In the past, Li Shimin was not very interested in the Western Regions. After all, they could not bring anything to the Tang Empire. But the situation is different now. The trade between the two places is very frequent. This trade route can bring three million strings of tax revenue to the Tang Empire every year.
In addition, there are tributes from all over the Western Regions, which are also very valuable. Take some of the beauties in the palace now, for example, the Western Regions have contributed a lot, so it is absolutely impossible for Li Shimin to give up the Western Regions.
Even without these people and things, how could a great monarch give up his land so easily? Moreover, these lands were hard-earned, all of which were won by the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty.
"I think you should stay in Chang'an for a while. During this period, we still don't know their strength. It won't be too late to make a decision after the next memorial from the Western Regions comes back. If they are defeated, we will lead the troops from Chang'an."
What Li Shimin said was very reasonable. Even if Li Xiang rushed over now, he alone could not change the overall situation. If Cheng Chumo and the others could defeat them, then Li Xiang would not have to rush over. But if they could not defeat them, then reinforcements would have to be sent over, and it would not be too late for Li Xiang to go with the reinforcements at that time.
To be honest, the reason why Li Shimin said this was because Li Xiang spent too little time in the capital. When watching his grandson, Li Shimin couldn't help feeling a little distressed.
Li Xiang had been away fighting for his country for years. Without his victories, how could the Tang Dynasty have flourished? Therefore, Li Shimin rarely felt sorry for Li Xiang. Moreover, he had just married so many beautiful women, so how could he leave them at home all the time?
From a political perspective, the imperial family alone cannot govern the entire country; it must have a group of royal relatives. How to connect the imperial family and the royal relatives? That is to have the next generation.
As long as Li Xiang's wives have children, even a daughter, it is better than nothing. In ordinary times, there is no need for various gifts. As long as they have a common next generation, the relationship between the two parties will be much better.
"Then I'll listen to you, Grandfather. It's a good opportunity for me to take some time off. Although fighting in the south isn't tiring these days, the humid weather there is really unbearable."
Speaking of the humid weather in the south, Li Xiang really can't stand it. It's not the rainy season yet, but the bedding is wet every day. If it really is the rainy season, I really don't know how to get through the day.
"I heard it rains frequently in the south, and it seems like it can rain several times in one day. If that's the case, wouldn't there be frequent floods?"
After talking about national affairs, Li Shimin also became interested in the south. Although he had fought all over the world, he had never been to the south.
"There are many rivers and lakes in the area. Although it rains a lot, the temperature is higher than in the north, so more water evaporates. The moisture in the air..."
When Li Xiang said this, he found that Li Shimin was confused and did not understand what Li Xiang said at all, so Li Xiang could only change his way of speaking and using gestures to make Li Shimin understand why the south often rained but was not affected by disasters.
Of course, if the rainy season really comes, the amount of rainfall every year will be high, and the probability of flood disasters occurring due to untimely drainage is still very high.
"It seems that our Middle-earth Tang Dynasty is better. The outside world is inhabited by a bunch of monkeys after all."
Li Shimin said very proudly that here we have distinct four seasons, this is the place where we should live. No matter how many harvests there are in a year, in his opinion, the humid weather alone makes it uninhabitable for normal people. But for the local people, if they were all moved to Chang'an City, they would not be able to bear this dry weather. Otherwise, how can we say that the local water and soil support the local people?
Li Xiang chatted with Li Shimin for a long time before Li Shimin let Li Xiang go and agreed to host a banquet for him the next day.
"Is there nothing going on in the mansion these days?"
When Li Xiang came out of Li Shimin's hall, he saw Qian Ping waiting at the door.
"There's not much else to say, but the queen isn't feeling well."
Qian Ping said with a bitter face that Li Xiang had more women, and the harem would definitely not be as peaceful as before. After Cheng Luan gave birth to a daughter, she should have had time to recover, but Changsun Pingting gave birth to a son. Even if there were a hundred more women in the Tiance General's Mansion, it would not be as painful as having an extra son.
"Anything else?"
This was expected. Although Cheng Luan was a relatively generous woman, she always felt powerless in the face of the rumors around her because she lived in this place.
"The eldest young master has moved to the capital..."
Qian Ping stayed to assist Changsun Pingting. Although he tried to persuade her several times, he failed in the end. Changsun Pingting moved directly from outside the city to the capital and lived in Li Xiang's villa in the capital.
Qian Ping is ostensibly Changsun Pingting's assistant, but in fact he is still on Li Xiang's side. After suffering a big loss last time, Qian Ping certainly knows who controls his fate. No matter what others say, Qian Ping will report the most true news to Li Xiang.
"It's really a worry. Let's go to dad first."
After Li Xiang came back from the south and met Li Shimin, he had to go to Li Chengqian. As for the women in the family, he had to take this opportunity to give them a good beating. Although it might not necessarily stop the conflict, it also couldn't make it worse.
Changsun Pingting originally lived outside the city because she didn't want to face these people in Chang'an City. After all, this identity was not good and might also bring certain shame to the Changsun family.
But now it’s different. Although Li Xiang didn’t say his promise, everyone in the capital knew about it, and most people heard that as long as he was Li Xiang’s son, he would have equal opportunities in the future. So Changsun Pingting could not stay outside the city and had to let her son live in Chang’an City.
The environment can shape a person. If a child lives outside the city all the time, he may appear timid and not know how to deal with many things. Therefore, he must live in a power nest. Only in this way can the child grow up slowly and become a person like his father.
