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

This imperial edict was like a huge rock thrown into a lake, instantly causing a thousand waves.

The civil officials in Chang'an City wrote letters of opposition, believing that this was "drinking poison to quench thirst" and would further expand the power of the vassal states and ultimately endanger the safety of the court.

But Mr. Qi remained unmoved. He refuted the situation in the court, saying, "The Tang Dynasty is currently plagued by internal and external troubles. The Tibetans are eyeing Hexi, the Uighurs are demanding annual tribute, and the Khitans are invading the northeast. If we can't mobilize the forces of the various vassal states, how can we resist these enemies with only the imperial guards? Rather than having the vassal states pretend to obey, it would be better to give them a legitimate title and have them serve the Tang Dynasty. After all, if the title is not right, the words will not flow. Who wouldn't want to achieve the fame of a prince or general?"

The civil officials were speechless, as they knew that Mr. Qi was telling the truth.

The Tang Dynasty today is no longer the prosperous dynasty that could mobilize troops from all over the world at will. The imperial court has only tens of thousands of imperial guards, and their combat effectiveness is far inferior to that of the elite troops of the vassal states.

If the feudal lords were suppressed by force and a rebellion broke out, the consequences would be disastrous.

Mr. Qi's imperial edict seemed to be a compromise with the feudal lords, but in fact it was a strategy of retreat in order to advance - using the temptation of "dividing the land and becoming a king" to guide the ambitions of the feudal lords to foreign wars, which not only eased the external pressure on the court, but also temporarily stabilized the internal situation.

When the imperial edict reached the local vassal states, the reactions were completely different.

Those military governors who had already held real power, such as Chengde Military Governor Li Baochen and Weizhou Military Governor Tian Chengsi, were stunned for a while, and then showed an ecstatic look.

They originally controlled everything within their jurisdiction. Now the imperial court not only recognized their power, but also promised to "divide the land and make them kings". This was simply pie in the sky.

Tian Chengsi even threw a celebration banquet in his mansion, laughing at his generals and saying, "I have fought for half my life, and all I have ever wanted is the title of 'king'. Now that the court has given us this opportunity, we must seize it!"

Those military governors who were weaker and had always been suppressed by powerful neighbors, such as Li Baoyu, the military governor of Zelu, and Li Zhongchen, the military governor of Huaixi, were even more eager to fight.

They had previously suffered from the lack of an excuse to expand, but now with the imperial edict from the court, they could finally send troops to fight with justification.

Li Baoyu immediately summoned his generals and formulated a plan to attack Tubo. He said to them, "The Tubo bandits have repeatedly harassed Hexi, killing our people and seizing our land. Now the imperial court has issued an order that whoever defeats the barbarians will be crowned king. We, the Zelu Army, cannot let anyone else take this credit!"

Even those generals who came from humble backgrounds and climbed up step by step through military merit saw hope of changing their fate.

Suddenly, the entire Tang Dynasty's military governors were in an uproar. The military governors of each town recruited soldiers and repaired military equipment. The army, originally exhausted by the An Lushan Rebellion, instantly regained its fighting power.

They no longer focused on the power struggle in the court, but instead pointed their spearheads at the barbarians around the Tang Dynasty - Tubo, Khitan, Uighur, Nanzhao... These forces that once watched the border of the Tang Dynasty covetously and invaded from time to time have now become stepping stones for "dividing the land and becoming kings" in the eyes of the vassal generals.

When the Tibetan king heard the news, he initially dismissed it, thinking that the Tang Dynasty was just bluffing.

But not long after, he received urgent news from Hexi - Zelu Jiedushi Li Baoyu led a large army to raid the Tibetan granary, burned hundreds of thousands of stones of grain, and killed the Tibetan general Xinuluo Gonglu.

The Zamp finally realized the seriousness of the situation. He looked at the battle report in his hand and said palely, "How come these Tang people suddenly became so brave?"

The Khitan Khan was even more terrified.

He had originally planned to lead his army south after the autumn harvest to plunder Youzhou's grain, but now, the army of the Hedong Jiedushi had reached the border of Khitan and was challenging him in front of the camp every day.

The Khan sent people to gather information and learned that the generals of the Hedong Army were eager to fight, threatening to "destroy the Khitan royal court, capture the Khan alive, and crown him king." The Khan was so frightened that he held a meeting overnight and ultimately decided to postpone the plan to march south. He also sent people to the Tang court to seek peace, hoping to avoid war.

The Uighur envoys were even more restless in Chang'an. Previously, the Uighurs, relying on their contribution to the Tang Dynasty's suppression of the An-Shi Rebellion, had been bossing the Tang Dynasty around, even plundering civilians on the border on many occasions.

But now, the army of the Shuofang Jiedushi has been assembled and may march north at any time.

The envoys hurried to see Mr. Qi, hoping to ascertain the court's attitude, but Mr. Qi simply replied, "The imperial decree has made it clear: whoever defeats the barbarians will be crowned king. As for the Huihe people, if you know what's best for you, you should quickly return the looted property and vacate the occupied land. If you don't, then wait for the Jiedushi of each town to come and take your heads."

The messenger was so frightened that he set off for Huihe that day and conveyed Mr. Qi's words to the Huihe Khan exactly as they were.

The people of Chang'an also felt this change. The haze that had shrouded the city gradually dissipated, and the vendors on Suzaku Street began to shout loudly again. In the taverns and teahouses, people no longer talked about the emperor's death and the decline of the court, but about the victories of the military governors in various towns against the barbarians.

A storyteller told the story of Li Baoyu's defeat of Tubo in a teahouse, and the people applauded.

Li Yu stood on the city wall of Daming Palace, looking at the lively Chang'an City below, feeling mixed emotions.

He knew that all this was not his own credit, but was obtained by Mr. Qi with an imperial edict.

Although he was still the puppet emperor, he felt a sense of relief when he saw that the border of the Tang Dynasty was gradually stabilizing and the people's lives were slowly recovering.

Perhaps, although Mr. Qi's approach seems risky, it is the only way to save the Tang Dynasty now.

Mr. Qi was still busy in the government hall. He looked at the good news coming from all over the place. He knew that this imperial edict was only a temporary measure. The problem of the vassal states still had to be solved after all, but at least now, the Tang Dynasty had temporarily escaped from the situation of internal and external difficulties.

He looked up out the window. The late spring sunlight shone through the window lattice onto the desk, illuminating the territory of the Tang Dynasty on the map.

Perhaps, this dynasty, which is riddled with holes, still has a chance to continue moving forward in the face of storms.

Li Yu looked at Mr. Qi in front of him.

"Grand Master, your method has resolved the immediate crisis facing the Tang Dynasty, but the feudal lords will continue to grow stronger. If one day the imperial court completely loses its voice, what will we do then?"

Mr. Qi turned his head, looked at the puppet emperor, and shook his head slightly.

"How can there be an immortal dynasty in the world? The expansion of the feudal lords is inevitable, and the rise of the military governors is also inevitable. It is only a matter of time."

"All of this was sown from the day the imperial court's military was unable to suppress the feudal lords."

"Since it is destined to happen, it is better to face it calmly."

"Your Majesty, I know what you are worried about. All the civil and military officials know it, and even the people of the Tang Dynasty know it."

"The Tang Dynasty knows, but the Tang Dynasty doesn't care."