freenovelworld Chapter 1028 "Yunmeng Dialogue" (Part 1)
Chapter 1028 "Yunmeng Dialogue" (Part 1)
Seeing Li Che's focused expression, Xu Jiezi knew he had taken it all in, so he continued his analysis:
"Your Majesty, the problems in domestic affairs are far-reaching and cannot be fully explained in a short time. Moreover, Your Majesty is wise and must have already noticed them."
"How about this, let me first explain our foreign policy strategy."
Upon hearing this, Li Che paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
If we were to say what he was most proud of during his tenure in Daqing, it would undoubtedly be his military achievements against foreign powers.
The military might of Daqing has been unparalleled in the surrounding area for decades, and even centuries.
The old Fengtian Army still maintains a 100% win rate in its external campaigns and has never suffered a defeat.
Although powerful states such as Tibet and Russia occasionally made unusual moves, they only dared to cause trouble in secret, and on the surface, they all paid great respect to the new Daqing.
In Li Che's view, although the external threat has not been eradicated, it has been basically suppressed by the powerful military and is not a cause for concern.
Seeing Li Che's expression, Xu Jiezi couldn't help but smile slightly: "Does Your Majesty feel that our Great Qing's military might is now invincible, with all barbarians submitting, so we have no worries about external affairs and can rest easy while focusing on internal affairs?"
Li Che nodded frankly: "To be honest, I do have this thought."
"With a strong army at our disposal, we can subdue the villains and establish a solid foundation for peace and prosperity throughout the land. It is no exaggeration to say that we are invincible."
Coming from that country in his previous life, Li Che had immense control over the "barrel of guns" and always restrained himself by the principle of being at odds with the whole world.
Xu Jiezi's expression turned serious, and he shook his head, saying, "If Your Majesty thinks this way, then you are conflating 'a strong army' with 'a strong nation'."
"In my opinion, although these two are related, they are actually quite different, or even completely different."
Li Che frowned slightly, as if he had something to say: "Please explain the differences in detail, sir."
Xu Jiezi stroked his beard and said slowly, "Weapons are instruments of violence. Once an army becomes powerful, it will inspire fear."
"The surrounding countries fear our military might and dare not openly offend us. They fear our strength, not our virtue, nor do they admire our governance."
“In their hearts, they regard Daqing as a fierce tiger that they have no choice but to bow down to, and they either harbor resentment or have ulterior motives.”
“Once our country’s internal affairs change and we show signs of weakness, these countries will never offer help in our time of need. Most of them will stand by and watch, or even take advantage of our misfortune and divide us up.”
"Your Majesty is currently using a large army to pacify the newly annexed territories, but dares not withdraw lightly, and this is the reason why."
"They fear his reversal, not that they are truly convinced."
After listening, Li Che remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
What Xu Jiezi said was indeed to the point.
He conquered vast territories with his advanced military concepts and powerful firearms, but his rule was not firmly established and relied more on military coercion, which was not a long-term solution.
Just like the three kingdoms of Goryeo and Japan, they still have a large number of troops stationed there today, and their annual military expenditures are astronomical.
Even for the Mohe and Khitan, who had long since submitted, Li Che still needed to relocate their people to Feng State and let them live among the Qing people before he could feel at ease.
This is hardly what a country should be like; in the long run, its finances could be crushed.
"Then what do you mean by 'a strong nation'?" Li Che pressed, his tone becoming even more earnest.
A hint of approval flashed in Xu Jiezi's eyes, knowing that Li Che had grasped the key point.
He replied, "The essence of a strong nation is to inspire aspirations in people."
"The key lies in: a full national treasury without excessive taxation, people living in peace and contentment, a generally clean and efficient political system, and a flourishing culture and education."
"In short, it is to make the lives of the people of my Great Qing far better than those of people from other countries."
"In this way, without the need for war, foreign peoples will naturally admire our Celestial Empire, take pride in being Daqing people, and make it fashionable to learn Daqing's system and culture."
He paused, then continued, "And those vassal states that depend on Daqing, if they can gain real benefits from the strength and stability of our dynasty, then the stability of Daqing will be firmly tied to their own interests."
"For example, with the protection of Daqing, we can avoid foreign invasion and save a lot of military expenses to support the people's livelihood; we can make a lot of money by trading with Daqing, and the people will have no worries about food and clothing; with Your Majesty's guidance and protection, our internal affairs are gradually improving."
"So even if there are occasional internal turmoil in our dynasty, they will do their best to help, because if Daqing falls, their good days will be over."
"At that time, even if Daqing makes some demands on them, or even exerts influence on certain domestic affairs, they will mostly be happy to comply and regard it as guidance from the superior country."
These words struck Li Che like a thunderclap, instantly connecting him with many of his past experiences.
Isn't this some kind of 'community of shared interests'?
Wasn't it a certain superpower in the past that attracted global talent and capital and built an alliance system with itself at its core by virtue of its wealth, development and cultural soft power far surpassing other countries?
Many small countries voluntarily relinquish part of their sovereignty in exchange for protection and development opportunities, based on a similar logic.
Of course, this is all predicated on the fact that no oil has been discovered in the small country...
“What you say, sir, is indeed the truth!” Li Che suddenly understood, but a new question arose: “However, why has no one in our court mentioned this to me? Is it because I have appointed the wrong people, or is it because my ministers have failed to see this?”
Xu Jiezi shook his head and sighed, "It is not that you gentlemen are disloyal or unworthy, but rather that it is due to the limitations of tradition."
“Since ancient times, there has been a distinction between Chinese and barbarians. The concept of the Celestial Empire as a superior country is deeply rooted in people’s hearts. When dealing with foreign countries, the only strategies used are ‘suppression,’ ‘appeasement,’ and ‘control.’ There is no systematic and rigorous way to get along with them.”
"Now that His Majesty is mighty and his military strength is unparalleled in the world, he will naturally focus on 'suppression' and 'appeasement' in foreign affairs."
"In the eyes of the ministers, since we already have the means to deter all sides, why bother with those petty favors from foreign lands?"
"With that energy, it would be better to invest it in domestic affairs and people's livelihood, which would yield faster results. This is due to the limitations of the times and our understanding, not solely the fault of individuals."
Li Che took a deep breath, and the last bit of smugness in his heart vanished, replaced by a sense of clarity.
He stood up and bowed respectfully to Xu Jiezi: "Hearing your words is more valuable than reading for ten years. I humbly request your guidance, sir. Where should we begin with this new diplomatic strategy?"
Seeing that such a powerful ruler as Li Che was able to humble himself and seek his guidance, even showing the respect due to a disciple, Xu Jiezi was deeply moved.
The evaluation of this young emperor instantly rose several notches.
Throughout history, monarchs who have achieved unparalleled feats are often prone to becoming stubborn and self-willed. Those who can always remain clear-headed and readily accept good advice are extremely rare.
Why was Li Er, whose private morality was difficult to judge, still able to become a model emperor for all emperors? It was precisely because he humbly accepted advice.
Ministers like emperors who listen to their advice, but if an emperor completely obeys his ministers, he becomes a puppet on a string. This balance is extremely difficult to maintain.
Li Che did a great job in this regard, being able to listen to other people's advice while also having the ability to think for himself, thus demonstrating the demeanor of a wise ruler.
Xu Jiezi dared not be negligent and quickly stood up to return the greeting, then invited Li Che to sit down again.
He then composed himself and said in an orderly manner, "Since Your Majesty has inquired, I will offer my humble opinion as a starting point."
"The first priority is to clarify the roles and responsibilities and establish a system!"
“The surrounding countries must be clearly distinguished as vassal states and tributary states, and the two should not be confused.”
When Xu Jiezi spoke of valuable information, Li Che leaned forward slightly, adopting a listening posture.
Xu Jiezi explained: "The vassal states and tributary states are often confused by the world, but their nature is actually very different."
"That's one way to put it. A vassal state is obligated to pay tribute, but a tributary state is not necessarily a vassal state!"
Xu Jiezi tapped the teacup in front of him: "Most of the vassal states border our country or are located in key strategic positions."
"The ascension of its ruler requires formal investiture from our Great Qing Dynasty to be legally valid; our dynasty has the right to inquire about and even interfere in its domestic and foreign affairs; if it is disloyal, our dynasty can rebuke it with a single edict; if the edict is not obeyed, then the royal army can rightfully 'punish the guilty on behalf of Heaven' and depose and install its ruler."
"The existence and stability of such countries are closely related to the border security and strategic layout of our dynasty. We must strengthen our control over them and gradually transform them into the extension of our dynasty's power, and even the foundation of future counties."
Li Che nodded slowly.
To put it bluntly, vassal states were subjects; they had to do whatever Daqing said and had no independent diplomatic rights.
Just like Baekje today, all the power is in the hands of the Daegyeong Rites Department, and the king is just a figurehead.
Xu Jiezi then pointed to the teacup in front of Li Che, which was further away from him: "And tributary states are usually located overseas, or far away, with mountains and rivers blocking their way, making it difficult to directly intimidate them with military might."
"But these countries have long-standing and stable trade relations and cultural exchanges with our dynasty."
"For such countries, the main approach should be appeasement, demonstrating the benevolence and wealth of the Celestial Empire, so that they can benefit from trade and culture through exchanges with our country."
"It made them deeply realize that maintaining friendly relations with Daqing is far better than confrontation or estrangement."
"In that case, there will naturally be pro-Qing forces within its borders, and its national policy will tend to favor us."
Li Che listened intently and pressed for an answer: "Then what should we do besides these two?"
A sharp glint flashed in Xu Jiezi's eyes: "Those are enemy countries and colonies. Enemy countries need no further explanation. Anyone who dares to openly violate our borders and damage our core interests is an enemy country."
"There is no need to say more about this; we should strike with overwhelming force until it submits or is destroyed."
He paused briefly, his tone turning cold:
"As for colonial countries... this is also a concept that my late teacher once mentioned."
In my humble opinion, colonial powers can be regarded as vassals who have completely lost their autonomy, or even further.
"There is no need to show them any respect. We can systematically extract resources, use labor, and control the market based on their resource endowments and our needs."
"Its purpose is to provide nourishment for the development of Daqing."
"This strategy is extremely drastic and must be used with caution. It should also be planned in the long term to avoid exhausting resources and causing chaos."
After listening to this clear and layered explanation of the diplomatic system, Li Che couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration: "What you said, sir, is progressive, clear in name and reality, and specific in strategy. It is truly enlightening and has cleared away the fog for me!"
"This is not merely a diplomatic tactic; it is the true path to national strength!"