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

Chang'an was wrapped in a layer of frost, and the glazed tiles of the Daming Palace shone coldly in the moonlight.

The copper bells hanging on the eaves of the Liangyi Palace were plucked by the night wind. The tinkling sound mixed with the distant drums, echoing far away in the empty palace road.

The charcoal basin in the hall was burning brightly. Li Zhi held a cup of warm tea, his fingertips stroking the dark patterns on the cup wall, his eyes fixed on the coiled dragon pillar where the candlelight was swaying.

"Your Majesty, envoy Chen Qianjing has arrived."

Wang Can's words broke the silence.

The vermilion lacquered door slowly opened, and the cold wind blew the fine snow into the hall.

Chen Fusheng was wearing a frosty red official robe, and the jade belt around his waist shone coldly in the candlelight.

He took two steps at a time and reached the steps.

This reminded Li Zhi of the first time they met ten years ago. Chen Fusheng was still a young man full of vigor and vitality. He had a heated debate with the late emperor in the Taiji Hall about the world belonging to all. He even asked the late emperor to come down from the Dragon Platform to discuss with him, shocking all the civil and military officials in the court.

&34;Stand up.&34;

Li Zhi raised his hand to signal, his eyes resting for a moment on Chen Fusheng's shoulder, where grains of unmelted snow lay. "I heard you rushed back to Chang'an overnight, but is there any news from Nanjing?"

He deliberately dragged out the ending syllable, and the teacup made a slight sound when placed on the table.

Chen Fusheng straightened up, his eyes filled with excitement: "Exactly! Your Majesty, the rice ears in the Nanjing experimental fields..."

He took out a piece of plain silk from his sleeve, which was scented with the unique incense of Jiangnan.

As the layers unfold, golden ears of rice hang down, each grain so full that it almost falls to the ground, reflecting an amber-like luster in the candlelight.

Li Zhi stood up suddenly, and the corner of his robe swept the teacup on the table. Amid the sound of white porcelain shattering, he picked up the rice ears with trembling hands. His rough fingertips touched the rice awns, and they actually pricked him slightly and hurt.

"This...this ear of rice is three times bigger than usual!"

Li Zhi's voice trembled, his Adam's apple rolled up and down, and his fingertips stroked the heavy rice ears.

"Exactly!" Chen Fusheng's eyes welled up with tears. He took off the jade pendant from his waist and kowtowed heavily to the ground: "This is the result of ten years of hard work by Zhao's envoy to the capital."

"Ever since the late emperor designated Nanjing as a key location for agricultural science, Zhao has sent envoys to Beijing with 34 craftsmen to dig three feet underground to test the soil and search for rice seeds. Despite repeated failures, they even resorted to using their own fertile fields as a testing ground..."

He choked up, "Now the yield per mu can reach 600 catties. If it is promoted to the south of the Yangtze River, and supplemented by the advantages of water wheels and drum carts, it will be the granary of the world!"

Li Zhi suddenly pressed the rice ears to his chest, raised his head and sighed: "Your contribution is extraordinary! My dear Zhao is truly a pillar of my country! Come, pass on my decree, immediately confer Zhao the title of..."

"Your Majesty, wait a minute!" The air in the hall suddenly stagnated, and sparks from the charcoal basin exploded, startling the candle flame.

Li Zhi's grip on the rice ears tightened slightly, the candlelight casting a mixture of light and dark shadows on his face: "Chen Aiqing, why is this happening?"

Chen Fusheng raised his head, his gaze as firm as iron, the dust of travel still embedded in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes: "Your Majesty, in today's world, the Western Expedition is the top priority."

"On my way back to Beijing from Nanjing, I saw a constant stream of caravans traveling through the Hexi Corridor. While the people praised Your Majesty's grand vision, they also lamented the taxes and labor service."

"Outside Dunhuang, the newly added tombs stretch as far as the eye can see..."

His voice was hoarse, "If we give out rewards in a grand manner now, I'm afraid there will be complaints."

Before leaving, Lord Zhao once said to me, "I am willing to sacrifice ten years of my life so that Your Majesty can have a worry-free Western Expedition." I boldly ask Your Majesty to temporarily seal the reward and reward you according to your merits after the Western Expedition returns victoriously.

Li Zhi stared at Chen Fusheng for a long time, and suddenly remembered that when his elder brother was still alive, he once said to him in the imperial study: "Fusheng, this child, has his own thoughts."

Looking at the minister in front of him at this moment, he seemed to see the shadow of his royal brother in the past.

The young man who dared to sit on the floor with the late emperor in the Taiji Hall and discuss the past and present has now become a pillar who can shoulder the heavy responsibility of the country.

The broken porcelain pieces on the desk reflected the figures of the two people, like an ink painting.

"If all the officials of the Tang Dynasty were like Chen Aiqing and Zhao Aiqing..."

Li Zhi extended his hand to support him, and said with a hint of emotion, "Get up. I want to ask you, what is your opinion on the Western Expedition? Feel free to tell me."

When Chen Fusheng stood up, the corner of his robe swept across the broken porcelain on the ground, making a slight scraping sound.

He looked at the falling snow outside the palace and suddenly thought of the frozen hands of the soldiers guarding the border. He slowly said: "Your Majesty, if you want to completely unify the world, I'm afraid it will not be possible for our generation to accomplish it."

This sentence exploded like thunder.

Li Zhi's pupils shrank slightly, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on the jade pendant at his waist. That was a token of trust given to him by the late emperor when he passed on the throne, and it now hurt his palm.

The wind and snow were howling outside the hall, but inside it was so quiet that one could hear the sound of candle wicks popping, and time seemed to have stood still.

"The late emperor once said that expanding the territory would take several generations."

Chen Fusheng's voice was steady, but every word was weighty. He unbuttoned his outer robe, revealing his sweat-soaked undershirt - the mark of days of running around.

"Now our Tang cavalry has reached Constantinople. Even the Qin Emperor and Han Wudi could not match this feat. But Your Majesty, please look—"

He walked quickly to the wall and unfolded a huge map of the Western Regions. The edges of the map were still stained by rain.

Li Zhi approached the map and ran his fingertips across the winding Silk Road on the map, stopping at the location of Constantinople, where a circle was heavily drawn with cinnabar.

Chen Fusheng pressed his finger heavily on the Middle East on the map: "The European continent is thousands of miles away from Chang'an. The transportation of food and fodder requires passing through deserts and snow-capped mountains. Even though our army is brave, logistical supply is a major concern."

"I predict that the letters of surrender from European countries are on the way."

"Your Majesty, you can reject the surrender three times! First, politely decline it on the grounds of 'lack of sincerity,' then delay it by saying 'terms need to be negotiated,' and finally offer this condition: the land east of Constantinople will be ceded to the Tang Dynasty, governed by the establishment of the Anxi Protectorate."

"Western nations paid tribute and opened trade routes."

"In this way, our Tang Dynasty will not only gain the fertile land of the Middle East, but also control the gateway to the West, allowing us to attack when advancing and defend when retreating."

Li Zhi pondered in silence. The candlelight cast the shadows of the two men on the map, as if thousands of troops were fighting on the battlefield.

After a long moment, he sighed softly: "Chen Aiqing, you are too idealistic."

"My brother the Emperor also said that if we follow this plan, the Tang Dynasty might be able to rule the world without a single soldier in a hundred years."

"But have you ever thought about—" He turned and looked at the snowy scene outside the window, the snow on the glazed tiles falling softly, "such a vast territory, how can future kings control it? Can the government's orders be implemented? How can people's hearts be united? In the past, Emperor Wu of Han defeated the Xiongnu in the north and expanded the territory by thousands of miles. But after Emperor Zhaoxuan, rebellions broke out repeatedly in the Western Regions..."

Chen Fusheng looked at Li Zhi's slightly exhausted back, and a pang of pain came over him. He suddenly remembered the loneliness in Li Zhi's eyes when he sat before the coffin all night on the day of the late emperor's death.

The charcoal fire in the hall gradually died down, and the chill crept up to his ankles. He took off his cloak and spread it on the cold blue bricks: "Your Majesty, I also know that there are many variables."

"But I believe that the most urgent task is to lay a foundation for future generations. I propose establishing large-scale military farms in the Middle East and relocating people from the interior; establishing schools to teach poetry, literature, and etiquette; and opening trade to exchange silk and porcelain for war horses and fine steeds."

"If this continues, within a hundred years, the Middle East will become the heart of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Zhi turned around, his eyes blazing with light, the flickering candlelight reflected in them: "My dear Chen Aiqing, do you know that the human heart is the most unpredictable?"

He didn't say anything else, but simply slapped the Constantinople on the map hard, causing it to rustle. "This may be the limit of our Tang Dynasty's expedition."

Outside the hall, the wind and snow grew stronger, and the bronze bells swung more violently, as if providing an accompaniment to the argument.

Chen Fusheng looked at Li Zhi's furrowed brow, and suddenly remembered the four words that the late emperor often said: "It is not easy to maintain the status quo."

Yes, to conquer the world you rely on cavalry and scimitars, but to keep the world you rely on people's hearts and strategies.

He saluted again.

"Your Majesty is wise and wise. I dare to ask Your Majesty that no matter what the outcome of the Western Expedition, you must promote the agricultural science of Nanjing throughout the country. Food is the people's first necessity, and only when the granaries are full can the world be at peace."

Li Zhi looked at the rice ears in his hand and suddenly smiled.

There was relief in that smile, but also a hint of indescribable melancholy.

He placed the rice ears solemnly on the table and drew a line on the map with his finger: "Okay, I will do as you say. I will discuss this matter with my ministers at tomorrow's morning court. As for the Western Expedition... we will do our best and leave the rest to fate."