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

"Minister Chu, if you can earn 200,000 strings of cash for my private treasury within a month without relying on the Royal Merchant Guild or the Eastern Palace Academy, using your method of distributing wealth among the people, I will entrust the Royal Merchant Guild to your management."

But what if I can't earn it...?

Li Shimin's gaze swept over the entire line of aristocratic officials in Jiangnan.

"From now on, don't bring up the matter of competing with the people for profit again. Just focus on doing your jobs well."

Upon hearing this, Chu Suiliang's face turned pale instantly.

Earning 200,000 guan a month?

This is simply a fantasy.

How much tax revenue did the Tang Dynasty collect in a year?

Where would a newly appointed Vice Minister of Revenue conjure up such a huge sum of money?

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

Chu Suiliang wanted to defend himself, but found that any words would seem pale and powerless at this moment.

"What? Can't Minister Chu do it?"

Li Shimin frowned and asked.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

Chu Suiliang eventually retreated back to the ranks in dejection.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Cheng Yaojin laughed without caring at all.

"Your Majesty is wise! I, Old Cheng, am just waiting to see how Lord Chu will siphon money from the people's pockets into the national treasury."

The military officers burst into laughter again.

The officials from Jiangnan all looked extremely grim, but dared not utter another word.

Li Chengqian acted as if nothing had happened from beginning to end.

He was the first to leave the Taiji Hall when Li Shimin announced the end of the court session.

......

The Eastern Palace.

As soon as Li Chengqian stepped into the courtyard, he heard a burst of silvery laughter.

In the flowerbed of the courtyard, Princess Chang Le was chasing butterflies with several palace maids, having a great time.

"Big brother!"

Upon seeing Li Chengqian, Chang Le immediately lifted the hem of her skirt and ran over.

"Slow down, be careful not to fall."

Li Chengqian quickly reached out to support her.

"Big brother, you're back."

Chang Le looked up at Li Chengqian with her bright eyes.

"You're back! What brings you here today, big brother?"

Li Chengqian casually pinched her cheek.

"I...I'm here to see my older brother."

Chang Le nervously clutched the hem of her clothes with her two little hands, looking as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Li Chengqian noticed her embarrassment and waved for the surrounding palace maids and eunuchs to leave.

"Tell me, what trouble has my precious little sister gotten into this time? Does she need her big brother to back her up?"

He asked, half-jokingly.

No.

Chang Le quickly shook her head, her face turning even redder.

"Big brother, I...I..."

She kept saying "I" for a long time, but couldn't come up with a coherent explanation.

"Alright, alright, no rush, take your time."

Li Chengqian patiently comforted him.

Chang Le said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz:

"Brother, I...I left the palace a few days ago and met someone by Qujiang Pool."

"Oh?"

Li Chengqian immediately understood.

Which pig is going to eat my most precious little cabbage?

"What kind of person is it that makes you so distracted?"

"He...he is a scholar, preparing to take this year's imperial examination."

When that person was mentioned, Chang Le's eyes seemed to sparkle.

"He is exceptionally talented, gentle and refined, and... and he is also very good to me."

Seeing his younger sister's lovestruck expression, Li Chengqian felt both amused and wary.

His sister is the most noble princess of the Tang Dynasty; he can't let her be fooled by some wild boy outside.

"What's your name? Where are you from?"

Li Chengqian asked casually.

"His name is Zhang Xuansu, and he is a candidate from Jiangnan."

Chang Le blurted it out.

Jiangnan?

Alarm bells were ringing in Li Chengqian's mind, but he showed no sign of it.

"A talented scholar from Jiangnan, indeed."

Since our parents have taken a liking to him, he must be a top-notch young talent.

Upon hearing his elder brother's approval, Chang Le immediately beamed with joy:

"Big brother, could you please talk to Father Emperor for me? I...I want to..."

"You want him to be your son-in-law, don't you?"

Li Chengqian spoke for her.

Chang Le nodded shyly.

"Silly girl, this is a big deal, of course your big brother will help you."

Li Chengqian smiled and ruffled her hair.

"But we should at least let your elder brother meet this person first and give him his opinion, right? What if he's just a pretty face with no substance? Wouldn't that be a disservice to our princess?"

"He's not just a pretty face."

Chang Le hurriedly defended himself,

"He is really talented."

"Okay, okay, I believe you, brother."

Li Chengqian smiled and reassured him.

"In that case, you go back to the palace first, and I'll take care of this."

Once your elder brother has thoroughly investigated his background and confirmed that he is a trustworthy person, he will definitely speak to Father on your behalf.

"Thank you, brother!"

Having received the promise, Chang Le happily kissed Li Chengqian on the cheek and then skipped away from the East Palace.

Watching his younger sister's departing figure, the smile on Li Chengqian's face gradually disappeared.

He turned to the empty corner and spoke softly:

"shadow."

A dark figure appeared behind him like a ghost.

"Your Highness."

"Zhang Xuansu is a candidate from Jiangnan. I want to know everything about him."

His family background, his teachers, his classmates and friends, all his movements after arriving in Chang'an, everyone he met, and every word he said.

Li Chengqian paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Use the Listening Wind Pavilion and the Shadow Guards to dig up his ancestors for eighteen generations."

I want to see if this talented scholar from Jiangnan is a man or a devil.