ATPnovel Chapter 2667 Can’t Stay
Chapter 2667 Can’t Stay
When Songtsen Gampo heard that everything was done by King Ji alone, he suddenly felt uneasy.
In his view, on the surface, Prince Ji had already established his own power base, and all the wealth belonged to Prince Ji.
As a leader, he certainly knew that those in power would not allow any one entity to dominate.
The Tang emperors were wise and powerful; how could they allow one person's wealth to rival that of the entire nation?
This is very detrimental to the country.
Therefore, Songtsen Gampo asserted that while King Ji appeared to be accumulating wealth for himself, he was actually building up power for the Tang Dynasty's imperial family.
Everything Prince Ji did was tacitly approved by the Tang emperor.
“What the Zanpu means is…” Lu Dongzan stopped abruptly, but he made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand.
Niang Mangbu Jieshangnang immediately got up, went to the door, opened it, looked around and found no one, then nodded to the inside.
He didn't leave after closing the door; he stood guard at the entrance.
“That’s right, that’s exactly what I mean.” Songtsen Gampo nodded in affirmation.
“Your Majesty, this is probably not easy. The Prince Ji’s residence is heavily guarded, and it would be extremely difficult to infiltrate and assassinate him. A direct assault would be even more impossible.”
According to intelligence provided by our allies, there are 500 guards alone in Prince Ji's mansion, and Prince Ji's 100 personal guards are even more elite.
In addition, there were hundreds of servants and household guards in Prince Ji's mansion.
A direct assault would require at least two thousand men, but if we did, the Wuhou Guard would rush to our aid upon hearing the commotion, making success virtually impossible.
Lu Dongzan had considered these methods before, but he rejected them all in the end. Today, their king brought them up as well, so he could only offer an explanation.
In Chang'an, the safest place was the Imperial Palace, followed by the Prince Ji's residence. Of course, the Eastern Palace was part of the Imperial Palace.
"You're saying there are six hundred guards in Prince Ji's mansion? That's impossible. Doesn't he already have three thousand men around him?"
Could it be that the three thousand guards went to Prince Ji's residence after they returned?
Songtsen Gampo was somewhat puzzled, as he thought the Prince Ji's residence consisted of nothing more than a few servants and retainers.
In Chang'an, how could the nobles, except for the Crown Prince who had troops, be allowed to have troops?
Soldiers and retainers are different. Retainers are guards who know some martial arts. Many martial arts heroes would go to noble families to serve as retainers.
Soldiers are soldiers, soldiers who have undergone rigorous training and obey commands.
Their biggest difference lies in possessing legal weapons and equipment. For example, armor and crossbows are prohibited items.
Only soldiers can legally possess it.
The Prince Ji's residence was actually guarded by soldiers, making their combat capabilities incomparable.
"Reporting to the Zanpu, according to the information we have received, the Jiwang Palace is indeed guarded, and their equipment is excellent; many people have witnessed this firsthand."
Lu Dongzan nodded helplessly.
"So that means the Prince Ji's mansion actually has a guard of 3,600 people. Didn't you say that Prince Ji is not the legitimate son?"
No, even the eldest son wouldn't allow so many people in the capital.
Songtsen Gampo frowned, somewhat bewildered. Could it be that Prince Ji had some hidden identity?
Otherwise, how could there be so many people if there was only one emperor's son, and he was an illegitimate son?
“Zanpu, Prince Ji is indeed a son born out of wedlock. His birth mother is from the Wei clan of Guanzhong, and is now a concubine of His Majesty the Great Tang.”
As for why the Tang emperor allowed Prince Ji to have so many guards, I have no idea.
All that is known is that from the age of nine, Prince Ji received the favor of the Tang Emperor, rising rapidly in rank and even surpassing the Tang Crown Prince.
This is also what Lu Dongzan doesn't understand. Their king only has one son, so it's understandable that he would dote on him.
The Tang emperor was said to have more than a dozen sons.
Moreover, the Tang Dynasty emphasized the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, and illegitimate children had no status or position.
He couldn't understand why the Tang emperor would dote on a son born out of wedlock; it was simply incomprehensible.
"It seems this young man is no ordinary person; he must possess extraordinary abilities. Otherwise, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty would not have acted this way."
The more this is the case, the less this child can be allowed to live. Send a message back to the tribes, ordering them to gather their best warriors and come to Chang'an City. They must eliminate this child at all costs.
"If this child is in place, the Tang Dynasty might be thrown into chaos for a while, and then we can take advantage of the chaos to act."
Songtsen Gampo was filled with malice; killing was as simple as eating for him.
He felt that this Prince Ji was a hidden danger and would be a great threat to their Tubo in the future. Since he was a threat, he had to eliminate him, and at all costs.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't." Upon hearing Songtsen Gampo's words, Gar Tongtsen quickly advised him:
"Your Majesty, although this boy is a great threat, he is insignificant compared to Your Majesty, not to mention the difficulty of assassinating King Ji."
Even if the assassination succeeds, the Tang emperor's investigation will find that it was Tibet that caused the assassination, and he will be angry with the Zanpu (king). At that time, the Zanpu will probably be implicated.
For the sake of Tibet, the Zanpu (Tibetan king) cannot put himself in danger. Otherwise, how can he explain himself to his tribe upon returning?
"Yes, Your Majesty, King Ji is the lesser one, Your Majesty is the greater one. We must not allow Your Majesty to be put in danger because of King Ji."
We need to consider this matter carefully.
Even the maid at the door, Mangbujie Shangnang, chimed in, saying that as the Grand Chancellor, how could he not understand the meaning behind Lu Dongzan's words?
Their king is currently in enemy hands and could be killed at any moment, so they must act with extreme caution.
Songtsen Gampo was unwilling to accept this, as what Gar Tongtsen said did make sense, but his strong premonition made him very uneasy.
King Ji was the biggest threat to Tibet.
“Take a long-term view? Prime Minister, do you think we still have a chance? It’s not easy to assassinate Prince Ji in Chang’an, but if we go out, he will be accompanied by three thousand guards.”
On the way back, I discovered that his three thousand men were quite different from those border troops; they were disciplined and obeyed orders without question.
Even when walking, they maintain formation, ready to change formation and kill the enemy at any time.
These are clearly three thousand elite troops, many times stronger than the three thousand I brought.
"Let alone three thousand men, even five thousand warriors probably wouldn't be a match for them, let alone us."
Songtsen Gampo was somewhat annoyed. He couldn't get by as the governor within the city, and he had no chance outside either. Along the way, he observed that the guards of the Prince Ji's residence were too well-equipped.
The dark armor, along with various other equipment, gave off a ferocious aura.
Especially their lifeless appearance; normally, three thousand soldiers could remain silent during marches, with not a single one speaking.
This is enough to show how strict the military discipline of this team is.
Such a team often brings only two words: power.
“Zanpu, don’t be anxious. We can wait for the right moment and look for an opportunity. I don’t believe that King Ji will always be so vigilant.”
Seeing Songtsen Gampo's unwilling expression, Gar Tongtsen quickly comforted him.
However, he also knew that killing Prince Ji was no easy task. If it were easy, their allies would have killed Prince Ji long ago. Why would they have allowed Prince Ji to live until now?
(How can I break this habit of having to eat something in the middle of the night? I always feel restless if I don't eat.)