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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 252: Great Victory
In the Council Hall, the Courtiers were still in consultation regarding the handling of Goguryeo, with many suggesting support for a new king of Goguryeo and recommending several candidates.
With the Goguryeo royal family nearly extinct, numerous noble families dispatched envoys to Chang'an. Their purpose was twofold: first, to submit to the emperor and avoid being slaughtered by the army; second, to vie for the position of ruler of Goryeo. It was clear that only with Tang's recognition could one hold dominion over the land; otherwise, reclaiming Pyongyang would be nearly impossible without the Tang army's voluntary withdrawal.
However, there were also officials who believed that Goguryeo should be annexed and governed through prefectures. Yet, those who thought this way were relatively few, as Tang had only occupied cities from Liaodong City to Pyongyang, while the rest continued to resist fiercely.
The Deputy Minister of War said, "Your Majesty, Liaodong is indeed a harsh land. To the north are the Khitan and Xianbei, and to the south are Silla and Baekje. Moreover, the people within harbor deep resentment towards our Central Plains; it will be difficult to maintain control!"
Wang Gui countered, "Xue Shilang, while it may be difficult, allowing Goguryeo to remain will inevitably become a significant threat to our Tang in the future. Should we then have to wage war again?"
The Imperial Architect, Grand Supervisor Sun Chang, remarked, "Your Majesty, I believe that ultimately it is a land suitable for kingdom establishment. How can we abandon it due to difficulties? We should establish a Protectorate in Liaodong."
"Changsun Shaojian makes it sound easy, but how many troops should be stationed there? How will supplies be transported? We cannot rely solely on military suppression; how can we win over those remaining subjects?"
Li Jian Cheng, as an emperor, naturally harbored strong ambitions and greed for territory. Although he recognized the real difficulties in swallowing Goguryeo, he was determined to give it a try.
The first step would be to bind the interests of Liaodong with those of the court and its main officials. The current lack of interest among court officials in Liaodong stemmed from the fact that there were no longer any benefits for them there; after all, the credit for destroying the nation had already been claimed by Zhang Hutan and Luo Yi.
Li Jian Cheng relaxed in his dragon throne, his hands resting naturally at his sides. "I will dispatch Naval Forces to command Silla and Baekje to submit. I intend to establish an Andong Protectorate in Pyongyang and grant lands and titles in Liaodong to those who have contributed to our nation's success."
The courtiers were startled at the beginning, as the conflicts with Goguryeo and the Turkic tribes had not yet concluded, and now there was talk of war with Silla and Baekje.
There was no surprise among the courtiers regarding the emperor's intention to establish a Protectorate; every emperor throughout history has sought to expand their territory during their reign.
However, the emperor's plan to grant land in Liaodong and bestow population rewards caught the courtiers off guard. It was well known that Liaodong was vast; after relocating 120,000 households from Goguryeo, there should still be around 300,000 to 400,000 households remaining, and Silla and Baekje also had a significant population.
The ambitions of the aristocracy regarding land have always been considerable, especially since the Wei-Jin period when it was their dream. At that time, a great family could summon tens of thousands of young men from their own lands for self-defense or to achieve great deeds.
However, Liaodong was still quite far away, and those barbarian peoples might not be easily controlled.
Moreover, what if the emperor changed his mind in the future and reclaimed the land? Wouldn't that render all efforts in vain?
Although the court officials remained anxious and doubtful, aside from those firmly opposed to war with Silla and Baekje, the rest shifted to support.
At this moment, news of the Duke of Wei's assassination attempt suddenly arrived. Fortunately, the Duke of Wei was not seriously harmed. After hearing this, the emperor slowly straightened his posture and said, "Wu Xinghou."
Shen Guang stepped forward and replied, "I am here."
"Conduct a thorough investigation!"
"Yes!"
The Deputy Minister of Justice stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I believe this matter should be entrusted to the Ministry of Justice for a thorough investigation."
"This is an imperial case; it should be handled by Jinyiwei. You need not say more."
Jinyiwei primarily consisted of the emperor's bodyguards from the Imperial Guards and the Thousand Cattle Guard. Their numbers were still relatively small, just over a thousand people, but it was sufficient for handling imperial cases.
Shen Guang led his men out of the city, accompanied by two imperial physicians. After meeting with the Duke of Wei, he apprehended the entire group and began interrogations. As for the assassins, he resorted to torture to uncover any behind-the-scenes masterminds.
Of course, whether such a mastermind truly existed depended entirely on the emperor's will; it could be fabricated if necessary.
Involving an assassination attempt on the current Grand General, even a complete family execution would be considered lenient.
At this moment, news of Qin Wang capturing Xieli Khan and Tongye Hugu Khan also reached back. Officials had anticipated this, but the common people were almost incredulous, soon descending into a frenzy of celebration.
Especially for those who had been forced into Chang'an due to the court's scorched earth policy, not only could they return home to farm now, but they also felt relieved that they wouldn't have to worry about the Turkic invasions for many years to come.
The first to receive the news, the people of Longyou and Guanzhong were overjoyed. Their confidence in peace across the realm and their respect for the emperor soared immensely.
There was no conflict that a glorious victory couldn't suppress, especially with Xu Shijie, Li Shimin, and Li Xiaogong leading three armies totaling five hundred thousand troops gathered in the north.
Who would still dare to speak against the emperor?
The emperor issued an edict to Qin Wang, dispatching troops to escort Xieli and Tongye Hu back to the capital. The Bingzhou troops returned to their territories for defense while Qin Wang took advantage of the momentum to advance westward, intimidating the Western Turkic tribes.
The newly appointed Turkic Khagan Tuli had already sent a tribute expressing fealty, referring to himself as a nephew of Tuli and humbly inquiring about the Sage Emperor. He also presented a thousand fine horses and three thousand slaves as gifts for his audience.
Among those three thousand slaves were Xieli's subordinate subjects.
Princess Yicheng sent envoys to request a Tang princess for her son Tuli Khan's marriage.
The Western Turkic tribes had also received word of their Khan's capture; however, there was no immediate response from them.
The emperor showed no intention of granting favors to Xieli or Tongye Hu. Thus, Changsun Wuji ordered these two Khans off their prison cart at the city gate, shackled them with chains and cuffs, and commanded a valiant young general to ride ahead, leading them forward.
Xieli and Tongye Hu were filled with shame and anger, but their bruised bodies indicated that they had already tried to maintain their dignity along the way. Unfortunately, what they received was not respect, but only fists and kicks.
The people of Chang'an were excitedly crowding along the roadside, leaving only a width sufficient for three horses to pass in the middle of the street, which was wide enough to accommodate hundreds of steps.
The citizens at the front could spit on the face of the Turkic Khagan. At first, no one dared to do so, but soon someone fearless attempted it, and excitement proved to be contagious.
White, yellow, blue...
"Ahhh! I will kill you all! My army will slaughter the entire city!"
The people could not understand the Turkic language, but they could sense their anger. Thus, a wandering rogue quietly began searching for large stones on the ground.
Whether the court would grant them amnesty was uncertain; it was more reliable to take matters into their own hands.
Fortunately, Changsun Wuji noticed the signs in time and intervened. His Majesty's spoils were almost lost halfway.
………………
(End of Chapter)
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