Chapter 5129: Entering Tang as a Hostage

Chapter 5129: Entering Tang as a Hostage
The Qinghai Lake was covered with heavy snow. The snowflakes melted instantly when they fell into the lake, and a cloud of smoke rose up. The scene was desolate and bleak, and there were no birds in sight.

Lun Qinling rode into Fuqi City. His handsome face was no longer there. He had been on the front line of the war with Tubo for a long time. He had formulated tactics so many times, braved arrows and stones so many times, and charged into battle so many times. He was exhausted both physically and mentally. His cheeks were deeply sunken, his hair was messy with fleas crawling around, and his tangled beard covered most of his face. Only his deep eyes were bright and fierce.

The battle was extremely arduous, but it also provided indescribable spiritual training, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, exuding domineering power and awe-inspiring majesty without even being angry.

The rising star of the Gar tribe has now grown into a famous general who can compete with Songtsen Gampo and even the entire Tubo.

At the city gate, countless tribesmen crowded there, vying to witness the "triumphant return" of this tribal hero. When they saw Lun Qinling riding past with his arms raised high, they burst into earth-shaking cheers.

In the city, Zan Xiruo, Zan Po, and Bolun Zanren who had returned earlier, were all lined up outside the gate to greet them.

Lun Qinling dismounted from his horse, strode forward, hugged and greeted his brothers one by one.

They patted each other's shoulders and backs vigorously, their eyes filled with tears and they were deeply moved.

Then, they walked into the door hand in hand.

"Hu~~"

With the help of Bolun Zanren, Lun Qinling took off his armor and threw it aside. He turned around and knelt on the carpet. He grabbed the wine glass on the table and drank it all. He let out a long breath and seemed to be alive again.

They started their army in Fuqi City and marched southwards to capture cities and territories. Although they won many victories, they were always tense and did not dare to slack off for a moment. The long-term high pressure made their minds full of negative emotions. It was not until they returned to Fuqi City at this moment that they felt all the burdens were unloaded and they felt very light for a moment.

Looking around, a smile appeared on his thin and haggard face, and he said with emotion: "I am finally back alive to see my brothers and sisters, it's great!"

He is fearless on the battlefield, but who is really not afraid of death?
Better to die than live.

However, the brothers were not too happy. Zanpo said anxiously, "What's good? Father and fourth brother have fallen into the hands of thieves. Their lives are hanging by a thread. They are in danger. Hurry up and find a way to rescue them!"

Lun Qinling pointed at the wine glass, and Lun Zanren beside him quickly grabbed the wine jug and filled the glass. Lun Qinling drank it all again, wiped the wine stains on his beard with his palm, and looked at Zan Xiruo.

"Brother, do you have any rules?"

Zan Xiruo said calmly, "The problem now is not the lives of my father and fourth brother, but how the Gar tribe will decide."

The brothers were silent for a moment.

Although they were worried about the safety of their father and brother, everyone knew that even Lu Dongzan was insignificant when it came to the survival of the tribe.

When necessary, no one is not expendable.

Of course, Lu Dongzan holds all the prestige in the Gar tribe and is almost equivalent to a "god-like" existence. If anyone issues such an order without regard for his life or death, he will be opposed and resisted by the entire tribe, which will easily cause internal turmoil and even division.

Zanpo said anxiously: "What do you mean? Are you going to disregard the lives of father and fourth brother? Absolutely not!"

Bolun Zanren also said loudly: "I don't care about anything else. I will never back down from my brother's orders, no matter what the situation. But if you ignore the lives of my father and brother, I won't agree!"

"Okay, keep your voice down!"

Lun Qinling had a headache. He stopped his two younger brothers and looked at Zan Xiruo and asked, "Brother, if you have any ideas, why not tell us and we can discuss it together."

Zan Xiruo said helplessly: "Just look at the two of them and you will know the attitude of the whole clan. Apart from submitting to the Tang Dynasty, what other choice do they have?"

Lun Qinling nodded: "There is nothing wrong with submitting to the Tang Dynasty. Didn't my father do that before? But what we did this time has angered the Tang Dynasty. It is difficult to continue to gain their trust. If we want them to accept it, it is not enough to just talk about it."

It's easy to destroy trust, but extremely difficult to rebuild it.

It is just like the saying “a broken mirror cannot be mended”.

Zan Xiruo said: "It's not that there is no other way. I will go to Chang'an as a hostage."

There are six people, father, sons and brothers, half of whom are hostages. What else does the Tang Dynasty have to worry about?
Even if Lun Qinling later regretted tearing up the agreement and wanted to rebel against the Tang Dynasty, abandoning the lives of his father and brothers, few people in the tribe would follow him. In fact, because Lu Dongzan, Zan Xiruo and Xi Duoyu were all in the hands of the Tang Dynasty, if the Gar tribe changed, they could immediately send troops in the name of these three people to attack, and the entire Gar tribe would immediately fall into division.

Lu Dongzan is too old and Xiduoyu is not important enough, so let's add the eldest son of the Gar tribe!
Lun Qinling shook his head and said, "Brother is the eldest son, how can he be a hostage? Moreover, I am not as good as him in governing the tribe. My strength lies in marching and fighting, which is what the Tang people fear."

The implication is that in the eyes of the Tang people, he is obviously a greater threat than Zan Xiruo, so his weight is naturally greater...

Praise is speechless.

After a while, he slowly said, "That's good... And the Tang people are not united. Countless news shows that the struggle between civil officials and military officials is very fierce. Although Fang Jun is favored by the Tang emperor, he cannot have his say. If we can get the support of the civil officials, our safety will be greatly increased."

He had also read "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, so he naturally understood such a simple strategy of "separation".

Of course, it is not really a "separation", but if we can make good use of the struggle between the civil and military officials of the Tang Dynasty, we can get better treatment for the Gar tribe and eliminate some dangers...

Zanpo said quickly: "How can this be done? The two brothers are the foundation of the tribe, and neither of them can be missing. Why don't you let me go!"

Bo Lun Zan Ren also said: "I'll go!"

"Take a break!"

Lun Qinling laughed and scolded, "Is it a matter of whoever wants to go? The two of you are so different in importance!"

After that, he patted the two men on the shoulders and said in a deep voice: "Going to the Tang Dynasty as a hostage may seem extremely dangerous and life-threatening, but in fact, the danger is not that great. On the contrary, the mission left behind is more important. You must assist your brother well and not act on impulse."

When Zanpo and Bolun Zanren heard the word "assist", they finally understood.

It was certainly dangerous to go to the Tang Dynasty as a hostage, but my second brother had to go.

Although this battle started off well but ended badly and did not achieve the strategic goal, it also caused Lun Qinling's reputation to soar, and he was praised as "the best general of Tubo". However, there cannot be two tigers in one mountain, and as Lun Qinling's reputation grew, the pressure on Zan Xiruo grew.

Although Tubo did not have the so-called "primogeniture system", Zan Xiruo had done an impeccable job for many years both as an elder brother and as the heir of the Gar tribe. Moreover, his deep penetration behind enemy lines and connection with various tribes also played a huge role.

If my father were here, everything would be easy.

Now that my father is gone, one of my two brothers will have to become the leader of the tribe...

In many cases, power struggles are not determined by personal will. No matter who becomes the leader, the other person will become a huge threat.

If this continues, even more terrifying things might happen.

The second brother insisted on going to the Tang Dynasty as a hostage in order to avoid the situation of brothers fighting against each other and killing each other, and then voluntarily give up the right to inherit the tribal leader...

Lun Qinling looked at Zan Xiruo and said apologetically, "Brother, please don't blame me for shirking my responsibility. I was really exhausted from fighting this battle. It's a good opportunity for me to go to the prosperous land of the Tang Dynasty to recuperate for two years and recover my strength. I'll leave the matter of Fushi City to you, brother."

He stood up from his seat and knelt on the ground.

Zanpo and Bolun Zanren looked at each other, then quickly stood up and knelt aside.

Zansiruo knelt steadily and accepted the worship of his brothers, thus establishing his status as the leader of the Gar tribe.

There was no avoidance of responsibility just because Lu Dongzan was in the enemy camp. The trust between father and son and brothers made the transfer of power without any doubts.

However, Zan Xiruo looked heavy-hearted and sighed, "You escaped responsibility and saved your reputation. Everyone in the world knows that you are an upright hero who is willing to die bravely. Yet, you entrusted me with such a heavy responsibility. This is a bit too much."

Lun Qinling looked haggard, with matted hair and beard, but at this moment his smile was as bright as the sun: "You are the elder brother, and I am the younger brother. The elder brother works harder, and the younger brother is lazy. Isn't this just as it should be?"

Zan Xiruo said no more, turned around and greeted his brothers solemnly.

He got the power he wished for, but at the same time, he also shouldered heavy responsibilities.

Lun Qinling went to Chang'an and was willing to be a hostage. Everyone knew his humbleness and praised his broad-mindedness, which put pressure on him - if he could not revitalize the Gar tribe and make the people survive between the two countries, how could he be worthy of Lun Qinling who gave up his power and was willing to be a hostage?
If he failed to live up to expectations and failed to become a qualified leader, Qin Ling would be the hero but he would be cursed by his people.

There is gratitude towards his brother for giving up his power, but there is also resentment towards being burned at the stake by his brother.

That night, the brothers drank all night and talked heartily. They discussed how the Gar tribe could survive and grow stronger, missed their father and brothers who were still far away, and felt sad about the separation and the road of life and death in the future. When they were drunk, they burst into tears.

Finally fell asleep with feet touching each other.

The next morning, Zan Xiruo collected all the valuables in the storehouse and loaded them onto the ox cart. Lun Qinling did not refuse. He was going to Chang'an as a hostage. If he wanted to have a good relationship with the enemy in the heart of the country, how could he be without money and treasures?

In the afternoon, Lun Qinling brought his wife and children to bid farewell to Zan Xiruo outside Fushi City. Tens of thousands of clansmen swarmed along the road outside the city to see him off.

Lun Qinling knew that he would never be able to return to this place in this lifetime, and he burst into tears on the spot. He got into the car and was escorted to Dadouba Valley by Zanpo and Bolun Zanren.

His son Gong Ren sat on the shaft of the cart, curiously watching the towering Fuqi City moving away behind him bit by bit, and the scenery ahead kept changing...

What kind of place is Chang'an?