Chapter 307 The Demise of the Nanzhao Kingdom
After enduring countless hardships and narrowly escaping death, Li Yuanshu finally broke free from the inescapable net of the Great Qi and secretly traveled thousands of miles to reach Nanzhao.
At first, she considered changing her name, concealing her identity, and living a peaceful life.
But when she witnessed the procession of the King of Nanzhao on his tour in the marketplace...
At that moment, the desire for supreme power that had been dormant deep in her blood and suppressed by Li Yuanzhao for many years but also unconsciously instilled in her, burst forth like a wildfire, burning away all thoughts of seeking only comfort and security.
No!
She, Li Yuanshu, would never accept a mediocre and uneventful life, one that would end quietly and unnoticed.
She was born to stand at a high place, looking down on all living beings and ruling the world.
Therefore, she was very bold and directly stopped the carriage of the King of Nanzhao and revealed her identity.
The King of Nanzhao was certainly not stupid. He knew that accepting such a sensitive exiled princess was tantamount to inviting trouble and could provoke the wrath of the Great Qi.
But Li Yuanshu knew too well how to exploit men's weaknesses.
She merely feigned weakness and foolishness to satisfy his sense of superiority as a superior, and he then forgot all about it.
Throughout history, what man could resist a beautiful, fragile woman who seems to be completely devoted to him and regards him as his everything?
He even felt that sheltering a princess of such high status from the suzerain state under his wing was the best proof of his charm.
So he defied all opposition, meticulously fabricated an identity for her, made her queen, and kept her by his side.
She lay low, observing and learning about the language, customs, and power dynamics of the Nanzhao court.
She used the methods she learned from Li Yuanzhao to help the King of Nanzhao handle some "unimportant" political affairs, thus winning his trust and reliance.
She then seized the opportunity to enter the court, win over and divide the officials, gradually transferring important power into her own hands and consolidating her position step by step.
When the time was right, she used the same method that Li Yuanzhao had used against her father, causing the King of Nanzhao to die suddenly after all medicine failed him.
She, Li Yuanshu, thus became the new queen of Nanzhao.
Just as she was savoring the hard-won power and beginning to plan how to manage this world that belonged to her, war reports arrived from the north.
The Great Qi Dynasty officially launched a war against the Tibetan Empire.
She understood clearly that Tibet could not win.
Li Yuanzhao's military strength and strategic planning were far beyond what the current Tibetan Empire could withstand.
But once Tibet is defeated, the consequences will be dire.
Next, it will inevitably be the Nanzhao Kingdom.
She understood Li Yuanzhao's ambition all too well.
The "elder sister" sitting on the dragon throne had an almost obsessive desire for achievement that surpassed that of male emperors throughout history.
She wanted to expand her territory, make a name for herself in history, and shut up all those who questioned her womanhood.
Nanzhao was the next piece of fat meat she had to devour in her plan.
If they allowed the Tubo to be destroyed, the Nanzhao Kingdom would be unable to face the Qi army alone, which was even more powerful and formidable after annexing Tubo.
Therefore... we must not let Tibet fall so easily!
Forming an alliance with Tibet to jointly resist the Qi Dynasty is the only and best option for Nanzhao at present.
She also knew that even if the two countries joined forces, they could only manage a draw against the Great Qi at best.
However, as long as the military strength of the Great Qi can be depleted and the war delayed, forcing the Great Qi to sign peace treaties with the Tubo and Nanzhao, it will give Nanzhao a glimmer of hope to prolong its existence.
So, she took action.
She was using the name of her long-forgotten, foolish older brother.
Two or three years have passed, and Li Yuanshu is still not sure if Li Yuanyou is still alive.
Whether that cowardly and foolish elder brother lived or died, was imprisoned or deposed during the purges following Li Yuanzhao's ascension to the throne, is now a palace secret unknown to outsiders.
But for her, whether Li Yuanyou was alive or not was not important.
If he were still alive, even if imprisoned in some dark and hopeless place, the title of "legitimate prince" would cause a secret stir among the former officials who had been demoted and exiled by Li Yuanzhao, as well as certain forces with ulterior motives who were dissatisfied with the empress's rule.
It would be even better if he died, or if Li Yuanzhao executed him after learning of the name of her uprising.
She could easily use Li Yuanzhao's "harming his own blood relatives" to portray herself as someone who avenged her brother and upheld the orthodoxy of the Li family, thus legitimately raising the banner of resistance against the Great Qi.
But no one expected that her foolish brother not only did not die, but was even appointed as the commander by Li Yuanzhao, who led his troops south and headed straight for Nanzhao!
It's ironic.
As expected, the morale of the Nanzhao army collapsed immediately, and their fighting spirit plummeted.
They even suffered heavy casualties when they were surrounded by the Qi forces in Shenchuan.
Within the Nanzhao Kingdom, doubts about her continued to grow.
Many people urged her to take the initiative to negotiate with the Qi state and cede three cities in eastern Yunnan in exchange for peace.
But these people are so naive.
How could Li Yuanzhao's appetite be satisfied with just three small cities?
What she wanted was to completely incorporate this land into the Great Qi territory and achieve unparalleled feats that surpassed those of her predecessors.
She would never let them go.
So, peace talks? Forget about it!
She defied public opinion and even resorted to harsher measures to suppress dissent, ordering the mobilization of all available troops nationwide. She prepared to rely on the complex terrain and remaining passes of Nanzhao to fight the Qi Dynasty to the death with all the strength of the nation.
However, Qi Jun used his elite troops to exert continuous pressure and steadily advance, while also using Li Yuanyou's name to continue to divide and weaken Nanzhao and spread panic.
Within three months, the northern defense line of Nanzhao collapsed completely.
With key passes falling one after another, the remaining troops suffered heavy casualties and were utterly powerless to resist the Qi army's next attack.
Defeat was almost a foregone conclusion.
Inside the palace of the Nanzhao Kingdom, the situation also changed drastically.
Seeing that Li Yuanshu was still determined to resist, the prime minister believed that she had led Nanzhao into an abyss of no return. So he secretly colluded with some nobles and generals who were also afraid of losing their country and dissatisfied with her rule, and launched a coup.
After intending to kill her, he immediately sought peace with the Qi state, striving to preserve Nanzhao.
However, they forgot that she was a survivor of two palace intrigues.
She knew their methods all too well.
So she killed the group of self-righteous ministers and her own one-year-old son, whom they had installed as emperor.
He killed his way down to the last person, leaving him all alone.
Even so, she still lost, losing to Li Yuanzhao once again.
When Ru Mo led his army into the capital of Nanzhao, Li Yuanshu committed suicide by poison at the age of nineteen.
The Nanzhao Kingdom was thus destroyed and incorporated into the territory of the Great Qi.
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