The Tang Dynasty defeated Gaochang, and completely turned Gaochang into a puppet state, established prefectures and counties in Gaochang, and began to set up the Western Regions Army, which still caused an uproar in the Western Regions after all.

Although the kings of the Western Regions didn't say much on the surface, they all secretly had a feeling of being on their backs.

If the image is analogous, the previous Datang was like a tiger roaring on another mountain, although it was terrifying, but after all, it was still far away, but now the tiger of Datang has gone to the mountain of the Western Regions, and it will tear a country in the Western Regions to pieces at any time.

Almost most countries have some different thoughts in their hearts, but they don't dare to really make the Tang Dynasty, at this time, a good tool man appeared.

Western Turks!

When the power of the Tang Dynasty did not appear in the Western Regions, the well-deserved lord of the Western Regions, especially during the reign of the first two khans, had a territory of thousands of miles.

The Green Ridge, the mythical and legendary Buzhou Mountain, is also the Pamir Plateau in the population of the Western Regions, and the Green Ridge is thousands of miles east and west, all of which are the territory of the Western Turks.

He drank boiled ginger water to ward off the cold, then took the medicine to ward off the cold, dried himself, changed into pure white clothes, put on his gait, took off the wreath of thorns from his head, braided his hair and draped it off, shaved off his beard, and when all this was done, he walked out of the house.

Luo Xuanzang looked around for a week, and then said slowly: "What is Ashina Sain coming to the temple for, it is because the Tang Dynasty has broken through Gaochang and increased its control over the Western Regions, and he feels the danger, so he came to the temple, hoping to get the help of the temple to fight against the Tang Dynasty." ”

Then he was cleaned, put on a white robe without any decoration, crossed the Sacred Heavenly Pool, and then kissed the lotus throne in front of the statue of King Su.

It is prosperous all day long, and there are traces of temples everywhere.

"Oh no, it's raining, let's go quickly."

"Shut up!"

But today's atmosphere is quite different.

Almost everyone immediately stood in solemnity, "Obey you, great high priest!" ”

The high priest wanted to see the sincerity of Ben Khan's request.

Servant.

Luo Xuanzang replied indifferently: "No, let him go back." ”

"Give the crown, give the crown!

Ashina Sain stopped: "This is Ben Khan's practice for himself, you should not participate." ”

There can only be one king in the world, and with the existence of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions, it is difficult to highlight the Western Turks.

Western Regions Guest Suit, Western Regions Guest Suit! ”

He breathed a sigh of relief, and then put on the steps that had been served for him, and walked into the temple.

"The wisdom of the high priest is not something we can foresee, so follow the will of the king and the gods."

A figure in a black robe walked in, and after walking to Luo Xuanzang's side, it was a rather beautiful woman, and said in a respectful and low voice: "High Priest, the Western Turk Khan Ashina Sein asks to see you." ”

We, the Turks, are the only countries that can pose a threat to the Tang Dynasty, and he will definitely attack us.

Ashina Sain is really sober, thanks to the fact that he was once a member of the Suwang Temple.

He didn't know.

The crowd left here one after another and went to the house, and the city of God was like this, and the rain came as soon as it was said, and when the bean-sized rain fell on Ashina's face, it also made him a little dumbfounded, but in just an instant, he knelt on the ground and let the rain fall.

No!

The emperor of the Tang Dynasty would definitely do this, since the Central Plains first learned about the Western Regions hundreds of years ago, as long as they had the opportunity, they would never give up their attempts at the Western Regions.

……

After all, if the Western Regions can't withstand the attack of Datang in the future, the temple will have to reconcile with Datang.

Please the Great High Priest, Lord my life and everything! ”

Facing the anxious courtiers, Ashina Sain shook his head and said resolutely: "If I can't even endure the rain, how can I show my devotion to King Su?"

I will see him there, and you will be there in the presence of all the cardinals, as you did at the Unveiled Assembly. ”

If Ashnasain wants the temple to give him more support, it will have to pay for more things, such as the legitimacy of his throne.

Ashina Sein fell to the ground, tears rained down in an instant, "Killing the Ashnasai Khan, who was devout to King Su, putting on the crown without the blessing of King Su, and neglecting to worship the temple of King Su, this is all a Turkic sin."

In the face of the persuasion of the people, Ashina Sain was unmoved, and insisted on doing so, and the people could only agree to him with tears, and his attendants wept bitterly: "Great Khan, please allow me to go with you to ask the high priest. ”

Who doesn't know that the Son of Heaven in the Central Plains has divinity, and the Son of Heaven in the Central Plains is not only the political leader of the Tang Empire, but also a religious leader.

Among the temples.

The statue was extremely tall and standing, with the lotus throne at its feet, and on the lotus throne, that is, at the foot of the statue, there was a person sitting cross-legged, it was the high priest Luo Xuanzang.

Did he ascend to the position of the high priest of the temple to surrender to the Tang Dynasty?

Ashina Sain reacted the most to the destruction of Gaochang by the Tang Dynasty, and he had a fear as if he was being pressed against his jaw by a sharp sword.

Everyone could only leave helplessly again, Ashina Sain knelt in the rain, the pouring rain drenched him in embarrassment, he didn't know if anyone could hear it, but he said over and over again, "All the sins of the Western Turks, Ashina Sain has already understood, and I ask the high priest to forgive me, Ashina Sain is willing to give everything."

Luo Xuanzang walked down from the lotus seat, and then stood in front of Ashina Sain, the holy woman presented him with a crown full of precious stones, Luo Xuanzang glanced at it, but said: "Change a thorn wreath." ”

A hint of rosy immediately rose on Ashina Sain's face, his eyes lit up, and his strong willpower made him shake his body, but he still stood up with his sore legs, "Thank you to the great high priest, Ashina Sain will always be the most devout believer of King Su, and he will always be loyal to the temple." ”

"Huh? Temple? ”

In the depths of the temple, Luo Xuanzang was dressed in white, embroidered with gold thread on the edges, wearing a garland on his head, holding a divine scepter in his hand, and was studying with a group of temple young Zhuang sects with a solemn expression.

Later, the Western Turk Khan Ashinase was assassinated, and it fell into constant infighting, and the entire Western Turkic Empire collapsed at once, and countries became independent one after another.

It is precisely for this reason that these priests in the temple do not want to offend Ashina Sain, and it is really unnecessary to make enemies for the temple, especially since the Western Turkic royal court is not even three hundred miles away from the city of God's Arrival, and the neighbors should get along more harmoniously.

But he knew that he couldn't refuse, with the Western Turks he couldn't resist the Tang Dynasty, he didn't want this good head on his neck to become the Tang Emperor's urinal, or become a lost dog, die of illness in another country, or go to Chang'an, just like Jieli Khan, he is an eagle on the Tianshan Mountains, and he can only spread his wings and fly high here.

Ashina Sain immediately roared angrily: "Those who said this kind of thing at the beginning are already dead, you people only know how to play with women every day, eat meat and drink wine, and let you read and shake your head, then the Tang Dynasty crossed seven thousand miles to attack the Gaochang Kingdom."

Almost all the cardinal priests were interceding with Ashnasain, and they saw such a humble plea as Ashnasain, and they thought it was completely sufficient.

After a short period of thought, Ashina Sain rejected this idea, "The high priest could not be just like this, the temple has a vast land, and countless worshippers, and the last thing that lacks is gold and jade, and even more than all the treasures of the royal court combined.

In the temple, someone hurriedly walked out with an oil-paper umbrella, and came to Ashina Sain, who was still shouting, and even his voice was already a little hoarse, facing Ashina Sain, who had been kneeling in the rain for an hour, he couldn't help but feel a trace of admiration, Ashina Sain's face was pale, and now it was completely by his will, "Great Ashina Sain Khan, your piety, let the supreme and holy King Su also move you, the high priest has decided to meet you under the lotus throne." ”

"Khan, hurry back to the tent, and ask the high priest when the rain has stopped."

If the Son of Heaven of the Central Plains really entered the Western Regions completely, who would be the highest person in religion between the Son of Heaven and the High Priest?

The struggle for power is war, if the Tang Dynasty is allowed to enter the Western Regions like this, will the images hanging in the temple also have to be changed?

Behind Luo Xuanzang, there are portraits, which fully express the history of the Western Regions Temple.

Because all the cardinals present knew that the Western Turkic Khan Ashnasain had asked to see him, he had been a cardinal, and among those present, there were quite a few of his friends.

He walked to the white jade gate, looked at the magnificent pillars, and said loudly: "Ashnasain, Turkic Ashnasain, ask to see the great high priest." ”

Luo Xuanzang said in a deep voice: "In front of King Su, speak out about the sins of the Turks. ”

Yes?

Ashnasain's words shook all the nobles, and they took off all the noble things, even the accessories on their bodies, which is not the greatest humiliation for a king, and only a defeated king would do this in order to survive.

"Yes, a noble khan, how humble his prayer is, even if the king sees it, he will shed tears of emotion, and ask the high priest to see him."

In the royal court, he held a golden scimitar in his hand, and stared at the nobles in the camp with shining eyes, "Khan, I really don't understand what there is to fear in the Tang Dynasty, the royal court is 10,000 miles away from Chang'an." ”

This is the root cause of the Turkic defeat. ”

The books he had read, both the canon and the scriptures, far surpassed those of these Turkic nobles.

What should I do?

The Western Turkic royal court is located under the Tianshan Mountains, above the Tianshan Mountains, snow-capped, birds are extinct, under the Tianshan Mountains, cattle and sheep are everywhere, but Ashina Sain is full of sorrow.

No one!

Luo Xuanzang squinted slightly, he knew one thing very well, in a system like the temple, even if he wanted to surrender, he would be deposed as the high priest in the next moment, he was different from those kings, his interests were subordinate to the interests of the temple.

Moreover, the temple cannot become the vanguard of the opposition to the expansion of the Tang Dynasty.

Ashina Sain didn't dare to look at it anymore, he knelt straight in front of the temple, "King Su, great high priest, Ashina Sain, I pray for your forgiveness of the sins of the Turks." ”

As soon as Luo Xuanzang's words came out, the faces of everyone in the hall immediately changed greatly, that powerful empire made almost everyone feel palpitations, but they couldn't ignore it.

"Boom!"

Why surrender?

Crossing the Tianchi refers to walking barefoot on this row of stone piers, Ashina Sain took a deep breath, the stone piers are not big, and there is a constant impact of the water flow, if you don't walk seriously, you may fall into the water.

After all, that's a mighty khan!

Luo Xuanzang still looked at the book quietly, and only after everyone finished speaking, he said lightly: "Go and give Ashina Sain an umbrella and let him take medicine, so as not to get sick because of a rain."

If the military power of the Son of Heaven is really projected, then it is not like this.

The so-called "Eight Thrones" are the eight most exalted people in the Temple, namely the "High Priest", "Chief Cardinal", "Second Cardinal", "Commander of the Temple Army", "Chief of the Temple Guard", "Holy Maiden", "Chief Ascetic", and "Chief Canon".

Ashina Sain lowered his head and kissed the lotus throne, his head lowered, and Luo Xuanzang stood up on the lotus throne.

If it was the Great Khan who dominated the Western Regions in the first place, of course he would not have done such humble things, but now he is just a king.

Ashina Sain took two steps back, knelt down again, and said in a loud voice: "The highest and most holy, the supreme and noble, the crown of the Turks, is given by King Su. ”

A king who is given a crown by the temple will become the undisputed king of the Western Regions, and as for the Tang Dynasty, if you want to get the right to rule, then come and fight.

In the temple, many people were moved by Ashina Sain, and they persuaded Luo Xuanzang, "High priest, Ashina Sain is really pious, please meet him." ”

"Kiss the lotus seat today, and King Su will give you a crown!"

The temple is on the hill northwest of the Divine Presence City, and the entire mountain is the territory of the temple, and those who come here must step on the nine hundred and ninety-nine steps to see the white jade gate of the temple.

In the main hall, the most conspicuous is the statue of King Su, which has the characteristics of almost all gods, majestic and sacred, and the most important thing is that Ashina Sain always feels that this statue of God in the city is different from that of other temples, as if there is really a divine halo, which makes people can't help but have a sense of surrender.

Pray to the Great High Priest, bless the Western Turks!

Rows of cardinals sat on either side of the temple, three rows in all, one row after another, like the statues of the gods in the temple, all looking at themselves in unison.

Then he got Luo Xuanzang's response, and his face turned extremely pale almost instantly, "With my identity, how could the high priest not see me, could it be that the high priest already knew my intention, this is a rejection of me?"

Luo Xuanzang had finished the course, and after everyone dispersed, it was the temple's regular morning meeting, similar to the court meeting of the imperial court, and it was the time for the high priests and cardinal priests to deal with religious affairs.

Ashina Sain took a step by step, seriously and slowly walked through the Tianchi, and the people around him looked at him, and the audience was very silent.

Luo Xuanzang said aloud on the lotus seat, his voice did not seem to be talking, but like singing, like reading the scriptures, and all the cardinals in the temple sang in unison: "Kiss the lotus seat today, and King Su will give you a crown!" ”

Moreover!

After a long time, a cardinal priest said angrily: "Do you just let the Tang Dynasty enter the Western Regions?"

This is the Western Regions of our Western Regions, is it not enough to submit on the surface, and their claws really want to reach into the Western Regions?

In front of the white jade gate, there were some people who sighed when they looked at this scene.

Those who rely on force will fail if their strength declines, and those who have the hearts of the people will always stand in an invincible state, this is that Ashinasse can dominate the Western Regions, and the current Turks can only retreat in a corner of the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains! ”

This scene is deeply engraved in the eyes of everyone.

When the resolution in the temple was known to Ashina Sain, the people around him were puzzled, "Show piety?" How does this show that it was a sacrifice of treasures and gold for the temple? ”

The cardinal priests laughed in unison: "Give the crown, the Western Regions guest suit!" ”

When these cardinal priests were promoted, they all went through these two steps, and if the high priest wore a wreath of thorns with his own hands, he would become the eight thrones.

"I don't know if the high priest will see him."

"What about Ashina Sain?"

This wreath of thorns is given to you today, and it will be your best crown. ”

Now that the Tang Dynasty is so strong, and the great Turks are so weak, they will definitely attack the Western Regions, and the reason why they don't do it now is because Tubo and Liaodong are a greater threat to the Tang Dynasty.

Everyone was shocked, and they sang in unison, and Ashina Sain was shocked, and after a little thought, he said again: "If you are as great as you, the king will obey you." ”

The essence of the Xuanmen Temple is that of a group with power, not just a school of thought, so there are quite a lot of affairs.

Ashina Sain suddenly thought of something, and he immediately said in a high-spirited voice: "Prepare a horse for Ben Khan, Ben Khan will go to the city of God's Arrival." ”

Ashina Sain kowtowed heavily again, leaving red blood on his forehead, and Luo Xuanzang said, "Come forward and kiss the lotus throne." ”

As soon as he entered the hall, he couldn't help but pause.

He was covered in gold dust, but he still couldn't stop the sparkling stigma on his eyebrows, full of the solemnity of the treasure.

Now the territory of the Western Turks is roughly at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, and it is still the most powerful country in the Western Regions, but compared to the peak, it is no longer comparable.

Luo Xuanzang defeated the wise men of the entire Western Regions in the Western Regions alone, entered the main temple with supreme prestige, and unified the sects of the Western Regions, established the Xuanmen, and established the Eight Great Temples with the Suwang Temple as the core, and the prestige was extremely prosperous.

Take off the crown of Ben Khan, take off the robe of Ben Khan, take off the sword of Ben Khan, take off his boots, take off all the symbols of honor, and then take the garment of ascetics and weave a wreath of thorns for Ben Khan, humble, to express my deep surrender to the most high and holy king. ”

That's right, he used to be one of the priests of the Suwang Temple, and because of his noble birth, he was also a member of the Sixty-four Cardinal Priesthood, the real upper echelons of the temple.

Later, because he wanted to return to fight for the throne, he left the temple, so his view of the situation in the world was far superior to that of these people.

If it was the Great Turkic Khanate at its peak, it would naturally be able to be richer than the temple, but now the down-and-out Khanate is no longer qualified.

The black-robed woman was a little surprised by Luo Xuanzang's decisiveness, but immediately bowed her head, "Follow your orders, Great High Priest." ”

"High Priest, Ashina Sain is a Turkic Khan, who has outstanding prestige and strong strength in the Western Regions, and is also a devout believer of King Su, and was once a powerful heir to the Eight Thrones, do you want to meet him?"

"Great High Priest, Ashina Sain will be a more devout person than Ashnase, and the temple needs such a king to maintain our influence over the world."

The so-called kissing the lotus throne is actually a kowtow to Luo Xuanzang, because Luo Xuanzang is sitting on the lotus throne, but Ashina Sain has no dissatisfaction.

In other words, the Tang Dynasty thought that we Turks were not qualified to be the opponents of the Tang Dynasty now, so they allowed us to develop in the Western Regions.

They absolutely didn't believe that the High Priest would let the Tang Dynasty enter the Western Regions so easily.

With so many iniquities, how could the Turks accomplish them?

Ashina Sain looked at this scenery that had been seen countless times with some nostalgia, the city of God, the vast grassland was green, there were countless cattle, sheep and horses breeding in it, the majestic snow-capped mountains provided sufficient water flow for the Western Regions, the gurgling Yili River irrigated by the Yili River Valley, the south of the Yangtze River, the pearl in the yellow sand.

Shenlin City, the central city of the entire Western Regions, the first of the three holy cities in the hearts of millions of people in the Western Regions, the other two holy cities are Chang'an and Luoyang.

The wisdom of the high priest is as deep as the sea, and as vast as the emperor, and he must have known it. ”

Even if there is really a day when he has to surrender, Datang must be here, leaving enough heart-warming interests and making enough concessions.

On the portrait, the high priest holding the scepter is obviously taller than the Son of Heaven next to him, which means that in the land of the Western Regions, it is still the temple that has the final say, and the Son of Heaven can only go a little back.

What qualifications does a dynasty full of heresies have to rule the land of the Western Regions! ”

Luo Xuanzang shouted, like thunder, "Those who obey King Su will be blessed, and those who do not obey King Su will be destroyed, this is the truth of the Western Regions."

If Ashina Sain didn't leave the temple, he would very likely become the commander of the Temple Army, and of course, now that he has become the Western Turkic Khan, he is naturally better than the commander of the Temple Army.

Luo Xuanzang slowly closed his eyes, "When the Western Turks assassinated Ashinase, those who did not obey the temple occupied high positions, which led to the current situation in the Western Regions.

After a while, a wreath of thorns was sent, and Luo Xuanzang looked at the wreath, "There are countless crowns in the temple, but I have always thought that this wreath of thorns is the best, if you don't experience thorns, how can you see the sacred?"

Now that it is threatened, is it so easy for the temple to help the Western Turks again?

Let the supreme and holy King Su see how pious Ashina Sain is. ”

Although it was not Ben Khan who killed Ashnasai Khan at the beginning, this is exactly the sin of the Western Turks, so let this pouring rain wash away the sins of the Western Turks. ”

Who will give up power?

When Ashnasain ascended the throne of Khan, he did not come to the temple to receive canonization.

The Western Turks were able to recover a certain amount of strength so quickly, relying on this natural choice in the Western Regions.

In the history of the temple, there is a person who has been disqualified as a cardinal priest because he fell into the water, and it is really an accident that people can't help but collapse.

The cardinal priests looked at each other a few times, knowing that this was the high priest's answer, and they all said in unison: "Your Majesty, obey your decision, great high priest!" ”

Although he is a little humble now, but this is because he has a request for the temple, if he really starts to be ruthless, he can fight with the temple to the death, and the struggle between divine power and royal power is intricate.

Even if he could guess that Luo Xuanzang would definitely meet Ashina Sain, after all, what the high priest wanted was Ashina Sain's complete submission, but such a formal meeting was still something that everyone did not guess.

The crowd could only stop, and then watched as Ashnasain took off his clothes, then put on the ascetic's garments, with a wreath of thorns on his head, and no shoes on his feet, and walked out of the Turkic camp.

As for not seeing the Western Turk Khan, it was purely that he wanted to use the Western Turk Khan to establish his authority.

As soon as these words came out, they immediately responded in groups, shouting heresy, but the corners of everyone's eyes quietly looked at Luo Xuanzang, who was sitting at the top, waiting for his attitude.

Follow the monks in the temple to the main temple of the temple, where the Heavenly Pond is located, which is a pond dug by hand, using the skill of the craftsmen, it is a pond of living water, which contains goldfish such as koi fish, and is covered with agate and jewels and precious stones, and there is a row of stone piers in the pond, which is about ten centimeters under the water.

"When the king has no honor, he dethrones his crown, and his subjects drive him out of the kingdom."

If I hear such arrogant words again in the future, I will cut off his head with the golden sword in my hand. ”

Look at the sentence at the beginning of his title, "The grace of King Monsu".

Two years earlier, a heroic figure had risen among the Western Turks, named Ashina Sein, who had killed his brother Ashina Seviru and unified the Western Turks.

When it develops in Gaochang, and then crosses 4,000 miles, it will compete with our Turkic Khanate, what is so strange?

He walked barefoot up the stairs to the White Jade Gate, the steps that were not very difficult to walk in the past were now quite awkward, and the tiny stones tortured him.

Please, Great High Priest, put the crown on the Western Turks!

Ashina Sein came to the temple step by step, he was very familiar with this place, when he heard Luo Xuanzang's requirements for his dress and process, he was surprised and delighted, this was a fairly formal ceremony, he had already begun to guess, "What is the high priest going to do?" ”

Crossing the heavenly pond and kissing the lotus throne is a gesture that can only be done when you receive a gift.

The moment Ashina Sain raised his head, what he saw was Luo Xuanzang, who was as tall as a god, golden and solemn, and a red stigma, shining brightly.

"I don't know."

Among the countries of the Western Regions, especially those at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, they have all submitted to the Tang Dynasty, and the Western Turks have gradually fallen into encirclement.

Then put a wreath of thorns on Ashinasain's head.

"The spirit of King Su is in heaven, and he bestows the king with a crown of thorns!"

The hymn resounds!

(End of chapter)