freenovelworld Chapter 1162 Gar Tongtsen's Mission
Chapter 1162 Gar Tongtsen's Mission
In the heavily guarded courtyard, Lu Dongzan sat on the veranda, looking at a small patch of sky in the courtyard.
He had changed into ordinary plain robes, his white hair was unbound and just draped over his shoulders, making him look even older than a few days ago.
Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned his head.
Upon seeing the wooden box in the Zanpu's hand, a look of understanding flashed in Lu Dongzan's eyes, before he fell silent again.
The king dismissed his attendants, walked to sit opposite Gar Tongtsen, opened the wooden box, took out the letter of state, and pushed it in front of Gar Tongtsen.
"The Imperial Letter from the Emperor of Daqing".
Instead of immediately looking at the letter of state, Gar Tongtsen first glanced at the Tsangpo (king) and suddenly asked, "Whom does the Tsangpo intend to send as an envoy in return?"
The king paused for a moment, then replied, "Chisang Yangdun, and Maxiang Zhongbajie."
Both of them were core members of the Zanpu's inner circle and had no connection with the Lu Dongzan faction.
Zanpu makes no secret of his intention to centralize power, and those officials associated with Lu Dongzan will all be excluded from the core power circle in the future.
The purge within the military has already begun in the past few days.
Although not all of the generals trained by Lu Dongzan were eliminated, they were all dismissed from their posts and kept under strict supervision at home.
It remains to be seen how well this young king governs the country, but his skill in internal power struggles is clearly a lesson he learned from Gar Tongtsen Yulsung.
Lu Dongzan nodded, then lowered his gaze and slowly began to read the official document.
He recognizes the Daqing script and has been learning the Xia language since childhood; his proficiency is almost indistinguishable from his native tongue.
But he still read very slowly, word by word.
After reading it, he put down the silk and remained silent for a long time.
"What do you think?" Seeing that Gar Tongtsen remained silent, the emperor couldn't help but ask.
Lu Dongzan raised his head, but his gaze was somewhat unfocused: "Li Che... is a very powerful Qing person. He doesn't want our plateau, he only wants us to stay on the high mountain."
"These conditions seem harsh, but they actually leave room for maneuver. He wants a name, a guarantee that the plateau will no longer expand eastward."
He paused, then looked at the Zanpu: "Zanpu sent Chisang and the others to completely sever ties with me, is that?"
"You are showing Li Che that you are now in charge of Tibet, and that the past can be attributed to me, and has nothing to do with you or the new Tibet."
The king's thoughts were exposed, and he lost face.
But he still coldly replied, "Isn't that the case? If it weren't for the Grand Master's single-minded pursuit of the Eastern Expedition, how could we have reached this point?"
Lu Dongzan did not refute him, but only sighed softly: "You did the right thing. Cutting through the Gordian knot and showing weakness to the strong can buy you a chance to catch your breath."
"Given Tibet's current situation, relying on Daqing to prolong its existence is indeed the only way forward at present."
He changed the subject, his gaze sharpening: "But has Your Majesty considered why Li Che was willing to talk? Was it because he was benevolent?"
Upon hearing this, the king fell into deep thought.
Lu Dongzan answered his own question: "No, it's because his army can't get to this plateau either, and the strength of Daqing doesn't allow him to maintain a large-scale blockade at the foot of the mountain indefinitely. He also wants to end this war gracefully and digest the territory he has gained."
"His condition is based on the premise that Tibet no longer poses a threat. If Your Majesty thinks that everything will be fine once you become a vassal state of Daqing and pay tribute, then you are mistaken."
The king frowned: "What do you mean, Great Master?"
“His conditions include the demarcation of the border,” Lu Dongzan pointed to the official document. “How should this boundary be drawn? It must be based on the current actual control line between the two armies.”
"In other words, all the land we lost—south of the Qilian Mountains, the western end of the Hexi Corridor, and even the Western Regions—will be legally and permanently occupied by Daqing."
"The territory of Tibet will shrink back to what it was a hundred years ago, or even smaller."
"Moreover, what does it mean to be a permanent bulwark? It means that our troops can no longer march eastward, our merchants will be subject to his inspection, and our diplomacy may have to be at his mercy!"
Zanpu's face darkened.
He hadn't completely overlooked these things, but when Lu Dongzan pointed them out, he still felt a sense of suffocation.
Daqing was too powerful, and the pressure it exerted on Tibet was like a towering mountain, instilling not only humiliation but also, and perhaps more importantly, fear.
If he were truly blocked by Daqing in this way, he would not only fail to become the most wise and virtuous Zanpu (king), but would likely be nailed to the pillar of shame in Tibetan history, never to rise again.
"So what?" the king said, trying to remain calm. "It's better than losing the country."
“Yes, it’s better than the country being destroyed.” Lu Dongzan nodded. “That’s why I say Your Majesty is right to do this.”
"But Your Majesty must understand that once you put on these shackles, Tibet will no longer be the Tibet of the past."
"Your glory is gone, your rise is hopeless. From now on, you must live a peaceful life as the master of the plateau, and never again..."
The emperor felt a sudden pang in his heart, and he looked at Gar Tongtsen with some annoyance.
He's still lecturing me. Even now, he still treats me like a child!
Lu Dongzan, however, did not care at all. He glanced at the official letter one last time and said, "Since I am the 'chief culprit,' if Emperor Qing asks you for me, the Zanpu need not hesitate."
The Zambian remained silent.
Looking at Lu Dongzan's glaring white hair, he suddenly recalled the scene when he was a boy, when this man taught him riding and archery, explained the law, and analyzed the situation.
A surge of complex emotions welled up within him, making him unwilling to stay there any longer.
He put away the letter of credence, placed it in a wooden box, and slowly stood up.
"Great Master, you..."
He flicked his sleeve and said, "Rest assured and recuperate here. I will take care of the matters outside."
After finishing his words, the king turned and left without looking at Gar Tongtsen again.
Lu Dongzan sat alone in the corridor.
Until the setting sun stretched his shadow very long, until it finally merged into the deepening twilight.
. . . . . .
After the Zanpu (Tibetan king) selected the members of the delegation, the Qing army envoy saw the list but returned instead.
"His Majesty has decreed," the envoy said calmly to the king. "To ensure the peace negotiations go smoothly and to demonstrate sincerity, His Majesty requests that the Tibetan Grand Master Gar Tongtsen accompany the delegation. He wishes to see him."
The king stood frozen in astonishment.
He was right again; Emperor Qing really didn't want to let him go.
The expressions of Chisang Yangdun and the others behind the Zanpu changed drastically, exchanging surprised and uncertain glances.
Why did Emperor Qing send Lu Dongzan away?
Unlike the Zanpu (king), these people had absolutely no desire to involve Gar Tongtsen in politics, not even in matters like serving as an envoy to Qingying.
That old man should die of old age in the courtyard and never appear in the court again, otherwise who knows what might happen.
If he were to seize the opportunity to regain power, all of them would be finished.
"Your Excellency," the Zanpu said, barely managing to compose himself, "the Grand Master is advanced in years and perhaps not fit for a long journey. Moreover, there are still many matters within Tibet that require his attention..."
"His Majesty wishes to see him," the envoy interrupted him. "This is the foundation of peace negotiations. If even this cannot be granted, His Majesty may find it difficult to believe in the Zanpu's sincerity in seeking peace."
Seeing that the other party had already stated the absolute truth, the king's expression changed, and his hand clenched into a fist in his sleeve.
He found that he had no choice but to agree.
Daqing's knife was at their throats. Even if they couldn't attack the plateau, as long as they kept the key routes locked, the Tubo wouldn't be able to hold out for long.
He could only politely ask the envoy to go and rest for the time being, saying that he needed to discuss things briefly. Then, filled with doubts, he went to the residence where Lu Dongzan was under house arrest again.
Lu Dongzan remained seated under the eaves, as if he had never moved.
Seeing the Zanpu return with a complicated expression, he had already anticipated something.
"Has Emperor Qing put forward new conditions?" Lu Dongzan asked in a flat voice.
The king looked at him, his heart filled with mixed emotions, and said with difficulty, "He... wants you to go."
Lu Dongzan paused slightly, then gave a self-deprecating laugh: "So that's how it is. I thought he was vindictive and would definitely want my head as a warning to others, but I forgot what kind of outstanding person Li Che is..."
He paused, then whispered, "Yes, it's time for a resolution."
"You...are you really going?" the king asked, his mind filled with mixed emotions.
He hoped that Lu Dongzan would go so that a peace agreement could be reached.
He also had a vague feeling that sending away such a person, who had once held up half of Tibet's territory, like a tribute was a great disgrace to Tibet and a setback in his personal political maneuvering.
Ultimately, he failed to handle Lu Dongzan exactly as he had envisioned.
In his mind, Lu Dongzan could not die; he had to live well.
If I live to see the day when Tibet returns to its peak, and then properly question him, will I feel regret?
“How can we not go?” Gar Tongtsen retorted. “Can the Zanpu (Tibetan king) refuse? Can Tibet bear the consequences of refusing?”
The king was speechless.
Lu Dongzan slowly stood up and patted the dust off his plain robe.
He then looked at the gray sky outside the courtyard wall: "Actually, from the moment I turned around at the foot of Chuima City, although my body returned, my soul remained on that battlefield."
"What the Zanpu sees now is nothing but an empty shell; what difference does it make where he goes?"
He looked at the young king, his eyes devoid of resentment: "Whether I become a prisoner or a skeleton, it is of no importance to me. King need not worry about it."
"But..." He changed the subject slightly, his voice lowering, "After I leave, Tibet will face a difficult road ahead. Your Majesty... take care of yourself."
Zanpu felt a strange tightness in his chest, and some inexplicable emotions welled up inside him.
In the end, he simply waved his hand and said firmly, "In that case... please make preparations. The delegation will depart in three days."
Lu Dongzan said no more and bowed deeply.
Three days later, a high-ranking Tibetan delegation left Lhasa.
In addition to the king's trusted ministers and soldiers, there was also a simple horse-drawn carriage in the procession.
Inside the carriage sat Lu Dongzan, his hair white and his appearance sparse.
Lu Dongzan had no idea what he was going to face. He had dealt with Li Che before, and it hadn't been a pleasant encounter.
Ultimately, the two not only had no friendship, but also harbored hatred towards each other.
But when he actually stepped into the Qing camp and saw Li Che, he saw a gentle smiling face.