Chapter 1374: Difficult to Fight

Chapter 1374: Difficult to Fight

During the Yongjia period of the Western Jin Dynasty, Murong Tuyuhun, who was born in the Murong clan of Liaodong, led his tribe to migrate westward, crossed the southern desert, passed through the Yinshan Mountains and went west to the shore of Qinghai Lake, thus starting the history of the Tuyuhun clan settling in Qinghai and even dominating Hehuang.

During the period of the Five Barbarians and Sixteen Kingdoms, Tuyuhun's presence was not very strong. Because it had not yet established a firm foothold, it could only survive in the cracks and repeatedly claimed vassal status. Regimes such as Nanliang and Xiqin, which once ruled Longyou, once forced Tuyuhun to submit to them.

Tuyuhun really developed and grew during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, especially when the Guanlong Rebellion broke out in the Northern Wei Dynasty.

The regimes that originally ruled Longyou had been eliminated by the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the newly emerging rebellion made it impossible for the Northern Wei Dynasty to effectively control Longyou. Tuyuhun took advantage of the situation and quickly developed its power between Hehuang and even occupied part of Longyou. In addition, with the blessing of the Qinghai Road trade route, Tuyuhun became the hegemon of Qinghai.

Murong Kulu, the leader of this generation of Tuyuhun, was lucky enough to catch up with this window of opportunity belonging to Tuyuhun, and Tuyuhun also reached its peak under his leadership. It was after Kulu succeeded to the throne that he officially called himself Khan and moved the capital from the original Tuyuhun City to Shudun City and Fuqi City, which were closer to Qinghai, to strengthen the control of the Qinghai trade route.

However, the good times did not last long. As the rebellions between Guanlong were gradually quelled, although the Northern Wei Dynasty was also divided into the Eastern and Western Wei, the Western Wei regime based in Guanzhong also began to strengthen its operations in Longyou and Hexi, which weakened the power of Tuyuhun. The smooth flow of the Longyou trade route also caused Tuyuhun to be able to obtain a sharp decline in the benefits of trade.

In order to save this situation, Tuyuhun Khan Kulu chose to frequently invade Longyou, wanting to regain regional hegemony and control over Shanglu trade through looting, but the result triggered a fierce retaliatory attack by the Western Wei Dynasty, and even the capital Fuqi City was once captured by the Western Wei army.

Since then, Tuyuhun's momentum has become increasingly weak, and the previous activity and strength no longer exist.

Tuyuhun is located in the upper reaches of the Hehuang River, and it also enjoys abundant water and grass. The tribesmen farm and graze, but they still maintain their nomadic habits. Although many large cities have been built, most of the people still live in felt tents outside the city. The city is only a place for business transactions and for the famous kings and chiefs to live and enjoy.

The old capital Fuqi City was once captured by the Western Wei army. After the Wei army withdrew, Tuyuhun Khan Kua Lu led his troops back here. After that, the Western Wei was busy with the internal unification war, and the transfer of the country's destiny from Tang to Wei occurred in the middle. The control over this side was also relaxed, which gave Tuyuhun a chance to breathe and gradually recovered a certain vitality. Fuqi City, the capital of the king, also eliminated the traces of past war damage.

"The Emperor of Tang is really too much of a bully! Since the last disaster, I have always been very respectful to him. Every year, I sent envoys to his capital to offer gifts, and several times I went to congratulate him on his great achievements, and I have never been rude. Now that he has entered the border, I have kept my distance. Why do you still send envoys to force me to see him!"

In the Khan's court in Fuqi City, after listening to the Tang Emperor's order conveyed by the tribesmen to the Tang envoys, the exhausted Kua Lu shouted angrily.

He had also heard about the Tang Emperor's western tour. Fearing that he would be targeted again, Kua Lu left Fuqi City early and went hunting in Fuluochuan, where the old capital of Tuyuhun City was located, but he did not expect that he still could not escape. The news of the Tang envoy's entry was reported by the tribesmen who stayed in Fuqi City. He did not dare to neglect it, and could only return to Fuqi City day and night to discuss countermeasures with his subordinates and kings.

"I am also the ruler of a country, the Khan of Haixi. Although I am weaker than the Emperor of Tang, I am definitely not a humble person who bows down and obeys orders. If the Emperor of Tang summons me with courtesy, I may be willing to meet him. But now you are threatening me like this. Do you really think there is no one in my country?"

Kualu was in his early forties and was already in his prime. The power of Tuyuhun reached its peak under his control. Naturally, he was a little arrogant. Although he suffered a lot of setbacks before, he did not lose heart and fear the enemy like a tiger. When he was treated so rudely by the Emperor of Tang, he was also very angry and refused to submit.

"Khan, please calm down. The Emperor of Tang summoned me today, which may not be out of bad intentions. I heard that the Emperor of Tang summoned the chieftains of the various tribes of Hehuang at Taoshui a few days ago, and all those who were willing to meet him received generous rewards. Now he personally summoned Khan to come, I think it should be to repair the border again..."

A son of Kua Lu who stayed in Fushi City saw that he was so angry and irritable, so he stood up and spoke.

However, before he finished speaking, Kua Lu slammed the table and scolded: "Shut up, rebellious son! If I go now, my life and death will be decided by others. How can you, an ignorant boy, rashly guess and decide my life and death! What kind of heart do you have to persuade me to meet the Emperor of Tang so urgently?"

The prince's face suddenly changed after hearing this, and he knelt on the ground with a plop and kowtowed repeatedly, saying: "Khan, calm down, Khan... How dare I have evil intentions, I just don't want to see my country make enemies with powerful enemies again..."

Kua Lu treated his son The son had always been harsh and strict, punishing and even killing people for no reason. At this moment, he was worried because the Emperor of Tang summoned him. Hearing his son's answer, he was furious: "Back then, I dominated Haixi. I didn't know who the Tang Kingdom was. What was strong? If you had fought bravely and fearlessly in front of the enemy, how could you have suffered such a great shame? Now you don't think about how to strengthen yourself, but just keep asking your king and father to beg for mercy. With such an intention, how dare a rebellious son say that he has no evil intentions? It is unbearable to be a traitor in the family. This slave must be beaten and killed!"

As he spoke, he stood up from the banquet and prepared to kill the boy. After seeing this, the officials nearby kowtowed and begged for mercy. Only then did Kua Lu return to the banquet angrily and ordered the man to be killed. Any son who offends him will be expelled from the tent.

We will discuss it next. Because of the lessons learned from the past, no one dared to directly persuade the Khan to obey the Tang Emperor's coercion. However, the Tang envoy is still waiting in the city, and it is necessary to give him an answer as soon as possible to prevent the Tang army from actually coming to the city and repeating the process. The tragic situation of the fall of Ciwang City.

"The emperor of the Tang Dynasty summoned me just to show off his power and to intimidate him. If I go there, it will be difficult for me to take control of the situation, so I will first move in to show my humility. If he bullies again and again and refuses to be tolerant, I will fight against him. There will never be peace in Haixi! Can the Emperor of Tang still lead his army to hold Longyou for a long time? When he returns, I will attack Longyou in revenge!"

Although his tone of praise was fierce, he really didn't want to go to see the Emperor of Tang in his heart, so after hesitating for a while, he said: "Let me tell the envoy of Tang about this and let him return to answer his master. Emperor Ruoyun of Tang, Cai When the goods arrive, if you don’t agree, we will meet you with swords and swords!”

However, when the officials of Tuyuhun were ordered to go to the embassy to inform the Tang envoy of the Khan's decision, the Tang envoy shook his head directly after hearing this and said: "I entered the country this time just to announce my Lord's order and to bring the Khan to Wuwei to meet him." , instead of running back and forth to spread the word for Khan.”

"When the envoy came here, he should bring peace between the two countries. Now that our country is inconvenienced, the envoy should also mediate and explain it. But now he is so stubborn. Could it be that this trip is not for the sake of good relations, but only for the sake of enmity?"

When the officials of Tuyuhun saw how stubborn the Tang envoy was, they glared and said angrily.

The Tang envoy was named Wang Qing, and he was already quite old. When he heard the Tuyuhun officials rebuke him, Wang Qingxuan sneered and said, "Do you think our country is sparing with weapons? If you want to make enemies, you don't have to send someone here." A large army is coming suddenly! Now my lord is still willing to send envoys to urge you instead of fighting with swords. You should feel lucky. If you are still lazy, disaster will come!"

"The messenger is so domineering. Is it possible that he is not afraid of death?"

After Tuyuhun officials heard this, they drew their swords and shouted again.

Wang Qing was not surprised when he saw this, but laughed loudly: "I am not a good talent in the country, and I have been unworthy of praise for half my life. Now I am on a mission here. If I donate my life, my lord can be seen in the West Sea." , I am extremely honored! Don’t be cowardly, come here quickly!”

There was no fear on his face. Instead, he stretched out his head and made gestures on his neck with his palms, as if he didn't care about life or death.

Tuyuhun officials saw that the Tang envoy was not afraid of death, but was eager to give Tang Dynasty a legitimate excuse to send troops with his death. For a moment, he felt helpless, hurriedly sheathed his sword, and hurriedly left the embassy and returned to the Khan's court.

After Kua Lu finished listening to his ministers' performance, he immediately frowned. After pondering for a while, he said again: "If we really go to war with the Tang State, how many armored soldiers can we gather at the fastest possible speed?"

After hearing this, all the ministers expressed embarrassment. One of them said bravely: "The previous battle with the enemy was a huge defeat. The tribesmen suffered a lot of losses. Many cities were plundered and have not returned to their old condition. A few days ago Many famous Qiang kings such as Bai Lan and Dangxiang went to Hezhou to pay homage to the Tang Emperor. If the two sides fight, the Qiang may not obey my orders."

"In the old days, the Tang army and bandits still retreated when they entered Haixi, so it was difficult for them to station troops in Haixi. But now the Tang Dynasty is more powerful, and there are still Qiang who obey its orders. If they invade Haixi again now, I am afraid it will not be like last time. Escape easily..."

Someone else spoke next to him, saying that rashly starting a war with the Tang army was a bad idea. Nowadays, the Tang Dynasty not only controls Longyou, but also the Haidong Qiang group east of Chiling. These Qianghu directly constitute the regional competition with Tuyuhun, and they also covet the valleys in the upper reaches of Hehuang. Once they Following the Tang army into the heart of Tuyuhun, they would probably be even more stubborn and difficult to deal with than the Tang army.

When Kua Lu heard the repeated complaints from his ministers, his face became uncertain and he was filled with sorrow.

He can also be regarded as a hero of the generation, and he will not be easily intimidated by others. But the problem is that the threat of Emperor Tang is not just a simple threat, but he actually has the strength to do it, and the last time it was Liang Liang from the Western Wei Dynasty who invaded There are many people in the state, but this time it was the Tang Emperor who led the army to Longyou in person. If the two sides really start a war, Tuyuhun's chances of winning will definitely be even slimmer.

It wouldn't be terrible if they were simply weaker than others. Kua Luda could avoid fighting, and then lead his troops to Fuluochuan or other areas to the west to avoid it. It would be difficult for the Tang army to attack deeply. When his army evacuated, Kua Lu could return to his old residence. Now, the Qiang people from Haidong are intertwined with the Tang Dynasty, which makes him worry that it is easy to leave but difficult to return.

"Prepare a batch of gifts and servants, and come with me to Wuwei to pay homage to the Emperor of Tang Dynasty."

After being silent for a long time, Kua Lucai said in a deep voice. In desperation, he decided to bet that the Emperor of Tang would not break his promise and kill people. If he obeyed the order and went to see him respectfully, he would still be punished and killed. Then the Tang Dynasty would also be in Longyou and Hexi. There will be no trust in the authority, and many Hu tribes will no longer be able to obey and rely on them. This will undoubtedly do more harm than good.

However, everything has its surprises. After thinking about it, Kua Lu spoke again in a solemn voice: "If I go away without returning, you will serve my son, Shifu, as your master, and avoid the danger of the Red Sea first, and then you must enter Kou Longyou, avenge me!"