Chapter 903 Anxi (1600 monthly votes goal reached plus additional chapters)
The imperial court gathered troops from the Winter Turks and Tiele tribes to attack the Western Yan Kingdom. The imperial edict passed through the Lifanyuan and the Privy Council and soon reached the Anxi Protectorate.
The Anxi Protectorate was responsible for explaining to the countries in the Western Regions the reasons why the Tang Dynasty attacked Western Yan.
When necessary, the Grand Protectorate would gather the countries in the Western Regions to support the Western Expedition Army. This would require smooth communication between the Tang Dynasty and the countries, otherwise the countries would have plenty of ways to evade the issue.
This is the current situation.
Since the conquest of the Dong Turks, the two protectorates of Anbei were established in Mobei and Anxi in Yizhou. These two protectorates have been the powerful tools for the Tang Empire to control the northern border and the northwest.
Among them, the actual control ability of the Anxi Protectorate stopped at Gaochang, while the nine states to the west, including Qiuci, Loulan, Khotan, Jingjue, Shule, and Zhaowu, were only nominally ruled.
In other words, the Anxi Protectorate was a meeting point for the allied countries in the Western Regions, rather than a powerful institution that truly controlled the lifelines of the countries.
At least not yet. Luo Su knew, and Li Shimin also knew, that the Tang Dynasty still needed several dynastic wars to completely establish its position here.
At this special time, the importance of the Tian Khan system and a series of policies of Luosu are reflected.
The establishment of an international system is certainly based on the military strength of the Tang Dynasty, but military strength alone is not enough to survive. Could it be that the Tang Dynasty really has the ability to wipe out the Hu people?
If the Tang Dynasty really had this ability, Li Shimin would not be a good person and would have taken action long ago.
The current Grand Protector of Anxi Protectorate is Hejian Prince Li Xiaogong. Sending him here shows that Li Shimin is not at ease with the Western Regions. There is still the untamed wolf of Western Turks in the Western Regions. After the previous Turkic Khan was assassinated, the two new Turkic Khans were not easy to deal with.
There were two deputy protector generals, one was Luo Xuanyun, and the other was Li Shimin's old acquaintance, Chang He, the defender who played a huge role in Xuanwu Gate.
After the angel who delivered the imperial edict left, in addition to the three people, two deputy governors of the fourth rank, as well as the chief secretary, Sima, and registrar of the Protectorate were all in the hall. Li Xiaogong had the highest status and asked first: "The current situation in the Western Regions...
What do you think we should do?
Ziyun, you speak first. "
Ziyun is Luo Xuanyun's name.
Everyone turned their eyes to Luo Xuanyun. Of course, there was a reason why they asked Luo Xuanyun, because the current situation in the Western Region was caused by Luo Xuanyun's brother Luo Xuanzang.
People in the Central Plains may not be very clear about it, but Li Xiaogong and his companions have been in the Western Regions for two or three years and are relatively clear about Luo Xuanzang's origins.
He was originally the prime minister of Zhao Wang Dou Jiande. After he was defeated by Qin Wang in Hebei, he was enlightened by the current Tang Dynasty's imperial master, changed his name, started over again, and traveled westward from the Central Plains to the Western Regions.
After entering the Western Regions, he studied Buddhism and Taoism, integrated the academic thoughts of various schools, and also put forward the theory of Su Wang's creation of the world. It is said that he also went to India. Starting from the sixth year of Zhenguan, that is, after the Tang Dynasty defeated the Dong Turks, he returned to the Western Regions and called himself the master of Xuanmen. The so-called Xuanmen is the source of all things and the end of all things.
He was debating in the Western Regions, or in layman's terms, challenging others, except that the people he challenged were temples and Taoist temples.
If an ordinary person did this, he would probably be beaten to death, but he has two hundred brave warriors under his command, and he is also very strong. At least he will not be beaten to death if he talks about reason with him, but it is hard to say if he can talk about physics.
In a short period of time, his reputation was at its peak. He was revered by various sects as a living enlightened being, a Buddha, and a true man. Almost no one dared to challenge him. He was also treated as an honored guest by the heads of various countries, who vied with each other to invite him to their capitals to preach. At least nine kings wanted to present him with a Xuan Fei.
At this time, Xuanzang chose to go to Shenlin City, where an unprecedented unobstructed conference would be held. Xuanzang wanted to become a saint there, just like Laozi and Confucius became saints in the Luoguo Academy.
Countless believers followed him along the way. The rulers of various countries, the two khans of Western Turkic Khaganate, and the masters of various branch halls of the Suwang Temple all rushed to Shenlin City to see who was the highest achiever of Suwang's thoughts.
"At the beginning of this year, my second brother wrote me a letter, saying that the Wuzhe Conference in Shenlin City was related to the fortune of Xuanmen. His meaning was that it would be best for the Anxi Grand Protectorate not to act rashly. It's just that I'm here, so he couldn't say it directly."
Luo Xuanyun smiled bitterly. When he first came to Anxi, he was prepared to use the power of the Anxi Protectorate to help his second brother, but after staying here for a while, he found that it was impossible.
Although there are many branches of religion in the Western Regions, this is completely different from the various schools of thought that were popular in the Xia Dynasty.
The theories of the various schools of thought are purely tool-like in nature. That is why Mozi was able to transform from a Confucian scholar into the founder of Mohism, and Xunzi's students all became Legalists. Therefore, when a king respects Legalism, Legalism flourishes; when a king respects Confucianism, Confucianism flourishes.
But religion is not like this. It is not a tool, but a limb or even a brain. There are some people who will not change their faith even if you chop off their heads. There are also some people who may change their faith on the surface but actually remain unchanged in their hearts and will fight back at the first opportunity.
The Western Turks entered the Western Regions only a few decades ago, but they were completely assimilated into the local community. A few decades ago, they were still one family, all of the Ashina clan. As a result, the upper class of the Western Turks and the Eastern Turks have become culturally isolated and have become enemies.
So we can only use Luo Xuanzang's mode to defeat them.
Luo Xuanzang's warning is easy to understand. This is not a so-called battle of luck. In a world without demons, there is no such thing. Instead, it is a battle for power.
The one who wins the Wuzhe Conference will become the uncrowned king of the Western Regions. He will be able to smoothly take over the power of the Suwang Temple and then unify the spiritual world of the Western Regions with Xuanmen.
Luo Xuanzang will become one of the most powerful people in the Western Regions and rule the Western Regions together with the secular King of Kings.
Someone in the hall didn't understand and asked, "What does Xuanzang mean when he said not to act rashly?"
Li Xiaogong was very politically conscious. He understood that Luo Xuanzang was fighting for religious leadership and that there were naturally political forces involved behind the scenes. In other words, the countries in the Western Regions were waging a secret war behind the scenes, and both sides of this war tacitly excluded the Tang Dynasty.
Because the Tang Dynasty as a whole was a heresy.
Although the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty received the Su Wang Tianqi, he was only the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
The other people in the Central Plains are heretics and have no idea what the Su Wang truth is.
According to what King Su said, those who share the same beliefs but different principles should govern their own territories, so the Tang Dynasty should not be allowed to participate in this matter.
In terms of military and politics, there is no problem in accepting the leadership of Tian Khan, after all, these are secular matters, but in terms of religion and spirituality, it is not possible. The high priest of the Suwang Temple is the highest spiritual leader.
Li Xiaogong frowned and asked, "According to what the Immortal said, can't the Protectorate draw troops from other countries now?
What about the war in Qinghai? Your Majesty asked us to withdraw troops as a preparation. If Li Jing wins, the King of Western Yan will definitely flee to the Western Regions. It will also be a credit for us to intercept him here.
If Li Jing fails, we must return to Hexi at any time to prevent Xiyan from taking advantage of the situation to attack Liangzhou and cut off the passage between Anxi and Guanzhong. Otherwise, won't Anxi Prefecture be trapped in an isolated city?"
What Li Xiaogong said was a bit alarmist. After all, there was no chaos inside the Tang Dynasty. Even if Li Jing was really defeated in Qinghai Road, there were only a few thousand soldiers, which was not a serious blow at all.
The Tang Dynasty can send two or three expeditionary forces at any time to reopen the passage to Anxi.
But if that situation really happens, the international prestige of the Tang Dynasty will be greatly reduced, and every failure will need to be compensated by a greater victory.
Luo Xuanyun pondered for a moment and said, "Grand Protector, first issue your Majesty's edict to a small group, don't announce it directly, then we will jointly sign and report the current situation in the Western Regions to your Majesty and the officials in the court.
Judging from the imperial edicts issued by the court, the Privy Council and the Lifan Yuan are not particularly clear about the situation in the Western Regions. "
Luo Xuanyun was already being lenient in his words. It was not just that he was not particularly clear. The current complex situation in the Western Regions could no longer be viewed with the thinking of the past Han Dynasty. After the integration of various cultures and political and economic systems, there was a set of effective culture here, and excellent art was developed. It can be said that this was the direction of another branch of the Chinese.
What Luo Xuanyun said was mature and prudent, and the officials in the Protectorate had no objection. However, how to write the memorial was a big problem.
Could it be that we should directly write that all the rulers of the Western Regions have gone to Shenlin City to participate in the upcoming Wuzhe Conference, so they cannot accept Tian Khan's order to send troops for the time being? If we submit this directly, wouldn't the imperial court be furious?
If Your Majesty receives such a memorial, wouldn't it be putting the matter on the table and making Your Majesty embarrassed?
Your Majesty, do you want to send troops directly to fight for supremacy in the Western Regions?
But it is not only unnecessary, but also difficult. If the Tang Dynasty really did this, the Western Turks would laugh out loud.
The countries in the Western Regions, which had originally obeyed the Tang Dynasty, suddenly turned to the Western Turks.
But if we don’t send troops, wouldn’t that be an admission that the Suwang Temple is superior to the Tian Khan in the Western Regions?
Therefore, it is best to keep this matter vague and not to take the initiative to open it when you don’t have the strength.
For some things, it is better to keep them under the surface so that both parties can look decent. But if they have to be brought to the surface and make everyone look disgraceful, then in the end, no one will end up well.
"It is better to be more tactful and tell His Majesty the current situation in a subtle way."
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During the Zhenguan period, there was a very significant political feature between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, that is, the Tian Khan always avoided religious activities when mobilizing the armies of various countries, such as the birthday of the Su Wang. This meant that the political authority of the Tian Khan was far from being deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Within the visible range of the empire centered on Chang'an, the unified multi-ethnic country was still a long way from being completely consolidated. - "The Rise and Fall of the Tang Empire"
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(End of this chapter)
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