Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 461 Those who offend our Great Tang, though far away, shall be punished.

Upon returning to the Ganlu Palace, Wang Jishan reported that the informant he had sent to Damascus to gather information had returned and provided very important news.

Li Zhi sat down in the bedchamber, gestured for Wang Jishan to sit down as well, and asked, "What news have you found out this time?"

Wang Jishan said, "According to intelligence, although Mu'awiyah has unified the Abbasid Caliphate, there are still opposing forces within it..."

It turns out that after the death of the former Abbasid Caliph Ali, the Shia sect within the Abbasid Caliphate supported Hassan as the new king.

During the civil war, it was Hassan and Muawiyah who were vying for the position of Caliph.

But Hassan turned out to be a man without much ambition.

He took the initiative to reach a reconciliation with Mu'awiyah, giving up the position of Caliph, only asking for a large sum of money, a large group of beauties, and a large fiefdom, wanting only to enjoy his old age in peace.

It was precisely because of his concession that Mu'awiya was able to successfully succeed to the throne.

The Shiites also supported Hassan's brother, Hussein, as Caliph.

After a struggle, the two sides reached a compromise.

The Shiites supported Mu'awiya as Caliph, but after Mu'awiya's death, the position of Caliph should be passed to Hussein.

Li Zhi was all too familiar with this tactic.

Generally, once such a compromise is reached, the promise will eventually be broken, and the throne will be passed on to one's own son.

Li Zhi said, "After Mu'awiyah dies, the Arabs will have another civil war!"

Wang Jishan said, "Judging from the news from Damascus, it's not long before Mu'awiyah's son, Ziyed, is already developing his own power and openly and covertly vying with Hussein! Your Majesty, I believe we can use a divisive tactic to split the Abbasid Caliphate!"

Li Zhi raised his hand and said, "If it were that easy, the Byzantines and Khazars would have done it long ago. Let's wait for Gao Youdao's news."

Li Zhi knew very well that the Umayyad Caliphate had lasted for nearly a hundred years and had even fought a war with the Tang Dynasty, so it was not so easy to defeat.

Wang Jishan responded with a "yes," and then said, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Brother-in-law invited me over yesterday and told me something that I think we must be wary of."

Li Zhi asked, "What's the matter?"

Wang Jishan said, "The emperor's brother-in-law suspects that the Tibetans want to submit to the Abbasid Caliphate and betray the Tang Dynasty."

"What is the basis for this?" Li Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

Wang Jishan then told Changsun Wuji about how he had discovered Lu Dongzan's feigned illness.

When Lu Dongzan fell ill, Li Zhi had heard about it, but he did not expect there to be such inside information.

Wang Jishan continued, "At that time, the emperor's brother-in-law was only guessing, so he did not report it. This time, after learning two pieces of information, he concluded that the Tibetans must have rebelled against the Tang Dynasty."

Li Zhi asked, "Which two pieces of news?"

Wang Jishan said, "First, the envoy sent by Tibet to the Tang Dynasty this year is Zhengzan, the third son of Lu Dongzan. He is the most filial of Lu Dongzan's sons. As soon as he arrived in Chang'an, he insisted on seeing Lu Dongzan."

If Tibet rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty would likely execute Gar Tongtsen Yulsung. As the most filial son, Zhengzan would likely be the one to see Gar Tongtsen Yulsung one last time.

Li Zhi said: "What else?"

Wang Jishan said, "According to the news from the Abbasid Caliphate, Tibet has not sent any envoys to Damascus."

Li Zhi was taken aback upon hearing this.

This grand ceremony was being held by the Arabs, and anyone who didn't attend was likely to become their first target. Therefore, even the Byzantines and Khazars sent people.

Even if Tibet wanted to resolutely deal with the Abbasid Caliphate, it wouldn't have gone so far as to not even send an envoy and deliberately provoke the Abbasid Caliphate.

There must be a demon in the abnormal situation.

Combining this with the previous events, it can be deduced that Tibet intended to secretly submit to the Abbasid Caliphate, but feared suspicion from the Tang Dynasty, hence the decision not to send an envoy.

Li Zhi said in a deep voice: "Send an edict to Su Dingfang, tell him that Tibet has rebelled against Tang, and tell him to be on guard."

Wang Jishan bowed and said, "Yes!"

……

The Arab world, Damascus.

The carriage moved slowly through the city.

After bidding farewell to the endless yellow sand, Gao Youdao and Du Yijian finally arrived at this city surrounded by an oasis.

Looking at the bustling street, all that could be seen were tent markets, caravans marking out their territory, palaces, light towers, and top towers.

Although this city was not as magnificent as Chang'an, it was the most bustling Hu (non-Han) city-state the two of them had ever seen.

The city was filled with Arabs dressed in black, as well as foreigners in brightly colored and strange costumes.

If calculated proportionally, the number of foreigners is greater than that of Chang'an.

Although these people were dressed strangely, they had seen many like them in Chang'an, so the two were not particularly surprised.

What truly surprised them was the architectural style here.

The temples here are particularly numerous and extremely magnificent, leaving visitors in awe.

The Arab official who led the way smiled and said, "Your Excellency Tang Envoy, I wonder which is better, our Arab capital or your esteemed Chang'an?"

Gao Youdao said, "If we only compare temples, your country is slightly better."

"And what about other aspects?" the Arab official pressed.

Gao Youdao said calmly, "Naturally, Chang'an is far superior!"

The Arab official managed a weak smile and remained silent.

Diplomats from other countries who come here almost always praise Damascus highly, admitting that they are inferior to it.

These Tang people were so disrespectful, yet we had been instructed not to offend these Tang envoys.

The carriage headed towards the guesthouse inside the palace. As it traveled, a group of Arab cavalry suddenly approached and spoke to the envoy in gibberish.

The envoy nodded, looking at Gao Youdao with a solemn expression, and said, "Your Excellency Tang Envoy, our esteemed Caliph has decided to summon you."

Gao Youdao followed the group of knights northward and soon arrived at the Arab royal palace.

The palace is also shaped like a light tower. The palace is filled with colorful buildings. Although it is not as majestic and magnificent as the palace in Chang'an, it has its own unique mysterious style that inspires awe.

Gao Youdao weaved among the pointed towers and soon arrived at the outside of a magnificent golden palace.

After being informed by the Arabs, he was brought into the palace.

Looking up, the palace was extremely spacious, with smooth marble floors and no furniture inside.

The four walls are covered with dense murals, one after another, connected to form a mystical story with religious overtones.

Since there was no one else in the hall, Gao Youdao could only stand in front of the murals and carefully examine the stories depicted on them.

After a short while, I lost interest. Buddhist murals usually convey the message of abandoning evil and embracing good, while Taoist murals are full of imaginative ideas that give people a sense of spiritual transcendence.

However, the murals of the Arabs do not have these stories and artistic conceptions; they only depict a strange person who, wherever he goes, is worshipped by others.

Just then, footsteps were heard behind me.

Gao Youdao turned his head and saw a man wearing a tall, glazed crown striding in.

This person was not tall, wearing a white undershirt, a red jacket, and a green cloak. He had large, bright eyes and a black beard.

He was also sizing up Gao Youdao, and his eyes flashed with an air of authority that unintentionally revealed him.

"Are you the Tang envoy?" he asked in Arabic.

Gao Youdao couldn't understand what he was saying, but fortunately, there was an interpreter behind the man who relayed his words.

Gao Youdao bowed slightly and cupped his hands, saying, "Gao Youdao, envoy of the Great Tang Dynasty, greets the King of the Abbasid Caliphate!"

Muaviyeh did not return the greeting. With his hands behind his back, he walked up to the mural and slowly said, "Do you know what is depicted in this mural?"

"I don't know."

Mu'awiyah slowly said, "This is the experience of the Prophet Muhammad preaching. God had pity on the suffering of the world and sent a divine message to the Prophet, conveying God's voice to everyone. As long as we chant the name of God, we will receive God's protection, and the world will no longer suffer and will be able to enjoy peace forever!"

Gao Youdao smiled but remained silent.

Mu'awiya turned to look at him and sighed, "The world suffers so much because of the faith in those false gods. If everyone listens to the voice of God, there will be no more war and suffering!"

Gao Youdao said, "If that's the case, and your country shares the same faith, then why did a civil war occur?"

Muaviyeh said calmly, "That's because some people's faith is not sincere enough, and they harbor selfish thoughts."

Gao Youdao, seeing his attempt to evade the issue, fell silent.

Mu'awiya raised his hands and exclaimed, "Don't you think people are too foolish? They only know how to fight endlessly. Don't you think people are too greedy? They are never satisfied. Only by listening to the voice of God can one dispel delusion and gain wisdom!"

His voice is magnetic, passionate, and very infectious.

Gao Youdao, however, said: "In the eyes of us Tang people, only by reading can one understand principles."

Mu'awiya said, "Books can be good or bad."

Gao Youdao said, "Therefore, we only read the best books left by our ancestors, which we call the books of sages."

Mu'awiya sneered, "How can a mere mortal be called a saint? How can he compare to a god?"

Gao Youdao raised an eyebrow and said, "We Tang people constantly improve ourselves. We respect and learn from the most outstanding people, calling them saints. As for your country's gods, I'm sorry, but I don't believe in them."

A cold glint flashed in Muaviye's eyes as he stared at Gao Youdao and said, "I've been having a problem lately. Do you know what it is?"

Gao Youdao calmly replied, "How would I know your troubles?"

Mu'awiya said, "Our Arab world has completed its integration, and I have also received instructions from God to bring God's blessings to those poor people who are still suffering."

"I have two factions among my ministers, one advocating missionary work in the East and the other advocating missionary work in the West. Whom do you think I should listen to?"

Gao Youdao countered, "Your Majesty, do you know anything about the Han Dynasty?"

Muaviyyad said, "I have heard of it."

Gao Youdao said loudly, "The Han Dynasty was a dynasty in our Central Plains. One of our Han emperors had a saying: 'Those who offend our mighty Han, though far away, shall be punished!' Now, our Great Tang Dynasty is the same. If you wish to come to the East to spread your religion, you had better bring warhorses and weapons, and be prepared for your country to be destroyed!"

Muaviye stared at him, a murderous glint in his eyes.

Gao Youdao showed no fear on his face. He looked at the mural again and said slowly, "Our Great Tang will never bully neighboring countries at will, but it will not allow anyone to bully it either!"

Mu'awiya was silent for a moment, then smiled slightly and said, "We in the Abbasid Caliphate feel the same way. Please convey to your emperor that I sincerely hope we can live in harmony!"

"Your subject will certainly go." Gao Youdao cupped his hands in greeting.

Mu'awiya gave the order, and had Gao Youdao taken away.

Just as Gao Youdao left, another person walked in. It was Ibn, the Arab who had been sent as an envoy to Chang'an.

"Brother, how did the meeting with the Tang people go?"

Muaviye gazed at the mural and said slowly, "Just as you said, the Tang people are not to be trifled with."

The envoy's confidence stemmed from the strength of his nation. The fact that Gao Youdao dared to be so arrogant in front of him showed that the Tang Dynasty was not afraid of them at all.

Ibn said, “Over the years, I have been sending people to investigate the Tang Dynasty. They took advantage of our internal strife to eliminate all our surrounding enemies. If we want to defeat the Tang people, we will have to use the full strength of the country, which is not a good strategy!”

Muaviyeh said, “The problem is, we don’t fight them, but they want to fight us.”

"Are you referring to the Tocharian matter?"

“Indeed, I’ve received a lot of intelligence lately. They’ve been making moves against the Tokharistan. Isn’t that a deliberate provocation?”

Ibn said, "The Tang people probably saw that you had just ascended the throne and your position was not yet secure, so they were testing you."

Muawiya said coldly, "If I don't respond to their provocations, those old Shia bastards will have something to say again."

Ibn asked, "So you're really prepared to go to war with the Tang people?"

"Have all four Holy Legions been recalled?" Muaviye asked instead of answering.

“Besides the Lion Legion, the other three Holy Legions are already stationed outside the city. In two more days, the Lion Legion will be able to return.”

Mu'awiya nodded and said, "Very good. This grand ceremony will be held in front of these foreign envoys, where we will review the mighty army of the Abbasid Caliphate!"

Ibn said, "Are you trying to intimidate the Tang people?"

Mu'aviye said coldly, "The people I want to intimidate are not just the Tang people. Have the Indians and Tibetans come too?"

Ibn said, “The Indians have arrived, and the Tibetans have also reached the city gates, but they dare not enter the city, saying they are afraid of being discovered by the Tang people.”

Mu'aviye smiled and said, "The Tang people sent people to contact these two families, intending to secretly help India establish a kingdom, but little did they know that these two families had already betrayed them. King Sinde sent someone to tell me the news, while Qinling wanted to submit to my Abbasid Caliphate and jointly resist the Tang."

Ibn laughed and said, "It's understandable that the Tibetans want to reclaim their homeland. But King Sinde is quite a surprise to me. I never expected him to be so loyal to us. I really don't know what he was thinking!"

Mu'aviye said calmly, "The strong don't need to consider the thoughts of the weak. If we fail to deter the Tang people this time, and they dare to attack Tokharistan, I will attack their Kunlun-Zang region!"

Ibn hesitated and said, "I'm afraid a full-scale war will break out. What if the Byzantines and Khazars launch a surprise attack?"

Muaviyeh said calmly, "Don't worry, I have my own ways of dealing with them."

Ibn said respectfully, "With your guidance, I believe we can surely convey the voice of God to every corner of the world!"

Muaviyah warned, "Your task is to keep an eye on Hussein. This kid is different from his good-for-nothing brother; he's ambitious. Be careful he doesn't collude with outsiders."

Ibn solemnly replied, "Yes!"

(End of this chapter)