Throughout the ages, in any feudal dynasty, the royal family has been a very subtle existence.
In battles in the south and in the north, the clan needs to work together to fight the crisis. In the most critical times, only the clan is the most trustworthy. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the clan is the core of stabilizing the world and supporting the political power. Anyone will seek to rule.
Usurping the throne, but the clan will not do it. If one person achieves enlightenment, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven, this world belongs not only to the emperor, but also to the clan.
But because of this, the clan is the emperor's biggest threat.
It is very difficult to overthrow a dynasty. Even if the right time, place and people are available, you still have to go through countless bloody battles one after another and turn the whole world upside down. Success or failure still depends on the will of God.
, like Xiang Yu, who destroyed the Qin Dynasty but finally handed over the country to Liu Bang, it is simply the greatest tragedy...
But if the clan usurped the throne and overthrew the emperor, it couldn't be easier.
Therefore, every emperor pays great attention to the attitude of the clan, not only to win over them and make them more important, but also to be vigilant at all times.
Loyalty to the emperor and patriotism are the main themes promoted by all dynasties. If you want to overthrow one dynasty and establish another dynasty, the people will be very disgusted, because this means that there will be a chaos, and the people will live and die everywhere; but if there is a coup within the royal family,
A certain prince usurps the throne and seizes power, but the people don't care.
It's all your family's own business. As long as you don't cause trouble to the world, just do whatever you want...
Therefore, it is the lowest cost and the highest success rate for the princes of the clan to seek to usurp the throne.
No emperor would condone the unlimited expansion of the power of the clan. His Majesty Li Er wanted to release Li Xiaogong, the "first general of the clan", and appointed him as the Protector of Anxi. He would take over the military and political power and station troops and horses.
Xuanxiyu, this is really surprising.
The hidden dangers are too great...
Li Ji thought for a moment and then tactfully advised: "Your Majesty, think twice. Although the prince of Hejian County has great military exploits and is a god in his military use, he has not led an army for more than ten years, and his physical condition is getting worse. Moreover, the army is now equipped with many firearms and tactics.
It has already been replaced by a new generation, so it may be inappropriate to rashly order the Prince of Hejian County to guard the Western Regions and take over the post of Protector of Anxi."
At this time, being a minister is the most difficult.
Li Xiaogong is the king of the clan and the cousin of His Majesty Li Er. They are closely related by blood and brotherhood. If the advice is too obvious, it will inevitably be suspected of sowing discord. In the end, Li Ji is just an outsider; but as a minister, he is
Zuo Pushe was originally an assistant officer of His Majesty Li Er. He was neglecting his duty to leave such a hidden danger without warning.
Naturally, His Majesty Li Er would not be tempted to "provoke" because of Li Ji's advice. In fact, he himself was not completely relieved about this matter.
Putting down the bowl and chopsticks, he sighed and said: "Since the establishment of the Shipping Department in Huating Town, Jiangnan maritime trade has mushroomed like bamboo shoots after a rain, growing day by day and out of control. Along with this, the wealth in Jiangnan has increased, and it has already begun to catch up.
The power of Guanzhong. If the Western Region falls into the hands of the Arabs, the Silk Road will be blocked, the wealth of Guanzhong will be tightly controlled by outsiders, and the core position of the empire will be challenged. If one day it is surpassed by Jiangnan, it will inevitably form
In a situation where the branches are weak and the branches are weak, if the balance is lost, the government will be in turmoil and the world will be uneasy. Is it possible that I can still move the capital to the south of the Yangtze River? Therefore, the stability of the Western Regions is as important as the Eastern Expedition and must not be underestimated."
Moving the capital is definitely not possible. The Li and Tang royal families started in Guanzhong and are all based here. If they move their capital to Jiangnan, is it possible that they still have to look up to the gentry in Jiangnan?
Besides, the Guanlong nobles would not agree.
People worked hard for the Tang Dynasty and spent money and people. Now in the prosperous period of the Tang Dynasty, when they were enjoying the huge profits brought by venture capital, they suddenly moved the capital, causing the status of Guanzhong to plummet. It was difficult for the Guanlong nobles to dominate the court.
How can you be content with your status?
If His Majesty Li Er insists on moving the capital now, there is no way that the Guanlong nobles will rebel collectively tomorrow and simply unite to form a small kingdom. This is something that the Guanlong nobles have done a lot in the past. This is how the Northern Zhou Dynasty came about...
Li Ji clicked his tongue and said nothing.
In the past, the Western Regions were not actually that important to the Central Plains dynasty. They were more of an icing on the cake, highlighting the glory of the dynasty in its heyday. Of course, the Silk Road was the most important source of business tax in the Guanzhong region, which directly nourished the development of the Guanzhong region.
The finances of every dynasty.
But it has never had the supreme strategic position it has now.
In any previous dynasty, the Western Regions could be occupied if they could, but if they really couldn't, then it didn't matter.
But now that the Western Region has been connected with Guanzhong, it is even related to the stability of the empire, and there must be no room for loss.
The Western Region was lost, the Silk Road was severed, the Guanzhong was unstable, the world was unstable, and the imperial power was not solid... and all of this originated from the rise of wealth in Jiangnan.
The rise of wealth in Jiangnan was caused by the establishment of the Shipping Department of Huating Town.
The establishment of the Huating Town Shipping Department was conceived and implemented by Fang Jun...
Did Fang Jun unintentionally shoot himself in the foot, or was it intentional? When the Shibo Division was established, Fang Jun had already seen the current situation?
Li Ji couldn't guess correctly.
But he knew that among Fang Jun's ambitions, his obsession with land was very strong, and could even be said to be coercive. Just look at the islands he visited, no matter how big or small, when he ordered naval ships to go to sea.
It is just a rock that protrudes out of the sea. A stone tablet must be erected to indicate its ownership, and a sea map will be drawn. After returning, it will be reported to the chief map officer of the Ministry of War immediately, and it will be entered into the map of the Tang Dynasty for permanent production.
Thinking about it this way, with such a large territory in the Western Regions, Fang Jun would definitely have the intention to permanently incorporate it into the territory of the Tang Dynasty.
It's just that the Western Region is barren. Except for one Silk Road, the land has no output and the rivers have nothing to gain. All dynasties have occupied it if they can, and abandoned it if they can't. No Central Plains dynasty has ever regarded it as a land, and the land is inhabited by people and barbarians.
, there were only a few Han merchants, and even if they were occupied, it would be difficult to integrate with the Tang Dynasty.
It was okay when the country was strong, but due to military power, the Western Regions had to stay contented and surrender to the Tang Dynasty. However, if the country's power weakened one day, these places would immediately rebel and split away.
What is the use of such a place?
If the current situation is indeed what Fang Jun had planned for a long time, Li Ji felt that it might be a bit rash.
For the sake of a barbarian land, heavy troops had to be used to maintain rule, which cost the empire wealth. This is not a good deal no matter how you calculate it, right?
His Majesty Li Er sighed with a look on his face and said slowly: "From the time when the Municipal Shipping Department was established and the first batch of commercial taxes were paid to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, I saw the pressure and threat that the rise of Jiangnan would bring to Guanzhong in the future.
I want to issue an edict to abolish the shipping department and eventually the sea trade, so as to deny the Jiangnan region the opportunity to rise."
Li Ji was silent and looked at His Majesty Li Er. He was very curious. Since he had seen the crisis, why didn't he stop it in time and turn it into the current situation that could not be lost?
His Majesty Li Er expressed his thoughts: "But the wealth arriving from the south of the Yangtze River makes me want to stop... Ship after ship of copper coins are like nutrients that promote the prosperity of the empire. With this money, more buildings can be built."
With more cities, the refugees will not be homeless, more schools can be set up, so that more children have the opportunity to study and become literate, more ordnance can be produced, the strength of the Tang Dynasty Tigers will skyrocket, and more roads can be laid.
Roads make transportation between states, prefectures and counties in the world as convenient as thoroughfares..."
"I am the emperor, and I have to shoulder the responsibility of stabilizing the empire and stabilizing the country. But at the same time, I also have to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that the people who follow me have enough food and clothing. The whole world is not the king's land, and the shore of the land is not the king's land.
Sir, since I am the emperor of the empire, when there is an opportunity in front of me that can replenish the national treasury and enable all the people of the empire to live a better life, how can I give up on it because of my short-sightedness and lack of ambition? I have been ordered by heaven to be rich all over the world.
, we should forge ahead and strive for the well-being of the people in the world, instead of being complacent in the face of difficulties and giving up such a good opportunity to create an unprecedented prosperous age!"
When His Majesty Li Er said these words, his handsome square face was full of uprightness, and his already somewhat saggy skin was radiant, seeming to have a divine luster.
Li Ji left the table and knelt down, shouting loudly: "Your Majesty is a sage, caring about the country, benefiting the people, and his merits are as good as those of the ancient sages, even the emperors of Qin and Han are not as good as him!"
From ancient times to the present, all emperors have tried their best to maintain their rule, even if they regard all people as stupid dogs, they are not willing to take any risks.
Has there ever been such an ambitious and grand plan as His Majesty Li Er?
Even though he knew that the rise of Jiangnan would bring unparalleled hidden dangers to the empire's rule, he was willing to bear all the hidden dangers in order to have more wealth to invest in the construction of the empire and bring a happier life to the people of the world.
Although there are thousands of people, I will go.