Chapter 445
Zhao Yu and the other time travelers fell into a historical misconception.
...
The Song Dynasty had basically recovered the Western Regions, but as for the Tibetan region, which was closer to the Song Dynasty, the Song Dynasty had only taken over the Qinghai-Tibet Tibetan area to this day.
Some people may not understand why Zhao Yu did not also conquer Tibet.
This is mainly because:
The Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions, located on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, are crucial passages between Sichuan and Tibet. For the Song Dynasty to reclaim Tibet, its military advance and supply lines depended entirely on this route. Failure to capture it would not only expose subsequent troops to ambushes by local tribes but also risk cutting off supply lines, putting the reconquest of Tibet at a disadvantage from the outset. Therefore, from a strategic perspective of troop movement and logistical support, capturing it was a vital prerequisite for conquering Tibet.
The problem was that the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan were located on the western Sichuan plateau, dotted with mountains over 5,000 meters high and turbulent rivers, as well as fortified strongholds built by the Tubo tribes. The Qing Dynasty fought the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan twice, lasting nearly thirty years. It mobilized troops from five provinces: Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Yunnan, and Guizhou, and deployed more than 100,000 troops. Every capture of a stronghold came at a bloody price, with thousands of casualties often occurring in a single day. The national treasury was depleted of 80 million taels of silver, and tens of thousands of soldiers were lost. For a time, white banners covered the sun in the capital, and every household wore mourning clothes. It can be called the most tragic mountain warfare since the founding of the Qing Dynasty.
This also led to the decline of the Qing Dynasty from its peak.
Zhao Yu really didn't want to fight such a war.
The key issue is that the Song Dynasty's current weaponry is no better than that of the Qing Dynasty. If the Jinchuan region were to implement a fortified defense strategy for Zhao Yu, just like in history, Zhao Yu might end up like Emperor Qianlong.
Furthermore, the Tibetan region was poor, with thousands of miles of frozen soil covering barren, rocky beaches. It lacked both the fertile fields of the Central Plains and the prosperity of the Jiangnan region, known for its fish and rice.
In addition, most of the tribes there are nomadic and live by water and grass. They have neither fixed cities and taxes nor large-scale handicraft production. Even if they conquer the whole territory, they will not be able to add a penny of tax revenue to the court. On the contrary, they will have to allocate huge amounts of grain and military pay to garrison it.
Furthermore, the various tribes of Tibet were scattered across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with a fierce and warlike culture and numerous independent tribes that constantly fought against each other, and had never submitted to the control of the Central Plains.
Under such circumstances, if the Song Dynasty were to forcibly station troops there, it would inevitably have to deal with tribal raids every day, getting bogged down in a quagmire of "endless small battles and inexhaustible military expenses."
The reason why the Song Dynasty recovered Qinghai-Tibet was because it was located in the Huangshui Valley, had an agricultural base, and controlled the vital passage between the Hexi Corridor and the Western Regions. It could provide food and supplies for the Song Dynasty's troops stationed in the Western Regions. After the conquest, it could greatly increase the Song Dynasty's income and had real strategic value.
But if you go further into the heart of Tibet, you will find only bitterly cold lands, where even setting up a large army camp is difficult, let alone governing it for a long time.
Furthermore, by this time, the Tubo Dynasty had already collapsed, and the entire territory had fragmented into dozens of independent tribal alliances. Among them, the more powerful ones were the Guge Kingdom in the Ngari region, the Phagmodrupa forces in the Tsang region, and the Qiang-Tubo tribes in western Qinghai that had not been integrated by the Qinghai-Tibet Tubo. These tribes were constantly fighting amongst themselves, and none of them could subdue the others in the short term. They could not pose a threat to the Song Dynasty in the short term, and historically speaking, they would not pose a threat to the Song Dynasty for one or two hundred years.
If the Song Dynasty were to attack the Tibetan region, these tribes might occupy the strategic terrain of the plateau and, relying on their familiarity with the terrain and climate, band together to resist the Song Dynasty's attack.
Most importantly, the Song Dynasty had always pursued a "defend the interior and neglect the exterior" strategy for its border regions, implementing a policy of indirect rule over these remote areas (including the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan). As long as they did not actively harass the Song Dynasty and posed no real threat, the Song Dynasty allowed them to govern themselves.
To put it bluntly, completely conquering these regions would not be of much significance to the Song Dynasty. On the contrary, it would disrupt the existing stable pattern and violate the Song Dynasty's governing philosophy, which focuses on internal stability.
To put it simply, Zhao Yu understood the situation perfectly well. Rather than exhausting the nation's resources to conquer the tough Jinchuan region, to reclaim the impoverished land of Tibet, and then wasting money and effort guarding a barren wasteland with no profit to be made, it was better to divide and win over the various Tibetan tribes, keeping them locked in internal strife so they posed no threat to the Song Dynasty. After all, an emperor's army does not fight wars without a profit.
Because of these reasons, the Song Dynasty has not been able to fully recover Tibet in recent years.
Logically speaking, Tibet would likely continue like this, and even if Zhao Yu conquered as far as the English Channel, he would not touch this area.
However, with the Western Regions being recovered, some people set their sights on the Tibetan Empire in Qinghai and submitted a memorial to Zhao Yu requesting an expedition against Tibet.
Today, our Great Song Dynasty, thanks to Your Majesty's divine and martial prowess, has reformed internally and expanded its territory externally. Our army is strong and well-equipped, our treasury is full, and the people are loyal to us. This is truly a golden age that is unprecedented in history, and also a golden opportunity to manage the four barbarian tribes.
The land of Tubo stretches across the western border, bordering the Hehuang region to the east, connecting to the Western Regions to the west, linking to the Western Xia to the north, and controlling various barbarian tribes to the south. It is the northwestern barrier of our Great Song Dynasty.
In the past, Tibet was powerful and frequently harassed the borders. Now, its tribes are divided, its chieftains are vying for power, internal strife is frequent, and the people are impoverished. This is a time when Heaven will give us an opportunity, but if we do not seize it, we will suffer the consequences.
Furthermore, the benefits gained from Tibet are crucial to the fate of the Song Dynasty in three ways:
Firstly, it is of strategic importance. By recovering Tibet, our army can take advantage of the high plateau to build cities and fortresses, thereby controlling the gateway to the northwest, forming a deep defensive posture, and permanently eliminating border troubles.
Secondly, Tibet is rich in resources. Tibet has many fine horses, which can make up for the weakness of our Song cavalry and strengthen the power of our Song army; its land is rich in gold, copper, salt and medicinal materials, which can be used for development, replenish the treasury and increase the national treasury.
Thirdly, the will of the people. The Tibetan people have long admired the civilization of the Central Plains and suffered from tribal conflicts. Once our army arrives, we will implement benevolent policies, build water conservancy projects, promote agriculture, ensure their livelihood, and appease their tribes. They will surely be sincerely convinced and submit to the Song Dynasty. This is a victory of the kingly way, not just a victory by force.
Your Majesty is now working tirelessly day and night, determined to revitalize the nation. I request to lead troops westward into Tibet. Our army can first appease and then suppress them, winning over the submissive chieftains and annihilating the stubborn rebels. By employing both kindness and force, we can quickly pacify the region.
After the recapture, a Protectorate was established to govern the region, people from the Central Plains were relocated to strengthen the border, the tea-horse trade was promoted to facilitate commerce, and Confucianism was established to educate the people. In this way, the western border would be permanently secured, the Song Dynasty's territory would be vast, and the dynasty would enjoy a long reign.
Your subject knows that weapons are instruments of misfortune, but sages use them only when there is no other choice.
Tibet is currently in turmoil; this is an opportunity that must not be missed, for it will not come again. If Your Majesty were to lead your army westward, your achievements would surpass those of the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors, and you would achieve an unprecedented hegemony. I risk my life to offer this advice, and humbly beseech Your Majesty's wise decision.
The person who presented Zhao Yu with the "Memorial Requesting an Attack on Tibet" was Li Yanxian, whose real name was Li Xiaozhong.
Historically, after the Jingkang Incident, Li Xiaozhong sacrificed his family fortune to relieve the humiliation and raised troops to defend the emperor. In the first year of the Jianyan era, Li Xiaozhong impeached Li Gang for his lack of military knowledge, resulting in his arrest by officials. He was forced to change his name to "Li Yanxian" and go into hiding. After the Jin army occupied Hedong, Li Yanxian rejoined the army and in the third year of the Jianyan era, he led a righteous army to recover Shanzhou and the Zhongtiao Mountains area of Hezhong Prefecture. After defending the isolated city for a year, he finally died in battle outside Shanzhou in the fourth year of the Jianyan era due to lack of food and reinforcements, at the young age of thirty-six.
In this life, when Li Xiaozhong was serving in Zhong Shizhong's army in his early years, he was selected by Zhang Chun and recommended to Zhao Yu.
Zhao Yu once transferred Li Yanxian to the Shenji Army, where he served until he became the commander-in-chief.
After observing him personally, Zhao Yu was able to confirm that Li Yanxian was a loyal and patriotic person, and what was even more remarkable was that he was both intelligent and brave.
During that time, the two formed a very close relationship as ruler and subject. The name "Li Yanxian" in this life was given to him by Zhao Yu.
—It was Zhang Chun who suggested it.
Historically, Li Yanxian's deeds also prove Zhao Yu's judgment.
Faced with the high-ranking positions and generous rewards offered by the Jin army, including the title of Marshal of the Henan Army, he not only sternly refused but also executed the envoy who tried to persuade him to surrender, always remaining loyal to the Song Dynasty.
When he recaptured Shanzhou, he used a strategy of internal and external cooperation; when facing the Jin army's attack on the city, he also used songs and dances to confuse the enemy and secretly burned the enemy's siege equipment, winning many victories through strategy.
He also cared for his troops and set an example by distributing all the rewards and spoils from the court to his soldiers. When the city was short of food, the soldiers ate beans, while he himself only drank bean juice. He also led his whole family to guard Shanzhou, thus uniting the army's morale.
When a general like this submits a memorial to Zhao Yu, requesting him to recover Tibet, Zhao Yu cannot ignore it.
Furthermore, Zhao Yu had conquered all the surrounding areas of the Song Dynasty, so leaving only Tibet behind was indeed not a good thing.
Just as Zhao Kuangyin said, "How can I allow others to snore beside my bed?"
Moreover, during the Tang Dynasty, after the rise of the Tibetan Empire, a protracted war ensued for centuries between the Tang and Tibetan empires in strategic locations such as Hexi, Longyou, and Anxi. Following the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty's power declined, and the Tibetan Empire seized the opportunity to occupy large swathes of land in Hexi and Longyou, even capturing Chang'an and installing a puppet emperor. Although this occupation lasted only fifteen days, it severely impacted the Tang Dynasty's prestige. Simultaneously, the Tibetan Empire continuously encroached upon the Anxi and Beiting Protectorates, severing the connection between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, ultimately ending the Tang Dynasty's rule over the Western Regions. Furthermore, the Tibetan Empire repeatedly raided Jiannan (later Sichuan), plundering people and resources, becoming the greatest border threat to the northwest and southwest of the Tang Dynasty in its later years.
In other words, Tibet is not without danger, but they are currently embroiled in internal strife, which is why they are not a threat for the time being. If Tibet were to produce a figure like Genghis Khan, the Song Dynasty might be in danger.
Furthermore, as a time traveler, Zhao Yu was well aware that Tibet was a natural geographical barrier in western China. Its high altitude made it a strategic high point overlooking South Asia, effectively deterring surrounding areas and directly protecting the security of large swathes of western territory, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Sichuan. At the same time, its location on the frontier meant that securing this region could prevent interference from external forces and safeguard national territorial integrity.
There's a saying, "To govern the border regions, first stabilize Tibet."
The key issue was that Zhao Yu had a lingering resentment: even if he fought all the way to the English Channel, he would still feel something was missing if he didn't reclaim the Western Regions, Tibet, and Dali.
However, the problem of Zhao Yu's reluctance to reclaim Tibet still exists.
This left Zhao Yu somewhat undecided.
Therefore, Zhao Yu sent Li Yanxian to the capital to have a proper talk with him.
When Li Yanxian came to the Military Affairs Hall to see Zhao Yu, she saw that the hall was not only covered with maps, but also had many sand tables.
These maps and sand tables encompass all of the Song Dynasty's current territory and its surrounding areas, including Longyou, Western Xia, Northeast China, grasslands, Jidi, Japan, the Western Regions, and even Dali and a number of small countries in the Indochina Peninsula.
In addition, there are maps and sand tables of the Prince's Continent, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
At this moment, Zhao Yu was in front of a sand table centered on the Tubo region, with two women standing beside him, namely Zhang Chun and Li Lin.
Li Yanxian quickly bowed and said, "Your subject Li Yanxian greets Your Majesty! Long live ...
Zhao Yu didn't waste any words. He immediately summoned Li Yanxian, pointed at the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions, and asked him, "How do you plan to attack the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yanxian quickly went to the sand table and looked at the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan that Zhao Yu was pointing to.
After watching for a while, Li Yanxian asked instead of answering, "May I ask Your Majesty, why do you want to attack the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan?"
For a moment, Zhao Yu was stumped by Li Yanxian's question and retorted, "Didn't you want to reclaim Tibet? Aren't the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions the only routes from Shu to Tibet..."
After listening, Li Yanxian understood somewhat. Zhao Yu might have fallen into a misunderstanding. He said to Zhao Yu, "Your Majesty, there is more than one way for our Great Song Dynasty to attack Tibet."
Next, Li Yanxian pointed out to Zhao Yu that besides the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan routes, there were at least two other routes for the Song Dynasty to attack Tibet.
The first one is the Tang-Tibet Ancient Road.
This was the core passage for people from the mainland to Tibet during the Tang and Song dynasties.
The route generally starts from Chang'an, passes through Tianshui and Lintao in Gansu, crosses the Yellow River into Qinghai, then passes through Xining, crosses Riyue Mountain, passes through Bayan Har Mountain and Yushu, and finally crosses Tanggula Pass to reach Lhasa.
Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty took this route to Tibet. Although it was no longer a military official road during the Song Dynasty, it became an important trade route for tea to be transported to the snowy region due to the flourishing tea-horse trade. It was the most mature route to and from the snowy region at that time.
The second one is Qing Tang Road.
It was an important route connecting the northwest of the Song Dynasty with the Tubo region. Starting from Xizhou, it went west across the Tao River, passing through Kangle and Dingqiang City to Hezhou, and then went north across the Yellow River and along the Huangshui River to Xining City, from where it could connect with the Qinghai-Tibet Road to enter Tibet.
Since the Song Dynasty recovered Qinghai and Tang, this place has become a vital military, political, and commercial route for managing the Northwest, as well as an important node in the tea-horse trade.
There are also sections of the ancient Fanni Road and the prototype of the Yunnan-Tibet Road that can be used to enter Tibet.
After Li Yanxian pointed this out, Zhao Yu realized that he seemed to have fallen into a historical misconception about the Qing Dynasty's reconquest of Tibet.
Zhang Chun seemed to have made the same mistake, believing that to recover Tibet, they had to first fight the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan. Otherwise, why did the Qing army choose to fight this extremely difficult mountain assault instead of choosing another route into Tibet?
Li Lin, however, said, “Both the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet routes are characterized by high mountains and deep valleys, with unpredictable winds and snow. Transporting grain and fodder would be extremely costly and would make it difficult to assemble a large army. On the other hand, Jinchuan is close to the Sichuan Plain and serves as a rear area. Soldiers and provisions can be delivered in the morning and delivered in the evening, making resupply far more convenient than the Tibetan route. If we abandon the nearby route and seek the distant one, we will only waste the nation's resources. If we divide our troops to garrison Tibet, how many can we possibly defeat Jinchuan? At that time, the local chieftains will follow suit, and the southwestern frontier may no longer be ours.”
After a pause, Li Lin pointed to the map and said, "If we ignore this and head towards Tibet, our army will be in danger of being attacked from both sides. If they cut off our supplies from the rear, with Tibet far ahead and no reinforcements from the rear, our army will be in grave danger."
At this moment, Zhang Chun also realized what was going on and said, "If we take a detour to Tibet, the Tibetan tribes will surely realize the court's fear of war, and the turmoil on the border will intensify; if we go straight to the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan and wipe them out in one fell swoop, then our power will extend to the southwest, and we will be intimidated in all directions. Only then can we manage the southwest and secure our Tibetan border with a solid foundation."
Then, Zhang Chun spoke from a political perspective: "In the Tibetan territory, religions are powerful and deeply entrenched, and their intentions are subtle and difficult to fathom. If our army rashly advances into Tibet, the religious elites and local chieftains will inevitably become suspicious of each other, and may even collude with foreign invaders to launch a counterattack, only increasing the chaos in Tibet."
If we first pacify the nearby Jinchuan and Dajinchuan regions, removing obstacles to entry into Tibet, and once the roads are clear and the foundation is solid, then we can gradually plan the development of Tibet to secure its borders. This is a strategy of proceeding from near to far, from easy to difficult.
Zhao Yu understood immediately. Zhang Chun, including Li Lin, was referring to the reason why Emperor Qianlong attacked the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan during the Qing Dynasty.
To be honest, Zhao Yu didn't know if there was such a reason for his reign, so he looked at Li Yanxian and asked her to argue with Zhang Chun.
Li Yanxian did not disappoint Zhao Yu. He said, "Your Majesty, I truly do not understand why attacking Tibet by taking a detour would cause the Tibetan tribes to despise our Great Song. Nor do I understand how spending money and effort to fight the treacherous terrain of the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions, which is bound to result in the deaths of many soldiers, can deter all sides. Furthermore, regarding Tibetan religion, if our Great Song conquers Tibet and Tibetan religion submits to our Great Song's control, which is beneficial to our Great Song's rule over Tibet, then we will spare them; otherwise, we will kill them all. Why be so afraid?"
Next, Li Yanxian explained to Zhao Yu from a military perspective that if the Song army entered Tibet via established routes such as the Qinghai-Tibet Road and the Qinghai-Tangshan Road, they could start from the northwest, pass through Qinghai, and enter Tibet, completely bypassing the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions in western Sichuan. Furthermore, relying on the Hehuang military-agricultural system established after the opening of the Xihe border to ensure logistics, they could advance their plan to recover Tibet along the northwest route, without needing to encounter the treacherous and easily defensible Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions.
Li Yanxian confidently declared that as long as he mobilized the Western Army stationed in Qinghai and the grassland cavalry who had lived on the Mongolian Plateau, and gave him 80,000 men, he would surely be able to pacify Tibet for His Majesty very quickly.
At that time, if Your Majesty still wanted to attack the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan, you could have easily moved south from the eastern Tibetan Plateau and exerted a superior position to suppress the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan, which were entrenched in the valleys.
The watchtower fortifications relied upon by the Da Jinchuan and Xiao Jinchuan tribes would lose much of their deterrent effect during a top-down attack.
Furthermore, after conquering Tibet, the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions would be caught in a "besieged" situation, meaning that to their east would be the Song army stationed in Sichuan, and to their west would be the Song army that had returned after entering Tibet. The tribes of Greater and Lesser Jinchuan would find it difficult to concentrate their forces for defense, and the difficulty of the Song army's assault would be significantly reduced.
Furthermore, the news of the entire Tibetan territory's submission would put immense psychological pressure on the tribes of the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions. The Song Dynasty would likely be able to force them to submit through appeasement. Even if military action was necessary, it would most likely be a small-scale, swift conflict, and there would be no need for the massive expenditure of national resources on a protracted war, as Zhao Yu and his contemporaries had feared.
...(End of chapter)