Li Longji was still a child. When he dressed up, he looked like a young girl. His voice was also as clear as a young girl's. "At the banquet at the Ming Palace, a cup of wine and a song. Then, I pray for three wishes. First, I pray for the Saints to live a long life. Second, I pray for my health. Third, I pray for my children and grandchildren to live a good life. Every year, I pray for my appearance …"
Wu Zetian smiled again and again. She picked up a piece of candied fruit and put it in her mouth. The more she listened, the more pleasing it became. When she heard the last sentence, her smile froze.
At this time, Wu Sizhong sneaked up to her. "Aunt …"
Wu Sizhong told Wu Zetian what he heard Li Longji say in the side hall. Wu Zetian still stared at Li Longji, who was singing and dancing. She asked indifferently, "Did San Lang say this?"
"Yes!"
Wu Zetian was silent for a moment. She laughed and said, "We have so many children. Unfortunately … not many of them are successful. This child has some heroic spirit."
Wu Sizhong was startled. He said reluctantly, "Aunt, he … he said such rebellious words. How could you …"
Wu Zetian glanced at him and said indifferently, "Sizhong …"
"Your nephew is here!"
"Do you think San Lang is good as a girl?"
Wu Sizhong glanced down the hall and said perfunctorily, "Good. He's very good."
Wu Zetian laughed and said, "A child's words carry no harm. You're already an adult. You still want to take a child's words seriously? San Lang is pretending to be a woman, but he's actually a man. Although you're a man, why do you look like a woman? "
Wu Sizhong's face turned red and he couldn't say anything.
Wu Zetian waved her hand like she was waving a fly. "We're very happy today. Don't spoil our mood. You can leave!"
"Yes!"
Wu Sizhong bowed and left.
Li Longji finished his performance and received the applause of the entire audience. Wu Zetian laughed heartily and gave him a plate of candied fruits. Li Longji thanked her and retreated. Next, it was his fifth brother, Li Longfan, who went on stage. This Wulang was the little fellow who was changing clothes behind the screen with Li Longji just now. He had just turned five years old and was conferred the title of Prince Qi.
The Prince of Lanling was the fourth son of the Northern Qi Emperor, Gao Changgong. Gao Changgong's bravery was unparalleled, but he was as pretty as a girl. In order to increase his deterrence, every time he went to the battlefield, he would wear a ferocious mask.
Later generations created the dance of the Prince of Lanling's Entering the Battle Array based on this dance. Among Li Dan's children, King Qi was the most artistic one. With him as the leader, he led a group of warriors to perform the Prince of Lanling and brought the atmosphere of the banquet to a climax.
King Qi also received his reward and retreated. Li Dan's Fourth Princess, Li Huawan, leisurely walked to the front of the stage. Just as she was about to open her cherry lips and sing a song for her grandmother, a guard rushed into the hall. Raising a yellow bundle high in the air, he shouted, "Reporting! Longyou's most urgent military report! "
… …
The banquet that Wu Zetian had painstakingly arranged to show the prosperity and harmony of the imperial family had been disrupted by Longyou's urgent military report.
The Eastern Turks and Tubo had driven the Western Turks who were loyal to Tang east and launched an attack on the garrisons of the Tang dynasty. This series of military actions had become an important test for the newly established Great Zhou Dynasty, and the appointment of the commander-in-chief of Longyou's military once more became the topic of whether or not to recover the Four Garrisons of Anxi.
In truth, last year, Wu Zetian had appointed Minister of the Right of Wenchang, Wei Daijie, as the Grand Supervisor of the Anxi Army, to supervise the thirty-six military commanders in attacking the Turks. They had attempted to recapture the Four Garrisons of Anxi, but after several clashes with the Turks, they had suffered heavy casualties. In the end, they had suffered a major defeat at the Yinshijia River west of Crescent City, and Wei Daijie had been exiled to Xiangzhou.
Now, the Imperial Court was forced to reconsider the Four Garrisons of Anxi.
At the morning court session the next day, a major debate on whether or not to recapture the Four Garrisons of Anxi began in the golden hall.
The new Prime Minister, Di Renjie, led his fellow officials in opposing the western expedition. In Di Renjie's view, the attacks of the Turks and Eastern Turks had already forced the Imperial Court to appoint Lou Shide as the Qingyuan Daoist Historian. It was enough that military authority did not fall into the hands of Wu Chengsi's ambitious faction.
As for the Four Garrisons of Anxi, they were truly of little value. They were remote and unbearably barbaric, of no use to the empire. Whether it was sending troops on an expedition or garrisoning them, it would be a huge waste of manpower and resources. It was better to abandon the Four Garrisons of Anxi and withdraw the main force to reduce military expenditures.
This time, it was Wu Chengsi's faction that was strongly in favor of going to war. Only by going to war could they seize the military authority of Longyou. But of course, this goal could not be openly stated. Thus, if they seized the Four Garrisons of Anxi, it would affect the Tang Dynasty's control of the Western Regions, and these strategic locations would be of great benefit to the entire Tang Dynasty.
Di Renjie and the others, on the other hand, were opposed to using this matter to expand the situation and bring up the topic of recapturing the Four Garrisons of Anxi. In their view, any proposal that only focused on one aspect was not advisable.
Guanzhong had the Daisan Pass to the west, the Hangu Pass to the east, the Wu Pass to the south, and the Xiao Pass to the north. Together with the two natural barriers of the highlands and the Qinling Mountains, it was an impregnable country surrounded by four fortresses. If the so-called strategic locations decided everything, how could the State of Qin have fallen?
The Shudao was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. The Yang 'an Pass, the Sword's Gate Pass, the Jiameng Pass, the Dragon's Pass, and the Kui Pass were all places where one man could hold the pass against ten thousand enemies. How could the State of Shu have fallen at the hands of the State of Wei?
When a country was at its weakest, no matter how many strategic locations it had, they would not be able to withstand a single blow. Moreover, after abandoning the Four Garrisons of Anxi, there were still many passes to pass, and it was not a smooth road to the Central Plains. To abandon or take the Four Garrisons of Anxi, one had to weigh the price of taking them and the gains of abandoning them. In terms of eloquence, how could Wu Chengsi, Qiu Shenji, and the others be his match? And while Zhou Xing was eloquent, he was more familiar with the affairs of prisons. This was a matter of state secrets that concerned politics, economics, and military.
Di Renjie's rebuttal left Wu Chengsi speechless. He turned to Wu Zetian and reported, "The Four Barbarians are all outside the former Emperor's domain. The East is separated by the sea, the West by the quicksand, the North by the desert, and the South by the Five Ridges. These are the boundaries that the Heavens divide between China and the West. Now, if we use the outside of the Wulin Wilderness to claim credit, we will exhaust the treasury to fight for the barren land. The people will not be able to increase taxes, and the land will not be able to be cultivated. To seek the crown and lead the faraway barbarians, and not to strengthen the foundation and the people, why did we come? The ancients have a saying, 'Books are of the same language, chariots are of the same track, it may not be safe.' Although this saying is small, it can be used to describe the big picture. If we are greedy for achievements, we will exhaust China, and the foundation will be shaken. Won't the gains not make up for the losses? In the past, Emperor Yuan of Han accepted Jia Junfang's plan and stopped the Pearl Cliff. Emperor Xuan used Prime Minister Wei's plan and abandoned the charioteer's field. It was indeed a wise move. Our Emperor should lose the four towns, enrich China, and save military expenses for faraway places. We should also keep the armored troops in the fortress, and wait for the enemy to come. "
Wu Zetian sat upright and listened to the arguments of both sides, but she did not say a word. Hearing Di Renjie's impassioned speech, Wu Chengsi and the others were speechless. She said, "We will discuss whether we should take back the four towns of Anxi later. Right now, the Tubo and Turkic troops are at our frontier fortress. If we are a little late, the enemy will take advantage of the gap to invade. Issue an imperial edict, promote Lou Shide to be the Left General of Jin Wu, inspect the governor of Feng Province, and temporarily replace the Qingyuan Sect's Minister of Strategy and Chief of the Army. Reorganize the armaments, be ready for battle, and do not give the enemy an opportunity to take advantage of. As for the details, we will wait for Huseluo to arrive at the capital before making a decision. Court dismissed! "
Wu Zetian brushed her sleeves and withdrew from the court. When she arrived at Wucheng Hall, she ordered, "Summon the Yulin Guard General Wu Youyi, the Left General of Jin Wu Guard General Qiu Shenji, and the Right General of Eagle Guard General Wang Xiaojie to see me quickly!"
After saying this, Wu Zetian angrily said to Shanghai Wan'er, "State Elder Di does not know my difficulties."
Shanghai Wan'er presented a bowl of Wu Zetian's favorite fermented rice, and said softly, "Everyone, please calm down. Master Di has always understood Your Majesty's wishes. What has made everyone unhappy this time?"
Wu Zetian sat behind the table and snorted coldly, "This old man has always opposed me sending troops to the Western Region, but he is so eloquent that even I cannot win against him."
Shanghai Wan'er covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "So this is what everyone is talking about. Speaking of which, even though Master Di's opinion is different from everyone's, he is still thinking for everyone's sake. If everyone feels that Master Di's words are unreasonable, then don't listen to him. There is no need to get angry and harm your health."
Wu Zetian's expression softened, and she nodded, saying, "Yes! It is still Wan'er who understands me. "
After praising Master Di, Wu Zetian's eyes narrowed, and she said, "We are a woman. When a woman rules the country, the civil and military officials, as well as the common people, have their doubts. If We cannot take back the four towns of Anxi, or even abandon them, how can we convince all the officials? This time, no matter how many people object, We must send troops to the Western Region. The four towns of Anxi must be taken back from Our hands! "
Shanghai Wan'er's expression tightened, and she said, "Everyone, our court has suffered many defeats when it comes to sending troops to the Western Region. Now that so many officials object, they naturally have their reasons. Everyone must be extremely cautious. "
Wu Zetian nodded, saying, "We know! We have already been defeated once. This time, We will definitely be cautious, and plan before taking action! "
…
In the evening, Yang Fan discovered that Captain Huang and Captain Cheng had been called away by Brigade Commander Xu. After that, Zhang Xitong, Tian Yan, Yue Ziqing, and the rest were also called away. Everyone who returned had a strange expression on their faces. Yang Fan couldn't help but stop Zhang Xitong, who had just returned, and asked, "What happened? Our Brigade Commander has never transferred people alone at this late hour."
Zhang Xitong knew that he had some background. Not to mention the Brigade Commander, even General Wu seemed to treat him differently, so he answered honestly, "The Sage (Emperor) wants to send some people to Longyou, but we don't know what they are going to do. I heard that this is a big matter. General Qiu Shenji of the Left Golden Guards and General Wang Xiaojie of the Left Eagle Guards are going. "
"Qiu Shenji is going to Longyou, and the Hundred Cavalry is also going?"
Hearing this, Yang Fan's heart thumped, and he hurriedly asked, "Has the people going to Longyou been decided? Why didn't the Brigade Commander summon me? "
Zhang Xitong thought to himself, Longyou is a place of suffering, and there might even be danger to your life. Your life is much more precious than ours, who can transfer you there?
Although he was thinking this, he only laughed dryly, "Perhaps … Lord Brigade Commander has other arrangements for you."
Didn't I want to follow the right path to get promoted? Military merits are in Longyou!
Wasn't I worried that I couldn't get close to Qiu Shenji? Qiu Shenji is going to Longyou!
Yang Fan's eyes lit up …
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
