booknovelhub
Chapter 262
Chapter 262
Chapter 262
“My husband, you haven’t come home for a whole day,” Changle, seated in the palace, rested her chin on her hand, wearing a displeased expression.
“It’s been a day?” Su Li raised an eyebrow.
After his attributes exceeded two hundred, Su Li had surpassed the limitations of an average human.
He hardly needed rest, and the Northwest region was vast, with numerous ethnic groups and abundant paperwork to manage. Su Li had been deeply engrossed in his work and hadn’t noticed the passage of time.
“This Northwest region is just too expansive, with many ethnic groups and intricate affairs to handle. I’ve been immersed in my work all day and lost track of time,” Su Li sighed.
“Has my lady encountered any difficulties adapting to this place?” Su Li inquired with a smile.
“Not really, it’s just that compared to Changan, the people’s way of life here is far less prosperous… Thankfully, I have Xueyan with me, and Su Che is lively. She arrived recently and went hunting with great enthusiasm!” Changle warmly smiled. Compared to Changan, even Su Li’s residence here could be considered rural. The city walls were tall, but the population within the city was sparse. Once you left the town, you might not encounter people for half a day, and the roads were almost non-existent.
The Central Plains had experienced a thousand years of development, but here? It was an uncivilized, barren land.
“Shangdang is like this, and I can’t even imagine what it’s like further northwest,” Changle shook her head.
“I’ve been there before… That place lacks proper roads… and there are no villages. Many of the ethnic people there are nomadic, and it’s common not to come across any signs of civilization for days or even weeks. Heading further west, it’s mostly desert, and once you venture in, if you lose your way, it’s unlikely you’ll find your way out. It’s all snowy plains going north with harsh, year-round cold and snow,” Su Li explained.
Su Li’s territory was vast, so it almost spanned different seasons. The inner regions were relatively closer to the Central Plains and had a somewhat normal climate.
But what about the outer regions?
It could be said that Shangdang here was like spring, the west was like summer, and the north was like winter…
“In such a vast place with so few inhabitants, even the communication of messages becomes challenging,” Su Li sighed. In this extensive expanse, gathering people to convey orders was the most challenging task. In many of the smaller tribes, they might as well be isolated from the world. It could take them a year or more to learn that there was a change of rulers in the region.
“Shangdang is not a suitable place for long-term residence,” Su Li said with a tinge of regret. “We will probably have to head to Tubo in the future. My lady, let’s start preparing early.”
“Ah? Going to Tubo?” Changle was slightly surprised.
“This place in Shangdang is too far south… Although it’s close to the Tang Dynasty and offers relatively livable conditions with a better quality of life, the gathering place for the ethnic people in my territory is in the far northwest. If the palace remains in Shangdang, even for soldiers and officers to convey messages and execute orders it will take ten days or even half a month. For those farther away, it could take a year or more to relay messages,” Su Li explained.
The rationale is quite simple. This territory is too vast, and Su Li’s current location in Shangdang is essentially the southeasternmost part of Su Li’s fief. The living conditions in this area are relatively favorable, with a larger population of Han people. As for the place where the Huns gather was separated from Su Li by a distance of hundreds of thousands of miles.
If Su Li aimed to reform customs, establish his nation in this region, and assert a significant presence, he must position himself in the central northwest. This central location would facilitate more rapid and effective expansion throughout the entire northwest. Tubo, located on the plateau, appeared to be a suitable choice.
Following the construction of Songtsen Gampo and Lu Dongzan, there was arable land, ample water, and a foundation for establishing clustered cities. Beyond the plateau were grasslands. Shangdang was located further south, and heading northwest from the plateau led to the snowy mountains of the Onion Ridge.
Su Li could extend his influence over all his territories from this central position, enabling more immediate communication. Shangdang, in Su Li’s view, served as a connection to the Tang Dynasty.
Su Li required a substantial Han population base to rule the northwest effectively and carry out customs reform. Leveraging his charismatic appeal, Su Li could attract many immigrants, coupled with favorable policies, making it feasible to attract one or two million people. Relying solely on childbirth in such a sparsely populated region would be lengthy. The Tang Dynasty alone had approximately twenty million people. Su Li would need to draw at least two to three million from Li Er’s territory to expedite the assimilation of the Western Region’s ethnic groups and achieve meaningful customs reform. Without a sufficient Han population base, customs reform would be futile.
“I plan to rely on the Central Plains, import a population, establish key industries, boost food production, reform customs, eliminate illicit offspring and beliefs, and discard the chaotic languages, scripts, and customs of the ethnic groups. These objectives cannot be accomplished by remaining in Shangdang alone. However, no matter how well Tubo is developed, it won’t be as comfortable as Shangdang. If you find adapting challenging, you can return to Shangdang occasionally,” Su Li explained.
Changle shook her head and rested her head on Su Li’s shoulder. “How could I ever be separated from my husband?”
Changle sensed the ambition and determination in Su Li’s words. Her previous husband had always been passive and unassuming, but now, with his territory and newfound power, he seemed to have a new aspiration to achieve something significant. Changle wholeheartedly supported her husband. While she cherished the warmth of her husband’s presence, she believed that men should strive for great accomplishments.
Her husband had been by her side for so long, and now that he had a new ambition, she wanted to support him in pursuing it. “Of course,” Changle replied. She understood Su Li’s ambitions and was willing to stand by his side as he pursued his goals.
“Yes,” Su Li nodded, gently embracing Changle around her waist. “Things are a bit informal here, and there aren’t many formalities. As long as my lady doesn’t find it boring, I can handle the political matters, and your presence won’t hinder anything.”
“However, there’s no rush to go to Tubo,” Su Li added, shaking his head.
“Before that, I’m afraid I’ll have to make a trip outside! Gather all the ethnic groups and take a look!” Su Li’s eyes flashed with a hint of determination. While Su Li intended to reform customs, the path of reform always came with challenges and, at times, violence.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified systems, languages, and thoughts, and many died during that process. Su Li’s plan for customs reform and cultural integration might sound gentle, but it was more challenging than it seemed. Eradicating the opponent’s language, scripts, history, beliefs, and customs and replacing them with your own was daunting. Given the vastness of the Northwest, ordinary methods couldn’t possibly unite all the ethnic groups. Even just sending messages on horseback would take over a decade.
So, Su Li planned to undertake this journey himself. With White Dragon, who could share one of his attributes, he could gather the ethnic groups in one or two months at most. Those who supported his cause would be spared, and those who resisted would face consequences. While Su Li needed some ethnic minority officers to facilitate customs reform, he wouldn’t tolerate disloyalty and insubordination.