Chapter 930: The Su Wang, the One who is inspired by heaven, praises the great virtues of the Su Wang!
The heavy and solemn sound of bells lingers in the Taiji Hall of the new Daming Palace. It was built by dozens of skilled craftsmen from China and abroad. The magnificent stone roof is several feet high, and the glazed tiles on it sparkle brightly, and the colorful colors hang down.
On the Zhanya above the palace, there stood many graceful figures, each holding a flower basket in their hands. Countless petals fell from the sky, like colorful snow filling the sky.
The vermilion gate is decorated with gold and jade, showing its nobility. The wood is wrapped with slightly dull copper rails, giving it a mixed beauty. Countless exotic flowers and beasts are showing their postures, covering the gate and the palace walls above, below, left and right.
As you walk into the hall, the first thing you see is the ultimate splendor. The candlelight in countless glazed lamps makes the entire hall look like a magnificent heaven, without the dark flaw of the old buildings. At the end of the sight, hundreds of steps away from the bronze door, there are several stairs and the throne stands high, showing the royal majesty.
Standing outside the Taiji Hall and looking out, on dozens of steps, countless ministers were hurrying up, with endless confusion on their faces. These people included clan members scattered across the country, meritorious officials who had already retired, and the core bureaucrats of the entire empire, provincial governors and governors-general of various states. Now all of them appeared here and walked up the stairs.
There were only two people sitting in the back hall of Daming Palace, Li Shimin and Luo Su. Today's great event was done by the two of them together. "Grand Master, I have really done something that dares to be the first in the world."
Luo Su just remained silent, but Li Shimin seemed to have returned to that day in Lingtian Pavilion.
…
The inner hall of Lingtian Pavilion is not very big. Countless white cloths are hung in layers, giving off a sad and miserable feeling. Black lines and outlines are drawn on the white cloths, making them look like mountains, rivers, gold and stone, and there are clanging sounds coming out of them.
Standing in it was like being drowned in white water, unable to get out no matter how hard they tried. Li Shimin followed Luo Su closely as they shuttled back and forth among the hanging white cloths, unable to tell east, south, west, north, or where the sun was.
"Master, this seems to be the border of Hexi. This is Xizhou. Could this huge blank space be Tubo?"
Li Shimin stopped in front of a feng shui map again. He recognized the map. Even though it was only outlined by a few very slight lines, he still recognized that it was the Qilian Mountains.
"It is Tibet."
Li Shimin was excited when he heard this, and hurried forward to take a look, but he could only see the largest mountain range outlined in a circle, like a blue dragon floating in the clouds and mountains. He looked a little regretful, this feng shui map was almost useless, there were no signs of mountain passes or water sources, and it could not be used for marching. Finally, he stared at the undulating mountains and rivers, "Grandmaster, how high are the mountains in Tubo?"
Luo Su stood beside the hanging white cloth, his expression solemn. "Five thousand miles south of Chang'an, the land is two thousand feet high. Another thousand miles south, there is a peak three thousand feet high, known as the Divine Peak. Above the mountain, there is snow all day long. Birds cannot fly, and people cannot walk. It is a place where no life can survive."
…
The ministers had already taken their seats in the hall. When the eunuch loudly announced the arrival of the emperor and the imperial teacher, everyone looked towards the bronze door.
There was the sound of footsteps outside the palace, first two teams of palace maids, and then a pair of people appeared together.
The emperor and the imperial teacher.
The emperor wore a dragon robe with intricate embroidery and a crown with twelve tassels. Even though most people couldn't see his face clearly, they could still feel the solemnity. Even though he was not wearing a military uniform, his aura was still like a flame.
Luo Su also changed his previous plain clothes and wore extremely flashy clothes. He held a staff inlaid with sparkling gems in his hand, like a priest walking down from a mural. His eyes were full of awe-inspiring majesty, looking like clouds or carved mountains.
The two of them walked hand in hand through the center of the hall, step by step to the throne. Li Shimin turned around and sat down facing the ministers, and Luo Su paused the magic staff in his hand.
The eunuch shouted in a high and shrill voice at the right moment: "Bow!"
"Long live our emperor! Long live the emperor! Long, long live the emperor!"
"May the Imperial Master be safe and sound!"
All the ministers in the hall stood up and greeted him three times before stopping.
The appearance of the emperor was not worthy of much attention, but the fact that the national teacher showed up in such formal attire today was something that almost no one had expected.
In addition, the emperor was also dressed in such a gorgeous manner.
The current emperor rarely wears court robes even at grand court meetings, which is obviously wrong.
Suddenly, there were some whispering sounds in the hall, and the ministers asked each other what big thing had happened.
But recently the Tang Dynasty has been peaceful and there is really nothing worth noting.
Then something happened that surprised everyone, that is, today's court meeting process had not yet begun.
The officials in charge seemed to have forgotten about it.
Luo Su held the magic wand in his hand, looked at Li Shimin, and then nodded.
He took a step forward, and now all the ministers turned their eyes to him.
If it were an ordinary person, he would definitely be nervous now, but Luo Su didn't care.
Under the gaze of tens of thousands of people, he held the magic wand in his hand, then slammed it heavily on the ground, stood beside Li Shimin, took a deep breath, and then shouted in an unprecedented solemn voice, "Silence!"
The sound was like thunder, echoing throughout the hall almost instantly, reverberating among the pillars, and then exploding in everyone's ears, and the hall suddenly became quiet.
"Blessed by the grace of the Supreme Emperor Meng Su, the one blessed by heaven, the Son of Heaven of the Chinese, the Heavenly Khan of the grasslands, the King of all kings in the Western Regions, and the Emperor of the Tang Empire."
Li Shimin said proudly: "Your servant Li Shimin, I pay my respects to the Most High and Most Holy, the Most Honorable and Most Noble, the Su Wang Shang Huang Tian. May the Su Wang protect the Great Tang for ten thousand years."
This was the text of the sacrifice to heaven. Even though everyone in the hall knew it when they entered the hall, they were still confused. What was His Majesty going to do in the Taiji Hall? With the sound of a bell, everyone put aside their doubts and knelt on the ground, crossing their hands and placing them between their foreheads. They sang in unison: "The Most High and Holy, the Most Honorable and the Most Noble, the Su King blesses the Tang Dynasty."
Li Shimin and Luo Su stood at the head of the hall, watching the entire Tang Dynasty kneel down like a tide. Luo Su paused again, and Li Shimin sang a hymn to the emperor. Hundreds of musicians on both sides played together, and all the ministers and officials sang along, "The spirit of the Su King is in heaven, and the glory of the Chinese people will last for thousands of years!
The towering mountains are connected to each other, and the surging rivers flow forever!
All the gods under the heaven, bless our great light!"
There are countless different lyrics for the hymn, but the ones sung today have very different meanings. This was the hymn sung every time the Ji-Jiang alliance met during the ancient Zhou Dynasty.
The most famous one in history was the Ji-Jiang Alliance hosted by Ji Lingjun, the Queen of Luo, the Goddess of Luo and Duke Yin of Luo, six hundred years after the Zhou Dynasty, which brought decades of peace to the Zhou Dynasty.
"The spirit of the Su King is in heaven, and the glory of the Tang Dynasty will last forever!
The spirit of King Su is in the sky, bestowing great light upon the king!
The spirit of the Su King is in heaven, granting the king good fortune and longevity! "
The music became louder and louder as it echoed throughout the imperial palace. This was the Daming Palace, this was the Taiji Hall. People were kneeling here like the tide, and the whole world was kneeling like the tide.
Luo Junwei knelt on the ground, her eyes sparkling.
Wu Zhao knelt on the ground, her pupils were like stars, and thousands of stars flashed in an instant.
Li Zhi, Princess Jinyang, and Luo Junzhuo put down their work and stared blankly in the direction of the Taiji Hall.
Bells rang throughout the palace. At this moment, everyone remembered the etiquette they had learned since birth, bowed their heads, folded their hands, and knelt on the ground.
In the Taiji Hall, the emperor was praised and blessed three times repeatedly. Some of the older officials were already out of breath, but now they were finally able to straighten their backs. The twelve-pearl crown on Li Shimin's head swayed slightly, and his expression was solemn as if he were a saint. There was another sound of drums, and the kings, dukes and other nobles came forward in line and danced the war dance.
“Boom boom boom!”
“Boom!”
The sounds of killing, the sound of waving swords and spears, the passionate knocking of war dances, almost every one of them fell into everyone's mind, and one by one, made everyone feel a different taste.
The people sitting slightly behind cast their eyes towards the faces of the princes and nobles sitting in the front row. Many of the marginal princes and nobles also had doubts on their faces. Only the prime ministers and a few people including the Duke of Yong had no expressions on their faces. These people were startled, because this meant that only the prime minister and the real close ministers knew in advance what was going to be done today.
And these people are the ones who are chosen to announce this major event. Just like every major event in the past, it has been decided long ago, but it was only announced to the world today.
When the last drumbeat stopped, the bronze door opened wide, and bright sunlight poured in from outside, shining on the ground and on the ministers in the hall. The countless candlelight, against the backdrop of the sunlight, was dim, like stars hidden beside the bright moon.
The gold and jade on the pillars reflected a bright glow, making the vermilion robes more vivid, the black robes solemn, and the blue robes calm. The light shone through them, row after row.
Countless palace maids walked in from outside the palace holding gift vessels, like butterflies flying among flowers, placing the gift vessels on each seat, their sleeves fluttering, the scent of cosmetics filling the air, they came and went gently.
"National Master, please begin."
In the hall, which was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, Li Shimin's voice rang out, and everyone immediately turned their eyes to the imperial teacher who had been standing there from beginning to end.
He wore a golden and jade crown with phoenix patterns all over his head and an extremely gorgeous black robe. The cuffs and collar of the robe were embroidered with golden silk thread. A phoenix with flapping wings was embroidered on the robe with golden silk thread. The huge tail feathers almost covered his heart, and the black background made the gold color even more noble.
Luo Su looked at the ministers in the hall, and he slowly walked down the platform holding the magic staff. After a long time, he slowly spoke: "The emperor asked me to say something to the people of the world. I thought for a long time, what should I say to live up to the prosperity of today?
There are countless lofty and great ideals in this world. If I say those words directly, it will be like the hymn I sang before. You will all sing them, but how many of them will be engraved in your hearts?
The spirit of King Su is in heaven, and the Mandate of the Tang Dynasty will last forever.
It is really inspiring that you have offered the highest blessings of all the people of China to the emperor, but today I want to ask a question: Can the Tang Dynasty really last forever? Can the emperor of the Tang Dynasty really last forever? "
Luo Su's question caused the temperature in the hall to drop by several degrees almost instantly. Everyone was stunned and no one dared to answer the question.
Brush, brush, brush.
Almost everyone below looked towards Li Shimin, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, who was sitting at the top, wanting to see his expression, but behind the heavy crown and pearls, there was still that majestic and sacred face, without any change, as if he had never heard Luo Su's words.
"Even if Mount Tai is ground into a flat land, even if the Yellow River is as thin as a belt, I will still love your descendants. My fellow ministers of the Tang Dynasty, can you really enjoy your wealth and honor forever?"
Luo Su first asked about the country and the people, then the emperor, and finally the princes and ministers. A destined answer appeared in everyone's mind, that is, it is impossible.
"The history of the Chinese nation entered the era of ritual and music 1,600 years ago. The Su King, who created the world, brought unprecedented civilization to the Chinese nation. The barbaric, bloody, and ancient old era was swept into the garbage dump of history.
The Zhou Dynasty lasted a thousand years before it collapsed, the Qin Dynasty lasted more than ten years, the Han Dynasty lasted three hundred years, the two dynasties saw the rise and fall of many countries, and the Sui Dynasty lasted thirty or forty years and has become a pool of ashes.
During these 1,600 years, I have been thinking, what is left behind?
My dear nobles, I have heard that if a person stands in the mountains, his eyes will be blocked by the clouds and mist, and he will never know how high the mountain is. Today, I, an outsider, will lift the clouds and mist for you to see how high this mountain is and what it looks like.
“Boom.”
The sound of wheels turning came from the side of the hall, and several eunuchs pushed a cart of books into the hall. The books were piled high, and a faint smell of ink slowly spread.
Luo Su picked up a book at random. "This book is the catalog of the Book of Han. It records the three hundred years of struggle of the Han Dynasty, as well as the deeds of the emperor and his ministers in maintaining the rule of the Han Dynasty."
He put the book down and raised another one, "This is the "Qin Benji", which records the 800-year history of the Qin State and the history after the establishment of the Qin Dynasty."
After that, he turned to the crowd and said in a deep voice: "Every king wants to maintain his throne and continue the inheritance of the dynasty. To this end, they do not hesitate to do all kinds of wrong things, just like the prince of 'Road to Eyes', using cruel punishments and terrifying rule to cut off all speech, thinking that if they shut the mouths of the people, no one would know these things.
But dynasties will eventually collapse, kings will eventually die, all the truth will come to light, and what will be left in history is only a damning reputation.
You treated the people with kindness and achieved outstanding achievements. Thousands of years later, you are still worshipped.
And for those kings who used treacherous and cruel tactics in history, would the historians of later generations show any mercy to them?
When writing the history of Emperor Yang of Sui, did anyone ever think of covering up even the slightest bit for him?
My dear princes and nobles, thousands of years from now, you will all be recorded in history books. Have you ever thought about your words in history books? You must know that history is vast and nothing is missed. "
Luo Su's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart heavily. This was the first time someone had said this to them. They couldn't help but start comparing themselves to the people in history books. Then, when they thought of the evaluations in history books and their final outcomes, they couldn't help but tremble all over.
"All affairs of the world eventually become the private schemes of factions. The king only cares about the longevity of the dynasty, not caring about the lives of the people; the ministers only care about their immediate interests, not caring about the rise and fall of the dynasty. What's the point?
Where are the Zhou emperor and the eight hundred princes?
Do the Qin Dynasty emperors have any descendants?
Where are the Emperor of Han and the princes who fought in the Jingnan Rebellion?
Were the imperial families of the various states and the two dynasties at the end of the Han Dynasty still noble?
In the end, the ancestors were left to be criticized, the dynasty was ridiculed by the world, the acts of abusing the people were endlessly cursed, and the things that harmed the people were always hated. Those ministers who gave advice knelt in front of the temple, and their descendants changed their surnames or their clans were exterminated.
Whether a minister is loyal or treacherous will be judged by future generations. It will be useless for you to make excuses in this world.
Whether he had made contributions to the world or had faults, it is even more clear thousands of years later.
This is what my ministers do.
The same is true for the king!"
The emperor, who had been sitting on the throne as majestic as a statue, finally moved slowly. The ministers who had been paying attention to the emperor held their breath. Li Shimin stroked the throne and said in a deep voice, "Everyone in the world knows that I am the Su Wang Tianqi. I am here to tell you that I am the emperor of the Xia Dynasty first, and then the emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
The principles that the national teacher talked about are the way of the Su Wang.
What is the way of the King of Su?
That is the way of merit.
One merit and one virtue.
Opening up the four barbarians is a merit, pacifying the Chinese is a merit, and promoting culture is a merit. Why should the Chinese be included in front of the emperor?
Because all of this was beneficial to the Chinese nation, just like Emperor Xiaowu of Han's expansion of the Western Regions. Even though the Han Dynasty was destroyed, his achievements would always be recorded in history, so everyone called him the Holy King.
Qin Shi Huangdi was a famous tyrant, but his great achievements in the struggle for power were still recorded in history books. However, he was not a sage king, so I established the Temple of the Sage Kings, which does not include Qin Shi Huangdi.
This is the other way besides the way of merit, the way of virtue.
What is virtue?
Being harmonious with family members is a virtue, loving the people is a virtue, getting along well with the ruler and his subjects is a virtue. Virtue means that when living in this world, we should be human beings, and not beasts.
No matter how the world is in turmoil, one cannot be considered to have high moral character.
One must always make achievements, but if one were to be like Emperor Li of Han, he would be a tyrant. Didn’t Emperor Yang of Sui have any achievements?
Yes, but compared with the price he paid, it is not worth mentioning and his achievements can be ignored.
To grasp the balance between merit and virtue is the way to the merit of the Su Wang. When merit and virtue are complete, one can become a sage king.
How the National Dynasty can continue is to build merits and establish virtues. As long as it has merits and virtues, the National Dynasty will never perish. If one day, the National Dynasty has to rely on treacherous schemes, conspiracies, and scheming to maintain itself, then that will be the time for the National Dynasty to perish.
I have been talking with the Imperial Master in Lingtian Pavilion for a few days. Today I am telling you this truth. I hope you can practice it and cherish it. "
Your Majesty is still laying the groundwork.
The national teacher is also laying the groundwork.
Whatever they were going to do today, it took so long to prepare for it. All the ministers knew it. The emperor and the imperial teacher made such a big fuss, it couldn't be just to give them a lecture.
Even though the way of the Su Wang's merits and virtues today is so novel and so thought-provoking, anyone with a little bit of intelligence knows that this is definitely not what the emperor and the national teacher really want to say today.
Crash!
Crash!
A huge feng shui map was pushed up, with black outlines and lines on it that looked like a dancing dragon. The ministers sitting in the front row immediately recognized that this was the feng shui map of the Tang Dynasty.
Luo Su held a fine brush in his hand and walked to the geomancy map. "I believe you all know that this is the 'Great Tang World Geomancy Map'. It shows hundreds of states in the Great Tang, the Governor's Office, the Grand Protectorate, mountains and rivers, and the surrounding countries that have submitted to the Great Tang."
Luo Su took up his pen and drew two circles in Chang'an and Luoyang, along the Yellow River. Looking at the two circles, Luo Su's face was full of complicated expressions. He missed something. Then he turned to the ministers and said with emotion: "The territory of the Tang Dynasty is vast, and the territory of Zhuxia is even larger than that of the Tang Dynasty. It is 12,000 miles from east to west and 15,000 miles from north to south. There are mountains, plains, rivers, cliffs, deserts, Gobi, and grasslands. One person cannot walk through the territory of Zhuxia in his lifetime.
But who still remembers that 1,600 years ago, we only had these two places, Haojing and Luoyi, and we were huddled in the city, worrying every day that the barbarians, as numerous as the stars in the sky, would annihilate us in the dust of history?
Who else remembers that this was not once the prosperous commercial center of Qizhou, but the land of the Dongyi and Laiyi people!
Who else remembers that in Longyou, there lived millions of Rong people who ate raw meat and drank blood.
Who else remembers that there were the Yi and Luo Rong between the Yi and Luo rivers between Chang'an and Luoyang, and the emperor might be attacked whenever he traveled.
Who else remembers that the Di people lived in the birthplace of the Tang Dynasty and had not yet become extinct until a thousand years ago.
Who still remembers that Jianghuai, now known as the tax-collecting center of the world, was the site of the Huaiyi Rebellion that almost destroyed the Chinese nation, and our ancestors almost disappeared in history.
Can you forget these?"
"cannot!"
“Can’t forget!”
The blood hidden in the body was stimulated, and the echoes in the hall rose and fell, and then turned into a unified shout.
“Can’t forget!”
"Now, Han people live in these places, the flags of Xia fly above them, and those gods with unknown number of eyes and strange appearances have disappeared.
Only the Su Wang is preaching here.
The emperor, ministers, and even the common people all worked tirelessly to leave more wealth and reputation to their descendants.
So what is merit?
This is the merit. Our ancestors have made it so that our descendants no longer have to worry about extinction at any time, so now the people living in the interior of the Tang Dynasty no longer have to face war. "
Luo Su's voice became louder and louder. What is merit? This is merit.
Another geomancy map was brought up, "One thousand six hundred years ago, King Su divided his relatives and meritorious officials into fiefs in Haojing, not far from Chang'an.
From small dots, to connected dots, and finally to countries, we are still stuck in this cycle until now.
I don't think it should be like this.
The emperor also thought so.
So we have this geomancy map, please take a look at it!"
Li Shimin stood up from the throne, then walked down and stood next to Luo Su. A feng shui map rose from behind the two of them. The map was extremely high, at least ten feet high, just like a huge red sun rising from the horizon, radiating infinite sacred light.
Luo Su and Li Shimin, standing in front of the feng shui map, looked like ancient sages and ancient holy kings walking out of a scroll.
"What's this?"
Most people couldn't understand this feng shui map, but the few people who had seen it before still had sparkling eyes.
"Before the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, I once traveled around the world. This world was not just the world of the Chinese. I also traveled another 10,000 miles west from the Western Regions. Combining the records in ancient books, I drew this geomancy map. The area of 20,000 miles from east to west and 30,000 miles from north to south is all included in it. I call it the 'Geomancy Map of All Nations'."
Luo Su looked at the map from afar, with countless emotions in his eyes. This map was of course very inaccurate, as a large number of mountains, rivers and streams were not marked, but it was still something worth commemorating.
"This is the Central Plains!"
Luo Su pointed to the most central area and said, then pointed to the north and said calmly: "This is the Mobei grassland and the Greater Khingan Range in Liaodong. The greatest enemy of our Central Plains in the past 600 years emerged from here. Now the King of Yan is guarding the Mobei grassland."
As he spoke, Luo Su picked up his pen and wrote the word "Yan" on the Mobei grassland. As soon as he wrote this word, everyone in the hall had a sense of déjà vu. They cast their eyes on the first feng shui map. On that map, there was also a word "Yan", but it was in the land of Youyan.
With just this one move, the State of Yan moved from the Central Plains to a place 2,000 miles away from the Central Plains. "The King of Yan has made great contributions to the country by guarding the border. Since the Qin Dynasty, the border defense has always been along the Great Wall. But more than a thousand years ago, the vassal states of Qi, Jin, Qin, Chu and other vassal states that served as vassal states of the Zhou emperor were all on the front line of the battle against the barbarians. What the King of Yan is doing now is the real vassal defense for the king."
Luo Su pointed to the west of Shenlin City, eight thousand miles away, and said, "I'm sure you don't know where this is. This is the famous Persia.
Hundreds of years ago, this place was called Parthia, an empire with tens of thousands of armored soldiers. Although its strength was not as strong as that of the Han Dynasty, it was not far behind. Its business was prosperous and its technology was advanced, not much inferior to that of the Central Plains. However, its politics was very unstable, so the country rose and fell quickly.
It is truly a fertile land. Any crops planted there will grow quite lushly. Not only can it be used for farming, it can also grow high-quality forage grass.
When the Western Turks were at their most powerful, they once bordered here in the east, but it is unknown what their current situation is like.”
When we talked about Mobei just now, the palace was relatively calm. As old rivals that had been entangled for hundreds of years, the Central Plains was relatively familiar with Mobei. There were grasslands there, but the climate was harsh. After all, it was too far north, and the King of Yan was equivalent to being exiled.
But when Luo Su pointed to Central Asia and West Asia and spoke, there was a commotion in the hall. There were countless Hu merchants doing business in the Tang Dynasty, and they had some knowledge of the Far West, but it was the first time they had seen such a map, especially since Luo Su had marked out such a large area, which was larger than the Hebei Plain in the Central Plains.
Someone couldn't help but ask, "Master, can the area you just marked out be used for farming and grazing?"
Although this land is too far away from the Central Plains, and there are obstacles from the Western Turks and the Western Regions on the way, and there is also Tubo on the western plateau, they still can't help asking, is there really such a fertile land?
Isn’t our Central Plains the place where the Su King looks down upon?
Luo Su gave everyone a positive answer. "The fertility of the Seven Rivers Land must be familiar to the Central Plains. The Seven Rivers Land to the west is extremely fertile. Millions of people can live there without any problem. It has only one shortcoming, which is that it is far away."
Li Shimin couldn't help but curl his lips. When he first knew about it, he sighed. It was really too far away. The military force of the Tang Dynasty had already reached its limit when it was deployed to the Pamir Mountains. Going further would be a pure loss, and any rebellion would be impossible to deal with.
Even though Persia is fertile, the Tang Dynasty cannot conquer it and can only establish friendly trade with it. This is what Li Shimin thought before, and the ministers in the palace also think so now.
But they immediately realized that the Imperial Master and the Emperor had laid so much groundwork just now, so that's it!
I see!
The Imperial Master and the Emperor wanted to enfeoff clan members and meritorious officials just like they enfeoffed the King of Yan!
No!
The Prince of Yan was not granted a fiefdom, but he was appointed as the Grand Protector of Anbei Protectorate with the title of Prince of Yan, in charge of the military affairs of the various states in Mobei. He only had the power over the people of the twelve tribes of the Prince of Yan. He was still controlled by the Lifanyuan and the Privy Council.
The real enfeoffment is like that of the princes of Zhou Dynasty and the early Han Dynasty. The princes can collect taxes, train troops, and govern the country in their own countries, and the people of the kingdom are completely the subjects of the princes.
wrong!
There is no way the emperor would agree to be granted a fiefdom in Persia. If we send people there now, the Central Plains cannot provide much support at a distance of 20,000 miles. Moreover, there is the Western Regions, especially the Western Turks, who are eyeing us covetously. Isn't that like sending food to them?
Moreover, when the country was established in the past, the Central Plains had no means of control. When it became independent in the past, the Central Plains could only watch as the meat bun was thrown at the dog, and it would never come back. Would the emperor really do such a thing that would not bring any benefit at all?
Luo Su never stopped, and he pointed to the southwest of the Tang Dynasty again, "This is also a piece of land that is well known to the Tang Dynasty. It has had many names, the most famous of which is Tianzhu.
Hundreds of years ago, at the same time as the Parthian Empire and the Han Empire, there was also a powerful country here called the Kushan Empire. Before that, powerful dynasties often appeared here.
India!
In the Tang Dynasty, basically everyone knows this name, the birthplace of Buddhism. Luo Su threw a heavy egg, "The reason why many powerful dynasties have emerged here is because there is a plain that is many times more fertile than the Hebei Plain and the Guanzhong Plain. It's here!"
Luo Su drew a circle on the Gangetic Plain and the Indus Plain, "This land can produce three crops a year. The grain produced in this plain can be comparable to that of the entire Central Plains."
boom!
The Taiji Hall was in an uproar now!
"National Master, what did you say?"
"Master, this must be fake!"
"Master, don't joke with us!"
"National Master..."
"National Master!"
Magnificent and intense voices almost instantly filled the Tai Chi Hall. The noisy sound was about to completely blow the roof off, and the sound waves rolled like substance.
"quiet!"
The magic wand in Luo Su's hand slammed heavily on the ground, making a sharp thud. He gathered his energy in his dantian, and then suddenly shouted loudly. The voice of one person drowned out the voices of everyone else in the hall.
There was a moment of silence in the hall after his loud shout, but the heavy breathing still revealed the uneasy hearts of everyone.
At this moment, no matter who they are or what political views they hold, they cannot ignore a piece of fertile land, a piece of golden land, which just appears in front of them.
Take this land!
This was the thought that came to almost everyone in the hall at the same time. This land was different from the Persia just now.
Persia is too far away. It is no exaggeration to say that even if all the grain in the Tang Dynasty's treasury was taken out to arm an army of 50,000, the food would be gone before they even reached Persia.
But India is different. It is possible to reach India. Although it is difficult, the army can get there.
Walk a little west from Shenlin City to Daxia, and then head south and it won’t take long to enter Tianzhu.
The Western Regions again!
Now all the ministers in the palace set their sights on the Western Regions.
"The King of Su lowered his eyes! The Most High and Holy!"
Suddenly someone in the hall loudly praised the emperor.
Then there were shouts one after another. The greatness of King Su was once again manifested at this moment thousands of years later.
No one will forget that hundreds of years ago, Luo Zhongkan had obeyed King Su's order and went to the Western Regions. In order to control the Western Regions in the hands of the Xia people, the Luo family made so much effort that they even built a temple in the Western Regions.
The place where King Su lowers his eyes!
As early as when the Western Regions were still filled with Hu people, the Luo family had already promoted it in this way. It was an attitude that the Luo family had never had before.
Now look, Persia, India, and Mobei, these three key regions, are all in the hands of the Western Regions. Whoever controls the Western Regions controls the future of the world and holds the key to all regions.
"Your Majesty, I ask to fight Anxi!"
Li Ji couldn't help himself. He agreed very much with the theory of merit just now, and now he wanted to make a contribution.
Li Shimin turned his back to the geomancy map, exhaled a long breath, and then said with deep emotion: "I know what you are thinking now. When I first heard what the national teacher said, I was also shocked.
I believe you all know now what the Imperial Master and I are going to do.
That's right.
The enfeoffment is not the hereditary enfeoffment of provincial governors that I had before, but a real enfeoffment outside the Central Plains, in places that I cannot reach and where it is difficult for my Tang Dynasty to penetrate.
I said before that the way of merit and virtue is the principle of the Su Wang. What is the principle of the Su Wang?
It is nothing more than the few words "Xia Jun Yi Min" at the beginning of the Kingly Way. What other achievements can compare with this one?
The Imperial Master told me that if I could establish three kingdoms during the Zhenguan period, my achievements and virtues would surpass those of ancient times and no one could match them. The Su King would praise me and it is possible that I could ascend to the Supreme Heaven the next day. "
A powerful voice sounded in the hall, "Your Majesty, Imperial Master, what are the three great kingdoms?"
"The so-called three kingdoms."
Luo Su quickly drew a few circles on the geomancy map, "Originally there should be six kingdoms, but two of them were difficult to achieve during the Zhenguan period, so the remaining four kingdoms are.
The State of Yan was established in Mobei, with its territory extending from the east of the Altai Mountains, the north of the desert, and the east of the Greater Khingan Range.
The State of Qi was established on the Liaodong Peninsula, which is east of Changbai Mountain, south of the Yalu River, and a series of islands including Fuso Island.
The State of Song was established on the vast land south of Guangzhou.
Although the area south of Guangzhou is full of miasma, it is also a region where three crops can be harvested a year and it has abundant vegetation. Once it is developed, it will be as fertile as the current Jianghuai area in the future.
The last one is west of the Irtysh River and north of the Western Regions, with the river as the boundary with the State of Yan. There are also large plains and pastures there, but even I have never been there. Countless nomads live there, and it is extremely dangerous to establish the State of Qin there.
These are the Four Kingdoms.”
Luo Su wrote the three words "Qin", "Qi" and "Song" on the geomantic map, and also outlined the approximate territory.
The ministers immediately understood that the key was the Western Regions. Without complete control of the Western Regions by the Tang Dynasty, it would be impossible for the army to march to India and other places. Therefore, there were no plans to move the Western Regions westward or southward.
"Prince."
While everyone was still digesting this sudden news, the emperor suddenly called for the crown prince. Li Chengqian was stunned. Luo Juncheng quickly pushed him. Li Chengqian reacted and staggered to the center of the hall. He looked up at his father, but he could not see through the crown and see his father's eyes. He lowered his head and said in a muffled voice: "Your son pays homage to His Majesty."
Li Shimin felt a pain in his heart, but then he was somewhat relieved that he had a solution. He said in a gentle voice, "Prince, I heard that you want to go abroad to serve as a vassal. Although I am reluctant to let you go, I cannot protect you forever. Since you don't want to stay in Chang'an, then leave. You can choose one of these three pieces of land to serve as a vassal."
quiet!
There was silence in the Taiji Hall. Wei Zheng had closed his eyes. When Li Shimin first told him about this, he was naturally extremely opposed, but Li Shimin only said: "I can't control myself, the prince is unstable.
By leaving an abandoned prince in the Central Plains, do you want my spirit in heaven to see my descendants killing each other or Cheng Qian die in depression?"
Wei Zheng was rarely left speechless by such an attack. Even if the prince's life could be saved, given Li Chengqian's personality, it was almost certain that he would die in depression.
Even the Prince's Junior Tutor had no objection, let alone the other prime ministers.
The ministers in the hall found it hard to believe what Li Shimin said.
Is the emperor asking the prince to become a vassal?
What do you mean by being a vassal?
This is the deposed prince!
But even Wei Zheng didn't say anything. Everyone knew that the emperor and the prime ministers had already discussed it in advance. In other words, this matter had been approved by the upper echelons of the empire, and now it was just a matter of notification.
The most surprised one was Prince of Wei Li Tai. He had no idea about this matter. At this moment, he forced himself to hold back his smile and looked at Li Chengqian with shining eyes. He wished he could answer on behalf of Li Chengqian, "Agree quickly, agree quickly!"
Li Chengqian was a little confused, but he quickly came to his senses. He had been hinted at before, and although it was an occasion to depose the crown prince, he saw a father's love for his son in those eyes, which was very rare.
He immediately knelt on the ground with tears streaming down his face, paid the most honorable tribute to Li Shimin, and then said in a resounding voice: "Father, you were once the King of Qin. Although I cannot inherit your position, I also hope to remember your voice and appearance. I choose you as the King of Qin."
None of these three kings had a simple case. The most serious problem for King Song was malaria. Although medical technology has improved a lot in recent years, it is still difficult to cure sometimes. King Qi was not a simple case either.
When the four kingdoms were released, all the ministers in the palace knew that the emperor wanted to attack the Liaodong Kingdom, and not to force it to surrender, but to destroy it. The western part would be annexed by the Tang Dynasty and counties would be established, and the western part would be incorporated into the Qi State and a kingdom would be established.
Moreover, all the ministers in the palace could see that the countries granted by the emperor were all areas that the Tang Dynasty could not control or the cost of controlling them was too high. He was well versed in the essence of the Zhou-Fen system.
If these kingdoms could actually be established, the administrative and military costs of the Tang Dynasty would be significantly reduced.
Li Shimin said in a gentle voice: "Prince, please come forward and thank the Imperial Master. The system of the six kingdoms was proposed by the Imperial Master, and it was also the Imperial Master who suggested that you go abroad to serve as a vassal."
Li Chengqian understood that when Li Shimin granted him a fief, he knew that it was Luo Su's proposal. After they parted at Lingtian Pavilion that day, the imperial teacher took his matter to heart.
He walked in front of Luo Su, then knelt down again, kowtowed and said: "I will never forget the kindness of the national master in saving my life. If there is really a day when the country is founded and the ancestral temple is established, I will be in the country day and night to offer incense and sacrifice for you."
Everyone in the hall looked at this scene in silence. Everyone knew that among these four kingdoms, Qin was probably the one that the Tang Dynasty could least control in the future, because it was the farthest away, with Yan State and the Western Regions in between.
but.
Can this lame prince really build a kingdom surrounded by wolves?
Or will he die on the way to the conquest like countless other Zhou nobles?
You must know that the first princes of the Zhou Dynasty had to go through a hundred years of bloody fighting before they established their base.
Luo Su touched Li Chengqian's head and said softly, "The lineage of Prince Zhou is now one of the main branches of the Luo family. It is natural that there should be brave warriors accompanying them. I will let 500 brave warriors and their families follow Jun Cheng."
The brave warriors followed Luo Juncheng to help Li Chengqian in the development of the territory. How could the Luo family not participate in such a bloody feat?
In the past, Prince of Yan Li Ke had received help from Luo Xuanxing. Now that Li Chengqian is farther away and in greater danger, the Luo family certainly has an obligation to help.
Li Chengqian knelt on the ground and kowtowed again, "Chengqian thanks the Imperial Master."
Li Shimin shouted, "Duke Weiguo!"
"I am here!"
————
Li Shimin and Luo Su are the two highest peaks of the Tang Dynasty. This national teacher, who has the same name as Luo Wengong of the Zhou Dynasty, led the Tang Dynasty into the feudal system when the Xia Dynasty reached the most critical juncture, and completely transformed the Tang Dynasty into an armed empire.
He greatly expanded the living space of the Xia people, but at the same time, the enfeoffment action created a large number of powerful nobles, which greatly enhanced the power of the aristocracy and the sacrificial class, resulting in the return of the blood aristocracy that had disintegrated since the Qin and Han dynasties.
At the same time, the chaos and war that were inevitably brought about by the feudal system made the Tang Dynasty full of blood, which made him controversial. Countless people were asking a question with a clear answer: Did this national teacher understand the future that his choice would bring?
"In my dream, I saw the common people walking on a sea of blood. In my dream, I saw the noble and the humble as if they were in the mud. I also saw the common people laughing. I also saw light behind the dark clouds!"
Who wouldn't understand? How could Luo Su not know the future his choice would bring? He did what he thought was right without hesitation, even if his future descendants didn't have enough wisdom to solve the problems that might arise, but he remained unshakable.
We have never seen such an outstanding politician again. ——"The Rise and Fall of the Tang Dynasty"
(End of this chapter)
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