Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 111: Sharing the King's Worries and Alleviating the Country's Crisis! [Seeking a Monthly Ticket]

"Grandson, why are you only asking for 70% of the profit? That's too little!"

Li Yuan frowned when he heard what Li Chengqian was discussing.

In his opinion, those merchants were just fish on the chopping board and had no right to negotiate terms.

But Li Chengqian disagreed. "As the saying goes, if you want a horse to run fast, you don't give it grass to eat. How can that be possible? Any business operation is profit-driven. If you don't give them profit, how can they be led by the nose by you?"

"What's more, we're doing a zero-cost business. If we don't give them a big profit, they'll just be hypocritical and slow down, wasting our time and money!"

Having said that, he smiled and patted Li Yuan's shoulder, then said meaningfully: "So, short-term concessions are very necessary. We need to open up the situation, Grandpa!"

"Humph!"

Li Yuan snorted at his disrespectful grandson, then asked in confusion, "According to you, the development of the business landscape depends entirely on the four major Jiangling families?"

"Yes and no."

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "In my opinion, the four major families of Jiangling are like our commercial fields. Although this field cannot compare to the Five Surnames and Seven Families, our seedlings are good. As long as they bloom and bear more fruits, quantitative changes will lead to qualitative changes!"

"Ah!"

Li Yuan laughed and jokingly said, "I don't know where you learned these skills, but you're so good at everything. Could it be that the Taiyuan Li family is really a descendant of Li Er? Have you returned to your ancestral roots?"

"Hahaha!"

Li Chengqian laughed out loud, then jokingly said, "Perhaps it's true. Otherwise, how about we just go our separate ways? You call me Little Ancestor, and I call you Grandpa?!"

"Bastard thing!"

Li Yuan was so angry that his beard stood on end, and he was about to strike. At this moment, a voice came from outside the door: "Your Highness, the Governor of Jingzhou, Zhang Ping, wishes to see you!"

"Ok?"

Li Chengqian and Li Yuan were both stunned, then stopped playing around and sat up straight.

"Well, grandpa, calm down. Your grandson was just joking with you. After this matter is dealt with, your grandson will get you something fun to play with. How about that?" Li Chengqian said with a wry smile.

Li Yuan glared at him angrily and said, "What's so funny? Do you think I'm a three-year-old kid? I'm already sixty-two!"

"Then grandpa, do you want it?"

"Yes! Why not? Just consider it as your apology to me!"

"hey-hey."

Li Chengqian smiled slyly, and then said to the outside: "Let him in!"

"promise!"

There was a response from outside the door.

Soon, Zhang Ping was brought in by a black-clad guard.

"Your Majesty, Zhang Ping, pays homage to His Majesty the Retired Emperor and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

Zhang Ping bowed respectfully to the grandfather and grandson.

Li Chengqian smiled faintly and said, "Commander-in-Chief Zhang, there's no need to be so polite. We are all family now!"

"I still want the gift I deserve!" Zhang Ping said with a wry smile.

Li Chengqian remained noncommittal and said, "I wonder why Commander Zhang came here today?"

"This, this."

Zhang Ping glanced at Li Yuan, then at Li Chengqian, and said hesitantly, "I heard that Your Highness the Crown Prince summoned Inspector Pei and others to discuss some matters."

"Oh, you said this!"

Li Chengqian smiled suddenly and said, "Yes, but they are all business matters and have nothing to do with military affairs, so I didn't ask you to come."

"But I have decided to swear allegiance to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the Emperor."

"Uh,"

Li Chengqian's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but look at Li Yuan, only to hear Li Yuan say solemnly: "You are Xu Shao's son-in-law. I will not treat you unfairly. Just say whatever you want to say!"

"The Emperor is very perceptive!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping hurriedly said, "I will be going to Chang'an for the assessment next month. To be honest, I am unsure and worried that I will no longer be able to serve the Emperor and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

"hehe."

Li Chengqian and Li Yuan looked at each other and smiled.

It's no wonder that Pei Xuan had communicated with this guy. He felt that he was being excluded, so he rushed here without stopping, hoping that he could get Li Chengqian's help and pass the assessment.

Li Chengqian, having understood the situation, did not treat Zhang Ping as he had treated Pei Xuan. Instead, he looked away and said, "Commander Zhang, I want to ask you, are you really not in contact with General Li Jing?"

"This"

Zhang Ping was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and sighed, "It's not that I don't want to contact you, but General Li Jing rarely pays attention to me. It seems that recommending me as the governor of Jingzhou has exhausted my father-in-law's connections."

Li Chengqian smiled noncommittally and continued, "What if I asked you to go to his tent and bring someone back? Could you do it?"

"With people?"

Zhang Ping's face was filled with confusion. "Whom shall His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ask me to bring back?"

"His name is Su Lie, courtesy name Dingfang, and he's from Wuyi County, Jizhou. He should have just defected to the Tang Dynasty!"

"Ah? Then whose general was he before?"

Li Chengqian thought for a moment and said, "He has defected to Dou Jiande and Liu Heita!"

"Uh,"

Zhang Ping's mouth twitched. He thought, "How dare His Royal Highness the Crown Prince employ such a person? Isn't this a pure slave of three surnames?"

However, since it was Li Chengqian who asked him to do it, he naturally had to agree.

But he said solemnly, "I will find a way to bring the person back to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Well, I'd appreciate it if you could find a way, but I won't force you!"

Li Chengqian nodded nonchalantly and didn't mention the matter of helping him get through the back door. He was so anxious that he was sweating profusely and wanted to say something but stopped himself several times.

At this moment, Li Yuan suddenly seemed to remember something and said, "Cheng Qian, I remember you said some time ago that the Tang Dynasty's military was too weak. Now that Commander Zhang is here, why don't you talk to him?"

"what?"

Li Chengqian feigned surprise and said, "I was just casually talking to you, Grandpa. How could I possibly interfere in military affairs?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Zhang Ping calmly, and then pretended to be terrified and said: "If my father knew about this, it would be over!" "This..."

Zhang Ping understood instantly.

It seems that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince doesn’t trust me very much!
Yes, although I promised His Royal Highness the Crown Prince that the 50,000 troops in Jingzhou would be at his disposal at any time, but after returning, there was no response at all. No wonder His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was unwilling to help me!

After figuring out the key point, Zhang Ping quickly asked Li Chengqian:
"Your Highness, to be honest, I have been training troops recently and wanted to give you and the Emperor an inspection. Now that you and the Emperor are here, why not follow me to the Governor's Mansion to see the troops I have trained?"

"Huh? Is this appropriate?"

"Why not? You are the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty, the future emperor!"

"hehe."

Li Chengqian laughed, and Li Yuan also laughed.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Ping also started laughing.

The Tang Dynasty implemented the military service system starting from the second year of Wude.

The so-called government soldiers refer to the soldiers commanded by the military government.

Although it is now the first year of Zhenguan, the Tang Dynasty still uses the Chariot and Cavalry Department and the Piaoqi Department established during the Wude period.

It was not until the tenth year of Zhenguan that it was unified and changed into Zhechoufu.

Therefore, the 50,000 troops led by the governor of Jingzhou were formed by multiple military offices.

Each military office has about 800 to 1,200 people.

During wartime, the soldiers of these military offices are commanded by the governor to fight, and they are basically trained in the military offices in normal times.

In order to save his own life, Zhang Ping had previously said that Jingzhou's 50,000 elite soldiers were ready to be dispatched by Li Chengqian at any time, but this was actually a bit of bragging.

Because the actual number of troops he could dispatch was about 10,000.

And even these 10,000 people were very good in Li Chengqian's view.

After all, his six Eastern Palace commanders only had 30,000 men at most.

Although he does not have the Six Commanders of the Eastern Palace yet, it does not prevent him from training the backbone troops of the Six Commanders of the Eastern Palace.

For example, the 10,000 people in Zhang Ping's hands.

Therefore, keeping Zhang Ping was very important to him.

One is that Zhang Ping has the military power, and the other is that he has something on Zhang Ping. If he replaces Zhang Ping, he will have to plot against the new governor of Jingzhou, which will be more trouble than gain.

At this moment, at the military training ground two miles away from the Jingzhou Governor's Mansion.

Flags flutter and trumpets sound.

Ten thousand soldiers from the palace stood in formation, and a mighty wind swept across the heaven and earth.

The morale is high and it moves people's hearts.

A group of generals stood at the front of the team, looking at Li Chengqian and Li Yuan on the high platform with burning eyes.

Although this is not the first time Li Yuan has reviewed the army, the protagonist today is not him, but his lovely grandson.

However, judging from the expression of his lovely grandson, he seemed not very satisfied with this army.

Not even a cheer.

"Cheng Qian, is there any problem?" Li Yuan couldn't help but frown and asked.

Li Chengqian glanced at him and said calmly, "Although there are many people and they are very energetic, their physical strength, equipment, and reaction are a little lacking, and..."

"What else?"

"I can't really put my finger on it, but it's definitely different from the elite army I imagined!"

"Uh,"

Zhang Ping's mouth twitched. He thought, "Why are you so disparaging to my army? At least give me some respect, Your Highness! There are so many people watching!"
As if he noticed Zhang Ping's embarrassment, Li Yuan chuckled, and then said a few words to boost morale, and then disbanded the army.

It was not until they returned to the Governor's Mansion that Li Chengqian solemnly said to Zhang Ping, "I want to reform your army. Can you do it?"

"what?"

Zhang Ping was startled and quickly said, "Reforming the army is the court's business. Your Highness wants to bypass the court. Does Your Majesty agree?"

"No, I don't mean the kind of big reform you want, but within the scope of your authority, make this army a truly elite army, the kind that can defeat ten enemies with one!" Li Chengqian shook his head.

"But."

Zhang Ping said hesitantly, "If we do this, and His Majesty's people notice something's wrong, we'll be in big trouble!"

"You mean, there are people from my father's family in the army?"

"Of course! Even in my Jingzhou Governor's Office, there are many of His Majesty's spies!"

"This"

Li Chengqian was speechless, but he quickly came up with a solution: "How about this? We can start with a gradual reform, starting with training your personal guards. How many people do you have?"

"About five hundred people!" Zhang Ping replied.

Li Chengqian made the decision and said, "Okay! Let's train these five hundred people first!"

"No, Your Highness, I don't understand why you want to reform the army? Do you think our current army's combat effectiveness is poor? This is probably your misunderstanding. The combat effectiveness can only be seen in battle. In peacetime..."

"If you don't perform well in normal times, will you definitely perform well on the battlefield?"

Before Zhang Ping could finish his words, Li Chengqian interrupted him solemnly: "The army of our Tang Dynasty is absolutely not like this!"

"But."

Zhang Ping opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopped.

Li Yuan, however, became interested: "In my opinion, what should the Tang army be like?"

"Relieve the king's worries and relieve the country from danger!"

"hiss"

Zhang Ping couldn't help but gasp.

Somehow, he suddenly felt that a storm was about to come.

　【Seeking monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, follow-up subscriptions, full subscriptions】

　　
　
(End of this chapter)