pappabearbooks Chapter 5403 Premium Strategy
Chapter 5403 Premium Strategy
Chapter 5403 Premium Strategy
Snowflakes were falling outside the window, and the air was crisp and cold.
Master Chengjing's mind and body were colder than the weather...
Mononobe Ashikaga exuded an overbearing aura: "It's just a dilapidated temple. The only useful things are the wood and bricks! Even Japan is gone, and the imperial bloodline is almost wiped out. Future generations will probably all be of noble Tang Dynasty descent. Who has time to mourn the poor and ignorant ancestors?"
Looking around, he said in a deep voice, "Since we have embarked on the path of 'people's election to enter Tang,' we must walk it firmly and let the Tang Dynasty feel our sincere hearts. We must strive to integrate into the Tang Dynasty! Anyone who is half-hearted, enjoying the security and prosperity brought by the Tang Dynasty while still thinking about so-called ancestors and bloodlines, is the enemy of all Japanese!"
Incomplete loyalty is utter disloyalty!
How can a race that cannot be completely loyal be accepted by the Tang Dynasty and integrated into the Tang Dynasty?
He downed the sake in one gulp, slammed the cup heavily on the table, and gritted his teeth like a wild beast: "Gentlemen, once we embarked on this path together, there was no turning back. If we don't want to be cursed as traitors and national disgrace by the Japanese while being guarded against, rejected, and kicked away by the Tang Dynasty, we have no choice but to do things thoroughly!"
Master Chengjing looked grim and remained silent.
He planned to unite the Buddhist community of the entire Japanese islands to fight against the Japanese king, and preserving Tennoji Temple was a way to enhance his prestige. However, seeing the obsequious and subservient attitude of these Japanese nobles towards the Tang people, he knew that his plan was nothing but a vain endeavor.
Whether it's an individual, a nation, or even an entire race, once their bones are broken and their spine is severed, they will quickly be swallowed up by the rolling tide of history, never to make a ripple again.
Soga no Akagi frowned, puzzled, and said, "Haven't we done enough by now? I've already sold out all the Japanese. We know exactly what that so-called 'democratic election' is all about. What more do we need to do to make it completely over?"
Ōtomo also said, "We can't possibly kill all the Japanese, can we? Even if we were willing to do that, the Tang people might not agree. They have incorporated the Japanese islands into their territory and established states and kingdoms there. They would never just want a barren land with few inhabitants."
Master Chengjing stared at Dabanza in shock, a chill running down his spine.
Isn't this too cruel?
They're capable of annihilating their own race?
He felt a chill run down his spine. If he hadn't been forced to agree to demolish the temple by the pressure from Mononobe Ashikaga, he would probably have been killed and hung outside the temple gate to dry and freeze solid by now.
Mononobe Ashikaga glanced at the trembling Chōshō, inwardly despising this old bald monk for being all bark and no bite, greedy and cowardly, a mere enlightened monk.
"Killing all the Japanese is certainly not an option, but we must completely erase all traces of their history! Then we must fully integrate into the Tang Dynasty and identify ourselves as Tang people! Regardless of what others think, we ourselves must firmly believe that we are Tang people!"
"Don't think I'm trying to curry favor with the Tang Dynasty by completely eliminating Japanese civilization... Do we Japanese even have civilization? We even use the characters written by the Han people! I'm thinking of all Japanese people. Rather than being ignorant Japanese people who are starving and eating raw meat, why not integrate into the Tang Dynasty and become wealthy and civilized Tang people? Ten or a hundred years from now, we will be the heroes of the Japanese!"
……
Down the mountain, the Fusang Royal Palace.
The main halls of the palace were not yet completed due to a lack of timber, but the other side halls and sleeping quarters were mostly finished. Dressed in casual clothes and wearing a turban, Li Tai knelt on the floor. The floor was heated by the heating, making the room warm as spring. There were even a few plum blossoms in a vase on the table by the window, ready to bloom.
It was quite unexpected to hear Mononobe Ashikaga, Ōtomo no Sakai, and Soga no Akagi recount their statements about "erasing the history of the Japanese".
Do they really have absolutely no bottom line?
However, this is a great thing for him. The Japanese islands are the place where his descendants will inherit the legacy. Assimilating those Japanese people as soon as possible is the only way to ensure peace and stability for a long time.
He gestured for the three to drink tea, and said with a smile, "This is tea that the Grand Commandant gave to me some time ago. It is called 'black tea.' It is mild and has a rich aroma. You are fortunate to have such a good taste. Please try it."
The three quickly thanked him, respectfully picked up their teacups, and took a sip. They had been racking their brains for words of praise, but as soon as the tea entered their throats, they immediately felt its magic. The aroma was rich, the color was like amber, the tea soup was smooth and soothing, and the aftertaste was endless. They were immediately amazed and showered each other with unique praise.
When it comes to enjoyment, the Tang people are the best; the Japanese can't even come close!
While these top Japanese nobles and wealthy people were still eagerly pursuing Tang Dynasty silk, porcelain, glass, fine wine, and so on, the Tang people were no longer satisfied with these luxurious items and were instead trying to create new luxury goods themselves!
Da Banza, who loved tea the most, felt as if he were drinking sweet dew and couldn't help but ask cautiously, "May I ask Your Majesty, how much does this tea cost?"
Li Tai laughed and said, "Such refined things should not be associated with money; that would be vulgar."
Da Ban immediately understood: he couldn't afford the tea, and even if he could, there was nowhere to buy it!
So I really need to integrate quickly...
Li Tai took a sip of tea and asked, "We were talking about the shortage of timber for the palace the other day. I wonder if any of you have a solution? Spring is just around the corner, and the project needs to be completed as soon as possible. The managers and craftsmen of the Ministry of Works are very busy and cannot stay here for long."
Mononobe Ashikaga hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, it has been resolved!"
"Oh? Although I know that there is a shortage of timber near Nanbojin, which is a bit difficult for you, the beams of the main hall are not like those elsewhere. Don't try to fool me, or I will hold you responsible if anything goes wrong in the future!"
Soga no Aka quickly assured him, “Your Majesty, rest assured, we would never dare to deceive you even if we had a hundred lives! We just went to Tennoji Temple, and Abbot Chōjō has already agreed to demolish the temple and transport all the usable materials to build the palace.”
Li Tai pondered, "To demolish Tianwang Temple in order to build a royal palace for me... isn't that a bad idea?"
The three Japanese were almost disgusted. Who was it that clamored to demolish Tennoji Temple in the first place?
Who forced us to go out and find a way to search for giant trees in the dead of winter?
Now that we've demolished Tennoji Temple as you wished, you're pretending to be a good guy again. So, everything was done by the Japanese willingly, and you're being magnanimous?
However, he could only keep these thoughts to himself and dared not utter a single word.
"Your Majesty is of noble birth, and it is an honor for the Japanese to come to Japan to establish a kingdom and rule over the Japanese people! In order to build a palace for Your Majesty, let alone a mere Tennoji Temple, even if all the houses of the Japanese were demolished, it would be a great blessing for our family!"
"Your Majesty reigns supreme over Fusang, bringing glory to all the islands and auspicious omens to the land! We are willing to contribute to the construction of your palace!"
Li Tai blinked and asked, "Do the Japanese truly support me so much?"
The three men pointed to the sky and swore: "It is absolutely true!"
"Your Majesty is like the bright moon, your clear light shines upon all of Japan, and all people share in your blessings!"
Li Tai laughed heartily: "Good! Since the Japanese people love and respect me so much, I will naturally show them compassion. I have already reached an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture in Chang'an, and in the spring, dozens of officials skilled in agriculture and sericulture will cross the sea to guide the Japanese people in planting rice, harvesting mulberry leaves, and raising silkworms! These two things will be the foundation of my Fusang Kingdom from now on!"
"Uh……"
The three of them didn't show much joy or excitement; instead, they looked at each other blankly.
Mononobe Ashikaga asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, we have been cultivating rice for many years, and the people have a long tradition of raising silkworms... So there is no need for the head of the Ministry of Agriculture to provide guidance, is there?"
The Japanese islands are mountainous with little arable land, but not lacking in water. Therefore, rice cultivation developed rapidly after the Han Chinese introduced the technique, and the cultivated area became quite large. The history of mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing can be traced back to the pre-Qin period, although both originated from Central China…
"Heh, do you think I know nothing about the Japanese islands?"
Li Tai's smile remained unchanged as he waved his hand to indicate that the three of them did not need to be so apprehensive: "Fusang is poor in resources and has a small population, making development difficult. It is even more difficult to become a strong and prosperous nation. Therefore, the national policy I have set for Fusang is the 'high-quality' route."
Da Ban asked in confusion, "May I ask Your Majesty, what is meant by the 'premium' route?"
Li Tai said, "Let me ask you, since Japan has had the technology to cultivate rice for so long, are all Japanese people eating rice today?"
"Uh... of course not. Although the planting technology is advanced, the yield is limited, so it's impossible to supply everything."
"The current rice production is still insufficient to meet the needs of the Japanese. If more Chinese migrate to the islands in the future, won't they become even more starving?"
“…That’s right.”
Li Tai asked, "How can we ensure that everyone on the islands has enough to eat?"
Daban shook his head: "I'm not getting enough to eat."
He even countered with a question: "Can the Tang Dynasty guarantee that everyone has enough to eat?"
"Of course not."
Li Tai showed little frustration, even appearing proud: "But that's because the Tang Dynasty is vast and has complex terrain, with many places inaccessible by road, not because there isn't enough food."
With the increasing availability of high-yield crops from overseas continents, coupled with the rice supply from Southeast Asian countries, the granaries in various parts of the Tang Dynasty are now always full. If the government had not intervened to control grain prices and prevent farmers from being hurt by low prices, grain prices would probably have fallen to their lowest point in history.
So even though many people still go hungry due to traffic congestion, communication lag, and official corruption, this is only a technical problem, not a fundamental one.
He said to the three men, “Since I have established this kingdom here, the people of all these countries are my subjects, and I should treat them with kindness and love. Therefore, I have devised a ‘premium strategy’ for Fusang. Since we do not have enough land for cultivation, we will not bother to cultivate the wilderness, but instead use the best seeds, the best land, and the best water to grow the best rice. We will then sell it to the high-ranking officials and nobles of the Tang Dynasty at extremely high prices, and buy back ordinary rice at a fair price. This will be enough to ensure that all the people of Fusang can have enough to eat.”
(End of this chapter)