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

Li Jing looked at Li Chengqian with a complicated expression.

He never expected that his feigned illness would be seen through.

"When I went to Liaodong this time, the powerful families and Changsun Wuji joined forces to sabotage me and wanted me to die in Liaodong."

After Guzhen dies in Liaodong, the Emperor will surely be heartbroken and kill countless people.

At that time, who in the Tang Dynasty could stop you, the invincible military genius of the Tang Dynasty?

Hong Fu Nu was so frightened that she almost knelt down.

Any one of Li Chengqian's words, if attributed to Li Jing, would constitute grounds for confiscation of his property.

Li Jing dared not continue to feign illness, and hurriedly got out of bed and knelt in front of Li Chengqian.

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words! Your Highness, please be careful with your words!"

This old minister's loyalty to the Tang Dynasty is as clear as day and night. He has absolutely no disloyal intentions whatsoever. Furthermore, this old minister dares not compare himself to that traitorous Sima.

Li Chengqian bent down and reached out to help Li Jing up.

"Oh dear, Uncle Li, what are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be dying?"

"Get up quickly, the ground is cold. If you really die, I won't be able to explain myself."

Li Jing refused to get up, his hands gripping Li Chengqian's arms tightly.

"This old minister is not ill. This old minister is in very good health."

This old minister can still eat three bowls of rice in one meal, and can still draw a bow with a draw weight of two shi (a unit of weight).

Li Jing finally understood.

If he dares to refuse this deputy general again today, his Duke of Wei's mansion will definitely be raided by the Crown Prince tomorrow.

His Highness the Crown Prince's skill in labeling others has reached an unparalleled level.

"Your Highness! This old minister is willing to accompany Your Highness on the expedition to Liaodong. Even if it means falling off the stirrup, I would gladly die a thousand deaths."

Li Chengqian nodded in satisfaction:

"That's more like it! A military genius of the mighty Tang Dynasty should be making great achievements on the battlefield. What kind of person lies in bed pretending to be sick all day long?"

Li Chengqian waved to Hong Fu Nu.

"Aunt Zhang, quickly pack Uncle Li's bags. See you at the command post outside the city early tomorrow morning."

After saying that, Li Chengqian laughed and left the bedroom.

Li Jing now wished he could slap himself twice.

He had been feigning illness for several years, working himself to the bone.

In the end, it was nothing but a joke in the eyes of the crown prince.

......

The Eastern Palace.

As soon as Li Chengqian returned, he saw Qin Qiong and Du Ruhui already waiting for him in the study.

"Your Highness, how is the situation with the Duke of Wei?"

Qin Qiong looked at Li Chengqian and asked.

"It's all settled. That old man got addicted to faking illness. I directly called him Sima Yi, which scared him so much that he almost jumped out of bed. He didn't even dare to write his will. He'll have to obediently report to the command platform tomorrow."

Qin Qiong was stunned after hearing this.

Li Jing had been so popular that even Li Shimin couldn't persuade him to come out of seclusion, yet he was scared into coming out of seclusion by just a few words from Li Chengqian.

Du Ruhui said with a face full of admiration:

"With the Duke of Wei accompanying the army, the command and dispatch of these 100,000 troops will be foolproof. However, Your Highness, the biggest trouble for our trip to Liaodong is not within the army, but behind it."

Li Chengqian looked at Du Ruhui and asked:

"Uncle Du is talking about grain and fodder?"

Du Ruhui nodded, walked to the map of the Tang Dynasty's territory, and said:

"Your Highness's move to force Cui Mingan to sign a military pledge in court today was indeed brilliant."

But you still underestimated the shamelessness of aristocratic families.

Cui Mingan was indeed the grain supervisor, but the journey from Chang'an to Liaodong was long and arduous, involving high mountains and long rivers.

The powerful families have countless ways to prevent this batch of grain from reaching the front lines.

Qin Qiong then interjected:

"He wouldn't dare! He's already signed a pledge; if even a single grain of rice is missing, His Highness could chop off his head."

Du Ruhui pointed to several dangerous locations on the map and shook his head, saying:

"Shubao, you are a master at leading troops into battle, but you don't understand the intricacies of officialdom."

Cui Mingan didn't need to lift a finger. The grain transport team was halfway there when a flash flood suddenly broke out, and the grain was washed away—this was a natural disaster.

Passing through the mountains and forests, they encountered a large group of bandits robbing their grain; this is a man-made disaster.

Even natural disasters and man-made calamities were unnecessary; the laborers transporting the grain deserted halfway through the journey, and the grain became moldy and spoiled on the road.

Cui Mingan could easily shift the blame to the local officials along the way, or even to fate.

At that time, the army will run out of food and morale will collapse.

Even if Your Highness were to execute Cui Minqian's entire clan, you still couldn't conjure up enough food for an army of 100,000.

The powerful families wanted His Highness to be defeated in Liaodong.

Once you've lost, they'll have countless reasons to pin the blame entirely on you.

After listening, Li Chengqian realized that there were flaws in his previous thinking.

It seems I overestimated the bottom line of these powerful families.

"Uncle Du, do you have any ideas on how to break this deadlock?"

Du Ruhui laughed, and his laugh was sinister.

"Your Highness, we need to proceed in two steps."

The first step is for us to have a formidable elite force that is absolutely obedient to His Highness.

Qin Qiong then said:

"Your Highness, the Shadow Guards have completed their training, totaling three hundred men, each a formidable fighter capable of taking on ten men. I suggest that the Shadow Guards be dispersed and integrated into the army as Your Highness's personal guards."

Li Chengqian nodded and said:

"Good! Equip all three hundred men with Zhuge Repeating Crossbows, and fire three palm-sized grenades at each of them."

Upon arriving in Liaodong, this team became the sharpest blade in the hands of a lone force, specializing in decapitations and espionage.

Du Ruhui continued:

"The second step is to completely eliminate any thoughts that the aristocratic families and Changsun Wuji might have about stabbing us in the back."

Li Chengqian asked in confusion:

"How can we possibly resolve this?"

Du Ruhui said in a low voice:

"We need to make them hesitant to act rashly."

Isn't Changsun Wuji trying to push you into a fire pit? Aren't the aristocratic families trying to cut off the army's supplies?

Your Highness, please lead your entourage out of the palace now to visit the various dukes' mansions and the major aristocratic families.

They forcibly conscripted Changsun Chong, Cheng Chumo, Yuchi Baolin, and others, and took them to Liaodong.

Li Chengqian's eyes lit up as he listened.

That's such a nasty trick.

He tied all the top second-generation rich kids in Chang'an to his own hands.

Changsun Wuji dared to tamper with the grain supplies?

The first to die was his eldest son, Changsun Chong.

How dare Cui Mingan delay the delivery of supplies?

Let alone Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Jingde could tear him apart alive.

His wife even slept with him in the middle of the night.

As long as these second-generation elites are in the army, the old foxes in Chang'an will not only dare not cause trouble, but will also risk their lives to ensure the army's smooth progress.

Anyone who dares to cause trouble for the Crown Prince will be dragging down with them all the direct descendants of the noble families of the Tang Dynasty.

"Uncle Du, you're really heartless."

Li Chengqian gave Du Ruhui a thumbs-up, completely convinced of his abilities.

Du Ruhui said without changing his expression:

"For Your Highness's great cause, this old minister's actions are nothing."

Oh, and Your Highness, please take that rebellious son Du He with you as well. That little brat idles away his days; this trip will be a good opportunity to teach him a lesson in Liaodong.

If he dies on the battlefield, it's because he lacks skill, and this old minister will have no complaints.

Qin Qiong quickly chimed in:

"Your Highness, bring Huaidao along as well. The Qin family has no cowards; let him gain some experience in the army so he won't embarrass me in Chang'an."

Li Chengqian almost burst out laughing when he saw his two heartless fathers.

If Du He and Qin Huaidao knew that their own father had arranged things for them behind the scenes, they would probably cry themselves to death on the spot.

"Alright! Since you two have said so, I will go and muster my troops to arrest them."

Li Chengqian turned and walked outside.

"Xiao Shunzi".

"This servant is here."

"Go to the Eastern Palace and muster five hundred men, bring their weapons, and come with me out of the palace."

"Your Highness, whose house are we going to raid?"

"What are you confiscating? I'm going to pave the way for the future pillars of the Tang Dynasty."