Tens of thousands of people flocked to Qinzhou City, and the entire port city suddenly became excited.

After dinner, Li Chao sat by the window on the fifth floor of Zuixian Tower in Qinzhou, leaning against the window and looking at the pedestrians on the street below.

"Qinzhou is really lively."

"In less than ten years, Qinzhou gathered a population of 300,000, and merchants were in a constant stream. The tax bills collected by the Maritime Bureau of Qinzhou Port have entered the top ten Datangguan Port."

"Well, the three cities we planned at the beginning have almost lived in. The shops in those commercial areas are basically full and very lively." Li Chao was also very satisfied with all this. He invested heavily in building this big port. As it turned out, his idea was successful.

Qinzhou has become the major port in Lingnan after Guangzhou and Jiaozhou, and it has even tended to surpass Jiaozhou Port. After all, it is the sea outlet of the southwest. Especially in recent years, the imperial court has quickly penetrated into Guangxi, Hunan, Qianzhong, Yunnan and other places.

"It was all the achievements of the Taishi to pacify Lingnan." Ma Zhou said in admiration. Without a stable southwest, there would naturally be no development. Li Chao went to Lingnan and completely obeyed Lingnan in a few seconds. Especially after the council, he set the tone for the development of the southwest.

In recent years, no one dared to be a tyrant, and everyone was pursuing development. With this parliament, the Han chiefs, li coaches, new Han merchants and other forces also had an internal negotiation platform. Everyone could sit down and talk, avoiding a lot of trouble.

"Thanks to Lingnan has been a relatively enlightened official in office over the years."

Ma Zhou smiled bitterly, "Just say that we have been officials of the new party in the past few years."

"The court also gave us those of us who want to do things a chance, and there is nothing to complain about." Li Chao said.

In recent years, officials transferred to Lingnan, from Xuanfu envoys to county magistrates, were basically the New Party in the court, the more enlightened officials. They were considered radicals in the New Party, and most of them were ordinary officials who were sent to Lingnan.

It is these officials who are in power that have made the new policy well implemented in Lingnan.

"We have nothing to complain about for the expansion of territory and educating the people. However, His Majesty's actions towards the crown prince are still a bit worrying," said Ma Zhou.

"There is nothing to worry about. Your Majesty is forty, how many more spring and autumn can there be? And His Royal Highness is only nineteen now, even if there are twenty years, it will only be thirty-nine. We can wait!"

Li Shimin is now looking at R&F, but he has only been able to live a life of twelve years.

Twelve years have passed, but it is not long.

Besides, the prince is out of the capital now and is not with the emperor, so there is no need to worry about offending the emperor again.

It would be fine if you last for twelve years.

"I'm still a little worried. This time Wenyuan, you were transferred to the Governor of Xindu by Yuan, one of them was the Governor of Funan, Chu Suiliang was the Governor of Hezhong, Cen Wenben was the Governor of Beiting, Sun Fujia was the Governor of Anxi, Wang Gui was transferred to the Governor of Monan, Yu Shinan was the Governor of Yanbei, and Wei Ting was the Governor of Liaobei!"

"Wen Yuan, the minister who supported the prince in the court, was transferred to the frontier by Yuan."

"We are too far from the court."

This year, the court once again adjusted the border areas of the Tang Dynasty and unified them into eight governors.

Anxi, Beiting, Hezhong, Xindu, Monan, Yanbei, Liaobei, Funan.

These places are border areas where the nobles divided their feudals. The court is now unified as the governor, and the governor and other officials stationed, responsible for coordinating the feudal aristocrats within the leadership, as well as responsible for civil affairs, taxation and justice.

As Ma Zhou said, after the imperial court adjusted the border administration this time, almost all officials such as Ma Zhou and others were officials who supported the prince.

In Ma Zhou's view, the emperor continued to liquidate after the May incident last year.

They moved away from the court step by step.

"From another perspective, this is actually a good thing." Li Chao said to Ma Zhou with a smile.

"When we arrive at the border, we can do something practical with peace of mind."

"What practical things can I do in the borderland?" Ma Zhou said helplessly.

"There are still many practical things. For example, if you go to Funan, you can retake Funan, or even use military service. This is a rare opportunity to make contributions. Your career is smooth, but what you lack is military merit, and the experience of local government. If you calm down and take charge of Funan for ten years, this will be of great help to you. In the future, if you return to the center, have this rich experience, and have a chance to be the prime minister again, there is no one to say anything."

He lowered his voice.

"Besides, if there is a change in the direction, if it really comes, we will speak out together and even raise an army to clear the king's side, which is also a killing move."

Clear the king's side.

When Ma Zhou's face changed a little when he heard Li Chao say this bluntly.

"Of course I hope there won't be that day, but if there is a change in the court at that time, we must protect the prince and support the prince ascend the throne. At that time, we need to express our attitude and unite with the nobles in the border areas to speak."

"Will there really be that day?"

"Who can guarantee it?" Li Chao said.

Things in the world are impermanent. Li Shimin started taking pills in his later years. Many of his actions were criticized later in his later years.

Li Shimin may have sent all the officials in the court who supported the prince to the border, believing that this would prevent his imperial power from being threatened. At the same time, these people are indeed more practical and capable officials, sending them to the border, not only to seize and suppress them, but also to give them a platform to do business.

But in Li Chao's opinion, this did give them a chance.

The princes in the court were demoted to the frontier. If they calmed down and did a practical task for ten or eight years, they would not only establish reputation and political achievements, but also establish good relations with the nobles in the border areas.

Form a powerful force.

One day, when Li Shimin wanted to ban the parliament, or abolish any new law, or abolish the prince or reduce the power of the nobles, they could hold high the banner of the guardian, hold the title of clearing the emperor, and take the prince as the main force, and attack the Hanjing with the coalition forces.

"The situation in Funan is not very good." Ma Zhou no longer said the matter of clearing the monarch. This sentence was heard by a third person, and both of them would be convicted of treason.

There are some things that everyone can think about.

"There are less than one-third of the coastal land left in Funan. We must send troops to block the fierce attack of the Zhenla people. But now the imperial court has not given me many soldiers. It is probably too late to wait for them to gather." Ma Zhou smiled at Li Chao, "Now I can only borrow your soldiers."

Li Chao now has 25,000 soldiers and horses, and he also wants to transfer about 5,000 more soldiers in Jiaozhou and Qinzhou. These five,000 soldiers are mainly private soldiers of the nobles.

But in the end, Li Chao would have an army of 30,000, and nearly 500 ships of all sizes went to Xindu.

This is a powerful army, even if it is mainly aristocratic private soldiers.

"Just borrow it for one month!" Ma Zhou said, "Just help me destroy the sharpness of Zhenla and stabilize the situation in Funan."

Ma Zhou took office as Governor of Funan, but now it is a bit troublesome.

Funan is a mess, and the army of Funan has almost all been defeated. If the court had not urgently drawn the navy and army from Linyi to reinforce and help them defend the last few cities, they would have been swallowed up by Zhen La.

The territory under the jurisdiction of Ma Zhou, the governor, was Linyi, Funan, and the Vietnamese state of Zhang Zhongjian. Vietnamese state was actually just a small archipelago. It used to be the Vietnamese road of the imperial court and was also the fief of Zhang Zhongzhou. Now it has been incorporated into Funan Prefecture, but its troops are not strong.

"Zhen La is quite strong, their elephant army is very strong."

Of course, Zhenla's strength is incomparable to the Tang Dynasty, but it is indeed very strong on the Indochina Peninsula. They were originally a vassal state of Funan, but their strength has soared in recent years.

It almost occupied most of the territory of Laos, Thailand and Cambodia in later generations.

Their army has strong fighting capabilities in the elephant, horse and jungle with Southeast Asian characteristics.

"We are all old friends, I will definitely help you." Li Chao agreed immediately. In Li Chao's opinion, helping Ma Zhou is also helping him, and not only that, it is not difficult.

Zhenla has a large territory and many soldiers, but it still has very traditional equipment and tactics. As for the Tang Dynasty, it has become a new army that surpasses the times.

There are both powerful naval fleets and very fierce artillery. Although muskets are not easy to use in the jungle, artillery is still easy to use. Besides, where is the remaining territory in Funan now?

The Mekong Delta.

This means that Li Chao's navy can directly enter the Mekong River from Haikou and go all the way up.

At that time, he could quickly intersperse and quickly attack the former Funan city along the Mekong River to help them regain these places.

Li Chao didn't even have to care about Zhen La's army. He just used the benefits of the navy to seize some of the heavy cities in the lower Mekong Delta and control the lower Mekong River and the Delta. If he controlled these places, Funan could gain a stable foothold.

Ma Zhou has these strongholds, and then he will be invincible by operating slowly.

Use defense instead of attack, and then set up people later.

Well, then the imperial court sent troops from Tangzhou in Guangnan Road to cross the mountain pass of the Hengshan Mountains and attacked directly on the upper reaches of the Mekong River on the other side of the mountain. The real La people would have to face the trouble of fighting on both sides.

Wushiling in Tangzhou, which is the Jiao Nuo Pass in Vietnam in later generations, is an excellent attack gate. And the Mujia Pass, which is now in Linyi, is also an important gateway on the Hengshan Mountains.

Hengshan is like the Taihang Mountains between Hebei and Hedong. The long mountain range becomes a natural barrier to Guangnan, Linyi and Funan controlled by Zhenla and the Tang Dynasty. However, there are several passes on this mountain range that can cross the mountains.

For the Tang Dynasty, the west was the continuous Hengshan Mountains and the east was the sea. The Tang Dynasty's fleet could quickly transport troops, then cross the mountains, penetrate the Zhenla from multiple directions, and attack their inland.
Chapter completed!