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

"Li Chengqian! You unfilial son, get out here and face me!"

Li Shimin, carrying his sword, stormed into the Eastern Palace in a fit of rage.

In the courtyard, Li Chengqian was eating a slice of watermelon while Xiao Shunzi fanned him.

Seeing Li Shimin's imposing, god-like demeanor, Xiao Shunzi was so frightened that he dropped his fan to the ground.

Li Chengqian slowly swallowed the watermelon in his mouth, took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands, and then stood up to greet him.

"Father, what's wrong? Why are you so angry on such a hot day? Who's been so foolish as to upset you?"

Li Chengqian looked at Li Shimin with an innocent expression, and casually picked up a cup of tea from the tea tray next to him and handed it over.

"Here, have some chrysanthemum tea to cool down."

"Don't give me that."

Li Shimin slapped the teacup open.

He placed the sword against Li Chengqian's neck.

"Stop playing dumb in front of me. I'm asking you, where are the five hundred men who were recruited in the West Market?"

Li Shimin asked through gritted teeth,

"You actually dared to send the Tang Dynasty's top spies to Liaodong to mine coal?"

Li Chengqian blinked and said:

"A spy? What spy?"

Father, what makes you say that?

The people I recruited were all vagrants and wandering knights who were just looking for a meal.

I see they're all big and strong; keeping them in Chang'an is a waste of food. It would be better to send them to Liaodong to make them shine."

"You still dare to argue?"

Li Shimin was so angry he wanted to kill him with a single sword stroke.

"Those are all my elite Hundred Cavalry. How dare you send them to mine?"

"Oh dear, so you're one of Father Emperor's men?"

Li Chengqian looked at Li Shimin with a face full of frustration.

"Father, why didn't you say so sooner? If you had given me a heads-up, how could I have dared to send them to do such rough work?"

Li Shimin snorted coldly:

"Now you know fear? Too late. Today I'm going to teach you a lesson, you arrogant and rebellious son."

After saying this, Li Shimin made a gesture as if to press his sword down.

"Father, wait!"

Li Chengqian shouted, took a half step back, pulled an account book from his sleeve, and shoved it directly in front of Li Shimin.

"Father, you can take a look at this first before you cut it."

Li Shimin paused for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at the account book.

"What is this thing?"

"This is the latest profit summary of Royal Trading Company this month, as well as the output value forecast of Liaodong Coal and Iron Mine."

Li Chengqian turned to the first page and pointed to the numbers on it.

"Father, look, after those five hundred strong men arrived in Liaodong, the coal mine's output doubled."

If it's 1,000 jin a day, then 500 people would make 500,000 jin.

These coals, once transported back to Chang'an and resold, would fetch a fortune.

Li Shimin's gaze was instantly fixed on the scene.

The string of zeros above made his heart race.

"Not only that."

Li Chengqian continued.

"The coal they dig out is sent directly into the steelmaking furnace."

Liaodong's current steel production is enough to equip half of the Tang Dynasty's border troops.

The amount of military spending saved is astronomical.

Li Shimin swallowed.

He really wanted to be tough, throw the account book on the ground, and then chop this rebellious son in half with his sword.

But the Tang Dynasty's treasury desperately needed this money.

Winter is just around the corner, and disaster relief efforts and military pay allocations are leaving many places in dire need of funds.

The Royal Merchant Guild is now the Tang Dynasty's money bag.

Li Shimin's hand, holding the sword, froze in mid-air, unsure whether to strike or retract it.

Seeing this, Li Chengqian quickly stepped forward, grasped the sword hilt with both hands, and carefully moved the sword away.

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

You see, those elite troops are just idling around in Chang'an anyway, so why not go to Liaodong to train their physique?

After they've been mining coal for six months, they'll be even stronger than they are now.

"Then I will return them to you intact, what do you think?"

Li Shimin's face twitched a few times.

Are you trying to fool me?

But he knew very well that he could only suffer in silence.

If things really fall out, and Li Chengqian cuts off the merchant's goods, the national treasury will immediately come to a standstill.

"snort!"

Li Shimin retrieved the sword and tried to save face.

"Don't try to fool me with money."

"I'm telling you, if even a single hair on the heads of these five hundred men is missing, I will hold you responsible!"

"Father, rest assured, I will definitely instruct those in Liaodong to provide them with extra food. They will be well-fed at every meal."

Li Chengqian assured him with a grin.

Li Shimin glared fiercely at Li Chengqian before turning and walking out.

Wang De quickly led the eunuchs to follow.

As Li Shimin stepped out of the East Palace gate, his face instantly darkened.

He glanced back at the plaque of the Eastern Palace, feeling extremely frustrated.

As the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, he was constantly met with setbacks by the crown prince.

In terms of accumulating wealth, he is no match for the Crown Prince.

When it comes to being a rogue, he's no match for her.

This feeling of being out of control made Li Shimin feel an unprecedented crisis.

"No, we can't let this rebellious son's family have any more power."

Li Shimin sat in the imperial carriage, his fingers tapping on the armrests.

"He has money and troops now, and he's getting too cocky. We need to find someone to put him in his place."

The art of ruling is all about balance.

Since they can't control the crown prince, they should support another force to check and balance him.

Several princes' names flashed through Li Shimin's mind.

Prince Li Ke of Shu? No, he has blood from the former Sui Dynasty, and his identity is too sensitive.

King Li You of Qi? He's utterly hopeless.

After thinking it over, Li Shimin's eyes lit up.

Li Tai.

Li Tai was the legitimate son of Empress Zhangsun, of noble birth, and was exceptionally intelligent and talented from a young age, making him Emperor Taizong's favorite.

More importantly, Li Tai is a quick-witted fellow.

A while ago, because of Princess Chang Le's arranged marriage, Li Tai was slapped twice in public by Li Chengqian, and Li Tai must have remembered this.

The enemy of the enemy is the friend.

"Wang De!"

Li Shimin suddenly spoke up.

"This servant is here."

Wang De quickly moved to the window.

"Upon returning to the palace, immediately draft an imperial edict."

Li Shimin sneered.

"Li Tai, the Prince of Yue, was granted the fief of ten thousand households, and was awarded ten thousand taels of gold and a thousand bolts of brocade. In addition, he was granted the special permission to establish a literary academy in his palace to recruit talented scholars and famous figures from all over the country."

After hearing this, Wang De gasped.

A fiefdom of ten thousand households? That's the highest honor a prince could enjoy.

Establishing a literary academy? This is practically allowing the King of Wei to cultivate relationships with court officials and build his own faction.

What is Your Majesty trying to do? Is he going to depose the Crown Prince?

Wang De dared not ask any more questions and could only bow his head in agreement.

Half an hour later, at the Yue King's residence.

Li Tai was lying on a soft couch, being massaged on the shoulders by several maids.

The bruises from being beaten by Li Chengqian a few days ago haven't completely faded yet, and even the slightest touch makes me wince in pain.

"Be gentle! Haven't you eaten?"

Li Tai kicked a maid away in frustration.

Just then, the butler rushed in.

"Your Highness! Great news! People from the palace have arrived. Eunuch Wang has come to the front hall with an imperial edict."

Li Tai was taken aback, quickly got up from the soft couch, straightened his clothes, and then strode towards the front hall.

Wang De stood in the center of the hall, holding the imperial edict in his hands.

After the announcement, Li Tai was completely stunned.

A fiefdom of ten thousand households? Ten thousand taels of gold? And the ability to establish a literary museum?

The windfall was so huge it knocked him unconscious.

"Your Highness, please accept the imperial decree."

Wang De handed over the imperial edict with a smile.

Li Tai received the imperial edict with trembling hands and kowtowed several times.

After seeing Wang De off, Li Tai looked at the imperial edict in his hand and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Father still loves me."

"Brother, even Father can't stand you bullying me every day anymore."

Li Tai wasn't stupid; he certainly understood the political signal behind the imperial edict.

The Emperor is supporting him, letting him compete against the Crown Prince.

The news caused an uproar throughout Chang'an.

All the astute courtiers sensed the shift in the political climate.

The emperor is essentially condoning a power struggle between two princes for the throne.

The Cui family of Qinghe.

Cui Mingan was sitting with several heads of prominent families, drinking tea.

Upon hearing the servants' report that the King of Wei had been granted a title.

"Okay! Okay!"

Cui Mingan stood up excitedly.

"I was just worried about how to deal with that wicked crown prince, and His Majesty has delivered the knife to us."

Wang Qinian smiled sinisterly:

"The Crown Prince has caused us a lot of trouble lately. He has seized our trade routes and ruined our reputation."

Now that His Majesty has made it clear that he intends to support the Prince of Wei, our opportunity has arrived.

"good!"

The head of the Lu family echoed,

"The Prince of Wei is exceptionally talented and is also favored by His Majesty."

As long as our five surnames and seven clans join forces and pour all our resources into King Wei, we can help him recruit retainers and create momentum.

The position of crown prince will have to be changed sooner or later.

Cui Mingan slammed his fist on the table:

"Prepare the carriage! Take that three-foot-tall red coral from the storeroom; I'm going to pay my respects to the Prince of Wei right now."

Night falls.

The area in front of the Prince of Wei's mansion was bustling with activity, with officials and representatives of prominent families arriving in droves, making it even more lively than the Lunar New Year.

Li Tai sat in the main seat of the hall, looking down at the mountain of congratulatory gifts and the sycophantic patriarchs of the noble families who were usually high and mighty, and felt like he was floating on air.

The feeling of having great power and being admired by others is wonderful.

Meanwhile, inside the Ganlu Hall.

Li Shimin sat alone in front of the chessboard, holding a black chess piece in his hand, listening to Li Junxian report on the lively scene at the Prince of Wei's residence.

"Go, all of you go."

Li Shimin slammed a black piece onto the chessboard and let out a cold laugh.

"The fiercer the fight, the better."

Only when the Tang Dynasty's court is thrown into chaos can I regain control of the entire situation.