By: Tananya Prankprakma

In an unforgiving, quickly paced invasion, the Uyghurs began occupying land in the northern regions of the Tang Dynasty after some violent disputes about trading along the border. Although the council of the Tang Dynasty was initially willing to try and make peace with the Uyghur Khaganate, the situation turned quickly in the other direction.

A directive passed by the council earlier led a significant amount of troops to the northern border to address the initial invasion. It wasn’t all of them, but it was enough to leave much of the rest of the empire in danger. The Uyghurs then took advantage of the Tang’s defensive holes and have now fully taken the capital and even a few key provinces. The Tang Dynasty has been left in two pieces after the Uyghurs’ continued invasion. The council is on the same page about this situation--taking back this province is imperative to the future of the dynasty. Without it, the Tang’s future will be extremely unstable.

Council members agree that it is imperative to not neglect Tang citizens in these trying times. Tang citizens may feel unmotivated in times of war, and the army needs help. As such, Master Li, a literary genius and great poet known across the Tang Dynasty, composed the following poem:

To all of Tang’s Citizens: We are at war! It is as if the mist is like the earth’s desire, it always hides the sun for whom she cries. At this point, efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction. Please sign up for defending our territory in GLORY! Long live the Tang Dynasty!

This composition was then distributed widely across the Tang lands. While the future of the Tang Dynasty is still unclear, Master Li’s literary prowess ensures that the Tang people will be uplifted and motivated in these times of war.