The atmosphere in the hall grew progressively solemn. To the men of the Han, who did not respect a stalwart warrior? Who did not revere a hero of undeniable courage?
"Truly brave and truly martial, to the end they remained strong and unyielding. Though the body dies, the spirit remains divine. The soul, resolute, becomes a hero among ghosts."
Jian Yong began to recite the ancient verse, his voice airy and drifting, carrying the weight of profound admiration for those lost messengers.
"Looking at the martial virtue of these Tang people, they are in no way inferior to our Han," Pang Tong remarked, his curiosity about this dynasty centuries in the future reaching a fever pitch.
He could sense that future generations often spoke of Han and Tang in the same breath.
How did this Tang dynasty expand its borders so far? How did they forge such an indomitable martial spirit? And more importantly...
"If the Tang people are this fierce," Zhang Fei grumbled, his voice thick with suppressed rage
"how could they sit idly by while the Tibetans enslaved their people for fifty long years?
The commoners were waiting in agony for the reclamation of their ancestral lands, yet those generals could drink and make merry without a shred of shame?
To have the merit of reclaiming old territory and opening the borders right in front of them and not take it, instead choosing to watch Xiliang dancers? I spit on them!"
The more Zhang Fei spoke, the angrier he got, feeling a visceral disgust at being associated with generals who chose wine over the spear.
Huang Zhong patted Zhang Fei's massive thigh, urging him to keep his temper in check, though his own eyes shone with respect for the screen's subject. "This Zhang Yichao is truly a fine man. But it is heartbreaking that nine teams of messengers perished on the road just to deliver that news."
Guan Yu shook his head, his hand gripping the hilt of his blade. "Why not simply fight their way back? Advance into Longyou, strike the Tibetans, pierce the Hexi Corridor, and carve out a merit that lasts for eternity!"
Kongming let out a soft laugh. "General Yunchang, I suspect the reason Zhang Yichao is so remembered by future generations is precisely because he did fight his way back!"
---
"Hahaha! Good! Excellent!"
"A warrior! A true warrior of the Great Tang!"
"His heart is commendable! His actions are exemplary! What a man! What a true hero!"
In the Ganlu Hall, Li Shimin felt as if his chronic headaches had vanished in an instant, replaced by a surge of adrenaline.
"Issue an edict..."
In his excitement, he almost moved to grant a formal reward before remembering that Zhang Yichao was not a general of his Zhenguan era. However, since his descendant was apparently called the Little Taizong, surely he would not mistreat such a loyal subject?
Du Ruhui's brush flew across the paper, and he even found the space to add a small annotation next to the mention of the messengers. "Chang'an was the goodness in their hearts. Though they faced death nine times, they had no regrets."
Wuji, standing behind him, read the line aloud and nodded in appreciation. "Ten teams of messengers, nine deaths for every life found. To die nine times without regret. That is the mark of a loyal subject of the Great Tang."
But as the description of the news reaching Chang'an unfolded, Li Shimin felt the phantom pain in his temples returning.
"The hearts of the people in Hexi remained true to the old ways," the Emperor muttered darkly. "But has the military readiness of Chang'an become so lax? How could they let it reach such a state?"
[Lightscreen]
[The news brought by Gao Jinda only caused a brief surge of joy in the Tang court, and that was it.
After all, while Shazhou and Guazhou were liberated, they were effectively beyond the reach of the central government.
These two commanderies sat at the westernmost tip of the Hexi Corridor, which was still largely occupied by the Tibetans, separated from the capital by thousands of li.
For Emperor Xuanzong, providing troops, supplies, or even money was impossible. All he could do was give a metaphorical thumbs up to their loyalty and patriotism.
Gao Jinda, however, was not discouraged. After finishing his report to Xuanzong, he took one last look at the flourishing, celestial city of Chang'an, turned his horse northwest, and set off.
He had to return to his general.
Zhang Yichao, having sent out the messengers, did not sit around waiting for reinforcements.
He knew deeply that if they wished to return to their homeland, the only things they could rely on were the armor on their backs and the blades in their hands.
After sending Gao Jinda off in 848, he spent his time drilling his troops and accumulating strength.
In 849, Zhang Yichao took the initiative and pushed east toward Jiuquan and Zhangye.
Through sieges and field battles, in less than a year, he recovered Jiuquan and took Zhangye.
Ganzhou and Suzhou were liberated. In 850, he led his army north from Shazhou, and Yizhou was liberated, just as Gao Jinda was reaching Chang'an.
By this point, the western end of the Hexi Corridor was firmly in Zhang Yichao's grasp.
As Zhang Yichao was recovering Yizhou, the conflict between the two Tibetan warlords reached its conclusion.
Shang Bibi was defeated by Lun Kongre and fled toward Ganzhou and Liangzhou with three thousand troops.
After negotiating with Zhang Yichao, he raised the banner of Tibet has no master, let us return to the Great Tang, and handed over the maps and records of the six commanderies he held: Minzhou, Kuozhou, Hezhou, Lanzhou, Shanzhou, and Xizhou.
In exchange, Zhang Yichao agreed to an alliance and successfully repelled the pursuing Lun Kongre at Ganzhou.
At this point, Zhang Yichao had recovered five commanderies by force and received the submission of six more. He had established a firm foothold in Hexi.
Looking east toward Chang'an, the dream of returning home was finally no longer a distant, unreachable fantasy.]
"Rising from nothing, fighting across a thousand li, and reclaiming Hexi by his own strength alone... his merit is comparable to Wei Qing!"
Admiration practically overflowed from Liu Bei's eyes.
"A gentleman changes like a leopard. What does status matter! He was born under a slave master, yet he suddenly rose through the ranks, reclaimed the old lands, crushed the old enemy, and stayed loyal to the state. His merit is comparable to the Wolong! Truly, his heart is something to strive for!"
Pang Tong was equally impressed. To think a general could achieve such a feat! He felt that even if this general were to be defeated in the very next moment, no one would have the right to criticize him.
Kongming did not mind Pang Tong's little comparison and nodded in agreement. "Leading a ragtag force of Tang soldiers, barbarians, and monks to pacify Hexi in one stroke... a succession of loyalists following in his footsteps to quiet the borders once more. His prestige and achievements echo through the ages. He is not just a famous general. He must be called a hero."
On the other side of the hall, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and Wei Yan exchanged looks that clearly said: Could you have pulled that off?
Guan Yu stroked his beard and spoke softly. "Striking the many with the few, winning like a god, reclaiming five commanderies with a single ride, and bringing water to the parched lands of Chang'an.
His name is etched in history. He is a hero without doubt."
Wei Yan and Huang Zhong then looked at Zhang Fei. Both his brothers had spoken. Surely he had a punchy commentary to add?
Zhang Fei's face reddened slightly, and he let out a loud, booming laugh. "I think exactly the same thing!"
Liu Bei covered his eyes, unable to watch, while Kongming and Pang Tong shared a hearty laugh.
Guan Yu added a stern reminder. "Third Brother, you must never stop your studies."
---
Li Shimin's first instinct was strategic. "If the Chang'an armies were moved out to Hexi at that moment to coordinate with him, the Tibetans could have been wiped out with a flip of a hand!"
"No..." He immediately suppressed the thought. If they had that capability, the Emperor and his ministers would not have just given Gao Jinda a thumbs up. At the very least, they could have granted him full military authority and made him the Governor of all Hexi affairs, right?
But then Li Shimin remembered Zhang Yichao's eventual title.
Zhangsun Wuji, meanwhile, had already begun mentally circling the Tibetans' sphere of influence on the map.
He planned to have his servants investigate the matter as soon as he got home. Even if he was currently sidelined, he still intended to shine for the Great Tang!
If Zhang Yichao could fight so desperately for the dynasty a hundred years from now, how could, he, Zhangsun Wuji be content to just be a wealthy old man?
Du Ruhui and Fang Xuanling were moved by a different set of emotions. They were currently in the Early Tang.
What kind of Great Tang had they helped create that, a century later, its citizens would still feel such a deep, soul-stirring connection to it?
How could they be so willing to discard their lives for a dream of return?
Fang Xuanling whispered, "Keming, you must take care of your health. Only then can you avert the disasters of your clan and see the peak of this prosperous age."
Du Ruhui nodded. Man is always greedy. Once he has Longyou, he looks toward Shu.
Once, Du Ruhui would have been satisfied just knowing he had helped the Prince of Qin achieve eternal glory. But now, he wanted to carve his own name into the stone of this era, so that in the Chang'an of the future, there might be a statue of him too.
[Lightscreen]
[Zhang Yichao sent more than just Gao Jinda to Chang'an to deliver the good news.
Following closely behind was the monk Wuzhen, who utilized his religious status to navigate the dangers and arrived in the capital six months after Gao Jinda.
It was only after repelling Lun Kongre that Zhang Yichao finally felt he had enough leverage.
In August of 851 AD, Zhang Yichao commissioned his elder brother, Zhang Yitan, along with twenty-nine others, including locals like Li Mingda, Li Mingzhen, and Wu Anzheng, to enter the imperial court.
They announced the victory of the five commanderies, the submission of Shang Bibi, and the defeat of Lun Kongre. They presented the maps and records of all eleven commanderies.
Chang'an was stunned. The people were overjoyed, and Emperor Xuanzong, Li Chen, who read the Zhenguan Political Essentials daily and modeled himself after Erfeng, could only sigh: So it is true that the west produces great generals.
He promoted Zhang Yichao to the position of Defense Envoy of Shazhou. After three months of deliberation, the Emperor issued another edict. The Guiyi Army was established at Shazhou to govern the eleven commanderies.
Zhang Yichao was appointed Jiedushi of the Guiyi Army, Observer of the Eleven Commanderies, and Acting Minister of the Ministry of Rites.
With official backing, he began the formal governance of the lands. Liberating the enslaved, measuring the lands seized by Tibetan nobles, conducting a census, restoring Tang laws, uniting the monks and barbarians, and training troops to ensure stability.]
Zhang Fei, never one to miss an opportunity to mock the incompetent, chimed in. "What is this Little Taizong thinking?
These were Tang lands being reclaimed, yet he calls it Guiyi, Returning to Righteousness? Where is the spirit of the Emperor of the Ages?"
Liu Bei also found it difficult to understand. "Does he not fear wounding the hearts of these righteous men?"
Pang Tong shook his head, feeling a surge of pity for Zhang Yichao.
"What is the Late Tang? It is the twilight of the dynasty. With internal strife and external threats, such compromises are inevitable."
Kongming felt a sense of helplessness. In his heart, he felt this emperor lacked even a shred of the Prosperous Tang aura. "These were original Tang lands. To name the army such makes it seem as if Hexi was always meant to belong to the barbarians."
Jian Yong suddenly asked a poignant question. "I wonder... how many years of the Tang's mandate were actually left at that point?"
---
Li Shimin's face was as dark as stagnant water. The progression of events was exactly as he had feared.
Deep down, he felt this Little Taizong's political maneuvering was amateurish at best. If he feared a coup, he could have kept the brother in Chang'an as a high-ranking official while giving Zhang Yichao full logistical support and a more prestigious title to act as he saw fit.
What on earth was a Jiedushi of the Guiyi Army supposed to accomplish?
Li Shimin remembered clearly that the light screen said the Western Regions were reclaimed by the Brilliant and Martial Tang Emperor. Who else could that be but him?
This Little Taizong had apparently forgotten the achievements of the real Taizong. Did reading the Zhenguan Political Essentials every day only result in this level of competence?
Zhangsun Wuji, sensing the Emperor's mood, offered a cautious suggestion. "Perhaps the lingering effects of the An Lushan Rebellion were simply too severe..."
Li Shimin let out a mirthless, mocking laugh. "If even the generals have rotted to this extent..."
He did not finish the sentence, but everyone understood. He chose to pivot the conversation. "Zhang Yichao governed the reclaimed lands, erased the scars of the Tibetan occupation, and restored our Tang laws. He did well."
Du Ruhui, however, was filled with worry. "The Tibetans saw the Tang as their greatest enemy and plundered the region for decades. How many Tang citizens in Hexi could possibly be left?
Zhang Yichao was ruling a mix of Tang people, monks, and barbarians with the roads to the capital cut off. As the Tang population withered, I fear the Guiyi Army would eventually become an army returning to a place that no longer exists."
This fear mirrored Li Shimin's own, and he already knew the only solution. "They should have focused all their strength on reclaiming Liangzhou! Reopen the old roads and migrate the people of Shandong and Henan to..."
Li Shimin suddenly faltered, remembering the earlier mention of Longxi. In the future, this place was a desert. The Great Tang, the Guiyi Army, the Tibetans. They had all vanished into the wind and sand.
Li Shimin let out a heavy, weary sigh. "The strategy for Hexi... must be considered with extreme caution."