Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 694 The Art of Emperorship, The Old Man in the Mountains (Second Update)

In the sweltering summer, a cool couch is more comfortable.

Li Chengqian looked at the memorial in his hand. The report from the Tuzhou army stated that Silla had sent 30,000 troops to invade Goguryeo, and another 5,000 troops had come to pacify the region.

It all began.

Lu Mingyue, dressed in a light green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and three other maids carefully approached Li Chengqian, holding up parasols and gently fanning him, instantly making Li Chengqian feel cool.

Turning to the side, Li Chengqian looked at Lu Mingyue, who was still as petite and charming as ever.

"Your Majesty!" Lu Mingyue looked at Li Chengqian with some surprise.

Li Chengqian extended his left hand, and Lu Mingyue gently lowered her head, then bit her lip, her red cheeks pressed against Li Chengqian's chest amidst the envious gazes of the other three maids.

Li Chengqian held Lu Mingyue in his arms, looked at her deeply, then looked up and said softly, "It's been eighteen years. When you first entered the Eastern Palace, you were just a six-year-old girl. Now you're a young woman in your twenties, and you've been by my side for twelve or thirteen years."

"Yes!" Lu Mingyue nodded gently, and for some reason, tears streamed down her face.

"Sigh!" Li Chengqian sighed softly, wiped away her tears, and then said, "What's there to cry about? In the entire palace, you and the Empress have spent the most time by my side. Don't you know who I am? Of course, you remember every little thing in my heart."

"Mmm!" Lu Mingyue lowered her head and leaned into Li Chengqian's arms, her tears soaking Li Chengqian's clothes.

Li Chengqian held Lu Mingyue in his arms and asked in a low voice, "I've heard that there's been talk in the palace recently about bestowing titles of Consort Xian and Consort De?"

"Yes!" Lu Mingyue subconsciously looked up and said, "Rumors started last year, but they were put on hold because the Empress was pregnant. Recently, there have indeed been some rumors... Does His Majesty really intend to confer the titles of Consort Xian and Consort De?"

It was said that Consort Xian and Consort De would be conferred titles, but how could it be just Consort Xian and Consort De? All the concubines in the harem would receive a new conferment of titles.

"The concubines have been with me for many years. If they do nothing, people will inevitably say they are cruel and ungrateful. So, rewards will definitely be given, but it will be done little by little, and then everything will be readjusted." Li Chengqian thought with some emotion.

The affairs within the palace are never just those within the palace; they are intricately connected with those outside the palace.

When a concubine in the palace is promoted in rank, the position of her family members in the court will also change.

"Take it one step at a time?" Lu Mingyue was a little confused.

"First, appoint a Virtuous Consort, then a Zhaoyi, a Jieyu, and a Meiren, and settle them one by one. Finally, appoint a De Consort." Li Chengqian breathed a slight sigh of relief and said, "In this way, things can be sorted out little by little, and I won't be in too much trouble."

The decision to appoint Consort Xian and Consort De in one fell swoop will undoubtedly cause countless people to fight tooth and nail.

However, if only one virtuous consort is chosen first, then very few will be selected, and the best one will be chosen from among them.

Anyway, there's still Consort De, and others still have a chance, so the infighting won't be too fierce.

Everything will proceed smoothly.

Li Chengqian lowered his head, looked at Lu Mingyue, lifted her chin, looked into her eyes, and said softly, "I'm thinking, should I also give you a title this time, so that you can settle down completely in the palace?"

Looking at Li Chengqian, Lu Mingyue's eyes reddened again, and she finally couldn't hold back and burst into tears in Li Chengqian's arms.

Li Chengqian held Lu Mingyue in his arms, feeling a pang of emotion.

Finally, Lu Mingyue suppressed her smile, looked up at Li Chengqian, and said with a sob, "Does this mean that once I'm made a concubine, I won't be able to stay by Your Majesty's side all the time?"

Li Chengqian was slightly taken aback, then nodded and said, "You are familiar with the rules of the palace. After you are made a concubine, you will live in your own palace, and naturally there will be other maids to serve you. As for everything else, everything will be done in accordance with the rules of the palace."

"That means I won't be able to see Your Majesty for a very long time. I don't want that." Lu Mingyue hugged Li Chengqian and shook her head vigorously.

Li Chengqian is currently in the palace, and Lu Mingyue can see him almost every day. However, once Lu Mingyue is made a concubine, she might not see Li Chengqian even once a month.

"You even gave up your position as a concubine just to see me." Li Chengqian pinched Lu Mingyue's nose and then said, "How about this, you will first be promoted to the fifth rank of Palace Attendant, in charge of my curtains and bedding. Once you become pregnant, you will be promoted to Beauty and enjoy yourself in the palace."

"Yes!" Lu Mingyue nodded vigorously.

Li Chengqian relaxed; after all, Lu Mingyue was from the Lu clan of Fanyang.

By all accounts, Lu Zhaolin was her elder brother.

Li Chengqian calmly held Lu Mingyue in his arms, then slowly drifted into a deep sleep.

……

Inside the Taiji Hall, the bronze cranes are depicted with lifelike movements.

The Persian King, Peroz, the governor of the Persian governorate, knelt on the ground and said in a deep voice to the steps above the palace: "Since the Western Turkic matter was settled, the Abbasid Caliphate was quiet for a while, but now it has begun to covet the Persian governorate and send troops to harass the border."

Li Chengqian sat on the imperial couch, looking at Peroz, his expression already solemn.

The Arab world is definitely a major threat.

They are still willing to stay obediently in Persia because they have not yet fully assimilated Persia.

Once they have assimilated Persia and turned eastward, they will immediately clash with the Tang Dynasty.

However, that time should be several decades later.

Assimilating Persia was no easy task.

"You did your best in the battle against the Western Turks." After a slight pause, Li Chengqian looked at Peroz and said calmly, "Given the current situation, I can send troops from the Kunling and Mengchi Protectorates to protect the Persian Protectorate, but only to the Persian Protectorate. However, it is basically not feasible to invade Persia to avenge you."

"Your Majesty!" Peroz knelt on the ground, pleading in his voice.

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "It's not that the Tang Dynasty can't do it, but the cost is extremely high while the benefits are minimal. Most importantly, even if the Tang Dynasty recovers Persia for you, I ask you, once the Tang Dynasty withdraws its troops and the Abbasid Caliphate comes again, can you defend Persia?"

“Your Majesty… Your Majesty…” Peroz looked up, as if he wanted to say something.

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "You can't hold it. If you could, Persia wouldn't have fallen."

Peroz was stunned for a moment.

Li Chengqian looked at Peroz with a calm and indifferent gaze.

What Peroz was hoping for was for the Tang Dynasty to send troops to reclaim Persia for him, and then for the Tang Dynasty to withdraw its troops so that he could continue to rule Persia.

But he never considered what would happen if the Arabs returned.
Persia was such a large piece of meat, how could the Abbasids possibly let it go? Not to mention the countless costs and heavy casualties involved, it was only natural that they would try again.

Take, for example, the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and the Western Turks.

The war between the two sides lasted for more than 20 years before it ended with the destruction of the Western Turkic Khaganate.

But even so, it's far from over. Ashina Buzhen has already started causing trouble, and further battles are inevitable.

Li Chengqian and the entire Tang Dynasty had long been prepared. Therefore, the Abbasid Caliphate was bound to return, but Peroz never considered this possibility.

Li Chengqian estimated that in his mind, the idea that the Tang Dynasty could crush the Abbasid Caliphate for decades by conquering Persia in one battle was impossible.

They hadn't even considered this point; how could they expect Persia to be able to resist the Abbasid Caliphate on its own?

Therefore, Li Chengqian would never do something as foolish as the Tang Dynasty invading Persia and causing mutual destruction with the Abbasid Caliphate, only for Persia to gain an advantage in the end, but then losing it again a few years later and coming back to the Tang Dynasty.

If the Peroz family had truly been capable, Persia would not have been lost.

"Therefore, I offer you a choice." Li Chengqian looked at Peroz and said, "The Tang Dynasty will send troops to guard the Persian Governor's Office. The terrain there is good. If the Abbasids dare to come, we will teach them a lesson. But the Tang Dynasty will not advance further. If you want to go in, you can spend your own money to recruit soldiers. Of course, you can also recruit soldiers from within Persia."

The Peroz tribe ruled Persia for countless years, and naturally there were some loyal followers, but not many.

"Your Majesty..." Peroz was at a loss for words. The emperor's meaning was clear: he wanted to fight his way back to Persia, and he would do his best.

But, if you try your best, can you really do it?
Peroz felt a little lost for a moment.

Li Chengqian sighed softly, stood up from the imperial couch, walked down the steps, and stood in front of Peroz, saying, "Get up."

"Yes!" Peroz stood up and clasped his hands in greeting.

“Your path is difficult.” Li Chengqian raised his head, looked out of the hall, and said calmly, “But if I were you, I would understand that it is basically impossible to restore the country in a short time. The Tang Dynasty does not have enough power to radiate to such a far place. So, you can rely on the Tang Dynasty for one lifetime, but not for the rest of your life. You can only rely on yourself.”

"Yes!" Peroz bowed with a hint of sadness.

“What you need to do first is to tell the Persian people that you are still here.” Li Chengqian turned to look at Peroz and said, “Therefore, you need a war, a great war, to take advantage of the terrain in the northeast and southeast of Persia and wipe out thousands, or even tens of thousands, of Persian troops in one battle. In this way, the Persian people will remember you firmly, and then countless people will come to join your ranks.”

"Yes!" Peroz couldn't help but look up, his mind filled with anticipation.

“Of course, it can also be a small battle, killing only three or five people, but there must be an important figure among them, such as assassinating the governor or prefect of a certain place in the Abbasid Caliphate, so that the Persian people know that you are still here.” Li Chengqian took two steps forward and then said, “In short, you must have people under your command, you must have Persian warriors, and you must be able to win the hearts and minds of the Persian people.”

Peroz's biggest problem was that he only relied on his former subordinates to provide him with endless support. But how much power could those people have in the face of a powerful nation? It would be good enough if they didn't betray him.

"Talent is the most important thing. When the Abbasids rule Persia, they will inevitably exploit it to the fullest extent. You should win over the people, accumulate strength, and hide in Tokharistan, or the northeastern and southeastern mountainous regions of Persia. Use the terrain to consolidate your foundation. Don't think about rushing into the mountains. It's best to wait a few more years until other parts of Persia are in turmoil, and then seize the opportunity to go back and fight."

Li Chengqian looked at Peroz and said, "I only have one word for you: be steady, be steady. The Abbasids can be defeated countless times, but you may lose everything after just one defeat."

"Yes!" Peroz bowed slowly, pondering what Li Chengqian had just said.

The emperor was defining the future for Peroz from his own perspective.

In Peroz's mind, an idea popped into his head: perhaps he could not restore the Great Persia, but even a small Persia could comfort his ancestors.

Just then, Li Chengqian calmly said, "Of course, if you have any resentment in your heart, then prepare more assassins to specifically assassinate the leaders of the Arabs, thereby buying you time."

Peroz suddenly looked up.

……

Under the cover of night, Li Chengqian calmly walked towards the Zhenguan Hall.

His mind was still preoccupied with the matter of the Arab world.

Peroz was unlikely to achieve great things, but the longer he existed, the longer it would take the Arabs to completely assimilate Persia.

In this way, the Tang Dynasty could thoroughly assimilate the three kingdoms of the Eastern Islands, the Western Turks, Tibet, and even the Tocharians, and then deliver a heavy blow to the Abbasid Caliphate near the Caspian Sea.

The battlefield must be in the territory of the Western Turks.

Because that place is farther away from the Arab world.

Extending the battle lines is a major taboo in the military.

In the Battle of Talas in my previous life, although the Tang Dynasty suffered a crushing defeat, the Abbasid Caliphate only achieved a pyrrhic victory.

More accurately, it was a lose-lose situation.

The fact that the Abbasid Caliphate did not advance eastward again after World War I, and even continued to pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty, is clear evidence of this.

Now that Li Chengqian is in power, what he wants is to completely defeat the Abbasid Caliphate and then spread the influence of the Tang Dynasty to the Central Asian countries.

Persia is merely a temporary barrier.

Withdrawing his gaze, Li Chengqian stepped into the Zhenguan Hall.

Looking at the red silk outside the hall, he was slightly taken aback. Then, he slapped his forehead with a wry smile, realizing that he had actually forgotten about Xu Xuan.

Tonight is a beauty's first time!

Upon entering the inner hall, Li Chengqian immediately saw Xu Xuan sitting on the bed, holding a peach branch as a fan.

Wearing a red wedding dress and a golden crown adorned with nine jewels and flowers, she sat on the bed with her lips pursed, yet she possessed an indescribable radiance.

Li Chengqian walked to the side of the bed, stood there, and admired Xu Xuan's face.

"Your Majesty!" Xu Xuan, holding her fan, couldn't help but speak softly.

Li Chengqian chuckled softly, sat down to one side, and said in a low voice, "You can go fan yourself now."

"Yes!" Xu Xuan's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

On one side, a maid had already approached carrying a red tray.

Li Chengqian's expression turned serious. He took down the red porcelain wine pot and poured two cups of wine.

He handed one cup to Xu Xuan, kept the other for himself, and said, "Let's drink from the same cup, our hearts forever bound together. Come, drink!"

"Yes!" Xu Xuan exchanged arms with Li Chengqian with trembling hands, then looked closely into each other's eyes and drank the wine in her cup in one gulp.

The wine glass had just been set down when Xu Xuan suddenly felt her body fly up, and the next moment, she had landed on the bed.

Li Chengqian had already knelt down opposite her, gently leaning over.

The curtains fell.

Her dress fluttered in the wind.

(End of this chapter)