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

Chapter 297 I too have been granted fiefdoms, Li Er, how will you respond? [Seeking monthly votes]

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince has gone to attend the court assembly again!"

Inside the Yue Prince's mansion, Li Tai, with his hands behind his back, admiring the plum blossoms in the courtyard with an air of old age.

Behind him was Su Xu, who had come to report to him.

But Li Tai said in a nonchalant tone, "He is the Crown Prince, so he should attend court assemblies. It's no big deal!"

"But I've heard that His Majesty intends to have the Crown Prince oversee military reforms today."

"Ha!" Li Tai sneered, disdainfully saying, "If military reform were so easy, do you think my father would have let him preside over it?"

"Does Your Highness mean that this might be His Majesty's strategy?" Su Xu asked thoughtfully.

Li Tai reached out and picked a plum blossom, smelled it, and laughed, "Have you forgotten how my father seized the throne? The army was his foundation! Think about the crown princes of all dynasties, which one who got involved in the army had a good ending?"

After thinking it over carefully, Su Xu felt that Li Tai's words made some sense, so he said with a forced smile, "Our prince is indeed wise. We just need to keep a low profile and wait for the right opportunity!"

"Hiding one's abilities and biding one's time isn't that easy. I recently heard something, do you know? Li You actually wants to follow Li Ke's example and take the initiative to be granted a fiefdom!"

"Ah? This"

Su Xu was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but say, "Has the Prince of Yan gone mad? How could he voluntarily grant such a title? With his abilities, I'm afraid..."

At this point, Su Xu stopped speaking, because Li Tai turned to look at him.

But Li Tai said calmly, "What surprises me is not whether Li You is capable of fulfilling his fiefdom, but the significance behind this matter. Have you forgotten the relationship between Li Chengqian and Li You?"

"Does Your Highness mean that the Crown Prince might support the enfeoffment?" Su Xu said suddenly.

Li Tai frowned, then squeezed the plum blossom in his hand, and said in a somber tone, "Although my father refused my request to be granted a fief, there's no guarantee that Li Chengqian won't make me go to the fiefdom once he gains power. If I go to the fiefdom, it means I'm completely out of the game!"

"This"

Upon hearing this, Su Xu's pupils constricted sharply, and he was filled with admiration for the wisdom of the King of Yue before him.

What was originally none of his business was somehow seen as a major event by the King of Yue, which was truly remarkable.

"Then, in Your Highness's opinion, how should we respond?" Su Xu asked curiously.

Li Tai glanced at him but didn't answer. Instead, he played with the crushed plum blossom in his hand until it turned from pink to brownish-gray. Then, he suddenly said, "Prepare a generous gift for me. I'm going to see someone!"

"it is good!"

Su Xu responded, then asked with some curiosity, "I wonder who Your Highness is going to see? What are their preferences? I'd like to prepare a gift accordingly!"

"He."

Li Tai smiled, then looked at Su Xu meaningfully and said, "Your Majesty the Retired Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty!"

"what?"

Su Xu was completely bewildered, but he quickly realized what was happening and his face lit up with joy.

Didn't Li Chengqian rise to power back then by relying on Li Yuan?
They're both grandsons, so we can't favor one over the other, can we?

"Your Highness the King of Yue is wise!"

Su Xu couldn't help but offer a compliment.

Li Tai smiled noncommittally but said nothing more.

Meanwhile, not far from Suzaku Avenue was Yin Hongzhi's residence.

The sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air.

Li You was overwhelmed by the sight of all the beautiful women in the hall, and his lips were practically agape with a wide smile.

Beside him, Yin Hongzhi, who had been sipping his wine, smiled without saying a word.

Only after the music stopped did Li You smack his lips, still feeling unsatisfied, and exclaim, "It's so much more fun here at Uncle's! I was so bored in the palace!"

"Hehe, if you like your uncle's place, come often in the future!" Yin Hongzhi replied with a smile.

But Li You shook his head helplessly and said, "I'm afraid I won't be able to come again after a while!"

"Oh?"

Yin Hongzhi narrowed his eyes, then said calmly, "Why is that? Could something have happened in the palace?"

"It's nothing."

Li You picked up a glass of wine with little interest, rested his chin on his hand, looked at the group of beautiful women, and muttered, "My elder brother, the Crown Prince, told me to study hard from now on and not to waste my time on frivolous pursuits!"

"This"

Yin Hongzhi hesitated for a moment, then his eyes darted around, and he smiled and said, "His Highness the Crown Prince is a good elder brother; he is thinking of Your Highness's best interests!"

“I know that my elder brother, the Crown Prince, is a good brother, and I know how good he is to me, but I really can’t learn it. The new material is too difficult,” Li You said with a worried look on his face.

Yin Hongzhi glanced at him, then seemed to remember something and asked casually, "Does His Highness the Crown Prince also disagree with the matter of going to the fiefdom?"

"Of course I'd disagree!"

Li You felt aggrieved and even indignant when this was mentioned, saying, "Why can Li Ke go and be granted a fiefdom, but I can't? What makes me inferior to him?!"

After saying this, he immediately picked up his wine glass and took a swig of wine in silence.

At this moment, Yin Hongzhi smiled knowingly and gave a wink to a beautiful woman not far away. The woman immediately understood and walked over with a smile, knelt in front of the table, poured wine for Li You, and said tenderly, "Your Highness, please calm down. This servant will dance for you to cheer you up!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she prepared to get up, but unexpectedly, she tripped on her skirt and fell into Li You's arms with a cry of "Ouch!"

Li You felt a fragrant breeze wafting towards him, and his body felt soft and boneless.

"Your Highness, forgive me!"

Suddenly, the beautiful woman, like a wounded bird, stumbled to her feet. A strand of black hair cascaded down her pretty shoulders and down Li You's face like a waterfall, making Li You shudder.

This was the first time he had ever been so close to a strange woman, and the innocent feelings he had about relationships between men and women made his heart flutter instantly.

However, at that moment, a very stern voice suddenly rang out: "Where did this lowly servant come from! So impetuous! Guards, drag her away and beat her to death!"

"Ah?! My lord, spare me! My lord, spare me!"

Upon hearing this, Meiji turned pale with fright and immediately begged Yin Hongzhi for mercy.

But Yin Hongzhi ignored her completely and just watched as she was roughly dragged away by several guards.

"Wait a minute!"

Just as Meiji was about to be dragged out the door by the guards, Li You suddenly came to his senses and said to Yin Hongzhi, "Uncle, please spare her! She didn't do it on purpose!"

"Your Highness, this lowly servant girl..."

"Uncle! I said release her!"

Before Yin Hongzhi could finish speaking, Li You interrupted him with a stern face.

"This"

Yin Hongzhi hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at the beautiful woman, frowning as he said, "I'll spare your life today for His Highness's sake!"

"Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Lord!"

Meiji immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

Li You waved his hand impatiently, then glanced at the sky outside and said, "It's getting late, I should go back to the palace!"

After saying this, he prepared to get up and leave.

However, the next moment, Yin Hongzhi's words rang out again: "Actually, going to the fiefdom doesn't necessarily require His Highness's consent. Just like just now, pardoning her wasn't my decision either; His Highness could actually make that decision!"

"Ok?"

Li You paused, looking at Yin Hongzhi with a puzzled expression, and asked, "What do you mean by that, Uncle?"

"hehe."

Yin Hongzhi smiled, then looked at Li You meaningfully: "Your Highness, have you forgotten? The reason the Prince of Han was able to be granted his fiefdom was because he went to see His Majesty! Our His Majesty very much hopes that his sons will all become successful."

"This"

Upon hearing this, Li You's heart stirred.

On the other side, at Taiji Palace, in the Taiji Hall.

Because of Li Chengqian's words, the chaotic court assembly gradually calmed down.

But Wei Zheng looked at the world map in front of him with surprise and doubt and asked, "Your Highness, is this map real?"

Li Chengqian chuckled, then said in a serious tone, "Does the Crown Prince's tutor think I would joke with you using a fake map?"

He paused, then looked around at his generals and said, "Even if you don't recognize overseas maps, you still know about maps, right? Whether this map is genuine or not can be easily verified!"

“It’s true. I’ve compared it with geomantic maps from various countries and studied it carefully. It’s definitely a genuine map!” Li Jing replied with a smile.

Upon hearing Li Jing's words, all the officials, including Li Shimin, couldn't help but gather around the world map, becoming increasingly shocked and excited as they looked at it.

In fact, in any era, a great goal is the driving force for progress.

This does not mean that a country that has just been established does not need goals.

In Li Chengqian's view, the reason for emphasizing the national dream, whether in this world or in the future, is to establish a common goal.

Because of this goal, like-minded people will strive together.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, he also wanted to build his own military force through war, just like Qin Shi Huang conquered the six states, Emperor Wu of Han fought against the Xiongnu, and Li Er conquered the world.

Only in this way could he have a chance to replace Li Er.

As for trying to evoke emotion and get Li Er to abdicate voluntarily, that's nothing short of wishful thinking.

No matter how well you are crown prince and how much the people love you, Emperor Taizong (Li Er) will not abdicate voluntarily because of your success. The only right path is to have your own base of support and let your strength speak for itself.

Otherwise, any conspiracy or trickery would be utterly ineffective against Li Er's military power group.

The Xuanwu Gate Incident itself was not decided by Li Er alone, but by the interest groups behind him, which forced him to launch the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

Therefore, reforming the army was not Li Chengqian's ultimate goal; changing the current situation of the Tang Dynasty was of paramount importance.

But then Li Chengqian laughed and said, "If our reformed army can reach every corner of the world, would you generals support the reform?"

"This"

The generals looked at each other, bewildered, unsure how to respond.

They naturally understood the meaning behind Li Chengqian's words.

If the Tang Dynasty's army could reach the lands of gold and grain, then the Tang Dynasty would probably be the most powerful country in the world.

However, it is not difficult to see from this map that there is no so-called gold or grain land in the territory they are in.

In other words, the two places Li Chengqian mentioned should be overseas.

Anyone with even a basic understanding of military affairs knows that with the current military strength of the Tang Dynasty, it is impossible for them to fight overseas.

So, the atmosphere gradually fell silent.

Seeing their silence, Li Shimin gradually breathed a sigh of relief.

He was genuinely afraid that Li Chengqian had misled his ministers.

It's obvious that his ministers aren't idiots.

Although his ministers would be shocked by the vastness of the world upon seeing this map, they would not easily believe what Li Chengqian said.

Just like when he first heard Li Chengqian's claim of world domination, he was only shocked, nothing more.

But he broke the silence first, saying, "Alright, we're discussing military reform now, not world domination."

"Even if we want to dominate the world, we must first strengthen ourselves. Otherwise, we won't even be able to deal with the neighboring Goguryeo, Tuyuhun, and Tibet."

"Yes, Your Majesty is right. Let's strengthen ourselves first!"

As soon as Li Shimin finished speaking, Li Er's confidants, led by Changsun Wuji, immediately stood up and echoed his words.

"Yes, the overseas territories are far away. Even if our Great Tang Dynasty wanted to dominate the world, we would be powerless to do so!"

"Indeed, the current national strength of our Great Tang is not even as good as that of the Sui Dynasty. How can we dominate the world? Does Your Highness not know that the Sui Dynasty couldn't even conquer Goguryeo?"

"Hahaha, Your Highness, you don't actually think that having cannons and muskets will allow you to dominate the world, do you? War is not that simple!"

"Yes, Your Highness, look at the territory on this map. There are barren mountains and treacherous waters, as well as lakes and seas, icy hills, and so many complex terrains. How can it be so easy to fight!"

"is it?"

Faced with the ridicule of his ministers, Li Chengqian calmly asked two words, then looked around at them and said, "Do you really think that my Great Tang Dynasty cannot do what the Sui Dynasty could not? If you really think so, then let's see when my Great Tang Dynasty will do it!"

"No, Your Highness, what do you mean by that?" Hou Junji couldn't help but ask.

Li Chengqian glanced at him indifferently and then said, "I heard that General Hou once studied military strategy with General Li Jing. Is that true?"

"Ok?"

Hou Junji was taken aback for a moment, then turned to look at Li Jing before nodding and saying, "It is indeed true!"

"What does General Hou think of General Li Jing's military strategies?"

"General Li Jing is naturally skilled in military strategy!"

"How much did General Hou learn?"

"minister"

Hou Junji was momentarily at a loss for words, then glanced at Li Shimin and said somewhat displeasedly, "Why does Your Highness ask this? Does my inferiority in military strategy compared to General Li Jing preclude me from discussing military reforms?"

"That's not it."

Li Chengqian laughed: "I just find it strange that even General Li Jing supports my ambition to dominate the world, but you don't. Could it be that you understand military strategy better than General Li Jing?"

"Or are you guys talking about it?"

Having said that, he glanced once more at the generals in the hall, his smile fading as he said, "Admit your incompetence!"

"What!?"

Upon hearing this, the generals were immediately furious, their faces turning red with anger.

In particular, generals such as Yuchi Gong and Cheng Yaojin stood up indignantly.

"Why has Your Highness insulted us?!"

"Yes, Your Highness! We admit we are not as good as General Li Jing, but what we said is true! Your idea of ​​dominating the world is simply wishful thinking!"

"That's right! Warfare relies on logistics! Without reliable logistics, even the greatest ambitions are just empty talk! The Crown Prince doesn't understand warfare at all!"

"Is that so? You're saying I don't understand?"

Li Chengqian sneered, "Then let me ask you, when Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms, did the people of those kingdoms also laugh at him for his unrealistic ideas? When Emperor Wu of Han fought against the Xiongnu, did some people say he was being too aggressive and wasteful? But what was the result?"

"Answer me!"

Did Qin Shi Huang conquer the six kingdoms and establish the first feudal dynasty? Did Emperor Wu of Han etch the name of the Han dynasty into the bones of every foreign ethnic group, so that they still call us Han people to this day?

"Come! Look into my eyes and answer me, isn't that right?!"

The ministers: "."

Li Shimin: "."

"What? Nobody's saying anything? Fine, then let me tell you about my Great Tang Dynasty!"

"Back when heroes were vying for power, how many people respected us? How many believed we could unify the world? What about Dou Jiande? What about Wang Shichong? My father fought against two powerful figures single-handedly, and so what?"

"Has the comfortable life and the peace of the world extinguished your fighting spirit?"

"What makes you think that my Great Tang Dynasty is even inferior to the Sui Dynasty? Huh? I ask you, what has made you lose your ambition?!"

"This"

The officials were stunned by Li Chengqian's words, especially the generals who stood up, such as Yuchi Gong and Cheng Yaojin, who were so ashamed that their faces turned red.

Li Shimin looked deeply at Li Chengqian and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

When it comes to inspiring people, no one can surpass this rebellious son.

Although the Tang Dynasty at present could not possibly dominate the world, once the seeds of ambition were sown, they would eventually take root and sprout.

This is similar to the Qin Dynasty building upon the legacy of six generations.

Once the Tang Dynasty possessed the ambition to dominate the world, even if it couldn't achieve it in his reign or Li Chengqian's, it would eventually be able to.

This is the power of belief.

However, having beliefs alone is not enough; you also need benefits.

And the benefits are enormous.

What enormous benefits could motivate a group of people to pursue them with the drive to do so for ten, twenty, or even a hundred years?

To be honest, Li Shimin never expected this.

But just because Li Shimin couldn't think of it doesn't mean Li Chengqian couldn't.

Li Chengqian took a deep breath, then turned to look at him, and said calmly and solemnly, "Your Majesty, have you completely entrusted the reform of the army to me?"

"This"

Li Shimin hesitated for a moment, then looked at Li Chengqian with a complicated expression and said, "I intend to entrust the reforms entirely to you, but I want them to be implemented smoothly, safely, and successfully, rather than..."

"Yes, I understand!"

Before Li Shimin could finish speaking, Li Chengqian nodded in interruption, then looked around at the assembled officials and said, "Today, I have been ordered by His Majesty to implement reforms, and there are two points I need to make clear to you all. First, the purpose of the reforms is not to deprive you of your existing benefits, but to enable you to gain more benefits and to bind your interests to the Tang Dynasty."

Second, if you accept the reforms, when our Great Tang expands overseas in the future, we can offer you the opportunity to be granted the titles of king or marquis. Remember, this is a real grant of titles, not just empty honors. You will have your own country and your own subjects; the only condition is that you acknowledge our Great Tang as your suzerain state.

"What!?"

The ministers were struck dumb upon hearing this.

sensation!

A tremendous sensation!
The entire hall seemed to be overturned by the commotion.

Good guy!
In ancient times, the Zhou kings enfeoffed the nine provinces of China; now, the crown prince of the Tang dynasty enfeoffs the entire world.

Compared to His Majesty's bestowal of titles, the Crown Prince's bestowal of titles is truly a grander vision!
He was actually a real king or nobleman!
Who could resist such a tempting offer?!

nobody!
Almost no one can resist it!
What about aristocratic families?

Despite hundreds of years of effort, no truly powerful clan has ever been able to establish its own country!
Even the Tang Dynasty owed its existence to Li Er, the strongest carbon-based life form of the 7th century!
Otherwise, for aristocratic families to establish a state would be harder than climbing to heaven.

Upon realizing this, the ministers were deeply moved, and even the way they looked at Li Chengqian changed.

Li Shimin, in particular, suddenly stood up, staring at Li Chengqian with disbelief on his face!
He never expected that Li Chengqian would also grant fiefdoms!

Although he had wanted to implement the enfeoffment system in the Tang Dynasty more than once, he had never thought of enfeoffment like Li Chengqian's.

He thought to himself, "Has this rebellious son gone mad?"
This is insane!

(End of this chapter)