Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 479 The Respect of the Tang Emperor

In early September, as the autumn wind swept across the land, Li Xiao escorted Su Aoman back to Chang'an.

News of the great victory in Kunming and Tibet reached Chang'an more than a month in advance.

When Li Yong and Li Lian heard that Li Xiao was returning to the capital to present the prisoners, they sent out men half a month in advance to find out his itinerary.

Therefore, as soon as Li Xiao's troops entered the city, they were greeted by Li Yong and Li Lian.

As before, the three brothers found a teahouse at the city gate, sat down, and reminisced about their separation.

After hearing about the unique geographical environment of the Kunming-Tibet region, Li Lian couldn't help but feel a longing for it.

Li Yong, however, was concerned with military matters and quickly inquired about Su Dingfang's battle against the Arabs.

Knowing he would ask questions, Li Xiao recounted the entire battle in detail.

Upon hearing this, Li Yong was both impressed and envious.

"You're really lucky to witness a battle of this magnitude. I've never even seen one before," Li Yong said sourly.

Li Xiao shook his head as he recalled the horrific scene.

"Actually, there wasn't much to see. The scene was creepy. Luckily we won. If we had lost, I'm afraid I would have been traumatized."

Li Yong laughed and said, "That's because my second brother is too timid. I will also be able to take up my fiefdom next year. At that time, I will ask my father to let me go to Anxi. Hehe, maybe I will be able to see General Xue beat up the Arabs!"

Li Lian laughed and said, "It's only September now. Maybe by next year, Anxi will have already been conquered."

Li Yong crossed his arms and laughed, "Definitely not."

"Why?" both Li Xiao and Li Lian asked.

Li Yong said excitedly, "The Arabs lost this battle and will definitely adopt a defensive posture. They are not weak, and if they are determined to defend, it will not be easy to take them down."

Both of them nodded upon hearing this.

When Goguryeo was defending, the Tang army's attack wasn't easy either; they had to launch an all-out attack from eight directions to win. Now, with the opponent being the Arabs and the battle lines so long, it will definitely be even more difficult.

Li Lian glanced at the distant troops and saw that many soldiers were looking in their direction. He then said, "Second Brother, those people are still waiting for you. You should finish your business first."

Li Xiao, having duties to perform, bid farewell to the two brothers and escorted the caravan toward the Vermilion Bird Gate.

Before long, they arrived at the Vermilion Bird Gate, handed everyone over to the Imperial Guards, and then went to the palace to report to Emperor Gaozong.

Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) received Li Xiao at the Linhu Palace.

After not seeing him for more than half a year, Li Xiao has changed quite a bit. The childishness on his face has faded, replaced by a more mature and resolute look.

Watching these children grow up, Li Zhi felt gratified, but also realized that time flies and he was no longer young without realizing it.

"Xiao'er, sit down and talk." He gestured for Xiao'er to sit down.

Li Xiao responded and sat down next to Li Zhi, secretly glancing at him. Suddenly, his nose tingled, and he couldn't help but burst into tears.

Li Zhi laughed and said, "I just thought you'd matured a bit, so why are you crying?"

Li Xiao sniffed and whispered, "Father, you have gray hairs on your head."

Li Zhi paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "It's just one or two, no need to worry about it. I heard you witnessed the war between Su Dingfang and the Arabs firsthand, tell me about it in detail."

Li Xiao roused himself and recounted every detail of the battle to Li Zhi, in even greater detail than before.

After listening, Li Zhi sighed, "What a fine Su Dingfang! I underestimated him! His ability to lead troops is probably even greater than Xue Rengui's. I really feel bad for letting him stay in Kunming and Tibet for so many years."

Li Xiao hurriedly said, "Father, you don't need to think like that. General Su is different from other generals, and he would never blame you!"

Li Zhi asked curiously, "How did you know?"

Li Xiao then relayed Tang Xiujing's words.

After hearing this, Li Zhi remained silent in a daze. Among the generals he had met were Li Ji, Xue Rengui, Yuchi Gong, Cheng Zhijie, and Cheng Mingzhen.

All of these people had a special affection for the battlefield, and Cheng Mingzhen even hoped to die on the battlefield.

Who would have thought that Su Dingfang was an exception? He had little interest in military campaigns, but his ability to lead troops was second to none!
Is this a gift?

Li Zhi shook his head and asked again, "Did Su Dingfang really capture Su Aoman?"

Li Xiaodao: "Yes, this Suoman is quite a man. He took the initiative to cover Bai Tu's escape and was captured for that reason."

Li Zhi nodded and waved his hand, saying, "Go and pay your respects to your mother and mother-in-law first. I want to meet this Suoman. We can talk about it another day."

Li Xiaoying acknowledged and took his leave.

"Fusheng, convey my decree to summon Suoman to an audience. Oh, and have Peroz release him, then bring both of them over together," Li Zhi instructed.

Wang Fusheng received the imperial decree and sent a palace attendant to Mojiaxuan to deliver it.

Upon receiving the decree, Peroz was overjoyed and went to the Imperial Prison, where he found Suoman in a cell.

Suoman sat cross-legged on the ground, his pale hair hanging down in a mess, his eyes closed, with an expression of waiting for death.

Peroz clasped his hands together and prayed to the goddess Nana in the void, thanking her for bringing this traitor before him. Then he opened his eyes and shouted.

"Suoman, do you still recognize me?"

Peroz spoke in Persian. Suoman was startled when he heard it, opened his eyes, and looked at Peroz with surprise.

"You are...Prince Peroz?"

Peroz sneered, "Very well, you still recognize me. You traitor, did you ever imagine this day would come?"

Suoman was silent for a moment, then said, "Since things have come to this, I have nothing to say. Please cut off my head."

Peroz said coldly, "Don't think I'll let a traitor like you die easily. After His Majesty has seen you, I will beg him to hand you over to me. I will make you wish you were dead!"

Suoman glanced at him, shook his head, and remained silent.

"What do you mean by shaking your head?" Peroz snapped.

At this moment, the attendant beside him grew impatient and said, "General Peroz, let him out quickly, the saint is still waiting."

Peroz was slightly startled and dared not say anything more. He ordered the guards to open the cell door and bring out Suoman.

Peroz led Suoman out of the Jinwu Prison, through the Chengtian Gate, and headed towards the Linhu Palace.

Not far from the Linhu Palace, the eunuch led Suoman into a small palace.

Peroz asked in bewilderment, "Eunuch, weren't you going to see the Emperor? Why are you here?"

The eunuch glanced at Suoman and said, "How can he appear before the Emperor in this state? He must be cleaned up to avoid disturbing His Majesty."

Suoman took a bath in the small hall and changed into clean clothes before the group headed towards the Lakeside Palace.

Upon arriving at the viewing platform, Peroz led Suoman to meet the emperor.

When Suoman met Li Zhi, he held his head high and did not greet him.

Peroz flew into a rage, kicked him in the back of the knee, pressed down on his head, and roared, "How dare you be so disrespectful before the Emperor of Tang!"

Li Zhichao stared at Peroz.

Peroz thought he had been disrespectful to the emperor, so he quickly knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I was momentarily rude. Please forgive me." This time, the Tang army's direct victory over the Abbasid Caliphate made him even more respectful of the Tang Dynasty. For the first time, he felt that restoring his kingdom was so close, so he was even more respectful to Li Zhi, fearing that he might offend the emperor at a crucial moment.

Little did he know that Li Zhi had deliberately sent him to fetch Suoman in the hope that he could win over this former general.

Although Suoman did not have the full trust of the Arabs, he was, after all, the commander of the Four Holy Legions and knew the Arabs' situation very well.

As long as he submits, the Tang Dynasty will be able to understand the true nature of the Arabs.

Su Dingfang and Wang Xuance knew this, which is why they had Li Xiao escort him back to the capital.

Li Zhi didn't even have time to talk to his son before rushing to see Suoman, and that was the reason.

Who would have thought that Peroz, so focused on restoring his kingdom, failed to consider this aspect and was only concerned with venting his resentment.

Li Zhi said to Peroz, "My lord, you must not be rude. Help General Su up."

Peroz was stunned until he saw Li Zhi staring at him. Startled, he quickly agreed and reluctantly helped Suoman up.

Suoman glanced at Li Zhi and said in Tang language, "Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Tang, I know you want to persuade me to surrender and obtain the secrets of the Abbasid Caliphate. However, I can tell you that I will never betray you. Kill me!"

After Su Aoman was defeated by Su Dingfang, he began to learn Tang language. Although he did not speak it fluently, Li Zhi could understand it with difficulty.

Seeing his expression, Peroz gritted his teeth in anger and sneered, "General Su, you say you won't betray the Arabs, but do you know that the Arabs have already..."

Li Zhi raised his hand to interrupt, saying, "Your Excellency, please be quiet for a moment."

Peroz was startled and quickly replied, "Yes."

Li Zhi turned and glanced at Su Aoman, saying, "General Su, the reason I treat you with courtesy is to respect your courage in covering the rear alone. Don't you find it ridiculous that I want to persuade you to surrender?"

Suoman raised his head and said, "What's so laughable?"

Li Zhi said, "You saw the strength of my Tang army in the Battle of Kunzang. Do I need to rely on external forces to deal with the Abbasid Caliphate?"

Suoman said, "If Your Majesty believes that the Tang army will be invincible after defeating the Lion Legion, you will surely be met with news of defeat!"

Li Zhi looked at him and said, "I know that the Abbasid Caliphate has another cavalry legion. Could it be that their fighting strength is stronger than that of our Tang cavalry?"

Suoman said in a deep voice, "The Tang cavalry is indeed powerful. The Holy Sword Legion may not be able to defeat your country's cavalry, but..."

At this point, he suddenly realized what was happening and stopped talking.

Li Zhi smiled and said, "I understand. There must be an army in the Abbasid Caliphate that is even more powerful than the Holy Sword Legion, is that right?"

Suoman snorted, "So you were trying to trick me into revealing information."

Li Zhi slowly said, "General Su, I have ordered people to investigate your past. When the Arabs attacked Persia, you fought bravely on the front lines, but the Persian king led his royal family to flee."

"Even in dire straits, you refused to surrender. The Arabs used your elderly mother and threatened to massacre the city to force you to surrender. You only submitted to protect your mother and the people in the city."

Peroz was slightly startled upon hearing this.

He was young when he left Persia. He only knew that Suoman had betrayed the country, but he did not know why he had betrayed it, nor did he ever investigate.

Is it really so?

Suoman was greatly shocked.

After he surrendered to the Arabs, he was regarded as a traitor by all the Persians, and the Arabs also looked down on him and never truly trusted him.

Unexpectedly, the emperor of the Eastern Empire was the first to discover the bitterness he had buried deep in his heart.

Li Zhi continued, "Our Great Tang Dynasty was founded on loyalty and filial piety. I greatly admire your actions, which is why I personally came to see you."

Suoman sighed and lowered his head, saying, "You flatter me. Suoman has indeed surrendered to the enemy and has no face to accept your praise."

Li Zhi looked at him and said loudly, "I am the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty. You have earned my praise, so you can hold your head high and not care about rumors. General Su, raise your head."

Suoman was slightly startled, and slowly raised her head to meet Li Zhi's gaze.

This was the first time he had ever looked at this Eastern emperor.

The person before me possessed a unique air of authority, yet within that authority lay a touch of approachability and gentleness. His eyes were calm, conveying both admiration and encouragement.

Suoman took a deep breath and patted his chest, saying, "Suoman thanks His Majesty the Emperor for his high regard."

Li Zhi said, "The old general betrayed his motherland out of desperation. Now is the time to make amends. Why not help Prince Peroz restore his country and restore his true nature?"

Suoman turned his head to look at Peroz.

Peroz understood the emperor's intentions at this moment. Suppressing his resentment, he nodded to him and said, "Please help me, old general!"

Suoman closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then finally opened them, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed, saying, "Suoman is willing to submit to His Majesty the Emperor and is willing to help the prince restore his kingdom!"

Li Zhi was overjoyed and went over to help him up, saying with a smile, "General, you must be tired from your journey. Go and rest first. Tomorrow I will issue an edict to confer titles upon you."

Suoman asked in surprise, "Does Your Majesty not want to ask me about the Arabs?"

Li Zhi smiled and said, "I have already said that winning over the old general is out of respect for his character. Of course, now that the old general is a subject of the Tang Dynasty, he can also tell me about the situation in the Abbasid Caliphate. However, this matter is not urgent. You may go and rest first. My humble servant, you can slowly tell Minister Su about the situation in the Abbasid Caliphate."

Peroz acknowledged and left with Suoman.

On their way out of the palace, neither of them uttered a word.

After a long silence, Peroz slowly said, "General Su, even if you wanted to go back to the Abbasid Caliphate, you couldn't."

Suoman asked in surprise, "Why?"

Peroz said, "Because the Arabs claim that it was your defection on the battlefield that led to the Arab army's defeat!"

Suoman was both shocked and furious: "What?!"

Peroz said, "This news has already spread throughout Chang'an. If you don't believe me, you can go and find out for yourself."

Suoman's hands trembled slightly, filled with grief and indignation.

He risked his life and sacrificed 20,000 soldiers to cover the retreat, all in an effort to salvage some honor after his death, but he never expected the Arabs to treat him like this.
Actually, upon closer reflection, this is quite normal.

To maintain their reputation for invincibility on the battlefield and prevent their followers from wavering, the Arabs found it most appropriate to make him a scapegoat.

Suddenly, he remembered something. It must have been what Peroz was about to say to the Tang emperor, but the emperor had interrupted him.

If this matter were explained, he would have no choice but to surrender to the Tang Dynasty, without the emperor having to waste his breath.

However, the reason he surrendered was because he had been abandoned by the Abbasid Caliphate and had nowhere else to go, so he surrendered.

The Tang emperor advised him to surrender without informing him of this, thus preserving his dignity.

Thinking of this, he turned around, knelt down and kowtowed in the direction of the emperor.

Peroz hadn't considered this possibility. Seeing him suddenly kowtow, he asked in surprise, "Old General, what are you doing?"

Suoman stood up and said calmly, "It's nothing, let's go."

The following day, Emperor Li Zhi issued an edict appointing Su Aoman as General of the Right Jinwu Guard and granting him the title of Earl of Guining County.

When Suoman entered the palace to express his gratitude, he told Li Zhi everything about the internal situation of the Abbasid Caliphate.

Li Zhi finally learned the true nature of the Abbasids and also learned that the Abbasids had a holy army. He immediately sent Suoman to Suyab to assist Xue Rengui, Pei Xingjian and others in attacking the Tokharistan.

(End of this chapter)