Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 459 Two Powerful Countries
Li Ji, the Prince of Xiaowu, had two younger brothers and two younger sisters.

His two younger brothers had been granted titles and moved out as they grew older, while his two younger sisters, though also granted titles of county princess, still lived with him.

When Wu Minzhi arrived at the Prince of Wu's residence, Li Ji had gone out on business and was not in the residence; only his two younger sisters were there.

Princess Xin'an was older, around thirteen or fourteen years old. She entertained guests in the back hall, while Princess Xuancheng went to find Li Ji to bring him back.

After waiting for more than an hour, Li Ji finally returned to his residence.

He asked his two younger sisters to accompany Helan Minrou to stroll and admire the flowers in the backyard, and then pulled Wu Minzhi to the study to talk.

Wu Minzhi asked him where he had just gone.

While pouring tea, Li Ji complained, "Where else could we go? Of course, we're busy with important business. Don't you know that a lot of undocumented immigrants have recently entered Chang'an?"

Wu Minzhi took the tea he offered and laughed, "I'm not an official of Yongzhou Prefecture, how would I know about these things?"

Li Ji asked in surprise, "Aren't you from the Inner Commandery? The Inner Commandery should be very busy lately."

Wu Minzhi asked in surprise, "Why?"

Li Ji stared at him for a while, and seeing that he didn't seem to be hiding anything, he asked, "Do you know where those unregistered people who come to Chang'an are from?"

"I don't know."

"They are all foreigners from the Western Regions!"

Wu Minzhi's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Is it because of the Abbasid Caliphate?"

Li Ji laughed and said, "Don't you already know that?"

Wu Minzhi smiled and said, "I only know a little about the situation in the Abbasid Caliphate."

Li Ji explained, "There are many people from beyond the borders who have come this time, including Khazars, Romans, Berbers, Mustafas, Baidas, Sogdians, Kunlun slaves, and others."

Wu Minzhi said, "This is not surprising. The Arabs have ended their civil war and are about to expand, which makes all the surrounding countries afraid. The people of those countries are afraid of being forced to convert to the Arab religion, so they are fleeing in all directions. Some have fled to the west, and some have fled to our Great Tang."

"I knew it! Why did so many people suddenly appear in human form?" Li Ji suddenly realized.

Wu Minzhi laughed and said, "Just you wait and see. Once the Arabs start making their move, there will be even more people fleeing here. Your Yongzhou Prefecture will be very busy from now on."

Li Ji also became curious at this point.

Like most Tang people, he didn't know much about the Arabs, only that they interfered when the Tang Dynasty attacked Tibet and were eventually driven out by Su Dingfang.

Unexpectedly, their mere end to the civil war instilled fear in so many countries and caused so many people to flee.

Are the Arabs really that powerful?

Wu Minzhi said solemnly, "Indeed powerful. I have recently been in charge of the restoration of Tokharistan and have heard a lot about the Abbasid Caliphate from a Persian named Peroz."

Just as Li Ji was about to ask, he suddenly heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Li Ji asked.

“Brother, it’s us,” replied the Princess of Xin’an.

Li Ji said, "Come in."

With a creak, the door was pushed open, and Princess Xin'an, Princess Xuancheng, and Helan Minrou walked in together.

He Lanminrou was also holding a tray in her hands.

“Brother, this is plum juice made by Sister Helan. It’s especially refreshing and thirst-quenching, so we brought it over for you and Wu Langjun to try.”

Li Ji took a cup from He Lanminrou's hand and said with a smile, "Thank you, sister."

Helan Minrou smiled in response, then handed Wu Minzhi a cup, and the three women left.

Li Ji's mind was entirely on the Arabs, so he put the plum juice aside and continued to inquire about the Arab situation.

Wu Minzhi then explained the situation of the Arabs in detail, including their "Revelation Ceremony," threatening all surrounding countries to participate.

Hearing about their formidable strength and domineering actions, Li Ji couldn't help but feel a little worried. He asked, "Now that they have ended their civil war, will they attack our Great Tang again?"

Wu Minzhi laughed and said, "You don't need to worry. His Majesty has been dealing with the Abbasids for a long time. This plan to restore the Tokharistan kingdom is precisely to deal with them! Besides, they are also restrained by powerful countries around them."

Li Ji asked, "Are there any other major powers in the Western Regions?"

Wu Minzhi said, "There are two other great powers, though not as powerful as the Abbasid Caliphate, but about as strong as Goguryeo."

Which two?

Wu Minzhi said, "One is the Khazars Khanate!"

“I know that among the unregistered people who have infiltrated Chang’an this time are Khazars, who seem to be a nomadic people.”

Wu Minzhi said, "The Khazars are a very special nomadic country. They are different from the Turks. They live in the Caucasus region and have many ethnic groups, such as the Huns, Turks, Caucasians, Yuezhi, and Tiele!"

"There are also Xiongnu people?" Li Ji exclaimed in surprise.

Wu Minzhi laughed and said, "It is said that the Khazars were descendants of the Xiongnu people who migrated westward during the Han Dynasty. They first established a Hunnic Empire, which swept across the Western Regions and was called the 'Scourge of God' by the people of the Western Regions. Later, after the empire disintegrated, a group of fierce people established the Khazars."

Li Ji nodded, as if opening a door and realizing once again the vastness of the world, his eyes sparkling.

Wu Minzhi continued, "Although the Khazars Khanate was strong in battle, its national strength was limited, roughly the same as the Western Turks of that time. The other country was much stronger, with a large population, probably no weaker than Tibet."

"Oh, which country is it?" Li Ji asked hurriedly.

Wu Minzhi said, "They were the Byzantine Empire, which lived in the Qin region. They were once the Persians' archenemy, and it is said that their dynasty lasted for nearly three hundred years."

The Byzantine Empire was only a branch of the Roman Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, and was now in its third dynasty, the Heraclionic dynasty.

Each of their dynasties was named after the Byzantine Empire, unlike the Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties in the Central Plains, which were primarily named after the dynasty.

The Daqin region was the Tang Dynasty's general term for the area west of the Abbasid Caliphate.

Li Ji knew little about the Abbasid Caliphate, and even less about Byzantium. He exclaimed, "So there's such a powerful country in the Qin region. Is their territory as large as Tibet's?"

Wu Minzhi laughed and said, "The original territory of the Byzantine Empire was not very large, but the Kunlun region (Africa) where the Kunlun slaves lived was larger than that of Tibet. It was because they ruled Kunlun that the Kunlun slaves were sold to all parts of the world."

The Kunlun slaves of Chang'an were very famous, and this was the first time Li Ji had ever heard of their origins.

He pondered for a moment and said, "So, in other words, besides our Tang Dynasty as an enemy, the Arabs also have two other enemies: Byzantium and the Khazars?"

Wu Minzhi said, "That's right. Although these two countries are not as strong as the Abbasid Caliphate, they have a close relationship and are allies. They once fought against the Persian Empire together."

Li Ji's eyes lit up, and he said, "If that's the case, why not join forces with these two countries to deal with the Abbasid Caliphate?"

Wu Minzhi said, "I also mentioned this idea to Peroz, but I estimate it will be difficult."

"Why?"

Wu Minzhi said, "According to him, the Khazars hate the Central Plains dynasty very much, and I'm afraid they won't join forces with our Tang Dynasty."

Li Ji asked in surprise, "Could it be that they still hold a grudge against the Han Dynasty for driving them away?"

Wu Minzhi shrugged and said, "I don't know then, but I don't quite trust that Persian. Anyway, His Majesty has already sent envoys to the Abbasid Caliphate, so they should be able to meet with the envoys from both countries. We'll find out then." ...

The Caucasus, the Khanate of the Khazar Khanate.

While Khazar Khan Zabiel was enjoying the song and dance in his tent, a subordinate came to report that the Byzantine King "Horned Constantine" had arrived.

Khazar snorted and said, "I won't see you."

No sooner had the words been spoken than the tent flap was lifted.

A man strode in, laughed heartily, and said, "Old friend, are you still angry with me?"

The man had a long beard, brown skin, and a burly build; he was none other than Constantine II, the monarch of the Byzantine Empire.

The fact that the monarch of one country personally visited another demonstrates the close relationship between the two nations.

Khazars stared at the Byzantine king for a while, then waved for everyone in the tent to leave, and said in a deep voice, "Constantine, you must give me an explanation this time."

Constantines sighed, walked to a chair, sat down, picked up a bag of goat's milk, and drank it, not forgetting to praise it after finishing.

"Delicious! It's only here that I can find such delicious goat milk."

Khazar Khan snorted, "If you don't give me an explanation, don't even think about coming here to drink goat's milk again!"

Constantine stroked his beard and said slowly, "Old friend, I know you're angry because you sent an envoy to Damascus without consulting me first, but do you know why I did that?"

"I was just about to hear your explanation." Khazarsan raised an eyebrow.

Constantines said in a deep voice, "The reason is simple: the Arabs are stronger than ever before! In the past, the Arabs were divided into eastern and western factions, and they were at odds with each other. Even you and I couldn't resist them. Now, Mu'awiyah has integrated all the power of the Arabs. If he launches a thunderous attack, it will be enough to destroy my country!"

Khazar Khan sneered, "In the end, you're still afraid of the Arabs. You really disappoint me!"

Constantines said slowly, “Old friend, I am different from you. Over the years, the Arabs’ western army has been attacking me. Constantinople has been besieged several times, and the empire has been severely weakened.”

"And you? You haven't suffered any major attacks in recent years. It's said that many tribes have migrated from the east and joined your Khanate. Your strength has actually increased. Am I right?"

The Khan fell silent.

As Constantines noted, the Khazars Khanate had grown considerably in strength over the past few years.

Eight or nine years ago, a large number of Turks migrated from the east and fled here, like stray dogs.

He sent people to contact them and learned that they were Western Turks who had been defeated by the Eastern Tang Empire.

These Turks did not belong to the five tribes of Dulu and Nushibi; they were small and medium-sized tribes that could not compete with the Ten Tribes Turks for territory and could only migrate westward.

Ultimately, the Khazars Khan accepted them.

A few years later, a group of Tiele people also migrated from the east. They had also been driven out of the Tang Dynasty, but the Khazars Khan accepted them and integrated them into the Khanate.

After these two mergers, the Khazars Khanate's strength increased significantly, which is why it dared to confront the Arabs head-on.

He originally intended to kill the Abbasid envoy as a sacrifice to the flag, but when he heard that the Byzantine Empire had agreed to send an envoy, he became furious.

Upon hearing Constantine's explanation, it was indeed true.

If the Arabs were to launch a full-scale attack on the Byzantine Empire, they could very well destroy it, leaving them vulnerable on their own.

Constantines said slowly, “Old friend, there is actually another reason why I sent envoys to Damascus this time.”

The Khazar Khan asked, "What is the reason?"

Constantines said, “I have recently heard a lot of news from the East, saying that there is a powerful empire in the East, and the Arabs have fought against them but did not gain the upper hand.”

Khazar Khan said in a deep voice, "That's right, this empire is the new master of the Central Plains dynasty, named Tang. Although they are hateful, their strength is indeed formidable."

Constantines said with a burning gaze, "If that's the case, why don't we send someone to secretly meet with the Tang Dynasty envoys and join forces with them to fight against the Abbasid Caliphate?"

The Khan sneered and remained silent.

Constantines frowned and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

The Khazar Khan said coldly, "The people of the Central Plains are very cunning. If we join forces with them, we will only be betrayed."

Constantines waved his hand and said, "They don't border us, so even if they wanted to harm us, they couldn't do anything about it. Why don't we give it a try?"

The Khan remained silent in thought.

Constantines added, "Even if we can't join forces with them, we can sow discord between them and the Arabs, causing the Arabs to target the Tang Dynasty. Once they are both weakened, we won't have to fear the Arabs anymore."

A glint flashed in Khazar's eyes, and he laughed, "Now that you mention it, it makes some sense."

Constantines laughed and said, "Then it's settled. We will both send envoys to Damascus. Let's be patient for now, and we'll get our revenge from the Arabs sooner or later."

Khazar Khan took a deep breath and said, "Alright, I'll listen to you this time!"

Constantines was overjoyed and said, "If we can persuade the Tang Dynasty to form an alliance with our two families, we can work together to eliminate the Abbasid Caliphate and share its lands!"

But the Khan suddenly poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

"Don't even think about it. The people of the Central Plains look down on everyone. Everyone else is called a barbarian. They will only ask us to be their vassal state and send people to pay tribute to them. They will never form an alliance with us."

Constantines squinted and said, "In that case, they are no different from the Abbasids."

The Khazar Khan said calmly, "I guess in their eyes, the Arabs are only fit to be vassal states."

Constantines suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Khazar Khan asked, bewildered, "What are you laughing at?"

Constantines laughed and said, "Now that you say that, I'm even more confident. The more arrogant a person is, the easier it is to be taken advantage of."

The Khazar Khan said, “That is true, but the people of the Central Plains are equally cunning, and one must be careful when dealing with them.”

Constantines grinned: "Do you think they're smarter than us Byzantines?"

The Khazars had never met the people of the Central Plains, and the narratives passed down through generations contained only curses and hatred towards the Central Plains dynasties, without any praise.

Therefore, although the Khazars found the Tang people cunning, they did not think they were particularly intelligent.

"Who on this land has as many thoughts as you Byzantines?"

Constantines laughed: "I'll take that as a compliment. By the way, I've brought you another two thousand black slaves this time, consider it my apology!"

Khazar Khan exclaimed with delight, “That’s wonderful! I recently seized an iron mine from the Caucasian mountain people and I need black slaves to mine it. Thank you, old friend.”

The two reconciled and immediately held a private meeting in the camp.

After three days of discussions, Constantines finally left the Khazars Khanate.

Half a month later, the Khazars Khan sent an envoy to Damascus to offer congratulations.

It was already December, and there was only a little over a month left until the Arabs' "Great Revelation".

(End of this chapter)