Chapter 909: Shu Wang Li Ke, Yan Wang and Lieri Khan
In Lingtian Pavilion, Li Shimin was thinking silently. Luo Su was not in a hurry either, but waited quietly. The curling green smoke and the diffused sandalwood made people's minds clearer.
After a long while, Li Shimin asked in a low voice: "Grandmaster, your wisdom is profound. Why did you make this suggestion? Please explain it to me."
Luo Su said calmly, "Because there is no other way, the loss of control of Mobei is inevitable. You are a king with great talent and you control this empire, so you can make it conquer the world, but I don't think your descendants can do the same. I have seen your three sons, and none of them has this ability.
but. "
Luo Su leaned forward a little, and he put away all the expressions on his face, staring straight at Li Shimin. His majestic aura like the vast ocean suddenly appeared. His voice was very low but heavier than Mount Tai, "Son of Heaven, if we let this opportunity to rule the grassland slip away, then our lives will be a failure. This is your failure, and it is also my failure, and this kind of failure should not happen."
Li Shimin frowned deeply, "Master, it's too difficult. Even when the Han Dynasty was at its peak, it could only use the Western Regions to control Mobei.
It is six thousand miles from Chang'an to Karakorum, and one has to go through grasslands, deserts, Gobi, and mountains along the way, which is completely out of control.
If it weren't for such heavy logistical pressure, I wouldn't have stationed 3,000 people in Kharakorum.
We have calculated before that the Anxi Protectorate can deploy 30,000 to 40,000 people, but the Anbei will not exceed 6,000 at most. If there are more, we cannot afford it even if we plunder the tribes in the northern desert.
Now we rule Mobei mainly by relying on the Mobei allies and the three khan system you proposed, which has saved the Tang Dynasty a lot of pressure. "
What Li Shimin said was the reality. If it were not for the three khan system combined with economic control to limit the development of the northern desert tribes, Li Shimin would have to rely on the pro-Tang tribes to control the northern desert. At that time, the rise of a large tribe would be inevitable, and the Tang Dynasty would once again encounter a powerful northern desert tribe, such as the increasingly powerful Xueyantuo. Now all that is left is for the two sides to fall out.
Of course Luo Su knew what Li Shimin said. He did not respond to Li Shimin's question, but said lightly: "In the past dynasties, there was a dynasty, or should I say a country, that half controlled the grassland."
who?
Li Shimin wanted to ask, and then he immediately understood. He didn't know much else, so how could he not know the origin of Guanlong?
"Northern Dynasty, Great Yan?"
Li Shimin spoke word by word, Luo Su nodded, and said solemnly: "At the beginning, the capital of Yan State was in Jicheng, controlling Liaodong and Hulunbuir grassland, which is the eastern grassland of Modong. Modong grassland connects Mobei and Monan grasslands. The emperor of Yan State would tour north to Hulunbuir every year and invite the tribes on Mobei and Monan grasslands to pay homage.
It was not until later, in order to compete with the Southern Dynasty, that the Yan State moved its capital south to Jicheng and gave up its remote control over the grassland.
Eventually, the predecessor of the current Liaodong State was split off from the Yan State, and the Turkic and Rouran slave tribes who trained cavalry for the Yan State became powerful, and then the Sui and Tang dynasties were established. "
What Luo Su was talking about was the history of the Yan State during its heyday, which Li Shimin had heard since he was a child. In fact, the territory of the Yan State at that time was not smaller than that of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, but the Yan State did not unify the vast lands of the Xia State in the south.
When the Emperor of Yan was at the peak of his power, hundreds of tribes came to pay tribute. The Sui and Tang dynasties, which had been passed down from generation to generation, were less wary of the Hu people, and this was also one of the reasons.
In comparison, the southern gentry had a greater misunderstanding of the Hu people because they did not understand them, but these Guanlong nobles did not have such ideas.
After Luo Su's explanation, Li Shimin felt that it was indeed the case.
Luo Su continued, "After I left Winter City, I headed east. At that time, I set my sights on the Hulunbuir grassland, which connects the southern and northern deserts and is the only route that can avoid the vast desert Gobi.
If the Tang Dynasty can control this place, then there is hope for controlling the grasslands."
Luo Su's idea was something that had never appeared before, which made Li Shimin a little confused, but then he changed his mind and said, "Master, didn't we just say to set up a prince in Karakorum? How come it has changed to Hulunbuir now?"
Luo Su looked at Li Shimin in disbelief, as if wondering how a great man like you could ask such a question. "Back then, Yan State at least nominally ruled Liaodong. Now the Jicheng of the Tang Dynasty is the front line. We rely on the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun to resist Liaodong State. How are you going to control Hulunbuir?"
In fact, Li Shimin regretted asking this question as soon as he asked it. He was led astray by Luo Su's story. He smiled awkwardly and asked, "What the Imperial Master meant is to first set up a prince in Karakorum, and then let the prince of Karakorum follow the path that the Xiongnu took to defeat the Donghu and conquer Hulunbuir?"
At this point, Li Shimin suddenly thought of something and said excitedly, "If the princes stationed in Karakorum are successful, wouldn't it be possible to cut off the retreat of Liaodong State? When my imperial army attacks Liaodong State, we can attack it from both sides and even instigate the Hu people in Liaodong State to rebel."
In fact, Li Shimin was very fond of enfeoffment. In recent years, he had been thinking about letting his meritorious officials inherit the position of governor, and then guard the local area for generations.
He is a person who values the future more. He is unwilling to use imperial power to override the law. Instead, he punishes himself through the sacredness represented by the King of Su, and is willing to let the prime minister share power. This shows that he does not have that perverted pursuit of the supreme imperial power.
He doesn't have the concept of requiring great centralization in his mind.
He is willing to try decentralization as long as it can bring long-term stability to the country.
In other words, if the imperial power was restricted, the Tang Dynasty could last for another 500 years, which, in his opinion, was far better than the imperial power being supreme but the dynasty lasting only 200 years.
Seeing Luo Su nod, Li Shimin couldn't help but play with the white pieces in his hands. This was not a trivial matter for any emperor.
He tried to let meritorious officials and royal family members be hereditary governors, and most of them were against it, believing that it was the root of chaos. Even when he cited the example of the princes who sued the Jingnan Rebellion, they said, "If one has a sharp knife in his heart, he will naturally have the desire to kill, and people's hearts are not the same as they used to be." If only the hereditary governors were against it, then one can imagine the opposition he would encounter if he enthroned a prince in Karakorum.
After all, if the prince is incompetent, he will not be able to suppress the group of jackals. If the prince is strong, if he unifies the grassland, once they develop rebellious intentions, it will pose a threat to the emperor of the Central Plains.
This made it difficult for Li Shimin, who was always decisive, to make up his mind, as this might be related to major events in the future of the Tang Dynasty for countless years.
Moreover, Li Shimin frowned and said: "Grandmaster, if we want to send a prince, who should we send? I don't have any suitable candidate in mind."
There is no need to think about Hejian Prince Li Xiaogong. Letting him go to Anxi was already the biggest concession Li Shimin had made. The person who was suitable for this task was actually Qi Prince Li Xuanba, but Li Xuanba's ability was not enough to take on such a heavy responsibility. Besides, he couldn't bear to let Li Xuanba go to Mobei to eat sand.
It was said that he was going to be a king, but in Karakorum, the exiles all thought that exile was a bad thing. Li Xuanba either stayed in Qizhou or went to places like Yangzhou, Suzhou, and Jingzhou to enjoy himself. There was no way he wanted to go to Karakorum.
Luo Su proposed a candidate, "What does the emperor think of Li Ke, the King of Shu?"
"Ke'er?"
Li Shimin repeated it, and then fell silent.
King Li Ke of Shu, his mother, Concubine Yang, was the daughter of Emperor Yang of Sui, and she carried the royal blood of two dynasties. This Concubine Yang was not Li Yuanji's woman, that was just a rumor.
King Shu Li Ke was actually quite favored by Li Shimin. It could even be said that, apart from the sons of Empress Zhangsun, Li Ke was the most favored and valued, including during Li Yuan's Wude period.
In the third year of Wude, when Li Ke was only two years old, he was conferred the title of Prince of Changsha, which was of the same rank as Li Chengqian.
In the eighth year of Wude, when he was only seven years old, he was appointed Governor of Liangzhou and was renamed Prince of Hanzhong. This was Liu Bang's original title. Since the Han Dynasty, Han has been an honorable title.
In the first year of Zhenguan, as a prince, he was promoted from Prince of Hanzhong to King of Han.
In the second year of Zhenguan, when he was only eleven years old, he was renamed King of Shu and appointed Grand Commander of Yizhou, in charge of the military affairs of the eight states of Yi, Mian, Jian, Jialing, Yamei, Meng, Jian, and Qiong. He was more favored than King of Wei Li Tai, who had always been favored by Li Shimin.
In the fifth year of Zhenguan, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the military affairs of the four states of Qin, Cheng, Wei and Wu, and governor of Qinzhou, which are the states closest to Chang'an.
In the seventh year of Zhenguan, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Military Affairs of Qi, Zibo, Qingju, Lai and Mi, and Governor of Qizhou. This was really impressive, because Li Shimin really let him take up the post. Li Xuanba was given the title of King of Qi, while Li Ke was the real King of Qi!
He had the title of prince, was the Grand Commander of Yizhou, and also the Commander-in-Chief of all the states in Qi. Although he was not a legitimate son, his treatment was actually no worse than that of a legitimate son.
And although he was not a legitimate son, in this age where bloodline and origin were important, he was no less inferior to anyone else.
The most important thing, and the reason why Li Shimin liked him, was that Li Shimin could really see his own shadow in Li Ke, who was brave and courageous, and good at riding and shooting.
It's exactly the same as when I was in Taiyuan.
If it weren't for his background, he would have made Li Ke the crown prince. It was a pity that he was the grandson of Emperor Yang of Sui and his mother was Concubine Yang.
The current Li Shimin would not consider making him the crown prince.
But if Li Ke were to go to Mobei, it would indeed be very appropriate. First of all, he is his own son, and the level of trust is completely different.
Secondly, Li Ke is capable and is like an eagle that can soar into the sky. Among all his sons, only Li Ke can go, which makes him feel at ease.
The most important thing!
The Imperial Master's words meant that he recognized Li Ke's ability and believed that Li Ke was capable of shouldering this important task. This was higher than any praise. Over all these years, Li Shimin had never seen the Imperial Master make a mistake in judging people.
This is of course the ultimate in the world for Luo Suwen, who scored 99 in three items. Unless there is an unexpected force majeure, there will certainly be no mistakes.
Li Ke was the best among all Li Shimin's sons, so Luo Su nominated him.
The most important thing is that Li Ke is of the right age, just seventeen or eighteen years old, and has enough time and energy to do many things.
Li Shimin suddenly thought of something and asked in a low voice: "Master, since Ke'er is so outstanding, do you think Ke'er can do it?"
Luo Su immediately shook his head and said seriously: "Son of Heaven, don't have such thoughts. The internal friction he brings is not as good as the benefits he brings."
Li Shimin immediately collected his thoughts upon hearing this and said, "But will Ke'er be willing?
Will he think that I am exiling him?
This is not a trivial matter after all. If we go to a place like Karakorum, we will have very few opportunities to meet in the future."
Luo Su said calmly: "In that case, let him come to Lingtian Pavilion, Emperor, you will get a satisfactory answer."
…
King Li Ke of Shu had never thought that he would one day step into the Lingtian Pavilion. He was quite surprised and doubtful. After walking into the magnificent Lingtian Pavilion, he saw the sacred national teacher and his father sitting at the top, looking at him together.
"The son pays homage to his father, the emperor, and the imperial master."
He stood up from the ground, and then sat properly, not even daring to look around.
Luo Su said in a gentle voice: "King of Shu, the emperor just discussed with me that the tribes in Mobei have been a little bit rebellious recently. The emperor is worried that Mobei will become powerful again, so he wants to send a prince to take charge. I recommended you to the emperor. What do you think?"
Li Ke was dumbfounded. Go to Mobei to take charge?
Li Shimin also said in a gentle voice: "If you don't want to, tell me. I can replace you with someone else."
Li Ke fell silent for a moment.
From childhood to adulthood, the sentence he heard most often was -
Ke'er, don't argue.
Don't fight for anything.
Mother just wants to see you grow up safely, get married and have children, and then live your life in peace.
Concubine Yang was most clear about her own identity, so she did not have any improper thoughts, and she also did not allow Li Ke to have any improper thoughts.
Li Ke has always known that his identity would not allow him to have any great development within the Tang Dynasty.
Even if he was reused, his position would eventually reach the level of Li Xuanba, Prince of Qi.
Luo Su knew it, Li Ke knew it, and Li Shimin knew it too.
But this is the reality, a reality that cannot be changed by human will.
But he is Li Ke, the prince who looks most like Li Shimin!
Here, Li Ke did not answer Li Shimin's question whether he wanted to go or not, but turned to ask Luo Su a question. He was very serious, "Ke asked the national teacher. Ke and the national teacher have never exchanged a single word. Why did the national teacher recommend Ke to my father?"
This sentence was very clever, and Luo Su narrowed his eyes slightly. Then he smiled and said, "You should have been a Kunpeng flying in the sky. I don't want you to be a swallow perched on a tree branch, so I recommend you. Isn't this the best answer to your question?"
Upon hearing this, Li Ke knelt down in front of the two men without any hesitation, like pushing down a golden mountain or overturning a jade pillar, and kowtowed three times.
His brow was bleeding, his eyes were bright and his voice was loud, "Father, I am willing to go to Karakorum to guard the border for you, for my brother the Crown Prince, and for the Tang Dynasty!"
His voice echoed in the hall, full of heroic spirit. This heroic appearance made Li Shimin's heart excited. He reached out and touched Li Ke, sighing: "My good son, child, you have suffered a lot."
Luo Su nodded and smiled as he watched the scene.
Li Ke, you have to work hard. Whether my blueprint is right or wrong, you are the most crucial step.
————
In January of the tenth year of the Zhenguan reign, the Emperor conferred upon the King of Shu Ke the title of King of Yan, and granted him the title of Grand Protector of the Anbei Protectorate, and the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Anbei Protectorate’s military affairs. The Heavenly Khan also appointed the King of Yan as the First Lieri Khan, commanding all the Khans of Mobei, and sent him to hold imperial seals, as if the Heavenly Khan had come in person. — "Book of Tang: Chronicle of Emperor Taizong"
(End of this chapter)
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