PFC Chapter 1133 Planning in the Western Regions
Chapter 1133 Planning in the Western Regions
Return to the central command tent.
The Tibetan envoy, Zaxi, who had returned, now appeared less shrewd and more somber and cautious.
"Your Majesty, this foreign subject pays his respects." Zaxi bowed respectfully.
"No gift."
Li Che beckoned him to sit down and talk.
"You have returned, presumably not to reiterate those empty peace terms."
"Your Majesty is wise." Tashi did not take a seat, but maintained a slight bow. "This foreign subject has come again to report to Your Majesty the true situation within Tibet."
Li Che became interested and lightly tapped the armrest with his fingertip:
"explain."
Tashi raised his head, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes: "The Tibetan Empire appears united on the surface, but in reality it has split into two factions."
“One faction, led by the great master Gar Tongtsen, advocated a full-scale confrontation with Daqing, further consolidating Tibet’s hegemony in the Western Regions and suppressing the kingdoms of Shule and Khotan.”
They believed that Daqing was newly established and its foundation was not yet stable, which was a good opportunity for expansion.
"The other faction is more conservative, believing that Tibet's years of foreign wars have depleted the national treasury, exhausted the people, and caused infighting among nobles and instability among subordinate tribes within the plateau."
"When the time is right, we should consolidate our power, focus on domestic affairs, maintain good relations with Daqing, and withdraw some of our forces from the Western Regions to consolidate our foundation."
He paused, his tone heavy: "However, at present, the radical faction, led by Da Lun, has the upper hand."
"This provocative military action on the border was orchestrated by Da Lun. Its momentum is strong. If we cannot blunt its edge on the battlefield, then there is absolutely no possibility of a real peace talk between the two countries."
“Any agreement between the two countries will be seen as a cowardly act by them, and they will then escalate their actions.”
Li Che showed no surprise upon hearing this.
Where there are people, there is conflict, and Tibet was no exception.
As for Lu Dongzan, he was an old acquaintance.
Back when I was still a prince, I met him at the New Year's ceremony in the capital, and we had some friction.
Therefore, Li Che said, word by word, "What does the internal strife in Tibet have to do with me?"
"Even if war is necessary, what do the mighty army of Daqing have to fear from your Tibetan cavalry? At the foot of Chuima City, did you gain any advantage?"
Zaxi took a deep breath, his voice growing even deeper: "Your Majesty is mighty, and the Qing army is valiant, as I have witnessed with my own eyes, however..."
He raised his head and looked directly at Li Che: "Does Your Majesty know that Lhasa, the heart of Tibet, and even the core of Ü-Tsang, are located on extremely high plateaus?"
"The air there is thin and the wind is biting cold. For those who do not live there for long, let alone fighting with a knife, even walking and breathing are extremely difficult. They are prone to 'mountain sickness,' headaches, vomiting, and even sudden death from pulmonary edema."
"The high plateau is a natural barrier for our Tubo (Tibetan) people."
"Although the Qing army's soldiers are the bravest in the world, if they penetrate deep into our territory to attack, there is no need for swords to be drawn. The sheer power of heaven and earth alone will be enough to reduce your army's offensive by seventy or eighty percent."
Li Che's eyes narrowed slightly, but he did not immediately refute.
This was exactly what he was thinking, and one of the reasons why he had previously agreed to meet with the envoys.
What Tashi was referring to was actually altitude sickness.
In ancient times, due to limited conditions, altitude sickness was an almost insurmountable problem.
How could he not know that attacking the heart of Tibet while suffering from altitude sickness would come at an immeasurable cost and with little chance of success?
Many great conquerors in history have failed on the plateau, and this powerful geographical advantage is one of the reasons why the Tubo Kingdom was able to expand at will.
Seeing Li Che's silence, Zaxi knew that he was already worried, so he pressed on and said, "This humble subject is not trying to intimidate Your Majesty, but is actually acting for the sake of both countries and for true peace."
"Instead of forcibly attacking the natural barrier and wasting the nation's resources, why doesn't Your Majesty shift your focus westward?"
“The Western Regions?” Li Che slowly uttered two words.
“Exactly!” A glint flashed in Zaxi’s eyes. “The oasis cities in the Western Regions are rich in water and grass, and trade routes converge here. They are far more prosperous than the harsh plateau.”
"More importantly, that is where the core interests of Da Lun and his radical faction have been cultivated and painstakingly developed over many years."
"The wealth, military strength, and prestige of their families and allies are largely tied to this."
"If Your Majesty can lead your troops westward and achieve a decisive victory in the Western Regions, severely damaging the foundation of the Great Lun..."
Tashi further guided the discussion, saying, "Then his voice within Tibet will inevitably weaken, and only then will the voices advocating peace be able to rise, making it possible for the two countries to engage in genuine peace talks."
Li Che stared at Zaxi and suddenly laughed: "Your words are quite interesting. Let me attack your country and eliminate your political enemies for you."
"As a Tibetan envoy, how is this any different from treason?"
"What benefit would I possibly gain?"
Upon hearing this, Tashi was not alarmed. Instead, he straightened his back and showed a complicated expression: "Your Majesty, I am not a traitor. I have always been loyal to only the Tibetan King!"
His words abruptly ended there, but the intelligent people in the tent immediately understood.
It seems that the Tibetan king was not a radical, and had already become dissatisfied with Nagar Tongtsen.
The envoy Tashi before them was clearly not one of the people who spoke of Gar Tongtsen Yulsung, but rather a confidant planted by the Tsangpo (king of the Tibetan king), and possibly even a messenger of the Tsangpo's own will.
The young king, who lived deep within the Red Palace of Lhasa, did not seem to be a ruler who would sit idly by and wait for his doom. He had been secretly accumulating power and waiting for the right opportunity.
However... suppressing one's political enemies in this way is hardly a wise move.
Li Che's eyes turned playful: "I see... Only by hurting Gar Tongtsen so badly, causing him to suffer heavy losses and lose prestige, can your Zanpu take the opportunity to reclaim power."
"For your Zanpu, my victory in the Western Regions is not a disaster, but rather a good opportunity for him to consolidate his power?"
"So, the next war is for a better peace?"
Tashi lowered his head deeply, not daring to answer, but fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead.
Although he was loyal to the Zanpu, he also had doubts about the Zanpu's decisions.
Dealing with the Great Minister in this way might allow the Zanpu to inherit power, but it would inevitably weaken the Tibetan military.
Is this a blessing or a curse for Tibet?
Inside the tent, you could hear a pin drop. Qiu Bai and the others exchanged glances, all sensing the deep implications behind this matter.
After a long silence, Li Che suppressed his smile and his tone returned to calm: "I understand."
His gaze swept over Zaxi: "You can go back now. Tell your master that I know his sincerity. As for how to act... I know what I'm doing."
Tashi felt as if he had been granted a pardon and bowed deeply, saying, "Your Majesty, I, your humble servant, thank you."
He said no more and silently left the tent, his figure quickly blending into the mountain shadows outside.
. . . . . .
The curtains fell, isolating the inside from the outside world.
Li Che said slowly, "Tell me everything."
“Your Majesty,” Luo Yueniang spoke first, “I believe that the Tibetans are truly so divided. What this man says may not be credible and could very well be a ploy to lure the enemy deep into our territory.”
Xu Jiezi stroked his long beard and pondered, "Judging from his demeanor, he doesn't seem to be faking it. The plateau is indeed the biggest obstacle to our army's westward advance. This is an open scheme."
"It is common practice in the courts of all dynasties for the Tibetan king to use Your Majesty to weaken powerful ministers. However... even in the Western Regions, Tibet has been operating for a long time and may be a tough nut to crack."
Yue Yun also spoke up, saying, "Regardless of the inside story, the initiative to fight or not should be in His Majesty's hands."
Li Che remained silent, letting everyone discuss the matter.
Many hands make light work, and among those present were many wise and courageous individuals with strategic vision; listening to their opinions can broaden one's own thinking.
Li Che raised his hand, silencing the crowd's discussion.
He stood up, walked to the huge sheepskin map hanging in the sky, and his gaze fell on the vast plateau of Tibet.
It then slowly moved westward, passing over the Kunlun Mountains, and finally settled in the region of the 'Western Regions'.
"I believe that what Zaxi said is half true and half false, seven parts truth and three parts personal opinion."
Li Che calmly analyzed: "The natural barriers of the plateau are real, the difficulty for our army to penetrate deep into the region is also real, and the conflict between the Zanpu and the Dalun is probably also real."
"He offered this plan for the sake of the Zanpu (Tibetan king) and also to find a way out for Tibet with relatively less loss."
"Instead of letting Daqing's anger rage be unleashed in the heart of Lhasa, it would be better to direct it to the Western Regions and use Gar Tongtsen's foundation to quell this disaster."
"At the same time, it also creates an opportunity for his master to seize power."
Li Che turned around and glanced at everyone in the tent: "However, this strategy does not fundamentally conflict with my goals; on the contrary, it aligns with them."
"The Western Regions..." Li Che's finger tapped heavily on the map. "This place connects the East and the West, and is the throat of trade routes. I don't need to elaborate on its importance, do I?"
"If Tibet continues to control this area, it will be a permanent threat and hindrance to our northwest. I must take it back into my hands."
"Now, someone from the Tibetan king has secretly handed me a knife, pointing out the opponent's most vulnerable spot. If I don't accept it, wouldn't I be betraying this good intention?"
"Your Majesty means..." Luo Yueniang seemed to understand something.
"Fight! Of course we must fight!" Li Che said decisively. "But how to fight, when to fight, and to what extent to fight are all up to me."
"Zaxi wants to use my knife to kill someone, so I will use this knife to first cut open this piece of fat meat, the Western Regions, for Daqing!"
His gaze was intense: "Pass down the order to intensify the training of the new army, stockpile food and weapons, and send people to various parts of the Northwest to investigate in detail the Tibetan troop deployment and supply routes in the Western Regions."
"At the same time, select shrewd and capable people to use caravans as cover to penetrate deep into the Western Regions and even the borders of Tibet."
"We must not only gather intelligence on the military, but also ascertain the attitudes of various tribes and city-states towards Tibet and towards our Daqing."
"If Tashi wants to use me, why can't I take advantage of the rifts within their Tibetan Empire?"
“A strategy that kills two birds with one stone.” Xu Jiezi nodded and said, “It can both seize the interests of the Western Regions and incite internal strife there, thus ensuring long-term peace on the border. Your Majesty’s decision is wise.”
"Whether the emperor makes a decision or not depends on the sharpness of his blade." Li Che walked back to his desk, picked up the vermilion brush, and said, "The grain supplies in Shu and Qin cannot be compromised again. I will send people to keep an eye on them."
"The Qing army from various places should first gather in Chuimacheng, and Ma Jing should also bring the Northwest Army over."
"As for that king..." Li Che continued writing, his voice low, "let's see if he has the ability to seize the opportunity I have created for him."
"If he is a hopeless case... after I take over the Western Regions, it's hard to say who my next negotiating partner will be."