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

Chapter 194 Are Mr. and Mrs. Li trying to trick me?! [Seeking monthly votes]

"Mother, I'm back to pay my respects to you!"

"Something big happened again!"

In the Lizheng Hall, Empress Changsun sat on a bench, breaking a mutton soup steamed bun with great interest.

When she saw Li Chengqian coming back with a smile on his face, her expression was calm as if she had known everything.

Li Chengqian did not answer, but just sat down to drink tea and observe Empress Changsun breaking the steamed bun.

Everyone in Lizheng Hall knows the rules of eating mutton soup with steamed buns, which is that you have to break your own buns.

Not only did Empress Changsun break her own teeth, but even Emperor Li II had to break his own teeth when he came.

Although they don't know why, they have been doing it this way since the way of eating mutton soup steamed bun was passed down.

Even Emperor Li II did not question this rule.

Instead, I think the steamed buns I break are the most delicious.

Similarly, Empress Changsun also thought that the steamed buns she broke were the most delicious.

Sometimes the two of them argued about this matter.

Later, Li Lizhi, Li Tai and others also broke their own steamed buns and never asked others for help.

Later, eating mutton soup with steamed buns became the warmest moment for the royal family.

The process of breaking the steamed buns brought them back to the taste of home. Everyone was doing the same thing, and it was a joyful experience.

However, although both Li Lizhi and Li Tai broke the steamed bun, their ways were different.

When Li Tai was breaking steamed buns, he liked to stand by the table and check whether they were of the same size while breaking them. If there was any inconsistency, he would throw it on the table.

So, when others break the steamed bun, the more they break, the more they get, but it may get less and less.

But Li Lizhi is different. She likes to squat when breaking steamed buns, put the bowl on her knees, lower her head, and look serious and meticulous. She is cute and well-behaved.

As for Empress Changsun, she broke the steamed bun slowly and leisurely, looking gentle and virtuous, but always so dignified and generous.

This made Li Chengqian wonder whether his adoptive mother could also show royal majesty when she went out to walk the dog.

"The furniture in the Crown Prince's Mansion is quite old. I have asked the people from the Royal Manufacturing Bureau to make a batch of new furniture for you. During this period, if there is nothing important, you should live in the palace."

Empress Zhangsun calmly broke off her steamed bun, glanced at Li Chengqian, and said, "The aftermath of the disaster victims' unrest hasn't completely subsided yet. You better not be careless."

Li Chengqian said disdainfully: "If I were afraid of them, I would not be myself anymore."

"Judging from your expression when you came in just now, His Majesty must have dealt with them, right?"

"Hey, mother, you have a keen eye. You can see this?"

Li Chengqian said in surprise, then smiled and said: "Mother is right, the emperor has indeed dealt with them. I heard that they were executed. As for Pei Sikong, he is really empty now, an empty position."

Empress Zhangsun glared at him before picking up her steamed bun again. "The success of your rain prayer has given your father great confidence. However, don't be too happy too soon. Killing them won't be easy."

"I know it's not easy to kill them."

Li Chengqian sipped his tea when he suddenly thought of something and said, "But what mother said reminds me. I can't let their family build momentum to rescue them. I have to find a way to suppress their family and let father kill them as a warning to others."

"What are you going to do?"

"Royal Manufacturing Bureau, what are you doing recently?"

"We will expand the soap factory, textile factory, oil refinery, and greenhouse vegetable factory."

"Mom even set up a greenhouse vegetable factory?"

Empress Changsun nodded and said, "We're working on it, but it's not finished yet. We're just trying to imitate the greenhouse you built in Jiangling and grow and sell some off-season vegetables."

Li Chengqian smiled: "It seems that Mother has sent many people to Jiangling to study!"

"Now that you're back, aren't you going to move your things back to Jiangling?" Empress Changsun said noncommittally, "Or do you still want to go back to Jiangling?"

"I won't be going back to Jiangling in the short term, but moving things back from Jiangling is possible, but not always feasible. I still need to think about it."

"Okay, once you've thought it over, I'll have the Royal Manufacturing Bureau assist you!"

Li Chengqian laughed again: "Mother, everyone in Jiangling has heard this wishful thinking!"

"What is this?"

Empress Changsun picked up the broken steamed bun and threw it at Li Chengqian: "You don't have many people in Chang'an, and now is a time of great turmoil. Your father is already busy dealing with state affairs and the war. Are you still going to pick on him over such a small matter?"

Li Chengqian picked up the steamed bun thrown by Empress Zhangsun and said with a smile, "I don't intend to get along with my father. As long as he doesn't cause me trouble, that's all that matters."

"You two, father and son, are really a real worry to me."

Empress Changsun continued breaking off steamed buns and said, "Take the disaster situation for example. Praying for rain can solve the drought, but it can't solve the problem of starvation for the victims. Therefore, the court still needs to provide relief to those victims until they can plant their crops and have a harvest."

"But since last year, natural disasters have plagued the Tang Dynasty. Coupled with your father's tax cuts, the court's tax revenue is simply not enough to cover its expenses. We're still fighting a war with the Turks. Let's not even talk about how far this war will go. Just the relief food for the disaster victims is a headache for your father."

"And you."

Having said this, he paused, then looked at Li Chengqian again and sighed, "Jiangling obviously has so much food, but he didn't ask you for help."

"Mother, are you saying that Father has long known about my plans in Jiangling?"

"I don't know about this, but Jiang Ling's affairs should not be hidden from him much."

Empress Changsun shook her head and said, "A prefecture is so large that no matter how secretive it is, it will be discovered by those with ulterior motives. Everyone in Chang'an is talking about Jiangling and they all yearn for it, not to mention your father. Even if he doesn't want to pay attention, he will have to pay attention."

Li Chengqian found it a little funny. He had known this would happen.

"Jiangling's development is visible to everyone, but the emperor doesn't pay attention. Even if the people below have ideas, they dare not act rashly. This is why Jiangling has remained peaceful until now."

"I know that the reason this disaster situation is so chaotic is because Jiangling's interests have made people so jealous that they are starting to take risks."

Empress Zhangsun nodded, then broke the last steamed bun in her hand and asked Li Chengqian solemnly, "So, what are you going to do next?"

"this."

Li Chengqian showed hesitation, because he felt it was strange that Empress Zhangsun, who had always kept her distance from government affairs, would discuss government affairs with him. So, he could not help but be cautious and said jokingly, "The buns that mother breaks off are not as good as those of Qingque and my elder sister!"

Empress Changsun was slightly stunned when she heard this, but then she laughed out loud: "You kid are playing tricks on your mother too?"

Li Chengqian gave a sly smile and quickly stood up and shouted outside, "Someone, come in! Bring in the yokan!"

"Hahaha! Are you eating mutton soup with steamed buns again today? Bring me a steamed bun too!"

As soon as Li Chengqian finished speaking, a familiar and abrupt laugh followed, and the smile on his face froze instantly.

What do you mean? Are you and your wife trying to trick me?

the other side.

The residence of Imperial Envoy Wang Gui.

As the patriarch of the Taiyuan Wang family, Wang Gui was not only influential in the court, but also played an important role in the family.

At this moment, he had to worry about one thing, which was how to rescue the officials in his family.

Although he knew that those officials had committed unforgivable crimes, the pressure from his family was indeed considerable. Among them, Minister Wang was a direct descendant of the Taiyuan Wang family.

"Ugh!"

Sighing in his heart, Wang Gui picked up the letter from home on the table and read the words on it. Every sentence was written in harsh words and full of indignation towards Li Tang, which made him look worried.

At this moment, a voice came from outside the door: "Master, the two Lords Cui, the two Lords Li, as well as Lord Lu and Lord Zheng, are here to see you!"

"Is it finally here that's supposed to come?"

Wang Gui muttered something, then put away the letter in his hand and said solemnly, "Let them in!"

"Yes!"

The servant outside the door responded.

Soon, six middle-aged men in fancy clothes walked in.

They all had sad faces, bowed silently to Wang Gui, and then found a place to sit down.

After Wang Gui glanced at them, he took the initiative to speak: "I wonder why you all came to see me?"

"Master Wang, why do you ask when you already know the answer? I guess you have also received the letter from home!" Cui Renshi, the Minister of the Dali Temple, responded unhappily.

It is worth noting here that he did not address him as Lord Wang, but as Patriarch Wang. This shows that in the eyes of these Five Surnames and Seven Prestigious Officials, no matter how high your official position, in private, family strength still matters most.

Although Wang Gui held a high position, the Wang family's status was weaker than that of the Cui family, so Cui Renshi dared to speak to him like that.

The patriarchs of other families did not think there was anything wrong with what Cui Renshi said.

As for Wang Gui himself, although he felt a little uncomfortable, he did not argue with Cui Renshi.

But he said solemnly, "The case is being tried by the Dali Temple. As the Dali Temple Secretary, why don't you come up with a solution and ask me?"

"Although the case was tried by the Dali Temple, it was not me who tried it. It was Dai Zhou. He is your Majesty's man. Don't you know that?" Cui Renshi asked coldly.

"Since you knew nothing, why didn't you stop your stupid nephew from doing those stupid things behind our backs?"

"Heh, why is my nephew the only one who is stupid? Isn't that Wang Yu a fool from your Wang family?"

"you!"

Wang Gui's face darkened and he was about to get angry.

At this moment, Shangshu Zuocheng Lu Chengqing hurriedly intervened, saying, "Two Patriarchs, it's already this late, why are you still arguing? Aren't you supposed to be discussing how to save them?"

"Save people? How to save people? His Majesty has already issued the decree. What can you use to ask His Majesty to pardon them?" Wang Gui slammed the letter on the table and said angrily.

Zheng Shanguo, the Minister of Justice, who had been silent the entire time, stroked his beard and said, "From what Patriarch Wang said, you don't plan to save them anymore?"

"How can this be possible? If we don't save them, where will our family's reputation be?"

"Yes, if we don't save them, we won't be able to explain to our families!"

Right Palace Attendant Li Zhen and Junior Supervisor Li Shushen all spoke up.

Wang Gui glanced at them, then suddenly calmed down and said in a deep voice, "Don't you know what they did?"

"This"

The family heads looked at each other in bewilderment.

But Zheng Shanguo added, "It is precisely because we know what they did that we must save them. Otherwise, our family will be in danger."

"Yes, Patriarch Wang, the Crown Prince's rise is too fast. We have to be on guard!" Li Zhen said with a worried look on his face. "Especially this rain prayer, it was beyond our expectations. If this continues, the reputation we have accumulated over hundreds of years will be less than his few attacks!"

"That's right, especially with the newspapers, everyone will know about praying for rain. By then, everyone will praise the prince and pay attention to him. How can we compete with him?" Li Shushen also echoed.

Wang Gui pondered for a moment after hearing this, then said thoughtfully, "Is it really impossible for us and the Crown Prince to coexist?"

"This"

Upon hearing this, the family heads looked at each other again.

Cui Renshi sneered, "They've already got the knife at your door, and you're still dreaming of coexisting with them. How absurd! In my opinion, your Wang family should stop passing on poetry and literature and just become Li Tang's dogs!"

"Oh!"

When Wang Gui heard what Cui Renshi said, he was so angry that he slammed the table and said, "Don't be so presumptuous, you little brat!"

"Alright, Master Wang."

"What Master Wang! I am the Imperial Censor of the Tang Dynasty. Who do you think you are? How dare you act so presumptuously in front of me?!"

Before Lu Chengqing could say anything to smooth things over, Wang Gui interrupted them with a roar and said angrily, "Come here, show me the guest!"

"Lord Wang"

"roll!"

When the family heads heard this, their expressions changed.

After a moment, Cui Renshi was the first to stand up from his seat and snorted coldly, "Wang Gui, don't forget who is supporting you behind the scenes to get to where you are today!"

After saying this, he left without even looking at Wang Gui.

Seeing this, the other family heads looked at each other, but did not say anything more. They left silently one by one.

After watching them leave, Wang Gui was like a deflated ball, and he seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. Two lines of hot tears unconsciously fell from the corners of his eyes, and he murmured to himself: "Yu'er, uncle is sorry for you. It's not that uncle doesn't save you, but that he can't save you."

At the same time, Henan Road, Bianzhou.

The sky was originally a clear blue, the sun poured down unreservedly, a gentle breeze blew across the fields, the rice ears swayed gently, as if whispering the prelude to the harvest, each leaf sparkled with the luster of life, bright and full of green.

The working people shuttled between the ridges of the fields, occasionally straightening their backs, raising their hands to wipe the sweat from their foreheads, looking at this land full of hope, the corners of their mouths unconsciously raised, and their eyes were full of longing for the future.

At first, there was only a faint black line in the distant sky, like a mark left by a brush inadvertently, so subtle that it was almost imperceptible.

It trembled slightly at the junction of heaven and earth, as if being pulled by an invisible force, slowly moving forward.

A sharp-eyed child stopped playing with a branch, pointed in that direction in confusion, and called out in a childish voice, "Mom, look, what is that?"

Upon hearing this, a woman raised her head, put her hands on the awning, squinted her eyes and looked into the distance, but she didn't care at all, thinking it was just dust rising in the distance.

After all, it is not uncommon to see such scenes occasionally in this dry season.

However, the black line became thicker and clearer, gradually spreading out, like a gathering dark cloud, but revealing an unusual restlessness.

There seemed to be a strange smell in the air, and the originally gentle wind became a little hurried, carrying a hint of uneasiness.

The birds began to jump and chirp restlessly on the branches. They no longer foraged leisurely as usual, but looked into the distance vigilantly, as if they had sensed an impending disaster.

As time went by, the "dark cloud" expanded rapidly, approaching this peaceful land at a terrifying speed.

A buzzing sound began to appear faintly in the air. At first it sounded like the humming of mosquitoes, but gradually the sound became louder and more frequent.

It was like the sound of a surging tide coming from afar, or like the roar of thousands of troops galloping.

The other workers also saw this scene, their faces began to become solemn, they unconsciously stopped the farm work in their hands, and a trace of panic appeared in their eyes.

They finally realized that this was definitely not an ordinary natural phenomenon.

At this time, the light in the sky also became dim, and the sun was blocked by the overwhelming shadow, with only a faint light with a strange color.

The wind blew even harder, making people's clothes rustle. The crops in the fields were blown all over the place, as if they were trembling in the face of this powerful force.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the "dark cloud" appeared clearly before people's eyes. It was countless locusts.

They gathered together densely, forming a huge and terrifying force.

Each locust has a hard shell and transparent wings, which flap rapidly, making a deafening buzzing sound.

Their eyes flashed with a cold light, and they looked like emotionless killing machines, flying towards this vibrant field with a clear target.

"Locusts! Those things are locusts!!"

Someone shouted loudly, and the people suddenly fell into chaos.

"Locust plague! The locust plague is coming! Run!"

"Run!"

People ran around to tell each other, shouting and screaming mixed together.

The children were frightened by the sudden scene and were at a loss. They hugged their parents' legs tightly, their eyes filled with tears of fear.

The women hurriedly packed up their belongings, stuffed some important items into their bags, and prepared frantically to deal with this unknown disaster.

The men gathered together, holding whatever tools they could find to drive away the locusts.

Although they know it may be futile, there is still a hint of determination and resoluteness in their eyes. They want to make a final fight for this land and for their families.

In the fields, the livestock also sensed the danger. The cattle mooed uneasily, paced back and forth in the fence, and pawed the ground with their hooves.

The flock of sheep huddled together, curled up in fear, their bleating sounds full of helplessness.

The wild rabbits that were originally free jumped out from the grass and ran desperately, trying to escape from the area that was about to be devoured by locusts.

The mountains in the distance looked particularly small against the backdrop of the locust swarms, as if they were trembling in the face of this powerful force.

The river was still flowing quietly, but locusts had begun to fall onto the water in groups of two or three. They were struggling on the water, causing tiny ripples, but they could not affect the pace of the locust army's advance at all.

The whole world seemed to have fallen into a state of deathly silence and madness before the end of the world, waiting for the ruthless baptism of this disaster.

　[Please give me monthly tickets, please give me monthly tickets, please give me double monthly tickets, if you give me 1000 tickets, I will update more.]

　　
　
(End of this chapter)