Spring passes and autumn comes, and the new year passes in the blink of an eye.
From the series of disasters at the beginning of the Zhenguan Dynasty to the abundant harvests today, the overall situation has shown a high-spirited and upward curve.
To describe it in one word, it’s thriving! There is a huge gap with surrounding countries!
Nowadays, there is no country around that can compete with the Tang Dynasty. The Western Turks, which ranks second in military strength, do not dare to provoke the powerful Tang Empire, and even asked to marry a princess to show their alliance.
It is precisely because of this that Emperor Li Shimin had the confidence to launch wars one after another!
Destroy Tuyuhun and defeat Gaochang!
The huge consumption caused by the war was not worth mentioning to the current Tang Dynasty.
There is no way, the family is too rich!
Tai Chi Palace, Political Affairs Hall.
Li Shimin was sitting on the main seat. His thick black hair was already mixed with a few gray hairs.
The ruler of the Tang Empire was aging, but he didn't care and was still full of energy.
"Start your Majesty."
Changsun Wuji said,
"Li Shentong and Hou Junji have already camped in Jiaohe. The first battle was initiated by Hou Junji, and the results were remarkable. Eight hundred people were killed and wounded in one battle, and Qu Wentai was so locked up that he couldn't leave."
"This is the battle report, your Majesty, please read it."
Li Shimin took the battle report and glanced at it, the corners of his mouth raised slightly.
"That's it?"
"I just killed 800 of them and are you scared to death?"
"This Qu Wentai can't do it either! Wasn't he very crazy and tough-tongued before?"
Everyone in the hall laughed.
"Yelang is arrogant and has never seen the world, so he naturally thinks he is very powerful."
Changsun Wuji smiled and said,
"Only when he really sees the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty does he know what it means to be a frog in a well and not to overestimate his own capabilities!"
"However, it is too late for him to regret it now."
"According to the scout investigation, Qu Wentai urgently sent an envoy to the Western Turks to ask for help, but Tongyehu Khan did not seem to have any intention of helping. Although he sent an army, it moved very slowly and stopped."
"It doesn't look like he's going to rescue, he looks like he's going on a trip! Hahahaha..."
A joke caused another burst of laughter in the hall, and the atmosphere was extremely relaxed.
Li Shimin also smiled and said:
"This Tong Yehu Khan is quite sensible. I want to attack Gaochang. If he dares to antagonize me, he is provoking me!"
"A while ago, he came to propose marriage and wanted to please me. Naturally, he will not try his best to help Qu Wentai at this moment."
"Without the Western Turks rushing to help, with Hou Junji's crazy energy, Gaochang can be destroyed with a snap of a finger. I don't need to pay more attention to them. Let them move freely and send out battle reports every half month."
He didn't even bother to discuss and analyze it.
Do you still need to watch when playing against Gaochang?
It must be a big victory!
"yes."
Changsun Wuji said in a deep voice,
"His Majesty mentioned asking for marriage just now. A letter of credence has just arrived from Honglu Temple. It is from the new Zanpu of Tubo."
"The current situation in Tubo is very complicated. After Songtsen Gampo died, their country was severely divided!"
"One faction is Zangbo, the Tibetan prince and Songtsen Gampo's younger brother who is supported by the old forces and the high priest."
"One faction is supported by the new forces that were integrated after Songtsan Gampo came to power."
"The high priest of the Tibetan Bon Religion has supported Zangbo to ascend to the throne and become the new generation of Tubo Zanpu. However, Gaden Gampo does not recognize it. He has broken the earth and made him king. They are confronting each other!"
"Today's Tubo, like the Turks, is divided into Eastern Tubo and Western Tubo."
Li Shimin raised his eyebrows.
"Things are Tibetan? This is interesting..."
he mused.
This is a good thing!
For the Tang Dynasty, of course they did not want powerful countries around them!
According to Xu Fenglei's analysis earlier, Tubo is bound to rise in the next hundred years! Especially under the leadership of Songtsen Gampo, it will pose a great threat to Datang!
It's better now.
After killing Songtsen Gampo, Tubo itself was divided into civil strife!
As a result, its rise process has been interrupted, and it will even fall into endless chaos and disputes, and will never be able to rise again!
Xu Fenglei's plan destroyed a country's potential...
Thinking of this, Li Er couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
That boy's vision and layout are beyond ordinary people. People can't help but admire him!
"Western Tubo is headed by Gaden Gampo and takes Tianzhu Buddhism as its religious belief."
Changsun Wuji said again,
"Eastern Tubo is led by Zangbo and uses the native Bon religion as its religious belief."
"The person who wants to marry me, Princess of the Tang Dynasty, is none other than Zangbo Zampu of Eastern Tubo. Will Your Majesty consider this marriage?"
Li Shimin touched his beard.
"What are you considering? Can any foreigner marry my princess?"
Li Er snorted coldly,
"A king who divides the regime is still alive today, but he may be overthrown tomorrow. He wants to marry my princess? What a dream!"
"Not to mention a princess, even the royal family princess won't give it to him! Even a palace maid won't give it to him!"
"How can I not know his plan? Do you believe it or not, as soon as I agree, he will immediately climb up and ask me to provide him with military support to pacify Western Tubo?"
When all the ministers heard this, they all nodded.
"Your Majesty is holy."
"Yes, that's what little Zamp has in mind! We just want him to be in chaos, how can we help him stabilize the situation?"
"Yes! He thinks he is smart and wants to rely on the Tang Dynasty to suppress Gaden Gampo with the power of the Tang Dynasty, but he does not think about it, why should we help him? Who is he?"
"..."
All the ministers expressed their opinions one after another.
What you Zangbo planned in Tubo was heard by us in Chang'an!
If you want to borrow the power of Datang, you have a beautiful idea!
"Then Chen...refute?"
Changsun Wuji asked.
Li Shimin waved his hand.
"There's no need to refute it, just ignore it."
Li Erdao,
“If he sends a messenger, he will ignore it.”
"However, we must pay attention to the situation in Tubo. Since it has been divided, let it be divided well and never reintegrate."
"I don't want to see a strong unified country on the plateau."
Changsun Wuji understood this.
Let Tubo continue to be in chaos!
What Datang wants is its own stability, and the surrounding areas are in chaos!
Li Shimin paused for a moment and then said:
"Also, the marriage proposals from Western Turks, Xue Yantuo and other countries were ignored."
"Historically, marriage has always been regarded as a shame. After all, it is our pretty girls who go to their ungrateful places to suffer. It is not a good thing after all."
"Now that I am the only one in the family, there is no need to join forces! Therefore, there is no need to talk about getting married!"
In the past, Li Er didn't take marriage seriously. He even thought that sending a few women would ensure the peace of the country. It was very cost-effective and quite cost-effective.
But later, after being brainwashed by Xu Fenglei, he realized——
This bitch is related to his reputation in future generations!
Li Er, who cherishes his reputation so much, naturally does not want to see any stain on his future evaluation, so he must not do such a shameless thing as giving away his daughter!
He even wanted to set a rule for future generations of monarchs——
The Tang Dynasty did not pay tribute or make peace!
"According to the order."
Changsun Wuji responded,
"With the national power of the Tang Dynasty, even if all the foreign countries unite, what do we have to fear?"
"Indeed, there is no need for a marriage at all. Even if there is a marriage, it is a foreigner giving away a daughter. Even if the daughter is given away, she is not worthy of Your Majesty and the princes. She can be worthy of me, the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty clan.",
After hearing these words, Li Shimin and the ministers were all satisfied.
This is not to be boastful or arrogant.
But in terms of strength and being down-to-earth, this is how it should be!
"Your Majesty, I will start the memorial."
Fang Xuanling said in a deep voice,
"After Tuyuhun was destroyed, his country was in chaos and had no one to govern it."
"Now, we should come up with a plan. Should we send ministers and troops to govern, or should we support members of the Tuyuhun royal family to rule?"
"Your Majesty, please make your decision."
Li Shimin held his forehead.
"It's easy to conquer a country but hard to sit on it. That's where the difficulty lies."
He shook his head and sighed softly,
"I have been thinking about this issue for a long time."
"It would be too troublesome to send troops and officials to Tuyuhun and bring the country under the jurisdiction of the Tang Dynasty."
"If we really want to take care of it, I can't spare any time to take care of that large area of grassland in Turks, so Xue Yantuo has eaten it several times."
"But if you support the Murong family... I feel that something is wrong."
"After such a big battle, the Tuyuhun family still had the final say. So what does it mean for me to fight? Do I go to show off my power?"
The country is too big to manage.
This is Li Shimin's biggest worry now... This is not Versailles, it is really annoying!
There are only so many resources, and they are not enough at home, let alone outside the country.
The grassland environment is so harsh that few people are willing to manage it, and no people are willing to migrate.
It took a lot of effort to settle the Turks before, but now it's time to do it again...
What a conundrum.
"My dear friends, do you have any opinions?"
"You can speak freely."
Li Shimin decided to brainstorm and seek assistance from off-site.
However, the ministers looked at each other, but they could not come up with a regulation.
There are only two ways, the emperor has said it, what else do they say?
"No idea?"
Li Shimin frowned and said,
"Don't you usually have ideas? Why are you mute now?"
"Say it! Wei Zheng, Kong Yingda, Tang Jian, you all say it!"
If no one speaks, then roll call.
However, the people named were not the top students in the class. At least they couldn't answer the Mathematical Olympiad question.
"Your Majesty, I am still thinking and dare not speak nonsense."
"The same goes for me, too."
"Your Majesty, how about setting it up like the Turks?"
Li Shimin rolled his eyes.
"We have gone through so much effort to resettle the Turks, and there are still so many hidden dangers that have not been dealt with. How can we do the same thing?"
He said angrily,
"In the future, I will fight in all directions, and there will be many barbarians to be destroyed! Are they all using this inappropriate method?"
"Wouldn't that be a recipe for disaster for future generations?"
"no!"
This rejection caused everyone to fall silent.
"Is there really nothing anyone can do?"
Li Shimin said displeasedly,
"The whole court is full of think tanks, that's it?"
"I'm very disappointed in you!"
Fang Xuanling moved slightly.
"Xuanling, do you have an idea?"
Li Shimin looked at Fang Xuanling with a look of expectation in his eyes.
"No... Your Majesty."
Fang Xuanling said honestly,
"I want to say that when the Grand Master was here in the past, he always had many novel ideas."
"Since His Majesty became emperor, many major events in the country have been made with the participation of the Grand Master. Why don't Your Majesty ask the Grand Master for his opinion?"
Li Shimin: "..."
"But he's not here!"
Li Er stared.
"Your Majesty, you can write a letter..."
Fang Xuanling whispered.
Li Shimin; "￥%...&*##!!!"
"I...I really want to be mad at you!"
He said angrily,
"So many important ministers were meeting together, and I couldn't think of a way to do it. I had to write to him for help!"
"You don't feel ashamed, I still feel ashamed!"
"If he receives the letter, he will definitely laugh at you for being useless!"
"snort!"
"I won't write this letter. Whoever wants to write it can write it. I can't make him look like that!"
Li Eryi slapped the table and left the table.
The ministers looked embarrassed, and when the emperor walked away, they left the table silently.
Changsun Wuji tugged on Fang Xuanling's sleeve.
"Fanggong, if Your Majesty doesn't write, then I should write a letter and ask, including your name. What do you think?"
he asked in a low voice,
"It's not that we are not smart, it's just that he has many tricks up his sleeve!"
Fang Xuanling silently glanced at Changsun Wuji.
"What? You can't help but look like this?"
Changsun Wuji said with a speechless expression,
"Okay, okay, you all want face, I don't want face, I want inner pride, okay?"
"I write, I give it to him alone..."
Fang Xuanling curled her lips.
"Your Majesty, he can write it."
He patted Changsun Wuji on the shoulder, stood up and left.
Changsun Wuji was stunned for a moment, then nodded with deep understanding.
"That's right..."
"It's better that you understand His Majesty..."
…
A few days later.
Jiuwei Mountain.
As the craftsmen work hard day and night, the entire Zhaoling Mausoleum becomes more and more beautiful.
Based on this progress, it is estimated that it will be completed in another two years.
If we rush the work, we can get it done before the Chinese New Year!
However, Xu Fenglei is not in a hurry...take your time, if the Zhaoling Mausoleum is completed, he will be transferred back to Chang'an.
When the time comes, if you want to resign and return to Moyushan, it will probably take a lot of trouble.
There are still two years left, cherish the time spent dawdling.
Xu Fenglei walked back from the mountain and plunged into the thatched house.
Now the thatched cottage has been expanded and turned into two conjoined huts, separated by a door.
The room on the west side naturally became Wu Erya's boudoir and office.
At this moment, Wu Erya was wandering among mountains and seas of intelligence information, with a particularly serious look on his face.
This is her career, a road leading to the Intelligence Queen of the Tang Dynasty!
"Girl, what's the big deal recently?"
Xu Fenglei held a cup of tea, leaned against the door, and asked casually.
Wu Erya then raised his eyes and put away the thick paper in front of him.
"Do you want your godfather to listen to national affairs or civil affairs?"
she asked.
"It's a matter of state."
Xu Fenglei responded.
"Hou Junji's war in Gaochang went smoothly. Without the assistance of the Western Turks, Gaochang is expected to be destroyed within three months."
Wu Erya said,
"The time when Hou Junji returned to Chang'an was probably between August and October this year."
"By then, his military exploits will be even greater."
Xu Fenglei had no expression on his face, nodded and said:
"Of course, this old boy is really invincible, he is really alive."
"I'm too lazy to listen to his message. Let's move on to the next one."
