Chapter 505: Foreshadowing

"?" The emperor looked at his eldest son in surprise.

"Father, my fourth brother is extremely intelligent and capable of taking on the task you have assigned.

The issues of sugar and milk powder are of great importance, and the Firearms Research Institute is also not easy. No matter how much Lord Su is concerned, he will always be unable to cope with it.

The fourth brother has been assigned a task, but the third brother has been left aside. I am afraid that the court officials will think that the emperor is partial.

"Why not arrange for my third brother to assist my fourth brother and develop the sugar-making equipment as soon as possible?" Li Chengqian said respectfully.

Li Tai began to feel unhappy. Why did the Third Emperor assign his own job to him?

But when he heard his brother praising his intelligence, he felt very happy and didn't care about it anymore.

He even took the initiative to speak, "Father, Gao Ming is right, let the third brother join us. I hope that our Tang army will be equipped with this kind of military rations as soon as possible!"

"Good! Good! Gao Ming and Qing Que have grown up!" The emperor was very pleased. It was great to see brothers being so friendly and respectful to each other!

Fang Xiang tilted his head and glanced at the two brothers in surprise. "Have you changed your ways today?" Brothers united, their strength is unbreakable?

In the past, they fought openly and secretly, like a black-eyed chicken, and it was a little difficult to adapt for a while.

Li Chengqian glanced at Su Ying, who nodded slightly and quietly raised her thumb.

Encouraged, Li Chengqian spoke again:

"Father, my Seventh Uncle and Fifth Brother are also studying with Master Su today. I think it would be better to assign them some tasks as well.

Let them go out of the palace frequently, get in touch with the world, and take on some simple errands to practice their skills."

"Oh, what assignment do you think is suitable?" The emperor was in a good mood.

"Please give me some advice, my father. I am not very knowledgeable." Li Chengqian did not get carried away and overstep the line.

Su Ying praised the prince in her heart. He was indeed an intelligent man with great comprehension.

Instead of letting these princes sit idle and think about things all day, it is better to find something for them to do, so that they can divert their attention and cultivate their own followers.

"Hmm..." The emperor stroked his beard.

After a moment's thought, he said, "Didn't they say yesterday that the construction supervisors would overhaul the blast furnaces and steelmaking furnaces? Why not let them participate?"

Li Chengqian looked stunned, but still bowed and said, "Thank you, Father!"

The smelting plant was extremely hot. Thinking of his seventh uncle and fifth brother sweating profusely in front of the blast furnace in their cowhide pants, Li Chengqian felt a little guilty. He wondered if they would blame him.

"Yeah! I'll go too!" said the little tyrant Li Tai hurriedly.

"I have many questions to ask and discuss with Master Yan. I want to see coal dry-distilled into coke, see the furnace temperature increase, and see how molten iron flows into the steelmaking furnace."

Yesterday at the smelter, looking at the blazing fire, although it was so hot that people were breathless and sweating profusely, the technologies Su Ying mentioned were so attractive that I always wanted to participate in person.

"Qingque, aren't you too busy?" The emperor laughed.

"It's good to have a third brother, isn't it? Aye, Aye! I like him!" Qingque used his hands and feet to hug his father and shook him.

"Okay, okay! As you say, as you say!" the emperor said lovingly.

"Father, you are the best! Father! I'm leaving now!" Li Tai lingered on his father for a while, then hurriedly left.

"I need to get the design plan out quickly for Aye to review!"

"Go!" said the emperor lovingly.

"Your Majesty, I will take my leave now!" Li Chengqian bowed.

"Well, go ahead!" The emperor waved his hand, and the two brothers left happily.

"I'll take my leave!" Su Ying saw that she had nothing to do.

"No hurry. There's just one more thing I want to hear. What do you think?" The emperor was in high spirits and had no intention of letting her go.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Su Ying sat down obediently.

Minister Fang tilted his head and looked at Su Ying. This young Master Su is really amazing.

Without making a sound, several novel techniques diverted the Fourth Prince's attention and made the Crown Prince realize the truth!

It seems that he is not a political novice and has good intentions.

I couldn't help but have a little more respect for Su Ying. This is a true loyal minister! Not fawning or servile, nor servile!

"Su Qing, there are 1.2 million Turks who have surrendered to our Tang Dynasty. How do you think we should settle them?" The emperor said with his hands behind his back, his tone full of pride.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! Your Majesty is brave and powerful!" Su Ying tactfully presented a horse.

Prime Minister Fang lowered his head and laughed in his heart, what a little rascal.

"Don't talk nonsense. I want to hear what you think." The emperor said with a smile, stroking his beard.

"Well, Your Majesty! I think we can start from several aspects.

First, they were settled north of the Yellow River. When the Turks surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, not all of them were truly loyal. They had no choice but to surrender after their country was destroyed.

In the future, when they have recuperated and become strong again, they will inevitably rebel.

It should not be placed too close, as it would be unsafe in the capital, nor too far away, as it would be difficult to control.

The Yellow River is a natural barrier, and the distance is just right, neither too far nor too near.

Second, there are both arable land and grasslands to the north of the Yellow River. The Turks graze and the Han people farm. In the future, they will gradually intermarry and integrate, with half farming and half grazing.

Third, the people of the Tang Dynasty must be self-reliant and reclaim wasteland. The Turkic people who surrender can herd livestock or farm, and we encourage them to do so.

Su Ying didn't have many suggestions to offer.

Because there are three voices in the court:

One method is to register the surrendered prisoners, break them up into small groups, and settle them in the open areas of Yan and Yu to fend for themselves, that is, to directly turn the herders into farmers to reclaim wasteland.

One group, represented by Wei Zheng, believed that they should be settled north of the Yellow River to prevent them from changing their minds.

Moreover, as the population grows over generations, there will be a serious shortage of land south of the Yellow River.

One group is represented by Wen Yanbo, who believes that they should be appeased, settled south of the Yellow River, and given all kinds of preferential treatment, and they will surely be grateful for generations.

In history, this great emperor adopted Wen Yanbo's suggestion and set up four governorates, namely Shun, You, Hua and Chang, from Youzhou in the east to Lingzhou in the west.

Two military governorates, Dingxiang and Yunzhong, were set up in the original Turkic settlements, and the governors of these military governorates were all leaders of the Turkic people.

All three types of placement make sense, and no one knows where history will lead.

Historically, the first method is usually adopted, which is the great ethnic integration. After a few generations, all of them are Chinese. No matter how hard they fight, the meat will be rotten in the pot.

The second method is both good and bad. The advantage is that it isolates them, but the disadvantage is that it cannot achieve true national integration and is prone to disloyalty.

The third policy of appeasement is to settle the people south of the Yellow River. When the country is strong, the monarch demonstrates benevolence and righteousness through appeasement, but when the country is weak, they become a source of trouble.

The emperor adopted the system of縻府 (guardianship) and allowed the surrendered leaders to govern. With his political skills and military capabilities, no one dared to rebel.

Later, he marched eastward to conquer Goguryeo and gradually conquered some more territories, also under the system of縻縻府.

This laid the groundwork for the An-Shi Rebellion that led to the decline of the Tang Dynasty 120 years later.

"Oh, Su Ying, why? Doesn't the area south of the Yellow River better demonstrate the broad-mindedness of our Tang Dynasty?" The emperor wanted to persuade Su Ying.

"Your Majesty, our dynasty was founded only a dozen years ago, the population has not yet recovered from the war, and there is still a lot of land.

If 1.2 million Turks were settled south of the Yellow River, the population would explode after two or three generations. Where would the farmers go to farm?

Are we going to drive the Han people to the north of the Yellow River to reclaim wasteland? If so, why not settle them there now and let them reclaim wasteland and graze their livestock as they please?

Su Ying leaned towards Wei Zheng's suggestion, but seeing that His Majesty was unmoved, she said:

"Besides, how many emperors as mighty and wise as Your Majesty have there been in the past? I doubt there will be another one in the future! With Your Majesty around, they will naturally be obedient..."