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Chapter 288: The Crown Prince
The court naturally did not lack troops. Although the Duke of Wei, Li Jing, had only a small number of troops under his command, he was more than capable of dealing with a single Kucha.
The emperor specifically mobilized one hundred thousand troops from the barbarian tribes of Liaodong and Qianzhou on the grasslands to ensure they understood and became accustomed to the fact that they must cooperate in battle under the emperor's orders, launching punitive wars against those from the Heavenly Kingdom who disrupted order.
Thus, seventeen thousand troops were gathered in Western Tang. If we include the commoners responsible for transporting supplies and provisions, the total approached three hundred thousand, along with support from Khotan and An Guo providing camels and military provisions.
Under the leadership of Turkic generals, an army composed of one hundred thousand from various tribes swiftly captured five major cities of Kucha and simultaneously subdued over forty smaller cities.
The Kucha kingdom could only gather its remaining forces to defend its capital, Irolu City. The Prime Minister of Kucha, Nali, rushed to Qianquan City with all the treasures of the kingdom, seeking aid from Western Turkic to lead the various nations of the Western Regions in resisting the Tang army, reasoning that if they did not act together, they would all suffer.
However, there was much debate among Western Turkic at this time. They were not afraid of the Tang army's tens of thousands of troops; after all, the Western Regions were their territory.
Yet, the thunderous weapons of the Tang army indeed made them hesitant to act rashly because if those weapons were used in battle, how could their flesh and blood withstand them?
Tongye Hugu Khan was undoubtedly in favor of war. Under his insistence, Western Turkic decided to send troops.
But at that moment, Luoluo City had already fallen. No city wall could withstand the power of artillery. King Bushi Bi was captured alive. The Duke of Wei arrived from Anxi Protectorate to proclaim a decree that pardoned him and ordered him to relocate his family to Luoyang for residence.
Then, taking advantage of this situation, the Duke of Wei seized military authority. Ashina Duer, upon seeing the emperor's decree, dismounted and knelt before the ten thousand troops as if fearing heaven itself.
He respectfully assisted the Duke of Wei onto his horse and took hold of the reins as if performing a duty to lead him.
This individual was also a member of the Ashina Clan; his attitude clearly demonstrated Tang's control over the grasslands.
After Li Jing took command of the military power, he unhesitatingly distributed all treasures obtained from Kucha among the soldiers as rewards based on their achievements.
This was also emphasized by the emperor: when managing foreign soldiers, rewards and punishments must be clear-cut. Punishments should come before rewards; only by obediently accepting punishment can they receive rewards.
At this time, Tongye Hugu Khan had already gathered a Turkic army numbering two hundred thousand, along with several tens of thousands of reinforcements from various nations in the Western Regions.
They rushed to the west bank of the Yehe River, hoping to use the natural barrier to ambush the Tang army. Upon learning of the Western Turkic forces' deployment, the Duke of Wei immediately ordered General Su Dingfang to lead 20,000 elite cavalry from the Tiele and Uyghur tribes to rush to the west bank and form a line.
After receiving the order, Su Dingfang wasted no time and traveled day and night, finally arriving before Tongye Hu. After making some arrangements, he immediately commanded his soldiers to eat well and rest.
By the time the Turkic forces arrived, it was already too late. Seeing that the Tang army numbered only around 20,000, they felt it was a good opportunity to take down this isolated force.
However, Tongye Hu insisted that this was a trap and delayed their advance repeatedly, only sending a small portion to harass and engage in battle while often calling for a retreat.
Just as the Turkic military was on the verge of mutiny, Duke of Wei Li Jing suddenly led tens of thousands of elite troops to strike from behind them. No one knew how they had managed to bypass the enemy.
Su Dingfang immediately led his troops into a charge to flank the Turkic forces alongside Duke of Wei. As predicted, the weaknesses of the ten divisions of Western Turkic were fully exposed due to their disunity.
What could have been a coordinated advance under Tongye Hu's command quickly turned into a chaotic battle with each faction fighting for itself when attacked from behind. The reinforcements from various Western regions had already begun their retreat.
The advantage of having 200,000 troops was rendered ineffective; even Tongye Hu's Wolf Head Banner fell at some point. In their rout, they inflicted more casualties on each other than what the Tang army caused. Tens of thousands pursued over thirty miles against more than 200,000, capturing nearly 50,000 people, including many high-ranking leaders from Western Turkic, with Tongye Hu among them. This was clearly a resounding victory.
Li Jing ordered that Tongye Hu and Princess Gaomi be escorted back to Luoyang and then immediately reorganized his troops, taking with him the great drum symbolizing Khan's authority and marched towards Qianquan City.
As expected, Qianquan fell without resistance. Sovereigns from over thirty nations including Shiguo, Mi Country, Great An Nation, Little An Kingdom, Cao Kingdom, Bohanna, Yida, Shule, Zhu Ju Ban Tu Huo Luo, Sogdian, Kashgar, Persia... came forward voluntarily to kneel under the Tang army's banner.
In their fearful panic, Duke of Wei did not initiate further bloodshed but instead transferred military command and authority over the Western Protectorate to Su Dingfang while leading the sovereigns back to Luoyang.
Su Dingfang opened roads, established postal stations, buried bones of the dead, inquired about suffering, mapped out battlefields, and revived livelihoods. The Western nations enjoyed a brief period of peace.
…………
In the year three AD, the emperor in his forties casually leaned back in his chair. His demeanor was very gentle; he had not shown anger towards anyone for several years.
Yet no official or general dared to relax in front of him. Over these years, the emperor had expanded territories far beyond those of previous dynasties.
Every year during the Wanshou Festival, countless sovereigns from vassal states personally came to Chang'an to pay their respects as if opening palaces in nine heavens and nations donning ceremonial attire bowed before him.
Today’s banquet was attended by his trusted ministers and favorites; among them was a special guest—deposed King Qi Li Yuanji—who appeared gaunt and sickly like a ghost. Seeing so many people made his body tremble slightly.
After the banquet, officials led by King Li Shimin and Minister Li Jing stepped forward. "Your Majesty, you should appoint an heir."
This was something the Emperor had heard almost every day for the past few years, but he usually refused. However, today he said, "Prince Qin is my blood brother, and the Minister is my mentor. Who do you think I should appoint as the heir?"
The officials immediately knelt down. "This matter of succession belongs solely to Your Majesty's decree."
The Emperor nodded with satisfaction and smiled. "Then it should be my Legitimate Eldest Son. However, this country is vast, and I am somewhat concerned whether he can govern well and carry on the legacy of the State."
All the officials remained silent, even those noblemen whose words could shake several nations. They only hoped that the Emperor would appoint an heir; everything else was secondary.
At this point in the Tang Dynasty, they were not afraid of an extravagant Emperor but rather feared a prince usurping the throne, which could lead to division in the realm.
The Emperor had more than ten sons, each born of different circumstances and with their own bases of support. Who wouldn't want their grandson or nephew to sit on the throne of King of All Kings and Supreme Tengri?
Just as everyone was feeling anxious, the Emperor slowly spoke, "I will appoint my Legitimate Eldest Son, Li Chengzong, as the heir."
"My Emperor is wise!"
………………
(End of Chapter)
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