[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-great-tang-starting-off-by-vindicating-li-er":3,"chapter-great-tang-starting-off-by-vindicating-li-er-great-tang-starting-off-by-vindicating-li-er-chapter-42":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Great Tang: Starting Off by Vindicating Li Er",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2351173,4596,"Chapter 42: Precautions Taken, Large-Scale Demolition Commences","great-tang-starting-off-by-vindicating-li-er-chapter-42",42,"\u003Cp>Based on the current timeline, the envoys from various countries have all returned home by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the fact that Su Liang possesses hot air balloons must surely be known to all the neighboring countries. Since they are unwilling to surrender, they have undoubtedly made thorough preparations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sigh... the Buyeo people are as united as ever,\" Su Liang could not help but lament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goguryeo and Baekje were both empires established by the Buyeo people moving south. According to information Su Liang previously received from the secret police, both Goguryeo and Baekje are currently training soldiers in secret; not only that, they are also conscripting troops on a massive scale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at these actions, it is clear they intend to wage war against Silla.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this reason, Su Liang has no choice but to take precautions...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, the news of Su Liang executing the Wa envoy must be reaching Wa, and it is unclear what kind of reaction they will have. After all, the leader of the Japanese missions to Tang that Su Liang executed was Soga no Iruka, the only son of Soga no Emishi, a powerful minister who dominated the Wa court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In history, Soga no Iruka once held immense power, killing Prince Yamashiro no Oe, the son of Prince Shotoku, and nearly usurping the authority of Empress Kogyoku, endangering the prestige of the imperial family. In the end, he was killed in a coup d'état launched by his cousin, Soga no Ishikawa Maro, in alliance with other ministers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is no exaggeration to say that the power currently held by Soga no Iruka's father, Soga no Emishi, is far greater than that of Su Liang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current Soga clan is not only the premier noble family of Wa, but also imperial relatives; the two previous emperors of Wa, Emperor Yomei and Emperor Sushun, were both cousins of Soga no Emishi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, the current Empress Suiko is also a cousin of Soga no Emishi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Soga no Emishi truly wished to launch a coup, he could naturally drive his cousin from the throne with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is also what worries Su Liang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the original trajectory of history, Empress Suiko would pass away in about a year. Yet at this very moment, Su Liang has killed Soga no Emishi's only son; once Soga no Emishi learns of this, he will inevitably persuade his cousin to deal with the Great Tang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Tang would naturally not take a tiny country like Wa seriously. The fear is that the three countries of Wa, Goguryeo, and Baekje might unite—after all, everyone understands the principle that if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. If things were to truly develop that way, it would indeed be a troublesome matter for the Great Tang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sigh... perhaps the hot air balloon has already been developed by the surrounding small countries, one never knows.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Su Liang could not help but sigh; it seems he must make preparations early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Li Shimin noticed Su Liang's sigh and frowned as he asked, \"My good son-in-law, why do you sigh? Is there something troubling you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No... nothing, haha... Your Majesty is overthinking it. I was just feeling a little sentimental,\" Su Liang hurriedly denied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the short term, these small countries would never dare to wage war against the Great Tang; that would undoubtedly be seeking death. The fear is that these three countries will take Silla and then form a unified front, which would inevitably be a significant hidden danger for the Great Tang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for a threat, haha... it naturally cannot be considered one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Su Liang finished speaking, Li Shimin frowned slightly, not believing Su Liang's words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But thinking about it, he let it go; since Su Liang was unwilling to say more, Li Shimin found it difficult to force him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Shimin's suspicious gaze, Su Liang said calmly, \"Your Majesty, there is a severe water shortage in the north, and I was merely considering that matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of light immediately crossed Li Shimin's eyes, and he looked at Su Liang with anticipation, saying, \"Could it be that my good son-in-law has some better solution for the drought in the north?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This... this...\" Su Liang was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were to tell Li Shimin now that he planned to connect the Shandong Peninsula and the Liaodong Peninsula to reclaim land from the sea and create a lake, Li Shimin would surely be shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be like the \"Dishui Lake\" artificial lake in the Magic City; the location of Dishui Lake was originally the sea, and with the accumulation of time, combined with human construction, it eventually became a freshwater lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are many precedents in foreign countries in later generations, such as the Zuiderzee Works in the Netherlands. The Zuiderzee is located in the northwest of the Netherlands and, like the Bohai Sea, extends deep into the interior. From 1927 to 1932, the Dutch used land reclamation to create a sea dike 90 meters wide and 7 meters above sea level, subsequently draining the seawater while injecting river water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Decades later, the Zuiderzee completely turned into a freshwater lake and was renamed Lake IJssel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, the Yellow River, Hai River, and Liao River are constantly injecting freshwater into the Bohai Sea; one only needs to consider the issue of the Bohai Sea's water level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the water level of the Bohai Sea is higher than the outside seawater, there is naturally no need to drain the seawater from the Bohai; one only needs to pay attention to the height of the dikes along the Bohai coastline to prevent the backflow of seawater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once all the seawater in the Bohai has turned into freshwater, there will naturally be no need to worry about the problem of water backflow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Su Liang was pondering these things, Li Shimin's gaze remained fixed on him, waiting for what Su Liang would say next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling Li Shimin's burning gaze, Su Liang laid it all out: \"This can indeed be solved; not only can it solve the drought problem, but it can also solve the problem of water resource shortages in the north.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However what? My good son-in-law, speak freely,\" Li Shimin looked at Su Liang excitedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the others also cast their gazes toward Su Liang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Liang had no choice but to continue: \"However, that is a matter for several decades from now. By then, the north will no longer be tense over water resources, nor will there be any need to worry about droughts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Several decades... several decades...\" Li Shimin muttered to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After pondering for a moment, Li Shimin looked at Su Liang and said, \"My good son-in-law, speak freely. As long as it can benefit future generations, I will surely support it with all my might.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is possible, but this matter cannot be accomplished in the short term.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why can it not be accomplished?\" Li Shimin asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The method I mentioned is to connect the Shandong Peninsula and the Liaodong Peninsula. At this moment, the Liaodong Peninsula is still Goguryeo territory, so this matter cannot be done for now,\" Su Liang said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Su Liang finished speaking, everyone was shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Imperial Son-in-Law, that seawater cannot be used, and it is even less suitable for irrigation,\" Fang Xuanling, who had regained his composure, said immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha... Duke of Liang, you are unaware of this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For example, if you keep adding water to wine, as more and more water is added, is that wine still wine?\" Su Liang asked in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, everyone was speechless; after all, what Su Liang said made some sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Su Liang would not joke about such a matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My good son-in-law, the Shandong Peninsula and the Liaodong Peninsula are more than two hundred li apart. Although there are many islands between them, which reduces the distance for building a dam, it is still about one hundred and seventy or eighty li.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Furthermore, we do not know how deep the Bohai Sea is, nor do we know how many people would be needed to complete this,\" Li Shimin said in a deep voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The average depth of the Bohai Sea is six zhang.\" As soon as Li Shimin's words fell, Su Liang blurted it out. As for the deepest part of the Bohai Sea, Su Liang did not tell Li Shimin, though he assumed Li Shimin knew something of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why is Your Majesty not worried about the Goguryeo matter, but instead concerned about this?\" Hearing that Li Shimin did not ask about Goguryeo, Su Liang asked in turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha... my good son-in-law jokes. Yang Guang originally wanted to exhaust the foundations of the noble families, which is why Goguryeo escaped a disaster.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I were to lead the army in person, only one hundred thousand elite troops would be needed,\" Li Shimin said with a hearty laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said that Li Shimin was quite confident. Historically, Li Shimin did indeed use only one hundred thousand men to attack Goguryeo. In comparison, Yang Guang's three expeditions to Goguryeo not only used three million troops, but that did not even include the even larger number of laborers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this, one can see how much of the noble families' foundations Yang Guang had exhausted back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha... Your Majesty also jokes. Only ten thousand of the Divine Machine Battalion would be needed,\" Su Liang said with a faint smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sigh... my good son-in-law, that is where you are wrong!\" Li Shimin sighed and shook his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he spoke, Su Liang became interested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately asked, \"Oh? Why does Your Majesty say that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha... to attack Goguryeo, ten thousand of the Divine Machine Battalion is indeed enough, but the cattle, sheep, horses, gold, and silver treasures of Goguryeo still need people to transport them, right?\" Li Shimin laughed, looking like a cunning merchant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Liang was extremely depressed upon hearing this; this Li Shimin had tasted the sweetness of the Turks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To think he would actually come up with such an idea now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Liang was speechless for a moment, only to hear Li Shimin slowly say, \"The people of my Great Tang have indeed worked hard enough building roads; let the soldiers be responsible for transporting these spoils of war...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of this, Li Shimin seemed to suddenly remember something, and he looked at Su Liang with bright eyes, saying excitedly, \"My good son-in-law... my good son-in-law, the current Goguryeo has over three million people; why not let them help build the sea-enclosing dam?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Su Liang looked at Li Shimin with full approval and said, \"Your Majesty has a clever plan indeed. Such a massive project that benefits the country and the people has been solved by Your Majesty in just a few words.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hahaha...\" Li Shimin immediately burst into laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people in the Furong Garden also looked happy; ever since Su Liang appeared, many things had become much simpler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within a month, once the Divine Machine Battalion has fully mastered the use of mortars, they will surely be able to shock all the countries at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment later, this topic was also moved past by everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, they began to discuss the issue of the demolition of Changancheng...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My good son-in-law... do you have any better suggestions for building the new Changancheng?\" Li Shimin looked at Su Liang with anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This... this, I do indeed have some ideas.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Liang said calmly, \"I hadn't considered the issue of the people's water usage before, but now I have a relatively good method.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not only can it solve the problem of the people's daily water usage, but it can also solve the problem of the people's sanitation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Liang had indeed not considered many aspects clearly before; it was the same when he built Taoyuan County. He almost forgot that the demolition housing in Changancheng was different from the modern courtyard houses in Taoyuan County—those were small buildings five or six stories high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people's water usage and sanitation issues had not been considered thoroughly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, before this, Su Liang had already lived in the Great Tang for fifteen or sixteen years, and he had almost forgotten some things. It was only after Su Liang's grand wedding that the system rewarded him with an encyclopedia search engine, and Su Liang slowly became familiar with them again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha... my good son-in-law truly understands my thoughts; recently, I have been having a headache over these very things,\" Li Shimin laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wonder what method my good son-in-law has?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When building the multi-story small buildings, you can build the running water and restrooms together; not only that, you also need to reserve the wiring for electricity,\" Su Liang said unhurriedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he spoke, everyone was confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were already accustomed to the words Su Liang often used that they could not understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, Su Liang explained to everyone what running water, restrooms, and electrical wiring were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they heard about running water and restrooms, everyone clicked their tongues in wonder, but when they heard about electrical wires and electric lights, everyone was dumbfounded and stood there blankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After everyone regained their composure, Su Liang continued, \"I have said so much, and everyone surely does not believe me. In a few days, I will let everyone see what an electric light is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, Su Liang could take one out right now; he only needed to redeem it from the system. However, Su Liang did not want to attract so much attention; it is better to keep a low profile. After all, Su Liang still wanted to save up prestige points to redeem a small car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that there was less than half a year left until the roads were all built, wouldn't it be a pity not to go out for a drive then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After pondering for a moment, Su Liang looked at Li Shimin and continued, \"I will hand over the design drawings for the multi-story small buildings to Your Majesty in two days. Your Majesty can arrange for the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue to prepare the relevant work matters now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good, good, good... when I return to the palace, I will arrange it immediately. I await your design drawings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed slowly, and the demolition work in Changancheng was proceeding in an orderly manner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Su Liang did not expect was that after more than a month, the demolition population of Changancheng had been counted, and the number of households actually reached over one hundred thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shimin ordered all dilapidated places to be demolished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the road from Changan to Luoyang had been completely built, and Li Shimin also had the three hundred thousand laborers from Taoyuan County participate in the reconstruction of Changancheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After more than half a month...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people volunteered to participate in the construction of Changancheng, not for anything else; now that Emperor Li Shimin was building houses for them and improving their lives, they would naturally contribute their own efforts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All in all, the number of people currently building Changancheng was approaching one million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding this matter, Su Liang was not stingy at all, giving the people who volunteered to participate in the construction of Changancheng the same wages as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The time allotted for the construction of Changancheng remained half a year; one had to admit that there is strength in numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this period, the various officials in the imperial court were all astonished beyond measure...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This matter clearly had nothing to do with Su Liang, yet Su Liang had spent a full one hundred thousand jin of gold on it for nothing!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, thinking back to how the Taiyuan Wang clan had bid four million gold for the colored glaze a while ago, they felt relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Li Er was overjoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Liang’s actions not only helped him accelerate the construction of Changancheng, but during this time, Li Er also held multiple colored glaze auctions, and the gold and silver he harvested from the aristocratic families were so plentiful that his hands grew weary.\u003C\u002Fp>",2719,"2026-06-21T02:53:01.560Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","f1d8e5c4e2879e0a175a7e68d934af160d7c08c9200d7c50aaa5cdec45c25114","great-tang-starting-off-by-vindicating-li-er-chapter-43","great-tang-starting-off-by-vindicating-li-er-chapter-41",63,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fgreat-tang-starting-off-by-vindicating-li-er-cover.jpg"]