History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 40 Xu Yunqian's Diplomatic Mission to Nanzhao

After recovering Annan, Gao Pian actively built Jiaozhi City, dredged sea routes, and stabilized the southern border. After repelling Nanzhao in Chengdu, Gao Pian also built an outer city and actively deployed defensive fortifications, which benefited the present and future generations. These fortifications provided military support for resisting the Nanzhao's repeated invasions. He also sent the great monk Jingxian to coax and deceive the Nanzhao King Shilong, using marriage as bait to deceive a peaceful external environment. By the way, he made the Nanzhao civil and military officials kneel and kowtow to the Tang envoy (the great monk Jingxian), which was of historical significance.

Afterwards, Gao Pian used various strategies and tactics, and formed an alliance with Tubo and Umo, built new fortresses in dangerous places, selected elite soldiers, and formed a new army, the "Pingyi Army", making it impossible for Nanzhao to pose a threat to the Tang Dynasty's border again.

A few months later, Shilong, the ruler of Nanzhao, died of anger. His son Longshun succeeded him. Longshun changed the reign title to "Zhenming Chengzhi Datong", setting a precedent for the six-character reign title.

In the fourth year of Qianfu in the Tang Dynasty, the first year of Datong in the Zhenming Chengzhi period of Nanzhao, and 877 AD, Nanzhao sent envoys to Lingnan West Road to request reconciliation with the Tang Dynasty.

The governor of Lingnan West Road at that time was the old hero Comrade Xin Dan. Xin Dan submitted a memorial to the emperor and attached his own opinion. In view of the depletion of national strength, it was not appropriate to start a war with Nanzhao again, and he suggested accepting a settlement. The court approved it.

So Xin Dan sent an envoy with official documents and gifts to return south with the Nanzhao envoy. From then on, the two countries stopped fighting and each had a chance to recuperate.

The Tang army stationed in Lingnan West Road withdrew from the defense zone in an orderly manner, and the total number of combat troops was reduced by 70%, which greatly reduced the burden on the central and local governments.

The Nanzhao War, which lasted for twenty years, finally came to an end.

However, the new ruler of Nanzhao, Long Shun, was obsessed with his marriage to the Tang Dynasty.

Longshun sent a senior official (the left deputy prime minister) to Chang'an to urge the marriage between the two royal families. However, the deputy prime minister did not bring a memorial, but only a letter signed by their chief minister. This was a violation of etiquette.

The content of the official document was even more daring and provocative: Longshun called himself a brother to the Tang Dynasty instead of a vassal. He wanted to overthrow the suzerain-vassal relationship between Nanzhao and the Tang Dynasty.

This is not a place to discuss marriage, it's clearly a place to start a war.

The small country is rude! But it plays into the hands of the Tang Dynasty.

You call me brother but not subject, right? Well, let's talk about this topic slowly. As for the marriage, there's no rush, let's put it aside for now.

Especially since Nanzhao did not bring any credentials, but only a document from a minister, this was even better! What about marrying a princess, calling me brother instead of subject... I don't bother to pay attention to you! The Tang court also put on airs, pretending to be deaf and dumb, and did not respond to him a single word. The burden of passing the buck was pushed to the local government.

Xin Dan, the governor of Lingnan West Road, was ordered to communicate with Nanzhao. However, the envoys sent by Xin Dan died one after another on the way, and there was no contact with Nanzhao for more than half a year. Xin Dan himself was also paralyzed in bed and died of old age.

Xin Dan summoned the acting inspector Xu Yunqian, held his hand tightly, tears streaming down his face, almost unable to speak. "I have already submitted a petition to the court and sent envoys to Nanzhao, but unexpectedly the envoys died one after another. What should I do? Child, since you are an official of the country and receive a salary from the court, you should solve the problems for the country. Can you take the trouble to go to Nanzhao? I only regret that I am paralyzed and cannot kneel down and kowtow to you!" After saying this, he sobbed and could not speak any more.

Xu Yunqian was deeply moved and knelt down to answer: "A man will die for his friend. Marshal, you promoted me to this position, and I have always hated myself for not having the opportunity to repay you. Now that the opportunity has finally come, how dare I not complete this mission!"

Xin Dan was overjoyed, prepared generous luggage for him, and sent him on his journey.

Carrying Xin Dan's instructions, Xu Yunqian accepted the mission and arrived in Nanzhao with a heavy burden on his shoulders.

【Debate with scholars】

As soon as Xu Yunqian arrived at Nanzhao, he was hit hard. Long Shun, the ruler of Nanzhao, treated Xu Yunqian as an equal and ordered the other Tang envoys to kneel and kowtow to him.

Treating Xu Yunqian as an equal was already a lack of courtesy. A minister of a superior state is a lord of an inferior state. Although Long Shun was the lord of a country, the Tang envoys had stepped into the land of a humble country and condescended to visit, so Long Shun should also treat them as guests of honor. Envoys from the suzerain state have the attribute of "seeing an official one level higher".

Long Shun's move was entirely a demonstration to the Tang Dynasty, declaring that he would no longer be a vassal of the Tang Dynasty, that Nanzhao would no longer regard the Tang Dynasty as its overlord, and that it would not recognize the vassal relationship.

In fact, objectively speaking, Long Shun’s approach was not wise and was even a bit naive.

The vassal relationship between Nanzhao and the Tang Dynasty had long been in name only. Even if Long Shun had obediently submitted to the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty would only have gained a false title.

Moreover, the Tang Dynasty had always been generous in its so-called "tribute", and Nanzhao benefited from it.

What's more, the Tang Dynasty was now in a state of panic due to civil and military rebellions in various places, and urgently needed a relatively stable external environment. If the Nanzhao children took the initiative to show goodwill at this time, they would definitely get a large piece of candy. This was an excellent political speculation.

Even if you take a step back, you first tricked the Tang princess to come here, why do you have to get hung up on the issue of whether to be a brother or a vassal? Even if he is your grandson, so what?

Long Shun also carefully selected the guard of honor to demonstrate the country's strength to Xu Yunqian.

Comparing military parades and guards of honor with the Chinese? It's just a show of hands. Xu Yunqian watched politely, with an awkward but polite smile. He was not moved at all. Long Shun failed to show off his military power. If the military doesn't work, then try the literary method.

Xu Yunqian handed in the letter and returned to the inn to rest.

The ruler and his ministers of Nanzhao could not wait for tomorrow's formal diplomatic meeting and actually sent a deputy ministerial official directly to the Libin Hotel to engage in a debate with Xu Yunqian.

"Your official document actually requires our emperor to pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty. Our emperor has already sent another special envoy from Xichuan to Chang'an to make an agreement with your country to be a brother country, or a nephew-uncle country (referring to the Tang princess marrying). Brothers or nephews and uncles, it's just a family meeting and exchanging gifts as a token of appreciation. How can it be called tribute?"

Faced with the aggressive attitude of the Nanzhao officials, Xu Yunqian demonstrated the professional qualities that a spokesperson for the foreign ministry of a major country should have. He was neither humble nor arrogant, quick-witted, and responded generously. He used the language technique of pretending to build a plank road while secretly attacking Chencang to set a trap for the Nanzhao officials.

Xu Yunqian smiled and asked leisurely, "Your emperor is the son of Emperor Jingzong (referring to Shilong, Jingzong is his posthumous title). Doesn't Emperor Jingzong have brothers? These brothers are all your emperor's uncles."

The ministers of Nanzhao looked at each other and said, "Of course!" Their faces relaxed slightly and their expressions became a little relieved.

Xu Yunqian used another trick: "The emperor is the monarch, even his uncle has to bow down to him, not to mention his brothers and nephews."

"This..." The ministers of Nanzhao only then realized that they had fallen into an ambush. They were all dumbfounded and unable to make excuses.

Xu Yunqian took advantage of the victory and beat the fallen dog, and continued: "What's more, your emperor's ancestors unified the Six Kingdoms with the support and enthronement of the Tang Dynasty."

The truth does not lie in the loudness of the voice. Xu Yunqian spoke calmly with a kind smile on his face, gently and soothingly, but like a needle hidden in cotton, soft but firm.

I have a sentence on my neck, but you still brazenly call me your "Emperor"? What is the legal basis of your emperor? The canonization of our Tang Dynasty! From a legal point of view, your Nanzhao is a vassal state of our Tang Dynasty. This is the root!
The ministers of Nanzhao looked at each other in bewilderment. This was an ironclad fact and no one could deny it.

"There are indeed minor frictions between the two countries, but they are nothing more than minor conflicts on the border between the two countries," playing down the contradictions and paving the way for peace talks, rather than laying the groundwork for quarrels and bickering.

"To obey the wishes of the ancestors is 'filial piety'; to serve the great country that has done a favor to you is 'righteousness'; to end the war is 'benevolence'; and to abide by one's position is 'propriety'. These four actions are all virtues worthy of respect."

Could it be that you, Nanzhao, do not rule the world with benevolence and filial piety? Do you not value propriety, righteousness, integrity, benevolence, justice, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness? How can you establish a country?

The officials of Nanzhao were speechless. Only then did they realize how powerful the Tang Dynasty was. An envoy sent by any local governor, a department-level cadre, could refute the highest-level officials of their country speechless.

With respect for Xu Yunqian and awe for their suzerain state, the Tang Dynasty, the Nanzhao officials bid farewell to Xu Yunqian and reported the defeat in the verbal battle to the Nanzhao ruler, Long Shun.

Long Shun also had great respect for Xu Yunqian and felt guilty towards the Tang Dynasty. So he improved the reception standards and warmly retained him for more than half a month to show goodwill to the Tang Dynasty.

When Xu Yunqian was about to return to China, Long Shun gave him two wooden boxes containing official documents, one to be submitted to the Prime Minister's Office (Zhongshu) and the other to Lingnan West Road. In the official documents, Long Shun was convinced but still refused to pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty.

Although Nanzhao refused to submit to the Tang Dynasty, its weak national strength did not allow it to continue waging war against the Tang Dynasty. They could only talk big and act arrogantly.

Xu Yunqian fulfilled his mission and successfully completed his mission to Nanzhao.

If this mission could make the Nanzhao ruler Longshun submit a letter of surrender and a letter of acceptance, and submit to the Tang Dynasty, it would be perfect. Then Xu Yunqian's visit to Nanzhao would be as famous as Zhang Jian's mission to the Western Regions and Su Wu's shepherding, leaving a brilliant page in the history of Chinese diplomacy.

Because once Nanzhao completely surrendered, the Tang Dynasty would have more energy and resources to deal with Huang Chao's army, and perhaps the timetable for the demise of the Tang Dynasty would be delayed by a few years.

History cannot be assumed.

Moreover, Xu Yunqian was appointed in a time of crisis, and Xin Dan was forced to take the position when there was really no other candidate. To put it bluntly, Xu Yunqian was able to do this, not to disgrace the state in the face of huge pressure, and to intimidate the king and ministers of Nanzhao with his eloquence, which is already remarkable. We can no longer ask a weak scholar without military escort to completely conquer Nanzhao with just two words, which is too difficult for Comrade Xu Yunqian.

Despite this, Xu Yunqian's visit to Nanzhao should be considered a fairly successful diplomatic event, shining brightly in the history of diplomacy.

It was because the Nanzhao was pacified that the court dared to transfer Gao Pian.

The new governor who succeeded Gao Pian was also a ruthless character. He was Cui Anqian, the former governor of the Zhongwu Army who had repeatedly inflicted heavy losses on Wang Huangcao's army.

Thanks to the book friend "驰风程雨无限兮" for the generous recommendation vote, and thanks to the old friend "飞天神龙斩" for the recommendation vote. Grandpa often comes to play~~~~
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(End of this chapter)