Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 390: Foreign Royal Family in Chang'an City
Li Zhi was delighted to hear that Tamluk had surrendered without sacrificing any soldiers.

Although Tamra is an island, its land is fertile and has a wide plain, making it an excellent place for raising horses and storing troops.

On the one hand, he ordered Yingzhou and Laizhou to transport food and fodder to Tamra, stockpile heavy troops, and attract the main force of Japan.

On the one hand, Laizhou was allowed to settle the people of Danluo, all of whom were registered as good citizens, settled in villages and towns, and taught them how to farm, so that they could settle down and work in the Tang Dynasty as soon as possible.

The autumn wind is blowing, and before I knew it, it is already October.

The Honglu Temple reported that Awagi had arrived in Chang'an with the ministers of Tamra.

This person took the initiative to surrender, which saved Li Zhi a lot of effort. Li Zhi had a good impression of him and personally met him in Ganlu Palace.

Seeing that he was only in his thirties, not good-looking, and with a body shape similar to that of a Japanese, Li Zhi appointed him to a fifth-rank military post, granted him the title of baron, and gave him a mansion.

Awagi was also very happy and bowed to express her gratitude.

Li Zhi asked, "Ah Qing, I heard that you once led troops to attack Japan. Is that true?"

Awagi hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I, no, I was not actually fighting against the Kingdom of Wa, but the Kingdom of Tsushima."

"Tsushima?" Li Zhi asked curiously.

Awagi said, "It's an island country near Kyushu, Japan. They are a vassal state of Japan."

Li Zhi nodded. Awagi should be referring to Tsushima Island. During this period, Tsushima Island did not completely belong to Japan.

Li Zhi said, "I'd like to ask, how do you avoid storms when you send troops to your islands?"

Awagi said, "We will observe the weather. If the weather is bad, we will not go out to sea."

"Is it accurate?"

Awagi said, "Observing the weather is an ancestral skill of our Tamra royal family. It is through this ability that we are able to rule our subjects. However, my ability to observe the weather is far inferior to that of my brother Apollo."

Li Zhi asked in surprise: "Apollo?"

Awagi said, "Yes, my brother was originally the King of Tamra. He was extremely intelligent since childhood and never made a mistake when observing the weather. Whenever he led everyone out to sea to fish, he never encountered any danger."

Li Zhi nodded secretly. If there really was such a genius who was proficient in navigation in the island country, he would be exactly the talent he needed right now.

"Where is your brother now?"

Awagi said, "Brother, please settle in Chang'an."

Li Zhi said, "Very well, bring him into the palace tomorrow. I have a mission for you."

Awagi said, "Yes." She took her leave and left Ganlu Palace, and then went out of Chengtian Gate.

This time, Awagi brought eight officials with him, and all eight of them were waiting outside the door to ask him about the meeting with the Emperor of Tang.

Awagi said a few brief words and then told them that the emperor had arranged officials from the Ministry of Personnel, granted them official positions, and asked them to go to the Ministry of Personnel for assessment.

After giving the instructions, Awagi no longer cared about them and went straight out of the palace and headed towards Shengyebo.

Among the 108 wards in Chang'an, two are the most special, one is Liquan ward and the other is Shengye ward.

There are more foreigners in these two districts than local people in Chang'an.

Among them, Liquanfang is mostly inhabited by Hu people from the Western Regions, while Shengyefang is mostly inhabited by barbarians from the Liaodong countries.

After Awagi entered the neighborhood, she asked questions as she walked and soon arrived at the gate of a large house on North Street.

Looking up, I saw two big stone lions standing outside the house, and on the gilded plaque were two golden characters "Afu" written on it.

Awagi clapped her hands and said happily, "I finally found it." She went over and knocked on the door of the mansion.

With a creaky sound, the door of the mansion opened wide, and a tall Tang man asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Awagi asked, "Is this Apollo's residence?"

The Tang man said, "Yes, you are?"

Awagi smiled and said, "I am Apollo's brother. Please take me to see him."

The Tang man looked him over, nodded, and said, "I'll inform Alang later."

It is said that Awagi's brother was named Apollo. He was originally the king of Tamra. In the second year of Yonghui, he could not bear the oppression of Baekje, so he came to Chang'an with generous gifts and wanted to surrender to the Tang Dynasty.

After arriving in Chang'an City, he saw that it was prosperous and the people were wealthy. The houses of the people were better than the royal palace in Tamra, and the food of the people was better than what he usually ate. The beauties of the Tang Dynasty were far beyond those of Tamra. It was really an eye-opener.

He went to the Honglu Temple and met with Tang officials. When the Tang people heard that there were less than 2,000 households in Tamluo, they were unwilling to accept it as a vassal state.

Apollo gained a lot of experience in Chang'an and thought that his life might not be happy if he returned to Tamra. With the money and property he had, he could enjoy himself in Chang'an, so why should he go back to Tamra?

He then wrote a letter and asked his servant to take it back to Tamra, passing the throne to his younger brother Awagi, and stayed in Chang'an from then on.

Apollo was a clever man. He knew that Chang'an was a place where money was spent. With only the money he had, he would eventually run out of money.

So he opened a jewelry shop in the East Market, buying jewelry from Liaodong merchants and reselling it to the Tang people.

He was born into the royal family of Tamra and was quite good at appraising treasures. With this ability, he became a famous wealthy man in Shengyefang. He bought a mansion with four courtyards, married more than ten wives and concubines, and had eight children.

That day, he was enjoying the courtesan playing the piano in the back hall when he heard that his younger brother had come to Chang'an. He was overjoyed and went to the door to meet him.

Apollo led his brother into the house and said with a smile, "Second brother, you are not in Tamra to be your king, so why did you come to Chang'an?"

Awagi looked around the mansion and said, "I have come to see His Majesty the Emperor."

Apollo led him into the main hall, ordered tea to be served, shook his head and laughed, "It's useless. Our Tamra is too small, with insufficient population, to become a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty."

Just as Awaji was about to explain, Apollo said, "Well, just treat it as a trip to Chang'an. We are brothers, and I will make sure you have a great time."

Apollo led Awagi on a tour of the palace.

Walking through the corridors and around the painting building, we came to a garden in the backyard. There were ancient rocks, clear streams and ponds, and although the flowers had withered, they still had a unique elegance.

Apollo said with a smile, "Second brother, how does my garden compare to the palace of King Tamra?"

Awagi said enviously, "How can the royal palace compare to my brother's magnificent house?"

Apollo was overjoyed and took him to a water pavilion. He ordered people to serve wine and food, and asked the dancers in the palace to dance in front of the pavilion.

The two brothers drank and enjoyed the music. Apollo asked again, "Brother, how do my dancers compare to the dancers of Tamra?"

Awagi's eyes were hazy with drunkenness, and she stammered, "They all have slender figures and graceful postures. Our Tamra dancers are all short, how can they compare?"

Apollo laughed and said, "Brother, why don't you also resign the throne and stay in Chang'an to enjoy the good life with me in Chang'an?"

Awaji hurriedly said: "I came here this time precisely to stay in Chang'an."

Apollo patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "I knew that when you came to Chang'an, you would do the same as me. But who are you going to pass the throne to? We don't have any other brothers."

Awagi said, "No need to spread the word. Tamra has already surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. There is no Tamra Kingdom any more."

Apollo was stunned for a moment: "What did you say?"

Awagi lowered his head slightly, fearing that his brother would scold him for losing the country. He whispered, "Brother, there is nothing I can do even if ten thousand Tang soldiers come to Tamra."

Apollo glared at him and said, "Damra has surrendered to the Tang Dynasty? Have you been appointed as an official?" The focus was obviously different.

Awagi smiled and said, "Brother, how did you know? I have already met His Majesty the Emperor, and was awarded the title of Right Guard General, and was also named the Man of Ji County!" Apollo was stunned, and suddenly felt that the dancers were not beautiful anymore, and the wine in his hand was no longer fragrant.

Awagi continued, "Your Majesty also gave me a mansion."

Apollo stared at him and asked, "How big is it? Is it bigger than mine?"

Awagi said, "I haven't been to see it yet, but I heard it's a three-story house."

Apollo laughed and said, "Three entrances? Haha, I have four entrances! Brother, you are still a little short." However, as he laughed, he started to cry.

Awagi was surprised and asked, "Brother, what's wrong with you?"

Apollo raised his head, his eyes blurred with tears, and said, "Brother, can you tell the saint that I am the King of Tamra and give me all your official position and title, okay?"

Although Awagi was dumb, she was not stupid. She smiled innocently and said, "Uh... I'm afraid not."

Apollo said, "I think so too." He buried his head and burst into tears.

Awagi quickly patted his shoulder and said, "Brother, don't be sad. Tomorrow, when you and I meet the Emperor, His Majesty may grant you an official position!"

Apollo was stunned. "What? Go to the palace to see the emperor? Who?"

"Us!"

Apollo said, "Silly boy, do you think the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty is the same as our King of Tamra? How can ordinary people easily see him?"

Awagi said, "But His Majesty asked me to take you to see him tomorrow!"

Apollo was surprised and said, "Is there such a thing? What happened? Tell me in detail!"

Awagi then told the emperor about what had happened during her recent meeting with him.

Apollo was overjoyed and hugged Awagi, saying, "My dear brother, you actually knew to recommend me to the saint. It seems you have become much smarter over the years."

Awagi was stunned: "Did I recommend my brother?"

Apollo laughed heartily and said, "You told the Saint about my abilities, which is a recommendation! It seems the Saint is going to attack Japan. Great! This time, maybe we can follow the Tang army and teach those damned Japanese a lesson!"

That night, Apollo let his younger brother stay in his palace for one night. The next day, the two brothers came to Suzaku Gate together to prepare to meet the emperor.

Awagi forgot to go to the Ministry of Personnel to get his official seal yesterday, so the two brothers were unable to enter the Suzaku Gate.

Fortunately, after Apollo explained the reason, the soldiers of Suzaku Gate went to the Ministry of Personnel to inquire and learned that Awagi had indeed been given an official position, so they were allowed to enter.

The two men arrived at Chengtian Gate. The gatekeeper had received the emperor's order and took them into the palace. They followed the palace road and soon arrived at Ganlu Palace.

After waiting in the side hall for a while, the two were summoned by the emperor and brought to the main hall to pay their respects.

The two brothers are generally short, but Apollo Tang speaks more authentic language and has more standardized etiquette.

Li Zhi looked at the two men as if they were two dwarfs, raised his hand and said with a smile: "Get up."

When they stood up, they asked Apollo about observing the weather.

Apollo replied, "Your Majesty, we sea dwellers observe the weather based on three factors."

Li Zhi asked: "Which three points?"

Apollo said: "First, observe the clouds, second, measure the wind, and third, look at the sea."

Li Zhi was surprised and said, "I understand the first two points. What does Wang Hai mean?"

Apollo said, "Your Majesty, sea observation means observing the fish and birds on the sea. Each species of fish and bird has unique sensory abilities. As long as we make good use of their abilities and observe their changes, we can avoid all storms!"

Awagi hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, we in the Tamra royal family are all good at observing the clouds and measuring the winds, but no king in history can match your brother's ability to observe the sea."

Li Zhi nodded and said, "Apollo, since you have such ability, I will appoint you as General of the Left Guard, just like your brother Awaji."

Apollo was overjoyed and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Li Zhi said, "I am preparing to launch an offensive against Japan. You and Awagi will go to Liaodong together to observe the weather and avoid storms for the Tang Navy. Are you willing?"

Apollo said hurriedly: "I will do my best to repay your grace!"

Seeing that Awagi was stunned, he quickly slapped him.

Awagi finally realized what was happening and stammered, "I, no, the same to me!"

An official from the Honglu Temple suddenly came to report that Buyeo Fuxin had sent an envoy, Daochen, to request a meeting.

Li Zhi knew that Fuyu Fuxin came for Tamra, so he ordered Zhang Jianzhi to deal with it.

Zhang Jianzhi came to the inn and met Daochen, who thanked him repeatedly and expressed his gratitude to the Tang Dynasty for helping them recapture Tamra.

Zhang Jianzhi raised an eyebrow and said, "Emissary Daochen, Tamra has been annexed by the Tang Dynasty and divided into Yingzhou. Our army is mobilizing troops not to make wedding dresses for others."

Dao Chen said anxiously, "Tamra has always been a vassal of Baekje. The Tang Dynasty has a vast territory. Why would they bother to fight with us for this small island?"

Zhang Jianzhi was displeased and said, "Tamra is a vassal of Buyeo Yici, and he supplies him with fine horses. Our Tang conquered Tamra to fight against Japan, and it would also benefit you. Yet, foreign envoys come to demand them. Do you think our Tang is easy to bully?"

Dao Chen was shocked and said quickly, "I dare not."

Zhang Jianzhi said, "I am very busy with my official duties. Does the envoy have anything else to say?"

Dao Chen said, "Yi Ci has received the help of Queen Bao, and now her military strength has increased greatly. She has recaptured the three cities that were captured by our army. We still ask the Tang army for help."

Zhang Jianzhi said, "Our army is currently attacking Japan. Please slow down your attack and defend the area. When our army returns, we will come to your aid."

Daochen asked, "I wonder when the upper kingdom will attack Japan?"

Zhang Jianzhi said, "This is a military secret. If I tell you, it might be leaked again. Please stay for a while." Then he turned away.

Tamra is located in the southwest of Japan, covering an area of ​​more than 20,000 hectares, of which more than 10,000 hectares are pastures, which is the perfect place for stationing troops.

Li Zhi ordered the troops to be stationed in the two states of Yinglai and to gather their food and supplies towards Tamra.

A month later, there were 50,000 troops stationed there, and even the Tang army in Xiongjin Port was transferred there, leaving only 1,000 garrison troops in Xiongjin Port.

Liu Rengui also left Yingzhou and stationed in Danluo with generals such as Jiang Ke and Liu Renyuan.

The Awa brothers were also sent by Li Zhi to assist the army in fighting at sea.

After learning the situation, the Japanese were extremely frightened and predicted that the Tang army would launch a large-scale invasion. They gathered all the troops in the country and headed towards Chikushi Province in Kyushu to resist the Tang army.

At the end of October, Liu Rengui asked Jiang Ke and Liu Renyuan to be the vanguard and lead a small navy to Chikushi Province in Kyushu to attack the Japanese water fort.

After the Japanese army learned that the Tang army was heading east, they also sent navy to fight.

The two countries fought several small-scale wars in the waters fifty miles away from Chikushi Province.

In the previous few encounters, both sides suffered losses and there was no clear winner.

By early November, Liu Rengui saw that the Apollo brothers' ability to measure the sea was indeed extraordinary, and they never encountered strong winds and waves during every expedition.

So he chose a good day, mobilized 30,000 soldiers, and headed straight for Kyushu.

After Nakano-oe learned about this, he ordered Onijima Kawakiyo to lead 30,000 naval forces to fight.

(End of this chapter)