Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 161 One Man Destroys a Country

There are many temples in Chang'an City, the most famous of which is Da Ci'en Temple.

In the 22nd year of Zhenguan, Li Zhi, who was still the crown prince, requested permission to build the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in memory of his biological mother, Empress Zhangsun.

The construction site is at the former site of Wulou Temple opposite Qujiang Pond.

In the west courtyard of Da Ci'en Temple, there is a Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which was built by Emperor Xuanzang in the third year of Yonghui.

The pagoda is divided into five levels, and there are relics on each level.

At this moment, Wu Meiniang was standing on the top floor of the Da Ci'en Temple, looking at the square south of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

A stage was set up in the square, where a group of actors were performing opera, and a group of people were watching around.

During the Tang Dynasty, there were no theaters, so actors could only perform in lively places in an attempt to gain some fame.

As long as they become famous, there will be rich and powerful people who will pay to invite them to perform at their homes.

There were many kinds of opera in the Tang Dynasty. The most famous one was the Music and Dance Hundred Plays, which mainly featured singing and dancing. There were also somersaults, handstands, judo, chariots, pole-wearing, and rope skills.

There is also a military enlistment scene, where two people ask and answer questions on stage, similar to the Errenzhuan of later generations.

There is also puppetry, which has begun to take on the nature of storytelling.

There are many dignitaries in the temple, and it is the first choice for actors. People can watch the show for free, so the surrounding area is particularly lively.

Because of her mother, Wu Meiniang believed in Buddhism and often came to Da Ci'en Temple to pray for a child.

She felt that she was able to have three sons thanks to the blessings of gods and Buddhas.

Therefore, in the past two days, after his body gradually recovered, he went to Da Ci'en Temple with his mother and prayed to the gods and Buddhas for a daughter to fulfill Li Zhi's wish.

After worshiping the Buddha, she wanted to return to the palace, but her mother insisted on asking Master Xuanzang about Buddhism.

Wu Meiniang had no choice but to wait for her mother. When she had nothing to do, she went to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda to watch the various performances below.

After waiting for a long time, Zhang Duohai came to his side and said, "Your Highness, the old lady is ready and is near the back door. Please come over."

Wu Meiniang nodded, walked down the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and walked along the temple path to the back door.

She was not in disguise this time, but she did not want to disturb others too much, so she entered the temple through the back door.

Near the back door, not only was his mother, Madam Yang, there, but Xuanzang and a group of eminent monks from the Da Ci'en Temple were also waiting there.

Master Xuanzang is over fifty years old this year and is tall. His skin is tanned because he traveled to India when he was young. Just looking at his appearance, it is hard to believe that he is the greatest monk in the Tang Dynasty.

When Wu Meiniang walked over, the monks all saluted with their palms folded.

Wu Meiniang bowed slightly to Xuanzang, returned the greeting, and then took her mother onto her sedan chair and left the Da Ci'en Temple.

The carriage first headed towards Pingkangfang. Wu Meiniang planned to send her mother home and then return to the palace.

She was accompanied by dozens of Qianniu Guards in bright armor and a strict guard. Although the people on the street did not know that the queen was in the carriage, they knew her noble status and they all stepped aside to make way for her.

Along the way, Madam Yang seemed to be preoccupied. She looked up at Wu Meiniang several times, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself.

Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "Mother, why are you being so formal with your daughter? Just tell me what's going on."

Madam Yang whispered, "Mei Niang, is Master Xuanzang under house arrest by His Majesty?"

Wu Meiniang was slightly stunned, then nodded and said, "Yes."

Madam Yang sighed, "Don't blame me for being nosy. Master Xuanzang was such a highly respected man. He single-handedly translated dozens of Buddhist scriptures, enabling us to understand the Dharma and attain transcendence. His merits are truly immeasurable. Why, Your Majesty, is he keeping him under house arrest?"

Wu Meiniang said softly, "Mother, the matter of imprisoning Xuanzang was actually my daughter's advice to Your Majesty."

Madam Yang was stunned and asked, "It's you? Aren't you afraid of being blamed by the Buddha?"

Wu Meiniang said seriously, "This is for his own good. The Buddha will not blame me."

Madam Yang asked puzzledly, "For his own good?"

Wu Meiniang sighed, "You just said that Master Xuanzang is highly respected, which is absolutely true. But this is also the problem: his prestige is too high."

Xuanzang was the greatest monk in the Tang Dynasty. He traveled thousands of miles alone and visited dozens of countries in India. With his diligent study, he achieved the highest position in Buddhism.

Xuanzang's last teacher was Jiexian of Nacanda Monastery. Five years later, his Buddhist knowledge was fully mastered and he never lost in any Buddhist debate.

Later, Xuanzang became famous and was invited by King Harsha to be the speaker at a Buddhist debate conference.

At the meeting, more than 5,000 Buddhist believers challenged Xuanzang, but no one could answer them.

For a time, he became famous in India and was revered as "Mahayana Heaven".

When Xuanzang returned to the Tang Dynasty, Taoists and Buddhists rushed to welcome him and the entire city closed its markets.

Emperor Taizong of Tang was also alarmed and invited him into the palace, hoping that Xuanzang would return to secular life and become an official, but Xuanzang politely declined.

Later, when Emperor Gaozong of Tang built the Da Ci'en Temple, he specially invited him to serve as the abbot of the temple.

This shows its prestige.

Madam Yang was of royal origin after all. After a moment's thought, she said, "Mei Niang, are you saying that someone wants to use Xuanzang's reputation to do something bad?"

Wu Meiniang said, "Mother, since the third year of Yonghui, people have been coming to Xuanzang, including the rebels of the Gezhao Sect."

"In the fourth year of the Yonghui reign, Chen Shuozhen exploited the rebellion of the Gezhao Sect, leveraging religion to expand his power and relying on its prestige to win over followers to rebel. My daughter then suggested to Your Majesty that Xuanzang should not be allowed to leave Chang'an."

Madam Yang was stunned and asked, "Are you worried that Master Xuanzang might have evil intentions?"

Wu Meiniang said calmly, "Even if he doesn't, those evil-minded villains will still use his influence."

Madam Yang nodded and said, "I understand, Mother. You're worried that he'll be used as a puppet and ruin his reputation. Well, that's no wonder. You did nothing wrong."

After sending Madam Yang back to the Wu Mansion, Wu Meiniang returned to the palace.

It was just past noon when Wu Meiniang went to the bedroom to check on Li Xian and Li Xian, then asked the attendants, "What is Your Majesty doing?"

Concubine Jiang said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has summoned several generals to discuss matters in the Shenlong Palace."

The Shenlong Hall is located to the east of the Ganlu Hall. It is where Li Zhi usually summoned military generals to discuss military and national affairs.

Compared with the Ganlu Hall, the main hall of the Shenlong Hall is smaller. There is a map in the hall, which marks all the countries surrounding the Tang Dynasty. It is the most detailed map of the Tang Dynasty.

The Tang Dynasty had just fought a major war, and Li Zhi did not plan to mobilize troops immediately.

Li Zhi summoned Li Ji, Yuchi Gong, Cheng Zhijie, Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui this time in order to formulate a long-term military strategy to deal with Tubo.

From the perspective of the Tang Dynasty, Tubo had a good geographical location, occupying high ground, and there seemed to be no particularly powerful enemies around.

In fact, from this map, we can see that the Tang Dynasty was surrounded by enemies on all sides, and the same was true for Tubo. Tianzhu in the southwest, Liuzhao in the southeast, Daqin in the northwest, and the Tang Dynasty in the northeast surrounded Tubo in the middle.

Tubo was originally in a period of rapid growth, but because the Tang Dynasty forcibly blocked its strategy of annexing Tuyuhun, it chose to submit to the Arabs in order to achieve strategic contraction.

He can't afford to offend the Tang Dynasty.

With the protection of the Tang Dynasty, he could not take advantage of the Western Qiang tribes for the time being, so he set his sights on Tianzhu and Liuzhao.

Tianzhu is just a place name. During the Han Dynasty, it was called Shentu. It is now in a state of division, with more than 30 countries.

In addition to several top military generals, there was another person participating in the meeting, Wang Xuance, the chief clerk of the Honglu Temple!

If you want to deal with Tubo, it is a good choice to join forces with the countries around Tubo.

Therefore, Li Zhi called him over so that he could explain the situation in India to the generals.

Li Zhi first told the generals about the Tubo sending spies, and then looked around at the generals.

"This is the situation. During Lu Dongzan's time, Tubo was not truly subservient to the Tang Dynasty. The battle against Tuyuhun also proves this. Do you have any good strategies to deal with Tubo?"

Xue Rengui said, "Your Majesty, I have discussed this matter with Li Bin. She said that Tubo is in the southeast and has built more than ten fortresses and passes for defense. It will not be easy to attack them by force."

Li Zhi nodded and said, "The Tibetan army is strong, and there are capable people in the country. A strong attack right now is not a good strategy."

Su Dingfang said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the Tibetan tribes have only recently united and are unstable. We should adopt a strategy of encircling them from all sides to disperse their forces. Then, we can send an elite division directly into the capital. If we capture the capital and burn the royal palace, Tibetans will surely split again!"

Li Zhi asked, "How can we surround them from all sides?"

Su Dingfang said: "Since the Six Zhao and Tianzhu nations have sent envoys to Chang'an, requesting the protection of the Tang Dynasty, we can seize this opportunity to have them deploy heavy troops on the border. We can also contact the various Qiang tribes and have them assume an offensive posture to draw Tubo troops away. I will lead another force from Anxi, pass through Wuhai, and head straight for the Tubo capital. A single battle will determine the outcome!"

Li Zhi pondered in silence.

Su Dingfang underestimated Tubo's terrain advantage and did not understand the serious impact of altitude sickness.

If the same mistake as Xue Rengui made at Dafeichuan is repeated, it will deal a heavy blow to the reputation of the Tang Dynasty.

When Li Ji saw that the emperor did not speak for a long time, he knew that he did not like this strategy and immediately put forward his own opinion.

"Your Majesty, I have heard that the Tibetan king is young and the powerful minister Lu Dongzan controls the government. You can follow Changsun Sheng's strategy of splitting the Turks and alienate the Tibetan monarch and his ministers."

Li Zhi's heart moved and he looked at Cheng Zhijie and Yuchi Gong.

"What do you two think?"

Cheng Zhijie said, "If the Tibetans dare to send spies to Chang'an, we can also send spies to Tibet. This is called not returning the favor. I agree with the Duke of Yingguo's opinion."

Yuchi Gong actually agreed more with Su Dingfang's approach, but he could see that the emperor was unhappy, so he said, "I also second the Duke of Ying's approach."

Li Zhi nodded.

During the reign of Wu Zetian, Guo Yuanzhen used a counter-espionage tactic to kill Qin Ling.

Since the death of Songtsen Gampo, Tubo has been in a situation where the king is weak and the ministers are strong, which is perfect for using counter-espionage tactics.

A clever plan needs support from a righteous one.

The Tang Dynasty's main strategy was that it had just defeated the Western Turks and its military was at its peak. With strong military force as a backing, any strategy would easily succeed.

"Okay, let's follow Mr. Li's suggestion. This matter can be jointly handled by the Ministry of War and the Imperial Household Department, with Mr. Li in charge."

Li Ji bowed and said, "I, your honor, accept your command."

At this time, Wang Xuance finally spoke: "Your Majesty, I think General Su's proposal is feasible. We can cooperate with Tianzhu, Liuzhao and other countries to exchange intelligence and better use the strategy of sowing discord."

Li Ji said, "I, your humble servant, also believe that we can join forces with Tianzhu, Liuzhao, and other countries."

Li Zhi nodded and said, "Wang Qing, please tell everyone about the situation in Tianzhu."

Wang Xuance said, "Your Majesty, Tianzhu is currently divided and its fighting capacity is weak. If Tubo attacks them, they will be easily conquered."

There was a record in the Book of Han that said that the people in Shendu were weak and afraid of fighting, weaker than those in Yuezhi.

Moreover, the fact that Wang Xuance alone destroyed the most powerful country in India is enough to explain the situation.

"Your Majesty, I heard that Master Xuanzang visited India during his journey to the West. He said that at that time there was a Harsha Dynasty that unified India. What's going on here?"

"Your Majesty, it is like this..."

In fact, Wang Xuance went to India because Xuanzang returned from India with a letter from King Harsha.

The Tang Dynasty sent envoys to India out of courtesy.

Unfortunately, Wang Xuance had just arrived in India when King Harsha died and his throne was stolen by his ministers, leading to the division of India again.

Those small separatist countries all knew the prestige of the Tang Dynasty, and each presented precious gifts to Wang Xuance to show their goodwill to the Tang Dynasty.

The rebel king was furious and sent people to rob the Tang Dynasty envoys. Most of Wang Xuance's entourage were killed, and only the deputy envoy Jiang Shiren managed to escape.

After discussing it, the two men felt that they would not be able to explain to Emperor Taizong if they returned like this, so they came to Tubo and issued a proclamation in the name of the Tang Dynasty to recruit troops.

At that time, Songtsen Gampo was still alive, and Tubo was still subservient to the Tang Dynasty, tacitly allowing Wang Xuance to recruit Tubo troops.

In addition, there were also 7,000 Nepalese soldiers who volunteered.

Wang Xuance and Jiang Shiren led more than 10,000 foreign troops back to India, and along the way they encountered many small vassal states of India.

Wang Xuance led his army to capture the rebel king's capital, and Jiang Shiren captured the rebel king A Luo Na Shun alive. India was greatly shocked, and more than 580 cities surrendered.

Wang Xuance sent the captured rebel king, his queen, his children, more than 10,000 captured men and women, and more than 20,000 cattle and horses to Chang'an to present them as captives.

By the way, bring back an Indian alchemist.

Emperor Taizong of Tang did not expect that he would go out with more than 30 people and bring back more than 10,000 prisoners. He appointed Wang Xuance as a doctor of the imperial court and made him the Shaoqing of the Honglu Temple.

Later, because of the Indian alchemist, he was demoted to the chief clerk of the Honglu Temple and was always marginalized.

After Wang Xuance explained the situation of the Harsha Dynasty, he added, "Your Majesty, although the Indians are not good at fighting, if they unite, they can become a force that can check and balance the Tubo."

Li Zhi saw what he was thinking and asked, "Do you want to go to Tianzhu again?"

Wang Xuance's eyes were red, and he said, "Your Majesty, please let me go. I will do my utmost to make the Indian kingdoms serve the Tang Dynasty!"

Wang Xuance is only in his forties this year, but his temples are already gray, which shows that he has been quite depressed in recent years.

Li Zhi stared at him and said, "Very well, I will restore your position as Imperial Doctor and appoint you as General of the Right Guard. I will also allow you to lead an envoy group to India and unite other nations to fight against Tubo!"

Wang Xuance was overjoyed. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed deeply, saying, "I thank Your Majesty for your trust. I will serve you wholeheartedly and will not let you down!"

(End of this chapter)