Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 698 The Emperor's Methods: Destroying the Country and Destroying the Script (First Update)
The eleventh year of Yongwei.

The Lunar New Year is celebrated in Chang'an.

On the ninth day, the Liangyi Hall was solemn.

All the prime ministers, ministers of the six ministries, chief ministers of the nine temples, and generals in the army were included.

"Tibet wants to send an envoy to Chang'an to pay homage." Li Chengqian put down the memorial in his hand and turned to look at Changsun Wuji, saying, "Uncle, what do you think? Ever since all 50,000 taels of gold were sent to the Tang Dynasty, Tibet hasn't sent anyone to Chang'an specifically. What do they want this time?"

Changsun Wuji stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, it must be the matter of Goguryeo that made the Tibetans realize that the matter of the Eastern Island is nearing its end, and that the Tang Dynasty can turn its attention to the west. That's why they sent people to come and take a look."

“Not many people in Chang’an know about Silla, so they probably haven’t noticed it yet.” Li Chengqian raised his head slightly and said, “So the news of Silla’s invasion of Pingrang must have been known to the Tibetans. Dama Rinchen is now the prime minister of Tibet, so it’s not hard for him to guess this.”

“When Songtsen Gampo was the Tibetan king, he had seven wise ministers under his command, and even Gar Tongtsen was just one of them. In recent years, although the older generation has either died or retired, the younger generation has gradually grown up, especially Dama Rinchen, who is still alive. He is an old fellow who can endure hardship and bend over.” Changsun Wuji bowed solemnly.

During the years following Songtsen Gampo's death, it was Dama Rinchen who stabilized the situation in Tibet, buying the young Mangsong Mangtsen time to grow up.

Meanwhile, the Tang Dynasty successfully pacified the Western Turks, as well as Goguryeo and Silla, leaving only Baekje, which it was expected to pacify within the year.

Although the Tang Dynasty still had to expend a great deal of energy to govern and assimilate these countries, it was gradually able to free up resources to deal with the threat from Tibet.

Although it would still be several years before the Tang Dynasty was fully prepared to destroy Tibet, this did not prevent the Tibetans from feeling uneasy in advance and coming to test the strength of the Tang Dynasty.

"To probe the truth." Li Chengqian slightly raised his head and looked at his ministers, saying, "Gentlemen, tell me, how should the Tang Dynasty respond to this matter?"

The courtiers fell silent for a moment. Finally, Li Ji stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Majesty, it is an undeniable fact that the Tang Dynasty will soon be able to free up its resources. Similarly, the Tibetans are well aware of the Tang Dynasty’s covetousness towards Tibet in recent years. Therefore, I believe that these matters should be concealed, but some space should be left open for the Tibetans to relax.”

"Elaborate!"

“Yes!” Li Ji bowed, thought for a moment, and continued, “Your Majesty, the biggest problem for the Tang Dynasty in destroying Tibet is still the high-altitude miasma.”

Over the years, although we have been continuously training soldiers capable of adapting to the high-altitude miasma, the actual number is still insufficient, and some villages are located even higher up in the plateau, where the miasma is more severe.

The officials in the hall became solemn.

In recent years, Li Ji and Liang Jianfang have been stationed in Xichang Prefecture and Dongxi Tuyuhun, Yan Liben in Qi Prefecture, Li Dejian in Lanzhou, Fang Renyu in Sha Prefecture, Li Daozong in Jiannan Circuit, Wang Renyou and Lu Chengye in Song Prefecture, and finally Li Junxian stationed at Tongtian River. The soldiers in the army have been rotated back and forth over the years in order to better adapt to the plateau environment.

Even so, the number of trained soldiers was far from sufficient.

It was against this backdrop that Li Chengqian began recruiting a large number of loyal soldiers from the Tuyuhun, Tujue, and Dangxiang tribes to serve as his army in future campaigns against Tibet.

Even so, it might be enough to defeat Tibet, but there is still a long way to go before Tibet is destroyed, or even ruled and assimilated.

“Therefore, I believe that we should let the Tibetans know this, and even let them know that the Tang Dynasty is seriously unprepared for this, even unprepared to wage war deep in the plateau.” Li Ji’s expression was cold, and then he said softly, “In this way, they will relax.”

“But it’s also possible that they’re using this as a pretext to set traps deep in the plateau, luring the Tang army in.” Changsun Wuji turned to look at Li Ji, his expression serious.

“Indeed, although I know that a battle with Tibet is inevitable deep in the plateau, I still hope to inflict maximum casualties on the main force of the Tibetans below the plateau beforehand.” Li Chengqian tapped the imperial desk lightly, then said seriously, “Otherwise, I would rather wait.”

The Tang Dynasty was far more powerful than Tibet. As Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla, and the Western Turks were gradually assimilated, the war potential that the Tang Dynasty could store grew much faster than that of Tibet. The longer the time passed, the more prepared the Tang Dynasty became, the greater the gap between it and Tibet would be, and the easier it would be to destroy Tibet in the future.

“Composure and patience are Your Majesty’s greatest weapons.” Li Ji cupped his hands and said, “As long as the Tibetans understand this, they will panic, because time is not on their side.”

The hall fell silent for a moment, and everyone looked at Li Ji in surprise. His methods were impressive, but somehow they felt somewhat familiar.

"So be it. The British shall have full authority to handle the Tibetans' arrival in Chang'an this time," came the Emperor's voice, tinged with a light laugh.

The ministers suddenly realized that this meticulous scheming was exactly what the emperor was most skilled at.
Li Ji, you're quite the flatterer!

Li Chengqian sat on the imperial couch, watching Li Ji return to the ranks and stand holding his tablet. Only then did Li Chengqian look at the assembled officials and say, "Let's put the matter of the Tibetans aside for now. The most important thing in the court right now is to thoroughly settle the affairs of the three kingdoms of the Eastern Islands. We have now reached the final stage, and we cannot be careless."

"Yes!" The ministers looked solemn.

"Now that the year has begun and it's springtime, we can take our time on the road, but sea transport can begin. Now is the time to send all the naval forces of Dengzhou and Yangzhou of the Tang Dynasty to Baekje and destroy the country in one fell swoop." Li Chengqian lightly slammed his fist on the imperial desk.

With a loud bang, the sound echoed throughout the entire hall.

"Yes, sir!" The assembled officials bowed respectfully.

“Once Baekje is destroyed, the entire eastern island will belong to Tang.” Li Chengqian turned to Changsun Wuji and asked, “Uncle, this matter must be properly prepared. I do not want to be criticized by historians for my negligence.”

"Your subject obeys the decree." Changsun Wuji calmly cupped his hands in greeting.

The courtiers in the hall lowered their heads, finding it somewhat amusing. Now they were thinking about saving face; where were they before?

Li Chengqian ignored the assembled officials and continued, "The Three Kingdoms are about to be unified under the Tang Dynasty. Many things cannot be prepared for later, especially the appointment of local officials after the Three Kingdoms are unified under the Tang Dynasty. We cannot be careless in the slightest. Uncle, how are the preparations for this matter going?"

"The candidates have been largely selected." Changsun Wuji thought for a moment, then cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask Your Majesty, how should the governor-general's offices and corresponding prefectures and counties be designated for the Three Kingdoms, the entire Andong region, and Liaodong?"

"In my opinion," Li Chengqian raised his head and said, "the Andong Grand Protectorate should be established, with Pingrang as its administrative center."

"Here!" The officials held their hands in awe.

"I will establish four governorates: the Jiangbei Governorate, the Jiangnan Governorate, the Binhai Governorate, and the Dongshan Governorate." Li Chengqian looked at his ministers and said, "You all understand which governorates I am referring to, right?"

“The area north of the Daedong River is the Jiangbei Governor-General’s Office, the area south of the Daedong River is the Jiangnan Governor-General’s Office, Baekje’s coastal area is the Binhai Governor-General’s Office, and Silla’s mountain area is the Dongsan Governor-General’s Office.” Changsun Wuji cupped his hands and said, “Your Majesty’s intention is to ensure that the names Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla never appear again.”

“That’s right.” Li Chengqian nodded and said, “Destroy their country, destroy their script, and fully promote Tang script. Use literature and education to govern the four governorates. A hundred years from now, no one will remember that there were once territories of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla there. They will only remember that it was the territory of the Great Tang Dynasty, and it has been the territory of the Great Tang Dynasty since ancient times.”

“That place has always been part of the Central Plains!” Li Yifu stepped forward and calmly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Hehe!" Li Chengqian laughed, nodded, and said, "Let Minister Li take charge of this matter."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Li Yifu solemnly cupped his hands.

The ministers couldn't help but look at Li Yifu with a hint of admiration.

To be able to say something like that so casually, truly befitting a human-cat.

“The Jiangbei Governorate is divided into three prefectures: Tu Prefecture, Bei Tu Prefecture, and Dong Tu Prefecture.” Li Chengqian nodded slightly and said, “Dong Tu Prefecture is located in the eastern mountainous area of ​​the Jiangbei Governorate.”

Many of the officials had already keenly realized the importance the emperor attached to the mountainous areas of the Andong Grand General's Office.

"The Jiangnan Governorate is divided into five prefectures: Pingrang Prefecture, Nanpu Prefecture, Qinghai Prefecture, Zhongchuan Prefecture, and Gaoshan Prefecture." Li Chengqian tapped the table lightly and said, "Zhongchuan Prefecture is a tributary prefecture. Have the Grand Governor of Andong investigate how many people are unwilling to submit to the Tang Dynasty and have them all moved to Zhongchuan Prefecture. They will be subject to heavy taxes, heavy labor, and few soldiers. Be on high alert."

"Here!" The officials held their hands in awe.

They already understood the emperor's intentions: those unwilling to submit to the Tang Dynasty would be forced into rebellion in a prefecture through heavy taxes and forced labor, and then wiped out in one fell swoop.

“Wait thirty or fifty years. If they submit, then reduce their burdens and win their hearts back to the Tang Dynasty.” Li Chengqian suddenly paused. A thought flashed through his mind. His current approach was somewhat similar to how the court treated Hebei and Jiangnan.

Could it be that the late emperor and the Gaozu emperor treated Hebei and Jiangnan in such a way as a way of taming them?

Li Chengqian noted this down, then continued, "The Binhai Governorate is divided into three prefectures: Binhai Prefecture, Dongchuan Prefecture, and Nanchuan Prefecture, with Dongchuan Prefecture as a tributary prefecture. The Dongshan Governorate is divided into two prefectures: Dongshan Prefecture and Shanhai Prefecture, with Shanhai Prefecture as a tributary prefecture."

The rich and flat lands were mostly directly administered prefectures of the Tang Dynasty, while the areas with complex terrain and difficult to govern were mostly tributary prefectures.

Differentiate and govern according to categories, and bring as many people from the Eastern Islands as possible into the Tang Dynasty as quickly as possible, and then use them to govern the rest.

"As for the more specific division of prefectures and counties, Uncle, the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War will discuss it together." After a slight pause, Li Chengqian said, "It is not easy to win the hearts of the people of the three kingdoms of the Eastern Islands back to the Tang Dynasty. My idea is to gather those people who are most willing to return to the Tang Dynasty in prosperous places, and use them as role models to attract the hearts of the entire Eastern Islands."

"Your Majesty, we respectfully accept your instructions!" The assembled officials bowed solemnly.

Li Chengqian calmed down and continued, "My attitude is only one: those who follow the Tang Dynasty will be well-fed and well-clothed, while those who do not will starve. I believe that hunger is the most capable of destroying people's hearts. Perhaps in less than ten years, those foolish and stubborn people in Zhongchuan Prefecture, Dongchuan Prefecture, and Shanhai Prefecture will either starve or die from exhaustion, or they will voluntarily request to submit to the Tang Dynasty. At that time, there will be no one with disloyalty in the entire Andong Protectorate."

"Your Majesty is wise!" The ministers bowed respectfully.

"Retreat."

……

Inside the Wude Hall, a sand table depicting the entire Andong Protectorate was displayed in the east hall.

Changsun Wuji stood beside Li Chengqian and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that if we want the people of the Three Kingdoms to integrate into the Tang Dynasty as quickly as possible, we must first completely win over the hearts of the people of Goguryeo. And if we want the people of Goguryeo to completely submit to the Tang Dynasty, then we must make them completely disappointed in Gao Baozang. Therefore, I hope that we can send Gao Baozang back to Pingrang."

"Oh!" Li Chengqian turned slightly to the side, a hint of doubt on his face.

"I am thinking that if we want the three kingdoms of the Eastern Islands to be incorporated into the Tang Dynasty without being found guilty of any wrongdoing in terms of etiquette and law, then we must let Gao Baozang go back."

Changsun Wuji took a deep breath and said, "Let Gao Baozang appear before countless people of Pyongyang, shirtless and bare-chested, holding the royal seal in one hand and the household register in the other, then cross the Daedong River and offer the entire Eastern Island Three Kingdoms to the Tang Dynasty and to His Majesty. This will be the most thorough way to destroy the hearts and minds of the people of the Three Kingdoms."

Li Chengqian paused slightly and asked, "Is it possible?"

“Alright!” Changsun Wuji nodded and said, “Your Majesty and Su Xu have a plan.”

“Then we will do it as my uncle and uncle-in-law decided together.” Li Chengqian nodded calmly.

"Furthermore, Your Majesty, I wish to rename Pyongyang City to Andong City, so that there will be no more Pyongyang, no more Goguryeo, and no more Baekje and Silla in the world." Changsun Wuji bowed deeply.

Li Chengqian's expression turned serious as he looked at the sand table, carefully considering the pros and cons. After a long while, Li Chengqian slowly shook his head and said, "Uncle's idea is correct in direction, but we can't rush into it. If Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla are all destroyed, then the interests of the three former Tang dynasties will inevitably be harmed. They will definitely gather together and plot against Tang."

Therefore, in my opinion, keeping Pyongyang alive will draw their attention to Pyongnam, which in turn will allow us to seize clues...

Take ten years to purge the most prominent figures, and then Pingrang City can be renamed Andong City.

Let Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla, and Pyeongnam be completely forgotten in people's memories and in history.

"Your Majesty doesn't want the officials to lower their guard against the remnants of the Three Kingdoms, does he?" Changsun Wuji smiled, then nodded and said, "Unless all the nobles of Dongdao are relocated to the Tang Dynasty, I'm afraid this is the only way."

Li Chengqian turned around and walked behind the long table.

Changsun Wuji sat down to one side.

Xu An stepped forward to serve tea.

Li Chengqian looked at the water vapor in front of him, then sighed softly and said, "Uncle, my views on some things may differ from yours."

"Please give your instructions, Your Majesty." Changsun Wuji's expression turned serious.

“The migration of nobles began in the Qin Dynasty and flourished in the Han Dynasty. Emperor Yang Guang also followed suit. There are advantages and disadvantages to this, depending on the timing.” Li Chengqian sighed and said, “If the world is prosperous for many years and the place to be used is a wealthy place like Henan, Hebei, Huainan and Jiangnan, then this trip will be fine.”

Changsun Wuji nodded; that was what he was thinking too.

“But places like Goguryeo, which have just submitted,” Li Chengqian shook his head and said, “those aristocratic families are the pillars of the region. Although they have some problems, they can generally help the Tang Dynasty stabilize the region. The biggest reason is that they have families and relatives there, and they have ties to them. But what if we relocate them?”

“Others will rise.” Changsun Wuji blurted out unconsciously.

Li Chengqian nodded and said with a cold look in his eyes, "Those old nobles with families are not scary. They can be pulled back and forth. What is most scary are the newcomers who have no ties. Once those old nobles are relocated, the newcomers will rise and everything will be out of control."

After a slight pause, Li Chengqian looked at Changsun Wuji and said, "Uncle, think about Xiang Yu."

Changsun Wuji's expression immediately turned solemn.

When Xiang Yu was young, he was a nobleman of the State of Chu. At that time, the State of Chu had not yet been destroyed. Later, Qin destroyed Chu, Xiang Yan died, and Xiang Yu's family fled to the State of Wu. Later, Qin relocated the nobles of Wu, and the Xiang family took the opportunity to establish their foundation. When they rebelled against Qin, eight thousand young men from Wu immediately joined the rebellion.

“So, let some of the old nobles stay. They can be used as bait to lure the remnants of the Three Kingdoms,” Li Chengqian said, picking up his teacup and taking a small sip.

"Your Majesty has devoted yourself to the stability of the Three Kingdoms, and I admire you greatly." Changsun Wuji bowed slightly.

Li Chengqian waved his hand and then asked, "Uncle, now that Silla has been destroyed and Baekje is not far away, what is the situation of the powerful families across the land?"

Changsun Wuji couldn't help but smile and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty. Originally, only the Cui, Wang, Liu, Zheng, and Li families were making moves, but now the Wei, Du, Yang, Pei, and Xue families have all started to act. If they don't act now, they won't get any of the benefits in the future."

"They were just a step too slow. Even without the Prince of Han, they would have discovered the benefits sooner or later and found a way to carve out the most delicious piece of the pie." Li Chengqian shook his head slightly. The powerful families, the imperial power, and the court were closely intertwined, a fact that Li Chengqian could not change.

The key factor here is the number of poor families in the world. Only when the number of poor families is large enough to shake the foundation of aristocratic families will they begin to relinquish power.

"Let's talk about Gao Baozang. Let's find a suitable person to send him back." Li Chengqian's eyes began to ponder.

"Let Wei Daijia go. He is the Right Guard General and has served in Liaodong..." Changsun Wuji was halfway through his sentence when a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

Dou Zhijie appeared at the palace gate, excitedly cupping his hands to Li Chengqian and saying, "Your Majesty, congratulations! Consort Xiu is pregnant."

Li Chengqian couldn't help but stand up, staring at Dou Zhijie and asking, "Are you sure?"

"Confirmed!" Dou Zhijie nodded immediately.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!" Changsun Wuji couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'll go take a look now, Uncle, please do as you please." Li Chengqian nodded to Changsun Wuji, then anxiously strode towards the inner palace.

Changsun Wuji stood there, his face full of joy.

After Chu Suiliang left the court, Liu Shi became the future leader of their faction chosen by Changsun Wuji.

It wasn't Changsun Chong, nor Du Zhenglun, Du He, or Du Gou; it was Liu Shi.

With this, Wang Youlan's position as a virtuous consort is now completely secure.

……

A few days later, the emperor issued an imperial edict, appointing Wang Youlan, the daughter of Wang Renyou, the Prefect of Yizhou, as a virtuous consort.

Meanwhile, Su Yi, daughter of Su Xu, the Protector-General of Andong Protectorate, was appointed as a Zhaoyi (a high-ranking concubine).

The others were: Zhang Xuan as Zhaorong, Cui Luan as Zhaoyuan, Xiao Zi as Xiuyi, Du Ni as Xiuyuan, and Yang Mi as Xiurong.

Xu Yi was a concubine.

Other beauties include Wei Dan, Liu Yao, Xue Landi, Pei Qian, and Xu Xuan.

The vacancy of Consort Yu's position sparked a fierce competition among various families.

The empress was above all the concubines, and the harem was thus established.

……

June has arrived in the blink of an eye.

Northwest of Baekgang in Baekje lies Deokmoo Island.

Dark clouds loomed overhead, and the sea breeze raged.

Liu Rengui stood atop the eastern lighthouse, gazing at the distant Baekje continent, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

Li Xiaoyi, the Right General of the Thousand Ox Guard, stood to one side and said in a low voice, "Brother Zhengze, there is no need to worry. The commander-in-chief is leading the main force of 50,000 men to approach from the north. Governor Liu is leading 100 warships to attack from the Baekgang River into the Xiongjin River, and then sailing down the Xiongjin River straight to the Baekje capital, Sabi Fortress, and taking it in one battle."

“My lord, we must not underestimate anyone!” Liu Rengui shook his head slightly and said, “The Goguryeo army attacked from Silla at the end of last year. Although it was winter, six months have passed and they still haven’t been able to reach the capital of Baekje. It is clear that Baekje has made preparations for war.”

The war between Silla and Goguryeo suddenly escalated. First, Silla massacred a city in Goguryeo, and in the blink of an eye, Goguryeo retaliated by massacring a city in Silla.

Afterwards, Kim Chunchu fled back to Silla, and a full-scale war broke out between the two countries.

Then, for some unknown reason, Silla invaded Pyeongnam.

Then, Silla was destroyed.

Although Baekje watched in stunned silence, two years was enough time for Baekje to prepare.

“Over the years, although Baekje’s navy has suffered many defeats, it has only been half of its original strength. There are still a large number of naval forces at the Xiongjin River and in southern Baekje. If they mobilize all of their navy for this operation, it could be dangerous.” Liu Rengui shook his head with a solemn expression.

"So, you devised this scheme, letting Commander Liu lead a naval force into the Xiongjin River, while you hid behind, ready to launch a surprise attack should any unforeseen events break out at the front." Just as Li Xiaoyi finished speaking, a loud boom was heard, and a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky.

In an instant, the entire Dewu Island was completely illuminated.

Hundreds of warships appeared densely around Dewu Island, all filled with Tang soldiers ready for battle.

"But this sudden storm could very well lead to a complete collapse of the situation!" Liu Rengui looked at the storm overhead with a grave expression.

“There’s no need to worry so much.” Li Xiaoyi calmly shook his head and said, “Storms at sea always come and go quickly. Besides, with Governor Liu’s abilities, it won’t be easy for the Baekje people to defeat him.”

"I hope so," Liu Rengui sighed.

He turned around, his gaze fixed on the land, as if fearing that countless flames might suddenly erupt.

However, a moment later, the storm suddenly subsided.

A series of hurried footsteps came from below the lighthouse. Soon after, a guard from the Imperial Guards climbed up the lighthouse and bowed to Li Xiaoyi, saying, "General Lieutenant."

"Hmm!" Li Xiaoyi nodded lightly. Then, the guard looked at Liu Rengui, cupped his hands, and said, "Chief Secretary, General Wang inquires whether we may depart?"

Wang Wendu, Deputy Admiral and General of the Navy.

"Wait a little longer..." Before Liu Rengui could finish speaking, a burst of fire suddenly erupted on the distant land.

Liu Rengui suddenly looked up and shouted, "Let's go! Head to Silla!"

"Yes, sir!" The Thousand Bull Guard immediately bowed, then turned and left.

Liu Rengui stood on the lighthouse, took a deep look at the land, and then turned and descended.

That was the firelight from the rockets used by the Tang and Baekje navies, which had already clashed.

(End of this chapter)