Emperor Taizong requests opinions from his officials…

634 CE

Emperor Taizong requests opinions from his officials as to what to do with the Eastern Turkic Khaganate's people, and it is said that the majority opinion was to move them to the modern Shandong and Henan region and scatter them within Tang prefectures to sinicize them, making them unable to reorganize.

However, there are several officials who held differing opinions whose opinions are recorded in historical records: Yan Shigu opined that the Eastern Turkic people should continued to be settled north of the Yellow River, to remain in tribal form, as vassals.

Li Baiyao opined that, specifically, letting the Eastern Turkic Khaganate's people remain north of the Yellow River but be scattered, with a member of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate's Ashina clan serving as khan, but only over the Ashina, while other tribes within the Eastern Turkic Khaganate's people be given their own chieftains, with positions equivalent to the Ashina khan; he also opined that a protector general be placed at Dingxiang to govern over them.

Dou Jing opined that the Eastern Turkic Khaganate's chieftains and people should be scattered, and that daughters of imperial clan members be given to the chieftains as wives, to better control them as vassals.

Two key opinions, given by two chancellors, emerge from the discussion: Wen Yanbo opined that the Eastern Turkic Khaganate's people should be settled in the northern prefectures within Tang borders, remaining in tribal form, on lands that were currently not settled.

Wei Zheng opined that the Eastern Turkic Khaganate's people should be outside of Tang boundaries on their own lands.

Emperor Taizong eventually accepts Wen's opinions, establishing four nominal prefectures over Ashina Shibobi's people and six nominal prefectures over Ashina Duobi's people, with two commandants governing over the people.

Ashina Sunishi and another Eastern Turkic Khaganate's prince, Ashina Simo (who, in particular, is given the Tang imperial surname Li and therefore also known as Li Simo), are created princes, and a large number of other chieftains are given general ranks; they are settled in or near Chang'an.

Emperor Taizong also gives the Eastern Turkic Khaganate's people who possess Han people as slaves ransoms and has them return those Han slaves to Tang.

Hereafter, Emperor Taizong will often requisition Turkic cavalry soldiers to supplement regular Tang troops on various campaigns, such as the 634 campaign against Tuyuhun under Li Jing, resulting in the murder of their leader (khan) Murong Fuyun in 635.