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

Chapter 199: Your people are doomed to be killed alone! Even God can’t stop them! [Seeking monthly votes]

In the small square outside the Liangyi Hall.

Cui Renshi, Li Zhen, Li Shushen, Zheng Shanguo, Wang Gui and others are eagerly waiting.

Although Lu Chengqing was the only one who entered the palace to ask to see Li Shimin, Lu Chengqing's purpose was the same as theirs.

As long as Li Shimin can agree to Lu Chengqing's conditions, he can agree to their conditions.

In this way, if one person's goal is achieved, everyone's goal is achieved.

After all, the impact of the locust plague is getting worse and worse, and the food donated by the Lu family alone cannot meet the needs of the victims.

So they believed that Li Shimin would compromise with them for the sake of the victims.

However, they waited for almost half an hour and there was no news.

This made them start to worry.

If threatening Li Shimin fails and instead completely offends Li Shimin, that would be a bit bad.

Although the current political structure of the Tang Dynasty is that the emperor and the aristocratic families rule the world together, the emperor is the emperor after all. If you completely offend the emperor, even if your family is not exterminated, you will suffer serious consequences, which is not worth the loss.

"Master Cui, what do you think of the situation? Will His Majesty really agree with Master Lu?" Li Zhen asked with some concern.

Cui Renshi glanced at him sideways, frowning, but did not answer his question.

Li Shushen, standing by, said thoughtfully, "According to the information we've received, the locust plague is increasing rapidly every day and is currently spreading towards Chang'an. Even if Your Majesty can mobilize some food, it won't be enough to meet the needs of so many victims!"

"So, as of now, only we, the Five Surnames and Seven Families, can help him."

"No, it's not just us, there's another person."

Upon hearing this, all the family heads looked at Zheng Shanguo.

He stroked his beard, put on an expression of shrewdness, and said in a deep voice, "Have you forgotten Jiang Ling?"

"This"

The family heads were shocked and their faces darkened.

They have all witnessed Li Chengqian's management of Jiangling in the past two years.

Moreover, they could feel the threat of Li Chengqian more than Lu Yuanling's officials of the Five Surnames and Seven Families.

But they held high positions in the court and it was difficult for them to take action against Li Chengqian.

Therefore, everything that Lu Yuanling's officials of the Five Surnames and Seven Families did was actually secretly approved by them.

Otherwise, with the influence of Lu Yuanling's officials of the Five Surnames and Seven Families in the family, it would be impossible for them to affect hundreds of thousands of victims.

"But even if the prince has a lot of food in Jiangling, the locust plague has affected the people far more than the drought. Does he really have so much food to provide disaster relief?" Wang Gui couldn't help but interrupt.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Li Zhen seemed to react and denied it, "Food doesn't appear out of thin air. It's grown year after year. How could they grow so much food in two years, and it's even less than two years?"

"Yes! I think it's impossible too! There is no way the prince could have so much food!" Li Shushen also agreed.

Although they are the heads of the family and are not responsible for the specific affairs of the family, they are still very familiar with the assets of the family.

For example, take grain. The grain of the five surnames and seven families is replaced with new grain every year, and grain is stored every year, which is why they have a granary comparable to the national treasury.

Jiangling's development has only been two years, and they could never believe that in two years they could have a granary comparable to the national treasury.

Therefore, the moment Li Shushen finished speaking, the mood of the other family heads suddenly became clear.

At this moment, Lu Chengqing was walking out of the Liangyi Hall tremblingly.

"Lord Lu!"

Cui Renshi had been paying attention to the situation in Liangyi Hall. When he saw Lu Chengqing walking out of the hall, he immediately went to greet him.

Seeing this, the other family heads looked at each other and went forward without saying a word.

"Lord Lu, what's the situation?"

Cui Renshi held Lu Chengqing and asked impatiently.

Lu Chengqing looked at him bitterly, then looked at the other family heads, shook his head and smiled bitterly: "It's useless, our plan is useless."

"What!?"

The family heads were shocked and their scalps went numb.

But Li Zhen hurriedly asked: "What's going on, Master Lu, why is it useless?"

"Yes, Master Lu, please explain clearly. Does His Majesty disagree with our conditions, or has the situation changed and we need to discuss it again?" Li Shushen asked anxiously.

But Lu Chengqing just glanced at them without answering them. Instead, he turned to Cui Renshi and sighed, "Misfortunes sent by heaven can be avoided, but those brought upon oneself cannot be escaped!"

After saying this, he prepared to leave.

However, before he could even take a step away, Cui Renshi grabbed him and said coldly, "What do you mean, Master Lu? Are you planning to give up?!"

"I"

Lu Chengqing opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopped.

At this time, Zheng Shanguo, who had been silent all this time, suddenly said, "This is not the place to talk. Let's talk somewhere else!"

"Uh,"

Upon hearing this, the family heads subconsciously looked around and realized that they were surrounded by imperial guards. They couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for themselves and echoed: "Right, right, right! Let's talk about it somewhere else!"

"Ugh!"

Hearing the voices of agreement from the other family heads, Lu Chengqing sighed helplessly, then nodded heavily, and followed the other family heads out of the small square outside the Liangyi Hall.

At the same time, in the Liangyi Hall.

Li Shimin, Fang Xuanling and Zhangsun Wuji were looking at Li Chengqian with complicated expressions.

They couldn't understand why Li Chengqian was so tough?

Doesn’t Li Chengqian know how powerful the Five Surnames and Seven Families are?
Are you really like a newborn calf that is not afraid of a tiger?

Just when they were at their wit's end, Li Chengqian said gravely, "Father, do you really think that if you agree to their terms, the court will have food for disaster relief?"

"What do you mean?"

Li Shimin came back to his senses and frowned, "Do you think they are lying to me?"

"Although the power of the aristocratic families cannot be underestimated, they are not so bold as to deceive the emperor!" Li Chengqian shook his head and said.

"Then why is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince so determined to kill their people?"

Fang Xuanling couldn't help but ask, "Given the current situation of the Tang Dynasty, only the food in their hands can solve the urgent problem."

"Yes, Cheng Qian, killing people is a small matter, saving people is a big matter, but we can't act on impulse!" Changsun Wuji echoed.

"No, even if they donated all the food in their family, it would be impossible for them to feed the millions of disaster victims. Moreover, they can't donate all the food in their family!"

"So, if we compromise with them for a single, urgent grain donation, will we have to compromise with them again when faced with a greater crisis in the future? Then, will the Tang Dynasty rule the country under the Li family, or the Five Surnames and Seven Aristocrats?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji looked at each other in surprise.

Li Shimin, standing by, also had a sullen expression on his face. He spoke in a cold tone, "The Tang Dynasty naturally belongs to the Li family, but can't we resolve the current crisis?"

"You know there are millions of disaster victims! If these victims rebel because they can't get food aid, do you know the consequences?"

"Father, since ancient times, natural disasters and man-made disasters have always occurred together. I know this, but has Your Majesty ever considered that man can conquer nature?"

"Who can conquer nature?" Li Shimin asked back with a frown.

Li Chengqian raised his hand to support his forehead: "It is through human strength that we can overcome natural disasters!"

"This..." Fang Xuanling hesitated for a moment, then was the first to react and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince means to manually eliminate the locusts?"

"That's right!"

"No, Cheng Qian! The ministers in the court said that locusts are divine insects and we cannot kill them. We must let them devour the crops!" Changsun Wuji shook his head and sighed.

"Bad words!"

Li Chengqian was furious. "Who the hell said that?! How dare they call a pest a divine insect?!"

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji's face turned green.

Because these words not only insulted the minister who said them, but also got him implicated.

But when Li Shimin heard the word "pest", his eyes lit up and he asked in a somewhat unnatural voice: "What do you mean by 'pest'?"

"Pests are insects that harm people!"

Li Chengqian was somewhat speechless and said, "For example, the locust plague we are experiencing now is a disaster caused by locusts. So, these locusts are pests because they damage the people's crops!"

"For example, mosquitoes, flies, lice and other things are also pests because they make us sick."

"There are also ants whose nests can cause the collapse of a thousand-mile dike, woodworms in the beams of houses, rice weevils in grain, and even leeches in water—they are all pests."

"This"

After hearing what Li Chengqian said, the eyes of Li Shimin and the other two lit up like torches, their gazes burning.

They never imagined that there were so many categories of pests.

Because the pests that ordinary people know are mosquitoes that suck human blood, or poisonous insects that poison people. They have never thought that insects that do not harm people can also be called pests.

This made the thinking of Li Shimin and the other two rise to an unprecedented height. Don't underestimate this change in thinking.

For example, everyone knows that Kongming lanterns can fly, but it took many years for hot air balloons to be invented.

For example, take the law of universal gravitation. Countless people have been hit on the head by apples, but it was Newton who discovered the law of universal gravitation.

Sometimes the change in ancient people’s thinking was caused by just one sentence.

Li Shimin stood up excitedly, as if he had been enlightened. He clenched his fingers tightly, and the depressed interest that had been suppressed in his heart was swept away.

Didn’t the civil and military officials say that locusts were ‘divine insects’?

Since it is a 'divine insect', why would it harm people?

Why is a harmful insect called a "divine insect"?
What about Confucianism? What about the words of Confucius, Dong Zhongshu, and Ban Gu? How absurd is it to differentiate between locusts and mosquitoes?
Any insect that harms people is a pest!

Li Shimin's heart was as hot as a volcano erupting.

However, Fang Xuanling's next words were like an unprecedented rainstorm on a volcano, instantly wiping out his good mood.

Fang Xuanling then said thoughtfully, "The problem is, even if we know locusts are pests, the ministers in the court, including the people of the world, all think locusts are magical insects. What should we do?"

"Yes! There are millions of people there. Do we have to correct them one by one?" Changsun Wuji echoed.

The light in Li Shimin's eyes suddenly dimmed.

But Li Chengqian sighed and said, "Prejudice in people's hearts is like a mountain. No matter how hard you try, you can't move it."

"but."

Then he changed the subject and continued, "Why should we move this mountain? Don't we have people? We can just kill the locusts ourselves and show them that locusts can be killed!"

"As long as the locusts are eradicated and their crops are saved, more and more people will join us."

"In this case, are you still worried that the impact of the locust plague will continue to expand?"

"This"

Li Shimin and the other two looked at each other and couldn't help but smile knowingly.

It is said that the prince is "cunning and resourceful", and he actually found a strategy to deal with the locust plague.

However, while feeling happy, Li Shimin thought of a key point: "Also, even if the people join our locust eradication campaign, the number of locusts is not a small number. How can we ensure that we can completely eliminate them?"

"Yes, all dynasties have thought about eliminating locusts. The reason why locusts are called 'divine insects' is not because they cannot be killed, but because they cannot be killed at all!" Fang Xuanling nodded in agreement.

Changsun Wuji frowned and asked, "Does Chengqian have a good way to kill the locusts?"

"Yes, there are, but we can't completely eliminate the locusts. We can only reduce the impact of locusts on people's crops," Li Chengqian said thoughtfully.

"What!?"

Li Shimin and the other two were suddenly shocked when they heard this.

Li Shimin came to Li Chengqian without saying a word and said excitedly: "You just said you can reduce the impact of locusts on people's crops?!"

“Yes, yes.”

Li Chengqian hesitated and said, "If we just want to reduce the impact of locusts on crops, it can still be done. For example, to reduce the number of locusts, I have several ways!"

Several?
Li Shimin and the other two were so shocked that they were stunned.

Everyone couldn't help but gasp.

"hiss!"

Li Shimin felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest. He stared at Li Chengqian with a sharp gaze and said word by word, "Are you serious, my son?!"

"Look at what Father said, why would I lie to you if I'm fine?"

Li Chengqian said with a hint of amusement, "Besides, isn't your Tang Dynasty also my Tang Dynasty? Would I harm the people of my Tang Dynasty?"

"you!"

When Li Shimin heard Li Chengqian's words, he was so angry that he almost fainted. He could not help but said indignantly: "What do you mean by your Tang Dynasty, my Tang Dynasty? I am not dead yet!"

"Oh, Father, look at you, you're anxious again!"

Li Chengqian wiped the spit from his face speechlessly, then moved his butt to the side a few times before frowning and saying, "Anyway, there are many ways to eliminate locusts."

"For example?" Changsun Wuji couldn't help but interrupt.

Li Chengqian smiled at him and said, "For example, eating! Uncle, you've probably never tasted locusts, right?"

"Uh, this."

Changsun Wuji's mouth twitched, and he was speechless for a moment.

Fang Xuanling asked curiously, "Your Highness, do you mean that locusts are edible?"

"Sure, locusts are very nutritious. As long as you know how to cook them, they taste pretty good, just like fried fish!"

Li Chengqian smiled and nodded, "Moreover, it can help with digestion and even cure diseases, such as relieving coughs and asthma, clearing meridians and relieving spasms, convulsions and so on."

"This"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin and the other two couldn't help but widen their eyes, their faces full of disbelief.

After a long while, Zhangsun Wuji said in surprise and doubt, "Cheng Qian, are these locusts really as good as you say?"

"Uncle, don't you understand me yet? Will the food I let you eat harm you?"

"But this, this is too unbelievable!"

"Yes! When the hot air balloon didn't fly into the sky, people thought it was impossible. But what happened later? Didn't my uncle see it?"

Li Chengqian shrugged and said.

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji was speechless again.

Li Shimin, standing aside, looked at Li Chengqian with a complicated expression. He gradually accepted Li Chengqian's method and then couldn't help asking curiously, "You said the method of eliminating locusts is to eat people, right?"

"It doesn't have to be eaten by humans. Chickens, ducks, and geese can also be eaten, or they can be killed and fed to other animals!"

"Oh, right."

At this point, Li Chengqian suddenly seemed to remember something and added, "Locusts that gather in large numbers are poisonous. So after catching them, you can't cook them and eat them right away. You have to leave them for a while until their color changes and they're no longer poisonous before you cook them and eat them!"

"Besides eating them, is there any other way to eliminate locusts?" Fang Xuanling continued.

Li Chengqian thought for a moment and said, "Besides eating them, there are other ways to catch and kill them. For example, we can use a fine net, set bait, and wait for a large number of locusts to enter the net, then catch them all in one swoop!"

"For example, at night, when there's a bonfire, locusts are attracted to the light and will rush towards it like moths to a flame, burning to death!"

"For example, we search for locust eggs, dig out the larvae and eggs, and burn or boil them to death."

"In short, there are many ways to eliminate locusts. Use whichever one is practical!"

"This"

After hearing what Li Chengqian said, Li Shimin and the other two felt refreshed.

The smiles on the three people's faces did not stop until Li Chengqian left Liangyi Hall with Li Shimin's imperial edict.

As Li Chengqian walked out of Liangyi Hall, Cui Renshi and others came towards him outside the door.

Seeing their furious expressions, Li Chengqian couldn't help but call out to them with amusement: "My Lords, are you trying to force the emperor to abdicate?"

"Ok?"

Cui Renshi and his companions paused and looked in the direction of the sound.

Li Chengqian was looking at them with a half-smile, but his face suddenly darkened.

"What do you mean, Prince?!" Li Zhen spoke first.

Li Chengqian glanced at him indifferently and ignored him. Instead, he turned to Wang Gui, the highest-ranking official, and asked, "Grand Censor, I heard that you are now the teacher of the King of Yue. I want to ask you, what does it mean to be disrespectful to superiors and inferiors?"

"Ah? This"

Wang Gui was startled for a moment, then quickly bowed to Li Chengqian and said, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to the Crown Prince!"

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, we pay our respects to you!" Cui Renshi and the others also reacted and hurriedly saluted Li Chengqian.

But Li Chengqian still ignored them and said to Li Zhen who had just spoken: "Don't rely on your family's influence and have no rules at all."

"Just based on what you did just now, I can punish you for the crime of disrespect!"

"but."

As he spoke, he changed the subject and said with a smile, "I'm in a good mood today, so I won't bother with you. Remember to collect the bodies of your nephews!"

"His Royal Highness!"

Li Chengqian had just finished speaking when Cui Renshi's voice suddenly rang out: "Do you really want to go against us?"

Li Chengqian smiled meaningfully: "Do you think you can keep the assassination a secret from everyone?"

"I have a long life ahead of me, let's take our time and have fun!"

After saying this, he waved the imperial edict in his hand and said as he walked away: "I advise you again, don't go looking for His Majesty. The person I want to kill, not only His Majesty, but also God can't stop him!"

How dare you! !
Cui Renshi and his companions were so angry at these words that their faces turned pale, their bodies trembled, and their eyes looked murderous.

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(End of this chapter)