Xiao Man, A Nu, and Gu Zhuting were not inferior to Wan'er when it came to intelligence and craftiness. However, they were not in positions and did not participate in politics. They did not have Wan'er's experience of serving the Emperor since she was fourteen years old and immersed in politics. Therefore, they were not used to analyzing weddings and funerals from the perspective of political changes and power struggles.
Wan'er was different from them, so she immediately thought of the various effects of the Tubo peace marriage on the political situation of the Great Zhou. The Turks once refused their daughter's marriage on the grounds that the Prince Consort who went to the Turks was surnamed Wu and not Li. As a result, Wu Yanxiu was still herding horses on the prairie. The Tubo princess could only be a member of the Li family.
Now that the Emperor had decided to return power to the Li family, this was known to all. So it was even more impossible for the Tubo princess to be a member of the Wu family. But how many princesses of marriageable age were there in Li Tang's royal family?
Crown Prince Li Dan had six daughters who were not very old. But after Li Xian returned to the court, in order to consolidate his position, he used marriage to win over the aristocratic families and make friends with the Wu family. All six of his daughters were quickly married to the sons of the aristocratic families and the Wu family. If the Tubo wanted to make peace with the Great Zhou, the only choice was the daughter of Li Dan, the Prince of Xiang.
Li Dan had a few more children than his seventh brother, Li Xian. He had five sons and eleven daughters, the eldest of whom was not even twenty and the youngest was only seven. There were a few who were unmarried and of marriageable age.
So the question arose. What was the real purpose of the Tubo peace marriage? For peace? Absolutely impossible! In history, there had never been a peace marriage that really played such a role. It was always proposed as a dignified way to end a conflict when one side could no longer fight and the other side would lose more than the gains.
Sometimes, after the peace marriage, the two countries would calm down for a few years, a dozen years, or even a few decades. It was not because a daughter was married, but because neither side had the ability to continue fighting, or they did not think that continuing to fight at this stage would bring them more benefits.
So the Tubo peace marriage was because the Prime Minister and the Emperor wanted to stop fighting and recharge after exhausting the country's power? If so, the Great Zhou might agree to the peace marriage. You need to conserve your strength, and I also need to conserve my strength. After a few decades, who will be stronger and who will be weaker will depend on who recuperates better in these few decades.
However, right now, the object of the Tubo peace marriage could only be the Prince of Xiang's daughter, and Li Xian was a Crown Prince whose authority had fallen to the Wu clan. Once he ascended to the throne, he was destined to become a weak Crown Prince. After the Tubo and the Prince of Xiang became in-laws, would they instigate the Prince of Xiang to ascend to the throne and interfere with the internal affairs of the Great Zhou?
The Crown Prince, Li Xian, and the Prince of Xiang, Li Dan, had originally been emperor and minister, but these two brothers had both been Crown Princes and Emperors. If a foreign power tried to stir up trouble, would the Imperial Court stir up another storm, making the future political situation of the Great Zhou even more complicated and confusing?
Ever since the Tubo eradicated their War God, Lun Qinling, their military strength had been greatly weakened, and they began to lose more than they won against the Great Zhou. After Wu Zetian moved the capital to Chang'an, she strengthened the defenses of the Guanzhong region, increasing the pressure on the Tubo. This was probably an important reason why they chose the peace marriage.
But just like how Lun Misa had casually dug a hole for Yang Fan to jump into, the Tubo peace marriage could not have any good intentions. As long as they were given a chance, they would not give up on splitting the Great Zhou and weakening the Central Plains. In addition, from the perspective of the Great Zhou Empire, would the Tubo marriage with the Prince of Xiang arouse the suspicion of the Crown Prince?
To the Wu clan, Li Tang was one. If the Tubo marriage with the Prince of Xiang strengthened the power of the Li clan, how would the Wu clan react? In the last few years, Wu Zetian had been making preparations for her death. Would the political balance she had worked so hard to create be broken by the peace marriage? How would she choose?
All these unknown choices could have far-reaching effects on the politics of the Great Zhou in the future. Even if Yang Fan was just a simple general, standing in his sensitive position, it was inevitable that he would be drawn into conflict, and this was not to mention that he had another identity in secret.
If he felt that this matter had nothing to do with him and hung up high, it would be too late for him to react when disaster struck him. A person with foresight would not do something so short-sighted. Thus, even though Yang Fan did not know what he could do in this matter, he had to go. He had to know what was going on as soon as possible and prepare for a rainy day.
An hour after Zhang Yu, the Qi Province's Commander, escorted Lumisa's team away, Yang Fan and his family's carriages also left the Five Zhang Plain. In the twilight, the carriage traveled along a strangely beautiful and dangerous ravine. This was a ravine that had been carved out by a river over tens of thousands of years. The mighty forces of nature had carved desolate and solemn marks into the yellow cliffs and river.
Wan'er and Yang Fan stood side by side on the yellow cliffs, looking at the strange and dangerous ravine. The night wind blew through Wan 'er's hair. The setting sun added a layer of gold to her hair and face, making her look like a beautiful statue.
"Years ago, Zhuge Liang set out from Hanzhong, took the Baoxie Road, crossed the Qinling Mountains, and entered Wuzhang Plain. Here, he was locked in a stalemate with the Wei general Sima Yi. He used a trick to lure the Wei soldiers into the Gourd Ravine and set fire to the entrance of the ravine. Unexpectedly, a heavy rain saved the Wei army from danger. Zhuge Liang was a great talent, but he could only sigh and say, 'Man proposes, God disposes.' "
Yang Fan rode to the top of the cliff. Listening to Wan'er's soft voice, it was as if he could see the golden spears, iron horses, and banners in the sky. It was as if he could hear the sound of horns and the rumbling of drums. Yang Fan sighed and said, "It is not only Zhuge Liang who feels this way. No one can do as they please, even if they are the high and mighty Emperor! Don't worry, I just want to plan, not go against Heaven! "
…
The Censorate's first attack on Er Zhang succeeded in removing the three brothers, Zhang Tongxiu, Zhang Changyi and Zhang Changqi, from their official positions, and fined Zhang Changzong twenty catties of copper. It could be considered a small gain, but Er Zhang's vitality was not damaged. A few days later, at the request of the Zhang brothers, Zhang Tongxiu and his brothers became officials again.
Wu Zetian issued an edict, appointing Zhang Tongxiu as the Fang Prefecture Magistrate, Zhang Changyi as the Bowang Prefecture Magistrate, and Zhang Changqi as the Qi Prefecture Magistrate. All three were demoted to a county magistrate. This was the first assistant of a county official. Compared to their original positions in the capital, it was a demotion, but in terms of real power, it was a demotion.
With the Zhang brothers supporting them in the capital, a county magistrate was enough to suppress a county magistrate and become the real head of a county. Although the three were demoted, they did not leave the Guanzhong area. They were all local officials in the Guanzhong area, and the capital was in the Guanzhong area. Moreover, the three originally had no real power, but now they had real power in their hands.
This was a strong counterattack by the Zhang brothers, and also a strong counterattack by Wu Zetian. The Zhang brothers proved that the Emperor loved them, and Wu Zetian showed that power was still in her hands. Although the Imperial Censorate could use the rules of the law to make things difficult for the Zhang brothers, she could also use the rules of power to turn the tide.
The Prime Minister Wei Yuanzhong and the Imperial Censorate Song Jing heard that the Zhang brothers had been reactivated, and both rushed to the Emperor to argue, but returned without success. The Prime Minister Wei Yuanzhong and the Imperial Censorate Song Jing heard that the Zhang brothers were reactivated, and both rushed to the Emperor to argue, but returned without success.
This time, Wei Yuanzhong and the others' attack on the second Zhang Family really did not have the right time, the right place, and the right people. This sudden accident completely diverted the attention of the court. In the face of this far-reaching and important national affair, they had no choice but to continue to be entangled in the Zhang brothers' corruption case.
The Tibetan envoy Lümsa came to the capital, and presented a thousand horses and two thousand taels of gold as tribute to the Zhou court, and brought a letter of credence to ask the Zhou Emperor to marry the princess of the royal family to the Tibetan Zanpu. The thousand horses could not be brought into the capital, so they were handed over to the local government in Qi Province.
Compared to the Turkic Khan Mozi's stingy marriage proposal, the Tibetan tribute was very grand, but after the peace marriage, they would receive a more generous dowry. Even if the peace marriage was not approved, the reward from the Zhou Empire would be doubled. The Central Plains Empire had always been generous.
Wu Zetian received the letter of credence, and announced that the Tibetan envoy would be entertained at the Lin De Hall of the Daming Palace the next day. After the officials from the Ministry of Rites took the Tibetan envoy Lümsa away, Wu Zetian immediately discussed with the officials whether the Zhou Empire would agree to the Tibetan marriage proposal.
For a moment, the officials were discussing, whispering to each other, and the hall was buzzing. Wu Zetian frowned, looked at the Prime Minister Ban Zhong, and asked in a clear voice, "Minister Wei, what do you think?"
Wei Yuanzhong slowly stepped out, and bowed to Wu Zetian, and said, "I remember that the Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty once said, 'The customs of the Northern Barbarians are mostly about internal affairs, that is, having children, then my grandson will not invade China, and so the border has been peaceful for the past thirty years'."
Although the current country was called the Zhou Empire, Wu Zetian ascended to the throne because of her son's' abdication of the throne ', and it was a peaceful evolution. And the Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty was her father-in-law, so the Zhou Empire was not too afraid to talk about the previous dynasty. Wu Zetian herself often talked about how Taizong was, so it was not a big deal for Wei Yuanzhong to use Taizong's words as an answer.
Wu Zetian's eyes narrowed, and she asked, "So Minister Wei agrees to the peace marriage?"
Wei Yuanzhong hesitated for a moment, then nodded and replied, "Yes! I think, since Tibet is sincere about peace, why not become a father-in-law and son-in-law state? The two countries can turn hostility into friendship, and the people will be very happy. "
Wei Yuanzhong was a member of the Crown Prince's faction, loyal to the current Crown Prince Li Xian, but he was also close to the Prince of Xiang, Li Dan. The reason why he hesitated just now was also because of this relationship.
He felt that if they wanted to make peace with Tibet, they could only marry the Prince of Xiang's daughter, which would not be good for consolidating the Crown Prince's position. But if Li Tang's royal family and Tibet were married, it would be beneficial for Li Tang's royal family to compete with the Wu family, so it was difficult for him to choose. But the Emperor had already asked, and there was no time for him to slowly weigh the pros and cons, so he could only answer hastily.
"Minister Wei's words are wrong!"
Just as Wei Yuanzhong finished speaking, a tall civil official stepped out from the crowd, vehemently saying, "In the third year of Zhenguan, Songzan Gampo succeeded to the throne, and after that, he trained his troops, quelled the rebellions, and successively conquered the Supi, Domi, and Yangtong tribes, trying to unify Tibet.
In the eighth year of Zhenguan, Songzan Gampo was still in civil strife, and in order to seek the support of the Central Plains, he proposed marriage to Emperor Taizong, but was rejected! Not long after, he proposed again, but was also rejected! Songzan Gampo resorted to military force, and sent troops to Songzhou, but was defeated by Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty, and the marriage proposal was no longer mentioned.
In the fourteenth year of Zhenguan, Songzan Gampo used military force to unify Tibet, and after the chaos, he urgently needed to govern. If he wanted to govern, he needed to borrow the strength of the Central Plains, so he sent troops to the border, and once again sent envoys to propose marriage, and added craftsmen, agriculture, culture, education, and governance as dowry.
At that time, the Tang dynasty was on an expedition to Korea, and because of the civil strife of the Eastern and Western Turks, the Tang dynasty took this opportunity to send troops to suppress them, and did not have the strength to wage war on three sides, and also to fight with the newly unified Tibet, so they had no choice but to agree to the marriage proposal. Looking at it from this point of view, that speech was really a cover-up, Minister Wei is knowledgeable, how can you not know? "
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