Traveling through the Gaowu Tang Dynasty, Li Kuan and Li Shimin became the second sons of the Prince

You know, at the end of the Sui Dynasty, when there was chaos and war everywhere, the losses suffered by the Central Plains families in their industries were enormous.

As the Dou family was a thousand-year-old aristocratic family with great wealth and power, it was obviously unable to avoid this situation.

So after careful consideration, Empress Taimu began to look for suitable foreign merchants, letting them become Dou's representatives in foreign countries, and using the start-up capital given by Dou to start doing business in their own countries.

Therefore, the shadow of the Dou family was active from Persia in the west to Goguryeo in the east, from the Turkic steppes in the north to Kunlun Province in the south.

And these people have accumulated incredible wealth for the Dou family over the years.

But even the retired emperor Li Yuan might not have thought of this - the reason why Empress Taimu did all this was not only to help him start the rebellion, but also to leave a way out for her family.

But who would have thought that with the passage of time, the ultimate beneficiary of all this would become His Royal Highness the King of Chu.

Therefore, His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu really had no intention of being sarcastic.

But His Majesty Li II couldn't help but think too much.

"Guanyin maid... look at that brat!!" In Ganlu Palace, Emperor Li II angrily slammed the letter in his hand on the table: "This bastard! If he doesn't make me angry for a day, does he feel unhappy?!"

"Your Majesty, what are you talking about?" Empress Changsun frowned slightly when she heard this. "Since ancient times, parents have contributed money and effort to their children's marriages, and our royal family should do the same. But now that Kuan'er is getting married, not only does your Majesty and I not have to worry about it, but he has also given so much money. Why is your Majesty unhappy? Could it be that Kuan'er made a mistake in giving money?"

"Ah... that's not right..." His Majesty Li Er was stunned at first, and then he realized that his wife's mood was a little... unstable: "Guanyin maid... what's wrong with you today..."

"I am so happy..." Empress Changsun blinked her moist eyes when she heard this. "When Kuan'er was still in his infancy, he left me, his mother, and grew up alone in Longyou... Later, even when he came to Chang'an, he had to rely on himself for everything and rely on the protection of the Dou family. What I could do for this child... Now that I think about it, it was very little... On the contrary, this child, whether in the past or now, actually thinks of me in everything and respects me in everything, so... Erlang, what else do I think I am not satisfied with?"

"..." Emperor Li II looked at his wife who was becoming more and more excited as she spoke. He realized that all the topics concerning Li Kuan had gradually become a taboo that neither he nor his wife wanted to touch.

"Your Majesty," Empress Changsun saw that her husband was silent, so she simply broke the fuzzy window paper and said, "I want to ask you, if it was your other children who gave you this money to build the Xiangcheng Palace today, would you also feel that they were mocking you?"

"I..." Emperor Li II, who had been speechless before because of this matter even when facing the eloquent Wei Zheng, was really speechless at this moment.

"A few months ago, Sizi suddenly came to me and said that her second brother had taught her a poem." Empress Changsun paused for a moment before she continued, "Spring is here and the grass is green, and the son's growth depends on the mother's strength. The grass withers and grows green, but the mother's love has no end." (Note 6)

This poem "Spring Grass Lyrics" was originally learned by the little Princess Sizi when she was playing the game of "Monopoly" with her second brother. She was unlucky with the dice and jumped into the "trap square". After being punished, she had no choice but to learn it from her second brother.

However, when she read this poem to Empress Changsun, the latter's reaction was obviously incomprehensible to the young Sizi.

But Si Zi could not understand it, but His Majesty Li II could.

After all, Li Kuan couldn't bear to see his mother worrying about him, so he chose to comfort his mother in such a tactful way, which was also a kind of self-reconciliation.

“Your Majesty,” Empress Changsun continued after reading the poem, seeing that the other party still did not speak: “After Kuan’er left Chang’an, I often thought back to the past, and then I realized that many things… Kuan’er did not understand, but he was unwilling to think about it, to think deeply. He was protected too well by his grandmother since he was a child, but when he was brought back to Chang’an by you, he could already feel the gap… But all along, he never opened his mouth to speak…”

"I understand..." His Majesty Li II was silent for a long while before he spoke with difficulty: "But I also have my own difficulties..."

"What difficulties could your majesty have?" Empress Zhangsun smiled bitterly upon hearing this: "It's nothing more than the guilt you felt at first, which has turned into the guilt you feel now. After all, Kuan'er is no longer a stranger to you, so you might as well carry out your suspicion and resentment to the end! But is this really the attitude a father should have towards his son?! The retired emperor treated you...never like this before, right? Yes, the retired emperor was indeed partial to you, but if he had been like you, then now, except for Kuan'er, everyone in our family would have been reunited in the underworld! Even Sizi and Zhinu would not have been born..."

"You said it too!" His Majesty Li II seemed to have been touched by his wife, so he immediately said in a cold voice: "Even if my father kills us, Kuan'er can survive with the protection of the Dou family - even you now hold such a view, so tell me, can I not be afraid of him?!"

"These are two different things." Empress Changsun replied with a stern face upon hearing this.

"This is actually one thing..." His Majesty Li II sighed after hearing this, then he stood up and strode out of the palace: "Unfortunately, in your eyes... they are two different things..."

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Although the conversation between the emperor and the empress ended on a bad note.

But this may not be a bad thing for the country.

His Majesty Li II does not plan to repair the Xiangcheng Palace.

Of course, the plan to inspect Luoyang was also shelved.

However, the cancellation of these two resolutions has little to do with King Chu.

Because in the summer of the 14th year of Zhenguan, urgent news came from Silla: the Goguryeo army was gathering towards the Silla border, trying to attack Silla.

Upon receiving the news, Emperor Li II issued an imperial decree without hesitation, ordering Goguryeo to withdraw its troops.

The reply from Goguryeo was extremely respectful: Khan, you have misunderstood. We are merely strengthening our border defenses. However, since you have spoken, we will withdraw our troops.

Did Goguryeo withdraw its troops?

In the letter from Quan Gaisumun to Emperor Li II, Goguryeo withdrew its troops.

but……

Two months later, hundreds of messengers sent by Silla risked their lives to cross the blockade and delivered a desperate letter for help to Emperor Li II.

The above content is very brief, but it is a tearful accusation made by the Queen of Silla: Goguryeo and Baekje jointly captured forty cities of Silla in one month. Now the whole territory of Silla is about to fall into the hands of the enemy. I hope that the wise Heavenly Khan will uphold justice for his most loyal subject!

"Hmm...wait a minute..." King Chu, who was preparing to get married in Qiongzhou at that time, suddenly frowned: "The war suddenly came earlier...I can understand, but there is also the matter of Baekje here?"

It really has never been beaten by me...