Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 381 Li Chengqian: I'm Going Back to Chang'an to Kill People! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Everyone says that the people of the Tang Dynasty were open-minded, but I never expected that the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty would have such a taste?
But Princess Guanghua is almost forty years old now, while the Crown Prince of Tang is only fourteen or fifteen years old. The difference is too big!
It has to be said that the person Li Chengqian wanted really shocked Sangbuzha and Hegan Chengji.

So much so that their brains were starting to malfunction.

Although they knew that Tang Dynasty nobles were extravagant, with women of foreign origin and young ladies, they never imagined it would be this extravagant.

It completely overturned their worldview.

And most importantly, Li Chengqian was the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. Wasn't he afraid of the negative impact?

However, just as they were lost in thought and at a loss, Li Chengqian's voice rang out again: "What, your Zanpu doesn't agree?"

"No, Your Highness, the person you want...we...we..."

He Gan Chengji instinctively wanted to answer, but in the end, he couldn't help but laugh.

In his opinion, Li Chengqian's demands were too bizarre, practically extreme.

Although Princess Guanghua was indeed quite beautiful, she was no match for the status of the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty!
Even if you want to play games, you don't have to be so blatant, do you?
Seeing that Hegan Chengji hesitated to speak, and even suppressed a laugh, Li Chengqian's face instantly darkened, and he couldn't help but shout: "What are you thinking in that dog brain of yours?! I asked Songtsen Gampo for Princess Guanghua because there is a case that I need to investigate thoroughly!"

"And this case is very likely related to Princess Guanghua!"

"If Songtsen Gampo is unwilling, then I have nothing to talk to you about!"

After saying this, he waved his hand impatiently and said, "Laifu! Show the guest out!"

"You two, please!"

Lai Fu stepped forward and, with a frosty expression, gestured for Sangbuza and Hegan Chengji to enter.

At this moment, Sangbuza realized what had happened and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Highness, please calm down. We misunderstood. Let's talk this over!"

"What's there to discuss? I've already told you my needs. If you can't make the decision, then go back and ask Songtsen Gampo!"

Li Chengqian continued impatiently.

Sangbuza and Hegan Chengji exchanged a glance, but the latter frowned and asked, "Your Highness, if our Zanpu agrees to bring Princess Guanghua to you, can you agree to a marriage alliance between the Tang Dynasty and Tibet?"

"You want to eat farts, huh?!"

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes at Hegan Chengji and sneered, "Is a mere Princess Guanghua worth my Great Tang sacrificing a princess for?"

“But Princess Guanghua is, after all, the mother of Dayan Mangjiebo, and Dayan Mangjiebo has only recently surrendered to our Tubo. Is it really appropriate to send his mother away like this?” Sangbuza couldn’t help but interject.

"Whether it's good or bad is your problem! If your king agrees to my request, I don't mind giving him one condition, as long as it's not too unreasonable, I can agree to it!"

Li Chengqian said expressionlessly, "Or, you can let me meet with Princess Guanghua to learn some things, and I will grant you one more condition!"

"this."

Upon hearing this, Sangbuza and Hegan Chengji exchanged bewildered glances.

Although they did not know what Li Chengqian's conditions were, it would be worthwhile for Tibet to gain benefits from Li Chengqian.

After all, Li Chengqian's deeds had already been reported back to Tibet by Gar Tongtsen Yulsung.

Moreover, Li Chengqian single-handedly destroyed the Tuyuhun, which further confirmed the news brought back by Lu Dongzan that the Tang Dynasty had produced an outstanding crown prince.

But then Sangbuza hesitated slightly and said, "What if the condition is that the Tang Dynasty and Tibet coexist peacefully and do not invade each other, is that acceptable?"

"can!"

Li Chengqian nodded in confirmation, then changed the subject: "But the premise is that your Tubo must be incorporated into the territory of my Great Tang, drop the name of the country, become a prefecture or county of my Great Tang, be subject to the jurisdiction of my Great Tang court, and shall not have an army!"

"How can this be?!"

Sambuza's face darkened; he clearly could not accept this condition.

Li Chengqian shrugged indifferently and said, "Therefore, I suggest you choose a more practical condition!"

"No, I just don't understand why the Tang Dynasty must go to war with Tibet. Didn't you just conquer Tuyuhun and Xueyantuo? Isn't such a large territory enough for your development?"

Sangbuza said with a frustrated look, "I've heard that the population of the Tang Dynasty is now less than that of the Sui Dynasty!"

"You've heard it right, the population of the Tang Dynasty is indeed not as large as that of the Sui Dynasty. However, it's necessary to take precautions. Isn't your Zanpu also expanding his territory? Is his ambition really that small?"

"in addition."

At this point, Li Chengqian's gaze suddenly sharpened, and then he looked at Sambuto meaningfully: "If I'm not mistaken, your Zanpu's next step should be to move the capital, right?"

Boom!

Upon hearing this, Sangbuza was struck dumb, and immediately looked at Li Chengqian with disbelief.

It should be noted that the relocation of the capital was a top secret in Tibet; apart from Songtsen Gampo and himself, almost no one knew about it.

Even now, Lu Dongzan, Hegan Chengji, and other important Tibetan officials are unaware of this.

How did this Tang Dynasty crown prince figure it out?

Seeing Sangbuza's expression constantly changing, Li Chengqian said with interest, "It seems I guessed right. Now, let me guess again, where will your Zanpu choose as the location of the new capital?"

"Yes, the new capital must be easy to defend and difficult to attack, and even have natural barriers as a shield, so that it can be attacked or defended at will. It must also have a grand vision, such as being able to launch an attack on the Central Plains at any time."

At this point, Sangbuza's heart was in his throat, and he desperately hoped that Li Chengqian would not reveal that location.

But Li Chengqian was clearly trying to intimidate him, so naturally he couldn't do as he wished.

But then Li Chengqian casually said, "I think the position of Lhasa is quite good. What do you think? The Tibetan envoy?"

Boom!

Sambuza was struck dumb again, his face filled with astonishment.

He probably never dreamed that Li Chengqian knew so much about Tibet.

They even knew about the top-secret news of the capital relocation.

This was absolutely terrifying to him.

It's important to know that Lhasa was a crucial step in Songtsen Gampo's ambitions.

Firstly, from a political and security perspective, Shannan Qonggyai is the birthplace of the Tubo Kingdom, but the old aristocratic forces there are powerful.

Songtsen Gampo's father was poisoned to death because he favored the new nobles, which angered the old nobles.

Although Songtsen Gampo later quelled the rebellion, the power of the old nobles was still not to be underestimated, and they remained a hidden threat.

Moving the capital to Lhasa would have avoided this disaster and strengthened centralized power.

Secondly, as Li Chengqian said, Lhasa's geographical location is excellent. It is backed by the Tanggula Mountains to the north, connected to the Potala Mountains and Niangbo to the east, bordered by the Xiangxiong Kingdom to the west, and controlled the Yarlung River Valley to the south.

After moving the capital, Tibet could quickly mobilize troops to threaten all sides, making it a perfect capital.

In addition, the fertile land and abundant water resources of the Yarlung Valley allowed Tibet to learn from the Central Plains, develop large-scale agriculture, and break free from a single pastoral lifestyle.

Finally, after Songtsen Gampo pacified the Zhangzhung Kingdom, he gained the support of many tribes in Lhasa, which laid a solid foundation for him to balance the old and new nobles.

That's why Sangbuza seemed so at a loss after Li Chengqian pointed out the location.

It's like having your underwear exposed; you can't help but be shocked.

"Your Highness, you're overthinking it. Our Zanpu has never considered moving the capital. Besides, Lhasa is a very unstable place. Who would want to move their capital to such an unstable location? Don't you agree?"

Sambuza snapped out of his shock and vehemently denied it.

Li Chengqian said with a half-smile, "I was just saying it casually, I didn't think too much about it. Even if you move there, I won't be surprised."

"What I care about most right now is whether you can send Princess Guanghua here. I need to ask her some questions!"

"However, I still do not understand why the Great Tang must go to war with Tibet. Could Your Highness please explain? That way, I can return and give an explanation to the Zanpu!"

"Ah!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian couldn't help but laugh: "Why are you so stubborn? Everything needs a reason. There aren't that many reasons in the world. If you insist on a reason, I'll find one for you."

"Yes, it's called 'How can one allow others to sleep soundly beside one's bed?' Understand?"

"If you still don't understand, let me put it more bluntly: your Zanpu's ambitions are not to be tolerated by our Great Tang! Therefore, I will destroy Tibet before he can develop it further!"

"This"

Upon hearing this, Sangbuza was speechless and turned to look at Hegan Chengji.

Hegan Chengji looked at Li Chengqian with admiration, thinking to himself why he hadn't waited a little longer. Perhaps if he had waited a little longer and worked a little harder, he could have served this Crown Prince.

If I could follow this Crown Prince, I would definitely rise to great heights in the future.

However, there is no going back in life. He is now despised by Li Chengqian because he has become Songtsen Gampo's dog.

Thinking of this, Hegan Chengji couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He thought to himself, "If we're both dogs, why can't I be the Crown Prince's dog?"

"Alright! I've said what I should and shouldn't have said. You can all go back now and let Songzan Gampo think it over carefully and decide what conditions he wants before sending Princess Guanghua here!"

Li Chengqian waved his hand, clearly having lost all interest in communicating.

After glancing at Hegan Chengji, Sangbuza didn't know what to say, so he tactfully took his leave.

About five days later, at the invitation of Songtsen Gampo, Li Chengqian, accompanied by his Black Armor Guards, arrived at the border between Tuyuhun and Tubo.

At this moment, the wind and snow had stopped, the sun was shining brightly, and the surrounding area was covered in white snow, like a fairyland.

In his previous life, Li Chengqian always wanted to go to Tibet, but he never made it, which he considered a regret in his life.

Although they hadn't yet ventured deep into the heart of Tibet, the beautiful scenery already made the trip worthwhile. A man wearing a rosy crown and distinctive Tibetan aristocratic clothing, accompanied by Sangbuza, Hegan Chengji, Lu Dongzan, several Tibetan officials whom Li Chengqian didn't recognize, and several thousand Tibetan cavalry, slowly made their way to the opposite bank of the river.

"Your Highness, Crown Prince of the Great Tang Dynasty, our Zanpu has a few words he would like to say to you!"

Hegan Chengji, as Songtsen Gampo's translator, was the first to speak.

Li Chengqian did not humiliate him further, but instead initiated the conversation in Tibetan: "Songtsen Gampo! I am Li Chengqian, the Crown Prince of the Great Tang Dynasty. Speak your mind directly! I understand!"

Wow!
These words caused an uproar among the entire Tibetan court and its officials.

Especially Songtsen Gampo, whose facial expressions were incredibly fascinating.

Although he had heard of Li Chengqian's prowess more than once, he realized now, having met him in person, that his reputation was well-deserved.

"No wonder the Heavenly Khan dared to fight on multiple fronts; having such a crown prince is something all emperors throughout history would envy!"

Songtsen Gampo narrowed his eyes, sighed with emotion, and then turned to look at Gar Tongtsen: "Great Master, you are right. This boy is a major threat to Tibet. It is either him or me who dies!"

Having said this, he spurred his horse onto the rocky beach without another word, and laughed loudly, "Crown Prince of the Great Tang! I, the Zanpu, have long heard of your deeds, and now that I see you, it is indeed true that your reputation is well-deserved!"

"You flatter me, Your Majesty. I have heard of you very much!"

Li Chengqian said something noncommittal, then continued, "I wonder what the Zanpu intends to say to me?"

"Hehe, I already know that you sent Sangbuza and the others to deliver it. Now, I ask you, how confident are you that you can conquer my Tibet?" Songtsen Gampo said with a seemingly relaxed smile.

If Li Chengqian dared to speak so arrogantly, he wouldn't say another word to him, but would simply turn his horse around and lose all interest in continuing the conversation.

If Li Chengqian wasn't very confident, he would not hesitate to order the Tibetan cavalry behind him to attack him immediately.

Therefore, Li Chengqian's answer was of paramount importance to him.

Li Chengqian smiled faintly, then said jokingly, "It seems that the Zanpu has made up his mind to go to war with our Great Tang?"

"Didn't the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty insist on going to war with Tibet? He even said something like, 'How can we allow others to sleep soundly beside our bed?'"

Songtsen Gampo narrowed his eyes slightly, and in his words, he did not lose any of his majestic demeanor.

After hearing his words, Li Chengqian couldn't help but scrutinize this powerful ruler of the plateau.

It must be said that Songtsen Gampo was quite good-looking. He didn't have the ruddy complexion of someone from the high altitude, nor was he unshaven or unkempt. If it weren't for his rough skin and clothing, it would be hard to tell that he was a Tibetan.

It seems he has put a lot of effort into understanding Central Plains culture.

And that is precisely his most terrifying aspect.

Li Chengqian's expression turned solemn: "These are indeed my words. Even in front of the Zanpu, I must say this: either Tibet will completely submit to my Great Tang, or this war will be inevitable!"

"Hmph! Enough with the nonsense! How confident are you?"

Songtsen Gampo snorted coldly, then stared intently at Li Chengqian.

But Li Chengqian calmly held up five fingers and said, "Fifty percent! I am fifty percent confident that I can take down your Tubo!"

"Only fifty percent, and you dare to be so arrogant?"

Songtsen Gampo said with some surprise.

In fact, 50% was the limit he calculated.

But given his personality, if the chances of winning this battle were only fifty percent, he would never have taken such a risk as Li Chengqian.

However, Li Chengqian shook his head dismissively and said, "Fifty percent is already very high for the Tang Dynasty now. If you are allowed to develop for a few more years, I'm afraid you won't even reach fifty percent."

"So, you should understand what I'm thinking."

"Ah!"

Songtsen Gampo laughed: "Of course I understand what you're thinking, but I'm telling you, you won't succeed!"

"Whether we succeed or not, we'll only know after we fight. Before you sat on the throne, could you have foreseen that you would be in this situation today?" Li Chengqian replied calmly.

Upon hearing this, Songtsen Gampo was speechless.

Then, glancing at the Tibetan officials behind him, he frowned and asked, "I heard you wanted to see Princess Huaguang? Has something happened to her?"

"I need to ask her if something happened to her!"

"Alright! I, the King, will grant your request and allow you to see her!"

"What, you're not going to set any conditions?"

"If the conditions proposed by Benzanpu could prevent our two countries from going to war, Benzanpu would definitely have proposed them. Since they can't, what's the point of proposing them?"

After saying this, Songtsen Gampo turned his head and nodded to Sangbuza behind him.

Soon, a woman who was about forty years old, well-maintained but still had some rosy cheeks from the high altitude, was brought to the riverbank by two Tibetan soldiers.

She glanced coldly at Songtsen Gampo, then at Li Chengqian, and said in a cold voice, "Traitorous subject of the Li family, why do you not bow to this princess?"

"Be bold!"

Before Li Chengqian could speak, Laifu shouted out sharply.

Li Chengqian chuckled and said, "The Sui Dynasty is gone, yet you still remember it! It's a pity your dead father has long forgotten you. Otherwise, why would he have married you off to this poor, desolate place?"

"you!"

Princess Guanghua was momentarily speechless after Li Chengqian's retort, then sneered, "Don't be too happy yet. Your Tang Dynasty will one day follow in the footsteps of my Sui Dynasty!"

"Yes! You're right! Throughout history, no dynasty has ever escaped the demise of its ruler! But so what? The princesses of my Tang Dynasty are as precious as golden branches! Unlike the Sui Dynasty, they won't be discarded like weeds!"

Li Chengqian still found it somewhat amusing, saying, "Even hundreds of years later, when my Tang Dynasty falls, it will still be a dynasty of unyielding integrity that refuses to make peace through marriage, pay reparations, cede territory, or pay tribute. And what about your Sui Dynasty? It will only forever remain on the pillar of historical shame, despised by future generations! It will be infamous for ten thousand years!"

"you!"

Princess Guanghua was once again speechless at Li Chengqian's words.

Even Songtsen Gampo, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but look at Li Chengqian with a face full of surprise.

At this moment, Li Chengqian's smile faded, and he said, "Alright, enough with the nonsense. You probably know why I want to see you! Now, please tell me, what's the deal with that cup?"

"Was it your idea, or were you instructed to do it?"

Upon hearing this, Princess Guanghua frowned, then clenched her sleeves. After a moment, she suddenly smiled and teased, "Seeing how anxious you are about this, could it be that the plague has already spread in Chang'an? Or perhaps your mother has been infected with smallpox?"

Boom!

These words caused a sensation throughout the room!

The other Tibetan officials, including Songtsen Gampo, all looked at Princess Guanghua with surprise.

Li Chengqian, however, was not surprised at all and said, "So, you planned this?"

"So what?"

"Bam—!"

A gunshot suddenly rang out, startling Songtsen Gampo's warhorse, which reared up and neighed incessantly.

"Zanpu!"

Lu Dongzan shouted, "Watch out for muskets!!"

Songtsen Gampo's expression changed drastically. While controlling his warhorse, he checked his own body. He seemed to feel no pain, and then looked at Princess Guanghua with suspicion.

Princess Guanghua's face was deathly pale, and her left arm seemed to be dislocated, being held by her right arm, teetering on the verge of falling.

But then a cold, murderous voice rang out again: "I'll ask you one more time, was it you who orchestrated this?"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice.

Li Chengqian held a musket, his face indifferent as he aimed it at Princess Guanghua, as if he were ready to shoot her at the slightest provocation.

"The Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty."

"Answer me!"

Songtsen Gampo wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Li Chengqian's angry shout.

Princess Guanghua gradually felt the pain in her arm, because one cannot feel pain immediately after being shot.

However, compared to the pain in my arm, the feeling of being on the verge of death was the most terrifying.
She suppressed the pain, glanced instinctively at Songtsen Gampo and Dayan Mangjiebo, who was bound behind her, and finally gritted her teeth, turning to Li Chengqian and saying, "It wasn't me who planned it, it was the Shouzhulang who planned it. Fuyun was also rescued by the Shouzhulang's men, but that cup... Li Ke wrote a letter asking me to deliver it."

"Did Li Ke know that the cup had smallpox?"

"Knowledge"

"Oh!"

Another gunshot rang out.

However, it didn't hit Princess Guanghua, but rather it hit the sky.

After firing the shot, Li Chengqian turned his horse around without saying a word and rode away.

"Crown Prince of Tang! Where are you going?"

Songtsen Gampo couldn't help but ask a question.

But Li Chengqian, without turning his head, said, "Return to Chang'an! Kill people!"

(End of this chapter)