Cheng Chumo clasped his fists with a serious look on his face and said: "This is all Zhang Yang's arrangement. You have become a left official of a state capital at a young age. You will definitely be in a higher position in the future. We will have a drink together when we return to Chang'an one day."
Zhang Daan got on his horse and looked in the direction of Youzhou with high spirits, "Mom and dad, the child will leave this way."
Listening to these words, Zhang Gongjin's wife's eyes shed tears again.
The four strong men also got on their horses.
"drive!"
As a whip was waved, the war horse raised its front hooves and headed towards Youzhou.
The figure walked further and further away, Cheng Chumo looked at Zhang Gongjin, "Don't worry, Mr. Zou, these four people are all carefully selected by someone."
"I can't get involved in your affairs with Zhang Yang. I can rest assured that Da'an's safety is left to you to arrange."
While still comforting his wife, Zhang Gongjin walked back to the village.
Cheng Chumo looked at Lishan Village in front of him, and then led the people towards Chang'an City.
There is abundant rain in summer, which also reflects Zhang Yang’s words. This kind of abundant rain means that the fields must be prepared for waterlogging.
There is a lot of water in the streets and alleys of Chang'an City that have been in disrepair, and there are also some places where sewage is overflowing due to blockage in the drains.
Fortunately, Zhang Yang had given advice before, and the court was well prepared.
Li Shimin listened to the report from Lu Chengqing of the Ministry of Revenue and felt the adoring eyes of the civil servants in front of him. The emperor enjoyed it for a while.
As long as I am a wise king in the eyes of my subjects, my son-in-law's offense can be forgotten.
Li Shimin was very happy about this and was in a good mood.
It was summer in Guanzhong, and Lu Dongzan drove all the way from Longxi. It took him a month to reach the border of Luoshou.
When Lu Dongzan arrived, he didn't see any corpses everywhere, and every pasture was well preserved.
This strange situation made him feel more and more uneasy.
Listening to the explanations of the herdsmen here, the Tang army did not destroy the pastures when they invaded Tubo, but instead treated the herdsmen well. This battle not only made Songtsen Gampo lose a lot of trust, but also made the Tubo herdsmen have a better impression of the Central Plains.
This is not a good situation. It can be seen that Tubo was at war with the Central Plains at that time. The war was defeated and people's hearts were also lost. This shows how difficult the situation Zanpu encountered at the beginning was.
Until we arrived in front of a large camp, where the Guanzhong soldiers and horses were resting.
Noticing a group of Tibetan people stationed in front of the camp, the soldier stepped forward and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Hearing the Tubo dialect spoken by the soldiers in front of him, Lu Dongzan was even more surprised. He still said loudly in Guanzhong dialect: "Who is the general stationed here?"
"It's General Su Dingfang and General Li Daoyan."
Lu Dongzan wrote down these two names and left here all the way to Luoche.
The war between Tubo and the Tang Dynasty caused the population of Tubo to drop sharply.
Lu Dongzan entered the territory of Tubo and saw many women and children, but few mature men.
There is a group of houses in the distance. The houses are simple and simple, not as beautiful and solid as the houses in Chang'an City.
These houses are made of cow dung and gravel.
There are people herding a large group of yaks beside them.
Seeing that the Prime Minister had returned, several strong Tibetan men came out of each house and came forward to ask what happened in Chang'an.
Lu Dongzan walked into the house with a bit of anger in his eyes. When he walked to a house, he saw that Zanpu was sitting opposite a Tang Dynasty official, and a monk was sitting next to him.
This monk is none other than Tang Xuanzang, who was captured from Tuyuhun.
At that time, Zanpu released the monk. Ludongzan was surprised and wondered why the monk came to Tibet again.
"I've seen the big picture."
Seeing this civil servant saluting him, Lu Dongzan walked straight to Songtsen Gampo.
Tang Xuanzang recited the Buddha's name and said, "Zanpu is willing to cease the war to avoid further killings. This is a kind act."
"Why did Zanpu agree to these harsh conditions of the Tang Dynasty!" Lu Dongzan said loudly in Tubo dialect.
"We can no longer fight against Tibet. If we continue to fight like this, all the strong men in Tibet will die in battle, and there will be no future."
Lu Dongzan was trembling all over, feeling sad and helpless in his heart. The anger he was preparing to question disappeared when he saw Zampu's desolate look, "You have to accept even such humiliation?"
Songtsen Gampo nodded slowly.
"Zanpu has decided to go to the Tang Dynasty next year to congratulate him. This is a good thing for both the Tang Dynasty and Tubo."
Hearing the civil servant on the side speaking in Guanzhong dialect, Lu Dongzan immediately looked at him angrily, "Who are you? Where is Zhang Dashu?"
"He has been away from Luoxing for a while. He should be arriving in Chang'an soon. Didn't he meet the Prime Minister along the way?"
Realizing that something was wrong with the atmosphere, he explained: "The lower official is the envoy of the Foreign Affairs Council, and he has been stationed in Tubo since then to deal with various matters between the Tang Dynasty and Tibet."
Songtsen Gampo took Ludongtsen out of the house, "This time you come back and visit the clan leaders. It is necessary to appease them."
Lu Dongzan whispered: "We didn't lose to Datang, we lost to Zhang Yang's vicious methods."
Songtsen Gampo looked up at the snow-capped mountains in the distance, "I want to meet Zhang Yang. You have been your opponent with him for so many years. What kind of person do you think he is?"
"This man is tough, arrogant and scheming, and has deep plans for the city. He was also a disciple of Zhang Gongjin back then. It is said that Zhang Gongjin was one of the great counselors under Tian Khan at that time."
Songtsen Gampo nodded, "It seems that we have underestimated the counselors in the Central Plains. Their wisdom is what we need."
Pointing to the snow-capped mountains in the distance, Songtsan Gampo added: "After several nights of long talks and listening to Tang Xuanzang's words, I was inspired a lot."
The civil servant of the Diplomatic Academy walked forward with a smile. He ignored the hostility in Lu Dongzan's eyes and said to Songtsen Gampo: "The construction of Tubo. Our Minister of Rites, Zhang Yang, also has a suggestion, which is to build a building in Luoche."
The capital of Tubo, this is a magnificent capital called the Potala Palace, Potala means holy land in the Tubo language."
After speaking, Lu Dongzan glared at him again, but the civil servant still stood up straight with a smile.
Songtsan cadre smiled bitterly and said: "I have never met Zhang Yang, but I feel that I have fought with him several times. I think he will be our best friend in Tubo in the future. I am willing to make friends with him, and he and I will become good friends."
Brother, he is also a good brother to our Tubo warriors!"
Hearing that the Tubo monarch could say this, the civil servant smiled and said: "Zhang Shangshu will definitely be very happy if Zanpu can put aside his past grudges."
"We Tubo people have always advocated strength. Warriors will become friends of life and death after fighting. I think Zhang Yang is the same." Songtsan Gampo raised his chin and smiled: "Isn't there a saying in the Central Plains that is called turning war into jade and silk."
"What Zanpu said is reasonable, and the original teachings have it. Yu knew that the world was rebellious, so he destroyed the cities and ponds, scattered the wealth, burned the armor and soldiers, and applied virtue to them. Overseas guests were subdued, and the barbarians accepted their posts, and the princes were united in Tu.
Mountains hold jade and silk to all nations, this is the origin of turning war into jade and silk."
Songtsen Gampo nodded happily, "What does Zhang Yang mean by asking Tubo to take good care of Tang Xuanzang?"
The envoy from the Foreign Affairs Commission took out a brochure, opened it, glanced at it, then closed it and whispered: "The cohesion of the Central Plains lies in Confucian classics. Scholars all read the same books. In the Central Plains, hundreds of schools of thought were dismissed and Confucianism was respected only.
This is a unity of ideas, but Tubo lacks wisdom, let alone this kind of spirit. Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty was proficient in scriptures, and in fact Tubo also has scriptures that have been passed down to the world, so what the official said is right.”
Songtsen Gampo still nodded.
"That's it. What Tubo lacks is a kind of books that can unite its people. Zhang Shangshu believes that there is Confucianism in the Central Plains, and Tubo also needs such achievements to make Tubo prosperous again."
Songtsen Gampo's smile, "Hahaha! I present three boxes of Tibetan pearls and gold to the Foreign Affairs Academy and Zhang Yang to show our Tubo's gratitude and thank Zhang Yang for giving me the method of governing Tibet."
The clerk smiled and left.
When the others walked away, Lu Dongzan said anxiously: "Do you really want to do what they say? In the Central Plains, Tian Khan has been restricting Buddhism."
"Officials from Guanzhong entered Tubo in groups, and they were the eyes of the Khan watching our every move."
"What does Zamp mean?"
"We want the Central Plains to know that our Tibetans are wholeheartedly devoted to the Buddha and have no intention of war anymore. We not only let them know but also let them believe it."
This was Songtsan Gampo's idea. Even if Tang Xuanzang was allowed to spread scriptures in Tubo, the Central Plains must be convinced that Tibet no longer had the intention to fight.
Lu Dongzan rushed to appease the clan leaders of various tribes, and then preached to Songtsengan: "Zhang Yang wants far more than this."
This is a warning. Zhang Yang's plot against Tibet is far from over.
A few days later, Songtsen Gampo gathered manpower to prepare for the construction of the Potala Palace. In the following days, Songtsen Gampo would listen to Tang Xuanzang reciting scriptures every day.
News about Tibet came and went, and officials sent from the Foreign Affairs Academy recorded what Songtsen Gampo saw and heard in these days.
I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but Songtsen Gampo informed Tang Xuanzang intermittently about everything that happened in Buddhism in the Central Plains.
Half a month later, Guanzhong, inside Chang'an City.
After Zhang Dashu brought the Tibetan credentials to the Foreign Affairs Academy for handover, the three ministers were about to see His Majesty with the affixed credentials.
This imperial examination in the eighth year of Zhenguan was a good thing for scholars all over the world.
Li Yifu is one of these people. Everyone is a new official. He is very familiar with a group of newly promoted officials.
Last year, Li Yifu went to see Changsun Wuji with his recommender and wanted to ask for an opportunity to become an official, but he was refused.
After scrapping many connections, I finally got a place in the imperial examination, and now I am an official.
Seeing someone coming, Li Yifu, who was already tired when he was standing in front of the door, cheered up and said, "I dare to ask you what are you here for."
Xu Jingzong first took a look at Li Yi's Mansion. After the imperial examination, there were many new faces in the court, "The Ministry of Rites has a memorial to present to His Majesty."
Li Yifu became more energetic when he heard that he was from the Ministry of Rites. He heard that the Ministry of Rites established the Diplomatic Academy to take charge of foreign affairs and made many contributions.
In particular, Zhang Yang, the Minister of Rites, was someone many young people wanted to compare with. He had already joined the Zhongshu Province to participate in government affairs at a young age.
Li Yifu bowed and saluted, "You can give these memorials to me, but I heard that Your Majesty is not in the palace now."
After looking at the official uniforms and faces of the three people in front of him, Li Yifu already had a plan in mind, "I think the three people in front of me are the ministers of the Ministry of Rites. The lower officials have heard about it for a long time."
Noticing that the three of them had impatient looks, Li Yifu said with a smile: "In fact, I respect the Foreign Affairs Council very much. The official in charge of the imperial court often impeaches, but I don't know that you work hard for the sake of the country, and sometimes you regret it in your heart."
"The official heard that His Majesty left the court early in the morning, so he took the queen, princess and princes to Lishan Mountain." Li Yifu wiped his sweat, "If there is something urgent, you can go to Lishan Mountain. You can still catch up if you go now. If you are not in a hurry, you can go to Lishan Mountain."
You can submit it to the Ministry of Menxia, and it will be forwarded to the Ministry of Education, and your Majesty will be able to see it tomorrow."
The three of them decided to go to Lishan.
Before leaving, Xu Jingzong took one more look at Li Yifu and said, "Thank you for letting me know how to call him."
"Your Majesty Li Yifu." He bowed and saluted and replied with a smile.
Xu Jingzong first wrote down the name, and then the three of them left.
At the foot of Mount Li, Zhang Yang waved the fan in his hand and said, "Your Majesty, please don't be offended. Wearing coarse shorts and short clothes in our Jianxin family has no etiquette."
Li Shimin shook his head and said: "It doesn't matter, I didn't tell you when I came."
Seeing the queen and Yue'er talking in low voices, Li Shimin frowned and said, "How is Yue'er's health?"
Zhang Yang said melancholy: "Morning sickness is still a bit serious."
Li Lizhi interjected from the side: "I heard from Xiao Wu that my brother-in-law has arranged it very well. There are all kinds of dishes, and the emperor can also eat them. There are also many novel dishes that my daughter has never eaten."
There was grievance and coquettishness in Li Lizhi's words. Of course Li Shimin knew what his daughter was thinking. She said the food was delicious, but she actually wanted to follow her sister.
A daughter has already been married. As a princess, of course she cannot stay alone in other people's homes. If there is a group of children, that's it. Girls should be more careful.
After Li Lizhi finished speaking, she left, pouting with an unhappy look on her face.
"I'll make you laugh. These children have been thinking about their imperial sister all day long, saying they want to come out to play." Li Shimin smiled and looked not far away, "Look at these children, how happy they are when they leave the palace one by one.
That’s it.”
"Children, Tongyanwuji is the most lively and noisy age."
Just when Li Shimin was about to say something else, Li Zhi came again.
His speech was always interrupted, and Li Shimin looked unhappy, "What are you doing here again?"
Li Zhi held the table with one hand, his face full of confusion, "How will my brother-in-law weigh the horse?"
Zhang Yang put down the fan in his hand and said, "His Royal Highness the King of Jin knows that when a ship is on the water, how much the ship sinks is related to how many people and weight are on the ship."
Li Zhi nodded, "What does this have to do with the weight of the horse?"
Zhang Yang said again: "Under the same conditions, the water level raised by sinking objects of different weights is also different. Can His Highness King Jin understand this?"
Li Zhi struggled for a while, "I seem to understand."
Li Shimin said solemnly: "If you understand, you understand. If you don't understand, you don't understand. Why do you seem to understand."
Being treated so harshly by his father, Li Zhi felt aggrieved, "My son, I will figure it out."
Speaking of the topic, while Li Shimin, the father of the emperor, wanted to teach his son a few more words, Li Zhi had already walked away quickly.