The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 945: The Turks still want to attack the Tang Dynasty?
Li Yan certainly knew this. So many aristocratic families represented almost the top class in the Tang Dynasty. Even if Li Shimin knew about it, what would happen? He would not dare to expose it, nor would he dare to offend so many people, unless he did not want to be the emperor anymore.

Since the trend is unstoppable, it is better to let those people give their wealth to you, and then make the money back through trade.

This is the right way to reclaim your wealth.

Li Yan said quietly, "There have been hundreds of years of wars in the world, and most of the wealth is hidden in the aristocratic families. With this wealth, they can naturally support scholars, soldiers, and civilians, and create a huge network of power to fight against the imperial power. The people are also living in dire straits."

"The real enemy of the Tang Dynasty is not in the grasslands or the Turks, but in the Tang Dynasty itself."

"It's the same with the Turks. I never thought that the Tang Dynasty was the enemy of the Turks. The Turks' enemy has always been themselves. As long as I can unite the Turks, the Tang Dynasty can win without fighting. Conversely, if the Tang Dynasty can unite and face the outside world together, the Turks can also be defeated without attacking."

"So, the real way to defeat the enemy is not to use more counselors, more generals, or more cavalry training or more advanced weapons and armaments; but to carry out reforms and establish an efficient rule."

"When the people live happily, are loyal to the emperor, support the court, and are united, no force in the world dares to challenge such a country. If the Tang Dynasty wants to subdue the sea, it can win without fighting."

Li Shimin took a deep breath, slowly calmed down, and looked at Li Yan with complicated eyes: "Why did you tell me this?"

Li Yan was embarrassed and shook his head helplessly: "As a Central Plains person, I also hope that the Tang Dynasty can be strong. I don't want to lead the Turks to annex the Central Plains, and I don't want the people and soldiers of the Central Plains to wail under the Turkish cavalry."

"You are a good emperor. Your policies are all aimed at curbing the aristocratic families, protecting the people, and maintaining peace in the world. I was once a citizen of the Tang Dynasty, so naturally I also hope to have a good emperor to bring peace to the world."

Li Yan took the gift list and glanced at it sarcastically: "Although I am living in the frontier, I am still of Yanhuang blood. I hate these traitors who use the people's money to please foreign enemies and to restrain their own country."

Li Yan threw the gift list on the table with great disdain, and said in a calm tone: "The most honorable position in the world is the emperor. People who have never been emperors, no matter how powerful and influential they are, cannot feel the emperor's true thoughts."

"Now you are the emperor of the Central Plains, and I am the actual ruler of the Turks, and my actual status is equivalent to that of the emperor."

"Those noble families don't understand that we are supreme and have long since gotten rid of ordinary desires. No matter how much gold, silver and treasure we have, it is just a tool to realize our ideal ambitions."

"Just because they want to bribe me with money, it can be seen that they don't know what an emperor is."

"To take the world as our responsibility, to make the people live and work in peace and contentment, to make the country stable and last forever, is our greatest pursuit. How can it be bought with just money?"

Li Yan took the gift list and said to Li Shimin: "Don't worry, these riches are all accepted by me, not the Right Wise King of the Turkic people. The Turkic people will not know the details, and you don't have to worry about stimulating their desires."

"Solving the problems of the aristocratic families is more important than eliminating a hundred foreign enemies."

"Just as you said just now, if you want to eliminate foreign enemies, the Tang Dynasty only needs money. I have plenty of money now. You only need to focus on internal affairs and solve the problems of the aristocratic families. If you do this well, you will be the greatest emperor in history."

"As for the things in the Western Region, don't worry about it."

Li Yan smiled and said, "I can guarantee that as long as the Tang Dynasty does not cross the Yumen Pass, my Turkic army will also promise not to enter the Western Regions. If the Tang Dynasty sends troops, my Turkic army will also send troops. By then, the Western Regions will be in chaos, and the Tang Dynasty will not be able to gain any advantage."

"The Western Regions belong to me, the Turks. You just need to focus on making money, and then you can buy the Western Regions back from us. As long as you have money, everything can be negotiated. Even the Turks and the grasslands can be sold to you."

Li Shimin was shaken by what he heard. He looked at Li Yan, who had a calm look in his eyes, in surprise, and sighed in his heart: "Who the hell is the emperor? From the tone of your voice, you are playing with the vast mountains and rivers and the millions of people at your whim."

"This spirit and this pattern are much greater than mine."

"With your current status, the wealth you have obtained is enough to last for hundreds of lifetimes. What do you want so much money for?" Li Shimin couldn't help asking.

Li Yan looked at him like a fool: "It's not me who wants it, it's the Turks who want it. Didn't I just say that if the Turks want a better life, they need a lot of Central Plains products. Don't they have to spend money to buy these? Are you willing to give them away for free?"

"Besides, I am now the Lord of the Grassland. My life has reached its peak. I must have some pursuits, right?"

"If we don't fight the Tang Dynasty, we have to find other goals. On this basis, it is human nature to seek some benefits for the people in our hometown and make some contributions to the future of the entire nation."

Li Shimin felt confused. It turned out that a large amount of money would eventually flow into the Tang Dynasty, which was not a bad thing.

Li Yan wanted to use the economic model to rebuild the relationship between the two sides.

Before, when they fought against the Three Kingdoms in Liaodong, the Turks had saved up a lot of gold, silver and jewelry, and now they have obtained another large sum. Now Li Yan is much richer than Li Shimin. The space is filled with mountains of gold, silver and various treasures, so many that they are simply countless.

But even if all the money was given to Li Shimin, it would be useless. Money is only useful when it is circulated.

Li Yan plundered the wealth hidden in the aristocratic families through various means, and then invested it in the consumer market. This could drive employment, improve people's lives, increase tax revenue, and enhance the strength of the Tang Dynasty.

It won't be long before Datang will feel the significant changes brought to the country by the rapid economic circulation. Once they have tasted the sweetness, they will not be able to stop even if they want to. However, it is a bit embarrassing that such a good model needs to be promoted by a million troops.

Although Li Shimin didn't quite understand the logic behind this, he vaguely felt that this was not a bad thing for the Tang Dynasty.

"If that's the case, then don't invade the Tang Dynasty anymore!"

Li Shimin originally thought that the Right Wise King was attached to his homeland and was easy to talk to. They had a very happy chat and there would be a lot of cooperation projects and huge trade in the future. He should agree to this small request.

Unexpectedly, Li Yan rejected it flatly and said, "No, at most we will not invade this year and give the Tang Dynasty a year of peace. Starting from next year, we will resume the situation in the Jie Li era."

"what?"

Li Shimin's face turned red with anger, and he slammed the table and stood up: "After all this talk, and giving you so much money and food, you still want to attack the Tang Dynasty. Just now you said that you hope the Tang Dynasty will be strong and the people will live in peace, but now you are disregarding our feelings. What on earth do you want to do?"

Faced with Li Shimin's rage, Li Yan did not lose his temper. Instead, he slowly stood up, stood on the top of the city wall and looked at the Turkic army below.

After a long while, Li Yan slowly sighed: "The grass on the plain withers and grows again every year. Wildfires cannot burn it all. It grows again with the spring breeze."

Unexpectedly, Li Yan started to recite poetry. Li Shimin was impressed by the boy's talent. He could speak eloquently, especially when facing the Turkic army. The artistic conception of the poem and the meaning it wanted to express were really wonderful.

Li Shimin knew that Li Yan was using poetry to describe people, expressing that the grassland people were inextricable, and he calmed down immediately.

Li Yan turned around, as if looking at Li Shimin, and as if looking through the long river of time, looking into the distant future: "As long as there are grasslands, there will be cattle and horses. As long as there are cattle and horses, the grassland people will never be wiped out. This is the way of heaven."

"God created two nations that are interdependent, yet incompatible, and have completely different living habits."

"It gave the Central Plains mountains and rivers, fertile land, cities, and houses, allowing the Central Plains to live and work in peace and contentment; it also gave the grassland people inexhaustible green grass, cattle and sheep everywhere, and strong bows and curved swords."

"Born in hardship, die in comfort!"

Li Yan said coldly: "Since the Battle of Dingxiang, there has only been five or six years of peace. The people of the Central Plains have forgotten the threat posed by the grassland peoples. The military has been neglected, the people are lax, and the defense of the important border towns is far worse than before."

"If this peaceful time lasts for a few more years, I'm afraid the soldiers in the Central Plains will no longer be able to pick up swords and guns, and will also forget the grassland people's butcher knives, right?"

Li Yan's words were like a loud bell, striking Li Shimin's heart hard and causing the emperor to fall into deep thought.

Look at the millions of tigers and wolves under the city, think about the vanity and extravagance in Chang'an City, the generals in the court are getting old, and the officials from the aristocratic families are terrified when they hear about war. A month ago, countless ministers gathered in Chengqing Hall, praying for peace with the Turks.

It’s only been a few years!

Are the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty unable to fight? Have the leaders of the Tang Dynasty lost their courage? If the people standing in front of him were not Han people who were stranded on the grassland, but Turks, I am afraid that the Tang Dynasty would face a catastrophe.

"Although the world is safe, if you forget to fight, you will be in danger."

Li Yan said in a resounding voice: "Soldiers cannot leave the battlefield, border towns cannot be separated from the flames of war, and the country cannot be without a sense of crisis. Whether it is the Tang Dynasty or the Turks, there is a need to continue to confront and wage war."

"A large-scale war of annexation would bring heavy disasters to both sides."

"But appropriate war can only make the country healthier and always maintain strong combat effectiveness and vitality."

"Otherwise, over time, those troops will just become a mere decoration that can only farm."

After hearing this, Li Shimin finally understood Li Yan's intention and thought it made sense.

My previous idea seemed to be good for the Tang Dynasty, but in fact it harmed the Tang Dynasty. If there were another ten or eight years of peace, once the leaders of both sides changed, the Turks would still be the wolves and tigers, and the Tang Dynasty would become a sheep to be slaughtered.

(End of this chapter)