Polo is a very popular sport in the Tang Dynasty, and the purpose of promotion at first was probably to train cavalry in this way, but then it gradually became a fashionable sport that was particularly popular among aristocrats, and there were many polo matches every year.

On the Shangyuan Festival, the polo game is not bad, but it is freezing on this day, and a group of sons and brothers are just fine, and the wives and beautiful relatives can stand the cold?

No, Cheng Chuliang is a concubine, and he is the son of Cheng Zhijie's family, since he has made an invitation, it is not easy to refuse, so Xie Yi will accept it first.

After all, there is still to be necessary social interaction and entertainment, how can Chang'an break away from the circle of Tang nobility?

Just as he was about to say a few more greetings, the Chengtian Gate opened, and the hundred officials immediately stopped the noise, stepped into the palace gate one after another, and went to the Taiji Hall to congratulate His Majesty Li Er on the New Year.

At the beginning of the fourteenth year of Zhenguan, after hundreds of officials in the court congratulated His Majesty the Emperor on the New Year, they inevitably returned to government affairs.

The news of the performance is both good and bad, Honglu Temple reported that two thousand miles away in the north of the North Sea (Lake Baikal), there are ghosts sent envoys to Chang'an to congratulate.

Because of the language barrier, it is not easy to communicate with Datang seriously through the Hui and Jin tribes, and after triple translation.

Li Shimin was quite happy when he heard this, for a big country and an emperor, it was a great joy for a country thousands of miles away to come to congratulate him.

This is completely in line with the so-called coming dynasty of all countries, when an emperor is enough to boast and boast about his exploits in the annals of history, it is naturally a great joy of dragon face.

The hundred officials also congratulated one after another, but Xie Yi under the hall smiled secretly in his heart, I am afraid that when the time comes, the hunters of the Wandering Ghost Country will bring a few furs and say a few words of flattery. Datang will give you a heavy treasure, that is real money, this deal is really cost-effective.

It is no wonder that the small tribes around the Tang Dynasty always like to come to Chang'an to pay tribute, and the feeling is to treat the Tang monarchs and ministers as ATMs, and the partial Tang monarchs and ministers are happy to see it. Happily give money to people.

In the Song Dynasty, there were merchants from the Gulf who came by boat to pretend to be an envoy to congratulate the emperor, in order to get a reward, and then return to China to make a fortune.

Why couldn't Zheng He of the Ming Dynasty go to the West seven times? The reason was the endless tribute trade, which overwhelmed the wealthy Ming Dynasty.

There is no way, who made the emperors of the Central Plains Dynasty always love face?

Li Shimin was very happy to say this, but when the Ministry of War reported the news, Li Shimin's face immediately changed.

The Ministry of War received news that Ju Wentai, the king of Gaochang, was dissatisfied with the Tang Dynasty. It intends to control the Silk Road and cut off the connection between the Western Regions and the Central Plains. He said that he was sick and did not go to court, and together with the Western Turks, he robbed Yiwu, Yanqi and other places.

To put it bluntly, Gao Changguo is the opposite.

Since Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions, the Han Dynasty set up the Western Regions Protectorate, and then Ban Chao passed through the Western Regions, the vast area north and south of the Tianshan Mountains was regarded as an inseparable part of the Central Plains Dynasty.

Although the management and control of the Western Regions were not strong, and the states were only nominally tributary and subservient to the Tang Dynasty, the kings who valued unity and land could not be provoked. Expanding territory is an emperor's achievement, and losing power and land is a stain on the annals of history.

How could an emperor like Li Shimin allow such a situation to occur?

Not to mention the emperor, other monarchs and ministers will not agree. The strong national strength gave the subjects of the Tang Dynasty an unprecedented sense of self-confidence and honor. The majesty of Datang is absolutely not to be provoked.

Gaochang was located at the eastern end of the Western Regions, and Ju Wentai sent people to block the Silk Road, which was equivalent to cutting off the connection between the Tang Dynasty and the countries of the Western Regions. If they sit idly by, they will soon split the entire Western Regions from the Tang Dynasty's nominal territory.

This is a major political and diplomatic event. Moreover, the Silk Road was cut off, and the trade routes in the west would cause the Maison to lose too much, so this was something that no one would tolerate.

So the court was indignant. Voices of righteous indignation.

But after calming down, how to deal with it has become a thorny problem in front of everyone.

It stands to reason that the rebellion must be crusaded, but the place of rebellion is almost thousands of miles away in the border of the Western Regions, and there is a vast Hanhai Gobi in the middle.

It is unlikely that the expedition will succeed, let alone a place with such harsh natural conditions, so all the ministers in the court are extremely cautious, and no one can easily say the word of sending troops to fight.

Zhenguan held the first court meeting in the fourteenth year, and the atmosphere in the court was a little dignified.

Li Shimin's face was not very good, and he asked in a deep voice: "What do you think should be done in this matter?" ”

"Your Majesty, Gaochang Ju Wentai is bold and reckless, and he should be a teacher to crusade against him." The first to express their stance was naturally a group of generals.

"Your Majesty, by all means, Gaochang is thousands of miles away, there are thousands of miles of Gobi Desert, and the experience of Li Guangli, the former general of the Second Han Division, is still there, and the mistakes of the past must not be repeated." Li Daoyu was the first to come forward to oppose it.

Such a situation is completely expected, there must be someone who will fight the main battle, someone who will make peace, and when someone first proposes it, someone on both sides will immediately echo it.

The court suddenly showed a tug-of-war posture, and the main battle believed that Gaochang's approach was detrimental to the interests and face of the Tang Dynasty, and it was necessary to crusade against the lesson.

This is true, the sanctity of the land is inviolable, and this is a principle that must be adhered to from ancient times to the present, and cannot be compromised. As long as Datang has a plan to control the Western Regions, it must not give in, and Gao Chang must be taught a lesson.

Otherwise, west of Yangguan, there will be no more land of the Tang Dynasty, and the popular Biansai poems will probably not appear again.

This loss is too great for anyone to afford. Moreover, if others bully the door without saying anything, it inevitably seems that the owner is too cowardly, especially the generals.

There is a way that the lord humiliates his ministers to death, and the face of Datang and His Majesty the Emperor is humiliated, if they can't lead troops to help His Majesty the Emperor get back face and safeguard the interests of the country, then it will really be disgraced.

Military generals have to fight for their own face, for their own values, and for their own interests, so they must fight.

But the opinion of the Lord and the Lord is not unreasonable, after all, Gaochang is thousands of miles away from Chang'an, and sending troops to fight is indeed an expedition of laborers.

In particular, there is the Gobi Desert in the middle, and the cost of passage is too great, especially the transportation of grain, grass and weapons, especially drinking water, which is an extremely difficult thing.

Especially when the number of people in the army is relatively large, how many people are needed to support logistics? On the other hand, if there are not many troops dispatched, how can we deal with the messy situation in the Western Regions?

There is even a question that everyone is not able to say directly, it is good to send troops to fight and win, but what if you lose? That's embarrassing!

Things are going to get trickier as well, so don't fight such a thankless battle without the certainty of victory. After all, Gaochang is too far away, and it seems that the advantage of a frontier land is not absolutely essential. (To be continued.) )