Tang Dynasty: Taking the Empress Dowager to a brothel, Father Emperor, what a coincidence!

Liaodong, Xuantu City.

"Your Highness, a secret report has arrived from the rear. Grain merchants in the Hebei region have suddenly joined forces to raise grain prices, and the market is almost completely sold out of grain."

Our supply of provisions is likely to run out.

Li Jing walked in with a worried expression, holding the secret report.

Li Chengqian said nonchalantly:

"So be it. I knew those old foxes would cause trouble behind the scenes."

"Your Highness, do they really not care about their own son?"

Li Jing looked at Li Chengqian with some doubt and asked.

"Hmph! When I went on the expedition, I appointed Cui Mingan as the grain supervisor. That old fox directly caused the price of grain to rise, and the Ministry of Revenue was unable to purchase grain."

This has nothing to do with him, the grain inspector.

If I were to harm their precious son now, I would have no justification whatsoever.

Li Chengqian pursed his lips.

"What can we do then? Feeding 100,000 soldiers and horses every day is an astronomical figure. Without supplies, how can we fight?"

Li Jing continued to ask with concern.

Li Chengqian looked at Li Jing and smiled:

"Uncle Li, have you ever heard this saying?"

"What did you say?"

"We had no guns or cannons, but the enemy made them for us."

Li Chengqian stood up, walked to the map of Goguryeo, and drew a circle on it with his finger.

"Which of the nobles and aristocratic families in Goguryeo isn't incredibly wealthy? We've come all this way; do you think we're expecting to transport grain from Chang'an?"

Li Jing was stunned.

"Your Highness means..."

"Using war to sustain war."

Li Chengqian slammed his hand on the map.

"Pass down the order: after every city is captured, immediately confiscate the mansions of all Goguryeo nobles and aristocratic families within the city. All grain, gold, silver, and cloth shall be seized and used as military supplies."

Li Jing looked at Li Chengqian in shock and asked:

"What will happen to the people in the city?"

"The common people?"

Li Chengqian sneered.

Those who are willing to submit to the Tang Dynasty will be given grain and land, and will be exempt from taxes for three years.

Those unwilling to submit will be sent to build roads and mines. I want these common people of Goguryeo to know that those who follow the Tang Dynasty will have food to eat, while those who follow their king will only go hungry.

"Your Highness is wise."

Li Jing had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"Alright, go check on how things are going with Fang Yi'ai. That kid's good for nothing else, but he's a pro at confiscating property."

Li Chengqian waved his hand.

In the eastern district of Xuantu City, in front of a luxurious mansion covering an extremely large area.

Fang Yi'ai and a group of soldiers were carrying out boxes of gold and silver treasures and bags of grain.

He was holding a booklet filled with names.

This booklet is the "List of Goguryeo Hereditary Households" that Li Chengqian had the Hundred Cavalry Division collect in advance.

This is largely thanks to Huang Chao.

When Li Chengqian saw what Huang Chao had done, it opened a door to a whole new world for him.

So this is how house raiding can be done.

"Who's next?"

Fang Yi'ai turned a page and asked.

Xiao Shunzi, who was standing next to him, leaned over for a look and said:

"Reporting to Young Master, this family is surnamed Park. They are the largest grain merchant in Xuantu City, and it is said that they have some kinship with the Goguryeo royal family."

Fang Yi'ai's eyes lit up immediately.

"A grain merchant? Or a relative of the royal family? There must be a lot of money to be made. Brothers, turn this yard upside down, even dig out the winter rations from the rat holes."

The soldiers responded with a roar and rushed into the next house.

Before long, a richly dressed Goguryeo merchant was dragged out by two soldiers and thrown at Fang Yi'ai's feet.

The wealthy businessman knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, saying:

"General, spare my life! General, spare my life! I'm willing to hand over all my possessions, I just beg you to spare my dog's life."

Fang Yi'ai patted the wealthy businessman's cheek with the back of his knife.

"You're Boss Park? I heard you're quite wealthy; your warehouses are practically overflowing with grain?"

Just a few days ago, they were buying up civilians' food supplies at low prices and then reselling them to the garrison at high prices?

Mr. Park stammered in his defense:

"General, you are wise. I was forced into this situation. I have always been loyal to the Tang Dynasty. Yes, my ancestors were originally from the Central Plains."

Fang Yi'ai was taken aback, and casually asked:

"A person from the Central Plains? Where is your ancestor from?"

Mr. Park hurriedly said:

"Shandong. My ancestors were from Qizhou, Shandong. General, we are fellow townsmen."

"When fellow villagers meet, tears well up in their eyes. I beg the general, for the sake of our shared ancestry, please spare my life."

Fang Yi'ai stroked his chin, and said thoughtfully:

"Qizhou, Shandong? That's really a fellow townsman."

When Boss Park heard Fang Yi'ai's words, he was overjoyed.

He was about to thank him when Fang Yi'ai kicked him to the ground.

"You still have the nerve to call yourself a Shandong native? As a citizen of the Tang Dynasty, you've come to Goguryeo to be a dog for a foreign tribe? You're even helping them oppress the people and hoard military supplies to fight against the royal army? You've forgotten your ancestors and betrayed your nation."

Fang Yi'ai pointed at him and started cursing.

Boss Park looked at Fang Yi'ai with a face full of horror.

"General, I..."

"Stop talking nonsense. Since we're from the same hometown, I'll give you special treatment."

"Guards! Confiscate all the property of this ungrateful wretch! Break the legs of the men and have them work on the city walls for three days; demote the women to government slaves. Anyone who resists will be killed on the spot!"

The soldiers immediately pounced and began arresting people.

Boss Park never dreamed that his words, "fellow townsman," would become his death warrant.

On a street corner not far away, Changsun Chong and Cheng Chumo were watching this scene.

"Chu Mo, why do I feel like Fang Yi'ai is getting more and more perverted? Is he getting pleasure from ransacking houses?"

Changsun Chong swallowed and asked.

Cheng Chumo curled his lip:

"You don't know anything. His Highness the Crown Prince said this is called class struggle."

"Break down the landlords and distribute the land; only then will the people remember our kindness. Look at the people over there."

Changsun Chong looked in the direction Cheng Chumo was pointing.

On another street, several clerks were standing on a high platform, loudly reading out Li Chengqian's proclamation to reassure the people.

"By order of the Crown Prince of the Great Tang! All the people of Xuantu City who are willing to submit to the Great Tang shall be granted three dou of grain and five mu of fertile land per household. They shall also be exempt from all taxes and corvée labor for three years."

The Goguryeo people below the stage initially couldn't believe it was real until they saw carts of grain being pushed out and distributed.

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

Countless ragged people knelt on the ground, kowtowing and weeping in the direction of the city lord's mansion.

"Long live the Great Tang Dynasty! Long live His Highness the Crown Prince!"

"We're saved. We won't go hungry anymore."

Changsun Chong watched this scene and muttered to himself:

"Your Highness is trying to wipe Goguryeo off this land altogether."

Cheng Chumo patted Changsun Chong on the shoulder:

"Don't just stand there. I heard there's still a big family on that street that hasn't been raided yet. If we're late, that bastard Fang Yi'ai won't even leave us a drop of soup."

"Let's go, let's rob the rich and help the poor!"