Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5226 The Art of Colonization
Although there were Tang army barracks at Naniwa-zu Wharf, the conditions were rather harsh. Therefore, a group of Tang officials, including Li Tai and Fang Jun, stayed at Tenno-ji Temple under the escort of imperial guards and personal soldiers. Even before the palace was completed, this place would serve as the location for Li Tai to handle government affairs.

Compared to the dilapidated and cramped Asuka-kyō, Li Taining was willing to start from scratch in Naniwa-zu, building his own palace and government offices...

Night fell, and the wind and snow continued. Inside a side hall, the lights were on. Changsun Run was boiling water and making tea by the window to serve the emperor and his ministers who were still discussing state affairs. However, his eyes would occasionally steal glances at Fang Jun, who was sitting next to Li Tai, talking and laughing as he pointed out the state of affairs.

The eldest grandson's family members have very mixed feelings about Fang Jun.

Initially, as outstanding officials of the Zhenguan era, the Changsun family and the Fang family had a very good relationship. Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling jointly assisted Emperor Taizong, and were considered his right-hand men and pillars of the state.

Moreover, Fang Xuanling was a gentle and kind gentleman with a kind and honest character. He did not compete with the powerful Changsun Wuji, and they got along quite well.

Fang Jun and Changsun Huan were also very close friends with a deep bond of friendship.

When Fang Jun clashed with Changsun Chong, he even grabbed one of Changsun Chong's legs and carried him from Qinglongfang to Chengtianmen, parading him through the streets and humiliating him to the extreme.

The two families finally parted ways and became bitter enemies.

Even so, it's far from the point of relentless pursuit.

Until Princess Changle divorced Changsun Chong, and then had an affair with Fang Jun, giving birth to a son...

This was a huge loss of face for the Changsun family.

I wouldn't call it hatred, but there's definitely resentment.

A princess, of noble birth and precious descent, yet she submits herself to this man—what right does she have?!
It should be noted that Princess Chang Le, as the eldest sister-in-law, was not only respected but also admired by the sons of the Changsun family. Almost every one of them regarded Princess Chang Le as a model of future betrayal.

The failure of the Changsun family in the political struggle was not Fang Jun's fault, but the fact that Fang Jun had taken away their "white moonlight" made the Changsun family members resentful and indignant.

……

Fang Jun took a sip of tea and patiently instructed the people in front of him: "...All overseas vassal states must speak Chinese, write Chinese characters, and read Chinese books. All other slang, writing, and customs must be discarded. This matter must be taken to the highest level. We must be vigilant at all times and not be negligent. Anyone who violates this rule will be severely punished!"

He especially warned Cen Changqian: "Not only the Japanese, but also the natives of the East and South Seas are barbaric and ignorant, ignorant of civilization and righteousness, fearing power but not virtue. Do not use the methods of governing the world as in the Tang Dynasty. 'Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it' will not work here. Your benevolence is equivalent to weakness in their eyes. They will only take advantage of you and will never be grateful or repentant. Your Highness is the ruler of a country and must present an image of 'benevolence'. Therefore, only you can be the one to take drastic measures."

He looked at Yan Zhuang and said, "Although you are only in charge of the troops of the vassal state, the garrison of the entire 'Fusang Kingdom' has the responsibility to cooperate with your actions. Therefore, if any Japanese people in a certain place show signs of rebellion or unrest, immediately request the garrison to cooperate with you to annihilate them. Do not hesitate, it is better to kill the wrong person than let one go!"

Although these outstanding figures of the Tang Dynasty were all exceptionally talented and outstanding individuals of their time, they were ashen-faced at this moment.

How can this be considered governing a country?

It's basically like raising livestock!

Chai Lingwu, who had been mostly silent, cautiously said, "Isn't this a bad idea? What if the Japanese didn't intend to cause trouble, but if we push them too far, wouldn't that be a case of officials forcing the people to rebel?"

Fang Jun initially didn't want to pay him any attention, but seeing that the others also had similar concerns, he said irritably, "Perhaps in fifty or a hundred years these Japanese will become subjects of the Tang Dynasty, but not now! Anyone who is too soft-hearted and fails to complete the task of taming the Japanese will be immediately exiled to the frontier to build the Great Wall upon returning to Chang'an!"

Chai Lingwu was filled with shame, anger, and fear, his face flushed red as he dared not speak.

Li Tai couldn't stand it. They were all his brother-in-laws, why be so ruthless?

Besides, you've practically bullied Chai Lingwu to death. Even for Princess Baling's sake, there's no need to be so harsh...

"There's no need to go on and on; everyone already understands."

Fang Jun raised an eyebrow and looked at Li Tai: "Your Highness, you don't actually believe that His Majesty established these fiefdoms so that you princes could indulge in pleasure far from the emperor's reach, do you? The so-called fiefdoms are meant to be barriers, to be shields for the nation! Your Highness's presence in Japan is to permanently incorporate this land into the Tang Dynasty's territory, so that its people will forget their ancestors and traditions, and wholeheartedly integrate into the Tang Dynasty! If you fail to do this, Your Highness will have betrayed His Majesty's trust and be unworthy of being a ruler!"

Li Tai retorted angrily, "Why are you lecturing me? I'm not stupid; I know what I should do! You hold a high position and have devoted yourself to the empire. You should hurry back to Chang'an. The few of us are enough to make this little Japan prosperous and thriving!"

Fang Jun ignored him and said to Cen Changqian, "How do we create a sense of 'happiness'? It's about making the Japanese believe that they are different from others, that they have moved from 'ignorance' to 'civilization.' The most direct manifestation of this is 'democratic election,' because it is a symbol of 'freedom' and 'democracy.' They can abandon their Japanese king and choose to merge with the Tang Dynasty, escaping poverty and ignorance, and they can freely choose whatever they believe to be 'correct'..."

"But in reality, the essence of everything has never changed."

Cen Changqian seemed to be thinking about something, and then picked up the conversation.

Fang Jun liked the boy's intelligence the most, and patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction: "You're a promising student!"

Whether it's "democratic election" or "freedom," everything seems to be chosen by one's own will, but in reality, all thoughts are being subtly guided. What you want is not necessarily what you need, and what you get may seem like what you want, but it has actually been wrapped in a layer of cloak.

There is no such thing as absolute "freedom," so where can one find absolute "freedom"?
Everything is predetermined in secret.

They pride themselves on being a "civilized" nation, but in reality, they are nothing more than domesticated "ants."

In the realm of domination and subjugation, in human society and in the world of wild animals, there is no difference.

Changsun Run leaned closer, his eyes shining: "So our ultimate mission is to complete the Tang Dynasty's rule over Japan. Everything else is just a means to achieve this goal! 'Elected' is one thing, 'freedom' is another, and so is bringing civilization to the Japanese."

Fang Jun looked up and saw Changsun Run's heart tighten. She regretted her rashness. What if she was scolded? Wouldn't she lose face?

Unexpectedly, Fang Jun was not annoyed by the feud between the two families. Instead, he smiled and praised, "You have such comprehension, which is better than your brothers. You have some of your father's style."

Upon hearing the praise, Changsun Run was very excited, his face flushed red, and he quickly said, "This humble official is presumptuous and does not deserve the praise from the Grand Commandant!"

"Eh!"

Fang Jun waved his hand and instructed, "Being in Japan, you should put away all the formalities of the Tang Dynasty officialdom. There's no need to be too cautious. When doing things, be simple and direct, and the results will be better."

He further instructed Yan Zhuang and Liu Shenli: "The situation in 'Fusang' is completely different from that in the Tang Dynasty. You wield military power and are therefore subordinate to His Highness's violent apparatus. You must fulfill the characteristics of a violent apparatus. 'Generosity' and 'benevolent governance' are matters for His Highness to consider. Your duty is to eliminate all rebellion. Anyone who dares to challenge the stability of 'Fusang' or oppose the rule of the Tang Dynasty must be completely annihilated! There can only be one voice in the entire 'Fusang': obedience!"

Yan Zhuang had never heard such murderous words before. He swallowed hard, feeling slightly worried: "But what if the killing goes too far? I'm afraid those censors, officials, and scholars in the court won't let it go so easily!"

The essence of Confucianism is "benevolence." Being benevolent to oneself is fundamental, but being benevolent to all things in the world is the highest realm.

If those people were to learn that the army was wreaking havoc in "Fusang" to maintain its rule, the consequences would be unimaginable. Those few "small fry" wouldn't be able to withstand too much of a storm...

Fang Jun raised an eyebrow: "Are you stupid? The Tang Dynasty is thousands of miles away from the 'Fusang Kingdom' across the ocean. How would the court know if you kill a few people here? If you can't even keep this basic confidentiality, you can forget about having any future. You might as well go home and inherit your family business and farm."

"..."

The group dared not say much, but they were all in high spirits and eager to get started.

Thanks to someone's long-term propaganda, the younger generation of officers in the Tang Dynasty no longer regarded the Japanese and the natives of the South Seas as human beings. As long as they were not held accountable by the court, they did not care about killing people.
Killing one person is considered a crime, killing ten thousand people is considered a hero.

If you slaughter nine million, you will be called the hero among the heroes.

A legacy that will last forever lies in killing!

The Royal Navy's glorious record is surely due to its slaughter of barbarian tribes overseas.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

Li Tai, his head throbbing with pain, quickly interrupted, "Could you please say less? Our Great Tang is a land of propriety and a nation of benevolence and righteousness. How can we kill people and be so cruel and tyrannical everywhere?"

Seeing the gleam in the eyes of these young people, Li Tai felt a surge of panic.

When the time comes, Fang Jun will just leave, leaving the blame for the army's brutal killings to be borne by him, the "King of Fusang".
He glared at Yan Zhuang, Liu Shenli, and the others, warning them, "Don't listen to this scoundrel's nonsense! If you dare to act recklessly and arbitrarily, even I, the king, cannot protect you!"

However, he didn't want his men to be a bunch of weak lambs. What if he warned them too much and scared them so much that they wouldn't dare to fight when things got tough?
He then added, "It's not that you can't kill, but you absolutely can't just kill whenever you want!"

We still need to keep them in check, otherwise these arrogant second-generation kids, under Fang Jun's instigation, will surely cause a huge mess in the "Japanese Kingdom".

Chai Lingwu silently sipped his tea, feeling out of place and detached from the group. He sighed inwardly.

Although I've secured a position in a fiefdom, it seems my future is bleak...