Chapter 98: The Decline of the Turkic Empire

As previously mentioned, Gongyi is situated just past Luoyang, a mere distance of one hundred and forty li. In just two days, Cai Cong arrived. Without even entering the city, he boarded a boat directly from the wharf, heading straight for Chang'an.

The situation in Chang'an was in utter turmoil. Civil strife had broken out among the Turks; Tuli had already expressed his allegiance, promising to lead his tribe to defect to the Great Tang at the first opportunity.

Mengnaitele, having been cut off from the supplies provided by the Great Tang, found himself unable to cope with Jieli’s ever-growing appetite. On a full-moon night, he severed the head of Jieli’s envoy and launched a rebellion, declaring himself the Wolf Khan. Unfortunately, his methods were far inferior to Jieli’s, and he was currently suffering defeat after defeat.

However, whenever someone raises the standard of revolt, people flock to the cause. The Turkic lands were in a state of chaos, held together only by the brutal suppression of various tribes by force.

Under these circumstances, the officials at court could naturally no longer sit still, and one after another, they submitted memorials requesting a military expedition against the Turks. To trample upon Jieli’s tent and seize this opportunity was the greatest aspiration in the heart of every military commander.

Yet, some ministers saw clearly that the time was not yet ripe. If a war were launched at this moment, the Turks would surely set aside their internal grievances and unite against the Tang. Dispatching troops now would not only fail to destroy the Turks, but would instead help Jieli solidify his support.

Therefore, they vehemently opposed the campaign. Dai Zhou presented ten reasons against the war, detailing the arguments with such impassioned eloquence that Cheng Yaojin spat in his face.

Yuchi Gong, shameless and stubborn, kept harping on how he had once shielded the Emperor with his own body and saved his life, insisting that he must be the one to lead the troops against the Turks to settle the score.

Fang Xuanling spat right back into Yuchi Gong’s face, retorting that the debate was about whether to fight at all, not about who should lead the army, and demanding he stop muddying the waters.

Could Yuchi Gong take such an insult? He immediately began to curse loudly. For a time, the court was filled with such chaotic vitriol that had Li Shimin not kept a tight lid on things, a brawl would surely have broken out.

Li Shimin watched the squabbling below without intervening. Ruling subordinates requires both benevolence and majesty, but above all, it requires balance. What began as a disorganized argument soon devolved into a clash between the civil and military factions. This was exactly what Li Shimin wanted to see; if the civil and military officials were in complete harmony, he would have felt unsettled.

As a boat docked at the Wei River wharf, riders leapt ashore and galloped toward the city gate. Someone started to curse, but upon seeing the riders wearing feathers in their caps and cloaks stained with blood, they immediately fell silent in terror.

Soldiers at the city gate attempted to intercept the riders, but realizing this was an eight-hundred-li urgent dispatch, they immediately brandished their spears to clear a path through the commoners, allowing the messenger to speed through. Upon reaching the palace gate, he discarded his weapons and hurried toward the Hall of Deliberation without a moment’s delay.

"Report! Eight-hundred-li urgent dispatch! Eight-hundred-li urgent dispatch..." The calls, each louder than the last, brought the court’s arguing to a halt. Who was sending an eight-hundred-li dispatch? Had something happened at the borders?

"Report! An eight-hundred-li urgent dispatch from the General Controller of Shandong, Earl Cai Cong. I beg Your Majesty to review it."

Everyone present breathed a sigh of relief; as long as it wasn't a crisis at the border, it was fine. They had heard that Cai Cong was almost at Chang'an, so to use an eight-hundred-li dispatch for this was simply outrageous.

The last time he was assassinated, his safety concerned the Emperor’s own reputation, so the urgent dispatch was justified. But this time, if there were no convincing reason, the censors would certainly impeach him.

"Present it!" Li Shimin commanded with majesty. A eunuch immediately took the document, inspected it to ensure it was in order, and then presented it to the Emperor.

Li Shimin remained silent after reading it. The method for refining salt left him overjoyed. He did not care about the remnants of Li Youliang, nor did he care that Gan Xinda was dead; what he cared about was Cai Cong’s attitude. If Cai Cong harbored ill feelings toward him because of Gan Xinda, how could he make amends? At that moment, Li Shimin was thinking of reconciliation, not of silencing Cai Cong, which showed just how high a position Cai Cong held in his heart.

"Your Majesty, what is the purpose of this eight-hundred-li dispatch?" Du Ruhui stepped out and asked. Misuse of such dispatches was punishable by caning.

"The Earl of Chang’an was ambushed by remnants of Li Youliang’s faction while traveling. Over a hundred of his men died protecting him, and the Earl requests that they be granted additional compensation," Li Shimin said languidly.

Du Ruhui immediately jumped in, saying, "Your Majesty, to use an eight-hundred-li dispatch for such a trivial matter is a waste of resources. I request that the Earl of Chang’an be punished with the cane."

Wasting money and grain was a serious charge. For an eight-hundred-li dispatch, all officials and travelers must yield. If they did not, and were struck by the horses, the riders bore no guilt.

"Do not be hasty in your judgment. The Earl’s memorial states that he has discovered a method to refine salt, turning toxic salt into clear, edible salt. If this method proves successful, our Great Tang will never suffer from a salt shortage again," Li Shimin said calmly, though the smile in the corners of his eyes could no longer be contained.

In the Great Tang, salt was a scarce commodity. The vast empire relied on the meager amounts produced by sun-drying seawater or from salt wells, which were far from sufficient. With the Turks cutting off the salt routes from Qinghai, even for the common people of the Tang, eating salt every day was a luxury.

"Your Majesty, is this true?" Before Du Ruhui could respond, Fang Xuanling and Zhangsun Wuji stepped out in unison to ask.

"The method is attached to the memorial. We need only test it to know if it is true or false," Li Shimin said with a chuckle. With salt, his soldiers would no longer be weak and listless; they would grow stronger, and then where in the world could they not conquer?

"How many of you carried these feathers?" Du Ruhui turned to the messenger and demanded.

"Four of us, sir," the messenger replied, startled and without hesitation.

"Guards, take him away. Keep the four of them in isolation. Do not allow them any contact with anyone, nor allow anyone to speak to them. But do not neglect their food and drink."

After giving these orders, Du Ruhui turned back to Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, the matter is of great importance. I have overstepped my bounds in this hall; I ask for punishment."

"Ha ha, what crime have you committed, my loyal minister? This is exactly how one should act." Li Shimin said with satisfaction. What he admired most about Du Ruhui was his decisiveness. If it weren't for the Eighteen Scholars forcing the issue last year, how could he have resolved to fight Li Jiancheng to the death? And the man leading that charge was none other than Du Ruhui.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I hear the Earl of Chang’an brought only two thousand soldiers and has faced constant trouble along the way. Perhaps we should send someone to meet and escort him," Du Ruhui suggested loudly. He had wanted to discipline Cai Cong just a moment ago, but now he treated him like a treasure—this was the character of the meritorious officials of the Lingyan Pavilion: they judged the matter, not the person.

"Ha ha, that will not be necessary. If my calculations are correct, Cai Cong is already on the Grand Canal and will arrive in Chang’an in two days. Let us first test this salt-refining method. If it succeeds, I shall send the Crown Prince thirty li outside the city to welcome him."

Li Shimin smiled. He was eighty percent sure it would work; Cai Cong was not the type to make baseless claims. If it were unsuccessful, he would not have included it in the memorial. The remaining twenty percent was his fear that Cai Cong might be harboring some resentment and had intentionally held something back.

"A noble gesture. If it succeeds, this old minister will accompany the Crown Prince to welcome him," Li Gang said, stroking his beard and nodding. If this were successful, it would be a feat for the ages, and for an old man like him to welcome the victor was something Cai Cong deserved.

"Then I, Old Black, must go too! This is a man who has attained the Dao, a master of the celestial arts! I’ve long wanted to apprentice myself to learn such magic!" Yuchi Gong’s voice was like a booming bell, so loud he seemed afraid others might not hear him.

A flash of brilliance crossed Li Shimin’s eyes, and he said lightly, "Then let us wait here. We shall have the method tested first. If successful, the Crown Prince, Master Li, and Jingde shall go thirty li outside the city to welcome him."

With that, he clapped his hands, and Yan Dong led the way out with the formula. The monarch and his ministers continued to discuss state affairs, though they were somewhat distracted. If this formula proved effective, while it would be a benefit for all eternity, the shock to the status quo would be immense. How many salt merchants and powerful clans would be wiped out?

Was it not true that a thousand years later, the Qing Dynasty would keep salt under state control? If this formula existed now, the landscape would surely change drastically. Li Shimin’s mind also wandered; he was already thinking about how much wealth he could extract from the clans if this salt formula succeeded.

In this strange atmosphere, over an hour passed. Suddenly, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed from outside the hall. Yan Dong entered, holding a tray covered with silk, upon which sat grains of salt.