The Leisurely Life of the Prince of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 401: Tang-Tibetan Friendship
It seemed impossible to wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop, so the only option was to test the patience of both sides. However, if it came to who was more popular among the people or who had a more stable rear, the Tang army would have more confidence.

The Tang army that entered the heartland of Tubo could return to Qinghai at any time to rest and obtain food and fodder supplies.

Inside the Honglu Temple, Xu Jingzong was peeling the shells of tea eggs and listening to the story told by the Honglu Temple Minister beside him.

Your Majesty now is not as hands-on as he was in the past when he was still the Crown Prince. Your Majesty does not personally participate in many things.

What is happening in Tubo now is nothing more than the problem left over in Qinghai back then, and this problem will be solved sooner or later.

Who allowed the Tang army to occupy the rich Qinghai?

Guo Zhengyi took the tea egg handed to him by Xu Jingzong and asked while eating, "Will Your Majesty send more troops to Qinghai?"

Xu Jingzong smiled and said, "We can send more troops or not. The 20,000 troops in Songzhou have not yet moved, and there are still 50,000 troops in the Hexi Corridor, ready to rush to help at any time."

Guo Zhengyi asked again: "It has been a long time since Protector Pei sent any news."

Xu Jingzong said: "He is probably settling the Congling Mountains. Lord Ying mentioned before that there is a city called Talas in the Congling Mountains. The Black Arabs have taken over Persia. If they want to move eastward, they will have to attack the Congling Mountains."

"The Black Caliphate?"

Xu Jingzong explained: "That's what the people in the Western Regions say. They say that the Arabs are wearing black clothes. At the moment, it seems that the Arabs will not move eastward."

Guo Zhengyi hesitated and said, "Since I took office as the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, I have read many legends about the Western Regions. The news sent from the Western Regions said that the Arabs were very powerful. After they conquered Persia, they killed the Persian king ruthlessly."

As he was speaking, Lu Dongzan had already walked into the Honglu Temple.

Xu Jingzong put on a smile and said, "Prime Minister of Tubo, it's been a long time since we last met."

Lu Dongzan bowed his head.

Xu Jingzong handed over the report sent by Tubo and said, "Our generals have tried to persuade them several times, but the young people of Tubo insisted on going to war. It is also because of their youth and vigor. Your Majesty can understand and will help the Zamp and the Prime Minister to teach them a lesson."

Lu Dongzan said: "The Tang soldiers have entered the Tibetan territory."

"Well, the Tang army entered the Tibetan territory, and the Tibetan people all welcomed them."

"This is a Tibetan matter. Can we ask the Tang army to withdraw from Tibetan territory?"

Xu Jingzong pondered for a moment, stood with his hands behind his back, and said, "I'm afraid it won't be easy. Once the war starts, it will be difficult to take it back."

"I also heard that people from Chongwenguan have also entered the territory of Tubo."

In Lu Dongzan's view, the Tang army is not scary. The scariest thing is Chongwenguan. The Chongwenguan in the Western Regions is now educating the people of the Western Regions. He always remembers it in his heart and is particularly vigilant.

Xu Jingzong comforted him, "Your Majesty, don't worry. In fact, Your Majesty doesn't care about this matter, and Your Majesty hasn't met the Prime Minister, right?"

"Ah."

"If Your Majesty speaks up, the consequences will probably be even more serious. This is to quell a rebellion. Besides, the feud between Tubo and the Tang Dynasty has been going on for many years, and it is time to put an end to it. As Your Majesty said, how many more years will the two countries fight? Another thirty years, or a hundred years?"

Xu Jingzong continued, "Now that your majesty is willing to rest with the people, all parts of the country are recuperating. After the weapons are put into storage, the world will be peaceful. Prime Minister... let's just let some things go."

Lu Dongzan suddenly fell to the ground and said, "Please tell the Khan what I said."

Xu Jingzong helped Lu Dongzan up.

Now that Tubo had no room to negotiate terms with the Tang Dynasty, Xu Jingzong was still willing to support this prime minister and treat him with courtesy.

While listening to Lu Dongzan's story, there were officials taking notes.

After he finished speaking, Xu Jingzong also made a promise to Lu Dongzan, and another conversation between the two countries ended.

However, this time, the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo was not based on marriage or transactions, but only on public opinion.

Lu Dongzan walked out of the Honglu Temple tiredly. He came to a corner of the imperial city, leaned against the wall with one hand, and burst into tears with his face covered.

After a long time, Lu Dongzan wiped away his tears, raised his head and walked out of the imperial city, left Chang'an City, bought a fast horse, and went west alone in the cold wind, galloping towards Tubo.

During this period, no Tang people tried to stop him, and no officers or soldiers intervened, allowing the Tubo prime minister to leave.

After crossing the Xianyang Bridge, it was already night. Lu Dongzan suddenly pulled the reins and saw the Zamp waiting there.

Songtsen Gampo said, "It is too late to go back now."

Lu Dong praised: "He is my child."

Songtsen Gampo nodded and said, "I also raised Qinling myself."

"Zanpu, do you really want to agree to Tian Khan's conditions?"

"As long as he doesn't kill innocent people, Tian Khan promised to spare his life."

Under the cover of night, the Tibetan king and the Tibetan prime minister were talking beside the Xianyang Bridge. Several bad guys were standing in the dark, staring at the Tibetans in the night.

"Wei Shuai, are we really going to take them?"

Wei Chang held a horizontal sword in his hand and whispered, "The emperor has ordered that if they really dare to leave Xianyang Bridge, they should be captured on the spot. There are some things... Your Majesty is too merciful. This is the emperor's intention."

"Then how should we explain it to His Majesty?"

Wei Chang replied impatiently: "Don't ask!"

The people lying in ambush around fell silent again.

The horse snorted in the night and exhaled a breath of hot air in the cold wind.

Then Lu Dongzan helped Songtsen Gampo sit on the horse and led the horse all the way back to Chang'an City.

Wei Chang blinked his eyes in surprise and stared at the two people in the night. Did Songtsen Gampo and Lu Dongzan just go back like that?
He walked out from under the bridge, still a little dazed, and asked, "Are they here to relax?"

The bad guy next to him replied: "Most likely..."

Tian Khan only asked once whether Tubo agreed to his conditions.

After asking that question once, Tian Khan never asked Songtsen Gampo again.

And Songtsen Gampo only refused once.

Everything that happened afterwards once again returned to the will of the Tang Emperor.

On the twelfth day of the first lunar month in the second year of the Qianqing reign, in the residence of Duke Zhao, Zhangsun Wuji and Duke Ying sat together, looking at several reports sent from Songzhou.

Chongwenguan continuously arranged for teachers to enter the Tubo territory.

Tang soldiers began to build government offices in the Tibetan territory.
"Whether Songtsen Gampo agrees to your Majesty's conditions is not important at all, so your Majesty only asked him once."

After listening to Changsun Wuji's words, Li Ji asked, "Duke Zhao finally figured out the reason?"

"Currently, the head of Chongwen Hall is Su Tan. He only obeys the will of Your Majesty. Chongwen Hall never obeys my orders."

Changsun Wuji looked at the snowflakes falling into Chang'an City again, and said with a dazed look in his eyes: "I have been assisting Your Majesty in governing the country for a year." Li Ji seemed to have heard something strange, and said: "In fact, long before the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, I asked someone if I could take charge of the military secrets. At that time, I was also hesitant. Yes... At that time, Your Majesty only asked once, and never asked a second time."

Chang Sun Wuji suddenly smiled and said, "Your Majesty is still the same as before, asking only once, saying only once, and doing what you say."

Li Ji added: "This year, the Anxi Protectorate brought tens of thousands of strings of cash in taxes to the court. The Arabs in black and the Sogdians in white traveled to and from the Western Regions."

"Well, if you are too rich, people will covet you."

"A white-clothed Hu merchant named An Yuanshou died in the Anxi Protectorate. The person who killed An Yuanshou was pardoned by the Heavenly Khan. An Yuanshou was a Sogdian. The Zhaowu Hu people of the Sogdian lineage are now very hostile to the Tang people. They have coveted the Anxi Protectorate for a long time."

Chang Sun Wuji asked: "Is the situation serious?"

Li Ji shook his head and said, "The remaining power from sweeping across Tianshan is still there, but the situation among the Zhaowu Hu people is very complicated. Pei Xingjian sent me news that the situation in Congling is currently unclear."

"Duke Zhao, Tubo has sent another message."

The voices outside the door interrupted the two regents' conversation.

Changsun Wuji walked out of the door, took the file and opened it. It was about Sambuza. Now Sambuza no longer cared about the affairs of the Tang army and the Tubo troops. He seemed to be disheartened.

This time the letter was to instruct the Tibetan envoy in Chang'an to send the books he had written over the years to Tibet.

In fact, during all these years in Chang'an, Sambuza has been doing his own thing and writing books about Tibet.

During the years in Chang'an, Sambuza never forgot his duties. He was a good minister of Tubo, a good minister who never forgot his duties.

Zhang Sun Wuji felt sorry for his current situation and whispered, "This person must have always missed the banks of the Zangbo River."

Hearing the Duke of Zhao suddenly whisper, Li Ji felt helpless about this inexplicable sadness.

Changsun Wuji was a man of letters, and men of letters would feel inexplicably sad.

Just after noon, Li Ji left the residence of Duke Zhao.

Afterwards, the regent minister, Duke Zhao, submitted a memorial requesting that the court arrange for civil officials to rush to the assistance of the Anxi Protectorate.

Li Chengqian immediately agreed to his uncle's request and sent Xu Yushi, Zhao Renben and Gao Chongwen to the Anxi Protectorate to assist Anxi Protector Pei Xingjian in governing the Western Regions.

The young emperor agreed to the regent's request.

The court and the country are in harmony, the Tang Dynasty's ruler and his subjects are in harmony with each other, and the current emperor is benevolent, righteous and filial, and everyone praises him.

The elderly Lai Ji recorded the recent state affairs in the history books.

In the summer of the first year of Qianqing, the emperor ordered treatment for the Tubo King Songtsen Gampo. After more than a month of treatment, his condition improved.

In the winter of the first year of Qianqing, the Tibetan king rejected the emperor's conditions for governing Tibet.

Half a month later, the emperor and the Tibetan king agreed to see the snow scenery in Guanzhong in winter. The relations between the two countries were harmonious and friendly.

Instead of being annoyed by the Tibetan king's rejection of his conditions, he responded with tolerance and made an appointment to watch the snow in winter. His subjects all praised the emperor for his kindness and open-mindedness.

At the beginning of the second year of Qianqing's reign, there was an internal strife in Tibet. The emperor issued an edict to quell the riot. The Tibetan prime minister fled at night. Songtsen Gampo stopped the prime minister at the Xianyang Bridge that night. The two returned to Chang'an hand in hand and no longer interfered with the Tang army's efforts to quell the riot.

The subjects all praised Songtsen Gampo for keeping the agreement, and this was known as the gentlemanly friendship between Tang and Tibet, as passed on by word of mouth.

On the twelfth day of the first lunar month in the second year of the Qianqing reign, the Tang army entered the Tibetan territory and pacified various Tibetan areas. The Tibetan subjects welcomed them and the Tang army was known in history as the Army of Justice.

In the second year of Qianqing, on the thirteenth day of the first month, the regent minister, Duke Zhao, submitted a memorial on how to govern the Western Regions. The emperor agreed to it, and the court and the public praised him for his virtue. The emperor was benevolent and righteous to all countries, cared for his subjects, and was filial to his elders, setting an example for other sons.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the second year of the Qianqing reign, Wang Xuance led a thousand soldiers and horses to the city of Luoshui.

What is not recorded in the history books is what words Lu Dongzan asked Xu Jingzong to convey to Your Majesty after he went to see the Honglu Temple.

Having written this, Lai Ji finally put down the pen in his hand. He waited for the ink on the letter to dry, then put it away. After talking to Hao Chujun, Sun Chuyue, and Gao Zhizhou, he went to the imperial city alone.

At Chengtian Gate, Li Chengqian was watching a group of craftsmen repairing the palace gate.

Lai Ji came with a letter from the credential, saluted the young man and said, "Your Majesty."

When Lai Ji stood still, the Minister of the Honglu Temple, Guo Zhengyi, also came quickly and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty."

Li Chengqian watched the craftsmen transporting stones with his hands in his pockets and said, "I have always felt that the Chengtian Gate is not wide enough, so I ordered someone to repair it and make it more spacious. There are more and more officials in the court, so the Chengtian Gate should be bigger."

Lai Ji smiled and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

"I thought you would object. When I was still the crown prince, I felt that the Chengtian Gate was not big enough. According to the ancestral system... I shouldn't have changed the construction regulations of the palace. The ancestral system of the Tang Dynasty has only been in place for more than 30 years. Grandfather and father don't mind. I just ordered it. I hope everyone in the court will not mind me anymore."

Lai Ji bowed and said, "How could we, your Majesty, argue with you?"

After that, he handed over the letter of credence and said, "Your Majesty, please take a look at it."

Li Chengqian took the letter and opened it to look at the historical facts recorded in the past year. He asked, "Did emperors of all dynasties record it this way?"

Lai Ji said: "Whether it is a good reputation or something else, it must be recorded. If we don't compile history, we will not set an example."

Li Chengqian said: "Well, I have become a role model."

Lai Ji said: "Since I was young, I have always admired Taishigong."

When Li Chengqian heard the old man talking about Sima Qian, he said, "He studied the relationship between heaven and man, understood the changes of ancient and modern times, and formed his own opinion. Now I think it is as important as a thousand pounds."

After saying this, he returned the national history to Lai Ji.

The matter at hand was settled, and Guo Zhengyi reported: "Your Majesty, the Tibetan king requested that you build the Tibetan Tianke Khan Avenue."

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "Did Songtsen Gampo say this?"

Guo Zhengyi bowed and said, "I went to visit Songtsen Gampo today and he said it himself."

Lai Ji smiled and said, "In this way, I, the old minister, can record another chapter in the history of the country."

Li Chengqian didn't care about what was written in the history books. He had chopped off thousands of heads in Luoyang that year, and it had already been recorded in the history books of the Zhenguan period. Blood was shed and pestles floated in front of the city of Luoyang. The good reputation he had now was really nothing.

Looking at the Chengtian Gate that was being repaired, Li Chengqian said, "Wang Xuance has a road that leads directly to Luoshui City. Let's build it along that road."

"Here."

The Ancient Tang-Tibet Road appears in a different form in later historical books.

Li Chengqian thought about the ancient Tang-Tibet Road that would last for thousands of years in the future, and remained silent for a long time.

As soon as Guo Zhengyi heard the words, he bowed and left quickly to arrange things.

In the following days, the Ministry of Rites, Honglu Temple and Chongwenguan in the court were very busy. When other departments in the court were on vacation, these three government offices were always busy.

(End of this chapter)