We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 1183 A Grand Vision

After reciting the poem, he turned around and looked at everyone with a smile.

The sea breeze ruffled his robes, and there was a hint of nonchalance in his smile, as if those resounding verses he had just recited were nothing more than casual recitations.

Before everyone could fully recover from those few lines of poetry, Li Che spoke again, without waiting for them to praise him.

"Seizing this opportunity," his voice was not loud, but it drowned out the roar of the waves, "I intend to make a grand vow."

"I hope that you, my esteemed ministers, will bear witness for me."

Everyone fell silent.

Xu Jiezi said solemnly, "Your subject respectfully listens to Your Majesty's instructions."

Yue Yun, Qiu Bai, and their guards all bowed.

Li Che withdrew his gaze and looked at the boundless sea before him.

"Since my ascension to the throne, I have waged wars in the east and west, expanding our territory by thousands of miles. Korea, Japan, the grasslands, the Western Regions... have all been brought into our territory."

He paused, then continued, "Such martial arts skills may be something to boast about to future generations, but I know in my heart that behind these achievements lies the blood and sweat of countless people, and the destruction of countless families."

The sea breeze suddenly picked up, whipping his robes and making them flutter.

"Therefore, I hereby make this vow today—"

He took a deep breath, his voice even drowning out the roar of the waves:

"From this day forward, Daqing will not wage war without a just cause, nor will it lightly start a war!"

"I will undertake water conservancy projects to increase the yield of grain in the land!"

"I want to emphasize education, so that children can afford to go to school and learn more characters!"

"I want to reduce taxes and corvée labor, so that the people can catch their breath and those who have sacrificed too much for the war can gradually recover!"

"I want to send ships to the Western Ocean to open up trade routes and facilitate the flow of goods, instead of relying on swords to clear the way!"

He finished speaking in one breath, his chest heaving, his eyes burning.

The sea breeze howled, the waves roared, and sunlight peeked through the gaps in the clouds, paving a golden path across the sea.

Xu Jiezi stared blankly at the young man in front of him, and suddenly his eyes felt hot again.

This is His Majesty.

The emperor who once commanded a million soldiers and conquered countless territories now stood in the sea breeze, speaking of which—

Let the people catch their breath.

Let the child learn more words.

Let those families who have given so much gradually recover.

He lifted his robe, knelt down again, his voice aged yet steady:

"Your Majesty's benevolence is evident to Heaven and Earth. I, an old man, wish that Your Majesty's wish may be fulfilled and that the Great Qing Dynasty may enjoy a long and prosperous reign!"

Yue Yun followed closely behind, kneeling on one knee:

"This humble general is willing to die for Your Majesty!"

Lu Dongzan and the others also silently knelt down.

He lowered his head, looking at the rough rocks in front of him, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Cease hostilities, reduce taxes and corvée labor, and let the people breathe...

He had thought about these words when he was in Tibet, and he had thought about saying them to the young king.

But at that time, he was a leading figure, a proponent of war.

These words can only be kept in my heart and spoken to myself.

Now, he kneels before the emperor of a neighboring country, listening to the emperor say what he once wanted to say.

He suddenly realized that a true king is not someone who only knows how to wield a sword, but someone who knows when to put it down.

Li Che turned around, looked at the crowd kneeling on the ground, and suddenly smiled.

He waved his hand and said, "Get up, get up. I haven't even made my grand vow yet. You've knelt too early."

Everyone was taken aback, then awkwardly stood up.

Li Che stopped looking at them and turned to look at Yue Yun.

"Zilong".

Yue Yun stepped forward: "Your subordinate is here."

"How many years have I been on the throne?"

Yue Yun pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "This year is the fifth year of Tianxing. Although it is not over yet, it is not wrong to say that it is five years."

Li Che smiled and nodded. Yue Yun was still cautious by nature. Although he had made countless contributions, he never claimed credit or interrupted. He answered only what was asked and never said a word more than necessary.

But it is precisely these kinds of people who are the most reliable.

"Five years." Li Che withdrew his gaze and looked towards the sea. "How have I performed in these five years?"

After he finished speaking, everyone exchanged glances and began to speak:

"Your Majesty has conquered the land and expanded the territory; this is an unparalleled achievement!"

"Your Majesty has conquered the Japanese in the east, pacified the grasslands in the north, quelled the Western Regions in the west, and pacified Qiongzhou in the south. No emperor in history has ever been like Your Majesty!"

"His Majesty has intimidated the disobedient and drawn tribute from all nations; he is truly a wise and enlightened ruler!"

The voices rose and fell, some were polite words, but all were the truth.

Li Che listened quietly without interrupting.

After the sound subsided, he nodded: "That's right."

"But that's not enough."

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this.

Li Che turned around and his gaze swept over them:

"I spent five years conquering the world."

"It will take another five years to support the people of the world."

"We will take another five years to achieve lasting peace."

"This is my grand ambition!"

The sea breeze seemed to have stopped.

The sound of the waves has faded into the distance.

Xu Jiezi opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Lu Dongzan's pupils contracted slightly as he stared at the young emperor before him, as if he were seeing him for the first time.

He has already conquered the world in five years.

Five years to nurture the people: to allow the people to recuperate and thrive, to let the fields produce crops, and to let the cities and towns regain their bustling activity.

Five years to achieve peace: to bring peace to the hearts of all people, to build a strong foundation of the people's hearts, and to ensure the stability of the country forever.

Three five-year periods, fifteen years have passed.

It may not be a long time for an emperor, but for an emperor who wants to accomplish such a grand ambition, every day must be used in two.

"If I can achieve this goal in this lifetime... I will have no regrets even if I die."

boom--

"His Majesty!"

"We, your humble servants, will sacrifice ourselves to help Your Majesty fulfill your grand ambition!"

The crowd shouted in unison, their voices drowning out the sound of the ocean waves.

Li Che looked at the people kneeling on the ground and suddenly smiled.

"Alright." He stepped forward and personally helped Xu Jiezi up. "Get up, all of you. My grand ambition will take ten years to complete. If you all perish now, who will do the work for the next ten years or so?"

Everyone then stood up and chuckled softly.

Li Che turned around and looked at the sea again. The sea breeze started blowing again, carrying a slightly salty dampness.

“Qiongzhou Island,” he suddenly said.

Following his gaze, everyone saw a faint, dark blue outline where the sea met the sky.

"When the island was struck by a plague, Wang Sanchun disregarded his own safety and stayed there for more than half a year, managing to stabilize the situation."

A slight smile appeared on his lips: "That was his blessed land, but unfortunately he's not here."

Wang Sanchun did not accompany the emperor. The Northwest had just been pacified, and important officials were needed to oversee the rear, so Li Che left him there.

Qiu Bai tentatively stepped forward: "Your Majesty, shall we go ashore and take a look?"

Li Che slowly shook his head: "That's enough."

His gaze shifted away from the direction of Qiongzhou:

"The purpose of this tour has been achieved. Daqing is so vast that it is impossible for me to travel to every inch of its land."

The autumn wind whipped up his cloak, making it flutter loudly.

Li Che said slowly, "Let's go back to the capital."

Everyone was taken aback for a moment, then cupped their hands and said, "Yes."

This southern tour has lasted for two years. Although the court's official business has not been delayed, the emperor's absence from the capital has inevitably caused widespread anxiety.

As everyone had anticipated, since His Majesty intended to usher in a golden age of peace and prosperity, he would no longer be able to travel or wage war.

For the foreseeable future, I will likely be stationed in the capital.

Of course, this is the basic operation of a qualified emperor.

Although Li Che greatly desired to become the General Who Conquers the North for his son, he focused solely on leading troops into battle and ignored trivial matters.

But the heir is too young after all. If I really do that, I will only ruin the great situation and I might become a second Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.

Most importantly, if he didn't go back soon, the Prince of Yan, who was regent in the capital, might go mad...

After all, I told him that I had only been away for a few months, and now my earnings have more than doubled.

So the ministers escorted the emperor down the mountain and stayed overnight at the camp.

The night was quiet, and nothing happened.

The next day, instead of setting off with the troops, they headed towards the capital.

With Li Che's southern tour after his ascension to the throne over, the powerful families in various regions could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Volume 87 of the Veritable Records of Emperor Taizong Wen records:

In the autumn of the fifth year of Tianxing, the emperor made a southern tour and arrived at Leizhou, where he climbed the Talei Ridge.

It was September, the sea breeze was strong, and the waves were surging.

The courtiers Xu Jiezi, Yue Yun, and Lu Dongzan all listened with bated breath.

The emperor gazed north towards the Central Plains and south towards Hainan Island. Suddenly moved, he composed a poem: "I stand on the eastern cliffs of Jieshi to view the vast sea. How calm the waters are! How lofty the mountains and islands stand! Trees grow in abundance, and grasses flourish. The autumn wind is bleak, and the waves surge. The sun and moon seem to rise from within it. The Milky Way shines brightly, as if emerging from its depths. How fortunate I am! I sing this to express my aspirations."

Upon completion of the poem, the sea and sky seemed to fall into solemn silence.

The Emperor turned to his ministers and said, “Since I ascended the throne, five years have passed. I have pacified the Japanese in the east, settled the Western Regions in the west, annexed the grasslands in the north, and pacified Qiongzhou in the south. These are military achievements, but they are not what I desired.”

He then made a grand vow: "I wish to spend five years expanding the empire, five years nurturing the people, and five years achieving peace. If, within fifteen years, the country is at peace and the people live in tranquility, I will have no regrets even if I die!"

The ministers prostrated themselves on the ground and wept, saying, "We are willing to be ground to dust to help Your Majesty achieve this great ambition!"

That night, the emperor stayed in a fishing village by the sea. The sound of the tide never ceased, a white light appeared on the horizon, and a dragon's roar echoed in the clouds.

The next day, the emperor ordered the return of the imperial carriage.

From that year onward, the emperor ceased military campaigns, stopped fighting, reduced taxes and levies, and allowed the people to rest and recuperate.

They developed water conservancy, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, opened schools, and established trade routes.

The whole world turned to civilization, the population increased year by year, and the granaries were full day by day.

Historians say that the era of peace and prosperity in Daqing began from this point.

Later generations, when discussing this matter, referred to it as "a grand ambition as vast as the ocean."

The "Annals of Emperor Taizong" praises him, saying: "Since ancient times, all emperors have wanted to expand their territory and display their military might."

However, at the height of his military prowess, Emperor Taizong suddenly turned his attention to the common people and made a vow to govern and nurture them for fifteen years.

Is this why he is considered a saint?

The poem of the vast ocean swallows the sun and moon; the wish of the vast ocean nurtures all people.

Both his poems and his aspirations will be passed down; Emperor Taizong's virtue will endure as long as heaven and earth.