Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 469 When Great Powers Clash, Small Powers Suffer
Chang'an, Huwang Street.

Lu Dongzan was sitting in the room reading a book when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.

He got up and went to open the door. As soon as he opened the door, his heart sank. He saw Changsun Wuji and Wang Jishan standing outside the door.

"Imperial Brother-in-law and General Wang, your presence is an honor. I, Lu Dongzan, have failed to greet you properly. Please come in." Lu Dongzan composed himself, gave a curtsy, and stepped aside to let the two of them in.

He then realized that the Japanese Maritime Man was also following behind, but because he was too short, he had been blocked by Wang Jishan.

After entering the room, Changsun Wuji sat down in Lu Dongzan's chair.

Wang Jishan stood at the door with his arms crossed, like a door god, his expression quite unfriendly.

Lu Dongzan's gaze swept over the three of them one by one, finally landing on Changsun Wuji.

"Imperial Uncle Changsun, you and General Wang have come to see me, surely there's something you need?"

Changsun Wuji squinted and said, "Brother Lu, I have always admired your talent, which is why I requested His Majesty to see you. But you are plotting something behind my back. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Lu Dongzan asked, "What does the Imperial Brother-in-law mean by this?"

Changsun Wuji said in a deep voice, "Did you meet Bili Du last month?"

Lu Dongzan felt a chill run down his spine and did not answer immediately.

Dahai Ren laughed and said, "Mr. Lu had better tell the truth. I happened to be outside admiring the lanterns that day, and when I came back, I could see it very clearly."

Lu Dongzan glanced at him and could only admit, "That's right, Bili Du and I are neighbors, and we see each other occasionally. That's normal, isn't it?"

Changsun Wuji said calmly, "That's a coincidence. You just met Bili Du, and that's how he was able to leave Chang'an."

Lu Dongzan said, "The decision to release the poison was made by the Emperor of Tang. How could I possibly influence it?"

Changsun Wuji said, "Although you cannot influence His Majesty's decision, you may be able to guess it."

Lu Dongzan fell silent again.

Wang Jishan said in a deep voice, "Mr. Lu, this is your last chance. If you continue to deceive us, you should know the consequences."

Lu Dongzan looked at Wang Jishan and said, "General Wang, are you suspecting that while I outwardly wrote a letter instructing Qinling to launch a surprise attack on the Arabs, I secretly asked Bilidu to pass on a message to him, asking him to collude with the Arabs?"

Wang Jishan raised an eyebrow and said, "Isn't that possible?"

Lu Dongzan took a deep breath and said, "Before answering this question, may I ask a few questions first?"

Wang Jishan looked at Changsun Wuji, and seeing him nod, said, "Okay."

Lu Dongzan looked at Dahai Ren, who asked in surprise, "What?"

Lu Dongzan said in a deep voice, "The matter I want to ask is very important, and it's best not to let any bystanders hear it."

"you……"

Just as Dahai was about to speak, Wang Jishan waved his hand, signaling him to leave.

Left with no other choice, the man from the sea had to leave.

Lu Dongzan looked at Changsun Wuji and said, "Could you tell me about the current situation in Tibet?"

Changsun Wuji nodded and said, "Last month, Qinling led the Tibetan army into the Great Bolu Kingdom, and they came very close to the Arab army. It's just a pity that Qinling has not yet made a move against the Arabs..."

Last December, the Arab army entered Greater Bolu from Lesser Bolu.

At the southern border of Greater Bolu, Tang troops under Su Dingfang had long been stationed.

After entering February, Qinling personally led 20,000 Tibetan troops into the Great Bolu Kingdom.

From the Tang people's perspective, he was nominally helping the Abbasid army fight against the Tang Dynasty, but in reality, he was looking for an opportunity to betray them and launch a surprise attack on the Abbasid army.

However, it is now March and Qinling has still not made a move. The Tang court has begun to suspect that Qinling does not intend to launch a surprise attack on the Arabs, but rather wants to help the Arabs attack Kunzang.

Some ministers even suggested that Su Dingfang lead troops to attack the Tibetan region.

With Qinling leading troops abroad, Tibet is extremely vulnerable. As long as the Tang army attacks, it can be easily conquered.

Of course, Li Zhi did not agree to Qinling's plan without knowing what he was up to, but he did ask Wang Jishan to find out the reason.

Wang Jishan summoned his men who were monitoring Huwang Street and asked them if Lu Dongzan had been acting strangely lately.

Just a few days ago, Dahai reported Lu Dongzan, saying that he had secretly seen Bili Du on the Lantern Festival.

Wang Jishan immediately went to Changsun Wuji and told him about it. The two of them then went to find Lu Dongzan together.

After hearing Changsun Wuji's words, Lu Dongzan asked, "Does the Imperial Uncle also believe that I deceived you and secretly instructed Qinling to continue helping the Arabs?"

Changsun Wuji said in a deep voice, "Although I really want to believe Brother Lu, the current situation is indeed puzzling, which is why I came to Brother Lu to verify."

Lu Dongzan said, "Then I can tell the Imperial Uncle that Lu Dongzan did not deceive anyone!"

"If that's the case, why hasn't Qinling made his move yet?"

Lu Dong sighed in admiration and said, "Because he has too many concerns."

"Oh, what are your concerns?"

Lu Dongzan said, "First of all, he knew that if the Tang Dynasty really wanted to take action in the Western Regions, it would have to deal with the Turks first. The Tang Dynasty would not take any action before the Turks were eliminated."

Changsun Wuji said, "So he's waiting?"

Lu Dongzan nodded and said, "Yes, if the Tang Dynasty can't even deal with the Turks, he doesn't think it's worth taking such a big risk for the Tang Dynasty."

Wang Jishan sneered and said, "How can such an opportunist be trusted?"

Changsun Wuji replied, "Any country is most concerned about its own interests. It's normal for Qinling to have such concerns, after all, it involves taking a risky surprise attack on the Abbasid Caliphate!"

Lu Dongzan said with emotion, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty."

Changsun Wuji then asked, "Does Qinling have any other concerns?"

"Yes," Lu Dongzan nodded. "He only has 20,000 men. He's worried that even if the surprise attack succeeds, the Arabs will send more troops to reinforce him. He sees no way out!"

Wang Jishan frowned and said, "As long as he severely injures the Arabs, he can go to Kunlun and Tibet and join our Tang army. How can you say there is no way out?"

Lu Dongzan glanced at him and said, "General Wang can guarantee that General Su Dingfang will definitely allow the Tibetan army to enter the country."

Wang Jishan was suddenly startled.

The battlefield is unpredictable and ever-changing. Qinling suddenly led the Tibetan army to Kunlun and Tibet to seek refuge. How could Su Dingfang be sure that he had really launched a surprise attack on the Arabs?
Could it be that the Tibetans and Arabs are staging a play to use this as a pretext for their invasion of the Tang Dynasty?
Based on Su Dingfang's experience, he certainly wouldn't easily allow the Tibetan army to enter the country.

"Then Qinling can also lead his troops back to Tibet!"

Lu Dongzan still shook his head: "There's no way back. As soon as Qinling makes a move, the Indians will treat Tibet as an enemy and block their way back to Tibet. At that time, Qinling will be unable to advance or retreat!"

Wang Jishan asked curiously, "Then why did you suggest to His Majesty that Qinling carry out this plan?"

Lu Dongzan looked at Changsun Wuji and said, "Does the Imperial Uncle know why I did this?"

Changsun Wuji stared at Lu Dongzan, remained silent for a long time, and then solemnly said, "Do you want all 20,000 Tibetan soldiers to die in battle in exchange for the trust of my Great Tang?" Lu Dongzan said in a deep voice, "The one who understands me is the Emperor's brother-in-law."

Wang Jishan looked surprised.

Lu Dongzan glanced at him and said, "General Wang, you just said that after our surprise attack, we can go to Kunlun and Tibet to join the Tang army, is that right?"

“Not bad.” Wang Jishan’s tone was now more respectful.

Lu Dongzan said, "If Qinling leads 20,000 Tibetan troops, General Su Dingfang will definitely not allow him to enter the country. But if Qinling only leads a few hundred remnants of his army, I believe General Su will still take him in."

Wang Jishan nodded.

He often stayed by the emperor's side and knew best the emperor's fear of Tibet.

Even if Qinling had launched a surprise attack on the Abbasid army, the emperor would likely still have remained wary of Tibet.

Lu Dongzan chose this method for two reasons: first, to demonstrate Tibet's stance to the Tang Dynasty; and second, to cut off his own hands, thus rendering Tibet no longer a threat to the Tang Dynasty.

At that time, even if the emperor is still wary of the Tibetans, he will be completely dispelled and will trust them entirely. Only in this way can Tibet survive.

Just as he was admiring Lu Dongzan's decisive actions, Changsun Wuji's words brought him back to his senses.

“Brother Lu, we already know about your plan, but you still haven’t explained why you’re looking for Bili Poison.”

Lu Dongzan said, "Because this is just my plan, I can't be sure whether Qinling will carry it out. My son is very opinionated and intelligent, and I'm worried he might take a different path."

Changsun Wuji asked, "Which road?"

"Has the Imperial Brother-in-Law ever heard of the Three-Colored Fruit?"

Changsun Wuji thought for a moment and said, "It seems to be some kind of Hu fruit?"

Lu Dongzan said, "Indeed, this is a fruit from the Western Regions. It tastes sweet, and there's a story about it. Would you like to hear it, Imperial Uncle?"

Changsun Wuji said, "I am all ears."

Lu Dongzan said, "It is said that a thousand years ago, the three-colored fruit grew in an oasis. This oasis was very large and was jointly occupied by three countries: Shan, Qu and Qie."

"The state of Shan is weak while the state of Qu is strong. The king of Shan is a very clever man. He deliberately proposed to give up his share of the oasis, which would cause the states of Qu and Qie to fight each other. He wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to reap the benefits."

"As a result, the Qu Kingdom and the Qie Kingdom fought for a long time and suffered heavy losses. However, they were not stupid. They quickly saw through the Dan Kingdom's scheme, so they secretly joined forces, destroyed the Dan Kingdom, and shared the oasis!"

After listening, Changsun Wuji's eyes flashed, and he said, "Brother Lu, the other path you mentioned is to instigate a conflict between our Great Tang and the Abbasid Caliphate, so that Tibet can take the opportunity to grow stronger?"

Lu Dongzan said slowly, "Yes, this path seems beautiful, but it is actually a dead end. When great powers fight, the first to suffer are often the small countries that want to reap the benefits. Qinling has too much responsibility on his shoulders, and I worry that he cannot see this point."

Changsun Wuji said, "That's why you sought out Bili Du."

Lu Dongzan nodded and said, "After he escaped, I gave him a three-colored fruit to Qinling, hoping to use it to awaken him and make him give up his illusions."

Changsun Wuji stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "It seems we have misunderstood Brother Lu."

Wang Jishan also bowed in greeting.

Lu Dongzan returned the greeting with a hand on his chest, saying, "I didn't ask you for a favor because I was worried that you would have more doubts after knowing Qinling's thoughts. Please forgive me."

Now that things had been made clear, Changsun Wuji did not linger any longer and took his leave with Wang Jishan.

Wang Jishan planned to first send Changsun Wuji back to his residence before reporting the matter to Li Zhi.

As the two sat in the carriage, Wang Jishan couldn't help but exclaim, "Uncle-in-law, no wonder you speak so highly of this man; Lu Dongzan is indeed a clever man."

Changsun Wuji laughed and said, "His most amazing thing is that even though he knows he's plotting against you, it's hard for you to get angry at him, just like what happened just now."

"Just now?" Wang Jishan was taken aback.

Changsun Wuji laughed and said, "Think about it. After he told us what he just said, even if Qinling doesn't carry out his plan in the future, but instead tries to sow discord between us and the Abbasid Caliphate, what do you think His Majesty will do?"

Wang Jishan thought for a moment and then shook his head.

Changsun Wuji said, "I think His Majesty is very likely to release Lu Dongzan and let him return to Tibet to take control of Tibet again."

Wang Jishan's expression changed slightly: "That's right."

If Gar Tongtsen's stance was more pro-Tang than that of Chinling, the Tang Dynasty would naturally prefer him to become the leader of Tibet.

"Should I still tell His Majesty these things?" Wang Jishan asked in a deep voice.

"Of course, Lu Dongzan is more rational than Qinling. To be honest, I am now more inclined to let him take control of Tibet."

Wang Jishan nodded in agreement.

Tibet was right next to the Tang Dynasty and couldn't be moved. Any rational person would choose to help the Tang Dynasty deal with the Abbasid Caliphate.

After escorting Changsun Wuji back to his residence, Wang Jishan returned to the palace and told Li Zhi what Lu Dongzan had said.

After listening, Li Zhi pondered for a moment and said, "So, we still can't be sure what Qinling will do?"

Wang Jishan said, "I think that if Qinling sees the three-colored fruit sent by Bilidu, he should give up his illusions and send troops to launch a surprise attack on Dashi."

Li Zhi hummed in agreement and said, "Then let's wait for news."

Half a month later, news finally came from Kunzang that Qinling had led his army in a night raid on the Arabs' Sacred Deer Legion.

This Holy Deer Legion had fought against Qinling in Tibet, and the two armies were evenly matched at the time.

The Arabs never expected that Tibet would go back on its word and launch a suicidal attack on the Sacred Deer Legion within the territory of Greater Bolu.

Although the night raid was successful, at dawn, the Arabs regrouped their scattered forces, and with reinforcements from other regions, they surrounded the Chinning army.

The battle lasted for three days and nights. Qinling fought desperately to escape and led several hundred remaining troops into the Kunlun-Tibet region.

The Tibetans fought a desperate battle, killing and wounding 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers.

However, apart from the nearly 10,000 Arabs killed during the night raid, most of the dead were soldiers from the Great Bolu Kingdom.

The Great Bolu Kingdom had only 50,000 troops, which were used as human shields by the Arabs to constantly wear down the Tibetans. As a result, most of them were killed or wounded, and the army was almost completely disorganized.

When this news reached the Western Regions, the various countries were half shocked and half delighted.

The good news is that the Abbasid Caliphate has finally started fighting with the Tang Dynasty, and the Abbasid Caliphate has even suffered some losses.

What was alarming was that in the battle between the Tang Dynasty and the Abbasid Caliphate, the Tibetans and the people of Great Bolu suffered the most casualties, and they began to worry that one day the flames of war would spread to their own country.

Mu'awiya was furious and immediately dispatched the Lion Legion to reinforce the Great Bolu Kingdom, but he did not order an attack on the Tang Dynasty.

He was starting to feel a little scared.

Before the Tang Dynasty even made a move, he suffered heavy losses. If they were to actually fight the Tang Dynasty, the consequences would be unpredictable.

Moreover, other countries will surely be eager to make a move at that time. Although he has many backup plans, he does not want to use them immediately if possible.

Unbeknownst to them, the initiative in the war had slowly shifted towards the Tang Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)