Chapter 191: The Incident in Nanzhao

In Yaozhou, Yunnan, located at the southwestern border of the Tang Dynasty, the region was closely intertwined with Nanzhao. The Yaozhou governorship governed as many as 57 tributary states, making it a key military stronghold for the Tang in controlling the southwest. It was also a vital route on the Southern Silk Road, with people from various ethnic groups coming and going for trade, and tea and horse caravans moving continuously, resulting in a highly prosperous economy.

That morning, a group of riders arrived at the city gates of Yaozhou. The leader, in his early thirties, had a broad face and large ears, exuding an air of authority. He wore a white silk headwrap and a cloak, dressed in a very neat manner.

He was the ruler of Nanzhao, King Ge Lufeng of Yunnan. After the death of Nanzhao’s previous king, Pi Luoge, last year, he had ascended to the throne. Ge Lufeng worked hard to improve governance, reformed the administrative system, reorganized taxation, and expanded the army and territory. Within just one year, Nanzhao had seen a significant transformation.

This time, Ge Lufeng had come specifically to Yaozhou to meet Governor Zhang Qiantuo in order to discuss the allocation of taxes. Nanzhao and Yaozhou were geographically connected and inseparable; merchants passing through often faced double taxation by both the Tang Dynasty and Nanzhao. This problem had persisted for decades, usually resolved with Nanzhao making concessions.

But under Ge Lufeng, Nanzhao was no longer willing to compromise. He believed that trade benefited Nanzhao more than the Tang Dynasty, as the Tang kept all the taxes while Nanzhao received nothing. This was unreasonable both morally and logically. Ge Lufeng decided to demand an equal share of the taxes to ensure fairness.

Upon entering the city, Ge Lufeng narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the bustling city. Since ascending to the throne, his most urgent goal had been to expand Nanzhao’s territory. Yet Yaozhou seemed like a dagger pressing against Nanzhao’s lower abdomen, preventing it from moving forward, or like a heavy stone weighing down on Nanzhao’s head, preventing it from standing upright. For Nanzhao to grow stronger, the first step was to take control of Yaozhou, but he could not find a reason to send troops.

At that moment, his wife, worried, said, “Lord Feng, I’ve heard that Governor Zhang is extremely lustful. If I go with you, it might bring disaster. I’ll wait for you outside.”

Ge Lufeng’s wife, Bai Furong, was known as the most beautiful woman in Nanzhao, with stunning looks and charming charm. She had long heard that Governor Zhang Qiantuo was a lecher and had sent people to Nanzhao several times demanding beautiful women. Now, as she accompanied her husband to Yaozhou, she felt quite uneasy.

Ge Luofeng snorted disdainfully and said, “Nanzhao today is no longer a small kingdom that the Tang Dynasty can casually scold. Nanzhao also has vast territories and over a hundred thousand armored soldiers, enough to stand on equal footing with the Tang Dynasty. Even if it’s just a minor provincial governor, or even the Jienan Military Governor, I won’t give him any respect. Don’t be afraid; come with me to meet him. If he dares to insult you, I’ll kill him with my sword.”

The group arrived outside the governor’s residence and informed the guards. After a while, a guard came out and said, “The governor orders you to enter.”

Ge Luofeng was extremely dissatisfied. After all, he was the King of Yunnan, yet Zhang Qiantuo didn’t even bother to say “please.” Suppressing his anger, he followed the soldiers into the inner hall. Zhang Qiantuo was drinking by himself, with two beautiful maids gently massaging his back.

Zhang Qiantuo had served in Yunnan for many years. He became the governor of Yunnan at the beginning of the Tianbao era, later served as the governor of Jizhou, and at the beginning of this year was transferred to be the governor of Yaozhou. Although he had a rough appearance, he was extremely meticulous. Coupled with his thorough knowledge of Nanzhao, he enjoyed great trust from the imperial court.

Since Ge Luofeng ascended the throne last year, Zhang Qiantuo had noticed changes in Nanzhao. First, there were changes in the official system—positions like Qingping officials and high-ranking generals were established, equivalent to the prime minister and general in the Tang Dynasty. Then there were the six ministries, corresponding to the six departments of the imperial court. Additionally, a rural militia system was implemented, with people serving as farmers in peacetime and soldiers in wartime, resulting in over a hundred thousand armored soldiers.

In fact, Nanzhao had gradually grown stronger since occupying eastern Yunnan in the fourth year of the Tianbao era. During Piluoge’s reign, because he was low-key and humble, Nanzhao’s ulterior motives were not apparent. But after Ge Luofeng took over, he completely abandoned his father’s humble demeanor, becoming aggressive and domineering, always showing an attitude of wanting to stand on equal footing with the Tang Dynasty, which made Zhang Qiantuo wary. Not long ago, he submitted a report to the imperial court, warning them of the possibility of Nanzhao rebelling.

Today, as soon as Ge Luofeng entered the city, Zhang Qiantuo received word and decided to teach this Ge Luofeng a lesson, making him understand the proper conduct between ruler and subject.

Zhang Qiantuo continued to drink slowly, ignoring Ge Luofeng’s arrival, though out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Ge Luofeng’s wife, Bai Furong. She had fair skin, red lips, and was exceptionally beautiful—truly the most beautiful woman in Nanzhao.

“King Ge Luofeng of Yunnan pays his respects to the governor.”

Ge Luofeng bowed to Zhang Qiantuo, but Zhang Qiantuo simply raised his small wine cup, downed it in one gulp with a “slurp!” sound, then picked up a piece of food and put it in his mouth, not even lifting his eyelids.

Ge Luofeng was furious, but he still controlled his anger and bowed again, saying, “Governor Zhang, Ge Luofeng pays his respects.”

“Oh! So it’s you. I heard something about a King of Yunnan and found it strange. Why would a prince come to pay respects to me? If you had said it was Ge Lufeng, I would have known right away!”
After saying this, Zhang Qiantuo glanced eagerly at Bai Furong, a flame of anger burning in his heart. Bai Furong sensed his hostile gaze and leaned closer to her husband.
Ge Lufeng sneered secretly, acting as if he hadn’t seen anything, and said, “Governor Zhang, I’ve come this time to discuss the issue of tax division between the Tang Dynasty and Nanzhao.”
Zhang Qiantuo continued to drink from his small wine cup unhurriedly before finally asking, “What tax division?”
“Merchants travel between the two places, but all taxes are paid to the Tang Dynasty. This is unfair to Nanzhao. I don’t want double taxation, but I hope the Tang Dynasty will at least give half of the trade taxes to Nanzhao. This is my formal request, not just a casual suggestion.”
With that, Ge Lufeng took out a plan for tax division and handed it to Zhang Qiantuo.
Zhang Qiantuo took the document without even looking at it, tore it in half, and said coldly, “A barbarian from Nanzhao dares to argue about taxes with the imperial court?”
Ge Lufeng’s face turned red with anger. Clutching the hilt of his sword, he shouted, “You, a mere provincial governor, dare to be rude to the king of Nanzhao!”
Zhang Qiantuo snorted heavily, stood up, and went inside, leaving Ge Lufeng and his entourage waiting in the main hall. At that moment, Meng Deng, an official accompanying them, said, “Your Highness, it seems we won’t be able to reach an agreement on tax division with Yaozhou. We should return to Chang’an and ask the higher authorities to intervene.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than an official from the governor’s office entered through the side door and bowed, saying, “Your Highness, our governor says he needs time to consider the tax division issue and will respond tomorrow. Your Highness might as well stay in Yaozhou for another night.”
Ge Lufeng glanced at his wife and said, “Alright! We’ll stay in Yaozhou for one night.”
The official immediately said, “Your Highness, please follow me. I’ll arrange accommodation for you.”
…
That night, Ge Lufeng and several guards returned from drinking outside. When they entered the house, they didn’t see his wife. He urgently asked the innkeeper, “Where is my wife?”
The innkeeper replied, “She was taken inside by the governor’s wife.”
Panicked, Ge Lufeng led his guards to the governor’s residence, shouting, “Zhang Qiantuo, release my wife!”
After a while, Bai Furong was brought out. As soon as she saw her husband, she burst into tears, crying, “Fenglang, Zhang the villain has abused me!”
Ge Lufeng was so angry that he trembled, his teeth clicking together. Pointing at Zhang Qiantuo’s residence, he said slowly, “Zhang the villain, you’ve pushed me too far.”
He took his wife by the hand and shouted at everyone, “Let’s go!”

Ge Lufeng and his guards mounted their horses, spurred them on fast, and rushed out of the city gates, heading south toward Nanzhao.
In mid-July of the eighth year of Tianbao, Ge Lufeng used the pretext that Zhang Qiantuo, the governor of Yaozhou, had insulted his wife, and boldly ordered Nanzhao’s troops to launch a massive attack on Yaozhou.
…
In Chengdu, at the residence of the Jienan military governor, just as dawn was breaking, several fast horses rushed toward the governor like lightning. The cavalry dismounted, rushed up the steps, and shouted loudly, “Urgent news! Nanzhao has rebelled!”
Yang Guozhong, the Jienan military governor who was still asleep, was awakened. Hearing that Nanzhao had rebelled, he was terrified and quickly opened the urgent report. It stated that Zhang Qiantuo had forced Ge Lufeng’s wife to commit adultery; Ge Lufeng then led 50,000 troops to capture Yaozhou City. Zhang Qiantuo was killed, all the Han people in the city were slaughtered, and Yaozhou had fallen to Nanzhao.
Yang Guozhong was stunned and unable to speak. After a long while, he shouted, “Quickly summon Master Linghu.”
A moment later, his advisor Linghu Fei arrived in a hurry. He had already heard about Nanzhao’s rebellion. Yang Guozhong quickly handed him the military report and said with a gloomy face, “I’m truly doomed. I’ve only been this governor for a little over half a year, and now there’s chaos. I’m completely at a loss. Please advise me.”
Linghu Fei unfolded the report and read it carefully. Suddenly, he bowed and said with a smile, “Congratulations, governor. Becoming prime minister is just around the corner.”
Yang Guozhong was stunned. After a long while, he stammered, “Sir, don’t joke. Nanzhao has rebelled, and the emperor will hold me accountable. How can there be talk of becoming prime minister?”
Linghu Fei shook his head and said with a smile, “Nanzhao’s rebellion is the result of the court’s indulgence over the past century. What does it have to do with you? The emperor also knew that Nanzhao might rebel, which is why he transferred you to Jienan—to give you a chance to achieve great things. I was worried about not having an excuse to attack Nanzhao. Now they’ve come to us on their own. Isn’t this your chance?”
Yang Guozhong suddenly understood, but he hesitated again. “Do you mean that defeating Nanzhao will make me prime minister? But it seems a bit too quick. After all, it’s been less than three years since I arrived in the capital.”

“Hurry up!” Linghu Fei sneered. “Didn’t Li Qing’an also become a military governor in less than three years? Why doesn’t anyone say he’s quick? It’s only because he has military achievements. But the governor here is a high-ranking imperial relative—how can he be compared to him? In the late Han Dynasty, He Jin was just a pig butcher. Relying on his favored sister, he seized power overnight. It’s been the same throughout history. Now that the emperor favors the imperial concubine, how could the Yang family not rise to power? The emperor’s intention is clear—he wants to select a talented person from the Yang family to replace Li Linfu. But aside from the governor, the Yang family consists of mediocre people. That’s why the emperor is going to great lengths to nurture the governor. He has been a county magistrate, a chief secretary, and an imperial censor. Now he’s the military governor of Jiannan. His career is complete. The next step is to promote him to minister—who would object?”
Yang Guozhong slowly sat down, immersed in profound joy. Becoming prime minister—something he had never even dreamed of—was actually going to happen to him? He imagined himself wearing a sable hat and purple sash, wearing a three-beam crown and a purple robe, standing tall and proud as he moved between the central and lower government offices.
Linghu Fei, standing beside him, felt both annoyed and amused. Before even fighting had begun, he was already daydreaming. He quickly coughed lightly and said, “Governor!”
“What?” Yang Guozhong looked at him blankly.
“Let’s deal with the matter of Nanzhao first.”
Yang Guozhong immediately snapped out of his reverie. With a dry laugh, he said, “Good! Good! I’ll send troops right away.”
After thinking for a moment, he ordered, “Pass my command: Appoint Xianyu Zhongtong, the chief secretary of the military governor’s office, as the governor of Yaozhou and commander-in-chief of all troops. General Li Hui and Wang Zhijin shall serve as his left and right deputies. Mobilize troops from six provinces—Jie, Rong, Lu, Qu, Jia, and Yu—totaling 80,000 soldiers, to attack Nanzhao.”
The war machine of Jiannan was set in motion. Tens of thousands of soldiers rushed from various military camps in Jiannan to the front lines. Ship after ship carrying military supplies sailed down the Min River. On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, General Li Hui led 10,000 Tang troops as the vanguard to Huichuan, where they encountered 20,000 troops led by Nanzhao’s general Wang Bing. After a day and night of fierce fighting, the Nanzhao army was defeated, and the Tang troops advanced swiftly. Four days later, they entered Yaozhou and defeated another 30,000 Nanzhao troops stationed there.
The Nanzhao army suffered successive defeats, and the entire country fell into extreme panic. In Nanzhao’s capital, Taihe City, Ge Luofeng paced back and forth in his room, hands behind his back. He hadn’t slept in two days; his eyes were red from exhaustion, and his eye sockets were deeply sunken.
At that moment, Ge Luofeng was filled with regret. He remembered his father’s last words before his death: “Our Nanzhao has relied on the Tang Dynasty for generations. This is state policy and must not change just because I am no longer here.”

Only then did he understand his father’s deeper meaning—the strength of the Tang Dynasty was beyond comparison to that of Nanzhao, which could never stand on equal footing with it. The ferocity of the Tang army was like a bucket of cold water dousing his frenzied mind. Now, Nanzhao faced the disaster of destruction.

Ge Luofeng stared blankly at the sky and muttered to himself, “No! I must hold on. Even if I have to become a pitiful dog, I will protect Nanzhao. As long as Nanzhao exists, there will come a day when we can stand upright.”

He immediately ordered, “Send Meng Ben and Meng Chu here to see me at once!”

A moment later, Meng Ben, the official in charge of peacekeeping, and Meng Chu, the official in charge of finance, rushed over. Ge Luofeng first said to Meng Chu, “Quickly take three thousand taels of gold to Yaozhou and plead with Tang general Li Hui to suspend hostilities for half a month. Tell him that an epidemic is ravaging Nanzhao, leaving it unable to continue fighting, and that we intend to surrender to the Tang Dynasty.”

Turning to Meng Ben, he added, “In my treasury, there are thirty diamonds and ten top-quality emeralds—treasures of immense value. I’ve heard that Nanzhao’s governor, Yang Guozhong, is lustful. I decide to offer him the sisters Bai Yu and Bai Jie as well. Take the diamonds and the two sisters to Chengdu at once and present them to Yang Guozhong. Say that I acted rashly due to my wife’s humiliation and have now offended the Tang Dynasty. I am willing to apologize to the emperor and serve as a hostage in Chang’an.”

His wife, Bai Furong, hurriedly interjected, “Sir Feng, the child is only eight years old—how can we send him to Chang’an as a hostage?”

“A woman has no right to discuss state affairs!” Ge Luofeng rebuked her coldly, then said to Meng Chu, “After returning from Yaozhou, go to Tubo and deliver a personal letter from me to Tubo’s prime minister, Shang Xi Dongzan.”

……

(Note: Whether Zhang Qiantuo actually forced Ge Luofeng’s wife into prostitution is still debated in history. However, it is an established fact that Yaozhou kept watch over Nanzhao. Additionally, Nanzhao attacked Yaozhou and killed Zhang Qiantuo in the ninth year of the Tianbao era; here, this event is set a year earlier. In history, after suffering a defeat and having their peace request rejected, Nanzhao surrendered to Tubo. Tubo sent troops, leading to a devastating defeat for the Tang army, with over 60,000 soldiers killed. In this book, because Yang Guozhong was eager to become prime minister, he agreed to Nanzhao’s peace proposal.)