The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 399 Who is more wise?
Li Chengqian nodded, motioning him to continue.

Lu Dongzan said again: "When the Zamp heard about this, he was so angry that his illness relapsed. He is still bedridden. He was worried that the children of Tubo would do something impulsive, so Sambuza went to Tubo."

His Majesty's face showed indifference to the matter. He ate his breakfast without saying anything else.

Lu Dongzan said: "Since we came to Chang'an, and the Zamp came to Chang'an for treatment, Tian Khan has always been very courteous to us. I feel really guilty."

His Majesty ate a piece of bread and drank mutton soup without saying a word.

The old eunuch at the side said: "If you really feel guilty, you might as well accept the conditions of the court."

Lu Dongzan said: "After returning, I will discuss it with the Zamp."

Li Chengqian chewed a biscuit in his mouth, handed him a piece, and said, "Eat some."

"Thank God Khan."

Li Chengqian said, "We are all responsible for governing state affairs. I understand that something happened to Tubo. In fact, the Uighurs and Mobei have also had conflicts recently, which bothers me. Ashina She'er has been running around for me. I heard that he will come to Chang'an to pay tribute next year. I understand Songtsen Gampo. This is just one matter. I won't care. Go back."

Lu Dongzan bowed to the ground and said in a loud voice: "Thank you, Khan, for your kindness."

After finishing his meal, Li Chengqian left with a barely perceptible smile on his face.

Several eunuchs also sent Lu Dongzan back.

On the same day, Li Chengqian summoned Duke Ying again to discuss matters concerning India and Tubo.

Afterwards, Duke Ying went to Longshouyuan to meet the current emperor.

On the east side of Longshouyuan, a group of craftsmen are constructing this piece of wasteland. This used to be a dry plateau, and Dongyang plans to build a hospital here.

Li Shimin stood facing the wind with his hands behind his back and said, "Cheng Qian is really generous. He gave his sister thousands of acres of land."

Hearing some hidden meanings, Li Ji realized that the emperor seemed to still be angry about his majesty's unwillingness to renovate the Lishan Palace.

Li Shimin added: "The territory of Guanzhong is not large. Cheng Qian gave him 3,000 acres with a wave of his sleeves. If he squanders like this, there won't be enough land in Guanzhong for him to use in the future."

Seeing Li Ji standing to one side, remaining silent, he asked, "Why? Do you think what I said is wrong?"

Li Ji cleared his throat and said, "It is the duty of the Emperor to teach Your Majesty."

"Why? Are you and Fu Ji becoming more and more satisfied with Cheng Qian?"

Li Ji looked embarrassed and did not answer.

Li Shimin snorted coldly, "When he first ascended the throne, he seemed quiet. I was relieved to think that Cheng Qian had really grown up. Look at him now. Silla in Liaodong has not been pacified yet, but he sent Jin Chunqiu to sea to attack the Japanese. He burned, killed, looted, and killed anyone he saw."

"The situation in Mobei has not been settled yet, and there is also Tubo... Up to now, the Tubo people have not agreed to the conditions of the court. Do you still want to change the situation in Guanzhong and Luoyang?"

Li Shimin kept scolding him as he walked along, "Look at that kid, how many hearts and arms does he have? Can he handle so many things by himself?"

Li Ji smiled dryly and stayed by his side.

"The assistant minister is in charge of state affairs, and you are in charge of the army. You should persuade Cheng Qian more."

"The last general takes orders."

After talking about his current son, Li Shimin asked, "Why did Cheng Qian talk to you about Tianzhu?"

Li Ji said: "It is because your majesty learned about Xuanzang's experience. Your majesty said that Xuanzang was a Tang person. With Xuanzang in the past, more Tang people should be allowed to leave in the future. How can we let Xuanzang's bad breath stay in India?"

"When will we send troops to conquer India?"

Hearing these words, it seems that the emperor is planning to mount his horse and go to the frontier. Li Ji said hurriedly: "I am afraid he won't do so in the coming year. Besides, he won't send too many troops."

"Too many soldiers?"

"It means that more than a thousand people are enough."

Li Shimin hesitated and asked, "What?"

Li Ji added: "We will make plans after Tubo is pacified. We plan to use Tubo's troops to conquer India."

Li Shimin smiled and said, "Is this your idea?"

"This is your majesty's idea. I originally thought so too. However, considering that Tibet has not been pacified yet and there seems to be civil unrest in Tibet, this is the opportunity."

At this point, Li Ji said, "Your Majesty is wise."

You can't say who is wiser than who, right?
Li Ji felt very tired and had to be careful with every word he spoke.

In Chang'an City, after the snow ended, it was a rare sunny day.

Lai Ji, who is still on vacation, was visiting his friends recently and he met a young man.

The guest introduced: "This is the guest of Prince Deng's Mansion, Lu Zhaolin."

Lai Ji looked at the young man and said, "Are you here to pay a visit to me?"

Lu Zhaolin's face still looked young. He was wearing a blue shirt and bowed, saying, "I am Lu Zhaolin, the student, to greet you, old sir. I have heard of your name for a long time. You are very knowledgeable, so I have come to greet you specially."

Lai Ji stroked his beard and asked, "I heard that you have met with many famous people in Chang'an these days?"

"I followed King Deng to Chang'an and paid a visit to Censor Shangguan. Unfortunately, Mr. Yu Shinan has passed away."

Lai Ji said, "I heard from King Deng that you are a man of considerable talent. If you are talented, you should study hard and do not need to come to see me. Recommendations have long been out of fashion in the court. If you are old enough, go and take the imperial examination. Go ahead. I will not see you off."

After saying this, Lai Ji looked at the young man's expression and said he would see him off. The young man remained calm and composed, and he showed some approval, so he asked the servants in the mansion to see him off.

After the guests left, the old servant stepped forward and said, "Sir, this young man looks quite good."

Lai Ji said: "There are many talented people among the younger generation."

The old servant had a smile on his face. There have indeed been many talented people in recent years, such as Pei Yan, Li Yiyan and other students of the Hongwenguan.

Lai Ji said: "Lu Zhaolin? Well, I will remember him."

In the first year of Qianqing, as the twelfth month approached, the situation between Qinghai and Tubo became increasingly tense. Wang Xuance personally led troops from Songzhou to the Qinghai border, and 50,000 troops were stationed on the border between Qinghai and Tubo.

It was still snowing heavily in Qinghai, and the shadow of impending war was lingering in everyone's mind.

Li Zhen also came to Qinghai with an army of a thousand. He dismounted and walked into a tent, where he saw Wang Xuance who was making milk tea.

"General Wang, what is the situation in Tibet?"

Wang Xuance sat cross-legged and replied, "It's very messy."

Just as Li Zhen arrived, another soldier came in and reported: "General, the Tibetan envoy has arrived."

Wang Xuance asked, "Are Tubo envoys coming?"

"He is a Tibetan envoy from Chang'an. He claims to be Sambhota, a Tibetan minister."

Wang Xuance first asked Li Zhen to sit down, and then asked someone to invite the Tibetan envoy over.

With the war ahead, Wang Xuance seemed calm and composed, and did not seem to take the Tibetans seriously.

Sambuza walked into the big tent and saluted, saying, "Foreign minister Sambuza greets the two great generals."

"Sit down, have some milk tea and eat something."

Wang Xuance said with a smile. Sambuza was ready to accept the questioning from the Tang general, but he didn't expect the other party to kindly invite him to eat.

In fact, he was already starving. Sambuza stuffed meat into his mouth, drank milk tea, and wolfed down the food.

After eating, I felt emotional again. Now I need the Tang army to let me go back to Tubo. This is what people in the Central Plains call the time and the situation.

Wang Xuance was still sitting cross-legged, looking at a scroll. He said, "I was ordered by His Majesty to guard Songzhou and Qinghai. Now that there is civil unrest in Tibet, I came here to guard. You don't know if the Tibetans still trust you. Aren't you afraid that they will kill you if you go back like this?"

Sambuza replied: "I came with a letter from the Tsanpo."

Li Zhen sat on the sidelines in silence.

If the two countries were at war, they could just kill Sangbuza as a sacrifice, which would be a good choice. But if they really did so, it would make the Tang Dynasty seem a little petty.

Wang Xuance said: "The Tubo are just a group of children making trouble. If the children are ignorant, the Tang army can teach them a lesson."

Sambuza said: "I came back this time to settle this matter, so as not to trouble the Tang army."

"Now all the herdsmen in the border areas of Qinghai and Tubo know that the Heavenly Khan and the Tubo Zamp are close friends. Tubo and the Tang Dynasty should have friendly exchanges. Your Zamp is in Chang'an for treatment. His condition has improved, but the Tubo children are ignorant. The Tang army is still willing to teach them a lesson on behalf of your Zamp."

Sambuza bowed quickly and said, "One foreign minister is enough."

Wang Xuance smiled and said, "After so many years in Chang'an, you have learned some of the spirit of the Tang people."

Li Zhen listened to Wang Xuance's joking words and sat aside in silence.

Wang Xuance said, "Come here, send the Tibetan envoy away."

"Here."

Sambhota was taken away by the Tang army and sent to Tubo.

Inside the big tent, the aroma of milk tea was brewing. Li Zhen asked, "He insisted on going back, why did you say all this to him?"

Wang Xuance looked at the military book in his hand and said lazily, "Attack the heart."

"Read military books before going into battle?"

"I am not very talented and well-educated. I am not as brave as Xue Rengui, and I am not as good at military tactics as Pei Xingjian. I am still learning." Wang Xuance picked up the bowl and asked, "Would you like some milk tea?"

Li Zhen said with a serious expression, "The war is approaching."

Wang Xuance said to himself, "It's not like I'm drinking."

Li Zhen wanted to say something but stopped talking.

After a long time, Wang Xuance stood up, pulled his belt, and strode out of the tent. The young general walked among the troops and looked at the situation in the camp.

As he walked along, he held the military book in his hands with his hands behind his back.

After leaving the camp, Wang Xuance came to several Tibetan herdsmen who were looking towards Tibet in the south.

"Your family is in Tibet?"

The young Tibetan man replied in unfamiliar Guanzhong dialect: "My sister is still there."

Look at the direction he is pointing, that is the logical direction.

Wang Xuance whispered, "Didn't you bring your sister with you when you moved to Qinghai?"

"My sister has to take care of the cattle and doesn't want to come."

Since a large number of Tibetans moved to Qinghai, people from the two places have come into contact with each other.

Now Qinling was unwilling to let the Tibetans move out again, and he recruited a large number of herdsmen to build Lhasa City and the Potala Palace, which led to widespread resentment among the Tibetans.

Now, their population is insufficient, and they think that the Tang people have taken away their population, but these were all moved here voluntarily by the Tibetan herdsmen, and the Tang army only absorbed them but never took them away.

There are tens of thousands of acres of fertile land and vast pastures in Qinghai, and the Tang army can also allow the Tibetans to settle down and provide them with shelter.

Wang Xuance opened the military book in his hand and took a look at it, then quickly closed it, maintaining a confident look, and said: "Tell the Tibetan herdsmen that Sambuza has gone to Tibet. He will definitely stop the internal strife in Tibet. He is a minister of the Tibetan king and came with a letter from the Tibetan king. The current Tibetan ministers will definitely listen to the arrangements of the king and will not start a war."

"Here."

After giving these instructions, Wang Xuance ordered the Tang troops stationed in Songzhou to practice horse riding and archery in preparation for fighting the Tibetans.

After Sambhota entered the Tibetan territory, the Tibetan ministers and Lu Dongzan's son Qinling stayed quiet for some time.

The eleventh day of the twelfth lunar month in the first year of the Qianqing reign.

That night, the cold wind was howling and heavy snow fell on the calm surface of Qinghai Lake.

Wang Xuance watched more and more Tibetans flee into Qinghai.

The news just arrived is that Tubo is going to go to war with the Tang Dynasty, and the herdsmen who want to escape the war are heading towards Qinghai.

Li Zhen said solemnly: "He still couldn't persuade me."

Wang Xuance looked from afar at the Tibetan people with large herds of cattle and sheep. They lined up in a long queue and were slowly walking towards Qinghai in the wind and snow.

"Report! The Tibetan troops were spotted in the south and are heading here."

Wang Xuance looked up and ordered, "Arrange 3,000 soldiers to protect the Tibetan herdsmen, and General Li will be asked to look after Qinghai."

Li Zhen clasped his fists in greeting.

In the wind and snow, Wang Xuance mounted his horse and led his army towards the heartland of Tubo.

At night, a very strange scene occurred. Thousands of Tang troops protected the Tibetan herdsmen and escorted them into Qinghai.

It is not known why Sambuza did not persuade the current Tibetan ministers, and the war was about to break out.

More and more Tang troops entered the Tubo territory.

Li Zhen still had to guard Qinghai, so he walked into the big tent to command the army and picked up the military book that Wang Xuance loved so much.

At just one glance, Li Zhen understood that this was indeed a military book. Now thinking about Wang Xuance's actions, he understood why he acted like that. There were only a few simple sentences on it, the most important of which was that the Tang Dynasty's war must stand on the side of public opinion and on the side of justice.

In this way, the Tang Dynasty will be invincible. Li Zhen suspected that this was something His Majesty had someone give to Wang Xuance. Just a few simple words could make Wang Xuance love it so much and ponder over it for so long?

On a snowy night, Wang Xuance was driving his horse on a plain. He suddenly pulled the reins and looked at the herdsmen behind him who were about to move to Qinghai. He shouted, "Don't rush into a fight with the Tibetan soldiers. Escort the herdsmen away first."

"Yes!" A soldier responded loudly and dispersed his troops.

In the darkness of the night, only the flickering torches could be seen. Wang Xuance looked towards the end of the night, which was the direction of the hinterland of Tubo, and prepared to meet the attack of the Tubo troops.

A rider on a fast horse came out of the darkness, and it was Sambuza.

After the horse ran for a while, Sambuza fell off the warhorse.

Wang Xuance asked the soldiers to help them, his eyes still alertly looking into the distance in the darkness, and said: "Send someone to report to the court urgently, and arrange for someone to persuade the Tubo soldiers. If they can't persuade them, then forget it."

A group of soldiers were heading towards Chang'an under the order of Wang Xuance.

The urgent report arrived overnight, just as Guanzhong was celebrating the New Year's Eve, and Li Chengqian saw the military report.

(End of this chapter)