Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5240 Unfathomable Thoughts

Fang Jun felt quite helpless about this.

His Majesty seems to have gotten addicted to playing...

But what could he do? As long as His Majesty didn't cause any trouble and obediently cooperated in implementing the new policies, Fang Jun could only play along...

“It is not that I do not trust Your Highness Prince Jin, but the situation is such that we have no choice but to abandon this unrealistic idea now, rather than waiting until everyone in the court opposes it and there is a great deal of arguing. So as not to damage Your Majesty’s authority.”

Li Chengqian was displeased: "Zhi Nu is not only my brother, but also the son of Emperor Taizong. Who would dare to disrespect him? Moreover, Zhi Nu does not serve as an official in any random place in the country. The remote and barren island in the south is not even part of the Tang Dynasty's territory. What reason do the ministers have to oppose him?"

He turned to look at Li Zhi, his expression slightly helpless: "In the end, it was you, Zhi Nu, who made a mistake before. I cannot go against the opinions of the masses and ignore advice. Therefore, I allow you to replenish the Imperial Guards, recruit civil and military officials, establish a government, go to the south to expand the territory, and personally conquer a fiefdom that belongs to you. What do you think?"

Li Zhi was extremely intelligent and politically gifted, but he failed to grasp Li Chengqian's mindset at that moment. He was unaware that Li Chengqian had become addicted to displaying "forgiveness and benevolence," and he only thought that Li Chengqian was willing to stand up to the entire court for him, which moved him deeply.

In fact, Fang Jun's words were not wrong at all. As a prince with a bad record and a history of treason, it would be one in ten thousand if he could keep his life in any dynasty, let alone be released from Chang'an and establish a state.
No emperor throughout history has ever achieved this!

Li Zhi rose from his seat, knelt on the ground, and wept with gratitude: "Your Majesty is a guilty subject. Your Majesty's decision to spare my life despite disregarding ancestral laws has already drawn criticism. If you were to suffer further attacks from the court and the public for granting me a fiefdom, thereby damaging Your Majesty's prestige, then I would deserve to die a thousand deaths! I beg Your Majesty to rescind your decree. I will remain in Chang'an and never leave the city for the rest of my life. I am willing to be imprisoned until death to preserve Your Majesty's prestige!"

Fang Jun's lips curled slightly as he glanced at Li Zhi with great admiration.

That's why they say this young man is cunning. He keeps asking His Majesty to retract his order, yet every word he utters corners His Majesty. If His Majesty were to show even the slightest intention to retract his order, it would be tantamount to admitting that the court is entirely under the control of the ministers, and that he, the emperor, is nothing more than a puppet with no real power.

Any emperor with any sense of decency could tolerate this.
Sure enough, Li Chengqian's face flushed red, and he slammed his fist on the table, angrily saying, "What are you saying, Zhi Nu? This empire was conquered by Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong, so naturally you, as Taizong's son, should have a share. Now you are not granted land and fiefdom, but are enfeoffed in the countryside. Who has the right to point fingers? Erlang, Zhi Nu is also your brother-in-law. What do you have to say?"

Fang Jun's lips twitched, and he said helplessly, "If Your Majesty insists on doing so, regardless of whether others object, I will definitely support you with all my might."

Li Zhi raised his head, looking at Fang Jun with teary eyes, filled with gratitude.

Li Chengqian said, "You're just going to support me with your words?"

Fang Jun thought for a moment and said, "I have the shipyard prepare a few newly built warships and sell them to Prince Jin at a low price. What do you think?"

"That's it?"

"When the Prince of Jin goes to sea, there will surely be much discussion and uproar in the court and among the people. Your Majesty dares not let the navy assist the Prince of Jin in attacking his fiefdom... But I can have Su Dingfang select experienced officers to train the Prince of Jin's guards in naval warfare. When the Prince of Jin goes to sea, he will surely be surrounded by a first-class naval force."

"Zhi Nu is going to the south, and it will be extremely difficult for him to return to Chang'an. As his brother-in-law, are you just going to stand by and watch?"

Fang Jun's eyes widened. "Your Majesty, this is going too far!"

I've already been more than generous by cooperating with your acting, but not only do I not get any benefits from being seen as a "villain" by Li Zhi, I also have to give up something else.
At this moment, Fang Jun really wanted to say, "I'll give His Highness Prince Jin a number of muskets and cannons," but he didn't know if Li Chengqian could continue to perform his "generosity and benevolence."

But he was a kind-hearted man after all. Since he had already decided to be the "bad guy," he would not interfere with Li Chengqian's "stage."

“The Prince of Jin does not care about money and silk, so it would be meaningless for me to send them. Instead, let the navy have a separate fleet that sails around the strait near Java all year round, patrolling the coast of the southern islands to support Your Highness.”

Li Zhi's eyes widened.

Is this your way of showing support?
This is clearly surveillance!
You've been targeting me since I was a child, never getting close to me. Now I'm about to cross the ocean to the south, with no hope of ever returning to Chang'an in this lifetime, and you still won't let me go?

While he was in Chang'an, His Majesty had to ensure his safety, whether sincerely or not. But once he went to the island in the south, his life and death would be entirely in Fang Jun's hands. Even if he were killed, the Tang Dynasty might not know about it for thirty or fifty years...

He could only manage a forced smile: "Brother-in-law is indeed very affectionate."

Fang Jun laughed and said, "We are brothers-in-law, what's the big deal? Your Highness, please rest assured, I will definitely instruct the navy to keep a close eye on Your Highness's movements so that they can take timely action if Your Highness is in danger."

Li Zhi: “…”

You are the biggest danger!

At this moment, he even regretted going to Tiannan Island; he would have been better off staying in Chang'an to live a life of leisure and waiting to die...

Li Chengqian patted his shoulder, seemingly noticing his fear and apprehension towards Fang Junzhi. He reassured him, "Zhi Nu, don't worry. I will send several trusted eunuchs to accompany you south across the ocean. In addition to protecting your safety, I will also have one of them return to Chang'an regularly to report on the situation there. No one will dare to harm you."

Li Zhi: “…”

Double surveillance, huh?
Very well, I'm afraid my life will be ruined by you all long ago...

……

After Li Zhi left, looking worried and lost in thought, Li Chengqian asked in a deep voice, "Second Prince doesn't seem to object to Zhinu being granted a kingdom on an island in the south?"

Although Fang Jun initially vehemently opposed it and then imposed various restrictions, all of this was just an act to cooperate with him, and he could tell at a glance whether it was real or fake.

If Fang Jun were truly as worried as he claimed about releasing a tiger back into the mountains and raising a tiger that would become a threat, his reaction would not be the same as it is now...

Fang Jun said softly, “As Your Majesty said, Prince Jin is also the son of Emperor Taizong. Going overseas to establish a state and guard a region is a satisfactory explanation both publicly and privately. After all, times have changed. Your Majesty has long been recognized by the world, and the throne is as stable as Mount Tai. Rather than eliminating a potential threat by doing something ruthless and incurring infamy, it is better to let Prince Jin leave. Tiannan Island is extremely remote, with barren land and sparse population. Even if Prince Jin has rebellious intentions and wants to launch a counterattack against the Tang Dynasty, he is not capable of doing so. Even if everything goes smoothly, it would take dozens of generations to achieve the ability to counterattack the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, aristocratic families have always followed the principle of ‘divide and conquer’ since ancient times. Once they have the opportunity, they will definitely let their offspring multiply and spread their bloodline.”

Li Chengqian nodded, understanding Fang Jun's meaning.

Several generations equal several hundred years. By then, whether the Tang Dynasty will still exist and whether the Li Tang Dynasty will continue will be a question. Why worry about such a long-term thing?

Furthermore, Li Zhi was, after all, the blood of Emperor Taizong flowing through his veins, and he was the legitimate son of the emperor. If the Tang Dynasty were to ultimately fall into ruins and be unable to escape the cycle of rise and fall, Li Zhi would still be able to preserve a legitimate lineage of the Tang Dynasty.

It won't be easy for the islands of Tiannan to launch a counterattack against the Central Plains, just as it won't be easy for the Central Plains to destroy them...

"Ugh!"

Li Chengqian sighed, looking somewhat melancholy: "To be honest, I was also very hesitant to make the decision to establish a feudal world. Sending away my blood relatives one by one, I'm afraid we'll never see each other again in this life. How sad and reluctant I am! But if I confine them in Chang'an to live as pampered playboys, just waiting to die, I can't bear it either."

As for enfeoffing the princes within the country, let alone whether he would agree or not, the ministers in the court would certainly rise up in opposition.

How can I allow someone else to snore beside my bed?
The lessons of the Western Han Dynasty serve as a warning, highlighting numerous hidden dangers.

The ministers' interests were aligned with his, the emperor's; who wouldn't want to be an official with peace and a stable life?

Fang Jun took a sip of tea and remained silent.

He was now completely unsure of Li Chengqian's behavior; sometimes it was genuine, sometimes it was feigned, and sometimes it was a mix of both...

For example, regarding this "feudal world," he couldn't fathom Li Chengqian's true intentions.

Li Chengqian was unaware of Fang Jun's restless thoughts and said to himself, "Have Su Dingfang send someone to Tiannan Island to prepare a preliminary settlement and deal with the local inhabitants. After the spring, the Ministry of Works will send officials to build a palace for the Zhinu... Once the Zhinu arrives there, there must be naval soldiers stationed there to ensure their safety. No accidents can be allowed to occur."

Fang Jun nodded.

So, was the navy there to protect Li Zhi's safety, or to monitor him thoroughly?

It was previously mentioned that palace eunuchs would be sent to accompany them. Do these eunuchs have any hidden missions?

If something were to happen to Li Zhi in Australia, would Fang Jun and the navy be forced to take the blame?
After much deliberation, Fang Jun felt that Li Zhi's situation was dire and his life was in danger...

After a moment's consideration, he said in a low voice, "Your Majesty is wise. Although the islands of Tiannan are vast, there is not much land suitable for habitation and cultivation. The sparse population is the biggest constraint. Even if it lasts for hundreds or thousands of years, it will not pose a threat to the Central Plains. Your Majesty can rest assured."

Li Zhi's life or death was no longer of great importance, but he did not want to be blamed for Li Zhi's death.

Li Chengqian looked at Fang Jun, and after a moment, smiled and said, "Second Brother is judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person."

"I am terrified."

"There's no need to be alarmed; this is just human nature."

Li Chengqian took a sip of tea and revealed his true feelings: "If I really couldn't tolerate these brothers, I could simply confine them within the country and restore the old system of 'hereditary governors' from the time of Emperor Taizong. Whether it's Qingque, Zhinu, or the other brothers, they certainly wouldn't be content. I could find many excuses to take action anytime and anywhere, and no one could say anything about it. The reason I confined them outside the country was to completely prevent this situation from happening."

Fang Jun understood the hidden meaning in those words: If we were close, I'm not sure if I could restrain myself from killing them, so I'll send them away from a distance, out of sight, out of mind...