Li Shimin was shocked by the "homework" that Li Jue had given to Baozang Wang. Was this grandson forcing Baozang Wang to rebel?
"Grandson, aren't you afraid of forcing the Treasure King to rebel by doing this?"
"Don't be afraid!"
“I have observed the Treasure King; he does not have the courage to rebel.”
"In fact, this guy doesn't even know how to govern a country. Ever since he became the king of Goguryeo, he's been hiding in his hole like a mouse until we captured Yeon Gaesomun, at which point he started to cheer up a bit."
"Oh oh oh..."
Li Shimin remained noncommittal upon hearing this. He did not believe that King Baozang would dare to rebel, but he felt that Li Jue's two points were digging up the ancestral graves of Goguryeo, and he was afraid that they would provoke a rebellion among the Goguryeo literati.
"You decide what to do, but it's best not to rush things and cause me a lot of trouble."
"Next, I will deal with the Xueyantuo in the north and the Tubo on the plateau."
"Although Tibet is relatively docile now, it will surely become our greatest threat when our Tang Dynasty weakens in the future!"
"Comparatively speaking, the Xueyantuo are simple to deal with; any general sent out could suppress them."
"Tibet..."
When Li Jue heard Li Shimin mention Tibet, his thoughts were inevitably drawn back from Goguryeo.
But what he cared about was not Tibet, but a country further west.
"Grandpa, have you paid any attention to countries like Persia and Fulin?"
Li Shimin frowned slightly upon hearing this.
"Has Persia weakened?"
"They seem to be at war with a country. A few years ago, a Persian envoy came to me seeking help..."
"As for the Kingdom of Fulin... this country is too far away from our Great Tang. They can't attack it, and we can't attack it either."
"Moreover, I have heard that the internal situation of the Kingdom of Fulin is also unstable, and there is already a tendency for it to split up."
Li Jue was shocked to hear this. He never expected that Li Er, this old man, would know so much about the distant West.
"Grandpa, you've really studied the West!"
Li Shimin smiled slightly upon hearing this.
"certainly!"
"Do you think being an emperor is so easy? If I don't care about the affairs of the world, how can I lead the Tang Dynasty to create a golden age?"
"Auntie is wise!"
Li Jue flattered him wholeheartedly.
"Grandpa, please keep an eye on that country that's fighting against Persia!"
"I always feel that this country will one day have a war with our Great Tang!"
"oh?"
Li Shimin's greatest strength was his ability to listen to advice. Upon hearing Li Jue's words, he immediately decided to return to Chang'an and send a hundred-person delegation to visit Persia and the Kingdom of Fulin, with a focus on investigating the camel-riding nation that was currently at war with Persia.
"I understand!"
"It's cold now, so remember to cover yourself with extra blankets when you set up camp at night!"
"Um!"
The journey back home was long, but everyone was in a joyful mood.
Although a large amount of spoils of war had already been sent back to the Tang Dynasty last year, there was still a lot of gold, silver and valuables still adorning the bodies and saddles of every soldier.
Whenever they traveled, these gold and silver vessels would emit a clear and melodious clanging sound.
Half a month later, they finally returned to the Tang Dynasty and could see the city gate of Dingzhou.
According to the rules of the Tang Dynasty, they can now set up camp.
After all, military law clearly stipulated that Tang troops were not allowed to enter cities during their marches.
Before they could even set up camp, they saw a grand welcoming procession, and they could vaguely make out the prince's entourage!
Isn't the Crown Prince in Chang'an? How come he's in Dingzhou?
This was not only a question posed by a lowly soldier, but also a source of confusion for Ma Zhou, Liu Ji, and others.
"The Crown Prince has come all the way to Dingzhou to welcome His Majesty?"
"It seems so!"
"The Crown Prince is truly benevolent and filial..."
Liu Ji smiled slightly upon hearing this.
"The Crown Prince has a powerful backer!"
"oh?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Zhou immediately realized that there was something more to Liu Ji's words than met the eye.
"What do you mean by that, Lord Liu?"
"Lord Ma, His Majesty's campaign has been going on for more than just a day or two. Think about it, when did His Highness the Crown Prince start sending a letter every day, along with a constant stream of gifts?"
"this……"
"It must have been during our occupation of Pyongyang..."
Liu Ji laughed heartily upon hearing this.
"That's right!"
"If the Crown Prince truly valued benevolence and filial piety, he should have done so from the very beginning of His Majesty's campaign. However, he delayed until His Majesty captured Pyongyang, which must have been due to the advice of a wise man!"
"Oh oh oh..."
Upon hearing this, Ma Zhou looked around and then focused his gaze on Changsun Wuji, who was riding a horse.
"Hearing you say that, I also feel there's something wrong here. But is there someone who accompanied His Majesty on the campaign, and there are other experts in Chang'an?"
Liu Ji was also a little unsure after hearing this.
"Maybe, after all, someone's uncle is no pushover either."
Intelligent people always speak only to the point, and although Liu Ji only said half of it, Ma Zhou still guessed the person's identity.
Gao Shilian?
While Ma Zhou and others were whispering among themselves, Li Shimin was overjoyed to hear that his beloved son had traveled a long distance to welcome him.
He immediately abandoned the carriage, mounted a fast horse, and rode to meet them.
"Foolish child!"
"Why are you leaving Chang'an behind and coming here?"
Upon hearing this, Li Zhi immediately knelt down and burst into tears.
"Your son... Your son misses Your Majesty so much, he can't wait any longer, so he has come to Dingzhou to welcome Your Majesty, sob sob sob..."
Li Shimin was a man who valued family ties very much. Upon hearing this, he broke down in tears, grabbed Li Zhi, and burst into sobs.
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