Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 64

After leaving the tent, Li Ji asked Di De in a low voice, "What kind of official is the Right Killer?"

Dide replied, "This is a Turkic official position inherited from the Turks. In the past, the Turkic Khan divided his troops into left and right wings, and ordered the left and right wing commanders to be in charge. Thus, the right wing commander could command half of the troops in his wing. Although the Yabghu is in charge of civil affairs, he is not as respected as the left and right wing commanders in the army..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "They still see me as a military general, a reckless brute." But judging from the Crown Prince's words, he was quite unwilling to accept losing his right to the throne and had a strong desire to make a comeback. Whether he could make good use of this, and how to do so, was beyond his capabilities; he could only rely on Li Tan's wisdom.

He wrote a letter as promised, listing his thoughts in detail to report to Li Tan, but did not draw a final conclusion, leaving it to Li Tan to decide.

After dark, the tribe cleared out some tents to house the Tang people. Li Ji naturally received the best treatment, sleeping alone in a large tent, covered with thick wool felt, as well as mink and fox fur. Although it wasn't yet winter, the nights on the grasslands were quite chilly. These bedding provided sufficient warmth, but unfortunately, the nomadic people's tanning and leather-making techniques were too poor, and Li Ji always felt a fishy, ​​musty smell permeating the tent and surrounding him…

He was indeed quite tired and was about to close his eyes and fall asleep when suddenly the tent curtain was lifted and someone entered. It was pitch black, and Li Ji couldn't see who it was, so he couldn't help but feel a sense of vigilance. He reached out and quietly touched the horizontal knife beside his pillow.

The person approached but stopped. Then there was a soft rustling sound. By the time Li Ji realized what was happening, a naked, warm body had already slipped into the blankets, spreading its arms and legs to hold him tightly...

Li Ji thought to himself, "Oh my, they actually pulled this trick!"

Many nomadic tribes on the grasslands have little concept of chastity. When distinguished guests arrive, they often offer their female relatives to entertain them—this differs from the practice of concubines among the nobility in the Central Plains, because even wives, sisters, and daughters are readily available for offering. The root cause is likely the harsh environment and short lifespans of herders, who are therefore not hesitant to use offspring, as long as it ensures the continuation of their family line. Whether the offspring are blood relatives… perhaps only the elite nobles like the Yaoluoge would care.

Li Ji thought to himself, "I'm still a virgin in this world. How can I die on this grassland? How can I face the original owner of this body?" He reached out to push the other away, but instead pressed his hand against the other's chest. The touch was smooth and bouncy, which startled him so much that he quickly... rubbed it a couple of times, reluctant to let go.

When things come to a head, it's actually quite easy to cross a person's bottom line, as long as there's a suitable reason. So what could that reason be? Li Ji thought to himself that it might be the clan chief entertaining a distinguished guest according to custom, or it might be someone sent by the Emperor or even the Crown Prince of Yehu. If it was the former, then so be it; but if it was the latter… it also seemed like a test of him. If he firmly refused, would he be misunderstood as lacking sincerity and having treacherous intentions? In order to help Tang Dynasty buy that rare commodity, should he make some sacrifices?

It was pitch black, and he couldn't see her face at all—he reached out to grope, but the woman opened her mouth and grabbed his index finger, gently sucking on it… Li Ji asked in a trembling voice, “Who are you? Who sent you?” The woman mumbled a few words incoherently, but it was all gibberish, and Li Ji couldn't understand a word she said.

"You don't speak Tang language? What's your name?"

The reply, however, was just a few words of gibberish.

Li Ji touched the woman; her hands, feet, and face were rather rough—it was a pipe dream to find someone with delicate fingers and a face like jade, exposed to the wind and sun on the grasslands—but her body was very smooth and her skin was firm, so she shouldn't be very old.

Not only was the meat served in the bowl and placed on the chopsticks, but half of it was even eaten. Who would bear to spit it out! Fine, fine, let's just open our arms wide, embrace it, and give it a kiss first…

----------

When I woke up the next morning, I felt refreshed and had a strange feeling deep inside me—I guess my second life can be considered a success.

Unfortunately, the Hu woman had slipped away at some point, and I never got a clear look at her face.

Li Ji, dressed neatly, lifted the curtain and stepped out of the tent. Di De greeted him and said, "The chieftain has sent a guide to lead you to the Khan's tent."

Li Ji bowed and thanked him. He had wanted to ask Di De if the woman from last night was sent by him, what her name was, and if he could see her again to see her face clearly. But then he thought again, it was just a chance encounter, a brief but vivid memory. If he saw her in person and found out she was ugly, it would only ruin the beautiful moment…

Theoretically speaking, this tribe belongs to the Mengwu Shiwei, probably the Mongols of later generations. Most of them have round faces, high cheekbones, flat noses and narrow eyes, which do not meet Li Ji's aesthetic standards. It would be difficult to pick out someone that Li Ji considers beautiful. Do you think everyone has the good fortune of a Shaolin monk who can meet "Meng Gu" in the dark?

As the saying goes, "It's better not to meet than to meet," so why not just let that passion remain in your heart?

So the chieftain and Dide didn't mention it, nor did he ask. Soon, led by the guide, the group of Tang people left the small tribe and rode straight towards Mount Wudejian.

Before reaching the foot of the mountain, he was stopped by Uyghur cavalry and asked for his purpose. Li Ji told them the truth. They replied, "The Khan and his Khatun are on a hunting trip to the east and are not in their camp. Your esteemed envoy may come with me, and we will settle in a place for a day or two."

Taking the opportunity, Li Ji asked, "I wonder if the Prime Minister is nearby? I hope to pay him a visit first."

As Di De explained in detail, the current Uyghur prime minister is named Dunmohedagan, the nephew of the valiant Khan. He is roughly the same age as the crown prince of the Yabghu, but much older than the new crown prince, Yidijian. He is intelligent and brave, and highly valued by the Khan. Li Ji plans to first persuade Dunmohedagan. With the prime minister and the Khan acting as liaisons, one from the outside and the other from within, the chances of the valiant Khan agreeing to reinforce Longyou are perhaps greater.

The scouts then led Li Ji and his party to the northern foot of Mount Wudejian. There they saw countless tents stretching from the foot of the mountain to almost the horizon, with patrols moving back and forth, a scene of strict security, far superior to the small tribes of the Mengwu and Shiwei. From a distance, they saw a large golden-topped tent, almost six to seven feet taller than all the surrounding tents. In front of the tent stood the Khan's white yak banner, billowing in the wind, exuding an imposing air of nobility.

They were then led to a tent next to the main golden tent. The scouts reported to the guards, who went inside to announce their arrival. Shortly afterward, the guards came out and greeted them: "Please invite the esteemed envoy of the Tang family into the tent to pay his respects to the Prime Minister."

The guard approached Li Ji, gave him a quick once-over, and then extended his hands. Li Ji understood and immediately unfastened his sword, bow, and arrows from his waist, handing them to the guard. Another guard followed, searching Li Ji thoroughly with both hands. Finding nothing amiss, he turned and lifted the tent flap, letting Li Ji in alone.

Although this tent was not as grand as the Khan's golden-domed tent, it was still quite imposing and spacious, divided into two levels. Guards with swords were lined up on either side, along with several nobles in brocade robes. Seated on a black bear skin in the center was a large, imposing man with a long face and thick beard, unkempt, and with long, curly black hair cascading over his shoulders. Li Ji bowed with his hands clasped: "This must be the Uyghur prime minister. I am Li Ji, ordered to deliver a message to the Khatun..."

The Uyghur prime minister, Dunmohedagan, waved his hand and spoke in Tang language: "No need for formalities, please sit down." Li Ji was unfamiliar with Uyghur customs. He looked around but there was no mat—the ground was covered with thick felt carpets, and the nobles were sitting cross-legged on the carpets without taking off their boots. So he simply sat down five steps away from Dunmohedagan, kneeling down.

An ancient book says: "If a scholar is enraged, two corpses will lie on the ground, blood will flow five steps away, and the whole world will be in mourning..." This shows that five steps or more is a relatively safe distance for the master.

However, Dunmohedagan beckoned: "Your Excellency, come closer and sit down so we can talk."

Li Ji was unwilling to crawl on his knees, so he stood up and took two steps forward. After observing the other person's expression, he took two more steps forward and finally sat down just across a low table, within arm's reach of Dunmohedagan.

Dunmohedagan looked Li Ji up and down, then nodded slightly and said, "Your name is Li Ji? I've heard Emperor De mention that the Tang family has a brave warrior who defeated him in a wrestling match. Could it be you?"

"It's the lower official."

Dunmoheda gave a dry laugh: "Unfortunately, Emperor De has other business to attend to and is not here..." Li Ji thought to himself, "You're just making a fool of yourself here," but he could only reply perfunctorily, "Unfortunately, I will not be able to see my old friend again."

"Is your esteemed envoy here to deliver a message from the Tang emperor to the Khatun?"

Li Ji shook his head and said, "No, I am here on the orders of my third brother, the Third Prince of Qi, to deliver a message."

Dunmohedagan's eyes flashed like lightning as he swept his gaze across Li Ji's face before he smiled and said, "I heard that His Highness Prince Qi has been appointed as the military governor of Longyou and Hexi, and is leading troops to resist the invasion of the Tubo... I wonder how the battle is going at the front?"

Li Ji replied, "Our army is currently defending Shancheng against the invasion of the barbarian bandits. Just before I arrived, we had a battle on the plains and won a decisive victory, killing thousands of barbarian bandits and stabilizing the situation."

Upon hearing this, Dunmohedagan suddenly stroked his beard and burst into laughter. He then looked around and said, "The battle is raging, why send a brave warrior to deliver a message? He probably wants to ask for reinforcements."

Li Ji thought to himself, "This guy is quick-witted. He truly deserves to be the prime minister of a country." But this is good too; he can get straight to the point and saves me from having to think about how to beat around the bush. So he cupped his hands in greeting and asked, "I wonder if the Uyghurs would be willing to send troops to rescue Longyou?"

"Only the Khan can decide such an important matter."

"Your Excellency is the Prime Minister of the Uyghur Khaganate, second only to the Khan. Although you cannot usurp the Khan's authority, you should still have your own opinions so that you can offer good advice to the Khan at any time. So, in your opinion, Prime Minister, should we send troops to rescue Longyou?"

Dunmoheda replied with a dry laugh, "My Uyghur camp is far from Longyou. If the Tang family can defend it, there is no use in asking me for help; if they cannot defend it, even if we send troops immediately, they will not arrive until next year—what is the point?"

Li Ji thought to himself that it wasn't very meaningful; it was all because those two scholars, Li Tan and Yang Yan, had miscalculated the route... But since he had come, he couldn't very well leave empty-handed. Therefore, he said, "Our Tang's elite troops and strong generals are all in Hebei, hoping to annihilate the rebels in one fell swoop. Longyou is currently temporarily undefended, more than capable of self-preservation, but defeating the enemy will not be easy. Shancheng can certainly be held, and I believe that before next year, the barbarian troops, numerous but short of supplies, will surely retreat. However, I fear that if they come again next spring, it will deplete the grain reserves in Longyou, making it difficult for us to accumulate enough to launch a full-scale counterattack..."

The Tibetan invasions of Tang were seasonal, generally occurring in spring, autumn, and winter. They would never launch an attack during the hot summer months. Li Tan estimated that if he could force the enemy to retreat this autumn, there might not be enough time to regroup and launch another invasion next spring. He could then enjoy peace until autumn. Li Ji deliberately moved forward the time when the Tibetans might launch another attack, hoping to secure reinforcements from the Uyghurs.

He can't just say, "I estimate we won't be able to make it this year, please send reinforcements next autumn"—setting the deadline too long, who knows what might happen.

"Therefore, we earnestly request that the Uyghurs send troops to the foothills of the Qilian Mountains to threaten the northern border of the barbarian bandits, so as to use the strategy of besieging Wei to rescue Zhao, and make them dare not make any more rash moves."

Dunmohedagan pondered for a moment, then suddenly pushed the low table in front of him to the side, and took out various items such as knives and daggers from his waist, placing them between him and Li Ji—"This is the command tent, that is Longyou, this knife... no, let's replace it with this flint, let's consider it Shancheng. Tell me in detail about the current situation of the Battle of Shancheng."

This went on for most of the day. Li Ji went to great lengths to exaggerate the bravery of the Tang army, naturally also recounting his own glorious deeds—in his previous life, he was a sort of "keyboard warrior," albeit a relatively principled one, very adept at storytelling, highlighting his own strengths and exaggerating the enemy's lack of strategy. In his words, Tang soldiers were all brave warriors, each capable of taking on five Tibetan bandits, while he himself was the elite of the brave, capable of taking on twenty. If the Tibetan army hadn't outnumbered his own tenfold, they probably would have won long ago, and the Longyou army could have even pursued their victory and taken the Tibetan capital, Lhasa…

Having personally experienced the battle, his words, though perhaps exaggerated or embellished, likely sounded like the truth to the Uyghurs. Furthermore, the Battle of Xiaoxia was indeed full of twists and turns, so Dunmohedagan and the others listened with rapt attention, their expressions shifting between worry and tension, and exhilaration and cheers.

Finally, Dunmohedagan sighed, "It's a pity that An Lushan and his son rebelled. Otherwise, with the Tang army's capabilities, they would have already forced the Western Sea. In another ten or twenty years, they would surely have destroyed Tibet and relieved the western border troubles!" He looked around and said, "The Tang family and our Uyghurs are friends and relatives. The prosperity of the Tang family will also bring glory to our Uyghurs." Everyone agreed.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Li Ji said, "As long as we capture Xiangzhou and quell the rebellion of the An rebels, the troops from Longyou and Hexi will return to their posts, and we will surely be able to defeat the rebels again and restore the situation to what it was around the time of the tenth year of Tianbao. But before that, we must fight against overwhelming odds and hold Shancheng and other places. Otherwise, if the rebels occupy strategic locations, it will be difficult to drive them out in the future. Therefore, I earnestly request the Uyghurs to send troops to help us."

"Is this a request from the Tang emperor or from the Prince of Qi?"

"King Qi himself petitioned the Emperor, earnestly requesting permission. Fearing the distance would be too great to easily send troops, and that prior preparations were necessary, he sent me to take this opportunity, while delivering a message to the Khatun, to inform him. Longyou is the old territory of our Great Tang, and King Qi is the Emperor's own son; he will surely grant permission. I believe a formal document will be sent shortly."

"As for sending me to deliver the message, it has nothing to do with any brave warrior. It's just that I am an old acquaintance of the Khatun. Moreover, the King of Qi sent me because he had just defeated the barbarian bandits and knew that they would not dare to launch a major attack for the time being. They could only hold out against the city. Therefore, the fact that I am missing one person at the front line will not affect the overall situation."

Dunmohedagan nodded, about to say something, when suddenly a report came from outside the tent: "The Khan has fallen from his horse and is being carried back to the camp!"

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Chapter Thirty-One: Zhaojun's Grief

The mighty Khan was already over fifty years old, which, according to the average lifespan of nomadic peoples on the grasslands, meant he was nearing the end of his life and his physical strength was declining. However, he had just married a young wife, and since he could no longer display his prowess in bed, he planned to take his khan (Khanid Khan) hunting to demonstrate that he could still ride a spirited horse and draw a powerful bow, proving himself to be a strong and reliable man.

So during the hunt, he was careless and fell off his horse, dazed and confused, and had to be carried back to the camp by hand.

Upon receiving the news, Dunmoheda rushed out to greet them, leaving Li Ji and the others standing to the side. The Uyghur headquarters was in a flurry of activity for half a day, until the moon was high in the sky, before someone came to invite Li Ji and the other Tang people to have a meal and arrange for them to rest in tents—as for requesting an audience with the Khan and Khatun, that could wait until tomorrow.

When Li Ji saw that all ten or so Tang people, including the herdsman sent by the small tribe to act as guides, had been arranged to rest in one tent, he knew that there would be no other "Dream Maiden" tonight... He breathed a sigh of relief, but was also a little disappointed. Fortunately, when he got up the next day, someone came to summon him: "The Khan summons Li Ji."

He was then led into the golden-roofed tent to pay his respects to Princess Ningguo. Li Ji glanced at her briefly and saw that Princess Ningguo was still dressed in Tang dynasty attire, except that she had an additional Uyghur-style fur coat over her clothes. Her complexion looked quite healthy, and even rosier than when she was in the imperial residence—he wondered if it was from recuperation or from sun exposure.

He immediately bowed deeply in greeting, but the princess quickly waved her hand, saying, "Changwei, there's no need for such formalities. Come and sit before me." Li Ji moved closer and presented Li Tan's letter with both hands. The princess took it but did not open it immediately. Instead, she asked, "Changwei, are you with my third brother now? Is he in Longyou? Is he still in good health?"

Li Ji replied, “Prince Qi is in good health, Your Highness need not worry. As Your Highness knows, Prince Qi has always harbored great ambitions, aspiring to assist the sage and the crown prince in stabilizing the nation. Moreover, in Chang'an, he suffered under the tyranny of several eunuchs. Now that he has gone to Longyou, although affairs are numerous, his mood has improved considerably. He eats and sleeps well, and his physique has become even stronger.” Then he asked, “And Your Highness, how are you? Are you settling in with the Uyghurs?”

The princess gave a bitter smile: "How can I get used to this... Only today do I understand what the resentment of Zhaojun was, and how difficult it was for Princesses Wencheng and Jincheng to be sent to the barbarian lands..."

But then he perked up and changed his tune, saying, "It's just that the Uyghurs don't have as many rules as my Tang family. We don't have to be confined to a small space all day. Moreover, the Khan often takes me out on horseback. It's like a caged bird finally getting to fly high in the sky. My feelings are probably similar to those of my third brother, Prince Qi. If I'm not used to it, it's that there are too few fruits and vegetables on the grasslands. I'm getting a little tired of eating meat and dairy every day."

Several Uyghur women who were standing beside her hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "It is all our fault that the Khatun is not enjoying her meal. We will send someone to quickly bring some vegetables and fruits from the Central Plains to help the Khatun relieve the greasiness."

The princess waved her hand: "It's not your fault, and there's no need to trouble people to buy any fruits and vegetables just for me. I've only been in the Uyghur Khaganate for a short time, and I'll definitely get used to it after staying a while longer." She then ordered: "Everyone, go out. I'm an old acquaintance of Li Ji, and I have some family matters to discuss."

After the maids left the tent, the princess winked at Li Ji and sighed softly, "If I say something carelessly, they'll apologize on one hand and say it's my fault on the other. Whether it's the Tang or the Uyghurs, it's the same..." Then she frowned slightly and said, "In the palace, if a servant offends someone, they're just thrown out. But here in the Uyghurs... the Khan really knows how to kill people!"

Li Ji thought to himself, even in the Tang Dynasty, who would care about the lives of palace maids and eunuchs? They'd probably just throw them out and kill them later, the only difference being whether they were executed in front of you. You are, after all, a princess or consort living a life of luxury; your understanding is rather shallow.

If I hadn't stormed the palace to plead for your brother, wouldn't your father have also planned to kill him? Have you forgotten all of that?

The princess then inquired about Li Ji's recent condition, and also asked about Li Yu and Li Bi. Li Ji gave a detailed account of what he knew. This took up another half a day. During this time, a Uyghur came to report: "The Khan has woken up and wants wine." The princess frowned and said, "His wounds are not yet healed. He drinks water when his mouth is dry, why would he want wine?!" She told Li Ji to wait a moment, then went into the back tent and stayed for more than an hour before returning.

Only after Li Ji explained the situation of the people the princess was concerned about did Princess Ningguo open Li Tan's letter. After quickly reading it, she immediately smiled bitterly and said, "Longyou is in grave danger, and my third brother is asking for help. I should have immediately pleaded with the Khan to send troops to help—they are all relatives, so why talk about repayment? However... given the Khan's current situation, I'm afraid he cannot send troops for the time being."

Li Ji asked in a low voice, "Is the Khan badly injured? There was no need for the Khan to go in person..."

The princess shook her head and lowered her voice, saying, "The Khan's injuries are not serious, but he is old after all... At this time, who would be willing to lead the army south?"

Li Ji understood. Given the Khan's age, another fall like this might mean his death any day now. Theoretically, his son, Yidijian, should succeed him, but the succession had only recently been made, and Yidijian's position as the new Khan might not be secure. Internal strife within the Uyghur Khaganate could erupt during the handover. Even without such strife, a new emperor meant a new court, and a reshuffling of officials was inevitable. Who would dare leave the Khan's camp at this crucial juncture?

Why am I so unlucky? I had to run into the Khan falling from his horse and getting injured... It would have been better if you had fallen a few days later!

Then the princess asked again, "Is there really no hope for Longyou if the Uyghurs send troops to its aid?"

Li Ji shook his head: "King Qi certainly has high hopes for the Uyghur reinforcements, but even without the Khan's injury, in my opinion, distant water can't quench immediate thirst; it can only add to the existing prosperity, not provide charcoal in the snow..."

The princess paused for a moment before laughing and saying, "What a wonderful metaphor! I didn't know that you, Changwei, are also well-read, yet even I don't know the source of what you're saying."

Li Ji hurriedly said, "It's just that I've been relying on my elder brother for a long time and have been influenced by him—in short, Princess, you don't need to be troubled. The matter of Longyou is under the command of Prince Qi. With the soldiers fighting bravely, the barbarian bandits will not be allowed to run rampant. I will also return as soon as possible to contribute my efforts." He clasped his hands and said, "Please write a reply now, Princess. Li Ji will take his leave."

Princess Ningguo thought for a moment and reminded him, "The Khan is temporarily unable to attend to affairs. At this time, the only ones who can mobilize troops are the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister. I am not familiar with the Crown Prince. Changwei can go and talk to Prime Minister Dunmohedagan again to see if there is an opportunity. It is not too late to come to me to retrieve the letter after the matter is over."

So Li Ji left the golden tent and went to see Dunmohedagan again. However, the guards would not let Li Ji into the tent, saying only, "The prime minister said that if Li Ji comes, he can meet him in the stable west of the tent."

To the west of the Golden Tent, there was a very large stable—actually just a grassy area enclosed by a wooden fence—where dozens of fine horses were either walking or resting, and two shepherds were riding back and forth, holding harnesses, as if selecting suitable horses.

Dunmohedagan leaned against the fence, head bowed, stroking his beard, deep in thought. When a servant reported that Li Ji had arrived, Dunmohedagan ordered, "Summon him here. You all retreat half an arrow's length away."

Li Ji stepped forward to pay his respects, and then noticed Dunmohedagan looking at him with a half-smile on his face. He asked, "Have you seen the Crown Prince?"

Li Ji replied, "Today I only went to pay my respects to the Khatun, and did not see your crown prince."

Dunmoheda curled his lip: "I'm not talking about Yidijian..."

Li Ji was secretly taken aback, but outwardly remained calm, feigning doubt: "Does your country have a second crown prince? If we're talking about the previous crown prince, I've heard he has already passed away..."

Dunmohedagan pointed at Li Ji: "Whether he died of illness or not, you and I know..." He gestured with his mouth to the side: "The Khan is naturally aware of it as well."

Li Ji stared intently at Dunmohedagan, but did not reply, waiting for what he would say next—was the other party testing him? But if he had not received any definite information, why would he think of testing a lowly official like me? Since he brought this up, there must be a reason. Saying anything now would be wrong, so it was better to keep quiet and wait for an opportunity.

Dunmoheda waited for a while, and seeing that Li Ji had no reaction, he laughed instead, patted Li Ji on the shoulder, and said, "Good, you're very good." Then he lowered his voice and said, "The former crown prince originally had a proud heart and was unwilling to maintain the alliance with Tang for long. However, after leading the reinforcements to Chang'an and Luoyang, he went around boasting that he had become sworn brothers with the Tang princes and insisted on maintaining the friendship between the two families..."

"But he didn't understand that it's best to move between two extremes in many things. Sticking to only one extreme is like pushing all those who dislike the Tang Dynasty to a safer place elsewhere. Otherwise, why would he have died so suddenly from illness?"

Li Ji asked tentatively, "So the Prime Minister is good at being ambiguous... good at moving between two extremes?"

Dunmohedagan curled his lips slightly: "If it weren't for that, I would have followed the late Crown Prince long ago, or I would have been suspected by the Khan for being too obsequious to Yidijian."

Li Ji thought to himself, the other party's implication was that the new Crown Prince Yidi Jian didn't seem to be friendly to Tang. "So, in the Prime Minister's heart, does he hope for the resurrection of the former Crown Prince, or does he agree with the current Crown Prince's wishes?"

Dunmohedagan raised his whip high and gently lowered it, saying, “Look at this vast grassland, with countless tribes, where the strong are respected. But where are the former overlords, the Xiongnu? Where are the Xianbei? Even if the Turks are still here, so what? Where is the foundation that has remained unchanged for hundreds of years? As for your Central Plains, although dynasties have changed frequently, the Tang emperors were descendants of Laozi, the Supreme Primordial Being from a thousand years ago. Although the surname has changed, the race remains the same.”

"It is clear that only by maintaining peaceful relations with the Central Plains can the grasslands' foundation be preserved for a long time. If it weren't for your Tang family defeating the Turks, where would my Uyghurs have had the opportunity to establish their own camp and become Khans? Who knows if your Tang family, or the dynasty that succeeds you, will one day severely punish my Uyghurs and allow another tribe to rise to power? Yi Di Jian only sees that the Tang dynasty is declining, but he doesn't realize that even a camel, though thin, is still bigger than a horse, and that a young camel will eventually grow up. He is too young and cannot understand the ways of the world."

"As for whether the former crown prince can be brought back to life, it depends on the will of Heaven and his own abilities."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji roughly understood Dunmohedagan's thoughts. He bowed deeply and pleaded, "The Khatun says that now that the Khan is wounded, only the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister can mobilize troops. I earnestly request the Prime Minister to strengthen the friendship between the Tang and the Tibetans, and to assist in containing the Tubo. If it is in the Tang's interest, please send a contingent of troops..."

Dunmoheda shook his head: "It's useless."

He then explained, “As I said before, the distance is too great; how can we coordinate? Even if we send troops to harass the Qilian Mountains, it is ultimately a vast and sparsely populated area, posing little threat to Tibet. Moreover, Tibet knows that our Uyghurs cannot penetrate deep into their territory. Unless…”

"Please enlighten me, Prime Minister."

"If the Tibetans defeat the Tang, or even if they lose, they can simply withdraw their troops. But if the two armies remain locked in a stalemate, and our Uyghur banners are displayed in the foreground, the Tibetans will assume that our two armies have joined forces against each other, and they will likely not dare to linger any longer. Moreover, once Ma Chongying returns, he will surely redeploy troops and strengthen the defenses of Qilian, which will naturally reduce the pressure on Longyou..."

After weighing the pros and cons, Li Ji asked, "However, if we send troops straight to Shancheng, the journey is much longer than heading towards the Qilian Mountains, and I'm afraid it won't be enough to meet the urgent needs..."

Mobilizing troops is no simple matter. Even if the Tang people were willing to supply them along the way, they would still need to traverse six or seven hundred li of the Gobi Desert first. Preparing provisions and supplies would take at least ten days to half a month. After that, they would have to travel another thousand li at breakneck speed, and by the time they arrived in Shanzhou, they would be exhausted and unable to immediately go to the front lines. According to Li Ji's original estimate, if the Uyghurs were willing to send troops to the Qilian Mountains, it would be at the earliest December. If they went straight to Longyou, it would be no later than next spring.

Guo Xin had promised to hold Shancheng for three months, from the end of November to December, but the Uyghur reinforcements did not arrive, and the troops in Shancheng had already withdrawn. What was the point then?

Dunmohedagan looked at him meaningfully: "Although I am the prime minister and have the power to mobilize troops, how can I not report to the Khan first on such a major matter as aiding Tang? If I make decisions on my own without the Khan's order, as I said before, how can I be considered to be wavering between the two sides? I'm afraid that before the troops are even moved, I will have already lost my position as prime minister... Moreover, without the Tang emperor's formal edict requesting aid, even if the Khan recovers from his injuries and can attend to affairs, he may not be willing to send troops immediately."

"However, why should I, the Uyghur, send troops? The Tibetans don't need to see my cavalry in person; just seeing our banners will be enough to intimidate them!"

Li Ji then suddenly realized: "Would the Prime Minister be willing to lend his flags and drums to our Tang Dynasty?"

To everyone's surprise, Dunmohedagan shook his head: "As the prime minister of the Uyghur Khaganate, my every move is watched by countless eyes. How can I lend my banner to others?" He then smiled and said: "I just want to give you the new banner of the Yabghu to take back to Chang'an."

The Yabghu he referred to was not the Yabghu Crown Prince, but rather Li Chengcai, the Prince of Dunhuang during the Tang Dynasty. Li Chengcai had previously been summoned to the Uyghur Khaganate to seek aid, and the Khagan was about to marry his daughter to him and bestow upon him the title of Yabghu. Of course, this Yabghu was merely a nominal title; Li Chengcai himself had no real power over any of the Uyghur tribes under his control, and no Uyghur would heed his orders.

But no matter how empty the title or how lacking in real power, all the perks must still be provided, including the tally and banner bestowed by the mighty Khan. Dunmohedagan meant that I said the banner of the Khan's son-in-law had been changed, and since you, Li Ji, are here, I'll give you the new banner to take back. This is entirely within my authority, and no one can find fault with it. As for whether you send the banner directly to Chang'an or use it in Longyou first, that's a matter for your Tang Dynasty; you can discuss it with Li Chengcai.