Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

Prince Qi nodded as well, "Father Emperor, your son also approves of this plan."

Pei Ji fell silent for a moment, "If Your Majesty has made a decision, it should be implemented as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary complications."

Emperor Gaozu of Liang was pleased, "Mm, very good, it seems that all of you share my thoughts.

"Now that it is so.

"Assistant Minister of the Secretariat Yuwen, it is your duty to cross over Nanshan Mountain and inspect the area around Fan and Deng for suitable land for relocation."

The so-called Fan and Deng refer to the ancient sites of the Fan Country and Deng Country, which correspond to the area around Xiangyang in later times.

This area has always been a strategic location that military powers vied for; to the northwest, one can travel through Wu Pass to enter Guanzhong, and to the east lies the Huai River, which is the most crucial part of the entire Jianghuai defense line.

Geographically speaking, this is indeed an excellent bulwark against the northern nomadic tribes.

When Emperor Gaozong of Qi first moved south, Li Gang had considered this area as one of the ideal locations for the capital, and the Qi Dynasty was able to resist the Northern Barbarians for decades because of the Xiangyang and Huai River defense lines.

The only problem with it was...

It was too far south.

Moreover, during the Liang Dynasty, Huaxia's economic center had not yet shifted southward, and the north still had superior economic conditions compared to the south.

Despite its small area, the Guanzhong Plain, with its fertile lands stretching for thousands of miles, was still the most prosperous and wealthy region at the time.

And the economic levels of River East and Hebei were also higher than those in the south.

The cities of Chang'an and Luoyang could connect Guanzhong, River East, Hebei, Sichuan and Shu, and the south, making them prime locations for capital cities in terms of geographical position or strategic terrain.

If the capital were relocated to the Fan and Deng area, although it would be slightly better in terms of geographical advantage, control over Guanzhong, River East, and Hebei would significantly diminish.

In other words, it was essentially giving these valuable territories to the Turkic people.

Xiao Yu was completely baffled.

He couldn't understand why everyone seemed to agree on this plan.

Not to mention the issue of burning down Chang'an and what to do with the citizens of the city, even if they managed to relocate all the citizens, what about the other cities and villages outside of Chang'an?

Without Chang'an, wouldn't the Turkic people just plunder other places?

If we were to move to the Fan and Deng area, the only conceivable benefit would be that Emperor Gaozong of Liang and the Crown Prince, who led the ruling class, could rest more easily, as it was nearly impossible for the Turkic people to reach that area.

As for the Turkic rampage throughout Guanzhong, Hebei, and River East...

Clearly, they planned to bury their heads in the sand like ostriches and pretend not to see anything.

Although Xiao Yu disagreed entirely with this ridiculous plan, seeing the Crown Prince, Prince Qi, and other eminent court officials all in agreement, he dared not speak out.

After all, Emperor Gaozu of Liang was not an emperor known for his broad-mindedness.

Li Hongyun, who observed all this from a god's-eye view, nearly had a hypertensive crisis.

If he didn't know any better, he would have thought he was holding a script for the Qi Dynasty.

The southern invasion of the Barbarians, and the ruling class's response was to relocate the capital...

The sense of déjà vu was a bit too strong.

Was the legitimate Qi Dynasty under Emperor Gaozu of Liang?

Just as the nonsensical plan of capital relocation was actually going to be carried out, hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

Lord Qin arrived with brisk steps, his body soaked by rainwater.

"Father Emperor, we cannot relocate the capital!

"Rong Di have been a trouble since ancient times. With your divine military upbringing and shining glory over Huaxia, commanding a million elite troops invincible in conquest, it's merely the barbarian invaders breaching the borders now and not a full-scale war. To relocate the capital to avoid the sharp edge, wouldn't this become the shame of all ages and a joke for a hundred generations?

"Throughout history, brave generals have led northern campaigns for the country. As Lord Qin, leading the country's army, if the dust of the barbarians hasn't settled, it would be my fault. I sincerely request that Father Emperor send me to lead the troops, and within a few years, I will surely present the head of Jieli to you!

"If military affairs turn unfavorable, then discussing relocation is not too late."

When Emperor Gaozu of Liang saw Lord Qin arrive and heard that he opposed relocating the capital, his expression initially darkened.

But after hearing what Lord Qin said, his face eased somewhat, and after a moment's deliberation, he replied, "Good."

Li Hongyun, witnessing this scene with the god's-eye view, almost felt ashamed on behalf of Emperor Gaozu of Liang, only to unexpectedly see that Emperor Gaozu seemed rather pleased.

What divine military upbringing, shining glory over Huaxia?

What about commanding a million elite troops, invincible in conquest?

Did that have anything to do with you?

Wasn't it Lord Qin leading forces, conquering in the south and battling in the north?

Besides Lord Qin, how many capable men do you have left under you...

But in Emperor Gaozu of Liang's view, obviously, all these achievements were his own.

This also showed that Lord Qin was not the kind to be arrogant about his accomplishments or lacking in political wisdom.

Many generals throughout history became arrogant after achieving victories, acting above everyone else, even disregarding the emperor.

Such people exposed their minimal political wisdom through their arrogance.

And their outcomes were often not good.

But Lord Qin, at this moment, though his merit had already exceeded that of the founding Great Generals of history, he still knew how to speak to Emperor Gaozu. A series of flattery had soothed Emperor Gaozu, so his suggestions were naturally more likely to be heard.

However, after Emperor Gaozu nodded his agreement, the Crown Prince seemed displeased.

"Huh, the Siege of Mapu in the past was also accompanied by military officials advising that a hundred thousand soldiers could traverse Beidi. How similar the words of Lord Qin are!"

The Siege of Mapu took place at the border of Yan and Chu. At that time, the Central Plains dynasty sent troops to subdue Beidi but ended up encircled at Mapu Mountain, narrowly avoiding total annihilation.

It was decided to launch that military campaign because certain military commanders thought they could defeat Beidi.