Chapter 6, Each with their own thoughts

Changsun Guanyinbi had some understanding of the power held by Li Shimin

Therefore, Li Yuanji arrived after the initial dispatch.

After listening to Li Shimin's account, Changsun Guanyin's maid thoughtfully remarked: "Fourth Young Master has always been on good terms with the Crown Prince, and today he suddenly speaks in your favor, which indicates that Yin Ashu must have offended Fourth Young Master quite severely when he went to the Wude Hall."

If Li Jiancheng is sent, the outcome could be a fifty-fifty chance

Uncle Xie was momentarily bewildered

Only by sending Li Shimin would it be the most secure option

Returning to the Hall of Martial Virtue, the front hall and the main hall remain brightly lit, while only a few palace lanterns illuminate the sleeping quarters

Li Yuan could only send Li Shimin to conquer Liu Heita

The Tang Dynasty was not without individuals capable of replacing Li Shimin, such as Li Jing, the deputy of Li Xiaogong, and the veteran Qutuo Tong, among others, who could all lead troops into battle in place of Li Shimin

From the moment the Tang Dynasty was established, its military campaigns have never ceased

Although he is not as strategic as Li Shimin, he is stronger than most people

Currently, under the rule of the Tang Dynasty, there are only 1,600,000 households among the common people. Excluding the households of princes, dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons, the number of households that can pay taxes to the Tang Dynasty is only about 1,230,000.

Li Yuan still had not made up his mind to involve Li Yuanji in the struggle between Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng

Currently, having a falling out with the Crown Prince is likely an attempt to compete with both the Crown Prince and me

The formidable warriors of the Tang Dynasty today are either under the command of Li Shimin or Li Xiaogong. Currently, Li Xiaogong is engaged in persuading the various tribes in the southwest to surrender, making it entirely impossible for him to divert his attention to Hebei.

Li Shimin furrowed his brows and sat down beside Changsun Guanyin's maid

If my father does not give it, I will refuse to deploy troops

Pei Jian is indeed my right-hand man

Zhangsun Guanyin raised her eyebrows and said, "Are you suggesting that Sir Si suddenly fell out with the Crown Prince, possibly intending to compete with both the Crown Prince and you?"

If Li Yuanji dares to have designs on him and take action against him, he has plenty of ways to deal with Li Yuanji

Li Jiancheng's status as the crown prince can also help him attract a considerable number of valiant warriors to serve him. Additionally, by dispatching some trusted individuals from the Tian Ce Mansion, it should not be a problem for him to reach a stalemate with Liu Heita.

With the capabilities of King Qi, even starting from now, it would take at least ten to twenty years to catch up

Only I can conquer Liu Heita

There are too many troubling matters at the Qi Wang Mansion; just picking one at random could bring down Li Yuanji.

Li Shimin nodded heavily

If Sir Lang were to fall out with the Crown Prince because of this, it would be a good thing for you. Why are you still feeling downcast?

Pei Ji secretly supported Li Yuan, who immediately beamed with joy and laughed heartily, saying, "It is still Pei Jianhui who speaks wisely"

Although Li Yuanji exited the Hall of Two Instruments earlier than Li Shimin, the distance from the Hall of Two Instruments to the Hall of Prosperity is much shorter than that to the Hall of Martial Virtue

Zhangsun Guanyin's maid pondered for a moment and said: "Even so, Sir Si should not become an obstacle for you"

Changsun Guanyin's maid was taken aback, "Has Yin Ashu become so rampant? Your father summoned you to the Liangyi Hall precisely for this matter? You furrow your brows; could it be that you were reprimanded by your father?"

Li Yuanji, however, did not pay any attention to Uncle Xie Fang and stepped into the main hall

Li Yuan sat on the throne, his face filled with emotion

My father will surely send me to battle, and at that time, I will ask him to fulfill the promise he made to me regarding the position of crown prince during my previous two campaigns

Zhangsun Guanyin's maid observed Li Shimin with a furrowed brow and could not help but ask: "Is Erlang troubled by something?"

Li Shimin meaningfully remarked: "Are you not afraid that the Sanhu may have ulterior motives?"

Zhangsun Guanyin's maid inquired further

Pei Ji cupped his hands and said, "It is the duty of a subject to share the concerns of the sovereign"

Because what Li Shimin said was the truth

Changsun Guanyin's maid wore a puzzled expression, "Since father was unable to achieve his wish, why are you still feeling downcast?"

Upon reaching this point, Li Yuan fell silent, his brows furrowing once again

He has already decided to break free from the cage and live as a carefree and elegant prince, but a single remark from Pei Ji has caused him to sink even deeper into the cage.

Li Shimin shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice: "A mere Yin A-shu is not worth my father personally coming forward to reprimand me. The reason my father summoned me to the Taiyi Hall is to use the matter of Yin A-shu to give me a warning."

Your Highness, the matter you instructed me to investigate has been thoroughly examined

However, the issue is that Li Yuan rose to power through rebellion and is very strict regarding military authority; he does not trust any outsiders

How do you plan to respond

Changsun Guanyin's maid pondered and said: "Has father achieved his wish?"

The grain collected from 1,230,000 households not only needs to pay the salaries of the officials but also to support an army of over 100,000, or even several hundred thousand, who are engaged in constant battles throughout the year. This is nearly impossible to achieve

However, Li Yuanji is currently disinterested in dealing with the parasites in the residence. After Uncle Xie Fang approached, Li Yuanji instinctively said: "Why are you still not going to sleep?"

Upon arriving at the sleeping quarters, I saw Changsun Guanyin's maid holding the recently born Li Lizhi while nursing her, with two-year-old Li Tai lying at her feet

Li Jiancheng, while assisting Li Yuan in handling state affairs, accomplished the task of turning the impossible into the possible

After Uncle Xie completed the task assigned by Li Yuanji, he hurried to Li Ji's side to report to Li Yuanji.

If others are sent, the outcome is likely to be a close call, with a probability of 30% for the Tang Dynasty and 70% for Liu Heita.

1,300,000 households, how many people are there

Li Jiancheng had to find every possible way to extract every grain of food from every corner of the Tang Dynasty, ensuring that the army would not go hungry while also ensuring that the common people were not excessively exploited

Li Shimin nodded solemnly, "The Three Hu have average abilities, but they are ambitious and have always harbored the desire to rise to the top. Previously, they set aside their pride and fought against my subordinate Yuchi Gong, just to prove that they are the foremost horsemen in the world.

Therefore, even if King Qi has now developed the desire to usurp the throne and has begun to take action, he will not become an obstacle to Li Shimin

The issue is that once Li Jiancheng went to the battlefield, no one was left to assist the soldiers at the front in procuring supplies and provisions

Li Shimin earnestly said: "I know that San Hu will not become an obstacle for me, but I fear that my father will help him become an obstacle for me"

Li Shimin furrowed his brow and said, "If my father were to have his wishes fulfilled, that would indeed be good"

He was a meritorious minister during Li Yuan's rebellion in Taiyuan, holding the position of Minister of Civil Affairs and Left Deputy Envoy of the Shaanxi East Circuit, and was granted the title of Duke of Lu. Moreover, he was bestowed with the privilege of 'pardon for two deaths' by Li Yuan. In terms of wisdom, strategy, courage, and means, he far surpassed Li Ji, yet in the end, he was easily eliminated by him.

The last person who cared about him was named Liu Wenjing

This is also the reason why Li Shimin firmly stated that only he could pacify Liu Heita.

Uncle Xie Fang noticed that Li Yuanji seemed to be in a bad mood, so he did not dare to approach and provoke Li Yuanji. He could only put away the information he had gathered and wait until tomorrow to report it to Li Yuanji

Li Yuanji walked to the long table in the main hall and library, sat down, and after removing his great cloak, he furrowed his brows in contemplation

Therefore, under the circumstances where the troops of the Tang Dynasty were stationed in the southwest and Hebei, Li Yuan could not possibly dispatch Li Jiancheng to lead an expedition.

Only Li Yuan and Li Shimin can help Li Jiancheng with this matter. The problem is that they both know very well in their hearts that if they were to take action, they would certainly not do it as well as Li Jiancheng.

Thus, during the Wude era, the commanders leading the troops into battle were either members of the royal family or the sons of Li Yuan

It is roughly one third of the future magical city.

Li Shimin spoke these words with considerable confidence

Li Yuan nodded slightly and said, "Then let us first lift the house arrest order on the Fourth Son and see what he will do. If he is truly clever, I do not mind giving him some of what he desires; if he is merely pretending to be clever..."

Just as Pei Ji was assisting Li Yuan in plotting against his own son, Li Shimin had already hurried back to the Chengqing Hall

Pei Ji smiled and said, "Then let us send him some clever people, so that others can help him be wise"

Once Liu Heita conquers all the former territories of Dou Jiande, he will undoubtedly become the foremost rival of our Great Tang

Li Shimin glanced at Changsun Guanyin's maid and slowly recounted everything that had just happened in the Hall of Two Instruments to her

Li Shimin waved his hand, signaling all the maidservants in the inner chamber to withdraw, and then slowly spoke, "Keming was beaten by that scoundrel Yin A-Shu, and a finger was broken."

Changsun Guanyin's maid's expression changed, "Has your father begun to be wary of you?"

Li Yuanming knew that Pei Ji was speaking flattery, yet he enjoyed listening to it and felt very pleased after hearing it

Li Yuanji did not go to the sleeping quarters, but instead furrowed his brows and arrived at the main hall of the Wude Palace

Pei Ji was a close minister beside Li Yuan, who understood Li Yuan's thoughts. As he watched Li Yuan's attempts to reprimand Li Shimin fail, and instead being restrained by both Li Shimin and Li Yuanji, he sought to prevent Li Yuan from becoming upset. He seized upon a hint of cleverness displayed by Li Yuanji and suggested to Li Yuan that he could use Li Yuanji to counterbalance Li Shimin, thereby alleviating Li Yuan's mood

Li Shimin said with a deep gaze: "Liu Heita is causing great turmoil in Hebei and is on the verge of conquering all of Dou Jiande's former territories. My uncle is no match for him, and Li Shiji is also no match for him"

Uncle Xie Shufang stood at the entrance of the main hall and, upon seeing Li Yuanji, hurriedly approached him

Changsun Guanyin's maid wore a hairpin adorned with nine gold ornaments, dressed in light-colored everyday attire, exuding an elegant and beautiful demeanor, striking a balance between grace and modesty, with an unmistakable air of nobility.

Li Yuan's brows relaxed, his eyes brightened, and he exclaimed, "Wonderful, wonderful, but..."

Pei Ji pretended not to notice Li Yuan's hesitation and laughed heartily, "Ultimately, it depends on the sovereign's discerning eye to determine who is the wise one and who can assist His Highness the Fourth."

Li Shimin is the only choice

Just as Li Shimin had devised a way to pressure Li Yuan, Li Yuanji returned to the Wude Hall

Li Taichan circled around the feet of Changsun Guanyin's maid, occasionally stretching his neck to peek into the maid's embrace

Today, I went to the Liangyi Hall to meet Li Yuan, and did not reveal any flaws, successfully handling the matter with Yin Ashu. However, as I was leaving, a single remark from Pei Ji left me both astonished and furious

Li Jiancheng is not only capable of stabilizing the nation and enriching the country, but also of expanding its territories and borders

Li Jiancheng's position in this matter is irreplaceable by anyone

Li Jiancheng has performed exceptionally well thus far, ensuring that the soldiers at the front do not go hungry, while also avoiding excessive exploitation of the common people that could incite civil unrest

As for whether this would attract the attention of Li Yuanji, Pei Ji was completely unconcerned

Li Lizhi lay in the arms of Changsun Guanyin's maid, squinting her small eyes and greedily pouting her lips

Changsun Guanyin's maid did not refute.