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

Chapter 298 Your Majesty! The Crown Prince has given far too much!! [Requesting monthly votes]

Was Li Chengqian crazy?

In the eyes of Li Shimin and his ministers, it must have seemed incredibly insane.

But Li Chengqian felt that this kind of enfeoffment was reasonable.

Since Li Shimin and his contemporaries could not solve the military system after the collapse of the equal-field system, they had no choice but to find another way to expand the scale of the system.

While the empire cannot grow infinitely large, it can prolong its lifespan. The worst outcome is simply cutting off the vassal states that have become too powerful to control.

Just like John Bull in later generations, who colonized the whole world and, even after giving up most of his colonies, still remained a world power.

More importantly, Li Chengqian could establish his own military clique through external expansion.

But then Li Chengqian said, "Now that I have finished speaking, who agrees? Who disagrees?"

"Chengqian!"

Li Shimin's face darkened, as if he could barely contain his anger, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Didn't His Majesty say that he would give me full authority over military reform? And isn't that what I'm doing?" Li Chengqian asked calmly and indifferently.

"you!"

Li Shimin rushed to him in one stride, stared straight at him, and said, "I gave you full authority over the army reform, but I didn't say you could decide on the enfeoffment!"

"Very well, Your Majesty shall decide on the matter of enfeoffment; I shall only be responsible for military reform!"

Li Chengqian remained calm as he spoke.

But these words left Li Shimin speechless.

He stood there stunned for a long while before asking in confusion, "What do you mean by this?"

"What I mean is that regardless of whether the military reform is successful or not, and regardless of whether His Majesty agrees to the enfeoffment I proposed, I will not say anything."

"but."

At this point, Li Chengqian also stood up from the throne of the crown prince, walked past Li Shimin, faced the civil and military officials below the steps, and said in a firm voice: "If I inherit the throne in the future, I will definitely enfeoff the whole world, let my army plunder the world's wealth and land, and distribute them to my subjects."

"If an emperor cannot ensure that his ministers gain both fame and fortune, then that emperor is certainly derelict in his duty!"

"Therefore, my ideal will never change. I want the people of the Tang Dynasty to be spread all over the world, and for my Chinese nation to live on forever!"

Boom!

As soon as this statement came out, the whole audience was shocked!

Li Shimin and his ministers were all dumbfounded.

Even Li Chengqian's confidants, such as Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Hou Junji, and Yuchi Gong, were moved by Li Chengqian's words.

Even if they don't leave the Tang Dynasty to establish their own countries overseas, their descendants can!
If their descendants can establish their own country overseas, that would be an achievement that brings glory to their ancestors.

This was even more honorable than their positions as high-ranking officials in the Tang Dynasty.

Now they finally understood why Li Jing supported Li Chengqian: because Li Chengqian had given them so much.

Your Majesty!
We are loyal to you!
but
"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, approve of His Highness's reforms!"

After a brief struggle, the ministers couldn't help but stand up and express their support for Li Chengqian's reforms.

Even those generals who had previously vehemently opposed the reforms secretly stood in the center of the hall, expressing their honest opinions through their bodies.

"You, you guys."

When Li Shimin saw these generals, his eyes widened in disbelief, and he was speechless for a moment.

Although he achieved his goal of reforming the army, he found it difficult to accept the result.

but.

What can he do if he doesn't accept it?

Once Li Chengqian said those words, it was practically a done deal!

Unless he deposes Li Chengqian again and prevents him from inheriting the throne, the outcome will be the same once Li Chengqian inherits the throne.

So, can he depose Li Chengqian again?
Theoretically speaking, it is possible.

However, in practice, it is almost impossible.

Because Li Chengqian has already gained considerable power, and with these remarks today, it's like opening Pandora's box, causing people to relentlessly pursue their own interests.

Even if not for themselves, they would pursue fame and fortune generation after generation for the sake of their descendants, never ceasing.

Therefore, if Li Shimin were to remove Li Chengqian from his position as crown prince, it would be tantamount to cutting off their path to fame and fortune.

This is quite scary.

Even though Li Shimin was equivalent to the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, he did not dare to act rashly.

"His Majesty!"

Seeing Li Shimin standing there, stunned and silent, Li Chengqian's voice rang out again, calmly saying, "The ministers have all agreed, now it's your turn to make the decision!"

"This"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin hesitated for a moment, then looked at Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji and others, and found that they were also looking at him at this moment, their eyes filled with expectation, making no attempt to hide their support for the reform.

but
Just as the ministers were hoping that Li Shimin would make the final decision, Xiao Yu, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up again: "Your Majesty! I remember that the Crown Prince proposed several reforms before. Why don't we make a decision on them today?"

"Ok?"

Li Shimin was slightly taken aback, then looked at Xiao Yu with some confusion and asked, "What are you referring to, Minister Xiao?"

"Your Majesty, I recall that the Crown Prince proposed reforms at the Academy of Sciences, including the idea of ​​establishing a military academy and a farm for wounded soldiers. However, the reform plan read by the Grand Secretary does not include these two points."

As he spoke, Xiao Yu seemed to remember something and added, "There are also the Ordnance Research Institute and the Military Code, which do not have detailed provisions."

"Therefore, my suggestion is that reforms can be implemented, but the direction of the reforms must be clear: what to reform first and what to reform later. Only in this way can the reforms be implemented smoothly, safely, and successfully!"

"This"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin was first taken aback, then overjoyed.

I thought to myself, "That's right!"

Why didn't I think of that?

Although Li Chengqian's remarks were indeed inflammatory, people's enthusiasm has its limits. Once this enthusiasm subsides, will they still go crazy like Li Chengqian?

Moreover, the officials only expressed their approval of Li Chengqian's reforms, but did not express their approval of Li Chengqian's enfeoffment.

As long as the army is firmly in our own hands, won't we still be able to make all the decisions?
Even if Li Chengqian inherits the throne in the future, it will be the throne that he himself passes on to him, not the throne that he is forced to abdicate!

Even if he were to divide the entire world among himself, it would be none of his business.

With this thought in mind, Li Shimin smiled knowingly. He then glanced at Li Chengqian and the assembled officials, and nodded, saying, "Minister Xiao is right. I also agree with the Crown Prince's reforms, but the reform process must be finalized."

He paused here, then looked at Li Jing and said, "Minister of War, if I were to appoint you as Right Vice Minister, you wouldn't feel wronged, would you?"

"This"

Li Jing was slightly taken aback, then subconsciously looked at Li Chengqian, only to see Li Chengqian's face fall, which was obviously unexpected.

What exactly does Emperor Li Er want to do?
Not only were Li Chengqian and Li Jing confused, but the other officials were also baffled by Emperor Taizong's actions.

Wasn't Li Jing just reassigned as Minister of War? How come he's been promoted again?

While everyone was puzzled, Li Shimin's expression became increasingly solemn.

But then he said in a deep voice, "What, does the Minister of War not want to be the Right Vice Minister?"
"Your Majesty wishes to promote this old minister, how could I possibly feel wronged?" Li Jing said with a wry smile, holding his official tablet, "This old minister will obey Your Majesty's will in everything!"

"Hehe, good, as long as you're not wronged!"

Li Shimin smiled and immediately said to Fang Xuanling, "Grand Chancellor, convey my decree to promote Li Jing, Minister of War, to Right Vice Minister! And to reassign you, Grand Chancellor, to Left Vice Minister."

"in addition."

At this point, Li Shimin's gaze swept over the assembled officials, finally settling on Hou Junji. He smiled and said, "I hereby appoint Hou Junji, the Right General of the Martial Guard, as Minister of War!"

"This"

Upon hearing this, the ministers looked at each other in surprise.

Changsun Wuji secretly sighed, "As expected, experience matters!"

When His Majesty saw the Crown Prince gaining momentum, he acted decisively.

This reshuffle, while seemingly agreeing to the Crown Prince's reforms, actually returned the power of reform to His Majesty's hands.

Ugh!
This father and son are becoming increasingly at odds!

"Your Majesty, I thank you!"

Upon hearing that he had been reassigned as Minister of War, Hou Junji was so excited that he immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Li Shimin to express his gratitude.

Fang Xuanling and Li Jing exchanged a glance and then knelt down as well: "Your subjects accept the decree!"

"Alright, the reforms are settled. Court is adjourned!"

Li Shimin nodded with satisfaction, then waved to signal the court officials to disperse.

However, just as he finished speaking, Li Chengqian, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up loudly: "Your Majesty, please wait!"

Upon hearing Li Chengqian's voice, Li Shimin frowned, then looked at him indifferently and calmly asked, "Is there anything else, Your Highness?"

"Your Majesty, I have just remembered something. There is an important issue regarding the reforms that the Crown Prince's tutor mentioned earlier that has not yet been resolved!" Li Chengqian said, bowing.

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes: "What problem hasn't been solved yet?"

"The director of the Ordnance Research Institute, the head of the Remnant Soldiers Farm, and the principal of the Military Academy have not yet been determined!"

"These can be left to the Ministry of Personnel; they will arrange suitable people to take on these roles!"

Clearly, Li Shimin did not take these three places seriously.

But Li Chengqian took it very seriously.

He then solemnly replied, "Your Majesty, the weapons researched by the Ordnance Research Institute are the most advanced weapons of our Great Tang Dynasty. How can we appoint them hastily? As for the person in charge of the Remnant Soldiers Farm, if we do not appoint a suitable person, it may backfire and discourage the soldiers!"

"this."

Li Shimin, having served as a commander, naturally understood Li Chengqian's meaning. He turned to look at the assembled officials and asked seriously, "Do any of you have any suitable candidates to recommend?"

"Your Majesty, I am willing to serve as the director of the Ordnance Research Institute!" Changsun Wuji volunteered.

Li Shimin and Li Chengqian were both taken aback.

If we were to ask who Emperor Taizong of Tang trusted most, it would probably be Changsun Wuji.

After all, Changsun Wuji had followed him for decades, so appointing him as the director of the Ordnance Research Institute seemed like the most suitable thing to do.

Moreover, this was the first time Changsun Wuji had proactively sought an official position since he had voluntarily resigned from his posts as Right Minister and Minister of Personnel, so Li Er could not refuse. Li Er smiled wryly, then looked at Li Chengqian and asked, "What does the Crown Prince think?"

"Uh, this."

Li Chengqian hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Changsun Wuji.

Changsun Wuji's expression tightened, his eyes filled with sorrow, but he couldn't help but smile: "It is naturally a suitable choice to appoint my uncle as the director of the Ordnance Research Institute."

"call"

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji secretly breathed a sigh of relief and was overjoyed.

The previous estrangement between her and Li Chengqian seemed to have vanished completely in that instant.

But then Li Shimin asked again, "What about the person in charge of the farm for the remnants of the army, and the principal of the military academy?"

"I think Zhang Yungu is more suitable to be the head of the Remnant Soldiers Farm. As for the principal of the Military Academy..."

Li Chengqian pondered for a moment, then his expression turned serious: "I will not shirk my duty!"

Li Shimin looked surprised and asked, "You want to be the principal of the military academy?"

“Yes, Father, besides me, look at all the ministers here, who is more suitable than me to build a school?” Li Chengqian changed his mind and said.

Li Shimin paused for a moment, then thought about it and realized it made sense.

Indeed, no one understands this novel school better than Li Chengqian.

However novel it may be, it is still a school.

Clearly, Li Shimin did not attach enough importance to this school, and simply waved his sleeve and said, "Fine! Then I'll appoint you as the principal of the military academy!"

"Your Majesty, your son thanks you!"

Li Chengqian smiled knowingly.

After the court session ended, Li Chengqian did not leave immediately.

Because Yuchi Gong, Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong, Chang He, as well as Li Jing, Changsun Wuji, Wei Zheng and other civil and military officials, all stopped him.

But then Yuchi Gong said with great interest, "His Highness the Crown Prince's bestowal of titles has truly broadened our horizons! If the Tang Dynasty ever has the strength to conquer overseas, I must go and see for myself!"

"Aren't you not good at swimming? Aren't you afraid of getting seasick on a boat?" Cheng Yaojin teased Yuchi Gong with a smile.

Yuchi Gong was in a good mood and didn't argue with him. Instead, he gave a well-known example.

"Unless those barbarians are as clever as Huang Gai, even 200,000 landlubbers can cross the river!"

"Hahaha!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Cheng Yaojin smiled, then turned to Li Chengqian and said with admiration, "We admire Your Highness's ambition, but we stopped you not to discuss the matter of enfeoffment. Rather, we want to learn more about the Ordnance Research Institute, the Remnant Soldiers Farm, and the Military Academy. Could Your Highness please give us a detailed explanation?"

“Yes, Your Highness, now that the reforms have been decided, we need to find a way to persuade those brats, otherwise they will definitely throw a tantrum!” Yuchi Gong said seriously, his smile fading.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian glanced at them, then at the others, and nodded, saying, "I understand everyone's thoughts."

"My idea is to establish a separate department within the Ministry of War for the Ordnance Research Institute, and then select some suitable craftsmen and military artisans to study ordnance design and manufacturing at the Academy of Sciences. Once they have completed their studies, they can return to the Ordnance Research Institute for in-depth research."

“But won’t this increase government spending? The purpose of our reforms is to reduce government spending,” Hou Junji couldn’t help but interject.

Li Chengqian frowned slightly, then said coldly, "The purpose of the reform is to make the army stronger and more efficient, not to save on military expenditures. If the Minister of War doesn't even understand this, then he should consult His Majesty."

"This, me"

Hou Junji was speechless and blushed.

The people around them looked at each other in silence.

But Li Chengqian said seriously, "Adding a department to the Ministry of War will indeed increase military expenditure, but the Ordnance Research Institute studies military equipment. If advanced military equipment can help the army win battles, I think it is worth spending more military expenditure."

“Indeed! I agree with Your Highness’s point of view. The primary objective of an army is to win; everything else is insignificant. Moreover, the gains from a great victory can completely offset the costs of military equipment research,” Li Jing echoed.

The other generals all nodded in agreement.

But then Qin Qiong interjected, "What about the farm for the remnants of the army? What are His Highness's plans for it?"

Li Chengqian thought for a moment and said, "I don't think calling it the Remnant Soldiers Farm is a good idea. It should be called the Veterans Administration Bureau."

"The main function of this department is to serve veterans. Whether they are disabled soldiers or retired soldiers, they can seek help from the Administration Bureau."

"As for the operation model of the Administration, my suggestion is to divide it into two sectors: one is land reclamation, and the other is animal husbandry."

"Land reclamation is relatively simple, as I'm sure you generals are all aware of. The main issue is animal husbandry. My suggestion is to establish livestock farms. For example, what our Great Tang Dynasty needs most right now is meat, so we could consider establishing pig farms! Because that's relatively easy!"

"what?"

Everyone was taken aback when they heard Li Chengqian suggest that veterans raise pigs.

"What kind of suggestion is this, Your Highness? How can you let them raise pigs?" Cheng Yaojin couldn't help but complain.

"Yes, Your Highness, they are warriors who have been on the battlefield. It's too shameful for them to raise pigs!" Chang He said, somewhat annoyed.

But Li Chengqian retorted very seriously, "Do you know the importance of meat? If a soldier does not get meat for a long time, his combat effectiveness will gradually decline. But if he gets meat regularly, he can carry out high-intensity training and improve his combat effectiveness!"

"The reason I cut those 270,000 soldiers is because, in my eyes, they were a group of soldiers who were chronically malnourished and simply could not fight for long periods of time!"

"But Your Highness, we can't eat pork either. It's too gamey, and the soldiers don't like it either," Cheng Yaojin said, still unable to understand.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian raised his hand to his forehead, shook his head, and sighed, "Indeed, prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain."

"What does Your Highness mean by that?" Wei Zheng's eyes lit up, and he immediately asked with a face full of curiosity.

They felt that this sentence was very meaningful, and that they might be able to use it to scold Li Er in the future.

But Li Chengqian explained helplessly, "What I mean is, don't have stereotypes, and don't make hasty judgments about things. Perhaps we can understand it more deeply before making a judgment."

"for example."

At this point, Li Chengqian looked up at Cheng Yaojin again and said, "General Cheng said that pork has a foul smell and is difficult to swallow. Then we need to think about why pork has a foul smell and whether there is a way to solve this problem, such as castration?"

"Castration?"

Suddenly, everyone felt a chill in their groin and looked at Li Chengqian with serious expressions.

"Does Your Highness mean that pigs stop being horny after being castrated?" Wei Zheng asked thoughtfully.

Li Chengqian smiled and nodded, saying, "Since we don't have that thing anymore, we can't be sexy even if we want to!"

"Uh,"

Wei Zheng's lips twitched, and he didn't know how to respond for a moment.

The others immediately realized what was happening and burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!"

After the laughter subsided, Li Chengqian glanced at the clouds outside the door and changed the subject, saying, "Having talked about the Veterans Affairs Bureau, let's talk about the idea of ​​the Military Academy."

"What I mean is that you generals must go to the military academy and give me a position. Even if you don't have to go every day, you must go once a month to give lectures to the students."

"Of course, I will not treat you unfairly. Depending on your official rank in the court, you will receive at least 100 strings of cash for each lecture. If you give a good lecture, you will receive an additional bonus of about 20 strings of cash!"

"What!?"

The generals were shocked when they heard this.

One hundred strings of cash for a single lecture? That's such a great deal!

I doubt that all the instructors at the Imperial Academy combined would earn such a high salary!
"Me! Me! Your Highness, I want to go give a lecture!"

Cheng Yaojin was a money-grubber, and upon hearing about the high lecture fee, he was the first to step forward and express his willingness to take up the post.

The other generals were also very interested.

But Li Chengqian's next words poured cold water on their enthusiasm.

But Li Chengqian smiled and said:
"I believe that the great goal has been set, and to achieve this goal, we must cultivate new types of military talent. First, I will divide our army into three types."

"First, the army. This includes what we commonly call infantry, cavalry, archers, charioteers, musketeers, artillery, etc. All those who fight on land are called the army."

"Second, the air force. This may be a bit abstract, but as you know, our Great Tang Dynasty now has hot air balloons that can carry people into the sky. You can imagine the scene of soldiers fighting on hot air balloons. And I call these soldiers who fight in the air the air force."

"Third, the navy. As the name suggests, it is the army that fights at sea. After all, we will be going on expeditions overseas in the future, and this army is definitely indispensable."

"So, based on these three types of armies, the content of your lectures will be roughly clear. You will teach tactical subjects, post-war command, troop deployment, logistics, joint operations, and defensive fortifications, respectively, focusing on these three types of armies."

"This"

Upon hearing this, the generals exchanged bewildered glances.

Cheng Yaojin, in particular, was dumbfounded when he heard these teaching materials.

Meanwhile, Yuchi Gong, standing to the side, nudged him with a mocking expression and said sarcastically, "How about it, it's not easy to earn His Highness the Crown Prince's money, is it?"

"Hmph!" Cheng Yaojin grunted, but did not retort.

At this moment, Li Chengqian made the final decision: "Alright, that's all I wanted to say. If you have any questions, you can come to the Crown Prince's residence to find me, or you can raise them at the next court meeting."

After saying this, Li Chengqian smiled and left the main hall.

After watching him leave, the ministers began to whisper among themselves and discuss the matter.

"His Royal Highness!"

As soon as Li Chengqian stepped out of the palace gate, Ma Zhou greeted him with a smile.

"Oh? Minister Ma, why haven't you gone back yet?"

When Li Chengqian saw Ma Zhou, he smiled and raised an eyebrow.

But then Ma Zhou said with a forced smile, "There's something I'd like to discuss with Your Highness."

"What's the matter?"

"Uh, this."

Seeing Ma Zhou looking around hesitantly, Li Chengqian knew that what he was thinking couldn't be said here, so he smiled knowingly and waved his hand, saying, "Take my carriage back!"

"Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Ma Zhou bowed respectfully.

Soon, the emperor and his minister boarded the carriage and rode away.

"Your Highness, there is something I don't understand. Why did you stand by and watch His Majesty reclaim the power to reform the army? This doesn't seem to fit our original plan!"

Ma Zhou glanced at Li Chengqian, who was sitting upright in the carriage, and couldn't help but speak first.

But Li Chengqian laughed and said, "Before I answer you, I want to ask you a question. Do you know what it means to be a skillful strategist who first makes himself invincible and then waits for the enemy to become vulnerable?"

(End of this chapter)