Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 90 Please select your birthplace

Fang Xuanling had just finished his duty at the gate today and was intercepted by Li Ming on his way home.

"Come to the Marquis' Mansion to participate in this important event"... This is what Li Ming said at the time.

Fang Xuanling was not at all surprised by the young master's sudden whim.

After regaining his freedom of movement, Li Ming's first stop was indeed Hou Junji's home.

After drawing a new hero, of course the first thing to do is to put it in the maintenance room and have a good chat with it.

After the Jiucheng Palace incident, Li Ming's house arrest restrictions were completely lifted.

Now, he can not only enter and exit Lizheng Hall freely, but even enter and exit Taiji Palace freely.

Although he was actually able to enter and leave the palace before, there was always a gatekeeper general who was always watching him from behind.

Now, as one gatekeeper general was taken into the harem by Li Ming, another gatekeeper general was sent to the underworld by Li Ming.

Li Shimin simply threw away this fig leaf and allowed Li Ming to come and go freely.

Inside the palace, outside the palace, and the harem, Li Ming suddenly gathered together the impossible triangle of the Tang people.

This also makes Li Ming's little face the second most useful face in the world after Li Shimin.

Although Li Shimin was still worried about Li Ming's safety, after the battle of Jiucheng Palace, he also realized that this kid was a monkey.

The so-called "house arrest order" can't hold him back at all.

Didn’t this guy somersault from Lizheng Hall to Jiucheng Palace?

It would be better to just let this little monkey wander around, maybe you will get a surprise.

Besides, Li Shimin also understood that Li Ming’s biggest threat to his life was actually the crown prince.

After the entire royal family, including the prince himself, were saved by Li Ming, it was not reasonable for the prince to touch Li Ming again.

Otherwise, if the prince is accused of "repaying kindness with grievance", it will be his turn to consider resigning.

Just like that, Li Ming was released back into the wild, and he retaliated by colluding with others, winning over court officials and forming cliques. Fang Xuanling was not surprised at all.

To his surprise, as soon as he opened the door, he saw two rebels, one old and one young, pointing and talking at a detailed military map that must not be kept privately.

Wow, it turns out that this is such a big thing that we are participating in!

Hou Junji lived up to his reputation as he instigated his master to rebel on his first day at work.

He didn't dare to imagine what he could accomplish in the future.

"What are you two doing?" Fang Xuanling asked again.

"Father, you are here."

Li Mingchao waved to Fang Xuanling:
"Come, let's give me some advice. Which piece of land should I take to give me a better chance of winning?"

In response to His Highness' invitation to the Win Party, Fang Xuanling's mouth twitched slightly, and he coughed lightly to remind him:

"This old minister is the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty."

When Ning and others were ceding land to become kings and plotting rebellion, could they have kept a low profile?
At least don't invite the old minister to come over for a visit, right?
Hou Junji glanced at the hypocritical Fang Xuanling and replied righteously:
"What are we doing? Of course, we are studying the geography of China and selecting a suitable fiefdom for the young master.

"To protect the capital, drive out the barbarians from all directions, and guard the country's gates for the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty."

Then, he changed the subject and asked:
“Speaking of which, Lord Fang proposed in the court that if a prince has been enfeoffed for less than a year, his territory tax does not need to be paid to the central government for one year, and the tax will be reduced by half after three years.

"What is Lord Fang doing again?"

As everyone knows, more than half of the 14th year of Zhenguan has passed, and there is still only one Prince who has been enfeoffed for less than a year.

Fang Xuanling, a loyal minister of the Tang Dynasty, answered selflessly:

"Of course, it is to quickly improve the strength of the new princes in the local area, to help them protect the Tang Dynasty and consolidate the four directions."

Li Ming scratched his head in confusion:

"Father, are you doing this for the Tang Dynasty?"

Fang Xuanling stroked his goatee with aloofness:

"Of course. As the chancellor, I have to put the Tang Dynasty first in everything."

Li Ming looked at Hou Junji again in confusion:
"Aunt Baolin, are you doing this for the Tang Dynasty as well?"

Hou Junji stroked his steel whiskers with a half-smile:

"Oh, I have risked my life so many times for the Tang Dynasty."

Li Ming looked down at himself again:
"Since I am a prince, it is certainly impossible for me to rebel against the Tang Dynasty, right?"

Fang Xuanling and Hou Junji shook their heads at the same time:
"Of course not possible."

"I am for the Tang Dynasty, you are for the Tang Dynasty, he is also for the Tang Dynasty, everyone is for the Tang Dynasty right?"

"Yes."

"So that means the three of us are comrades with the same aspirations and ideals?"

Fang Xuanling and Hou Junji looked at each other and nodded heavily:
"Yes, we are all in the same boat."

Li Ming smiled slightly:
"Then, for the future of the Tang Dynasty, can you please help me choose a good place for secession?"

Fang Xuanling also smiled and agreed: "Okay."

Thus, the three loyal ministers of the Tang Dynasty happily divided and drew lines on the map of the entire Tang Dynasty, as if they were cutting fat meat.

The territory of the Tang Dynasty is vast. It's hard to choose a place to start farming. In fact, it's not easy at all.

In the 14th year of Zhenguan, the entire Tang Dynasty was divided into ten circuits, 360 states, and more than 1,500 counties. It was so confusing that one would be dazzled by the selection.

It's even more difficult to make a decision than asking you to choose between being on duty on New Year's Eve or on New Year's Day.

But Li Ming has his own plans.

From the beginning to the end, he was very clear about his goal, which he had been thinking about since he crossed over -

How to protect yourself.

Therefore, the fiefdom’s self-preservation capability is also of primary importance.

Let's analyze it again, considering the most extreme case, that is to say -

If one day in the future he completely falls out with the imperial court, Li Ming's fiefdom must be sufficient to withstand the imperial court's attack.

It was a two-pronged attack, involving both internal personnel and external military efforts.

He could neither be like his third brother Li Ke, who was later "honored" by an imperial edict from Zhangsun Wuji, nor could he be like his eighth brother Li Zhen, who was later humiliated and defeated by Wu Zetian's army.

First of all, the two states that I requested to be transferred from my father must be connected.

We cannot create enclaves in pieces here and there without taking care of the whole thing just for a little rent and tax gain.

Moreover, the "connected" here refers not only to administration but also to geography.

For example, the Xuzhou and Yangzhou conferred by Li Shimin this time did not seem to be a big problem, as the two states bordered each other.

But if you look closely, it is not difficult to find that the two states are separated by the Huai River and are actually geographically separated.

One state belongs to the Central Plains, and the other state is in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

This has also resulted in significant differences between the two places in terms of economic development, humanities and culture, as well as local dialects.

From this perspective, if Li Ming really accepted the title of "King of Song", he would have stepped into a big trap.

This is not because Li Shimin deliberately harmed his son.

In years when the country was unified and the weather was good, Xuzhou and Yangzhou were both excellent fiefdoms.

However, under Li Ming's "bottom line thinking", he considered the extreme situation of "making enemies with the whole world".

He had to choose the safer two-state area.

"Your Highness, if you are not satisfied with the current fiefdom, which territory would you like to change to?" Fang Xuanling was very sensible and asked his leader for advice first.

Leader Li Ming also gave a very professional "both" opinion:

“It needs to be as strong as a fortress, but also develop the economy.

“It must be easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it must have convenient transportation. It must have fertile land and room for development.”

The two aides immediately stopped talking.

They thought that what His Highness wanted might not be an aide, but a god.

Hou Junji couldn't help but cover his face:

"Then how about asking His Majesty to give you the two capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang?"

"I asked for it yesterday, but grandpa didn't give it to me and even beat me up. He's so stingy." Li Ming touched his butt in grievance.

Hou Junji's eyes twitched.

His Majesty is truly a benevolent ruler, as he didn't even break a leg...

Fang Xuanling couldn't help asking:
"If Your Highness is worried that the rent and taxes from your fiefdom are not enough, then Your Majesty can grant you a more fertile prefecture or county.

"Now that the world is at peace, why are you still obsessed with military value?"

Li Ming looked away guiltily:

"What if, I mean what if, the Tang Dynasty is usurped by some woman, I can still rely on my fiefdom, follow the example of Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty, make a comeback, and restore the Tang Dynasty."

He himself didn't believe what he said.

The only thing missing is to put the question "where is it easiest to start a rebellion" on your forehead.

But Fang Xuanling pretended to believe it and gave his own advice:

“In the past, His Majesty the Emperor raised his army from Jinyang and swept across the four directions.

“Now Jinyang belongs to Bingzhou, why don’t you follow the example of your ancestors and take the land of Bingzhou and Daizhou.

"With the natural fortresses of Fenshui River and Taihang Mountain, and mountains and rivers both inside and outside, it is enough to plan great things."

He didn't shy away from it and started talking about "planning big things".

Hou Junji shook his head at this proposal:
“The reason why Jinyang was able to raise an army in the past was because the world was in chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, which provided an opportunity to take advantage of.

“Now that the world is stable, there is no chance for anyone to take advantage of loopholes.

"Bing and Dai are close to the Central Plains, so it is easy for the imperial army to get supplies. But if our army is trapped in the Taihang Mountains, it will be very difficult to get supplies.

"If the war lasts too long, our army will collapse on its own."

The two of them naturally put themselves into the role of "rebels", actively used their brains, and argued fiercely.

This is also the reason why Li Ming only discussed this conspiracy with Fang Xuanling and Hou Junji.

Because although these two old foxes are old, they are more wild than the young people today and are not at all content.

Li Ming can conspire with him to do great things.

In comparison, Wei Daijia was too young, and the topic of rebellion would scare him.

Li Daozon was old-fashioned and upright, and had the burden of being a royal family member, so it was unlikely that he would participate in such behavior that was close to treason.

Grasping the different personalities and specialties of each subordinate is the key to being the top leader, no doubt about it.

Hou Junji frowned, staring at the topographic map that he had studied for countless days and nights, and stroked the steel whisker with one hand, almost leaving marks on his palm.

After a long time, his brows suddenly relaxed:

"It's not that there aren't places that meet your Highness's requirements."

His eyes lit up and he pointed his finger at Liangzhou and Xingzhou.

This is also where the Hanzhong Basin is located.

"These two states were the ancient Hanzhong Prefecture, located south of the Nanshan Mountains (Qinling Mountains) and north of the Bashan Mountains. These two mountain ranges served as a barrier, sufficient to resist a large army.

"Between the two mountains, the Han River runs from east to west, and the Ju River, Yang River, and Yudai River connect the north and south. The land is fertile and transportation is convenient.

"The two states are each other's support. If one is attacked, the other state can quickly send in food and troops by water, which is enough to sustain itself."

Fang Xuanling also shook his head slightly at Hou Junji's proposal:

“Hanzhong is solid, but the space is a bit cramped.

“It’s difficult to conquer the world with this place as a base.

"During the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, Hanzhong fell into the hands of Zhang Lu and Liu Bei successively, but these forces ultimately failed to achieve great success."

He used his rich knowledge of literature and history to successfully refute Hou Junji, who was good at military affairs.

Listening to the two great men arguing with each other, Li Ming also felt eager to try, and drew on the map in a very realistic way:

"How about Hangzhou and Yuezhou in Jiangnan?"

He wanted to emulate the "story" of King Qian more than two hundred years later.

This proposal was immediately criticized by the two strategic masters.

Fang Xuanling gave a frank advice:
"If Your Highness really wants to do something big, it's best not to focus on the east of the Huai River."

Li Ming was a little confused: "Why? Because it's too hot?"

Although the economic center shifted southwards after the end of the Tang Dynasty, the south in the early Tang Dynasty shouldn’t have been so bad, right?

Apart from the hot weather during the interglacial period during the Tang Dynasty, he really couldn't think of a better explanation.

In response to the young prince's question, Hou Junji pointed to the map and patiently explained:
"Your Highness, please look, there are many mountains and hills south of the Huai River, with dense river networks and fragmented terrain.

“This leads to inconvenient transportation. If one area is attacked, it is difficult for other areas to provide assistance.

“Besides, the population in the south is sparse, and military towns are also economic towns, usually located on the banks of rivers with relatively shallow depths.

“Therefore, if the forces from the north gather together and attack the weak points of the defense line, it will be difficult for the southern defenders to support each other.

"Once the initial defense line is breached, the lack of depth in the south will be exposed. Once the important towns are divided and surrounded, the entire front will collapse."

These are the lessons learned from the founding war of the Tang Dynasty, and the reason why Li Jing and Li Xiaogong were able to quickly defeat Xiao Xin and other forces and unify the south.

The north-south strategy before the Tang Dynasty was completely different from that after the Tang Dynasty.

Fang Xuanling and Hou Junji argued for a long time, each of them played up their strengths and proposed solutions, which were rejected one by one.

From the south to the north and from the west to the east, almost the entire territory of the Tang Dynasty was overlooked.

It’s just that I didn’t choose a satisfactory fiefdom.

This was not because the two lacked business capabilities, but because the mission objectives given by Li Ming were too abnormal.

With the strength of these two states, we can resist the remaining 358 states in the world.

The disparity is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

But the two had no complaints at all about this nonsensical task.

Because the big things they wanted to do deep in their hearts but dared not say were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot during the Zhenguan period when the country was peaceful and the government was prosperous.
The two argued endlessly, and their mouths were dry. Fang Xuanling looked at Li Ming:

"Your Highness, what do you think?"

Hou Junji also looked at him:

"It's all up to you."

Li Ming did not interrupt while the two were arguing.

He listened quietly throughout the whole process, like a humble student.

After fully listening to the opinions of both sides and being inspired by both sides, it is time for him, as the leader, to make the final decision.

"Mr. Fang and Mr. Hou are indeed the two pillars of our Tang Dynasty. Your opinions are of great benefit to me.

"so……"

Amid the two people's puzzled gazes, Li Ming pointed his finger at the northeast corner of the Tang Dynasty map.

Between the proposals of Hou Junji or Fang Xuanling, he chose "or".

(End of this chapter)