Chapter 472: Envoys from Tubo

It was late at night. Li Qing’an’s carriage slowly left Dugu’s mansion and headed outside the city. Inside the carriage, besides Li Qing’an, was Prime Minister Pei Min. He had deliberately waited to leave a bit later, as he had something to say to Li Qing’an.
The carriage swayed gently as it moved. Li Qing’an leaned calmly against the wall, his eyes slightly closed. The silver-white moonlight streaming through the window illuminated his face, giving his well-defined features a mysterious charm.
“Prime Minister, I think Du Gu Changfeng should be appointed as Deputy Minister of the Treasury and Commissioner of Finance. What do you think?”
Li Qing’an’s voice was deep. Though it was a matter of discussion, there was an irresistible force in his tone. Pei Min’s worries dissipated immediately. He had thought Li Qing’an might be depressed due to personal matters, but it seemed he wasn’t affected by Wan’er and Mingzhu at all. His mind remained clear. In fact, Pei Min had accompanied him precisely to discuss Changfeng’s appointment, so it was a relief that Li Qing’an brought it up on his own.
The Treasury was the institution in the Tang Dynasty responsible for managing finances and grain storage. It didn’t have the power to disburse funds, but the Commissioner of Finance was akin to the Planning Commission in later times. By appointing Du Gu Changfeng to both positions, Li Qing’an was essentially giving him power equivalent to that of a vice governor of the People’s Bank and head of the Planning Commission—a very significant role.
It was clear that he intended to gradually let the Du Gu family gain power. This was actually logical. Li Qing’an had no brothers or nephews, so he could only rely on the support of his wife’s family. The Du Gu family were imperial relatives and one of the most prominent families in the Tang Dynasty. How could he not make use of them? However, he regretted that he had never found a Du Gu member he could fully trust—not just in terms of loyalty, but also in their ability to shoulder heavy responsibilities. Unfortunately, after Du Gu Shi passed away, he couldn’t find such a person within the Du Gu family.
Although his father-in-law had served as governor of Yangzhou, transport commissioner of Jianghuai, and minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, and had even briefly become prime minister, Li Qing’an always felt that Du Gu Haoran lacked something—something he couldn’t quite define. Perhaps it was because Du Gu Haoran had once resisted Li Longji’s temptation to send Mingyue to the palace. This incident left a shadow in Li Qing’an’s mind, making him somewhat distrustful of Du Gu Haoran.

Today, the appearance of Du Gu Changfeng gave Li Qingan hope within the Du Gu family. Not only was he his brother-in-law, but more importantly, he was a very dependable person. Having risen from positions such as chief clerk and county magistrate to become the chief advisor of Xuzhou, he had extensive administrative experience. He also had strong principles. When Li Qingan tested him regarding the possibility of recruiting 100,000 immigrants, he didn’t flatter him but used substantial data to gently convey that it was impossible to recruit that many immigrants. This impressed Li Qingan greatly—honest without being rigid, practical without being superficial. Only such a family member could earn his trust, and since he was also his brother-in-law, Li Qingan decided to nurture him carefully.

Pei Min also said with a smile, “Actually, I wanted to discuss Changfeng with you as well. In the Ministry of Personnel’s evaluations, he almost always received top grades. This year, there was a severe drought in Henan Province. Wu Zhonghuan, the new governor of Xuzhou, wasn’t familiar with the situation, so all the responsibilities related to combating the drought fell on Changfeng. He managed to stabilize the situation in Xuzhou and prevented a tragedy of people dying of starvation. His contributions were immense, and he proved to be highly capable. That’s why the Ministry of Personnel decided to transfer him back to Chang’an to serve as the deputy governor of Jingzhao, so he could eventually become the governor. It’s the fastest way for rapid promotion. If you think it would be better for him to serve as the director of the Treasury, I can make the adjustment.”

Li Qingan didn’t respond immediately. Pei Min’s words reminded him. Initially, he had thought Du Gu Changfeng was too young to take on major responsibilities, but his performance in Xuzhou seemed to show he was very capable. If placed in the position of deputy governor of Jingzhao, it would indeed be a fast track for promotion. He hadn’t considered things as thoroughly as Pei Min had.

Li Qingan immediately nodded and said, “Then let’s follow your original plan and appoint him as the deputy governor of Jingzhao. As for the position of deputy head of the Imperial Treasury and treasurer, I plan to assign someone from Anxi—Liu Yan, who oversees finance there. What do you think, Prime Minister?”

Pei Min chuckled and said, “So the most talented person in the Imperial Treasury has gone to Anxi. I wondered why he’d been missing for over a year. Yes, he’s more than capable.”

At that moment, the carriage arrived at Pei Min’s residence. Pei Min stood up, bowed, and said with a smile, “The general is quite tired today. He’d better rest early! There’s nothing much to do tomorrow, so he can spend time walking around with Mingzhu. That child… sigh!”

“Prime Minister, you should rest early too. Tibetan envoys might arrive in the capital tomorrow. I suspect they’re not here with friendly intentions.”

Pei Min was startled and quickly asked, “When will the Tibetan envoys arrive? Why didn’t the local officials along the way report to the court?”

“They’re coming from Jiannan. I only received news from Luogu Pass yesterday.”

“Coming from Jiannan—so they’re quite well-informed.”

Pei Min smiled and bowed to Li Qingan, saying, “Very well, then I’ll head back to my residence first.”
“May the Prime Minister go slowly!”
Pei Min got off the carriage, and Li Qingan watched him enter his residence before turning to the coachman and saying, “Leave the city and head back to the military camp!”
The carriage set off, rolling away from the city. Li Qingan gazed at the solitary moon in the sky and sighed. Let the moon handle matters related to Mingzhu! He didn’t want to, nor had the energy, to get involved in such affairs anymore. Could the arrival of the Tubo envoys herald Tubo’s revival?
…
The next morning, a long procession of Tubo people entered Mingde Gate. Given Tubo’s significant status in the Tang Dynasty, the officials sent to greet them held high positions—Cui Jin, the deputy head of the Honglu Temple. There were two deputy heads of the Honglu Temple: Pei Yu, who was in charge of the Western Regions and the Uyghur states, and Cui Jin, who was in charge of Tubo, Nanzhao, and the northeastern states.
Cui Jin was the nephew of Cui Huan. In his thirties, he was a graduate of the imperial examinations and could speak fluent Tubo. He arrived in Xianyang before dawn to welcome the Tubo delegation after a long journey.
The leader of the Tubo delegation was Dazan Dunsu, the minister in charge of agriculture and animal husbandry in Tubo. He held a high position in Tubo, and under his leadership, agriculture and animal husbandry there had seen great development. He mandated that every family in Tubo must raise one horse, one yak, one cow, and one yellow ox. He also introduced the practice of cutting grass in summer and drying it for winter use, changing Tubo’s grazing methods from purely free-range to a combination of both, which greatly increased the number of livestock. For this, Dazan Dunsu was regarded as one of Tubo’s seven outstanding ministers.
Dazan Dunsu was highly cultured, could speak fluent Chinese, and appeared gentle and refined. He spoke in a very humble manner, always with a smile on his face, which made people feel goodwill toward him.
Although Cui Jin could speak fluent Tubo, in the Tang Dynasty, it was customary for foreigners to speak Chinese rather than Han people to speak foreign languages. So the Tubo delegation spoke Chinese.
“Deputy Minister Cui, it was twenty years ago when I last came to Chang’an. Even now, upon returning to the Tang Dynasty, I still find Chang’an as prosperous as it was twenty years ago,” said Dazan Dunsu, looking at the bustling crowds on Zhuque Street and the magnificent layout of Chang’an City, and sighing deeply.
Cui Jin also smiled and said, “Twenty years can bring many changes. Some things can’t be understood without delving deeper.”
Dazan Dunsu smiled slightly and said, “I didn’t delve deep twenty years ago, so of course I can’t understand now. But the emergence of two courts in the Tang Dynasty is indeed unexpected.”

Cui Jin said calmly, “Since ancient times, we Han people have always experienced cycles of unity followed by separation, and separation followed by unity. Short-term division will inevitably lead to a stronger Tang Dynasty. In contrast, other vassal states around the Tang Dynasty will decline once they split, eventually perishing. Please, envoy!”
Dazan Tunsu laughed lightly twice and said, “After such a long journey, it’s time to rest.”
The Tibetan delegation continued on and soon arrived at the imperial city. The guest houses of the Honglu Temple were located within the imperial city and were under proper care. The envoys from the Western Regions who had come to congratulate the new emperor on his ascension had already returned one after another, leaving many vacant rooms in the guest houses. The Tibetan delegation was promptly accommodated there.
As soon as Dazan Tunsu settled in, without even having time for lunch, he began preparing materials for his first meeting with the Tang court in the afternoon.
In the room, two assistants were busy preparing documents, while Dazan Tunsu paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, thinking about the upcoming negotiations with the Tang court.
After several years of hard work and political reforms—especially Tibet’s relaxation of control over slaves and weakening of powerful families like the Nang family—Tibet’s imperial court had greatly strengthened its control over various tribes on the plateau. Its military strength had surged dramatically; from less than 100,000 soldiers at the beginning of the king’s reign, it now had 300,000 armored soldiers and millions of livestock. Not only had it fully recovered from its previous decline, but its strength had even surpassed that of the old king’s era.
By now, Tibet was unwilling to accept its losses from years ago. It wanted to reclaim the lands it had lost, especially the grain-rich areas of Jiuqu and Dafeichuan, and restore its territory to what it was eight years before, with Shibao City as the boundary between the Tang and Tibetan kingdoms.
Prime Minister Shangxi Dazan suggested that Tibet should combine military action with diplomatic strategies. Not only should it send troops to reclaim land but also send envoys to the Tang Dynasty to gain a political advantage.
Dazan Tunsu closed his eyes in thought. Before leaving, the king had repeatedly emphasized that his mission was to urge the Tang army to withdraw from the Jishi Mountains region and return Baihai and Wuhai to Tibet, as those areas had always been Tibetan territory. If the Tang army could retreat to Dafeichuan, Tibet was willing to form an alliance with the Tang Dynasty.
Dazan Tunsu met with Emperor Li Longji of Southern Tang in Chengdu, but their demands were rejected without hesitation by Li Longji. So, how much success could he expect from this trip to Chang’an? He held little hope.
“Great Lord, the materials and gifts are ready. The Tang court has also sent people to urge us twice. The time for the audience is approaching.”
Dazan Tunsu nodded and said, “Alright! Let’s head to Daming Palace now.”

The venue for the Tibetan envoys to meet the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty was set in a side hall of the Zichen Hall. In addition to the young emperor Li Shi, Emperor Regent Li Hen and all members of the Political Affairs Council were also present, along with key officials from the Honglu Temple.

Since Li Yu ascended the throne, he had promoted a style of simplicity by abolishing many elaborate procedures, including the reception of foreign envoys—such as grand banquets, lavish rewards, and complicated ceremonial rituals—all of which were eliminated to save considerable manpower and resources. After Li Shi took the throne, this trend of simplicity continued. Li Qingan, who held real power, particularly appreciated this approach. He had said on more than one occasion that the importance of receiving foreign envoys lay not in form but in the standards of the reception; for example, having all members of the Political Affairs Council present when meeting Tibetan envoys was sufficient to show respect for Tibet.

The meeting was scheduled for the hour of Wei, which is 2 p.m. today. Before Wei arrived, the members of the Political Affairs Council gradually came from the Daming Palace and the imperial city. Among the seven members, the Zhao Prince’s faction accounted for four, the Zhang faction for one, and the Emperor Regent’s faction for only two—showing a clear imbalance of power.

To turn the situation around, the Xinfeng County incident occurred yesterday. Though it seemed to end without much consequence, it was actually a setup. Its impact would not come now but in the near future, when the troops from Guanzhong gradually moved into Henan Province. Then, issues related to the resettlement of people from Anxi would arise, and that would be the time for them to negotiate.

After the Xinfeng County incident, the Emperor Regent’s faction acted as if nothing had happened. At that moment, in Li Hen’s audience chamber in the Zichen Hall, Li Hen stood by the window, watching as Li Qingan’s carriage approached. From his window, he could clearly see what was happening outside the Zichen Hall.

As Li Qingan got off the carriage, a faint smile appeared on Li Hen’s lips. That morning, his father, Emperor Li Longji, had sent someone with a letter, stating that the Tibetan army was undergoing large-scale mobilizations, likely preparing to attack the Tang Dynasty, and urging them to remain vigilant. It was the first time his father had written to him since going to Bashu. Although the letter was ostensibly about Tibet, it carried the tone of a father’s earnest advice to his son. Moreover, the fact that his father had written to him was unusual in itself. Li Hen keenly realized that his father might be willing to reconcile with him.

His father the emperor was already 72 years old and in extremely poor health, likely to pass away at any moment. Clearly, he had begun making arrangements for his death. The key issue now was who would succeed him—either Li Mao, the 18th son, or Li Lin, the 16th son, or perhaps himself. If his father chose him as the successor, Li Heng didn’t find it ridiculous. His own approach to governance was very similar to his father’s—relying on the power of the imperial family to strengthen control over the people; otherwise, his father wouldn’t have chosen him as the crown prince. Moreover, if he became the successor, the two briefly divided Tang dynasties would quickly reunite, which was exactly what his father wanted to see. After satisfying his desire to be an emperor once again, his stubborn father began to face reality. That’s why there was this letter reminding him to be vigilant against Tubo. Li Heng’s thoughts returned to this letter. Tubo might attack the Tang dynasty. If that happened, Li Qing’an would have to leave Chang’an temporarily—what a rare opportunity! With this in mind, Li Heng turned to Wang Gong standing beside him and said, “I’ve reviewed Du Gu Changfeng’s qualifications and evaluations. He can be given a special promotion. At tomorrow’s council meeting, you may propose that Wang Yu be reassigned as the governor of Luoyang, while Du Gu Changfeng can be directly promoted to the governor of Jingzhao.”