Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 791 Today is different from the past

The Lanzhou that Fang Zhongyong knew in his previous life, as the capital of Gansu Province, is now called "Jincheng". That's right, it got its name because of Princess Jincheng.

Lanzhou, as a state of the Tang Dynasty on the map, has a vast territory and numerous mountains and rivers.

When the army arrived at Didao County, Lanzhou, a strategic castle controlled by the Tibetans blocked their way. It was undoubtedly the Great Wall Castle!
This place is the dividing line between Lanzhou and the Hehuang Valley. The Changcheng Castle separates Lanzhou Jincheng, Shanzhou in the Hehuang Valley, and Longxi. The Changcheng Castle is built on a small hill beside the official road, which does not hinder the cavalry from wandering around.

But when the army passes by this place, we can't just ignore it. We have to either capture it or send people to besiege it.

So the Bianzhou army set up camp in Didao County. Fang Chongyong sent scouts to investigate the situation in Changcheng Castle, and the news he received was not optimistic.

Early in the morning, on the low city wall of Didao County, Che Guangqian clasped his fists and reported to Fang Chongyong: "Your Majesty, there are high mountains on both sides of the Great Wall, and the official road is narrow. Our army is here, and I am afraid it has alarmed the defenders. I am afraid that the Tibetans in Liangzhou... have already made preparations."

The troops set out from Chang'an in late autumn, and by this time it was already early winter. The rivers had frozen, but it had not snowed yet.

Fang Chongyong looked towards the north, which was the direction of the Great Castle.

"Do you have any good ideas?"

Fang Zhongyong looked at Che Guangqian and asked in a deep voice, frowning slightly.

The Great Wall is not big, but its location is very important. The Tibetans buried a nail here, probably to prevent the Bianzhou army from leaving Longxi. This place was originally used by the Tibetans in Jincheng, Lanzhou to keep watch, but Dazha Lugong did not expect that Lanzhou would be captured by the Shuofang army from the north.

It must be said that Dazha Lugong still had some strategic vision. Even if he retreated to Hexi, he did make some arrangements. Some things were unexpected because he was not a member of the Tang Dynasty after all.

"Sir, a small city like this can only have a few hundred people at most, but it is well defended and difficult to attack. Why don't we surround it without attacking it, bypass the Changcheng Castle, and set up an ambush at the junction of the Wuni River and the Yellow River.

If the Tibetan reinforcements come, we will besiege the city and attack the reinforcements. If the Tibetans do not come, we will remove this nail, release the prisoners, and let them go to Liangzhou City to report the military situation to Dazha Lugong.

The Tibetans in Liangzhou will surely be grief-stricken and their morale will be low.”

Che Guangqian suggested from the side.

Yes, that’s a good idea!
Fang Zhongyong smiled and nodded, saying, "Let's divide the troops now. You lead the troops here to deploy, and I will go to Jincheng, Lanzhou, to meet with the people of the Shuofang Army. The two armies can be regarded as supporting each other."

Hearing this, Che Guangqian frowned slightly, thought about it, but still said nothing.

Fang Zhongyong guessed what was going on and waved his hand gently, saying, "It's okay. With the Tibetans by our side, the Shuofang Army can't cause any trouble. The border town is bitterly cold, and the Shuofang Army soldiers may have thought about returning to the capital. Be patient with them, this matter cannot be rushed."

"That's what the government said."

Che Guangqian quickly clasped his fists in salute, then took the order and left without saying anything or explaining.

Fang Zhongyong looked at his back and shook his head helplessly.

No matter what era it is, the power of the three words "our own people" should not be underestimated.

When it comes to taking the blame, outsiders go;
When it’s time to enjoy, your own people will come.

This trend occurs at all times and in all places, more or less.

The only people you can trust at critical moments are your own people.

For example, Fang Zhongyong dared to give the task of besieging the Great Wall to Che Guangqian. If it were someone else, such as the soldiers of Marshal Baochen, or someone like Liu Longxian, Fang Zhongyong would not dare to give such a critical military task to them.

Che Guangqian was worried that the Shuofang Army might cause trouble, and actually did not want the Shuofang Army to share power.

There is nothing new under the sun. The establishment of a new dynasty is imminent, and everyone with an eye is making preparations.

However, Fang Zhongyong now looks at things from the perspective of an emperor, so he must treat everyone equally and not be too partial to one or the other. Otherwise, once the circle solidifies and no new blood joins, a new Tianlong clan will be formed, and they will go back to the old path of Li Tang.

Soon, he led his troops out of Didao County and headed north, leaving Che Guangqian to lead his troops to besiege Changcheng Castle, and ordered Wang Nandi to set up an ambush at the junction of the Wuni River and the Yellow River not far to the west, intending to eliminate the reinforcements sent by Tubo by "attacking them halfway across the river".

However, it was not known whether Dazhaligong had seen through the plot or this Tibetan minister was really cruel, but for ten consecutive days, scouts from the Bianzhou Army reported every day that the Tibetans in Liangzhou City did not move at all, as if they were all dead!
The Tibetans would definitely have been aware of the movements of the Bianzhou army, so the reason why they did not come to rescue is self-evident.

Dazalugong wanted to avoid the enemy's attack and was unwilling to fight a battle that he had no chance of winning.

In desperation, Fang Zhongyong ordered Che Guangqian to attack the Great Castle late at night and pull out the nail. In the end, there were only more than ten prisoners left, and everyone was injured. The battle was extremely brutal.

Fang Chongyong felt very angry, but he suppressed his anger and ordered his men to send these Tibetan captives back to Liangzhou. Just outside the city of Liangzhou, the scouts of the Bianzhou army saw these people enter the city with their own eyes.

However, soon, more than a dozen heads were hung on the top of the city wall, clearly visible to the scouts of the Bianzhou army!

If the Bianzhou army doesn't kill any captives, Dazalu Gong will kill them!

It was with this attitude that this ruthless Tibetan showed the Tibetan army in Liangzhou the consequences of surrender!
When the news reached the Bianzhou Army camp south of Jincheng, Fang Zhongyong remained silent for a long time. The thinking mode of the Tibetan nobles was indeed different from that of ordinary people. The serfdom system had the "advantage of low human rights". In Dazha Lugong's view, those slave soldiers might be no different from livestock. It was natural that he would not feel sorry for killing them.

Of course we can’t keep these “livestock” in the barracks to disrupt the morale of the troops!

It’s not that there is something wrong with Fang Zhongyong’s strategy, but that this time the Tibetans, or Dazalugong, have already given it their all.

Just when he and Dazha Lugong were fighting each other in the air, the official Fang finally received good news.

The Shuofang Army in Jincheng, Lanzhou, sent a baggage train to deliver rations to the Bianzhou Army, including a lot of cattle and sheep.

The person leading the troops was Guo Ziyi, who had not been seen for many years!

He was also the "Shuofang Army Du Yuhou" sent by the Shuofang Army to manage Lanzhou, and was considered the third in command of the Shuofang Army. Although he seemed very glorious, his position was actually quite embarrassing.

Today's Shuofang Army has a strong "Tie Le bloodline". The top leader Hun Yu is the second generation leader of the Tie Le Hun tribe who defected here very early. He had the merit of beheading generals and seizing flags at the age of eleven.

The second-in-command, Pugu Huai'en, "brought money into the group". A large proportion of the soldiers in the Shuofang Army were from the Tiele Pugu tribe.

Without Pugu Huai'en, the Shuofang Army would not have been able to maintain its cavalry over the years. War horses grow old and die, so new war horses are needed to constantly replenish the cavalry.

However, Guo Ziyi had no troops of his own, or very few.

It was only because he was good at managing the army and had a lot of strategies that he was able to gain a foothold in the Shuofang Army and become a senior officer. As for his previous official position, haha, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty had changed several times, and the previous rules were no match for the soldiers in the border town!

This time, Guo Ziyi was sent to Lanzhou as the governor, which was also the result of power struggle and power distribution within the Shuofang Army.

When Fang Chongyong saw Guo Ziyi, they were filled with emotion and reminisced about the past in the general's tent. After three cups of wine, Fang Chongyong lowered his posture and asked, "General Guo, what do you think about the Tibetans occupying Liangzhou?"

"Tibet will surely be defeated."

Guo Ziyi said concisely.

Fang Zhongyong immediately sat up straight and asked solemnly, "I'd like to hear the details."

"The Tibetan king and the great theorist are now at loggerheads. There are many rumors in Lingzhou that the dispute between Buddhism and Bon in Tibetan is raging.

Dazhaglukung was the biggest backer of Bon religion, while Trisong Detsen was able to ascend to power with the protection of Buddhist temples. There must have been a struggle between the two.

At least, the Zamp did not want Dazhalukong to win. Moreover, even if Liangzhou and Hexi were lost, it would not have much impact on the Zamp. "

Guo Ziyi said slowly. It was obvious that he was always threatened by the Tibetans while he was in Lanzhou, and he had heard a lot of news from all sides. The politics in Tibet was no secret, and many people knew about it.

In fact, the period when the Tang Dynasty had a profound influence on Tubo has passed. That is, from the time of Songtsen Gampo to the death of Princess Jincheng. On the contrary, the Buddhist culture of India has continued to influence various affairs in Tubo. Now the transformation from quantitative change to qualitative change has been completed.

"General Guo is saying that Dazalugong has no more reinforcements, right?"

Fang Chongyong immediately became interested.

"I think so."

Guo Ziyi nodded and said nothing else. He and Fang Zhongyong talked about the war with Tubo and nothing else.

Guo Ziyi found that Fang Zhongyong still had concerns, so he added: "The Tibetans are still somewhat incapable of maintaining their presence in Hexi. I think it is not difficult to recover Hexi, but the real tough battle is still here in the Hehuang Valley."

Guo Ziyi's words can be said to have transcended the limitations of time and revealed the true laws of geopolitical plates.

At the beginning, the so-called "Longyou" was an area further west than Longxi, and did not include the Hexi Corridor.

When the Tang Dynasty extended its reach, in order to open up the Western Regions, it had to include the Hexi Corridor and fought against various forces including Tubo for a hundred years.

The "Longyou Jiedushi" established by Ji Ge did not strictly cover the traditional "Longyou". It would be more appropriate to call it "Hehuang Jiedushi".

This hinterland is a buffer zone established to protect the flanks of the Hexi Corridor.

This is the first stop on the way down the plateau, and it is the doorstep of Tubo. It would take a lot of effort for the Tang Dynasty to maintain its presence here.

The Tibetans will defend the Hehuang Valley to the death, but will not fight to the last drop of blood in Hexi.

Guo Ziyi's words hit the nail on the head.

But looking at it from another angle, even if Fang Zhongyong led his troops to recapture Hexi, he was only opening the first level in a new copy, which was far from time to rest.

Of course, this achievement is enough to change the dynasty.

Now Dazalugong deliberately concentrated all his troops in Hexi, perhaps with the intention of playing tricks on the Tibetan king. If Fang Zhongyong took the opportunity to attack the Hehuang Valley, it would only make all the forces in the Tibetan country feel threatened and then band together for warmth.

"The Shuofang Army is familiar with the Uighur Road, so they can go outside the Great Wall, bypass Liangzhou, and first lift the siege of Shazhou.

Then he turned around from Shazhou and gradually took over the three states west of Liangzhou.

In this way, the Tubo troops in Liangzhou can be mobilized.

Directly engaging the Tibetans in a decisive battle in Liangzhou is not the best option."

Seeing that Fang Chongyong seemed to be interested, Guo Ziyi finally told him his strategy.

Take a detour and backstab!
Fang Zhongyong pondered over it and felt that this method was feasible. However, such a large-scale crossing of the Huihe people's activity area was not only a core killer move beyond Dazha Lugong's imagination, but also the biggest source of risk.

If Fang Chongyong led his troops to take a detour and their retreat was cut off by the Uighur cavalry, the consequences would be disastrous.

The risks involved are hard to describe in a few words. The key point is that the Huihe people did similar things during the Kaiyuan period!
The credibility is worrying.

"Back then, I once made the Uighur Yehu unable to step down, and two Uighur Khans almost died and their clans were wiped out. Now if we want to take a detour to Shazhou, we must have the cooperation of the Uighurs. The risks involved cannot be ignored.

What does General Guo say about this?

Fang Zhongyong sighed.

"Sir, this is what you don't know."

Guo Ziyi took out a document from his bosom, handed it to Fang Zhongyong with both hands and said, "The new Uighur Khan hopes that the court will confer him the title of Uighur Yehu. They are willing to help in this battle against the Tibetans."

really?

Fang Zhongyong was shocked, but his face remained calm. He opened the letter and found that the Uighur Khan hoped to be conferred the title of "Father of the Country" by the Tang Dynasty.

And he even called Fang Zhongyong "Uncle" in a very corny way.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. If Your Majesty hadn't killed the Uighur Khan, the current Khan wouldn't have been able to take the throne.

Of the nine Huihe clans, five generally take turns to be in charge. The Khan’s family no longer exists, and the current Huihe Khan has no grudges against the government.”

Guo Ziyi explained.

The Tibetans blocked the trade routes in the Hexi Corridor and did not produce any goods for trade, which resulted in the Uighurs being unable to trade their goods.

There have always been only eternal interests between countries.

During the Kaiyuan period, the Huihe made a lot of money from trade with the Tang Dynasty. Except for those who died in battle, most of the Huihe leaders are still here, and they miss the past when the Tang Dynasty ate meat and they followed behind to drink soup.

At least, the Tibetans can't give them anything, so no matter how bad it is, it's better than following the Tibetans.

Fang Chongyong glanced at Guo Ziyi and thought to himself: This guy seems to be well prepared.

"General Guo, I will handle the tough battle in Liang Province. My flag is here, and Dazha Lugong dare not act rashly.

Can you lead the troops to take a detour from the Great Wall to Shazhou?"

Fang Zhongyong asked pointedly.

Guo Ziyi had said so much, waiting for this sentence. He immediately knelt down and bowed to the other party, saying: "Please rest assured, as long as you hold back the Tibetans in Liangzhou, everything else will be left to me!"

"Okay! I believe you!"

Fang Chongyong laughed and helped him up.

"Speed ​​is of the essence in war, so let's go back to Jincheng and reorganize the army."

Guo Ziyi saluted to Fang Chongyong with his fists and then walked out of the general's tent.

After he left, Fang Zhongyong squinted his eyes, looked at the candlestick on the table, and a smile appeared on his face.

“When you only have 10,000 yuan, it’s hard to make 100,000 yuan. But when you have 100 million yuan, it’s not that hard to make 1 billion yuan.

The world's general trend has been determined, and there is no shortage of people eager to get on board."

The official muttered to himself.

Of course, he had to show his sincerity in Guo Ziyi's suggestion. Encouraging Fang Chongyong to lead troops to the border was not only insincere, but also suspected of colluding with the Huihe people. Only by personally leading troops to lift the siege of Shazhou could he prove his ability.

He also handed over a ticket for the last bus.

Otherwise, the seats around Fang Chongyong are all full, so how could there be a seat for an outsider?

(End of this chapter)