Chapter 9: The Plans of Li Shimin

Li Shimin glanced at the old eunuch and suddenly sighed, "If you give me another ten years, I will bring you back to life in ten years. It is not possible now; the Tang Dynasty has just been established, and the country is not yet stable. If you, the great leader, were to suddenly come back to life, it might cause some disturbances again."

Li Shimin slightly furrowed his brows and said: "Are you referring to that young vagrant?"

Li Shimin did not speak, but his gaze remained fixed on the aged eunuch until the old eunuch's figure disappeared from the study, and only then did the emperor gently say: "I understand"

The aged eunuch chuckled softly, slowly shaking his head and said, "I do not yet know if I can live for another ten years"

Li Shimin pondered for half a day, and suddenly, with a casual shake of his head, he chuckled and said: "That young man who can associate with Cheng Chumo is, after all, just a trivial child who cannot make a name for himself. There is no need to capture him; let them play around on their own."

After a moment of contemplation, he continued: "Aren't they trying to do business? I estimate that this business will be difficult to manage. The idea of salted fish is quite unappealing, and I suspect they might not be able to sell even a single salted fish. That is why I want you to keep an eye on them discreetly. You can act as buyers at the appropriate time, using your money to purchase some salted fish to encourage them.

Li Shimin was both amused and angry, snorting, "I have just promised Old Man Zhai to let the younger generation play for a few more years, and yet you want to arrest them in the blink of an eye. Where am I supposed to put my face? Or rather, who among you dares to bear the wrath of Old Man Zhai and reach out your claws to touch the child he wishes to protect?"

A few people in the shadows all shivered, and someone even quietly wiped the sweat from their forehead

Several hundred cavalry officers listened quietly, and no one dared to interrupt the Emperor's words

Yes, that homeless youth...

The room fell silent for a long while, and after some time, someone weakly defended, speaking cautiously: "The words of Lord Cheng Xiaoguo involve the imperial family, and we cannot respond carelessly."

"Did you just go deaf?" Li Shimin suddenly shouted angrily, "The phrase 'Let me buy salted fish' did not come from the mouth of Cheng Chumo."

Li Shimin sighed softly and then said: "I have instructed you to keep an eye on those two young lads, so that you are always ready to offer assistance. Haha, how can two inexperienced youths manage to support tens of thousands of refugees? I suspect they will inevitably encounter many difficulties, but I do not wish for them to lose their ambition. An old sage once told me, 'If the youth are strong, then the Tang Dynasty is strong.' If the noble youths of our Tang Dynasty can grow and mature, then who in the world can rival our great Tang? This time, Cheng Chumo has finally mustered the courage to take action, and his intentions must be encouraged... I suspect they will inevitably encounter many difficulties, but I do not wish for them to lose their ambition. An old sage once told me, 'If the youth are strong, then the Tang Dynasty is strong.' If the noble youths of our Tang Dynasty can grow and mature, then who in the world can rival our great Tang? This time, Cheng Chumo has finally mustered the courage to take action, and his intentions must be encouraged...

Li Shimin snorted and suddenly waved his hand irritably, saying: "Go, and remember to disguise yourself well; you must not let those two little rascals detect anything, otherwise, my efforts to aid the disaster victims will be in vain"

The three words were uttered without knowing whether the aged eunuch had heard them. Li Shimin assumed that the other party had indeed heard him. After saying these three words, Li Shimin suddenly shot a fierce glare, coldly staring at the dark corner of the room and said: "You, the Hundred Riders, spare me the trouble. From now on, focus your attention on the borders and the western regions, and do not concern yourselves with trivial matters. Are you reporting the playful antics of two little children? Foolish!"

"Then you, the Hundred Riders, should keep an eye on them. Am I raising you just to eat and do nothing?" Li Shimin suddenly shouted again, his face filled with anger, saying: "Why must everything be discussed in detail? What use do I have for you sycophants? Go, keep an eye on them..."

Several hundred cavalry officers then understood and hurriedly flattered, "Your Majesty, the Holy Emperor, with your benevolent heart, this action is actually no different from distributing porridge."

Do not provoke Old Man Zhai

Several hundred cavalry commanders in the shadows listened to this fellow, and each of them became wide-eyed. After a long while, one of them finally spoke in a dazed manner, with a face full of resistance, saying: "Your Majesty wants us to go buy salted fish? But that thing probably isn't edible!"

... ...

Although he is the emperor, he is currently just a poor emperor, struggling to provide for the basic needs of tens of thousands of refugees, which is already a significant source of worry for him

Li Shimin shouted angrily, lamenting, "Those two young men are making a big fuss organizing the refugees. I fear that after a while, they will catch quite a few fish. I do not care about their losses, but I am concerned about the refugees who are working alongside them. They are already weak and hungry; how much worse will it be for them to labor in the river? If they cannot sell even a single salted fish, how will those refugees earn any coins to buy food?"

Even if you cannot eat, you should still go and buy it

Li Shimin let out a hum, suddenly stood up with his hands clasped behind his back, and pondered: "Since ancient times, the plight of the common people has never been a trivial matter. This time, the drought in Shandong combined with the military disaster in Hebei has left tens of thousands of disaster-stricken people homeless. The court is currently troubled by the need to provide relief, and the dukes and ministers are all in a state of utter disarray. I am no exception; during this period, I have been so worried that I cannot sleep well for nights on end"

Li Shimin suddenly fell silent

The aged eunuch suddenly began to retreat slowly, but just before leaving, he unexpectedly spoke up, saying: "Your Majesty, the children have not yet grown up, and their playful and mischievous nature is inevitable. Please bear with it a little longer, and allow these young ones to play for a few more years. Our generation has lived through great hardship and difficulty, and we must not let the younger generation experience it again."

That is no different from seeking death

It is ! ''

Several hundred cavalry officers responded to the call, but one clever-minded individual spoke up again and quietly inquired: "However, I do not know where this sum of money should come from. Your Majesty, you are aware that you do not permit the cavalry officers to seek avenues for wealth. The salaries issued by the court are fixed, and we cannot use our own rations to purchase salted fish"

Foolish!

However, Your Majesty, you also know that matters involving tens of thousands of refugees cannot be left to children to handle recklessly. They lack experience and are unreliable in their actions. We are concerned that these two children might indeed gather a group of refugees, leading to a significant disturbance that should not be provoked

Indeed, where does this money come from

These individuals are completely unable to discern the Emperor's thoughts, and helplessly can only once again inquire cautiously, saying: "Since Your Majesty does not allow us to arrest anyone, what is the purpose of having us keep watch?"

In the dim corner of the room, a soft reply was heard, but immediately followed by, "Since it is not the words of Lord Cheng Xiaoguo, we can let him off the hook. However, someone must have said this; Your Majesty, may we be permitted to capture the true speaker?"

At this point, he paused slightly before continuing: "You are my savior, and also the senior brother of my third brother, Li Yuanba. You have made tremendous contributions in overthrowing the tyrannical Sui dynasty, with more than half of the Li family army coming from you. Therefore, I have never regarded you as an outsider. What I am saying is a proposal to you. How about this: wait for another ten years. For the stability of the Han dynasty, I ask you to remain hidden for another ten years..."

Li Shimin remained silent, gazing at the other party's head full of white hair with a soft sigh

In the blink of an eye, the Emperor was filled with thunderous rage twice, causing the figures in the dark corners of the room to hesitate. A few individuals fell silent, not daring to speak, and after a long while, one of them cautiously ventured, "Your Majesty, are you instructing us to keep watch and apprehend anyone? Should we seize them immediately upon noticing any signs of disturbance?"