Chapter 970: Moderate Prosperity

Heart-wrenching!

Everyone's face turned ashen, and they looked at one another in dismay.

This Vice Minister Liu

truly is, truly is

What is the meaning of this passage?

He started with the way of a ruler and how to govern a country, then spoke of the current Longyan. Although the current Xie Tianyao is indeed not as dazzling as the Tang King of the past, still, as the saying goes, maintaining the realm is always the most difficult. Moreover, this Xie Tianyao received the Longyan Dynasty from the previous Longyan Emperor as a mess, on the verge of collapse and decrepit. That he could rack his brains and govern the Longyan Dynasty in a steady and orderly manner, without losing territory, without being oppressed by enemy states, and with the people living in peace and contentment, actually shows that Xie Tianyao's governing ability is already quite remarkable.

How to employ people, how to employ people without suspicion, and how to select talent!

How to reform?

How to adopt policies suggested by ministers? Is this not the breadth of mind, vision, and ability of an emperor?

Especially since the current Longyan is becoming increasingly powerful.

What is most important for an emperor?

:

Of course, it is employing people!

Under such circumstances, you still think about fighting back to Longyan every day? Why? Have you considered the people? Have you considered Longyan? Have you considered the common folk? Is war not a disaster for the living? Which war has not exhausted the strength of the entire nation? Since Longyan is already so prosperous, it shows that this branch of the Xie Clan is destined by heaven; why must you force it? Why, for the sake of selfish interests, place the people of the world in fire and water? Why disregard the ancestral temples and the state?

Finally.

This is the most heart-wrenching part.

Since Liu Zheng began governing Liangzhou, the Land Redistribution Decree, the Natural Inheritance Law, the Imperial Examination, the Public School, the Grand Canal, the Cabinet, the Parliament, and so on and so forth, Xie Tianyao has never truly obstructed them, and has even followed suit, promoting them throughout Longyan. Is this not the magnanimity a ruler should have?

With such an emperor, what more could you want?

With the current Longyan, what more could you want?

In such a country, how could there be righteousness?

If you, Xie Chengqian, truly have great ambitions, why not govern Nanyang first, then plot for the world?

Heart-wrenching!

Look at our Longyan, and then look at your Nanyang!

The Nanyang King has indeed achieved remarkable results in governing Nanyang, but you, Xie Chengqian, are currently governing an unrighteous country!

Why say it is an unrighteous country? Because ever since you came to Nanyang, you have only treated this place as a temporary residence! That is to say, you have never thought about governing this place well, but instead treated it as a place to obtain soldiers, provisions, and all resources! You have not treated this place as a real country to govern; you have never cared about the people of Nanyang, and have never thought about properly building up this treasure land!

Liubei only treated Bashu as a place to conscript soldiers and grain, and did not truly think about governing it. He only wanted to focus on the Northern Expedition, to fight back to Zhongyuan, yet he neglected the lives and happiness of the people of Bashu.

It is highly suspicious of draining the pond to catch the fish.

"Presumptuous!"

These words were incomparably heart-wrenching!

Especially on the scene, those local indigenous officials with dark skin were even more ashen-faced and extremely embarrassed.

Although the facts were not as exaggerated as Liu Zheng said—Xie Chengqian did make the necessary contributions to the unification and governance of Nanyang—what Vice Minister Liu said, that Xie Chengqian was truly single-mindedly focused on fighting back to Zhongyuan, was indeed true. That is to say, the current Xie Chengqian in Nanyang is just like Liubei was in Bashu back then. Can you say Liubei was a true emperor? No. Historians will only feel that he was the leader of a military group. Even until his death, he did not gain the recognition of the scholars and great Confucians of Bashu. The reason the Bashu literary giant Liu Ba refused to serve was precisely because of this.

Xie Chengqian, however, already waved his hand powerlessly.

This Vice Minister Liu

has such great eloquence!

"This, this, this, Vice Minister Liu, is spitting blood and slandering! Turning right into wrong!"

"Your Majesty"

A group of civil and military officials exploded again.

"Now, the Longyan Emperor is ailing, his time is near, monsters and demons are rampant in the country, and the people are in panic. I, Zheng, feel sorrow. Just as Longyan faces a millennial opportunity with all industries waiting to be revived, powerful forces in Europe are rising, eyeing Longyan like tigers, and the Wa wolves have not abandoned their treacherous hearts. This is a once-in-a-century opportunity for Longyan, and a once-in-a-millennium encounter for the world. I, Zheng, have no intention of coveting the supreme imperial power. I sincerely hope for Longyan to have a wise ruler and loyal ministers, for the treacherous and evil to be dismissed, for rituals to be cultivated and music to be promoted, for weapons to be laid down, for the vassals to submit, for the Four Barbarians to be pacified, for the seasons to be harmonious and the years to be bountiful, and for every family to be provided for. This is the image of great peace. With troops able to fight in distant borders and the people not forced to scatter, though it may not be the ultimate truth, it can be called a state of moderate prosperity!"

"The Wa wolf army is pointing their swords at Korea. The land of the Li Dynasty is like lips and teeth; if one falls, the other is in danger. This is the internal and external trouble of our Longyan!"

"Now, I, Zheng, boldly borrow troops from the Nanyang King to march north and conquer the various lands of the Wa nation, to manifest the magnanimity of the Nanyang King, to expand the national fortune of the Nanyang Xie Clan, to jointly repel the Wa pirates, to divide their land, and to jointly govern Asia!"

He felt that every one of his words was deeply and viciously carving into his own heart!

"Continue."

Gu Long paused for a moment.

The voices at the scene had already vanished again.

Yes.

No one was cursing anymore, and no one dared to say anything else.

"Liu Zheng of Liangzhou, respectfully submitted."

Finished.

The entire letter was finally read through.

This Vice Minister Liu also offered a very tempting condition.

To divide the Wa nation!

Shock!

Borrowing troops!

He came to borrow troops!

However

Of course, limited by the geographical location and natural resources of the Wa nation, people are actually not particularly keen on the land of the Wa nation. But for so many years, it is not that if you are not keen, others will not be keen on you. Why has the Nanyang Xie Clan always been fighting the Wa nation? Isn't it because they were bullied by this Wa nation before? Nanyang's resources are very abundant, and the Wa nation came to rob them every day. Thus, this national hatred and family feud were born.

Annihilate the Wa nation

But even so, Nanyang would not dare to say they could destroy the Wa nation; they are just a bunch of cockroaches that cannot be killed.

Everyone could not help but gasp.

Good heavens.

This Vice Minister Liu, he looks quiet and unassuming, yet his ambition is actually this great! Since ancient times, this Wa nation has always existed; although the place is not large, the people here are born fierce.

Silence.

Still silence.

Liu Zheng wants to reconcile with Xie Chengqian and then plot for the entirety of Asia together; he wants Xie Chengqian's troops to stop dwelling on Longyan and instead look at other places.

However.

Vice Minister Liu dares to say it.

Furthermore, Xie Chengqian believes that he would also do exactly that.

Open up the perspective.

Open up the perspective.

Xie Chengqian, at this moment, also has his mouth twitching, not knowing what to say.

This world is very, very large: Europe, Africa, Oceania, America.

For one who achieves peerless merit, why be confined to a single Longyan?

In short, it is one sentence.

What exactly was the point of his own military buildup over all these years? To fight back into Longyan? To launch a Northern Expedition into Zhongyuan? Not to mention whether his own strength is sufficient, even if he fought his way back, what would be the meaning of it? He knows deep down that he is not as unbearable as Vice Minister Liu described; he is an emperor who loves his people like his own children, handles government affairs personally, and has a good reputation. Then, the problem arises: even if he fought back into Longyan, what would happen to the people of Longyan? As long as there is war, there will be deaths; soldiers will die, and commoners will die. The people of Longyan will die, and the people of Nanyang will die. As long as there is war, there is no way not to consume financial resources, and it is even possible that it would take the strength of the entire nation.

Those provisions and those financial resources, wouldn't it be better to use them to develop the territory?

A moderately prosperous life.

"A moderately prosperous life, a moderately prosperous life."

He suddenly let out a bitter laugh.

That's right.

He is no longer young; he is already over forty this year, which, among emperors, can be considered young and promising. But his own sons are already becoming outstanding one by one.

His greatest dream in this life is to fight back into Longyan and pursue legitimacy.

He feels that only then would it be his mission and only then could he realize his life's value.

A moderately prosperous life.

Xie Chengqian is suddenly somewhat lost.

His spirit is somewhat dazed.

If this letter had appeared before the Great War of Liaodong, he would definitely have sneered at it. Because he has always felt that he is the one destined by heaven. But it won't work now. He cannot fight anymore, and he cannot win. His own great army cannot even defeat Liu Zheng's Liangzhou Army, let alone one as large as Longyan?

What should he do?

What ought he to do?

But what about that?

Now, this Persuading the Nanyang King has left him completely bewildered.

Of course.

"Your Majesty, absolutely not!"

"Your Majesty, this Vice Minister Liu has a sinister heart."

"Your Majesty."

How ought he to choose his path forward?

How to prove one's own value?

How to manifest the national destiny and legitimacy of their Nanyang Xie Clan?

You have some nerve! You are the one who just wiped out our three hundred thousand troops! This hatred is immense.

Now, you are being played in circles by the Scholar-official in your own country.

You are borrowing troops from us?

A group of people finally realized this.

With both praise and criticism, this Vice Minister Liu is too good at playing games! But this set of tricks, among them officials, who doesn't know it?

Borrowing troops from Nanyang!

"Your Majesty."

Watching Xie Chengqian fall into deep thought without speaking, these people became even more anxious.

"Everyone, withdraw for now; let me rest for a while."

You've taken all the good things for yourself!

"Your Majesty, our Nanyang sons will definitely fight back into Longyan!"

"Now that Longyan is bound to fall into chaos, it is the best time for our Northern Expedition, Your Majesty!"

Along with the Persuading the Nanyang King were some conditions proposed by Liu Zheng.

Borrowing three hundred thousand troops certainly cannot be done for free; the Liangzhou side would provide Nanyang with great compensation. In terms of funds, provisions, and even Weaponry and Equipment, Liu Zheng even promised Xie Chengqian the return of five Yinzhou warships.

Not only that.

Xie Chengqian gave a self-deprecating smile, waved his hand, and slowly stood up.

Changsun Qingrong at his side hurriedly supported him.

In the entire Great Hall, only this group of civil and military officials remained, looking at each other in dismay.

Xie Chengqian remained silent.

Yes.

The temptation is very strong.

If both sides reach cooperation and consensus, the Liangzhou side will also launch deep commercial and industrial cooperation with Nanyang. Liu Zheng is willing to provide Nanyang with gratuitous economic aid and construction aid.

There is a lot of content.

Vice Minister Liu, this time, he wants to gift him a peaceful and prosperous age.

He wants to gift him a moderately prosperous society directly.