Chapter 13 Turks

During the glorious years of the Tang Dynasty, conflicts with the Turks were commonplace, and the hostility between them had long been deeply rooted.

The Turks viewed the Tang Dynasty as a stumbling block, while the Tang Dynasty also viewed the Turks as thorns that had to be removed.
One day, the Tuli messenger Bonusi crossed the grassland and came to Chang'an. He seemed to have brought the vastness and freedom of the grassland.

When Li Jing, Cheng Yaojin and other generals saw him, they acted as if they had seen an enemy. They gritted their teeth and wished they could eat him alive.

Only Li Shimin was as steady as a rock, with a smile on his face, but he was wondering in his heart what this uninvited guest was up to.

Just as everyone was thinking about their own things, Li Shimin spoke up, jokingly: "Envoy Bonuci, there are not enough cattle and sheep on the grassland for you to graze, so why do you have to travel across mountains and rivers to come to our Tang Dynasty?
Could it be that you miss my tea? "Bonuci's expression froze slightly when he heard this, and then he put one hand on his chest and replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, I have no choice but to come here to ask for help from Your Majesty. "

"Ask for help?" A trace of doubt flashed in Li Shimin's eyes, and the smile on his face gradually faded. "Tuli Khan has a strong army and sufficient food and grass. Why would he need my help?"

Bonuci sighed and said sadly, "Your Majesty, although the Western Turks are strong in military power, they are bullied by Jie Li. We should have kept to ourselves, but now..."

At this moment, the atmosphere in the scene was subtle. A female character beside her gently brushed a strand of hair by her ear. Her eyes were flowing, like spring water rippling, which aroused people's reverie. Her lips slightly opened, silently echoing Bonuci's helplessness. Her hesitant look made people want to find out what was going on.

"Alas, things are unpredictable." Bonucci shook his head and sighed, then continued his petition.

"That Jie Li is simply a madman!" Bonu said indignantly, "Before I came to the Tang Dynasty, he actually made a huge demand and insisted on taking our cattle and sheep from Western Turkic. If we didn't give them to him, he threatened to make our Western Turkic people bleed like a river!"

There was a hint of helplessness in his tone, "Our Tuli Khan still takes into account the relationship between relatives and has already given him tens of thousands of cattle and sheep."

The corner of Bonusi's mouth twitched, as if Jie Li's greed was right in front of him, "But that guy is greedy and wants more!"

He sighed, "Although our Western Turks are not weak, they are still far behind the Eastern Turks. Jie Li also has the allies of Xueyantuo and Huihe. How can we be their opponents..."

As soon as Bonusi finished speaking, his eyes turned red and tears welled up in his eyes, as if the fate of Western Turkestan was weighing heavily on his heart.

Li Shimin couldn't help but frown as he listened, thinking to himself. The conflict between Jie Li and Tu Li, uncle and nephew, was well known to everyone, but it was really puzzling that it had reached this point.

Unless, as Xu Luo analyzed, the continuous snow and wind in Liaodong caused countless cattle and sheep to freeze to death in Mobei, resulting in heavy losses, which forced Jie Li to make such a crazy move.

Looking at Bonuci's pitiful appearance, Li Shimin sneered in his heart. This guy described his Western Turks as so miserable, but deliberately did not mention the real reason why Jie Li robbed cattle and sheep.

His method of avoiding the important issues is really clever.

But think about it, if it really was snowing continuously in Liaodong, then Jie Li's crazy behavior seemed to have a reasonable explanation.

Li Shimin was full of internal conflicts. He was unhappy about sending troops to help Tuli attack Jie Li.

Although he pretended to be calm on his face, his sharp eyes could not hide his dissatisfaction with Jie Li.

He snorted lightly, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Jie Li, this guy, has been so arrogant after just a few days of not seeing him!"

He changed the subject and said firmly: "Envoy Bonusi, Tuli and the Tang Dynasty have a deep friendship and the alliance is unshakable. He is in trouble now, how can the Tang Dynasty sit idly by and do nothing?"

He paused, and then said, "But the matter of sending troops still needs long-term consideration. You settle down in the post house first, and our country will bear all the expenses."

As he was speaking, the expression of Envoy Bonusa changed, as if he had something to say.

But at this moment, Li Junxian suddenly appeared. He looked stern, the knife on his waist trembled slightly, and his tone was calm: "Envoy Bonusi, everything at the posthouse is ready, please follow me."

The Bonusi envoy was stunned for a moment, his mouth twitching. He wanted to say something else, but seeing that Li Shimin had the intention to expel him, he had no choice but to lower his head and bow to take his leave.

After the departure of the Bonusa envoy, the atmosphere in the hall became subtle, and the intrigues and helplessness in the court were clearly revealed.

Inside the hall, several ministers looked at each other, with confusion written all over their faces.

Li Jing took the lead and could not help but speak: "Your Majesty, Tuli and Jie Li are at loggerheads and have come to us, the Tang Dynasty, for help! This is a golden opportunity, why not take the opportunity to teach Jie Li a lesson?"

He was the military god of the Tang Dynasty and the commander-in-chief of the world's troops. When he heard that Jie Li was causing trouble on the border, his fighting spirit burned fiercely.

Qin Qiong, Yuchi Jingde, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and others beside them also looked confused, as if the Li Shimin in front of them was completely different from the decisive King of Qin before.

At this time, Li Shimin smiled calmly and said slowly: "Pharmacist, how could I not know these?

I hate the Turks no less than any of you. I even dreamed of pulling out the tendons and skinning Jie Li, grinding his bones and scattering his ashes! But I just ascended the throne and am no longer the impulsive King of Qin.

A war to destroy a country may sound heroic, but the pros and cons must be carefully considered.

At this time, the atmosphere in the hall relaxed a little, and everyone couldn't help but think of a joke that was circulating among the people: it was said that a man dreamed that he became an emperor, and ordered the capture of Jie Li. As a result, Jie Li was not caught, but his pants were lost instead.

Thinking of this, everyone couldn't help but laugh, even Li Jing couldn't help laughing.

As Li Shimin spoke, his expression gradually became serious, like a sky covered with dark clouds: "Everyone, have you heard that the Liaodong area has been blocked by heavy snow for months? This snow has been falling for a whole month!"

There was a hint of helplessness in his words, as if he was mocking some uncertain fate.

Li Shimin did not notice the slightest bit of abnormality and continued, "Although the Tang Dynasty has many soldiers and horses, how much can they do in the face of the might of nature? Pharmacist, you are in charge of the world's soldiers and horses. In such bad weather, do you think the Tang Dynasty can do anything?"

As soon as the voice fell, except for Cheng Yaojin, Zhangsun Wuji and a few others who could remain calm, everyone else's face changed. The Liaodong snowstorm sounded like an invincible natural disaster.

Li Shimin's eyes flashed with doubt, as if he was uneasy about some unspoken truth: "What Bonuci said just now is not entirely true. I can't help but have some doubts in my heart."

He paused, then continued, "But remember, patience is not weakness, but a preparation for that fatal blow!"

(End of this chapter)