Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 4784 Foreign Strategy
The Tang Dynasty was a country of etiquette. Although this statement was a bit empty and even hypocritical, it did increase the favorability of the surrounding countries towards the Tang Dynasty. Even when the war broke out, it was only a life-and-death struggle. The people of every country were full of yearning for the Tang Dynasty, and many times they even prayed for their country to be defeated so that they could be incorporated into the Tang Dynasty and become a true Tang person...

The Tang Dynasty is humble, kind, loving, and moral, and is the embodiment of all that is good in the world. This is the consensus of the Hu people all over the world, so they always give the Tang Dynasty the highest recognition at all times.

The Tang Dynasty would never do such despicable things as looting and massacre. The noble and benevolent Tang people would only raise their butcher knives to annihilate all enemies during wars. Otherwise, they would always hold the heart of "benevolence and love for others" and tolerate the world...

The Tang Dynasty will not and cannot engage in the slave trade. This is the bottom line.

But the bottom line of the country is not the bottom line of the aristocratic families, and the aristocratic families have never had a so-called bottom line...

*****
Chang'an, Taiji Palace, Wude Hall.

Liu Li frowned and put down the secret letter in his hand, somewhat dissatisfied: "The Tang Dynasty is a country of etiquette. Since Goguryeo has been destroyed and Yeon Gaesomun has died, why can't his descendants seek to join the Tang Dynasty and completely submit? We can't destroy their ancestral temples and their descendants, right? Even if they are offered a thousand gold coins to buy horse bones, we should agree to it. After all, we can't choose a place to settle them, and the court doesn't need to spend money and food. Why should we drive them to Japan to fend for themselves?"

This was not only Liu Li's idea, but also the consistent style of the bureaucratic system represented by Confucianism. When facing a defeated enemy, they would always show mercy to demonstrate their magnanimity, generosity, and tolerance, even if they had lost countless money and food provided by the people and even countless lives in previous wars.

As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Jun nodded and said, "The Minister of the Central Secretariat is indeed a Confucian saint and selfless. In this case, I will donate the Minister of the Central Secretariat's fiefdom as a place for the Yuan family to live. If it is not enough, I will also donate the sacrificial fields in the ancestral temple. In this way, everyone in the world will praise your benevolence, and the Yuan family will be even more grateful to you and repay you with gifts."

Liu Li was stunned: "This is a government order, what does it have to do with me?"

What a joke. If he is asked to give up his fiefdom and sacrificial fields, won’t his clansmen spit on him and curse him to death?

Fang Jun laughed and said, "You refused to give up your fiefdom and sacrificial land, but have you ever thought that any piece of land given to the Yuan family is equivalent to taking back the food and sacrificial land of countless people? Don't you, the Minister of the Central Secretariat, understand the principle of not doing to others what you don't want others to do to you? You talk about benevolence, righteousness and morality, but you are just being generous to others. You avoid talking about it when it touches your own interests. It's so hypocritical!"

"You, you, you are slandering me!"

Liu Li blushed and hurriedly explained to Li Chengqian: "Your Majesty, please understand. I am only concerned about the prestige of the Tang Dynasty and your Majesty's reputation. However, Duke Yue is confusing right and wrong and calling a horse a zebra. This is really too much!"

Fang Jun retorted, "Since you are concerned about the prestige of the Tang Dynasty and the reputation of Your Majesty, why don't you offer your family's fiefdom and sacrificial fields? You are using the people's fields and sacrificial fields to fulfill your reputation as a loyal minister. To say that you are hypocritical is an understatement. Perhaps you have ulterior motives and are up to something bad!"

"Wow, Fang Jun, you've gone too far! You've ruined my reputation and put me in an unjust and unkind position. I won't forgive you!"

"I'm sitting here, what are you doing?"

Li Chengqian's head was buzzing with the two people's quarrel. He said angrily: "Enough! You are all important ministers of the empire and my assistants, why are you cursing like street shrews? You have no dignity at all, how can you be so disrespectful!"

Fang Jun said: "The Gao royal family was the ruler of Goguryeo. Although their country was destroyed and their ancestral temples were destroyed, they were still the rulers of a country after all. The Tang Dynasty wanted to show its magnanimity and accommodate them within its borders. This is fine. But what is the Yuan family? They were traitors and rebels in Goguryeo, and mortal enemies and opponents in the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty cannot spend its favors on them, and the Tang Dynasty does not have an inch of extra land to give them to reproduce and thrive!"

Li Chengqian said impatiently: "I didn't say that your concubine did anything wrong, why are you so impatient and nagging?"

Fang Jun said righteously, "Your Majesty is naturally wise and powerful, and your light shines thousands of miles away, but I am here to prevent you from being deceived by treacherous people and doing things that will make your relatives sad and your enemies happy."

Liu Li was so angry that he blew his beard and glared: "Who do you say is a treacherous villain?"

Fang Jun rolled his eyes: "Whoever advises Your Majesty to give the land of the Tang people to foreign nations to fulfill his own hypocritical reputation is a traitor!"

"If you disagree with your political views, you can naturally weigh the pros and cons and compromise with each other. Why do you keep insulting me?"

"Is this a matter of political disagreement? This is because you only care about your own reputation and have no sympathy for the people of the Tang Dynasty. You are a 'fake Confucian' who deceives the world and steals the reputation!"

"Alright, alright!"

Li Chengqian rubbed his temples, unable to bear the two men's loud voices, and quickly spoke out to stop them, asking Liu Li to calm down first, and then asked Fang Jun: "It's fine if you don't accept the surrender of the Yuan family, but why did your concubine drive the Yuan family to Japan? And you tacitly allowed the Yu family to provide weapons to the Yuan family and let them go to Japan to grow and develop, and you also privately discussed the slave trade... This is not good."

Liu Li was speechless. Your Majesty, you are the supreme ruler. Why do you have to be so humble in front of Fang Jun?
Can you be a little harder?
Fang Jun heard the voice and explained: "Your Majesty, the so-called slave trade is just to appease the Yuan family. In fact, driving them to Japan will cause them to continue to fight and consume their respective resources. Japan has the Ezo in the north, the Wa in the middle, and the Yuan family in the south. It is bound to fall into a long-term war and cannot recuperate. This is the most favorable situation for the empire. It can achieve the goal of calmly controlling the Japanese islands without consuming the empire's money and food, and without sacrificing Tang soldiers. What could be more cost-effective than this? It's a pity that the Minister of the Central Secretariat, a corrupt scholar, can't see the most brilliant strategy among them, but still blindly advocates using Tang's land to support foreign enemies. His heart is worthy of death!"

Liu Li's temples were throbbing. If he couldn't make things clear today, he would become a "traitor" in the Tang Dynasty tomorrow.

"When the Turks were destroyed, their tribes either joined the Xueyantuo in the north or fled to the Western Regions in the west. There were still 100,000 people who surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, and I didn't know how to settle them. Duke Yu said to Emperor Taizong, 'The king covers all things, and nothing is left out. Now the Turks have come to us in poverty, so why should we abandon them and not accept them? Confucius said, 'There is no distinction in teaching.' If we save them from death, teach them a way to make a living, and teach them etiquette and morality, after a few years, they will all become our people. Select their chiefs and make them guard the palace, so that they will fear our power and cherish our virtue. What troubles will there be in the future!' Emperor Taizong then used Yanbo's strategy to deal with the surrendered Turks. From Youzhou in the east to Lingzhou in the west, he divided the land that Tuli used to rule, and set up four governorates in Shun, You, Hua, and Chang; he also divided the land of Jie Li into six states, and set up Dingxiang Governorate on the left and Yunzhong Governorate on the right to rule their people. From then on, all the Hu people submitted, and the Tang Dynasty was famous and powerful, benefiting the people!"

When the Turks were destroyed, 100,000 people surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. The court had different opinions on how to resettle them. Finally, Emperor Taizong adopted the strategy of Prime Minister Wen Yanbo to preserve the Turkic tribal organization, conform to Turkish customs and habits, and use the original Turkic management model to manage the Turks.

And settling the Turks in the Hetao area could make these Turks a barrier to the north of the Tang Dynasty.

This is the national policy of Emperor Taizong. Do you dare to oppose it?

Fang Jun sneered and said, "Does the Minister of the Central Secretariat still remember the riot caused by the Jieshe Leader?"

In the 13th year of the Zhenguan reign, the Ashina Jieshe took advantage of the fact that Emperor Taizong was staying at Jiucheng Palace for the summer vacation and led more than 40 followers to attack Jiucheng Palace at night. Although they failed, they almost killed Emperor Taizong...

Liu Li shook his head and said, "A dragon gives birth to nine sons, each one is different. Among 100,000 Turks, only one has a high rate of association."

Fang Jun sighed, "Emperor Taizong was wise and powerful, but not all of his decisions were correct. Placing the Turks in the Hetao area almost did not ensure long-term peace. There will be endless troubles. When the Turks were strong, they repeatedly invaded the Central Plains and killed tens of millions of people. How can they be obedient to the beasts? As long as the right opportunity comes, the Turks will surely rebel again."

In fact, these Turkic people who surrendered to the Tang Dynasty were indeed difficult to keep. Not only did they launch several rebellions during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, but they also became the "vanguard" of An Lushan, attacking cities and strongholds from east to west, shaking the foundation of the Tang Dynasty...

Liu Li was shocked and angry: "How dare you, a rat, slander Emperor Taizong?"

Fang Jun sneered, "Emperor Taizong is a man of great talent and wisdom, and he is the greatest emperor of all time, but he is a man after all, not a god. He always makes mistakes. As ministers, we should speak out and criticize him directly. How can we just sing his praises and flatter him? If you are not a flatterer, who is a flatterer?"

Liu Li was so angry that he wanted to say more, but was stopped by Li Chengqian: "Duke Yue was just discussing the matter at hand. Why did the Minister of the Central Secretariat have to do this? The first priority now is to discuss whether this strategy of dispersing the enemy's strength and stirring up hostile forces to force them to oppose each other is useful."

He thought Fang Jun’s words were very nice.

Since he ascended the throne, he has been overshadowed by Emperor Taizong. Anything he does will be compared with Taizong, which puts him under tremendous pressure. Emperor Taizong was wise, brave, talented and wise, and there are only a handful of emperors throughout history who can be compared with him. How can he compare with him?
But Emperor Taizong was also a human being, and he had made many mistakes. As a son, he should not "speak ill of his father". Someone else stood up and criticized Emperor Taizong's mistakes from time to time, which slightly dimmed his brilliant light. This would relieve Li Chengqian's pressure, and he naturally felt that it was a good thing...

"Whether it's Annan, Japan, or even the Xueyantuo to the north of the Hanhai, the Tang Dynasty only needs to station troops to deal with emergencies. In normal times, the Tang Dynasty should incite local forces to fight each other for their own interests, rather than keeping tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of troops stationed at all times, let alone moving the barbarians within the country and giving them preferential treatment."