In the Golmud Military Region of Tubo, hundreds of miles of battalions stand tall like high mountains, majestic and majestic.
"The gates of this camp are arranged vertically and horizontally, and there are countless war horses fighting against the snow. The general is indeed an unparalleled general." After seeing the Tubo military camp, Liu Shanyin praised Qinling from the bottom of his heart.
"Compared to the Duke of Wei, the pharmacist, and the Duke of Ying, Mao Gong, I am just a firefly compared to the bright moon." Qinling cut his hands behind his back, smiled proudly and arrogantly, and said, "But Definitely better than Qin Mubai who was born halfway and lives up to his reputation."
But everyone standing next to him at this moment knew that he did have the ability to be conceited.
"I don't know anything about military affairs, so I won't compete with you on your ability to talk." Liu Shanyin was also a smart man, so he didn't fall into his trap and said, "I only know that in the battle of Dafeichuan, you Very loser."
"Yes, I was defeated because I underestimated the enemy." Qin Ling did not hide it and said frankly, "At that time, I thought that with the tens of thousands of soldiers and horses in the camp and those few battle-hardened generals who were always trustworthy, It is enough to resist any attack by you Han people. Because in the past, the 20,000 Tang troops did not dare to shake the 10,000 plateau cavalry. This is an indisputable fact, not to mention that we defended Dafeichuan with confidence and boldness. The generals under my command accompanied Zanpu back to Luoche City (Lhasa). Unexpectedly, just a few days after returning, I learned that Dafeichuan had fallen. This was exactly what the art of war said, and I was bound to lose. I was quite shocked, thinking that the Tang Dynasty had retaken Dafeichuan with an overwhelming army. Later I learned that it was Qin Mubai who led hundreds of artillerymen and used his divine cannon to scare away tens of thousands of my cavalry - this is really my Gar. What a shame and humiliation for all the warriors in Qinling and the plateau! From now on, I have never left this place, vowing to personally recapture Dafeichuan and march through the Central Plains of Lanzhou, and capture Qin Mubai alive to avenge his humiliation."
"A bit ambitious." Liu Shanyin did not sarcastically mock Qin Ling this time, but said seriously, "Actually, you and Marshal Qin may really be matched against each other and will meet good talents. But you two are completely different. Two types of people. You are sharp, assertive, strong, and domineering; Marshal Qin is reserved, wise, resourceful, and affectionate. But the two of you have one thing in common."
"Which point?" Qin Lingsha asked with interest.
"Extraordinary." Liu Shanyin smiled and said, "My envoy, does this count as flattering the general?"
"You are just telling the truth and nonsense that everyone knows." Qin Ling chuckled nonchalantly, gently shook the riding whip made of yak tail with his hands cut behind his back, and said leisurely while looking ahead, "Qin Ling although You are arrogant, but you always have self-awareness. There are many talented people in your country who are better than Qin Ling. People such as pharmacists and Maogong will not take Qin Ling seriously. But I will let them know sooner or later. People don't always fight with horses, scimitars and bravery. Sometimes, they also use their brains. Looking at the plains, I found that the person who is most worthy of being my opponent is actually Qin Mubai. Therefore, my ambition in this life. , just defeat him completely.”
"His ambition is commendable." Liu Shanyin was laughing.
"For this, I will do whatever it takes." Gal Qinling didn't care about Liu Shanyin's ridicule. He said softly but resolutely, "Meeting an opponent in chess and meeting a good talent is one of the great joys in life. Your Majesty, then no?"
"The general is a crazy and interesting man." Liu Shanyin smiled, "Actually, if you were not destined to be enemies by nature, you and Marshal Qin might be very good friends. Because in this world, there is nothing more wonderful than anything. There are not many young people after all.”
"Haha! How about I capture him alive on the plateau and become our deputy commander?" Qin Ling laughed loudly.
"Good idea." Liu Shanyin curled his lips and glared, and said seriously, "But before that, the general must not be invited to Chang'an by Marshal Qin."
"Chang'an is a good place that gathers the beauty of Kyushu and the fashion of the world. I went there once when I was six years old, and I will never forget it." Qin Ling smiled slightly and said, "I also invited six teachers back from there, all of them They are Han people who have taught me classical history, calligraphy, music, law, martial arts and military art for more than 20 years. I respect them more than my father and I am grateful for everything they taught me."
Liu Shanyin was speechless for a long time after hearing these words. I was thinking in my heart that if the marriage agreement was successful, the Tang Dynasty would give Tubo more than just "six teachers". Countless cultural treasures, technologies and wealth will be brought to Tubo and spread in Tubo - by then, there will not be only one Gar Qinling.
Teaching students to starve teachers to death is a narrow-minded idea, but when the two countries are hostile, we have to think more about it.
Liu Shanyin sighed softly and said: "The general said many things to this envoy, and he was talking about it for a long time. He seemed to be persuading or motivating me, and he wanted me to Ruined the marriage proposal, right?"
"I don't dare." Qin Ling smiled easily and said, "This is a major matter concerning the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Only Zanpu dares to make a decision."
"You dare." Liu Shanyin raised the corner of his mouth slightly, smiled a bit coldly and disdainfully, and said, "When you treat me, you are respectful on the outside but arrogant on the inside. Maybe in your eyes, I am already dead. One, you don't have the same experience as me. That's why you were humiliated by your horse, and you took this envoy to see your military camp and told me many things that were taboo. You obviously have a good plan. Isn't it?"
Gar Qinling turned his face slightly, looked at Liu Shanyin with a slight smile on his face, suddenly chuckled, and said: "No wonder Tang Ting can send you to the plateau, you are indeed a careful, wise, and foolish character. Now that we have talked about this, I won’t hide it from you—since your envoy has already come, there is no need to go back, right?”
"As expected." Liu Shanyin smiled nonchalantly and said, "In that case, the general did not report to Zanpu that the envoy had arrived on the plateau, right?"
"Smart." Qin Ling stared at Liu Shanyin, smiled slightly, and said, "The Art of War says that the general will not accept the emperor's orders. Since Puzan has entrusted me with full authority to deal with major military and political matters in the Central Plains, I have the right to make decisions. Isn't that right? Is she a fake princess? What’s the big deal? The women from the plateau are not that good, far less beautiful, gentle, dignified and virtuous than the women from the Central Plains. However, it’s easy to find what kind of woman Zanpu wants - so I am handsome. Just decide, let’s not get married! Just because of a woman, hundreds of thousands of warriors took off their shirts and became farmers, and they had to go to great lengths to build the Potala Palace in imitation of the Chang’an Imperial Palace. This is too much trouble!”
"Ha, that's interesting." Liu Shanyin smiled bitterly, shook his head and sighed, "Aren't you willing to tell the truth to a dead man?"
"What do you want to know?" Gal Qinling stared at Liu Shanyin with interest, a typical look like a cat playing with a mouse.
"You are so ambitious that you made a private decision against the wishes of Zanpu and Dalun, and ruined the peace and marriage agreement between Tang and Tubo. Aren't you afraid that Zanpu will be punished?" Liu Shanyin asked the question that was most on his mind. one question.
"That's a good question, your envoy!" Qin Ling said with a smile, "If this were in the Central Plains, I would definitely be guilty of deceiving the emperor and bringing disaster to the entire family. You Han kings are just suspicious and have no sense. But Tubo is not the Central Plains. Thank you. Pu is not the emperor. Since he dares to hand over 200,000 cavalry and the eastern gateway to me, he will trust me without reservation and fully approve of my decision. Secondly, how could I not know this? War doesn't solve the problem, but does marriage have the benefits of marriage? But for us, it's not the time for marriage. The more urgent your need for marriage is, the less likely we are to have marriage - it's that simple!"
"You hit the nail on the head, you are really powerful." Liu Shanyin nodded, sighed, and said, "So from the day I left Chang'an, I never thought about going back alive. You are right, we are very interested in the marriage. "
"Haha, thank you." Qin Ling laughed a few times and said, "Right now, Qin Mubai is sitting in Lanzhou. It seems that everything is safe and stable, but in fact, he is walking on thin ice with many crises. His front is too long and his troops are too few. The court is facing him. Not complete trust and support. In this way, Lanzhou is like a fat and sick cow. Although it is powerful, it is vulnerable. At this time, Qin Qiong relies on his bravery and willfulness to reach into the hinterland of Gaochang, not only putting himself in danger. It will also bring great burden and passivity to Lanzhou in terms of military strategy. At this moment, how can we, Gar Qinling, bear to let go of such a good fighter opportunity? Even if this strategy ultimately fails? , that's okay. If we lose, just send an envoy to Chang'an to talk about alliance and marriage, and your court will happily agree. If we lose once, we will form an alliance to rest and accumulate strength, and fight a second time. Come back; if it doesn't work the second time, we will form an alliance and then recuperate and then fight back... In other words, no matter what, we can always be invincible. The snow-covered plateau is the top of the world that you can't surpass! The Han people are nagging all day long! Peace is the most important thing. We are afraid of war. What do you think? Your Majesty, Liu Honglu?"
A smile appeared on Liu Shanyin's face. A desperate and bleak smile.
"I really should tell what you said to His Majesty the Emperor and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, especially the peace ministers."
"You don't need to tell me, they all understand. Your emperor and ministers are much smarter than errand boys like you and me." Gal Qinling smiled to himself and said meaningfully, "They just understand so well. So they don't say anything, they just pretend to be confused. They use the world as a chessboard and use us as chess pieces, and they take pleasure in it. This is their duty and their fun. What can we do? ? As a chess piece, you must have your duty as a chess piece. What I want to do now is to invite you to Luoche City to drink good highland barley wine with Zanpu. Isn't that good? "
"It takes at least half a year to travel thousands of miles across the snow-covered land. It would be natural if I froze to death halfway or was killed in an avalanche, right?" Liu Shanyin said.
"Hey, Liu Honglu, sometimes it's not good for people to be too smart." Gal Qinling shook his head and smiled, looked up at the sky, and said leisurely, "Zanpu and my father are preparing for the wedding to Princess Wencheng in Luoxe City. After waiting for a few months, they will find that you, the envoy of the Tang Dynasty, have disappeared on the plateau... What will happen? There are too many things that can happen in a few months, haha!
At this moment, Liu Shanyin, who had realized that he was going to die, suddenly had a thought flash in his mind, and exclaimed: "Qinling! You despicable and shameless villain, did you do anything in Gaochang?"
Gal Qinling suddenly turned his head to look at Liu Shanyin, grinned, raised his finger and pointed at his head, and said: "I said that occasionally, the Tubo people will also use their brains. This will be a flawless one." This grand strategy will definitely bring about astonishing and glorious results! If your envoy is interested, please stay alive for a few more days and you will see with your own eyes that I capture Qin Mubai alive on the plateau!"
Liu Shanyin took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, with a relieved smile on his face. He nodded and said: "In any case, I would like to thank the general for telling the truth to me. In this way, I will die without regrets."
"You don't seem shocked or anxious at all?" This time, Gal Qinling frowned, looked at Liu Shanyin with some suspicion, and said, "Why do you have such confidence?"
"Just one word." Liu Shanyin raised a finger.
"What word?"
"A scholar. A scholar who is unparalleled in the country."
Gal Qinling frowned slightly and blinked, obviously not quite understanding.
"If the general doesn't understand, go and read more." Liu Shanyin smiled and said, "Although you have read a lot of Han classics, you are limited to searching for chapters and excerpting sentences without the essence, and just imitating others. The Chinese You don't understand the spirit of "scholars". Maybe you can occasionally defeat our army with your arrogance, bravery, military skills, and deceit, but you can't defeat the Han and Tang Dynasties because of our nation. Spirit is a soul, but you are like a walking zombie. How can a walking zombie defeat the spirit of all things? - Now, I would like to pass on what Marshal Qin said to the general, please remember it. "
"Say it." Gal Qinling said calmly without getting angry.
"The Hu people have never had a national destiny for a hundred years. Please remember these eight words. This is what I said." After Liu Shanyin finished speaking, he shook his sleeves with both hands, bowed his hands and saluted with a smile, "How the general wants to deal with it, I don't know what to do." Waiting here."
"Hu people have never had a century-old national destiny..." Gal Qinling chewed these eight words carefully, his eagle eyes slightly narrowed, and for the first time in front of Liu Shanyin, his face became slightly stiff.
—Murderous aura, burst out!
Lanzhou, in the backyard of Wang Xingyuan of Jiangxia.
There were flashes of swords and shadows, and figures were flying. Qin Mubai and Li Daozong were competing in martial arts and sword skills.
"Stop!—" Li Daozong shouted, and the two separated and put down their swords.
Princess Gaoyang immediately ran over and took a towel to wipe Qin Mubai's sweat. She said with a smile: "Mubai, you are so powerful! You can actually fight with the emperor's uncle for so many rounds! As my father once said, the emperor's martial arts skills But he is very powerful. He was the most outstanding general of my Li family when he was charging into the enemy's territory."
"Ha, you girl, you are really good at talking. You praised a group of people as soon as you opened your mouth. You are really proficient in flattering." Li Daozong smiled and said, "Mubai, your sword skills Although his martial arts have improved, his mind is obviously weak and full of flaws. What, has anything bothered him recently? "
"To be honest, Your Majesty, there are indeed some things that bother me." Qin Mubai nodded, wiped his sweat and walked to Li Daozong, saying, "There has been no military report from Gaochang for a long time, and Liu Shanyin has not received any reply since he went to the plateau. . The front line is thousands of miles away, and the money and food are being consumed day by day, and the court has been without help for a long time... Now I feel that Lanzhou is really fighting alone overseas, like an abandoned child, his father does not want him, his mother does not want him, he is miserable! "
"Haha!" Li Daozong laughed and said, "If there are no difficulties or risks, it is a job that can be done by an idiot. Why do you need Qin Mubai to do it? Hold on, the more strenuous and difficult it is, the more difficult it is. It's a critical time. There are crises and troubles in Lanzhou now, but they are not fatal. I believe that since Gaochang has been surrendered, the Western Region cannot be flattened in one day. We should work step by step to consolidate the foundation for a long-term plan and not rely on the big one. Take risks. The top priority now is to withdraw your father's lone army and join Xue Wanche's troops in Puchanghai, retreat to Yuyang Pass and use Liangzhou as the base. In this way, Lanzhou can be retreated or defended. Attack can be invincible, and it can also solve the big problem of huge cost and difficulty in supply. "
"Qin admires your high opinion." Qin Mubai nodded and said, "Actually, Qin, Su Dingfang and others have discussed it many times, and they all decided that Lanzhou's current general strategy should focus on stability and pursue the long term. The strategy we have agreed upon coincides with the prince's, but..."
Li Daozong waved his hand with a wry smile, "You don't need to say it, I understand. With your father's temperament... ugh!"
Princess Gao Yang saw that Qin Mubai was discussing military matters with Li Daozong again, so she walked to the main hall and chatted with Princess Wencheng who was sitting in the hall. The two of them said "royal sister" to the left and "royal sister" to the right. They chatted quite congenially, and they felt like they were late to meet each other.
At this time, the officials from the Xingyuan gate came to report that Su Dingfang, the governor-general, had come to ask for an audience.
"Dingfang came to see me personally. There must be something important. Your Majesty, please forgive me for keeping you company." Qin Mubai handed over his hand and resigned. Li Daozong naturally agreed and kept Princess Gaoyang's little tail in the mansion for fun, so that she could be a companion for the bored Princess Wencheng.
Qin Mubai arrived at the gate of the camp and saw Su Dingfang with a serious look on his face, knowing that something big was going on. The two exchanged glances without saying anything, and went straight back to the Governor's Mansion.
"Dingfang, what's the matter?" Qin Mubai asked before sitting down.
"A strange thing." Su Dingfang frowned slightly and said with eyes burning, "Liu Yi, the son of Liu Shanyin, the young minister of Honglu Temple, suddenly found me today and begged me in every possible way to ask me to see the young commander, saying that he wanted to report important matters."
"Liu Yi, want to see me?" Qin Mubai was also very surprised and asked, "Has he ever said what happened?"
"I asked, but he refused to say anything and insisted on presenting his explanation to the young marshal. Why don't the young marshal go and ask in person? At this time, he is listening in the concierge."
"Please!"