Chapter 233 Tribute Trade

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."

Wei Zheng returned the greeting respectfully.

"Are you frightened, my dear minister?"

Li Shimin shouted, "Wang De, please take a seat."

The courtiers were shocked.

Only those who had made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty, were in poor health, and were highly respected elders were entitled to be granted a seat in the imperial court.

Ordinary people can't enjoy this.

However, this collision with the pillar...

never mind.

I can't learn it, I can't learn it...

It wasn't that they were blindly imitating someone who would run into a pillar.

But before he could finish speaking, he was dragged away and beheaded.

Not everyone is Wei Zheng.

With just a glance, Li Junxian dared not make a move.

Try someone else...

Li Shimin said to drag him away and execute him.

Li Junxian didn't hesitate at all and dragged it out.

"Your Majesty's favor is overwhelming."

Wei Zheng waved his hand in refusal: "But this is absolutely impossible."

“I am neither sick nor disabled, nor am I old, so I do not need to sit.”

"The imperial court is a solemn place. Your Majesty must not open the door to arbitrarily bestowing seats on others for the sake of your subjects."

Li Shimin nodded in agreement.

The more he looked at Lao Wei, the more satisfied he became.

"Your words are quite right, my dear minister. I was being presumptuous."

Li Shimin humbly accepted the instruction.

"His Majesty."

Wei Zheng bowed solemnly again: "Your Majesty, I humbly request that Shuyu finish recounting his story about the Silk Road."

The courtiers remained silent.

Then I realized that after going around in circles, the cause was actually here.

"allow."

Li Shimin returned to the dragon throne: "Shuyu, your speech this time was something your father risked his life to get for you. I hope you will be careful with your words and think things through before you speak!"

"If you are wrong, I will still refute you without mercy!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Wei Shuyu bowed respectfully in response.

Then he took out his official tablet and read aloud: "The Book of Sui, Volume 2, Emperor Gaozu (compiled by Changsun Wuji, Wei Zheng, etc.) records that Yang Guang's succession to the Sui Dynasty was tantamount to directly inheriting a prosperous regime where 'the world was at peace and the realm was tranquil.'"

The Biography of Pei Ju (written by Wei Zheng) records that Emperor Yang of Sui "summoned Pei Ju to his throne every day and personally inquired about matters in the west."

"To put it bluntly, the world was too peaceful, and Yang Guang wanted to find something to do, so he finally turned his attention to the Western Regions."

Why do you all think Yang Guang was interested in the Western Regions?

The courtiers listened in a daze.

Doulu Kuan stepped forward and replied, "Reopen the Silk Road and expand our territory?"

"That's right."

Wei Shuyu nodded: "But that's only one reason. The most important thing is that Yang Guang wants to make money!"

"impossible!"

Doulu Kuan directly refused, saying, "Yang Guang is fond of grand achievements. He received leaders of dozens of Western Regions countries and a large number of foreign merchants in Zhangye, and entertained them for more than a month."

"Although he opened up the Silk Road, the national treasury suffered considerable losses, and most of the Sui soldiers froze to death or suffered frostbite."

"It's like losing money hand over fist."

The ministers nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

"In the second year, a large number of foreign merchants flocked to Chang'an and Luoyang. In order to show the wealth of the Celestial Empire, Yang Guang exempted the foreign merchants from all food, drink and expenses, ordered all shops in the city not to accept their money, and the people were required to wear silk clothes."

"Such a foolish act..."

Seeing that Doulu Kuan was talking more and more outrageous, Wei Shuyu quickly interrupted him.

"Stop, stop, stop..."

Wei Shuyu waved his hand and said, "Do you think I'm talking to you about how incompetent Yang Guang was?"

Well……

Doulu Kuan blushed, then said angrily, "Then why did you bring this up?"

What I wanted to say was...

Wei Shuyu glanced at the assembled officials: "Tribute trade!"

"His Majesty!"

Wei Shuyu bowed to Li Shimin and said, "Now the Tang Dynasty is powerful and has conquered many countries."

"They also pay tribute every year."

"But the question is... after paying tribute, will our Great Tang Dynasty still have any surplus?"

Surplus my ass...

Li Shimin was utterly speechless.

Do you know why I don't care about the Silk Road?

The Tang Dynasty was poor!

They didn't even have the money to build a palace for the retired emperor...

Because of tribute...

They're all losing money!

When a small country pays tribute, a large country will usually reciprocate with double or more the gifts.

Yang Guang was like that.

The same applies to Li Shimin.

To put it bluntly, it's just putting on a brave face!

"You mean... you want to make trouble over the tribute system?"

Li Shimin asked with a frown.

"That's right!"

Wei Shuyu nodded.

As soon as he finished speaking, he was met with a rebuttal from Doulu Kuan.

"Nonsense!"

Doulu Kuan said indignantly, "Our Great Tang is a celestial empire. Foreign countries submit and pay tribute, so our Great Tang should naturally reciprocate with generous gifts."

The Book of Rites, The Doctrine of the Mean, states: "Give generously to the princes and receive sparingly in return; this is how one wins their favor."

"Confucius's memorial states: 'Generous gifts are sent when the feudal lords return to their states, and the king reciprocates with generous gifts and valuables. Thin gifts are sent when the feudal lords return with meager tribute. In this way, the feudal lords will submit.'"

"The practice of returning tribute has always been the same!"

"If we don't bestow generous gifts, how can we expect them to truly submit?"

"If we don't bestow generous gifts, wouldn't it make our Great Tang appear stingy when the news reaches foreign lands?"

Behind him, Kong Yingda stroked his beard.

Brother Doulu is quite good; he still remembered to praise me, which makes me very pleased.

Wei Shuyu was stunned.

I haven't even started speaking yet, why are you so agitated?

Oh, you're the Minister of Rites...

That makes sense.

"that……"

Wei Shuyu said somewhat embarrassedly, "So all that money in the Tang Dynasty was given away by you, the Minister of Rites?"

What does "send" mean?

Doulu Kuanqi puffed out his beard and glared, "This is the rule, the etiquette, the style of the Celestial Empire!"

"Isn't it because you gave away the Tang Dynasty's money?" Wei Shuyu said, pursing his lips.

"you……"

Doulu Kuan pointed at Wei Shuyu, his beard trembling with anger: "You are young and ignorant, I will not stoop to your level."

Doulu Kuan flicked his sleeves.

He bowed to Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, Wei Shuyu spoke nonsense in court. I humbly request Your Majesty to punish him."

Li Shimin glanced at Wei Zheng.

Are you sick or am I sick?

Old Wei just hit his head against a pillar, and they're still going to convict his son?

What if you provoke them and they crash into you again?

"Shuyu, get to the point!" Li Shimin said, avoiding the main issue.

"promise."

Wei Shuyu bowed and then asked, "Why is the Silk Road called the Silk Road?"

"That is, to exchange silk for a large amount of supplies!"

"Trading silk for cattle, horses, sable furs, and Persian brocade..."

"Emperor Wu of Han's opening of the Silk Road was a testament to his great wisdom!"

"He produced silk, which fed many Han Dynasty people and was exchanged for tangible goods such as cattle and horses. He also accomplished the task of expanding the territory!"

"Do you all agree or disagree?"

The ministers nodded in agreement.

Emperor Wu of Han was a great emperor throughout history, and his achievements are beyond question.

"And what about Emperor Yang of Sui?"

"Think about it carefully, everyone. Why did he want to build the Grand Canal to connect the north and south?"

"Is it possible... that it was all for the silk?"

What?

The ministers' pupils contracted sharply.

Jiangnan is the region with the most abundant silk production, especially Suzhou, which is known as the hometown of silk.

If that's really the case...

"Emperor Yang of Sui may seem absurd, but he was actually playing a grand game."

"The south is by the sea, and going out to sea is very risky. There's also a large group of Liao people, and there's nothing left to sell for silk..."

"but……"

"He bought up all the silk from the south and then transported it to the Western Regions..."

"Won't the cattle, horses, and other supplies arrive soon?"

All the civil and military officials fell into deep thought.

If Emperor Yang of Sui had actually succeeded, what would have become of the Tang Dynasty?

By then, the Sui Dynasty would have so much money that it would be impossible to spend it all...

Emperor Yang of Sui was too hasty.

The construction of the Grand Canal caused widespread suffering among the people.

Finally, various rebel armies rose up in rebellion, leading to the complete collapse of the Sui Dynasty.