The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 393 Songtsen Gampo
But things have to be done after all, even if people in the future suddenly remember that there is such a policy and such a teaching strategy.

Even though these policy essays are criticized by people now, there are more than 7,000 teachers from all over the Central Plains. Even if only a small part of them can be remembered, they can be refined and corrected according to local conditions.

The current Tang Dynasty cannot build canteens or dormitories for these children, and the government's expenditure is still not enough. Most of the children now study in libraries, or go to nearby homes, or bring their own dry food.

The eunuch prepared a bowl of tea and brought it to your Majesty's table, saying, "Your Majesty, this is the new tea we sent you this year."

Li Chengqian took a sip of tea and asked, "Have the wines and beverages offered by various places this year been delivered to Father?"

The old eunuch replied, "They have all been sent, and I wanted to leave some for your majesty."

Li Chengqian said: "No need to keep too much, I don't usually drink."

The old eunuch smiled and nodded.

The night wind blew, and the ginkgo trees outside rustled. Li Chengqian sat in the hall with his eyes closed, rubbing his brows.

After a long time, Li Chengqian stood up and left.

The eunuchs in the new palace hurriedly cleaned up the place, and after His Majesty left, they blew out the candlesticks.

Some roads must be taken step by step. First, reform the Chongwenguan, then observe the reaction of the court, and then slowly make plans for the future.

If we say that during the six months he was emperor, he was able to gather the teaching resources in Guanzhong, this should be considered a big thing.

Things like this that have nothing to do with war or border issues probably won't attract too much attention.

When he returned to Liangyi Hall, Li Chengqian saw his daughter sleeping at the table. Her cheek was pressed against the scroll and she seemed to have fallen asleep while reading. She was also wearing a cloak because the palace maid was worried that the princess would catch a cold.

Su Wan and Ning'er were calculating the expenses of the palace. They were the two of them in charge of the palace's expenses in the past six months.

Li Chengqian picked up his daughter.

Little Magpie said in a daze: "Dad."

"Ah."

She rubbed her head against her father's shoulder and said, "My daughter has not yet learned production science."

Li Chengqian said: "Learning has no end. When will your learning end?"

The daughter nodded at his shoulder, and Li Chengqian laid her on the couch and covered her with a quilt.

Looking at his little daughter Meng Ji who was already fast asleep beside him, Li Chengqian watched for a while longer before talking to his two wives about the current affairs in Beiyuan.

In late June of the first year of the Qianqing reign, the counties in Guanzhong, under the auspices of Chongwenguan, were organizing their bookstores.

A message came from Tubo, thousands of miles away, that the Tubo King Songtsen Gampo was seriously ill.

His Majesty has sent an edict, ordering the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo to come to Chang'an for treatment, and has also ordered Songtsen Gampo's son to handle the affairs of the Tibetan tribes.

Not long after the imperial edict was delivered, Lu Dongzan and Sangbuza hurried over to meet the emperor.

Chang Sun Wuji walked out of Chengtian Gate, looked at Lu Dongzan standing at the gate, and asked, "Isn't this really your Zanpu's strategy to win over the enemy?"

Lu Dongzan hurriedly said: "Zanpu would never do such a thing."

Sambhota said: "Our Zamp is really seriously ill. In fact, as early as last year, Tubo sent us news that the Zamp had a serious illness and has not recovered yet."

Chang Sun Wuji said: "The Divine Doctor Sun is still in Chang'an, bring him here to see him."

Seeing Lu Dongzan lowering his head and saying nothing, Zhangsun Wuji's face showed more sympathy, and he said, "Go see His Majesty."

"Here."

The two men bowed and followed the eunuch into the palace.

In front of the Yongfu Gate of the Eastern Palace, Li Chengqian met Lu Dongzan and Sangbuza.

This is the gate of the East Palace. After being lived in for twenty years, the East Palace still maintains its original appearance. Many objects have been sealed up, but the seesaw is still there.

Whenever I come here, I always think of many things in the past.

Lu Dongzan saluted and said: "Your Majesty."

Li Chengqian walked in front with his hands in his pockets and said with a smile: "I still remember the first time I saw you, it was outside the Taiji Hall."

Lu Dongzan bowed again, "I am glad that Your Majesty still remembers."

Li Chengqian walked into a palace in the Eastern Palace.

The eunuchs stood guard outside the palace and did not allow Lu Dongzan and Sangbuza to enter.

Then, Li Chengqian took out a wine pot from the hall. There was a seal on the pot. He handed it to Lu Dongzan and said, "This is the barley wine you gave me that year."

Lu Dongzan held the wine jug with a touching look on his face, "I didn't expect Your Majesty still kept it."

Li Chengqian said: "This wine must not be drinkable. It has been so many years."

Lu Dongzan nodded slightly.

"I have been waiting for Songtsen Gampo to come to Chang'an. How many years have the feud between Tubo and the Tang Dynasty lasted? It has been more than 30 years since the Wude period, right?"

Sambuza nodded.

Li Chengqian added: "Songtsen Gampo is only one year older than me. In fact, I have always wanted to meet him for so many years. If the grievances between Tubo and the Tang Dynasty can be resolved, it can be regarded as a good story. Maybe you think that the Tang Dynasty has too many good stories."

Lu Dongzan raised his eyes and looked at the young emperor in front of him, "But..."

"Are you worried that Songtsen Gampo will die in Chang'an?"

The two were silent again.

Li Chengqian said: "The court could have completely ignored Songtsen Gampo's life or death, and could even have waited until your king passed away before the army attacked Tubo. I will not hide it from you. Now the Tang army can penetrate deep into the heart of Tubo. We have trained a force in Songzhou that can roam the plateau."

"The Tibetan plateau is not invincible to the Tang Dynasty. I can now ask Songtsen Gampo to come to Chang'an for treatment, or I can send troops to attack Tibet. But please consider it carefully, my words are all."

Lu Dongzan said, "Your Majesty, it is rude of a foreign minister to ask such a question."

"You said."

"Is it your Majesty's idea to have the Zanpu come to Chang'an for treatment, or is it the idea of ​​the court?"

"Hahaha..." Li Chengqian chuckled and said, "The civil and military officials of the Tang Dynasty are all as fierce as wolves and tigers. What do you think?"

"I understand. I will send the letter to the Zanpu right away."

In the city of Chang'an, in the Right General's Mansion, Li Ji was sitting with several generals in the court. When they heard that the Tibetan king was seriously ill, they both wanted to ask for a fight.

Li Ji said: "The Tang Dynasty cannot take advantage of others' misfortune. We need a reason to start a war."

Zhang Shigui added: "This is a great opportunity to conquer Tubo."

"Your Majesty, can't you see that starting a war at this time will play into Songtsen Gampo's hands?"

"What does Yinggong mean?"

Li Ji looked around and asked, "Isn't Su Dingfang here?"

Xue Rengui replied dully: "General Su has retired and returned home with his family yesterday."

Everyone in the mansion was speechless. "What about Li Daliang..."

Chai Zhewei said: "I retired last year as well."

Li Ji was about to say something but stopped himself. He put his hands back on the table and said to himself, "Li Daliang has also retired... He is old too. How can he be old?"

Zhang Shigui sat aside, shaking his legs anxiously.

Then Wang Xuandu also started shaking his legs, and then three or five others also started shaking their legs...

Liu Renyuan added: "Songtsen Gampo is seriously ill now. If the Tang Dynasty takes the opportunity to attack Tibet, it will inevitably cause a desperate resistance from the Tibetan subjects, and the results of Songzhou's many years of operation will be destroyed. The Tibetans will be gathered together again, and then the power of the Tibetan Zamp will be unprecedented."

"I think this is what Lord Ying said Songtsen Gampo wanted. This way, the Tibetan people will gather together to fight against the foreign enemies. Even if Songtsen Gampo dies, it will be enough. Not only can we not send troops at this moment, but we must also treat the Tibetans well."

After listening to Liu Renyuan's analysis, everyone was silent for a long time.

Finally, Zhang Shigui thought for a long time before he spoke: "Your Majesty has a far-sighted vision."

Liu Renyuan continued, "If Songtsen Gampo really came to Chang'an, and something happened in Tubo, that would be another matter."

Zhang Shigui nodded and said, "Well, what Renyuan said makes sense. Your Majesty is so wise, so he must have considered it. We must not ruin the big thing. Let's all go back and don't act rashly."

"Yes." Everyone in the mansion saluted with their fists clasped.

After leaving the Right Commander's Mansion, Wang Xuandu pondered and asked, "I heard that many soldiers guarding the Tang Army have married Tibetan herdsmen?"

Liu Renyuan said: "Well, I heard that Liang Jianfang is having an affair with a herdsman woman from Songzhou."

Wang Xuandu immediately perked up and asked, "Who?"

"How would I know who a Tibetan woman who chased me from Songzhou to Anxi Protectorate is?" Liu Renyuan walked away quickly with a stern face.

Seeing that Wang Xuandu was going to continue asking questions, Xue Rengui quickly left.

People in the court and even in the streets were discussing whether Songtsen Gampo was really going to Chang'an for treatment.

Lu Dongzan's letter was sent all the way from Chang'an to Songzhou.

Wang Xuance, who was guarding Songzhou, saw the letter and asked someone to deliver it.

After Songtsen Gampo received the emperor's edict and Lu Dongzan's letter, the Tibetan king finally set off for Chang'an.

The Tubo king first came to Songzhou, and the weak Songtsen Gampo came to the current boundary between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo.

The Zamp sitting in the carriage was very weak, and coughing sounds kept coming from the carriage.

Wang Xuance rode his horse all the way to greet the distinguished guest who was going to Chang'an.

When he saw the carriage of the Tibetan king, he also saw the Tibetan people who were seeing him off from behind. The Tibetans who were seeing off the king were so long that one could not see the end of them and could not tell whether there were 30,000 or 50,000 people.

This shows how important Songtsen Gampo was in the hearts of the Tibetans. Even Wang Xuance was surprised that so many of his subjects came to see him off.

The driver for the Tubo Zamp was a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old. He was wearing luxurious clothes and was obviously a Tubo noble.

Wang Xuance stepped forward and asked, "Is it the carriage of the Tibetan king?"

Seeing that more and more Tang troops were surrounding them, the young man driving the carriage drew his sword.

The Tang army behind Wang Xuance also drew their bows and arrows, aiming at the young Tibetan man who had drawn his sword.

A group of Tibetan warriors were about to rush forward, and the two sides were on the verge of a fight.

Songtsen Gampo, who was sitting in the carriage, shouted a curse, and everyone put away their weapons.

The thousands of Tang soldiers behind Wang Xuance also put away their bows and arrows.

"What did they just say?" Wang Xuance asked the official from the Ministry of Rites who understood Tibetan.

The official replied, "Qinling, don't hurt anyone."

“Qin Ling?” Wang Xuance looked at the fierce-looking young man, and had some ideas in mind. Then he said loudly, “Send the Tibetan king to Chang’an!”

A group of officials from the Ministry of Rites came forward to talk with Songtsen Gampo, and then the carriage set off for Chang'an.

The young man named Qinling was still standing there. This young man stood with a group of Tubo warriors, and there was hostility in his eyes.

Wang Xuance led his troops back to Songzhou and ordered his men to step up precautions.

"Why does that young man look so familiar?"

The official from the Ministry of Rites replied: "He is Lu Dongzan's child."

Wang Xuance came back to his senses and said, "No wonder."

Songtsen Gampo's carriage left Songzhou and by the time it passed through Shuzhong and entered Guanzhong, it was already August in Guanzhong.

This was Songtsen Gampo's first visit to the Central Plains. Ever since he could remember, he had been reading books written by people from the Central Plains, as well as their history books and anecdotes.

At this moment, Songtsen Gampo also saw the towering mountains and the rivers of the Central Plains, smelled the fine wine passed down by the people of the Central Plains, and saw the people of the Central Plains one by one.

When Songtsen Gampo saw the Central Plains people working in the fields, he approached them and greeted them in Guanzhong dialect: "Old man, it seems that you are very at ease here."

The old man smiled and said, "The world is at peace, so I feel at ease. Look, are the guests from the south? Are they from Mengshezhao?"

Songtsen Gampo shook his head and said, "I am from Tibet?"

The old man looked again at the Tang army officers and soldiers who were escorting the guest, and at three or two other people who were dressed in the same strange way.

"May I ask this old man, are your children always allowed to play freely?"

The old man looked at his grandson playing with stones by the field, smiled and showed a row of yellow teeth, and explained: "The child is full, so I let him play."

Songtsen Gampo coughed again. He was supported by the Tibetan envoy beside him and asked again: "Are you full?"

The old man stepped on the soft soil in the field and said, "The crops have just been harvested, so of course we are full."

Songtsen Gampo then remembered that it was the harvest season.

There are no snow-capped mountains or high-flying eagles in the Tang Dynasty. There are only blue skies and white clouds. The air here carries the fragrance of grain, and there are donkeys pulling carts and cows plowing the fields.

When he actually entered Guanzhong, Songtsen Gampo saw a group of children holding books and reading aloud.

It seemed that the children here were never afraid of outsiders like me, but instead handed over some fruits and vegetables very kindly.

If it weren't for the Tang army's escort, Songtsen Gampo felt that he would not be able to gain the goodwill of the Tang people.

The children's kindness was for Tang Jun.

Songtsen Gampo peeled an orange, put it in his mouth and ate it. The orange was sour at first but had a sweet aftertaste. He ate it as the carriage moved along.

The journey was not very fast, and we stopped and walked along the way.

Songtsen Gampo wanted to ask about the current governance situation in Guanzhong, but an old farmer casually told him the current governance strategy for Guanzhong.

Just as he was surprised, the old farmer explained: "Oh! Those officials in Jingzhao Prefecture, oh! They keep asking me to recite these things all day long. I really don't want to learn. Oh... What's the point of learning? Let the children learn it."

(End of this chapter)