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Chapter 149:
Chapter 149:
Chapter 149:
Chapter 149
After the major battle, the first step naturally involved assessing the casualties and tallying the gains of the battle. Su Lis charge drew most of the Tubo front armys attention during this engagement. The subsequent Tang forces that followed didnt incur significant casualties. Amidst the combat, fewer than three hundred Tang soldiers were killed or injured. Just over a hundred perished, while the vast majority sustained minor injuries, with very few in critical condition. Considering the scale of the battle, this level of casualties was still quite remarkable.
As for the rewards of victory, they were even more astonishing. The entire 150,000-strong Tubo army had been completely obliterated. Nearly ten thousand were slain on the spot, with over a thousand attributed to Su Lis remarkable achievements. Another thousand or so were accidentally trampled to death in the chaos while attempting to avoid Su Li. The remaining 140,000 soldiers had been almost entirely captured, with virtually no resistance.
In hindsight, this outcome seemed quite reasonable. Before Songtsan Gampos rule, Tubo was fragmented. The relatively small territory was scattered with hundreds of large and small noble clans, each with private armies. Songtsan Gampo had spent over a decade eradicating rebellious forces within Tubo. Surrendering for Tubo soldiers was common, given their frequent allegiance shifts between noble clans, often serving todays masters and fighting for yesterdays enemies. In their perspective, surrendering more often might lead to a better life.
Regarding other spoils, at most, several tens of thousands of captured warhorses. However, Tubos warhorses were of low qualitysmall and low in stature. While they had good endurance and were suitable for transportation tasks, they werent particularly suitable as battle mounts.
As for gold, silver, and jewels, Tubos people were originally impoverished. Not long ago, they even gave Li Er gifts worth ten thousand taels of gold to recognize him as their adoptive father. However, the marriage alliance didnt ultimately materialize. Those offerings were likely still in Changan. In terms of wealth, the spoils were virtually nonexistent.
Additionally, several hundred captured Tang individuals were rescued from Tubo army camps. Despite achieving a great victory and capturing over a hundred thousand Tubo soldiers, there was almost nothing substantial to show for it aside from the prisoners and military achievements.
This situation left both Su Dingfang and Li Daozong in a dilemma. It was the first time that so many prisoners had been captured at once in the conflicts between the Tang Dynasty and various ethnic groups. Handling these captives was already a headache, as having over a hundred thousand captives created a significant and unstable situation wherever they were placed. They were currently struggling to devise a more suitable solution.
If they were in a different era, several hundred or a thousand years ago, executing or burying all these prisoners in a pit might not have raised many objections. In those times, generals had the authority to kill tens of thousands of captives with relative ease. However, the present times necessitated more considerate measures.
In the past, during the fierce battles between the Tang Dynasty and various ethnic groups, the cruelest action they took was to display a few heads in the capital as a warning to foreign powers. Furthermore, those heads usually came from fallen enemy warriors, making the killing of captives a rare occurrence.
Li Er, an emperor with ambitions for a lasting legacy, might even contemplate establishing himself as a supreme Khan of the ten thousand nations. As someone striving for that title, he would probably view massacring captive foreigners as severely as killing his own brothers. Nonetheless, before the expedition, Li Er had set the strategic objective for this campaignto eliminate Tubo. These more than a hundred thousand Tubo captives couldnt be brought along with the army, nor could they all be left in Song Zhou City. They were becoming quite a burden.
Upon learning about the situation, Su Dingfang and Li Daozong were perplexed. Su Li, who had just woken up refreshed from a nap, asked with a smile in the governors mansion, From what I know, the trade of people in the Western Regions has been ongoing despite bans. The price of over a hundred thousand strong laborers cant possibly be lower than that of livestock, right?
Li Daozong sighed and replied, You see them as slaves to be sold, but in the eyes of those small Western Region nations, perhaps these individuals are their best warriors. The consequences would be unimaginable if we were to just scatter these people across the Western Regions. Despite their weakness, the Tubo people were still stronger compared to those small Western Region nations. Selling over a hundred thousand Tubo warriors as slaves to those small nations might even amuse their kings.
Su Li pondered for a moment and suggested, Since we cant sell them to the Western Regions, then lets sell them to His Majesty. This idea left Li Daozong and Su Dingfang wide-eyed. You want to sell these captives to His Majesty?
Su Li shrugged and asked, Whats wrong with that? His casual tone left Li Daozong and Su Dingfang considering the feasibility of this plan. However, they also felt uneasy about it. Li Daozong questioned, We are fighting for the Tang Dynasty, for the Emperor. According to reason, shouldnt all the spoils belong to the Emperor? Why do you want to sell something that originally belonged to someone back to that person?
Su Li chuckled and explained, People, you see, are rather peculiar creatures. If you give something to them for free, they might even find it troublesome. But if you sell something to them, theyll become interested again. If you can devise a reason and set the price as high as possible, they might even swarm to it
Li Daozong and Su Dingfang remained silent, acknowledging the logic behind the argument, even though it was unconventional. Besides, the fifty thousand elite soldiers are mostly militia troops. Everyone pays for the war out of their own pockets, hoping to get some benefits. You cant just return with three slaves each. That wouldnt look good!
Su Lis reasoning eventually convinced the other two, and they left to contemplate the plan. Su Li began writing a memorial, proposing the idea of turning prisoners of war into slaves, suggesting that their quality was quite decent, and proposing a price of ten silver coins for each.
Meanwhile, there was sudden excitement in the usually tranquil city of Changan. A soldier bearing news of Song Zhous success rushed through the streets with a small flag, announcing, The report of Song Zhous success! Report of Song Zhous success! General Su Li wiped out 150,000 Tubo troops, defeated Tubos Prime Minister Lu Dongzan in battle, beheaded over 12,000 enemies, and captured more than 100,000 captives!
This victorious news created a massive sensation in the city. Although such reports were somewhat routine during the Zhenguan period, the news was particularly astounding this time. People wondered how there could already be news of victory, especially one of such a remarkable scale, considering that Su Lis army hadnt even reached the borders of Song Zhou if they were moving at a normal pace. This unexpected achievement raised countless doubts and questions among the citizens of Changan.