Li Shimin faked his death? Then I will be powerful enough to conquer the world!

When Wang Wen heard the word "Commander", he stood there in a daze, his mind going blank.

He came from a farming family and had only a vague understanding of the complex bureaucratic system of the Tang Dynasty. On weekdays, he rarely even met officials in the county, let alone figure out the ranks and responsibilities of the officials in the court.

However, the title of the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was well-known, and even in the most remote villages, there would be rumors about this official position.

In the people's perception, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is the emperor's confidant, holding great power, able to monitor all officials, and even execute first and report later. This position alone means supreme power and terrifying majesty.

Wang Wen's eyes widened. He could never have imagined that this "Brother Wang" who talked to him so kindly and without any airs actually had such a prominent identity.

No wonder those people in official uniforms, when they saw Wang Can, were like mice seeing a cat, walking around him from a distance, with unconcealable fear on their faces.

Wang Wen's throat seemed to be choked by something. He wanted to say something, but no sound came out. The three words "commander" kept echoing in his mind, and his awe of Wang Can instantly reached its peak.

Wang Can looked at Wang Wen and Zhang An's shocked and stiff expressions, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and he said in a relaxed tone: "Not worth mentioning."

Then, he turned his gaze to Zhang An, resting on the official uniform he was wearing. He nodded slightly, his tone filled with approval, "Not bad. Coming from a remote place like Jilin Road, he was able to secure a position as an official in Chang'an. That's quite remarkable."

Zhang An was confused when he heard this.

In his opinion, he was just an insignificant clerk among the tens of thousands of petty officials in Chang'an City, doing trivial chores every day and receiving a meager salary. There was really nothing to be proud of in such a position.

But seeing Wang Can's serious expression and thinking of his awe-inspiring status, Zhang An didn't dare ask any more questions. He could only suppress all his questions in his stomach, forced an awkward smile on his face, bowed slightly, and whispered, "Commander Wang, you are too kind."

Looking at Zhang An's expression, Wang Can shook his head.

"I'm really praising you!"

……

In the meeting room of Baixin Assembly Hall, Li Chengqian sat in the main seat, arranging various affairs in an orderly manner. Each of his instructions was clear and understandable.

Finally, when the mountain of meeting affairs was almost dealt with, Li Chengqian leaned back in his chair and rubbed his aching temples.

At this time, Zhang Xianhuai walked up quickly and respectfully handed over a piece of information with both hands.

Li Chengqian took the information and began to read it carefully.

At this time, in this slightly dim room, Grand Tutor Qi, Li Wei, Lin Dafu, Qin Ruzhao, Zhang Xianhuai and others were all here.

Everyone had a serious look on their face.

In order to facilitate the meeting, they all lived in this people's hall.

Although the conditions in the meeting hall were simple and the accommodation was far inferior to their residences, everyone knew that this meeting was related to the future direction of the Tang Dynasty, and no one had any complaints.

Li Chengqian's eyes moved slowly over the intelligence, his expression calm as water, but the hand holding the intelligence tightened unconsciously.

The room was so quiet that the only sound was the slight rustling of intelligence papers as they were turned.

After reading it, Li Chengqian slowly put down the information, his brows furrowed. "Has regional discrimination in the Tang Dynasty become so serious?"

Hearing His Majesty's question, Li Wei hurriedly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, there's nothing we can do about it."

"This kind of regional prejudice and discrimination has a long history and cannot be eliminated overnight."

"After all, these newly established roads are all newly opened territories by our Tang Dynasty after years of conquest."

"Take Dongjingdao for example. It used to be the territory of the Mobei Steppe and Goguryeo. The people there were tough and sturdy, and the culture was very different from that of the Central Plains."

"The Tibet Road was once the home of the Tibetans, and its religion and culture are unique."

"In the past, the Western Regions were home to numerous nations, each with its own language, customs, and political systems."

"Your Majesty is wise and powerful. You have incorporated these places into the territory of the Tang Dynasty with lightning speed. Although their people have become citizens of the Tang Dynasty, in the hearts of the original Tang people, these newly-absorbed people are always regarded as aliens. How can they be easily regarded as true citizens of the Tang Dynasty?"

"So, the existence of regional discrimination has complex historical and cultural roots, and it's difficult to completely eradicate it all at once."

Li Chengqian listened to Li Wei's words quietly and nodded slowly, "I understand all this."

"But isn't this too unfair to the candidates from those places?"

"Minister Li, please take a closer look at the officials admitted through the imperial examinations in recent years. I never paid much attention to them before, but today I'm shocked to discover why all the admitted candidates in the three Liaodong provinces, Tibet Province, and Xinjiang Province are only serving as minor officials."

"Does that mean these places aren't part of the Tang Dynasty? Regardless of what happened in the past, now that they belong to the Tang Dynasty, we should treat them equally."

"Besides, the assimilation policy implemented by the imperial court in recent years should have achieved some results, right?"

Li Chengqian is now old, and his state of mind has changed dramatically.

Compared with his youth, he now thinks about problems more comprehensively and deeply.

In the past, he was full of passion, and was obsessed with expanding the territory and achieving unprecedented achievements. He was decisive and resolute in his actions.

But as he grew older, he gradually understood that true strength does not come from conquering by force, but from winning the hearts and minds of the people.

What he wants now is the long-term stability of the Tang Dynasty, the peace and prosperity of the world, and the happy smiles on the faces of the people.

"Master Qi, obey my orders and release those people from slavery."

"From now on, they will all be citizens of the Great Tang Dynasty and should enjoy the same treatment as other common people, whether it's childbirth subsidies or financial aid for their children's education. There should be no difference."

Upon hearing His Majesty's decree, Mr. Qi nodded slightly, with a look of relief in his eyes.

I remember that when Your Majesty was conquering Goguryeo, Mr. Qi suggested that instead of making these conquered people slaves for a generation, it would be better to let them directly accept the king's rule.

Because if their generation is given slavery but their descendants are given Tang Dynasty identity, when the children grow up they will inevitably feel resentment towards the Tang Dynasty because of their parents' experiences, which is extremely detrimental to the country's rule.

However, Li Chengqian was in his prime at that time, full of ambition and murderous spirit. He was obsessed with making great achievements and could not listen to these words of long-term considerations at all.

But today, for some reason, His Majesty suddenly showed such compassion. Although Mr. Qi was surprised, he was more optimistic about the future of the Tang Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, should the Kunlun slaves be released as well?" Li Wei suddenly stepped forward and asked cautiously.

Li Chengqian shook his head slightly and said with a firm look, "Except for the Kunlun slaves, all others have been released."

There was no doubt in his tone. This was a decision he had made after careful consideration. The situation of Kunlun Slave was special and was not currently within the scope of this favor.