My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 452 The Hidden Dangers of Tibet

The underfloor heating in the East Palace's warm chamber was burning brightly, dispelling the chill of late autumn. Theodosius, draped in the Shu brocade cloak bestowed upon him by Li Chengqian, unconsciously glanced at the gilded candlesticks on the table.

The candlestick had a typical Roman scroll pattern, which was part of her dowry.

"Your Highness, I... have something I'd like to ask of you."

Li Chengqian's face darkened.

"Let's not talk about stationing troops in Rome anymore."

Theodosius lowered his voice slightly: "Your Highness, are you aware that the Arabs are again amassing troops in Asia Minor?"

“They once besieged the city, and if they hadn’t heard that I… heard that the Tang Dynasty might send troops to attack from both sides, they would never have retreated so easily.”

"But for now, they are only lying low temporarily; the walls of Constantinople are still under threat."

It took a long time for news from Rome to reach the Tang Dynasty.

Theodosius had no idea what was going on in Constantinople.

However, as long as she was the crown prince's wife, the Arab Empire would have to be careful not to launch a full-scale attack on Byzantium.

Theodosius pleaded, “I know that the Tang Dynasty is 30,000 li away from Rome, and stationing troops in Constantinople is too far away.”

"But... but if the Tang Dynasty could strengthen its military operations against the Arabs in Central Asia, making them afraid to look westward again, Rome could catch its breath."

"Just like last year, as long as the banners of the Tang Dynasty are raised a few more times west of the Pamir Mountains, the Arabs will be wary of being attacked from two sides."

Li Chengqian saw the anxiety in her eyes and understood. This Roman princess was never just a woman who could act coquettishly; her request contained the life and death of the Byzantine Empire.

He rose and walked to the map, his gaze sweeping from Chang'an to Constantinople, then settling heavily on the former Persian lands: "Do you think that the Tang Dynasty increased its troops in the Pamir Mountains last year because of you?"

Theodosius was taken aback: "Isn't that so? Back then, when the Arab envoys were in Chang'an..."

“Yes and no.” Li Chengqian shook his head, his tone becoming more serious: “What they fear is not the bond between us, but the strength of the Tang Dynasty and the Aceh Empire’s own weakness.”

"You should know that after the Arabs destroyed Persia, they became the hegemon of Central Asia. Their cavalry crossed the Amu Darya River and were only a thousand miles away from the Four Garrisons of Anxi of our Great Tang. If they were to completely annex Rome, their next target would be the trade routes of Central Asia, and the western territories of our Great Tang."

Li Chengqian pointed to the former Persian lands: "The Tang Dynasty's containment of the Arabs has never been for Rome's sake, but for its own. Just as my father supported the Xueyantuo to counterbalance the Turks, the Tang Dynasty now needs to keep the Arabs busy on both the eastern and western fronts, and not let them dominate Central Asia."

"Last year, we reinforced our troops at Pamir because their caravans dared to plunder our Tang Dynasty's silk caravans; if we reinforce them again this year, it will only be because their cavalry have approached the Four Garrisons of Anxi again. This is a game between great powers, not a hero saving a damsel in distress."

Theodosius's face flushed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure: "Your Highness is right. But Rome's crisis has indeed been temporarily alleviated because of the Tang Dynasty's restraint. I dare not ask the Tang Dynasty to send troops to garrison far away, I only ask that Your Highness... can make the military towns in Central Asia more active, so that the Arabs know that the Tang Dynasty's eyes have never left there."

She paused, her voice tinged with earnestness: "The people of Constantinople are still waiting for the next relief."

Li Chengqian looked at her and suddenly laughed, "You are quite frank. However, your talk of being lively coincides with my plans."

Picking up his pen, Li Chengqian drew a circle around Talas in Central Asia: "I have ordered the Anxi military garrison to build a new garrison in Talas, and to send an additional 5,000 elite soldiers with 50 heavy cannons. Next month, I will have the caravans spread the news that the Tang Dynasty will set up a protective military garrison in the Transoxiana region."

He looked at the light in Theodosius's eyes and added, "But you must understand that the Tang Dynasty's military operations have their own rhythm. We will contain the Arabs, but we will not gamble the Tang Dynasty's military strength for Rome. If Byzantium wants long-term stability, it must eventually become stronger on its own."

Theodosius stared at him blankly, then suddenly curtsied and said, "I understand."

Li Chengqian helped her up, his fingertips brushing away the stray hairs at her temples: "Don't worry, as long as the Arabs still covet the trade routes in Central Asia, the Tang army will not withdraw. As for Rome..."

He smiled and said, "Perhaps one day, the Tang Dynasty's navy will be able to bypass the Arabs and meet Roman merchant ships in the Red Sea. At that time, it won't be a matter of who is protecting whom, but rather true allies."

Inside the Zanpu Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, the flickering light of butter lamps illuminated Gar Tongtsen's furrowed brow.

He held in his hand a secret report he had obtained from a caravan in the Western Regions. The words on it, "The Great Tang has stationed 3,000 troops in Yanqi," "A firearms workshop has been built in Kucha," and "The Great Tang navy is anchored in Linyi Port," pierced the heart of the Tibetan prime minister like an ice pick.

"Tsangpu," Gar Tongtsen said in a low voice, presenting the secret report to Songtsen Gampo, who sat in the main seat.

"The Great Tang is about to plant its armies on the lands of all nations! Troops are stationed everywhere—the Western Regions, the South China Sea, the far north… even a small northern country like Kyrgyzstan has invited the Great Tang's heavenly soldiers. Their ambitions are too great!"

A hint of unease flashed across Songtsen Gampo's face: "Didn't the Tang Dynasty say it would 'respond to the requests of vassal states'? Yanqi and Linyi both actively sought troops, what does that have to do with my Tibet?"

“Your Majesty, you are unaware!” Gar Tongtsen exclaimed urgently, “Yanqi is only a thousand miles from the northern border of our Tubo. The Tang Dynasty has stationed three thousand elite troops there, equipped with cannons and muskets, ostensibly to protect the irrigation canals, but the range of their cannons can reach our pastures!”

"What's even more frightening is that their agricultural technicians follow the garrison, teaching foreign countries how to grow rice and build canals. This is to make all the countries in the Western Regions dependent on the Tang Dynasty for food, and in the future, the entire Western Regions will become the Tang Dynasty's granary and source of soldiers!"

He walked to the hanging map of the snowy region and pointed heavily: "Look, the Four Garrisons of Anxi of the Great Tang Dynasty already guard our trade routes to the Western Regions. Now they have stationed troops in Yanqi and Kucha, which is like putting another noose around our necks! What if one day they say that Tibetan caravans are plundering? Will they also come to Lhasa to request the stationing of troops?"

The Grand Chancellor beside him, who was equivalent to the Vice Chancellor of the Tang Dynasty, chimed in, "Last year, the Tang Dynasty defeated the Arabs, and this year they have stationed troops in various countries. Their firearms are becoming more and more powerful. I heard that a single cannon can destroy a stone city."

"Although we have Princess Wencheng's marriage alliance with the Tang Dynasty, border skirmishes have never ceased. What if... what if the Tang Dynasty turns its attention to the snowy region? Can our cavalry withstand artillery fire?" The atmosphere in the palace instantly became heavy. The Tibetan nobles whispered among themselves, their faces full of worry. They had lived in the snowy region for generations, relying on the bravery of their cavalry and the natural defenses of the plateau to keep pace with the Tang Dynasty. But now, the Tang Dynasty's weapons were no longer swords, spears, and bows and arrows, but artillery that could bombard them from across mountains and rivers.

The Tang Dynasty's expansion was no longer about direct occupation, but rather about using soft tactics such as "stationing troops to protect merchants" and "agricultural technology education" to gradually bind foreign nations to their war machine.

"Then... what should we do?"

Songtsen Gampo frowned and asked.

"Does this mean we're going to start a war with the Tang Dynasty?"

"Absolutely not!" Lu Dongzan immediately objected. "The Tang Dynasty is currently at its peak of power, even the Arabs are wary of it. We cannot provoke them. But we also cannot stand idly by!"

A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes: "We must let the Tang Dynasty know that Tibet is not a small country like Yanqi or Linyi! Immediately reinforce Tibet's northern border with 5,000 troops, build fortresses in the Greater and Lesser Bolu areas on the Tang-Tibet border, and send envoys to Chang'an to congratulate the Tang army stationed there, while also sounding out their opinions."

He paused, then added, "We must also quickly contact the tribes in the Western Regions who haven't invited the Tang army to garrison them, and tell them that 'the Tang army, while seemingly protecting merchants, is actually trying to drain your supplies.' We must get them to unite and resist the Tang's agricultural technicians, and not let the Tang turn the Western Regions into their backyard!"

Songtsen Gampo nodded emphatically: "Do as the Prime Minister says! Tell the generals in the northern frontier to be on guard day and night, and not to allow the Tang army to approach the border even half a step! Tell the envoys going to Chang'an to find out whether the Tang army will be aimed at the snowy land!"

The light from the butter lamps danced on the faces of the nobles, reflecting their fear and vigilance. The cold wind of Lhasa blew through the palace windows, carrying the chill of the snowy land, but it could not dispel the tension that permeated the air.
The news that the Tang Dynasty had stationed troops in various countries was like a boulder thrown into the calm lake of Tibet, and the ripples it created concealed a deep unease about the future.

They knew that the Tang Dynasty, which once reigned supreme only in the Central Plains, was now extending its influence in all directions in a more covert and powerful way, and the tranquility of the snowy plateau might soon be shattered.
-
In late autumn, the wind blowing through the crenellations of the Anxi Protectorate, carrying sand and gravel, made the large banner bearing the character "Tang" flutter loudly.

Guo Xiaoke stood atop the arrow tower, holding the secret report just delivered by the scout in his hand, his brows furrowed in worry.

The Tibetans have increased their troops by 5,000 in the northern frontier and built three fortresses in the Greater and Lesser Bolu areas. Furthermore, spies have reported that Tibetan envoys are traveling among the Western Region tribes that have not submitted to the Tang Dynasty, spreading rumors that "the Tang army is stationed here to siphon off grain."

"Father, the Tibetans are clearly going against us!" Guo Jin, young and impetuous, couldn't contain his anger. "They're building fortresses in Bolu, obviously trying to cut off our trade routes to the Pamir Mountains! Should I take a cavalry force there and dismantle those fortresses?"

Guo Xiaoke turned around and glared at him, his voice as cold as iron: "Foolish! Princess Wencheng has only been married into Tibet for a few years. The friendship between the two countries is still there. The court has repeatedly emphasized that 'there is no war between Tang and Tibet.' It is easy for you to dismantle the fortress, but if you ignite a war, who can bear the responsibility?"

Although he is nearly sixty years old, he stands ramrod straight, still possessing the same vigor he had when he pacified Gaochang, only now with a touch more composure.

The generals gathered around, discussing the matter. The veteran general Wang Yi said in a deep voice, "The Protector-General is right. We cannot act rashly. But the actions of the Tibetans are indeed abnormal. They are increasing their troops, building fortresses, and forming alliances with other tribes. All three of their moves are aimed at our Anxi. If we do not respond, they will only become more arrogant."

“General Wang is right,” another general added. “Yesterday, the agricultural official from Yanqi reported that a tribe supported by the Tibetans secretly destroyed half a mile of irrigation canals. Although our canal guards drove them away, this is not a good sign. They are trying to disrupt our efforts to teach foreigners how to grow rice.”

Guo Xiaoke stroked the sword at his waist, his gaze sweeping across the map before him, landing on the "Red Ridge" on the Tang-Tibet border: "What the Tibetans fear is not our cavalry, but the Tang's dual approach of education and military presence in the Western Regions. They see that Yanqi and Kucha are increasing their production thanks to the Tang's agricultural technology, and they fear that the surrounding tribes will all submit, so they are in a hurry to make small moves and try to muddy the waters."

After a pause, Guo Xiaoke said to Guo Jin, "Take three hundred scouts and infiltrate the northern border of Tibet in five groups to find out their troop deployment."

"Especially check the fortresses in Bolu. Make sure they are made of earth or stone, and whether they have stockpiled grain. Remember, only scout, do not engage in battle. If you are discovered, just say you are 'patrolling the border to protect merchants,' and don't give them any reason to cause trouble."

Guo Jin bowed and accepted the order: "Your son understands!"

"Wang Yi, take five thousand elite troops to Yanqi Military Town to assist the garrison there in strengthening the city's defenses." Guo Xiaoke turned to the veteran general: "Set up our twenty newly arrived light artillery pieces on the high ground by the canal. Drill during the day and keep them brightly lit at night. It's not about fighting, but about letting the Tibetan spies see that our firearms are enough to protect the canals and rice paddies, so that they won't dare to make any rash moves."

Wang Yi replied, "Don't worry, Protector-General."

"There's also the matter of tribal liaison." Guo Xiaoke looked at the general in charge of tribal affairs in the Western Regions. "Go to Kucha immediately, summon the leaders of the city-states that have submitted, and tell them, 'The Great Tang protects the canals and fields. Anyone who dares to destroy the canals and rob grain will be severely punished by the military garrison.'"

“Take another 30% of the newly harvested drought-resistant wheat seeds and distribute them to those wavering tribes, so that they know that following the Tang Dynasty means having food to eat, while following the Tibetans means only having swords and spears.”

Guo Xiaoke concluded by emphasizing, "Everyone should remember that our bottom line is 'not to initiate war, but never to show weakness.'"

“When the Tibetans build fortresses, we will strengthen our own military towns; when they unite their tribes, we will win their hearts with grain and agricultural technology; when they increase their troops, we will show our firearms and keep the situation under control. At the same time, we will send a fast report to Chang'an so that His Highness the Crown Prince can make a decision.”

The wind was still howling from the arrow tower. Guo Xiaoke gazed at the distant, continuous snow-capped mountains, which led towards Tibet.

He knew that the peace that Princess Wencheng had secured through marriage was as fragile as thin ice, and that the Tibetan unrest was like a stone thrown into the ice, which would shatter at the slightest carelessness.

But the soldiers of Anxi Military Town were determined to be the boulder that held down the ice, using their strength and restrained wisdom to ensure that this thin layer of peace could withstand the turbulent late autumn.

Three days later, a report from the Anxi Protectorate was sent to Chang'an by fast horse. It read: "The Tubo have increased their troops in the northern border and built forts to harass the frontier. We have strengthened reconnaissance and defenses, but no conflict has occurred. We await Your Highness's instructions."

Upon receiving the news, Li Chengqian's face darkened.

The relationship between Tibet and the Tang Dynasty was complex and ever-changing, including peaceful exchanges such as marriage alliances and alliances, as well as long-term military conflicts and border frictions.

Among these, the Tibetan Empire frequently invaded the borders of the Tang Dynasty, and even launched large-scale military operations that amounted to rebellions.

In the twelfth year of the Zhenguan era, the Tibetan Empire attacked Songzhou on the grounds that the Tang Dynasty refused to establish a marriage alliance, but was repelled by the Tang army. After that, the two sides temporarily made peace and established a marriage alliance.

Historically, during the reigns of Empress Wu Zetian and Emperor Zhongzong, the Tibetan Empire expanded its influence and began large-scale attacks on the Western Regions and the Hexi Corridor of the Tang Dynasty, attempting to seize the Western Regions Protectorate and important border towns controlled by the Tang Dynasty, thus forming a military confrontation similar to a rebellion.

(End of this chapter)