Chapter 236 Differences in Political Views Between Wei Zheng and His Son
“Wei Shizhong is mistaken.”
"Changsun Sikong is upholding the reputation of the Tang Dynasty."
"Even if Wei Shuyu's words are reasonable, he could have easily omitted those words praising the Sui Dynasty..."
Changsun Wuji nodded in satisfaction.
Saying these things yourself won't have much effect.
Others say the effect is different...
"How dare you!"
Wei Zheng turned around and rebuked the official, shouting, "In court discussions, there must be no oversights!"
"If a single detail causes the court's painstakingly developed policies to be ruined in an instant."
Who will take responsibility for this?
"You?"
"besides……"
Wei Zheng's questioning grew increasingly intense: "You can't even handle the most basic, meticulous, and rigorous aspects of government affairs, so how did you manage to become the Vice Minister of Works?"
Swish.
The official's face immediately turned deathly pale.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me."
After a brief twitch at the corner of his mouth, he quickly bowed to Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, I could not bear to see the Tang Dynasty humiliated, and my anxiety caused me to lose my composure."
"..."
Changsun Wuji remained silent.
Defeated in less than one round?
It's one thing to lose.
You admitted your mistake way too quickly...
"My dear minister, there's no need for this. You're doing this for the sake of the Tang Dynasty."
Li Shimin magnanimously forgave the other party.
We are both wanderers in this world...
Being criticized by Lao Wei is already bad enough, how could I bear to make things difficult for you again?
Moreover, given how quickly you admitted your mistake and the reasons you gave, I can't find any excuse to make things difficult for you.
"Alright, stop arguing."
Seeing that Changsun Wuji was giving him another meaningful look, Li Shimin finally spoke up: "The Tang Dynasty welcomes all opinions, and anyone who speaks with reason is innocent."
"It's getting late, Shuyu, please speak quickly."
Changsun Wuji was taken aback.
He knew that he had used the power of his officials against Wei Zheng, which had aroused Li Shimin's dissatisfaction.
He immediately returned to his position without saying a word.
Li Shimin was quite protective of Wei Zheng in this regard.
If you disagree on political views, feel free to criticize me.
Even when all the civil and military officials joined forces to criticize Wei Qing, Li Shimin did not take sides...
But Li Shimin would not allow them to gang up on Lao Wei over some quarrels.
"His Majesty."
Wei Shuyu bowed and said, "The attack on Gaochang was to make an example of them!"
"Establishing the dominant position of our Great Tang Dynasty on the Silk Road!"
Wei Shuyu said in a firm and powerful voice.
"Do you all remember what the King of Gaochang said when he came to the Tang Dynasty in the fourth year of the Zhenguan era?"
The courtiers whispered among themselves.
Those ministers who knew the truth had strange expressions.
Wei Shuyu's sharp gaze swept across the court: "He said that my Great Tang Dynasty is no match for the Sui Dynasty!"
"It might only reach half of what the Sui Dynasty achieved!"
Why do you all think this is?
Why what?
Didn't you say it yourself? Is this the truth?
You yourself praised the Sui Dynasty and belittled the Tang Dynasty.
They were also demoted along with the Kingdom of Gaochang...
And then you use that as a reason to destroy the Gaochang Kingdom? How can you be so hypocritical?
"Why?"
Li Shimin asked in a sinister tone.
Damn it, this young Wei is repeatedly praising the Sui Dynasty while belittling the Tang Dynasty, and repeatedly flogging the corpse...
"That's because he's never been truly hurt by our Great Tang!"
"He never truly submitted to my Great Tang!"
"He came to pay tribute..."
"Just for that so-called reward!"
"The Tang Dynasty today sounds good, with many countries in the Western Regions submitting to it."
But what about in practice?
"They're probably still laughing at us for being foolish and rich..."
“Every year, you can do nothing but come to the Tang Dynasty for a trip. All you need to do is eat, drink, and stay. When you go back, you can take away a large amount of supplies.”
"Where can you find something this good?"
Before he knew it, Li Shimin's face had turned ashen.
That's the truth.
Although the Tang Dynasty obtained a lot of practical resources from the tribute.
But to be honest, silk is indeed expensive!
Silkworm farming is not only troublesome, but the process is also complicated.
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
Li Shimin narrowed his eyes, a restless thought already stirring in his mind.
"His Majesty."
Wei Shuyu bowed and said, "Although the Tang Dynasty is strong, it has the power to deter foreign powers."
"But it's only limited to deterrence!"
"Your Majesty, I humbly request..."
"Send troops to Gaochang and establish a protectorate to deter the kingdoms of the Western Regions and secure the Silk Road!"
The courtiers felt a chill run down their spines.
Looking at Wei Shuyu's short stature.
They actually dared to initiate a war right in the imperial court!
This is something many officials dare not mention on their own initiative...
"What's the reason?"
Li Shimin spoke in a somber tone.
"First, the Kingdom of Gaochang did not respect the Tang Dynasty."
"Second, the Kingdom of Gaochang plotted to harm merchants of our Great Tang Dynasty."
"Third, when the envoy from Yanqi paid tribute last year, he complained that Gaochang had plundered him."
Li Shimin pondered for a moment.
He shouted loudly, "Do any of you have any objections?"
For a moment, none of the ministers dared to step forward.
Wei Shuyu's words make a lot of sense.
But to start a war...
The consequences of a bad mistake can be extremely serious.
"I second that proposal!"
To everyone's surprise, the first person to stand up in support was not Wei Zheng, but Cheng Yaojin.
"I second that proposal."
"I second that proposal."
Li Jing, Hou Junji, and other military generals followed closely behind.
"Any other opinions?"
Seeing that those who stepped forward were all military generals, Li Shimin frowned.
Military generals want to fight and gain merit.
Civil officials, however, are a different story.
"Your Majesty, I object!"
Changsun Wuji stepped forward and bowed once again: "I believe that launching a war directly is too hasty."
"The war in the south has just begun. If we expand too much at once, it may severely damage the Tang Dynasty's strength."
"The example of Emperor Yang of Sui is still fresh in our minds; Your Majesty must not repeat his mistakes!"
After saying this, Changsun Wuji bowed solemnly to Li Shimin: "Your Majesty, I humbly request that you prioritize the overall situation."
Li Shimin frowned.
Changsun Wuji's words were not without merit.
Although the Tang Dynasty was powerful, it also had many enemies to guard against.
We must not act rashly.
"What does Fu Ji think should be done about this?" Li Shimin asked.
"In my opinion..."
After a moment's consideration, Changsun Wuji replied, "Your Majesty can first send an envoy to Gaochang to inquire about the attitude of the Gaochang ruler."
"If they remain stubbornly unyielding, it will not be too late to send troops again."
Li Shimin nodded.
What do you all think?
But his gaze involuntarily drifted toward Wei Shuyu.
However……
Before Wei Shuyu could answer, Wei Zheng stepped forward first.
"His Majesty."
Wei Zheng stepped forward and bowed, saying, "I believe that what Minister Changsun said is reasonable."
Um?
Li Shimin looked surprised.
Old Wei opposes Young Wei, but agrees with Changsun Wuji?
This is an extraordinary story!
"father……"
Wei Shuyu was about to say something when Wei Zheng scolded and interrupted him.
"Stop fooling around."
Wei Zheng frowned and rebuked: "The Tang Dynasty has just been established. We can fight wars, but we cannot only consider the gains and losses of one side. We must consider the overall situation clearly."
The son may have his own reasons.
However, the surrounding countries of the Tang Dynasty were also eyeing it covetously.
There were also the Liao people's rebellion and Liu Shuyi's rebellion.
It would be extremely unwise to launch a war against the Silk Road.
If war breaks out in the south and attacks the Western Regions, and war breaks out in the north at the same time...
The Tang Dynasty will be attacked from three sides.
Don't forget.
There is another person hiding behind the scenes in Chang'an.
If he takes the opportunity to cause trouble, it will be a problem both internally and externally!
"His Majesty."
Wei Zheng bowed to Li Shimin: "While I agree with Changsun Wuji's opinion, there is one point I cannot agree with..."
"Our Great Tang Dynasty is a celestial empire and a superior nation."
"The King of Gaochang's contempt for the Tang Dynasty is truly a sign that he doesn't take the Tang Dynasty seriously."
"To demonstrate the might of our Great Tang Dynasty."
"Your Majesty may send an envoy to Gaochang."
"But not to confront the other party..."
Instead, they ordered the King of Gaochang to come to the Tang Dynasty to explain the reasons!
"If he comes, we can discuss everything at length."
"If you don't come, don't blame the Tang cavalry for being ruthless!"
Li Shimin nodded.
This time, he did not ask the court officials, because this was also what he thought in his heart.
"allow……"
Just as Li Shimin was about to issue the decree, Wei Shuyu hurriedly stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, please wait and let me finish..."
After Li Shimin finished speaking, it became clear that a ruler's word is law and cannot be changed.
"Gaochang is a vital transportation route connecting our Great Tang Dynasty with the Western Regions!"
"Does Your Majesty truly intend to let him go?"
"If the King of Gaochang manages to evade the issue this time, he won't have such a good excuse to take action next time!"
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