Datang: Rebirth of Li Chengqian, the beginning of the treason interrogation

Chapter 239: Ba Zhuo dances to cheer people up and finally returns to Tangtu

"Okay, everyone, get up!"

Li Shimin's majestic voice rang out, like an amnesty order, breaking the suffocating silence.

"I have no intention of blaming you."

His tone was calm, but it contained unquestionable power.

Li Shimin was very adept at grasping and controlling the aura.

His kingly aura was enough to make people feel endless pressure even if he was just sitting there.

The dragon's might remains.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, the Khan!"

Albus quickly stood up and said respectfully. He stood aside cautiously, just like the other chiefs who came with him, not even daring to breathe.

He was afraid that if he was not careful, he would once again anger the saint.

At this time, the hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. However, in this dead silence, a slight noise suddenly came out - "Wow!"

Although it was only a tiny sound, it was particularly harsh in this eerily quiet environment. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Li Shimin stood up steadily, his body gradually became straighter and taller, standing tall like a mountain.

His aura of majesty without even being angry can't help but inspire awe in people.

"The Xueyantuo Khan Bazhuo does not serve the great country, is tyrannical and unjust, and cannot serve us as his master. He has brought about his own defeat and death. Our tribes should not leave Xueyantuo and submit to me. In the northern territory, I will set up officials and support us."

"The Xueyantuo are gone, and that is the past. To avoid internal strife, all the tribes in the northern desert will be incorporated into the Tang territory and made into prefectures and provinces. All of them will be Tang's subjects, and all ethnic groups will be treated as one."

"Do you, the leaders of the tribes, have any objections?"

Li Shimin looked down and announced the decree to him.

This is not a discussion, but a notification to various grassland departments.

This time, he will not ignore the Mobei area.

Although the food is tasteless.

But incorporating it into the Tang territory can, at least to a certain extent, reduce the threat to the border.

The tribal leaders looked at each other in bewilderment.

This was beyond their expectations, but also within reason.

If they surrender, they will have to accept Li Shimin's conditions.

Otherwise, what is the meaning of surrender?

"The Khan's heart is like the sea, and he is tolerant and broad-minded. We all agree with this."

Without much hesitation, several leaders expressed their opinions.

Under the might of the Tang army, they had no choice but to agree in order to have a chance of survival.

"In this case, after you go back, inform the Tiele tribes that I will hold a meeting in Lingzhou City in half a month. Everyone is welcome to come and discuss the division of prefectures and counties."

Li Shimin spoke again.

The Lingzhou League, a major historical event that influenced the development of the Chinese nation, took place as scheduled.

In real history.

It was also in the 646th year of Zhenguan (), after Xueyantuo was destroyed by Li Ji.

In order to appease the various tribes, Li Shimin inspected Lingzhou and swore an oath of alliance with the hundreds of tribes in Mobei.

The inclusion of the Mobei area into the territory of the Tang Dynasty promoted the unification of various ethnic groups.

"The Khan's order!"

The leaders of several major tribes all accepted the order.

In this way, the situation they were most worried about, being massacred by the Tang army, would no longer exist.

"Cui Dunli, you bring the chieftains of each tribe down and give them a good reception."

"Su Dingfang, order all the troops to stop chasing the tribes and withdraw to Lingzhou."

Li Shimin then gave orders one after another.

The battle was already decided, and he was not worried that Xueyantuo would go back on his word.

"promise!"

Several people bowed and retreated immediately.

In the hall, only the culprit, Ba Zhuo, was left.

"Yuchi Jingde, go and untie Bazhuo."

As Li Shimin spoke, his entire aura suddenly changed, and he became like a kind old man.

"Don't pretend. I will be defeated if I lose. I don't need your mercy."

As the enemy leader, Ba Zhuo knew what his fate would be and there would be no way for him to survive.

Just give up.

I can't beat Li Shimin, but I can still satisfy my desire to talk big.

"Why should I pity you? Actually, I need to thank you. The Tang Dynasty also needs to thank you."

"If you hadn't gathered all the Tiele tribes together, it would have been impossible for me to annihilate you in one fell swoop."

Li Shimin smiled.

The reason why nomadic peoples can cause trouble again and again is that they cannot be wiped out in one fell swoop.

That is due to its characteristics.

Nomadism means wandering around without a fixed place to live.

Even though the Tang Dynasty has a strong military force today, it is definitely impossible to wipe out these nomadic peoples in the north.

The amount of financial and human resources consumed in every expedition is unimaginable.

The results of the attack were minimal.

"Humph!"

After being untied, Bazhuo's face turned extremely ugly when he heard this.

In fact, it was true. He led an army of 200,000 here to die.

Otherwise, how could Li Shimin pacify Mobei in one battle?

In order to preserve the continuation of their race, many tribes will definitely surrender to the Tang Dynasty.

Having said that, Bazhuo was indeed providing assists.

"Tell me, should I confer you the title of Marquis?"

Li Shimin looked at Ba Zhuo and liked him more and more.

He didn't want to kill Bazhuo, nor would he kill Bazhuo.

Bazhuo is still a chess piece that can be used.

Bazhuo was attacked back by the Uighur tribes, and the conflicts among the tribes in the northern border had been aroused.

Just like before, the nomadic peoples in the north cannot be too safe, and a unified dynasty cannot emerge, otherwise it will pose too great a threat to the Central Plains regime.

Now, Li Shimin can indeed take advantage of this.

"The land of Mobei will soon belong to the Tang Dynasty. You are also a Tang citizen. I have always been benevolent and loving to my people."

"Before, I did not kill Jie Li, and I will not kill you this time. On the contrary, I will make use of you."

Li Shimin rarely killed surrendered generals. Generally speaking, he would subdue them and use them for his own purposes.

This is the unique charm of Li Shimin.

It is not difficult to find that all of his famous generals were surrendered generals.

Li Shimin naturally had his own way of controlling these people.

Zhishisili and Qibiheli were both close confidants of Jie Li of the Eastern Turks.

Hasn’t he become a loyal minister serving Li Shimin now?
"I still haven't thanked His Majesty for his grace!"

Yuchi Jingde roared on the side.

Let Ba Zhuo tremble all over.

"I, the guilty minister, would like to thank His Majesty the Khan for not killing me."

Ba Zhuo came back to his senses and knelt down to kowtow to Li Shimin. His previous arrogance was just a desperate move. Who wouldn't want to live?

"Okay, get up, go down and wash up first, and then I will appoint you."

Li Shimin waved his hand and asked the rest of the people to leave.

At this point, the hidden danger of Xueyantuo hanging over the border of the Tang Dynasty was eliminated.

"Your Majesty, let me help you to rest!"

Only after there was no one around did Li Shimin dare to show signs of fatigue.

"No need, I want to go out and see my kingdom!"

Li Shimin refused and, with the support of Yuchi Jingde, slowly walked towards the door.

With the defeat of Xueyantuo, the worry that had been lingering in Li Shimin's heart disappeared.

His symptoms were also alleviated to some extent.

But for Li Shimin now, it is no longer important.

There are still only a few days left to live.

On his deathbed, Li Shimin still wanted to see the great empire he had built.

……

Under the cover of night, Lingzhou City was immersed in a sea of ​​jubilation. The streets and alleys were brightly lit, and people cheered and celebrated the great victory of the Tang army.

Li Shimin was sitting in the lobby of his mansion. He was smiling, dressed in casual clothes, and sitting upright in the main seat. His aggressive imperial aura was suppressed beneath the corner of his clothes.

There were two tables on his left and right sides, where Yuchi Jingde and Longwuwei commander Li Junxian sat respectively.

Below the two of them.

On the left are the Tang generals led by Su Dingfang.

On the right are the chiefs of various grassland tribes, led by Bazhuo.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see the intention behind what Li Shimin expressed.

Bazhuo is the Khan of Xueyantuo. Although his ability is not top-notch, he still has a very high prestige in the Mobei grassland.

Therefore, Li Shimin still had to shoulder the important task.

Putting such a person in the position of commanding the grassland would allow the Tang Dynasty to use his influence to stabilize the situation.

There is no need to worry that he will pose too great a threat to the Tang Dynasty.

After all, the strategies he has shown so far are too immature.

Making Bazhuo the spokesperson for the grassland tribes was also one of Li Shimin's strategies for governing the grassland.

In this way, the relative stability of the grassland area can be maintained to a certain extent, and the contradictions within the grassland can be stimulated.

Let them fight among themselves.

Bazhuo was stabbed in the back by the Huihe and Tongluo. After returning, he will definitely fight to the death with those tribes.

In this way, the strength of various tribes on the grassland is constantly being consumed.

"My dear ministers, please raise your glasses. Let us drink together for the Tang Dynasty and for the future of the grasslands!"

Li Shimin smiled, gracefully raised the wine glass in his hand, and shook it gently to signal everyone present.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! (Thank you, Your Majesty, the Khan)"

Dozens of people stood up one after another, raised their glasses high in respectful hands, and responded in unison.

"Okay, everyone, please sit down. Today is a banquet, so there is no need to stick to the etiquette between the emperor and his subjects. Please feel free to be casual."

Li Shimin waved his hand cordially, his tone was friendly, without any sense of condescending or overbearing.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your magnanimity!"

After hearing this, everyone naturally did not dare to disobey the emperor's order in the slightest.

Then they all sat down again and drank the wine in their glasses in one gulp.

"Since Your Majesty has said so, I will no longer be polite!"

Yuchi Jingde put down his wine glass generously, then rolled up his sleeves, reached out and grabbed a golden and crispy roasted leg of lamb without caring about his image, and started to eat it in big mouthfuls.

Looking at the way he was eating voraciously, he did not have the elegance and refinement of a scholar at all.

However, Yuchi Jingde's action did not arouse the disgust of others. Instead, it greatly eased the originally slightly serious and restrained atmosphere.

Seeing this, Li Shimin just smiled slightly and didn't say much. Then he began to taste the delicious food on the table.

As time went by, everyone at the banquet gradually relaxed.

Several major leaders in the northern desert also became friends with the Tang army generals, and there was no more hostility between them.

Li Shimin watched all this silently, and couldn't help feeling relieved in his heart.

If the Tang people and the nomadic peoples in the north could live in harmony like this, then there would be no war in the north forever.

"It is really difficult to enjoy yourself just by drinking! Your Majesty, the Khan, loves the dance steps of our northern grasslands so much, so I dare to show you my ugliness here."

Ba Zhuo suddenly stood up, faced Li Shimin who was sitting in the upper seat, and bowed respectfully with his fists clasped.

His demeanor and behavior were completely different from that in the morning.

You know, due to the difference in positions, how could Bazhuo's attitude not undergo a huge change?

His dance performance this time was not simply a display of talent, but actually an act of loyalty to Li Shimin.

After all, the tribe he leads has suffered heavy losses and its strength has been greatly reduced. If he still wants to sit firmly on the throne of overlord of the northern grasslands, he will inevitably need the support and help of the Tang Dynasty.

At this moment, what he was thinking about was no longer invading the vast territory of the Tang Dynasty, but hoping to return to his former glorious position of commanding the entire grassland.

If he could not get Li Shimin's help, according to the cruel competition rules of the grassland, when Bazhuo returned to the tribe, he would probably end up with a tragic death.

"Domi Khan, it's rare that you have such a refined mood, please do as you please."

Li Shimin nodded and accepted Ba Zhuo's loyalty.

It all seemed extremely natural.

I saw Ba Zhuo nimbly fly over the large table and lightly jump into the center of the lobby.

His steps suddenly became rapid and powerful, as if there was wind under his feet, and each step carried a unique rhythm and melody.

At the same time, his broad palms began to clap gently, making a crisp and rhythmic sound.

As his hands clapped, his body moved along with the movements, presenting a heroic dance unique to the northern nomadic peoples.

His movements were sometimes strong and powerful, like a horse galloping on the grassland; sometimes soft and graceful, like grass blown by the breeze.

The spinning and jumping posture is full of strength and agility, which is dazzling.

It must be said that in addition to being good at archery and horse riding, they are also unique in singing and dancing.

"Crack! Crack!"

"well!"

Li Shimin, who was sitting on the main seat, clapped and cheered. He was completely attracted by Ba Zhuo's dance.

"I'll also do some sword dancing to liven up the atmosphere."

After having a good meal and a few drinks, Yuchi Jingde was also eager to try.

He grasped the sword at his waist and was about to draw it.

"Jingde, that's not necessary. Today is a great day. This is a celebration banquet, not a Hongmen Banquet. No swordplay is allowed."

Seeing this, Li Shimin immediately stopped him.

"It is my fault for not considering this matter carefully. In that case, let's play a drinking game."

Yuchi Jingde said.

Drinking games were popular during the Sui and Tang dynasties, especially among the scholar-official class.

It was born in the Western Zhou Dynasty and perfected in the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

"Okay, let's play the drinking game!"

"I see that you are all a little drunk, and drunkenness is forbidden in the army. The loser does not need to drink, just tell me your childhood name!"

Li Shimin was also obviously interested.

This is a kind of culture at the wine table, and all the generals of the Tang army agreed.

The one who shouted the loudest was Li Junxian.

(End of this chapter)