Zhenguan: I, Dou Fengjie, will not be the first cuckold.

The middle-aged man in front of me had several messy braids on his head, wore a fur coat with a fur belt, and had gold ornaments on his woolen arms. He had slightly high cheekbones, distinct features, raised eyebrows, and two obvious red blushes on his cheeks. His face had obvious characteristics of the high plateau.

"The Supi envoy, Mangbo Jiesunbo, greets the superior."

Dou Fengjie's smile was slightly strange.

Coincidentally, he was one of the few people in the Tang Dynasty who knew about Supi.

An official from the Sifang Pavilion served tea. Dou Fengjie took a slow sip, then slightly raised his eyelids: "The situation in Supi has deteriorated to this point, and the prince is going down the mountain again?"

Mangbo Jiesunbo's body trembled, his composure vanished, replaced by a haggard look: "Shangguan understands Supi very well. Indeed, Supi cannot stop the expansion of Tibet."

The Supi Kingdom was the largest female kingdom in the world at that time, but its biggest drawback was that it had two queens, one big and one small.

The Supi people are a fusion of the Qiang and Meng ethnic groups, and they share a common origin with the Tubo (Tibetan) people. At their peak, the Tubo had not yet ventured beyond the southern mountains.

However, the infighting between the two queens caused the people to become disaffected, and the ministers, such as the Nong and Niang families, sided with Tibet, leading to the destruction of the Supi Kingdom and Mangbo Jiesunbo's escape to the Turks.

It wasn't until the Tibetan king Nangri Songtsen was poisoned by his ministers and the Tibetan forces were urgently withdrawn that Mangbo Jesunbo returned to his former residence, intending to rebuild Supi.

The problem is that the two queens have caused too much trouble and have lost the support of the people. Mangbo Jiesunbo also lacks the appeal to win over the young Tibetan king, Xibuye Qizong Nongzan, and is powerless to resist.

The Tibetan minister, Nyang Mangbujie Shangnang, who came from Supi, persuaded the vast majority of Supi families to return to the embrace of Tibet without firing a single shot, relying solely on her silver tongue.

Thus, Sun Bo, the runner-up in the world of running away, appeared.

Sun Bo is another transliteration of Su Pi.

"So, all these past two years of Tibetan retreat, you haven't accomplished anything!"

Dou Fengjie offered a sharp critique.

"Supi is a kingdom of women, and I am a man..."

Mangbo Jiesunbo replied dejectedly.

Of the two lineages of the Supi Queens, only Mangbo Jiesunbo remains as a sole heir.

In this era, there was no technology for Sawadika. Even if Mangbo Jesunbo were willing to take a knife, he could only become an official, a eunuch.

The fact that no remnants of a kingdom came out to mourn after its collapse shows how badly Supi did his job.

Many powerful nations have perished because of their own actions.

Right, the Sui Dynasty?

"Then you cannot appear as an envoy, but should lead your tribe to request annexation, and you should demonstrate your value."

Dou Fengjie gave guidance to Mang Bojie and Sun Bo.

The nation no longer exists; the mission is a joke.

Mangbo Jiesunbo looked around blankly, his eyes, which should have been filled with vicissitudes, were surprisingly clear, as if he had been protected too well.

Cheng Chumo couldn't help but speak up: "Even if you can't give the Tang Dynasty wealth or land, at least you know the terrain of Supi, right?"

Dou Fengjie smiled and said, "I believe the prince is well aware of the mountains, rivers, roads, and suspension bridges."

The true colors are revealed when the truth is revealed; this is the true value of Mangbo Jiesunbo's existence.

Mangbo Jiesunbo's eyes filled with sorrow: "In this way, will my people and I have a place to live?"

Of course, that's not all. Given Li Shimin's ambitious nature, he would have given Mangbo Jiesunbo a less important official position, such as a remonstrating official.

Besides contributing geographical and strategic information, Mangbo Jiesunbo's greatest role was to please the emperor and make him feel that the barbarians were subjugated.

When Mangbo Jiesunbo is happy, he can dance a song, which complements Ashina Duobi's performance.

-----------------

"Is the emerging powerful nation on the plateau called Tubo?"

Inside the Liangyi Hall, Li Shimin tapped the table with his fingers, not really caring.

The high-altitude, frigid land made it difficult for the Tang people to expand their territory; it was a double-edged sword.

"Has Your Majesty ever considered that while Tibet can invade from its superior position, the Tang Dynasty struggles to mount a powerful attack?"

Liu Shanyang, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, raised his voice.

Yes, this is Tibet's greatest asset.

The Tang Dynasty may not covet Tibet, but it cannot stop Tibet from coveting the Tang Dynasty.

This was also the consensus reached by the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial: once Tibet had no rivals, it would turn its attention to its wealthy neighbor, the Tang Dynasty.

Human nature is inherently greedy; without sufficient restraint, how many people can avoid becoming arrogant?

Relying solely on the various Qiang tribes outside Songzhou and the eight kingdoms of Xishan is insufficient to restrain the outstretched hand of Tibet.

"With such high mountains and treacherous waters, could the Tibetans easily descend?"

Sikong Changsun Wuji chuckled.

The road was indeed treacherous, but the fact that Mangbo Jiesunbo was able to reach Sifangguan speaks volumes.

Liu Shan raised his eyebrows: "However, the Tang Dynasty can organize the tribes of the Jimi Prefecture and the Eight Kingdoms of Xishan, and coordinate with some of the Tang Dynasty's troops to jointly build passes."

"From Zongbala Pass to Songzhou, there are passes everywhere, which can be used to quickly resist the enemy once the war starts."

This ideal situation would naturally cause the Tibetans to leave disappointed.

Li Shimin waved his hand: "That's too alarmist. Let's think about how to settle Mangbo Jiesunbo first."

Liu Shan reluctantly shut up; no wonder Dou Fengjie said the emperor wouldn't listen.

Besides showing contempt for Tibet, the Tang Dynasty was also unwilling to bear the costs of constructing passes outside of Songzhou.

The Heavenly Khan wouldn't take anything seriously unless he was secretly dealt a blow by the Tibetans.

Minister of Personnel Gao Shilian lowered his eyebrows: "The position of Senior Advisor of the Fifth Rank in the Secretariat is just vacant."

The Grand Counselor was an official who spoke out against wrongdoing. He did not handle government affairs and had little real power, but he was a mid-level official in the Tang Dynasty, making him suitable for settling exiled princes like Mangbo Jiesunbo.

Changsun Wuji smiled and nodded, but did not speak.

Although he agreed with his uncle, he couldn't openly express his opinion, as he needed to avoid suspicion.

Li Shimin nodded and said, "On an auspicious day, I will appoint Mangbo Jiesun Bo as Grand Counselor, and his family members will be settled between Ganzhou and Liangzhou."

"Liu Qing, do not be discouraged. Even if there are problems on the plateau, they will come after Tuyuhun. The court cannot abandon Tuyuhun first."

This explanation calmed Liu Shan down and made him understand the court's current predicament.

Li Shimin's attention would not turn to Tibet until he completely conquered Tuyuhun.

-----------------

A sudden piece of news caught both the Tang Dynasty and Tuyuhun off guard.

A Tibetan general named Dongdai, led by Dongben Chidadun, crossed the howling Tanggula Pass, defeated the Bailan Qiang who were blocking their way, and reached the Tuotuo River.

The convicted King Liang Qu Cong once again gathered 30,000 troops and clashed with Chi Da Dun.

The name Dongdai translates to "Thousand Household Office," but the actual number of soldiers usually ranges from one thousand to ten thousand. Chida Dun Dongdai is relatively small, with only about three thousand soldiers including the nobles Gui and slaves.

The military preparedness of the Tubo and Tuyuhun was actually similar, but Gui and Nu Cong were exceptionally warlike. Even with a broken arm, they would still charge forward until their last breath.

Although Liang Qucong's troops were numerous, they were intimidated by Chidadun and his men's reckless attitude, and could not exert even half of their full strength, resulting in a great defeat.

Prime Minister Tianzhu King led the three Tianzhu tribes to the rescue in time, and only after a thousand deaths and injuries were they able to drive Chidadun back to the Tanggula Mountains.

Chidudun's reckless behavior, while enhancing the prestige of Tibet, prematurely revealed the threat posed by Tibet to Tuyuhun and the Tang Dynasty.