Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 289 "Failure is rebellion, success is revolution!"

That was the first great Tang Dynasty with Li Shimin in charge. Who wouldn't be nervous when facing off against such a giant beast?

Although people usually call him "Li Er" behind his back, no one dares to underestimate Lao Li's power.

The same is true even for Old Li, who has passed his prime.

The Tang Dynasty before and after Li Shimin were two completely different dynasties. Until the late Tang Dynasty, the government and the people of the Tang Dynasty still liked to call the emperor who had the potential to revive the country "Little Taizong", which became the spiritual totem of the dynasty.

Even if his ability declined in his later years, it was only a drop from a full score to 90 points, which is not something that other colleagues can easily touch.

“Li Er is not feeling well… maybe this is an opportunity?

"No, who knows if he really had a stroke or just faked it? He came to Beijing from Dafeichuan and Hehuang Valley, and his mind was clearly clear..."

Li Ming pondered over it carefully and couldn't help shaking his head in self-mockery:

"It has come to this, and I am actually thinking of backing out. I am such a coward."

Yes, he is not a stable prince.

Instead, it was a super separatist regime that dominated the Northeast, marched into the Central Plains, and eyed the entire south. In terms of national strength, it was a powerful political entity on the same level as the Tang Dynasty.

If he surrendered without a fight, he should not be written into the "History of Tang Dynasty" but into the "Xiao Lin Guang Ji".

"Huh..." Li Ming sighed deeply. He did not feel relieved. Instead, he felt heavier in his heart.

"The next step is fratricide..."

Failure to accept the imperial court's "amnesty" would mean starting a full-scale civil war.

Times are different now. If he had only controlled the two states of Liaodong, which were isolated from the Yanshan Mountains, he might have been able to escape the eyes of the Tang Emperor.

But now, the two sides have become evenly matched opponents.

How can I allow others to snore beside my bed? Neither the Tang Dynasty nor the "Ming Dynasty" has the right to live in peace in a corner.

To destroy the other side, or to be destroyed by the other side, and then to be reunited, this is the fate of this land.

This will be a civil war between him and his father and brothers, and a civil war between the Chinese people.

Tragedy, a tragedy even more tragic than the An-Shi Rebellion.

Li Ming walked along the street in a depressed mood. Looking at the bustling streets, he felt very unhappy.

Once the war begins, everything that I have built with my own hands may be destroyed by my own hands...

Before he knew it, he arrived at the gate of a house.

This was his own residence, just on the edge of the downtown area. There were no strict imperial restrictions and it seemed like just an ordinary wealthy family's mansion rather than the palace of the ruler of a huge empire.

He opened the door unconsciously and let his body carry him across the front porch to the back room.

In the inner hall, the current Empress of Tang and her daughters sat together doing needlework.

They were sewing winter clothes for settlers on the Blackwater Front.

As soon as you hear it, you know that this is just Li Ming's task, a propaganda with more symbolic significance than practical meaning.

But the women did not slack off at all and focused on providing logistical support to the pioneers of Chinese civilization.

It is much more comfortable here than the heavily guarded Taiji Palace. Women can go out whenever they want and meet any official they want.

There is no need to worry about accusations such as "the ruler is young and the country is in doubt", "the harem interferes in politics", or "imitating the story of Empress Lu".

This is Li Ming's territory, no one can interfere in politics better than him.

In the free and easy world of the Ming Dynasty, Empress Yang rediscovered the meaning of life.

She felt that she was finally living like a human being, rather than a reproductive machine imprisoned in the small space of the harem.

Labor makes you free.

Li Ming did not disturb them, but stood aside and watched quietly.

After a long time, Yang realized something, put down the needlework in her hands, and looked back at her son gently.

"Why did you decide to come back? Did you run into any difficulties?"

Li Ming scratched his head: "Well... there is a problem."

Seeing her eldest son's funny expression as he pondered over his thoughts, Empress Yang couldn't help but smile with her hands covering her mouth, and asked lovingly:
"What is the big problem that has troubled our Ming Emperor so much?"

"Yeah." Li Ming said hesitantly:
"It's about my father, mother and husband."

Queen Yang’s smile froze.

"Mother, I'm afraid you are no longer the queen." Li Ming chose his words carefully:

"And she will be promoted to Empress Dowager."

Plop...the needle and thread in Queen Yang's hand fell to the ground.

…………

"Oh, I was so scared! I thought my father..."

After listening to Li Ming's clear explanation of the whole situation, Li Ling patted his chest with lingering fear and gave the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty a slap in the face.

"How do you talk? Ah, how do you talk?!"

It sounds as if the emperor... has passed away.

It turns out it's early retirement.

However, after the initial relief, the women also changed into the same distressed expressions as Li Ming.

It's a good thing that my father is alive, but giving up the throne to Li Chengqian is a bit...

"Your Majesty...are you really suffering from a stroke?" Empress Yang was still worried.

"I don't know." Li Ming shook his head frankly:

"Maybe it's true, maybe it's a trick played by Li Chengqian. After all, I've already died once in the eyes of the world, so what does it matter if my father is paralyzed again?

"The problem is, Auntie."

Li Ming's expression was more serious than ever before.

"I think that Father's move was intentional. He intended to give up the throne to Li Chengqian."

"For the sake of the stability of the Li family's inheritance, he firmly chose the eldest son and gave up on you...?" As a member of the royal family, Queen Yang immediately guessed the intention behind this.

"Even someone as wise as you have been abandoned. If the second son or illegitimate son of the future still wants to compete for the eldest son's inheritance rights based on their talents, they will have to think carefully first."

Alas...the mother and son sighed at the same time.

"I have failed you." Queen Yang whispered:

"If I were Empress Changsun..."

"It's no use talking about this now. The important thing is what I should do next." Li Ming interrupted Yang Hou.

"Should I obey Li Chengqian's order, lay down my arms and open the city gates, or... Mother, I want to hear your opinion."

silence.

Li Ling and the other sisters felt that if they stayed any longer they might hear something terrible, so they quietly packed up and left.

Empress Yang's expression changed, but she finally calmed down and said to Li Ming gently:
"No matter what you plan to do, Ming'er, Auntie will support your decision."

Regarding this bowl of chicken soup cooked by his mother, Li Ming said:
"Mother, you don't know what to do, right?"

"Ahem." Queen Yang coughed awkwardly.

This unfortunate child, what nonsense is he talking about?

“You are the head of a country and it is your responsibility to steer the ship.

"Whether it's war or peace, separation or reunion, where to steer the ship of the Ming Dynasty is entirely up to you. But——"

Queen Yang changed the subject:
"But I guess you already have a preference in your mind, right?"

Li Ming looked straight into her eyes:

"Confucius said: Those who are capable should be listed, and those who are incapable should be dismissed. Li Chengqian's being the emperor may not be a good thing for the country and the people of the world.

"But if I were to go to war with my father..."

Queen Yang listened quietly to her son's troubles and gently counselled him:

"There is one thing I may not be able to say given my status, but...

"As a ruler, one should not be confined to personal morality.

"You represent a country, and the well-being of the people of the world depends on you.

"If blindly pursuing personal morality leads to the suffering of the people, this is not necessarily a moral thing to do, right?"

Li Ming took a deep breath:

"I understand, mother. Goodbye."

He stood up resolutely, bowed respectfully to his mother, and turned to leave.

Empress Yang could no longer maintain her composure and murmured with sobs:

"Tragedy, tragedy..."

Although Li Ming didn't say it, he was full of filial piety towards his father, the man who had only been a qualified father for one year.

Otherwise, why did he attack Xueyantuo with all his might, and even after Xueyantuo withdrew from Hebei, he still pursued them deep into the grasslands?
Isn't it just to find the emperor who has lost contact in Shuobei that we are willing to give up the strategic opportunity to march southward?

If it weren't for wasting so much manpower and time in the vast grassland, Li Ming could have taken advantage of Li Zhi's unstable foothold to completely annex the entire Central Plains and the Eastern Capital Luoyang, and even aimed at Xuzhou and Yangzhou, and approached Hangu Pass. If this were really possible, the current situation would be completely reversed, and Li Ming would not have to worry about whether to start a civil war.

Why did my father rebel?

Li Ming gave up the golden opportunity to swallow up China, ostensibly because "to stabilize the country, one must first resist foreign aggression", and fought with the barbarians for several months.

Only she, as a mother, knew clearly why Li Ming did this.

It’s to find that cheap daddy.

Li Ming can't act out any "sucking father's milk and crying his heart out", he can only do it with his head down.

This might be the only thing that makes Li Ming different from his father...

Watching her son disappear at the end of the corridor, Queen Yang burst into tears.

…………

Li Ming returned to the provincial capital and was stopped by Xiao Yu as soon as he stepped through the gate.

"Your Highness, I finally found you. Where have you been all day?"

Old Xiao was holding a pile of documents and was sweating profusely.

"You can just put the documents on my desk first, why do you have to carry them like this?" Li Ming asked puzzledly.

"Ahem, these are internal documents and no one is allowed to read them." Xiao Yu looked away guiltily.

Li Ming glanced at him sideways, and raised the corners of his mouth without a smile:
"You said Fang Xuanling is an idler, right?"

"Ah, I don't, I don't!" Xiao Yu shook his head repeatedly.

As happily as he fought with Fang Xuanling in the past, he is as afraid of being liquidated now.

Although Li Ming was in charge, the working atmosphere in Daming was very healthy and no factional disputes broke out.

But this is by no means because the old foxes suddenly turned to a vegetarian diet.

Xiao Yu was afraid that one day he would be beheaded by Lao Fang because he stepped into the yamen with his left foot first, so he clung to Li Ming's thigh and worked extra hard.

"Your Highness, there have been unusual movements on the border recently." Lao Xiao reported mysteriously.

"Oh? There are unusual movements at the border, which means..." Li Ming looked up and thought seriously, then asked:

"Which border?"

There is no way. The Ming Dynasty is too big, with thousands of miles of rivers and mountains. Who knows which direction of the border will have problems?

I swear by the emperor's integrity that Li Ming was asking the question sincerely and he was not being polite in Versailles.

"South of the river, bordering the Tang... and Jin Wang controlled areas." Xiao Yu replied.

Li Ming immediately became nervous:

"They're taking action so soon?!"

"Who made any movements?" Xiao Yu was a little puzzled.

He's just a small Li Zhi. Is it necessary to treat him like a powerful enemy?
"They are refugees." Lao Xiao changed the subject back.

"There are more and more refugees, which has put a lot of pressure on border counties such as Qizhou and Yunzhou.

"Because those states are separated by rivers, it is difficult to evacuate them in a short period of time."

Xiao Yu's complaining tone was also full of Versailles.

In ancient agricultural society, population was the primary productive force.

"Oh, they are refugees." Li Ming breathed a sigh of relief, but then became confused again.

"The south of the Yellow River is a rich place. Now that the war between Li Tai and Li Zhi is over and it's the summer harvest season, why are there still so many refugees?"

At least we are in the "Zhenguan Era" now, so the people shouldn't be living in misery, right?
The Zhenguan Reign was of relatively high quality, unlike the later "Kaiyuan Prosperity" which was merely bloated. The people at the bottom would not have starved to death.

"Because ordinary people live better in our Ming Dynasty, and there is no distinction between master and guest, people from other places flock to us."

Xiao Yu replied.

Li Ming: “Just because of this?”

Xiao Yu: “That’s why.”

There is no special reason. Ordinary people are very simple and will go wherever life is better.

It was not that the Zhenguan period was hungry, but that the Ming Dynasty had more rice.

"hiss……"

Li Ming seemed to have figured something out and asked Xiao Yu:

"Under my rule, do the people live better than in the Tang Dynasty?"

Xiao Yu found this question puzzling:
"Of course, otherwise why are there so many refugees flowing in instead of out?

"To be honest, the influx of population is too large. Not to mention Liaodong and Goguryeo, even the newly incorporated Hebei and Qilu regions have seen a huge increase in population, and the population has already reached the peak of the Kaihuang Reign.

"You may doubt that our officials only report good news and not bad news, but the increase in population cannot be fake, right?"

"Yes, you are right..." Li Ming thought thoughtfully.

Yes, what profound truth is there?
What am I still worried about?
Since the well-being of all the people in the world depends on my hands.

It is my responsibility to increase their well-being and reduce their poverty.

Any obstacles that hinder the achievement of this goal should be removed.

Even if that obstacle is Li Shimin...

"So, Your Highness, how should we accommodate so many people? Should we build more ferries and relocate them to the north of the river..."

Xiao Yu was still asking, and Li Ming patted him on the shoulder.

"Mr. Xiao, can I be the emperor?"

Xiao Yu was completely confused, but he still followed his leader's instructions:
"Your Highness is a rare talent among men, born to be a leader."

Li Ming asked back: "Even Li Shimin is inferior to me, right?"

Xiao Yu nodded: "Yes, Your Highness, even if Li...

"Lee what?!"

The emperor's name suddenly popped up, making Xiao Yu jump.

"Mr. Xiao, I think we have found a fundamental solution to the problem of too many refugees." Li Ming said slowly.

Xiao Yu didn't dare to respond. He finally realized that His Highness Li Ming was a little strange today.

"Why do people have to leave their homes, cross mountains and rivers, and migrate thousands of miles in pursuit of a better life?"

Li Ming continued to speak:
“Why can’t we build their hometown as beautiful as the Ming Dynasty?

"Why not turn the entire Tang Dynasty, the entire continent, and the entire world into our Ming Dynasty?"

…………

Li Ming returned to the study, where his right-hand men were still arguing fiercely.

The young and vigorous group headed by Zhangsun Yan insisted that Emperor Li Shimin must have been deceived by treacherous people and that he must purge his followers.

The mature faction, led by Changsun Yan's grandfather Changsun Wuji, believed that it was meaningless to dwell on this issue now. Li Chengqian had already ascended the throne, so how could he abdicate?
As soon as they saw Li Ming coming back, both groups stopped arguing at the same time and stared at him intently.

"Brother Ming——"

"Your Highness—"

"What should we do next?"

Li Ming put his hands behind his back, responded to everyone's gaze, and said calmly:

"Raise the banner of the Ming Dynasty and inform the whole nation.

"Ming means the sun and the moon. Wherever the sun and the moon shine, it is the land of Ming."

The room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Although everyone is used to calling it "Da Ming Da Ming" verbally, it has not been put on the table and has no official certification.

Now we have to openly show our flag, and this is at a time when the new emperor of the Tang Dynasty has issued an order to persuade people to surrender.

There is no need to explain what Li Ming means.

"Your Highness, I was once your teacher, so I feel it is necessary to remind you." Fang Xuanling said in a low voice:

“This is a rebellion.”

The study was so quiet that you could hear the breathing.

Li Ming looked up at his elementary school teacher and smiled:
"I remember my teacher once taught us, 'Tang and Wu's revolution followed the will of Heaven and responded to the will of the people.'"

Gulp... The former problem student suddenly started quoting from classics, causing Fang Xuanling to swallow nervously.

Li Ming slowly raised his hand and slammed it hard on the table.

boom!
A dull sound seemed to knock deep into everyone's soul.

"Failure is rebellion, success is revolution!"

(End of this chapter)