Established a thousand-year family from the end of Qin Dynasty

Chapter 638 The Republic and the Emperor ([-])

"Is Yan's political system really advanced?"

"Is the republic already behind, and the empire is the future?"

Five years later

Summer of the second year of Yan State 420 (642)
Such questions linger in the minds of every intellectual in Yan.

In the past, they could proudly say that Yan State was orthodox and that Yan State's political system was the best. They even advocated that Yan State had an error correction mechanism and would not be harmed by a brutal and fatuous monarch like the Central Plains.

However, with the emergence of an ancient Mingjun like Li Shimin in the Central Plains, the people of Yan State began to become unconfident.

Look at the Central Plains next door. Under the rule of Mingjun Li Shimin, the country has become more and more prosperous, and the people have begun to live and work in peace and contentment. Then look at our country of Yan. Every day, the parliament is arguing, endlessly, and endless internal strife.

Facts have proved that the most destructive to the republic is not the faint king, but the wise king.

The existence of a foolish monarch makes the people feel disappointed and even cast aside the monarchy, so they will involuntarily embrace the republic.

But when Mingjun appeared, the people began to have hope for the monarchy again, and began to feel dissatisfied with the republic that was constantly fighting among themselves.

"It would be great if our country of Yan is also an imperial system, and it would be great if our country of Yan also has a wise king like Li Shimin to rule."

The existence of Yang Guang made the people of Yan believe that Yan's aristocratic parliamentary republic is the most advanced system in the world.

The existence of Li Shimin convinced the Yan people that the enlightened autocratic monarchy in the Central Plains was the most advanced system in the world.

Some intellectuals in Yan State began to reflect, whether the republic is actually a retrogression, and enlightened autocracy is the future of the world?

Theories always change due to changes in actual conditions, and social existence determines social consciousness.

When Yang Guang's army of millions was wiped out by the Yan State, most people believed that a republic is better than an autocratic monarchy.

However, when the people of the Tang Empire under the rule of Li Shimin lived and worked in peace and contentment, and were able to expand their territories abroad, most people began to believe that an autocratic monarchy might be better than a republic.

Whoever wins will have a better system. From ancient times to the present, everyone has this kind of thinking.

When the republican Yan State defeated the autocratic Sui Empire, the republic was better than the autocratic monarchy.

When the Tang Empire, an autocratic monarchy, began to prosper, the autocratic monarchy was better than the republic.

However, some thinkers of the Yan State suggested that the prosperity of the Central Plains was only due to Li Shimin. Once Li Shimin died and the new monarch was a faint one, then the State of Yan would be able to defeat the Central Plains again.

"Human nature is always selfish. Therefore, according to human nature, wise rulers are always rare, and foolish rulers are the norm. Even if Li Shimin's next generation does not have a foolish ruler, his next generation will definitely appear, even if the next generation does not appear. , the next generation will definitely appear.”

"So, autocratic monarchy is a rule with a very high upper limit and an extremely low lower limit. The upper limit can prosper in a short period of time, such as Li Shimin, and the lower limit can make people miserable in a short period of time, such as Yang Guang."

"And the republic of our country of Yan can neither make the country prosperous nor cause the people to live in poverty. Therefore, the republic is still better than the autocratic monarchy in the Central Plains."

However, this voice was quickly buried.

After all, under the leadership of Li Shimin, the Central Plains has become prosperous and prosperous. This is a fact, and no amount of theory can overthrow the fact.

Just like during the period of Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty, no one would believe ten thousand sayings that an autocratic monarchy is better, because in the autocratic Sui Empire, millions of troops were wiped out by the Yan State.

Yan Ji, Yan Xu and his son spent 70 years establishing the concept of a republic in the hearts of Yan people. During the Yan Ming period, they began to be questioned and reflected again.

Especially three months ago, Tang Dynasty general Su Dingfang eliminated Xue Yantuo, and established Yanran Dufu on the Mobei Grassland, and even built a city on the south bank of the North Sea (Lake Baikal), and sent Tang troops to garrison it.

Although Huo Qubing and the ancestors of the Wang family had fought in Beihai, but fighting and being ruled are two different things.

Huo Qubing and the ancestors of the Wang family just took a tour of Beihai, left their great achievements on the stele, and then went back. As for Beihai, it is still the territory of the prairie people.

The Han army attacked Beihai, just like the Xiongnu plundered Chang'an, they simply went there without establishing rule.

However, the Tang Empire, recuperating for five years, defeated Xue Yantuo and other prairie tribes in the first battle, built a city in Beihai, and sent generals to station it for a long time. This was the first time in the history of the Central Plains Dynasty.

Yanran Dufu Mansion collects taxes from various tribes in the grassland every year. The tax collection method is also very simple, that is, how many livestock each tribe pays each year, and the tax is paid with livestock.

At the same time, the Yanran Protectorate also cut off the livestock trade with the Yan State. The Tang Empire wanted to trap the Yan State to death.

"Although I can't do anything about the Shanhai Pass and navy of your Yan country, I can wipe out all of your Yan country's allies, block all your Yan country's trade routes, make your Yan country's economy decline, and eventually lead to civil strife. At that time, it is the time for our Datang to regain the homeland of Liaodong!"

This is the strategy of Tian Khan Li Shimin. Obviously, he is much smarter than Yang Guang.

Li Shimin will not go to Shanhaiguan to die, nor will he confront the Yan State Navy with pebbles and stones for the time being.

Shanhaiguan, the number one pass in the world, even an emperor like Li Shimin would not dare to break through it from the front. He could only wipe out all of Yan's allies, leaving Yan alone.

The country of Yan, which lost its trade channels, soon experienced economic recession. The country of Yan, which relied on industry and commerce for prosperity, is now suppressed by the Tang Empire.

Some guilds in the Spice Islands began to find another way out and began to trade with Tianzhu/Shendu. However, because there was no trade transfer station along the way, the trade was very risky and they were prone to shipwreck.

As for the commercial city of Sanhan Que Island in Liaodong, Yan State, it is difficult.

The Spice Islands are at least a little closer to Tianzhu, so they can open up new overseas markets.

Liaodong is one hundred and eight thousand miles away from Tianzhu, and the road also passes through the Spice Islands, so it can't compete with the commercial cities of the Spice Islands.

Liaodong and Sanhan, which lost the Central Plains grassland trade, gradually declined, especially Liaodong, which was almost completely dependent on the Central Plains grassland trade.

Liaodong, the prosperous land of Yan State, has become the first declining area, while the Spice Islands have sprung up suddenly, occupying an increasingly important position in Yan State's economy.

This also led to another contradiction in Yan State, "North-South Conflict", or "Native-Colonial Conflict".

The mainland is gradually declining, and the colonies are developing more and more. Therefore, the centrifugal force of the colonies on the local center is increasing, and they are unwilling to continue to be a vassal of the local (Liaodong Peninsula, Korean Peninsula), unwilling to continue to be a pure raw material supply for the local land, but wanted greater autonomy, with its own judicial administration, its own industry and commerce.

(End of this chapter)