"Western Turkic General Kang Ying pays his respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
General Kang Ying was very polite. Although his words were law in the Western Turkic kingdom, when he saw Li Xiang, he still bent down obediently. Although he did not kneel down, this was the highest diplomatic etiquette of that era. If Li Xiang asked him to kneel down, what should he do when he met Li Shimin?
Lord Zhao nodded slightly, indicating that this etiquette was acceptable. If one could not bend down to this angle, it would mean that the other party was provocative. The reason why Li Xiang called Lord Zhao here was because he did not know these etiquettes. If he gave the other party the wrong signal, the entire Tang Dynasty would suffer the loss. This was also the main reason why Lord Zhao appeared here.
"General, please stand up."
Li Xiang said very coldly that there was not even a seat.
"Since the end of the last war, we have not had any disputes with you, the Western Turks. However, according to reports from my subordinates, you clashed with our army a few days ago. I wonder if this is true?"
Li Xiang took the initiative as soon as he came up, and explained several issues in just a few sentences. He first stated that you are the losers and you also lost the last war. Then he talked about the conflict. Even if there was a war between us, it was provoked by you people and had nothing to do with us, the Tang Dynasty.
General Kang Ying was not just a troop leader, he was also a capable man in Western Turkestan. Everyone, including the Khan of Western Turkestan, would listen to his opinions on any matter. He also understood the meaning of Li Xiang's words and knew that he could not take this responsibility.
"Your Highness, there's actually another hidden story behind this matter..."
The Tang army should bear the main responsibility for the dispute between the two armies at that time. Both sides were originally patrolling along the border, but the Tang army suddenly crossed the border and rushed towards them. The Western Turkic army took a defensive posture, which was also normal, but the Tang army believed that the Western Turkic army had offended them and wanted to take all these people away.
At that time, in order to protect themselves, the Western Turkic army had no choice but to take up arms. If we talk about casualties, the Western Turkic army was ten times larger than the Tang Dynasty. Even if there was a responsibility to be investigated, it should be the Western Turkic people who should be held responsible. Li Xiang is now obviously turning the tables.
"What you said is completely different from what I heard."
Li Xiang calmly let General Kang Ying finish speaking, but in the end he said this, which made General Kang Ying so anxious that he almost cried. It was obviously your people who were looking for trouble, how could you be so unreasonable?
Some people behind him were also quite angry. They thought that Li Xiang had confused right and wrong, but when they thought of the combat effectiveness of the Tang army that day, these people suppressed their anger. They remembered that the general had instructed them when they came that no one was allowed to speak, and if anyone disrupted the negotiations, their entire family would be executed after returning.
General Kang Ying wanted to make a few more excuses, but when he saw Li Xiang frowning, he could only swallow the rest of his words. If he made Li Xiang unhappy, a war would be inevitable.
People from all countries in the Western Regions have also heard that Li Xiang is now like a lion. If anyone dares to go against his will, that country will disappear in an instant.
They were not clear about other places, but they knew Xueyantuo very well. In the past, they had frictions with Xueyantuo near the border, and they were also very clear about Xueyantuo's combat effectiveness. Such a seemingly powerful country was dealt with in less than half a year. It can be imagined how powerful Li Xiang's subordinates were.
General Kang Ying tried to calm himself and avoid an argument with Li Xiang. If they did, the Tang army would likely advance westward. Where would the Western Turks go then? Would they continue to flee westward?
"This matter still requires investigation into the possible existence you mentioned. This time, I have not come here to argue with Your Highness about these matters, but to shake hands with Your Highness and make peace. Both armies should retreat to prevent similar incidents from happening again."
General Kang Ying also knew that saying something like that meant showing weakness. The two sides were clearly at loggerheads, but you took a step back, or rather, three steps back. If the other party moved forward, you would have no choice but to continue retreating.
Lord Zhao and Niu Jinda were also puzzled. Are your Western Region coalition forces really that weak? If a real fight breaks out, especially on your territory, we may not be able to win. Even if we achieved such a victory in Gaochang, we dare not say that we can replicate it on your territory.
Niu Jinda was very clear about this. As a military general, he certainly knew how we won this time. We had infiltrated Gaochang for half a year, which led to the current result. If the two sides had fought with real swords and guns on the battlefield, there would be no way to win without half a year.
This is still on the land of Gaochang. If the two sides really fought in the Western Regions further west, it would not be a matter of half a year. It is very likely that the battle line would be prolonged. By then, the Tang Dynasty would be stuck in the mud of this war, which would not be of any benefit to the Tang Dynasty.
So General Kang Ying's concession was incredible to Niu Jinda. Didn't you consider your own advantages before the negotiation? Or did you only consider our advantages?
When we were negotiating with Tuyuhun in the early years, we still needed to talk about our advantages, but now it is no longer the time. Our advantages can be seen by everyone in the world, but they can no longer see their own advantages. This is the butterfly effect brought about by strong strength.
"Both sides retreat? I don't understand what the general means. There's unrest in Gaochang right now, and the border defenses are all being assisted by the Tang army. If we retreat, does that mean Gaochang's borders must also retreat? I'm afraid that's not something I can decide; it concerns the territorial integrity of Gaochang."
Li Xiang's words made Lord Zhao applaud. He originally thought that Li Xiang was young and might suffer a loss in the diplomatic negotiations, but after listening to Li Xiang's response plan, Lord Zhao could only say that the disciple is better than the master. This means that we will not retreat, and if we have to retreat, you will have to retreat.