Grande Tang: Mãe, eu quero muito progredir
No início da era dos “Dois Santos” da Grande Tang, percebeu-se que a dinastia já não era tão próspera quanto nos anos Zhenguan. Nas fronteiras, soldados morriam e se feriam ano após ano, enquanto os l
Chang’an.
November, heavy snow.
At dawn, when the sky just began to show the faint light of daybreak, a group of several dozen men had already been waiting outside the city gates for some time.
What drew the most attention was their attire and the fierce aura they exuded with every movement. Most were wearing wrapped headcloths, dark robes, military boots, and were mounted on warhorses.
These men were clearly soldiers, and not just any—they were elite warriors.
Among them stood a carriage, tightly sealed so that no one could see inside.
The leader was a burly man with rugged features, distinctly not of Tang appearance. Yet, as he gazed upon the city of Chang’an before him, a look of longing softened his face.
The nearby small city gate slowly opened, and a captain led a dozen armored soldiers to meet them. From afar, he greeted them warmly, clearly familiar with the leader.
“I heard that Li Jingxuan suffered a serious defeat in Hexi, truly a failure. But Brother Heichi managed to lead brave warriors in a night raid on the enemy camp, at least restoring some honor to our Tang military. This lets the emperor… and the whole realm know that it’s not the soldiers who are incompetent, but the chosen commander who is weak.”
“Don’t speak of this here,” replied the burly man named Heichi Changzhi. He was from Baekje, but his speech carried a slight accent reminiscent of the western regions of Tang.
He had also earned merit in Hexi this time, promoted by the court to a third-rank official, yet he remained humble and cauti