Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 506 Reprimand
Chimalu thought Chen Qingsi was talking nonsense in all seriousness, and was so angry that he was speechless for a moment.

Chen Qingsi saw that she had misunderstood his meaning, and emphasized: "I am not joking with you, do I really think so? There is a saying that goes "raising a tiger brings trouble". How much trouble have you Tubo caused to my Tang Dynasty over the years? Now there is a chance to destroy it and take it for myself, how can I be so soft-hearted?"

Chima Luo said angrily: "Do you really think you have a sure win? I remind you not to underestimate Gar Dongzan. He rose to prominence through military exploits and was recognized by Songtsen Gampo. Before Qinling became independent, he personally led troops to conquer most of the Tubo territory."

Chen Qingsi said politely: "Madam Xie Zhuo specifically reminded me."

Chimalo followed the army this time, knowing that this was one of the few opportunities for him to escape from the Tang Dynasty. He also wanted to use his identity to seek a future for the Meilu family.

Originally, Chimalo did not have much affection for the young king of Tubo, her future husband. After being abandoned by the other party, she was unwilling to curry favor with him. However, as the daughter of Meilu, she also wanted to take this opportunity to get a piece of the pie and help Meilu gain greater benefits, preferably to reach a cooperation agreement.

As a result, before they had time to communicate, they heard a new work by Chen Qingsi, "Hu Wu Ren", which was widely circulated in the army.

If there is no one in the country, the Han Dynasty will prosper!
Six words, full of murderous intent.

Chimalo had a bad feeling. What was Chen Qingsi's purpose in writing these poems in front of Su Dingfang's cenotaph during his expedition to Qinghai Lake?
Do you really want to completely destroy Tubo?
As a Tibetan, Chimalo naturally did not want to see this. Seeing that the Tang army was about to enter Qinghai Lake, he felt uneasy and came here specifically to test the waters.

This time, Chen Qingsi was determined and knew that it was useless to say more, so he left angrily.

When Zhang Rendan saw Chima Luo leaving, he said with a little excitement: "General Manager, we really have to destroy Tubo."

There was a glint in his eyes. He was too embarrassed to speak up because none of the generals who had led the Tang Dynasty to conquer a country had done so.

This was Zhang Rendan's first expedition, and he might have achieved the honor of destroying a country.

Apart from anything else, I will feel more confident when I brag in the future.

Chen Qingsi smiled but said nothing.

Song Lingwen also sighed: "The enemy can be destroyed, the flags destroyed, the intestines of the barbarians treaded, the blood of the barbarians waded. The barbarians were hung in the blue sky, and buried beside the purple border. The general manager's poem was passionate and made people's blood boil. When I, a scholar, heard it, I wanted to pick up a knife and chop off a few barbarian heads."

For a time, the news that they were going to destroy Tubo, march to the plateau, and occupy the Potala Palace was widely circulated.

Chen Qingsi did not explain. He rested for a night in Shibao City and continued his journey north.

Voivodeship.

"The harsh wind blows the frost and the seaweed withers, the muscles and strength of the Hu horses are strong and arrogant. There are 300,000 Han soldiers, and the general also leads the Huo, Qiao and Yao..."

Galdongzan sat on the Hu bed, looking at the poem in his hand and reciting it softly.

Before he finished reading the last sentence, he paused for a long time before saying, "Without the Hu people, the Han Dynasty will flourish."

"What a great Hu people, the Han Dynasty will prosper."

Galdongzan was well versed in Chinese culture, and his personal attainments were not inferior to those of the famous literati in the Central Plains. He had a certain appreciation of poetry and prose. While reading this poem, he couldn't help but comment on it from an artistic perspective.

Zan Po said: "This man is the culprit who brought us to this point, and yet father still has the leisure to praise him."

The change in Tubo started with the death of Zanxi Ruoduobu. If Zanxi Ruoduobu had not been killed by Su Dingfang, Galdongzan would not have changed from a king to a tyrant, and would not have come to the present situation with Tubo step by step.

Today, many of the imperial court’s policies of the past have gradually spread.

In that battle, Chen Qingsi repeatedly advised Li Zhi, and finally convinced Li Zhi to dispatch troops from the Western Regions to cross the desert for a surprise attack.

If it weren't for Chen Qingsi, their Tubo would have occupied Qinghai long ago. If it weren't for Chen Qingsi, their Gar clan would not have fallen into the situation they are in today.

It is true that Su Dingfang died of illness, but Chen Qingsi is still alive.

Zanpo vowed not to be a human being if he didn't kill Chen Qingsi.

Gal Dongzan shook his head and said, "You don't understand! Whether we can win this battle may lie in this poem."

Zanpo was puzzled. It was just quibbling over words. What did it have to do with winning or losing?
Galdong praised: "Putting aside all hatred, what do you think of this poem?"

Zanpo had learned Chinese since childhood and knew what was good and what was bad. He said, "It is indeed a good poem..." But he couldn't help but add, "But the meaning of his poem is to destroy us."

"Father naturally saw it and said it was a good thing, and that's why." Galdong praised: "Father knows the situation of the Tang court best. Their Li Zhi is not good at military affairs. There are many famous ministers in the court, but the generals who are good at fighting still regard the old ministers left by their Emperor Taizong as the best. They are in a state of transition..."

"Looking at the whole government and the country, the only ones who can really carry the banner are Li Ji and Su Dingfang. Chen Qingsi is second. Although there are many outstanding people among the others, they are still a little short of being able to truly stand alone."

"Su Dingfang is dead, Li Ji is in charge of the Western Regions, and Chen Qingsi is our only enemy. As long as we can defeat him, the Tang court will be in turmoil. In the short term, there will be no power or anyone to fight us."

"If you want to defeat your enemy, you have to know what he is thinking!"

"This poem 'Hu Wu Ren' was written by Chen Qingsi when he was offering sacrifices to Su Dingfang. He was in an excited mood. It is enough to confirm his true thoughts. From this poem 'Hu Wu Ren', we can see that Chen Qingsi is not as stable as rumored, and he still yearns to achieve the great achievements of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing."

"I, Tubo, am the best opponent for him to achieve his great cause."

"If my prediction is correct, Chen Qingsi will not continue Cheng Wuting's strategy, but will take the initiative to attack. His actions will definitely be radical, and will definitely leave us with opportunities to take advantage of."

Zanpo understood and said, "Father, what you said makes sense. So how should we respond?"

Gal Dongzan said: "Just wait and see what happens. Father still needs to take a look."

He said with a little doubt: "Chen Qingsi's strategic vision is even better than my father's. He must be able to see that it is a wise choice to confront and consume me. This can be used to consume the logistical strength of the Arab Empire. A confrontation with the Arab Empire is a competition of comprehensive strength. There is no reason to give in to the battle..."

"unless……"

Gal Dongzan looked serious and said, "He has seen that my father intends to take advantage of the confrontation to gain a foothold in Qinghai Lake. He doesn't want my father's plan to succeed... But if so, the real beneficiary will be the Arabs. Does he really think that Tubo is more important than the Arabs?"

Zanpo was a little confused and couldn't follow her father's thoughts, so she just kept silent and stayed aside.

Galdongzan looked at the "Hu Wu Ren" in his hand and said no more.

On the other hand, Tubo did not attack Cheng Wuting who retreated to Yide Fortress.

Chen Qingsi successfully met up with Cheng Wuting.

Looking at Chen Qingsi walking in front of the army, Cheng Wuting felt ashamed, thinking that as the commander-in-chief of the army, he suffered such a defeat. It was really difficult for him to face Chen Qingsi, his old boss who had strongly recommended him.

The most shameful thing is Xi Junmai...

Chen Qingsi was a great help to him, but he was careless for a moment and lost the vital Fu'ai City. After years of defense, it was destroyed in an instant.

Chen Qingsi and his troops were already nearby.

"Cheng Wuting has met the chief steward."

Cheng Wuting clasped his fists and saluted.

Xi Junmai held up his helmet in one hand, knelt on one knee and said, "Xi Junmai is ashamed to see the chief steward."

Chen Qingsi helped Cheng Wuting up and said, "Come into the tent and talk!" He ignored Xi Junmai and walked straight into the tent.

Although Wang Xiaojie was the main culprit for the Tang army's defeat, Xi Junmai's foolish rescue operation was the key to the deterioration of the entire war situation.

If he had not rashly left the city to rescue, Fu'ai City would not have been lost. The Tang army would have suffered a minor defeat at most, not a major defeat, let alone abandoning the defense line built around Fu'ai City and handing over half of Qinghai.

Xi Jun’s mistake was fatal, he was so stupid.

Unforgivable.

Even now, Chen Qingsi still can't figure out why Xi Junmai committed such a big crime.

When Xi Junmai saw Chen Qingsi coming straight into his account, he did not dare to feel a little wronged: it was Chen Qingsi who pulled him out from Jiangnan, and it was Chen Qingsi who recommended him to Li Zhi and handed over Qinghai Lake to him. When he said goodbye to Chen Qingsi, he guaranteed with his life that he would never let Tubo take an inch of Qinghai Lake.

But now, because of his own problems, the Tang army suffered such a disaster.

How dare I complain?

Xi Junmai knelt on one knee, not knowing what to do for a moment.

Cheng Wuting pulled him up and whispered, "Let's go. Let's talk inside if you have anything to say. We'll eat together and carry the food together. Why are you kneeling here and letting me carry it alone?"

Xi Junmai looked at Cheng Wuting and felt moved. He secretly hated himself for being a good-for-nothing and being deceived by Wang Xiaojie.

The reason why Xi Junmai went to save Wang Xiaojie was very stupid and very simple, just two words: "loyalty".

Xi Junmai was a man of generous character who valued friendship and treated his soldiers as brothers. Therefore, he led his men to the front, worked together, and defeated the enemy without any setbacks.

This is his strength, but it also becomes his weakness.

Xi Junmai and Wang Xiaojie met in the Shanzhou military camp. At that time, Su Dingfang had just been ordered to take charge of Shanzhou, Longyou, and be in charge of all military affairs against Tubo.

Xi Junmai went to Shanzhou personally to report military intelligence to Su Dingfang.

Xi Junmai and Wang Xiaojie even competed in archery and horse riding in the military camp...

The result was naturally that Xi Junmai was slightly better. Wang Xiaojie accepted his defeat with conviction and even took the initiative to treat Xi Junmai to a drink.

Wang Xiaojie was good at scheming for personal gain, and Xi Junmai, whose status was much higher than his, second only to Su Dingfang, also tried to curry favor with him.

In the subsequent rescue operations of Qinghai Lake, Xi Junmai fought side by side with Wang Xiaojie many times.

As for Cheng Wuting, although he spent quite a while in the Longyou Army, the threat posed by Tubo was so great at that time that Xi Junmai had never had any dealings with it since he was in Qinghai Lake.

The only two times they came into contact were during wars, and there was no chance for them to fight side by side.

The difference in closeness is also obvious.

Su Dingfang designated Cheng Wuting as his successor.

Wang Xiaojie was dissatisfied and often wrote to Xi Junmai to complain, saying that Cheng Wuting was intolerant and was worried that Cheng Wuting, as Su Dingfang's half-son, would threaten his position, so he made things difficult for him one after another.

After a while, Xi Junmai began to believe it and felt that Cheng Wu had treated Wang Xiaojie unfairly.

Wang Xiaojie attacked recklessly and was surrounded. Considering the overall situation, Cheng Wuting decided to keep his troops in place, stabilize the defense line first, and then look for an opportunity to rescue him.

Xi Junmai, however, felt that Cheng Wuting had deliberately arranged for Wang Xiaojie to sit back and watch his friendly forces get into trouble without rescuing them.

Xi Junmai hated this the most. When charging into battle, he would risk his life to save a few soldiers, let alone thousands of Tang troops.

Xi Junmai was a martial arts expert and considered himself brave. He thought he could rescue his surrounded comrades and return to the city calmly as he had done in the past.

But he hit a wall unexpectedly and almost got himself killed.

If Cheng Wuting had not come to the rescue at the critical moment, the consequences would have been disastrous.

Thinking of Cheng Wuting repaying evil with kindness, Xi Junmai felt even more uncomfortable. He opened his mouth and said with some difficulty: "Thank you!"

Cheng Wuting said, "Why thank me? It's better for two people to be scolded than for one person to be scolded. Let's go..."

Chen Qingsi rarely loses his temper in personal life, but it is just the opposite in official business. He will not tolerate his subordinates making mistakes.

"As a local commander, if you can't even manage your subordinates, what kind of commander are you? Considering the old friendship, this is a battlefield, not your own house. Lord Su Xing asked you to take care of Wang Xiaojie, but he didn't ask you to tolerate his disobedience... You treat the battlefield as a joke! I don't believe you don't know that Wang Xiaojie doesn't obey you. I just don't believe that you can't control Wang Xiaojie."

"You're still a wolf, or even a sheep."

"And you..."

Chen Qingsi looked at Xi Junmai and said, "I've seen stupid people before, but I've never seen someone as stupid as you. You walked right into a huge trap. I've seen tigers catching rabbits, but I've never seen a rabbit pry open the tiger's mouth and crawl into it. You're running a dining hall! Not satisfied with the food being served to Wang Xiaojie in Tibet, you want to throw in Xi Junmai?"

Cheng Wuting and Xi Junmai lowered their heads and dared not speak.

It was the first time they saw Chen Qingsi angry.

Chen Qingsi gave them a lecture and announced Li Zhi's punishment for the two men's defeat.

"Cheng Wuting, you did not rule strictly, which led to Wang Xiaojie's disobedience to military orders and rash attack. You are demoted to General Zuo Jinwu and temporarily lead this unit. You will be punished for your crimes and make meritorious contributions."

"As for you..." Chen Qingsi glanced at Xi Junmai, "You launched a rash attack, which resulted in the loss of our important city of Fu'ai. You will be demoted three ranks and dismissed from office. I will be granted the right to serve you as a civilian..."

After hearing this, Xi Junmai breathed a sigh of relief.

The Tang Dynasty was always very strict with defeated generals, most of them were dismissed from office. But they were not completely denied opportunities, and were allowed to serve in the army as civilians.

If one can learn from shame and then become brave, and then make meritorious contributions, even if one cannot be reinstated, one can still make a comeback.

Of course, if we don't seize this opportunity, there will be no hope.

"Is there any news about Wang Xiaojie?"

After Chen Qingsi announced Li Zhi's punishment for the two's defeat, he asked about Wang Xiaojie's news.

Although Wang Xiaojie was the culprit of this battlefield incident, he was ultimately a general of the Tang army.

Even if he deserves to die, it is not Tubo's turn to kill him.

Cheng Wuting also knew this, so Tubo did not pursue the victory.

Cheng Wuting was resting in Yide Fort while arranging people to investigate Wang Xiaojie's situation. He said, "It's strange, General Wang seems to have disappeared. I don't know whether he died in the chaos or broke through. There is no news at all. In the victory report from Tubo, there are many names of generals, but General Wang is not included!!!"

(End of this chapter)