Chapter 119:
Changle was Li Ers eldest daughter. After learning about Changles pregnancy, Li Er and Zhangsun Wu Fei attached great importance to it. The two personally visited, and the accompanying royal physician confirmed Changles pregnancy.
Li Er was filled with joy and immediately rewarded with a selection of beneficial items for her pregnancy. He also ordered the Royal Pharmacy to prepare various nourishing pregnancy meals and requested imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau to take shifts at the princesss residence.
The usually calm Princess Mansion became lively due to Changles pregnancy.
Su Li and Changle, one about to become a father and the other a mother, were cautious in their actions. Their point-earning speed decreased significantly.
Su Li sacrificed numerous points for the unborn child, which he felt was worthwhile. Time flew by, and another seven months passed.
This year, the Tang Dynasty flourished with good weather and prosperous industries. The trial planting of sweet potatoes and potatoes had already concluded.
The production of 3,000 pounds of potatoes per acre and 5,000 pounds of sweet potatoes per acre brought immense joy to the people of the Tang Dynasty. Despite Li Ers decrees, some people secretly planted these crops against his orders. They found that the new grains didnt require high-quality soil and began reclaiming wasteland. Hills, beaches, and wasteland were reclaimed all over.
Reports from various regions to Li Er were consistently positive, reflecting the well-being of the people. The national treasuries were full, and people had surplus food at home. This led to favorable evaluations of local officials, an extraordinary occurrence.
Unfortunately, joyful times are always fleeting.
For an emperor like Li Er, who had spent his life in battles, this year was a beautiful scene in his long journey of conquest. During the nationwide celebrations, an urgent memorial arrived from Song Zhou in the southwestern region of the Tang Dynasty.
Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo, using the pretext of a marriage alliance between Tibet and the Tang Dynasty being obstructed by the Tubo tribe, suddenly launched an invasion.
The Tibetans defeated the Tubo tribe, the Tangut people, and the Bai Lanqiang tribe, and their forces arrived at the outskirts of Song Zhou City. Songtsan Gampo threatened to attack Song Zhou City if the marriage alliance wasnt agreed upon.
Li Er was furious!
The Tibetan king represented several generations, yet Tubo had been fragmented before Songtsan Gampos time.
There were ongoing conflicts between the Tibetan royal family and nobles, along with various smaller states acting independently.
Songtsan Gampo quickly established dominance and unity in Tubo.
In a way, he could be considered Tubos founding king. Songtsan Gampo admired the Central Plains culture and believed that Tubo needed to learn from it to grow stronger.
Before this, Tubo and the Central Plains had kept their distance, occasionally sending envoys. Attempting to gain benefits from the Tang Dynasty through mere words was wishful thinking.
After unifying Tubo, Songtsan Gampos first action was to request a Tang Dynasty princess for marriage. Li Er promptly refused. Due to its military strength, the Tang Dynasty was confident and didnt see a point in making a humiliating peace with barbarians.
Marriage alliances through intermarriage with foreign tribes were common from the Qin Dynasty onward. Marriage status and social background were crucial in these alliances. Around the Tang Dynasty, the Turks, Goguryeo, Kucha, and Persia were more significant nations.
The Tang Dynasty had examples of princesses marrying into foreign tribes before. For instance, Li Ers sister, Princess Hengyang, was married to Ashnasheer, the second son of the Turkic Trojan Khan. But regarding Tubo, Li Er expressed unfamiliarity with the matter.
This incident had occurred several years ago, and nearly everyone in the Tang Dynasty court had almost forgotten about it.
Unexpectedly, Tubo suddenly launched an attack.
Songtsan Gampos strong desire to marry a Tang Dynasty princess indicated that he might resort to force if Li Er didnt agree. Within the Tang Dynasty court, there was an uproar. Besides anger, most people were extremely shocked.
It was another routine day at the court meeting. After the court session, civil and military officials took their places on both sides.
Li Ers anger was still evident as he spoke detachedly, Youve all seen the message from the Governor of Song Zhou. The envoy from Songtsan Gampo is waiting outside the main hall. Lets discuss how the Tang Dynasty should respond.
The courtiers exchanged glances, but none of them spoke. In reality, there wasnt much to say about this matter.
Throughout the Tang Dynastys rule, military strength was consistently formidable. Fights within the court were extremely frequent during court sessions.
Even the civilian officers didnt adhere to the notion of being gentlemen who only spoke and didnt use their fists. They believed in action over words.
Not to mention that the Tang Dynasty had only been established for a little over ten years. Who among those standing there wasnt a founding hero who had fought alongside Li Er to establish the dynasty?
Each one of them was not one to back down easily. With the Tang Dynastys military strength, it was already good enough as long as they didnt bully others.
Now, they were being bullied by others. Could they tolerate it?
Remember how arrogant the Huns were in the beginning? Anyone with eyes could see that, right?
As a result, the grass on the graves of the Eastern Turks had been grazed by cows and sheep several times now.
They had already wiped out the once-powerful Turks, and now Tubo thought they could do as they pleased. The result was undoubtedly clearit was going to be a fight.
However, at this moment, Zhangsun Wuji suddenly stepped forward.
Your Majesty, Ive heard that Songtsan Gampo is an extraordinary talent that arises once in a millennium for Tubo. He managed to unify the fragmented Tubo into one. The Tubo people now possess a strong military and are deploying their entire nations strength for this invasion. While we in the Tang Dynasty may not fear him, he remains a potential threat.
Zhangsun Wuji was one of Li Ers closest advisers, having been by his side since the beginning of Li Ers campaign, and could be considered Li Ers most trusted confidant.
His comment reflected his insight into Li Ers hesitation, which prompted him to offer this perspective.
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