Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 513 Is the Emperor Ambitious?

The mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, creating a joyful atmosphere.

A red carpet was laid out in the courtyard and extended all the way to the hall. Inside the hall, tables had already been set up, and many guests had arrived, gathering in twos and threes, chatting idly.

Liu Renyuan was a military officer from the Liaodong Military Region, whose officials were mainly Liu Rengui, Zhao Chiman, and Jiang Ke.

Liu Rengui did not come today, while Jiang Ke stayed at the Xiongjin Governor's Office and did not return to Chang'an.

So Liu Renyuan found Zhao Chiman and sat down to talk with him.

Zuo Rong wanted to exchange a few more pleasantries with Zhao Chiman, but Zhao Chiman hadn't been very friendly to him when they were in the Yingzhou Protectorate, and today he had an even colder face.

Seeing this, Zuo Rong stopped trying to curry favor with those around him and listened carefully to their conversations, hoping to glean some useful information.

Just as he was listening to Changsun Quan and Xin Mao talking, Zhao Chiman suddenly asked, "What is Prince Zuorong listening to? Why are you so engrossed?"

Zuo Rong was startled, but smiled ingratiatingly and said, "It's nothing. It's just that I rarely get to see so many high-ranking officials up close, so I wanted to hear a few more words."

Zhao Chiman smiled faintly and asked him many questions about the Mohe people, mostly trivial matters, but Zhao Chiman asked them with great interest.

Zuo Rong realized that this bastard was deliberately talking to him to prevent him from eavesdropping on others.

Zuo Rong had no choice but to use the excuse of needing to urinate. He got up and headed towards the East Lake. When he arrived at the corridor, he deliberately slowed down and looked around.

Suddenly, a person walked towards them. Upon seeing the person's appearance, Zuo Rong was overjoyed and quickly went to meet them.

"Cousin, what a coincidence! Are you also here for Protector Pei's wedding banquet?" he said, cupping his hands in greeting.

The visitor was none other than Li Jinxing, a Tang general of Mohe descent.

He was also from the Sumo tribe of the Mohe people, and was of the same clan as Zuo Rong. His father, Tudiji, and Qiqi Zhongxiang were cousins.

Li Jinxing frowned and said, "Why are you here too?"

Zuo Rong was furious: "It's one thing for the Tang people to look down on me, but you're a Mohe person, how dare you look down on me too?"

Li Jinxing glanced at him, saw through his thoughts, and said calmly, "Don't overthink it. What I mean is, you shouldn't have come to a place like this."

"Why? Is it because I'm not worthy?" Zuo Rong suppressed his anger.

Li Jinxing said in a deep voice, "The Tang Dynasty has always been tolerant. As long as you are a Tang person, regardless of your ethnicity, the emperor treats you the same. No one will look down on you just because you are a Hu person."

Zuo Rong was slightly taken aback.

Li Jinxing continued, "Don't you think it's strange that you're here? Pei Xingjian is a general in Anxi. Why did you suddenly come to his wedding banquet? Do you think others can't guess your purpose?"

Zuo Rong's face turned red. He was blinded by his own interests and had indeed overlooked this point.

No wonder everyone was looking at him strangely, and Zhao Chiman showed obvious hostility towards him. It turns out that everyone had become suspicious of him.

"I came here simply to admire Protector Pei; I have no other intentions," he said, stubbornly refusing to admit it.

Li Jinxing slowly said, "Recently, His Majesty summoned Protector-General Liu Rengui, Protector-General Liu Renyuan, and Deputy Protector-General Zhao Chiman respectively, and also issued an edict to transport grain and fodder to Youzhou. The court and the public have long been secretly guessing that His Majesty is about to take action against Liaodong again."

"You suddenly appear where you shouldn't be. What do you think people will think? They'll naturally think that the Sage's target this time is you Mohe people!"

Zuo Rong was greatly alarmed and said, "We have done nothing, why is Your Majesty attacking us?"

Li Jinxing looked at him strangely: "You don't know?"

"Of course I don't know!"

"Then why did you sneak in today?"

Jo-yeong gritted his teeth and told them that the emperor had ordered them to return the Silla land to Silla.

Li Jinxing pondered for a moment, stared at him, and said, "Out of consideration for our shared kinship, I'll give you a reminder: as His Majesty said, return the land on the Japanese islands that belongs to Silla to Silla!"

Zuo Rong asked urgently, "Cousin, does His Majesty intend to attack us Mohe?"

Li Jinxing refused to say anything more, saying only, "Take care of yourself," and then walked away.

After being reminded by Li Jinxing, Zuo Rong felt ashamed to stay any longer. He found a steward and asked him to tell Liu Renyuan before leaving the Pei residence.

After returning to the Honglu Temple post station, Zuo Rong summoned Qi Si Bi Yu and Ye Bo and told them what Li Jin Xing had said.

“I have a very bad feeling. Liu Renyuan is being secretive with me, and Li Jinxing is reminding me to hand over the Silla people’s land. There must be a reason for this!”

Ye Bo snorted, "I think they've teamed up to deliberately scare you, brother!"

Zuo Rong looked at Qi Si Bi Yu and saw his gray eyebrows furrowed. He asked, "Chief Qi Si, you are knowledgeable and experienced. Do you know the Tang people's purpose?"

Qi Siyu shook his head and said, "It's still unclear now, but I have a way that might be able to find out the Tang people's intentions."

"any solution?"

"Send people to spread rumors that the Tang Dynasty is going to attack us Mohe, and then observe the reaction of Tang officials to make a judgment!"

Zuo Rong pondered for a moment: "The method is good, but this is Chang'an. If our people spread rumors and the Tang people find out, it may backfire!"

His experience at the Pei residence made him realize that the Tang people were watching them closely, and that any rash actions at this time could very well completely worsen relations between the two countries!
Qi Sibiyu chuckled: "That's easy, I have my own way."

The Mohe people originally had two staunch allies in the Liaodong region: the Shiwei and the Xi people.

After the Khitan were destroyed, the Xi people were surrounded by the Tang Dynasty.

Over the years, they have gradually been assimilated, and even the prefects are appointed by the Tang Dynasty. There have been several small-scale rebellions, all of which were suppressed by Liu Rengui.

Today, it can be said that there are no more Xi people, only Xi descendants of the Tang Dynasty.

The Shiwei were different; they were a nomadic people of the same rank as the Mohe, one in the east and the other in the west.

Originally, there were many surrounding forces, and the two tribes could still live in harmony. However, when the Japanese were destroyed, the Mohe people, due to their geographical advantage, got a big piece of the spoils.

The Shiwei tribe didn't even get a sip of soup, and that's when the gap between the two tribes became apparent.

After the Mohe became powerful, they inevitably bullied the Shiwei; this was the rule on the grasslands.

Mohe cavalry frequently crossed the border to plunder the Shiwei tribe.

The Shiwei people suffered greatly and complained to the Protector-General of Andong about the Mohe people.

But the Mohe people would rob and leave without lingering, so it was impossible to obtain any evidence.

Liu Rengui focused all his energy on governing Goguryeo and was too lazy to pay much attention to it.

Seeing this, the Mohe became even more rampant, frequently venturing hundreds of miles into the Shiwei territory to plunder their women, livestock, and slaves.

The Shiwei people now hate the Mohe people the most, but they never expected that Zuo Rong would suddenly invite them.

The Shiwei were also a tribal alliance, which consisted of five major tribes during the Sui Dynasty: the Southern Shiwei, the Northern Shiwei, the Bo Shiwei, the Shenmoda Shiwei, and the Da Shiwei, collectively known as the Five Shiwei Tribes.

During the Tang Dynasty, it split into twenty-five tribes, with the strongest of them today being the Wusugu tribe.

The envoy this time was Tulie, the prince of the Usugu tribe.

Zuo Rong booked a private room on the second floor of Baxianlou Restaurant in Xingdaofang and invited Tu Lie to drink.

As soon as Tu Lie entered the house, he glared at Zuo Rong and said, "You Mohe people are truly shameless! You sneakily attacked us, and you still have the nerve to invite me for drinks!"

Zuo Rong smiled and said, "The reason I invited Brother Tu Lie here today is to apologize for what happened in the past."

Tu Lie strode up to Zuo Rong and said coldly, "Over the past few years, how many cattle, sheep, and women have you taken from us? Is an apology all you need to do?"

Zuo Rong poured him a glass of wine: "We can compensate you."

Tu Lie then sat down, gulped down the wine, wiped his mouth, and said, "I'm afraid you have some despicable trick up your sleeve again. Do you think I'll fall for it?"

Zuo Rong held out a hand: "Five thousand cattle and five thousand sheep will be delivered to your Wusugu tribe in a month." Tu Lie laughed and said, "Good, that's more like it! Although it's much less than what you plundered, considering our long-standing relationship, we can let bygones be bygones!"

He was so happy because what had been taken away were cattle, sheep and women from other tribes, but the Mohe were returning the cattle and sheep to them. How could he not be happy?

Zuo Rong poured him another cup of wine and said, "I also have something I need Brother Tu Lie's help with."

Although Tu Lie was simple-minded, he wasn't stupid. He slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "So, you gave us cattle and sheep for a reason!"

Zuo Rong said calmly, "You can treat it as a transaction."

Tu Lie snorted and said, "What do you want me to do?"

"It's simple, just spread a rumor for me that the Tang Dynasty is going to attack our Mohe!"

"What! This is Chang'an! Spreading rumors here can easily get you arrested!"

Zuo Rong squinted and said, "So you disagree?"

Tu Lie snorted, "Anything else is fine, but this is not!"

Zuo Rong coldly replied, "If the cattle and sheep are gone, I will send you 100,000 Mohe cavalry to march straight on your Wusugu tribe!"

Tu Lie suddenly flew into a rage and glared fiercely at Zuo Rong.

Zuo Rong didn't back down an inch, staring at him with murderous intent.

Tu Lie stared at him for a long time before slowly lowering his head. In the Liaodong region, the strong are respected. Now that the Mohe people are stronger, the weak can only submit, especially since they have given compensation.

"Alright, don't forget the promised cattle and sheep!" Tu Lie whispered.

Several days later, rumors spread throughout Chang'an that the Tang Dynasty was going to attack the Mohe.

The Sigongtai reacted faster than the Inner Guards this time, and quickly discovered that it was the Shiwei people who were spreading the rumors.

Upon learning of this, Wang Fusheng reported it to Li Zhi.

After listening, Li Zhi laughed and said, "It must be the Mohe people who spread rumors to the Shiwei people in order to test whether our Great Tang really intends to attack the Mohe!"

"Your Majesty, should we arrest the Shiwei people who are spreading rumors?" Wang Fusheng suggested.

Li Zhi shook his head and said, "The problem lies with the Mohe people. What's the use of capturing the Shiwei?"

Just then, a palace attendant came to report that Shangguan Yi, Liu Rengui, Yan Liben, Zhang Wenguan, and others were requesting an audience.

Li Zhi tilted his head slightly and said, "Fu Sheng, do you know why the ministers have come to see me?"

Wang Fusheng said, "I suppose they want to advise His Majesty not to attack the Mohe."

Li Zhi said slowly, "That's right, they came to advise me."

"Does Your Majesty still wish to see them?"

Li Zhi said, "Of course, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. My arrangements for Silla are precisely for the sake of these ministers in the court!"

When Liu Rengui met Li Zhi a while ago, Li Zhi expressed his intention to attack the Mohe. At that time, Liu Rengui thought he had persuaded the emperor.

Unexpectedly, Shangguan Yi suddenly approached him, saying that the emperor had recently issued another decree to transport a large batch of felt clothing to Youzhou.

Liaodong is a bitterly cold region. When the court attacked Goguryeo, in addition to transporting grain and fodder, it also sent a large number of felt garments there for protection against the cold.

Shangguan Yi suspected that the emperor was going to use force again, so he consulted with Liu Rengui.

Just then, rumors circulated that the imperial court was going to wage war against the Mohe people, so Liu Rengui and Shangguan Yi went to the palace to meet the emperor and confirm the matter.

As for Yan Liben and Zhang Wenguan, they were met on the way.

Zhang Wenguan has been in charge of the tree restoration work in the Qinling Mountains. Over the past ten years, the ecology of the Guanzhong region has improved significantly, and the arable farmland has continued to increase.

He consistently opposed foreign wars, believing that the Qin and Han dynasties' conquests of foreign tribes and construction of palaces led to the downfall of the nation and the halving of its population. He did not want the Tang dynasty to repeat the same mistakes.

When Li Zhi helped Tokharistan restore its kingdom, he submitted a memorial opposing it.

The emperor's intention to wage war against the Mohe people again has made him very uneasy.

Because the Mohe had not made any mistakes or provoked the Tang Dynasty, he feared that the emperor was ambitious and obsessed with expanding the territory, which would eventually deplete the country's strength. Therefore, he approached Yan Liben to offer advice.

After meeting Li Zhi at Ganlu Hall, the four of them inquired about the Mohe people.

Li Zhi slowly said, "I did not say that I wanted to attack the Mohe."

Shangguan Yi asked in confusion, "Then why does His Majesty want to transport large quantities of grain and supplies to Youzhou?"

Li Zhi said, "I am only trying to intimidate them and make them return the land they have seized from Silla!"

Yan Liben asked in surprise, "Does Your Majesty mean the land on Yingzhou Island that was occupied by the Mohe people from Silla?"

Li Zhi said: "That's right."

Zhang Wenguan bluntly stated, "Your Majesty, the Silla people are fickle and unpredictable. Why bother with their affairs with the Mohe? I believe Your Majesty should focus your attention on the domestic situation."

Li Zhi slowly said, "I ordered the Mohe people to return the land to Silla so that they would follow the example of Tibet and migrate to Yingzhou Island."

Upon hearing this, all four of them were stunned.

The emperor was indeed still focused on expanding the territory, but if the method of relocating Tibetans was used to acquire the land of Silla, it wouldn't be a bad thing.

Zhang Wenguan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Your Majesty, do the Silla people agree to this exchange? Do the Mohe people agree?"

Li Zhi raised his eyebrows and said, "I am sending supplies to Youzhou to get their consent."

The Silla people's clandestine antics were all reported to the court by Liu Rengui.

When Liu Rengui heard that Li Zhi wanted to deal with Silla instead of the Mohe, he immediately stopped objecting.

"Your Majesty, I believe this is a feasible plan, but Silla may not agree."

Zhang Wenguan asked, "Is there any way to get them to agree?"

Liu Rengui thought for a moment and said, "As long as we send a large army to the border and win one or two more battles, the Silla people will naturally withdraw from Yingzhou Island on their own initiative."

Yan Liben asked, "Will the Mohe people give up the land they have occupied?"

Liu Rengui said, “The Mohe people have always been submissive, and their attack on Silla was unreasonable. Your Majesty has ordered them to return, and I believe they will not dare to resist.”

After discussing this point, the group nodded and stopped objecting.

Li Zhi waved his hand and said, "Since none of you have any objections, let's do it this way."

The four men bowed and took their leave.

Wang Fusheng, who had always been by Li Zhi's side, knew best that the emperor's target was the Mohe.

"Your Majesty, if both Silla and the Mohe agree, it seems there's no way to wage war against the Mohe?"

Li Zhi smiled and said, "Over the years, Liu Rengui has only focused on Goguryeo, but he doesn't understand Silla. Just watch, Silla and the Mohe will definitely go to war."

This war was different from the Goguryeo War.

The war against Goguryeo was supported by the entire court, but only Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi) knew that there were military difficulties, so he carefully planned for seven or eight years and succeeded in one fell swoop.

Now that Goguryeo has been destroyed, the Tang Dynasty has the capability to conquer Liaodong. There is no problem militarily. The problem is that the court officials are afraid that the emperor is ambitious and will launch an unjust army to attack the Mohe, thus depleting the country's strength.

Therefore, Li Zhi adopted this method of exchanging land, taking advantage of the opportunity of Silla exchanging land to lead the Mohe people to make mistakes.

Only in this way can we obtain a pretext to attack the Mohe.

(End of this chapter)