The monarch and his minister drank a pot of tea and started brewing it again. The night was getting late and they had some midnight snacks. The conversation became more and more interesting. But the core still revolves around Lanzhou and Tubo.
"The Tubo envoy's rudeness and strange behavior forced me and my ministers to prepare in advance, so we held the recent imperial meeting." Li Shimin said, "War is a disaster for our Central Plains Agriculture and Forestry Empire. and losses, but it is an important way to increase profits and make profits for the nomads. Their technology is backward and their products are poor. Many things need to be obtained from our Central Plains. After the Tibetan envoys left without saying goodbye, I immediately responded and first closed the and. The tea and horse trade at the border was banned, and a war preparation notice was issued."
Qin Mubai pondered for a moment and said: "Your Majesty closed the tea and horse trade, which is very likely to lead to war. The Tubo people mainly eat meat, and tea cannot be missed in a meal. Otherwise, the greasy and fishy smell is enough to make them suffer from all kinds of diseases. The Tubo people Although the horses have always been sold relatively cheaply, it is useful and beneficial to us, but the Tang Dynasty's horse farm in Helong has always been doing well. If you really think about it, it is not too much but not too much. Therefore, the closure of mutual trade will hurt Tubo even more. It’s just that the businessmen and people who used to walk on the Tea Horse Road will have a hard time.”
"This is something that can't be helped." Li Shimin said, "I sent out the spy report in advance, and everything is based on the overall situation. I naturally know in my heart that the tea horse merchants have suffered so much, and if there are real difficulties, the court will not ignore it, and will not sit back and watch their families be destroyed. However, if anyone dares to take the risk of smuggling tea horses, he is collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country, and will be severely punished.”
Qin Mubai nodded. I thought that closing the tea-horse trade would also have a relatively large restriction on Lanzhou's economy. After the people immigrated to Lanzhou years ago, Lanzhou, located at the choke point of the Silk Road, saw rapid commercial development. A large part of the profits came from the trade of tea silk from the mainland and animal sacrifices between Tubo and the Western Regions. There are many immigrants and military dependents who make a living here. Now that the imperial court suddenly issued such a ban, I don't know if the people of Lanzhou can adapt to it for a while. If there is some public dissatisfaction, it will be seriously inappropriate. By then, Qin Shubao, Xue Wanche and others, who are as hot as fire, will not be able to handle it properly...
Li Shimin drank tea and looked at Qin Mubai, as if he had penetrated his thoughts, smiled and said: "I know what you are thinking. You mount your horse to gallop on the battlefield, and dismount your horse to take care of the people. At this moment, what you are thinking about is the livelihood of the people, soldiers and civilians in Lanzhou. Right? Don’t worry. When I issued the tea horse ban, I also issued a tax reduction and compensation order for Lanzhou’s military and civilians. Last year, Lanzhou paid a lot of taxes. This year, I don’t want Lanzhou to pay taxes. Business travel has been completely cut off for a period of time. Lanzhou can survive this difficulty with its previous accumulation and wealth. The key point is that the governor's office must do a good job in comforting the military and civilians and cannot change it from within. "
Qin Mubai nodded and said: "Economic sanctions are actually a way of injuring the enemy by one thousand and damaging yourself by eight hundred. However, my Tang family is strong, and the situation in Lanzhou is not bad. We can grit our teeth and get through it, but the Tubo people can't. . They cannot go a day without trading with the Tang Dynasty. Otherwise, it is very likely that half of them will starve to death on the snowy plateau."
Li Shimin gently raised the corner of his mouth, smiled a bit strangely, and said, "Mu Bai, you must be able to figure out why I took such measures?"
Qin Mubai thought for a while and said: "In the whole court, it is estimated that not many people support the war with Tubo now. Although Your Majesty has the intention to restrain it, it is difficult to go against the will of the people. By taking such measures, it will not be difficult to force the Tubo people to take action first." . When the time comes, we in the Tang Dynasty will use defense instead of attack, and the people in the court will not be able to say much, and all the opinions in the world will be directed towards your majesty."
"Haha! Not bad!" Li Shimin laughed and said, "Although Songtsen Gampo was also a hero for a while, he can only be led by me this time. Since he wants to marry the daughter of my Li family, he has to grow old Show some sincerity in proposing a son-in-law. It's not like the mountain king came down to snatch the bride. It's his turn to be picky and picky with me. Is it his turn to be wild with my Tang Dynasty uncle? If he wants to start a war, I will accompany him? "If he doesn't dare to fight, it's best. I won't waste a single soldier, but I will make him lose his strength and bring chaos to the country until he obediently kneels down and begs for mercy."
Qin Mubai nodded and smiled happily, and said: "The Tang Dynasty has such strength and confidence, and His Majesty has such courage and courage. Those who serve the ministers and the people can feel proud! However, Wei Chen is thinking now, Tubo Zanpu Song Zan Gampo is no ordinary person, and there are many capable and wise men in the Tubo Kingdom. Maybe they will be able to see through the Tang Dynasty's plan and they will respond accordingly. "
"That's the point." Li Shimin nodded in praise and said, "You can be a hundred times braver, but never underestimate your enemy. This is the same whether you are running a country or an army. Recently, I have been thinking a lot. If I were Songtsen Gampo, how would I respond? Now, I leave this question to you, Mubai. You can imagine that you are Songtsen Gampo. After you fully understand my intentions, How would you respond?"
"This..." Qin Mubai didn't expect that Li Shimin would ask such a question. This was really a test.
Only if you know yourself and your enemy and anticipate the enemy's opportunities can you win every battle without danger. Although the political competition between countries has not yet seen the smoke, it is no worse than the tit-for-tat confrontation on the battlefield. In fact, the military is just an extension of politics and serves politics. Political contests and games are more likely to lead to intentional and purposeful wars.
After thinking for a while, Qin Mubai said: "I believe the Tubo people are not really stupid. They know that if they start a large-scale war against the Tang Dynasty, they have basically no chance of winning. Even if they can succeed in two sneak attacks with flexible combat methods, they will not be able to win." It won’t bring much advantage in the overall battle. Therefore, if I were Tubo Zanpu, I would definitely not launch a full-scale war at this time.”
"Go on." Li Shimin took a sip of tea, narrowed his eyes slightly, neither approving nor refuting.
Qin Mubai said: "At the beginning of the competition, I will not go into battle myself immediately. I will send a younger brother to take the lead and test my reaction."
"Brother? This analogy is interesting." Li Shimin smiled, "Then tell me, who will you send to take the lead?"
"There are dozens of small countries in the Western Region, and any one of them is possible." Qin Mubai said, "But considering geography, national strength and diplomatic relations, Wei Chen thought that the Gaochang State would be the first to bear the brunt."
Li Shimin paused for a moment while holding the tea cup, and said with a smile: "In other words, if you were Songtsen Gampo, would you force Gao Changguo to betray the Tang Dynasty first?"
"Yes."
Li Shimin smiled and said nothing, stood up and walked to the imperial table, brought an imperial edict that had just been drafted but had not been stamped with the seal, and handed it to Qin Mubai. Qin Mubai unfolded it in surprise and said in shock: "It turns out that your Majesty had expected it! This is an imperial edict to appease King Qu Wentai of Gaochang!"
"Haha!" Li Shimin stroked his beard and smiled, "So I said, you are a talent and my confidant. Gaochang State is located at the strategic point of the Silk Road, guarding the Tang Dynasty's throat of border trade with dozens of countries in the Western Regions. Although more than 20 countries in the Western Regions have submitted to the Tang Dynasty and respected me as the Khan of Heaven, over the years, the Tang Dynasty has not had strong control over the Western Regions, far less than the Turks (referring to the Western Turks, which have not been destroyed by Li Jing) Even if Qu Wentai, the king of Gaochang, had no intention of betraying the Tang Dynasty, he could not withstand the pressure of the Tang Dynasty. They formed an alliance secretly and joined forces to fight against each other. The Turks rarely made trouble because they were far away from the territory of the Tang Dynasty. However, they were quite powerful in the Western Regions. It was difficult for a strong dragon to defeat the local snakes. Even the Tubo people did not dare to easily fight with them in the Western Regions. Therefore, if Gaochang rebels, there will be a situation where three factions are contending in the chokepoint of the Silk Road. In addition, there are dozens of small countries in the Western Regions that are closely connected with each other. A good tiger is no match for a pack of wolves. Therefore, the situation in the Western Region is quite complicated. Once Gaochang State really rebels, it will be an unprecedented battle. Therefore, I do not dare to take it lightly and hold imperial meetings for several days to discuss good strategies. ”
After hearing these words, Qin Mubai's heart suddenly became enlightened. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little excited. He said, "Your Majesty, doesn't this mean that your long-planned plan for the Western Region is about to begin?"
"That's right." Li Shimin raised his eyebrows and said with a heroic spirit like a young man, "You said something right before, if we fight one more battle now, our descendants will have to fight ten fewer battles. This is a very cost-effective thing. It's a matter of time before I send troops to the Western Regions. If I don't do it, my sons and grandsons must do it. Instead of doing this, why don't I do it for them while I'm still young? We have laid a solid foundation, and there are divine weapons like the 'Iron Valley' and the 'Red Cannon'. I will definitely not think about this in the short term. Therefore, on the surface, it seems that this major national policy has been implemented. It's me, but in fact, it's you who have been working hard to promote it. In the future, if I can really achieve this great success, I can only get one point of credit, and the remaining nine points will be shared with you, Qin Mubai and others. The soldiers and civilians who fought hard and actively pioneered.”
"Your Majesty is too modest." Qin Mubai cupped his hands and fisted his fist, and said, "If I hadn't met a sage king like Your Majesty, no matter how powerful my ministers were, they would have nowhere to show their terror. A good bird chooses a tree and a loyal minister chooses his master. It is also a great blessing in life for Wei Chen and all his subjects to meet His Majesty!"
"Haha!" Li Shimin smiled very heartily and said, "Mu Bai, do you know what I am thinking?"
"Your Majesty, please make it clear."
"I was wondering, if Qin Mubai had been in Lanzhou, would we have been able to achieve this situation?" Li Shimin said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "With the power of the Tang Dynasty, we can fight against Tibet, Turks and the ten small countries in the Western Regions. state?"
"Your Majesty is joking." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "Lanzhou can achieve small results, thanks to the strong support of your Majesty, the court and the Central Plains? How can a humble minister dare to compete with a temporary tycoon like Songtsen Gampo? What's the point? It's better to leave such an opponent to His Majesty."
"No, I want you to compete with him." Li Shimin chuckled, but his smile was not completely casual and teasing, it was obviously a bit serious.
Qin Mubai felt faintly excited in his heart, but he still said: "Your Majesty thinks too highly of Wei Chen. Wei Chen has been in office for less than five years and has little virtue, talent and experience. The Lanzhou plan concerns half of the country in the west of the Tang Dynasty. With a century-old plan, Wei Chen's shoulders are still young and he may not be able to take on such a big burden. However, if your Majesty plans it properly, Wei Chen will not hesitate to ride on the battlefield!"
"Haha! Qin Sanlang, Qin Sanlang!" Li Shimin pointed at Qin Mubai and laughed, "Looking at your duplicitous attitude, you really learned nine points from your father. Being humble is good, but being too humble may not be true. Okay. Why don’t I know how talented you are? You are young and have little experience, but no one in the world is born with basic experience. The saddles and drapes are not properly prepared? To prepare for the rainy day, before Tubo and Gaochang officially take action, I have made three arrangements: First, send a letter of comfort to the King of Gaochang. This may not be really useful, but it can make the King of Gaochang If he still rebels after I have comforted him well, he will not be able to blame me. Secondly, the secret order to the Lanzhou Governor's Office has already been sent. With the help of Xue Wanche and others, your father will prepare for the war in advance. There was a change in Gaochang, and the Lanzhou army responded immediately by attacking Gaochang instead of defending it, minimizing the losses on the Silk Road and extinguishing Gaochang's rebellious arrogance as soon as possible to prevent it from spreading to other countries. Third, it’s just for you.”
Qin Mubai's expression changed slightly, he sat upright with his fists clasped and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, please issue an edict!"
"You are going to marry Ling'er soon." Li Shimin said with a smile, a little apologetic, but more hopeful and appreciative, "But the country is bigger than the family. If the country needs it, you must be ready at any time. Going to Lanzhou or even opening the battlefield. What I left for you is not an imperial edict, but an agreement. I don't know when Gaochang will rebel. If it is after your wedding, it will be easy to tell. Your princess, go to Lanzhou together and do whatever you want. If she marries you, she is yours. Even if she is my favorite daughter, I will keep her close to you. On the other hand, if Gao Chang is with you. If you rebel before the wedding, your father, Xue Wanche and others will lead the army. When Lanzhou is empty, you must be in charge. So... "
"Your Majesty!" Qin Mubai clasped his fists again and said, "Even if Wei Chen is asked to go to Lanzhou at this moment, Wei Chen will leave as soon as he leaves the imperial study!"
Li Shimin's expression froze slightly, and he nodded: "Okay. With your words, I feel at ease."
"Your Majesty, why do you need to worry so much?" Qin Mubai said, "A country has a family, and every child understands this simple truth. Ling'er is not an unreasonable person, but whatever I decide to do, as long as it is correct and It makes sense that she will not stop me and will only support me from behind. However, no matter what, I will not take Ling'er to Lanzhou again, which is fine. "
"You think so, but she may not." Li Shimin said with a smile, "My own daughter knows it in her heart. Once she decides something, even nine oxen can't bring it back. Now that you two are husband and wife, let alone Lanzhou , even if it is clear that there are blood, fire, rivers, mountains, guns and rain of arrows, she will accompany you. This is her persistence and her fun. It would be safe if she were left alone in Chang'an, but I guess. She will be devastated and sleepless. However, I certainly support you not taking her to Lanzhou. After all, it is a frontier place where anything can happen, and sometimes not everything can be taken care of if Ling'er is here. It distracts you. But this is a matter for you two, I won’t interfere, you can handle it yourself.”
"Your Majesty, don't worry, I have decided to prepare the dishes properly." Qin Mubai cupped his hands and said.
"Haha!" Li Shimin laughed, personally added a cup of tea to Qin Mubai, and said, "Among all my sons, sons-in-law, and daughters-in-law, you are the only one who can reassure me the most and be the most effective. Having said that, Ke'er I have been in Goguryeo for a long time, and I am very relieved to hear good news. If there is peace and stability there, it is time for me to call him back. "
Qin Mubai drank tea quietly without saying anything.
"Why don't you speak?" Li Shimin asked with a mysterious smile.
"This is His Majesty's family matter, as well as a private matter and a state matter. I don't dare to interfere." Qin Mubai said with a relaxed smile.
Li Shimin nodded noncommittally and said: "Let's take a look! The envoys from Goguryeo, Silla and Baekje are still staying in Chang'an. Perhaps they also smelled some fishy smell left by the Tubo people and are waiting and watching. I am muttering, and even more wondering whether I, the Tang Dynasty, still have the leisure to pay attention to things on the Goguryeo Peninsula. Goguryeo has never been honest, and has never really taken the Central Plains seriously. The former Sui Dynasty Yang Guang failed to conquer Goguryeo. I raised my tail confidently. To be honest, I would rather deal with Goguryeo first than the Western Regions. It is directly bordered by our Tang Dynasty and Liaodong, and the provocation and threat are more direct and direct. However, fortunately, I have Ke'er. I share my worries and gain this precious time. However, no one can guarantee how long Ke'er can last among the three countries alone with a pair of fleshy mouths. Therefore, one more day of delay in the Western Region means one more day for Goguryeo. If Ke'er is not ambitious and ambitious, there will be more pressure and danger for Ke'er. On the contrary, if Ke'er uses his wits and tactics to succeed in the Three Kingdoms of Korea, the imperial court will be less stressed and can fully devote itself to the Western Front. Affects the situation in Lanzhou and the Western Regions.”
Qin Mubai's heart tightened slightly. After talking for a long time, Li Shimin's scheming was finally revealed. Qin Mubai from the Western Regions and Li Ke from Goryeo, the two young men seemed to be carrying a large stone box door that was about to fall together. Whoever falls first will be crushed to pieces. The two must work together with all their strength to endure and find a way to escape, and do more for others and themselves.
Qin Mubai did not expect that after returning from Xiangyang, he and Li Ke had already drawn a clear line, and the two of them would board the same boat by accident. If one loses, both will suffer, if one gains, both will prosper.
God willing
Man-made
Qin Mubai couldn't figure it out and couldn't figure it out. Maybe there is something certain, maybe everything is under Li Shimin's arrangement and overall control.
All in all, after going in a big circle, Qin Mubai and Li Ke were connected again by accident.