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墨書 Inktalez
Since ancient times, parents have had deep affections. Have you not heard of the profound love for their offspring? The letters from Wu Shuyan are cut off, separated by vast distances, filled with resentment. How can dreams and souls not fear the distance to Chang'an? How many times have I ridden the wind to inquire about their well-being?
If Li Wushuang were to marry into Tuguhun, how could she ever meet her family again in this life? Although this young lady enjoys wielding weapons, she is ultimately a delicate girl who misses her home and parents. If she truly marries into Tuguhun, despite the honor and prestige, she would still be a lonely outsider, inevitably facing a life of solitude away from her family. How could her parents not cherish her?
The river is wide and difficult to cross; how can I find peace? In secret, tears of longing for my family fall, fearing that tears for my child would be even more abundant!
Li Daozong cannot bear to part with his daughter, and how can Li Wushuang let go of her parents? In that moment of sorrow, being born into a royal family often means having little control over one’s own fate. However, as a member of the royal family, there are many times when one cannot act on their own wishes. The usually diplomatic Li Daozong must now swim against the current to fight for his daughter!
Recently, Sage has been troubled. The conflict between the two sons has yielded no results, leaving him in a dilemma. The situation with Goguryeo is equally urgent. Thus, he listened to the advice of his ministers and temporarily allowed Tuguhun some leeway to gather royal daughters for marriage and settle matters peacefully, though he felt quite uneasy about it.
Li Shimin has fought for half his life; he has never shown weakness to others. Eastern Western Turkic, Tuguhun, Uyghur—none of these foreign nations have not bowed in submission. Yet Tuguhun is so aggressive; even ordinary families seeking peace through marriage would find it humiliating. How much more so for the grand Tang Heavenly Kingdom?
For this matter, Li Shimin feels much regret. However, a gentleman's word is as good as gold; having just agreed to the marriage alliance, how could he go back on his word today?
On this day in court, after discussing various matters, Li Daozong finally stood up and said: “I have something to report to Your Majesty. There are many affairs both inside and outside the court that should not be mentioned. However, my concern for national prestige has kept me from eating or sleeping well these past few days. Today I dare to request Sage’s attention…”
Li Daozong spoke earnestly and rigorously; all the civil and military officials listened attentively. Sage was also puzzled; Li Daozong had previously been dismissed due to corruption but was later reinstated and had made significant contributions during the Tuguhun. He had returned to court but had always kept a low profile—why was he acting so boldly today?
“Uncle Emperor, if you have something to say, please do so. All your loyal ministers will discuss it together.”
Changsun Wuji and other seasoned advisors noticed that Li Daozong had suddenly become assertive and understood he was about to mention Tuguhun. They exchanged glances with intentions of united resistance.
As expected, Li Daozong did not keep them in suspense but stated directly: “Sovereign is wise; currently, the prestige of the Tang Dynasty is balanced and widely known across the seas. All nations come to pay tribute without exception. Although Tuguhun is not a small place, its people are uncivilized and lack education—they are nothing but a rabble seeking marriage as a pretext for invasion! If our Tang Dynasty shows weakness now, we will surely face future threats. Today Tuguhun forces an alliance; tomorrow they will seize the opportunity to infringe upon our national dignity. How will other foreign nations view us?”
“Although I know Your Majesty cares for the people and does not wish to mobilize troops or exhaust their strength unnecessarily, we must set an example by striking fear into them! We cannot allow Tuguhun to set a precedent that makes many small nations think our Tang Dynasty is weak! I am unworthy but wish to volunteer as the vanguard to drive away the barbarians of Tuguhun and restore our national prestige!”
After finishing his statement, Li Daozong slightly raised his head; his eyes were filled with eager hope and fighting spirit!
Li Shimin felt deep regret over the Tuguhun situation; no loyal ministers had mentioned it in recent days. He thought many military generals were content with their positions and unwilling to fight. Now hearing his uncle's plea for war stirred him greatly; however, he remained noncommittal on the surface and turned to all the civil and military officials.
“What do you all think of Uncle Emperor's words?”
Changsun Wuji and other senior officials had already communicated thoroughly among themselves; each buried their heads in silence without expressing opinions but secretly encouraged some less significant county officials to advise Sovereign on prioritizing succession plans and major issues concerning Liaodong since they had only recently quelled disturbances during the Tuguhun.
Seeing such fervor among them without any response from the military generals made Sage feel indignant. Just as he was about to speak out in anger, one person stepped forward and declared loudly: “ Xu Zhen supports this! I am willing to serve under General Li’s command to drive away Tuguhun and restore the prestige of Heavenly Kingdom!”
Hearing Xu Zhenzhi's words, many old advisors gritted their teeth and secretly cursed, "This brat is so meddlesome!"
These individuals had weathered many storms and understood how hard-won the current prosperity of the Tang Dynasty was. The monarch was the foundation; if the issue of succession remained unresolved for too long, no matter how they strategized on other matters, they could not find peace of mind.
However, they lacked the insight of Xu Zhen. As for establishing a successor, whether it was King Wei or Prince Jin, both were of the Li family bloodline. Although the Sage wavered in his decisions, he might have already had a plan in mind; he just needed time to ease the situation. Many ministers, however, pressed for their own interests day and night, making it impossible to win the Sage's favor.
When Li Shimin saw Xu Zhen stepping forward to support him, a smile appeared at the corner of his eye as he praised from his throne, "I thought there were no heroes left in court; General Xu has truly pleased me!"
At that time, although Xu Zhen had achieved merit in suppressing Qizhou, she had already been appointed as Shangfu Negotiation Commander before her campaign began. It had been less than four months since then, making it inconvenient to grant further rewards. Nevertheless, many brothers and acquaintances among the civil and military officials joked and teased her by calling her general.
But this time was different; this time the Sage personally referred to Xu Zhen as a general. Was he really going to officially appoint her as a general?
Changsun Wuji initially wanted to advise against this but observed the situation and realized he had misunderstood the Sage's intentions. It turned out that the Sage was not so worried about the succession issue; instead, he was deeply concerned about Tuguhun and had already stirred up a desire for war!
At this critical moment, Changsun Wuji hesitated. Xu Zhen had already helped King Wei once; although she had not taken any further actions afterward, her cunning thoughts were too numerous. If she truly remained in Chang'an, she might not withstand King Wei's persuasion. It would be better to push her onto the battlefield against Tuguhun, far away from Chang'an, which would help marginalize King Wei!
Moreover, Tuguhun's army was not just a name; recent battle reports indicated that Tuguhun had swept through the Tuguhun, Tangxiang, and the Qiang people. Now claiming an army of over two hundred thousand advancing towards Songzhou (present-day Songpan in Sichuan), they sent envoys to offer tribute and insisted on marrying a princess. Governor Han Wei hurriedly led troops into battle but suffered a great defeat. The Qiang leaders and Tang's Kuo Province Governor Bie Cong Wo Shi and Nuo Prefecture's Governor Ba Libuli subsequently surrendered to Tuguhun.
Although Xu Zhen had some tricks up her sleeve, Yin Zong along with loyal guards like Gao He Shu, Xue Dayi, and Xie Anting were now in Youzhou and Yingzhou following Governor of Yingzhou Zhang Jian to monitor military movements regarding Goguryeo. Besides Zhou Cang and a few Fourteen Red Armored Guards soldiers around her, there was no one else to ensure her safety!
If Xu Zhen were pushed into Tuguhun’s ranks and given a position as a vanguard commander, she would undoubtedly face danger herself. If one or two capable individuals were also placed in the army with her, it was likely that Xu Zhen would never return to Chang'an!
In an instant, Changsun Wuji considered many factors. After deliberating with himself, he changed his stance upon speaking out later. He no longer obstructed Li Daozong nor suppressed Xu Zhen but instead supported her vigorously.
"Li Daozong is absolutely right; if we allow Tuguhun to grow today, it will become a major threat tomorrow. Our Tang Dynasty must march forth to vanquish them and strengthen our national prestige! I believe Xu Zhen and Colonel Murong Xiao are young yet accomplished; having achieved remarkable feats in the previous campaign against the Tuguhun and being exceptionally familiar with the terrain around here, she can certainly handle this mission alone!"
Upon hearing Changsun Wuji's words, many civil and military officials were puzzled; they did not understand what this old fox was scheming. Previously he clearly viewed Xu Zhen as a thorn in his side; now he was praising her—was he planning something similar to Hou Junji’s attempt to elevate her only to bring about her downfall?
If that were truly the case, Changsun Wuji would be too narrow-minded. It should be noted that Hou Junji initially intended to elevate Xu Zhen only for her to carve out a bloody path on the battlefield against Tuguhun while earning recognition from Li Jing and the Sage—he inadvertently became her stepping stone!
However, they soon realized that Xu Zhen was now isolated with only fourteen guards left by her side. As long as Changsun Wuji communicated with Qibi Helix to prevent Zhou Cang and others from accompanying Xu Zhen into battle, who could protect her?
With this thought in mind, these individuals began to rally behind Changsun Wuji’s statements once again. Li Shimin was overjoyed and immediately appointed Li Daozong as Chief of Military Operations for Midao; General Zhi Shili as Chief of Military Operations for Bailan Dao; Left Guard General Niu Jinda as Chief of Military Operations for Kuoshui Dao; Right General Liu Lan as Chief of Military Operations for Taohe Dao; while Xu Zhen was appointed as commander of troops in Songzhou along with Loyal Martial General to lead forces against Tuguhun’s army!
Li Daozong personally volunteered for battle, and it was understandable that he received the title of Chief Steward. Zhi Shili and others were formidable generals with reputations that made them equally deserving.
Xu Zhen had already become a Shangfu Negotiation Commander of Fourth Rank, capable of leading twelve hundred troops, which was only natural for someone in her position. However, the Sage added the title of Loyal Martial General to Xu Zhen. Although it was merely a military honorary title, Xu Zhen had undeniably become a general in every sense!
At this point, who would dare to doubt the current Sage's regard and favor for Xu Zhen?
Li Daozong was unaware that his daughter, Li Wushuang, had privately approached Xu Zhen. He believed that Xu Zhen was loyal and brave for the country, which was why he supported her in battle. He couldn't help but feel grateful and reminisced about their initial meeting in Shanshan.
Back then, Xu Zhen was just a Personal Guard Captain who fought valiantly to protect during the Xuanwu Gate Incident. Now she had grown into a figure capable of commanding troops!
Xu Zhen herself did not expect to truly receive the title of Loyal Martial General. She hurriedly expressed her gratitude to Li Daozong and others, declaring her determination to sweep away the Tuguhun.
The Sage comforted and encouraged her before happily retiring from court. After receiving the news, Li Wushuang felt grateful for Xu Zhen's reliability and shared this sentiment with Li Mingda, significantly changing her view of Xu Zhen. However, Li Mingda worried about Xu Zhen going to battle and felt a sense of gloom.
Changsun Wuji was busy making arrangements, sending trusted confidants to communicate with Qibi Helix in an attempt to keep Zhou Cang and others in Chang'an. Yet, given the close relationship between Qibi Helix and Xu Zhen, and his loyalty to Li Shimin, it would be difficult for Changsun Wuji to persuade him. Historical Records noted that after Li Shimin's death, Qibi Helix even sought to be buried alongside him voluntarily.
(Note: The historical figure Niu Jinda is the prototype for You Jun Da in "Sui Tang Yan Yi," "Say Tang," and "The Rise of the Tang.")
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