Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 428 Persia and the Arabs

"Minister Chen, His Majesty invites you."

Chen Qingsi's identity as the hidden prime minister was well deserved. He was summoned by Li Zhi from time to time to discuss government affairs in the palace, and he enjoyed almost the same treatment as the prime minister.

Chen Qingsi had also gotten used to Li Zhi summoning him from time to time, and came to the Zhenguan Hall.

As always, Empress Wu still sat on Li Zhi's upper left.

Since being punished by Li Zhi, the Queen of the Tang Dynasty became much more honest and assisted Li Zhi in handling government affairs. In order to make her husband happy, she also acquiesced in Li Zhi's affair with his sister Wu Shun.

Li Zhi knew that Wu Shun was stupid and could not achieve his goal, so he planned to abandon her.

Anyway, I won't suffer any loss...

But now that he had gotten a charming woman for free, Li Zhi had no reason to refuse. After all, Wu Shun's charm was enough to make him want to try it.

Li Zhi also had an inexplicable sense of accomplishment regarding Empress Wu's attitude.

As a man, who doesn’t like his woman to be obedient to him?

Especially a woman like Empress Wu, who was strong-willed and extremely ambitious.

"Greetings, Your Majesty, Your Highness..."

In this era, "Your Majesty" was an honorific title for the emperor alone, while "Your Highness" was a unified honorific title for the empress, crown prince, princess, and kings below the emperor.

Li Zhi asked Chen Qingsi to take a seat, and Empress Wu nodded gently.

The emperor and the empress were very friendly.

After Chen Qingsi sat down, Li Zhi asked a question that surprised Chen Qingsi.

"My dear, have you ever known anything about the Arab Empire?"

Chen Qingsi said: "I have learned that if Tubo is the powerful enemy next to our dynasty, then Daqin is the most distant powerful enemy of our court. Daqin is even more powerful than Tubo."

In fact, in history, the peak strength of Tubo was no less than that of the Arab Empire. After the Tang Dynasty withdrew from the Western Regions, Tubo fought with the Arab Empire for the control of the Western Regions.

Both sides had their victories and defeats, but the three largest battles were all won by Tubo.

But Tubo also suffered heavy losses as a result. Especially as the climate turned cooler, the Yalong River Valley in Shannan, on which Tubo depended for survival, was no longer suitable for animal husbandry. Internal strife was frequent, and Tubo never had the chance to rise again.

However, the current Tubo is strangled by the Tang Dynasty under the influence of Chen Qingsi, and will definitely not become the giant it was in history.

With Gar Dongzan and Lun Qinling around, Chen Qingsi would not underestimate Tubo, but from a strategic perspective, as long as they don't let down, Tubo would never have the opportunity it had in history.

Li Zhi smiled and said, "Is there anything in this world that you don't know?"

Chen Qingsi said, "Of course there are. There are so many things I don't know. It's just that Your Majesty is good at using people. The questions he asks are either about what I am best at or what I should do. Naturally, I will answer them... As the Minister of War, I should understand the potential enemies of the court. The Arab Empire is ambitious and is one of them. Especially after the Arab Empire destroyed Persia, it has expanded its power to the periphery of the Western Regions. It can penetrate into the Western Regions at any time and anywhere to harm the interests of our dynasty."

Since ancient times, the internal economic cycle of the Chinese dynasty has been centered in Chang'an and Luoyang, and then radiated to the surrounding areas.

The huge interests of the Western Regions have taken a different approach...

There are hundreds of thousands of households in the seven miles of Liangzhou, and the barbarians can barely play the pipa.

Originally a border area, it developed into a large metropolis second only to Chang'an and Luoyang because of the Silk Road.

During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, the area from Anyuan Gate to the west to the end of the Tang territory was 12,000 miles long, with houses and towns visible from each other and mulberry and hemp growing in the fields. No place in the world was as prosperous as Longyou.

All these are the benefits brought by controlling the Western Regions.

If it were not for the rise of Tubo and Wu Zhou's weakness in foreign wars, which led to the Western Regions falling into the hands of Tubo, the heyday of the Tang Dynasty would never have been delayed until the reign of Emperor Xuanzong.

Li Zhi was obviously very satisfied with Chen Qingsi's answer.

Empress Wu also slightly raised her charming peach blossom eyes, looked at the young man who made the move imperceptibly, and pursed her lips.

This guy is really good at speaking in official language and knows how to act with moderation. He is truly a veteran in the officialdom.

Li Zhi said: "Then you should have heard that Persia sent people to Chang'an twice to ask for help."

Chen Qingsi nodded and said, "I've heard of it."

Chen Qingsi heard about this from Gao Zhizhou at a Qingliu Party meeting.

Gao Zhizhou was the Minister of Rites. With the promotion of the Prosperous Tang style, many gatherings of literati now begin to focus on poetry.

This is the inevitable development of the times and is unavoidable.

The more developed a society is, the greater its demand for culture.

However, the gatherings hosted by Chen Qingsi still focused on practical work, and they mainly discussed administrative matters when they got together.

Gao Zhizhou mentioned that Persia had asked the Tang Dynasty for help twice...

The first time was in the second year of the Yonghui reign of the Tang Dynasty. After the Arab Empire conquered the Persian capital of Ctesiphon, the king fled eastward with a group of Persian nobles. They asked the Tang Dynasty for help with the desire to restore their country.

It was only the second year of Yonghui, Li Zhi had just ascended the throne for more than a year, and all power was in the hands of Zhangsun Wuji. Moreover, the Yaochi Governor Ashina Helu took advantage of Li Zhi's young age and intended to take over Tang Xizhou and Tingzhou.

Under such circumstances, Li Zhi was naturally powerless and could only refuse with the excuse that "he is too far away to be my role model".

The second time was two years ago...

The Persian nobles fled to Tocharistan, and with the help of Tocharian, they recovered some of the lost territory in eastern Persia, the Khorasan region.

But the Arab Empire would definitely not agree to this and sent troops to destroy Persia again and take care of Tocharia as well.

The Persian leader Peroz had to ask Li Zhi for help and expressed his willingness to surrender.

At this time, Li Zhi had already gained confidence and agreed without hesitation. He also personally appointed Peroz as the King of Persia.

When the Arab Empire saw that Peroz had a powerful force, it became intimidated and did not dare to attack, and retreated directly.

As for the reason, we have to blame Su Dingfang.

When this Tang Dynasty god of war was fighting against the Western Turks, he almost reached the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea. His military might was so strong that everyone in the West was trembling in fear.

Even the Arab Empire has to consider its own weight...

As a result, the Tang Dynasty gained a Persian Protectorate, extending its power to Jiling City in Seinstein. This was the first time that Chinese power invaded Central Asia.

Of course, it is true that the Tang Dynasty did not station troops in Persia and did not actually control the territory.

"I just received news that there was a civil strife in the Kingdom of Daqin!"

Li Zhi said word by word: "One of their leaders named Ali ibn Abi Talib was assassinated, and now the Arabs are fighting for the position of Caliph, and they have begun fighting among themselves."

He was worried that Chen Qingsi didn't know what the Caliph was, so he went out of his way to explain it to him.

"The caliph is their leader, similar to a king." Li Zhi said, "Persian King Peroz asked me to take advantage of the situation to send troops to recapture the lost land of Persia. After success, they are willing to submit to the Tang Dynasty forever and give a large piece of land east of the West as a thank you gift. My dear, what do you think?"

Facing the Central Asian land that was both unfamiliar and full of mystery to the Central Plains Dynasty, the desire of Emperor Li Zhi, a bold emperor, to explore was once again aroused...

Chen Qingsi was confused. Although he did not have a deep understanding of the history of the Arab Empire, he knew that there was no such thing in history.

Persian refugees counterattack the Arabs?

No matter how I think about it, it's unreliable.

It must be the result of the butterfly effect...

Chen Qingsi said: "Allow me to think about it carefully!"

Li Zhi did not answer, but made a gesture to do as he pleased, with a hint of smile on his face.

This is right!

Whatever he says comes true. He can formulate a huge strategic plan without even thinking it through. Is he really the God of War and Literature who has descended to earth?

Chen Qingsi's current performance and reaction proves that he is a living person.

In fact, as Chen Qingsi thought, there was a slight deviation in history because of his appearance.

The Arabs are not just brute force men, they also know political strategies.

The power Su Dingfang displayed in the Western Regions made the Arab Empire very wary. They naturally did not want the Tang Dynasty to extend its hand to Central Asia, so on the one hand they paid tribute to the Tang Dynasty, and on the other hand they sought to form an alliance with the Tang Dynasty's enemies.

There were two intentions. The tribute was fake. The Arabs did not want the Tang Dynasty to become the backing of the Persians in restoring their country. The lobbying was real.

Li Zhi was certainly not stupid. Even though Chen Qingsi was in Baekje, he still made the most correct decision. He did not pay attention to the Arabs' demands, but instead actively controlled the countries in the Wuhu waters and could use it as a base to confront the Arab Empire.

Wang Mingyuan, the magistrate of Nanyou County in Longzhou, was appointed as the governor of Tokharistan Road to set up prefectures and counties, and accepted the submission of the sixteen Central Asian kingdoms west of Khotan and east of Persia. A military governor's office was established in the jurisdiction of each country, with the royal capital as the seat of government and the subordinate tribes as prefectures and counties. In total, 88 vassal states, 110 counties, and 126 military garrisons and prefectures were established.

When the Arabs' plan failed, they tried to win over the Tang Dynasty's enemy, Tibet.

Thus, the Arab Empire and Tubo joined forces in history, and the Khorasan Governorate and the Tang Dynasty's Anxi Protectorate confronted each other across the Wuhu River. Tubo marched into Anxi, a key point leading to Central Asia, to protect Mi, cutting off the connection between Tokharistan and the Tang Dynasty, and launched an attack on the four towns of Anxi the following year...

The situation in the Western Regions changed drastically as a result.

The Arab Empire took advantage of the situation to launch an attack, defeating Persia and Tocharian states. The Persian Governorate, which had been established only two years ago, fell, and Peroz fled to Tocharia.

This is why people in later generations said that the most prosperous territory of the Tang Dynasty only lasted for two years.

But now, because of Chen Qingsi, Tubo was imprisoned on the plateau.

The great general Xi Junmai was stationed at Qinghai Lake, with the god of war Su Dingfang providing support in Longyou.

The victim of the Tang Dynasty, Lun Qinling, let Su Dingfang hang the hammer...

The Arab Empire may still form a military alliance with Tubo, but Tubo is far from being able to stir up trouble in the Western Regions as it did in history, tying down most of the Tang Dynasty's troops and allowing the Arab Empire to complete its attack on the Persian Governorate.

Without the assistance of Tubo, the Arab Empire did not dare to attack easily, which is why the Persian Governorate exists to this day.

Faced with the internal strife in the Arab Empire, the Persian King Peroz came up with a new idea.

This is what happened today...

Civil strife in the Arab Empire!

Chen Qingsi thought carefully, sorting out the few memories in his mind.

In his memory, the Arab Empire had three names in ancient China, namely, the White Arab Empire, the Black Arab Empire and the Green Arab Empire.

Among them, the White Caliphate appeared the earliest, and it was the Black Caliphate that formally confronted the Tang Dynasty. The Green Caliphate had little connection with China, and their main sphere of influence was in Egypt.

The White Caliphate did not exist for long, but its strength was at the peak of the Caliphate. At its largest, its territory stretched from Central Asia in the east to Spain in the west.

The peak of the Arab Empire was during the reign of Li Zhi and Wu Zhou...

This means that the current civil unrest in the Arab world will not bring any adverse effects to the Arab world, but will instead bring them to the peak.

Chen Qingsi was in deep thought for nearly an hour and a half, and Li Zhi did not disturb Chen Qingsi and continued reading.

Empress Wu also had enough patience to look again at the memorials she had reviewed.

Until a sound

"His Majesty!"

"I do not think that this assistance to Persia in restoring its country is an opportunity for the Tang Dynasty."

Chen Qingsi gave his own suggestions.

Li Zhi felt a little regretful and asked, "Why?"

Chen Qingsi said: "It's a thankless task. Persia's submission to the Tang Dynasty was not a sincere surrender, but it intended to use the power of the Tang Dynasty to help it restore its country. Not to mention that the Arabs are strong and difficult to deal with. Even if the court defeated the Arabs, would Persia really be willing to cede its land?"

"Even if Persia really cedes the land, how can we govern them when our culture is different, our people are of different races, and even our basic languages ​​are different? Do we, the officials of the Tang Dynasty, have to learn Western writing and language before we can govern the local people?"

“There are too many unstable factors to be worth the risk.”

Li Zhi actually understood this truth, but the temptation was too great.

After all, Central Asia was a territory that the Chinese dynasty of this era had never set foot in...

Someone has to give him a hand.

Chen Qingsi continued, "These are all based on the most favorable circumstances. I do not think that the Arab Empire will suffer much damage from this sudden civil strife. Unless the imperial court intends to mobilize the entire country to fight a decisive battle with the Arab Empire, the power of the Western Regions alone is far from enough to win. We are not ready for a decisive battle with the Arab Empire, and of course they are not ready either."

Li Zhi frowned and said, "The imperial court has limited control over Persia. If we refuse, I'm afraid they will become alienated."

Chen Qingsi said: "I think this is an opportunity for them to recognize themselves. Our Tang Dynasty is not a tool for Persia to restore its country. We must let them know that they can't do without us, and then they will willingly submit. I think we can give them moral support. If they are obedient, the court will destroy Goguryeo, integrate internally, and then move the center of gravity westward, which will lead them to achieve their dreams."

"But if they don't listen to advice and insist on doing it their own way, and get into trouble, they will naturally behave themselves."

"Your Majesty, do not be afraid of their separation. In this world, apart from the Tang Dynasty, there is no other force that can defeat the Arabs and restore their country."

Li Zhi liked to hear this.

Li Zhi said, "A Luohan of Persia has applied to lobby Fulin Kingdom and appease the vassal states. I know that he wants to win allies for Persia, but he is a talented person. Sending him as an envoy to the western countries will also be a great benefit to our Tang Dynasty. I agree with his request and appoint him as the ambassador to appease the vassal states of Fulin Kingdom. I will hold a banquet tomorrow to celebrate his departure. You will accompany him then."

Chen Qingsi understood Li Zhi's thoughts. He was making plans for the future.

If we don't fight in Central Asia now, we will have to fight sooner or later.

This is the Tang Dynasty. Unless they are unable to fight and have no strength, they will never lack the ambition to make progress as long as there is a little opportunity.

(End of this chapter)