Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 325 I have a lot of things to do. I want to focus on military affairs.
Li Ming rubbed his temple, Fang Xuanling drank tea one cup after another, and Changsun Wuji stared at the ceiling in a daze.

The three of them realized that their opponent seemed a little strong.

The opponent now was not just Li Chengqian, but a combination of the emperor, the emperor emeritus, and the crown prince.

Such a combination is domineering, cunning and gentle.

They complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, and they are simply hexagonal warriors!

The three of them were stunned for a long time, and Zhang Sun Wuji finally spoke first:

"Although the other side's operation can pave the way for us to go south and rule the Central Plains in the future..."

"But we must first be able to rule the Central Plains." Fang Xuanling's mouth corners slightly raised, his eyebrows slightly wrinkled, and he made a bitter smile.

Li Ming said nothing and tapped the table.

His strategy was to exert extreme pressure on all fronts, detonate the internal conflicts of the Tang Dynasty, and achieve victory without fighting.

After all, the Tang Dynasty had a vast depth, a large population, and its core ethnic group had a strong spirit. It was not like Goguryeo, which would be dispersed at the slightest breath.

To completely occupy a big country like the Tang Dynasty, it would be very, very difficult to do so relying solely on external forces if there were no internal problems.

Because in the era of cold weapons, siege warfare was very difficult to fight.

For example, during the Three Kingdoms period, Wei was much stronger than Wu and Shu, but the three kingdoms still confronted each other for decades.

It was not until the internal economies of the two countries collapsed and risky moves were taken that the achievement of the three families returning to Jin was completed.

Originally, Li Ming also wanted to use the same trick again. Even if he couldn't directly force the Tang Dynasty to collapse, at least he could make the opponent bleed.

But unexpectedly, the other party directly gave him a wave of bone scraping to cure the poison, and he took a big bite.

It can be imagined that although this wave of policies cannot eradicate the soil of the aristocratic families and completely solve the stubborn problem of competing for power with the emperor and competing for profits with the people.

However, there is no problem in improving the finances of the Tang Dynasty, rallying the people's hearts, and increasing the difficulty of Li Ming's march south in a short period of time.

Ultimately, it is because the ancients knew how to learn, not to mention the outstanding people in the Li family.

Old Fourteen’s tricks were very cool. Although no one said anything, everyone was learning faster than the other.

"Is there any way to break the deadlock..."

Li Ming looked at the table in confusion.

It has been more than half a year since the Ming Dynasty was officially founded.

During the past six months, he mobilized the entire country and launched a fierce battle with the giant that was once the world's number one hegemon in the seventh century AD.

There are verbal attacks and physical fights, there are uses of power to suppress others and there are conspiracies and intrigues, there are economic wars and there are hand-to-hand combats.

From the peninsula in the east, the grassland and desert in the west, the jungle in the south, all the way to the fertile Central Plains in the center, it is no exaggeration to say that the battlefield basically covers the entire Greater China region.

I worked hard for half a year, spent countless money, and shed a lot of blood and sweat.

As a result, after all the fierce operations, we still failed to cross the Yellow River when we looked at the border.

After going around in circles for a long time, it has shrunk back to the Hebei-Qilu line, without an inch of land being added.

Not to mention crossing the Pearl River and liberating the entire Tang Dynasty.

As for the "foreign forces" that could be utilized, such as the southern barbarians like Linyi, they had been slapped to death by the Tang Dynasty.

"That's Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, and Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, with Li Chengqian in between..."

Li Ming suddenly realized that his enemy was no longer difficult to deal with.

There is no need to say much about Li Shimin. He was both civil and military, had great morality and charm, was the most almighty emperor, and was the second most powerful ruler in the classical era.

Emperor Gaozong of Tang was also a seriously underestimated ruler.

Not to mention that the territory of the Tang Dynasty reached its peak under his rule, nor that his civil and military achievements were quite good before he contracted the disease.

The fact that he killed his uncle and a large number of brothers after he secured his throne, yet did not end up with the infamy of "brother-killer" like his father, shows that this guy has extraordinary skills.

Li Chengqian is even more of a heavyweight. As a prince, he actually dared to assassinate the emperor. He is simply a rare talent in a thousand years.

The immortals are as numerous as hemp.

Three great Tang saints serve me, Li Ming. Isn't this a small blessing for me?

Li Ming rested his chin on one hand and tapped the table with the other, lost in thought.

Trying to be clever or using tricks will probably not work against the complete Tang Dynasty.

Using crooked means to wear down the other side, this road is probably not feasible...

Gradually, he stopped tapping the table and took a deep breath.

It's like he's made some kind of decision.

"It seems that the shortcut is not feasible. We can't expect the other side to destroy themselves."

Fang Xuanling put down the teacup, stroked his goatee with one hand and sighed slightly.

"But your majesty, don't worry. The world will eventually be in your hands. You just need to be a little more patient."

Zhang Sun Wuji frowned slightly:

"Minister Fang, what do you mean by this?"

"It means disrespect."

Fang Xuanling put down his hand that was stroking his beard, sat up straight, lowered his head slightly in the direction of Li Ming, and said with an unprecedented respectful attitude:

"Please forgive me for speaking frankly. His Majesty the Retired Emperor is not very old, but he has suffered a stroke and is not in good health. I am afraid that before long, the whole country will be in mourning."

The corner of Changsun Wuji's mouth twitched.

My goodness, hoping that I would die in front of my son is really disrespectful.

However, based on his understanding of his old rival, he knew that the expressionless old man would not say such outrageous words in the heat of the moment.

The old house is considered...

"..." Li Ming's face suddenly turned scarlet, and his eyes flashed with unfriendly light.

But it was only for a moment, and he quickly regained his composure, as calm as water.

Fang Xuanling seemed to have not noticed anything strange about the two people, and continued to talk to himself:

"The Emperor is the backbone of the Tang Dynasty. If he changes, the Tang Dynasty will change.

"By then, Your Majesty will be able to lead your troops south and unify the country with ease."

Just a few simple words, it was like pressing the mute button, and the whole audience could hear a pin drop.

Li Ming said nothing and just looked at Fang Xuanling.

Zhang Sun Wuji felt a little uncomfortable and took the initiative to break the silence:

“What Prime Minister Fang said… well, let’s not talk about him for now.

"Let's talk about the Tang False Emperor Yongqing. Although he is still young, he is also in poor health. He is probably already terminally ill. I'm afraid he died earlier than the Emperor Emeritus...

"Well, let's not talk about him for now. That..."

He shifted his hips uncomfortably, trying to organize his words.

“In short, in the next few years, the ruling core of the other side will definitely undergo frequent changes, and the political situation will definitely be chaotic and turbulent.

"When the time comes, we will go south again. Wouldn't it be as easy as taking something out of a bag to conquer the world?"

Changsun Wuji actually agreed with Fang Xuanling's strategy.

Then it’s still just one word: delay.

If we can’t delay the collapse of the Tang Dynasty, then we will delay it until the collapse of Li Shimin and Li Chengqian.

Let’s not talk about Li Shimin, without him there would be no Tang Dynasty.

Even though he is a bit lazy now and doesn't care about internal affairs, there is still a ceiling for fighting.

Not to mention, the "land reform" policy currently being implemented by the Tang Dynasty is still being forced down by Lao Li's prestige.

Once Old Li... passes away, there will be a backlash in the country.

Li Chengqian’s role cannot be underestimated either.

Even though he was the most mediocre in ability, if someone else sat in his position, the situation of the three saints ruling the country would degenerate into a three-way confrontation in a minute. The only one who could allow others to sleep soundly beside his bed was Li Chengqian.

What's more, he is the one doing all the hard work of governing the country, so we really can't do without him.

If he also exploded, it would be a real headache.

What is foreseeable is that no matter who of the father and son goes first, the other will probably follow soon.

Two saints passed away in succession, and the new master is still young...

By then, the Tang Dynasty will be bustling.

Although one of them is a father and the other is an older brother, it is very cruel for a child who cannot even be called a "teenager" to starve his own flesh and blood to death.

But power is like this, extremely exclusive, not based on feelings but only on interests.

I believe His Majesty Li Ming will understand...

Changsun Wuji met Li Ming's gaze without any fear.

Li Ming looked back at the two old men's determined gazes, but finally avoided their gazes and sighed slightly.

"Hey... why are you staring at me in a daze? Is there something on my face?

"Our Ming Dynasty is a great country, and there are so many things happening every day. We don't have time to sit here and waste time."

As he spoke, he picked up a memorial at hand and began to review it.

Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. The two old rivals looked at each other, then tacitly skipped the previous topic and shifted their attention back to state affairs.

Yes, improving internal strength is the basis of the game, and continuing to develop Ming’s national strength is more important than anything else.

It seems that His Majesty Li Ming is indeed very smart. He accepted this proposal, governed the country well, and waited for changes.

The study soon returned to its former tranquility, with only the rustling of book pages being heard.

After a while, Fang Xuanling asked:
"A batch of government bonds issued last year will soon mature. Your Majesty, should we prepare for the disbursement of funds accordingly?"

Li Ming didn't even raise his head and kicked the ball:
"You can ask your son Fang Yize. He is in charge of the overall financial revenue and expenditure of the whole country."

Huh?
Fang Xuanling was somewhat surprised by Li Ming's attitude and subconsciously looked to his side.

Changsun Wuji also raised his head with the same surprised expression.

What can I say about His Majesty Li Ming? He is a bit cunning.

But he is not a mediocre ruler who shirks his responsibilities and lies back to enjoy himself.

Why are you acting like a hands-off boss today?
"What are you looking at, Your Majesty?"

Changsun Wuji found that Li Ming was frowning and looking at the book on the table attentively.

Changsun Wuji found this book somewhat familiar.

There are no words in the book, just maps covered with densely packed topographic symbols.

This is a detailed topographic map of China's ports, passes and strategic locations.

More than two years ago, when Hou Junji was convicted of corruption for looting Gaochang and imprisoned in a small attic in the Dali Temple Prison, he passed the time by looking at these maps.

At that time, Zhangsun Wuji wanted to give him a set of "treat, behead, and treat him like a dog" process under the pretext of "visiting" the old marquis.

Then I ran into Lao Hou who was studying the atlas.

Now this top-secret thing has come from Hou Junji to Li Ming's hands.

People who look at maps for no reason are usually not honest...

"Huh? What are you looking at me for?"

Li Ming's voice became a little impatient:
"Didn't I already tell you? I'll leave the internal affairs to you.

"I have a lot of things to do. I want to focus my energy on military affairs."

…………

"What? You said that the Du family in the south of the city only has five people???
"The maid who opens the door in their family brings different things every day. The large tracts of land outside the capital belong to their family. How do the five of them farm it? Everyone in the Du family is the reincarnation of Shennong, right?

"Ahem... check again!"

In the Liangyi Hall of Taiji Palace, Li Chengqian rarely lost his temper during a small court meeting.

The civil servant who reported the incident prostrated himself on the ground with a pale face, wishing he could crawl into a crack in the ground, for fear that he would anger the Emperor to death.

"You're still doing this kind of thing at this time. It's really... Ugh!"

Li Chengqian's face flushed and his chest heaved violently.

As an emperor, he knew that he was not as capable as his father and brother, so he could only pay attention to small details.

For example, the number of people in a large clan reported by officials would be picked up and randomly checked.

As a result, something went wrong when I just flipped through it casually.

“The Du family in the south of the city, Wei Du, who ruled Tianchiwu, has only five people in their family?

"Do they think I'm so easy to deceive?!"

Li Chengqian was still angry.

He cares so much about the large ethnic population not to encourage more and better births.

This is because the tax system of the Tang Dynasty was based on rent, labor service and tribute, which was essentially a poll tax, and the poll tax was levied on a household basis.

It is easy to understand that the more people a family has, the more taxes they pay, and the less retaliation they get.

But such a simple tax law still has loopholes.

That is, after the landlords annexed the land, they hid the tenants without declaring it.

If this group of laborers did not pay taxes, it would be equivalent to the court losing a large source of tax revenue. In order to balance revenue and expenditure, the court could only increase taxes on small farmers until the small farmers could not bear the burden and fled in large numbers, causing the national finances to completely collapse.

Although the situation in the Tang Dynasty has not yet deteriorated to this point, in the early years of Yongqing, this trend has already appeared...

"Your Majesty." Wei Ting, who was also a prominent figure in the capital, began to speak.

"The Du family in the south of the city has made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty. Du Yan was once the Minister of Personnel, and Du Ruhui was one of the greatest contributors to the success of His Majesty the Emperor.

"If you care about the gains and losses of a few copper coins, I am afraid it will chill the hearts of scholars and make people think that Your Majesty is mean and ungrateful."

Li Chengqian's expression changed and he remained silent.

The aristocratic families are difficult to deal with, not just because they are powerful in the local area.

Moreover, they and the imperial power are closely connected. There are both opposing and cooperative sides. It is not a simple relationship of either enemy or friend.

How difficult it is to scrape the bone to cure the poison!
But if we don't deal with the Du family, it will set an example.

So where is his authority?
If we can’t even suppress the big clans living under the imperial city, how can we suppress the local tyrants in other places?

If government decrees cannot leave the Taiji Palace, forget about reform in the future.

Li Chengqian thought for a long time, still undecided, and glanced at the crown prince sitting on his left.

His Highness Li Zhi was lowering his head, pretending to be terrified by the dragon's might, and deliberately avoiding sight.

This little rascal... He cursed in his heart and leaned back secretly, wanting to hear the opinion of the emperor.

Snore, snore...The emperor said it was none of his business.

Li Chengqian was numb.

People in Pingzhou regard the Three Saints as a formidable enemy, but people in Chang'an are also unsure.

A pillar of the family who is not in good health both physically and mentally, an underdeveloped child, and an old man with little health.

This trio doesn't look very reliable...

Just when Li Chengqian was in a dilemma, the eunuch hurried to the palace and brought the message to Otomo.

Upon hearing this, Otomo did not dare to delay for a second. He walked up to the emperor and whispered a few words.

Li Chengqian's face suddenly changed and he couldn't help but exclaim.

"What? Li Ming forced his way across the river and launched a large-scale invasion of the Central Plains?!"

(End of this chapter)