Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 275 It may be easy to manage the grassland, but it is unlikely to be easy to manage the grassland
? ? ! !
Li Chengqian's mind buzzed, and was instantly filled with question marks and exclamation marks.

They came to form an alliance with the Western Turks, not to make enemies.

He didn't understand why his half-paralyzed father suddenly attacked and wanted to assassinate his potential ally Yibi Duolu Khan?

He just said something unpleasant, so I can just slap him in the face later. Is it necessary to cut his neck? Are all emperors so hot-blooded? Is it necessary to be so impulsive in politics?
And if you want to kill him, just do it. Why do you have to do it on someone else’s territory?
Now, let alone joining forces with the Turks to attack Chang'an, the top priority is how to leave alive.

This is the Western Turkic yamen, and the Khan's people are everywhere.

The Khan's generals and personal soldiers are just outside the door!

How can I get away with it?

Li Chengqian knew nothing.

All he knew was that the Western Turkic Khan was already dead, his body lying in front of him with blood gushing out, and he showed no emotion either sad or happy.

He felt that within a few sticks of incense, he would have to go with the Khan...

"I am Li Shimin. At the age of sixteen, I joined the army to rescue the emperor at Yanmen Pass. I led the troops and charged into battle countless times, and even lost six of my horses in the battle."

Li Shimin shook his left wrist that was swinging the knife, as if he was not killing anyone but just sweeping the floor.

Li Chengqian turned his neck stiffly and looked at his father with some strangeness.

"Cheng Qian, you are my eldest son, you know what to do next."

I know nothing! ... Li Chengqian almost wanted to scream.

"Ahhh!"

A shrill scream broke the brief silence.

However, the person who was called was not Li Chengqian, but a princess of Western Turkic Khaganate, the daughter of the murdered Yibi Duolu Khan.

She was sitting at the table and witnessed the entire process of her father being killed up close.

"Quiet!"

Chengxin tried to cover his wife's mouth.

He had also licked blood on the battlefield, and was the first to react. Although he didn't know what His Majesty was trying to do, he absolutely could not let the situation escalate now.

However, he underestimated the fighting power of the Cube Princess.

"Ah! Ahhhh! Murder! My father Khan was killed!!!"

The princess actually broke away from her comfortable state and screamed hysterically.

The noise is extremely penetrating and cannot be covered at all.

In the blink of an eye, the fully armed Khan's guards rushed in and surrounded them.

After the personal guards, a man who looked like a general also entered the tent.

"what happened?"

He was the general who had just been scolded by the Khan and left with a dark face.

As soon as he entered the tent, the general frowned because of the strong smell of blood. When he raised his eyes, he saw Dahan lying on the ground like a dead pig, with black and red blood gushing out.

"What's going on?" His hand immediately fell on the scimitar at his waist.

The guard answered truthfully:

"Reporting to Tuolishe, the Khan just met with Nilitqin, the princess, and two guests from the Tang Dynasty in the big tent. During the banquet, the princess suddenly screamed. When we arrived, she was already in this state."

"She", also known as "Shah", is a high-ranking official in the Turkic class, below the special forces.

Li Chengqian's scalp almost exploded.

what to do? what to do? !

He subconsciously looked at his father who had caused this disaster.

Then I saw that Brother Li Shimin closed his eyes and became unconscious again.

Li Chengqian: ???

No, Grandpa, how can Ning be so unconscious? Can you teach me too, so that I can just fall asleep like this, at least it won't hurt...

"You two were the only outsiders at the scene. Did you do it?"

Tuolishe looked at Li Chengqian with a gloomy expression.

"me……"

Li Chengqian was speechless for a moment.

Being forced into a corner by his father who betrayed his son, Li Chengqian's brain was working faster than ever before, and the details of the scenes in his memory kept emerging in his mind.

The Khan who imposed heavy taxes, the sheep that were inexplicably confiscated, the guards who were scolded...

You actually don’t understand the Turks, let me teach you... What Li Shimin just said echoed in Li Chengqian’s ears for a long time.

What kind of people are the Turks? What kind of people are the nomadic peoples?

Li Chengqian, whose political literacy was not as good as his two younger brothers, finally became enlightened at the critical moment of life and death.

He stood up with his weak legs, straightened his spine, his eyes changed from panic to determination, cleared his throat, and suddenly waved his right hand passionately:

"What happened? It's just killing a tyrant!
"Not only does he not share the spoils of war, but he also seizes the cattle and sheep of various tribes. Why are you still following such a Khan?
"Why not follow me? Fight into Chang'an and seize that damn throne. I'll make you marquises and prime ministers, and we can all go to the Central Plains and become landlords. We won't have to herd sheep on the grasslands in the cold weather anymore!"

This impromptu speech was not very inflammatory, but it really touched the hearts of the Turks.

The Turkic people, or nomadic people, actually have a very diverse bloodline and culture, with people coming from all over the place. Rather than being a nation, they are more like a super criminal gang.

Normally they would herd sheep and engage in smuggling, but when money was tight they would head south to engage in organized robbery.

If we think from the perspective of criminal gangs rather than ethnic groups, we can grasp the core of winning over the Turks.

It's not about justice, but about dividing the spoils.

Isn't the purpose of joining a gang to share some of the stolen goods?
From the moment Yibi Duolu Khan was unwilling to share the spoils with the tribes, he lost the legitimacy to lead the nomadic regime. He could be overthrown and replaced by a new leader who could make everyone rich!

Just waiting for someone to take the lead!
At least that's how Li Chengqian understood it.

Satisfied: “…”

Princess:"……"

The young couple stared blankly at the prince who was cheering with his arms raised, not knowing what to say for a moment.

The corner of Tuolishe's mouth twitched and his face became darker and darker.

Eh? Isn't it okay to just paint a big picture? Isn't it direct enough... Li Chengqian's heart skipped a beat, and his brain started to work faster and faster.

Soon, he had an idea.

"This lake and this oasis left by Yibi Duolu Khan will all be divided between you and your tribe! All taxes set by the Khan will be abolished!"

Tuolishe was finally touched and looked at Nili Teqin.

Nili Teqin nodded affirmatively:
"Tolisheh is extremely brave, you deserve this, there is no need to refuse."

“Hmm…” Tolishe’s eyes rolled around a few times, and his expression gradually relaxed.

…………

Soon, the news that Yibi Duolu Khan was killed by his son-in-law Nilitqin spread throughout the Western Turkic steppe east of the Ili River, and Nilitqin was elected as the new "Yibi Shekui Khan".

The original Yibi Duolu Khan was unpopular, and the Turkic tribes had long wanted to kill him. Therefore, they were not surprised that the son-in-law killed his father-in-law, and accepted Nilitegin's leadership without any psychological barriers.

Anyway, this is not the first time the Turks have done this.

Once upon a time, a Great Khan named Moheduo killed his nephew Tongyehu Khan and proclaimed himself the Great Khan of Western Turkic Khaganate.

Of course, "Shekui Khan" is just a shell.

All affairs of Western Turkestan were actually coordinated and led by Li Chengqian behind him... or in front of him.

Behind Li Chengqian was the Heavenly Khan Li Shimin.

But even for a people as unrestrained as the Turks, the idea that two guests from the Tang Dynasty stabbed their own Khan to death and then proclaimed themselves Khan was too abstract for them.

So everyone discussed it and decided to push Nilitqin, who had quite a bit of prestige in Western Turkestan, to the forefront.

A son-in-law seizes his father-in-law's throne. This sounds very prairie-like.

The luxurious Western Turkic tent.

Ashina She'er and Qibi Heli squatted beside the stove, gnawing on lamb legs and lost in thought.

After chewing for a long time, Qibi Heli finally spoke:

"I said that Your Majesty actually knows it very well."

"But...eh? But...eh?" Ashina She'er couldn't figure it out and scratched his head with greasy hands.

At first he thought Qibi Heli was overthinking it. His Majesty was not a god, so how could he be immune to all diseases? But now he felt that things were becoming too unreal.

Originally, I was discussing cooperation with a friendly company, but in the end, I became the controlling shareholder of the friendly company. Anyone in this situation would be confused.

"Cheng Qian, I am an old man suffering from rheumatism. Both my thinking and health are getting worse. You will be in charge of future affairs."

Li Shimin was talking to Li Chengqian behind him, and with the support of Yibishekui Khan himself, that is, Chengxin, he walked into the tent with difficulty.

His condition now is much better than when he had the stroke.

This is what happens with a stroke. Although the death of brain cells caused by cerebral infarction is irreversible, cells in other brain regions can slowly take over some of the functions of the dead brain cells.

Therefore, the symptoms of stroke patients can gradually improve, although they cannot completely recover to their pre-stroke state.

Qibi Heli and Ashina She'er immediately stood up to greet them.

Li Chengqian limped behind, his face full of confusion:

"But, Father, I... I have never led a nomadic tribe. What should I do?"

When a group of Turkic people who were clamoring for a share of the spoils finally came under his command, he suddenly realized that his liking for Turkic culture might have been purely a case of Ye Gong liking dragons too much.

It doesn't mean that he really wants to spend his whole life with these barbarians, especially since these barbarians have a bad habit of chopping down their boss if they can't steal anything.

Isn't it unpleasant to rule the obedient people in the Central Plains?

Li Shimin slowly turned his head and looked at him steadily:
"Rule the Turks is much easier than rule the Han people. If you can't even rule them, how can you become an emperor in the future?" The air suddenly became quiet.

Qibi, Ashina and Shekui, the three of them didn't even dare to breathe.

Li Chengqian was stunned for a moment, then slowly understood the significance of these words, his eyes gleaming.

Could it be that my father has given the right to inherit the world...

"Alas, Li Ming and Li Tai are dead, and Li Zhi has brazenly started a civil war, losing the support of the people. Who else can be left except you? The illegitimate sons are not as good as you."

Li Shimin spoke incoherently with a bitter smile on his face.

Li Chengqian is not the best heir, but he is the only choice at present.

The vigorous battle for the throne started off well but ended in a whimper, with the emperor himself losing half his life, and the throne finally returned to the crown prince.

It's simply that how good he is at governing the country is how bad he is at choosing his successor.

He regrets it now.

If he had insisted that Li Chengqian would inherit the throne, and had firmly implemented the system of primogeniture to the end, and had not given other princes any room for imagination, everyone would have been well-behaved.

Now it is not so...

"I...I understand." Li Chengqian let out a long breath and solemnly accepted the responsibility of this copy.

In a tent on a distant grassland, the pattern of the world was determined.

"But……"

Ashina She'er raised his doubts:

"Western Turks are fragmented and weak. How can we fight back to Chang'an?"

His question was very practical. His Majesty's will had been made, and the question was how to implement it.

The foundation of power is not the fact that his words are enforced, but the military support that can ensure that his words are enforced.

"What's so difficult about this? Let's first attack that Shaboluo Khan in Nanting."

Li Shimin sat down slowly and rubbed his right hand, which was numb, sore and swollen and unable to move, with his left hand.

"The people of the grasslands are all very simple. As long as we can win battles one after another and distribute the spoils generously to them, they will automatically unite around us."

As a descendant of the Eastern Turkic people, Lao She'er certainly understood this principle.

"The question is, how do you keep winning?"

Everyone's eyes turned to the invincible Emperor Li Shimin.

Li Shimin shook his head:
"After contracting the disease, my brain power has been poor."

As he said this, he closed his eyes and dozed off.

Several people slumped their shoulders in disappointment.

"but……"

Li Shimin held his head with his left hand, closed his eyes and said comfortably:
"It's just fighting the Turks. I don't need to use my brain."

…………

"How should we govern the tribes on the grassland?"

Liaodong, Pingzhou Prefecture.

Li Ming scratched his head, thinking about this ancient proposition that had troubled countless agricultural rulers.

Chang Sunyan counted Li Ming's hair falling one by one, and couldn't help asking:
"Brother Ming, isn't our war against Xueyantuo going very smoothly? It's only spring, and we have already taken over most of their territory and the entire Yinshan Mountains."

The current Red Turban Army is no longer what it used to be. After receiving reinforcements from Hebei and Goguryeo, it has evolved from a guerrilla force into a regular force that is good at mobile warfare.

After killing Zhenzhu Khan, the newly born Red Turban Army was even more unstoppable. Led by Li Jing, Hou Junji and other half of the Tang Dynasty's all-stars, they rushed towards the remaining Tiele tribes.

The battle reports were so exaggerated that they sounded fake, and they were literally invincible - wherever the Red Turban Army's iron hooves stepped, the Tiele people knelt down.

The reason why they had just taken over Yinshan was not because of the resistance of the remnants of Xueyantuo, but simply because this month or so was only enough time for the Red Turban Army to tour Yinshan.

Things are going so smoothly, why should Brother Ming be worried?
"Alas, you don't understand..."

Instead of feeling relieved, Li Ming scratched his head even more frequently.

"Nomads naturally worship the strong. When they win, they gather together, but when they lose, they scatter. Just like Fu Jian, who never recovered after his defeat at the Battle of Feishui."

Fang Xuanling looked at the document and explained it casually to the young chief secretary.

After the Goguryeo incident was settled, he returned to Pingzhou from Guonei City and continued to serve as the right-hand man of His Highness Li Ming.

And his workstation was also in the old place - just below Li Ming's desk.

When he was in Goguryeo, he was stared at by Li Ming's statue. After returning to Liaodong, he was stared at by Li Ming himself. What a miserable life.

"Yeah..." Li Ming sighed:
"Now our army has the wind in its favor, and the Tiele and Turkic people surrender at the sight of it. When our army encounters a setback, they will rebel just as quickly as they surrendered.

"So, ruling a nomadic people is easy, it's easy. All you have to do is win the battle and divide the spoils. But it's also difficult.

“Who can guarantee that they will always win and never lose?”

Chang Sunyan slapped his head and said: "Let them bathe in the education of the Central Plains and teach them propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame!"

"It's useless." Fang Xuanling sipped his tea slowly and poured a basin of cold water on the young man's head.

"Don't even think about educating them. Even if the great scholar from Han went to the grassland, he would become a barbarian who only cares about immediate benefits in a few years, if he hasn't starved to death yet."

After thousands of years of dealing with grassland nomads, the Central Plains agricultural dynasties had long since found their essence.

The problem is not the nomads, but the land on which they live - the vast, barren land outside the Great Wall itself.

If the Hu people migrated south into the Han area, they would be fully assimilated into the Han culture in less than a generation.

Representative figures, a group of elite Turkic generals from the Tang Dynasty.

Correspondingly, if the Han people migrated northward into the grasslands, within a generation they would all learn to speak the Hu language, with their minds filled with thoughts about herding sheep and raiding the south.

"Matter determines consciousness, and productivity determines production relations..." Li Ming buried his head in his elbows in distress.

In the desert and grassland, the monster spawners are always there.

Even if the Turks and Tiele people were killed, or moved south back to the Central Plains.

Other nomadic peoples will emerge in that place to occupy the ecological niche, and new life will come to life when the spring breeze blows.

Ultimately, it is because nomadic civilization was originally derived from agricultural civilization.

In the beginning, naked apes plowed the fields.

Later, some villages cultivated the fields particularly vigorously, and gradually squeezed out other people from the fertile land and drove them to the desert grassland where they could not cultivate.

The villages that remained on the cultivated land gradually formed an agricultural civilization, while the landless peasants who were driven to the grasslands and deserts became the ancestors of nomadic peoples.

In other words, nomadic people can be seen as a large group of bandits who were forced to become bandits and their descendants.

How to manage and rule such a large group of bandits with their own culture?

"Send officials to monitor their behavior one by one? Not to mention whether there is such manpower, the expense alone is enough to make Fang Yize explode on the spot.

"Reform the area, reclaim wasteland and cultivate land? Can food be grown there? Forget growing food, even drinking water would be difficult."

The more Li Ming thought about it, the more he felt there was no solution.

It would be difficult for him to solve a problem that the rulers of all dynasties in the Central Plains had been unable to solve.

The key issue is the economic foundation.

In the agricultural era, it was a sheer waste of time for the Central Plains dynasties to control the grasslands and deserts.

Not only are the costs extremely high, but the profits are almost zero, and the losses are unbearable.

The economy is the foundation. If you can't figure out the accounts, no matter how well you fight the war, it will be in vain and you will be defeated sooner or later.

This is also why Li Er implemented a policy of control, used offshore balancing methods, supported multiple agents in the local area, maintained the local balance of power, and used barbarians to control barbarians.

The advantage is that it can keep the nomadic people from causing trouble at a very low cost.

The downside is that this kind of "control" is actually very ineffective and difficult to sustain.

"In fact, the desert grassland is not barren. There are vast amounts of mineral resources buried underneath. If we build an industrial and mining city there, we will have an economic foundation and can control the area...

“No, it is impossible to mine there with the current level of technology.

"Forget mining. The grasslands and deserts all look the same for hundreds of miles. If there is no professional geological exploration team, it is impossible to find a mine. Even if you find one, you can't transport the ore out...

“To open a mine there, I need a mathematical, physical and chemical foundation, a complete railway transportation system and metallurgical processes that can support the production of qualified rails, strong domestic demand, hundreds of thousands of qualified workers and an equal number of logistics support personnel - I need a modern country.

"But all I have is a bunch of seventh-century farmers."

Li Ming thought hard but could not find a permanent solution.

He can't just go to the grassland and become the Khan himself, right?
This may help control the nomadic population in the grasslands, but the unruly people in the farming areas will rebel.

…………

The Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, Xizhou, the former territory of Gaochang Kingdom.

A monk arrived at the city gate, exhausted, and looked up at the city wall in confusion.

"What is this for? Is this still Gaochang?"

The guards looked at the ragged bald man warily and said with a stern face:

"A pass. No one is allowed to enter without it."

"Document? Yes, I have."

The monk cooperated and took out the documents from his arms.

The guard took a quick look, raised his brows, and asked three standard philosophical questions:

"Who are you? Where are you from? Where are you going?"

"Amitabha." The monk put his hands together:
"My name is Xuanzang. I came from the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek Buddhist scriptures. I am going back to the Tang Dynasty in the East."

(End of this chapter)