I became emperor in the Tang Dynasty by relying on the palace fighting system

Di Renjie is now the Minister of Winter Office, that is, the Minister of Works, and is also granted the title of Tongfengge Luantai Pingzhangshi, making him the de facto prime minister.

He held the tablet in his hand and recited: "As recorded in the classics, the country has been completely integrated. Today, the four borders are larger than those of the Xia and Shang dynasties. Your Majesty's territory today is far greater than that of the Han dynasty."

Translated, it means: The Dayu Dynasty has annexed all the places recorded in the classics. Your Majesty, your territory is already larger than that of the Han Dynasty and other dynasties.

"If they use military force in remote areas, seek merit in remote regions, and exhaust the treasury to fight for barren and barren land, their people will not be enough to increase taxes, and their land will not be enough for farming and weaving."

Let me translate it again: If Your Majesty has exhausted the national treasury to attack those barren lands, and you get people and land but cannot cultivate or weave cloth, or collect taxes, then why do you still attack those barren lands?

Di Renjie was obviously well prepared. Li Zhao saw that his tablet was covered with small characters.

He himself was like a machine gun, blasting non-stop.

Di Renjie said: "Recently, the country has been sending out troops frequently, and the expenses are increasing. The four garrisons in the west and Andong in the east are being garrisoned. The number of troops is increasing day by day, and the people are suffering."

The country has been at war a lot recently, and too much military spending has been done. The people have to supply military supplies and recruit soldiers to guard the four towns of Anxi in the west and the Andong Protectorate in the east. The people are very tired.

Di Renjie also said: "Opening and defending the Western Regions is as troublesome as building a field in Shitian. The cost is unbearable and there is no benefit. The transportation is cut off and the looms are almost empty. Crossing the desert and the sea, dividing the troops to defend, the journey is long, and there are more complaints."

Guarding the Western Regions was a huge drain on military supplies, which was more harmful than beneficial. The soldiers had to cross deserts and seas, and their military service was too long, and their resentment grew day by day.

Di Renjie added: "If we entrust him with the four garrisons, let him lead the various tribes, and make him Khan and send him to resist the invaders, then the country will have the benefit of continuing the country's past, and there will be no need to worry about transporting goods to the remote areas."

It would be better to turn the four Anxi towns into vassal prefectures and counties, enfeoff the foreign leader as Khan to manage the four towns, and then the country will not have these troubles.

Di Renjie finally said: "As I see it, please donate the four towns to enrich China, abolish Andong to strengthen Liaoxi, save military expenses in distant places, and station troops on the border, so that Hengdai will be more important and the border states will be well prepared."

Thousands of words were summed up in one sentence: abolish the four Anxi towns, dismiss the Andong Protectorate, abandon these two parts of territory, and save military expenses.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the court had different opinions and soon the quarrel broke out again.

In the absence of Ku Di Xiangxiang, Pei Yuan, as the Minister of Spring Officials, that is, the Minister of Rites, and co-director of Fengge Luantai, and the first female prime minister of the Dayu Dynasty, stood up and took up the banner of opposition.

Pei Yuan snorted coldly: "Mr. Di said he wanted to remove the four towns and Anton. It's easy to say."

"Yes, it costs money to set up military garrisons. If there is another war on the border in the future, the court will have to send troops to fight. Doesn't this cost money?"

Yan Rushi chimed in, "That's right. It would be better to set up the four towns of Anxi as the main prefectures of the Great Yu Dynasty, send troops to garrison them, and then send Han officials to govern them."

The territory of the Tang Dynasty was divided into縻府州and正州.正州 referred to areas where Han soldiers were stationed and Han officials governed them.

The縻府州 were areas governed by foreign leaders, where some Han soldiers were stationed or some were not.

The Western Turks, Eastern Turks, and Western Turks were typical vassal states, completely governed by Turkish leaders and garrisoned by Turkish soldiers, and the Han people had nothing to do with them.

Cui Rong, a Fengge official, also stood up to refute, "Yes, Prime Minister Di is wrong. Your Majesty, I also have something to say. Please listen to it."

Wu Zhao agreed: "Go ahead."

Cui Rong cleared his throat and said, "Second Saint, the Northern Di have been a thorn in China's side for a long time!"

The translation of this sentence is: The northern barbarians have been a major threat to the Central Plains for a long time.

Cui Rong replied: "During the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, he was engaged in external campaigns. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, corvée and garrison were numerous, and the expenditure was reduced. He ordered the officials to withdraw the four garrisons. Later, the Tubo became arrogant and entered the Western Regions. They then drove eastward and came to our Dunhuang."

Translated, it means: During the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, the Four Anxi Garrisons were set up, but Emperor Gaozong of Tang disliked the high military expenditure and heavy corvee labor required for the four Garrisons, so he ordered the disbandment of the four Garrisons.

Later, Tubo invaded the Western Regions on a large scale, approached Dunhuang in my country, and threatened my country.

Cui Rong said: "If we capture it now, we will abandon our achievements and forget the strategy of long-term peace. If the four towns are not defended, the wild barbarians will grow stronger and will surely attack the western regions. The barbarians are weak and may not be able to withstand the attack."

Translation: If we abandon the four towns of Anxi today, we will forget the policy of long-term peace. Without troops stationed in the four towns, the Hu people will become increasingly rampant and invade the Western Regions, and other tribes will not be able to resist.

Cui Rong said again: "If the Western Regions are in turmoil, Hexi will be in danger. If Hexi is in danger, there will be no help."

Translation: If the Western Region falls, the area west of the Yellow River will be in danger, and our country may not be able to save Hexi!

Cui Rong reiterated the dangers of abandoning the four Anxi towns: "In the previous dynasty, Cui Lie was the prime minister and wanted to abandon this vast territory. If the left-handed captives were allowed to live here, they would cause chaos. This would be a great worry for the whole country and a grave concern for the country."

What this means is: There was a man named Cui Lie in the previous dynasty who wanted to abandon this vast land of thousands of miles. If the barbarians were allowed to obtain this place, live here and make trouble, it would be a threat to the country!

He said this, but Di Renjie disagreed. The two sides started arguing again, and the entire hall suddenly turned into a huge vegetable market.

Wu Zhao frowned in deep thought, with a serious look on her pretty and dignified face.

Li Zhao did not speak for the time being, but Qingluan could not help but ask her: "Zhao Zhao, Di Renjie is also the prime minister, why did he have to abandon the four towns and not ask you for help?"

Li Zhao said: "Have you forgotten my character? Yudou Xuanzun is only interested in fighting. It is impossible for him to ask me for help."

"Besides, what Di Renjie said does make sense."

Li Zhao sighed: "Historically, guarding Anxi and Andong has always been a big problem, because the national finances can hardly support military supplies."

According to the "Yuanhe County Records" during the Kaiyuan period, "From Kaiyuan to Tianbao...military expenditures increased every year, and the cost of selling horses reached 3.6 million pieces."

"The clothing supply is 5.3 million, of which 480,000 are for Yi, Xi, and Beiting, and 300,000 for Anxi."

In other words, the imperial court spent more than 780,000 pieces of silk on clothing for the Western Regions troops every year, and the rest of the money was spent on other troops.

In addition, there was food supplied to the army, which was equivalent to 3.6 million pieces of silk.

Even during the Kaiyuan Period of Prosperity, the Tang Dynasty found it difficult to bear this expenditure.

Therefore, Li Zhao said: "In history, the four Anxi towns have always been vassal states. The imperial court stationed no more than 3,000 soldiers there, just to serve as security. The local area is still governed by the original king."

"It was not until the reign of Emperor Wu that the four towns of Anxi were transformed from vassal states into full-fledged states. This is one of the reasons why the People's Education Press history book says that Emperor Wu expanded the territory."

Li Zhao sneered: "Some people are spreading rumors that Wu Zetian lost her land? How shameless!"

"It was Di Renjie who said he wanted to abandon An Dong and An Xi."

"As for the Later Turks, they have always been a vassal state, not the inherent territory of the Central Plains at all."

"If the Later Turks were willing to submit and pay tribute, the Central Plains would gain a large piece of territory. Once the Later Turks stopped submitting and paying tribute, the Central Plains would lose a large piece of territory."

"Historically, the Later Turks stopped paying tribute, and that's why Wu Zhou lost the Mobei region. The Later Turks were not lost because Emperor Wu lost the war."

Li Zhao took the opportunity to vent his anger and scolded those male dogs who spread the rumors.

Qingluan nodded silently in her heart: "According to Di Renjie, the Western Regions and Mobei are both barren lands, so it doesn't matter if they are lost. But those male dogs are talking nonsense and slandering Emperor Wu for losing the land. How disgusting!"

After Li Zhao finished talking to her, he turned to look at the court, and when he saw that they had almost finished arguing, he gave Li Chao a look.

Li Chao, who was now in the same position as the Minister of the Court, shouted in a deep voice: "Please Zhong Yan."

The voices in the court suddenly stopped, and everyone looked at the two saints on the throne, waiting for their decision.

Wu Zhao's voice was firm and unwavering: "I understand what you all mean."

"The four towns of Anxi must not be abandoned easily."

As in history, Wu Zhao, with her outstanding military vision, re-established the Four Anxi Towns and resolutely increased the number of troops by tens of thousands.

"The four Anxi towns were previously guarded by only a few thousand soldiers, which is not enough."

"Send 30,000 soldiers to guard Anxi. They will be rotated every year. The soldiers can follow Xuanzun's caravan home and save on travel expenses."

The number of troops Wu Zhao sent to garrison Anxi was the largest in all dynasties.

This move brought peace to the border for decades, until several generations of emperors after Emperor Wu Gaozong of the Dayu Dynasty, when there were no more border troubles.

Li Chao was the first to bring up the matter of the Later Turks: "Sister, the Divine Emperor, and the Later Turks, let's also set them up as Zhengzhou."

This time, not only Di Renjie, but also Pei Yuan and Yan Rushi stood up to object: "No! Tianshu Xingjun!"

Then it was Li Zhao who spoke up: "I understand your concerns, but it is not impossible to establish Hou Turkestan as a state."

"The biggest disadvantage of these wild lands is that they cannot be cultivated, and the military costs are huge."

"Therefore, I specially asked Nuyi, the God of Spring and Summer, the Goddess of Flowers, for a crop that can be cultivated in the Mobei area."

Yan Rushi was slightly stunned: "Xuanzun, what is the yield per mu of this thing?"

Li Zhao curled his lips: "The yield per mu of this thing is more than one stone."

"If you apply fertilizer properly, you can get three stones."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire court was in an uproar.

More than one stone, less than three stone? !

What kind of magical crop is this!

All the officials were delighted: "Enough, enough! We can start reclaiming the wasteland now!"

"I wonder what this thing is called?"

Li Zhaoxin raised his hand, and the high-yield oats seeds he bought from the [Taobao Module] filled a large open space.

"This thing is called oats."

With this modern high-yield and disease-free oats, the Mobei region will become easier to rule.

Li Zhao immediately issued an edict to establish the Later Turkic Khanate as the Chanyu Protectorate, commanding all the governorates and protectorates south of the Great Lake and north of the grassland, and sent 40,000 troops to garrison there.

The four towns of Anxi were the Anxi Protectorate, and troops were also sent to garrison them.

Wu Taizu and Wu Taizong worked hand in hand to expand the territory and left a heavy mark in the books of history that is difficult for later generations to match.