Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 463 What can you give me?
Upon returning to the inn, the Byzantine envoy invited Gao Youdao over and treated him to fine Byzantine wine.

The wine tasted so-so, but it had a strong aftereffect. After drinking a few cups, Gao Youdao was slightly drunk.

Seeing that the Byzantine envoy continued to urge him to drink, he became more wary and refused to drink anymore.

Upon seeing this, the Byzantine envoy stopped urging him to drink and began discussing their religion. He first gave a brief introduction to his own country's Roman Orthodoxy, and then asked what religions existed in the Tang Dynasty.

Gao Youdao said, "Our Great Tang does not prohibit religion. Any sect can survive in the Great Tang as long as it accepts our dynasty's management and respects our Great Tang laws."

The Byzantine envoy exclaimed, "No wonder the Arabs covet your country so much."

Gao Youdao frowned and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

The Byzantine envoy slowly said, "According to our information, the Arabs are preparing to use all their national strength to attack the Tang Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Gao Youdao reacted very calmly, saying indifferently, "Is that so?"

The Byzantine envoy looked at him and said solemnly, "It is because we received this news that our emperor sent me here to show weakness to the Arabs. To be frank, Your Excellency Tang Envoy, we and all the countries surrounding the Arabs hope that the Arabs will fight against your Great Tang."

"Your Excellency is quite frank."

The Byzantine envoy sighed, “Because we know very well that if the Arabs attack us with all their might, we will surely be destroyed. Not only us, but no matter which country the Arabs attack, they can destroy it. But if they fight against the Tang Dynasty, they may be defeated by you. At that time, the Arabs will be severely weakened, and we will no longer have to be afraid.”

Gao Youdao was intrigued by his frankness.

"If that's the case, why did the Arabs attack our Great Tang instead of other countries?"

The Byzantine envoy said, "Because the Tang Dynasty had no religion, or rather, to be precise, no dominant religion."

"so what?"

The Byzantine envoy laughed and said, "You should also know about the struggles between religions. We are the Roman Catholic Church. Even if the Arabs conquer us, we will not easily convert to the Arab religion. We will definitely continue to fight with them to the end."

"In other words, it's easy for them to defeat us, but it would be much more difficult for them to absorb us, and it might take a hundred years."

"But the Tang Dynasty is different. As long as they defeat the Tang Dynasty, they can easily make the Tang people believe in the Abbasid Caliphate. At that time, they can completely absorb the power of the Tang Dynasty, and their strength will far exceed that of other countries. In the end, they will annex all countries, make everyone believe in the Abbasid Caliphate, and achieve their ultimate goal."

"Therefore, their risk in attacking the Tang Dynasty is great, but the reward is even greater. Your country must be careful."

After hearing this, Gao Youdao remained silent in thought.

The Byzantine envoy laughed and said, "Let's not talk about that anymore, come on, let's continue drinking!"

The drinking session lasted for another half an hour before Gao Youdao finally took his leave.

After Gao Youdao returned to the guesthouse, Du Yijian asked him what the Byzantine envoy had discussed with him.

Gao Youdao said, "He didn't say anything, he just wanted to tell me that the Arabs are likely to be the first to attack us."

Du Yijian scoffed and said, "He's deliberately stirring up trouble, trying to provoke us into fighting the Arabs so he can reap the benefits, right?"

Gao Youdao said in a deep voice, "Regardless of what he thinks, the Arabs do indeed have the possibility of attacking us. Tomorrow we will return to Chang'an and inform His Majesty of the situation with the Arabs as soon as possible."

The next morning, the two asked the Abbasid officials to allow them to return to Tang China. They received permission that afternoon and left Damascus to return to Chang'an.

The Tang people had a custom of bidding farewell at a long pavilion.

In the four directions of Chang'an City—east, west, south, and north—there are more than a dozen long pavilions for farewells, all known as the Ten-Mile Pavilions.

Inside a ten-mile-long pavilion in the west of the city, a pot of fine wine and four small dishes were placed on a stone table, with a purple gauze curtain held high.

This was a farewell banquet.

Li Xiao downed the wine in his cup in one gulp and said, "Alright, it's getting late, you two should head back now."

Li Lian frowned and said, "Second brother, you must take care of your health on this trip. I have heard that there is a strange disease in the Kunlun-Tibet region, and many people have died of the disease for no reason."

Li Xiao smiled and said, "Don't worry. Yesterday, my father called me over and told me that the strange illness in Kunming and Tibet is due to the high altitude. As long as I walk slowly on the road and let my body gradually adapt, I will be fine."

Li Yong asked curiously, "What is altitude?"

"It's the height of the mountain. Anyway, that's what my father said, so it can't be wrong."

Li Lian sighed, "I still don't understand. With so many prefectures and counties in the Tang Dynasty, why did you have to request permission to go to Kunming and Tibet instead of taking up your fiefdom anywhere else?"

Li Xiao glanced at Li Yong and smiled, "Third brother should know what I'm thinking, right?"

Li Yong chuckled and said, "You've got your eye on the impending war between Kunming and Tibet, so you want to get involved and make a name for yourself, right?"

Li Xiao's eyes gleamed as he said, "That's exactly right!"

Li Lianqi asked, "How did you two know that Kunlun and Tibet were going to fight?"

Li Yong held up two fingers and said, "It's very simple. First, Father suddenly issued an order to detain the Tibetan envoys. Second, Father reinforced Kunlun and Tibet with 30,000 troops. This is obviously going to be a war."

Li Lian frowned and said, "So, does this mean that Tibet is going to rebel against Tang?"

Li Yong said, "It should be true. Given their audacity, they wouldn't have dared to rebel against the Tang Dynasty so easily before, but now that they dare to do this, they've probably already sided with the Arabs."

Li Lian's expression changed slightly. He said, "I heard that the Arabs have ended their internal strife. If the Arabs join forces with Tibet and India to attack Kunlun and Tibet, wouldn't that be very dangerous?"

Li Yong waved his hand and said, "With General Su Dingfang guarding the area, what danger could there be? Don't worry unnecessarily."

Li Xiaodao: "Alright, that's enough for now. It's getting late, I have to go. Sanlang, Silang, remember to visit Mother in the palace when you have time. Also..."

Having said this, there was a pause.

Li Yong chuckled and replied, "Don't worry, we'll visit your wife in the palace often, and we'll attend your wedding banquet at the end of the year."

Zheng Cai Ren had already told Wu Meiniang about Li Xiao and Xu Ling's affair.

When Wu Zetian heard that Li Zhi had agreed, she did not object.

After all, it is a prince's wedding, so it cannot be taken lightly. The wedding is scheduled for December of this year, after Li Xiao returns to the capital from his fiefdom.

After seeing Li Xiao off, the two rode back towards Chang'an.

As they were walking, they suddenly heard the sound of hooves behind them. Turning around, they saw a rider galloping towards them. The rider had a post station flag stuck behind him, and it turned out to be a messenger.

The courier had the right of way, and pedestrians and carriages had to give way.

The two men quickly led their entourage to the side of the road to let the postman pass.

After the courier had gone some distance, Li Lianqi said with a question, "It looks like a 600-li urgent message. Could it be that something has happened at the front?"

Li Yong stroked his chin and analyzed, "Judging from this point in time, it could only be a message from the Kunming-Tibet Protectorate."

"Could it be that the Tibetans launched a surprise attack on Kunming and Tibet?" Li Lian asked worriedly.

Li Yong snorted, "Even if they launch a sneak attack, General Su Dingfang will definitely repel them!"

Even so, I felt a bit more worried.

The two immediately spurred their horses and sped back to the city, hoping to find out what had happened.

Meanwhile, the courier traveled eastward and soon entered Chang'an City. He arrived at the Zhuque Gate and handed the document bag to the gatekeeper.

"Urgent dispatch from Kunming to Tibet, 600 li!"

The gatekeeper carried the official document all the way to the Ministry of War. After Hao Chujun took it and read it, he headed towards the Ganlu Hall.

Upon arriving outside the palace, Li Zhi was still inside handling official business, so he immediately summoned him into the palace.

"Your Majesty, an urgent message from Kunzang has arrived: a 50,000-strong Arab army has entered Little Bolu, and Tibet and India have also deployed heavy troops on the border. Judging from this situation, they intend to launch a military campaign against our Great Tang Kunzang Protectorate!" Li Zhi's eyes sharpened, and he ordered Wang Fusheng to present the memorial. He took it and read it.

Judging from the timing, the Arab Cult's grand ceremony had just ended not long ago, and Gao Youdao and Du Yijian should still be on their way back to Chang'an.

The Arabs immediately reinforced their troops at the front lines, seemingly quite dissatisfied with Li Zhi's provocation and determined to wage war against the Tang Dynasty.

Li Zhi had been preparing for this battle for a long time and was not afraid of him. The Tang army was in high spirits, while Mu'awiya had just ascended the throne. If the Arabs wanted to fight, then he would fight them to the end!
As for the sudden defection of the Tibetans, Changsun Wuji had already warned them, and Li Zhi had sent someone to remind Su Dingfang and dispatched 30,000 troops to reinforce Kunming and Tibet. There was nothing to worry about.

Tibet and India were originally insignificant, and it wouldn't have much of an impact no matter which side they sided with.

Moreover, the Kunlun-Tibet region has a natural advantage over the Indian region, so any attempt to attack it would be much more difficult.

This battle needs to be divided into two battlefields. The first battlefield is in Kunming and Tibet, where the Tang Dynasty will mainly defend.

The second battlefield is the Tokharistan region. Pei Xingjian has been preparing for this battle for a long time, and the Tang Dynasty will launch an offensive.

Overall, the Tang Dynasty holds the advantage in both battlefields.

Because once the Tokharistan is captured, the Arabs' retreat can be cut off at any time, and they will no longer be able to attack the Kunlun-Tibet region, and will have no choice but to withdraw their troops.

Next, it remains to be seen whether Pei Xingjian can conquer Tokharistan.

Li Zhi had never paid much attention to the matter of the restoration of Tokharistan, but now he had no choice but to inquire about it.

"Fu Sheng, the Prince of Xuan, come to see me," he instructed.

Wang Jishan arrived very slowly. It took more than half an hour for Li Zhi's decree to be conveyed before he arrived at Ganlu Hall. As soon as he saw Li Zhi, he said, "Your Majesty, I have just gone to see the Imperial Brother-in-law."

It was Changsun Wuji who first discovered the Tibetan rebellion against the Tang Dynasty, which shows that Changsun Wuji had been paying close attention to the situation in the Western Regions.

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi dared not be negligent and asked, "Did the Imperial Brother-in-law summon you?"

Wang Jishan said, "Yes."

"What did he say?"

"The Emperor's brother-in-law wishes His Majesty to meet with Lu Dongzan."

Li Zhi raised an eyebrow and said, "He wants me to see Lu Dongzan?"

Wang Jishan said, "The emperor's brother-in-law said that Lu Dongzan is a smart man, and he will make the right choice in the current situation."

Li Zhi pondered for a moment, roughly guessing Changsun Wuji's intention, and nodded, saying, "Very well, I will go and see him."

Half an hour later, Li Zhi left the palace incognito, accompanied by Wang Jishan and Wang Fusheng, and arrived at Huwang Street.

Wang Jishan knocked on Lu Dongzan's door, and the door was opened on the third knock.

Lu Dongzan had initially thought it was Changsun Wuji who had come, but when he saw that the person outside was Li Zhi, his eyes showed surprise. He bowed and said, "Lu Dongzan pays his respects to the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty."

Li Zhi smiled and said, "Mr. Lu, there's no need for such formalities."

Lu Dongzan invited the group into the house, closed the door, stood with his hands at his sides, and said nothing more.

However, upon closer inspection, one will notice that his expression is not as calm as before.

Li Zhi remained silent, sitting quietly behind the table. He picked up a book from the table and began to read. The book was a travelogue written by a scholar from the Wei and Jin dynasties during his travels.

Seeing that Li Zhi remained silent, Lu Dongzan had no choice but to speak first: "Your Majesty, have you come to see Lu Dongzan because you have something to tell me?"

Li Zhi, his gaze still fixed on the book, said without looking up, "You must have heard that I have issued an edict to imprison your son Zhengzan. Do you know why?"

Lu Dongzan remained silent.

Li Zhi slowly said, "Mr. Lu, you are a wise man. In your opinion, what will be the future fate of Tibet?"

After a long silence, Lu Dongzan slowly said, "The fate of the Tibetans is in your hands."

Li Zhi's eyes flashed, and he looked up at Lu Dongzan, smiling, "Why would you think that, Mr. Lu? Your Tubo has the Arabs as your backers, so why would you be afraid of my Great Tang?"

Lu Dongzan said, "If the Tang Dynasty did not know that we had betrayed them, we might still have a chance. Now that we have been discovered, as long as the Tang Dynasty does not attack Tokharistan and turns its spear against Tibet, the Arabs will not save us at all!"

Li Zhi smiled slightly and said, "It's rare that Mr. Lu can still be so clear-headed."

Lu Dongzan exclaimed, "Your Majesty, there is something I want to tell you that you may not believe, but I still want to tell you."

"speak."

Lu Dongzan said, "In fact, Tibet originally had no intention of rebelling against the Tang Dynasty. We only wanted to join forces with the Tang Dynasty to take over India so that we could have a place to live."

Li Zhi raised an eyebrow and said, "After you conquer India, you will be able to recover your strength. At that time, wouldn't you want to reclaim Kunlun and Tibet?"

Lu Dongzan said, "I don't know what future generations will think, but at least Qinling and I will never plot against Kunming and Tibet again."

Li Zhi laughed and said, "I don't believe it."

Lu Dongzan slowly said, "Your Majesty can understand if you don't believe us. Strictly speaking, it's not that we don't want to, but that we know we can't."

"Oh?"

Lu Dong exclaimed, "The Kunlun-Tibet region is uniquely blessed, with the snowy mountains of India acting as a natural barrier. Even with ten times the military strength, it would be difficult to attack, not to mention that our strength is inferior to that of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Zhi nodded and said, "That is the truth."

Lu Dongzan said, "But His Majesty is too wary of us and won't let us take India. Now, my Tibet only has a small and barren piece of land, which cannot last long. Qinling and I have no choice but to seek refuge with the Abbasid Caliphate and look for a change in circumstances."

From the perspective of Lu Dongzan and Qinling, they were indeed helpless, and even felt a bit indignant!
They simply couldn't understand why the Tang emperor was so wary of them, considering them such a powerful enemy when they were already so weak.

Li Zhi asked, "So what are you planning to do now?"

Lu Dongzan said, "Now that things have come to this, every choice that Tibet has made was not actually decided by me and Qinling. We had no choice at all. We will take whichever path allows Tibet to survive."

Li Zhi asked, "Is there any way to continue?"

Lu Dongzan looked at Li Zhi and said, "Then we'll see if Your Majesty is still willing to believe us."

Li Zhi asked with a burning gaze, "If I trust you, what can you offer me?"

Lu Dongzan said, "We can increase His Majesty's chances of defeating the Abbasid Caliphate."

Li Zhi laughed and said, "You are being modest. Tell me, how can I increase my chances of winning?"

Lu Dongzan said, "I will write a letter to Qinling, instructing him to launch a surprise attack on the Abbasid army in Little Bolu. What does Your Majesty think?"

If Tibet were to launch a surprise attack on the Abbasid army, it would be a pledge of allegiance, cutting off its own escape route, leaving it with no choice but to rely on the Tang Dynasty in the future.

Regardless of victory or defeat, this would only benefit the Tang Dynasty, causing no harm. Lu Dongzan was indeed a clever man; Li Zhi could not refuse his suggestion.

Moreover, the Tang Dynasty only needs to observe the situation and do nothing, and there is no need to worry about any conspiracy by Tibet.

"Alright, I can agree to your request. I will release Zhengzan. You can give the letter to him and let him personally deliver it back to Tibet."

Lu Dongzan patted his chest and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty! Regardless of the outcome of this surprise attack, our Tubo will suffer a great loss of strength. I wonder if Your Majesty can grant me a request."

"Tell me."

"If Tibet helps Your Majesty defeat the Arabs this time, I request that Your Majesty grant a portion of India to Tibet, so that Tibet may survive."

After a moment's thought and weighing of the pros and cons, Li Zhi waved his hand and said, "Alright, I can grant your request!"

(End of this chapter)