Late at night, the newly married Qin Mubai locked himself in the study alone and sat with a candle. I hold the pen in my hand, but I hesitate again and again, not knowing how to write.
He is writing a report to Emperor Li Shimin. After returning from the Western Expedition, he wanted to report on the details of the conquest of the Western Regions, the diplomacy with the Jokhang Wu Kingdom, and a series of military and people's livelihood issues that needed to be resolved after the Western Regions were pacified.
He didn't know how many copies of such memorials he had written. Only today, I just can’t put pen to paper.
Putting down his pen, Qin Mubai sat back with his hands on his lower abdomen, closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
"When the birds are gone, the good bow is hidden; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the lackeys are cooked... He is treating me as a thief and is guarding me, but I am still worried about the aftermath of the Western Region. Am I loyal or cheap?" Thinking about it Here, Qin Mubai's heart was falling inch by inch, feeling cold.
He put his hand on the bridge of his nose between his eyes to refresh himself, then picked up the pen and decided to finish writing this memorial.
"This may be the last thing I, Qin Mubai, can do for Datang!"
After writing the memorial, he described in detail the current layout of the Western Regions and the problems they were facing. He suggested that the imperial court divide the Western Regions into a reasonable layout of states and counties as soon as possible, and assign a number of capable frontier officials to govern the region. In addition, diplomacy with the Jokhang Wu Kingdom is crucial. In the next few decades or hundreds of years, there will definitely be overt or covert confrontations between the two hegemons in the East and the West, Datang and Dashi.
The existence of the Dazhao Wu Kingdom not only ensured that the Tang Dynasty could obtain stable and huge commercial profits from the Silk Trade Road, but also served as the intersection point of the Tang Dynasty's first military defense line against the West and its political, cultural and economic development.
From a geographical point of view, Zhaowu State is located between Tang Dynasty and Dashi. It is an important military buffer zone and strategic ally for both countries. Therefore, Datang must do its best to protect and win over Zhaowu Kingdom. Otherwise, between one loss, one gain, one positive and one negative, it is a major change in the balance of strength.
As for the small countries and tribes in the Western Regions that have surrendered, Qin Mubai suggested that the court adopt the national assimilation strategy of "boiling frogs in warm water" on the premise of respect and equality. It should not be taken too far, and it should not be used to deal with the affairs of the Turks in the past. policies and implement measures of "massive relocation". Rather, the political culture of the Tang Dynasty must slowly penetrate into these tribes and use time to gradually assimilate them. In less than fifty years, when two or three generations pass, the entire Western Region will be completely integrated into the Chinese nation. At that time, the grand plan of "conquering the Western Regions" will be truly completed!
Only then could the Tang Dynasty truly become the dominant country in the East!
…
As the night deepened, Qin Mubai wrote a thick stack of memorials. But he felt that there were still many things that had not been said.
The commander-in-chief of the three armed forces has hundreds of thousands of soldiers under his command, and the territory of the feudal officials is tens of thousands of miles away. How can it be said in three strokes and two inks? Over the years, Li Shi just threw the Qin family and his son to Lanzhou, and he never interfered in the affairs of the west. It can be said that from that day on, Qin Mubai was in charge of Helong, Tubo and the entire Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty.
Now, it was finally time to hand over the class, and Qin Mubai felt like he was sending a child he had raised for many years back to his biological parents.
Logically speaking, this should be done, but in my heart, I still feel a little reluctant to give up. After all, it contains years of hard work and affection from myself and my father.
"I hope the emperor and the court can treat kindly the officers and soldiers of the Kansai Army who have served the country, and the people of all ethnic groups who have been tortured by the war..." Putting down his pen, Qin Mubai sorted out the manuscript he had written page by page.
At this moment, there was a knock on the door, "Mu Bai, aren't you asleep yet?"
It's snow lotus.
"come in!"
Xue Lian pushed open the door and walked in, holding a soup cup in her hand. She walked to Qin Mubai, put down the soup cup, and said, "Are you tired? You're still up so late... Hey, are you writing a memorial to the court?"
"Yes." Qin Mubai took the soup cup, which was a bowl of warm red bean porridge. It is best for midnight snacks and nourishing the stomach.
Qin Mubai was drinking porridge, and Xue Lian walked up behind him and gently massaged his temples and ears. After a long silence, he suddenly said: "Mu Bai, please resign and go into seclusion! Can we go to the grassland together?"
Qin Mubai was stunned for a moment and said, "Why do you say this suddenly?"
"I saw that you were too tired from your job." Xue Lian said, "I overheard the conversation between you and Pang Fei yesterday... oh, I really didn't expect it!"
Qin Mubai waved his hand to interrupt her words, chuckled indifferently, and said, "Don't mention it anymore. Xuelian, I have indeed handed over military and political affairs and am preparing to resign and go into seclusion. I have already chosen the place where I will settle in the future. Well, unfortunately, it’s not a grassland. Do you mind?”
"where is that?"
"The capital of the Jokhang Wu Kingdom, Sammo built the city."
Xuelian was startled for a moment, then nodded, "If you have someone to support you, you will feel at home everywhere. As long as our family is together, it will be the same wherever we settle down. I said go to the grassland because there are not as many troubles as in the Central Plains. The battle for fame and fortune. But since you already have a more ideal place in mind, I don't mind. In short, you won't be able to live well whether you are away from home or away from home. Our family also has to worry about you and be on tenterhooks all day long.”
Qin Mubai smiled, handed the compiled memorial to Xuelian, and said, "You can take a look."
Xuelian curiously took it and looked at it for a while, then said in surprise: "You want Pang Fei to lead the main force of 300,000 Kansai troops back to Chang'an?"
"That's right." Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said, "Since the imperial court is wary of my Qin's army and power, then I will dispel their concerns. I don't want the army anymore, all will be returned to the imperial court; officer, I won't do it either. When Pang Fei leaves, I will ask him to take my commander's seal and military symbol Jiecheng with him."
Xuelian frowned deeply and said worriedly: "Mubai, are you giving up on yourself, or are you protesting silently?"
"None of them." Qin Mubai smiled indifferently and said, "Actually, the situation is like a chess game. All the people in the game are obsessed with it and think that they can determine the outcome and turn the tide. But in fact, the overall situation has been decided, and no one can changed."
"Even His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty can't change it?"
"If he could change and decide everything just because he was the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, why would the current situation evolve into what it is today?" Qin Mubai said, "All political dangers in the Tang Dynasty originated from the dispute over the East Palace. It has evolved to this day. It is beyond the scope of the emperor's own ability to control. Only by constantly trying, testing, and even ruthlessly cutting out the flesh can he avoid the endless internal strife and chaos of the Tang Dynasty. "
"Try? Test? Cut out the flesh to mend the sores?" Xue Lian looked confused, "I don't understand!"
Qin Mubai held her hand and put it on his shoulder, motioning for her to press it for him, and then said calmly: "The choice of the future monarch of the Tang Dynasty has always been a headache for His Majesty the Emperor. Once, he tried to give his best He tried his best to cultivate his eldest son Li Chengqian. In fact, Li Chengqian performed very well at the beginning. It can be said that his qualifications were actually very outstanding. He also tried hard to be a good prince and emperor, but it was difficult to bear the pressure. The emperor is such an outstanding father, and Li Chengqian will always live in the shadow of his father. Especially those veterans who have followed the emperor all the way to success, always compare him with the emperor. This is called "overshadowing", and Li Chengqian will never. It may satisfy them. Coupled with the emperor's strength and eagerness and his excessive demands on the prince, Li Chengqian gave up on himself and eventually collapsed. "
"I know this." Xuelian said while massaging Qin Mubai, "Li Chengqian was eventually demoted because of the rebellion involving Han Wang Li Yuanchang..."
"Yes! That incident had a great impact on the emperor. From that time on, he changed his mind and felt that the future king of the Tang Dynasty did not need to be very outstanding, as long as he could maintain the status quo with the assistance of a group of capable ministers. "Qin Mubai said, "So, the young King of Jin Li Zhi was pushed to the stage by his uncle Changsun Wuji and became the prince of the state. Although on the surface, it seemed that Changsun Wuji was the king of Jin on his own. , but in fact it is not difficult to understand that there must be the emperor's approval or even instructions secretly. The emperor ignored the government affairs at that time on the grounds of recovering from illness, and completely handed over the affairs of the government to King Jin and Changsun Wuji. He just wanted to take a look. Once the dragon controls the funeral, can the uncle and nephew manage the Tang Dynasty well? "
"The results of it?"
Qin Mubai smiled and said, "The result is that the King of Jin sat on the dragon throne and was terrified and uneasy all day long. He almost wet his pants because he was afraid that he would anger the King of Wei. He even came to ask me for help. At the same time, Changsun Wu Ji monopolized the imperial court, and the Tang Dynasty court became his one-man command. Even his ministers Fang Xuanling, Chu Suiliang and Wei Zheng had no choice but to stand aside. But it was at this time that Changsun Wuji made a mistake. It was on the issue of peace with Tubo that he went against the emperor's original intention and decided to make peace. At that time, the emperor also saw that if this pair of uncles and nephews were allowed to take over the country of the Tang Dynasty, then the emperor himself would create a picture for the Tang Dynasty. The future will have to change, and it will become what Changsun Wuji wants. To put it more bluntly, once the emperor dies, it will be difficult to say whether the Tang Dynasty will be named Li or Changsun. "
Xuelian nodded with deep understanding, "Under such circumstances, His Majesty the Emperor will definitely veto Prince Jin?"
"That's right. Since then, the King of Jin can be said to have been given up by His Majesty the Emperor, and has faded out of the fight for heir apparent." Qin Mubai said, "Then, the Emperor only has one legitimate son left, and that is King Wei!"
"Everyone says that King Wei is most likely to become the crown prince?" Xue Lian said, "I heard that he is excellent in martial arts and has a deep scheming mind, and has always been deeply loved by the emperor. As early as when Li Chengqian was the crown prince, there were rumors that the emperor of the Tang Dynasty The emperor wants to abolish the crown prince and replace him with the prince of Wei, right?"
"Yes." Qin Mubai nodded and said, "To be fair, King Wei's mind, city, knowledge and background make him the best candidate for the crown prince. However, he made a big taboo!"
"What's the taboo?"
"The minds are evil and the brothers are not getting along!" Qin Mubai narrowed his eyes and said, "This actually violated a major taboo deep in His Majesty's heart! ... You know about the Xuanwu Gate incident, right?"
"certainly… "
Qin Mubai breathed a sigh of relief, "What the emperor is most worried about is that his sons will fight against each other for the throne just like him. This worry has nothing to do with his status as emperor, it is just because of his father. But the emperor is also a human being, and his selfishness is also a matter of national importance!”
"Then what kind of things did King Wei do that violated the emperor's taboos?" Xue Lian asked.
"A lot." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "Over the years, King Wei has never given up secretly hurting and slandering former Crown Prince Li Chengqian and King Wu Li Ke. Although the things he did are secret enough, I believe that this is not the case at all. It couldn't be hidden from the emperor's eyes. Once or twice, the emperor could hide and continue to observe; three or four times... King Wei's future was ruined in this way. But I think it was Wu who really ruined King Wei this time! The Assassination of the King!"
"Didn't you say that day that the King of Wu's case was definitely not the fault of King Wei and Changsun Wuji?" Xuelian asked in confusion, "Why are you... ruining King Wei again now?"
"Yes, I said that. But that doesn't mean that King Wei has nothing to do with this case." Qin Mubai smiled, "In fact, I confirmed through reverse reasoning that the emperor has given up on King Wei!"
"Reverse reasoning? What do you mean? The more I listen, the more confused I become!" Xue Lian said.
Qin Mubai chuckled, "It's because the sudden arrival of Butler Lu and Pang Fei's various performances helped me confirm that the emperor had already decided in his heart that he would abandon the King of Wei and establish the King of Wu. From this, I inferred that the reason why the Emperor did this , it must be because he learned that the assassination of King Wei and King Wu was closely related, thus destroying the last illusion in his heart about King Wei, and Li Ke must still be alive, so the emperor let him go. There is room for choice. In other words, the position of the East Palace belongs to King Wu, and there is no need for anyone to fight for him anymore! This is what I just said. - Cut out flesh to repair sores."
"How did you know that?" Xue Lian asked in surprise.
Qin Mubai smiled and replied: "Think about it, as the emperor's secret agent, Pang Fei would not dare to make suggestions to stimulate and test me. Otherwise, if I really rebel, can he afford the punishment? So I Presumably, he must have obtained the emperor's secret order and came here specifically to test my loyalty. Have you ever thought about why the emperor monitors me everywhere and tests my loyalty at this critical moment? "
"I don't understand..." Xuelian shook her head in confusion, "To be honest, the minds of the Han people are so sophisticated and weird that I really can't figure it out at all. If I have to tell you, the emperor may be worried that you heard the news about Li Ke's assassination. Then, raise an army to avenge him, right?"
"Of course not!" Qin Mubai said with a smile, "Even if Li Ke is really assassinated, in what name should I raise an army to avenge him? Even if I raise an army, who will I fight? Fight the emperor, the court or the king of Wei? This is all pointless. , Shichu Wuming! The emperor and the law will take care of it, and it is not my Qin's turn to act beyond his authority. Moreover, the emperor has the ability to know people, so he knows that I, Qin Mubai, are not a rebellious person. Rumors that I am going to rebel are spreading all over the world, but he will turn a deaf ear to them. This is what the saying goes, rumors only stop with the wise!"
Xuelian said angrily: "Then he still tests you and stimulates you frequently? - Hunjun!"
Qin Mubai laughed and said: "Actually, when the emperor summoned King Wu back to the capital, he probably wanted to make him his prince. But he didn't expect that something went wrong halfway. But later, the emperor must have known that King Wu was safe and sound. So he took advantage of his plan and put on a show of guarding against fire and burglary in Chang'an to stimulate me. He also asked Pang Fei to constantly provoke and test me. He just wanted to know whether I, Qin Mubai, was loyal enough. If you are calm enough, can you be qualified for the important task of assisting the new king Li Ke in the future? "
"Oh my God, how can there be such a scheming person in the world?" Xue Lian was dumbfounded after hearing this, and shook her head, "Mu Bai, if you didn't do anything strange, or said something in front of Pang Fei, With such inappropriate words, wouldn't it be a disaster? Since you are so powerful and not loyal enough, the emperor will definitely get rid of you quickly to avoid future troubles!"
"Absolutely! So, being with a king is like being with a tiger, it's not just words." Qin Mubai smiled nonchalantly, "No, in order to make the old man feel at ease, I, Mr. Qin, have given up completely! You have read the memorial. I will hand over the military and political affairs, hand over the military power, return the troops and horses, and then resign and go into hiding! "
"Wise move, I support you!" Xue Lian nodded seriously, "Mu Bai, to be honest... I really don't deserve it for you! You have made unparalleled achievements for the Tang Dynasty through life and death, but in the end you suffered from such suspicion and murder. Danger! Even if you really rebel, you are justified!"
"Haha, why bother?" Qin Mubai smiled easily, "Actually, the emperor just wanted to entrust me with important tasks in the future, so he frequently monitored and tested me. This is just out of caution, or maybe it's what kings have. Although his methods are a little despicable, his starting point is that he is more important than me. Unfortunately, Mr. Qin is tired of it! The Tang Dynasty has never been short of talents. Without me, Mr. Qin, the sky will fall. If you don't come down, just let them fight for fame, wealth and power. If Qin doesn't care about him, he won't accompany him. To this day, I, Qin Mubai, owe nothing to the Tang Dynasty. Whether you want to stay or leave, I know it clearly. Even if His Majesty, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, can rule over all the people and can decide the life or death of anyone, he cannot change the will of the people!"
"Go, resolutely go!" Xuelian said resolutely, "If you stay, who can guarantee that similar things will never happen again? Who can guarantee that one day, you, who are invincible, will die under the sword of your own people? "
Qin Mubai scooped up the last spoonful of porridge in the soup and drank it. He smacked his lips and nodded with a smile, and then said four words -
"My lady is wise!"