The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

"The second plan is to re-establish Anxi, which is a strategy for attacking and defending the Western Regions and a policy for long-term stability."

"Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Anxi has been established and abandoned four times, repeatedly restored and lost. Is there no reason for this?"

"To understand the reason, there is no better way than to put yourself in their shoes and observe it from the perspective of the barbarians."

"In the first year of Xianheng, they captured Kucha, but were unable to defend it, and lost it again in the first year of Tiaolu; in the first year of Yifeng, they plundered its territory again, and lost it once more in the first year of Tiaolu. Why is this?"

"Now we can understand why they lost theirs, and why we lost ours."

Lu Jun kept everyone in suspense, not directly stating the strategy for attacking Anxi, but instead posing a question first:

Why could the Tang Dynasty never defend the Western Regions?

Then, instead of answering the question, he changed his perspective and asked it again from the Tibetan point of view:

Why couldn't the Tibetan Empire defend the Western Regions?

When Shangguan Wan'er recited this passage, her eyebrows lifted gracefully, and her eyes were filled with a smile.

It's as if you can see Lu Jun writing with a smug look on her face, deliberately playing a joke on the examiner.

Judging from his expression just now, he's quite an interesting person; he was doing it on purpose!

"Wan'er, stop for now." Wu Zetian raised her hand.

She was very interested in the questions raised in the article, and asked Wu Sansi and Li Zhaode, "What do you think about the fact that neither the Tang Dynasty nor Tibet could hold onto the Western Regions?"

"This is just a charade! The Western Regions were once controlled by the Ten Khanates, and now they are besieged on all sides, so it's no wonder they're difficult to defend."

Wu Sansi narrowed his eyes, a look of disgust curling at the corners of his mouth, causing his short beard to twitch slightly.

This time, Li Zhaode unexpectedly chimed in:

"I also believe that since the establishment of the Four Garrisons of Anxi during the Zhenguan era, their rise and fall have been largely related to the Ten Tribes."

"When the late emperor ascended the throne, he changed the Four Garrisons into a system of tributary states. Ashina Helu, the Khan of the Ten Tribes, rebelled against the Tang and plundered the Western Regions. This was the first of the reasons for its abolition."

"In the third year of Xianqing, the Duke of Xing defeated Helu and divided the ten clans into the Mengchi and Kunling Protectorates, and re-established four towns."

"In the first year of Xianheng, the Tubo, led by the Chuyue tribe, attacked and captured Kucha, which was the second time it was abolished."

"Although the Chuyue tribe is not one of the Ten Clans, it is still a tribe of the Western Turks, for the same reason."

"In the fourth year of Xianheng, Xiao Siye led the Southern Turks on an expedition to the Western Regions. The Chuyue tribe surrendered and the four garrisons were re-established."

"In the first year of Yifeng, Ashina Duzhi, the Khan of the Ten Tribes, allied with the Tibetans to invade the Western Regions. This was the third time he was deposed."

"In the first year of the Tiaolu era, Pei Wenxi captured Ashina Duzhi and Li Zhefu alive and re-established the four garrisons."

"Later, Lu Fu rebelled again, and the Celestial Empire used troops in the southern desert. During the reign of Emperor Chuigong, the Ten Tribes again led the Tubo to invade the Western Regions. This was the fourth time that the dynasty was abolished."

"It is evident that the Ten Clans' attempt to regain control of the Western Regions is the reason why the imperial court has repeatedly lost the four garrisons."

He was shrewd and capable, very knowledgeable about politics, and could speak of the history of Anxi with great familiarity.

The rise and fall of the four towns were indeed directly related to the ten surnames.

The so-called Ten Clans were ten major tribes of the Western Turks, divided into five tribes of the Dulu and five tribes of the Nushibi, who previously controlled a large area from the Tianshan Mountains to Central Asia.

After Helu was captured alive, the Tang Dynasty established a Protectorate General Administration for each of the ten tribes, which were then subordinate to two Protectorates General Administrations.

The five tribes of Dulu were under the jurisdiction of the Kunling Protectorate, located east of Suyab, and were led by Xingxiwang Khan.

The five tribes of Nushibi were under the jurisdiction of the Mengchi Protectorate, located west of Suyab, and were led by Jiwangjue Khan.

Both were under the jurisdiction of the Anxi Protectorate.

It is located north of the Tianshan Mountains.

South of the Tianshan Mountains, four garrisons were established, which were directly managed by the Grand Protectorate, including military garrisons, prefectures, and tributary governorates.

However, the rise and fall of the past and the continuation of the past are contradictory, and their descendants could not control the tribe, so the ten clans were in chaos.

Whenever chaos erupted, the Ten Clans would send troops to the Western Regions in an attempt to reclaim their former sphere of influence.

Unable to defeat the Tang Dynasty in a one-on-one fight, they introduced the Tibetan Empire, leading to frequent changes of control over the Western Regions over the past twenty years.

What Li Zhaode was referring to was this cause and effect.

"You haven't answered my question! Why couldn't Tibet also defend the Western Regions?"

Wu Zetian listened more intently to Lu Jun's article and pointed out that Wu Sansi and Li Zhaode's answers were irrelevant.

Her voice suddenly grew louder, her questioning like silver needles piercing the bed, sending chills down their spines.

"this……"

Wu Sansi and Li Zhaode looked at each other, unable to answer for a moment.

"Hmph, I know you are all high and mighty, looking down on Lu Jun, a mere Confucian scholar, and simply don't want to think about his problems!" Wu Zetian bluntly pointed out.

She was skilled in political maneuvering and had a keen eye for human nature; she had already discerned clues from several questions and answers.

He waved his hand: "Wan'er, keep reading!"

Wu Sansi and Li Zhaode stood up solemnly, lowered their heads, and dared not refute. This meal... could not be eaten anymore.

"Neither the Tang nor the Tibetan Empire could maintain their rule in the Western Regions for long, mainly because the territory was vast and the military campaigns were often large-scale and decisive, with troops returning home after their campaigns were over."

"Although the vassal states admired the Chinese style, they saw that the Tang had no intention of staying for long, so they were willing to die for the cause."

"When the banners of the Ten Tribes and the Tibetans arrived, they did not fire a single arrow or wear any armor; they simply followed without resistance."

"The barbarian soldiers either come from their own country or are sent to fight against the Tuyuhun, Dangxiang, Bailan and other tribes. They are far from their homeland, yearn to return home, and have no intention of staying for long, which is similar to our situation."

"When the royal army arrived, the barbarian troops had already returned, and the ten tribes had lost their will to fight. The vassal states then surrendered without resistance."

"Therefore, it is easy to take but difficult to keep."

This passage highlights a common problem faced by the Tang Dynasty and the Tibetan Empire in managing the Western Regions for decades—

Do not station troops there for extended periods.

The Tang Dynasty used a marching military system. Whenever there was a war, soldiers from the local militia would be temporarily conscripted, and a general commander would be appointed to lead the expedition. After the war, everyone would return to their respective homes.

However, the local militia were mostly stationed in Guanzhong, Henan, Hebei, and Hedong, making it convenient to conquer the southern desert, but the Western Regions were too far away.

Although there are some military garrisons in Hexi and Xizhou, their numbers are insufficient to deter the enemy, and they still need to be transferred to distant locations.

Organizing an offensive would take more than half a year, making it impossible to respond quickly to enemy movements.

The imperial court established the Anxi Protectorate in the hope of relying on the troops of the various tributary governorates, but the problem is...

unreliable.

The ten surnames are inherently the source of chaos, and they are often in the enemy camp, either impossible to mobilize or impossible to mobilize completely.

As for the vassal states south of Tianshan... Your Great Tang doesn't even leave anyone to fight to the death, yet you expect your little brothers to risk their lives for you?

This kind of defense couldn't even hold Causeway Bay, let alone the vast Western Regions.

"That makes a lot of sense. The number of soldiers in the four garrisons is indeed too small, which is a big problem." Li Zhaode nodded slowly.

In his view, Lu Jun was deliberately currying favor with the Empress Dowager and was instigating a war against the court, which was a sign of seeking fame and fortune.

But the Empress Dowager was furious, so he had to seriously comment on the article and admire Lu Jun's insight.

Wu Sansi, however, still retorted: "In my opinion, this is the view of a scholar! How does he prove that stationing Han troops to guard the Western Regions would necessarily be effective? How many troops would be enough?"

In fact, Wu Zetian also had this question.

Last year, the imperial court suffered a major defeat in the Western Regions. Although she was eager to take revenge, she was therefore even more cautious.

Lu Jun's writing style was broad and clear, and she liked it more and more as she listened, but when discussing important military and national affairs, there had to be supporting details.

She looked at Shangguan Wan'er, about to ask a question, when she saw a smile on her lips...

This scene seems familiar.

"Could it be that this issue is mentioned later in the text?"

Wan'er nodded: "Exactly. The following text analyzes the number of troops stationed, the effects of stationing troops, and the key points of defense."

Wu Zetian smiled gently: "How is it that Lu Jun is so amazing, always thinking ahead?"

Wu Sansi gave a cold snort, and could only listen to Shangguan Wan'er continue reciting silently.

"Some say: 'To raise an army thousands of miles away, wasting the grain of nine treasuries and causing great trouble for the army and its transport, is not a good idea.'"

"Your Majesty, I humbly reply: The Western Regions are truly a vital strategic location, defending against the Abbasid Caliphate to the west, resisting the Tibetan Empire to the south, and bringing the Ten Tribes to the north. They also facilitate trade between the two major powers. Great nations will inevitably vie for control of this region!"

"But how many troops are needed? And can they truly hold their ground?"

"Please take the Han Dynasty's Protectorate of the Western Regions as an example."

"The Han dynasty used more than 20,000 troops to resist the powerful Xiongnu, and they held out for hundreds of years, which is a clear testament to their strength."

"Some say that the Han dynasty did not have any trouble from the barbarians, but the ten tribes were disaffected and were not as strong as the Xiongnu. The situation was similar and almost identical."

"Based on the strength of the four towns, I recommend stationing three to five thousand soldiers in each, along with the guards at various passes, totaling twenty-five thousand men."

"Today, Kucha and Suyab are both oases, and Shule and Yanqi are also suitable for military farming, which can amount to more than fifty military farms."

"In addition, the purchase of livestock in the market was sufficient to feed more than 20,000 people, without the labor of transporting grain."

"As for defense, the key points are the Khotan Road and the Bolu Road, which are also known as the Wuqijin Road by the Barbarians. It is sufficient to set up guards and control these areas!"

Lu Jun's list of troop numbers and military settlement scale was certainly not something he came up with on a whim.

This refers to the actual figures of the Anxi Protectorate from the time Wang Xiaojie recovered Anxi until the An Lushan Rebellion.

quiet--

In the Yinyu Palace, no one spoke for a long time.

A mere student of the Imperial Academy had already calculated how many soldiers were needed in the Western Regions and how much land could be cultivated, and had also listed out the key points for garrisoning, thus completing the duties of the Summer Official.

The article was well-structured and logically sound, leaving Wu Sansi, as the official in charge, speechless.

Li Zhaode also admired him, but as the actual person in charge of the Xia Guan (a military official), he considered things more meticulously.

After a moment of contemplation, he slowly said:

"According to Lu Jun, the Western Regions are easy to attack but difficult to defend, yet last year Prime Minister Wei suffered a great defeat there!"

"It is clear that recovering Anxi is no easy task, and it cannot be accomplished simply by sending troops."

"Furthermore, the Ten Clans tribes have a significant influence in the Western Regions. Lu Jun only guards the southern border against Tibet; has he not considered the northern front?"

According to Lu Jun, the Western Regions are easy to attack but difficult to defend, which does indeed contradict last year's defeat.

Upon hearing this, Wu Zetian put down her chopsticks, beckoned the eunuchs to clear away the meal, and said she wanted to concentrate on studying the policy document.

Shangguan Wan'er said to Li Zhaode:

"Your Excellency, this section is the second chapter of 'The Temple Plans,' titled 'The Re-establishment of Anxi,' and it contains three main points."

"Firstly, we should review the past gains and losses of the imperial court in Anxi and summarize the methods of defense."

"Secondly, we analyzed the Tibetan strategy for managing the four garrisons and suggested to the court the timing of military action and the selection of generals."

"Thirdly, predict the movements of powerful enemies surrounding the Western Regions, such as the Tibetan Empire, the Abbasid Caliphate, and the Ten Tribes, and propose strategies for long-term peace."

"I only read the first point just now."

"The Vice Minister's doubts will be answered later."

"Lu Jun not only mentioned the Ten Clans tribe, but also believed that the Ten Clans will play a significant role in the future!"

"However, he suggested that the court change its methods of appeasement, and no longer directly rule the Khan by claiming he was the one who would revive the fallen and continue the legacy of the former..."

what--

Li Zhaode's eyes widened: "The titles of Xingxi Wang Khan and Jiwang Jue Khan were bestowed by the imperial court. How can they be changed so easily? Such fickleness would damage the credibility of our Celestial Empire!"

Wu Sansi retorted, "Is the timing of military operations and the strategy for selecting generals something a mere Confucian scholar can discuss?"

Wan'er's answer not only failed to convince them, but also aroused even greater doubts.

In the eyes of the two officials, Lu Jun's policy proposal had gone too far and had greatly overstepped the bounds.

To change the policy of appeasing the ten clans that had been in place for more than 30 years and to question the appointment and removal of generals by the imperial court is simply outrageous!

Upon seeing this, Wan'er let out a soft "Ah," her heart filled with unease as she worried for Lu Jun.

Glancing furtively at the Empress Dowager...

Wu Zetian lowered her eyes and remained silent, seemingly deep in thought, but no trace of joy or anger was left on her face.

A moment later, the phoenix robe suddenly fluttered: "That's all for today. After Lu Jun finishes writing, hand the article directly to me."