bayedsolid Chapter 483: Plan to Establish Five Capitals
Chapter 483: Plan to Establish Five Capitals
On the New Year's Day of the twelfth year of Qianwu, Li Shimin sat in the warm room, looking at the heavy snow falling outside the window, his heart full of melancholy.
The charcoal fire in the hall was burning brightly, but the warmth could not dispel the chill in his heart. This was undoubtedly the loneliest New Year he had ever experienced.
The departure of Yuchi Jingde seemed to have taken away the pillar that supported the liveliness in his heart.
The hearty laughter of this old brother who had followed him for many years seemed to still ring in his ears, but now they are gone forever.
In the past, during the Chinese New Year, Yuchi Jingde always drank heartily at the banquet, and his laughter could blow the roof off, but now, his voice can no longer be heard.
Cheng Yaojin sat aside, constantly pouring wine from the glass in his hand into his mouth. The noisy man in the past was now shrouded in this sad atmosphere.
His eyes were lonely as he drank cup after cup of liquor. Li Shimin looked at Cheng Yaojin with a lot of emotions in his heart. The brothers who had been through life and death together were now gradually dying.
Several old men were sitting around a low table with two jugs of liquor on it.
They were silent, only occasionally clinking their glasses together, making a dull sound.
Outside the door, a group of children were happily playing snowball fights in the snow, and their silvery laughter came in through the window.
Li Shimin looked at the children and couldn't help but smile.
When I was young, I was full of vigor and didn’t believe that there would be separation in the world. But now I find that the number of times I meet many people can only be counted on one hand.
The New Year's excitement was like a passing cloud and soon disappeared.
Li Chengqian hurried back to Chang'an after the Chinese New Year. This time, he brought Li Tai and Li Zhi with him.
Li Tai has devoted himself to book compilation in recent years. He has completed other books, and now he is spontaneously compiling the "Qianwu Encyclopedia".
This grand ceremony carries his expectations for the inheritance and development of Tang Dynasty culture, and he has invested a lot of effort in it.
The territory of the Tang Dynasty was so vast that Li Chengqian felt powerless.
Even with the convenient means of transportation like trains, Zhang Xianhuai could lead the Jinyiwei to patrol various places in waves, but every inspection would expose many problems.
Those problems are simply appalling. Many officials, who clearly came from the common people, became corrupt and degenerate after just a few years.
Li Chengqian couldn't understand why human nature could become so corrupted in such a short period of time.
It was these pieces of intelligence that kept coming in that made Li Chengqian make a major decision - he wanted to start decentralizing power.
Now, all power is concentrated in his hands, and he can no longer manage this huge empire.
On this day, the Liangyi Hall was brightly lit, and the bright candlelight illuminated the hall as if it were daytime.
The cabinet ministers gathered together, including Li Tai and Li Zhi.
Li Chengqian leaned back in the armchair, seemingly drinking tea leisurely, but his eyes revealed a hint of fatigue.
Li Tai and Li Zhi stood aside, looking a little unnatural.
Especially Li Zhi, when he saw Wu Meiniang again, his heart was a little moved.
Even though he had let go of the past, his heart was still stirred when he saw her again.
Cabinet members come and go, and leave and come again.
The position on the far right was empty, with only a cup with Fang Xuanling's name on it.
Fang Xuanling has always been the person Li Chengqian relied on the most. Although he is no longer in this world, his spirit is still in the Liangyi Hall, influencing everyone at all times.
"Everyone," Li Chengqian put down his teacup and spoke slowly, his voice echoing in the silent hall, "I summoned you here today to discuss an important matter with you."
He slowly swept his gaze over the crowd. "Although you hold high positions in the cabinet, your subordinates have no actual power. I have thought again and again that this is a bit of a waste of your talents."
Everyone looked at each other, wondering what the emperor's intentions were.
Some people showed joy in their eyes, as if they saw an opportunity to realize their ambitions.
Some people's eyes were full of doubts, wondering what kind of deep meaning was hidden behind this.
When Li Tai heard this, his mouth opened wide, his face full of disbelief.
He is just a commoner now, what is big brother going to do?
Are they going to banish him?
No!
He had long been accustomed to life in Xianyang. Here were the books he loved and everything he was familiar with. He really didn't want to leave.
In comparison, Li Zhi seemed much calmer.
He puffed out his chest slightly, his eyes revealing anticipation.
He longs for a chance to prove himself.
"Politics exists not only for the benefit of the nation, but also for the people. It is meaningless if it is not for the people."
Li Chengqian's voice was firm. "Tell me what you think."
Ma Zhou is 55 years old this year. He is the oldest minister in the cabinet and a surviving minister from the Zhenguan period.
He thought for a long time and then slowly said, "I wonder what your Majesty wants to do?"
Ma Zhou's voice was steady and calm, and every word he said was carefully considered.
Li Chengqian glanced at Ma Zhou with respect in his eyes.
He stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and asked Zhang Xianhuai to bring the map of the Tang Dynasty.
This map records in detail how big the Tang Dynasty is today. Every inch of land, every river, and every mountain are clearly visible.
"Take a look at this," Li Chengqian said, pointing to the map. "The Tang Dynasty is too vast. I will establish five capitals and appoint four envoys to the capitals, each of them a rank of Third Grade, to govern the country for me."
His finger moved slowly across the map, marking the approximate locations of the Five Capitals.
"The people are still oppressed. I am worried. I cannot see them. I need someone to help me manage this vast country."
Everyone was stunned when they heard Li Chengqian's words. Your Majesty wants to establish five capitals?
This means that a lot of power has to be divided up at once.
Everyone's eyes were focused on the map, and they were secretly guessing in their hearts that Zhongjing must be Chang'an, so where would the four capitals in the east, south, west and north be?
"Your Majesty, this is a good move, but the location of the Five Capitals is crucial and requires careful consideration."
"The economy in the south is booming, and a capital should be established to promote the development of commerce and trade."
"The northern border is vast, and we need a capital to guard it to ensure its stability."
Ma Zhou's words caused a lot of discussion among the crowd, and everyone nodded in agreement.
Then, Chen Fusheng also spoke: "Your Majesty, the power of the four envoys to the capital cannot be too great. There must be checks and balances, otherwise there may be unexpected events."
Chen Fusheng's words made Li Chengqian fall into deep thought. The importance of checks and balances of power is self-evident.
Time passed quietly amid the discussions of the crowd.
Li Chengqian listened quietly to everyone's opinions, constantly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.
This decision will have a profound impact on the future of the Tang Dynasty, and he must be extremely cautious.