Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 101 Japan has silver mountains and copper mines.
Li Shimin disagreed with what Wen He said.

"If it's something good, why would I give it to someone else?" Li Shimin chuckled. You really need to remind me of such a trivial matter?
But when he looked at Wen He again, he saw that he was smiling mockingly.

"What, you don't believe me?"

"It's not that I don't believe you, but you really did send good things to those people later on—Tibet, Japan, and even Silla and Baekje. Do you know how much stronger Tibet became because of the craftsmen you sent there?"

"Three years later, Songtsen Gampo will quell the internal strife in Tibet, formally establish a slave-owning state, and vigorously develop agriculture. Most importantly, you will make peace with Tibet through marriage, finding a princess from the royal family to marry into the Tibetan kingdom, and the dowry she brings will consist of a large number of Tang Dynasty artisans and technology."

"Songtsen Gampo was indeed a benevolent ruler, but unfortunately the Tibetans were all ingrates. After his death, the powerful minister Gar Tongtsen Yulsung took over the government, and from then on, Tibet frequently coveted the Tang Dynasty, even eventually capturing Chang'an."

As soon as Wen He finished speaking, Li Shimin was stunned.

He looked at Wen He in disbelief.

"Will this really be the case in the future?"

Wen He chuckled softly and looked at him earnestly.

"Yes, this also led some people in later generations to criticize you, the Heavenly Khan, for being brought to power by giving gifts. Do you know that the crafts that were passed down from the Tang Dynasty eventually became weapons for them to abuse and kill my people?"

"The Western Regions became powerful because of the artisans who came from the Tang Dynasty. The island nation in the east will also send envoys to the Tang Dynasty to learn their skills in the future."

"More than two hundred years later, there was a man named Jianzhen who, for the sake of the empty fame of promoting Buddhism, spread the metallurgical technology, medicine, agriculture and other things of the Tang Dynasty to Japan, which gradually made Japan more civilized!"

Later generations praised Jianzhen, calling him a living Buddha, a figure like Xuanzang.

But if Jianzhen were to see those fourteen years, the more than 30 million wronged souls wailing on the land of China, would he regret it?

Wen He didn't know.

However, if the time he traveled to was before Jianzhen went to Japan, he would definitely have stopped him.

If the old monk doesn't listen, then let him perish at sea.

What did Japan do afterward?

Li Shimin sensed the ferocity in Wen He's eyes. The latter had tears welling up in her eyes, gritted her teeth, and looked extremely ferocious.

"More than a thousand years later, China declined and was bullied by barbarians. Taking advantage of the situation, Japan occupied our land and killed our people. Tens of millions of people died in 51 years."

The war against the Japanese pirates lasted for more than fourteen years. From the First Sino-Japanese War to 45, the Japanese pirates owed countless blood debts on this land.

Even if you threw a hundred more little boys, you couldn't wash away this heavy blood feud.

"Numbers, tens of millions."

Even Li Shimin was somewhat bewildered at this moment.

The Tang Dynasty now has only two million households and more than eight million people. Even if you include those hidden households, it's only a few million.

He couldn't imagine what it would be like if tens of millions of people died.

He took several deep breaths, but still couldn't calm his emotions.

"How could the Japanese be so beastly?" Li Shimin trembled all over.

Tears welled up in Wen He's eyes.

"They committed all sorts of atrocities, burning, killing, and looting. They burned everything, killed everyone, and robbed everything. Their actions were outrageous and caused rivers of blood to flow across the land of China. What happened at the end of the Jin Dynasty and in the Five Dynasties period was nothing compared to those Japanese devils."

"How could later generations be so incompetent and utterly useless!" Li Shimin roared in fury, kicking over the table.

He had heard about the events that occurred at the end of the Jin Dynasty since he was a child, and he was terrified at the time.

But that cruel world pales in comparison to what Japan did in later generations.

Even if this happened in the future, it would have nothing to do with the Tang Dynasty and would not affect him.

But seeing Wen He's angry expression, Li Shimin couldn't help but be moved.

But he also knew that Japan, being located overseas, was not an enemy of the Tang Dynasty, at least for the time being.

Li Shimin stepped down from the imperial steps and came to Wen He, wiping away the tears on his face.

"I understand what you mean. As long as you make the Tang Dynasty strong, the future can be changed." Li Shimin gently patted Wen He's shoulder.

Wen He was taken aback. He looked at Li Shimin, pondered for a moment, and then said.

“Your Highness, I am not only doing this for future blood feuds, but also for the silver mines and copper mines in Japan.”

Li Shimin was taken aback upon hearing this: "You mean there are silver mountains and copper mines in Japan? Are there many?"

“It’s enough for the Tang Dynasty to use for hundreds of years,” Wen He said earnestly.

He didn't mention Japan before, but rather Europe, because he wanted to let Li Shimin know how big the world was.

Then tell him that there is a mountain of silver and copper right in front of him, and he doesn’t believe Li Shimin won’t be tempted.

Sure enough, the latter gasped sharply and became excited.

But he quickly calmed down and said seriously to Wen He, "I will not allow Japan to continue to exist. In the future, I will send you to Japan to make them pay for everything they have done in the future. Beasts deserve no pity!"

The customs of the Han and Tang dynasties were characterized by a strong sense of vengeance.

Let alone Li Shimin.

Regardless of Li Shimin's motives, Wen He at least drew his attention to Japan.

Given the style of the Tang Dynasty, this island nation will certainly cease to exist in the future.

"I have taken your advice to heart. No matter where it is in Tibet or elsewhere, no artisan of our Great Tang shall ever leave the territory of the Great Tang, or their entire family shall be exterminated!"

Li Shimin was frustrated, even though he hadn't done so yet.

In the original history, it was indeed because of his mistakes, or even his ambition, that later generations suffered.

Then his title of Heavenly Khan is a huge joke!

"In the future, I will not need those barbarians to call me Heavenly Khan. I will be the Emperor of the Great Tang, but the Great Tang will never be this small place it is today!"

Li Shimin's anger was boiling.

His once proud title of "Heavenly Khan" has been interpreted in this way in later generations.

Perhaps he will truly not care in the future.

At that time, the Tang Dynasty was a time of flourishing culture and military prowess.

Any random envoy sent on a mission could destroy a country.

They are just a few foreign lands. As long as the Tang Dynasty is strong, those people, even if they possess the technology of the Tang Dynasty, will not be able to pose any threat.

If someone harbors even the slightest disloyalty, they can be easily destroyed.

However, Li Shimin did not expect that the Tang Dynasty would decline so quickly.

After him, the Tang Dynasty, obsessed with internal strife, was almost powerless to attend to the foreign powers.

Especially during Wu Zetian's reign, the country suffered more defeats than victories in foreign wars, nearly squandering the wealth left by Li Shimin.

"I will also leave behind instructions for future generations to remember," Li Shimin said earnestly.

Wen He couldn't help but chuckle.

This must be what is meant by the laws of our ancestors.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down and bowed to Li Shimin.

"However, Japan has a unique topography, being located overseas. If we want to destroy Japan, we must first eliminate Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje."

Li Shimin was also somewhat troubled.

It's not that he lacks ambition.

Rather, it was because the lesson learned from Yang Guang was too painful.

He also knew that if he wanted to eliminate Goguryeo, logistics and supplies would be a major problem.

Even though Wen He had previously provided fried noodles, which made it easier to carry provisions, it was far from enough.

"What if it's both land and sea?" Wen He asked.

“I have considered this, but it involves seagoing vessels…” Li Shimin said, then deliberately hesitated and glanced at Wen He.

Wen He pursed his lips; he knew Li Er was going to exploit him again.

"I can only provide ideas for research, but I'm not capable of building it myself. Let's focus on training talent first and pass on the knowledge of future generations."

Wen He was also helpless about this.

He knows some history and also knows how to make some small inventions.

But I learned all of these things when I was in the orphanage.

The dean said that this is, after all, a skill, and you never know when it might come in handy.

At that time, Wen He never imagined that her words would come true.

"Yes, actually I'm more worried that there will be people in the court who will oppose me and portray me as Emperor Yang of Sui again."

Li Shimin was quite helpless; after taking this position, he saw more than before.

Wen He paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered something that she should tell Li Er now.

“Your Highness, we may not consider destroying Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje, but you cannot ignore them. They have humiliated you severely.”

(End of this chapter)