Persimmons are poisonous.

Chapter 1232 Old Li Wants to Play Big

Great Tang, Australia.

Li Tai had already returned. After changing into his usual attire, infiltrating the imperial palace of the Great Tang in the parallel world was as simple as slapping a few Imperial Guards.

He hadn't just brought back the other Li Tai; he'd also kidnapped Empress Changsun from that world.

Upon returning to Bazu Lake, he immediately sent a message to Chang'an with a cheerful tone.

"Dad, have you eaten?"

"The Mountain Chief took me to another Great Tang, and I brought back our mother from there."

"How about it, surprised? Unexpected?"

In Chang'an City, Li Shimin was completely stunned upon seeing this telegram.

Damn it!

Could he also experience double the happiness like Han Shizhong?

After the initial elation, a sourness welled up in his heart.

That rascal Qing Que, not only followed Fang Er to Australia but had now gone to another Great Tang.

What the heck, what happened to taking me along?

He glanced at the dragon throne on the steps, then at the mountain of memorial documents on his desk. A thought surfaced in his mind and could no longer be suppressed.

He suddenly turned to Deng Dengjie, who was beside him.

"Pass an order to summon the Crown Prince!"

"Summon Prime Minister Fang, Prime Minister Du, and the ministers of all departments to the hall!"

The command came very suddenly. Li Chengqian received it and dared not delay, running all the way to the hall.

Li Shimin merely glanced at him but remained silent.

This put immense pressure on Li Chengqian. After performing his salutations, he stood to the side with his hands behind his back, looking down at his toes, wondering if he had done something wrong.

Soon, Fang Xuanling and the ministers of all departments arrived successively. Even Du Ruhui, who was recuperating at home, was carried over.

After a series of obeisances, Li Shimin walked out from behind the imperial desk and looked at everyone with a sigh.

"My esteemed colleagues, how has the court been recently?"

This abrupt question left everyone bewildered.

"Your Majesty, on what aspect are you inquiring?" Fang Xuanling asked with confusion.

Li Shimin gazed at the sky outside the hall and said faintly, "All aspects, livelihoods, military and political, and so on!"

It was not yet the end of the year, and Fang Xuanling did not understand why he was suddenly asking this. Thinking of the data in the Ministry of Revenue, he replied truthfully.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I manage the Ministry of Revenue. There are no major issues regarding livelihoods; everything is very stable."

"Whether it's marriage, childbirth, or the settlement of immigrants in the Americas, everything is going well."

"Furthermore, commercial taxes are gradually increasing. Although it's not yet time for statistics, it's foreseeable that this year's national treasury revenue will be several times more than last year."

"Seven-tenths of these surplus funds come from commercial taxes!"

Li Shimin nodded with satisfaction, then looked at Li Jing beside him.

"Your Majesty, there's nothing much to report on military affairs. The various Protector-Generals are almost bored to death!"

Du Yiyang: "The Ministry of Works also has nothing significant. The largest project is the construction of the new capital. You want to build the Mingtang, and we are currently busy redesigning it."

"We haven't dared to neglect water conservancy and road bridges, and work has been continuous."

The answers from the Ministries of Rites, Personnel, and Justice were similar.

With the current national strength of the Great Tang, there were almost no major problems. Petty thefts, examination fraud, or official corruption, as long as they didn't form a widespread scale, could not affect the overall situation.

"Hahahaha, good! Very good!"

Li Shimin burst into laughter and, amidst the puzzled gazes of everyone, walked to the dragon throne and slowly sat down.

"Since the uprising in the fourteenth year of Daye, it has only been 13 years!"

"You have accompanied me in battles across the four directions and have worked diligently for the Great Tang, finally ushering in the current era of peace and prosperity!"

"I have been thinking recently, and there is a thought that I cannot let go of."

"That is, what constitutes a wise ruler, and what constitutes a sage."

"Everyone praises the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors; they did not claim the world as their private possession, and their virtuous act of abdicating upon completion has been passed down through the ages!"

"Therefore, I have decided!"

"Effective immediately, I shall abdicate to Crown Prince Chengqian!"

"You all handle the procedures properly, set them in order, and select a date for the grand ceremony!"

"Boom!"

To Fang Xuanling and the others, these words were no less than a bolt from the blue!

They looked at Li Shimin in shock, never imagining that he would say such a thing.

Old Fang immediately knelt on the ground and said with great emotion, "Your Majesty, absolutely not! You are only thirty-three years old, in the prime of your life, and the Great Tang cannot do without you!"

Meanwhile, Li Chengqian's face turned pale, and a sudden urge to urinate surged through him.

He quickly knelt down, crawled to the foot of the imperial steps, and with tear-filled eyes, looked up at his father and choked out.

"Father Emperor!"

"Have I done something wrong?"

"You can beat me, punish me, or even demote me to commoner status, but please, do not do this!"

"I swear, I have never harbored any intention of coveting the throne!"

"This imperial throne, I, your son, dare not accept it!"

These words displeased Li Shimin immensely. Damn it, was he still going to be tied down by this chair?

If the throne was given to you, I would still be the one calling the shots in this world.

He then abruptly stood up and pointed at Li Chengqian, reprimanding him.

"Whether you accept it or not is not up to you! I said, what I give you is yours, and what I don't give you, you are not allowed to snatch!"

"But today I will add one more thing: what I give you, you must accept even if you don't want it."

Li Chengqian was inwardly panicked, completely unsure if his father was speaking the truth or being sarcastic.

Damn it, according to the history of the Tang Dynasty, he was deposed for rebellion and eventually died of illness in Lingnan.

He heard that there were many insects, wolves, and tigers there, and three mosquitoes could be fried into a dish. He highly suspected that he would die from mosquito bites!

It was too terrifying. Compared to such a death, it would be better to be a bit more sensible.

He kowtowed three times consecutively, breaking his forehead, and then looked up, crying out with all his might.

"Father Emperor! If you have any issues with your son, please tell me directly. Please don't do this, your son is scared!"

"I don't want to go to Lingnan to feed mosquitoes!"

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui were dumbfounded. What was going on?

How did a simple abdication get linked to mosquitoes in Lingnan?

Hearing this, Li Shimin instantly understood what was happening. This little rascal must have read that book on Tang history!

"Alright, stop wasting my time with these pleas. I'm not testing you or trying to trick you with words; I am simply abdicating."

Li Chengqian: ..........

I don't believe you, you old scoundrel, you're terribly cunning!

Meanwhile, Li Shimin had already turned to Fang Xuanling and the others.

"There's no need to persuade me further. This thought has been on my mind for a long time."

"Counting the days, the Crown Prince has been in charge of state affairs for over a year in total, and during this time, all political matters have been handled in an orderly fashion. With you all overseeing, I am very at ease!"

"Therefore, as Qing Que would say, the world is so vast, and I want to go and see!"

"Alright, that's all I have to say!"

"Pass an order to prepare the aircraft. I'm going to Australia to catch koalas."

After saying this, he picked up the Imperial Seal from the imperial desk, shoved it into Li Chengqian's hand, and left without looking back.

Li Chengqian: ???

Damn this Crown Prince!

He's just leaving?

Fang Xuanling and the others were even more bewildered.

Good heavens, was it that hasty?