"Are you dead? Didn't you tell him that if he doesn't sell us grain, then all of the Cui family's businesses in Tubo will be in jeopardy. I can uproot them at any time. Don't they want to make this money?"
When Lu Dongzan said this, the people below knew that their Prime Minister had lost his mind. This would be a lose-lose situation. Even if the Cui family did not sell us grain, the Cui family's business in Tubo was also a prosperous market, which brought them a lot of goods from the Tang Dynasty, and even some banned items. If we fell out with the Cui family, we would have no channels to buy these things.
"It's no use. I told Master Cui, but he said that even if they don't do business in Tubo, they must preserve the Cui family's foundation. If the Prime Minister wants to wipe them out, then all of the Cui family's assets in Tubo will belong to the Prime Minister. However, they will also want our assets and various spies in the Tang Dynasty..."
This guy was so scared that he knelt down directly. After all, it was Master Cui San who threatened Lu Dongzan. If it was Master Cui San who said it himself, then they would have nothing to worry about. But if it came from his mouth, they would probably be in trouble. As expected, he was just like him. Before he could finish his words, he was kicked in the heart.
Many people around you also feel some sympathy. They are now in their forties or fifties. They left their wives and children to stay in the Tang Dynasty to help you collect news about the Tang Dynasty. Even if they have no credit, they have worked hard. Even if they have not worked hard, they are tired. It’s just that the news they reported was not right, and you beat them like this. Who will dare to work for you in the future?
"Cui family boy, come here..."
Lu Dongzan was so angry that he was shaking all over. When he was about to ask his men to confiscate all the properties of the Cui family, he suddenly calmed down. Lu Dongzan stood up and took a few deep breaths to make himself feel a little better. Even though he was holding a lot of anger in his chest, he couldn't lose his temper at this moment.
What Mr. Cui San said was right. If their industries on the plateau suffered a devastating blow, then according to the Cui family's ability in the Tang Dynasty, they would be able to dig out all the Tibetans at any time, and they could even borrow the power of the Imperial City Office. Then, all the layout of Tibet in the Tang Dynasty over the years would collapse. They had already lost an important stronghold last time. If they continued to dig like this, I am afraid that in another half a year, no one would report the news of the Tang Dynasty to him.
"What about Nanzhao?"
Lu Dongzan suddenly thought of the Nanzhao Kingdom in Yunnan and Guizhou. Although the land there was not fertile enough, the population was small, so some grain could be accumulated every year. Although it was not enough for Tubo, it could at least alleviate the problem.
"In reply to the Prime Minister, the Nanzhao area was affected by drought this year, and their grain production has been severely reduced. The people we sent out have not been able to find any grain. We also contacted the Nanzhao royal family, but they were afraid of retaliation from the Tang Dynasty, so they dared not sell grain to us. They didn't even discuss the price, and the King of Nanzhao refused to meet with us."
Hearing this answer, Lu Dongzan felt his eyes go dark, but he couldn't faint in front of so many men. His men were at a loss now, especially the slaves in the rear. They would soon run out of food. Although they had grass roots and tree bark, they couldn't let them eat them every day.
"Get back to the Tang Dynasty right now and use all your strength to gather food. No matter how much food you gather, you must transport it back quickly. Even if you have your men pretend to be customers and buy small quantities of food, you must get it."
Lu Dongzan knew that this was useless. How much food could one person buy? If he didn't cooperate with the big merchants, the food he bought would be a drop in the bucket. But Lu Dongzan had to do this now. Every grain was useful to them.
His men kowtowed and left immediately. They had no time to see their families before they had to set off. Lu Dongzan was like an angry lion now. If you still wanted to go home to see your family, this guy would probably get angry with you.
According to his original idea, the influence of the Tang Dynasty and Tubo was not much different. If Tubo proposed to buy food, those small countries would not refuse. Now it seems that the Tang Dynasty is much stronger than Tubo in terms of cultural output. In addition, the Tang Dynasty occupied Tuyuhun some time ago, and its prestige among various countries reached its peak. If Tubo were to go against the Tang Dynasty, I am afraid that other countries would still take sides.
Although Tubo's comprehensive national strength is strong, it is not easy for Tubo to invade the surrounding areas. It is difficult for us to go up to the plateau, and it is also difficult for you to go down the plateau. But the Tang Dynasty is different. It borders all countries, and the emperor of the Tang Dynasty is extremely aggressive. Tuyuhun was destroyed because of the assassination of the eldest grandson of the Tang Dynasty emperor. If we do not respect the Tang Dynasty, these armies can come to kill us at any time. Which of the surrounding small countries has the ability to resist the Tang Dynasty army?
When Lu Dongzan raised his head again, the Zamp's entourage came over. Lu Dongzan knew what news this guy wanted. He must have seen his people returning to the camp just now. Songtsen Gampo also wanted to know the situation of grain procurement in the mainland. Now grain is like a sword hanging over the heads of all Tibetans.
Lu Dongzan didn't say much to this person. He tidied his clothes and went to Songtsen Gampo's tent in person. Some things are better to be said in person. If you just let these people in the middle pass the message, it is very likely that the message will be conveyed incorrectly. Moreover, if the two of them have good business, they can do it immediately.
Before leaving, Lu Dongzan thought about everything he should and shouldn't think about. He'd received news from all over the place: no one was willing to sell grain. If he wanted to buy grain, it looked like Li Xiang was the only place to go. But Lu Dongzan was being cunning. He was going to pass the buck to Songtsen Gampo. "Don't you always say I can't get things done? So, I'll hand this over to you now. Let's see what price your people can negotiate. And let those old nobles know I'm far more useful than you."
"You bastard, you don't have any food at all?"
After Lu Dongzan finished his report, Songtsen Gampo also lost his temper. Lu Dongzan seemed to see himself in Songtsen Gampo. Now he had another idea. It was useless to just lose his temper. He had to find a solution. Little did he know that he was just losing his temper just now...