Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 4829 Negotiation Confrontation
Pei Xingjian came from an aristocratic family and achieved high official position at a young age. Although he looked gentle, modest and polite, he was actually arrogant and looked down on the world. However, he truly admired Lu Dongzan's sons.

It is said that "a dragon gives birth to nine sons, each one is different." Among the aristocratic families, there are many branches and leaves, and many children. Generally speaking, there are only a few who are promising. Most of them are either unruly and stubborn, or dull and just wait for death. There are very few who are as outstanding as Lu Dongzan's sons.

He also understood why Songtsen Gampo was so wary of Lu Dongzan, and why he expelled this hero and assistant who had helped him unify Tubo to the former territory of Tuyuhun to serve as a strategic buffer between Tubo and the Tang Dynasty, leaving Lu Dongzan almost no chance to survive.

It is because Lu Dongzan’s sons are so outstanding.

Lu Dongzan was originally in a position of "second only to the emperor and above ten thousand people". He had deep roots in Tubo and great prestige. As long as he lived another ten years, with his support and training, his sons would grow up quickly and occupy high positions and hold great power, which would eventually affect Songtsen Gampo's transcendent status.

Moreover, “good fortune and misfortune may come to man at any time”. What if Songtsen Gampo himself did not live to be a hundred years old but died in middle age, could his son still sit firmly on the throne of Zamp?
Even if he was not abolished by Lu Dongzan, he would definitely become a puppet at his mercy...

Therefore, Songtsen Gampo would rather destroy the Great Wall than expel the increasingly powerful Gar tribe from the city of Lhasa and consolidate his own position.

If the Tang Dynasty accepted the Gar tribe, would it encounter the same predicament as Songtsen Gampo?
……

Facing Pei Xingjian's praise, Lu Dongzan raised his eyebrows and sighed: "The Gar tribe was exiled to the old land of Tuyuhun by the Zamp. It sounds good to say that they can make a living on their own, but in fact they are just dogs that have lost their homes. The tribe without roots and origins is just waiting to be devoured by hawks and wolves on this Gobi grassland. I only hope that the Tang Dynasty can accept the loyalty of the Gar tribe and give them a piece of land to live. They are as humble as chickens and sparrows, how can they be considered as outstanding people?"

Without waiting for Pei Xingjian to speak, he asked, "The Grand Protector is guiding the Gar tribe to counterattack Tubo. If the strategic goal is achieved, will they go further?"

Pei Xingjian thought about it and said frankly: "The chances are slim. After all, given my age and qualifications, no matter how great my achievements are, I cannot break through this barrier. It's just that the position of Grand Protector of Anxi is more stable."

There was truth in this statement. The rank of the Grand Protector of Anxi was already the second rank, the pinnacle of an official's rank, and there was no further promotion to be achieved. To go any higher he could only become the "Grand Chancellor of the Grand Secretariat" which Emperor Taizong nominally held at the time, and it would not even be possible for him to be transferred back to the central government to serve.

If he is transferred back to the central government with his current rank, he can only serve in the three provinces and six ministries, but his qualifications are lacking compared to those old ministers. Therefore, even if he has made great contributions, he will probably only be promoted to "Supreme Guardian General" or be granted a "founding county marquis" and continue to stay in the Western Regions.

Of course, once the heads of the three provinces and six ministries are absent, he will be qualified as a first-tier substitute.

"You are really young and promising. When I was your age, I had just succeeded my deceased father as the tribal leader. It was a very cold year on the plateau in those years, and countless cattle and sheep froze to death. People in the tribe froze to death or starved to death almost every day. In order to find a way for my people to survive, I, as the leader, could only swear allegiance to the Zamp, who was still a child, in exchange for some frozen barley meat..."

Lu Dongzan was quite sad. Recalling the good old days and thinking about the good old days is what people of his age like to do most.

Although the two had a big age gap, perhaps because they were both very smart, they got along very well and had a pleasant atmosphere when they talked.

After talking about some off-topic topics and feeling that they were getting closer, Lu Dongzan got to the point and asked, "What does the Tang Dynasty need the Gar Tribe to do in this counterattack on Luoshui City?"

Pei Xingjian waved his teacup in his hand, smiled and shook his head: "It's not that the Tang Dynasty wants the Gar Tribe to do something, but that the Gar Tribe thinks they can do something for the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty hopes to get help from its allies, but it will never force its allies to do anything."

Lu Dongzan snorted, very dissatisfied with this rhetoric, but the two sides were clearly strong and weak, and the Gar tribe had no room for bargaining, so he changed his words: "Protector Pei should know that the Gar tribe cannot capture Luoshui City with its ability, and it can't even get close to Luoshui City. Zishankou is already the limit of the Gar tribe. Even if they are lucky enough to capture it, it will inevitably exhaust all the power of the Gar tribe and it will be impossible to make any progress."

After passing Zishan Pass, continue south to the Yakniu River, Gechuan Post, Nongge Post until you reach Lhasa City, which is the territory truly controlled by the Zamp, where the powerful army of Songtsen Gampo is stationed.

Pei Xingjian did not comment on Lu Dongzan's statement, but said calmly: "The Tang Dynasty is willing to help the Gar tribe gain a foothold in Qinghai Lake, and can even allow the Gar tribe to establish a country in the former Tuyuhun area, but the upper limit of all help depends on the attitude of the Gar tribe itself."

Lu Dongzan was very angry and didn't care about any etiquette. He stretched out his skinny hands like chicken claws and slapped the coffee table in front of him in dissatisfaction, and raised his voice: "What if the Gar tribe continues to capture Luoshui City?"

Pei Xingjian said with a smile: "That will be troublesome. If you replace Songtsen Gampo as the leader of Tubo, you will automatically become the biggest enemy of the Tang Dynasty. Then not only will we not be friends, but we will become enemies who are eager to kill each other."

"Ah! I don't know what you young people are thinking. You two are always full of conspiracies and schemes. I, an old man, can't stand it. Why don't you open your hearts and be honest with each other?"

"When it comes to conspiracy and intrigue, how many people in the world can compare to you, the 'first wise man in Tibet'? We, young people, can only learn from you with an open mind and admire you, and we dare not show off our skills in front of you. After all, you came to the Tang Dynasty alone and asked to marry the princess. It was a great conspiracy for the Tang Dynasty. Even today, the emperor and his ministers of the Tang Dynasty are still afraid every time they think about it."

"How can it be an open conspiracy? Tubo admires everything about the Tang Dynasty and is willing to marry a princess to establish a long-term friendship between the two countries. It's a pity that the Tang Dynasty rejected their enthusiasm. Now they are blaming Tubo for having other intentions? It's really unfair."

Pei Xingjian laughed and shook his head: "Before I left, Duke Yue also told me not to be fooled by your words, and warned me not to listen to what you say but to watch what you do. But the one who knows you best is Duke Yue."

"Fang Jun? Haha, that guy... is an anomaly."

When Lu Dongzan mentioned Fang Jun, he could not help but recall the fear and anger he felt when he was almost killed by him. Shouldn't the Tang Dynasty give the highest standard of reception to a great Tibetan envoy to the Tang Dynasty? Shouldn't they do their best to promote the marriage he proposed?

As a result, Fang Jun not only forced Emperor Taizong to cancel the marriage with a few words of "no marriage, no tribute, no cession of land", which made Tubo's dream of using the Tang Dynasty to complete its own reform come to nothing, but the guy also sent assassins to chase and kill him without regard for etiquette...

He suddenly realized that Pei Xingjian had changed the subject of his conversation and had not given him any formal or informal answer.

When will the Gar tribe fight and to what extent?
It’s up to you. The Tang Dynasty has no requirements.

Since there is no requirement, there is naturally no need to take responsibility, and there will be no promises.

It’s okay to bully people, but isn’t it too much to bully them to this extent?

Lu Dongzan said unhappily, "Don't think that the Gar tribe will fight to the death with the Zamp just because they have launched an attack on Tubo. The Zamp is a great hero who not only has outstanding wisdom, but also has a broad mind like Ma Chuicuo. As long as I order an end to the war and turn the knife to the Tang Dynasty, the Zamp will immediately forgive all my mistakes and send troops to help. The Tang Dynasty is indeed strong, but it will cost a lot to cross the Fuqi City guarded by the Gar tribe. Therefore, Pei Duhu should understand the principle of knowing when to stop. The Gar tribe is not goats or rabbits on the meadow. You can exploit and threaten them, but don't go too far."

Pei Xingjian poured a cup of tea, took a sip, and said nothing.

Lu Dongzan found that he might indeed be old, and felt increasingly powerless when facing these up-and-coming talents of the Tang Dynasty. Fortunately, his sons were all outstanding enough to take on a role. Otherwise, he would not have led the tribe to the former land of Tuyuhun in such a rage, but would have stayed in Lhasa City and lived under the protection of the Zamp.

Since Pei Xingjian didn't respond, Lu Dongzan could only change the subject: "What will the Gar tribe gain from this war?"

The truth is so sad that the Gar tribe was forced to go to the battlefield without even having the qualifications to negotiate with the Tang Dynasty. What they could get after making huge sacrifices depended entirely on the mood of the Tang Dynasty. This was naked charity.

Pei Xingjian asked back, "What does Dalun want?"

"How about making the Gar tribe a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty?"

Lu Dongzan had a good idea. "Jiemizhou" was a policy that started in the Sui Dynasty. It was to incorporate the Hu people in the border areas. Nominally, they were under the central command of the empire, but in fact, because they were located on the border, they had a very high degree of autonomy. The empire did not care as long as they were nominally dependent on the empire.

Pei Xingjian burst Lu Dongzan's dream without even a hypocritical delay: "I believe you have heard that the empire is reforming the military system. To be honest, the first issue of the reform is the military system of the protectorates and vassal states in the border areas. Although there is no conclusion yet, it is certain that the vassal states will be abolished soon. Instead of dreaming about vassal states, it is more practical for the Gar tribe to establish its own country."

He dared not be the slightest bit slack, negligent, or careless. Today's conversation between the two would determine the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and the Gar Tribe for at least twenty years. During this period, whether the Tang Dynasty's border would be stable or in turmoil would depend on today's negotiations.