Chapter 6 Chapter 2 The Legend of the East
In the last years of the Sui Dynasty, wars broke out, and the land was barren and the population dropped sharply.To use Wei Zheng's words to describe it: "From the east of Yi and Luo, to the sea and Dai, there is a huge marsh, a vast expanse of thousands of miles, no human habitation, no smell of chickens and dogs, the road is depressed, and it is difficult to advance and retreat." It can be seen that the founding of the Tang Dynasty At the beginning, it was a rather bleak situation: the economy was dying, the treasury was empty, and the culture was declining.After Tang Taizong Li Shimin came to the throne, he took the initiative to adopt a series of enlightened policies and measures to vigorously develop agricultural production, reduce extravagance and save money, and lighten corvee and lighten taxes.As a result, the political achievements are quite outstanding, the government is clear, the economy is prosperous, the society is stable, the martial arts are prosperous, the ethnic relations are harmonious, and the situation of governing the world is formed.Because Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty was named "Zhenguan", this period was called "the rule of Zhenguan" in history, and it became another famous prosperous age comparable to the "rule of Wenjing" in the Han Dynasty.Taizong thus became the emperor with both civil and martial arts in Chinese history.
According to historical records, during the reign of Zhenguan, "most of the officials were honest and prudent. Controlling the princes and concubines' families, the cunning and powerful surnames were all afraid of power and traces, and no one dared to invade and bully the small people. There were no thieves and thieves in the business and travel times. In the constant sky, horses and cows spread the fields, and the outdoors are not closed. They often get rich and rich, and they spend three or four coins for a rice bucket. They travel from the capital to Lingbiao, and from Shandong to the sea. There is no food, and they get it from the road. Enter the village of Shandong and travel. Those who pass by will be generously treated, or there will be bequests when they send out. This is unprecedented in ancient times.”This is a very moving picture of society: the universe is bright, the fields are full of cattle and horses, the price of grain is low, the world is peaceful, everything is rich and beautiful.At this time, China had become the most prosperous feudal country in the world at that time.
Taizong was able to do this mainly because he knew that "using the past as a mirror, we can see the ups and downs".Taizong was born in the 18th year of Emperor Kaihuang (599) of the Sui Dynasty. At that time, "Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty inherited the business of Emperor Wen, and Yinfu in Hainei" ("Zhenguan Zhengyao·Anbian Thirty-sixth") was the heyday of the Sui Dynasty, but After Emperor Sui Yang came to the throne, he was extravagant and extravagant, built a lot of construction, and had a lot of luck. The emperor sat for less than 14 years, and the Sui Dynasty collapsed and died short-lived.Tang Taizong personally experienced the great social turmoil at the end of the Sui Dynasty, saw the strength of the peasant uprising army, and realized the truth that "water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it". Knowing that the rise and fall of a dynasty depends on the quality of the emperor's actions, he made great efforts to govern.He once said to his ministers: "The ruler depends on the country, and the country depends on the people. Exploiting the people to support the ruler is like cutting off the flesh of the body to fill the stomach. When the stomach is full, the body will die, and the king will perish when the country is rich. So Disasters for a ruler do not come from the outside, but are always caused by oneself. Mostly, a ruler who desires too much will spend more money, and spending more money will increase taxes, and if taxes are increased, the people will be miserable, and if the people are sad, the country will be in danger If the country is in danger, then the ruler must die? I often think about this truth, so I dare not indulge in lust."
In order to show his emphasis on agriculture, Emperor Taizong even sacrificed himself to the ancestors, bowed to the imperial lei, and plowed in a thousand-acre meadow, which made the viewers jump.There was a large-scale locust plague in the Gyeonggi area, and the crops were greatly damaged. Taizong personally inspected the disaster situation, and angrily grabbed a handful of locusts and cursed: "The people live on the grain and you eat it. I would rather eat my lungs and intestines." Lift up the locusts to eat.The ministers around him hurriedly stopped and said: "Evil things may become diseases." Taizong replied calmly: "I suffer disasters for the people, so how can I avoid diseases!" He actually swallowed locusts.Because Taizong attached great importance to the development of agriculture, production has been greatly developed, the people have more than enough food and clothing, live and work in peace and contentment, and the economy has been restored.
During the Zhenguan period, cultural education also achieved unprecedented development.Before Taizong succeeded to the throne, he conquered the world on horseback. After he succeeded, he realized that the world could no longer be "ruled by horses", so he adopted Wei Zheng's suggestion to expound on culture and education and develop culture and education.At the beginning of his accession to the throne, Emperor Taizong ordered the reconstruction of the Guozijian in Chang'an, and built 1,200 dormitories for Chinese studies. Taixue and Simen doctors also added students to expand enrollment.Later, Emperor Taizong built three schools of calligraphy, mathematics, and law, under the leadership of Guozijian.This move has had a great impact across the country. Confucian scholars from all over the world gathered in the capital with many aspiring classics, and even the rulers of Korea, Baekje, Silla, and Tubo all sent their children to study in Chang'an. "The prosperity of Confucianism has never been seen in ancient times. and also".
Taizong also attached great importance to the collection and arrangement of books.China is an ancient civilization with a long history and rich historical classics and documents.However, the turmoil at the end of the Sui Dynasty lasted for more than ten years, and the classics and documents were severely damaged.In the second year of Zhenguan (628), Emperor Taizong of Tang appointed Wei Zheng as secretary and supervisor, and organized scholars to overhaul various classics, justice and historical records.Taizong also rewarded scholars and civilians who have made outstanding contributions to science and technology to encourage the development of science and technology culture.He is proficient in astronomy, calendar, and yin and yang theory. He once created the armillary sphere that had been lost in the last years of the Zhou Dynasty, and wrote the "Book of Faxiang", which was valued by Taizong.Emperor Taizong expounded on culture and education with grandeur, and established various cultural undertakings, which brought about major changes in the cultural structure of the whole society, and greatly changed the culture of "since the Sui Dynasty, there has been a lot of mourning and chaos, and the teachings of Zhou and Confucius have been absent and not cultivated". Pale situation.
Another praiseworthy thing about Emperor Taizong is that he was brave enough to ask for advice, and followed advice like a stream.The most famous example of this is Wei Zheng.Wei Zheng was a Taoist priest in his early years, joined the Wagang Army, and was an old minister of Prince Li Jiancheng. He once plotted to assassinate Emperor Taizong.Wei Zheng was upright and upright, and dared to remonstrate. He was an admonishing doctor at that time, but he was actually an admonishing official.Taizong attached great importance to Wei Zheng, and often brought him into the inner court to inquire about the gains and losses of political affairs.Wei Zheng also wholeheartedly assisted, knowing everything and saying everything.He has an upright personality and believes that the emperor "listens to both will make you bright, and if you listen to one side, you will be dark". He often fights on the basis of reason and never compromises.He once said to Emperor Taizong: "May your majesty envoys be good ministers, not loyal ones."
In the second year of Zhenguan (628), Empress Changsun heard that an official surnamed Zheng had a daughter who was only sixteen or seventeen years old. Prepare to be a concubine.Emperor Taizong issued an edict to hire the woman as a concubine.Wei Zheng heard that the woman had been betrothed to the Lu family, so he immediately went to the palace to remonstrate: "Your Majesty is a parent, caressing the people, you should worry about their worries and take pleasure in them. Living in the palaces and terraces, you must think of the people's concerns." The safety of the house; eating delicacies from mountains and seas, you must think that the people will not suffer from hunger and cold; when the concubines are full, you must think that the people have family happiness. Now Zheng Min's daughter has long been betrothed to the Lu family, and His Majesty has brought her into the palace without further inquiry. In the middle, if the rumors spread, is it the reason for the parents of the people?" Taizong was shocked when he heard this, and immediately expressed deep guilt, and decided to withdraw his order.However, Fang Xuanling and others believed that the matter of Zheng's Xuren was false, and insisted that the edict was valid.The Lu family also sent someone to hand over a seal, declaring that although there were financial exchanges before, there was no engagement.At this time, Emperor Taizong was dubious and called Wei Zheng to inquire again.Wei Zheng said bluntly: "The reason why the Lu family denies this is because they are afraid that His Majesty will use it to harm him in the future. The reason for this is very clear. It is not surprising." Taizong suddenly realized this, and resolutely withdrew the edict.
Because Wei Zheng was able to offend Yan Zhizhi, even when Taizong was furious, he dared to face court disputes and never backed down, so Taizong sometimes felt awe of him.Once, Taizong wanted to go hunting in the Qinling Mountains for fun, and his luggage was ready, but he couldn't make it.Later, when Wei Zheng asked about this matter, Taizong smiled and replied: "I did have this idea at the beginning, but I was afraid that you would speak out again, so I quickly dismissed this idea."
Another time, Taizong got a good Harrier Eagle and put it on his shoulders, very proud of it.But when he saw Wei Zheng walking towards him from a distance, he quickly hid the bird in his arms, for fear that Wei Zheng would criticize him for playing with the bird.It just so happened that Wei Zheng played for a long time.After finally waiting for Wei Zheng to leave, Taizong quickly took out the kite, but found that it was suffocated to death.
Of course, sometimes Taizong couldn't bear Wei Zheng's bitter remonstrance.Sometimes Taizong lost his temper, but Wei Zheng's expression remained unchanged, so Taizong had no choice but to restrain his anger.Once, Taizong retreated back to the palace and shouted angrily: "One day, I will kill this countryman!" Empress Changsun asked him who he wanted to kill, and he said: "Wei Zheng often humiliates me in public, of course I want to kill him." Empress Changsun immediately congratulated him, saying: "Wei Zheng is loyal and upright, precisely because Your Majesty is the Ming Lord." After hearing this, Taizong suddenly realized, and his anger calmed down.
There were more than 200 remonstrances before and after Wei Zheng, most of which violated Taizong's will, but Taizong accepted it humbly and followed suit.After Wei Zheng's death, Emperor Taizong said sadly: "Using copper as a mirror, people can straighten their clothes; using ancient times as a mirror, they can see the ups and downs; using people as a mirror, they can know gains and losses. When Wei Zheng is gone, I will die with a mirror!"
Wei Zheng's spirit of "concerning the country like home and admonishing faithfully" left a very deep impression on people, and many admonishers in later generations also took Wei Zheng as an example.Tang Wenzong liked to read and admired Wei Zheng, so he issued an edict to search for Wei Zheng's fifth descendant, Wei Jian, and appointed Wei Jian as You Shiyi, who was also an official who could advise the emperor.The Dezong Dynasty of Tang Dynasty saved the fate of Tang Dynasty in the "Jingyuan Mutiny".He once said to the guests: "Wei Zheng can speak out and remonstrate with Taizong above Yao and Shun. He is a true loyal minister and admired by his servants." Sheng said solemnly: "Xingjun (Li Shudu) made a slip of the tongue. It is said that 'the country has the right way, and dangerous words and deeds'. In the current rest period, Sheng is fortunate to have all the generals. They can't bear it and don't say anything. Hidden, one who knows everything and does it right! Right and wrong are at the discretion of the ruler.” So later when Li Sheng was prime minister, when the emperor asked him something, he would speak with utmost sincerity and do his utmost to be loyal.
Through a series of seeking advice and accepting advice, Taizong concentrated the wisdom of the ministers and avoided many personal subjective mistakes.
Taizong was able to achieve the rule of Zhenguan, and being good at employing people is also an important reason that cannot be ignored.Taizong was good at distinguishing between gentlemen and villains, and he was able to appoint virtuous and capable people. Therefore, the court was full of loyalty and virtuous people, and there were many talented people, such as Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, who were famous sages in Zhenguan Dynasty. famous minister.Taizong also further perfected the six-part system, stipulating that the governors of the three provinces, Shangshu Pushe of Shangshu Province, Zhongshuling of Zhongshu Province, and servants of Menxia Province should be in charge of the prime minister.In addition, some officials were appointed with the titles of "Shenzhi Zhengshi", "Tongzhong Shumenxia Pingzhangshi", "Tongzhongshumenxia Sanpin", etc., and they were actually prime ministers to participate in the deliberations of the Zhengshitang.In this way, the number of prime ministers is increased, one or two prime ministers are avoided, and more opinions can be concentrated.
However, Taizong was also an impulsive character.He once appointed Lu Zushang as the governor of Jiaozhou (now Hanoi, Vietnam).Lu Zushang, courtesy name Jiliang, was a hero in the late Sui Dynasty. According to the Yangzhou uprising, he was called the governor, and later belonged to the Tang Dynasty.Lu Zushang initially agreed to take up the post, but later he thought it was too far away from the state, so he refused to Taizong, saying: "There is a malaria in the south of the Lingnan, and people drink alcohol every day. I can't drink alcohol, so I can't return it." Taizong tried again and again, but Lu Zushang resolutely refused.Taizong said angrily: "I can't command you, how can I control the world?" Lu Zushang was beheaded immediately in the court.This incident cast a shadow over Taizong's wisdom, and later historians called it "the habit of arrogance, death is inevitable", so many people think that Taizong's wise actions such as accepting advice are just superficial articles It was just to cover up his image of killing his brother and forcing his father to usurp the throne.But in any case, the achievements of the Zhenguan Dynasty cannot be denied. It can be said that the economic development of the Zhenguan Dynasty laid the foundation for the economic prosperity of the Tang Dynasty for more than 100 years.Without the rule of Zhenguan, there would be no prosperity of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and it would be impossible to have a splendid Tang culture.
When Taizong came to the throne, although the Central Plains had been unified, the borders were not peaceful. In order to maintain the tranquility of the Central Plains, Taizong launched several wars on the border, the most famous of which was the war against the Turks.
The dispute between the Central Plains and the Turks has a long history, dating back to the centuries-long struggle between the Han Dynasty and the Huns.Afterwards, the Xiongnu split, and the Southern Xiongnu attached themselves, gradually Sinicizing.Under the military pressure of the Han army, the northern Xiongnu gradually moved westward and entered the Eurasian continent, which brought drastic changes to the local political structure.In addition, there are some other branches of the Xiongnu, who still live and multiply in their hometown-the vast northern grassland.The Turks are one of them.
After losing the battle with the Central Plains, the Turks moved to the south of Jinshan (Altai Mountain) and lived as nomads.At that time, the Rouran Khanate was powerful, and the Turkic people had to be enslaved by it and serve as "iron workers" for them, but their power gradually became stronger.In 546 A.D., the Tie Le tribe defeated the Rouran Khanate, and the Turkic leader led his troops to defeat Tie Le, greatly increasing his strength.Tumen thought he had meritorious service, so he proposed to Lord Rouran.The Lord of Rouran, Anahuan, not only refused, but also insulted: "You are my slave, how dare you say that!" When it comes to the disaster of destroying the country.In 553 A.D., Tumen sent troops to attack Rouran, took advantage of the situation to destroy the Rouran Khanate, and named himself Yili Khan.Since then, the Turkic regime has been established.After the founding of the Turkic state, the tooth tent was set up in Dujin Mountain (also known as Yudujun Mountain, Hangai Mountain Range in Mongolia today).The Turkic people took the wolf as their totem, and the banner in front of the tent was called "the wolf's head and the big flag". They ruled the roost in Mobei for a while, and their prestige was greatly enhanced.
At the beginning of the Turks, the mainland was in a period of division and turmoil between the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms and the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and was unable to deal with border affairs.After the Turkic people became strong, they gradually became arrogant and broke into the interior from time to time to plunder the wealth and population.At that time, the mainland was busy fighting in the melee, unable to do anything against the threat from the north.Originally, this was the best time for the Turks to attack the Central Plains, and it can almost be said that it was the best opportunity for the nomads in history to attack—the entire Central Plains was torn apart and extremely chaotic, and the majority of the people were in dire straits.This situation is definitely more beneficial to the Turks than the subsequent Mongolian southward extermination of the Song Dynasty.However, in 581 AD, shortly after the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, the Turks were split into two parts due to internal strife.The West Turks are in the west of the Altai Mountains, while the East Turks control the vast area from the Xing'an Mountains in the east to the Altai Mountains in the west.The unexpected split of the Turks has fundamentally changed the strategic confrontation between the Central Plains and the Turks.
Taking advantage of the unstable foothold of the Sui Dynasty, the Eastern Turks launched a large-scale attack from the Gansu area to the Sui Dynasty, and Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty had to send troops to resist.The Sui Dynasty's war against the Turks was basically defensive.After the victory of the First World War, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty began to take advantage of the internal contradictions of the Turks to implement the strategy of "distance from the strong and join the weak".The political strategy of the Central Plains was far richer than that of the nomads. Under the single-handed planning of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, the Turkic internal strife became more intense. The limited energy and manpower were used for internal friction, and their strength was greatly weakened.But at the end of the Sui Dynasty, due to the extravagance of Emperor Sui Yang and the failure of the Sui army's expedition to Goryeo, the national power was weakened, and the Turkic forces began to rise again.Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was besieged by Turks in Yanmen during his northern tour.At the end of the Sui Dynasty, all the heroes rose together, and most of the separatist forces in the north surrendered to Turks in order to rely on Turks for foreign aid.Li Yuan and Li Shimin's father and son also bowed their heads to the Eastern Turks when they raised their troops.At that time, the Turks were known as "controlling millions of strings, and the prosperity of Rong and Di, which has never been seen in modern times."
In 618 AD, the Tang Dynasty was established and later unified the Central Plains.Taking advantage of the fact that the national power of the Tang Dynasty was not very strong at this time, the Turks invaded and harassed the interior year after year, plundering people and wealth.East Turkic Jieli Khan personally led an army of 150,000 to attack Bingzhou, and led more than 100,000 cavalry to plunder Shuozhou and attack Taiyuan. As a result, Guanzhong was shaken, and Chang'an, the capital of Kyoto, was forced to martial law.Tang Gaozu Li Yuan sent Qin Wang Li Shimin to lead his troops to resist.At that time, it had been raining for many days in Guanzhong, the food road was blocked, the soldiers were exhausted, and the weapons were rained. The court and the army were very worried.In the same year, Turkic Jieli and Turkic Khan marched into Binzhou (now Bin County, Shaanxi Province). The Tang army and Turkic troops encountered each other in Wulongban, Binzhou.Li Shimin came to the front of the Turkic army on his own. He first blamed Xieli for agreeing to make a marriage, but now he violated the contract. Then he stepped forward and said to Tuli, "You used to form an alliance with me, and you said that there was an emergency to save you. Now you are leading troops to meet each other. Why don't you have brothers and sisters?" Love!" This was used to drive a wedge between the two khans.That night, Li Shimin took advantage of the rainy night in the Turkic army camp and sent envoys to persuade Turkic forces to cease the war.Li Shimin's differentiation had a very good effect. Jieli wanted to fight the Tang army, but Tuli firmly disagreed.In the end, Xieli had to send Tuli and Ashina Simo to see Li Shimin and ask for a marriage. Li Shimin agreed and became brothers with Tuli.The Turks withdrew their troops after forming an alliance with Tang.
In 626 A.D., Emperor Taizong Li Shimin had just ascended the throne, and the East Turkic Khans Jieli and Tuli led more than 100,000 troops to Chang'an.The army was stationed in the north of the Weishui River Bridge outside the city, only 40 miles away from Chang'an City. The capital was shaken and Chang'an was under martial law.Taizong was forced to set up a strategy of suspicious soldiers. He personally led Gao Shilian, Fang Xuanling and other six riders to the edge of the Weishui River, and talked with Jieli across the Weishui River, accusing Jieli of breaking the contract.Soon after, Tang Dajun rushed to Taizong's back.Jieli saw the majestic military appearance of the Tang army, and also saw that Emperor Taizong promised gold and silk property, so he asked for an alliance.So the two sides killed the white horse on the temporary bridge and signed an alliance.The Turks led the troops and retreated.This is the famous "Weishui Alliance".
This incident shocked Taizong a lot. He believed that the Turks were capricious, and the alliance was not enough to be trusted, which prompted Taizong to decide to completely eradicate the Turks.After the Weishui alliance, Emperor Taizong stepped up his preparations for the battle, and even set an example for military training. Every day, he "invited all the cavalry commanders to practice shooting in the palace of Xiande", so "the soldiers were all elite."
In April of the second year of Zhenguan (628), the Turkic Khan of the Eastern Turks suddenly sent people to the Tang Dynasty and asked the Tang Dynasty for assistance.It turned out that at that time Tuli Khan established Yazhang in the northern part of Youzhou and ruled the eastern region. Most of the dozens of tribes under his rule, including Xi and Xiao, rebelled against the Turks and surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. His uncle Jieli Khan blamed Tuli Khan for this.At that time, Xue Yantuo and Huihe defeated Yugushe, and Jieli Khan sent Tuli Khan to crusade. Tuli Khan was defeated and fled back alone. Jieli Khan was furious and imprisoned Tuli Khan for more than 10 years. Day, and sentenced to whipping, Tuli Khan therefore held a grudge.Soon, Jieli Khan conscripted troops from Tuli Khan, but Tuli Khan refused. So Jieli Khan led troops to attack Tuli Khan, and Tuli Khan took advantage of the trend to fall to the side of the Tang Dynasty.After Tuli Khan entered the court, Emperor Taizong appointed him as the General of the Right Guard and bestowed him the title of King of Beiping County.
In the third year of Zhenguan (629), Guanzhong was ripe, but Mobei encountered a blizzard, and many sheep and horses died. As a result, a famine occurred, the tribes were scattered, and the country's power declined. It was a favorable time to attack the Turks.In the winter of this year, Emperor Taizong ordered Li Jing and Li Ji (the legendary Xu Maogong in the novel) to lead 100,000 soldiers, divide them into six groups, and go north out of Yanmen Pass.
Both Li Jing and Li Ji were famous founding generals of the Tang Dynasty with outstanding military exploits.Their enemy is the Turkic people who ruled Mobei. "In the Qin Dynasty, the moon was bright and the Han Dynasty was at the pass, and the people who marched for thousands of miles had not yet returned. But let the dragon city flying generals stay, and don't teach Huma to go to the Yinshan Mountains."The famous general Li Guangxiong is still alive, this scene has never been similar! More than 700 years ago, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, the famous generals of the Han Dynasty, led the Han army out of the fortress and expelled the Xiongnu in the north, thus creating immortal military exploits.How can this situation not make people feel emotional.
In the first month of the fourth year of Zhenguan (630), the wind was bitter, and he personally led 3,000 elite cavalry to set off from Mayi. Taking advantage of Jieli Khan's unpreparedness, he marched overnight and approached Dingxiang, the Turkic camp.Unprepared, Xie Li was shocked when he discovered Tang Jun's sudden appearance.Before the Tang army officially launched an attack, the Turkic soldiers became chaotic.Li Jing also sent spies to infiltrate Turkic internal activities to persuade a confidant general of Xieli, Kang Sumi, to surrender.Seeing that the situation was not good, Jieli ran away secretly.In this battle, Li Jing won by surprise.Taizong therefore praised and said: "In the past, Li Ling raised five thousand soldiers, and he inevitably surrendered to the Xiongnu, and he was still famous for his books and bamboo silks. Qing used three thousand light horses to go deep into the captive court, conquer Dingxiang, and revitalize Beidi. This is unprecedented in ancient and modern times." ( "Old Tang Book Volume 67 Biography of Li Jing")
At the same time that Li Jing was marching victoriously, Li Ji also led his army from Yunzhong (now Datong, Shanxi), and happened to encounter the Turkic army in Baidao (now north of Hohhot, Inner Mongolia).The Tang army rushed to kill more than 50,000 Turkic troops in the East.Jieli was defeated again and again, and suffered heavy losses, so he retreated to Tieshan and collected the remnants of the defeated generals, leaving only tens of thousands of horses.
Jieli Khan was already in a desperate situation at this time, so he had to send Zhishisili to the Tang Dynasty to plead guilty and request to be included.In fact, Jieli Khan is still hesitating in his heart, but he just wants to use this to delay time, so that he can escape to the north of the desert and make a comeback when the grass is green and the horse is fat.
Emperor Taizong sent Honglu Qing Tang Jian and others to appease him, and ordered Li Jing to lead his troops to welcome Jieli into the court.Li Jing led his troops to Baidao, and discussed with Li Ji: "Although Jieli is defeated, the crowd is still strong. If you go to Qibei, you will keep the nine surnames. The road is far away, and it will be difficult to catch up. Now the imperial emissary is there, and the captives You must be lenient, if you choose 10,000 elite riders and attack them with 20 days of rations, you can capture them without a fight." ("Zizhi Tongjian Volume 193") After the discussion, they led the army overnight Starting off, Li Ji followed suit.
Li Jing led his army to Yinshan, encountered more than a thousand Turkic scouts, captured them all in the first battle, and ordered to go with the Tang army.At this time, Jieli relaxed his guard when he saw the Tang envoy.Li Jing's vanguard Su Dingfang led more than 200 cavalry to ride the thick fog and ride quietly, until they were 7 li away from Yazhang.Like a frightened bird, Jieli Khan hurriedly fled on horseback, and the Turkic army also fled in all directions.Li Jing's army then arrived, killing more than 10,000 enemies, taking hundreds of thousands of prisoners, capturing hundreds of thousands of cattle and sheep, and killing Sui.Jieli Khan led more than 10,000 people to flee westward from Tuyuhun, but was captured on the way.
The Eastern Turks were erased from the map by Emperor Taizong, and the military achievements of the Tang Dynasty flourished, and the national prestige spread far and wide.Intimidated by the great power of the Tang Dynasty, "All the Tibetans in the Northwest, I invite you (referring to Tang Taizong) to be titled Tian Khan" ("Old Tang Book Volume 3 Taizong Benji").This is the origin of the famous title of "Tian Khan" in history.
Since the Sui Dynasty, Turkic has always been a powerful country in the northwest.Li Jing and others wiped out the Eastern Turks, which not only relieved the scourge of the northwest border of the Tang Dynasty, but also washed away the shame of Gao Zu and Taizong's condescension to the Turks.Therefore, Emperor Taizong said with emotion: "I heard that the lord was worried about the humiliation of his ministers, and the lord humiliated his ministers to death. The country was created first, the Turks strengthened the Liang, and the Emperor Taishang proclaimed his ministers to Jieli for the sake of the people. I am heartbroken and determined to destroy the Huns. Restless seats, unwilling to eat. Today, if you temporarily move to the side of the teacher, you will be successful in every direction, and you will be ashamed of yourself!" ("Zi Zhi Tong Jian Volume 193") Taishang Emperor Li Yuan was also very happy, and made a special trip to Lingyan Pavilion hosted a banquet to celebrate.Li Yuan played the pipa himself on a whim, and Taizong also danced to the music.The feast lasted until late at night.
After Jieli Khan was taken to Chang'an as a prisoner, Emperor Taizong did not harm him, but treated him preferentially.Jieli Khan is not used to living in a house, and often lives in a tent set up by himself. He is also very uncomfortable and often cries with his family.In order to appease him, Emperor Taizong thought that Guozhou (now Lingbao, Henan) had a lot of moose that could be shot and hunted, so he appointed Xieli as governor of Guozhou, but Jieli refused. Taizong then appointed him as the right guard general and gave him a lot of fertile land.In the first month of the eighth year of Zhenguan (634), Jieli Khan died of illness in Chang'an.
After the demise of the Eastern Turks, the Tang Dynasty resettled a large number of Turkic descendants in the interior, maintained their tribes and customs, and set up the Governor's Mansion and the Protectorate's Mansion in the old place of Jieli.Empress Xiao and her young grandson Yang Daozheng, who had been trapped in the Turkic army, were taken back to Chang'an by Li Jing. Taizong often called Xiao into the harem to tell her stories about the Sui Dynasty.
At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the Western Turks were very powerful, "Adjoining Tiele in the north, rejecting Persia in the west, and connecting with Kubin in the south... Controlling hundreds of thousands of strings, dominating the Western Regions", posed a serious threat to the Tang Dynasty and hindered the commercial traffic between China and the West.Since Taizong, the Tang Dynasty began the struggle to open up the Western Regions.During the Zhenguan period, Tuyuhun, Pinggaochang, Yanqi, and Kucha were conquered, the Western Regions were horrified, and the commercial routes between China and the West were reopened.
At this time, the leader of the Western Turks was Ashina Helu. After the Turkic internal strife failed, he returned to the Tang Dynasty. He was named General Zuo Xiaowei and participated in the battle of Kucha.After Taizong's death, the Turks began to revive. Ashinahelu heard that the new emperor Gaozong was weak and far inferior to Taizong's heroism. Khan".The Tang army fought hard for many years, and finally defeated the alliance or affiliated ministries of the Western Turks one by one, forming a trend of isolation.In the second year of Gaozong Xianqing (657), Tang general Su Dingfang led the army to march, and the troops were divided into two groups, north and south, to attack Ashina Helu together.After fierce fighting, the Western Turkic Army was defeated.At this time, the weather changed suddenly, and heavy snow began to fall.In a moment, the snow was two feet deep.Tang Jun's morale was high, and he stepped on the snow to pursue.Ashinahelu jumped into the Ili River in a panic and fled to Shiguo (now Tashkent).Later, he was captured by the locals and sent to Tang Jun.Western Turks have since perished.
After pacifying the Western Regions and Western Turks, the Tang Dynasty set up "Anxi Four Towns" under the jurisdiction of Kucha, Khotan, Shule, and Suiye.Anxi and Beiting were also set up as two protective offices, with the Tianshan Mountains as the boundary, respectively governing the old land of the Western Turks and the various ministries and city-states of the Western Regions to the west.At this point, it was no longer possible for the Turks to go deep into the hinterland of the Central Plains, and the deadly threat of the Tang Dynasty was eliminated.
Although Emperor Taizong used troops against the Turks, he paid great attention to ethnic relations and did not use troops lightly. He adopted the policy of "Yan Wu Xiuwen, China will be safe, and the barbarians will submit themselves".He sent Princess Wencheng and his relative Tubo Songtsan Gampo, which opened a precedent for the friendly exchanges between the Han and Tibetan ethnic groups.
After Songtsan Gampo unified Tubo, he established a powerful new regime with Luosa (Lhasa) as the center since he took the post of Zanpu (king) of Tubo.The Tubo country is booming, dominating the snow-covered plateau, and intimidating the surrounding small countries. King Yangshuvarmo of Nipola (Nepal today) even married his most beloved daughter Princess Chizun to Songtsan Gampo in exchange for Peace.The relationship between Tubo and the Tang Dynasty was not all smooth sailing, and the reconciliation was accompanied by contradictions, conflicts, and even military encounters, and there were also major military conflicts.However, Songtsen Gampo admired the civilization of the Central Plains. In the eighth year of Zhenguan (634), he took the initiative to send envoys to pay tribute.At that time, the Tang Dynasty was preparing to send troops to conquer Tuyuhun and hoped to establish friendly relations with Tubo. Taizong was very happy and sent Feng Dexia as an envoy to comfort Tubo with letters of credence and gifts.
At that time, many leaders of ethnic minorities in the frontiers requested intermarriage from the Tang Dynasty. The marriage of a princess in the Tang Dynasty was an extraordinary honor. Tuyuhun Khan Nuohebo.Songtsan Gampo also wanted to marry the Tang Dynasty, so he sent envoys to follow Feng Dexia into the court, "pay more gold and treasures, and propose marriage on the table".After careful consideration, Taizong did not agree.
The Tubo envoy failed to complete the mission of proposing marriage, and after returning, he did not dare to say that the Tang Dynasty did not allow marriage, for fear of hurting Songtsan Gampo's self-esteem.Just when Tubo was sent to the Tang Dynasty, Tuyuhun Khan Nuohebo also came to Chang'an for an audience. The Tubo envoy fabricated a lie and put the blame on Nuohebo Khan, saying that when he first arrived in the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty treated him very well and The marriage was promised only because of Khan Tuyuhun's arrival, who divorced and destroyed it, and the marriage failed.Songtsan Gampo was furious and immediately sent troops to attack Tuyuhun.Nuohebo Khan suffered a military disaster inexplicably, unable to resist, fled to the north of Qinghai Lake, and most of his people and livestock were plundered by Tubo.Songtsen Gampo took advantage of the victory to attack Dangxiang and Bailan (now Qinghai Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture).
Songtsan Gampo felt that the Tang court refused to marry the princess because they did not value themselves. In order to show off their power, they sent troops to attack Songzhou (now Songpan, Sichuan) and sent people to threaten the Tang Dynasty: "If you don't marry the princess to me , I will lead the troops to Chang'an." The result was defeated by the Tang army.
After Songtsan Gampo withdrew from the army, he sent Prime Minister Lu Dongzan as an envoy to Tang to apologize.Lu Dongzan presented Taizong with a golden armor inlaid with cinnabar gemstones as a gift, expressing his sincerity in proposing again.Considering that Tubo is a powerful country in the west, in order to ensure the tranquility of the border, Taizong ignored Songtsan Gampo's previous invasion and agreed to consider the request for intermarriage.
In October of the 14th year of Zhenguan (640), Songtsan Gampo once again sent Prime Minister Lu Dongzan to Chang'an to offer 5,000 taels of gold and hundreds of treasures to Taizong as a betrothal gift for Princess Shang.Taizong finally agreed to marry Tubo with the daughter of the clan, Princess Wencheng (one said that she was the daughter of Jiangxia King Li Daozong).
During Lu Dongzan's stay in Chang'an, he was summoned by Emperor Taizong many times.Seeing that he was clever and witty, Taizong liked him very much, and wanted to betroth Duan Shi, the granddaughter of Princess Langya, to him as his wife.Unexpectedly, Lu Dongzan said: "There is already a wife and family in the country, which should not be abandoned. Besides, this time it is for Zanpu to welcome the bride. Zanpu has not met the princess yet, so how can he marry first?" Won Taizong's greater trust.
At the beginning of the following year (641), Princess Wencheng left Chang'an for Tubo, accompanied by Li Daozong, king of Jiangxia, Tang Dynasty, and Lu Dongzan, special envoy of Tubo.Songtsan Gampo was very happy that his long-cherished wish for many years had come true. He personally brought people to Bohai (now Ering Lake and Zhaling Lake in Qinghai) to meet him.Songtsan Gampo met Li Daozong as a son-in-law, and said happily: "My grandfather did not marry into a great country. Now I have to honor the princess of the Tang Dynasty. I should build a city to show off to future generations." Then he returned to Luosuo with Princess Wencheng.
Later, Songtsen Gampo kept his promise and specially built a city wall and palace for Princess Wencheng according to the style of the Tang Dynasty. This is the famous Potala Palace.When the Potala Palace was built, there were a total of 1,000 palace rooms, which were magnificent and magnificent.It was destroyed by lightning and war, and it was rebuilt twice before it formed the current scale.The main building of the Potala Palace has 13 floors, is 117 meters high, and covers an area of more than 360,000 square meters.There are a large number of rich murals preserved in the Potala Palace, such as the story of Lu Dongzan, the wedding envoy of Tubo in Tang Taizong's five difficulties, the difficulties and obstacles encountered by Princess Wencheng on the way to Tibet, and the warm welcome scene when she arrived in Luosuo, etc. .These murals have exquisite composition, lifelike characters and bright colors.
At that time, Buddhism prevailed in the Tang Dynasty, but there were no Buddhas in Tibet.Princess Wencheng is a devout Buddhist. She brought pagodas, scriptures and Buddha statues to Tibet, and decided to build a temple to promote the Buddha.She let the goats carry soil to fill the lying pond and built the Jokhang Temple.After the completion of the Jokhang Temple, Princess Wencheng and Songtsen Gampo personally planted willows outside the gate of the temple, which became the famous "Tang willows" in later generations.The famous "Nephew and Uncle Alliance Monument", also known as "Changqing Huimeng Monument" stands next to Tangliu.The statue of Sakyamuni enshrined in the middle of the main hall of Jokhang Temple was invited by Princess Wencheng from Chang'an.In the auxiliary halls on both sides of the main hall, there are statues of Songtsan Gampo and Princess Wencheng, which are very exquisite and vivid.
Later, Princess Wencheng built the Ramoche Temple.From then on, Buddhism slowly began to spread in Tibet.Princess Wencheng also named the mountains around Luosuo with eight treasures such as Miaolian, Baosan, Youshi Conch, King Kong, Victory Building, Aquarius, and Goldfish. These mountain names have been used until now.
Songtsan Gampo liked Tang suits very much. He took off the felt fur and changed to silk Qi. He also ordered the prohibition of Tubo's habit of smearing their faces with ochre, and sent the children of Tubo aristocrats to study in Chang'an Guoxue.When Princess Wencheng entered Tibet, she brought with her the advanced culture and production technology of the Tang Dynasty, which greatly improved the economic and cultural development of the Tibetan people.Since then, Tang and Turpan have maintained a long-term friendly relationship.The most rare thing is that after the death of Songtsen Gampo in 650 AD, Princess Wencheng did not ask to return to the Tang Dynasty, but continued to live in Tubo until her death.She has lived in Tubo for nearly 40 years, and has always received courtesy and love from the Tubo people.When she died, Tubo held a grand funeral ceremony, which was recorded in Tubo history books.
What is rare is that Taizong did not get carried away by the great achievements of the Zhenguan Reign.He often reminds himself: It is difficult to start a business, and it is also difficult to maintain success. "However, the difficulty of starting a business is in the past, and the difficulty of maintaining success should be cautious with everyone."Successive harvests, he thinks, are the first joy, and the border security is the second joy, but "law and order make arrogance easy to live, arrogance and extravagance lead to danger, this is also a fear."What Taizong didn't expect was that his descendant Xuanzong Li Longji won the prosperity of Kaiyuan, but he didn't maintain the spirit of living in peace and vigilance. The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty declined from this point. At this time, it was only 106 years since Taizong's Zhenguan rule.
The governance model of Zhenguan rule created by Tang Taizong had a profound impact on later generations, inspiring future generations such as Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and even Tokugawa Ieyasu of Japan and other rulers.The rule of Zhenguan has thus become a powerful political symbol in Chinese history, and its achievements have been extolled by later generations.Today, the Chinese still call themselves "Tang people", and the places where Chinese people gather all over the world are called "Chinatowns", which is the origin of this.
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