Tang Dynasty: The Holy Prince, the Dragon that Reigns Over the World

The internal strife in Tubo seriously consumed the national strength that Songtsen Gampo had accumulated since the unification. Songtsen Gampo was a great leader and the ruler of Tubo. Whether in terms of reputation, righteousness or strength, his strength was stronger than the rebels. However, the rebels had the equipment of the Tang Dynasty and the training of the Tang army, and they could fight back and forth with Songtsen Gampo's main army.

At this time, both sides of the Tibetan army were in urgent need of replenishment, whether it was food, soldiers or equipment, and both sides were already in a tense situation. Although Songtsen Gampo knew that the Tang Dynasty was playing tricks, the situation was stronger than the people. The rebels were not weaker than himself at this time. If the rebels continued to receive support from the Tang Dynasty, it would inevitably make it more difficult for the Tibetans to suppress the rebellion.

Moreover, even if the final victory was achieved, Tubo would be devastated and its national strength would be greatly weakened. By then, Tubo would face the danger of being torn apart and annexed by neighboring countries, especially the Tang Dynasty. After all, Songtsen Gampo was very clear that might is right and a weak country has no diplomacy.

Although Songtsen Gampo was angry, he had no choice but to send envoys to ask for help from the Tang Dynasty. Before sending the envoys, Songtsen Gampo said to the Tibetan envoys.

"The Tang Dynasty is supporting the rebels and causing internal strife in Tubo. You have three things to do when you go to the Tang Dynasty.

First, this Zamp and the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty are brothers, and Tubo and the Tang Dynasty have signed a brotherly alliance. You are going to ask the Tang Dynasty why it supports and trains the two disloyal Subi and Yangtong tribes in Tubo.

Second, according to the brotherly alliance, we should seek assistance from the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty must provide material assistance to Tubo unconditionally.

Third, and most importantly, the Tang Dynasty must stop supporting the rebels. Such behavior is extremely disrespectful. If the Tang Dynasty does not stop supporting the rebels, it will be a violation of the alliance. Our Tubo will go from being brothers to enemies. I think the Tang Dynasty does not want to be enemies with Tubo for generations. "

"Zamp, I think we should lower our stance towards the Tang Dynasty right now. If we accidentally anger the Tang Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty fully supports the rebels or even sends troops to Tibet directly, then Tibet will be finished." Dugu Wuwang, the national teacher of Tibet, advised.

Although, by funding the rebels to disrupt Tubo and using them to significantly reduce Tubo's national strength, when the two forces fight to the death and Tubo's strength is completely weakened to the extreme, and they are in urgent need of Tang's assistance, then Tang can reap the benefits of being a fisherman, whether to force Tubo to submit or directly annex Tubo. It all depends on Songtsen Gampo's own attitude.

If Songtsen Gampo's attitude was good, he would still be the ruler of Tubo, and Tubo would only need to cede land and become a vassal. If Songtsen Gampo's attitude was bad and angered the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty would not mind sending troops to annex Tubo on the grounds that Tubo had slandered and disrespected the Tang Dynasty.

Of course, Li Chengqian naturally hoped that Songtsen Gampo would choose the latter, as the annexation of Tubo by the Tang Dynasty would be the most beneficial to the Tang Dynasty. The mission of Mo Wen, the captain of the Northern Pacification Division of the Jinyiwei, who was also the Tubo national teacher Dugu Wuwang, was to find ways to make Songtsen Gampo hate the Tang Dynasty and make him choose the latter.

The current situation has been carried out according to Li Chengqian's plan. Songtsen Gampo hates the Tang Dynasty to the core. Mo Wen only needs to fan the flames at this time, and great things can be accomplished. However, Mo Wen thought of the friendship between teacher and student for more than ten years, and couldn't bear it for a moment, so he persuaded. After all, if Tubo surrenders, Songtsen Gampo's life can be saved, and he can still be the king of Tubo. If Li Chengqian follows the plan he wants to implement the most, Songtsen Gampo will die.

"Teacher, you don't need to persuade me anymore. I have made up my mind. What is the difference between the Tang Dynasty and villains if they act like this? Li Chengqian looks like a gentleman, but he is actually a sinister and treacherous person. On the one hand, he is making peace with our Tubo and calling us brothers, but on the other hand, he is supporting the rebels and disrupting our Tubo. How can we Tubo welcome him with a good face?

If we bow to the Tang Dynasty at this time, where will our face and dignity be? Even if our country and race are destroyed, we will swear to ask for an explanation from such despicable and shameless people. "Songtsen Gampo said angrily.

"Oh!" Mo Wen looked at the angry Songtsen Gampo in front of him and could only sigh helplessly.

"You are still young. Do you think that anger and a few heroic words can stop the Tang Dynasty's cavalry? How can the national strength of Tubo compare with that of the Tang Dynasty at this time? Is it so difficult to lower your head?

You still have the right to choose whether to bow your head or not. Once you anger the lord and the lord is furious, you will no longer have the right to choose. "Mo Wen thought to himself as he looked at the young Songtsen Gampo.

The envoy was ordered to come to Chang'an, and according to Songtsen Gampo's instructions, he formally notified the Tang Dynasty that the Tang Dynasty disturbed Tubo. Chen Shuda, the Minister of Rites of the Tang Dynasty, was stunned when he received the letter from Tubo. This matter was serious, so Chen Shuda immediately handed the letter to Li Shimin. After reading it, Li Shimin thought about it.

"Is Tubo crazy? They are here to hold you accountable, and they even use a letter of credence, which is quite formal. Do you have evidence? Just hold you accountable, and don't worry about angering the Tang Dynasty, especially our Dalang. The holy prince of the Tang Dynasty is known as the 'prince who destroyed the country'. The little Zanpu is really brave.

But looking at the indignant look of the Tibetan envoy, it should be true. No, what do you mean by should? Judging from Dalang's character, it must be this little bastard's doing. Damn, he is the one who caused the trouble, and he still has to find me to clean up the mess when something goes wrong. The key is that he didn't discuss it with me in advance.

"Ah, I haven't spanked Dalang for a long time, I really miss it. Oh, where's my stick? I'll have someone find it and teach this brat a lesson." Li Shimin thought about it and suddenly laughed out loud, looking up to the sky and sighing with satisfaction.

"Land, the more the better. Territory, the bigger the better. Dalang, I am looking forward to seeing how powerful the Tang Dynasty will be under your leadership. However, the small countries around it will suffer.

Let it be, Dalang is right, our Celestial Empire should rule the world. The Tang Dynasty annexed the four barbarians in order to free them from barbarism and ignorance, to bathe them in the glory of the Tang Dynasty, to let them enjoy civilized etiquette, for their own good. This is to save them, to practice benevolence.

What's wrong with this Dalang's brain? He is clearly invading other people's territory and destroying their culture, yet he can still justify it. Tsk tsk, this shameless spirit is really unparalleled."

"Come here, quickly hand this letter to the Crown Prince. Order Chen Shuda to tell the Tibetan envoy that the Crown Prince is now in charge of the Tang Dynasty and all affairs of the Tang Dynasty are decided by the Crown Prince. Please do not bother me with such trivial matters.

Let them go to Dalang and tell him that he should solve the problems by himself. He didn't tell me when he was causing trouble, and now that he has caused trouble, he still wants me to take the lead? It's absurd. If the Tubo matter is handled well, it's fine. If it's messed up, he should watch his own ass.

By the way, didn't Japan offer several dancers as tribute? Go to Hua'e Xianghui Tower and quickly summon the Queen and Zhangsun Wuji's family to the palace. I want to drink and watch dancing today." Li Shimin shouted.

Chen Shuda received Li Shimin's oral instructions and directly asked the Tibetan envoy to find Li Chengqian. The palace servant passed Li Shimin's oral instructions to Li Chengqian, who was very upset after hearing it. However, he had no choice but to directly order people to call Chang Sun Chong and the Tibetan envoy to Yanying Hall.

Chang Sun Chong arrived first and bowed as soon as he entered the hall.

"I, the Minister of the Crown Prince's Office and the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Changsun Chong, greet you, my lord."

"Okay, okay, my cousin is acting. I'm in a bad mood today, so please don't make things difficult for me." Li Chengqian said with an unhappy look on his face.

"Hehe, isn't this in the palace? There are many people and eyes. Also, whoever made you unhappy must be tired of living. Dare to make me, the Holy Prince of the Great Tang unhappy? Do you think you are living too happily and want to find some excitement? Humph, no matter who he is, if he dares to make the Lord of the Imperial Guard unhappy for a while, the Imperial Guard will make him unhappy for life.

Dalang, tell your cousin, and he will immediately invite the man to the Jinyiwei Criminal Court Prison, and let him have a taste of our Jinyiwei banquet, which will surely make him doubt his life. If Dalang wants, I can also give him a ticket to the afterlife. "Chang Sun Chong said as he sat down at Li Chengqian's position.

"Oh? It's still better to have relatives in your family. Since my cousin is so thoughtful, I won't be polite. The person who made me unhappy is now in the Hua'e Xianghui Tower in the palace, watching the singing and dancing of the dancers presented by Japan with my uncle and mother. My cousin, you can go and arrest him now." Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"Hua'e Xianghui Tower? The one who made you unhappy is the present saint?" Chang Sun Chong asked in surprise.

"Exactly. Do you think there is such an unreliable father in the world? He is a hands-off boss and works his own son to death. He doesn't even share the burden with his son. When Tubo came to the Tang Dynasty to hold him accountable, he, as the ruler of a country, didn't know how to deal with it. Instead, he pushed everything to me and enjoyed it himself. It's really unreasonable. My cousin, if you want to vent my anger for me, you can use my warrant to go into the palace and arrest the saint." Li Chengqian complained.

Upon hearing this, Chang Sun Chong was stunned for a long time, then spoke in a low voice.

"Da Lang, have I offended you in any way? Or do you want Changle to be a widow? You are trying to kill me. Are you trying to kill my father or my brother? Can you stop making trouble? I am living a comfortable life and I don't want to die. I still want to live a good life."

"Humph, you're not crazy anymore? No matter who it is, you, the Jinyiwei, can deal with it. Let me see how you deal with a saint." Li Chengqian snorted coldly.

"By the way, if you offend me, you will be sent to jail directly. Are the Jinyiwei unreasonable?" Li Chengqian asked.

"Yes, but being disrespectful to the prince is a matter of etiquette. I am not good at speaking and I am not good at giving lectures. I am also afraid that he cannot learn etiquette and will make the same mistake again next time. I can only find someone to talk to him." Chang Sun Chong said.

"Who?" Li Chengqian asked curiously.

"Go find Confucius. He knows etiquette best. So I will be responsible for sending him to learn etiquette from Confucius." Chang Sun Chong said indifferently.

"Hiss, my cousin is very rigorous in his work. I admire you." Li Chengqian took a breath and bowed.

"No, no, you are too kind, Dalang." Chang Sun Chong said complacently.

At this time, the palace servant led the Tibetan envoy into the Yanying Palace. The Tibetan envoy saluted with his right hand on his chest.

"Your Highness, the Tibetan envoy Sangji, pays homage to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. May the gods bless His Royal Highness."

"Envoy, please don't be polite. Please take a seat. I have read the letter written by your king. I don't understand why my brother wants to blame the Tang Dynasty." Li Chengqian said calmly.

"When I came here, the Zamp said: The Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty and I call him brother, and I also regard him as a brother. Our Tubo and the Tang Dynasty signed a brotherhood agreement. Why would the Tang Dynasty betray its brothers, fund the rebels, instigate the rebels to rebel, and cause civil strife in our Tubo?" said Sangji.

"When did the Tang Dynasty ever aid the enemy? The Tang Dynasty had normal trade with the Suobei and Yangtong tribes. Did you, Tubo, issue a clear order prohibiting the tribes within your territory from trading with the Tang Dynasty? Moreover, the rebellion of the two tribes is your Tubo family affair. Do you have any evidence to prove that it was the Tang Dynasty that instigated the two tribes to rebel?

You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. Your Tubo's remarks are slander and defamation of our Tang Dynasty. The reputation of our Tang Dynasty cannot be tarnished. If Songtsen Gampo does not retract his remarks, it will be a blatant provocation to the Tang Dynasty. "Li Chengqian said dissatisfiedly.

"Your Highness, why do you have to deceive yourself? All the rebels' equipment and tactics belong to the Tang army. Are you going to deny it?" Sangji said.

"Which eye did you see that our Tang army trained the rebels? As for the weapons, our Tang has never sold any weapons. As far as I know, the weapons used by the rebels are all weapons that our Tang has eliminated. As for how the rebels got them, our Tang is also investigating.

Also, I tell you, even if the Tang Dynasty funded the rebels, do you think the Tang Dynasty would be afraid that you, Tubo, would bear grudges against us?" Li Chengqian said disdainfully.

"Well, since the Tang Dynasty says there is no such thing, then there is no such thing. I hope there will be no such thing in the future. I, Tubo, ask the Tang Dynasty to fulfill the brotherly alliance and provide support to me, Tubo."

Sangji thought about it and felt that the most important thing now was to get the support of the Tang Dynasty and stop supporting the rebels. As for accountability, once it was asked, it could not be investigated further. Even if Tubo had not rebelled, it would not be a match for the Tang Dynasty, let alone now.

"Okay, but what will Tubo give in exchange?" Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"We need to change more? Isn't it natural to lend a helping hand when our brothers are in trouble?" Sang Ji wondered.

"Brothers should be clear about accounts. Our Tang Dynasty is a large family with a lot of expenses. We are able to provide assistance to Tubo at this time. It is already a noble act for us not to take advantage of the situation.

Don't be upset, I'll tell you the truth. The envoys of the Supi and Yangtong tribes are also in Chang'an at this time, and have submitted an application to my father. They ask my father to enthrone the leaders of the two tribes as kings. The two tribes are willing to give half of the territory of Tubo as a thank you, and are willing to become a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty. They also ask the Tang Dynasty to provide various financial assistance and send troops to help them eliminate you.

My father is already tempted. Half of the Tubo territory is willing to become a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty. I just want to ask you if you are tempted? Fortunately, I persuaded my father for the sake of my brotherly relationship with Songtsen Gampo. My father has not replied yet. "Li Chengqian said after drinking a sip of tea.

"No, the two tribes are traitors to Tibet. How can the Tang Dynasty help them? What right do these traitors have to sell out the interests of Tibet?" Sangji stood up and shouted in shock.

"Why are you in such a hurry? You scared me. Didn't my prince dissuade the saint? Besides, what's the point of talking about thieves or not? It's so ugly. You understand the winner is the king and the loser is the bandit? If we eliminate you, the two tribes will be the masters of Tubo and naturally we will have the right to cede land to the Tang Dynasty." Chang Sun Chong said dissatisfiedly.

"Who are you?" Sang Ji asked puzzledly.

"I am the Duke of Xiaoshan County of the Tang Dynasty, the Sikong of the Prince's Palace, and the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I am Chang Sun Chong." Chang Sun Chong said indifferently.

"Jinyiwei Commander Changsun Chong? I have failed. However, Tubo and Tang Dynasty are brotherly countries. Tubo now has traitors and rebels, and Tang Dynasty should lend a helping hand. How can we sell out our brothers for the sake of profit? This is not a righteous cause." Sangji said.

"Didn't I stop my father from agreeing to the two tribes' requests? But Tubo must also show sincerity, otherwise how can I convince my father to give up such a huge benefit and support Tubo." Li Chengqian said in embarrassment.

"And rest assured, Your Excellency. The Tang Dynasty will not take advantage of the situation or ask for exorbitant prices. The price of aid is very reasonable. We will sell all materials to Tubo at the normal foreign trade price of the Tang Dynasty. Of course, weapons are not included. If Tubo wants them, it can compete with the two tribes." Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"Bidding? Didn't the Tang Dynasty promise not to fund the rebels?" Sangji said.

"This is not funding, this is clearly a business transaction. The Tang Dynasty has always attached great importance to trade with other countries. When a guest comes to our door, how can we refuse him? Fair competition and no deception, this is the philosophy of our Tang merchants. If Tubo wants to purchase our Tang equipment, they can bid and the highest bidder wins." Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"For the orthodox Tibetans to compete with the rebels is a disrespect from the Tang Dynasty to Tibet. We, the Tibetans, lodge a serious protest." Sangji said angrily.

"Respect? Humph, when you suspected that the Tang Dynasty was supporting the enemy, did you ever think that you were disrespecting the Tang Dynasty? You only relied on speculation and without any evidence, and you used the letter of credence to hold the Tang Dynasty accountable. This has already made you hostile to the Tang Dynasty.

Besides, the two of you are fighting fiercely, and it is still unknown who will win. Orthodoxy? Whoever wins is orthodoxy, and whoever loses is shit.

I tell you clearly that our Tang Dynasty has not raised an army to punish you, and we have allowed you, Tubo, to participate in the bidding and agreed to sell you supplies. Our Tang Dynasty has done its utmost. You can buy it or not, anyway, the two tribes are waiting to buy. "Li Chengqian said coldly.

"This, I need to ask my lord for instructions." Sangji said.

"Okay, but hurry up. I don't have that much patience." Li Chengqian waved his hand.

The envoy immediately took his leave and ordered someone to send a letter back by hawk to ask Songtsen Gampo for instructions.