My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

"I never expected Yuan Shao to kill Tian Feng. Perhaps this is the difference between a wise ruler and a foolish one," Li Shimin said.

Wei Zheng nodded in agreement: "You are right. From then on, the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu implemented a policy of marriage alliance, which lasted for several decades until the reign of Emperor Wu of Han."

Emperor Wu of Han heeded the advice of his Grand Master Wang Hui and launched the siege of Mayi.

Their plan was originally flawless: to lure the main force of the Xiongnu into Mayi, and then annihilate them.

At that time, Emperor Wu of Han dispatched 30 troops to ambush around Mayi City, waiting for the arrival of the Xiongnu army.

As expected, Chanyu Junchen led his army to the scene.

As long as the army of the Chanyu and his ministers enters Mayi City, the Han army can wipe them out in one fell swoop.

However, due to a small mistake.

The ruler and his ministers were extremely vigilant.

He sensed that there might be a problem in Mayi City.

So he led his troops away.

In this way, Emperor Wu of Han's plan failed.

The 30-strong army returned empty-handed, having achieved nothing.

When Wang Hui returned to Chang'an, Emperor Wen of Han was furious and imprisoned him, forcing him to commit suicide.

Only then did the policy of marriage alliances end.

Emperor Wu of Han began military campaigns against the Xiongnu.

Li Shimin listened to Wei Zheng's words and lowered his head in deep thought.

Li Shimin was also very knowledgeable about those historical events.

"My dear minister, you just said that the policy of marriage alliances was beneficial to stabilizing relations between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu. So why did Emperor Wu of Han abolish the policy of marriage alliances?"

Wei Zheng, unperturbed, cleared his throat and said, "Everything in the world is in flux; nothing is static."

Your humble servant just stated that the policy of marriage alliances was beneficial for stabilizing the situation between the two sides, referring to specific historical conditions.

This situation will change as the strength of both sides changes.

When Emperor Gaozu of Han first established the Han Dynasty, the country was impoverished and weak, with everything in need of rebuilding and the nation was extremely vulnerable.

Later, after the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing, the Han Dynasty experienced significant development in production, and its national strength became much greater than before.

Horse breeding also began in the Han Dynasty.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, each Han cavalryman was equipped with two warhorses.

This was something we wouldn't have dared to even dream of back then.

In the later stages, the Xiongnu frequently invaded the border.

Furthermore, the Han Dynasty's strength was no longer what it used to be, so Emperor Wu of Han decided to launch a counterattack.

"In that case, the policy of marriage alliances was merely a stopgap measure."

"That's one way to put it."

"So, is it appropriate for Songtsen Gampo to propose a marriage alliance?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng understood that Li Shimin might have some concerns.

Therefore, he often struggled to make a decision about this matter.

"Your Majesty, to use an imperfect analogy, our current situation is not much different from that of Emperor Gaozu of Han when he established the Western Han Dynasty."

Our Great Tang Dynasty is now riddled with problems and in dire need of reconstruction.

The population is much smaller than it was during the Sui Dynasty.

Years of war have drastically reduced the population. Everything needs rebuilding!

Many places are even deserted and uninhabited.

However, our Great Tang Dynasty needs to vigorously develop production and requires a stable social environment.

However, looking around, although the Tuyuhun had been conquered and the Dangxiang had submitted to the Tang Dynasty,

However, to the west there were also the Tibetans, Uyghurs, Xueyantuo, and Yanqi.

To the east were Goguryeo and other kingdoms.

Therefore, our surrounding environment is not good, and war could break out at any time.

In recent years, we have spent too much money, and the national treasury is empty.

We need to vigorously develop production and conserve our energy.

Since Songtsen Gampo of Tibet took the initiative to propose a marriage alliance, why should we refuse?

The Tibetans were a truly remarkable people.

They are now very powerful.

Establishing good relations between the Tang Dynasty and Tibet would be of great benefit to the stability of both countries.

We can even ask Songtsen Gampo to send troops when we want to attack other countries.

Fighting on and off, stopping and fighting again! This is a very normal thing. Emperor Wu of Han fought with the Xiongnu for decades, but in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wang Zhaojun still went to the Xiongnu.

Wang Zhaojun's departure to the Xiongnu stabilized relations between the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu, and there were no large-scale wars for decades.

This is one of the fundamental reasons why the Eastern Han Dynasty later became so powerful.

There's a saying: "Those who offend the mighty Han, though far away, shall be punished."

However, to achieve this, strong comprehensive national strength is essential.

If the nation is weak, who will still respect the Han Dynasty?