Lu Dongzan was filled with emotion as he saw the bustling and prosperous world in front of him.
Even if Tubo could rely on its temporary military advantage to gain some victories and occupy some interests while the Tang people were taking a nap, the Tang Dynasty had such a vast territory, such a large population, so extravagant wealth, and endless famous generals, sooner or later there would be The debt will be repaid with blood every day.
No matter how brutal the war was and how gnashing of hatred, the revenge in the future will be fierce.
How could a mere corner of Tubo conquer the vast territory of the Tang Dynasty and turn all the Tang people into slaves of the Tubo nobles?
This is absolutely impossible.
If you rashly launch a war against the Tang Dynasty for the sake of temporary gains and losses, even if you can achieve brilliant benefits in the short term, and even make a name for yourself in history, it will one day drag the entire nation into a bottomless abyss.
What's more, under the fierce counterattack and revenge of the Tang people, the entire clan will perish.
That is the eternal sinner of Tubo...
But can we coexist peacefully in the Tang Dynasty by staying on the plateau?
It is also absolutely impossible.
Between countries, between nations, and between nations, there is always one ebb and flow, one retreats and the other advances. Both the Tubo people and the Tang people are driven forward by interests. When the Tang people explore the interests within this territory, After all, they will naturally set their sights on the plateau, and the expanded power will be enough to crush the world and make them enemies all over the world!
Just as Tubo's internal interests have been completely digested and it has begun to set its sights on the Tang Dynasty, it is the same reason...
Lu Dongzan was a little angry.
How unfair it is for God to be born under the same sky with such a powerful nation that has been inherited for thousands of years. I am afraid it is the tragedy of many nations.
Whether it's the Quanrong or the Xiongnu, even today's Turks all had glorious days. They suppressed the Han people and humiliated them wantonly, but no one could really conquer them. When the Han people slowed down, After a breath, these Hu people who once bullied them were swept away in the dust of history.
Lu Dongzan could only pray, maybe Tubo would be the only exception...
…
Gao Zhixing, dressed in official uniform, was led slowly through the crowd by several soldiers responsible for maintaining order. Wherever he went, everyone gave way.
It took half a stick of incense to reach the mountain gate.
There are more people here, and judging by their attire, they are either rich or noble. They are obviously not ordinary people, and there are more soldiers patrolling here.
Amidst the crowds of people, Lu Dongzan saw the nine flags of ginseng flags fluttering in the wind in the distance, and knew that the emperor of the Tang Dynasty was there.
It's a pity that the emperor's location is on the hillside, just below the mountain gate of the academy. It is far away from where Lu Dongzan is standing at the moment. There is a wide and free area in between. Just above this area, on the ground Two iron bars were buried, extending straight into the distance, with no end in sight.
In addition, the emperor was surrounded by many ministers, and there were even three layers of guards in helmets and armors guarding him, so it was impossible to reach the vicinity.
When Gao Zhixing saw Lu Dongzan frequently visiting the emperor, he whispered: "I have been ordered to bring the Prime Minister to watch the ceremony, but I do not have the right to see His Majesty. Therefore, if the Prime Minister wants to see His Majesty, please do so." After the ceremony, I will convey it to the Prime Minister."
Lu Dongzan was not in a hurry. It had been many days since he arrived in Chang'an. Not to mention the emperor, even officials from the Honglu Temple and the Ministry of Rites were only able to see him today. One can imagine the attitude of the Tang Dynasty towards him as the Tubo envoy. Not sneaking back an envoy from another country who took advantage of the situation is enough to show the broad mind of the Tang Dynasty.
If this matter were left to Tubo, the strong and domineering Zanpu might be able to chop the envoy into pieces...
Lu Dongzan asked curiously: "What is this ceremony on earth? Could it be a military parade? What are the iron bars buried on the ground?"
"Military parade" has been around since ancient times.
It is said that more than 4,000 years ago, Xia Yu, the leader of the Chinese tribes, held an alliance with the leaders of the southern tribes at Tushan. At the meeting, many soldiers held various weapons decorated with feathers, sang and danced to music to show their support for the south.
A grand welcome from the tribal leader.
At that time, King Wu of Zhou led the Zhou army eastward to attack King Zhou of Shang. Eight hundred princes met in Mengjin and held a military parade with a total strength of 300,000.
The scale of this military parade was unprecedented. During the military parade, King Wu of Zhou issued the famous "Oath of Tai", solemnly declaring: "Now King Zhou of Yin has used his wife's words to annihilate himself from heaven, destroy his three righteousnesses, and despise his country."
The king's parents and brothers have given up on the joy of their ancestors, and have made obscene noises. They have used the right voice to talk about women. Therefore, I am here to defend myself and fulfill the punishment of heaven. Master, no more, no more!"
This is a famous oath of oath, and the purpose of this military parade is to swear oath.
After the military parade, the 300,000-strong army marched eastward and defeated King Zhou's army in the subsequent Battle of Muye, overthrowing the Yin and Shang Dynasty's notice and establishing the Zhou Dynasty for 800 years.
In the Spring and Autumn Period, there were also records of "watching troops to intimidate the princes"...
In ancient times, many schools imitated military hunting and promoted the spirit of martial arts at the beginning of the school year. Therefore, students were asked to participate in military parades to boost morale.
Lu Dongzan had a deep research on Han culture, read many collections of classics and history, and had a deep knowledge of Chinese customs.
Gao Zhixing said: "I don't know that this ceremony was managed by Fang Shaobao, and it was done secretly. Only one person in the court knows the details. Perhaps only Your Majesty knows the details. As for this iron bar...
At present, the smelting technology of the Tang Dynasty is advancing rapidly, and the smelted steel is filling the valley. Maybe it has been refined into a kind of fine steel, and maybe it will be displayed."
Lu Dongzan was even more surprised: "Fine steel is fine steel. According to the doctor's opinion, could there be different kinds of fine steel?"
For Tubo, who drank blood from raw materials and cultivated land through slash-and-burn farming, it was difficult to make iron, and it was even said that steel-making was difficult. In the past, there were many wars with the Tang army. The Tibetan warriors looked more brave, but the gap in weapons and armor was really too big, often accounting for
Even with all the advantages, they still killed one thousand enemies and suffered eight hundred losses. This was because the weapons of the Tang army were too sophisticated.
In recent years, the process of iron and steel making in the Tang Dynasty has accelerated, probably because a new method of iron making was developed.
This alone is enough to leave Tubo far behind. If things go on like this, the huge advantage in weapons and armor is enough to fill the gap in the quality of the soldiers between the two countries. Moreover, now that the Tang Dynasty is fighting in the south and the north, the quality of the soldiers is in the flames of war.
With continuous training and improvement, the advantages that Tubo was proud of in the past no longer exist.
This is the gap in national strength, and it cannot be bridged by the emergence of one or two rare military wizards...
Datang Iron and Steel's output has increased sharply, and the refined steel it is refining is getting better and better. This has long been known to the world. Gao Zhixing did not hide it, and was quite proud in his words: "I am not familiar with steel.
However, I heard Fang Shaobao mention it before that the performance of this fine steel is naturally different due to its different uses. For example, the harder the fine steel is for casting armor, the better, but for forging swords and blades, then
It has to be both hard and soft. If it is soft, it is not sharp enough, and if it is hard, it lacks toughness and is easy to break. Especially for the fine steel used in forging cannons and muskets, we need to strive for excellence. They are all the finest fine steel. Even in the Tang Dynasty,
The current production of refined steel is far from enough for use.”
Before Fang Jun, almost no one cared about the output and quality of steel.
However, since Fang Jun improved the method of making iron and steel, the output of steel suddenly increased significantly, which made the quality of the Tang army's ordnance jump by more than one level, and the combat effectiveness suddenly increased, making everyone in the government and the public pay attention to the importance of steel.
By the time artillery and then muskets came out, steel had already become the most important industry recognized by the whole country - this was an important indicator of whether it could support the Tang army's combat effectiveness in suppressing other countries forever.
Sharper swords, tougher armor, longer range and more powerful artillery and muskets, these were the magic weapons that the Tang Dynasty relied on to conquer the world.
And high-quality steel is the foundation of all this.
Lu Dongzan closed his mouth, feeling shocked.
At a time when Tubo was not even good at making iron, Tang Dynasty had advanced steel making to such an extent that it could be as hard as it wanted and as soft as it wanted...
The Tang Dynasty already had a large population. The reason why it was bullied by the grassland barbarians before was because of the difference in the quality of its soldiers. The farming people were inherently disadvantaged against the grassland people who grew up hunting on horseback. But once the Tang Dynasty had enough sophisticated soldiers
Weapons are forged from steel, and in critical moments, traffickers and foot soldiers can be armed and enter the battlefield...
Who can fight and win?
What's more, there are artillery that is said to be able to split mountains and rocks and destroy cities and villages from a distance of several miles...
Suddenly, Lu Dongzan felt that all his pride and confidence in the past had become illusory.