This is understandable. I've never heard of an emperor personally leading an army to the front lines. If something were to happen, wouldn't the emperor's life be at stake? It could also boost morale. If the emperor were injured, there'd be no need to fight the battle, and he could just take his men back, leaving the entire army looking like they were about to lose.
Songtsen Gampo did not reveal his identity, so the golden-roofed tent was closed. This was also an order issued by Songtsen Gampo. There was a slightly smaller tent next to it, which was where Li Xiang lived.
The minister who was responsible for explaining to Li Xiang said a few words casually. In short, he said that things had been a little turbulent recently and hoped that Li Xiang would rest here for a while. When the time was right, he could take Li Xiang to the Holy City. When the minister went out, several very beautiful maids came in at the door. This was also Lu Dongzan's arrangement.
He thought that Li Xiang must be a very lustful person because he was competing with him for Changsun Pingting. How could he lock Li Xiang in the tent and not let him go out? The answer was to provide him with enough women. As long as there were enough women around Li Xiang, this guy would never be willing to go out.
Li Xiang smiled and said nothing. He let these women stay in the tent. If they retreated, their lives would be in danger in Tubo. People outside would think that they could not please Li Xiang, and it would be the fault of you women. You might as well kill you and feed you to the dogs.
Li Xiang didn't have much to do here, he just needed time. As long as Lu Dongzan's information came back, Lu Dongzan would come and discuss with Li Xiang. Li Xiang had great ambitions, but he didn't have the time to wait for him at the border.
If it were to reach the border, the selling price might be higher, but it would waste a lot of time. Li Xiang has been traveling back and forth from Chang'an to the border for more than a year, and he doesn't want to continue like this.
The shouting and screaming that day was not very loud. Li Xiang also sent people to the vicinity of the battlefield to take a look. In fact, it was nothing serious. It was just a small-scale firefight between the two sides. The total number of people was only a few thousand. It was just that the Tubo army was too nervous.
Of course, it is normal for people to be nervous. Songtsen Gampo is the emperor of Tubo, and Li Xiang is the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty. No matter which of them has a problem, it is their irreparable fault. So everyone agrees to move these two people to the back of the military camp and keep them away from the battlefield.
Lu Dongzan's big tent.
"Your Excellency, the Tusi coalition has retreated. The enemy lost over 600 men, and we lost over 700. Twelve of our tents were burned due to the enemy's surprise attack."
Such a small-scale battle was not qualified to be reported to Lu Dongzan, but because of Songtsen Gampo and Li Xiang, Lu Dongzan had to grasp all the things on the battlefield, so this small-scale battle had the opportunity to be reported.
"Have your men assign more patrols. Things are different now than before. Tell them not to slack off. Send out multiple patrols every day, including at night. According to the areas I've divided, each general will be responsible for a certain area. If anyone's area goes wrong, I will kill their entire family."
After hearing what Lu Dongzan said, the messenger quickly took his men away. This was not a man who was easy to talk to. At this moment, the entire army felt the tense atmosphere. Even the prime minister who was always gentle and polite said this. We should all be more careful in the future and never get beheaded in a confused manner.
Lu Dongzan went out to look at the sky which was about to get dark. He calculated that there should be news tonight. He sent out a total of six groups of people. These people were all out looking for food, and they all went with sincerity. Lu Dongzan raised the price a lot. If these people agreed, they could make a lot of money, and Lu Dongzan could also give Tubo a chance of survival.
Just when Lu Dongzan was thinking about this, a white pigeon suddenly appeared in the sky. This was the carrier pigeon they raised. It would take several months to get here from the heart of the Tang Dynasty, even if it came on horseback. Lu Dongzan simply didn't have that time, so he could only rely on this thing.
"Reporting to the Prime Minister, there is no letter."
After hearing this, Lu Dongzan waved his hand and let him go. He felt uncomfortable in his heart. Although this was just one of the options, no news came back, which meant that the other party disagreed. Because this matter was too confidential, Lu Dongzan had already instructed his subordinates that if the other party disagreed, they could just send back a blank piece of paper.
This is a bad start. According to Lu Dongzan's previous idea, he had already set the price at eight cents per catty, so these people should be willing. If many people agree at that time, he can also choose a cheaper one. Now it seems that he was a bit too optimistic at that time. Now Lu Dongzan no longer wants to choose. As long as someone is willing, he can accept it even if the price is slightly higher.
In the middle of the night, another pigeon flew back, and there was still nothing on it. This meant that one-third of the pigeons were gone, and there were still four families left. I don’t know what happened. Lu Dongzan didn’t sleep the whole night, but Li Xiang took people out hunting early in the morning, and seemed to be very satisfied with this kind of life.
"I hope you get killed by wild animals."
Looking at Li Xiang's back, Lu Dongzan cursed fiercely and said, of course he had to ask his men to keep an eye on Li Xiang. There were wild beasts everywhere on the Tibetan Plateau. If anything happened to Li Xiang, they in Tibet would be responsible.
Lu Dongzan solemnly promised in front of Songtsen Gampo that someone would definitely take over their deal. After all, the profit they offered was not low. However, after receiving two blank papers in succession, Lu Dongzan's confidence had been shaken. If the rest was still like this, did he really have to ask Li Xiang for help?
Lu Dongzan suddenly thought of what Li Xiang had said that day. The price he had offered was twenty-five coins, but if he asked Li Xiang for help, it might become forty coins. Thinking of this, Lu Dongzan had an impulse. Should he go over and negotiate with Li Xiang right now? After all, this would save a lot of money!
