"The Holy Spirit has arrived!"

The much-anticipated moment arrived. The bells and drums on both sides rang in unison, the Taichang Temple musicians danced separately, and the feathers and umbrellas were paraded out. The scene was extremely lively.

As the saint's chariot appeared on the palace road, the subjects greeted the chariot and bowed, shouting in unison: "I respectfully welcome your majesty, long live my emperor!" "Official ministers respectfully welcome the saint, long live your majesty, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty!"

No one knows when the "Long Live" words began to rise. However, it was not Wu Zetian who spread this world. On the contrary, when foreign ministers from various countries met with each other, they used such etiquette and such explicit and enthusiastic expressions.

It's all out of enthusiasm and admiration.

The same was true at this time. Some envoys from small countries even kowtowed directly, looking pious and sincerely worshiping.

"No gift!"

On top of the imperial chariot, a long sleeve embroidered with gold patterns stretched out, and a slender palm poked out from it, and gently raised it.

After getting closer, everyone was able to see the true appearance of this reclusive emperor.

The Qianqiu Festival is the emperor's birthday celebration, not a national sacrifice. Li Hong did not wear the most solemn emperor's crown. After all, the pearls hanging from the crown did not feel good, and dressing up too solemnly was not conducive to the festival celebration.

Although his regular clothes are luxurious, for an emperor, they are somewhat simple. He does not appear to be aloof or majestic, but rather relaxed and indifferent.

"I heard that Emperor Tang was obsessed with Taoism and ignored political affairs over the years. What I saw today is not a rumor!"

The subjects of the Tang Dynasty were not surprised, and the envoys from various countries looked at each other with a faint look of worry.

If this most powerful being in the world is really obsessed with attaining enlightenment and becoming an immortal, then it will actually be a very undesirable situation for the surrounding countries.

After all, the Tang Dynasty was a beacon of civilization, and it was always reasonable. Although it destroyed many countries, it was all done in a rightful way. It became more and more powerful in these years, but it did not actively invade neighboring countries. All thanks to this benevolent saint.

.

If Li Hong had ignored the government affairs, or if a new emperor had ascended the throne, the current peaceful situation in various countries might have changed accordingly.

"She is full of energy and perfect both internally and externally. Li Hong has lived up to his true power!"

Just as the envoy was secretly worried, Xiao Hei looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar Emperor of the Tang Dynasty with complicated eyes.

She originally thought that the exercises created by Li Yan would have been abandoned long ago after Li Hong recuperated his sick body.

That's not surprising. As a king of a country, and a king who has made a difference, he must spend a lot of energy on political affairs. There are many examples of people who have become sick from overwork and cannot concentrate on practicing martial arts at all.

As time goes by, it will be difficult not to let it go to waste.

But when we see Li Hong now, not only does his body, vitality, and blood show the decline of middle-aged people, but his warm and jade-like eyes have gathered a sparkle, and he actually looks a bit like he has returned to his original nature.

It was not yet certain whether Emperor Tang was addicted to Taoism, but what we see now is that it is definitely not a pretense.

"Have you finally embarked on this path..."

Xiao Hei's feelings are a bit complicated.

On the one hand, she didn't want Li Yan's hard work to go to waste and hoped that the Tang Dynasty would continue to prosper. That's why she worked so hard to investigate the case when she discovered the enemy's conspiracy against the Tang Dynasty.

But on the other hand, she also knew that as an emperor, Li Hong could not be a puppet without his own desires. Twenty years was enough for an ambitious sage king to become lazy and neglectful in politics, and instead pursue his own interests.

desire.

This is why before Li Yan left, he only gave suggestions instead of arranging everything.

The king of a country who possesses supreme power cannot be restrained by external forces. The more he wants the other party to implement his plan, the more things will backfire.

And now, no one can restrain the desires of the Nine-Five Lord.

While Xiao Hei was sighing with emotion, another holy chariot was brought out. The first people sitting on it were Queen Pei and Prince Li Chengqi, followed by the other concubines, princes and princesses.

The number of people in Li Hong's harem was very small, and he did not even have many heirs. Instead, a group of younger brothers, King Yong Li Xian, King Ying Li Xian, and King Ji Li Dan, each brought their entire family and came to celebrate the festival with great joy.

Under the singing of the etiquette officer, the saint's family and the Li Tang royal family formally entered the palace.

Li Hong sat down, looked around at the ministers, and said in a warm voice: "It's a good holiday, and the dishes are here to enjoy. Come and enjoy your meal!"

The ministers saluted: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

This is not the first time that the Qianqiu Festival has been held. The overly complicated etiquette has long been deleted, and the atmosphere is deliberately closer to a family banquet. There is a sense that the emperor and his ministers are enjoying themselves together, and there is a sense of harmony inside and outside.

The most special thing is that everyone will not be hungry the whole time and eat first.

As the palace maid Ruo wore flowers and butterflies and served delicacies, the atmosphere in the venue became relaxed, and many courtiers began to enjoy it.

After all, I woke up very early and waited outside the palace hungry all the way. At this time, the charm of an actor with enchanting dancing and melodious singing voice was not as attractive as the hot mutton and deer breast.

Even Li Hong smiled and said to the queens present on the left and right: "Don't be hungry, eat!"

Queen Pei came from a family of military commanders and was quite heroic. She started to act rudely after hearing the words, while the prince's expression seemed to be in a trance and seemed a little absent-minded.

Li Hong was in a happy mood. He looked at the vegetarian meal that was served and said to the prince: "Back then, your master also liked to fill his stomach first and then discuss business. It's a pity that you were still young at that time and didn't have time to listen to your master's teachings...

…”

The prince's body trembled slightly: "What the father said is true, and I understand."

Li Hong nodded, picked up the wine bottle, poured a glass of sake himself, and tasted it.

Although the saint's posture was relaxed enough, the subjects below could not really eat and drink. After eating some food, they gained some strength and immediately began to prepare for the next step.

Li Hong stood up and raised his wine glass: "I have contributed to China and created it to the people. This was my wish when I came to the throne. Fortunately, thanks to your sincere loyalty, the country and the people are now peaceful and prosperous. Let's all drink together!"

All the ministers congratulated: "The Tang Dynasty has been revealed, and God has given it to all nations! How prosperous your majesty is, and how prosperous the Tang Dynasty is!"

This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! After the words fell, envoys dressed in various costumes formally entered and presented congratulations and gifts.

The first person in line has slightly dark skin, and the Chinese he learned also has a strange pronunciation: "Qu Tanyi, the envoy of Tianzhu, on behalf of the five kings of Tianzhu, congratulates the Emperor of Tang on his longevity, and offers a Kun Thou stone. May His Majesty the Emperor of Tang be as high as the sun and the moon."

Hang on, enjoy the good times forever!"

Kunstite is diamond, also known as diamond in later generations. Historically, Tianzhu was almost the only source of diamonds before the 18th century.

In the Tang Dynasty, all foreign diamonds were produced in Tianzhu. At that time, the Persians had frequent trade with the Tang people and paid tribute to diamonds, which were mistakenly recorded as the origin of diamonds in historical records. Now, there is no middleman to make a profit on the price difference and they pay tribute directly.

Li Hong smiled and nodded, then looked at the prince: "What do you think, the prince?"

The prince stood up and replied: "My great virtues in the Tang Dynasty have spread far and wide, and the righteous path has reached far and wide. Only then will the five kings of Tianzhu respect the holy will and come from afar to congratulate me. I hope that with the arrival of the holy virtue, the people of Tianzhu will also enjoy peace."

This is a beautiful statement. In fact, the diplomatic principle of the Tang Dynasty has always been to distinguish between grudges and enemies. If a country offends us, we will be severely punished. If a country is obedient, we will be rewarded.

The reason why Tianzhu is so obedient is also the result of the combination of kindness and power.

The Kingdom of Tianzhu during this period was originally divided into five kingdoms: East, West, South, North, and Central. Each kingdom had its own king, so it was called the Five Kings. However, when Wang Xuance went to Tianzhu as an envoy on the order of Taizong, the envoy

When they were attacked in Northern Tianzhu and almost all of them were wiped out, Wang Xuance escaped alone and issued a message to all nearby Tang vassal states to send troops to fight. In the end, he achieved a brilliant record of destroying a country with one man.

In fact, the combined army led by Wang Xuance swept all the way and destroyed far more than one country. Northern Tianzhu was the hardest hit, and Central Tianzhu and Eastern Tianzhu were also severely affected.

The final result of the battle was that after defeating the enemy in the front and killing the defeated soldiers, "580 cities near and far were surrendered, and 12,000 men and women were captured, as well as more than 30,000 cattle and horses, and Tianzhu was shocked."

That was fifty years ago, and the greater threat was the Tubo dynasty that dominated the plateau. As a result, twenty years ago, Tubo was destroyed again.

Tianzhu was trembling. In fear, the countries that were originally scattered were forced to form an alliance. The five kings sent out an envoy. Of course, they really wanted to go to war, but maybe they seemed to be in harmony and separated.

Fortunately, the Tang Dynasty had little interest in the countries beyond the Himalayas.

Mountain and river barriers and the hot and humid Indian peninsula can cause acclimatization, which are factors on the one hand. The management of the Anxi Protectorate is the more important century-old plan of the country.

Since Tianzhu knows its interests, it mainly focuses on appeasement trade. The ivory and gemstones it produces are also a good fortune.

Seeing that the Tang Emperor and the Crown Prince both had warm faces, the envoy from Tianzhu could not help but retreat with joy, and the envoy from the Lion Kingdom hurriedly picked up.

Envoys from small countries came forward one after another to present congratulations, congratulations on the saint's birthday, and gifts. Occasionally, they also made small complaints.

For these geographically small countries, Datang assumed the responsibilities of a big country, often mediating conflicts and being impartial. Therefore, it was highly respected and stopped wars between the two countries more than once.

The advantage is that while the international prestige is further enhanced, many people from other countries in the bordering areas come to live in the Tang Dynasty for the glory of becoming a Tang Dynasty.

If the border states and counties cannot continue to accept them, they will move to Anxi. The dividend of population migration is a necessary condition for the vigorous development of the Anxi Protectorate, which is originally a vast area and sparsely populated.

And if these countries are just border people who are looking forward to crossing the border to seek refuge, then when it was the turn of the Japanese envoys to visit them, they would fall to their knees with a bang and burst into tears: "The saint is like the sun hanging high in the sky, but the humble country is thirsty.

Yu Enhui has been bathing for a long time, and I still hope that His Majesty the Tang Emperor will make it happen!"

Countries looked sideways, and those who didn't know were confused and felt that the licking was too exaggerated.

In fact, it is not an exaggeration. The island country that once dared to join forces with Baekje to attack the Tang Dynasty has long since dared not copy Li Zhi's title of emperor. It did not even dare to call the country Japan, and called itself King of Yingzhou.

The most fundamental reason is that the unification of the Korean Peninsula, the mining of gold and silver mines, and the attraction of immigrants from the Tang Dynasty to the aristocratic class led to the collapse of Japan's domestic political situation.

In just twenty years, this small island country has had countless internal fights. In the past, the aristocratic class had no way out. Now, even if the fight fails, they only need to pat their butts, carry a large sum of gold and silver, and successfully settle into a large household.

Tang Jiucheng, there are some short and low-ranking officials in the palace at the moment, and he is one of them.

These people had changed their names, and their behavior had long been Chineseized. After two or three generations, even their height and appearance were no longer discernible. Their eyes showed a cold light, and they looked at the Japanese envoys with contempt, not wanting the saint to agree.

After hearing this plea, Li Hong turned to the prince again, showing a look of inquiry.

The prince said: "Japan has been a vassal country since the Han Dynasty. Why does it need to be merged into our Tang Dynasty? The people of all countries only need to be kind-hearted and that is education. There is no need to hide their selfish motives and talk about right and wrong!"

The Japanese envoy was anxious: "Your Highness, Tuyuhun can also submit to the Tang Dynasty. We, Yingzhou, have long been respectful, so why not allow it? Why not allow it!"

Indeed, the news that the last generation of King Tuyuhun entered the Tang Dynasty was news that shocked other countries.

After all, as a vassal, it is still an independent country. If you give up directly, you will lose even the royal family. Who would want to be destroyed except for the destruction of the country?

But the little prince of Tuyuhun did it willingly, and the Tang Dynasty successfully accepted the land of Tuyuhun, integrated it with the old Tubo land, and completely controlled the vast land of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

But overseas Japanese countries, I'm sorry, are not allowed to join the Tang Dynasty now.
To be continued...