Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 352

There is an old saying in the Central Plains: "Those who understand the times are heroes."

"Your ability to suddenly realize the truth and abandon darkness for light is not only a good deed for yourselves, but also a great thing for the people."

“My lord has already submitted a memorial to the Emperor of Qin, requesting the establishment of the Protectorate of Ü-Tsang.”

"At that time, the young talents in each family will have the opportunity to be granted official ranks."

"From now on, we are all citizens of the Great Qin."

In the royal palace of Dragon King City, the temporary headquarters, Li Guangyi sat high in the main seat, speaking eloquently to the leaders of various families below.

Compared to these chieftains with thick beards and gray hair, Li Guangyi, who was still a year shy of twenty, was far too young.

But none of the eyes that looked at the handsome young man dared to show disrespect; instead, they were all humble and obedient, like domestic fowl seeing a tiger.

Because the other party was not only a close confidant of Li Shijun, but also the younger brother of the Living Buddha!
After the Buddha's mother died, she ascended to the Trayastrimsa Heaven. Even though Maudgalyayana's mother fell into hell because she did not keep the precepts, her son held a Dharma assembly to help her be reborn in the Pure Land.

Buddhist scriptures tell us that when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. Do we need to say more about what to do in reality?

Lick it! Just lick it!

"What Young Master Li says is absolutely right. It is truly an honor for us foolish people that the Living Buddha has come here to enlighten us."

"The Living Buddha has vanquished the Demon King, restoring peace and prosperity to our world. His merit is greater than building a seven-story pagoda; we truly do not know how to repay him."

"Young Master Li, to be honest, I have two daughters, both of whom are devout nuns who have made a vow to serve the Living Buddha. I earnestly hope you will have mercy on them."

"Me too! I also have eight daughters. I don't ask to serve the Living Buddha, I only ask to serve the young master, to serve him tea and water, and to be influenced by his teachings and learning from the Central Plains."

"Young master, my daughter is well-versed in poetry and literature, but lacks a renowned teacher. Would you be willing to provide her with some instruction?"

According to the old system of the Qin Dynasty, the generals of the left and right guards "slept in the palace." The position of "palace guard" was mostly inherited by the sons of nobles, so it gradually evolved from a palace guard position to a general term for the sons of officials.

Li Guangyi, being a young man not yet twenty, was completely bewildered and quickly stopped talking:

"What do you mean by 'training'? I mean 'instruction'!"

"My marriage is arranged by my parents and matchmaker. My marriage is entirely up to my elder brother and sister-in-law. You all should not waste your time!"

"Instead of wasting this time, we should implement the issued decrees as soon as possible so that we can be bathed in the emperor's rule sooner."

That's all for today, everyone can leave now!

After saying that, he ran off without giving the tribal chiefs a chance to talk, leaving a group of people sighing with regret.

“The fine sons of my Li family are indeed in high demand.”

In the innermost chamber of the palace, Li Cunxiao saw his younger brother and couldn't help but tease him.

With his current cultivation level, and with the help of the secret realm, he could control every movement within a hundred miles, and he naturally saw the eagerness of those people just now.

As the saying goes, you can't hit a smiling face. Those who are ignorant of the times and rebel against schemes can be killed, but you can't be too rough with those who desperately try to curry favor.

Otherwise, it will be impossible to unite people's hearts and minds, and the time and manpower costs of implementing government orders will increase significantly.

They couldn't understand either Tibetan or Qin Mandarin. Although the Tibetans treated him like a Buddha, Li Cunxiao himself needed to refine elixirs and cultivate himself, so he couldn't personally appear every time he issued a decree.

Before these indigenous people are truly assimilated, it is necessary to leave some local strongmen to assist in handling government affairs.

"Brother, please don't make fun of me. I'm so busy every day that I don't have time to deal with these foreign women."

Li Guangyi grumbled, while also subtly indicating his refusal.

"Alright, once you have more free time in the future, you can decide on the marriage arrangements yourself."

After making a promise, Li Cunxiao and his brother chatted for a while before getting down to business.

How should the Tibetan people of Ü-Tsang be resettled?

It is true that the chieftains and nobles were cruel and greedy, but it is also true that the snow-capped mountains were barren.

In the past, it was indeed these few upper-class individuals who controlled the vast majority of essential resources such as food and medicine. However, after taking stock, Li Cunxiao had to admit that even if all the nobles were killed, the output of this land would only be enough to barely feed the current population.

If these people were brought down from the snow-capped mountains and sent to Wenzhou and Fuzhou, not to mention the potential conflicts caused by language and cultural differences, land resources would inevitably become even more strained.

However, if these Tibetans were left in Tibet, it would violate the initial promise.

Li Cunxiao had no great love for the barbarians, but he would never go back on his word.

The barbarian soldiers, forged in the snow-capped mountains, are a pack of tigers and wolves. To get them to fight for us on the battlefield, we can't rely on faith alone; we also need to offer tangible benefits.

If we can't stay in our local area and we can't go to our base, then the conclusion is obvious.

"Go down the mountain to Sichuan?"

“Yes,” Li Cunxiao pointed, and his true essence outlined the topographical map of the entire Jiannan Road in the air.

"If we want to raise an army, we must establish our base in Shu."

"The entire Jiannan Road is surrounded by continuous sword peaks. Wang Jian's men are guarding the Great Sword Pass. If we want to enter Shu, we must launch a strong attack."

"Now that I have become a grandmaster, and I join forces with my master, our chances of winning through a strong attack are not small."

"But this would cause too much of a commotion and inevitably attract the attention of the capital."

“Li Siyuan and Li Cunxu have always regarded me as a thorn in their side. If they find out that I have become a grandmaster before I am thirty, they may not be able to eat. It is unknown how Li Yisheng will deal with it.”

"Therefore, it would be better to use the name of the Tibetan king to have Wang Jian cede a portion of the prefectures and counties as a place of resettlement."

Li Guangyi nodded upon hearing this, and after a moment's thought, he said somewhat hesitantly:

"The King of Shu is known for his greed and avarice. It would be difficult to ask him to cut flesh from a mosquito's leg."

"It's difficult to get him to cut it himself; we can only force him to do it!"

After saying this, Li Cunxiao summoned the Imperial Guard on duty at the palace, gave him a few instructions, and Jianzan, who had received the news, quickly rushed over.

Upon seeing the two, he respectfully knelt on one knee:
"Greetings to the Living Buddha, greetings to His Holiness."

Li Cunxiao was a Buddha who had attained enlightenment, and Li Guangyi, who served by his side, was naturally a venerable one equivalent to an Arhat.

The latter felt very uncomfortable when she first heard this title, but she only got used to it after hearing it many times.

"Jianzan, in private, please do not call me the Living Buddha; just address me as Your Excellency. How is the training of the Dragon Elephant Army progressing?"

"Reporting back to the magistrate," he firmly praised the ruler for readily accepting good advice.

"As per your request, after eliminating the old and weak, and converting the bandit soldiers with a history of massacres into slave laborers, there are still 18,000 combat soldiers remaining."

"Six thousand of them were elite troops carefully trained by the Zanpu (king) and the bandit chieftain Jiazuru."

Li Cunxiao nodded slightly. "Not bad."

The territory of Tibet itself is not small, roughly the sum of Jiannan Road and Longyou Road. It was a powerful region, otherwise Emperor Taizong of Qin would not have allowed the princess to marry him.

However, as time passed, the temperature in the snow-capped mountains became increasingly frigid, making farming difficult, and the population continued to decline.

If Emperor Jiazu had any intention of making a difference in this chaotic world, he would have resorted to extortion and tyranny to barely muster an army of 50,000 men.

However, Li Cunxiao firmly believed that quality was more important than quantity in military affairs. Besides, he simply didn't have the resources to support so many soldiers. So, he made a sweeping decision and ordered Jianzan to reduce the army by two-thirds.

“Jianzan, I have a task for you.”

"After Yulongzhi withdraws his troops, you will lead two thousand elite troops down the mountain to surround the Baoning Prefecture Governor's Office, and then send a letter to Wang Jian in the name of the Zanpu."

“Tell him that you have repelled the attack from Fuzhou, but the war has also depleted too much of your reserves, and the grain that the King of Shu promised is no longer enough.” “If you want to maintain this alliance, you must give up Weizhou and Yizhou to settle the barbarians, otherwise you will turn to ally with me.”

"Jianzan, do you understand what I mean?"

Li Cunxiao's words were convoluted, but Li Guangyi and Jianzan understood their meaning.

If a grandmaster does not differentiate his true essence, his perception can only cover a county town at most.

Li Cunxiao expanded this scope entirely by taking advantage of the Dragon Palace Secret Realm.

Although Jia Zuru's body is already cold, Wang Jian cannot see what is happening here from across the snow-capped mountains, which creates room for manipulation.

Before Li Cunxiao killed Jia Zuru, the alliance between Tibet and the Shu Kingdom already existed and was maintained by the supply of grain.

As long as the news of Jia Zuru's death is kept secret, this alliance can continue to exist.

Yulongzhi's withdrawal would create the illusion of a victory for the Tibetan side, which would be a bargaining chip in negotiations.

Of course, another key point is that although Wang Jian was the King of Shu, he did not completely control Jiannan Road.

The capital of Shu, Jindu, was located in the central basin of Jiannan Dongchuan. It relied on its extensive waterways to profit from commerce while maintaining contact with the outside world.

Jiannan Xichuan is still located in a hilly area. In name, Xichuan should naturally obey the Shu King, but in reality, it is controlled by the Taoist Qingcheng Mountain.

Master Yu Hai, the leader of Qingcheng Mountain, was essentially a minor vassal under the King of Shu, controlling a considerable amount of land.

Apart from these two areas, the remaining two areas in the north and south were long-standing "uncivilized and wild lands" with many indigenous tribes, such as the Ningzhou Prefecture mentioned by Li Cunxiao, which was actually governed by Tusi (chieftains).

But for the Tibetan people of Ü-Tsang, as long as it's not a desolate wasteland covered in snow year-round, it's already a peaceful and happy land.

At present, Li Cunxiao is giving sermons and opening granaries to distribute grain. In the eyes of the Tibetan soldiers, he is a living bodhisattva. It would not be difficult for them to go through fire and water.

As long as the Tibetan soldiers keep their mouths shut and block the main road up the mountain, Jia Zuru can continue to "live" in other people's mouths.

Then he would send another letter, slightly exaggerating his anger at the defeat, and order Wang Jian to cooperate in sending troops to attack the snow mountain.

With a two-pronged approach, Wang Jian would inevitably choose to cede territory in order to retaliate against Qi Ci.

"Your plan is brilliant!"

Jianzan's eyes lit up, and he immediately began to boast loudly.

Li Guangyi felt a sense of crisis when he thought that the other party was already a Xuan Guan martial artist and was so shameless.

"That's just how people are. If he's suspicious, he might very well ask to meet with Jia Zu in person."

"At that time, we might still have to fight it out."

Li Cunxiao was not afraid, but the possibility of that was unlikely.

I used to think that masters and experts were like immortals, living a carefree and unrestrained life.

Only after going through all of this did I realize that human relationships are like a net, and no one can escape from it.

The higher the status of the feudal lords, the more responsibilities they had, and the less likely they were to risk their lives.

However, one cannot find a person who, despite being all alone, ultimately becomes a grandmaster or even a great grandmaster, anywhere in the world.

The logic is simple: without family or friends, where would one get the resources to cultivate?

For every gain, there is a loss.

What sets Li Cunxiao apart from these people is not his willingness to take risks, but rather that with the Vajra Pestle in hand, breaking through barriers and surpassing levels is as easy as eating and drinking. He can always defeat the weak with his strength and is full of confidence.

"Alright, do your job well. If this succeeds, I will pass on the 'Mysterious Heaven Yellow Dragon Dao Weapon' to you."

Upon hearing this, Jianzan bowed deeply, expressed his gratitude profusely, and left the palace.

He knew, of course, that killing his former colleagues Renzeng and Lunzhu was merely a pledge of loyalty.

To truly become Li Cunxiao's confidant and one of his own, one must enter the ranks of the Imperial Guard.

These days, Li Cunxiao is observing him, and he is also observing the troops under Li Cunxiao's command.

To be honest, Yulongzhi's loyalty and purity are incredible.

The fact that the barbarian soldiers revered their lord as if he were a god was largely due to their devotion to Buddhism, but other factors, such as a lack of reading and intellectual development, also played a role.

However, according to Jianzan's interactions, all of Yulongzhi's personal guards had attended some kind of "night school" or "literacy class".

They were not only literate and able to do arithmetic, but also possessed a certain ability to govern people's livelihoods.

The people may be made to follow a course, but they may not be made to understand it.

Governing intelligent people is far more difficult than governing ignorant people, and gaining their loyalty is even more difficult.

The more Gyaltsen learned, the more inevitably he became deeply involved.

Ultimately, what other path does he have left to take?

All they could do was pray that Li Cunxiao would achieve great things, so that the barbarians could also shed their barbarian identity and become citizens of the superior nation.

"Brother, this man is, after all, a surrendered official; let him lead the troops."

"It's alright," Li Cunxiao smiled, flicked his finger, and a stream of light flew into Li Guangyi's body.

"My true essence remains in the Bone-Illuminating Mirror; below the level of a Grandmaster, there is absolutely no power to resist it."

"I'll leave the Azure Lion and the Imperial Dragon Straight to you as well."

"The Buddhist lineage here has been concluded. I will return to Wenzhou first."

"The Qin and Liang dynasties are currently locked in fierce combat, and the imperial decree to establish the U-Tsang Protectorate is expected to be issued in ten to fifteen days."

These days, Li Cunxiao wasn't just acting as a charlatan. Besides robbing local tyrants, he also cleansed out several large monasteries supported by the Zanpu (Tibetan kings).

The esoteric Buddhism of Tibet has three major lineages: Zhebu Monastery, Shela Monastery, and Handan Monastery.

Now that those heretical monks who practice dual cultivation and initiation and use human skin as implements have been eradicated, only one Maitreya Temple has been established.

From now on, all the monks in the temple will have to come to Wenzhou to undergo Qici's examination and practice before they can graduate as "student monks".

As for requesting the establishment of the Ü-Tsang Governor-General's Office, this was both part of the policy of replacing native chieftains with centrally appointed officials and also increased leverage for future negotiations between Gyaltsen and Wang Jian.

In Li Cunxiao's memorial, the Tibetan king naturally expressed his obedience to the Celestial Dynasty and hoped to relinquish his throne. Li Yisheng, being ambitious and eager for glory, had no reason to refuse.

However, it is unlikely that the other party would entrust this unfamiliar grandmaster with an important task. They would probably still require "Jia Zuru" and Qici to guard the southwest together and restrain the King of Shu.

Except for Li Cunxiao, all the Thirteen Protectors were on the front lines, and their combat strength was stretched thin. It was unlikely that a general would be sent to personally bestow titles upon them.

If a former official from the capital were sent, there would be even less of a problem.

Dukes and nobles are all his allies. Do they even understand the value of "connections"?
Upon hearing this, Li Guangyi was finally relieved, while Li Cunxiao, gazing at the clear sky over the snowy plains, was not at peace with himself.

"In the end, it's because we lack strength that we can only resort to tricks to cover it up."

"If I become a Grandmaster, there won't be so much trouble. I can just march into Shu and Li Yisheng won't dare to turn against me."

"Fortunately, although I am only a Grandmaster at the moment, I can be said to have three Dharma forms in my body."

"In this 'Three Teachings United in One Dao' realm, in the three altars of Heaven, Earth, and Sea, how do I compare to a Grandmaster of Perfection?"

(End of this chapter)