Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 314 Are you going to break your promise and ambush the delegation?

Stepping out of the mansion gate, a cold wind swirled with fine snowflakes and hit my face.

"brush!"

A crisp sound of armor clashing suddenly rang out. Wen He looked up and saw a team of over a hundred people lined up in front of the mansion gate.

The soldiers, dressed in brand-new mountain armor and holding long halberds, each had piercing eyes and stood as upright as pine trees in winter. Their ranks were so neat that they seemed to have been measured with ink lines.

"This is?"

Wen He turned his head in surprise and looked at Li Daozong beside him. He saw that the latter was standing tall and straight with a smug look on his face, and even raised his eyebrows at him triumphantly.

The first thought that flashed through his mind was "rebellion," but he immediately shook his head in self-deprecation.

With just a hundred men, let alone breaching the palace, they couldn't even touch the hinges of the Xuanwu Gate. Even if Li Daozong was absurd, he wouldn't have gone this far.

"How about it?"

Li Daozong patted his chest, asking with a hint of smugness.

"These soldiers may not be as numerous as the hundred cavalrymen you trained, but they are enough to demonstrate the might of our Great Tang army, aren't they?"

Wen He's lips twitched involuntarily a few times.

For a moment, he couldn't decide whether to admire Li Daozong's persistence in scheming over such a small matter, or to criticize him for overestimating Japan.

They made such a big fuss just to welcome a delegation from a tiny country.

"Didn't you say before that Japan was eyeing Silla and Baekje with covetous intent?"

Li Daozong chuckled and explained.

"Since that's the case, let's take this opportunity to scare them and make them back their ambitions, so they won't cause trouble for our Great Tang in the eastern seas."

While the argument made sense, Wen He still felt that making such a big fuss was giving Japan too much face.

"Take it."

Wen He shook her head, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable certainty.

Li Daozong and his attendant Fang You were both taken aback. The smile on Li Daozong's face vanished instantly, and his brows furrowed: "Not bringing these people?"

He had put in a lot of effort these past two days, personally overseeing the soldiers' training in Wen He's "standing method," shouting until his voice was hoarse before he could make them stand properly.

This little brat Wen He actually wants him to leave?

“Prince Rencheng, why does the Great Tang need to engage in such superficial formalities?”

Wen He looked at him and said slowly.

"Instead of arranging these soldiers to form battle formations, it would be better to secretly spread the word that our Great Tang Dynasty intends to sell a batch of weapons and armor to Silla and Baekje."

"With such a grand welcome, the Japanese will take the Tang Dynasty even less seriously."

He paused, then added, "In that case, Japan might actually be intimidated."

He wasn't against deterrence, but the force of a hundred men was simply inadequate and would only make him appear weak.

True deterrence always lies hidden in unseen places.

Li Daozong was taken aback upon hearing this. He stroked his beard and pondered, his fingers unconsciously caressing the buckle of his jade belt.

Fang You, the interpreter, hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and bowing to Li Daozong, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that what Gao Yangxian said is absolutely right. If a small country like ours needs a hundred soldiers to intimidate us, it only makes our Great Tang appear weak and ineffective."

"Why didn't you say so before!"

Li Daozong glared at him, his tone tinged with annoyance.

Fang You was taken aback, and an embarrassed look appeared on his face: "This humble official... this humble official only realized the truth because he thought what the magistrate of Gaoyang said made sense."

"I don't care, I'm going to take them with me."

Li Daozong snorted and turned to Wen He.

"It's not for intimidation, it's just to scare them."

After all, the troops had been training for two days. The Ministry of War had spread the word that he was preparing a "grand gift" for the Japanese delegation. If he just withdrew like this, where would he put his face as the Prince of Rencheng?

"You are the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, so you have the final say."

Seeing that he was determined to do so, Wen He was too lazy to persuade him any further.

Let them scare us if they want; they won't cause any real trouble anyway.

"set off!"

Once Wen He's carriages and horses were ready, Li Daozong waved his hand and led the team ahead, heading out of the city in a grand procession.

In fact, the official Japanese delegation had arrived outside Chang'an yesterday, and the staff of the Sifangguan had already arranged for them to rest at the post station.

According to etiquette, foreign delegations were only allowed to enter Chang'an City after formally handing over their duties to the Court of State Ceremonies.

Early in the morning, the area outside Mingde Gate in Chang'an City became lively.

The guard on duty on the city tower was dozing off when he was suddenly awakened by a commotion. He peeked down and burst out laughing.

"Which foreign delegation is this? How come they are so poor and don't even have a decent suit of armor?"

He laughed loudly.

Among the Japanese troops below the city, apart from the leaders who wore coarse cloth robes, the rest of the followers were wearing armor made of bamboo strips, which looked shabby and yellowish in the sunlight.

"And their height, how come they're all so short, barely reaching my chest?"

The soldiers beside him also sneered, keeping their voices very low, as if afraid of being heard by those below.

No wonder they were laughing.

Most of the attendants in the Japanese delegation were small and thin, and standing in front of the tall Tang soldiers, they looked like a group of children who had not yet grown up.

Among the Japanese troops below the city, many people instinctively shrank back as they looked at the Tang soldiers on the city wall, who stood like iron towers.

The middle-aged Japanese man at the head of the group rode on a small horse, gazing at the towering city walls and the three powerful characters "Mingde Gate" on the city gate. His hand holding the reins trembled slightly.

Is this the capital of the Tang Dynasty?
It was indeed as magnificent as the legends said; the city walls alone were probably even more imposing than their largest castle.

“Ono-kun painted a picture of Chang’an before, and at that time I thought it was an exaggeration. Now it seems that we were indeed looking at the sky from the bottom of a well.”

The middle-aged man couldn't help but gasp.

He had observed the city walls from afar yesterday and already felt they were magnificent.

Upon closer inspection today, he was shocked to realize that even Asuka Castle in Japan was inferior to Chang'an, let alone the county towns they had passed along the way.

"Minister, when we return this time, we will also build a great city. Even if it cannot be built like Chang'an, it will certainly be magnificent."

The middle-aged Japanese man standing to the side spoke with his head held high.

Upon hearing this, Soga no Emishi's lips curled into a slight smile. He thought to himself, if these Tang Dynasty people can do it, then they, the Japanese, can do it too.

at this time!

Suddenly, I heard the sound of orderly footsteps in the distance. I looked up and gasped in shock.

A troop of Tang soldiers, clad in elite armor, were marching towards the city gate, their armor gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

"Make everything neater."

Li Daozong frowned and reprimanded in a low voice.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. This temporary training team was ultimately unable to achieve the same unity among all the riders as the Hundred Riders.

This display was enough to frighten the Japanese.

We exited through Mingde Gate.

Wen He then got off the carriage.

At the same time, Li Daozong sent Fang You to question him.

Upon learning that they were from the Court of State Ceremonial of the Tang Dynasty, and that a prince had come to greet them.

Soga nods in satisfaction and says, "It seems that the Tang Dynasty is quite friendly to us, much more respectful than the previous Sui emperor."

“That’s natural, our Japan is also a great power,” a retainer beside Soga no Emishi flattered.

No sooner had the two finished speaking than the interpreter beside them stammered as he translated Fang You's words.

He said, “Have the ministers dismount and go to pay their respects.”

"idiot!"

The retainer was furious: "Kongnongyanu, how dare he be so insolent!"

In Japan, the Soga no Emishi (Japanese) held a position second only to their Emperor.

Now, with the Emperor seriously ill, the Soga clan has seized control of all military power and become the true rulers of Japan.

How dare the Tang Dynasty humiliate them like this?
Why isn't anything happening?

Outside Mingde Gate, Li Daozong frowned in displeasure as he watched the Japanese delegation fail to pay their respects.

"These Japanese are so rude! I've condescended to come to the city gates, and they don't even come to pay their respects. Do I have to go and greet them?"

Upon hearing this, Wen He scoffed.

"These Japanese are always arrogant and haughty, and they're probably cursing you right now."

"I already said, there's no need to make a scene. Just wait at the Honglu Temple. The Japanese are all bark and no bite. The more face you give them, the more presumptuous they become."

Upon hearing this, Li Daozong's expression grew increasingly displeased.

He felt he was losing face.

Just as Wen He had said, his hundred men were completely ignored by the Japanese.

He immediately snorted loudly and raised his hand high.

"Gale!"

Behind him, a hundred soldiers shouted in unison, demonstrating their power.

"Black Armor Guards!"

Wen He's expression immediately turned cold.

The twenty Xuanjia guards responsible for protecting him suddenly rode out into battle.

"Press them down and shout: either come forward and pay your respects, or for this disrespect of the might of the Tang Dynasty, execute them on the spot!"

"promise!"

The Xuanjia Guards were the elite of the cavalry, wearing heavy armor and riding only the finest, tall horses.

Even with only twenty people, they could still display the imposing presence of hundreds.

The sound of horses' hooves thundered.

Panic immediately erupted within the Japanese delegation.

Soga no Emishi's eyes widened in surprise.

What are the people of the Tang Dynasty doing?
His retainers hurriedly used an interpreter to question Fang You.

"Are you going to break your promise and ambush the delegation?"

Although Fang You was also extremely surprised, his expression remained unchanged as he coldly addressed Soga no Emishi and his retainers.

"This is the might of Heaven. If you are not convinced, you may leave."

But he just finished speaking.

Then you could hear the Xuanjia Guards riding around the Japanese delegation shouting loudly.

"The magistrate of Gaoyang County has said that you may either come forward to pay your respects, or you may be executed on the spot for showing contempt for the might of the Tang Dynasty!"

The first interpreter to understand was immediately terrified and turned pale.

He quickly relayed these words to Soga no Emishi.

The latter immediately frowned, and his retainer beside him angrily drew his sword, but was stopped by him.

"Aren't you afraid of making an enemy of our Japanese nation by doing this?"

Soga no Emishi suppressed his anger and questioned Fang You with a ferocious expression.

Fang You hadn't expected Wen He to be so bold.

But he could not tarnish the prestige of the Tang Dynasty, so he held his head high and puffed out his chest, adopting an attitude of disdain for Soga no Emishi's threats.

"Offending the emperor? How utterly ridiculous! Our Great Tang has a million soldiers, capable of opening mountains and filling seas. If the Japanese dare to disrespect the emperor, it will only add another overseas prefecture to the Great Tang in the future."

Soga no Ezo suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

This is too much!
Wasn't the Tang Dynasty supposed to be a land of etiquette?

Such a blatant threat!

"Bagya Road!"

Soga no Emishi's retainer roared angrily, drew his sword, and slashed at Fang You.

Just then, a voice rang out: "Stop!"

(End of this chapter)