NCCnovel Chapter 552 You are in me, and I am in you
Chapter 552 You are in me, and I am in you
"Twenty years of Qianwu?"
Li Chengqian frowned. He looked down at Lin Dafu, his tone unconsciously urging him, "Fatty Lin, will it take that long?"
Recalling the successful operation of the first steam engine in the Ministry of Industry, Li Chengqian seemed to see that the Tang Dynasty was traveling across the world with the power of machinery, advanced equipment was entering thousands of households, and the national strength was at its peak.
With such ambition, he proposed the idea of using electricity with wisdom that was ahead of his time.
For countless nights, he looked at the blueprints in the Liangyi Hall, repeatedly deducing the prosperous Tang Dynasty illuminated by electricity, hoping to lead the Tang Dynasty across a thousand years and into an unprecedented new era.
But reality lies between dreams and reality.
It now seems that the progress towards a new era has been hampered by many difficulties and is moving too slowly.
In this world where the strong prey on the weak, the only way for the Tang Dynasty to be qualified to stand at the top of the world and become a true Celestial Empire is to keep striving, pioneering and innovating.
However, although he had a far-sighted vision of how to quickly enter the electrical age, he lacked a specific implementation path. He could only pin his hopes on the skilled craftsmen of the Tang Dynasty, hoping that they could overcome the difficulties as soon as possible.
"Your Majesty, this is already the fastest speed."
Lin Dafu bowed slightly, looking helpless.
"Sailing on the sea is completely different from sailing on land. The turbulent waves and treacherous ocean currents are all insurmountable obstacles."
"Twenty years of Qianwu, that's assuming we have some ideas now. Otherwise, who knows how long it will last."
After listening to this, Li Chengqian nodded slowly, his eyes showing both understanding and more worry.
After a brief thought, he said in a deep voice, "Double the wages of the craftsmen this year."
In his heart, craftsmen are the spark of hope for the future of the Tang Dynasty, and their efforts deserve generous rewards. Perhaps this doubled salary can give them some help.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Although Li Chengqian was a little anxious, he also understood that impatience would not solve the problem.
There is a brand new continent out there, where rich minerals and vast fertile land are waiting to be developed and utilized.
But the biggest problem facing the Tang Dynasty at present is still population.
Without sufficient manpower, even if a large area of land is occupied, its value cannot be fully utilized and it will be just a facade.
Because of this, although Li Chengqian had the idea of expanding westward, he could only suppress his impulse and wait for the opportunity.
He secretly estimated that it might take another twenty years for the population to grow significantly, when these children grew up and integrated into society. Only then would the Qianwu era truly reach its peak.
"By the way," Li Chengqian suddenly said, "At tomorrow's meeting, let's first inform the people about the abolition of slavery."
"In addition, the future development plans of the Tang Dynasty will be decided by the people through voting. We will work towards the goals the people hope the Tang Dynasty will achieve. I only need to firmly grasp the core principle of serving the public good."
The will of the people is the direction for the Tang Dynasty to move forward. Only by allowing the people to truly participate in the development of the country can the Tang Dynasty gather infinite strength and steadily move towards its peak.
"That's all for today. You've all worked hard all day. Go back and get some rest. You have to get up early tomorrow."
Li Chengqian waved his hand.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Everyone stood up, saluted respectfully, and filed out.
At this time, only Qin Ruzhao was still standing there quietly, without moving.
Li Chengqian was about to stand up when his eyes fell on Qin Ruzhao. He was startled for a moment and then sat down again.
"Ru Zhao, what else do you want?"
Li Chengqian's voice was gentle, with a hint of concern from an elder for a younger generation.
Qin Ruzhao clasped his hands together, took a step forward, and said with a hint of hesitation: "Your Majesty, I am a little confused."
Li Chengqian nodded and looked at him gently: "Just say it."
"Your Majesty, the delegation has already been confirmed, but Your Majesty has added another person. I am worried that it will be difficult to take care of them properly."
Qin Ruzhao frowned slightly and said with a worried look on his face.
Li Chengqian frowned slightly upon hearing this, a glint of understanding flashing in his eyes. "Ruzhao, are you dissatisfied with me assigning a peasant boy to join the diplomatic mission?"
"Besides, you know that the child has Goguryeo blood."
"You have been leading troops to suppress the Goguryeo region for a long time. You have some prejudice against them in your heart and are dissatisfied with this matter. I can understand."
Li Chengqian sighed softly.
"But Ru Zhao, times have changed. The Tang Dynasty is now on an unprecedented path."
Li Chengqian looked at Qin Ruzhao in front of him and patiently explained, just like he had many years ago, "The Tang Dynasty today should be tolerant and accept people from all over the world. No matter where they come from, they are all citizens of the Tang Dynasty and can contribute to the development of the country."
"Come, bring a small stool and sit next to me."
Li Chengqian patted the empty seat beside him and motioned Qin Ruzhao to sit down.
Qin Ruzhao followed his instructions and brought a small stool, then sat down beside Li Chengqian. Li Chengqian subconsciously raised his hand, wanting to touch Qin Ruzhao's head as he did in the past, but looking at the grown-up Qin Ruzhao in front of him, his hand remained suspended in mid-air for a long time before finally slowly lowering it.
Time flies. The young boy who once followed behind him has now grown into a capable pillar of the court.
Qin Ruzhao looked at Li Chengqian's lowered hand, he picked up Li Chengqian's hand and put it on his head.
"Your Majesty, Ruzhao is still the same Ruzhao. He has never changed."
He looked at Li Chengqian with a calm smile.
Looking at Qin Ruzhao like this, Li Chengqian gently touched his head.
Just like before.
"Ruzhao, you've always had this stubborn temper since you were little. You can't stand things no matter how you look at them, and the same goes for people."
"Logically speaking, your personality is not suitable for you to be of great use, and you can't be the general of the Divine Martial Guard of my Tang Dynasty. Logically speaking, Xian Huai is much better than you."
"But, Ruzhao, you have one advantage, and that is obedience. You listen to me. Even if you don't understand something, you will still do it according to my instructions."
"So, I also like to reason with you."
"Now is the time; Ruzhao, you must change your mindset. In the past, the destruction of our Tang Dynasty was commonplace, because those people were not from our Tang Dynasty."
"But now, I am promoting the rule of the king, using the teachings of hundreds of schools of thought to promote our Tang culture, allowing it to spread throughout the world, and pursuing multi-ethnic integration."
"Whether they are the Goguryeo people, the people of the Western Regions, or the Tibetans, from now on, they no longer exist."
"From now on, they will all be people of the Tang Dynasty. As this is passed down from generation to generation, how will they even remember where they came from?"
"No matter what country the people are from, they are essentially simple and honest."
"Especially those small countries surrounding the Great Tang. Look at them. Besides the language, are their appearances very different from ours?"
"Actually, after so many years, we and them have become one and the same."