Great Tang: I, Li Chengqian, Lead the Way in Squandering

Reborn in the Tang Dynasty, Li Chengqian decided to be a well-behaved wastrel.

Li Er, aren’t you good at making money? Whatever you earn, I’ll spend!

He spent a fortune of a hundred thousand strings of cash on a barren mountain just to quarry stone and build himself a hot spring bath!

He paid a fortune to have every craftsman in Chang’an hammer iron all day, just because the carriage ride was too bumpy and he wanted to make a spring!

Overriding his ministers’ objections, he opened sea routes and poured money into building giant ships, all because he wanted a taste of fresh lychees!

Li Shimin clutched the account book day after day, trembling with rage. “You unfilial brat! You’ll squander the entire Tang treasury!”

Then one day, the Turks advanced on the capital.

Li Chengqian lazily waved his hand, and a row of newly built “wasteful toys” rolled out along Chang’an’s walls: red-coated cannons.

Boom! The Turks were blown to smithereens.

The Minister of Revenue fell to his knees and wept. “Your Majesty! The Crown Prince’s trading guild has bought up all the Turks’ wool. Their entire tribe is working for the Tang now!”

First-chapter hook: Li Shimin had just issued an edict promoting frugality when Li Chengqian started throwing money into the street to clear a path on Zhuque Avenue. He even spent ten thousand strings of cash on a “useless rock” (actually a coal mine) in front of Wei Zheng, publicly humiliating his father.

What comes next: His wild spending turns into a celebration of postmodern technology and capital operations. He crushes the old era’s cold weapons with capital and boosts the Tang Dynasty’s GDP through consumer spending.