The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

Chapter 7: Two Years of Disadvantage, Reversed in One Night

Anxi, Heyuan, Jiuqu...

Shen Quanqi had previously mentioned these places, saying that he would deploy troops in three separate routes, which was immediately questioned by Li Zhaode.

Now that he understood the strategic direction, the three locations no longer seemed out of place to him.

The phrases "Tang Dynasty actively restrains Tibet, Tibet launches military campaigns in three places, Lun Qinling is forced to leave the court, and conflicts with Tibet are ignited" suggest a hidden strategy.

However, his previous doubts remained, because Anxi and Jiuqu were not in the hands of the Tang Dynasty.

How to deploy troops in three separate routes?

Moreover, what constitutes a sure thing?

Wu Zetian and Wu Sansi held their breath, waiting for the answer to be revealed.

"Among the barbarian tribes, Anxi is the weakest."

"Gaigar clan Qinling resided in Luoxie, Zanpo occupied Tuyuhun, and Bolun Zanren governed Anxi, whose talent was the worst."

"Moreover, Anxi is extremely far from Tibet, and the Khotan road is narrow and difficult to travel, making it difficult to supply goods, and the Tibetan soldiers are also not at ease."

"Therefore, when the Tang Dynasty waged war, its first priority was to conquer Anxi."

"This is the first part of their plan, which will be explained in detail later."

"The Qinghai Sugar clan's territory was highly prestigious, and with Zanpo guarding it, it was difficult for them to penetrate deep into the territory."

"Now the Heyuan and Jishi armies have been established, and extensive land reclamation has been carried out. They have been defending the passes for twelve years, which is very appropriate. However, if we follow the old system, the barbarians will not be able to take advantage of the situation."

"The land of Jiuqu has been submerged for over twenty years and is looked down upon by the Zanpo. We can gradually gather the Dangxiang people and invade its interior from the west."

"With troops deployed in three separate routes, Qinling will feel as if he is lying on thorns or hanging by sharp blades, and will be filled with anxiety."

"They will surely leave their nests and rush forth, exhausting their troops on all sides, in order to betray their trust and entrust the position to the nobles."

"There are two strategists involved."

This section contains the core of the strategy—

First, taking advantage of the fact that the Tibetan Empire's foothold in Anxi was not yet secure and that Bolun Zanren lacked the necessary capabilities, they launched a military campaign to recapture the area.

Secondly, continue to garrison and cultivate land in Heyuan and Jishi to contain the main force of Zanpo.

Finally, winning over the Dangxiang tribes in the Nine Bends region and taking the initiative to open up new battlefields caused Lun Qinling to feel worried.

For both Tibet and the Tang Dynasty, the "Land of Nine Bends" was a key point in the ebb and flow of power between the two sides.

To the east, they could attack Hezhou and Taozhou, threaten Linzhou and Weizhou, and then plunder the pastures of Longyou.

Heading south, they could cross the Songpan Grassland and attack Songzhou in Jiannan Road.

To the north, it could threaten the Yellow River defense line of the Tang Dynasty, attack Jishi Army and Kuozhou, and launch a flanking attack on the Hehuang region.

To the west lies the heart of Qinghai. If the Tang army were to cross the Yellow River to the west, it could strike directly behind the main force of the Zanpo army.

Not to mention, this is the birthplace of the Hequ horse.

It has inherent value.

According to this strategy, the Tang Dynasty could threaten Tibet from three directions with its troops, forcing Lun Qinling to launch eastward and westward campaigns, leaving the court of Lhasa vulnerable.

This gave the Tibetan nobles who coveted the interests of the Gar clan an opportunity.

Historically, the decline of the Gar clan and the downfall of Lunqinling followed this trajectory.

Upon hearing this, Wu Zetian's eyes narrowed, revealing a slight disappointment.

She did have some aspirations for this grand strategy, but felt it was out of reach.

"Minister and Vice Minister, what do you think?"

Wu Sansi was the first to shake his head: "Recapturing Anxi and winning over the Jiuqu Dangxiang are easier said than done! That's too simplistic!"

Although he was a relative, as the Minister of War, he had the ability to make this judgment.

Lu Jun's strategy of deploying troops in three routes was based on the premise of first recovering Anxi and winning over Hequ, which was too costly.

Li Zhaode said slowly:

"Does Lu Jun not know that last year, Prime Minister Wei led troops into the Western Regions, only to be defeated by the Tibetans?"

"The Western Regions are thousands of miles away from the Central Plains, and the march and transportation are extremely difficult. The Tang Dynasty is not better than Tibet."

"The imperial court repeatedly tried to develop the Four Garrisons of Anxi, but ultimately had to abandon the effort because they were difficult to defend."

"As for the Dangxiang people of Jiuqu, the court is certainly aware of the importance of this place and has been trying to win them over in recent years, but the Dangxiang people are afraid of the Tibetans, and our efforts have always been in vain."

"Isn't this strategy a bit too simplistic?"

He stroked his beard and shook his head.

Young people are ultimately just armchair strategists; although their plans are grand, they don't understand the hardships of national affairs.

"The questions raised by the Minister and the Vice Minister will be answered later in the text," Shangguan Wan'er said calmly.

She lightly painted her eyebrows, and the tips of her two slender willow leaves lifted slightly upwards, as light as a spring breeze.

A calm demeanor as if he had already seen the answer.

"Some say: The Western Regions are thousands of miles away from China. Even if we could take them, it would be difficult to hold them. We should not plan for them too far."

"Some say: The Dangxiang people have always feared the Tibetans and would never submit to the Tang Dynasty and would even rebel. The land of Jiuqu is also not easy to control."

"Your subject respectfully replies: In my plan, the Western Regions will surely be peaceful and secure for a long time, and the Dangxiang will be regained without a second thought."

"I will provide a detailed account of the former, which I will not repeat here."

"As for the Tanguts, they are indeed afraid of the barbarians, and they also resent the barbarians. They have been enslaved by the barbarians, driven like ants, running east and west, and paying tribute of horses and sheep every year, like drops of water to feed a vast chasm, for a long time."

"If we can truly recapture Anxi, the Tibetans will surely raise an army to march westward, drive out the Dangxiang people, and conquer a place thousands of miles away."

"The Dangxiang people had suffered from being stationed far away, and their fear had eased somewhat due to the defeat of the barbarians. This was the time to apply both kindness and severity."

"By taking advantage of the situation and using them to control the situation, success is inevitable!"

Lu Jun had considered the difficulties of deploying troops in three separate routes.

"Conquering Anxi" is a separate chapter, which he will analyze later, and it is not difficult to win over the Jiuqu Dangxiang.

The Tanguts were considered inferior in Tibet and harbored resentment. If Tibet lost Anxi, it would surely conscript soldiers again. Since the Tanguts were unwilling to go, there would be an opportunity to win them over.

Historically, after Wu Zhou launched his military campaigns against the Four Garrisons of Anxi, many Dangxiang tribes in Jiuqu chose to submit.

"That makes sense. The Tanguts both hate and fear Tibet. If Tibet is defeated, they will no longer be afraid."

Wu Zetian's face, which had been tense, relaxed and her mood improved considerably.

Wu Sansi coldly replied, "Still wishful thinking! If Jiuqu is so important, wouldn't Lun Qinling retaliate?"

"Lu Jun thought of that too," Shangguan Wan'er replied.

To explain directly using the article:

"With my forces deployed on three fronts, Qinling is determined to break this stalemate. From where will he emerge?"

"I believe it should be at the Nine Bends, why is that?"

"Anxi is extremely far away, and according to my strategy, we can use regular troops to block the Khotan road and guard the Bolu road. Even Qinling is powerless to do so."

"Heyuan and Jishi have been fortified for many years, with high walls and strong fortifications, leaving them no opening for attack and making them impossible to breach."

"If the Nine Bends are gained and then lost, and the Bailan and Tuyuhun tribes do not take it, they will surely harbor rebellious intentions. Then the Gar clan's plans will be like a great building collapsing its beams or a cauldron being drained of its fuel."

"When Qinling set out, he intended to attack the Hetao region and approach the Linwei region, plunder the pastures of Longyou, and seize their horses and sheep."

"Your Majesty, I request that we take precautions in advance."

"Reinforce the troops of Momen Army to guard Taoyuan in the west."

"Zengping should be used to defend and capture troops, and protect Hezhou."

"Reinforcements were placed in Linzhou to protect the pastures of Longyou."

"But if they can hold their ground for a long time and keep the Khanate out, then within two or three years, internal strife will break out in Tibet, and the Gar dynasty will surely be defeated and destroyed."

"At that time, the royal army took advantage of the situation and crossed the Red Ridge to the south, setting up camps for a thousand miles and commanding a million troops. They were bound to achieve victory."

"Even if the king does not wish to surrender, how can he possibly do so?"

This is yet another true historical trajectory.

Wu Zhou was a capable general, but he was completely ignorant of the overall situation, and his strategies for each war zone were disorganized.

Two years later, Wang Xiaojie recovered Anxi, and the court successfully won over the Dangxiang people of Jiuqu. Progress was made in both places.

However, they were not prepared for the opponent's counterattack.

Soon, Lun Qinling led troops to Jiuqu, won over the Dangxiang people, and then retaliated by raiding northwards, crossing Hezhou and Taozhou, and approaching Lintao to the north.

The imperial court hastily dispatched Wang Xiaojie and Lou Shide to meet the attack, but they suffered a crushing defeat at Sulohan Mountain, incurring heavy losses.

After that, they made some repairs and set up the Lintao Army in Linzhou to defend the Jiuqu direction.

Lu Jun analyzed the cause and effect in order to issue an early warning and avoid this unnecessary major defeat.

Three years after the Battle of Sulohan Mountain, the Tibetan king launched a surprise attack on Tuyuhun under the pretext of hunting and annihilated Lunqinling.

Following this internal strife, the Gar clan surrendered to the Celestial Empire, greatly weakening the Tibetan Empire.

After several failed military campaigns, the Zanpu (King of the Tibetan Empire) was forced to propose peace talks, which led to the Shenlong Alliance and the marriage of Princess Jincheng.

If Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian hadn't died suddenly, and the Tang Dynasty hadn't been embroiled in internal strife, Tibet would have been at a disadvantage—but that's another story…

"Empress Dowager, Minister, Vice Minister, this is all the way I can carry your message," Shangguan Wan'er said with a smile.

The thought of having to memorize another passage makes me inexplicably look forward to it.

"The considerations are comprehensive, but if Anxi cannot be recovered, it's all just empty talk," Wu Sansi poured cold water on the idea.

Without hearing the Anxi chapter, the Longyou strategy is incomplete, and he has never truly accepted Lu Jun.

Li Zhaode glanced sideways, his lips slightly parted as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately closed them again.

My heart seems to be wavering.

Wu Zetian suddenly stood up from the phoenix couch, put her hands behind her back, and paced back and forth on the steps, reviewing the previous content in her mind, walking faster and faster.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, he suddenly stopped, reached out his hands from his wide sleeves, and clapped them vigorously.

clap clap-

"A grand strategy!"

"That's what it means to know yourself and your enemy!"

"That's what it means to have a comprehensive understanding!"

"If the strategy succeeds, the Celestial Empire's disadvantage against Tibet over the past twenty years can be reversed overnight!"

For her, the significance of defeating Tibet went far beyond the ebb and flow of the situation; it also concerned her personally.

Emperor Gaozu established the dynasty, Emperor Taizong conquered the four barbarian tribes, and although Emperor Gaozong was defeated by the Tibetans and watched the Turks rebel again, he also had the merit of destroying the Western Turks, Goguryeo, and Baekje.

Since she assumed power, she has only achieved minor victories, not major ones, and has never accomplished the feat of destroying a country.

Instead, they lost Anxi and Mobei.

If we can recover Anxi and force Tibet to surrender, we can recreate the glorious military achievements of Emperor Taizong!

Compared to carving "The Advent of the Virgin Mary" into stone, such a magnificent undertaking would be more persuasive to the people of the world!

"Wan'er requests permission to go again and memorize the Anxi chapter," Shangguan Wan'er immediately suggested.

Wu Zetian pondered for a moment, then looked out of the palace. The sun was nearing its zenith, gradually becoming scorching hot.

He said to Shen Quanqi, "Minister Shen, take Lu Jun into the Taichu Palace and to the side hall of the Luocheng Hall to write, so that he can be spared the suffering of the scorching sun. I will also bestow upon him an ivory cushion and some refreshing drinks to cool him down."

Shen Quanqi was taken aback: "This... isn't this against the rules? I'm afraid the other candidates won't accept it."

As the chief examiner, he would be criticized for openly favoring a particular candidate.

"That's your problem! Figure it out yourself!"

Wu Zetian cast a death stare at him.