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

Chapter 728 The Territory of the Tang Dynasty, Extending North to the Arctic Ocean (Second Update)

November, winter.

Light snow drifted through the entire city of Chang'an, creating a tranquil scene.

Tai Chi Palace, Wude Palace.

Li Chengqian, dressed in a crimson dragon robe, sat on the imperial couch, his gaze sweeping across the hall.

The prime ministers of the three provinces, the ministers and vice ministers of the six ministries, and the chief ministers and vice ministers of the nine temples stood on the left side of the hall.

More than twenty princes of the current dynasty stood on the right side, each wearing a different kind of python robe.

Among them were the sons of Emperor Gaozu, such as the King of Han, the King of Xu, and the King of Han; the sons of the previous emperor, such as the King of Wu, the King of Shu, and the King of Jiang; and the sons of the emperor, such as the King of Yong, the King of Dai, and the King of Yan.

Crown Prince Li Xiang, along with the officials of the Eastern Palace, stood in the hall.

Everyone bowed in unison and said, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects."

"Rise." Li Chengqian raised his hand slightly. Seeing the officials rise, he looked at Li Xiang and said calmly, "In the thirteenth year of Yongwei, apart from the war with Tibet, the world was at peace. After last year's political consultation, I announced that there would be another political consultation this year. The world has been watching this year. Crown Prince, do not disappoint me."

Li Xiang bowed respectfully and said, "Your subject understands. Please inquire, Father!"

Li Chengqian nodded calmly and said, "The rules are the same as last year. First question: Liaozhou has been under Tang control for many years. Do you know how many people there are in Liaozhou now? I will allow you an error of three hundred households and two thousand people."

Li Xiang cupped his hands and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, as of August this year, Liaozhou has 40,000 households and a population of 210,000."

After saying this, Li Xiang couldn't help but breathe a slight sigh of relief. This question wasn't difficult. Having prepared for a year, Li Xiang had a very deep understanding of the situation in Liaodong.

Li Chengqian glanced at Li Xiang, smiled slightly, and asked, "Liaozhou has been under Tang control for many years. It is a vast and sparsely populated region with fertile land. 210,000 people is still relatively few. Why is that, Your Highness?"

"Ah!" Li Xiang hadn't expected the emperor to shift the question to another topic so quickly, and this question was not easy to answer.

Taking a deep breath, Li Xiang cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, as far as I know, Liaodong is bitterly cold, even colder than Andong. Many people once migrated from Hebei to Liaodong, but later most of them moved to Andong. So even though Liaozhou is fertile, the population remains small."

"The Secretariat." Li Chengqian looked up directly.

Yu Zhining, Du Zhenglun, Ma Zhou, and Gao Jifu stepped forward at the same time, and then bowed in unison, saying, "Your Majesty!"

“In the past two years, Andong has gradually stabilized, and more people have migrated to Andong than to Liaodong. Although this is not a bad thing, it still requires more attention.” Li Chengqian pondered for a moment and said, “In this way, next year, the people of Liaodong will be exempted from rent and taxes for one year. You should also work together to formulate some policies to benefit the people and increase the number of people settling in Liaodong.”

"Your subjects obey the decree." Yu Zhining, Du Zhenglun, Ma Zhou, and Gao Jifu bowed in unison.

Li Chengqian waved his hand slightly, and the four of them then returned to their positions in the formation.

The courtiers couldn't help but feel slightly nervous, knowing that the emperor was going to ask questions not only about the princes, but also about others who might be brought up unintentionally.

Li Chengqian looked at Li Xiang again and asked, "Your Highness, things are relatively stable inside and outside Andong now. I ask you, what is the biggest hidden danger in Andong right now?"

Li Xiang turned slightly to the side and glanced at Lai Heng beside him.

Lai Heng nodded calmly.

Turning around, Li Xiang earnestly cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the current situation in Andong is that the officials inside and outside the capital are governing the region well, and there are also censors supervising it. For the time being, there are not many problems. If there is any hidden danger, I think it is probably the remnants of the Three Kingdoms. Many of them have fled from the various prefectures of Andong to the deep mountains of Juqishan County, the southeasternmost part of Andong, and have begun to occupy the area."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly and said, "Continue."

"Yes!" Li Xiang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "There are rumors that immigrants from the three countries have some connection with Japan, and Japan even intends to send troops, so there may be war in southeastern Anhui in the future."

The southeast of the Andong Protectorate is separated from Japan by the Andong Strait, which is only three to five hundred nautical miles away. If Japan were to participate in the war, it would likely cause trouble.

Li Chengqian nodded calmly and said, "What does the Crown Prince think should be done?"

Li Xiang cupped his hands and said, “Andong is now entirely under the control of the Tang Dynasty. After years of governance, the people are eager for peace. Even if the Japanese are tempted, they dare not act rashly. Therefore, I suggest that Your Majesty summon the Japanese envoy and severely reprimand him, forbidding him from associating with immigrants from the three countries. At the same time, send people to exterminate the remaining people of the three countries as soon as possible.”

Li Chengqian gave Li Xiang a deep look and said, "I will not make a move. The Crown Prince can summon the Japanese envoy and reprimand him severely. As for the matter of purging the remnants of the Three Kingdoms, I will leave it to Fang Yi'ai. As for other possible actions by the Japanese that may involve military action, I will have Xue Wanche and Liu Rengui investigate them thoroughly."

"Yes!" Li Xiang bowed respectfully, his expression relaxing.

Changsun Wuji and Li Ji, who were standing on one side of the court officials' seats, glanced at the Crown Prince with a pitying look before looking away.

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "The ministers of the Eastern Palace have provided excellent assistance this past year and have been rewarded accordingly. However, I will be consulting on state affairs again next year, so please be prepared."

"Your subjects obey the decree." The officials of the Eastern Palace immediately bowed and then returned to their ranks.

Li Chengqian looked to the side, then looked up and said, "Prince Yong!"

Li Jue immediately stepped forward. At the same time, Cui Xinggong, the chief secretary of the Prince of Yong, and other officials of the Prince of Yong entered from outside the hall and bowed in unison, saying, "Your Majesty!"

Li Chengqian looked at Li Jue and said, "Second Prince, I already reminded you about today's events last year. Have you prepared yourself for this past year?"

"Your subject is ready. Please inquire, Your Majesty." Li Jue solemnly cupped his hands, his expression cautious.

Li Chengqian smiled with satisfaction, then asked, "Three questions. First, where is the northernmost point of the Yanran Protectorate?"

Li Jue, as the Prince of Yong, nominally held the position of Protector-General of Yanran, but did not usually handle affairs. He appointed Xiao Siye as the Deputy Protector-General of Yanran, who was in charge of all matters.

Although Li Jue had no authority to deal with the Yanran Protectorate during the past year, he still had to send a copy of every memorial sent back by the Yanran Protectorate.

Cui Xinggong, along with other officials from the Prince's residence, would also help him analyze the situation.

The Yanran Protectorate was actually gradually dominated by the Uyghurs, Tiele, Turks, Pugu, Tongluo, Bayegu, and other northern nomadic tribes.

Of course, the northern desert is now dominated by the Uyghurs. The Left Valiant Guard General Yaoluoge Porun leads the Dashilifa and the Yanran Deputy Protector-General, in charge of the affairs of the Uyghur Kingdom.

The most crucial aspect of the Yanran Protectorate lies in the relationships and conflicts among the various tribes of the northern deserts, and whether these conflicts will threaten the Tang Dynasty.

Although the question the emperor is asking is somewhat off-topic, it is fortunately still within the scope prepared by Li Jue, Cui Xinggong, and others.

Li Jue bowed his head, then cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to Father Emperor, the northernmost part of the Yanran Protectorate extends to the northernmost point of the North Sea, Xuanjue Prefecture, home to the Guli tribe. Their people migrate north and south of the North Sea with the seasons, experiencing long days and short nights in summer and short days and long nights in winter, eventually reaching the area south of the North Sea." Li Chengqian nodded slowly and said, "Although the Guli tribe is extremely far away, since submitting to the Tang Dynasty in the twenty-second year of Zhenguan, they have been part of the Tang territory. You must remember this and show them great care. The administration of Yanran must be more considerate."

"Yes!" Li Jue and the assembled officials in the hall bowed in unison.

Li Chengqian smiled slightly. He could tell that as the emperor, his ministers would remember his words, but they didn't understand enough about the importance of Xuanjue Prefecture.

Li Chengqian only noticed something was wrong when he occasionally flipped through the memorials.

He remembered that in his previous life, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, the Tang Dynasty's winter reached Liaodong, the west reached the Caspian Sea, the south reached Jiaozhi, and the north reached Lake Baikal.

Li Chengqian always believed that the northern sea was actually the location of Lake Baikal.

He never thought of delving deeper, after all, he didn't even go back to the Uyghurs, let alone the distant Lake Baikal.

However, when he occasionally came across records stating that the northernmost part of Xuanjue Prefecture had long days and short nights in summer and short days and long nights in winter, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

He examined the text more closely and found a passage that contained very detailed information.

The lamb shanks were not yet cooked, but dawn had already broken.

Upon seeing this sentence, Li Chengqian immediately understood that this location was incredibly close to the Arctic Circle, or even the Arctic Ocean.

Of course, Xuanjue Prefecture was a tributary prefecture, and the so-called place with long days and short nights only meant that their range of activity reached the vicinity of the Arctic Circle.

In reality, the true area of ​​activity for the Kulikan people was around Lake Baikal.

However, they reached the Arctic Circle, and Xuanjue Prefecture also reached the Arctic Circle, which means that, nominally, the area from Chang'an northward to the Arctic Circle was also part of the Tang Dynasty's territory.

This was something that Li Zhi in his previous life never cared about, and Li Chengqian wouldn't have cared about it if he wasn't particularly sensitive.

……

"Let's find a time." Li Chengqian paused slightly, looked at Li Yibiao, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, and said, "The Court of State Ceremonies shall send people to walk along the borders of the Great Tang, including the nominally subordinate prefectures and vassal states, and then redraw the true map of the Great Tang territory."

"Yes!" Li Yibiao stepped forward, cupped his hands, and looked solemn. This was no small matter!
Of course, it doesn't mean that a certain group of people should actually travel the whole country. In fact, they can be divided into more than a dozen groups, all of whom can set off from Chang'an together, and each group can be responsible for a section of the border. This way, they can complete the task in the shortest possible time.

But this is a huge project!

No one in the court raised any objection; determining the boundaries of the Tang Dynasty was something the Tang Dynasty should have done.

Li Chengqian nodded, looked at Li Jue, and continued to ask, "Second question, Prince Yong, do you know how many troops are stationed in the Yanran Protectorate?"

"I know." Li Jue cupped his hands and said earnestly, "Reporting to Father Emperor, the Great Tang has 1,200 troops stationed in the Yanran Protectorate, mostly for guarding the Protectorate and maintaining the post stations."

The Yanran Protectorate was actually located in Shanyutai, the headquarters of the Uyghurs, and was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs. Even if they really wanted to do something, they couldn't.

They serve more as a symbol and a communicator.

When the Xueyantuo rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, they at most placed the people of the Yanran Protectorate under house arrest, without mistreating them.

No one dared to casually forge a deadly feud with the Tang Dynasty, not even the Tibetans.

"Then how many days would it take to send a message from Shanyutai back to Chang'an?" Li Chengqian's expression suddenly turned serious.

Li Jue immediately cupped his hands and said, "Father, if it is urgent, it will take five days; regular official documents will take about seven days; if there is wind, rain, or heavy snow, it may take ten days."

Li Chengqian leaned back and nodded, saying, "You must remember this time. If anything changes in the northern desert, these days will be the shortest time for the Tang Dynasty to make preparations."

"Your Majesty, we will obey your instructions!" The ministers all looked solemn.

Li Chengqian nodded to Li Jue and said, "You did well. Keep up the good work. Your mother and I will reward you later."

"Thank you, Father Emperor!" Li Jue breathed a sigh of relief, and then bowed to express his gratitude along with Cui Xinggong and the others.

Li Chengqian waved his hand, and Li Jue and the others then withdrew.

Li Chengqian looked at the princes on his right and nodded slightly, saying, "King Han!"

King Li Yuanjia of Han stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty!"

"Uncle Wang is the prefect of Dingzhou." Li Chengqian looked up gently and asked, "How many caravans travel from Dingzhou to the grasslands each year?"

Li Yuanjia thought for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, there are approximately one hundred and thirty batches!"

Li Chengqian nodded. Li Yuanjia was a diligent local governor. If it were during Li Zhi's time, there might have been much suspicion. However, Li Chengqian did not have this concern. With his current prestige, he no longer needed to care about such things.

After a moment's hesitation, Li Chengqian continued to inquire about other local affairs.

……

Shangguan Yi and Pei Yan sat in a corner of the Wude Hall, quickly writing down the day's events on the papers on the table.

In the thirteenth year of Yongwei, in the eleventh month of winter, the emperor consulted with the crown prince and the princes about governance. The crown prince and the princes replied that everything was in order, and the emperor bestowed gifts upon each of them.

However, the reports from the Prince of Jiang and the Prince of Teng were incorrect, which greatly angered the emperor. He dismissed them from their posts and ordered them to sit and reflect on their mistakes at Louguandao on Zhongnan Mountain.

It was not until several years later that it was put back into use.

Later, it was learned that an imperial censor had impeached the Prince of Jiang and the Prince of Teng for their transgressions, and the emperor punished them accordingly.

The kings were awed, and as a result, the administration of the empire became clean and efficient.

The people are delighted.

(End of this chapter)