The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 716 Li Yan’s Enlightenment (Part )
But Li Yan knew very well that Li Shimin was the pillar supporting the Li Tang Empire. It was easy to destroy him, but what should he do with such a huge mess including the country, the people and the millions of lives?
Destroy the original pillar and erect a new one!
If they destroy the original one and cannot hold it up again, then the palace above their heads will collapse, and the Tang Empire will fall into an abyss from which there is no recovery. The world will be turned upside down, all lives will be lost, and the world will be in chaos. How can they talk about completing the mission at that time?
The obstacle to completing the task is not Li Shimin, nor time, but when Li Yan can truly support the Tang Dynasty.

There are so many things to deal with in governing such a huge country, including foreign invasions and enemy countries all around, the survival and development of the people, the powerful and wealthy families at the center, the wealthy and prominent families in the local areas, the reconciliation of conflicts among all classes, and the harmony and coexistence of all ethnic groups.

Unity of thought and yearning for a better life.

There are also natural disasters and man-made disasters that may occur at any time, vulnerable groups in need of assistance, basic security, etc.

Any of these problems is more complicated and difficult than fighting for the throne with brothers Li Ke and Li Tai.

Now that I think about it, the competition among the sons of the family is still the simplest and easiest level. During the Qing Dynasty, Li Yan was lucky to win, and fortunately he only stayed for ten days. If it had lasted longer, the vast Qing Empire would have been torn apart and in chaos by Li Yan.

How can it be so easy to govern a country?
Li Yan knew that the real tough tasks during the Yongzheng period were to require officials and gentry to pay taxes together, to distribute the land tax, to rectify the civil service, and to organize the banner affairs. Not to mention the Dzungar rebellion in the northwest, which took more than 70 years for the three emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong to put down.

These were not something Li Yan could handle at the time, and the problems faced by the Tang Dynasty at this time were no less than those of the Qing Dynasty, because of inconvenient transportation, backward productivity, and the existence of powerful families that were comparable to kings and princes for hundreds of years. There would be even more problems.

Li Yan is surprised when he thinks about it now. How did Li Shimin build such a vast and powerful empire with multiple ethnic groups in just over twenty years?

How are various social conflicts resolved?
The imminent war that would decide the fate of the Tang Dynasty and the various interest groups within the court waiting for an opportunity to change, all these were like huge mountains, weighing heavily on Li Shimin's shoulders, although Li Yan did not bear the main responsibility.

But as long as you have the heart, you can feel the suffocating feeling that a storm is coming and the building is about to collapse.

Not to mention the distant past, even the present Tang Dynasty has integrated the remaining forces of the eighteen rebel kings at the end of the Sui Dynasty, including the Guanlong Group, the former Sui Dynasty's remnants, the Xue Ju Group, the Liu Wuzhou Group, the Wang Shichong Group, the Dou Jiande Group, and the Xiao Xian Group.

Those self-proclaimed kings are gone, but we can’t kill all of their subordinates.

The ministers gathered in the court also come from various forces. Faced with these groups with different hearts and minds and different backgrounds, how to reconcile the conflicts between them?

Of course, not everyone has two minds. Most people still want to live a peaceful life, but there is no such thing as loyalty in the world. Loyalty is only because the stakes of betrayal are too low.

Most of these people are not guilty of heinous crimes. They are just ordinary people struggling in troubled times. If the country is stable, life is worry-free, and their children and grandchildren are happy, they will naturally live their lives in an honest manner and remain loyal subjects all their lives.

But if they are treated unfairly, and the court does not have enough control over the local areas, these people will rise up and disrupt the world again.

What's more, among these people there are some ambitious people who are temporarily dormant due to helplessness, and they are secretly stirring up trouble all the time. The suppression and management of this group of people is also necessary to eliminate hidden dangers and stabilize the world, and it is also the responsibility and mission of the court.

In this situation, we still have to deal with the Turks in the north, which is really a headache.

Before coming to the Tang Dynasty, Li Yan had seen a document that during the prosperous Zhenguan period, which was praised by everyone in later generations, rebellions and wars to quell riots almost never stopped:

On the Xincho day of the first month of the first year of the Zhenguan reign, Prince of Yan Li Yi rebelled in Jingzhou and was executed.

On the 25th day of the 21st month in the first year of the Zhenguan reign, Li Xiaochang, the governor of Lizhou, and Liu Deyu, the general of the Right Guard, rebelled and were executed.

On the 26th day of the first month of the sixth year of Zhenguan, the mountain Yao tribe of Jingzhou rebelled, and the Right Wuwei General Li Zihe defeated them.

In the first month of the ninth year of Zhenguan, the Dangxiang Qiang rebelled. On Gengchen day of the third month, the Taozhou Qiang killed the governor Kong Changxiu and joined Tuyuhun.

In the 12th year of Zhenguan, on the 15th day of the second month, the Wuzhou Liao people rebelled, and the governor of Kuizhou, Qi Shanxing, defeated them. On the 10th day of the tenth month, the Junzhou Shan Liao people rebelled, and the governor of Guizhou, Zhang Baode, defeated them. On the 11th day of the 11th month, the Mingzhou Shan Liao people rebelled, and the governor of Jiaozhou, Li Daoyan, defeated them. On the 12th day of the 12th month, the Bizhou Shan Liao people rebelled, and the Right Wuhou General Shangguan Huairen suppressed them.

On April 13th of the 13th year of Zhenguan, General Ashina formed a society and led a rebellion, and was executed.

In March of the 14th year of Zhenguan, the Liao tribes in Luo and Dou states rebelled, and Dang Renhong, the governor of Guangzhou, defeated them.

In the first month of the fifteenth year of Zhenguan, guards Cui Qing and Diao Wenyi rebelled and were executed.

In the first month of the 17th year of Zhenguan, Liu Lan, the governor of Daizhou, rebelled and was executed.

On December 25, 18th year of Zhenguan reign, Li Simo’s tribe rebelled. On April 26th year of Zhenguan reign, the Songzhou barbarians rebelled, but Liang Jianfang, the Right Wuhou General, defeated them.

All of the above are internal rebellions of the Tang Dynasty, and some of them were more influential and qualified to be recorded in the history books. Some of the smaller ones were not even taken care of. This does not include the wars between the Tang Dynasty and other countries or tribes such as the Turks, Xueyantuo, Gaochang, Tuyuhun, and Goguryeo.

Li Yan lived in the center of the storm and often helped Li Shimin deal with memorials and state affairs. He came into contact with more core secrets and realized that Li Shimin was not sitting on the throne steadily and securely. It was not an exaggeration to say that he was sitting on a stove. Therefore, Li Yan did not envy the glory of being the emperor at all.

Behind the infinite glory is the hard and bitter taste that one has to swallow with gnawing teeth. The dragon throne is a golden lock that makes people lose their freedom and happiness, and waste their entire lives on affairs that can never be dealt with.

Li Shimin died at the age of 51. It was not only because of his drug addiction, but more because of the long-term battles on the battlefield when he was conquering the world, which left him with many hidden injuries. It was also inseparable from the fact that he was exhausted from governing the country all day long, working day and night, and exhausted all his energy.

It is better to be a second generation, enjoying wealth and glory without having to bear the responsibilities and missions of the first generation.

But no matter whether Li Yan is willing or not, as long as Li Yan does not want to be a tyrant who only enjoys imperial power and honor and does not care about the disaster after his death, as long as he has some sense of responsibility, the problems faced by Li Shimin will sooner or later fall on his head.

Faced with indigenous military leaders like Su Dingfang and Liang Jianfang, who have an anti-king background, these people account for a considerable number in the court. If it were Li Yan, he would have no choice but to choose Zhu Yuanzhang's approach, which was simple and crude.

But Li Shimin was different. It was obvious that his vision and thinking were at a higher level than Li Yan's. The way he handled things also opened up Li Yan's horizons and taught him a lot.

At this time, the Tang Dynasty's court obviously had more considerations for the war against the Turks. They were worried that if the war was unfavorable to the Turks, these people would cause chaos again and become a destabilizing factor for the Tang Dynasty.

By transferring all these people to the front line, we can eliminate internal hidden dangers and reduce internal crises.

Secondly, it also shows that we value them, so that these people won't feel frustrated and neglected in their local areas, and will resent the Tang Dynasty over time. Now, such a war related to the fate of the country has allowed you to participate and make contributions. You can't say that the Tang Dynasty doesn't value you, right?

Third, the military forces at the front, although these people have poor backgrounds, they are good at fighting. With so many brave and brave generals filling the ranks, the military strength of the Tang Dynasty will be unprecedentedly expanded, and it will be more likely to defeat the Turks.

Fourthly, war is dangerous and brutal. After a war, countless people will sacrifice their lives for the country. If these people were to die, the hidden danger they pose to the Tang Dynasty would naturally be eliminated, and the vacated power vacuum could be filled by more people who are loyal to the Tang Dynasty and have clean backgrounds.

Finally, if you can survive such a national war by overcoming numerous crises and fighting your way out of the sea of ​​blood and corpses, that will be easy. You have made great military achievements for the Tang Dynasty, which is enough to cover up your previous dirty history.

Your credit rating has been improved, and your qualifications are not much different from those of the founding heroes of the Tang Dynasty. With this achievement, these generals can enjoy high positions and generous salaries in the court with peace of mind, without having to worry about being repaid later.

Unlike before, these people had no contributions to the Tang Dynasty, but the court gave them some titles and salaries in order to appease them and prevent them from making trouble. While enjoying these treatments, these people were always worried about their future and destiny.

After all, he was recruited here and was not a meritorious official of the Tang Dynasty. What if the court came to settle accounts with him later?
After the national war, the hidden dangers were fundamentally eliminated. No matter whether they died in the battle or survived, they could rest assured. This foreign war restored the reputation of these generals who were born as traitors.

Therefore, no matter what the result is, this move is a good way to solve the hidden dangers of military generals. Even Li Yan has to be impressed by the wisdom of the Tang Dynasty's top leaders. It is really amazing!

Compared with Zhu Yuanzhang's simplicity and brutality, which left him with a bad reputation for mistreating his meritorious officials and caused massive losses in national defense, and eventually led to his designated successor not having enough generals to use after his death, and the throne was usurped by his fourth uncle, isn't he much better?
Compared with simply killing them or abandoning them, although Li Tang also solved the problem of arrogant soldiers and generals, he used an upright way. He struck the enemy, protected the country, and eliminated internal risks without blocking the way.

There is a word of rescue hidden in killing, and there is an extra bit of mercy in restriction, which gives these generals a chance to rebuild their golden bodies, change their appearances, and enter the elite center with dignity.

Even those who died in battle were considered meritorious officials and could be enshrined in the Martyrs' Shrine and enjoy incense offerings and be respected by the people. Their families and descendants could also bear this honor and become honored relatives of the Tang Dynasty in broad daylight, and they would receive all kinds of preferential treatment whether they were writing books or farming.

Compared to Zhu's practice of killing all the meritorious officials, killing their entire families, killing them all, this is much smarter.
So, weren't heroes like Liu Bang and Li Shimin killed?
Of course not. Even if Zhu Yuanzhang’s Ming Dynasty had this need, didn’t the Han and Tang dynasties, which were also feudal dynasties, have this need?
The same dynasty, the same model, the problems and hidden dangers must be the same, and the troubles that need to be solved must be similar and have the same purpose and goal.

However, Li Shimin was born into an aristocratic family and had been at the core of power for a long time. He had profound power wisdom and superb political skills. He had a more wise and obscure way, the ability to solve problems subtly and quietly. He solved these troubles without leaving the notoriety of slaughtering meritorious officials.

Liu Bang came from a humble background, but despite his extraordinary talent, he still left many traces behind. Zhu Yuanzhang was also young and had more time to deal with these problems.

But Zhu Yuanzhang's family background was too humble, and he had not received much education when he was a child. When dealing with these problems, he seemed to rely on brute force. He did not have the wisdom of Li Shimin, nor the cleverness of Liu Bang, and he was given a reputation for being mean and ungrateful.

The difference is obvious, Li Yan naturally has to learn from Li Shimin!
(End of this chapter)