Chapter 2122: The Countries Move!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“And what of the Great Tang?” the Tsenpo suddenly asked. “Is the Great Tang really not affected at all? We recall that they still have several steel fortresses at the triangular gap, yes?
“And what of the Western Regions? What are all those little kingdoms doing right now?”
The steel fortresses w.a.n.g Chong had erected on the northeast corner of the Tibetan Plateau had been a constant problem for Ü-Tsang. They should have been in the first area to suffer from this disaster.
Although Ü-Tsang had suffered heavy losses, if the Tang army at the triangular gap was completely wiped out, the losses would be somewhat more acceptable.
A Tibetan general in charge of gathering intelligence reported, “Your Majesty, long before the ice storm, the Great Tang withdrew all its soldiers from the triangular gap. The triangular gap is currently an abandoned city, and they have completely given up on it!
“We’ve sent men to investigate and found not a single Tang there!
“As for the kingdoms of the Western Regions, they’re divided into two groups. One crossed the Cong Mountains into Arabia while the other retreated into the interior of the Great Tang!”
“What?!”
The Tsenpo instantly scowled.
Under w.a.n.g Chong’s command, the Great Tang had gone through great lengths to invade and occupy the triangular gap, even erecting a steel fortress there.
Ever since then, the steel fortress in the triangular gap had been the greatest of threats to Ü-Tsang.
But to everyone’s surprise, the Great Tang had so easily abandoned the triangular gap it had worked so hard to take.
“This b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”
The Tsenpo clenched his fists, his expression nasty.
The generals in the hall lowered their heads.
Compared to Ü-Tsang, the Great Tang was clearly much more prepared.
Dalon Trinling seemed to realize something and turned to another general. “Manggele, several days ago, I had you investigate how the Great Tang was dealing with this disaster. Do you have any news?”
With a strange expression on his face, the Tibetan general bowed and said, “Imperial Minister, Tsenpo, we have found that as the Great Tang is positioned more to the south than us, and because they have the Turks in the north to buffer them, they have not suffered any severe damage from this disaster as of yet.
“But we have also discovered something strange. Long before the great cold wave began to move south, the Great Tang’s King of Foreign Lands began to purchase large quant.i.ties of kerosene from Arabia. At the time, we believed that this was for military purposes, but now, the matter no longer appears as simple.
“Besides kerosene, the Great Tang has also acc.u.mulated large quant.i.ties of coal, cotton, and wool. It has also bought large quant.i.ties of grain which it has recently distributed to all its provinces. It appears that they were prepared for the cold front several months before it arrived.
Bang!
The hall exploded into an uproar.
“How could this be? Two months ago, there was no sign of a cold wave anywhere in the continent. How could they have been ready so early?”
“Could it be a coincidence?”
“Impossible! Kerosene, cotton, coal, wool… these items are all used to resist cold. If they didn’t know about it beforehand, how could they have started preparing two months ahead of time, and how could they have acc.u.mulated so much?!”
“If that’s true, then the Great Tang’s King of Foreign Lands is far too frightening!”
All of the people in the hall had incredulous looks on their faces, like they had seen a ghost.
Dalon Trinling said nothing, his head lowered and his eyes twitching.
As the Imperial Minister revered by all Tibetans, Dalon Trinling was renowned throughout the world for his intelligence.
But not even Dalon Trinling could see through many of the actions of that youth of the Great Tang.
All the other countries had been left in disarray by the great cold wave.
But long before anyone else, w.a.n.g Chong had begun to buy food, cotton, and other such items. It had all seemed very normal at the time, and who could have imagined that these things would be connected to the great cold wave?
Truly unfathomable!
As these thoughts flashed through Dalon Trinling’s mind, his heart was filled with fear.
Only this young War Saint could exert such immense pressure on him!
“There’s not much time left…” Dalon Trinling muttered so softly that only he could hear.
Ü-Tsang couldn’t last for long. A solution needed to be found before that cold wave fully descended.
Whoos.h.!.+
The oppressive air was broken by the flapping of wings.
A few moments later, a Tibetan general received the messenger bird and said, “Tsenpo, Imperial Minister, a letter from Youzhou!”
“Again about the alliance?” Dalon Trinling said.
The general glanced at the contents of the letter before replying, “Yes!”
Dalon Trinling nodded, completely unsurprised.
He had already received several letters from An Yaluoshan asking him to make a decision on the alliance, but Dalon Trinling had still not made his stance clear.
He knew more than anyone else what An Yaluoshan wanted.
This new Andong Protector-General had an ambition far greater than his status, and a greed and daring that far exceeded those of the other countries. For these various countries, this sort of internal discord in the Great Tang was a gift delivered right to their doorsteps.
Dalon Trinling also had no objections to this Hu Protector-General.
But Dalon Trinling had always been cautious about this request of An Yaluoshan’s.
The past was an example for the future! Even the mighty Arabian Empire with its million invincible cavalry had been vanquished by the Great Tang, let alone a country like Ü-Tsang!
The Great Tang now was not the Great Tang of the past. Even though Dalon Trinling wanted revenge, he needed to be extremely cautious.
“But, Imperial Minister, this time is somewhat different. Besides An Yaluoshan in Youzhou, the leaders of Goguryeo, the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, the Khitans, and the Xi have also sent letters!” the general added.
“What?”
Dalon Trinling raised his head in surprise, his body trembling.
The general quickly offered up the letters.
Whoos.h.!.+
Dalon Trinling waved his hand, upon which the letters shot through the air and into his grip.
Dalon Trinling quickly read through the letters, and his face began to change.
The general was right. The letter this time was different, as An Yaluoshan had convinced the Queen of the Xi, the King of the Khitans, Yeon Gaesomun of Goguryeo, and Ozmish Khagan of the Eastern Turks to send letters as well.
All of these letters were trying to convince Dalon Trinling and Ü-Tsang to make their stance known as soon as possible, to join their alliance against the Great Tang.
“An Yaluoshan, you truly did not let me down. If you could so quickly persuade all these other countries, I really underestimated you before!” Dalon Trinling muttered.
Even he was forced to look at An Yaluoshan with new eyes now.
Getting all the other countries on the same page was no easy task. He had not expected An Yaluoshan to progress so quickly.
“Imperial Minister, what does it say?” the Tsenpo asked.
Dalon Trinling did not directly answer, simply pa.s.sing the letters to him.
A few moments later, the Tsenpo finished reading, and with a solemn expression, he had the other generals in the hall read it.
Only by gathering ideas could one maximize benefit!
This was no simple war. The existence of Ü-Tsang was on the line.
When blizzards descended and ice sealed the world, even the vast Ü-Tsang Empire would face annihilation.
“Generals, what is your view?” the Tsenpo said a few moments later.
The generals fell silent, all of them turning in concert to Dalon Trinling.
At any time, there was only one person in the Ü-Tsang Empire who could truly decide.
The Imperial Minister!
“Imperial Minister, An Yaluoshan has settled everything.” A general broke the silence and voiced everyone’s thoughts. “The forces of Goguryeo, the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, the Xi, and the Khitans, combined with those of Youzhou, form an incredibly powerful faction. If we do not join now, then once An Yaluoshan succeeds, we will not be able to partake in any spoils, just close our eyes and wait for death atop the plateau!
“Moreover, the situation is already extremely unfavorable to us. Across the continent, the Great Tang has the best terrain. If we wish to avoid the blizzard, we must leave the plateau and enter the Central Plains. In addition, the Great Tang is clearly prepared, having stockpiled vast quant.i.ties of food, kerosene, coal, cotton, and wool… The resources of all the other countries added together probably do not even reach half of their stockpiles!
“If we wish to endure this bitter cold, we must attack the Great Tang!”
“Dalun Ruozan, Dusong Mangpoje, Huoshu Huicang… almost all of the elites of our Ü-Tsang have lost their lives to the Tang. No matter the time, the Great Tang will always be our Ü-Tsang’s greatest foe. Man cannot fight with the heavens. Only by joining with the other countries and attacking the Great Tang can we avenge those lost soldiers, and only then can we survive!”
Even Namri Songtian had turned to Dalon Trinling.
It was clear that he had the same idea as all the other generals.
Ü-Tsang was a mortal foe of the Great Tang, and with the internal discord within the Great Tang and An Yaluoshan commanding an army that could threaten the Great Tang, the other countries had an ideal opportunity.
“Let me think some more!”
Dalon Trinling closed his eyes and thought.
He understood what the generals were thinking, but this was a matter of utmost importance, and he could not make a decision recklessly.
The generals found it hard to conceal their disappointment.
But none of them dared to question the Imperial Minister’s decision.
Bwooom!
As everyone hesitated, the sound of a horn rang out through the royal palace.
As the horn blared, everyone’s minds s.h.i.+vered, and the image of a vast snowy mountain soaring into the heavens appeared in everyone’s minds!