Chapter 938: The Western Region Xuanmen Comes East
At this heyday, the Tang Dynasty reached the sea in the east, the desert in the north, and the mountains in the south. Its territory was 15,000 miles from east to west and 12,000 miles from north to south. Tributary states filled Chang'an, making it a veritable world city, the crown of all cities in the world, and an outstanding pearl.
If there is any dust on this pearl, it is Tibet and Western Turkestan. In the 17th year of Zhenguan, Tibet completely surrendered and accepted the order of the Tang Dynasty, but Li Shimin knew in his heart that Tibet was still a threat, but even he could not eliminate this threat.
Reaching Qinghai was the limit for the Tang soldiers. More than 70% of them died on the road while marching into the Tubo territory. Li Shimin decisively canceled the plan to compete with Tubo in the Snowy Region and instead pursued a national policy of defensive counterattack. However, he placed his hopes on those vassal states, hoping that they could make achievements.
As for the Western Turks, in fact, since the seventh year of Zhenguan, the Western Turks have been subject to the order of the Heavenly Khan of the Tang Dynasty, and have sent envoys to pay tribute over the years.
But after the 11th year of Zhenguan, a deeper look into the relationship reveals that they were a typical case of "obeying orders but not announcements". They obeyed the orders of the central government of the Tang court, but maintained their independence and autonomy. They did not obey the announcement or summons of the emperor, and would never fail to attend court to see him.
The conquest of Gaochang was a deterrent to the Western Turks, so that they would not act rashly. The Khan of the Western Turks was indeed deterred, and in fear he ran to Shenlin City, where he was eventually recognized by Xuanmen, and completely gained a foothold in the Western Regions, thus forming the current situation.
This can be considered as a strategic failure of the Tang Dynasty, but it was also due to insufficient understanding of the Western Regions. They did not expect that the power and influence of the Xuanmen had reached such a great extent.
Later, the Tang Dynasty was always busy with feudal affairs and Liaodong affairs, and naturally had no time to deal with the affairs of the Western Regions.
Now that the Liaodong issue has been resolved, the Tang Dynasty's gaze has naturally turned to the Western Regions. Like a roaring tiger in the jungle, the actions of a huge empire will make all forces fear.
…
Under the watchful eye of the Tang Dynasty, the countries in the Western Regions trembled like a small boat on the vast ocean.
God is in the city and the temple.
Luo Xuanzang did not wear a wreath of thorns today, but a golden crown studded with gems and held a golden scepter also inlaid with countless gems. Countless white, purple and gold flags surrounded him, swaying in the wind like waves on the ocean. Almost all the flags were embroidered with phoenix patterns.
The priest in white robes bowed to Luo Xuanzang and said, "Your Majesty, the Khan of Western Turkic is outside the palace and wants to see you. There are also twelve kings outside the palace. Should we let them in?"
The Holy Seat, the Holy Seat, the Divine Seat.
Just like the titles of Your Majesty, Saint, Country, etc. used to address the king, these titles are the respectful titles used by the Western Regions to address the high priest, which reflects Luo Xuanzang's status in the Western Regions.
This status naturally comes from strength. It is a chain reaction of the reconstruction of the Temple Army. When the Tang Dynasty expeditioned to Liaodong, the Temple Army also expeditioned to Tocharistan in Central Asia. Starting from Shenlin City, one man and seven horses, they worked day and night to annihilate all the Tocharian nobles, eradicate the roots, and burn Tocharia to the ground. It took sixty-three days.
Luo Xuanzang nodded slightly, and the priest bowed and left the hall. Not long after, a group of nobles dressed in magnificent clothes and rich decorations walked in, "Greetings to the Holy Throne."
Luo Xuanzang nodded again. He looked quite old, but the wrinkles on his face looked more and more as if they were cut by a knife or an axe. His eyes were as sharp as blades. Even the gently waving flag could not improve it at all. It only made people inexplicably think of bronze and iron.
"What is it?"
Everyone looked towards the Western Turkic Khan, and the meaning in his eyes was, "You have the best relationship with the Holy See, and your Western Turkic Khanate is the strongest country in the Western Regions. You speak."
Western Turkic Khan Ashina Sain cursed in his heart. He really didn't want to see His Holiness unless it was absolutely necessary, but at this moment he could only bite the bullet and trembled and said, "Your Holiness, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty personally led the army to destroy Liaodong and the other two countries on the peninsula, established the Andong Protectorate in Liaodong, and also enfeoffed Qi.
Now, within the Tang Dynasty, only my Western Region is still semi-independent from the Tang Dynasty. A few days ago, the Tang Dynasty planned to send more troops to the Anxi Protectorate. Does this mean that the Tang Dynasty is going to take action against my Western Region?"
Who wouldn’t be afraid of the current Tang Dynasty?
The current Tang Dynasty is much stronger than the Tang Dynasty before Ji Zhao traveled through time, or it can be said that they are not even on the same level.
The Tang Dynasty before Ji Zhao traveled through time had been ravaged by Guangshen and had only two million households. The thousand-mile stretch from Guanzhong to Guandong was deserted and even wild animals could hardly survive. The land was abandoned everywhere. The envoys from various countries who came to pay homage to the emperor naturally looked down on him when they saw this scene.
At that time, the Tang Dynasty's control over the surrounding areas was purely vassal state, and it had no spare energy to do anything else but to focus on restoring production.
The current Tang Dynasty has seven million households, so it was able to successively enfeoff the Yan, Qin and Qi states, and was able to enfeoff so many princely states. You must know that investment is required in the early stages of enfeoffment. Without the support of seven million households, enfeoffment would be a dream.
In addition to these fiefdoms, the structure of surrounding ethnic groups can also be quickly changed, also relying on the crushing of population size. Population is power, so now the Tang Dynasty suppresses the world, and it is not just suppression in name only, but real tentacles are extended.
If the Tang Dynasty only had two million households, Ashina Saien would not be afraid of the Tang Dynasty. After all, it was impossible for the Tang Dynasty to send all its troops, and it would always have to guard against Mobei, Liaodong and Tubo.
But now, as long as the Tang Dynasty frees up one hand, it can suppress the Western Turks, which makes Ashina Saen fear from the bottom of his heart.
The other kings of the Western Regions also nodded. These kings were all under the system of the Heavenly Khan and had obeyed his orders to send troops, but they were unwilling to see the Tang Dynasty enter the Western Regions from the bottom of their hearts.
The Western Regions have their own rules. If a big country joins, many things will have to change, such as the taxation of caravans traveling through the Western Regions. Most of the wealthy people in the Western Regions rely on these trade taxes.
Luo Xuanzang's face showed no unnecessary expression when he heard this. His voice was like the collision of metal and stone, "What is there to be afraid of?
I am here, the temple is here, if the Tang Dynasty attempts to attack the Western Regions with weapons, there will naturally be flames of anger on the warriors’ weapons to welcome a glorious victory. "
Luo Xuanzang's voice was like thunder, falling into everyone's ears.
Ashina Sain was excited. This was the first time he heard such clear words from the Holy See. Before he could say anything, Luo Xuanzang's voice sounded again, still with words of warning as hard as stone, "The Western Regions countries should not provoke the Tang Dynasty. Maintaining peace between the two sides is the will of this Lord.
To promote Taoism in the Western Regions and make them prosperous at the same time, this is the original intention of King Su to bestow the crown. I will not support certain ambitious people. The magic staff and sharp sword can not only repel external enemies, but also eliminate internal enemies.
I hope you guys know this.”
Everyone was startled and after saying yes, they slowly left the hall. A young woman, about twenty years old, walked out from the back of the hall. She had a slightly exotic Persian look and was wearing gorgeous gauze clothing embroidered with gold threads. She was extremely beautiful.
Her mother was a Persian princess who fled from Persia to the Western Regions. Because of her beauty, she was offered to an important figure in the temple. Later, she gave birth to the girl in front of her. She was very talented and was chosen by Luo Xuanzang to be the saint of the temple of this generation. Her Persian name was Delis and her Chinese name was Zhao Dai'er.
"The Holy See."
Zhao Dai'er gently leaned over to pay her respects to Luo Xuanzang. The reason she could become a saint was not only because of her natural beauty, but also because of her stunning beauty. The saint had a special status in the temple and had to meet believers frequently, so her image had to stand out from everyone else.
The appearance must be so beautiful that people can recognize it at first sight. Zhao Daier obviously meets this requirement. She combines the advantages of Han and Persian looks and is stunningly beautiful. If judged by the Rockwell number, it is about 98, which is almost close to the limit.
"Dell, do you have any questions?"
Zhao Dai'er is not only a saint, but also Luo Xuanzang's student and maid, so Luo Xuanzang's attitude towards her is not as cold and stern as he treats the kings of the Western Regions, but rather gentle.
Zhao Daier nodded lightly, her delicate eyebrows wrinkled together, and her fair face was filled with deep doubts. "Teacher, Daier remembers you said that the Tang Dynasty is now invincible and the Temple should not be its enemy. But when you talked to the kings just now, you were so firm. If the Tang Dynasty really provokes a war, will the Temple really join in?"
Luo Xuanzang chuckled when he heard this, shook his head and nodded, "The Tang Dynasty will not fall into a full-scale war with the Western Regions as long as the emperor of the Tang Dynasty is still the king.
He possessed rare strategic determination. The collapse of the Sui Dynasty was too horrific. If he had only had a little understanding of the situation in the Western Regions, he would not have attacked the Western Regions.
certainly.
If the Tang Dynasty really wants to attack, then I have no choice but to fight back. I am the High Priest of the Western Regions, and this is my duty.
and."
Twenty years ago, the King of Zhao was captured, and the empire collapsed overnight. Now, after twenty years of sharpening the sword, is there anyone who wants to give it a try?
Zhao Daier asked curiously: "Teacher, and what?"
Luo Xuanzang shook his head and said quietly: "Nothing, just wait for the reaction of the Tang Dynasty, the result of the debate should be out soon.
If it is as I guessed, you will have to go to Datang."
ah?
Zhao Dai'er was a little confused, her long eyelashes blinked her deep black pupils.
…
Just as Luo Xuanzang had expected, many debates broke out in the Tang Dynasty regarding the current situation in the Western Regions. Not only was there a debate about whether to launch a war and force the Western Regions to completely surrender.
Even those who advocated maintaining the status quo had different demands, and those who advocated launching a war also had different opinions. The debate lasted for two months and showed no sign of stopping. Instead, it intensified.
In the eyes of the ministers, this meant that the emperor had not yet made up his mind, which was why he allowed this issue to be debated in the Council of State meetings and in memorials.
This is exactly the case. This time, Li Shimin asked Duke Wen about politics. Duke Wen looked at Li Shimin and smiled, and then only said one sentence, "Your choice must be what you want, and it must also be what you want to avoid."
As for Li Shimin, he was indeed deeply hesitant. He agreed to the Privy Council to send an additional 3,000 troops to the Anxi Protectorate stationed in Yizhou in order to test it, but the result was not good.
As soon as the Tang Dynasty sent reinforcements, many kings and temples sent letters of greeting to the Anxi Protectorate, asking which country the Tang Dynasty was targeting by sending reinforcements to the Western Regions. As vassal states of the Heavenly Khan, they were obliged to help the Tang Dynasty eliminate this enemy.
This made the Tang Dynasty morally untenable.
Morality or credibility is one of the most important things for the Tang Dynasty to dominate the Western Regions. It influences the Western Regions together with the Tang Dynasty’s army, both civil and military.
The influence of the temple is already extremely great. If the Tang Dynasty loses its credibility again, the countries in the Western Regions will completely turn to the temple.
In the Taiji Hall, another Council of State Affairs meeting was held, where the Privy Councilor and the Governor of Internal Affairs reported to the Emperor and the prime ministers the general intelligence reported by various countries this year.
After listening to this, Li Shimin frowned and asked, "In the previous report, there was something about the war between the countries in the Western Regions. Read it again."
The Privy Councilor was in charge of military affairs and immediately read it again. This time, all the prime ministers heard something wrong. After the temple expedition to Tocharistan, the number of wars between the countries in the Western Regions was too few, especially large-scale wars, which were zero. The sporadic wars could be ignored, and finally a reconciliation was reached.
But the mediation arbitrated by the Anxi Protectorate was only half of this.
What this represents is self-evident.
Li Shimin's expression was not bad, but very solemn. He thought for a long time, and then asked in a deep voice, "Speak of your opinions, ministers."
Wei Zheng had passed away. Fang Xuanling's voice was very heavy. "Your Majesty, I think this is the temple showing its power and control over the Western Regions. This is an invisible warning."
Li Shimin's expression remained unchanged. "Tell me in detail. Explain it to all the ministers."
Fang Xuanling's expression was also very solemn, "Because there are no large plains in the Western Regions, but only oases, the biggest feature is the numerous small countries.
Therefore, wars broke out frequently in the Western Regions. Conflicts often broke out between the rulers, and they raised troops in anger, leading to the two countries going to war.
But now this is not happening, which is not right. It can only be that the temple is mediating behind the scenes and thus saving the countries from war.
This means that the temple's influence on the Western Regions is stronger than we imagined. No, the temple did not have such a strong influence at the beginning. It was only after the Western Turkic Khan accepted the crown of the temple's high priest and the temple army was re-established, giving the temple a strong army, that the temple became increasingly powerful.
When the Tang Dynasty conquered Liaodong, the temple was also integrating the Western Regions. Now it seems that the high priest has succeeded. He can now command the countries in the Western Regions and even prevent major wars from breaking out among the countries, and can handle small disputes.
I even suspect that the disputes that were handled in the Anxi Protectorate also came from the temple.
Or maybe those countries were unwilling to travel thousands of miles to Shenlin City. After all, the headquarters of the Anxi Protectorate of Yizhou and Shenlin City were located in the east and west, respectively, and the distance was far.
These are just my guesses, and cannot be taken literally. Your Majesty and colleagues, just take them as a reference."
Although Fang Xuanling was modest, no one would ignore his words. The evaluation of Fang's wisdom and decisiveness was by no means groundless. Fang Xuanling's wisdom was definitely the best among all the prime ministers.
What he said is most likely the truth.
At least Fang Xuanling was right about one thing, that is, the high priest of the temple had completed the general integration of the countries in the Western Regions, allowing the countries in the Western Regions to secretly gather under the temple.
That is, the countries in the Western Regions now obey the dispatch of the Heavenly Khan on the surface, but in fact, the power of the Heavenly Khan has been greatly restricted. If the Heavenly Khan sends troops into the Western Regions without reason, not only will he fail to recruit vassal troops, but he will also most likely encounter a joint blockade by other countries.
Li Shimin was deep in thought on the throne. The prime ministers all frowned. Li Shimin looked at the crown prince Li Zhi who was sitting on his left and listening to the government. "Crown prince, what do you think? Tell me."
After Li Zhi was made the crown prince, Li Shimin always kept him by his side, teaching him how to be a monarch anytime and anywhere. The Council of State meetings were naturally the best occasions for learning, so Li Zhi basically participated in all the Council of State meetings in the past few years.
He still has some talent, at least he is not a stupid person.
Li Zhi was used to hearing his father's sudden question and was no longer as nervous as he was at the beginning. After a little thought, he said in a deep voice: "Father, I think that now my Tang Dynasty is distracted by the division of princes and nobles, and my brother Qi Wang in Liaodong is at a critical moment. It costs a lot to migrate the population. Facing the iron barrel of the Western Regions, it is really not a good time to start a war.
Moreover, all the countries in the Western Regions now obey the orders of the Heavenly Khan, and most of the tributes are carried out on time. The high priest of the temple has not made any anti-Tang remarks, nor has he any intention of being an enemy of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty should not create such a powerful enemy out of thin air.
Especially now that the Tang Dynasty may find it difficult to defeat the Western Regions, my son thinks it is a little inappropriate to pay a huge price to conquer a territory that is not hostile to the Tang Dynasty. "
Li Zhi's speech was still relatively conservative, but the meaning he expressed was very clear, that is, he did not agree to go to war and did not agree to conquer the Western Regions.
After he finished speaking, he looked at his father with a somewhat nervous expression, waiting for Li Shimin's reaction. He had guessed that Li Shimin might ask this question, so he prepared it according to Li Shimin's character.
Hard work pays off.
Li Shimin showed a happy smile on his face, and then laughed heartily. He was really happy. The slightly solemn atmosphere in the hall disappeared instantly. Li Zhi was overjoyed. Li Shimin laughed and sighed, "That high priest of the temple is a great man. The Western Regions are now an iron plate. Even the Tang Dynasty will have to pay a huge price and may not win.
My hesitation about the Western Regions is that I am worried that after I die, if you, the Crown Prince, cannot solve the problem of the Western Regions, what should I do then?
I don't want to leave the problem to the future.
So the idea of sending troops has always been in my mind.
But now it seems that I don’t need to worry. As long as the Tang Dynasty has successors, what else do I have to worry about?
The current strength of the Western Regions lies in the high priest of the temple, who is able to command all the countries. This makes it impossible for the Tang Army to start, and we can only force our way across the thousands of miles of grain route to fight hard.
But I remember that the high priest of the temple was higher than the Minister of Personnel, right?"
Luo Xuanchen, who had been silent all this time, was suddenly called out, and could only nod helplessly and say, "Your Majesty, he is ten years older than me."
Luo Xuanri and Luo Xuanzang are much older than the later brothers. Luo Xuanri has passed away and Luo Xuanzang is also old.
Li Shimin said with a smile: "No matter how strong a person is, he is still a mortal and will eventually die. Aren't all things in this world prosperous and declining because of people?
Now the Central Region is prosperous because of me and my ministers, and the Western Region is strong because of the high priest of the temple.
What happens after the high priest dies?
Will the successor high priest of the temple still have the ability to command the nations?
If not, it would be the era of the Tang Dynasty.
I am not prepared to compete with him for a short period of time. An empire has plenty of time to watch the clouds roll and the wind rise and fall."
The meaning of Li Shimin's words was very simple. He would not take forceful action against the Western Regions, but wait for changes to occur in the Western Regions themselves, just as the Tang Dynasty had done every time before, waiting for problems to arise within the enemy. As a great empire, it was necessary to have such a strategic determination.
Upon hearing that the emperor had finally finalized his policy toward the Western Regions, the prime ministers felt tired from the bottom of their hearts. This matter had been delayed for too long.
After Li Shimin finished his talk on mortals, he did not stop and continued, "Although we will not send troops to the Western Regions, there are some things that we cannot compromise on.
The tax rate for caravans traveling to the Far West is now a bit high, so the commercial tax that the Tang Dynasty can collect has become lower, which is a problem.
The Lifanyuan and the Shangshusheng should make a list of the issues that urgently need to be resolved between the Tang Dynasty and the Western Regions in recent years, and all these issues must be resolved through consultation.
And most importantly, there will be a rank difference between the emperor and the high priest of the temple.
I issue an edict to the rulers of the Western Regions in the name of my Heavenly Khan. On September 9th of the 21st year of Zhenguan, I will hold a grand banquet in the Daming Palace. All the foreign kings must come to Chang'an to pay homage to the emperor.
Write a letter to the chief priest of the Western Region Temple, and invite the high-ranking officials of the Xuanmen Sect to come to Chang'an to preach as the Revelator. I want to hear how the Western Region's Su Wang Dao is different from that of the Tang Dynasty. "
If the high priest accepted the emperor's invitation, then the high priest would naturally be under the emperor.
At least that's the case in the eyes of various countries, proving that the high priest does not want to conflict with the emperor.
Let the top leaders of Xuanmen come to Datang!
All the prime ministers were shocked, and then they couldn't help but praise that this was a good move. Both sides took a step back to maintain peace between the two sides. As for the buffer zone, it would be divided based on the interests negotiated by both sides.
…
The imperial edicts sent from Chang'an of the Tang Dynasty to various countries were sent in all directions under the urging of messengers. After all, there were indeed too many vassal states of the Tang Dynasty now.
This banquet is not only to entertain the countries in the Western Regions and the tribes in Liaodong, but also the surrendered tribes in the southern mountains and forests, as well as the newly enfeoffed kingdoms and principalities. They are now all considered vassal states and they all have to return to Chang'an to pay tribute and pay homage to the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
The envoy passed through Xingxing Gorge and then arrived at the headquarters of the Anxi Protectorate in Yizhou, where he met the acting Anxi Protector General Luo Xuanyun. As for Hejian King Li Xiaogong, he died of a sudden illness the year before last.
The court had not yet decided who would take over as the Protector General of Anxi, so it let Luo Xuanyun take charge of the affairs here first.
After Luo Xuanyun received the imperial edict, he glanced at it and felt relieved. If the court and the Western Regions went to war, he would naturally do his best, but he had no confidence. He and Luo Xuanzang were brothers and had served in the same palace. How could he not know his brother's ability to coordinate?
Moreover, outsiders don't know, but as a son of the Luo family, how could he not know what the Temple Army is? Even now, the 6,000 elite Tang soldiers in the Anxi Protectorate, all wearing armor, can fight to the death with the 3,000 Temple Army, which is already an extraordinary achievement.
Moreover, the Western Regions cannot be said to be weak when they unite. Their cavalry, armor, and swords are no less powerful than those of the Central Plains. Luo Xuanyun is really not sure that he can defeat the Western Regions countries under the coordination of his brother.
Now that the emperor is not fighting a war, he can rest assured.
Faced with the emperor's conditions, the elder brother will most likely propose some exchange conditions, and there will definitely be no problem in reaching a deal in the end.
After thinking this over, Luo Xuanyun asked the messenger to go down and rest, and then called out: "Invite the Xuanmen priests, prepare fast horses, light beacons everywhere, and send the imperial court's will to the heads of various countries. This is a grand event of the country, and all countries must be present. No one can be left out, otherwise the court will hold us accountable, and we will all be in trouble."
As the old land of Gaochang, the nominal capital of Gaochang, Yizhou, and the seat of the Anxi Protectorate, such an important place naturally has Xuanmen priests stationed here, and one of them is the cardinal priest.
Let the cardinal priest accompany him to deliver this invitation letter from the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty to the high priest. Then it depends on the reaction of the Xuanmen high priest.
…
Everyone in the Xuanmen knows that the Holy See likes quietness and does not like to be disturbed by outsiders. In the hazy morning, only the Saint Zhao Daier can enter the Holy See's bedroom, so several cardinal priests on duty stood outside the hall, and then let the Saint go in to see if the Holy See has woken up.
Zhao Dai'er walked into the hall holding a letter in her hand. Layers of curtains were hung in the hall, which was very quiet and majestic. A tired voice sounded, "Is that Dai'er?"
"Teacher, it's me."
Zhao Dai'er answered while walking through the curtains skillfully. After passing through five or six layers of curtains, she saw her teacher sitting on the bed. She knelt down and held up the letter and said, "Teacher, the cardinal priests are waiting outside the door for you to preside over the cardinal meeting. The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty sent a letter, which is said to be an expedited letter."
Luo Xuanzang reached out to take the letter, opened it directly, and then read it. A slight smile appeared on his face. Everything was within his expectations. Then he lowered his head to look at Zhao Dai'er who was kneeling in front of the bed, and smiled: "Daier, remember what I said before, if everything goes well, you will go to Datang?"
Zhao Daier bowed her head and nodded: "Teacher, Daier remembers it."
Luo Xuanzang raised the letter in his hand and said with a smile: "The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty invited me to go to the Tang Dynasty. This means that the Tang Dynasty wants to negotiate terms with the Western Regions.
I was born in the Central Plains, so I naturally don't trust the people of the Central Plains. Moreover, a king does not stand under a dangerous wall, so I will not go. You are my disciple and a saint, so you will lead the team to the Central Plains this time."
Zhao Daier didn't hesitate at all when she heard this. Although she was a little nervous, the words of the Holy See were like an oracle to her. She kowtowed and said, "Teacher, Daier obeys your command."
Luo Xuanzang smiled, then put on his robe and went out. Zhao Daier followed him. The door of the palace was wide open, and the rising sun shone on his face. He squinted slightly.
What a nice day!
Rekindling the Youthful Era
Introduction:
Li Luo is a 35-year-old unemployed...flexible worker.
After graduation, I wrote novels, filmed short plays, played music, delivered takeout, sold food at a roadside snack stand, and even worked as a customer service representative for a Taobao lingerie store.
And now, Li Luo was reborn back to the early summer when he was 15 years old.
What is the most important thing in this life?
Make money! Make money! Make money!
But now that the high school entrance examination is just around the corner, I should study hard first.
——————————
【Rebirth】【High School】【Campus】【Daily】【Light Entertainment】
(End of this chapter)
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