My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 449 Initiating the Colonization of Nations

Autumn in the Eastern Palace always carries a touch of warmth. The sycamore leaves in the courtyard are dyed golden-red by the sunlight, and fall softly on the blue brick ground, paving a path like scattered gold.

Li Chengqian sat by the window in his study, with reports of autumn grain harvests from various regions spread out on his desk. He held a vermilion brush between his fingers, but did not rush to write.

Crown Princess Su Yu'er was carrying in a plate of freshly peeled lotus seeds, with a newly opened autumn chrysanthemum tucked behind her ear, her smile gentle and warm.

"Your Highness has been reading memorials all morning, please take a break," Su Yu'er said softly, placing the lotus seed dish on the table.

"I just heard from the eunuch that the Persian envoy has sent tribute again, including a luminous pearl the size of a pigeon's egg that can illuminate the entire side hall at night."

Li Chengqian put down his pen, picked up a lotus seed and put it in his mouth. The sweetness of the lotus seed diluted the gloom brought by the memorial: "These foreign envoys always like to send rare and exotic treasures. The envoy from India a few days ago was even more interesting. He said that there was a kind of 'singing bird' in their country with feathers that were shinier than silk. He insisted on presenting it to me, but it wilted on the way, which made you laugh, Yu'er."

Su Yu'er smiled at his words: "Your Highness also said that the woolen fabric that Tibet sent last time was indeed brightly colored, but the cloaks made from it were too heavy, not as light as the Shu brocade of our Great Tang. However, the barley flour they sent was quite good, and everyone in the kitchen loved the cakes made with it."

Li Chengqian smiled and shook his head, his gaze falling on the sycamore tree outside the window: "Foreign things are mostly beautiful, with little practical use."

"But we can't generalize."

He picked up a book called "Records of Customs and Products of the Western Regions" and turned to the page with a picture of a camel caravan: "I often think that these envoys from all over the world bring treasures. We should also think about what we can exchange with them for some truly useful food, new crops, and technologies. These are the things that can fill the people's bowls, and they are much more practical than luminous pearls."

Just as Su Yu'er was about to reply, the eunuch Wen Zhong entered quietly, carrying a stack of memorials that had just been sent from the Secretariat: "Your Highness, these are memorials from the Secretariat."

Li Chengqian took the memorial and casually flipped through it. Most of them were daily reports from the Agriculture and Sericulture Department and the Finance Department. He chatted with Su Yu'er as he read.

He turned the pages of a policy treatise with a blue cover. The four characters "Practical Policy Treatise" on the cover were written in a vigorous and powerful style, but the signature below made him pause.

"Li Yifu?"

Li Chengqian raised an eyebrow, a clear look of surprise flashing in his eyes, and even raised his voice a few decibels.

He picked up the memorial, held it up to the light and examined it carefully. After confirming that the signature was indeed "Li Yifu, former Chief Secretary of the Prince of Jin and Assistant Compiler," he couldn't help but smile: "A rare guest indeed."

Su Yu'er leaned over for a look and was also somewhat surprised: "Is it that... Chief Secretary Li who followed Prince Jin four years ago? I remember he was later demoted to a sinecure, so why would he submit a memorial?"

Li Chengqian opened the policy treatise: "I didn't expect this either."

The opening title is, "Using military might to govern all nations, securing the granaries to ensure the safety of the Tang Dynasty."

This caused the smile on Li Chengqian's lips to gradually fade.

"The Secretariat is always cautious. For them to send a memorial from a disgruntled chief clerk to me, the contents must be extraordinary."

Looking up, I saw the sycamore leaves outside the window trembling slightly in the wind, and sunlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves, casting shimmering spots of light on the desk, much like the lingering shadow of the Xuanwu Gate Incident four years ago.

Li Yifu, the man who drafted policy proposals for Li Zhi during the struggle for the throne, the man who was left behind by the tide of the new policies, has now submitted a policy proposal on "the supply of grain from all over the world".

This piqued his curiosity.

"Yu'er, what do you think Li Yifu was doing in Chang'an for the past four years?" Li Chengqian stroked the pages of the policy essay. The ink on it carried a faint fragrance, indicating that it was not a perfunctory work.

Su Yu'er smiled and said, "I have heard about him by chance. Someone saw him at the Quanxue Academy a while ago, listening to a math class with the students of the Practical Department."

"He doesn't seem depressed; perhaps he's actually figured out some practical skills?"

Li Chengqian nodded, stopped chatting, and focused his attention back on the policy discussion.

The opening line, "Foreign lands have abundant grain production, yet we must use military force to compel them to supply grain," made him pause slightly, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes.

Reading word by word, from "firearms to deter other countries" to "grain tax to monitor their production," from "military law to punish rebellion" to "trade to entice followers," every proposition of Li Yifu is like a sharp chisel, hammering at the traditional "worldview" of the Central Plains dynasties.

When Li Chengqian read the passage "The Western Regions have abundant grain production, so we can set up military garrisons to supervise them and force them to pay a million shi of grain annually," he suddenly put down his strategy and got up to walk to the window.

The sycamore leaves in the courtyard were being blown around and falling by the wind. He looked at the eaves of the Taiji Palace in the distance, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

This was hardly "using all nations to support the Tang Dynasty," but rather the prototype of later "overseas colonization."

"In the heart of the world, there are barbarians on all sides..."

Li Chengqian muttered to himself, unconsciously stroking the carvings on the window frame.

Since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the Central Plains dynasties considered themselves to be in the "center of the world" and viewed the surrounding areas as "barbaric and desolate lands." The expansion of territory was mostly for the purpose of "showing national power" and "securing the borders." However, those Gobi deserts, wastelands, and remote islands were often barren and difficult to govern. After conquering them, the dynasties had to spend money to station troops and provide disaster relief, which became a burden on the dynasties.

Emperor Wu of Han's opening up of the Western Regions expanded the territory by thousands of miles, but it also depleted the accumulated wealth of the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing. Emperor Yang of Sui's campaign against Goguryeo directly shook the foundations of the state.

However, Li Yifu's policy proposal defied this logic.

He did not want to occupy land, but to control resources; he did not want to "civilize the barbarians," but to "coerce grain with force"; he did not want to increase governance costs out of thin air, but to use trade and military intimidation to make foreign resources "voluntarily" flow to the Tang Dynasty.

This is quite different from traditional territorial expansion; it is more like a form of "resource colonization"—using the technological and economic advantages of the Tang Dynasty to obtain food and new crops from foreign lands, thus filling the gaps in the local economy at the lowest possible cost.

Li Chengqian sat back down at his desk, turned to the section in the policy essay that read, "Drought-resistant wheat from the Western Regions can be tried planting in Guanzhong, and Indian rice seeds can be transplanted to Jiangnan." He underlined these sentences with his pen.

Four years after the implementation of the new policies, the national strength of the Tang Dynasty was vastly different from what it used to be: the cannons and muskets of the Hundred Refinements Division were sufficient to form a military deterrent.

The Tang Dynasty notes issued by the Ministry of Finance facilitated unimpeded cross-regional trade; the Jinshi graduates trained by the Practical Affairs Department were proficient in both agricultural technology and mathematics, making them well-suited for the position of "Grain Tax Supervisor".

Silk from Jiangnan, porcelain from Sichuan, and ironware from the Central Plains were all priceless treasures in the eyes of foreigners. Aren't these the very foundation of "colonization"?

But he was also aware of the risks involved.

Li Yifu's proposals were too radical. His methods, such as "bombarding their fortifications with cannons" and "confiscating their granaries," could easily provoke a united resistance from foreign powers if not controlled, and could even cut off trade routes.

Furthermore, if the border troops hold too much military power and control over grain and taxes, they are bound to become too powerful to control.

More importantly, the senior officials in the court, deeply influenced by the idea of ​​"pacifying distant peoples," would certainly condemn this move as "immoral" and "militaristic," making its implementation extremely difficult.

"But we can't afford to wait for the grain problem," Li Chengqian sighed, looking at the "Autumn Grain Report" on the table. The harvest in Jiangnan was poor, while grain prices in Longyou were high. The potential for domestic production growth had reached its limit. If they didn't find a way to fill the gap from the outside, the Tang Dynasty's ceiling would soon be reached.

Li Yifu's strategy, though ruthless, offered a shortcut to new resources. Rather than being confined to the small territory of the Central Plains, it was better to leverage the advantages of the Tang Dynasty to access resources from all over the world.

“Li Yifu…” Li Chengqian uttered the name again, his eyes no longer showing the initial surprise, but rather a scrutinizing look.

This unsuccessful opportunist in the struggle for succession, after four years of lying low, has come up with such a forward-thinking idea, which, though ruthless, hits the nail on the head. Perhaps, despite his ambition, he does possess some practical talent and is worth employing.

He picked up a vermilion brush and wrote a line at the end of the policy essay: "The policy essay is radical, but the ideas are worth considering. Order Li Yifu to go to the Eastern Palace in three days to report back and discuss in detail the policies on grain production in the Western Regions and the deployment of military garrisons."

After finishing writing, he closed the policy document and handed it to the eunuch Wenzhong: "Pass it on according to this plan. Also, bring me the map of the Western Regions and the military equipment of the border troops."

Seeing his solemn expression, Su Yu'er asked softly, "Does Your Highness think this strategy is feasible?"

Looking out at the autumn sun, Li Chengqian said in a calm tone, "Whether it's feasible or not needs further discussion."

"But at least, he showed me another path. The Tang Dynasty's golden age shouldn't be confined to within the Great Wall. If the resources of all nations can be used by our Tang Dynasty, why worry about the people going hungry? Why worry about the golden age not lasting?"

The autumn wind blew through the courtyard of the Eastern Palace, rustling the paulownia leaves as if echoing his words. Li Chengqian knew that embarking on this path would be controversial, and might even bring him the stigma of being a warmonger, but for the new policies to go further, and for the people to truly have enough to eat, some risks had to be taken.

Li Yifu, this seemingly useless pawn, may become the first cornerstone to pry open the path of international colonization.

The next morning, in the inner study, the scents of sandalwood and ink mingled, and autumn dew still clung to the paulownia leaves outside the window.

Li Chengqian sat in the main seat, with Li Yifu's policy essays spread out on the table. The words "Using military might to govern all nations" on the cover were particularly eye-catching. Du He, Zhao Jie, Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji, and Wei Zheng, the five core ministers, sat on either side, each with a different expression.

They had just been notified to discuss a "special practical strategy".

"My dear ministers, take a look at this first." Li Chengqian instructed the eunuch Wenzhong to convey Li Yifu's strategy.

"This is a proposal submitted by Li Yifu, the former chief secretary of the Prince of Jin, concerning the strategy of 'introducing foreign grain to relieve the Tang Dynasty's predicament.' I find it quite interesting and have invited you to discuss it."

Upon hearing Li Yifu's name, the crowd was somewhat surprised, but no one said anything more.

I just patiently looked at them one by one.

After reading it, Du He was the first to speak: "A military approach followed by diplomacy might work. Those tribes in the Western Regions take advantage of our kindness. Last year they robbed three of our grain merchants, wasn't it because they thought we didn't go all out?"

Then, changing the subject, he added with some concern: "But isn't it too hasty to put the 'grain tax supervisor in charge of life and death'? If the border troops have both military and financial power, it's easy for trouble to arise. We need to set up a supervisory office to keep an eye on things."

Zhao Jie pondered for a moment and said, "Using Shu brocade and ironware to exchange for barley and rice is the right approach. The Ministry of Finance tried it last year, and the profits were enough to cover 30% of the military pay. But Li Yifu said that if we default on grain taxes three times, we will lose our status as a vassal state. Isn't that too harsh? If foreign trade routes are cut off, we will have nowhere to sell our silk and porcelain, which will only hurt the Tang Dynasty's commercial tax revenue."

"It would be better to change it to 'one instance of defaulting on grain payment, two instances of cutting off trade, and three instances of demotion' to leave room for maneuver."

Fang Xuanling was shocked by the idea of ​​using cannons to force grain supplies, and sighed deeply: "Your Highness, this old minister has studied history for thirty years and has seen the cost of 'exhausting the people's resources for war'. Emperor Wu of Han conquered the Western Regions and expanded the territory by thousands of miles, but he depleted the resources accumulated by Emperors Wen and Jing; Emperor Yang of Sui attacked Goguryeo, which directly shook the foundation of the country."

"Li Yifu's strategy seems to solve the immediate problem, but even though the foreign powers are weak, if they unite, they can cut off our trade routes and harass our borders. When that happens, we will be fighting on all sides. Instead of getting food, we will consume more military supplies. It will be a losing proposition."

He paused, then added, "Furthermore, with the grain tax supervisor stationed in the capital, how could a foreign king tolerate our officials holding such power over his life and death?"

"If word gets out, all nations will condemn our Great Tang for its lack of virtue, and discourage those who wish to submit to usurp our rule."

"In my opinion, trade is acceptable, and the introduction of new crops is acceptable, but military might can only be used to protect trade routes, not to force the delivery of grain."

Changsun Wuji, who had been stroking his beard in deep thought, slowly spoke up: "What Chancellor Fang said is quite right; virtue and power must be balanced. But Li Yifu is right in saying, 'Foreigners fear power even more than profit.'"

Having reached a position like Changsun Wuji, how could he not understand the meaning behind the Crown Prince's request for them to read this policy essay?

If the Crown Prince had no interest, there wouldn't have been this inner court meeting.

That's why Fang Xuanling sighed.

Wei Zheng, who had been silent all along, suddenly slammed his hand on the table, his voice filled with anger: "You are still discussing 'how to force grain delivery'? Li Yifu's policy is all about 'plunder'! The people are short of food, so we should start by cultivating the land, developing water conservancy, and curbing land annexation. How can we point our knives at the people of foreign lands?"

He glared at Du He: "General Du, do you think cannons can suppress people's hearts? People's hearts are not made of stone; if you push them too far, they will turn on you! Last year, the Tibetan king sent woolen cloth as a gift because he remembered Princess Wencheng's kindness."

"India sending rice seeds is a sign of respect for the prosperity of our Great Tang Dynasty. Grain obtained through kindness will last; grain seized by cannons will sooner or later turn into enmity!"

Wei Zheng was clearly not afraid of trouble. He had criticized Li Shimin back then, and although he didn't criticize Li Chengqian now, he was not intimidated either.

Li Chengqian listened quietly, and seeing that Wei Zheng was about to launch another major attack, he raised his hand to interrupt and signal for quiet: "Your concerns are all valid. Li Yifu's policy is radical in that it 'uses power excessively,' but the idea is commendable."

Wei Zheng was somewhat sullen.

It's quite obvious that His Highness the Crown Prince has this intention.

But such behavior goes against his beliefs.

Confucianism emphasizes education, not plunder.

If that's the case, how are we any different from barbarians?

Li Chengqian knew the benefits of colonization, but directly initiating colonization was clearly contrary to the prevailing customs of the Tang Dynasty.

After all, even in military campaigns, rebellions, or treason, there must be a legitimate reason for the action.

That's right, Li Chengqian already has this idea of ​​'colonization'.

But it cannot be colonization, nor can it be forced to supply grain with artillery.

We need to rephrase it, to rephrase it in a way that is acceptable to everyone.

After some deliberation, Li Chengqian decided to meet with Li Yifu first, since it was he who had proposed the policy.

Perhaps Li Yifu will be able to offer some unique insights at that time.

As for Li Yifu's past service to the Prince of Jin, that's not important.

(End of this chapter)