Chapter 604: Chapter 79: Uniting the Barbarians, The Outbreak of the An-Shi Rebellion
In fact, if possible, An Lushan would rather not give up Hebei.
As the stronghold of the Gu Clan for hundreds of years.
Not to mention the current might of Hebei, just the prestige of the Gu Clan alone carries immense significance.
And the most crucial thing is——
What An Lushan truly desires is not just what appears on the surface; he also covets Li Shimin’s will.
Simply put, he wants the support of the Gu Clan.
But given the current situation, he must make some choices.
Rather than continuing to wait for an uncertain outcome, it is better to be decisive and make an early decision.
Though this would make his path incredibly difficult,
for someone like An Lushan, who has fought his way up from the bottom, difficulties are the least of his fears.
....
Tubo.
The ruler of Tubo now is Tsri Songtsen Gampo.
At the end of the 13th year of Tianbao, he led a coup and killed Zanpu Chide Zuzan, seizing control of all Tubo power.
Many factors led to this.
It wasn’t just because Chide Zuzan, in his later years, revered Buddhism and intended to abandon external expansion strategies, provoking noble conflicts.
The most crucial factor was the connection between Tsri Songtsen Gampo and An Lushan.
This is a historical shift.
The emergence of the Gu Clan eventually affected too many things, forcing An Lushan to make many choices just to settle his mind.
Besides Tubo——
He also has plans concerning the three states of Liaodong.
Especially Goguryeo, a nation that Gu Jing nearly destroyed in the past, is now his ally.
This shows how deeply An Lushan conceals his intentions.
In March, within the deep palace of Lhasa.
Tsri Songtsen Gampo’s gaze fell upon the dusty envoy of An Lushan, the corner of his mouth curving into a meaningful smile.
Without exchanging pleasantries, he directly spoke in Tubo language, his voice deep and authoritative:
"It seems An Lushan has agreed to the conditions of this Zanpu?"
He leaned slightly forward, his eyes sharp as a hawk, revealing an unhidden ambition to seize the world: "The land of nine bends in West River, the vast territory of the Western Regions... will henceforth belong to our Tubo?"
The fertile waters and grasses of West River, the strategic Silk Road of the Western Regions, these have been the dreamy lands sought by all generations of Tubo Zanpus.
They only lamented the former power of the Great Tang and with the demon Gu Jing holding the line, the Tubo cavalry dared not look to the east.
Even as the Great Tang now shows signs of waning, Tubo’s encroachment has been limited.
This is the reason he and An Lushan could come together.
Both have their own agendas.
The envoy, versed in Tubo customs, immediately bowed his head, responding in fluent Tubo language:
"My lord states, if the great matter succeeds, the promise will surely be fulfilled!"
"We hope Zanpu... will advance eastward soon!"
——Advance eastward!
With these words, the air in the grand hall suddenly froze, and then boiled over!
Nearly all the Tubo nobles’ faces erupted with uncontainable excitement, their eyes alight with a bloodthirsty yearning.
Pillaging and warfare, expansion of territories, these are already ingrained in their blood, a survival instinct.
Moreover, boundless wealth and endless pastures lay before them!
All this made their hearts race with wild desires.
Tsri Songtsen Gampo remained stoic, his gaze deep and unfathomable, without immediate response.
The envoy, understanding, stopped waiting and took a step forward, laying bare An Lushan’s entire strategy without reservation.
——This was An Lushan’s intention all along.
He knew the human heart well, certain that these greedy wolves of Tubo would not be foolish enough to pass on the feast before them.
This is a deal where collaboration would benefit both, while division would lead to mutual loss!
"May Zanpu see clearly!" The envoy’s voice suddenly rose, filled with a chilling fervor, as if An Lushan himself had spoken: "My lord says, in a pack of wolves sharing a feast, speed is vital, but ruthlessness is even more so!"
"To the east, my lord has long sharpened his blade!" He abruptly pointed east with his arm, "Fifteen thousand tiger and wolf troops, all battle-hardened border army!"
"Awaiting the command, they will sweep forth from Fan Yang!"
"Speeding southward along the Grand Canal, directly seizing the throat of Luoyang!"
"With the aid of Goguryeo and other vassals, the army will exceed two hundred thousand!"
"Lord An vows——"
"Twenty days!"
"Just twenty days, and the banners atop Luoyang’s walls will be replaced!"
He clasped his hands in a choking gesture, shouting loudly: "Cut off this lifeline of the canal, and Guanzhong will be a half-dead trapped beast!"
Then, he turned abruptly to Tsri Songtsen Gampo, his eyes burning intensely like a hawk fixated on its prey:
"As for the west——Zanpu! Success or failure depends entirely on you!"
"As long as Zanpu’s cavalry thunders like a storm, piercing through Longyou in one go!" He clenched his fist and pounded it heavily towards the air, "Ten days!"
"Capture Dazhen Pass within ten days, breach the natural barriers of Long Mountain!"
"By then, even with abilities that reach the heavens and earth," the envoy’s mouth curled into a cruel smile, "Geshu Han would be pinned in Longxi by our forces, unable to move a muscle!"
"Chencang, Fufeng, Wu Gong... west of Chang’an, the fertile lands await Zanpu’s warriors to gallop and conquer!" He spread his arms wide, his voice full of temptation, "The western gate of Chang’an will be your hunting grounds at your disposal!"
"..."
This envoy clearly had a deep understanding of the human heart, knowing precisely how to tempt these people.
Only interests could make people lose control of themselves.
Indeed, as his words unfolded, everyone present had their eyes turning red, filled with desire.
Even Tsri Songtsen Gampo seemed to waver.
To put it bluntly——
This was a strategy of a pincer attack, An Lushan aimed to have Tubo help him distract attention, allowing him to swiftly and surely strike at the heart.
