A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 766 The King Doesn't Hold Morning Court

"Good morning."

At dawn, Li Shimin opened his eyes and saw Li Yi already sitting by the bed reading a book. He greeted him with a smile.

The emperor was in high spirits.

"I haven't had such a peaceful sleep in many days. It seems that even evil spirits like Liu Wuzhou, Song Jingang, Xue Ju, and Wang Shichong are afraid of you."

Li Yi closed the book. It was a volume from the Records of the Grand Historian, specifically the Annals of Emperor Gaozu, written by Sima Qian, the Grand Historian, about Liu Bang. The finely bound silk scroll was slightly torn at the edges. It had been placed beside the emperor's bed, indicating that Li Shimin often consulted this book. He had risen early and, not wanting to disturb the emperor's sleep, had casually picked up the scroll and begun to read.

This book also contains many of Li Shimin's notes written in tiny, meticulous characters.

It seems that Li Shimin was learning from history very seriously, using it as a mirror and a guide. After all, although many people called Liu Bang a scoundrel, he was able to defeat Xiang Yu and unify the country in a short time. Only emperors know how valuable his achievements were.

Li Shimin saw the scroll in Li Yi's hand and asked with a smile, "What is your opinion of Emperor Gaozu of Han?"

"In my opinion, since the establishment of the imperial system, before the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu of Han should be the most powerful emperor."

He was not like Qin Shi Huang, who built upon the legacy of six generations, nor was he like Emperor Wu of Han, who had the rich resources of the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing.

Liu Bang started as a minor official in Pei County, a far cry from the noble lineage of Chu like Xiang Yu.

However, Liu Bang possessed exceptional decision-making abilities and wisdom in employing people.

During the Pei County Uprising, he was the first to gather 3,000 troops, risking annihilation; in the Battle of Chenggao, he used a counter-espionage strategy to dismantle Xiang Yu's camp, ultimately establishing a strategic advantage, demonstrating great decision-making courage.

His ability to integrate resources after capturing Xianyang, form an alliance with Xiang Liang, gradually expand his power, and retake Guanzhong by taking advantage of the terrain when he pacified the Three Qin regions further demonstrates his strategic vision.

Most importantly, he was good at using people, winning over talents such as Xiao He, Zhang Liang, and Han Xin, and he was also good at assigning responsibilities according to the strengths of his subordinates.

He readily accepted advice and was flexible in his approach.

In contrast, although Xiang Yu possessed unparalleled bravery, he ultimately lacked vision and strategic thinking.

Liu Bang may not have been a peerless hero, but he was definitely an excellent emperor!

Li Shimin exclaimed, "I never imagined you would have such a high opinion of Liu Bang!"

"Your Majesty, throughout history, how many dynasties and emperors have been able to compare with Liu Bang?"

"I think Liu Bang was indeed very capable, but he was not without flaws. For example, I did not approve of Liu Bang's killing of meritorious officials," Li Shimin said with a smile.

"Your Majesty possesses an even broader and more inclusive spirit!"

"Moreover, His Majesty's eye for choosing a wife is better than that of Emperor Gaozu of Han. Empress Zhangsun is known to be virtuous and capable. Not only does she not interfere in politics, but she also strongly persuades her uncle and brother to resign as prime ministers. This is something that Empress Lü, who caused chaos in the Han Dynasty, could not match."

"Hahaha." Li Shimin liked to hear this. "Liu Bang had his group of meritorious officials from Pei County, including civil and military officials such as Xiao He, Zhang Liang, Han Xin, and Zhang Ping."
"I also have you, Wu Yi, who is unrestrained and incompetent in literature, and Xuanling Ruhui, and Shubao Jingde, who is skilled in martial arts."

The sun has risen.

"I slept so late that I missed the morning court session."

"Your Majesty, I dare to ask the eunuchs not to disturb you. Your Majesty will not hold court today and will take a day off."

"You," Li Shimin chuckled, "a monarch cannot be lazy in governing. If you find one excuse to skip court today, you'll find another tomorrow."

"This is not against the rules!"

At the entrance of the palace,
Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong, fully armored and armed with long spears, stood guard all night.

The two fierce generals still had their eyes wide open like copper bells, exuding a murderous aura.

"You two have worked hard. Now, take off your armor and rest."

The emperor beckoned Li Yi to help them remove their armor and even took a towel to wipe their sweat.

"Quickly bring breakfast."

Under the porch of Ganlu Palace,
The emperor and his ministers ate breakfast together.

Li Shimin said he slept very well last night, so he would not trouble the two generals to guard the palace gates tonight.

"Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, I have been recuperating at home and have not been able to do anything for Your Majesty and the court. I was not able to fight in the final battle to unify the country against Liang Shidu, and I feel deeply ashamed. Now, let me take on this small task of guarding the palace gates."

Li Shimin handed Qin Qiong a bowl of mutton soup, saying, "Shubao, you should focus on recovering your health. In the future, when the court expands its territory and restores the old borders of Qin and Han, we will be waiting for you to take up your post and lead the charge."

Li Yi sat to one side, drinking mutton soup and eating sesame pancakes, marveling at the bond between the ruler and his subject.

"Your Majesty, I do have a solution that satisfies both sides."

We could commission a master painter to depict the Duke of Yi and the Duke of Wu in their full armor, wielding long spears and carrying powerful bows, exuding a menacing aura.
Then we invited a master from Louguan Taoism to add protective talismans.

Hanging above the palace gate,

It will surely protect the temple and ward off evil spirits, preventing any demons or monsters from daring to approach even a step closer!

Qin Qiong felt it was better to stand guard himself.

Li Shimin thought the method of portraiture was good. Yan Lide, Yan Liben, and their younger sister, Yan Niangzi, were highly skilled in painting, especially portraiture.

I can summon the three siblings to paint their portraits, thus relieving the two generals of this trouble.

"Your Majesty, in ancient times there were two guardian deities, Shen Tu and Yu Lei, to protect the home and ward off evil spirits. Now Your Majesty has two great war gods, Qin Qiong and Jing De, to guard the palace."

"By His Majesty's decree, the two Dukes shall be the new guardians of our Great Tang!"

Li Shimin thought this was a good idea and actually issued an imperial edict, bestowing upon the two generals the title of "Door Gods of the Tang Dynasty".

After finishing breakfast,
Li Shimin simply took a day off.

The emperor and his four ministers left the palace and climbed Leyouyuan to enjoy the autumn scenery.

Looking out over Zhongnan Mountain,
The emperor admired the red maple leaves and viewed the autumn chrysanthemums.
Yuchi Laohei is currently obsessed with alchemy, but he is also quite good at making barbecue grills. He is in charge of skewering and grilling meat. He used to be a blacksmith, so he is a professional at making grills. He comes from Mayi, a border town in Shuozhou, and his skills in grilling lamb skewers are excellent.

Li Shimin, while eating freshly grilled, sizzling meat skewers, chatted with Qin Qiong about the conquest of Liaodong. Qin Qiong had once been a personal guard in the army of Lai Huer, the Duke of Rongguo during the Sui Dynasty. Lai Huer was stationed in Dengzhou and Laizhou, training troops and building warships. Later, he crossed the sea several times to conquer Liaodong, and even once attacked Pyongyang, the capital of Goguryeo.

Unfortunately, that time, they fell into a trap and were ambushed after entering the city.

On another occasion, they advanced by both land and water.

Yang Guang led a large army to fight at the walls of Liaodong City, and dispatched nine generals, including Yuwen Shu, to lead nine armies of 300,000 troops to strike deep behind enemy lines and launch a thousand-mile raid on Pyongyang.
On that occasion, Yuwen Shu and Lai Huer's land and naval forces were almost able to join forces, but Yuwen Shu and his men fell into a trap and were attacked halfway across the river, resulting in a great defeat.

"Nowadays, Goguryeo is relatively well-behaved on the Liao River border."

However, in recent years, they have frequently waged war against Silla and Baekje, even openly intercepting Silla envoys coming to pay tribute, becoming increasingly audacious.

Qin Qiong was a fierce general on the battlefield.

They also longed to achieve great things on the battlefield.
However, the emperor was still advised to be cautious.

"The Sui Dynasty's repeated campaigns against Liaodong resulted in heavy losses and threatened the very foundation of the state, a lesson we must learn. Now, our Great Tang has just conquered the Turks and annihilated Liang Shidu, but after the chaos, the people yearn for peace."

The national treasury was also empty.
It is certainly not the time to launch another campaign against Liaodong.

"Shubao, what you say makes a lot of sense. I won't be launching a campaign against Liaodong anytime soon, at least not for the next ten years."

"Your Majesty, ten years is still too early. We should allow the empire more time to recover, at least enough for one generation. Perhaps we can reconsider after thirty years."

One generation, thirty years.

Li Shimin was somewhat impatient, even though he was only fifty-four or fifty-five years old at that time.

The emperor was far away in the western regions.

In the future, he will not only conquer Goguryeo and recover the four commanderies of Liaodong, but also...

They even wanted to restore the Western Regions Protectorate of the Han Dynasty.

"Emperor Wu of Han sent Zhang Qian to the Western Regions, which was quite remarkable. As for the monk Xuanzang you mentioned, I listened to his sermons and found him to be quite good. He is not the same kind of person as Faya and Falin, but he is somewhat similar to the Buddhist monks like Baogong and Zhizang."

If he is truly willing to brave the dangers and obstacles to travel to the Western Regions and India, I think it is indeed worth supporting him.

This opportunity could also be used to send officials and soldiers, as well as a group of monks and merchants, to form an envoy to the Western Regions for visits and trade along the way.

It can both promote the great Tang Dynasty and open up trade with other countries.

Under Li Yi's influence, Li Shimin also had a relatively positive understanding of trade, especially international trade.

The Western Silk Road

Southeast Maritime Silk Road

These are all worthy of vigorous development.

Even considering the overall national security strategy of the Tang Dynasty, it was necessary to make early arrangements for the Western Regions.

Although the Western Turks still maintain relatively friendly relations with the Tang Dynasty, under the leadership of the brothers Shekui Khan and Tongyabhu Khan, the Western Turks...

Extremely strong

Pei Ju, who was well-versed in the Western Regions, repeatedly submitted memorials to the court, reminding them to take precautions as soon as possible.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the Western Turks now frequently send tribute and even request marriage alliances.

However, an overly powerful neighbor in the Western Regions is never a good thing; it can be dangerous at any time.

Although the Eastern Turks have now submitted, their basic strength remains; they simply lack a leader to reorganize them. If another ambitious figure emerges in the southern steppes...
That northern border region is another problem.

The Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates spanned thousands of miles; if they were to unite, the situation would be even more dangerous.

Therefore, the main frontier strategy of the Tang Dynasty in the future was still to continue to divide and control the Turks.

To deal with the Eastern Turks, we need to rely on the Tiele people of the northern deserts for checks and balances; to deal with the Western Turks, we need to rely on the kingdoms of the Western Regions and the nine Sogdian kingdoms of Transoxiana.

Even powerful nations like Persia and Fulin were able to restrain them.

Befriend distant states while attacking nearby ones.

This is the basics.

The emperor's devotion to Buddhism was not genuine; it was merely a clever way of exploiting the situation.

Just like now, the emperor, in front of Li Yi and Qin Qiong, several of his trusted confidants, directly proposed to support Xuanzang's journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

To form a large delegation, or even to organize a group of merchants and goods, and incidentally conduct international trade.

This is the mark of a wise ruler; he doesn't speak without purpose.

Think three steps ahead, or even further, before taking one step.

There are no truly idle pieces when placing stones on a chessboard.

"Wu Yi, I've read the proposal you submitted, and it's been thoroughly considered."

I originally planned to build seven new temples, or even larger ones, to ordain more monks. But now I think your proposal is better: we should renovate existing temples in the local area.
There's no need to ordain new monks; instead, a group of monks will be selected directly from Chang'an after passing an examination and sent to the seven temples, with twenty monks in each temple.

Temple fields, oxen, and other resources can be allocated from the inexhaustible treasury.

"Incidentally, we should also allocate funds from the Endless Treasury to local prefectures and counties to build the Louzeyuan Cemetery, to collect and bury the remains of those who have been left unattended since the chaos of the Sui Dynasty, to build more orphanages to care for orphans, and to repair some official schools—all of which are very meaningful things."

"I think that the compensation for the casualties of the soldiers in this campaign against Liang Shidu could be partly paid from the Inexhaustible Treasury, which would reduce some of the expenditure of the imperial treasury."

You should have a good talk with the Ten Virtuous Ones about this and ask them for their support.

(End of this chapter)