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Inside the Guanhai Pavilion, the air seemed to freeze.

The imperial guards remained frozen in place, not daring to move. Li Shimin's great-grandson wanted to say something, but was overwhelmed by the invisible pressure, unable to breathe, and could only stare wide-eyed at the unbelievable scene before him.

Yi Huawei simply looked at Li Shimin quietly, a very faint smile curving his lips.

"maintainance?"

"There's no such thing as maintenance. At this level of cultivation, the physical body is nothing more than a shell. If you want it to change, it will change; if you don't want it to change, it won't. That's all."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin smiled bitterly.

"Back when I cultivated the Purple Cloud Divine Skill, I considered myself to have achieved some minor success. But after more than a hundred years, I've only been barely clinging to life, living a few more years. Compared to you..."

Yi Huawei walked to the railing, put his hands behind his back, and looked out at the distant sea.

"You did very well."

"When I sent you out back then, I didn't have much hope. Ten thousand miles of ocean, eight months of voyage, five thousand slaves, and several hundred tribesmen. If half of them survived, that would be good. If they could even gain a foothold, that would be a miracle."

Yi Huawei slightly turned his head to look at Li Shimin:
"But you not only survived and gained a foothold, you also built such a vast empire. Seventeen cities, three million people, and control over two thousand miles of land."

"Li Erlang, you have indeed not disappointed me."

Li Shimin felt a mix of emotions upon hearing these words.

One hundred and twenty-six years ago, when Qin Qiong showed him the complete map of the world, he had pondered countless times what this man was thinking. Was he using someone else to do his dirty work? Was he eliminating a potential threat? Was it simply exile? Or... did he truly offer them a way out?
Now, he could finally ask the question.

"There's a question I've been thinking about for 126 years."

Why did you let us go back then?

Yi Huawei smiled:

"Li Erlang, let me tell you a story."

Li Shimin was slightly taken aback.

“A world without me.”

Yi Huawei's voice became distant, as if he were recalling something far away.

"In that world without me, after Emperor Yang of Sui, there was a man named Li Yuan who raised an army in Taiyuan, captured Chang'an, and established a dynasty called the Tang Dynasty. He also had three sons: the eldest son Jiancheng, the second son Shimin, and the fourth son Yuanji. Later, the second son launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, killed his elder brother and younger brother, forced his father to abdicate, and became emperor himself."

Li Shimin's body jolted violently.

"That second son was also named Li Shimin."

Yi Huawei turned his gaze to him, his expression calm as still water:

"He reigned for twenty-three years, with the reign title Zhenguan. Under his rule, the Tang Dynasty was powerful and prosperous, with all sides submitting to his rule. He was revered as the 'Heavenly Khan.' He was diligent and wise in his administration, and he ushered in a golden age."

"But after his death, his sons, grandsons, great-grandsons... each generation was worse than the last. There were women in power, eunuchs who interfered in politics, regional warlords who carved up the country, and peasant uprisings. Two hundred and eighty-nine years later, that dynasty was usurped by a man named Zhu Wen, and the Tang Dynasty perished."

"Then came the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, fifty-three years of chaos, eight different surnames and fourteen emperors. Then came the Song Dynasty, which lasted three hundred and nineteen years, constantly being suppressed by the Khitan, Jurchen and Mongols in the north, and was finally destroyed by the Mongols."

"The Mongols established the Yuan Dynasty, which was overthrown by Zhu Yuanzhang 98 years later. Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty, which was overthrown by Li Zicheng 276 years later. Then the Qing army entered the pass, and it lasted another 267 years."

"After the Qing Dynasty came the Republic of China, which lasted for thirty-eight years. Then came the People's Republic of China, which lasted for more than a hundred years."

Yi Huawei paused, his voice becoming even more distant:
"Those dynasties, those that were meant to rise, rose; those that were meant to fall, fell. Those that were meant to fight, fought; those that were meant to be at peace, were at peace. Those that were meant to prosper, prospered; those that were meant to decline, declined. There were heroes, there were treacherous officials, there were golden ages, there were chaotic ages. There were glorious civilizations, there were also tragic wars."

"In the end, a group of great people emerged among the Chinese in that world. Under the leadership of the greatest of them all, after decades of hardship, they finally enabled hundreds of millions of Chinese to stand up again. They are doing... well."

Li Shimin was stunned.

Yi Huawei glanced at him:
"In that world, Li Yuan was the founding emperor, and Li Shimin was the greatest emperor of all time. They were enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, written in history books, and praised by generation after generation. Even more than a thousand years later, people are still studying the Reign of Zhenguan and debating the Xuanwu Gate Incident."

"But Li Shimin in that world only lived to be fifty-two. When he died, Crown Prince Li Chengqian was deposed for treason, Prince Wei Li Tai was demoted for vying for the throne, and Prince Jin Li Zhi succeeded to the throne. His descendants included emperors, princes, those who were killed, and those who were demoted. Two hundred and eighty-nine years later, they all vanished into thin air."

"Without Nan Yinzhou, there would be no Zhenhai City, no three million people, and no seventeen cities."

Yi Huawei turned around and looked back at the sea.

"Li Erlang, have you ever seen the real apocalypse?"

“You haven’t seen it, but I’ve seen too much. I’ve seen bustling cities turn into ruins overnight, I’ve seen millions of people displaced, I’ve seen civilization regress, and I’ve seen humanity decline.”

"I have also seen those who consider themselves righteous, waving the banner of truth, slaughtering their opponents. I have seen those who pride themselves on civilization, using the most advanced weapons to massacre the most innocent civilians. I have seen those who shout for equality, once they seize power, immediately become new tyrants."

"So, when I came into this world, I was thinking—what kind of order do I want to establish?"

"Equality for all? Happiness for all? Freedom for all?"

Yi Huawei chuckled and shook his head:

"That's impossible. Human nature is like that; there will always be people who want to step on others, people who want to gain without effort, and people who want to break the rules. So-called equality is nothing but the fantasy of the weak; so-called happiness is nothing but temporary satisfaction; so-called freedom is nothing but an excuse for indulgence."

"This world has too many ethnic groups, too many civilizations, and too many beliefs. Some are strong, some are weak; some are civilized, some are barbaric; some are willing to live in peace, while others are born to plunder."

"I can't please everyone. Nor do I intend to please everyone."

"I can only guarantee one thing—the Chinese people must always stand at the top."

"Anything can be sacrificed for this goal."

Yi Huawei looked at Li Shimin, his gaze calm as still water, yet carrying a sharp edge that made people afraid to look him in the eye.

"Li Erlang, in your 126 years in Nan Yinzhou, how many natives have you seen?"

Li Shimin was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “There are many. When we landed here, there were no less than a million natives. Now, out of the three million people, the Han Chinese make up 1.5 million, and the natives… there are probably still 700,000 to 800,000. The rest are naturalized people and laborers.”

"Seven or eight hundred thousand."

Yi Huawei nodded: "Back then it was over a million, now it's seven or eight hundred thousand. How many died?"

Li Shimin did not answer.

Yi Huawei spoke for him: "At least 300,000 died. Some died in battle, some died of disease, some died from exhaustion, and some... were killed by you."

“Li Erlang, you are more merciful than I thought. I initially thought that it would be good if 300,000 of these natives survived.”

Li Shimin's aged face twitched slightly, and countless thoughts surged in his mind.

He recalled the scene when he landed. The natives stood on the rocks on the shore, watching these "divine beings" who came from the sea with curiosity. They hunted, fished, and gathered with simple tools, living a primitive and free life.

Then, the conflict began.

For land, for water, for prey, for women. Swords against clubs, armor against animal hides, steel against stone. Every conflict was a one-sided massacre.

He once ordered, "Pacify them as much as possible, and do not kill indiscriminately." But orders are orders, and when they reached the ground, how could those tribesmen who had endured eight months at sea, those who had struggled with hunger and disease, and those who had watched their loved ones die, possibly show mercy to the local people?
Moreover, he soon discovered that appeasement was useless.

Some tribes were willing to submit, pay tribute, and assimilate. But many more tribes saw them as invaders, as demons, and as beings that must be expelled.

War is inevitable.

Because he was Li Shimin. Because behind him were millions of his people who needed to eat and survive.

"so."

Li Shimin slowly spoke:
"The empire you built has over a billion people—naturalized citizens, tributary citizens, laborers… Do you even know what kind of lives they lead?"

"Of course I know!" Yi Huawei smiled faintly.
"The naturalized people are only one class below the Han Chinese, but better than the tributary people. They can engage in commerce, farming, or become minor officials. As long as they are willing to work, they can eat and dress warmly. The tributary people are one class below the naturalized people, but at least they have preserved their lives, their tribes, and their lands. The laborers are indeed the most miserable, but their current situation is the result of the sins committed by their descendants. The fact that I have not exterminated them is already an act of great mercy."

"This is not punishment, it is the price to pay."

"Li Erlang, have you ever thought about this question—if I don't establish this order and allow those ethnic groups to live together and develop freely, what will this continent be like more than a hundred years from now?"

Li Shimin remained silent.

Yi Huawei answered for him:
"It will be chaotic. It will be chaotic forever. Today you will attack me, tomorrow I will attack you. Today this nation will be strong, tomorrow that nation will be strong. Today tens of thousands will be killed, tomorrow hundreds of thousands will be killed. In the end, everyone will be exhausted, and then one strongest nation will trample the others under its feet—just like what you did in Nan Yinzhou."

"You think you're more civilized than those natives? You think you're more advanced than them? You think you've come here to enlighten the world?"

Yi Huawei gently shook his head:
"You also came to conquer. However, you used the methods I taught you, the technology of the Empire, and the books and tools you brought from Luoyang. You were stronger than them, so you won. That's all."

"If a stronger race had come to this continent back then, how do you think they would have treated you? Would they have lived in peace? Would they have helped each other? Would they have prospered together?"

Li Shimin opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

Yi Huawei answered for him:
"No. They will kill you all. Or, they will enslave you. Or, they will drive you to a more desolate place to fend for yourselves."

"This is the truth about human nature."

"The order I want to establish is very simple: to make the Chinese people the strongest forever, to keep them at the top forever, and to ensure that the descendants of the Chinese people always have food to eat, clothes to wear, work to do, and hope."

"As for those ethnic groups below, those that can be naturalized should be naturalized, and those that can be controlled should be controlled. If all else fails, let them stay below. As long as they don't cause trouble, rebel, or threaten the Han Chinese, I don't mind them living. I can even let them live a decent life—better than before."

"But if..."

His voice suddenly turned cold:

"If one day they threaten the survival of the Chinese people, even if there is only the slightest possibility, I will not hesitate to crush them all."

Li Shimin met his gaze and remained silent for a long time.

He felt remorse for the natives who had died. He also occasionally thought of the laborers still suffering. He even wondered if, once the Southern Yin Continent was completely stable and the Hua people's population was large enough, he could offer better treatment to the naturalized and dependent people.

Of course, it's just a thought.

The new Tang dynasty was not yet wealthy enough to support millions of indigenous people.

"so……"

Li Shimin's voice was hoarse:
"You came to Nan Yin Zhou just to laugh at me?"

Yi Huawei shook his head:
"No. I'm here to see the results."

“One hundred and twenty-six years ago, I sent you here to see how far you could go without my authority. Now, I’m here to see the results.”

"Li Erlang, you did a great job. Much better than I expected."

"But you have your own problems too."

He turned to Li Shimin, his gaze sharpening:
“You build temples, set up schools, teach the locals to read and write, and give naturalized people better treatment. This is perfectly reasonable, and can even be said to be the glory of humanity. But some people have proposed to abolish the hereditary status of the laborers and give them the opportunity to be promoted to higher social status.”

Li Shimin's expression changed slightly.

Yi Huawei paused, his tone becoming even more profound:
"Kindness is a good thing, but it must be built on absolute power. Before you have absolute power, kindness is weakness. And weakness will lead to being devoured."

"Li Erlang, do you know how the Tang Dynasty perished in that world without me?"

Li Shimin was taken aback.

"It wasn't because of a foolish emperor, treacherous officials, or eunuchs interfering in politics—these things existed in every dynasty, but the Tang Dynasty lasted for nearly three hundred years, longer than many other dynasties."

"The real reason is the separatist rule of regional military governors. It's because the border generals have amassed too much power and become uncontrollable. But have you ever thought about how those regional military governors rose to power in the first place?"

Yi Huawei's voice became deep and resonant:

"It's because the Tang Dynasty was too benevolent. They allowed foreign tribes to submit to the Tang, let barbarians serve as officials in the court, and let barbarian generals command troops on the border. They thought that as long as they gave them favors and taught them, those foreign tribes would be grateful and become loyal subjects of the Tang Dynasty for generations."

"The results of it?"

"These people served as officials in the Tang Dynasty, received salaries from the Tang Dynasty, married women from the Tang Dynasty, and studied the Tang Dynasty's scriptures—and then, they slaughtered the heartland of the Tang Dynasty, leaving rivers of blood."

"Furthermore, the Tang Dynasty sent more than a dozen princesses to the Turks, the Tibetans, the Uyghurs, and the Khitans. They brought not only silk and porcelain, but also artisans, medical books, agricultural tools, and military strategies. The princesses of the Tang Dynasty married far away to foreign lands with tears in their eyes, hoping to bring decades of peace to the frontier."

"But what happened next? The Turks learned iron smelting, the Tibetans learned siege warfare, the Uyghurs learned to form battle formations, and the Khitans learned to forge swords. They used what the Tang Dynasty taught them to forge swords and then turned around and attacked the Tang Dynasty's borders."

Yi Huawei looked at Li Shimin, his gaze calm, yet carrying a trace of compassion that transcended time:

"Li Erlang, you were also a wise and capable ruler. If you were in that era, what would you have done?"

Li Shimin opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

Yi Huawei answered for him:
“You will do the same thing. Because you are Li Shimin, because you believe that people’s hearts can be transformed, because you believe in the combination of kindness and severity, because you believe that as long as you are strong enough, you can control everything.”

“This is not your fault. It is a limitation shared by all great rulers of that era—they believed that the spread of civilization would inevitably lead to submission, and the bestowal of favors would inevitably earn loyalty.”

"But the truth of history is that civilization is neutral. The words you teach them today can be used to write poems praising you tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow to write proclamations condemning you. The iron tools you give them today can be forged into plowshares for farming tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow into swords to cut off your head."

Yi Huawei's voice turned cold:

"Kindness is a good thing, but it must be built on absolute power. Before you have absolute power, kindness is weakness. And weakness will lead to being devoured."

"In that world without me, the Tang Dynasty was torn to pieces by the foreign races it once benevolent. What about this continent?"

His gaze passed over Li Shimin and landed on the brightly lit city in the distance:
“You are now teaching the natives to read and write, giving them better treatment, and some people have even suggested elevating their social status—do you think that a hundred years from now, those natives will still remember that they were able to study today because of your benevolence, Li Shimin?”

“They will remember. They will remember you as a conqueror, a murderer, the one who took their land and killed their ancestors. Then they will use what you taught them to write articles to curse you, to write history books to denigrate you, and to write manifestos to call for revenge.”

"Do you think I'm exaggerating?"

Yi Huawei gently shook his head:
“I’m not criticizing you. On the contrary, I understand you. You are an emperor, but you are also a human being. You want to educate them, to make them ‘one of your own,’ and to bring true peace to this land—this is the brilliance of humanity and the benevolence of an emperor.”

“But Li Erlang, you must understand, you can give them food, but you can’t let them be full enough to have the strength to rebel. You can teach them to read, but you can’t let them understand military strategy. You can make them officials, but you can’t let them command troops. You can make them assimilate, but you can’t let them forget—they are able to live because the Han Chinese allow them to live.”

"This is not cruelty, this is survival."

Yi Huawei paused, his tone becoming even more profound:
"How many more years do you have to live? Five years? Ten years? After you die, can this land still be protected?"

"Where are your sons? Where are your grandsons? Do they have your skills? Do they have your prestige? Do they have your decisiveness and ruthlessness?"

“If not, the kindness you sow now is the grave you are digging for them.”

Li Shimin remained silent for a long time, a complex and indescribable expression appearing on his aged face.

After a long silence, he slowly said:
"I do not know."

Yi Huawei nodded:
“I know you don’t know. So, I’ll tell you.”

“In another hundred years, the number of Chinese on this land may exceed fifty million. The indigenous people may only number three or four hundred thousand. The number of naturalized people will increase, and the number of tributary people will decrease. The laborers may be completely eliminated, or they may be completely domesticated.”

"At that time, your mercy today may really blossom—if the Chinese people remain strong enough."

"But if one day, the Chinese community becomes weak, sick, old, and unable to fight..."

"Every word you teach the natives today will become a knife piercing the descendants of the Han Chinese." (End of Chapter)