Chapter 702 Global Unification

Since ancient times, the descendants of Yan and Huang have emphasized:

"When Chinese people enter the barbarians, they become barbarians. When barbarians enter Chinese people, they become Chinese people."

The "入" here means to integrate.

Li Ke knew that Fang Xuanling was in charge of the work of education and naturalization for the sake of his future generations, so at Su Mingzhe's request, he tried his best to learn from him, always referring to himself as his teacher and always abiding by the principles of morality.

Seeing Li Ke's sincere attitude, Fang Xuanling also put a lot of thought into the naturalization education of Goryeo.

Fang Xuanling not only traced the origins of Goryeo ancestors and found evidence in bloodline, but also in legal tradition.

After finding evidence of bloodline and legal system, Fang Xuanling asked Li Ke to actively integrate with the local nobles and took in dozens of their ladies as concubines.

Under this conciliatory policy, Goryeo soon became the Kingdom of Wu.

Late July.

The State of Wu recruited 100,000 soldiers to follow the Tang army in attacking Baekje and Silla.

September.

Baekje and Silla surrendered one after another.

Su Mingzhe changed the two countries into the State of Wei and asked King Li Tai of Wei to come and be a vassal.

After Li Tai arrived in Wei, he took the same steps as Wu, beginning with standardizing the writing system, the wheel gauge, the weights and measures, and governing the people in a gentle manner.

During this year, the news that Wu Wang Li Ke and Wei Wang Li Tai were enfeoffed in foreign lands also spread throughout the Tang Dynasty.

Many princes and dukes in the country submitted petitions expressing their willingness to go to foreign lands to establish fiefdoms.

When Li Chengqian saw these memorials, he felt excited but also very depressed.

In his opinion, Wu and Wei could be divided into ten or twenty vassal states. In this way, the number of princes in the country could be reduced by half.

In this way, if we fight two or three more battles, there will be no princes or dukes left in the country.

Now, such a large piece of land is divided into only two vassal states.

In Li Chengqian's opinion, this was a huge waste.

"My father is too partial. He actually gave such a large fief to the third and fourth sons!"

In Li Chengqian's eyes, how much land could there be in the foreign lands? It was enough for the princes and vassal kings in the country to divide it up.

However, the princes and dukes of the Tang Dynasty will appear in an endless stream and in countless numbers.

Therefore, it is indeed a good idea to let princes and dukes go to foreign lands to be established as fiefs, but the benefits cannot be too generous.

It would be best if each vassal king had only seven or eight cities, which is equivalent to a prefecture in the Tang Dynasty.

Well, this is what Li Chengqian thinks is the most ideal state.

October.

Before winter came in Chang'an, Su Mingzhe returned to Huaqing Palace in Mount Li with more than 30 noble ladies from Goryeo, Silla and Baekje.

When Li Chengqian heard the news, he ignored the complaints in his heart and brought Crown Prince Li Jue to pay his respects.

The scene of three generations of grandparents and grandchildren meeting each other was quite warm.

Su Mingzhe held his grandson Li Jue in his arms and teased him for a while before saying:

"Qian'er, send someone to bring the prepared herbs. I will refine the pills here. I will try to refine more furnaces. You can also learn by yourself. Remember, you have to do the refining of Peiyuan Pills yourself in the future. You can't let others do it for you."

"Father, I understand."

Although Li Chengqian tried hard to lower his posture, after being the emperor for a year, his majesty grew day by day and he could no longer lower himself.

Fortunately, Su Mingzhe also understood Li Chengqian's situation.

After all, the 'Emperor' is a very terrifying creature.

It is rare for an emperor to remain calm.

As for keeping a low profile, that is not what an emperor should do at all.

On the second day.

Li Chengqian's confidants Du He and Zhao Jie brought the medicinal materials for refining Peiyuan Dan.

Du He is Su Mingzhe's son-in-law, and Zhao Jie is Su Mingzhe's nephew, neither of them is an outsider.

However, Li Chengqian asked the two men to put down the herbs and let them leave.

For Li Chengqian, Peiyuan Dan is a panacea to control the powerful and wealthy families.

Just like Su Mingzhe said, the process of refining Peiyuan Dan must be kept secret.

It would be best if only you and your father knew about it.

Su Mingzhe paid no attention to Li Chengqian's little thoughts. After checking the medicinal materials, he began to teach Li Chengqian how to distinguish the medicinal materials, how to select the medicinal materials, how to wash, soak, and finally refine them, etc.

In one day, Su Mingzhe refined five furnaces and produced ten pills in each furnace.

For the last batch of medicinal materials, Su Mingzhe asked Li Chengqian to prepare them himself.

After Li Chengqian refined it, Su Mingzhe took it out, examined it, and gave the evaluation of "too hot-tempered".

"Qian'er, the first time is new, the second time is familiar. Now that you know the steps, you can try to refine some ordinary pills first."

Su Mingzhe said, and took out a book he compiled called "Alchemy Notes":
"There are several common elixirs here, and the materials used are also common. There is no need to worry about waste or failure."

"Thank you, Father."

Li Chengqian took the "secret book", and the resentment that had been weighing on his mind for some time disappeared in an instant.

It’s great to have a child who is loved by his father.

After teaching alchemy, Su Mingzhe and Li Chengqian left the alchemy room and walked towards the main hall. As they walked, they were also taught the way of the emperor:
"Qian'er, remember, training a minister is like training a hawk or dog. You can't feed them all at once. A full hawk or dog will only find a warm place to rest and will not help the master hunt."

Su Mingzhe said this to instruct Li Chengqian on how to distribute these Peiyuan Pills.

"Don't worry, Father. I understand."

Li Chengqian was taught by a famous teacher since he was young and had his own views on the way of the emperor.

Li Chengqian and Li Jue stayed in Huaqing Palace for another night, and left together the next day. After they left, Su Mingzhe sent people to seal the roads leading up and down the mountain from Huaqing Palace.

Without the interference of outsiders, Su Mingzhe could be an unscrupulous and incompetent monarch in Huaqing Palace.

A winter passed.

No beauty in the palace who was slightly pretty could escape Su Mingzhe's harm.

Of course, when Su Mingzhe harmed these beauties, most of them were willing to be harmed.

Only a few women were reluctant, such as Dae-ji, Jeong Gwan-eum, Yeon Gaesojeong, and Yeon Shui-jeong.

But the life and death of their fathers and families are still controlled by men.

So, when Su Mingzhe came to their door, they all chose to lie down and let the man do what he wanted.

In the blink of an eye, it was February at the beginning of spring, and the army for the Western Expedition began to gather again.

Although Su Mingzhe still went along on the expedition this time, the two armies of the imperial court were led by Li Jing and Hou Junji respectively. He himself, with the beauties from Huaqing Palace, followed slowly behind, just as if he was sightseeing.

The number of troops going on this expedition is the same as last year, which is 30,000.

The difference is that this time the army was composed entirely of cavalry, and the number of civilian laborers responsible for transporting food and fodder was only more than 50,000.

Before leaving, Li Chengqian was both excited and worried.
"Father, there are over a hundred vassal states in the Western Regions. Isn't 30,000 troops a little too few?"

"It's quite a lot. The main force is not the Tang army. The Turks, Huihe and Khitans are leading the way. The Tang army is only responsible for picking up the tough ones."

Su Mingzhe had already made plans.

The population of the Tang Dynasty is only 10 or 20 million, so we have to be frugal.

If the nomadic peoples of the grassland could take the lead, the Tang army would not have to charge into battle.

After hearing his father's plan, Li Chengqian stopped talking and just bowed, asking his father to take care of his health and not to work too hard.

After being emperor for more than a year, Li Chengqian was full of ambition and thought about what he could do to become an emperor of all ages.

But when he really became emperor, he found that there were too many disobedient ministers in the court.

He killed a disobedient minister, thinking that by killing the chicken to scare the monkeys, other ministers would be afraid, intimidated by his authority, and allow him to realize his ambitions.

Who would have thought that as soon as Li Chengqian beat a minister to death with a stick, all the civil and military officials in the court jumped out at the same time.

Li Chengqian was so angry that he prepared to kill ten or a hundred more ministers to see if the remaining ministers were prepared to continue to oppose him.

At this moment, it was Queen Su Tan'er who took out the imperial edict left by Su Mingzhe, which stopped Li Chengqian's atrocities.

Su Mingzhe knew about all these things. Fortunately, nothing serious happened, so he just pretended that nothing happened.

At this moment, Li Chengqian came to see him off, and Su Mingzhe casually mentioned:
"Qian'er, the number of cities we will capture during this Western Expedition is probably no less than a thousand. The court must prepare at least several thousand reserve officials. If there are ministers in the court that you don't like, just throw them over here..."

"Don't worry, father. I am awake."

Li Chengqian was not a fool. When he heard Su Mingzhe say this, he knew that Su Mingzhe knew about his plan to beat dozens or hundreds of officials to death last year.

"If you really understand, then I will naturally feel relieved."

Su Mingzhe is now a little disappointed with Li Chengqian.

He has little ability and a small mind.

He always wants to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, and he doesn't understand at all the importance of population to the Tang Dynasty.

Forget it, I'll just help him one last time.

After all, he is his biological son, so Su Mingzhe has spared no effort to help Li Chengqian.

Before leaving the Tang Dynasty, he recruited more than 30 princes and dukes to join the army.

The population of India was not much different from that of the Tang Dynasty, with over a million households. If one ruler was enfeoffed for every 10,000 households, this place would be enough to enfeoff more than a hundred princes and dukes.

Li You, Prince of Qi; Li Yin, Prince of Shu; Li Hui, Prince of Jiang; Li Zhen, Prince of Yue; Li Zhi, Prince of Jin; Li Shen, Prince of Ji

, and they all went to the expedition with the army.

Su Mingzhe's sons, apart from the new emperor Li Chengqian, were only Prince of Zhao Li Fu and Prince of Cao Li Ming.

One of these two little guys is only four years old, and the other is just over half a year old, so it is naturally inconvenient for them to go on the expedition with the army.

In addition, there are more than a dozen princes and dukes within the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

These people were self-aware good-for-nothings who were only waiting to die. After submitting a petition to the emperor and asking for permission to wait for a few years before going out to fight, they simply chose to lie down.

As for whether the descendants will be downgraded and inherit the title, it’s none of their business.

It's enough for them to enjoy themselves.

If your children don't want to be demoted and inherit the title, then let them fight for it on their own.

It has to be said that the children of these princes and dukes will suffer a lot if they have such a father.

In the blink of an eye.

Ten years have passed.

Su Mingzhe led the Tang army to sweep across India, Persia, Europe and other places from the Western Regions, and captured countless cities.

The number of princes and dukes of the Tang Dynasty who were enfeoffed in foreign lands also increased from the initial Wu and Wei countries to as many as 135.

In addition to the princes and dukes who were enfeoffed, the dukes and dukes of the Tang Dynasty also began to request to be enfeoffed in other places.

Su Mingzhe didn't want to agree at first, but the fertility of the Tang royal family was not strong. After more than 30 years since the founding of the country, there were only more than 400 royal family members, and nearly 100 of them were Su Mingzhe's sons.

In order to appease these important officials of the Tang Dynasty, Su Mingzhe dispersed them across the European continent.

Another thirty years passed.

The grandsons of Wu Meiniang and Xu Hui began to prepare to become fiefdoms.

Su Mingzhe looked at the Antarctic covered with ice and snow, and couldn't help but sigh:

"It's only been forty years, and I have unified the world. How am I going to live the rest of my life?"

(End of this chapter)