There were corpses floating everywhere on the river. If Li Xiu and his team wanted to move forward, they even needed the guys on the boat to pull the bodies aside with a pole. Zhou Qing was busy preparing to overturn the boat. He had no time to salvage the corpses yet, but looking at their appearance, they didn't seem to plan to fish them. Anyway, the fish and shrimp in the river would help them solve them.

However, what is surprising is that when the Turks on the other boats looked at the corpses of these people of the same tribe in the river, they all looked numb. It seemed that in their eyes, these corpses were more like a piece of wood floating in the river, without any expressions of a rabbit and a dead fox.

It was also in this situation that Li Xiu pointed to the dead bodies in the river and the numb Turkic people on the boat, and then asked Li Ke about his opinion.

Li Ke also showed a thoughtful expression at this time. After a while, he let out a long sigh and said, "Uncle, I actually only have one sentence in my mind about these Turkic people!"

"What do you mean?" Li Xiu asked with interest at this time.

"It's really terrible to destroy the country!" When Li Ke said this, a look of fear appeared on his little face. In fact, when he saw these Turks just now, he thought of a question: If it weren't for the Tang Dynasty that destroyed the Turks, but the Turks that destroyed the Tang Dynasty, would they have ended up being treated as slaves like these Turks in front of him, and even after death, their bodies would be swallowed by fish and shrimps?

Hearing Li Ke say such words, Li Xiu couldn't help but smile and nodded, "It's good that you can consider the problem from this perspective. For these Turks, we can give them a synonym, that is, 'Slaves of the Destroyed Country'!"

"Slaves of the Destroyed Country? Good name. After these Turkic people were destroyed, they were indeed similar to slaves. Although Jie Li was alive, his father had to ask Jie Li to offer dance every time he entertained envoys from various countries. This humiliation was even more uncomfortable than killing him. The Turkic people in front of him were sent to the south to reclaim wasteland, and they would never return to their hometown until they died!" When Li Ke heard the three words "Slaves of the Destroyed Country", he couldn't help but lit up his eyes.

"Yes, the battle between countries is the most cruel. If our Tang Dynasty wants to continue to be strong, we must eliminate the hidden dangers around us. The Turks are just the first one. With your father's temper, there will be a second and third one in the future until the hidden dangers around us are completely eliminated!" Li Xiu said again at this time. Li Shimin is actually a very insecure person, so he tried his best to make himself stronger. Being an emperor is not counting, but he has to step on the surrounding countries under his feet. In the end, he did succeed.

"Uncle, do you say that your father will use troops to the outside world in the future?" Li Ke couldn't help but ask in surprise when he heard Li Xiu's words, because in his opinion, after destroying the Turks, the great enemy, there were no opponents around the Tang Dynasty worthy of the Tang Dynasty's troops.

"Of course, not to mention anything else, Gaochang in the West, Tuyuhun and Tubo in the southwest, Goguryeo in the northeast, etc. Although these small countries are not as good as the Turks, they also have the strength to threaten the frontiers of the Tang Dynasty. In the future, your father will definitely attack these small countries, it will only be time for a while." Li Xiu nodded at this time.

"The father and the emperor are so talented and stubborn, we can't help but sigh!" Li Ke couldn't help but sigh when he heard this, and his face also showed a look of admiration. Although Li Shimin was a little biased, in Li Ke's heart, he still regarded him as his idol.

Seeing Li Ke's appearance, Li Xiu couldn't help but laugh in his heart. In fact, sometimes those who are too good at being fathers may not be a good thing for sons. For example, as a great emperor, Li Shimin devoted all his energy to governing the country, so his education of his son naturally could not keep up with him. As a result, Li Ke and his brothers had almost no good ending. Even Li Zhi, who inherited the throne of Li Shimin, was too bright, because Li Shimin's glory was too strong, no matter how hard he tried, he could not surpass his father. What's even more tragic is that Li Zhi also had a more famous wife, but he became a passerby among the emperor.

While talking, Li Xiu and his fleet finally passed the Turkic transport fleet. Looking at the numb Turkic people on the ship behind him, Li Xiu couldn't help but sigh. He knew that these Turkic people were pitiful, especially after getting on the ship, officials such as Zhou Qing would tighten the control of these Turkic people, and even their diet became very harsh, just asking them not to starve to death, so that they would have no strength to resist.

But even though he was pitiful, Li Xiu would not have any sympathy for them. Even children like Wu Mingkong knew that the Turks were the mortal enemies of the Tang Dynasty. They didn’t know how many Han people they killed, and how many Han people were robbed on the grassland as slaves, so now all this is just a retribution for the Turks.

"Uncle, I've always been curious about a question. I wonder if I can ask you for advice?" At this moment, Li Ke suddenly spoke again. Princess Pingyang had returned to the cabin. Now there were only two of them on the deck. After what happened just now, Li Ke felt that he was much closer to Li Xiu, so he became bolder.

"Oh? What's the problem?" Li Xiu asked with a smile. He thought Li Ke was having some problems while studying again, so he didn't care.

Li Ke hesitated for a moment, then he spoke again: "That's right. I heard that my father wanted to appoint his uncle as prime minister, but why did he choose to leave Chang'an at this time? Isn't my uncle unwilling to enter the court to be an official?"

When Li Ke heard that he was asking this question, Li Xiu couldn't help but smile and said, "I can tell you this question, but you can't tell others. Never tell your father, but you probably know it in your heart."

When he said this, Li Xiu paused for a moment before he continued to speak: "I really don't want to enter the court to be an official. After all, my life is only a few decades, and I don't want to waste all my time in the intrigues of the court. Of course, if the Tang Dynasty encounters any problems and I have a solution, I will naturally be willing to provide my own efforts, but it's better to enter the court!"

Li Xiu died of overwork in his previous life, so at the beginning of his time travel, he had already decided to enjoy life well in this life. However, he was a little lost some time ago and almost lost his original intention. Fortunately, he was awakened by Li Yuan and Pei Ji, and then he woke up.

"But my uncle is still so young, is it really that leisurely life?" Li Ke asked in confusion at this time.

According to the standards of the Tang Dynasty, Li Ke can now be called a teenager, and he is indeed much more mature than children of the same age in later generations, and even more precocious than children of the same age in the Tang Dynasty. Li Xiu felt that his mind was more like sixteen or seventeen years old and had his own ideas. However, it is precisely because of this that Li Ke could not understand Li Xiu's ideas, because in his opinion, in life, one naturally had to do something.

"Is there anything wrong with this?" Li Xiu did not answer Li Ke's words directly, but asked back.

"This..." Li Ke just couldn't understand Li Xiu's life ambitions, but he couldn't say it for a while, after all, his experience was too shallow.

Seeing that Li Ke couldn't say it, Li Xiu couldn't help but smile indifferently again, then looked at him and said again: "Ke'er, you already know my life ambitions, so I want to ask you now, do you have any long-term plans in the future?"

Asking a prince’s future plans is a very taboo thing, especially Li Ke is also the most favored one among the concubines. It is estimated that in the entire Tang Dynasty, only Li Xiu dares to ask with such a special identity. However, Li Ke was obviously very surprised. He couldn’t help but be stunned when he heard Li Xiu’s question, and then the expression on his face became very complicated.

"I...I don't know!" After a while, Li Ke shook his head dejectedly, with a little confused look in his eyes.

Looking at Li Ke's appearance, Li Xiu sighed slightly. He knew that this was Li Ke's truth. As a prince, his fate was not something he could control.

But at this moment, Li Ke suddenly raised his head and stared at Li Xiu and said, "Uncle, if I said I only want to be a prince who guards one side and bring a peaceful and prosperous life to the people under my rule, would you believe it?"

"I believe it, but others may not believe it!" Li Xiu said without hesitation. People's hearts are very complicated. He believes that Li Ke is now saying something to the point, but his ideas may not change in the future.

When Li Xiu actually believed his words, Li Ke couldn't help but look at him in surprise, but Li Xiu's words later made him smile bitterly: "Yes, actually, don't talk about others anymore. Sometimes I don't even believe it myself. After all, before the throne is settled, I can't guarantee that I have no other thoughts!"

When Li Xiu heard that Li Ke had confessed the deepest thoughts in his heart, he couldn't help but look at him in surprise, and then slowly spoke: "It's normal for you to have such thoughts. Your younger brothers are still young now, but when they get older, they will also have such thoughts as you."

In fact, Li Xiu didn't say anything, that is, Li Shimin set a bad example for his sons. After all, Li Shimin grabbed the throne from the Crown Prince Li Jiancheng, so those who are sons naturally have to learn from him. Li Ke and others are still young now, and in a few years, it will be enough for Li Shimin to have a headache.
Chapter completed!