Chapter 150: Eating meat in the south and gnawing on hard bones in the north

April 19th.

According to ritual system, Li Longji held a grand sacrifice outside the city of Chang'an.

The altar was surrounded by branches and stones.

The flag was held by the Yulin Lang on the side of the stage.

Li Longji went on stage to burn incense and pray!
The main deities of this sacrifice are the gods of mountains and rivers and the gods of roads, in order to pray for smooth hunting.

In addition to the Longwu Guards and Yulin Guards who had already set out, the imperial guards participating in the hunting this time also included the Left and Right Wuwei, the Left and Right Qianniu Guards, and the Left and Right Leading Army Guards.

A total of 100,000 imperial guards.

Fortunately, Xianyangyuan is relatively close, so the hunting time, including the journey, is only seven days.

It is sufficient for the army to carry a small amount of food.

Hunting is not just about hunting, it also involves a military parade.

For the Tang emperor, hunting had lost its primitive wildness, and the pleasure brought by toughness and bloody killing. Only ritual hunting could show the breadth of mind of an emperor.

Hunting in the Zhou Dynasty was conducted on a quarterly basis, which was called "hunting in four seasons". The hunting was held in the middle of each season. The four seasons of hunting in the Zhou Dynasty also had their own names, namely "Spring Hunting", "Summer Hunting", "Autumn Hunting" and "Winter Hunting".

However, since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, although the national strength has been strong, it is impossible to hold it every quarter. The five major military ceremonies stipulate that it should be held once a year.

Hunting carries the emperor's will and usually depends on the emperor's mood.

In this era, war has been far away from Zhou Li.

However, the emperor still hoped that hunting could be carried out in accordance with etiquette and gain praise from the court and the public.

After the sacrifice, the emperor's carriage, escorted by thousands of Longwu Guards and Yulin Guards, headed to Xianyang Plain.

There were more than a thousand palace maids, eunuchs, and musicians following him.

Yang Yuhuan, who had just been named a noble concubine, was naturally kept by Li Longji.

After the imperial army's martial arts performance and hunting were over, the three sisters of the Yang family were allowed to join the hunting team.

Other civil and military officials followed the sage's carriage.

At the same time, officials of the fifth rank and above also followed with their families and children.

The Southern Yamen Imperial Guards cleared the way in front and behind.

Li Xuan accompanied them, but his father Li Shizhi did not come.

He was only accompanied by his eldest brother Li Qian and fourth brother Li Jiqing, and Li Yuying also came to join in the fun.

The fifth brother served as a Yulin Lang, guarding Li Longji's carriage.

The hunting location was nearly 150 miles away from Chang'an.

It’s less than a hundred miles away from the parade location.

"Qilang, in this free hunt after the military parade, you must help the Saint get first place!"

While riding, Li Qian chatted with Li Xuan.

"Do your best!"

Li Xuan just laughed at this.

If nothing unexpected happens, the saint must be number one. Even if he is not number one, he should be number one!

The ministers' carriages and horses were self-sufficient in the items they carried.

If you are hungry, just stop and have a picnic and eat.

Like Li Yuying and others, they are the same as the family members in Duke Song’s Mansion.

When they were marching in the afternoon, they heard that the saint's carriage had stopped and was about to set up camp.

At this moment, all the convoys of dignitaries stopped.

They brought a variety of food, wine and tea and set up tents in the wilderness.

Li Xuan chose an open area on a hillside to set up his tent.

Built with the help of the guards.

"General, the Saint invites you to come over!"

When Li Xuan was preparing food for his family, a eunuch came on horseback to inform Li Xuan.

"I'll go right away!"

Li Xuan had thought about what would happen, so he told Li Qian about it and then rode his Arabian horse to Li Longji's carriage.

In just half an hour, a deer antler fence had been erected around the area.

Inside and outside the fence, the Yulin Guards and Longwu Guards were setting up military camps.

The plan is to arrive at the designated location at noon tomorrow and deploy all troops.

The military parade starts the day after tomorrow!
A luxurious tent was slowly being set up.

This big tent is like a palace, decorated with brocade and full of gold and jade tassels.

Needless to say, the scene inside must be magnificent.

Many eunuchs were carrying daily necessities made of gold, waiting to go inside and arrange them after the big tent was set up.

Li Longji was testing arrows at a makeshift shooting range.

Li Longji loved hunting and his archery skills never improved.

Although it is impossible to hit the target from a hundred steps away, you can always hit the target within thirty to fifty steps.

"Your archery skills are the best in the world, and I am far behind..."

After Li Longji hit several targets in a row, An Lushan flattered him.

Li Linfu and Wei Jian were also around, but they were not as shameless as An Lushan.

They couldn't learn An Lushan's expressions and movements.

"Lushan, the world's best archery is here!"

Li Longji put the bow and arrow back into the eunuch's hands.

As an emperor, he enjoyed hearing his subjects praise his archery skills.

But he had seen many people with unparalleled archery skills, including quite a few among the imperial guards.

"Meet the saint!"

After Li Xuan arrived, he bowed to Li Longji.

"Qi Lang, we have been marching for nearly a day, and I asked you to come here to prepare for the banquet."

Li Longji waved his hand and asked Li Xuan to come to his side, and said: "Let Lushan see what the archery skill of shooting through the willow tree from a hundred steps away is like!"

"As ordered!"

Li Xuan thanked him, saying that those who were able to attend the banquet at this time were all trusted and important ministers.

The eunuch handed the bow and arrow to Li Xuan.

"Shhhhhh!"

Li Xuan was standing in front of the place where Li Longji had just stood. He shot ten arrows in a row, and every arrow hit the bull's eye.

The interval between each arrow will not exceed one breath.

"Good archery skills!"

Li Longji applauded.

The ministers around him, such as An Lushan and Li Linfu, had no choice but to applaud and agree.

Li Xuan deliberately took a step forward to prove his superb archery skills and to show Li Longji's respect.

Who wouldn’t like such a minister?
"When the Tibetan leader, Mulun Mojie, Sangdong Zebu, asks for a meeting, Qilang will be the one to receive him!"

Li Longji reminded Li Xuan.

He disliked the Tibetan ambassador very much. He wanted to make peace but didn't show any sincerity. How could such a good thing happen?

Even Tian Lie came over to bother him.

Li Longji wanted Li Xuan to teach the Tibetan delegation a lesson.

"As ordered!"

Li Xuan obeyed the order.

After the emperor's tent was set up, Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan went in to rest first.

Gao Lishi was guarding outside the big tent.

"Right Prime Minister, why can't you bend your bow and draw your arrow like a saint? Are you too old and weak?"

Not far outside the tent, there were only four people: Li Xuan, Li Linfu, An Lushan, and Wei Jian.

When the atmosphere was extremely awkward, Li Xuan asked Li Linfu a question in a sarcastic tone.

Because he knew that Li Linfu did not personally participate in the hunt.

Although they were of similar age, Li Linfu and Li Longji had very different physical qualities.

This sentence shocked An Lushan. He usually thought that Li Xuan and Li Linfu seemed to have a good relationship, so why did they suddenly start to quarrel with each other?

Didn't Li Xuan know that Li Linfu was the chief prime minister with power over the world?
Wei Jian was secretly delighted and felt relieved when he saw this.

At least Li Xuan did not join forces with Li Linfu.

As long as Li Xuan and Li Linfu keep a distance, it will be beneficial to them no matter what.

"I am in good health, no need to worry about you, General!"

Li Linfu was so angry that he was fuming.

Li Xuan was one of the few ministers in the court who did not respect him in private.

If it were anyone else, they would be in big trouble, but he had no way to deal with Li Xuan.

"What a shame! My father has always wanted to play chess with the Right Prime Minister, and he envied the life in Tokyo like that of Lu Zhanshi."

Li Xuan just had nothing to talk about, so he made a few insults to Li Linfu.

Lu Zhanshi is Lu Xuan.

In the early years of Tianbao, Lu Xuan had the potential to become a prime minister, but because of Li Linfu's jealousy, he was driven out of Chang'an by Li Linfu and now lives in Luoyang for retirement.

Li Xuan said this, implying that he should be dismissed from his position as prime minister like his father.

"Humph!"

Li Linfu snorted coldly and walked aside. He saw Wei Jian secretly laughing, which made him even more angry.

After this field hunt, let’s see if you can laugh out loud again?
At this time, the last minister Sangdongzebu asked to see Li Longji.

Li Xuan asked the eunuch to bring the last ruler Sangdongzebu to him.

In addition to Mujie Sangdongzebu, there was also a Tibetan man who looked calm and tall following him.

This should be a Tibetan general.

"Tibetan envoy, this is the general of the Left Dragon Guard of the Tang Dynasty, the governor of Hexi and Longyou. The general will receive you on behalf of the saint. If there is anything, the general will handle it with full authority!"

The eunuch Lin Zhaoyin said to Mojie Sangdongzebu and the other two.

This sentence made the two Tibetans' expressions change slightly.

This is exactly the Li Xuan they have been looking for!

They already knew that Li Xuan was the most trusted border commander of the current Tang Emperor.

He can influence the will of the Tang Emperor.

"I am the ambassador of the Tibetan delegation, and my last name is Sangdong Zebu."

"I am the deputy envoy of the Tibetan delegation, Enlanda Zhalugong."

The two men bowed to Li Xuan.

"Have the two envoys decided to return Shibao City and Jiuqu to the Tang Dynasty?"

Li Xuan looked at them deeply and asked slowly.

Both of them were key figures who influenced the course of Tubo history.

Li Xuan knew that in a few years, Mojie Sangdongzebu would replace Moluqiongsang Woermang as the new chief minister of Tubo.

Then, in a position of power, he came into major conflict with Chidai Zhudan and killed the great leader Chidai Zhudan in the Horse Racing City.

The other was a famous Tibetan general who was no less famous than Lun Qinling. He not only suppressed the rebellion of Mujie Sangdongzebu, but also invaded Chang'an, bringing Tibetans to their most powerful moment.

Although they were all very powerful, Li Xuan had no intention of keeping them.

"Zanpu has not received the message yet. Please give us some time to think about it!"

Mojie Sangdongzebu was very polite. In a gentle tone, he pleaded with Li Xuan, "Tang and Tubo are uncle and nephew. Shibao City and Jiuqu have long been Tubo's territory. The conditions of the Tang Dynasty are indeed a bit harsh. This time we are willing to kill dogs, horses, donkeys and cattle as an oath to establish the Qinghai Alliance and make peace forever."

He first delayed time, and then told Li Xuan that it would be difficult for the Tubo Zamp to agree to hand over Jiuqu and Shibao City.

"Then why do you come to disturb the Great Tang Saint? Do you think that just because you are an envoy, you can do whatever you want?"

Li Xuan spoke bluntly.

These people are all "hawks" of Tubo, and Li Xuan knows what they are thinking.

Once Tubo has rested for two or three years, it will have more troops in Qinghai and Jiuqu.

"We dare not. We just hope that the two countries can live in peace, so that no one can suffer again. We also hope that the wise and powerful saint of the Tang Dynasty can become the supreme ruler of the world. We are also willing to marry a Tang princess as a prince, and recreate the friendship between Princess Wencheng and Princess Jincheng!"

At the end, Sangdongzebu gave an old excuse.

"Princess Wencheng's marriage brought Songtsen Gampo a brief peace, but when Princess Jincheng entered Tubo, you took Jiuqu away as a dowry! What do you want from this marriage?"

Li Xuan said lightly.

As for the marriage alliance, rationally speaking, it does have some effect. Emotionally speaking, Li Xuan sneers at it.

"General, you are wrong. It was Yang Ju, the governor of Shanzhou in your country, who gave Jiuqu to Tubo as a token of the reconciliation between the two countries."

Mojie Sangdongzebu insisted on thinking so.

"You know the right and wrong, and I know it too. Yang Ju will be infamous for this matter! Jiuqu belongs to the Tang Dynasty, and there is no room for negotiation!"

Li Xuan said in a firm tone.

At that time, Yang Ju accepted bribes from Tubo and gave Jiuqu to Tubo.

If Li Xuan were to say, Yang Ju should be given a biography in history books to let the world know about his behavior.

"General, this time we from the Tang Dynasty come with sincerity, and we from Tubo can also marry a princess to the Tang Dynasty!"

Mojie Sangdongzebu is still persisting.

He came with a mission, even if it can be eased for a year or two.

Now we need to rebuild morale, eliminate the fear of Li Xuan, and mobilize more troops.

Mojie Sangdongzebu also has ambitions. Moluqiong Sangwoermang already has a head full of white hair, and he hopes to become the chief minister in the future.

"I repeat, Jiuqu and Shibao City belong to the Tang Dynasty. We wanted Xiaobolü as well, which is already a special favor to you."

Li Xuan remained unmoved.

"I still have 500,000 soldiers in Tibet, but I don't want both sides to suffer losses. The Han people believe in peace and prosperity, and good weather and good harvests. Wouldn't it be good for you to stop the war?"

Enlanda Zhalugong couldn't help but say to Li Xuan.

It was impossible for the Zanpu to agree to the Tang Dynasty's demands, but Li Xuan put too much pressure on them.

Tuyuhun was in chaos, and the soldiers and civilians of Jiuqu and Qinghai mentioned Li Xuan as if he were an ancient evil god. When children heard this name, they dared not cry anymore.

In addition, after hearing that Tubo was defeated by the Tang Dynasty in Helong, the more than 20 countries in the Western Regions that had surrendered to Tubo became restless, as if they would turn around and surrender to the Tang Dynasty at any time.

Enlanda Zhalugong was Lun Xinuluo who was stationed at the Chiling Pass during the Battle of Lishui. He knew the legend in the army that Li Xuan was ten feet tall, had three heads and six arms, eyes as big as copper bells, and a bloody mouth that would eat people alive if he caught them.

Now when I saw Li Xuan's face, I thought for a moment that he was not the famous Li Xuan.

He is six feet tall, but he is as strong as ten thousand men!

After many brutal battles and bloody lessons, they knew that the young man in front of them was the one who made them shudder.

"War is easy to start, but not easy to end. It's not that we don't want peace and prosperity for the country, it's that you've been fickle too many times, especially the Ruler Belt and Pearl Dan!"

Li Xuan was determined to continue the battle no matter what.

In addition to the border defense work, he was also responsible for completely defeating Tubo before the world and heaven split.

"That's rude, General!"

Seeing Li Xuan slandering their Zamp, Enlanda Zhalugong could not stand it.

Although their monarchs made plans to annex Helong, they would not fail to admit that they had lost their credibility.

"I am only stating the facts. Please tell me straight. Will you hand over Shibao City and Jiuqu? Otherwise, the elite soldiers of the Tang Dynasty can capture Shibao City in no time."

Li Xuan seemed to be willing to go back and attack Shibao City immediately if Tubo disagreed.

"Farewell!"

Seeing that Li Xuan was tough, Sang Dongzebu decided not to cause trouble.

He came to watch the Tang Dynasty hunting, mainly to see the strength of the Tang Dynasty's elite soldiers.

He naively thought that he could see the flaws of the border troops from the Tang Dynasty's imperial guards.

"slow!"

Li Xuan stopped them from leaving, saying, "How can you leave without eating and drinking?"

He whispered something to the eunuchs and asked them to prepare meat.

After hearing what Li Xuan said, the eunuch looked at Li Xuan in surprise, but when he saw Li Xuan nodded slightly, he turned and left.

Li Xuan refused to let them go, so Mojie Sangdongzebu and Enlanda Zhalugong could not leave.

They were invited to a table set up in the open air, thinking there was still a chance to ease the situation.

After a while, the eunuch placed a plate of beef in front of Li Xuan.

But in front of Mojie Sangdongzebu and Enlanda Zhalugong, each of them placed a piece of bone, which was obviously a cow bone, the kind that even dogs could not bite through.

"Oh!"

"How can a great country feel powerful by humiliating its envoys?"

Nlandazalugong flew into a rage and slammed the table.

Leaving them behind is just like eating a bone?

This is treating them like dogs!
The usually cunning Mojie Sangdongzebu also clenched his fists with an annoyed look on his face.

This is a great humiliation for the envoy!
"The meat is in the south, but you don't go there to eat the meat, but come to gnaw on the hard bones in the north! Am I humiliating you? This is just your own choice!"

Li Xuan's seat was on the south side, while Mojie Sangdongzebu and Enlanda Zhalugong's seats were on the north side.

Alluding to the Tang Dynasty and India!
Throughout the history of Tubo, Tubo only attacked India a few times!
But we will fight the Tang Dynasty to the death for two hundred years!
The number of battles that have taken place cannot be counted in hundreds!

Although the Himalayas are high, Tubo can certainly pass through the mountain passes and take detours. It is not necessarily more difficult than leaving the plateau and reaching Helong.

India has a warm climate, so that is not a major problem.

As for cultural differences, is that a reason in this era?

The reason was that they felt that the Tang Dynasty was richer and had more abundant resources. Influenced by the Tang culture, Tubo developed a desire to conquer the Tang Dynasty.

Li Xuan knew that the land in the south was fertile and that there was wealth if you went a little deeper.

Since Tubo is not smart, let him be smart!
At this moment, Enlanda Zhalugong and Mojie Sangdongzebu understood what Li Xuan meant.

Aren't they just chewing a hard bone?

Even if they attacked India, it was just a small-scale attack. They used a large number of military forces across the country to attack the Tang Dynasty.

So that I was stuck in the quagmire and couldn't move.

"The bones are hard, what can I Tubo get in the end!"

"Oh!"

But Nlandazalugong was a man of character. He stood up, picked up a stone from the side, and smashed it hard on the cow bones.

The cow bones broke into pieces with the sound.

Nlandazalugong picked up the cow bone and sucked the marrow inside.

This move basically means a refusal to hand over Shibao City and Jiuqu!

The next time we meet, it will be as a battle.

Li Xuan watched Enlanda Zhalugong's behavior silently.

He ate the beef on the plate slowly and carefully.

The real test will be on the battlefield, to see whether you can break my bones and absorb my marrow.

Let me see if I can eat all the yaks in Qinghai!
After Nlanda Zhalugong sucked all the bone marrow, he left with Mojie Sangdongzebu.

They no longer watch the Tang Dynasty's hunting, and they are not qualified to watch it!
(End of this chapter)