While Mo Jiazi was being hotly discussed throughout the city, the entire Imperial Court was secretly rejoicing over Gao Chang's victory. After all, everyone knew just how dangerous it was, and the officials all felt incredibly fortunate. Ironically, Mo Jiazi was the greatest contributor to Gao Chang's victory. He was the one who had ended Gao Chang's victory so quickly, but at this moment, it was Mo Jiazi who had become the target of suspicion.
In the imperial court, the son of the Mo Family was often mentioned. Of course, it was not out of admiration, but out of fear. After all, such a powerful weapon of mass destruction was only in the hands of the son of the Mo Family. Whether it was for public or private reasons, some people could not help but feel uneasy. In addition, the son of the Mo Family had a lot of achievements, and the imperial court had vaguely formed a situation of suspicion of the son of the Mo Family and the Firearms Supervisor.
But today was the day of celebration for Gao Chang's victory, and targeting Mo Jiazi at this time would only make the officials who had performed such a meritorious service feel bitterly disappointed. Thus, they didn't immediately erupt, but the undercurrent was already surging.
Thus, on the surface, the entire Taiji Palace was still filled with joy.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty. With Gao Chang's victory, the name of our Tang dynasty will surely shake the Western Regions."
"Now, the Silk Road is once again open, and the entire world has benefited from it. We will all remember Your Majesty's kindness."
… … …
In the Imperial Court, the officials were all praising. When the news of Gao Chang's victory arrived, the dark clouds above the officials' heads were instantly swept away.
"This is all thanks to the sacrifice of all the officers and soldiers. Once the army returns, We will definitely reward you handsomely," Li Shimin said with a face full of smiles and satisfaction. There was no trace of the gloomy expression from two days ago.
"This subject thanks Your Majesty on behalf of the officers and soldiers," the generals said and bowed.
"We originally didn't want to mobilize the army, but Ju Wentai went against the heavens, so We had no choice but to set things right," Li Shimin said modestly.
"Your Majesty is wise!" The officials congratulated.
After Li Shimin was flattered by the ministers, he remembered the business of today's Imperial Court meeting and said loudly, "Now that the Tang dynasty has conquered the entire territory of Gao Chang, and the King of Gao Chang, Qu Zhisheng, has been captured, I wonder how my dear ministers think we should deal with Gao Chang."
The Minister of Rites, Linghu Defen, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, there are precedents before the Tang dynasty. Back when the Tang dynasty attacked Tuyuhun, they returned with Fu Yun's head. In the end, Murong Shun was appointed as the King of Tuyuhun. Now that the head of Gao Chang's evil, Ju Wentai, is dead, according to the usual practice, Qu Zhisheng should succeed the throne to show His Majesty's kindness to the Heavenly Khan, and also to let Gao Chang compliment the Tang dynasty's frontier. "
"Appoint another King to guard the frontier!" Li Shimin's eyes flashed. This was indeed the practice of the Tang dynasty in the past. In this way, the Tang dynasty could save time and effort, and the effect was very good. It was enough to keep the frontier peaceful for decades.
"This method is feasible?" Many officials echoed.
However, Kong Yingda frowned and took the initiative to oppose, "Minister, you think that it is inappropriate to appoint another King. Qu Zhisheng is different from Murong Shun. Murong Shun is the son of Princess Guanghua, and he is half Han. In addition, he has been a hostage in Chang 'an for many years and has been deeply influenced by Chinese culture. More importantly, he was robbed of his position as the Crown Prince in Tuyuhun, and he was depressed. His Majesty appointed him as the new King of Tuyuhun, and Murong Shun is grateful to His Majesty. Although Qu Zhisheng's mother was crowned as a princess by Yang Guang, she is not a Han. In addition, he was not a hostage in the Tang dynasty and does not understand Chinese culture. Moreover, he has already ascended to the throne of Gao Chang. His Majesty made him King of Gao Chang without any kindness, so how can he be loyal to the Tang dynasty? "
The officials nodded. In this regard, Qu Zhisheng was indeed inferior to Murong Shun. Although Murong Shun was incompetent, he was indeed loyal to the Tang dynasty. However, Qu Zhisheng, who had been born and raised here, was not necessarily the same.
Linghu Defen frowned, "Since that's the case, let Qu Zhisheng abdicate and appoint Ju Wentai's son as the new King. According to Minister's knowledge, Ju Wentai has several children, and they will definitely be grateful to His Majesty."
Kong Yingda shook his head and sighed, "So what if an Emperor is grateful to the Tang dynasty? Although Murong Shun was loyal to the Tang dynasty, he still ended up with his head separated from his body. Even if a new King is appointed in Gao Chang, his subordinates will not be convinced. Murong Shun is just an example."
Li Shimin nodded slightly. This time, Tuyuhun was attacked by Tubo and Murong Shun's subordinates from both inside and outside. However, don't forget that behind Gao Chang, there was still the Western Turks who were extremely hostile to the Tang dynasty. Murong Shun's tragedy might repeat itself. At that time, would the Tang dynasty have to send troops again? This time, the risk of the Tang dynasty sending troops to Gao Chang was enough to make Li Shimin feel a lingering fear.
"Then what do you mean, Minister Kong?" Li Shimin raised his eyebrows and asked.
Kong Yingda said boldly, "In the opinion of the Minister, the Tang dynasty should follow the example of the Han dynasty and re-establish the Protectorate of the Western Regions."
"The Protectorate of the Western Regions!"
Suddenly, there was an uproar among the officials. Naturally, the officials knew the famous Protectorate of the Western Regions very well. Soon, there was a lot of discussion. Moreover, the benefits of establishing the Protectorate of the Western Regions were obvious. In this way, Gao Chang would be directly under the rule of the Tang dynasty, avoiding the previous failure of Tuyuhun.
"I never thought that the dignified Kong Family would actually want to destroy a country for their own selfish interests. Do you know how serious the consequences will be if the Tang dynasty destroys Gao Chang? In this way, the surrounding countries of the Tang dynasty will be vigilant and on guard against the Tang dynasty. His Majesty's reputation as the Heavenly Khan will be in name only." Linghu Defen mocked. Everyone knew that Kong Yingda was so eager to destroy Gao Chang because he wanted to cooperate with Yan Tongyin to promote the teachings of Confucianism and raise the reputation of Confucianism to another level. In this way, both Confucianism and the Kong Family would benefit, while the Tang dynasty would lose its reputation. In particular, Li Shimin's reputation as the Heavenly Khan would be damaged.
When Li Shimin heard this, he couldn't help but frown. The Heavenly Khan was the title he was most proud of. Li Shimin, who loved false titles and wanted to wash away his stain, naturally valued it very much.
However, Kong Yingda said fearlessly, "The Minister's actions are indeed somewhat selfish, but you can say that you have a clear conscience. The purpose of the Western Han Dynasty establishing the Protectorate of the Western Regions was to coordinate the conflicts between the countries of the Western Regions and protect the Silk Road. Now, the Tang dynasty also needs to let the countries of the Western Regions live in peace and let the Silk Road flow smoothly. Naturally, the Tang dynasty also needs to establish the Protectorate of the Western Regions."
Many ministers nodded. The Silk Road was too important to the Tang dynasty. It was related to the stability of the Tang dynasty's currency system. Now that cotton cloth had appeared on a large scale, it had greatly impacted the role of silk and other silk products as currency. Fortunately, the Tang dynasty's silk system designed by Meton allowed a large number of silk products to be exported to the Western Regions. The price of silk did not collapse, and this allowed the Tang dynasty's currency system to soften.
However, for a long time, the Tang dynasty had to maintain the price of silk in order to slowly remove silk from the currency system. It could be said that the Silk Road was no longer just about silk. It had the mission of stabilizing the currency policy of the Tang dynasty. It could be said that the Silk Road could not be lost. In this way, establishing the Protectorate of the Western Regions under Gao Chang was far more in line with the interests of the Tang dynasty than establishing another king.
Li Shimin suddenly fell into a dilemma. On the one hand, he had to consider his reputation as the Heavenly Khan. On the other hand, he had to consider the practical interests of the Tang dynasty. It was really difficult for him to choose.
Linghu Defen frowned and said, "Gao Chang is thousands of miles away from the Tang dynasty. It is also two thousand miles away from the Gobi Desert. In addition, its national strength is weak. It is not enough to support the army. In the past, the Great Han Dynasty spent a lot of money and food to establish the Protectorate of the Western Regions. It was even overwhelmed by the burden and repeatedly fought over it. It became a burden to the Great Han Dynasty. Otherwise, it would be too ambitious.
According to Linghu Defen, Gao Chang was poor and was not worth the price of establishing the Protectorate of the Western Regions. Establishing a new king would not only allow the Silk Road to be unimpeded, but also reduce the burden on the Tang dynasty. Why not? Back then, Emperor Wu of Han had a similar radical strategy. In the end, he had no choice but to issue the Edict of Luntai. Later on, he completely abandoned the Western Regions.
If it was before, Kong Yingda would definitely have the same view as Linghu Defen. However, with the rise of the School of Mo, the Confucian school had to move forward. Gao Chang was the best place to test the similarities between the two. Not to mention, establishing the Protectorate of the Western Regions would bring great benefits. Whether it was for public or private reasons, Kong Yingda would not give up.
Kong Yingda suddenly thought of a story from the Great Han Dynasty. He said in a clear voice, "Although Emperor Wu of Han gave up on the Western Regions, his successor, Emperor Xuan of Han, inherited his will and established the Protectorate of the Western Regions in Luntai. He used it to contact the other countries in the Western Regions and laid the foundation for defeating the Xiongnu. Now, our Tang dynasty is being eyed covetously by the Western Turks in the Western Regions. If Your Majesty establishes the Protectorate of the Western Regions, you can imitate Emperor Xuan of Han and contact the other countries to resist the Western Turks. Otherwise, Gao Chang's matter will definitely repeat itself. "
One could not help but sigh. History was shockingly similar. The current situation of the Tang dynasty was so similar to that of Emperor Xuan of Han. In the end, Li Shimin felt a rush of excitement. In the end, he decided to establish the Protectorate of the Western Regions. After all, when faced with the mortal enemy of the Western Turks, face did not seem to be that important.
"Order Hou Junji to establish the Protectorate of the Western Regions in Gao Chang City. However, it's not the Protectorate of the Western Regions, but the Protectorate of Tranquility," Li Shimin said in a clear voice.
The officials were stunned. They immediately understood Li Shimin's intentions. The Tranquility here was probably not meant to stabilize the Western Regions, but to stabilize the Western Turks!
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