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

Chapter 719 Doubled Threats, Doubled Retaliation (One update today)
As the year draws to a close, snow falls in Chang'an.

Inside the Liangyi Hall, cold firelight casts shadows.

Li Chengqian, dressed in a black dragon robe with gold thread, sat on the imperial couch, looking at the letter in his hand with an icy expression.

The letter is from Princess Wencheng.

The letter contained very ordinary content, just a routine greeting, and a brief description of my situation.

It was very simple and ordinary; the implication was that everything was fine.

But how could everything be alright?

Now that the Tang army has reached the Tanggula Mountains, Princess Wencheng, who is in Lhasa and has been practically placed under house arrest, has to face the almost endless malice from the entire Tubo Kingdom.

How could her situation possibly be good?

This time, the Tibetan envoy came to the Tang Dynasty from Tibet. In addition to delivering a letter of state and explaining the "misunderstanding," he also sent a letter from Princess Wencheng to Chang'an.

Of course, although it was a letter, it was a blatant threat.

The letter was written by Princess Wencheng herself, and its contents described things as peaceful and smooth. However, this silent message was telling Li Chengqian that if he dared to send troops to Tibet, they could not guarantee Princess Wencheng's fate.

Li Chengqian couldn't help but clench his fists tightly, gritting his teeth.

……

"Your Majesty, there are still three hundred guards in Hongshan." Changsun Wuji said with a solemn expression, cupping his hands. "These three hundred men are currently in Luoxie. We don't know their situation or have any news."

Li Chengqian put down the letter in his hand, took a deep breath, and his expression gradually calmed down: "Tell Liang Jianfang to cut off the heads of three hundred Tibetan soldiers and send them to Lhasa."

"Your Majesty!" Li Ji, standing behind Changsun Wuji, was startled and quickly stepped forward, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect, saying, "Your Majesty, this is unacceptable!"

“It’s alright.” Li Chengqian calmly shook his head and said, “They are in Lhasa now. Even if their weapons are not taken away, the Tibetans will cut off their food and water. Even if they can last for a month or two, they will hardly last for half a year. So, send three hundred Tibetan soldiers’ heads to Lhasa and tell them that if these three hundred Tang soldiers die, I will kill thirty thousand Tibetan men to accompany them in death.”

Changsun Wuji was slightly taken aback, then cupped his hands and said, "Yes!"

Li Ji also cupped his hands in greeting, because he was certain that once the emperor's words reached Lhasa, those people there would absolutely not dare to make any rash moves.

"As for Wencheng," Li Chengqian said calmly, looking at the letter in his hand, "Since this letter has reached my hands today, it means that Wencheng should be safe now, and she will be fine until my reply reaches Lhasa."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji and Li Ji bowed simultaneously.

The Tibetans sent people to Chang'an with threats. If Princess Wencheng has already met with misfortune, then this trip will have been in vain.

“So, write a reply.” Li Chengqian looked to the side and said calmly, “Li Yifu, I will read it, and you will write it. Write it to the Tibetan king.”

Li Yifu calmly stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Li Chengqian waved his hand slightly, and Li Yifu sat down, then picked up the bamboo pen beside him with a serious expression.

Changsun Wuji and Li Ji glanced at Li Yifu from the side, their brows furrowing slightly.

The people around the emperor were mostly learned and talented individuals.

Lu Dunxin and Shangguan Yi were upright people, but Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu had somewhat bad reputations.

Of course, this is related to the fact that the two men directly controlled the money bureau.

They are greedy and cruel, both inside and out.

Many of the clues about the illicit money dealings in Huainan Circuit were discovered directly in Chang'an, and then thoroughly investigated.

If the investigation finds even the slightest discrepancy with Chang'an's accounts, the investigating official will be impeached immediately.

Xu Jingzong was slightly better, but he was just an opportunist.

As for Li Yifu, although he was equally opportunistic, he flattered those above and belittled those below, and his nickname "Human Cat" became increasingly tainted.

However, precisely because of this, in this special time, no one is more suitable than Li Yifu to carefully choose his words when writing a letter to the Tibetan king.

……

Li Chengqian raised his head and said indifferently, "Write: Although Tibet has not been established for long, the ministers inside and outside the country are diligent and the country is thriving. I am also pleased."

Li Yifu picked up his brush and began writing rapidly on the paper.

"Although I did not personally meet the late emperor, he was a powerful ruler who stood firm both inside and outside the court and commanded respect from all directions. Therefore, I have erected his stone statue in front of Zhaoling Mausoleum to serve the late emperor and to honor all officials." Li Chengqian's voice turned cold, and he narrowed his eyes as he said, "Since the new emperor ascended the throne, he has inherited the will of his predecessors and accumulated many merits. There should be many sacrifices to the mausoleum and ancestral temples. We must not let our ancestors feel uneasy."

Li Yifu couldn't help but shiver.

The emperor's words were not too subtle.

You must protect your father's tomb and ancestral temple, and prevent them from being dug up, burned, or destroyed by others.

Who? The emperor.

There were also countless Tang soldiers.

In connection with the preface, the emperor's meaning is very clear: if Tibet dares to harm Princess Wencheng, once the emperor conquers Tibet, then your ancestors' tombs and temples will not be preserved.

This is the most direct threat.

Li Chengqian continued to look up and said, "The prosperity of Tibet is due to the unity of all ethnic groups, both inside and outside the country. Only in this way can we achieve our current prosperity. Therefore, we must be extremely cautious in our actions so as to ensure the prosperity of our descendants and the continuation of our ancestral temples."

Li Yifu's hand was very steady. Even though his heart was trembling, he still wrote calmly.

She did not panic despite the emperor's threat that if Princess Wencheng were injured after conquering Tibet, he would kill all of Tibet's children.

Li Chengqian raised his head slightly and said, "Tibet is a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty. Throughout history, unless there are natural disasters or man-made calamities, there should be a place for the ancestral temple to continue. Your eldest son is a princess of the Tang Dynasty, and the ancestral temple is also a lineage of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Yifu breathed a slight sigh of relief; the threatening tone of those words had lessened.

However, after destroying Tibet, the emperor would treat Tibet the same way he treated Tuyuhun, preserving the capital city for Tibet.

Of course, if Tibet itself could not pass on its traditions, then the Tang Dynasty would find a way to have someone carry them on.

They even sought out a member of the Tang imperial family to succeed Tibet.

"The world is vast, but the righteous path will always prevail." After reciting the last sentence, Li Chengqian nodded to Li Yifu and said, "That's settled then. I will write the rest of the letters to my sister myself."

“Yes!” Li Yifu put down his brush, then stood up and bowed.

Li Chengqian calmed down, then looked at Li Ji and asked, "Duke of Ying, logically speaking, they should know that this matter cannot threaten me and will only anger me in the end. What do you think their real purpose is?"

The emperor is the ruler of the world, and he cannot act for personal gain.

The desire of the Tang Dynasty to destroy Tibet was the will of countless people throughout the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, the Tibetans should understand that sending people here would be futile and might even provoke Li Chengqian to take drastic measures against Tibet.

Li Ji bowed and said after a moment of contemplation, “Your Majesty, I believe that the reason why Tibet is acting this way is twofold: to feign humility in order to seek assistance from other countries and to make the Tang Dynasty take notice, while at the same time, it is attempting to use this matter to shake the morale of the people.”

After all, it involves hostages and a plea for peace, so the frontline troops will inevitably have some reservations, thus delaying the process and giving Tibet more time to prepare.

The soldiers at the front lines couldn't help but think back: that was a princess, and Tibet had paid a huge price. Would the emperor hesitate?

In this way, the soldiers in the army will be more cautious when they act.

“It’s no use!” Li Chengqian shook his head and said, “Before the army marches, there will be a proclamation to attack Tibet. I will not let them have any peace of mind.”

“Then it’s more likely that they are observing.” Li Ji looked up, his expression becoming serious: “When the Tang Dynasty conquered Tibet, the biggest pass was the Tanggula Pass. Not to mention the three dangerous passes, the most important thing is that the high-altitude miasma there is almost the strongest on the entire plateau’s passable roads.”

Apart from the passage through the Tanggula Pass, almost every other place is a dead end, inaccessible to both humans and birds.

Even on that road, an ice storm could suddenly appear at any time.

The sudden, suffocating air is the most likely cause of altitude sickness; if one is not careful, even tens of thousands of people can easily die there.

If the Tang Dynasty wanted to pass through the Tanggula Mountains and enter the Tibetan region, it would need at least 100,000 soldiers who could withstand altitude sickness.

The Tang Dynasty could not prepare that quantity.

Given the current situation, there are at most 50,000 people. There are also a large number of Turkic, Tuyuhun, Dangxiang, and Uyghur tribes. It is hard to say whether they can adapt to altitude sickness.

Oh, and there's also Supi and Yangtong. Once we take those two places, we can also free up enough troops from them.

But in doing so, this team would become a ragtag force.

The Tibetans had more opportunities to deal with such a ragtag army.

But first, we need to thoroughly understand the composition of this team.

So they sent people to Chang'an.

……

“That makes sense.” Li Chengqian nodded to Li Ji and said, “If they want to spy, let them spy. I’m not in a hurry.”

"Yes!" Li Ji's brow twitched, then he immediately lowered his head.

Li Chengqian turned to Changsun Wuji and said, "Uncle, I have not seen the Tibetan envoy. If you have time, please arrange for someone to entertain him."

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

Li Chengqian sighed softly and said, "In the first half of next year, do not attack Tanggula Pass. Try to advance from the Western Turkic and Supi directions. Make your move in the second half of the year, before the autumn harvest."

“Yes!” Li Ji and Changsun Wuji both nodded solemnly.

As long as the pace of the war on the plateau is adapted, it will not significantly affect the autumn harvest of the Tang Dynasty.

On the contrary, the autumn harvest is the busiest time for Tibet. If war breaks out at that time, the Tibetans will be able to harvest their autumn crops at a slower pace.

If the standoff continues for a long time, it is very likely to affect the Tibetans' grain reserves in the later stages, thus gaining an advantage in the overall situation.

This is a conspiracy.

"And then there's next year's imperial examination." Li Chengqian looked at Li Ji and said seriously, "Duke of Yingguo, you will be the chief examiner. At the same time, you can spread the word that this year's successful candidates will be given priority for military positions. Perhaps this time we can give more opportunities to those from humble backgrounds."

The children of truly poor families, as well as the illegitimate sons of prominent families, are actually quite similar.

The true eldest sons of powerful families would not easily take the imperial examinations at this time. "Your subject obeys the decree," Li Ji said respectfully, bowing respectfully.

Regardless, his appointment as the chief examiner for the imperial examinations meant that the content of the examinations would be heavily influenced by frontier military affairs.

This is the direction the emperor deliberately set for the world.

"Next autumn, there will be a harvest, arms production, and troop movements." Li Chengqian looked at Changsun Wuji and said, "Uncle, you should speed up the coordination."

"Yes!" Changsun Wuji bowed respectfully. He was the Grand Commandant, and these were matters of official business.

Li Chengqian looked up at the outside of the hall and said softly, "This year we will break through Supi Yangtong, and next year we will attack Tanggula Mountain. As the saying goes, one should strike while the iron is hot, but the second will be weak and the third will be exhausted. Before we find the weaknesses of the passes in Tanggula Mountain, we should not force a breakthrough. Too many casualties will damage morale. I plan to take two to three years to break through the passes. We should not put too much pressure on the army."

"I understand." Changsun Wuji bowed seriously.

In the beginning, the power of the Tang Dynasty and Tibet was such that Tibet was weakening while the Tang Dynasty was gradually strengthening. They wanted to maintain this advantage and then, when the opportunity was best, break through the pass in one fell swoop, and then destroy Tibet by attacking Lhasa.

Li Chengqian stood up and sighed, "After destroying the Tubo Kingdom, I can perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Song, and the Bluebird can be released."

Changsun Wuji immediately looked up, his eyes gleaming.

……

Snowflakes drifted down from the sky and landed on the palace road.

Changsun Wuji and Li Ji, both wearing black cloaks and seven-beam crowns, walked side by side.

The Taiji Gate was just ahead. Li Ji paused slightly and looked at Changsun Wuji, saying, "Grand Commandant, this trip will likely be arduous."

Changsun Wuji slowed his pace and sighed softly, saying, "The one who will truly have to work hard is not me, but the Yan family."

Li Ji immediately understood.

Li Tai is Yan Lide's son-in-law. If Li Tai can be exonerated from all crimes and released from the palace, then the last trace of unspeakable unease on the Yan family will be completely eliminated.

For this reason, Yan Liben, Yan Lide, and others would risk their lives.

Suddenly, Changsun Wuji turned to look in the direction of the Liangyi Hall and said softly, "So that's how it is. His Majesty originally intended for Yan Liben to be the commander-in-chief of the rear army and stationed in Lanzhou. In that case, Liang Jianfang would be transferred back from the front lines to be stationed along the line from Xichangzhou to Tongtian River. Finally, His Majesty would entrust the war of conquering Tubo to Su Dingfang."

Li Ji was taken aback, then suddenly realized what was happening, and nodded, saying, "At this time, the overall situation should be the priority, and we cannot be too concerned about the feelings of an old minister."

The emperor had been wavering between Su Dingfang and Liang Jianfang as the commander-in-chief who would lead the conquest of Tibet.

After all, without a commander-in-chief, the Ministry of War cannot determine its specific strategies.

The Tibetans' delivery of this letter to Chang'an actually made the emperor settle his mind completely.

Changsun Wuji turned around and walked towards the Taiji Gate ahead, saying, "Su Dingfang is the Duke of Wei's disciple, Li Dejian is the Duke of Wei's son, and Pei Xingjian is Su Dingfang's disciple. With these three as the vanguard generals, breaking through the three passes of Tanggula Mountain is the most effective and reliable strategy. Liang Jianfang is much less capable in this regard."

"Yes!" Li Ji nodded. He had actually learned a lot from Li Jing, and Su Dingfang and Pei Xingjian had also learned a lot under his command.

Based on Li Ji's understanding of the people, this was the best arrangement.

“In fact, with the strength of the Tang Dynasty, it is not difficult to break through a pass in the Tanggula Mountain Pass. The difficulty is that after breaking through one pass, it is difficult to move forward again.” Li Ji’s expression became solemn as he said, “That may seem like we have a foothold, but in reality, we cannot advance or retreat. That is why Your Majesty said to press on with one effort.”

The most important thing in attacking Tibet is food supplies. If the Tanggula Passes cannot be captured, the army can retreat at will and then obtain food supplies on its own, which will greatly reduce the logistical pressure.

To leave Tibet, one had to pass through Supi, which was an important transit hub.

However, the route from Supi to Tubo is a narrow, winding path, making it extremely difficult to traverse.

That area had always been occupied by the Tibetans, so it was not realistic to attack Tibet from that route.

If the three passes of Tanggula cannot be captured, the Tang Dynasty can immediately retreat to Supi to ensure the stability of its rear. However, once a pass is captured, the supplies must be transferred from Supi to the Tanggula Pass, and only then will the logistical pressure truly increase.

“Therefore, we really need to speed up spring planting next year.” Changsun Wuji nodded and said, “From Guanzhong to Longyou, as well as Xichangzhou, and even Yangtongsupi, we need to strengthen spring planting and minimize transportation losses as much as possible.”

"That's right." Li Ji nodded.

As they spoke, the two had already stepped out of Chengtian Gate.

The wind and snow continued to fall slowly from the sky.

……

Li Chengqian sat in the imperial carriage and headed towards the Lizheng Hall.

He waved his hand gently.

Light snowflakes fell from above, landing in his palm, and then quickly melted.

This snowfall promises another bountiful harvest next year.

Li Chengqian's expression turned serious. The destruction of Tibet must be accomplished within these few years; otherwise, if the country suffers a year of famine, coupled with years of warfare, the overall situation of the nation will likely be harmed.

He destroyed the Tubo Kingdom, and then performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Song.

Li Chengqian smiled softly and performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Song.

As he became emperor, he increasingly felt the difficulty of ruling the country.

The cost of performing the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai is unimaginable, and he truly cannot bear to part with it.

Turning to the side, Li Chengqian's expression calmed down, and he said, "Issue an imperial decree to summon the Prince of Jiangxia back to the capital. I want to see him after the New Year."

"Yes!" Xu An bowed and accepted the order.

Outside the Lizheng Hall, just as the imperial carriage landed, Li Chengqian heard a burst of playful noise coming from inside the hall, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

Soon, Li Chengqian entered the Lizheng Hall.

Princess Yongkang and Empress Su Shu, dressed in pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), emerged from the inner palace and bowed to Li Chengqian, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty/Father!"

"Rise." Li Chengqian smiled indulgently and looked at Princess Yongkang, saying, "Why has my princess come to visit your mother today?"

"Father, when has your daughter not come to pay her respects to Mother?" Princess Yongkang walked over, grabbed Li Chengqian's arm, and gently shook it.

Li Chengqian smiled, led Princess Yongkang to the inner hall, sat down on the long couch, and then looked at Su Shu and said, "Princess, you've come to see your future husband, haven't you?"

"Yes!" Su Shu took the memorial from the side, glanced at her daughter who was blushing, and handed it to the emperor, saying, "These are the last three people selected by the Crown Prince. One is Dou Sitai, the son of Dou Zhijing, the Duke of Julu; another is Wei Renfang, the son of Wei Zhongrui, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue; and the third is Feng Yi, the son of Feng Jian, the Prefect of Fenzhou, who is my cousin."

“The Feng family of Jizhou.” Li Chengqian nodded.

Although the Feng family of Jizhou had a lower social standing, they were the Empress's maternal family and therefore had some qualifications, though they were at the very bottom of the hierarchy.

Of course, those who caught Li Xiang's eye had some outstanding qualities.

Li Chengqian glanced at the contents of the memorial, then put it aside and said, "Send word to the three families, telling them to prepare for next year's palace examination. They don't need to participate in the general examinations, just the palace examination. I want to see their abilities."

"Yes!" Su Shu nodded, but still looked at Li Chengqian and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to know why you are doing this, and what kind of person Your Majesty has in mind for your consort?"

Li Chengqian leaned back, glanced at Princess Yongkang who was also full of curiosity, smiled gently, and said, "There are five kinds of greed in people: greed for wealth, greed for lust, greed for power, greed for fame, and greed for laziness."

"The consort I desire must come from a good enough family but not be greedy for money; he must be self-disciplined and not lustful; he must be clear-headed and not power-hungry; he must be intelligent enough not to be flattered to death; and finally, he must not be lazy. Of course, he must also genuinely love my son, Fuchang!"

Princess Yongkang didn't hear Li Chengqian's earlier words clearly; she only caught the last sentence. She couldn't help but throw herself into Li Chengqian's arms, crying out with tears in her eyes, "Father!"

Su Shu sat to the side and said irritably, "His Majesty can't even do these things himself, so how can he expect others to?"

“So he’s the imperial son-in-law!” Li Chengqian sighed softly and said, “Hasn’t this always been the requirement for imperial sons-in-law throughout history?”

Su Shu was slightly taken aback, then slowly nodded.

Because it really is true. Not to mention others, her uncle Su Xu is such a person.

Su Shu immediately understood that choosing a consort based on Su Xu's appearance would be a sure thing.

That's why they had to participate in the imperial examinations.

Li Chengqian smiled slightly; things weren't that simple.

He looked up and gazed out the window.

The night's darkness and snow finally intensified.

……

At the beginning of the new year, everything is renewed.

In the thirteenth year of Yongwei's reign, there was a dynasty on the first day of the first lunar month.

Zhang Xuansu, a Grand Academician of the Hongwen Pavilion and a member of the Third Rank of the Secretariat and Chancellery, retired as Prime Minister.

The emperor bestowed upon him the title of Special Envoy and Duke of Pu, and he resided in Chang'an. He was visited by the emperor at his residence.

Su Xu, the governor of Luozhou, was promoted to Grand Academician of the Hongwen Pavilion and concurrently held the rank of Third Grade Official in the Secretariat and Chancellery, thus becoming a prime minister.

Although Su Xu was the emperor's son-in-law and the father of Consort Zhao, the emperor's edict clearly stated that Su Xu's ability to become prime minister was more due to his extraordinary literary talent.

He was one of the eighteen scholars of the Qin Prince's Mansion. He was in charge of compiling the "Kuodi Zhi". Later, he also contributed to the conquest of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla in Dongdao, the Battle of Xichangzhou, and presided over the construction of the Luoyang Imperial Academy. He was appointed prime minister for his achievements, so there is nothing wrong with that.

Moreover, the position of Grand Secretary of the Hongwen Academy was a prestigious and prestigious one, overseeing the Hongwen Academy, the Crown Prince's Chongwen Academy, the Secretariat, the Imperial Academy, the National Academy, and all the state schools in the country. He was truly the leader of the literary world.

Su Xu has sufficient ability and qualifications.

Moreover, there are rumors that the emperor is planning to build another Imperial Academy in Luoyang.

Now, there was no more noise in the world.

But everyone understood that from this day forward, it would become the rule for scholars of the Hongwen Academy to become prime ministers, and in the future, there would be another path for scholars across the land to become prime ministers.

Moreover, they prioritize education over political achievements.

In a short time, countless literary figures flocked to Chang'an.

In order to secure the position of prime minister in the future.

(End of this chapter)