Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

"Uncle, you should learn from this!" Xiao Ran laughed. "Emperor Wen of Han's wife and four children also died, but it seems that people in later generations have not paid attention to it."

"No one said he altered history books. That's professionalism!"

"Compared to that, Uncle, yours is a bit lacking!"

"How do you know that later generations will say I altered history?" Li Shimin retorted, unconvinced.

"I don't know about other things, but I do know this. It's not just about you altering history books; there are many other problems that are unavoidable. As for how I know this, Uncle, don't worry about it. I just know it!"

"Where did I alter the history books?" Li Shimin retorted to Xiao Ran.

"Your records of Xuanwu Gate cannot withstand scrutiny."

"I didn't change it! I don't accept this!" Li Shimin's attitude was firm.

"Uncle, you didn't directly vilify the Crown Prince, nor did you deliberately conceal this matter. You modified a part of it, and in fact, ordinary people in later generations believed it."

"But some people who like history and like to delve into things don't believe it."

"Do you still remember any of your official positions from before the Xuanwu Gate Incident?"

Li Shimin thought about it carefully, "I can't remember!"

“Those official positions all held real power. No matter how terrifying your power was, history books would portray you as the weaker party. If you were weak, how were the others supposed to live?”

"Old man, what is the Hidden Crown Prince?"

Li Shimin felt that Xiao Ran had seen through him, and waved his hand, "Stop, you brat, stop! You think you know everything!"

"I don't know much, but I do know a little bit."

"What do you think of the Alliance of the Wei River, when we talked about Jieli Khan?" Li Shimin put down his fishing rod. "Will future generations criticize me?"

"Does Uncle think this is a major stain on his life?"

"Isn't that so?" Li Shimin retorted.

Xiao Ran shook his head. "It's a stain on the Tang Dynasty, but not on Uncle Shi."

Xiao Ran put down his fishing rod, leaned forward slightly, and spoke with a more solemn tone than before, but without the sharpness he had when discussing history; instead, he showed more understanding of the circumstances at the time:
"Uncle, you think it's a stain because you feel that 'making peace before the war' is a loss of face, but have you forgotten what the Tang Dynasty was like back then?"

"The Xuanwu Gate Incident happened not long ago, and the people in Chang'an City are still not settled. The garrison troops are either stationed on the border in other places or have not yet been recalled. The number of troops you can actually muster is not much."

"Jieli led 100,000 Turkic cavalry, the elite force that had just swept across the grasslands, and his army was advancing as far as the Wei River, just across the river from Chang'an."

"At this point, is it possible to win or not to fight? If we can't win, Chang'an will fall, the people will suffer from the calamity of war, and the foundation of the Tang Dynasty, which has just been stabilized, will collapse. That would be the real 'stain'."

He raised his hand and tapped the water's surface, as if simulating the standoff between the two banks of the Wei River at that time:
"But you didn't do that."

"You didn't panic, nor did you hide in the palace and have your ministers negotiate. Instead, you took a few people to the Wei River and spoke to Jieli face to face—how much courage does that take?"

“The Turks are subservient to ruthlessness and courage. You stood alone by the Wei River, your eyes showing not a hint of fear. That alone intimidated them, making them realize that Chang'an wasn't truly empty. Otherwise, you wouldn't have dared to be so assertive.” “This isn't compromise; it's overwhelming them with your presence!”

"Besides, your alliance with Jieli isn't just about giving away money and silk."

"You secretly sent people to sow discord between Jieli and Tuli, making them suspicious of each other, and you also had the garrison troops around Chang'an deliberately make a show of mobilization to bluff their way out."

"Jieli was already afraid of being ambushed, and because of your disturbance, he didn't dare to stay long and left after taking the money and silk."

"You may seem to have 'taken a step back,' but in fact, you exchanged the safety of the people of Chang'an and the time for the Tang Dynasty to catch its breath with the least amount of cost."

"This is not cowardice, it's being good at calculation, it's understanding the principle of 'securing the foundation before planning for the long term'!"

Xiao Ran paused, his gaze falling on Li Shimin's face. Seeing that his brows were gradually relaxing, he continued:
"What is a stain? It is knowingly fighting a losing battle, causing civilians to die in the war, and dragging the country into a desperate situation for the sake of saving face."

"And you? In the desperate situation of 100,000 iron cavalry pressing in and Chang'an being empty, you prevented the flames of war from spreading into the city, prevented the newly established order of the Tang Dynasty from collapsing, and laid the groundwork for recuperating and building up strength during the Zhenguan era, and finally destroying the Turks."

"Later, you sent Li Shibo to attack the Turks in the north and capture Jieli alive. Wasn't that a 'long-term strategy' that started with the Wei River Alliance?"

“Those who truly understand history in later generations will not condemn you for ‘compromising,’ but will instead praise you—praise your composure and forbearance in dire straits, and your ability to devise a backup plan, protecting the people while maintaining the courage of an emperor. How can this be a stain?”

"This is the first time since you became emperor that you have demonstrated your ability as a 'ruling emperor' in a desperate situation. It is truly a shining moment!"

A breeze swept across the water, bringing a cool sensation, but it didn't dampen the mood of the conversation.

After Xiao Ran finished speaking, he picked up the fishing rod again and gently shook it:
"Think about it, if it were anyone else at that time, they would either panic and close the city to defend it, or fight to the death. How many people could use 'softness to overcome hardness' like you?"

"I don't think Qin Shi Huang or Emperor Wu of Han could have done a better job in your position!"

Li Shimin suddenly loosened his grip on the fishing rod, causing it to sway gently on his knee. His eyes lit up, and a smile instantly spread across his face.

Even the fine lines around her eyes betrayed a smile; she clearly hadn't expected Xiao Ran to praise her so lavishly.

The first feeling that welled up in my heart was genuine joy: although this kid always liked to nitpick, he was never stingy when it came to praising people, and he did understand my predicament at the time!

He tapped his knee unconsciously with his fingertips, about to say, "You little rascal, you know how to say nice things."

Before the smile could even warm her face, a sudden "thump" struck her mind—as if she had suddenly remembered something. The brightness in her eyes slowly faded, the curve of her lips gradually flattened, and her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"and many more--"

He suddenly spoke, his tone still carrying a lingering smile, but tinged with doubt, "You're saying that even Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han couldn't do a good job in my position? Do you know, kid, how many people in the court and among the public speak well of these two figures these days?"

He leaned forward slightly, most of his previous pleasure dissipated, replaced by a more serious attitude:
"When Qin Shi Huang built the Great Wall and burned books and buried scholars alive, how many people died from exhaustion and starvation? Emperor Wu of Han fought against the Xiongnu for decades, squandering the wealth of the Wen and Jing reigns, and in the end he still had to issue an edict of self-reproach."

"What kind of wise rulers are these two? And you, comparing me to them, say they are inferior to me? Do you really not understand how people evaluate these two nowadays, or are you just deliberately trying to argue with me?"

As he spoke, Li Shimin pointed at Xiao Ran, his tone tinged with a mixture of amusement and exasperation:
"I just thought your compliment was reasonable, but before I could even finish being happy, I realized—you're praising me the wrong way!"

"The worst thing you can do in governing a country is to follow their example and exhaust the people's resources. But you've gone and tied me to those two. If word gets out, people will think I also want to emulate their militaristic and wasteful approach!" (End of Chapter)