hsntnovel Chapter 2423 Swear to the Ancestors
Chapter 2423 Swear to the Ancestors
Hostages generally refer to people who are sent to other countries. In most cases, they are male members of noble birth, such as princes and crown princes.
It mostly appeared in the pre-Qin period and was a symbol and bargaining chip of political mutual trust between the vassal states.
Li Shen knew a little about this matter because there were also many hostages in Chang'an City.
It's just that they don't call it that on the surface. For example, Kim Uirang of Silla was a royal aristocrat, but his three generations were held as hostages.
I will give you an official position in the Tang Dynasty and let you live a decent life.
The same was true for other vassal states, who all sent hostages in the name of seeking education, and the Tang Dynasty did not impose any restrictions on them.
You can come if you want to, and leave if you want to. It all depends on your attitude.
Because of its strength, the Tang Dynasty did not care about these things. It was also because of its strength that these small countries took the initiative to send hostages.
But I have never heard of a king of a country being a hostage. That is no different from surrendering.
Unless he was captured after his country was destroyed, why would he go to the other side's capital?
The meaning of Songtsen Gampo's question was very clear: did King Ji want to forcibly take him to the capital?
Do you want him to be a proton there?
Li Shen was obviously stunned. He didn't expect Songtsen Gampo to speak so bluntly. We are all civilized people, so can't we be more subtle when speaking?
Isn't there a saying that goes "see through, don't speak out"? If you say it like that, everyone will be embarrassed.
"What are you talking about? How could you let the Zamp be a hostage? When the Zamp arrives in Chang'an, Your Majesty will definitely treat him as a guest of honor.
When the Zamp's condition improves, he can leave whenever he wants, and I will not stop him in the slightest."
Li Shen's face was very serious, and he was almost about to curse or swear.
But Songtsen Gampo still had no expression on his face. He would not believe what the King Ji said. Now the situation was obvious.
Prince Ji just wanted to bring himself back to Chang'an City, and judging from the situation, Prince Ji seemed determined to get him.
However, he had been mentally prepared, otherwise he would not have brought only 3,000 cavalrymen.
He even thought that after arriving here, King Ji would kill him immediately or not save him.
"Why, Zamp still doesn't believe in me?" Li Shen asked when he saw Songtsen Gampo remained silent.
Songtsen Gampo shook his head:
"Of course I don't trust Prince Ji. Now that things have come to this, you and I both know that I won't be able to leave Chang'an.
However, if Prince Ji wants to use me to threaten Tubo, I'm afraid you will be disappointed.
Since I dared to come here alone, I must have prepared for the worst and passed the throne to my grandson.
He also left behind all his loyal ministers and generals. Among the ministers who followed him this time, except for the Grand Chancellor, the others were representatives of various forces.
Their life or death is not important. Even if I die, Tibet will not be in chaos, and my Tibetan army will still be in the hands of the royal court."
Songtsen Gampo smiled. He was a smart man. He told Li Shen the interests involved first, which meant that it was useless even if you caught him.
I have already arranged my funeral arrangements.
Upon hearing this, Li Shen looked at Wang Xuance. They had both guessed this yesterday.
When a king of a country is about to die, he will definitely entrust his son to someone else.
"Zanpu, your words really disappoint me. I treat you like a close friend, yet you don't trust me."
Li Shen suddenly raised three fingers when he said this:
"I, Li Shen, the seventh generation descendant of the Li family and the tenth son of the current emperor, swear to our ancestors that I will never prevent the Tibetan king from leaving or staying.
If anyone takes this oath, both humans and gods will be outraged and will be punished by heaven."
The sudden oath made the room quiet. Wang Xuance looked at Li Shen blankly. This part was not included in their discussion just now.
Besides, isn’t your oath a bit too serious? You even swear by our ancestors. If His Majesty knew about this, wouldn’t he beat you to death?
This is extremely unfilial. Generally speaking, even when cursing or swearing, few people would swear by their ancestors.
In this era, the word "filial piety" cannot be achieved by just talking about it or posting two videos.
It must be done in a real way. Those who are unfilial will be looked down upon and will not be able to hold an official position.
After Gao Luxin's mother's death, he refused to eat to show his filial piety. Upon hearing this, Li Shimin ordered him to eat, otherwise he would have starved to death.
Finally, he was appreciated by Li Shimin and was given important positions.
In this era, there is no excuse for being unfilial. Being busy with work or having a family to support are just excuses for being unfilial.
Even if ordinary people have no income every year, they still have to support their parents. Even if there is no food in a disaster year, they still have to make sure their parents have enough to eat. This is filial piety.
Now this Prince Ji actually dares to swear by his ancestors. Either he is sincere or he is committing treason.
Songtsen Gampo was also familiar with Tang culture and knew that the Tang Dynasty ruled the world with filial piety.
He also didn't expect that King Ji would actually swear on his own ancestors in order to make him believe it. Isn't this a bit too ridiculous?
What would he do if he really left after arriving in Chang'an City?
While Songtsen Gampo was thinking, Li Shen spoke again:
"Well, Zamp, I've already sworn a solemn oath. Don't you believe in my sincerity?"
"Your Highness Prince Ji, I wonder why you do this?" Songtsen Gampo couldn't help but ask.
Li Shen's eyes became quiet and silent, losing focus and becoming somewhat deep.
"That's because you and my father are very similar when we were young. You both built our empires single-handedly, you both worked diligently, abided by your own rules, and you both aspired to make life better for the people.
I have admired my father very much since I was young. Whenever I see my father reviewing memorials at midnight, I feel very heartbroken.
Zamp, you are still young and have a lot to do. The future of the Tibetan people depends on you.
There are conflicts of interest between nations, but ordinary people in the world are innocent."
"Prince Ji is so righteous~~" Mother Mangbujie Shangnang was deeply moved by what Li Shen said.
Songtsen Gampo did not expect that King Ji would say such a profound truth.
Could it be that I had seen it wrong? Could it be that Prince Ji was not as treacherous as he appeared to be, but actually had the whole world in his heart?
"What Prince Ji said is admirable, and His Majesty the Emperor is even more admirable. I cannot be compared with His Majesty the Emperor."
Songtsen Gampo was delighted. King Ji was comparing him with the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty in beauty, which was a kind of affirmation for him.
But he still responded modestly.
“Zanpu is too modest. When I was young, I also wanted to emulate Aye and conquer the world, but I was too lazy and didn’t like martial arts. I feel a little regretful now that I have grown up.
Seeing the Zamp’s heroic figure today made me extremely envious and I wanted to make friends with him.”
Li Shen showed an envious expression.
"Haha, Prince Ji, there's no need to belittle yourself. Everyone has their own aspirations. Prince Ji's achievements are one in a million. We warriors are far behind."
(Let me teach you some useless knowledge. Zhang Sanfeng is from Northeast China. He was born in Yizhou, Liaodong. This Yizhou, Liaodong is located in Tayingzi Town, Fuxin Mongolian Autonomous County, Fuxin City, Liaoning Province.
Qiao Feng, a Khitan, is also from Northeast China.
Murong Fu is also from Northeast China.
Yang Kang was born in Jin Zhongdu, which is now the capital.)