The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 394: A distinguished guest from the Tang Dynasty

Feeling the confidence and composure of the Tang people, each of them looked up and spoke with great pride.

Songtsen Gampo saw several children playing in the ditch and said, "Your children are very brave."

The old man laughed and said, "I followed the generals to destroy Tuyuhun, and my son followed the generals to conquer Tianshan. Eight out of ten men in Guanzhong survived fighting on the battlefield."

Looking at the frail appearance of the Tibetan, the old man said, "We are all a little rough."

Children in the Tang Dynasty were not afraid of wind and snow, because food would grow again in the next year...

After Songtsen Gampo left, the old man started singing again with an ancient tune. I couldn't understand what the song was at first, but I could hear the heroic mood in the song.

After asking several times, Songtsen Gampo found out that the old man was singing Qin tune.

Therefore, Songtsen Gampo felt that this was a very ancient land, the people here were ancient, and the songs here were even more ancient.

The Tibetan envoys who came with Songtsen Gampo all followed on one side of the carriage, riding on horses.

Many years ago, this Zamp often looked towards the east, wanting to see the scenery of the Central Plains. This Zamp liked to read books from the Central Plains.

The Zamp longed for the Central Plains very much. His visit to Guanzhong this time might not be due to the order of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, nor because of Lu Dongzan's letter. In fact, if he could take a look at the Central Plains before his death, his life would be without regrets.

That was the place that the Zamp longed for in his heart. Even when the Zamp was teaching Qinling, he often talked about it.

During the trip, Songtsen Gampo passed through several counties along the way and understood the current situation in Guanzhong governed by the Tang Dynasty, which surprised Songtsen Gampo.

A young official named Li Anqi was standing by the Feng River. This eighth-rank official introduced to him the changes in Guanzhong today. For example, the purchase and sale of houses now had to go through the government and required the payment of taxes. Each family was not allowed to have more than ten sheep, and every child had to go to school at the age of seven.

These were things Songtsen Gampo had never heard of before. After sending envoys to Chang'an, he learned the current Tang Dynasty's governance strategies, formulated laws, established officials, punishments, accounting, and finance, and then appointed internal and external ministers.

These governances often made Songtsen Gampo feel proud, but looking at Guanzhong now, everything he had learned before has changed. The current Tian Khan has divided the counties further and further, and each county has more than 60 officials.

The Tang Dynasty had undergone great changes. Songtsen Gampo hoped that Tubo could become stronger, but in front of Tubo was an even more powerful empire, which was still in the process of transformation.

In the past, Tubo seemed to be about to catch up with the Tang Dynasty, but now it can’t.

If it weren't for his illness that forced him to pass through Songzhou, Songtsen Gampo really wanted to visit the rich Xizhou and Hexi Corridor.

Songtsen Gampo was amazed at the ability of this Heavenly Khan, who was able to ensure that his orders were delivered to all counties unimpeded without even launching a mutiny or killing anyone at the beginning of his reign.

Or maybe it's because the current Khan, when he was still a crown prince, had already taken control of the entire Guanzhong area, and now he's just doing it for the sake of convenience?

After listening to Li Anqi's story, Songtsen Gampo wanted to go to Chang'an more urgently to have a good talk with the Heavenly Khan. He even felt that he could learn many concepts that he had never seen before from the current Heavenly Khan.

Why do the people of Guanzhong now support this emperor so much, why are the Tang people now so proud, and why was it that when Tian Khan went on an expedition to the east, thousands of villagers followed him.

Why did the Tang people have such a strong cohesion? How could they be willing to rush to Liaodong for a belief, regardless of dying on the battlefield and even without the government providing them with food and fodder?

These were the stories Songtsen Gampo heard along the way, so he was confused. Sometimes he felt that he knew the Central Plains very well, but at this moment... he felt so unfamiliar with it.

Li Anqi was wearing a dark green official uniform. He said, "I am just a supervisor of housing and construction. It is really difficult for me to take in the Zamp. Chang'an is only three days away."

Songtsen Gampo bowed in Tibetan etiquette and said, "Thank you very much."

Li Anqi suddenly said, "There is more."

Songtsen Gampo turned around and looked at him again.

Li Anqi said: "My father often fought with your Tibetan envoys."

Songtsen Gampo was puzzled and asked, "May I ask..."

"My father is Li Baiyao."

"I've heard of this person."

"My father has retired. You Tibetans should not be happy. The current Minister of Rites is Xu Jingzong, who is even more difficult to deal with."

Songtsen Gampo bowed again and said, "Thank you for telling me."

After resting for a day by the Fengshui River, Songtsen Gampo met the officials from Chang'an.

The visitor was a doctor from the Imperial Medical Bureau. He introduced himself as follows: "I am Zhang Wenzhong, a doctor from the Imperial Medical Bureau. May I ask where the Tibetan king is?"

Songtsen Gampo was sitting in the carriage, coughing constantly.

Following the Tibetan envoy to the carriage, Zhang Wenzhong said, "I am here to visit the Zamp on the orders of Princess Dongyang."

Songtsen Gampo looked pale. He was only 29 years old, but already so weak.

Zhang Wenzhong walked forward quickly, looked at Songtsen Gampo's expression, took out a kettle, poured a small bowl of sticky soup, and handed it to him, saying, "Drink it."

Several Tibetan envoys looked nervous, but Songtsen Gampo was still coughing.

Zhang Wenzhong said: "Just drink it and it will stop the cough."

Songtsen Gampo looked at the other party's official uniform, then took the bowl of soup and swallowed it in big gulps. The soup was very sweet and a little cool in the mouth.

Feeling the cool soup entering his throat, Songtsen Gampo found that he was actually no longer coughing.

Zhang Wenzhong explained: "This is for cough relief. Let me take a look at your complexion and listen."

When the Tibetan envoys saw that the visitor had such a miraculous medicine, their coughing stopped as soon as they took the medicine and they all stepped aside.

Zhang Wen Zhong asked Songtsen Gampo to take off his outer clothes. He first asked him to open his mouth and look at his throat. Then he put his ear to his chest to listen to the movement, and signaled everyone around him to keep silent.

This medical officer was very direct in his work. He asked the Zamp to do various things right away.

Then Zhang Wen Zhong sat on the shaft of the carriage, wrote a diagnosis, and asked someone to send it to the Imperial Medical Bureau.

There were also several Tibetan envoys talking in Tibetan.

Seeing this, Zhang Wenzhong said unhappily: "They are talking about me?"

Songtsen Gampo put on his coat again and said, "They are celebrating. The Heavenly Khan of the Tang Dynasty really wants to cure me, not to kill me."

Zhang Wenzhong raised his head and smiled, "Your Majesty always keeps his word. If you said you were here to treat the Zamp, I would not kill you."

"Do princesses of the Tang Dynasty also hold government positions?"

Zhang Wenzhong explained: "Why do you say that?"

"Princess Dongyang?"

"Her Royal Highness the Princess is not employed by the Imperial Medical Bureau, but everyone in the Imperial Medical Bureau must obey Her Royal Highness the Princess."

Songtsen Gampo's breathing was still a little short, and he said, "That's strange."

Zhang Wenzhong explained: "Princess Dongyang is the disciple of Dr. Sun. We can learn something and benefit from it for the rest of our lives. I am a doctor. Doctors can only cure diseases, not harm people." "Thank you. Here are some gold and silver. Please accept them."

Zhang Wenzhong stepped down from the carriage and said, "I cannot accept your property."

"Why?"

"If I accept your property, what will happen if you ask me to go to Tibet with you? Therefore, I cannot accept it."

Songtsen Gampo smiled in surprise.

"I have sent the diagnosis. Chang'an has prepared more than ten doctors to treat you. We are short of patients. Your Majesty is in his prime and will not get sick. We are very happy, especially happy, that the Zamp can come to Chang'an to see you."

Songtsen Gampo smiled again without saying anything and asked, "How is my condition?"

"Then we have to go to Chang'an and discuss it with everyone before we can make a final decision. I am only here to stabilize your condition, but I cannot let you die on the way."

This Zhang Wen Zhong looked to be about the same age as himself, and seemed very calm.

After several conversations, Songtsen Gampo felt that this man was very tight-lipped. Since he could not get the questions he wanted to know, he stopped talking.

The closer they got to Chang'an City, the more pedestrians and carriages there were on the road, and there were also many shops and restaurants along the way. Songtsen Gampo looked at all this and thought that this was the wealthy Chang'an, with clear mutton soup, fragrant freshly baked buns, and endless fruits and vegetables.

The Tang people were so wealthy that they didn't even have to worry about their livestock freezing to death in a snowstorm, or about starving the next day. If the Tibetans could live so well, the gods on the snow-capped mountains would also come to visit the world.

Songtsen Gampo saw people drying wheat in the sun, and cartloads of honeycomb coal being transported into Guanzhong. He saw study rooms and heard the sound of children reading.

The city of Chang'an stands surrounded by several rivers, and this location is correct as recorded in the books.

Songtsen Gampo sat in the carriage, looking at the tall city. The city gate was very crowded and difficult to pass through for a while. Only after the officers and soldiers went to clear the way could the carriage enter.

Perhaps many years later, when the elderly Songtsen Gampo goes to the Western Regions again and returns to Tubo, he will understand why some people say that Chang'an is the most beautiful place in the world.

The carriage drove smoothly into Chang'an City, and pedestrians made way for it on the spacious Zhuque Street.

Zhuque Street was very flat and the carriage was moving very fast. Along the way, Songtsen Gampo saw Turks, blond-haired and blue-eyed Hu people, and people wearing unrecognizable clothes who came from nowhere. Most of them came from all over the Central Plains.

The largest population in this city is still the Tang people. Some Tang people can even drink with people from the Western Regions, and the people from the Western Regions also speak very authentic Guanzhong dialect.

The carriage was still moving, and Songtsen Gampo lingered on the scenery here, but the carriage had already passed by and he could only take a quick glance.

I don't know how long they had been walking, but Songtsen Gampo was thinking about the hugeness of Chang'an.

When the carriage stopped, Zhang Wenzhong said, "We have arrived at Suzaku Gate. Get off the carriage."

The weak Zamp coughed again and wanted to drink the medicine soup again, but Zhang Wenzhong refused to give it to him this time. He said that one should not drink too much of the medicine in one day.

Supported by the Tubo envoy, Songtsen Gampo looked at the huge palace gate, and standing beside the gate were soldiers.

After entering the Suzaku Gate, Songtsen Gampo lost his sense of direction and allowed people to support him in this imperial city.

Entering an official office, Songtsen Gampo vaguely saw the words "Honglu Temple" on the plaque on the door. He also saw Lu Dongzan and Sangbuza.

Afterwards, Songtsen Gampo was laid flat on a wooden board, and Zhang Wenzhong was explaining something to everyone.

And what about himself... Songtsen Gampo lay flat like this, allowing a group of officials to do all kinds of things to him.

Dongyang, dressed in men's clothes, put away his long hair, put on the official hat of the Imperial Medical Bureau, and looked at the diagnosis brought by Zhang Wenzhong.

"So the lung sounds are very unclear and the temperature is high?"

"Yes." Zhang Wenzhong added: "My hearing is very good. I have made several diagnoses over the past few days. I am sure I am not wrong."

Dongyang frowned and asked again: "Is it the same when we left Tubo?"

"Your Highness, I don't know how the Tibetans treat diseases. I can only infer it based on the situation when we came here."

Dongyang walked forward, looked at the thin Songtsen Gampo, put his fingers on his heart to feel his heartbeat, and whispered: "Take a deep breath, how about giving it a try?"

The princess' voice was very gentle, and listening to it made one feel strangely at ease.

Songtsen Gampo took a deep breath and began to cough violently. He then lay on his side, curled up and coughed.

All the medical officers in the Honglu Temple held their breath and listened attentively to the sound of coughing.

Outside the government office, Sambuza walked back and forth.

Xu Jingzong said with an unhappy look: "Stop shaking, or I will break your legs."

Sambuza stopped and asked, "Where is Dr. Sun?"

Xu Jingzong snorted coldly, "Even the court may not be able to invite Dr. Sun, so you Tibetans should not think too much."

Then we saw Lu Dongzan standing outside the Honglu Temple, his eyes fixed on a group of medical officers surrounding the Zamp.

Xu Jingzong said lazily: "Don't worry, Princess Dongyang is a disciple of Divine Doctor Sun and has been following him to learn medicine for more than ten years."

Lu Dongzan withdrew his gaze again, and when he heard the coughing in the Honglu Temple stopped again, he sat on the steps in a daze.

Half an hour later, Zhang Wenzhong came out. Seeing his hurried steps, Sambuza stopped him and said, "How is our Zamp..."

Zhang Wenzhong then realized that he needed to tell them about the illness, so he said, "Let's not talk about whether you Tibetans understand medicine. The Zamp may have a minor illness, but he didn't get treatment, and it has dragged on until now."

"What!" Sambuza said angrily, "I knew that the Zamp was in his prime, how could this happen?"

Zhang Wenzhong added: "If Tubo really lacks doctors and medicine, this disease can really kill people. Stay here for three days, then recuperate for half a month, and then see what the cause is."

Lu Dongzan fell to the ground and said, "Thank you very much!"

Zhang Wenzhong faced the direction of the Taiji Hall and saluted, saying, "You should thank His Majesty."

After saying this, Zhang Wen Zhong left quickly.

For several days in a row, Lu Dongzan and Sangbuza stayed outside the Honglu Temple, eating and sleeping here.

They went into the Honglu Temple several times and found the Zamp sleeping.

There was also a medical officer standing here, recording the number of times the Zamp coughed while he was sleeping.

The Imperial Medical Bureau had not yet given the Zamp any medicine, but the Honglu Temple was filled with the smell of garlic.

Inside the new palace, Li Chengqian looked at Dongyang's diagnosis and asked, "Can it be cured?"

Dongyang explained: "If it had been sent a month or two later, I'm afraid my sister wouldn't have been able to help."

(End of this chapter)