Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 453 The Six Protectorates of the Tang Dynasty
Jiang Ke strode into Liu Renyuan's office and immediately launched into a barrage of questions.

"General Liu, His Majesty has ordered me to rush to the aid of Jun Province and join forces with you to attack the Japanese army in Nagato and Iwami. Why did you make your move first?"

Liu Renyuan laughed and said, "We didn't actually do anything, we just taught Hayato a lesson."

Jiang Ke said in a deep voice, "I have already heard about what happened at General Zhao's welcoming banquet and know that he resents the Hayabusa tribe, but he can't disregard the overall situation and vent his personal grudges!"

Liu Renyuan snorted, "Brother Jiang, that's going too far."

Jiang Ke said in a deep voice, "Now that Buyeo Boksin has submitted, we should turn the tables on them, feign an attack on the Japanese, set up an ambush, and wait for Hayato's troops to walk right into the trap so that we can wipe them out in one fell swoop. Then we can turn around and deal with the Japanese army."

"General Zhao is now leading only a thousand men in a surprise attack on the Hyuga clan. Even if they win, they will suffer heavy losses and alert the enemy. Isn't this disregarding the overall situation?"

Liu Renyuan said, "Brother Jiang's method is not bad, but I think Brother Zhao's plan is better."

Jiang Ke raised an eyebrow and said, "He calls this a plan?"

Just as Liu Renyuan was about to speak, a clerk rushed in from outside the door, his face beaming with joy, and said, "Governor, a report of victory has arrived from Rizhou!"

"speak!"

The clerk said, "Vice Commander Zhao led his troops to completely annihilate the Hyuga tribe, killing everyone except the elderly, children, and women."

Liu Renyuan asked, "Is there anything else?"

The clerk said, "After learning the news, the other three units of the Hayato tribe all went to Rizhou, dressed in bearskins, to apologize to Vice Commander Zhao!"

Jiang Ke asked in surprise, "Wearing a bearskin?"

Liu Renyuan glanced at him and smiled, "General Jiang, you may not know this, but the Hayabusa tribe once established a country called Kumashi, and worshipped the bear as a god."

"They have a custom that whatever they do, if they wear a bearskin, it is considered an appeal to the gods. If they disobey, they will surely be punished by the gods!"

Jiang Ke remained silent.

Zhao Chiman used a surprise attack to wipe out one of Hayato's troops and carried out a massacre. Not only did the third part of Hayato's troops not resist, but they even surrendered wearing bear skins, which Zhao Chiman found hard to understand.

After all, he was stationed in Baekje, where people were more influenced by Central Plains culture and knew how to resist when oppressed.

The Hayato, however, are different. They follow the most primitive and ancient laws and worship the strong, just like the nomadic peoples of the grasslands.

However, they lack the free-spiritedness of the nomadic peoples of the grasslands, and their nature also includes cowardice, weakness, and a tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong.

Seeing that Zhao Chiman's 1,000 Tang soldiers had annihilated the Hyuga clan, they believed that if all 10,000 Tang soldiers from the Hayabusa Prefecture were mobilized, they would surely be wiped out.

As for Zhao Chiman's massacre of the Hyuga clan, they thought it was perfectly normal.

The strong can do whatever they want.

Since the Tang people oppressed and humiliated them in this way, it proved that the Tang Dynasty was neither afraid of them nor needed them. In order to survive, they had no choice but to lower their posture and wear bear skins to apologize.

Liu Renyuan glanced at Jiang Ke and said, "General Jiang, our plan is pretty good, isn't it?"

Jiang Ke said in a deep voice, "The Hayato tribe was easy to deal with to begin with, but the problem is that we've already alerted them. So, what are your plans for dealing with the Japanese next?"

"Don't worry, we'll have an answer in a few days," Liu Renyuan said confidently.

He used to feel like he couldn't keep up with Jiang Ke's ideas, but this time, thanks to Zhao Chiman's plan, he showed off his strategic skills and felt incredibly satisfied!

……

Otsu Castle.

Zhongda knelt before a table, staring at a letter in his hand, his face solemn, and remained silent for a long time.

This is a letter from Queen Bao pleading for help.

On the eastern battlefield, the Japanese army was routed by the Mohe cavalry, and Asuka City was already surrounded by the Mohe people.

Now that things have come to this, Queen Bao has no choice but to ask her son for help.

However, Zhongda was facing the much more powerful Tang Dynasty, so how could he have the spare resources to provide assistance?

Moreover, things have been going wrong lately. First, I received news that 20,000 Tang troops were being sent to reinforce Junzhou, and now the Tang army in Junzhou Prefecture has exceeded 30,000.

This number of Tang troops was enough to wipe out Japan, and Naka no Ōe had to endure tremendous pressure every day.

To make matters worse, the Tang people discovered Hayato's plot to rebel and dealt with him swiftly, leaving him with one less ally.

At this moment, Zhongda finally regretted it, regretting that he shouldn't have gambled the fate of the nation by launching a surprise attack on Xiongjin Port of the Tang Dynasty, plunging the country into a desperate situation.

Just then, a series of chaotic footsteps sounded.

Looking up, I saw Kiyoshi Onishima leading a group of people in.

These people were all Kiyoshi Onishima's confidants, and each of them was wearing a black sharkskin coat, which gave Naka no sense of unease.

"General of Ghost Island, what business do you have with me?" His voice remained calm.

Kiyoshi Onishikawa squinted at him and said, "Prince, I've come to inform you of two things."

Brother Zhongda asked: "What's the matter?"

Kiyoshi Onishima walked up to him, sat down cross-legged, tilted his head and smiled, "First of all, news just came that the Baekje people you used as a surprise force attacked Satsu Port and sailed to join the Tang army in Kyushu."

Zhongda's expression stiffened, and after a long silence, he slowly said, "And the second thing?"

Kiyoshi Onishikawa said, "I've decided to take my brothers to Iyo Island."

Brother Zhong sighed and said, "Things have come to this point. If you want to leave, I won't stop you."

Kiyoshi Onishima laughed and said, "That won't do. You have to come with me too."

"What did you say?" A flash of anger appeared in Zhongda's eyes.

Kiyoshi Onishima's smile vanished, and he said in a deep voice, "Iyo Island has many powerful forces. With only a few hundred men under my command, I will surely be wiped out or swallowed up by others. Therefore, I have decided to take over your army!"

Zhongda said coldly, "Do you think my army is under your control?"

Kiyoshi Onishima laughed, "I knew you were wary of me, and you even ordered Nakatomi no Kamatari to purge my confidants in the army. Unfortunately for you, while you were reading this letter, I had already struck first, killing him and all his generals. Your army no longer exists; now only my army remains."

One of the pirates tossed out a bundle, from which a human head rolled out – it was Nakatomi no Kamatari's head.

Zhongda felt a chill run through his hands and feet, and gritted his teeth, saying, "How could I have believed you in the first place?"

Kiyoshi Onishima laughed loudly: "I told you long ago that I am a pirate, and that you shouldn't trust me too much! But don't worry, you are still somewhat useful, so I won't kill you."

He stood up and laughed, "Iyo Island is all mountains. Even the Tang army can't do anything to us. From now on, you can rest assured to be my deputy. Haha!"

With Kiyoshi Onishima kidnapping Naka no Ōe and leading his army into Iyo Island, a large uncontrolled area in western Japan was left vacant.

The Tang army seized Nagato and Iwami, and then continued to expand, occupying fourteen provinces in the Sanyo and Sanin regions of Wa (Japan).

In this way, almost the entire western part of Japan, except for Iyo Island, was occupied by the Tang Dynasty.

As for the eastern part of Japan, the Mohe, Silla, and Ezo kingdoms were also fiercely vying for territory.

In late July, news of Japan's victory reached Chang'an.

Because of Goguryeo's great victory, this small victory did not cause much of a stir, but instead sparked a debate.

The crux of the debate lies in Zhao Chiman's massacre of the Japanese troops.

When Xue Rengui killed surrendered soldiers, it caused a huge uproar, and many officials submitted memorials attacking him.

Now Zhao Chiman has gone even further, not only killing those who surrendered, but also killing a large number of ordinary civilians, which is unacceptable to some officials.

On the dragon desk in Ganlu Hall, the number of memorials impeaching Zhao Chiman was no less than the number of those impeaching Xue Rengui.

Moreover, the most crucial point is that Zhao Chiman has a personal grudge against the chief of the Hyuga tribe, and many people feel that he is settling a personal score while on official business, and should be punished more severely.

However, unlike the case of Xue Rengui's impeachment, this time many people are also defending Zhao Chiman.

Yuchi Gong, Li Ji, and Cheng Zhijie all clearly stated that Zhao Chiman's approach was adapted to local conditions and achieved good results.

The Japanese fought a brilliant battle, suffering almost no losses. Through psychological warfare, they caused the Japanese to back down and flee to Iyo Island.

Furthermore, as someone who had been impeached for killing surrendered soldiers, Xue Rengui naturally supported Zhao Chiman, a younger generation officer. As a representative of the younger generation in the army, his statement immediately prompted a large number of military officers to submit memorials supporting Zhao Chiman.

Since the officials were arguing amongst themselves, Li Zhi was happy to remain idle and let them argue without offering any opinions.

Although the courtiers were not particularly concerned about the battle with Japan, Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) was very satisfied.

Because the places with the most silver mines in Japan are Sanyo Road and Sanyin Road, which have now been conquered by Zhao Chiman, it is a good time to mine silver on a large scale.

Recently, due to the booming development of commerce in the Tang Dynasty, problems have emerged with the currency. The amount of currency printed by the imperial court is insufficient, leading to the emergence of many inferior counterfeit currencies among the people.

Wu Zetian had raised this issue with Li Zhi and even suggested that he mint a new type of copper coin.

This was a huge bombshell, and Li Zhi naturally refused to accept it.

In the original history, Emperor Gaozong of Tang ordered the minting of Qianfeng Quanbao coins as new currency to prevent the emergence of private money due to the large amount of privately held currency.

This resulted in inflation and economic turmoil. After only eight months of minting, an order was issued to recall the coins and remelt them.

Historically, silver has been the general trend in replacing copper coins, and large-scale silver mining could alleviate the shortage of currency in the hands of the people.

The Tang Dynasty has recently expanded its territory too much, causing unrest among the people. If it is too hasty, it may very well face trouble at home.

The immediate priority is to quell the fighting, reassure the people, mediate conflicts, and stabilize the region.

Therefore, after this battle, Li Zhi did not intend to start another war in the east.

The situation in the east has been stabilized for the time being; now it's time to address the issues in other regions.

In fact, during the attack on Goguryeo, local officials had submitted memorials to Emperor Gaozong expressing their concerns.

The first problem is Tuyuhun.

Since the Tuyuhun failed to marry the Tang Dynasty, they have become increasingly unruly in recent years, frequently harassing other Qiang ethnic groups in border areas, seizing rivers, plundering mineral resources, and robbing Qiang people.

The Qiang leaders, led by Queen Binjiu, had petitioned Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) hoping that the Tang Dynasty would send troops to punish Tuyuhun.

Li Zhi was not in a hurry about this matter.

The biggest problem for Tuyuhun was the legacy of the Jimi system.

They did not pay taxes to the Tang Dynasty, nor did they send troops to perform duties. In name, they belonged to the Tang Dynasty, but in reality, they were a state within a state.

Eliminating them is not easy either.

Back when the Tang Dynasty destroyed Tibet, the Tuyuhun made great contributions. Now that they have not committed any major mistakes, Emperor Li Zhi could not take action against them for this reason.

If, because of this incident, the Tang Dynasty were to attack Tuyuhun and incorporate them into its territory, the Qiang people, who originally supported punishing Tuyuhun, would instead turn against the Tang Dynasty.

Like the Tuyuhun, these Qiang peoples enjoyed almost complete autonomy due to their contribution in destroying the Tubo Kingdom.

If the situation is handled too hastily, the Qiang people may support the Tuyuhun in their rebellion.

Therefore, the best approach is to ignore it.

Let the Tuyuhun continue to bully other Qiang tribes, so that they will understand that without completely submitting to the Tang Dynasty, they will have no peaceful life.

When they reach their breaking point and voluntarily request to be converted into a regular prefecture, the Tang Dynasty will then take action. Only in this way can the Qiang people be fully integrated into the Tang Dynasty and avoid generating resentment.

The second question is about the Six Zhao.

When attacking Tibet, Nanzhao won the favor of Tang officials because it chose the right side, and became the strongest of the six Zhao.

News recently came from Jiaozhou that wars are frequently breaking out between the Six Zhao states, causing instability on the borders of the Tang Dynasty.

Officials from the Jiaozhou Governor's Office proposed supporting Nanzhao and annexing the other five Zhao states, so that the borders of the Tang Dynasty could be at peace.

Li Zhi would certainly not agree to this proposal, because once Nanzhao became powerful, it would indeed stop fighting among itself and instead unite against external forces to invade the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

The officials of the Tang Dynasty today probably never dreamed that one day the Tang Dynasty would be bullied by the Nanzhao Kingdom.

Although Emperor Gaozong rejected the proposal, the strength of Nanzhao continued to grow, and it was necessary to guard against them taking advantage of the Tang Dynasty's inattention to annex the other five Zhao.

The last potential threat is the Arab world.

The Anxi Protectorate and the Inner Guard are planning to help Tokharistan restore its kingdom. This matter has been dragging on for almost two years, and now they can finally spare the time to resolve it.

In addition, Su Dingfang and Wang Xuance were also plotting to help India become independent.

The unification of India into a single nation was not what Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) desired.

However, if India is not supported, a powerful Tibetan Empire may emerge, and the Kunlun-Tibet region will face danger.

The Abbasid Caliphate is about to embark on a path of expansion, and Tibet must be used as a buffer state to keep the flames of war outside the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

Therefore, considering all factors, allowing India to become independent would be the most advantageous solution for the Tang Dynasty, as it would both resist the Abbasid Caliphate and restrain Tibet.

As Li Zhi pondered these questions, he jotted them down on paper.

At this moment, Wang Fusheng came to his side and handed him a memorial.

"Your Majesty, the Governor's Office of Falcon Prefecture has sent an urgent report."

Li Zhi opened the memorial and saw that it was a joint memorial submitted by Liu Renyuan and Zhao Chiman.

The two submitted two memorials.

Their first suggestion was for the court to issue an edict stipulating that the rank of Hayato (a high-ranking official) could not exceed the seventh grade, so that Hayato could be better managed.

After Hayato's betrayal, Li Zhi also lost his goodwill towards these natives and immediately nodded, deciding to adopt their advice.

The second matter was that, since the territory of the Falcon Prefecture had expanded by nearly half, the two requested that the Falcon Prefecture be upgraded to a Protectorate and that the name Falcon Prefecture no longer be used.

The two of them had a good idea: the Governor-General's Office would be upgraded to the Protectorate General's Office, which would promote both of their official positions.

However, considering their significant contributions in the war, Li Zhi was unwilling to refuse them and promoting them to the position of Protectorate General was not a problem.

In any case, Japan will be conquered sooner or later anyway, and given Japan's territory, the governor-general's office is definitely not enough to govern it.

As for the name, Junshu is indeed unsuitable.

Just as Li Zhi was pondering a new name, a palace attendant came to report that Wu Meiniang was requesting an audience.

In the height of summer, when the weather was hot, Wu Zetian had just invented a new kind of sour plum drink and specially brought it over to Li Zhi to relieve the heat and fatigue.

After drinking a bowl of sour plum soup, Li Zhi found it refreshing and smooth, so he asked for another bowl. After finishing it, he smiled and said, "Meiniang, how about you help me think of a name?"

Wu Meiniang asked in surprise, "What name do you want?"

Li Zhi then told him about the promotion of Junzhou to a Protectorate General.

After a moment's thought, Wu Meiniang said, "I recently read the Book of Liang, and in the section on foreign tribes, there is a record of the Wa (Japanese) country, which is called Fusang. How about we call it the Fusang Protectorate?"

Li Zhi listened but remained silent.

He originally thought that Wu Zetian would name it "Japan Protectorate", because the word "Japan" was the one that Wu Zetian bestowed upon the Japanese kingdom.

"Does Your Majesty find this inappropriate?" Wu Meiniang asked.

Li Zhi thought for a moment and said, "How about this, you think of another name, and I will choose one of the two."

Wu Meiniang pondered for a moment, then said, "The Records of the Grand Historian states that Xu Shi and others from Qi submitted a memorial, saying that there are three sacred mountains in the sea, named Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou, where immortals reside. Why not name them the Eastern Ying Protectorate? What does Your Majesty think?"

"Eastern Japan" sounds more evocative than "Fusang" (Japan).

Li Zhi stopped hesitating and said, "Alright, let's use the Eastern Protectorate then."

A few days later, Li Zhi proposed at a court meeting to upgrade the Shunzhou Protectorate to the Dongying Protectorate, and the ministers had no objections.

After some discussion by the Central Secretariat, the Protectorate of Japan was divided into sixteen prefectures and fifty-four counties.

With this, the number of Protectorates in the Tang Dynasty increased to six.

They are: Dongying Protectorate, Andong Protectorate, Yanran Protectorate, Hanhai Protectorate, Anxi Protectorate, and Kunzang Protectorate.

(End of this chapter)