Datang: Longevity for Thousands of Years, Exposed by Xiao Sizi

"So I asked you to come here because I wanted to listen to what Master Qin said and ask for your advice. Do you think these countries are just coincidences or have some ulterior motives? Should we agree to their mission?"

Shen Lian narrowed his eyes slightly.

He understood what Your Majesty meant. The foreign nations Your Majesty mentioned wanting to pay tribute were different from what he had imagined of all the nations paying tribute.

Your Majesty is just a literal meaning, not what I imagined, that the Tang Dynasty was honored as the Heavenly Khan.

And the young master asked me to do this matter, is it true that... the Big Dipper is involved?

He thought for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, I never believe in coincidences. In my opinion, so-called coincidences are just that someone is making some efforts in places we don't know about. It's just that we don't have much information, so we feel it's a coincidence."

"Not to mention this time, there are dozens of countries involved by coincidence."

Li Shimin's eyes moved, and he said, "Commander Shen, what you mean is... that there is some contact or collusion between them?"

"Some of these countries have always been in a state of hostility, just like our Tang Dynasty and the Turks before. It is impossible for them to cooperate closely, so I think..."

Shen Lian paused, and continued calmly: "Some countries definitely have some plans, but some countries may just know something and don't want to miss this opportunity, and also want to join in the fun, so they also came along."

Shen Lian's words were a little vague, but Li Shimin quickly understood what he meant.

Shen Lian said it very clearly. Among these countries, there must be some that are secretly united, but no one knows what they want to do.

There are also some countries that, through unknown channels, learned that those countries wanted to do something, so they also joined in the fun. They may not be in the same group as those countries, but there is no doubt that if they have the opportunity to gain some benefits, they will never let it go.

Li Shimin frowned, thought for a while, then looked at Shen Lian and said, "If that's the case, then it means that no matter who it is, they have ulterior motives towards our Tang Dynasty. In this case... then what do you think, should we still agree to let them come over like this?"

Because it was Qin Changye who arranged for Shen Lian to host the event, Li Shimin valued Shen Lian very much.

Shen Lian raised the corner of his mouth and said with a meaningful smile: "Why not let them come over?"

"But Commander Shen, didn't you say that they had bad intentions?"

"No, Your Majesty."

Shen Lian laughed and said, "First, these countries applied to visit our Tang Dynasty through normal channels. If our Tang Dynasty disagrees, wouldn't that mean we are giving them the right to speak?"

"They can say that we, the Tang Dynasty, look down on them and therefore don't allow them to go on a diplomatic mission! They can also say that we, the Tang Dynasty, are cowardly and afraid of them, and therefore don't allow them to go on a diplomatic mission... In short, as long as we refuse, they will definitely have a hundred ways to mock us, which is extremely detrimental to the image of the Tang Dynasty as a great power."

Li Shimin thought about it, then sighed helplessly.

He has had a lot of contact with those countries, so he knows very well that what Shen Lian said will definitely come true.

There has always been nothing but malice between countries.

Li Shimin now understood. No wonder Qin Changye recommended Shen Lian to handle this matter. It turned out that he was really capable.

"As for the second one."

When Shen Lian talked about his understanding, even in front of the emperor, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and he said with a smile: "I have just said that they will not be of one mind in all countries. At least those countries that have been hostile for decades have no trust basis for cooperation at all."

"And doesn't this give us an opportunity? They can unite privately, so why can't the Tang Dynasty...?"

"Your Majesty, don't forget that the Tang Dynasty is a powerful country. As long as we extend an olive branch, there will be many countries that want to befriend us. So it's just about forming cliques. Who are we afraid of?"

"Not to mention, they came to Chang'an, which means they came to our territory. How can they cause trouble on our territory?"

"and….…"

Shen Lian looked at Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, we can only know their true intentions if we let them come! If we refuse, we may not know what they want to do."

"What if many countries really unite to threaten the Tang Dynasty, but we know nothing about it and have no preparations? That would be a real danger to the Tang Dynasty!"

"So, anyone can be cowardly, but we, the Tang Dynasty, must never be cowardly!"

"Not only will we not stop them from coming, we will also publicize it in a high-profile manner and let everyone know that all nations are coming to pay tribute. Let everyone know that these countries have taken the initiative to send envoys to our Tang Dynasty to discuss world affairs! What does this show? It shows that our Tang Dynasty has status and strength. Otherwise, why would they take the initiative to come to our Tang Dynasty, instead of our Tang Dynasty going to other countries?"

Li Shimin's heart suddenly moved.

stunned!

confused!

Shock!

He suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Shen Lian.

This is a good strategy!
OK! !
Shen Lian smiled and said, "It's just to build momentum. They have bad intentions anyway, so why should we be polite?"

"Your Majesty, all nations are coming to pay tribute... This is what His Highness hopes for, he hopes that the Tang Dynasty can truly stand at the top of the world! If foreign nations really come to pay tribute, they will bow down and become his vassal! This is the chance!"

"Everything in this world is a double-edged sword! For example, this time, they came with bad intentions and are dangerous to us! But what if we handle it perfectly? Then the image of the Tang Dynasty as a great power will take root in these countries!"

"We may even be able to get a few vassal states to submit to us directly. By then, bad things may really turn into good things!"

"A tribute from all nations with ill intentions may...become a tribute from all nations that is truly worthy of being recorded in history books!"

Brush it!
When Li Shimin heard Shen Lian's words, he stood up immediately.

He stared at Shen Lian with wide eyes, and felt his blood suddenly boiling.

His whole face turned red due to excitement.

He looked at Shen Lian, and said with a trembling voice: "Commander Shen, you... you, are you telling the truth?"

When Shen Lian saw Li Shimin's excitement, he knew that he had touched upon Li Shimin's innermost thoughts.

For Li Shimin, who has always wanted to become an emperor like the Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi, perhaps... having all nations come to pay tribute is Li Shimin's greatest wish.

So Shen Lian directly touched Li Shimin's heart.

Shen Lian cupped his hands and said, "It is up to man to plan and it is up to man to accomplish. If you don't try, how can you know if it will work?"

Li Shimin looked at Shen Lian deeply, his eyes fixed on him.

Suddenly, he said, "How sure are you?"

Shen Lian thought for a moment and said, "I haven't really come into contact with them yet, so it's hard to say how likely it is, but I think I have a 50% chance of success."

"Of course... the premise is that Your Majesty fully supports me. Otherwise, if someone stands in my way and interferes with my plans, that may not be the case."

“Fifty percent…”

Li Shimin's eyes kept flickering, and his whole body was caught in a dilemma and struggle.

Radical or cautious?
Give up or take a gamble?
Will the emperor of all ages stop here?
After an unknown amount of time, Li Shimin suddenly raised his head and looked at Shen Lian, his eyes gleaming. He laughed and said, "Hahaha, Commander Shen, you were recommended by Young Master Qin. I believe you!!"

"Just go ahead and do it. Whoever stops you in this matter will be against me!"

Shen Lian cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Traveling among dozens of countries, forming alliances and silently changing the world's situation... I am also very interested in this. What I have learned in the Chu Palace over the years, if there is a place to display my skills, I will do my best to do it." Li Shimin nodded heavily.

At this moment, the heart of Li Shimin, the greatest emperor of all time, completely exploded because of Shen Lian's words.

He was unwilling to accept that in history books, he only had the name of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty!

He was also unwilling to accept that his achievements would fall behind those of Qin Changye!
He wants to be as famous as the Qin Emperor and Han Emperor, and be praised by future generations!

With all nations coming to pay tribute, this is his only chance!
In this way, Li Shimin accepted Shen Lian's suggestion and agreed to the requests of various countries.

At this moment, the general situation in the world began to gradually change amid the undercurrent.

A quarter of an hour later.

Shen Lian left the hall.

Walking out of the temple, he raised his head and looked at the scorching sun above.

"All nations are coming to pay tribute..."

Shen Lian sighed: "At this time, suddenly coming to Datang...what does it mean?"

"The Big Dipper, the North Star... Does this have anything to do with you?"

Shen Lian remembered that the purpose of the Beidou Society was to stir up world affairs in secret and make the world's situation run according to their wishes.

So, was it them who were responsible for the coming of all nations to pay tribute this time, which was clearly enough to change the world situation?
Although there is no evidence, Shen Lian feels that at least 90% of it was done by the Beidou Society.

Purpose... Could it be that Beichen is specifically playing a game with His Highness, and is really, as he once said, using various countries as chess pieces to fight on the chessboard?
"This Beichen is really a madman, but..."

Shen Lian smiled, his eyes flickering: "Interesting! This is your Highness's opponent!"

Shen Lian withdrew his gaze, walked out of the palace and left the imperial city.

After leaving the palace, he saw the Jinyiwei waiting there in a carriage. Shen Lian got on the carriage, said "back to the old place", and closed his eyes to rest.

Shen Lian did not sleep well last night and his sleep time was short, which made him feel particularly tired at this moment.

He had just used up some brain cells, so as the carriage swayed, Shen Lian was about to fall asleep again.

Bang.

But just when he was about to fall asleep, the carriage suddenly stopped, causing Shen Lian to rush forward due to inertia, and his forehead hit the carriage directly.

The pain woke him up immediately.

Shen Lian rubbed his forehead, feeling very unhappy, and said: "Abao, you'd better give a reasonable explanation, otherwise I will beat you so hard today that your mother won't even dare to recognize you."

Just when he was about to fall asleep, he was suddenly woken up in such a brutal way. Shen Lian's mentality was about to explode.

Jinyiwei Abao's voice was tense, and he said quickly: "My lord, I didn't mean to do that. It was just that a carriage suddenly rushed over at the intersection ahead, and we almost hit it, so I quickly stopped the car."

After Shen Lian heard this, he thought about it and understood what was going on.

They took a shortcut to the old place, which was a small alley that could only accommodate one car, so when a car suddenly came in front of them, they had to stop.

Fortunately, this alley is not long, so you can just step back and make way.

Although Shen Lian was in a bad mood, he was not in a hurry to compete with anyone for the road, and he did not have any urgent matters.

"Then exit this alley and let the other side go first." Shen Lian said.

"My lord, I can't do this!"

"Ok?"

"Because there was a carriage behind us, and that carriage didn't want to back out, so we were stuck in the middle, unable to move forward or backward."

When Shen Lian heard this, his eyebrows suddenly raised.

Something is not right.

Shen Lian had a good memory and remembered clearly that this alley was relatively remote and apart from him, few people would come across horse-drawn carriages.

And even if you encounter one, you won't encounter two at the same time.

Not to mention, these two cars sandwiched him directly in the middle, and neither of them gave way. Why did it feel like... they were doing this to him on purpose?
Shen Lian lifted the car curtain and walked out.

He stepped on the shaft of the cart and looked around. Just as Ah Bao had said, he was trapped in the middle.

These cars have been stuck here for such a long time, and no one in those two cars came out to say a word.

He narrowed his eyes and said, "Since you two have come to me on your own initiative, why do you have to hide your head and show your tail? Whatever you want, just say it directly. I don't think you really want to be blocked here for a whole day, right?"

When Abao heard Shen Lian's words, a cold light suddenly flashed in his eyes.

Only then did he realize that there was something wrong with the traffic jam.

Abao quickly gripped the hilt of the knife and became alert.

At this time, a calm voice came from the carriage in front: "Commander Shen, you are really smart. You figured out what happened so quickly."

I seem to have heard this voice before.

Shen Lian suddenly recalled some court officials he had been investigating recently.

"Minister Lu Xie?" Shen Lian suddenly spoke.

There is another one, Li Qingkui, the Minister of Works?
Shen Lian narrowed his eyes slightly. He had been investigating these two people recently. Moreover, their identities were not ordinary either. They were both followers of Crown Prince Li Chengqian!

Now the two of them blocked me directly. It seemed that... they came with bad intentions!!

Shen Lian's mind was full of thoughts, but there was no strange expression on his face. He just laughed and said, "I wonder what Minister Lu and Minister Li mean by that? Why are they blocking me here?"

Li Qingkui seemed a little aloof and didn't say much good things.

Lu Xie laughed and said, "Haha, I heard that the people sitting under Master Qin are all powerful figures. Why don't you guess, Commander Shen?"

"Is there a reward for guessing correctly?" Shen Lian suddenly asked.

"Commander Shen, what reward do you want?"

"How about you kneel down and bark like a dog?" Shen Lian said with a smile.

"..."

(End of this chapter)