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

Chapter 169: Fill my father's harem and see how many he can sleep with! [Seeking monthly tickets]

Li Shimin's three edicts seemed to be rewards, but each edict had a different purpose, and each purpose was related to a person.

That is Li Chengqian.

No matter what reasons Li Chengqian had, he had no reason to refuse to return to Chang'an.

Therefore, Fang Xuanling and others felt that Li Shimin was serious about Li Chengqian this time.

Even including the retired emperor Li Yuan.

However, even if they all understood Li Shimin's actions, there was no reason for them to interfere in this matter.

After all, this matter is out in the open and there is no problem.

Can you stop His Majesty from rewarding meritorious officials? Obviously not!

Can you stop His Majesty from fulfilling his filial duty? Obviously not.

So, what else do you have to say?

After a brief silence, Fang Xuanling confirmed that Li Shimin had no new decree, then bowed respectfully and said, "I will draft the imperial decree right away."

"Not urgent!"

Li Shimin raised his hand to stop Fang Xuanling who was about to leave, and said, "There is one more thing I want to discuss with you!"

"I wonder what Your Majesty wants to discuss?" Du Ruhui asked curiously.

Li Shimin glanced at him, then glanced at the other three people, and said solemnly: "I plan to unite with the Tuli and send troops to attack Jie Li!"

"Ah? This"

The four of them were slightly startled and looked at each other.

But Du Ruhui said in surprise and doubt: "Your Majesty, have you really thought it through?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, don't we need to discuss this matter again?" Fang Xuanling echoed.

Li Shimin laughed: "Why, do you all think I'm an indecisive, incompetent ruler with no opinions of my own?"

"I don't dare!"

Both of them confessed their guilt.

Li Shimin slowly stood up from his seat and said with emotion, "Although the Crown Prince's words were a bit extreme, they are also a kind of integrity. Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, we have been bullied by the Turks in every possible way. This has led to monarchs like Jie Li becoming arrogant and domineering, and ultimately being abandoned by everyone."

"Now, Tuli Khan has proactively requested cooperation. If we continue to indulge Jie Li's actions, won't more people suffer?"

"Although if I don't attack Jie Li, or if I sit back and watch the civil unrest on the grasslands, the northern part of the Tang Dynasty can remain peaceful, but put yourself in his shoes. If one day I make the same mistake as Jie Li, will I also end up being deserted by my friends and relatives?"

"Therefore, I hope you will not hesitate to give me your advice to help me beyond my ability."

"This"

Upon hearing this, the four of them were deeply moved. They looked at each other and said in unison: "We will serve Your Majesty with all our hearts!"

"hehe."

Li Shimin smiled with satisfaction, then turned to look at Tang Jian and said, "Although I am a little surprised that Tuli Khan has become the leader of the new alliance, it does not conflict with our original intention. Just do as I instructed you before. Prepare a generous gift for Tuli, as well as the drums and banners that symbolize power and majesty!"

"Yes!"

Tang Jian respectfully accepted the order.

Li Shimin glanced at him, paused for a moment, and then continued, "As for how Tuli became the new leader, we must do everything we can to investigate thoroughly. Otherwise, I will be unable to sleep or eat in peace!"

"This"

Tang Jian was surprised for a moment, then bowed and said, "I obey your command!"

Immediately afterwards, Li Shimin made detailed arrangements for state affairs and military deployments.

It was not until the sky gradually darkened that the four people were allowed to leave Ganlu Palace.

As soon as they left, Empress Zhangsun walked in and called softly, "Your Majesty, it's time for dinner."

"!"

Li Shimin's eyelids twitched, and he had a bad feeling.

Since Empress Changsun didn't bring in dinner at all, what was the dinner she was talking about?

On the other side, Shuofang, Tongwan City.

Although the farmlands around Tongwan City were almost completely destroyed after experiencing the baptism of war, the people still have little food to eat.

However, being able to return to the embrace of the Tang Dynasty, the people all had smiles on their faces.

In the whole city, there is no sense of tragedy of a country being destroyed and families being ruined, but rather a sense of prosperity and vitality.

Many people even took the initiative to join in the work of cleaning the streets and sorting out the ruins.

Especially the notices that Li Chengqian had people post in the city.

It directly raised the image of the Tang army in the hearts of the people by several dimensions, making the army and the people one family, which has become the most beautiful picture today.

"Cheng Qian, I'm truly impressed by you, uncle. Your eight major disciplines are truly brilliant! I don't have to worry about anything anymore!"

Changsun Wuji looked at Li Chengqian with a smile and said with emotion.

Li Chengqian said noncommittally, "When does my uncle plan to return to the capital?"

"Why, you want to stay here alone?"

"That's not it!"

"Then what do you think?"

"This"

Li Chengqian hesitated for a moment, then looked around. Seeing that no one was passing by him, he lowered his voice and said, "To be honest, uncle, I want to destroy the Turks!"

"what?"

Changsun Wuji was startled and asked quickly, "Are you kidding me?!"

"I'm not kidding, I'm serious!"

Li Chengqian said seriously, "My purpose in coming to Shuofang is not just to destroy Liang Shidu!"

"Instead, we will use the opportunity of destroying Liang Shidu to destroy the Turks!"

"But how is this possible? The strength of the Tang Dynasty is not enough to support us in destroying the Turks! Even if your guards are incredibly powerful, their numbers are still too small. The reason you were able to win this time is because Jie Li didn't understand you. Moreover, the Turks have more than 40,000 troops. Do you understand?"

As Changsun Wuji spoke, his expression gradually became serious. He said, "Chengqian, your uncle understands your ambition, but everything requires a process. You can't achieve everything overnight. This will not be good for you or the Tang Dynasty!"

"I"

Li Chengqian opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopped.

He didn't know whether he should tell Changsun Wuji that his decision to destroy the Turks was not rash, but had been planning it for a long time.

Although Changsun Wuji is now deeply bound to him, his trust in Changsun Wuji is still not 100%, at least it is still worse than that of Li Yuan, Xue Rengui and others.

After all, Changsun Wuji's reputation in history is mixed, neither good nor bad.

It depends on what aspect of him.

Just as Li Chengqian was hesitating whether to tell Zhangsun Wuji, Chai Shao came over from a distance and was the first to greet him: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, Master Zhangsun!"

Hearing Chai Shao's polite greeting, Li Chengqian and Changsun Wuji looked at each other and then smiled silently.

It is said that those who know the times are heroes, and this Prince Consort Chai is definitely one of the best among heroes.

He approached from a distance, a beaming smile on his face, and said, as if to claim credit: "Your Highness, Lord Zhangsun, I have already ordered the cleanup of the battlefield. All property and weapons have been laid out. The families of the fallen pseudo-Liang soldiers have also been notified to claim them!"

"As for the soldiers of our Great Tang who died in battle, they have all been cremated and canned. When we return to the capital, we will send them, along with their pensions, to their families, so that their souls can return home!"

At this point, he couldn't help but curse Liang Shidu: "That bastard is really inhuman. The people are starving, and his palace is full of food! Damn it!"

"Oh, right."

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and asked, "The pseudo-Liang imperial palace is being demolished, and there are many palace maids. I wonder how to arrange them?"

"What do you think, uncle?" Li Chengqian turned his head to look at Changsun Wuji.

"Well, well, I can't say." Changsun Wuji hesitated, feeling very embarrassed.

"Is there anything bad to say?"

Li Chengqian jokingly said, "My uncle is the chief steward of the military road. Everything here is under your control, including the maids in the pseudo-Liang imperial palace! Even if you bring me a few aunts, I will recognize them!"

"Stop talking nonsense, kid!"

Zhang Sun Wuji's face turned red, and he angrily scolded, "Uncle, I'm not that kind of person! Besides! What's the point of bringing back several aunts? You only have one aunt, don't ruin her reputation!"

"Hahaha!"

Li Chengqian laughed heartily.

Chai Shao and others also laughed.

However, seeing that Li Chengqian and Changsun Wuji were so close, he couldn't help feeling a little jealous.

After all, he and Changsun Wuji are both relatives by marriage.

Although they are both in-laws, the difference between them is huge.

Ugh!
I can only blame myself for being out of touch with the news and not knowing how capable my nephew is.

It seems that I have to find a way to improve my relationship with him in the future. I don't want to surpass Changsun Wuji, but I don't want to be too far behind him either.

Thinking this in his heart, Chai Shao continued after Li Chengqian finished laughing, "Your Highness, I actually have an idea, which is to send them to Chang'an. However, I am not so presumptuous to speak to His Majesty."

"Ah!"

Li Chengqian laughed again: "Are you giving it to my father, my father? To fill his harem?"

"Uh, is that okay?"

"Of course! Absolutely! Let my father's harem be filled with gloom and resentment, and see how many he can sleep with!"

Chai Shao: “.”

Zhangsun Wuji: “.”

The two looked at each other, both speechless.

This brat is so bold, he dares to say anything!
However, from what he said, it was obvious that he did not agree with this approach.

So the two of them just shut up.

Seeing the two of them remain silent, Li Chengqian continued, "Since uncle has expressed his ideas, I also have a less mature plan. Uncle and uncle, please listen to it first. If it works, then use it. If not, then we will do it according to your ideas!"

Hearing this, Chai Shao and Changsun Wuji looked at each other and said to themselves, "As expected."

This guy clearly has a solution, but he still deliberately watches them make a fool of themselves.

Simply unworthy of a son of man.

However, both of them were somewhat curious about Li Chengqian's method, so they acted as if they were willing to hear more and listened quietly.

Li Chengqian pondered for a moment and then told us his solution.

"I plan to hold a blind date conference in Shuofang!"

"Dating conference?"

Chai Shao and Changsun Wuji were both stunned, as if they had not expected this method.

Li Chengqian then smiled and explained, "A so-called matchmaking conference is a gathering of unmarried men and women. We organize this gathering to get to know each other, and if they're attracted to each other, we'll hold a group wedding for them!"

"You mean to send those fake Liang palace maids to the people?" Chai Shao said in disbelief.

Li Chengqian smiled and nodded, saying, "My father originally reduced the number of palace maids for exactly this purpose. He wanted them to go out into the common people and start their own families, thus increasing the population of the Tang Dynasty. However, I dissuaded him from doing so. I felt that the palace maids had adapted to palace life, and since they had hidden illnesses, they wouldn't be accepted by common people!"

"But then I thought about it and realized I couldn't just generalize. Maybe some of them wanted to live outside the palace, or maybe there were families in the civilian world willing to accept them. So, I felt it was necessary to give it a try."

Having said that, he looked up at the fake Liang Palace being demolished and sighed, "No matter what they choose, they are the masters of their own destiny! They are not forced into anything!"

"This"

Upon hearing this, Chai Shao and Zhangsun Wuji looked at each other in surprise.

After a long while, Zhangsun Wuji said, "Since we don't have any good ideas, let's try yours first."

"Wait!"

As soon as Zhangsun Wuji finished speaking, Chai Shao couldn't wait to ask, "The unmarried men that the Crown Prince is talking about, are they ordinary people in Tongwan City, or do they include our soldiers?"

"Ok?"

Li Chengqian was slightly stunned, then his face lit up: "Yes! Why didn't I think of that? There are still many bachelors among our soldiers!"

"But our soldiers won't stay here forever. We can't let them bring their wives back with us, right?" Changsun Wuji pondered.

"This"

Li Chengqian was suddenly speechless.

Chai Shao then chuckled, "Why would we ask His Majesty to station troops in Shuofang? Shuofang needs troops anyway, so let the soldiers who have successfully found a match stay!"

"That's right! This is a great idea! We can defend the border, maintain our love, and maintain loyalty to the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Chengqian said approvingly, "Because this is their home, they will fight even harder when foreign enemies invade!"

"Well, that's right." Changsun Wuji also said in agreement: "That's settled!"

"Okay! I'll go inform the soldiers right away!"

Chai Shao said this and turned away excitedly.

As Changsun Wuji watched him leave, he narrowed his eyes and said quietly, "It seems that it's just as I suspected. Your Majesty sent him here to replace me."

"Isn't this normal? You will return to Chang'an sooner or later!"

Li Chengqian asked with amusement, "Don't you want to go back, uncle?"

"No, it's not that simple."

Changsun Wuji shook his head and said, "Chai Shao is a man of deep thoughts. I'm afraid he will ruin your plan."

"What does uncle mean?"

"Let Liu Lancheng host the matchmaking event. The hearts of the people of Shuofang must stay with you!"

Li Chengqian looked at Zhangsun Wuji in surprise, then his heart warmed. He smiled and said to him, "When I go back this time, I will definitely help my uncle become one of the Three Dukes!"

"hehe."

Changsun Wuji laughed: "You are up to something again, aren't you?"

"No, I just think my uncle should..."

"No, Cheng Qian, uncle doesn't want to be in a high position now!"

Before Li Chengqian could finish his words, Changsun Wuji interrupted him and looked at him sincerely. He added, "Your uncle does not want to get involved in the power struggle between you and His Majesty, and cannot get involved. Do you understand?"

"This"

Li Chengqian was speechless and didn't know what to say for a moment.

But then Changsun Wuji solemnly warned him, "Don't underestimate His Majesty. He's more terrifying than you think. Your uncle has been with him since he was a child and has seen too much of him, both positively and negatively. His thoughts are deeper than the abyss!"

"But without my uncle's help, I would lose a lot of support!"

"Don't worry! When it's time to help you, your uncle will definitely help you!"

As Changsun Wuji said this, he patted Li Chengqian on the shoulder and turned to leave.

Li Chengqian, who watched him leave, sneered, "Your Majesty Li Er's judgment is indeed correct. My cheap uncle is really good at avoiding suspicion!"

"But once you're on my ship, it's not that easy to get off. If you don't want to participate, then don't participate? That's wishful thinking!"

After saying that, he frowned and left.

At the same time, Jiangling Papermaking Workshop.

Ever since Li Chengqian took Li Yuan away from Jiangling, all the affairs of Jiangling, big and small, were handed over to Cen Wenben and Ma Zhou.

Even though Pei Xuan was the real chief officer of Jiangling, he discussed and handled all the affairs of Jiangling, big or small, with Cen Wenben and Ma Zhou.

Even for the imperial decrees, he would first consult their opinions before deciding whether to implement them.

He completely regarded himself as an official of the Eastern Palace, rather than a governor of a state in the imperial court.

Cen Wenben and Ma Zhou also readily accepted this situation.

Because in their minds, Jiangling is the prince's territory, and all the officials in Jiangling are the prince's subordinates.

As the top two leaders of the Eastern Palace, they should naturally lead all the officials in Jiangling.

For example, now, Pei Xuan and Cai Sima are following Ma Zhou happily and obeying his arrangements.

"Inspector Pei, our banknote paper is already ready, but the Crown Prince instructed us before he left that in addition to making banknote paper, we also need to make newspapers. Therefore, our existing workshop needs to be expanded three times. You will approve the land when the time comes!"

"Okay! No problem, I'll approve the land for you when I get back!"

After hearing Ma Zhou's order, Pei Xuan agreed without hesitation.

Cai Sima, who was standing by, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Sir Ma, may I ask, what is a newspaper?"

Ma Zhou thought for a moment and continued, "It's similar to our current court bulletins, but it's not a court bulletin. It's a widely circulated reading material, not only for dignitaries but also for ordinary people!"

"Ah? Ordinary people can watch it too?"

Cai Sima was surprised and turned to look at Pei Xuan.

Pei Xuan was also shocked and confused, and hurriedly asked Ma Zhou, "Is this really the order from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

Ma Zhou looked at the two of them with amusement: "Why, ordinary people can't read newspapers?"

"No, this isn't about reading the newspaper, this is this..."

Pei Xuan didn't know what words to use to express his views on the newspaper, but he just felt that this so-called newspaper had a great influence and should not be promoted to ordinary people.

However, when Ma Zhou heard his words, he slowly put away the smile on his face and said without question: "This is the order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

"But."

"Master Ma! Good news!"

Just as Pei Xuan was about to say something else, a voice of surprise and joy suddenly rang out from afar: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has won a great victory in Shuofang! We need to rush to print our newspaper!"

　[Please give me a monthly ticket. Please give me a monthly ticket, please give me a monthly ticket. If you give me 1000 tickets, I will update more!]

　　
　
(End of this chapter)