but without opening it, asked directly, "Is Tibet very tense right now?"

"Yes!" Li Jia cupped his hands and said, "The Tibetans tried several times to break out of the Tanggula Mountains, but they were all killed by the Tang army's ambush."

Luo Binwang chuckled coldly and said, "They're in a panic. They're not even going to investigate the responsibility for the crushing defeat in the Battle of Xichang Prefecture."

In the Battle of Xichang Prefecture, the Tibetan Empire suffered heavy losses, losing 40,000 of its native troops, 20,000 Dangxiang troops, 10,000 Yangtong troops, and 10,000 Supi cavalry.

After the first battle, the Tang Dynasty directly sent troops to attack Supi and Yangtong, and now Yangtong has been destroyed.

The Tang cavalry roamed freely outside the Tanggula Mountains, slaughtering any Tibetan cavalry that attempted to charge into the mountains.

The high-altitude miasma that the Tibetans considered a barrier seemed to be non-existent in the eyes of these Tang cavalrymen.

Of course, Luo Binwang knew that the high-altitude miasma did not not exist. Rather, for many years, the entire Tang Dynasty, from the emperor to Li Jing, Liang Jianfang, Li Daozong, and all relevant departments of the central government, had been actively searching for ways to overcome the high-altitude miasma.

In retrospect, they have indeed achieved some results.

Even without the terrifying scheme they experienced in Xichang Prefecture, they would still have been able to reach the outskirts of the Tanggula Mountains.

Finally, under pressure from the Tang Dynasty, the Tibetans didn't even have time to investigate the responsibility for their defeat in Xichang Prefecture.

"My lord, are the Tibetans really not going to pursue this matter? I have a feeling they have ulterior motives. What if they change their minds and make a move after you actually go to Great Bolu?" Li Jia looked at Luo Binwang with some concern.

Luo Binwang waved his hand gently and said, "Although we were negligent in our oversight regarding the matter of Xichang Prefecture being plotted against, the fundamental problem does not lie with us."

As he spoke, Luo Binwang stood up.

He walked to the window, looked up at the sky, and said with a solemn expression, "If all of this was the emperor's scheme, then it was the Tibetans who took the bait in Lhasa at the beginning, and then Zanxi Ruo went to Chang'an to carry out further operations. We just happened to be there."

When Luo Binwang arrived in Chang'an, the emperor's entire plan was still in place. Moreover, the emperor had meticulously planned everything in Chang'an, so how could Luo Binwang easily see through it?

"The real problem isn't even in Chang'an, but in Tuyuhun." Luo Binwang turned to his subordinates and said with a solemn expression, "Liang Jianfang returned to Xichang Prefecture without a sound, and Su Dingfang also went to Tuyuhun, along with Yin Yuan, Pei Xingjian, Li Dejian, and those people. They were all waiting with their pockets open, but the Tuyuhun people didn't notice anything at all."

At this point, Luo Binwang's eyes showed resentment.

If the Tibetans had discovered the Tang Dynasty's strategy earlier, they wouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat at Xichang Prefecture.

In Luo Binwang's prediction, the Tibetans would at least be able to drive the Tang Dynasty off the plateau, and the two sides would be locked in a stalemate and fight each other. In this way, the Tibetans would need Luo Binwang even more.

But he did not expect that the Tibetans would be so careless.

Neither Zanxiruo nor the other Tibetans had any intention of involving Luo Binwang in the affairs of Xichang Prefecture.

Therefore, Luo Binwang knew nothing about many things in Xichang Prefecture.

The final result was such a crushing defeat.

……

"The Tibetans are currently under heavy pressure from the Tang Dynasty. They are too busy trying to win us over to turn against us." After a slight pause, Luo Binwang raised the letter in his hand and said, "Moreover, Li Zhi has indeed been captured in Lhasa."

The Tibetans confirmed that Li Zhi, who was captured in Qianzhou and taken to Lhasa, was indeed Li Zhi, the Prince of Jin, son of the late emperor.

They had a specialist examine him, and although Li Zhi had changed somewhat over the years, he was still recognizable.

The fact that Li Zhi was captured and taken to Luoxie shows that Luo Binwang had a very deep understanding of the Tang Dynasty, and that Luo Binwang was not very responsible for the previous incident.

This further demonstrates that Luo Binwang was not one of the emperor's men; such a person was exactly what Tibet needed.

"Yes!" Li Jia bowed and said, "Then, sir, when shall we go to Tibet?"

Luo Binwang frowned slightly as he looked at Li Jia: "Are you in a hurry?"

Li Jia smiled wryly and said, "My lord, you have been to Chang'an after all. If they find any clues there and track you down to Anxi, I am worried that you may be in danger."

Luo Binwang was slightly taken aback, then sighed softly and said, "Don't worry, my trip to Chang'an is known only to our people and Zan Xiruo in Tibet. Everyone else is in Lhasa, and Zan Xiruo is already dead... Yes, he is dead."

Luo Binwang had not expected that Zanxi Ruo would die.

Zan Xiruo stayed in Tianshui, preparing to launch a surprise attack on Liang Jianfang, but little did he know that it was actually a trap.

"The Tibetans always like to take risks. If they can't change this habit, they will suffer greatly in the future." Luo Binwang shook his head slightly, looking regretful.

However, he knew in his heart that Tibet was ultimately just a small country compared to the Tang Dynasty.

For a small country to challenge a large country, it is naturally bound to take risks.

The result of the risky gamble failing was death, and tens of thousands of people died.

Through his informant in Tianshui, Luo Binwang learned that the Tang army's 800 cavalrymen were actually only traveling from Chang'an to Tianshui. They wouldn't normally go any deeper into the mountains because the mountains were too dangerous, and they were also on guard against the Tibetan army.

Who would have thought that Zanxi Ruo also suspected that they would become more wary after entering his body, which is why he took the risk of attacking in Tianshui.

As a result of this, Zanxi Ruo fell right into the trap prepared by the Tang Dynasty.

The Tang Dynasty didn't even know that it was Zanxi Ruo at first, which is why they killed him so decisively.

However, it was precisely because of this that Luo Binwang was finally able to confirm that he was safe.

"However, the emperor isn't stupid. He should be able to sense that someone is in contact with the Tibetans, but he just didn't expect it to be me." Luo Binwang breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The emperor is probably investigating throughout Guanzhong and Heluo, but unfortunately he can't find anything.

……

Pulling himself back to reality, Luo Binwang looked up at Li Jia and asked, "How long do you think it will take for the Tang Dynasty to defeat and destroy Tibet this time?"

Li Jia shook his head slightly and said, "I have been to the Tanggula Mountains. Those three passes are exceptionally sturdy. Combined with the special and extreme weather there, it would be difficult for the Tang Dynasty to break through those three passes without paying a price, let alone destroy the Tubo Kingdom."

Luo Binwang nodded and said, "That's true. Those three passes are indeed not easy. But don't forget, Li Jing is still alive, Li Ji is also here, and Su Dingfang and Li Dejian are outside Tanggula Mountain. Who knows what they might do?"

"Yes!" Li Jia bowed slightly.

"However, it won't be easy for them to defeat Tibet." Luo Binwang looked up and said softly, "Especially now, with the defeat at Xichang Prefecture and the Tang army reaching the outskirts of the Tanggula Mountains, all the tribes of Tibet have probably united. What they fear now is the annihilation of their kingdom."

"This battle!" Li Jia shook his head slightly, unsure of what to say for a moment.

On one side was the Tang Dynasty, and on the other were their allies. Li Jia didn't know what to think at that moment.

"The Tang Dynasty can win this battle." Luo Binwang, oblivious to the fleeting joy in Li Jia's eyes, looked up at the blue sky and said softly, "In the short term, Tibet might be able to hold out, but as time goes on, they will run out of steam and risk being conquered by the Tang Dynasty. If the Tang Dynasty seizes this opportunity, all will be well; if they don't..."

Li Jia instinctively wanted to speak, but in the end he remained silent.

Luo Binwang sighed softly and said, "If the Tibetans survive the most difficult period and then launch a full-scale counterattack, the Tang Dynasty will be the one that truly suffers."

“My lord, for us, it would be best if the Tibetans couldn’t hold out, because only then will we have a chance.” Li Jia bowed slightly.

“You’re right.” Luo Binwang turned to Li Jia and said, “But these things are beyond our control here. After all, Tibet won’t let us go to Tanggula Mountain, and we can’t send the message to the Tang army. So we can only wait, go to Bolu first, then enter Tibet and talk to the Tibetan high command.”

Luo Binwang's plan to establish a state in Anxi was no longer feasible, and it was also unrealistic for his subordinates to go directly to the battlefield.

Of course, he also had his uses, which is why the Tibetans were eager to find him.

This also gave Luo Binwang an opportunity.

"By the way, my lord," Li Jia suddenly looked up at Luo Binwang and said, "When I returned from Lhasa, they were discussing sending an envoy to Chang'an. I just don't know if it's been decided yet, or if they want to go."

"Go to Chang'an?" Luo Binwang frowned slightly. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Even if the Tibetans offered 100,000 taels of gold, they could not make the emperor retreat. Now, the emperor's only goal is to destroy Tibet, and the only obstacle to destroying Tibet is the Tanggula Pass. How could he possibly back down?"

Li Jia blinked and asked, "If that's the case, then why did Tibet still send people?"

Luo Binwang raised his head slightly and said, "The Tibetans sent people to Chang'an this time, and their seeking peace is probably only one aspect of it. They should also have threatening methods up their sleeves!"

"A threat?" Li Jia's eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes.” Luo Binwang sighed softly, then closed his eyes and said, “The Tang Dynasty still has a thousand soldiers and a princess in Tibet. If the Tibetans threaten us with these people and the princess, what will the emperor do then?”

“Princess Wencheng is the Grand Consort of Tibet. For many years, she has done her best for the stability of Tibet. Now, they… they…” Li Jia didn’t know what to say for a moment. In the end, he could only say with a grim face, “How dare they?”

"There's nothing I wouldn't dare to do." Luo Binwang shook his head and said calmly, "At this point, one wrong move and the country could be destroyed. What is there that we can't do?"

Li Jia calmed down, thought for a moment, and said, "My lord, we can't control what the Tibetans do, but if they really do something to the princess, then I'm afraid you can't help us. They might use you as a bargaining chip."

Luo Binwang looked at Li Jia, his expression surprised, and nodded, saying, "I really didn't expect that if they had really killed the princess, their feelings towards us might have changed."

Killing one person is killing, and killing a hundred people is also killing.

Luo Binwang calmed down and shook his head, saying, "They wouldn't dare to harm the princess, nor could they threaten the emperor. The emperor isn't the kind of person who can be threatened. So, we can actually make a fuss about this. At least we can clarify our identities."

Luo Binwang narrowed his eyes slightly.

What he wanted was to steal the power of Tibet, so an identity that could be openly accepted by the Tibetans was very important.

At the very least, they cannot be members of the Tang Dynasty's imperial family.

It can't be now, at least not now.

Luo Binwang looked up and said calmly, "I'll write a letter. Go to Luoxie and deliver two letters, one to the Grand Chancellor and one to the Queen."

Queen, mother of King Mangsong Mangzan.

The last person forced to be buried alive by Li Chengqian was Mangsong Mangtsen's grandmother, Consort Mangjia.

(End of this chapter)