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

The Eastern Palace.

Li Chengqian was pointing at the sand table with a wooden stick, instructing Cheng Chumo and others on how to train the new army.

"Your Highness, isn't carrying a fifty-mile load a bit too much? Those Hundred Cavalrymen are already vomiting blood from the training, can these new recruits handle it?"

Cheng Chumo asked with some concern.

Li Chengqian threw the wooden stick away:

"Spitting blood means the training is up to par. If those Hundred Cavalrymen could withstand it, why can't they?"

If you really can't stand it, just divide this into two sessions, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

Cheng Chumo said with a smile:

"Understood. Your Highness, just wait and see. I will definitely train them into elite troops."

Just then, a shout came from outside the door.

"Big brother! Help!"

With a bang, the study door was kicked open.

Something round rolled in from outside.

Li Chengqian was startled and instinctively took two steps back.

Cheng Chumo, Fang Yi'ai, and the others immediately drew their swords from their waists.

"There's an assassin."

The ball of flesh rolled twice on the ground, then grabbed Li Chengqian's leg and shouted:

"Big brother! My dear brother! Please don't kill me!"

Only then did Li Chengqian realize that it was Li Tai who had barged in.

"Qingque? What are you doing here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

Li Chengqian tried to pull his leg away in disgust, but Li Tai was holding him too tightly.

"Brother, I was wrong. It was all Father's doing. Father wanted to harm me."

Li Tai took out the imperial edict from Li Shimin's pocket.

"Brother, look, I really didn't ask for this imperial edict."

I swear, I have absolutely no interest in the position of Crown Prince. Whoever wants to be the Crown Prince is a coward.

Cheng Chumo looked at Li Tai with a face full of admiration.

As expected of someone from the royal family.

When they get ruthless, they even curse themselves.

Looking at Li Tai's cowardly appearance, Li Chengqian felt a sense of doubt.

What's wrong with this kid? Why is he so scared?

Is your aura really that strong?

However, this matter is really not Li Tai's fault.

This is because Old Deng, seeing that he had recently become too powerful and had both money and troops, couldn't sit still and wanted to play a game of checks and balances.

"Alright. Get up now, look at how pathetic you are."

Li Chengqian bent down and lifted Li Tai up.

"Big brother, you really won't kill me?"

Li Tai looked at Li Chengqian pitifully and asked.

Why would I kill you? So you could eat meat during the New Year?

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes at him, annoyed.

"But just now at the palace gate, the steward of the Cui family had his throat slit right in front of me."

Didn't you send someone to warn me, brother?

Li Chengqian was taken aback, then realized why Li Tai was so terrified.

However, this matter was not actually done by Li Chengqian.

"Qingque, your brain is usually quite sharp, why can't you think straight this time?"

Li Chengqian patted Li Tai on the shoulder and said earnestly.

"If I wanted to kill you, I could just lead a group to smash up your palace, wouldn't that be enough?"

Why would you need to send someone to slit someone's throat in the middle of the night to scare them?

Li Tai was stunned.

What you said makes perfect sense, brother. That’s definitely your style.

"Who did that?"

Li Chengqian's eyes darted around, then he let out a cold laugh:

"Who else could it be but our good father?"

Think carefully about why your father suddenly granted you a fiefdom of ten thousand households and allowed you to open a literary academy. What does this mean?

Li Tai whispered:

"Does Father want me to keep my elder brother in check?"

"Not too stupid."

Li Chengqian snapped his fingers.

"Father is playing the game of imperial strategy, treating us brothers like crickets in a gladiatorial arena, watching us bite each other. The one who dies is the one less, and only then can he sit securely on the throne."

Li Tai said fearfully:

"Brother, I'll return this imperial edict now."

I will go to Ganlu Palace first thing tomorrow morning to return all the fiefs and rewards to my father.

I'm determined not to be the first to stick my neck out.

As he spoke, Li Tai grabbed the imperial edict and was about to leave.

"stop!"

Li Chengqian grabbed his arm.

"If you go back now, what will Father think? He will think that you are disobeying the imperial decree and slapping him in the face."

Even if you quit, he can still get the third and fifth brothers to cause trouble.

"At that time, you will not only offend your father, but also your brothers."

Li Tai asked anxiously:

"Then what should I do? I can't really go and recruit followers to compete with you, can I?"

My mother said that if I dared to have any improper thoughts, she would strangle me with her own hands.

Brother, I want to live a few more years. I don't want to go to Liaodong to mine coal.

Seeing Li Tai looking so anxious he was about to cry, Li Chengqian was overjoyed.

Old Li, you want to play the divide-and-conquer game? Well, I'll turn the tables on you.

"Qingque, don't be afraid, I've got your back."

Li Chengqian patted his chest and assured him.

"Since Father has given you money and power, we might as well take it. Not only should you accept the rewards, but you should also spend them lavishly."

Li Tai was completely dumbfounded.

"Spend money? How?"

Li Chengqian gave Cheng Chumo a wink.

Cheng Chumo turned around, took a gold-embossed booklet from the bookshelf, and handed it to Li Tai.

"Your Highness, this is the top-tier VIP catalog of our Great Tang Royal Merchant Guild. Please take a look."

Li Tai took the booklet with a puzzled look, opened it, and his eyes widened instantly.

"Top-quality Liaodong mutton, tender and melts in your mouth, one sheep costs one hundred strings of cash?"

"Special spices from the Western Regions, reserved for the imperial family, costing ten strings of cash per tael?"

"South China Sea pearl powder, for whitening and beautifying the skin, 50 strings of cash per box?"

Li Tai swallowed hard, but then looked at Li Chengqian with a bitter expression and asked:

"Brother, this stuff is good, but it's too expensive! The ten thousand taels of gold that Father Emperor gave me isn't enough to buy this."

"It's expensive, that's for sure."

Li Chengqian watched as Li Tai began to bluff.

"If you spend money on recruiting retainers and befriending court officials, Father Emperor will definitely not be able to sleep at night."

But if you spend all your money on eating, drinking, and having fun, and become the ultimate spoiled glutton, your father won't be angry. On the contrary, he'll think you have no ambition and will completely trust you.

Li Tai blinked his small eyes, his mind racing.

Yup!

What my father fears is that I am ambitious. If I just act like a good-for-nothing who only knows how to eat and drink, won't my father be at ease?

Moreover, this money is spent on the eldest brother's business, so the eldest brother makes money and we enjoy it – it's a win-win situation!

"Big brother! You really are my brother."

Li Tai was so excited that he hugged Li Chengqian tightly and almost kissed him.

"Alright, alright, stop with the act."

Li Chengqian pushed him away in disgust.

"Now that you've figured it out, let's get a card quickly."

"Apply for a card? What kind of card?"

Li Chengqian pulled out a dark iron plate from his sleeve. It was edged with gold and engraved with the four large characters "Supreme Black Gold".

"This is the Royal Merchant Guild's lifetime black gold card, the only one of its kind in the entire Tang Dynasty. Once you get this card, you can pick and take whatever you want from the guild, and the bill will be settled directly from your residence at the end of the month."

Furthermore, this card entitles you to dedicated home delivery service, truly showcasing your distinguished status as His Highness the King of Yue.

Li Tai's mouth was practically watering as he looked at the black gold card.

"Do it! It must be done."

Without hesitation, Li Tai pulled out several gold ingots from his pocket and slammed them on the table.

"Brother, this is the deposit."

Tomorrow I'll have the steward go to the trading company to get ten sheep, starting with. I want to hold a roast lamb feast at the Prince's mansion.

"happy!"

Li Chengqian laughed loudly, swept the gold ingot into his sleeve, and casually stuffed the black gold card into Li Tai's hand.

The two brothers looked at each other and burst into laughter.

The father was in charge of distributing money, the younger brother was in charge of spending it, and the older brother was in charge of making it.

This is practically a perfect closed loop.