Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 91: The Tang Envoy
"here it is……"

Hou Junji widened his eyes like copper bells, staring at the little finger pointing at the map, then looked up at Li Ming to confirm whether the young master was joking.

"Liaodong?"

Even Fang Xuanling, a veteran with expressionless face, couldn't hide his surprise and raised one eyebrow in confusion.

"Yes, Liaodong." Li Ming nodded with certainty:

"I want to take Yingzhou and Pingzhou in Liaodong and replace Xuzhou and Yangzhou. What do you think?"

"This..." Hou Junji didn't know how to answer.

What is there in Liaodong?
There was Goguryeo, which fought against the Central Plains from the Sui Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty (Goguryeo was founded by the Buyeo people in the northeast, and was sometimes written as "Goryeo" in ancient books, which is not the same as the two on the peninsula today).

what else?
There is no more.

There's really nothing there.

Liaodong has inconvenient transportation between it and the Central Plains, there is the foreign enemy Goguryeo, and it is a cold and harsh place.

The debuffs are stacked up to the point that it is too cruel to be used as a place of exile.

From the Spring and Autumn Period to the Tang Dynasty, although the Central Plains repeatedly attempted to expand its influence to the Liaodong Peninsula, it failed repeatedly.

Not to mention the even more vast Northeast Plain in the north.

Now Yingzhou and Pingzhou in Liaodong occupy a large area of ​​land, and prefectures and counties have been established.

However, the border there was not stable, and many areas were still in a tug-of-war with Goguryeo and could not be actually controlled.

Hou Junji felt that the young master was a little crazy to exchange two remote states for Xuzhou and Yangzhou.

Although Fang Xuanling was also very puzzled, he knew Li Ming better and knew that everything about this guy was suspicious except his brain that was full of clever ideas.

"Your Highness, do you have any good ideas?" he asked curiously.

Li Ming smiled and said:

"There is a saying in chess: 'gold horns, silver edges, grass belly'. Liaodong is right in the northeast corner of the Tang Dynasty, so it won't be attacked from both sides."

Hou Junji couldn't help but laugh:
"War is not a game of chess, how can you calculate it like this?

"Liaodong is a place that is bitterly cold, far away from the Central Plains, sparsely populated, and a foreign land. How can we use it as a base?"

"It's because that place is far away from the Central Plains." Li Ming pointed to the mountains between Liaodong and Youzhou (Beijing).

Yanshan Mountains.

"Blocked by the Yanshan Mountains in the southwest, the Gobi Desert in the west, and the sea in the south and southeast, Liaodong is essentially an independent region, separated from the Central Plains.

"This means that if the imperial court wants to launch a campaign, logistics will be very difficult and the supply lines will be very long.

“Although there is an ancient road along the coast that leads directly to Liaodong via Linyu Pass (Shanhai Pass), it is all mudflats and swamps, making it inconvenient for large-scale military operations.”

Li Ming pointed to the clear map and explained his reasons.

The two counselors listened very carefully.

"It is not difficult to see from historical examples that from the Yan State in the Warring States Period, the Xuantu Commandery in the Han Dynasty, to the Liaodong Commandery in the Sui Dynasty, the Central Plains dynasties repeatedly wanted to get involved in Liaodong, but were repelled by the local natives several times.

"This is enough to prove that Liaodong is a place that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It is also a safe place for my imperial career... that is, the beginning of my royal career."

From a defensive perspective alone, this analysis does make sense.

Not to mention the distant past, Emperor Yang of Sui was defeated and died on the spot during his three expeditions to Liaodong, which left a psychological trauma on the people of the Tang Dynasty.

This is also the reason why Heavenly Khan Li Shimin launched campaigns to the east and west, defeating the Turks and then the Tuyuhun, but had not yet fought a big battle with Goguryeo, which was also in Liaodong.

The reason is just two words: hard to chew.

"Yingzhou and Pingzhou are the front lines of the war between our dynasty and Goguryeo. Your Highness, don't you think it is a bit unsafe to use them as the rear base?" Fang Xuanling asked puzzledly.

"Yes, our neighboring enemy Goguryeo. This is the second reason why I chose Liaodong." Li Ming smiled arrogantly:

“Room for development.”

“Room for development?”

Fang Xuanling and Hou Junji looked at each other.

"Yes, Liaodong has great potential for development," Li Ming said.
"When the world is at peace, if I rashly annex the land of neighboring states and counties, I will definitely be labeled a traitor and the court will strike me mercilessly to extinguish the spark of my actions.

“This has pushed my development ceiling to the limit. Even if I make great achievements in local governance, there is only so much land.

"but……"

Li Ming slid his finger towards the northeast of Yingzhou and Pingzhou.

"What if I demand land from Goguryeo and annex its prefectures and counties?

"Not only am I not a traitor, I am also a hero who has helped expand our territory.

"Since we have obtained the land and the support of the court, why not do it?"

Yes, after carefully studying the map and listening to the opinions of two aides, Li Ming suddenly realized a place.

A virgin land that perfectly meets his "want both" standard, but happens to be in the blind spot of the Tang Dynasty people's thinking -

northeast.

During the Tang Dynasty, most of the Liaoxi Corridor leading directly to the Central Plains was submerged in the sea. The Northeast and the Central Plains were separated by natural barriers and were as solid as a fortress.

At the same time, the black soil in Northeast China is extremely fertile and the forests and mineral resources are rich, sufficient to develop the economy.

Moreover, the Northeast is close to the sea, there is an ice-free port on the Liaodong Peninsula, and there are many rivers running through it, so transportation is quite convenient.

What’s even more beautiful is that most of the Northeast is still a barbaric land with huge room for development.

Invading the barbarian lands in the Northeast would not only not cause an overreaction from the central dynasty, but would also allow Li Ming to stand on the moral high ground and point fingers wildly.

Simply perfect!
In the eyes of the people of the Tang Dynasty, the Northeast was nothing more than a big ice block full of primeval forests and ignorant savages.

Even powerful people like Fang Xuanling and Hou Junji could not see its strategic value.

Only Li Ming, who came from the 21st century and witnessed the potential for industrial and agricultural development in Northeast China, would set his sights on that bitter, cold and barren land.

By choosing this place as your own kingdom, you can develop peacefully and quietly without attracting anyone's vigilance or attention.

Therefore, Li Ming formed a step-by-step plan -

Using Yingzhou and Pingzhou in Liaodong as springboards, he marched northward and annexed the entire Northeast Plain.

With the entire Northeast as his rear base, his hard power is enough to compete with the Central Dynasty!

Even waiting for the right time can...

Go south!

Enter the customs!

Change the home!

What’s even more wonderful is that due to the limitations of the times, his shrewd and cautious potential enemies, such as Changsun Wuji, were also unable to see the sinister intentions behind Li Ming’s move.

By the time Li Ming's power in the Northeast grows, it will be too late to stop him!

"To consolidate Liaodong and conquer Goguryeo for the emperor?"

Hou Junji did not expect that His Highness Li Ming would actually bring loyal ministers to the Tang Dynasty. He coughed awkwardly:
“Ahem, there’s certainly no problem in attacking Goguryeo.

"As long as Your Highness can cultivate the land in Ying and Ping states, those Buyeo barbarians will be nothing but chickens and dogs. However..."

He looked bitter:
"It's just... Your Highness, think about it, Liaodong is very poor."

Geographical barriers mean that the advanced productivity of the Central Plains is also difficult to reach there.

Not to mention the natives, there were hardly any decent people there.

Hou Junji didn't want to spend the rest of his life gritting his teeth at robes or performing rituals with native shamans.

Li Ming patted Hou Junji encouragingly:

"Don't worry, under my governance, the place will become prosperous."

Fang Xuanling also asked in confusion:

“It’s the same border of the empire, so why did Your Highness choose the turbulent Liaodong instead of the northwest where the Turks have been tamed, such as Shazhou and Yizhou?
"There is also a vast space there, and it controls the trade routes. It is much richer than Liaodong."

Li Ming shook his head:

“The northwest is not as easy to develop as Liaodong.”

He was not overconfident because the most important point was that large-scale farming was not possible in the northwest, but it was possible in the northeast.

Although the Northeast and Northwest are both monster spawning areas throughout Chinese history, their underlying themes are different.

The northwest was too resource-poor to be suitable for farming. Even if the Central Plains dynasty conquered the area for a short period of time, it would be difficult to assimilate the local production methods and living habits.

Once the Central Plains dynasty weakened, these vassal areas soon went their separate ways.

But the Northeast is different.

The Northeast is rich in resources and has fertile land suitable for farming. It is also geographically separated from the Central Plains, which makes it easy for a regime to emerge there that is capable of competing with the Central Plains.

For example, Goguryeo, and later Bohai Kingdom, Jin, etc.

In other words, as long as we can consume the Northeast, we will be able to carry out agricultural transformation.

As long as it is completely agriculturalized, the Northeast can also become the core area of ​​Han culture.

It is not like the northwest, where everyone is forced to become nomadic due to the harsh natural environment.

The development potential determined by natural endowment is the fundamental reason why Li Ming set his sights on Liaodong.

As for the two outer corners of the Tang Dynasty - the southwest and the southeast, one borders the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is too high, and the other borders Southeast Asia, which was too hot during the interglacial period of the Tang Dynasty, so they were not taken into consideration.

Fang Xuanling and Hou Junji listened carefully to what Li Ming said and offered insightful opinions without reservation just because he was the young master.

The three of them talked like this until dark.

"I really can't figure it out." Hou Junji touched his head in self-mockery:
"There is actually a prince who wants to establish his capital in Liaodong, and I am actually in cahoots with him!"

Fang Xuanling also had a similar feeling.

But he didn't waste time sighing and asked Li Ming:
"Since it is confirmed that you will be given the two states of Ying and Ping, why does Your Highness want His Majesty to confer you a title?

"King Yan?"

"Prince Li Ming of Yan, sounds good." Hou Junji nodded.

Li Ming crossed his arms and thought for a moment, then shook his head slightly:
"I don't think so. I don't want to be a king. And I don't want to be a governor either. Just let someone else do it for me."

"I think Wei Daijia is a good candidate. He can be the governor of Yingzhou and Pingzhou."

"Why, Your Highness is going to resign again?" Fang Xuanling teased, then said seriously:
"A teacher has a legitimate reason, but if the reason is not right, then his words will not flow.

"Your Highness is neither a king nor a governor. How can you command other local officials? How can you make the local people submit to you?"

Senior traitor Hou Junji agreed:

"What Lord Fang said is very true. Even if Wei Daijia is your confidant now, people will always change.

"If there is no clear superior-subordinate relationship in the position, it would be difficult to get a talented person to serve you forever just based on the relationship between the staff members."

Li Ming listened carefully to the advice given by the two experienced people, thought for a moment, and expressed his own thoughts:
“I think that no matter if they are kings or provincial governors, they are still local officials and they will eventually be assigned to local positions.

"If a concubine's son who is granted the title of a king keeps staying in the capital, he will easily be criticized, such as the Prince of Qi Li You.

"As for staying in places outside the capital and fiefdoms for a long time, such as Hebei and Shandong, it is not allowed.

“This not only alienates me from the government of the capital and the people of various places, but also prevents me from gaining the emperor’s favor… or listening to my father’s teachings.

"There are many disadvantages to being restricted in one's range of movement, and it must be avoided at all costs."

Just like long-distance relationships are prone to have a bad ending, people’s feelings will fade as the distance increases.

The same is true for the relationship between father and son.

The side effects of being away from the capital can be seen from Prince Ji Li Shen, who can't even get as much attention as flatterers.

Moreover, Li Ming's situation is even more unfavorable than Li Shen's.

Because there are too many eyes on him, and too many people want to deal with him.

Li Ming was almost certain that if he left Beijing for a long time, someone would speak ill of him in front of Li Shimin.

The constant criticism is devastating, and even a saint cannot resist it.

And once his father-son relationship with Li Shimin was alienated.

Then Li Ming will be in big trouble.

Emperor Wu of Han believed in witchcraft and accidentally killed Crown Prince Liu Ju. This was such a tragedy.

Therefore, Li Ming must control his freedom of movement and ensure that he has the power to return to Beijing to meet the emperor at any time.

If any misunderstanding occurs, it can be clarified with the emperor in person.

"Then according to your Highness's wishes..."

Fang Xuanling could understand Li Ming's distress, and guessed that this unconventional little fellow might have some bad idea again, so he gently stroked the goat's beard.
Li Ming said slowly:

“I don’t seek fame, I only want practical benefits.

“I want the military and political power of a powerful prince, but I also want freedom of action.

"You can stay in the capital, accompany your father and pay attention to the situation in the court, or you can travel around."

Wanting both is very consistent with His Highness Li Ming's Pixiu character.

Fang Xuanling and Hou Junji looked at each other and asked in unison:
"What does Your Highness want to be awarded?"

Li Ming smiled slightly:
"I have an idea..."

…………

The next day, the Zheng Hall was established.

Before the grand court meeting, Li Shimin specially called Li Ming to his study, and the two talked face to face.

"I want to make you the King of Song, in charge of the military affairs of Xuzhou and Yangzhou. What do you think?"

Li Shimin smiled generously, looking forward to Li Ming's surprised expression.

Xuzhou and Yangzhou are both important military and political bases. How could they be given to anyone except their close confidants?
Li Shimin felt that he had doted on his youngest son a little too much.

In response, Li Ming could only bow and thank him:
"Father, can I resign? The King of Song got scared the moment he heard that."

Li Shimin's blood pressure suddenly soared.

What could be more disappointing than preparing a great gift for your son, only for him to turn around and throw it into the trash?

"You don't want to be king?"

Li Shimin was so angry that he almost pulled off his mustache, his voice trembling:
"Prince Cao thought it was too small, Prince Lu thought it was unlucky, and now he thinks Prince Song is too cowardly.

"Your staff includes the Chief Clerk of Prince Cao, the Dianqian of Prince Cao, the Tutor of Prince Lu, and the Sima of Prince Song. They are almost complete with all the states of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.

"Then tell me what you want to be? Do you want to be the Emperor of Zhou?"

Li Ming smiled slightly.

…………

Last night, two powerful officials in the Marquis's Mansion asked Li Ming in confusion:
"Your Highness, what exactly do you want to be? How do you want His Majesty to enfeoff you?"

Li Ming smiled slightly, picked up a pen, and said word by word:

“I have an idea…

"To control the army is called 'jie', to manage finances is called 'du', and to exercise the will of the emperor is called 'shi'.

"Why not let my father confer the title of..."

He quickly wrote a few big words next to the topographic map of Liaodong.

Fang Xuanling and Hou Junji moved closer at the same time.

…………

"Father."

In the study of Lizheng Palace.

Li Ming knelt in front of Li Shimin, bowed with both hands, and said loudly:

"I beg Your Majesty to grant me the title of——

"Jiedushi of Liaodong."

(End of this chapter)