Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 715 Passing on a message, asking Li Wu to go to Tanggula Mountain (First update)
Luoyang.

The morning light is dim.

On Dingdingmen Street, officials were on duty.

Di Renjie, dressed in a green official robe, rode slowly among the officials.

Today is not a grand court session, so the officials are not in a hurry as they are at leisure.

Just then, a fast horse suddenly galloped from the direction of Dingding Gate, passing by the crowd and heading towards Tianjin Bridge, shouting loudly: "Northwest Street, the army of Xichang Prefecture has defeated the invading Tibetan army of 90,000, beheading 50,000 and capturing 40,000. A great victory! A great victory..."

The shouts echoed in the air, and not only the officials on Dingdingmen Street, but even the common people of Luoyang who were still at home couldn't help but be in an uproar.

A great victory was achieved, defeating 90,000 enemy soldiers, beheading 50,000, and capturing 40,000.

It sounds like a dream.

Di Renjie sat there on his horse, stunned, hardly believing what he was hearing.

Did Xichang Prefecture achieve a great victory?

It’s only been a few days?
Fourteen days?
Di Renjie was given the emperor's order just fourteen days ago to investigate the Xu and Wu families' smuggling of Tibetan ironware. Now the basic facts of the case have been clarified, and all that's left is to summarize the findings.

Just nine days earlier, news of the Western Turkic rebellion had reached Chang'an.

Now, the war in Xichang Prefecture is over.

Di Renjie breathed softly, his chaotic thoughts gradually calming down. He raised his head and pondered carefully.

If that's the case, then the battle in Xichang Prefecture had already begun nine days ago.

No, ten days, or even more.

After all, the transmission of information, besides taking time along the route, also requires time for the person who initiated the performance to write the memorial, so it cannot be done immediately. It will take at least two or three days in total.

In other words, within three or four days after the emperor's grand court session that day, the Tibetans had already invaded Xichang Prefecture.

Di Renjie couldn't help but gasp.

At that time, the emperor was still dealing with the affairs of the Xu and Wu families, and even the abduction of the Prince of Jin. He had even summoned the Duke of Ying, Li Ji, to Luoyang. He simply did not have any extra time to consider the matter of Xichang Prefecture.

Although the Duke of Dai, Liang Jianfang, was sent back to Xichang Prefecture, he was unable to return within three or four days...

Di Renjie's expression turned serious. If this were the case, the Tibetans could seize a rare opportunity to invade Xichang Prefecture, conquer all the cities there, and even drive the Tang Dynasty off the plateau. This was something they were capable of doing, and it was their fundamental plan.

However, they lost.

They suffered a crushing defeat, losing 90,000 men in Xichang Prefecture.

hiss!
The Tibetans numbered 90,000. So how many troops did the Tang Dynasty mobilize to defeat them?

Liang Jianfang.

The image of Liang Jianfang, the Duke of Dai, appeared in Di Renjie's mind.

Regardless of the details, if Liang Jianfang, the governor of Xichang Prefecture, wanted to command all the tribes in Xichang Prefecture, he should have been present on the battlefield when the war started.

No, it shouldn't have been at the start of the war; it should have been long before the war began, when he should have already returned to Xichang Prefecture.

Di Renjie couldn't help but shiver.

A clever and meticulous Tibetan strategist tricked his 90,000-strong army into a trap in Xichang Prefecture. The trap, which had been set up long ago, directly buried the entire Tibetan army of 90,000.

Liang Jianfang, no, and many others, were quietly lurking in Xichang Prefecture.

Then, when the Tibetans arrived, they stepped into the trap, and then all the tribes attacked at once, annihilating the 90,000-strong Tibetan army in one fell swoop.

Yes, only in this way is it reasonable.

Normally speaking, with an army of 90,000, even though Di Renjie didn't know how many of his own troops had been mobilized, it was definitely more than 50,000.

A major battle of this scale usually lasts at least half a year, or even a year, before a winner is decided.

But traps are different.

One careless step into the trap could wipe out 100,000 people in a single day and night.

Just like that battle ten years ago.

Di Renjie couldn't help but look up towards the direction of the palace, then stiffly lowered his head.

The current situation is so similar to that of the past. The Tibetans thought that the former emperor had abdicated and the new emperor had ascended the throne, so they sent Gar Tongtsen Yulsung and Zansi Ruo to the Tang Dynasty to disrupt the political situation. But in the end, the emperor seized the opportunity and tricked them badly.

Di Renjie didn't know much about the current war, but he knew quite a bit about the battle ten years ago.

Back then, Duke Guo, Zhang Shigui, led tens of thousands of soldiers to ambush the Tubo army in Lanzhou and Shanzhou, while Duke Wei, Li Jing, led his army from Shazhou across the Qilian Mountains to Fusi City, seizing military power from the Eastern Tuyuhun. In the end, the two attacked from the east and west, defeating the Tubo army of nearly 100,000 in one fell swoop.

This scene is so similar to what happened back then; the emperor set a trap in Xichang Prefecture, and the Tibetans walked right into it.

Leaving aside the matter of Xichang Prefecture, back in Chang'an, it was Lu Dongzan and Lun Qinling who were stirring up trouble. Now, who is stirring up trouble in Luoyang?

Di Renjie had long understood that the previous accusations against the Wu, Xu, Yang, Su, Dou, Xiao, and Zhang families for smuggling ironware to Tibet were all Tibetan schemes. Now it seemed that the emperor knew little about it, and that some of it was part of the emperor's plan.

What truly enraged the emperor was the abduction of Prince Li Zhi of Jin by the Tibetans, an event that left the Tibetans with no way out.

So how much planning did the emperor make in this matter?

Di Renjie couldn't help but sigh softly, "Tibetans, how could you be so stupid, falling into the emperor's trap time and time again?"

You should have realized long ago that the moment the emperor conquered Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, his gaze was already fixed on Tibet.

Why were you still not careful at this point, and instead stepped right into his trap?

That was true then, and it is true now.

Di Renjie calmed down; the reasons behind this were probably more than just that.

The power of the Tang Dynasty, the emperor's scheming, and even the ambition of the Tibetans were only part of the story; there was another factor that cannot be ignored.

The Tuyuhun people.

Ten years ago, the battle was fought when Suhegui, the prime minister of Tuyuhun, betrayed Tuyuhun and led 30,000 Tuyuhun cavalry to attack Lanzhou together with the Tibetans.

Now, Di Renjie believes that Tuyuhun was probably the one who acted as an inside agent.

The Tuyuhun people cooperated with the Tibetans' ambitions, and the power of the Tang Dynasty forced them to resort to opportunistic tactics. However, they were eventually outmaneuvered by the emperor step by step.

That was true then, and it is true now.

The Tibetans suffered a great loss at the hands of the emperor once again in the same way.

Time and time again, in the same way, without any reflection.

Perhaps the problem lies not with the emperor and the Tuyuhun people, but with the Tibetans, who were too fond of using such methods.

As for the emperor.

Di Renjie shook his head slightly in his heart.

Although the emperor has used this method, it is only because this method has succeeded, and it does not mean that the emperor only knows this one method.

The emperor spent ten years conquering Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla; such patience is rare.

This time, it was only because the Tibetans fell into a trap. If the Tibetans had not fallen into the trap, Di Renjie believed that the emperor would still have enough patience to conquer and destroy Tibet step by step.

It just takes a little longer.

At worst, we can have another ten years.

It seems that Tibet is about to be destroyed this time.

Di Renjie smiled gently.

Of course, the Eastern Tuyuhun Kingdom was also destined to be destroyed.

Di Renjie couldn't help but look up in the direction of the Qian Yuan Hall.

The palace was magnificent and resplendent in gold.

……

Inside the Qianyuan Hall, Li Chengqian stood in front of the hall gate, looking out over the entire Dingdingmen Street south of Tianjin Bridge.

Countless officials filed out of the palace and left with excited expressions.

"Your Majesty!" Changsun Wuji stood behind Li Chengqian and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty has issued an imperial edict granting all officials a day off and exempting Chang'an and Luoyang from curfew for three days."

"Hmm!" Li Chengqian nodded, looking at the entire city of Luoyang, and said calmly, "Before the war, we needed to keep secrets. Now that the war is over, it is time for the people to share in the joy."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji cupped his hands and said, "Su Xu reported that everything is being handled properly, except for two matters that he cannot act on his own."

"What is it?" Li Chengqian turned around calmly.

Changsun Wuji bowed and said, "It concerns the Dangxiang and Tuyuhun."

"In the Dangxiang prefectures, all those who participated in the war, fathers, sons, and their families, will be reduced to slavery. They will then be sent to build cities along the Tang-Tibet trade route. After the war, the remaining property and livestock of the slaves will be divided. At the same time, preparations should begin to build roads to connect various places." Li Chengqian raised his head and looked at the imperial couch on the Danbi steps, saying, "In the past, because of the existence of Tibet, the people of the Dangxiang prefectures were concentrated in places close to Songzhou. Now that the threat of Tibet has gone, it is time to let these people return to their homeland, build cities, repair roads, and strengthen our rule."

"Cities and roads." Changsun Wuji frowned and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, if that's the case, the cost will be considerable."

“No, it won’t.” Li Chengqian shook his head and said, “Uncle, if we send capable officials to the Dangxiang states to build cities and repair roads, the court may not need to spend too much. We just need to tell the people that this is for their own good, and then gather them together to build cities and roads. When everyone works together, we don’t need to spend too much.”

Changsun Wuji was slightly taken aback, then cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty's words are reasonable."

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "Of course, we still need to give benefits. We can tell the people that this will offset their corvée labor, and the government will provide meals."

"Providing meals?" Changsun Wuji couldn't help but look up. He could accept offsetting labor service, but providing meals seemed a bit excessive.

"Uncle, I believe that the practice of providing meals should not only be promoted in the Dangxiang prefectures, but also throughout the entire country." Seeing that Changsun Wuji was about to say something, Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "Uncle, I am not discussing this with you. This is something that must be done in the future."

Changsun Wuji's lips twitched slightly, and he cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Yes!"

Li Chengqian sighed softly and said, "How could I not know my uncle's worries? But if we do not take advantage of this prosperous time to deal with the affairs of the world, then once a disaster occurs in the future, then countless people will immediately rise up in rebellion and cause chaos in the world... Haven't you seen enough of this yourself at the end of the Qin Dynasty, the end of the Han Dynasty, and even the end of the Sui Dynasty?"

Changsun Wuji was taken aback, then cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty has foresight and Your Majesty is benevolent."

Li Chengqian turned around and looked again at the government offices and residences scattered around Luoyang outside the palace. He said softly, "In fact, each prefecture and county has enough for these labor services. The reason why the people usually have to bring their own is because this money will eventually fall into the hands of a group of officials and become their wealth."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji nodded and said, "This is also to serve the officials, so we have no choice but to accept this established practice."

“But this money shouldn’t belong to them.” Li Chengqian turned his gaze to Changsun Wuji and said, “Uncle, if it were before, it would be fine, I wouldn’t care much. But now, the world is prosperous, and the counties and prefectures are accumulating more and more wealth. If we don’t do anything about it, their corruption will only increase. It would be better to use it for the benefit of the people.”

Changsun Wuji suddenly realized something.

In recent years, thanks to the emperor's painstaking efforts, the practice of concealing land for farming has gradually decreased, and the people of the country have a considerable amount of surplus grain each year. The government can also collect taxes to its full capacity, leaving a substantial surplus.

If a place accumulates too many of these things, the end result is that they are eventually divided up privately by local officials.

Things are alright now, but if there are years of famine in the future, these people will still have to share the spoils, and they may even become dissatisfied because they don't receive enough, eventually leading to the oppression of the people, which would be a vicious cycle.

"Your Majesty is wise." Changsun Wuji broke out in a cold sweat.

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "I know that many prefectures and counties are really poor and cannot afford it, so there is no need to rush. We can promote it slowly. We can start with the rich prefectures and counties, and then have the local government report to the counties where it is feasible. This way, we can do it separately, which will be more beneficial."

"Your Majesty's considerations are comprehensive." Changsun Wuji was completely convinced.

“Of course, if a place is clearly prosperous, but the local governor reports that half of the county offices are not suitable for governorship,” Li Chengqian said, looking up at Changsun Wuji. “Then, Uncle, in my opinion, such an official should be dismissed directly.”

"Your subject obeys the decree." Changsun Wuji bowed respectfully.

"It will take about ten years to gradually promote this matter," Li Chengqian said with a light smile. "It would be even better if the Tang Dynasty could destroy Tibet in five years."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji stepped back slightly and cupped his hands.

Li Chengqian walked past Changsun Wuji, then went up the steps, sat down on the imperial couch, and looked at Changsun Wuji, saying, "The affairs of the Dangxiang prefectures can be dealt with little by little, but the affairs of the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun are the most troublesome."

"Your Majesty!" Changsun Wuji couldn't help but cup his hands and said, "Is Your Majesty worried about the pacification of the people? I think there is no need to worry too much. For many years, the Tang Dynasty has completely controlled the political and military power of the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun. We have a very deep understanding of the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun, so it is not difficult to settle the people."

Li Chengqian lowered his head and said, "That's true, but at this crucial moment of conquering Tibet, it's not a good thing to have to divert our attention to governing the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun!"

Changsun Wuji's eyebrows twitched, then he cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty's concerns are very valid."

Changsun Wuji only saw the expansion of territory after annexing the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun, but he overlooked the fact that the Eastern and Western Tuyuhun would be completely transformed from vassal states of the Tang Dynasty into prefectures and counties of the Tang Dynasty. The violent upheavals that might occur and the manpower and dowry required could not be explained in a few words.

Li Chengqian raised his head, pondered for a long time, and finally said, "How about this, the Western Tuyuhun Kingdom will be destroyed, the King of Western Tuyuhun will be beheaded for rebellion, and all its territory will be incorporated into the Tang Dynasty."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji cupped his hands and listened to Li Chengqian's next words.

"Establish Haixi Prefecture and appoint Tang Shanshi, the Imperial Son-in-Law and Commandant, as its governor to govern the region." Li Chengqian directly incorporated the entire Western Tuyuhun into the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

Tang Shanshi was the fifth son of Tang Jian and the husband of Princess Yuzhang, the emperor's sister.

"The Eastern Tuyuhun rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, stripping them of all their cities except for their capital, Fusi City, and bringing them under Tang rule. Haibei Prefecture was established, and Wei Shuyu, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was appointed as its governor." Li Chengqian set the tone for the entire event.

Haixi Prefecture, Haibei Prefecture, and Xichang Prefecture, the three Tang Dynasty prefectures, completely surrounded the entire city of Fusi.

The Eastern Tuyuhun were left with only one capital city, Fusi City, as punishment for their involvement in the war between the Tang Dynasty and Tibet.

Seeing Changsun Wuji nod slowly, Li Chengqian sighed and said, "After all, Princess Honghua is involved, so I can't be too ruthless. It's better to keep them around. It can show all the foreign countries in the world that the Tang Dynasty has no intention of annexing its vassal states."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji understood somewhat.

Tang Shanshi was the husband of Princess Yuzhang, and Wei Shuyu was not only Wei Zheng's eldest son, but also the elder brother of Consort Shu. The two of them on the plateau could suppress Fusi City to the greatest extent, preventing the Eastern Tuyuhun from posing any threat to the Tang Dynasty.

Most importantly, the Tuyuhun Kingdom still exists.

Both the Eastern Tuyuhun and Western Tuyuhun were descendants of Murong Fuyun, and were actually part of the entire Tuyuhun Kingdom.

Although people outside the kingdom are used to calling them the Eastern Tuyuhun and the Western Tuyuhun, they actually claim to be the only legitimate rulers of the Tuyuhun Kingdom, while the other is nothing more than a false dynasty.

"Your Majesty!" Changsun Wuji looked up, cupped his hands, and said, "Execute the King of Xituyuhun and let Murong Nuohebo supervise the execution."

Li Chengqian was taken aback, then slowly nodded and said, "Let's do it that way."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji breathed a sigh of relief. In this way, although the territory has changed, the Tuyuhun people are still united and the people's hearts are still there. In this way, when the Tang Dynasty encounters problems in governing Haixi Prefecture and Haibei Prefecture, it can throw all the problems to Fusi City.

Now, all the other cities in Fusi City have been incorporated into the Tang Dynasty. Once the Tubo Kingdom is destroyed, Tuyuhun will no longer be able to pose a threat to the Tang Dynasty.

"Haixi Prefecture and Haibei Prefecture will both be incorporated into the Xichang Prefecture Governor's Office." Li Chengqian looked at Changsun Wuji with a solemn expression and said, "Uncle, everything in Xichang Prefecture is easy to handle. It's not difficult to quell Supi and Yangtong. The real trouble is Tubo and the Tanggula Mountains."

The Tanggula Mountains acted like a barrier, firmly blocking all forces attempting to invade Tibet.

Breaking into the Tanggula Mountains is no easy task.

This was merely one obstacle on the path by which the Tang Dynasty destroyed Tibet.

Changsun Wuji cupped his hands and said, “Your Majesty, there is a small path from Supi that can be used to invade Tibet. Although it is not easy to travel, it is enough to tie down a portion of Tibet’s military strength. In addition, the Western Turks can also invade Tibet from the Great Snow Mountain, which can also tie down a portion of Tibet’s military strength. As for the passes on the Tanggula Mountain Road, I’m afraid we will have to overcome them one by one.”

Li Chengqian nodded solemnly and said, "Have the Ministry of War search for merchants who have returned to Tibet in recent years and see what their opinions are on the Tibetan checkpoints."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji bowed seriously.

"Furthermore, after Supi and Changdu are completely destroyed next year, send Yan Liben to the Tanggula Mountains so that he can take a good look from his perspective and see what flaws exist in the Tibetan passes." Li Chengqian looked up, his eyes cold and stern: "If these passes were built using the methods of the Great Tang, then Yan Liben will surely be able to find the flaws. If not, then there are even more flaws."

The architectural techniques of the Tibetans were nothing special.

But more importantly, it relied on the architectural techniques provided by the artisans that Princess Wencheng had brought to Tibet over the years.

Perhaps the combination of these architectural techniques with Tibetan architectural techniques could produce some unique features, but in Yan Liben's eyes, there would probably still be countless flaws.

Not to mention that Li Chengqian had already tampered with things when Princess Wencheng married into Tibet.

Although he couldn't stop Princess Wencheng from marrying into Tibet, under his warning and supervision, the dowry given to Princess Wencheng by the Tang Dynasty was not as generous as in the previous life.

Even the level of craftsmen has dropped considerably.

After all, by that time, Li Chengqian had already begun compiling the "Kaogongzhi" (Record of Trades), and all the truly top-notch craftsmen of the Tang Dynasty were in Li Chengqian's hands.

The artisans who went to Tibet were far less skilled, and the passes they built were bound to have flaws.

The plan laid out twenty years ago is now being fully implemented.

Apart from Li Chengqian, no one else knew any of this.

“Yan Liben is a master architect.” Changsun Wuji looked up, cupped his hands, and said, “This matter can certainly be accomplished.”

“I also hope so.” Li Chengqian nodded and said, “After Tanggula Mountain is breached, we can talk about the rest later. Breaching Luoxie is also a difficult task.”

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji bowed solemnly. Tibet was much more difficult than the three kingdoms of the Eastern Islands.

Although the three kingdoms of the Eastern Islands were in chaos, everything was actually in the hands of the Tang Dynasty and the emperor. But Tibet was different.

Since Songtsen Gampo founded the Tibetan Empire, many wise and capable ministers have emerged both inside and outside the country, and Songtsen Gampo was also a great ruler of his time.

Even though Songtsen Gampo had been dead for many years, Tibet still had a huge influence on Tuyuhun and could easily incite the Tuyuhun royal family to rebel against the Tang Dynasty.

This is a tactic that the three eastern island nations do not possess.

When facing Tibet, any moment of carelessness could lead to the failure of all previous efforts.

"Under my uncle's supervision, all prefectures and counties across the land must strictly control the autumn harvest this year." Li Chengqian looked up and said, "If we work hard for the next two years, once the Tubo are defeated, the world will be completely at peace."

"I obey your order." Changsun Wuji bowed solemnly.

"Tell Di Renjie that I will see him the day after tomorrow, and that matter should be settled." Li Chengqian stood up and said with a smile, "Uncle, you should also go back and rest. The army has won a great victory, and everyone should rest."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji bowed and said, "Respectfully seeing Your Majesty off."

Li Chengqian nodded, stepped down from the steps, and headed out of the palace.

……

The autumn sun shines brightly, and the autumn breeze is refreshing.

Sitting on the imperial carriage, Li Chengqian looked at the Zhenguan Hall in front of him and said, "Send word to Li Wu to accompany Yan Liben to the Tanggula Mountains to take a closer look at the Tibetan checkpoints and see if there is any opportunity to take advantage of them."

Xu An's expression turned solemn, and he respectfully cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes, sir!"

(End of this chapter)