Unless Xiao Yu claimed to be noble, has any Central Plains dynasty ever looked at the foreign barbarians in the East and Southeast Asia with their eyes? When the dynasty was prosperous, they paid attention to "congratulations from all directions". In those small countries, the natives were just a part of the makeup that decorated the prosperous times.
A delegation came to Beijing, presented some native congratulatory gifts, praised the power of the heaven and conquered the world, and sufficed the vanity of the dynasty, and then returned happily after receiving a reward that was ten times or a hundred times better than the congratulations...
In Xiao Yu's opinion, those monkey-like natives from the East and Southeast Asia probably only have these uses.
As for its territory, although it has a warm climate and abundant water, it has not been cultivated anywhere and is filled with smoke and snakes and insects. Is that a place where people can stay? Not even for free...
His Majesty Li Er was a little dissatisfied: "You are a veteran of two dynasties and a pillar of the country. I have many questions to ask you about state affairs. How can you be so stagnant in thinking and unwilling to make progress?"
Xiao Yu looked confused. Although he was older and less energetic than before, he always paid attention to all important matters in the court and never slacked off. How could he be scolded as "thinking about fat" and "not thinking about progress"?
He said with shame: "I am stupid, please ask Your Majesty to clear up my confusion."
His Majesty Li Er took a sip of tea and said slowly: "The navy conquered the two oceans, not only to intimidate other countries, open waterways, and promote foreign trade, but also lease ports and land in various places, recruit merchants, refugees, and form countless national centers.
The country enjoys "extraterritoriality", which makes its land become our land. At the same time, in order to prevent those people who immigrated to foreign countries from forgetting their roots after two generations, they invested heavily in building countless schools and recruited many students from home to go there.
Teach Han studies. Now, those children who have immigrated overseas can enjoy orthodox teaching. I don’t know how many foreign countries are keen to see it, and have sincerely requested the Tang Dynasty to send students to help their countries open Confucian schools and open up the people’s wisdom.”
Xiao Yu naturally knew about this matter, but he still didn't understand what His Majesty Li Er meant: "This matter is complicated and not easy to accomplish. There were many students in the Tang Dynasty, but when they went overseas, they left their homes and businesses behind, leaving their wives, children, children, and land and properties behind.
Care? After going overseas, people and places are unfamiliar, and accidents are inevitable. How to arrange your life, and how to ensure safety? There are so many complicated things, so please think twice."
In his opinion, the Tang Dynasty could just live its own life, why should it pay attention to the requests of those small foreign countries?
They are all monkey-like natives who cannot read a single Chinese character. Even if they send students there, what can they teach? What benefit will they bring to the Tang Dynasty by opening up the people's wisdom?
It's completely thankless.
His Majesty Li Er shook his head and sighed, saying: "You, you, you are also the prime minister of the country, how come you have such little vision?"
He pointed to the desk: "You can take out the bottom copy of the pile of memorials on the left and have a look at it. We will discuss it further."
"Here."
Being criticized as "short-sighted" made Xiao Yu a little unhappy. He stood up and took out the memorial in accordance with the instructions of His Majesty Li Er. He came back and sat down. He opened it and saw a line on the title page, "Your Majesty Su Dingfang petitions to assist the countries in the two oceans in the war on Sinology education."
"...
A general who wields a sword and wields a stick and charges into battle actually cares about such matters in the cultural circle?
Xiao Yu, full of suspicion, unfolded the memorial and read it ten lines at a time. He frowned in thought and was deeply shocked.
The first sentence in the memorial is "Since ancient times, our country has dominated the world and led the world, all because of the culture of the scholars"...
The clear meaning of the opening of the ancestral line points out the source of the endless inheritance of China. It is precisely because the Chinese culture constructed by the theories of various scholars has been passed down from generation to generation that the blood of Yan and Huang continues to this day. Regardless of the north and south of the Yangtze River, the cultural inheritance of the same origin has made China full of
It has extremely strong centripetal force and cohesion, and can explode with extremely strong force when faced with foreign invasion, drive away the Tartars, and protect China.
Even if one day the dynasty is overthrown or even invaded by foreign tribes, as long as the cultural heritage continues, the Miao descendants will not be annihilated and become the genus of Hu Di, and may even be assimilated and tamed in turn.
Especially since the Han Dynasty, Confucianism has only been respected, and the Confucian system built by Confucius and Mencius has been promulgated throughout the world, which has further strengthened the unity of culture and given the Chinese people a solid barrier from the inside out!
"The barbarians in the two oceans are all foreigners who do not know etiquette and loyalty, and are like animals. If they are educated with Chinese culture and help them open up their people's wisdom, then their people will all know Confucius and Mencius, and Chinese etiquette is in their blood.
It has been passed down from generation to generation without interruption, and it has given rise to cultural identity. Over time, it has become subtle. Although its country does not belong to the Tang Dynasty, its people are all Chinese people."
"...Three generations later, everyone will speak Chinese, and everyone will have some Chinese characters, so how can we divide the four seas into Chinese and barbarian? This is to subjugate the enemy without fighting!"
After reading this, Xiao Yu was filled with praise and admiration!
He said excitedly: "The territory can be conquered, but it will eventually be lost; once the people's hearts are attached to it, there will be no risk of losing it for a generation!"
Pointing to the memorial, he said: "How can Su Dingfang, a famous general in the world, have such true knowledge and insights? This is the strategy of Bifang Jun!"
His Majesty Li Er stroked his beard and nodded in approval. The monarch and his ministers couldn't help but sigh.
Thinking back to those days, Fang Jun spared no expense in building Huating Town and brought the entire Nuo Dada Beach under his control. He successively recruited more than 100,000 refugees and spent countless amounts of money and food every day. Finally, he laid a huge foundation and supported an unprecedented scale army.
Invincible navy.
At that time, some people ridiculed him for having so much money that he couldn't spend all his money. In order to flatter His Majesty, he created a "Royal Navy" and would sooner or later burn up all his wealth...
Until now, when I understand the situation between the two oceans, I know that he has already laid out this situation, and even the century-old plan for the two oceans is all within Fang Jun's conception.
Gu Chen/span may not be as good at handling specific affairs as experienced and mature people like Xiao Yu and Cen Wenwen, but with his vision, structure, and courage to prepare for the world from a high position, who in the government and the public can match it?
Thinking again about Fang Jun who has just passed his prime years, how amazing and talented he is...
Xiao Yu closed the memorial, stood up and put it on the desk, then returned and knelt down opposite His Majesty Li Er, saying sincerely: "Your Majesty, your Majesty, should take this memorial to the political hall and let all the prime ministers and ministers discuss it together, and then formulate detailed strategies.
Teachers will cooperate with the implementation. Once all the expectations are realized, the culture of China will be benefited by the people of the two oceans, and the power of China will dominate the world. Hundreds of millions of barbarians in both oceans will appreciate the grace of the Tang Dynasty. The merits will last forever.
Shocking the past and the present!"
The foreign country is too far away. Even if its territory can be included in the territory, after ten or a hundred years, it will eventually be gained and lost again. It cannot be conquered for a long time, but instead breeds hatred due to war and killing.
But using culture as a sword, one can spread the power of the Tang Dynasty to all directions without bloodshed, so that generations of people will be bathed in the rule of Chinese culture. They will naturally yearn for the Tang Dynasty. Even if they cannot be ministers, they can be integrated with each other forever and for thousands of years.
Furthermore, when all the countries in the two oceans speak Chinese, write Chinese characters, and study Confucian classics, how can we distinguish between China and foreign countries?
With the inclusiveness of Chinese culture, one day they can be completely assimilated and integrated into one clan...
These achievements are really no less than that of Emperor Qin who unified the six kingdoms and Wu of Han who drove away the Xiongnu!
But at the same time, Fang Jun, who proposed this strategy, will surely achieve great success and be famous forever. This makes Xiao Yu feel a little sour, feeling both envy and jealousy... However, thinking that this guy is now being suppressed by His Majesty, his future is not bright.
, then I felt slightly better.
Otherwise, if such talented and brilliant people take control of the court and uphold national policies at such a young age, when will the children of the Jiangnan gentry come to the fore?
His Majesty Li Er thought for a while and said: "Let's discuss this matter during the first meeting. There is no need to leak it for now."
Xiao Yu nodded and said yes.
When His Majesty Li Er saw that the tea was lukewarm, he ordered someone to make a new pot and asked: "The Crown Prince went to Da Ci'en Temple today to pray for Queen Wende. What do you think about this?"
Xiao Yu thought quickly in his mind and said: "The prince's pure filial piety should be a model for the world. However, the prince's move to Da Ci'en Temple this time will inevitably lead to stagnation in government affairs. No one will share your worries for your majesty. Why not choose another prince to temporarily take over the prince's duties?"
"
The East Palace itself is a small court. Although it is small and has all the internal organs, it usually helps the emperor in handling the affairs of the court. Now that the prince is stationed in Da Ci'en Temple, whether intentionally or unintentionally, this responsibility has become vacant. As long as His Majesty nominates who will take over temporarily, then this
Most of them are His Majesty's preferred candidates for the new crown prince.
But how could His Majesty Li Er be fooled?
He said with a smile but not a smile: "All the princes are virtuous, but I am in a dilemma. Which prince of the Song Dynasty do you think is suitable for the temporary crown prince's duties?"
Xiao Yu hurriedly said: "This is His Majesty's family matter, how dare I say anything? No matter who temporarily takes over the duties of the prince, I will do my best to help."
This is being cunning and not making a decision when His Majesty Li Er is pressing him, but it is also a statement in a sense - Yi Chu is His Majesty's family matter and I will not interfere with it.
Of course, whether there is any mixing in private, God knows...
His Majesty Li Er shook his head and laughed: "You, you are always unwilling to suffer some losses...Okay, you can mention this matter at the meeting on the first day of the new year, and the ministers can discuss it together and brainstorm ideas."
Xiao Yu agreed.
However, he can be sure that even if the matter is placed in the political hall, no minister will express any opinions on it. Whoever dares to be in the limelight will have to face the other faction or even two factions to attack...
It's just that the prince's move to Da Ci'en Temple this time happened to avoid the current trend of slandering the king of Wei in the court, which made his original plan of "killing two birds with one stone" suddenly frustrated. He could only attack the king of Wei, but could not blame the prince, which was disappointing.
.
*****
In the Daci'en Temple, the prince drove in and, accompanied by Xuanzang, the abbot, settled in the Buddhist temple in the backyard.
The prince and his family members in the East Palace settled in their residence, while Fang Jun accompanied Xuanzang to drink tea in the monastery.
Seeing Fang Jun looking at him up and down, even with Xuanzang's Zen mind as immovable as a mountain, he couldn't help but be puzzled, and asked with a smile: "The look in the Duke of Yue's eyes makes me look like a mountain spirit and wild monster, but I don't know if I can