Despite the constant conflicts in the world, at this very moment, in the Taiji Palace of the Tang Dynasty, the envoys from all the countries under heaven achieved an unprecedented level of harmony.
For example, the three kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla were fighting fiercely on the peninsula, but that didn't stop them from vying to curry favor with Li Shimin.
For example, the Xueyantuo had conflicts with the Uyghurs, Turks, Khitans, and Xi tribes, especially with their former suzerain state, the Turks, with whom they harbored deep-seated hatred.
However, when facing His Majesty the Heavenly Khan, they still had to respectfully offer their congratulations on his long life and pray to gain the favor of His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
There's nothing we can do; the Tang Dynasty is currently at its zenith, the strongest empire on Earth.
Let alone defeating one or two of them, even if the Tang Dynasty were to wage war against all these countries simultaneously, it would be no problem.
Of course, the Tang Dynasty would never do that.
After all, if you injure the enemy by a thousand, you will also lose eight hundred of your own.
Even if the Tang Dynasty wiped them all out, it would still lose more than half of its own population, making it a complete loss.
While the envoys from various vassal states vied to flatter him, Li Shimin, sitting on his throne, was watching them with sharp eyes, plotting how to weaken them so that they would never become a threat to the Tang Dynasty.
Just when Li Shimin was at a loss as to where to begin, he suddenly remembered a plan that his grandson had given him: to have each country build roads, and then have the Tang Dynasty connect them together!
"Yes, yes!"
"Grandson's idea is the best!"
Upon thinking of this, Li Shimin immediately picked up his wine cup and stood up.
"You have come from afar, which greatly pleases me!"
"Since ancient times, all have valued the Chinese and despised the barbarians, but I alone love them equally!"
Upon hearing these words, all the envoys from the vassal states were moved to tears.
This is why they respect His Majesty the Heavenly Khan, because His Majesty the Heavenly Khan treats all peoples equally and never looks down on them because of their ethnicity.
In the Tang Dynasty alone, there were quite a few officials from other ethnic groups!
"Your Majesty, your heart is as vast as the sky, and your benevolence as deep as the earth!"
"We are grateful for your kindness and wish we could serve you at all times and listen to your teachings..."
Li Shimin suddenly laughed when he heard this.
"My dear ministers, isn't that exactly what I think too?"
"But every time I think of you all traveling thousands of miles and enduring the hardships of your journeys to Chang'an to pay homage to me and bring me the greetings of your respective monarchs, my heart aches!"
"I have decided to grant you permission to each construct a road directly to Chang'an, to facilitate trade between your countries' merchants and the Tang Dynasty, and also to make it easier for you to pay homage to the emperor every year!"
"ah?"
When Li Shimin said this, all the envoys from the vassal states kneeling on the ground were stunned.
What's going on? Has His Majesty the Heavenly Khan granted them permission to build roads?
In fact, this suggestion was not Li Shimin's original idea. When Li Shimin defeated the Turks and subjugated the Western Regions, the King of Shule proposed to build a road that leads directly to Chang'an, the "Sky-Reaching Khan Road," to facilitate the trade between their countries and to make it easier for them to pay homage to the Khan of the Celestial Empire.
However, this proposal was unilaterally rejected by the Tang Dynasty!
The official reason was that they didn't want the other countries to spend too much money, but the real reason was that they were afraid the other countries would use this as a route for military operations and launch a rapid attack on Chang'an!
Of course, Li Shimin was not afraid. Even if all the kingdoms of the Western Regions came together, he was not afraid and was confident that he could kill them all on their way to Chang'an.
But Wei Zheng's words made him back down...
Your Majesty's bravery is unparalleled in history, but can Your Majesty's valor be passed down to future generations?
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin immediately rejected the proposal from the Kingdom of Shule.
Later, the crown prince was deposed for plotting a rebellion, and Li Zhi, a benevolent but weak emperor, was installed. Li Shimin dared not even think about it anymore.
However, Li Jue's appearance gave him renewed hope!
Li Jue is a man of exceptional talent, skilled in both literature and martial arts. With proper training, he will surely surpass his grandfather and become the most dazzling imperial star in the Li family!
With Li Jue as his powerful grandson, Li Shimin felt a surge of pride!
Hmph!
I can beat you all now, and when my grandson ascends the throne, he will still be able to beat you all!
Fang Xuanling, who had been standing at the bottom of the steps presiding over the banquet, burst out laughing when he heard Li Shimin's words.
Your Majesty's move is truly brilliant. It not only saves the court money and grain, but also makes it seem like you've given them a great reward!
But while some are happy, others are sad...
The states of Shule and Uyghur were overjoyed with Li Shimin's proposal, practically ready to give it their full support.
Comparatively speaking, regional powers such as Xueyantuo and Goguryeo were not enthusiastic about this proposal.
However, given that he was standing in the Tang Dynasty court at this time, he could not openly oppose it. He could only lament that the country was poor and the people were weak, and that even if the whole country were mobilized, it would not be able to come up with the money and grain to build the highway.
In fact, no one is stupid; everyone knows the significance of building such a road.
While it facilitated their interactions with the Tang Dynasty, it also made it easier for the Tang Dynasty to wage war against them!
The Shule and Uyghur kingdoms were afraid of being annexed by the Xueyantuo, which is why they kept suggesting the construction of a road so that the Tang Dynasty could help them defend against the Xueyantuo at any time.
Similarly, Silla and Baekje thought the same way: as long as they had the behemoth that was Tang Dynasty as their backing, they were not afraid of Goguryeo constantly beating them.
Li Shimin's proposal passed with an overwhelming majority of votes. Even if one or two people disagreed, they could only nod reluctantly under his stern gaze.
After Li Shimin finalized the matter with the envoys from the vassal states, a group of officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue would handle the communication with the various countries, so he, as the emperor, did not need to worry about it.
He only needs to worry about one thing now: entertain the envoys from various countries well and make them grateful for the kindness of him, the Heavenly Khan!
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