"Your Majesty! Now that Wolf Island has been captured, we should send some officials to manage and govern it. Otherwise, it would be a great pity if it were left to decay!" a minister suggested.
"Let the cabinet discuss this matter and see how to arrange it, then submit it to me for review!" How could Li Shimin not understand what these people were thinking? A slight smile appeared on his lips, a hint of mockery flashing across his face.
Qin Mu had already discussed with him how to govern Wolf Island. He had some concerns at first, but now it seemed that raising a group of slaves wouldn't be bad. The men could be used as seed slaves and for mining, while the women could farm. The island could be self-sufficient and wouldn't need support from the Tang Dynasty. The key was the continuous supply of slaves and silver mines.
With so many people, aside from eating, all other output belongs to them. It's like having household slaves; no one would complain about having too much.
However, Li Shimin was more concerned about the other two memorials from Li Ji and Qin Mu, concerning the continued hiring of the beastmen to deal with surrounding enemies and destroy Goguryeo. His first thought was that it was feasible, but he still needed to discuss the specifics with his confidants.
"Issue the decree: Chang'an shall celebrate for three days, and the Imperial Guards shall not prohibit it! Court adjourned!" Li Shimin pondered for a moment, then rose and said.
Not long after Li Shimin left, Fang Xuanling and others were summoned back.
"My dear ministers, take a look at these two memorials, and then share your thoughts," Li Shimin said, gesturing to the eunuch once everyone had arrived.
The eunuch picked up two memorials from the desk and respectfully handed them to Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji.
Those who had read it passed it on and then closed their eyes in deep thought.
“This is feasible! I second that!” After everyone had finished reading, and seeing Li Shimin’s gaze fall on him, Fang Xuanling stood up and bowed.
"I second that proposal!"
"I second that proposal!"
Following Li Shimin's gaze, everyone else agreed.
"I know this is a good idea, but I would like to ask you, my dear ministers, are there any flaws in this plan that need to be addressed?" Li Shimin asked again.
"Both memorials are already very complete and need no additions. Minor problems that arise during implementation can be addressed later," Du Ruhui said, rising to his feet.
"Then let's discuss how to entice the beastmen," Li Shimin asked calmly, seeing everyone nodding.
……………
The people arranged by the imperial court quickly set off, carrying Li Shimin's decree, to the grasslands beyond the Great Wall, to the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River region in Northeast China. They also brought with them a large quantity of porcelain, cloth, salt, and fruit.
These things were of average value in the Tang Dynasty, but for the beastmen who lived in cold climates and were not skilled in farming, they were all valuable.
The orcs explained that these were all gifts from His Majesty, given to them because they had sent troops to help the court in battle.
For the first time, the orcs discovered that they could obtain the supplies they longed for without the entire tribe being mobilized and suffering countless casualties in a war. They suddenly realized how foolish they had been before. Sending their tribesmen to fight meant no burden of food supplies and a bountiful harvest.
Not to mention the employment fees paid by the Tang Dynasty, which were enough for them to embezzle a large sum of money, plus the rewards, which were perfectly legitimate private property.
"No need to say more, I completely agree with His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Although we are the wolf clan, we are not much different from humans. On the contrary, those strangely shaped creatures are our common enemy."
"We will fully support this operation, gather all our strength, and eliminate them," Yinan, the chieftain of the Silver Wolf Clan, said firmly to Tang Jian.
"I will report the clan chief's words to His Majesty as truthfully as possible, and the court will also send personnel to assist your tribe as soon as possible," Tang Jian said with a smile.
"Someone! Prepare a banquet! I want to entertain our distinguished guest!" Yinan shouted excitedly. His mind was already on the supplies piled up in more than a dozen tents.
This scene of Tang Jian's mission was also unfolding among many other tribes, including the Golden Wolf and Porcupine tribes. They all agreed with the Tang Dynasty's words, given that these out-of-town tribes were strangely shaped and extremely ferocious. Of course, the supplies provided by the Tang Dynasty were even more valuable. After all, who would do something without benefit?
Material support is one aspect, but the solution proposed by the Tang Dynasty is actually quite simple: if a single tribe cannot deal with the enemy, then we will help you guard it. You can send some people to help another tribe solve its problems first, and then we can work together to deal with the other one.
By addressing the problems one by one, gradually increasing the number of enemies, they eventually amassed a large force to confront the most powerful force. With the support of skilled warriors and weapons from the Tang Dynasty, the task became much easier. At the same time, the Tang Dynasty demonstrated its military might and flexed its muscles before these tribes, intimidating them.
Such benefits are obvious, so naturally no one objected; in fact, they were happy to see it happen and took the initiative to contact those tribes that had not negotiated with the Tang Dynasty.
Not long after, those tribes that had been isolated from the world for countless years, who thought they had seen the light of day again and that great times were coming, met their doom! This time, under the leadership of the Tang Dynasty, dozens of top cultivators of different types were gathered, and an army of 100,000 ordinary experts led by tens of thousands of top masters swept through many tribes.
Destroying these tribes also brought enormous benefits. Those tribes possessed some unique products that the beastmen couldn't use, but were valuable to the Tang Dynasty. They took some items and traded them for those specialty medicinal herbs and ores.
Although the Tang Dynasty did not offer any material compensation, the beast tribes were willing to give up their resources to the Tang Dynasty. However, the real purpose of giving them the resources was to ask them to help with the collection in the future.
After helping the surrounding tribes completely eliminate the enemy, Li Shimin began to hire the Beastmen to help him attack Goguryeo, according to plan. The Beastmen had no objections to this and even seemed eager to do so.
In truth, the higher-ups of the beastman tribes didn't care much about their people. Their only concern was whether their power would be affected. Their subordinates contributing to the tribe's wars was simply a matter of course.
While integrating the orc soldiers, Li Shimin did something else: he invited more than 30 tribes and over a thousand high-ranking orcs to accompany him on his southern tour.
Traveling south, we saw the already very prosperous Jiangnan region before arriving in Lingnan.
The mountains and plains were covered with countless fruits, like wild grass on a grassland; mountains of fish and shrimp were scooped from the sea; and the seaweed they loved to eat was actually seaweed from the ocean. These things shocked the orcs and also made them envious.
Autumn has arrived in the north, with wild grasses turning yellow, while the climate in the south remains warm, like early summer.
"If we lived here, we wouldn't have to worry about cattle and sheep freezing to death in winter." This was the thought in the minds of many beastmen, because they had heard that there was no snow here in winter.
There are actually places in the world where it doesn't snow! This was the first reaction of some beastmen, after all, not every beastman knew about the outside world.
Continuing south, the beastmen, accustomed to traveling by boat, followed Li Shimin to a large island, where they discovered that wild fruits grew abundantly. However, the monkeys were quite annoying, freely eating the bright red berries; one really wanted to shoot them down.
The fruit is bigger than a human head, and the trees are dozens of meters tall. There's simply no way to harvest it all. The trees are so numerous that there's no need to collect the stinking wolf dung to burn. This place is like paradise, except for the enormous city of Chang'an!
The Tu Beast Clan was completely fooled by Li Shimin, practically begging him to let them relocate. Their tearful pleas were enough to break the hearts of anyone who heard or saw them.
After some initial difficulties, Li Shimin allocated a large piece of land to each tribe, allowing those who wished to live on the islands to do so, promising that the Tang Dynasty would teach them how to row and build boats.
Believe it or not, there are indeed small tribes willing to relocate to the island. They believe it's safe there, like their own tents, where they can lock themselves away and have no outsiders.
Li Shimin promised the beast tribe that he would help them build houses so they wouldn't have to live in tents anymore. As for the grasslands, those tribes that wanted to stay would be allowed to continue living there.
Some wolves were reluctant to leave the grasslands where their ancestors lived, while the beast tribes in the Northeast didn't have as many concerns. After all, for them, the Northeast was a poor and harsh place with little food and a cold climate.
When Qin Mu found out, he almost laughed his jaw off! Someone actually looked down on the Northeast! Although it's true that development is difficult with the current manpower, aside from the black soil, resources are the most important thing! It contains a lot of iron ore and coal. Although it's not the same world, the geographical location is similar, so there shouldn't be much difference.
The mere peninsula Goguryeo, facing a pincer attack from a million-strong army, suffered a crushing defeat. They couldn't understand why the beastmen, who had always kept to themselves, would attack them, especially since half of them were wolf tribes from a great distance. And then there were the Tang Dynasty's weapons! A massive force of skilled warriors, crossbow fire suppression, and these warriors even scaling the city walls—have you ever seen anything like it? That's how unreasonable they were!
With unstoppable momentum, the Tang-led coalition advanced at a rate of almost one city per day, even faster than the collapse of Goguryeo. The front lines attacked while the rear took over, resembling a military exercise.
Goguryeo resisted for two months, but then it couldn't hold out any longer. The defenders couldn't hold the city, and the reinforcements never returned. While the front lines were struggling to hold out, trouble arose in the rear. An army that crossed the sea swept through their rear like a chariot being pushed by the Tang dynasty! They were heading straight for Goguryeo's capital!
In the sixteenth year of the Zhenguan era, Goguryeo surrendered, declaring its willingness to forever regard the Tang Dynasty as its suzerain state, offering tribute annually and acknowledging its vassalage every year.
Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty was initially interested, but Qin Mu reminded him that there was the largest iron mine in the Tang Dynasty in the northeast. Subsequently, Li Shimin changed his tune and resolutely refused, demanding that Goguryeo hand over all power, completely submit to the Tang Dynasty, and change Goguryeo to the Northeast Circuit of the Tang Dynasty.
In August of the sixteenth year of the Zhenguan era, although the weather was hot, the people of Chang'an did not feel the heat at all. They stood on both sides of the street to watch the ministers and nobles of Goguryeo being escorted to the capital.
King Go Geonmu of Goguryeo, looking at the wide streets and tall buildings of Chang'an, sighed, "The defeat was not unjust!"
………………
In the twenty-sixth year of the Zhenguan era, the fifty-five-year-old Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty abdicated, passing the throne to his son, Crown Prince Li Chengqian, and settled into the position of Retired Emperor.
Today, the Tang Dynasty boasts a strong army, prosperous people, and various exotic beasts serving as mounts for elite troops, subduing various tribes.
Father and son, both great Confucian scholars; four noble families from one household! Two very interesting stone tablets stand, one to the right of the Princess's residence and the other to the left of the Duke of Yi's residence. The tablets, written in the "flying white" style by Li Shimin himself and carved by skilled craftsmen, command the respect of passersby.
Everyone in the Tang Dynasty knew Qin Mu, the Duke of Zhenguo and the son-in-law of the emperor. He was the most outstanding Confucian scholar, and he taught countless students, twelve of whom became great Confucian scholars, including his son Qin Ying.
Qin Mu had long since ceased to concern himself with politics. The couple were traveling the world when Li Shimin suddenly appeared, accompanied by his wives and concubines, and insisted that they accompany him.
"I have conquered such a vast empire, yet I have not had the chance to properly appreciate it. Isn't that a great loss! My dear minister, accompany me on a journey from north to south!"
"That is exactly what I wish for!"
...The End!
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Thank you all for your support! Because the results were far from ideal, the outline was changed later. The original outline for Lao Wu was about world integration, with another vast continent where the Tang Dynasty would compete with many other countries. Unfortunately, we had to end it hastily.
I'm truly sorry! I didn't give everyone a truly enjoyable story!
I'll be taking a break from historical stories for a while. My new book, "Totem Warrior," is a non-traditional fantasy. If you're interested, you can check it out. I'd also like to ask for your support by adding it to your favorites.
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