Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

Chapter 888 Brothers
"Could it be that the Tang people can really fly?" Gong Ren stretched out his right hand doubtfully and stroked the window pane. His fingertips slid across the smooth wooden grid without any dust on it. It seemed that someone cleaned it regularly. Could it be that the servants here were left untouched?
There were footsteps in the corridor, and Gong Ren hurried back to his chair, holding his breath. The door was pushed open, and two young men in their early twenties walked in. He hurriedly stood up and looked at them with some surprise.

"This is the commander-in-chief of the Qinghuang Road of the Tang Dynasty, General Huliang, the commander-in-chief of the military forces in Longyou and Hexi! This is his deputy, General Yanliang!" said the Tang officer who led the way.

"So young?" Gong Ren suppressed his surprise and bowed quickly, saying, "I am Gar Mangbuzhi Lun Gongren, grandson of Gar Dongzan, the great minister of Tubo, and son of Gar Qinling Zangzhuo! I am here to meet your general on the orders of my father!"

"General Gongren, please don't be polite!" Hu Liang stretched out his right hand and said with a smile: "I have heard of your father's reputation since I was in Chang'an. This time, I was ordered by the emperor to lead the troops to hunt with your father in Qinghai. It is also a great honor!"

"General Huliang is a young hero. I admire him very much!" Gong Ren looked at Huliang and said carefully, "I heard that the Grand Commander's father is..."

"That's right!" Hu Liang nodded: "My father is Wang Wenzuo!" He pointed to Yan Liang standing beside him: "This is my elder brother. He is the king of Japan. This time he is here to help me at my father's order!"

"So that's how it is. No wonder he holds a high position at such a young age!" Gong Ren was secretly surprised. Wang Wenzuo has been very popular in recent years and is already the most famous general in the Tang Dynasty. Gong Ren has naturally heard of him. However, one son in his early twenties is the supreme commander of the western part of the empire, and another son is the ruler of a country. He can come all the way here to serve as a deputy general. His own Gar family can be said to be all-powerful in Tubo, but compared with Wang Wenzuo, there seems to be some gap.

"So you two are brothers, and this one is the supreme ruler of a country!" Gong Ren bowed to Yan Liang and said with a smile: "You are willing to abandon the dignity of a country and come to serve in the army. It is really rare!"

"Brothers quarrel within the walls, but we should defend ourselves from external insults!" Yan Liang said with a smile, "Besides, Hu Liang and I have never had any disputes, so what does this matter?"

Gong Ren laughed dryly twice, not knowing what to say for a moment, but then he heard Hu Liang say, "General Gong Ren, you and I belong to enemy countries. What is the important matter that brought you here this time?"

Gong Ren coughed. Hu Liang's words made it clear: You and I are not on the same side. If you have something to say, say it. If you don't, get out. He forced a smile and said, "I came here this time on the orders of my father. I want to discuss peace with you two!"

"Peace talks?" Hu Liang laughed. "General Gong Ren, you must be joking. Your father and I are both generals of the army, not ministers. I'm afraid this peace talk is not something your father and I can discuss rashly, right?"

"This--" Gong Ren didn't expect the other party to refuse so directly. Although Hu Liang was only a general at the front, a senior official like him must have a great say in issues of war and peace, not to mention that the government of the Tang Dynasty was in the hands of his father. It was really hateful that he pushed it away so cleanly.

"If we can't talk about peace, can we talk about a ceasefire and prisoner exchange?"

Huliang and Yanliang exchanged glances, and Yanliang smiled and said, "Cease-fire? Exchange of prisoners? I'd like to hear more about it!"

"My father means that if you two are willing to return the captured family members and Shudun City, my father will be willing to return the cities in Hexi, and both sides will temporarily cease fighting for one year!"

"Haha!" Yan Liang laughed. "General Qin Ling has a good plan. Our army has even occupied Shudun City. How can he not come back to help? At that time, the cities in Hexi will naturally belong to our Tang Dynasty. Why should we exchange them with you? As for the one-year truce, it's even more ridiculous. The situation is on our side. I will not destroy you in one go, but defeat you in one go. I will also truce for a year to let you recuperate before fighting again! Are we so stupid in your eyes?"

"You two!" Gong Ren said, "Who can tell clearly what happened on the battlefield? When Xue Rengui led an army of 100,000 and set out from Chang'an, he was full of ambition and pride, but what happened in Dafeichuan? The gods are like women, fickle and jealous. How many times have they won a great victory today and been annihilated tomorrow? Yes, the situation is indeed favorable to you now, but don't forget that Shudun City is almost 2,000 miles away from your Longxi Road. There is no state or county of the Great Tang along the way, only deserted grasslands and mountains. If you lose the battle, your army will be annihilated and no one will be able to escape! This time you have won several victories and recaptured the cities in Hexi. You have already won a complete victory. Why don't you hold on to your gains and take another gamble? If you win the gamble, you won't get more rewards, and if you lose the gamble, your life will be in danger. What a wise man would do in this situation, I don't need to tell you, right?"

"Haha!" Yan Liang laughed, "I didn't expect that General Gong Ren is not only good at fighting, but also has the eloquence of Su Qin and Zhang Yi! When I was a child, my father once said that if you win a battle on the battlefield, you must pursue the victory and chase the enemy to the north. You must never give the enemy a chance to escape and come back. The saying 'It is better to pursue the enemy with your remaining courage, rather than seek fame by imitating the tyrant!' is what it means. Why does General Gong Ren say the opposite? Could it be that my father taught me wrongly?"

"From what you said, do you think you are sure to win?"

"It's not certain that we'll win, but it's certain that our chances of winning are greater!" Yan Liang said with a smile.

"Forget it!" Hu Liang patted his brother's arm. "General Gongren is a guest from afar, don't be so decisive. General Gongren, your father's request is really unacceptable. Just like what my brother said, even if we don't agree, we can't hold the cities in Hexi for long. You want a ceasefire and prisoners, but you are unwilling to give anything. Isn't this too insincere?"

Gong Ren glanced at Hu Liang, and his expression softened a bit. "A ceasefire is a matter of mutual benefit to both sides. Why should we pay a price? As for exchanging prisoners, we can return the prisoners we defeated at Dafeichuan. How about that?"

"You mean to use the Tang soldiers captured after the defeat at Dafeichuan to exchange for the people we captured this time, right?"

"That's right, one person for one, is this okay?" Gong Ren asked.

Hu Liang and Yan Liang exchanged glances and nodded: "That's fine, but your father's wife and children are not among them. Their identities are different, they are not ordinary captives!"

"Then how can we return my father's wife and children?" Gong Ren asked.

"Use money and silk!" Hu Liang said, "The specific amount will be discussed with you later!"

"Okay, thank you both very much!" Speaking of this, Gong Ren finally breathed a sigh of relief. The primary goal of his trip was to get his father's family back, but he didn't expect the Tang people to be so tough. It took a lot of effort to see some results, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"As for the truce!" Hu Liang smiled and said, "It's definitely not possible in a year. If I win, I will be impeached by the court officials when I return to Chang'an, saying that I missed the opportunity to fight and wasted my time playing with the enemy. How about this! Let's stop fighting for 15 days first, so that we can complete the prisoner exchange first. How do you think?"

"That's great!" Gong Ren said with a smile, "Then let's stop fighting for fifteen days!"

After the two sides had reached an agreement, they asked people to bring statues of gods and Buddhas, as well as various utensils, and swore an oath in front of the gods and Buddhas. After everything was done, Hu Liang smiled and said, "General Gong Ren has come a long way, and you must be thankful for your hard work. I have asked people to prepare wine and food. Brother, I will leave the reception of General Gong Ren to you!"

"Okay, don't worry!" Yan Liang bowed to Gong Ren and said, "General Gong Ren, everything is ready, please follow me!"

The two men left the yard, crossed two alleys, and came to a side yard. They entered the gate and came to the main hall in the middle. A table of wine and food had already been set up, but there were only two seats. Yan Liang and Gong Ren sat down as host and guest. Yan Liang raised his glass to toast each other first, and Gong Ren raised his glass in response. The two drank two cups together. Yan Liang smiled and said, "There is no need to be formal here. General, just enjoy yourself!" "I dare not!" Gong Ren smiled and felt a little hot. He took off his outer robe and was left with only a short coat. The two ate and chatted for about half an hour. Yan Liang smiled and said, "Your father asked you to come to Shudun City to find us. Aren't you afraid that people will come and not be able to go back?"

"My father has many sons and daughters, so they don't need one more!" Gong Ren said with a smile.

"Really?" Yan Liang smiled. "I heard that you are the most stable and resourceful one among General Qin Ling's descendants. If nothing unexpected happens, you will inherit General Qin Ling's great cause a hundred years later!"

"You're joking!" Gong Ren said with a smile, "But I'm also confused. You're already the supreme ruler of a country, why do you still want to serve the Tang Dynasty and lead troops to war?"

"I can't disobey my father's orders!" Yan Liang said with a smile: "Besides, there are countless people in Japan who hope I'm dead. I'll be able to hear less after I go abroad."

"Is there such a thing?" Gong Ren laughed. "Then I don't believe it even more. Even if you have made contributions, there will be no reward. If you are hurt in the slightest, wouldn't it be a loss of the greater for the smaller?"

"Haha, why do you think I'll be hurt?" Yan Liang laughed and said, "In my eyes, Tubo is nothing but a chicken and a dog. Besides, a son serves his father, so what reward do I need?"

"A clay chicken and a clay dog? General Yanliang is so arrogant!" Gong Ren sneered, "As far as I know, the Tang army and our Tubo have suffered more defeats than victories!"

"That's because it wasn't my father and son who came!" Yan Liang said proudly, "If the late emperor had used my father instead of General Xue Rengui, how could there have been a defeat at Dafeichuan? I'm afraid your father and son would have been imprisoned long ago!"

"What a big tone! You must be relying on your ability to fly?" After Gong Ren finished speaking, he stared at Yan Liang's face without blinking.

"That's right!" Yan Liang was stunned when he heard this, then he smiled and said, "If he couldn't fly, how could he take down the natural fortress of Shibao City? My father's knowledge, the wonderful perception of heaven, is more than just the ability to fly."

Gong Ren stared at Yan Liang for a long time, unable to determine whether what he said was true or false. Finally, he said, "If your father is really like what you said, why does he still serve under others and become a subject?"

"The throne cannot be obtained by intelligence. My father is mindful of the old times and is committed to his duties as a minister. You cannot understand this."

"Haha!" Gong Ren laughed twice, and the words "I don't believe it" were written on his face. Yan Liang smiled and said, "I know you won't believe it either, but everyone in the world has eyes. If you don't believe it in one or two years, you will believe it in ten or eight years!"

"It's not that I don't believe it. My grandfather was a man like your father and made great contributions to the Zamp clan. But my father and uncle's generation were different, not to mention me!" Gong Ren said, "Even if your father, the great general, is like what you said, what about you? What about your next generation? Can they be like your father? I don't believe it!"

Gong Ren's words left Yan Liang silent for a long time, unable to speak.

--------

"Goryo!"

Huliang raised his head and saw Yanliang walking into the room. He quickly stood up to greet him: "Did you send that Gongren away? How's the situation?"

"Yes!" Yan Liang nodded: "I have arranged for him to rest!"

"That's good!" Huliang said with a smile, "It seems that Tubo Qinling's ambition has also faded, otherwise he would not have sent his son to negotiate with us about a ceasefire and prisoner exchange!" When he said this, he found that Yanliang looked worried, so he asked, "What's wrong? Why do you look so worried? That guy was very rude. What taboo did he say?"

"No, even if he did, I wouldn't take it to heart!" Yan Liang shook his head: "I just think our family is quite similar to the Gar family!"

"Similar?" Hu Liang laughed. "How is that possible? We are in Tibet and the Tang Dynasty respectively. We are totally unrelated. How can we be similar?"

"The Gar family rose to prominence under Lu Dongzan, who was a close minister to Songtsen Gampo. After Songtsen Gampo died, Lu Dongzan supported the young ruler to succeed him and pacified Tuyuhun. He was truly a pillar of state. Don't you think he is a bit like our father?"

"This..." Hu Liang was stunned: "It is a bit similar, so what?"

"After Lu Dongzan died, his sons became prime ministers, in charge of government affairs and the military, forcing the Zamp to hide in the palace. The Zamp hated them deeply, and the relationship between the monarch and his subjects was already rifting, and he wanted to destroy the king as soon as possible. Do you think our generation will end up like this?"

"Are you talking about you and me?" Hu Liang asked.

"Yes, you hold power inside, which means Zan Ruoxi, and I, Sutada, Yuanbao and others hold heavy troops outside, which means Qinling. The emperor can tolerate my father because they have a past relationship. Do you think the queen and her children can tolerate you and me?"

Hu Liang fell silent, and after a while he sighed: "That will be at least ten years later, let's talk about it then!"

"Huliang!" Yanliang looked into his eyes and said in a deep voice: "I tell you this because I want to tell you that if you want to go further, I will definitely support you. I will also take care of Suta and the others!"

"Yanliang——" Huliang's expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by Yanliang: "It comes out of my mouth and enters your ears. Heaven and earth know it, and you and I know it."