Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 296 This is One Piece!! [Requesting monthly votes]

"Imperial decree, General Li Jing obeys!"

At the first court assembly in February, Li Shimin issued an imperial edict to Li Jing.

Although most people knew what was going on, some still looked frustrated.

And this person was none other than Xiao Yu, the former Left Minister and current Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince.

In fact, Xiao Yu was not unable to understand Li Shimin's feelings for Li Jing, but felt that Li Shimin's actions were somewhat hypocritical.

After all, it's not a good thing for an emperor to have double standards.

Especially for those ministers who govern the country in the imperial court, because they have few opportunities to make meritorious contributions, they can only follow the emperor's orders step by step and cannot make mistakes.

This is similar to Zhang Yung-gu, who was doing a good job before, but almost got killed by Li Shimin because he didn't explain a case clearly.

Li Jing, on the other hand, gained Li Shimin's forgiveness because of his great contributions.

It's really frustrating.

However, even though Xiao Yu was somewhat annoyed by Li Shimin's double standards, it did not affect Li Jing's decisiveness in stepping forward.

The moment the imperial edict was read, he stepped forward and said, "Your subject accepts the decree!"

But then the eunuch announcing the imperial decree loudly proclaimed: "The Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty decrees: General Li Jing is hereby appointed Minister of War, on the third day of the second month of the fourth year of Zhenguan."

"Your subject thanks you and accepts the imperial decree!"

Li Jing bowed respectfully and prepared to stand up.

Just then, the eunuch who was delivering the imperial edict announced loudly again: "The Minister of War has received the imperial decree!"

"Ok?"

Li Jing was slightly taken aback, and his body paused involuntarily.

He knew beforehand that he had been appointed Minister of War, but this new decree was completely unexpected and left him at a loss.

However, before he could react, the eunuch delivering the imperial edict picked up a new one and announced loudly once again, "Minister of War, kneel down to receive the decree!"

"This"

Li Jing hesitated for a moment, but still obediently knelt down.

But then the eunuch delivering the imperial edict continued loudly: "Imperial edict, by the Emperor of the Great Tang, Li Jing, listen to the decree, Li Jing is hereby granted the title of Duke of Dai, appointed as Grand Master of the Left, bestowed with a thousand bolts of silk, and his fiefdom is increased to five hundred households!"

"What!?"

The officials were stunned when they heard the imperial decree.

Xiao Yu, in particular, was struck dumb.

He never imagined that Li Shimin would treat a 'treason' suspect who should have been tried so kindly.

This goes beyond just double standards!

This is absolutely unfair!

However, just as he was filled with righteous indignation and preparing to remonstrate, Li Shimin smiled faintly and said, "The Duke of Dai has solved a major problem for our Great Tang Dynasty, bringing stability to the north. Even if there are some minor misunderstandings, they are insignificant and deserve all the best I can do for you!"

"Your Majesty, I thank you!"

Li Jing bowed respectfully and then slowly returned to the ranks.

The ministers fell silent; the entire room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

At this moment, Li Shimin smiled and said, "My ministers, a few days ago, I asked you to write memorials, and you have all written them, and I have read them. Today, let's make a decision!"

After saying this, he turned to Li Chengqian and said, "Your Highness, you shall preside over this!"

"Yes!"

Li Chengqian calmly responded, then raised his hand to Fang Xuanling and said, "Grand Chancellor, you go first!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuanling immediately stepped forward with his tablet in hand, bowed, and said, "Your Highness, I have summarized some of the reform plans. Please make your decision!"

"Very well, Grand Secretary, please speak!"

"Based on the memorials submitted by the ministers, we have basically confirmed the following reforms."

"First, important regions will be preserved, including the four major governorates of Yangzhou, Liangzhou, Taiyuan, and Youzhou."

"Second, establish two levels of governorates along the border, such as intermediate governorates and general governorates. Liangzhou will be an intermediate governorate, and the others will be general governorates. Ten will be retained, and the original forty will be abolished."

"Third, the Chariot and Cavalry Office and the Flying Cavalry Office will be renamed the Vanguard Office, with the Commander-in-Chief in charge of training the troops."

"Fourth, set up certain areas called 'Di Tuan' (地团). Without the order of the Ministry of War, no one may leave the Di Tuan without authorization."

"Fives"

Upon hearing these reforms, the ministers exchanged glances and whispered among themselves. Many even turned their gazes toward Li Shimin, hoping he would say something.

But Li Shimin remained silent, indifferent and unconcerned.

"All right!"

Seeing that the ministers were whispering amongst themselves, Li Chengqian decisively made the decision: "Since the ministers have no objections to these reforms, let's start implementing them next month!"

"Your Highness, please wait!"

The moment Li Chengqian finished speaking, Yuchi Gong, the vanguard of the anti-reform movement, was the first to step forward, holding his tablet and saying, "I have a question for the Grand Chancellor: Approximately how many tens of thousands of troops were abolished from the military governorships in this reform?"

"Please answer, Grand Secretary."

Li Chengqian raised his hand in a gesture, and Fang Xuanling immediately replied, "Based on the current troop strength, the number is approximately 270,000!"

"What!?"

The generals were in an uproar.

Yuchi Gong held his tablet again and said, "May I ask the Grand Chancellor, with the nation's army reduced by nearly 30% in one go, how will the nation defend against foreign enemies in the future?"

“Yes, Your Majesty! I also believe that reforms should not be rushed, but should proceed gradually!” Cheng Yaojin also stepped forward.

However, instead of offering advice to Li Chengqian, he directly offered advice to Li Shimin.

Clearly, in the minds of these generals, although Li Chengqian was the one who presided over the reforms, the one who could truly make the decisions was Li Shimin.

However, Li Shimin remained silent after hearing Cheng Yaojin's advice, and instead turned to look at Li Chengqian.

The meaning is quite clear: you make the decision first, and then I'll decide.

This caused the ministers' gazes to follow Li Shimin and turn towards Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian frowned slightly, then said calmly, "Reducing the army does not mean weakening the country's power."

"Yes, we have considered the concerns of all the generals. The troops that have been reduced will only be temporarily placed in local areas. When the country needs them, they can be recruited again through a conscription system."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuanling immediately echoed, "Moreover, our Great Tang is currently facing a severe labor shortage. Settling them in local areas will also increase production!"

"Then who will manage the remaining troops?" Qin Qiong asked abruptly.

Fang Xuanling glanced at him, then smiled and explained, "According to the old system, the army was managed by the generals of each guard, but it's different now. The generals no longer manage the army, including the local governors. They are all managed by the commanders of the Zhechong Prefecture, and each commander has a thousand men under his command."

"So, the general and the governor can only cooperate with the commander-in-chief during battles? At other times, the soldiers are entirely under the commander-in-chief's command?"

"Yes!"

"But will the soldiers agree to such reforms?"

Chang He couldn't help but press further: "They used to follow us generals; we knew and trusted each other. Suddenly separating them and putting them under the command of others, or even disbanding them on the spot, isn't that too cruel?"

Once these words were spoken, they caused a huge uproar.

All the discontent was stirred up.

All these grievances were directed at Li Chengqian.

Although they all knew that only Li Shimin could make the decision on reform, they dared not express their dissatisfaction to him.

It is commonly known that you should pick the softest persimmons.

Li Chengqian was seen as an easy target by them.

"Chang He!"

Just as the ministers were filled with righteous indignation, Li Shimin, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "If you have anything to say, just say it!"

Upon hearing this, Chang He immediately perked up and stopped looking at Li Chengqian. He knelt down before Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive my boldness, but I feel that the soldiers will not agree to such reforms. Putting aside the border troops, let's talk about the soldiers under my command. Everything they have is provided by the court. Now, because of the reforms, it will all be gone. I am afraid they will find it difficult to accept!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! My soldiers have abandoned their families and followed me for years. I really can't bear to treat them like this!" a general cried out in agreement.

Upon hearing this, the other officials exchanged bewildered glances.

I wondered if you were worried about the soldiers, or if you were worried about your own power being taken away?
At this moment, another general cried out in anguish, "Minister of War, I am your old subordinate, and I have fought alongside you in many battles. Why don't you say a word for us?"

Swish!
Upon hearing this, all the ministers immediately turned their attention to Li Jing.

Li Jing frowned slightly, thinking that the Crown Prince was right after all; what was bound to happen had finally arrived.

However, he had already devised a solution.

But he said in a detached tone, "Although I am the Minister of War, I have not participated in the military reform. Therefore, I do not know how to judge the reform!"

Boom!

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole audience was struck by lightning.

Even Li Shimin was somewhat surprised, thinking to himself, "Li Jing, you really dare to speak so boldly!"
How could you say such irresponsible things?
Aren't you afraid of losing all your authority in the military in the future?!

However, this is a good sign.

Li Jing's statement indicates that he genuinely does not support Li Chengqian's reforms.

In this way, it actually helped him a lot.

After a moment's thought, Li Shimin looked at Li Chengqian and smiled, "What does the Crown Prince think?" Li Chengqian feigned displeasure, his face hardening, and said in a muffled voice, "Since the Minister of War says he hasn't participated in the reforms, then let him participate now. In any case, this reform must be decided!"

"What does the Crown Prince mean by that? Does he mean that if we don't agree to the reforms, we can't leave today?" a dark-faced general said coldly.

The other generals also stood up and echoed their sentiments.

"The Crown Prince is being rather domineering. We risk our lives for the country; can't we even have our own ideas?"

"That's right. If we don't agree to the reforms, how can the Crown Prince's reforms be implemented?!"

“This reform is definitely problematic. General Li has commanded our Jingchu troops before and knows what our Jingchu troops are like. If we disband them on the spot, there will definitely be problems!”

"Yes, General Li, our troops from Sichuan and Chongqing are not easy to deal with either!"

Hearing his generals denouncing Li Chengqian, Li Shimin's lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile that vanished in an instant.

He thought to himself that this unfilial son was still inexperienced!

Do you think these military generals are the same as those civil officials who were easily manipulated by you before?
They are all fierce generals who have fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Your little bit of domineering aura can't intimidate them!

Furthermore, what do the tens of thousands of people you killed mean to them?
Do you really think they're easy to scare?
Sure enough, as soon as Li Chengqian finished speaking, almost all the military officers in the court stood against him.

But Li Chengqian was not afraid at all, and only focused his attention on Hou Junji, Yuchi Gong, Cheng Yaojin, Chang He, Qin Qiong and other confidants of Li Er.

Because while the generals in the court are easily replaceable, Li Er's confidants are not so easily replaced.

Moreover, Li Er's confidants controlled a total of twelve guards, and without their support, it would be difficult to complete the reforms.

Li Chengqian paused for a moment, then turned to look at Wu She, who was not far away.

"quiet--"

Wu She instantly understood and immediately shouted to stop the ministers.

Soon, the entire hall fell silent, as if autumn leaves had been swept away by the wind.

But then Li Chengqian said calmly, "I have heard the opinions of all the generals, but I cannot possibly consider the opinions of every single one of you. Therefore, please choose a representative. Let him/her represent you and tell you whether you agree with the reform or disagree with it. This way, we won't waste time on endless arguments!"

Upon hearing this, the ministers exchanged glances and whispered among themselves.

In particular, Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Gong, and other confidants of Li Er gathered together without any manners to discuss countermeasures.

About fifteen minutes later, a general asked Li Shimin, "May I ask Your Majesty, do you agree with the Crown Prince's plan?"

"This"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin hesitated, thinking that if he followed Li Chengqian's method, the reform could indeed be finalized quickly, but this representative was also very important.

If the representatives they elect are Li Chengqian's people, then the reform will definitely pass smoothly. In that case, how can they control Li Chengqian?

However, if the elected representative is someone who strongly opposes reform, wouldn't the reform face great resistance?

This doesn't align with my goals!
Therefore, it's acceptable to elect a representative, but not someone like Li Chengqian, nor someone who vehemently opposes reform.
So, this person...
correct!

Choose Li Jing!
He was neither one of Li Chengqian's men nor one who vehemently opposed reform!
Just like when he launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he neither supported Li Jiancheng nor himself, but in the end he still became his subject.

Why is this?

Because I can subdue him!

He may not respect Li Chengqian, but he absolutely respects himself!

With this thought in mind, Li Shimin instantly understood, and then nodded with a smile, saying, "Agreed!"

As he finished speaking, the ministers' discussion came to an end.

After a short while, Li Er's confidants, led by Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, we have chosen General Li as our representative!"

really!

Hahaha!
They certainly didn't disappoint me!
When Li Shimin heard that Yuchi Gong and the others had nominated Li Jing as their representative, he was overjoyed!

However, no matter how happy he was, he wouldn't show it. Instead, he looked at the other generals expressionlessly and said in a deep voice, "Are you also choosing Li Jing?"

"Uh, this."

The other generals exchanged glances, wondering why there was only one answer.
However, choosing Li Jing is not a problem; he should support us.

The other generals were silent for a moment, then immediately said in unison, "We agree!"

"it is good!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin immediately made a decision: "Then let Li Jing, as the representative of all the generals, express his views on the army reform—whether he supports it or opposes it!"

Swish!
Upon hearing this, all the officials immediately turned to look at Li Jing.

But Li Jing said calmly and indifferently, "Before expressing my views on military reform, I would like to ask Your Highness, what kind of army do you think can win battles?"

"Ok?"

The officials were slightly taken aback, and then all turned to look at Li Chengqian.

Without hesitation, Li Chengqian replied, "An army with ideals and beliefs can win every battle!"

What does it mean to have ideals and beliefs?

"As Sun Tzu's Art of War says: 'Those who are united in purpose will prevail.' I believe that where there is a will, there is no distance that cannot be reached; neither mountains nor seas can limit it."

"Why?"

"It means that if a person has lofty aspirations, no matter how far away the goal is, even if it is at the end of the mountains and seas, nothing can stop them from realizing their ideals."

"May I ask, Your Highness, what are your ideals?"

"To dominate the world!"

Upon hearing this, Li Jing smiled slightly.

The courtiers looked completely bewildered.

Only Li Shimin felt a pang of unease.

But then Li Chengqian smiled and said to Li Jing, "If I were to reform the army with such ideals, would the Minister of War agree to my reforms?"

"agree!"

Li Jing replied without hesitation, "Your Majesty's reforms are fully agreed upon!"

"What!?"

The ministers were instantly shocked.

It's unbelievable!
Can not accept!

Even Li Shimin was completely stunned.

What's going on here?
Why is this happening?

This rebellious son got Li Jing to relinquish power after just one drink?

I'm making an exception and bestowing upon him a great honor!

Just as the ministers and Li Shimin were struggling to understand this matter, Li Jing smiled and said to Li Chengqian, "It seems that Your Highness needs to explain what you mean by 'the whole world'?"

"Hehe, that's only right."

Li Chengqian smiled, then raised his hand to Cen Wenben and asked, "Director Cen, has the world map that I asked the Information Bureau to print been completed?"

"Your Highness, the printing is complete!" Cen Wenben immediately stepped forward and replied.

"it is good!"

Li Chengqian smiled and nodded, then immediately ordered, "Bring it up so everyone can see it!"

"promise!"

Cen Wenben acknowledged and immediately turned and left the court.

Soon, a giant map, about three meters long and two meters wide, appeared before the ministers.

"Your Highness, this is..."

The ministers were both surprised and puzzled when they saw the giant map.

But then Li Chengqian laughed and explained, "This is the whole world I was talking about!"

"Beyond the land beneath our feet, there are not only the Western Regions, the Abbasid Caliphate, Goguryeo, Japan, and Ryukyu, but also many other countries on the other side of the sea. Their wealth and territory are beyond your imagination."

"Do you know that there is a place in this world where gold is everywhere?"

"Do you know that there is a place in this world where there is an inexhaustible supply of food?"

"Do you know that this world is actually very big, so big that you only need to work a little bit to acquire inexhaustible wealth!"

Boom!

Upon hearing this, the ministers' minds went completely blank.

Chaos, yet another utter chaos.

Li Chengqian's words were like a resounding bell, deeply moving and inspiring.

Although these ministers knew that there were many countries outside, they had never heard of a country where gold was everywhere, nor had they ever heard of a country with an inexhaustible supply of food.

Now, Li Chengqian took out a world map and clearly told them that fighting with the surrounding natives was pointless, and that they should come and conquer the world with him!
This is One Piece!

Do you want it?
If you want them, you can have them!

Go find it quickly!

And this is the real highlight of this reform.

(End of this chapter)