Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

After completing all these preparatory tasks, Li Hongyun's view rapidly escalated and once again returned to a god's-eye perspective.

He then saw Emperor Taizong of Liang retreat all the cavalry into formation, leaving only himself to converse with Jie Li Khan on the makeshift bridge over the Wei River.

Li Hongyun didn't know the specific details of what was discussed between them, however, he could guess some of it from their expressions.

Emperor Taizong remained calm and composed as ever, his demeanor nonchalant, showing no hint of the apprehension due to the emptiness behind him, and he even didn't mind showing his aggressive edge at certain moments;

Jie Li Khan, while trying to maintain his dignity as the great Khan of the Turkic, and even attempting to exert pressure on Emperor Taizong with the backing of his two hundred thousand strong troops, appeared from the god's-eye view to lack confidence.

As for the leaders of the other Turkic tribes on the north bank of Wei River, they looked on with the enthusiasm of spectators, excited to witness the scene unfold before them.

The two Khans haggled back and forth in their verbal sparring, trying to establish an alliance both could accept, which, in the eyes of the tribal leaders, was also part of the tradition on the steppe.

They witnessed in person the forging of an alliance between the two most powerful Khans in the world, a piece of history in the making which, to them, might be more interesting than a devastating battle with heavy casualties.

After the initial bargaining and basically coming to a mutual understanding, both parties returned to their sides.

During this process, Jie Li Khan didn't order a sudden attack by the Turkic, nor did Emperor Taizong allow his cavalry to advance.

The Turkic returned to their main encampment, while Emperor Taizong returned to the city of Chang'an.

Two days later, Emperor Taizong and Jie Li Khan signed the peace treaty on the makeshift bridge over Wei River and executed the ritual of slaughtering a white horse to seal the alliance.

Interestingly, during the formal peace talks, Jie Li Khan stood alone on one side of the river, while the leaders of the various Turkic tribes rushed to the opposite bank to pay homage to Emperor Taizong, the "Khan."

In the eyes of the Central Plains people, this was simply inconceivable.

Although the two nations had established an alliance, they were still enemies, one could even say irreconcilable foes.

Who had ever heard of kings and generals from the Central Plains dynasties going to pay homage to a Turkic Khan?

But from the perspective of the steppe people, this was both natural and appropriate.

Perhaps it could be said that these barbarians "feared might but did not appreciate kindness"; they decided to forge an alliance with you because you were stronger than them, and once you showed weakness, they would immediately betray you and tear up the treaty, viciously attacking your vulnerabilities.

Yet the reverence and admiration these steppe people held for heroic figures were genuine.

On the steppe, strength was paramount; those with strength could win everyone's support. To the Central Plains people, however, this was incomprehensible.

If Emperor Taizong had indeed been born on the steppe, then even as a younger son, he wouldn't have to worry about something like the Xuanwu Gate Incident, because his ability to fight would make him the undisputed choice for the position of Khan.

The Turkic broke camp and departed, and thus a great battle dissipated into nothingness.

...

Having experienced the entire Wei River Alliance from start to finish, Li Hongyun gained a more comprehensive understanding of the early relationship between the Liang Dynasty and the Turkic.

Although this challenge was carried out from the perspective of Lord Qin, and most of the time he was copying Lord Qin's standard answers, careful exploration revealed many details worth digging into.

Especially when Li Hongyun subconsciously put himself in Jie Li Khan's shoes did he feel that suffocating pressure return.

It was the same pressure he had felt when looking at Lord Qin from Dou Jiande's point of view!

Were the Turkic weak?

Was Jie Li Khan foolish?

After everything he had been through, Li Hongyun was quite certain that the answer to both questions was no.

There is a saying, "Difficulties are like springs; they diminish with your strength and grow with your weakness."

The same principle applies to the relations between two nations.

The Turkic might appear weak before Lord Qin, but that did not mean they were indeed weak.

The defeat of the Turkic was undeniably credit to Emperor Taizong seizing the opportunity well, but such an ability to capitalize on opportunities was not something everyone had.

For instance, Qi Taizu set the policy of "securing the South before the North" at the foundation of his reign, letting the inept ruler of Liao Country slumber in the north for ten years, missing the prime window to reclaim the Yan regions. As a result, when he campaigned for Yan regions ten years later, he faced the strongest camaraderie group since the establishment of Liao Country.

One should know, initiating a war is not as simple as playing a game where you can just press a few buttons.

You need to train troops in advance, transport provisions, set up a strategy, scout the enemy, and fracture their unity, among other things.

And these preparations could take anything from a few months to several years to complete.

The Turkic had their chances to attack the Liang Dynasty during their confrontations.

From the fifth year to the ninth year of Wude, the Turkic were at their zenith, while the Liang Dynasty was in the midst of severe internal strife.

And a series of actions by Jie Li Khan actually demonstrated his foresight.

He had long realized that once the Liang Dynasty grew stronger, it would not bode well for the Turkic, so he made a point of gathering a substantial army to march south almost every year.

Sometimes a hundred thousand, sometimes two hundred thousand—the Turkic, in terms of troop strength, were in a position of absolute supremacy over the Liang Dynasty.

Moreover, Jie Li Khan was not just brave but also wise; he wouldn't engage in battles he was not confident of winning.

Starting from the fifth year of Wude, the earlier invasions were actually probing attempts. Probing for the best routes, testing the mettle of the Liang Dynasty generals.