Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 214 Defeating Tibet, Trampling Lhasa! (Seeking monthly votes)
The situation spiraled completely out of control, and Trisong Detsen's expression changed drastically as he issued orders repeatedly, trying to stabilize the army's formation.

"Don't panic!!! Maintain the formation!!"

"The divine power of Yarachabod endures forever! The mountain god will not abandon his people!!"

"Do not believe the evil spells of the Tang people! They are lies!!"

His roar, along with the desperate repetitions of his guards, was like a stone thrown into a raging sea, instantly swallowed up on the deafening battlefield.

In contrast, the Tang army—

"Heaven's mandate is with the Tang Dynasty!!!"

"Heaven's mandate is with the Tang Dynasty!!!"

"."

The sound of shouts echoed throughout the heavens and the earth.

This was chanted by the entire army!
Like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down, carrying the might of heaven and the unwavering belief in victory, it rolled in with overwhelming force!

Its prestige was far greater than the shouts of the mere guards around Trisong Detsen.
Not to mention that the lower-ranking Tibetan soldiers were already terrified, even the personal guards of the various noble tribes were beginning to fall into disarray.

This already meant that it wouldn't be so easy to stabilize the formation.

But how could Trisong Detsen give up?

This is all of Tibet's elite troops. Given the current morale of the Tang army, if he completely disregards it, they could very well be wiped out here.

By then, his so-called Tsangpo (king) would truly have become a joke.

At that moment, all of Trisong Detsen's fantasies vanished instantly; he only wanted to stabilize the situation and save as many men as possible.

Now that things have come to this point, he fully understands that he has definitely been tricked.

The Tang army must have already solved the problem of the high mountains.

We've been waiting for him to launch a full-scale attack.

An endless surge of anger and resentment welled up within him.

Although Tibet was far inferior to the Tang Dynasty in terms of its cultural heritage, and the two sides were not even in the same league in terms of military strength.

But with the help of the terrain.

If both sides were to confront each other head-on, then there would be all sorts of things like troop deployment and tactics.

Trisong Detsen was confident that he could contend with the Tang army.

But now, this battle is just too infuriating.

He will never give up!
Trisong Detsen immediately spurred his horse to a high place, leading a group of nobles from various tribes whose expressions had suddenly changed, in an attempt to use his momentum to stabilize the soldiers' formation.

But all of this was ultimately in vain.

In the current environment of direct combat, once the Tibetan formation showed signs of collapse, it was already difficult to reverse the situation.

This is actually the key to ancient warfare using cold weapons.

A general who can stabilize the formation of a large army can be called a famous general.

Those who can ensure that the army does not fall into chaos are worthy of being called military geniuses.

In the original history, Han Xin was like this.

And in today's development, Gu Chen is no exception.

But he, Trisong Detsen, was not!

The situation is beyond redemption.

Even with Trisong Detsen's best efforts, it was impossible to reverse the current defeat.

Gu Yi would not give him that opportunity, nor would the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty.

When the situation completely collapsed, no matter how unwilling Trisong Detsen was, his personal guards and the Tibetan nobles were all affected.

They had no choice but to carry him out.

With these people choosing to break through, the outcome was already decided.

"Report——!"

Scouts galloped across the dust-filled battlefield, carrying news from the front lines, until they reached the high platform where Gu Xuan was located.

"Reporting to the Grand Tutor! Trisong Detsen has led his remaining troops through Eagle's Beak Gorge and fled westward into the depths of the Qingshan Mountains!"

"General Gao has led his elite cavalry to the mouth of the gorge, intending to pursue them relentlessly and finish them off in one fell swoop!"

"Please give your instructions, Grand Tutor!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Yi controlled Gu Xuan to slowly shake his head, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable determination: "Order General Gao not to pursue a desperate enemy."

"Clear out the remaining enemy forces in the ravine with all our might, and strive to annihilate them completely!"

He paused slightly, his deep gaze seemingly piercing through the mountains and seeing into the distant future: "—Trisong Detsen is nothing but a stray dog, not worth worrying about."

"After this battle, the backbone of Tibet was broken."

“The various departments within it will inevitably fight amongst themselves for power and profit, and shirk responsibility. Our Great Tang only needs to wait for the chaos and reap the benefits.”

These words, spoken with decisiveness and ruthlessness, further demonstrate the far-sightedness of the strategic vision!
These people were ultimately not good enough for Gu Yi to notice.

The Tibetan people's inherent nature remains unchanged.

The casualties of this battle were enough to plunge them into absolute chaos, whether it was the fighting between different tribes or the fighting within their own tribe.

In this situation, the so-called nobles are insignificant, and the key lies in these soldiers who can fight.

"Yes, sir!" The messenger understood immediately and quickly withdrew.

At this moment, Gu Yi couldn't help but let out a deep breath, and his anxious heart finally calmed down a little.

The entire battle lasted for several days.

The Tibetans suffered countless casualties, and almost all of their elite troops were wiped out. Even those who escaped no longer had any courage and posed no threat whatsoever.

The Tang army also suffered a significant number of casualties.

Gu Yi brought an army of nearly 150,000 men with him, plus the troops from Longyou, bringing the total to nearly 200,000.

After months of stalemate and this major battle.

Now there are fewer than 150,000 people left.

The casualties are evident.

However, the merits achieved in this battle are immeasurable.

—Tibet is finished.

A tribal alliance that was at its peak declined drastically after this battle and had no ability to expand for a century.

As for a hundred years later
Gu Yi would not give them the opportunity to recuperate in peace either.

On the very day the great battle ended, he had already sent an envoy straight to the city of Lhasa.

There is only one core purpose being conveyed.

"Hand over Trisong Detsen and his close confidants, including nobles."

—It's still about winning hearts and minds.

He needed to force Tibet to retreat further and further, and Gu Yi was quite certain that the Tibetans would make the right choice.

Even though Trisong Detsen may still have some influence.

Ultimately, it's impossible to stop people's hearts.

As Gu Yi predicted, just as the Tang army was recuperating, another internal strife broke out within Tibet.

The various tribes plotted a rebellion, and began fighting and killing each other with King Trisong Detsen and his confidants.

Because of a series of crushing defeats.

Trisong Detsen ultimately lost far too much prestige and died at the hands of his own people, including a group of his trusted followers; their heads were thus sent to the Tang army camp.

Subsequently, nobles from various Tibetan tribes came to see him one after another.

They brought countless offerings and resolved to submit to the Tang Dynasty, begging for its forgiveness. This was the first time such a thing had happened since the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

In the past, Tibet relied on its terrain to establish diplomatic relations with the Tang Dynasty through alliances between the two sides, and this was the case even during the reign of Emperor Taizong.

But now, it is a clear sign of submission.

Although Gu Yi understood that this was something he had to agree to, given the current situation, the Tang Dynasty could not possibly control Tibet completely; at most, it could only indirectly control the entire Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the manner of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

But he did not agree immediately.

As for the reason, it was equally ruthless and clear—he wanted to sever all possible roots of war that could reignite in Tibet!

The Tibetan Plateau is vastly different from the fertile lands of the Central Plains, and even more so from the grasslands and deserts.

Its treacherous terrain, fierce local customs, and harsh climate meant that successive dynasties in the Central Plains who attempted to annihilate it always paid a heavy price and often suffered more losses than gains.

Now that things have come to this point...

How could he not do everything well?
Just as the Tibetan nobles were filled with fear, Gu Yi, controlling Gu Xuan, led the army straight to Lhasa.

tension, fear, horror
A myriad of emotions constantly surrounded all the Tibetan nobles.

They didn't know what Gu Xuan was thinking. All they felt was the premonition of death hanging over them like a sharp blade, and the extreme helplessness of having their life and death in the hands of others. This feeling haunted them day and night.

As the Tang army drew ever closer to Lhasa.

As Gu Yi had predicted, some tribes chose to flee under these circumstances, while others chose to resist.

There are many reasons why these people do this.

Some were genuinely driven by fear, while others were motivated by their pure faith, or perhaps by the remnants of Trisong Detsen's teachings.

Even knowing that there might be innocent people among them, Gu Yi still had no choice but to ruthlessly kill them.

Even those within Tibet who wanted to curry favor with the Gu family actively offered their help.

After this cleaning.

Gu Xuan then agreed to the requests of the Tibetan tribes and accepted their surrender.

As the news gradually spread...

The entire Tibetan people were deeply grateful for Gu Xuan's kindness.

That's just how reality is. When the Gu family, which they consider the most ruthless family in the world, has spared their lives, that's enough to make them incredibly grateful.

Gu Yi didn't care about any of that.

The opinions of his contemporaries were not something Gu Shi cared about.

What the Gu family has always cared about is their reputation for all eternity.

After the army arrived at Lhasa, he led his men to carefully observe this magnificent city that would become famous in later generations, and his mind began to ponder how to govern Tibet.

He could not possibly adopt the strategies of the Ming and Qing dynasties entirely.

Time has changed.

The current situation is completely different from what he faced back then, and he needs to come up with a system that is more suitable for the current situation.

At this time, Gu Xuan's political acumen was fully demonstrated.

When Gu Yi has an idea, he will combine it with the current situation to come up with a more appropriate solution.

We will leave aside the most basic strategies such as controlling, dividing, and enticing with benefits.

Another idea that Gu Yi had in mind was to sideline the Zanpu (king) and create a system in which various forces checked and balanced each other.

This was actually an experiment for Gu Yi.

Perhaps it was because he had seen so much during this time that Gu Yi wanted to try to forge a different path.

Just like the system that Gu Yu conceived of years ago and sealed within the Gu family.

—To divide the power of the ten regional envoys in order to restrain the imperial power.

This system cannot be implemented directly within the Nine Provinces. The constraints of thousands of years would instantly devour everything. If the Gu family insists on doing it, it may even destroy the Gu family's hundreds of years of accumulation.

But Tibet was completely different.

The culture of Kyushu has indeed had a great influence, but it is not enough to form a constraint in these high mountains.

In fact, Gu Yi had this intention in eliminating potential threats and leaving behind obedient tribes.

This was definitely a bold attempt.

Gu Yi also did not know where the future would lead.

However, such an opportunity is truly rare, and it is absolutely in line with the current interests of the Tang Dynasty.

Directly controlling Tibet is not realistic.

The human and material resources involved, as well as the various conflicts among the parties, cannot be resolved in a short period of time.

Why not take this opportunity to give it a try?

And besides that——

Religion was also key to controlling Tibet.

The two main religions in Tibet today are Buddhism and Bon.

Trisong Detsen was indeed an extraordinary man. He seemed to be very clear about the importance of religion to his power as the Tsangpo (king), and after taking power, he began to promote Buddhism to consolidate his power.

The strong xenophobia and militancy within Bon religion are uncontrollable factors for any ruler.

On the contrary, it is possible to control both religions.

This would be enough to control Tibet to a certain extent.

This would be extremely difficult for anyone else to do, but it was different for the Gu family.

Although the Gu family always adhered to the principle of "respecting ghosts and gods but keeping them at a distance," over the centuries, the Gu family has long been shrouded in the cloak of "prophecy and divination."

In fact, various religions have long had accounts of the Gu family.

Especially after Gu Chen.

Among the Gu family members, including Gu Jing, there are different divine positions in various religions. Although many of these positions are associated with infamous figures, they actually serve as a testament to the extraordinary nature of the Gu family.

Currently, within Tibet, Buddhism and Bon are also in conflict.

This actually gave the Gu family a natural opportunity!
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"In the first year of the Zhide era, in the third month."

Grand Tutor Gu Xuan defeated An Lushan at Tongguan, and later led troops to attack Tibet. People at the time believed that the snowy mountains were too dangerous to enter lightly.

Xuan Mo observed the weather and fully utilized the medical secrets accumulated by the Gu family over three generations. He stored medicinal herbs, regulated the body's vital energy, and slowly traveled to avoid the dangers of the high mountains.

The Tibetan chieftain Trisong Detsen relied on the sacred mountain as a shield and repeatedly sent his elite cavalry to raid the supply routes. Xuan lured them north, and although the soldiers were angry, they remained steadfast in their command.

Upon reaching the summit of Xiqing Mountain, the barbarian army came in full force to fight, their drums and horns shaking the heavens.

Xuan suddenly spread his wings and unleashed a volley of crossbow bolts, crushing the vanguard.

He then ordered his soldiers to remove their armor and advance swiftly, and personally held up the banners, shouting, "Heaven's mandate is with Tang!" The entire army erupted in cheers.

Seeing that the Tang army was not as cowardly as lambs and that the sacred mountain did not punish them, the barbarian soldiers lost their morale and fled in disarray.

Xuan led his troops to plunder the court, killing countless people.

Trisong Detsen fled, only to be killed by his own men.

The chieftains of Lhasa bound their remaining followers and presented them to the emperor, and the snowy region thus came under the rule of the Tang Dynasty.

The historian said: The Tubo relied on the sacred mountain as an insurmountable barrier, believing that the spirit of Yala Xiangbo was awe-inspiring and inviolable. However, the heroic spirits of the three generations of the Gu family roared, their voices resounding through the heavens. How could a minor deity of the snowy land look up to them?

Xuan, through strategic planning, overcame the calamity of the high mountains and crushed the hearts of the barbarian chieftains with his cunning schemes.

By feigning weakness before unleashing a thunderous attack, they ultimately made Mount Lhasa, like the Xiongnu's Langjuxu in the past, grovel before the banners of the Gu family!
The perilousness of high mountains could not deter the heroic spirits.
The Mandate of Heaven rests on virtue, strength, and the illustrious legacy of our glorious ancestors!

—From the Biography of Gu Xuan in the Book of Tang

(End of this chapter)