"What about next year? I heard that Narshiye and Belus, who are recovering in Chang'an, especially Belus, are about to level the threshold of your Eastern Palace. I hope you will continue to send troops next year. Why don't you agree?" Li Zhi put down Li Ye and watched the two little guys laughing and playing.
"The surrounding situation has changed too much. The princess of Dashi Kingdom suddenly returned to Chang'an. There are differences within Dashi. If we push too hard now, I'm afraid it will be counterproductive." Li Hong rubbed his sore waist and said, He glanced at Pei Wanying next to him.
"Counterproductive? Are you saying that there is really a vaster land to the west of the Great Food Country, no less vast than the Tang Dynasty?" Li Zhi asked with some disbelief.
In their inherent concept, the end of this world, or the territory of this world, should be almost completely occupied by the Tang Dynasty.
In the past two years, after coming into contact with the map made by Li Hong in the Imperial Study Room, I realized that the Tang Dynasty only existed in a corner of the world, and that there were many larger and more vast lands in the world.
But in terms of concept, it is still difficult to accept it all at once. After all, the concept of a round sky and a square earth has existed for many years, and it is still difficult to change it all at once.
Li Hong nodded silently, and then continued: "Our consecutive battles and victories on the Anxi battlefield have made the troops deployed by the Great Eaters in the east begin to be stretched. If they no longer conquer the west, but focus on the eastward expedition, , we are the enemy of the Tang Dynasty. When the time comes, we will not be able to win so easily. We will have to devote all the troops of Anxi, and even the troops of Tubo. At that time, once we enter the war The impact of victory or defeat may not only affect Anxi, but may even endanger the foundation of our country. "
"Can't we add the navy? I see on the map, it's just a long strip." Li Zhi asked still somewhat dissatisfied.
"That long strip? It covers a million miles of land. However, it is impossible to advance by navy alone. It can only be a temporary harassment. Ma Zai has been building roads in the southwest (Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan) in the past few years. The mountains are high and the water is deep. It is rugged and rugged, and there is even fog year-round in some places. If you are not careful, you will fall into the cliff and be broken into pieces. It is difficult for even the horse to pass alone, let alone the carriage. Today, the army on land cannot pass, and only the navy can pass by, which cannot be formed at all. Strategic suppression, so we still have to wait a few years." Li Hong frowned when he mentioned the situation in Southwest China.
Horses have been carried in the southwest for five or six years, but if we want to build a road that can support thousands of troops and horses and can move smoothly on the muddy mountain road, it will take at least a few years to repair it.
The materials needed for the war have already been stocked there, but no matter how much they stockpile, once the war comes, they will be consumed faster than the current Meishan. Therefore, no matter where the material supplies are in the Tang Dynasty, In one direction, it is a problem that troubles the world, including Li Hong.
Li Zhi curled his lips as if it had nothing to do with him. He just had nothing to do, so he just asked him. As for what should be done, as for the direction of the Tang Dynasty, should it continue to expand its territory, or should it be peaceful and peaceful for the benefit of the people? He didn't care.
Hua Ji walked in respectfully and said in a low voice to the people present: "Your Majesty, the Queen, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Fang Muqing is asking for an audience outside the palace."
Wu Mei looked at Li Hong, who continued to sit on the sofa. This matter had nothing to do with her, not to mention that she came here to see her father and mother.
"Let her come in." Wu Mei said softly, and then motioned to the palace maid to see where Li Guangshun and Li Guangren were and bring them over later to meet their mother-in-law.
"I'm going to leave first. This year's court meeting on Yuan Day, I still have a lot of things to do." Li Hong looked at the old man's dissatisfied eyes sweeping over himself and Hua Ji. How could he not know that he was there again? Too narrow-minded.
Didn't Hua Ji bring him with him in his Daming Palace just now when he was performing the performance? As for looking at him with such disgusting eyes!
But I have to admit that nowadays, whether it is the old man's personal eunuch Hua Ji or Long Ma's personal eunuch Wang Lou, as long as they are in the Daming Palace, whether in the harem or the front hall, they will not realize it when reporting something. Bring yourself.
However, this also reflects the fact that the power of the Tang Empire now lies completely and completely in the East Palace.
Pei Wanying watched her husband stand up, so she also stood up hurriedly, and then saluted Li Zhi and Wu Mei, preparing to say goodbye.
Someone had healed his scar and forgot about the pain. He raised his foot and kicked Li Ye and Li Ye on their butts: "It's time to go. Say goodbye to your grandpa and grandma."
The two little guys, who had the brocade handkerchiefs in the palace maid's hands wrapped around their heads, successfully pulled off the brocade handkerchiefs on each other's heads, and then bowed to Li Zhi and Wu Mei in a polite manner, and then held hands one on the left and the other on the right. Pei Wanying's hand was ready to leave with Li Hong.
Just when he walked to the screen, he heard Li Zhi calling Li Ye's name from behind. Li Hong suddenly turned around, patted his head and said, "I almost forgot about the main thing. Let me remind you that this year's Yuan Day Assembly will be held." Are you... not going to participate?"
"Why?" Li Zhi asked, sitting on the recliner, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.
"You keep forcing yourself into court meetings like this. Even if I can bear it, other ministers will be scared to death sooner or later. Good, good, good." Li Hong saw that the old man was about to get angry, and hurriedly stretched out his hand to make a gesture of surrender, and continued: " This year, there will be many envoys from foreign lands tied behind their backs during the Yuan Day meeting. Therefore, as the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, you will lose your status as the Emperor when they come out. It is enough for you to deal with them, otherwise you may be laughed at. "
Before Li Zhi, who had a face as dark as the bottom of a pot, could say anything, he saw Wu Mei suddenly turning sideways and looking at Li Hong standing in front of the screen, wondering: "An envoy from a foreign country is coming? Which one? What are you here for? Why?" No news at all?"
"We discussed this with the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites, including Zhongshu and the disciples a few days ago. At that time, you and your father were busy with the autumn harvest, so we forgot about the delay." Li Hong took the pillow that Wu Mei threw at her angrily. , talking nonsense with a shy face.
"Autumn Harvest! How many months has it been since the Autumn Harvest? You forgot about it as soon as you delayed it. Why didn't you forget to eat!" Li Zhi's face is still as dark as the bottom of a pot!
This bastard is finding excuses more and more casually, and there is no trace of embarrassment or embarrassment in his expression or attitude. He looks like he just wants to find an excuse to deceive you and deserves a beating!
Wu Mei was so angry that she could only breathe heavily. It was obvious that this bastard had no intention of telling them. If His Majesty hadn't forced himself into the court several times because of Fang Muqing's incident these days, this bastard had been frightened. , I’m afraid I still won’t tell them yet.
"Then tell me clearly, who is coming?" Wu Mei slowly stood up, and the feather duster was handed over to her by the palace maid next to her at the right time. Her intuition told her that this year's Yuanri court meeting, I'm afraid it's not going to be the same as that of Princess Dalai. , or it may be related to Ye Yue who is now back in Chang'an.
Not long ago, I had not settled the accounts with him for the ridiculous incident with Princess Dalai, but now I started to mess with him again. I even summoned envoys from various countries to arrive in Chang'an on the first day of the year, and even deliberately hid it from them from the beginning. This move must be There must be some hidden secret, otherwise I would never hide it from myself.
Li Hong spread his hands helplessly, looking at Mother Long's aggressive eyes, always ready to beat him, so he had no choice but to let Pei Wanying leave with the two little guys first.
Then he looked at Dragon Father and Dragon Mother and said helplessly: "Dashi sent envoys to our Tang Dynasty to negotiate peace, including the big and small Bolu and other tribes, and even the countries in the southwest, as well as Japan, Silla, and Goguryeo in the east. , Baekje, will send envoys to the Tang Dynasty, so I told my father that I just didn’t want my father to be too abrupt when he arrived. "
"Then can I participate or not!" Li Zhi was trembling with anger, stood up suddenly, grabbed the feather duster from Wu Mei's hand and was about to beat Li Hong.
"What are you in a hurry for?" Li Hong pulled a palace maid next to him to stand in front of him, and then said helplessly: "I say this just because I hope you will be prepared in advance. Who will be the host if you don't host it? All nations will come to worship. If you weren't here... Well, I just hope that you won't make any random promises to them after that day."
Li Zhi's face finally softened a bit and was no longer as dark as the bottom of the pot: "That's pretty much it. If you have anything to do, just tell it to Honglu Temple. Then Honglu Temple will tell me what needs to be done."
Wu Mei's eyes wandered back and forth between Li Hong and Li Zhi. If it is true as Li Hong said just now, that the foreign countries around the Tang Dynasty and other small countries will come to the Tang Dynasty on Yuan Day this year, then wouldn't it be the first day of the Tang Dynasty this year? Tang Dynasty will present a prosperous scene where all nations come to worship? But what happened that caused all these people to gather in Chang'an? For whom? Why come? What did the Tang Empire want to do? "
Wu Mei found that she didn't know anything about this, or even didn't know at all how many enemies and friends there were around the Tang Dynasty. And this time Li Hong had organized such a big event, it was even arrogant. This event has never happened since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. What is his plan
Facing Long Ma's cold questioning look, Li Hong shrugged, but said with a solemn expression: "This time the envoys from various countries will not be of low rank. In my opinion, the envoys who came to Datang this time will , I am afraid that they are not powerful figures in various countries, but also very influential figures in the royal families of various countries. Many of them were initiated by the Great Food Kingdom, and many of them just looked at the situation and wanted to take the initiative to come to our Datang to repair it. Yes, in short, this court meeting will be a grand event that redefines our Tang Dynasty, and will also be a grand event that will affect the prosperity of our Tang Dynasty in the future. "
"Are you and the King of Dashi in charge?" Wu Mei's eyes were like knives pointing straight into Li Hong's heart.
Li Hong nodded silently, then saluted Li Zhi and Wu Mei before saying, "That's about it. This time is very important."
(End of chapter)