Chapter 10

Wang Zian stood with a frown and a stern look.

"Considering you are a guest today, I won’t beat you up. Go back where you came from, you traitor!"

Li Shimin was instantly stunned, neither laughing nor crying.

The Emperor of our Great Tang, a traitor?

Cheng Yaojin also didn’t expect the young man to turn hostile so quickly.

"Brat, what do you think you’re doing—"

As he spoke, he was about to rush over.

Li Shimin wiped the alcohol from his face and reached out to stop Cheng Yaojin.

"Young brother, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I am indeed smuggling, but it’s just secretly bringing cattle and horses from outside the border to our side..."

Wang Zian gave a forced laugh and patted Li Shimin on the shoulder.

"It’s just this little thing, why did you make it so mysterious? Look what a fuss you’ve made—"

Li Shimin: ...

"Exactly what I thought. You two have an official air about you, so you must be working for the court. Well, this matter does concern you, so I’ll tell you, but what I say next, you must keep to yourselves, got it?"

Li Shimin and Cheng Yaojin nodded in unison.

"Externally—things will get serious. We will surely expand our territory, driving those barbarians to flee in all directions. If I’m not mistaken, this winter will likely see a major military campaign!"

When Li Shimin heard the first part, he felt a bit smug. But when the second part came, his eyes flashed with a sharp light.

The campaign against the Turks was still in the planning stages, and even he didn’t know when it would start. Why was this young man so certain?

"Little brother, who told you this?"

Wang Zian, seeing their shocked expressions, pretended to be calm, stood up, and pondered, his mind racing to find a plausible reason.

Seeing this, Li Shimin and Cheng Yaojin didn’t dare to disturb him and waited quietly.

"Do I need to hear it from someone? The mutton in the pot told me—"

"Mutton?"

Li Shimin and Cheng Yaojin exchanged a puzzled glance.

"You’re running a business outside the border, and you have such little sense. I advise you to go home and retire soon, or you might lose your heads without even knowing why when the war starts—"

"Little brother, what do you mean—"

"Haven’t you noticed that since winter began, the fur and livestock trade has become increasingly difficult—"

Is that so?

He really hadn’t paid attention to such trivial matters.

He nodded blankly.

"How do you know, and what does this have to do with the court’s impending military campaign?"

"How do I know? The mutton in the pot told me—do you know that since winter began, the price of mutton in Chang’an has risen by 60%, and the price of cattle and horses has risen by 70%..."

Ah—ah?

The two were still puzzled.

They had never cared about such trivial matters, so they couldn’t help but ask.

"Isn’t it normal for prices to rise in winter? What’s so strange about that?"

"I’ve heard that in previous years, prices would rise, but only by 20-30%. This year, they’ve risen so much. Do you know what that means?"

Someone had to play the straight man.

"What does it mean?"

Li Shimin frowned and asked subconsciously. Cheng Yaojin slapped Wang Zian on the shoulder.

"Brat, stop being mysterious! Speak up, it’s too slow and not satisfying!"

Wang Zian, whose legs weren’t reinforced, stumbled from the slap, and the dignified air he had cultivated instantly vanished.

"It means that this year, the north has experienced unprecedented cold, and many cattle, sheep, and horses have frozen or starved to death! So, the market has tightened, supplies are short, and prices have naturally risen. Just wait and see, prices will rise even more in a few days—"

Seeing that Cheng Yaojin had no intention of playing the straight man, Wang Zian decided not to build up the suspense.

"For the Great Tang, it’s just a matter of higher prices for furs and mutton. For ordinary people, it doesn’t matter much; they can’t afford it even if prices don’t rise. For the nobles, it’s even less of a concern; they don’t even notice the cost. But do you know what it means for the Xueyantuo, Uyghur, Bayegu, and Tongluo tribes?"

Hearing this, Li Shimin’s eyes suddenly sparkled, deep in thought.

"The Xueyantuo and Uyghur tribes are vassals of the Turks and must pay tribute annually. If the situation is as you say, their lives will be even harder—"

"Wow—Old Li, not bad, you’ve got some sense, well said!"

Wang Zian’s face showed a look of approval, and he patted Li Shimin on the shoulder encouragingly.

"Go on—"

Li Shimin was already deep in thought and didn’t notice Wang Zian’s condescending tone. He continued excitedly.

"Given Jiali’s usual habits, he will surely increase the exploitation of the Xueyantuo and Uyghur tribes. You mean—"

At this point, Li Shimin suddenly became excited and looked at Wang Zian with burning eyes.

"Little brother, you mean Jiali will have conflicts with the Xueyantuo and Uyghur tribes and other vassals!"

"You’re a quick learner—but that’s not all—"

Wang Zian was now in character, cleared his throat, and pointed to the wine glass.

Li Shimin subconsciously poured him a drink. Wang Zian took the glass and nodded in satisfaction.

"How much can be squeezed out of the Xueyantuo and Uyghur tribes? If they want to survive, I bet they will march south—"

Li Shimin and Cheng Yaojin leaned forward, not wanting to miss a word. Given their experience, they knew that if the north had indeed suffered a severe cold, the young man’s prediction was highly likely!

At this point, Wang Zian paused and glanced at the two.

"Do you think the current emperor, who is so wise and valiant, and the many talents in the court, wouldn’t know this?"

Li Shimin and Cheng Yaojin both felt ashamed.

They thought, indeed, they didn’t know!

"Besides, are the Turks a good bunch? Since they openly broke the alliance, they’ve given the emperor a reason to attack! Do you think he would miss such a great opportunity? I believe, with his great talent and strategy, he will seize the chance to avenge the humiliation at the Wei River!"

Li Shimin and Cheng Yaojin couldn’t help but recall those difficult days of the past.

Back then, Khan Jiali took advantage of the turmoil during the transition of power and led a large army to invade Central China. The main force reached the Wei River and even threatened Chang’an, reaching the northern bank of the Wei River, which almost brought his prestige to an all-time low...

Outside Chang’an, the Turk army stretched for miles, flags fluttering. Inside Chang’an, the city was empty of troops, and the people were in a panic, with rumors spreading. Many took the opportunity to attack the emperor, and the calls for the retired emperor to take over grew louder.

The internal and external troubles almost made him go gray overnight.