In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

The young Li Zhi, whose political career was still in its early stages, gained courage from the ministers, his face flushed, and he adopted the demeanor of an emperor.

boom!

He slammed his fist on the dragon throne: "Fine, since all of you ministers find this unacceptable, then let's fight!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"However, Your Majesty, if we are to fight, we must do so quickly. With natural disasters constantly occurring in the country, a protracted war is not the best strategy!" Li Ji, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, hurriedly stepped forward to set the tone, fearing that Li Zhi might lose his temper and become irrational.

"That's right, I also believe that we should fight a quick battle to recover Tuyuhun and drive the Tibetans back to the plateau," said the famous general Li Jinxing.

Li Zhi nodded: "Your two ministers are right. We should fight quickly and decisively so as not to affect the domestic situation."

"So, who do you think is suitable to reclaim Tuyuhun?"

"Your Majesty, I am willing to go!" Li Ji said without hesitation.

"Your Majesty, your subjects are also willing to go!" Li Jinxing, Ashina Daozhen, Guo Daifeng, Qibiheli and other famous figures and the younger generation of the court spoke up one after another.

This is Li Zhi's current team. Li Shimin's team was mostly old, dead, and the vast majority were no longer able to go to the battlefield.

The regent in charge of military affairs was Li Ji; Li Yuanchang was an exception and not included in this category.

"Wait a minute!"

Changsun Wuji stepped forward: "The Duke of Yingguo cannot go!"

"The Duke of Yingguo is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and must be stationed in Chang'an."

His opposition was not without reason. Generally speaking, someone of Li Ji's rank, who was also a regent, could not leave the capital at will and needed to stay in the central government.

"I'll go!"

"The Tibetans are gaining momentum; we can use their arrogance to defeat their vanguard!" said Qi Biheli.

He is also a veteran general, and if Li Ji is unable to take command, his seniority is the most secure.

"It's still not advisable, General Qibi Heli. Your abilities are beyond doubt, but you are already old, and long-distance travel is not suitable for you. In addition, this time we need to win a quick battle, so it may not be appropriate," Changsun Wuji objected again.

His objection carried considerable weight, and even Qi Biheli, who wanted to, could not easily refute it.

Li Zhi looked at the remaining young generation. Although there were many talented people and no shortage of capable individuals, he was not at ease letting some young people take the lead.

Changsun Wuji seemed to sense Li Zhi's predicament and continued, "Your Majesty, esteemed ministers, this old minister has an excellent candidate!"

Upon hearing this, three words immediately popped into everyone's mind: Far East King, Li Yuanchang!

But everyone's expressions and eyes simultaneously turned strange. Would the King of the Far East really be willing to go?

Although the two sides made peace, Li Yuanchang's status as the uncrowned king of Liaodong was almost certain. He was meant to hold the northeast for the Tang Dynasty, and now he was going to fight in the west. Would he agree to that?

This stretches across the entire Tang Dynasty, far beyond Li Yuanchang's own sphere of influence.

Li Zhi frowned slightly. This was not the first time it had been mentioned, but this time it was brought up publicly because of the occupation of Tuyuhun.

"The Far East King is stationed in the Northeast. Calling him out to attack Tibet and reinforce Tuyuhun at this moment is like robbing Peter to pay Paul."

"Your Majesty, you are mistaken."

"The situation in the Far East has been stabilized. Not to mention rebellions and pirates, he has even pacified and united Japan, Baekje, and Silla."

These words caused an uproar in the imperial court.

Silla has also been allied with?

Another person stepped forward: "That's right. The current King of the Far East has ample supplies and a strong army. He petitioned the court claiming to be guarding the Far East for His Majesty and expanding the territory of the Tang Dynasty. Now, it's time to see if he truly deserves the title of King of the Far East!"

"Now that the Tibetans are invading, the Tang Dynasty is in imminent danger. If the King of the Far East turns a blind eye at this moment, then he is a hypocrite, ostensibly loyal but actually seeking self-governance!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi frowned, his expression complex, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

"Your Majesty, we cannot hesitate any longer!"

"If we hesitate any longer, Hexi will be lost."

"The King of the Far East once fought in Tuyuhun and knows the area intimately. Moreover, his army possesses the Han thunderbolts, which are extremely powerful. He himself is the most capable king in the entire Tang Dynasty!"

"Sending the Prince of the Far East to lead his troops to fight the Tibetan barbarians should be a piece of cake, and it would be most beneficial to the entire Tang Empire!" Changsun Wuji said in a deep voice, his face stern, for the sake of the country.

But at the end, he deliberately emphasized the phrase "which is most beneficial to the entire Tang Empire," which was a double entendre.

Li Zhi was pointed at.

Perhaps some also considered the threats and hidden dangers in the Far East, and their hesitant gazes disappeared.

"Very well, then let's do as Lord Changsun says, and send the Prince of the Far East on a western expedition to defend against the Tibetan invasion!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The assembled officials bowed, and not one of them objected.

However, despite the consensus, the considerations are completely different.

For some people, letting Li Yuanchang tackle this tough nut, letting them wear each other down, and watching the two fight from the sidelines means they have a way out regardless of who wins or loses.

As for Li Ji and others, although they had no enmity with Li Yuanchang, from a strategic point of view, it was indeed most appropriate to let Li Yuanchang go.

Of course, for Li Zhi, it was also a matter of comprehensive consideration.

That's what makes politics so complex and interesting.

……

April 19, Far East.

Following Li Yuanchang's massive mobilization and comprehensive reforms, this place is undergoing tremendous changes every day.

The most noticeable development in a short period of time was the increasing amount of farmland being reclaimed outside the city, with large numbers of people from various ethnic groups venturing deep into the mountains every day under the guidance of learned individuals from the two highest institutions of learning.

They built bridges over rivers, ventured into deep mountains, drove away wild beasts, and carved out one suitable farming area after another.

This was unthinkable in the Far East in the past, but now that Li Yuanchang has directly sent troops to intervene, all the inherent problems of agriculture have been solved relatively quickly.

In addition to the expansion of arable land, there is an even more significant trend: the population of the Far East is steadily increasing.

One of the main reasons for this was the establishment of the prefecture-county system, which brought together the scattered population, transforming them from villages into towns, allowing them to pool their resources.

Another reason was that the Far East Prince's Palace encouraged childbirth, rewarding each child with a cartload of rice and an acre of land, regardless of gender.

This has led to a significant surge in pregnant women in Chubu Prefecture.

From a bird's-eye view, commerce, agriculture, transportation, and people's livelihoods are all thriving. Although it is still far behind Chang'an and Luoyang, catching up is only a matter of time.

"Report!!"

The Far East Royal Palace, which had been quiet for months, was awakened by the rapid sound of armored vehicles.

"Your Highness, an urgent imperial edict has arrived at the city gate. The messenger is Second Master Cheng!"

The Second Master Cheng refers to Cheng Chuliang. The four of them are almost all second sons. Because they are sworn brothers with Li Yuanchang, the Far East Prince's Mansion usually calls him Second Master in private as a sign of respect.

Urgent dispatch from a thousand miles away?

Li Yuanchang raised an eyebrow and exchanged glances with Su Gui, Wang Hongzhi, and Song Yu, who were in the middle of a discussion.