OBS Chapter 778: The Boy Who Harms the Country
Chapter 778: The Boy Who Harms the Country
The dusk was like thick, insoluble ink, silently spreading over the vermilion walls of the Liangyi Palace.
The copper bells on the eaves swayed slightly in the chilly evening breeze, making a tiny and hollow sound, telling the story of past glory and today's desolation.
Li Zhi sat alone on the armchair, the hem of his dragon robe casually dragging on the ground. His fingertips unconsciously stroked the armrests, which had been polished by time to a warm patina, but his eyes were as if nailed to the ground, staring straight at the tea cabinet not far away.
In the tea cabinet, several rows of celadon tea cups are neatly arranged, like soldiers in formation.
There is a name engraved on the bottom of each cup - Su Dingfang, Qin Ruzhao, Xue Rengui... These names were once the sharpest swords of the Tang Empire and the confidence for Li Zhi to expand his territory and spread his power to all directions.
In the past, whenever the war drums sounded, these generals were like tigers out of their cages, galloping across the battlefield with their weapons and spears, and their momentum was as fierce as a tiger.
Victory news flew into Chang'an like snowflakes, the court was filled with sounds of celebration, and the military flags of the Tang Dynasty fluttered in the wind in a foreign land. How high-spirited and glorious it was.
But now, these once powerful figures can only turn into cold engravings on the bottom of the teacup, lying quietly in this tea cabinet, becoming a dusty memory.
"Bang!" Li Zhi punched the low table beside him suddenly. The huge force caused the teacup on the table to shake violently and spill out.
"Absurd! Absurd indeed!"
"Shuzi is harming the country!"
He whispered through gritted teeth, his voice full of resentment and his eyes slightly red.
If it weren't for his eldest nephew who was determined to eliminate all these capable and battle-hardened generals, how could he have fallen into such a difficult predicament?
Without these battle-hardened generals, his heart always felt like it was being weighed down by a huge rock, heavy and difficult to calm down.
Can the once invincible Tang army continue its victory?
The wind outside the window whistled through the palace, bringing with it the chill of early spring, and penetrated through the gaps in the window, making Li Zhi shiver.
He slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the lights of thousands of houses in Chang'an City in the distance that were gradually lighting up.
Those little lights, like stars scattered across the world, were once a symbol of the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.
This prosperous capital carries the dreams of countless people and has witnessed the glory of the Tang Dynasty, but now it is facing an unprecedented crisis.
The Western Expedition was like a huge bottomless pit, madly devouring food, weapons and military pay.
According to the latest report from the Ministry of Revenue, the money in the Tang Dynasty treasury is already stretched to the limit and can only support a one-year expedition at most.
One year, just one year. If the war cannot be ended within this deadline, what awaits the empire may be the abyss of economic collapse, and its former glory will be shattered like a bubble.
"Should business... be fully opened?"
Li Zhi muttered to himself, his brows tightly furrowed, forming a deep "chuan" character.
His mind kept echoing with his brother's words. His brother had said that if commerce was liberalized, the country's economy would grow rapidly in a short period of time, like a shot in the arm.
If free trade could be allowed, it would surely bring in huge wealth and solve the empire's urgent needs.
But at the same time, his royal brother also warned him earnestly that commercial openness is like a double-edged sword. It may seem to bring temporary prosperity, but over time, social morals will gradually deteriorate.
Officials, as those who hold power, are the first to reap the benefits of business openness.
By then, they will surely use the power in their hands to control the source of business and pocket most of the profits, while the people will only get a tiny portion.
In the face of the huge temptation of interests, how many people can remain sober and restrained and not be blinded by desire?
The candlelight in the hall flickered in the draft, casting Li Zhi's shadow on the wall, sometimes bright, sometimes dim, sometimes big, sometimes small, just like his wavering heart.
He paced back and forth in the hall, the corners of his robe brushing against the blue brick floor, making a slight friction sound that was particularly clear in the silent hall.
Opening up commerce might solve the huge amount of wealth needed for war in the short term and alleviate the immediate crisis, but if it shakes the foundation of the country and triggers a series of unpredictable problems, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Come here, tell the Secretary of the Central Secretariat." Li Zhi suddenly spoke, his voice so hoarse that it was unfamiliar even to himself.
The official on duty hurried into the hall, only to see the emperor throwing a volume of "Salt and Iron Theory" into the brazier.
In the leaping flames, Sang Hongyang's assertion that "industry and commerce are the lifeblood of the nation" turned to ashes.
"Draft decree: From now on, the ban imposed by the Maritime Customs will be lifted, free trade will be allowed, and the imperial court will take the lead."
Li Zhi stared at the dancing flames.
"He also ordered Wu Tianyan to capture Damascus before midsummer."
Just as Li Zhi was thinking hard in the Liangyi Hall, the empire's westward expedition army was in a distant foreign land.
In the late spring of the fourth year of Yonghui, Wu Tianyan led an army of 1.5 million and arrived in Isfahan in a mighty force.
With flags covering the sky and swords and spears like a forest, the momentum of the Tang army shocked all directions.
At the same time, the 500,000-strong army led by Pei Xingjian had already arrived at the gates of Damascus after a long journey, sleeping in the open air.
Damascus, the capital of the Middle East, is a transportation hub connecting the East and the West and has an extremely important strategic position.
As long as Damascus is captured, the entire Middle East will fall into the hands of the Tang Dynasty, and the road to the westward expedition will be smoother.
The walls of Damascus were tall and strong, and the defenders in the city were on high alert, so a fierce battle was inevitable.
The rapid expansion of the Tang army shocked the entire Western world, especially the Frankish Empire, the dominant power in Europe.
In the royal palace of the Frankish Empire, the nobles sat around a huge round table, and the atmosphere was so solemn that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it.
"How can this be?"
A noble suddenly stood up and slammed the wine glass in his hand heavily on the table. The wine splashed out and wet the exquisite tablecloth.
"We originally thought that the Tang army would have to cross vast deserts and mountains, and their logistics would not be able to keep up, so they would not be able to defeat us at all."
“But now, they have reached Damascus!”
Everyone looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and confusion.
They couldn't understand why the Arab Empire, the overlord of the Middle East, with its huge army and strong cities, couldn't even stop the Tang army?
"If Damascus falls, the consequences will be disastrous."
The king's face was as sullen as steel as he spoke slowly. "The Tang army will undoubtedly continue westward, passing Ankara and heading straight for Constantinople."
"If Constantinople is lost, the entire West will be opened to the East. Then, who can stop the Tang army's cavalry?"
For a moment, the palace fell into deathly silence, with only heavy breathing echoing in the air.
They had never expected that the Tang army, thousands of miles away, could pose such a huge threat to Europe.
Fear and anxiety spread like a plague in the hearts of the nobles.
At this time, the Arab Empire was also in extreme panic.
They knew that they could hardly resist the Tang army's attack on land, so they put all their energy into sea defense.
Relying on advanced navigation technology, the Arabs built a large number of fortresses and watchtowers in coastal areas and sent elite navy to patrol the sea. Every port was heavily guarded, for fear that the Tang Dynasty navy would suddenly rush out from their hinterland and deal them a fatal blow.
In the port of the Arab Empire, warships were lined up in an orderly manner, and soldiers stood guard at their posts day and night, their nerves tense as if facing a powerful enemy.
In Constantinople, the center of the Western world, a fateful meeting is taking place.
Justinian sat at the head of the huge round table, his brow furrowed and his eyes revealed anxiety.
Below, representatives of the Allied forces from various countries were engaged in a heated discussion. "Damascus cannot be defended. That is beyond doubt."
A general stood up, his tone heavy and his face full of worry.
"The terrain there is flat and undefended, and the Tang army is advancing with unstoppable force. Our only hope is Constantinople."
"This city has strong walls and is easy to defend but difficult to attack. As long as we work together, we may be able to resist the Tang army's attack."
"But if Damascus can stop the Tang army, that would be great."
Another representative said this, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. However, everyone knew that this was just a wishful thinking.
Facing the powerful Tang army, they had to prepare for the worst. The meeting lasted for a long time, and the representatives of various countries argued endlessly, proposing one plan after another, which was rejected one after another.
The sky over Constantinople was covered with dark clouds. A war seemed inevitable, and the entire Western world was waiting for the judgment of fate.