Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 486

Chapter 486 Return Of Fierce Heroes
Gaer Qinling looked ahead. That was the only city he was familiar with on the plateau.

Although the peace and tranquility of the past were no longer slightly tense, it was fortunate that there were no signs of a calamity.

In the northwest, the Potala Palace, which was close to completion, stood tall and towering amidst the remnant snow of the Red Mountain. In the Buddhist temple adjacent to it, Buddhist fragrance curled around the Buddha’s voice.

Gaer Qinling, who had never believed in Buddhism, closed his eyes and closed them in front of his chest. He muttered softly, “God and Buddha bless him. He finally came back in time!”

Both the general and general watched Gaer Qinling’s actions and let out a sigh of relief. After months of conquering, everyone in the army was on the verge of collapse. Previously, they had been holding their breath and desperately returning to the imperial city to save them. Now that they saw that the imperial city was unharmed, everyone relaxed and immediately felt boundless exhaustion. They all wanted to lie on the back of their horses and sleep.

At this moment, countless civilians, monks, and cavalry came out from the imperial city, laying out colorful flags, gongs, drums, and army formations outside the city.

Gaer Qinling and the others were extremely familiar with the scene in front of them. Every time Gaer Qinling returned to the imperial city from Golmud or returned from a war, Zan Pu would arrange such a grand ceremony to welcome him.

Today was no exception.

However, in Gaer Qinling’s heart, there was no joy of returning home or any sense of triumph or glory. On the contrary, he felt very ashamed, awkward, and annoyed, just like when he was young, he learned calligraphy from his Sinology teacher. He clearly wrote a line of handwriting that was like an earthworm crawling, which no one could recognize, and the feeling of being publicly displayed and praised by his teacher.

Several cavalry stepped forward, one of them holding Zan Pu’s azure oxtail, which Zan Pu recognized as Gaer Qinling’s personal attendant.

Just as he was about to dismount, the waiter said, “Zan Pujun’s life, the marshal does not need to dismount. As usual, I will lead the horse and see you in the palace!”

Gaer Qinling’s heart tightened once again, and his expression became extremely unsightly.

However, countless people were staring at him, so it was inconvenient for him to explode. He could only nod his head quietly.

Zan Pu got off his horse, raised Zan Pu’s Jie Cheng high in one hand, and walked towards the palace with Gaer Qinling’s reins in the other.

Sheng Yue played, the monks chanted the scriptures, sprinkled the divine water to pave the way, and the people cheered and danced to the music.

In the past, at this moment, Gaer Qinling was the happiest and most fulfilling. But today … but I feel like I was stripped naked and paraded in a cage.

The feeling was like a knife and dagger twisting the heart.

“Zan Pu, what do you want?” At this moment, Gaer Qinling only had this one thought left in his heart.

Entering the palace was like entering another world. In stark contrast to the lively celebrations outside the palace, the palace was filled with a murderous aura. Everyone’s expressions were extremely solemn, and they were suffocatingly silent.

The gates of the main hall of the palace were tightly shut, and it was not as usual for the Civil and Martial Hundred Palaces to gather together with Zan Pu to welcome Marshal Gaer Qinling who had triumphed.

Walking to the gate, the waiter said, “Marshal, please dismount and meet Zan Pu at the West Chan Buddhist Hall.”

Gaer Qinling did not say anything else and got off the horse and prepared to move forward. The waiter, who was supposed to be leading the way, stopped and glanced at the saber on Gaer Qinling’s waist, intentionally or unintentionally.

A nameless rage surged in Gaer Qinling’s heart. He gritted his teeth and handed the saber over to the waiter.

“You can leave now!!”

“Marshal, forgive me!! I know that Marshal can carry the sword in the upper hall. However, it is not appropriate to bring weapons into the peaceful Buddhist hall!”

“Cut the crap, lead the way!”

“Yes … Yes!”

Following the waiter all the way to the West Chan Buddhist Hall, Gaer Qinling’s eyebrows furrowed even more tightly. He was prepared for the worst–“Since I have lost the war, I will accept it! At most, I will be deprived of my official and military power according to the law, with a fox tail hanging on my face. No matter how ruthless I am, I will be buried alive in a deep well with my entire family!”

“I’m just dying, what’s there to be afraid of! I, Gaer Qinling, am loyal to my country and have a clear conscience!”

When he walked into the Buddhist temple, Gaer Qinling’s face was ashen, and he had the momentum to look at death as if he were returning home.

However, when he saw the scene in front of him, his expression immediately changed.

Inside the Buddhist temple, the Buddha fragrance was pleasant and the wooden fish was quiet, giving off a gentle and peaceful aura. Zan Pu knelt in front of the Buddha, burning incense and chanting scriptures; Beside him stood an old man dressed in expensive clothes. He held the Buddhist bead in his hand and closed his eyes as he silently chanted the Buddha’s name.

The old man was Gaer Qinling’s biological father, the Great Theory of the Tibetan Empire (Prime Minister), Gal Dongzan Yusong! (Gal Dongzan Yusong is the full name and is often referred to as’ Lu Dongzan ‘in historical records).

Gaer Qinling hurriedly restrained his expression and bowed down. “Greetings, Zan Pu, greetings … Lord Father.”

Dongzan Yusong looked at his son with a calm expression like the Buddha Tuo above his head, not saying a word. Zan Pu Qizong Nongzan got up, turned around and walked in front of Gaer Qinling. He raised his hand and said, “Qin Ling is free. Get up quickly.”

‘”Thank you, Zan Pu” Gaer Qinling stood up, his heart filled with unprecedented anxiety.

A kind smile appeared on Qizong Nongzan’s face as he said, “I pray for your safety in front of the Buddha. It’s good that I’m back, and my heart is at ease.”

Gaer Qinling glanced at his father without any hints on his face. For a moment, Gaer Qinling didn’t know what to say, so he could only nod his head.

“Qinling, do you know why I invited you to the Buddhist temple to meet you here?” Qizong Nongzan suddenly asked.

“Brother … I don’t know.” Gaer Qinling shook his head.

“Only in front of the Buddha can we maintain a sincere and calm heart. We will not speak rashly, impulsively, dare not deceive the Buddha, nor will we deceive ourselves.” Qizong Nongzan still smiled and said softly, “Our dynasty has come to the verge of deciding whether to rise or fall. At this time, apart from praying for the protection of the gods and buddhas, we have to rely more on ourselves to decide and grasp it.”

Gaer Qinling furrowed his brows and carefully read every word Zan Pu said, but he couldn’t figure it out for a moment.

At this moment, Dongzan Yusong, who had not spoken for a long time, said, “Zan Pu, let this old official speak!–In front of the Buddha, let us not beat around the bush! Qin Ling, let us put aside the victory or defeat of the war, you have made a fatal mistake this time! This has caused our entire country to face the calamity of annihilation!”

“What mistake?” Gaer Qinling asked calmly.

Although he was his biological father, he was different from Gaer Qinling, the hardline warlord. Dong Zan Yu Song had always advocated reconciliation with Tang Yan. Hence, the father and son had different political views and were at odds with each other.

“You shouldn’t have ambushed Taozhou!” Dongzan Yusong’s expression was cold as he stretched out his hand and pointed at Gaer Qinling’s face. “Whether it’s Dafeichuan, Illusory Moon Valley or Yumen Pass, the outcome of the war is already decided. Nothing you can do is enough to save the situation.” In that case, the best thing you should do is to preserve your strength and withdraw your troops to defend. But you pretended to be smart and attacked Taozhou, causing the Western Region of the Central Plains to turn upside down! “Although your military plan was completely successful and Tang Chao had no way to take you and you retreated completely, the consequences of your actions are not what you imagined!”

“What are the consequences?” Gaer Qinling’s expression darkened as he said coldly, “No matter how angry the lambs are, they can’t trample on the territory of the pack of wolves!” The purpose of my surprise attack on Tao Continent was not to repay. Instead, it was to delay the Tang Dynasty’s offensive and harm Qin Mubai, who was trying to alienate their monarchs and subjects. I know the Han people who are ruled by Confucianism, and I also know the emperors of the Central Plains. Qin Mubai and the others were guilty of serious negligence after suffering such a huge loss in the frontier. This was called borrowing a knife to kill! “Even if we can’t kill Qin Mubai and cause chaos within them, it will still give us a precious chance to catch our breath!”

“You’re wrong!” “You underestimated the Han people, underestimated Li Shimin, and also underestimated an opponent who had been defeated by you many times!”

“Father means Hou Junji?” Gaer Qinling smiled in disdain.

“It’s him.” Dongzan Yusong’s expression was so serious that he was furious. He said word by word, “Do you know where he is now?”

“Where?” Gaer Qinling’s heart twisted. When he retreated, he knew that Hou Junji had broken through the Qingluo Plain and led his troops to the plateau, so he started to madly rush back to Luo. But along the way, he didn’t detect any movements regarding Hou Junji.

“He’s advancing along the Kunlun Mountain Range, destroying the tribe and setting fire to people, leaving behind chickens and dogs everywhere he goes! Right now, he’s about to hit Sun Bo!” Dongzan Yusong shouted, “Sun Bo!! Do you know where it is?”

Gaer Qinling couldn’t help but widen his eyes. Obviously, it was inconceivable! Sun Bo, the biggest gathering place of tribes in front of the imperial city, the last military barrier, was also the Garr family’s fief’s lair!

“Zan Pu! Father! I will immediately lead the army to destroy Hou Junji!” Gaer Qinling shouted in a low voice, “How dare you be so presumptuous? Watch me kill him!”

“No need!” Dongzan Yusong shouted, “You have just returned from an expedition, and your seniors and teachers are exhausted. How can you fight in such a situation? Stay in Luo and guard the imperial city!”

Gaer Qinling’s entire body trembled as he looked at Zan Pu in astonishment.

Qizong Nongzan’s face still wore a gentle smile as he whispered, “Great argument makes sense. Qin Ling, stay in Luo and assist me in guarding the imperial city.”

‘”Alright, I understand” Gaer Qinling closed his eyes and let out a long sigh before nodding slowly. He reached into his arms and took out the horned talisman that could mobilize all Tibetan troops and symbolize the supreme military authority. He placed both of his hands in front of Zan Pu.

Qizong Nongzan did not reach out to pick it up. Instead, Dongzan Yusong took it over and said, “I will personally lead the troops to Sun Bo to resist the Marquis Market!”-Qinling, you can rest in Luozhi City peacefully!

“Yes” Gaer Qinling gritted his teeth and nodded silently. Suddenly, he came to his senses and said, “Father, you can’t go!”

“Why?”

Gaer Qinling’s brows furrowed. “That Hou Junji is clearly risking his life to do something! His combat ability is not weak, but now he is putting all his money on the line. I’m worried …”

“Impudent! Are you saying that I’m not his match?” Dongzan Yusong was a little annoyed, “Don’t forget, who carried your butt and helped you on horseback! Who brought you to battle for the first time! Who explained the Art of War to you?”

“It’s father” Gaer Qinling lowered his eyelids and sighed softly.

“It’s good that I know! I’m not old yet!” Dong Zanyu let out a muffled snort and put the talisman into his embrace. He looked at Gaer Qinling with an unhappy expression and said, “There’s one more thing that I think I should tell you!”

“What is it?”

“The two younger brothers you sent to attack Yumen Pass and Yangguan Pass are finished!” Dongzan Yusong said, “They have already broken through the Yangguan Pass. Just as they were about to take down the Yumen Pass, Qin Mubai personally led troops and rushed over. Moreover, Xue Rengui led 100,000 Huihe, Turkic and Gaochang allied forces to attack! Zangpo was beheaded by Xue Rengui; Shidu led the captive Kunlun cavalry and surrendered to Qin Mubai!”

“What? Surrender?” Gaer Qinling was truly shocked!

He had imagined that Zan Po and Shi Du, this lone army, might lose in the end, or even wipe out the two brothers, but he never thought that the Kunlun cavalry that he had personally trained with his brothers-in-law would surrender!

“Yes! Surrendered!” Dongzan Yusong shouted, “Your military plan has completely failed!” Not only did our allies betray us, but even our brothers and sons betrayed us! Your opponent, Qin Mubai, has always been underestimated by you! –Qin Ling, you still don’t realize what happened! Your strategy of ruling the country by tyranny is wrong, and now we have rebelled against each other! To tell you the truth, it wasn’t Zan Pu who wanted to seize your military power, but I forced Zan Pu to do so! We’re not going to make any changes at this point in time, and we’re going to–”

Dongzan Yusong’s emotions were already very excited. The last two words were practically roaring-“Subjugation!!”

After listening to his father’s roar, Gaer Qinling was calm enough to say indifferently, “I admit my military defeat, but I don’t think my governance strategy is wrong, much less believe that someone will be able to annihilate my Tibet Dynasty!”

“Enough! I don’t want to listen to your forceful rhetoric anymore!” Dong Zan Yu Song shouted angrily, “Zan Pu is kind-hearted and can’t bear to punish you with the laws of the country and the military. You must be content!–You must awaken from your mistakes and do your own good!”

Gaer Qinling forcefully swallowed his breath and calmly replied, “Yes …”

Dongzan Yusong turned around to salute Qizong Nongzan and said, “Please forgive this old minister for his loss of manners. Even in front of Buddha, this old minister can’t conceal the grief and anxiety in his heart. This old minister will choose his army to go to Sun Bo to defend against Hou Junji!”

“Thank you for your time.” Qizong Nongzan smiled and nodded, “First of all, we must defend against Yu Ye so that our people will no longer be poisoned by Hou Junji, and then we must win and defeat him. Only by relying on victory can we reach a peace alliance with the Great Tang. I think Li Shimin should also know that after all, war is not good for us. It is not easy to defeat us completely on the plateau.”

“Yes, this old man knows his mission … this old man has gone!”

Dongzan Yusong left.

Qizong Nongzan walked up to Gaer Qinling and patted him on the shoulder. “Qin Ling, please forgive me!” He said.

“It’s my brother’s incompetence. How can I blame Zan Pu?” Gaer Qinling said indifferently.

“In my heart, you are still my flesh and blood brother. You have never changed.” “But since we carry the fate of a dynasty and the lives of millions of people, we have to face the reality. Occasionally, sacrificing something that belongs to us is something we should do,” said Qizong Nongzan.

Gaer Qinling nodded lightly and said indifferently, “As long as it turns out that Zan Pu and Father are right, I have nothing to say. I would rather disappear from the army. If necessary, please offer me to Tang Dynasty for peace. I-heart, willingness, affection, wish!”