Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

The prosperity of Taiyuan Prefecture in the Tang Dynasty attracted envoys and monarchs from the plateau, many of whom were still living under slavery and tribal systems.

They all witnessed what luxury and enjoyment truly meant.

And what, then, is more deserving of the title "noble"?

Under the secret instruction of Crown Prince Li Chengqian, officials from the Ministry of Rites in Taiyuan Prefecture took the members of the delegation from the plateau to experience it firsthand.

What does it mean to be "so happy that one forgets one's homeland"?

An unparalleled experience on earth, a top-notch fusion of Central Plains and Western styles, and even more delightful song and dance performances.

And the various delicacies that almost made these people swallow their tongues and still not get enough of them.

And there were also gorgeous silks with exquisite embroidery and dazzling porcelain.

And then there are the clocks that can replace the alternation of the sun and moon, recording the passage of time...

Even though they had been staying in the Tang Dynasty for three or four months, these people showed no sign of being in a hurry to leave, which was exactly what Li Chengqian wanted.

"How can the limited imagination of a frog in a well possibly inspire them to take up arms and serve my Great Tang? I want them to understand that only by following the Great Tang can they have meat to eat, and only then can they eat real meat!"

"If you want to live a decent life, if you don't want to be called a barbarian, you need to eat the food that we Tang people eat, wear the clothes that we Tang people wear, and live the life that only we Tang people can live..."

Nighttime on the steps outside the Shougong Hall.

As Li Chengqian ate the lotus seed soup that Qian Yingying had stewed for him, he gazed wistfully at Taiyuan Prefecture, which was still brightly lit even late at night.

He let out a faint, cold laugh.

"Once the new map of the plateau's boundaries is completed, as long as we manage it well, the various countries on the plateau... will become the most loyal slave-hunting force of our Great Tang!"

He won't forget.

The vast land that my third brother occupied in later generations is now in this era.

Besides the Harsha Dynasty, which corresponds to the northern part of India in later generations, there was also the Chalukya Kingdom in the south, which was a powerful and populous kingdom that was no weaker than the Harsha Dynasty in terms of overall strength and population.

With these two large, lucrative assets, the plateau could maintain its glorious period of slave trade for at least twenty or thirty years.

This period was also enough for the Tang Dynasty to efficiently complete the nation's infrastructure construction in the most bloody and barbaric way.

"Alas... Yingying, what do you think future generations will say about my actions today if I die?"

"After all, the people of the Tang Dynasty at that time were well-fed and clothed, had rich knowledge and experience, could go wherever they wanted, and could loudly proclaim to everyone that they wanted to travel the world... Our Great Tang will not let them go hungry."

"Can the people of the Tang Dynasty, who have never known hunger and hardship, understand what I am doing today?"

Qian Yingying looked at the prince with heartache.

In the past month or two, there have been voices in the court saying that His Highness's methods are too ruthless, but they just dare not say it openly.

But Qian Yingying's father was Qian Lou, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

How could she not know these sounds?

"Your Highness, by then you will probably be resting in peace with me. What can we do then? Those who don't understand hunger and hardship will eventually understand, and then it won't be us who pay the price..."

"Hahaha!" Li Chengqian laughed, amused by her.

"Yes, back then, I'm afraid not even a trace of my bones would be left."

He put his arm around Qian Yingying's slender waist.

The melancholy and confusion lasted only a moment, before instantly becoming sharp and cold again.

He gazed wistfully in the direction of the Heaven and Earth Palace in Taiyuan Prefecture.

It's as if you can see through the magnificent and extravagant architecture and inside, the highland people are indulging in a life of luxury and extravagance, enjoying everything without a care in the world.

"Hehe...keep laughing without restraint."

"Keep yelling without restraint."

"And then, carrying this madness, become the most loyal and ferocious hyena of my Great Tang Dynasty..."

"Distinguished guests from the plateau, now that the territorial map has been finalized, it is time for you to return to your lands!" Wang De, with a forced smile, slowly placed a copy of the "Map of the Plateau Countries in the Third Year of Zhenguan" bearing the seals of various countries into a box beside him.

He spoke.

Upon hearing these words, the envoys from the various kingdoms, including Xiangxiong, Dongnu, Yangtong, and Supi, who had each carved out a portion of their land from Tibet, were initially overjoyed.

Their smiles froze involuntarily.

Happy times are always fleeting, and they naturally understand that such extravagant enjoyment cannot last.

However, when the moment actually arrives, that's when things change.

Everyone felt a sense of panic and absurdity, as if they had fallen from heaven to hell.

Songtsen Gampo silently took the map of Xinjiang, which had been divided up and had at least one-third of its contents, into his bosom.

Having endured several suppressions and imprisonments by the Tang Dynasty, he finally learned how to behave when facing this Eastern empire.

He bowed respectfully to Wang De, who was a eunuch.

"My previous recklessness has caused a lot of trouble for the Tang Dynasty and His Highness the Crown Prince. I am only able to survive thanks to His Highness the Crown Prince's kindness."

"Now that we are parting, I am ashamed and have no face to bid Your Highness farewell. I humbly request that Eunuch Wang pass this item on to Your Highness."

"Tibet will never dare to have the slightest improper thoughts again!"

Looking at Songtsen Gampo kneeling before him, offering up the great seal of the king.

Wang De smiled faintly and put the things away.

As if he had prepared in advance, he took another brocade box from the eunuch beside him, opened it, and revealed a small but even more exquisite seal.

"Seal of the Military Governor of Tibet under the Great Tang Dynasty, bestowed by the Tang Dynasty."

Songtsen Gampo respectfully accepted the gift: "Your subject thanks Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Tang for your divine grace! I am willing to guard the plateau for the Great Tang from now on, capturing slaves and expanding our territory!"

Upon seeing this, King Li Mixia of Xiangxiong's expression changed slightly.

The Tang Dynasty had indeed never given up on Tibet!

His eyes flickered as he thought of the cause of the incident that turned Zhangzhung into its current ghastly state: Songtsen Gampo's sister, the Tibetan Zhamsamagga.

Was it this woman who played a role?

If such an idea was still just a guess at this moment, then three days later, when everyone reluctantly set off to return to the plateau...

The long convoy following the Tibetan envoys instantly caught the attention of Li Mixia and other envoys from other forces on the plateau.

They realized something was wrong.

More than three hundred horse-drawn carriages!

The goods were packed with boxes that looked quite heavy, so the Tang Dynasty even dispatched a force to assist them.

"King of Xiangxiong, you have misunderstood His Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Tang Dynasty. These people are not soldiers of the Great Tang Dynasty..." Ashina Quli was wearing a set of bright armor that he had never thought he would be able to wear before.

Hearing Li Mixia and the others' doubts, he smiled and cupped his hands in the direction of Yangcheng Palace.

As he spoke, he pointed to the well-equipped cavalry behind him.

“These are all private soldiers of the country’s public servants. His Highness the Crown Prince, mindful of my past contributions to the country, has granted me permission to form a private army of a thousand men, equipped with warhorses, armor, and weapons.”

"This time, we are not going to fight on the plateau or to do any imperial mission. It's just that our Duke is short of money recently and has nothing to do, so he accepted the job of escorting Princess Samaga's caravan."

"Five thousand taels of gold!"

Li Mixia: "......"

They're really treating us like idiots!

Songtsen Gampo ignored the situation and looked at his sister with deep remorse.

“You… take good care of yourself here. If possible, try your best to win the Crown Prince’s favor… With him around, Tibet will probably have a hard time recovering.”

At this moment, Songtsen Gampo felt as if he were shrouded in shadow.

No matter how he ran or how angrily he howled in protest.

The dark clouds obscured the Qilian Mountains, the Tanggula Mountains, and even the Himalayas beneath their snow and ice.

Samaga nodded firmly, tears welling in his eyes.

Songtsen Gampo felt guilty again: "You can't use all of the 30% profit to buy weapons for Tibet. You have to keep some for yourself. If something happens to you here alone, I won't be able to help you... You'll have to rely on yourself for everything."

He once thought of making peace with the Tang Dynasty and marrying a princess of the Tang Dynasty.

Now, he truly understands the pain of being forced to separate from one's blood relatives and enduring longing and guilt.

Watching the Tibetan caravan set off.

The fact that Tibet still had 50,000 troops made the various highland countries, who had previously underestimated this force, finally realize the terrifying crisis.

Li Mixia hurriedly turned around and headed towards Yangcheng Palace.

"You mean, you also want to buy weapons from my Great Tang?" Li Chengqian feigned a look of doubt.

Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly smiled and waved his hand.

"If Your Majesty is worried about Tibet, then there is no need to worry. After this defeat, there must be many voices of opposition within their country. In addition, the Tibetan princess pleaded with me, so I agreed to let them use their own money to buy the weapons and armor of our Great Tang."

"If they use these weapons meant for self-defense to attack you... I assure you, the Great Tang will immediately send troops to destroy their country!"

When he spoke the last sentence, Li Chengqian perfectly captured the arrogance and disdain of a great empire.

Li Mixia knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, it is not for that reason. It is simply that our own strength is too weak, and we need to purchase some weapons and armor for self-defense. We humbly beg Your Majesty to grant us your favor!"

Li Chengqian stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Finally he nodded.

"I can sell them to you, but... what will you use to buy them? How much silver do you have left to purchase weapons?"

Hear the words.

The crowd that came to buy weapons froze instantly.

Although they stayed at the Taiyuan State Guesthouse for the past two or three months.

There were no accommodation expenses, and the Ministry of Rites also arranged many recreational activities for them.

But... how could the Ministry of Rites pay for their entertainment every time?

As a result, many of them had very little money left besides the documents regarding the cession of land by Tibet and a small amount of remaining reparations.

Li Mixia gritted her teeth: "Your Majesty, according to the agreement, Tibet will pay my Xiangxiong 15 guan in compensation every year. I wonder if this debt can be used to offset the debt?"

"You can borrow some weapons and armor from Xiangxiong on credit. By the end of this year, Xiangxiong will definitely pay you back with interest!"

Li Chengqian pondered for a moment and nodded slightly.

He then waved his hand at the envoys from the Eastern Women's Kingdom, Supi, and other highland countries.

"Very well, as a land of etiquette, our Great Tang should not show favoritism. You may also extend a partial payment on credit, but let me make it clear beforehand... you must settle the full amount for these weapons by the end of the third year of the Zhenguan era!"

August of the third year of Zhenguan.

Songtsen Gampo, with his grand entourage full of weapons and armor, finally returned to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.

However, looking at the desolate city now...

Songtsen Gampo didn't even give everyone time to feel sad or sigh.

That is, to issue the order immediately.

"By order of the Emperor, all Tibetan tribes shall immediately assemble their cavalry, and fifty thousand elite troops shall follow the Emperor into battle!"

"Since we can't take action against those bastards from the Mud Kingdom, then this Zanpu (Tibetan king) will see if they can't deliver on their promises to the Tang Dynasty and capture enough slaves!"

"How are they going to face the questioning from the Tang Dynasty!"