My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

Chapter 64 Brotherly Love

night.

The Eastern Palace.

Li Chengqian was thinking about what had happened today. If Wei Zheng hadn't spoken up for him in front of his father, he wondered what kind of punishment he would have received.

However, I also made mistakes.

Although the agreement was fabricated by Su Wan and Xue'er, Su Wan didn't point out that the agreement was fake when she handed it to Li Tai.

To be honest, I was also very angry at the time and wanted to take this opportunity to punish Li Tai.

Li Tai was far too careless. How could he fall into someone's trap so easily?

If Li Tai were to become a commander-in-chief and lead an army in the future, would he be up to the task with this level of ability?

People often say that you can't make the same mistake twice. Last time, he fell into the Tangut ambush and ended up losing 500 guards to them, managing to escape alone. Unexpectedly, he fell into the Tuyuhun ambush again this time.

And Tuoba Chici is quite bold. Now that he has surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, how can he be half-hearted?

Come to think of it, it's not surprising, since Princess Guanghua was the daughter of Fuyun Khan.

With this kind of relationship between them, it's natural that he would have some reservations.

However, this mission was fraught with peril, and upon his return, his father only reprimanded him and offered no reward.

Last time, after Li Tai escaped and returned, he was not punished at all, and his father gave him two thousand imperial guards.

This seems a bit unfair, and besides, the matter of recruiting the Dangxiang people was something that I had already discussed with Tuoba Chici.

It seems that no matter how hard I try, it's all in vain.

Wherever Li Chengqian's thoughts stirred, the simulator screen displayed:

[Host, let's talk.]

"Go ahead and say it."

We can work together and stop thinking about what's already happened and can't be changed.

How can we cooperate?

Cooperation means achieving a win-win situation.

"Then tell me more specifically."

You can send Ashina She'er's army to provide support, but what they need most right now is money;

"You don't need to tell me that. They only have four hundred horses. If they want to build a cavalry, the most important thing is horses, and buying horses costs a lot of money. Last time I brought them 100,000 taels of silver, which is not enough at all."

[Host, this system can provide you with a loan service. However, the original limit was 170,000 taels of silver, which you did not withdraw. Currently, after comprehensive evaluation, this system can provide you with a loan service of 70,000 taels of silver.]

"Why is the quota of 100,000 taels of silver missing?"

There's no particular reason; as we already told you last time, we will periodically assess your credit.

"So, you see, I spent 100,000 taels of silver, therefore, the allowance was reduced by 100,000 taels of silver, isn't that right?"

[Host, you're overthinking it. This is probably just a coincidence.]

"Coincidence? Is there really such a coincidence? I think you're doing this on purpose."

So, are you going to borrow or not? If you don't borrow, don't blame the system for not warning you when your credit limit runs out.

Li Chengqian suppressed his anger: "Fine, I'll lend you 70,000 taels of silver."

Yes, but this system would like to remind you that the maximum repayment period is fifty days. You must repay the loan by the due date; otherwise, a compound interest rate of 0.05% will be charged.

Li Chengqian gritted his teeth: "I know, you're so damn long-winded!"

A moment later, a flash of silver light appeared, and sure enough, a pile of silver appeared, like a small hill, totaling seventy thousand taels.

Li Chengqian ordered Yunjuan and Xiaoyue to put all the silver away.

Just then, Chengxin walked in from outside the palace gate and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, this humble servant greets you."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly: "You've had a hard time in Chang'an these past few days."

"This humble servant has no hardship; it is Your Highness's mission to the Western Regions that is truly arduous."

"I have also heard of Your Highness's many heroic deeds in the Western Regions, which are truly admirable."

"Rumors are often exaggerated," Li Chengqian waved his hand.

"Your Highness, I never imagined you'd become so powerful. Not only did you escape the tornado, but you also defeated the Western Regions Sacred Flame Token and even killed a Ganges Shark. It's truly unbelievable!"

Li Chengqian smiled: "It's not that I'm particularly capable, but rather, sometimes I'm forced into it."

"Your Highness is truly a man of great talent."

"Alright, stop flattering me. Tell me, what brings you here?"

"The marriage between Fang Yi'ai and Princess Gaoyang has been arranged."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian said, "This marriage is indeed a good match in terms of social standing, but it seems a bit rushed."

"But, Your Highness, have you considered that this was all orchestrated by Li Tai, and that Fang Yi'ai will surely be loyal to him in the future?"

"So what?"

"It's different. Fang Yi'ai is just a military man, nothing to be afraid of. But don't forget, his father is Fang Xuanling, the Grand Secretary of the court. How can you say he has no influence?"

In other words, Fang Yi'ai openly supported the Prince of Yue, while Fang Xuanling secretly supported Li Tai.

After hearing this, Li Chengqian said, "There's nothing we can do about it now that things have come to this."

"Fang Yizhi heard that Princess Gaoyang wanted him to give up his title to Fang Yi'ai, and he offered to give up the title himself. However, your father rejected this offer."

"Gao Yang's actions are far too domineering. How could he do such a thing? This violates the imperial court's regulations!"

"Yes, during this time, while you were away, Li Tai bribed and won over some court officials, including Chang He, the commander of the Imperial Guards."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian was taken aback and asked, "What is Chang He's attitude?"

"Chang He did not agree because his concubine, Bai Mudan, objected. Bai Mudan did not have a good impression of Li Tai and asked Chang He to keep his distance from him."

"I see."

After hearing this, Li Chengqian thought to himself that Su Wan was indeed brilliant; Su Wan's sisterhood with Bai Mudan was indeed useful.

Of course, Bai Mudan also knew that Su Wan was in love with the Crown Prince.

"In order to win over Changsun Wuji, Li Tai proposed to marry Princess Changle, Li Lizhi, to Changsun Chong."

"What? And why is he in such a hurry to marry Princess Changle to Changsun Chong?"

"Is that even a question? He did it to solidify his relationship with Changsun Wuji."

"It seems that Qingque has tasted success. This trick is indeed effective."

"Yes."

"So, what happened next?"

"King Li Ke of Shu disagreed with this matter."

Li Chengqian was taken aback and asked, "Why does Li Ke disagree?"

"I have inquired and found out that Changsun Chong has his eye on a piece of land in the south of the city, which belongs to Li Ke. So, Changsun Chong has asked Li Ke for that land."

Li Chengqian found it all quite novel, wondering if the world had changed. How could a subject dare to ask a prince for land?

Did Li Ke give him that piece of land?

"No. Li Ke said this land was bestowed upon him by your father, the Emperor; how can he give it to someone else?"

"That's true. We can give up anything, but we can't just give away land."

"Because of this matter, Changsun Chong and Li Ke had a very unpleasant falling out."

"I find it strange that Changsun Chong would ask Li Ke for land."

"Once, one of Li Ke's friends injured someone, and it was Changsun Chong who resolved the matter for him."

"I see. It seems Changsun Chong is no pushover either."

"Yes."

"What will become of his marriage to Li Lizhi?"

"It's too early to say."

"How are the things I asked you to do before I left doing?"

"Your Highness, please rest assured, everything is in order."

"very good."

He always felt very reassured that Chengxin could do things properly.

The next morning.

Li Chengqian went to visit Li Ke.

Li Ke was Li Shimin's third son.

At this moment, Li Ke was practicing martial arts in the courtyard.

Li Ke was tall, handsome, and wise.

If Li Chengqian hadn't been the eldest son, many people would have thought that Li Ke would have been the best candidate for crown prince.

Li Ke practiced martial arts, and he was very focused on it.

Li Chengqian stood in the courtyard for a long time without disturbing him.

Later, Li Ke noticed the Crown Prince had arrived and stopped.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and bowed, "Brother, didn't I hear you went on a mission to the Tanguts? When did you return?"

"I've been back for a few days now, and I missed you, so I came to see you. How are you doing? I think you're doing quite well in your training," Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"I'm nowhere near as good as my elder brother, the Emperor. I've heard you're exceptionally good at wrestling."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "That's all just hearsay. I only know a little bit about it."

"How about we wrestle a couple of times, and I'll learn a few moves from my brother?"

"A friendly spar is fine too."

So Li Chengqian took off his long outer robe and wrestled with Li Ke right there in the courtyard.

Li Chengqian didn't know until they sparred that Li Ke was no ordinary person, far superior to Li Tai, and his legwork was even more impressive.

It would be difficult, or rather, almost impossible, for Li Chengqian to bring him down.

The two brothers wrestled for more than twenty rounds without a clear winner.

Later, Li Chengqian stepped back and laughed, "You're pretty good, kid."

"Your Majesty, you showed mercy."

The two brothers burst into laughter.

The two entered the hall, took their seats as host and guest, and servants served tea.

Li Ke said, "My father has appointed me as the King of Shu and the Grand General of Yizhou. I plan to go to Yizhou in a couple of days."

"Are you in such a hurry to leave?"

"Yes, because it is the rule of the imperial court that a prince must go to his fiefdom."

Li Chengqian nodded after hearing this.

"I heard that Changsun Chong is asking you for land south of the city?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ke said with resentment, "Yes, that kid is too arrogant."

Did you give it to him?

"No. I don't owe him anything, so why should I give it to him?"

Li Chengqian found Li Ke to be decisive and unafraid of powerful figures, and thus grew to like him somewhat.

"I've also heard that you oppose the marriage between Li Lizhi and Changsun Chong?"

"Yes, Changsun Chong is extremely arrogant, and I do not agree to this marriage."

"I must remind you here that there is nothing to be afraid of about Changsun Chong, but his father is my uncle Changsun Wuji."

If you offend Changsun Chong, wouldn't that be the same as offending Changsun Wuji?

Li Ke laughed heartily: "As the King of Shu, I control eight provinces. Do you think I'm afraid of him?"

Li Chengqian hadn't been in contact with Li Ke for a while and felt that his personality had changed: "Yes, you are the king and Changsun Chong is a subject. It is infuriating that he made such a rude request. However, isn't your personality a bit too flamboyant? Even if you are unhappy, it would be better not to show it on your face."

"Brother, I know Changsun Chong better than you do. He is an uneducated man who indulges in drinking, gambling, and whoring. He is completely lawless because his father is Changsun Wuji."

Therefore, I am firmly opposed to his marriage to Li Lizhi.

"Alright, since you say so, you must have your reasons."

When do you plan to leave?

I'll be leaving in a few days.

"Brother, I've heard that Li Tai has harmed you several times?"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian felt a pang of sadness: "What, you've heard about all this too?"

Yes, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever.

"Li Tai went too far. We're all brothers, how could he harm you like this?" Li Ke was furious.

"Perhaps I have also made mistakes, and I am reflecting on this matter."

"Let me tell you, Li Tai is far too favored. His jurisdiction originally included twenty-two prefectures, and now that the Dangxiang have been given to him, he has twenty-three prefectures. Who does he even care about?"

"Father Emperor changed Dangxiang to a tributary state and assigned it to him, which is not wrong. After all, he was the one who went to Dangxiang as an envoy first."

Li Ke laughed and said quickly, "I've heard about this too. You and Su Wan had already agreed on it. Later, he went and picked up a ready-made one. He has the nerve to do that. If it were me, I would feel ashamed."

He already has twenty-two states, and he's still not satisfied.

"My mother once told me that we brothers should love each other."

During the Three Kingdoms period, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were brothers, but they were not united and had conflicts. Yuan Shu colluded with Gongsun Zan in the north to deal with Yuan Shao, while Yuan Shao joined forces with Liu Biao in the south to attack Yuan Shu. What was the result?

When they were in trouble, they all stood by and did not help each other. In the end, both brothers were dealt with by Cao Cao.

The same was true for Yuan Shao's three sons. Even though Yuan Shao was defeated at the Battle of Guandu, he still commanded a large army and his strength should not be underestimated.

However, his three sons fought amongst themselves for the position of heir apparent, ultimately resulting in mutual destruction and defeat by Cao Cao.

"Brother, you're absolutely right. Don't worry, I have no intention of becoming the crown prince. I believe in the proper order of seniority, and our titles are already set. We shouldn't have any unrealistic ambitions. I think being a king is already very good enough."

Seeing his earnest words, Li Chengqian knew that Li Ke truly had no interest in the position of crown prince.

"From now on, if any of them dare to do anything to you, I will make trouble for them."

Aren't they bringing disaster to the Tang Dynasty?

Are we to fight each other like Yuan Shao's three sons?

Although the Tang Dynasty has now quelled the internal strife, let's not forget that there are still many countries around us that are eager to make trouble and are eyeing us covetously.

Especially the Tuyuhun; I heard they've already surrounded Li Tai's army.

"Yes, you've heard about it too?"

"Yes, if it were just a matter of personal feelings, I wouldn't want to deal with him anymore. But after all, there are still 2,500 Tang soldiers. Those are the elite of our Tang army. Can we just abandon them?"

"So what are you planning to do?"

"I heard these past two days that Hou Junji and Li Daliang have sent troops to rescue us. I've also been gathering manpower these past two days. I'm about to go to Shu to take up my post, and I want to go and help them out."

"So, you have a very broad perspective."

Li Ke laughed: "What kind of vision do I have?"

I only thought that we Chinese should not be bullied by outsiders.

Just as you said, when brothers are at odds, outsiders will bully them.

That's really wrong.

If we're talking about grand vision, none of us can compare to you, Your Majesty.

I've heard everything. It was you and Su Wan who accomplished the task of persuading the Tanguts to surrender; Li Tai just got a free ride.

This kid's no good at fighting with outsiders, he's only good at fighting with his own brothers, he's really useless.

"I never expected you to see things so clearly; this has truly impressed me."

"Brother, I know you are remarkable. On this mission, you not only successfully dismantled the alliance between the Tanguts and the Tuyuhun, but you also went to Tibet and helped Songtsen Gampo avenge his father's death. You even killed a Ganges shark. You are truly amazing. We brothers should all learn from you."

How could Li Tai possibly be your match?

He's a complete idiot; he couldn't even tell that Su Wan's agreement was fake.

Moreover, he was surrounded twice. Can someone like that stand on his own in the future?

I feel ashamed for him.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian laughed heartily: "It seems you know everything without ever leaving your house. However, I'm not as amazing as you say. Sometimes, it's because you're not in that kind of environment that you can't understand. I'm always forced into it."

Songtsen Gampo was no ordinary man; he was also very young, only fifteen years old this year.

"Really? He's so young, yet he's already the king of Tibet. That's amazing."

I heard that he was already exceptionally brave when he was ten years old.

"Yes, he was a man of both literary and martial talents, truly a hero."

"If I have the chance, I must meet him and learn from him."

I heard that his father's killer was a very remarkable man named Prince Supi. How did you manage to avenge him?

Li Chengqian then recounted the entire incident.

After hearing this, Li Ke was filled with admiration.

"No wonder people often say that a great general can outwit his enemies. It is indeed true. The Grand Chancellor Shang Nang's brute force will not work. He will suffer heavy losses. But you captured Prince Supi in the midst of laughter and conversation. Compared to them, you are much better."

"This isn't just one person's achievement; it was mainly Su Wan's idea."

"In that case, Su Wan is truly a heroine. I've heard many of her ingenious ideas. Has she played a few tricks on Li Tai?"

Li Chengqian nodded: "Yes, she is a person who likes to joke, and sometimes she likes to joke about Li Tai."

"Then she can be considered your strategist. So, Li Tai completely failed to see the situation clearly. He can't even handle a little girl. How can he be a match for you, my brother?"

I know my elder brother is being considerate of our brotherly bond and is giving in to him.

This guy still doesn't know when to stop, and keeps pushing forward. It's really unacceptable.

"Li Ke, no matter what, I hope we brothers can get along well. If you encounter any difficulties after you arrive in Yizhou, tell me. As long as I can help, I will definitely help."

"I've got it."

"Yizhou is different from other places; it is very important. Back then, Liu Bei established himself in Yizhou and divided the world into three with Cao Cao and Sun Quan."

That place is vast and rich in resources, and its people are outstanding. If you can manage Yizhou well, you will have a bright future.

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. I will work hard."

"Back then, Liu Bei was eager to win and avenge Guan Yu. Without making sufficient preparations, he launched the war to destroy Wu. As a result, he was defeated by Lu Xun."

Liu Bei also died in Baidi City.

If it weren't for this, they would have had a great opportunity in Yizhou, where the roads were treacherous and it would have been very difficult for outside armies to break in.

Back in the day, didn't Liu Bang conquer the world by sending troops to Guanzhong?

"What Your Majesty says is absolutely right."

"Therefore, Yizhou is a place where we can use our military skills, and it is not far from the Western Regions. We can keep an eye on the movements of the Western Regions."

"I've got it."

"I have always wanted to visit Yizhou. Why is that?"

Because that place is different from other places. Given the chance, I will visit you in Yizhou.

If you can rescue Li Tai on your trip, that would be the best outcome.

"Brother, you are so magnanimous. He harmed you like that, and you didn't even hold it against him."