In fact, when General Wei Chigong of the Zhu Kingdom returned to the DPRK, the DPRK was well prepared.
It not only maintains a certain low profile, but also plays a pacifying role to external generals to a certain extent. In fact, it has clearly stated an attitude.
Tell everyone that the imperial court did not find any evidence of meritorious officers and soldiers, and used this as a reason to deprive the generals of their military power, attack the generals' prestige in the army, etc.
However, from another perspective, it is true that when Yu Chigong returns to Beijing this time, he will not be able to leave the capital to lead troops for the time being. In order to compensate, he also went back and let Yuchi Gong concurrently serve as the minister of the Ministry of War. Even though he was only on a temporary basis, he
It is also inconsistent with Li Po's political philosophy.
For so many years, he has tried his best to separate the civil and military fields, so that the military people should not care about politics, and the literary people should not think about leading troops in battles.
But now that the meritorious generals have returned to the court, it is necessary to reward them with some official positions.
In addition to the problem of excessive official positions, there are also some signs of unrewarding for high merit...
………………
At the beginning of April, Gao Biaoren, the Minister of Honglu Temple, Cui Dunli, the Prime Minister of Honglu Temple, and others returned to the capital from Turks, and went to the palace to see him without stopping.
They brought back some news about the Turkic Royal Court that Li Po needed to know urgently.
Gao Biaoren and others set out from Chang'an to the north last autumn and arrived at the Turkic Royal Court in early winter.
In other words, the envoys of the Tang Dynasty stayed in Turks for a whole winter, and returned in early spring when the weather was slightly warmer. In less than half a year, they had a very clear understanding of the core of Turks' rule.
The Turks were actually different from the previous Xiongnu, Rouran, and later fortress empires. Although they still looked like tribal alliances, they actually established a very complete governance structure.
With the Turkic Khan as the core, Geli Daguan, Daluo Bian, etc. assisted the government, and Sunique was in charge of the army. The generals were called Sha, and they had military power everywhere. Some Tutun commanded various tribes, just like the Central Plains.
The prefect is a local governor.
In the military and political aspects, certain reforms were made based on the Central Plains Dynasty. They were not very effective, but they did embellish the appearance of the Turks and make them look like human beings.
The Turkic Royal Court is where the descendants of Ashina gathered. It is also the main battlefield for the power struggle of the Turkic dignitaries. It is a very clear core of power.
Wherever Gao Biaoren and his party went as envoys of the Tang Dynasty, they were warmly received by the Turkic Khan Ashina Yang Huan. In Gao Biaoren's words, the Turks were very considerate and even seemed a little too polite.
Both Gao Biaoren and Cui Dunli felt a little surprised.
Later they learned that the Turkic Khan had reused some southerners headed by Zhao Deyan, and they were vigorously promoting some laws and etiquette in the Turks.
It seemed that something was going to be changed, but the effect was hard to tell, but Gao Biaoren and others heard a lot of complaints from the Turkic dignitaries.
The grassland tribes want to learn from the Central Plains Dynasty to use etiquette and laws to restrain people's words and deeds...
Li Po imagined it and couldn't help but laugh. This is similar to what he is doing now, except that the Turks...you want them to observe etiquette and know the law? I have to say that this idea is very interesting. I must give a thumbs up to the one named Zhao.
Thumbs up.
According to Gao Biaoren's descriptions, the Turkic royal court was relatively peaceful.
They interacted with the Turkic nobles for a while, and no one spoke loudly in front of them, saying how the Turkic Khan was doing, and what the generals were doing.
More importantly, the Turkic nobles were not very interested in the situation in the south. This may be the sequelae of Shibi Khan's two southern expeditions.
The Central Plains dynasty in the south is no longer so powerful and poses no threat to the Turks. The nobles of the Turkic royal court have also generally changed. They no longer remember the power of the former Sui Dynasty as freshly as the old people. They are more
I started to pay attention to the movements of the little Khan.
That is closely related to their power.
It felt a bit weird to Li Po's ears. Is this involution?
The topic that the Turkic nobles were most interested in was how to trade with the Tang Dynasty, rather than fighting with swords and guns, so most of them had expectations for the alliance between the Turkic Khan and the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
This situation is very different from what Li Po thought before. This is the role of the messenger.
The emperors and ministers of the Tang Dynasty regarded the Turks as an opponent. As Feng Deyi said before, the alliance was only a temporary measure. It was not his idea alone.
From top to bottom in the Tang Dynasty, whether they were in favor of the alliance or opposed, the positioning of the Turks was the same. It can even be said that there will be a war between the Tang Dynasty and the Turks in the future, which is the consensus of the courtiers.
But the Turks were so lazy that they really wanted to coexist peacefully with the Tang Dynasty? When did the wolves stop eating grass? Even Li Po felt that they should be ashamed. In just a few years, the Turks have already
Have you lost your enterprising spirit?
It is naturally impossible for Gao Biaoren to give a positive answer to such a profound question.
They discussed the alliance matters with the Turkic nobles at the Turkic royal court, and later had discussions with Ashina Peony and others.
The meeting is a grand event for the Turks, no less than offering sacrifices to their gods and ancestors. Following the example of the Tang Dynasty, it is a relatively unique large-scale court meeting.
Every once in a while, the Turkic Khan would summon the younger Khans and tribal leaders for an alliance. Everyone would gather together and present various offerings to the Khan.
Then, while eating, drinking and having fun, we discussed the future of the Turks.
The alliance between the two countries is probably not out of this category. In fact, it was Yang Jian and his son who set the precedent. People in the previous dynasty were not so bold, and most of the exchanges were envoys. Once some khan came to Chang'an to meet, there would be a clear
The meaning of effectiveness.
………………
In any case, the foundation of the alliance has become increasingly solid.
Gao Biaoren and others also brought ardent greetings from the Turkic Khan and a personal letter from Ashina Yang Huan, which can basically be regarded as a letter of credence.
Li Po flipped through it later, but there was nothing substantial in it.
His relationship with Ashina Yang Huan is quite complicated. Although they are mother-in-law, they can also be called nephews, damn, close relatives... He had never thought of this before.
When Li Po was in Jin, they were still good partners.
It can be said that Li Po played an indispensable role in Ashina Yang Huan being able to ascend to the throne of Turkic Khan.
Of course, Ashina Yang Huan was not without rewards. Since Ashina Yang Huan came to the throne, there have been no major wars on the northern border of Jin, allowing Li Po to concentrate on heading south.
In addition, Ashina Yang Huanjue Li Yuan was kind and sent Empress Xiao to Jinyang, which were relatively friendly actions.
So-called reciprocating favors, Li Po sent Yu Wenxin to the Turks many times to show his goodwill, and even participated in two Turkic alliance meetings. He also sent people to go to Yulin with the Turks to kill Guo Zihe.
There really is a tacit understanding between you and me, but as Princess Yicheng became a Turkic Khan, the interactions between the two parties have never been very equitable. Otherwise, Ashina Yang Huan would not have dragged him and Yang Huan away.
Astana has never given a definite reply regarding her marriage.
But regardless of what happened before, now Li Po is the emperor of the Tang Dynasty and can be equal to the Turkic Khans.
And even if they are relatives and have had good interactions before, it can only be said that the two countries have the foundation for an alliance. This is not a decisive factor in the relationship between the two countries.
In Li Po's view, it is the national strength of the two countries that ultimately determines the outcome of the alliance.
Before this winter, going to the edge of the Great Wall to meet Ashina Yang Huan will undoubtedly be a major event that will determine the direction of exchanges between the two countries in the next few years.
So far, it seems that both sides have expressed a clear desire to form a good relationship, which should also determine the tone of the alliance.
Time is a little tight. Gao Biaoren, Cui Dunli and others came back just in time. They have already understood the Turks to a certain extent. When they discuss with Ashina Mudan, they should be able to deal with it properly.
After discussing many topics with Gao Biaoren and Cui Dunli, Li Po finally asked, "When you met the Turkic Khan, what did he look like...what was his temperament?"
Gao Biaoren and Cui Dunli looked at each other, and Gao Biaoren replied: "He is graceful and noble, speaks well, and has the city in mind. He is worthy of being the king of a country."
The question was relatively general, and the answer was quite official. Li Po frowned dissatisfied and said: "A woman who occupies the Turkic Khanate will naturally not be simple. What about the others?
For example, the food and daily life are still the same as those of the Sui Dynasty? What kind of people do you like to surround yourself with? You have been there for several months, why don’t you ask me to help you with these?"
Li Po regretted that he was hasty when he sent the envoy and did not let anyone from the Military Intelligence Department follow him.
Gao Biaoren and Cui Dunli were both serious sons of aristocratic families, and they were not very capable of probing things. Everything was carried out in accordance with the way of interaction between great powers.
But there is no way to blame them. It is extremely rare for them to be able to take this trip. They have gained a lot from this trip, so they can't ask for too much.
There is only one evildoer like Zhang Qian in thousands of years. There are quite a few people like Su Wu who were forced to herd sheep, and even more were people who lost their heads after speaking incorrectly or were killed on the road.
Encountering natural disasters or dying of illness, etc.
It is not a good job to be an envoy to a foreign country in these days, and there are simply no good envoys out of ten.
They shoulder many missions. Stupid guys will only go to the other side's king to show their superior style. Only those who are smart and courageous can take on the responsibility of envoys.
Seeing that the emperor began to be serious, both Gao Biaoren and Cui Dunli expressed their shame. They had not met the Turkic Khan several times, and they were far from having a pleasant conversation with him.
They wanted to make friends with some Turkic nobles, but the Turks were greedy for money. They went on the mission in a hurry and did not bring many valuable gifts. Many Turkic nobles were unwilling to meet and socialize with them.
In other words, they were unable to penetrate deeply into the life of the Turkic Khan, and their understanding of Ashina Yanghuan was only superficial...
Li Po is not very disappointed here, just a little dissatisfied. Princess Yicheng of the former Sui Dynasty, a Turkish heroine, is such a rare creature. If you don't observe it carefully, your trip will be in vain.
