The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

When Shen Quanqi returned to Yinyu Palace, he was under immense pressure.

Having to recite a long text on the spot was already a worry, but then the Empress Dowager summoned important officials to listen in, which was a real headache.

At this time, the Tang Dynasty named its government offices according to the Zhou system. The four officials of spring, summer, autumn and winter corresponded to the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Works. The Minister and Vice Minister of the Ministry of War were the heads of the Ministry of War.

The Minister of Summer Affairs was Wu Sansi.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of War was Li Zhaode.

The former was the Empress Dowager's nephew, and the latter was capable and outspoken, enjoying the Empress Dowager's trust. Their status was truly impressive.

"Su Qing, speak quickly! Lu Jun mentioned defending the Hexi Corridor. What brilliant strategy do you have?" Wu Zetian urged repeatedly.

Wu Sansi and Li Zhaode also turned around in unison, sat up straight, and stared intently into their eyes.

Shen Quanqi then realized that Shangguan Wan'er had already copied the previous text and shown it to the two high-ranking officials.

I memorized it after hearing it only once.

It seems she also likes this article.

"The Hexi Corridor and Longxi region should be kept at bay and defended, because the Tibetans and Turks are both powerful, and we cannot hastily confront them."

"The Tibetans have Lun Qinling, a man of great talent and strategy who dares to defy divine punishment. He has won every battle since then and is truly a cunning and ruthless barbarian."

"Ashina Gudulu personally donned armor and braved arrows and stones, raiding the Tang border in the south, attacking the Tiele Tatars in the north, and conquering the Xi and Khitans in the east. His prestige gradually shook the northern deserts, and he was no ordinary ruler."

"These two chieftains will surely be increasingly hostile to the Celestial Empire, and Hexi is facing enemies from both the front and rear, as well as the crossroads between the north and south. We should prepare for them in advance."

"Longyou is a natural barrier protecting the border regions and sheltering the pastures. It is also a stronghold against the powerful Tibetan army."

"The art of war says: 'First make yourself invincible, then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable.' How true this is!"

However, situations vary, and generalizations cannot be made...

While reciting this passage, Shen Quanqi broke out in a cold sweat and dared not look at the Empress Dowager's expression.

Because Lu Jun praised Lun Qinling and Gu Dulu too much, practically exaggerating their abilities.

Wu Sansi immediately rebuked angrily: "This is outrageous! These two are mortal enemies of our Great Tang, yet they flatter us like this!"

To him, the candidates were no different from beggars, coming to ask him for official positions.

Lu Jun, a mere scholar, spoke arrogantly and had no sense of his place, so naturally, no one was willing to give him a meal.

Li Zhaode frowned: "The article is well-written, but the audacity is too great. It discusses how Qinling repeatedly defeated the imperial army, and how Gutulu was nothing but a traitor. Why praise him?"

After hearing the previous passage, he admired Lu Jun's magnanimity and knowledge, but also felt that the young man was indeed outspoken.

As Shangguan Wan'er listened and took notes, a glint flashed in her eyes, and when she put pen to paper, she changed "gu du lu" to "bu zu lu".

Three years ago, Heichi Changzhi was appointed as the Grand General of the Yanran Road Army. He defeated the Turks at Huanghuadui, and Gudulu fled north.

Deputy General Cuan Baobi, greedy for merit and reckless, led over ten thousand elite troops out of the pass to pursue the enemy, resulting in the annihilation of the entire army.

The Empress Dowager was furious and executed Cuan Baobi, changing Gu Dulu's name to Bu Zulu.

Logically, the solution should be written with this name.

But Lu Jun forgot...

Shen Quanqi's heart pounded as he listened to the two high-ranking officials' rebukes. Knowing the Empress Dowager's personality, he feared she would punish him on the spot.

Wu Zetian waved her hand, saying, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Don't interrupt, Su Qing, please continue reading."

Wu Sansi, Li Zhaode, and Shangguan Wan'er were all surprised to see that she didn't care at all.

In the past, this crime would have been enough to land someone in jail, and if tempers flared, exile or even execution was not out of the question.

She's actually so forgiving?

This is really unusual...

Shen Quanqi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly continued memorizing:

"The Hexi region is shaped like a hanging gourd, surrounded by enemies on three sides: the Tubo (Tibetan) forces can move south to the former territory of Tuyuhun, cross the Qilian Mountains, and directly attack Gansu and Liangzhou; if the Anxi (Anxi) troops move east, Xizhou and Shazhou will be terrified; the Turks may also flee across the Gobi Desert and raid its heartland."

"If this place falls, not only will Anxi be permanently lost, but Longyou will also be in danger, and the people of Guanzhong will have to sleep with their weapons at their pillows."

"The borders of the Turks and Tibetans are adjacent, and there is a fear that they may unite and cause even more harm."

"Therefore, the Hexi region must be fortified with troops, but its territory is narrow and cramped, and it is not feasible to be isolated and self-contained, thus becoming vulnerable to enemy attacks."

"I believe that the southwestern part of the Yellow River has snowmelt from the Qilian Mountains, making it suitable for extensive land reclamation, which could support tens of thousands of people."

"By imperial decree, an official was appointed to oversee the military agricultural settlements in Liang, Gan, and Gua prefectures, and to assess their performance in order to encourage and punish misconduct."

"A city was built in Hongyuan Valley, and the garrison in Dadouba Valley was increased to block its southern border; the army was stationed at Baitinghai to gain a depth of a thousand miles."

"The Turks, fearing starvation, would not dare to send a large army across the vast sea, and the Tibetans would also hesitate to advance, thus securing the Hexi Corridor."

"If the Hexi region is secure, the beacon towers of Lan, Hui, Jing, and Yuan will not be lit, and the barbarian tribes will be isolated, so there is no risk of them joining forces to form an alliance."

"In that case, the Western Regions are within our grasp!"

In just three hundred words, there are two layers of meaning.

First, the Hexi Corridor was surrounded by enemies on three sides and was a crucial passage connecting Tibet and the Turks, making it both important and dangerous.

Secondly, given the unique topography of Hexi, a more proactive defense approach is recommended.

Establish military farm commissioners to supervise land reclamation,

Build a defensive city in Hongyuan Valley;

Reinforcements to Dadouba Valley

Troops were sent to garrison Baitinghai.

The aim was to maintain a standing Han army in Hexi, not just relying on the Chishui army of the four Tiele tribes, and to broaden the defensive depth.

These strategies were not Lu Jun's own creation, but rather the actual practices from Empress Wu to Emperor Xuanzong's reign.

Given the increasing pressure on Hexi, after the Yifeng era, the imperial court began to establish military farms there to provide food for the border troops.

However, due to the small population, the scale of land reclamation has been limited to date, and the cost of maintaining the army has always been very high.

During the reign of Emperor Chuigong, Chen Zi'ang returned from a military inspection tour of the border and submitted a memorial mentioning this matter, but it was not taken seriously.

Eight years later, Lou Shide was appointed as the Grand Ambassador of the Longyou Army, and the land reclamation affairs in Hexi began to be managed by someone.

Ten years later, Guo Yuanzhen became the governor of Liangzhou. He built Herong City in Hongyuan Valley and established Baiting Army. He extended more than a thousand miles northward, greatly expanding the defensive depth. The city was no longer plundered, the people lived in peace and prosperity, and the military farms were stabilized.

During the Kaiyuan era, the Dadoubagu Valley, which had been repeatedly invaded, was upgraded in status, with more than 7,000 soldiers stationed for defense.

This plan remained effective until the An Lushan Rebellion, which stabilized the Hexi Corridor.

However, a decision has not yet been made.

Upon hearing this, Wu Zetian gestured for Shen Quanqi to stop and then asked Wu Sansi and Li Zhaode:

What are your thoughts on the defensive strategies for Hexi presented in this article?

She was pleasantly surprised by Lu Jun's writing.

It's not that the solution is necessarily feasible, but rather that the article gets straight to the point and doesn't just talk in generalities.

For example, the position of Commissioner of Agricultural Development in Hexi upgraded agricultural settlements to a national strategy, which was very helpful to the situation in the region.

For example, the construction of the city at Hongyuan Valley, the reinforcement of troops at Dadouba Valley, and the garrisoning of troops at Baitinghai were all precisely located.

Unless one has conducted a detailed study, one would usually only say things like "building a fortified mountain pass".

Such a plan was never proposed by the prime minister, the officials of the Ministry of War, the officials of various departments, or the governors of Liang and Gua prefectures, nor by any of the successive military commanders who led the expedition to Hexi.

That foresight alone deserves recognition!

Wu Zetian had previously worried that Lu Jun was setting her sights too high and might not actually have any real talent or ability.

In retrospect, he was indeed well-versed in border affairs, and was not just a young man spouting empty words to attract attention.

Wu Zetian was deeply moved, but her face remained composed, befitting an emperor.

After all, military affairs were not her forte, and she needed the two officials of the Ministry of War to express their opinions.

Li Zhaode listened attentively, pondering as he stroked his beard with his eyes lowered, his gaze shining brightly when he looked up.

He clicked his tongue and said, "Even without reading the rest of the essay, these few strategies alone are already quite excellent, worthy of being promoted and passing the imperial examination!"

Usually, policy documents don't dare to put their words into practice, only shouting a few slogans, but this one provides implementation details, which shows a lot of responsibility.

Wu Zetian's mood improved further, and she raised her voice slightly: "So, you think this is feasible?"

Li Zhaode's words carried great weight.

Although Wu Sansi was the Minister of War, he was clearly a relative of the emperor, while Li Zhaode was the one who actually did the work.

Moreover, considering that Duke Li Jing of Wei was his cousin, he certainly had some experience in military affairs.

Li Zhaode nodded: "I think we should discuss this in detail. In previous years, the court has paid more attention to the source of the Yellow River, but less so to the west. We should indeed be more proactive here."

"To gain the approval of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War of our Great Tang Dynasty, this Lu Jun is no ordinary person!"

A smile appeared on Wu Zetian's face, and her eyebrows, which had been suppressed for a long time, quietly lifted.

It seems I'm not the only one who thinks highly of Lu Jun.

"Is that so?" Wu Sansi suddenly spoke up.

He felt he had lost face after being reprimanded by the Empress Dowager, and now that his opinion had been ignored, he was very unhappy.

He said to Li Zhaode, "Hexi has always had effective defensive methods, and has successfully repelled enemies many times. Why change them?"

Li Zhaode replied, "In the past, the southern and northern deserts were under the jurisdiction of the Tang Dynasty, and the Hexi Corridor faced less pressure. But things are different now."

Wu Sansi countered, "What's the difference? Didn't Lu Jun herself say that the Turks were afraid of running out of military rations and fodder, and therefore dared not cross the desert to attack?"

Li Zhaode said, "We dare not send a large army deep into enemy territory, but we dare to plunder with a small force of light cavalry."

Wu Sansi shook his head repeatedly: "The Chishui Army is in Hexi, how can light cavalry gain an advantage?"

The Chishui Army was the main force of Liangzhou, with more than 30,000 men, including a large number of Tiele cavalry, and was a famous and powerful army.

When it came to important matters of the court, he was confident that he was far more astute than Lu Jun, so he focused on the details to criticize Lu Jun.

"The Hexi Corridor stretches for two thousand miles. Light cavalry can come and go like the wind, plundering people, livestock, and grain before disappearing. How can we defend against them?"

Li Zhaode, being upright and straightforward, noticed Wu Sansi's attempt to suppress Lu Jun and fought back on her behalf.

"This boy exudes the aura of a barbarian, shattering the prestige of the Celestial Empire..."

Wu Sansi was about to press further when he heard a soft cough.

Cough cough--

Wu Zetian flicked her long sleeves at him, her two laurel leaves hanging low beneath her forehead.

"As Lu Jun said, 'First, make yourself invincible, then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable.'"

"If I were Kutlug or Lunchinling, I would certainly want to join forces and annex the territory of the Tang Dynasty."

"The Turks and Tibetans are separated by the Hexi Corridor, and this place is attacked from both sides, which is unlike any other year."

"In my opinion, the strategies mentioned in the text can be discussed later."

"Let's not argue about it now!"

After saying that, he glared at Wu Sansi.

She appointed her nephew as the Minister of War, not only because she trusted him as a family member, but also because she wanted him to gain more experience and help her share her burdens. However, this nephew greatly disappointed her.

Discussing politics and strategies is one thing, but to fixate on something like "the imposing manner of the barbarians"...

Too petty!

She said to Shen Quanqi, "What we just discussed was the strategy for defending Hexi. The next section is about Longyou, right? Recite it silently."

Shen Quanqi was very nervous at this moment, and dared not turn his head to look while listening to the two high-ranking officials arguing.

It's not that I'm worried about the Hexi strategy being questioned, because compared to the Longyou region, Hexi is really nothing...

"As for Longyou, it is where the Tibetan army gathers its forces and where famous generals emerge. This is the place where the royal army has suffered repeated defeats."

"This land was originally the territory of the Tuyuhun people. The Gar clan has managed it for generations, and their stronghold is firmly established. It is not easy to conquer it hastily."

"However, if we follow my humble advice and proceed gradually, within ten years, the royal army will be able to drink from Qinghai Lake!"

"The Zanpu will also lay down his armor and surrender!"

Just those few words, the more he read them, the softer his voice became.

Wu Zhao: "..."

Wu Sansi: "..."

Li Zhaode: "..."

Given the strength of Tibet, could they have reached Qinghai within ten years?

Do they want the Zanpu to surrender?

This Lu Jun is too arrogant!