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

After returning to Ganlu Hall, Li Shimin began to walk around inside the hall.

"Something's not right, something's really not right."

Li Shimin looked at Wang De and asked...

"Wang De, calculate for me exactly how much money this rebellious son made today."

Wang De hurriedly stepped forward and said:

"Your Majesty, I just took a quick look around the front courtyard of the East Palace."

The pile of copper coins on the ground was worth at least tens of thousands of strings of cash. Add to that the gold and silver ingots in those boxes and the flying tickets...

The Crown Prince's figure of over a million strings of cash is no less than that.

These are just the merchants in Chang'an. If we include the major salt and grain merchants from Jiangnan and Sichuan who rushed to Chang'an after receiving the news...

"His Highness the Crown Prince's trading company is probably absorbing money faster than robbing a bank."

Li Shimin was completely stunned.

He was envious.

He worked himself to the bone for a year, and the tax revenue at most was three million strings of cash.

This rebellious son of mine earned a third of the Tang Dynasty's tax revenue in just one day?

"It's too dangerous to keep this money in the Eastern Palace."

This rebellious son has money and troops in Liaodong. If this continues, who will call the shots in this Tang Dynasty—him or me?

Li Shimin had already begun to find excuses for himself.

Wang De stood to the side, wanting to say something, but didn't dare to speak.

He also saw through Li Shimin's plan.

"No. This business absolutely cannot remain in his hands."

Li Shimin said with righteous indignation,

"How can the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty be so greedy and compete with the people for profit? What kind of behavior is this?"

"Issue an imperial decree: after the morning court session tomorrow, summon the Crown Prince to the Ganlu Hall to see me."

......

The next day, at the Ganlu Palace.

After the court session, Li Chengqian strolled over leisurely.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Li Shimin, with a stern face, threw a memorial at Li Chengqian's feet.

"Take a good look at how these censors are insulting you."

Li Chengqian glanced down at the memorial, then kicked it aside with his toe.

"Father, my eye ailment has flared up recently, and I can't bear to look at these densely packed characters. Please just tell me, how did Lord Wei and the others slander me this time?"

Seeing Li Chengqian's attitude, Li Shimin roared angrily:

"Stop pretending to be crazy."

I ask you, you used Chang Le as a pretext to provoke those money-grubbing merchants, and now the whole of Chang'an is criticizing the royal family.

Do you still respect me as your father? Do you still respect the ancestral laws of the Tang Dynasty?

Li Chengqian said with a wronged expression:

"Father, I am doing this for the sake of the Tang Dynasty."

Aren't you short of money? The national treasury is empty, and the Liaodong army is starving for food.

"If I don't lower myself to earn money, am I supposed to just watch the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty go hungry?"

"Being short of money doesn't mean you have to lose all sense of shame."

Li Shimin slammed his fist on the table and began a frenzied attack.

"The crown prince himself is leading the way in business, competing with the people for profit."

If this were passed down to future generations, how would history books record "朕" (the emperor/me)?

"Is this a case of my poor upbringing, resulting in a merchant prince?"

Li Chengqian lowered his head, looking obedient and humble.

Seeing that the time was right, Li Shimin's tone gradually softened:

"Brilliant! I know you mean well."

But you handled this very poorly. The name of the Great Tang Royal Trading Company is too prestigious.

"You, as the crown prince, can't handle this situation."

Li Chengqian looked up, blinked, and asked:

"What does Father mean?"

"Hand it over."

Li Shimin's true intentions were revealed at the last moment.

"Transfer the management rights of the trading company and all its account books to the Imperial Household Department. I will send a special person to manage them."

This way, the royal family's reputation can be preserved, and the mouths of those censors can be silenced.

As for you, you should stay in the Eastern Palace and study your Confucian classics. This is the proper thing for the crown prince to do.

After Li Shimin finished speaking, he prepared to meet Li Chengqian's resistance.

Based on his understanding of this rebellious son, it would be a miracle if he didn't resist.

After a moment of silence, Li Chengqian finally spoke.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

"puff!"

Li Shimin spat out the mouthful of tea he had just drunk.

He stared wide-eyed at Li Chengqian and asked:

"What did you say?"

"Your subject obeys the decree."

Li Chengqian said with an obedient expression,

"Father's admonition is correct. As the crown prince, I should indeed not be tainted by such money."

I am more than willing to hand over the business to the Imperial Household Department.

"I'll have Xiao Shunzi bring the account books and land deeds over shortly."

Li Shimin was stunned.

You agreed just like that?

This isn't right.

But Li Shimin was overjoyed.

This kid has finally shown some maturity for once.

"well!"

Li Shimin laughed loudly.

"You truly are my good son. I am very pleased that you have such a magnanimous heart."

Don't worry, I won't take your money for nothing.

There are still a few pairs of mutton-fat jade ruyi scepters in the Imperial Treasury, which were tributes from the Western Regions. I'll have Wang De deliver them to the Eastern Palace for you later.

Exchange a few pairs of broken jade ruyi for a trading company that can earn millions of strings of cash a day.

Li Shimin felt he had struck gold this time.

Just as Li Shimin was basking in the joy of getting something for free, Li Chengqian suddenly sighed.

"Father, now that the trading company has been handed over, I feel at ease. But..."

"Just what?"

Li Shimin was in a great mood at this moment.

"Tell me if you have any difficulties. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll grant your request."

Li Chengqian wiped his eyes and began to unleash his acting prowess:

"As Father Emperor knows, my Eastern Palace Guard has several thousand men, from top to bottom."

In recent years, their provisions, weapons, and armor upgrades have all been supported by my own pocket.

Now that the trading company is gone, my purse is completely empty.

"I truly cannot afford next month's military pay."

Li Shimin frowned and asked:

"The expenses of the Crown Prince's Guard are naturally allocated by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue. Why are you worrying about it?"

Li Chengqian complained:

"Father, you may not know this, but every time the Ministry of War allocates funds and grain, it's either short of the required amount or the grain is moldy and stale."

My guards are here to protect the safety of the Crown Prince's palace.

The soldiers were starving and cold, and their swords were rusty. How would they fight an assassin?

"So what do you want?"

A bad feeling suddenly rose in Li Shimin's heart.

"Since the merchant guild has handed over the funds to the national treasury, the establishment and expenses of the Eastern Palace Guard should naturally be fully borne by the national treasury."

Li Chengqian said with a smile,

"Your Majesty, I dare to request that Your Majesty issue an edict to formally upgrade the Eastern Palace Guard to the Imperial Guard."

It was an independent entity, not subject to the control of the Ministry of War.

Provisions, provisions, and weapons were directly allocated in full by the Ministry of Revenue at the highest standards.

Li Shimin's smile froze.

Independent organization? Not under the control of the Ministry of War?

All the armies of the Tang Dynasty were under the command of the Ministry of War.

Although the Eastern Palace Guards were nominally the Crown Prince's private army, their organization and deployment still depended on the Minister of War.

If it becomes an "independent entity," then this army will completely become Li Chengqian's legitimate private armed force.

The Ministry of War has no jurisdiction over it, and even the emperor himself would be illegitimate if he wanted to intervene.

And the national treasury has to bear the full cost of the highest level of expenditure?

Li Shimin stared intently at Li Chengqian.

So this rebellious son was waiting for me here all along.

Trading a trading company for a fully legitimate regular army?

"Don't even think about it!"

Li Shimin stood up and roared.

"The military system of the Tang Dynasty is not to be trifled with! The Eastern Palace Guard is an independent entity; what are you trying to do? Are you trying to maintain a private army in Chang'an?"

Li Chengqian shrugged and said:

"What makes you say that, Father? I simply cannot afford to support the army anymore and wish for the court to take over."

If Father Emperor feels this is inappropriate, then I will find a solution myself.

"I won't hand over the merchant guild's money. I can earn enough to support my troops myself; that's not illegal, is it?"

"You dare threaten me?"

"Your subject dares not."

Li Chengqian said confidently.

"Your Majesty, I am merely discussing a business deal with you."

I'll give you the business, and you'll prosper. I'll give you military power, and I'll save my life.

Everyone gets what they need; how fair!

Li Shimin was so angry that he trembled all over.

Is this what you call fair?

Although the business makes money, it is ultimately just money.

Military power is a deadly thing.

But if they don't agree, then the merchant's daily income of millions of strings of cash will all end up in this kid's pocket.

With so much money, how many soldiers couldn't he recruit in Liaodong? How many firearms couldn't he manufacture?

Letting him earn money to support his army would pose an even greater threat.

Li Shimin was in a dead end.

If you want money, you have to provide official positions so that the crown prince can legally command troops.

Without spending any money, the prince, holding a treasure bowl, will eventually be able to amass a million-strong army.

This is a complete dead end.