By Tananya Prankprakma

Previously, the council of the Tang Dynasty had to contend with Uyghur forces attacking and invading their land from the north. This attack was not completely unprovoked, as an order had been made for Tang soldiers to pair up with merchants on their way to trade with the Uyghurs. The soldiers then engaged with Uyghur forces in casual skirmishes, and the situation escalated from there. 

As two factions of council members discussed strengthening troops at the border as a defensive action, General Shuhan announced that he had been the one to suggest that soldiers go with merchants and that he had Uyghur hostages that he would swiftly execute should the council take any actions that he disagreed with. 

Many council members were unsurprised, as General Shuhan had previously been named as a suspect already. Their attention remained on taking back Tang land in an inoffensive way rather than attacking the Uyghurs and General Shuhan. 

The majority of the council then voted on a directive to return General Shuhan’s hostages and mobilize troops in the most peaceful way possible. Their plan laid out a timeline over the course of several months and encouraged diplomacy if possible. The only possible cause of any further disagreement lies in the fact that General Shuhan may or may not actually cooperate and return his hostages.

It is yet to be seen what course of action General Shuhan will take. Council members quickly took action after the directive was passed in order to discuss his future. It is yet to be seen what the council will decide.