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

In the Taiji Hall, Li Zhi sat upright on the dragon throne. He looked at Wu Tianyan below, his heart filled with complicated emotions.

"Lord Wu, you have seen the current situation."

Li Zhi spoke slowly, as if every word carried a thousand pounds of weight. "I wish to march westward and achieve eternal fame, but there are too many obstacles along the way."

Wu Tianyan raised his head slightly, met Li Zhi's gaze for a moment, and then quickly lowered it again.

He took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, you are right. Times are different now, and the people are also very different."

He paused, gathering his thoughts, and continued, "Since the late emperor ushered in a prosperous era, the people's lives have gradually improved. They have enough food to eat, warm clothes to wear, and have their own ideas."

“It’s really not comparable to the past.”

"The late emperor's words, 'The world belongs to all,' have taken root in the hearts of the people. This is certainly a good thing, but it has also quietly removed the huge mountain of awe they held for the emperor."

"Nowadays, everyone wants to improve their own welfare. This is human nature and understandable."

Wu Tianyan spoke in a sincere tone.

From frugality to luxury is easy, from luxury to frugality.

If Your Majesty disregards the strength of the Tang Dynasty and rashly launches a war, I am truly worried. I wonder how much abuse the people will inflict, and how many ambitious individuals will seize the opportunity to incite the masses to rebellion.

Li Zhi was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I understand what you are saying."

"Don't I understand the principle of national destruction and genocide?"

"Don't I want to march west and leave my name in history?"

"But now, the ministers are against it, and the people don't support it. Am I going to insist on having my own way and become a tyrant?"

His words were filled with both reluctance and helplessness.

Wu Tianyan's heart tightened, and he quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise! Your Majesty cares about the world, so naturally he wouldn't do this."

"However, the affairs of this world are full of difficulties, and Your Majesty needs to consider them carefully."

Li Zhi waved his hand and said, "That's enough. Please leave now. Wait for the good news that I will promote you."

Wu Tianyan bowed again and slowly left the Taiji Hall. After he left, Li Zhi leaned back on the dragon throne, his brows still furrowed.

Only after he sat on the throne of emperor did he realize that the weight of the world was far beyond his imagination.

Today, the territory of the Tang Dynasty is constantly expanding, and the newly developed land is actually much larger than the Tang Dynasty itself.

When Li Zhi thought of this, he felt both proud and worried.

How to manage such a vast land?

How many new prefectures, states, and counties will be established?

Moreover, these places are remote and the emperor is far away. Can the court's decrees really reach and be implemented smoothly?

More importantly, there are the issues of defense and construction of these lands. Defense requires a large number of troops, and construction requires a huge investment of funds.

Although the court's income has increased significantly compared to the past, various disaster relief, repairs, and the development of the Tang Dynasty on a daily basis all require a lot of financial support.

All in all, the entire Tang Dynasty did not actually achieve comprehensive prosperity and development, and many places were still very poor.

The funds required to develop and use the newly acquired land are astronomical.

Besides funding, there was another thorny issue: insufficient manpower. The population of the Tang Dynasty was far from sufficient to support the development and management of such a vast land.

In the past in the Tang Dynasty, land was wealth, and owning more land meant owning more resources and wealth.

But now, times have changed. For the people of the Tang Dynasty, how much money can they make from farming?

After a year of hard work, there was little left after deducting taxes. Everyone hoped to find a better way to make a living, so they were not very enthusiastic about cultivating new land.

Li Zhi rubbed his temples and suddenly thought of the Kunlun slaves. Perhaps, those new lands needed enough Kunlun slaves or other barbarians to cultivate them.

Not only Kunlun slaves, but also Westerners and Arabs are fine.

An idea slowly emerged in his mind - perhaps, he could use the power of those barbarians.

Thanks to this Western Expedition, the Tang Dynasty's army demonstrated unprecedented strength.

On the battlefield, the Tang Dynasty's cavalry swept through the enemy like a hurricane. Their sophisticated weapons and equipment and superb tactics made the surrounding barbarian countries terrified.

At the same time, the culture and economy of the Tang Dynasty also made them yearn for it, and many barbarians were eager to embrace the Tang Dynasty.

The personnel composition of the Tang Dynasty's army was very complex.

Except for the Tang people and some foreign generals, most of the foreign soldiers were called Tang Xiejun.

This is the rule set by the late emperor.

Today, the number of Tang Auxiliary Army in the Tang Dynasty has become quite considerable. A careful estimate shows that there are nearly one million Tang Auxiliary Army in the entire Tang Dynasty.

Moreover, there are also many Middle Eastern and Western people joining in.

For these foreign soldiers, becoming a soldier of the Tang Dynasty means having a strong support and gaining a greater sense of security. In their own countries, they will face the punishment of the Tang Dynasty.

In the Tang Dynasty, people could not only have enough food and clothing, but also have the opportunity to gain wealth and status.

Not only that, many ministers from Western countries also secretly wrote letters to Li Zhi.

The contents of the letters are similar, expressing admiration for the Tang Dynasty and the desire to serve the Tang Dynasty and be loyal to the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

In the letter, they described the plight of their country and hoped that the Tang Dynasty could lend a helping hand. They also expressed their willingness to contribute their own strength to help the Tang Dynasty manage the newly developed land.

Li Zhi picked up a letter from a minister of a Western country and read it carefully.

The letter was written with sincere words, expressing the willingness to lead the people of the country to reclaim wasteland and build cities for the Tang Dynasty.

Li Zhi fell into deep thought. If the power of these barbarians could be properly utilized, perhaps the current problems of land development and management could really be solved.

But at the same time, he is well aware of the risks involved.

After all, these barbarians are not true citizens of the Tang Dynasty. Can their loyalty be guaranteed?

If we give them too much power and resources, will it become a threat to the Tang Dynasty in the future?