Chapter 17 Chapter Seventeen

The next day, Li Xiaoyi and Liu Shenli each led a team and headed west according to the route instructed by Li Jingxuan.After walking for two days, no enemy troops were encountered.The northwest wind blowing head-on rolled across the white mountains, spinning and whistling.As dusk approached, the sky turned black and then brightened, showing the appearance of flying snow.Liu Shenli ordered to choose a place to camp and bury the pot for cooking.The rice was just cooked, and the smoke from the cooking made the Tibetans discover it.The enemy attacked from behind the mountain, swooped down, and launched a fierce attack on the camp.Tang Jun was caught off guard and was beaten until he ran away with his head in his arms.Liu Shenli was very calm, he gathered the defeated army and chose the mountain to resist.At the same time, the deputy general beside him hurriedly turned around and reported to Li Jingxuan to come to meet him.Li Jingxuan was so frightened that he didn't dare to go to the rescue. Instead, he ordered Liu Shenli to retreat while fighting, and follow the established strategy to attract the enemy troops.Liu Shenli was defeated and captured, Li Jingxuan lost his mind and panicked even more.He was so busy that he retreated in embarrassment. He stationed troops in Chengfengling, three hundred miles southwest of Ledu County, Qinghai, and dug mud ditches in an attempt to stop the pursuers.Lun Qinling personally raised the army to cover up and kill him, occupied Gaogang, and exerted pressure on the Tang army from a condescending position.

Hei Chi Chang Zhi, the general on the left, who was outside the ranks of the army, saw that Tubo was overwhelming, and his eyes turned red.With quick wits and a fearless spirit of adventure, under the cover of night, he led a death squad of 500 people to climb up the hill quietly and attack the Tubo army camp.The Tubo general Badi had no fortifications, and was robbed by Hei Chi Changzhi. He fled overnight without knowing the true status of the Tang army.Hei Chi Changzhi set fire to the enemy's camp, held a torch and led five hundred soldiers who dared to die, and made a big fuss, fighting in and out, scaring the Tubo army back.Li Jingxuan stepped out of the barracks in person, held Hei Chi Chang Zhi's hand, welcomed him into the Chinese army tent, and declared Hei Chi Chang Zhi's achievements to the imperial court.Then he collected the remaining soldiers and returned to Ledu County, Qinghai, Shanzhou.Li Zhi and Wu Zetian received Li Jingxuan's memorial, commending Hei Chi Changzhi's special meritorious service, promoting him to be General Zuo Wuwei, and serving as Deputy Envoy of Heyuan Army.When Liu Shenli's sons got the news that their father was defeated and captured, they tied themselves with ropes and went to the gate of the palace to petition, begging to go to Tibet to redeem their father.

Wu Zetian was moved by their sincerity and allowed Liu Shenli's second son, Liu Yicong, to visit Tubo.When Liu Yicong arrived in Tubo, Liu Shenli died of illness. Liu Yicong wailed day and night, crying continuously.The Tibetans felt sympathetic and returned his father's body.Liu Yi walked with bare feet and carried his father's body on his back.When Li Jingxuan went west, Lou Shide, the supervisory censor, responded to the call to recruit warriors, contributed a pen to join the army, and did a great job.He became a Jinshi in the last year of Zhenguan, and in the early Yuan Dynasty, he worked as a supervisory censor.At this time, he was nearly forty years old, and he was still a junior official under the eighth rank. He felt bored, but he did not give up on himself.When the Western Expedition failed, he recommended himself to collect the lost soldiers and regained his military strength, so the imperial court sent him as an envoy to Tubo.Tubo general Lun Zanpo had heard his name for a long time, so he went to the east of Gonghe County, Chiling Qinghai to meet him in person.Lou Shide did not lose the demeanor of a state of rites and music. He neither showed off his national prestige with the air of an envoy from a great power, nor humbled himself to please the other party. The living conditions, and then state the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo's uncle Lang, it should be beneficial to both countries to turn hostility into friendship and rebuild friendship and peace.

"Princess Wencheng's marriage to Tubo has promoted the development of Tubo's economy and culture. The general knows well that you have benefited. However, because of lack of support, they put forward higher demands and found excuses to create border disputes. After unifying the areas where the Qiang people live , and occupied a large area of ​​land in the Western Regions, and continued to expand to the northeast, destroying the alliance between the two countries and hurting the friendship between relatives and friends.” "In the long run, it's really not going to end well."

Lun Zangpo was inspired, and her tone became more honest. "For the time being, it is also not good for both parties." Lou Shide continued to analyze, "Inspiring teachers and mobilizing people, fighting back and forth, no matter the outcome, the gain outweighs the loss." "However, you have gone too far in some aspects. For example, in the second year of Shangyuan, Lun Tuhunmi went to your country to ask for reconciliation, and was willing to restore peace with Tuyuhun, but was rejected by the emperor of Tang Dynasty." "As the saying goes, think about yourself in the first half of the night, and think about others in the second half of the night. You have occupied all the land of Tuyuhun, so there is no harmony at all. If your country withdraws from the Western Regions and no longer invades the border, Tang and Tibet will naturally be happy." Reconciled."

"I can't answer the past. As for the two countries stopping the war and not aggressing each other, I can decide." "The general is Prime Minister Zun Yeduobu's most valued second son. Prime Minister Lun Qinling's younger brother naturally has weight and counts." The two parties ended the meeting happily, and Lun Zanpo insisted on staying with Lou Shide for a few days.For several years thereafter, Tubo did not intrude on the border of the Tang court.As a result, Lou Shide was promoted to serve as the official censor in the palace, serving as Sima of the Heyuan Army and taking charge of farming affairs.The barbarians repeatedly harassed the frontiers, and the Emperor and Empress were particularly worried about Tubo, so they called the ministers around them to discuss countermeasures.Some suggested peace with Tubo so that the people could rest in peace;Shaking lips and tongue, spitting and spitting, talking loudly, expressing their own opinions, unable to unify.Li Zhi got impatient and gave them a banquet to disperse.Tai student Wei Yuanzhong heard about this, and gave a "Secret Rehearsal", in which he laid out a strategy for resisting Tubo according to the actual situation, which was unique, practical and valuable.

Wu Zetian likes this kind of discussion that is relevant to the current situation. He read while watching: "The key to governing a country lies in the rule of culture and martial arts. Nowadays, those who talk about literature only pay attention to passionate words and gorgeous articles, and those who don't involve planning for governing the country. Those who talk about martial arts only focus on horseback riding and archery. , I can’t see the strategy. So, what’s the benefit to the country’s chaos! Lu Ji wrote "Discrimination of Death" to summarize the reasons for the rise and fall of Sun Wu, but he couldn’t avoid his own disastrous defeat in Heqiao. Even if you pierced seven layers of armor with one arrow, it could not save the defeat of the Chu army in the battle of Yanling."

"It's a good example, just right." Li Zhi praised. "Listen patiently, let me read on. The memorial quotes an old saying that people are impermanent and vulgar, the government is rational and the army is not strong or weak, and there will be ingenuity. Therefore, the selection of generals should be based on wisdom and courage. Recruiting the children of generals and the families of martyrs who died for the country, but they are all mediocre, how can they take on important military responsibilities!" "He is also a bit biased, seeing things too absolutely."

"The examples of the ancient generals mentioned are true. Wei Yuanzhong said that Li Zuoche, Chen Tang, Lu Meng, and Meng Guan all came from humble backgrounds, but they made extraordinary achievements, and they were not the descendants of the generals." "What else was written later?" Li Zhi stood up, pacing back and forth while listening. Wu Zetian sat without moving, and read word by word: "Rewarding meritorious deeds and punishing crimes are the most important matters in the country's military and political affairs. Merit is not rewarded, and crimes are not punished. Even if Yao and Shun are reborn, the country cannot be governed. People agree. Criticism said: In recent conquests, there are only empty words about rewards, but no facts about rewards. It is only because some officials are short-sighted and ignorant, and only stingy with the money spent on rewards, ignoring how much the soldiers lost their lives in fighting. The status of the head of Guizhou is low, but Don’t be deceitful. How can they be expected to make meritorious deeds by offering rewards in vain!”

"If the rewards and punishments are not honored, the three armies will not be killed. The past and the present are the same. This matter should be taken seriously." Wu Zetian didn't answer, just read the memorial: "Since Su Dingfang conquered Liaodong and Li Jin broke through Pyongyang, the rewards were no longer implemented, and the meritorious officials could not be promoted. I have never heard of it. Shi, who apologized and made amends to those who did meritorious service. In the defeat of Dafeichuan, Xue Rengui and Guo Daifeng were executed immediately without severe punishment. "

"Also, when you go out to fight, you rely on horsepower. Please abolish the ban on raising horses among the people, so that the common people can raise horses. If the government and the army move on a large scale, that is, entrust the states and counties to buy them with official money, all the horses will become the state. Yes. The Hulu rely on horsepower to show off their strength, if we allow the people to buy horses and raise them, it will really offset their strength and benefit China." "Letting folks raise horses is worth considering." Li Zhi stopped pacing. "Wei Yuanzhong's statement is clear and valuable. Why don't you summon him?" Wu Zetian summoned Wei Yuanzhong in Xuanzheng Hall.Wei Yuanzhong spoke naturally, and some of his opinions were quite in line with Wu Zetian's wishes. Wu Zetian appointed him as the secretary to save the official character, and he was under the ninth rank. The court meeting accompanied all the officials to the palace to meet the emperor and the queen.Although the palace rank was very low, Wei Yuanzhong finally embarked on an official career, and he did not waste years of hardship.Wei Yuanzhong, a native of Shangqiu, Songcheng, Henan, Songzhou, was born in Taixue, a native of Kyoto.He is excellent in character and learning, but after forty years, he still cannot be recommended or appointed. He is unhappy and full of complaints.In the official system of the Tang Dynasty, there were six government-run schools, including Guozixue, Taixue, Simenxue, Law, Calligraphy, and Mathematics, which were managed by Guozijian.Guozijian and Taixue mainly study Confucianism, and they are the highest schools that teach people to cultivate their moral character and govern the country and the world.The learning content includes "Book of Filial Piety", "Book of Rites", "Mencius", "Shangshu", "Gongyang", "Guliang", "Book of Changes", "Zuoshi Chunqiu", and so on.The students of Guozijian are limited to the children of ministers of the third rank and above, and the limit is 300.Tai students must be the children of officials above the fifth rank, with a quota of 500.Simenxue is a second-class institution, and the children of officials above the seventh rank are eligible to study, and the number is limited to 500.Jurisprudence focuses on law, with a limit of 50 students.There is a limit of 30 students for calligraphy and calligraphy, and a limit of 30 students for arithmetic.All require the children of officials of the eighth grade or above. It can be seen from this that the children of officials below the ninth rank and the common people are not eligible to enter state schools, and can only study in private schools or hire tutors.What kind of government-run institutions the children of bureaucrats can study in depends on the official rank of their father and brother.Another point is that being a student of Guoxue does not mean that everyone has an official job, it is just a springboard for becoming an official.After Wei Yuanzhong broke into the officialdom, although his official career was bumpy, he was not afraid of power, dared to speak out, dare to think and act. Empress Wu Zetian cherished talents, and the Standing Committee took heavy responsibilities. She was constantly hit and promoted, and finally ranked in the prime minister class and became famous all over the world.During this period, the wars on the border of the Tang Dynasty were one after another, and the court was exhausted and exhausted.And Persia and Iran are also quite annoying, but they have to be considered. At that time, the important countries in West Asia were Persia and Eastern Rome. Persia is a necessary place on the Silk Road and has a close relationship with China.During the Zhenguan period, Persia was invaded by the emerging Arab empire and fell into a bitter war. The Sasan Dynasty, which lasted for more than 400 years, was in jeopardy.In the twelfth year of Zhenguan, King Yesdikit of Persia sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty for help.In the second year of Yonghui, Persia was destroyed by the Great Food, and King Yesdikit was killed by Arabia. The western part of it still survived, and it still maintained close contacts with the Tang Dynasty.Belus, the son of the King of Persia, and Nines, his grandson, went into exile in China in the winter of the first year of Shangyuan. The Tang Dynasty treated Belus very generously.Soon after he returned to the Western Regions, he wanted to rebuild the dynasty, but things backfired, and he fled to Chang'an again, dying in a foreign land.Nines also proposed to rebuild the Persian dynasty.The Tang Dynasty had differences on how to deal with the disputes between Persia and the Arab Empire.The Arab Empire, called Dashi by the Tang Dynasty, was a big country in West Asia and North Africa. It was particularly yearning for Chinese civilization, and had very close contacts with the Tang Dynasty.In the second year of Yonghui, the official envoy of Dashi and Tang Tonghao maintained friendly cultural and economic exchanges for a long time. Merchants entered Tang to do business, and Islam was introduced to China.The Emperor and Empress weighed the pros and cons, did they know whether to prefer Dashi or Persia?At this time, the Western Turkic Khanate in the northern part of Xinjiang and Central Asia, Khan Ashinaduzhi and another tribal chief, Li Zhegen, reached a settlement with the Tubo Kingdom and jointly invaded the Anxi Governor's Mansion to set up Suiye City.The courtiers were all ready to go, and most of them advocated sending troops to crusade.Pei Xingjian, the servant of the Ministry of Officials, tried his best to reject all opinions, and went out to play: "Tubo invaded, Liu Shenli was defeated and killed, and the war has not subsided. How can we use troops to the northwest again? Now the Persian king Belus has passed away, and his son Ni Nie Si is still in Chang'an as a hostage. It is best to send an envoy to escort him back to the country. When passing through the areas of Ashina Duzhi and Li Zhegen, we can attack them by ear and subdue them without fierce fighting." "Leading the sheep by the hand, killing two birds with one stone, this plan is very clever." Li Zhi adopted Pei Xingjian's opinion and ordered him to go to be the king of Persia and appease the special envoy of Dashi Kingdom.Pei Xingjian recommended Wang Fangyi, governor of Jiuquan City, Gansu, Suzhou, as his deputy envoy, and took care of the governor of Anxi.Pei Xingjian was the son of Pei Renji, a minister in the early Tang Dynasty.When he was young, he used the shade of his door to make up Hongwen students. He cited the Ming scriptures in Zhenguan, transferred Zuotun Weicang Cao to join the army, and learned the strategy of using troops from Su Dingfang.He once followed Changsun Wuji and others to criticize Liwu, and moved left to Xizhou Governor Shi.In the second year of Phonde, he was promoted to the governor of Anxi, and all the countries in the Western Regions admired him and joined him.In the second year of Zongzhang, he was transferred to the imperial court to serve as the Minister of the Ministry of Officials, the Minister of Lie Shao, Chang Bo, and the official department. The system of selecting officials was reformed, and the calendar list of long names and surnames was first established to determine the method of official annotation.He was selected at the same time as Li Jingxuan for about ten years, and is known for his fairness and integrity.He is all-rounder in civil and military affairs, proficient in strategy, at the age of fifty-nine, he still looks bold and imposing.The head is upright, the forehead is particularly large, under the thick eyelashes, a pair of eyes are like two pools of clear water, transparent and unfathomable. He is a natural career person, full of thinking, and can make a difference in any environment, good or bad.Even Wu Zetian has nothing to do with him, and he cannot be used.And he was also very upbeat, and later made great achievements in the northwest, showing the brilliance of life.The fourth year of Yifeng was the first month, and Secretary Wei Hongji announced that Suyu Palace, Gaoshan Palace and Shangyang Palace were completed.Full of joy, the emperor and queen came from Chang'an to Luoyang, the eastern capital.The three palaces are all built in the Forbidden Garden in Luoyang, resplendent and luxurious.Among them, the Shangyang Palace in the east of the Forbidden Garden is connected to the southwest corner of the imperial city in the east, facing Gushui, a vast garden in the north, and Luoshui in the south. Through the promenade of Yili Road, you can reach the shore of Luoshui.The buildings are exquisite, the gardens are elegant and the scenery is picturesque.The Emperor and Queen of Heaven liked this new palace very much, and both lived in it.Shi Yushi Di Renjie was very disgusted with this: the country suffered internal and external disasters, the soldiers worked hard on the front lines, and the people suffered unspeakably, while Wei Hongji only wanted to win the favor of the Holy One, regardless of people's and financial resources, and built extravagant palaces. An act of treacherous infidelity.In a feudal society, subjects were not allowed to criticize the emperor, so he could only place the responsibility on Wei Hongji, beating the pillars of the house to scare the beams, so as to show the emperor.Li Zhi was severely blamed indirectly and felt ashamed.But he was a person who did not admit his mistakes, so Wei Hongji was dismissed from office.Di Renjie impeached Wei Hongji and pointed the finger at the emperor, which shocked the government and the public, and won praise: "It's really powerful, you are brave enough." "He's not afraid of the sky or the earth. If it's his fault, you won't be able to eat it, so walk around." Zuo Si Lang Zhong Wang Benli relied on Li Zhi's favor to act as a domineering man, pretending to be public for private interests, and all officials feared him.Di Renjie went to the public to expose his evil deeds and requested that he be handed over to the judiciary for trial.Li Zhi specially pardoned him.Di Renjie was not convinced, and played confidently: "Although the country lacks talents, it does not lack people like Wang Benli. Why does Your Majesty love a sinner so much and would rather harm the king's law?" "Don't take things so seriously." Li Zhi said tactfully, "Let him learn his lesson and deal with it leniently." "Your Majesty must distort the facts and pardon Wang Benli, then please exile the humble minister to a wild place with no human habitation first, as a warning for loyal people." Wang Benli was finally convicted.Playing a warning to a hundred people shocked the officials, and the court has been awe-inspiring since then.Due to the long duration of the war against Tubo and the shortage of grain transportation, some rich and unkind big merchants were hoarding strange things, and the prices rose steadily. At that time, Luoyang was the hub of water and land transportation, and it was the distribution center of agricultural and sideline products such as rice, cotton and hemp in the south of the Yangtze River. Dajia rushed to buy each other and competed for the market. Prices soared, and man-made famine broke out first.The imperial court immediately sent Ming Chongyan to pass on the decree to Prince Xian who stayed in Chang'an Jianguo. Prince Xian asked Ming Chongyan about his plan. Control the outflow. No matter how the market fluctuates, stay the same to cope with all changes, stick to the summer harvest, and everything will be fine.” According to Prince Xian's handling, food prices have never skyrocketed, prices are stable, and the market is prosperous, which has won praise from all walks of life.In order to encourage the prince to pay attention to government affairs and be diligent in government and love the people, the emperor and queen of heaven specially issued an edict to praise: "The prince supervises the country, governs affairs with diligence and determination, and is tolerant and benevolent with the style of a king. In his spare time, delve into the mysteries of classics and history, and explain the sacred Philosophy’s legacy is especially good at appraising and criticizing, and making a good compromise. Looking forward to Lai, the country has a wise master, and the people are happy with the peaceful rule. I am very happy, and I bestow five hundred pieces of brocade.” Ming Chongyan was appreciated by the Emperor and Queen of Heaven, and he was promoted to be an admonishing doctor, and he was on the fourth rank.He is from the southeast of Yanshi, Henan, Luozhou. He is proficient in heresy and sectarianism.Monks, Taoists and doctors in the Tang Dynasty could freely enter and leave the inner palace.He used spells or illusions to treat Li Zhi's illnesses, and achieved some effects that were better than medicine.The emperor and empress were very grateful to him, and he had a particularly close relationship with the empress, often visiting her bedroom.Once, he said to Wu Zetian: "The prince's face is exposed, with clear eyebrows and eyes, which is a sign of a short life. His nose is too sharp, smart and wise, but he refuses to convince others. The appearance of Ying Wangzhe is quite similar to that of the late emperor Taizong. But it’s a little too revealing.” "Which one of the three princes has the best face?" Wu Zetian asked with interest. "Naturally, Xiang Wang Dan. He is very similar to the Queen of Heaven, with a big face, long eyebrows and phoenix eyes, tall and tall, long earlobes, broad-minded, quiet, and elegant demeanor of a king." Wu Zetian believed in Ming Chongyan's theory of astrology, and told Li Zhi his opinion.Later, this word reached the ears of Prince Xian, which aroused his hatred and hatred for Ming Chongyan, and at the same time, the distance between him and his mother became wider, and he only sent someone to invite his father if he had something to do. Wu Zetian didn't want to cause conflict between mother and child, so she wrote him a long letter and sent someone to send her two books: "Shaoyang Zhengfan" and "The Story of a Dutiful Son".Shaoyang Temple is located in the east of Monxia Province in Miyagi, near the Museum of History, where the crown prince lived and studied when he was young.As the name suggests, Shaoyang Zhengfan is the moral code that the prince should abide by.However, Prince Xian only replied—a short letter on paper, not in his own handwriting. Empress Wu asked Wan'er to write several letters on behalf of her, accusing Xian of being rude and disrespectful.The prince was very disturbed, so he asked someone to write a few letters of apology for him, and asked his mother to forgive him.Soon, the Emperor and Queen of Heaven ordered Xian to live in the East Palace in Luoyang.Xian thought that a catastrophe was imminent, and was so nervous that he couldn't hold his breath. After moving into the Luoyang East Palace, he began to collect armor, swords, guns and shields, and hid them in the stables to prevent accidents. Wu Zetian received a secret report that Prince Xian had hidden weapons, and ordered Ming Chongyan to secretly go to the East Palace to find out the truth.Ming Chongyan waited until after the second watch, changed into night clothes, and was about to sneak into Dongguan as a detective. He passed through an elm forest, and two flying screws hit him on the back of the chest, and Ming Chongyan fell down on his side.A group of masked men rushed out and dragged him into the woods, where he was hacked into a ball of meat.Ming Chongyan was assassinated and died. Shocked, the Emperor and Empress immediately ordered to hunt down the assassin and the manipulator and bring them to justice.Dali Temple and Jinwuwei, the institutions responsible for Leiwei in the capital, acted urgently but found nothing.The imperial court posthumously presented Ming Chongyan as a servant and held a state funeral.On June 3rd, the Yuan was changed to the first year of Tiaolu, and general criminals in the world were amnesty.During the investigation of Ming Chongyan's case, some weird folk songs such as "Side Tang Tang, Nao Tang Tang" suddenly appeared. "Side" means not right, "拉" means restlessness, and "Tang" has the same pronunciation as "Tang".In fact, it is a cryptic way to ridicule the instability of the Tang Dynasty, which has already tilted.It has become an open secret that people from the East Palace assassinated Ming Chongyan.Prince Xian panicked in his heart, afraid that he would be found out, so he made up a little tune and asked the people in the East Palace to sing it.Under the yellow platform of planting melons, the ripe melons are separated.Picking once makes the melon good, picking it again makes the melon thin, picking it three times is still good, and picking it will never return to the vine. Wu Zetian clearly knew the purpose of her visit, to remind her not to kill her children indiscriminately, otherwise, she would regret it later, but she didn't respond.The war was turbulent, and she had no time to care about him, her eyes were fixed on the front line of the frontier.In the name of escorting Nines back to the country, Pei Xingjian led a team to Xizhou, and the local officials and people went to the suburbs to greet him.He once served as the governor of Xizhou, and he knew each other well, so he recruited more than a thousand local heroic children to serve as his followers.And pretended to stop, held a banquet, enjoyed singing and dancing, and publicized: "The weather is hot, it is not suitable for long-distance travel, wait until the autumn is cooler before going on the road." "We welcome Mr. Pei to stay for a long time," the common people said one after another, "He is kind, does not put on airs, acts fairly, and does not seek personal gain." Turkic agents inquired about this situation and reported it to Ashina Duzhi.He let his guard down and was off guard.Pei Xingjian seemed very leisurely, as if he had nothing to do, and called the Hu tribe chiefs from the four towns of Kucha, Bisha, Yanqi, and Shule to Xizhou for a gathering.During the banquet, he casually said to them: "When I was in Xizhou, I used to indulge in drinking and hunting with everyone. How happy I am, I still remember it vividly." "As long as the angel is interested, we will still accompany you." The chiefs bared their furry copper-like chests, swept away their brush-like beards, ate meat in large chunks, and drank in large bowls. They were bold and hearty. "Okay. We all drank the wine in our hands and went out together to relive the grand events of the past." The children of the Hu people rushed to ask to join the hunting ranks, and tens of thousands of people were assembled.Pei Xingjian reorganized the team and conducted training. A few days later, Bidao quickly moved westward.When he was more than ten miles away from Ashina Duzhi's imperial tent, he first sent someone who was close to him to greet him. He looked peaceful and peaceful, as if it was just an ordinary visit from a passing visitor, and there was no sign of crusade against rebellion.Then he sent envoys to call him to meet him.Ashina Duzhi originally agreed with Li Zhegou that he would not reject the envoys of the Tang Dynasty until the Mid-Autumn Festival. He suddenly heard that the army of the Tang Dynasty was approaching, and he couldn't react hastily, so he had to lead his children out to meet him.Pei Xingjian stared, and shouted sharply: "Ashi Naduzhi, are you guilty?" "I, I still can't figure out what the angel's words mean?" Ashina pretended to be confused. "How dare you play a scoundrel in front of me, hey. Left and right, take it down!" Pei Xingjian's soldiers captured Ashina Duzhi alive without being stained with blood.The Turks had no written language, so they used the leader's arrow as a letter and dictated orders.Pei Xingjian used Ashina Duzhi's command arrow to summon the chiefs of his tribes and escort them to Suiye City, Russia's Tuokema City.Then he selected an elite cavalry, marched lightly, and attacked Li Zhegen day and night.During the march, Ashina Duzhi's envoys returning from Li Zhegen and Li Zhegen's sending envoys were captured.Pei Xingjian released Li Zhegen's envoy, and asked him to go back first and send a message to Li Zhegen, saying that Ashina Duzhi had been captured.Li Zhegen was frightened out of his wits, desperate, he raised his hands in surrender.Pei Xingjian detained Ashina Duzhi and Li Zhegen and returned to Chang'an, sent Ninas to return to the country on his own, leaving Wang Fangyi to guard Anxi and supervise the construction of Suiye City.In winter and October, the leaders of the Turkic tribes affiliated to the Shanyu Dadu Protectorate, Ashide Wenfu and Ashide, respectively led their tribes to rebel against the Tang Dynasty. They responded one after another and pledged their allegiance to Nishu, with hundreds of thousands of followers.Li Zhi and Wu Zetian were startled and annoyed, and ordered Xiao Siye, Hua Dazhi and Li Jingjia to lead troops to march north.Xiao Siye served as the Minister of Honglu and Chanyu's chief executive in the court, Hua Dazhi was the general of the right leader of the army, and Li Jingjia was the general of the right Qianniuwei.All three of them were brave and lacking in actual combat experience, so they started to work hard and win consecutive battles.Xiao Siye was intoxicated by these insignificant victories, his brows revealed an air of satisfaction, his plump face shone with brilliance, and he held a grand celebration banquet to reward those who did meritorious deeds.He was very happy, his eyebrows raised, sometimes lengthened, sometimes shortened, his heart was proud, and he was no longer on guard. The goose feather snow resembles the Mt. Cotton Mountain rolled up by the new wind, falling from the sky, rolling on the grassland and rolling mountains.The trees have turned into silver branches and jade leaves, and the hardy birch trees have also put on ice and snow hats.Roads, rivers, grasslands, deserts, mountains, everything has become a messy world.The snow and mist covered the sky like a veil, and it was impossible to see anything in the distance. It was a chaos, and there were only some vague shadows swaying between the earth and space.The Turks braved the wind and snow to attack the Tang army's camp at night.Xiao Siye's face was so frightened that he was half sober, got up from the bed in a panic, abandoned the barracks, and fled in embarrassment.The troops lost their coach and became a mess.The Turkic army fought in and out, and chased after them again. The Tang army suffered no casualties.Hua Dazhi and Li Jingjia led the infantry to resist the pursuers while retreating, barely retreating to the Inner Mongolia and Linger County of Shanyu Dufu.Xiao Siye was sentenced to death, his conviction was commuted by first class, and he was exiled in Guizhou [Guilin City, Guangxi].Both Hua Dazhi and Li Jingjia were dismissed from office.The Eastern Turks became more and more arrogant and sent troops to attack Dingzhou.Dingzhou's troops were insufficient. Seeing that the enemy was approaching fiercely, Li Yuangui, king of the governor Huo, ordered the gates of the city to be opened and the flags to be lowered.The Turkic people suspected that there was an ambush, and they had no intention of entering, so they retreated by themselves on Yiye.Li Jiayun, a state citizen, secretly communicated with the Turkic army. After the incident was revealed, Li Zhi ordered Li Yuangui to thoroughly investigate the gangsters.Li Yuangui said: "A strong enemy oppresses the country, and people's hearts are disturbed. If too many people are arrested, they will be forced to rebel." Only Li Jiayun was beheaded to show the public, and other party members did not ask.Then Shangshu impeached himself for disobeying the imperial decree and asked for punishment.Li Zhi was very appreciative, and said to the envoy with a spring breeze: "I regretted the edict last time. If it weren't for your king, Dingzhou would have been lost." Since then, Li Zhi often issued secret edicts to consult Li Yuangui for any major events in the court.The imperial court sent General Cao Huaishun of Zuo Jinwuwei to garrison Jingxing County, Hebei, and General Cui Xian of Zuowuwei stationed troops in Hejin County, Longmen Shanxi to guard against the threat of Eastern Turks to Chang'an.The Eastern Turks incited the Xi tribe and the Khitan tribe to invade Chaoyang County, Liaoning, Yingzhou.Governor Zhou Daowu sent Cao Canjun Tang Xiujing to lead the army to fight and repel the invading enemy.When Pei Xingjian returned to Chang'an, Li Zhi ordered civil and military officials to welcome him in the suburbs, and held a banquet to celebrate.During the dinner, Li Zhi smiled and said kindly to Pei Xingjian: "Ai Qing is both civil and military, and I will grant you two positions today." "Thanks to His Majesty's blessing, I took a trip to the northwest. I can't talk about meritorious service, and I don't have any extraordinary talents. I am really ashamed of having both civil and military positions, and I can't afford it." "There's no need to be modest, I know what's in my heart. Quickly kowtow to thank you." Li Zhi immediately appointed Pei Xingjian as the minister of the Ministry of Rites and the general of the right guard who inspected the school.Pei Xingjian thanked Enbi, and received the document from Princess Wencheng presented by Tubo Minister Lunsai Tiaobang, reporting the news of Mansong Manzan's death and asking for a marriage.Li Zhi asked about Pei Xingjian.Pei Xingjian replied succinctly: "Go to mourn the funeral according to the usual etiquette." Li Zhi then sent Lang Jiang Song Lingwen to Tubo to attend the funeral of Mansong Mangzan.The Eastern Turkic Khanate continued to harass the border, and Li Zhilong was uneasy, so he ordered Pei Xingjian to be the commander-in-chief of the Dingxiang Road Marching, commanding 180,000 troops, and together with Cheng Wuting, the governor of Fengzhou, the military inspection school in the west, and Li Wenlai, the governor of Youzhou, the army in the east, dispatched With 300,000 troops, they launched a general attack on the Eastern Turks.All the troops were saved by Pei Xing's thrift.When the decree went out to court, the earth shook and the mountains shook.Along the way, military flags were unfurled, and swords and guns were shining.The army and horses marched to the border of Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, Shuochuan, and set up camp.Pei Xingjian took the generals and staff around him to inspect the barracks.The aides said in unison: "It's such a trivial matter, let's take a look, why don't you bother the chief executive?" "The way to use troops," Pei Xingjian said sincerely, "to appease the soldiers should be sincere, and to deal with the enemy should not hesitate to deceive and deceive." "The master must have come up with some clever plan." "It's not a good calculation," Pei Xingjian's eyes flashed secretly, "I can only say that it is a trick. Last time, the military rations delivered by Xiao Siye were robbed by the Turks, and the soldiers were hungry and cold, so it failed. I guess the Turks will use it again." In the same way, we might as well cheat him." He ordered the assembly of 300 grain carts, each with five hidden warriors, each armed with a big sword and a strong crossbow, and hundreds of old, weak and disabled soldiers escorted the "grain carts", and the elite soldiers waited in ambush in dangerous places.Sure enough, the Turkic army came to grab the grain truck.The escort soldiers pretended to be afraid, abandoned their cars and fled.The enemy was ecstatic, dancing with hands and feet, and wow wah wah drove the grain cart to a place with water and grass, took off the saddle, let the horse drink water and graze, and was ready to unload the grain.Suddenly the warrior jumped out of the car and slashed and killed.The Turks looked at each other in fright, and ran away in a panic, but were hit head-on by the ambushes, and they were taken prisoner if they didn't die.From then on, food transportation came and went freely, and the East Turkic Army was terrified, and did not dare to approach it, or even avoided it from a distance.The Northern Expeditionary Army reached the north of Shanyu Mansion, and it was almost dusk. After camping, the surrounding trenches for the camp had been dug.Pei Xingjian suddenly ordered the three armies to move to Gaogang.The generals were puzzled, and responded one after another: "The soldiers have settled down and can't move." "The military order is like a mountain," Pei Xingjian said forcefully, "whoever dares to violate the order will be beheaded." The troops moved to Gaogang, and the heavy rain poured down from the dark sky, submerging everything around in just an instant. The water in the camp was more than a foot deep.The generals were both surprised and admired, and asked: "We didn't understand, how could the commander-in-chief predict that there will be a storm in advance?" "Observing the changes in the wind and clouds, this knowledge is too profound, and it is difficult to explain clearly at the moment." "Come in a little bit, let us listen." Pei Xingjian sniffled: "If you are not proficient in astronomy and geography, you will miss important things. Everyone, from today onwards, you only need to obey my orders, and don't ask me how I know." The Tang army advanced to the northwest of Baotou City, Inner Mongolia, Montenegro.The Turkic cavalry and countless infantry drove to the designated area, people roaring and arrogance.In the first two days, the two armies came into contact with each other slightly. After firing a few rounds of arrows, the Tang army timidly withdrew from the first line of defense, leaving only some riding posts standing on the mountain or high ground to watch.The Turks won without a fight, and the men and horses rolled forward like a flock of sheep, breaking through the first line of defense.The Tang army retreated towards Montenegro, retreated to the third line of defense, and moved their infantry to the trenches that had already been dug.The Turks launched an attack on the third line of defense, but they couldn't attack no matter what.The arrows shot from the trenches were like a dense shower, overwhelming the enemy's head.The two armies were at a stalemate.The dry food brought by the Turks ran out, and Ashina sent people to the rear to urge the food and grass to come to the rescue.Suddenly, news came that the military supplies and fodder had been robbed by the Tang army, and the back road was also cut off.The Turkic army was so hungry that they were in a mess, and some scattered to find food.Pei Xingjian observed that the enemy's lineup was in disarray, and ordered the messengers to convey orders everywhere: "At the next day, launch an all-out attack." Tens of thousands of cavalrymen of the Tang army stepped out of the trenches, flying down like a mountain torrent, spreading out into waves and rushing forward.Under the trampling of tens of thousands of horseshoes, the wilderness let out a low and piercing moan.As soon as the soldiers drew out their sabers, the horses carrying them galloped quickly.The sound of war drums, the sound of horns, and the cries of the cavalry rushing ahead infected the cavalry who followed, and the cries were as loud as thunder.The four hooves of the galloping horse curled up into a ball, and quickly stretched out again, jumping a few feet away, as if very rhythmic, but crowded together seemed chaotic.Eagle feathers swished over from the air, forcing the soldiers to put their heads on the wet horses' necks, and the pungent horse sweat smelled straight into their nostrils.The cavalry spread out in a fan shape, and the two ends circled towards the enemy's position in an outflanking posture. Grayish-yellow dust like thick smoke rose from under the horseshoes.The enemy cavalry counterattacked head-on, and the two armies fought fiercely. The sound of clashing weapons, the howling of fighting, the sound of drums and the sound of horns, interweaved into a sound wave like a mountain roar and a tsunami. The howl of the twitching knight.The gray human waves of the following pawns drifted, rolling across the undulating field layer by layer like waves, sweeping away continuously and densely.The infantry team either held spears in their hands, or held up machetes, and formed a formation. The flags fluttered in the wind, passing through the dark cloud-like dust, approaching each other, connecting back and forth, forming a column, neat and mighty.From a distance, it looks like black dragons wriggling and leaping in the clouds and mists, jumping into the dangerous place where the corpses are scattered, disappearing in the smoke and dust, and then surpassing the smoke and dust.突厥人惊惶失措，下意识地举着武器抵抗，嚷嚷着，奔窜着，犹如茅草遇到了镰刀一样纷纷往下倒。战到未末申初，席卷荒原的狂飙渐渐平息下来。突厥人跑的跑，逃的逃，有的躺在尸体堆里装死，还有人僵立着一动不动，脸上毫无表情，犹如傻了似的。战后的奇怪现象举不胜举：有毫无目的兜圏子的，有跪倒在地祈祷上苍的，有伏在亲友的尸体上痛哭的，有红着眼怒吼的，吃人肉的，喝人血的，应有尽有，发疯的，学狼嗥的，纵笑的，悲号的，顿足捶胸哭的，也不足为奇。 躲在树林里的一个老头的银泣声，徽弱而凄凉，抽抽噎噎，充满了哀伤和绝望。晚霞散尽，天空暗淡下来，死神笼罩了大地，四野开始凝聚在一片沉寂的雾气中。裴行俭离开指挥阵地回到了中军帐。他坐下来歇了一会儿，随从服侍他脱下战袍，换上便服，洗净了脸上的沙尘。晚餐摆出来了，他胡乱吃了一些，就放下了筷子，若有其事地走到营门口，抬头仰望着繁星点点的夜空。眉一样的上弦月很早就沉落下去，地面上的景物都难以分辨。春末夏初，北疆寒意未消，辽阔的大草原，沉浸在幽深、迷茫与梦幻般的氛围里。孤星在阴山齿状的峰峦上闪烁，银河已被流云遮掩，周遭静极了，只有潺湲的溪流引起人们对于这片神奇高原的遐思。远处传来狗叫声，山谷响起汪汪汪的共鸣，程务挺押着阿史德奉职回营交差来了。裴行俭和程务挺耳语了几句，把阿史德奉职带进帐内，连夜进行了审讯。程务挺是名将程名振的儿子，他和裴行俭意气相投，相处甚好。审完阿史德奉职，天快亮了，程务挺劝裴行俭上床睡一觉，裴行俭却坐着没有动。 “睡不成了，马上会有人送来泥熟匐的人头。” “瞎吹。” 程务挺咧着嘴巴微微一笑，“你未必会神机妙算？” “打个赌，好不好？” 裴行俭眯细一只眼睛，瞧着程务挺。 “行。随你怎么赌。” “早晨来了，你请我喝酒。没有来，我招待你。” 天刚破哓，有人在营门外敲门。裴行俭从蒙昽中醒过来，欢快地说：“来啦！程都督，快备酒来。” 果然不出所料，泥熟匍在溃败中，被部将杀死，部将提着他的人头前来投降。裴行俭嬴了程务挺一席酒。两个人都很开心，乐不可支，喝了个酩酊大醉，尽兴而散。再度昙花一现的东突厥汗国，随着他们这顿酒席再度覆灭了。阿史德奉职的残余部众自知大势已去，撤退到了阴山中的狼山，苟延残喘。天皇天后收到捷拫，派遣户部尚书崔知悌乘驿站马车，奔赴单于总督府所在地定襄，传达慰劳将士的旨意，处理善后事宜。裴行俭先行班师。北方尚未彻底平定，西方又爆发了战争。幸亏左武卫将军黑齿常之驻守河源青海西宁市境。此人勇略兼备，运用疑兵之计击退了吐蕃的侵犯。天皇天后提拔他当河源经略大使。河源位居边疆交通要冲，黑齿常之打算增兵戍守，然而道途艰险，路程又远，他便创设烽火戌守台七十余处，开垦荒田军屯五千多顷，每年收获粮食五百余万石。从此，无论进攻或防守，军需粮草都有了足够的贮备。在此之前，剑南道〔四川成都市〕招募兵卒，在西南方茂州修筑安戎城〔四川茂县西〕，切断吐蕃跟西南边境蛮族部落的交通。吐蕃利用生羌部落当向导，攻陷安戎城，派军驻守，西洱云南洱海湖地区各蛮族部落随之投降了吐蕃。吐蕃完全控制了羊同、党项及诸羌住地。 它东面与凉州〔甘肃武威市〕、松州〔四川松藩县〕、茂州、岭州〔四川西昌市〕接壤，南方跟天竺印度相邻，西边攻陷龟兹〔新疆库车县〕、疏勒〔新疆疏勒县〕等四镇，北方直抵突厥汗国边界，拥有土地万余里。在所有胡人建立的国家中，最为强盛，没有谁能跟它相比。吐蕃严重威胁着唐朝的安全，武则天既担心又恼火，然而更令她烦恼的是太子贤，他已成了她的一块心病。太子贤很顽固，不愿意和母后达成妥协，就像鬼蒙了头一样，非要往剌蓬里钻不可。 武后观察了很久，又等待了很久，太子贤没有转变的迹象。要说有转变的话，仅仅转换了一种消极抵抗的形式。他借酒消愁，酒量一次比一次增加，整天泡在酒里。贪杯，又加上了好色，蹂躏侍女不算，还和户奴赵道生发生同性恋，随意赐给他大量的金银财宝。司议郎韦承庆进谏道：“殿下自重啊，如果这样自暴自弃，那结果必然是自取灭亡！” “我早已置生死于度外，活一天算一天，快活一天得一天，呃，呃，今朝有酒今朝醉，来，来，来呀，韦卿，你也来喝一盅，喝一盅。侍儿，斟酒，道生，再出个滑稽，大家乐一乐。唔，怎么停止了音乐？给我把舞妓叫出来，跳个光屁股舞。” 武后收集到了太子贤生活糜烂的信息，觉得他已经到了不可救药的地步，奏明李治，命黄门侍郎裴炎、中书侍郎薛元超、御史大夫高智周等深入查实。调查人员在东宫马厩里搜出了三百套盔甲及兵器。再把赵道生带到御史台审问，赵道生受不住酷刑，坦白承认了他曾经受太子之命暗杀明崇俨的事实。李治一向喜欢太子贤，拖着不表态，想从宽处理。 “给他敲一敲警钟，看他到底改不改？” “蓄谋造反，哼，罪不容诛！”武则天已经失去了信心。 “他是我们的儿子哇。” 李治差点流出眼泪来了。 “国家纲纪，不可轻忽。如今只有一条路走啦，大义灭亲！”武则天以李治的名义颁下诏书，废黜太子贤，贬为庶人。由右监门中郎将令狐智通将贤押送至长安，幽禁在宫中。凡与贤新近的侍臣，包括赵道生，一律处死。从东宫抄出的盔甲兵器，运到洛阳天津桥洛水桥南岸，全数烧掉，用以向天下臣民显示，太子贤图谋不轨，当真不假。左庶子兼同中书门下三品张大安，被控谄媚太子贤，受连坐贬为普州剌史。太子洗马刘纳言，撰写一些幽默笑话一《俳谐集》呈献太子贤，从东宫搜了出来。李治气得头昏目眩，瘦削的长条子脸也扭歪了：“用《六经》教人，还恐怕教导不好，刘纳言竟然进献戏谑取笑之类的鄙俗杂说，岂是朕命他辅佐太子的本意！”刘纳言受到流放振州的严重处分。中书侍郎兼太子左庶子薛元超，免罪留任现职。 以上三人都是协助贤注释《后汉书》的学者。东宫其他的旧官吏，都赦免罪行，保留现职，这些人都得上朝谢恩。谢元超等都行了三跪九叩的大礼。其中独有太子右庶子李义琰蛰居家内，引咎自责，哭泣流涕，为贤痛心，为自己没有尽到责任而难过，在社会上受到好评。太子宫典膳丞高政，虽然被免除死罪，却惨死在自家人的手中。当他踏进家门时，其父高真行出其不意地用剑剌进他的咽喉，高政倒在地上，其伯父户部侍郎高审行又在他的腹部补了一剑，肝肠流出，髙审行之子高璇砍下他的首级，弃尸于路旁。高政本是皇亲囯戚，他的祖父高士廉是长孙无忌和长孙皇后的舅父。其父髙真行任左卫将军。李治得知高真行亲手杀死儿子，觉得过于残忍，贬逐高真行当睦州浙江建德县刺史，高审行当渝州重庆市刺史。李氏宗室的曹王明，系李世民的第十四子，李治的弟弟，担任苏州江苏吴县刺史，还有沂州〔山东临沂市〕刺史蒋王炜，均被指控为贤的同党。李明被贬为零陵郡王，软禁黔州〔四川彭水县〕。李炜则被开除官籍，软禁道州〔湖南道县〕。炜是蒋王恽的长子，恽死后，继承了父亲的蒋王爵位。八月二十三日，册立英王李哲当太子，同时从这天起，改元为永隆元年。 武则天相信文字的魔力，想以改元来驱除这一年所发生的不祥事件。新太子哲，年二十五岁。五年前，他的名字叫作显，封为周王，当时赵氏被关在内侍省的女牢里，饿死了，他当上太子后，请求封韦氏当太子妃。 韦氏是京兆万年县西安人，家族属于关陇集团系统，即从北周以来，以长安为中心的陕西地区内相互通婚的世家。她的祖父韦表，在太宗朝任曹王明王府典军，正五品上父亲韦玄贞，出任普州参军。父子二人的官输都较低，很可能是有资格而无身居要职的本领。韦氏在哲为英王的前两年人府当女官，由于她仪容娇美，乖巧伶俐，从此深受哲的宠爱。这年，调露二年即永隆元年，是最不吉利的年份，战乱、大灾害、大动荡，像套绳一样套住了大唐的脖子，又拉又扯，差不多要把它勒死了。对吐蕃作战陷入了困境，大总管李敬玄先后两次败于吐蕃之手，被追得丢盔卸甲，伤亡惨重，甚至战死的士卒到了无人收尸的地步。 文成公主竭力制止吐蕃侵扰唐境。她不反对和亲，但反对吐蕃不讲理的逼亲作法，尤其反对掠夺性的战争。自从永徽元年松赞干布逝世后，她的话很少有人听了。不过，藏民对她一直感恩戴德，顶礼膜拜，喇嘛教把她当作绿度母的化身度母在藏语中称卓玛，是藏佛教传说中观音老母沁大受崇敬，供奉松赞干布和她的塑像。上层贵族也不敢奈何她。当听到唐军惨败的消息后，重病中的文成公主又气又急，晕绝致死，时年五十五岁。吐蕃兵马撤回逻些拉萨奔丧。文成公主以她的死，为唐军解了围，为唐蕃的和平尽了最后一次努力。她以毕生的精力奉献给了藏汉的友好事业，堪称两族人民兄弟情谊的奠基者。永隆二年幻正月十日，天皇天后为新太子哲在长安含元宫宣政殿举行了盛大的庆典。为了筹办此事，帝后于去年冬天便回到了长安。宣政殿是含元宫中三大正殿的核心，朝廷各重要衙门均在其左右。上朝听政和召集百官议事等政治性决策活动，一般都在该殿举行。历代皇帝临朝听政，都是最主要的活动，朝会并非每天都进行，大体是三日或五日一朝。每逢临朝，文武百官从日华门、月华门人内，立在殿前向天皇天后拜舞山呼。由于宣政殿是庄严肃穆的场所，因此不能在这里举行宴会，各种饮宴活动，大都在麟德殿、曲江亭及太液亭等处。当天皇天后敕命在宣政殿与百官及命妇聚宴时，太常博士袁利贞谏阻道：“宣政殿是朝廷正殿，并非命妇宴会之所宣政门也不是软舞杂耍艺人可以行走的。请让命妇在偏殿参加宴会，九部乐从东西侧门进入，民间乐舞杂耍请予撤消。” “将筵席摆到麟德殿。” 武则天和李治合计了一下，“赏赐袁卿绸缎一百匹。” 宣政殿内外，宫灯高挂，彩带飘扬，展现出一派喜庆气氛。东上阎门和西上阎门两侧都设仪仗。百官和命妇人宫后，以官阶为序立在宣政门外等候。黎明前，众男女已纷纷赶到了含元宫，食毕早餐，各自重新整理好衣冠，由西侧的月华门进入宣政殿前的广庭上，又等了个把时辰，才依次进人东西囱。天皇天后登上宣政殿御榻，内侍女官分列两旁。太子哲从崇明门外的幕殿起身，经由月华门来到殿前，东宫属官及内侍卫护左右，由两名驸马代他整理衣冠，礼仪使前导太子在宣政殿前站定。乐声四起，御扇大开，两阎官员向帝、后拜舞。拜毕，太子哲向前走到龙墀东南，再拜受册。裴炎宣读册文，读完即授予哲。哲又一次拜舞，然后依原路回到崇明门外的幕殿中稍事休息。宣政殿下，群臣向天皇天后致贺。礼毕退下，依次到崇明门拜谒太子哲，哲在殿内举帘执笏答礼。最后，哲再端坐榻上，满脸堆笑，欣然接受内侍官员的参拜。废太子贤昙花一现之后，李哲当上了新太子，哲是武则天所生的第三子。参加册立皇太子典礼的人们心头都敲起了小鼓：“天后所生的四个儿子，是不是都要轮流过一过太子瘾？真要如此，那么，相王旦什么时候上台，她又找什么借口废除太子哲？” 带着这一连串的迷茫和疑惑，百官又和命妇按部就班地走进了麟德殿，又一次消受帝、后按例所赐予的一顿美餐。裴行俭班师后，东突厥汗国部落酋长阿史那伏念自立为大可汗，与阿史德温傅联合，出兵侵扰唐朝边境。天皇天后又重新任命裴行俭担任定襄道大总管，以右武卫将军曹怀舜、幽州都督李文疎做他的副手，率师北伐。曹怀舜与偏将窦义昭带领前军进击突厥。行军途中，探马前来禀报：“阿史那伏念和阿史德温傅逗留在阴山北面的黑沙，左右侍从不到二十骑，可以直接去擒拿。” 曹怀舜深信不疑，把老弱官兵留在瓠芦泊山西大同市北，亲率精锐倍道疾进，抵达黑沙，却连人影也没有看见，人困马乏，只好返回。正巧，薛延陀部落想往西投奔阿史那伏念，碰上曹怀舜，投降了唐军。曹怀舜等徐徐往回走，到了长城北边，与阿史德温傅相遇。双方一接触，没战上几个回合，各自鸣金收兵。曹怀舜进到横水流经大同市西北，跟阿史那伏念遭遇。曹怀舜、窦义昭与李文睐及偏将刘敬同，四路兵马集合，结成方阵，一面战斗，一面撤退。转战一天，阿史那伏念趁顺风发动猛攻，唐军祗敌不住，阵容大乱。曹怀舜等惊恐万状，弃阵而逃。军无主帅，霎时溃败，伤亡不计其数。曹怀舜收拾残兵败将，搜刮金银绸缎贿赂阿史那伏念，请求议和，杀牛订盟。突厥向来以掠夺财宝为主要目的，阿史那伏念心满意足，往北走了，曹怀舜等才得以回国。李治怒火中烧，要斩曹怀舜，武则天念其急中生智，勉强与突厥达成了和解，赦免他的死刑，流放岭南。裴行俭驻军于代州的陉口，运用反间计，大量派出奸细，渗透到东突厥搬弄是非，挑起矛盾。阿史那伏念与阿史德温傅开始互相猜疑，阿史那伏念把妻室儿女及辎重，留在大可汗御帐所在地―王庭金牙山，以轻骑突袭唐军。裴行俭遣裨将何迦密走通漠道，程务挺走石地道，两军同时袭取金牙山。当阿史那伏念返回王庭，发现妻小与辎重失踪了，士卒又多染上瘟疫，只好向北退人沙漠地带。裴行俭又遣副总管刘敬同、程务挺等，率单于府兵尾追。阿史那伏念乞请捉拿阿史德温傅，立功赎罪。他口头承诺，内心犹豫不决，不及早下手，又以为道路遥远，唐兵不一定能赶上，没有防备。刘敬同等军突然出现在营门前，阿史那伏念吓得灵魂出窍，一把推开盟友阿史德温傅送给他的侍妾，挺身而起，冲出金顶大帐，缚住阿史德温傅，由间道插近路投奔裴行俭。骑兵急星流火般地跑回军营，匆匆下马进帐，禀报裴行俭说：“尘土滚滚，遮蔽天日，突厥直扑大营而来！” “会不会是偷袭的敌骑？”将士们都很震惊，张大了嘴巴。裴行俭放下手中的兵书，起身踱了几步，判断说：“定然是伏念擒住了温傅，前来投降，不可能是别的突厥人。” “不管怎么说，有备无患嘛。” “接受投降如同接受挑战，诸位没说错，不可不严加戒备。” 裴行俭下令全军进入临战状态，整装待命。然后派出一人充当使节，迎上前去慰劳。少顷，阿史那伏念果然率所有酋长，捆着阿史德温傅，下马跪到军营门前，请求处罚。裴行俭步出行辕，把伏念一行接进白虎节堂，吩咐给温傅松了绑，接受了他们的投降。裴行俭肃清了突厥叛军的残余部众，押解阿史那伏念和阿史德温傅，班师回京，呈献定襄道的俘虏。九月三十日，唐朝更改年号，之前是永隆二年，之后是开耀元年。十月一日，日蚀。在长安公开处决阿史那伏念、阿史德温傅等五十四人。当初，裴行俭许诺宽恕伏念的罪行，他才决意投降。可是侍中裴炎妒嫉裴行俭的功劳，又想讨好武则天，装腔作势地奏道：“伏念受张虔勖、程务挺的紧逼，同时回纥从漠北南下压迫，在走投无路的情况下，才归降的。” “裴卿说他是自行来降的嘛。” 李治有些茫然。 "Crap."