Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 510

Xi Junmai returned to Dazhai and, indignantly, wrote a letter to Chen Qingsi in Nanpingzhai to tell him what he had discovered, especially the detailed record of Wang Xiaojie's rebellion.

Wang Xiaojie was Su Dingfang's favorite subordinate. He was well versed in the ways of the world and had many connections in the military.

Xi Junmai was worried that Wang Xiaojie's rebellion would affect the war situation.

After all, if Wang Xiaojie didn't attach great importance to it, how could he have such powerful guards who were willing to protect him to the death?
When deciding to retreat, Xi Junmai cleaned up the battlefield.

Our soldiers who died in battle must be properly collected, and the enemy soldiers must confiscate their armor and weapons.

Xi Junmai also saw the armor under the enemy soldiers' robes. It was not the armor of the cavalry that they often encountered on the battlefield. The style and structure were different from the armor of the East. The Tang army's armor was fine, and was assembled and sewn piece by piece. But the enemy's armor was forged from whole pieces of iron.

Xi Junmai had some impression of this kind of armor. There was a reinforcement from the Kingdom of Daqin in the Tubo army. In addition to a group of black troops, there was also a combination of infantry and cavalry. Their combat effectiveness was particularly strong, and their armor was like this.

Obviously, the armor worn by this Tibetan army came from the Arab Empire.

Xi Junmai also attached great importance to this and wrote it to Chen Qingsi.

After receiving Xi Jun's letter about buying books in Nanping Village, I was completely confused.

"Wang Xiaojie?"

"what's the situation?"

This logic doesn't make any sense...

If Wang Xiaojie was really captured, how is it possible that there is no news at all?

Even if he really surrendered, he wouldn't be treated like this?

Who would be willing to let a surrendered general lead the elite troops?
Wang Xiaojie?
Chen Qingsi stood up suddenly and blurted out: "That's the Tibetan king!"

He recalled the legendary experience of Wang Xiaojie. Wasn't it because he looked so much like Mangsong Mangtsen that Chidu Songtsen, who lacked fatherly love, treated him as a guest of honor and allowed him to run rampant in Tubo?

Without knowing the inside story, it is understandable that one would be suspicious when seeing someone who looks 80% similar to you.

Tibetan king!

Mangsong Mangzan!

Why did he suddenly come to Fuai City?
Chen Qingsi's thoughts were racing.

Due to successive defeats, the situation within Tubo was not good.

The powerful men all have their own ulterior motives. Galdongzan leads the troops outside, while Mangsongmangzan watches from the rear. Only with the two of them, one inside and one outside, can the current situation in Tubo be stabilized.

Why did Mangsong Mangzan not stay in Luoshui to stabilize the rear, but ran to Fu'e City?
Could it be?

Is there something wrong with Galdongzan?

A hint of joy flashed in Chen Qingsi's eyes. It was impossible for Mangsong Mangzan to leave the base camp in Luoshui and come to Fu'ai City for no reason.

Since he is here, it means one thing, there is a reason why he must come...

Apart from the problem with Galdongzan, Chen Qingsi could not think of any other reason that could make Mangsongmangzan abandon Luoshui and come to Fu'e City at this critical juncture.

Thinking about the Tibetan army's lack of action these days, Chen Qingsi had every reason to believe that something was really wrong with Gal Dongzan.

Chen Qingsi couldn't help but take two steps back and forth, then suddenly stopped and made up his mind.

"Come on, beat the drum to gather the troops."

"Also, pass on my order to Cheng Wuting and Tuoba Jun to leave some people to guard the camp, and the rest of the people to march out of the camp fifteen miles away and wait for orders."

Chen Qingsi's plan was not to rush for success in order to achieve the goal of consuming the economic resources of the Arab Empire.

But now the situation has changed. Galdongzan has health problems and may be dead or unable to manage affairs. In short, he is unable to suppress the private soldiers of the Tibetan nobles on the front line.

Now there is a question, is Mangsong Mangzan here?

Can he keep calm?
Chen Qingsi responded with skepticism. It is true that Mangsong Mangzan was indeed outstanding, even beyond Chen Qingsi's expectations.

His miraculous operation in Luosu saved Tubo, which was on the verge of collapse, and pulled Tubo back from the abyss.

This does require extraordinary political means, but political means are political means and may not work well in the military.

The military emphasizes two words: prestige. If you don't have enough prestige and the soldiers and officers under you don't obey you, no matter how capable you are, it will be useless.

Mangsong Mangtsen had a very clear resume. Because his father died early, he succeeded Songtsen Gampo at a young age and became the king of Tubo. Then he became a puppet of Gardongtsen, and all the affairs of the court were decided by the Dalunfu: it was Gardongtsen who personally led the army to conquer Lowo and Zangerxia, completing the great cause of unifying the plateau that Songtsen Gampo had not completed. It was also Gardongtsen who led an army of 120,000 to destroy the Bailang tribe, expanding the territory of Tubo by thousands of miles and creating conditions for attacking Qinghai Lake.

As for his achievements in internal affairs, let’s not talk about it. Galdongzan’s status in Tubo was really equivalent to Zhuge Liang during the Shu Han period, and he was in charge of both internal and military affairs.

Mangsong Mangzan was only responsible for the sacrifices.

Only recently, due to the defeat of Lunqinling, Galdongzan was old and the power of the Gal family was greatly weakened, did he take control of the power. But he mostly borrowed Galdongzan's power and bullied others.

Now that Galdongzan is in trouble, what can Mangsongmangzan do?
Perhaps if he is given enough time, Mangsong Mangzan will be able to stabilize the situation through his own political means.

But why did Chen Qingsi give him this opportunity?
The main reason for choosing to consume the resources was that there was no assurance of a quick victory. Rather than risking a tragic victory with the half-dead Tubo, it was better to seize the initiative of the overall situation and consume the Tubo by building a strong stronghold.

Why go through so much trouble when you can win in a more easy and direct way?

After a short period of consideration, Chen Qingsi decided to change his playing style.

However, he was a little worried that this was a trick of Gal Dongzan, so he did not send out all four camps at once. Instead, he left Xi Junmai to guard the most critical Rubber Camp to prevent Gal Dongzan from having any backup plans.

Chen Qingsi gathered his troops and led them towards Fu'ai City.

Voivodeship.

Mangsong Mangzan looked at the old man in front of him who had died, his eyes revealing a complicated look. Since he was a child, he was taught by his grandfather to listen to Galdongzan and treat him as his own father.

Mangsong Mangtsen was still young at that time, only seven years old, and he really regarded Gardongtsen as his own relative.

But as he grew older, Mangsong Mangtsen became more and more dissatisfied with Gardongtsen. He thought that he was the Zamp of Tubo and the king of Tubo. Why did everyone respect and admire Gardongtsen, while he, the Zamp, was just a puppet?

For a long time, Mangsong Mangtsen wanted Galdongtsen to die.

It was not until Lun Qinling's death that Mangsong Mangtsen dared to face up to Galdongtsen's contributions.

Because the two most outstanding heirs of the Gar family died, the Gar family had no descendants.

During this period, he received great help from Gardongzan, and the two of them had a heart-to-heart communication.

Mangsongmangzan also realized that the man in front of him had wisdom as high as the mountains and deep as the sea. Now he was dead, lying coldly on the bed.

The entire Tibetan culture cannot describe Mangsong Mangzan’s current mood.

On the contrary, there is a phrase in Chinese culture that is very appropriate: "The mountains are dilapidated and the trees are broken."

The mountain that held back Tubo collapsed, and the beams that supported Tubo broke...

Mangsong Mangzan suddenly asked: "Dalun, were you still conscious before you left?"

Zan Po, who was standing behind him, said, "Still sober."

"He..." Mangsong Mangzan was a little flustered and a little frightened. He paused, calmed down, and then said, "Did Dalun leave any words?"

Zanpo shook her head and said, "No!" Mangsong Mangtsen felt bitter in her mouth. With Gardongtsen's love for Tubo, if he really had a way to deal with the current situation, even if he only had one breath left, he would leave a plan to deal with it.

Now there was nothing, which was enough to show that he had run out of ideas.

"Zanpu, there are many generals and commanders gathered outside. They know that Zanpu is coming, and they all come to pay their respects to him."

Mangsong Mangzan let out a long breath and said, "I understand! Zanpo, go and announce the news of Dalun's death first, and I will come right after."

Zanpo bowed and left.

Mangsong Mangzan looked at Galdongzan's body for a long time and sighed, "I am the only one left!"

After speaking, he turned and left.

The lobby was in an uproar.

All kinds of dissatisfied voices gathered together.

"Zanpo, death is a very serious matter. You concealed this matter. Do you know how terrible the consequences will be?"

"How noble is the Zamp? You actually invited him to the front line. Fortunately, he is safe now. If anything happens, I will use your head to sacrifice to the Zamp."

All kinds of voices come together in one place.

Obviously, the death of Galdongzan had a great impact on the powerful Tibetan officers and generals in Fu'ai City.

The death of Galdongzan means that the entire Tibetan military will undergo a complete reshuffle.

Galdongtsen had two methods of controlling Tubo: one was to use the Tibetan Bon religion to govern the people by faith; the other was to control the army with absolute prestige.

With military and political power in his hands, Galdongtsen was the uncrowned king of Tubo.

Now Zan Xiruo and Qinling, who helped Gal Dongzan control the army, are dead. Although Zanpo is capable, he is far from being able to support the overall situation. It all depends on Gal Dongzan alone.

The death of Galdongzan was the best opportunity for them to seize the military power from Gal.

As a result, Zanpo concealed the news about Galdongzan and invited Zamp from Lhasa to come here.

Don't give them any chance to operate at all.

How not to be angry.

"enough!"

Mangsong Mangzan came out and looked at the somewhat angry Zanpo, saying, "This is all the intention of this Zamp. With a powerful enemy at hand, how can we let the enemy know that the front line is missing its backbone?"

Mangsong Mangzan looked around and the scene suddenly became silent.

Mangsong Mangtsen was the Zamp, the king of Tubo.

No matter how many years he has been a puppet, the king is still the king.

Even if some people secretly disregarded him as a puppet king, they did not dare to disrespect him in public.

Looking at the many nobles who were comforted, Mangsong Mang praised: "The Tang court has bullied us too much. It is a situation of life and death. This battle is about the survival of Tubo. You are all loyal ministers of Tubo, risking your lives to fight against the bandits. You are not afraid of death, and I am not afraid of death either. I am not afraid of being the king of a fallen country, but I am afraid of dying alone with no one to accompany me. Coming to the front line today is to fight the enemy with you. In life, the fertile Qinghai Lake will be the reward for all meritorious ministers; in death, I will go to reincarnation with you."

Mangsong Mangzan's passionate speech won the resonance of many people.

Mangsong Mangzan's attitude was still very contagious to the generals who fought for Tubo and risked their lives for it.

Mangsongmang praised: "Gentlemen, please withdraw for the time being and do not disturb the deceased. All actions can be arranged by respecting the great theory before. I will make arrangements after I have dealt with everything on hand."

When the others saw that Mangsong Mangtsen displayed the magnanimity of the Tibetan king, they dared not disobey him and they all retreated.

Upon seeing this, Mangsong Mangzan let out a long sigh, his panic calmed down a little, and he just tried to fool around.

As a puppet, Mangsongmangzan usually has no access to political and military affairs.

As for political strategies, Mangsong Mangtsen could rely on his status as Zamp to slowly learn and accumulate them, but military knowledge was not something that Mangsong Mangtsen could comprehend on his own.

Mangsongmangzan's military level is extremely mediocre. If he were to discuss the current situation with a group of Ru generals and formulate tactics and strategies, he would definitely be exposed.

Galdongzan was a rare strategist of the time, and his arrangements were definitely correct.

If you follow the rules of Xiao and Cao, you will never fail.

Next, we need to stabilize the morale of the troops, win over trustworthy people, and stabilize the internal situation.

Just when Mangsongmangzan was thinking about how to stabilize the internal situation, General Ru and the generals who had left earlier came back one after another.

"Zanpu, it's bad. The Tang army troops in Datong Mountain, Nanshan Mountain, and Riyue Mountain have advanced 15 miles. They are only a few miles away from the defense line we have established. It seems that they intend to attack."

Mangsong Mangzan's face changed slightly. How could this happen?
The Tang army built four camps, obviously intending to attrition their forces, so why would they suddenly draw their swords?

Could it be that they have already learned about Dalun's death?

Changed strategy?
Mangsong Mangzan remained calm but was extremely anxious.

"Zanpu, I see that the Tang army is coming with great force this time. How should we respond?"

Mangsongmang praised: "If the enemy comes, we will fight back; if the water comes, we can block it with earth. You all can go and meet the enemy without worry. I will stand on the top of the city to cheer you on."

Mangsongmang praised himself for being able to say some high-sounding and formal words.

He really has no idea how to dispatch.

In short, Mangsong Mangzan still believed that the defense of Fu'e City and the layout of the surrounding defense lines were all the work of Gardongzan.

Originally these defense lines were used to defend against the strong attack of the Tang army. Now that the Tang army is about to attack, it would be correct to defend according to the original plan.

Logically speaking, this makes sense.

But Mangsong Mangzan overlooked one point: prestige and people's hearts.

Galdongzan has soldiers under his command and prestige in the army, so he can intimidate everyone.

He knew how many imperial troops his subordinates, including General Ru, had, and how many private soldiers they had, and he knew how much fighting power they had.

If he does not behave well, he has enough prestige and power to punish him severely, or even confiscate his troops.

Mangsong Mangzan, the king, had only been in power for a short time and did not have enough financial and material resources to build a large army, nor did he have the prestige...

Why should the nobles die for him?
Especially at this critical moment...

Galdongzan had a large army at his command, and Zanpo was unable to lead it.

to whom?

Now that all the troops we have are used up, what can we rely on to fight for this juicy cake?

The Tibetan generals in charge of guarding the defense line had no intention of fighting to the death. They let the temporarily recruited soldiers go to the front and preserved the strength of their own elite private soldiers.

There is absolutely no point in fighting this battle.

With the might of the Tang army, even if they were at a disadvantage in attack, they would still be able to crush some untrained recruits with ease...

(End of this chapter)