Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 339

Chapter 339 Yin And Yang Errors

The two of them drank a pot of tea and boiled it again. The night was getting dark, and they ate some late at night. The topic of conversation was getting more and more open. But the core was still around Lanzhou and Tibet.

“The Tibetan messenger’s rude and peculiar actions forced me and the ministers to make preparations in advance. That’s why the Imperial Council held a meeting recently.” Li Shimin said, “War is a disaster and loss for our Central Plains Agriculture and Forestry Empire, but it is an important way for nomads to increase profits and profit.” Their technology is backward and their products are poor. Many things need to be obtained from our Central Plains. After the Tibetan messenger left without saying goodbye, I immediately reacted. First, I closed and banned the tea horse trade at the border and sent out a war-ready spy. ”

After pondering for a moment, Qin Mubai said, “Your Majesty has closed the tea and horse market. This is very likely to lead to war.” The Tibetans mainly eat meat, so they can’t eat without tea. Otherwise, the greasy smell was enough to make them sick. Tibetan horses have always been sold cheaply. Although they are useful and beneficial to us, the Great Tang’s horse farm in Helong has always been well-run. In fact, there are not many of them. As a result, the closure of trade to Tibet hurt Tibet even more. But it may be hard for the merchants and commoners who walk on the Tea Horse Road, and they will have to live a hard life. ”

“There’s nothing I can do about it.” Li Shimin said, “I sent out an espionage mission ahead of time. Everything is based on the overall situation. I naturally know in my heart that if the Imperial Court really encounters difficulties, I will not ignore them. I will not sit idly by and watch their families collapse. However, if anyone dares to risk their lives by selling tea horses, they will be traitorous to the enemy and will be severely punished.”

Qin Mubai nodded. He thought that closing the tea and horse market would also have a greater constraint on Lanzhou’s economy. After moving to Lanzhou years ago, Lanzhou was located at the throat of the Silk Road. Commerce had developed quite rapidly. A large part of the profits came from the trade between the tea silk in the mainland and Tibet and the sacrificed animals in the Western Regions. There were many immigrant civilians and military relatives who relied on this for their livelihood. Now that the Imperial Court had suddenly issued such a ban, it was unknown if the people of Lanzhou could adapt to it. If there were some grievances, it would be really inappropriate. At that time, Qin Shubao, Xue Wanche, and the others, who were as fiery as fire, did not know if they could properly handle it …

Li Shimin drank his tea and looked at Qin Mubai, as if he had seen through his thoughts. He smiled and said, “I know what you’re thinking.” You gallop on the battlefield and dismount to govern the people of Lanzhou. Are you thinking about the livelihood of the people of Lanzhou? Don’t worry. While issuing the tea and horse ban, I have also issued a tax reduction and pension order for the military and citizens of Lanzhou. Last year, Lanzhou paid quite a lot of taxes. This year, I don’t want Lanzhou to pay taxes anymore. I believe that even if we completely cut off our business trip in a short period of time, Lanzhou will be able to survive this difficult situation with its previous accumulations and family background. The main point is that the Governor’s Mansion must do a good job in comforting the civilians and the military, and cannot change endogenously. ”

Qin Mubai nodded and said, “Economic sanctions are actually a way of hurting the enemy by one thousand. However, our Great Tang Clan has a strong family background, and the situation in Lanzhou is also acceptable. We can survive through gritting our teeth, but the Tibetans can’t. They will have to trade with the Great Tang for a day. Otherwise, half of them will starve to death and die in the Snow Domain Plateau.”

Li Shimin gently raised the corner of his mouth and smiled strangely. “Mubai, you must be able to understand why I have taken such measures.”

Qin Mubai thought for a moment and said, “There are probably not many people in the Manchu Empire who support the war against Tibet. Although His Majesty has the will to restrain it, it is not difficult to go against everyone’s will. It is not difficult to force the Tibetans to take such measures first. When the time comes, I, the Great Tang, will be famous for defending and attacking. The people in the court will not say anything more. The heavens will also judge His Majesty.”

“Haha! Not bad!” Li Shimin laughed loudly and said, “Although Songtsan Gambo is also a hero for a time, he can only obediently be led by the nose by me this time.” Since he wants to marry my Li family’s daughter, he must obediently show some sincerity in his son-in-law’s proposal. Isn’t it the Mountain King’s turn to go down the mountain to rob a bride, so it’s his turn to brag to me and pick up three or four, so it’s his turn to act wildly against my Uncle of the Great Tang Empire? If he wants to start a war, I will accompany him. If he didn’t dare to start a war, then it would be best. “I will not waste a single soldier or a single soldier, but I will also make his Tibetan origin energy completely lose its national chaos until he obediently kneels down to beg for mercy.”

Qin Mubai nodded and smiled in satisfaction, saying, “The Great Tang has such strength and confidence, His Majesty has such courage and courage, for the sake of the people, he is proud!” However, this lowly official is thinking that Zan Pu Songtsan Gambo is not an ordinary person. There are no lack of capable people and wise men in Tibet. Perhaps they will be able to see through our Great Tang’s schemes. At that time, they will respond accordingly. ”

“That’s the point.” Li Shimin nodded in praise and said, “You can be a hundred times brave, but never underestimate your enemies. Whether it’s running the country or running the army, it’s the same principle.” Recently, I have often wondered, if I were Songtsan Ganbu, how would I react? Now, I will leave this question to you, Mubai. Imagine if you were Song Zanganpu, how would you react when you fully understood my intentions? ”

“This” Qin Mubai did not expect Li Shimin to ask such a question. This was truly a test.

Only by knowing oneself and knowing one’s enemy can one be invincible in a hundred battles. Although there was no sign of wolf smoke in the political rivalry between the nations, it was no weaker than the tit-for-tat rivalry on the battlefield. In fact, the military is only an extension of politics, and is in the service of politics. Political battles and games are more likely to result in intentional and purposeful wars.

After pondering for a while, Qin Mubai said, “I believe that the Tibetans are not really stupid. They know that if they start a large-scale war against the Great Tang, they basically have no chance of winning.” Even if he could sneak attack twice with his flexible combat methods, he wouldn’t be able to gain much advantage in the overall battle. Therefore, if I were Tibet’s Zan Pu, I would definitely not have launched an all-out war at this time. ”

“Continue.” Li Shimin took a sip of tea and narrowed his eyes. He neither praised nor refuted.

Qin Mubai said, “At the beginning of this competition, I will not personally go into battle. I will send a younger brother to take the lead and try to react.”

“Little brother? This analogy is interesting.” Li Shimin smiled and said, “Then tell me, who will you send to lead?”

“There are dozens of small countries in the Western Regions. Any one of them is possible.” “But considering geography, national strength and diplomatic relations, I think the Gaochang National Assembly will bear the brunt,” Qin Mubai said.

Li Shimin paused for a moment and smiled, “In other words, if you were Songzan Ganbu, would you force Gao Changguo to rebel against the Great Tang first?”

“Yes.”

Li Shimin smiled and didn’t say anything. He stood up and walked to the imperial table. He handed Qin Mubai a copy of the imperial edict that had just been drafted and had not yet been stamped with a seal. Qin Mubai opened his eyes in astonishment and said, “So His Majesty had expected this! This is an imperial decree to comfort King Qu Wentai of Gaochang!”

“Haha!” Li Shimin stroked his beard and smiled, “That’s why I said that you are a talented person and a confidante of mine.” Gao Changguo was situated at the heart of the Silk Road, guarding the throat of the Tang Dynasty’s border trade with dozens of countries in the Western Regions. Although more than 20 countries in the Western Regions have submitted themselves to our Great Tang and respected us as the Heavenly Khan, over the years, the Great Tang’s control over the Western Regions has not been strong, far inferior to the Turkic (referring to the Western Turkic, not the Eastern Turkic that Li Jing destroyed), much less the Tibetan. There was a saying that even if King Qu Wentai of Gaochang did not intend to rebel against the Great Tang, he would not be able to withstand the pressure of Tibet. In recent years, the Great Tang had been flourishing, and Tibet and the Turkic tribes had formed an alliance and worked together to fight against it. The Turks rarely make trouble because they are far away from our Great Tang Territory. However, their strength in the Western Regions is quite strong. Strong dragons cannot suppress Earth Serpents. Even Tibetans do not dare to fight against them easily in the Western Regions. Therefore, if Gao Chang rebelled, there would be a contention among the three clans at the throat of the Silk Road. Great Tang, Tibet, Turkic. In addition, there were dozens of small countries in the Western Regions that interacted closely with each other. Good tigers were no match for packs of wolves, so the situation in the Western Regions was rather complicated. Once Gao Changguo truly rebelled, it would be an unprecedented battle. Therefore, I did not dare to be careless at all. I convened an imperial council to discuss a good plan for the next few days. ”

After hearing this, Qin Mubai’s heart suddenly brightened. At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a little excited. “Your Majesty, isn’t this the beginning of your long-planned plan for the Western Regions?” He said.

“That’s right.” Li Shimin raised his eyebrows and his heroic spirit burst forth like a youth. He said, “Previously, you said that if we fight one more battle now, we can make our descendants fight ten fewer battles and a hundred fewer battles. This is very worthwhile.” It was only a matter of time before they could use the Western Regions. If I don’t do it, then my son and grandson must do it as well. Rather than doing this, why don’t we take advantage of the young age to help them do it first? Of course. Speaking of which, if you hadn’t laid a solid foundation in the Western Regions, as well as weapons of the gods like ‘Iron Valley’ and ‘Red Cannons’, I wouldn’t have thought of doing so in a short period of time. So, on the surface, it seems that the one who formed this important national policy is me, but in reality, it is you who have been actively trying to push it forward. In the future, if I can really accomplish this great merit, I will only be able to earn at most a bit of credit. The remaining nine points will be scored against you, Qin Mubai, and the rest of the civilians who are bloodthirsty and aggressive. ”

“Your Majesty is too modest.” Qin Mubai cupped his fists and said, “If I hadn’t met a Sage Lord like His Majesty, I wouldn’t have been able to display my terror even if I wanted to. It would have been a great blessing if I had met His Majesty!”

“Haha!” Li Shimin laughed heartily and said, “Mubai, do you know what I’m thinking?”

“Your Majesty, please make it clear.”

“I was wondering, if Qin Mubai had always been in Lanzhou, would he be able to achieve such a situation?” Li Shimin said half-jokingly and half-seriously, “With the strength of a corner of the Great Tang, we can fight against the Tubo, Turkic, and the Western Regions’ ten great and small kingdoms?”

“Your Majesty is joking.” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “Lanzhou’s achievements are due to the support of His Majesty, the Imperial Court, and the Central Plains. How can I dare to compete with such a fierce opponent like Song Zanganganbu? It’s better to leave such an opponent to His Majesty.”

“No, I insist that you compete with him.” Li Shimin chuckled, but his laughter wasn’t completely casual and teasing. It clearly had a sense of seriousness.

Qin Mubai was slightly excited, but he still said, “Your Majesty thinks too highly of this lowly official.” I have been an official for less than five years, so I have little experience. Lanzhou’s grand plan is related to half of the country in the west of the Great Tang Dynasty and the grand plan for a hundred years. I’m afraid I can’t take on such a large burden with my young shoulders. However, if His Majesty has made proper preparations, this lowly official will not shy away from the battlefield! ”

“Haha! Qin Sanlang ah Qin Sanlang!” Li Shimin pointed at Qin Mubai and laughed loudly, “Judging from your dubious attitude, you’ve really learned ninety percent from your father.” Modesty is good, but being too modest is not necessarily good. How virtuous are you? You are young and your foundations are loose and your experience is shallow, but no one in this world is born with a foundation and experience. When I joined the army at the age of sixteen, I was still unable to properly take care of my own saddle? Before Tibet and Gaochang take action, I have already made three arrangements. First, send King Gaochang a letter of comfort from Jia Jue. This may not be useful, but it will make King Gaochang wary of him. If I have comforted him and rebelled, then I cannot be blamed. Secondly, the secret decree for the Lanzhou Governor-General’s Mansion has already begun. With the help of Xue Wanche and the others, your father will be ready for battle. If Gao Chang changed, the Lanzhou army would immediately react. Using the offensive to defend Gao Chang, minimize the losses of the Silk Road, and extinguish Gao Chang’s rebellious aura as soon as possible, so as to avoid spreading to other countries into a prairie fire. “Thirdly, it’s for you.”

Qin Mubai’s expression changed slightly as he sat upright and clasped his fists as he said in a low voice, “Your Majesty, please issue a decree!”

“You’re going to marry Ling’er soon.” Li Shimin smiled apologetically, but more of it was expectation and admiration. He said, “But the country is bigger than the home. If the country needs it, you have to be prepared at any time, and go to Lanzhou or even open up a battlefield.” What I left for you is not an imperial edict, it can only be considered an agreement. I don’t know when Gao Chang will rebel. If it’s after your wedding, that’s easy to say. Prince Consort Qin, please bring your princess and go to Lanzhou together. What should you do? She married you, she’s yours. Even if she is my beloved daughter, I will keep her close to you. On the other hand, if Gao Chang rebelled before your wedding, your father, Xue Wanche, and the others would lead the troops. At that time, Lanzhou would be empty, and you would have to take charge. So … ”

“Your Majesty!” Qin Mubai clasped his fists and promised, “Even if I want to go to Lanzhou at this moment, I will leave the Imperial Study Room as soon as I can!”

Li Shimin’s expression slightly froze as he nodded, “Alright. With your words, I will feel at ease.”

“Your Majesty, why worry?” Qin Mubai said, “A country makes a family. Children understand such a simple principle. Ling’er is not an unreasonable person. Whenever I decide to do something, as long as it is right and reasonable, she will not stop me. She will only support me behind my back. However, no matter what, I will not bring Ling’er to Lanzhou this time. It is good to put her in Chang’an.”

“You think so, but she might not.” Li Shimin smiled and said, “My own daughter knows this very well.” Once she was certain, even the nine cows wouldn’t be able to pull it back. Now that you two are husband and wife, not to mention Lanzhou, even Lin Jianyu, the obvious Blood Fire River Mountain Spear, will accompany you. This was her persistence and also her pleasure. If she is left alone in Chang’an, she will be safe, but I estimate that she will lose her soul and have trouble sleeping and eating. However, of course I support you not taking her to Lanzhou. After all, anything can happen in the frontier fortress. Sometimes, not everything can be taken care of. If Ling’er was here, it would also distract you. “But this is a matter for you two. I won’t interfere. You can handle it yourself.”

“This lowly subject will be properly prepared. Your Majesty, don’t worry.” Qin Mubai cupped his hands and said.

“Haha!” Li Shimin smiled and personally added a cup of tea to Qin Mubai. “Of all my sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, only you are the one who can let me rest assured and the most capable. Speaking of which, Ke’er has been in Koguryo for a long time, and the good news has spread frequently. I’m very relieved. If that place can be too stable, it’s time for me to call him back.”

Qin Mubai drank his tea in a muffled voice and didn’t say anything.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Li Shimin asked with a mysterious smile.

“This is His Majesty’s family matter, as well as a private matter. This lowly official dares not interfere in the affairs of the country.” Qin Mubai said with a relaxed smile.

Li Shimin nodded noncommittally and said, “Let’s see again!” The messengers of Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekchi were still in Chang’an. Perhaps, they also smelled the fishy smell left behind by some Tibetans, muttering to themselves as they watched. They were even guessing whether my Great Tang still had the leisure to pay attention to the matters on the Korean Peninsula. Goguryeo has never been honest, nor has she really put my Central Plains in her eyes. Before the Sui Dynasty, Yang Guang had failed to recruit Koguryo, causing them to arrogantly raise their tails. To be honest, compared to the Western Regions, I would rather deal with Goguryeo first. It borders directly on our Great Tang and Liaodong, and its provocations and threats are even more naked and direct. However, luckily, Ke’er helped me share the worries and earned this precious time. However, no one could guarantee how long Ke’er could last between the three kingdoms by herself with a pair of meat mouths. Therefore, if the Western Regions extended Russia for another day, Goguryeo would have less grief and wolf ambition, and Ke’er would have more pressure and danger. On the other hand, if Ke’er could use her intelligence and schemes to get her way in the three kingdoms, the imperial court would be able to reduce the pressure and throw herself into the western front. This will directly affect the situation in Lanzhou and the Western Regions. ”

Qin Mubai’s heart tightened slightly. After saying this for a long time, Li Shimin’s schemes were finally revealed. In the Western Regions, Qin Mubai, Korea, and Li Ke were like two young men carrying a cauldron and a large stone box door that was about to collapse. Whoever falls first will be crushed into meat sauce. The two of them had to use all their strength to endure and find a way to free themselves, so that they could be even more self-reliant.

Qin Mubai did not expect that after returning from his post in Xiangyang, he would have drawn a clear line with Li Ke, and the two of them would have boarded the same boat in such a haphazard manner. Everything is lost and glorious.

Heaven’s Will?

Artificial?

Qin Mubai couldn’t figure it out. Perhaps there was a definite plan, or perhaps everything was under Li Shimin’s control.

All in all, Qin Mubai, Li Ke, and the others were connected together after circling around for a long time.