The Great Tang General

"The Western Regions, the Snow Regions, the Grasslands, the Bohai Sea, the Whale Sea... these Protectorates will protect the Tang Dynasty. The Central Plains will fully develop industry and commerce, and use the livestock, furs, gold, and silver from these places to feed back to the Tang Dynasty. Once the Central Plains industry and commerce develop, we will start to develop the Protectorates. For me, I must inspect the Central Plains and Jiangnan, which is far more than a battle..."

Li Xuan said to Li Mi.

Li Xian and Li Mi were Li Xuan's right-hand men, but they always had limitations.

Li Xuan needs to build a stage for them and give them the opportunity to maneuver freely.

Due to the restrictions on roads and transportation, it was impossible for the Tang Dynasty to develop iron and copper mines in the Greater Protectorate on a large scale.

Only precious metals such as gold and silver could be transported to Chang'an.

The credit system is already being established, and once industry and commerce have picked up, issuing gold and silver coins will be inevitable.

A large number of state-owned factories were established, and monetary power was firmly controlled.

By then, the lives of people all over the world will surely have a qualitative leap.

Nowadays, Li Xuan is most concerned about internal governance.

The capital was Chang'an, and the Jiangnan region became increasingly prosperous.

Therefore, Li Xuan wanted to use a southern tour to encourage the spirit of reform and deter officials who wanted to "live in peace and do nothing."

At this crossroads in history, there can be no slackness.

"I will definitely assist the Supreme with all my strength to create a prosperous era for all ages and realize the great way for all."

Li Mi was touched by Li Xuan's words.

Once upon a time, he couldn't understand Li Xuan's governing strategy.

Unprecedented reforms, breaking through thorns and barriers.

Li Xuan has a unique perspective on the concept of history.

When he was in Fan Yang, Li Mi read every issue of "Tang Monthly".

He remembered that in one issue, Li Xuan's article pointed out that China has been in a cycle, as if people believed that the change of dynasties and the social classes of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans were a pattern.

Farming is just working hard to have enough food to eat.

The prosperity of industry and commerce is the result of striving for desires.

When people no longer worry about having enough food and clothing, and even have eggs and meat every day, and pursue a better quality of life, then the prosperous times will come.

Farming will never be able to achieve this.

If we implement farming, let alone control the Persian Kingdom, even the current Protectorate of the Tang Dynasty will be lost sooner or later.

Because the Protectorate would be a burden to the country.

For example, during the Tianbao period, before Li Xuan became the Grand Protector of Anxi, Anxi required a large amount of silk and money from the imperial court every year. In the endless yellow sand, there was a constant stream of carriages and horses transporting the silk and money.

And what did the common people get from the Anxi Protectorate?
Nothing at all.

Those times when they transported goods through Hexi, they transported rare treasures from the Western Regions. They entered the Xingqing Palace and the Daming Palace to win the emperor's smile.

The emperor waved his hand and rewarded these rare treasures to the nobles.

These rare treasures were rarely used as currency and circulated among the people.

If you insist, yes.

Those are cold "death notices".

Li Xuan established the Grand Protectorate not to make it a burden to the Tang Dynasty.

The first step is to use the gold and silver from these places to feed back to the Central Plains.

Then the silk, money, grain, and commodities from the Central Plains were transported to the Grand Protectorate.

When the time is ripe, they will begin exploring for mineral resources such as coal and iron in these places.

Li Mi firmly believed that Li Xuan was the one who could lead China out of the change of dynasties.

In this era, Li Xuan's policies and orders came true one by one.

No one is more philosophical than Li Xuan.

No one is more versatile than Li Xuan.

The title of saint that Li Longji deserves is more deservedly given to Li Xuan.

Even though Li Mi believed in Taoism and once pursued immortality, he also saw in Li Xuan a spirit of overcoming all difficulties and daring to be the first.

Li Xuan once said, "Learning is like rowing against the current. If you don't advance, you will retreat."

Li Mi firmly believed this statement and thought it was true in all aspects.

Such as the "Thunder" that became popular not long ago.

In order to develop industry and commerce, the Tang Dynasty mass-produced thunder bombs.

If a country controls the thunder bomb, the consequences will be disastrous. When the Tang Dynasty encounters it for the first time, it will certainly be as confused as the Uighur cavalry.

There are also explosive packs that can blast rocks apart. The Tang Dynasty has used them to build roads.

In some locations, explosives can save ten times or even more time.

This also strengthened Li Mi's belief in developing industry and commerce, hoping to complete Li Xuan's goal of "turning natural barriers into thoroughfares" as expounded in the "Tang Monthly" during his lifetime.

The path for the first half of his life was immortality, and this is the path for the rest of his life!
"We are in our prime, and we should do something."

After Li Xuan finished speaking, he arrived in front of the welcoming team. They dismounted and came to Li Sheng who was paying homage to him. Li Sheng was personally helped to stand upright: "Commander Li, you have led your troops on a long expedition, thank you for your hard work!"

"Although we have marched thousands of miles, we have not fought any battles, so how can we dare to mention the hard work? It is the Supreme One who has worked hard and made great contributions."

Li Sheng did not dare to talk about his achievements.

Li Sheng felt regretful for not having a satisfying battle.

He followed Duan Xiushi and Nan Jiyun to participate in the Battle of Baihai and the battle to destroy Tubo, and made outstanding contributions.

But he is still one step away from the title of general.

Li Sheng didn't want to please Gao Wuyuan, so he wanted to be promoted to the rank of general first.

"A great general is one who fights without bloodshed!"

Li Xuan highly praised Li Sheng.

Even if an army has not gone through a bloody battle, a march of thousands of miles can be considered a tempering experience.

However, Li Xuan changed the subject: "Although Shanyu City has been pacified, I also believe that the Tiele and Turkic tribes dare not disobey. However, there are still many tribes in the northern part of the grassland. The Huihe built Fugui City and Beihai area on the north bank of Xian'e River. Governor Li will lead troops to conquer these areas to ensure peace on the grassland."

Next will be a fight between small groups of cavalry.

Li Sheng led 10,000 cavalrymen, each with three horses, and after taking enough supplies, he marched northward all the way to Lake Baikal.

The army will not go to places farther away, as there is no point. There may be few people there.

When there is an opportunity, we will find some brave warriors who are not afraid of the bitter cold and place the boundary markers of the Tang Dynasty on the shores of the Arctic Ocean and the Ural Mountains in the west.

First, enclose the back garden of the Tang Dynasty.

"I will definitely fulfill my mission and bring peace to the grassland."

Li Sheng bowed again, this was exactly what he longed for.

"I am going to offer sacrifices to the heavens at Mount Yu Dujun and issue an imperial decree to all the chieftains of the grassland tribes, requiring them to reach Mount Yu Dujun within three months."

Li Xuan gave instructions to Li Xian again.

This means that the chiefs of the grassland tribes must come alone.

If the distance is too far and the troops cannot arrive in time, they will be severely criticized by the Tang Dynasty.

"The minister obeys the order!"

Li Sheng accepted the order, and then he introduced the chief of Xueyantuo and the chief of Zuoxiang Qelulu to Li Xuan.

Seeing the mighty power of the Heavenly Khan, the two men were awed and bowed down in worship.

"You two were able to turn from evil to good at a critical moment, which shows that you are loyal to the Tang Dynasty. Yidijian was not orthodox, did not obey the order of the Heavenly Khan, and took the initiative to attack the Tang Dynasty. His crime is unforgivable. Since hundreds of countries have come to worship me as the Heavenly Khan, they must obey my orders. If you make a mistake, it will be too late to regret."

Li Xuan helped the chiefs of Xueyantuo and Karluk to rise up, first recognizing their wisdom and then showcasing their majesty.

From then on, he stayed honestly on his own land, obeyed the orders of the Khan, and paid taxes on time.

Otherwise, Yidijian’s today will be their tomorrow.

Even a powerful khanate like the Uighur Khanate was easily wiped out by the Tang Dynasty.

What are the Xueyantuo and the Zuoxiang Gelulu?
It's just a rootless duckweed!

"From today on, Xueyantuo will swear allegiance to the Tang Dynasty and the Heavenly Khan until death. Even if the sky collapses and the earth breaks, and the sea dries up and the rocks crumble, the Xueyantuo men will follow the Tang Dynasty to the end!"

Xueyantuo chieftain Wu Shijian expressed his aspirations to Li Xuan.

"The loyalty of the Karluk people to the Tang Dynasty is witnessed by the heavens and the sun and the moon. From now on, more than 100,000 people in the Karluk Left will wait for the Khan's edict until their death!"

The Qarluk chief was not to be outdone.

It was a foregone conclusion that the Tang Dynasty would rule the grasslands from now on, and the Heavenly Khan was in his prime, at the height of his fame.

They felt that the Khan of Heaven could be established at will and stand tall and proud.

To look at it any longer is blasphemy.

Yi Dijian lost to Li Xuan, not because of the gods' blessing.

Instead, Li Xuan is the "reincarnation of God."

"I already know what you two mean. Within the blessing of the Great Tang Dynasty, the people will be protected."

Li Xuan spoke softly. Then, Li Sheng invited Li Xuan to enter the Shanyu City.

The streets of Shanyu City were heavily guarded and the Uighur people dared not go out.

Almost every household has relatives who have passed away and never returned.

They hated the Tang army, but they hated Yidijian's incompetence even more.

Li Xuan arrived at the luxurious palace of the Uighurs.

Li Sheng took Li Xuan to see the Huihe treasure house, which contained gold, silver and jewelry that could fill dozens of carts.

At that time, some of the jewels will be awarded to the soldiers who have made meritorious services, and all the gold and silver will be taken back to Chang'an and sealed.

After a long march, Li Xuan rested for a few days in the palace.

The Tian Khan was about to offer sacrifices to the heavens at Yu Dujun Mountain, and the news spread like a strong wind to all the tribes on the grassland.

This means that Yidijian has failed, and failed miserably.

In just two or three months, Yidijian came to an end.

While trembling with fear, the fence-sitters on the grassland immediately knew what to do.

Some of the large Tiele tribes and Turkic tribe chiefs, brought only their personal guards, each with four horses, and rode non-stop to the Chanyu City to pay homage to the Heavenly Khan.

He was afraid that he would run too slowly and be punished by the Khan.

Only some northern Uighur tribes and some tribes south of Lake Baikal did not heed the advice.

Because they have never paid homage to the Tang Dynasty.

He thought that he would regain his freedom after escaping from the clutches of the Uighurs.

I heard that the troops from the Central Plains had never been to their place before, so they were fearless.

It is worth mentioning that the Uighur nobles in Fugui City killed the Uighur defender of Fugui City to show their loyalty to the Tang Dynasty.

Li Xuan ordered the Yumen cavalry of the Dunhuang Army to take over Fugui City, and met with these Uighur nobles in Shanyu City to reward them.

After staying in Shanyu City for some time, Li Xuan led 5,000 Tiance Guards and began to march north along the Ekun River to inspect the pastures.

Civil officials accompanied Li Xuan and re-recorded the geography and planned the pastoral areas along the way.

A month later, Li Xuan crossed from the Ekun River to the snow-capped mountains of the Suoling River. Here, the mountains, valleys, and peaks are hidden under snow and glaciers, which will not melt even in summer. It is not far from Lake Baikal.

But the Hu tribes here are not very friendly.

There were scouts from the Hu people who roamed around but did not approach, and the chieftain did not come to pay a visit to Li Xuan.

There are also some traces of migration. After hearing the news that Yidijian was defeated and the Tang cavalry entered Yu Dujun Mountain, they chose to move north.

Li Xuan ignored these tribes.

Li Sheng will be the one to conquer them.

These tribes play no key role in the power of the grassland.

Not long after, Li Xuan went south along the Suoling River, entered the Xian'e River, and arrived at Fugui City.

Fugui City is much smaller than Shanyu City, but it can serve as an important city connecting Lake Baikal.

This will be used to exercise control over the area south of Lake Baikal in the future.

After spending ten days in Fugui City, Li Xuan left a stele in Fugui City and then headed south back to Shanyu City.

It’s almost time for General Yu to offer sacrifices to the gods on the mountain.

In early October, after Li Xuan returned to Shanyu City, chiefs of various tribes gathered together.

They visited Li Xuan one after another, presented him with treasures, expressed their loyalty, and promised that the tribe would serve the Tang Dynasty; the tribal men would be at the command of Tian Khan.

Li Xuan still hinted at them to be honest with the ending of Yidijian, otherwise he would never tolerate it.

He wanted to bring these tribes under his jurisdiction step by step.

Mobilizing their troops is nothing!
The most important thing is to let the court control their punishment.

When they could no longer execute or punish their clansmen at will, it meant that they had become a county.

Still using the old method, Li Xuan ordered officials to personally select their "intelligent" clansmen in the name of building friendship and send them to schools in Chang'an and Luoyang to study.

The reason why the Tang Dynasty personally selected them was to prevent the Hu chieftains from only selecting the children of aristocrats to enter the university.

It's not easy to brainwash like this.

And those poor Hu people, after coming into contact with the new ideas of the Tang Dynasty, will inevitably feel deep hatred and disgust for the nobles.

After they go back, they can disintegrate the Hu tribe step by step.

October 10th, year 3458 in the Chinese calendar.

The Tang Emperor Li Xuan led the main tribal chiefs of the Hu tribe on the grassland, as well as the Uighur royal family and nobles, to offer sacrifices to the sky at Yu Dujun Mountain.

When Li Xuan went on his northern tour, the altar had already been built.

On the Bailang Peak of Yu Dujun Mountain, the Tang army’s flags blocked out the sun and their armor was bright.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Xuan climbed to the top and stood, with civil and military officials and the chieftains of the Hu tribe behind him.

Thousands of soldiers are ready for battle.

The altar is high and the fireworks are curling.

Cattle, sheep and pigs are used as livestock for sacrifice.

Decorated with jade and colored forgings.

The scene is simple yet appears very grand.

The chiefs of all tribes did not dare to breathe, and could not help but prostrate themselves at the sight of the man who was performing the ceremony of offering sacrifice to the sky.

The sky was originally covered with dark clouds, but when the ceremony began, the sun appeared again. The north wind stopped howling, and the heaven and earth were moved.

"I have received the mandate of heaven and rule over the nine provinces. Now I am leading the brave warriors to drive across the desert and attack the wolves. With the blessing of heaven and the dedication of the soldiers, we have been able to pacify the border and enhance the prestige of our country. All the tribes have returned to their hearts and the heavens have trusted us!

Today, I have built an altar here to offer sacrifices to the heavens. I respectfully present the great sacrifices, jade and silk, and pray that the heavens will protect the Tang Dynasty, bring favorable weather, good livestock and good harvests, and protect our people, so that they can live and work in peace and happiness, and live long and healthy lives. I hope that the country will be forever stable and the mountains and rivers will be picturesque; I hope that China will prosper and all nations will come to pay tribute. I will spare no effort to live up to the people and the country..."

Li Xuanxuan's eulogy was sonorous and powerful, word by word.

"Long live the Tang Dynasty, long live the Supreme!"

"Long live the Tang Dynasty, long live the Supreme..."

The soldiers raised their weapons, looked up and shouted, shocking the sky and stopping the clouds.

"Long live the Khan of Heaven!"

"Long live the Khan..."

The chiefs of various tribes and the soldiers of the Hu tribe shouted "Tian Khan" in the Hu language.

At this moment, the Khan in their eyes was a god.

Reverence is deeply buried in my heart and I dare not cross it.

The Hu soldiers who had experienced the sacrifice to heaven would not dare to follow their chief even if he rebelled.

Because the Heavenly Khan is invincible.

The army of Tian Khan is invincible.

After the sacrifice to heaven, Li Xuan went hunting personally at the foot of Yu Dujun Mountain. He shot and killed nine yellow sheep and used them to entertain the chiefs of various tribes.

The chiefs of various tribes promised to report their household registration and military numbers to the Tang Dynasty.

In terms of taxation, Li Xuan reduced it by 20% compared to the previous Uighur royal court in order to appease the various tribes.

The grassland is rich and can easily support the Protectorate.

Following Li Mi's suggestion, Li Xuan eventually divided the grassland into two major protectorates.

The first is the Hanhai Protectorate.

It is connected to Beiting in the southwest, the Qarluk Khanate in the west, and Jiankun in the northwest.

The eastern part is bounded by the Dule River, Ekun River and Saling River, which flow into Lake Baikal.

The entire upper reaches of the Jian River (now the Yenisei River) and the richest areas of Yu Dujun Mountain were all the Hanhai Protectorate, and they owned half of Lake Baikal.

Make Shanyu City the administrative center.

The Grassland Protectorate was established in the vast area east of the Hanhai Protectorate to the Fuyuan Protectorate.

A city was built in the upper reaches of the Dule River (now Ulaanbaatar), named Tiankhan City, which was the seat of the Grassland Protectorate.

Tian Khan City is eight hundred miles away from Shanyu City, which is not very far in the vast grassland.

We can trade and support each other.

The secondary city of Hanhai Protectorate is Fugui City.

Therefore, the Grassland Protectorate also established Yinglie City in the upper reaches of the Wangjian River in the east.

It was built by the Hu people captured by Li Guangbi.

This is the preliminary plan.

In addition, Li Xuan officially defined Lake Baikal as the North Sea and the Caspian Sea as the West Sea.

It is recorded in the three provinces and nine ministries, and is used by both the government and the public...

(End of this chapter)