novelslam Chapter 62 Princess Wencheng's Proper Dowry
Chapter 62 Princess Wencheng's Proper Dowry
"If that were the case, it would be impossible for Li Shimin to have been able to hide their affair from him. However, historical records show that Li Chengqian and Hou Junji were only dealt with after they rebelled in the seventeenth year of the Zhenguan era."
Therefore, I think Li Shimin was observing coldly. He was both vigilant and temporarily held back, waiting for them to expose themselves, which is very much in line with the image of a wise monarch.
Both of them were considered destabilizing factors by Li Shimin, but as you just said, Li Shimin had already sensed the changes in Li Chengqian.
Therefore, my opinion is that if Li Chengqian wants to accept Hou Junji, the first thing he should do is make Hou Junji realize the reality.
There's a logic we need to understand: Hou Junji's initiative to contact Li Chengqian at this time was not for the purpose of "assisting a wise ruler."
He simply needed to invest in a future emperor to complete his personal political revenge and prove himself. He valued Li Chengqian because of his status as crown prince and his current predicament, and he was certain that Li Chengqian would need his help.
Li Chengqian's primary goal was to make Hou Junji understand that he was the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty and the future emperor. Once Hou Junji joined his ranks, he must never do anything to betray the Tang Dynasty, nor should he even think about using his achievements to achieve his own political goals.
However, at the same time, we should also give Hou Junji benefits, which is to help him get rid of the current public opinion in the court. I haven't figured out the specifics yet.
Next comes the most crucial step: Li Chengqian needs to find an opportunity to speak privately with Li Shimin, tell him the truth, dispel any suspicion between father and son, and further speak well of Hou Junji.
If all of this can be accomplished, Li Chengqian will not only be able to completely bring Hou Junji under his command, but it will also be an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities. More importantly, it will make Li Shimin look at him with new eyes, leaving no room for criticism in terms of sentiment, reason, and law.
Mr. Tang, these are just my humble opinions. What do you think?
Chen Yue was overjoyed after hearing this.
"As expected of a history PhD from Peking University, this analysis is brilliant and comprehensive. I'm very satisfied with this line of thinking. Brothers in the live stream, could you give me a more detailed plan based on what the host just said, especially on how to clear Hou Junji's name?"
By the way, could the host talk about my second question?
As Chen Yue spoke, he added three more Carnival gifts, and at the end he added, "These gifts are not rewards for the problem, they are just my way of thanking the streamer for his help."
Bai Xiaosheng was very satisfied with Chen Yue's attitude and thanked him for the gift.
"I mentioned Princess Wencheng's dowry last month and have given it careful consideration. I was originally planning to do a special feature on it. Mr. Tang has certainly hit the nail on the head. I'd like to share my thoughts."
The core issue is the need to shift from "one-off generous gifts" to a systemic, sustainable cultural and technological system with political underpinnings.
First, Songtsen Gampo was granted the official title of "Great Tang Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant," and he was provided with a purple robe, a gold fish bag, and a ceremonial retinue in the style of a Tang Dynasty prince. Princess Wencheng was also provided with a complete "Princess's Residence" with officials. The etiquette was impeccable, making Songtsen Gampo both a son-in-law and a subject of the Tang Dynasty.
Second: Historically, the dowry of the Wencheng princess included various artisans and key technologies, which were crucial and needed to be adjusted and changed. The artisans were replaced with Buddhist cultural groups, and the gentle teachings of Buddhism were used to dilute the martial spirit of the indigenous Tibetan religion. Confucian ethics were also introduced through a long process.
Third: Technologies that improve the quality of life, such as textiles, winemaking, and architectural painting, can be provided, but those related to the foundation of the nation, such as agriculture and medicine, should be provided in a restricted manner, for example, by sending "guides" to provide guidance.
These people must not master the core technologies. They are like the technical advisors our country sends to Africa. After providing guidance, they have to come back. Each time, different people are sent.
However, core technologies related to military operations and ideological dissemination, such as metallurgy for crossbow manufacturing, large siege weapons, armor making, and woodblock printing, will absolutely not be provided.
Fourth: Tribute and reciprocal gifts. The two countries signed an agreement that Tibet would send an envoy every year to exchange horses, cattle, sheep, leather and other raw materials for Tang Dynasty aid, such as book updates, tool maintenance, and new crop seeds, instead of them simply demanding.
Fifth, the aristocratic education was turned into hostage education. The sons of the great Tibetan nobles were invited to study at the Imperial Academy in Chang'an under the name of the princess, to experience the splendor of the Celestial Empire, and were provided with generous treatment. In reality, they were used as high-level hostages and subjects of cultural brainwashing.
The goal was to make Tibet's future elites pro-Tang and weaken their internal cohesion, much like the tactics the US used against the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
As for other gold and silver valuables, those are insignificant. This way, we can silence Tibet, demonstrate the power of the Celestial Empire, curb Tibet's development, and make it easier to control them.
Before Chen Yue could react, the viewers got excited.
[Holy crap! Streamer, are you trying to destroy Tibet? This is so frustrating, because I was Tibetan during the Tang Dynasty (crying)]
To be fair, the dowry arrangement by the streamer is very reasonable; I can't think of anything else to add.
The thought of the money being earned by the streamer makes my heart bleed (with a kitchen knife)
Chen Yue was also shocked. He had only wanted to use the popularity of his live stream to get more attention for his posts from history enthusiasts, but he never expected that the other party would give him such a big surprise.
Although Chen Yue is not a professional history student, he has some knowledge of history. The points summarized by Bai Xiaosheng cover all aspects and are very comprehensive.
Overjoyed, Chen Yue attended five more carnivals.
"That's very well said. Brothers in the live stream, as usual, please follow his ideas and give me a detailed plan."
Unbeknownst to many, Chen Yue had already given away eleven Carnival gifts in the live stream, worth more than 30,000 yuan.
If you add that extra 20,000, it would be more than 50,000 in total. In the past, he would have been reluctant to spend it, but now he doesn't feel that way at all. The money is well spent. Besides, he can recoup his investment with just one bag of refined salt.
It's like he solved all these problems by spending two dollars.
"Thank you again, Mr. Tang, for the carnival. I appreciate your expense tonight. I've started following you. If there are any further historical questions, we can discuss them anytime."
"Okay, guys, give me a solution as soon as possible. I'll contact the streamer and announce it on mic again once I have a result."
[Respectfully seeing off Boss Tang (with a smirk)]
I'm not sleeping tonight; I have to come up with a solution (work hard!)
With the ideas provided by Bai Xiaosheng, all that remained was meticulous work, and many people were determined to pocket the reward money.
Chen Yue emerged from the live stream around 1 PM, and his private messages had already reached 99+. In addition, the two posts he made on Tieba and forums also became popular because of this live stream.
After all, the history circle is only so big, and many users on these two platforms are also fans of Bai Xiaosheng. Through word of mouth, the information spreads extremely quickly.
The number of comments on Chen Yue's posts increased rapidly, and no one doubted that he was a fraud anymore.
Some university students even directly asked their professors these two questions.
This was exactly what Chen Yue wanted. Letting him go find these experts and professors himself would be risky, not to mention whether they would even listen, and the price would be very high. It was much easier to cast a wide net like this.