Chapter 281 Natural Disaster
Such a big move by the Turks naturally could not be concealed from the Tang Dynasty. After Li Jiancheng learned the details, he remained silent, but issued an order not to allow anyone to disturb the Turks' reform.

This is even more outrageous than Japan's reform. At least the move from slavery to feudal monarchy is correct. It is the inevitable result of the historical development of the progress of productivity and will inevitably win.

It was just a matter of eliminating the stubborn conservative factions, going through the pain of cutting off the rotten flesh. Li Jiancheng's blockade of Japan and his refusal to provide any support would only keep them in chaos for a longer period of time.

As for the Turkic reform, it would be completely self-destruction and there was no hope at all. Especially since Tuli did not have absolute prestige yet, he dared to push this matter forward. It was obviously going to cause a disaster.

The emperor issued an order to impose martial law in Bingzhou and ordered the Andong Protectorate to dispatch troops north to station in Liaodong County. He then sent envoys and imperial physicians to Western Turkestan to convey his order to Tong Yehu.

So far, Tong Yehu has been very respectful, Princess Gaomi has often sent back letters and gifts, and the trade route to the Western Regions has never been hindered.

Moreover, Princess Gaomi also brought back the good news that she was pregnant, which made the ties between the two countries closer.

After all, Tong Yehu returned defeated, and he needed the increasingly powerful Tang Dynasty as his ally to maintain his rule, even if the price was that his status was lower than that of the emperor of the Central Plains.

In the court, some officials submitted memorials, saying that the officials of Mayi should be ordered to immediately arrest those related to Zhao Deyan and severely punish these traitors who betrayed the country and went north.

The emperor refused to accept it. He thought that this man was not a traitor at all but a national hero. He alone could cause more destructive power than the tens of thousands of imperial troops marching north.

If Zhao Deyan had not died, he would have been rewarded and recognized for his merits in the future.

After the winter came, the emperor rewarded some of his confidants from Liaodong with bezoar, ginseng, pearls, seal skins and other items. He also showed special favor and promotion to the emperor's new disciples, especially those from humble backgrounds.

Li Jiancheng no longer needed to hide what he wanted to do. With his actions and attitude, he made it clear that he wanted to promote some children from humble families to balance the court and check the aristocratic families.

The aristocratic and wealthy families naturally do not want the share that they originally had to monopolize to be divided up by others, but the imperial power is at its peak and shines throughout the world, and no one dares to use their entire family to add a touch of bloody glory to His Majesty's reputation.

All they could do was to educate the clan's children desperately, ordering them to study hard and practice diligently, and to take pride in passing the imperial and martial arts examinations.

In October, Qin Shubao and Shan Xiongxin returned to the capital. The two generals basically eliminated the remaining bandits and pirates in all counties across the country. Those with names and surnames either surrendered or were killed.

They also brought back several boxes of letters and account books, all of which were found in the thieves' lair. They were evidence of collusion between the bandits and local officials.

The emperor was naturally displeased after reading it, but surprisingly he did not order the Jinyiwei to go out. Instead, he ordered the Ministry of Justice to be in charge of the matter, find out the facts, and convict and punish the criminals.

In addition, he ordered the new top scholar Sun Fujia to lead the Jinshi Shangguan Yi, Shen Cuncheng, Li Wencai and others to investigate the case, and temporarily granted them the crown and belt of the Supervisory Censor.

He also ordered the top military scholar and Yihui Captain Pan Yuan to lead the troops to protect the boxes of evidence.

The old and new factions joined forces, and the Jinyiwei got no chance to make any moves.

The emperor praised Qin Shubao and Shan Xiongxin generously, saying that they had worked hard to wipe out bandits throughout the world. He rewarded them with imperial horses and golden saddles, and added 2,000 households to each of them to pass on to his descendants.

Now, no one in the world dares to say that Your Majesty is stingy with titles and is mean and ungrateful. Just look at the fiefs and estates of the meritorious officials in the court. There has never been such a generous emperor in all dynasties.

After the two generals expressed their gratitude, an official from the Honglu Temple stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, the rulers of Yiwulu, Yanqi and Gaochang have sent envoys saying that the three rulers are ready to come to pay homage to Your Majesty in person. I wonder if Your Majesty will grant your permission." Li Jiancheng was a little surprised to hear this. He had not yet made a special effort to contact the countries in the Western Regions. He had merely sent troops to maintain the stability of the trade routes.

Yiwu and Yanqi were fine, as they were both very small countries and had never been ranked among the countries in the Western Regions. But Gaochang was different. Although it was not big either, it had always been a key place for transportation between the East and the West.

Since ancient times, there were originally two routes from the Western Regions to the Hexi Corridor. One was the southern route, which passed through the Bailongdui Desert, passed through Loulan State, and arrived at Yumen Pass. The other was the northern route, which went from Gaochang State to Yumen Pass.

Nowadays, due to various reasons, the southern route has become difficult to travel, and the northern route has become the main route. Gaochang has therefore obtained huge and continuous profits from it, which is a unique advantage that is enviable.

In fact, Li Jiancheng was not prepared to have any contact with the countries in the Western Regions so early. After all, his primary target was still Tuli. The original plan was to completely control Western Turkestan after destroying Tuli.

But there is nothing wrong in meeting him in advance. It is also necessary for Li Jiancheng to look westward and make appropriate arrangements for Tong Yehu.

"allow."

Several officials in the court were a little worried, but then they thought there was really nothing to be afraid of. Their self-confidence had been significantly boosted by the continuous victories and the wars of annihilation.

…………

As winter approached, the gods had no mercy on His people. Heavy snow fell again, just like last year. The snow was several feet thick on the flat ground. The accumulated snow crushed the tents, and countless herdsmen and their cattle and sheep froze to death while hugging each other.

There is no way to solve this kind of natural disaster. Even the leaders of the tribes can only barely survive and can only try their best to gather the surviving tribesmen to bear the burden together.

In other words, only the princes and nobles who could live in Dali City could still maintain their luxurious life, but they had no way to stop all this, let alone organize relief.

There is only one person who is still trying his best to find a solution, and that is Zhao Deyan. In his eyes, the imperial court should provide disaster relief to the people, which is only natural.

At the court meeting, he shouted to the Minister of Civil Affairs, Tuli Khan's uncle: "The granaries in the city are full of food, why don't you arrange for people to help the nearby tribal people!"

Ashina Yedi drunkenly asked: "That is the Khan's food, how can we give it to those people for nothing?"

The Turkic Minister of War laughed at him and said, "You damn Han Chinese, do you know how thick the snow is? It's higher than a sheep. Even a horse can't move its hooves. Who can help you carry the food?"

Zhao Deyan's face turned pale and blue: "We can't just sit there and do nothing. We have to think of a way. Even if we can't save everyone, we should provide relief nearby.

He looked at Tuli, whose eyes were dark, and said, "Your Majesty's kindness will also be remembered by the people."

Tuli shook his head irritably: "Then you go and find a way, but I tell you, if the food, wine and meat supplied to the city are even a little less, I will kill you."

………………

(End of this chapter)