Free Web NovelChapter 633: Chapter 91: Defeating Tubo, Marching on Lhasa!
On the very day the great battle ended, he had already dispatched an envoy, heading straight to Luoxie City.
The core purpose conveyed was only one.
"Hand over Tsri Songtsen Gampo and his close noble confidants."
——It was still a psychological attack.
He needed to make Tubo retreat again and again, and Gu Yi was very certain that these people in Tubo would make the most correct decision.
Even though Tsri Songtsen Gampo might still have a certain influence.
Ultimately, it was impossible to resist the hearts of the people.
And things did not deviate from Gu Yi’s judgment. Just as the Tang Army was still recuperating, internal strife broke out once more within Tubo.
Various tribes rebelled, starting mutual attacks and killings with Zanpu Tsri Songtsen Gampo and his confidants.
Due to successive big defeats.
Tsri Songtsen Gampo ultimately lost too much prestige and was eventually killed by his own people, including his many close confidants, and their heads were thus sent to the Tang Army camp.
Subsequently, more and more noblemen from various parts of Tubo came to meet.
Bringing countless tributes, they resolved to bow to the Great Tang and seek its forgiveness.
This was the first time since the founding of the Great Tang.
In the past, Tubo always relied on its terrain, establishing diplomatic relations with the Great Tang through an alliance of mutual goodwill, even during the time of Taizong.
But now..... it was a clear bow of submission.
Although Gu Yi understood that this had to be agreed upon, given the current situation, the Great Tang could not possibly completely control Tubo, at most indirectly managing the entire Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in a manner similar to the Ming and Qing dynasties.
But he did not directly agree to it.
As for the reason, it was just as cold and clear—to cut off all potential roots of rebirth for Tubo!
This Snowfield Plateau of Tubo is different from the fertile lands of the Central Plains and the prairie desert.
Its treacherous terrain, tough folk customs, and harsh climate have made any attempts by Central Plains dynasties to conduct all-out campaigns cost a heavy price, often outweighing the gains.
Since we’ve reached this point.
How could he not do everything properly?
Just as the Tubo nobles were worried and fearful, Gu Yi manipulated Gu Xuan to directly lead an army heading straight to Luoxie City.
Nervousness....fear...dread....
A myriad of emotions continuously surrounded all the Tubo nobility.
They did not know what Gu Xuan’s intentions were, only that hanging sword-like premonition of death and extreme helplessness of having one’s life and death completely in the hands of others, following them like a shadow, tormenting them day and night.
And as the Tang Army gradually approached Luoxie City.
It was, as Gu Yi had anticipated, some tribes chose to flee given the situation, and some even chose to resist.
And these people had many reasons for doing so.
Some genuinely out of fear, some because of their pure beliefs, and some were remnants of Tsri Songtsen Gampo.
As for these people, even knowing that there would be innocent among them, Gu Yi still had to make the painful decision to strike ruthlessly.
Even within Tubo, there were those who wanted to curry favor with the Gu Clan and took the initiative to assist.
After this round of purging.
Only then did Gu Xuan agree to the various Tubo requests and accepted their surrender.
And as this matter gradually spread.
Throughout Tubo, no one was not grateful for Gu Xuan’s virtue.
Such is the reality, when a family like the Gu Clan, which they consider to be the most ruthless in the world, has now spared them, it is enough to make them extremely grateful.
Yet Gu Yi did not care about these things.
Current evaluations, after all, are not what the Gu Clan cares about.
The Gu Clan has always been concerned with eternal fame.
When the great army reached Luoxie, he led his troops to carefully observe this city famous in later ages, and couldn’t help but contemplate how to govern Tubo.
He certainly couldn’t fully adopt the strategies of the Ming and Qing periods.
Times have changed.
The current situation is completely different from what was faced back then, and he needs to consider a system more suited to the current circumstances.
At such a time, Gu Xuan’s talent in internal affairs was fully manifested.
When Gu Yi had some ideas in his mind, he would combine them with the current situation to come up with more appropriate methods.
Allying, dividing, and enticing with benefits—these basic strategies need not be mentioned for now.
What Gu Yi thought of among them was another idea—to nullify the power of the Zanpu, forming a system where various powers balance and divide each other.
This was actually also an experiment by Gu Yi.
Perhaps it was because he had seen too much over this period, Gu Yi wanted to try and take another path.
Just like the system that Gu Yu thought of in the past and sealed within the Gu Clan.
——Dividing the power of the Ten Directions Expedition Envoy to restrain royal authority.
This system could not be directly implemented within Kyushu, as centuries of restrictions would instantly devour everything, and if the Gu Clan insisted on doing so, it could even destroy the centuries of accumulation by the Gu Clan in an instant.
But Tubo is entirely different.
The cultural influence from Kyushu is immense, but in this mountainous region, it’s not yet enough to form shackles.
Actually, Gu Yi clearing potential threats and leaving submissive tribes had this in mind.
This was undoubtedly a bold attempt.
Where it might lead in the future, Gu Yi did not know.
But such an opportunity was truly rare and definitely aligned with the current interests of the Great Tang.
Direct control of Tubo was not realistic—
The human and material resources required, along with various conflicts, cannot be resolved in a short time.
So why not take this opportunity to make an attempt?
Moreover—
Religion is also key to controlling Tubo.
Tubo’s main sects now are Buddhism and the Bon Sect.
Tsri Songtsen Gampo was indeed extraordinary, seemingly very aware of the key religious role in his authority as Zanpu, and began promoting Buddhism to consolidate his power upon taking control.
The extreme exclusiveness and belligerence of the Bon Sect are unmanageable factors for any ruler.
But conversely, as long as these two religions can be controlled.
It would be enough to control Tubo to a certain extent.
This might be difficult for anyone else, but for the Gu Clan, it’s different.
Although the Gu Clan has always adhered to the principle of "venerating the spirits and keeping them at a distance," over the centuries, the Gu Clan already wore the "prophetic" cloak.
In various religions, there were already many stories about the Gu Clan.
Especially after Gu Chen.
The Gu Clan descendants, including Gu Jing, hold different divine positions across various religions, and although many carry an infamous reputation, this conversely affirms the extraordinary nature of the Gu Clan.
Now within Tubo, Buddhism and the Bon Sect are also competing against each other.
This actually presented the Gu Clan with a natural opportunity!....
——————
"In the first year of the Zhide era, March.
Grand Tutor Gu Xuan defeated An Lushan at Tong Pass, later commanding the expedition against Tubo, while people claimed that the Snowy Mountains were too perilous to enter lightly.
Xuan silently observed the timing, utilizing the medicinal secrets accumulated by the Gu Clan for three generations, storing herbs, arranging garrison defenses, and advancing slowly to avoid the perils of the high mountains.
The Tibetan Chief Tsri Songtsen Gampo relied on Divine Mountain as a screen, frequently sending cavalry to disrupt supply lines, but Xuan feigned retreat to lure them, and though the troops were angry, they still held their ranks firm as a rock.
When they reached the peak of West Incline Mountain, the Tibetans gathered their forces to battle, and the sound of drums and horns shook the heavens.
Suddenly, Xuan deployed two wings, releasing crossbow arrows in unison, crushing their vanguard.
He then commanded his soldiers to take off their armor and advance swiftly, personally holding the flag and shouting: "Celestial Mandate is with the Tang!" The three armies surged with enthusiasm.
The Tibetan soldiers, seeing the Tang forces without the timidness of lambs and the Divine Mountain not delivering punishment, lost their spirit and fled in disarray.
Xuan unleashed his forces, reaping countless heads.
Tsri Songtsen Gampo fled, only to be killed by his followers.
The chiefs of Luoxie bound the remnants and presented them before the court, and so the Snowfield Plateau became the possession of the Tang.
A historian remarked: Tubo relied on the Divine Mountain as a natural barrier, deeming the spirit of Yala Xiangbo awe-inspiring and inviolable, yet the heroic souls of three generations of the Gu Clan roared mightily, their voices resounding in the highest heavens, how could the small gods of the Snowfield look up to them?
Xuan, through strategic planning, overcame the high mountain dangers, using wisdom to shake the heart of the Tibetan Chief.
Feigning weakness at first, then striking with thunder, finally causing Luoxie’s Divine Mountain to bow under the Gu Clan’s banner, just like the Xiongnu’s Lang Juxu of yore!
The peril of high mountains, how can it obstruct the will of heroes?
The Celestial Mandate belongs to the virtuous and the mighty, in the brilliant remnants of illustrious ancestors!"
——’Tang Book. Biography of Gu Xuan’
