Chapter Fifty: A New Plan

Inside the Taiji Palace, within the bedchamber, Li Shimin gazed at Li Chengqian lying on his couch, filled with a deep sense of lingering emotion.

He had never imagined that his own son, Li Chengqian, could unleash such tremendous energy.

It was entirely beyond his expectations. Originally, he had assumed Li Chengqian was merely speaking casually, perhaps making some minor improvements to spinning techniques. Yet Li Chengqian had actually gone through with it for real. This caught him completely off guard; if the word "shocked" were to be used to describe Li Shimin's state of mind at this moment, it would be fitting indeed.

"Chengqian..."

Li Shimin slowly opened his mouth, then closed it again. He bit his lip, stared at Li Chengqian, and finally spoke: "Chengqian, I want to ask you—this steam engine is truly extraordinary. Is it possible to apply the steam engine to other fields as well?"

A cold smile crossed Li Chengqian's heart. He knew it couldn't be that simple for Li Shimin to keep him in the bedchamber.

The most obvious reason was that Li Shimin wanted to squeeze every last drop of potential out of him. Applied merely to spinning, the utility of the steam engine was still not grand enough. Having previously heard Li Chengqian's descriptions, Li Shimin had been completely captivated, and by now he had essentially become Li Chengqian's super fan.

"Father, the amount of energy I can make the steam engine unleash depends entirely on the extent of your resolve," Li Chengqian replied after a brief hesitation, looking at Li Shimin with a confident and steady voice.

"This... this is simply too incredible! Didn't you also mention that the steam engine could be used to invent some sort of carriage—one of extreme speed that could transport a massive number of soldiers?" Li Shimin lowered his head to look at Li Chengqian, suddenly stopping himself, and inquired in a low voice, "Right, Chengqian, is your illness feeling a bit better? How about you rest first and we talk about this tomorrow?"

"Father, I am much better. Just having your concern makes me feel much better," Li Chengqian said, cupping his hands in salute before continuing, "Everything your son described can be achieved; these are not problems at all. The steam engine is far more powerful than one can possibly imagine."

"Oh, tell me about it in detail. I am very interested in your steam engine right now, especially the fact that it can pull people. Wouldn't that effect be simply marvelous?" As Li Shimin spoke, the corners of his mouth curled upward into a look of hope and confidence for the future.

This was something Li Shimin had long anticipated. Every time he went off to war, the transportation of grain, provisions, and troops had always been major headaches that consumed vast amounts of energy and effort.

If he had the steam engine, all these problems would be effortlessly resolved. From then on, wherever Li Shimin wished to wage war, to the ends of the earth or the four corners of the realm, he could go at will.

For Li Shimin, who treated warfare like a routine daily affair, the steam engine was simply the crowning touch. If he, Li Shimin, possessed the steam engine, wouldn't he be able to thoroughly crush those ungrateful, reckless fools around them, such as Goguryeo?

Moreover, the speed would be exceptionally fast—it would be as easy as turning over one's hand, entirely without any great pressure.

This was a completely natural progression of things. As Li Shimin spoke, he drifted into boundless imagination, feeling somewhat impatient to begin.

"Father, this is hardly an issue at all. Your son can design a train driven by a steam engine, though the cost will be extremely high. It requires designing a massive steam engine, which will be time-consuming and labor-intensive, and as for the fuel..."

"Chengqian, you need not worry about any of the expenses. All I care about is how much energy it will possess once designed," Li Shimin interrupted Li Chengqian, continuing in a deadpan, serious tone.

"Once designed, this steam engine will require several carriages filled to the brim with fuel. However, its transport capacity will be immense—it will be able to transport at least two thousand soldiers at a time, and the speed will be very swift, traveling at least one hundred li within a single double-hour."

"This... this is simply wonderful! If we can achieve such transport efficiency, then when I go to fight Goguryeo and the others, won't I just be able to dispatch a few steam engines and directly annihilate them?" Li Shimin could not conceal the extreme joy in his heart.

Especially at this moment, Li Shimin was full of confidence in the future. As long as things could be accomplished, spending money was hardly a major issue.

His prosperous era of Zhenguan had not come about for nothing; the common people were relatively well-off, and as long as something benefited the Great Tang Empire, the populace would give it their full support.

When it came to the ability to sway people, Li Er was several tiers superior to Emperor Yang of Sui.

Furthermore, Li Er always stood upon the moral high ground, and the common people supported him immensely. This was precisely where Li Er's confidence lay.

Li Chengqian also sensed the passion emanating from Li Shimin. He understood that the Great Tang Empire still possessed considerable strength at this time, but the engineering workload would be colossal, and burdening the people and wasting wealth would be unavoidable. In the long run, however, the benefits would undoubtedly outweigh the drawbacks.

With this thought, Li Chengqian hurriedly cupped his hands toward Li Shimin and spoke slowly: "Father, this carriage can also transport daily necessities—for instance, a vast amount of commercial goods can be transported by this vehicle. Its speed is far greater than horse-drawn carriages, and more importantly, the volume of goods it can carry is massive; it can haul close to two hundred thousand catties of goods in a single trip."

"What? Two hundred thousand catties? Just how massive would that be?" Li Shimin was utterly astounded, his eyes widening in disbelief.

In all his years, Li Shimin had never witnessed any vehicle capable of hauling such a vast amount of goods. Let alone two hundred thousand catties, even two thousand catties was more than many warhorses could pull. The strength of this steam-driven train was astonishingly formidable.

As he spoke, Li Shimin froze in place, needing time to slowly digest the information. At this moment, he was completely bewildered as to how such operations were even possible.

After listening to Li Chengqian's words, Li Shimin remained disturbed and unable to calm down for a long time. He could scarcely believe where his prosperous Zhenguan era was heading, or just how formidable it would eventually become.

"That's right, Father. Two hundred thousand catties. However, a steam-driven train of this sort cannot operate on our current roads; we would need to construct dedicated tracks from scratch, which will also cost a considerable sum of money."

"Chengqian, do not worry about the money. I will find a way. You just help me design and manufacture this train, and make sure those tracks are paved properly for me."

"Father, where should we build the line to first?" Li Chengqian suddenly countered with a question.

"Let me catch my breath..." Li Shimin said, hastily retrieving a map. He studied it intently for a long time before pointing toward Yangzhou and other regions in the south. "Can it connect to the south? That would facilitate communication between the north and the south."

"That is naturally no problem. There is, however, one more complication: this kind of train cannot be powered by burning firewood. We need to travel to the northeast to explore underground deposits known as coal. It burns quite slowly, but possesses tremendous energy capable of driving the normal operation of the steam engine and allowing it to travel much farther along the tracks."

Li Chengqian walked over to the map, pointed to a specific location upon it, and a troubled expression appeared on his face.

Li Shimin observed Li Chengqian closely. After studying him for a moment, he became certain that Li Chengqian was not lying.

At this juncture, Li Shimin harbored some hesitation—not because he didn't want to do it, but because he simply could not comprehend any of the things Li Chengqian was talking about.

Li Shimin felt like a student listening to heavenly scriptures, completely at a loss as to what Li Chengqian was discussing, understanding not even a fraction of it.

He only grasped one core point: the train Li Chengqian described was fast and could haul a tremendous amount of cargo.

Yet all of this relied solely on Li Chengqian's word, without any empirical proof as of yet.

Nevertheless, Li Shimin was still willing to trust Li Chengqian. If for no other reason, solely based on the marvel of the steam engine, Li Shimin firmly resolved to support and believe in him.

"Chengqian, let's do this: you rest for now. Once you have recovered, report the total amount of silver taels required to me, so I can mentally prepare myself as well, and explain the specific concepts to me in detail."

"Yes, Father. Your son obeys the imperial decree," Li Chengqian hastily consented.

This was a monumental endeavor that benefited both the present generation and eternity. Li Chengqian was determined to give it his all to see it through.

Li Chengqian understood that everything had only just begun.

In truth, Li Chengqian's physical condition had already improved significantly. With his father's meticulous care and the imperial physicians treating him in rotation, there were no major complications remaining.

It was merely a matter of time; the injuries on his body were of little consequence.

At present, the threat posed by Li Tai had been basically eradicated, and that was what Li Chengqian cared about most.

Furthermore, Li Chengqian believed that before long, the Great Tang Empire would undergo earth-shattering changes driven by his steam engine.

And he, Li Chengqian, would undoubtedly become the Founding Father of Invention for the Great Tang Empire, with eight or nine out of every ten inventions in the realm originating from his own hands.

Only when that day arrived would his position truly be secure.

For now, Li Chengqian still needed to build up his strength. Once things developed to a certain stage, everything would fall naturally into place.

After exchanging a few more words with Li Chengqian, Li Shimin turned and walked into the adjoining room.

The two rooms were connected. Usually, Li Shimin slept on this very couch in Li Chengqian's quarters, but having yielded it to Li Chengqian, he had no choice but to use the bed in the neighboring room for the night.

That night, Li Chengqian slept exceptionally soundly, without experiencing a single nightmare.

The palace guards were indeed far superior to those at his Crown Prince's Manor, and Li Tai certainly wouldn't dare to make a move within the imperial palace, let alone plant any internal agents here.

Early the next morning, Li Chengqian awoke. Soon after, a palace maid arrived bearing a bowl of brewed traditional Chinese medicine for him to consume.

The concoction was bitterly unbearable, but thinking that it was a gesture of his father's heartfelt care, he could only grit his teeth and drink it down.

Naturally, all of this transpired under Li Shimin's watchful eye, with countless gazes fixed upon Li Chengqian.

Of this, Li Chengqian was well aware; he had anticipated it long ago.

"Your Imperial Highness, the Sage has said that he will soon have breakfast sent over so that he may dine with you."

The palace maid lowered her head slightly, gazing at Li Chengqian while speaking in a hushed tone, not daring to meet his eyes.

"This prince will just have something casual; I wouldn't dare trouble Father to send food over," Li Chengqian smiled faintly, preparing to politely decline.

"Your Highness, if you do not agree and the Sage lays the blame, this humble servant will not be able to bear the consequences!" The maid's face instantly drained of color in fright, and she dropped to her knees.

"This... very well then," seeing this, Li Chengqian hastily agreed. He then looked at the maid and pointed toward a nearby desk, "Bring me those sheets of paper and the brush over there. This prince has important matters to attend to."

"Yes, Your Highness!" The maid happily scrambled to her feet, trotted over with dainty steps to fetch the writing materials, and respectfully presented them to Li Chengqian with both hands.

Li Chengqian picked up the brush, and the maid helped spread the paper out, waiting beside him attentively.

Li Chengqian set brush to paper and began writing fluently. After about half an hour, he had written down a vast amount of content, calculated the basic budget figures, and even sketched a model of the steam-driven train.

Naturally, Li Chengqian also jotted down some of his own insights regarding the governance of the Great Tang Empire and its future developmental directions.

He instructed a maid to hold the documents while he carefully reviewed them once more before nodding in satisfaction. "Keep this safe. I will present it to Father later."

"Yes, Your Highness, this maid obeys."

Two palace maids cooperated to carefully gather the precious documents written by Li Chengqian and placed them neatly upon the table.

At that exact moment, a cough echoed from outside.

"Ahem..."

"This humble servant pays respects to the Sage!" The maids dropped immediately to their knees.

Indeed, the newcomer was none other than the Heavenly Khagan, Li Shimin.

"Your son pays respects to Father," Li Chengqian forced himself up from the bed, preparing to dismount and bow to Li Shimin.

"Chengqian, stay seated," Li Shimin gestured with a wave of his hand to stop him, his eyes immediately falling upon the stack of papers resting at the edge of the bed.

"Father, your son has..."

"Is this the gift you prepared for me?" Li Shimin picked it up with great delight and began reading it with relish.

A quiet joy bloomed in Li Chengqian's heart. He knew that everything was proceeding precisely according to his plan.