The treasure king's conditions quickly reached Li Jue's ears, and Li Jue then relayed them to Li Shimin.
Upon hearing these conditions, Li Shimin immediately burst into laughter like a pig.
"What a coincidence! I've wanted to kill Yeon Gaesomun for a long time, hahaha!"
"Grandpa, since you've agreed, then I'll let the Treasure King into the city, shall I?"
Go!
"From now on, you shall have full authority over matters concerning Goguryeo; I will no longer interfere!"
"ah?"
Li Jue was stunned when he heard this, thinking to himself, "Li Er is giving me candy again."
Seeing Li Jue stunned, Li Er immediately glared at him unhappily.
"What's wrong? Don't you believe me?"
"No, no, no, it's not that I don't believe it, it's just that I can't believe such a good thing could exist..."
Li Shimin smiled coldly upon hearing this.
"You really think this is a good thing?"
Li Jue asked in bewilderment upon hearing this.
"Grandpa, isn't this a good thing?"
"Goguryeo was a large country with several million people, and the taxes it paid every year were astronomical..."
Li Shimin smiled faintly upon hearing this.
"Silly child!"
"You only see the benefits. Have you ever thought about how the entire court would view you if Goguryeo rebelled?"
"Goguryeo is a hot potato. If you don't handle it well and it reignites the flames of war in Liaodong, that's where others will attack you!"
"Oh oh oh..."
Li Jue had never really thought about this, after all, he had always been pondering how to completely integrate Goguryeo into the Tang Dynasty.
"Grandpa, if someone really used this to attack me, would you believe it?"
Li Shimin curled his lip in disdain upon hearing this.
"Of course I don't believe it!"
"But I am the emperor, and an emperor cannot act on emotion in many situations. Even if I do not believe it, since I sit on the throne, I can only act according to the rules."
Do you understand?
"I……"
Upon hearing this, Li Jue felt extremely frustrated. This Li Er was too cunning; he was simply using him as a pawn!
"Grandson understands, grandson promises not to let Goguryeo cause trouble!"
Li Shimin nodded upon hearing this, then waved his hand to send him away.
In fact, Li Shimin had been waiting for Li Jue to refuse, but that grandson of Li Jue was too fond of doing things. Even though he knew that Goguryeo was a huge pit, he still jumped into it without hesitation.
Li Shimin certainly did not doubt Li Jue's loyalty; he just found the grandson somewhat amusing.
What's the grandson in such a hurry for? Once he becomes emperor, won't he have plenty of time to manipulate Goguryeo?
According to Li Shimin's initial plan, the Tang Dynasty was able to completely assimilate Goguryeo within three generations, which was already a very good situation.
Judging from Li Jue's appearance, he doesn't expect to wait three generations; he wants to completely resolve the Goguryeo problem within a few years.
Although Li Shimin did not approve of Li Jue's approach, he still decided to support Li Jue and let him go all out to make a big splash.
The reason is simple: even if Li Jue makes a mistake, his father-in-law can still keep things under control.
Li Shimin watched Li Jue skip away and sighed inwardly.
"well!"
"I just hope this brat doesn't cause any serious trouble!"
To welcome King Baozang into the city, Li Jue held a very grand ceremony.
Not only did it attract visitors of all ages from across the city, but it also forcibly dragged Li Shimin over to serve as a backdrop.
Originally, Li Shimin did not want to show his face. After all, Goguryeo was just a minor king, so why would it need the presence of the Heavenly Khan like him?
Li Jue is just too annoying; if he hadn't come, he probably would have broken Li Jue's arm.
Of course, it is also related to the reasons given by Li Jue.
“Grandpa, this scene isn’t for King Baozang to see, it’s for the people of Goguryeo to see…”
"If you let the people of Goguryeo see your majestic figure, it will be easier for them to submit to the Tang Dynasty in the future..."
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin thought about it and realized that it was indeed true.
These Goguryeo people will all be his subjects in the future, so what's wrong with him doing something for them?
Treasure King never expected that the Tang Dynasty would value him so much, not only inviting so many people to witness the ceremony, but also having His Majesty the Heavenly Khan personally attend.
However, the Tang Dynasty's attention made him somewhat flattered, fearing that the Tang Dynasty might have designs on his life.
"Eldest grandson, this ceremony is far too grand; I am truly unworthy of it..."
"Treasure King, don't be afraid, my Great Tang Dynasty has no ill intentions towards you!"
"I……"
"Does Your Highness always speak so bluntly?"
Li Jue smiled slightly upon hearing this.
"no……"
"But for you guys, I'm too lazy to even pretend, hahaha!"
"this……"
"Your Highness is indeed a man of few words..."
“King Treasure, the palace will have to be lent to me and my grandfather for the time being. You can move in after we leave.”
Upon hearing this, the Treasure King hurriedly declined.
"No, no, no, how could I dare to stay in the palace where you and the Heavenly Khan once lived!"
"After Your Highness leaves, I will order the palace to be sealed off and used as a temporary residence for you and the Heavenly Khan. As for me, I will choose a place outside the city to build a small house as the palace."
"Smaller..."
Li Jue looked at the already cramped palace and couldn't imagine how anyone could live in an even smaller palace.
However, the fact that the Treasure King was so sensible was a pleasant surprise, saving him a lot of trouble.
"Since the Treasure King is unwilling to live here, then I will send several hundred craftsmen from the Tang Dynasty to build you a new palace outside the city!"
"Your Highness, I am deeply grateful for your kindness!"
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